Quilts Under Construction - 3Q Update

The quarterly check-in. I'll be honest, I had hopes of moving things through this list a lot more. I didn't really start any quilts. But there was summer, frustrations with my machine, a wasp nest, a new school year, and being sick. Excuses, excuses.

It is what it is.

We no longer have a babysitter two days a week. That is really making a difference. Not because I quilted when we had the babysitter, but because it meant I got all the other stuff done so I could quilt once the kids went to bed. Now that time is spent returning emails from the day and planning for the next one. Mornings are for the creative work and my one early riser.  We've also entered that time where the kids' activities take up a lot more time. And with a maniac for a 3 yo there is little sitting and watching time while the girls do their thing.

As I said, it is what it is.

Quilt Tops Ready for Quilting

1. Cosmos Blocks
2. Improv Sampler
3. Checkerboard from Sunday Morning Quilts
4. Slaveship Quilt
5. The Evil Genius' Triangle Quilt
7. Giant Hexagons
8. Lilac Lovely - hanging at My Sewing Room as a sample for my Improv Curves class.
9. Cirrus Solids Pinwheel top
10. Solid Sunday Morning
11. Oh Canada Quilt in Red
12. Circle Lattice
13. Low Volume Rainbow Mini - I don't think I've ever shared this, but I came across it this summer.

I'm really hoping to find a day or two on a long arm to get some of these done. Or a friend to help me baste because that holds me up more than anything.

Quilts Being Quilted

14. Low Volume Circles - Ugh, hand quilting holding me up. Maybe this winter?
15. Antonio's Quilt - So close, yet I don't finish it.
16. Smooch - on the machine right now and about half done.

Waiting for Binding

Nothing in this pile.

Blocks and Process

17. Low Volume Shoeman's Puzzle/Slab blocks - So, so close on this one. I was all set to sew the last rows together and I saw a mistake I made. Just haven't been motivated to fix it.
18. A values quilt in neutrals - I know I said I wasn't counting class blocks, but I now have enough blocks to turn this into a quilt.
19. Green/Yellow/Orange Improv blocks  - These have turned into an almost full set of blocks. About 8 more to go then I can put the top together.
20. Mid Mod Bee - Still wishing for a day or two to get this together.
21. Hand Pieced Diamonds - Is it crazy that I feel the whole top needs to be hand pieced together?
22. More Cosmic Burst blocks
23. Name quilt for my daughter - I think this become a backing more than anything...
24. Chandelier quilt - requires some unsewing and I'm just not motivated to do this.
25. Liberty Circles
26. Respite - a project started in a Bill Kerr design workshop
27. Pieced Stars
28. The Water Quilt
29. Edges/Studio Stash Play
30. Beach Grass Take 2
31. Y2K quilt - Maybe up to 20 rows now.
32. Another leaders and enders project, intended to be like Up, Up, and Away from Sunday Morning Quilts
33. Round and Round blocks - Up to 16 of these now. Still here.
34. Snippets on Dates - Haven't touched these since the last time, but I have sewn pairs together randomly..
35. Leftovers from Modern Paris
36. Gee's Bend inspired blocks after my trip to Alabama - I worked on a pile more of these blocks, but now debating final layout options before I make more.
37. Paperless paper piecing block from my class with Cristy Flincher. I think it needs to be the start of a medallion quilt.
38. The girls' clothes turned into a quilt with the Gee's Bend quilters.
39. Improv work with Cotton and Steel Fabrics that I started for my CreativeLive Improv Quilting Basics class.
40. Blue Improv - pulled out some class sample I've used over the years and played with them for CreativeLive Improv Quilting Basics. Now I think I have a plan for them.
42. The X-Plus blocks I used in the Creative Live Quilting with Low Volume Fabrics class.
43. A whole bunch of pinwheels that I'm playing with. Started as prep for my CreativeLive Pinwheel Play class.

Finished

Glitter Pen - technically it was finished months and months ago, but it was just published in the summer issue of Modern Patchwork so I couldn't share it earlier.
Aloha Kakou - a fun baby and mama quilt that was a secret project finally finished and revealed.
One awesome pincushion.

I am pleased that I didn't start anything new, well nothing new that isn't a class sample. But I was hoping for some finishes. I want to get things done, but there just isn't enough time in the day. You can't beat yourself up over that though, just do what you can, when you can. As long as you are enjoying it when you do it then you need not want for anything else.

Quilts Under Construction - 2Q 2015

Time for the quarterly reality check. Let's look at the Quilts Under Construction list. Things have moved around a bit, although there weren't many quilt finishes.

I've decided to make one fundamental change to this list. If blocks are being used for class samples they are no longer counted. I will make and remake blocks many times in the course of teaching. As they are for demo purposes and not necessarily intended to be a finished quilt, I don't think it is right to include them in this particular list. Of course, that only took 2 things off the list... Hmm. I wonder if I wasn't counting them all before and I just cleaned that up? Oh well.

There was steady work on a number of quilts while others just sat and sat there. I think it might be time to make a booking on a long arm to get a few of those tops done. Or teach my kids to baste because that is the part I hate the most.

Quilt Tops Ready for Quilting

1. Cosmos Blocks
2. Improv Sampler
3. Checkerboard from Sunday Morning Quilts
4. Slaveship Quilt 
5. The Evil Genius' Triangle Quilt
7. Giant Hexagons
8. Lilac Lovely - hanging at My Sewing Room as a sample for my Improv Curves class.
9. Cirrus Solids Pinwheel top
10. Solid Sunday Morning
11. Oh Canada Quilt in Red

Quilts Being Quilted

12. Low Volume Circles - Ugh, hand quilting holding me up.
13. Antonio's Quilt - So close, yet I don't finish it.
14. Smooch -

Waiting for Binding

Nothing in this pile except for a few Just One Slab quilts for final donation.

Blocks and Process

15. Mid Mod Bee - Wishing for a single day or two this summer to get it done. I know what I want to do...
16. Hand Pieced Diamonds - Is it crazy that I feel the whole top needs to be hand pieced together?
17. More Cosmic Burst blocks
18. Name quilt for my daughter - I think this become a backing more than anything...
19. Chandelier quilt - requires some unsewing and I'm just not motivated to do this.
20. Liberty Circles
21. Respite - a project started in a Bill Kerr design workshop
22. Pieced Stars - in recent weeks I've made a few more stars. Crazy precision piecing kick I've been on.
23. The Water Quilt
24. Low Volume Shoeman's Puzzle/Slab blocks - This one has been on my mind lately. Made more low volume slabs while teaching and they could be added. Just need to make more templates.
25. A values quilt in neutrals - I know I said I wasn't counting class blocks, but I now have enough blocks to turn this into a quilt. Maybe very soon.
26. Green/Yellow/Orange Improv blocks  - Part of these are being kept as class samples, but a big chunk of them are now turning into a quilt for my son.
27. Edges/Studio Stash Play
28. Beach Grass Take 2
29. Y2K quilt - Up to 16 rows now. Out of 50.
30. Another leaders and enders project, intended to be like Up, Up, and Away from Sunday Morning Quilts
31. Round and Round blocks - Up to 16 of these now.
32. Snippets on Dates - These are coming together. When I am in the mood for the mess again I will finish it. So, so close.
33. Circle Lattice - Finished three blocks now, and started the fourth.
34. Leftovers from Modern Paris - These may come into play soon as the couple I made the quilt for are now expecting a baby.
35. Gee's Bend inspired blocks after my trip to Alabama - I made up the small blocks into 1 large block, but now I think it needs more.
36. Paperless paper piecing block from my class with Cristy Flincher. I think it needs to be the start of a medallion quilt.
37. The girls' clothes turned into a quilt with the Gee's Bend quilters.
38. Improv work with Cotton and Steel Fabrics that I started for my CreativeLive Improv Quilting Basics class.
39. Blue Improv - pulled out some class sample I've used over the years and played with them for CreativeLive Improv Quilting Basics. Now I think I have a plan for them.
40. The X-Plus blocks I used in the Creative Live Quilting with Low Volume Fabrics class.
41. A whole bunch of pinwheels that I'm playing with. Started as prep for my CreativeLive Pinwheel Play class.

Finished

Precious - an all voile quilt
A Vintage Spin quilt that hasn't been gifted yet, so I can't share it.

Two magazine projects are now published, but I've only shared one so far.
Argyle (Version I and II)
Watch for the other one to be posted in the next week or two. Both are in the latest issue of Modern Patchwork.

Plus, I made some clothes. A dress, 3 Lindens, 2 skirts for my girls.

Quilts Under Construction - 1Q 2015

In the interest of staying on top of things, not to mention full disclosure, here is the current status of Quilts Under Construction in my studio. Except when deadlines take over, I think I'm doing well at tackling at least one of these projects once a week.

As I wrote the list I got excited and thought I'd made all sorts of progress as the numbers seemed lower. Then I got to the part where I added the projects I started. Oh well. I'm still happy! And, let's not forget my new obsession with garment sewing taking away some quilting time.

Quilt Tops Ready for Quilting

1. Cosmos Blocks
2. Improv Sampler
3. Checkerboard from Sunday Morning Quilts
4. Slaveship Quilt  - I did buy some Valdani thread for some hand quilting on this and nearly started after watching the Book of Negroes miniseries.
5. The Evil Genius' Triangle Quilt - now that she has her own bed she wants this finished. But it is isn't big enough for her double bed. So she's picked out side borders and I just need to sew them on.
6. A low volume rainbow mini quilt that I've never shared with you.
7. Giant Hexagons - I did actually come with a plan for quilting this the other day and now I'm excited to move forward.
8. One red/purple turquoise quilt intended for magazine publication
9. Cirrus Solids Pinwheel top
10. Solid Sunday Morning - I even have the back made already. Will be doing this one very soon.

Quilts Being Quilted

11. Low Volume Circles - I took this out and looked at it once.
12. Antonio's Quilt - Still waiting for me to come back to this.

Waiting for Binding

13. All voile quilt - just have the last side of the binding to finish, so I'm counting it here. Then I will photograph and share. So close to being done.

Blocks and Process

14. Mid Mod Bee - This is moving up the list in my head. Some setting ideas are percolating...
15. Hand Pieced Diamonds - I found the first section I made, it had gone missing/got buried in the studio.
16. More Cosmic Burst blocks
17. Name quilt for my daughter
18. Chandelier quilt
19. Liberty Circles - I actually finished all the circles for this, playing with my new machine. If I could decide on a background fabric I would finish this top up.
20. Respite - a project started in a Bill Kerr design workshop
21. Pieced Stars
22. The Water Quilt
23. Low Volume Shoeman's Puzzle/Slab blocks - I made more blocks and plan to make at least another 21 more.
24. A values quilt in neutrals - After teaching this again at QuiltCon I have no more classes scheduled in the next few months. I've kept this out to try to get a new top together.
25. Green/Yellow/Orange Improv blocks (Class sample, so I keep adding more blocks each time I teach the class) - My son's favourite colour is orange these days and his room is painted green, so these blocks are sitting at the front of my brain lately.
26. Edges/Studio Stash Play
27. Beach Grass Take 2
28. Y2K quilt - About 12 rows made. Of 50.
29. Another leaders and enders project, intended to be like Up, Up, and Away from Sunday Morning Quilts
30. Round and Round blocks - Up to 13 of these now.
31. Snippets on Dates - Just pressed another round of these. I'm curious as to how big things would be if I spent a few hours getting them all together.
32. Circle Lattice - Finished two blocks now, and started the third.
33. Leftovers from Modern Paris - These may come into play soon as the couple I made the quilt for are now expecting a baby.
34. Orange Circles from Craftsy/Perfect Circles class samples - I think these will stay class samples. Or not.
35. Gee's Bend inspired blocks after my trip to Alabama - I made up the small blocks into 1 large block, but now I think it needs more.
36. Paperless paper piecing block from my class with Cristy Flincher. I think it needs to be the start of a medallion quilt.
37. The girls' clothes turned into a quilt with the Gee's Bend quilters.
38. A Victory Spin quilt in progress for a baby that is already a few months old!
39. Improv work with Cotton and Steel Fabrics that I started for my CreativeLive Improv Quilting Basics class.
40. Blue Improv - pulled out some class sample I've used over the years and played with them for CreativeLive Improv Quilting Basics. Now I think I have a plan for them.
41. The X-Plus blocks I used in the Creative Live Quilting with Low Volume Fabrics class.
42. A stack of Doe from Carolyn Friedlander and some precious screen prints from all over to play with.
43. A whole bunch of pinwheels that I'm playing with. Started as prep for my CreativeLive Pinwheel Play class.

Finished or Moved out of the studio

Donated an Amy Butler store sample I bought years ago and never quilted.

Values Plus - This is finished, but I've yet to photograph and share it here.

Alturas
QuiltCon Quilt
Two magazine projects I can't share yet. Plus another one that is almost the same as the magazine project.
Caterpillar - technically finished this in 2014, but I hadn't shared it yet.
Ride the Waves -  technically finished this in 2014, but I hadn't shared it yet.

Two Linden sweatshirts and a dress.

Quilts Under Construction - December 2014

My finishing kick for December is still in full swing. So far I've finished 4 quilts - the Christmas Tree quilt and 3 others I still need to photograph and share. There are 2 more waiting for binding, but those won't get done before the end of the year. And if the kids cooperate I might get just one more done before midnight...

Hubby bought me a new sewing machine for Christmas, so I see a lot more finished coming as I will be able to free motion quilt at home again! I've got ALL the motivation now. If only I had the time.

To keep me on top of things I've decided to update this list quarterly. I've also got a goal in mind for keeping moving on some of these longer term projects, more about that in my next post. So here is the list as it stands. Watch for the updates. And look, the number is below 40 now! It is exactly how old I am, how convenient.

Quilt Tops Ready for Quilting

1. Cosmos Blocks
2. Improv Sampler
3. Checkerboard from Sunday Morning Quilts
4. Slaveship Quilt -
5. Old Amy Butler quilt top
6. The Evil Genius' Triangle Quilt
7. A low volume rainbow mini quilt that I've never shared with you.
8. Giant Hexagons
9. Values Plus
10. One red/purple turquoise quilt intended for magazine publication
11. Cirrus Solids Pinwheel top

Quilts Being Quilted

12. Low Volume Circles - I'm plugging away on the hand quilting, slowly. Actually, I don't think I've touched this in 2 years. Maybe this winter?
13. Antonio's Quilt - For some reason I've stalled on the quilting, yet I don't have much more to do.

Waiting for Binding

14. Alturas
15. QuiltCon Quilt
16. All voile quilt

Blocks and Process

17. Mid Mod Bee - Blocks to be assembled into a top
18. Hand Pieced Diamonds - I think I'm done with these, but I would like to get it into a quilt top.
19. More Cosmic Burst blocks - I have a whole other set of blocks for a baby quilt
20. Name quilt for my daughter - still haven't done anything on this. It might become the back for a new bed quilt for her. Maybe.
21. Chandelier quilt - was so close, then discovered a big mistake and have never fixed it
22. Liberty Circles - These have sat, but I was recently thinking about them. Maybe this winter?
23. Respite - a project started in a Bill Kerr design workshop
24. Pieced Stars - a BOM I started years ago when I wanted to do some precision piecing breaks when doing a lot of improv
25. The Water Quilt
26. Low Volume Shoeman's Puzzle/Slab blocks
27. A values quilt in neutrals (Class sample, so I keep adding more blocks each time I teach the class)
28. Green/Yellow/Orange Improv blocks (Class sample, so I keep adding more blocks each time I teach the class)
29. Sunday Morning in Solids
30. Edges/Studio Stash Play - I do hope to finish this for a friend. It requires a day or two with no deadlines/kids in the studio
31. Beach Grass Take 2 - this would make a perfect bed quilt for the girls and their new beds. And it goes together so quickly...
32. Y2K quilt - slowly, slowly with this one as I piece it as leaders and enders
33. Another leaders and enders project, intended to be like Up, Up, and Away from Sunday Morning Quilts
34. Round and Round blocks - these are addictive and I wish I could make them all day long
35. Snippets on Dates
36. Circle Lattice
37. Leftovers from Modern Paris
38. Orange Circles from Craftsy/Perfect Circles class samples
39. Gee's Bend inspired blocks after my trip to Alabama.

Finished

Improv Drunkard's Path - a gift, yet to photographed and shared.
French's Vintage Top - quilted, bound, and recently gifted back to the family it was made by/discovered.
Argyle - A gift for my nephew, but also a potential magazine publication, so I can't share it yet.
Caterpillar - I've shared the top before, but I need to share the finish quilt.
There is Peace in Pattern
Mountain Meadows
Giant Dresdens
Playground
Modern Paris
Improv Sewing Machines
Shimmer Table Runner
Equalizer - coming soon in You Inspire Me to Quilt

One Year

I can usually hear the footsteps the second the feet hit the ground. A tiny body sliding out of her giant bed, stepping around the dog sleeping on the floor, blankets and Tiger in hand. She sometimes opens the blinds, the creak of the roller a dead giveaway, just to make sure it's morning. Then she stomps down the hall. It sounds like stomping, even though she barely weighs 30 pounds. Her hand grasps the knob on the door to my room. A short turn and she peeks in. If she sees me awake she quickly pops in the room, slams the door behind her, props her crap on the bed, and climbs in.

She usually doesn't say a word. Not until she is settled and snuggled beside me. Her face is glowing with a morning smile and she practically purrs with delight. We lay like that for a what is probably only seconds. Then she pops her head up.

"Mama, can we bake today?"

*******

One year ago I marked my first day as a stay at home parent. My husband left for work, to return more or less almost 4 months later. I was thrust into the role of full-time parent with no regular paycheque. It was an initiation, almost hazing, that no college student would ever survive. 24 hours a day, alone, with my kids.

Being home with my kids was never a reality I imagined. I was going to either save the world or make a lot of money working hard. For a while I thought I could combine the two. Then these little creatures emerged, growing with me, and encouraging a sense of self I never knew was there. Our family changed and the needs of the whole outweighed my desire to save the world. Instead I needed to work on just saving us.

So, here I am. A year in. Much calmer now - most days - and still working on keeping us all sane. I've had to revise my own expectations about what can be achieved by the family and by me, in our time. I've also blown apart my own thoughts about the pleasure this would bring me and the peace it gives my husband. I still wonder what the hell I'm doing and I don't love it every day. But I like it. A lot.

In this past year I've developed a whole new relationship with the girls, worked to define this new thing with my husband, and searched for a balance to my own desires and goals. It's been HARD. And that's not counting the disappointments, struggles, grief, and disorder that the last year also brought.

And I wouldn't change a thing. As hard as this life is, it is better. Much, much better.

*******

Peach pie, lemon cupcakes, muffins, scones, cookies, bread... We're baking it all. Practically something new every day.

The Monster isn't as thrilled with being in the kitchen as she used to be. If there is the prospect of chocolate she will join us. Otherwise, The Evil Genius pulls up her bright orange chair, rifles through the cupboard for her apron, and says to me, "So, what should we bake today, Chef?"

With the Monster starting Kindergarten this morning I see even more baking in my future. That kid will have the best snacks in her heart covered backpack. Full of love and most likely chocolate.

Nectarine, White Chocolate and Cardamom Scones

(adapted from the basic English Cream Scone recipe in the original Five Roses Flour cookbook)

Makes 16-18 kid-size scones

1 nectarine, chopped into 1/2'' chunks

3 ounces white chocolate, roughly chopped

2 cups flour (you can mix whole wheat with regular, but don't go 100% whole wheat)

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 cup cold butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silicon mat.

Make sure your nectarine and white chocolate are chopped. Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the flour. Frankly, we use our hands. 3 years olds are very, very good at this. You could also use a pastry cutter. Stir in the nectarine and white chocolate

Reserve 1 tbsp of egg whites in a small bowl, then beat the eggs with the cream. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well. The dough will be wet and sticky. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto your prepared baking sheet. Leave 1'' between scones.

Brush the tops with reserved egg white and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake for 10-13 minutes until lightly golden.

Enforcement

3 hours.

My 3 year old sat at the table an hour for every year the other night. Just because she wouldn't drink her milk. And because we told her she couldn't leave the table until she did just that.

She cried, she took a bathroom break, she fussed, she tried to play, she desperately worked us for conversation and entertainment. We continued on with our evening - working, cleaning up, putting The Monster to bed (even though she couldn't sleep because she is quite used to her sister in the room), and I even made caramel corn. For 3 hours she sat there. At that point I subbed out the milk with a cold glass. She spilled that one. I cleaned it up and gave her another one. With a nonchalance that belied the battle of wills she simply picked it up and drank it.

Right now you either think we are cruel parents or are filled with admiration for our stick-to-it-ness. Or you think we're dumb. I'm going with all three myself.

A rule is a rule. We don't care if they don't eat all their dinner. As long as they've tried everything on their plate, they can eat as much or as little as they like. But they have to drink their milk. (Very lovely goat milk, I might add.)

As for us parents, our rule is that if we start down a path we don't cave. If the other says something we don't contradict. So even though we had a pile of things to do and actually needed the dining room table, we worked around her. It was exhausting, I'll admit. I'm proud of all of us for sticking to it. And the caramel corn went really nicely with a scotch once it was all over.

(I used this recipe, but subbed the syrup for maple syrup, added pecans instead of peanuts, and crumbled in some cooked bacon with the popcorn.)

And don't tell the kid, but I'm impressed with her. That stubborness will do her well as an adult, if she makes it there.

What are some of your dinnertime rules? What's the longest you've had to go to enforce a rule?

Intentions

Hubby took me to a very fancy schmancy restaurant in the mountains for my birthday and this is the only picture my camera took.

We had a 7 course meal: the most amazing fois gras I've ever had, two things I'd never heard of before (compressed melon and dehydrated milk), wines that I'd never think to drink, a goose broth that needs to be bottled and sold as liquid gold, and a glorious sunset over the mountains. And I didn't take a single picture of it.

Don't get me wrong, it was gorgeous food. From artful but real presentations to sublime tastes to inventive techniques. It was a very memorable meal.

The memory will only live in my head, and maybe in my husband's. I did not photograph such a stellar experience because sometimes I just want my dinner to be my dinner. I have no intention of becoming a restaurant reviewer, so that documentation isn't necessary. And I have no intention of documenting everything I eat, Twitter is bad enough for that.

What I do intend to do, and this dinner practiced that intention, is to simply enjoy my food, enjoy my experience. Food writers need breaks too from thinking about writing about food. We want vacations and the only way we'll get them, since we always have to eat, is by putting down the camera and not composing sentences in our head as we chew.

Instead, I'm going to think how awesome my husband looks with the sun setting behind him and the look of joy on his face as he devours his favourite food. I'm going to pinch myself that I experienced such a luxurious treat in the midst of some stressful times. I'm going to look at my sous vide rhubarb and think it's cool, instead of wondering how they did it. I'm just going to eat.

Only in My House?

Hubby has a disgusting habit. Okay, he has more than one. Opening beer bottles with his teeth, eating knobs of butter, just butter, and eating dried macaroni by the handful. And much to my chagrin, he's passed on those habits to our youngest child. Not the beer bottle one - yet.

Yes, when we bake she steals bits of butter and I've found her with her finger in the butter dish more than once. Are you cringing just a little at that? I am.

Lately, however, the macaroni habit has become an obsession. All our dry goods are stored in glass jars on open shelves above the stove.  She literally tries to climb up the stove, yelling, "Macaroni please!"

At first I refused, fearing that she would choke. We've been down that road and I was terrified of another ambulance visit. Eventually I relented, letting her have just one. She chomped down, chewed it up, and asked for more. So now she and her Daddy sit with handfuls of dried macaroni, crunching and laughing together over the naughtiness of their habit.

Does anyone else do this? Or is my family just this special? (Sarah, don't answer that)

Bean Burgers Yum!

If you've been reading a while you know that I was the mom who went crazy anal about making my kids' food when they were little. Or you just know me and that fact isn't surprising at all. But the one thing I did buy was some bean burgers from a local manufacturer. The Monster absolutely loved them. But they were expensive. Damn expensive.

I launched a search to make a good bean burger myself. And I searched and tested and searched and tested some more. And I had no success. Nothing seemed to work.  They were all too dry or too wet, so I gave up.

Then the Blog Aid: Haiti cookbook arrived. Catherine McCord at Weelicious included a recipe for garbanzo burgers in it. The old challenge poked its head out of my subconscious and forced me to make her burgers. And you know what? Success at last! 

Of course, I did adapt it a bit.  But that's because I had a 19 ounce can of chickpeas, not 14 ounces as in the original recipe. To compensate I added some pistachios when I was making the breadcrumbs and threw in some spices. The girls and I happily ate them, as did our vegetarian friend who was visiting. Even Hubby, the devout carnivore, ate them without grumbling. Much. But he did clarify that they were actually patties and did not deserve the name burger.

Garbanzo Patties

Adapted from the Weelicious recipe in the Blog Aid:Haiti Cookbook

Makes 12-15 patties

1 19 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 small carrot, chopped

1 small onion, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios

2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

1-2 tbsp oil

1. Blitz the first 8 ingredients in a food processor until it is a consistent mixture.

2. Stir in the bread crumbs, pistachios, and sesame seeds.

3. Scoop about 1/4 cup of the mixture (it will be wet) into your hand and form patties. 

4. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Cook patties for 5 minutes, flip and cook 3-5 minutes longer.

Particularly tasty with Edgar Farms Asparagus Relish. Or a nice green salad.

My Days and Nights

Like a starving man with irrational and obsessive fantasies about food, I'm losing my mind and killing myself over recipes I can't cook. I'm even dreaming about food and famous foodies.

The other night I went to Pangaea, a restaurant I've only ever heard about through fellow writer, Dana McCauley.  Her husband, Martin Kouprie, owns the place. Now I've never met either of these people in person, but I had a very elaborate dream where Martin took me on a tour of the place and gave me a cooking lesson. So now I am obsessed with trying something we experimented with in the dream - hot chocolate ice cream. We made ice milk, then poured over a cocoa sauce. Cocoa sauce? Not chocolate sauce? It was a dream after all.

Then last night I had a fantastic dream with Matt Armendariz. Nothing either of our husbands have to worry about, so stop right there. If Matt ever opens the bar I dreamt about he will be a very popular man.  Well, popular with everyone but my dad. Inexplicably my grumpy old dad came with me to the movie screening at Matt's bar. The rest of the crowd, full of old friends from university and what my unconscious can only guess are a mess of Matt's friends, enjoyed candy, chocolate, and pastry made by Matt. I can't tell you what movie we watched, but I can still taste the butter and flake of Matt's perfect pastry.

And I thought it was bad spending my days reading magazines and blogs, torturing myself with food I cannot make until I can stand for more than 5 minutes unassisted. Now my nights are haunted by crazy good food and better company that the ladies on The View.

A Perfect First Date

Do you remember when you were 16 and you finally got that guy you loved FOREVER to notice you and suddenly you were agreeing to go to the movies, without either of your parents driving you?  The excitement, the knots in your stomach, the agony over what exactly to wear?  And then a zit that appeared on your face the night before.

Or what about the first time your mother-in-law came over for dinner?  The fretting over the right menu, timing your dishes so that nothing was cold, and obsessing over whether the house was just clean enough? And then the dog upturns a plant and you have dirt everywhere.

Now, imagine that you've invited over two major foodies and fantastic writers. Oh yeah, and they're bloggers too and you know that they're going to write about and photograph what you made for dinner. Nope, no pressure there.Friday night we hosted Julie and her gang from Dinner with from Dinner with Julie and Aimée and her family from Under the High Chair. Seriously, no pressure whatsoever.

The Menu:

Watermelon and Jicama Sticks with Chili Salt

Hubby' Famous Arkison Burgers

Grilled Avocado and Corn Salad with Smoky Caesar Dressing

Buffalo Hot Dogs

Grilled Peaches with Sour Cream Ice Cream

Cherry Hand Pies

It seemed like a pretty stress free menu. Or so I thought.

Since Julie did such a good job of summarizing our evening together - although she forgot the part where Danny, Aimée's husband took out Willem, Julie and Mike's son - I thought I would highlight the prep.  The nerve-wracking everything going wrong prep for when two major foodie bloggers stop by for Friday night dinner.

Let's start with dessert, because that's what I worked on first.  I lucked into some sour cherries at the market last week, so pie was definitely called for.  The Monster and I tucked into pitting the cherries while Smilosaurus had her last official morning nap. Sour cherries are ridiculously easy to pit, no tool required.  We just put our thumbs on either side of the pit and pulled the cherry apart.  Well, that's what I did.  The Monster apparently would start by biting off half the cherry, then picking out the pit.  And, ever helpful, she would put both halves of the cherry in the bowl.  So, in case I forgot to mention it on Friday night, the cherry pie had a little something extra in it.

Then there was the ice cream.  Sour Cream Ice Cream. I was brave and the three of us girls went off to get our groceries.  Sour cream? Check.  Half and half? Check. Heavy cream? Check. Frozen ice cream canister? Check. Blender? Check?

Coordination and space in the fridge?  Uh, no. I dropped the blender on the floor as I was trying to fit it in between a case of beers and some herbs.  It went everywhere! In fact, looking at that picture I realize that I still need to clean the sideboard.

The dogs had a field day cleaning the floor and The Monster cried for a half hour straight. Nothing but tears, nay, wailing, over spilled ice cream.  Thankfully Hubby came home in the middle of her crying so I could run out and buy more sour cream while she cried herself to sleep.
I also ran out to the market while the girls slept to pick up the corn, avocado, lettuce, beef, and the rest of our groceries for the week.  While unpacking I realized that of everything I picked up I forgot to buy peaches.  So, no grilled peaches for dessert. Sigh.

Instead I set to making the pies and getting everything else ready.  I had my pate brisee cold in the fridge. It rolled out wonderfully and I made my pies.  Then I went outside to get the yard a little bit in order.  And promptly forgot about the first tray of pies. I saved them from complete destruction.  And Julie even said she loved the idea of the juices oozing out of their pastry hold. I still scolded her for taking a picture of it. We just picked the really crispy bits off the edges.

Finally, and this was by no means a disaster, I ran out of ketchup. No ketchup is not cause for alarm, but I am firmly in the camp that burgers need ketchup. I was also anticipating toddler meltdown if their was no ketchup for the hot dogs. Just as I prepared to call my neighbour who is stocked for the war (I call her my emergency pantry) I remembered a bottle of homemade ketchup in the cold storage. And the reviews were so positive - except from my kid - that I might consider the effort again.

All was not horrible.  Indeed, some things went ridiculously well.  I made the chili salt for the watermelon and jicama sticks with my secret stash of dried chili from Baja.  I simple threw a handful of chili in a non-reactive frying pan with a clove of garlic.  Let it heat up until I could really smell the chili heat.  Then I blitzed the whole thing in a food processor with a little less than a cup of kosher salt. I think we all preferred it with the watermelon, and I'm pretty sure it would be good on mango too. Hubby and I thought that maybe the leftover salt would be good on some grilled chicken, but not too much.

Then there were the burgers.  Oh, the burgers.  These are the spec-i-al-ity of my Hubby, Morgan. I once made the mistake of raving over a burger in a seaside shack in Digby, Nova Scotia as the best burger I ever had.  I swear that if I hadn't recanted the statement right then and there we never would have married.

There's nothing special to the burgers.  Just good quality ground beef, lean ground beef.  Don't try to be healthy and by extra lean, your burgers will be dry. Lately we've been making them from Hoven Farms beef.  Very flavourful.  So take your beef and form it into a patty, preferably a large patty. Do not season the beef, don't add eggs or bread crumbs.  This is pure beef. Now you know why I only served a green salad on the side.

After a liberal dosing in CattleBoyz BBQ Sauce he cooks them slowly on the grill.  They stay juicy, they get a great crust, and they are perfection. Meaty, so juicy they drip off your wrists perfection.

So the floor was still sticky, the lawn never got mowed, and I highly doubt I made The Monster's bed after her nap.  Oh, and I did indeed have a brand new zit to greet our guests. None of that really matters if everyone is well fed and the company good.

The night was really as good as it gets when you've got 6 tired adults (long drives, gout, sleepless nights, and working too much) and 5 kids under the age of 4 to keep track of.  Note to self: build gates for the fence. We photographed our food more than our kids, we chatted and gossiped about other sites we visit, compared horrible neighbours, and we lubricated everything with Prosecco, Moscato, and beer.  It would have been lovely to sit leisurely around the firepit and actually have some girl talk among us bloggers, but sadly the Hubby's wanted our help with the kids. I think Julie and I might have to plan a weekend in Montreal, sans kids, to get that!

Make sure you check our Julie's review of the evening (including the recipe for the sour cream ice cream, and keep an eye on Under the High Chair for all of Aimée's vacation reports. And stay tuned here this week, I will actually share with you the recipe for Cherry Hand Pies.

More Confessions

The very nature of a blog is part confessional.  It's time for me to 'fess up.  I've never been able to make Rice Krispie Squares.   Yup, the laziest, kid friendly treat and I've never been able to make them properly.   If you want rocks filled with rice cereal then I'm your girl.  That is, until last week.  

My mom loves to make them for the grandkids and thus The Monster was asking for them.  It hurt a little, but only a little, to buy the marshmallows and boxed cereal.  I try to limit the processed food in the house, but I have to stop beating myself up for a few little treats. Besides, it is great dessert time fun for us to throw mini marshmallows across the table in an attempt to score one in a waiting, open mouth. 

And ultimately, score one for this mom - I've finally mastered the Rice Krispie square.  My mom told me to add a bit more marshmallows than the recipe calls for and to take it off the heat as soon as those fluffy bits of corn syrup melt.  It worked.  Squares that stayed together but weren't like rocks.  Oh, and The Monster was happy.  So happy.  Such simple pleasures.

I'm all for treats and baking. I have no qualms with them having too much sugar, they actually self-regulate pretty well.  But I didn't want the cereal hanging around, constantly teasing her and inviting the ceaseless begging of a nearly three-year old.

Then I recalled a recipe that I saw from my favourite bow-tie wearing baldy, Christopher Kimball. Have I mentioned my geek crush on him before?  I'm sure I have.  He's so damn nerdy and cute. I digress.  I remembered America's Test Kitchen doing a bit on perfect, crispy waffles. Guess what the secret ingredient was?  Hell yeah, Rice Krispies!  A perfect use for the cereal.

The recipe uses cornstarch to help lighten the batter.  Whipping the egg whites separately is not a new notion in waffle recipes, but the combination of the cornstarch, whipped whites, and cereal makes a very light batter.  The cereal essentially melts, leaving pockets of crispy throughout the cooked waffle.  I've changed the recipe a bit, adding some whole wheat flour to make myself feel better.  And I prefer brown sugar for the extra flavour, but it works perfectly well with white sugar too. 

We've now made the waffles a few times.  After so many attempts to find a light waffle that doesn't turn into a brick the second it comes out of the waffle iron I've finally found one. Seriously, these are crispy, light, and perfect for toaster leftovers.  I can make a batch on Sunday morning and the girls have a few breakfasts during the week. This is a great week for mom - dinnertime laughs, afternoon treats, and pre-made breakfasts.  And all from a box of cereal.

Perfect Waffles

(Adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

1 cup unbleached flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup Rice Krispie cereal

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup canola oil

1.  Preheat a waffle iron.

2.  Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Whisk the egg yolks, milk, oil, and vanilla together in a medium bowl.

3.  Beat the egg whites with a wire whisk or electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir until just combined.  Fold in the whites gently.  Do not overmix.

4. Cook according the instructions with your waffle maker.

Confessions of a Condiment Slut

What does a tray of homemade gnocchi have to do with my confession as a condiment slut?  It makes perfect sense to me, so let me try to explain.

Far more than spring cleaning, I am trying to get the house in order.  Living on just one floor for the last 6 months has forced us to really evaluate what we need to live and what is the best way for 4 people and two dogs to live in 1000 square feet.  In the winter.  As my return to work looms I thought it was time to tackle a few things like the closets and the kitchen.  Enter The Kitchn Cure.  Fantastic, a very public way to force me to actually do the work.  And to ensure I really stick to it I am promising to report it all here, once a week for the next 6 weeks.

Pantry before

It actually hasn't been that long since I cleaned out the fridge and the pantry - this week's assignment.  When I am upset about something I clean.  I think Hubby and I had a major domestic fueled my pregnancy hormones, or maybe it was nesting?  So it's been a year... not too long.  But this time I took a closer look at what was actually in there and filled a garbage can, the recycling bin, and a bag for the Foodbank.

It is no secret that I have a tendency to hoard condiments.  Fancy mustards, barbecue sauce, fruity vinegars, jams, honey, hot sauce, and even salad dressings all have a special place in my heart, fridge, and pantry.  When I travel my souvenirs are either cookbooks or food.  As a thirtysomething married chick I don't bring home tropical diseases or naughty memories of strangers, I bring home Texas 1015 Onion Dressing and Jerk Sauce.  And all that baggage was sitting in my house.  Seriously, I had salad dressing in the fridge from a trip to Texas 9 years ago and I've moved it three times.  I was carrying it around like an STD.

Pantry after

While I'm not sure I will cure myself of my condiment obsession, I was rather ruthless in culling the scores of sauces taking up space and not inspiring anything tasty.  Just like the women's mags will tell you when cleaning your closet - if you haven't used it the last 6 months it's time for it to go.  That seemed generous even, so I applied a two month rule.  Surprisingly, I haven't used a lot of stuff in the last two months.

Gone was the hoisin sauce (I never know what to do with it), jerk sauce, three open bottles of three different barbecue sauces, about 4 bottles of salad dressing with just an inch left inside, cream of wheat, expired cans of sweetened condensed milk, and even a can of alligator meat I bought at my brother's wedding in New Orleans.  His wedding was 9 years ago.

Fridge before

Our fridge is only 3 years old and Hubby has been complaining that it is too small.  It is not a small fridge, it was just filled with condiments.  I knew it was bad, but the pile of crap on the counter was ridiculous.  Did I really need ten bottle of salad dressing when we Hubby only ever wants Golden Italian?  Why do I have all that barbecue sauce when CattleBoyz is the best stuff on earth?

There was never any room for leftovers.  And when they did make it in the fridge they always got lost and I would end up throwing out a bunch of food.  Oh yeah, I forgot that cheese sauce was there. Damn, I could have made mac and cheese for dinner last night.  Crap, I could have had that for lunch the other day.  What a bloody waste.

Fridge After

Now there is a dedicated shelf for leftovers.  And another one for all the blessed cottage cheese we go through (over 2 litres a week).  Our three different kinds of milk actually can fit.  Oh, and the fridge will close without any extra hip action.  Most importantly, Hubby might actually be able to find something if he opens the fridge door.  I think he fantasizes about a fridge that is about 6 inches deep and the length of the wall - that way everything is in the front row.

So this condiment slut decided to actually make use of her leftovers when culling the condiments.  Easter dinner's mashed potatoes became gnocchi for dinner.  And I pulled out some braised short ribs from the freezer to serve as the sauce. It's almost worth making extra potatoes just to make these.  Light, little dumplings that Smilosaurus devoured and The Monster spat out.  She's always hated potatoes.  At least I know where the leftovers will be.

Leftover Potatoes Gnocchi

(serves 4)

3 cups mashed potatoes (already loaded with cream, butter, and seasoned)

1 beaten egg

3/4 - 1 cup flour

1-2 ounces grated parmesan

1.  Mix all ingredients together to make a soft dough.

2.  Roll dough into a long rope, about an inch thick.  Cut off one inch pieces.  You can roll them over a fork for the traditional look or just leave them.

3.  Refrigerate or freeze on a floured tray.  Cook in a pot of boiling water until the float to the surface.

Wonderful served with a nice meat sauce, braised short ribs, brown butter, cream sauce with lobster, and so much more.