The best breakfast ever!

I am back from my visit to Quilt Villa (Bonnie Hunter’s Mountain Cabin) and I cannot explain how much I miss it already.

Plans are in the works for a future visit.  

It was perfect.   We just sat and sewed, talked, laughed and sang!  Ideas percolated, quilts were finished, quilts were born. 

On the way to Quilt Villa we stopped and did all out grocery shopping for our 4 days of quilty bliss.  We shopped “gluten free” as Bonnie has been doing so for months now.  I had decided several weeks ago that this was going to be my jumping off to “gluten free” too.

After almost 20 months since my surgery and exercising my brains out maybe this would prove to be the vehicle to jump start my metabolism.  And besides with everything I have heard and read it is a healthy move to make.

We got to the cabin and I realized I forgot to toss an avocado into the shopping cart.  I wanted to make Bonnie what I consider to be the best breakfast ever.  And it’s Gluten Free!

Avocado Egg Boat.

A few months ago I saw the recipe on Facebook and Paul and I were just about to start making lunch and we had the fixin’s in the house so we made them. 

OMGosh!  It is the best breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack ever!

Pretty much a staple recipe now at Chez Depre.

 

Two eggs, an avocado, some cheese and some spices.  Can’t get much simpler than that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slice the avocado in half, remove the seed. 

Balance the slices on ramekins in a baking tray.

 

 

 

 

Crack and pour an egg into the pit of each avocado.  Now depending on the seed size you might want to make this hole a bit larger by removing some of the avocado meat. 

Snack while cooking I say.

 

 

 

Add seasoning.

For us it a combo of Cajun Seasoning and Paprika.

Top with cheese or cheeses.

Pop into oven at 425.

You can actually click on the recipe name above for a print out of original recipe.

Viola!

Texting Paul now as he is stopping at the grocers on the way home today for steaks for dinner.  I am going to have him pick up some avocados.  Pauli is coming down tomorrow to visit and stay the night.  I’m gonna make these for breakfast on Sunday.

And I promise Bonnie I will make these at Quilt Villa next time.  I won’t forget the avocado!

Enjoy the day,

A little birdie at the market

 

                                                  Teaser pic….read on.

 

Whew, we just returned from the local farmers market.

The bounty was good this week.  Lots of veggies and 10lbs of blueberries to freeze.

 

 

But just incase anyone is thinking I have gone totally domestic (for years my tale was “I can burn boiling water) I have the following ditty to share.

Last night while reading an article yet again someone mentioned making Kale Chips.  I thought I need to explore this and made a mental note to myself to seek out and buy some kale at today’s market.

Well Paul was off putting the blueberries (and a watermelon and cantaloupe) in the car I wandered into our fav stand for veggies. 

I picked up some green onions, mushrooms, cucumber, and this.

 

Oops…not kale…leeks.

 

 

Oh yeah I wanted to make Leek Soup (never had it before in my life) I told Paul.  He looked at me and laughed knowing full well I goofed.

Tomorrow I will seek out kale at the grocer. 

And no need to buy raspberries or tomatoes when the “farms” of Chez Depre and Chez In-Laws are giving this type of bounty.

 

 

 

Now onto another giveway for Christmas in July.

This pattern is by indygo junction and I am a big fan.   I just love these little birds.  I envision a flock of them flying around the house during the winter months when bird sightings are far and few between.  I think once my book manuscript is done I might make it a bird a week habit for a bit to get a good flock going by January.

 

 

I hope you will join me!

 

 

 

So leave a comment telling me your favorite bird and I will draw a winner for the pattern and fabric on Friday at 6am CST! 

Enjoy your day,

I’m a tea drinker!

 

 

No I haven’t given up my coffee habit.  The Keurig still churns out a few cups a day here.

But over the last few years I have begun to drink more and more tea.

I blame Paul.

 

 

And this awesome and quaint loose tea shop in Glen Falls, NY. 

It is called SensibiliTeas.   And if you click on the name you will go right to the website.  My friend Donna runs the shop (and she quilts!  she is awesome too).

They just moved into a new location and Donna has posted these pics on the Tea Shop’s facebook page.  If you ask me it screams sit down let me poor you a cup and let’s chat.  Someday I promise myself I well see it in person.

Now this piece of info might shake Donna to the core…but well…we make a lot of the loose tea as cold iced tea throughout the year.   Some of the teas she actually gives instructions to do so but we are brave and run rampant in our exploration and play with her wonderful blends.

shhhhh…..We have even been known to really go crazy and toss a little bit of blackberry tea into the remaining raspberry tea for our own blend.

Anyway if you are tea drinker and even if your not in the Glen Falls, NY area check out the website.  It is so full of special blends you won’t know where to start. I have so help for you about that in a bit.

I have also found the “Other Cool Uses for Teas” page (click on the About Tea tab) really interesting.

Oh and Paul and I recommend the following:

Caribbean Cooler (excellent iced!)

Mango Green

White Pear

Birthday Wishes (I love this hot when I need some cheer)

and the Chez Depre all time favorite : APRICOT ALLURE  (both hot and cold…all year round…all the time!)

Tea and Quilting….a match made in heaven!

 

Enjoy your day!

German Chocolate GingerCrack Cookies

Spent some time in the kitchen yesterday fiddlin’ with my GingerCrack Cookie Recipe.

For those new to the blog, GingerCrack is the name of a semi homemade cookie recipe I made up a few years back.  Paul and Emily (and guests at Christmas break) could not get enough of the little cookies and dubbed them GingerCrack.

Here is the original recipe:

GingerCrack Cookies

1 package of Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix

½ teaspoon of Ginger

½ teaspoon of Cinnamon

1 packet of Vanilla Sugar

½ teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 teaspoon of Nutmeg

Sprinkle cookies with Cinnamon Sugar before baking follow the baking temp and time on the cookie mix package.  Tweak to your liking.

 

I have been pushing around a half box of German Chocolate Cake Mix for a few weeks now in the kitchen.  We have taken to just backing 2-4 cupcakes here and there when the oven is on for something else so half boxes of cake mix are not uncommon.

I wanted that cake mix gone.

So I grabbed a bag of my beloved Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix and started to play.

German Chocolate GingerCrack Cookies

1 package of Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix

1 cup of Betty Crocker German Chocolate Cake Mix

3 tablespoons of water

1 egg

1 tablespoon Cinnamon Sugar

1 teaspoon Nutmeg

1 packet of Vanilla Sugar

 

I made small spoon size balls of cookie mix for bite size cookies. 375 degrees for 10 mins.

As you can see I left out the Ginger, Pumpkin Pie, Cinnamon (but added Cinnamon Sugar to the mix) as I wanted more of a Chocolate Cookie with a ginger twinkle.   I might put the Pumpkin Pie spice back in on the next batch to give it a bit more punch.

This is half the cookies the package made…the other half are waiting for guests….coffee’s on.

 

For the LOVE of Molly

 

How can you not want to bake dog biscuits for this cute mug!

So I did.

The recipe is from the Oct 2011 Everyday with Rachel Ray magazine.

 

Pup’kin Biscuits (makes about 3 dozen….or enough for awhile in Mollyland)

2 eggs

1/2 cup of canned pumpkin

2 tbsp. dry milk powder

2 1/2 cup flour  (white or wheat)

Preheat oven at 350.

Stir all together.  You can roll out and cut with a cookie cutter or do as I did an roll into 1 inch balls and gently flatten into disks.

Bake for 20 mins and then turn over and bake for another 20.

 

 

I didn’t take a pic of mine because honestly them don’t look spectacular.  I am going to go the cookie cutter route next time to make them more fun.  But fun for who?  Molly or I?  Because she just seems to gobble them in no time flat.  Obviously she likes them.  Might have to film the Molly dance of joy that happens when I reach for the “treat container”.

 

I think I will use this “formula” as my starter recipe and play around with some ingredients.  I am thinking carrots or squash next.  

Molly most definitely loves her veggies.

I have one spoiled dog.

Salted Chocolate Cookies…I am amazed.

It seems I have a bit of a knack in the baking arena at Chez Depre.

 

 

This weeks cookie experiment started with a package of Chocolate Crème Brulee mix that did not come to be over the holidays.  Found this mix at Bed Bath & Beyond. 

My thoughts were I bet I can make a cookie out of this.   Of course one of my very fav ingredients for cookies, Vanilla Sugar, came along for the ride.

 

 

Here are the ingredients:

mix together:

Crème Brulee mix

caramelizing sugar pack (in box)

1 cup of flour

6 tablespoons of room temp butter

1 package of vanilla sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup of sliced almonds smashed into small bits

 

Mix well.  Dough will have a bit of a wet consistency, kind of like fudge.   Roll into 1 inch balls. 

 

 

…..and the secret ingredient that threw them over the edge according to Paul…….

 

gently touch cookie ball into some course salt.  just a bit.  trust me this is so yummy.

 

 

 

 

 

You should get about 2.5 dozen cookies.  Note the salt is just a bit on one edge. 

DO NOT roll in salt!

 

 

 

 

12 mins in a 350 oven and viola!

 

Cookies are a deep chocolate in taste with that salt making them well….yummy!

Fruit Water Anyone?

I am slowly working blogging back into my lifestyle.  It will find it’s way.  I am busy at work in the studio..but a few projects must remain “in the dark” for now so I am worried about content.  After all two of my subjects are now living 600 miles away.  But I will find things to share…I promise.

And so another week has slipped on by.  But I do have this to let you know about.

 

The cooking gadgets section of Bed Bath and Beyond has become one of my new playgrounds. So many toys for the kitchen…who knew…I do now!

 

A find that recently came home with us is a Fruit Infusion Pitcher. Easy concept…sliced fruit in loaded in to a center column that is full of vents opening into the pitcher.  Yes this can be done without the fancy pitcher…but I am all about the product in this Kitchen Gadget Discovery phase.  

Since we rarely have soda in the house anymore (for about three years now) tea and flavored tea have become staples. 

I think one of these pitchers will find it’s way to Arkansas for two people to enjoy.

After a few hours in the frig we were treated to raspberry orange water…it was good.

 

I also found this cute little teapot which is just perfect for us.  We have been drinking a lot of tea lately and discovered this wonderful online loose tea shop, SensibiliTeas.    We highly recommend the Caribbean Cooler…and the Blackberry Roobios.

And yes I have been still hexing.   And while doing so I have discovered that Netflix has all 122 episodes of The Rockford Files on instant watch.  And so James Garner has been keeping me company.  The Hexie Quilt top will be done by February 7th…that is the goal.

But today is Pineapple Block day…yes another project.  There will be a full blog tomorrow in which I will show my progress (started last Sunday) and the unique setting I have come up with.