to Market! Quilt and Grocery!

 

 

 

….last weekend I went to Market.  I may never be the same. Oh My!

….and besides being privy to a sneak peak of what’s on the horizon…I was able to touch base on a few other things too.

I am working with my publisher to have Pieced Hexies available sometime this Fall…the plan is Oct 2012 …fingers crossed!

and

I landed spot in the filming for The Quilt Show in February of next year.  My segment should in the in the Fall 2013.

Happy Dance!!

A few other projects are in the works too….but mum’s the word for now. 

 

 

Now that I am back home for a few weeks I have been spending some time appliquéing the border on Whilst Jubilance.  And it is done.  The plan is to quilt it this week!

 

On the home front….Emily is back from Italy!  As she says she speed dated her way thru visiting Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome in 10 days.   She has informed us that this trip as just whetted her appetite for travel and her passport is in need of many many more stamps.

I think between her and Paul Jr.  OUR passports will be getting many stamps!

I can hardly believe they are Seniors in college now…wow has time flown by.  Talk of graduate school and internships are the norm now.  And I don’t think we will ever all live in the same state ever again.  Well we don’t now as the kids are staying again in Arkansas for the summer as they have secured employment with Hendrix.  But there will be visits.  So I am a happy mom.

 

There has been some online shopping…….

….how could I resist.

 

 

 

 

 

and finally as promised on facebook here is the Asparagus & Cheese Tart Recipe (April 2012 Food Network Magazine..trust me this mag is a VERY GOOD subscription!)

• 1 pound asparagus
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
• 1 cup grated Fontina cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese (same as above)
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot (we like it with sweet onion)
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 400

1. cook asparagus 2-5 minutes so still crisp yet tender.  

2. place pastry puff on a 10x16 baking sheet.   prick with a fork all over.  bake until light golden brown – about 12 minutes

3. meanwhile mix cheeses, onion, egg yolks, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a bowl. 

4. spread cheese mixture over the puff pastry evenly leaving a 1-inch border on all sides.  toss asparagus in olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper.  arrange asparagus on the tart and bake until cheese mixture is slightly puffy (15-20 mins) 

5. Sprinkle with lemon zest. 

6. Enjoy!

 

…Molly is enjoying her holiday in her usual fashion…and I am off to the studio to sew!

Enter Molly Depre

We adopted a dog.

An 8 yr old miniature dachshund named Molly.

She weighs just 7 pounds.

She rules the roost.

I have a feeling she is going to inspire a lot of quilts.

 

 

Auntie Kim sent her this lovely dog treat jar.

It’s bigger than her.

But she goes crazy whenever we go near it.

She is very smart.

 

 

 

She keeps us laughing with her antics like scooching across the carpet from one to another for some belly scratching.

Too much effort to actually get up and walk…. lol.

 

 

 

 

She likes to sit on the top stair to my studio and watch me ….like a gargoyle.  

Those glass blocks next to her are 6 inches high each…yep she is tiny.

 

 

 

 

She has everyone at Starbucks snookered. 

She likes to sit up a bit so she can see more than ankles.

 

 

 

 

He claims she is my dog.

But that is just the cover story.

She has him right where she wants him…wrapped around her paw.

We love Molly.

Soups On!

Four months between posts is a bit much…but not so much if you have been writing a book in that time.

YES! “Pieced Hexies – this is NOT your Grandmothers Flower Garden” will be available in April 2013.

Besides the book there has been lots happening and changing around here at Chez Depre….but more about all of that in the next few posts.

But I promised my Facebook Friends the recipe for Chicken Taco Soup… so enjoy!

 Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

 

 

 

 

 Ingredients:

• 1 onion chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8ounce) can tomato sauce
• 8 ounces of Chicken Broth - (or 12 ounces if you like more broth in your soup)
• 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1  can green chilies
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts

OPTIONAL…but I highly suggest!

• shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• crushed tortilla chips

Directions:

1. place onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, broth, and diced tomatoes in slow cooker.  Add taco seasoning.  Stir to blend.   Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture and press down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients.  Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

2. remove chicken breasts from the soup and allow to cool long enough to be handled.  Shred chicken and stir it back into the soup and continue cooking for 2 hours. 

Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream and crushed tortilla chips

ENJOY!

                                          

Posts will be frequent now…most likely not everyday as I am working on so many “secret” projects…but I have a goal of at least two a week!

If you want instant daily insights into the wacky goings on at Chez Depre friend me on facebook.  We laugh everyday.

….and share a cup of coffee.

p.s. We got a dog! check back on Friday to find out all about her.

Piecing Pineapples at the Movies

During my recovery from surgery I watched the entire season 9 of The Quilt Show one weekend.    Gyleen Fitzgerald was featured on one episode showcasing her ruler for making Pineapple blocks.  Viola…the dreaded Pineapple block is not so dreaded anymore.  Years ago I made a blue/white quilt for my sister in this block.  It was king size…I swore…never again.  I am retracting that statement.
I quickly ordered it here. (plus her book)
When I was given the green light by the doc I would venture downstairs and began to cull down my scrap bins to 1.5” strips…and also a few strips were taken off yardage when I felt more of a color was needed.  Seems I don’t have too many green scraps.
Two weeks ago I began to sew and deemed Sunday’s as Pineapple nights.  I love my Sunday nights…Paul shifts to his night hours and now I can spend the entire time in the studio pretty much uninterrupted. 
I pieced nine blocks that first Sunday and went to bed dreaming of settings for these blocks.  And just as I was about to fall off to sleep it hit me.  I quickly jotted down my idea and went back to bed.

Yesterday (Sunday) I started sewing and unfortunately my head cold kept me to just 4 blocks. 
But I did begin making the “sew line” sashing that I envisioned.




Some feedback on facebook is that is reminds people of filmstrip…and yes I can see that…thus the name of this blog entry….and considering that as the name of the quilt too….hmmm…what do you think?
Note on the sashing I originally put 1.5” strips of black fabric on side of the pieced center…I knew it was too much black but wanted to see it up against a few block before I decided.  I did eventually trim it down .5” on each side. 

The four blocks I did make yesterday were “lights” or opposite positioning of my previous blocks.  These will be used as just “2 packs” as I am calling them…or a relief of the darker “4 pack” traditional coloring pineapple blocks.  This will create some depth and give the overall quilt a look of plaid.  Shown above is 3 units across.  The full quilt will have 5.
Look for Pineapple Updates on Mondays.
oh yeah…and I have also started working on this….

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.

What can I say….we survived.

Ok…it’s January…and already halfway in.  It was the best Christmas Break EVER!

Paul and Emily have come and gone…along with Hayley (Em’s dorm roommate) and Anna (Paul’s girlfriend) and in between we squeezed in oral surgery for Pauli (wisdom teeth are now history) and lots of late nights filled with love and laughter.

I promised a blog yesterday to my facebook friends and then panicked with what the heck am I gonna write about.

I don’t want to write another Hexie blog…at least not right away.   I have updated the website with new workshops for the year…but don’t want this to become a “commercial blog”.

And then while chopping veggies for the stew I was putting together I was gifted with the perfect “Mickey Blog” material.  Let’s back up a bit.

Something dramatic happened to me during surgery…something was most definitely slipped into my IV because…and now brace yourself….I have been cooking up at storm since two weeks after.  And by cooking I do not mean popping a Lean Cuisine into the microwave and hitting go.  I am real honest-to-goodness-I-now-have-recipe-files-on-my-hard-drive type cooking.  At first Paul thought it was residual from the pain meds.  But six weeks in I am still captivated with turning raw food into something edible. 

So back to the veggies.  Our local Mom & Pop grocer puts together veggie packs for making soups/stews and these are wonderful for our now household of just two.  Afterall we do not need but 2-3 stalks of celery, and just one big carrot vs. a bag, etc.   And yes these are veggies that need to be used pretty darn quick and the mix is always what is available so it’s a bit of a surprise as to what veggies may be lurking under the cilantro and parsley.  Pretty much it is root veggies…but you never know.

In yesterday’s pack was a strange veggie I have never seen before.  And since Paul was napping I decided to leave it to the side and not use it in the “Great Stew Experiment”.   Of course the longer I chopped and diced and it just sat there…well my mind began to wander and I dashed downstairs for a few key pins….and viola!  He is now smiling back at me.

Except I still do not know what exactly he is…..does anyone?

p.s. The stew turned out great…I have yet to poison Paul. 

After the pain meds have cleared…

My post on November 15th was not to be my last prior to surgery…but as things happen someone had other plans.  Two trips to the emergency room and approximately 48 hours later I was being wheeled in for emergency surgery about midnight on Friday.  So how did you spend your Friday night? LOL

Now just one day shy of two weeks recovery under my belt and I feel awesome.   Just need to give the incision some time to heal and I will be “all good”.

The week of Thanksgiving is a blur, obviously, I was so doped up I think I saw the kids.  No just kidding YES the kids came home for five days.  It was the best medicine this Mom could receive.  And now I am just counting the days to Christmas break.

I am on strict “best rest” orders so I have been hexing…..ALOT.  And didn’t wish to post yet another “hexing” post.  So I looked around a few days ago when the pain pill fog began to lift for a simple project to share.  

A fellow blogger, Passing Down Crazy, shared her verisions of the Aneome Hat on her blog and I showed it to Paul (this is prior surgery).  He wanted this hat and asked for it in Blackhawk colors.  So a quick trip to the yarn shop and I chose Cascade Handpaints 220 in the red/black colorway.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a very quick knit. Took me three days…but remember I was a bit unfocused…so in real life I would say an experienced knitter could whip this out in two evenings….there is still time for Christmas!

I know there will be a few more of these in my life…so expect other versions to pop up.

 

 

As you may imagine…Paul and I own a lot of artwork.  We are always buying new pictures, photography, paintings, mixed media.  And displaying this work and being able to switch it out easily say every month has been a bit of a problem. 

But…..

During Emily’s time home a friend posted to her Facebook wall a great idea she found on Pinterest for displaying artwork without putting any holes in walls (rental housing) or tape/adhesive on artwork.  I love the idea and yesterday when I went on a “field trip” with Paul we stopped at Bed, Bath & Beyond to buy the necessary pant hangers.  

The original idea was to use this type of hanger ($6.99 for 4)  to clasp artwork.  

 

 

 

I found these hangers in the clearance area for 1.99 for 7 (WOWsers!) and thought the additional hardware would look cool…plus the hanger itself was bigger. Note the clips do have a rubber grip in them so no artwork is harmed.

 

 

I think I may buy some mat board and place the artwork on the mats and then hang to display to give even more impact.  But that will have to wait most likely to after the holidays as I was accidentally bumped in the store and I don’t want to risk that again.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So for now I sit on the loveseat, hexing, reading, knitting away.  When I stumble upon something I think you may be interested in I will blog.  And I promise to longtime readers to get a picture of Paul and Emily at Christmas….I myself can’t believe how grown up they have become.

Enjoy your day,

Mickey