Fritatta de Jour

The Flexible Fritatta recipe is one of my favorite impress-the-guests easy brunches.

It begins with the big cast iron skillet. If you do not have a big cast iron skillet... I was going to say a large frying pan might work, but really, you need a cast iron skillet. They're wonderful. Lightweight pans are simply not as impressive as a big black heavy cast iron pan, and you can't shift from stove-top to oven with one of those wimpy plastic-handled "non-stick" things. You need cast iron.

So you begin with your cast iron skillet on the stove top browning potatoes in olive oil. Usually, "potatoes" translates to six Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and diced -- but I sometimes switch it up and use sweet potato instead. The original recipe called for only 2 cups of diced potato -- that is so not enough potato.

Okay, so while the potatoes of choice brown away on the stove top, you'll be mixing the rest of the ingredients in a big stainless steel mixing bowl. I'm willing to allow your grandmother's large crockery mixing bowl here -- but you need a big size bowl.

The rest of the ingredients:

• 8-12 eggs depending on how big the eggs are and how many guests you have.
• 24 oz. soft cheese, meaning cottage cheese usually. The original recipe called for ricotta but I'm not a fan of ricotta. Once, when I started making a fritatta before I realized I was out of cottage cheese, I successfully substituted two packages of cream cheese which had ended up in the freezer and gotten denatured. (Cream cheese does not freeze well but I hated to waste it so it was still sitting in the fridge.)
• 1-2 lb. Leftover cheeses -- that half a tray of cheese on toothpicks leftover from last night's party and sitting in your fridge? Remove the toothpicks and toss it in -- the new cheeses your sister, or the deli guy, recommended you try and you can't stand the flavor? Grate them up and toss 'em in. Try to have a plain cheese, a motz, swiss, or longhorn in the mix too.
• 1 stick butter, melted (actually, margarine will work too, but why start worrying about fat content now?)
• 1/2 cup -- or a whole cup's good too -- chopped fresh HERB... okay, usually basil, sometimes rosemary, and, in a pinch, the parsley garnish from that cheese tray.
• 6 heaping tablespoons flour (in case you can't guess, that's going to be all purpose, unbleached white flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Stir that all up together and pour it over the browned potatoes. In the cast iron skillet, that's right, and move the skillet to the oven. Use a hot pad or you'll burn yourself and have to run cold water over the burn, which will delay brunch.

Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (Fahrenheit).

Serve family-style in the skillet. Just pop that golden goodness out of the oven and onto a trivet (or hot pad) on the table and let the drooling begin.

Texture for Tuesday

A COAT OF WINTER

ICE

But Did The Senators Listen?

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

Cicero, 55 BC

The Traditional Pointsetta

A non-indigenous poisonous plant is the perfect "must-have" symbol of seasonal cheer. The tiny inflorescences surrounded by large red leaves masquerading as flowers send a message of sincerity and friendliness which even the smallest child or pet cannot help but reach out to embrace.

Fruitcake is not to be tolerated. We must not use our great-grandmother's recipe to make that much maligned holiday treat of yore. We must purchase pointsettas in mind boggling numbers, import them, grow them in greenhouses, and display them everywhere at Christmas.

After all, this is not fruitcake, no, those you are supposed to eat (or save for some unknown reason). This is a poisonous plant. This is a plant that will die if planted outdoors in our climate. This is a plant that can be left unwatered in a dusty corner of the house and then guiltlessly thrown away after the parties. It is the perfect hostess gift, the perfect last minute gift, the perfect holiday decoration. Have several on hand, pick up extras at the grocery store, put some on the alter at church.

Surely the ease of disposal post-Christmas atones for any veterinary bills or accidental fatalities? Because nothing, absolutely nothing, says "Happy Christmas" and "Thanks for inviting us to dinner" like a foil-wrapped plastic pot full of toxic phytochemicals.

A Day, or Two, Too Late

For Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) I took a walk to burn off some of those Norwegian full-fat cookies, sat in front of an honest to goodness wood fire and knit (socks, of course). I also thought guiltily about that box of Christmas cards I never sent out this year, it's still sitting here unopened on my desk. With the best of intentions I bought those cards two, maybe three months ago. Plenty of time. And that's what I kept thinking -- there's plenty of time, no hurry.

I thought about sending them anyway with little notes claiming "This card is arriving fashionably late -- be grateful it isn't one of the wise men, that could have taken two more years." Clever, no?

And that's when I started wondering:

My pseudo-research (meaning online surfing about the topic) tells me that "We Three Kings" were quite possibly twelve Zoroastrian priests from the branch of that religion influenced by the teachings of Daniel (as in Daniel and the Lion's Den) during his Babylonian captivity. Hundreds of years later the Jewish prophesies taught to the Babylonian magicians and scholars were fulfilled. As they gazed at the stars to calculate their horoscopes (or divine whatever it is followers of Zoroaster divined from stargazing) the Magi saw the evidence of Christ's birth written in bold type across the night sky.

Babylon, as you may well recall, is not actually two years journey away from Bethlehem. It's not next door, but it's no two years away. What took them so long? Did they have to go do research to confirm the particulars of the event? Did they sit around discussing what was the best tribute to bring? Did they worry that they weren't ready to meet the King yet? Or did they just keep thinking they had plenty of time, like I did with my Christmas cards?

At least the wise men eventually arrived at their destination. At least they made that journey. Some of us are tempted to sit around discussing the evidence of Christ's birth and Resurrection until we know all there is to know, but we never make that journey to meet Our King in this life. Some worry we are not good enough to go to Him, or we haven't got the right gift to give Him, not quite believing that the Baby Savior really does welcome everyone just as they are. Worse yet, some may know the truth of the Gospel and not do anything about it, thinking there's still plenty of time.

Christmas comes and goes with cards unsent. Life comes and goes just as quickly. When you see evidence of Christ written in bold type across your life, will you take that step and make that journey to worship the Christ? In the end, "plenty of time" runs out on us all.

Christmas Dinner

For those of you who have been craving Chicken Pistache on a bed of cream and Blackberry Sauce.... and for those of you who have never heard of it before.... this was our main dish for our North Woods themed Christmas Dinner.

Actually, technically, we served it for Christmas Eve Dinner. As adult children we still want to all get together for Christmas but we also think that Christmas Day is about the individual families and their own celebrations -- the kids under their own trees -- today we are all lazing about at our own homes.

So, yesterday several of us gathered at Gran and Poppy's and were treated to a dazzling display of appetizers, cheeses cut in the shape of north woods stars, birds, and trees, as well as a "porcupine" of summer sausage, among other things. Our delicious dinner entree (pictured above, and below) came with sides of made from scratch mashed potatoes, green beans from Gran's garden, and north woods shaped (more birds and trees and stars) dinner rolls.

We ate enough to delay desert for a couple hours, which was a smart idea, since desert was the Norwegian traditional tray of no fewer than seven types of cookie including "Bear Paws" several chocolate and nut types, and Norwegian pepper cookies. Naturally, we each had to try all seven kinds.

Gran found the recipe for Roast Breast of Chicken Pistache with Blackberry Sauce online somewhere (probably here, it's a recipe from the Gunflint Lodge Cookbook). We are all glad she did find it; as one of the best tasting Christmas dishes we have ever tried, you can believe we'll be serving it again. Plus it's so pretty.

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

Texture for Tuesday

Snow,
Snow, Snow,

Snow, Snow, Snow.

'Tis the Season

All the World, at Christmas

Luke2:1
And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

The rest of that chapter tells of the Birth of Christ in Bethlehem. The rest of that book tells about Jesus Christ's ministry and His death on a cross to bring the gift of salvation to the world.

But if you leave out that part...
If you forget the Christ part of Christmas...

The world only gets Taxed.

Luke 2:3
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

That is so not "Joy to the World." Thank goodness the story doesn't end there.

Happy CHRISTmas.

Point of View

Forget the lilies. Consider the fields how they grow against the mountains; consider the bare trees which grow beyond barbed wire to stand outlined against that somber shade of sky... Consider how they toil not, and how they spin only accidentally as the earth spins in it's orbit. Think how the Lord provides for these.... think how the Lord has provided these... and drink in the blessings and the beauties that surround you trusting Him to provide for all your needs.

(inspiration from Luke 12:27-28)

Sunset

As the sun sets tonight I ponder some options God has laid out for me in my life. I am at a point of choosing. Do I follow what the Lord asks me to do and trust that everything will fall into place? Or do I chicken out?
In literary symbolism it is the sunrise not sunset that ushers in new beginnings and promises, but for me this sunset, although it might bring night with it, brings also the promises of a hand to guide me in the dark, and a sickle moon to suggest reaping the rewards of following the Lord.
This night brings frightening opportunities and a sky full of stars -- stars like the ones that led the wise men to find the Christ Child in Bethlehem. I cannot see through the darkness to know exactly where the path leads, but I know that in choosing to follow the star of Bethlehem, the Child of Bethlehem, I will arrive in the right spot.
Tonight the sky reminds me of promises, of a glorious path of narrow golden beauty, of new beginnings and choosing to walk in His will.

The Thought That Counts

If it is the thought that counts, why do the thoughts of advertisements count more than the thoughts of those that know and love us?

I watched a very clever ad for JC Penny’s Jewelry yesterday(here it is on You Tube) in which men were put in the dog house over getting vacuum cleaners and computer memory and gym memberships for their wives instead of jewelry. Beware of the Dog House is culturally amusing and subtle. I didn't even catch on that it was an ad until I recognized the zoom shot on the "three-stone diamond necklace" in the photo of "the only guy who ever got out of the dog house."

Kudos to the advertising team who came up with it -- it's a great gimmick and taps into a philosophy that many women in our society buy into. He doesn't love me if he gives me a practical gift. And isn't that what we tell ourselves and each other? That the truly special gifts are the unnecessary, frivolous, debt-inducing ones -- you know, like she got. Isn't she lucky.

Back up a sec, Honey.
Step away from the consumerist message of spending and self-indulgence for a moment.

What if your vacuum cleaner was broken and you really valued having a clean house? You already have 14 useless diamond necklaces in your jewelry box and what you really need is a vacuum cleaner. Why should you be upset that someone supplies this need?

Perhaps your computer is running slowly, like mine does from time to time, bogged down by large files taking up space in the memory and you get exceedingly frustrated by it. If someone thoughtfully bought you a memory drive, would your first reaction be calling them a heartless beast? Personally, I thought that guy deserved extra credit for the fun "Thanks for the memories" note he added to the gift. That right there will get you out of the dog house in my opinion.

And Okay, eating a cookie while you tell your wife she's fat and-here's-a-thigh-master is completely insensitive and not to be tolerated. But..... If you overhear your spouse commenting on how much they’d like to get in shape and they wish they could afford a family gym membership – what automatically springs to mind as the perfect anniversary gift ? Chocolate and roses? Dinner and a movie? A little extra cholesterol and a sedentary activity? Hhmmmmm...

Putting some thought into your gift giving, I think, means getting something practical and needed. It means knowing that person, loving that person enough to know and care what their true needs are.

The best gifts are not one thought fits all.

'T'was in the Moon of Wintertime

Texture for Tuesday

Owls and a View

Yesterday some friends and I took a little drive up, up, and up to a State Park that was having a holiday open house. That's part of the view -- just part of it -- about a quater. It wouldn't all fit in the photo but it was well worth seeing.

There were a bunch of wildlife displays too -- State Parks invariably have a few of those -- the owls were my favorite. Don't you just love Owls?

Ordering the Dawn

Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?

Tell me, if you understand.

Have you ever given orders to the morning,

or shown the dawn its place,

that it might take the earth by the edges

and shake the wicked out of it?

Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?

Tell me, if you know all this.

~ Job 38: 4,12-13,18

Pink Saturday Bonus

The Purl Bee has been having a week of Pink and white Christmas. My thanks to Brin who by posting Pink for the Weekend tipped me off to this.

Pink Saturday Decorations

Couldn't resist snapping photos of all the old glass ornaments at the Flea Market. A surprising number were Pink. These are the only two shots that turned out any good though -- I was paying more attention to worrying about why some guy kept following me around, than I was to getting focused photos. I think he must have been wondering why I was taking so many pics of pink Christmas ornaments!

For more Pink Saturday posts visit Beverly.

Books on My Nightstand

Did you want to know what I'm reading right now?

The Bible (every day)
Set-Apart Femininity by Leslie Ludy
The Magic Garden by Gene Stratton-Porter (the only one of her books I haven't read yet)

Now you know.

Sampler Block: Goose Tracks

Okay, In our Bird Blocks Sampler we were up to Block #7. Goose Tracks. So let's do that now.

We will be cutting (for the corrected version of my scribbled notes)
4 light and 1 dark three and a half (3.5) inch squares
2 dark four (4) inch squares which you will cut in half diagonally making 4 triangles
4 light two (2) inch squares
2 dark and 2 light two and three quarters (2.75) inch squares which you will mark with diagonal lines on the back of the light ones (make an X as shown in the photo below).
If you have no clue how to make HSTs you'll need to go to the tutorial I did a while back on Half Square Triangles here. Because we are going to take those 2.75 inch squares with the X on the back and make HSTs.

And then you're going to cut the four resulting HSTs in half diagonally, to make Quarter Square Triangles.Got that? No? Okay, I'll wait while you look at the picture again. (You'll have cut on the X lines -- so from 2 dark squares and 2 light squares you get 8 triangles that are half light and half dark.)

Ready now? Good job. Let's lay out the next steps.

What we're going to do is use two QSTs and a 2 inch light square to create the triangle that balances the large dark triangle. The QSTs make the goose's toes and the large dark triangle makes the foot. Do you see it? We're going to make four of those. So join the pieces as follows:

QST 1: QST 2: Then put the pieced triangles and the dark triangles together.

So now, all the pieces we have should be squares (or vaguely resemble squares). Lay them out as they'll look in the block.

Put together the rows, and don't forget we're still pressing flat at each step.

Then put the rows together and the block is done.

Hopefully as we go along we are building on skills learned on earlier blocks.... if it's been too long and you can't remember the earlier blocks just take a look in the sidebar under "For the Birds."

The Recession-Proof Stash: How Much to Buy of What

You have just spotted a bolt of fabric you know you will love forever and always. How much should you get? The standard number that gets kicked around quilting circles is three yards. But when that dearly beloved print is retailing at $9 a yard, and you don’t have a project in mind, and you are working with a budget, three yards becomes impossible to justify, especially in today's economy. And I say this as a self confessed over-buying, fabric-hoarding, stash builder.

So how much do you buy?
Well, if you have a tendency to like certain types of fabric and you already have 5 pieces of yardgoods back in the stash that are similar in color and print you really shouldn’t buy it at all – so, if you must, get a quarter yard. That’s it. Okay, maybe a half yard if you really really love it.

That’s enough to feature in a baby quilt or accent in a bed quilt. I tend towards half yards and the occasional fat quarter. It never hurts to ask if the store will cut a fat quarter -- the worst they can say is no. [A fat quarter is a half yard cut in half. A quarter yard cut off the bolt would be 45" by 9"; a half yard is 45" by 18". You get 2 fat quarters -- measuring 22" by 18" -- out of every half yard.]

If I’ve nothing like it in my stash and I think it would be the focal fabric of a quilt project I get between 1 and 2 yards, usually 1. I don’t tend to make large quilts so usually 1 yard is enough. Unless it's my background fabric -- I always run short of suitable background fabrics so if I find a versatile light print that I adore I go for 2 yards minimum, sometimes more. Because the traditional block patterns I favor tend to need light backgrounds and often I use an alternate block setting (with plain background fabric squares) so I know that will always be useful.

Part of the equation depends on how large your quilts are going to be.

Part of it is what style of quilts you do.

Part of it is how much money you can afford to spend/want to spend.

Part of it is finding good quality fabrics on sale.

When stash shopping keep in mind:

Buy some fabrics that you might like together in a quilt, not just random odd pieces.

You want to balance large, medium, and small prints.

Don't buy all medium values -- get dark darks and light lights too.

You should always have a dot and a stripe and a check on hand. Serpentines are also good.

You can never have too many tone on tone prints.

Solid fabrics don't go out of style so those can wait until you know what you need when you're actually doing a project (unless there's a really good sale or the store is going out of business).

And don't worry if you bought a quarter yard too much, "leftovers" make great scrappy quilts.

Texture for Tuesday

Sweet Gum Tree

&

Fothergilla

These beautiful textural photos were lingering in my camera files waiting to be shared. Oops. Oh well, better late than never. The branches are bare now but weren't they stunning colors a month ago!

Christmas Stocking

Remnants from making a bridesmaid's dress (not recently, this was ages ago) just screamed Christmas stocking to me. So I made one. I shaped a rough pattern of paper first, just cause it was velvet, so I didn't want to randomly cut out a badly shaped stocking and waste the fabric.
And I had some gold metallic thread hanging about from a quilting project, so I popped the hopping foot on the machine and free-motion doodled a Christmas tree and the words "Merry Christmas" on one side of the stocking. I did that before sewing the two sides together.
Some upholstery rope-trim piping and satin-backed polyester crepe (also of bridesmaid vintage) finished off the top and faced the stocking with a silky/shiny lining.

And a little bit of red pearl cotton to form the loop to hang it up... and there's the finished stocking.

Psalm 147:12-19 (ESV)

Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

For he strengthens the bars of your gates;

he blesses your children within you.

He makes peace in your borders;

He fills you with the finest of the wheat.

He sends out his command to the earth;

His word runs swiftly.

He gives snow like wool;

He scatters hoarfrost like ashes.

He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;

who can stand before His cold?

He sends out his word, and melts them;

He makes His wind blow and the waters flow.

He declares His word to Jacob,

His statutes and rules to Israel.

Pink Notions Doggerel

So you go to the store for All Purpose pink,

for thread that will sew up quick as a wink

Just in and out, that's all you had planned
But something occurs and it gets out of hand.
Before you go to the counter to pay
You ogle pink buttons they have on display.

You didn't need ric-rack, "Or did I?" you think,
When you happen to notice that it comes in pink.
I won't mention the fabrics that didn't get bought
'cause the sales slips say you bought quite alot
of notions and items with which to play
from fancy fat quarters to pink basting spray.

Notes to readers:

As some of you know already, this is quite far from my usual writing style, but every once and a while a quick bit of rhyming doggerel is just fun to whip out. Links to poems in my more literary style can be found in my side bar under "My Poetry Online."

Pink Saturday originates with Beverly at How Sweet the Sound, you will find links to other participants there.

Socks for Supper

When I was little one of my favorite books was Socks for Supper; it told about a poor family who didn't have much and a second family who made cheese and bartered the cheese for socks with the first family (thus the title of the book). The socks were made from the yarn of a sweater that the poor man's wife unravelled and re-knit. The second (cheese making) family then unraveled the socks to knit a sweater for a Christmas gift for the first family. I loved that book.

It's a great story. But I have to admit the idea of unraveling and re-knitting sweaters into socks into sweaters again -- NOT terribly keen on the idea. Seems like wasted work, because it is not snap your fingers and socks appear type stuff here. (I mean it's not rocket science, but it's not quick work.)

There are my socks, as far as I've gone, obviously I still have a toe to finish before I have a full pair. There's enough yarn in the Opal ball of self striping sock yarn that with this short cuff sock pattern I think I will have enough to make a third sock. (Fraternal triplets -- fun!)

And nobody better unravel them... Okay?

And So I Begin...

To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy not rich;
to study hard, think quietly,
talk gently,
act frankly,
to listen to the stars and birds, to babes and sages,
with an open heart;
to bear on cheerfully,
do all bravely,
awaiting occasions, worry never;
in a word to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious
grow up through communion.
This is my symphony.
-- W.H. Channing

"Please Don't Spoil the Children"

Translation Courtesy of The Oxford American Dictionary, The American Heritage Dictionary, and the OED:

PLEASE DON’T
Ruin,
Damage,
Corrupt,
Frustrate,
Injure,
Mar,
Make Useless,
Harm the Character of,
Flaw Grievously,
Impair the Quality of,
or Render Unfit
THE CHILDREN

This Morning's Thoughts

Autumn is gone, the last reds and golds have fallen at the feet of stark dark trees and now the season of cool colors and cooler temperatures embraces us.

The seasons shift, the equinox approaches, the year comes to an end, and we shift from gluttony to greed as our secular society appropriates the religious holidays and reshapes them. How sad not to simply be able to thank the Lord for our blessings without having to overeat and watch turkey themed sports games (aka organized violence) interrupted by gluttony themed advertising. How sad not to cherish the birth of salvation without expensive gifts as bribes to make children behave, or love you, or want to spend time with you. As you shop the crowded stores this year, ponder for a moment the original intent of gift giving at Christmas.

According to my research on the topic, holiday gift giving is intended to remind us of how the Wise Men travelled a long distance to show reverence for the new born Messiah. So when you buy that 18 room Barbie mansion, or the latest craze action hero, stop and think: am I doing this to honor the Lord? Will this gift bring reverence to Christ? Don't shop to satisfy greedy desires. If you give gifts this year give out of Love and Reverence for God who gave the greatest gift anyone could ever receive.

Re- eVALUate

I have been charged to reevaluate my priorities. To examine what I value and where I waste time and what my goals are. What end results will each of my actions have? These are excellent things to ponder in light of the season. As the year wends its way out and we look towards the miracle of Christ's birth and move each day closer to His return, How many of us waste time on frivolities? Is this blog a waste of time?

As many of you know I have two blogs. I did this initially because I did not want to confuse the focus -- yet this blog has not turned out to be purely about quilts as I had planned, and the other blog (http://leafnloch.blogspot.com/) has also become increasingly random, swerving widely from the nature-poetry focus for which it was named. Both tend towards photo essays and "philosophizing" a great deal of the time.

Would you, my few readers, be confused by the combination of opinion, fluff, fabric, devotionals, recipes, poetry, quilting, gardening, and photography? Probably not. (Feedback welcome -- please comment and also answer the polls.)

I suppose the point I'm coming to is that one of the blogs needs to end or rather, be absorbed by the other (or combined in new blog). To that end I will be shuffling priorities and posts both as I attempt to use my time wisely.

I will also be posting less frequently for a couple more weeks as I deal with the reevaluations and restructuring of (aka major upheavals in) my life.