Too many books

There's way too many library books around here.  And the pile of DVD's.

Latest pile adorning the place

currently a little obsessed with zakka style.

Have to get myself down to a store and stock up on notions.  Wish I had seen this book before garage sale season.  I remember discarding many pile of notions for very few $$$ (howcome my keyboard doesn't have a cents sign on the regular keyboard)

interesting book..In that I don't remember why or from where...that I even put it on hold at the library.  It only took about a couple hours to read.  And I got interupted a few times.  There was probably ...maybe two things I would make from the book.  A little dissapointed that it was sooooo....meager...like maybe more stories.  I really enjoyed the book.  More interested in the story than I was in the food.  I will forever look at a hotel/motel/bed and breakie different.  Specially the vase.  Who-would-a-thought.

yeah...right...that's gonna work.  When will everyone realise "when it's out there.....it's out there".  Like I'm going to ask permission for taking a pic of it.

I might make the croissant pudding.  If I ever have some stale croissants around here.  I actually made this - but in a 9x12 baking dish on xmas morning.  I believe it was a barefoot contessa one.  It was very good but a little soggy in the middle so cooking them in ramekins would make more sense.  I remember while chopping up stuff for the stuffing for the turkey that particular morning me and my daughter in law were eyeing the leftover croissant pudding and quickly chopped it up and added it to the stuffing.  There was maybe one serving remaining.  and it was the middle soggy section.  Don't think it made any difference to the stuffing one way or the other

I might make the mushroom toast thing.  But I personally don't like mushrooms.  But have been known to eat them if they are browned correctly (don't crowd the m'rooms)with vermouth -  as in the movie Julia/Julie.  Finally discovered why I hated mushrooms.  Hate the soggy slimmy undercooked ones.

Ohh yea.... I will def try the tomato fritter things.  They did look awesome.  If I can ever remember by next summer that is. I did manage to produce some amazingly good grape tomatoes that I picked up as a seedling only because I figured I might need a grape tomato.  They actually were a bumper producer and the best tomato I grew this year.

oh dear, that's three.  That's usually my quota before I can buy the book.  Three recipes I'd make for sure.  Bummer

And then there was that Tomato Soup Puff Pastry thing......

I wonder how that would taste with heinz tomato soup? hmmmm

I've tried knitting years ago...and figured maybe I need to start again and need a refresher

I received this picture on my text messages on my cell phone thanksgiving just as I was leaving dinner.

So this week I have been sewing up a storm.

Last week I spotted this and quickly plugged in the printer and scaled it into sixth's then dragged out all my whites, off whites, pinks, black,s grays purples etc..... etc... and the rotary cutter and proceeded to cut away for a quilt for my g'daughter (a hello kitty aficionado ) and then I figured...hmmmm why not.  I should also cut one as a baby quilt too.  You know...just in case.

I really need to get a flat flannel sheet.  This taped up bits and pieces thing is really starting to annoy me as a board.

And then I got the news.....

Hello kitty....well it's not in the cards

It' a boy so.....

It's the yorkie I pieced years and years ago.  But never bothered to quilt.  It's the Izzy quilt, that I pieced when I had a yorkie.  It was this daughter that came and rescued her when my first g''child was about to be born because the dog was a bitter of babies.  And I had to get rid of the dog.  So she came to the rescue on a plane and returned home with the dog.  Then Izzy passed away about three years later.  So it's only right that she gets the quilt. But I really really hate the guilting part.  Ughhhhh

chicken three ways

Bought some breast real cheap over the weekend.  A new No Frills opened in our neighborhood on Friday and the local Co-op is finally reducing some prices.  Always a good thing.  When Breast are $2 each always stock up I say.  I will have to plug in the freezer in the garage for some stocking up.  There's bound to be more price wars in the coming weeks.

I found an eastern Mediterranian market....finally in the area and last week also found a mexican one.  Two for two.  It's about time.  Not only do I have a good supply of pistachio nuts, pomogranate molasses and flat breads galore, but chilpotle peppers in adobo sauce and many different gluten free artisan tortillas.  So plan on making some enchiladas as per this site with the gluten free tortillas.  And since chicken leftovers are always in demand around here I'm also cooking up three breast bbq style and three roasted in balsamic blood orange olive oil that we discovered at a new farmers market (it's been around for almost three months but we finally discovered it).  The oil is so wonderful one almost wants to dab it behind the ear.  And just smell it all day.  So I'm just making the tomato sauce right now with a bag of frozen leftover prob 3/4 of a large can of canned tomatoes from somewhere.  I discovered the bag just the other day in the freezer.  I added 1/2 a reg onion and 1/2 a red onion, both of which were languishing in two seperate baggies in the fridge, two cloves of garlic.  Some sorry looking baby carrots, about 1/4 of a red pepper, some oregano, about only a slice chopped up of chilpotle pepper in adobo sauce (for the kids around here) chili powder, cumin about 1 cup of chicken stock, salt and pepper.  Just cooking it down before I pulverize it all up with an imersion blender.  Before adding the other three chicken breasts into it.  All three batches are going in the oven till after lunch sometime.

Hopefully the enchilada chicken won't be too spicy.



Last week I made some interesting chicken and yams things....that's why the urgent need for a mexican market came about.  That darn chilpotle pepper in adobo sauce has always been something I've looked for but never been able to fine.  Having actually found the can, and seen what it actually looks like, I probably walked by it many times.  But I made the chicken instead of sweet pot's I used some baby yams instead.  And the recipe called for four peppers, I only used three and discarded all the seeds.  Fat good that did, I'm sure discarding the seeds did nothing to control the heat what so ever.  It was wayyyyy hot.  But good thing we had a container of yogurt around that we jazzed up a bit.  It was tolerable then.  But the g'kids had to have some leftover roast beef and potatoes from the night before.  Cause it was just toooo much for them..But the next day---wow, I ate all the chicken up.  I couldn't believe how good it was as leftovers of course with the yogurt sauce.  But still w-o-d-e-r-f-u-l stuff.  I thought I'd never make it again.  But changed my mind after eating some for breakfast, lunch and late nite snack.

I also used the leftover yam to make a loaf.  Didn't have quite the required amount of yam so added about 1/4 cup of apple sauce.  Also switched to coconut oil.  And I made it gluten free.  I mean, if it won't make a difference in texture I say make it gluten free.  there's toooo much gluten in everything anyway.  A little less is always a good thing. And since my daughter has gone gluten free I make an effort to make as much gluten free as possible.  And actually I lost some weight and my diabetic overweight husband lost some weight.  Without even trying we both lost weight.  Just in time for thanksgiving dinner (which was also gluten free since that family that hosted it has a mother---asin my sister, that is gluten free) and since it's always a given that I must be skinnier than my sister.  Well that worked out just fine.  Still skinnier and still taller hahaha.....

Well the sauce has to me sauced and the 3 different chicken breasts won't get in the oven by themselves.

....until later then,

well so much for that - seems my oven isn't big enough for all this and once package of breasts was opened the count changed from 9 to 11.  So even a better deal.  So froze five breasts for another time, and only did the enchilada chicken and the blood orange olive oil and blackberry ginger balsamic.  Also sprinkled it with some roasted chili & tamarind my current favorite spice mixture.  Can't get over how wonderful this chicken combo smells. Yummmmmy...

Get yourself to http://www.bluedoorcalgary.com/ and get some infused olive oil and balsamic vinegars from heaven...

Trip to the library

Well I've been away from this for a bit.  Don't really know why.  I had great intentions, took many pic's, but that's about as far as I got.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Well I finished 

Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth

If ever I was a non believer...and complete and utter atheist - well this book certainly did nothing to dispell any of those leaning.  In fact I've become an ever bigger nonbeliever if that is possible.  Bible...pshhhh.  No point into delving into that topic ....it could get ugly.

So today I picked up a couple things on the reserve shelf with my name on them.

I am  a huge fan of the radio show and look forward to all the books

I think I've reserved this one before, but had to return before the due date.  

Really don't know why I reserved this one...I've been reading about her lately so that's probably why it was reserved.  Maybe I'll learn something

Another one that I don't remember why.....I hope there's a story involved

I hope this one has some purpose to being published.

What's for dinner?

Slow Cooker Chicken Philly Sandwiches

found it here....a great new site I just happened upon

and she apparently copies it from this site

sorry to use the same photo...mine's still in the crock waiting for everyone to get home.

I've added coleslaw loosely based on the one here and I still have some of those pickled onions left over from the pulled chicken dinner last week.  They will probably go well with this here chicken.

Also made some chicken veg soup on friday that is leftover so I doctored it up with some kale, half a zuc, some sweet onion sliced, more veg stock and some julliened pea pods.  Looks promising.  And I don't care that the "boy child" won't eat anything green.  I didn't make it for him anyway. So there!!!