On the schedule for today.......... It's all about Trips!!!!

Trip to the Vet - and I have the scratches to prove it!

Trip to the Gym (and I keep putting off the moment! - I'm allergic to exercise which is why I joined a gym!)

Hmmmm - I need to remember - take picture - KEEP eyes OPEN!!!!

 Trip to Wallyworld - for some new jogging pants.  I had thought of 2nds but not only does it seem that there is seldom if ever any new thing in terms of slacks - but everyone is wearing the same size I do!

Still haven't learned - KEEP THE EYES OPEN!!!!

Trip to the beauty salon to see if there is anything we can do to my hair - other than shave it all off and start over!
It's a GREAT haircut!  Had hair not only cut but hair is now essentially ONE color (woohoo!), my brows are defined and I have pretty pink nails!  Yeehaw

Oh yeah - hint here - EYES OPEN!!!!!

Trip to the library to return the books I promised I would have back last Monday

I did the store last night (it was either that or clean house - store won!)
This is for Tofu Parmegiana!  which was what I was going to fix last night only didn't!

Trip to my sewing room - where I plan on remaining for most of the rest of the day!

What's Cookin' - Tofu Parm

I think I'm going to make Tofu Parmigiana and post that.  This is my dinner tonight!

My recipe comes from Allrecipes.com and ya gotta love that site!

Basically what you have to remember is that you're going to do this as though you were doing chicken Parmesan - only instead of chicken you have Tofu.  Also because Tofu itself is so bland - you need stronger than something to give it flavor.

Also - as you can see here - I'm going to cheat - A LOT!  (I'm tired and hungry!)

The Tofu is the firm type - the one that looks like (and by itself tastes like) a sponge.  Raw!  You're going to slice this into several slices.  This is your "chicken".

The bread crumbs ) I used here are Italian flavoured - which means that it had a whiff of Italian seasonings waved past it.  Panko crumbs are great!  If  you're like me and don't have Panko crumbs - then really any dried and lightly toasted bread crumbs will do - only make sure you add oregano, black pepper (I don't do salt), garlic and basil to taste.  I like mine SPICY!  You will need 1/2 cup of the crumbs - or thereabouts.

You need the tofu to hold on to the bread crumbs - which it doesn't really like to do too well on its own.  The directions I had suggested soaking the slices in cold water, then pressing the tofu into the bread crumbs.  I didn't (I forgot!).

You will brown the tofu in some olive oil (not a lot - just enough to keep it all from sticking too badly) on one side until crispy, then  flip it (I had to add more olive oil at this point.)

Mix up your tomato sauce with all kinds of Italian spices (oregano, basil, black pepper, garlic - you know the routine!) and pour a THIN layer into 8 x 8 pan.  Put the tofu slices in it and top with the rest of the sauce.

Mix up mozzarella cheese and Parmesan (I tend to overdo this - but then our family is full of cheese-a-holics! LOL) and heat at about 400 for about 20 minutes or until the cheese has thoroughly heated and melted.

Um - I didn't hear my timer go off - so this IS a bit overdone - but not badly!  Still delicious!

The Trip to the Vet that almost didn't!!!!

I have 4 remaining kitties.  Remaining because it WAS 6, only 1 died a year ago January from a large mass in his side - he was 17 yo.  The LAST time I took one of my kitties to see the vet - she didn't come home (huge cancerous mass in her liver). She was only 30 months old.

I thought I was being sneaky.  No special preparation the night before - nada.  And this morning - everything like usual.  Kitties sleeping well - and I got Widget (Mr. Scaredy cat - and he's HUGE! as in there are dogs smaller than him) calmed down (I was going to take him first).  Actually Widget had calmed down enough that he went to sleep.  ALL of my kitties were sleeping - or so I thought!

So I meandered into the kitchen and started to prepare the cages because I was only going to take 2 today.  Scrappy (my ADHD little one) came bopping in - took one look at the cages and went tearing OUT of here and into my room!

No matter.  I finished fixing the cages, then went to get my kitties.  ALL of my kitties were awake - and not only that - but 3 out of the 4 had vanished!

The 4th kitty was Chai - who of course I immediately incarcerated in one of the smaller cages.  Then I went looking for the other kitties.  I found Button - running frantically between one hiding place and another (Button is sweet - but not the brightest of my kitties!) but she was safe since I had my eyes on BIGGER game - or should I say more SCARED game!

I finally found Scrappy sitting under my sewing machine desk (Widget's favorite space) - but couldn't find Widget.  Finally about 20 minutes later I located him - Scrappy was sitting directly in front of him - hiding where his feet were - and so I wouldn't see him!

I moved her out of the way and reached back and grabbed him.  Now Widget is a big lovey kitty - at least to me!  He just has this thing about the Vet.  He hates travel - but will go willingly - barely though!  But the vet he absolutely despises!  Not just this vet - but ALL vets!

I grabbed my big lovey kitty in my arms - and OMG it was all I could do to protect myself.  This big galoot that follows me around all day was going to get free if he had to remove my arms at the shoulders to do it!  there was NO WAY he was going to the vet!  And there was NO WAY I could even get him in the same room with the cage!  He would stand on the top of my head if he had to!  (And nearly did!)

Meantime there is Scrappy, yowling frantically around my feet as if I was going to mortally wound, injure or maim HER instead of trying to carry my terrified big wuss into the same room as the cage!

Finally I gave up and let Widget go (not that I had a real choice, since by now my shoulder felt like it was in shreds!) - and grabbed the blabbermouth who had scared him - probably reminding Widget in the process that 2 other kitties had gone to the Vet and .... NOT COME HOME!!!!

So it only seemed fair that I ... grabbed Scrappy - who cried the whole way to the Vet's office no matter how  much I told her (and Chai) that I loved them and they would be fine.

I don't think they FELT fine however - the Vet scraped their teeth (NOT fun!) and gave each 2 shots (rabies and also distemper).  I got a VERY dirty look - and the bill (which I do NOT even want to discuss!), then I brought them home (no crying on the way home - just a LOT of icy silence!  Not that I cared - I just turned the classical music up a bit louder!), carried the cages inside, opened the doors and watched as Chai sauntered out - no problem!  and Scrappy stepped out - flipped her little tail and stiff legged walked into my room!

Will she take revenge?  I hope not!  So far my bed seems safe - no little "discoveries".  My fabric has been left undisturbed in the sewing room - no shreds anywhere.  But who knows what I will experience - at 3 AM tomorrow morning!

What's for Dinner? What's Cookin'?

Tomorrow is the What's Cookin' linkup!  Our assignment this week was Tofu.  I found some REALLY great recipes over on the Allrecipes.com site - but in terms of time (734 and I'm REALLY tired!) decided to go with my old standby - grilled tofu and tomato in Pita bread!

This is soooooooooooooooo easy!

I sliced some firm tofu, set it on a hot oiled griddle and started cooking.  I also sliced up a few onions and green peppers and grilled those as well (hey - it's MY sandwich and I like the flavor!).  The tomato I sliced and chopped up into smaller pieces (this is winter and these are HOT HOUSE tomatoes!  Beware!  They bounce!)

 I also sliced a Pita bread in half and heated it as well (actually on top of the grilling items) so it would be easy to maneuver.

And because my family is a bunch of cheesaholics - I grated up a little Muenster.  Usually I prefer Pepperjack - but I didn't have that!  And I didn't want cheddar!

I was also out of mushrooms - which are a sometimes item as well

Then I flipped the tofu slices over (as well as the grilling onions and peppers) and spread a little mustard on there.  It's a LOT better with Dijon mustard because Tofu is very bland - and this will help a LOT!  You can also add some soy sauce at this point if you don't use mustard!

When all is brown, place everything in the Pita slices and enjoy!

I like to serve with either a tossed salad (which I had already eaten!) or with some soup - like Miso soup which I really like.

Today IS Tuesday!!!!!!!!

Taz Man crazy quiltlet - sew it all together!

Quilting Sampler - finish and Binding

Fancy Flowers - Walking Foot

Leader-Enders - 4 patches - THIS time in GREEN!!!!!

Massage therapy

Oh my!  Only one word for it...........

HEAVEN!!!!!

To those who know me - it has been NO secret that my left arm was injured (by me being STUPID!) 2 years ago while I was in one of those seldom seen exercise manic phases I do!  Compound the injury with a doctor who said NO PHYSICAL MOVEMENT AT ALL - not just until the swelling went down - but for over a year!!!!  And - no x ray!  While I'm definitely not crazy about x rays - when my arm was injured to the point I couldn't lift it above shoulder height - and I'm NOT saying lift with pain - I'm saying lift AT ALL - there is something wrong!

At any rate - I have a different doctor now.  Have gone through the physical therapy - and all the exercises they suggested (no massage - just exercises - and LOTS of them!).  And the arm/shoulder STILL hurt like crazy - especially when I would try to sleep at night.

Finally I found a massage therapist - and - oh my - I'm in HEAVEN!  To be sure - there was some ouchiness while she massaged and also used deep pressure on that arm (and also on the other one - which had "compensated" for the injured arm - I'm normally left handed!) but I now I actually have freedom of movement, the pain is GONE GONE GONE!!!!  and - who knows - I may actually get a good night's sleep tonight!

Next stop - lower back and the sciatica!  And hope that miracles last!

Wha'cha Reading???

This is another Judy link!  (Patchwork quilts!!!!)

I drive people nuts with my reading!  Mostly because of HOW I do it!  I'm not talking about the process of reading although I understand that I am a bit wierd on that too!  I'm talking about the NUMBER of books being read at a time - and that I can keep them all straight!

Actually I figure this is because it is the age of TV and computers, DVDs etc - you know, you move from one program to another to another, etc.

That and I'm probably ADHD!

Maybe if I list by category..........

Mystery: Two audio books (hey - they count!) -
One of those Malibu nights: a novel

Young adult fantasy
The Circle Opens: Street Magic by Tamora Pierce

Romance (These are QUICK reads - I usually go through one a night)
Just finished (had all 4 going)
Gunning for Trouble
When She wasn't Looking
By Order of the Prince
Honeymoon at Home
Still to read - probably be done tonight -
DE Stevenson's Katherine's Marriage - have read this several times - love her books
Charlotte Fairlie - although I just finished this one last night
To be started and read -
The Zenith
The Spoiler: a novel
Other Genre:
Havah
He Who Lifts the Skies
Non-fiction
Encyclopedia of Country Living - love this!
Scraps and Shirttails
Scraps and Shirttails II
String Fling (these last 3 JUST arrived - and look sooooooooo much fun!)
Lehman's catalog (would also have Cumberland General store catalog if I could figure out WHERE I stashed it!)

Now - I don't read ALL of these EVERY night - BUT I DO read all of them - probably over a week's period of time!  Especially in those early morning hours when my back wakes me up and starts screaming at me!

The Design Wall for Monday - 01-28-13 - also done on Tuesday!F

Ummmm - a LOT (most - well, sorta!) is the same as last week - mostly because I've been going off on tangents!  ie, starting a couple of new quilts!  Two are Bonnie  Hunter's Bow-Dacious as well as her 4 Patch Revisited!  Both of which have encouraged me to order ALL her books - and - OH MY!  There are some beautiful quilts in there!

Why those 2 quilts?  Well, I've come to a temporary stop on Easy Street (I need to cut some more blocks and find some more strips - or go to my favorite shopping place and BUY some more FQ!!!!!) But I thought I would be virtuous (please ignore all side trips to THE store and all purchases thus far from there!) and not do that.

HAND PIECING

Yes - I'm still working on my Hexies - SLOOOWWWWLY but surely!

MACHINE QUILTING: FMQ

Quilting Sampler

Couch quilt for Nathan and Lynn

Weave It to Me 

 MACHINE QUILTING - WALKING FOOT

Fancy Flowers for Wendy

Walking foot sampler #2 (aka baby changing pad when it is finished!)

Mini Twister for Peggy

 LEADER ENDER PROJECT(S)

Purple 4-patches are for BOTH Bow-dacious quilt AND for 4 Patch Re-visited. Both quilts ALSO use 4-patches of green, red, pink, blue, brown, golds (or yellows) and another color which I forgot already what it was!

So far I have LOTS of little purple 4 patches - I suspect more than either quilt really calls for - not that this will stop me!  But I have now branched out into the Green (mostly this color because I will also use green strings in a runner up for one of my classes!) and so will continue my piecing - only this time into GREEN 4 patches!  Or maybe even Red or pink if I get bored (Valentine's - remember?)

I've also been making STRINGS - purple - which I LOVE!  Green which I also like a whole bunch!

My purple strings

Green Strings - as you can see - I only have a FEW green scraps for strings!!!

 PIECING

QOV - Scrap Basket Blues

Wendy's QOV which I REALLY need to do!

My Taz Man crazy quilt pieces - to be attached and top quilted (feather stitched????? or another Tazzy stitch????)

Sewing Sunday - Next Sunday will be in February - and I THINK I will probably start on spring wardrobe!

Stash Report Sunday - 01-27-13 - done on Tuesday

............  or was I HIDING?????

As you can guess - I did it again!  And it started off sooooooooooo innocently too!

From several receipts (all on the SAME day - and WITHIN 5 minutes of each other!!!!!)
Various FQ - 4, Little Bits (F8ths) (8) - ok - I was doing a Valentine runner - and didn't have QUITE enough that played nicely with each other! Still no backing - or binding, mind you!

Second attempt - that lovely black shamrock (0.33 yd), Luck of the Irish (0.50), 2 more luck of the Irish prints (0.46 yard total)

3rd attempt - Curved pins

4th attempt - which is when I noticed I was OUT of thread on my spool (after sewing up a gazillion seams with NO thread!  :(  - 2 spools - one white and one black)

At that point everyone there in class was cheering Maureen on - Sell her some MORE!   Sell her some MORE!   But I resisted (finally!)

Fortunately Pam didn't show any new gadgets!  It was bad enough when she showed off her pretty Irish prints (which is when I realized I had NONE in my stash!)


01-27-13  Fortunately we don't count the Dritz curved pins (I keep losing them!) nor the Aurofil thread (I ran out - 2 spools - one white and one black) - both are mentioned so I can keep SOME sort of track of how fast I either go through these things - or how fast I lose them!

BTW - my computer calculator is NO help!  Doesn't work right!


Used This Week:0 yard /Used This Month: 0.25 yard for January/Used Year to Date:0.25 yards

Added This Week: 3.29 yards/Added This Month: 16.54 yards/Added Year to Date: 16.43 yards

Net Used for 2012: - 16.29 yards (It just keeps getting worse, doesn't it!!!!)

And Today is ....(fanfare here)..... Wednesday!!!

No special reason - just that the week is half over until the weekend!

I  haven't posted on the What's cooking yet - mostly because I can't find the spinach and mushroom picture and now I can't find my camera (which is around here SOMEWHERE!!!!)  Seriously though - I sure wish that there would be those little beeper things that we could attach to various items we DON'T want to lose (keys, remote controls, cell phones, timers, digital cameras, eyeglasses - you get the idea!) and then could "page" the item (easy enough to do - provided of course we know where the telephone is!)  Of course - with that many items "tagged" we would either have to have some sort of numbering system so we could page the individual item (but then would we remember the number?) or else EVERYTHING in the house would go off - and we'd go stark raving mad!

However - I WILL find the digital camera - and I WILL post the pictures.  Honest!

The NEW item for NEXT week is Tofu.  Now Tofu and I have an interesting history.  Way back when my son was in his early teens, he decided that he was a vegetarian.  I guess this is NOT unusual - especially since his older sister was about the same age when she decided the same thing!  What was different about this is that my son HATED with a vengeance ANYTHING that remotely resembled a vegetable!  My concern was not so much about his becoming a vegetarian but finding SOMETHING that he WOULD eat (other than cheese and pasta) since he developed an "allergy" to anything green.... or red.... you get the idea!  and I had visions of him ending up in the hospital due to starvation when I had this overly full refrigerator with all kinds of food in it - as well as a vegetable garden that produced even more food!

Oh yeah - he also hated peanut butter, most fruits.

I talked to a vegetarian acquaintance of mine for some sort of hint about how to fix tofu - and she recommended grilled tofu sandwiches, made with green pepper, a strongly flavored mustard, onion slices and grilled tofu slices.  I can't remember which kind of tofu I used - whether the more smooth textured one (which is what I THINK I used) or the one that I swear resembles the texture of a sponge!  It was actually good!

So this week I get to re-visit memory lane and try to find/resurrect/learn anew some tofu recipes!

................................................
Today we have a 17 HIGH outside!   There is NO WAY I'm going out there!  At least - not if I can help it!

That being said - on the schedule for today..........

FIRST I want to either find the pictures for last week and this - or if I can't find the picture - then re-take this week's (and maybe make another spinach something and take a picture of THAT!)

QUILT

1. Walking Foot Finish up the quilts I need to do this with (Peggy's and Wendy's).  Put on binding then get them ready to send (along with other stuff!) 
2. Quilting Sampler 1 
3. Prepare Quilting Sampler 2
4. Sampler Blocks - finish up the rest of them

HOUSE

1. Zone 4
2. LR - aka the Study! - at least 30 minutes there
3. Paperwork - at least 30 minutes!  (Be brave!)

GO AND DO/CALL
Email Nathan re different items

MAKE/COOKING AND PRESERVING

1. Make Corn "oysters" + pix
2. Make another spinach dish + pix
3. Make another Carrot dish + pix
4. Lentil Stew?

MENU
B: Scrambled eggs with cheese, sausage, tomatoes, onions, avocado (think of an omelet that didn't!)
L: Corn Chowder, homemade cheese crackers, applesauce
D: Reheat the stuffed shells, Baked apples
S: Popcorn - try the chili/cheese one.

Hmmm - which will I choose????

For THIS week's recipe post - I need to post something with CREAMED CORN in it.  So far my Mom's Corn Pudding comes to mind, first and foremost!  But then my ancient cookbook (which has a slight variation that is good - but I don't like quite as well) of the corn pudding recipe calls that ALSO Deviled corn.  AND the same cookbook carries a recipe for Corn Oysters as well.  Which sounds interesting!  All recipes are fairly easy! So I may make one tonight (my mom's corn pudding) and eat the other one for breakfast tomorrow (corn oysters - and no, there are NO oysters in there!)

LOL - just discovered something - FINALLY found my mom's handwritten corn pudding recipe - and apparently all these years I had made it using creamed corn while she used niblet corn!  To make matters even MORE complicated - somewhere along the line I (as a brand newly married cook at the time) interpreted the C as a CAN instead of cup!  Hmmm!

Mom's Corn Pudding (as changed somewhat in the making by me!)

2 Cups niblet corn and juice (this is the part I though involved CREAMED corn instead - and personally I like the texture a bit better!)
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup sugar

Mix together, bake in a buttered casserole for half an hour then put on lid for half hour.  Cook until pudding forms.

The Variation - Corn Pudding or Deviled Corn recipe that I found in my American Woman Cookbook published by the Culinary Arts Institute (I don't know who the author or editor is) probably between 1910 and 1920 suggests:
2 Tablespoons fat
2 Tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon mustard
Paprika
2 cups corn pulp (creamed corn)
1 egg
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Buttered crumbs.

Make a sauce of fat, flour, milk, and seasonings, add corn, egg slightly beaten, and worcestershire sauce.  Pour into a baking-dish, cover with buttered crumbs and bake in a moderate oven (350 - 400 F) 15 to 30 minutes.

Corn Oysters (also from the same American Woman Cookbook)

2 cups corn pulp (creamed corn)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons fat
salt and pepper

If fresh corn is used, grate it from the cob with a coarse grater.  Beat the egg-yolks and whites separately and add to the grated corn, with flour and fat, salt and pepper.  Drop the batter from a spoon into hot fat (360-370 F) and fry light brown (2-3 minutes).  Drain on soft paper.  Serve hot.

Pictures of all to follow!

Oh my! Last week's Spinach dinner!!!!!!!!!!!

I see I forgot to post last week's spinach and mushroom filling in Judy L's recipe challenge!!!!  So - I'll post it (only a few days late) now!

Picture will be added as soon as I figure out which of the many picture folders it has vanished into!

(BTW - it was GOOD!!!!!)

The recipe is called "Conchiglie with Three Fillings" - I used the Spinach and Mushroom Filling.  The book is  The Joy of Pasta.  Authors are Joe Famularo and Louise Imperiale.  Copyright is 1983 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc.  And the recipe is on page 150.  I'm very hesitant at this point to print out the recipe - but the info is there for anyone who wants to research it!

This will stuff 24 (unless you happen to be me - in which case - your guess is as good as mine!) Ingredients, according to the recipe, include butter; finely chopped shallots; chopped garlic; fresh spinach that has been cooked, drained and chopped; mushrooms - chopped, of course; 2 eggs; freshly grated Parmesan cheese; prosciutto or smoked ham, chopped; mozzarella, diced; salt; black pepper.

And - as per usual I modified a whole bunch of things - mostly because I either couldn't find or couldn't afford some of the ingredients and - well - re the others - I just don't "do" them!

I did use the Jumbo shells which I cooked according to directions for filling.  Then as to the spinach filling - I did melt some butter (amount is a guess and by gosh!) and sauteed onions and garlic until they looked somewhat transparent.  Then I added the spinach (what there was in the bag that I had very lightly steamed earlier), stirring pretty much constantly.

At this point (forgetting the eggs for the  moment - which were SUPPOSED to be added at this point!) I used some turkey bacon that I had cooked for breakfast and had crumbled.  Of course this was where many folks would add the prosciutto - or smoked ham - but I don't do either of those!

That was the point where I remembered the eggs - which I scrambled up separately in a small bowl, adding the salt and pepper to the eggs (along with a little Italian Seasoning), then beat them into the mixture a little at a time.

Next step involved filling the shells.  This was kind of a mess since I am known throughout my family and friends as Superklutz!  And since the al dente became "cooked the pasta too long".  At any rate, once I had the shells all stuffed (or what might pass for shells being completely stuffed - or even just the stuffing with shell pieces stuck on top).

Oven was at 350 - or at least that's what the oven control said - I personally have my doubts!

Important -  Butter ALL pans used to bake these things!!!!!  (I forgot!)

Directions say to pour Marinara and Balsamella sauce over the shells and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over all.

Uh - that didn't happen!  Mine just went straight into the oven with a little commercially prepared Marinara sauce - and the Parmesan cheese happened before I ate it!  The extras also froze well!

Regardless - it was very good - and definitely worth repeating - although I do think I will re-read the directions a little more thoroughly FIRST next time!

Today's plans.....................

Admittedly it is LATE LATE LATE!  BUT - I am determined .....

On today's schedule..........

QUILT

Just 4 little squares..... think - 4 little squares......

Wendy's Fancy Flowers!

Peggy's mini Twister

The Taz Man!!!!

Swap Sampler blocks - eventually I WILL finish these! Honest!!!

HOUSE

1. Paperwork - ugh!
2. Zone 4
3. Move desk to Study and fix that up a bit

CALL/GO AND DO
Call Nathan
MENU
B: Scrambled eggs, toast and c. cheese, tea
L: Lima bean soup
D:lo Spinach and mushrooms stuffed in shells

MAKE

1. Get the carrot orange preserves made
2. Make bread - whole wheat and maybe also raisin
3. Homemade lima bean soup

Design Wall for Week 3 - 01-21-13

Because I didn't get a whole lot of much done as per my design wall last week - a lot will be repeated (although hopefully with updated photos!)
APPLIQUE OR HAND PIECING

My Hexies

 LEADER ENDER

4 Patches for Bonnie's Bow-Dacious quilt - Purples!

More patches-to-be for the Bow-Dacious quilt!

MACHINE QUILTING
Walking Foot

Quilting Sampler 1

Fancy Flowers for Wendy - Finally found my fabric for the backing!

Free Motion Quilting

Mini Twister for Peggy

Quilt for Nathan and Lynn - just need to get brave and DO IT!

PIECING

My QOV - Scrapbasket of Blues - now have fabric for borders! (Oy vey do I have the fabric!)

Taz man mini quiltlet - It's a crazy quilt - 'cause Taz is!

The rest of the sampler blocks

This is NOT the only square of my Underground RR - BUT I only need 1 more block, sashing and borders for the flimsy to be done!

SEWING SUNDAY!

Next Sunday's project -  Finish up the brown slacks and hopefully complete the jacket!

Flimsy Finish! on 01-15-13

Ulp!  I forgot to post this!

Flimsy finish!  And - trust me - with the way I'm going on the stash report - I need every finish I can get!

This little Twister is for my friend Peggy's table top!    Hoping to get this quilted today (01-21-13) and bound!  Will post a picture if I do!