Standard Tattered Blanket with rounded edges

This is just a standard tattered blanket with applique and rounded edges.  It does have binding around the edges--- I like that better than tattered edges. 

The Best Zucchini Bread, Ever!

When I was 12, a lady in our neighborhood showed a bunch of us girls how to make zucchini bread.  It was one of my first experiences with cooking/baking, and I loved it!  Especially when the result was so yummy.  I don't know if it's the sentimental memories or if it really is the best zucchini bread ever- but I haven't found a recipe that I like better.  That super nice woman has since passed away from cancer- and having her recipe means all the more to me now. 

Karen Gailey's Zucchini Bread

3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups grated zucchini (I use the large hole- side of the grater)
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 cup walnuts, optional

Combine eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla.  Mix in the grated zucchini. Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices (if you happen to add a little more cinnamon, it will be just fine- in fact, lovely).  Blend well.  Stir in chopped nuts, optional. 

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.  Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.  Start checking at 45 minutes to see if it's done- dip a toothpick into the middle of a loaf and if it comes out clean, it's done.  If not- and the center is still jiggly, then cook for another 3-5 minutes and check again.  At home,  it was always done at 45 minutes.  Here--- it took 55 minutes.  I have no idea why.  Altitude?  Because I wanted it to be done?   As you can see, it didn't stop me from sampling it--- before I could even get in a picture! 

Once done, allow to cool for a few minutes in the loaf pan.  Run a table knife along the side edges, loosening the bread from the pan.  Turn upside down onto cooling rack, then flip loaf back to cool right side up.  It is easier to cut when cool, but still cuts just fine while warm! 

Wrap in plastic wrap to store.  Wrap again in tin foil if you want to freeze it.  If you have lots of zucchini during the summer, you can shred and freeze the zucchini in two cup increments, to use in this recipe.  Just thaw and add in as you would normally (drain any excess liquid from freezing).

Rosemary Bread with Dipping Oil

I got the recipe for Rosemary Bread from Our Best Bites.  Have you checked out their website?  Seriously- they have great recipes--- of all the ones that I have tried, I have liked all but one.  The one was not bad, just so-so.  ALL THE REST....FANTASTIC!  Now that is pretty amazing in my book!

I don't know about you, but I am a little finicky with rosemary.  Some times I love the rosemary taste, sometimes I don't.  It can taste a little ..... flowery... for lack of a better word.  So I was worried about if I would like this or not, but I decided to give it a try.  I did really like it.....but I don't know if it was the bread fresh out of the oven, or the dipping sauce that we dipped it in!  The combination together was definitely good.  And the kids have even been snacking on the leftovers of the bread--- which is always a good sign! (completely unexpected- I didn't think they'd like anything so....herb-y...now there's a technical word)

You can find their recipe HERE.  While you're there, you might want to check out their other recipes!

I have had a few people say that they didn't want to have to go to another site to get the recipe--- here it is (with my slight modifications)

Rosemary Bread 

1 C. very warm (but not hot) water

1 Tbs. yeast

2 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. Kosher salt

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. dried rosemary, crushed/chopped as much as you can

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

2 1/2 Cups flour

In a small bowl, combine the water, yeast, and sugar.  Set aside until really foamy- about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, rosemary, oregano, and garlic powder.  Add the yeast mixture to this along with 1 Tbs. olive oil and knead until mixed well (5 minutes in a stand mixer). 

Grease a bowl and place dough in.  Let rise until doubled.  Then knead gently for a minute and shape into a round loaf.  Place on a cookie sheet and let rise until doubled again.  Brush gently with remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle lightly with additional Kosher salt.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until top is lightly golden brown.  Serve immediately with garlic dip (below)

Garlic Oil and Vinegar Dip

Pour olive oil onto a small plate (2-3 Tbs.)

crush one clove of garlic into the oil

add 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (can omit)

Stir together, cover, and let sit for a couple of hours.  When ready to serve, pour balsamic vinegar on top (according to your preference.  We love balsamic vinegar, so we added 3-4 Tbs. balsamic vinegar).  You might want to start with 2-3 Tbs. 

Copy of Olive Garden's Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo

One of Matt's favorite dishes at the Olive Garden is the Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo.  I have to confess it is really quite wonderful (I have them leave out the gorgonzola- so mine's just Steak Alfredo), quite calorie laden, but wonderful.  The marinated steak with the yummy balsamic glaze that ends up getting mixed in with the alfredo--- with the sweet little sun dried tomatoes on top....tastes like a little bit of heaven.  I always have to ask them to bring me the sun dried tomatoes- because for whatever odd reason, if you ask to get it without the gorgonzola, they leave out the sun dried tomatoes, too.  But they add a lot to the overall flavor, so it's totally worth asking for them! 

So, for Father's Day, when Matt asked for hamburgers, knowing that Matt would have to cook his own dinner because I can never cook his meat the way he wants it on a grill (since I'm a "well done, no pink" girl, and he's a "medium rare" bloody plate (ok, juice) guy, he would have to cook it.  So I changed out the dinner menu on him knowing that he loves this meal.  The homemade version is just about as good as the restaurants--- which is always a plus.  It is definitely one that you can't enjoy very often, but when you do....it is really good.  We had it with rosemary bread and olive oil/balsamic dipping sauce, and an olive garden (copy) salad, of course!  Sam's Club started selling Olive Garden's Italian dressing, and since then we have been enjoying a lot of Olive Garden-ish salads!  The irony here is that Matt still had to cook the meat despite my intentions that he not cook his own meal!  I guess in my mind it was different because I had to do a lot, too.   AND IT WAS STEAK!   :) 

Marinated Steak with Balsamic Glaze

(Ihis is also great alone- without the alfredo- as the meat in a meal!  So good!)

Top Sirloin Steak, cut into 2" pieces (1-2 pounds)

1 1/2 cups Italian Dressing (I used the Good Season's dry packet made into dressing- the whole thing)

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp. dried Rosemary, crumbled as much as you can

Mix the dressing, lemon juice, and rosemary together into a gallon sized ziploc bag.  Add the meat and toss.  Let marinate for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.  When almost ready to eat, grill as you prefer. 

Balsamic Glaze:  In a small saucepan, stir together 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 2 Tbs. brown sugar and 1 Tbs. honey.  Simmer until the water has cooked off and it is a little thicker.  Be careful to not burn it or let it cook too long.  Let cool.  When serving the steak, drizzle the balsamic over it. 

My Spinach Alfredo Sauce

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 stick butter

3-4 Tbs. cream cheese

1 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup asiago cheese (opt.)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or one clove of garlic, minced)

a sprinkle of Lawry's seasoning salt

several grinds of pepper

1 cup of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry or 2 cups of fresh spinach, chopped

(for Gorgonzola sauce, add 3 Tbs. gorgonzola)

Simmer (on medium low) the whipping cream, butter, cream cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper together.  Use a wire whisk to incorporate the butter.  Add the cheeses.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add a little milk if it is thicker than you want.  Add the spinach (and gorgonzola if you are making that kind of sauce), stir until it is mixed in.  Serve it with fettuccine noodles, cooked according to the package directions. 

Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo

To assemble the meal, place the fettuccine on the bottom, with the alfredo/gorgonzola sauce on top.  Place the steak pieces on top and drizzle those with the balsamic glaze.  Then sprinkle with chopped sun dried tomatoes (I recommend the kind that are in a plastic bag rather than stored in oil) and 1 Tbs. gorgonzola cheese (if you like the blue veined stuff).   If you are a mixed family (blue cheese lovers and haters) then serve it with the regular alfredo, and have the blue cheese lover put lots of gorgonzola on top of theirs!  :)  When storing leftovers in the fridge, store the alfredo sauce separately from the noodles or the noodles will absorb all of the sauce and when you reheat it, all the oils will separate out.  For best results with reheating, gently reheat separately and then put them together. 

 

Dad's Rotini Pasta Salad

The picture doesn't do this salad justice.  It actually looks a little gross in this picture.  But it isn't! 

While growing up, my Dad made this pasta salad.  It always tasted so good to us.  The nice thing about it is that it can be flexible- it can use a bunch of vegetables from your garden, and it is a cold salad, perfect for those hot summer days. You can easily add what you have and omit what you don't.   My Dad says that the keys to this salad are:  1.Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing- other brands just don't taste the same.  2.Salad Supreme, and lots of it!

Rotini Pasta Salad

16 oz. pkg. of Rotini, cooked 

1 bottle of Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing

1 bottle of Salad Supreme

1 can olives, drained and sliced in half

8 oz. cheese (almost any kind), cubed

1-2 tomatoes, diced

1 can corn, drained (or fresh corn, sliced off the cob and barely cooked and chilled)

1 bunch broccoli, cooked until tender-crisp and chilled

3 carrots, sliced and cooked until tender-crisp and chilled

1 zucchini, minced

Pepperoni (as much or little as desired, diced)

Any other vegetable you can think of that you would like to try in this salad

Cook the Rotini according to the package directions.  When it's done, I will usually rinse it under cold water to stop it from cooking further and to help it not stick together.  I know, the horror.  I've been told it's a big no-no.  But since this recipe isn't about to be featured and judged on a cooking show, I think it will be ok.  Put the Rotini in a big bowl. 

Cook the broccoli, corn (if not canned), and carrots until just fork-tender.  You still want them to have a little crunch- you don't want those veggies mushy.  Slice up the rest of the ingredients and stir it all together.  Stir in the bottle of Wishbone.  When adding the Salad Supreme, I will give it a heavy sprinkle over the top, stir it in, then repeat until it looks right.  My Dad uses the whole dang bottle.  I use about 1/2-3/4 of the bottle.  I keep stirring it in until I can see a few specks of the seasoning on the top of all of the pasta after I have evenly stirred it in.  When I can stir it and not uncover a big spot without seasoning, then I stop- again, I use about one half to three quarters of the bottle of Salad Supreme.  Refrigerate for a few hours, at least, to help the flavors meld together. 

 

Faux Cathedral Window

Flannel baby blanket and burp cloth

        My babies always loved to be wrapped up tight to sleep.  Once they got to be a couple of months old, I had a hard time wrapping them up in the small receiving blankets you can buy in stores.  It felt like I was trying to wrap a present without a large enough piece of wrapping paper.  No matter how much I tried to creatively wrap, I just needed a larger blanket.  Luckily, making them isn't hard and then I was able to have blankets that were large enough to easily wrap a baby in.  We called the babies wrapped up "our little burritos". 
     Over the years, I have come to love making baby blankets.  They are small and easy to make.  There isn't a lot of bulk that you have to shift around while trying to sew.  The blankets can be quickly made- some in as short as a couple of hours including cutting time.  Other baby blankets can take a couple of days. 
   This is a faux cathedral window pattern made into a 2 layer flannel receiving blanket.  It's one that takes a couple of days and lots and lots of pins.  And when I'm done, I look like I've been holed up in a tiny closet with an angry cat because of all of the scratches from pins that cover my arms.  Sound like fun?  I know you're dying to make it now!  :) 
    With a small baby flannel blanket, it actually isn't too bad.  I had far more scratches on my arms after making a faux cathedral blanket in denim with batting, especially since that one is bigger and heavier.  I thought it would make a nice outdoor picnic blanket.  And it does....if you don't mind hauling a 50 pound blanket to the picnic site.  No, it isn't quite THAT heavy, but it feels like it after carrying it around!  It makes a nice 4th of July Fireworks quilt.  Which is pretty much the only time it gets used due to its weight.  But hey, the nice thing is that the wind doesn't blow it around!  It stays put unlike other blankets!  This blanket is a "joke" in our family.  I used denim jeans that I had saved for over a decade (that my husband asked me to throw away many, many times).  Then the blanket took me about two years to finish.  It was very heavy and bulky and awkward to sew.  Not to mention that the scratches on my arms needed time to heal in between sessions working on it!  But it is done.  In comparison, the flannel baby blanket is a breeze.

This blanket is sewn by cutting out circles.  Lots and lots of circles.  I used a large lid and traced the circles onto the fabric and then I hand cut them out.  After that, you have to trace the largest square that will fit inside the circle onto the fabric, in each circle.  The easiest way to find the largest square is to fold each circle in half and mark both half points at the crease edges.  Then fold it in half the other way, matching the marks together and mark the opposite ends of each crease.  Connect the markings and you have the square.  Measure the square and create a template.  Then trace it onto each circle.  Those are going to be your sewing lines, and the shape/size to cut your inside window fabric. 

     Another fun thing about the faux cathedral is that you can choose to have scalloped or straight edges.  If you want straight, just keep folding the outer edges in and stitch them down as you do the rest of the quilt.  If you want scalloped edges, you'll need to cut out extra elongated football shapes to lay on top of the bottom fabric- then sew as usual.  This isn't meant to be a tutorial- just helpful little tidbits of information/pictures in case anyone else wants to attempt one using the tutorials out there on the web.  I used one for the denim quilt, but I couldn't find it again. This was before Pinterest...  If you have questions, you could always message me or leave a comment, and I will try to help you. 

This is how it would have looked with a straight edge.  I prefer the scalloped edge.   

 This is one row of circles sewn together- it is sewn along parallel lines from the squares.

 Sewing line

Two rows sewn together- along opposite parallel lines.  You sometimes have to sew off the marked line- it is important to make sure you are sewing along the end of the perpendicular seam lines, kind of connecting them.  You don't want the first seam to end and then have a space before the seam along the adjacent edge. 

All of the back is sewn together.  Now I am placing the middle square of fabric in the center of each circle and pinning the circle's flapping edges down onto that middle square fabric. If you want to use batting, you place it behind this square of fabric.   

Boy's Tattered Blanket in a staggered brick pattern

Shoot.  Nothing like looking at a picture of a finished blanket only to notice that when sewing, I messed up the order/pattern of it all.  Super lame.  Oh well.  I obviously didn't notice it at first- so hopefully the person getting the blanket won't notice it, either!  :( 

So the title of this should probably be "Boy's Tattered Blanket in an attempted staggered brick pattern" since I didn't quite achieve the pattern!  :)  Oh well..... such is life. 

Teriyaki Chicken

When I need teriyaki chicken for a recipe, or when my family is going to have teriyaki chicken for dinner, this is my go-to recipe.  It is my favorite one to use.  It's not a picky recipe- and it's forgiving.  Nice and easy.  This is one that you don't need to stress over exact measurements.  At least I don't.  Half the time I don't even look at the recipe (hence the addition of the optional items-- because I forgot they WEREN'T part of the recipe) When it's all stirred together, just smell it.  If it smells good, it should be fine.  If it smells like it needs something....then add it in!  :)

Teriyaki Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (bleh!  You must trim them of all fat and/or gross stuff!)
1/2 cup soy sauce (feel free to eyeball it)
1/4 cup water (or pineapple juice) (water is fine)
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (or turn the bottle upside down and shake it until you have 2 tsp. or 2 Tbs. or whatever you feel like.  I don't think there's a risk of getting too much Worcestershire sauce in there- no need to dirty a measuring spoon)
1/4 C. brown sugar (just open the bag and sprinkle it in until it looks like 1/4 cup.  If it's a little more, it won't hurt it!)
1/2 tsp ground ginger (just shake it in)  OR several grates, about 1 tsp, of ginger root (preferred)
dash of garlic powder OR 1 clove garlic, minced (preferred)
OPTIONAL:  about 1-2 Tbs. vinegar
                       1/4 tsp. black pepper or crushed red pepper

Now, to cook it, you can stir together the sauce (until the sugar has dissolved) and:

To BAKE:  mix the teriyaki sauce in an 8X8 pan, place the (thawed) chicken in.  Cover with tin foil or a lid and bake at 375 until chicken is done.  Usually 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts)  If you are in a hurry, you can cut up the chicken to help it cook quicker.  If the chicken is frozen, it will take longer to bake. 

To GRILL:  Mix the teriyaki sauce in a gallon sized bag or large bowl.  Let the chicken marinate in it for a few hours in the fridge, turning occasionally.  Grill until chicken is done.

CROCK POT:  Mix the teriyaki sauce in the crock pot.  Place the chicken in.  If the chicken is frozen, you'll need to add on more time- an hour or two.  For (thawed) chicken, it takes about 2 hours on high. 

IF USING CHICKEN IN A RECIPE,  I let it cool until I can handle it without burning my fingers.  Then I either chop it up into cubes or I pull it into pieces with my hands (you don't want the fine shredding that comes from using forks).  Then I put that into a bowl, covering it with the teriyaki sauce it was cooked in (just until the chicken is covered), and put it in the fridge until I am ready for it in the recipe (usually salad). 

Oriental Chicken Salad

First of all, I am well aware that this picture is not a good one, and it's all blurry too.  It's the only picture I have of the salad though, and I figure something is better than nothing!  :) 

This is one of my kids' favorite meals.  They all love Oriental Chicken Salad.  You know, the kind with crunchy Ramen noodles (uncooked, broken up straight out of the lovely 20 cent plastic package.  What can I say?  We like the finer things in life!)  I think it might just have something to do with the fact that we love the flavor of red wine vinegar.  We might even just splash a little extra on the top for a little more zing.  Sometimes.  When we want to take a walk on the wild side of  dinner.  I got this recipe from Jennifer Larsen (a lady in my neighborhood growing up) about 25 years ago- and to this day I have not found a better recipe for this kind of salad.  I hope you like it, too!

Oriental Chicken Salad

1 head of cabbage, chopped
2 pkg. Ramen noodles, broken into bite sized pieces (chicken flavor, reserve one seasoning packet)
1 can water chestnuts, diced
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted (I rarely remember to toast them)
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 C. celery, diced
4 teriyaki chicken breasts, cooked, cooled, and chopped (find recipe here. )

Toss all of the ingredients together.  Mix in salad dressing about a half hour before serving.  Don't mix it in before that or it will all get soggy.

Dressing:

4 Tbs. sugar
6 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 pkg. chicken seasoning from Ramen
1 C. canola oil (I usually only use 1/2 cup)

Mix the sugar, vinegar, pepper and chicken seasoning in a blender.  While continuing to blend, slowly pour in the oil. 

Traditional Tattered Blanket with Appliques

This is just a traditional tattered blanket with appliqued flowers.  On this particular one, I used heat and bond lite to apply the applique and a zig zag stitch to finish it. 

Knorr Spinach Dip

Just the thought of this dip makes my mouth water.  The recipe is from the back of a Vegetable Soup Mix packet- but sometimes they change their recipes, so I have kept my favorite version.  It is so good, I haven't seen the need for any modifications!  Yay! 

Let's just pretend that I normally put the dip in a crystal bowl instead of serving it right out of the Tupperware container I mixed it in.  Let's also pretend that we usually eat it with healthy vegetables instead of Wavy Lays potato chips.  Let's pretend. 

Knorr Spinach Dip

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

16 oz. sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 pkg. Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix

1 can water chestnuts, drained and diced

3 green onions, sliced

Mix all of the above in a bowl and refrigerate for a couple of hours so the flavors can blend and the veggies from the soup mix can soften.  If you can't wait to taste it, the dip is still good with the veggies all crunchy in dehydrated goodness!  Before serving, stir again to mix the flavors.  A few tips on this recipe:

 *Make sure you buy the regular Vegetable soup/recipe mix, NOT the SPRING Vegetable Mix.  I did this once.  It is NOT the same! 

*If you want to make it with a LITTLE tiny bit less fat, I usually use Naturally Yours Fat Free Sour Cream.  I actually use this in ALL of my recipes.  It has good flavor and texture, and cooks up in recipes just like the regular full fat version.  Unfortunately, where we live right now I can't find this in stores.  The Daisy brand works well, too. 

*Also, to drain the spinach after it has thawed, I spoon the spinach into a paper towel or clean dish cloth.  Then I twist the bundle to squeeze out all of the extra water.  You don't want the excess liquid to water down the dip!  :)

Apothecary Jars

Do you have fun apothecary jars?  I do.  Right now they are sitting empty because I haven't found anything to put in them that my kids won't eat in a day or two.  Not to mention I worry that with the humidity, the regular things that I like to put in them like large bubblegum balls in seasonal colors (Orson Gygi's is a great place to get these whether by flavor or color assortment) will get all sticky and gross. 

I found this great idea at makoodle.com for summer decor using dried beans/legumes!  I love it!   It will last for more than a couple of days and dried beans are really inexpensive- even better!  My guess is that it will last all summer and if I don't mind sorting them, they will probably still be good for next summer.  Think:  Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day--- it works for all!