Monday Morning Design Wall 10/8/2012

Wow, what a great week, I am keeping my promise and working on my UFO's, every evening, every day but I am also managing to get more blocks done on my latest applique project!!  So much fun.  My reward for two hours of work on another project is an hour or two on this project!!  I hope to have pictures next week of something (anything at this point) finished.  You never know, it could be all 25 blocks of this quilt!!  Don't forget to check out the rest of the design walls on Judy's blog!

Baked Ziti Monday! Too good to miss

Baked Ziti

Serves 8 to 10

The test kitchen prefers baked ziti made with heavy cream, but whole milk can be substituted by increasing the amount of cornstarch to 2 teaspoons and increasing the cooking time in step 3 by 1 to 2 minutes. Our preferred brand of mozzarella is Dragone Whole Milk Mozzarella. Part-skim mozzarella can also be used, but avoid preshredded cheese, as it does not melt well. For tips on cooking with cottage cheese, see related How To Cook.

Ingredients

• 1 pound whole milk cottage cheese or 1 percent cottage cheese (see note)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
•   Table salt
• 1 pound ziti or other short, tubular pasta
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon sugar
•   Ground black pepper
• ¾ teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy cream (see note)
• 8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups) (see note)

Instructions

• 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander (do not wash Dutch oven).
• 2. Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.
• 3. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer mixture to now-empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and ¾ cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.
• 4. Transfer pasta mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
• 5. Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.

Monday Morning Design Wall 10/1/2012

 Good Morning!  I vowed last week to start finishing up some of my UFO's, no more starting new projects when I have so many in progress.  Well, I kept that vow until I went to Quilting in the Garden last weekend and purchased the Miss Emilie's Garden pattern from In Between Stitches in Livermore California.  I was in love!!  Pulled fabric and already put together the first four blocks.  Oh well, so much for my vow!  I did finish up Block 9 of Mimi's Bloomers so at least I got that done!!!    I am keepig my promise by working on my UFO's, at least one, each night!!  I hope to have some finished up in the next couple of weeks.   Don't for get to check out Judy's Blog to see the rest of the design walls!  Happy Quilting everyone!

Monday Morning Design Wall 9/24/2012

What a great weekend!  I went to Quilting in the Garden located at the Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore, California and got to meet, and take a picture with, Alex Anderson.  I am on the right with my friend Julie on the left.  We had a great day seeing all the quilts hanging up in the nursery and then we visited two quilt shops on the way home.  FUN!!  I did pick up a couple of new projects, two if which are below.  I purchased Alex Anderson's pattern for The Grape Escape (which she signed) and even purchased some fabric for it and then pulled the rest from my stash.  I also found this FANTASTIC mini-Baltimore Album style quilt called Miss Emilie's Garden.  So cute, blocks finish at 5.25, and looks like a great hand project. 

 I seem to be having a few computer issues so I am unable to upload a bunch of my pictures from the quilt event but at least I was able to get these few up and running.    Don't forget to check on Judy's blog to see all the other design walls!!  I am sure I will have MASSIVE updates next week as I sink my teeth into these new projects (and I only have 5-6 on going ones also).  Yikes.

Friday Afternoon...

 You know it is a long day when you plan dinner at lunch!!!  This sounds so good!

Easier Fried Chicken

Serves 4

A whole 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, can be used instead of the chicken parts. Skinless chicken pieces are also an acceptable substitute, but the meat will come out slightly drier. A Dutch oven with an 11-inch diameter can be used in place of the straight-sided sauté pan.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• Table salt
• dash hot sauce
• 3 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks, or a mix, with breasts cut in half), trimmed of excess fat (see note)
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups vegetable oil

Instructions

1. 1. Whisk 1 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon salt, hot sauce, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, and pinch of cayenne together in large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
2. 2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 2 teaspoons black pepper, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon paprika, and remaining cayenne together in large bowl. Add remaining ¼ cup buttermilk to flour mixture and mix with fingers until combined and small clumps form. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, pressing mixture onto pieces to form thick, even coating. Place dredged chicken on large plate, skin side up.
3. 3. Heat oil in 11-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Carefully place chicken pieces in pan, skin side down, and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip and continue to cook until golden brown on second side, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Bake chicken until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees for breasts and 175 for legs and thighs, 15 to 20 minutes. (Smaller pieces may cook faster than larger pieces. Remove pieces from oven as they reach -correct temperature.) Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.

Monday Morning Design Wall 9/17/2012

Not too much new on the design wall this week but I am working away on my Hawaiian Quilt with a twist.  I enjoy hand quilting but I wish the cooler temperatures would start already.  Would love to see temperatures in the low 80's or high 70's when hand quilting as the temperatures in the high 90's make it a bit warm with the weight of the quilt!!   I am finishing my Strip Exchange section for my Spring Chicks meeting but I cannot show it in case any of my group is checking out the blogs!!  I will show it next week.  The surprise is great and worth the wait!!!!  Remember to check out the other walls on Judy's blog!!

 

Monday Morning Design Wall 9/10/2012

Another productive week, I finished up Mimi's Bloomers Block 8 this weekend and below are all the blocks together!  I think this is coming together very nicely!  It will be a great quilt.  I did redo my Miss Kyra borders (for the third time) and I am much happier with the overall look.  See the picture below.  I am planning on adding some applique flowers to the blank areas, just like the center of the quilt.  It was worth the work to do the borders again!!  I love the look of this quilt and the extra bit of applique will be quick and will add just the right touch!!!  Check out the rest of the design walls on Judy's blog.