Autumn Mini-Quilt Table Topper

When my daughter and I went to the International Quilt Show here in Cincinnati last spring, I chose an embroidery piece for my daughter to do for me – Autumn – Cherish it!  My sentiments exactly.  She did her usual beautiful embroidery on it with little scenes of birdhouses, pumpkins, flowers, apples, a church, a harvest moon, etc., and I assembled it this past week to make a mini-quilt table topper.

I tried three different approaches  and settled on this one with the green gingham which did not overpower the embroidery.  I used decorative stitching for the quilting and added some vintage and decorative buttons.

It shows everything I love about autumn.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

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Pause and Remember – 11/25/2011

On Friday, I pause and remember a single, wordless moment from the past week – inspired by The Warden’s Log.

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Autumn Chicken and Beans

My youngest daughter e-mailed this recipe to me back in November of 2003 – a dish that was just right for the brisk weather of November.  It’s a quick and easy dish to make if you have cooked chicken breast on hand.  The one-cup servings are perfect for those watching the fat and calories before and after Thanksgiving.  A two-cup serving would be a hearty autumn meal.

AUTUMN CHICKEN AND BEANS

• ¼ cup chopped onion
• ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup diced tart apple
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• ½ tsp olive oil
• 1 cup cooked, cubed chicken breast
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 15.5 oz. can of cannellini beans*
• 1 Tbsp. raisins
• Salt/Pepper

*Navy, Great Northern, pinto or kidney beans can be substituted

In a large skillet, saute onion, pepper, apple and garlic in oil until apple cubes are fork tender.

Add the chicken, cumin, and cinnamon.  Stir in beans and raisins.  Heat to boiling, then lower heat and simmer 5 to 8 minutes until mixture is slightly thickened.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve at once.

4 one-cup servings or 2 generous servings.

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Pause and Remember – 11/18/2011

On Friday, I pause and remember a single, wordless moment from the past week – inspired by The Warden’s Log.

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Pause and Remember – 11/11/2011

On Friday, I pause and remember a single, wordless moment from the past week – inspired by The Warden’s Log.

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Pause and Remember – 10/13

On Friday, I pause and remember a single, wordless moment from the past week – inspired by The Warden’s Log.

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A Happy Scrap Gift Bag

Influenced by my youngest daughter, our family made a pledge several years ago to go green by having all of our gift bags be of reusable fabric.  It takes a lot of bags, especially at Christmas time, but at least three branches of the family have been able to stick to the pledge.  The bags are either returned to the giver or are kept for the next occasion.

I wanted to make a different sized bag to hold the Halloween gifts I had gotten for my daughter and wanted to use as much as possible of my huge scrap collection and anything else that could be recycled.

I found two old dinner napkins (16×16 inches) which were very worn around the edges.

I pulled out a big bag of scraps of various sizes in fall colors – orange, rust, yellow, dark red, maroon, green.  I wanted to use an old piecing technique that uses a lot of small scraps and started out with a small piece in the center of one of the napkins (scrap piece right-side-up on wrong side of the napkin).   Then, I put another small scrap on top of the first piece, forming an angle.

I stitched a 1/4 inch seam, trimmed and pressed the piece open….

…then sewed a piece across the bottom of the first two pieces, log-cabin-style.

I continued around the sides of the block, trimming and pressing each time after stitching.   I continued to sew strips until the napkin was filled.  I put the strips at different angles to get a wonky look.

I turned the piece over, trimmed the excess fabric around the edges and squared-up the piece.  I also trimmed off the worn hemmed edges of the napkin.

Using the completed piece as a pattern, I placed it on top of the second napkin and cut the napkin the same size to form the back of the bag.  A piece of recycled cord was sewn to the right-side of the back piece.

The front and back were stitched with a 1/2 inch seam along the sides and back.  Then I stitched a facing to the top portion of the bag, turned it to the inside and hand-stitched in place.

The bag was turned and pressed….

…and was ready for filling with something good – and for recycling many, many times.

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Pear Crumble Pie

I started making this pie in 1989, using the Bartlett pears from two trees on our country property.  I’ve baked it at least once a year ever since, using pears from the farmers’ market for the last 10 years  after having to leave our pear trees behind.  The recipe is adapted from one in a 1966 Better Homes and Gardens Pies & Cakes cookbook.  It’s a great pie and just right for these early fall days.

PEAR CRUMBLE PIE

• 9 inch unbaked pastry shell  (see my favorite recipe here)
• 5 cups pared and sliced ripe Bartlett pears
• 3 Tblsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. grated lemon peel
• Crumble Topping (see below)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Place pears in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice.  Mix the sugar, flour and lemon peel together and stir into the pear slices.  Spoon into the unbaked pastry shell.

Crumble Topping

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 4 Tblsp. butter, cut into small cubes

Mix together the flour, sugar and spices.  Cut in the butter until blended.  Sprinkle on top of pear mixture in unbaked pie shell.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven for approximately 45 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 6 to 8 delicious servings.

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A Good Autumn Meal

One of my favorite meals in the autumn or any other time of the year consists of marinated pork tenderloin, sweet potato patties and Spinach-Mushroom Casserole.  I marinate 3/4″ thick slices of pork tenderloin in Italian dressing for about four hours, then cook on a range-top grill.   Sweet potatoes are microwaved until tender, allowed to cool, then peeled and mashed with a little salt and pepper.  The potatoes are formed into patties and browned in olive oil.

The Spinach-Mushroom Casserole is based on a recipe for Mushrooms Florentine from a wonderful Cincinnati Junior League cookbook, I’ll Cook When Pigs Fly. I changed the ingredients a bit  to reduce the fat and to have more spinach and less mushrooms.  It makes a great side dish.

SPINACH-MUSHROOM CASSEROLE–Reduced Fat

Preheat oven @ 350 degrees F

• 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Tblsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. bag of fresh spinach
• 2 Tblsp. dried minced onions
• Butter flavored spray
• Sprinkle of salt and pepper
• Sprinkle of garlic salt
• 4 oz. low fat Colby cheese

Saute mushrooms in oil.   Place spinach in a sprayed large flat casserole (mine is about 10″ square).  Spray the spinach with butter flavored spray and sprinkle the onion, salt, pepper and garlic salt.   Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

Bake uncovered @ 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.

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Thanksgiving Wall Hangings

 

Several years ago, my daughter gave me a great redwork piece showing Grandma and kids preparing Thanksgiving dinner.  I had just started quilting and designed a bottom piece to make a wall hanging. 

Above the Thanksgiving scene, I hang a punch needle pumpkin that my daughter made. 

 

She also does rug hooking and made a turkey for the front door ….

….and one with three pumpkins for fall decorating.

I look forward to getting out all these pretty things each November to celebrate Thanksgiving.

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