Evolving Sweetie

Fall Cooking - Rootbeer Braised Short-Ribs

My favorite time of year is upon us. And there is nothing I love to cook more that stick to your ribs, warm up your belly, simmer all day long meals that perfectly suit the fall weather. 

Our neighborhood restaurant Sand Point Grill does a kicking version of Rootbeer Braised Short Ribs ribs served with creamy polenta. My recipe search yield a winner at the Noble Pig . Their post does a spot on job of detailing out the recipe steps, so I won't duplicate the effort here. My only change was to simmer down the liquids (1o+ mins) on the stovetop in a separate skillet after the cooking was complete. Whisking in 2 TBPs of flour to thicken. Served up with Yukon Gold whipped buttered potatoes. 

A wonderful culinary kick off to fall. 

 

 Postcards from my kitchen

Lots of goodies to simmer hours away

Dinner time.  Heavenly!

 

Steel Town Gal Quilt - In Progress part 1

Adored the Improv Coin Quilting class that I took a few weeks ago. Utilized my little collection of "Hometown" fabrics from Sweetwater for this project.  A little bit challenging to come up with variations in the stripping due to similar patterns themes throughout the fabrics.  In the layout phase, I played with the placement of the strip sections and like some of them oriented horizontally. Loved how that seemed to make some of the fabrics shine more.

My design is in 2 main parts -  a vertical and a horizontal pieced section. Completed the verticals and I'm 1/2 way through the larger horizontal section.  Unfortunately setting aside this project for a few days due to deadline on a Shutterfly book (40% off coupon expires on Weds). Hopefully my quilt top will be complete in the next week or so.

Shout out to my Dad for installing the ceiling hooks in the office for a design wall. Love it! Thank you!!!

Sneak peek at my first official quilt...

 

POSTCARDS from my design wall.

Ross - Distraction Extraordinaire

Another Sunday sans plans. Aside from a quick brunch at Jak's Grill (mmm Crab Cake Benedict!) I've been home bound.  Throw in a little nap, some kitty time, dishes, a few loads of laundry and left over chicken chili from yesterday's tailgate... and it's been a wonderful day.

Ross kitty has been excited to have me home.  In fact I'm galantly trying to type while he is strewn across my fore arms.  Ross's mission, whether I choose to accept it or not, was to help me in all my endeavours. Most noteable and adorably in my quilt design session this afternoon. "I Helping!"  

 

POSTCARDS from Ross

Oh, you meant to use this cutting mat?

Let me see if I can be flexible about your request...

Don't I look cute!

Oooh, the design part is my favorite. Let me help!

You really are going to enjoy my ideas I promise!

Pleeeeeasssse can I help out?

Hey, that kinda looks cool from this angle.

I like to be in the middle of everything.

Whew, I think my work is done here.

 

 

Gobbled up Gobs

Everyone has those nostaglic little mementoes from childhood. Smells and tastes that take you back to a specific place in time. Gobs are it for me. Tasty little chocolate cake, vanilla iced cookie sandwiches that are a little slice of heaven whipped up in Western PA. Looks like a whoopie pie, only so much better.  Yum!

Gobs are a little souvenir from family picnics and summers days. A piece of my history and elders that I've been searching to preserve. All the recipes I found focused on marshmellow fluffed out icings which are so wrong. However, recently I hit the jackpot when Gobba Gobba Hey came out last month. Not only does it contain the original coveted recipe, there are 50+ imaginative flavor combinations to try out.

Last week my parents were in town and we embarked on making a batch. Little more time consuming than a traditional cake or cookie recipe, but so worth the effort. We were all tickled to have a little piece of our youth back. Flooded with memories in Grandma & Aunt Kittie's kitchen. Fun, fun times.

Happy to have that treasured little morsel back.

 

POSTCARD from my Kitchen

Sea-Gals

In honor of yesterday's exciting Seahawk win in NYC, thought I'd share some fun pics of my lovely nieces at this season opener.

Good job Seahawks!! Rest up during the bye week.

 

POSTCARDS from Century Link Stadium

Mairead all geared up. She's got to heart of a true blue fan!

Emmie's all about the swag & food. Sporting a Seahawk color tongue after an ice-cream treat.

I  heart these gals!

 

 

Lazy Autumn Sunday

For the first time in many months I have a free weekend day without plans. Yahoo!  I need a little unstructured ME time. Life's been hectic. Work, quilting classes, parents visits, birthdays, tail-gates and catching up with friends. All good stuff. 

Slept in till 11 sans alarm clock this morning after a much needed late night check in with BFF in Belgium. Hot breakfast and toggling between my two favorite teams football games. Honestly though the Steelers look like they have this one much in hand. Seahawks need more support right now. 

Itching to finish putting together my Steel Town Girl quilt top. Loving the look of it so far. Jamie's baby blanket is calling from the knitting needles and the advent calendars are ripe for cutting out. Happiness. My creative soul sings!

Today is also prime stock making time. Nothing says fall like chicken stock simmering on the stove top. Next week's tailgate is a Chili-Off. I'm planning a White Bean Chicken Chili. Homemade stock is key.  Fourth quarter flips through cookbooks for week planning and I'll be set for a quick run out for supplies.

Sounds like the perfect day to me. Happy Sunday!

Upcoming Quilt Project ~ Steel Town Gal Quilt

Not only did I find fabric for my nieces Advent Calendars, but I absolutely fell in love with the Hometown fabric collection by Sweetwater for Mona. I bought two fat-quarter collections last week. Thinking I need to source a few more of the fabrics in the collection.

Love the fabric with the city names on it. When you look at it, the pallet is muted Steeler colors. I'm signed up for a quilt class at the Quilting Loft later this month and I think this will be perfect for it. Here is the Improv Coin Quilt sample for the class on the instructor's website. Very excited!

 

Upcoming Quilt Project ~ Advent Calendars

Oh, the last two weekends I've gotten into some serious trouble in the Fabric Depts. Earlier this summer I found this really sweet Advent Calendar quilt project from Sew Mama Sew that I've been dying to make my lovely nieces. As their God-Mother too, I always on the look out for little ways I can fulfill these duties. Hopefully it'll be a fun lead up to Christmas throughout the years for them.

Been scoping for cute Christmas fabrics and the past few weekends I've hit the mother load. Not only is the main fabric for the pockets sweet, whimsical and nostalgic (my favorite adjectives), but the color schemes fit in with the girls' current favorite colors pink & green. Perfect!

Thank you to Pacific Fabrics at Northgate and the wonderful woman who spent 30 minutes with me wandering the store looking for matching fabrics. I think we started a trend as a number of customers were going to scoop up the fabrics to make their own calendar. I'm not going to spoil all the fabric images at this time...but here is part of the main fabric panel from Sheri Berry's "Have a Sheri Berry Holiday" collection.

Aren't these so sweet! 

Each girl's calendar will be different in the backgrounds/color scheme. Supplemental fabrics (mostly purchased at The Quilting Loft) are from Michael Miller Fabrics (Dumb Dot - pink podka dots), other prints from Sheri Berry's holiday collections and solids from Robert Kaufman's Kona Cotton. I'll post some in progress and finished pics as the projects move along.

Mairead's color pallet (dk pink more watermellon colors)

Front / Back

Emily's color pallet

Front / Back

 

Deception Pass Camping ~ Part 3 Scenes Around a Campfire

Here's some random happy snaps of the gang in our favorite habitat - BS-ing & sitting around the campfire.

POSTCARDS from the firepit

Can you guess what game is being played here? The next few pics will give it away.

  

Isabel's braid jobs

Mmm Salmon!

Scarf for P

Finished another knitting project last week...just in time for Preeti's birthday. Made with two yarns knit together in a basic YO rows to elongate stitches. It's a scarf pattern that I improvise often. Shout out to Tricoter Yarn Shop for their beautiful yarn selection and for their expert help in finding me the perfect complimentary Rowan yarn. The scarf turned out beautiful and she loved it! It's lovely with her coloring. 

 

POSTCARDS of the Scarf for Preeti

Loved this yarn at first sight. Knobs a little challenging to knit with,