Madonna Owned Half-Time

Madonna was amazing! 

Completely rocked the Super Bowl! 

Best half-time show in years! 

Proof that we are getting better, not just older! 

And Ceelo - perfect! 

Half-time nourishment? 

Banh Mi 

Vietnamese Sandwich with well seasoned pork meatballs and super-spicy sauce. 

Step aside chicken wings - this hot is full of flavor, not just heat! 

 Served it up with a zucchini noodle salad

from my new favorite foodie blog 

The Ravenous Couple 

amazing Vietnamese recipes and more! 

 Beverage du jour 

Early Man 

Love the label 

hard cider from Frecon Farm, Boyertown, PA 

 And for dessert, The E-A-G-L-E-S 

This was the only way the Eagles were going to make it to the Super Bowl

This Car Brakes for Spam!

Spam - I'm not talking about junk e-mails - I'm talking about the infamous canned ham-like meat-like substance.

It can be all yours if you jump in the car and head to Oley, PA, home of the Oley Diner, where this week it's all about SPAM! I admit, being the dietitian I am, I jammed on the brakes when I saw this sign - I just had to snap a photo! Now that's home cooking! I've heard Spam is a huge hit in Hawaii, but we're not in Hawaii- they even make a Spam sushi in Hawaii. Honestly how can you eat Spam and then head to the beach in a bikini - it's just not happening.

They may go for Spam in Oley and Hawaii, but tonight I was craving something super spring-y for dinner. I made this great risotto primavera, topped it with a poached egg as well. Here are my healthy changes to the recipe as written - 1. used olive oil instead of butter, and only used half the amount, 2. used only half of the Parmesan cheese, and, 3. poached the eggs instead of frying. It was delicious! I served it with a simple salad of mache, grape tomatoes and cucumber dressed with a simple vinaigrette.


Make sure you take a minute to check out my links - I've added a few I think you might like. I am slow at adding links, but I want them to be special.

The Challenge is Looming

I am the challenge host this time around in my art quilt group - Layers: Art in Stitches. It's a lot of pressure. According to challenge lore the host is plagued by a creative block - oh no!

This it the cover of my challenge rules book - any guesses?

This challenge is all about birds. Interested in the rules - click here to learn all about them. Why birds, why so specific - - - I wanted to have a cohesive theme so that when we exhibit our pieces it looks like we're all on the same page - like we all participated in the same challenge - - - and, I love birds. As far as I can tell by the catalog pages of all of the home decorating stores, I'm not alone - this is undeniably the year of the bird.

Oh, if only coming up with a challenge entry were as easy as pushing the "Insert Bird Quilt Here" button. I have less than a month to start, and finish, this piece - yes, I'm behind - but I work best under pressure. I've got ideas and have started to sketch my design. With confidence I can say that I will be in construction by the weekend - one glitch - I need PFD fabric so I can paint my background - I have it on order at Quilters Palette - should be in any day.
One interesting twist to my challenge rules is that all entries must be on 24 x 28 inch stretcher frames - I think non-quilters are more receptive to quilted works when they are framed. I'll be blogging about my stretching efforts when I get to that stage in construction.

We had a great dinner tonight - simple and fast. It's uncharacteristically HOT here in Pennsylvania so I fired up the grill for some very simple teriyaki marinated boneless, skinless chicken thighs - I love this bottled sauce - their barbecue sauce is excellent as well.

I made 2 side dishes, both out to the April 2010 Martha Stewart "Everyday Food" - I tried to link to the recipes but they are not posted on her site yet. This issue of Everyday Food has many great recipes - it's worth picking up.

Mangoes are in season now so I made the Mango Relish (paired with fish in the magazine) - it was delicious and refreshing with mango, cucumbers, basil and lime.

I had beautiful trumpet mushrooms on hand from my local growers' market so I made the Crispy Rice with Mushrooms and Carrots - it was quite spicy but yummy just the same - if you don't like a lot of heat, cut down on the Sriracha sauce. I used brown rice instead of white rice.

Two quick photos - meet one of my magnolias - isn't she gorgeous? There's a vintage tablecloth in my mother's cedar chest with my name on it - magnolias on a gray background - I just love the color combination of the pinks and gray!

The tree is magnificent - it must be at least 60 years old - you only get a show like this when the weather cooperates. By the weekend all of those blossoms will need to be raked up - that's my job.

A Weekend of Fashion and Feasting!

It was such a beautiful day here in Chester County I decided to sit by the pool and crochet.

Later in the afternoon I walked through the meadow picking wildflowers.

And tonight - dinner with friends in my new ensemble. Believe that and I'll tell you another! These photos are courtesy of the 1974 Spring / Summer issue of McCall's Needlework and Crafts - my sister-in-law spotted them at a sale and picked them up for me. Did anyone really wear these creations? I promise to share more photos - there are so many I think you'd like.

Tomorrow's Easter and my assignment is dessert - I'm making a rhubarb pie out of Rose Levy Beranbaum's "The Pie and Pastry Bible", but you can get the recipe on line at Fine Cooking's site. Rose's recipes are fantastic - she is a food chemist and her recipes reflect that. I'm proud to say I baked every recipe in her "Cake Bible" years ago - ... obsessive, me?

I grow rhubarb, but it's too early for local crops. Rhubarb is really a vegetable - it looks a lot like red celery - I love the deep red rhubarb - it makes a prettier pie and has a tarter flavor than the greener varieties. The leaves of the rhubarb plant are poisonous - they are extremely high in oxalic acid - therefore store-bought rhubarb is never sold with the leaves in tact. Rhubarb can be a touchy pie ingredient - it gives up a lot of moisture - I'll admit to making many a rhubarb pie that was sloshing around after the allotted baking time.

Follow Rose's recipe to the T - she knows what she is talking about. Freeze the cubed butter and dry ingredients - it makes a difference.

Weigh all of the ingredients - baking is a science - chemistry. A cup of flour will weigh differently based on the moisture in the air.

I love to make pies, and I love to make pie dough - give it a try - it couldn't be easier. This is a recipe for a cream cheese crust and uses a food processor to mix the ingredients - I typically make my pate brisee by hand, but I'm willing to follow Rose's recipes as written. Look how beautifully the dough came together and how easy it was to roll out. I swear by my stainless steel rolling pin - I've had it about 20 years.

Here's a close up of the dough - see all of the lighter colored flecks - that's butter - this dough is going to be very flaky!

When I was in college I worked in the school's bakery a few days a week - I had to be there by 4:00 AM - cut into my party scene if you know what I mean. They always assigned me to making the turnovers - I'd have to roll out huge hunks of dough into giant rectangles and then cut them into squares and slop some filling into the center and fold. My dough rolling was so bad, all of the old men who worked in the bakery spent the morning ridiculing my attempts. I'm happy to say, I've definitely improved - so there - wish they could see me now!

This pie has a lattice topping - this is my Grandmother's pastry jagger - you use it to get that beautiful zig-zag edge to the lattice strips. Quilters - we're pro's at this - it's rotary cutting!

Keeping with the fiber theme - we're also great at weaving, so a lattice top is no challenge for us!

Didn't they turn out beautiful?

I grew up in a very Pennsylvania German household. My mother is an excellent baker - if there was leftover pie dough she would make a milk flitche (or milk flabby) - as kids we lived for the milk flitche. What's a milk flitche - it's what we PA Germans live for - butter and starch. Here's a recipe I found on line if you want to give it a try - to me, it's the ultimate comfort food.

Creamy, gooey butter-y goodness.

Perfect Spring Dinner - Pad Thai

Last night I made a delicious dinner - Pad Thai accompanied by a Cucumber Pineapple Salad - it was light and flavorful - perfect for a warm weather evening.

The recipe for the pad Thai came from the back of the pad Thai noodle bag, it's a classic preparation, Americanized - pad Thai noodles are sometimes called rice stick noodles. You can find them in the Asia food section of most groceries. This recipe is Americanized as it calls for regular shrimp, readily available - authentic Thai recipes will call for dried shrimp - not as readily available.

The recipe calls for two ingredients you may not be familiar with - Asian Fish Sauce and Tamarind Paste - these are the flavors that make Pad Thai, Pad Thai - without them there is no flavor profile.
1. Asian fish sauce is a fermented fish sauce - and despite it's smell which is strong and slightly offensive, used in the proper quantity, it is the backbone of the flavor of Pad Thai.

2.Tamarind Paste is made from the pod of a tamarind tree, grown in Africa. It is very tart, and in this recipe is balanced with brown sugar. It can add a lovely dimension to many dishes.

Pad Thai
7 oz. Pad Thai noodles (soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, drained)
1 Tbsp. tamarind paste
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup shrimp (I used more, about 1/2 pound)
3 scallions, chopped
4 oz. firm tofu, drained, rinsed, cubed
2 eggs, beaten lightly
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 c. bean sprouts, rinsed
1 tsp. crushed chili pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped peanuts
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

In a small bowl mix the tamarind paste with 1/4 cup hot water, press through a strainer, add the brown sugar to the strained liquid, discard the solids.

In a large skillet heat 2 Tbsp. oil, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, add the shrimp, onions and tofu and cook for about 3 minutes until shrimp are opaque.

Add eggs and cook about 30 seconds. Add noodles, tamarind mixture, 2 Tbsp. oil and fish sauce. Cook about 5 minutes, add bean sprouts and chili flakes, toss to combine.

Place noodles on a serving dish and top with peanuts and cilantro - garnish with lime wedges.

As a side dish I made a refreshing salad - Asian Inspired Cucumber and Pineapple Salad - this is so easy. I purchased a whole pineapple - so much more cost effective than purchasing the pre-cut pineapple. How can you tell if a pineapple is ripe - best way - smell it, specifically the base of it - it should smell sweet and feel heavy for it's size. A ripe pineapple will have a yellowing base.

Cutting up a pineapple is easy - no special equipment required other than a sharp knife. First remove the greenery by simply twisting it off.

Slice off the top and bottom so you have a flat surface to work with - don't want to cut yourself with an unruly pineapple.

Now remove the outside of the pineapple - using a sharp knife, peel about a quarter inch off as shown below, working your way around the pineapple. You want to be certain you have removed the pineapple's eyes - they have sharp thingies that you definitely don't want in your dish.

Now divide the pineapple into quarters and remove the center fibrous core from pineapple quarters.

Slice the pineapple as desired.

One whole pineapple cost $1.97 and yielded 2 quarts of fruit; one pre-cut quart of pineapple at my grocery cost over $4 - you do the math.
Here's a finished photo of the refreshing salad - yum! Perfect accompaniment to the pad Thai. Enjoy!

Photo Finish - I snapped this shot yesterday. It looks like a giant bird's nest that has fallen out of the tree. Whoever is creating this is on a mission - it's been growing for years. I assume that every twig that has ever fallen in his yard has been stacked around the base of this tree. Ahhhh, the year of the bird!

Big Field Trip Tomorrow

I am so excited - tomorrow is my big field trip to Lancaster for the AQS Quilt Show! This is the first time the AQS Show is being held in Lancaster, and the city is rolling out the red carpet. Of course I bringing my peeps with me - the Layers girls - always interesting, and eventful, when we head out together. I e-mailed them the "what not to forget" list earlier today - I don't want any surprises - no I forgot something, can we turn around - no can we make a potty stop. Forget it - we have ground to cover tomorrow and I need everyone to be on their best behavior. I'll try to post a review tomorrow night if I'm not too exhausted from our adventure.

I was putting some of my Easter decorations out today and thought you might be interested in seeing my redware eggs - these eggs were made by Lester Breininger of Robesonia, PA. Lester is a well known redware artist and international authority on this form of pottery. Aren't these cute!

Now this next egg is very special - I can't even believe I have it. It is Lester as an egghead. There are many collectors of redware, particularly Lester's redware - this egg would top off any collector's stash. Redware artists have a unique way of signing their pottery - they date the back and note the weather conditions - I love it.


Dinner tonight was delicious - straight from the April issue of Martha Stewart's Food Everyday. I made the tilapia and quinoa with feta and cucumber. Quinoa, a grain, is high in protein and fiber - it was used by the Incas in ancient times. Tonight I used red quinoa - either red,or the more common white quinoa, will do.

I made only one alteration to the recipe as written in the magazine. I had a lot of carrots on hand from the grower's market this past weekend, so I roasted them and added them to quinoa salad. The salad was delicious - so happy we have leftovers!

We Deserve This Beautiful Day

If you live in the Mid-Atlantic region you deserve the absolutely beautiful weather we've been having this week - sunny and seventy - ahhhhh! I'm finally defrosted after the winter. Spring is right around the corner, and when I think of spring I think of yellow.


And when I think about yellow, I think about lemons - Meyer Lemons! Today is all about the Meyer Lemon - those beautifully bright yellow lemons scented with a lovely bouquet of flowers. Some say they are a hybrid of lemons and mandarins, others debate that marriage. I say they are delicious and the perfect food to help usher in the beginning of spring.


For dinner tonight I made both a vegetarian main course salad and a dessert using Meyer Lemons. The salad is a Farro, Asparagus, Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with a Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette. Farro is an ancient whole grain similar to spelt - if you have trouble finding farro you can substitute spelt or barley, or even brown rice. We love farro for it's chewy and nutty flavor.

8 ounces farro cooked according to package directions, cooled
1 pound of asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
Olive oil for sauteing
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 large roasted red beet, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Meyer lemons, zested and juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 cups arugula

Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan, add the asparagus and toss with the oil. Keep the heat high to saute quickly - about 2 minutes, until cooked but crunchy. Cool. Combine the farro, asparagus, almonds, lemon zest and cheese. Toss to combine.

Make the dressing by combining the lemon juice and olive oil. I use this cool little mixer I picked up on a trip to Italy to mix dressings - Europeans have some of the coolest kitchen gadgets. Add the dressing to the salad ingredients and toss to coat.
Line your serving plate with a bed of arugula, top with the farro salad, and then top the salad with the diced beets - it is lemony delicious.


For dessert I made this lovely, light Meyer Lemon Budino - a budino is a pudding in Italian. This recipe is so easy to make and even more delicious to eat. When it first came out of the oven it was an inch over the ramekin. Enjoy your weekend and this lovely weather!