The Care & Feeding of my Mister - Beets with Cumin Vinaigrette

 

 

I'm looking forward to teaching an all day quilting class tomorrow. That means my hubby is foraging on his own, grazing on whatever he finds in the fridge until he's satisfied. My secret is out these beets are a plant. I know he will reach for them. I've also strategically placed goat cheese and washed greens in sight just in case a salad magically happens to fall into his dish. This easy recipe makes enough beets to stash for more snacks and salads.

 

Beets with Cumin Vinaigrette  

3 large beets peeled and cut into a 1/2" dice.

In a medium saucepan cover the beets with cold water, add 1/2 tsp sea salt, and cook for 20-25 minutes until fork tender.

Drain and toss the warm beets with cumin vinaigrette. Store in a quart glass jar.

(shake the jar gently to evenly coat beets with dressing before serving)

 

Cumin Vinaigrette 

2T unfiltered apple cider vinegar

1 tsp salsa verde hot sauce

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cumin

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

3T good olive oil

In a small glass bowl add the first five ingredients, stirring together until combined. Slowly stream in olive oil whisking until the dressing emulsifies.

 

Serving suggestions: Great with any combination of washed greens, goat cheese, avocado, garbanzo beans, cherry tomatoes, pickled eggs,or black olives.

 

 

Happy Cooking and Quilting,

Mary

 

 

Mary's Tips -Try Clipping

When I quilt I like to use my design wall. It helps me see and organize my work. Once I have decided on the placement, I have to figure out how to get my fabric pieces from the design wall to the sewing machine and back with some order.  Trying to carefully pin my pieces together and move to the sewing machine. With pins my pieces stayed together but I hated getting stabbed with the pins. There had to be a better way and I think I've found one. My clover binding clips. Not just for binding anymore!

                                                      

It couldn't be easier! Just grab a clip and start clipping your pieces together and head for your  sewing machine. When I sewed the first pair in my line of  clipped pieces I removed the clip. My patches were small enough to hold  together in my hands and sew without pinning. Keep the remaining clips in place removing it just as you get to the clip. In your clipped strip you will have a combination of sewn pairs and clipped pairs as you continue sewing. My row pieced quickly and no painful pin pricks! I was  happy with the results of my clipping idea.I think you will be too. Thank you Clover!

     

Happy Quilting

Mary

 

The Care & Feeding of my Mister - Roast Carrots with Sea Salt, Olive Oil & Thyme.

I have to say my husband is a pretty good sport about my cooking aerobics. When my cooking is in full swing,often all the burners and oven are cranking while the pans are piling high. He tiptoes in to investigate, (an oxymoron for him) getting a handout and promises of what's to come. 

I usually shop with a list and plans for meals but willingly adopt anything that looks enticing and add it to the mix. I was delighted to find a local/organic bag of gnarly little carrots from RED FIRE FARM located in Granby and Montague MA. www.redfirefarm.com. I thought these would go great with the roast chicken but they might not make it that far.

 

Roasted Carrots with Sea Salt, Olive Oil & Thyme

2 lbs of small carrots 

2 T. good olive oil 

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2-1 tsp. dried thyme

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.  

3.  Wash and lightly scrub the carrots, dry, then toss with olive oil.

4. Spread on the baking sheet and roll carrots around to coat with olive oil.

5. Season with sea salt and thyme to taste.

6. Bake for 30-35 minutes re-rolling the carrots in the oil after 15 minutes.

7. Remove when fork tender and lightly browned. Season with fresh ground pepper if desired.

    

   Happy quilting & cooking,

   Mary

I want to be a vintage quilt when I grow up.

Recently while driving, I heard a radio commercial praising the benefits of anti-aging therapies. They rattled off a litany of enticing services that offered fat freezing, face peeling, and assorted other unimaginable practices promising youth. I mentally calculated the effects that some of these procedures might have on my appearance and my pocketbook. 

Our society has a strong foothold in promoting the benefits of youthful appearances and I too am guilty of wanting to  believe some of those promises.  How does this square with my all natural, always buy organic, leanings?   It doesn't! I want to be able to age gracefully on my own terms. I want to have crows feet, laugh lines and evidence that I faced the wind and the sun. I want my greying hair to be a sign of accomplishment that I have lived long enough to have done something I cared about.  

Why would  I alter that agenda?  I hope I age as well as this beautifully soft Welsh quilt in my collection. I want the patina of those slightly worn and deepened hand quilted lines. I want to be patterned  like the hours and days it took to add every stitch to this quilt as evidence of my age. Intriguing  to the quilt historians and appraisers who study the value and provenance of quilts and wish they knew the stories of the maker. 

Yes, this is my philosophy as I sit in a snarl of traffic that's trying my patience. Then I remember to I smile and squint a little in the sun as the driver next to me honks and passes.

                                                                                                                      Happy Quilting,

                                                                                                                                      Mary