colette chantilly #2

This is the second version of the Colette Chantilly dress that I made. I went 2 sizes down this time, but it was still too big! I think I have to take it in around the bust a little more, but I still think it is a very nice pattern and a pretty dress. I just wish the sizes worked better for me.

fried chicken dinner

This month we got a whole cut-up chicken in our meat share from Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm. I have been wanting to make fried chicken for a while, but hacking up a whole chicken has seemed somewhat daunting, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Ordinarily, I'd just dust the chicken with flour, salt and pepper, but Jon's love for KFC inspired me to try to make an extra crispy crust. This is how I made it:

Soak 1 whole cut up chicken in 1/2 gallon buttermilk and about 1/2 c salt and some pepper for a few hours or overnight.

Remove chicken from brine and place pieces, a few at a time, in a large ziplock bag with about 2 cups flour seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder to taste. I probably used about a teaspoon of each.

Dip coated pieces in a slightly beaten mixture of about 2/3 c milk and an egg yolk, then return to bag for a second coating of flour.

Meanwhile, heat about 1 c vegetable oil and 1/2 c lard or shortening in a heavy cast iron skillet over medium to low heat.

Place chicken pieces (a few at a time) in skillet and fry slowly for about 1/2 an hour, until brown and crispy all over. Try to avoid turning too often or the crispy batter will fall off. Drain on paper towel-lined plate.

I also made some tasty drop biscuits using this recipe. For both the chicken and the biscuits I used  homemade lard - yum! The book that taught me how to render the lard is called "Jam it, Pickle it, Cure it" and it is a great resource. I am out of lard now, so I will have to make some more and take some pictures as I'm doing it. Needless to say, this was not the healthiest meal I've ever made, but we had a salad to go with it...as if that makes up for all the lard. Ha!

cornbread

I found a great cornbread recipe here. I also add about a cup of shredded cheddar which makes it super moist and delicious. Seriously, this is the best cornbread ever. I like it toasted (or burnt?) for breakfast.

sketchbook - talking doll

I decided to fill my sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project with failed ideas and inventions. This one is of a talking doll designed by Thomas Edison. The mehanism used to make the doll's voice was difficult to wind and wore out quickly, giving the doll an eerie, shrieking voice that became unintelligable. Only about 500 were sold, most of which were returned. Creepy, huh?

scallop pasta

I made some pasta with seared scallops last night. I don't really have a recipe, but here's basically what I did:
I cooked some diced bacon (Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm), then drained it on paper towels. After pouring out the bacon fat, I sauteed some diced onion and garlic in a little olive oil and a little butter. Then I added a tiny bit of white wine and chicken broth, reduced it, and added some chopped spinach and the bacon, as well as a little lemon zest. I cooked some thin whole wheat spaghetti in salted water until it was not quite al dente, and added it to the sauce with about a cup of the pasta water. Then while that simmered, I seared the scallops (dried with paper towels and seasoned with salt and pepper) in a very hot cast iron skillet with some butter, just until they browned on each side, flipping once. Then I put the pasta in the bowl with the scallops on top.

plum cake

They have lovely little Italian plums at the farmer's market right now, perfect for this "Rustic Plum Cake" from Cook's Illustrated. I love this recipe because it is dense and almondy, studded with tart bright jewels of fruit. I have also made the cake with apricots in the spring. I serve it with whipped cream sweetened with a little powdered sugar and vanilla. Two notes: Use a bit more brandy and jelly than recommended when cooking the fruit. Also, be sure to just rest the fruit on the surface of the batter before putting it in the oven, if you press in the plums at all the cake will swallow them up as it bakes.

sketchbook project

I found out on another blog about The Sketchbook Project, in which thousands of sketchbooks are collected and displayed at the Brooklyn Art Library. The exhibition will tour across the country in 2011. If you go to the website, you can order a paper moleskine book, pick a theme, and they will send you one to start decorating. I ordered two books, and I had the website pick random themes for both of them. I got "The Greatest Story Ever Told" and "Great Hopes and Massive Failures." Pretty intimidating themes. However, I am very excited to participate and have started on one cover already. I will update as I start working on the inside.

more pinwheel quilt - basting

So, I've finally finished basting the layers together and have started quilting! First I taped the quilt back to the floor, wrong side up, then I put down the batting (Warm and Natural - doesn't it look cozy?) and smoothed it out. Next I lay down the quilt top and pinned the whole thing together. After it was pinned, I basted the three layers together with red thread in a grid pattern across the whole quilt. Phew! I am actually sore from crawling around on the floor for four days. Listening to Cadfael helped, but what I just did is probably my least favorite part of making a quilt. Now I have started to quilt by hand, using black cotton thread, a plastic frame, and 1/4 inch tape to mark out the distance from the seams where I want to sew. This is my favorite part.

pinwheel quilt top

Finally finished the quilt top, yay! Next I will piece the back, then put all the layers together.

wedded bliss

My husband brought me flowers, so I made him some cookies. Doesn't that sound smug? Well, we've only been married 11 months. Here's the recipe, adapted from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion:

Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

1/2 c butter

3/4 c crunchy peanut butter

1 c brown sugar (8 oz)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 c unbleached all-purpose flour

1 c bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, cream together butter, pb, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Beat in eggs, then stir in flour and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto parchment-lined (or greased) cookie sheets. (They will not rise much or spread out at all, so you can fit them fairly close together) Bake about 10 or 12 minutes, until starting to brown at the edges.

These are more cakey than chewy, but I think that works better with the chocolate.

quiche

Yummy quiche of spinach, goat cheese, and delicious thick-cut bacon (and eggs) from Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm. I don't really have a recipe, but this is basically how I made it:

Crust:

1 c. flour

4 tbsp. cold butter, cut up

pinch salt

ice water

In a food processor (or with your hands) mix butter, flour, and salt. Add a little ice water until the mixture comes together into a dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate about 1/2 hr. On a floured surface, roll out dough with a rolling pin and gently place in pie/quiche dish, being careful not to stretch it. Cover with tin foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 425 F for about 5 mins, then remove weights and bake about 5 more. Then turn down oven to 350, fill pie shell and bake another 1/2 hour or more, until eggs are puffed up and the top is slightly browned.

Filling:

3 or 4 eggs, depending on how deep your dish is

About 1 cup of cream, milk, or half and half

salt, pepper

About 3 oz. cheese (I used goat-Gruyere is great too)

A large handful of veggies (I used spinach, defrosted and with the water squeezed out)

4 or 5 large slices of thick-cut bacon, cut up and sauteed

Spread meat and veggies over the bottom of the crust, then top with shredded or crumbled cheese. Slightly beat eggs with cream and salt and pepper, then pour evenly over fillings. Then bake as above. Allow to cool before serving.