And now, for the final product!

I actually finished my quilt at the end of the summer, but forgot to post pictures of it.  I had a lot of fun with this,  but it might be a while before I jump into another quilting project.  Or if I do, I'll make one that's a little less complex.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, here is a bag I just made a few weeks ago.  I was in need if a larger bag to hold my supplies for piano lessons, and this fits the bill!

I have a confession to make...

In a family where it seems that everyone is a gourmet chef, I have always felt slightly like the odd one out.  Occasionally I enjoy trying out a new recipe or making a special dessert,  but for the most part I'm just tired and hungry when I come home and I would rather eat something quick and easy.  So this is my confession; I don't really like to cook. (Gasp! The horror!)  I do cook, mostly for Karl's sake because otherwise I think he would eat chips and cheese every night.

BUT!

I have recently discovered that I have a different passion.  I enjoy sewing!  Mom gave me Great-Grandma Springer's sewing machine last year, and not knowing how to use it, I decided to take some sewing classes.  I've learned the basics of sewing and have made several small projects like curtains and pillowcases.  I'm currently working on my first quilt, and so far I have pieced two squares together.

I always assumed that quilting was difficult and for experienced sewers only, but it turns out that the work mostly involves being tedious and precise, which are two skills that I excell at : )  I think this quilt is going to be extra special because some of the fabric I'm using came from Great-Grandma Springer.  Any other crafting projects going on out there?

Pumpkin Soup, Sir?

Pick your bowl.

Sourdough Makes a Strong Showing in 2013

After a formal review of the blog, it has come to our attention that there hasn't been much butchering baking or candlestick making in 2013 (or not much documentation of it, at least). 

Including posts through today, it seems that baking has been the only category to see any attention.  Bread baking - sourdough in particular - has been rather strong, however.

LINO (lasagna in name only)

I've been a bit delinquent in posting to our wonderful BB&C blog, but I'm glad to see that others have not fallen behind in their duties. And as I prepare for another sweep of the Barnhart Bloggies look back on some of my recent meals, I find a lot of fodder for some food posts.

The last time David was in town, we made a Butternut Squash and Mushroom lasagna (with copious amounts of help from Olivia). The thing is, though, that this is only "lasagna" in the sense that a spotted dog is a "slow cheetah." I think lasagna (real lasagna) should be somewhat spicy, tomatoey, unbelievably cheesy, and so filling that you almost can't stand to eat a third piece.

While it doesn't really fit those attributes, this one was was pretty delicious. Though we saw room for some improvement after we'd sampled the recipe.

First things first—the lasagna was going to take a long time to cook, so we made up some Devils on Horseback. Here they are, about to go into the oven.

Slice a bunch of butternut squash. For good measure, set a pitted date (Medjool, preferably) on the edge of your cutting board. It wards off bad cooking spirits.

Simmer squash in stock (we used chicken) with some thyme.

Assemble into a beautiful-looking lasagna! (Okay, okay, it seems I missed a few pictures in the middle. Inside there are whole layers of lasagna noodles, a cheese mixture that goes between the layers, as well as crimini/baby bella mushrooms, and onions/garlic, etc.)

Bake for about an hour, and when it looks like this, you're done! Eat it! Enjoy it! That Woody doll (in the background) is wishing he had a real stomach so he could eat this delicious lasagna!

The best way to follow a delicious meal of anti-lasagna lasagna is with bananas foster. The flame is burning away the fat, which makes this dessert much better for the health-conscious.

Suggested improvements:

• I'm of the opinion that you almost can't have enough garlic, and this recipe is no exception to that rule. Even though the recipe calls for no garlic (NO GARLIC!?!?), we added three cloves. Not nearly enough, as it turns out. It could take about six, I think.
• Following some of the recipe comments, we used about two-thirds of the cheese/ricotta mixture. Which was smart. David noted that the squash almost has the consistency of ricotta, and could probably take the ricotta's place. Which would make room for crumbled Italian sausage in this "lasagna."
• The colors here were a bit bland—all orange and white. We thought of adding spinach to the layers, which would have been a nice flavor addition too.

Salsa verde: un gran éxito!

I've been making fresh salsa for a couple months now.  Between Karl's love of all Mexican food and my desire to use appliances that we received as wedding presents, it has been the perfect cooking adventure.  I've gotten pretty close to perfecting regular fresh salsa the way we like it (a little bit of heat, sweet onion taste, and LOTS of cilantro), so I decided to try something new.  Behold, I give you, SALSA VERDE!

You begin by removing the husks from the tomatillos.  This is my favorite part making this salsa because if you pull with just the right amount of force, the entire husk and the stem satisfactorily pop off the tomatillo.

You have to rinse the tomatillos because they are really sticky.  Then they get cut in half, placed on a baking sheet, and are broiled for about 6 minutes.

Next, combine the roasted tomatillos, onion, cilantro, garlic, jalepeno peppers, lime juice, and salt and pepper into a food processor and voila!  You have salsa verde!  

And no, I didn't cut myself and bleed into the jars on the right and left.  I made a batch of regular salsa while I had all the kitchen toys out.  Now all I have to do is figure out how to keep the salsa from disappearing so fast. 

Shannon Dogs - It's What's for Dinner

It's been long enough since we've made Shannon Dogs that I think at least half of the kids at our table were uninitiated before last week.  The other half were either hiding their enthusiasm for this classic comfort food or failed to recognize its culinary import in our heritage.  Maybe they were distracted as they made final considerations for elections the next day.

But when the meal started, it was clear - Shannon Dogs are a winner with kids and adults alike.

 

Maybe it's been a while since you've had a Shannon Dog, or maybe you haven't ever tasted this treat.  Here's the quickie overview (and that's all there is, really):

1. Sautee equal parts sliced hot dog (sorry Andy), chopped onion, and chopped celery
2. Fill hot dog buns and top with shredded cheddar
3. Place them in a 9x13 and bake until the cheese is melted

Some notes: 
We served these with garlic roasted potatoes.  Also, the celery and onion is from our garden (Elisabeth insisted that we plant celery, though I knew that it wouldn't grow.  Ahem!).  And we introduced an adult version of Shannon Dogs that use jalapeño smoked sausage instead of hot dogs.   There's room for interpretation.