harvest crostada

It has been a week.  The quick trip to Florida and the celebration of the wedding really took it out of me.  I feel like I am still recovering.  Add a computer upgrade to it....  I feel like there could really be a do over going on here.  But I told my Beloved on the way home from work today that I was antsy.  I do enjoy the traveling even when it exhausts me. 

We had a simple meal today, nachos.  But then I wanted a little something sweet.  I made a crostada with pears, apples, dried cherries, and pecans in it.  There have been a lot of stuffed apple recipes floating around the web in recent weeks.  This is close as I get.  I do find that I prefer the simpler combinations of just pear or apple and pear but this is nice.  It has a very harvest type flavor and a little dressier if you wish to impress.  It is just as easy as an only fruit crostada.  I have been keeping a bit of dough in the refrigerator for the crust.  Easy peasy.

harvest crostada

1 ripe pear, peeled, cored, and sliced into small bits

2 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into small bits

1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped fine

1/4 cup pecans, chopped fine

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter 

1/4 to 1/3 recipe of pizza dough  (mine had been in the refrigerator for over a week)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll out the pizza dough until very thin.  Place the apples and pears on top of the dough.  Sprinkle the cherries and pecans on top.  Mix the cinnamon and brown sugar together in a small ball.  Sprinkle on top of the fruit.  Dollop the butter over the top in small bits.

Fold the sides of the dough up and over the fruit.  Put on a baking sheet or a shallow pan with sides.

Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the fruit is soft and the dough is golden.

A lovely finish an evening.

clam and crab chowder

My Beloved asked for clam chowder recently.  Since he was helping me with the shopping, we picked up some crab too.  Both in cans so we could make our lives easy.  We like a cream based chowder but with a thin broth.  I think he was trying to pretend it was autumn here.  It is autumn here but there is nothing cool about it.  Sweaters and coats still are not needed.  It was actually cooler at the beach in Florida then it is here.  It just makes me sigh.  But the chowder lets me pretend it is cooler.  I also like soup.  We were talking tonight we need to make this again soon.

crab and clam chowder

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 ounces bacon or ham (our bacon is much more like ham), chopped fine

1/2 onion, chopped fine

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 to 2 pounds red potatoes, quartered if small, cubed if large

2 cans clams

1 can crab

1/2 to 1 cup whipping cream (I used the smaller amount, really just a large dollop)

salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pan, put the olive oil, butter, and bacon.  Heat over medium heat.  Brown the bacon.  Add the onion and cook slowly until golden.  Add the garlic.  Let get brown.  Add the potatoes and enough water to just cover the potatoes.  Bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down, cover and let cook until the potatoes are cooked through.

Add the clams and crab.  Stir well.  Mix in the heavy whipping cream.  Add about a teaspoon ground pepper and taste.  Add more salt and pepper if needed.

back from the wedding

The wedding this weekend was lovely.  A small family wedding where it felt like everyone had known each other for years even if we just met.  Most of us were there for more then one day so the celebration really started two days before and went to the day after.  There was so much laughter and talking, just a very good time.  I came away with a boutonniere because the bride could not see it in the trash.  

This shawl was there with me.  I was not the only one with a yarn project but I was the one who took theirs down to the beach.  I am so not surprised and neither was my Beloved.  I sat in the sun.  Waded in the ocean.  Worked on the shawl.  It was a good time and I am deep into the second skein.  I find projects that are more self contained are wonderful for traveling, just like this one.

Now, we are home for awhile.  I have two projects to finish before Thanksgiving week.  One is looking like it will be no problem.  The other may be tight.  We will see.

foggy

My head has been very foggy today.  Ragweed is high and I have been loopy.  I got a little quilting done today after hours of sleep.  I have to admit there was not much creativity today, just healing.  Maybe tomorrow will be better.

failure but a cause for excitement and pondering

We have a wedding to go to this weekend that is out of state.  I found this fabric in my stash and decided to make a dress for the wedding out of it.  The fabric was enough for my normal sheath style dress but I wanted something a bit different.  The pattern I used has a lower back, three quarter length arms, and supposedly a full skirt.  But I did not have enough fabric for the skirt so I had to cut it down.

I tried the dress on before I hemmed it.  Failure!  My normal choice for size works well for a sheath dress but not well for a dress that is this fitted at the waist.  I got the shoulders and the cup size right.  The fabric was horrible to try on!  I do not think I would have made the whole wedding with it on. let alone the reception!  I should put many more exclamation points because that was how itchy the fabric felt.

The excitement and pondering come from I now have a very good idea on how I need to change the pattern to fit me.  I also have a better idea on what kind of fabric I wish to make this dress in.  This blue is pretty and looks good on me but I have to admit that I will probably go with a black or a deep burgundy.  I also was thinking I would like it in a soft wool.  Not really a stash dress at all.  I actually like the narrower skirt so I will have to think about what I want to do there.  

I would love to spend the weekend working on the next version.  I am seriously thinking about making a muslin for it to just be sure.  There is going to have to be some adjustment in the bodice.  I would also love to do some fabric shopping.  I have to admit that it has been a while since I have gone to the fabric store looking for something other then thread and zippers.

But this weekend is a wedding.  And there is a quilt to work on on my machine.  I might get a chance to go to a fabric store next week to plan and ponder.  How many pennies must I safe....