a new shopping bag for my Beloved

With all our travels last month and the acquisition of a "new" travel trailer, our shopping bags got misplaced.  Not so much misplaced as unaccessible currently.  And the county our land is in does not allow the use of plastic bags.  You have to bring your own or pay for bags.  It is usually not a big deal but when bags become unaccessible you need more.  

I let my Beloved pick out fabrics for two for him.  This is the first.  The green is actually an outdoor upholstery fabric.  I am hoping it will wear better because some of our shopping bags are a bit worn.  The orange was what he had to have.  It works.  One more to make for him and one for me.  I should have sewn some more tonight but it was a nice quiet evening.

chocolate focaccia

I needed a sweet on Sunday.  I was already making pizza so I took half the dough to make focaccia.  We were out of fruit so I decided to go with the chocolate in the freezer.  It was a bit rich but lovely.  It tasted a lot like a chocolate croissant or brioche with out the rich dough and all the sugar.  Actually, it reminds me of my chocolate toast, the one with good bread, grated chocolate, olive oil, and salt,  but fanicer.  

chocolate foccacia

1/2 recipe foccacia dough

1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet or dark chocolate

2 tablespoons olive oil

A good sprinkle of sea salt or something fancier, I used Himalayan pink salt

Mix up the foccacia dough and let rise until you would normally put in the fruit.  Instead of fruit, sprinkle with half the chocolate chips you are going to use.  The more chips, the richer this tastes.  Close it all up and put the rest of the chocolate chips on top.

Let rise until puffy, about two hours.  Turn oven on to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Drizzle with olive oil and salt.  Put in the oven and bake for 35 to 40  minutes or until golden.  

Let cool enough not to burn your mouth and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Enjoy.

a rainy Saturday

It has been a rainy Saturday.  But I got another bed in the garden planted with vegetable seeds.  It did not rain that hard for a bit this morning and that is when I got it done.  I also got a quilt that has been sitting on my pile of things that need finishing pinned together for sewing.  It has been a long time since I quilted something of this size.  And it will be free hand sewing.  It is going to be interesting.  But it just has to stand up to wear.

I did do something just because.  I bought some wool from purlsoho.com a while back.  It was a wool bundle of Mary Flanagan Woolens.  All the wools are in blue.  I started cutting the quilt squares from them.  It will be fun to see how it turns out.  I will not be surprised if I have to supplement with other woolens but this is going to be fun.

braised quail with figs

There are nights when I do not wish to put anything complicated together.  Or go out.  We go out so rarely anymore because I do not really enjoy it and I think I could make whatever we are having better then what we are served.  There are exceptions:  blow a tire on the travel trailer, have a hole in the floor, and do not what expect in the dark.  We ate out that night.  But an average night.  Something like this is easier then going out.  

I picked up four quail at lunch.  We had some figs that needed to be used.  Salt.  Pepper.  Potatoes in boiling water to be mashed.  A bit of gravy.  This type of dinner takes less then thirty minutes.  Easy, easy.  And so much nicer then going out.

braised quail with figs

Note:  I served this with mashed potatoes and gravy but it would also have been good with a green salad or some polenta.

2 quail per person

3 figs per person, washed, the stems cut off, and quartered

olive oil

salt 

pepper

In a medium pan, set over medium high heat.  Add the olive oil.  Add the quail.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add the figs.  Let the quail cook about five minutes until that side is brown.  Turn.  Stir the figs around a bit.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper again.  When that side of the quail is brown, cover and lower heat.  Let cook about 15 to 20 minutes.  The quail should be cooked through and the figs will have gone soft with some caramelized bits.

Quail are not really that large so they cook fast.  I was thinking I need to try over the fire at some point.  You do really need to use your fingers on all those little bones but it is worth the effort.

Miss K's quilt is done!

Miss K just had her little girl and the quilt is finished.  I know have to get it to her.

Small Mister LOVED this colors on this quilt while I was working on it so I hope her little girl does too.

I look at the list of quilts I wish to make and think that I wish there were more hours in the day.