happily bound

It's Saturday morning and I'm buried under this heap of hues hand sewing binding to quilts. Binding is what finishes the quilts outer edge. A beautiful edge makes all the difference. I really enjoy this final step. Minimal supplies required: needle, thread, thimble, snips, cup of coffee and reruns of Project Runway. A little one on one before delivering the quilt to its new home rarely to be seen again. Do you blame me for getting a bit attached?

my kind of chandelier

Look at this delightful tissue paper chandelier! Seen on Wren Handmade, this was from the Polish Art Center in Hamtramck, Michigan. The rolled paper flowers are stunners. Here's another version made by the talented textile artist, Lena Corwin. I love her more stylized, less frou frou direction. They're both incredible. I'm tucking this idea into the bat mitzvah folder. Could be lots of fun.

Maybe the cool and crafty girls over at Paper Nerds could show us how it's done. How about it Shannon? Local Rotten Bananas readers, would you take this class? I'm there. Yesterday.

Photos via Wren Handmade and Lena Corwin

fall favorites

This is my very favorite tree in our front yard just a couple of days ago. Isn't the color amazing against that sky? Fall in Texas is brief, but lovely. I'll enjoy it while I can. Another fall favorite in our home is this healthier interpretation of the classic chicken pot pie. Did you eat chicken pot pies when you were a kid? We loved them! By the way, have you made any of the recipes featured on Rotten Bananas? If so, which ones? Would you share one of your fall favorites with me?

Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Phyllo Crust

2 T butter

1 small onion, diced

2 stalks celery, sliced

6 large mushrooms, any variety, quartered

7 cups chicken stock

6 carrots, peeled and sliced

6 small red new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

1/2 lb. fresh green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 1/2 lbs. skinless and boneless chicken breast, cut into strips

1 T chopped fresh dill

1 T chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper

Phyllo crust

8 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted overnight in the fridge

1/2 c. melted butter

2 T chopped fresh parsley

2 T chopped fresh dill

In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Cook onion, celery and mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes. Add stock, carrots, and potatoes and simmer 15 minutes. Add green beans and chicken and cook another 6 minutes. Stir in dill and parsley and taste for salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Ladle warm or hot soup into 6 ovenproof soup bowls. Place a sheet of phyllo dough on a clean surface. Brush sparingly with butter and sprinkle with some parsley and dill. Continue until you have a stack of 4 sheets of phyllo dough. Cut 3 circles 2 inches larger than diameter of the top of the soup bowl. Brush tops of phyllo circles with butter and invert circles on the soup bowls, buttered side down. Press edges of phyllo dough against bowls and brush tops with butter. With a sharp knife, cut 2 slits in each. Repeat with remaining phyllo and soup bowls. Place bowls on a baking sheet and bake until tops are golden brown and puffed, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

**Read this for easier option**You can make it all in one casserole dish rather than the individual soup bowls. Not quite as neat a presentation, but perfectly delicious.

works in progress

Sewing & blogging, blogging & sewing. The machines are smoking over here! Since I have several pieces to complete between now and December I thought it might be nice to share my progress along the way. Here is a sneak peek of a quilt I'm almost finished with. I'm turning baby boy and toddler clothes into a big guy quilt.

Onesies, cub scout kerchief, fun boxers, jammies, cool toddler corduroys and Oilily parachute pants.....they're all here, reworked into a super fun quilt.

Photo of finished quilt to come. His mom gets to see it first!

a postal post

A few days ago I got a nice long handwritten letter in the mail. It was from my brother Tim, a genuinely funny guy with a knack for delivering perfect one liners. This letter was newsy and light and filled with stories of the kids and high school football, his favorite beer and cheeseburgers, nephews tumbling from top bunks, too much fun and too little sleep on a recent visit home. Funny family stuff. The high point of my day.

Can you remember the last letter you received or wrote? Tim should get his letter from me in a couple of days. I'd like to keep the volley going. For a different idea on letter writing, take a look at this post.

if poncho had a nickel

Poncho, as in serape, not Villa. This is my dad's nickname since childhood and today is his birthday.

Educator, tight hug giver, lifelong learner, Halloween baby, Aggie, athlete, inquisitive, fearless, open mind, super father, wood worker, builder, pie maker, proud and supportive father and g-dad, all around great guy. All these and more! Happy birthday Dad. You're the best.

My dad loves this song. He sings a verse or two anytime we get together. This post is named after his favorite line. I liked this version by country crooner Eddy Arnold. Enjoy your weekend and Happy Halloween!

Dadtoo hand drawn by Alan

who needs a fancy pants recording studio?

Sadie ran across this charming musical duo, Pomplamoose, on YouTube awhile back. In their makeshift bedroom studio they cover some familiar tunes and record original music as well. The guy plays a multitude of instruments ranging from accordian to xylophone, desk tops to a tiny "Linus" piano. Any Charlie Brown fans out there? And just look at her sweet face and darling haircut! Oh, to be 22 again.....

For you Barbra!

Beyonce anyone?

Having trouble sleeping? Click here before sleepy time tonight. You'll love this version of Mr. Sandman

http://www.youtube.com/user/PomplamooseMusic#p/u/0/9xMCNmUaGko

Thanks Sadie!

ouch!

What happened? Life ate my morning before I could run and it's almost time to leave for work. I remember my Jillian DVD. I'm always reinvigorated on Wednesdays after watching the Biggest Loser on Tuesday night. While I would love to have Bob as my friend, I would definitely pick Jillian as my trainer. I've only gotten 12 days max into this routine before straying. It's a quick, but challenging 20 minutes. She even yells at you a little bit, just like on t.v. I'm going to work with wet hair again. Oh, well. It'll be worth it in 29 days when my abs look just like this.

french onion soup

It's a tad chilly and very rainy outside. A good day for french onion soup. A word of advice. Don't grate the gruyere too early in the process or you might snack it down to nothing and have to grate again. I speak from experience.

French Onion Soup

6 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced

1 T olive oil and 1 T butter

1/2 t. sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups of beef stock

1/2 c. dry vermouth or dry white wine

1 bay leaf

1/4. t. dry thyme

salt and pepper

french bread, sliced and brushed with olive oil and toasted

1 1/2 c. grated swiss gruyere

1. In a large saucepan, saute the onions in the olive oil and butter on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30-40 minutes or longer if needed. Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the process to help with the carmelization.
2. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the stock, vermouth or wine, bay leaf and thyme. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.
3. To serve you can either use individual oven proof soup bowls or one large casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 degrees or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned.

project siriano

We are wild about Project Runway in our house. Sewing, fashion, creativity, drama....it's the best! If you love Project Runway too, you'll recognize this minute little fellow as Christian Siriano, the winner of season 4. He was in town over the weekend greeting clients and fans at a beautiful upscale boutique. The girls were thrilled to meet him. He loved their curls and Sadie's reinvention of my 1980 Hico Tigers cheerleader top.

Enjoy the brilliant Amy Poehler as Christian on Saturday Night Live. Happy Monday.

halloween hubbub - costume swap

Thanks so much to Ann, Dori, Liz, Pete and Randy for participating in the costume idea swap. 

I love their photos, don't you?  

we now interrupt the halloween festivities...

...for an important announcement.  

3699 McKinney Avenue, West Village

halloween hubbub - a party pictorial

If you're a frequent visitor to Rotten Bananas, then you might already feel like you know Dori and Jim, my fun loving, wildly creative sister and brother in law. Here's a peek inside their kids' Halloween birthday bash. Super scary! All the cool kids were there.  Lots of other sights too.....

 

There were cats and dogs, 

Friendly bats and scary, hairy bats,

Good guys and bad guys,

Birthday girls and thrill seekers,

Black lights and orange lights,

And Payton and potions!

If you're interested in seeing the whole slew of party photos, I'll post a link to Flickr for an unedited view.  

halloween hubbub-recipe day

I hope you enjoy today's recipes.  Check out this mammoth pumpkin grown by Dave Stumpf in the great state of Minnesota! 

photo by aturkus via flickr

sweet potato soup

This nice fall soup is very easy to make.  

Sweet Potato Soup 

1 T unsalted butter 

3 large cloves garlic, minced 

1 large onion, peeled and chopped 

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2" chunks 

7 c. chicken broth 

3/4 c. heavy cream (you could substitute fat free evaporated milk for similar effect)

1 T salt 

pepper to taste 

1/2 c. shelled pecans, toasted and chopped 

2 T chopped fresh sage 

1 T chopped fresh rosemary 

• Melt butter in large pot over medium high heat.  Add the garlic and saute for 15 seconds. Add the onion and saute until softened. 
• Add the sweet potatoes and chicken broth, cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered until potatoes are soft. 
• Puree the soup until smooth. Place in the pot and stir in cream (or evaporated milk), salt and pepper.  Warm over low heat. 
• Mix together the pecans, sage and rosemary. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the pecan mix.