In My World

Balloon with Cake 3" x 6" $2.00 BUY May not be exactly as shown because each piecing is individually made.

2 servings 2/3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1x5 cm strips (200g) 1-1/3 cup snow peas 1 green pepper, cut into thin strips 1 onion, coarsely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 2 tbsp sherry (optional) 2 tbsp cornstarch 2 tbsp soy sauce, low-sodium 2 tsp sugar 4 slices of gingerroot (6g) 3 tbsp canola oil salt and ground pepper Slice the chicken breast into strips.  Mix with the soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, sugar and 2-3 slices of ginger.  Chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to the lowest setting. Prepare the vegetables.  Heat 1/2 to 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan or wok.  Add the garlic, onion and pepper, cook 2-3 minutes until they start to soften, then set aside on a warmed serving plate in the oven. Add 1/2 to 1 tbsp of oil to the frying pan.  Add some salt, and then immediately add the snow peas.  Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes since they cook very quickly.  Put the snow peas on the plate with ...

Simple and lovely.  I served with whip cream for Hal and Greek yogurt for me. Serves 2. 1 peach or nectarine 1 kiwi 1 cup strawberries 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed 2 tsp sugar Peel the fruit and cut them into bite size pieces.  Put the pieces in a salad bowl, add the lemon juice and sugar.  Toss to combine.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Toss the fruit before serving. soscuisine.com

Serves 2. 1 tbsp paprika 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground pepper 1 tbsp cornmeal 2 tilapia or turbot fillets (360 g) 1 tbsp canola oil 1 clove garlic, for pan-frying 1 tbsp butter, unsalted, for pan-frying 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges These fish fillets can be cooked either in a pan on the stove or using an outdoor grill. In a shallow bowl, stir together the paprika, oregano, cayenne, sugar, salt and ground pepper.  To obtain a crispier crust, add the cornmeal (optional). Pat the fillets dry and dredge them in the mixture, turning them to coat well.  Shake of the excess then place the fillets on an oiled, hot grill. Cook until the fish is opaque throughout and lightly blackened on the outside, 4-5 minutes on each side, turning them once. Alternatively, heat the oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat.  Thinly slice the garlic then add it to the skillet and saute, with stirring, until it is golden-brown, about 2 ...

I really liked it.  Hal did not Serves 4. 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 tsp Dijon mustard 3 tbsp. olive oil 1/3 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted Peel the leaves off the Brussels sprouts; discard the cores.  Bring a large saucepan of water to boiling.  Add sprouts; cook 20-30 minutes or until barely tender.  Drain and immediately plunge into ice water.  Drain well and dry in a salad spinner.  Transfer to a large bowl; set aside. For the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to taste.  Gradually whisk in the oil.  Drizzle dressing over leaves to coat lightly; toss.  Add cranberries and walnuts; toss to combine.  Chill.

Balloon Family 5" x 6" $3.50 BUY May not be exactly as shown because each piecing is individually made.

Easy, delicious and very refreshing.  I bet lots of different veggies could be substituted in. For 2 servings: 1 leek 1-1/2 tbsp  Classic Vinaigrette 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed salt and pepper to taste 4 button (white) mushrooms, sliced 1 tomato, sliced 1 carrot, shredded Prepare the leeks:  cut off the dark green tops and discard, slice the white and pale-green parts into large chunks, then boil or steam them for about 10 minutes, until soft.  Drain the leeks and let cool a few minutes. With a serrated knife, cut each chunk of the leeks into rounds about 1 cm thick and transfer them to a bowl.  Pour in the Classic Vinaigrette (I doubled the lemon/olive oil dressing and used that instead), then season with salt and pepper.  Blend gently and set aside. In a small bowl, add the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Beat well, using a fork, until the dressing is emulsified.  Set aside. ...

Good evening dear friends. I have had a pretty awesome day . . . if you don`t count the whole waking up to the alarm clock at ugly o`clock. Packed and out the door to spend some time with my scrappin`buddies at the No Fills Crop. I actually finished 5 layouts, enjoyed the pot luck lunch, visited with lots of friends. Sadly, I had to leave early afternoon to get ready for Hal`s birthday party. We met up at Rail City Bistro at 4:30 for appetizers. We started off with a couple of orders of bruschetta, moved on to some delicious fritters and finished with the spinach and artichoke dip. They were all excellent. Funny story . . . Hal didn't like spinach (he said) but he sure does now. This weekend we were visiting Hawaii and the food was perfect. Most of our guests ordered the Hawaiian short ribs, island rice and grilled pineapple. A couple of us had the lau lau which is pork, fish and chicken wrapped in taro leaves and steamed to perfection, served with veggies and island rice. Soooooo...

Balloon Cluster 3" x 3" $3.00 BUY May not be exactly as shown because each piecing is individually made.

4 apples, Cortland or Lobo 4 tsp butter, unsalted 1 tbsp brown sugar 2 tsp raisins 1 tbsp pine nuts 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon salt, about one pinch Preheat the oven to 375F. Wash the apples.  With a corer, carve out the core and seeds from the top, paying attention not to pierce the apple completely through to the bottom.  Make a circular incision just through the skin halfway up the side to avoid bursting during cooking.  Place the apples in a shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, raisins, nuts, cinnamon, and pinch of salt.  Portion out the mixture into the apples.  Add a small amount of water (about 1/2 tbsp per apple) to the bottom of the dish to start the cooking and prevent burning or sticking.  Place the dish of apples in the centre of the oven. and cook for 30 minutes. I served the apples with vanilla ice cream. From soscuisine.com

Before I post this recipe, let me just say that Hal (my hubby) hates fish.  Really really hates it.  He enjoyed this trout.  You notice I didn't say love.  Hal will never love fish, but he did like it.  I loved it.  The fish was served with steamed basmati rice and a salad. 2 trout fillets 360g -- I used rainbow trout 1/4 cup slivered almonds 1/4 cup white wine (optional) -- I used a Vidal 3 tbsp margarine salt pepper Heat the margarine in a frying pan.  Add the almonds then saute over medium heat until they are golden.  Take the almonds out of the pan and keep them warm on a small plate in the oven. Add the trout to the pan and cook over fairly high heat, 2-3 minutes on each side, starting with the skin side down.  Deglaze the pan with the wine, lower the heat and cover.  Cook 7-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets, until the trout is tender.  Check with a fork to see if it is cooked through. Take the skin off. ...

2 servings 220 g chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into thin cutlets 1 egg 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated 1 tbsp bread crumbs 2/3 cup My Mother's Tomato Sauce (recipe below) 2 bocconcini/fresh mozzarella 1-1/2 tbsp canola oil salt and ground pepper to taste Spread the tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Slice each breast horizontally into thin cutlets.  Flatten the cutlets between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and tenderize them using a meat pounder or rolling pin. Beat the egg in one shallow dish and combine bread crumbs and grated Parmesan in the other.  Dip one chicken cutlet at a time in the egg, let the excess egg drip off before coating the cutlet with the bread crumbs mixture.  Turn the cutlets to coat both sides. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat.  Saute the chicken cutlets 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to the baking dish, placing them side by side on top of the tomato sauce. ...

This is one of the  best grilled pork chop recipe s I've ever tried!  The mushrooms weren't too exciting though. For 2 servings 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 2 green onions/scallions, finely chopped 1-1/2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped, plus some whole leaves for garnish 2 tbsp. fish sauce (nam pla) 2-1/2 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed 1 tbsp. soy sauce, low-sodium 1 tsp sugar 1/2 tbsp. sesame seed oil 1/2 tbsp. whiskey 2 pork chops with bones or boneless 4 Portobello mushrooms 1 tbsp. canola oil 1 shallot 1/2 dried chili peppers, to taste 2 tsp. cornstarch. Finely chop the garlic, half of the scallions and half of the cilantro leaves, then put them in a shallow dish.  Pour in 1/4 of the fish sauce and 1/4 of the lime juice, the whole soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and whiskey.  Arrange the pork chops in the dish, turning them a couple times to cover well with the marinade.  Cover the dish with plastic wrap, then let marinate in the refrigerator 1-2 h...

I am still finding recipes from my Christmas cookie swap 2 years ago. In a large bowl, mix: 1/4 cup softened margarine 1 egg 1/3 cup Splenda for baking * 1/3 cup brown sugar Blend well and then add: 3/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla Mix just until flour is mixed in.  Roll dough into small balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Press a chocolate rosette or Hershey's kiss or mint smoothie into centre (not all the way to the bottom) about 1/2 way.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight (covered if overnight).  Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes.  Makes 2 dozen small cookies. Enjoy. * may substitute 8 packets Equal sweetener.

1/2 cup butter 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp baking powder Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs and 1 tsp vanilla.  Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt and baking powder.  Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.  Do not overcook. To make frosting: 3 tbsp butter, softened 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup confectioners' sugar Combine 3 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp cocoa, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup confectioners' sugar.  Frost brownies while they are still warm. This recipe is from allrecipes.com

Backpack #1 3" x 4" $2.50 BUY May not be exactly as shown because each piecing is individually made.

Baby Shoe 2" x 3" $1.50 BUY May not be exactly as shown because each piecing is individually made.

For 2 servings 7 cups baby spinach (120 g) 6 button (white) mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 tbsp. lemon, freshly squeezed 1/2 orange, pressed and zested 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil salt and ground pepper to taste Prepare the spinach and put it in a large bowl.  Set aside Prepare the mushrooms by thinly slicing them and transferring them to a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and pour in half of the lemon juice.  Set aside. Grate half of the orange to obtain the zest, then juice it.  Put the zest and juice into a small bowl.  Pour in the remaining lemon juice, mustard and oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then beat well using a fork, until the vinaigrette is emulsified.  Pour the vinaigrette over the spinach. Peel the remaining orange, cut into small pieces and add to the spinach.  Add the mushrooms and toss well.  Serve. From soscuisine.com

1 lb. ground beef 3/4 c. uncooked long-grain rice 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 (28 oz) can tomato cause 1/4 c. cider vinegar 2 tbsp. brown sugar, packed 1 tbsp. dry mustard 8 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped (1/2 head) In large bowl, mix together beef,rice, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.  In small bowl, stir together tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and mustard.  Layer 1/3 of the cabbage in bottom of 3-quart deep casserole.  Arrange half of the beef mixture on top.  Cover with another 1/3 of the cabbage and then add the remaining beef mixture.  Cover with remaining cabbage.  Pour tomato sauce mixture over top, but do not stir.  Casserole will be quite full.  Cover; let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.  Bake at 325 F for 2 hours, without stirring. Mom wasn't crazy about it.  I liked it quite a bit but I think next time I wouldn't use quite so much cabbage.

1 frying chicken, about 3-1/2 lbs Stuffing: 2 tbsp butter or margarine 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper 1/4 cup finely chopped celery 1 jar (2 oz) diced or sliced pimientos, drained 2 cups frozen or fresh or canned corn red pepper sauce 1/2 tsp dried thyme or sage leaves 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 to 2 tbsp soft butter or oil Remove giblets and rinse chicken.  Pat dry.  Sprinkle cavity with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt butter.  Saute the onion, green pepper and celery until softened but not browned. Stir in pimientos, corn, red pepper sauce to taste, thyme or sage, salt and pepper.  Stir.  Cook for a few minutes. Stuff chicken.  Close opening.  Turn the wings back and tie legs together, if desired. Rub chicken with butter or oil.  Sprinkle with more thyme, black pepper and red pepper sauce.  Place on a roasting rack in a shallow pan. Place in a preheated oven at 450 F.  Turn heat down to 35...

olive oil cooking spray or 1 tbsp olive oil (I use olive oil) 1 medium onion, chopped 1 can (1 pound) unsalted tomatoes, crushed (the big 28 oz can) 4 cups unsalted vegetable broth or water (I always use vegetable broth) 2 tbsp tomato paste 3/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning 4 ounces sea shell pasta 2 cups (packed) chopped fresh spinach (I usually use a package of frozen chopped spinach) 1/2 cup grated nonfat or reduced-fat Parmesan cheese Coat a 3-quart pot with cooking spray or olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute for 3 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth or water, tomato paste, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 8 minutes, or until the pasta is almost al dente. Add the spinach to the pot and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, or just until the pasta is al dente and the spinac...

2 large eggs 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup salted butter, melted 1/2 cup applesauce 1 small apple, grated 1-1/4 cups milk 3 cups old-fashioned oats Butter a 2 quart baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients, except the oats. Fold in oats and combine well Transfer mixture into the buttered baking dish and spread evenly around.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly on top of the oat mixture.  Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 375F.  Unwrap oatmeal and place in the oven.  Bake for about 30 minutes until oatmeal is set and browned on top. Serve hot with milk or cream. Deb, Taylor and I taste tested this recipe and feel it needs extra sweetness and perhaps a little more cinnamon so either add some brown sugar into the recipe or have it on the table to add with your milk . . . Hmmmmmmm . . . I wonder how it would taste with vanilla yogurt or ice cream on top ???...

Baby on the Moon 5" x 7" $3.00 BUY Piecings may not be exactly as shown since each one is individually handmade.

That's all I did . . .

All three finishes are mystery knit along dish clothes from  http://monthlydishclothoverflow.blogspot.ca/