2009 Laurel Quilt

 

Here is this years Laurel Quilt. The young lady was into swimming and water polo. Her colors were bright and bold. Check out all those triangles.

Best-Ever Chinese Chicken Salad

All the great flavor of the original, now packed with garden-fresh ingredients. Prep and Cook Time: 45 minutes. Notes: To save time, you can use store-bought crispy wontons or chow mein noodles instead of frying your own. You can also substitute one 11-ounce can of mandarin oranges for the fresh orange slices.

Yield
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
2 navel oranges (see notes)
About 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 fresh wonton wrappers, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips (see notes)
6 cups finely shredded cabbage
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
Spicy soy-ginger dressing (recipe follows)
1 large avocado, cubed
4 green onions (including green tops), sliced diagonally
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Preparation
1. In a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring about 1 quart water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, then plunge asparagus into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

2. Cut off and discard ends from oranges. Following the curve of the fruit, cut off peel and outer membrane. Slice oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, then cut these rounds into quarters. Set aside.

3. Pour the vegetable oil into a 3- to 4-quart pan (the oil should be about 1/2 inch deep) and set over medium-high heat. When oil reaches 350°, add wonton strips and fry, stirring, until golden brown on both sides, about 30 seconds total. Lift out with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to drain.

4. In a large serving bowl, toss the cabbage, chicken, and asparagus with the dressing. Top with avocado, orange slices, and wonton strips, then garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Spicy soy-ginger dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Asian red chile sauce (such as Sriracha), and 1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger. Slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup vegetable oil or grapeseed oil, whisking constantly. Season with salt to taste.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutritional Information
Calories:308 (56% from fat)
Protein:15g
Fat:19g (sat 3.1)
Carbohydrate:20g
Fiber:4g
Sodium:317mg
Cholesterol:36mg
Found here

ZCMI Mint Brownies

For St. Patrick's Day I made ZCMI mint brownies. Well not exactly following the recipe. I used 2 pouches of Ghirardelli triple chocolate brownie mix as the base. The mix is found at Costco and Smart & Final. I made the brownies in a 9 x 13 pan according to the directions. Let them cool. Then I made the filling, doubling the recipe. Put in the fridge to set. Then the tripled the glaze. YUMMMMMM!

Peppermint Filling

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 to 3 drops of green food coloring (optional)

Sift powdered sugar. Add melted butter, and milk. Mix thoroughly. Add peppermint extract. Add green food coloring, mix until color is uniform. Spread on top of brownie base. Put in fridge to set, about 20 minutes.

Chocolate Glaze

1 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Melt chocolate and butter together. Stir to combine. Pour over filling. Then eat!


recipe from San Francisco Gate newspaper

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Laurel quilt

 

This is the graduating Laurel quilt that Mom and I made last year. Don't the prairie points look nice. =)

R rag quilt for Christmas

 

This is the rag quilt that I made for R. for Christmas. I made the same blanket for DBIL J for his birthday and I forgot to take a picture. Here is the link to the directions that I used to make this blankdet.

Valentine's treats

 

Seal a business size envelope. Stamp randomly all over. Score 3 sides at 1/2". Cut the unscorred side off with decorative scissors. Fold in sides like a brown paper grocery bag. Place treat inside. Fold down and close with ribbon. Inside were Sugar Bowl bakery brownie bites from Costco.

N's baby blanket

This is the baby blanket that I made for N. for Christmas. It is a Chenille blanket. I used the Olfa chenille http://www.olfa.com/RotaryCuttersDetail.aspx?C=24&Id=203 cutter. All the flannel comes from Mom's and Grandma Alexander's stash.