Busy Busy Bee

I have a habit of starting projects and forgetting about them. But this week I have been trying to tidy up loose ends. Purses, quilts you name it I’ve been elbow deep in the closet. I have also been cooking up lots of cold weather food.

1st: The baby quilt. I finally got the top all pieced together. And found that I had extra fabric, which when sewed together makes a perfect little stroller blanket! I have not actually “quilted” it yet, that part is still a little daunting. But I have found the perfect fabric for the back. A light pink and white plaid flannel. Because every little girl needs more pink! This weekend is supposed to be chilly so I shall be leaving the house as little as possible so there is hope it might be finished and in the mail by Monday. Or maybe I will just enjoy a good book and lots of cocoa!

2nd: The corduroy hobo bag. As I was pinning the bulk of the bag to the cap I thought “What if I added contrasting piping?” I found some leftover cording and started basting. It is by no means finished, but I am THRILLED with the progress so far. It just adds more interest to the exterior of the bag. I am also happy with the structure of the bag. At the advice of Sarah I used canvas inside this bag instead of an iron-on or sew-in interfacing. It lets the bag stand on it’s own with just the right amount of slouch. Hopefully it will be up on Etsy soon!

3rd The best mashed potatoes EVER! Generally I don’t buy groceries at Target, though it’s hard to resist the Archer Farms packaging. But I was there the other day and found a all natural fryer for under $4. Yes $4. The first incarnation was chicken roasted with onions, carrots and apples, rubbed with butter and garlic. It was delicious, especially when paired with Pumpkin Potatoes. That’s right, mashed potatoes with pumpkin puree. Think sweet potato casserole but way better. The second use was for Chicken Noodle Soup, which is pretty self explanatory, but I was able to make quite a bit of stock to be used for rice and couscous later. And the remaining chicken was folded into a pasta dish that has provided great leftovers! All of that based around a $4 chicken.

Pumpkin Potatoes:

4 good size potatoes diced, I keep the skins on
salt & pepper
milk
butter
1/2 can of pumpkin puree
nutmeg, freshly ground is possible

Boil potatoes till fork tender. Drain and mash, I decided to put mine in the Kitchen-aid to whip, it went very well! Season with salt and pepper, add in pumpkin. Mix again and add butter and milk till the consistency and taste you like is achieved. Lastly add nutmeg, don’t skip it, it adds another dimension. And makes it taste festive!

Note :: I wanted ricotta cheese in the pasta dish but didn’t have any and didn’t want to go to the store, so I improvised. I thought I had heard that cottage cheese could be substituted so I proceeded with a little apprehension by Matt. Before boiling the pasta I scooped a cup of cheese into a fine mesh colander and let it drain until I was ready to fold it in. I was quite impressed with the result and had I not told Matt I’m not sure he would have realized.