Lemonade with a Twist Quilt

 

During covid lockdown, one of my quarantine quilts needed a backing. I went to my LQS and found a beautiful white fabric with black and yellow flowers and butterflies. It was so beautiful I knew it was going to be perfect for my backing. After I finished that quilt, I still had some of the backing fabric left over. What to do? Make another quilt of course.

 

 

I started cutting the fabric into different sized squares; I didn’t want to waste even the smallest scrap. I also wanted to make sure there was color in each square as the fabric did have a lot of white on it.

 

 

As I planned out the use of these squares, I thought it would be really fun to do an irish chain pattern, but with the twist of using different sized squares. I also thought it would be fun to put this white and yellow fabric on a black background. It would make it so striking!

 

It was all coming together just how I imagined, until I ran out of squares. I was able to find an online shop that still had the fabric and ordered some more. I finished the top and was so happy with how it turned out. Now I just needed a backing.

 

Once again, I had leftover of the original fabric, so I decided that was going into the backing no matter what. I found a great pink and yellow floral fabric in my stash that is so bright it totally contrasts with the stark white and black front.

 

 

I was so happy with it all, I couldn’t wait to get it quilted and finished. I added my label and my black binding and there you have it! Another wonderful finished product. It a great size and weight to make it super useful at home, and so very striking. I’m not sure what season to associate it with, although it feels a bit summer-ish to me.

 

I discovered a hard truth about a quilt with this color scheme though when I tried to take pictures of it. It is super hard to photograph black and white. The colors dominate the frame and wash everything out! I have tried 3 different times now to get good photos of this quilt, but it’s not happening. The photos I have are going to have to be the ones that commemorate this quilt.

 

It such a beauty that it’s a shame the pictures aren’t showing it. But I promise, this was a fun finish.

 

Creamy Sausage Gnocchi Soup

 

What do you do when you have leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving? You make gnocchi, of course! In all honesty, this did not used to be my thought on leftover mashed potatoes. In the past, I would use them for potato pancakes, or to top a shepherd’s pie. More often than not, I don’t even have leftovers so it’s not much of a thought.

 

 

This year, however, I did have lots of leftovers. I might have done that on purpose though, because I really wanted to practice making gnocchi. It cuts a step out of the process when you know you’re making gnocchi, and makes it feel like a quicker process. It also combines tasks, which is way more efficient. You don’t HAVE to use leftovers, you can make some fresh cooked potato. 

 

 

One of my favorite memories as a kid was when we were little and we’d go up north to go skiing. There was a little restaurant that served home style meals, including an amazing chicken and dumplings. I’ve tried making it a couple times with biscuit style dough for the dumplings, but they’re too heavy.

 

 

These gnocchi hit the spot! They are soft and pillowy and absorb the broth of the soup so wonderfully. I decided to use sausage instead of chicken because I love the salty-savoryness that it adds to the soup. It creates a warm and comforting meal. Perfect for that cold night, after a long day. 

 

 

 

Creamy Sausage Gnocchi Soup

 

For the Gnocchi:

2 c cold mashed potatoes

1 c flour

1 egg, beaten

¾ tsp salt

 

 

For the Soup:

1 Tbs EVOO

1 medium onion, diced

2 celery sticks, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 Tbs butter

¼ c flour

4 c chicken broth

3 sweet Italian sausage links, removed from the casings

2 c half and half

½ tsp thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

2 c gnocchi

1 c fresh spinach, roughly chopped

 

Start with your gnocchi. Place ½ the flour on your pasta board or the counter. Add the mashed potatoes on top of the flour, and the make a well in the middle. Pour your egg in the well and add the salt to the well also. Cover the top of the well with another 1/4 c of your flour. Using your scraper, begin to fold and knead your ingredients together. As you mix, add more flour as needed if the dough is too sticky to work with. The less flour the better; it prevents them from becoming too gummy.

 

Once the dough is well mixed, divide it into 4 pieces and roll each into 1-inch wide ropes. Cut them into 1-inch pieces and then roll each piece down the tines of a floured fork to create the ridges. Set them aside on a floured tray until you’re ready put them in the soup.

 

 

Add oil to a cast iron dutch oven. Once warmed, but not smoking, brown the sausage and then remove it from the pan and set aside. Add a little more oil if needed, and then add the onions, celery, and carrots. Allow to them to sauté and soften for a few minutes. Once onions become translucent, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the butter and once melted, add the flour. Continue to heat and mix until the flour is all cooked through and the roux is a tan-brown color. Slowly add the chicken broth and blend with the roux so it won’t break it.

 

Once all the broth is added and blended together, bring to a simmer. Add the half and half to the soup slowly so as not to change the temperature of the broth too quickly. Bring it back to a simmer and add your chicken back to the pot. Add the thyme as well as salt and pepper to taste. Add your gnocchi and allow them to cook in the soup for about 5 minutes. Finally, add the spinach and let it wilt into the soup. Check for salt and pepper once more and it is ready to serve. 

 

 

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Creamy Cavatelli and Chicken Soup

 

I have been experimenting with all sorts of things, including pasta. I am trying to master my pasta dough making skills, and with that I end up with a lot of leftover pasta. Every time I have leftover pasta, I pull out my cavatelli maker and crank some out to save for a future meal.

 

 

I got my cavatelli maker years ago from my mother in law, and though I’d made it once with her, I hadn’t made it since. I was a little intimidated because the recipe in the book that it comes with is different then what I’m familiar with. So… I avoided it.

 

 

I finally realized it doesn’t matter what I make with it, it just matters that I try something. The first couple times, they came out all funny shapes and stuck together. But once I got my technique down and the sizing right, they were pretty awesome.

 

 

Normally they’d go well in red sauces, but their density also plays well in soups or other recipes that have gnocchi. Just like in this soup. It creates a great robust flavor and texture with the chicken and the veggies.  It creates a hardy meal in the cold weather that feels like a big hug. It also makes for a pretty quick meal to put together on a busy night. Serve with some focaccia bread or a crusty loaf. So good!

 

 

Creamy Cavatelli and Chicken Soup

 

 

1 Tbs EVOO

1 medium onion, diced

2 celery sticks, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 Tbs butter

¼ c flour

4 c chicken broth

3 chicken breasts (or 2 c shredded rotisserie chicken)

2 c half and half

½ tsp thyme

½ tsp mustard powder

Salt and pepper to taste

2 c cavatelli pasta (or another robust pasta like gemelli or gnocchi)

1 c fresh spinach, roughly chopped

 

Add oil to a cast iron dutch oven. Once warmed, but not smoking, add the onions, celery, and carrots. Allow to them to saute and soften for a few minutes. Once onions become translucent, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the butter and once melted, add the flour. Continue to heat and mix until the flour is all cooked through and the roux is a tan-brown color. Slowly add the chicken broth and blend with the roux so it won’t break it.

 

Once all the broth is added and blended together, bring to a simmer. If you’re using shredded rotisserie, you can skip this step. Add the chicken pieces and let them cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on how thick your pieces are. Keep the liquid at a simmer so as not to overcook the chicken and make it tough. Once they’re cooked through, pull the chicken out and set it aside to cool a minute. Shred or chop the chicken so it’s ready to be added back to the soup.

 

Add the half and half to the soup slowly so as not to change the temperature of the broth too quickly. Bring it back to a simmer and add your chicken back to the pot. Add the thyme and the mustard powder as well as salt and pepper to taste. Add your noodles and allow them to cook in the soup for about 5 minutes. Finally, add the spinach and let it wilt into the soup. Check for salt and pepper once more and it is ready to serve.