Chicken recipe

Here is a recipe that I adapted from Allrecipe

I am assuming that you know how to make a roux and if you do not then you need to look here.

You will need:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cloves garlic, minced
veggies-I use onions, peppers, asparagus and a little bit of hot peppers. You can add whatever you like-maybe garbanzo beans or lentils would be nice (cooked of course)
chicken broth - we use the kind in a box that my mil gets from the big box store.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves-cubed into your prefered bite size.
table spoon or two of butter and some flour to make a roux
brown rice, cooked according to your directions

Combine the oil, oregano, allspice, cumin, cloves, and garlic in a large bowl. Add chicken breasts and cover with the olive oil mixture. You can leave it for an hour or over night
Saute chicken and combine with veggies when chicken is cooked.

add chicken broth and simmer to blend flavors-be careful not to over cook or it will get mushy. adjust spices...this is up to your taste. I do not use salt but I love red pepper!

make a roux using butter and flour and when butter is melted and blended with the flour add some of the juice from the chicken mixture, a little at a time, then return to chicken and veggie mixture, and the juice will thicken to a nice consistency for serving over rice.
enjoy.

somethings

I bought this beautiful embroidered fabric in Portsmouth, the last time we visited and I plan on using it for curtains in my room. How sad that nothing-absolutely nothing at all in my room-gets along with this fabric. Well, somethings are meant to be redecorated.
Bailey went skiing in Vermont and, like a true daughter of mine, that meant that she had to shop as well. She bought me this lovely fabric. Isn't she sweet? and she did not break any bones, though, if the truth be told, she did have a few uncomfortable meetings with the mountainside.
The mess of thread and fabric bits and stuff will one day yield a beautiful quilt. One thread at a time.

east hill 2

in the house they called east hill
built in 17hundred and something
we roomed
2 others
myself all in a room
a triple they called it
where they housed us
the poor ones
segregated
as it were
the mormon, the black girl from chicago,
and me
housed and contained

Marie had a record player
we played Shaft
over and over again
and jen read her prayer book
blushing for us
while we danced and sang the songs
along with isaac
we were so cool
shut your mouth
so cool

displaced
disenfranchised
we were living
in east hill
the farm house on the side of east hill
which pastures were used for hay in summer
upon which an herd of beautiful black angus endured in winter,
Jen from denver, marie from chicago, and me

In the deep winter when the snow was high and there was a frozen crust on it so thick and hard it would hold your weight
(you could walk on (frozen) water)
you heard the cattle crunch around in the pasture outside your window
black shadows in the snowy field

the silent night under the brilliant moon whose reflected light was mirrored back in each
crystalized snow flake-dazzling holy light
brilliant and sacred

The house had another part where the dorm parents resided.
it had a separate door and a kitchen where they ate their meals when they were not required to be in the dining hall. They were separate. Civilized and remote.

East Hill had one more room where no one lived, on the north east side of the house,
a studio with a cot,
artifacts,
supplies in boxes, collected with an intention for use in art projects.
it was more of a vignette of a studio than a real studio.
No one made art there.
There was no smell of paint or linseed oil. No clay nor fallen bits of charcoal.

No artist occupied it.

The cot had an antique quilt upon it, faded soft and worn. Sometimes at night that winter, I stole there,
into that chilly room,
and wrapped myself in that tattered quilt and dreamed that it was mine,
the quilt, the studio,
east hill and the holy illuminated night.
I dreamed that I could stay.

Four Season Quilt Swap

I have joined the four season quilt swap!! Click on the title for more info, I got the announcement of the Calico Quilter's blog:) thanks Amy.
There are some beautiful miniature quilts shared on the blog. Be sure and look.
So .Spring. hmmmmmm

one done

One block stitched and ready to be sent across the pond. It is six inches and the twin is on the ironing board ready to be stitched.
When I make these twin blocks I always send the more perfect one to my swap friend and keep the deformed for myself but this one looks pretty good so I may not have to wait and see if its sibling is prettier. Funny the dialog I have inside of my own head. Yes there are pencil marks and the back intersections are not beautiful and the seams allowances are not the same --see that is my inner critic. Maybe I will wait and see which one is more perfect after all. Or less horrible. Or betterer.

Playing with leftovers

I spent an entirely quiet day in my sewing room and just played. I am listening to "Peony Love", by Lisa See which isnot actually quiet and is a lovely peaceful way to spend the day. I sorted fabric and found some "crumb" blocks and left over blocks from projects of the past. Fun to put them together and see what comes up. I am not thrilled with the red but it was in my pile so I used it. I have no idea where this will end up but I am sure It will find a home some day, when it has grown up and become a real quilt with quilting and everything.

Small finish

I finished a small sleeve for a lavender scented heating pad -a Valentines day gift for Mike. Cotton yarn, cables, A small finish. Small is good. Three finishes so far this year: the painting, the heart and the sleeve.
I have another Dear Jane block cut out and ready to hand stitch, one for my swap partner one for me. I need to apply a thread a day to it so as to make it happen but it is less portable than knitting and the small bits need to be kept in place so it will be a stationary project...or I need another carrying case slash kit----hahahah...not! I do not need another conveyance for my sewing kits.. I have a plenty:) But I am always looking, keen on finding the perfect one....is there a perfect one? I would love to do a swap of sewing kits-maybe five people. Each person make five of the same or similar and send to me and I would distribute. This would not be a swap for the fainthearted as I do not envision needle cases-I am thinking (maybe I am dreaming) of a case with pages, pockets, sleeves....anybody game to make some awesome art swap block cases? If there is any interest let me know and I will ponder upon it. In my mind they are taking shape, dreamlike, artful, beautiful and functional....but I do not think it can be more than five...that would be too much...hmmmm off to dream and scheme some more. In my next post I will show some of the small contrivances that I have for sewing and knitting and maybe that will stir up some interest..or some passion.
Pictured are some hearts I have made-painted from a stamp I carved in linoleum, glass and cross stitched.The sleeve is knit from a kit I bought from nowandzen yarns, in Greenport.The sleeve had the lumbar pillow stuffed with flaxseed and dried lavender already made, and the yarn and instructions for the sleeve. A nice little giftie.

Finished heart

This heart will be used a a backround layer in photoshop to make some valentines cards.

Then it may be joined by another.

and another thing

Inspired by Annie of Annies Crazy World, I have been making a heart. I had hoped to have it finished in January, but it has been in the incubation stages until last night after midnight sometime. I want to make one a month or more. This one is white (ish), for Winter and each one will be themed by month, or not. This is pure play, just for me, and I am finding it very soothing. I love the way the fine lace contrasts with the Osnaburg muslin. Please somebody tell me if I have spelled that right. I do not know if I will make these into blocks or needle holders or book covers, sachets, or what all. Just felt like making one or four.
I have some pretty light blue trim that I am dreaming of using in another... and may need to find a source for silk embroidery thread...heaven knows I have enough beads, heh heh.

late night sewing

I stayed up till two am, listening to a book on cd and making three and a half inch nine patches. I finished one hundred and I did a bit of work on a small something. Something with some antique lace and some beads maybe. Something I have been carrying around in my head for a long time. It may not amount to anything but I do it anyway. Just to see how it turns out.
Today I will write in my journal, maybe draw some. I have been missing drawing, even dreaming about it. And I will begin the next step of the scrappy quilt form Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville website.
I will also look through my finished tops to find something to donate. I have one in mind to donate to a women's shelter. I have an idea to send it to a quilter who can finish it then I can send it along. So that is my plan for this rainy day.
The angel was discovered in a box of treasure sent to me my my grandmother et al. She was surfing in a sea of sequins and beads and lost one wing. But she is happily earthbound, and resides in my sewing room. She may or may not be attached the lace heart assemblage that I am working on but whose photo blogger seems reluctant to post.