Sensational Recipe, Bramble Blooms, New Spin on Backbasting
My second Odd Bunch box has arrived and I've been very pleased with both of them. For $20 a box, I think they are a good deal. All of the items have been fresh, nothing even close to spoiling or odd. I am enjoying the variety of items included, a nice selection of vegetables and fruit.
I got blackberries in the first box, a fruit I never buy so it was neat to try them. It also had a butternut squash in the first and an eggplant in this one. Two things I haven't cooked before.
I cut up the eggplant and roasted it in the oven last night following a recipe online. I didn't find it tasty till I added a little balsamic vinegar which someone suggested. Do you ever cook these things? Any suggestions for the squash? Getting these boxes is making me try new foods which I didn't expect but is a good thing.
But here is a recipe I tried and will definitely cook again. I found it when I was searching for pasta recipes a couple of weeks back and is a Tik Tok sensation apparently. Very simple and very tasty. It all begins with one of those little Boursin Cheeses and a pack of cherry tomatoes. My additions included spinach and extra cheese and penne for the pasta. Tony loved it.
This goes in the oven and I cooked the pasta separately and added it at the end. Here is the video and you can find many variations online. You could type in Boursin Cheese Pasta and find it for sure.
Into the Sewing Room....First an update on the Bramble Blooms Improv Challenge...I need three one (sewed two last night) more little orange peel block to complete this border. It is always interesting to see what the camera will show as these are small 4 inch blocks but appear larger.
I've been joining my Panama Pyramid rows and needed to find the yellow fabric I'd used for the solid triangles. I searched high and low and got really down on myself because I couldn't put my hand on it. I had a memory of putting it somewhere I could find easily because I knew I would need more of it for the finishing. The next day I went in the sewing room and the very first thing I spotted was this... How did I not see it! With the Crossroads blocks off the wall, it was there all alone in plain view. It's official...I'm losing my mind! Please tell me something similar has happened to you so I won't feel lonely in the world of lost minds!
As promised, I must tell you about the scrappy project that caught my eye on Instagram and had to give a try. I like applique and have always used freezer paper for the shapes. I tried needleturn a couple of times but went back to the freezer paper. I've never tried back basting till I saw Jeana Kimball's post where she showed how she was using this particular technique to applique a simply shaped quilt block, in this case, an hourglass. It's like a fresh twist on an old method. Jeana Kimball at Foxglove Cottage
So I set about and stitched two scrappy blocks using Jeana's method. It worked well and I liked how easy it was for this simple block- no precise cutting or piecing. Anything that avoids the machine is good and using scraps is great too of course. The foundations are from a package of 5 inch Bella cream I've had for ages and wondered what to do with. Wonder no more. This could make for a good, on the side kind of project diving into the scrap bags...yes they are sorted into bags now this time round.
This promises to be another busy (for us)week with tax stuff in the mix(which is loathsome but necessary). I did order some stitchy mail which will be here this week so it's not all doom and gloom. :) Hope your week is going well!
We love roasted butternut squash. Just peel, cut into 1 inch cubes, toss with a bit of olive oil, sea salt and thyme or rosemary. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, stir and replace in oven for another 15 minutes or so until they are done to your liking. You can also use the cooked squash to make pumpkin pie. Your Bramble Blooms project is coming along beautifully!
Good evening! I enjoy reading your blog, especially life in Canada since I live just south of Atlanta, Georgia. It’s never terribly cold here, but it’s miserably hot for what seems like 9 months out of the year! I’m including 2 of my favorite ways to use butternut squash and eggplant. My 2 almost grown kids have eaten these for years without any complaint. Hope you find them interesting enough to try! Even if don’t comment often, I’m still here enjoying your posts! Andrea Hickman
I've been on a baba ganoush kick with eggplant recently. Good stuff. Mom used to peel, cut, (scrape out the seeds), boil and mash butternut squash (with a little brown sugar). But recently I found out you can eat the skin - so I've been dicing it up (including the seeds), then toss it with oil, salt and some spices and roast it. Sometimes with sage and cranberries. Delicious.
It's always dangerous to put something away in a safe place for later use. And, yes, I've done it many times. It's not just you, Jocelyn. I hope your busy week works out well, with no surprises. Pat
Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!
Butternut squash: You can bake it whole, on a pan... which you can line with parchment paper first, 'cause when done it will be soft and sticky. Delicious plain or added to other things. IF you can cut it down the middle lengthwise, (they are hard!), you can scrape out the seeds from the rounded end and bake with butter and brown sugar in that bowl shape if you wish. Makes a great pumpkin pie!
I have tried eggplant and found it very bland so you have to cook with spices or something - hubby won't eat it so I have never gotten it again. I love butternut squash and like butternut squash - hubby again doesn't like it (he eats very few veggies) but with soup it is good for several days also I can freeze it too and heat it up when I want it. That is the reason I don't get those boxes though as I mainly cook veggies for me - he will eat a few but not many I tried back basting but didn't like it. I stick with needle turn applique as it is what I like - good luck with it - always good to try a new method to see if it is for you
Thank you for sharing Jeana's method of applique. I'm a longtime sewer and never heard of it. I have some preprinted panels that this technique will work well on.
You are not alone in misplacing things in plain sight. It is a large exclusive club! My friend made that same Boursin cheese pasta dish for her family last night. I will have to try it sometime. We had asparagus risotto last night. A yummy spring recipe! It’s always fun to visit your blog —lovely sewing projects and good food!
Yes I "lose" things in plain view all the time and so does my husband. Sometimes I just have to step outside and re-enter the house and calmly look around. I have used the Boursin cheese as well with pasta and vegies and it was wonderful! I love your Bramble Blooms piece and the border is wonderful! Have a great day!
My neighbor cooks her butternut squash in the microwave after poking the bulb/ball end with a sharp knife and then nuking for 3 minutes at a time, checking to see if the squash is soft yet. Once it's soft, she lets it cool a bit and then takes a spoon and peels the skin off. Then you can cut it up into cubes or mash it. :)
I cook butternut squash several ways: 1. Cut in half, remove the seeds, rub on oil, add salt and pepper and roast until tender. then I either scoop out the flesh and mash like potatoes (sometimes I steep garlic in the milk/cream) or cube and pan fry a bit. 2. peel and dice the the squash. Coat with oil and salt and pepper and roast at 400F until brown. Due to the after content, it can take a while to get some browning. Be prepared for a lot of reduction in volume as the water evaporates. If you have a convection oven it can greatly reduce the roasting time. I also like to add cubed carrots and onions to the mix.
Trying new recipes is fun. I've never cooked eggplant but I do order it when we go out. Your sewing projects are lovely. I lose my mind quite often. I've looked for my cell phone while talking on it...you are not alone!
Jocelyn, I’ve done very little appliqué in my quilting years, but I did make a wall quilt from a pattern in an old American Patchwork and Quilting magazine….oh how used to love those magazines! It had both patchwork and appliqué. I watched the quilting TV show that ran for years with Alex Anderson…..it was such a grand show!…..and one week she had Jeana Kimball as a guest and she demonstrated back basting quilting. I gave it a try on that quilt and I loved it. I looked at the Facebook reference you gave and I’m still not sure about how Jeana is doing that. I guess I’m a slow student! I was hoping for a more complete demo……I’ll look on YouTube for one. As usual I enjoyed your blog entry!
Good evening, Jocelyn . It does look like you got a great deal in the bunch box. Everything looks so fresh. Your Bramble Blossoms is looking amazing. Such lovely fabrics you are working with. Hugs.
Those veggies look beautiful. I've never eaten eggplant, can you believe that? The Boursin pasta is something we would love! I hide things in plain sight from myself all the time, so if you're losing your mind, so am I. ;)
I LOVE Bramble Blooms! So cute! That is a good deal on the Odd Box. Your recipe sounds great. I have not cooked butternut squash, but eggplant is a stable here in the south! It's OK baked, but MUCH better salted, peppered, and batter fried! I love eggplant and that's the way my Mama made it, and I do too, when I make it. I'm the only one that eats it, so that doesn't happen often. LOL Thanks for sharing with us at Monday Musings!
Just had to comment on your lost fabric. I so agree with you. I sometimes can't see things in plain sight. I sometimes put things away in an easy place to find them and don't find them for weeks, if not months. My most recent unfound item is my Tucker Trimmer 6" roller. It is my very favorite ruler for trimming half square triangles. I know I had It last weekend. But where the heck did I put it after I used it? Driving me bonkers. Hopefully it will surface one of these days because if not I'm buying me a new one. Have a great week.
We've never developed a taste for eggplant but that's probably because we haven't discovered a good way to cook it. Butternut squash is delicious sliced and baked with a 'sauce' of butter and brown sugar...and it's also wonderful made into soup. The Boursin pasta would be something we'd like only we'd use homemade 'boursin' (using kefir). What RC makes tastes just like the real thing. Oh yes, the things that hide in plain sight - happens to me on a regular basis so you're definitely not alone.
I'm always putting things in safe places and losing them! So you are definitely not alone. Love how Bramble Blooms is coming along. Your foray into new veggies and back basting sound interesting and certainly spice up your day! Thanks for sharing on Wednesday Wait Loss.
23 comments :
I am in love with Bramble Blooms. I didn't realize it was improv as I have watched it grow.
Years ago I was part of a group that bought a variety of fresh fruits and veggies. I loved it. I wonder if they still offer that in my area.
I quite often have something put where I can easily find it, only to realize it wasn't that easy to spot.
God bless.
We love roasted butternut squash. Just peel, cut into 1 inch cubes, toss with a bit of olive oil, sea salt and thyme or rosemary. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, stir and replace in oven for another 15 minutes or so until they are done to your liking. You can also use the cooked squash to make pumpkin pie. Your Bramble Blooms project is coming along beautifully!
https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/beef-and-butternut-squash-chili
https://www.fromachefskitchen.com/ratatouille/#recipe
Good evening! I enjoy reading your blog, especially life in Canada since I live just south of Atlanta, Georgia. It’s never terribly cold here, but it’s miserably hot for what seems like 9 months out of the year! I’m including 2 of my favorite ways to use butternut squash and eggplant. My 2 almost grown kids have eaten these for years without any complaint. Hope you find them interesting enough to try! Even if don’t comment often, I’m still here enjoying your posts! Andrea Hickman
I've been on a baba ganoush kick with eggplant recently. Good stuff. Mom used to peel, cut, (scrape out the seeds), boil and mash butternut squash (with a little brown sugar). But recently I found out you can eat the skin - so I've been dicing it up (including the seeds), then toss it with oil, salt and some spices and roast it. Sometimes with sage and cranberries. Delicious.
It's always dangerous to put something away in a safe place for later use. And, yes, I've done it many times. It's not just you, Jocelyn. I hope your busy week works out well, with no surprises.
Pat
Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!
Butternut squash: You can bake it whole, on a pan... which you can line with parchment paper first, 'cause when done it will be soft and sticky. Delicious plain or added to other things. IF you can cut it down the middle lengthwise, (they are hard!), you can scrape out the seeds from the rounded end and bake with butter and brown sugar in that bowl shape if you wish. Makes a great pumpkin pie!
I have tried eggplant and found it very bland so you have to cook with spices or something - hubby won't eat it so I have never gotten it again. I love butternut squash and like butternut squash - hubby again doesn't like it (he eats very few veggies) but with soup it is good for several days also I can freeze it too and heat it up when I want it. That is the reason I don't get those boxes though as I mainly cook veggies for me - he will eat a few but not many
I tried back basting but didn't like it. I stick with needle turn applique as it is what I like - good luck with it - always good to try a new method to see if it is for you
Thank you for sharing Jeana's method of applique. I'm a longtime sewer and never heard of it. I have some preprinted panels that this technique will work well on.
You are not alone in misplacing things in plain sight. It is a large exclusive club! My friend made that same Boursin cheese pasta dish for her family last night. I will have to try it sometime. We had asparagus risotto last night. A yummy spring recipe! It’s always fun to visit your blog —lovely sewing projects and good food!
Yes I "lose" things in plain view all the time and so does my husband. Sometimes I just have to step outside and re-enter the house and calmly look around. I have used the Boursin cheese as well with pasta and vegies and it was wonderful! I love your Bramble Blooms piece and the border is wonderful!
Have a great day!
My neighbor cooks her butternut squash in the microwave after poking the bulb/ball end with a sharp knife and then nuking for 3 minutes at a time, checking to see if the squash is soft yet. Once it's soft, she lets it cool a bit and then takes a spoon and peels the skin off. Then you can cut it up into cubes or mash it. :)
I cook butternut squash several ways:
1. Cut in half, remove the seeds, rub on oil, add salt and pepper and roast until tender. then I either scoop out the flesh and mash like potatoes (sometimes I steep garlic in the milk/cream) or cube and pan fry a bit.
2. peel and dice the the squash. Coat with oil and salt and pepper and roast at 400F until brown. Due to the after content, it can take a while to get some browning. Be prepared for a lot of reduction in volume as the water evaporates. If you have a convection oven it can greatly reduce the roasting time. I also like to add cubed carrots and onions to the mix.
Trying new recipes is fun. I've never cooked eggplant but I do order it when we go out. Your sewing projects are lovely. I lose my mind quite often. I've looked for my cell phone while talking on it...you are not alone!
Jocelyn, I’ve done very little appliqué in my quilting years, but I did make a wall quilt from a pattern in an old American Patchwork and Quilting magazine….oh how used to love those magazines! It had both patchwork and appliqué. I watched the quilting TV show that ran for years with Alex Anderson…..it was such a grand show!…..and one week she had Jeana Kimball as a guest and she demonstrated back basting quilting. I gave it a try on that quilt and I loved it. I looked at the Facebook reference you gave and I’m still not sure about how Jeana is doing that. I guess I’m a slow student! I was hoping for a more complete demo……I’ll look on YouTube for one. As usual I enjoyed your blog entry!
Good evening, Jocelyn . It does look like you got a great deal in the bunch box. Everything looks so fresh. Your Bramble Blossoms is looking amazing. Such lovely fabrics you are working with. Hugs.
Those veggies look beautiful. I've never eaten eggplant, can you believe that? The Boursin pasta is something we would love! I hide things in plain sight from myself all the time, so if you're losing your mind, so am I. ;)
bake butternut squash, sausages and apples....yum
I LOVE Bramble Blooms! So cute! That is a good deal on the Odd Box. Your recipe sounds great. I have not cooked butternut squash, but eggplant is a stable here in the south! It's OK baked, but MUCH better salted, peppered, and batter fried! I love eggplant and that's the way my Mama made it, and I do too, when I make it. I'm the only one that eats it, so that doesn't happen often. LOL Thanks for sharing with us at Monday Musings!
Your Bramble Blooms is looking great! I love the orange peel border, very clever. Butternut squash...yum! You've gotten some great suggestions for it.
Just had to comment on your lost fabric. I so agree with you. I sometimes can't see things in plain sight. I sometimes put things away in an easy place to find them and don't find them for weeks, if not months. My most recent unfound item is my Tucker Trimmer 6" roller. It is my very favorite ruler for trimming half square triangles. I know I had It last weekend. But where the heck did I put it after I used it? Driving me bonkers. Hopefully it will surface one of these days because if not I'm buying me a new one. Have a great week.
We've never developed a taste for eggplant but that's probably because we haven't discovered a good way to cook it. Butternut squash is delicious sliced and baked with a 'sauce' of butter and brown sugar...and it's also wonderful made into soup. The Boursin pasta would be something we'd like only we'd use homemade 'boursin' (using kefir). What RC makes tastes just like the real thing.
Oh yes, the things that hide in plain sight - happens to me on a regular basis so you're definitely not alone.
I'm always putting things in safe places and losing them! So you are definitely not alone. Love how Bramble Blooms is coming along. Your foray into new veggies and back basting sound interesting and certainly spice up your day! Thanks for sharing on Wednesday Wait Loss.
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