Passover nut & raisin cookies

Passover nut & raisin cookies
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup matzo cake meal (I use regular meal - cake meal is finer, but not enough so to get a box of each.)
1 cup chopped nuts (I used ground almonds)
1 cup raisins (I used a packaged that was "plumped for baking.")
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

beat the eggs well then add the rest of the ingredients. Let the batter sit for 1 hour (the recipe said 15 minutes, but the later batches were easier to work with.) drop spoonfuls on to parchment lines baking sheets, leaving room for the cookies to spread. (They were very wet when I spooned them onto the cookies sheets & did not spread much while baking.) Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

baked garlic

baked garlic
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

This is all that is left of my baked garlic & chicken. I missed a shot of the platter of chicken - I was putting the baby to bed while my husband served our guests. The recipe below is approximate..

4 whole garlic heads, firm and unpeeled
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
sugar substitute equal to 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into eighths (or the equivalent)
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 425°F. Wash garlic heads well, peeling off only the outside layers and keeping the garlic intact. Slice off the tops and coat with 1/2 tablespoon oil, sugar substitute, salt and pepper. place in the corners of your baking dish.
Sprinkle both sides of your chicken pieces with salt, pepper & paprika. Bake covered for about 2 hours. For a richer color, remove cover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and serve. (I sprinkle the parsley on near the end - I like the fresh green color.)

The garlic permeates the chicken while cooking, you could press the garlic out & serve it with/on the chicken. I reserved mine & will add it to potatoes later in the week. (You could also smear it on a cracker/matzo/toast...YUM)

Getting ready

Getting ready
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

Well the holiday is definitely upon us. In this picture you can see the Jarred Charoset, the cup for the Prophet Elijah, the items for my seder plate, what is left of 1 flat of eggs, & a sponge cake.
I am now off to make another cake. :o)

Chicken Soup

Chicken Soup
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

My chicken soup is simmering. & smells so good.
I decided to make my from scratch Matzo Balls. The recipe follows.

Matzoh Balls
These matzoh balls are the light, fluffy kind. If you prefer hard matzoh balls, try another recipe. (The box recipes are harder - because you do not separate the eggs & you add fat - usually oil.)
8 eggs, separated
Add to yolks:
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
1/2 cup club soda
Beat yolks on high speed.
Beat egg whites until stiff.
Fold yolks into whites with a fork.
Fold matzoh meal in with a fork, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture is of medium consistency.
You will need at least 2 cups matzoh meal.
Cover the bowl with foil and refrigerate at least 30-40 minutes.
Boil water in a large pot. Form balls of mixture with hands; drop into the boiling water.
Cook matzoh balls in a covered pot over low heat for 30-40 minutes. Add to soup when serving.

On Passover (quilts at the end.)

Pesach in Hebrew.
(This post is going to go all over the place - just a warning. & Just because I do or do not do something does not make it right or wrong - completely. There are many traditions within the spectrum of Judaism & so there are many levels & variations on observance - on everything Passover included.) I will use wiki links for further information, because it seems to lack bias & in general includes biblical references - which should the basis for the answers to the "Why's." As with most sources of information, take what you like & take the rest with salt.

During the seder we ask "Why is this night different from all other nights?"
One of the reasons is that we eat matzo not bread which is chametz. (wiki link) This is why we have been spring cleaning to the nth degree. Pulled out all of the shelves in the fridge, ran the self cleaning mode on the ovens, etc.*
*Not unlike how people clean in general, I am sure that some people did a far thourough job that we did & some quite possibly did less.

Chametz is not to be confused with Kitnyot. (wiki link)

Next is my Seder Menu - I think. (wiki link. Before the actual meal, we will "eat" other items for lack of a better term, ceremonially.)

Matzo ball soup, In the past, I have used from scratch recipes that used ground matzot & boxed mixes that also used ground matzot & both were/are fine. )I have also had chicken or vegeterian soups.) I may still make them because my son likes them. However this year I am going to try something new! My Matzo balls will be made with broken matzot. (Matzot is the plural of matzo & matza, matzoh, matzah are all "correct" spelling variations.) Recipes with or without photos may appear later - if you ask I may indulge...
Roasted Asparagus - may "recipes" methods can be found on the internet - olive oil/salt/pepper roasted in a hot oven for 20-ish minutes.
Sweet Potatoes - probably made with date syrup & spices (or with prunes, carrots, honey & cinnamon - my "old" recipe, called Tsimmes. wiki link.)
Chicken - I was going to try an Israeli recipe, but I was unable to get Sumac (It sold out at the store before I could get some.) So I will make a garlic* chicken.
*Some don’t eat garlic on Passover, to show that they are not among the kind of folks who wanted to return to slavery in Egypt. Wandering in the desert, harvesting that same old mannah every morning and evening, the unbelievers complained that they missed “the cucumbers, leeks, and garlic” of the good old days under Pharaoh. They are in the minority, if based on nothing more than the gammut of Passover recipes that use garlic.
An example is this chicken & garlic recipe that I found on the net. (Mine will be baked.)
Haroset Cake - (Haroset is one of the ceremonial foods in the seder, served on Matzot with horse radish - may favorite part! wiki link - includes recipes & an example of how there are many variations - like what I was saying at the begining. FYI I use jarred Haroset - I like it better than anything that I have made & better that what I have been served that was home made - in general. My MIL uses jarred haroset too.) Unlike many Passover foods that are gluten free, the Haroset cake has gluten, because it uses Matzot.*
*Some do not use matzo as an ingredient in recipes like this. The term used for this type of recipe in Yiddish is gebrochts. (wiki link.) So you will find recipes labeled as gebrochts or non-gebrochts.

During the week of Passover, I will stay home pretending to be a stay-at-home mom cooking & baking everything from scratch. :o)

Passover quilting items:
(Yes, that is my door.)
two table runners representing the 10 plagues. (wiki link)
Just a portion of a holiday's in general quilt.

OOPs

I was going to save that last one for next week. (I blog from flickr on my MAC, since I am at my PC, I can/will blog a couple more now.)
(The fringe appears to have been made using a serger.)
Love the idea - if not the execution (Not that I could do better mind you... I can just "see" it better.)

Some of the flowers are 3-D.

I wish that my close-up had turned out sharper... I really liked the deceptive simplicity that the squares as flowers gave to this piece & just enough beading.
Since that cat quilt yesterday was my favorite, this one has to be my second favorite.
Love how the water line & bubbles were depicted!

This quilt made me look at plaid in a whole new light!
(& I really liked the quilting on this one too.)
Brought to you by your quilt show tour guide.
(I hope to upload the rest of the photos tonight or tomorrow.)

DSC09739

DSC09739
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

Isn't she pretty! I really do like to see pictoral quilts. Especially the ones that at the end of the day still look like quilts.

Lancaster Quilt Show

DSC09723
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

So I took my sick baby (ear infection + the expected amoxicillin related reactions) to the Lancaster Quilt Show. (His disposition was fine - many people remarked at what a happy baby he is.) I had to see how it would be since AQS is putting it on now (at least for this year.) It was a nice show & the venue is improved, but.... (Yes, there is always a but.)
I hated the shuttle. I also hated that the directions sent you to the visitor's center & not the convention center.
So I waited to leave until my baby woke up & had breakfast & for the mornig rush hour traffic to subside a bit. (leaving at a time that can only bedescribed as later than optimal.)
The drive to Lancaster was uneventful this year (last year, I missed my turn & did not realize it for about 100 miles - luckily I did not have to back track.) until I got to my "destination." I did not see a convention center, so I stopped into a hotel & asked, "Where is it?" & Heard, of you need to go to this parking lot and catch the shuttle. (What did I forget in my car - change of clothes for my baby & a blanket to help him get to sleep at nap time.)
The wait for the shuttle could have been longer (that is a positive by the way). & the crowd waiting for the shuttle could have been bigger (another positive.) They nicely left the front seat open for the gal carrying a baby, diaper bag, lunch bag & back pack. - some of that stuff would have stayed in the car under non-shuttle conditions. (The stroller was under the bus.)
It was nice not having to drive into the center of Lancaster (but I should have done it anyway!) and finding parking garage.
Since I arrived at lunch time, we started the day out by eating the lunch that I smartly packed. (I only forgot my beverage.) Now to find an elevator - & to wait for the working one...
(There wasn't a family restroom on the main floor.)
Luckily I walked in & saw this quilt (My favorite) - that improved my mood a bit.
Overall I did not find myself taking as many photos as in the past... (Quite a few of the quilts did "nothing" for me... But the ones I liked I am glad that I got to see them - especially the special exhibit in which you could not take pictures.)
I found the family restroom in the NICK of time!
& Because I did not see Pinwheels (a vendor that I visit at most of the big shows) I off handedly asked the guy manning the door if that was "it?"
No, it was not - but if I had not asked, I would have missed floors 2 & 3 - POOR Planning or something on behalf of AQS & one of the vendors that I talked to on the 3rd floor felt the pains of the poor planning. & The 2nd floor was so dark...
A couple more diaper changes - one should have necessitated a change in clothes - but my car was no where close enough & I managed to forget the change of clothes in the car... The other definately necessitated a change in clothes - on top of the accident, while putting the soiled clothes in to a wet bag, we had another accident - soaking the rest of the clothes - socks included. So I put his jacket on & slipped my jacket onto his bottom half with the sleeves around his legs - classy I know.
I then got to wait for the shuttle - knowing that I would have to figure out how to unwrap the baby to get the stroller under the bus. The driver lowered the bus onto the curb - so there was some drama & yucky metal on cement noises to fix that. & there was the drama from the people who needed to find the other bus & there were the inevitable knocking on the door last minute people adding to the delay in getting the shuttle bus to the cars. (In "rush hour" traffic.) Luckily the weather was nice - only a bit cool - because I changed the baby in the stroller before getting to the point where I could reload the car & try to leave Lancaster. The only problem at this point is that I was about 1.5 hours behind schedule.
So we stopped for dinner instead of making it home. That added another 1/2 hour onto the trip. & he completely soiled his last outfit while eating his dinner. So I put him in his sweater & draped a blanket over his lap for the last leg of our journey.
Oh that journey took 5 hours instead of 3 because of all of the shuttle/traffic/etc. issues.
I don't think that I will be going to Lancaster next year... I need to have my car close enough to have supplies at the ready.
(Yes, Jacob has a diaper rash on top of the loose stools - so he was really happy with all of the bum wiping yesterday...)

What would you do with this? What would you add to it?

What would you do with this? What would you add to it?
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

Go ahead give it too me! (Each piece is about a fat quarter.) I am open to all (most) suggestions.

Chicken

Thanks so much for the chicken ideas!
We had chicken with an herbed wild rice "pilaf" & broccoli. YUM! Tonight I will finish off the chicken with a coconut based curry. :o)

Kona Solids in use

Lesly asked to see my Kona Solids purchase. (One or more may actually be a Moda Bella Solid.) So here they are:
The top one is school bus yellow - the others? Many shades of red! (One of those purples - probably the one on the bottom will be THE "Purple +")
What am I doing with them? (all 36 of them - where I only repeat the solids once - orange - it is already cut out...)
The "block" - a log cabin variation - frames?
The next to be sewn:

& then:

These will be paired with my new fabrics:

Back in February, I shared this one:

& this one:

chicken, chicken who wants chicken

So on Sunday, I decided to make chicken in a crock-pot. (Stuff it with lemon & thyme, cook it for 3 hours on high)
I also decided to make 2 - for the left overs.
Last night I made "creamed" chicken - gumbo without the spice? (flour & stock thickened up with veggies & chopped cooked chicken breast)
Now I am soliciting ideas on how to use cooked chicken (non-dairy please.)
I could even use some - serve it with a starch & a vegetable ideas. (Jacob had it with butternut squash twice!)

A random quilt from Mid-Atlantic.

DSC09926
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

I love a controlled scrappy quilt.

Since it is green & I managed to not only look green in the gills but to wear green - Happy St. Patty's Day to you. (There is even a bit of orange for the Unionists.)

Garbo?

Garbo?
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

Do you know what Jacob loves? To play with the scarf that Paula made for him. (Boy is he going to be sad when we pack away all of the winter gear...)

Adding machine

Adding machine
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

This is where I am - though I wish I were still in bed.
I did go out to get those Kona Solids yesterday.

tuckered out

DSC09682
Originally uploaded by aviva_hadas

Maybe we both over did it when I went in the office to work last weekend...

from the sick bed dreaming about buying Kona Solid cottons....

design wall

The Purple + quilt.
(Taken with my cell phone camera.)
This is a pile of Hope Valley 2.5 inch squares. HopeVally is designed by Denyse Schmidt for FreeSpirit fabrics. I will use this pile for making a Kaffe Fasset quilt. I did find & bought some gridded fusible web. I hope that I can make it work. I am not going to trim my 2.5 squares down & I was only able to find 1 inch grid...

Why Purple +? Because my son's shape box has 2 purple plus shaped pieces. :o) Even though I got several solids to use with these printed fabrics, I think that I will only use 2 solids in purple to represent those pieces.

P.S. The Pecan Pie (from Trader Joes) was great!

Quilts with words

There were two exhibits where it appeard as though quilts with words was a theme/rule...
(I like words on quilts/fabric, much more so than on placcards - there I've said it, in general I do not read the placcards. For me the reaction is much more visceral & about the visual impact.)
The Hebrew letter is a Shin for Shaddai.






(When I lived in The District, I used this road often.)



(That is why I collect black & white cat fabric - >^..^<)

special exhibit (edited to add a salutation)

Before you begin.... Happy Pi day! (All of a sudden, I am craving a slice of pie.)

You have seen photos of many of these quilts already on my blog. I have seen her (Sandy Curran) quilts displayed in Mid-Atlantic & Houston. (Probably Lancaster & Hershey as well...) Some of her non-cat ones are rather provocative.