Birthday....Bust :-(

Have you ever known a 4-year-old to have a birthday party in which several other children were invited and no one showed up?  That's what's happened to Fleur de Lis Quilts.  It's sad and disheartening, but I've decided to move on.  


Much of what I write about is for myself: a way of recording my ideas, my quilting story, and events, So in a way it makes sense that I continue in that vein and not let my lack of interested, engaged readers affect who I am or what I write.  People will either read or not.  

On the other hand, I have to admit that it stings.  After all, there were a few people who visited.  They, apparently, just chose not to enter the giveaway.  

Regardless, I have one faithful follower: Kaja, who visits a couple of times each week and leaves her sweet comments.  Since she is the only one to comment on the giveaway, she wins by default!  Congratulations Kaja!  I'll send the New Orleans recipe book and the fabric, in yellow, once I hear from you.


I've already sent you an email and it would be best to respond to that so that I'm sure to get your note.

I hope you enjoy your prizes!

Four Years of Blogging CELEBRATION and GIVEAWAY

I've really enjoyed blogging.  I like writing and having an outlet for some of my work.  I also enjoy reading other blogs, keeping up with what is going on in the quilting/blogging world and, mostly, I love meeting new people.  

This outlet is just as much an inlet for me.  FOUR fun years!

So enough celebrating, let's give something away!  First I have this sweet little recipe book that Richard and I picked up on our last trip to the Big Easy.  The title is Favorite Recipes from New Orleans, the recipes are from some of its famous restaurants and everyone looks and reads absolutely delicious.  Well, I mean, the one or two that I looked at. 

Just take at look at Cherries Jubilee.

And there are beautiful photos of some of those restaurants.  The photos alone would be worth the price of the book. 

And so what about the quilting part of the blog?  Well, there's something for that, too.  I've been taking advantage of the very generous sale at Sew Fresh Fabrics which is eventually closing it's online store.  To that end, they are giving 30% off of all purchases of whatever is left on their shelves.  I've decided to cut some of the fat quarters into 4 1/2 inch squares so that I can play with a few ideas (eventually) and, of course, I thought you'd like a few of the squares.  Since I've barely started cutting on the Studio cutter, I thought I'd let the winner choose a color or two.  It really doesn't matter to me, since I can play with whatever color I happen to have.  
This means we'll have two winners: the first name chosen by Mr. Random Number will win the recipe book, the second will win some 4 1/2 inch squares.

These are the pieces that came in this week, but again, you don't have to choose yellow or green: I have plenty of other colors, patterns, and prints.  If you'd like to do something really scrappy, or modern, or "everything and the kitchen sink," I can do that, too. Four years of blogging should mean, oh, 40 squares, don't you agree?

So what do you have to do?  
Well, heck we're celebrating four years, so let's give you four chances:
                               1. like Fleur de Lis Quilts on Facebook, 
                               2. follow Fleur de Lis Quilts blog, 
                               3. follow Fleur de Lis Quilts on 3rd Revolution, 
                        and 4. tell us which color, print or type of fabric you'd prefer (solids, prints, modern, mix it up).

Surely you know that you'll need to leave a comment for each chance...please do.  And don't forget your email address so I can contact you on Friday, which will be the final day of the giveaway.

Spring Asparagus

I haven't added a new recipe in a long time since I rarely cook these days.  Since Richard had neck surgery in December, he is home much more than I am, and he's taken over most of the duties, including cooking.  

However, yesterday when I got home I thought about checking on my asparagus.  I should have thought about them sooner: some of the shoots were a bit overgrown and woody.  I cut everything out-- perfect or chewy--and brought it in to wash and cook.  Here's my version of asparagus soup using every piece of some pretty tough asparagus.

Creme of Asparagus Soup
Chop all the woody pieces into 1/2 inches and toss into a medium-sized saucepan with two cups of chicken broth mixed with a cup of water and put to boiling.  After 45 minutes of slow boiling, put the stock in the food processor and pulse a few seconds, then strain squeezing the shreds as much as possible. Simmer the broth and one can of condensed milk for 10 minutes.  Mix a teaspoon of corn starch with 1/4 cup water until well dissolved and slowly add to broth.  Chop the rest of asparagus into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces and add to soup.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes until asparagus is crisp tender.  Add sea salt to taste and serve hot.

Mary

Praline or Pie?

There's very little that's better than a delicious Louisiana pecan.  That means someone has to go out and pick pecans and yesterday that someone was ME. 

I am sore from bending, squatting, and kneeling.  Rich and I decided that we'd go to my parents' old place and pick a few.  

We stopped on our way home from the cemetery last week and noticed that there were many small pecans on the ground.  One tree in particular has tiny pecans that are full, oily and delicious.  We started picking under that tree.

Unfortunately, when the pecans are so small, it takes many, many pecans to fill a bucket.  We filled a five-gallon bucket!  But these little nuts are going to make a wonderful pie around Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Of course, to get them into a pie, someone has to shell them.  That's been Richard's job so far.  He began shelling pecans last week and after three nights of shelling, he has enough for perhaps three pies.  Since I generally make three pies for each holiday, we'll need more if we hope to have pralines.  And, let's not forget pecan cake.....that is a pretty good treat, too.

I suppose I'll have to find some time to pitch in and help with the shelling.  At least Richard does the cracking.  He has a handy little gadget that makes it easy enough.  It can be adjusted for the different sizes of nuts so that the big ones are squashed to crumbs and the small pecans break.  Imagine trying to crack those little ones with your hands...not easy.

I wanted to add a tip for cleaning the pecans.  If you don't pick out the small pieces of  hull from the meat, it gives your dish a bitter taste.  Although you can use a toothpick or small knife, I just put the shelled pecans in a zip-top baggie and shake it hard.  

The hull pieces fall off the pecan meat and sink to the bottom of the baggie.  I transfer the pecans to a clean baggie before putting them in the freezer; just be careful separating the small pieces from the hull pieces.   

For recipes for an easy pecan pie and one for pralines, click on the recipes tab above or here.  I hope you have ample opportunity to taste Louisiana pecans and to use them in your favorite recipe.

Jambalaya Recipe

As Louisianans we are lucky to have a few "home-grown" products that are easily purchased.  Many of them are a vital part of our Cajun culture.   


Because we love our Cajun foods and traditions, we tend to build product lines around them.  It would be difficult to name all the Cajun food product lines, but there are a few that I especially enjoy:  Richard's meats, Tony Chachere's seasonings, Community coffee, Savoie's roux, Steen's syrup, Tobasco hot sauces, and Zatarain's seafood boil.

While I've mentioned some specific items, the businesses sell many, many different items in addition to these.  Plus, for every business there's a whole line of tee shirts, caps, bumper stickers and other items that cater to our huge tourism market. 

Louisiana Jambalaya
1/4 pound each--smoked sausage, tasso, bacon, smoked ham cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 pound chicken, deboned and cut into bite-size
               pieces(may substitute with pork or beef)
Slap Ya Mama seasoning
2 tablespoons Savoie's roux
1/4 cup each--onions, bell pepper, celery
1 clove garlic
3 cups rice
3 tablespoons oil
6 cups water

Heat oil in deep Dutch oven, add chicken and brown, remove chicken to platter.  Cook bacon in Dutch oven until crispy, and remove to meat platter. Pour out excess fat reserving 2 tablespoons, add sausage and brown lightly, add vegetables and saute until onions are clear.  Return meat to pot, adding remaining meats, stir.  Add 1/2 water and heat to boiling.  Stir in roux, rice, seasoning, and remaining water.  Mix well and bring to boil.  Cover with lid and lower heat to slow simmer.  Cook 30-45 minutes until rice is completely cooked.  Serve while hot.

Serves 8.  Freezes well in zip-top bags and can be reheated in microwave.

Hurry to Pin and Win!

Pretty soon Moda Bakeshop will close the Love It, Pin It, Win It Contest, so if you haven't entered, you'd best go there now and get started.  

Another way to enter is to go to my Pinterest board and repin some of my pins.  I have one board with just Moda contest photos.  

Hover over a photo and click on the repin button.  It will automatically pin to the last board you've pinned on.

It's really easy, but be warned: it's addicting!  Pinning, I mean.  Of course, Moda fabrics are addicting, too, so be careful when you purchase them.  Not that just being careful will help much. But, you know, walk away when you have enough.  

Just don't walk away now, you need to enter the contest.  I mean, who doesn't need free fabrics that are this pretty?

Have a great weekend and happy quilting,
Mary

Love It, Pin It, Win It!

The good folks at Moda Fabrics are hosting the Love It, Pin It, Win It! contest.

http://www.modabakeshop.com/

Contest rules are quite easy, go to the Moda Bake Shop website and choose some of your favorite recipes.  Pin the ones you really love on one of your Pinterest boards.  I put my pins in the board titled, "Heart, Quilts."  So you can just repin one of those I pinned from Melissa Corry this morning.  

Later four random winners will be chosen from the pinned photos.  The grand prize is a set of the ingredients (fabrics) to make your favorite recipe.  (Note that fabric will be from what is currently available.)  Other winners will receive a Moda pre-cut.  Not bad for taking two seconds to enter.  

There is one stipulation: Each pin must have the three tags {#modabakeshop #modafabrics #lovepinwin}  That I can't explain.  I have no idea  how to make a tag, but it's easy enough to copy and paste onto the bottom of the pin.  

As I said, I simply repinned many of Melissa Corry's pins and then followed her example for a few that she hadn't pinned.  It really is easy.  Already I have 9 or 10 MBS pins on my board.  Since the contest runs until Sept. 22, there's still time to pin a few more, so have fun with it.

Happy Quilting, Mary

Bread Pudding

I've played with a couple of recipes for making bread pudding, but I've found "the bomb," as the kids say.  This recipe is unbelievably delicious--sweet, crunchy, and flavorful.

I thought that since I love this recipe so much, I would share it with you.  Warning: It's good, but it comes with the price of calories!

Bread Pudding 

• 10 slices white bread
• 2 c granulated sugar
• 2/3 c packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 c butter or margarine
• 5 eggs
• 2 c milk
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tsp rum extract
• 1 c chopped pecans

Directions:

Spray 9X13 baking dish.  Cube the bread and spread in the baking dish.  Using electric mixer, blend sugars and margarine until fluffy; add eggs one at a time.  Pour in milk; add extracts mix well.  Sprinkle pecans over bread cubes.  

Carefully pour sugar mixture over bread cubes and allow bread to soak up mixture.  (I speed the process by pouring the mix into the corners and the center, then stirring the bread around so all of it gets to the puddles.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  

Neiman Marcus Bars

When two or three of my sisters get together, there's bound to be some talk about food.  We can't seem to help ourselves.  I think it's in the water, but if we consumed just water we would all be just a tad over in poundage.  But what the heck? right?  We love life and each other.  No complaining about having lots to love.


Want to know the reason there's lots to love? Neiman Marcus Bars are one.  I'm not posting a photo of the pan of bars we made. (Sid is the one who made them, but we are sharing credit since she used my stove).  The reason is that there is no photo.  They were so good, they didn't last long enough for a photo.


Sid's plan is to use the same recipe but to substitute chocolate cake mix for yellow.  I'll let you know how that turns out.  Don't expect anything negative, however, since we like chocolate.


I do have a recipe.  And since you were about to ask, I'll just post it here.  Enjoy!

Neiman Marcus Bars
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter or margarine


topping:
1 block cream cheese
2 eggs
pound of powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla
handful of chopped pecans 


Mix in a bowl and spread in a 9 X 13 pan.  It's really thick, like play doh consistency, so plan to use your hands.


Mix the topping ingredients together and pour on top of the cake mix.  Spread to edges of pan.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Cool and cut into bars.

Shrimp Bread

Our evenings in Ruston have consisted of tooling around in the car and taking short walking excursions to see the architecture and experience the sense of place.  One of the things we have to do during our excursions is eat.  We've managed to find some great places.  Not that they're hiding!  

One of the places was a wonderful Italian restaurant, which I wrote a little about here.  Monjuni's Restaurant is definitely a place to visit.  I highly recommend the Shrimp Bread, which I can't duplicate exactly, but it's so delicious that I'm willing to give it a go.  This is what I have so far, and though it's not Monjuni's, it's a decent appetizer.  

Shrimp Bread
4 thick slices of French Bread
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 
medium tomato thinly sliced
mozzarella cheese
1/2 pound salad shrimp
salt/pepper to taste

Saute shrimp in small amount of olive oil until pink, remove.  Soak bread in olive oil for a few minutes to allow for absorption.  Place on baking dish and add one slice of tomato on top.  Add thick layer of mozzarella cheese and warm to begin melting cheese.  Add shrimp and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake in warm oven until cheese is completely melted and shrimp are cooked through.  Serve immediately.


If you give this recipe a try, please let me know how you enjoy it.  I find it quite easy but simply delicious and can't wait till we get home to give it a try.  I'll let you know if I tweak it a little.  I'll also snap a photo and add it to this page.  And I'll add this recipe to the recipe page so it's easy to find. The photos here already all came from google photos.   I know, I'm sorry.  Give them credit for the pics already.  


Now tell me what you think about recipes you find online.  Do you give them a try?  What is your criteria for considering a recipe?  Do you search for recipes or do you just happen to stumble on them?  I'm not so sure about this recipe building online.  I sure could use your input.

Southern Pecan Pralines

Before I tell you how to make pralines, I think I owe you the story behind the recipe.  Every year for Christmas my dad would make these wonderful pecan pralines. 
It was a huge deal at our house.  Everyone pitched in to pick and shell the pecans.

When there were enough for "pecan candy," as my dad called it, he would put the big black iron pot on the stove and begin pouring in all sorts of sugars and butter and canned milk. Then the stirring began.

We each took a turn at stirring, but now I realize that it was only so we felt that we were a part of the process.  The candy in the pot is cooked at boiling temperatures and should it splash or splatter on hands and arms, it continues to cook and burn until cold water washes  it off.  That rarely ever happened, since daddy picked up each of us and allowed us to stir.

We'd give a big effort of stirring the pot of bubbling sugars squealing with delight. He'd set that daughter down and pick up the next one, each in turn so that everyone had a chance to stir.

At some point we were shooed out of the kitchen so that he could get to the serious business of stirring the caramelized sugars to keep the candy from  sticking or overcooking.  Once the candy was just the right consistency, he poured in the vanilla and pecans, stirring fast and hard to mix it all up, and then carried the hot pot to the counter or table where mom had spread out some waxed paper.

Together they ladled out the candy onto the paper to cool and harden.  We stayed close enough to smell the delicious concoction and perhaps get a finger into a dripped bubble, but far enough away so as not to be dripped on. 

Oftentimes, as sisters grew up and joined the service, their candy was bagged while still warm to insure that their care packages included the candy.  Now that grandchildren are away at college or stationed in some remote area as military personnel, we make candy to ship to them.

Over the years we've sent pecan candy to Germany, Iraq, Turkey, Afganistan, Guam, and all over the U.S.  And those are the places I can think of easily. Mom and dad sent candy and care packages around the world having had five daughters, as many sons-in-law and even more grandsons in the military.

So, mix up a batch of pecan candy, but get everyone in the house involved with the stirring.  You'll be glad for the assistance, and they'll have one more family memory to share.

Bourque Family Pecan Pralines
1 stick butter or margarine
3 cups white sugar
2 cups brown sugar
2 cans evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pound pecans (chopped, whole, or ground)

Melt butter in heavy pot or dutch oven. Add sugars and evaporated milk and cook at hard boil until reduced to thick syrup.  Stir continuously to keep from sticking to pan or burning.  May take 45 minutes to a hour.  Use a candy thermometer, if necessary, to register between medium ball stage and hard ball stage, or drop teaspoon of syrup into cup of cold water.  At soft ball stage the syrup will roll up between your fingers when you handle it in the water.  At hard ball stage the syrup will clump up in the water and easily roll into a ball between your fingers.  As you become more adept at making the candy, you will be better able to tell the correct stage.  When at the soft ball stage add the pecans and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir continuously until all pecans are coated. Remove from heat, add vanilla and stir quickly. 

Drop by tablespoons onto wax paper to cool.  Get a partner to help drop the candy onto the papers as it is crucial that it all be dropped before cooling in the pot.  If this happens, you can reheat the pot and candy to melt the sugars, but candy will be harder upon cooling.

If you give this recipe a try, let me know how it works for you.

A little of this, a little of that

And a lot of corn!  Again!  Yes, we finally finished pulling the corn and it is now in the freezer.  I won't give any numbers of how many bags are in the freezer.  Let's just say it's a good thing the grandkids love corn and it's my favorite vegetable.  The good news for the Marcotte clan is that we can have this corn in a variety of ways: added to cornbread, smothered with seasoning meat such as bacon, baked into a sweet casserole, cooked down with a dab of butter, souped into Maque Choux or shrimp and corn bisque or chowder.  And more.  But you get the idea.  At the very bottom of this post I'll add my grandmother's recipe for Maque Choux.  Yummy!

A little of this might be this:

Isn't it sweet?  I had the idea this morning while finishing up Diane's bed runner.  I also had the idea that I'd get the bed runner boxed up and mailed today on my way to the doctor's office.    Poor darling is bound to be disappointed to discover that it's not in the mail.  Sorry Diane.  I tried but my attention span is pretty short and I forgot about the box.  I promise tomorrow it's gone!


So back to the pillow: I started with the fabric, appliqued the circles on, quilted the top, then made and stuffed the pillow.  Easy peasy and lots of fun.


I plan to add it to my Etsy shop when I'm finished with this post.  I haven't added anything new in a while and it's time to get busy doing that.  


Oops, almost forgot.....I did take one more pic of Diane's bed runner.  This one is of the quilt on my floor, which I use for squaring up quilts.  There are lines on the flooring every six inches which is why I use it.  Note how nice and straight the bed runner is.  Yes, everything is a potential quilting tool, even the lines on the floor.

Last up of a little of this and that: I worked on my final lesson for Quilt Campus.  Of course, I'm not done, but I'm slowly getting there.  I figure a few more days and I'll be emailing the last bit. 


Volcie's Macque Choux
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups corn
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 can tomato sauce
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 ounces of ham, cubed
2 quarts water


Fry the ham in the butter until it begins to brown.  Add the onion and saute until golden, add tomato and saute until wilted.  Add tomato sauce and half the water and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and add corn.  Cook for 30 minutes.


And that's it, pretty much.  Lots of little things to fill a day.  How was your day?  Lots of little things, too?  Share them.  We'd all like to know what kind of little things fill your days.  Leave a comment.

Green Groceries and Fried Salad

Our garden is really starting to come up.  The corn is getting as tall as I am and today we noticed a few tassels.  That means it's just a matter of a few weeks before there will be small ears ready for picking.  We like the baby ears raw right off the stalk--cob included.  My father-in-law used to call us the possums because we ate the ears before they're ready.  Then a few years later a company started pickling the baby ears and selling them.  I enjoy telling my father-in-law that I was (and still am) on to something.

Richard planted some pole snap beans in the hopes that he wouldn't have to bend down to pick the beans. His back and neck give him trouble, so he figures standing to pick the beans will be easier.  Either way, these beans are really growing.  They haven't put on any buds yet, but I imagine that they will soon.  There are a few hills in this small raised bed and another row in another garden.  The hills in the raised bed look much prettier than the others, but they are about two weeks ahead.

Our tomatoes are doing well, also.  They have lots of blooms and a few tomatoes.  It will be a few weeks before they're big enough to consider picking.  I can't wait to have enough green tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, okra, and bell peppers for picking.  We make something called Fried Salad that is just awesome and is part of our summer treat.  We don't have it too often because, well, it is fried which sort of negates the value of eating veggies.  I use whatever is in season or I happen to have available at the time. I've included the recipe below in case you're interested in eating some not-so-healthy vegetables that are really the best tasting veggies ever!

Fried Salad
1 med onion sliced into thick rings
2 med bell peppers, sliced into thick slivers
1 lg zucchini, sliced into thick slices
3-4 yellow squash, sliced into thick slices
8-10 okra, cut into large pieces
2 med green tomatoes, sliced into thick slices
1 lg egg
1/4 cup milk
Tony's seasoning
1 cup flour
1 cup fish fry
4-6 cups cooking oil

Mix cut up vegetables in a large bowl.  Scramble egg and milk in small bowl and pour over veggies.  Sprinkle Tony's on veggies, mix well and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

In heavy skillet or deep pan, heat cooking oil until hot.  Mix flour and fish fry in a large bowl, and dredge vegetables in flour mixture, then drop into hot oil.  Fry for a few minutes, and turn over.  Remove to platter covered with several paper towels.   Serve while hot and crispy.

Variations: mix and match vegetables to serve the ones you prefer.  Other vegetables that can be used include Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, scallions, califlower, carrots, and mushrooms.

Enjoy and let us know how your dish turns out.