S. S. Recap

The Sistas gathered together this morning to pool our resources and make our cute patchwork aprons. There was lots of

Eating


Sharing


Cutting


Sewing

Teasing (I for one laughed when Joy walked in and announced "I'm making a skirt." and proceeded to lay down a skirt from her closet onto her fabric and cut, sans pattern. It was going so wrong at first...


But she pulled it out in the end! Bravo!


Posing


Jamie Oliver's Crispy and Delicious Asparagus and Potato Tart

I realized later that I used too many potatoes in my recipe, it didn't set up quite right!

Ingredients:

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Sea salt
1 pound asparagus spears, woody ends removed
8 ounces filo pastry
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup freshly grated Grueyere cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Cheddar
3 large organic or free-range eggs
1 (8-ounce) container heavy cream
1/4 whole fresh nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Put your potatoes into a pan of salted boiling water and cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile blanch your asparagus in a separate pan of salted boiling water for 4 minutes, and drain in a colander.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Get an ovenproof dish - I've used many different shapes and sizes. Layer the sheets of filo pastry in the dish, brushing them with melted butter as you go and letting about 1-inch hang over the edge. You want to get the pastry about 5 layers thick. Put a clean, damp kitchen towel over the top and put aside.

When the potatoes are done, mash them with the cheeses. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs and cream and stir into your cheesy mashed potato. Grate in the nutmeg, season well with pepper and mix together. Spread the mashed potato over the filo pastry, then bring up the sides of the filo and scrunch them together to form a rim. Take your blanched asparagus and line them up across the filling, making sure you cover it all. Brush all over with the remaining melted butter and pop into the preheated oven for around 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve just as you would a quiche for a quick lunch or supper, with a salad.

Stocked Up On Estrogen

We met, we drank (coffee), we conquered the world's problems...at least those involving, recipes, sewing, or finding the perfect pair of jeans... So, I'd say coffee with the girls was a success.

There is nothing like a coffee shop full of women, all talking at once, to put a look of fear into a poor man walking in for his morning coffee. We whirled in and took over the joint then packed up all our stuff and swept out just as fast - things to do, places to go. Life interrupts (like the guy waiting in my driveway to replace my windshield), but those precious times with the girls is what keeps me going. Thanks for the monthly estrogen dose, ladies, I don't know what I'd do without you!

As an aside, we found a treasure in that little coffee shop! I simple rack of greeting cards so profound - for a lover of the written word it was heaven. Take a look at this amazing line of "quotable" products that has me going back to read more each night since I found it.

My Baby Has Turned 6!

Well, it was birthday extravaganza this weekend for my Helper Munchkin and much of it revolved around candy and football...go figure.

We started out the weekend with a Friday night High School game under the lights, (lots of candy and junk food) followed by a Saturday afternoon of big brother games, (lots of candy and junk food) and culminated with boys' day out with their dad at a Steeler's game (lots of candy and junk food). So, to recap : birthday, candy and junk food, football...got it?

Tomorrow I get my quota of estrogen when I meet my girlfriends for coffee, I'm in withdrawal here and on testosterone overload so I'm counting down the hours.