Real Men {Do} Eat Quiche - A Recipe

I don't share too many recipes on the blog, mostly because I don't cook very much any more, but tomorrow is Father's Day, and so I thought I would share one of my family's favorites.  Maybe you're looking for something yummy to serve the guy in your life this Father's Day?  Back in the day, there was a book out called "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche", but that certainly hasn't been my experience with this dish.  It's a breakfast favorite, much-requested recipe by the men in my life!  My son usually requests it every time he comes home, and my son-in-law told me the last time he visited that it's one of the things he looks forward to when he visits.  (Or, having a ladies brunch?  Your female guests will love it too!)

This dish is perfect for family get-togethers - in fact, it's part of our traditional Christmas breakfast.



Oh, and did I tell you that you can substitute other goodies for the bacon?  Ham works great too.  During my daughter's vegetarian phase, I made her vegetarian quiche by substituting broccoli for the bacon.  Maybe you'd like mushrooms and spinach?  Whatever, this recipe is really versatile.  Let your imagination soar!


Best of all?  You can make it the day before, cover with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge overnight.  The next morning, just pop it into the oven about 30 minutes before you're ready to eat.


Perfect!

Real Men {Do} Eat Quiche

1 Pillsbury All-Ready Crust
4 - 6 Slices Bacon (cooked and crumbled)
4 Eggs
1 C. Sour Cream (sometimes I use plain nonfat yogurt to reduce the calories)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp. Dried Minced Onion
2 C. (8 oz.) Grated Cheese (I use Colby/Jack or sometimes a 4-cheese blend)

Preheat oven to 350*.

Cook bacon until crisp.  (I cook in the microwave at 1-minute per slice.)

 Place crust in pie plate or quiche dish.  (Sometimes this is easier if the crust is out of the refrigerator for a few minutes before unrolling.)

While bacon is cooking, beat eggs til frothy, then add sour cream, salt, pepper, and onion.  When bacon is done, cut or break into small pieces and add to egg mixture.  Stir in cheese. Pour egg mixture into prepared crust.

Bake at 350* for 30 minutes.  Quiche is done when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before cutting.  Cut and serve.


Enjoy!

Treasure Map

I had every intention of blogging a bit after the ECMQG meeting on Saturday.  In my last post I mentioned how I hoped to get a whole bunch of quilts sandwiched.  I spent Friday making backs for 5 quilts, and managed to get four of them sandwiched.  But then on Sunday afternoon, my daughter sent me a pattern to test, and it was so gorgeous, I just couldn't wait! 

I made the first block right away.  Since this was a Treasure Map, and since when you look for treasure you look for gems and jewels, and since Anna Maria Horner's fabrics are all in such luscious jewel tones, I decided to dig into my jealously guarded stash of AMH loveliness to create these blocks.  I really think the blocks are stunning.  In fact, we had just finished our AMH fat eighth swap at the ECMQG meeting on Saturday, so it was just serendipity that this pattern uses entirely fat eighths, except for the background. 

I really only intended to make one block, but once I got started, I couldn't stop. 

The next thing I knew, I had four blocks finished.

And I have to say, the trimmings were sure pretty.

And the more blocks I made the more excited I got.

And I just kept making blocks.  And pretty soon, I was turning them out pretty fast...

And by yesterday afternoon, I had a finished quilt top.

I am really jazzed by this quilt.  The only problem is, it adds another unfinished quilt top to the growing stack of unfinished quilt tops!  Ahhh, well...

Oh, by the way, you can purchase the pattern here.

New Month - Old Goals

To show you how much I really don't want to sandwich quilts, I started a new quilt top last weekend.  It's part of Kira's Fresh Flowers QAL..  Of course she started on April 1, but I'm really not good at keeping up with quilt-alongs.  I don't seem to have the gumption to start when everyone else does or the patience to wait for all the instructions.  I seem to do much better when I start when it's almost over.  Somehow, I think I'm missing the point...  You know, the excitement of seeing everyone else's pictures on IG as they choose their fabrics, make their first cuts, sew their blocks step by step, and then finally piece the top.  Nope.  I just can't get on the ball to do that.

I'll post more on this quilt later, because I think it's going to be one of my all-time favorites.  In fact, I just love these fabrics. Most of them are right out of the scrap basket (sorted by color, if you must know - I fought it for a long time, but once I did it, I was hooked.)  Anyway, I went shopping last weekend because the drug store was having a sale, and who can resist 60% off???  And those aquas just grabbed me, and I had to use them right now so I started a new quilt. Makes sense, right??

If you haven't seen Kira's Fresh Flowers quilt along, you will want to stop by there and take a look.  I really think this is going to be a gorgeous quilt, and it's a lot of fun to make. 

Sadly, as I said, it's not helping me get my goals accomplished.  It's really time to consider exactly what I expect to accomplish in June.  And since I didn't finish anything in May...  AND since I'm going to go watch the grands at the end of the month...  I guess I'd better get on it.

I'm really hoping to get Shiny Brite quilted and finished.  That one shouldn't be too hard.

And I think I might be able to get the citrus quilt done.

That would get me caught up.  And I really don't want to rush through Single Girl.  I think I'd like to take my time with that one.

So now I have goals.  All of which start with sandwiching quilts.  Alice says I should have a sandwiching party.  Anyone game??   I'll fix dinner...  Guess what's on the menu?

The Merry, Merry Month of May -- a 14 in 2014 update

I honestly don't know whether to be satisfied with May's progress or upset that I didn't actually finish a single quilt in May (with the exception of a couple of baby quilts, that is.)  I am putting it off because of the fact that I just hate sandwiching the darned things.  I would probably actually quilt them if I had the quilt sandwiches ready to go. 

My biggest accomplishment for the month was that I did manage to get this Single Girl quilt top put together after only 4 years of procrastination.  That was huge!  And certainly not as difficult as I had thought it was going to be.

I also finished my Shiny Brite quilt top that I started last Thanksgiving. 

And this one was technically finished in April, but I can't decide whether to put borders on it to make it just a tad bigger and maybe tone down the colors just a little bit.  A white border surrounded by a soft orange or yellow might change the whole look of it.  Maybe let me know what you think in the comments.  This quilt will probably be a Project Linus quilt, so size isn't so much of a big deal.  It currently measures about 48" by 60".

And while technically I made this quilt in April, I put the borders on in May, so I guess this quilt top was also finished this month (although this one is not on my 14 in 2014 list).

And then there was my attempt at curved improv piecing.  I'll finish this one and probably donate it to Project Linus also.  This one was started in March, so it's not a 14 in 2014 finish either, but it is a May finish, as I took it apart and put it back together several times in May before I ended up with this result, which will just have to do.

 

I made this quilt top from start to finish in May.  Luckily, she will send this one off to be long-armed, and I'll probably get it back for binding.  Hopefully there will be more photos then.

And I reorganized my sewing space in May, which is honestly really helping my process.  I still have some more things to find homes for, but I am actually using things from my fabric stash now that I can finally see what I have. 

And here's the other stuff I managed to get done in May. 

Hopefully, I'll make myself sandwich some quilts and I'll have some quilty finishes for June.  Keep your fingers crossed for me, K?

Lazy Sunday Quilt - On Friday {is that a problem?}

A little over a year ago, my friend Leona and I came up with a bargain - she would "sell" me her Accu-Quilt Go! cutter and I would make her four quilts.  What a deal, huh?

First I made this scrappy Flea Market Fancy Hugs and Kisses quilt.

Then I made this Neptune Snow Globes quilt.

Then I made this dotty Scrappy Trip Along quilt.

And the whole time I was kind of plodding along with this Fat Quarter Shop Vintage Modern Block of the Month Mystery quilt.  About the time I was finishing up the blocks and starting on the finishing kit, she decided that this quilt had some difficult memories for her and she really didn't want the quilt after all.  And this after I had made doubles of all the blocks!  Note that FQS BOM kits are so generous, I got two blocks out of almost all of them - I was thinking "a quilt for Leona, and a quilt for me."  But since she decided she didn't want this quilt, I've been feeling a little guilty....  I didn't feel like I had lived up to my part of the deal we made.

So when Leona decided she wanted this Lazy Sunday quilt (pattern by Lee of May Chappel Designs) made from Anna Maria Horner's Dowry and True Colors lines, I agreed to make it immediately.  Even though there were 112 blocks required to make the double size quilt, they were fast and easy and fun.  In a day I had the blocks made and I put the quilt together over the next couple of days.  Then it took me another two days to get around to taking the pictures.  Less than a week from start to finish, and on top of a bunch of other stuff I was doing.

Since I was trying to take photos between rain squalls, I asked my friends Bob and Billie to hold the quilt up off the ground for me, rather than my usual pin-it-to-the-fence method.  And it's sideways for the same reason.

Here's the quilt right side up, but everything else is kind of topsy-turvy.  Anyway, I love how these fabrics in this pattern make just a riot of color!  I think it will be truly spectacular when it is quilted.  I just can't wait.

Meanwhile, I finished up another baby quilt, this one for Billie's new grandchild, Locke.  Mom and Dad decided not to find out the baby's gender beforehand, so neutral colors were the thing.  Their nursery is green with a monkey theme, so I used a really cute monkey fabric for the backing.  I really had fun making these two hexie flower baby quilts (click here to see the pink one).  They're super fast and a blast to make.  I think there will be more of these in my future.

I'm linking up with crazymomquilts for Finish-it Friday.

So what have you been up to this week?

A Little Light Reading - May Edition (and some quilting)

I knew it couldn't last...  After actually posting a whole week of consistent blog posts, I took yesterday off.  I was in the middle of a book (or rather book series), and just couldn't tear myself away long enough to blog.  I actually read the whole series of 3 books in less than 24 hours.  So, given that I spent most of yesterday reading, I thought I'd share my  reading finishes since my last light reading post. 

I actually did do a little sewing.  I started putting together this AMH Lazy Sunday quilt...

I made a baby quilt for a baby shower I attended on Saturday.  Baby Ciana's mommy and daddy have been waiting a long time for her, and we are all excited to meet her.  What better way to celebrate the pending birth of a sweet baby girl than a luscious pink flower quilt?  The fabric was part of a Daydream layer cake by Kate Spain.

This quilt was inspired by a quilt I saw at The Scarlet Thread in McDonough, Georgia while I was at Stash Bash.  Yup, even the fabric was the same.  I used my Hex-n-More ruler, and it was perfect for said layer cake.   The quilt went together super fast and I really enjoyed making it.  In fact, I had so much fun with it I made another one in green that just needs to be quilted.  Hopefully I'll get to that this week. 

Memorial Day - A Time to Remember and Appreciate

This weekend is a holiday in the U.S.  The start of summer.  School is letting out.  The weather is warming up.  The beaches are packed. 

Memorial Day.

Perhaps, like me, you've been seeing these photos crop up on Facebook and Instagram this weekend as reminders of what this weekend is really about.  The photos come from FB, but have passed around and shared so often that I have no idea who to credit.  This one is very familiar to me - it is a photo of Barrancas National Cemetery at Pensacola Naval Air Station. 

Or maybe you've seen this one.  It tugs at the heartstrings and reminds us of those who have given so much - and those who are left behind.

I am grateful to those who have worked so hard to make this country free, and to help us keep the freedoms we enjoy.  I'm married to one of those people.  For 23 years he served his country faithfully.  And the rest of us were along for the ride.  I'm grateful that he served. 

And I'm grateful he's still here beside me, some 38 years later.

So today, I'm reflecting on some of the things I take for granted that these courageous men and women have worked so hard to preserve for me - for all of us:

The privilege of worshiping my God according to the dictates of my own conscience.  How grateful I am that I don't live in a society that restricts my freedom to worship.  And as a corollary to that, the privilege of teaching my children what I believe, without interference. 

The privilege I have of speaking my mind about things that are important to me, whether or not society agrees with me.  Some of these I maybe only express in FB "Likes", but they are no less important for all of that.

The amazing bounty of our country.  Even though prices seem very high to me, there is still an amazing variety and quantity of goods available, from foods to technology of every kind.  (And fabric, of course.  Lots of fabric.)

The gift I have, however temporary, of being able to spend my days doing something I love.  There was a time when I had a job I loved, but things changed, and the job I loved became just a job.  And then there was no job.  But right now, at this time in my life, I have the privilege of spending my days any way I choose.  I often quilt or read or do something else, but the fact is that I have a choice, and having a choice is wonderful.

My family.  I am so grateful for each of them, and the joy they bring into my life. 

To say "Thank you" to these men and women that serve our country seems so inadequate, and yet, it's all I have.  So to you who are serving - and who have served - I say a most grateful "Thank you."

Perhaps then, as we celebrate this weekend, it would be fitting to take a moment to think of things we are grateful for, and say a little prayer for those who are serving their country, perhaps even in harm's way, so the rest of us can enjoy these blessings.