Sewing for Babes

My kids are well beyond the baby phase (3, 6, and 8) and I know very solidly that we will not be having anymore babies. It is a good place to be in my life right now. BUT, that doesn’t stop me from loving pregnant mamas and babes to be. And one way I can do that is by sewing baby quilts.

One of my friends from high school moved just minutes from me in the last year (from California where we grew up to Washington) and was expecting a baby. Before he was born, I created a quilt design (the b is for his name) and sewed it up and delivered it to her. Now that the baby is born, I need to get in gear and deliver a dinner (if you have a favorite post-baby dinner to give, please share!).

I started with this design (this is done in Inkscape. I recently upgraded computers and am trying some new programs out before I purchase Adobe Illustrator).

 

It ended up a bit differently once made up in soft Kona cottons, but I love it. I finished the back with mens cotton shirting fabric. In the computer transfer, I somehow lost the finished outside photos of this blanket, so you get the cruddy “I just finished sewing this so I’m going to take photos of it on the carpet in the sewing room” photos.

 

And one showing the back of the quilt…

Easy and Impressive. My Type of Dinner.

Two food posts in a row. Egads! I promise, I have another quilt post coming up. I finished a quilt top today, so its just the rest (and the most tedious) to finish.

You know those days when you are tired and don’t want to cook. Sound familiar? Even as a stay-at-home mom, I have a lot of those days. And with a meat and potatoes type husband, this meal is a sure and easy pleaser.

Balsamic Roast Pork Tenderloin

At my store, these comes prepackaged in a bag. Simply remove the tenderloin from the bag. Cut some garlic slivers and using a knife, insert them throughout the tenderloin. You can see one in the photo and these are the most delicious morsels. Yum. Marinate the tenderloin for as short as 30 minutes and as long as overnight in a mix of balsamic vinegar (probably 1/3 to 1/2 a cup), Sriracha (1-2 tbsp), a dash of worcheshire (1 tbsp), and a generous shaking (like 1/4 cup) of Montreal Steak Seasoning.

Heat oven to 500. When hot, cook your tenderloin in an oven safe dish for 22 minutes. 

While your pork is cooking, why not whip up a blue cheese sauce to serve with it. Your husband or your taste buds or whomever you are cooking for will appreciate it.

In a pan (I use a small fry pan, seriously), melt 1/3 stick butter. When it is melted, crumble blue cheese into the butter (maybe 2-3 tbsp, depending on your preferences), add a dash of garlic salt and a splash of worcheshire. Crack some fresh black pepper into it and smoosh with a fork to combine. 

When your pork is done, let it sit for a couple of minutes covered in tin foil. Slice it about 1/2 an inch to 1 inch thick and serve your pork medallions (see, fancy word for slices!) with a drizzle of blue cheese sauce.

Seriously yummy and perfect for a Fall dinner.

 

Broccoli Salad

I serve my family a green salad with dinner almost every night. And despite all the tweakings, it gets old. So, to change it up a bit, I sometimes serve a broccoli salad. And normally, I completely detest raw broccoli, but for some reason, I love it here. 

Here goes:

1 head broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

2-3 pieces of bacon cooked crispy and chopped

1 handful of red grapes, cut in half

1/4-1/2 cup of red onion, chopped

1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

sliced almonds if you so wish (not pictured above but delicious, nonetheless)

1/2 cup mayo

2-3 tbsp vinegar (I used apple cider but white works great, too)

1 tbsp sugar

Combine and chill. You can eat it within an hour or two or wait until the next day or so. It’s good. We had it last with a spicy grilled tri tip but I’m thinking of adding it next time to a roasted pork loin. Yum.

End of September.

Sorry for the disappearing act. September has been one of THOSE months and last weeks was ESPECIALLY one of THOSE weeks. We lost our dog on Wednesday, I sewed a quilt for my daughter’s birthday, and we held a Spongebob party for 11 kids 8 and under. And today we are putting a roof on the shed that we are building. So, I’m pulling a project out that I haven’t shared yet since I wanted to wait for the wee babe to actually be born.Crib-sized blanket with circles raw-edged appliqued. The baby’s name was also appliqued on the back. Lots of pink fabrics for a baby girl.