Anita Shackelford - Peace and Plenty

Meatless Monday - Spinach Ricotta Lasagna

5/3/2021

I made lasagna and a green salad for dinner last night, so I thought it would make a good Meatless Monday recipe to share with everyone. It's rich and cheesy. Give it a try!.

My greens are growing super well this time of year. We like fresh spinach in our salads, but I don't cook spinach as a side dish. I guess, this is one exception. When we were not eating meat, this was a favorite lasagna recipe. And if I decide to add meat instead of spinach, I still use this recipe. I think you'll like it either way.

Spinach Ricotta Lasagna
*
8 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
3 cups spaghetti sauce
6 lasagna noodles
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 pkg frozen spinach

Cook noodles al dente. Combine the cheeses, egg, garlic, salt, and black pepper and set aside. Combine the red pepper with the spinach and cook as directed. Drain.

Spread a layer of sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish. I make my own noodles and they are not perfect rectangles, so I can put them into a variety of dishes, but you will probably want a traditional 9 x 13 dish.

Layer noodles, cheese, spinach, sauce and repeat, ending with sauce on top. Sprinkle with more mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. Remove the foil and bake a few minutes longer to brown the cheese. Allowing it to cool for 5-10 minutes will help it set up and make it easier to cut into serving pieces.
Enjoy!

Quilt Rescue - Embroidered Baby Quilt

5/1/2021

Last year, I had a request to try to restore a family baby quilt to be given as a gift to a new arrival expected soon. The before pictures show an embroidered quilt from the 1930s with significant damage to the lower edge and back. One might think it was a hopeless case.

The embroidered blocks were well done and had no damage. The quilt had only been tied and not quilted, so that was one thing that made this job easier. The back and the lower edge, front and back, were damaged or missing.

I removed the ties, discarded the batting, and cleaned up the seams allowances and stray threads from behind the top.
Parts of the original back were in good condition and had aged the same as the front, which made it a perfect match for restoration work of the lower border and a couple of other sashings on the front.

I added a new back, quilted it, and used more of the back fabric for the binding. This approach allowed me to keep the original vintage fabrics and appearance on the front. New batting and back made this a strong, usable quilt again. We managed to save a family heirloom, keep some beautiful handwork from being discarded, and pass it on to another generation. The owner was delighted.

Deadlines

4/30/2021

I spent a good number of years making quilts by hand and entering competitions. I taught quilting, wrote for quilting magazines, authored books, and made many life long friends during that time. It was an exciting way of life.

Below is an article that I wrote during that time. I know some of you will relate...

I work best when I am inspired. But good ideas come faster than I can complete them. As a result, I find myself working on many quilts at one time, delaying completion of any particular one until there is an urgent need to have it finished.

I take my quiltmaking seriously. I know that I will not be satisfied if I don’t give each quilt what it needs. Often I am faced with a show deadline and find myself calculating... “if I can quilt “x” number of stitches in an hour, or so many inches of the border each night, and with only this many days left...how can I be done on time??” During one of my more stressful moments, my husband asked... “Do you want to be buried with the quilt that kills you?”

I appreciated the humor, as well as the serious undertones of his remark, and I am sure that I explained the importance of meeting the deadline. I just couldn’t go to the show without a quilt to enter. But his comment gave the word “deadline” new meaning.

Being buried with a quilt is a comforting thought, but I never considered that my quiltmaking might be the cause of my departure. I hope to live a long time and to thread my needle every day. So I will try to relax and to finish each quilt in its own time. But, please excuse me now; I have a quilt to finish...

Spring Flowers

4/28/2021

These are some of our Spring favorites.
Lots more to come as the seasons change.

Lily of the Valley

Tulip

Kousa Dogwood

Daffodil

Phlox

Daffodil

Narcissus

Trillium

Weeping Cherry

Strawberry

Spring Beauty

Dandelion

Violet

Grape Hyacinth

Carrot - Zucchini Burgers

4/26/2021

Most veggie burgers are made with black beans, which provide important protein, but I have a couple favorites that are made with fresh veggies instead. This one is a favorite. As you can see, it makes quite a few, so I cook them completely and then freeze them for future meals. Just a minute or less in the microwave and they're ready to eat!
Sometimes, I like cheese on this sandwich. Provolone is a good melty cheese; I used Gouda in the picture below.

1 1/2 cups carrots, shredded
1 1/2 cups zucchini, shredded
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1 1/4 t. ground chili powder
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 large eggs, whisked

Microwave the shredded vegetables for about 2 minutes. Let them cool slightly before continuing.

Add the remaining ingredients: flour, cheese, salt, pepper, chili powder, green onions and eggs. Stir the mixture until everything is well combined.

Heat 1T oil in skillet. Drop 1/4 cup of the mixture into the skillet and flatten to shape it into patties.

Cook the fritters, 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Serve hot or freeze for later. Makes 14.

My Meatless Monday Menus - Meatballs without Meat!

4/20/2021

One of our favorite meals is spaghetti, usually meatless, with only our homemade sauce. I make a really good meatball with beef and Italian sausage and we love that, too. But when I have eggplant in the garden, I make meatless meatballs and freeze them for our dinners throughout the year. Here's the recipe:

Eggplant Bites*
1/2 lb eggplant, peeled
4 oz mushrooms - white or portobello
1 t. salt
3 T olive oil
1 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan
2 T chopped fresh basil or 2 t. dried

Chop the eggplant and the mushrooms into 1/4" pieces, sprinkle with salt and put into colander to drain for 30 minutes. I sometimes skip this step if my eggplant is fresh.

Note: Do not use a food processor to chop this; you will end up with a really ugly paste...(ask me how I know)

Pat the vegetables dry and sauté in olive oil for 8-10 minutes until soft. Remove from the skillet and mix with crumbs, cheese, and basil. Form the mixture into 1" balls. Broil until a crisp golden crust forms on the outside, turning as necessary.

I make these, broil them, and freeze them on cookie sheets. I put them up in quart freezer bags, and then take out as many as I need for a meal. I give them a quick zap in the microwave to defrost them and then add them to the sauce until they are heated through.
Yummy!

Ramps!

4/15/2021

The ramps (wild onions) are coming up and we had our first taste of the season this morning!

Preheat the oven to 375.
I used my small toaster oven, since I was making breakfast for two.
Wash the ramps and cut away the roots. Slice bulbs, stems, and leaves; all of the plant is edible and flavorful.

Also slice a couple of pieces of thin deli ham and saute all together for a few minutes, until the ramp is tender and the ham starts to brown.

Butter a ramekin or small oven safe cup and fill the bottom with the sauteed ramp and ham.
Drop a fresh egg on top, being careful not to break the yolk.
Season to taste.

Bake the dish for about 10 minutes. The dark you see around the edges here is just brown butter and ramp leaves.
The egg white should be tender and the yolk semi- liquid, the same texture as a poached or soft boiled egg.

I diced and browned a left over baked sweet potato and we added a slice of whole wheat toast to complete the meal. It was yummy!

My Meatless Monday Menus - Green Beans and Mushrooms with Pesto Noodles

4/12/2021

This is a good vegetarian meal, or you can add a bit of chicken if you want to make it a more substantial dish. It's delicious either way. I used green beans and pesto from last summer's garden and homemade noodles, but everything here is easily available from the market. Total prep and cooking time is about 20 minutes.
Makes 2 generous servings, or 4 side dishes.

Cook the green beans in salted water until they are tender crisp, then saute them with the onion for about 5 minutes. Both should be tender and just begin to brown.

Add mushrooms and garlic and continue to saute slowly until mushrooms give up their moisture and begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper.

I added a little bit of cooked chicken to this meal, but skip this step if you want a vegetarian dish. Continue to cook long enough to warm the chicken.

Add the cooked noodles and pesto and stir to coat everything.

I like to serve this type of meal in a shallow bowl.

Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese on top, if you like.

Recipe:
1 T olive oil
1 large onion, cut into chunks
2 oz fresh or frozen whole green beans
4 oz fresh mushrooms, cut into pieces
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 cup cooked chicken, cubed (if desired)
2 oz basil pesto
2 oz fettuccini or noodles, cooked
Fresh Parmesan cheese for garnish

Bunny Quilts

4/3/2021

I've put together a collection of bunny quilts I've made over the years, to share with you on this Easter weekend.
The cutwork quilts are part of my on-going Block of the Month class, and the Picture This! is another class now included for my Journal subscribers.
Enjoy the photos and Happy Easter!
Anita

Bunnies and Baskets is a Cutwork Applique project.
The pattern is available here:

Easter Baskets is my Block of the Month May Baskets, filled with pretty eggs.

Rabbits in my Garden is a Picture This! quilt, with a slightly non-traditional block and sashing set.

Beware the Fox! is a Picture This! quilt, made with a small piece of Japanese yukata and sashiko quilting.

This bunny quilt was painted by my Uncle Ray Palmer. I quilted it with my Ivy Grid and Frame, my Olive and Leaf Border, and P2P Sun blocks in the corners.

My Meatless Monday Menus

3/26/2021

Probably everyone has a favorite Mac and Cheese recipe. Here's one we like. I think the smoked cheese makes it seem more than just a side dish. Simply add a side veggie or a green salad and it's a great meatless meal.

Smoky Macaroni and Cheese

1/2 lb macaroni
2 cups of half-and-half
1/4 cup flour
1 cup Fontina cheese
1/2 cup Smoky Gruyere or Sharp Cheddar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
Bread crumbs
Favorite mixed grill spice seasoning

Cook the macaroni and drain well. Pour into a greased casserole dish.

Mix the flour into the half-and-half and whisk to remove any lumps. Cook slowly to thicken. Add the grated cheeses and stir until melted. Pour over the macaroni and fold in until well coated.

Top with bread crumbs and a light sprinkle of seasoning. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes, until bubbly and beginning to brown.

Author

Anita has a long background rooted in traditional handwork and quiltmaking, which she still enjoys.

Often, these days, you'll find her digitizing patterns for the Statler Stitcher and other computerized longarm quilting machines.

Her summer days are spent in the garden and she loves finding new ways to prepare good veggie-based meals.

She's always in search of a way to balance all of those activities and find time to share with others who are passionate about the same things.

This page is a sneak peek into what's happening in her world right now.

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