Saturday, September 29, 2012

Sept 2012-Bok Choy Salad,Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken,Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Thank you Rachel for hosting our meeting this month. Your home is always decorated with such creativity. It's like walking into a fun fabric/craft shop!
Our cancer auction quilts went together very fast this year and we are donating them to Expedition Inspiration for their annual cancer research auction. After meeting at Tracey's, where we cut and sewed the top, she and Monica machine quilted both the large and small quilt on Tracey's longarm quilting machine. The large quilt is made up of a layer cake called Always Forever. The backing is a wonderful cozy white flannel. The pattern is called Twister (this link will take you to a tutorial that our fellow Material Girl, Corrie, posted).  We were pleasantly surprised at how quick and easy the quilt top came together.

Below is the smaller quilt. Kelley took it to finish the binding. This one was made by alternating pink and white squares before cutting the twister design.
 Here's our show and tell for this month:
 Jeri made these primitive wool table runners. The pattern is in the McCall's Fall Magazine 2011
 I took this picture of some of Rachel's Halloween decorations she's made and has displayed in her home.
 Susan made these adorable spiders.
 Susan also made this table topper from her hand-dyed wool collection. She picked up the pattern for this at the local quilting store.
 Susan's wool wall hanging. Sounds like this is for her daughter-Lucky! This pattern is The Woolen Needle.
 Susan was busy this month. She also made this table topper.
 And she made even one more. This one is different than the first one not only in colors and background, but she added whiskers on the kittens!
 Close up
 Kelley's blue and yellow quilt top. It's a Schnibbles pattern.
Kelley's ladybug wall quilt. Very vibrant.
Kathi's fence rail quilt. Check out the great border!

 Rachel's fall quilt. The backgrounds are cotton, the rest is wool- Gorgeous! This is a Heart To Hand pattern. The pattern comes in four sets, the title is Autumn Quilt.
 Close ups

 Rachel's Pizza Box Exchange quilt!
 Close up
 Rachel's star quilt. This pattern is called The Lone Star from Six White Horses. The method is paper piecing. This lovely block was found on Pinterest.
 Rachel's twister quilt top
 Another peek at Rachel's cute decorating
Bok choy Salad
1 bunch Bok choy washed and cut up fine
1 bunch green onions chopped
½ stick butter
3 tsp sugar
1/4 c. sliced almonds
Ramen Noodles
¼ c. Sesame seeds
Put Bok choy and green onions on a platter.
In a skillet melt butter and sugar.  Add crunched up ramen, almonds and sesame seeds and stir occasionally till lightly brown and caramelized.  Let cool.  Top with ramen crunch and drizzle with dressing right before serving.
Dressing:
½ c. canola oil
½ c. Sugar
¼ c. red wine vinegar
2 T. soy sauce



Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
Recipe adapted from:
Baby Center

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)
Salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (could also use olive oil or canola oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional - doesn't really add heat, just adds more flavor)
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds

Directions:
Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
Source: Nina Jones

Ingredients:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:
3/4 cup butter
6 Tbsp buttermilk
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium pot add the peanut butter, water, and butter and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, and baking soda with a fork. Add to the peanut butter mixture.
4. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla to the bowl and mix well.
5. Stir well and pour into greased or parchment lined cookie sheet pan (jellyroll pan). Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

For the Frosting:
1. In a small pot bring the butter, buttermilk, and peanut butter to a boil.
2. Remove pan from the heat and add the powdered sugar and vanilla.
3. Pour frosting over the warm cake.


Above are the cute mason jars that we decorated at the meeting too. They were quick and simple. Just paint the inside of the jar, add your vinyl face stickers to the outside, place a candle inside and voila!
Thanks to Rachel and all. See you next time on October 31st at Cindy's.