Recipe Update...Yum!

I am trying to update all of our yummy recipes that we use for our quilt group luncheons. I had quilt group in April. I tried two new salads that I got from browsing the internet and took a chance that they would be good. I think they were a success. I have made them since and have loved them! Here are my recipes from quilt group in April

Blue Cheese-Pear Salad

1 head red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
a small bag of mixed leaf lettuce...your choice
(I just tried to get a good blend together)
3 pears--peeled, cored and chopped
5 ounces of crumbled Bleu Cheese
(I used Salemville Amish Blue Cheese Crumbles at Fry's)
1 avocado--peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup pecans
1/3 cup olive oil
3 TB red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teasp white sugar
1 1/2 teasp prepared mustard
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teasp salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup of sugar together with the pecans. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans. Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool, and break into pieces.

For the dressing, blend oil, vinegar 1 1/2 teasp sugar, mustard, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper.

In a large serving bowl layer lettuce, pears, blue cheese, avocado, and green onions. Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans and serve.

Rice Asparagus and Cucumber Salad

1 3/4 cups water
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 pound thin asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups English cucumber--peeled, seeded and chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 TB Dijon mustard
1 TB white sugar
1 TB white wine vinegar
1/2 teasp dry mustard
1 1/2 TB vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill weed
4 heads butter lettuce (that might be too much..I don't think I used that much)

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 3/4 cups water to boil. Add rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Fluff with fork; transfer to bowl. Cool to room temperature.

Cook asparagus in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Cut the asparagus in 1-inch pieces. Add asparagus, cucumber and green onions to rice. I also tore up a little of the butter lettuce and added to salad.

Whisk together the mustard, sugar, vinegar, dry mustard, oil and chopped dill. Cover salad and dressing separately. Refrigerate until chilled.

Pour dressing into salad and season with salt and pepper. Line large bowl with lettuce and mound salad in bowl.

I am out of time! More recipes later. These are good summer salads. Enjoy!

Kim's House

Catch Up! Our Quilt Group posts are behind. Here goes....In May Kim hosted a wonderful day. If any of you are like me, I look forward to our one day a month. Kim is always the perfect Hostess. She fixed a wonderful lunch and pampered all of us. We loved sewing, visiting, eating and enjoying all of the awesome finished projects. We have some pretty talented ladies!! The pictures tell all..........

I know we have seen this quilt before....but finished it is soooo adorable! Especially in this line of fabric. Carol did a fabulous job!

Michelle out did was all in the month of May. We all wonder where she finds time to do so much. I am not going to think about that.....cause I am jealous. But...here are her finished projects which we all adore!

Close-up for your pleasure!

K...I love this pattern. It is called Schnibbles...I think! So cute done in these old-fashioned fabrics. Michelle...so cute!


Michelle has this little talent of designing quilts on Moda's website (I forget the name!) Anyway...she won a contest and Moda showered her with patterns and fabric.....we should all be so lucky. Congrats for a creative mind recognized!

Becky's quilt is finished. She did an awesome job on our quilt group project and put the square together in a creative way. It turned out gorgeous! Good job Becky

Deb used the same line as Carol did on this quilt. She added some of her own fabric.....it makes it a little different! So fine! I need to get going on this project myself!

Marene...what can we say. She finished this gorgeous, time-consuming quilt. The handwork is incredible and only she does these fabulous projects! So beautiful. This is a keepsake!

Thanks Kim for a fun day. You worked so hard. The Hostess never gets to sit and sew....she is always on call!