The Recipe Box Swap: Chicken Cacciatore

Ya, it's Recipe Box Swap time again! This month's theme is pasta. Many people might consider this recipe I'm sharing to be more of a chicken recipe, but it also has pasta (and the sauce alone without the chicken makes a great accompaniment to pasta). I'm really proud of this recipe; it's one that I came up with myself a couple of years ago and I think it's pretty darn tasty! I usually don't measure when I cook this, so the measurements for the spices, etc. are really just my best guesstimates. Also remember that I'm Canadian, so some of my measurements are metric. Please feel free to let me know if you think I've omitted anything (I just wrote up the recipe this morning). Without further ado, here you go!

Kaye’s Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
10-15 button mushrooms, quartered (about one cup)
1 medium/large red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 medium green zucchini, roughly chopped
1 28 fl oz can of stewed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
½ cup red wine (optional)
1 tsp sugar
½ tbsp dried basil
½ tbsp dried oregano
dash of nutmeg
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 900g package of linguine or fettuccine (I usually use whole wheat)

Heat oil in large skillet and brown chicken on all sides (about 10-15 minutes). Remove chicken from skillet and set aside (keep warm if possible, I usually store it in the microwave).

Sauté onions, garlic and mushrooms in the same skillet until onions are tender.

Add all remaining ingredients, except pasta, to skillet, mix well, and bring to a boil, reduce heat. Return chicken to skillet (try to make sure that it’s completely covered by the tomato and vegetable mixture). Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and chicken is heated (and cooked) through. Adjust seasoning to taste. Cook pasta while skillet mixture is simmering.

Serve chicken and vegetable mixture over pasta, serves 4-6 people.

I hope you enjoy!

It is a fallacy to think that original design can only be achieved after years of training. -Constance Howard

I had some fun news in my email inbox this morning; I won the $20.00 Link-of-the-Week Giveaway from QuiltHome.com! Basically, if you put a link to the QuiltHome site on your blog they enter you into a giveaway to win a $20.00 store credit. Thanks so much to everyone at QuiltHome, I’m super-excited to get some new fabric! And the newsletter special for this week just happens to be Heather Bailey, who I absolutely adore, so I’m thinking that’s the way I’m going.

I also bought a lovely book this weekend. I read the whole thing on Sunday and can’t wait to get started on a new project. Maybe it’s fate that I won the QuiltHome giveaway and found this book, hmmm…This book is by Amy Karol who is really talented (you should read her blog, Angry Chicken, she is funny). This book has beautiful pictures, the instructions are simple and well planned, and the projects are all really cute and fun. I recommend it!

P.S. Heather Bailey also has a wonderful blog that you should check out: Hello My Name is Heather.

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. -Eleanor Roosevelt

It’s been a little bit since I’ve posted. Almost everyday I think of things that I want to post about and I keep them all written down on a piece of paper on my desk. I’m going to try and get through mentioning at least a couple of these things today.

First off, the biggest news of all:

I got in to the Master’s program I applied to at the University of Toronto! That’s the University above; I also did my undergraduate here. I got into the Master of Information program, and the grand plan is to be a librarian. I may also take some courses from the archival stream as well; I find archives and collections very interesting (I also used to work at a museum here in the city). I’m super-excited and can’t wait for fall. I am also a little stressed and am worried about whether or not I’ll get a scholarship; I’ll find out in a few weeks or so. I’ll be leaving my job at the end of July, and then possibly going to a cottage in Quebec with Alex and his family for a couple of weeks.

I also wanted to post a picture of the pillow that Alex got me as part of my Valentine’s present; I just think it’s so gosh darn cute and kinda quirky. It’s from Urban Outfitters.

I had the pillow case(s) that you can see underneath for as long as I can remember. They’re really pretty, and have doves and ribbon and little flowers embroidered along the opening.

My Mum brought me my new (not actually new obviously, but new to me) sewing machine that my Grandmother gave me in February. It’s a Singer Stylist 513, and it is definitely better than my old clunker. It also has its case, which makes it easier to move around and less likely to get dusty. I realized after my Mum left that she had brought me the wrong manual for it, so she’s ordered one for me from the Singer website. They have a really neat system there – if they have an original copy of the manual they’ll send it to you. If they don’t have an original they send you a spiral bound facsimile. I think that’s pretty neat. Here’s my machine, she ain’t much to look at but I love her.

I’ve almost finished up Alex’s new owl; he’s been christened Hemingway (I even embroidered his name onto a piece of felt and attached it to his backside). I have so many ideas in my head of the things I’d like to sew and craft, but find it difficult sometimes after work to motivate myself because I’m just so darned tired. Hopefully I get Hemingway done soon; I feel kind of bad that he’s not done.

One of my best friend’s, Jenna, is getting married in July and I’m in the process of getting the materials I need for her wedding present. I can’t say what it is here, because I’m not sure if she’ll read this or not. I’ll post after the wedding though and let everyone know what it is.

I think I’ve finally got the fabric all together for Alex’s quilt (although I have no idea when I’m going to find the time to get it done). The center print is Alexander Henry’s Spotted Owl in white, and I think it will go very nicely with the yellow gingham, and green, white and blue plaid. He’s already seen all of the fabric, so this isn’t giving anything away (good plan: iron fabric).

Now onto books! I’ve read a few books since I last posted about them, except for the life of me I can’t remember what all of them were. It’s driving me a little crazy; I can only remember two. I know that I finished up Maeve Binchy’s Heart and Soul, which I had mentioned that I was reading last time. It was pure Maeve Binchy – no pretense, no soppiness, and I love how characters cross over between books (but you don’t have to have read the others to get the story; the stories are deeper if you have though).

The last book I finished was Alistair MacLeod’s collected short stories, Island. It was fantastic. I love the way that MacLeod writes, everything is real and harsh, but beautiful at the same time. He’s a born storyteller, and it was even better reading his work after hearing his voice and seeing him in person. I love his stories and I know that I’ll some back to them again and again.

Currently I’m reading three books. The first is one that I first read in the 4^th grade (I believe) called Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. It’s super short, but so well written. A movie of it was made a few years back with Alexis Bledel (Rory from Gilmore Girls) as Winnie. I’ve been reading it before falling asleep every night (interspersed with doing the New York Times crossword with Alex). For light fun I’m reading The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie Jones, which is based on the premise that Jane Austen left memoirs which reveal a personal love story that was the inspiration for her novels. My heavier reading is centered on Elizabeth Waterston’s Rapt in Plaid: Canadian Literature and Scottish Tradition. Waterston has written a lot on L.M. Montgomery and that is how I first became interested in her other works. I will admit though that I started the book by reading the chapter on Montgomery and J.M. Barrie, and then went back and started from the beginning. I’m like that.

I’ve been mulling over ideas for the paper I want to submit for the 2010 L.M. Montgomery conference at the University of Prince Edward Island. The abstract is due in June, so I better get motoring. Alex and I did a little bit of research the other night and talked over some ideas; hopefully I’m on the right track.

That’s about it for now! Have a wonderful day everyone!

The Recipe Box Swap: Tea Biscuits

I wanted to take part in the Recipe Box Swap this month and lucky me it was no-theme month so I got to choose whatever I wanted to share. This recipe comes from one of my all-time favourite cookbooks, The Purity Cookbook. The edition I have is a 2001 reprint of the 1967 edition, but the cookbook has been around for a long time. The maker of Purity Flour, Western Canada Flour Mills Co., was founded in 1905 and I believe the first edition of the Purity Cookbook was released in 1917. I believe that you can still get the 2001 reprint and I highly recommend it.

A tea biscuit dough should be soft but not sticky. A little kneading improves the quality of the biscuits, but should be done with a gentle touch as too much handling tends to make them tough.

Tea Biscuits, BASIC RECIPE

Preheat oven to 450F
Blend or sift together
2 cups Pre-Sifted PURITY All-Purpose Flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Cut in finely
1/3 cup shortening
Add
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
Stir with a fork to make a soft dough.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 8 to 10 times. Roll or pat to desired thickness, (biscuits will be doubled in height when baked). Cut out with a floured cutter.

Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet, close together for soft-sided biscuits or about 1″ apart for crusty-sided biscuits.
Bake in preheated 450F oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
Yield: 18 to 20 - 1 3/4″ biscuits.

You have no idea how good these tea biscuits are. They may sound simple, or even bland, but they are really homey, cozy, and perfect. Also remember that since this is the basic recipe that you can add whatever you want (raisins, berries, cheese, etc) to change them up.

Follow this link to see who else is swapping this month: The Recipe Box Swap

“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.” -Robert Bennett

One of the new things that I have decided to do with this blog is to write about people, blogs, or ideas that I find inspiring. Not only do I hope to introduce others to these wonders, but it actually helps me to feel even more inspired when I write.

Today I want to introduce you all to a very lovely lady named Paula Prass. You can see a link to her blog, Show + Tell, on the right. I don’t really remember how I first heard about Paula, it may have been through Heather Bailey, but I have come to admire her greatly! Paula is a designer, artist, and an all-round inspiring woman. If you go to her blog you will find links to her other websites/stores.

Now I will tell a little story that has to do with the above fabric. This is one of Paula’s; it is Par Avion in Ocean. Last month I showed it to Alex online and told him how much I loved it. What do you think he did? He ordered me a few yards as a surprise! I think I may have the sweetest boyfriend in the world, he’s pretty great. The fabric is even better looking in real life. I decided to contact Paula to tell her this little story, and also to tell her how much I love her blog. She got back to me within about 10 minutes I’d say and left a comment both here on my blog (on the Alistair MacLeod post) and an even longer one in response to my comment on her blog. I thought that that was very sweet of her.

This fabric has got to be one of the best designs that I’ve seen in a long time, and Paula actually has a few other items in her line (photo frames, note cards, etc) that coordinate and I’ve been thinking about getting a couple of things for myself. I will post a picture of what I sew with this fabric when it’s done. Right now I’m thinking block quilt because I don’t want to ruin the pattern of this fabric by cutting it up too much.

If any of you out there are in need of a little inspiration, do visit Paula’s blog and check it out.

"...but a solemn writer is always a bloody owl." -Ernest Hemingway

Since I have been lagging in the reading department (I have been reading, just not as often) and I’m feeling a lot more comfortable with this whole blog-thing, I’ve decided that I’m going to write about other stuff too. There are a lot of other things that I’d like to share. Whether these things are the projects I’m working on, the little things that I make, stories about the very talented people I’m meeting along the way, or (continuing on with) the books I’m reading, I just want to share more.

First things first, whaddaya think of my new blog design? Did it myself I did. I brushed off some of my old HTML skills and fiddled with one of Blogger’s templates. I think it turned out nicely. I may still tweak some things (mainly colours right now), but all in all I’m liking it. The background graphic is from Squidfingers. That little birdie at the top I love especially, it’s by Ida Waugh and appeared in a little book called Holly Berries (1881).

I guess before I continue on I should at least mention the books that I have in fact read since last posting. It would be rather mean of me to ignore them. The first book that I finished after last posting was The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Toibin. This has got to be one of the most amazing books that I have read in a long time. Toibin is a beautiful storyteller and I felt really connected with the main character, Helen (to the point that I was shocked at times by commonalities between her and I). While some have said that they’re tired of Toibin writing books about gay people (especially gay people and AIDS), I felt that because of his personal experience (write what you know) Toibin was cleverly adept at making the whole story come alive in a way that was compelling and didn’t rely on heart-pulling to keep the reader occupied. I see no problem with writing about the theme of homosexual identity, especially since it is a theme that needs to be openly explored and accepted.

Next up was Graham Greene’s The End of the Affair; this was a fantastic book again! I didn’t really know much about it before I picked it up and I hadn’t seen either of the movies, but I had heard good things about it and decided to give it a shot. I must admit that I have never been through a situation even remotely close to that described in the book, but I still really felt connected to the characters and to the story as a whole. I think that this is because much of the book is at least loosely based on Graham Greene’s own experience. It was a fairly sad book, but still very beautiful and well-written.

I started Night Letters by Robert Dessaix, and while I think it will be a very interesting read, I wasn’t able to get through it at the time. I’ve put it aside for another day, hopefully I do return to it.

I’ve been reading a lot of poetry, short stories, and journal articles instead of full-length books too. One of the best articles I read was The Victorian Sickroom in L. M. Montgomery's The Blue Castle and Emily's Quest : Sentimental Fiction and the Selling of Dreams which was written by Kate Lawson (a professor at the University of Waterloo) and published in the September 2007 issue of The Lion and the Unicorn. I just love reading journal articles, especially about Maud, and The Blue Castle is one of my favourites!

Currently I’m reading Heart and Soul, Maeve Binchy’s latest. Maeve Binchy just has such a way of making everyday life so interesting. Nothing fantastical or really crazy happens to any of her characters, but I would never say that their lives are boring. They’re normal people with normal lives, but I have always found everyday life interesting and I guess that’s why I love her books so much. I’m just about finished up with this one and I think the next will be Alistair MacLeod’s short story collection, Island.

Now that I'm done talking about books, I wanted to share this little guy that I made. His name is Ollie, and I made him for Alex. I based him off of a Christmas Ornament pattern that Anna Maria had posted to her blog (you can see a link to her blog on the right), I just changed a few things. Alex has also suggested that he'd like a bigger version (think decorative pillow-sized), which is what I'm currently working on. I'll post a picture of him when he's done. Oh, and the quote-name of this post was at Alex's request. He loves Hemingway...and owls...and stuff.

What else? I'm waiting for some fabric to arrive in the mail. I'm very excited about it all! I ordered Anna Maria's Dance Floor in burgundy and Mingling in rose, Heather Bailey's Tiled Primrose in rose, Alexander Henry's Spotted Owl in white, and Tina Givens' Silhouette Polka in pink. I can't wait for them all to arrive!

Tomorrow, if I have the time that is, I'm going to tell you all about Paula Prass and what a nice lady she is!

All of us are better when we're loved. -Alistair MacLeod

On Saturday, Alex and I went to the live recording of CBC’s Saturday morning radio show, Go. The episode was called “Tiptoe Through the Titles”, and there were three independent booksellers competing in a trivia contest to win a sleepover with Alistair MacLeod. When Alex and I found out that the prize was a sleepover with Alistair MacLeod we were talking about how great it would be if AM was actually there at the recording.

I love Alistair MacLeod (so does Alex). I first read No Great Mischief in a Celtic Studies class I took at UofT and fell in love with it immediately. Whenever I see a copy of this book I have an urge to buy it just so that I can have a copy on hand to give to anyone at some point; it’s one of the few books that I feel that way about. I actually have an urge right now to read it again (but I already have a couple other books on the go).

Continuing on with my story: Alex and I got up super-early Saturday morning (we had to be there at 8:20 am) and took the streetcar to CBC. There weren’t a lot of other people there (only about 20-25, I’d say) but there were a couple of people that Alex knew from his program. We were all funneled into an elevator - super scary for my by the way since I have a tendency to be claustrophobic with that many people in a small space – and went to the studio. As we were walking into the studio Alex looked into the green room and who do you think he saw? Alistair MacLeod. I was so happy; I don’t think I stopped smiling through the entire show. The host kept referring to him as Canada’s cuddliest author, and I have to say that I agree!

It was really great, and even though neither of us got to speak with him it was just nice to see him and hear him talk in person. I took a picture of him as he was leaving the studio, but it’s a little blurry (taking pictures with Blackberry while in motion = not good idea), so I’m not posting it here. I *heart* you Alistair MacLeod.