Dianne Hire Quilt Workshop

Here is something fun to think about doing

 in the new year!

“Delight yourself with spontaneous design discoveries”

Lily’s House has arranged a One Day Quilting Workshop

 with the infamous Dianne Hire on

 Saturday, September 27, 2014

                                    

Class Description:  Need to lighten up? Not having any quilting fun? Tired of prissy little piecing?  This workshop's for you. Improvisational and intuitive, we'llplay liberating games at your sewng machine, allow creative juices to flow. We'll slice and dice fabrics, trade slivers of blocks, hunt for the bright colors just begging for a place to land in a quilt. Return home with a few oxymoron blocks, in random order.

“I honor diversity.

I celebrate new approaches.

I challenge concepts.

To stretch the rules and locate fresh boundaries is my desire. By approaching quilt making this way, I embrace technical skills while not allowing techniques to overshadow image.

I am a colorist who intuitively responds to the joyful way colors intermingle. I require vibrancy to speak out but never shout -- yet boldly sing. That song is interpreted in fiber, strings, strong design and intense vitality of color.”

 - Dianne Hire

Details:  Class will be from 9am - 4pm, the cost is $125 and will include a delicious Lily’s lunch and snacks. Along with the delightful instruction of Dianne and the cozy, warm energy of other quilters you will have design wall space, cutting tables and ironing stations.

To sign up for this awesome workshop or to ask any questions, you may contact me at kyra@lilyshousestonington.com or call 207-367-5936.  I am super excited about this opportunity and look forward to hearing from you.

Enjoy!

Kyra

Sprouts!

The things I stumble into often get me

giggling, deep down inside.

Apparently seed catalogues to me are similar

to Victoria's Secret catalogues to others,

because with the simple intention of finding

Mache seeds to grow in my cold frame

I ended up buying all types of other seeds

labeled "for sprouting"

They came, along with a three page instruction packet

and it was seconds before I realized I had no idea

what I was doing.

So, to You Tube I went and I am now an official "sprouter"

What starts like this

Turns into this in about 3-4 days

And you end up with this!

Pretty neat isn't it?

Crispy, full of nutrition, kinda green and growing on my counter in mason jars

with no soil or weeding, all in the heart of winter

I'm tickled pink

These are Fenugreek, the little ones above are Broccoli,

I put Mung bean sprouts in my fried rice last night

and I am starting more.

Nothing like new growth to put a little

skip in your snowy winter step.

Speaking of winter,

I would like to end this post with a shout out

to all those struggling through

the stresses of the recent ice storm.

Gratefully, Stonington was not effected as severely as

our surrounding communities and I know that 

some folks are still without power, and at their wits end.

Here's to a happy new year.

Be well,

Kyra

Ego

Several years ago a wise old friend of mine left me with

a quote to dwell on through the winter

she said,

"The need is not the call"

Wow.

That stopped me in my tracks 

She would also speak often about the ego and 

how its job was to protect us.

However, when let to get too big, that protection

turns into a barrier 

Just this morning another dear friend sent me a link

to an article that brought all these delicate thoughts

into the light rather eloquently 

 I thought I'd share:

Five Ways To Distinguish Your Calling From Your Ego 

Enjoy yourselves,

 and thank you so much

Kyra

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

On Friday, the lovely Donna from Horsepower Farm brought me this year's supply

of freshly ground lamb, Renee picked up our pig from Old Ackley Farm on Wednesday,

Parsnips, Sunchokes, Butternut Squash, all from the garden,

Fresh eggs from my BFF .... 

I headed home loaded with the promise of a good old fashioned snow storm

Last night I cracked open a bottle of wine, along with two of my new favorite cookbooks

Jerusalem by Ottolenghi / Tamimi

and Home Made by Yvette Van Boven

and cooked up a storm!

Creamy Sunchoke soup with "fried" parsnips and mushrooms

from Home Made

Inspired by Jerusalem,  a delicious concoction of spiced lamb, sumac, 

roasted butternut squash and lemon yogurt sauce 

Today; 

 Pork Belly in the oven with rosemary and garlic

Roasted Chicken to pick on during the football game

and

a new take on my Almond Cake with quinoa flour and cocoa powder,

I've included the recipe below

I love this time of year for so many reasons

Not the least being the time we receive to celebrate the

miracles of our lives and the gifts in our hearts

I honor with such awe and gratitude

my connection with all that is and all that we are

Here's to a wonderful season of celebration,

however you choose to enjoy it.

With love,

Kyra

Gluten Free Chocolate Almond Cake

2 cups almond meal

 (I use the meal from making my almond milk)

1 cup + 2 T quinoa flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 1/2 T baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup + 2 T coconut oil, melted

3/4 cup brown rice syrup

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 can coconut milk

1 T vanilla extract

Grease a 9" springform pan with butter

Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl,

whisk to mix well

In a separate bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients

until smooth and completely combined

Pour wet into dry and stir to combine completely

Pour into prepared pan

Bake in a 350 degree oven until

moist crumbs come out on a toothpick 

when tested for doneness

Approximately 25 - 30 minutes

Enjoy!

Portland, ME

Renee and I journeyed to Portland for the weekend

and have come home in a delightful food coma

(which was topped off by a wonderful meal

 and the warmth of community

 at the Community Pot Soup supper last night

 at the Congregational Church in Deer Isle)

With so many superb choices for good eats in Portland

I wanted to give a shout out to the outstanding establishments

we wandered into on Saturday and Sunday

The picture above was taken in the Munjoy Hill neighborhood at Rosemont Market 

This sweet place shot me straight up with inspiration around an

entrepreneurial program I have in the works for this summer

(more on that in the future)

Across the street from the Rosemont is 

The Blue Spoon where we indulged in their Saturday Brunch

 I can honestly say

 I wanted to camp out on the floor and eat 

all the rest of my days' meals here.

I loved everything about it, the paint colors, the counters,

the staff, the windows and the food was SO GOOD.

Salt and Vinegar fries at Nosh, of course

as an appetizer to dinner where we met friends

at Eventide.

I know I've posted about Eventide already - this spring to be precise-

but it was Evenbetter - get it?

Raw oysters covered our table, of which I admit, I am not a fan

so I had two small plates that were outrageous:

 Poached Char stuffed with something glorious 

and served over magically bronzed Brussel sprouts

and then this Scallop Escabeche dish with this

 amazing smoked white fish custard underneath

and little crispy potato things...

OMG!

Brunch on Sunday morning at Cailo's 

and then home in time to watch that ugly,

 heart stopping, crazy Patriots game yesterday.

Whew!

I hope you had a good weekend, are enjoying

this festive month and taking some time to cook, eat and share

really good food.

Enjoy!

Kyra

Socca (Farinata)

At my last Quick Bites cooking class,

 one of my students offered to 

share with me a

 recipe for a gluten free flatbread with

 onions and rosemary

a friend had served her recently

She sent the recipe that night and I was surprised to find it

to be a version of Socca - a chickpea flour pancake that I had highlighted 

with lobster at my Chef's Dinner in July

Long story short, I've made it three times already,

even bringing it as a contribution to Thanksgiving dinner

My favorite version being with scallions instead of onion slices

I thought I'd share the recipe on 

Quick to make, delicious hot from the oven, 

 very versatile and chickpea flour is

full of protein - a true winner.

Thank you Callie

Enjoy!

p.s. The swiss chard is from my garden - I've kept it covered with row cover

and even when it freezes I am able to pick it and cook it before it

defrosts - like my own Green Giant frozen vegetables!

Recipe: Socca (Farinata)

From Mark Bittmann in his erstwhile NYT column:

Published: October 19, 2005

Time: 45 minutes

1 cup chickpea flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon, at least, ground black pepper
4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
½ large onion, thinly sliced, optional
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, optional.

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a well-seasoned or nonstick 12-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet in oven. Sift chickpea flour into a bowl; add salt and pepper; then slowly add 1 cup lukewarm water, whisking to eliminate lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover, and let sit while oven heats, or as long as 12 hours. Batter should be about the consistency of heavy cream.

2. If using onion and rosemary, stir them into batter. Pour 2 tablespoons oil into heated pan, and swirl to cover pan evenly. Pour in batter, and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until pancake is firm and edges set. Heat broiler, and brush top of socca with 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil if it looks dry.

3. Set socca a few inches away from broiler for a few minutes, just long enough to brown it spottily. Cut it into wedges, and serve hot, or at least warm.

Yield: 4 to 6 appetizer servings.