Exciting News!!

I have some exciting news to share and its not just that I am quilting again!! Right after Christmas I found out I was EXPECTING baby #4. The whole family is thrilled to bring home a new little baby this August. I have been very sick {understatement of the universe!} and blogging has taken an extreme back seat. Starting in March I could see the light at the end of the tunnel with this "morning sickness". I put "morning sickness" in quotes because lets be honest: "Morning sickness" = all day and night nausea {for me anyway}.

It is funny how when you are really sick and can't hardly raise your head off the pillow you start to appreciate all the things you could do and enjoyed doing everyday like: EATING, and playing with your KIDS, and carpool, and DATE NIGHT and quilting. I have been dying to get back to quilting and found the perfect quilt to do just that: Spilt 9-patch!!

At the beginning of  March I got away and went to a girls weekend and got started on this beauty. I am making it for someone special and I know how much HE loves BYU. I got the inspiration from a quilt my friend Kristin made for her husband who is a huge BYU fan also. At the girls weekend a friend of mine suggested I "split" my 9-patches for a scrappier look. We played around with the idea and fabrics and I instantly knew it was the perfect direction.

As I make more progress on the quilt I take more pictures. As for blogging I'm sure I'll be hit and miss around here. With 3 boys, one being 17 months old: Quilting Time let alone Computer Time is a precious commodity. We found out what we are having in less than two weeks so I'll post the news here!!

Happy Friday.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Last Sunday I was craving Chicken Pot Pie (CPP) for dinner. With winter still in full effort here in Utah I was majorly craving some winter comfort food. Because of  the tediousness of making the crust, sauce and ingredients; chicken pot pie is no easy task. It is hard to see all that work and effort go to waste on just one pie I made two so that I could enjoy CPP twice as long.

I had three goals when making CPP. 1) Make sure the veggies aren't complete mush ~ hence parboiling. 2)  Ample amounts of salt ~ nothing is worse than not enough flavor 3) A nice delicate thin crust ~ I am not a fan of thick pie crust.

Chicken Pot Pie

Crust:
2 cups sifted Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup Shortening
6-8 tablespoons ice cold Water
{chill dough for 2-4 hours before rolling}

Sauce:
1 medium diced Onion
4 tablespoons Butter
{saute butter and onions over medium heat}
1/3 cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper {be generous}
whisk in:
1 cup Cream
2 cups Chicken Stock
{cook over medium low heat for 10-15 mins. til sauce becomes thick}

Filling:
1 cup chopped Carrots
1cup Potatoes {peeled and chopped}
{Parboil carrots and potatoes just enough so they aren't crunchy}
1 cup Peas
1/2 cup of Celery {raw}
1 cup Chicken {I preferre rotisserie chicken left overs}
{Toss all ingredients into a large bowl and salt heavily}

Cook Pie for 1 hour and usually a little more at 375 degrees. Left overs are amazing so I highly recommend double the recipe and making TWO!!

Trunk Show Hotesses

I am "sew" excited announce the ah-mazing quilters who will be hosting Trunk Show are this spring's retreat.

Konda Luckau from Moose on the Porch

and

Kati From the Blue Chair

If your as excited as I am to see these Hostesses quilts in person, don't delay and get your ticket now! The price goes up after February 2nd. So email me pamela@frenchknots.net now to secure your spot.

Quilt Retreat Spring 2012

Ready to shake off those winter blues and have some quilting fun?? {Frenchknots} Quilt Retreat is having it’s second annual Quilt Retreat. So.....If you want to recharge your battery before spring and have a little girls getaway come and join us for a weekend of inspiration. Mark your Calendars {Frenchknots} Quilt Retreat is this: March 2nd, 3rd and 4th. The retreat will be located at the relaxing Fairview Retreat and Reunion in Fairview, Utah.

The last Retreat was such a success! Fantastic food, amazing trunk shows, great class and new friends made ~ you don’t want to miss out. To read more about our first Retreat click here.

All you need to bring: Your Projects, Supplies and Machine!

We Provide: 3 days and 2 nights of quilting, socializing and YOU time, 5 delicious meals {breakfast x2, lunch x1 and dinner x2}. Also provided: tables, chairs, ironing boards, cutting mats and cutters.

Total Cost for the 3 day Quilting Retreat is $235.00. The first 10 people to sign up will get a $36.00 discount! Making your retreat pass only $199.00! The deadline to register is Thursday, February 2nd. We only have 18 spots, so register early. Bring a friend and make some new ones!

So you WANT to attend? Can't hardly wait? Sign up now to secure your spot! We have 2 payment options:

1) Mail CHECK to
Pamela Cardwell
495 North 650 West
American Fork, Utah 84003
(send me an email pamela@frenchknots.net letting me know you sent the money)

2) Paypal
(send me an email and I will invoice you for the funds pamela@frenchknots.net)

I will email you a detailed Itinerary of the Quilting Retreat and more once I have received payment!
Thanks and I can't wait to see you soon.

xoxo,
Pamela Cardwell
email: pamela@frenchknots.net
web: http://www.frenchknots.net/

***Please note: due to family necessities this retreat has been postpones. Thanks

2011 was a great year!

2011 was a busy year for me. As I look back and visit the past year in photos I actually did a WhOlE lOt. Way to go gurl! I file my pictures away in folders on my computer and it is fun to retrace my sewing steps month by month and see what I accomplished!! My cute family was by side and my sweet hubby supported me through it all. Here is a recap of the highlights of 2011.

 {Quilts}

(L-R, T-B) Black 9-patch on Point

Machine Quilting  for the very first time

Made a baby quilt from a charm pack

Improve Quilting

{Events}

(L-R, T-B) Inaugural Sewing Summit

Rit Dye Party with Melissa

Hosting my first Quilt Retreat next retreat in March! Wahoo!

Attended Quilt Market in SLC

{Munchies}

(L-R, T-B) Mouthwatering English Muffins

Mexican Coleslaw perfect for parties

Pumpkin Granola great for soccer games

To Die For Huevos Rancheros

Happy New Year 2012

Happy New Years

Happy New Years Everyone! Christmas was a whirlwind with family, friends and lots and lots of food. Every year with the hustle and bustle of parties, presents, and parcel post I wonder if I'll get it all done. This year especially... because I got an early Christmas present and didn't know if I could mange it all.  (more on that later!) Luckily everything came together with alot of help from my hubby!!

The only thing missing from my recap was the Christmas Quilt I made for my Mom and Dad. I was literally finishing the binding Christmas morning before they came over to see the kid's presents. I finished it by the skin of my teeth, but they loved it and I couldn't have been more happy with the results. Picture of the quilt to come.

Here is just a recap of our Christmas week and I hope you have a fantastic 2012!

No presents under the tree until Christmas morning.

BIL Rob and hubby!

New shiny plastic presents

Traditional aebleskiver Christmas breakfast: recipe here

Mom's world famous chocolates ~ or at least famous in these parts.

Christmas Break wouldn't be complete without one of these famous ice cream cones from JCW's.

Apple Upside Down Cake ~ Mid Week Munchies

I knew when I put my Mom in charge of the desserts at the Quilt Retreat last month they would be a smashing success and this cake from King Arthur Flour didn't disappoint. It was a weekend favorite. Enjoy.

Recipe and Picture from King Arthur Flour

Topping:
2 medium apples

4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup light corn syrup

Cake:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 large apple, peeled and finely chopped
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" round cake pan at least 2" deep. The success of this cake hinges on the right kind of pan. Line the bottom with parchment, and grease the parchment.

2) Slice the top, including the stem, off one of the apples and set it aside before peeling and slicing the rest of the apples into 1/4" thick wedges.  Place the apple top, stem side down, in the middle of the pan, and overlap the rest of the apple wedges in a ring around it.

3) Prepare the topping by heating the butter, sugar, boiled cider, cinnamon, and corn syrup together over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

4) Pour 1/2 cup of the syrup mixture into the prepared pan, and set the rest aside.

5) To make the cake: Beat the oil, brown sugar, boiled cider, eggs, spices, and salt together for 2 minutes at medium speed

6) Mix the flour with the baking soda, and stir it into the batter.  Add the chopped apple and nuts, and mix until just blended.

7) Drop scoops of the batter atop the apples in the pan, gently spreading to cover.

8) Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean.

9) Remove the cake from the oven, and run a thin spatula around the edge to loosen. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving plate, bottom side up. Scrape out any sauce that remains in the pan, and spread it over the cake.

10) Reheat the reserved topping. If butter starts to separate as you reheat, add water by the teaspoon and stir until the butter rejoins the rest of the sauce.  Pour the sauce over the cake. Serve cake warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream if desired.