A Whole Lot of Hacking Going On...

This morning I discovered that my gmail account was hacked and an email sent to everyone in my Contacts saying that I was stranded in London and needed money.  First let me say thank you to everyone who has called and emailed to make sure I'm ok.  Yes, I am (and let me give you an updated address to send that money to…)

Second, let me say what a pain it has been to clean up everything.  Fortunately, Google has a list of steps to go through to check everything because I would never have thought of most of them.  Google also has a two-step verification process that you can opt into that may have helped.  When you sign on, not only do you have to put in a password, they send a text to your phone that you then have to enter.  I'm doing that now. 

I guess my brain doesn't work that way, but I just can't understand why some people are so mean.

Glazed Butternut Squash

I'm so happy it's getting to be butternut squash season!  I love this stuff.  And I found the best recipe ever for the roasted version in America's Test Kitchen's Light & Healthy 2010.






GLAZED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Vegetable oil spray
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs) peeled, seeded, and cut into 1" chunks
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (dark or light)
1 Tbl canola oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp cider vinegar

1.  Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the over to 425.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with vegetable oil spray.

2.  Toss all ingredients through cayenne together in a large bowl until well coated.  Spread onto baking sheet and roast, stirring every 15 minutes, until well browned and tender (about 45 minutes.)  Transfer to a platter and drizzle with the vinegar and serve.

Confession:  I've made this twice and I keep forgetting the vinegar part!  Would someone please do this and tell me how it works out?

I like butternut squash mixed with other roasted vegetables and as a soup, too. Last month's Cooking Light had a recipe for Mac & Cheese that used butternut squash as a base in place of the creamy roux.  It didn't pass the taste test with Mr. A, but he's so set in his ways.  Am I missing any other good uses for butternut squash?

Warm White Beans with Roasted Fennel

I made this recipe from Cooking Light (October 2011) for dinner tonight.  It was delicious and easy.  Walter loved it!  I added some grilled chicken that I cubed and froze from out last grilling session (a la Taylor) and it was a one-dish meal.

Get the recipe here.

Stars for a New Millennium

My needlepoint group (Polly's class at Amy's Golden Strand) is gearing up to stitch Tony Minieri's wonderful design, Stars for a New Millennium, beginning in January, 2012.  Here is the colorway chosen by the designer, based on an overdyed thread by Silk 'n Colors called Plum Honey.

The stitch guide includes thread choices for twelve other colorways that were stitched by Tony's original group.  Of course, you can choose your own colorway and threads and that's what one of the stitchers in our group did when she made this piece several years ago.

The color variations are endless.  I've set up a Pinterest board and will be pinning up different versions as I come across them.  You can check it out HERE.  Note that you have to be a member of Pinterest, but it's easy and free to sign up.  This site is such a good idea!  It's like an electronic bulletin board.   Once you sign up you have an icon on your toolbar that says "Pin It."  As you see images that you like on the internet, you just click on the image, then click on pin it, and it saves to whatever board you choose for yourself.  And the pinup includes the source website, so you can go back for more info if you want to!  Totally excellent.

I'm currently stitching another Tony piece called Les Rubans Anciennes, aka French Ribbons.  Here's what the finished piece will look like:

Here's where I am this morning on my French Ribbons piece:

See those two diamonds in the lower right side?  They're two threads too high!!!  So this morning I will be ripping them out and redoing them…my own fault.

I'd like for my Stars to coordinate with French Ribbons so that I can hang them together.  I'm in the process of choosing my threads now.  I think I'm going to play off of a Threadworx floss called Romanian Forest.

These same colors are in a Gloriana thread called Harvest Grape, which has more teal in it than the Romanian Forest.  I tried to upload a photo, but you can't really tell anything.  I'll keep you posted.

Morningside Quilt Squares

An update on the quilt square project on Morningside Drive:

Judy Petrie's was the first.  She's working on another one for the front of her house, but this one is on the side:

Judy Petrie house

Judy Petrie closeup

Judy was first attracted by the pattern; she wanted something with triangles and squares and other shapes.  When she saw the name of the pattern - Peaceful Hours - she was sold.

Debbie's square is called Traveler's Star and she chose it because it's asymmetrical:

Debbie Lindenmuth house

Judy Carr has the other completed quilt square.  She had never done any painting whatsoever, but Judy Petrie helped her lay this one out and she did it!  The pattern is called Summer Winds.  She chose it (1) because it was easy to lay out and (2) man, do we have winds here in Blowing Rock!

Judy Carr house

Judy Carr closeup

We're hoping to encourage everyone on our street to put one up!  So Morningside neighbors, if you want one and need some help, just contact Judy Petrie, Debbie Lindenmuth, or me.  We'll be glad to help.

You can read about my quilt square here.

Quote - George Bernard Shaw

No public man in these islands ever believes that the Bible means what it says: he is always convinced that it says what he means.

• Our Theatres In The Nineties (1930)