This is one of my favorite dinners to make in the slow cooker.  Easy, tasty and it’s quick enough to make two batches at the same time and freeze one for another night.  Love it when that happens!

I started making two batches at once when I realized that since the recipe called for 1/2 pound of the sausage and that came in a 1 pound package, and for half a bell pepper it would be easy to double and then I wouldn’t have odds and ends of leftover ingredients hanging around.

Now the sausage package I buy has shrunk to 12 ounces, but I still just divide it in half.  No one has commented that they notice the dish is short 2 ounces of sausage – although I’m sure I’ll hear about it now! – so don’t worry if what you buy is short of a pound either.  It’s a pretty flexible recipe.

I usually make it with the sausage and chicken thighs. However, it’s also great with other meats in place of the chicken like leftover pork ribs or roast or, if added at the very end, shrimp.

First get slicing and dicing.  I like to do the vegetables first so that the same cutting board can be used for the meats and vegetables.  I know they’re all getting cooked together but I hate to chop veggies up on a meat slimy board.  Hey, we all have our weirdnesses!  I had those mini bell peppers so they are red and yellow.   Any color of pepper is fine.

Next cut up the meats.  Add them to the mix and then in go the spices.  You might want to adjust how much cayenne used depending on how spicy you like it and how spicy the sausage is.

Since I was doing the double batch thing I have half of the ingredients in the slow cooker and half ready for the freezer.

Then add the broth and tomatoes and cook on low for 4 hours. Now, just walk away.  Don’t you love that?  No fussing, no stirring, not much more to do.  Just go and do something fun or useful or interesting and soon your house will start smelling really good.

When time is up, pour in the rice and give everything a stir.  Put the lid back on and let it cook for one more hour.  I’m a brown rice fan, but use what you like best.

We like to have this with a big salad and some cornbread on the side.  Leftovers re-heat well for lunch another day.

Slow Cooker Chicken Jambalaya
serves 6

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 lb andouille sausage
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 t dried oregano
1 t cajun seasoning
1/4 – 1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 – 12 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 C chicken stock
3/4 C rice

Place all ingredients, except the rice, into the slow cooker, turn on to low and cook for 4 hours.

Pour in the rice and give everything a stir and continue to cook for another hour.

Print the recipe

- – marcella 

When I started hand quilting I hadn’t ever used a thimble.  My mom never sewed with a thimble.  When I took sewing in school the teacher never used a thimble or mentioned that people used such a thing.  Then I signed up for a quilting class and “thimble” was on the supply list.  I went to the sewing store which had exactly one type of thimble and bought it.

It was awful.

It felt weird to have something on my finger while I was trying to hand quilt, which is a weird enough thing on its own.  It fell off because it was too big.  It tipped and dug into the side of my finger and left a blister because it was the wrong shape for my finger.  It was discouraging!

Finally the desire to hand quilt became stronger than my thimble aversion and I started hunting thimbles.  Like kissing frogs to find a prince I ended up buying a lot of thimbles that didn’t work for me.  However, once I started teaching and sharing my thimbles it ended up that just about every thimble I had became somebody’s favorite.

Besides style there is also the matter of fit.  A thimble should fit snugly.  You should be able to move your hand around including letting it hang down at your side without the thimble falling off.  If the thimble falls off it is either too big or the wrong shape for your finger – with one thimble exception we’ll get to later.

Finally there’s the oddity of wearing a thimble if you aren’t used to it.  It frankly can feel weird and awkward  to have something on your finger getting in they way of your quilting!  The best way to deal with it is to wear it.  Wear it around the house – while you do laundry or chores, while you put away the groceries, while you read or watch tv or even read blogs on the computer.  Wear it until you don’t notice it anymore.  Then you’re ready to start quilting with a thimble!

So, here’s my collection with a few notes.  Hopefully it will help the thimble seekers among you to find the right type of thimble.

These are what I call the “low profile” thimbles:

Low profile thimbles are a great starting place.  When someone is not used to wearing a thimble these are less obtrusive than the standard thimble.  Some quilters stick with them and others get used to the feeling and move on to sturdier thimble versions.

Top left is textured first aid tape.  Some hand quilters like to wrap their quilting finger with this or electrical tape or even a bandaid and quilt that way.  Just a couple words of caution: the needle will wear through all of these tapes eventually so keep an eye on things and add more tape or replace it before the back end of the needle stabs your finger; second if your finger is already sore say from sewing thimble-less wait until it heals before trying a sticky option or it will really hurt to remove (does it sound like I’ve had that problem before?)

Bottom left is a soft leather thimble with a metal disc in the front.  This one is made by Clover but several manufacturers make them.  They are soft and less annoying to wear than a hard metal thimble but some people find they twist and turn on their finger.  This is the exception to the snug thimble that does not fall off rule.

Sticky thimbles.  The two pictured are technically for the “under the quilt” hand, however I’ve had students try and like these for their needle hand.  The left one the “under thimble” is a metal disc and round double sided tape to stick it on with.  The disc is smooth but some quilters liked to wear it and put a piece of tape over it to keep the needle from slipping.  This solved the wear through problem of tape alone.  The other is thin tape ovals.  I’d often have an anti-thimble student try these only to discover that they’d change sewing fingers to an un-taped finger.  It was not uncommon to have one or more students with tape on every finger of their quilting hand just trying to get used to dealing with something on their finger.  There are also little leather sticky dots that can be purchased that work like those pictured but are far more sturdy.

What all of these thimbles have in common besides their lower profile is that they require the quilter to push the needle with the pad of their finger rather than the tip of their finger.  The more you quilt, you will find that you likely prefer pushing with one spot on your finger.  Once you know where that is, you can narrow down your search by pad of the finger thimbles or top of the finger thimbles.

Here’s my collection of pad of the finger thimbles:

Left is a “nimble thimble” these are soft leather thimbles with a metal disc hidden under the leather at the pad of your finger.  They, like most of this type of thimble have an opening for someone with a long fingernail.  Because these are leather they do eventually wear out and you will know it when the metal disc moves and the needle enters your finger tip.

Near left is an adjustable thimble made by Clover.  This one has nice deep groves for the end of the needle to sit in.  The back of the thimble can be squeezed, just like a ring from the gum ball machine, to fit snugly.

Center is a tailors thimble which is also made by Clover.  It can also be squeezed to fit snugly around the finger closer to the first joint rather than centered on the pad of the finger.

Inner right is a Roxanne thimble.  These are nice, heavy duty thimbles that are sized like jewelry to fit just right.  They come in brass (shown) or sterling which some quilters really love.  They are a bit heavier at the tip than other brands which may take getting used to.  The metal is hefty for long wear and the price is hefty too.

Right is a Diamond thimble.  It’s made out of some sort of flexible plastic.  The pad of the thimble is textured to help reduce needle slip.

Tip of the finger thimbles:

I think these are what people typically think of when they think of a thimble.  Notice that none of these are porcelain with little dancing ladies painted on them.  Those painted ones are decorative, not really designed for quilting.  When shopping for these, really look at the shape of your fingers.  Some fingers are tapered and others are the same diameter from tip to hand.  Thimbles are the same and if you fingers taper than you will likely want a thimble that tapers too.  If your fingers are straight (like mine) than you want a straighter sided thimble to avoid the thimble tipping and moving on your finger.  If you love long fingernails these are not the thimble style for you.

Left is the basic Dritz metal thimble widely available in virtually every single sewing store on the planet.  They come in about four sizes.  Try them on and choose one that fits snugly.

Near left is a leather thimble with a metal top.  My local quilt shop had these but there isn’t a brand on it.  The leather is actually pretty stiff so it’s not really any more comfortable than a well fitting metal thimble.

Nearly center is a latex dipped metal thimble called a “ladyfinger thimble.”  The latex coating helps stop needle slip.

Nearly center right is a custom thimble made by T.J. Lane. She makes many styles of thimbles and they are each a little work of art besides being really well made.  They are sized like jewelry so you can get one that fits you exactly.

Inner right is a “flexible thimble” made of hard plastic.  It’s a bit slick but some people like how light it is to wear.  Others hate how sweaty a plastic thimble is.

Right is a “raised edge thimble”.  It has a reinforced top with nice deep grooves to hold the needle securely.

Try on as many thimbles as you can and get one that really fits you securely.  Then wear it and get used to the feeling of a thimble on your finger.  It might just surprise you the difference a well fitting thimble will make to your quilting stitches.

See what the creative ladies have up on their design walls over at Judy’s.

Check out other thimble opinions over at Bonnie’s.

- – marcella

It might seem like there hasn’t been much cooking around here, but really we have been.  I’ve just fallen down on the sharing the recipes job.

Not long ago we were in need of a good snack that was different than the usual.  Hot pretzels came to mind.  These ones were made bite sized, but if you are craving the full sized twisty variety, the dough could certainly be shaped that way.

Just like the pretzel shop in the mall or the movie theater, we dipped our pretzels into a melty cheese sauce.  Well, I did have some mustard too since I love it.  Dip them in what you love; there aren’t any pretzel eating police.

Pretzel Bites

1 1/2 C warm water

2 T light brown sugar

1 package (2 1/2 t) yeast

3 T butter, melted

2 1/2 t kosher salt

4 1/2 – 5 C all purpose flour

3/4 C baking soda

1 egg

coarse salt

Combine the water, sugar, yeast and butter in a mixing bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and  4 1/2 C flour and mix on low speed until combined.  Increase the mixer speed and continue mixing until the dough is smooth and clears the side of the bowl.  If the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl add additional flour 1 T at a time.

Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large saucepan, heat 3 quarts of water over high heat.

Divide the pretzel dough into 8 portions.  Roll each section into a long rope about two feet long.  Cut the dough into 1 inch pieces.

When the water is boiling add the baking soda.  Cook the pretzel bites in batches in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove pretzels with a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet.  Arrange pretzels so that they are not touching each other.

Beat together with a fork the egg and 1 T water.  Brush the pretzel bites with the egg wash and sprinkle with the coarse salt.  Bake for 15 – 18 minutes until golden brown.

Cheddar Cheese Sauce

2 T butter

2 T all purpose flour

1/2 t salt

1/4 t dry mustard

dash cayenne

1 C milk

1/4 lb cheddar cheese, shredded

In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter.  Stir in the flour and seasonings and cook, stirring for one minute.

Gradually stir in milk.  Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and is smooth.  Stir in the cheese until just melted.  Serve sauce hot with pretzel bites.

I’ve been making little bags again.  That bag making bug sure has hit me hard this year.  Who knew I’d like making little bags so much?

It started when I saw a little bag like this.

I thought it was so cute that I went looking for a pattern for the bag.  After very little looking I found directions here and decided to make some bags for Valentines day for some of my friends.

I dipped into my never ending supply of white cotton canvas for the outsides.  And yes, I still have some canvas left over but not too much.  I had red wool for the hearts in my stash as well.  Just a quick trip to the store for some zippers and a little Valentine theme fabric for the lining and I was ready to go.

Naturally, I messed with the instructions a little bit.  I sewed the front, zipper and lining in one seam. I skipped clipping the seam because it’s an inner curve not an outer one so what is the point?  Just a time waster in my mind.  I also skipped the binding on the bottom seams.  I used a wide zig zag set close together instead.  It made a neat finish and was very quick and easy.

The bags went together very quickly.

Before I knew it I had eight all finished.  I put a few treats of the chocolate sort inside and had fun giving them out to some of my friends.

Back to quilting this week.  I need to get moving on my unfinished project for February.  The month is half over and I haven’t even started on it yet.

Check out the links here and see what other creative quilters are up to this week.

- -marcella

I did bind my ufo and got it finished.

I did use up the last of the scraps from that project and made the top for a preemie-quilt.  The quilt bee I belong to decided to make that our project for this year.  We’ll make quilts for the hospital to give the preemie babies.

And I made a Swoon block out of scraps from my other recently finished quilt.  The block is big (24 inches) so I think with a border added it will make a cute preemie quilt as well.  There are a lot more scraps to go so I think at least one more quilt will be made out of these fabrics.

Eagle eyes will notice that I didn’t have quite enough of the blue polka dot and did a little substituting.

Keep up with all the other quilters by visiting Judy’s blog.

- – marcella

I’m straying from the assigned recipe this week for French Fridays with Dorie.  The recipe this week is for a gorgonzola apple quiche.  Now, I like apples and blue cheese and quiche but not all three together.  Eggs and apples?  No.  I know there are omelets out there with jam and fruit but they are not yummy to me. So, rather than skip another week I decided to just turn a few pages instead.

What I found was a recipe that not only sounded great but would use up some ingredients still hanging around our fridge from our last produce delivery: mushrooms and shallots. Perfect.

This time I remembered that the recipes use a tart pan and not a pie pan so my quiche actually came out the right size for the filling.  See?  Better all the time.

After the tart pan is lined with the crust the filling is made.  It was simply mushrooms, shallots and thyme cooked in butter and simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

The bottom of the crust was sprinkled with fresh thyme.  The cooled mushroom mixture was spread on top.  Then a custard of eggs, cream with more salt and pepper is poured over the top.  Finally the top of the quiche is sprinkled with sliced scallions and a few tablespoons of grated gruyere cheese.

Into the oven it goes for about 35 minutes and it really did come out puffed and golden and quite professional looking.  I think this quiche received more compliments for looks than any I have ever made.  Better than its looks was its taste.  Definitely a quiche we’ll make again.

If you’re curious about those gorgonzola apple quiches check out the other links at the French Fridays blog.

- – marcella

I am really pleased with how the simple straight line quilting turned out.  I just continued it across the whole top – even the borders.

With that as done as it can be without binding fabric I went back to working on the Orca Bay Mystery quilt.  Steps one and two are complete and I’m cutting out a zillion (or maybe just 354) pairs of little triangles.  I’ve got just over 200 cut out at this point.

The plan is to have them all sewn into little 2″ squares by the end of this week.

See what those creative quilters are up to over at Judy’s blog.

- – marcella

The top is finished and is now 38″ x 49″ which I think is a much more useable baby quilt size than the original 32″ x 39″.  It’s also much better looking with the sashing, I think.  Thanks to Judy D in AZ for the corner stones idea.

Then I took the scraps and pieced up the backing.  I had a pretty big piece of the border fabric left over.

And for all that, I still have a bunch of scraps left over.

This quilt was made from the scraps of another quilt and yet, they just seem to grow. It’s like wire coat hangers, they just multiply when you aren’t looking!  The last of scraps will likely go into a quilt for the NICU and then I hope they’re all used up.  If not, they will go in my scrap bag for the guild give away table and someone else can do something with them.

See what the other quilters are doing over at Judy’s.

- – marcella

Off to the side is one of the original borders.  I think I have enough of this fabric to use it for the borders on this version.

- – marcella

I found buried in the back of the pile a little quilt made from scraps of another quilt and a matching charm pack. I used Anita’s method of making square on point blocks.  I just made my template for a 5″ square. They made for very cute little blocks.  Where I went wrong was to just sew them together side by side, slap on two borders and call it a baby quilt top.

The blocks were just too busy, and it was just a tad too small for what I consider baby quilt size, and it just wasn’t what I wanted.  Into a bag and into the closet it went.  Until now.

For the past few days, I and my seam ripper have been taking it all apart.  The borders are off and nearly half of the rows have been dismantled, pressed and every little annoying thread bit thrown away.

Here are the blocks that have been taken apart so far.  I’m kind of liking the way the design wall looks like sashing.  I had been thinking of alternate plain blocks, but I may just sash them instead.

I’m pretty happy that I’d just bought a new lint roller.  It has sure been put to work cleaning up thread bits!

Now to find enough time by the end of the month to finish taking the top apart, sew it all back together and quilt and bind it.  This challenge is teaching me to be a faster quilter!

See what beautiful things the other quilters are up to over on Judy’s blog.

- – marcella