Four Squares!

I have four squares in my possession for my first ever quilting bee!  It's not too late to join in - read about it here: http://rhymeswithsmile.blogspot.com/2011/06/official-quilting-bee-post.html

I can't decide whether or not to post pictures of the squares I have, or just do one big surprise finale once they're all assembled and quilted.  What do you think?

Decided

I've been thinking for a while now that there are things I'd like to blog about that don't have a recipe to go with them.  Or, I want to post something about sewing AND cooking and don't want to bother with two posts.  SO ... ba da da dum ... I'm not going to do rhymeswithquilt anymore.  Just rhymeswithsmile - simple is best these days!

In other news, someone asked me recently where "Rhymes With Smile" came from ... my last name is surprisingly easy to spell, but surprisingly difficult for some people to pronounce.  So if someone asks I tell them it rhymes with smile ...

Summer Popsicles!

My friend Sherri over at Life of a Wife is doing this awesome giveaway of popsicle molds and a popsicle recipe book.  I desperately want to win.  Just once, I want to win something in an online giveaway.

So I'm upping my chances by destroying my chances.  I'm blogging about her giveaway to put my name in the hat twice, but the catch-22 is that you'll go sign up now and that's the end of my hope.  But how about this - if you win because you saw the giveaway on my blog, I will let you supply me popsicles all summer long.  OK?

Salmon with Cilantro Pesto

Salmon with Cilantro Pesto


Sprinkle 4 4-oz salmon fillets with salt and pepper; drizzle with olive oil.  Cover and let sit in refrigerator for 2-24 hours.


Drizzle olive oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat.  Meanwhile, process 1/3 c. chopped cilantro + 2 Tbsp. olive oil + juice of one lime in a small food processor until smooth to make the cilantro-lime pesto.  Add salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.  


Place salmon fillets in skillet and cook on the first side for 6-8 minutes.  Turn each one and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until salmon flakes with a fork.  Spoon one heaping spoonful of cilantro-lime pesto onto each fillet and serve over rice with roasted vegetables on the side.


If you know me, you know I don't do seafood.  But recently, I've been culinarily challenged to try more fish, and have been somewhat surprised that I actually like it!  Don't get me wrong - I'm not eating fish every day - but every once in a while, it's actually refreshing.  I made this dish as a welcome home dinner for the Mister upon his return from the month-long Swiss adventure.  Fish is one of those things that he orders in restaurants because he never gets to eat it at home ... so, it was really a big deal that I made this.


It. was. delicious.  


I will be making it again.  I'm growing cilantro for this purpose ...

Yum.

The Official Quilting Bee Post

Alright, so I've decided ... time for the quilting bee raffle to happen.

Here are your details.  Leave a comment if you have any questions!

(1) if you want to participate, you need to make one, two, or a bajillion quilt squares.  However many you make, that's how many entries you get into the raffle ...

(2) each quilt square needs to be blue and white.  Any blues, any whites.  I'll say MOSTLY blue ... if you plan on using a blue that has other colors in it, that's fine - as long as a stranger would look at the fabric and say "Yes, that's blue."

(3) you can use any pattern you want.

(4) the quilt squares need to be 12.5"x12.5" - a little bigger than you've probably made before, but just roll with it.

(5) the quilt squares need to be in my possession by Friday, July 1.  That's four weeks!  You can mail them to me (let me know if you need my address), drop them by my house, or send them via courier pigeon.  I might throw in your name twice into the raffle if your quilt square is accompanied by chocolate.  

Once I have the squares, you can bet that I'll work diligently to get them into a quilt ... but it still might be a few weeks after receiving them before the raffle drawing.  

Hooray!