Saturday, November 20, 2010

Just Waiting...

So, we're still waiting for Baby Girl's arrival!  I was having so many contractions last week that I was sure she was going to make an early debut.  However, the last few days have been very quiet, and I've felt very energetic.  Now, I'm thinking maybe this is going to be a late baby!  Our due date isn't until November 24, so we still may have an on-time arrival.

Two weeks ago, my friend Vangie paid a visit and brought me these adorable baby booties and hat.  She knit them herself.  The booties are so cute, they almost makes me want to learn to knit, but I'm not sure if I have the patience for it.


In other news, my parents are in town! It has been so much fun to have them here.
Mom has been spending most of her free time feeling my belly and trying to get the baby to kick.
Dad has been working hard keeping up with things at the office and eating cookies.  Lots of cookies.

While John has been working, I've enjoyed spending time with my parents and going on walks.  The weather has definitely turned colder, and I'm thrilled that I can still zip up my winter coat!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Deep (and I mean DEEEEP) Dish Quiche

Last night we hosted our home fellowship group for Bible study and prayer.  I decided I wanted to make something a little different for our snack/dinner meal.  Several months ago my mom had given me a recipe for a "makes-its-own-crust" quiche, and I decided to give it a try.  I've always been intimidated by making my own pie crust, so I thought this recipe would be an easy alternative

About half-way through the baking process I was shocked to see this in my oven:



This photo doesn't capture the quiche's true size, but this quiche is at least 3.5" deep!  I quickly called my mom and asked her if she had indeed made her recipe in a 9x13" pan.  She responded, "Well, maybe I split the mixture between 2 pans..."  Our guests definitely had a good laugh when they saw the massive quiche. It was delicious and I'll be making it again... but in 2 pans in stead of 1!

In case you're interested, I've posted my mom's recipe below.

Egg Mixture Ingredients:
12 eggs
1 ½ cup all purpose flour  
1.5 tsp teaspoon baking powder
1.5 or so teaspoon salt
Pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 quart half and half (next time I may just use milk)

Filling Ingredients:
Chopped sautéed onion, sauteed in  3 tablespoons butter.
1 lb pork sausage, browned and drained of grease (next time I'm going to try ham or bacon)
1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 package chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and drained

Instructions:
Use mixer to beat eggs and flour, add the other Egg Mixture Ingredients and stir until blended. Taste to make sure not too salty. Yes, take a taste of the egg mixture.

Distributute onions, sausage, spinach and cheese etc in bottom of a greased pan (1 very DEEP 9x13" pan or 3 8" square pans). Pour egg mixture over top.

Bake at 400°F for 30 – 35 minutes (longer for deep dish version), or until the top is nice and brown and the center of the quiche does not wobble too much. Do not overbake. Top with extra cheese to make it more attractive before serving.

Allow quiche to rest for 5 – 10 minutes before cutting to serve.