Avocado Zucchini Alfredo with Shrimp

(Makes 2 servings, approx. 12 shrimp and 2 cups zucchini each)
Total time: 22 min.
Prep time: 15 min.
Cooking time: 7 min.

1/2 medium ripe avocado, mashed
1/4 cup reduced-fat (2%) plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided use
1/2 tsp garlic powder, divided use
1/2 tsp onion powder, divided use
Nonstick cooking spray
24 raw, medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed (approx. 12 oz)
4 medium zucchini, spiralized (approx. 4 cups)
2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine avocado, yogurt, 1/4 tsp each of the pepper, garlic powder and onion powder in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.

2. Heat large nonstick skillet, lightly coated with spray, over medium heat.

3. Add shrimp. Season with remaining 1/4 tsp pepper, garlic and onion powders; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.

4. Add zucchini; cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from skillet.

5. Add avocado mixture; cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes, or until shrimp is firm and opaque, and mixture is heated through.

6. Evening divide between 2 serving plates. Top with grated Parmesan cheese; serve immediately.

• My notes: Have everything ready before you start. This dish cooks up quickly and is best eaten right away. You won’t have the the time you might with other dishes, to clean off the table, and so on.

• If you spiralize your zucchini early in the day, and set a paper towel in the container, you won’t have a lot of extra liquid once you start cooking.

• I use a Le Creuset braiser which is not non-stick. So, I use about 1 tsp. Olive oil instead of a nonstick spray.

And one day, I’ll figure out how to add a recipe easily on my blog so it’s printable, if you want that. Feel free to ask questions in the comments. I assume you already know how to cook when you read my recipes, so ask questions if you are just learning.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter

Bob-o’-link, bob-o’-link, Spink, spank, spink

From my picture window, I love to watch the birds early in the morning. This morning, for instance, from my not so comfy rocking chair, yet the one I sit in every morning, I see goldfinch, grackle, purple martins, chipper sparrow, hummingbird, oriole, barn swallow, nuthatch, robin, tree swallow, bluebird, and cardinal. And that’s with just a quick glance.

The goldfinch, nuthatch, cardinal and sometimes bluebird will stay all year. The rest come to nest. And then, there are those flocks that just stop by on their migration.

Yesterday, I looked out and recognized a type of blackbird I hadn’t seen before. I looked it up and it was the bobolink! A small flock of about 50 birds, had stopped to refuel. Lucky for them, I don’t poison dandelions, because they eat dandelion seeds. Their bubbly song as they foraged in my yard, was so happy. It was interesting to watch them, because there were a couple of birds I didn’t recognize, that must have been hanging with the flock, traveling along together.

I learned that bobolinks have one of the longest migration flights of any songbird, a whopping 12,500 miles, round trip from South America to North America. Think about that! It amazes me. The oldest female bobolink on record, was 9 years old.

A migrating Bobolink can orient itself with the earth’s magnetic field, thanks to iron oxide in bristles of its nasal cavity and in tissues around the olfactory bulb and nerve. Bobolinks also use the starry night sky to guide their travels.

From All About Birds

And a poem, Robert of Lincoln, written by William Bryant, would be a lovely one to read to your kids today - “Bob-o’-link, bob-o’-link, Spink, spank, spink”

How do you learn about the birds in your yard, or where you travel? Look them up. That’s what I do. I see a bird, I look it up in one of my books, read about it, tell about it, and watch for it. I especially love sharing about our little tree swallows that nest in the spring, and watching the barn swallows never gets dull.

I have 4 resources at home, that I use to identify and learn about birds.

• Merlin app

• Reader’s Digest Book of North American Birds - this book has some of the scientific facts, but is more story-like in it’s bird descriptions, highlighting characteristics and personalities of different birds. It was a gift from my parents.

• Peterson Field Guide to North American Birds - I have a much older edition

• Birds of Nebraska - this is like a pocket guide book and I like how it has color codes on the edge of the pages, so if I’m trying to identify a bird that is mostly grey, I start by flipping to that section.

• and websites, when I want to identify a song or learn more about a specific bird, especially the ones that migrate through Nebraska. Some birds, like the purple martins, have such enthusiastic fans, that they have their own conservation websites. (I am one such fan!)

Those who love watching birds, will understand why I was almost giddy at seeing bobolinks yesterday. We live on the very southern tip of their expected nesting range, so to have them nest here, would be unusual. The hummingbirds generally don’t nest here either. They just stop by to fuel up.

We get a break from the drizzle and wind today, and it’s going to be glorious. Thanks for stopping by. Let me know in the comments if you like watching birds or if they all look the same to you!

Your friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter

I want your life - but do you really, all of it?

I always laugh when someone tells me they want my life. I’ll admit, it’s pretty okay. But, it’s messy, just like everyone else’s life.

I suppose what they are referring to is, my highlight reel, my Instagram or Facebook life. That life that I love posting about because it brings me joy or happiness. And because no one wants to see a picture of cat puke that soaked my sock when I stepped in it in the dark.

I’m glad that I can give people something to work for, or long to creat for themselves. But hopefully these few examples give you an idea of how people look at your highlight reel, and why we can’t take offense, because we all do it.

For instance, I posted a cool picture of honeycomb. Someone said…that’s so neat. I wish I had your life. That’s fine, but does that mean you want the 2 hours that it took to take care of my bees that one day; the lifting, sweat, trips back and forth with equipment, bees buzzing around my head, the money I invested in the bees…That part? Or, the part where I took a picture of honeycomb, with no bees around me?

I posted a picture of my longarm quilting machine. Someone said, “I wish I had your life.” That looks awesome. Which part do you want? My going to bed at 12 and getting up at 5, to get my work done, so I have time to quilt. Winding numerous bobbins, carrying a bolt of batting, maneuvering backing, pressing, picking out wrong stitches, stretching out sore back and neck muscles, investing in a machine instead of a new car, questioning whether I chose the right thread or quilting pattern, troubleshooting when my machine goes berserk; those things? Or, taking a picture of a quilt on a longarm?

You went to France? “I want your life.” 20 hours one way, because the plane turned around, sore body all over, sitting next to someone with a cough for 8 hours, days of pre-planning and packing and changing flights; that part? Or, taking a picture by the Eiffel Tower?

I sit by my window and watch the birds early in the morning on our acreage. “I want your life.” The bird-watching part, or mowing for hours, pulling ticks off, controlling erosion, defending plants from deer, being alone-far from town, wind that blows the mulch away, paying $120 for the appliance repairman just to make the trip out here to look at our humming fridge; those things? Or, the part where I’m sitting for a bit to watch the birds?

See? We often see one thing, think that would be a great life, and forget or block out the parts that we don’t want to think about. There’s a whole lot of behind the curtain work that goes into living, no matter what.

I hope you think of this, next time you see something on Instagram and wish that was your life. Would you be willing to take on all of that life, or just that cute picture of a baby grinning in the early morning?

You friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter

Can you sew over pins?

Can you sew over pins? Yes, you can.

Should you sew over pins? I’ve talked to a few technicians in my day, and they all say, no.

Most of the time, if you sew over a pin, slowly enough, the needle will move the pin aside if it hits it. But, if it’s a thicker pin, the needle might hit just right and dull the needle. Or, worse, shatter the needle; little bits flying into your machine, around your table, possibly in your face.

What about using the super fine pins? Most of the time, with those, if a needle hits it dead on, the pin will bend. (Bye bye pin, needle is still duller, even if it didn’t break.) It’s also a very sad day, when that super fine pin bends enough to be forced down into the machine. And, I’m told, that happens. Then, that devil-may-care attitude about sewing over pins, will cost you a service call and time without your machine!

Ultimately, it’s your machine, pins and needles.

But, when someone comes to sew at my house, or if I’m teaching them to sew, I teach them the very best habit of simply pausing the machine a stitch or two before the pin to slide out the pin, and continue sewing. As an experience sewer (I really don’t like the term, sewist, so I’m going to use sewer and you just have to know that I’m pronouncing it as one would, when referring to sewing,) I can slow my machine without stopping and remove a pin. But, what’s the hurry, really?

I have throw away a lot of bent pins and sewing machine needles that go thunk, thunk into the fabric, after I’ve hit a pin. I’ve had to take my machine in, to get out the extra bits of broken needles. It’s really as simple to remove the pin as you sew, as it is to sew over it and remove it later.

Do yourself a favor, and make it a habit not to sew over pins!

Your friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter

Mask or no mask - can we just be friends

It occurred to me, as stores start allowing more shoppers, and churches start opening their doors again, one of the most divisive topics, will be to mask or not to mask.

And, this post isn’t about which one is right. I have my own opinion, as I am guessing you do too.

But, how do we stay friends, if we don’t agree?

The same way we do if we don’t agree on other topics. Respect that everyone is right from their own perspective. You have your trusted experts, I have mine. They might not agree either.

I don’t have answers. Just a reminder that as we move back into more social situations, don’t lose friendships over opinions or perspectives on face mask usage.

You will have friends who are adamant on everyone wearing masks. Love them.
You will have friends who think it’s overkill. Love them.
If a business doesn’t require mask wearing, and you feel they should, don’t shop there, or shop online.
If a business requires you wear a mask to come inside and shop, then respect that or shop somewhere else.

It’s pretty simple, really.

I believe there are far more dangerous things that could come out of Covid19, than sickness, if we don’t look at them head on, and decide how we want to respond as human beings.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter

Moms, you’ll miss these days

….when smashing bubble wrap, made everyone giggle.
….when a cut up, day-old donut, was a fancy crumpet.
….when a broken heart could be fixed with a hug and a kiss.
….when an ouchy could be healed with a kiss and a bandaid.
….when the sleeping baby on your chest would calm you.
….when a slight fever meant lots of snuggles on the couch.
….when a wiggly worm was the coolest thing ever.
….

I remember one really tiring month, when the boys had pink eye…they just kept sharing it, and I sat up in a rocking chair, rocking, rocking, rocking…night after night.

I remember another time, when one boy shared chicken pox with his 1 2 year old brother, and then we had stomach flu at the same time.

I remember days when milk spilled and mud was tracked in and there were fights and tears, and wondered why I was a mom.

And one of my older mom friends, whose girls were teens at the time, would tell me, “you will miss these days.” And I would laugh at her. You have to be kidding me. I won’t miss THESE days.

Then, my boys got older, into teenage years, and I missed THOSE earlier days, when worries were overdue library books, scratches on knees, eating their dinner, and being nice to their brothers. And I started to understand what my friend had told me.

Then, my boys became adults, with adult worries of their own, broken hearts, lost jobs, cars breaking down, rent due, big decisions and big consequences. And, I find myself, missing the days of snotty noses and blow-out diapers, and “he’s being mean to meeeeee.”

But, I don’t want to go back and relive it. I don’t miss being covered in puke, or cleaning it up off floors and walls. No. I don’t miss that. But, the feeling afterwards…with a boy, who at that moment, needed mom to fix it, make it better. And making it better, was as simple as snuggling on the couch or bringing a cup of ice chips. That is what I miss; the simplicity, the natural way I slowed down, when needed. A little boy’s arms around my waist, thanking me for making pancakes.

I miss the tenderness, sweetness, simplicity of the days when I had babies and little boys at home.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter

You’ve never seen a longarm and “Mid-Arm” quilting machine described this way

So, here is my simplistic, real life way of describing the differences in a sewing machine, a “mid-arm” quilting machine and a longarm quilting machine. I keep adding quotes to “mid-arm” because it’s not a specific machine like a domestic sewing machine or a longarm. I explained that in the previous long, confusing post. Hopefully, this will educate and possibly amuse the home sewist trying to figure out what the differences are.
[None of the pictures are mine, they came off the kubota and Chevy websites. I am not associated with either company.]

Option 1: A domestic sewing machine

It does it all, comes with attachments and feet for all kinds of tasks. And, you can quilt with it. All-purpose. There are really big domestic sewing machines now, that have so much throat space, if you are just wanting to finish a quilt or 2 a year, and for the rest of the year, piece quilts, sew other projects from dolls to bags to curtains, and possibly even embroider on stuff, look at a domestic machine.

Option 2: “Mid-arm” quilting machine

A marketing term for a souped up domestic sewing machine, bigger and faster, with no attachments or fancy feet. It gives you more space to quilt and more power in the machine, for less money, than a longarm. A “mid-arm” is a heavy-duty, single purpose machine, but you can sew on it, if you want, sometimes. You just don’t need an industrial machine for most home sewing. (This and other confusing descriptions and differences in what is referred to as a “mid-arm” can be found in my previous post.)

Option 3: A Longarm quilting machine

Longarms have one purpose, to get you from point A to B, from finishing a quilt top to finishing the quilting, in style, more comfortably and with less strain on your body than with options 1 and 2. Simply put, you quilt with a longarm. You load it up with your quilt and take it on long, comfy rides. You don’t piece quilts with it, you don’t sew clothes. You quilt with it. Period.

Well, there you have it. I’ve been told my mind works in strange and interesting ways, coming up with comparisons that don’t really make sense to some, but definitely make sense to those who think like I do.

Have a beautiful day. I hope you do something you really enjoy, even if for a few minutes.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter