Patti Cakes

50 Chicken Nugget Challenge

2011-12-28T13:56:00.000-08:00

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blithering...

2011-11-10T01:17:00.001-08:00

I'm trying so hard to walk away from this blog. I don't want to delete it - all my favorite things are on here and it's a piece of me. But for the life of me I can't figure out a way to copy it without losing my header. And my three columns. So it sits private and sometimes it hurts people's feelings. Well, not really, but I get email from people saying, "Please let me in" . . . they get that snarky message saying "you have not been invited to read this blog." Like it's personal. I swear it isn't.

One day a few months ago I was eating my lunch at my desk. I'm fairly certain I could tell you what lunch was since I've eaten the exact same thing for just about every day for the last year or more. I digress. I looked at my statcounter and saw someone in my office was reading my blog - like at that very second. REAL TIME. And the two (or three) people I know at my office, well, it wasn't them. I've blogged about my privacy issues before. That did me in. Nail in the coffin. For the one millionth time, I swear I'm quitting.

No segue...

I went to See's candy to take advantage of a $2 coupon. I am that cheap. I had to spend $25 to save that $2, but by golly I was going to do it. So I bought two one-pound boxes to put away for the holidays. I needed two more, but I needed to come back another time to save that $2. I will spend that in gas. This is part of getting old. Know it.

When I entered the store I was the only one in there. I was close by the cash register hoping to score some half price marshmallow pumpkins for my spouse (no such luck) when the woman gave me my sample. It happened to be their mocha cream, one of my favorites. I left my sample on the counter and turned the corner to hand pick each piece to go inside my two boxes. An older woman (maybe in her 70's) came into the store, browsed a little and then walked over to the cash register area and scooped it up. My mocha cream. Later she stood in line next to me and accepted her free sample from the saleswoman with a smile on her face. I wish I could explain her guilty look. She had one. I paid for my two pounds of chocolates and was jumping for joy (inside) over saving that $2, but I couldn't help myself. I slipped a note to the extra sweet cashier. It said, "She ate my sample." Can I tell you, we laughed and laughed and laughed. It was like therapy. She said, "You have no idea what I see here. People eat candy off the floor." It amused me for the rest of the day.

No segue...

I came down with a little stomach virus this weekend. It slammed me. I had a light breakfast Saturday morning and took out my ironing board. A small pile was all I had to do. It hit (that virus), so I gave in and turned the television on in a way I haven't in a very long time. I watched movies and covered up in thick down comforters.

If you haven't seen The Joy Luck Club in a long time, rent it. It is such a (good) reminder of how complicated lives can be. And it made me think . . . if you ever think you really know your mother, watch this movie. It will make you rethink everything. We probably never really share everything.

Little Women? Do it. I know it isn't the real Orchard House, but it made me feel like it was.

Home Alone. If only for the music . . . but to me, so much more.

Eat, Pray, Love. I have to admit there are parts of the "eat" journey that just plain bother me. Julia Roberts eating Napoli pizza, large bowls of pasta and gelato? My own personal issues with food (loving it too much) kind of get in the way of this part of the movie. I'm 99.9% certain Julia hasn't really eaten very much since she saw herself in Mystic Pizza. It doesn't seem truthful to me. Sometimes I have difficulty suspending disbelief while watching a movie, even though I know it's pretend. Best example? Cher playing a lawyer. I could be wrong, but I have a vague recollection Julia may have admitted she calorie restricts (strenuously) to her BFF Oprah. So as much as I enjoyed the "eat" part of her journey because the food was beautiful, I had difficulty finding her likable in that part of the trilogy. I just know she didn't eat that pasta. Issues. But Javier . . . I love you.

No segue...

I've blogged before about thinking about loved ones who have passed away on their birthdays rather than they day they left this life . . . but my Mum . . . it's a little different for me. Being there with her was a deeply beautiful experience. There really aren't words. A couple of weeks ago was that day. I smiled when I got up that morning. My Mum had a favorite comb. I loved to tease her about it. It was ancient, the kind of plastic bendable comb that had smaller tines on one side than the other. She was a little bit of a braggart about it when I teased her because it was over 50 years old. I don't use a comb, but if I did I'm pretty sure I wouldn't know where it was in much less than a decade, never mind five decades. One year she put it in an empty bracelet box and wrapped it up and gave it to me for Christmas. More laughter. One Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago I took it out of the box . . . and I used it. And that's when I realized... no wonder she hung onto this for so long. THIS is a good comb!

My mother was smart, and not just about combs. She had a tremendous vocabulary and a memory like none other. She had many letters and initials after her name representing her various educational achievements. This time of year I think what she was the very best at (besides packing the best school lunch one could ever hope for) was making holidays magical. My life has been a quest to match her pursuits in that arena. I do believe I will most probably never live up to her example. But that's okay . . . because it was an outstanding gift.

Go bake something.

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Pumpkin muffins for the first day of Autumn...

2011-09-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 can pumpkin puree (15 ounces)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 400º. Combine all dry ingredients. Beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil until smooth. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top for a delicious muffin crunch. Bake in muffin tins for 16-20 minutes.

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when autumn leaves blow through my window...

2011-09-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

The entire blogosphere is talking about the arrival of Fall and pumpkin things and apple desserts . . . and it happens to be 102 degrees in Las Vegas today. Whatever. This is the only bone I have to pick with this city I call home. If not for the Autumn season and everything that comes along with it I would have no beef with living in the desert. I love the dry heat and I've made peace with what holidays feel like living here . . . my holiday cues are no longer triggered by cooler temperatures. I have adapted. That is until I anticipate that first day of autumn (tomorrow). Then I want foliage. And cooler temperatures. Apple cider and EVERYTHING pumpkin. I crave all things that scream toasty warmth like those herbs (you know the ones), roasted things and baked goodies made with nutmeg and cinnamon. Right this very second I am sighing.

These things help:

Caramel Apples. Do it. You won't regret it.

Apple Crisp. Bridie and I are on the same page when it comes to this. Nana's recipe.

Apple Cake. Thank you, Anna Mason. Are you still alive?

Pumpkin Cheesecake dangerously close to the one at Cheesecake Factory.

Butternut Squash Soup. 'Nuff said.

My grandmother's Chili Sauce. It has no resemblance to anything 'chili' . . . it's like a relish. The way this makes my house smell is a Fall memory.

Weight Watchers Crustless Pumpkin Pie. 1 point for 1/4 of the pie. Small scoop of Fat Free Cool Whip? Yes, please.

Just Chicken Pie. Perhaps we could re-name this little gem of a recipe and just call it "Dave's Nemesis". It is his source of ruin.

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time tricks...

2011-09-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

Was I really here just one week ago? This deserted Crystal Cove beach was the best.

The Blue Cottage at Manzanita Cottages in Laguna Beach.

Floor to ceiling screens . . . can you peek into the tiny turquoise and red kitchen?

After a decade the wishing well is finally fully functional . . . well, it has water in it and it bubbles.

My favorite Laguna word? Lush...

The peek out our front door twoard the yellow cottage.

My wish? To go back...

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Thursday musings...

2011-09-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

Arrrggghh...I've played 68 games of Scrabble against the computer and won 67. The stats tell me I've won 98 percent of the matches, but now my competitive nature just wants to see 99 percent. I've just figured out I need to play 32 more games to see that number (math isn't my forte) ...and that's if I happen to win all 32 games. Not likely. I'm driving myself crazy - crazier than I already am.

Today is Thursday, which means we are winding down. Sigh...

If I'm lucky enough to be alive in 2012 I will come back to this place that I love, the place that causes me to reflect, feel gratitude and recharge. I don't think about lawyers committing malpractice when I'm here, no six million dollar judgments nor new rule changes about computation of time. I don't think about picking up dry cleaning or about how my house needs to be painted. What I do think about is being better, that lesson I'm teaching and what I want to communicate...the women in my Ward who spontaneously pop into my head at random moments, my family and how I wish we could be together more...and new babies joining us.

No segue.

Last night we went to Cafe Zoolu. The swordfish was superb. I laughed when I went back to that post I just linked to ... my last sentence actually says, "I feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle life, and more." The very next afternoon I landed in my Bishop's office and life changed dramatically. I can't believe my narrow minded New Englander persona is sharing this, but change is good. I mean it.

Today was memorable. A good day. We felt adventurous and drove a few miles up the road and went to a tiny beach just west of Pacific Coast Highway. Very very close to Crystal Cove, but deserted and without the hippie vibe. I read and dozed and read some more. Then I did something very out of character and went in the water. The surf is rough right now and I was close to being knocked over more than once. I proclaimed I was going to Costa Azul and renting a wetsuit for my last full day at the beach tomorrow. It was going to be a boogie boarding day. Later a paddle boarding man approached us asking if a young girl in the water belonged with us. When he found her father (or grandfather) he said, "I just saw a shark longer than my paddle." So, well, my plans have changed.

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Catcher in the Rye, dolphins and concentration "issues"

2011-09-07T20:16:00.001-07:00

The first time I ever blogged (2005)was from the chair I'm sitting in right his very second. Right here in the Blue Cottage at Manzanita. It makes perfect sense to me because the ocean causes me to reflect.

It was triple digits in Los Angeles today and low 90's on the beach. Perhaps this is the warmest beach day I've ever felt here in Laguna. Despite the warm temperatures the beach was extraordinarily quiet. And lovely. Those dolphins appeared to agree.

My spouse put on the wetsuit and went out in the rough surf while I sat back and revisited the life of Holden Caufield.

Eventually, just like always, I look up from my book and out to the ocean . . . and my mind starts to wander. The ocean sweeps my thoughts away and soon I find myself in a place I never thought I would be. Simply by glancing up.

I remembered reading a scripture last week with a warning about rationalizing sin. It was complete with examples of that rationalizing - I sat up and really took notice. Soon I was thinking about pop culture and the vocabulary of a language and how it's acceptable to say, "I have issues", or "they have issues" or "she has an issue with her." And that's when I thought . . . is that an excuse? It is rationalizing? Maybe it's simpler to claim "issues" (and easier) than admitting a hard heart? I couldn't stop there. I kept thinking about President Benson's talk, Beware of Pride. Does the lexicon of the expression "issues" make us feel better about that enmity President Benson talks about? Is it that rationalizing we know so well, more of that "it isn't my fault" explanation? And if it is, isn't it that enmity toward God President Benson talks about - is that what's really going on? Are we really saying our way is better . . . that we're entitled to feel hostility (or whatever we are talking about) because of "issues". That's when I decided to "ctrl-alt-delete" the expression "issues" from not just my vocabulary, but my psyche. Because a day at the beach has me pretty convinced it's a very thinly veiled rationalization of sin.

Too much, I'm certain of it. How about giving me the benefit of the doubt? I had to get it out there.

And for just a little bit of levity, later I thought about the Prius and how I laugh when I see one. I want to blame Michael Scott and The Office for that ("The Prius is silent if he keeps it under 5 miles per hour".) Then I realized I am rationalizing my judging.

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What if this is the last time I ever come here?

2011-09-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

The last couple of days haven't been beach days. That didn't stop us from going to the beach . . . but the clouds were everywhere. The surf has been extra rough and with a late high tide and those cloudy skies people went home. Except for us. We stayed. Later we took a drive up Pacific Coast Highway to Newport Beach, making our standard stops along the way. Then to Balboa Island to Ho Sum Bistro, my new beach culinary obsession. We walked and popped into a few resale boutiques, then down to the marina area. Then we talked about why we like Laguna best...

Now it's the day after Labor Day and everyone is gone. There is no hustle here and the sun is shining brightly, so we are headed to the beach with our books and our backpack chairs.

Read Long Drive Home. Later we can talk about it. I haven't stopped thinking about it. I'm 80 pages into a David Baldacci book - I've made the decision to walk away. I'm about to revisit The Catcher in the Rye and A Separate Peace. I threw in a little Joyce Maynard in (sort of) keeping with the theme.

No segue...

One of the things I love about Manzanita . . .if I wake up in the middle of the night and lay still . . . the ocean lulls me back to sleep. We are four blocks away, but without traffic you can hear the sea. I see the wisdom in those sleep machines playing ocean sounds.

No segue...

Last night (in my dream) I saw the computer fighting against me to win Scrabble. In my dream I wasn't putting a word down . . . the computer was scrambling to put down letters as fast as it possibly could. I woke up feeling a little smug. I don't recommend that...

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When I'm 64

2011-08-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

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A Beatles Happy birthday (and you're 64...)

2011-08-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

When I get older losing my hair,
Many years from now,
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine?

If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four?

oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oooo
You'll be older too, (ah ah ah ah ah)
And if you say the word,
I could stay with you.

I could be handy mending a fuse
When your lights have gone.
You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday mornings go for a ride.

Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
Who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four?

Every summer we can rent a cottage
In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera, Chuck, and Dave

Send me a postcard, drop me a line,
Stating point of view.
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, Wasting Away.

Give me your answer, fill in a form
Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four?

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la la la laguna...

2011-08-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

Is there anything like the sea? Let me answer that question. No. No, there isn't. A week of lazy days, excessive reading and sitting in a beach chair until sunset.

Still, coming home always feels good. My house that I love, my bed, my cookware. Life is good.

A package was waiting for me from my cousin Jerry. It was so curious. Meticulously wrapped, boxes within boxes. Inside was a vintage Orrefors crystal vase. It was unusual. And then I read the note...

Dear Patti,

Laura and I got married on July 2nd, 1988. We received this beautiful vase from Min on that day. For various reasons this vase has had flowers in it for 23 years. Marianne is one of those reasons. It has never been empty.

So it is with great pride and pleasure that Laura and I hand this off to you to present to Bridget and Philip in celebration of their wedding. It is now officially a family heirloom. I can guarantee another 23 years of a strong marriage just by keeping flowers in this special vase. This is as clean as we can get the vase. The character marks represent all the wonderful memories between our families, from Lowell, to Minneapolis, Washington, DC, Dayton, Raleigh, Ft. Lauderdale and now home to Las Vegas.

With much love,

Jerry and Laura.

A beautiful welcome home. And the vase looks exactly like something my sister would have chosen...

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Blueberry Waffles, Mixed Berry Pancakes and Strawberry Fields Forever...Imagine!

2011-07-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

I just saw Christopher Plummer sitting on the bench outside my hotel. Clare, the Sound of Music fan that she is . . . she knows this celebrity.

After breakfast we went up to Central Park. I really wanted to walk through the park before leaving, weather permitting. We had the cabbie drop us off at the Dakota Building so we entered through Strawberry Fields. It makes you want to just sing, doesn't it?

The IMAGINE mosaic drew quite a crowd.

There is always a crowd outside the Dakota, night and day.

Scenes from Central Park . . .

And on Lexington Avenue . . .

Over to 30 Rock...

And inside St. Patrick's Cathedral...

WICKED is tonight. I'm off to wander the streets of SoHo. Later...

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Walt Disney? Is it you?

2011-07-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

This picture pretty much sums up the day. If you add rain...

We hopped a ferry and went to Liberty Island and then Ellis Island. The rain began as a light mist. It even felt good, like refreshing. But later I found myself on the downtown loop bus on a two hour journey, the top of a double decker bus . . . and it wasn't a light mist any longer. My deck shoes are still wet.

Remember that doughnut I told you about? That creme brulee doughnut? I am still dreaming about it. Tomorrow I'm considering going to Dean & Deluca to see if they have one . . . they sell doughnuts from Doughnut Plant. I can't stop thinking about it.

Tonight we went to Artisanal Bistro. I saw Artisinal's Chef Terrance Brennan on Rocco's Dinner Party . . . after I saw Rocco talk about the cheese fondue on The Best Thing I Ever Ate. That's where we ended up tonight, right on Park Avenue. We started with the Gougeres. They were light and fluffy pillows of cheese and pate a choux all mixed together. Gone in seconds.

Next was the fondue. We stuck with the classic Artisanal Blend. It arrived bubbling with our choices of what to put on the tip of those fondue forks, Beef Tips and Fingerling Potatoes. Take a peek. This was no ordinary cheese fondue.

My Mussels Frites.

Clare's Heritage Pork Chop with Rhubarb and Bulb Onions

The finale? The chocolate fondue complete with berries, bananas, apricots, madelines, cookies, homemade marshmallows.

The Fromage Cave was free, so I snapped a few pictures.

My pants are tight.

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Polar (not really) opposites...

2011-07-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

We toured Harlem where boys threw water balloons at us. That happened. Fast forward walking down West 22nd Street right past Ethan Hawke and his son eating ice cream. My cousin said, "I don't know who that is." Reality Bites?! Nothing.

We went to dinner at the Red Cat. I saw Ted Allen talk about the deep fried bacon appetizer at this restaurant, so off we went. We opted out of appetizers. Novel idea, no? This is my Organic Chicken with Portuguese Rice, Linquica, Peppers and Green Olives. It was pan seared (probably with something heavy pressing it down) so the skin was extra crisp. The Portuguese flavors were spicy and fragrant. Loved it.

This is Clare's Grilled Salmon with Sugar Snap Pea Vinaigrette with Mashed Potato.

Here is her Pistachio Semifreddo, a creme fraiche brownie on the bottom. The waiter poured hot fudge over the top when he delivered it to the table.

My apple beignets with cinnamon caramel and vanilla cream. Oh that cream.

Look at the apple on the inside . . .

It's supposed to feel a little less like a steambath here tomorrow. There's always hope...

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Locanda Verde

2011-07-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

TriBeCa is a walk from our hotel, Locanda Verde about a mile. Almost there we stumbled upon Bubby's. It's on the list, but time is running out.

Locanda Verde (Robert DeNiro's place) was right down the block from Bubby's. The waiter told me he'd turn a blind eye if I took a picture (he was adorable) but if his manager saw I would more than likely be scolded about violating the "no pictures" policy. I tried to pick and choose what photos to take in case I was reprimanded. So I bring you my selection, first the Uovo Modenese with cotechino hash, spinach and tomato hollandaise. A loose translation would be a cross between hash and eggs benedict, made with house-made cotechino, spinach, and tomato hollandaise. Let's just say up until today I thought I knew how to poach an egg. It was memorable.

Claremarie chose a Zucchini Frittata with roasted tomato, goat cheese and basil.

Now comes the best part. I'd read reviews of a dessert at this restaurant. A budino. This happened to be Clare's selection - now that's what I call vicarious pleasure. I give you the Chocolate Budino with coffee crème fraiche gelato, hot fudge, and coffee granita. The granita was spread over the top of the dessert - it looked like crystalized ginger. It was impressive. She loved it.

My choice? The peach and plum crumble. It didn't disappoint. I love a fruit dessert.

The building was brick walls covered in art. I asked about the art . . . Robert DeNiro's father is the artist. It was fun.

Later we had a tour of some famous sights. The Dakota Building as in John Lennon and Rosemary's Baby...

The Manhattan Temple...

Beautiful Central Park . . . I really want to go back there and spend some time in the park. If the weather would only cooperate.

It's hotter than blazes. No words.

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Balthazar, pomme frittes and tarte tatin

2011-07-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to the place Bobby Flay said has the best french fries in the universe, Balthazar. I've been waiting for this. I love a French bistro. It was all dark and French (that tiny black and white tile) with delicious bread baskets and a beautiful seafood bar.

This beautiful creation is my Warm Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tart. It had a little frisee salad with some sun dried tomatoes and a tablespoon or so of olive tapenade. I put that tapenade on my bread. It was all luscious. The goat cheese was soft and light, almost like a souffle.

Clare had the Sweet Corn and Ricotta Ravioli with Lobster. The sweet corn was exactly that, tender and sweet with a little crunch to it.

Here are Clare's Short Ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and root vegetables.

I chose the Crisp Berkshire Pork Belly with baby leeks. I know what you're thinking. That sounds gross and it looks gross. I've never had pork belly but I was determined to cross that one off my list. I have to admit when they put my plate in front of me I felt like I'd made a mistake. Then I took a bite. It was memorable.

Here they are, the famous Balthazar French Fries.

You probably think we skipped dessert. And why wouldn't you? I mean, just drafting this blog post made me feel even more full than I already am. But um . . . we had dessert. I cannot turn down a Tarte Tatin. It isn't possible. It's my favorite.

Claire's Pavlova. I coerced her into ordering it. It was beautiful.

My pants are tight and I've been here for less than four days. Not right. Know what else isn't right? The weather.

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Walking the Saturday streets of SoHo

2011-07-23T12:19:00.001-07:00

Rice to Riches . . . on the wall the sign says, "Eat all you want, you're already fat." I saw this place on the Food Network - it made our list of places to find. We weren't hungry when we stumbled upon it, so we'll have to go back. Too many doughnuts, if there's such a thing.

Food vendors were all along Mulberry and into Little Italy. The nutella crepes were selling like, um . . . hotcakes. Falafel, kabobs, fresh fruit smoothies, roasted corn on the cob rolled in cheese. Nobody was selling pizza. What's up with that?

Then there was this place...it was like the promised land of gift wrap.

You might wonder . . . who would buy sheets of wrapping paper and fly them 2,500 miles home? In a word - me.

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Doughnut Plant . . .

2011-07-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

First, google maps is not truthful. Lie about distance when it's 75 degrees outside, not 100. Despite that we made it to Doughnut Plant and wow, am I glad we did. Double click on that picture. I have never had a doughnut this good. My favorite? The crème brûlée doughnut.

It was a tiny little sweet thing, smaller than the size of the palm of my hand. This chewy delicious beauty was piped full of smooth vanilla cream and topped with caramelized sugar, blow-torched to perfection. Crème brûlée in doughnut form is just plain brilliant.

Here is the square coconut creme doughnut with just the right amount of creme inside the crunch coated doughnut.

Did they really have a tres leches donut? Why yes they did. Today I had the best doughnut I ever ate. Really.

On the walk over to the lower east side I saw something that made me giggle to myself. Real Housewives fan? Here you go...

Pictures from last night . . . the theatre district is hopping every single night.

Right now the street vendors are everywhere in SoHo, setting up for a busy steamy Saturday. Have I mentioned the heat? And that my clothes are tight?

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the Guggenheim . . .

2011-07-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

It's hotter than hades. You're just going to have to trust me . . . it's oppressive. So it was another museum day, today a trip to the Guggenheim. I'm so glad I went. The building was incredible. Take a peek.

My favorite thing there was the Hans-Peter Feldman exhibition, gallery walls in a grid of overlapping one-dollar bills. It was mesmerizing. This museum didn't allow pictures except on the first floor - I really wanted a picture from the top looking down, but I'm a rule follower. Not everyone was. They had a Manet collection, a Kandinsky room, a Cezanne grouping and some Degas. Sometimes I felt like I was in the middle of Six Degrees of Separation surrounded by all that art. Beautiful place.

We left and crossed the street to Central Park, but I was paralyzed by the humidity. No Central Park today. We jumped into a cab and took a ride to Luke's Lobster and had a delicious lobster roll . . . devoid of mayo (in the best possible way) with a little drizzle of butter, all in the 'one true' hot dog roll. Ed's Lobster Bar is next.

I haven't seen a single knock-off yet, but I'm convinced I saw Clarence Thomas and his wife. I went so far as to google his whereabouts looking for verification. Nothing.

Tonight is an 8 o'clock play. Stay cool, New York City.

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la la la la . . . goat cheese

2011-07-22T07:50:00.001-07:00

The Mercer Kitchen is quite awesome. I had breakfast in a different part of the tiny restaurant this morning, just as lovely as yesterday. Take a peek at my goat cheese omelet. See those organic grape tomatoes? They were like candy.

It's triple digits today, completely beastly. We are considering another museum to stay cool. When Clare read the review for one particular museum to me this morning it went like this . . . "The Museum is for mature audiences only. That leaves us out, Patti."

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Il Vagabondo and Off Broadway...

2011-07-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

It's sweltering here. It feels like the Caribbean on an extra hot day. Con Ed is predicting power interruptions and there will probably be dead elderly piled up in the streets. Heaven help me. I was made to live in the desert.

We took a taxi to El Vagabondo. A few minutes early meant making friends with the bartender. He talked our ears off until a very kind man came and rescued us.

Emeril recommended the Veal Parmigiana and I'm happy I took his advice. So delicious.

Claremarie ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana . . . and we shared. It was perfect.

The atmosphere was simply nice. Three brownstones converted, one with an indoor bocce court, one section covered in photographs of famous visitors and the other facing a miniature terraced garden.

The room made the potato gnocchi (made on the premises) taste even better, sort of like how ice cream tastes better in a fancy dish.

Check out this dessert . . . a Tartufo. It was fresh creamy vanilla and chocolate ice cream centered with nuts and a cherry, wrapped in a fine bittersweet chocolate. This wasn't a hard shell of chocolate . . . it just looked like it. The chocolate hit your tongue and melted. It was lovely.

Have I mentioned my pants are tight? They are.

The timing was perfect once we finished. We hailed a taxi and headed up to see Rent. I have a permanent smile on my face. Awesome day, awesome memory.

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Fifty city blocks, MOMA and Eataly...

2011-07-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

I never asked how far we were walking today. Clare is like a human GPS. She's the map lady. I just follow. That is, unless it's time to eat. The eating thing is my responsibility. So this morning I put on my Asics and off we went. Turns out it was more than 50 city blocks. Did I mention the heat and humidity today? Doesn't matter. I survived.

Our first stop was the Empire State Building. I completely understand anyone rolling their eyes at such a touristy thing to do. I get it. We wanted that view from the Observation Deck. I will just tell you it was a little like Disneyland and not one single bit like Buddy the Elf walking into that place. Lines like Disney (think horse corral) where they try to sell you pictures and maps and audio tours...later they yell at you if you're not moving fast enough. We arrived at the observation deck only to discover it was too hazy to see the park. We could hardly wait to get out of there.

We kept walking down Fifth Avenue. I saw what seemed to be a tiny gourmet shop but turned out to be a 45,000 square foot incredible Italian market/restaurant experience. Eataly. Mario Batali is a partner in this market that houses several different restaurants as well as a pasticceria, a gelateria, a butcher, a fish monger . . . and more. We could have easily missed it.

We left and finished walking to the Museum, where my camera decided it was drained of all battery power after taking my first picture inside. Sigh. I have no pictures of the Frida, the Jackson Pollock or the Andy Warhol of Marilyn Monroe, but I did manage a picture of a Monet from a beautiful Monet room. It was unexpected in a museum dedicated to modern art.

It was a taxi to come back to The Mercer Hotel and get ready for tonight, some Italian food and a play. I shall report back.

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Mercer Kitchen

2011-07-21T06:33:00.000-07:00

I ate my breakfast from this spot this morning, providing you a view to our hotel lobby. Will you look at those books?

Mercer Kitchen happens to be in our hotel ... which is a really fun thing for a foodie like me. I give you breakfast, slices of french toast with roasted peaches.

After taking my time people watching and eating every last bite of those delicious two slices of breakfast (and figuring out nobody in New York believes in a free refill) I explored down a few levels and saw the basement kitchen I've been reading about for so long.

We are off to the Museum. It isn't a dry heat.

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Chinatown Brasserie...

2011-07-20T16:15:00.001-07:00

Great news! I was lost only three times today. Also, it's only going to be 98 degrees tomorrow with about 80% humidity.

Claremarie and I celebrated by going to Chinatown Brasserie. And it's not in Chinatown! Oh the irony.

We took the advice of Claire Robinson and ordered the egg rolls. Man. Not to be funny or anything, but best thing I ever ate. They were awesome. Here's the SoHo Bistro.

The egg roll goodness.

The inside egg roll goodness.

Peking Duck with Homemade Mandarin Pancakes, scallions, cucumbers and hoisin sauce. Fabulous.

General Tso’s Chicken with Ginger & Scallion

I wish I had the dessert pictures of the Pineapple Pannacotta with Coconut Gelato and that Strawberry Mousse with Vanille Tuile and Fresh Strawberries, but I was deep into the conversation at the next table. At one point it was so good (the Dad was telling his daughter not to leave her boyfriend over something that happened three years ago) I had to ask Claremarie to hold that thought for a second. New York is funny.

Tomorrow is a Museum Day. MOMA is the plan, dinner at Il Vagabondo and our first play. I haven't slept since Monday night. Tomorrow I will post pictures of the best sleep aid in the world . . . the bathtub in this place.

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SoHo love...

2011-07-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

I arrived at JFK at 6 a.m. and hopped into a cab to drop off my bags at our hotel. The hotel where Russell Crowe had a temper tantrum and threw his cell phone. Remember that? It seems we forget those things, no?

It was too early to check into our hotel, but they were nice enough to take my bags for safe keeping so I could set out on foot. First block I found one of our bookmarked restaurants. Balthazar is on for Saturday . . . my cousin spotted the short ribs on their special Saturday menu. Done.

I walked another block south (or east or north, whatever...) and there it was. The ultimate gourmet shop, the leader of the pack, Dean and Deluca. The best part? The man who gave me a tour, the one who never blinked when I took pictures all over his store. The man who said, "Give the bread counter another ten minutes. You won't believe how beautiful it is when he's finished with it." Take a peek. And this isn't even their flagship NYC store.

A few blocks away I walked through Little Italy and then Chinatown, past the Louis Vuitton store, a city block size Ralph Lauren store and lots of little gelato and cannoli stands. I tried my best to find Doughnut Plant, but I was really sleep deprived. I'm certain I shall be successful tomorrow as I can't stop thinking about that tres leches donut on their menu, not to mention the valrhona chocolate cake donut.Magnolia Bakery is on the list as is Ed's Lobster Bar, Bread, Bubby's and Chinatown Brasserie. I don't want to for get Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches.

What? You don't dream about donuts?

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start spreading the news...

2011-07-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

See that girl on the left in the polka dot jacket? That's my cousin Claremarie. She is my Mum's first cousin, which I always thought made her my second cousin, right? But there's a rumor out there about us being first cousins once removed? If you know how this works (I'm talking to you, Cath) please email me. I'm too tired today to decipher that family tree 'once removed' business.

Clare and I live 2,500 miles apart (she's a teacher in Boston), but the only distance between our ages is five months. She is like a sister to me . . . a very important part of my life. She's been known to make the trek west for our family milestones, despite the fact that she knows I don't own a coffee pot. This is huge. It must be said I'm not exactly typically available on those trips, either, usually preoccupied with feeding lots of people or silly details I'm managing on the lists in my head . . . but she still makes it. When Bridget was on her mission Clare faithfully wrote once a week, never failed. Did I mention she slipped cash into that weekly letter? Isn't that fun? I hope I've done a good enough job explaining to her what that means to a poor missionary...

We both arrive in New York City tomorrow for a trip we've been planning for five years. We have this little joint vacation bank account, Clare and I. Small deposits are made every month. Our last trip (when we turned 50) was to Alaska - this year we decided upon the exact opposite trip, off to the Big Apple. We have tickets to plays and Museum of Modern Art plans, restaurants recommended by Bobby Flay and other foodies (that was my job) . . . and plans to visit the Prada building and Ground Zero. A ferry ride? Yes. And a trip to Dean and Deluca.

Claremarie asked me to blog during our adventure, so I will. It must be said I feel like I need to explain because this trip seems extravagant. I like to blog when I'm on vacation. I'm building a memory, sort of like going on the New York/New York roller coaster twice with Phil. But things in Las Vegas are generally abysmal (from an economic standpoint) and it's possible someone might misunderstand and think I'm bragging. Or extravagant. I'm neither. We live a very frugal lifestyle, my spouse and I. We happen to like Dave Ramsey and we don't buy something unless we have the cash to pay for it. We have a little Christmas fund and save all year (beginning in January) so we can buy non-extravagant Christmas gifts for our large family. And we save religiously for our time together at the beach every year. So just know I'm not bragging . . . and things are never really the way they look, you know? Unless it's a donut. If you see a picture of a donut on my blog this week, it's real

Enough of that... I am hopping onto a red eye tonight that gets me into JFK at 6 a.m. And I'm really going directly to Doughnut Plant. There are no scales in NYC.

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Tres Leches Cake

2011-06-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

Have you ever experienced deja vu while tasting something? That happened to me today. I saw a Tres Leches Cake on The Best Thing I Ever Ate recently and remembered seeing a recipe on The Pioneer Woman. I had to bake that sponge cake. It was a must. I'd never heard of this cake before but when I took my first bite . . . it happened. Not sure where I had this cake. No matter. I will make this again and again.

If you like the tutorial see here on The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

1 cup flour
1 1/2 t. Baking Powder
1/4 t. Salt
5 whole Eggs
1 C. Sugar, Divided
1 t. Vanilla
1/3 C. Milk
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
1/4 C. Heavy Cream

FOR THE ICING:

1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping
3 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.

Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.

Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.

Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.

Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.
Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

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I felt my heart swell when I saw this...

2011-06-19T02:55:00.000-07:00

For a second I saw the postmark and thought of Bridget. She didn't send it, but I know it could have been her. Happy Father's Day to the man I married. I love you so much.

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So long, farewell . . . my blog is toast

2011-06-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

It's true. I'm putting the blog to rest. Maybe in a few years I will come back to it? Maybe I will make a fun cookbook for Christmas or something? Not sure. In a few days I'll take it down completely, so cut and paste a recipe if you're so inclined. When you get the message "you haven't been invited to view this blog . . . " don't take it personally. I don't want to delete my creation entirely - I'm just lighting it on fire on the world wide web. Later...

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Trader Joe's Cocoa - Chocolate Cake Recipe

2011-06-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Trader Joe's Cocoa Powder . . . run and buy it. It's inexpensive and very high quality - it made a superior chocolate cake. I do believe this is my new "go to" chocolate cake recipe.

3 1/3 cups flour
1 1/3 cups cocoa
3 cups sugar
1 T. baking soda
1 t. salt
12 oz. butter
3 cups buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
5 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9" round baking pans or line cupcakes cups with paper liners. Place all ingredients in electric mixer bowl and beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 55 minutes or 20-25 if you're baking cupcakes.

This recipe is far better than the one on the back of the Hershey Cocoa can. I frosted it with both a rich cocoa chocolate frosting and later with a buttercream. The buttercream had these jimmies on top, from Holland. I was hopeful they'd be similar to the crunchy European jimmies Sprinkles uses. Not so much, but they were better than supermarket sprinkles. The cover of the box amuses me - the sprinkles are on top of toast. Who does that? I've been to Amsterdam, so I know the answer.

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Strawberry Summer Cake (from Smitten Kitchen)

2011-05-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

It's a long weekend which means there must be baking. I spied a recipe calling my name out there in the blogosphere this week. Smitten Kitchen does that to me. I've lost track of how many recipes her website has contributed toward feeding my inner gourmand - there are that many. Remember the slab pie? It matters not if you don't remember . . . my spouse does (and he brings it up frequently). How about the raspberry buttermilk cake? I will bet I made two dozen of those last summer.

Feast your eyes upon this recipe. Yes, it is similar to that Raspberry Buttermilk Cake recipe, but without the buttermilk. Ingredients usually on hand.

You be the judge...

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pie plate
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch pie pan or 9-inch deep-dish pie pan (I used a 10-inch springform).

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg, milk and vanilla until just combined. Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.

Pour into prepared pie plate. Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries. I used turbinado as it produces a crunchier crunch.

Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake cake until golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 minutes to 60 minutes. (Gooey strawberries on the tester are a given.) Let cool in pan on a rack. Cut into wedges. Serve with lightly whipped cream.

Originally a Martha Stewart recipe, found here.

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Bridie, Bridget, Bride...

2011-05-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

All 13 grandchildren...

Bridget and Phil with all their nieces and nephews.

Bridget and her sisters.

Bridget with her nieces.

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more...

2011-05-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

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Thanks, Heather...

2011-05-14T11:21:00.001-07:00

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some days are really beautiful...

2011-05-09T19:32:00.001-07:00

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May Day thoughts...

2011-05-01T04:22:00.000-07:00

I remember reading about the Profiles in Courage Award many years ago. Caroline Kennedy explained her family chose her father's birthday to present the award, noting they wanted to honor him on the day he was born . . . never focusing on the day he died. I'm not certain why that made such an impression on me, but it did. I remind myself of that every May Day . . . it's the day my sister left her battered shell of a cancer ridden body.

Sometimes she is close to me. When it happens it really can feel like something sacred. The times are random and fleeting - once during a scary medical procedure . . . those times are burned on my brain. Tender mercies and all.

Someone I work with lost her sister to breast cancer. We've known each other for almost 17 years . . . we sort of share a bond we wish we didn't share, although there's an understanding there that feels really good. She sent me one of her brother's recent journal entries. With his (and her) permission I'm sharing today.

Miss you every day, Min ...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have been shooting clay pigeons for the past 8 years now; nothing serious but enough that I am a better than average shooter. Each “round” of clays consists of 25 targets. Over the years I have shot numerous scores of 21-23, and probably a dozen 24’s, but I have never been able to get the elusive “25 straight” (one time I got all the way to 24 but missed the 25th one, UGH!!).

As a general rule I don’t shoot on Sunday, but yesterday the local club had a Race for Life shoot to raise money for breast cancer research and I decided to go. I have several shotguns—many of which are high dollar guns designed for target shooting—but for this shoot I pulled out my least expensive and most cherished shotgun; a Remington 870. On the surface there is nothing unique about this gun. It isn’t a 3 inch magnum and doesn’t have a vented rib; it is the low-end of the line for the 870 model. But this gun is special to me because I bought it with the money I earned while babysitting for Julie during the summer of 1981. I earned and saved $200 that summer in California and as soon as I got back home I purchased the 870 used from a pawn shop for $150. That gun has travelled hundreds of miles with me and shot more shells than I can count as I pursued pheasants, ducks, geese, rabbits, and anything else that needed to be pursued. During my mission Don took the gun duck hunting and put it away wet. When I came home and took it out of the case it was very rusty and had to be completely refinished—which cost me more than the price of a new 870. Since refinishing it 10 years ago I have maybe put 4 boxes of shells though it: it has pretty much been a safe queen. But on this day the queen would once again fill my hands with her well-worn and familiar wood, her gentle nudge push my shoulder with each pull of the trigger, and the aroma of fresh burnt powder fill my mind with pleasant memories of days gone by.

When I arrived at the gun club I bought two boxes of shells from the clubhouse. Now this is rather unusual because clubhouse shells are always more expensive than the shells I buy at the local sporting goods store or the reloads I assemble at my reloading bench; but these shells were special. Rather than the typical red color of a Federal shell, these shells were pink and came in a pink box with a pink ribbon in recognition of breast cancer awareness. Federal Cartridge donated several cases to the club just for this shoot with all proceeds going directly to the cause. I happily gave them $12 and took my pink shells to trap field #4.

I was assigned to start on post 4 and Dax on post 5. As we walked to our posts I smiled at Dax and said “This one’s for aunt Julie. Have fun.” As the targets flew I found myself getting anxious to do well, and dreading my first missed target with its accompanying shout of “loss” from the score keeper. To my delight Dax and I both went five-for five on the first station. As I moved to post 5 for the next series the pressure built: post 5 is every shooters nemesis and is notorious for sending a hard-right target that is legendary for its difficulty to hit. The first target was straight away left and I easily hit it. The next two went hard right and I smashed them so cleanly there was nothing but powder left as they vaporized in the air. The third one was straight out, and though I did hit it, it did not break well. It was then that I saw in my mind’s eye Julie smiling at me and saying “that was a close one” followed by her infectious laugh. The next target was another hard right, and I wasted no time smoking it. Moving over to post 1 I was in my element; this is where I like to shoot from, and I quickly dispatched all 5 targets. Post 2 was a repeat of post 1. Now I was on post 3. I had not missed yet and was facing my last five targets. I restlessly tried to calm my nerves and relax, but with each target the pressure became even greater. Now I was sitting 24/24 and down to my last target. I dropped the shell into the port, closed the action, took a deep breath, and shouldered the gun. I cleared my mind and focused on the trap house, trying desperately not to let the pressure of the situation get to me. It was then that I again saw Julie's smiling face as she said “thanks for the round, that was fun.” I called for the target, watched it fly out of the trap house, swung the barrel to it and pulled the trigger. I didn’t even have to look: I knew it was “dead” as soon as I said “pull.”

It was the perfect day and the perfect reason to shoot my first perfect round. Thanks Julie, that was fun.

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Honey Almond Cake for Honeycomb Pull-Apart Cake Pan

2011-04-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

Someone delivered this pan to my front door tonight. Game on. Cake just came out of the oven. Pretty, yes?

4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted and finely ground in food processor

Honey Glaze:

1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
2 TBSP water

Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour the wells of the cake pan; tap out excess flour.

To make the cake, in a small bowl whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract until blended. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce speed to medium, add the egg mixture and beat until well combined, about 1 minute.

Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk and beating each addition until just incorporated. Stop the mixture occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not over mix. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the ground almonds. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Gently tap the pan on the countertop to release any air bubbles.

Bake until the top of the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the honey glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the brown sugar, honey, vanilla and salt, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved, 2-3 minutes, Add the water, bring mixture to a simmer and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Gently tap the cake pan on a countertop, invert the cake onto the rack and turn cake right side up. Place the rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush the top and sides of the cake with the warm glaze, including the areas between the pull-apart sections. Let cool before serving.

I lightly dusted the cake with powdered sugar tonight. Next time I shall try the honey glaze. I've never been disappointed with a cake pan from Williams Sonoma. Never. Thank you, friend.

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Butterscotch Nests/Haystacks

2011-04-19T06:19:00.000-07:00

These are fun for Easter. Place three candy coated Easter eggs in the middle to make your nests...

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 package or 6 oz butterscotch morsels
1 large can chow mein noodles

Melt peanut butter and butterscotch together. Can be done on the stove top or in a microwave. Pour over noodles; mix well. Drop by tablespoon on wax paper. After they set, place Hershey pastel eggs in the middle of each nest.

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well kept secrets and how to poach an egg in your microwave

2011-04-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

The May edition of Bon Appetit spilled a big secret, if you ask me. Ever see those experts on Top Chef go home because their poached egg isn't right? Mary-Frances Heck said she learned the microwave trick working the line at Jasper White's Summer Shack in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She made poached eggs to order in the microwave. Want to know how?

Fill a 1 cup microwaveable bowl or teacup with 1/2 cup water. Gently crack an egg into the water,making sure it's completely submerged. Cover with a saucer and microwave on high for about 1 minute or until the white is set but the yolk is still runny. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the egg to the plate.

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Cinnamon Roll Cake

2011-04-16T19:33:00.001-07:00

I wish I knew where this recipe came from. I have a couple of those 'cake mix cookbooks', but it didn't come from there . . . I printed it out many months ago and let it sit. Without question, if you start with a cake mix, 4 eggs and some oil it's going to be good. Cam blogged about the Sandy Cake recently, there's the Jimmy Cake, and then just last week I made a version with pistaschio instant pudding and almond flavoring. It was delicious.

Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix
4 eggs
¾ cup oil
1 cup sour cream

Mix by hand and pour in 13 x 9 greased baking pan.

1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
Mix and pour over cake batter. Swirl into batter with knife.

Bake @ 325 for 40 minutes. Let cake cool 10 – 15 minutes before icing.

Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp milk

Pour over warm cake.

I should probably mention - I only had 1/2 cup of sour cream, so I added another 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese. Worked.

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weddings on the brain...

2011-04-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

Today is my anniversary . . . can we just canonize the guy right now? Not really because he'd have to be dead - but you know what I mean. Twenty-eight years he's lived with a damaged, neurotic and overanxious ME - and he's done it with a smile on his face. He manages my excessive anxiety effortlessly and everything that goes along with it. And it isn't easy. He is my biggest fan, my biggest advocate. He never withholds a kind remark, a compliment or a chance to be supportive. He is my rock, my love and the very best thing to ever happen to me.

We drove 500 miles south that day to Washington, DC in a very old Volkswagen bus. My husband's parents joined us from Texas, my sister in law Debbie, too, all the way from Calgary. We ate sugar babies. See how I remember the candy? We had nothing, not two nickels to rub together. We drove home to Boston the next morning. We had no party, no honeymoon . . . we just started our life together. Turns out my grandmother was right. There really is a "lid for every pot."

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Mark Bittman, Pound Cake, Ina Garten and Nora Ephron...

2011-04-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

The December issue of Town & Country Magazine had two of my favorite people on the cover - Ina Garten and Nora Ephron. "Ina & Nora Talk Turkey" was the name of the interview. I should have figured they were friends, but they are such good friends that Nora said, "By the way, that pound-cake recipe you gave me? I have bad news for you. I hope it isn't in your book." Can you imagine? Ina let her know, "It isn't. I'm still testing it for the next book." Nora continued, "I found a better recipe from Mark Bittman. I feel bad telling you this, but it is divine. The greatest pound-cake recipe ever, and the easiest." I love Mark Bittman - I read his blog and I've read one of his books . . . but gutsy, Nora. Gutsy.

I give you Mark's recipe. The one Nora told Ina about. In print.

Citrus-Almond Poundcake (Adapted from Grandaisy Bakery)

Time: About 1 1/2 hours, plus 30 minutes’ resting

1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter
Flour for pan
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
7-ounce tube almond paste
7 large eggs
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-cup Bundt pan. Put lemon juice, orange juice and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan over low heat; cook until the sugar dissolves and remove from heat.

2. Put almond paste and remaining 2 cups sugar in food processor and process until well combined; add butter and continue processing until light and fluffy. With the machine running, add eggs one at a time along with zest and vanilla, and continue to process until smooth.

3. Stop the machine, add the flour, baking powder and salt, and pulse a few times — just until the dry ingredients are integrated (be careful not to over process, or the cake will become tough). Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. When a skewer or thin-bladed knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and let cool slightly.

4. Pour the citrus soak over the cake and let it sit for about 30 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the cake releases from the pan easily. Cut into slices.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

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the voices in my head...

2011-04-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I went to visit my tailor, a fancy way of saying 'the lady who shortens my pants.' This time I showed up with a gray pinstripe dress. Please make this fit. I changed into the dress and she patted me down from the waist up. "Ah, small up here, big hips." Then she said, "That will be $35.00." Seriously?
. . . .
Last night the doorbell rang. Patrick said (very sincerely), "Mom, Renee is here. Don't embarrass me, okay?" Whaaaa? I expected that from teenagers. He's 22. Don't I sit at the cool table? Cause I think I do. Maybe.
. . . .
Later, while carefully conversing(because I don't want to embarrass)with my spouse, my son and Renee, the subject of pizza came up. Patrick said, "Well, that North End Pizza Dad and I had last Thursday - hard to beat that, Mom." um, what North End Pizza? My spouse nonchalantly glanced at his son and said, "I told you not to tell Mom." Full disclosure is a principle that is not embraced in my home. Apparently.
. . . .
The staff at the dentist's office - they pretend to like me. They pretend they're happy to see me. They are in serious need of acting lessons.
. . . .

Yesterday I ordered 125 beautiful French macarons to go inside some personalized glassine bags for some adult wedding favors. Remember when I blogged about Patisserie Manon? It's blogworthy, a lovely little French patisserie tucked away in a strip mall on the west side of the city. They know how to make a real French macaron. They also understand why the color of the macaron might be important. I am hoping there are leftovers...
. . . .
Esty continues to dominate my mailbox.
. . . .
Last night I talked with my 3-year-old grandson on the phone. He knows he's getting on an airplane to come to Las Vegas. I asked him, "Ethan, do you want Grandma to buy you some candy?" "YA, YA, YA." "Ethan, want me to take you for a Happy Meal?" Same response. "Ethan, do you want to sleep in a tent in Grandma's room?" Affirmative. Last thing he said? "What about my chocolate milk?"
. . . .

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a few random notes with some Butterscotch Cashew Bars

2011-04-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

Last night I was reading Every Day I Write the Book. She is clever and funny and witty . . . and she reads quite a bit. I like her monthly "Books I Read . . . " series. Yesterday she talked about meeting Markus Zusak - his two books happen to be on my nightstand right now. I started reading I Am The Messenger first. It's terrific to know the next book on my nightstand is supposed to be the better book, because I'm really enjoying I Am The Messenger.

Sometimes I forget where I read a book review that moved me to add the title to my library queue. Remember? I'm old. Typically I wait many weeks for the books to arrive and often don't remember the story associated with the title. Usually when I open the novel I realize why I was interested. Usually. But that's the beauty of the public library . . . it's so much easier to put a book down if you haven't bought it.

Will you look at this recipe?

1/2 pound (2 sticks, or 1 cup) butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 & 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
11 ounces butterscotch chips
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water
2 cups roasted salted whole cashews

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9″x 13″ pan with cooking spray. Using two sheets of parchment paper, line the pan’s width and length, creating a parchment “sling.” Spray parchment paper with cooking spray.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, and salt for 1 to 1 & 1/2 minutes. Decrease mixer speed to low and add the flour. Mix just until combined. Lightly press dough evenly into the prepared pan. Poke holes in the dough with a fork. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust is a golden color. Remove to wire rack to cool.

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, stir together butterscotch chips, corn syrup, and water. Stir until mixture comes to a simmer and butterscotch chips are melted. Pour over crust.

Sprinkle cashews over the butterscotch caramel. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. After cooling, remove from pan and use a very sharp knife to cut into bars.

Makes 2 dozen 2-inch bars.

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insomnia, fear and blackberry disdain...

2011-04-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning at 3:30 a.m. Sleep disturbance was part of my 5 year sojourn whilst teaching Seminary, but it's been a while. I opened my laptop. After 45 minutes of surfing I gave in and went to the first floor. I looked that Cuisinart in the eye and thought, 'I am not afraid of you.' It wasn't true, but I swallowed hard and made a cake. What? You've never made a cake at 4:15 in the morning? I recommend it. The house smells awesome for the entire day. Afterwards I hand washed all the parts to my new (and improved) food processor, hand dried them . . . and I realized that machine brought me happiness. I have a new way to create. And this kind of creating brings close-to-instantaneous results and satisfaction, not to mention pleasure.

I'm a fan of Dorie Greenspan. I'm not sure, but I think Ina might have introduced me to her. She's written (many times) about a Swedish Visiting Cake. I considered it. In the end I opted to make the Scandinavian Almond Cake again. I've stopped counting how many of these little gems I've made, but I can promise you in the nine weeks since I've had the pan . . . I've made at least twenty-five. At least.

no segue...

There are no words to describe the disdain I have for the Blackberry. It is the bane of my existence, a constant irritant, a true source of misery. I take a lot of solace in the fact that there are times it mystifies my technologically blessed son. I am profoundly annoyed by it and can't wait to celebrate the finality of that contract expiration. I'm putting that thing in a bucket and lighting it on fire.

segue...

Once my son went to Scouts and told his Scoutmaster his mother thought it would be fun to put the family Christmas tree in the driveway and light it on fire. Unfortunately his Scoutmaster was a fire fighter. It did not go over well. I thought this was the worst tattling that could happen to me until a few years later . . . that's a Mothers' Day I shall never forget. Thanks a lot, Patrick.

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the united states post office...

2011-04-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

The mail is a treat right now. Most days there's a package waiting for me when I arrive home. Know what makes it even more fun? I'm old and I forget what I ordered. It's like Christmas! Yesterday it was CELEBRATE stamps. And labels. And 80 Yankee Candle votives. And then this morning I was backing my car out of the garage and saw a box at the front door. No clue. Not even after I saw the return address. I opened it to find 200 beverage napkins with Bridie and Phil's names on them. Christmas. It makes me wonder what will be waiting for me when I arrive home today.

I am a fool for Russell Brand. Despite the fact that I've seen the trailer for Arthur one hundred times (a little exaggeration for emphasis isn't a bad thing), I laugh out loud. For the record, I loved Dudley Moore in the original. The new Arthur looks like the same premise but perhaps a different movie? I'm there. I might even go so far as to DVR the talk show circuit this week for all things Russell Brand. More to follow...

Conference weekend means feasting in more ways than one, probably with some yummy cinnamon rolls made with my new Cuisinart. I blogged about broken things - my Cuisinart happened to be one of them. I could have simply replaced the work bowl (why is that work bowl $100??)and all would have been well. Not what I did. Someone I love surprised me. Now he wants homemade bread. Fair trade, I say, because this Cuisinart is spiffy. I still have no idea how to use it - it's a little intimidating - but I have an entire weekend to devote to that learning curve.

My cousin Cathy sent me some recipes, one I'd wanted for a long time. If only she had a blog to link to - she' a great cook. I digress. I need her permission to post her recipe for Raspberry Squares. Brace yourselves. They are that good.

One last thing. No so much, Grey's Anatomy. Not so much.

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etsy love...

2011-03-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of etsy love at my house right now. Here's a peek, if you care...

This 8 x 10 will go in one of the Pottery Barn gallery frames for the guestbook table. Cute, right? Order from Your Keepsake Co. found here.

How about an announcement? Find them here at minkcards.

How about these favor tags? Find them here at maidavale.

Need some return address labels? lettercdesign is one of my favorites.

There's more. Because more is better. Please pass the cookies.

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revisiting the 'more is better' theory (again...)

2011-03-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

I once read a "beauty tip" about washing your hair in vinegar. It was the famous Ree from The Pioneer Woman. Let's face it, she knows everything (AND she sent me a set of Wusthoff knives.) So I took the plunge and followed her advice. Every day. Except maybe I didn't dilute that vinegar because, as we all know, more is better. In a week my hair looked like straw. Not the regular 'lack of estrogen/old lady' straw hair. No, not like that. So much worse I can't even tell you. Off to Zharmen, my little Iranian hairdresser. She gasped. WHAT have you been doing? I don't have much hair and the hair I happen to have, well, it just isn't that great. More isn't better, as it turns out. AGAIN. Luckily, her fix helped quite a bit . . . and now I'm a fan. Phyto Intense Hydrating Shampoo. I don't use it every day because I am learning more isn't always better. Also, it's pricey. End of story.

Sun. Let's talk about the beautiful sun. An hour in the sun? Awesome, yes? Six hours in the sun? Even better. I still agree with this, but the age spots on my face do not. Sigh.

Other things that might possibly fall into this category:

candy
water for my plants
fiber one bars
make up
television
pastry

It's quite a quest for balance, this life, yes?

All I really want to do today is share this picture. If I have to blog about 'more isn't better' to get there, I will. Did you know? My daughter is getting married and I'm just a little preoccupied. Aren't they cute?

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broken things... (I couldn't make this up)

2011-03-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

This is fascinating stuff. Again.

The garage door opener broke. I suppose I don't have a single thing to complain about, honestly, because when the new garage door was installed the installation team suggested that opener would only live another month or so. That was three years ago. So yes, I had to park in the driveway for a few days, wipe the pollen off my car . . but it isn't exactly like I'm living in Japan or anything. We have a new one.

Next the dishwasher broke. Not the first time. It isn't old, it was top of the line . . .and as it turns out, that doesn't matter one single bit. I can't believe I'm saying this, but KitchenAid, you disappoint me. Again. The repair was scheduled and, just like always, it required another visit since he didn't have the part. Same old, same old.

Same day the dishwasher was fixed . . . the toilet in the master bathroom wouldn't work. Small thing. My spouse took care of it. This morning? Not so much did it work again.

Did I mention the water coming out of the faucet in the guest bathroom - and that the faucet wasn't turned on?

How about my Cuisinart? Yes, it's broken. The one kitchen appliance I own that I've repeatedly said I would replace the same day. Not replaced. I want this one so much it hurts. I just knew those cooking classes would trigger some appliance-envy...

Have I left anything out? Yes. The pretty red hose that matches my red Adirondack chair. Turned it on to water my pretty new flowering plants. An unexpected outdoor shower.

The seal on the bottom of my shower door? That metal piece with rubber attached? Yes, it broke off. Rather than fix it we placed it on the wall over the shower. That came crashing down, too. On my toe.

Last night the remote to the new garage door opener - yep. Doesn't work.

What does it all mean? What's next? Huh?

no segue...

I made this for someone last night. A little risky behavior on my part since I'd never made it before. It looked yummy. I shall make this again and maybe tweak it a little.

no segue...

Have you seen One Born Every Minute? It's awesome.

a real segue...

I held a day old baby on Tuesday. Held him, sniffed him, rocked him and stroked his velvety hair. Did you know babies wear ankle bracelets now? As in mini bracelets that remind you of house arrest and Lindsay Lohan? They do. Leave those doors and alarms go off. I'm glad I asked because I was tempted...

I am surrounded by broken things. I am not broken. I'm whole. And happy.

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postcards from the edge...or more things nobody cares about

2011-03-16T16:59:00.000-07:00

The blogosphere can be so nice. Like that woman who took the time to send me a touching note after I posted this, reflecting on my son's birthday. And then there's the flip side, like when that woman sent me an email that said, "HEY, that recipe you have for Gilchrist's macaroons on your blog- it's just terrible." Both instances made me reflect. A perfect stranger took the time to send this to me? Go figure. Also, balance is good.

No segue...

My first grandson turns 12 this weekend. We mailed him a check for his birthday (and always a book) - it was sort of a milestone. A point you reach where you recognize they are old enough to want the cash more than anything you could possibly choose for them. I wrote Matthew a note - it was a little rambling - telling him about the first time I met him. I very sincerely asked his Mom if he could sleep in my room - and I meant it. Actually, if memory serves me correctly, I might have begged. That seems like an outrageous request to me from where I'm sitting right now, but at the time I just really wanted that baby near me. They are just so fascinating, no? Just what do they remember? There's nothing like a newborn...

No segue...

I read something recently about Steve Jobs. He heard someone say, "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on him and he has said, "For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." It would be easy to let pride get in the way and opine he can make that statement because he's wealthy. I'm going to resist that temptation because I think he's right. To a certain extent we can all do it...

No segue...

My job is extra stressful right now. (Lindsay, COME BACK.) It's a fairly consistent pressure cooker on a good day, but today I felt as if I was one email away from a meltdown. It's been years since I've felt that way. I ended up doing the exact opposite of what made the most sense - I went home. I pulled out everything I needed to teach two YM/YW workshops tonight and started to review everything I'd prepared. All my worries disappeared.

No segue...

I am learning many things in my life right now. There are places I can go that bring an automatic sigh of relief when I simply sit down. I need to frequent those places more. Fairly obvious conclusion, but sometimes I'm a little thick. I have a history of learning my lessons the hard way.

No segue...

Rent Get Low. If you can make it to North End Pizza (over near 215 and Durango) do it. Don't click on the link if you hate websites with music. Their pizza was a taste of home. And finally, check out my former Seminary student/friend/husband to Bridget's best friend's blog, Sin City Eats. We have a bond, Cam and I. He knows what he's talking about.

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Strata

2011-03-12T06:43:00.000-08:00

This is Gale Gand's recipe for Strata. I love her cookbooks and have a favorite recipe for chocolate shortbread from her. She is all kinds of awesome.

Strata is perfect brunch food, a cheesy egg bread pudding that usually starts with bread (or English Muffins) either cubed or sliced and soaked overnight in custard. It's a great make ahead dish and actually tastes better if it soaks for 12 hours. The world is your oyster when it comes to making strata. Want mushrooms and bacon? Throw some in. Sausage? Ham? Go for it. I made four of these this morning . . . they are just out of the oven all puffy and golden and beautiful.

5 cups of cubed French bread (with crust)
2 cups grated cheese
10 large eggs
1 quart whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
Filling ingredients*

1. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Put the bread cubes in the dish and sprinkle them with the cheese. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, and salt. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Sprinkle the filling ingredients over the egg mixture and fold them in gently. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

3. Uncover the baking dish and bake for 60 minutes, until the mixture has puffed up slightly and is golden brown on top, and the strata doesn't shimmy with uncooked custard when you shake the pan. Tent the dish with foil if the top is browning too quickly. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve by the spoonful, using a large serving spoon.

*Bacon, cheddar, mushroom and tomato. Ham, Swiss, Asparagus. Fontina, Spinach, Salami and Roasted Garlic. Be creative!

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A Taste of Morocco

2011-03-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

I was dying for this cooking class. Major anticipation. I love this kind of food because it combines sweet and savory spices. Moroccan cooking features a lot of mint, parsley, cinnamon, cumin and a host of other seasonings. I know this because that's what they told me today. Prior to that I just enjoyed the taste. I'm evolving.

The menu was North African-Spiced Carrot and Parsnip Salad. Parsnips. Yum. I will definitely make this . . . and it was simple.

Chicken Tagine with Olives and Lemon was next. Olives are a passion of mine. All kinds. We made Couscous with Apricots and Almonds. Light and fluffy,the couscous was the perfect companion for the chicken dish. If you're not a fan of olives, don't let them scare you away from this recipe. A simple step of putting them in boiling water made the briny taste disappear. I will be making this recipe.

Sadly the Orange-Cardamom Ice Cream was a fail. At first I was extra disappointed because I have fresh whole cardamom at home right from India - I really wanted to learn how to make it. But then I thought, well, I really don't need that ice cream. And there's something to be said about a culinary school graduate having a bad day. It happens. Failures are a part of life, yes? See how the cup is half full, not half empty?

It must be said I have many kitchen gadgets and appliances that completely and totally do not fall into the need category. Still, I do not own a tagine. I thought I might attend this cooking class and come home with one. The teacher used a Creuset instead. Perfect.

The icing on the cake today was a pair of pink cropped pants with green embroidered palm trees in my mailbox. I'm crazy about them.

While I was in cooking class I knew I should be at Leopolds ordering wedding pastry. Eight weeks away. What's your favorite wedding punch, anyway?

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Swedish Butter Cookies

2011-02-27T18:18:00.000-08:00

I eat a lot of egg whites. And I hate to throw those yolks away . . . so I pulled out an ancient recipe I used three decades ago. The best thing about these cookies is the 'refrigerate and bake-when-you-want' option. They are delicious.

2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 egg yolk
2 cups flour
turbinado sugar (optional)

Beat the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla together until smooth and creamy. Mix in the egg yolk until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once. Add the flour and mix just until incorporated. Scrape onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times, just until the dough smooths out. Turn onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log, wrap up and refrigerate for several hours or freeze. Before baking preheat oven to 325. Line baking sheets with parchment. Slice dough into slices about 1/8" thick and place them on the sheets about an inch apart. Bake until cookies just begin to turn golden around the edges, about 16-18 inches. Lightly sprinkle with turbinado.

Did I mention my daughter is getting married? In less than ten weeks? I have no menu. And no caterer. Call me.

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A Seasonable Feast..

2011-02-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

Feast your eyes upon these pictures from my recently gifted cooking class. There are four more to follow, all blog worthy. Today was the first class, A Seasonable Feast. I am not kidding, it was more fun than a Barefoot Contessa Saturday marathon. THAT is saying something. My name was at my place setting when I arrived and all the prep work was done. The mirrored ceiling was tilted so I could see into the pots on the stove. And Clara, a reformed pastry chef, took the reins. In 90 minutes we made White Bean Soup with Roasted Red Pepper Crostini, Argentine Stuffed Flank Steak, Polenta with Gorgonzola and a Warm Winter Compote.

I'm visual. You show me how to do it and I'm no longer intimidated. I'm fairly certain that's how my Ina-love developed. Turkey roulade, sure! I can do it.

There were only four in the class. The flank steak - it's a must. Probably Sunday dinner. Come by.

The Warm Winter Compote . . . all dried fruit stewed and luscious, especially the figs. The recipe calls for 1 whole star anise. Best part of the day was recognizing what that spice brought to the compote and realizing I have some just brought back to me straight from India.

Warm Winter Compote (Serve with almond biscotti and freshly whipped cream)

10 dried pear halves, cut in half lengthwise
16 dried figs, cut in half lengthwise
25 dried cherries
1 cup sweet white wine (I shall use half orange juice, half water)
1 T. sugar
1 whole star anise

In a saucepan combine the pears, figs, cherries, juice/water mixture, sugar and star anise with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the fruits are plump, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for at least 30 minutes before serving. The compote can be made up to 2 days in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Warm over low heat before serving. Remove the star anise or keep to use as a garnish. Serve warm in individual bowls.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Entertaining with the Seasons: A Year of Recipes, (Weldon Owen, 2010)

After I licked the compote spoon the chef said, "Your husband was here before class and left his credit card information - he wants you to pick out two knives." You guys. That is like diamonds to me. Or a heart shaped box of See's candy. Or all the perfume in the world. Or tire rims to Caitlin.

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I'm doing the winner dance, blog contests and 14,000+ comments

2011-02-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman . . . I've always loved you. Even more now. See here for a reason to always enter a comment, no matter how many there are before you. Someone has to win.

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random notes from the sky...

2011-01-26T05:32:00.000-08:00

Last month I read an article by a Vanity Fair contributor entitled, Miss Manners and the Big C. The author entertained the idea of writing a book on cancer etiquette - he happens to be a cancer patient. It was amusing. Maybe I've had more than one brush with a remark that might be considered a little "off". So in a rash moment of solidarity I fired off a letter to the editor. About three days later I had a mini-panic attack worried they might publish it.

no segue...

The Irish in me compelled me to show my spouse where the 2010 tax documents were, "just in case the plane goes down." He smirked but said nothing. He accepts that "dark" that invades my brain. If you don't understand, read Angela's Ashes or Tis: A Memoir. It will all make sense.

no segue...

Once (a very long time ago) we experimented and gave up television for a year. We enjoyed it. Then the Celtics were in a championship game and out came the box. It's been there ever since. For 26 years. Frankly, I've proposed we conduct the same 'say no to television' experiment again. For just a year. My spouse maintains the devil is the source of that notion. I can write this . . . he doesn't read my blog.

I'd like to list the things I love about Andy Bernard next, but it seems the previous paragraph makes that seem particularly silly.

What about Ben Folds? Can I tell you what I love about him? Another time.

no segue...

Love is knowing there are people in your life who adore you, even though they really know all of your flaws and weaknesses. If it isn't like that (you can't force love) and you wish it was . . . let it go. My sister was always good about reminding me about that . . . "Patti, let it go." (I just saw her pointing her finger at me when I typed that sentence.)

There you go, the first 3,000 miles...

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Posie Gets Cozy and an oh-so-delicious cake...

2011-01-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

I've read Posie Gets Cozy for years now, despite the fact that I do not do any needlework, I do not knit and I do not sew. That doesn't mean I can't appreciate her talents.

When I read her recent blog post entitled "New Birthday Cake?" I knew I had to treat myself to this special baking pan. I'm a sucker for a Scandanavian dessert. The pan arrived over the weekend and Sunday . . . well, I made the cake twice. The first time it was covered in powdered sugar, the second time in turbinado.

Alicia made the lemon version, I (of course) opted for the almond. The cake is light . . . my third attempt will definitely be with the vanilla sugar.

You can order the Rehrucken Baking Pan from Pipka's of Door County here. The recipe is as follows:

Pipka's Scandinavian Almond Cake

Beat well:

1 1/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
2/3 C milk

Then mix in:

1 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

And slowly add:

1 stick melted butter

Butter and flour cake pan. Pour batter into pan and bake at 350 for 38-45 minutes until golden brown. Cool in pan for 6 minutes. Invert cake onto cooling rack. Sprinkle with confectionary sugar before serving. Variation; Before pouring batter, sprinkle sliced almonds in the pan bottom. Recipe can easily be doubled. Cake freezes well.

VARIATIONS
* Substitute lemon extract and add zest of lemon
* Substitute lemon extract and add poppy seeds
* Substitute orange extract and add zest of orange
* Substitute vanilla extract and add blueberries
* Substitute rum extract and top with shredded coconut

...OR ADD TO ORIGINAL RECIPE

* Blueberries
* Chopped dried cherries plus some chocolate chips
* Top cake with sliced almonds
* Spread cake with Nutella and jam!

Pipka's Special Turtle Cake

Mix up original recipe, putting half the dough in the pan. Then drizzle caramel sauce across the dough, then sprinkle mini chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Spoon in the rest of the dough and bake as always. Scrumptious!

Special thanks to Alicia Paulson for allowing me to share her beautiful photos of this delicious cake. It is stunning.

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An inch of snow an hour, red eye flights and cousins...

2011-01-23T20:03:00.000-08:00

This was Saturday's view from my cousin's front porch in my home town. It was no easy feat getting to Boston . . . they were under a winter siege - an inch of snow an hour. First flight was canceled due to that heavy snow, that overnight "red eye" thing. So I flew all day Friday. I cracked open my Esquire Magazine and it lasted until Milwaukee. The writing is so good. I've often felt like a traitor to my gender because I prefer this magazine over all others (Bon Appetit is off limits), until I read this. I could not agree more. If Segullah can say it I can say it.

By the time I landed in Boston I had a handwritten list of "things to blog about." Where was it coming from? Was it just the solitary time I was unaccustomed to or was it the pensive mood? Not certain. In any case, look for Ten Reasons Why I love Andy Bernard. Maybe a few others a bit more serious.

I flew 6,000 miles for 20 hours in Boston . . . it was a trip well spent. I saw my sweet uncle Friday night, a man I never heard say a negative thing about a single soul. We talked and even laughed a little. Saturday he slipped right into the next life while I was at his house. The expression "surrounded by family and friends" will always feel different to me now. Even the hard parts of life can be beautiful experiences. In a couple of hours I was on an airplane home, grateful for the things I know to be true.

Slainte, Chick. You're there now.

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Caramel Cake and random musings...

2011-01-15T18:56:00.000-08:00

I made this cake today. Sometimes I have overwhelming urges to create . . . that's what draws me toward the kitchen. A little sugar, some eggs, a dash of vanilla and who knows what you end up with. This cake is really pretty. Try it.

* 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 2 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
* 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

For caramel glaze

* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan and line with a square of parchment paper, then butter parchment.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture may look curdled). Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated.

Spread batter evenly in cake pan, then rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan. Invert onto rack and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.

Make glaze:

Bring cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Boil until glaze registers 210 to 212°F on thermometer, 12 to 14 minutes, then stir in vanilla.

Put rack with cake in a shallow baking pan and pour hot glaze over top of cake, allowing it to run down sides. Cool until glaze is set, about 30 minutes.

These arrived today. And these and these. I've been making the pumpkin pound cake recipe in cupcake form ... mini-pound cakes go great in these little glassine bags.

I had a root canal Friday. This "sedation dentistry" thing is killing me. One of the drugs in the "cocktail" is an amnesiac - some things you barely remember, like novocaine in the roof of your mouth. A good thing. Some things you do remember, like today when I realized I asked my spouse to go to the new French bakery and buy me some macarons. Pistachio macarons. It doesn't feel right to remember something so significant a full 24 hours after it happened. Especially when you realize you ate them all. They were great. That much I remember.

At least I don't have to worry about a missing pizza.

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Sticky Toffee Pudding

2011-01-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

I'm not kidding, you guys. I cannot forget how lovely this dessert was, definitely in the top ten of my lifetime. That good. This entire date thing is sort of curious to me. If you asked me if like dates I would have to tell you no. But sticky toffee pudding has dates in it. And I can't stop thinking about it. It made me resolve to try that date shake at Crystal Cove next summer . . . the little shake shack overlooking the cove is famous for that shake. What if, after all this time, it ends up reminding me of sticky toffee pudding? It could happen. Talk about wasted years.

Speaking of wasted years, did you know this ever existed? It did. And it doesn't any longer.

Life is short. Be adventurous.

Toffee Sauce:

2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar

Cake:

6 ounces pitted dates, preferably Medjool (about 7 dates)
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Directions:

MAKE THE TOFFEE SAUCE: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/4 cups of the cream with the butter, corn syrup and sugar; bring to a boil. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until a deep amber caramel forms, about 40 minutes. Carefully whisk in the remaining 1 1/4 cups of cream. Strain the sauce through a sieve into a bowl.

MAKE THE CAKE: In a small saucepan, simmer the dates in the water over moderately low heat until the water is nearly absorbed and the dates are soft, about 15 minutes. Transfer the dates and any liquid to a food processor and puree until very smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly butter six 1/2-cup ramekins. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then beat in the date puree. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Spoon the batter into the ramekins and smooth the tops. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean; let cool slightly. Using a small serrated knife, trim the tops of the cakes level with the rims of the ramekins. Unmold the cakes and invert them onto a wire rack. Slice each cake in half horizontally. Wipe out the ramekins and spoon 1 tablespoon of the toffee sauce into each. Return the bottom layers of the cakes to the ramekins, cut side up. Spoon another tablespoon of the toffee sauce into the ramekins and top with the remaining cake layers. Spoon another tablespoon of the toffee sauce over the cakes and spread evenly. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the toffee is bubbling around the edges.

Let the puddings cool for 5 minutes, then run a thin-bladed knife around the insides of the ramekins; invert each pudding onto a dessert plate. Rewarm the remaining toffee sauce and spoon some around the puddings. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

I'm making this for my own birthday. No joke.

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packed Saturdays...

2011-01-10T05:45:00.000-08:00

It started with a baby shower at my house for Bridget's friend Tamara.

We had delicious Greek salad (awesome job, Cam and Lauren) and assorted quiches like spinach and feta, sundried tomato and goat cheese, sausage and mushroom and ham and broccoli. Check out the delicious bread basket. Not pictured, some lucious apple crumb cheesecake bars with a caramel sauce. Busbys rule. They were good.

Thirty minutes after the shower started so did the Baptism. The famous "George from Seminary" sent me a text at 4:30 p.m. Friday night. Two years he came to my Seminary class. So I excused myself and left things in the hands of Bridget and Lauren and headed to the Stake Center. This is my 'genuine, from the bottom of my heart' happy face.

And with another boy I love, a former student who was baptizing George...

I hopped in the car and ran back to the shower . . . it was winding down. I saw old friends quizzing Bridget, not to mention Phil. It was fun.

Later that evening Bridget and I watched boys eat meat in a not so sparingly way. The company was awesome.

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Gooey butter cake and random bits of nothing...

2011-01-05T10:18:00.001-08:00

This first paragraph is fascinating. Please read to the end of the entire post. It might get better, but I'm uncertain. It's January and it's been cold. I never wear a coat and I'm wearing a coat. It snowed on Monday. I had my teeth cleaned on Tuesday. I made a menu for a baby shower for Saturday (quiche and Greek salad again). I returned my (unread) library books that were making me feel bad about myself first thing this morning, on the way to the office. About one hour ago I realized I'm over the adjustment phase of a new calling (5 months in) and moving into the this is wonderful phase of it all.

No segue.

Best Thing I Ever Ate, I love you. I saw the Gooey Butter Cake (a famous St. Louis tradition) and was intrigued. Most recipes you see out there in the blogosphere are made with a cake mix. This is the New York Times recipe. Typically I shy away from all things yeast. Maybe using yeast is one of my New Year's Resolutions?

3 tablespoons milk at room temperature
1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

For the topping:

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling.

1. In a small bowl, mix milk with 2 tablespoons warm water. Add yeast and whisk gently until it dissolves. Mixture should foam slightly.
2. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and salt. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat in the egg. Alternately add flour and the milk mixture, scraping down sides of bowl between each addition. Beat dough on medium speed until it forms a smooth mass and pulls away from sides of bowl, 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Press dough into an ungreased 9-by 13-inch baking dish at least 2 inches deep. Cover dish with plastic wrap or clean tea towel, put in a warm place, and allow to rise until doubled, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare topping, in a small bowl, mix corn syrup with 2 tablespoons water and the vanilla. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat in the egg. Alternately add flour and corn syrup mixture, scraping down sides of bowl between each addition.
5. Spoon topping in large dollops over risen cake and use a spatula to gently spread it in an even layer. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes; cake will rise and fall in waves and have a golden brown top, but will still be liquid in center when done. Allow to cool in pan before sprinkling with confectioners’ sugar for serving.

Yield: 16 to 20 servings

The cake mix version has cream cheese in it. And I once saw Paula Deen make a version of her Gooey Butter Cake with some toffee bits. Another time with some pumpkin.

I don't know why, but everyone seems to be talking about Gooey Butter Cake lately. Smitten Kitchen, also awesome. She is the pop culture queen of foodies.

No segue.

Sunday I asked my grandson, "Do you like my red nails? I don't usually have red nails, so I'm wondering if you like them." Pensive. More thinking. "I don't really care about nails." Point taken. So I press on. "But what do you think when you look at them? I'm asking because one day some girl is going to ask you the same sort of question . . .and if you don't answer her she's going to think you don't care about her." I said that. He said, "Grandma, you're not my girlfriend." End of story.

No segue.

I was reading a book (not one of the books I returned unread to the library, which I guess is fairly obvious) that quoted the famous "unknown author" - it said, "Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." Who wouldn't google this? I'm really asking. I just wanted to know, WHO said this? So I set out on a quest to discover the source. Two hours later (don't worry, I only missed a little bit of bad reality television) I accepted the fact that the author was really unknown. And then I thought, well, that's pretty sad. Here's this awesome sentiment that is pretty well known . . . and we don't even know you, author. Shouldn't someone know you? And then I realized that someone that wise would never care if they received the credit. And that's when I felt a little like my granddaughter Grace, who said this to her mother in the car the other day:

Every time I think of the name Megan I think of the nickname Meggie. Every time I think of the nickname Meggie I think of the name Meg. Every time I think of the name Meg I think of the girl from Hercules. Every time I think of Meg from Hercules I think of Meg Whitman. Every time I think of Meg Whitman I think of that guy that won and how much I can't stand him. And every time I think of that I think of how I talk too much.

I wonder who came up with the idea for gooey butter cake, anyway?

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"Look Not Behind Thee"

2011-01-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

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Happy New Year and WELCOME 2011

2010-12-31T07:39:00.000-08:00

It seems like it was months ago I was at my favorite California place . . . but it was only days ago.

I had a place by this fire the day I left my Christmas vacation. It was 5:30 am and I was alone with my book. I might have dozed a little.

While I dozed and read and drank my "keep your kidneys healthy" herbal tea (it doesn't work) others were pursuing their passion on surfboards. On December 26th.

Goodbye Laguna Beach. Hello real life. And it is good. And beautiful.

In 2010 I gave up processed food and said goodbye to all things 'lean cuisine' and low fat foods that taste like cardboard (or fish food, depending upon your perspective). I have never felt better in my life. Spinach rules.

I read this post and then I bookmarked it. I read it once a week now. It has to be okay if someone doesn't like you, even if it's someone you really like. Or, heaven forbid, love. No peace otherwise.

In 2010, more than ever, I learned that doing things for others will cure just about anything. That noble fir trees are the very best. Christmas smells are important. Wesley Snipes needs to stop whining and serve his time in jail. Sticky toffee pudding is one of the best things I've ever eaten. Craigslist, if you're tenacious (and patient), brings forth awesome furniture. Frugal can be really fun. Your adult children can become your best friends, understanding and full of love. Sometimes a cousin can fill a spot in your heart you never thought would fill after you lost your sister. And once in a while you make a lifelong friend who helps fill that hole, too. It seems you usually meet that friend while you're doing something for someone else. Life is better than good. Also, my spouse (who I love more than life itself) does laundry. How could 2011 be better? I already know it's going to be. I really love my life.

Happy New Year.

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Christmas on opposite coasts...

2010-12-25T20:48:00.000-08:00

Bridget on the beach near Weston, Florida. We miss her but we're happy she's having so much fun.

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Christmas Brunch . . .

2010-12-25T14:55:00.000-08:00

It's overcast and chilly today. And that's okay. What isn't okay is the untimely demise of my Blackberry. Dead. Now you know why I didn't reply to your text. You didn't send me one? No worries. A broken phone on Christmas Day did not change the fact that brunch was spectacular. Here are a few of the highlights.

Roast turkey with cranberry compote, roast pork tenderloin with an apple relish and prime rib with a tremendous assortment of imported mustards and horseradish.

Pates and cheeses and breads . . .

Yes, caviar. With everything that should be served with it. Are you thinking about Tom Hanks? He was wrong. It's delicious.

A beautiful charcuterie platter. Salami and prosciutto . . . olives and capers and cheese.

And sushi. Sashimi. Octopus...

Beautiful festive desserts, including a sticky toffee pudding, something I've always wanted to try. Delicious.

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Christmas ramblings...

2010-12-24T18:48:00.000-08:00

Sprinkles was full of special orders boxed up and ready to go. They had a spice cupcake with egg nog frosting and a chocolate candy cane cupcake. Festive. Did you know you can buy a shot of frosting there? Well, you can. A shot of Sprinkles frosting. Seventy-five cents. Awesome.

This is the gingerbread display at our hotel. CRAZY, right? It's a replica of a 1948 Ford Woodie. 150 pounds of gingerbread covered with candy and held together with 300 pounds of royal icing. It took 800 hours to make this thing - you should see the kids when they see this 18 foot long gingerbread display. Wide-eyed.

We sat here and read today (facing the Pacific) until the blanket just wasn't enough. It was lovely. The surfers were encouraged to get out of the water, but the beach wasn't closed. Beach patrol officers suggested surfers take 15 minute hot showers to rid themselves of the bacteria from the storm.

We decided to go to one of our favorite little places for some Christmas Eve guacamole. The power was out and the door was locked. I did the "but we're from Vegas and all we want is some of your guacamole." It worked. They packaged up a bag for us and then asked us, "What do you want - on the house - we'd have to throw it away anyway." A Christmas miracle I say. Carne asada, yes please. Delicious. Not exactly your typical Christmas Eve feast, but we loved it.

We're watching A Christmas Story and doing a lot of Christmas reminiscing. Christmas isn't the same without your kids, but you raise them to lead their own lives and be happy. It's great when they are. I'm happy when they're happy . . . and really grateful the man I married still wants to play tennis with me, even though he's so much better than I am. He voluntarily watches that holiday movie for the 1,000,000th time just because he knows it will make me happy. And sometimes he eats Thai food with me even though he'd rather have a hamburger or some pizza. Life is good, sometimes for really simple reasons.

Merry Christmas. I hope yours is full of peace and love.

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Is it really Christmas Eve?

2010-12-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

This was the view from my treadmill this morning. Yes, that's a chandelier. Makes no sense to me, either.

The walk to the tennis courts...

Tennis? On Christmas Eve?

We're headed out for a Christmas Eve lunch. Have a blast...

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Christmas sunsets, Thai Brothers and adirondack chairs . . .

2010-12-23T18:39:00.000-08:00

My reading spot for tomorrow is on this cliff. I'm excited.

The hotel is bustling with holiday parties. We hopped in the car and went to our favorite little Thai place in downtown Laguna. Soggy downtown Laguna. It was yummy. We rented two Redbox DVDs . . . it's going to be an early night. Tomorrow we have gym plans and lazing around plans. It might not feel like Christmas, but this little trip is like a dream come true.

Last but not least, once again, Patti wins at ping pong...

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Christmas, flooding, Laguna and Dana Point...

2010-12-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

We flew into Long Beach . . . hooray for Jet Blue and $22 flights. Awesome. No nail biting drive for Patti and a beautiful 40 mile drive to our destination south on Pacific Coast Highway. How I love that drive. Pictures will follow later, but Laguna Beach (the downtown area) took a bad hit from the rain. A big part of the boardwalk is just gone. Today the sun is shining and we are shortly headed out to sit in some adirondack chairs to read. The lobby is pretty, yes?

The view from the balcony and french doors in our room is lush. Thick green landscaping. It looks like Hawaii. Also, it does not feel like Christmas here.

I am bundling up in an Irish knit sweater and taking a blanket down to the terrace area. It's on a cliff overlooking the Pacific and there isn't a soul in sight.

Merry Christmas. I think.

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Christmas evidence and have a merry...

2010-12-22T17:57:00.000-08:00

I've been a baking fool. I've managed to bake all the specialties, including Ina's Pecan Squares, Whoopie Pies (enough already), Almond Crescent Cookies, Desert Island butter cakes (with a twist) . . . and more. It's been fun.

Decorating is done . . . smaller scale this year because it's just us. I am crazy about every Christmas pillow in the house, especially the extra large red velvet ones.

Soon we depart rainy Las Vegas (huh?) to sit by the sea, hoping the Southern Calilfornia deluge has stopped and our hotel hasn't disappeared off the side of that beautiful Laguna cliff. We have reservations for Christmas Day brunch and a stack of novels and some rather indulgent specialty magazines. First up on the reading stack, One Day by David Nicholls. I'm excited about this one. There are three other novels that are part of the plan, a trip to Sprinkles for that vanilla cupcake I didn't eat in August . . . and some general relaxation and escape.

Yes, this is our walk down to the beach:

I hope your Christmas is merry and bright - and full of love and peace. I know He knows me, I know He loves me, and I know He's felt everything I've ever felt. For me, therein lies the peace I feel. Merry Christmas.

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random Christmas and snowy Boston afternoons...

2010-12-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

I birthed this boy 22 years ago (today) on a snowy and gray Boston afternoon. I had that "I can do anything" adrenalin high I felt after every baby . . . and it was Christmas. My shopping was done and wrapped and my tree was waiting. I went home the next morning. Bliss. We didn't have much (understatement), but it might have been our best Christmas ever. I still remember what it felt like . . . a new baby and a warm home with a Christmas fridge (thank you, Caity).

He says things to me like, "How were your visits tonight, Mom?" And, "Do you have things in the car I can help bring in?" Sometimes he helps me set up tables for Relief Society things and maybe even helps put tablecloths on them. He likes nice clothes like his mother and asks me questions about things like belts and shoes and what's supposed to match what. He never cuts into a cake without asking, "Is this for us?" And even though his bathroom doesn't pass inspection (the one in my head) and he forgets to wipe his feet sometimes, I love him to death. He is a tender-hearted soul who misses his siblings and isn't afraid to say it. Sweet to me.

I have none of that name remorse you hear people talk about. Naming your baby is a daunting task, don't you think? After all, it's the first thing you really give your child. My entire life I wanted a "Patrick". Loved the name then and love the name now. And even when his friends sometimes call him "Patty", well, I love that just as much.

I made him the thing he loves the most. He's happy.

So today on this gray Las Vegas day I am remembering back to that day and the incredible feeling I had going home with a new baby just days before Christmas. Also, just for the record . . . cutest toddler ever.

Today's agenda (after birthday cake) includes making candy. More about that tomorrow.

Happy birthday, Patrick. "I'll love you forever, I'll love you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."

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Hot Fudge Sauce (Nana's...)

2010-12-15T14:39:00.001-08:00

I love this recipe! The funny thing is, I think it's better the next day . . . somehow there's a sugary/chewy quality to it when it's a day old.

Need to feed a crowd? Scoop the ice cream into balls (make sure you wear rubber gloves - this is a cold proposition) and roll them in coconut, toasted coconut or chopped almonds. Freeze on a cookie sheet until ready to serve. Cover in hot fudge and heavy whipping cream flavored with a little vanilla.

No crowd? Pour it over peppermint stick ice cream. Vanilla bean? Delicious either way...

1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 square chocolate
1/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup granulated sugar
dash salt
1/2 cup cream
1 t. vanilla

Melt together over low heat butter and chocolate. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt and add to chocolate mixture stirring until smooth. Add cream slowly and bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

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Whoopie Pies (redux...)

2010-12-15T03:23:00.000-08:00

I'm re-posting this recipe after my daughter suggested a modification. She was so right. Increase the baking powder to 1 teaspoon vs. the original recipe calling for 1/2 teaspoon. The end result avoids that occasional flat whoopie pie . . . they are nice and consistently round after adding that additional baking powder.

There were two bakery boxes full of these yesterday. My definition of fun.

1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1.5 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 cup milk
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa

Filling: 1 cup crisco, 1 cup sugar, 1.5 cups Marshamallow Fluff, 1 t. vanilla

Bake at 425 for 7-8 minutes.

P.S. There are some members of my family who beg for double cream filling...

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Caramel Brownies

2010-12-15T02:35:00.000-08:00

This recipe just won't go away . . . for good reason. I love it that the Kraft caramels come unwrapped now. That was always a "keep a boy busy" job in my house.

1 package swiss chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup melted butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 14 oz. Kraft caramels
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Combine cake mix, melted butter and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Layer 1/2 mixture on bottom of 9 x 13 pan and bake for 6 minutes only. Melt caramels in heavy saucepan with 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked layer and drizzle caramel mixture over top. Top with remaining batter. Bake 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

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Jam Thumbprints . . .

2010-12-14T11:11:00.000-08:00

I like these. My spouse does not. They look pretty in a bakery box all wrapped up for Christmas. Thank you, Ina.

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry and/or apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

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Bakery boxes, bakers' twine and tiny prints labels...

2010-12-13T15:21:00.000-08:00

There are goodies in these boxes and I'm crazy about the way they look. Caity has some bakers' labels from Felix Doolittle. Oh my. Everything they sell is delightful and beautiful. Our family gets a little stuck on nice stationery. It's just us. My labels are from Tiny Prints . . . I love the brown in them, don't you? What's inside the boxes is fun, too.

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Peanut Butter Bon Bons

2010-12-13T12:59:00.000-08:00

It doesn't get any easier than this. These fall in the "family favorites" category at my house.

1 cup finely chopped nuts
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
1/4 cup butter
6 oz. chocolate chips

Combine nuts, sugar and peanut butter. Add butter and vanilla and process. Shape into 1" balls and chill. Dip in chocolate and place on wax paper to solidify.

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Mexican Wedding Cookies

2010-12-06T11:00:00.001-08:00

This recipe is from the Proud Italian Cook . . . I like her version simply because it makes so many. This is one of my favorite cookies. This version is also terrific. Perfect for a Christmas bakery box...

1 lb. unsalted butter at room temperature
4 cups of un-bleached flour
2 t. vanilla
8 t. granulated sugar (just 8)
3/4 cup of ground pecans (optional, and I prefer almonds)
Bowl of powdered sugar

Cream butter, add sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Next, add the flour and mix until all incorporated. Roll in balls and place on cookie sheet, making a thumbprint in each one. Bake at 350 for 20 min. Immediately roll in powdered sugar.

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Penuche

2010-12-03T13:15:00.000-08:00

My grandmother could really make candy. It's an art, I think. She had a repertoire full of different kinds of candy... butterscotch, fudge, coconut chocolates made with mashed potato. I was happy to find this recipe (in her own handwriting) for the fudge I like the most, penuche.

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup cream
2 T. butter
2 T. marshmallow
Nuts (optional)

Cook brown sugar and cream to soft ball stage and add butter and marshmallow.

I'm posting this recipe exactly as written. Consider yourselves lucky - this has more detail than most of her recipes.

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Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments

2010-12-03T04:58:00.000-08:00

1 cup cinnamon
1 T. ground cloves
1 T. nutmeg
2 T. white glue
3/4 cup applesauce

Roll between waxed paper and cut out with cookie cutters. Let ornaments dry overnight. Use straw to poke hole to hang ornaments.

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Patisserie Manon

2010-12-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

Put on your running shoes . . . and go to Patisserie Manon. Chef Jean-Paul talked to me very deliberately about the filling in one of his pastries (the St. Honore), his chocolate croissants and his macarons. Many macarons in many flavors. Take a peek:

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Ribbon candy and Christmas foodie memories...

2010-12-02T05:52:00.000-08:00

uh, huh . . . holiday memory. Shiny, wavy and colorful Christmas candy.

Thank goodness the industrial revolution happened and ribbon candy was able to be manufactured, that's all I'm saying. It's important. I'm partial to the clove and cinnamon flavors . . . and they just belong in that holiday candy dish. You have a holiday candy dish, right? Mine is a pewter Paul Revere candy dish, a porringer. It's more than 30 years old and I love it.

Each year I see Hammond's in various foodie catalogs and it brings me directly back to Lowell, Massachusetts, Fanny Farmer's, and all the Christmas ribbon candy I could possibly want.

Brigham's sold some Christmas hard candy ... it was chocolate filled. My grandmother loved it as much as I did. I can still see the container of that holiday hard candy mix. I love a childhood Christmas memory. I have so many...

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Chocolate Dipped Almond Cookies

2010-12-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

I visited the library to pick up the seven books waiting for me, on the shelf, with my very own name on them. My queue was full (oh how I love the local library). I have everything fromThe Magnolia Bakery Cookbook to some old James Beard books. Life is good.

I picked up Martha Stewart's Christmas, despite the fact that I own my own copy. I can't exactly put my hands on it right now, but I can't live without it. Inside this awesome book is a recipe for Chocolate Dipped Almond Cookies . . . I make them every year. I love this recipe.

2 sticks unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 t. vanilla extract
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
1 1/3 cups finely chopped blanched almonds

FOR DECORATION:

6 oz. semisweet chocolate
3 T. unsalted butter
1 T. hot water
Chopped almonds for garnish

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, then the flour, salt, and finely chopped almonds, mixing well.

Shape the dough into 2 rolls, each 1 1/2" in diameter. Wrap rolls and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/4" slices. Place 1 to 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, just until lightly browned. Cool on a rack.

In the top of a double boiler melt the chocolate and butter for the topping. Add the hot water and stir until smooth. Dip and edge of each cookie into the chocolate, then sprinkle with the chopped almonds. Cool on a rack until the chocolate hardens.

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Pan Fried Onion Dip

2010-12-01T05:22:00.000-08:00

I'm going to re-post this one because there are holiday party needs. And this, well this dip is pretty spectacular. If you neeed to bring something to a holiday party, Ina's pan fried onion dip will make you a star. This is delicious.

2 large yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup good mayonnaise

Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

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That Orangette blog, or the Bon Appetit contributor

2010-11-30T05:57:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from my friend (not really) Molly Wizenberg via Orangette, the loveliest food blog in the universe. I read the recipe and ran right out to buy the Lurpak butter at the most awesome food museum in the world, Whole Foods. I am not the best judge when it comes to evaluating what is sometimes called the best butter in the world. I prefer my french bread plain. Don't hate. Instead I rely upon the butter connoisseur in my home, that person who starts to shake when we're down to four lowly sticks of Land 'O Lakes. He says Danish butter is different. Better. So Lurpak for Christmas every year, I say.

Real Danish Butter Cookies, Adapted from Gourmet, December 2008

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 lb. unsalted Lurpak butter, at room temperature for 1 hour
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten
3 to 4 Tbsp. sanding or other coarse-grain sugar, such as Turbinado

Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 325°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until fluffy. Then add the sugar and beat briefly to combine. Add the flour mixture, and beat on low speed until just combined. The dough will appear crumbly. Divide the dough in half.

Roll each half between large sheets of plastic wrap into a rectangle approximately 10 by 15 inches, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer, still in plastic wrap, to a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Then remove the top layer of plastic wrap and cut into 2-by-1 ½-inch rectangles. Arrange the rectangles 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. If the dough becomes too soft, chill or freeze until it is again firm enough to handle.

Brush the tops of the cookies very lightly with the beaten egg, and then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake the cookies, 2 sheets at a time, switching positions of the pans halfway through baking, until they are very pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes; then carefully slide the cookies, still on the parchment, onto wire racks. Cool completely. Make more cookies with the remaining dough, baking on cooled, freshly lined baking sheets. Reroll scraps once. Yield: about 9 dozen cookies, which is just about the right amount this time of year, right?

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Uno, Wii, Snow and Gingerbread...

2010-11-28T05:40:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving dinner was perfect . . . because Caity made it. Perfect turkey and stuffing and a delicious homemade cranberry relish with onion and pomegranate. Hot homemade rolls just out of the oven . . . and a Martha Stewart green bean dish with fried shallots that was so good I'm dreaming about it. Apple pie and pumpkin pie, ice cream from the co-op. Best dinner. Fun company.

To combat sleepiness we took out the Uno cards. This year we drew numbers to assign seats for our game. It worked. I ended up next to Russ' brother, Ryan, who easily won the award for "best trash talker". We mixed two decks for maximum playing time.

There were holiday movies and naps. Pretty much perfect.

Friday we went to Eagle to see the Wingets. We joined in their family tradition of making gingerbread houses the day after Thanksgiving and eating pizza. Translation: we ate candy and pizza. They are so fun.

Later we played a new dance game on the Wii. Robyn's sisters were good!

Later we headed to The Festival of the Trees in downtown Boise. There are no pictures on purpose. We walked to the movie theatre to see Unstoppable. It kept us awake...

This is what Boise looked like when we left for the airport yesterday. Snowy and gray.

We are warmer now, mostly because of the way we feel inside. Happy holidays.

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Boise Co-op, Boise Hippies and restaurant supply stores...

2010-11-25T11:57:00.000-08:00

It is still very "arctic" here, but oh so fun. There have been trips to the restaurant supply store where I discovered bakery boxes in sizes I never knew existed, plastic bottles to drizzle icing on Christmas cookies and assorted gadgets that don't even come close to fitting into the "need" category.

Then there was the co-op, an amateur cook/foodie's dream store. Bliss.

On the way to Boise Bridget and Phil's car ended up off the road in a snowbank in some small Idaho town about an hour out of Twin Falls, stuck with no way out except with the help of a heavy duty tow. A ruined tire and a hanging muffler later (and some sad body damage) they are here safe and sound, ready to be pummeled in the annual family holiday game of Uno. Maybe Phase Ten.

Did I mention I'm frozen? To the bone? I am.

Also, doesn't this just look like Christmas dinner with the Bumpus family? When those dogs march across the kitchen floor it sounds just like that scene in A Christmas Story.

Have a happy happy Thanksgiving.

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Artic cold fronts, snow, whoopie pies and Thanksgiving...

2010-11-24T14:58:00.001-08:00

This is the view of the snowy Boise River outside our hotel room. Pretty, yes? What isn't pretty is the temperature. Google it . . . I'm frozen to the core.

Here is why the Arctic blast doesn't matter . . .

We went to Goldy's for breakfast in downtown Boise. The arctic chill was in the air but it didn't take away from the food. Oh it was good.

This was my favorite sign in the place.

David's chicken fried steak, his ultimate favorite diner food.

Caity's croissant breakfast sandwich with some incredible potatoes.

Russ' biscuits and gravy.

Whoopies waiting for us at home...

Sugar cookies and a Texas sheet cake...

More to follow. Happy Thanksgiving. Stay warm.

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Nightstand reading and turkeys ...

2010-11-16T11:14:00.000-08:00

Not that anyone cares what's on my nightstand, but right now it happens to be I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron. I bring this up simply because I was gifted this picture of myself after a fun night of 'destressing' at a friend's home. We were instructed to make ourselves a turkey with an apple and our choice of gumdrops. Little did I know my neck would end up resembling the turkey's.

I really didn't know.

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Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole

2010-11-16T05:16:00.000-08:00

***For The Crust***

1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans preferred)
1 stick butter, melted

***For The Sweet Potato Mixture***

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, well beaten
1/3 stick butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Set aside.

Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a mixing bowl in the order listed. Mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.

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Holiday Hot Chocolate

2010-11-12T10:32:00.000-08:00

4 cups whole milk
4 cups half-and-half
1 pound white chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Seeds scraped from 2 vanilla beans

In a saucepan on medium heat, heat the milk and half-and-half to just below the simmering point. Remove the pan from the heat and add the white chocolate. When the chocolate is melted, add the vanilla and vanilla bean seeds and whisk vigorously. Reheat very gently and serve.

(Adapted to omit Ina's booze)

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planes, trains, automobiles and banana fritters ....

2010-11-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

It's just so interesting how Thanksgiving feels as if it is the most anticipated home cooked meal in America. Yes, there are regional differences . . . maybe you must have that potato stuffing your ancestors brought from Ireland, maybe it's oyster stuffing or cornbread stuffing. No matter. We wait for this day and we delight in the most favorite of favorite home cooked meals.

In New England there were often Thanksgiving morning football games, local rivalries looking for a holiday victory to make their day just that much better. It would be freezing and there would be plenty of hot chocolate in heavy coats and gloves and scarves. It seemed right. It's what you did Thanksgiving morning.

There was the dining room table with the very best linens on it, some with hand cutwork and embroidery. The buffet in the dining room had those silver candy dishes on them, just polished with that new silvery shine. One dish would have chocolates in it, more than likely Fanny Farmer, the other silver dish full of assorted fancy nuts. The relish dishes were on the table full of sweet pickles, the mixed kind that had pearl onions in them, and that pickled cauliflower. And olives. Delicious olives. Some things just were, and these are the things my holiday memories are made of. Crudites on the table with my sister sneaking those olives. I'm smiling.

We had banana fritters. They went with Thanksgiving dinner like our potato stuffing and cranberry and mashed turnip. A side dish with claret sauce in a tiny gravy boat. It wouldn't have been Thanksgiving without those banana fritters.

What is your must have?

If you are so inclined, here's the recipe for a good banana fritter. They are just so good with turkey and stuffing. Really.

Banana Fritters

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup water
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying 5 firm bananas

In a large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt.

In another bowl, beat the egg, vanilla and water and pour into the dry ingredients; whisk until combined. The batter should be thick enough to coat a spoon; add more water if it’s too thick.

In a wok, heat about 1-1/2 inches of oil (about 4 cups) to 350°. Line a plate with paper towels.

Peel the bananas; slice them in half crosswise, then cut each piece in half lengthwise. When the oil is hot, dip the banana slices in the batter and slip them into the hot oil, frying 5 or 6 at a time. Fry, turning occasionally, until the fritters are golden, 2 to 3 minutes.

Drain the fritters on paper towel–lined plates and repeat with the remaining bananas. Serve with (or without) claret sauce.

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Sugar Cookie Bars

2010-11-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

Originally posted July, 2009

Caity (hyper-aware of my rolled cookie difficulties) recommended this recipe. It solves my problem. Yum.

1 cup butter; room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla & mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan).

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter; room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
food coloring (if desired)

Combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk & mix until smooth and spreading consistency. Spread over cooled cookie.

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The Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Turkey Roulade

2010-11-10T16:19:00.000-08:00

Originally posted 11/27/08 and again on 11/13/09.

Not long after our Thanksgiving Day feast in 2008 my daughter referred to it as "the best day of my life". It makes me happy to think about that.

Ina's new book hit the bookstore in late October (2008) and I immediately knew what I was serving for Thanksgiving. I hate the idea of all the waste of a whole turkey, so when I saw this recipe I was in. I visited the local butcher shop and ordered the boned and butterflied turkey breasts and swallowed hard. Abandoning the traditional potato stuffing was a risk. Take a peek at the ingredients here. Best of all, each turkey breast only took two hours to roast. All that white meat... oh it was good.

3/4 cup large-diced dried figs, stems removed
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup Calvados or brandy (I used orange juice)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups diced onions (2 onions)
1 cup (1/2-inch-diced) celery (3 stalks)
3/4 pound pork sausage, casings removed (sweet and hot mixed)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
3 cups Pepperidge Farm herb-seasoned stuffing mix
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole (2 halves) turkey breast, boned and butterflied (5 pounds)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. Place the dried figs and cranberries in a small saucepan and pour over the Calvados and 1/2 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the sausage, crumbling it into small bits with a fork, and saute, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until cooked and browned.

4. Add the figs and cranberries with the liquid, the chopped rosemary, and pine nuts, and cook for 2 more minutes. Scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon.

5. Place the stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add the sausage mixture, chicken stock, egg 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir well. (The stuffing may be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight.)

6. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan. Lay the butterflied turkey breast skin side down on a cutting board., Sprinkle the meat with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

7. Spread the stuffing in a 1/2-inch-thick layer over the meat, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Don't mound the stuffing or the turkey will be difficult to roll. (Place the leftover stuffing in a buttered gratin dish and bake for the last 45 minutes of roasting alongside the turkey.)

8. Starting at one end, roll the turkey like a jelly roll and tuck in any stuffing that tries to escape on the sides.

9. Tie the roast firmly with kitchen twine every 2 inches to make a compact cylinder.

10. Place the stuffed turkey breast seam side down on the rack on the sheet pan. Brush with the melted butter, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and roast for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until a thermometer reads 150 degrees in the center. (I test in a few places.)

11. Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Carve 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve warm with the extra stuffing.

Hope your Thanksgiving was extra great this year. Mine was.

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Miscellaneous ramblings...

2010-11-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

Meet Lola. She comes and visits every so often. We are very much amused by her and we get that dog fix that keeps us from taking the plunge. That plunge into repeat dog ownership. We've become a little bit of a second family to Lola. Right here she's miffed - they say dogs have no sense of time, but by her estimation I have stayed in that shower much too long. With each visit when she arrives at our front door she cries when she sees us. Like with happiness. It's fun. In this picture she is unhappy with me. Not feeling the love.

Ignore the Christmas pillow in the background. It just arrived and I was trying it on for size. Last year that pillow sold out. I jumped for joy when I saw they brought it back.

No segue...

I have finally furnished my living room, although not completely. Just a really great head start. After 1 3/4 years with that big empty room it's fun to see things taking shape. Now where do I put the 40 sisters in my Ward when we have our Quarterly Temple Brunch? I wish I took pictures last time. That entire room was full of tables with fancy tablecloths and candles and real plates. And quiche! It was fun.

No segue...

Ina's new cookbook arrived. I've told myself Ina sent me an email announcing her newest venture and sending me an offer for an autographed copy, but that (of course) wasn't a personal email. One can dream, can't they? By the way, did you happen to catch that episode of 30 Rock where Liz Lemon talked about the Barefoot Contessa? Hilarity. Turns out Tina Fey is a true blue fan. Love that.

No segue...

Speaking of lying to myself, each morning I get up and use Truth Serum Collagen Buster all over my sun damaged complexion. Later I walk over to the magnifying mirror to see if it's made a difference. Every morning. It's just so very optimistic of me, don't you think? And very much like that definition of insanity that comes up every once in a while.

No segue...

When you live in the desert the months of October and November are perfection. They also seem to be the months that zip by the fastest. My spouse claims this is a figment of my imagination, but you just try and tell me July isn't a long month in Las Vegas. {I digress.} Anyway, October, November . . . beautiful weather. The food is the best, let's face it. Pumpkin scones and muffins and cheesecake, Trader Joe's brings out all their very best seasonal offerings, Williams Sonoma has that hot chocolate that should be a sin. Tell me you know what I'm talking about. I just want time to slow down. It refuses.

No segue...

My spouse had a hideous "procedure" done last month. Maybe it's okay to talk about? Not sure. I've had my share of "procedures" in this life, but nothing has ever been microwaved. Was that too much? I'm not going to say being the person observing is worse than the patient, because that's just wrong. Suffice it to say I had to sit back in a chair on more than one occasion because I honestly thought I might faint. Lot of lightheadness that day. In the end he is healthy, I am healthy. That is just such a huge thing in life. Gratitude.

No segue...

I have one lone Christmas present left to buy. I bought many books this year (like last year) and it turns out I'm only second guessing myself on about 65% of my purchases. This is progress. If my shopping is done my mind feels devoid of paralyzing details. If that makes no sense to you I'm so genuinely happy for you.

I think I'm done. Miscellaneous ramblings, like I said.

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Weight Watchers' Crustless Pumpkin Pie

2010-11-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

Originally posted 9/15/08

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup egg substitute (or 3 egg whites)
1/2 t. salt
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. vanilla
2/3 cup granulated splenda

Combine all ingredients. Beat until smooth Pour into sprayed 9" pie plate and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 45 minutes. Served with one serving of fat free cool whip . . . 1 slice is 1 Weight Watchers' point and it's ONE QUARTER of the pie! I have a slice of this just about every day.

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Apple Toffee French Toast with Apple Syrup

2010-11-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't made this recipe yet but was immediately interested after reading the instructions. I love the idea of a custard over bread sitting in the refrigerator overnight. Perfect brunch food. This recipe is a contest winner sponsored by Tree Top.

French Toast:

8 cups French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tart apples, peeled, chopped
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup Tree Top Apple Juice
¾ cup milk
2 tsp vanilla, divided
½ cup English toffee bits
5 eggs

Apple Syrup:

1 cup sugar
2 TBSP cornstarch
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
2 cups* Tree Top Apple Juice
2 TBSP lemon juice
5 TBSP butter
* For thicker syrup, try reducing Apple Juice to 1 cup.

Directions:

Place half the bread cubes in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan; top with apples. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugars, Tree Top apple juice and 1 tsp vanilla until smooth; stir in toffee bits. Spread over apples. Top with remaining bread cubes.

In another large bowl, beat the eggs, milk and vanilla until well blended; pour over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

While baking French toast prepare syrup.

Apple Syrup:

In a medium size saucepan whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, Tree Top apple juice and lemon juice; heat to a boil; whisk constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Add butter. Serve over warm Apple Toffee French toast to 8 VERY lucky people.

Serving Suggestions:

Spoon warm syrup over French toast. For real decadence, dollop a spoonful of whipped cream on top.

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Egg Nog Cake

2010-10-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 cup eggnog
1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggnog, oil, eggs, vanilla and nutmeg. Beat at medium speed 3 minutes. Bake in tube pan per instructions on cake mix box.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 lb. confectioners sugar
1 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons eggnog
few drops yellow food coloring (optional)

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Apple Cake "Tatin"

2010-10-28T05:12:00.000-07:00

A real tatin is made with puff pastry. This is a "pseudo tatin". If you want the real thing go to Mon Ami Gabi in the Paris Hotel. Best dessert in Las Vegas. Believe it.

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the dish
1 1/4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into 12 pieces
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Generously butter a 9-inch glass pie dish and arrange the apples in the dish, cut side down.

Combine 1 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until it turns a warm amber color, about 360 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Swirl the pan but don't stir. Pour evenly over the apple slices.

Meanwhile, cream the 6 tablespoons of butter and the remaining 3/4 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. Lower the speed and beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the sour cream, zest, and vanilla and mix until combined. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and, with the mixer on low speed, add it to the butter mixture. Mix only until combined.

Pour the cake batter evenly over the apple slices and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a flat plate. If an apple slice sticks, ease it out and replace it in the design on top of the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar.

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