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| SPOOKY! |
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| Pierre waiting on trick or treat-ers! |
31 October 2011
24 October 2011
Pumpkins...
Driving through the countryside in out small slice of Michigan, you can't help but notice the fields full of autumnal color in every shade of orange imaginable. Pumpkins are everywhere! I purchased 12 pie pumpkins (they have to last through December!) on the side of the road last week!
If you haven't tried my Pumpkin Fondue from last year, here is the link, it is SO fantastic and looks outstanding! It's a great dish to share!
http://blvdmarket.blogspot.com/2010/09/pumpkin-fondue.html
This week I made some lovely pumpkin bread and muffins from the same recipe. I picked up these super sweet paper cups for a coffeehouse touch!
I am slicing the bread into thick 1 1/2 inch slabs and individually wrapping them for the freezer. This gives me the opportunity to just bring out a slice at a time for breakfast or dessert. I LOVE to whip a bit of mascarpone cheese (Italian triple creme) with a sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon to dollop on a slice of this quick bread!
This is an old standby recipe for me. I don't remember where it came from some 20+ years ago. I love that it's a big batch, easily making 12 generous cupcakes and a 9X5 loaf pan, or 2 loaf pans. These also taste fantastic when you add chopped nuts, dried cranberries or chocolate!
PUMPKIN BREAD
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 can pumpkin puree (15 ounces)
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice
2/3 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, oil and eggs. Beat until combined and smooth. Add pumpkin and all dry ingredients and beat to combine about 1 minute. Add water and any additions like nuts or chocolate and stir to combine.
Pour batter into lined or greased pans. Bake loaf pans for 50-60 minutes, cupcakes for 35-40 minutes depending upon fullness.
11 October 2011
Local Art...
I feel like Tecumseh is quite fortunate for a small town, to have so many, many talented artists. I made a decision a few years ago to only purchase original pieces of art. I have mostly done that with just a few exceptions and it makes me happy EVERYDAY to see these works of art, to remember who I was at that point in time as well as who I was with and where I was...each piece is a story.
A few weeks ago we attended a street art fair and I sought out the artist that speaks to me through her work. Her name is Pat Cooper. I love impressionistic work, watercolors and pen and ink drawings. I have 2 of Pat's pieces in my dining room and really wanted another "something" of hers. Here is what I chose;
Who does this resemble? Hehehehe! Pat said she would gladly create a custom batik of your pooch if you so desire! You can find her at www.patcooperstudios.com . While this was not a custom piece, it looks so like Pierre it could have been! How fun is doggie art?
This is a new watercolor piece for my kitchen titled "Breakfast". I just adore the color scheme and the whisk! this makes me want to cook!
My greatest "thanks" to Pat for sharing her talent and bringing me joy every single day. I can't think of a better legacy to leave this world.
Who does this resemble? Hehehehe! Pat said she would gladly create a custom batik of your pooch if you so desire! You can find her at www.patcooperstudios.com . While this was not a custom piece, it looks so like Pierre it could have been! How fun is doggie art?
This is a new watercolor piece for my kitchen titled "Breakfast". I just adore the color scheme and the whisk! this makes me want to cook!
My greatest "thanks" to Pat for sharing her talent and bringing me joy every single day. I can't think of a better legacy to leave this world.
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03 October 2011
Things I've been thinking about this week....
How terrible that I only want shave my legs the same day I scrub the bathtub? Then I don't do it, because it will get the sparkly clean bathtub all nasty?
How come falling down as an adult hurts so damn bad?!?!?! Took a spill, still have criks and creaks and bruises (and a witness) 2 weeks later. The witness was the the worst.....she still hasn't stopped laughing.
After seeing multiple posts on Facebook with the quote "Great people talk about Ideas, Average people talk about Things, Small people talk about other people" It brings to minds a book I just read about life in a small town in Italy. The reason everyone goes to the Piazza everyday...is to talk about the people that aren't there! They are not embarrassed to say it! Funny how people are the same, no matter where you go!
The older I get, the more I like polka music. Yes, I grew up with it, but it's fun music to listen to. No one can be unhappy while listening to songs titled "In Heaven there is no Beer"!
I'm dressing up the dog for Halloween. Seriously, if I have to take him out every morning at 6am....he's gonna entertain me by wearing clothes and costumes.I'm thinking a big cow bell and fake udders....any thoughts on that?
How did Proctor & Gamble come up with the miracle of Febreze? BTW I LOVE< LOVE< LOVE the disgusting commercials of people picking up horrid stuff that's been "febrezed"! But they are true, my house can be a nightmare, but I spray some febreze (linen & sky) and it just seems cleaner. Sorry if this offends, but they deserve to make billions on a product as fabulous as febreze. (Don't you love the lexicon too?!?!)
Am I being cheap by not wanting to spend $500 on an iPad? Can someone PLEASE tell me exactly what the little bugger does that will make me want to spend $500 on it.
How come falling down as an adult hurts so damn bad?!?!?! Took a spill, still have criks and creaks and bruises (and a witness) 2 weeks later. The witness was the the worst.....she still hasn't stopped laughing.
After seeing multiple posts on Facebook with the quote "Great people talk about Ideas, Average people talk about Things, Small people talk about other people" It brings to minds a book I just read about life in a small town in Italy. The reason everyone goes to the Piazza everyday...is to talk about the people that aren't there! They are not embarrassed to say it! Funny how people are the same, no matter where you go!
The older I get, the more I like polka music. Yes, I grew up with it, but it's fun music to listen to. No one can be unhappy while listening to songs titled "In Heaven there is no Beer"!
I'm dressing up the dog for Halloween. Seriously, if I have to take him out every morning at 6am....he's gonna entertain me by wearing clothes and costumes.I'm thinking a big cow bell and fake udders....any thoughts on that?
How did Proctor & Gamble come up with the miracle of Febreze? BTW I LOVE< LOVE< LOVE the disgusting commercials of people picking up horrid stuff that's been "febrezed"! But they are true, my house can be a nightmare, but I spray some febreze (linen & sky) and it just seems cleaner. Sorry if this offends, but they deserve to make billions on a product as fabulous as febreze. (Don't you love the lexicon too?!?!)
Am I being cheap by not wanting to spend $500 on an iPad? Can someone PLEASE tell me exactly what the little bugger does that will make me want to spend $500 on it.
02 October 2011
Preserved Wine Poached Pears
Just the title gets me excited! And make no mistake, this is an exciting recipe! I have a few preserving cookbooks published in England that intrigue and confuse me on many levels. I love their use of sweet/savory ingredients, yet warming sugar in the oven before adding to the pan...huh? Why? There is no scientific answer, so it must be a "that's the way we do it" answer. I have some of those deals too...except my preserving class has kept me on my toes in questions!
This recipe is one of those things too. I know it worked, yet, I still need to wait 6 months to find out if it was a success and the pears are still sealed without any scary bacterias. I'm sure this is not approved by the USDA (but really, please read my "food pyramid" post to see how much I trust their opinion on food these days :)) but with all the wine and sugar, I'm sure nothing scary will survive and they are SO good!
My honest concern is that I used pears I grew organically....just remember, wine kills EVERYTHING!
So, I peeled about 6 small pears, whole, leaving the stem attached for a rustic look. I stuffed about 3 pears per pint jar and added a cinnamon stick broken into 3 pieces (3 inches), about 6 whole cloves and 3inch long pieces of lemon and orange zests to each jar. I wanted them to be quite spiced!
In a large pot, I combined a bottle of delicious Pinot Noir wine (taste to make sure you like first!) and 1 1/2 cups sugar, brought it to a boil and boiled for 5 minutes. I preheated the oven to 250 degrees. I then poured the wine over the pears until about a 1/2 inch clearance was reached, checked for air bubbles and put the seals and lids on. I popped the whole filled jars into the oven and cooked them for about 2 1/2 hours. I removed them from the oven and checked the seals after 24 hours.
It worked! Weird and fabulous! Beautiful and so amazingly delicious! Warm it was even better...and then I drank the juice! In case you missed that...drink the wine too! If you're not into preserving foods, find a friend and talk them into making these, you won't be sorry!
This recipe is one of those things too. I know it worked, yet, I still need to wait 6 months to find out if it was a success and the pears are still sealed without any scary bacterias. I'm sure this is not approved by the USDA (but really, please read my "food pyramid" post to see how much I trust their opinion on food these days :)) but with all the wine and sugar, I'm sure nothing scary will survive and they are SO good!
My honest concern is that I used pears I grew organically....just remember, wine kills EVERYTHING!
So, I peeled about 6 small pears, whole, leaving the stem attached for a rustic look. I stuffed about 3 pears per pint jar and added a cinnamon stick broken into 3 pieces (3 inches), about 6 whole cloves and 3inch long pieces of lemon and orange zests to each jar. I wanted them to be quite spiced!
In a large pot, I combined a bottle of delicious Pinot Noir wine (taste to make sure you like first!) and 1 1/2 cups sugar, brought it to a boil and boiled for 5 minutes. I preheated the oven to 250 degrees. I then poured the wine over the pears until about a 1/2 inch clearance was reached, checked for air bubbles and put the seals and lids on. I popped the whole filled jars into the oven and cooked them for about 2 1/2 hours. I removed them from the oven and checked the seals after 24 hours.
26 September 2011
Maple Braised Carrots and Parsnips
As root crop season is just beginning here in Michigan, I had to push the season a bit and make this lovely braised vegetable dish for supper last night!
This was the very first year I grew parsnips in my garden and I was quite surprised at what a great crop they are turning out to be! It's a little dicey on our soil with root crops, as it tends to lean toward clay. The clay soil forces the roots to grow all crazy instead of long and slender...they don't look as pretty, but taste great all the same! I am not harvesting many parsnips yet as most of what I have read about growing them suggests to allow them to experience a frost before harvest. After the frost, all of their sugars come out and the parsnips will taste sweeter. If you have any experience growing parsnips, I'd love to hear about your thoughts on the subject!
MAPLE BRAISED CARROTS & PARSNIPS
6 tablespoons butter
1 3- to 3 1/2-pounds carrots and parsnips, peeled, cored (parsnips) & cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon (or more) black pepper
Melt butter in heavy large deep skillet over high heat. Add carrots and parsnips; sauté 1 minute. Add broth, syrup, thyme, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer carrots and parsnips to large bowl. Boil liquid in skillet until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Return vegetables to skillet. Cook until tender, turning occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with more pepper, if desired.
I was quite surprised to see an article in Saveur magazine about cooking vegetables, specifically on cooking them past "al dente"! I feel like it's way past time to acknowledge that some vegetables ARE tastier when well cooked! Carrots and parsnips definitely fall into that category for me!
I originally found this recipe online and it featured butternut squash, which is delicious prepared this way, but the carrots and parsnips were SO fantastic!
This was the very first year I grew parsnips in my garden and I was quite surprised at what a great crop they are turning out to be! It's a little dicey on our soil with root crops, as it tends to lean toward clay. The clay soil forces the roots to grow all crazy instead of long and slender...they don't look as pretty, but taste great all the same! I am not harvesting many parsnips yet as most of what I have read about growing them suggests to allow them to experience a frost before harvest. After the frost, all of their sugars come out and the parsnips will taste sweeter. If you have any experience growing parsnips, I'd love to hear about your thoughts on the subject!
MAPLE BRAISED CARROTS & PARSNIPS
6 tablespoons butter
1 3- to 3 1/2-pounds carrots and parsnips, peeled, cored (parsnips) & cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon (or more) black pepper
Melt butter in heavy large deep skillet over high heat. Add carrots and parsnips; sauté 1 minute. Add broth, syrup, thyme, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer carrots and parsnips to large bowl. Boil liquid in skillet until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Return vegetables to skillet. Cook until tender, turning occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with more pepper, if desired.
I originally found this recipe online and it featured butternut squash, which is delicious prepared this way, but the carrots and parsnips were SO fantastic!
Last week we celebrated Pierre's very first Birthday! YES, I went over the top, YES, we donated a bunch of really cool things to the Midwest Small Breed Rescue, YES, it was featured in the county newspaper (how HILARIOUS is that?) and YES, we all had so much fun!
I found these super sweet "doggie" bags and made assorted size biscuits with colorful frosting. The frosting is a white candy coating (no chocolate) I colored with food coloring and assorted sprinkles. I made a variety of biscuit sizes appropriate for different sized dogs and stuffed the baggies for "big" dogs or "little" dogs!
I used colorful felt, pompoms, ribbon and boas to create party hats for the dogs. Again, I made a variety of sixes and left the elastic chin strap a bit longer, so they could be a customized fit simply by knotting the elastic.
Along with the Birthday cake, I also created a platter just for dogs of bacon, ham wedges and muffins. The Birthday cake was frosted with peanut butter and decorated with candy dog bones! The candy dog bones were also featured on the "People" foods;
For our people guests, I did a Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake with a lemon buttercream frosting! A cheese plate and beverages rounded out the treats!
Our Pierre has plenty of everything a dog needs, so guests were asked to donate to the Midwest Small Breed Rescue in lieu of a gift. WOW! All of our friends are so generous! The MSBR was so excited to have great goodies for needy dogs! I love these types of rescue organizations as they are fostering dogs in homes versus a shelter!
We had 17 dogs attend and about 25 people! I think it was so much fun for all of us (we could have done without the rain) especially the dogs!
Each dog went home with a doggie bag full of biscuits and I picked up a bunch of rope, balls and squeaky toys as party favors. I didn't get a photo of it, but I put all of those in a large wooden bowl for the dogs to choose from.
It was amazing that all the dogs got along great (so did the people) and enjoyed an hour of fun and cake!!! I hope this inspires you to throw a dog birthday party for a great cause and have fun!
You can find all of the recipes I used on this blog by using the search bar
Along with the Birthday cake, I also created a platter just for dogs of bacon, ham wedges and muffins. The Birthday cake was frosted with peanut butter and decorated with candy dog bones! The candy dog bones were also featured on the "People" foods;
Each dog went home with a doggie bag full of biscuits and I picked up a bunch of rope, balls and squeaky toys as party favors. I didn't get a photo of it, but I put all of those in a large wooden bowl for the dogs to choose from.
It was amazing that all the dogs got along great (so did the people) and enjoyed an hour of fun and cake!!! I hope this inspires you to throw a dog birthday party for a great cause and have fun!
You can find all of the recipes I used on this blog by using the search bar
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