tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39028873698593350252024-03-05T02:30:16.008-06:00Manna Cakes' KitchenA dollop of adventures in cooking, a pinch of party-planning and entertaining, and a splash of discussing the hobbies I love most.MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-82818254093147826522011-11-22T10:10:00.000-06:002011-11-22T10:10:00.215-06:00Afternoon Tea<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
I love any excuse to have friends over and to use my flying turkey dishes, and a Saturday afternoon tea seemed to achieve both ends. It was a gorgeous day, with plenty of warm sunlight streaming through my living room windows. Since Halloween was just around the corner, I used my existing Halloween decor to complement a menu inspired by fall flavors.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The table all set for tea. You can see the gorgeous sunlight pouring through the windows, warming the entire room!</td></tr>
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I hand-wrote invitations, using stationery from a supply that overflows a drawer of my console. (I'm very guilty of always buying stationery and never actually writing anything by hand.) I rummaged through my hutch and cabinets to find all the serving pieces I would need to make a pretty tabletop display, so no special purchases needed. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95d4DqUwhdluTOU-8ORLPhYige5V1Xsd7slUjq1Pma3u2sgf8Pw5f-47Yam1tdr822mW3-s5PmoPAdPsc4sDcgsogOK2VexXcM96vi7i3Xo92tXU9iQcJk7Ye7JilGLWaJrmaxzFsKT0I/s1600/DSC01518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95d4DqUwhdluTOU-8ORLPhYige5V1Xsd7slUjq1Pma3u2sgf8Pw5f-47Yam1tdr822mW3-s5PmoPAdPsc4sDcgsogOK2VexXcM96vi7i3Xo92tXU9iQcJk7Ye7JilGLWaJrmaxzFsKT0I/s320/DSC01518.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Menu: </div>
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<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pound cake with vanilla honey butter and pumpkin butter</li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ginger-molasses cookies</li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Cinnamon-chip scones with maple glaze</li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pumpkin mini-cupcakes with cream cheese frosting</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pumpkin blondies with caramel filling (find the recipe at </span><a href="http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/ooey-gooey-caramel-pumpkin-blondies-with-chocolate-and-walnuts/" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Tasty Kitchen</a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">)</span></li>
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Of course, a tea party is not a tea party without tea. Aveda's Comfort Tea is a fantastic brew for the tea-averse. It's naturally sweet with a hint of peppermint, and therefore doesn't require sugar or milk. Another pantry staple is Earl Grey; a traditional black tea whose flavors work beautifully with the spicy sweetness of the tea treats. To change things up, I also brewed a batch of my Southern sweet iced tea, using Tazo Wild Sweet Orange tea as the base. </div>
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To make space for teacups, saucers, stemware, and the teas, I pressed my living room console table into service. I covered the potholders used to protect the surface of the console from heat with a square of black velveteen used in my Halloween decor. It's probably a little un-chic to use silver teakettles and not teapots for service, but the silver finish of the kettles did work well with my silver mercury-glass votives, candlesticks, and painted pumpkins!</div>
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</div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-74131808193696656282011-11-13T12:21:00.001-06:002011-11-20T10:00:47.515-06:00Baking Inventory<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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I have no idea what possessed me to spend part of a gorgeous Saturday morning sitting on my kitchen floor with a notebook, but that's exactly what I did last weekend. </div>
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I'm notorious for going to the grocery store, armed with a grocery list, and nonetheless ending up wandering down the Baking aisle looking for ingredients. I could happily stare at the spice display for a good 10 minutes if given the opportunity. The grocery list does little to prevent me from picking up extra baking staples, and since I've been on the short end of the wooden spoon so many times in my cooking, I always pick up the odd ingredient that I think might be missing in my cabinet. </div>
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The result of this aimless wandering and guessing is multiples of many of my favorite spices. And of course my favorites are the expensive ones, the ones that make you cringe as they are scanned at the checkout. Since my baking season will be kicking into high gear in the next two weeks, I thought that taking an inventory now would prevent over-buying on the wrong ingredients later. </div>
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So I took my time and went through my spice rack and cabinet shelves to take a full inventory of my baking supplies. How many jars of ginger do I have? How many bags of chocolate chips? Do I have cake flour, bread flour, and all-purpose flour? Everything was noted on notebook pages and taped to the inside of my cabinet door. Lest anything should be buried on a top shelf or behind a taller package, I now know exactly what I have on hand at a glance. Multiples of any items were tallied, and when I go through one I can mark the tally off.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabinet organized and ready for the season ahead</td></tr>
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</div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-50202412359381278512011-10-18T21:12:00.001-05:002011-10-18T21:13:56.853-05:00Achieving Creepy While Avoiding the Cheesy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Wny-Ixs_67-yYs16zlIV6db6I98tYH8SJ8yXk8PioX_zZaxqzBVK24kFV4x0Plot8Wtbqtg6ReeSsHoTJ3NYu59_2YzSEyB_i2pO8L6zxeFyyVPxGjNbc9rSBg1UbexLYAnLBvbccPx1/s1600/DSC00514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Wny-Ixs_67-yYs16zlIV6db6I98tYH8SJ8yXk8PioX_zZaxqzBVK24kFV4x0Plot8Wtbqtg6ReeSsHoTJ3NYu59_2YzSEyB_i2pO8L6zxeFyyVPxGjNbc9rSBg1UbexLYAnLBvbccPx1/s200/DSC00514.JPG" width="195" /></a></div>
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I love Fall, and really love Halloween. The old tales of All Hallows swirl in my head, conjuring up images of ancient feasts, consuming fires, dry leaves blowing free of their branches, and mystery lurking at every nightfall. There is so much inspiration around every corner....the creak of wind against the windowpanes, lengthening shadows, harvest moonlight, and an abundance of harvest produce. </div>
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Unfortunately, so many commercially-made items for Halloween teeter on the abyss of tacky. While day-glo orange plastic jack-o-lanterns are great for trick-or-treating and large black plastic spiders do their job admirably, my tastes are a little more subtle. </div>
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So when I moved into my current apartment, I wanted to find sophisticated and spooky decor that reflected my love of the holiday. Below are some of my favorite finds:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAezDxk4dniUo3sOMv2E_Hao5zTMt1aiG6-NtsEcpZKBfM8k9O7yzcUyN-_XPuwDn3-QQxyjz21qPScAOnRUvuLYsU4ddCnWMYtLq_152Mwkt-Ly23ZdbqIyF-P7V_axnzaBaJO2tm_1n/s1600/DSC00486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAezDxk4dniUo3sOMv2E_Hao5zTMt1aiG6-NtsEcpZKBfM8k9O7yzcUyN-_XPuwDn3-QQxyjz21qPScAOnRUvuLYsU4ddCnWMYtLq_152Mwkt-Ly23ZdbqIyF-P7V_axnzaBaJO2tm_1n/s320/DSC00486.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>Ravens</b>. It's amazing how a few well-placed ravens can lend to an eerie atmosphere. I found these specimens at a Michael's store a few years ago for only a few dollars apiece. They perch at the top of my hutch, on top of a lamp, or in the arms of my chandelier. </div>
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<b>Cheesecloth</b>. Instead of using the spider webbing found at almost any discount store, I shred cheesecloth to make my own old-fashioned webs. I like the finished product better, and I drape it everywhere: the tops of bookcases, mirrors, picture frames, lampshades, etc. </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SE2sxw7ovUaunVMehAR7aIM6F3TMBEE_hy1fkThyphenhyphenT64zyKf_zinZzIolwvS1OBTMhHgCTmF3I7ab-slj5Zu_VexSQi8d1Y6dKgQbApBi_dFtrUZvHwyZygr9JVh8pW1ANxy_LinDHYx2/s1600/DSC01513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SE2sxw7ovUaunVMehAR7aIM6F3TMBEE_hy1fkThyphenhyphenT64zyKf_zinZzIolwvS1OBTMhHgCTmF3I7ab-slj5Zu_VexSQi8d1Y6dKgQbApBi_dFtrUZvHwyZygr9JVh8pW1ANxy_LinDHYx2/s320/DSC01513.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvOqPn18WhwammweqJvdWkzAvGLgVd2ztmI01eAtnJMTYiJzXltv4sYhmcXJbARG_PYYRW3XwRzSTotOcOTX9a5rQjh-jFOoW9l88alPyz4W8jrvvhELsK5v_Sxk3ycuSTu0M6gLNMx-u/s1600/DSC01506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvOqPn18WhwammweqJvdWkzAvGLgVd2ztmI01eAtnJMTYiJzXltv4sYhmcXJbARG_PYYRW3XwRzSTotOcOTX9a5rQjh-jFOoW9l88alPyz4W8jrvvhELsK5v_Sxk3ycuSTu0M6gLNMx-u/s320/DSC01506.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Pumpkins</b>. It doesn't matter their color, shape, or size; natural or faux; I place pumpkins all over my apartment. I have gorgeous cream-colored wax pumpkins from Pottery Barn on my kitchen shelves. I found silver pumpkins at Michael's and placed them on my ever-present silver candlesticks (below). In past years I've glittered pie pumpkins in purple and black. And of course I always pick one perfect specimen for carving (like last year's jack-o-lantern, above). </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR32Lq9FVHXvtfN1FCX4wHr8u6DA0K0XVTsnPQi3sJqj6GtxGTZNYKkRL0-BHDTztJwwn_Lh1kfi_gqgCpJwREQAt3kdQhpMyLTq19iFe0Oh8Ams0VYeurcH-jmEkjQHxtqj_QBLJwTFHM/s1600/DSC01499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR32Lq9FVHXvtfN1FCX4wHr8u6DA0K0XVTsnPQi3sJqj6GtxGTZNYKkRL0-BHDTztJwwn_Lh1kfi_gqgCpJwREQAt3kdQhpMyLTq19iFe0Oh8Ams0VYeurcH-jmEkjQHxtqj_QBLJwTFHM/s320/DSC01499.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Bones</b>. I found some cheap plastic skeletons at Oriental Trading Company a few years ago for our annual Halloween party. Inspired by a project in Martha Stewart Living, I glittered a few of the bones and presented them on a big silver platter. Add a few mercury glass votives, and voila! Instant display.</span><br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaY3O1FuqWaGx7XeYOWBbkiequs5B2nUpcWRfBkNEQyGB5jSwsVGWKgapemZAmPrxIwcn263iW9J3coEtI6pnUue0B1rcCYjrJZM0Nk2kG0jhy0thOLSzgSUyWo2rtHRPOixt-Elcy1GM/s1600/DSC01516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaY3O1FuqWaGx7XeYOWBbkiequs5B2nUpcWRfBkNEQyGB5jSwsVGWKgapemZAmPrxIwcn263iW9J3coEtI6pnUue0B1rcCYjrJZM0Nk2kG0jhy0thOLSzgSUyWo2rtHRPOixt-Elcy1GM/s320/DSC01516.JPG" width="240" /></a></b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Lanterns</b>. Flickering candlelight creates perfect ambiance every time. I have a few black metal lanterns and I place black pillar candles inside them. There's something about the complete darkness of the lantern and candle illuminated only by a flame that looks so wonderfully spooky. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ45TlYnUzIYeLnozkVOjEIUwOltc8Q8MUYcMSfIWyQx-D4XPhyk_fHMOorrrKtB-1Bwv4ksz29B8CxmCy58S6BJuwVrAFUxrTMR_Kib8mZgblMnNKwuTObtfpDKYIwvzy0IUaHSZXSGQ3/s1600/DSC00526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ45TlYnUzIYeLnozkVOjEIUwOltc8Q8MUYcMSfIWyQx-D4XPhyk_fHMOorrrKtB-1Bwv4ksz29B8CxmCy58S6BJuwVrAFUxrTMR_Kib8mZgblMnNKwuTObtfpDKYIwvzy0IUaHSZXSGQ3/s320/DSC00526.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmZBqvLzIqVbzhQGBLSaHnZsiZSSEro8yql2TDNJ4a3IRWyCTjD9JXgZlNwqVKe2S_2OQZ4DUgblay14wWeQbUoLQSruhH5Pox1jiWTeRGFC-vxjNpUwJ-wwjeodHnn0GOwbKlHAkmrmF/s1600/DSC01507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmZBqvLzIqVbzhQGBLSaHnZsiZSSEro8yql2TDNJ4a3IRWyCTjD9JXgZlNwqVKe2S_2OQZ4DUgblay14wWeQbUoLQSruhH5Pox1jiWTeRGFC-vxjNpUwJ-wwjeodHnn0GOwbKlHAkmrmF/s320/DSC01507.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Feather wreaths</b>. While not a find per se, they are one of my favorite Halloween decorations. I had to make these wreaths myself because the inspiration for them was way too expensive. I wrapped wire wreath forms with inexpensive feather boas (easy to find in the costume section at discount stores!) and topped it all off with orange ribbon. They look great hanging in my living room windows, and even look a little creepy when the radiators a<span id="goog_64494765"></span><span id="goog_64494766"></span>re blowing the feathers about. </span><br />
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<br />MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-63559680182196618972011-08-28T18:28:00.000-05:002011-08-28T18:28:38.530-05:00Memories: Grandma's House<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span> <div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Fall is coming and it inevitably brings with it memories of my grandparents' house. The house was emptied and sold several years ago, but we all have fond, intense feelings for the old rambler tucked into the treeline. Here are some of my most vivid memories, finally put to paper. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On the south end of my home town, in the hazy borderland between the end of town and the beginning of the farmland, was my grandmother’s house. It was nestled deep from the road, protected by giant maples. Curious remnants of the past dotted grandma and grandpa’s lawn, lending it a somehow exciting and mysterious quality. A large cement frog, ridden by generations of children, squatted near the head of the driveway. A formerly white-painted curlicue metal headboard parked itself on the border between lawn and wood. The remains of an outdoor cooktop, built of limestone, crumbled behind the screen porch like a Roman ruin. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It was among these buildings and monuments that we played for hours and hours. We would sit on the bank of the culvert next to the highway and wave to departing weekenders. We would play tag on the lawn. Sometimes we’d just lie on the thick grass, slowly pulling individual blades out without breaking them and tying knots in dandelions. My cousin and I would tell cruel stories to our younger siblings about Indians (politically incorrect, I know) that lived in the woods behind the house and loved stealing children. We’d go as far as making “Indian noises,” singing out a note and quickly tapping our hands on and off our mouths, sending them scampering into the house. We might have acted tough about the very real possibility of children-stealers living in the woods behind grandma’s, but all of us still closed the shutters of the bathroom window that faced the woods. It was too much of a risk to leave those shutters open, in the event we look out and see a face peering back. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Inside was a warm, pulsing, cocoon. It always smelled like dinner was in the oven, mixed with faint scents of spicy cinnamon and clove. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Most rooms had gleaming knotty pine walls and low, curiously wallpapered, ceilings. The kitchen and utility room also had pine cabinetry, with little black iron latches that never seemed to stay closed. Grandma layered heavy braided rugs and rag rugs on top of the floors and carpets, inevitably slowing any toy on wheels. Down a narrow little hallway, complete with novel little nook for a telephone, were the bathroom and grandma and grandpa’s bedrooms. Grandpa’s room seemed off limits, cowboy paintings and portraits of Boston bulldogs warily watching you when you entered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grandma’s room was utterly feminine, with its floral wool rug, her large collection of celluloid scattered about her bureau, and dozens of family photographs covering every flat surface. Her nubby matelassé bedspread always stretched tautly across her ancient bed, and her translucent eyelet café curtains perfectly accented the windows. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Grandma’s furnishings were a carefully curated collection any antique aficionado would appreciate. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heavy wood furniture, placed in toe-stubbing increments, swallowed her living areas whole. Every seat had an accompanying end table, commode, console, coffee table, or plant stand. Layered on top of or next to these tables were lamps, many of them converted gas lamps. Stacked next to or under these lamps was grandma's extensive collection of Country Living and House Beautiful magazines. As the sun sank lower, the house was plunged into dimness and grandma would perfunctorily go about the house, turning on every lamp and chandelier. She would then disappear into the kitchen while no one was paying attention and get to work on dinner. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dinner on Sunday night was an unstoppable occurrence, like a train whose only duty was to arrive by 6 PM. The kitchen always smelled wonderful, one hotdish or another baking in the oven. Iceberg salad was compiled into the navy-checkered melamine bowl, crudités and sliced ham were plattered, bakery buns sliced and dropped into a basket lined with paper towel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A procession of salad dressings, cans of soda, cartons of milk, tubs of butter, and the famous Tupperware container of dill pickle chips made its way to the large dining table. As grandma worked at a frenetic pace in the kitchen, floursack towel draped over her shoulder, we grabbed stacks of her Blue Willow and set the table. My cousin and I would often offer to set the table, if only to eat dill pickles out of the olive-green plastic container by the handful while doing so. </div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">She always said that “it wasn’t much,” but it was always so much more than enough. Every food group was dutifully present, and the table was not complete without salt, pepper, butter, slices of Italian bread, and her little margarine-tub of plastic ice cube balls for our drinks. When it was a smaller group we all crowded around the dining table, elbow to elbow on caned chairs. When it was a larger group we spilled over to the living room, grandma getting out painted tv trays for the occasion. After the kitchen was meticulously scrubbed, dishes washed and put away, and every extra bite of leftovers accounted for and stowed in the refrigerator, dessert surfaced. With a large family like ours it was almost always someone’s birthday, which meant grandma’s angel food cake covered in her deliciously sticky boiled frosting. She recycled the birthday candles year to year, carefully rinsing them and putting them back in their box when finished. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boxes of ice cream, cans of Hershey’s syrup, and a fresh pot of coffee always rounded out the end of dinnertime. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Curling up on the big scratchy sofa, "60 Minutes" or "The Wonderful World of Disney" playing softly on the television, we would drift on and off into sleep. Sometimes I would lie on grandma's red velvet settee, flipping her heavily-embroidered cushions so I could press my face into the cool silky backside. Everyone was mellow and quieter, the big grandfather clock ticking closer to bedtime. Mom and dad would miraculously get our coats on our limp bodies and herd us into the cool evening for the short drive home. And so ended another night at grandma's, just one of hundreds we were lucky enough to say we had together over the years. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-89394750823935349582011-07-16T08:00:00.002-05:002011-07-16T08:00:11.561-05:00Panca-holics, No Longer Anonymous<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This morning I made the most delicious basic pancakes that have ever graced my griddle. I woke up with a serious craving for pancakes, and when that craving strikes it is best to succumb to it. I never regret giving in to pancakes. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm admittedly a pancake junkie...anytime, anywhere, I will be there with syrup. It's not just "plain" pancakes....it's blueberry and pumpkin and gingerbread and a host of other flavors. And then there are the toppings. Oh, heaven help me, the toppings are the icing on the cake. Maple syrup. Butter. Hot caramel sauce. Whipped cream. Berries. Apple butter. Chocolate chips. I could go on forever. Below is my new-found love, courtesy of allrecipes.com:</div><div class="ingredients" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-top: 10px;"><h3>Ingredients</h3><ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCL9kmLuAfmKNnrdtHd1AWnq5Wau9u2rj96ZIfD8JhyJvej750mChCGvNFN-JQaOfN52MdoDWXncUr3sC_xXQfmU2-QSEjkiULCrIAGhcfRCYABYrz3O60U8970T5aUCdQ6q0Uqz2TskL2/s1600/DSC01105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCL9kmLuAfmKNnrdtHd1AWnq5Wau9u2rj96ZIfD8JhyJvej750mChCGvNFN-JQaOfN52MdoDWXncUr3sC_xXQfmU2-QSEjkiULCrIAGhcfRCYABYrz3O60U8970T5aUCdQ6q0Uqz2TskL2/s320/DSC01105.JPG" width="273" /></a>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 3/4 cup milk</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 2 tablespoons white vinegar</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 1 cup all-purpose flour</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 2 tablespoons white sugar</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 1 teaspoon baking powder</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 1/2 teaspoon baking soda</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 1 egg</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 2 tablespoons butter, melted</li>
</ul></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span> <br />
<div class="directions" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-top: 10px;"><h3>Directions</h3><ol><li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".(Manna Cakes' note: the milk is going to look really lumpy and gross. That's exactly how it is supposed to look, I promise!)</span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone. </span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto a preheated skillet or griddle, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side. </span></li>
</ol></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YBV9IN_M-3vW5PrWGTsWD81A7O66kBiTU6tm340Ab2Bbd7VqYf66CoA8mZcxUX55ssCLwkuEBqgEqcmz3zq5srntmXRWZKdxGX3sPvsK0N02D58S5YWNOXZlBYvaWvk9v5JZ_kX0MwrJ/s1600/DSC01100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YBV9IN_M-3vW5PrWGTsWD81A7O66kBiTU6tm340Ab2Bbd7VqYf66CoA8mZcxUX55ssCLwkuEBqgEqcmz3zq5srntmXRWZKdxGX3sPvsK0N02D58S5YWNOXZlBYvaWvk9v5JZ_kX0MwrJ/s320/DSC01100.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just about ready to flip: a pancake should have dry edges and bubbles forming on the surface before flipping</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9SVLx2Ymg4W-CfSL-XgXAaqID_n3nwxezd1q6HIXoTgH0aYvWo6YH6MvMpHsnLyIDSq6ODfe4d8mHnG45yMgZZLro28mymb9ap99614u2CBfPs6K6HPzbJcwLK3B0b74Q7MSO2czEEIq/s1600/DSC01101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9SVLx2Ymg4W-CfSL-XgXAaqID_n3nwxezd1q6HIXoTgH0aYvWo6YH6MvMpHsnLyIDSq6ODfe4d8mHnG45yMgZZLro28mymb9ap99614u2CBfPs6K6HPzbJcwLK3B0b74Q7MSO2czEEIq/s320/DSC01101.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So delicious. It's a wonder I didn't pull them off the griddle with my fingers and start eating them plain!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here are a few other of my all-time favorite pancake recipes:</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pancakes-waffles/pumpkin-pancakes/">Pumpkin Pancakes (Better Homes & Gardens)</a> (slather these babies in pumpkin butter or macerated cranberries that have been simmered with a little sugar and water)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/norwegian-pancakes---pannekaken/detail.aspx">Pannekaken (allrecipes.com)</a> (It's a French thing to slather Nutella on a crepe, but I promise you that a Norwegian pancake will accept Nutella just as readily!)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/05/lemon-blueberry-pancakes/">Lemon Blueberry Pancakes (The Pioneer Woman)</a> (I adore PW, and her postings are like food porn. Please make these sometime, they will change your life. I didn't even care for blueberries until I tried them this way.)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-20273776807843734842011-07-09T16:37:00.001-05:002011-07-10T15:50:36.174-05:00Too Hot to Cook<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The last several weeks I've been traveling across the country for work, leaving me little free time at home and in the kitchen. It figures that about the time I get home we start to experience the quintessential Minnesota summer: heat, humidity, and the onslaught of blood-drinking mosquitoes. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Since it really is too hot to cook, and I'd much rather keep cool on the couch with an icy drink in my hand, here are a few more of my summertime photographs. Maybe photography (in the loosest sense of the word) is inadvertently becoming a new hobby for me! </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6YGoQfwJ3BG1pvpejOkh8YGLs-c4-CNWtMVPmWYfiza-SbaH4qclxexZOsz2QnWySDqEzXzCU6_GbH87MPLtoshgOzpR_srvAIjc3DUSTBIgqbkeuUf0dRZzAELURlAnjVgQLD59MEQ-/s1600/DSC01026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6YGoQfwJ3BG1pvpejOkh8YGLs-c4-CNWtMVPmWYfiza-SbaH4qclxexZOsz2QnWySDqEzXzCU6_GbH87MPLtoshgOzpR_srvAIjc3DUSTBIgqbkeuUf0dRZzAELURlAnjVgQLD59MEQ-/s320/DSC01026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophie, whose full name is Sophia Lauren. My amazingly beautiful (but amazingly stupid) Siamese. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sz2Tkla1dCVWd38FOLfTgFvA4MCTitiJvs-R7QL7J80IGc0ZEG4m3MbYdABDvalmvi7M2emE6EAyeJm8MIVnpZgH6FSk8ov4qhaeqaEBOVp1ig14KcXZ2GYIPsRQC-pQHT0KUEklPgVp/s1600/DSC01029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sz2Tkla1dCVWd38FOLfTgFvA4MCTitiJvs-R7QL7J80IGc0ZEG4m3MbYdABDvalmvi7M2emE6EAyeJm8MIVnpZgH6FSk8ov4qhaeqaEBOVp1ig14KcXZ2GYIPsRQC-pQHT0KUEklPgVp/s320/DSC01029.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam, aka Tank. She had thrown herself to the floor, rolling on her back, protesting the fact I hadn't picked her up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RnDuLmrr4ym6ZCSLfAbHgkLvw2_1YAds6z73im64U-xAncPbsRs_U14-GtXRR6CJmQ6ylus_jPDoXb1qyU_6m_qoS7iPVz24RVMlljvQQX-bUpO2ckebCd7xPF075z8QN-oBIKgLtXYs/s1600/DSC01050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RnDuLmrr4ym6ZCSLfAbHgkLvw2_1YAds6z73im64U-xAncPbsRs_U14-GtXRR6CJmQ6ylus_jPDoXb1qyU_6m_qoS7iPVz24RVMlljvQQX-bUpO2ckebCd7xPF075z8QN-oBIKgLtXYs/s320/DSC01050.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An afternoon at Minnehaha Park, one of the prettiest places in Minneapolis. This is the famous falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJk2q2OTVX8J808Cys9vRr2tvIZr-WTlve9_X8jKShqFOuxLdmWAqhOneTodtajSffv5RkKq4hEVNvT444i7JG4cZgS6zD9N9T7H1MsFd0FyHduNE0jISTNVwYM0D__WBeHS-jmMuPcls/s1600/DSC01055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJk2q2OTVX8J808Cys9vRr2tvIZr-WTlve9_X8jKShqFOuxLdmWAqhOneTodtajSffv5RkKq4hEVNvT444i7JG4cZgS6zD9N9T7H1MsFd0FyHduNE0jISTNVwYM0D__WBeHS-jmMuPcls/s320/DSC01055.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was such a hot day, but the mist was refreshing!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXwDFPP3NYDKd3MKiIFrp3UZAuJ208joqkbi_tkChj4-qAbqLzlxcDgBd63OYO_8O5fUGbPqkcBwgl1DZ0vuexHDW2sNheobf8oPU_XBRpfTzahfxes0gNg4Vt9MoSggEUXUTVNPRx31z/s1600/DSC01056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXwDFPP3NYDKd3MKiIFrp3UZAuJ208joqkbi_tkChj4-qAbqLzlxcDgBd63OYO_8O5fUGbPqkcBwgl1DZ0vuexHDW2sNheobf8oPU_XBRpfTzahfxes0gNg4Vt9MoSggEUXUTVNPRx31z/s320/DSC01056.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traipsing along the paths in the park, we came across this bowed tree</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81UG4bPgacU6dp1B6WVCQuH3x6UwQfIXCn6XSReRWJmSFlC1H4kQROw7lEawEUr6McCZowvRR0LqtXycWmnoFbp7Ne0YtGAaM92uDEQq-bZqn8tzqYVJ7w_SwPDr67Iinn00dKxV_AtEi/s1600/DSC01058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81UG4bPgacU6dp1B6WVCQuH3x6UwQfIXCn6XSReRWJmSFlC1H4kQROw7lEawEUr6McCZowvRR0LqtXycWmnoFbp7Ne0YtGAaM92uDEQq-bZqn8tzqYVJ7w_SwPDr67Iinn00dKxV_AtEi/s320/DSC01058.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It just goes to show....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmi5_HQ26uP5sXbt9wP_33pmX-Gnck4IJJVdzZPkWcM4KzSTrSHSJwQOmSvBHueGvwzkEyG2iNFavThGcSC7gxFE-AqdiMh8Q1POucGF3m0pBNNDsx4lrt-ZBJdE0Egec1fK0RTbfBOV8y/s1600/DSC01060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmi5_HQ26uP5sXbt9wP_33pmX-Gnck4IJJVdzZPkWcM4KzSTrSHSJwQOmSvBHueGvwzkEyG2iNFavThGcSC7gxFE-AqdiMh8Q1POucGF3m0pBNNDsx4lrt-ZBJdE0Egec1fK0RTbfBOV8y/s320/DSC01060.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...That even nature's most humble subjects can be absolutely beautiful</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfQl_c-CV2YxslUmAVk8AEt-TSNOTMa1dnLGvySM4TyNCtFQ80z0dvJ77dNBvxnh7aD7rlcU3KVuHO8bDy2X0Z2U0r13xhxGp-hTGxDWijt-1d9MTTkOmxll140ZBk998frYJq4Zfb8rg/s1600/DSC01062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfQl_c-CV2YxslUmAVk8AEt-TSNOTMa1dnLGvySM4TyNCtFQ80z0dvJ77dNBvxnh7aD7rlcU3KVuHO8bDy2X0Z2U0r13xhxGp-hTGxDWijt-1d9MTTkOmxll140ZBk998frYJq4Zfb8rg/s320/DSC01062.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minnehaha creek</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPnGUtz3VblwFxDxRpg8owEqmCINp0YOGBEhDXkxctfqXno3FQMBnce5mEbqDyDAAHXJ25kBjstl69r2C86i6ntrpqfKQNKei2i1GtE9pgG9edt4Exc4TP91nRvxszlYO0vZQwLuxsva4/s1600/DSC01065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPnGUtz3VblwFxDxRpg8owEqmCINp0YOGBEhDXkxctfqXno3FQMBnce5mEbqDyDAAHXJ25kBjstl69r2C86i6ntrpqfKQNKei2i1GtE9pgG9edt4Exc4TP91nRvxszlYO0vZQwLuxsva4/s320/DSC01065.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is not a Midwestern summer without severe thunderstorms. This came at us like a shot, moving nearly 60 miles per hour</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvunIBJhRF-EnK7TgE_Qr4ErNTlkfuKimE_nls-UL-GrUZ5Vh0RGjC_hjHbRE-KnO9UlS03A2cJO5leM-C8gP01PiVykuv87RVx783mk1kQNkEqEMXNRNlyPsbDQGQFLrEvkbgUiIs3iOq/s1600/DSC01066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvunIBJhRF-EnK7TgE_Qr4ErNTlkfuKimE_nls-UL-GrUZ5Vh0RGjC_hjHbRE-KnO9UlS03A2cJO5leM-C8gP01PiVykuv87RVx783mk1kQNkEqEMXNRNlyPsbDQGQFLrEvkbgUiIs3iOq/s320/DSC01066.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to tell, but there were two parallel layers of clouds, both rotating in opposite directions</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xLM7_Czq2OYN-IATkrSyk7FeU1_bmOywNK_yTyagFR0kO4ElKxcLi3mzFDxdkIXNCBSAEqj8CDOmG9vK9BrBOc4_6VlujVDhCVFhlFHm3pWaW3mDcpnI-mdvA6jewY_dm9sJARuNZpud/s1600/DSC01076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xLM7_Czq2OYN-IATkrSyk7FeU1_bmOywNK_yTyagFR0kO4ElKxcLi3mzFDxdkIXNCBSAEqj8CDOmG9vK9BrBOc4_6VlujVDhCVFhlFHm3pWaW3mDcpnI-mdvA6jewY_dm9sJARuNZpud/s320/DSC01076.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The farm field behind our house became the breeding ground for dirt devils, or small cyclones that aren't fully formed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8P0l_RsrdtTEzCF8cXwgm5BLffiZQZMRW3U2Y5Au6UPgpnQ5tgqpYU8SKVjxsVnLV9qbFmbdFO2fS20pTzXilkF_dgUeqqymvjXHW2a9yL-Y4Rhyphenhyphenu7rfn441KkP-rpq-D6MAtwz-dtzPH/s1600/DSC01086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8P0l_RsrdtTEzCF8cXwgm5BLffiZQZMRW3U2Y5Au6UPgpnQ5tgqpYU8SKVjxsVnLV9qbFmbdFO2fS20pTzXilkF_dgUeqqymvjXHW2a9yL-Y4Rhyphenhyphenu7rfn441KkP-rpq-D6MAtwz-dtzPH/s640/DSC01086.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A panorama of the incoming storm, looking north. This same storm wreaked havoc on my brother's cabin and caused much damage in the area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbEu35vkyHrj4Md_eutYeAwErOjPKPivWsD_omSE3MZ0a7lOSZGCMao2yNeBhGHoJRIKvAzdM65jjXbmE4PIhPeg_oBfAYdEC1UqrCOJiXvhNx29RuC4MEygftlyJsd8S0bB_wHA6Byqd/s1600/DSC01093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbEu35vkyHrj4Md_eutYeAwErOjPKPivWsD_omSE3MZ0a7lOSZGCMao2yNeBhGHoJRIKvAzdM65jjXbmE4PIhPeg_oBfAYdEC1UqrCOJiXvhNx29RuC4MEygftlyJsd8S0bB_wHA6Byqd/s320/DSC01093.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My niece, known as Brown Bear in the summer. She loves hamming it up for the camera!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgZ1CFV1uiX2Th67habHF7SP2MiNSbIrJB_t_tHSzZEOe9vCjKlq_2hkUn7HVUuR99RfNNB_XaMGUsbIKAKkl7eBBImR_6uBzqK4TslW8ugBMTfd9UstWYsWCGm3FLh8P6JVPcSidbsfI/s1600/DSC01099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgZ1CFV1uiX2Th67habHF7SP2MiNSbIrJB_t_tHSzZEOe9vCjKlq_2hkUn7HVUuR99RfNNB_XaMGUsbIKAKkl7eBBImR_6uBzqK4TslW8ugBMTfd9UstWYsWCGm3FLh8P6JVPcSidbsfI/s320/DSC01099.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Bear and my sister, after a long day of swimming and boating </td></tr>
</tbody></table>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-26952175815793427932011-06-11T19:24:00.000-05:002011-06-11T19:24:00.557-05:00My Summer Kickoff<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After an inordinately long winter and a negligible spring, the arrival of Memorial weekend and the promise of summer was anxiously awaited. On these long summer weekends I leave any cares back in town and head to my Dad's house. It is often described as our "little house on the prairie," because it really is just that. It sits in the quiet farm country of western Wisconsin and is small, comfortable, and boasts a cedar porch that spans the entire front of the house. My sister and I love bringing friends home to this house, where we spend the time barefoot, eating plenty of food, and playing games on the rolling lawn. There is no agenda, and nothing is too serious, too planned. Days are meandering and lazy, and a "night out" includes a trip to the brewpub on main street and a campfire once the sun finally goes down. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The purpose of my blog is to talk about my cooking adventures and things I like to do around my apartment, but Memorial Day weekend was meant to be the opposite of that; it was about not really cooking and not really doing anything of any importance. So, I'll just show you what I did (or didn't) do with my Memorial weekend. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0SyMPMahKGMB0ObPx6ewmSqALJnwTlBThhq1CyB1ydg6Q_ergFQ9pUxlhfLZfZpxXWrbAtAVbxI_BTDgBQl0pHwmOuHSlHNy_hJgCAIkahxabLGHyWDZHiqDa8i1dRO_2czFJ2NcdF2r/s1600/DSC00918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0SyMPMahKGMB0ObPx6ewmSqALJnwTlBThhq1CyB1ydg6Q_ergFQ9pUxlhfLZfZpxXWrbAtAVbxI_BTDgBQl0pHwmOuHSlHNy_hJgCAIkahxabLGHyWDZHiqDa8i1dRO_2czFJ2NcdF2r/s320/DSC00918.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what I see when I sit in my favorite rocking chair on Dad's porch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTGfINRjMVbghB3gfksEYkik4LfIMSEKa7Zy_4GCk7wvXVAe32FCEDHk0NFNIdcRlF02QBtvFz30gWtqhmYLW-omYWHp_KJhuVYKa6qNDccJdzUxEB0ezdWAZ-r_Be7rTmFzWeRjO6B4f/s1600/DSC00919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTGfINRjMVbghB3gfksEYkik4LfIMSEKa7Zy_4GCk7wvXVAe32FCEDHk0NFNIdcRlF02QBtvFz30gWtqhmYLW-omYWHp_KJhuVYKa6qNDccJdzUxEB0ezdWAZ-r_Be7rTmFzWeRjO6B4f/s320/DSC00919.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look left and there's the rest of the porch. The clouds rolling in herald the coming storm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzoMVqf6IFlMYhWR94u7BnqyfuKgXLtnWvNFV_eouEj2mAA6ojYWQotomXl4Om50MUecisd1nBHmEStOIpdtlfT8qE6EVUYUP2kocD0-oI3r0lLOFPy58ijfwRxfMhl9l4NCF6GmNswZe/s1600/DSC00927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzoMVqf6IFlMYhWR94u7BnqyfuKgXLtnWvNFV_eouEj2mAA6ojYWQotomXl4Om50MUecisd1nBHmEStOIpdtlfT8qE6EVUYUP2kocD0-oI3r0lLOFPy58ijfwRxfMhl9l4NCF6GmNswZe/s320/DSC00927.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite "room"....feet up with something to read. It's my little piece of heaven on earth</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0330uSLDefJvciGO9GMai_haOmSTDUjbpNH1bQ_LoRx1zzyEMPuli3-Mwwa9t0tMgeHgiypr3DtiBF1EOQ8KS8edE19pUsznAX1ZYLY56lj9nhcmeKM_6Ecl0n6HTQcbdKLPS2e4y3bt-/s1600/DSC00934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0330uSLDefJvciGO9GMai_haOmSTDUjbpNH1bQ_LoRx1zzyEMPuli3-Mwwa9t0tMgeHgiypr3DtiBF1EOQ8KS8edE19pUsznAX1ZYLY56lj9nhcmeKM_6Ecl0n6HTQcbdKLPS2e4y3bt-/s320/DSC00934.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Admiring the petunias going to town in the hanging baskets</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFmttVK8BaDNFWEdl6JLFWzZKI_C4cCQsQJj8F84bloXdwnauzIV78-gl__rqg6V0H7lLPapA-tulgBZQmOK-7RvDL8_KD-glbI3z4ZcuNRWdvKUSJvHZwHbYERbQMMxThbpnlXpdM51D/s1600/DSC00936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFmttVK8BaDNFWEdl6JLFWzZKI_C4cCQsQJj8F84bloXdwnauzIV78-gl__rqg6V0H7lLPapA-tulgBZQmOK-7RvDL8_KD-glbI3z4ZcuNRWdvKUSJvHZwHbYERbQMMxThbpnlXpdM51D/s320/DSC00936.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The color is so vibrant!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJvBoveyBMdwbobbTw0gECQhgjKwgD3yt2hkzH2R-39PtdN5dl1jRPkgFkhPv9LREFulUogQH8y750UlZ1tcfSkgXxbfyysZNDGb9YCUKRdYe7fkukmbkEtYEr5b9d8Wfvru95SkgbpUs/s1600/DSC00938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJvBoveyBMdwbobbTw0gECQhgjKwgD3yt2hkzH2R-39PtdN5dl1jRPkgFkhPv9LREFulUogQH8y750UlZ1tcfSkgXxbfyysZNDGb9YCUKRdYe7fkukmbkEtYEr5b9d8Wfvru95SkgbpUs/s320/DSC00938.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I captured through the front screen door my sister's roommate's cat Lily, another weekend guest, sprawled out on the kitchen floor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgabs612HvD6HuPlkLzzz0wwo7ZWBhAA-vL0hsuQKIvJDnW2R76u4tucNC3QyDyYJp_ZZ7fPQXh2iROsihxK8HMrbBC7GE897KgeNgdogYxqwmm2xgoqbpT62DB4hA_-NfMTE3m0QmwC4e/s1600/DSC00962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgabs612HvD6HuPlkLzzz0wwo7ZWBhAA-vL0hsuQKIvJDnW2R76u4tucNC3QyDyYJp_ZZ7fPQXh2iROsihxK8HMrbBC7GE897KgeNgdogYxqwmm2xgoqbpT62DB4hA_-NfMTE3m0QmwC4e/s320/DSC00962.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geraniums in the big urns at the end of the porch, sheltered from the spring downpour</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7dujp8qc6gctrDOo8wvnqtvcrgfiP-vcoxKQQep3pFrKdsAFNeYLjH2T4IQMto-iR_ZOf1kb5eZVLlxJHhqWLmxHgbHCoKfSLMe154sO3cIz3xWyWutFqs0-O40JyNaLOHNRHToyM70K/s1600/DSC00964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7dujp8qc6gctrDOo8wvnqtvcrgfiP-vcoxKQQep3pFrKdsAFNeYLjH2T4IQMto-iR_ZOf1kb5eZVLlxJHhqWLmxHgbHCoKfSLMe154sO3cIz3xWyWutFqs0-O40JyNaLOHNRHToyM70K/s320/DSC00964.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">English ivy, complete with raindrops. So pretty</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPzB7A1W5q3ZoTM2tZwnO8Zotg2Qy14ReqTDwh5JkFMx8MrbSOe2xk9Q835_yVg7R-dul546k25-HXDRC59Yyx95olisJ1znnuW4dffUjdPBEGM_fdnFifYqnvdSvffMtCEBpILt-7LcY/s1600/DSC00967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPzB7A1W5q3ZoTM2tZwnO8Zotg2Qy14ReqTDwh5JkFMx8MrbSOe2xk9Q835_yVg7R-dul546k25-HXDRC59Yyx95olisJ1znnuW4dffUjdPBEGM_fdnFifYqnvdSvffMtCEBpILt-7LcY/s320/DSC00967.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unattended phones and cameras often end up with surprise pictures. My youngest sister and her friend taking advantage of the opportunity</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgguN6guGPH8saZPh7Tc_aqOyX7SFn8fIPwy-OSP7skcNO_0ILo-W9AjfEKLORRO0kAaFcVFMo8jW1KletBZEbhyphenhyphenNXr-mH8H04A6FsmFcC-FdpC3hiY_RATlNd6GeCfSBk9rf1-WMajJG3s/s1600/DSC00971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgguN6guGPH8saZPh7Tc_aqOyX7SFn8fIPwy-OSP7skcNO_0ILo-W9AjfEKLORRO0kAaFcVFMo8jW1KletBZEbhyphenhyphenNXr-mH8H04A6FsmFcC-FdpC3hiY_RATlNd6GeCfSBk9rf1-WMajJG3s/s320/DSC00971.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister lives in flip flops nearly year-round....that is, when she's not barefoot...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwd1BLBUUpPs95c3MoZietiEtCkwYsQT0voBbQaow-rFNffrKTzO82kFy9Vr55cRnavodDGyV-lgxyqbRPpzEjRDdiK7seSs-bh2FU_xFdEKCuSym5gf8o_Z8OzeRRD554TE1rcyYZxfu/s1600/DSC00978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwd1BLBUUpPs95c3MoZietiEtCkwYsQT0voBbQaow-rFNffrKTzO82kFy9Vr55cRnavodDGyV-lgxyqbRPpzEjRDdiK7seSs-bh2FU_xFdEKCuSym5gf8o_Z8OzeRRD554TE1rcyYZxfu/s320/DSC00978.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun sets, and we get the fire started. I dragged my adirondack chair from the front yard and staked my spot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1kycHOZELCAHFNNtX0asQ8Kys_GSVXWdgViBVjrp3RHK8l8tEvkOQz5oFSpw8c6Hsq7JQVVGvdQZJByZN5ACd9S_IsLj8Vf57kZhhcLDzwbjKl4QviXDSs3KzwWYPERsZUv2Q8i7gOfF/s1600/DSC00979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1kycHOZELCAHFNNtX0asQ8Kys_GSVXWdgViBVjrp3RHK8l8tEvkOQz5oFSpw8c6Hsq7JQVVGvdQZJByZN5ACd9S_IsLj8Vf57kZhhcLDzwbjKl4QviXDSs3KzwWYPERsZUv2Q8i7gOfF/s320/DSC00979.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad brings more kindling from the woodshed, and Shep gallops toward me in excitement</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HqHSoVqbv7AuLVWFQ78l-X62o6nG-DJodMSDD6acmcT5hGdEPzMRC4N5sBgUzVHQh-_EB9lC_yKxTwQZYXI1cpMoAWyEoYMuzwB2nez5xPLd97dBFY7akUhzxn7xQemHZqLXuzsi43C4/s1600/DSC00981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HqHSoVqbv7AuLVWFQ78l-X62o6nG-DJodMSDD6acmcT5hGdEPzMRC4N5sBgUzVHQh-_EB9lC_yKxTwQZYXI1cpMoAWyEoYMuzwB2nez5xPLd97dBFY7akUhzxn7xQemHZqLXuzsi43C4/s320/DSC00981.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think he's content to just sit by the campfire and absorb the heat too</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Gg_f-PVVR9TFid-1heME-IaF5ah2Hy2jJS0sEUt1HmuttTQCdzE4rBGILvozcw52iQ-NEaKOShNUflo3EkdJcAbrAie_buyaz3tsh6aGXAD5zyq2FW4CbxgSMcSV-V-my9uc8HK-0yuk/s1600/DSC00986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Gg_f-PVVR9TFid-1heME-IaF5ah2Hy2jJS0sEUt1HmuttTQCdzE4rBGILvozcw52iQ-NEaKOShNUflo3EkdJcAbrAie_buyaz3tsh6aGXAD5zyq2FW4CbxgSMcSV-V-my9uc8HK-0yuk/s320/DSC00986.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What good is a campfire without s'mores fixin's? We took a walk on the wild side and tried strawberry marshmallows</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NTgElibN4WTY3m4PhdWiBAodVYI3RTdt0H5WeQDLd27i2CCf4ptbNv3gAwY-8Y7rvSbO457hbSalcLFp2xobhx6Q70W88I7n_CCSg8DahljpxB2oFs6Rwbftw4biOVJRwsPCRtSy8GIO/s1600/DSC00995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NTgElibN4WTY3m4PhdWiBAodVYI3RTdt0H5WeQDLd27i2CCf4ptbNv3gAwY-8Y7rvSbO457hbSalcLFp2xobhx6Q70W88I7n_CCSg8DahljpxB2oFs6Rwbftw4biOVJRwsPCRtSy8GIO/s320/DSC00995.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The profile of Shep in the faint glow of the fire</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNxeJL7l4HLflUiwDisH7Icg3A4r6ty4Y_qxLnCZxG4IyQGsUA1paGq7TSuW2EtSvfK6zSHaqy9HeVoerkijwcuwKIR48KVj3c75-YnrrM7Xll9lA3uC7t4KzWuSyZowRK4mLr5ooQxZO/s1600/DSC00996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNxeJL7l4HLflUiwDisH7Icg3A4r6ty4Y_qxLnCZxG4IyQGsUA1paGq7TSuW2EtSvfK6zSHaqy9HeVoerkijwcuwKIR48KVj3c75-YnrrM7Xll9lA3uC7t4KzWuSyZowRK4mLr5ooQxZO/s320/DSC00996.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fire slowly burns down...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeVbGJ7pgSzGAw1F4etoQcb-SpefyjdFBO4BqZIFFo8NOFwxkyACVy1JWz1YFaOXqzeWysOus73JHhUh7fbzUNZ40wYO7sZLEIZsUHhoXT2ub3GJTZB2LTpq5QERTl1DQKsDVUb7KLa_B/s1600/DSC00998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeVbGJ7pgSzGAw1F4etoQcb-SpefyjdFBO4BqZIFFo8NOFwxkyACVy1JWz1YFaOXqzeWysOus73JHhUh7fbzUNZ40wYO7sZLEIZsUHhoXT2ub3GJTZB2LTpq5QERTl1DQKsDVUb7KLa_B/s320/DSC00998.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're sticky, warm, content, and smell of pine-y campfire smoke. And now it is time for bed.</td></tr>
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</div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-12082153069037744342011-05-14T21:35:00.000-05:002011-05-14T21:35:09.195-05:00Unsung Heroes of the Pantry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">While reading on <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/">The Pioneer Woman </a>website today, (if you don't know about PW yet, you are missing out. Go read about her life on the prairie as soon as possible....after you finish reading this humble entry, of course.) I discovered that she and I share a love of Nielsen Massey Madagascan vanilla paste. This sparked an idea...what other ingredients do I have in my kitchen that take my cooking to a whole new level? Here are some of my Manna Cakes approved, tried-and-true kitchen staples. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGpV3CdF2RrAX5Opkq_ZfvbmbXAvILSAliRcmkAFxdFFR1DFmzM8DMYE_eTioh8AZXty_pNkoUkj-qSOqfc1q4vz_1ghrLxaBsJLXAZ8oYhuDnvdKiIVcaymISyPWToWbBPAc2t5BTSa9/s1600/DSC00908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGpV3CdF2RrAX5Opkq_ZfvbmbXAvILSAliRcmkAFxdFFR1DFmzM8DMYE_eTioh8AZXty_pNkoUkj-qSOqfc1q4vz_1ghrLxaBsJLXAZ8oYhuDnvdKiIVcaymISyPWToWbBPAc2t5BTSa9/s320/DSC00908.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1) <b>Saigon cinnamon</b>. I add cinnamon to a host of dishes and baked goods, and recently discovered the magic of Saigon cinnamon. Up until the holidays last year, I always thought the basic cinnamon in the grocery was good enough. In fact, I would often buy the bulk "value" cinnamon at the store, re-filling my spice jar as I went. I bought the bottle above in November, and as you can see, it has served me quite well. There are many good brands that use Saigon cinnamon, but please <i>please </i>try some. </span>The scent alone tells you this cinnamon is different from run-of-the-mill varieties, and the taste is seriously like cinnamon in hi-def when all you've known your whole life is an antenna. And for dishes where cinnamon is the star, like cinnamon rolls, scones, and cookies, spending the extra dollar per jar of cinnamon is well worth it. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2) <b>King Arthur bread flour</b>. It's long been the gold standard of professional bakers and grannies alike, and for good reason. If you want perfect crispy homemade pizza crusts and bread that is chewy on the outside and tender on the inside, look no further than King Arthur. It's a little more expensive than the bread flours produced by other popular brands, but if you want great bread every time, go with King Arthur. And don't forget to sift!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7khEy3ZejOE-rPJ5nuDj920P4ARNfEY_X5XNqj9H4VoYhXajm_jihjGph3-B2WdTYOEh_c0I07SLv6PdFRKa0UMclz7ZYEyW7DRiFo6ae2A6AmgcTzCyoBsNkTpqKT2ZYLKpihmJZQ0e/s1600/DSC00909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7khEy3ZejOE-rPJ5nuDj920P4ARNfEY_X5XNqj9H4VoYhXajm_jihjGph3-B2WdTYOEh_c0I07SLv6PdFRKa0UMclz7ZYEyW7DRiFo6ae2A6AmgcTzCyoBsNkTpqKT2ZYLKpihmJZQ0e/s320/DSC00909.JPG" width="225" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3) <b>Fleur de Sel</b>. Translated as "flower of salt," this is one of the most clean, pure tasting salts available. </span>I've rhapsodized about fleur de sel before, and I'll gladly do it again. A jar is pricey (about $15 for the jar I bought), but a year's worth of fairly regular use has only made a small dent in the jar. Don't use it to salt water for pasta or in your baking; instead, sprinkle on steamed veggies, chocolate truffles, seared steaks, or anything that could use a savory crunch. Because of its large grains and the pure taste, you definitely don't need as much fleur de sel to brighten up your dish as standard table salt. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4) <b>California Olive Ranch </b>extra virgin olive oil. Working for a Fortune 50 grocery retailer has its advantages, one of which is getting samples from vendors. Several months ago a few bottles of California Olive Ranch EVOO ended up on my desk, and I've been in love ever since. It smells and tastes so fresh, with none of the off-putting peppery aftertaste or even rancidity of other brands. I use it for searing meats, sauteing asparagus, and I even found an olive oil cake that showcases the nice flavor of this oil. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7MP3hViGjGCAQvuGHVwB0DrLb7aqaup-u3fX3M3xpJx9cz2HLmfHJr1uYrzkwWoxXfCVTnzaPWSBji8mUF1qaVhuEf56w_wiQ5-xxkx6AB6slbE7xGzOFNkGDmVl1lzI-3MHHbWffQdH/s1600/DSC00910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7MP3hViGjGCAQvuGHVwB0DrLb7aqaup-u3fX3M3xpJx9cz2HLmfHJr1uYrzkwWoxXfCVTnzaPWSBji8mUF1qaVhuEf56w_wiQ5-xxkx6AB6slbE7xGzOFNkGDmVl1lzI-3MHHbWffQdH/s320/DSC00910.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">5) <b>Nielsen Massey vanilla bean paste</b>....the real black gold. I found this gem on Amazon last fall after reading about Nielsen Massey vanillas on a website. I've never been quite talented at slicing vanilla beans lengthwise and scraping out all of those tiny seeds, and this product takes all that hassle away. It measures teaspoon for teaspoon with vanilla extract, is supremely smooth and aromatic, and you get the added benefit of all those pretty little flecks of vanilla seeds. Like the cinnamon I mentioned above, I use this paste for baked goods where vanilla is the star. Just this week I added a tablespoon to my cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls, and I use it for sugar cookies, vanilla wafers, and vanilla cake. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">6) <b>Cane sugar</b>. There is plenty of debate over cane sugar versus beet sugar for baking, and I have to side with cane sugar. Don't be fooled--unless the package clearly states "cane sugar," it likely came from beets. The same also goes for brown sugar; cheaper brands will use a white beet sugar and basically coat it with a molasses additive. <i>Yuck</i>. I don't necessarily notice a major difference between beet and cane white granulated sugar in my cookies and cakes (I guess my palate isn't refined enough!), but I do notice that beet sugar caramelizes differently during candy making. Therefore, when I embark on my labor-of-love caramel-making mission, I don't take any chances. Cane sugar it is. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">7) <b>Black pepper grinder</b>. Nothing fancy here, but the inside of my spice cabinet has not seen a tin of ground black pepper in years. Not only does this nifty little grinder let me select the size of my grind (large and crunchy, thank you very much!), but it guarantees every dish will have a fresh, well, peppery, flavor. With a grinder you'll never be disappointed by heat and time reducing the potency of the pepper, and therefore you'll end up using less. </span><br />
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</div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-66411893874535846952011-05-01T21:42:00.002-05:002011-05-01T22:14:47.818-05:00Easter for 15 in 20 Hours.....! The Outcome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj5URwT01RVYUL2bLHCBcViBPA0iS2nBI5EkC1JLpShTjyvdMBgNZbr0aTrPBQe5auoKky26IJaqkQUfKini66rDqgw0zs5tvv5-MAHNuvRYdPUn2agGxZsoAMVyn-rbJu39HT1q9R4Tm/s1600/DSC00887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">With a great sigh of relief, Easter dinner came off without a hitch. It was the right number of guests (my Dad's living area is not large, and the logistics for 15 are a lot simpler than 25), the weather was gorgeous, and everyone seemed to have a great time. The smaller group also gave me the opportunity to spend time on the little things, namely extra little floral arrangements and the Easter pails for my nieces and nephews. <span id="goog_1168615356"></span><span id="goog_1168615357"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsY36ibmvZyilLpLfelINRuqTSqQPamWpwBz9QisepxB36GAZJfhbCqBlCZ2lXDuw7SIkUCwmCnm9Ye4DOhdsNJ3-ktXfsr3geOW1Ggr51HQOu8hRy6gNxNPoBs3MJQL21fYnZ1qqZauj/s1600/DSC00859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsY36ibmvZyilLpLfelINRuqTSqQPamWpwBz9QisepxB36GAZJfhbCqBlCZ2lXDuw7SIkUCwmCnm9Ye4DOhdsNJ3-ktXfsr3geOW1Ggr51HQOu8hRy6gNxNPoBs3MJQL21fYnZ1qqZauj/s320/DSC00859.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers for the arrangements: daisies, pom-poms, carnations, hypericum berries, baby's breath</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jkTqx9HcVBBFevaeozzef7pG3817QXhro86OeXA3cBfqxEc-rpia4IIYKSluFn6Qo9ES-slo8oRAk-5mzGSkRvKWSWKMK-hzVLBAYnR3wiwl6JEleyx7mcpaJylkor3RSXlry2UAKD_r/s1600/DSC00870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jkTqx9HcVBBFevaeozzef7pG3817QXhro86OeXA3cBfqxEc-rpia4IIYKSluFn6Qo9ES-slo8oRAk-5mzGSkRvKWSWKMK-hzVLBAYnR3wiwl6JEleyx7mcpaJylkor3RSXlry2UAKD_r/s320/DSC00870.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tools of the trade: popover pans, cake pedestals, candlesticks, and serving pieces, all brought from my apartment for the occasion</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVRcXDM6vUnKPmRKMhwLymoOPM7B1n5hwVqEMZdQoAIWKs_4pz0mnNVesJfRkdJjUUvPFy21T06n3ge3Jjj5DkAtNlf2CA-ksRxEF8SgKo8s3PsDv61T0EU8SOUseeGhDuyJ8Brky-0YM/s1600/DSC00868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVRcXDM6vUnKPmRKMhwLymoOPM7B1n5hwVqEMZdQoAIWKs_4pz0mnNVesJfRkdJjUUvPFy21T06n3ge3Jjj5DkAtNlf2CA-ksRxEF8SgKo8s3PsDv61T0EU8SOUseeGhDuyJ8Brky-0YM/s320/DSC00868.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished floral arrangements for the table. The humble, inexpensive flowers were long lasting, visually impactful, and so pretty!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Easter baskets are always a fun part of the holiday, and although my nieces and nephews are really too old for an Easter egg hunt, they will never be too old for a pail of candy. I bought inexpensive metal pails at Target, along with all of their favorite Easter candy. I also stumbled upon edible Easter grass, which was visually appealing, but definitely not very tasty! About 15 minutes' worth of work later, all 4 pails were assembled and ready to serve as placeholders at the kids' table. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrT3YF7kx_nMvVSilnfuJT3uZ9Ov3qOLHNiIxs26q-JEpaKBQAkO7F9Bqa6MJ5Pbme7Ny3av_2ekghbdpCByOKLHK47EDfGrxeeSchoWXLKs-6CpSNKbY26EFhVeY1DfDlmZerqXjpdQPZ/s1600/DSC00871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrT3YF7kx_nMvVSilnfuJT3uZ9Ov3qOLHNiIxs26q-JEpaKBQAkO7F9Bqa6MJ5Pbme7Ny3av_2ekghbdpCByOKLHK47EDfGrxeeSchoWXLKs-6CpSNKbY26EFhVeY1DfDlmZerqXjpdQPZ/s320/DSC00871.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My first big task for Easter morning was preparing the au gratin potatoes. I love this <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Creamy-Au-Gratin-Potatoes/Detail.aspx">au gratin potatoes</a> recipe found at allrecipes.com...it's simple and absolutely delicious! For my crowd I tripled the batch and baked it in a lasagna pan. I put it in about 4 hours before dinner, alongside the ham, so that it had plenty of time to cook at the much lower temperature (325). <span id="goog_1168615379"></span><span id="goog_1168615380"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrpXEoPBbPNMCm93Oz0EzoJorZij67fiev5vGjDzcv-dJSwvBGkYOoewyIvPK9e0Z9AVGgVH9gry_ewAQC9lQ9E0a0e2hwHQ2YW6dHznhvEECpSug4WujTbLoWh6eQAh6QtH0H5u2wJWA/s1600/DSC00878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrpXEoPBbPNMCm93Oz0EzoJorZij67fiev5vGjDzcv-dJSwvBGkYOoewyIvPK9e0Z9AVGgVH9gry_ewAQC9lQ9E0a0e2hwHQ2YW6dHznhvEECpSug4WujTbLoWh6eQAh6QtH0H5u2wJWA/s320/DSC00878.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the finely sliced potatoes, about 7 pounds in all</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After church we dove into a loaf of banana caramel bread I had made Saturday night, fantastic with a slathering of butter. I cheated and used a mix from Williams Sonoma, but it was a real time-saver and allowed me to concentrate on lunch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTjfe3w-pcCX2VGXfX9Mywk2CPK292zA5dc2M8rX3epF1B7gfgM8TJzVoPOagtm-hKoLFuO9T_wX5J-o1IYJRQaJyJgqoDB30Zzv2nOWGaSpJQcX4Ew7Y8BUlfQt2FRGAI6ZK1P-YcX9o/s1600/DSC00879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTjfe3w-pcCX2VGXfX9Mywk2CPK292zA5dc2M8rX3epF1B7gfgM8TJzVoPOagtm-hKoLFuO9T_wX5J-o1IYJRQaJyJgqoDB30Zzv2nOWGaSpJQcX4Ew7Y8BUlfQt2FRGAI6ZK1P-YcX9o/s320/DSC00879.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In my experience, large portions of meat, such as ham and turkey, really taste best when cooked slowly and without a lot of fuss. I did a hickory-smoked shank ham and cooked it in my turkey roaster for about 4 hours. I made a simple glaze of about 2 cups of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of both molasses and pure maple syrup, a pinch of kosher salt, and a splash of water to thin out the glaze slightly. When the ham had about an hour left (I let it be for the first 3 hours, only checking the temperature once), I made a few slashes with a sharp knife into the skin of the ham and poured the glaze on. Once the ham was carved and plattered, I ladled the juices and glaze from the pan onto the slices. Delicious!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGNiQVW5coiPdoCXatjpKnqjCGKhhqD5g3JKMJPX66D0hRIv8APCMf03B5SPzp0tWKebX1z3kFag9SyHoWPDqdT5Beqsw7BsGZiUU1bBGL1cH9upC1wn_bFRVEHHzyJD8zuY1u0ZyfrOd/s1600/DSC00885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGNiQVW5coiPdoCXatjpKnqjCGKhhqD5g3JKMJPX66D0hRIv8APCMf03B5SPzp0tWKebX1z3kFag9SyHoWPDqdT5Beqsw7BsGZiUU1bBGL1cH9upC1wn_bFRVEHHzyJD8zuY1u0ZyfrOd/s320/DSC00885.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "adult" table. Tablecloth and napkins found at Home Goods for a steal!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMwZLZsGQwr5JFC2DCFr7f_Fb6eBJXfOkLrzbhzF18i4Qrn6iXQqFG_KiBT5xol_F7G9WG9F0jrUiK8wWxwvM5mgevZStD1Vw0ckrlXAKZs9yTojZiexDgAlswjVlHNjZwzP_XJoKXOUo/s1600/DSC00882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMwZLZsGQwr5JFC2DCFr7f_Fb6eBJXfOkLrzbhzF18i4Qrn6iXQqFG_KiBT5xol_F7G9WG9F0jrUiK8wWxwvM5mgevZStD1Vw0ckrlXAKZs9yTojZiexDgAlswjVlHNjZwzP_XJoKXOUo/s320/DSC00882.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids' table. The tablecloth is the same toile runner my sister sewed for her graduation party last year</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjJmA-nYoG_akiJGsfWV14UchBPAyRi2R3mnEsNDO5WI16On1Z-qMSN3w8lg44bf84A_8qzPHuzIF0i6951pZyXgPY6K2yOkRIZ8nNYT9Tw_N1rxHxjoC94T8fiFDzzDucf-uSoD8YMxb/s1600/DSC00888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjJmA-nYoG_akiJGsfWV14UchBPAyRi2R3mnEsNDO5WI16On1Z-qMSN3w8lg44bf84A_8qzPHuzIF0i6951pZyXgPY6K2yOkRIZ8nNYT9Tw_N1rxHxjoC94T8fiFDzzDucf-uSoD8YMxb/s320/DSC00888.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I nestled chocolate candies in pretty wine glasses and placed them among the centerpieces. It also added another shot of color to the table!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Later in the afternoon I brought out my coup-de-grace: a classic cheesecake with caramel sauce and roasted pecans. I have made many different kinds of cheesecake in my life, and if you're looking for a classic that is infinitely flexible, use <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chantals-New-York-Cheesecake/Detail.aspx">this recipe</a> from allrecipes. You will never need another cheesecake recipe again! Just make sure to follow the cardinal rules of cheesecake-making: </div><ul><li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">always blind-bake your crust before filling</li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> always beat the sugar and cream cheese together first for several minutes until light and fluffy</li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">always add your eggs last, mixing them by hand and only enough to barely incorporate into the batter</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">never over-bake. Bake until barely set in the middle, turn the oven off, and allow the cake to cool for several hours (even overnight) in the oven before refrigerating. </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj5URwT01RVYUL2bLHCBcViBPA0iS2nBI5EkC1JLpShTjyvdMBgNZbr0aTrPBQe5auoKky26IJaqkQUfKini66rDqgw0zs5tvv5-MAHNuvRYdPUn2agGxZsoAMVyn-rbJu39HT1q9R4Tm/s1600/DSC00887.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj5URwT01RVYUL2bLHCBcViBPA0iS2nBI5EkC1JLpShTjyvdMBgNZbr0aTrPBQe5auoKky26IJaqkQUfKini66rDqgw0zs5tvv5-MAHNuvRYdPUn2agGxZsoAMVyn-rbJu39HT1q9R4Tm/s400/DSC00887.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The decadent final product....definitely a family hit!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></li>
</ul>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-49412783753156956392011-04-23T17:23:00.000-05:002011-04-23T17:23:49.311-05:00Easter for 15 in 20 Hours.....!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So the yearly stalemate over which branch of our family tree will host the next holiday ended last Sunday night. Dad decided that he could host Easter at his house.....which means that yours truly gets to play hostess with the mostest. Again. Now that my calluses have healed on my feet from Christmas (oh, the sheer agony of standing on hardwood floors for hours on end!), they have been called back in for active duty. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Tomorrow morning will be a flurry of last-minute ironing, a trip to church to celebrate, and organizing the parade of pans that will march in and out of my oven over 4 hours. Details on floral arrangements, desserts, and Easter "baskets" for the nieces and nephews to come shortly, but here is my menu for tomorrow. Simple and delicious. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Menu:</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ham with brown sugar and molasses glaze</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Au gratin potatoes</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Steamed carrots and broccoli</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Popovers</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Salad </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Cheesecake with caramel sauce and toasted pecans </div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-37645400846811737542011-04-23T09:00:00.001-05:002011-04-23T09:00:08.988-05:00Bourbon, Bread, Eggs, and Cream: Who Needs More?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ODmLfWsLeLM0OYpDCzNOGb0bFhR4CV8gvUJQQhR5q4QlTEKLC_CTGgRQHJolgI94WtmIn9AVE1UjzztlAtzwgyuoGYkU0WmXbrIdca-yrKtqXaxahyphenhyphenVNxPBdgWgU9VTEXfj54iaphoaf/s1600/DSC00787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ODmLfWsLeLM0OYpDCzNOGb0bFhR4CV8gvUJQQhR5q4QlTEKLC_CTGgRQHJolgI94WtmIn9AVE1UjzztlAtzwgyuoGYkU0WmXbrIdca-yrKtqXaxahyphenhyphenVNxPBdgWgU9VTEXfj54iaphoaf/s400/DSC00787.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot bread pudding, resplendent with the scent of bourbon!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I recently ran into the most delicious bread pudding recipe from Martha Stewart:<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/256782/louisiana-bread-pudding-with-whiskey-sau"> Louisiana Bread Pudding</a>. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In a New Orleans-inspired dinner, I took my first stab at a jambalaya complete with chunks of spicy andouille sausage. Since that dish was a complete meal in a pot, all I needed was something sweet to top it off. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I had never made bread pudding before, and wasn't sure if I'd like the consistency. I do not understand what I was so afraid of! The result was hot, custard-y, sweet, and made more interesting by a heaping handful of glazed pecans. I suppose the dash of Kentucky bourbon plus the drizzle of a boozy cream sauce didn't hurt either....</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This particular recipe called for raisins, but since I don't like raisins, I thought of a few other mix-ins that would serve quite well, including slivered almonds, craisins, and my glazed pecans. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkzi11r5cxktVnJ16Zmg_NjTkY0us4-xoq2I1muMsfLCVmwPk1FgxhEUOKz6xzxXMIjefYCWNx-Zl6a6aOadVOWx13-zy6Z6FRgK80Y8dSxeUnQhBTYpzw9rsyp7UZi8rf-aRtvBWwtT0/s1600/DSC00788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkzi11r5cxktVnJ16Zmg_NjTkY0us4-xoq2I1muMsfLCVmwPk1FgxhEUOKz6xzxXMIjefYCWNx-Zl6a6aOadVOWx13-zy6Z6FRgK80Y8dSxeUnQhBTYpzw9rsyp7UZi8rf-aRtvBWwtT0/s400/DSC00788.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product, complete with bourbon cream sauce</td></tr>
</tbody></table>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-78699581792557153712011-04-17T20:47:00.001-05:002011-04-17T21:41:18.353-05:00Spring Re-Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I wish I could tell you amazing reasons why I haven't posted anything new in the last month and a half, but the fact of the matter is, I've been a lazy bum. I moved to a new position in my company, and have been working long hours, but that isn't quite enough. I've been doing all kinds of spring-y tasks, including cleaning, re-decorating, and enjoying the yo-yo weather, but despite getting all kinds of great inspiration, I've yet to put out anything in cyberspace. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">At last, here it is. My Spring "re-set". I get the itch in early-to-mid March, to shed heavy draperies and rugs, to change my linens, and to prepare myself for the onslaught of sunshine and heat. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-HpyOEd4eX59VI_XS8JwuBZvB6-u4nzYvpqm4AKEOUuvR79jNJUC9zNrLFU6E50SLw_yrfYY0iALGdEEsl8KbN5UU86FV7JIk3rg-iow8qAIFF45l9fxfXDh5vvkPNyyNpYZVJqCmIWOk/s1600/DSC00798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-HpyOEd4eX59VI_XS8JwuBZvB6-u4nzYvpqm4AKEOUuvR79jNJUC9zNrLFU6E50SLw_yrfYY0iALGdEEsl8KbN5UU86FV7JIk3rg-iow8qAIFF45l9fxfXDh5vvkPNyyNpYZVJqCmIWOk/s320/DSC00798.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tumble of throw pillows from my linen closet</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5YBtwhNilv22vuqgdHa7dR5bA0as93b81gcN3aeC2iHfW7f8LbVBNw8dqsEDU4Fdxg9F0B5UPp_RuwMpjXm21GgvlttVA4Ijj2ROxpp26OhSjfVg_uHfdzwYH_cSyzWQ2dGiihG4-Ops/s1600/DSC00799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5YBtwhNilv22vuqgdHa7dR5bA0as93b81gcN3aeC2iHfW7f8LbVBNw8dqsEDU4Fdxg9F0B5UPp_RuwMpjXm21GgvlttVA4Ijj2ROxpp26OhSjfVg_uHfdzwYH_cSyzWQ2dGiihG4-Ops/s320/DSC00799.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My houndstooth club chair gets a sweet little embroidered pillow from IKEA</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEpPOb_VbXvg3On7upi-34SnBJK_X8Hyu2WKFCtLFXrxil33wCMpfThvkgXv-zMx6pi-xKA4rDLb9b3jOSksG0MoFzkpGMstNHnd2QpOmhk6ICAgrWXUv_6Ta4J24TlinW8gRD5RB_0ft/s1600/DSC00800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEpPOb_VbXvg3On7upi-34SnBJK_X8Hyu2WKFCtLFXrxil33wCMpfThvkgXv-zMx6pi-xKA4rDLb9b3jOSksG0MoFzkpGMstNHnd2QpOmhk6ICAgrWXUv_6Ta4J24TlinW8gRD5RB_0ft/s320/DSC00800.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Down come the red velveteen winter curtains, and up go the lightweight silk dupioni curtains</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> It's always so fun to bring the next season's linens out of the closets; they seem new again after their months of storage. I also find myself buying little thises and thats at the end of the season when everything is on clearance; I've often forgotten that I've bought them by the time I bring them out again! That was the case with the little birdcage napkin rings I put away last Fall. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnssH3Xq7ZnYXn3sQ_PDKt-sy_DX6Aioo-EApIhKFjTG5e5UgfKmGY5oChI-3m9MuNzRxbaL995mRFh3VVaxFr5rtz0fQgGe5UQfaiIl18zY5aW4jo5_6mSfy1j_MVvQawXs8Cho9r1GXT/s1600/DSC00801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnssH3Xq7ZnYXn3sQ_PDKt-sy_DX6Aioo-EApIhKFjTG5e5UgfKmGY5oChI-3m9MuNzRxbaL995mRFh3VVaxFr5rtz0fQgGe5UQfaiIl18zY5aW4jo5_6mSfy1j_MVvQawXs8Cho9r1GXT/s320/DSC00801.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The heavy Fall/Winter rug comes up...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwsh7Z5rKfhE5L-pVGraoTBTjT7oLY7N40XhdYO516nyfKD0XGIoylJGSBJhTvH-eZ9B2GjIKPqPmUF0DDW2fIUiZHlUTx5-lp3IiatjqeIcPqoWYcQsb4doLzbfhAGCPrUucVJOv2L4i/s1600/DSC00802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwsh7Z5rKfhE5L-pVGraoTBTjT7oLY7N40XhdYO516nyfKD0XGIoylJGSBJhTvH-eZ9B2GjIKPqPmUF0DDW2fIUiZHlUTx5-lp3IiatjqeIcPqoWYcQsb4doLzbfhAGCPrUucVJOv2L4i/s320/DSC00802.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...And is replaced with the durable sisal rug</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Every corner of my apartment gets a little spruce-up. I change the artwork, bathmat, and shower curtain in my bathroom; I change out the curtains and pillows in my bedroom. The kitchen got a new rag rug and a little color by way of springy towels. Add in a day or two of Spring sunshine and open windows, and my place has a new lease on life. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrZYok0Xrabx_pGK5XiCiGG9fASN3jBzr-yUYgEGDaHuokTYajN6xGZUbYLpv16Hs0K6cVFKH-Jce2cTbE22U6HTqL1-x-0hxxE9Q4lQYEkQlVFMtHgGjRF4G2jbDfHxlpVJzcf3kFKoq/s1600/DSC00790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrZYok0Xrabx_pGK5XiCiGG9fASN3jBzr-yUYgEGDaHuokTYajN6xGZUbYLpv16Hs0K6cVFKH-Jce2cTbE22U6HTqL1-x-0hxxE9Q4lQYEkQlVFMtHgGjRF4G2jbDfHxlpVJzcf3kFKoq/s320/DSC00790.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring tablescape: ironstone, new napkins, and a French toile runner (repurposed after my sister's graduation party last year)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3OA0oU5UVrd1dLE6-tCMCLZMHAJNP1RN1RUcUL4rl6xqRubfpzw6C6wCzBYIM7HqokLAFGgAO8si16TXwYPOMF8M3mpxisGNybVc4yQk90wXABUroUNR4Qlod9wff0a_cNUyghWnGSHz/s1600/DSC00793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3OA0oU5UVrd1dLE6-tCMCLZMHAJNP1RN1RUcUL4rl6xqRubfpzw6C6wCzBYIM7HqokLAFGgAO8si16TXwYPOMF8M3mpxisGNybVc4yQk90wXABUroUNR4Qlod9wff0a_cNUyghWnGSHz/s320/DSC00793.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darling little napkin rings from Pottery Barn that I got last Fall on clearance</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaO6I7ozUXvipO_T7CK130SDvEth7oVlDUabkBgnyWStGR2GB-LYCy47PoXJKBlOa1QDTtR7Q-dDw7PAuKXCxASvsrGc2zvjdfHb7bV9-TAWNgul_lKOwrWj4vMIkEeAgPBa52pjQ6CCLE/s1600/DSC00804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaO6I7ozUXvipO_T7CK130SDvEth7oVlDUabkBgnyWStGR2GB-LYCy47PoXJKBlOa1QDTtR7Q-dDw7PAuKXCxASvsrGc2zvjdfHb7bV9-TAWNgul_lKOwrWj4vMIkEeAgPBa52pjQ6CCLE/s320/DSC00804.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my little Spring projects: installing under-shelf lighting to brighten the dim interior of my hutch </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPdwgv2MFfcWD9HAMFxbICzX7Md-wYHbFTRx4wzx96AeCFw8SAV18pN-xqnW3o4WbhN8b3iqf9fYRTmfP7FiKtUyx4uSBsfa6SFaaer-MjylXd6d7uIpNg4h8oh4f2iz3r2CsviBDFmPM/s1600/DSC00852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPdwgv2MFfcWD9HAMFxbICzX7Md-wYHbFTRx4wzx96AeCFw8SAV18pN-xqnW3o4WbhN8b3iqf9fYRTmfP7FiKtUyx4uSBsfa6SFaaer-MjylXd6d7uIpNg4h8oh4f2iz3r2CsviBDFmPM/s320/DSC00852.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sunny window in my apartment</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Hw6E9eoM8sIhwgAlsB7BNDPanRzKTsGRXvxu8QisC55ErHPmEOcR02p7q61g1oBnQqwoFwki5Ksx2aOZhtlXq6ku7XL4Xpq8bcHKcCA-bPtrdlPkuI9USOXfa9xs2jGkdlemSWGDTlO8/s1600/DSC00856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Hw6E9eoM8sIhwgAlsB7BNDPanRzKTsGRXvxu8QisC55ErHPmEOcR02p7q61g1oBnQqwoFwki5Ksx2aOZhtlXq6ku7XL4Xpq8bcHKcCA-bPtrdlPkuI9USOXfa9xs2jGkdlemSWGDTlO8/s320/DSC00856.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Re-set complete!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-86388843069813055502011-02-23T07:00:00.002-06:002011-02-23T07:00:40.019-06:00Adventures in Ebelskiver<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDufT0Vb0Gyk9pgWZDf_yfnncskNQwJf5fvp5wgELntwB-L8NptAbzlZrKlrvGUnU6Dxm3h23WOrmfIlVfHQZU8UTjL57X4kl1pYyYSlunpKItROdOUz2C6iWkI2ghBeq7y7VjR7xYbUs/s1600/DSC00782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDufT0Vb0Gyk9pgWZDf_yfnncskNQwJf5fvp5wgELntwB-L8NptAbzlZrKlrvGUnU6Dxm3h23WOrmfIlVfHQZU8UTjL57X4kl1pYyYSlunpKItROdOUz2C6iWkI2ghBeq7y7VjR7xYbUs/s200/DSC00782.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not perfect, but definitely not bad for a first time! And powdered sugar always covers a multitude of sins.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last weekend I tried my hand at Ebelskiver for the first time. Pancakes nor French toast appealed to us, and a run to Starbucks next door (in 0-degree weather) was out of the question, so I broke out the Ebelskiver pan I got for Christmas What is Ebelskiver, you ask? It's a delicious little filled-pancake-on-the-verge-of-a-doughnut, created by those very clever Danes. It has its very own pan with round troughs, and the basic batter can be used to create almost any flavor or filling your heart desires. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I happened to use bittersweet chocolate chips for a filling, but you can use almost anything your imagination conjures. Nutella, berries, jam, cinnamon, vanilla, chopped nuts, and crumbled bacon are just some of the things that come to my mind. Then you can add toppings post-cooking; powdered sugar is the traditional topper, but I envision hot maple syrup, confectioner's icing, melted chocolate, and chopped nuts all as viable candidates. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Admittedly, my first batch was a disaster. But I quickly picked up the knack and successfully completed enough Ebelskiver for breakfast. Here are a few things I learned:</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpNnDSUTTCMySzEoy0a6uGQdj1LndZYw8kmfsBH3_B5Y3DwaEB8UwoRyN6saYd2IroAzEFqvb-Jx-v6jgcdR-au-RH9YoWXrSrvxvU9AfVWNkUsay2ecfewOKuu5krpbzmC_LtQHrI2ie/s1600/DSC00781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpNnDSUTTCMySzEoy0a6uGQdj1LndZYw8kmfsBH3_B5Y3DwaEB8UwoRyN6saYd2IroAzEFqvb-Jx-v6jgcdR-au-RH9YoWXrSrvxvU9AfVWNkUsay2ecfewOKuu5krpbzmC_LtQHrI2ie/s320/DSC00781.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooking the Ebelskiver</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GUHCcS5xc8nBXsWHgXsl5vgVH3B9hsqXL5A8RgdretwBPzcYmIDwLlqQFcfK8xIB9tMJfrIVleyuJt6L6ETgtIF5nnzYxKlLGkRBvBgISKimyA9qWORT7A4zvQnMsp7ZBDf6lY2Ws3nE/s1600/DSC00780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GUHCcS5xc8nBXsWHgXsl5vgVH3B9hsqXL5A8RgdretwBPzcYmIDwLlqQFcfK8xIB9tMJfrIVleyuJt6L6ETgtIF5nnzYxKlLGkRBvBgISKimyA9qWORT7A4zvQnMsp7ZBDf6lY2Ws3nE/s320/DSC00780.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flipped and almost ready</td></tr>
</tbody></table><ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li>Only work with a hot pan. Like a griddle, make sure the Ebelskiver pan is nice and hot before you add the batter. This allows the outside of the Ebelskiver to fry quickly and create a golden, almost crispy, shell. </li>
<li>Don't forget the oil. Use about 1 tsp of oil in each well for each batch. </li>
<li>It takes only about a tablespoon of batter to fill the well. The batter will be just shy of the top of the well, and if you add anything as a filling, it will be level with the top. That was the mistake I made with my first batch. I filled the well to the top, not realizing it would puff up and further overflow once I added the chocolate chips (my selected filling) to the well. Overflow on the pan=disastrous flipping!</li>
<li>After about a minute of cooking, the pancake is ready to flip. Look for signs that the batter is cooking through, similar to that of a griddle pancake: the edges will appear dry and bubbles will form on the surface. Use a fork to push down one edge of the Ebelskiver, then slide the fork under the exposed side to flip the pancake. </li>
<li>It will only take about another minute to finish the pancake. Simply slide them out onto a paper towel-covered plate and dust with powdered sugar, drizzle with icing, or anything else that sounds tasty! Make sure to serve them hot, so that they maintain their fresh crispiness. <span id="goog_302809835"></span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Resources for Recipes--here are some recipes to give your imagination a jump-start:</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1732,153190-255206,00.html">Basic Danish Ebelskiver </a>from Cooks.com </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/cinnamon-bun-filled-pancakes.html?cm_src=RECIPESEARCH">Cinnamon Bun Pancakes</a> from Williams Sonoma</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/apple-ebelskivers-stuffed-apple-pancakes/">Apple Ebelskiver</a> from Rachael Ray</div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-30065121243875834932011-02-20T14:25:00.001-06:002011-02-20T14:35:58.927-06:00Have Your Cake and Eat it too....and Don't Forget the Frosting!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So Marie Antoinette may have never insensitively said "let them eat cake", but even the misguided mistress of Versailles understood the decadent importance of a good cake. And what good is cake without its crowning glory, a sometimes thick, sometimes glossy, sometimes rich layer of frosting?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIE8ta-YEqEkNyJ9OR6Wv-EehKcgRy1fSzW6EtvwWXhxg7U3gAYSLs9mD6sYi_35Nak8AZS8wRRcvAQejrAA1SmLwmzb_3UkYmENpKRLId612J7QcNAT1TDpa3M6N_hIw1GNVW6VVMJIq/s1600/DSC00766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIE8ta-YEqEkNyJ9OR6Wv-EehKcgRy1fSzW6EtvwWXhxg7U3gAYSLs9mD6sYi_35Nak8AZS8wRRcvAQejrAA1SmLwmzb_3UkYmENpKRLId612J7QcNAT1TDpa3M6N_hIw1GNVW6VVMJIq/s200/DSC00766.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Every year I make about a dozen desserts for a non-profit organization that is near and dear to my heart. In early January this organization has a formal dinner and dance, complete with a live swing orchestra and a dessert auction (clever really, dinner is included in your ticket but you have to pay for your dessert!). I provide a range of desserts, trying to appeal to any taste, and always try to bring back the best-sellers of the dessert auction. Many of these best of the best are cakes, and in mastering a sell-able dessert (and doing it several times over again) I have learned many dos and don't-dos. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Do</b>: trim the top of your cake. If you're working on a layer cake, a cake trimmer is magic. Seriously, I don't know how I lived without this tool for so many years of auctions. A serrated knife is fine if the blade of the knife is longer than the diameter of your cake and you have a really good eye for cutting levelly, but I am not that talented. The $4 Wilton cake trimmer was worth its weight in gold after the first use. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IJ-zbqASgaaf42MmjkR2tgxPVGBGb3aidu-9xCz4s55XW-Bc59TcUOa9zRmPDZ8twjhPJbBYxlyk6TpkVOTM9txlx8v5ZPfNO7pCBvGbhkwLYuYHSn2c_t4MALhI3Jyn3HInep29WilQ/s1600/DSC00756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IJ-zbqASgaaf42MmjkR2tgxPVGBGb3aidu-9xCz4s55XW-Bc59TcUOa9zRmPDZ8twjhPJbBYxlyk6TpkVOTM9txlx8v5ZPfNO7pCBvGbhkwLYuYHSn2c_t4MALhI3Jyn3HInep29WilQ/s200/DSC00756.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><b>Do</b>: flip over your top cake layer. Even after leveling my top layer, I find that is much easier to frost the bottom of the cake than the top. By flipping over the top layer (so that the trimmed side is down), you are going to prevent a lot of crumbs and cake bits from messing up your frosting.<br />
<b> Don't</b>: forget to do a crumb layer. The secret to the smoothest surface is doing a crumb layer first. Sometimes I'll make my frosting a little thinner than usual, do the crumb layer, and then thicken the frosting with some more confectioner's sugar for the top layer. Spread a really thin layer of frosting over the entire layer cake (it doesn't matter if it's smooth or perfect...it's meant to catch crumbs) and put in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Once the frosting has set, proceed with your top layer of frosting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQu8da0bAZP7aJzZ895fj-QTD_b7PCVT1kxAnPWqMiMd01BPyaRfOTlld0QJp1nEF5BnbDJhGoF_Z0MGJt68V4INQXiRSW8dhxkGXgtTHNwInFJEOCEr-PBnYAUJ1shkhpnLo-6cVfeHT3/s1600/DSC00760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQu8da0bAZP7aJzZ895fj-QTD_b7PCVT1kxAnPWqMiMd01BPyaRfOTlld0QJp1nEF5BnbDJhGoF_Z0MGJt68V4INQXiRSW8dhxkGXgtTHNwInFJEOCEr-PBnYAUJ1shkhpnLo-6cVfeHT3/s200/DSC00760.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frosting a cake with my offset spatula (don't forget to scrape it off once in a while!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>Do</b>: buy an offset spatula. A long offset spatula (you can buy them almost any store that sells kitchen supplies) is the key to great frosting. It allows you to smooth the sides easily and gives you control when spreading frosting across the top.<br />
<b>Don't</b>: forget to clean off your spatula while you work. If you happen to pick up any crumbs while spreading the frosting, scrape the spatula onto the bowl or a small plate right away. Otherwise you'll end up pushing crumbs around in your frosting...not attractive.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-6ZoRzwcl98pFB9ZLJpHEp2BYsHNNUfMeIPAD4lxO-UMUQRcHpgfYb1SxjNp8tVIObyfH1c8Ru-rFwA184IiRN0ofhgwjkPxw0Q_5fBpSQJukojWckwLZVPlvFT8ho3Iok3wFjx7GmmY/s1600/DSC00761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-6ZoRzwcl98pFB9ZLJpHEp2BYsHNNUfMeIPAD4lxO-UMUQRcHpgfYb1SxjNp8tVIObyfH1c8Ru-rFwA184IiRN0ofhgwjkPxw0Q_5fBpSQJukojWckwLZVPlvFT8ho3Iok3wFjx7GmmY/s200/DSC00761.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product, ready for transport</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b> Don't</b>: worry about making the surface absolutely perfect. I've found it's really hard to mimic the perfectly smooth surface of a professionally-baked cake, so I don't even try. Plus, there's something really pretty about a cake that looks homemade...thick frosting molded into pretty swirls. <br />
<br />
A few other tried-and-true tips:<br />
<ul><li>Work on an elevated surface. It's a lot easier to work on a cake when it's not at the counter level. I use baking racks to get closer to my cake, but a pedestal or even an overturned mixing bowl will work too. </li>
<li>Start with the center and work your way out. Work your frosting from the top and center, spreading outward and to the sides. The same goes for cupcakes: put a dollop in the center, spread out to the edges, then smooth the frosting from the outside inward. </li>
<li>When serving the cake, use a sharp knife and hot water. Dipping the knife in a glass of hot water will help keep the blade clean and your slices picture-perfect. </li>
</ul></div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-1959994430441041852011-01-17T13:46:00.001-06:002011-01-17T13:48:27.519-06:00The Lost Art of Dining<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Yf9MW20z_Q3saRVBZMf8OC5cZkixW-MMDqgURY3owdCs8Mz1DYAV428BQXjXMLRfXn2jwR31h-D78JYUQx0S_hz5bDLmJzTconHOWWAOu0mGEgTw58x44K8zcqTUNCaZ6CjygKkWAwRr/s1600/DSC00727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Yf9MW20z_Q3saRVBZMf8OC5cZkixW-MMDqgURY3owdCs8Mz1DYAV428BQXjXMLRfXn2jwR31h-D78JYUQx0S_hz5bDLmJzTconHOWWAOu0mGEgTw58x44K8zcqTUNCaZ6CjygKkWAwRr/s320/DSC00727.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A glimpse in a drawer of my hutch, which contains almost anything I'd need for the table: serving utensils, corkscrews, taper candles, and plenty of votives and tealights.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As I was folding linens warm out of the dryer this morning, I started thinking about how I love to layer colors, fabrics, and serving pieces on my table, reflecting the shifting seasons outside my window. My mind wandered to making everyday meals special, taking just an extra minute or two to make an ordinary occasion extraordinary. I know that statement is cliche, thrown about by hordes of Food Network stars, but it really seems like so many people rush through their meals, eating right out of the carton, right on the couch. What's wrong with using real dishes and napkins and lighting a candle or two? What's wrong with turning off the television for 20 minutes and looking into the eyes of your family and friends? I wholeheartedly believe many of us have lost the art of dining. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzzmkBAyd6Tn77x8NBVnHcpD7utq2_gZSzWZcZlUWtEQSBVcKmWZnTnD0rIczetmGBTVJOYxTWOxKifjWzJBDnTsP2kM2TXm5EeqsXN5OghVk5I_rAlfqxixfbAK0dic7cqakGjuBxLRH/s1600/DSC00259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzzmkBAyd6Tn77x8NBVnHcpD7utq2_gZSzWZcZlUWtEQSBVcKmWZnTnD0rIczetmGBTVJOYxTWOxKifjWzJBDnTsP2kM2TXm5EeqsXN5OghVk5I_rAlfqxixfbAK0dic7cqakGjuBxLRH/s320/DSC00259.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It all starts with setting the table. It's the tablecloth, the place mats, the runners, and the centerpieces that set the stage for your meal. Each season I use different color schemes: the pastels of Spring give way to the punchy colors of Summer; the burgundies and golds and plums of Fall transform into the reds and golds of Winter. My favorite places to find inexpensive linens are Home Goods, IKEA, and Pottery Barn (on clearance). No paper napkin or vinyl tablecloth can come close to the snap of a cloth napkin and the pretty draping of a tablecloth! I know many people are worried about the inevitable spills, drips of candle wax, and lipstick stains, but with today's easy-care fabrics, linens are nearly indestructible!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Once the foundation is made, it's time for the accessories and serving pieces. Balance and height are important on a well-dressed table, and I'm a big fan of the silver candlesticks (above) that I found on clearance at Pottery Barn. They add height, visual interest, and what I believe to be a critical element of the dining table: candlelight. Vases of flowers, votives, baskets of fruit, cake pedestals, and even small pots of herbs can make the most of a table. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamkyzaLyFNbLHB7wPq0uoUHDtmLGvOMsKs8tRyTMYGnTBL75Q1QiqML0rSAq6kPgjzuTzOLRZmIE1cJzhv84vKPrjvF3f7BJmMFt_qcv0aCmuslp-n33lb9LT9MlYtOXIvCBKMOREnR9E/s1600/DSC00731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamkyzaLyFNbLHB7wPq0uoUHDtmLGvOMsKs8tRyTMYGnTBL75Q1QiqML0rSAq6kPgjzuTzOLRZmIE1cJzhv84vKPrjvF3f7BJmMFt_qcv0aCmuslp-n33lb9LT9MlYtOXIvCBKMOREnR9E/s320/DSC00731.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the cloth napkins I use over the course of the year.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My mother loved to say that things weren't worth having if they were not used. I keep that in mind when it comes to using my serving pieces and dishes, many of them antique, in everyday life. Why save the prettiest dishes for the holidays or a special occasion? All meals, down to the $1 box of macaroni and cheese, are elevated to a new level on good dishes. Pull out what you have and use them; don't let them collect dust in the cabinet!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It takes only seconds to light a couple of candles, turn off the TV, grab cloth napkins, and pull dishes out of the cabinet, but I swear it will make a huge difference. Conversations commence, we pay attention to one another, and we connect. It's a special and calming respite, even if only for a few minutes, from the rest of our hectic day. </div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-51056326177911392992011-01-12T20:21:00.002-06:002011-04-17T21:39:56.590-05:00Winter Belly Fillers<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiT28-qMYS40gTsV2Xuah2Cy9myyv98BEMFArdfFRTd-760Ye88PAIj-4wPfnPUqiITvMJj0H0pcj1HyX3q_2v5BLI29q8tfLIF5Yh1n4RtPXSQaYGTrmL1-wWTryp4pzp2Bur_TdGEp5a/s1600/DSC00601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiT28-qMYS40gTsV2Xuah2Cy9myyv98BEMFArdfFRTd-760Ye88PAIj-4wPfnPUqiITvMJj0H0pcj1HyX3q_2v5BLI29q8tfLIF5Yh1n4RtPXSQaYGTrmL1-wWTryp4pzp2Bur_TdGEp5a/s320/DSC00601.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>There's something so satisfying about a hearty soup on a cold winter's day. Since the winters are really, <i>really</i> long in the upper midwest, most households seem to have a treasure trove of cold-weather recipes to share. The two I'm sharing are easy classics: sweet chili, with an unorthodox ingredient; and turkey dumpling soup, a soup with endless flavor combinations. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This sweet chili recipe came from friends of our family. I remember coming home from school on the late activity bus, the church bells tolling 6 PM and the skies already dark. I'd trudge up the steps to the back door, and upon entering the kitchen the intoxicating smell of chili powder and onion would overwhelm me. My Mom made this recipe at least once a month, and would always serve it with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. When I make it for the family now, I always serve it with the best cornbread we've ever had: <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Golden-Sweet-Cornbread/Detail.aspx">Golden Sweet Cornbread</a> from allrecipes.com. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sweet Chili (6 large servings)</span></div><ul><li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1# lean ground beef</li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Salt and pepper to taste </li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1-46 oz bottle or can of tomato juice </li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 medium white onion, chopped</li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 cans of beans (any combination of chili or dark red or light red kidney beans) </li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tbsp of chili powder</li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">5 tbsp sugar</li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 large can of stewed tomatoes, broken up with a fork into chunks (optional) </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Shredded cheddar cheese (optional) </span></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> 1. Brown the hamburger in a good size pot, and salt and pepper to taste. While the hamburger is browning, chop the onion and add to the pot. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2. Once the hamburger is browned and the onion sauteed, add the two cans of beans (if using kidney beans drain first), the tablespoon of chili powder, and the 5 tablespoons of sugar. If adding tomatoes, add them here as well. Stir gently to incorporate the sugar and chili powder.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3. Slowly pour the tomato juice into the pot and reduce the heat to low-medium. Simmer the chili for at least half an hour, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on each portion and serve. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This chili also makes a phenomenal leftover, and it can be argued that it is even better the next day! This recipe is really adaptable, so feel free to try different mix-ins. A can of tomato paste as a thickener, a few splashes of Tabasco, some diced green chiles, or serving with dollops of sour cream all change the texture and flavor of the recipe. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The below recipe for turkey dumpling soup is something of my invention, but is similar to so many of the soups I grew up with. Many of the best meals that came from my Mom's, Grandma's, and Aunt's kitchens never had a real recipe for them. You used what you had on-hand, you never paid too much attention to the measuring cup and measuring spoon, and experimenting with flavor was part of the fun of cooking. My Aunt Karen, who has since passed away, used to send home big Tupperware bowls of dumpling soup with my Dad. This recipe is very much an homage to the delicious dinners she sent home to us over the years. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkYAJDqy3n45cTwwdr2O9_bXyJYqWAFbMFZJK951id_r_ezPTtm8pxeOFSuVAIvUiqe52k4WCsr8bmOkdhdSbQ66bkwNPfWFx2rgDcSGTRhyphenhyphenvVqvk-_93RpJlvF-mzxjdgDAZHbqLt9lM/s1600/DSC00720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkYAJDqy3n45cTwwdr2O9_bXyJYqWAFbMFZJK951id_r_ezPTtm8pxeOFSuVAIvUiqe52k4WCsr8bmOkdhdSbQ66bkwNPfWFx2rgDcSGTRhyphenhyphenvVqvk-_93RpJlvF-mzxjdgDAZHbqLt9lM/s320/DSC00720.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> Turkey Dumpling Soup (6 large servings)</span></div><ul><li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 cups of shredded or chopped cooked turkey (a great way to use holiday leftovers! Chicken is also a great alternative to the turkey)</span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">1-48 oz carton of chicken broth</span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Spices: salt and pepper, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, parsley, garlic powder, sage, etc. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Vegetables (the more the better!): 2 cups of sliced carrots; 1 cup of celery; 1 cup of chopped onion; 1 cup of diced parsnips, rutabaga; 1 can of corn </span></span></span></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For the dumplings:</span></span></span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 1/2 cups flour</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 tsp salt</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tsp baking powder</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3 tbsp shortening</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3/4 cup milk</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Spices: thyme, rosemary, pepper (optional)</span></span></span></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1. <span style="font-size: small;">In a good size pot bring the turkey, broth, and spices to a simmer. Feel free to experiment with the spices; I'm a big fan of cracked black pepper, garlic powder, a sprinkle of kosher salt, and about a teaspoon of tarragon. However, the possibilities are endless. A healthy sprinkle of thyme or rosemary, different kinds of ground pepper, and parsley can all add color and flavor. One thing I will say is to stick with only one of the "stronger" spices, e.g. tarragon, thyme, sage, or rosemary, so that the spices don't compete with each other. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2. With the turkey simmering in the broth, add whatever combination of vegetables you'd like. I tend to use a lot of carrots, onion, and celery, but the vegetables I listed above are all tasty. The measurements are also flexible, depending on how chunky you want your soup to be! If using corn, add to the soup right before the dumplings are made, as the corn does not need to be cooked as long as the other vegetables.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. While the soup is simmering, make the dumplings: blend the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl, and then cut in shortening. If adding herbs (1/2 tsp of thyme, some cracked pepper, etc.), add them at this step. Mix together using a fork or your fingers until well combined and mealy. Add the milk and mix only enough to fully incorporate the flour and to get the dough pulled together. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4. Drop the dough by large spoonfuls into the top of the soup. You should be able to cover the surface of the soup with about 12 dumplings. Cook the dumplings for 10 minutes, then cover the pot and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. </span></span></span></span>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-59076928083375423692010-12-30T19:22:00.001-06:002010-12-30T19:25:40.119-06:00Caramels That Make You Believe You've Died and Gone to Heaven<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I make them precisely once a year, but are remembered by friends and family throughout the year: golden caramels. I like to call them my labor of love, as they take the better part of an evening to cook them and then another couple of hours to cut and wrap, but they are so worth it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBChhchkZpDFH13ZgJW10mq5WVlrPJxTJ3zoRMQv-lmHG6TJhZ9YfJs8poD4bJICD3cdMjxbz0F8nFnnUyn6PZ2LhB6H4hT2rdS4_fCdjI3uhb4zkzrgpk5vQpCLJDtJ99xpacGDrZ3o1/s1600/DSC00658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBChhchkZpDFH13ZgJW10mq5WVlrPJxTJ3zoRMQv-lmHG6TJhZ9YfJs8poD4bJICD3cdMjxbz0F8nFnnUyn6PZ2LhB6H4hT2rdS4_fCdjI3uhb4zkzrgpk5vQpCLJDtJ99xpacGDrZ3o1/s320/DSC00658.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here is the recipe for these unforgettable treats, found online at marthastewart.com. They are not difficult, but you must be precise!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><div class="ms-col2-recipe-ingredients"><ul><li>4 cups heavy cream</li>
<li>1 cup sweetened condensed milk</li>
<li>4 cups light corn syrup</li>
<li>4 cups sugar</li>
<li>1 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces</li>
<li>1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li> Vegetable-oil cooking spray</li>
</ul></div><div class="ms-col2-recipe-directions"><h2 style="font-weight: normal;">Directions</h2><ol><li> Spray an 11 3/4-by-16 1/2-inch baking pan (this is a half-sheet pan) with vegetable-oil spray. Set aside in a spot where it will not be moved. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine cream and sweetened condensed milk; set aside. </li>
<li> In a heavy 6- to 8-quart saucepan, combine corn syrup, 1 cup water, sugar, and salt. Clip on candy thermometer. Over high heat, cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring with a wooden spoon, 8 to 12 minutes. Brush down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals. </li>
<li> Stop stirring, reduce heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until temperature reaches 250 degrees (hard-ball stage), 45 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, cook cream mixture over low heat until it is just warm. Do not boil. When sugar reaches 250 degrees. slowly stir in butter and warmed cream mixture, keeping mixture boiling at all times. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until thermometer reaches 244 degrees (firm-ball stage), 55 to 75 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Immediately pour into prepared pan without scraping pot. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for 24 hours without moving.</li>
</ol></div>Since dust and pet hair seem to have honing beacons for freshly-poured caramel, I've found that finding a good spot for the standing-at-room-temperature-for-24-hours part can be a bit daunting. I happen to live in a pet-free apartment, which enables me to set the pan on my dining table without threat of kitty attack, but I know many people have pets, kids, and curious hungry onlookers to contend with. If you can close off a room from traffic and pets, e.g. a mud room, that's a great place to cool the caramels. At my Dad's house, I've gone as far as clearing off a shelf in a storage closet and placing the pan in there to prevent the inevitable poking, pawing, and jarring of the candy! <br />
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Once the caramels have "cured" for 24 hours, it's time to release them from the pan and cut 'n wrap. I loosen the 4 corners of the caramel with a butter knife, and with very little prodding the entire caramel will release itself onto your cutting surface. I use my bread board or a large wood cutting board to cut the caramels, spraying the surface first with just a bit of pan spray to prevent sticking. Using my biggest chef knife I halve the caramel to make the cutting more manageable, and then cut that section in half again (for the math whizzes out there I cut the sheet of caramels into quarters). I then cut that quarter into 3/4"-wide strips and then each strip into 1"-long pieces. I'm always amazed at how beautifully the caramels can be cut; the caramels are not too hard but cut cleanly with the knife. Once I've completed a quarter of the caramels I wrap them all at once in wax paper. </div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8qPRWaKa7jCcDy4cZhyphenhyphendkTRvIcEpobuJkneeRnwJC8uRYEOEVS4nmkwyJIfj4M7U5QOy22LkTdkhNg8QaL1gUjTloXqpJpkC3KTfGk80LNnqQEbpDswdIp5eeSX2dRqPFfI2mNye1k-P/s1600/DSC00656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8qPRWaKa7jCcDy4cZhyphenhyphendkTRvIcEpobuJkneeRnwJC8uRYEOEVS4nmkwyJIfj4M7U5QOy22LkTdkhNg8QaL1gUjTloXqpJpkC3KTfGk80LNnqQEbpDswdIp5eeSX2dRqPFfI2mNye1k-P/s320/DSC00656.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting the caramels. These caramels are receiving a crunchy topper: fleur de sel. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Over the years of making these caramels, I have tried a few variations to enhance their smooth goodness. My favorite is pressing the tops into fleur de sel. Fleur de sel is a delicious, clean-tasting, large crystal sea salt. It's very expensive (I get mine at a local specialty kitchenware and food shop), but a jar lasts a <i>long </i>time. I sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of the salt onto a saucer and gently press the candy into the salt. The result is a sweet caramel with just a touch of salty crunch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvqMytUz5eCSSx20wPaUQSAGXJAfFn6e6bzBhNvJYQp8f2UgNARNmr2J-ur5ioGFy7jPneWRB5eA7XaR4YO15mHZxqIg4xhx6qjaAM67Rqd-6xvD9J_mAX232XK605Ny2KJZKDBp0QCwl/s1600/DSC00657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvqMytUz5eCSSx20wPaUQSAGXJAfFn6e6bzBhNvJYQp8f2UgNARNmr2J-ur5ioGFy7jPneWRB5eA7XaR4YO15mHZxqIg4xhx6qjaAM67Rqd-6xvD9J_mAX232XK605Ny2KJZKDBp0QCwl/s320/DSC00657.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Another great variation is dipping in chocolate. I melt a bag of bittersweet/dark chocolate chips with a teaspoon or two of shortening in a double boiler. Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, dip the caramels, using a toothpick or fork. Place on wax paper and allow to set completely before wrapping. </div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-41796836110232533702010-12-12T19:48:00.001-06:002010-12-12T19:58:14.586-06:00A Christmas Tree With a Little Old-World Charm<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Saturday after Thanksgiving, my niece and sister helped me put up my Christmas tree. It's a big tree in a very small space, but I do love how it warms up my living room. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy82Hn6Y5V0EyLCCvIMcFoehS2P_RE13xCdocu93Z4gOz1QtB0wdEdX-3Tiy6LBnCFvp-mbQouEkAXEry34mKWXVfk3iLPEOTjWShllP-QltmgCxiVx_9yn-dRFC3FsV1PDZZPa9x8NfEn/s1600/DSC00606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy82Hn6Y5V0EyLCCvIMcFoehS2P_RE13xCdocu93Z4gOz1QtB0wdEdX-3Tiy6LBnCFvp-mbQouEkAXEry34mKWXVfk3iLPEOTjWShllP-QltmgCxiVx_9yn-dRFC3FsV1PDZZPa9x8NfEn/s320/DSC00606.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My niece adding ornaments to the tree</td></tr>
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have a 9-ft slim tree, which fits well in the corner of my living room. To play up my chosen theme, I used about 25 yards of tartan ribbon (with wired edges for shaping!), frosted cranberry garlands, sprays of pheasant feathers, and dozens of white glittered snowflakes. As I mentioned in a previous blog, my Stewart tartan wool blanket became my tree skirt. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The first time I put up my Christmas tree, I had an <i>extremely </i>limited budget. I had to light and decorate this big tree for less than $100. I found that unbreakable ornaments from Wal Mart (or any from a discounter) can fill a tree fast...and affordably. Floral picks, sprays, and ribbon for garland came from Michael's. And the fun pheasant feathers, along with more unique ornaments, came from after-Christmas sales at Marshall Field's. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Lighting is really important, so I bought two sizes of bulbs (C7 and regular indoor twinkle) for the tree. All said and done, I use about 500 twinkle lights and 100 C7-sized bulbs. One of the twinkle light strands has different lighting configurations, so I set it on a slow fade. It's amazing how much dimension that one change in lighting configuration can add to the tree!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-3UMefbY0fzS-es5ePWchssMCsK8lXbpJ78w2R24s5aFRwrQdCDc6DftgLEGL2FUsKAznKWHq5wIbwArrr0KU7v6O0QhyphenhyphenhKhP-tCcFEAjTbYhF7kbNB1GKEBJMyTCV_D06Jhc3D44XNe/s1600/DSC00614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-3UMefbY0fzS-es5ePWchssMCsK8lXbpJ78w2R24s5aFRwrQdCDc6DftgLEGL2FUsKAznKWHq5wIbwArrr0KU7v6O0QhyphenhyphenhKhP-tCcFEAjTbYhF7kbNB1GKEBJMyTCV_D06Jhc3D44XNe/s320/DSC00614.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzFSICBgY2ZX_jyFiRIbwW7fRlP9K0gZKXt8l_XUWzV6jXzV2wiGafMo57qTX6kXXaghnwfjvKboCU_jxm5gtR9uWQR5h3DQGt2Z1WaeT59CYYeROPqFr8fuIIQzKcoPllG0ky5qlRe-J/s1600/DSC00621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzFSICBgY2ZX_jyFiRIbwW7fRlP9K0gZKXt8l_XUWzV6jXzV2wiGafMo57qTX6kXXaghnwfjvKboCU_jxm5gtR9uWQR5h3DQGt2Z1WaeT59CYYeROPqFr8fuIIQzKcoPllG0ky5qlRe-J/s320/DSC00621.JPG" width="240" /></a>Each year I add a little something new, which allows me to build a collection affordably. Now that I have a great base of non-breakable globe ornaments, I buy special ornaments to add visual interest to the tree. I have found so many beautiful ornaments at Macy's in recent years, and highly recommend finding something special on Holiday Lane. This year I bought Radko ornaments that were reproductions of the 1940s ornaments that hung on my Grandparents' and now Dad's Christmas trees. I also bought a beautiful globe with the Manger Scene inside, a woodsmen-like Santa Claus, and gigantic glittered pinecones. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There's always such a sense of satisfaction and joy that comes with putting up the tree each year. Since many of the ornaments get rotated, it's always fun to decide which ornaments will fit the theme of the tree, and even more fun to bring back an old set of ornaments that haven't gotten their place of honor in a couple of years. Turning off the lights and sitting in the glow of the tree instantly transports me to Christmases past and reminds me of the magic of the season. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WskVS4C66vaqpq_HW0g94cLIQTRIb2MCMhgc6b1Iqx9NEYOVDUm-7kfUNV4ZEkUx_ithsVHwMwfRET6h1g3Q5SBCXR1vpYosaHN0yOIxdqk1Aep7Cqt5OF8apCLORIfri5cQWHDHPdDG/s1600/DSC00610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WskVS4C66vaqpq_HW0g94cLIQTRIb2MCMhgc6b1Iqx9NEYOVDUm-7kfUNV4ZEkUx_ithsVHwMwfRET6h1g3Q5SBCXR1vpYosaHN0yOIxdqk1Aep7Cqt5OF8apCLORIfri5cQWHDHPdDG/s400/DSC00610.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished tree, complete with oversize pinecones, a wool blanket tree skirt, and a crown of feathers.</td></tr>
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</div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-12518086805967147402010-11-20T21:36:00.001-06:002010-12-12T19:56:36.262-06:002 Hours, 3 Projects<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My excitement for Christmas is growing by the day, so I made a trip to Michael's today, looking to find the components that would enhance my newly-minted Old-World/woodland theme. I'm happy with my existing collection of ornaments and decor, but I do like to add new projects every year or so. This year I added a new piece of furniture to my dining area, a china cabinet that was my Grandmother's, and it screamed for crowning glory. Literally. My vision was to create a sparkly "crown" for the top of the cabinet, made from glittery beaded branches and twinkle lights. In my head I had this winter-in-Narnia look, something that would've made the White Queen proud. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">While at Michael's I decided to create a garland for the window in my bedroom (why should all the decorating fun occur in the living room?!), as well as make a wreath for my apartment door. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I started with the wreath, which took only about 15 minutes and less than $10 in supplies. I bought a plain evergreen wreath, and wove a frosted cranberry garland (I bought several more for the tree) through the branches. To get the garland to stay exactly where you want it on the wreath, all you need to do is wind an occasional branch around it to secure! I love monograms, so a jingle-bell "A" ornament was the perfect finishing touch. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyjzu6M5gCx_Bki0HO5wniLIbjRjs471ryabs7i8g-RE02Bto7jnOGoOjSR8Rzj70O6Fs7cw2J08hzrT4fAcNBfCxSn9e5Z9RuagH7zlVH0ARW6SmJSaUsZcXMecBL9_mxkiutfJJKpKU/s1600/DSC00537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyjzu6M5gCx_Bki0HO5wniLIbjRjs471ryabs7i8g-RE02Bto7jnOGoOjSR8Rzj70O6Fs7cw2J08hzrT4fAcNBfCxSn9e5Z9RuagH7zlVH0ARW6SmJSaUsZcXMecBL9_mxkiutfJJKpKU/s320/DSC00537.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The next project I tackled was the hutch's crowning glory. I found a pretty beaded garland with shimmering holly leaves, and I bought two so they could be bound together to make the arrangement look fuller. I also bought 3 packs of LED battery-operated lights, so that I didn't have to run extension cords to the nearest outlet. All said and done, I spent about $18 on this project.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6notJP7A9yu67hYQRLPfEzl7BvPyNIEzXSvW0Ab5qHG5TGgFp-EFwCAaSF0ZKo-eweUER3AutSVcW70G_ciUsgHfDKs1QWoi_EFF6B3SKD4-RA3CJFHG8TjlvQuEwoAI_Evgf2h_OiIim/s1600/DSC00539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6notJP7A9yu67hYQRLPfEzl7BvPyNIEzXSvW0Ab5qHG5TGgFp-EFwCAaSF0ZKo-eweUER3AutSVcW70G_ciUsgHfDKs1QWoi_EFF6B3SKD4-RA3CJFHG8TjlvQuEwoAI_Evgf2h_OiIim/s320/DSC00539.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I used floral wire to twist the garlands together, and later used more floral wire to bind the lights to the garland. To ensure even spacing on the lights and branches, I staggered both the 2nd garland and the strings of lights so that they didn't overlap. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiVAuNfvwHi8hW2Crr1MiICmAO9L7Nc0AEpbcrUKXTX0UpbIElJqZSQ2ulnjvpFIGHs6xgMN2rqwaWV-2CykvFoOIJYYX24f7kWfCoq4bkIHIn7qj-FTDwie7hP4rMplWmk3G3UYAUGrR/s1600/DSC00541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiVAuNfvwHi8hW2Crr1MiICmAO9L7Nc0AEpbcrUKXTX0UpbIElJqZSQ2ulnjvpFIGHs6xgMN2rqwaWV-2CykvFoOIJYYX24f7kWfCoq4bkIHIn7qj-FTDwie7hP4rMplWmk3G3UYAUGrR/s320/DSC00541.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22TZG5-MwHNgiLkS-5fEKAIALtonBCkB2DuN5W9R6G6ReNm7L6TTxdyTYeAwh2IgAM_kK-II7tXbfk4tArONJl8v_V1STqNysNcvmgmMTqAU4nrbe7vVffljnOeBCc8jjATEbxBW3Bd91/s1600/DSC00543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22TZG5-MwHNgiLkS-5fEKAIALtonBCkB2DuN5W9R6G6ReNm7L6TTxdyTYeAwh2IgAM_kK-II7tXbfk4tArONJl8v_V1STqNysNcvmgmMTqAU4nrbe7vVffljnOeBCc8jjATEbxBW3Bd91/s320/DSC00543.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> My last project was a garland for my bedroom, and took only about 20 minutes and less than $20 to put together. I bought two 9-ft evergreen garlands, and wound them together to make them more full. I then wound pretty floral picks that coordinated with my bedroom colors in the garland, along with two gorgeous gold branches that had dangling crystals. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xs7e0sOGNyYVZVV-3azXzDpM-W8OFpnIaSz6dGmq4VwNxJ3kRtfTNIgYL5lYNAvrd5hAQyRiUbTdJpO35m2_oCpX2NxhjcXxvvFb0UQo6SeCT0opUJD1snsM_QGvmf-5mHvuK8XEmMGJ/s1600/DSC00546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xs7e0sOGNyYVZVV-3azXzDpM-W8OFpnIaSz6dGmq4VwNxJ3kRtfTNIgYL5lYNAvrd5hAQyRiUbTdJpO35m2_oCpX2NxhjcXxvvFb0UQo6SeCT0opUJD1snsM_QGvmf-5mHvuK8XEmMGJ/s320/DSC00546.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmq2iJ4TJGs1dsxA0XO3tgPZNdRJY9Lg9PuMj4VuppDc5r-yX_IvqtmJLdnislmiT-D3b8xlN_z2BTn7wY_xQ8KrXdyVtNKcLSOFO3HfHoZmWLNpWGPkKDbtnPq13VM30zr3la_vb2jawQ/s1600/DSC00545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmq2iJ4TJGs1dsxA0XO3tgPZNdRJY9Lg9PuMj4VuppDc5r-yX_IvqtmJLdnislmiT-D3b8xlN_z2BTn7wY_xQ8KrXdyVtNKcLSOFO3HfHoZmWLNpWGPkKDbtnPq13VM30zr3la_vb2jawQ/s320/DSC00545.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The best thing about all of these projects is that it took little effort and not a lot of money to make a big impact. By doing these yourself, you never have to settle for something "close but not quite perfect", or an expensive version from a store. You also come away with the self-satisfaction that you've created something custom-made that you'll be able to enjoy for many years to come. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-45538466477028391192010-11-20T20:09:00.001-06:002010-12-12T19:54:30.403-06:00Found: A Christmas Decor Theme<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I love decorating for Christmas, but considering that I have a tiny apartment, I have to be careful about what I choose to display. A well-edited decor theme allows me to create a surprising and pretty scheme, without it looking like a Christmas shop exploded in my living room. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4mby-tKvJAW7qVhfGkOw6Bx6GPdooDPIoax9Cnidh7L0HxQzudm_6tTIAqM8DU7EM62ew90a6uKfxPMnktsCdFFPNgsP_rmeWuJzoRo3H7aYuCJ0VyWC5M8f4oVzsFjoOzweuXMvfEnT/s1600/DSC00549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4mby-tKvJAW7qVhfGkOw6Bx6GPdooDPIoax9Cnidh7L0HxQzudm_6tTIAqM8DU7EM62ew90a6uKfxPMnktsCdFFPNgsP_rmeWuJzoRo3H7aYuCJ0VyWC5M8f4oVzsFjoOzweuXMvfEnT/s320/DSC00549.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Every year I try to do something just a little different, try to incorporate new/different colors and patterns. It's amazing how different a Christmas tree can look when one switches out some ribbons, adds a new color of ornaments, or tries a different size string of light bulbs. Every year I also try to add to my collection in some way, enhancing another room's decor. This year it took me a while to figure out how to tweak my existing decor, but a blanket I inherited from my Grandma earlier this year finally gave me the inspiration I wanted. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I decided on a theme surrounding this comfy old wool blanket; in fact, it will serve as my tree skirt! My theme is a little Old World meets winter woodland. I want to incorporate natural elements into my tree (pheasant feathers, pinecones, wood ornaments), but still give it a pretty shimmer with the ball ornaments I already own. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My intention is not to create something too "country" or too "rustic cabin". I merely want to reflect my heritage and the beauty of where I grew up. Simple, pretty, slightly mismatched, and completely unique. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As I complete my decorating later this week, I'll be sure to post photos of the process and the end result, as well as how I did my decorating on a very tight budget. In the mean time, however, are some of my favorite Christmas trees from the last few years. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1IKJtSji7VC-MGnpZ0ttC98aaXJ7ok7i-BYpzyE5L32t2HS7SklF79W1YfUCBAHhEi-6TZ8iMY8a1jPbCwWRZTsThU4oNtcrSmwiCK0rA0y7gRuVnGMRcijCC6aPyM01aQx4bzguBE_Y/s1600/STP60692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1IKJtSji7VC-MGnpZ0ttC98aaXJ7ok7i-BYpzyE5L32t2HS7SklF79W1YfUCBAHhEi-6TZ8iMY8a1jPbCwWRZTsThU4oNtcrSmwiCK0rA0y7gRuVnGMRcijCC6aPyM01aQx4bzguBE_Y/s320/STP60692.JPG" width="320" /></a> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_xyv7fKZVOtWrffhjxb6Z518vCpBIu4cGd29uwnPZMtbSx6Uj4jQs-lMmDbL_sk7mxpts4SUrdfhEi3XpEyB594byszv-9HSNhHL1g26847HkhctBor7x8xUnb1O8zc0_gP34kymx0cb/s320/STP60686.JPG" width="240" /></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoXEFYH2tcRomKVpr4D4bBDrYsWtoRjZfxCmlY0BrVDi6euwdNg9XV056ygVkIf8nedN0NCeNKVTDrukKNG_qq-MktVC-0YIjcE44r8RNR3OdMNc9AGjg96Vp9MHDU6IPgNVSAGmVvdbH/s1600/STP60706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoXEFYH2tcRomKVpr4D4bBDrYsWtoRjZfxCmlY0BrVDi6euwdNg9XV056ygVkIf8nedN0NCeNKVTDrukKNG_qq-MktVC-0YIjcE44r8RNR3OdMNc9AGjg96Vp9MHDU6IPgNVSAGmVvdbH/s320/STP60706.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Above left: the Christmas tree in the upstairs living room at Dad's house. It spotlights a special set of "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments my Mom bought years ago. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Above right: the Christmas tree at my apartment 2 years ago. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Left: the Christmas tree in the downstairs living room at Dad's house. We call it the "rebel" tree, as we use strings and strings of colored twinkle lights, a rare thing at my Dad's. The tree is covered with decades' worth of handmade ornaments by us kids, antique ornaments that were once owned by my great-grandparents and passed down, and spools of silver ribbon. </div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-69720244300152017492010-11-14T16:14:00.002-06:002011-05-01T21:52:27.880-05:00Heart Attack in a Bowl<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRqSrBO4aRCvPZtVWY4pE1UczLUjhG1FPopux9cpGNdshL35zr9LeBW7LCEihbo2xxPZW8CtCe624m_Axxn0g8XnO6tNdMcQiBv3TCaWCfeJO3bSrE1Yvvb6TMskWUyOQ3SwgeU6KUJvU/s1600/DSC00534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRqSrBO4aRCvPZtVWY4pE1UczLUjhG1FPopux9cpGNdshL35zr9LeBW7LCEihbo2xxPZW8CtCe624m_Axxn0g8XnO6tNdMcQiBv3TCaWCfeJO3bSrE1Yvvb6TMskWUyOQ3SwgeU6KUJvU/s320/DSC00534.JPG" width="240" /></a>In honor of the first snowstorm of the season, here is a recipe for a tried-and-true hearty meal. Affectionately known as Heart Attack in a Bowl, it is filling, delicious, and has almost no redeeming nutritional qualities. Enjoy!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Baked Potato Soup </b></span>(makes a large pot of soup, 8-10 generous servings)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1-5 lb. bag of russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-size chunks</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup of butter (1 stick) </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 box of Betty Crocker sour cream and chive pouch potatoes (you will use both pouches in the box)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2+ cups of milk</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1-12 oz. tub of Top the Tater sour cream (or any other variety)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 lb of bacon</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup of chopped green onions (optional)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Salt and cracked ground pepper to taste</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li>Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes in salted water, or until fork-tender. Better to err on the side of a little too firm--when everything is mixed together a firmer potato will hold up better to the stirring. </li>
<li>While the potatoes are cooking, chop the bacon and fry in a pan. When crisp and brown, transfer to a plate covered in paper towels to drain. </li>
<li>When the potatoes are cooked, drain in a colander, reserving about 2 cups of potato water in the pot. This will be used to help thicken the soup. </li>
<li>Over low heat, add the stick of butter to the potatoes in large chunks. Add the two pouches of potato flakes and slowly stir in the milk. Stir carefully, so that the potatoes do not break up. </li>
<li>As the soup starts to thicken, stir in the tub of sour cream and one cup of cheddar cheese. Add any salt and pepper to taste.</li>
<li>Heat the soup, stirring occasionally. If desired, add more milk in 1/4 cup increments to thin the soup. </li>
<li>Use the reserved cup of cheddar cheese, the bacon crumbles, and optional green onions as garnish. (I don't recommend mixing the bacon into the soup, as it will lose its crispiness quickly, especially if it is stored as a leftover.)</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-48877363377628388372010-10-10T14:02:00.000-05:002010-10-10T14:02:08.488-05:00Pumpkins of Halloweens Past<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7oG-9ZyHInDAV3o1FytqSknlUCTmFdB2iJMoqmHw_cPHWNVsSjVInUHOMnxicLScPEGO6mnxsfjjtm8Nh0gPpDklmK2CewPZEIiRGY3xjO8DoTCXZzIs6lVIIk53vyR1w-raydHYi86E/s1600/STP61257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">With a linoleum cutter set (found at any art supply store), an awl (even a long needle will do), an image to transfer, and a little bit of patience, almost any image can be carved into a pumpkin! Below are some of my tried-and-true tips for amazing pumpkins, but here are a few samples from years past...enjoy! </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2UGce-lHxh-GJQ1yxuDK9asQW58rgZbBk3rzDladmpdqDgEa7LyJufwcYX3vP2WKUasoJfZ119d1eauCS-Y5vl4SPtUH_HWd2KE4kuLQzJbGY7Tyf8665e5tYF2T_N0Mzkgd5klBNWh-/s320/STP60659.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumpkins carved for a Harry Potter-themed Halloween party a couple of years ago</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnRTQ1rWDotlBqU1X1UO1MOsxYgYxzicKo9FyiHcbhnDGsQOuRxOW4hc5wSD2TU4QF2FcKFzUABOrsvxiFPQXDRa_K4Kl8LRAtFFH52LJv3R3oB8XryFLglAHEozOoyPzGwMN8IZ4a64h/s320/STP60671.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pumpkin carved for a contest at my old job...this one earned second place, good enough for a large gift bag full of Martha Stewart goodies!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnRTQ1rWDotlBqU1X1UO1MOsxYgYxzicKo9FyiHcbhnDGsQOuRxOW4hc5wSD2TU4QF2FcKFzUABOrsvxiFPQXDRa_K4Kl8LRAtFFH52LJv3R3oB8XryFLglAHEozOoyPzGwMN8IZ4a64h/s1600/STP60671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSsXZo2v7BirU4z2xQndnxuE2IZk6gcYV-w-k6hDbr2X5XSMrFBKD758skPuTpYvPxgThbGpjGiIAdV8QMsffZKISkuOcvKTkyumQ_7yrZYwpcoQCEFwnT-4CrxzweMmXOSfmaY2jir9g/s320/STP61232.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumpkins I carved for last year's 80's themed Halloween party. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSsXZo2v7BirU4z2xQndnxuE2IZk6gcYV-w-k6hDbr2X5XSMrFBKD758skPuTpYvPxgThbGpjGiIAdV8QMsffZKISkuOcvKTkyumQ_7yrZYwpcoQCEFwnT-4CrxzweMmXOSfmaY2jir9g/s1600/STP61232.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlERBhMjB6ny6m-sWL4t-AmmcsiYtE3tECRm-Lb51CuGQJYOSdnBN_jxcUagS89bvx8J4JnhHUpddKcBLTEUMFo80KZCWoltiRY68rXlUUc_6s7PvOsYxKP6X9JIoeZT_G9a2ApQzzeZa/s320/STP61253.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obviously Michael Jackson's <i>Thriller </i>was a huge inspiration for the pumpkins!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlERBhMjB6ny6m-sWL4t-AmmcsiYtE3tECRm-Lb51CuGQJYOSdnBN_jxcUagS89bvx8J4JnhHUpddKcBLTEUMFo80KZCWoltiRY68rXlUUc_6s7PvOsYxKP6X9JIoeZT_G9a2ApQzzeZa/s1600/STP61253.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46TH8qCYLblDn8CPLD_MMVVP3lLQaEE9ocDnXL64o0-gY4UKO0vtKfZfI6ZjrfiXvfBNarUMrK-Aykf0bqto8t2SZTKYx80slSIU1D8JI9z_y09q0QkNpsBp7VboYUrYBTq2SwU-B12Zl/s1600/STP61256.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46TH8qCYLblDn8CPLD_MMVVP3lLQaEE9ocDnXL64o0-gY4UKO0vtKfZfI6ZjrfiXvfBNarUMrK-Aykf0bqto8t2SZTKYx80slSIU1D8JI9z_y09q0QkNpsBp7VboYUrYBTq2SwU-B12Zl/s320/STP61256.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19Kq6rJFQZc9qEOKnW_uGux1GABU9-Eo7QnggyIsx9FfSy3LwUKh4v7CaOYQjh23cgTqSpKGcJndpKxkk-TtNvRij6iLzyVEGkPoxZmt7ZQ0mfb_Z6luMCmvIREEiCGUx4JsZYBsDniAm/s320/STP61251.JPG" width="320" /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">As promised, here are some of the things I've learned in the last few years to make the pumpkin-carving process less daunting: </div><ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><b>Prep your space</b>. Always lay down plenty of newspaper to make clean-up easy.</li>
<li><b>Carve under good light.</b> Natural light, or at least bright overhead lighting, will make carving intricate details much easier. </li>
<li><b>Print out your carving image</b>. Use your computer's photo-editing functionality to make the image negative or "inverted", and print in grayscale. That image negative will help you determine exactly how deep to carve. For example, light skin tones on a photo will appear black, signifying that you need to cut almost through the wall of the pumpkin to achieve a lighter (brighter) image when the pumpkin is lit. </li>
<li><b>Use what you have on-hand</b>. Masking tape will hold the image onto the pumpkin just fine, and even attach a sewing needle to a ball-point pen or dowel rod to serve as a makeshift awl. A cereal bowl serves as a great pedestal for the pumpkin while carving, keeping it securely balanced. A cheap scoop from a pumpkin-carving kit or a soup spoon is all you need to hollow out the pumpkin. </li>
<li><b>Cut the bottom off of the pumpkin.</b> This is really the best way to keep a great stem intact, prevent the lid from falling into the pumpkin as it dries out, and to make lighting a cinch. </li>
<li><b>To get down to transferring the image and carving the pumpkin:</b></li>
<ul><li>Use a kitchen knife to carve a good-sized hole into the bottom of a pumpkin. It should be large enough to accommodate your hand so cleaning is easy. </li>
<li>Clean out the pumpkin, making sure to get rid of all hanging strands and seeds. I also try to get the top-most layer of the pumpkin flesh scraped out, in order to make the lighted image brighter.</li>
<li>Trim your printed image down to a half-inch border all around, and use masking tape to adhere it to the pumpkin. </li>
<li>Transfer the image to the pumpkin by using an awl or needle to create hundreds of tiny holes on the surface of the pumpkin. Don't be intimidated by the complicated pattern you see upon removing the paper from the pumpkin! </li>
<li>Using the original image as your guide, use the linoleum cutters to gouge out the skin of the pumpkin. I recommend starting with the largest areas first, and then working down to the smaller detail. Try to gauge how deep to cut into the flesh using the negative image. The white areas on the image should be left uncarved; the black areas should have the most flesh removed. However, make sure that you don't carve all the way through the wall of the pumpkin!</li>
</ul></ul><ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><b>Check your progress in the dark. </b>Keep a votive or pillar candle on hand so that you can periodically check your work. Once you're happy with your carving, or to make sure you're on track, turn out the lights and place the pumpkin on the lit candle. It'll help you see what areas need more work. </li>
<li><b>Make your image brighter...fast. </b>If you're pleased with the carved image but want it to be brighter, it's much faster to scrape out more flesh on the inside of the pumpkin than on the outside. Scrape carefully, layer by layer, checking the image in the dark, until you achieve the desired brightness. </li>
<li><b>Go beyond candles for lighting. </b>Although a flickering candle is eerie in a jack-o-lantern, twinkle lights can be just as effective (and a lot safer). Just wrap a string of 50 twinkle lights around an empty jar, plug in, and voila!</li>
</ul>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-21604317081174562732010-09-26T22:41:00.000-05:002010-09-26T22:41:43.282-05:00First Apples of the Season<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">September is my favorite month of the year for many reasons, but the apple harvest is certainly toward the top of that list. Every September, my sister and I head to the local orchard and load up on fresh apples, jams and butters, syrup, and fresh-pressed cider. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8uWce9VkLAvRXpobswhc_m81s1oRbdovoiTUKk4_QfZAP0qXPWyLVsgyBKUeHE_i-G1U4N4lSNqrnqUtYP00IwpSrWeoJR4KxahEHeru90RhZwcbu1adT-zRb6ENgIGkfZ9xo1tGeGCcO/s320/DSC00464.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A decadent Fall breakfast: chunky cinnamon bread French toast with pumpkin butter from the orchard and a drizzle of hot caramel sauce.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8uWce9VkLAvRXpobswhc_m81s1oRbdovoiTUKk4_QfZAP0qXPWyLVsgyBKUeHE_i-G1U4N4lSNqrnqUtYP00IwpSrWeoJR4KxahEHeru90RhZwcbu1adT-zRb6ENgIGkfZ9xo1tGeGCcO/s1600/DSC00464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In the following weeks, the Jonathans, Galas, McIntoshes, and Honeycrisps are put to good use in many different recipes. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyL_6h43s96xQc3f-ZSLBZH_Lw7Wwegp_SIAyOuYyDEJbe4H6pMuf84Qyc2nCkmQTPtwusDOVFfI64-3I_Rx1meb7xsr9RTrEDoHBvQkqME9Ho7wlvX6pWeF8D11zO_A6XCvAGyrMmSGBa/s640/DSC00452.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A panorama of the apple orchard and vineyard we visit each year.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyL_6h43s96xQc3f-ZSLBZH_Lw7Wwegp_SIAyOuYyDEJbe4H6pMuf84Qyc2nCkmQTPtwusDOVFfI64-3I_Rx1meb7xsr9RTrEDoHBvQkqME9Ho7wlvX6pWeF8D11zO_A6XCvAGyrMmSGBa/s1600/DSC00452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PiCVVmYSPW8HZ0pRP0BKsAQRBWDfUt1nChLKALPpICYqZfA0gxM3BCEmsximW1hBi6PgKT9DgU7FeVJAjwswhz0yL7ABM8F8qYXXiOe1ZK-n3_VirXt0dlj9PGu9713xSHZJScm2fx_s/s320/DSC00458.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister protecting one of the best treats from the orchard: the homemade kettle corn from a local vendor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PiCVVmYSPW8HZ0pRP0BKsAQRBWDfUt1nChLKALPpICYqZfA0gxM3BCEmsximW1hBi6PgKT9DgU7FeVJAjwswhz0yL7ABM8F8qYXXiOe1ZK-n3_VirXt0dlj9PGu9713xSHZJScm2fx_s/s1600/DSC00458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Three of my favorites are apple crisp, apple pie, and apple turnovers. The best thing about each of these recipes is that it only takes a few humble ingredients to showcase the flavor of the apples. In fact, I use the same recipe for pate brisee (from <a href="http://marthastewart.com/">marthastewart.com</a>) for both apple pie and apple turnovers:</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">2 1/2 cups flour</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">1 tsp each sugar and salt</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">2 sticks cold unsalted butter </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp ice water</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">Although it is very easy to roll a good pie crust, there are a few hard and fast rules to ensure perfection every time. </div><ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><b>Refrigerate everything</b>, including the <b>metal bowl </b>and dry ingredients, for about 10 minutes before starting to make sure that the dough remains as cold as possible while mixing. </li>
<li><b>Don't use your hands</b> to blend the dry ingredients and butter; use a pastry blender or a few pulses of a food processor to prevent heat from being introduced into the dough. Cut the butter into tablespoon-size chunks for faster mixing. The resulting mixture should be soft and crumbly. </li>
<li>Add the 1/3 cup of ice water all at once, and use a<b> wooden spoon</b> to pull the dough together.<b> Do not over-mix</b>; that will only make the dough tough. Mix it only well enough to fully incorporate the flour. If the flour cannot be incorporated with the 1/3 cup of water, add the extra tablespoon. </li>
<li>Divide the dough into two portions, press into two disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, or overnight. </li>
</ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShip3BtziFyFEmczCftoHf5P14FQkeJv1n4Z2btaWedyXakw7NNo6QQW23J_OFSmsdKZ12mJb72axupJKqPWcskufXsZoqnisXUXklF1iXReZZcTirfteLE2ndvB-996cdoF_oJ7hcFpH/s320/DSC00466.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling out the dough for turnovers</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">When rolling out the dough, work only one disk at a time, leaving the other in the refrigerator. Lightly dust the rolling surface with flour, and make sure the rolling pin is well-dusted too. Roll out dough to about an eighth of an inch, and trim into a rectangle if making turnovers, or gently roll up the dough onto the pin and unroll into the pie plate. The second disk of dough will serve as the second batch of turnovers, or a top crust for a pie. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">Here are some of my other tried-and-true tips for apple turnovers and pies:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMfRCGdIfeqv36ee4LAurNwxbOv7tByY1BJGnnH8FFit5aRbb0JB-tSimGHL8Glc0i8XIMgCCXa66DB4fonsekZhBOWu2VFIdhqtPIAx5jTgWpgFdKFKapOtIFj4mHyW98zdhFgucdIK_/s1600/DSC00471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_N9J3h0qrjbk0AH3pQAMpFaWAPKBhg00qx6cG6HJPNib6wc3y13dJGeb-czur-LY4XkOcijlttcLlZZJ6HHymxH0ZGgikcLv58CKh0bk5SzTdA3pwMlhwGsEAz8YNgF8d8nEwctbNYP2/s1600/DSC00444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_N9J3h0qrjbk0AH3pQAMpFaWAPKBhg00qx6cG6HJPNib6wc3y13dJGeb-czur-LY4XkOcijlttcLlZZJ6HHymxH0ZGgikcLv58CKh0bk5SzTdA3pwMlhwGsEAz8YNgF8d8nEwctbNYP2/s200/DSC00444.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Any unused scraps should be refrigerated immediately, and only rolled out once more. Any dough remaining after rolling twice should be used for another recipe or discarded. </li>
<li>Do not overfill turnovers; spoon filling into lower right half of the turnover, leaving at least an inch of dough on the edges so that the edges can be crimped with the tines of a fork. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMfRCGdIfeqv36ee4LAurNwxbOv7tByY1BJGnnH8FFit5aRbb0JB-tSimGHL8Glc0i8XIMgCCXa66DB4fonsekZhBOWu2VFIdhqtPIAx5jTgWpgFdKFKapOtIFj4mHyW98zdhFgucdIK_/s1600/DSC00471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMfRCGdIfeqv36ee4LAurNwxbOv7tByY1BJGnnH8FFit5aRbb0JB-tSimGHL8Glc0i8XIMgCCXa66DB4fonsekZhBOWu2VFIdhqtPIAx5jTgWpgFdKFKapOtIFj4mHyW98zdhFgucdIK_/s200/DSC00471.JPG" width="200" /></a>
<li>Use a paring knife to make slits in the top crust or top of the turnover before baking. This will allow to steam to escape while baking.</li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: right;"><li>Brush egg white onto the top of the pie or turnover to create a golden crust. It will also help sanding sugar adhere to the crust better. </li>
</ul></div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-69481907240684608842010-08-29T21:03:00.001-05:002010-12-30T18:22:47.340-06:00Labor Day Brunch<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In a week the Summer season will end, and I thought it would be best to say so-long to Summer with a family brunch. After the success of my sister's graduation brunch, I thought I could bring back some old favorites and do an encore presentation. The beauty of this brunch will be its simplicity: food with few ingredients, a casual atmosphere, and plenty of helping hands. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhncBsttYM6FdeIDwwk59zIZ6Tgr2qqNlkVOqX6g6Toet4xU0EYREw0joe2js6oKV4HJegjx1qE-aFznc4YXpdP9ZNpdAAI6kyqOpgkH4aNIRA-VRjF-Euknz5D_IL9ZPXddZE1pvMK_7kB/s1600/DSC00124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhncBsttYM6FdeIDwwk59zIZ6Tgr2qqNlkVOqX6g6Toet4xU0EYREw0joe2js6oKV4HJegjx1qE-aFznc4YXpdP9ZNpdAAI6kyqOpgkH4aNIRA-VRjF-Euknz5D_IL9ZPXddZE1pvMK_7kB/s320/DSC00124.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">My Dad's little house on the prairie, home to much of my inspiration!</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Menu: </span></div><ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Caramel French toast, easy to make, but is always a hit with the family! I soak day-old French bread in a mixture of half & half and eggs, and bake them on a bed of a brown sugar-corn syrup-butter mixture. The result is a golden-brown toast with a sticky toffee-like crust on the bottom. Caramel sauce from the same ingredients tops it off when they come hot out of the oven. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Cinnamon Rolls (I use the "<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Clone-of-a-Cinnabon/Detail.aspx">Clone of Cinnabon</a>" recipe from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/">allrecipes.com</a> as my starting point, and I finish them off with a double-batch of cream cheese frosting)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Brunch-Enchiladas-2/Detail.aspx">Brunch Enchiladas </a>( I've never tried this recipe, but it sounds amazing and I plan on using Chorizo sausage to spice it up)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Sausage links </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Apple butter hand pies or spicy pumpkin bread (a little hint of Fall)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Watermelon smoothies, made with pureed watermelon and key lime juice (reminiscent of hot Summer days)</span></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Outside of the food, I want the ambiance to be just right for this casual setting. There are plenty of wildflowers growing down the road, so I'll fill mason jars with them and set them along the buffet. As dorky as it sounds, I have a "Brunch" playlist on my iPod for just these kinds of events. To evoke the right mood (cheerful, eclectic, a little tongue-in-cheek) here are some of my favorites:</span></div><ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">"Have You Ever" by Brandi Carlile</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">"Life in Technicolor ii" by Coldplay</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">"Penny Lane" by the Beatles</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">"Something's Got a Hold on Me" by Etta James</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">"Dreams" by The Cranberries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">"There was Sun" by Devendra Banhart</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">"I Miss You" by the Honeydogs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">"I Melt with You" by Modern English</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">"Chocolate" by Snow Patrol</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">"Follow" by Semisonic</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">"So Happy Together" by the Turtles </span></li>
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</div>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902887369859335025.post-64595926843031616572010-07-24T16:52:00.000-05:002010-07-24T16:52:26.703-05:00The Flying Turkey<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let me just lay it all out on the table and fully admit that I am a product of my Mother. I come from a distinguished line of garage-sale junkies, antique-shop hounds, and collectors-cum-pack rats. My Grandmother, Aunt, and Mother all had (have) the knack to hone in on beautiful pieces at great prices and bring them home (much to the chagrin of their husbands). </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> As a child I could recite their collections by name, like a mysterious code passed down from Mother to Daughter: Ironstone. Spatterware. Transferware. Blue Flow. Depression Glass. Salt Glaze. Cranberry Glass. Hobnail. Petalware. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I didn't necessarily know why they were named as such, but I understood that they were all beloved by generations of women in my family. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The passing of my Mother and Grandmother led to my acquisition of several sets of beautiful and unique dishes. While my pieces aren't perfect and worth a mint on eBay, they are special and important to me. Even chips, crazing, a poor transfer, or yellow residue from an ancient price tag don't matter; they're part of each collection's history and identity. And it certainly doesn't stop me from using them as often as I can!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I collect Ironstone, Spatterware, Salt Glaze, and Petalware, but my curiosity was piqued when my Aunt asked if I wanted a set of blue and white "Flow" dishes. She couldn't remember the name or the size of the collection, but I readily agreed. Some of my best childhood memories from my Grandma's house centered around her extensive Blue Willow collection, and I knew these dishes would have a similar look and feel. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Mzr5-9-7NodIaHZ-IpkztzTQ7wHOoMRo_u1dsPUOw4SmzqbPwy-76HcURD6ebjKrSArBpJHjwZ-k1Fqe49xOFrIpYPHfhLpo8sgvgpcAGyAm4iUD9J21zaGDgmSleeFeDHhkwrgVowRa/s1600/DSC00318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Mzr5-9-7NodIaHZ-IpkztzTQ7wHOoMRo_u1dsPUOw4SmzqbPwy-76HcURD6ebjKrSArBpJHjwZ-k1Fqe49xOFrIpYPHfhLpo8sgvgpcAGyAm4iUD9J21zaGDgmSleeFeDHhkwrgVowRa/s320/DSC00318.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Opening up the large storage tote of dishes, I was pleasantly surprised. I came face to face with blue flow dishes of large birds intertwined with flowers and vines. Most of them had "Made in Japan", "Japan", or an "M" encircled by a wreath stamp on their base. I had no clue how old these dishes were, but I guessed that they were produced before the War. I went straight to my computer, and a few Google phrase searches later, I had solved the mystery. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It turns out that the bird is a Phoenix, and that the pattern is more commonly known as "Flying Turkey". The Phoenix is a very common motif in Japanese and Chinese art, and the legend of the Phoenix is known the world over. Further research showed that my pieces do date from around 1920 to 1950. Before 1920 many Japanese porcelain producers used the name "Nippon" (Japan) in their stamps; therefore, "Japan" is a more contemporary mark. The M encircled by a wreath turned out to be a mark of Morimura Brothers, the predecessor to the now-famous Noritake brand. Because many production facilities were destroyed by the Allies during the War, and between 1945 and 1953 most porcelain was stamped with "Made in Occupied Japan", I'm confident that most of my collection dates before 1945. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The dishes are now drying in my dish rack, awaiting their placement in the china cabinet. It's amazing to think I was able to uncover more information about these dishes in a few minutes via the internet than prior generations could in their lifetimes. These dishes are another connection to the past, and, more importantly, another connection to the women of my family. Now all I need to do is plan a tea party centered around this pretty addition to my cabinet....</span><br />
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</span>MannaCakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00999983949613315134noreply@blogger.com2