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With a new grandbaby , a two year old, and a seven year old, I thought it was a good time to make Mother's Day brunch for my daughter and daughter-in-law for them, heaven knows they have more than enough on their hands. A simple meal preparation (as usual) stretched into several hours, in part because a new recipe caught my eye and we know how that goes:) pleased to say this
I was so excited when I went to the swap shop at our dump on Saturday - I found these dear little tart pans tied up with green twine, and a pretty saucer. You had a feeling the person who lovingly dropped them off had cherished them. But, we all are decluttering, and I would imagine tart pans might be one of those unused kitchen things that go reluctantly into the Swap Shop box for the
Forgive me for my absence - I have been obsessed with focaccia lately. Well, that and the fact that Spring has sprung. And that I have a new grand-baby. And the joy that today is the start of the month of May.Living in New Hampshire means long, cold winters, and by March and April we are so done with cold, and snow, and ice, and sleet - not to mention fuel bills, that by the firs
It's still cold here, and windy for days. Patiently waiting for the weather to warm up, but Spring is definitely on the way because the daffodils are blooming. This morning I woke up early with a passionate desire for a hot scone..... but which one? I wanted a not-too-sweet scone, or maybe, hmmm, apple cobbler? So I took a little from one recipe (the juicy cobbler) and comb
Oh, what a week! On the 13th, we welcomed Noah to this world, born at 1:10 in the morning. I woke up at 3 am and nibbled my fingers, not knowing what was going on, and made muffins, unable to sleep. A few hours later, we got the news, and gathered at the hospital to greet a tired Mom and a squeaky little boy. Izzie bounced into the room, arms out, to hold her little brothe
I made up a jelly last night thinking to use up the frozen cranberries I'd stashed in the freezer last fall. I added a handful of frozen, unsweetened dark cherries, and a few sprigs of basil. Instead of reviewing my 20 minute jam recipe, I plunged ahead and added equal parts water and sugar, plus lemon juice. I simmered for maybe 20 minutes, took a quick reading with the candy th
This is the updated recipe for that beautiful carrot cake I made for Easter. As usual, I used a scribbled over recipe glued into my black recipe book, without carrying the changes over to the blog recipes. Nothing monumental, just tried and true adjustments that I forgot to post.Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting:Preheat oven to 350F.Grease two cake pans ( I used two 8 inch by 2 in
Do you still have Easter leftovers? I'm thrilled that I finished off the the leftover ham yesterday - baked in a little tiny casserole with white sauce and peas and pasta. Today's lunch was the last of the brightly colored eggs in a classic egg salad with fresh dill and hot relish. And my dessert? I sent the carrot cake home with the kids so I had a splendid excuse to mak
Unwinding with a plate of rosemary bread and butter, looking out at the twilight across the snow; I hope your Easter Day was a delight! We had ham and whipped potatoes, bok choy salad, above mentioned rosemary bread, far too many sweets ( chocolates, jelly beans and that wicked carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and marzipan carrots, which may or may not have contributed to the ge
This is a post from 2009 that I never got around to updating. The 2 year old is now 7, and we have a new 2 year old at the table this year, but the Easter cake is always this one. Hope to finally update on Easter Day this year:) Happy Easter to you all!This has become our traditional Easter cake - an old fashioned southern carrot cake with a cream cheese and butter icing, decorat
A cold, gray day again, but right in the middle of the day, an hour of fat snowflakes lazily floating down - against the gray sky it looked like a children's book illustration - for Christmas. But I'll take a few moments of pretty anywhere I can find them.I was seized by a new book by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas ( who lives in the town next to me), so instead of baking today, I made a lovely
The problem with this everlasting snow and ice is the longing to walk, skip, run up a hill or across a green field, sun shining, little green plants inching up every day. In my gardener's heart I am feeling Spring, but the terrain is treacherous. Having had one knee surgery, I am cautious on the slicks of ice, which keeps me inside more than I'd like. But when I saw this recipe from Ki
The chicken I bought today has vanished - it never made it home from the supermarket. I searched the car, the bags, and my all-purpose canvas bag: not to be found. While mourning over my loss of dinner ( poulet with tomatoes and olives) and sorting through the fridge just in case I had missed the package of chicken , I found the half-empty containers of strawberries and blackberr
We have had enormous amounts of snow lately. I spent Friday shoveling snow from early morning to the afternoon, and I tell you, I am weary of snow. It seems to me we have had storms every other day, and especially on weekends, sorry to say. But one morning, I woke up and went straight into the kitchen, fully aware it was a gingerbread day.Gingerbread. Ginger, cloves,
It's coming. Outside may be frozen into icy snowdrifts, and trying to take a walk? You take your chances on the slip- n- slide paths. But the temperature is slowly climbing, starting out at 20 degrees, and up to 40 a few hours later. I know you're out there, Mother Nature - and you're bringing Spring!It's astonishing what a change it makes, knowing we are only a few weeks away fr
Yes, it's snowing again. It's supposed to snow all day, or turn to ice pellets, or perhaps sleet and heavy snow, bringing down the power lines. I'm fortifying myself with this winter breakfast - a warm and comforting plate of sliced baby potatoes, lots of olive oil, melted cheese, and rosemary. I use the microwave (while I still have power), but I suppose you could do it in a toa
I came across this recipe of sorts last week somewhere, and for the life of me cannot find the link. To the person who posted it, please let me know, because you deserve a basketful of credit.What a revelation! The recipe is this:1 cup dried fruit in small pieces1 cup toasted nuts ( I use a toaster oven for a few minutes)1 cup date piecesToss in food processor until it forms a ball. &n
The snow is still here. Heaps of cement-hard snow, topped with fanciful icing, after the snow turned to sleet and then everything froze. What do I expect? It's February. This is normal, and so is the cabin fever-want-to-go-to-Florida gloom. It's been a very cold winter, and waking up to 5 degrees most mornings is a little disheartening. But, I have one of my bab
Wowser, that was some blizzard we got! Still digging out from the 3 foot snow that arrived the night of the 7th, but thankful we never lost power. The last two nights I've fallen asleep still in my snow pants, and I'm thankful to have finally cleared most of the snow that the plows couldn't manage to reach, and the car is finally uncovered. Bliss. And now I'm behind on the
Love. I think of my stepmother and my father who cooed and sent sweet cards and letters to each other, signed ILY. I Love You. Their late night silly dances to crackly jazz records on the old record player, laughing, my father in a fez he picked up in Turkey, my stepmother wrapped with colorful scarves as they dipped and spun. Nightly talks on the phone with my mother, always a free sp
We have been in the deep freeze for the last ten days, with nights reaching 8 below, and days not budging from 10 degrees, in spite of some very welcome sunshine. The next few days should be inching up slowly, for which I am very, very grateful. It may sound wimpy, but I didn't go out if I didn't have to, thanks, I think, to the scare I got in the fall with pneumonia. But today h
It feels like it's been winter for a year right now : ice, snow, mud, wind, ice, cold. Accent on the cold. But something did cheer me up when I was foraging at our local small supermarket - I found cherries! Right in the freezer section, tucked onto the middle shelf, one remaining pouch of plain sweet cherries, which I snatched up doubletime quickly, before anyone else saw
My two very favorite vegetables are spinach and sweet potatoes, so naturally it occurred to me yesterday that they might make a mighty fine soup for lunch. And was I right ! It's a lovely, smooth soup, with lots of flavor and a hint of hot pepper and thyme.I had been reading Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1, and came across Julia's recipe for Canapes aux Epinards, wh
We've had a LOT of snow lately. And cold, as in zero degrees, which of course made getting around a little slippery. Ice dams, icicles, snow melting, then freezing, and then more snow. It's a real winter this year - and once again I came in from a walk thinking of the hot chocolate I like to make on days like this. It's silky. It's rich, and thick, and when you
Are you ready? Really ready? Because here comes a brand New Year! And who couldn't use a little luck in the New Year? Which is one reason I rustled up some Hoppin' John black eyed peas and rice to ensure the year gets off to a grand start.This year it was simple - just jasmine rice, simmered black-eyed peas from scratch (the canned ones tend to be mushy, even if you can fi
Snow! Lots and lots of snow to shovel, snowballs to throw, take a walk in the quiet of a gentle snowstorm. Right now we have between 6 and 8 inches, and I'm hoping the forecast is wrong about freezing rain later tonight, because it's just beautiful right now. Last night I made a big pot of corn chowder, just in case we lost power. It's light, but hearty, filled with c
What a day, what a day! I started by making a huge batch of gingerbread cookie dough, finished the wrapping, wobbled through the odds and ends of this beautiful holiday season..... and the day has ended with a huge and happy surprise. My son and his girlfriend are engaged. Shockarooney, and I couldn't be happier. What a joy, and congratulations to them both! I a
Walking down to the pond this afternoon was chilly and gray - ice forming, but not thick enough for skating. After reading about the 26 acts of kindness on Facebook,( which honors the memory of those 26 beautiful children and teachers at Newtown) I spent hours thinking about what I could do in this rural area, and came up with making a basket of presents for the residents at the local low-in
I think I'm on my 20th dozen batches of cookies in the last ten days - no, nine - I had a reaction to my flu and pneumonia shots yesterday and only did 2 dozen last night. All presents for family and friends, but the problem is, I keep thinking of more people. And I had a sudden memory of a delicious pumpkin loaf cake last night...... but I wonder if I can make it to Christmas Ev
Tonight I have been slaving away in the kitchen, making one of my very treasured Christmas cookies, Biscotti Paradiso, a milk chocolate, orange peel and almond biscotti that is out of this world. It takes hours. But snatching a nibble of the completed biscotti is heaven - a little bitter from the orange peel, sweetness from milk chocolate chips, and toasted almonds. I make this e
We have snow! And ice, just for fun (not). Just a few inches, but enough to make the roads slippery and to feel a little more like Christmas as I made snowball cookies. I got this recipe years ago from a Swedish friend - she called them Russian Tea cookies, but when I googled them, I found they are also known as Swedish Tea cookies, as well as snowballs. Delicious and butte
A joyful and blessed moment of unity, watching my 6 year old granddaughter singing in the Meeting House tonight, a moment when the pain of Connecticut faded briefly and the overflowing audience sang "Angels we Have Heard on High" with tenderness and ringing enthusiasm, and we listened, almost holding our breath, as the children sang so sweetly and softly. I've forgotten how community can soo
As much as I adore the Christmas season, there will always be a day or two of what I think of as the Charlie Brown down in the dumps day; the Christmas blues. Missing my dearly departed parents, worried about the economy, especially mine: re-running faded old images of Christmases past, worry about a friend who is not well. Worry, worry, worry.Then I stare at this ridiculo
Today's doings in the kitchen? Mixing up the most delectable chocolate batter for Maida Heatter's brownies, and listening to Dylan Thomas read his glorious Christmas poem, A Child's Christmas in Wales ( which you can hear him read in his plummy voice here). When my children were younger, they would suffer through this poem every Christmas season, but they have now escaped parental obli
As Christmas represents love, our Christmas tree abounds in that valentine symbol of hearts. Airy Swedish ones, deep Christmas red, delicately cut from paper that was once a Christmas advent calendar for the children, twinkling plump fabric hearts, and a favorite: a Southern shout out from my niece, Tracy, from years ago. Isn't it a hoot?Today adding to the boxes that have
I think I have not found all the cats on the tree and still in the two ornament boxes, but these are among my favorites: Puss in Boots was from a tag on my son's present from his Auntie Noa when he was a wee little one, and the carved wooden pussycat has a mouse attached to a wire - can you see it? The chewed up folk art pussycat was snatched away from Lulu, our shepherd-lab puppy, wh
These little houses are teeny tiny, and made of a featherweight material , easily bent, but treasured. My father's mother died when I was a month old, so we never met, but I was told she made Christmas villages under the tree, and I assume these were some of them. And what else did we get excited about at Christmas? CANDY!Ribbon candy is made right in Massachusetts, my home state
For me, Christmas begins when the tree goes up. And so, today is the first day of Christmas! There is always a joy, lots of memories, and the peace of sitting next to the tree, remembering bits and bobs of all those years. Did I tell you about Stuart Little? He's always the first to go on the tree, and I panic if I can't find him. He's the memory of my father, reading
Apologies for the long between-posts. There is always much to do, and when we had several very cold days, I spent hours wrestling with a cranky woodstove, taking lovely long hikes, picking up pine cones and fallen branches, courtesy of Hurricane Sandy, to add to my basket of kindling for that blue enameled beast that sits in the kitchen. Early mornings, I run up the hill beside the hou
I am still enjoying all the pleasures of our leftovers, including this simple soup, another one with pasta, spinach, thyme, roasted turkey and turkey stock, and chickpeas . The soup pot is always going, nice to share with family and friends ~My camera got so excited by our dinner it went on the blink, but a replacement is winging its way to me.......hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! &nb
Ever since I saw a photo of this from Gourmande in the Kitchen on Pinterest, I've been longing to make it, or version of it. I was going to make it for Thanksgiving, but a birthday lunch suddenly materialized, and made it I did. Oh, MY. It was delicious to look at, delicious to eat. My recipe is a little different, adding the fresh pomegranate juice to the reduction and gl
Yesterday was the first REALLY chilly day - frost on the windshield, a puffy jacket for my walk, and while it warmed up to the 40's during the day, I felt the onset of winter coming. The first thing I did when I got home in the afternoon was march straight to the kitchen, to make chocolate chip cookies. Maybe cranberry chocolate chip cookies? I got out the ingredients , heaved a
It's been chilly the last several days - woodstove and hot coffee weather, but also perfect for walks. I almost stepped on these beautiful, tiny Princess Pines, not even six inches tall, but stepped aside just in time. When I first moved here, I used to dig them up and arrange them in pots with paperwhite bulbs, but they always yellowed and faded away, so now I just admire
It is suddenly mitten and hat weather, to go along with wear-a-red-jacket weather, since I'm never sure if it's hunting season. Hurricane Sandy brought a sleepless night, lots of rain, trees falling, and power failures everywhere. Happily, we were back up and running in 24 hours with no damage aside from a little flooding. Nothing, nothing like the scenes I see in New York and Ne
What a gorgeous, glowing day. The trees are still showing color, especially a heady yellow on the beech trees. Being surrounded by the colors of autumn make me think of all those delicious squashes and pumpkins - and though I do tend to bake wildly and enthusiastically with canned pumpkin, I boldly ventured into using a fresh butternut squash last night. I peeled half of a large
October brings transcendental and brilliant leaves drifting to the still-unfrozen ground. Those of us in New England watch the weather forecast, covering the last of our lettuces and cabbages when the temperature dips below 30 degrees. Fresh, sun-kissed tomatoes are a distant memory, and the days shorten and darken. Is it any wonder that we seize on the rich taste of pumpkin anyt
It is apple picking time again here in New Hampshire, and the first thing I made with those fresh, juicy Macs was my very favorite breakfast this time of year. Rolled oats with chunks of apples, cinnamon sugar, and a good drizzle of honey, heaven on these first chilly mornings when the temperature is 40 degrees, but no hard frost quite yet.I take a quick hike up the hill first thing in the m
Tonight the chill at 5 o'clock was obvious - summer is over, and fall is creeping in. The last few nights have been brisk enough to start a fire in the woodstove . Instead of vibrant ( and what I call "transcendental") brilliant orange and red leaves, we have seen only the slow yellow fading of the summer greening. The brisk weather inspired me to roast a little chicken, but instead o
You might remember that photo I took last June when I suddenly came upon a herd of buffalo fenced beside the very rural road in town. To say I was astonished isn't even close. I always saw pictures of them thundering across a Western plain; to come across them in a vibrantly green field of grass in New Hampshire was worth several double-takes.Saturday, the very kind farmer/ranche
