Month: August 2018

How To’s for Fall

Mind-blowing!

(Maybe not) But with step-by-step tutorials at our fingertips, we can be at the top of our game. Or, at least in the game. And I’m going to share a few of my current Fall “how to” faves with you.

The last time I was in France I got inspired and caught up in the moment, and purchased scarves… that I never wore again. Mostly, because I don’t know what the heck I’m doing. But wait until you see me this fall! I’m going to drop 6 dress sizes, curl my hair, and look just like her… Well, I’m going to tie my scarf like her.

 

Now that we are cultured and polished, it’s only the course of nature- to throw a party! Harvest time begs for celebrations. Thankfully, Martha Stewart has it all planned out for us in her Wine Tasting Party 101. (Click on text to the left) Cheers!

Photograph by Bryan Gardner Courtesy of marthastewart.com

If scarves and parties aren’t your thing, not to fear! I have more interests too. Fall is an inspiring season for in-home projects. The weather is cooler and the fresh air wafting through the open windows is invigorating!

I think I have previously mentioned that we painted over a rather large mural in one of the rooms in our home. I’m not kidding. This is the mural (courtesy of zillow.com, because I don’t have a wide angle lens):

This is the drab and lifeless wall as it stands:

I would love to show you the after photo, right after I finish it; which is why I’m studying “How to Hang a Gallery Wall the Right Way”. Thank you for laying it out for us momtastic.com!

Of course, bakers everywhere are full of fresh-out-of-the-oven anticipation with autumn being just a few weeks away. So naturally, I am in chomping at the bit to start pie season! If you admire those beautiful lattice work pies, but don’t know how to weave crust perfection… look no further. Ali Martin of Gimme Some Oven has broken it down for us.

Last, but not least, for us here in the upper midwest the gardening season is coming to an end. However, we don’t want our bountiful herbs to go to waste. Hence- the preservation system that will get us through the long winter months. The Garden Glove gives great tips for drying herbs, as well as, sharing other great and innovative ideas! For example, freezing herbs in olive oil… Those flavorful cubes make great soup starters!

Well, I feel more prepared for Fall… I hope you do too!

Stay well everyone! (Because cold and flu season is right around the corner. Lol! Don’t worry, there are many websites full of “how to” home remedies.)

Loving Lately

So many things to love lately.

  1. Let’s start with deep dish (square) BBQ Chicken Pizza from Jet’s because it’s the best. Grilled chicken, red onion, and barbecue sauce on top of their perfectly balanced crispy crust with a little soft chew. I just can’t get enough of it lately. Towards the beginning of summer my in-laws came over and ordered one… and for a moment everything was right. Genius! It’s summer pizza, and “ba-da-da-da-da I’m lovin’ it.”

2. Haircuts. We’re getting ready for back-to-school over here. Look at those little hoodlums with their tight lines. (I really don’t know why they gave the scowls. They remind me of some Irish ruffians from the local football (soccer) club hanging out at the neighborhood pub.) Love ’em.

Number 3. True story: I’d been eyeing this popular blogger cookbook, hugely successful, awarded and recognized… and I like to support my fellow bloggers (even though they have no idea who I am). But, it’s kind of pricey. And because I have more cookbooks than I could ever really make all of the recipes, I really try to bargain hunt. But this one boasts recipes made by specific farmer’s market ingredients from like avocado to zucchini or something- so I splurged. (And on my way out I grabbed the bargain, Cook’s Country Cookbook– every recipe from every season.) When I got home I went through every page of my new collection of recipes. I quickly realized that the whole book was vegetarian, which is okay I don’t mind a “meatless Monday” now and again. Except to me the whole thing seemed like uninspiring side dishes. I don’t know how many vegetarian tacos I could eat? Then I opened my ‘bargain’ book- the first recipe was that mac n’ cheese with tomatoes pictured above. (Coincidentally enough it’s vegetarian.) It jumped right out at me and immediately I wanted to eat it. My mom used to bake tomato slices on top of her homemade mac n’ cheese! I love how the bursts of tomato and their little acidity gave a burst of juice and complimented the cheesiness. That was just page one, and the awesomeness didn’t stop there. Needless to say, I returned the pricey ‘popular’ book. Loving Lately: The Complete Cook’s Country TV Show Cookbook.

Quatro. I love Michigan summers. I’m sure most people who live in regions with similar climates (cold and snowy winters) love this time of year. Everything is green and the sky is blue. But I am so partial to Michigan! Our lakes and waterways get so much play and appreciation right now. The picture above is from the Tahquamenon River just a couple weeks ago, and for a minute I was in a time warp. It was so peaceful and could have easily been fifty- or one hundred- or so on- years ago. I love those little connections where we seem so small and insignificant and get to enjoy such vast timeless beauty… and I love summer in Michigan.

I really could go on. Right now the kids are healthy, I’m not stressing over pulling weeds or school clothes shopping. (I probably should be.) I’m trying new recipes and enjoying the prospects of writing… I’m just loving.

Strawberry Buckle Muffins

I’ll just get right to the point: Strawberry Buckle Muffins from Jessica Seinfeld’s Food Swings are absolutely delicious. D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. I love them. I love that they are perfect for the ‘right now’ since strawberries are still in season, but seeing that fall is on the horizon I am getting those urges to bake (at least the kids are going back to school, so it feels like summer is coming to an end). I love the crumb “buckle” topping. And I love the little pops of reddish-pink in the little puffy cream tops of sweet cakes. (Isn’t that what muffins really are? Cakes? It is no wonder that I can’t lose a pound… but on the upside- I am eating muffins.)

Since the beginning of my blog I have tried to share my favorite recipes (family’s and found). Because I have a conflict within myself about copyrights… (I go back and forth. I mean, I bought the book so the recipe is rightfully mine to use… And as long as I give full credit -which I always do, even when inspired by a recipe that I have changed… blah, blah, blah.) I still assume that ‘legally’ I cannot publish the recipe even though I don’t get paid for my blog, yet 😉 So in this case, I have modified the recipe and method slightly. And if I do say so myself, it might even be better.

(Also, in other slightly related news, because I haven’t mentioned it before- I strongly endorse Jessica Seinfeld’s cookbook, Food Swings which came out last year. It’s a balance of healthy and indulgent, hence the subtitle Virtue & Vice. It’s up to date and relevant for the current trends including gluten free recipes, and power foods, etc., while maintaining the everyday approach to simply prepared meals for busy people. #winner).

Inspired by Strawberry Buckle Muffins from Food Swings:

For the Buckle Topping

3/4 cup Flour

1/3 cup Rolled Oats

1/4 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp grated Nutmeg

1/8 tsp Salt

6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) Butter, diced small and chilled

For the Muffins

1¼ cups Flour

3/4 cup Sugar

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 cup (1 Stick) butter, melted

2 Eggs, beaten

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1 tsp Vanilla

1 cup Sliced Strawberries

 

Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or line with papers.

For the buckle toppling, whisk together the flour, oats, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. With a pastry cutter (or 2 butter knives), blend half of the butter into the flour mixture. Set aside.

For the muffins, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Stir until combined. Gently fold in the strawberries.

(Such a pretty batter, isn’t it?)

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tin cups (I like to use an ice cream scoop). Spoon the buckle topping over the batter. Place the remaining diced bits of butter evenly throughout the muffins. (It’s going to taste so good.)

Bake for 20-24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let muffins cool on a rack (if you can wait) before serving.

 

 

The Whodunnit Dream

I think she was a country singer. I really didn’t know anything about her, except that she was a real southern lady- generous, hospitable and kind… and that I was a guest in her large southern home. They had found her lifeless that morning, the workers of her estate. It just didn’t add up. Who would want to kill such a wonderful woman? Well it seemed, as her houseguest, I should at least look for clues. I felt like I owed that to her. The home was full of dark wood walls and carvings, the very height of fashion about fifty years ago when it was built. It had felt so warm and full of life just last night. Now, it all seemed dated and cold, like artifacts in a museum. As I went into her bedroom, nothing seemed mysterious or out of place. But wait, why was there a red handprint on top of that bookshelf? It seemed like a print left behind from a cheaply dyed glove that had gotten wet. Could that be evidence left from the killer? (Cue the music: dun dun dun) All of the sudden, I got an uneasy feeling that I wasn’t alone. Was it possible the killer had come back to the scene of the crime to tie up loose ends? Just then, I heard the hallway door start to close. I knew it was the murderer, and I couldn’t let them get away! I reached out my hand to grab the suspect, but all I got was a cold hand as they tried to push the door shut. I felt her long sharp nails as she pulled away and ran. It was too late. She was gone.

Later in the day, I had gathered my things to leave. It didn’t seem right to stay. I wanted to help, but I really didn’t have much to go on and couldn’t imagine getting another opportunity. It was driving me crazy. Who was that woman and why would she do it? It was day one, and already everyone had given up on a search for any suspects or reasons why. But I just couldn’t. I still had time. There was a large gathering in a room outside of my door. They were employees, friends and family who had assembled to process their grief and remember a special lady. I went out into the room and struck up a conversation with a woman with short, red, curly hair, sitting alone in the corner on a built in bench. Her name was Trixie. And I couldn’t help but notice the detailed flowers painted on her very long nails. As the conversation went along, I just came out with it. “Why did you do it? I asked. 

“Do what?”

“Why did you kill her?” I grabbed her hand to look for stains leftover from cheap gloves, like the print on the bookcase. I wanted to catch her red handed. But, when looked at her palms they were clean. Darn! She must have washed them. As she pulled her hand away, there was no denying that scratch, the very same one I felt in the hallway. She was the culprit! But how could they convict anyone with so little evidence? Nails weren’t enough, I’d have to get a confession.

“I didn’t,” she replied. 

She was going to be tough to crack. “Was it because of her boyfriend?” I prodded.

“She had a boyfriend?” she retorted.

“I don’t know.” I had to admit. “I was just trying to get a motive.” I could tell this was going nowhere. “Well, I have no proof and no evidence. No one, would believe me anyway. Why don’t you just tell me why? I really just want to know. I won’t tell anyone.” I declared.

“I did love her boyfriend” admitted Trixie.

“So it was you! I knew it!” I said with satisfaction. But she had trusted me and my vow, I couldn’t turn her in now. I quickly thought it over. Surely, this was an isolated incident. It was a crime of passion, not to be duplicated… and besides, it was done. But (I reasoned with myself), what if she did strike again? How could I ever live with myself, knowing I had let a murderer go free? “I’m sorry, I lied to you” I said as I grabbed her and held her toward the large assembly in the room. “It was Trixie!” I stated loudly to everyone, realizing that I didn’t know her last name. “Trixie… “ I said again in such a lingering way as to let everyone know that I needed help filling in the blank. As I looked around the faces in the room, it was evident nobody else knew her last name either. “No one knows her last name?” I questioned. The room stayed quiet as I tried to meet all of their eyes one by one. A few people swiveled their heads from side to side indicating they did not. Awkward. At least I had the villain in hand, or did I? I looked down in my arms to realize I wasn’t actually holding Trixie, but a bag of pita chips. How did she escape? That slippery scoundrel! I caught her out of the corner of my eye making an escape out the front door. I quickly darted after her. I couldn’t let her get away again! Of course, it was raining outside as I gave chase. Naturally, I wasn’t wearing shoes… so I braced myself for the cold wet plunge as I lunged at her. And that was it. I had her in custody and the police would be coming to take her away soon. (I assume.)

That was when I woke up. My son was calling my name from his bunk bed on the other end of the camper. His mosquito bites were itching and driving him nuts. And since I was up, I figured I might as well jot down the caper.

Ben & Jerry’s gives me the weirdest dreams…

It had been raining all night, and my feet were cold since they had come uncovered. But the pita chips? That was a mystery.

The end.