Tall Tales from Kansas

carefully mix to your preferred ratio

Consider this a public service announcement. It is officially past time to get out the salty cocktail peanuts, the candy corn, and your favorite container to store it in. Carefully mix to your preferred ratio. Ours is 2 peanuts to one candy corn, but let's not quibble. 

May I suggest that you take the whole container with you and sit outside among the trees and enjoy it. 

The trees are killing it this year with their color. 

Do not waste your time indoors right now. Leaf season is fleeting. Indoors will still be there when it turns blustery cold. Do indoors then. 

Right now in Kansas we are having a couple of those warmish, slightly windy, sunny days, where if you are lucky you can sit in the pinkish glow cast as the light passes through the glorious leaves. The sit, plus the salty/sweet snack, plus the leaves make for a monumental moment. 

This is one of those situations where "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts it's made of". Chew on that for awhile. 

I can keep going with the reasons it was necessary but I will stop there

In between working, weed pulling, and generally wasting time in the best ways possible, there was a trip to Zeb's in Eudora, where the windows are covered with fabulous drawings, and the Rosemary Rise latte is available for a limited time. It's so unusually delicious that I will be going back asap for a repeat. 

Ignore that cherry turnover on the side. I don't know how it got there. The sprig of rosemary on top provided one of the most indulgent, sensory-inclusive, sipping experiences ever. 

My little redbud tree is having a so-so bloom this year. They can't all be spectacular. However, this specimen in front of the post office downtown is something else ... it must be in a micro-climate that got spared from a late frost or something. There are always spots of beauty to be found, even in a "so-so" year.

The light coming through the upstairs window, illuminating my first mini flower arrangement of the year, making the vinca vine and ground cover look like a million bucks is another one of those unexpected bits of loveliness.  

I got hooked by a picture from Smitten Kitchen of a New York Crumb cake... and did some baking today. Hats off to Deb Perelman for another recipe that is perfectly perfect.  I followed it to the letter. Tender, soft, melt in your mouth. Because really, we all deserve cake for breakfast at least once in a while. Especially when you are in your 60's. I can keep going with the reasons it was necessary but I will stop there. 

I took a picture this afternoon of the one tulip that came up in the front garden. Maybe this will be the year I actually get off my duff and plant some new bulbs. 

In the meantime, I sure do enjoy looking at this one. 

Helpful links: New York Crumb Cake

alongside the roasted pork

The other day Deb Perelman (aka Smitten Kitchen) posted a recipe for pickled cucumbers. But not summer pickled cucumbers. It looked like more of a side salad, something you would see in an Austrian restaurant alongside the roasted pork, kraut blau, thick crusty bread to mop up the pork drippings, and a stein of beer. 

So of course out came the mandolin, and other assorted pickling things. I have never worked with dill seed before. To me it imparts a different flavor than fresh dill or even dried dill weed. Softer somehow if that even makes sense. 

I love that the recipe calls to remove part of the peel using a zester or a fork. It's so pretty. Served with the chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes/gravy, and corn, it was a perfect foil to break up all the richness. 

It's still cold here in Kansas. A large cup of coffee to sip while staring out at the snow is lovely. Three pairs of fingerless mitts were blocked yesterday. I don't usually block mitts, but why not? 

We continue to watch the birds and fill the feeder.

That's all the news (that's really not worth reporting) I am sharing with you today. Please tell me what you have been up to that's as exciting. Because don't we still want to say Hi even when we have nothing else to say? 

Helpful Links:

Smitten Kitchen Viennese Cucumber Salad

I would be remiss not to mention it again

On the day after the day after Thanksgiving, if you can, make yourself a pot of old fashioned oats. Then open the refrigerator, pull out the left over cranberry sauce, an apple, and some greek yogurt. Next, as the coffee finishes brewing, go to the pantry and take out some hazelnuts. Other nuts will do as well.  Then layer a bowl of fruit, oats, yogurt, cranberries, and nuts. Take yourself to the table and slowly enjoy this tasty treat as you read the paper, or watch it snow. Or both. I have spoken of this combination before, but I would be remiss not to mention it again while you still have some leftover cranberry sauce in your refrigerator. You can thank me later. 

The first snow of the season today is beautiful. Even more so because I am at home, finishing up an excellent book, and have a fireplace to sit in front of.  

Chris and I engaged in the first round of the Clue tournament that occurs annually around this time. I was victorious in the initial game of serious detective work. 

In other news, I soaked, stretched, and pinned my latest needlepoint finish out to dry today. With the help of my friend Mary Joan, I am going to put a wrapped cording on this one and make a pillow out of it. It feels wonderfully luxurious to have these few days to just hang out. Catch up. Nap. Read. Watch a movie. Speaking of ... we watched NYAD on Netflix last night and enjoyed it. Trailer below if you are interested. You may need to click on the "watch on YouTube" in the lower left corner to be able to see it. 

 

baking season has begun

It's September and let me admit that I am seriously Jonesing for fall. I already told you that Chris made chili for supper the other night and I am wanting something pumpkin. Too early for pumpkin bread, but bran muffins are always right. Even though I rarely make them, Sister was telling me about some really good ones she likes, so that, and my desire for pumpkin, morphed into a recipe search that yielded a few options.

I followed the recipe below but subbed out 1 cup of the all purpose flour for whole wheat flour. 

I like that these muffins are generous but not HUGE, that they taste like a breakfast muffin - not a cupcake, that the recipe makes 12 (not a ton), that they use the whole can of pumpkin, and they are an equal match between the pumpkin and the bran. All in all a success. I will make them again. What else am I going to do with the rest of that box of all bran cereal? 

I used raisins, not cranberries, but I think either would be good. I thought about putting nuts in them but decided that can wait for the pumpkin bread in October. 

Baking season has begun. Butternut squash bisque can not be far behind. 

Helpful link if the photo of the recipe above is straining your eyes: Pumpkin Bran Muffins

amazing bread, complex flavors, multiple textures

The Huff + 1 lunch club got together this week in Lawrence. We went to Barkers on Mass (the old Alchemy coffee space downtown) and were not disappointed with their vittles.  Avocado toast, Turkey Club, a Muffuletta with mortadella.  What's not to love about a sandwich with amazing bread, complex flavors, multiple textures? Not one single thing, that's what. 

As always, we had no end of topics to discuss...  how even at 99 we still talk about "watching our weight".  This was while we were taste testing a bag of black truffle potato chips compared to the mediterranean herb chips.  Which led to my story of the truffle risotto in the small restaurant in Spoleto with Sister. It was accompanied by red wine, crusty bread, and every single bite was followed by a sigh of delight.  Clearly we do not let watching weight interfere with our enjoyment of food. Then we talked about making dinner for a family these days, as compared to when Marti was making meals for her family of 4 when the girls were growing up. Every single topic you can think to talk about is more interesting with Marti there to give her perspective. 

Have you ever had your iced tea shaken? As in a cocktail mixer with ice, then poured into a tall cool glass? It gets a nice head of foam on it and it's extra tasty good. I swear when you lift the glass to take a sip the aroma is more pronounced and gets your taste buds ready for it. We have decided, after our experience with the shaken tea at Barkers on Mass, we are all going to start shaking our tea at home. 

let your own lemon barometer guide how much you add

Being back in the kitchen baking, pickling, and cooking, feels like a return to "normalcy".  Is there such a thing?  I think we all like to believe there is.  Anyway, it's just good to be doing stuff, without thinking it's hard or feeling too tired. 

Not that I need a blueberry lemon snacking cake, but it's a summer thing. Something I think should be typical. 

FYI, I cut up the whole cake and froze it in individual slices to pop in the oven for convenience on any day it sounds good. Because some mornings, after a walk, you ask yourself it a piece wouldn't be just the thing right about now... and when your other self answers saying "well there's some in the freezer", it feels a teeny bit miraculous. 

We all need a good miracle now and then, even if we orchestrate it ourselves in advance.  

 

Helpful links:blueberry snacking cake recipe

P.S. the recipe calls for a teaspoon of lemon zest, which in my opinion should be upped to the zest of one whole lemon, you let your own lemon barometer guide how much you add.  

go with me on that logic

Summer things happening around here include the beginning of the weekly quick pickling of cucumbers and red onions. No summer would be the same without them. 

The coneflowers are looking good in the garden. I do love that the birds carry the seeds all around the garden and you never know where a good crop is going to pop up from year to year. 

First vase of zinnia's, cut from the seeds that volunteered up from last year. 

A decidedly "unsummer" thing is the making of granola, because for some reason it sounded so good and I needed to have some with blueberries and yogurt for breakfast. I only made a small batch. Just to satisfy the craving. Because I could. 

The sunflowers from last week's market are looking nice on the table. 

Oh, and another decidedly summer thing was this glass of white sangria that I had while out with the Quails at the Pressed Penny Tavern in KC a few weeks ago. 

It was tasty. If you live in the area and you decide to go, be sure and start your meal with the Brussels sprouts. They are the best. Seriously good. If you like a Reuben, they make a good one. Mary Joan ordered one, Jamie and I went for the polenta, but then ended up eating 1/2 of Joan's reuben. 

And one final more "summer" thing... I was driving over for a massage earlier today and Castles in the Air by Don McLean came on. Lordy it's been a while since I heard that. Music from the 70's always reminds me of Panama and the beach and summer. Go with me on that logic.  Happy memories. 

 

the delight of a Bavarian strudel

The Huff women + 1 (me!) met recently for lunch at Grünaeur in Kansas City. Ever since I went to Walgau with sister, and especially since the Huff's told me about a meal they shared there, I have been feeling the need to sample the German cuisine they are known for myself.  

Marti told me about her Aunt Florence, who used to take her for a peanut butter sandwich accompanied by a chocolate milkshake when she was a young girl growing up in Chicago. Aunt Florence used to work in a millenary shop, but when she saw the way fashion was headed (hats going out of style) she went to beauty school. This resulted in Marti being the subject of her practice for occipitofrontalis facial massages and manicures. What luck. 

Let me get back to the meal for a second though. Jennifer had the Schnitzelsemmel accompanied by pommes frites. 



Nancy ordered up the Schweinsbraten - as did I. Needless to say, to-go boxes were needed. The red cabbage was sweet and sour with a hint of apples and a spice I can't put my finger on. Divine. 

I'm not done with Aunt Florence yet though... included in her long line of accomplishments was a stint as a chocolatier at Andy's candies which turned into Andes candies. After Marti moved away from Chicago and got married and had 2 little girls, Aunt Florence used to send them Easter dresses - frilly things, velvety materials, just the kind of dress you remember 60 years after the fact. Oh what a joy to have an Aunt Florence in your life. 

We concluded our meal with a sharing of the Apfelstrudel while we interviewed Marti Huff about #1 what advice she would give her 21 year old self, and #2 what was the best advice she has ever received. Since I know Julia Louis Dreyfus is not going to interview her, I decided to myself. 

Marti wanted to think about her responses to the above questions so we agreed upon a discussion at the next meeting of the Huffs + 1 lunch club. 

Even though it was very bright outside when we left, I forced them to pose once again for me, with the famous Western Auto sign in the background. Marti looked so pretty that a second group photo was warranted. I am sure you will agree.

P.S. Our conversation also included Miriam Haskell costume jewelry, because when you are at a lunch with the Huffs you never know in which direction the discussion will lead. But it is NEVER boring and always mind expanding. 

you do you

In addition to this coming weekend being the opening of the Lawrence Farmers Market, it is also Master's Weekend. Which means there will be lots of television viewing all weekend long. It is very important to have the right snacks for watching golf on TV. You know, stuff like peanuts from the Virginia Diner and pimento cheese spread. 

You may have other favorites (and I would love to hear what they are) but these are the essential "must-have's". 

In the event that I get all caught up in some business between now and then, and since I just pulled up the recipe for myself, let me go ahead and give it to you now. Because, while there are certainly some great pre-made versions of pimento cheese out there, they don't match the goodness of this one. 

I always substitute smoked Gouda for the yellow cheddar, just because. You do you. 

the cognitive and emotional aspects of recovery from surgery

Today it has been 17 days since I came home from the hospital. How is that even possible? To mark this milestone, a lunch date was arranged with my wise counselor Marti Huff and her co-counselors who specialize in laughter and distraction therapy. Oh how wonderful to be out in the world carrying on like a regular person, granted with the aid of a trusty cane. 

Marti reminded me of what her mom used to tell her ,"everyday, in every way, I am getting better and better", which is a helpful mantra as one starts to second guess themselves regarding the speed of their recovery. There was also discussion about reminding ourselves in the middle of the night, when all things can seem like more than they are, that... "this too shall pass". When you have a counselor who is 99, and has lived through all the things that life has thrown at her, and is thriving, you feel great comfort in her wisdom. I sure do. 

We toasted ourselves with a glass of wine, discussed potential future outings, and enjoyed sweet potato wedges, Brussels sprouts, a lyonnaise salad, lentil and sweet potato Shepards pie, and an earl grey creme brûlée.  

The scheduling of outings is as important as solving 5th grade math problems when one considers the cognitive and emotional aspects of recovery from surgery.  

light, creamy, cool, sweet, without the heavy "thickness" of a pudding alone

In the name of "living my best life", today I made some "nanner" pudding. That's what Dad called it anyway. It was one of his very favorite desserts. When we were kids, mom used to make it on a semi-regular basis, and we all LOVED it. These days it doesn't come up often in the rotation of desserts. 

When mom made it, it was in a glass square pyrex dish as I recall, we would not have considered using individual jars. No one did that back then. But for a family of 2 with only 1 that loves sweets, this is a good way to go. 

So my friend Annette started this last week when she said she was going to make some. Then we talked recipes and she told me she was using the one from the NYT cooking section - which is from Magnolia Bakery with a few twists. 

I turned off the part of my brain that questions why I would do something that way (when it wasn't what mom did) and followed the recipe as written. 

While I waited for the pudding to get firm, I rummaged around for the jars. The vanilla wafers were also opened to be sure they were crisp. 

Heavy cream was whipped. Pudding was folded in.

Layering began.

Until at last there was no more room.

Lids were placed on top. In the refrigerator they went, where at this moment all the layers are getting to know each other, turning into one glorious taste treat.  Individually, the combination of the whipped heavy cream and the pudding together was delicious. Light, creamy, cool, sweet, without the heavy "thickness" of a pudding alone. 

P.S. I would like to report that after 5 hours of chilling, these layers melded together into one blissful dessert experience. One that our father would most certainly approve of.  If he was spending the night here tonight, I would know if I heard anyone scurrying around in the kitchen during the night, it would be him, just getting another taste or two to "tide him over" until morning.

If only. 

holiday mugs were rotated

Instead of black Friday'ing, small business Saturday'ing, super savings Sunday'ing, and cyber Monday'ing, I did a little of this and a little of that these last few days. There was some putting away and some taking out. 

 The water was changed in the "cuttings to root" jar, holiday mugs were rotated.

A Christmas CD was played, the tree was brought up, a new knitting project begun.

Consequently, I did not get big savings, free shipping, or any of those other "one of a kind", amazing, offers. 

There was time though to enjoy a cranberry cinnamon whiskey sour. I tweaked this recipe to make it a bit less sour and thus more to my liking. This is a lovely holiday drink, perfect with a spiced nut or a plain pretzel. 

1 1/2 oz bourbon
1 oz cranberry juice
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1 cinnamon stick

Throw all that in a shaker with ice, shake well, pour into a glass - unstrained, add a slice of orange for garnish and an extra cinnamon stick if you so desire. 

P.S. EVERYday is small business Saturday in my book. 

We did. It was good. We were glad.

When Johnny and Annette were visiting Tall Tales Headquarters recently, we had Margaritas and Bloody Mary's. Not at the same time. 

The luxury of having your own personal bartender, who cleans up after himself, and has a wicked sense of humor, can not be overstated.

The fact that he is a dear friend and married to one of my dearest friends ... ok, enough said. 

In other news, these zinnias all re-seeded themselves from last year. Best crop of volunteers ever. I took care to break up the dried flower heads last year and throw them around at the end of the season. Seems like it paid off. It also helps that these zinnias are in my back garden where it is sunny and sort of protected from the harsh winds here in Kansas. 

I am very much enjoying listening to The Trojan Horse Affair podcast. I am not sure where it is going, but it's so interesting and a commentary of sorts on these times we are living in? If you like a podcast, give it a whirl. Excellent to knit along to. 

In addition to cleaning the bathrooms before our guests arrived, the sewing area got neatened up.  



This may or may not turn into a smallish pillow for the chair at my desk at home. Old jeans + scraps = real good fun. 

While we are on the subject of sewing, I reinforced a buttonhole on these yard-mowing shorts for Chris recently.

I told Chris they come with a money back guarantee. I am in love with the whole mending movement - in theory anyway. I need more practice which will of course make things closer to perfect

There was a meeting of the Huff Lunch Club recently. Items discussed included the universal appeal and good looks of a pair of Birkenstocks at any age, the importance of incorporating creative endeavors into a life, and carrot cake. 

That's all I have to report today. Did I mention that we ate carrot cake in addition to discussing it? We did. It was good. We were glad. 

but not just any old carrot soup

In between blissing out on the blooming dogwoods and admiring the spring window decorations, I have been finishing up a pillow sham with the leftover fabric from the spots and stripes quilt. A pillow sham is a good place to practice quilting and piecing ideas without getting all serious about it. I learn best from doing things... even if they don't turn out quite as planned, it helps me figure out the best way to make something. 

There was also time for a lunch out with friends, where I ordered the carrot soup to start. But it wasn't just any old carrot soup. It was a curried carrot soup with spiced peanuts, pepitas, cilantro and bits of curried mango chutney on top.

Can you say DELICIOUS? I forced everyone at the table to take up their spoons and try a bite. It wasn't difficult. I hope The Restaurant at 1900 keeps it on their lunch menu until I am able to get back there and have it again. Next week might be too soon, but not the week after that. 

Life is unfolding, we are partaking

Todays rambles started by the water and then veered off in new directions. Things call, we follow. 



If you ever run across a pistachio cream croissant in a pastry case you are going to want to try it. If it has rose petals on the top, all the better. Sister preferred the pistachio loaf. You can’t go wrong with either.

While we ate, we enjoyed life going on around us. There was excellent people watching for entertainment - friends greeting each other, spontaneous coffee dates.  Delightful store windows full of fanciful items. 

We wandered through Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden near by, where the coral trees are in full bloom. There was a forest of acanthus, some fine Morton Bay Fig trees, a very fit couple doing yoga, and a smiling 18 month old sitting with his mother on a blanket who was fascinated by the garbage truck across the street.

Sweetshade trees covered in yellow and white blossoms fill the air with a fragrance that is a cross between plumeria, jasmine, and Victorian box.  Sigh. 

The days slide by. We tell them to slow down. We sit with dear people, making art, sharing stories, eating corn and cheese arepas with tomato soup and apple slices.

Nice strangers offer to take our picture and we agree. Life is unfolding, we are partaking.

long and tall and that's not all

Tonight it’s a mish-mash of links, updates, photos, recommendations... take what you need and leave the rest for someone else. 

In the event that you have never heard of Lusia Harris, please do yourself the favor of watching this documentary.  It's only 20 minutes and is the story of an ordinary woman who did amazing things and I LOVE that the NYT had this in the paper last weekend to pique my interest. 
Link to the story: Long and Tall and That's not all 
She is the first woman to make a basket in the history of women's basketball in the olympics. Did I say she was ordinary? I meant extraordinary. 

It's shamrock season. Get one! You can put it on your porch as soon as it's warm enough. It will flourish with very little care all summer. Doesn't like too much sun. 

This is a lovely story which takes about 10 minutes to read, if you stretch it out. It is the perfect encapsulation of the joy of simple things.

Baking the bananas for 30 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit made delicious banana bread.  I think the baking amps up the flavor of the bananas. Poke them with a fork before you put them in the oven so they won't explode. 

We watched "This is Us" Friday night and the song below was featured. I haven't stopped humming it all day.  Oh the power of music from certain periods of your life... especially high school... enough said. 

Our dear friends Johnny and Annette were traveling through KC this weekend and Chris and I hopped over to swoop them up for a few hours before they had to catch a flight home. It was most excellent. Will we ever again take for granted the ability to see the people we love? I hope not. 

the scones, the scrap play, the daffodils, and all 3 together

The last piece of pumpkin bread,  baked in November then sliced and carefully wrapped and frozen, was eaten last week. Which means the freezer is bare and some other kind of breakfast treat must be baked. Recipes were scanned, what haven't I had for a good long while? Oatmeal pecan scones with maple glaze were chosen. Except I forgot to add the pecans into the batter.  How does that happen? No worry, they were chopped and placed on top between layers of maple glaze to adhere them to the surface. 

Other creating included playing around with triangles.  So many possibilities for what to do with the rest of these quilt scraps. 

The fun of re-arranging, and re-arranging, and re-arranging shapes should not be under estimated.



Daffodil days have arrived. 

Eating the scone while looking at the daffodils and thinking about patterns and shapes makes for a pretty good start to any day. The scones (even with the nuts on top instead of inside) were perfect. The toasted oat flavor is hard to beat.  Be sure not to overwork the dough, you are going to think they will not hold together but they will, less handling = more tenderness. These are not too sweet. If you want them even less sweet sprinkle with sugar before baking and don't put the glaze on. Either way they are really good. 

Highly recommended. The scones, the scrap play, the daffodils, and all 3 together.  

Link to previous post with this recipe: maple pecan scones

why that would be their idea of THE meal to serve

Recently, brother told me about a new pumpkin bread recipe he was trying. In my mind I was all, "well there can't be one better than my favorite", but to him I said "sounds good". Then he described it and sent a photo and told me the recipe was from Smitten Kitchen and I said to myself "well it can't hurt to try it, might as well be open-minded". 

So here's the deal. It's really moist. It uses a whole can of pumpkin and makes a perfect bundt pan amount of batter. I like to cook my quick breads in a bundt pan because I find they bake more evenly that way... no underdone middle and overdone sides and ends. It is MORE pumpkin forward than what I thought was the best recipe for pumpkin bread.  We add raisins and nuts in the Moss family because that's how we roll. I substituted sugar in the raw for the cinnamon-sugar mixture you are supposed to sprinkle on before baking. I didn't want the cinnamon to overtake the pumpkin. The top has a perfect crust which makes using an electric knife (if you have one) a must when cutting, to keep from breaking all that glorious crispness up. 

One day, I want to have dinner with Deb Perelman (Smitten Kitchen), Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman), and Joy Wilson (Joy the Baker). But I want to be invisible and just soak it all in while they have a conversation about what they would each serve if the other 2 (and me) were coming over for a meal. Cocktails, appetizers, dinner, dessert, the whole nine yards.. and why that would be their idea of THE meal to serve. When this happens I will be sure to take excellent notes, and share the details with all of you. 

P.S. If you are mainly just interested in the pumpkin bread recipe, it can be found here.

when I did not wax poetic for so long about the file cabinets in my brain or my theories about a good life

I heard a line today from someone about how it is easier to recall memories that are unhappy while sometimes the good ones glide by and are lost.  I wonder if that is so. Maybe?  I know I can recall with absolute clarity various incidents when someone has "done me wrong".  I could recount very specific details to you, even years after the fact. 

Wouldn't it be great if we could go in for a mind cleanse? A procedure of sorts where you could isolate things you would rather just forget about... if only you could let it go. Think about the space that would provide for your good memories to breathe and emerge renewed, with greater color and depth.  

I am forever on the path of trying to look for the good in the everyday, thinking this will lead to a more peaceful, satisfied life. It's just so darn easy to get tripped up by things we can't do a thing about. At least not in the present moment.  

Now this Brookie, pictured above, is something I do have control over, that is simple and delicious, can be eaten in several sittings and I am pretty sure when I recall it in years to come it will have grown even more epic in flavor and pushed some bad stuff out of my head.

It's kind of an example of more is more. A sharp contrast to last night's post when I did not wax poetic for so long about the file cabinets in my brain, or my theories about a good life.  In case you are wondering, the Brookie is an unusual combination of a crisp chocolate chip cookie, a deep, dark, moist chocolate brownie, and cream cheese frosting all rolled into one attractive package. It's available from those Chonky fellows at the Lawrence Farmers market. I think we have 4 or 5 more markets until the end of the season in case you were wondering. 

making a pumpkin pie on October 3rd because you can

I made a pumpkin pie this weekend. Because I could. Because last year I only made one all season and a certain balancing out was called for. Pumpkin pie is one of my very favorite desserts. Starting way back when I was a kid and I got in trouble for sticking my finger right in the middle of the pie because I just couldn't wait. What was I thinking? Oh yeah, that I needed a taste right at that exact moment and nothing was getting in the way. I have always known my mind when it comes to food. 

It's nice being an adult and being able to decide to make a pumpkin pie on October 3rd just because you want to,  and YOU are in charge of all things pumpkin. 

If possible, I am getting better at making crust. Mostly because I feel less intimidated. Using the food processor helps. As does getting used to your recipe. Aunt Lois I do hope you are watching me, and smiling with approval,  from your corner of the collective universal consciousness. 

There was a time when my favorite pumpkin pie had a crunchy pecan topping on it. These days I just like a creamy texture that stands up on it's own, with plenty of good flavor, but not overwhelmed by any one spice. I have been using America's Test Kitchen recipe which calls for sweet potatoes and fresh ginger. See photo at the end of this post with the recipe. 

The filling is cooked first, then pressed through a strainer, which is a little bit fussy but worth every ounce of effort expended. 

This pie is thick and I like it equally well with or without whipped cream. 

Just put it on a plate and let me have at it, so I don't have to stick my finger in it and risk getting in trouble. I erased from my mind any punishment I incurred for that infraction. It's possible there was none. That's the way I am choosing to remember it, that Angie understood my need and just let it go. 

Happy October everyone.  Which one of you wants to volunteer to come over and root around in a few boxes in my basement and find that Halloween banner that goes on the mantel? The reward will be a piece of pie with your choice of beverage. 

what would you guys have done with them

So here are the sand hill plums from Saturdays market. The ones the farmer warned me would NEED sugar.  As soon as I got home I popped one in my mouth after rinsing and ... oh lord he wasn't kidding! Sour doesn't even begin to describe the pucker factor.

But in the spirit of perseverance, and channeling my inner CHOPPED chef persona, I decided to make a syrup. Why not?

Easier than jelly and a perfect accompaniment to greek yogurt or oatmeal/quinoa topped with bananas and flakes of coconut - a fruity/tart replacement for honey. 

It may be good on ice cream or a vanilla custard - I haven't tried that yet. Or, what about a nice thick piece of toast with ricotta cheese, blueberries, a sprinkle of chopped toasted walnuts and a drizzle of sand hill plum syrup? 

I did make a refreshing cocktail with apple vodka, plum syrup, and club soda. It wasn't the best cocktail I have every made, but it was also by no means the worst. Further experimentation is needed. If you have some sour plums you need to use, here is what I did. They were put in a pot and covered with water, brought to a boil, let the skins burst, mashed them up a bit, let them cool, and strained them. This left me with 2 cups of strained plum liquid to which I added 2 cups of sugar, that was brought to a boil, cooked down a bit, skimmed the top and poured in jars. 

Tell me what you guys would have done with them? I am dying to know. 

I fully intend to do my part to support it

In Douglas county, where Lawrence is situated, 56% of our population has been vaccinated against COVID-19 and our vulnerability level is rated as "low". For this reason, and because I have been been fully vaccinated, and because no one would have been able to stop me... Sunday, I went to Alchemy Coffee on Massachusetts street. It re-opened this weekend to my great delight and I fully intend to do my part to support it.  

I sat at my favorite seat by the window, looked out at the passers by, sipped on my latte, listened to the music, enjoyed the snippets of conversation that floated my way intermittently, and reveled in the feeling of the world being normal, for me, in this exact moment. Because that's what we have to do don't you think? Grab on to each moment for what it is before something else changes?

I might have also got a piece of key lime pie to go. For dessert after dinner. Because they had it, I haven't tasted it previously, it's supposed to be sublime, I want to put my money where my mouth is in terms of supporting them, and what if things shut down again soon and I don't get the chance? Life is short, I am on the "live fully" page. 

This is the perfect place for you to come and sit after the walk through old west Lawrence I told you about previously. You don't have to get pie, but why wouldn't you? 

Helpful link: Alchemy coffee

 

It is now fully lodged into the summer of 2021 morning porch beverage rotation

MY latest seasonal refreshment comes courtesy of the NYT summer cooking section. I find it best served in a tall canning jar with a lid. Because it just seems better that way. Why? I don't know. Why does anything taste better in a canning jar? Because it seems nostalgic? Because you have to do something with all those jars? 

Here's the REAL truth... when you are loading up your hands with a Vietnamese Iced Coffee, phone, iPad, matches to light the candle, and journal to take out to the front porch and you believe it is important to do it in one trip (who doesn't) and you also need to unlock the door, having a lid on your beverage is super smart. Trust me on this. 

This iced coffee drink is sweet, creamy, and boldly satisfying. The good thing is if it's too sweet for you, just add some more coffee. If it's not sweet enough, spoon in some more sweetened condensed milk. 

The other great thing is when your glass is empty, you can walk right inside and get a refill. Or a half a refill. You are the boss of your refill requirement. It might also be good with a sprinkle of cinnamon, or some cardamom?

About 10 or so years ago (can it really be that long), Sister and I went over to Jeanette Sclar's house in Kansas City for a garden tour and she made us one of these. I've never forgotten it, but didn't think to try making one myself until the recipe in the NYT last weekend triggered that taste memory. It is now fully lodged into the summer of 2021 morning porch beverage rotation. 

Joan's narrow escape from a carbon monoxide incident

Behold the Fraternite. My cocktail before dinner last night with the Quails at Aixois. It's the perfect summer aperitif, citrusy but with a touch of sweetness, cold, light, refreshing... made up of pear and ginger liqueurs, lime, simple syrup and sparkling wine.

We sat outside on the patio, where there were twinkling lights, the occasional soft breeze, and wonderful smells wafting out of the kitchen. The Quails have been going back and celebrating all the birthday dinners that we missed during the pandemic. In person. Together. 

Each item on the menu was evaluated, selections made carefully... I started with the Gazpacho, topped with a sliced avocado and a drizzle of olive oil. Smoothly blended, cool, perfectly seasoned, accompanied by baguette with butter and my drink. I could have stopped there, but did not.

We discussed Joan's narrow escape from a carbon monoxide incident, whether Nancy should have purchased a new pair of Gizeh's versus having the bed and cork replaced on her 12 year old pair, and there was discussion about our days working together and how we recognized then how good we had it. A large portion of the conversation near the end of our dinner was of course about WHERE we should go next. I wanted to come back to Aixois again next month, but realize the expansion of our repertoire is important. 

You may expect that I will be reporting back in July about the culinary delights we encounter on our next outing. 

Chris believes in making them every year

Although St. Patrick's day has come and gone, I would like to report that we continue to enjoy shamrocks and shortbread here at Tall Tales Headquarters.

As soon as the weather warms up a bit, the shamrock will head out to the front porch. The cookies on the other hand, will be long gone by then. There simply is nothing better than a crisp edged, buttery, firm/chewy center, shortbread cookie. Period. End of story. 

P.S. I love that Chris believes in making them every year. 

P.P.S. recipe below if you are interested. 

eight lovely, warm, crispy, soft, nutty, scones

The toasted oat, maple/nut, scone above came about recently because of snow. Glittery snow. 

Which of course made me think of sparkly sugar.

And it was all downhill from there. 

Oats were toasted with pecans, chopping was done, an egg was mixed with cream and milk, my hands got all sticky, a mess was made.

But at the end of all that, there were eight lovely, warm, crispy, soft, nutty, scones. 

Which make a fine breakfast on their own, but can also be joined by mangos and blueberries with greek yogurt on the side. The coffee is not negotiable, though in a pinch tea would also be perfect. 

Delicious right to the last crumbs. Which of course were eaten as well. Then the dishes were done. 

If you are not a fan of a glaze on top, it is not required. 

They freeze well. Recipe below if you are interested.

I make these and lemon cherry scone once every few years. These in the colder months, the lemon cherry in the spring or summer. I like to imagine sitting outside at an English cottage garden when I am eating them. To be able to dream is a wonderful thing. 

Click on it to make it bigger. 

 

a sturdy, farmhouse cake, with a tart lemon flavor, moist crumb, and buttery undertones

Yesterday, when our temperatures dipped into the single digits, and it was generally unpleasant outside, we tucked ourselves in, cozied ourselves up, and stayed put.

There was this lemon meringue slab cake to make and heels to turn. No matter that the only color of reinforcing yarn I have is not a perfect match for these socks. It will remind me in years to come that I made them during the depths of winter in a pandemic and "made do". 

I haven't made socks in a year or so. It does make me feel especially clever when these non-intuitive aspects of knitting are accomplished successfully. 

There was also a ZOOM early birthday celebration for Chris and Ann. We each made our own cheeseboard, opened a bottle of wine, discussed exercise programs and ring lights and a new gluten free bakery, played the intitial game, and decided that this was a perfectly acceptable way to celebrate.

But back to the cake. It has been calling my name since I saw the photo on the magazine.  

It did not disappoint. In fact, it exceeded my expectations. A sturdy, farmhouse cake, with a tart lemon flavor, moist crumb, and buttery undertones. The meringue is life-changing. I do not believe I am overstating that. This recipe will be my new go-to meringue for Aunt Mabel's chocolate pie. It is thick and smooth, slightly sweet but not overbearing, the perfect consistency, it sticks to your lips when you take a bite causing you to lick them repeatedly as you murmur "mmmmm". 

Recipe enclosed in link above so you don't have to take my word for it. 

light and lemony but not too tart

End of December sunset, captured by Chris.

Today the most productive thing I did was to practice making a French 75. To be sure the recipe didn't need fine tuning before tomorrow night (it did not). Chris and I will be spending a quiet New Years Eve at home, like we do every single year. But that is no reason not to have a special drink and toast.

I used this recipe because it called for Cognac and I just happened to find a bottle in the back of my liquor cabinet the other day when I was looking for brandy for a peanut butter brandy alexander, which is another story for another time. This recipe is lovely. Light and lemony but not too tart, bubbly and festive. It goes quite well with a nutty Spanish manchego and smokehouse almonds if you happen to have those on hand. If not, popcorn is perfect. 

The first time I had a French 75 was at Il Centro, a Kansas City "original" restaurant. A few years later I had one at Cafe Provence, another restaurant unique to Kansas City. Every time I sip one, I recall the friends, food, aromas, laughter, and overall ambiance of those times. A perfect reason to select this drink to bid farewell to 2020 and hello to 2021. Even though my friends will not be with me, I carry them with me, in spirit. 

it's more salty than sweet, but still a little sweet

As you will recall, at Tall Tales Headquarters, Chris is in charge of meal planning and preparation. Especially for the holidays. This year we are breaking from tradition and Beef Wellington is on the menu for December 25th. I might have mentioned that it sounded like it would be good. Possibly, I even suggested he fix it. In a way that made it seem like it was his idea of course. 

Just to be clear, I will be in charge of the Brussels sprouts, and maybe a salad on the side. Plus, I saw a recipe for Ritz Cracker Shortbread the other week that I could not stop thinking about. Ritz Cracker shortbread? I know, ridiculous.  Who needs that? 

Except it turns out maybe I do? 

Recipe above in link, but basically ritz crackers, powdered sugar, a stick of butter, and a teaspoon of kosher salt. All pulsed in food processor, pressed in pan, pricked with a fork, and baked.  

Unexpectedly, it's more salty than sweet, but still a little sweet. If that makes sense.

It pairs very nicely with a glass of champagne. But it's equally good with that last few sips of a bold red for dessert. 

Here's what I'm doing with it. On Christmas Day, around 3pm I am going to make us a heck of a charcuterie board with cheese, salami, grapes, almonds, dried apricots, cornichons, a bit of honey, mustard, table water crackers, and Ritz Cracker shortbread for that extra little bit of zing.  It is perfectly crisp, melts in your mouth, and doesn't fall apart in your hands.  As Andy Griffith would say "good cracker". 

get out your holiday napkins and something salty to go with

Thank you "half baked harvest" for this recipe for a creamy coconut White Russian. 

I have no clear memory for why I have coconut rum in my liquor cabinet, but this drink is the reason that it will stay in there as a staple.  

I followed her recipe to the letter... except I did not make the simple syrup as suggested and instead used a plain simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar) I already had on hand.  I also substituted half and half for the coconut milk that I didn't have. I stirred it all up with a cinnamon stick and left it in there for garnish as well. I found this combination of cinnamon, coffee, and coconut to be very equally balanced. 

Lordy, this is creamy and smooth. The perfect after dinner cocktail OR, if I may be so bold, the perfect cocktail for the next ZOOM holiday get together you have. 

Please get out your holiday napkins and something salty to go with. Tell your friends ahead of time so they can each make one for themselves too.  

P.S.  Ann Mulvenon we are having these at our house as soon as it's safe for you and Dan to come over. To celebrate your "Thriver" recognition, and just because it is that good. 

which may be a first in the history of this blog

You have probably consumed all of your holiday leftovers by this time, but if there is still some stuffing hiding in your refrigerator, you may want to try a "Leftover Holiday Salad". Yes, Chris looked somewhat askance when I told him I was making this, ELEVEN days after Thanksgiving. He has a more delicate constitution than I and is not a proponent of the "if it smells ok, it's ok" rule, which I follow. 

So the key ingredient is your leftover stuffing which should be cubed and placed on a cookie sheet (sprayed with olive oil) in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Key ingredient #2 is dried cranberries that you are going to pour some red wine vinegar over and get a quick pickle on them. Twenty minutes is plenty of time. 

Rest of ingredients are variable - I used chopped romaine, chopped smoked turkey, some roasted broccoli, chopped apple, and a few walnuts. All of this in whatever ratio works for you. Dressing was leftover from the Thanksgiving slaw - 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 T maple syrup, 4 tsp. dijon mustard, 1/3 cup finely minced red onion, 1/2 tsp kosher salt.  Mix it all together and let it sit while so flavors mix nicely. This was an excellent dressing which I will make regularly for dressing any kind of greens.  

I am already planning to make a pan of stuffing in February sometime, just so I can make croutons out of it. They really are that good. This salad has superseded my previous favorite way to use leftovers which was the toasted bread, cream cheese, turkey, cranberry sauce, sandwich AKA the cranky turkey.

Thus concludes the leftover post, which may be a first in the history of this blog, and is rightfully filed in the completely mundane category. Please feel free to share your dirty (or not) leftover secrets in the comments. 

an ode to pie

In case you were wondering, which you probably weren't, but pretend like you were, because I want to tell you about it. The thanksgiving pumpkin pie was very good.

The crust was not soggy or underdone, but nicely browned through and through. Crust is important. 

There was just the right amount of filling. It was not flat, nor did it overflow the crust and create a mess in the oven. There was a proper mouth-full in every bite. 

This pie was gently seasoned with fresh ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It was not "spicy", nor was it bland. Not too sweet and it did not leave me wanting anything different. Whipped cream is of course optional. I find myself liking a bit of it these days. 

Finally, the texture is not rubbery or too soft. It is not a pudding nor is it a flan. It's a perfect creamy smoothness that can stand on it's own, yet melts in your mouth. Thank you for listening to me wax poetic over one of my very favorite things about thanksgiving. The PIE. 

Which brings me to my VERY favorite thing about thanksgiving... the hike in the morning. Even though we cancelled our family dinner, we did hike with family in the area. Outside in the sun and 40 degrees, it was nice to say Hi after so many months. 

A good hike before the meal makes me feel virtuous. It gives me license to indulge myself with no guilt. Tom and Jan have volunteered to find the Christmas Day hike for us in the Kansas City area since there will be no big family gathering for that either. It's a great way to see family with much less risk of passing the virus between us. 

For entertainment, after dinner, Chris and I watched Grumpy Old Men, our first "holiday" movie of the season. I do hope the rest of our list turns out to be as entertaining as this was. Light and amusing, it required neither heavy thinking or Kleenex. Though at the very end when they showed out-takes of Burgess Meredith running one scene over and over, I did laugh till I cried. 

who's making what this year

This was my recent "scouting expedition" for a turkey day hike. We haven't hiked at the wetlands before on Thanksgiving. Something new is always fun. The potential for getting lost (highly unlikely) always adds an element of excitement to a hike. 

Plus the golds and blues are sure pretty right now. Who among us doesn't need a reminder that the world remains a beautiful place.

Wearing my new gore-tex lined shoes for trail walking, I got adventurous and took a few turns off my "usual" route. My reward was a lovely view of the river and an alternate way to the lotus ponds.

Which are of course looking very different right now. As are the cattails below. I happen to think the dried lotus pods and the burst open fluffy appearance of the cattails are just as interesting in every phase of their life-cycle. 

I just read that the shoots and rhizomes of cattails are edible. But I am going to pass on looking for a recipe for them to add to the turkey day feast. Speaking of... who's making what this year? Let me know if your family favorite should bump something off my menu which includes: turkey, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes/gravy, thanksgiving slaw, some other green vegetable (maybe), cranberries, rolls, and pumpkin pie. Just because there are only 2 of us is no reason to diminish the celebration. 

halloween napkin optional, but highly recommended

My halloween started with a walk by the light of a very full moon in the west which gave way to a lovely sunrise in the east. Temps in the mid 40's, light breezes, the thought of 3 days off ahead. I'll take all that over a bucket of candy anyday. 

Especially when you are making baked pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast.

With lots of warm fall spices that get toasted along with the oats and pumpkin before baking. 

Then topped with pears, apples, walnuts, greek yogurt, and a drizzle of bourbon syrup. Coffee on the side. 

Halloween napkin optional, but highly recommended. 

There was also a lovely art ZOOM with sister, Sharron, and Joyce with a surprise cameo appearance by Dottie. While they all sketched I worked on my napkin scrap creation. There is much satisfaction to be gained from moving squares of fabric around in different configurations.

Topics of conversation included, but were not limited to the following:
Bicycle safety, why "family standards" are always the preferred recipes at the Thanksgiving table, and our unanimous agreement with the idea that "the world will be saved by beauty".  

I hope you spent your All Hallows' Eve in an equally satisfactory manner. 

P.S. I could not resist one more shot of the pumpkin oatmeal from a different angle. 

the apples are tender and juicy, the topping crunchy and not too sweet

Because fall is almost as much about apples as it is about pumpkins, let me remind you that apple crisp is the cousin of the apple pie. The gentler, easier to get along with cousin. That needs no special handling. 

If you are not serving this pretty quickly after you bake it, take 10 seconds and warm it in the microwave before you put the ice cream on the side. It's worth it. The apples are tender and juicy, the topping crunchy and not too sweet. 

Recipe below if you are interested. It's equally delicious if you make it gluten free or just use regular flour and regular oats. 

when fueled by the flavor of pumpkin

While scrolling through Instagram this week, I came upon this: Monarch Coffee Sweet Potato Latte

I should have prefaced the link with a warning - LOOK AT YOUR OWN RISK. Because ever since I laid eyes on it, I can't get it out of my mind. The description has wormed it's way into my brain. "The Sweet Potato Latte - brown sugar, sweet potato, clove, espresso, and milk. Garnished with a torched nutmeg and vanilla marshmallow". 

I got a sweet potato latte monkey on my back and no matter how many leaves I roll in, or loaves of pumpkin bread I make, or mums I buy, or Halloween crack (candy corn and cocktail peanuts) I eat, I fear it will not be satisfied until I get myself there.  

In the meantime...

... there was this.

Which was darn good and tasty, with a cup of regular Joe on the side.  I have taken to making my pumpkin bread in a bundt pan because it cooks more evenly than in a loaf pan, where the ends seem to get over done, while waiting for the middle to catch up. One large, one small. Perfect. 

The lesson I learned today is that a cooking spray, used with a heavy hand, works as well, if not better than a liberally applied layer of crisco for greasing a bundt pan.

It is also much easier to clean afterwards. A quick clean up is important on a Saturday morning, at the end of September, when fueled by the flavor of pumpkin, I am ready to take on whatever comes my way. 

Helpful links: Pumpkin Bread Recipe

do not worry if they don't look like the picture

Plans to make a tomato corn pie this week were pushed aside when I saw a recipe this week for apple dumplings.  Not that tomato corn pie, which would be for lunch, is in any way similar to a baked apple dumpling which is clearly for dessert. Except that they both involve making crust and take a bit of time. 

The recipe is for 8.  I cut it down to 2. Which means 4 servings, because unless you are a marathon runner or a teenage boy, you can't possibly add all those calories to your day.  Take my word for it, 1/2 of a dumpling is plenty. 

I have never made a baked apple before, which means I hadn't cored an apple with the intent of leaving it mostly intact. It was easy. Except Chris kept watching me because he was sure I was going to stick the knife through my hand or cut off a finger. I did neither. 

As of this writing, the fate of the 2 extra mini crusts is unknown, but I will think of something. 

These are not hard to make by the way, though if you are not a crust making expert, you may curse a bit as you get the apple's wrapped. 

But it's very do-able, especially if you grab some waxed paper to roll it out on, then use that to help shape the crust around the apple. Do not worry if they don't look like the picture. 

Because the bottom line is, they eat like the picture.

Especially with a bit of vanilla bean ice cream.

I parceled them out into individual ramekins to be heated up as needed... for a very tasty, tender, gooey, carmelly, apple-licious treat. 

sigh. moan. freeze most of them.

At least 10 years ago, I made some ginger cookies with an orange/gingery cream frosting sandwiched between 2 spicy, crispy on the outside - soft on the inside cookies. It could be that I made them a few times. Then somehow I didn't get back to them. Until this week.

I don't think I'll wait so long in between batches next time.

My brother tells me that it was in fact HE that gave ME the recipe. But I am pretty sure he doesn't have the original recipe that was torn out of the February 2008 Oprah Magazine. And if he did he wouldn't admit it. 

Ginger, molasses, cinnamon, and cloves are perfectly paired - none overpowering the other. 

This is not a fussy cookie to make, mix, chill, roll, sugar, flatten, bake.

Cool, frost, sandwich.

Stack, photograph, sample.

Sigh. Moan. Freeze most of them.

Especially if you are a household with mainly just one sweet eater. In pandemic times, bringing treats to works just isn't a thing.  

P.S. They are really excellent when eaten frozen.  Kind of like brownies are. And key lime pie. and... and... and...

Helpful links:  

cookie recipe

 

on a mission to keep the classics alive

Sometimes, after a Saturday night hamburger, Hawaiian macaroni salad, key lime pie, three glasses of red wine, dinner party for two at home, I like to take myself over to the worship service where the big bells ring and the stairs are plentiful. 

This walk is also good after Chris makes fajitas, we drench avocados in lime juice, fix a pot of mom's Spanish rice, and watch "A Series of Unfortunate Events" with Jim Carrey and Meryl Streep (to name a few). I might have taken a piece of key lime pie out of the freezer to have for dessert.  

Photos are few as I concentrated on matters at hand. Up. Down. Up. Down. 

Helpful links related to dinners include:

The Pioneer Woman's beef fajitas. Excellent. We will make again and again and again.

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad from Cooks Country.  Make this exactly according to the recipe. To. Die. For.
Keeps well for a week in the refrigerator. 

In case you are at a loss for entertainment, below are the trailers for the movie mentioned above (free on amazon prime) as well as The Ghost and Mr. Chicken with Don Knotts from 1966, which will not appeal to all but we enjoyed. I was telling someone at work about it and they did not know who Don Knotts was. It was the same person who did not know who Laurel and Hardy were. I am on a mission to keep the classics alive.  

 

he could smell the motor working overtime

This morning, using a somewhat loose interpretation of this recipe, I whipped up my first açaí bowl. It started with making some granola using this tried and true favorite recipe.

I put some flaked coconut in it because that seemed like a good idea. 

I even sliced and froze the very ripe banana ahead of time because that's what the açaí bowl recipe said to do. 

I did not "chop up" the packet of frozen açaí puree, but will the next time since we don't have a super duper blender like a vitamix or a blentec. Chris said he thought we might need one "if you are going to be making those regularly". He said he could "smell the motor working overtime". Me on the other hand, I think chopping up that big frozen block of açaí puree will do the trick, the blender handled the frozen mango chunks and bananas just fine. 

I should have taken a photo before sprinkling the granola on top. I was totally surprised by how simple it was and how good it tasted. Tomorrow, version #2. Which will be the same as version #1 except for the frozen açaí puree chopping. I love learning that something I thought would be difficult is in fact, very easy. And delicious. Frankly I was a little amazed the texture even came out right. If I become an açaí bowl expert, the next time I am in Carpinteria I will have to have a conversation with the lucky llama açaí bowl chef. We can discuss trade secrets and blending/chopping techniques. I feel certain they will be quite interested in my methods.

things I have "put up" from the market

In case you were wondering (which you probably weren't), I did use a bag of blueberries, uncovered by accident in the bottom drawer of the freezer, carefully preserved from last year's farmers market, to make Blueberry Snack Cake last week.

When lunch time comes, and I pull our a jar of soup and a piece of this carefully wrapped cake, and sit down at my desk, it feels like I have been seated at a roadside diner off a two lane highway in the middle of the great midwest. It's not fancy. It's just good.  

I was lamenting the fact that I had 2 bags of these that I hadn't used. Until I learned this week that the farmers market opening has been delayed from April 11th until May 30th. I can't recall if that means I will miss the height of blueberry season.  I don't think so.  I think that's late June in Kansas. But the thought of one more of these cakes will help me get through not seeing all my farmer friends.   

I am luxuriating in baking these days. Especially a simple recipe like this that requires minimal ingredients, that I usually have on hand, with the exception of the buttermilk that is easily substituted with regular milk with a bit of vinegar. I do LOVE using things I have "put up" from the market. 

these are G. Double O. D.

I take my temperature each morning before leaving the house for work. A temp above 100 degrees Fahrenheit means I must stay home. Pretty soon, in addition to that, I am going to have to weigh myself daily. Here is why.

These are the Ultimate Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits from America's Test Kitchen.

When Chris and I watched the episode where they were featured, we were taken by how easy they came together, and the rolling and folding technique used. So when Chris decided he was making "orange stew" for supper the other night, I told him I would take charge of the biscuits.

These are folded into a square, the outside ends trimmed off to encourage rising, cut into nine pieces, and brushed with butter of course.

When I got to this phase I was high-fiving myself like a complete fool. Seriously though, don't they look perfect?

Without a trace of modesty, I will say they were super flaky and tender, not doughy, tough, or dry. Plus they were crispy on the top, sides, and bottom. And they rose really high. 

So you see the need for the daily weights. A weight gain of more than 2-3 pounds overnight means I need to lay off the biscuits for a day or two. 

They need no added butter, honey, jam, jelly, or cane ribbon syrup. They are perfect as is. But don't take my word for it. Recipe below if you need it.

P.S. They ARE ultimate AND flaky. I think all my Louisiana aunts (Ola, Lois, Beatrice, Mabel, and Pauline) would approve. They would also put their "hand-mixed, on the countertop, sans bowl or measuring utensils" biscuits up against these without batting an eye. The Louisiana aunts all were prize winning biscuit makers. All this to say, I know a good biscuit when I have one.

These are G. Double O. D.

four reasons to try them

Because one whole lime poke cake was not enough, I also made 27 cookies this week. The recipe is supposed to make 9 dozen, if you make teaspoon sized cookies. Who does that?

These are the "Mint Devils Food Cookies" from the June 1988 Creative Ideas for Living magazine  (yes I still have it). I made a few modifications improvements to the recipe.

They have been a March tradition around here for 30 + years.

Super easy.

Reliably delicious.

Recipe usually requested. 

Freeze well.  That's 4 reasons to try them. Enough said. 

Recipe: 1 bag or 2 boxes of Andes mints wafers (chopped), 1 package devils food cake mix, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 beaten eggs, 1 cup chopped walnuts.  Throw everything in a bowl and mix it up (I don't use a beater, just a big spoon).  Form into loose balls, put them on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. The original recipe calls for melting a mint on top of each cookie but that's too much work for me so I just put them all in the cookie batter. The original also calls for dry roasted peanuts and coconut - which just seemed wrong, thus the walnut substitution. 

it's an excellent dessert after pizza, pork fried rice, or salad

This happened the other day at our house. It was inevitable, so we made no attempt to fight it.

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. FYI the photo above is shown with the amount of sprinkles that Chris prefers. Which is clearly inadequate.

It comes together lickety split, bake the cake, make the jello, poke the holes, pour the jello, whip the cream, sprinkle the sugar.  Recipe here.

It goes down real easy too, especially when the proportion of cake to whipped cream to crunchy sugar topping is just right, as shown above. 

Really moist, not overly sweet, a little bit tart, I could eat a whole line of the 9x13 pan. In one sitting. But restrict myself to a square. All things in moderation is a motto to live by. 

One could easily substitute whipped cream in a can instead of whipping it yourself, but I do like that drapey, soft, melty consistency of the freshly whipped.

It's an excellent dessert after pizza, pork fried rice, or salad. I should know, I've had it after all 3 and will have more tonight after spaghetti and meat balls. 

The end.  Happy St. Patrick's Day to one and all, near and far. 

making new memories to pile on top of all the old ones

Scenes from a day well spent.

If you haven't been to Monarch Coffee in midtown Kansas City, you might want to scurry over there. Nancy told me they were voted best coffee in Missouri by Food and Wine magazine so you know I had to try it. 

I broke from my usual routine and got the "malted milk latte". After the delightful fellow below described it to me as tasting like you "bit into a whopper", how could I not? He also brought us our own bottle of water and glasses. Which we hadn't even requested. Unheard of, and yet such a nice touch.  

Joan and I laughed, talked a mile a minute, filled up our eyes with all things SPRING at J'Adore and then stopped at Heirloom Bakery for lunch.

Not just any lunch. The "Melt" consisted of a sandwich on pressed whole wheat granola bread, with sour cherry bacon jam, white cheddar, thin slices of Granny Smith apple, shallots, toasted walnuts, garlic tarragon goat cheese spread, and spinach.  All toasted up, nice and melty like. If you are still standing you should call and see when they are featuring it again. It was that good. 

This photo in no way does justice to the sandwich, but what it does do is show you they know what they are doing when they toast their bread. Crispy, buttery, smoky, tart, creamy and it all went well with a kale salad.  

Flowers on the table never hurt either. Nor do pretty paper straws.

Oh it had been a while since Joan and I hung out together. Too long. Consider this your reminder to call up your old pals and go spend some time together making new memories to pile on top of all the old ones. 

a simple, elegant, unusual dessert for Thanksgiving dinner

Every once in a while, I get seriously intrigued by a recipe, and can not get it out of my mind until I try it. 

This was one of those. A cranberry walnut pie that was in the local newspaper last weekend.

To me it sounded like a nice twist on a pecan pie.

Since I had all the ingredients except the cranberries and the walnuts (which Chris happily added to his shopping list), AND there was still one "store bought pie crust" in the refrigerator from the chocolate pie making last month, it seemed quite clear this should be made. 

Aren't cranberries just so beautiful? 

I resisted mightily the urge to add some brown sugar to this.  It seemed to me that only 1/2 cup of sweetener (from honey, molasses, and maple syrup) would not be enough to counteract the tartness of the berries. 

But I was wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. And this is so right. 

It is tart, but not so much that you squint when you taste it. It is crunchy and nutty from the walnuts. The spices blend perfectly with no one overpowering the other.  The hints of bourbon, orange, and molasses are unexpected and completely delightful. Even in a store bought crust, this is wonderful. 

The recipe makes 2 pies, so I halved it. I sort of wonder how it would be in a tart pan with a shortbread crust.

If you are a fan of rhubarb pie. You will love this. If you dislike overly sweet deserts, this has your name written all over it. If you want to make a simple, elegant, unusual dessert for Thanksgiving dinner, this is your pie. 

served with steaming cups of hot coffee and a big cloth napkin

I recently featured Aunt Mabel's chocolate pie here. In that post I mentioned how my dad's sisters also made exceptional biscuits. When we were growing up, and went down to Provencal or Shreveport (Louisiana) to visit, at most meals there were biscuits, and always a tin of Steens Cane syrup to drizzle on top.

Honey is what I put on my biscuits, but I do like a good "syrup cake" made with Steens.

It's kind of like gingerbread - a warm, spicy, dark, rich, moist, cake. But a bit less sweet.

I like it best for breakfast. With plain greek yogurt and fruit with a drizzle of honey and chopped walnuts. In my next life, when I have a bookstore with a coffee bar, this selection will be available during the months of October and November. Served with steaming cups of hot coffee and a large, thick, cloth napkin. Because when cake is this tall, and must go in your mouth alongside the fruit and yogurt, it's a big messy bite. 

If you want to make this, please use the recipe below. It's from the Steen's cookbook. If you google it you may get one that adds sugar in addition to the syrup as a sweetener, and that is just not a "real" syrup cake. 

P.S. If you come to the bookstore I will be operating in my next life, and order this for breakfast, do not be one bit surprised when I serve it up to you in a big ol' southern accent. And as I walk by with a pot of coffee (because I will be able to cook, serve, answer questions about books, run the cash register, and pet the cat all at the same time) I will not ask you if you want a refill, I will instead ask "you need another swoller o' coffee?" 

that is the sign of a life well lived

These last few days, while down in Arkansas, Dottie and Ray and I have had numerous discussions about Aunt Mabel's chocolate pie.

Mostly about how delicious it was and how vividly we remember her making it for us when she came up from Louisiana to visit us in South Carolina, sometime around 1968 or 69. 

As soon as we got home from the trip, the recipe came out for a test run.  It has been many many years since I made it.  

Aunt Mabel is seated to the left of Dad in the white wicker chair. Aunt Pauline and Aunt Lois are to the left of her. Dad's sisters loved their baby brother. There was nothing they wouldn't do for him. Including making things like fried chicken, biscuits, and pie.

Thanks for you help with the meringue Christy. It's good to have a pie maker to consult when needed.    

This is NOT a gourmet chocolate pie. What it is is simple, wonderful, easy, and full of love from Aunt Mabel. 

If you want something fancy, don't make this. If you want something special, do make this. 

If 26 years after you are dead and gone, someone remembers that you made really good chocolate pie, and left amazingly generous portions in the pot for your nieces who were licking the pot, I would say that is the sign of a life well lived. 

Recipe below as it was told to me by Aunt Mabel.  

because you never know when something like this will turn up

While flipping through mail on the iPad the other day, catching up on things marked "read" because they may contain a nugget of vital importance, I stumbled upon this. 

image from NYT cooking

While the image was enough to stop me in my tracks, it was the name "baked artichoke pasta with creamy goat cheese" that had me trying to figure out how quickly I could make it, and who would want to eat it with me. Sisters, it will have to be the two of you. While I prepare it for us, Dottie you will be in charge of salad, Mary Ann you will slice and warm the crusty loaf of bread. A decision has not yet been made about a bottle of cabernet or a bottle of sauvignon blanc to accompany it. 

If you want to make it with your sisters - I have posted a link to the recipe below.  Thank you Melissa Clark and the New York Times for what certainly looks (and sounds) like a recipe for the ages... and reinforces my need to keep marking things "to read" because you never know when something like this will turn up.

baked-artichoke-pasta-with-creamy-goat-cheese