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| colors of fall |
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| sage and snow |
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| seed pods of my blue grama grass |
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| lavandar's last flowers |
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| society garlic collecting snow |
Friday, October 26, 2012
Pretty things
Just pretty pictures from my garden as summer says its last goodbye and fall begins to turn to winter...
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Sea Change
With gray clouds dropping into the city and snow beginning to spit, our old brown truck and I rumble our way through downtown. The truck seems to stand out, anomalous, in the pedestrian traffic and new cars that fill the lanes. Driving in its noise and warmth, I feel the coziness of winter wrap around me. Like a scene in a movie signifying change, signifying a shift, the season changes before my very eyes and I know winter is on its way.
A sea-change, a radical shift, a transformation.
Earth makes her way through the galaxy, spinning daily, yearly revolving, and we go along with the changes each season brings. And we change. We transform season to season, year to year, as we grow, evolve, learn.
The snow is falling steadily now, and is predicted to cover all by morning, but only by a few inches. Nonetheless, the scene will be radically changed - at least for a few hours. Fall will seem to be gone and winter well on its way.
I am content.
From
Shakespeare's The Tempest, 1610:
Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
It's just so good!
I'm going to brag.
I make the best bread pudding I've ever tasted. I make the best bread pudding folks who have eaten have ever had. Or so they say. And so I think. ;-)
I'm catering an event tonight - beef bourguignon, a simple salad with cranberries and almond slivers, and my bread pudding with bourbon sauce. Oh, those lucky ducks! And lucky me, too, since that's what I'll be having for dinner. Tee hee hee.
My house smells pretty divine right now - stew that's been on the stove for hours, and now the sweet, cinnamon smell of the bread puddings.
I just took them out of the oven and couldn't resist plucking one tiny piece of toasted, crispy, buttery crust off of what I think will be the extra pan of loveliness. Oh! The flavors melted in my mouth. I actually rolled my eyes and said out loud, "Damn, that is good!":-0
So, because I wouldn't want to be selfish, here's the recipe for my bread pudding. It doesn't have a fancy name - just "Bread Pudding". Spice it up as you would like - in the fall, substitute 1 c of the cream for 1 c of pumpkin puree; leave out the nuts or substitute pecans for your favorite; add chocolate chips; combine different kinds of fruit. It will be pretty hard to mess this up. It has so much fat in it that it is going to taste delicious - pretty much whatever you add to it.
Enjoy! :-D
I make the best bread pudding I've ever tasted. I make the best bread pudding folks who have eaten have ever had. Or so they say. And so I think. ;-)
I'm catering an event tonight - beef bourguignon, a simple salad with cranberries and almond slivers, and my bread pudding with bourbon sauce. Oh, those lucky ducks! And lucky me, too, since that's what I'll be having for dinner. Tee hee hee.
My house smells pretty divine right now - stew that's been on the stove for hours, and now the sweet, cinnamon smell of the bread puddings.
I just took them out of the oven and couldn't resist plucking one tiny piece of toasted, crispy, buttery crust off of what I think will be the extra pan of loveliness. Oh! The flavors melted in my mouth. I actually rolled my eyes and said out loud, "Damn, that is good!":-0
So, because I wouldn't want to be selfish, here's the recipe for my bread pudding. It doesn't have a fancy name - just "Bread Pudding". Spice it up as you would like - in the fall, substitute 1 c of the cream for 1 c of pumpkin puree; leave out the nuts or substitute pecans for your favorite; add chocolate chips; combine different kinds of fruit. It will be pretty hard to mess this up. It has so much fat in it that it is going to taste delicious - pretty much whatever you add to it.
Enjoy! :-D
Cindy's bread
pudding recipe
12-14 oz.
French bread, broken into pieces
2 1/2 - 3 c. cream
2 c. sugar
6 Tbsp butter,
melted
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 c. raisins,
soaked in bourbon 1/2 hour (save the drained bourbon for the sauce)
1 1/2 c.
chopped pecans (optional)
1 1/2 tsp
cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Do not preheat oven.
Combine all
ingredients. Mixture should be very moist, but not soupy. If too
dry, add cream 2 Tbsp at a time. Pour into buttered 9x13 inch baking
dish. Place into non-preheated oven. Bake at 350°
for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, checking after 50 minutes, until top is golden
brown and internal temperature is 165-170 F. If you don't have a food thermometer, make sure it appears set - not too jiggly - meaning the egg is cooked through. It won’t be completely firm when you take it out of the
oven. You might need to cover it with foil the last 20 minutes or so to
let if finish cooking without getting too brown on top.
bourbon sauce
1 stick butter
1 c. sugar
6 Tbsp cream
1/4 c. bourbon
pinch of salt
Melt butter in
small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in remaining ingredients.
Simmer until thickened, whisking often, about 3 minutes.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Bothered
I'm not sure how many of you care whether or not Lance Armstrong used illegal performance enhancers the years he was dominating the Tour de France, but I do.
And I'm still not convinced of his guilt.
I may be naive. I may be a ridiculous advocate, but until I am shown proof that he used, I am going to say, "He raced clean." In the years he was racing and winning the Tour de France, he passed more than 500 blood tests - at least one everyday he was in the lead of the race or won a stage, and many random tests as well. Over 500! I think that says something.
But I'll admit it is confusing, frustrating, disturbing to see his name in such damning headlines.
Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France just 3 years after my mom died of breast cancer, and that meant a tremendous amount to me and millions of others who had lost someone to cancer. Sometime that summer, I heard him say that he was greatly motivated by all the cancer survivors out there - and that, in his mind, included those of us who lost someone we love to cancer. That was the first time I'd heard myself referred to as a "cancer survivor" and it was significant - not because I myself had battled the disease, or suffered the treatments, or faced death, but because my heart had almost died from my loss. For someone who had personally battled through illness to health to recognize me as a survivor meant something to me ... so maybe I'm skewed by the passion and commitment he has shown to fighting cancer.
All this stuff floating around in the news makes me question my loyalty, frustrates me, sometimes makes me angry. First of all, why does USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) care? He isn't racing anymore. Many others have used illegal performance enhancers without being pursued with even close to the same kind of aggression. Is it because he dominated? Is it because he was the first American? Is it because he has fought so hard against these accusations and has refused to submit?
I guess I'm writing all this today to vent a little, but also to say this: If I am ever shown conclusive evidence that this man who did such great things on a bicycle used, I will be sorely disappointed. I will be angry and frustrated. But I won't be crushed or wounded or heart-broken. After all, he's a bicycle racer, not a hero, not a lifesaver, not a god. Just a man. Maybe someday I'll be proven wrong. Meanwhile, maybe we can all just leave him alone and let him fight our common enemy. Cancer.
---------------------------------------------------------
P.S. I'm not the only one who feels this way. In case you want to read a little more...
http://hotair.com/archives/2012/08/24/thanks-a-lot-usada-lance-armstrong-faces-the-loss-of-his-seven-tour-de-france-titles/
And I'm still not convinced of his guilt.
I may be naive. I may be a ridiculous advocate, but until I am shown proof that he used, I am going to say, "He raced clean." In the years he was racing and winning the Tour de France, he passed more than 500 blood tests - at least one everyday he was in the lead of the race or won a stage, and many random tests as well. Over 500! I think that says something.
But I'll admit it is confusing, frustrating, disturbing to see his name in such damning headlines.
Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France just 3 years after my mom died of breast cancer, and that meant a tremendous amount to me and millions of others who had lost someone to cancer. Sometime that summer, I heard him say that he was greatly motivated by all the cancer survivors out there - and that, in his mind, included those of us who lost someone we love to cancer. That was the first time I'd heard myself referred to as a "cancer survivor" and it was significant - not because I myself had battled the disease, or suffered the treatments, or faced death, but because my heart had almost died from my loss. For someone who had personally battled through illness to health to recognize me as a survivor meant something to me ... so maybe I'm skewed by the passion and commitment he has shown to fighting cancer.
All this stuff floating around in the news makes me question my loyalty, frustrates me, sometimes makes me angry. First of all, why does USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) care? He isn't racing anymore. Many others have used illegal performance enhancers without being pursued with even close to the same kind of aggression. Is it because he dominated? Is it because he was the first American? Is it because he has fought so hard against these accusations and has refused to submit?
I guess I'm writing all this today to vent a little, but also to say this: If I am ever shown conclusive evidence that this man who did such great things on a bicycle used, I will be sorely disappointed. I will be angry and frustrated. But I won't be crushed or wounded or heart-broken. After all, he's a bicycle racer, not a hero, not a lifesaver, not a god. Just a man. Maybe someday I'll be proven wrong. Meanwhile, maybe we can all just leave him alone and let him fight our common enemy. Cancer.
---------------------------------------------------------
P.S. I'm not the only one who feels this way. In case you want to read a little more...
http://hotair.com/archives/2012/08/24/thanks-a-lot-usada-lance-armstrong-faces-the-loss-of-his-seven-tour-de-france-titles/
Monday, October 15, 2012
Heart's content
Last night my house was full of boys - men, really.
After church, while chatting with two single guys we know, a spontaneous invitation for dinner and pumpkin pie (yes, made from pumpkins I grew - pictures to come soon!) was thrown out. And late in the afternoon, a young guy Tim has known most of his life texted and asked if he could come by to pick up two pumpkins I'd promised him ...
... so I took out of the fridge the pumpkin flesh I'd roasted earlier in the week and whipped up a pumpkin pie. I used my standard pie crust that my dad gave me in 1990 (another story) which always turns out flaky and wonderful, and tried a new recipe I found on epicurious.com that had a nut topping - it was delicious!
I happened to have made ratatouille earlier in the week, and to go along with that I made (for the first time!) potato pancakes with green onions. The turned out delicious, too - although they take way longer to cook than I anticipated. With the pre-made ratatouille, dinner was made with little fuss and in no time at all.
Around 6:30 p.m. Doug arrived, Scott came around 7:00, and Aaron wandered in around 8:30. The baseball playoffs were on in the living room, conversations were happening in various rooms, lots of laughing, a little beer, and lots of food. By the time Aaron got here, there wasn't any ratatouille left, but he arrived hungry. As usual. ;-) I presented him with the remaining potato pancakes and, upon his request, my homemade applesauce, and he was content with that. Quite content.
It was a lovely evening. It was a deeply satisfying evening.
I've talked about this before - the deep satisfaction I receive from feeding people food, especially yummy food that makes them happy, and especially people I love. But we also had some significant conversations, shared from our hearts, laughed out loud, and had a great time. No plan, no stress, no fussing about - just a simple, casual, spontaneous gathering.
Lovely. Satisfying. Feeding our hearts and our bellies. :)
The recipes ... but of course, I couldn't follow them exactly, so here are the recipes as I made them with links to the original recipes below.
Baked Ratatouille
1 large eggplant, unpeeled
2 zucchini
2 red bell peppers, stems, ribs and seeds removed
1/2 lb button mushrooms
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/3 c tomato paste
1/3 c red wine vinegar
1/4 c water
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 c chopped fresh basil or parsley (optional, but delicious)
Preheat oven to 400' F. Lightly coat a large roasting pan with olive oil.
Cut eggplant, zucchini, red bell peppers, and mushrooms into equal-sized pieces - aiming for 1/2" to 1" pieces - this is so they will all cook evenly. As they are sliced or cut-up, add them to the roasting pan. Add sliced onion.
In a small bowl, combine tomato paste, vinegar, water, oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, and stir until blended and smooth. Add to the roasting pan, then stir and toss to combine and coat the vegetables evenly.
Bake until vegetables begin to soften, about 30 min, stirring once at the halfway point. Reduce the heat to 325'F. Cover the roasting pan and bake until the vegetables are soft and tender, but not mushy, about 30 min longer, stirring every 10 min.
Remove from oven, uncover, and let stand 10 min. Stir in the basil or parsley and serve. If not using all of it, or cooking it ahead of time, stir in the basil or parsley just before serving to preserve the best of their flavor. Delicious served over rice, pasta, mashed pots, potato pancakes, couscous, or even good quality bread.
Pumpkin Pie with Brown Sugar-Walnut Topping:
topping
1/4 cup plain walnut pieces
1/4 c of candied walnuts (see below)
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar (not packed)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
small pinch of salt
crust
1 unbaked pie crust
filling
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup canned pure pumpkin (I used homemade puree)
1 cup evaporated milk
preheat oven to 425'F
Candied Walnuts for Pie Topping
1 cup walnuts, chopped (about 3 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat baking sheet lightly with butter. Combine walnuts and all remaining ingredients in medium bowl; toss to coat. Spread nut mixture on prepared baking sheet (some nuts may clump together). Bake until nuts are deep golden and sugar mixture is bubbling, stirring occasionally to break up clumps, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container.)
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Pie-with-Brown-Sugar-Walnut-Topping-355849
After church, while chatting with two single guys we know, a spontaneous invitation for dinner and pumpkin pie (yes, made from pumpkins I grew - pictures to come soon!) was thrown out. And late in the afternoon, a young guy Tim has known most of his life texted and asked if he could come by to pick up two pumpkins I'd promised him ...
... so I took out of the fridge the pumpkin flesh I'd roasted earlier in the week and whipped up a pumpkin pie. I used my standard pie crust that my dad gave me in 1990 (another story) which always turns out flaky and wonderful, and tried a new recipe I found on epicurious.com that had a nut topping - it was delicious!
I happened to have made ratatouille earlier in the week, and to go along with that I made (for the first time!) potato pancakes with green onions. The turned out delicious, too - although they take way longer to cook than I anticipated. With the pre-made ratatouille, dinner was made with little fuss and in no time at all.
Around 6:30 p.m. Doug arrived, Scott came around 7:00, and Aaron wandered in around 8:30. The baseball playoffs were on in the living room, conversations were happening in various rooms, lots of laughing, a little beer, and lots of food. By the time Aaron got here, there wasn't any ratatouille left, but he arrived hungry. As usual. ;-) I presented him with the remaining potato pancakes and, upon his request, my homemade applesauce, and he was content with that. Quite content.
It was a lovely evening. It was a deeply satisfying evening.
I've talked about this before - the deep satisfaction I receive from feeding people food, especially yummy food that makes them happy, and especially people I love. But we also had some significant conversations, shared from our hearts, laughed out loud, and had a great time. No plan, no stress, no fussing about - just a simple, casual, spontaneous gathering.
Lovely. Satisfying. Feeding our hearts and our bellies. :)
The recipes ... but of course, I couldn't follow them exactly, so here are the recipes as I made them with links to the original recipes below.
Baked Ratatouille
1 large eggplant, unpeeled
2 zucchini
2 red bell peppers, stems, ribs and seeds removed
1/2 lb button mushrooms
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/3 c tomato paste
1/3 c red wine vinegar
1/4 c water
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 c chopped fresh basil or parsley (optional, but delicious)
Preheat oven to 400' F. Lightly coat a large roasting pan with olive oil.
Cut eggplant, zucchini, red bell peppers, and mushrooms into equal-sized pieces - aiming for 1/2" to 1" pieces - this is so they will all cook evenly. As they are sliced or cut-up, add them to the roasting pan. Add sliced onion.
In a small bowl, combine tomato paste, vinegar, water, oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, and stir until blended and smooth. Add to the roasting pan, then stir and toss to combine and coat the vegetables evenly.
Bake until vegetables begin to soften, about 30 min, stirring once at the halfway point. Reduce the heat to 325'F. Cover the roasting pan and bake until the vegetables are soft and tender, but not mushy, about 30 min longer, stirring every 10 min.
Remove from oven, uncover, and let stand 10 min. Stir in the basil or parsley and serve. If not using all of it, or cooking it ahead of time, stir in the basil or parsley just before serving to preserve the best of their flavor. Delicious served over rice, pasta, mashed pots, potato pancakes, couscous, or even good quality bread.
Pumpkin Pie with Brown Sugar-Walnut Topping:
topping
1/4 cup plain walnut pieces
1/4 c of candied walnuts (see below)
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar (not packed)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
small pinch of salt
crust
1 unbaked pie crust
filling
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup canned pure pumpkin (I used homemade puree)
1 cup evaporated milk
preheat oven to 425'F
for topping
Combine all ingredients. Using on/ off turns, blend to coarse crumbs. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Combine all ingredients. Using on/ off turns, blend to coarse crumbs. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
for filling
Whisk brown sugar, eggs, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in medium bowl. Add pumpkin and milk and whisk until well blended and smooth.
Whisk brown sugar, eggs, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in medium bowl. Add pumpkin and milk and whisk until well blended and smooth.
Pour filling into unbaked crust, then cover crust with foil. Bake at 425' for 15 min, then lower heat to 350'. Bake until
filling is firm - not jiggly - about 30 minutes.
Sprinkle topping evenly over top of
pie. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F;
continue to bake for about 10 min., or until topping is slightly browned. Transfer pie to rack and cool
completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day
ahead. Tent with foil and chill. Let stand at
room temperature 2 hours before serving.
Candied Walnuts for Pie Topping
1 cup walnuts, chopped (about 3 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat baking sheet lightly with butter. Combine walnuts and all remaining ingredients in medium bowl; toss to coat. Spread nut mixture on prepared baking sheet (some nuts may clump together). Bake until nuts are deep golden and sugar mixture is bubbling, stirring occasionally to break up clumps, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container.)
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Pie-with-Brown-Sugar-Walnut-Topping-355849
Friday, October 5, 2012
Fall is here!
Two nights ago the wind whipped around the house and blew autumn into our neighborhood. The trees that had started turning are now going full blast and the color in the city is incredible. The cold has arrived, too, and I for one am happy for it to be here. It was a hot summer, and a long one, too! The evidence of last night's freeze lies on my blackened, frost-bitten pumpkin leaves, but the bright orange pumpkins are just fine.
This morning a good friend and I debated whether or not to venture into the higher country for a hike and some leaf gazing. We braved the 40' temps in the city and headed up the pass. Lo and behold, around 8500' we drove out of the clouds and into the most beautiful, blue-skied autumn day. The trees were still covered with their gold coins, and our 2 hour hike was more than pleasant - it was ideal. As Tim always says, "You never know what the weather is going to be like on the other side of the pass!"
So today I snuggle into my house, cleaning it up some for a little shindig on Saturday. A very good friend is finished with her radiation treatment and is free to eat anything she likes - and we're happy to oblige her! :) Cheese and crackers, homemade jams and bread, lunchmeat galore, gin and tonic cake. A feast to welcome her back to the world of yum. :-)
I've donned my sweats and a warm shirt, my wool clogs, and after lunch will do my best to get off the warm couch and onto my housework.
It's been a lovely day. For any of you who can't tell - I love fall! :-D
This morning a good friend and I debated whether or not to venture into the higher country for a hike and some leaf gazing. We braved the 40' temps in the city and headed up the pass. Lo and behold, around 8500' we drove out of the clouds and into the most beautiful, blue-skied autumn day. The trees were still covered with their gold coins, and our 2 hour hike was more than pleasant - it was ideal. As Tim always says, "You never know what the weather is going to be like on the other side of the pass!"
So today I snuggle into my house, cleaning it up some for a little shindig on Saturday. A very good friend is finished with her radiation treatment and is free to eat anything she likes - and we're happy to oblige her! :) Cheese and crackers, homemade jams and bread, lunchmeat galore, gin and tonic cake. A feast to welcome her back to the world of yum. :-)
I've donned my sweats and a warm shirt, my wool clogs, and after lunch will do my best to get off the warm couch and onto my housework.
It's been a lovely day. For any of you who can't tell - I love fall! :-D
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