Drive-by post

     A quickie post between kitchen innings! This is one of the chicken pot pies I made for dinner tonight in honor of my son's birthday. This is what he wanted, so this is what I made. For the filling, I used the recipe from Rebecca Rather's "The Pastry Queen," cookbook, which I own, autographed, of course! The crust is puff pastry from the grocery store, I didn't have enough time to make it all from scratch, maybe next time. There are extra dipping sticks for the sauce, a great idea my oldest daughter gave me as I regarded the leftover bits of puff pastry. The recipe itself is here, but the book is full of fabulous recipes for wonderful pastries too. I also have "The Pastry Queen Christmas," cookbook, I'm so lucky!
She also has a sweet bakery in Fredericksburg, TX, called charmingly enough, "Rebecca's Rather Sweet Bakery," which I've been fortunate enough to visit. If you do make anything from any of her cookbooks, please send me a photo, I love to see what other people are making.
     While I'm back on the topic of food, I have to mention a book I read yesterday, "The School of Essential Ingredients," by Erica Bauermeister. OMG, if you are a foodies of any sort, you will L-O-V-E this book! I couldn't put it down and have to say that it maybe why I am in this cooking state of mind. Amazing story and the food descriptions are drool worthy. Ok, enough for now, this is supposed to be a quick drive-by post...
    

Catching up

     So I haven't posted in several months. I guess I need to give a condensed recap ala Neil Patrick Harris' 2011 Tony Awards wrap up. Here goes...

Typography "Creative Grid" project

     Back in school, feeling cool, feeling fine learning web design. C#, Access, XML, everything was going swell. Throw in Type, I get the hype, letter forms do more than sell. Final projects and presentations, all precursors to end of year examinations. Studied hard, sleepless nights, passed my classes, scaled those heights. Took a week to recover, while being a  mother, end of year kid stuff, they had also had enough.

Ultrasound of my grandson!

Time to plan for my Navy son's arrival in June, along with his wife (carrying my grandson, who will be born soon!) End of year concerts, field trips and more, while planning two baby showers, what are mom's for? Spring came and went, hubby built raised beds, planted our garden and picked dandelion heads. Dandelion jelly did not want to set, so poured it on pancakes as syrup you bet. Son arrived with fanfare and joy, showers went well, can't wait for the new baby boy.

Tea Baby Shower

First shower theme was a tea fit for the queen, second shower theme was Star Wars BBQ like you've never seen. Cried when they left, my heartstrings pulled tight, but feeling much better, thanks to summer sunshine and light. Read "Hunger Games," and could not put it down, but also working on a JavaScript crown.

Star Wars BBQ Invite

Back in the kitchen, cooking away, new and old recipes wanting to play. Hubby got Bell's Palsy and gave me a scare, but is now on the mend and we hear it's not rare. Visits to and from my parents, they are too far I say, but thankful to have them in my life everyday. And just yesterday, we heard and saw pics, a bear was seen roaming our hood, I assume just for kicks.

Black bear wandering around our 'hood!

 
So that's the gist, a wrap up of sorts, my blog now returns to regular reports. Happy summer to you and to yours, from northern Michigan, where you'll find me enjoying mine, but of course!

End of the Season

Holidays 2010 Survival Badge

     The Epiphany has passed and for me, so has the Christmas and New Year holiday season. The spirit remains, but all the decorations need to be put away, the radio is back to pop and oldies from the 70's and 80's, as well as NPR, my very favorite station. And although my new badge says, "I survived the holidays 2010," I enjoyed every minute. I love family time, cooking, visiting friends, decorating and remembering what the holiday is all about. The Reverend at our church gave a wonderful sermon on last Sunday. The part that stood out the most was to envision myself with a "team Christ" shirt on at all times. Although he didn't put it quite that way, you get the picture. Would it change the way you live your life if everyone could see that on your person? Would you be kinder, more forgiving, more pleasant, more honest...all those things that you feel are Christ like characteristics? I'd like to think I would be, but recently had it challenged. While visiting a friend, the conversation moved to less kind words about a mutual acquaintance that had burned many bridges over the last few years. And although I wanted to be kind and forgiving, it was very difficult. How do you forgive another person's lack of kindness? And then how do you tell your friends that you are over it without making them feel that you are preaching? They may not be ready to move on yet and still need to vent to a friend. I know there has to be a healthy balance, but I think it will take me a long time to really find it, but I am intent on finding it. And I respect everyone's religious and spiritual beliefs. Or lack of, for that matter. No judging, no bible thumping, no preaching. We all have our own journeys and adventures in this life.
     What do I see on the horizon lately? School starts again soon, Valentine's Day is around the corner. I want to make a few Valentine's Day cards before school starts, since I may not have the time once my classes are all under way. So I'll be collecting some fun images to play with and hopefully, I'll have a couple cards finished by next weekend. I am also being pulled by my torch and know that I have to spark my torch up this weekend, no matter what! Glass needs to be melted and beads need to be made!!! And then there is my kitchen. Enchiladas want to be made today, so I think that is what we will have for dinner. Either that or a caprese salad type pizza. I know, so completely different, but what can I say, the taste buds want what they want. More snow here as well, hoping to spend the weekend all snuggled up at home, creating, creating, creating...!

Foodie Friday the 13th

Bacon at last!

     It had to happen sooner or later. Foodie Friday had to land on a Friday the 13th. Yup, that's today. I'm not superstitious by nature, not sure why, but I'm not. And then there is the fact that my first child was born on a Friday the 13th, being delivered by Dr. Damien, no joke, lol. And, it was a full moon. He's a good kid, loving, gifted and handsome without any strange birthmarks or issues with entering churches. Did I mention he loves to cook! Ok, now that we have that out of the way, let's move onto the foodie part of this post.
     As you can see, I finally got to have some bacon. After two months without it, I ate all four crispy, smoky, salty and savory slices this morning. My hubby and I went out to breakfast at the Green House Cafe. I ordered two poached eggs, hash browns, bacon, toasted English muffin and decaf coffee. I didn't finish even half the hash browns and only had one slice of my muffin, but I did polish off the rest. The bacon was heaven, and my food soul did a big happy dance as I savored each crispy bite! However, I don't plan on eating bacon more than once a month now, I believe that my gall bladder issues were a wake up call and I am going to take good care of my temple, only indulging in things like bacon and butter on occasion instead of daily or weekly. This body has to last me a long time since I have a lot of things I want to accomplish with my life. One lifetime isn't enough, so I have to make this one last as long as possible. I'll be eating turkey bacon if I need a fix and Eggbeaters more often than not, which I happen to like.
     So let's talk about great places to check out for breakfast in Traverse City. Green House Cafe and Opa's are great places to get the basics, with good prices. I once got Opa's to make me chili fries with a fried or poached egg on top for breakfast, it was amazing! Of course, I don't know when I'll ever order it again, since it is not in any way, shape or form, a healthy breakfast.  Cuppa Joe's Warehouse Lounge is located in the Warehouse District and offers unique breakfast selections. I loved their Low Country Shrimp and Grits, a little spicy but so delicious. I think they took it off the menu though, but they still offer things like Migas(scrambled eggs with tortillas), Creme Brulee Oatmeal(to die for) and a wonderful French toast. They are currently closed for reorganization, just saw the sign today, so not sure when they will be open again and what the new menu will look like, but I hope it is still wonderful. Scott's Harbor Grill is on the bay, so the view is spectacular. They also have a more unique breakfast menu with moderate prices. Fresh food with a view, you can't beat it. Rico's is located between Traverse City and Interlochen. They have potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream, and I love them. Once in a while the pancakes are a little burned, but they are usually fabulous. I like to go there just for those, but they also have a wonderful

Churro Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche and Whipped Cream

waitress, Carol, who knows how to take care of her customers. More breakfast posts on another Friday because there are more good places to check out and a recipe for Huevos Rancheros I want to share... If you need a foodie blog fix, I love, love, love this blog, And All The Trimmings, it has wonderful photos and recipes, I like to check it out several times each week. Check out the Churro Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche and Whipped Cream. I know they aren't your typical breakfast food, but I subscribe to the Bill Cosby school of breakfast...it has eggs, flour, milk...breakfast.

Feeling Better, Baking and Journaling

Orange Pecan Muffins

     So far so good. I keep feeling better each day and thanks to my Mom and family, I think I'll be in great shape by next weekend for my daughter's graduation party. The morning seems to be the roughest time for me, the incisions ache then, but after some motrin and moving around, they feel much better by noon. Since I have to spend time upright, but can't go far, I spent some time baking today. Orange Pecan Muffins and a "cherry" version of Carrot Raisin Bread, both recipes featured in the October 1998 issue of "Cooking Light" magazine. Although both recipes are low in fat, I think the Carrot Raisin Cherry bread came out much better than the muffins. I replaced the raisins in the bread with dried cherries from Benjamin Twiggs

Cherry Carrot Quick Bread

and used Eggbeaters in place of the one egg in both recipes. The bread tasted a lot like carrot cake, my hubby loved it! The muffins were just ok, kind of on the dry side and not very flavorful, maybe they needed the fat from that one yolk. Still, I made an orange glaze for the muffins and that did make them better. It tired me out though, I had to go lay down after all that baking!
     I pulled out my visual journal train case full of art supplies for a while today. I worked on some of my pages in the journal I created in Teesha Moore's class. It felt good to play again. I hope to start using it daily now that I'm feeling up to it. So many things I want to do, this surgery stuff is so very inconvenient! Also need to get ready for the Wine, Food and Art show on the 21st this month. Right after my daugher's party I'll be in jewerly fabrication mode. So short post today, off to work on the "Honey-Pecan Crusted Chicken" with my mom...hope it tastes as good as it looks...

Foodie Friday

     So from now on I've decided to post my favorite food finds on Fridays. I had fun on facebook last night chatting about foodstuffs and it makes me want to talk about it some more of course! With my restricted diet (until after my gall bladder surgery and recovery next week), I am more than happy to just "talk" about food for now. Let me start with some of my favorite places to get "the goods." Number one is Benjamin Twiggs. They are the oldest purveyor of cherry products in Michigan. The very best dried cherries I've ever tasted, and I have conducted my own taste test to be sure, along with Cherry Festival Preserves, Cherry Salsa and Cherries Foster. The Cherry Festival Preserves are not so sweet as others I've tried and full of tart cherries, I love it on toast, muffins, between layers of cake, in cookies and with some balsamic vinegar, melted and cooked down as a sauce for pork and poultry. They have other lovely foods too, a light and delicious Cherry Poppyseed Vinaigrette, Cherry Honey Mustard and Black Cherry Preserves among other fabulous things. I love it all and send it to family for Christmas. And they ship everywhere!

     Another place I love to visit is Fustini's. They offer the most incredible selection of flavored/infused balsamic vinegars and infused olive oils that I have ever had. I currently own "Wild Mushroom and Sage" and "Persian Lime" olive oils and "Pineapple," "Cherry," "Peach" and "Ginger Honey" balsamics. These are amazing on salads, veggies, meats, desserts (the balsamics), you name it. When you go in the shop, they have "tastings" and it just blows you away, you want to drink it and bathe in it too, quite the experience.And I am not exaggerating in the least!

     Lastly today, I am a huge fan of the The Spice House in Milwaukee. They have other locations in the area, but just a couple. When I used to attend the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee, I would stop there and load up on spices and dried herbs. My favorites from them include their Garam Masala, a fabulous Indian mixture that is unique to their shops, their own Maharajah style Curry Powder (this stuff is amazing in pumpkin soup!), the exquisite grade paprika (not always available), Himalayan Pink salt, dried Green Bell Pepper and Cocoa Nibs. They also ship, so I have ordered online whenever I run out of my favorites.
     That's it for today. Hope you get a chance to check these places out, even if you don't like to cook, they offer gifts for family and friends that do! Bon Appetit!