tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76878750520961649712024-03-05T01:09:13.454-08:00Positively Fork StreetFOOD AND WORD27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-79556605567942395492009-05-10T18:16:00.000-07:002009-05-10T18:42:26.855-07:00HAPPY MOTHER'S DAYTennis season has arrived along with spring rain. My little creek rose and fell. There are snow covered peaks in the distance and flowers in the foothills. I am celebrating the good things that spring will bring: farmers' markets, my garden, biking, and an improved real estate market. I have a new listing in Lyons, a charming town that is the site of the annual Rocky Mountain Blue Grass Festival. I decided not to take a writing class at the University of Colorado, but I will join a writer's group. My new tennis partner (hi Donna) is great & we are on 2 teams together. Go pink, go green !! I haven't written lately so will post an old poem I wrote for my mother.<br /><br /><strong><em>My Mother sits at my breakfast bar<br />I see her reflection in the shiny black granite<br />That covers my new kitchen cabinets<br />She is small but her back is straight<br />She eats her food one bite at a time<br />The granite mommy does the same<br /><br />I watch her as she gracefully eats<br />The good food we have prepared<br />There are fresh vegetables and<br />Little bowties like my father once wore<br />My heart is full of love and yearning<br />I want to take care of her forever<br /><br />Stay here, I plead to the mommies<br />Who shake their heads in unison <br />Affirming their independence <br />Much the same as I once did </em></strong>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-76976441389640406562009-04-12T08:45:00.000-07:002009-05-10T18:45:13.976-07:00PEEPS LIKE BOATS<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZc8mjaSfOkHCGGVZaOcJDLApC2tDp_X1GJNReERbMf5uS2qqFgPbbKC5H-3RoimCrasiLhF9pz1r3SsdJfPDxSv0D5aDsBUY1oo5RDWH0JVg7J2PqgROyWxZI_N12jonVOqiZ0SQ0g0M/s1600-h/DSCN0350.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZc8mjaSfOkHCGGVZaOcJDLApC2tDp_X1GJNReERbMf5uS2qqFgPbbKC5H-3RoimCrasiLhF9pz1r3SsdJfPDxSv0D5aDsBUY1oo5RDWH0JVg7J2PqgROyWxZI_N12jonVOqiZ0SQ0g0M/s320/DSCN0350.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323834255277090418" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazN2AGRHAuT9VcFsqBctc6AIHU4MnRcG5kVtmAnq1weGkExWUufpraOwab6kXCOGwTlAZxR9AxM7_O5speRneQWwG-YQadGRBS_EOk1U9hcktF53rnBHZrj_0PVfgRplBDc_jkCiKvic/s1600-h/DSCN0258.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazN2AGRHAuT9VcFsqBctc6AIHU4MnRcG5kVtmAnq1weGkExWUufpraOwab6kXCOGwTlAZxR9AxM7_O5speRneQWwG-YQadGRBS_EOk1U9hcktF53rnBHZrj_0PVfgRplBDc_jkCiKvic/s320/DSCN0258.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323836375780028642" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQ1ulhvHHJ06UewVMJ28sEmTXf56SD8UKdhsfnZ0P_H-sWG7NxqOq6zIhB727VHo3r8zFjZ_RfF4mbleduPhSF9WU5kS_R97rCzFJcV0ei7lTwTF4UYQclCdBIJTKfVAO5c5sZ81qd08/s1600-h/DSCN0265.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQ1ulhvHHJ06UewVMJ28sEmTXf56SD8UKdhsfnZ0P_H-sWG7NxqOq6zIhB727VHo3r8zFjZ_RfF4mbleduPhSF9WU5kS_R97rCzFJcV0ei7lTwTF4UYQclCdBIJTKfVAO5c5sZ81qd08/s320/DSCN0265.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323833052756770818" /></a><br /><br />Peeps, like Santa's elves, sometimes need a break. I took my Peeps on a trip to the Antique Boat Show in Tavares, Florida. The Peeps were drawn to anything yellow, including beer and yellow men. Shiny stuff caught their attention, as did a puppy. I prefer a red zinfandel like 7 Deadly Zins. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgrl3kLNNL4aK_zrXo23qwMYphgJaJj2wpjvVwB8OscfJLdYwtX_7ujX46N7E_hSDMsSsspUaZHgl9iHMiCDHWa3PQbVQImxrCril9kvQ6fvDeVWj8Uzdo-BngJL390plB1D6yx_RX_c/s1600-h/DSCN0262.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgrl3kLNNL4aK_zrXo23qwMYphgJaJj2wpjvVwB8OscfJLdYwtX_7ujX46N7E_hSDMsSsspUaZHgl9iHMiCDHWa3PQbVQImxrCril9kvQ6fvDeVWj8Uzdo-BngJL390plB1D6yx_RX_c/s320/DSCN0262.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323834956631224018" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoYKsLyjP8ZLX_xoM1f9YHBngluM_gTiu0THihhwK3hqliPyIYU_cWHSP1rAH6tMwFpTepvSj9ZgRHBjZcDKxxf8Hf76GgzILOjKPpytFAujUVvvatoHO1K842mhDsMc4_JxJA7wfVdQ/s1600-h/DSCN0303.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoYKsLyjP8ZLX_xoM1f9YHBngluM_gTiu0THihhwK3hqliPyIYU_cWHSP1rAH6tMwFpTepvSj9ZgRHBjZcDKxxf8Hf76GgzILOjKPpytFAujUVvvatoHO1K842mhDsMc4_JxJA7wfVdQ/s320/DSCN0303.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323837220986282530" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SayE95CBFlpfF7xZg2laQJxxcvwhG_WPljEYS8lkCMTEigNMe37UyeeQikOzIrn-WQXTSBMY2G5taDDSmT_D__MhBuDWCnEwZ3EWezvqJawt7DbDzm3m_y7ncYZjiVfVOKSS6JYJwmo/s1600-h/DSCN0301.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SayE95CBFlpfF7xZg2laQJxxcvwhG_WPljEYS8lkCMTEigNMe37UyeeQikOzIrn-WQXTSBMY2G5taDDSmT_D__MhBuDWCnEwZ3EWezvqJawt7DbDzm3m_y7ncYZjiVfVOKSS6JYJwmo/s320/DSCN0301.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323833871116804146" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34_qUyFUupQOOJ9cGlwGsz7p5d-LsKdzghqCnd-Phpt-Axuu5GOEPg0fN866b2EkuD5-VOn4R0ji_hL1vl52dvBExtbLsUHwelqs3xnnZWtHOt_fKTQiO6ucMN66svACVuSWwgXVJuVw/s1600-h/DSCN0325.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34_qUyFUupQOOJ9cGlwGsz7p5d-LsKdzghqCnd-Phpt-Axuu5GOEPg0fN866b2EkuD5-VOn4R0ji_hL1vl52dvBExtbLsUHwelqs3xnnZWtHOt_fKTQiO6ucMN66svACVuSWwgXVJuVw/s320/DSCN0325.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324019639585414514" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK10P5gmT0xRpdT4O_PifbBjfAVXltyZ326mrZQb9SVUE-H_E-skHVeWY2HpTc_P2GS-mj2UzNggOCctrmKGHyU0AiJeD0Q6B6mNLwSt_nPx3ZO6jApzfSioKV-rzOa9uHbaVzHFsYS0U/s1600-h/DSCN0240.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK10P5gmT0xRpdT4O_PifbBjfAVXltyZ326mrZQb9SVUE-H_E-skHVeWY2HpTc_P2GS-mj2UzNggOCctrmKGHyU0AiJeD0Q6B6mNLwSt_nPx3ZO6jApzfSioKV-rzOa9uHbaVzHFsYS0U/s320/DSCN0240.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324019959523071170" /></a><br /><br />THE PEEPS NAME THEIR PUPPY "BO"27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-56949821078466172432009-04-09T06:44:00.000-07:002009-04-09T08:14:56.424-07:00PASSOVER FOR DOGS<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwy59drxGlxFIlwXHI2JE9p-r4YyhdileidEynN1wjsSF1gRvMrHmERXPW1QWX-k98buj2b0iyTbTyjr9Sks9ulGVtXsqvCFprZzm__Xe4pYBL7zsoiHduZismlLxwr8eS9peUUsZRyS8/s1600-h/Gavin+and+Dugus"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwy59drxGlxFIlwXHI2JE9p-r4YyhdileidEynN1wjsSF1gRvMrHmERXPW1QWX-k98buj2b0iyTbTyjr9Sks9ulGVtXsqvCFprZzm__Xe4pYBL7zsoiHduZismlLxwr8eS9peUUsZRyS8/s320/Gavin+and+Dugus" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322710094476543042" /></a><br />How do dogs celebrate Passover? Do they switch to Kosher-for-Passover dog food and is there such a thing? Are dogs even Jewish? My research into these important questions has taken me to Miss Cleo's site (not <em>THAT</em> Miss Cleo,the one on TV who was arrested for not actually reading your fortune.) This Ms. Cleo has a site for pet supplies including a $95 package for a BARK MITZVAH. It includes: all meat canine Bark Mitzvah cake, happy Bark Mitzvah Hat, Doggie Treat Bag filled with draydel and menorah biscuits, Star Bark Mitzvah collar, and a ribbon balloon cake topper. I believe most of her customers are residents of Boca Raton, Florida.<br /><br />Reading the ingredients on the bag of dog food in my pantry, I see that my dog is eating pretty well for a non-Jew. However, most of the ingredients will need substitutions. The chicken and egg products must come from kosher chickens that have been humanely killed by rabbis with long black coats and equally long beards. Oatmeal is out and matzoh is in. The whole grain brown rice and millet sound healthy so I'd like to keep them in. But can I?<br /><br /><em><em>According to Nachum Mohl, writing for Jewish Magazine:<br /><br />One of the more noticeable differences between the Ashkenazi (European Jew) and his S'fardi (Arab Country origin Jew) brother is brought to light during the Passover festival. The Ashkenazi Jew does not eat rice or legumes, where as the S'fardi Jew does. <br /><br />There are five different types of grain from which we must make matzo for the first night of Passover: wheat, oats, barley, rye and spelt. These five types of grains are the types that become chametz if left in contact with water. Eating chametz on Passover is a very serious sin. <br /><br />Rice and other legumes do not become chametz even though flour made from them may rise; it is not considered chametz. Therefore, according to the Torah, it may be eaten on Passover. <br /><br />Understanding a wee bit of history may help us out a bit. Somewhere during our long exile the Jews seemed to move in two directions, one was into the Arab lands and the other direction was into the European lands. Approximately one thousand years ago, the Arabs were at their zenith, but the Europeans had not begun their ascent to cultural and financial superiority. The Jews moving from country to country divided into these two groups. This was also during the time of the crusades. The physical boundaries and distances between the two cultures, together with the cultural differences cause the split between the Ashkenazi and S'fardic Jews.<br /><br />Each group had its group of wise Rabbis that made the decisions and rulings for its local Jewish population. The S'fardic Rabbis did not see rice and legumes as a problem in their milling processes. It was the Ashkenazic Rabbis that saw that in their communities that rice and legumes were becoming a major stumbling block. <br /><br />The problem is that rice (and legumes) is a grain-type food. It has long been sold and packaged and handled by those factories and middlemen that handle also the wheat and the other grains. It is not uncommon when purchasing a package of rice to find another grain of something else in the package. It is very difficult to mill the rice with out the inclusion of any of the five grains mentioned above since rice is generally milled in mill that are used also for flour. Because of these two reasons, the Ashkenazi Rabbis have forbidden the eating of rice and legumes on Passover. This ban has been accepted by all Ashkenazi Jews. </em></em><br /><br />I think that I've got some options here. Dugus can eat <em>matzoh brie</em> which is basically an omlet made of beaten eggs and matzoh (soak crackers in water until soft and drain) that is fried in butter and topped with a sprinkle of sugar. He can dine at the home of a Sephardic Jew. He can eat Evanger’s Dog and Cat Food Company kosher varieties, which have been endorsed by the Chicago Rabbinical Council. Or I can whip up some chicken and vegetables (no peas) and he can share his dinner with my grandson, Gavin, who has just started to eat meats and vegetables. I think they will both like my cooking better than anything that comes in a jar or can.27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-58686325997186506272009-03-07T12:02:00.000-08:002009-04-14T17:49:52.627-07:00STEVE'S CHAIR<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZcEpuaIxKPlkiof4Rk-PY4guANvEghsphYLMDJITVf71TRt2sCFie5bwtqg9tn3kkVDqca01v0mUrtp6ga0hZq1SbzIoq3O5_sHnrKhmUC_ZWsqIMxFdJD6wrtkF52XuKN7qQ9W1m2U/s1600-h/ladder+back+chair.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310548991079590418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 222px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZcEpuaIxKPlkiof4Rk-PY4guANvEghsphYLMDJITVf71TRt2sCFie5bwtqg9tn3kkVDqca01v0mUrtp6ga0hZq1SbzIoq3O5_sHnrKhmUC_ZWsqIMxFdJD6wrtkF52XuKN7qQ9W1m2U/s320/ladder+back+chair.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#000000;"><em>I recently spent some time at my friend Steve's studio. </em>He is a terrific photographer & kindly took pictures of some of my paintings. Despite all his talent and creativity, not to mention all the how-to books and equipment he has, he admits there is so much to still learn. Is this the 10 year learning curve that I have read about? It is so much simpler in law. Do something 17 times and it is considered a habit, admissible in court as evidence of a propensity to do something. So while my painting and writing qualifies me as having a propensity to paint and write, it still doesn't mean I know what the heck I am doing.</span>
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<br />But if Steve can admit there's much to learn and still snap away, so can I continue my creative process. I came away from his studio & our conversation with a great visual image and more than a few words to go along with the picture in my head. So here you go, Steve. This one's for you.
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<br /></span><strong><span style="color:#000000;">Steve’s Chair
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<br />Steve’s chair doesn’t recline
<br />And there is no pillow
<br />To give you comfort
<br />Still, it is a safe place
<br />To reveal small secrets
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<br />Within the artist’s studio
<br />There is a solace to be found
<br />In a blue boat with billowy sails
<br />That holds fast to the wind
<br />To escape the rocky shore
<br />
<br />In a room filled with books
<br />Liberated nudes have no shame
<br />They do not blush in black and white
<br />Clear-eyed portraits reveal themselves
<br />Smiling people have secrets too
<br />
<br />Written March 5, 2009 by Susan Soklin for Steve Z
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<br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmRDhfBeT7PTwi6bUNLG1VWZ2j4P1rq738DOOUosB5pnepo6YUpulw7AjLUwGzhyHTaXd0stOrwAe_JAS1Vqr9jBxw0epVJw__VkMYDiUzTn2RVtPT69XzQo9WX0lktE3y0s4uWGxxL0/s1600-h/schooner.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310541162874708834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 204px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 107px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmRDhfBeT7PTwi6bUNLG1VWZ2j4P1rq738DOOUosB5pnepo6YUpulw7AjLUwGzhyHTaXd0stOrwAe_JAS1Vqr9jBxw0epVJw__VkMYDiUzTn2RVtPT69XzQo9WX0lktE3y0s4uWGxxL0/s320/schooner.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>
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<br />27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-72256459577901706592009-02-28T10:47:00.000-08:002009-02-28T11:01:02.655-08:00A NEW COMPUTER<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJf5bQM6EYXLxjm54M8GEcjlimNrg7bL_UYRI3f3xc7Edm_jjvyQAZ2mhVoiSLzRNi5ACJ1oZJom1NxImL8tngmKoa-nRTTbBbQFMRqdjwJHpjK8cwuD5yUAwBJmAcTTpFloNplw8OGYc/s1600-h/IMG_2219.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJf5bQM6EYXLxjm54M8GEcjlimNrg7bL_UYRI3f3xc7Edm_jjvyQAZ2mhVoiSLzRNi5ACJ1oZJom1NxImL8tngmKoa-nRTTbBbQFMRqdjwJHpjK8cwuD5yUAwBJmAcTTpFloNplw8OGYc/s320/IMG_2219.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307924305606500850" /></a><br />Our laptops and my camera were stolen just before Christmas. Oh the horror of buying a new computer, recovering lost data (some of which is gone forever) and getting a new laptop up and running. We have spent untold hours on the process and our computer geek, Brian, has spent hours on the phone with the foreigners at Dell tech support. Those guys read from their scripts looking for key words that Brian feeds them, hoping for an "aha" moment. At least two routers and two wireless cards later, I am up and running more or less. Windows Vista does strange stuff and I am having trouble with emails, but I am once again on line. Perhaps there is a message in this....it's more fun to paint and bake and whatever happened to my Rolodex? <br /><br />Speaking of Christmas, Jesse and Dana and baby Gavin visited us in Florida. Gavin is so squishy cute and he celebrated the New Year by drinking milk and spitting up.<br /><br />SO WHAT DOES THE PHOTO ABOVE HAVE TO DO WITH COMPUTERS AND BABIES YOU ARE ASKING? Not a thing. But this week, I had a wonderful opportunity to join a small group of very talented photographers and painters as they worked with a live model. I have much to learn but hope to join them again and develop my creative side. I did pen and ink sketches and took some photos for my collages.27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-31283932322664324752009-02-25T17:12:00.000-08:002009-02-28T10:46:01.182-08:00DAS BOOT OR SUSAN BAKES A BOOT<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wEp7Bqv7MyVDE-DXxk8joaSJ-fUiM_zUD0j_Zshdp5M5QMI5sFKVnlriMVWJEFpeSvDp7nhbaWGANv7vcqWl3m58VraryPOO9MQ21ZZpWvooRAdddFsyeBvgTrlpijFTdUCXEO7PC44/s1600-h/DSCN0079.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wEp7Bqv7MyVDE-DXxk8joaSJ-fUiM_zUD0j_Zshdp5M5QMI5sFKVnlriMVWJEFpeSvDp7nhbaWGANv7vcqWl3m58VraryPOO9MQ21ZZpWvooRAdddFsyeBvgTrlpijFTdUCXEO7PC44/s320/DSCN0079.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306976312786862866" /></a><br /><br />This Tuesday, the bakers at Tuesdays with Dorie baked some sort of caramel pecan bars & shared their photos and comments with happy TWD bloggers across the universe. I, on the other hand, got the boot. <br /><br />Having failed to timely post per the rules, I am flying solo now. The good news is that I can post on Wednesdays and paint on Tuesdays if I choose. And that is exactly what I did. Rick is happy that he got sugar cookies this week (his favorite) rather than the TWD treat of the week. So all is well that ends well.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEL0WYWG5hhGzdUSAGXr60ZOpuhisJ3bwwuE9tn6f7WXl0BLIh8BdPV11tjSv81hOL89UetYoKEDBpjeX-cE1Z-2XbRbVyN82EUURsGU5rI4bmLn8ZwQSnyXz2dPBOvhrBWFhsXuHerTU/s1600-h/DSCN0072.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEL0WYWG5hhGzdUSAGXr60ZOpuhisJ3bwwuE9tn6f7WXl0BLIh8BdPV11tjSv81hOL89UetYoKEDBpjeX-cE1Z-2XbRbVyN82EUURsGU5rI4bmLn8ZwQSnyXz2dPBOvhrBWFhsXuHerTU/s320/DSCN0072.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306977702674862418" /></a><br /><br />Except the dog ate my cheese: my favorite little round of goat cheese, Cana de Cabra, from Cheese Importers in Longmont. I hid the bag under the car seat when I stopped to buy fresh bread at the Harvest Bakery. The little squirt managed to pull it out and ate it wrapper and all, leaving nary a clue except his cheese breath. He did not share his find with Dugus, who remained in the back of the car and sulked about having a doggie guest for the day. Bad dog Luca, but you sure are cute. Bad dog Dugus for nipping Luca earlier in the day - <em>you guys need to quit those food fights. </em> Here's Luca below. <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsJva2oCsNY29EGjDUlNh3W_IW_NuwBvDxQjD7AJN__q-N_LkUpkcq96unBmYdlQTYdy29bpIYqa9J4fcE3nObFkmxNWQVJZjHEG1IBYVVnIjFyTvETuBD0JkJ4UMFuLu1l6M2JaLqb0/s1600-h/DSCN0077.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsJva2oCsNY29EGjDUlNh3W_IW_NuwBvDxQjD7AJN__q-N_LkUpkcq96unBmYdlQTYdy29bpIYqa9J4fcE3nObFkmxNWQVJZjHEG1IBYVVnIjFyTvETuBD0JkJ4UMFuLu1l6M2JaLqb0/s320/DSCN0077.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306977582399208658" /></a>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-46093286241417169732009-02-18T13:04:00.000-08:002009-02-25T17:11:55.533-08:00WORLD PEACE COOKIES & CREME BRULEE<em>It's fun to play with fire</em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWihnA8N3fEAADU8bxGJ_pxSfISoBXfsf_In_AyYAE50Iaq2zNSHo9xbRAfqr2FbKH8qq83TskTOQGe_Fb3n9Wm16hUiPn8P03ZfYtATv2R7xDO13AEcFQPMQj12iJxnzsEa6AcHT9SQ/s1600-h/DSCN0042.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWihnA8N3fEAADU8bxGJ_pxSfISoBXfsf_In_AyYAE50Iaq2zNSHo9xbRAfqr2FbKH8qq83TskTOQGe_Fb3n9Wm16hUiPn8P03ZfYtATv2R7xDO13AEcFQPMQj12iJxnzsEa6AcHT9SQ/s320/DSCN0042.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304297147650957826" /></a><br /><em>Daughter-in-law Michelle takes on the cookie challenge</em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIeGX_rj0hZJDrYaHqG67gPueolcBnx_a5OEOeel8ObFCm9G40Wtfr41v0Srhnn7Bf6szWipRkf1TjubUnYNaFAWDGliPhHxqnBZoXYxgC4tgqhhkrRblmx5Yv8U9SenTYEnsTw0h1Wo/s1600-h/DSCN0040.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIeGX_rj0hZJDrYaHqG67gPueolcBnx_a5OEOeel8ObFCm9G40Wtfr41v0Srhnn7Bf6szWipRkf1TjubUnYNaFAWDGliPhHxqnBZoXYxgC4tgqhhkrRblmx5Yv8U9SenTYEnsTw0h1Wo/s320/DSCN0040.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304297804790515842" /></a><br /><em>Michelle cuts the chocolate logs into disks.</em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9Nn1oYtX4IYkYy8IGemXRoMY1_dRCW9tdI70LIlHHoQO6BPhyphenhyphenXcZjiukQ8CDSfstvqQo3R6JXccCKhcEwXIKTO6kWIxg-2pNIpaFXHte5paAOLtGr5ZB7bi62qQGybxPP9AhDo0Nk4o/s1600-h/DSCN0041.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9Nn1oYtX4IYkYy8IGemXRoMY1_dRCW9tdI70LIlHHoQO6BPhyphenhyphenXcZjiukQ8CDSfstvqQo3R6JXccCKhcEwXIKTO6kWIxg-2pNIpaFXHte5paAOLtGr5ZB7bi62qQGybxPP9AhDo0Nk4o/s320/DSCN0041.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304252029034236066" /></a><br /><em>Is this on my diet?</em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSeVJmQxjWayNi-jTC0CjnmksNQp3lZvyRvY8JDCWvD-8VmSunRf59G_nxiIBSgSfUfVhT9PtU6aXzqZldgL4_M5H6O86EMgNNDth1-a3vIVSndy9wM8aC8uYadyy51dniN71GerUQa2o/s1600-h/DSCN0046.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSeVJmQxjWayNi-jTC0CjnmksNQp3lZvyRvY8JDCWvD-8VmSunRf59G_nxiIBSgSfUfVhT9PtU6aXzqZldgL4_M5H6O86EMgNNDth1-a3vIVSndy9wM8aC8uYadyy51dniN71GerUQa2o/s320/DSCN0046.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304246619028070754" /></a><br /><br /><br />Valentine's Day presents an opportunity to catch up on my baking. I decide to use this occasion to bake some recipes that were selected by the bakers at Tuesdays with Dorie. World Peace Cookies are a January 2009 selection, but Creme Brulee was a recipe chosen back in 2008. Rick returns from the garage with a blow torch and a fire extinguisher and I proceed to make creme brulee without fear of burning down the house. Rick is on a blueberry kick (muffins, pancakes) so he votes for blueberries in the custard rather than rasberry sauce. The recipe is simple and the gang enjoys the pyrotechnics. I only used a light dusting of sugar on top of the cooked custard which resulted in a carmelized topping that was rather minimal. Next time, I will put a very thick layer of sugar on top and call in the fire department for back up. <br /><br /><br /><em>Check out the recipe for World Peace Cookies</em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXewBNfABGoacYeMjdQxqY5hirqVyeEAEXtD55UZw75QyiwrLv7U0gkM6PVG4NBalMLK6lEpa78iWAXcEAxZwRrtCNqvqN_vBr9_S9haozbkmT_b9MHDp9QGp34LDbONM0m06XKdTteII/s1600-h/DSCN0037.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXewBNfABGoacYeMjdQxqY5hirqVyeEAEXtD55UZw75QyiwrLv7U0gkM6PVG4NBalMLK6lEpa78iWAXcEAxZwRrtCNqvqN_vBr9_S9haozbkmT_b9MHDp9QGp34LDbONM0m06XKdTteII/s320/DSCN0037.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304251874906073362" /></a><br /><em>The guys are fascinated by fire</em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHnOsjmJMTFFDkcS7fQwJzLOIZ90O40Ac4311Ojmrjs8yEbViUTsVtCLVPRPqlvgj0XeJrFpeI4x8-EK5Hn_EBxIPYCqbDgTW3A81cL1rnQPYdyoy_JUcMnTGa0MHdENdjOE-mjktfCw/s1600-h/DSCN0050.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHnOsjmJMTFFDkcS7fQwJzLOIZ90O40Ac4311Ojmrjs8yEbViUTsVtCLVPRPqlvgj0XeJrFpeI4x8-EK5Hn_EBxIPYCqbDgTW3A81cL1rnQPYdyoy_JUcMnTGa0MHdENdjOE-mjktfCw/s320/DSCN0050.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304246831412601826" /></a>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-30843945112397751942009-01-20T17:02:00.001-08:002009-01-20T17:33:49.387-08:00INAUGURATION DAY<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqz6BDlXOjb_KRMYoVyPprP2sGOfMK-Yi5hGu_kBKVbe-pMt1lhx0IlJkQRCtRYb6FMxmcrZIkU3cLa4XP5-Hj_jnWC5d9FwUjFa7bZXNWKX5PzJeqHLQpz55asVfE2ih1Vq6Oa8zi1Q/s1600-h/DSCN0051.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqz6BDlXOjb_KRMYoVyPprP2sGOfMK-Yi5hGu_kBKVbe-pMt1lhx0IlJkQRCtRYb6FMxmcrZIkU3cLa4XP5-Hj_jnWC5d9FwUjFa7bZXNWKX5PzJeqHLQpz55asVfE2ih1Vq6Oa8zi1Q/s320/DSCN0051.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293546582591887970" /></a><br /><br />TODAY IS TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2009. A SIGNIFICANT DAY FOR MANY REASONS, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THAT ON TUESDAYS, THE BLOGGING BAKERS AT TWD POST THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THEIR EFFORTS TO BAKE THE WEEKLY RECIPE. BUT WHY BAKE WHEN DUNKIN DONUTS IS OFFERING A FREE DONUT TO ANYONE WHO BUYS A BEVERAGE? So at the moment that our nation welcomed the 44th President, Nancy Antos and I ate our free donuts (toasted coconut) and downed a cup of Joe. How American is that?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM7NJtl6kbxZZhzvKMT-_Me1J8nkQ7itQQZjswxcqsvpg0iUPH7It9StYg3EFkILtH8vgTciwXtDuSct3Vxliugpj7CpEDrQYCsC7zCuyW6lmgUpKrSCcpbQZ2Eu9IvBvgasadU_kTX0/s1600-h/DSCN0059.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM7NJtl6kbxZZhzvKMT-_Me1J8nkQ7itQQZjswxcqsvpg0iUPH7It9StYg3EFkILtH8vgTciwXtDuSct3Vxliugpj7CpEDrQYCsC7zCuyW6lmgUpKrSCcpbQZ2Eu9IvBvgasadU_kTX0/s320/DSCN0059.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293546323744228642" /></a><br /><br />When President Kennedy was shot, I was in class. I remember the announcement on the P.A. system. Our principal interrupted us with the news of his death. I don't remember anything else about that day except that I did not cry. Leslie Schatzer did. (Where is she now?) I want to remember what I did today so I will use this blog to list the things I did today: I cleaned the floors, I went grocery shopping, took a Pilates class, rode my bike, started 3 new minature mixed media paintings, got a free donut and watched Barack Obama take the oath of office. A perfect day. <br /><br />Nancy Antos is a world traveler and the most energetic person I know. She's been visiting a mutual friend from Boulder and stopped by on her way to the airport with donuts on her mind. Amazingly, the Delray Beach Dunkin Donuts had no line and donuts galore (no free apple fritters). So at the very moment when millions stood in the cold waiting for Obama to take the stage, Nancy and I had donuts and coffee in Delray Beach, Florida.27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-79816049936537990162008-12-09T08:04:00.000-08:002008-12-12T09:30:32.918-08:00FLORIDA SNOWMAN<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4SIR0KXnsq6HvQ9rJFBXG02-HBsIAVq0c-BerZqqtTQ5eQp38o3LCnJmUIIzkif4pgUWxgA5WT8ZEOw4u4KUecR6h_FflCe02rpSqJ09pLvzz_rfgdU_4JOC-Ba3LuEYDsRndBlvx7N8/s1600-h/DSCN0233.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277871391819566434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4SIR0KXnsq6HvQ9rJFBXG02-HBsIAVq0c-BerZqqtTQ5eQp38o3LCnJmUIIzkif4pgUWxgA5WT8ZEOw4u4KUecR6h_FflCe02rpSqJ09pLvzz_rfgdU_4JOC-Ba3LuEYDsRndBlvx7N8/s320/DSCN0233.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcYRdvkh-dk55OXJaZmHsvZe5JSL6NxtC_u4QWGtN9DapSVU04Wg7SsIwpN-5e0b4CoKAZx_tn-4MIUc-FW-lCTnjnzgEBP1_OT2UxNat6PjU3ESNll7gKibsuH6WEfUryIUWvUB0ljc/s1600-h/DSCN0231.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277823260341513378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcYRdvkh-dk55OXJaZmHsvZe5JSL6NxtC_u4QWGtN9DapSVU04Wg7SsIwpN-5e0b4CoKAZx_tn-4MIUc-FW-lCTnjnzgEBP1_OT2UxNat6PjU3ESNll7gKibsuH6WEfUryIUWvUB0ljc/s320/DSCN0231.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Question: What would Xmas be without a pine tree and snow? </strong><br /><br /><strong>Answer: Just another day in Florida<br /><br /></strong><br />In Florida, where every day is pretty much like the day before, I lose my bearings. I become ungrounded when Sunday and Wednesday are interchangeable. Tennis and relaxation only go so far. I miss Colorado where it is 32 degrees and snowy today. So I make the best of it. I make sugar cookie snowmen because today is Tuesday and Grandma's sugar cookies is this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe. The dough spends a lot of time in the frig because the outside temperature is about 82 degrees. Only crazy people bake after 10 am. My cookies are patiently waiting to be decorated & hope that they don't end up looking like a chicken with buttons, like their buddy in the photo above. <em>Not to worry fellas !</em><br /><br />Notes: Some of the cookies are sugar cookies & some are linzer cookies - last week's recipe. They are more or less anatomically correct for tonight's ladies' only party. Did I mention that I used gel colors straight from the tube for the trim? See how our hostess has green teeth to match her outfit? Very chic. </div><br /><br /><div align="center">AND HERE WE ARE READY TO PARTY...<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfhi55RhjB9AlY0zfs_qFiVN0Eg_8KaGHqT0VK5DWZScWaw-9LPyLtqi5ZjhfNXXIil0v_SvMC8jhXPZ1Irv-VEiYvFIGCOfegNlMp9mL1IATfWgYgZrtA1j0VVLApZQ2a8M1TCoM0iQ/s1600-h/untitled.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278703829725249890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 205px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfhi55RhjB9AlY0zfs_qFiVN0Eg_8KaGHqT0VK5DWZScWaw-9LPyLtqi5ZjhfNXXIil0v_SvMC8jhXPZ1Irv-VEiYvFIGCOfegNlMp9mL1IATfWgYgZrtA1j0VVLApZQ2a8M1TCoM0iQ/s320/untitled.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjpk4P_QFRgttYXtXwhK2OHxGxKtQWo6MgTRnCZwYhWR2V8RBSPcImU1uFdITPzoYCEqMpqHbOSCnHa_Nb-YYh-w_iXZZVVDHq4J5tUsmDjhFs-BAtVZyhlPvB7z6rdXBXiVsIQo3TQ8/s1600-h/snowman+1.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278705608233185746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 278px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjpk4P_QFRgttYXtXwhK2OHxGxKtQWo6MgTRnCZwYhWR2V8RBSPcImU1uFdITPzoYCEqMpqHbOSCnHa_Nb-YYh-w_iXZZVVDHq4J5tUsmDjhFs-BAtVZyhlPvB7z6rdXBXiVsIQo3TQ8/s320/snowman+1.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4ITwwbC9ZxyOJBrZrn5ZDEqEejCFi6hLtj6F1FZlgfMk1jG2DXGmKkeznodK0j2hc1w_wJ-OQ-liOOjSZxfmXm-1T_GvVu2sxxPjj2iru6_j9ZFI4Rsm3HO_Y-5abeNb3w1nsarpZNQ/s1600-h/DSCN0237.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277871179848334690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4ITwwbC9ZxyOJBrZrn5ZDEqEejCFi6hLtj6F1FZlgfMk1jG2DXGmKkeznodK0j2hc1w_wJ-OQ-liOOjSZxfmXm-1T_GvVu2sxxPjj2iru6_j9ZFI4Rsm3HO_Y-5abeNb3w1nsarpZNQ/s320/DSCN0237.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdcTL3DcEvgO4vrGSvgRezODAFHr40tYQhrW357rNlRFr5EV0HpjSQ7TnGWGXwEJkJfLsDBKCtecVAKMDfXxPGsq9O2VhkuW2Kx47KUmA6WeFNOvf-z6EUOKLaH7aVKERAe8z5z9givs/s1600-h/snowman+merci.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278956378823008338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 310px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdcTL3DcEvgO4vrGSvgRezODAFHr40tYQhrW357rNlRFr5EV0HpjSQ7TnGWGXwEJkJfLsDBKCtecVAKMDfXxPGsq9O2VhkuW2Kx47KUmA6WeFNOvf-z6EUOKLaH7aVKERAe8z5z9givs/s320/snowman+merci.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtdZ0h1yorGh3IbybzkDDxsxYtsnp6ldTHVkSGTKRVO5w6ui0UHPOhCr_x3C053N2SAKN4UZza4UV3vtP2A07L6qtXjw1dQpcQFE-WyP3VQHM74aibzPdXJikDe4fkf5LytDqjMscLm4/s1600-h/DSCN0206.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277823694377613186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtdZ0h1yorGh3IbybzkDDxsxYtsnp6ldTHVkSGTKRVO5w6ui0UHPOhCr_x3C053N2SAKN4UZza4UV3vtP2A07L6qtXjw1dQpcQFE-WyP3VQHM74aibzPdXJikDe4fkf5LytDqjMscLm4/s320/DSCN0206.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p><em></em></p>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-5209957487544580862008-12-08T15:21:00.000-08:002008-12-08T16:04:42.803-08:00A MORAL VICTORY AND CHEESE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEL8_hXa0yHjZHnLXbEnJJ0usxn0ZbR3S0Teg-cyhlf2HC2vPr5mSJ0KWR4mb2A6lsHD_3-9opk_h6_JrlA_ZlmdQg_nxFwMWoiFom7vqgto9q_i6NCtqZ2UiZlM8LpYTSk4aq2NoCIk/s1600-h/meat+%26+cheese+drawer.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277564127896528898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEL8_hXa0yHjZHnLXbEnJJ0usxn0ZbR3S0Teg-cyhlf2HC2vPr5mSJ0KWR4mb2A6lsHD_3-9opk_h6_JrlA_ZlmdQg_nxFwMWoiFom7vqgto9q_i6NCtqZ2UiZlM8LpYTSk4aq2NoCIk/s320/meat+%26+cheese+drawer.jpg" border="0" /></a> I LOVE CHEESE....<br /><br />Having a full cheese drawer comforts me. Parmesan of course, but versatile goat cheese (omelets, salads, appetizers) plus some stilton with apricots (great contrast against the bite of arugula), maybe a little queso (quesadillas & dip) and let's not forget figs and prosciutto on the side. My favorite goat cheese: Haystack Mtn. Peak, from a Boulder County (Colorado) dairy.<br /><br />Having a Costco or Whole Foods nearby helps feed my habit. I just stocked up on a bid wedge of gorgonzola, some Rosy Goat cheese from Spain with a rosemary rind plus fresh mozzarella. I'm spending less on wine given the economy but I haven't given up my cheese habit. What about you? <em>Show me your frig ! </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>AND NOW THE MORAL PART: We spent over 4 hours today at a hearing protesting a tax bill. Incredibly, we reached a compromise that will save us $. Was it worth our time today plus all the prep time, the $15 protest fee, the parking tab, the 2 Starbucks we had while waiting and the sweater I bought while we had coffee? No. But it was a moral victory.</em>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-18525530217244262802008-12-02T18:46:00.000-08:002008-12-03T08:57:26.359-08:00LINZER SABLES & SPAGETTI SQUASH<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlFo-DfjToJjikCiTgnyNV-bu-9_qtSp6n_ld2ALMraCUYCreyT8UJ3y9f_vuqQ6EIejpzyzIwNBGTwhSc5OiI6cnqI0bBto8Xtom_JRKtVGqUlVwrEmmrquzAWcOCximV13K4u1YSM4/s1600-h/DSCN0185.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275589993477612370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlFo-DfjToJjikCiTgnyNV-bu-9_qtSp6n_ld2ALMraCUYCreyT8UJ3y9f_vuqQ6EIejpzyzIwNBGTwhSc5OiI6cnqI0bBto8Xtom_JRKtVGqUlVwrEmmrquzAWcOCximV13K4u1YSM4/s320/DSCN0185.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>What do Linzer Sables and squash have in common you might ask. Squash makes a perfectly good substitute for a rolling pin. I am all about making substitutions while I am in Florida. Substitutions may not be allowed when ordering the early bird special, but they are allowed by the Tuesdays with Dorie bakers. One of the fun things about this group is sharing ideas and comments about the weekly recipe without straying too far. I have strayed across the country from Colorado to Florida and cooking down here is very different, nothwithstanding my lack of cooking equipment.<br /><br />This week's recipe is Linzer Sables and I have baked my cookies on time. I've substituted pecans for almonds (having failed at last week's pie, I've got lots of pecans to use)and my food processor does not know the meaning of the word "fine." The cookies are not quite Linzers and not quite pecan sandies. But they are good.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KWWea7HvRdRJII7l3gWiDq0SIU5_MBJkHc9K7XUA1C07o1OYRTpdO4jMZIfZWrtMIDIW9GW4RyUB9aL1M2gsrw1g_2G3EpgoYTq3LG3u0ERCNPvu1xxEtZz-7JEW9wnSSxnB0KkxTqE/s1600-h/DSCN0191.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275589868332878642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KWWea7HvRdRJII7l3gWiDq0SIU5_MBJkHc9K7XUA1C07o1OYRTpdO4jMZIfZWrtMIDIW9GW4RyUB9aL1M2gsrw1g_2G3EpgoYTq3LG3u0ERCNPvu1xxEtZz-7JEW9wnSSxnB0KkxTqE/s320/DSCN0191.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>My dough needs to be kept really cold in order to roll it successfully. Even so it is kind of sticky. A glass makes a fine cookie cutter and that squash comes in handy. My finger makes a hole in the middle of every other cookie so my rasberry jam can poke through. I only bake my cookies for 8 minutes. Maybe my new stove is off - things seem to cook faster than I expect. My turkey was done in a record 3 hours. </div><div> </div><div>Next week's recipe is sugar cookies and Rick will finally be happy that I joined this group. Besides ice cream, sugar cookies are his favorite dessert. I guess I will need a rolling pin since the squash is on tonight's menu.<br /><br />List of things to buy: rolling pin, oven thermometer, shaker for powdered sugar, almonds. Plus wine. In Florida, they whine alot.<br /></div></div></div>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-52269035356514676332008-11-30T12:27:00.000-08:002008-12-02T18:46:38.852-08:00THANKSGIVINGThanksgiving is the only day of the year when I eat 4,000 calories at one meal. I don't eat anywhere near that number of calories even when I bake the recipe of the week for Tuesdays with Dorie. Not even if the recipe is Thanksgiving TwoFer Pie, a layered pie that is creamy pumpkin pie on the bottom and sweet/crunchy pecan pie on the top. Not even if I lick the bowl.<br /><br />I prepared to tackle the TwoFer Pie with my new stove and an apron that belonged to my grandmother. I started by emptying my mom's cabinets of baking supplies since she has given up baking. Her record was about 10 banana breads in one week and her fame was such that neighbors left their old bananas on her door step. I fill bags with pans, cookie sheets, flour, sugar, vanilla, nuts, Pam and oil. In exchange, I organize her cabinets. I also scrub the pantry after a container of Hershey's powdered chocolate spills downward through her wire shelves. But what I don't have is shortening, which is not a real food anyway. Shortening helps make a crust flaky & tender when combined with butter. I decide to substitute oil and hope for the best. But what is that yucky taste? The raw dough tastes awful & reminds me that, as a kid, I drank some cooking oil in a brown bottle assuming it was apple juice. <em>(To this day I hate apple juice.)</em><br /><br />Maybe Mom has done it to me again. The crust may bake up fine but the oil could be past its prime, like me. How long do food products last in the Florida heat? My logic tells me that expiration dates in hot Florida and cold Colorado should not be the same, but I will write to "Ask Marilyn," for confirmation because she is an <em>actual</em> mensa member who answers readers' questions in her syndicated column. I'll also ask my sister because she graduated Phi Beta Kappa in <strong>math</strong> from Cornell and our mom once told me that her I.Q. is higher than mine. I am not sure I would have let my sister borrow my clothes had I known this fact.<br /><br />On the other hand, longevity runs in our family and when we are 94, Iris and I will be even because she sends me great birthday gifts. I forsee a future where we play bridge and <em>double date.</em> This is because about the time other folks start drooling on themselves, the women in my family start dating again. Grandma and Mom were both 86 when they met a new feller. I guess nothing beats having a guy pull out your chair at the early bird dinner. But I digress.<br /><br />The plan for Thanksgiving is that I will cook the food and take it to my mom's for dinner. We are 3 couples. Mom and her beau, my uncle and his fiance, and us.<em> </em>It's a pretty traditional menu with an emphasis on low fat (mashed potatoes with chicken broth and a bit of sour cream are awesome). But the guests are uncertain about two of my dishes. Mom thinks the sauteed green beans with shallots, garlic and toasted almonds aren't done. She suggests the oven roasted sweet potatoes need more cooking as well. I explain that mushy vegetables are out except at Denny's or Country Buffet. She accepts this explanation but pretty much sticks to mashed potatoes, peas and stuffing. For dessert, we have pie from the store as I have given up on TwoFer Pie.<br /><br />It has been hard to bake with the TWD group while in Florida. Heat and lack of cooking equipment have been major set backs. My new oven has arrived and I will buy some shortening. I've missed the TwoFer Pie but I have plenty of pecans in the pantry. I shall commit myself to baking the next recipe: Linzer Sables, a jam-filled almond cookie that sounds delish. Except that mine will be more like pecan sandies.27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-4228261390951973242008-10-22T17:58:00.000-07:002008-10-22T18:06:08.031-07:00POETRYIt is about time I do some baking, but I don't even have a hand mixer, let alone sugar, spice and everything nice. Or flour for that matter. That's what happens when you travel. So here's a poem in recognition of the word part of my blog. With any luck, I'll be baking with my mom this week. She is the banana bread queen of Wynmoor, Florida.<br /><br />FOR MY MOTHER<br /><br /><br />Mommy sits at my breakfast bar<br />I see her reflection in the shiny black granite<br />That covers my new kitchen cabinets<br />She is small but her back is straight<br />She eats her food one bite at a time<br />The granite mommy does the same<br /><br />I watch her as she gracefully eats<br />The good food we have prepared<br />There are fresh vegetables and<br />Little bowties like my father once wore<br />My heart is full of love and yearning<br />I want to take care of her forever<br /><br />Stay here, I plead to the mommies<br />Who shake their heads in unison <br />Affirming their independence <br />Much the same as I once did27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-85881528896196339072008-10-13T22:57:00.001-07:002008-10-14T12:13:18.109-07:00EGGPLANT PARMESAN<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffa7LsFYV3qtuTMPsEfUZFkxd6O5FFfglMB79WUQHpIzvH73rJGq5YhmjFDgI8tqheIJDIqW1RQGdUkNXvLjfX9DbiEU6aucnMZwn2ugZZkunDtzVCTNt4enJEdUlIdt4xEW2CYz2Zq0/s1600-h/Open+Studio+party+at+Linda+Faul%27s+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256888347157798386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="185" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffa7LsFYV3qtuTMPsEfUZFkxd6O5FFfglMB79WUQHpIzvH73rJGq5YhmjFDgI8tqheIJDIqW1RQGdUkNXvLjfX9DbiEU6aucnMZwn2ugZZkunDtzVCTNt4enJEdUlIdt4xEW2CYz2Zq0/s320/Open+Studio+party+at+Linda+Faul%27s+007.jpg" width="286" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Every October, Boulder artists open their studios to the public. This self-guided tour lasts two weekends, but it was 3 pm on the final day when I joined the parade of people looking for yellow "open studio" signs. And oh, the studios and secret gardens I saw!<br /><br /><br />Behind one small house, I found painter Elizabeth Black in a trailer. The stone path to her studio opened to a huge garden & grape arbor as well as a Christmas tree orchard. I could buy her art or a jar of her honey (take a jar & leave your money in the box). What a delight to find this magical garden in the middle of town.<br /><br /><br />The light rain didn't deter me or anyone else for that matter. It was hard to park and the small studios were crowded. But, people were enjoying the day and buying handcrafted items fresh off the shelf. It was a wonderful distraction from the bad economic news.<br /><br /><br />Artist Linda Faul, one half of the spagetti sisters, lives on a mountain top just outside of town. Linda paints landscapes and buffaloes (Univ. of Colorado mascot) and she's been commissioned to paint the holiday star that shines over Boulder each winter. I buy a small painting to go with the eggplant parmesan that she is serving at her open house. Linda and her sister Claudia come from a big Italian family and their recipes have been handed down from parents and grandparents. Linda's kitchen is filled with comfort food, family and friends. When she calls "mangia," I obediently eat two plates of eggplant parmesan.<br /><br /><br />This is like the food I ate growing up in N.Y., not far from the town where Linda & Claudia lived. Our neighborhoods were filled with 2nd generation Italians and Jews, and the Nanas and Bubbes still cooked for their families. My grandma would arrive with jars of stuffed cabbage & borscht and squares of rice pudding that my dad pretended to like. For me and my sister, there were treats like rugelach, Barton's chocolates and apple pie-cake.<br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gCtKdu3AdrhWGkAh79ownp9spc7ob9GYqW5xQJjwf6y-bYQ1eAH6pcUGEtbjJSYDI9XlNfzqLlljn7woUfWZx9DWuq0Idvd_sQidOQ0QFcZ_NdeMWmPAi0ycuknPSDmX2ykBG2zp0HI/s1600-h/Mira+Mar.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257076099177258162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gCtKdu3AdrhWGkAh79ownp9spc7ob9GYqW5xQJjwf6y-bYQ1eAH6pcUGEtbjJSYDI9XlNfzqLlljn7woUfWZx9DWuq0Idvd_sQidOQ0QFcZ_NdeMWmPAi0ycuknPSDmX2ykBG2zp0HI/s320/Mira+Mar.jpg" border="0" /></a>My sister, Iris, is amazed that I remember the name of my grandparents' apartment building (the Mira Mar) in Brighton Beach. She finds a picture in the Brooklyn Library archives. The building, adjacent to the wide boardwalk that leads to Coney Island, had two small shops where my dad bought us Italian ices and steaming hot knishes: potato, kasha and his favorite, cherry cheese, wrapped in white paper. They were almost too hot to hold and when you did take a bite, the flaky strudel-like outside broke apart releasing a sweet or savory filling that I haven't tasted in 40 years. No wonder I remember the building so well. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6StdR0-v7H-baHcOc_yUduzMe2D62y-1GbWtn-zORvHb_AH6L1BeReW6dMM7woFZcdYfhz8r4DvTYHDjIzBushDZPeaFIjDVGLb-YzUeglpw8Ss68XgHRFPyMHU3Aj2ZLbEhb6wcz0I/s1600-h/Open+Studio+party+at+Linda+Faul%27s+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256901829092481922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6StdR0-v7H-baHcOc_yUduzMe2D62y-1GbWtn-zORvHb_AH6L1BeReW6dMM7woFZcdYfhz8r4DvTYHDjIzBushDZPeaFIjDVGLb-YzUeglpw8Ss68XgHRFPyMHU3Aj2ZLbEhb6wcz0I/s320/Open+Studio+party+at+Linda+Faul%27s+018.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8uiy1G860fES2L6rjpd0LEs2DkJ4EWeOCjVmPwaYvm_JcvUABb3f-d3Recu3v1t-j-MNZJYximxlJUWlUDbfdQ38bK1Dusygx34MUGx9hB5vl-pGXhAEkN4VZHwX50SBTQvHb1ADoFw/s1600-h/Open+Studio+party+at+Linda+Faul%27s+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256905250956454738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8uiy1G860fES2L6rjpd0LEs2DkJ4EWeOCjVmPwaYvm_JcvUABb3f-d3Recu3v1t-j-MNZJYximxlJUWlUDbfdQ38bK1Dusygx34MUGx9hB5vl-pGXhAEkN4VZHwX50SBTQvHb1ADoFw/s320/Open+Studio+party+at+Linda+Faul%27s+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></p>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-80813666180635253322008-10-12T23:24:00.000-07:002008-10-12T23:28:19.608-07:00Heads Up !I want to thank Allison Marshall for her creativity and the time she spent designing a new header for my blog. She's done beautiful headers for other bakers and I am pleased to pass her name on to you. Her website is: <a title="blocked::http://allisonjstudios.webs.com/" href="http://allisonjstudios.webs.com/">allisonjstudios.webs.com </a>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-45632942085777762012008-10-12T09:18:00.000-07:002008-10-12T23:31:52.383-07:00BOULDER CHEFS ON TOP CHEF<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_YMoYtpmSLdHd781EBLDPx3NcMIBtj1xT-X8vkaAwTDVxxk-kS4L-u_SSjMzfI5RM1WHDux8RElPZ5kxg-5cUkgetrBWbtXme9v3x8Tq7P9ZJJ31ivGQhiA7lS9MSebIbzyCvpB7LQQ/s1600-h/BRAVO_TC5_LaunchEvent_Evite.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256308620276267426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_YMoYtpmSLdHd781EBLDPx3NcMIBtj1xT-X8vkaAwTDVxxk-kS4L-u_SSjMzfI5RM1WHDux8RElPZ5kxg-5cUkgetrBWbtXme9v3x8Tq7P9ZJJ31ivGQhiA7lS9MSebIbzyCvpB7LQQ/s320/BRAVO_TC5_LaunchEvent_Evite.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Two Boulder chefs will compete on this season's Top Chef. But, they are not only from the same town, they handle kitchen duties at restaurants owned by the same chef & restauranteur, Dave Query. So if you are in Boulder, Colorado, check out Hosea Rosenberg' fare at Jax, a too-noisy seafood place on west Pearl. Nevermind that your table abuts that of other diners - take a look at what they're eating for an idea about what to order. On the same block, Melissa Harrison is sous chef at Centro Latin Kitchen. Get a table on the bustling outdoor patio.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBLTXtnJksFsqqgIyMORPD4TfE7Ygbgkp-DFYVHjui0x73MaHe9JIhBQBIqEUL58DAGsRll2A6xFZ8XgguY0597MBx1ZWXk7_rkdkMg34iMYtNZCb7pDqamjRl29c6kDETNrLKLpitdk/s1600-h/jax_outside.jpg"></a>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-30019357906944265232008-10-07T22:49:00.000-07:002008-10-11T22:50:38.608-07:00DORIE EXPLAINS HOW-TO-MAKE CARAMEL<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gxZ7OaLOtGW9gZ5le4nhl42aasE2_n4E3u8N44psCp67JANeol4BgJClBFkz4S7gpRcvypH2KtzUPbiesRw4k8MS_LP6ta1zv047lZjflElCcllkxiL4l10Mj5cOPel8a1kMaz0HVz4/s1600-h/cauliflower+sheep.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254657411683957394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 281px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: left" height="320" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gxZ7OaLOtGW9gZ5le4nhl42aasE2_n4E3u8N44psCp67JANeol4BgJClBFkz4S7gpRcvypH2KtzUPbiesRw4k8MS_LP6ta1zv047lZjflElCcllkxiL4l10Mj5cOPel8a1kMaz0HVz4/s320/cauliflower+sheep.bmp" width="272" border="0" /></a> It is pretty clear from advance posts that making caramel is risky business. Your sugar mixture cooks longer than the suggested time, fails to turn deep amber, and so you give it a quick stir. Instantly, you turn to stone. But didn't Dorie warn against stirring in her recipe for <em>Caramel-Peanut Topped Brownie Cake? </em><br /><br />Sure she did, but part of the fun of baking with Dorie is experimenting with her recipes. Like the blogger who made a white chocolate brownie cake or the baker who topped her cake with pecans. <p></p><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">My cake, baked in an 8" square pan (Dorie suggests 8" springform), came out dry, especially around the edges. It caved in the middle, but Dorie warned about that. I baked it for 40 min (Dorie suggests 40-45). I cut all the edges off & decided to make 4 individual cakes. That left lots of trim for tasting - not that I wanted more after the first few bites. The cake is only mildly chocolately. There are much better cakes out there and I decide not to bother with the caramel topping given the mixed reviews on this cake from other bakers. (For a good chocolate cake see my post from September 19, 2008: "<a href="http://positivelyforkstreet.blogspot.com/2008/09/talk-like-pirate-day.html">Talk Like a Pirate Day</a>.") </div><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUyCJnEMNRoRxlj-tda8PXe1dONwFKfYfh9ys_wKQUzGs8jiZExOp4NxWgVexiQoZYeU_2TxoLP8EquP1JbUdLj4l1ZmDyY7omz96Xen76_9HsHv9-ieag7v-zIBlCicHW_8xL5GJDeA/s1600-h/pirate+cake.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256123934745672434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUyCJnEMNRoRxlj-tda8PXe1dONwFKfYfh9ys_wKQUzGs8jiZExOp4NxWgVexiQoZYeU_2TxoLP8EquP1JbUdLj4l1ZmDyY7omz96Xen76_9HsHv9-ieag7v-zIBlCicHW_8xL5GJDeA/s320/pirate+cake.jpg" border="0" /></a>What could I do with my mini cakes? I checked Dorie's book for inspiration - no help there. But I recently bought a book for $9.99: "The Essential Dessert Cookbook" from Murdoch Books (no author credited). Great recipes, gorgeous pics, and chapters on pies & tarts, ice cream, fruit & baked desserts like <em>creme brulee. </em>The instructions, tips & photos make this book a real steal, particularly because there are 4 pages devoted to caramel including decorations like<em> spun toffee.</em> I could tackle caramel with this book as a guide and so can you. But what about the organic raspberries I just bought at Whole Foods for $3.00? Do they really go with caramel? </div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">Wouldn't it be better to fill my little cakes with raspberries and frost them with chocolate mousse? Like so:</div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnPOzrZoqv6zOuDW0ShCQHSl3ndyfURlA4cthVrQ8FegZZCL_b44FrWYDnU2KmitBotsXQmUzqIt2iXGoo6X-CG-WlE23yKeN7lsIS_IPlufThxBFsz2ly0qCEsnWv8DhriDs3r-la8w/s1600-h/Mini+chocolate+tortes+raspberry+cream+027.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256022888138583922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnPOzrZoqv6zOuDW0ShCQHSl3ndyfURlA4cthVrQ8FegZZCL_b44FrWYDnU2KmitBotsXQmUzqIt2iXGoo6X-CG-WlE23yKeN7lsIS_IPlufThxBFsz2ly0qCEsnWv8DhriDs3r-la8w/s320/Mini+chocolate+tortes+raspberry+cream+027.jpg" border="0" /></a>My dessert cookbook has a beautiful picture of Hazelnut Roll with Rasberry Cream. The filling is simple to make:</div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><em>Whip 1 cup of whipping cream until stiff (it helps if your bowl and beaters are cold)</em><br /></div><div align="left"><em>Set aside half of the whipped cream. </em></div><div align="left"><em>Fold the following into one half of the whipped cream:</em></div><div align="left"><em>8 mashed fresh berries, 1 T of sugar & 1/2 tsp vanilla</em><br /></div><br /><div align="left">Make chocolate mousse using the remaining whipped cream: </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><em>Melt together: 2/3 C of semi-sweet chocolate and 1 T of unsalted butter</em></div><div align="left"><em>Stir 2 heaping T of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it up</em></div><div align="left"><em>Let it cool for about 10 min, then fold in the remaining whipped cream</em></div><div align="left"><em></em></div><div align="left"><em></em></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><em><br>FILL THE CAKES WITH RASPBERRY CREAM & A FEW WHOLE BERRIES. FROST THE FILLED MINI CAKES WITH THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE. SPRINKLE ALL OVER WITH CHOCOLATE CRUMBS & TOP WITH A SUGARED RASPBERRY. <span style="font-size:85%;">(I made crumbs from the cake left over when I cut out four mini cakes with a donut cutter.)</span></em></div><div align="left"><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii439kU0DvWvoQoVC1GYMWJaAJnyVTrgJAmVHDCKmz6Sns-DlgLqN4bxqEsFqThty8IO6yLB-sI-Ej62nojKsvdIxpfRiRavOX_zyUMy2csxKhc2r_GhqNeyrA5l34FzmECYyG2AMu044/s1600-h/Mini+chocolate+tortes+raspberry+cream+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256022205365619042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii439kU0DvWvoQoVC1GYMWJaAJnyVTrgJAmVHDCKmz6Sns-DlgLqN4bxqEsFqThty8IO6yLB-sI-Ej62nojKsvdIxpfRiRavOX_zyUMy2csxKhc2r_GhqNeyrA5l34FzmECYyG2AMu044/s320/Mini+chocolate+tortes+raspberry+cream+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpsdhE_-sG_9VkElDFiFzgzfArrnq4PiTeHcT4b5ommMvGPXCYh0r5LMg3OW2W63kOxfwA8R1LsN9WhT2vWaiPSEYJLLuAcLzIrZY-kkeQ3J6MdXtFFaWaG0uR5fOM8_wTC1Edrk-0qqg/s1600-h/Mini+chocolate+tortes+raspberry+cream+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256022380864919554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpsdhE_-sG_9VkElDFiFzgzfArrnq4PiTeHcT4b5ommMvGPXCYh0r5LMg3OW2W63kOxfwA8R1LsN9WhT2vWaiPSEYJLLuAcLzIrZY-kkeQ3J6MdXtFFaWaG0uR5fOM8_wTC1Edrk-0qqg/s320/Mini+chocolate+tortes+raspberry+cream+019.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkG4Nm6Iy5HN2kYHtQbHXm5gxt17Mzo8MXPSpHAbH7d_jkpzgp3ltzJEIazJe_Z6ELxcrzsL90NYrjIFMRcmiOuRBXir5NB6eGoDeajPU2PV_-vS3y2qZNenMV3VUKzB0Cam-_Pq-Xsk/s1600-h/Mini+chocolate+tortes+raspberry+cream+022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256022718394441554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkG4Nm6Iy5HN2kYHtQbHXm5gxt17Mzo8MXPSpHAbH7d_jkpzgp3ltzJEIazJe_Z6ELxcrzsL90NYrjIFMRcmiOuRBXir5NB6eGoDeajPU2PV_-vS3y2qZNenMV3VUKzB0Cam-_Pq-Xsk/s320/Mini+chocolate+tortes+raspberry+cream+022.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Tip: keep the filled cakes and the whipped cream in the frig as you make this recipe, so they hold their shape.</span><br /><em><br />AN INCREDIBLY GOOD DESSERT AND LOOKS FABULOUS.</em><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ntzdgpr5coyjqUctT54jzaE1pqZUJQ1sWHIkvbgv9EbxTuTQSVswmv0Y6SEvo0VhQu8JzHY8g1sHJ6J375jNchwTMjZcG7qfdXtwNVvYtz8z78zvoh8ndvAX9128IatmzCOCbmaAvrQ/s1600-h/Mini+chocolate+tortes+raspberry+cream+037.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256030354151838642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ntzdgpr5coyjqUctT54jzaE1pqZUJQ1sWHIkvbgv9EbxTuTQSVswmv0Y6SEvo0VhQu8JzHY8g1sHJ6J375jNchwTMjZcG7qfdXtwNVvYtz8z78zvoh8ndvAX9128IatmzCOCbmaAvrQ/s320/Mini+chocolate+tortes+raspberry+cream+037.jpg" border="0" /></a>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-84288299160177412222008-09-30T21:42:00.000-07:002008-10-09T13:05:18.802-07:00HAPPY BIRTHDAY IRIS<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVOn8hYZvjszzjq7EODmXF46k2nBReWaOR3jOMyELS242BnxHOM4UGZFfB0syXGQVC3xXus_XjMAnAezSo1CQpv9b_HcEEkHOJImilpBMBhvQYBEKmeJgAH3KBqOFjdif6VsFWUu_FQ0/s1600-h/Ruggelah+with+Iris+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252208622858635010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVOn8hYZvjszzjq7EODmXF46k2nBReWaOR3jOMyELS242BnxHOM4UGZFfB0syXGQVC3xXus_XjMAnAezSo1CQpv9b_HcEEkHOJImilpBMBhvQYBEKmeJgAH3KBqOFjdif6VsFWUu_FQ0/s320/Ruggelah+with+Iris+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This weekend, Dorie and I visited my sister in Chicago. I got an aisle seat but Dorie traveled in baggage with tomatoes, chard, basil and arugula from my garden. Adding more weight were a super-sized zucchini and my Dimply Plum Cake. The plan: <em>1) I'd cook a fabulous dinner for my sister & her husband, 2) we'd eat the DP Cake, and 3) we'd bake a TWD recipe together.</em><br /><br />We did all the fun things sisters do. We had morning coffee with pumpkin bread<em>,</em> took a bike ride, shopped at Nordstrom's Rack<em>,</em> had pedicures at a fancy salon <em>(the best foot massage I've ever had), </em>walked & talked. We took a mini-tour of downtown Chicago on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon & checked out niece Emily's apartment with views of the city & nephew Mike's (& Steph's) cool loft-style space in a converted pencil factory. </div><br />We did our share of eating, including dinner at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba <a href="http://www.cafebabareeba.com/">http://www.cafebabareeba.com/</a>), a bustling paella - tapas bistro in downtown Chicago. Great service - our waitress was attentive & other servers hovered about our table bringing endless tapas & signature dishes of chicken paella plus calderos, a rustic soup-like stew of rice & mushrooms.<br /><br />Did I eat too much? Sure. This was a two-handed dining experience. White sangria in one hand and tapas in the other. Tapas of note: calamari, riojo short ribs, eggplant with goat cheese. I did not think I could eat another bite, but a real baker wouldn't pass up a slice of birthday cake from Dinkel's. Dinkels has been a Chicago institution since 1922 & is still run by the same family (with computers now). This was a deep dark chocolate experience with alternating layers of chocolate cake, thick fudge and whipped cream with strawberries.<br /><br />This being Chicago, we watched sports with my brother-in-law. <em>But, what were they thinking when they built that saucer-like stadium inside Soldiers' Field? </em>We also watched the 1st Presidential debate, candidate interviews (real and fake), and all the bad news on the financial crisis. When the news became too depressing, we made <span style="color:#ff0000;">apple cake and rugelach.</span><br /><br /><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMQH8HLBlU710-u2AkiOEda7o1yKmhN-AwvXqvC-Zd592meHUlFr1_u305CUrm2i994tq_6sdRyV7GLPhH2D9_WbyQfg3-YqSkxaFPl8MNT0rf68Hr4z278wnzFyGTd43XuFdAOWk7VI/s1600-h/Ruggelah+with+Iris+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255246275885012370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMQH8HLBlU710-u2AkiOEda7o1yKmhN-AwvXqvC-Zd592meHUlFr1_u305CUrm2i994tq_6sdRyV7GLPhH2D9_WbyQfg3-YqSkxaFPl8MNT0rf68Hr4z278wnzFyGTd43XuFdAOWk7VI/s320/Ruggelah+with+Iris+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Rugelach </em>(p.150) is a family tradition. My grandmother made hers with yeast dough & apricot filling. Dorie's cookies are smaller so you can eat more and equally tasty. We made a double recipe and 2 kinds of fillings: a) chocolate/walnut/rasberry jam filling, and b) chocolate/gourmet nut-fruit mix/apricot jam filling. I was surprised that we all preferred the apricot version. Seems that Grandma had it right all along!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicm3d6bIJOHEAk8Yz-9RuvhyphenhyphenI5MspzKkjWEsMXIriSfYxEgNzfrCIWdD9LmMjDyqUcfwJ3ljexmActacQmPrFkRFLVqDTvJX-_VQhBuTUFIme12lNuc_jVozcyo7wJrJbNSj985iC1zO8/s1600-h/Ruggelah+with+Iris+039.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252206303200032322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicm3d6bIJOHEAk8Yz-9RuvhyphenhyphenI5MspzKkjWEsMXIriSfYxEgNzfrCIWdD9LmMjDyqUcfwJ3ljexmActacQmPrFkRFLVqDTvJX-_VQhBuTUFIme12lNuc_jVozcyo7wJrJbNSj985iC1zO8/s320/Ruggelah+with+Iris+039.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAw7mjn0BFajFGqFpP6ZUPUYUYRiHVInNAGkdQ9HKIlnzaHVwi8em_vKWizEIbnGYFSsyomjC6obeZ0CesJa0tbYZG0R9rycE0e8eaCPHnN-APkBKrbCQ_HIJP-rKo2ckMeqzErj3JFo/s1600-h/Ruggelah+with+Iris+046.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252207001092491842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAw7mjn0BFajFGqFpP6ZUPUYUYRiHVInNAGkdQ9HKIlnzaHVwi8em_vKWizEIbnGYFSsyomjC6obeZ0CesJa0tbYZG0R9rycE0e8eaCPHnN-APkBKrbCQ_HIJP-rKo2ckMeqzErj3JFo/s320/Ruggelah+with+Iris+046.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I7OgfcHeNnTTLKmLBbxvNTrNTzllhjprm1OBOT7Vl3pohu-UjZcCE7ploZKyxxkWbPA5vCiHvxHjrMkLm3jRXw4UQC3EPB84ZTog_GnVx72sIqCfrPUgj_9e796jLTTye0LjB4TM4uI/s1600-h/Ruggelah+with+Iris+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252206488859098242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I7OgfcHeNnTTLKmLBbxvNTrNTzllhjprm1OBOT7Vl3pohu-UjZcCE7ploZKyxxkWbPA5vCiHvxHjrMkLm3jRXw4UQC3EPB84ZTog_GnVx72sIqCfrPUgj_9e796jLTTye0LjB4TM4uI/s320/Ruggelah+with+Iris+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UU_CEP6f08xBMs2c3eMyLZqPsm_87fshhKYds9KQyzaHRwtlPScROhHgSxoLdGVG9DWZ5-W-DAXOeR6YVJOlrmZGsKroNt0zhF2RheCrv6ByD3pAuPhLHCHmufopZ2ecEiCZtZORmIE/s1600-h/Ruggelah+with+Iris+050.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252207273975889858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UU_CEP6f08xBMs2c3eMyLZqPsm_87fshhKYds9KQyzaHRwtlPScROhHgSxoLdGVG9DWZ5-W-DAXOeR6YVJOlrmZGsKroNt0zhF2RheCrv6ByD3pAuPhLHCHmufopZ2ecEiCZtZORmIE/s320/Ruggelah+with+Iris+050.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepN28mooW3WxOVPDELyUj38GwjrrzwwRX89aqGzrIelG3jm0kLXs0vgmhN3A2JQLonHuLK7HlDD2AlRt1eFS99d6jv2nJvn7GCRIZBZY5RZyW4tUgm0y0zEC9FaMBn48H2R9T8YiPIZk/s1600-h/Ruggelah+with+Iris+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252209167349419666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepN28mooW3WxOVPDELyUj38GwjrrzwwRX89aqGzrIelG3jm0kLXs0vgmhN3A2JQLonHuLK7HlDD2AlRt1eFS99d6jv2nJvn7GCRIZBZY5RZyW4tUgm0y0zEC9FaMBn48H2R9T8YiPIZk/s320/Ruggelah+with+Iris+006.jpg" border="0" /></a>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-64789845488548198142008-09-24T21:47:00.000-07:002008-09-26T06:44:12.590-07:00THE SURROGATE BAKER<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsKNr6tNEZIdbbZSfjEC4Wf3fRhyphenhyphenyS_X-FhOif7DTOioUtcfGbJDq31VS9OgaHRQLeIkzXmXmX1Rv7viMnxqsUdxiB5ePgs2CenPmz03Rwdzyv-AOGtknxNG-3mE5U2dy7jpxkEBiiQ8/s1600-h/iloveyouthismuchaward.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249835546880012882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsKNr6tNEZIdbbZSfjEC4Wf3fRhyphenhyphenyS_X-FhOif7DTOioUtcfGbJDq31VS9OgaHRQLeIkzXmXmX1Rv7viMnxqsUdxiB5ePgs2CenPmz03Rwdzyv-AOGtknxNG-3mE5U2dy7jpxkEBiiQ8/s320/iloveyouthismuchaward.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;color:#cc0000;">My 1st blog award !</span></div><p align="left">The bakers at TWD have decreed that it is time to bake Dimply Plum Cake. It would be poetic justice if the cake with the worst name in the cookbook received high praise. But, no. Bad things happen to good people. Bad names beget bad cakes. There are dimply thigh jokes & bad reviews of this cake. When Tuesday arrives, I make sushi and post a picture of Nancy's cake. Nancy at Dogs Eat The Crumbs loves this cake. She made 2 cakes (peach and plum) and I figure that she is my surrogate baker.<br /><br />But Nancy encourages me to bake this cake. Because she has given me a blog award, I cannot let her down. I will bake the cake making a few changes suggested by other bakers. I will bake it an extra 10 minutes, use cinnamon instead of cardamon, add 1/2 tsp almond extract and use white & wheat flours. I also add 1/2 C of ground almonds and 3 T of fresh OJ. The batter tastes soooo good. I have no idea about the cake itself. I'm flying to Chicago tomorrow for my sister's birthday. She has a new coffee maker and I'm bringing the coffee cake <em>& the same birthday card we have exchanged for years.</em><br /><br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oA5bkw0BNorUJBCbndI7WqnspdWLRMlJJ_P7g5Kf5NRFyZvKFmpEukpvx2vchXfaRIL906yguzVfFVJvfClyQFEI1c9XEasKE-_NknUmgBPNhh7OZlRayypeocsFbB9MlzJH8bWzqvE/s1600-h/Dorie+at+airport"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250319321387290946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 287px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 219px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="236" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oA5bkw0BNorUJBCbndI7WqnspdWLRMlJJ_P7g5Kf5NRFyZvKFmpEukpvx2vchXfaRIL906yguzVfFVJvfClyQFEI1c9XEasKE-_NknUmgBPNhh7OZlRayypeocsFbB9MlzJH8bWzqvE/s320/Dorie+at+airport" width="287" border="0" /> <p align="left"></a><br />In her book, Dorie says the cake is best eaten the day it is made, that the texture changes on day 2, but it becomes moist again on day 3. I'm shooting for day 3.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVWO13ee9goEgygKRRXvrzkMDeiM-meUfHjGpuKDsPlxjBnGiyWhFfMSN1ZWc1RxqGB8DyDDbqHYW58NH68Z5NpWzg_jGW2rIAG2QDEKTj640x9xi6ch0DPlkWpnlKVU_rPLLUZZKLhw/s1600-h/DIMPLY+PLUM+CAKE+022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249817683776234274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVWO13ee9goEgygKRRXvrzkMDeiM-meUfHjGpuKDsPlxjBnGiyWhFfMSN1ZWc1RxqGB8DyDDbqHYW58NH68Z5NpWzg_jGW2rIAG2QDEKTj640x9xi6ch0DPlkWpnlKVU_rPLLUZZKLhw/s320/DIMPLY+PLUM+CAKE+022.jpg" border="0" /> </p><p align="left"></a><center>Hot out of the oven<br /><p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzUtbzvlD2Di_ZajvpIJD8kzL0tT5YFo9Oy2Wdp2YixHfQadlnEcupZ7HUrLJiDFHaUJuocCp-F1qXowzfZVdezTOp3_rTmC1ZjVEw2jwoqhjcgATqRrO3BXi14fGfjRVuEgm6QDM3rQ/s1600-h/DIMPLY+PLUM+CAKE+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249817419188801218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzUtbzvlD2Di_ZajvpIJD8kzL0tT5YFo9Oy2Wdp2YixHfQadlnEcupZ7HUrLJiDFHaUJuocCp-F1qXowzfZVdezTOp3_rTmC1ZjVEw2jwoqhjcgATqRrO3BXi14fGfjRVuEgm6QDM3rQ/s320/DIMPLY+PLUM+CAKE+011.jpg" border="0" /></a> <center>50 minutes earlier<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiks4mhMv73_oPmR8AcEh2nzku_4KOLYTt8FBcMS-hXUMS4CBbmR2M7Sb399nhoNsbWR85XAu6wqrh6_lVR7R5pzWtH3lp2oTSCc8WnaX_9OZDd13fN1BjfltlQEhiFYnDhqalm7t8r1Og/s1600-h/DIMPLY+PLUM+CAKE+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249817101356943762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiks4mhMv73_oPmR8AcEh2nzku_4KOLYTt8FBcMS-hXUMS4CBbmR2M7Sb399nhoNsbWR85XAu6wqrh6_lVR7R5pzWtH3lp2oTSCc8WnaX_9OZDd13fN1BjfltlQEhiFYnDhqalm7t8r1Og/s320/DIMPLY+PLUM+CAKE+004.jpg" border="0" /></a> <center>60 minutes earlier<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzk5ccUGcbpognbPxG-HDAPEKjGAw4NiN24Mscq4pj3_hv4RORboCuUq-eqEC19vlBKcATzJmLuVioJf9hzAE2JoTgFc5NBIH58m4B96mwyidZueD0wuj11dB7vTULacoXa3CXVsaWFQ/s1600-h/DIMPLY+PLUM+CAKE+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249818094171308882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzk5ccUGcbpognbPxG-HDAPEKjGAw4NiN24Mscq4pj3_hv4RORboCuUq-eqEC19vlBKcATzJmLuVioJf9hzAE2JoTgFc5NBIH58m4B96mwyidZueD0wuj11dB7vTULacoXa3CXVsaWFQ/s320/DIMPLY+PLUM+CAKE+018.jpg" border="0" /></a> <center>An extra 10 minutes to clean the pantry !<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">THANKS NANCY FOR THE AWARD. I WILL PASS IT ON !</span> <p></p><br /></center></center></center></center>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-28394525188879247482008-09-23T19:07:00.000-07:002008-09-24T07:20:23.614-07:00NO FORK, RADIO<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheS5psEM5fqdP3dLyV4EdB3XcinP5F9KuLjI5Wmk90M4pyc-GKMDXTrfSJdQl-Zny4Ig4v1z_MYNdCWJTlsypMj1-g8wc6wcCjUOZh9YS5Hg-cg0QRahZn03hmXqUfWWFs_UBvSVy4ZHs/s1600-h/MAKING+SUSHI+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249442597380090482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheS5psEM5fqdP3dLyV4EdB3XcinP5F9KuLjI5Wmk90M4pyc-GKMDXTrfSJdQl-Zny4Ig4v1z_MYNdCWJTlsypMj1-g8wc6wcCjUOZh9YS5Hg-cg0QRahZn03hmXqUfWWFs_UBvSVy4ZHs/s320/MAKING+SUSHI+003.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">That's not me in the photo - I am taking pictures</span></div><br />There are plenty of foods that do not require use of a fork. Like apples, bananas, corn-on-the-cob, <strong><em>Dimply Plum Cake</em></strong>*, egg salad sandwiches, figs and granola bars. But my favorite no-fork food is SUSHI. Forget about California roll, I like my sushi in hand rolls and snake-like formations with soft shell crab, salmon roe, avocado, designer sauces & cool names like Sex on the Moon.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">*Dimply plum cake is this week's pick from the bakers at Tuesdays with Dorie. As a member of the group, I am required to write a post about this cake TODAY. I believe I have done so in spirit if not exactly in deed.<br /></span></em><br />Sushi (like Dimply Plum Cake) is best eaten the day it is made. It's also pretty pricey. This is a good good reason to take a sushi class. There's one tonight and it is only $20. It is offered by Sunflower Market, but the instructor is a sushi chef at Whole Foods (!!!). He is funny & very good. My sushi also turns out funny and good.<br /><br />We start with a practice roll of rice, avocado and veggies. The technique is to:<br /><br />1) Cover a sheet of nori (sea weed) with a thin layer of sticky rice,<br />2) Sprinkle the rice side with sesame seeds and turn it over,<br />3. Put a row of rice lengthwise down the middle of the "blank" side,<br />4) Put strips of avocado, cucumber & carrot on either side of the rice,<br />5) Roll up lengthwise and cut into 8 pieces.<br /><br />Sticky rice: Cook 2 cups of regular or brown rice with 2 cups of water. Let rice/water sit for 20 minutes before cooking it. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover & simmer for 10 min. Turn off heat & steam for 20 min. Place rice in a large bowl & sprinkle with 1/4 C of rice vinegar & 1 tsp salt, mixing lightly with wood spoon (not metal). Optional: dissolve 2 T sugar in the vinegar.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGvTMT8e2flJh8JKOkbBLw21LKjDB8_GWFhRBdk7UMRwmS5AzHwrPhKO3LRkIN0SWza_HpGYJvk1MuQk-s9EkCeVrIkkVOh-glDG2qAR0k5Xjhrd4j0_smmOp4ZVSKZgX1TpijzMDlzA/s1600-h/MAKING+SUSHI+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249435914661284034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGvTMT8e2flJh8JKOkbBLw21LKjDB8_GWFhRBdk7UMRwmS5AzHwrPhKO3LRkIN0SWza_HpGYJvk1MuQk-s9EkCeVrIkkVOh-glDG2qAR0k5Xjhrd4j0_smmOp4ZVSKZgX1TpijzMDlzA/s320/MAKING+SUSHI+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXNURk-qxwxfaFZMLsJO0Mqb8FSzHWl929-OnKqpm5CKIpgzVL1bVDPd6oiIkAwzX7e3G8spcruVDpQf24c033kUMU7J-q30eDFXdAK4ErbACZZW0I9D6NQ-rg3skidmf-vr7ICUIcZY/s1600-h/MAKING+SUSHI+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249436075365757922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXNURk-qxwxfaFZMLsJO0Mqb8FSzHWl929-OnKqpm5CKIpgzVL1bVDPd6oiIkAwzX7e3G8spcruVDpQf24c033kUMU7J-q30eDFXdAK4ErbACZZW0I9D6NQ-rg3skidmf-vr7ICUIcZY/s320/MAKING+SUSHI+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Good luck getting a nice tight roll. Even if you do, the avocado will probably slip out when you cut it crosswise into pieces. </em><br /></span><br />Having mastered the not-so-tight roll, we move on to the good stuff: eel, tuna, salmon & crab. I am making a basic spicy tuna/avocado roll when I see that one student has gone creative. He made a handroll with the assistant chef and they are working on a roll with salmon & avocado on the outside. With help from the assistant, I make a decent rainbow roll, too. We finish it off with a squiggle of teryaki sauce & some sesame seeds. Turns out, she has only been making sushi for a few months. She's new to Colorado and worried about driving in the snow. I try to reassure her that it can't be worse than driving in Minnesota where she used to live. But then again, there are no mountains in Minni.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEL5-4lDNsh7IcTJ43pzLkIgiudJPAsW5Ps_N4JFhyq5AAR50K1NS__ivyUDrGK1LjIe3ad1Jqtk0rvDeoZdaF1sISJJQMCOihcU1PIq6sZMycPOv16uIm6M4lxaPIyNkx2tpf-aafxWI/s1600-h/MAKING+SUSHI+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249436416312996402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEL5-4lDNsh7IcTJ43pzLkIgiudJPAsW5Ps_N4JFhyq5AAR50K1NS__ivyUDrGK1LjIe3ad1Jqtk0rvDeoZdaF1sISJJQMCOihcU1PIq6sZMycPOv16uIm6M4lxaPIyNkx2tpf-aafxWI/s320/MAKING+SUSHI+012.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Handrolls may look easy but avocado comes shooting out of my roll. The chef kindly comments that the winter avocado we are using is not nearly as good or cooperative as the summer kind.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFuKEFKFOa2OlqKtXumX4D0K6UAXD-OtUS1N9pw8GFHT735lzttpugZM7ziZhuhXlMA3xICG4SYKWUg5mNelxseLNbYZ3t-Vae-lpnzWrEJbzopgCY7t5wxSb2qj_cNtd_MQy_9bkSCQ/s1600-h/MAKING+SUSHI+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249436267939821634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFuKEFKFOa2OlqKtXumX4D0K6UAXD-OtUS1N9pw8GFHT735lzttpugZM7ziZhuhXlMA3xICG4SYKWUg5mNelxseLNbYZ3t-Vae-lpnzWrEJbzopgCY7t5wxSb2qj_cNtd_MQy_9bkSCQ/s320/MAKING+SUSHI+009.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">My sushi is almost finished<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSg6EnZfHlGD4Gmr9ul4VcwTChyBuChk65R-ZrFRdykhWJ7OOVB_97bp4OW1kYHntpOPZlxjmBgXNuGMoLr3MSOXLg1AgFh7BG05MRFdkctqzgckaWyiGLnho41xhhpZStsan8y-ExrY/s1600-h/MAKING+SUSHI+014.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_USw8wERAr-Hi9biMQp6IM23s6yU7PqrE8a5Nk93v-kAEyu88NZyDJtLAezA1oYdukcCl23N-3DXNpJNT0Ve0Fy6jWjiAYZy6mQZ_Jwgj1CQ4E5qFVaIP1AjfdtzIDFnXwiFNISxlu0/s1600-h/MAKING+SUSHI+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249441925836419314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_USw8wERAr-Hi9biMQp6IM23s6yU7PqrE8a5Nk93v-kAEyu88NZyDJtLAezA1oYdukcCl23N-3DXNpJNT0Ve0Fy6jWjiAYZy6mQZ_Jwgj1CQ4E5qFVaIP1AjfdtzIDFnXwiFNISxlu0/s320/MAKING+SUSHI+014.jpg" border="0" /></a> </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Chopsticks, anyone?</span></div><p align="center"><em><strong>JOKE TIME</strong>:</em></p><em><div align="center">Two polar bears are sitting in a bathtub. The first one says, "Pass the soap." The second one says, "No soap, radio!" </div><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Two elephants are sitting in the bathtub. One elephant says to the other, "Please pass the soap." The elephant replies to the other elephant, "What do I look like, a radio?" </div><br /><div align="center"><em>No soap radio at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_soap_radio</em><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><strong>BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DIMPLY PLUM CAKE? </strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6nB2f-r3ZpViRYEzu61xiICLCbu_IyEn3OvkD_KGzdRub3EETjZCoZKi3qIscQLcLQdOouN_aV9EkWGW2ZYLAtsfgXCAFNpck34b9t0fe_1vrWnLjDQdFpFdjLzxgvR32tziemCTjPo0/s1600-h/Dimply+plum+cake.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249585735658420898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6nB2f-r3ZpViRYEzu61xiICLCbu_IyEn3OvkD_KGzdRub3EETjZCoZKi3qIscQLcLQdOouN_aV9EkWGW2ZYLAtsfgXCAFNpck34b9t0fe_1vrWnLjDQdFpFdjLzxgvR32tziemCTjPo0/s320/Dimply+plum+cake.jpg" border="0" /></a> <p></p><p align="center"><a href="http://noe847.blogspot.com/">Cake by Nancy at Dogs Eat The Crumbs<em> </em></a></p></em></em>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-14870437598522249462008-09-19T16:58:00.000-07:002008-09-23T07:32:55.221-07:00TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4nSA_UvNR3zXpdpQ3iJpBYmhPOxHQxik0RZ1uFNl1y_I7fDpfejACYTsESl0JE1ZcdHDphqnFzFMsJuCbkDI-IaQUcMWO97ndY0UpVC9vEJaIObqiUP61DLuwAneQYetOnkECg4CCe0/s1600-h/choc+cake,+salsa,+green+chili+stew+024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247893953051687506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="218" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4nSA_UvNR3zXpdpQ3iJpBYmhPOxHQxik0RZ1uFNl1y_I7fDpfejACYTsESl0JE1ZcdHDphqnFzFMsJuCbkDI-IaQUcMWO97ndY0UpVC9vEJaIObqiUP61DLuwAneQYetOnkECg4CCe0/s320/choc+cake,+salsa,+green+chili+stew+024.jpg" width="263" border="0" /></a><br />Today is International <em>Talk Like a Pirate Day</em>. The holiday was conceived by two Oregonians, John Baur (Ol' Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap'n Slappy), who in 1995 proclaimed that Sept. 19 would be celebrated with outbursts of "Arrrg" and "Avast!" Last year, as I surfed the net for food blogs, I ran across <em>Talk Like a Pirate Day</em>. That makes today my one year anniversary as far as pirate day goes. So in honor of pirates and the wenches who love them, I will either buy a t-shirt at <a href="http://www.talklikeapirate.com/">http://www.talklikeapirate.com/</a> or finish off the devilishly good chocolate cake I made yesterday.<br /><br />DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CAKE <em>from Epicurious</em><br /><br />3 oz good chocolate chopped <em>(I also added 1 oz. semisweet chocolate)<br /></em>1.5 C brewed hot black coffee<br />3 C sugar<br />1.5 C flour<br />1.5 C cocoa powder (not Dutch)<br />2 tsp baking soda<br />3/4 tsp baking pwdr<br />1 1/4 tsp salt<br />3 large eggs<br />3/4 vegetable oil<br />1.5 C buttermilk<br />3/4 tsp vanilla<br /><br />Preheat oven to 300, grease two 10" pans lined with wax paper or parchment.<br />Combine chocolate & coffee, mix until melted & smooth.<br />Sift together: flour, sugar, cocoa, bsoda, bpwdr, salt.<br />In mixer, beat eggs til thick & lemon color (3 min), then slowly add buttermilk, oil & vanilla, beating until well combined. Add chocolate mixture & combine well.<br /><br />Add dry ingredient mixture & beat on medium just enough to combine well.<br />Pour into prepared 10" pans. <em><span style="font-size:85%;">(If using 9" pans, do not use all the batter. Also bake 3-4 cupcakes)</span></em><br />Bake approx. 1 hr at 300 degrees.<br /><br />When cool, remove from pans & frost with chocolate ganache or buttercream frosting. <em>This is a rich fudgy cake. I served one layer - with ice cream. I froze the other layer, unfrosted, tightly wrapped. To defrost, remove from freezer, do not unwrap, let thaw.<br /></em><br />But if you don't want to bake a cake from scratch, take a look at this Betty Crocker video that shows exactly how to make a pirate cake using packaged cake mix & canned frosting. It's enough to make you say Arrgh!!<br /><br /><a href="http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/How-To-Make-a-Pirate-Cake-Video/Detail.aspx">http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/How-To-Make-a-Pirate-Cake-Video/Detail.aspx</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1qRy6WtOvqxwpTPL2iv1eruXI4DuK6zcsxylQlCoam2b9-A0MegpFwZBsxftIHIwTZa9GVpftvtdoz4EV3U3d8J2PVjZNRXUP5-uPBGll589DppiUZgAWORKsjsXd7RhOs9_8BzGZoQ/s1600-h/pirate+cake.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248099390125320962" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1qRy6WtOvqxwpTPL2iv1eruXI4DuK6zcsxylQlCoam2b9-A0MegpFwZBsxftIHIwTZa9GVpftvtdoz4EV3U3d8J2PVjZNRXUP5-uPBGll589DppiUZgAWORKsjsXd7RhOs9_8BzGZoQ/s320/pirate+cake.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Of course, if a real pirate, like Captain Ron, is coming to dinner, you'll walk the plank if you don't serve rum cake. Dark rum is said to be best. But, it is a good idea for the cook to try several kinds of rum before baking. Use the rum that gives the best buzz. That is either the best rum in the group, or the last rum you drank. <br /><br /><strong>ORIGINAL BACARDI RUM CAKE RECIPE:</strong><br /><br />1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts<br />1 pkg. (2 layer size) yellow cake mix<br />1 pkg. (4 serving size) Jello brand vanilla flavor instant pudding & pie filling<br />4 eggs<br />1/2 c. water<br />1/4 c. oil<br />1 cup sugar (for glaze)<br />1/2 c. Bacardi dark rum (80 proof)<br /><br />Or use pudding included yellow cake mix; decrease water to 1/4 cup.<br />Sprinkle nuts evenly in bottom of 10 inch tube or fluted tube pan that has been greased and floured or sprayed with Pam pure vegetable cooking spray. Combine remaining ingredients in large mixer bowl. Blend, then beat at medium speed for 4 minutes. Pour into pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. DO NOT UNDERBAKE. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Prepare glaze. Invert cake onto serving plate. Prick with cake tester or wooden pick. Carefully spoon warm glaze over warm cake.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoSJ47QUPFVVTmXFNhehAkylhfJrGvI0F0UchDq5oExC2Wn-koM2pClVaLlbTbd8iEj4mhcsmbBBOckXCekJ9gwfvNPCuypE-R2T9sE654lprOCQZdS0YF_6MsVqtTdxT-rJMHIL5WY8/s1600-h/rum+cake+ad.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoSJ47QUPFVVTmXFNhehAkylhfJrGvI0F0UchDq5oExC2Wn-koM2pClVaLlbTbd8iEj4mhcsmbBBOckXCekJ9gwfvNPCuypE-R2T9sE654lprOCQZdS0YF_6MsVqtTdxT-rJMHIL5WY8/s320/rum+cake+ad.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249001521174869698" /></a><br /><br />GLAZE:<br /><br />Combine in saucepan:<br /><br />1/2 c. butter<br />1/4 c. water<br />1 cup sugar<br /><br />Stir until mixture comes to a boil; boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. <em>Stir in 1/2 cup rum; bring just to boil.</em>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-37876715561429394662008-09-17T15:51:00.001-07:002008-09-26T21:53:36.139-07:00PEACH SCONES ON PEARL<span style="color:#ff6666;"><strong>S</strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsX5IhhkczTM0eO6jUkS6zm7YG5BGTO0K71awakeetYu6vDxuZ8Bjg4J8lclSkadZyMBV7Dow4q9scBMbrS0t1NyTDEtyciP3jQreuNZKNHYEFg1JyaUNgmWtbznFrtC5Po1UsaY_Pyw/s1600-h/jars+of+food,+Spruce+confection+014.jpg"><span style="color:#ff6666;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247127339567730658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="168" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsX5IhhkczTM0eO6jUkS6zm7YG5BGTO0K71awakeetYu6vDxuZ8Bjg4J8lclSkadZyMBV7Dow4q9scBMbrS0t1NyTDEtyciP3jQreuNZKNHYEFg1JyaUNgmWtbznFrtC5Po1UsaY_Pyw/s200/jars+of+food,+Spruce+confection+014.jpg" width="211" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#ff6666;"><strong>PRUCE CONFECTIONS</strong> 9th and Pearl St, Boulder</span><br /><div><span style="color:#333333;">What a gorgeous day for a latte with a peach scone. Spruce Confections is a charming little store front with outside seating. Whatever you don't eat, you can give to the birds that hop around at your feet, hoping for your crumbs. Of course, the dog wants his bite, too. So I guard the peach treat knowing his propensity for devouring entire peach pies. He gets a homemade biscuit from the jar at the register. </span><span style="color:#333333;">This is a lovely morning & the temperature promises to rise above 80 degrees. </span></div><div><span style="color:#333333;"><em>It is a morning worth remembering so I will post it. </em></span></div><div><em><span style="color:#333333;"></span></em></div><div><em><span style="color:#333333;"></span></em></div><div><span style="color:#333333;"><em></em></span></div><div><br />Dogs who like peach scones and pies also like the following:<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div><a name="Basic Dog Biscuits"><strong>Basic Dog </strong></a><a name="Basic Dog Biscuits"><strong>Treats</strong></a></div><div></div><div></div><div>Mix together 3 1/2 cup unbleached flour, 2 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup cornmeal, 1/2 cup skim milk powder, 1 tablespoon (1 package) dry yeast, 3 1/2 cups lukewarm chicken or meat broth. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm chicken or meat broth. The richer this broth is, the better your dog will like the biscuits. Let yeast broth mixture set 10 min. Then stir in flour mixture. Roll resulting dough out 1/4" thick. Cut dog biscuit shapes from dough. Brush biscuits with egg wash. Bake on greased cookie sheets at 300* for 45 min. Then turn off oven and leave in overnight to finish hardening. Makes 60 medium-sized biscuits. <em><span style="font-size:85%;">Recipe from a newsgroup post by: Jill Faerber </span></em></div>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-41907489889158315702008-09-12T01:12:00.001-07:002008-09-20T06:18:10.078-07:00KILLER TOAST<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdjSEvkt6uP6wB1fAjql65ar8IQ1B7WGoW_cT6qeYXQMxVd7vvDln6ZJtAdhMbK_N5gmDoO26h560s3f6mf8PXc4basKfdl3LN0pbaWrKWpKj5dJ2LH3Iq8M6cYEAqtuvmlugi9r9Nmg/s1600-h/soup,+salad,+tomatoes+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245242646516061586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdjSEvkt6uP6wB1fAjql65ar8IQ1B7WGoW_cT6qeYXQMxVd7vvDln6ZJtAdhMbK_N5gmDoO26h560s3f6mf8PXc4basKfdl3LN0pbaWrKWpKj5dJ2LH3Iq8M6cYEAqtuvmlugi9r9Nmg/s200/soup,+salad,+tomatoes+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>Everything is coming up <span style="color:#ff0000;">tomatoes</span>....and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">squash</span>. So what's a girl to do but make soup, of course. The best soups are the simple ones, full of fresh flavor from the garden vegetables. Go wild with the garnishes if you must. For <span style="color:#ff0000;">tomato soup</span>, I carmelized a chopped onion & 2 shallots in olive oil, added about 15-20 assorted tomatoes cut in 1/2 (seeds and all). I cooked that down for over an hour on low heat, covered. For flavor, I added some fresh basil and cilantro as well as 4 large garlic cloves, peeled. Once the tomatoes were tender and very soft, I removed the skins by pushing the mixture through a colander into another pot. I then added 1/2 cup of half & half, one T of sugar, a pinch of thyme, a handful of shredded fresh basil, and S & P to taste. I cooked this for about 15 minutes to meld the flavors. A dollop of sour cream and some shaved parmesan reggiano cheese was all I wanted, but I served bowls of Jasmine rice, pine nuts, pecans, shredded basil, and cilantro to round out the topping bar. My version was inspired by a recipe in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison. Her <span style="color:#ff0000;">Summer Tomato Soup</span> is on p.216:<br /></div><div>Melt 3 T butter in a soup pot over low heat;</div><div>Add 1 C of diced shallots and cook for about 10 minutes;</div><div>Add 5 Lbs juicy tomatoes cut in big pieces;</div><div>Add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 C water to pot;</div><div>Cover & cook for 3-4 hrs. Strain, add S&P to taste, serve. </div><div>Deborah suggests a splash of lime juice & diced avocado. </div><div><em><span style="color:#ff6600;">I'd add shredded cheese, cilantro & sour cream & serve with </span></em></div><div><em><span style="color:#ff6600;">fresh tortillas heated 'til slightly crispy in a buttered fry pan.</span> </em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig64_T7Om_OgDIqqiWoEtSppKn_A05wkdT0n6KY-jZ43PEnIAkQ8pU2AJQYjkfTQmwmnRKhyeRGqcHo2Yf1Il5MRSmRXBMUeZ6IEt15fQKzS0cLP58fhD_Ypmni0lz3dWjud3o4p6PWPw/s1600-h/Food+pics+1+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245045554378136450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig64_T7Om_OgDIqqiWoEtSppKn_A05wkdT0n6KY-jZ43PEnIAkQ8pU2AJQYjkfTQmwmnRKhyeRGqcHo2Yf1Il5MRSmRXBMUeZ6IEt15fQKzS0cLP58fhD_Ypmni0lz3dWjud3o4p6PWPw/s200/Food+pics+1+005.jpg" border="0" /></a> But what's soup without a samidge? We're hooked on BLTs, although my personal choice would be a BCT. I love the way the cheese oozes out when the sandwich is perfectly grilled. The browned butter in my pan adds a nutty taste and the toasty bread crunches when I take a bite. This is a sandwich with a lot of bang for your buck. Its chewy texture gives me a mouthful of cheesy/salty goodness that sticks to my teeth and keeps the flavor going long after each bite.<br /><br />And speaking of toast, we watched an old episode of Two & Half Men last night. Jake, precocious kid that he is, came up with the perfect crime. Death by toast. You just eat the evidence.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8CsNyyhAMQqpamHbHWcE7i01FFGJcVU6NCMDaR_jlljvMoL8CvC-PXd1G_Z1So6J4BEaV-MbOA2f0bjrcasRH3zJsnCGkn0RZatTLQePi5IytWm6ftwoGZ5Y-BeZwDpb5_dnluldXws/s1600-h/Food+pics+1+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245045702764959378" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 243px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 146px" height="150" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8CsNyyhAMQqpamHbHWcE7i01FFGJcVU6NCMDaR_jlljvMoL8CvC-PXd1G_Z1So6J4BEaV-MbOA2f0bjrcasRH3zJsnCGkn0RZatTLQePi5IytWm6ftwoGZ5Y-BeZwDpb5_dnluldXws/s200/Food+pics+1+007.jpg" width="611" border="0" /></a><br />Squash soup with the fixin's.</div></div>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-74592318674754376042008-09-09T20:02:00.000-07:002008-09-23T07:36:15.124-07:00TWO DAYS WITH DORIE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLG1DqcGwql1GsdGEOCZMLG-w05Ie7oSuqDov_P29i6hbD8fXiJHjGOZYb0ue5FefHfIpg6Ul2NxJ5_y6vwxgipAT-WnGzp6VblxYlCwFf-hMQmQo1ncjUZUwAgERq7TtThskwR3YTAcI/s1600-h/Chocolate+whopper+cookies+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244246812250767650" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLG1DqcGwql1GsdGEOCZMLG-w05Ie7oSuqDov_P29i6hbD8fXiJHjGOZYb0ue5FefHfIpg6Ul2NxJ5_y6vwxgipAT-WnGzp6VblxYlCwFf-hMQmQo1ncjUZUwAgERq7TtThskwR3YTAcI/s320/Chocolate+whopper+cookies+012.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I planned to skip this week's recipe for health reasons. Chocolate Whopper cookies call for 2 cups of Whoppers, 1/2 bag of chocolate chunks/chips plus a cup of malted milk powder or Ovaltine. That's pretty high on the sugar scale. The other problem is that whoppers make me sick. A lot of people feel the same about whoppers. It is probably because you can't eat just one.<br /><br />I've been on road trips with a carton of whoppers at my side. The kind of whoppers that come in a milk carton sort of box. A thin chocolate coating that probably isn't real chocolate at all. An hour into the trip, I have that yucky feeling that comes with too many whoppers.<br /><br />But just in case, I buy some whoppers in bulk at Sunflower Market, which is next to McGuckin Hardware. McGuckins is a Boulder institution. There are smiling men & women at every turn and they all want to help you. "Nuts and bolts" is such a friendly aisle that I share my whoppers with staff & shoppers alike. We are having a grand old time until someone points out that eating too many makes you sick. This pretty much kills the party in aisle 7.<br /><br />On the way home, I buy more whoppers. I buy chocolate ones & yogurt-covered ones. The latter are white and may not be real whoppers anymore than white chocolate is real chocolate. Nevertheless, I used them both in my cookies with good results. The only other change I make is to use Nesquik, as suggested by some TWD bakers, instead of malted milk powder. (My research on the net fails to come up with a healthy alternative.) <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEq9h0R3vS_7DLnAam7PdT3cZR9RDuoshXdm4ds593lR_CKaFR8ZCVAKWMdw1Lu87tNQnEyoHdfhBX812KYXf4gFp96aOt-3dCXV5c0IdkO96o6QgkZRmzXzgRZb4IxE6fwe5EqNF7eQ/s1600-h/Chocolate+whopper+cookies+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244315205616671266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: left" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEq9h0R3vS_7DLnAam7PdT3cZR9RDuoshXdm4ds593lR_CKaFR8ZCVAKWMdw1Lu87tNQnEyoHdfhBX812KYXf4gFp96aOt-3dCXV5c0IdkO96o6QgkZRmzXzgRZb4IxE6fwe5EqNF7eQ/s320/Chocolate+whopper+cookies+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is my second Tuesday baking with Dorie and I've enjoyed eating the results. I'm not sure what's next, but I hope it involves zucchini. My garden is full of them.27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687875052096164971.post-65823358701770604712008-09-06T17:07:00.000-07:002008-09-06T17:08:59.831-07:00WILL BLOG FOR VOTESI'm amazed at the response to my blog. I have only baked the Peanut Butter Chipsters, but look where they have taken me: <br /><br /><OBJECT classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" WIDTH="384" HEIGHT="304"><PARAM NAME=movie VALUE="http://www.paltalk.com/marketing/media/vanksen/main.swf"><PARAM NAME=quality VALUE=high><PARAM NAME=flashvars VALUE="firstname=Susan&lastname=Soklin&urlfin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.news3online.com%2Fspread.php"><PARAM NAME="BGCOLOR" VALUE="#000000" /><PARAM NAME="allowScriptAccess" VALUE="always" /><EMBED src="http://www.paltalk.com/marketing/media/vanksen/main.swf" quality=high WIDTH="384" HEIGHT="304" ALIGN="" TYPE="application/x-shockwave-flash" FLASHVARS="firstname=Susan&lastname=Soklin&urlfin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.news3online.com%2Fspread.php" PLUGINSPAGE="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" BGCOLOR="#000000" ALLOWSCRIPTACCESS="ALWAYS"></EMBED></OBJECT>27Susanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023811289766218370noreply@blogger.com2