Goodness Grows Over Thyme

Mmmmm Fall!

2011-10-11T07:13:00.000-06:00

Today I made a wonderful baked oatmeal for breadfast. I know that the Amish recipe is a little heavier than what I made but I altered the recipe to make it a little more healthy, less fattening and still delicious! It takes all of 6 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to bake. I keep my blueberries and cranberries in the freezer and that makes them easier to chop up and throw into things like this great breakfast.

3 cups old fashioned oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 TBS ground Flax seed or Salba
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
2 Eggs (Optional)
1 Cup Milk (Soy, 2% or Whole)
1/4 Cup warm water
1/4 Cup unsalted Butter
1/3 Cup Honey
1 Cup chopped Apple, Cranberry, Blueberry

Mix all together really well and pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake @ 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until center in firmed up. Refrigerates well, too. Hope you try it!

Friends

2011-10-10T05:19:00.001-06:00

I live now in a place that is the most permanent place I have ever lived. It is a place I feel comfortable and safe. I don't wait for a knock on the door every month telling me to leave and have no fear of being asked to leave because love has been replaced with discontentment. Yet this is the loneliest place I have ever lived. A place that was never my "hometown" is the place I feel most welcomed and the place my heart longs to be. A place that, when I get the chance to visit, is somewhat constant and predictable. A place full of real embraces, honest smiles and generational faith. This place loved me for who I was once they got over the initial adjustment and who loved my unborn child as much as family should. They are the people who come the distance to fill my home with laughter and give my arms friends to hug back with hugs that are real and that say "I'm so glad to see you! So glad you are here.".

Today I will wear a jacket that a bride remembered to bring for me on her wedding day. A jacket that was thoughtfully purchased by the most unsuspecting friend. A considerate and warm gesture by the new wife of one of my best friends who has no need for my friendship but embraces me anyway. With tears I will dress today for a job at a place where no one cares to really know me and if tomorrow I disappeared, would never know I was ever there and I will wear a jacket that will keep me as warm as the thoughts I have of an afternnoon spent at "home" with some of my most special friends.

Countdown til Spring!!!!

2011-03-14T05:41:00.002-06:00

Blueberry Sweet Potato Pancakes

2011-01-26T16:09:00.006-06:00

This is a great way to use left over sweet potatoes or even plan ahead and bake an extra two the night before. This recipe will serve 3-4 hungry eaters! If you make silver dollar size cakes, 24 will be your number. Happy eating:)

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes,
Baked or Boiled then skins removed and mashed.

Sweet Potatoes need to be cooked thoroughly but not mushy when done.

2 Eggs

1 1/4 Cup Whole Milk

1/4 Cup Dark honey
1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter or Canola Oil

Mix together until well blended. Then add the dry ingredients through a sifter.

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup Wheat Flour

3 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Vanilla or 1/2 of 1 vanilla bean scraped

Mix together well and then add the blueberries and stir just enough to spread through the batter but not turn it purple!

1/2 Cup Fresh or Frozen Blueberries

In a preheated skillet, drop by 1/3 cup measures and flip once when bubbles stop around the edges of the pancake. These are delicious with real Maple syrup or even a homemade blueberry sauce!

Goose Breast Stew

2011-01-19T16:05:00.000-06:00

I love this stew for goose breast in the winter time when perhaps you don't prefer to stand outside at the grill:) Great flavors and so simple!

1 1/2 Cups Water
1 Chicken Boullion Cube
1 Uncooked Wild Goose Breast
2 Stalks Celery Chopped
2 Garlic Cloves chopped
2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
3 TBS Fresh Minced Basil
1 Can Cannellini Beans drained and rinsed
1 Can Chopped Tomatoes, drained
Salt to taste

Put water with boullion dissolved in it into a covered roaster, then add sliced goose and top with remaining ingredients. Bake in a 275 degree oven for 4-5 hours. This is best served over wild rice or mashed potatoes!

Simply Salsa

2010-12-03T06:44:00.000-06:00

There are just all kinds of salsa! Spicy, sweet, sweet and spicy, mango, pepper, corn, tomato

, and on and on. Anyway, I love a simple salsa with just clean fresh flavor. So here is my recipe;

SIMPLE SALSA

4 medium tomatoes, vine ripened, seeded and chopped (we take the seeds out as they are what creates all the "water" when you use tomatoes)

1/2 medium red onion

4 TBS minced FRESH Cilantro

1/8 C. Red Wine Vinegar

1 TBS Olive Oil

Salt to taste

I know you are looking around for the rest of the ingredients, but I told you, it's simple! Toss all together and eat it up! You may like to adjust the ingredients according to your particular taste. We like more cilantro and the fresh snap the vinegar adds to the salsa. Also, any tomato other than vine ripened and warmed by the sun won't have nearly the same flavor. So smell your tomatoes before you buy them in the grocery. If they don't smell like a tomato, don't use them as they have little or no flavor. We have been blessed with a couple sunny window areas that we can keep herbs in the winter and so I grow cilantro inside all winter as well as Rosemary. I love fresh herbs and try to keep my favorites inside for ready use!

Hope you enjoy this Salsa!

Longwood Gardens Grows Largest Chrysanthemum in North America - November...

2010-11-13T19:03:00.000-06:00

This is a really amazing plant! Single stem Chrysanthemun...largest single stem chrysanthemum in America.

Venison with Black Beans and Rice

2010-03-01T08:52:00.005-06:00

This is a simple, delicious recipe for venison. We topped this dish with a homemade salsa (recipe to follow another day!) and sour cream to give us springtime flavor in February!

30 minutes or less even when you make the salsa!

1 lb Ground Venison

1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1 can Black Beans rinsed well

1 Cup Brown or Long grain rice.

Take a 2 Quart saucepan with 2 Cups water, one cup rice and a sprinkle of salt, put on high heat until it comes to a boil, then reduce heat to low, never removing the lid. Allow the rice to simmer on low while you prepare the venison.

In a cast iron skillet with a tablespoon of Olive Oil, brown the venison on a medium heat with the salt and cumin until all the red is out. When the rice is finished, remove the lid. The water should all be used up and a light fluffy rice should remain. Take the black beans and rinse them in a collander with warm water until the bubbles stop and then toss them into the rice. We serve this in a bowl with the rice and beans on bottom, fresh salsa on top and a dollop of sour cream. Simple, fast and delicious.

Ecstatic Eclairs

2008-08-30T21:26:00.002-06:00

Well, we have 34 minutes left inthe day of August 30th! Here we go with the bkaing entry for this month.

Thankfully, we did an easier recipe this month with Chocolate Eclairs. (Something that I love to eat!!!) So I took this endeavor on myself with no assistants and it was a successful challenge. The dough was simple to make, the destructions easy to follow and the end result was shared with many as I was leaving for the Portland trip the very next day. Please forgive the photo, as it is not what I would call exactly a photogenic resemblance of the tasty end result. All who partook drooled and begged for a redo on this culinary escapade:)

So, if I don't see you before, I'll see you all in a month! Happy Labor Day!

On the Road Again!

2008-08-25T19:35:00.004-06:00

I am successfully posting exactly one day short of a month! Can you believe it? I will be posting again by the end of the week, too. I thought I would start with a short blip of a trip I am recently returning from. I had the pleasure of accompanying my two bosses on a trip to the West coast. A true pleasure! We traveled to experience the networking of independent garden centers across the country and share ideas and learn from some of the experts! I would be remiss not to mention that even the experts harvest ideas and concepts from those of us who have a little ways to grow. Aside from the networking, excellent food and exhausting workshops, we took an extra 2 days and toured the great city and surrounding area of Portland, Oregon. What breathtaking views and exhillarating designs, both man and God inspired!

I spent the afternoon in the internationally renowned Japanese Gardens in Portland with no regret. The gardens are well balanced, fluid and yet anchored, uninhibited, meaningful, sensory, meditative....I could go on. Some spaces embraced anarchy as well as balance, some were strategic, others were simply calming and almost reclusive. I met some wonderful people, both local and travelers. A wonderful couple on holiday from Switzerland who had started their tour of the US in NY City and worked their way across to Portland and were headed to Seattle. One of the most desired stops was the Japanese Gardens. They were truly impressed with the wonders of this space. The Koi pond was bridging the gap between generations as young and old alike took moments to capture some of the magic found in the colorful fish. Another fellow is a current local and works in health research. We had a brilliant chat in the shade of some of the mature Japanese Disectum Maples along a path and discussed God, gardens and the path life takes us on as well as where we currently saw ourselves. It was as if the tranquility of the gardens drew out conversations in several people. Patrick, our health researcher, is a cloaked writer who is looking for his zeal again. A wonderful sense of humor, great attention to detail, and a grateful observer of this space.

Next, I traveled to the International Rose Test Garden and was privy to watching as the throngs of people slowed their paces to admire the raw beauty of the gardens, untouched by chemicals and left to defend themselves and thus putting to bed that roses are a plant only the brave of heart would attempt to grow! The woman you will see was from Ireland and also here on holiday.

Lastly, the mountains that seem, in the distance, to be large but not daunting were larger than life. Awesome in design and proportion. Speechless at their beauty and grandeur, varied terrains and climates, I can do no justice in describing them. Breathtaking waterfalls galore, spacious views and crystal waters just brimming with life.

I hope that you find some joy in this rhetoric and if fate would lead you to this Western Coast of the United States, grab it and GO!

Filbert Dilbert!

2008-07-26T05:08:00.003-06:00

Okay, I know that it has been awhile (2 months) since I have participated in a challenge...hard to find the time to procure and then assemble all the ingredients for these intricate recipes this time of year! Anyhow, withthe July challenge behind me, I am successful in my endeavors this month. Thanks to a rainy day, my 6year old companion and I have made the Filbert Genoise and all the trimmings. We did not use any alcohol in this and I don't eat much nuts anymnore, however....I have test rabbits who gave me a critique of the recipe!

Ethan, 6 didn't care for it too much. Said it was a little too dry and he likes birthday cake batter:)

Barb, (young at heart) Tasted like a holiday cake. Loved how it all blended together and she is awaiting the next experimnent.

Lynn, (young at heart) Said the cake was a little dry to her liking, but the flavors blended extrememly well together.

Naomi, 70 this Sunday, Delicious cake but she wouldn't put that much time into baking it...LOL

Bob, Quite good. Like the blend of the nuts flavors with the chocolate and buttercream. Good textures.

I always do enjoy working with Ethan and doing projects. We played Scrabble at his request while we were waiting for things to cool to do our full assembly. Here are some pics to join the report! I'll see you all next month, if not before!!

Niblets!!

2008-05-14T19:57:00.003-06:00

Well, let's see! Here we are the middle of May and I am finally posting about my Cheesecake bites from April. I am including some photos so you can see the crew I worked with on this project! I am most fortunate to have been adopted by some of the local kids and have had the pleasure of sharing some gardening and cooking and fishing and church related activities with them over the pst several weeks and so when I saw this challenge for April I was thrilled to see it might interest them. Please note, that my crew were all boys from age 6 up to 11 (four of them all together) and one age 35. We had a great time learning to separate eggs, wisk, melt chocolate and of course the best part was the taste testing! I was a little disappointed with the cheesecake as it did not set up very well or cut into pretty pieces very well. However, the left over mush made for good finger food rewards for hungry helpers:) So below you see our master pieces! they turned out very well and there was nothing but the crumbs left after the church spaghetti dinner! The kids had fun, learned a bunch of stuff and I had a great time too and learned alot! So you see it benefitted all of us and perhaps the DB's will create future generations of men who have no fear of baking!!!

March Madness!!

2008-03-31T18:13:00.004-06:00

I would like to start by saying, I'm sorry for having not written in this blog for such a long period of time. I have had work stuff, fun stuff, the stuff that life is made of interferring (how dare it!!). I will say that I have accomplished my first challenge as a Daring Baker and it was a wonderful cake. Pretty, creative, tasty and allowed for individuality. I enjoyed seeing what others did with the cake as well. I served mine for Easter and all enjoyed from Grandkids to Granny!! I'll be making another here shortly with vanilla bean and peaches for a church dinner.

Our greenhouses are busting at the seams with baby plants ready to take off for their annual bazarre and the first load of trees from Oregon came in with blossoms on them and the leaves unfurling! Everyone is really getting anxious and the impending spring can't come fast enough for most of us!

Church has been great lately and we sang a trio acappella version of amazing Grace and it was awesome! The choir had a nice little piece for Easter morning and the men made a wonderful breakfast for that day as well! David came up from Florida for nearly two weeks and we had a really nice visit with each other since we haven't seen each other since last July (which was entirely too long)!

The moss is growing on the rocks, the bulbs are forcing their way out of the moist, rain soaked ground and the birds are growing more energetic by the day! I am looking forward to what this year will hold!

On a Roll!

2008-02-22T17:26:00.004-06:00

Today is the end of the first week transplanting seedlings into flats! We are just thrilled to death at work to finally be seeing something green! Today we had a snow and ice storm that won't end until Sunday, I guess. The daffodils are jsut start ing to poke their heads up through the snow and I thought I saw a crocus blooming in my neighbors yard the other day! How cool it is to watch the seasons change. I know the battle between winter and spring is far from over but I have hope!!!

Did you all get to see the lunar eclipse the other night? Boy was it cool! I had a nasty bit of a cold but I kept going out every 15 minutes to watch it change. I just thought it was wonderful. The other really neat thing was that I got to share it with friends across the country all at the same time. So I checked in with TN, NJ, FL and AL and everyone was watching the same moon as I was. I love that!

Devoted

2008-02-16T08:02:00.003-06:00

I haven't been doing much cooking lately and the little club I joined is having some tech malfunctions so there's not a whole lot of exciting news on that front. I did make some wonderful Oatmeal Honey cookies with Mint and Cranberries. Sounds like an odd mix but they were quite good. There is a bit of a texture thing with them, though. Everyone that had them said the first bite made them think that they wouldn't like them and then, as they chewed, the flavors came alive in their mouth and they wanted another! So a little tweeking in order and no pics at this moment. Maybe later.

Spring is on its way, despite the icy crust of snow that covers the ground right now. The daffodils are peeking their heads up and testing the air, the birds have succumb to thier natural urges and are busy making nests to complete thier mission for spring, even the bunnies are on the move!

At work, we have our first plugs arriving and some of the new merchandise we ordered for spring is arriving and making it a little more hopeful that at some point in the not so distant future we will emerge from our offices and our eyes will have renewed vision as browns turn to emerald and lime greens, red, purples and yellows open their arms to soak up the rays of sun, and the birds serenade the whole performance. I can't wait!

Possibilities!!

2008-01-22T18:43:00.000-06:00

I love this time of year when I get to attend the trade shows and see people I haven't seensince last year. I get to see all the newest technology...stuff that works great and then other stuff...not so much! but this is how we learn. There are always great classes and speakers and good food! So I wiggle my toes from a long day on the trade show floor and make lists of things I am planning to see put into action for this year!

Quote "Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than the one with all the facts!" Unknown

Catfish with Whiskers and Warm Woolen Mittens

2008-01-18T20:55:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I said how mild it's been and now we're going to pay for it!! Temps are going from a balmy 42 degrees and plumetting to a nasty 6 degrees with a -10 wind chill. I spent my work day reviewing new and exciting plant material and selecting some items for an upcoming, invitation only Collectors Night where I will be debuting the new collectable perrenials, shrubs and trees for the savvy collector to have first pick. It will be the first time we've tried something like this so I'll be interested to see how it goes. I have some wonderful house guests this evening and after filling our bellies with Spaghetti and White cake with Coconut Icing, we watched Barnyard and Ratatouille (animated kids movies for those of you who are not familiar!) My beloved friend Kelly and her two youngest came out to spend the evening and have some adult converstaion and for me, a trip back to some form of childhood. So the kids and mom turned in a little early, due to exhaustion, and here I sit to share with you.

Night before last, I made a wonderful catfish fillet topped with a lightly grated carrot, Thyme, a dash of sea salt, diced radish, and fresh chopped green onion, then baked it with just the slightest bit of olive oil. I accompanied it with a wonderful side of sauteed organic mushroom caps and red onion and a crispy spring greens mix. So did you know that mushrooms are the only fruit or vegetable source of measurable Vitamin D? I did not and so I have made a conscious effort to eat more of them when the days are a bit dreary as well as plenty of other colors.

I had an inspiring chat today with a client who is looking to install a hot tub and surround it with an outdoor room. My creative juices are flowing! Should we use some living walls or make some temporary walls with mirrors to reflect the light and energy around their space. It's a great location and if we screen just on two sides it will leave the rear view, which is unobstructed and beautiful, to be enjoyed by all who sit there. My class schedule is also lining up for the spring and summer season and Monday I'll be going to learn more stuff from the masters in this business and trying to see what kind of wonderful new things are available in our market at the trade show. For those of you who may enjoy cruising through blogs, checkout David Perry Photography and hit his Garden Blog. I hope you enjoy it!

That's all for now. Remember, eat the way you live; In Color!

How Bright?

2008-01-05T20:52:00.000-06:00

This stillness of winter closes in every year for me. I spend as much time as I can outside to absorb those precious rays of scarce sunlight that penetrate this valley so few days this time of year. This year has had its changes in weather already...fluffy snow, snowball snow, drizzly rain, 60 mile and hour winds that cut through every layer you have on and lay down the undergrowth in the fields as if in preparation for a new year. I am forever amazed at how excited my two Jack Russels get when it snows! The chance to run with reckless abandon, noses to the ground, tails wagging...it should be a message for me to take time to enjoy this time of regeneration while nature takes a break. While nature rests, I feel the beginnings of life again begin to stir as the new plant lists, seed catalogs and perrenial selections stuff my small PO box to the brim. (I'm sure the postmaster dreads this time of year:)) I envy those who are in warmer regions and already seeing life anew in their gardens! So as I munch away on a spring mix salad topped with red bell pepper and smoked turkey chunks, I snuggle a little closer to the stove and warm thoughts of a brighter spring dance like sugar plums through my head!

My furry companions fill the empty spaces with their kind eyes, wet noses and relish for each new day. So what if we met each day with the same vigor? We would be unstoppable! So I ask...how bright is your future? What do you or I have that is holding us back? Fear of failure perhaps? Lack of direction or knowledge? Where will you go? Maybe it's as simple as taking the backroads instead of the main roads one day. Look for your inspiration in those around you...your children, your nieghbors children, an elderly friend or loved one who is feeling forgotten and left behind, perhaps even, as I do, animals.

We are barreling toward spring and my creative juices are starting to warm up as I think of all the prospective gardens that lay in wait...waiting to be discovered in the minds of my clients. How many women are standing at their kitchen sink and looking out at a stark backyard after a reveling DIY garden show and wonder where the winter interest, the fantastic bulb display and the pathways lined with blossoms begging to be picked or sniffed... where are they and can this ever become a reality? I wait with real anticipation that perhaps this year will be the year of great challenge and, dare I dream, great acomplishment for someone who I have been able to help along the way.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Paul certainly knew what he was talking about. So long as I seek Him for guidance and strength FIRST, then I will succeed. I count it an unparrelled honor to be a tool in the hand of the Master Planner and greatest Designer that has ever lived.

So how bright is your future? Got your shades ready?

Slated for Greatness!

2008-01-03T18:37:00.000-06:00

The New Year has come and gone already!! So, how we push forward into this next 12 months of our history has been determined by what?

How much we had to drink?

The culinary tradition ingested after 12:01 on January 1st that ensures a year of prosperity and good luck?

Philisophically, perhaps the presdestination of our existence?

Perhaps the layout of carefully selected life goals controlled solely by the human condition?

Each person is definately different how they view this "quantum leap" into the future. Some of us are influenced by the greatness around us...the energy force of those with greater vision and stronger drive and a hope that is implanted at birth. Perhaps your force is a more gentle spirit..."Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another." George Eliot

This year is loaded with potential. A clean slate! What will I do with my year? Hopefully influence a child...give them something to live up to and inspire them to walk away from their screens and put their hands in the dirt and be amazed that they can help God make something grow! Perhaps I can be a drop in the bucket of change to help improve the ecological impacts and detriments in my area. As I look out today at the beautiful fluffy snowflakes glistening like diamond dust, I am reminded of a quote from Vesta Kelly..."Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together!" True on so many levels.

On a lighter note, here is one of the tongue tingling desserts that graced my table for New Year's Eve. This is a Pear Cranberry Pie. This is a wonderful blend of sweet and tart and has a great boost of Vitamin C for this time of year as well.

Pear-Cranberry Pie Preheat oven to 375

1 Ready to use Pie crust for 2 crust 9" pie

5 Ripe D'anjou pears

1 bag fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 Cup Honey

1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 tsp. Cinnamon

3 TBS Corn Starch or Arrowroot starch

Butter

1/4 Cup Apricot Jam

1 egg yolk

2 TBS Heavy cream

Take one pie crust and roll out on a lightly floured surface for a 9" pie pan. Pcik up by gently lifting up the edge of the circle and slipping the rolling pin underneath and gently flipping over into the pie pan. Once crust is centered in the pan and the edge trimmed off with a sharp knife, take butter at room temperature and grease the pie crust. Set in the fridge to keep cool while preparing the filling.

Take a deep saucepan with 1/4 inch of water in bottom and put in the bag of cranberries. Bring just to a ligth boil and gently stir cranberries just until most of the skins split. DO not overcook. Strain off water and put back in the saucepan on med low heat. Drizzle with honey and gently stir to coat, then remove form heat. Peel, core and slice pears very thin. Put in a large bowl with brown sugar, corn starch, vanilla, cinnamon and cranberries. Stir to mix and pour into prepared crust. Put in fridge. Roll out the top crust on a ligthly floured surface and take small 3/4 inch cookie cutters to cutout the top. Keep cutouts and lay aside. Pcik up top and lay across the pie. Trim off excess. Brush crust with egg yolk and heavy cream. Take trimmings and cutout extra pieces to lay around the edge of the pie as a decorative edge. "Glue" each one with a ligth touch of the egg wash. Bake for 45 min or until the berry mixture is bubbling.

Remove from oven and immediately brush with apricot jam warmed in a sauce pan prior to.

Cool completely and serve with vanilla ice cream or a creme anglaise sauce.

Enjoy and best of luck with your New Year!

Holiday Avalanche

2007-12-21T17:14:00.000-06:00

Okay! So, here we are on the Friday before Christmas. Normally my life is a scheduled chaos this time of year, just like everyone elses. But this year, it's pretty quiet. No family, no significant others, and no big pressures.

You know, how we deal with life is, in part, controlling our thoughts and emotions and those of us who are of the female persuasion may agree that controlling the emotions part of our brain is the MOST challenging thing to do sometimes. Today was a tough day. I've lost one of my 5 best friends today. Beverly Hewitt. She was real, honest and caring and a hard worker. She was simple. Life was not complicated for her. She enjoyed a ride on the Harley, an evening by a fire, good food and cold beer! I relocated and even though we spent drastically less time together, we were still great friends. The Lord had taken me away from her and turned my life in a drastically different direction but still she accepted me for who I am and I for who she was. A great friend and she will be sorely missed.

I got a great gift this week....a little 5 point buck! I do enjoy wild game and this was a treat for me. A friend of mine came up and helped my hang it and quarter it and we started butchering it last night and I will finish it tonight! I took the first backstrap and seared it in a little Olive oil, then rubbed it with Rosemary and threw it in a low temp oven (250) with a little veggie broth, a huge potatoe, some carrots and a red onion! MMMMMMMMMmmmmm! Came out juicy, tender and permeated with wonderful flavors. Made for good eats and tonight the left overs will be topped with a crumbled feta cheese, a side salad with tart apples,crunchy walnuts, crisp baby spinach and a raspberry vinagrette and a wonderful, buttery risotto on the side! I love to cook and I love to cook good for myself. I feel better when I eat good food, the food tastes better when it is beautiful and you are more satisfied if you have taken the time to prepare the meal. I love massaging flavors, blending aromas and watching as the arrangement comes together for a grand presentation on the plate just tempting all the senses.

Also, here we sit the 21st of December and we were planting trees today and mulching flower beds! Still working in December?! You bet. So long as the ground is not frozen, we WILL plant! LOL. What a great Provider He is!

It is wonderful how my God can bring such beauty and release into a day laced with pain. As a child of the King, I know that He protects me, loves me, takes joy in my existence and He provides for me every need and desire as I seek Him. I thank God daily that He is in control and I have no worry so long as I leave the control in His hands.

Chillin' with Chili and Chocolate

2007-12-12T14:59:00.000-06:00

Well, today was a great day with it being all overcast, to brave the retail end of town and join arms with a friend and then munch away our trauma! Before leaving the house, a double batch of Russian teacakes, some chili in the crockpot and then meringues in the oven for my return. I love chocolate....just as much as any other warm blooded female....and so I make a Chocolatey Meringue Cookie for the holidays. The brown goodness is infiltrated with chipped up chocolate chips and cocoa and an easier cookie, I have not found. These guys are great one batch at a time because you can stick them in a 300 degree oven and close the door, turn the oven off, and leave them in there til morning. That way they cook just enough and the remaining time for cooling draws all the remaining moisture out of them. So here to follow is my recipe for that and now you can be the judge for the easiest "from scrap" cookie out there!

Chocolatey Meringue Cookie

December 2007

3 large egg whites

1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar

1 1/2 tsp. Unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 Cup Extra fine Sugar or Caster Sugar (you can make extra fine sugar in the food processor from regular granulated sugar. The reason for this type sugar is so it dissolves more thoroughly and doesn't make a gritty feel in the meringue.)

1/8 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 Cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (chopped coarsely)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, place the egg whites and beat on medium speed just until foamy. Next add the cream of tartar and salt and beat until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, sift together the sugar and cocoa and when mixed, increase electric mixer speed to med-high or high and continue to beat the egg whites while gradually adding the sugar mixer. Beat until stiff glossy peaks form. Lastly, fold the chopped chocolate chips in to the egg white mixer just until blended.

Before spooning the meringue on the cookie sheets, stick a little on the underside of the parchment to keep it from sliding. You can pipe the meringue with a pastry bag, spoon it in dollops, shape it into meringue "bowl" shapes, or even pipe meringue roses and leaves to use for decorating cakes and such. Regardless, spo0n meringue onto sheet and place in the oven, close the door, turn the oven off and leave until morning or leave until evening if preparing in the morning before work. Overnight is best since no one will be tempted to open the door of the oven to peak! They will be crisp, smooth and chocolatey!! Store in an airtight container for no longer than a week.

Diamonds in the Ruff!

2007-12-06T21:22:00.000-06:00

I begin this blog with two wet noses on my feet that are defrosting from a romp in our first snow of the season. Their coats are still sparkling with the remains of diamond dust from the frigid snow romping. Pleased with the fact that the snow has required Mom's presence to linger at home today rather than the normal running off and leaving their noses to freeze in the kennel for the day, they soak up every ounce of warmth permeating the room from the fire and all the smells from the kitchen teasing their little sensories as we chase the winter chill from the air. A soft chewy chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven, a fresh cup of fresh ground organic coffee with sweet cream and my newest gardening magazine beside the fire....who could ask for a better break in the day?

What better things to combine than gardening and food?! Can you have one without the other? I should think not. Like garden design, food demands color and is more thoroughly enjoyed with a broader color pallette. How many people do you know who thrive on the bland browns and grays of winter when there is no snow? What manner of human does not welcome the warmer rays of spring sunshine and the colorful heads of crocus, tulip and daffodil after a gray and white winter? Likewise your plate should inspire dreams in color! Vivid greens, rich purples, titilating reds, warming yellows and even the earthy awesomeness of great grains massaged to produce the housewarming loaves of fresh bread. Mmmmmm! Can you taste the colors?

Today, I have been drooling over a rare treat in my area, a package of Andouille sausage. It sits and begs for the savory accompaniment of chicken, shrimp, stewed tomatoes, roasted garlic, sauteed onions and okra for a soul stirring gumbo to chase away the chill of the winter day! I'll be getting to that. Want to share your favorite recipe for chasing away the cold?