Happy Easter!

The kids helped me make hot cross buns on Good Friday. I halved the Pioneer Woman's recipe and that made a dozen for our little family. Edmund helped me frost them while the girls were taking their naps.


The next day, I found this curiously-consumed bun, which made me laugh. This is Lavinia's. What child doesn't want to eat the frosting? My funny little daughter!

Spring lunch

This is a recipe I like to make in the spring, whenever asparagus is coming into season. The ingredients may sound odd, but it's truly delicious! (By the way, this is called a sandwich, but I eat it with a knife and fork.)

Asparagus and Cannellini Bean Open-Face Sandwich

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
• 14 oz. can of cannellini beans
• 2/3 c. half-and-half (for non-American readers, this is a 50/50 mixture of milk and cream)
• 4-8 oz. young asparagus spears, trimmed
• 4 slices whole wheat bread
• salt and pepper

Melt butter in sauce pan and saute onion and carrots, around 4 minutes. Add thyme. Rinse beans and drain, then add to onions and carrots. Pour in half-and-half and heat slowly, until just short of boiling. Remove from heat and add freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste.

Poach asparagus spears 3-4 minutes or steam until just tender.

Toast bread. Place asparagus on top of toast, then spoon bean mixture over top (or vice versa, like I did). Serve immediately.

A rosy day in February

Yesterday our baby Rosamund turned one year old! At breakfast, she opened some handmade cards from her siblings and a gift from Mommy and Daddy.


She has been in danger of getting very attached to a very soft, but very ugly, orange plaid throw blanket that we have. We gave her her own soft pink baby blanket from Berkshire Blanket. See those fingers in the mouth? That's a sign of contentedness. I think the switcheroo will go unnoticed.


She also received the felt rose hairclip, which I battled to keep in place all day long, and some new chocolate brown leather shoes made by me. I'll post about those soon.


I asked my mom if we could have the birthday luncheon at her house, so she provided the beautiful table while I contributed the food. We had tomato bisque and a variety of small, savory sandwiches and crudités, with cake and tea for dessert.


Mom set the table with vintage dishes belonging to Rosamund's great-great-great-grandmother. I sure hope Rosamund loves roses as much as I do, because the rose theme is not slacking off anytime soon!


For her first birthday cake, I used our champagne blush wedding cake recipe, which I've not tasted since our wedding. I thought the recipe was lost, but when I mentioned it to my mom, she found it for me. Whew!


Happy day celebrating a precious little lady. We love you, Rosamund!

Birthday boy

Before November becomes a distant memory, let me make mention of Edmund's 5th birthday! This year, his birthday fell on the day before Thanksgiving. We traveled cross-country to be with my brother and his family for the holiday, so it was special for Edmund to be in a new place and with a special playmate (his cousin) for the day. I had thought we might go out to a bounce house or gym in the Big City for a special treat, but the kids were having so much fun just playing at home, we scrapped that plan. Why add to the stress of bundling everyone out the door on the day before a big holiday when the birthday boy just wants to play at home?

Edmund requested the same cake from last year -- Hershey's "Especially Dark" Chocolate Cake topped with "Especially Dark" frosting and raspberries. I accidentally made the frosting a bit thin, so it's not sticking as well as it should in this picture. This year he wanted a "helicopter cake" so my mom found a little toy helicopter to put inside a landing pad of raspberries and candles. This cake is rich! But oh so yummy when served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to give a little extra sweetness to the dark chocolate.


[Edmund in his new special PJs from great-grandma]

Happy 4th!

Last night, the big boys had tank wars.

This morning, the kids rode in a parade at the park.


Then back to Grandma's for a picnic lunch.



I think Lavinia's meal consisted solely of a corn dog and strawberries.



Grandma has made this flag cake just about every Fourth of July since she was given the recipe, sometime in the '80s.



Happy Fourth of July from all of us (including Douglas, not pictured)!

Saturday tea party

Last Saturday, Edmund was "inspired" by a Tasha Tudor book I read aloud to the children and requested tea and cookies. I told him he could help me make some cookies while Lavinia was napping, and they could have a tea party after she woke up. I have been slowly converting my pantry to be Trim Healthy Mama-friendly (this is my post-partum weight loss strategy -- so far, so good!), which means no sugar in the house! I had coconut sugar and honey but I wanted to make some cookies that I could eat too. :) I did a quick Google search and we tweaked a recipe I found in the THM forums. Not all of the THM recipes I've tried have been "keepers" but these were so rich and yummy I would definitely make them again! I believe these would be considered an "S" dessert, despite the oatmeal, because the amount is so small (unless you eat them all in one sitting, tee hee).

• 1/4 c. Truvia + sprinkles of NuNaturals Pure Stevia Extract to taste
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup all-natural peanut butter
• 1/2 tbsp. vanilla
• 1 cup unsweetened, dried coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

In a heavy saucepan, bring to boil the sweetener, cocoa, butter and almond milk. Let boil for 1 minute then remove from heat and add peanut butter, vanilla, coconut flakes, and oatmeal. On a plate lined with waxed paper, drop mixture by teaspoonfuls, then stick in the fridge until cooled and hardened. Makes 1-1/2 dozen.

Thanksgiving menu

Appetizers

• Vegetable tray (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, olives, cherry tomatoes, celery, etc.) with dip
• Baked brie with apples and cranberries
• Pistachio cheese log
• Carmelized onion and goat cheese dip
• Assorted crackers
• Chilled sparkling juice

Main Meal

• Turkey
• Gravy
• Stuffing
• Mashed potatoes
• Corn casserole
• Sweet potato casserole
• Cranberry jelly
• Brussels sprouts
• Sauteed green beans and mushrooms with toasted almonds
• Dilly bread rolls with butter

Desserts

• Pumpkin pie (x2)
• Apple pie
• Pecan pie
• Boston cream pie
• Whipped cream

(You may be wondering how I'm pulling this off while 30 weeks pregnant, with a 4-year-old and 18-month-old underfoot. My secret is this: a LOT of help! My mom, grandma, and mother-in-law are all contributing generously to the meal preparations and my mom has helped me with cleaning my house this week. So I'm not stressed, just excited!)

Cranberry Orange Scones

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 5 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 10 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tsp. finely grated orange zest (about one large naval orange)
• 1 c. dried cranberries
• 1-1/3 c. buttermilk
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• generous pinch of ground cloves
• generous pinch of ground nutmeg
• 2 T. milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest.

With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in dried cranberries.

Make a well in the center of the mixture. Add buttermilk, and stir until just combined; do not overmix. Use a little more buttermilk if dough is too dry to work with.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; divide in half and shape into two 8-inch rounds. Transfer to baking sheet. Cut each circle into 8 wedges; space them 1/2 inch apart (to prevent sticking, dust knife with flour). Bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool.

To make the frosting glaze, mix powdered sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Add 1 T. of milk and whisk; add additional milk until the desired consistancy is reached. Using a spoon, drizzle the frosting over the scones and let set.

Brazilian lemonade

This is one of our favorite summertime drinks! It's a perfect mix of tart citrus, with a hint of bitterness, but deliciously balanced by the creamy sweetness. Douglas and I first tasted Brazilian lemonade at La Parilla restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas. We were driving through on our way to Colorado and stopped there for lunch, since I lived in Lawrence for six months when I was in college. A former housemate that I'd lost touch with happened to be working there when we stopped by, and she kindly brought us some Brazilian lemonade as a treat. Douglas and I were both raving about it and so I looked up a recipe online as soon as we got home. I like this one from Our Best Bites (condensed here, but step-by-step instructions at the link):

Brazilian Lemonade

• 4 juicy limes with thin, smooth skins
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 cups water
• 6 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Boil 1 cup water and add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat and add remaining 5 cups of cold water. Chill if desired.

Wash limes thoroughly. Cut the ends off, then cut into eighths. Place 1/2 of the limes in the blender and add 1/2 of the sugar water. Pulse 5 times. Strain into a pitcher, squeezing extra liquid in with a spoon. Discard pulp and rind. Repeat with remaining limes and water. Add sweetened condensed milk. Serve immediately over ice. Serves 4. (Does not keep well; do not prepare in advance although you can prep all ingredients beforehand.)

Violet Cream Cake

Lavinia's birthday cake deserves its own post! I don't consider myself to be an expert baker or anything, but I wanted to create something special for our little girl's first birthday. I had some ideas floating around in my head, and I'm happy to say the end result was beautiful and delicious! Unfortunately, there's only a short time frame in the spring to make this with fresh violets, but you could easily substitute a different kind of filling and decoration at different times of the year. (Or, make violet jelly in the spring to use as the filling, and make or buy sugared violets for the decoration.)


VIOLET CREAM CAKE
FOR THE CAKE (adapted from Treasured Recipes from the Charleston Cake Lady by Teresa Pregnall):

• 2 packages of (18.5 oz.) Duncan Hines white cake mix
• 2/3 c. granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 c. sour cream
• 1 c. vegetable or canola oil
• 8 large eggs

FOR THE FILLING:

• 2 c. of freshly-picked violets from a herbicide-free lawn, stems removed
• 1 c. water
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 3 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 4 c. heavy whipping cream
• powdered sugar, to taste

FOR THE DECORATION:

• around 2 dozen freshly-picked violets from a herbicide-free lawn, stems removed
• other flowers as desired

To make the cake: Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by generously greasing them with butter or shortening. Add a little flour to the pan and tap the pan around until it is evenly coated with flour, then shake the excess out. Trace three circles of wax paper using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Cut out the wax paper circles, then press one circle into the bottom of each pan (they should fit smoothly).

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, sugar, flour, sour cream, and oil. Add the eggs and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for four minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Pour 1/4 of the batter into each of the prepared pans (this will leave you with 1/4 of the batter left over, which will make you a dozen cupcakes if you like). Set the oven temperature to 325º F and bake for around 33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire racks. (I baked mine in two batches -- two cake pans in one batch, one cake pan and one muffin tin of cupcakes in the second batch, taking the cupcakes out after about 25 minutes. I have no idea if you could bake them all at once -- like I said, not a baking expert.) :)

To make the violet filling: Combine violets, water, and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for two hours. Strain the syrup through a sieve, pressing on the petals to extract all the liquid. Add lemon juice. Mix cornstarch in 1/4 c. cold water. Add to syrup and simmer until thickened, stirring frequently.

To make the frosting: Pour the whipping cream into a large metal bowl that has been chilled in the freezer. Beat on medium-high until the cream becomes thick and spreadable. Add powdered sugar to sweeten to taste.

To assemble the cake: Spread the violet filling onto two of the cakes, half on each. Spread whipped cream over that. Place one of the violet/whipped cream cakes onto the other, then place the plain cake on top of those two. Make sure all three cake layers are centered. Spread whipped cream over the top and sides of all three layers. Decorate with freshly-picked violets by pressing the flowers gently into the whipped cream. Add additional decorative flowers as desired (making sure not to eat them if they are not edible).


I served the cake with homemade blueberry ice cream, which turns out to be the most beautiful shade of purple. I found that both the cake and ice cream are delicious enough that I preferred to enjoy them separately, but it was nice to have an extra punch of purple.

Time for tea

Last weekend, my mom and I were the featured speakers at a ladies' tea event at a local church. My mom has plenty of experience with this kind of thing, but I can't recall doing any public speaking before, outside of school. However, it was fun to work together and I felt good about how the presentation went (much easier to speak in public than to sing a solo -- another recent first!!). Since the event was an (indoor) garden tea party, I spoke about tea etiquette, history, and facts, and my mom gave a devotional.

One of my duties included guiding the ladies through the steps of afternoon tea, so I had to do a little research myself! I have to admit, I haven't paid too much attention to tea etiquette in years past, partly because I often come across conflicting advice, and partly because it just doesn't seem that important to me, as a middle-class American in the 21st century, whether I hold my cup "properly" or not. ;-)


[Do not loop your fingers through the teacup handle! How gauche.]
I decided to bake some scones and take some photos with which to better illustrate my instructions on how to eat them. The top photo in this post is the "posh" way of crumbling a scone into bite-size pieces, then adding a dab of cream and jam to each bite. Below are illustrations of the Devon vs. Cornish tea -- i.e. whether the jam or the cream goes on top first. It's delicious either way!



Look at all that tasty cream and jam. And since we got to eat the scones after I made them, it was a win-win situation! My mom and I were both inspired to host a tea party in the near future. Any excuse to consume tea treats is fine by me.

Irish scones

I don't know if this is a Thing or not, but this year I made my Irish soda bread in scone form. In years past, I've been struck by how crumbly the bread is when I slice it, and I thought it would be easier to consume if they were already baked into single-portion sizes. They are perhaps a little too easy to consume, as they're already gone and it's not even St. Paddy's Day yet! Thankfully, my grandma's hosting dinner tomorrow and I hear there'll be more Irish soda bread on the menu.

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. sugar, plus some for sprinkling
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 c. butter, plus some for brushing tops
• 1/2 c. raisins
• 1 tsp. caraway seeds
• 1 egg
• ~1/2 c. buttermilk or soured milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a bowl, mix together flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Cut in butter, then add raisins and caraway seeds. Crack the egg into a liquid measuring cup and add enough buttermilk to equal 3/4 cup. Add the egg mixture to the dough. Mix until blended and knead dough. On a floured cutting board, shape into two flattened rounds and cut each round into six triangular wedges. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until tops are golden, 10-12 minutes.

Welsh rarebit... for breakfast

I made Welsh rarebit for St. David's Day dinner yesterday, and yep, even enjoyed some leftovers this morning for breakfast. My favorite recipe comes from Alton Brown at the Food Network. I always use Boddington's Pub Ale for the beer and Double Gloucester for the cheese. A nice quality loaf of rye from the bakery also makes this into something special.

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup porter beer
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 6 ounces (approximately 1 1/2 cups) shredded Cheddar
• 2 drops hot sauce
• 4 slices toasted rye bread

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, being careful not to brown the flour. Whisk in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add beer and whisk to combine. Pour in cream and whisk until well combined and smooth. Gradually add cheese, stirring constantly, until cheese melts and sauce is smooth; this will take 4 to 5 minutes. Add hot sauce. Pour over toast and serve immediately.

Life in snapshots

Douglas surprised me with an iPhone in March. Before he handed it over, I barely knew what a smart phone was. I hadn't carried a personal cell phone in years. But oh my, it's a handy little thing! One feature I especially love is the ability to capture photos and video so easily. I'm a little bit lazy about recording things about my children as they grow, so this is a boon to me. Now I have a video of Edmund saying, "You're my sweet love, Mama" that I can watch over and over when I'm 99 years old. And when I'm too busy to haul out my "real" camera, I can still take snapshots of life. Here are a few from Instagram that I've taken over the past two months...

[from top to bottom, left to right:]

1) I made a huge double batch of Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple, and Red Lentil Soup while I was pregnant -- half to eat right away and half to freeze for post-baby. I added 1 teaspoon of garam masala to the linked recipe, which turned a good soup into greatness. Curry powder would also be a yummy option.
2) Douglas asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day, and I told him a bouquet of peonies. He delivered! And the smell of these beauties made my last week of pregnancy a little more bearable.
3) A newborn babe with the most beautiful little profile. That nose definitely comes through my husband's genes!
4) A border-print cotton poplin that is waiting to be turned into a vintage-style dirndl skirt... as soon as my waist loses a few more inches. ;-)
5) We took a break from packing on the evening of my birthday to enjoy dinner at my favorite local restaurant. I ordered their delectable sticky toffee pudding one last time!
6) The last view out our apartment balcony before moving. Goodbye, soybean field!
7) My curmudgeonly old cat, who continues to reside with my parents, was here to greet us in Nebraska. Well, maybe "greet" isn't the right word. How about "tolerate."
8) Now that I'm awakened several times in the night by a certain little lady, my morning cuppa has become a necessity again. It's like a beacon light in a great fog.
9) My mom's David Austin rosebush is still producing a few blooms for us to enjoy, though all the other roses have come and gone. What's not to love about this plant -- they look gorgeous, smell heavenly, and bloom often!
10) My toes are sporting Revlon's "Minted" nail polish right now.

Simple, delicious veggie wrap

Spread a large tortilla (I like the flavored kind, like Tomato Basil or Spinach) with a thin layer of Neufchâtel cheese. Pile some spring greens and alfalfa sprouts down the center. Grate 1/2 of a medium carrot over that. Take a handful of grape tomatoes, cut them in halves, and scatter over the carrots. Cut up a small broccoli floret into bite-size pieces and scatter on top. Roll up the tortilla and enjoy!

(I have made this for lunch [or breakfast] several times lately and it's very yummy and filling!)

Leek and Apple Cream Soup

• 1 lb. leeks
  
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter
  
• 1 lb. cooking apples, such as MacIntosh, peeled, cored, and sliced
  
• 1/2 lb. red potatoes, peeled and sliced
  
• 1 (14-oz.) can chicken broth
  
• 1 tsp. salt
  
• 2 c. half-and-half
  
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
  
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
  
• Lady apple slices for garnish (optional)

1. Quarter leeks and wash thoroughly. Coarsely chop white portions and reserve green tops for garnish.
2. Melt butter in large heavy saucepan. Add chopped leeks. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until transparent, stirring often.
3. Add apples, potatoes, chicken broth, and salt. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until apples and potatoes are tender.
4. Puree vegetables with 1/2 cup cooking liquid in blender until smooth. Stir into remaining cooking liquid in saucepan. Add half-and-half, coriander, and white pepper. Mix well.
5. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Garnish each serving with lady apple slices, and fashion apple stem and leaves from reserved green leek tops.

Yield: 6 servings.

--from the January 1990 issue of "Victoria" magazine

Potted herbs

Meet my apartment garden: potted basil, chives, spearmint, and dill. I love having fresh herbs for my kitchen. My future herb garden will include all of the above, plus cilantro, thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, parsley, and lavender. What are your favorite herbs?

Plain scones

My Anglophilia kicked into high gear today, for obvious reasons,* and I felt I must make some scones to have with my tea. After my walk with Edmund, we stopped by the store and picked up some strawberry preserves, lemon curd, and heavy cream, then I whipped up these plain scones in no time.

• 2 c. flour
  
• 2 tsp. baking powder
  
• 1 pinch salt
  
• 1/8 c. sugar
  
• 1/4 c. butter
  
• 1/2 c. milk, + 2 tbsp.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix dry ingredients, then cut in butter. Add milk and mix to form dough. [EDITED TO ADD: you may find you will need more milk than just 1/2 cup -- the dough should be sticky enough to adhere together in a ball, but not so sticky that it sticks to the bowl.] Divide in half and shape each into a flat round (about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick). Cut each round into six triangles. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the top of each scone with extra milk. Bake for 10 minutes, or until tops are golden.

I am not sure where I got this recipe; I think I found one online and then modified it. It is my favorite plain scone recipe, though. On their own, the scones aren't much, but they make a perfect stage for delicious jams and spreads.

*I don't normally follow the doings of the royal family, but when I remembered that today was Prince William's wedding, I looked up the highlights on YouTube, and Edmund and I enjoyed watching a few selections. His favorite part was when the planes buzzed Buckingham Palace to congratulate the newlyweds. :) I loved the ceremony as it reminded me of my own wedding (same format, though the Royal wedding used a slightly modernized version). The Brits sure know how to pull off a gorgeous wedding with pomp and elegance!

Hot cross buns

When I was a girl, I abhorred dried fruits in baked goods, especially raisins or currants. When I visited England for the first time at age 11, I was dismayed to find that every tea room we visited only offered fruit scones. At last, on our final day in London, I found civilization -- a.k.a. The Ritz -- where one was given a choice of currant or plain scones!


(Since those days I've gotten over my pickiness and I even like the extra sweetness raisins provide in Irish soda bread and hot cross buns.)

Farm fresh eggs

[Contrary to popular advice, I did put all my eggs
in one basket -- but only for the purpose of this photo.]
It's one of my goals as a homemaker to make positive diet choices for my family. However, spending a lot of time in the kitchen is not one of my favorite things so I tend to procrastinate certain steps to better dietary health that strike me as being really labor-intensive. In short, I'm prone to laziness. There are some steps that are so simple, however, that I really have no excuse. One is to buy farm-fresh eggs from pasture-fed chickens instead of supermarket eggs -- especially since my husband already passes the farm on his way to and from work. I got motivated in this area because Edmund really likes eggs (hard-boiled, scrambled, in a frittata -- you name it). Also, Douglas and I have been consuming more eggs lately in an effort to balance our breakfasts with more protein. So if we're going to be eating eggs anyway, we might as well be eating the most nutritious kind!