delicious surprise

Our UPS lady made a surprise stop at our house about a week and a half ago. A package from my lovely mother-in-law was left at my door step. And what a delight was wrapped up in that brown cardboard box: homemade raspberry jam! Nothing says love like homemade raspberry jam. Except six jars of homemade raspberry jam made by Granny with fall raspberries picked from Aunt Evie's garden.

Summoning the self-discipline to not just open a jar and dig in with a spoon, I put the girls on the job of whipping up some hot, buttery popovers--the perfect companion to yummy jams.

creative tuesday: threads and bread

It is late, nearly midnight, and I have that tired satisfaction that comes at the end of a happily productive day. Early this morning, I put the final touches on a gift I had been preparing for a friend who is due with her fourth child, a son, any day now. I am so grateful to Amy Karol and her confidence building Bend-the-Rules Sewing book that has cheerfully guided me through my first zippers and, now, snaps. These bibs were a real snap to make and so much fun. I hope little Lucas will enjoy wearing them.




This afternoon I finally got a chance to try out a recipe that the Homesick Texan posted recently for a Jalapeno-Cheese Bread. Well, for some reason the first dough stubbornly declined to rise all afternoon. Finally I accepted the truth of my failure and started over again. And tonight, long after our taco dinner was over, well past bedtime, I found myself cutting out this fun little pattern while getting mildly intoxicated by the sweet yeasty smell of baking bread mingling with the savory melting cheese and the spicy but soothing aroma of jalapeno.

It is fantastic! Even with a whole cup of diced jalapenos, it is not too spicy. The bread is rich, moist, savory and, oh-so-aromatic. Pretty, too. I ate a mini-loaf (a little dough that just couldn't fit in the big pan) tonight, but the rest is for breakfast. Oh yes, lightly toasted, buttered, and topped with some eggs. Or better yet, topped with migas. Or, maybe just the butter.

Of Cucumbers and Quesadillas

The Prof and I enjoy cooking whenever we can make the time and we especially enjoy cooking with fresh, local produce. I shop the farmers' market regularly and try to buy in season at the grocers' as much as possible. This is a stellar time for seasonal cooking, too. The weekly market is brimming with garlic, herbs, tomatoes, zucchini (from the standard to the heirloom varieties), greenhouse salad greens, bell peppers, hot peppers, melons, peaches and apples, in addition to the standard year round products.

At the last July market, I picked up a deep green, Texas-size green zucchini and a white sunburst zucchini, placed happily among my other summer hued acquisitions, and went on my merry way wondering which delicious preparation we would impose on these lovely fruits. At Martha Stewart's website, I found an unusual but simple recipe for for Zucchini Quesadillas and picked up the remaining ingredients required.

I did alter the recipe a bit:

• opted out on the cilantro (I always opt out on cilantro)
• used a combination of pepper jack and monterey jack to moderate the spiciness
• replaced one of the zucchini with a cucumber and the other with a white sunburst zucchini

Yup. You read that correctly. Somehow a cucumber had landed in my veggie bowl instead of the refrigerator. The zucchini was there, too, but I grabbed the wrong one. That's right, I sliced that cucumber, sauteed it with olive oil, onions, garlic, and corn and baked it in a quesadilla. I thought it smelled a little funny for a zucchini and what an unusual amount of seeds, but didn't give it too much thought.

You know what? Those quesadillas were delicious! Really. I even commented during dinner that the zucchini flavor was just right, not too overwhelming. Congratulated myself on using that mild white sunburst. And then, after dinner it was the Prof who discovered the scraps from the cucumber and passed it around to all of us. It was confirmed. My genius, that is. I created a new recipe and an otherwise unthinkable use for the cucumber!

P.S. The Prof finally used that spared squash to make up some Zucchini-Feta Fritters tonight. Mmm!

Summer Thirst

::Summer Survival::

Mint Hibiscus Iced Tea

::Summer Addiction::

Simply Lemonade

::Summer Love::

Izze Sparkling Juices

They liked it! They liked it!

I am so excited and proud of my pint-sized eaters. Sunday night I prepared Rachel Ray's ( Comfort Foods in Thirty Minutes) Super-Stuffed Monte Cristo Sandwiches. I was a bit doubtful that the entire family would find these over sized, richly flavored sandwiches enjoyable. I was wrong. Monte Cristo...here we come! Starting with a sort of modified French Toast for the bread, the sandwich is stuffed with ham, turkey, bacon, havarti cheese, and cranberry sauce & mustard (which we did on half the sandwiches).

Warm the entire sandwich on the griddle and serve with a drizzle of-and this surprisingly pulls the whole sandwich together-maple syrup. A big hit! Rosebud asked if we could have the leftovers for breakfast.

Monday afternoon I had some unexepected extra time and decided to cook up some Azteca Enchiladas with Mole (from the informative The Tex-Mex Cookbook ) for dinner. I stewed a chicken, whipped up the mole, softened the tortillas, rolled, stuffed, covered with a Mexican white cheese and baked it all up. As I placed the steamy concoction on the table, I confess I was already thinking of those leftover Monte Cristo sandwiches as a substitute for the younger diners. Alas, I "misunderestimated" them again. The enmoladas were a huge success with everyone at la mesa.

For those not familiar with mole (MO-lay), it is a Mexican chocolate-tomato sauce. Using the recipe I had at hand, the ingredients included tomatoes, onions, garlic, chicken broth, peanut butter, semi-sweet chocolate, sesame seeds and chilies. Undeniably, a most unusual formula. The result is a rather unique, but wonderfully complex flavor. Everyone is looking forward to a repeat...there are only two leftover from that dinner.

Like every one of us, my children have their food dislikes and preferences, but I am pleased that they are at least willing to try all of the outrageous foods the Prof and I prepare for them with an open mind. Believe me, not all of the dishes are met with such positive responses, but, now we are on a real roll...hmmm...what shall I prepare next?