June

They're calling it "June-uary" around here. Gloomy, chilly and......depending on the day......buckets (and buckets) of rain falling down. The crisp and colorful flowers that shouted "spring-with-summer-to-quickly-follow" a week or so ago are now droopy, soggy, matted messes,  folded in upon themselves and each other. White, yellow, pink and purple petals turned to mush where they have fallen: in the dirt, on the grass, on the patio or clinging to the vine. Yesterday my walking group unanimously decided to cancel and the activity I chose to replace all of that exercise (for at least part of the day) was to turn on the gas fireplace and sit, wrapped in a heavy blanket, on the couch.


I, however, am not complaining! Sometimes days like this and I get along just fine. Small piles are disappearing from my desk and the kitchen counter. Tasks I've put off for far too long are getting completed and checked off the list one by one. Phone calls have been made. My calendar is filled out. The washer and dryer are agitating, spinning, tumbling and buzzing by the load. I am inching closer to getting 'caught up'......as if that is an actual possibility.


Today I baked a batch of cookies. Chocolate-Chip-Oatmeal-Coconut. Baking, especially these cookies for some reason, has a strangely meditative effect on me. I've made this particular kind so many times that I can practically do it with my eyes closed so that my mind is free to wander and think and organize and plan. Moving warm cookies from the baking sheet to the cooling rack and then into neatly stacked piles feels like a bonus on these task oriented days stuck inside.


I'd really like the rain to stop. For it to warm up outside and turn into summer. But I'll make use of days like this when I have them.


Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.


Warmly, Margaret

For a Rainy Spring Morning

I just love the following feature in the Missoulian today about one woman's  Little Free Library. What a novel and genius idea! I admire this woman; her initiative and her desire to make free books available to those who want them. We should all be so generous in order to foster a love of books and reading in others. I hope you'll take a look.

I vividly remember getting my first public library card at nine years old. It was just after we moved to the place my parents still live. I could easily ride my bike to the brick building that was shared with the town's fire station, and although sometimes I would go with others, I was just as content to look, browse, dream and decide by myself. Growing up I was surrounded by books and by family and friends who were active readers. I am happy to say that I still am.

~~~~~

Banana-Blueberry Muffins:

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup ripe mashed bananas

3/4 cup blueberries, rinsed and patted dry

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Coarse sugar

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add vanilla, then mashed bananas.

In separate bowl combine dry ingredients. Toss with blueberries. Fold into creamed mixture until just blended. Divide into greased muffin tins and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 until done, 20-25 minutes.

Makes a dozen.

Enjoy your week!

Warmly, Margaret

Happy Easter / Happy Spring

Well, the flu....or what I'm assuming was the flu......grabbed hold here and the stubborn virus, it just didn't want to let go. My best intentions to do anything at all were sidelined and my favorite couch blanket and new mattress were appreciated more than ever. Marc spent two days home sick from work which is almost unheard of.

As luck would have it, we had Easter dinner on Palm Sunday. It just worked out that way being the one day we had someone home. And that someone made sure I knew that although he felt a little bad about leaving before the holiday itself, that he would indeed appreciate the full holiday meal before he left.

Thank goodness I mustered up the energy to make the above cinnamon rolls Easter morning. I pretty much can't imagine a holiday without them......so even though our meal that evening was from the take-out barbecue place.....I kept at least an ounce of tradition intact! In my rush to enjoy one warm from the oven I forgot to take a picture after they had been turned out of the pan and onto a foil lined baking sheet, pecan halves clinging to the caramel syrup they were baked in. The rolls that, to me, make holidays...... holidays. 

I'm now on the mend and looking forward to spending some time out of doors soon.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

Warmly, Margaret

This Year's Cookie

Just about a year ago I was doing the exact same thing that I spent time doing today: Baking and putting together boxes of cookies to send to the boys for Valentine's Day. During the past several years of shipping care packages, I've been on a quest to find recipes that both travel well and retain their quality. It's an extra added bonus if they actually improve after a day or so in an airtight container, which sounds kind of odd, but I've found a couple of them that do.

Last year I sent pairs of chocolate cookies with vanilla buttercream sandwiched in between. (These ones really are better after one day in an airtight container and......OK......now I'm craving them.....) This year I made Russian Teacakes which is one of the many cookies that my Mom, siblings and I made growing up. For some reason, as a little girl, it was the name that got me. 'Russian Teacakes'. It sounded sort of exotic to me then and my imagination took off thinking about just what kind of a spread would be included at a Russian Tea. (And how the table would be set. And what the guests would be wearing.) I have since found that many countries and heritages have their own variation of this same cookie and that they appear in the dessert section of nearly every cookbook I own in one form or the other! There are different nut, spice or shape choices....and of course, unique and interesting names for each....but basically, they are all more similar than they are different.

The main difference between these and the ones we baked growing up are how I handled the nuts. Our family's recipe called for finely chopped walnuts. This morning I used pecans, toasted in the oven for about 10 minutes and then pulsed in the food processor until they were in bits much smaller than I could chop with a knife.

So today I measured and toasted and mixed. I rolled and baked and then rolled again. Although I tried to keep up with the cloud of powdered sugar that hung in the air, I should probably still swipe a quick mop over the floor. Next time I make these I just might get creative and experiment. I could possibly think of a unique spice to add or try changing the nut choice again. Adding lime or lemon zest sounds interesting to me and I'm just sure there is something I could do to make the dough chocolate.

Boys, watch your mailboxes....

Russian Tea Cakes

(I adapted this recipe after checking out variations on a few different websites and in a few different cookbooks..... and in my old standby, my Betty Crocker Cookbook. It made about 46 cookies)

1  cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup pecans, toasted for 8-10 minutes in a 350 oven, then chopped fine in a food processor

                                                                       ~~~~~~

Beat butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add vanilla and 1/2 cup powdered sugar, then beat until well blended. Mix salt and flour in well, then stir in nuts. Wrap ball of dough in plastic or waxed paper, then chill for about 30 -40 minutes….Until dough is cold, but not so cold as to be unworkable.

Preheat oven to 350°F  (I ended up turning mine down to 325 after the first pan) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Put the remaining powdered sugar into a large bowl. 

Using a small cookie scoop (~ 2 1/2 teaspoonfuls)  measure dough and then roll into balls. (If you don't have a scoop, make balls about the size of a walnut....an old fashioned way to eyeball the amount of dough needed!)

Place about 1/2 inch apart on baking sheet and bake until light brown on the bottom, about 10-12 minutes or what works best in your own oven.

Roll warm cookies, straight from the oven in a dish of powdered sugar to coat, then transfer to rack to cool completely.

Store airtight at room temperature.

Additional notes:

*Roll the warm cookies, about five at a time, in a large bowl of powdered sugar using two spoons. To prevent finger marks in the warm powdered sugar coating, lift them with a small metal spatula onto racks placed over waxed paper (to help with the clean up) to cool.

* Just a little bit of rolling around in the sugar does the trick. At first I thought I needed a heavier coating, but only a certain amount will stick anyway and too much messing around just made them look.....well....messy.

* I started with a 350 oven, but ended up turning it down to 325, so pay attention to the first batch.
* I just may try them with 1/4 cup less flour next time.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

Warmly,

Margaret

Hoping For A Snow Day.......

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

 The prediction around here for the next few days is suggesting snow, beginning possibly as early as this evening. Living in the Pacific Northwest, the mention of even a few flakes in the lowlands is cause for a somewhat heady mix of alarm and excitement. Radio and television stations tease with short bites of information. They want us to stay tuned in.....and mostly we do. When gray skies turn white and the drizzle that is winter turns fluffy......we Pacific North-westerners pay attention. 

I grew up and lived for many years in Eastern Washington. Here, on the other side of the state, we call that 'east of the mountains'. The Cascade Range and it's peaks asymmetrically divide our state in two, keeping Pacific Ocean clouds and moisture sort of backed up and stuck on this side of the range. The 'west side' has more rain and a milder climate. We are cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, while 'east of the mountains' has more distinct markers that herald the changing of the seasons. For snow or sun......many of us head east (or might I add, north to Canada) for the day, the weekend or the week. (I should note here that this has been a particularly beautiful winter here on the west side so far, with little rain and far more sunny days that normal!)

I will acknowledge that the above description of our seasonal weather patterns is somewhat lacking. I was only attempting to illustrate that, although we may have a lowland snowstorm here once or twice a season, wind and rainstorms are the norm.  I have now lived on the west side of this state over twice as long as I did the more seasonal east side. You would think that I might have grown up a bit by now and be grumbling at the mention of the possibility of cold, icy roads and poor driving conditions. But the truth is, the mention of the possibility of snow brings out the Eastern Washington kid in me. I will ignore those who complain, put on a pot of soup and watch it fall. Or pull on warm boots and a puffy coat and go outside.

When the boys were younger, I secretly welcomed snow days. I loved whispering in the still dark early morning doorways of their rooms that they had a surprise day off from school. I loved the four of us stuck here with books and movies, hot chocolate and Legos. I loved their red cheeks after a few hours playing in the yard, rolling up balls as big as they could and then searching for decorations for the one snowman they might be able to build all year. That there is a storm water storage basin a short block away where they could meet up with friends for an afternoon of sledding.

I'm often without a car on days that the white stuff is falling. Since mine handles best up and down slippery hills there are no other ways around, and since I can do what I do from home.....and since I've often planned ahead for food......Marc takes it back and forth to work and that's OK with me. Now that the boys are older and live other places during most of the winter, I email photos of our smiling Golden Retriever, hair clumped with white, after some play time outside. Or shots of bare tree branches turned lacy in our yard. These days I enjoy the peaceful beauty of a snow day and use it as inspiration for knitting or baking or picking up my camera.

It might snow tonight and for the next few days. I hope the weather forecasters aren't just teasing me. I have a full refrigerator and pantry. I have a knitting project, an empty card in my camera and a great book I'm in the middle of. Bring it on...... please!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,
Margaret

9 AM, Sunday, January 15, 2011: Big, fluffy flakes are falling! Breakfast is just about on the table , but hoping to get outside afterward.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

As a youngster coming home from school, I was occasionally greeted by the scent of  banana bread before I even hit the steps leading up to the back door. Once inside I knew I'd find a couple loaves resting on the counter......because "there were some bananas turning black and I didn't want to waste them."  On another day I might see a pie cooling on a rack and be informed, "I had a little sour cream so I made a raisin pie." Short sentences or comments casually uttered years ago by one or the other of my parents surface every once in awhile, which I realize, still make a difference in my days. Remembering this makes me hope that I've provided my boys with useful snippets of conversation to take away for their futures, especially knowing how they squirm at the mention of a 'few suggestions', a 'talk' or worse yet a lecture. (I try hard not to............)

Remember last week when I made Pumpkin Gingersnap Ice Cream? Since the recipe only called for one cup of pumpkin puree, and since I only had a large can of it in the pantry, I ended up with a leftover bowl in the fridge. Not wanting to waste, I planned at some point to make muffins with the remainder. As I set out to do so yesterday morning....thinking that the scent would be kind of a nice thing for the two boys I still have at home to wake up to (not to mention the finished product.....the ones I make have chocolate chips in them....) I became side tracked by a memory of a recipe for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls rattling around in my brain. Once it popped in there, I couldn't seem to let it and the fact that I want to become more successful with my yeast dough baking go, so I searched my cookbooks to find one. I finally chose one from AllRecipes.com.

Although it took a bit longer than muffins would have, I was more than happy with the finished product. The extra time I hadn't planned to spend baking was worth it. I didn't waste leftover ingredients. The scent of cinnamon, ginger and cloves that wafted up the stairs, may have been even more delicious and tempting than the pumpkin chocolate chip muffins I intended to make. I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand (including a can of evaporated milk....which I normally wouldn't have around except for the recent holidays). Working with yeast dough, which has always been a little awkward for me, most likely due to my lack of practice, seemed a bit easier.......less awkward this time.

I remembered some things. I learned some things.

Here is a link to the recipe I used: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. My computer is in the shop (again), but I'll come back and post a couple of photos here on Monday. 

Some notes:
 - I made 'pumpkin pie spice' by mixing together the spices I would normally use when making two pies into a small bowl. Two tsp went into the dough, then enough cinnamon was added to what was left over to make two tbsp for the filling.
 - I baked the rolls for 30 minutes, but they could have used another five or maybe ten.
 - I didn't have cream cheese in the house, so made a buttercream frosting and added a bit of almond extract to it as well as the vanilla called for.

Wishing you a Wonderful Weekend!

Warmly, Margaret

PS. Have you noticed I've made a shift from Tues/Fri posts to Wed/Sat posts? I'm not even sure how or why that happened! Probably due to one extra-busy day during the holiday season......and then it seemed to stick. I'll still be posting twice a week on what ever combination of days that seem to work best this year. Thank you so much for reading and for checking in! XO

It's That Week Of The Season

 

It's that week of the season where my 'to do' list is filled with 'have nots'.
As in, I have not yet:

Finished baking all of the Christmas cookies I had planned to.
Put together a platter of said cookies for Marc to bring in to his office.
Addressed the last of the Christmas cards.
Written a letter to enclose with the cards.
Finished two of the hats I want to make.
Picked up the remainder of the stocking stuffers on my list.
Wrapped the last three gifts.
Planned Christmas breakfast.
Planned Christmas Eve dinner.
Planned Christmas dinner.
Delivered a gift to my friend and her daughter.
Found gifts for the pets.
Shopped at Costco for the final time
Vacuumed this week.

So, this is what I plan to do today:

Relax.
Take a much needed nap.
Enjoy the tree and our decorations.
Go to dinner with Marc and the boys, after which we will see the Nutcracker.
Celebrate our wedding anniversary.
Forget about baking until the week after Christmas.
Catch up with Joey, Peter (and Lewis, the dog) who are now home.
Prepare for Patrick to come home.
Mail cards without an enclosed letter.
Cross whatever is not absolutely necessary off my list. (The pets won't have a clue if they don't get a treat Christmas morning and I'm pretty sure the stockings will do.)

Christmastime is too special to become stressed out. There are four days left....... I plan to enjoy them. I hope that you do to.

Wishing you some meaningful days ahead. XO

Warmly,
Margaret

This Time Of Year

This time of year......

Busy.  Fun.  Exhausting.  Joyful.

Earlier in the week Marc strung lights around the outside of our house and onto some of the landscaping in front. He placed the lit wire moose (my favorite holiday item) in between two of the ancient maples in back. Last night we got our tree. This weekend we will finish decorating and look forward to the boys arrival one by one.

This past Sunday we met up with some family for a lovely holiday brunch at Volterra. The rest of them sipped Peach Thyme Bellinis, while I sipped coffee. I know the breakfast cocktails would have just made me sleepy, but I did take a taste before my order of chestnut pancakes came to the table, and they were delicious.

Afterward, we took a walk through the Ballard Farmer's Market, one of the few local outdoor markets that I know of that operate at this time of year. We wandered in and out of the interesting and eclectic mix of shops in Ballard. Noted a few gift ideas. Picked up a few things.  There were carolers under a gazebo where the streets meet up. The passing shoppers were chatty and festive. A friend commented that it seemed like a scene out of a Christmas movie.

This week I will bake and put the finishes touches on gifts that I'm making. I'll wrap and pack boxes and ship. I will hope to finish up the shopping I still have left to do and plan to figure out a Christmas card, photo and letter.

I'll visit with friends. Exchange cookies. Hand deliver a few gifts. Hopefully make time to watch It's A Wonderful Life. Light Advent candles, take a deep breath and try to remember what this time of year is all about. It's the Christmas season and I can't escape the work and busy-ness...nor would I want to. But I also want to be sure to appropriately reflect. To remember to pay attention to why we do all that we do to celebrate.

 (A note: The ornaments pictured above can be found in Souvenir on Ballard Avenue. They are handmade, unique and exquisitely beautiful. Any photograph could not do them justice! The photographs were taken inside of the shop with the owner's permission.)

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

XO Margaret

'Tis The Season

We recieved our first couple of Christmas cards in the mail this afternoon. I so enjoy receiving these cheerful notes with their photographs and bits of news from those we care about. Welcome reminders that, yes indeed.......it definately 'tis the season'.

This truly is my favorite time of year. I love the celebrations and thoughtfullness that weave in and out of the last weeks of November, throughout December and on into January. 

I love bows on beautifully wrapped packages. I love the Christmas cookie tradition of baking, giving and exchanging. Of tucking some away in the freezer and trying to be sure I have enough of everyone's favorite kind. I enjoy Christmas music playing in the background and the chance to hum and sing along. I love the color red.

I've been hard at work here, inspired by a couple of holiday projects that came to mind a few weeks ago and am intent on completing them before the calendar strikes December 25th. At the same time I'm trying hard not to allow the work I have set out before me to exceed the number of waking hours available in a day......or in the next few weeks.

We were married four days before Christmas and gave birth to two of our children in December. We need to find the time to decorate our home and put up the tree. The boys have all left, but will return again within the next few weeks. We've got some things to do. To be thankful for. To think about. To celebrate.

Here's wishing you the beginning of a Merry Season!

Warmly,

Margaret

Time To Warm Things Up Inside

It has taken a bit of coaxing to get the dog outside this morning......last night the wind whipped up, threatening just below a howl. This morning it is still gusting and blowing and tossing leaves from their branches. Some swirl and land, while others cartwheel and scoot, ending up in horizontal piles pressed up against the new fence.

Rain is pouring down in sheets so hard that I if I close my eyes, I could pretend I live near a raging river or a waterfall with all of its noise. Huge drops bounce when they hit the patio and fading flowers hang onto their stalks for dear life, bobbing and swinging with all of this action. 

This early morning, the sky is a grey-green back drop behind dark silhouettes of cedar, maple and alder. Although it brightens as the minutes pass, I know that the forecast for today means we will settle comfortably into a dull grey......with only very rare patches of filtered sun expected .

It feels like a day to simmer beef-stew with lots of vegetables. Spice cake sounds good. One thing I do plan to make is a tomato cobbler  (which I consider to be one of the world's most perfect concoctions).... with the two pounds of heirloom cherry tomatoes sitting on the kitchen counter. They are ripe and gorgeous, and range anywhere from pumpkin to nearly black in color.

Saturday was the last day of our local Farmer's Market and I think I will miss the tomato stand most of all. I can't think of anyplace I've found such flavorful and meaty specimens since I was able to pick them fresh out of our garden growing up. With all variety of shapes, sizes, colors and flavors to choose from, I will need to figure out what to replace these with in my diet as they have been a staple all summer long. I will also miss the colorful variety of the rest of the market: items I won't be able to find in the grocery store, the sweet homemade signs, the warm, helpful and happy vendors and the spicy Italian sausage and pepper sandwiches.

Time to warm things up inside now......Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

Warmly,

Margaret

More Fall Color

I love that I can get in the car, head east for a few minutes and find myself driving on two lane roads through small towns and past farms and farm stands. Today I went in search of pumpkins still in their fields, but when I found them there wasn't a place to pull over that wouldn't put me in a ditch and so I wasn't able to get out to take pictures. The fields were just as I had imagined, however, with dozens of pumpkinheads resting atop deep brown soil or peeking out from behind tangles of fading vines. I drove past rows of nodding sunflowers, heavy with seed and colorful dahlia and zinnias. Cows and tractors moved slowly behind see-through fences and blue peaks partially shrouded with clouds stood in the background. It was the perfect way for me to spend an hour today. Just what I needed.

On the way home I stopped in at a market I had passed earlier. Fruits and vegetables were piled into boxes and baskets outside, each with a handmade sign telling where they came from and other such information. I discovered a couple varieties of apples that I haven't yet heard of and because of their description, brought home ten of each. There were several notices interspersed amongst the fruit reminding customers that 'Bees like fruit too".  I think I've mentioned in the past how, although I appreciate them ever so much...... I am slightly terrified of bees, so after imagining a couple of pies or an apple crisp, I tried hard to ignore the buzzing and counted the apples quickly into my bags. Looking out at the rain this afternoon, I'm thinking the risk was worth it.....a warm bite of something baked with apples is definitely in my future.

Hope you enjoy your week!

Warmly, Margaret

PS. I am playing around with my blogs format. I kind of like this one because I think it shows the photos a little better. I also appreciate that if you click on the down arrow next to the word 'Classic' and choose 'Magazine' on the home page you will be able to read a short preview of the rest of each post, then simply click on the title and the entire post will come up. You can utilize the forward or back arrows on the upper left, or the X on the upper right to close it and return to the home page. If you would like to subscribe, use the button on the far upper right on the home page. I still haven't completely decided whether to use this format or the old one so feel free to let me know what you think!

Perfect

I love to be outside almost any time of the year. Although it's quite a bit more challenging during some months and seasons than others......right now where I live......it's pretty close to perfect. We typically have long, sunny stretches of days during late summer and early fall. Evening rolls around a little earlier and the sun comes up a bit later. Comfortable nights are followed by cool mornings. Early cups of coffee in the back yard often involve a blanket. Neighborhood kids take advantage of every last minute. Dinner is set on the patio for the last few balmy evenings. Our daily walk is finished near dark.

The crown jewels of this season are wild, late summer blackberries. Right now they are ripe and beautiful and sweet, and I'm not sure I can get enough. I always feel a bit anxious when I know the berries have turned their darkest purple......as if they might be gone before I can get to them. And some years they are.

This morning a friend and I met up for a walk on a lake trail carrying bowls and a pitcher to see what we could gather. We came back with enough for a pie or a cobbler, and possibly both. Some to snack on or to top off oatmeal, yogurt or granola for breakfast. I might have to collect a few more in order make the ice cream or sorbet I'm thinking sounds pretty good. 

Mom Nature knows how to make us appreciate what is free for the taking. You don't have to travel far (blackberries grow aggressively in most areas of the Pacific Northwest) but these wild bushes are full of sharp thorns and the fattest, juiciest berries are usually too high and out of reach. You need to be well covered with the right clothing and often be tough and creative. We stuck our arms through a scratchy mess in order to get to many of the low ones, and wished that we had brought along a stick to pull down packed upper branches. My fingers are stained, I have red marks on my hands.......but the result is pure deep-purple bliss.

Wishing you a wonderful late summer weekend!

Warmly, Margaret

Little Bits of Summer

A few summer things:

As of last week I have a new oven; the old one had been acting up for awhile. It's a wall unit and when the original one was removed, the contractor found it had been wired incorrectly in the first place. Yikes! The new guy has a cobalt blue interior. Don't know why but that makes me happy every time I open it. The first thing I made was a pan of Butter Tart Squares....which......if you have any Canadians in your family, you'll know what I'm talking about and why they were what I chose to initiate my oven with.

Peter and his dog, Lewis, walked through the door at 10:30 last night. I had no idea they were coming to town. Of course, a coffee cake was in and out of my new oven with the cobalt blue interior early this morning.

Joey has a summer job working in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant where he stands for hours at a time making ravioli and tortellini. Yesterday he told me he gets lost deep in his thoughts while he's preparing food. I get that.

I spent this past Saturday inside and Sunday outside getting quite a few chores taken care of. So many little things that were adding up, weighing on me and making me anxious to get them out of the way. It was a rainy, cloudy weekend, which made the sunny day I had planting flowers yesterday that much more enjoyable.

Last evening was the first dinner this season that we've eaten outside on the patio. Grilled steaks, grilled corn and baked potatoes with an arugula, tomato and feta salad. Worth waiting for.

Today......a day with our whole family under the same roof.

Rhubarb Pie

I made a Rhubarb Pie this morning. I've been meaning to make one all week at the request of one of my sons, but happened to catch a nasty bug that's been making the rounds. This morning I felt much better so went out to the garden for the first rhubarb pick of the season.  I added a few blackberries to make up the volume when there wasn't quite enough. I wonder how this combination will work?  I'm kind of a purist when it comes to rhubarb and typically don't like any other fruit added to it. 

I'm not sure if I can name a favorite pie....but if I had to, this one would surely be in the running. I just love Rhubarb Pie! My boys like it, too. When they were much younger they hoped there would be one waiting in my parents kitchen when went to visit. There often was. In fact, the plants in our garden are transplants from their yard. I remember moving into that house at age nine where they grew, and still do, in a patch by the shed.  I was a little fascinated and nervous when my mom cooked some up one day. I had never seen or heard of it before, but she knew what to do. I've been a big fan ever since.

Just curious: When it comes to making pie crust, do you mix by hand or with the food processor? I used the food processor for this crust. I think the pastry is easier to roll out, but find the ones mixed by hand flakier. And truthfully, I choose flaky over ease of rolling. My husband can attest to this as it's the one thing I hope for/comment on if we decide to order a slice in a restaurant. I think he thinks I'm a little high maintenance in this regard......but really......a flaky crust adds so much to the overall pie eating experience......

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Margaret

Banana Bread

Don't you love that bananas no longer suited for eating fresh make the best bread? How walnuts that are toasted at high heat give off a fragrance and a flavor that wasn't there before? That you can mix a few everyday ingredients together and they will make your house smell wonderful for a couple of hours? That actually, banana bread tastes better if you don't eat it right away? Simplicity. Patience. It makes for a good day.

I use the recipe from the Betty Crocker Cookbook. It takes butter, buttermilk and vanilla, and is the same one that my mom uses. Banana bread was one of the treats I came home to when I was growing up, smelling its presence before my hand turned the doorknob. I remember being told two things: 'I had some overripe bananas I didn't want to waste' and 'let it cool before you cut into it'.

At our house slices of banana bread end up on the table for breakfast or for dessert. Personally, my favorite way to eat it is spread with butter or cream cheese. When the boys were younger I sent it to school with them in their lunches or for a snack, and later, shipped it to them while they were away at college. It keeps well, freezes well, travels well and gets better with age. Definitely on my list of perfect foods.

Banana Bread -
from Betty Crocker's 40th Anniversary Edition (with directions edited a little by me.)

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas - about 4 medium
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of two loaf pans.
Beat sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, except nuts. Stir until just moistened. Stir in nuts.
Bake for about an hour or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes then remove from pans. Cool completely before slicing.
Wrap tightly. Keep at room temperature for four days or refrigerated for ten.

A few things:
**Toast walnuts for about 8 minutes in a 400 degree oven, Cool before chopping and using.
**I have been know to add chocolate chips.
**I use four smaller loaf pans instead of 2 larger ones. I find this size easier to store, slice and give away.
**If the top looks perfect but the inside isn't finished yet, lay a piece of foil over the tops and bake for a few more minutes.