Still Hanging Out Upstairs

Blanket Collection
Chilhuly Garden and Glass

I'm still hanging out here upstairs in the house. The kitchen remodel is plugging along. Plodding forward a full two months after I thought I would be moving our furniture back in (I know........). I am now more realistically referring to this project as the 'downstairs remodel' due to some flooring and millwork that were included. 

Right up front I should tell you that I am so very happy with the couple of guys measuring, sawing, hammering and finishing away down there. I can't say enough about their honesty, work ethic, communication, attention to detail and excellent craftsmanship. But certain things appear to be beyond the control of those spending their days here....and well, during the past week this has become more than obvious: Door/window millwork lumber was returned for the second time because the entire order arrived wrong yet again. The fire door to the garage was for some reason drilled for a different deadbolt than the one that was brought directly to the door store when the order was placed.....just so that type of thing would NOT happen.  Hardware was back ordered. Certain phone calls weren't returned promptly. In the on going saga of our front door lock (you didn't know there was one did you?) we were locked out of our house Friday evening.

And my dog died. I had a week last week....

Normally this might call for diving into a pan of warm homemade brownies while snuggled under my favorite blanket in front of the television, a cold glass of milk at the ready. Since most of my baking equipment is still packed away in the garage......I turned to the next best comfort food: Pasta. 

I began thinking about the way my mom loves macaroni best (and often mentions it!)...... warmed together with canned chopped tomatoes and their juice...... and started out to buy the ingredients for this simple dish. Somehow, my recent passion for kale got in the way......and then my craving for Beecher's Cheese. A can of  cannellini beans made their way into my cart, and well.....this is what I came up with. It was honestly so good, simple and comforting that I made it twice.

~~~~~

Tomat0, Kale and Cheese Pasta

2 14.5 oz cans of chopped tomatoes with their juice
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 lb kale, washed, de-stemmed, de-ribbed, rolled up and cut into ribbons
2 tsp dried basil (although I think fresh would have been wonderful)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 lb of conchiglia pasta (kind of a cross between a fat macaroni and a shell     
  shape....other similar shapes will do!)
1 can cannellini beans (Italian white beans), rinsed and drained
2 or more cups shredded Beecher's cheese

Place tomatoes and their juice, along with the minced garlic, chopped kale, basil oregano, salt and pepper into a large sauté pan or saucepan. Simmer 5-10 minutes until the kale has softened to your liking. Then add the beans.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to just al dente. Save out a couple cups of the cooking water, then drain the rest from the pasta. Gently toss pasta thoroughly with the tomato/kale/bean mixture in its pan. Add about a cup of the shredded cheese and gently fold until the cheese melts into the hot tomato mixture, there is kale sticking to the sides of the pasta and some of the white beans are lodged into the ends. If you feel the need (and depending on the consistency of sauce you enjoy with your pasta), add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to the pan. Correct the salt and pepper seasonings.

Sprinkle the remaining cup or more of cheese on top and dig in while it's warm.

Makes 4-6 generous servings.

**Marc thought another can of beans would have been nice, but I thought it turned out perfect this way. Your decision!

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

Warmly, Margaret

~~~~~

PS. Have you  noticed that I haven't necessarily been sticking to a regular day for my posts. The first year it was EVERY Tuesday and Friday without fail. Then as life changed, I changed......to every Wednesday. Which sort of shifted toward Thursday. Which then became the occasional skipped week of posting. 

One thing I know about this process is that both writing and photography are important to me. So important that if I'm rushed or hurried or simply uninspired and don't feel I can put something 'out there' that I'm happy with, that I'd rather put it off until I can. It's such a great discipline to post once a week with regularity, but on the off chance that I don't show up, please do continue to check back in. Or join me through Blogger. Or sign up to receive an email with each new post. And by all means...please feel free to leave comments. I LOVE hearing from you!

A Few Things:

Evening light on a vineyard in Sonoma Valley. The wild mustard is in bloom.

A few tidbits from a busy week:

*I learned how to make rack of lamb. Lamb is something I love to order in restaurants, but for some reason have never made at home until recently. I checked out several ways to cook it, thinking it must be complicated because it tastes so good....until I found this recipe from the New York Times. Simple. It's what we're having tonight.

*I watched two movies this week that I'll recommend: Midnight In Paris and The Big Year. Both are fun, entertaining and have beautiful scenery. They had great messages and stories that made me think. (Anyone who knows me knows that I don't watch dark, violent or super-suspenseful movies.) Each of them are about pursuing something you love and finding balance in your life while you do it. I'll say no more.......

*A group of friends and I are working our way up to walking 13 miles......a half marathon. Yesterday we walked over five miles in a freezing snowstorm, then sipped coffee afterwards, dripping-wet and cold, at a nearby Starbucks. We stuck it out and didn't call our morning walk off due to the frigid weather (I really wanted to.....). I was proud of us (me)!

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.

Warmly, Margaret

Enjoying

We've been enjoying some food and wine tasting for the past few days with flavors far beyond any expectations. A feast for the eyes as well! More later, but for now.....Wishing You a Wonderful Weekend!

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

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

TV Dinner

I'm not a big fan of having the television on while we eat. With few exceptions, it hardly ever happens in this house. When it does, those exceptions most likely revolve around certain sporting events, such as when the Huskies played in the Alamo Bowl last Thursday evening right around dinner time. Because I wanted to be able to sit down to watch with the rest of the family......I looked for something easy to make that could be prepared earlier in the day. The older boys are only home for a few more days....so mostly healthy and homemade just made ME feel good. We ended up with Minestrone Soup, Whole Grain Bread, lots of Grated Parmesan.

I also made Pumpkin Gingersnap Ice Cream for dessert. It was my brother's contribution to Christmas dinner, and was a huge hit with everyone present. Along with pumpkin, crushed gingersnaps and spices, it has a couple tablespoons of Bourbon added in. Yum........

The soup recipe is from one of the cookbooks I use most often, Simply Classic. I love it and except for being free and easy with the amounts and kinds of vegetables added, and adjusting the seasonings at the end, I make few other adaptations of my own. Everyone here likes a bit of a kick, so I finished it with a few splashes of Tabasco Sauce.

More Than Minestrone

adapted from Simply Classic

Serves 6

5-7 slices of bacon, cut into bite sized pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 or more celery stalks, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 cloves, minced garlic

1 28 oz can, Italian tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped parsley

6 cups chicken stock

1 10 oz can each of kidney, garbanzo and cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp each of dried basil and oregano

1 1/2 cups small shell pasta

Salt, pepper and Tabasco

-Cook bacon in heavy pot until crisp. Add onion and celery then cook for 5 minutes more or until soft.

-Add carrot and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.

-Add tomatoes, parsley, basil, oregano and stock. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. **When making ahead, this is where I turn off the heat, put the lid on the pot and finish right before we eat.

-Add beans. Stir and heat until warmed with the soup.

-Add pasta. Cook for about 8 minutes or until al dente.

A couple of notes:

~I use thick cut nitrite-free bacon and spend a couple extra minutes cutting a lot of the fat off before chopping and cooking it (kitchen scissors work well). If more fat is needed when sauteing the vegetables, I add olive oil. Traditional minestrone doesn't have meat in it....but I love the added flavor of the bacon here.

~I'm also a little loose with the veggies called for and will add an extra carrot or stalk of celery if I want to use them up......or whatever else happens to be in the fridge.

~Chop whole canned tomatoes with kitchen scissors before adding.

~Whole wheat pasta shells hold up better than traditional, and according to me, have a better flavor and bite.
~A tsp or so of pesto swirled into each bowl right before serving is nice.
~This soup freezes well. If you want to freeze it, add pasta shells after it has been thawed and brought to a simmer. Cook for 8 more minutes.
~Enjoy!

Wishing You A Very Happy and Healthy New Year......Be safe out there tonight!

XO, 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

The Day After

This year Thanksgiving dinner was just the five of us. All of the extended family was out of town and no relatives came into town. I told the boys to be sure to invite anyone that they knew who didn't have a place to go......but, it seems, that everyone did. I shouldn't say 'just us'. Although I missed the family and the liveliness of a crowd, the day was nice and low key. We all had a chance to come together and catch up.

I have to say, I enjoy the day after a holiday. Maybe it's because I function as the head planner and cook. When all of the preparations are finished and the the meal has been served and cleaned up, I can put my feet up and appreciate the holiday in a different sort of way.

No one except Marc had to work the day after this year, and he was home by about 10 AM.  The rest of us slept in and stayed in our pajamas for as long as we felt like it. Ate a left-over lunch and then went to a late afternoon movie. In a couple of days everyone will be back at work or at school. I'm so thankful they all made it home.

 And now...... Christmas preparations begin........ 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend and safe travels for your loved ones.

Warmly,

Margaret

Thankful

I've been looking forward to writing a post about gratitude for a couple of weeks now.  It makes sense to me at this time of year to take stock of the goodness in my life.

A few years ago I decided to keep a journal listing three things I was thankful for each day. What I found was that even on the most difficult, frustrating or unproductive ones, I could come up with many more than that. And that in doing so, I focused more on what was good, right, wonderful and humorous than on any other part of the day. I did indeed feel fortunate......thankful. 

I should dig out that journal and take another look.  The boys were much younger and I wonder if what I chose to write about then is so very different than what I feel now. I read a interesting article in the NYT this morning about gratitude and have provided the link Here.

Each day I am grateful for Marc and each of our boys. For our extended family and friends. For those we spend time with, want to spend more time with and who mean so much in the big picture of our lives. For the ones that share their lives with us and want to be a part of ours. They are what really matter. For our health and the fact that we have a roof over our heads and enough food to eat. These are the 'big' things, the most important things, and I try hard never......ever...... to take them for granted.

Along with those mentioned above, today I will also pay attention to some of the things that enrich and add to the layers of my days. I've made a quick list. If you've taken a look at my blog posts over the past several months, what I came up with probably won't surprise you. I tend to write about what makes me happy, grateful or has made a positive difference in my life. For now, I'll limit it to 25......although I know there are so many more.

~~~~~~~~~

25 Things I'm Thankful For:

 1. Coffee. The smell. The taste. Filling my cup is the first thing I do each the morning.

2. Chocolate: Cookies. Brownies. Hot. Milk. Dark. Need I say more? It contains healthy properties and makes me happy.

 3. My Camera. It encourages me to see what I otherwise might not. Allows me to snap up and preserve moments. To capture light. It is an extension of myself and has proved to be an inexhaustible outlet for creativity and tool for learning.

 4. A few minutes in a peaceful place. Anyplace.

 5. Knitting. A pleasingly tactile communion with color, fiber and creativity. I love days when I can't wait to sit down and get to work on a project. I am grateful for the knitters in my life: Those who taught me how to knit. The ones who have demonstrated its value. Those I can talk about it with. Those who 'get it'.

 6. A good walk.  When I mentioned this to my dad, his response was, "Glad to hear it. It's good for you and helps your disposition." Spoken by one who walks every day and has for as long as I can remember.

 7. A good book to get lost in for a few minutes or a few hours or a few days.

 8. That no members of my family are really too far away.

 9. Friendships that continue despite distance or time passed.

 10. New people I've met.

 11. Anything handmade, homemade, homegrown or crafted in small batches.

12. A good pie crust. I've talked about this before. But really......a forkful of flaky, buttery crust surrounding what ever filling I'm in the mood for makes the pie.

 13. My faithful Golden Retriever. He follows me, loves me, wants to be with me. I can deal with the shedding.

14. For times I don't have to hurry. I know that this means not filling my days too full. Sometimes I have control over this....sometimes I don't. I am truly thankful for the days I can move around unstressed by time.

 15. The things my parents taught me. A vast, useful, solid set of values, lessons and guidelines for a life well lived. I could write volumes.......

16. My back yard. It is a picture that changes daily. Beautiful. Peaceful. Dynamic. Nature.

 17. That I often remember what someone said to me years ago, "Like the Nike ad says, Margaret....'Just Do It'."

 18. For times I remember to be patient: With myself, with others and in different situations.

19. My piano. Although it doesn't get played often......in fact in recent years, hardly at all..... it sits in our living room, available. There isn't a day I walk past it that I don't look forward to sitting down and playing again.

 20. Homemade food; Healthy ingredients. It isn't always easy to find the time...and is oh-so-tempting not to......but I feel better when I allow for the process of planning and shopping and chopping and cooking. When I know what ends up on my plate. 

21. My computer: Email. Communication in real time. Storage. Photoshop. Spellcheck.

22. A car I feel safe driving. One that gets me out and about in all kind of weather and terrain.

23. Getting out of town (it doesn't have to be far) and the new perspective I have when I come back.

24. When I step outside my 'comfort zone'. Uncomfortable at times......yes......but I'm always glad when I do.

25. For the seasons as they change: Appreciating the previous one. Preparing for the next.

~~~~~~~~~

What is it that you are thankful for? Wishing you a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Warmly,

Margaret

Prepared

I am a day late in posting.  For as disciplined as I've tried to be it happened anyway as life took over in a variety of ways and trumped my own personal goal to post each Tuesday and Friday.

Knowing that the week before Thanksgiving is BUSY, I had plans to get things mostly put together for this post by Thursday. It didn't happen. On Friday morning I got out of bed extra early in order to give myself a couple of extra hours in the day. Nope. This was in itself a learning opportunity......just like the rest of this blog has been.

I have to chuckle at what I seem to have forgotten so quickly about having three boys....now men....at home. Things that don't apply when it's just Marc and I. Like trips to Costco to replenish what I know the five of us will easily go through in a week. (Could it be that we have been going out to eat just a bit too often...or that what I've been cooking up for two has been......lacking?) That's how I spent the better part of Wednesday and most of Thursday of this week: Filling my cart with what I knew we were out of,  what we would soon run out of, things we would go through quickly and food for our Thanksgiving meal. And then there were the new pillows we've needed for awhile. And sheets and a mattress pad to replace the ones that Patrick took with him when he moved. 

For as much time as it took to consider and choose and decide what would make the cut and end up in my cart,  even more was spent loading it into and out of my car and finding or creating space for it in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry. I had forgotten how the Costco run can turn into the one chore I do all day. And when I haven't been in awhile and all five of us will be in the house together.... all day for two days.

Currently, there is one tired body sleeping in a freshly made bed in a recently cleaned room upstairs. I'm expecting another on on Monday and one more, Wednesday. I think (but am not 100% certain) that I'm finished with Costco until then. But in the meantime, I forsee  quite a bit of chopping and mixing in my recently stocked kitchen. Stirring a pot on top of the stove. Something baking in the oven or tossed in a salad bowl. Last night it was steaming bowls of Cincinnati Chili with all of the toppings and an Apple Cake. This morning I'm thinking homemade waffles, bacon and orange juice. These are the things I miss and now look forward to. Watching those boys eat. Knowing they are sleeping in a clean and comfortable room.

Wishing you a very happy week ahead with much to be thankful for. I am thankful that you read and check in, and for your friendship. Be back Tuesday!

Warmly,

Margaret

Seattle

Seattle was where I moved after college in order to complete an internship and was where I decided to take my first job. It is where Marc and I met, dated, fell in love, were married and began life with our boys.

Although we've lived in a small town east of the city for a number of years, there are days when I miss it. Days in which I feel the need to touch base with this part of my/our history. Every once in awhile we make the drive in......for a concert, a sporting event, for dinner. Every so often we feel the need to revisit places that we know and love, or to try out something new.

A couple of days ago it was time.......for a walk around Greenlake and a bowl of clam chowder at Duke's across the street.

Home Again

A short piece I wrote about adjusting to the fact that my children are now adults was published at www.mamalode.com yesterday, which was kind of funny timing.  It was posted on the day we were returning to a newly 'emptied nest' after a trip to Missoula to visit Peter and Joey. The day a moving van picked up the rest of Patrick's things, and that he boarded a plane to go live in Indianapolis 'for good'. Timing......

Here is the link. Hope you will check it out:

http://www.mamalode.com/blog/2011/10/17/almost-there/#more-7647

After a couple stops, one at Hudson's Hamburgers in Coeur D'Alene for lunch and one to visit with my parents, we returned home tired, but happy nonetheless. It was a great trip but good to be home. The dog was so happy to see us.

We have heard mention of Hudson's quite a few times and have often talked about stopping in to try one of their famous burgers. On this trip, however, we were actually hungry at the same time we passed through! 

If you decide to stop in, this is what you will get: an uncomplicated menu, a good burger and 104 years of family tradition. There are few choices and I believe the current menu is the same as the original. Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and egg or ham and egg sandwiches. Burger patties are formed and cooked, and pickles and onions sliced on the other side of the counter......the only seating in this small place. I loved it. The cook was the original owner's great grandson.

Good. Simple. Family.

The drive home from start to finish was beautiful. Fall colors on both Lolo and Fourth of July Passes were stunning. Aspen shimmered and glowed golden, and underbrush flamed shades of red and orange. At this point, the larch are barely beginning to turn......just a few shades lighter......but by next week the hillsides should look like a massive a quilt of green and gold.

Once we hit central Washington, the sunset seemed to last forever. The trees, old barns, horses, cattle and farmland that we passed were set against a backdrop of deep blue and pink. Long wisps of clouds looked painted onto the evening sky and we watched the foreground turn into black silhouettes against it.  No time to stop for pictures,  just enjoying the memory.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead......

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!