Adobe Pie

Wait there's more

2010-03-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

El Hombre

Mary's Angel

heart reads: omnia amor vincit . . . love conquers all

May I introduce . . .

2010-03-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

Annabell

Daisy

Clarissa

Jane

Um . . . oops August already

2009-08-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I won't start with the excuses. Just let me share what we've been up to all month while I haven't been blogging.

I look forward to this market all year, but unfortunately due to the extreme heat and lack of sufficient shade at the venue - it was a bit of a bust. I have vowed to go next year early in the morning and without children. Yes, July in Santa Fe has been hot as well . . and I've loved every sweaty minute of it. Not a huge fan of cold weather. We went two days with a broken swamp cooler and I think there may have been a small amount of complaining, but other than that we're golden. One way to cool off: a dip in Cochiti Lake.
Our new neighbors finally moved in next door. There are now 5 little boys and one girl living on our cul-de-sac and what a brood they are. Most of the time it's great and of course our boys love it, but very little peace and quiet around here anymore (not that there was much to begin with.)

I finally finished the Old Red Barn quilt along quilt. It's ok - not my favorite, but I had fun doing it and seeing other's quilts in the group. I was able to make a second quilt out the scraps and some of Aunt Ginny's fabric she gave me a while back. I ended up liking this one alot actually, especially with the chenille and rickrack.

I've yet to quilt this one because I needed to move onto to other things - my eyes got tired of looking at the same fabrics. Also, making a quilt start to finish - although a wonderful process - takes a long time. I needed a little instant gratification to get my creative juices flowing again. So I started making pillows . . .

and more pillows . . .
I'm far from done - my plan is to have that nice green couch smothered in pillows. I like being able to start a finish a project in less than a day and it's giving me good practice on my machine. I highly suggest a smallish something for when you are feeling burnt out or uninspired. It gave me the boost I needed to finish all my other projects dangling around out there and on shelves in my craft/laundry room.

Hmmm, what else . . .

Finn taught himself how to ride his bike without training wheels. Go Finn!

It was such a trip. I was in the kitchen getting dinner ready and I see Finn through the kitchen window getting on Orion's (neighbor) bike and just taking off! I love everyone clapping and cheering in the background.

Andy picked a monster 15 oz porcini mushroom on a recent hike of his. For real.

I attempted to make homemade essential oils from yummy things in our garden - rose, lavender, lemon verbena. Yeah - not so great. Pretty sure they're headed for the garbage can. If anyone knows of the right way to do this, I'd love some pointers. I'd like to eventually use the oils to make some soap or candles or something. Well, it seemed like a good idea anyway.

I've started collecting recipes for strange/quirky/funny sounding pies from some old cookbooks I've found and borrowed. The best two so far are Funeral Pie and Reconciliation Pie. The recipes themselves don't sound very appealing, but really it's the names of the pies I'm most interested in. Please send along any you might know of; I'm thinking of making an art quilt with each square depicting the name of the pie and an illustration.

And speaking of pie . . . what in the heck happened to July's Pie of the Month? So here it is - but without a photo, but it looks similar to the pie of the same name in my previous post.

Peach Creme Fraiche Pie

1 unbaked pie crust
6 peaches, pitted and sliced
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt

To make creme fraiche: place 1 cup heavy cream and 1 TBS buttermilk
in glass jar with a lid. Shake well and let sit at room temperature for at
least two days, depending on the climate of your kitchen, until it has thickened
and smells mildly tangy and sour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the above ingredients
together and pile into unbaked pie crust and top with the streusel (recipe
follows.) Bake for about 45 -60 minutes until the bottom crust has
browned. If the top is getting too dark, cover with foil.

Streusel Topping:

2 1/2 cups All Purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
5 oz unsalted butter, cold and diced
2 eggs, whisked

Mix everything except the eggs together until it is crumbly and resembles a
course meal. Add the eggs and mix until it starts lumping together
loosely. Sprinkle over top of filling.

I actually make this as individual crostadas using small tart rings, but I'm sure it will be just as good in a pie shell. And it goes without saying that you must have very ripe, fragrant peaches to make this worth your while - not to mention a gallon of vanilla ice cream (or caramel would be yummy too).

And Chaco's getting big (and a little less perfect). He's lucky I'm already in love with him because he's turning out to be quite the hand full. I'll be Netflixing the Dog Whisperer DVD very soon. But really, to me, he's fantastic and he gets me out walking - and still sleeping on pillow by my bed every night . . . aaaaaaaw.

Relish Summer

2009-07-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

Andy made a pact with himself at the beginning of June to cook our dinners on the grill for the rest of the summer. So on Tuesday and Wednesday nights (his days off) we've been luxuriating in the pristine Santa Fe weather all evening - listening to some rockin tunes (you should see Gram dance), working on our yard, drinking wine, playing with Chaco, and basically just kickin it while Andy waits for the coals to cool down to start cooking. I know, I'm a lucky woman.

I'm usually responsible for salad, but sometimes he does that too. Last week we had some friends over which was a great opportunity for me to try out a peach dessert for the summer menu. People ask me all the time if I make goodies for my family all the time and the answer is a definite "no." A point of contention in my household. But when there are guests, it's time to bust out the rolling pin. I tried a recipe for Peach Creme Fraiche Crostada. Here's the final product.

It was not entirely what I expected - not to say it wasn't good. So I started from there and adapted the recipe for my own purposes and am quite happy with the results. At work, we serve it with a housemade peach ice cream and a some honey macerated blackberries.

Neighbor Rob informed me yesterday that his peach tree is heavy with fruit so it's pie time again!! So in a week or so I can make the new and improved version for our July Pie of the Month - check back for that recipe.

Haven't mentioned quilting in a while mostly because I've been too tired after the boys go to bed to do much of anything but read, which, by the way, has finally re-entered my daily life. My neighbor gave me a huge stack of books at the start of the summer that she was going to take to Good Will and I've nearly read them all. Some good, some not so good. The best so far is The Master Butcher's Singing Club by Louise Erdrich. The worst probably Homebody by Orson Scott Card - he should stick with the fantasy genre.

Anyway, I'm on the binding process of my Old Red Barn quilt-along quilt which may take weeks since it's done by hand. I also made a smaller, lap sized quilt with the scraps and some pieces of white chenille - very cute. I'll include photos when they're done.

The kids are great - we took Chaco to show and tell today at school which made Finn very proud I think. Funny how egalitarian children can be . . . they showed about the same excitement for a Betty Boop swimsuit as they did for the puppy! Also no wonder they do it right before nap because by the time the entire circle had showed us their rocks, stuffed animals, Transformers, and so on - Andy and I were about ready for nap and Chaco was fast asleep.

A Lovely Monday

2009-07-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

Gosh it's been a week already - so why did it seem so long and slow? Boys were back in school today. Hurray! Oops, did I say that out loud? You know I love them rascals silly but, um yea, I need some time alone . . . sabes?

Many things accomplished today: hike with Chaco . . .

Wait a minute . . . have I not properly introduced our newest family member - the most adorable, perfect puppy on the planet . . .

CHACO !!! 15 weeks and already 30 lbs!Look at that face - who does that remind you of? I know, right?I am one happy mama. This pup is so amazing! He followed me right along the trail today; right at my right heel without the leash. He sleeps on a blanket next to my bed all night. He does his thing outside no problem. We've got some work to do with the begging for food and listening in general, but really I feel like I can't complain. Isn't it great when you have a good gut feeling about something or someone and it turns out you're right? I love it when that happens.

Smooches for our New Pooches

2009-06-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

Just kidding - we're only gettin one. Our new four-legged friend will be moving in on Wednesday!! And life as I know it will once again be completely and utterly altered. I can't wait!! Check back to find out which lucky pooch we're adopting.

Damn Fine Cherry Pie

2009-06-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

For June's pie of the month I wanted to make a cherry pie Agent Dale Cooper would be proud of. What did he say? This is where pies go when they die? So I think I did it - but only because I was lucky enough to have just picked sour cherries from my neighbor Rob.

I don't even like cherry pie normally because I usually just think of that goopy, sweet, sticky filling of the store bought variety. Well, this one is all together different. But I must emphasize that you've got to use sour cherries to make it rock your world.

Damn Fine Sour Cherry Pie

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Crust:

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt
2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cute into cubes
5-7 TBS ice water

Filling:

1 cup sugar
3 TBS cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
5 cups pitted cherries (I used about 2/3 sour and 1/3 Bing cherries)
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
1/4 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 TBS milk
sugar for sprinkling

For Crust:

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and
pulse until the largest bits are pea-sized. Add the chilled water, by the
tablespoon until the dough holds together if pressed. Divide dough in two pieces
and form into a flat disk shape and wrap in plastic. Chill for about 10-15
minutes or overnight. Let soften some before rolling.

Roll out dough #1 and transfer to a pie plate and trim the overhang to 1/2
inch. Roll out dough #2 and using a pastry wheel or knife cut 3/4 inch wide
strips. Reserve while making filling.

For Filling:

Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a large bowl. Rub vanilla
bean seeds into sugar mixture. Sir in cherries, lemon juice, and vanilla extract
(if using). Let macerate for about 5 minutes or so. Strain out cherries and pour
into bottom crust. Spoon out some of the syrup from the bowl over the cherries
if you want your filling more loose. I prefer it a little tighter so my crust
doesn't get too soggy. Arrange the pie dough strips on top forming a lattice and
fold the bottom crust edge up over the strips and crimp to seal. Brush the
lattice (not edges) with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temp. to
375 bake until top is browned and filling is bubbling - about 1 hour. Let it
cool some to set before cutting. I served it with Vanilla Ice Cream.

These kids were made to clean my house while they waited for this pie. I guess it was worth it.

who do you love?

2009-06-25T14:27:00.001-07:00

I am absolutely heart-sick right now (more on that in a minute).

One revelation I did not mention that I had while hiking is that in spite of what I've been telling everyone for the last couple of months . . . I now want to adopt a dog. That trail I went on was one that Lu and I used walk all the time when she was a young gal - and I just couldn't stop thinking about her and then all of a sudden I just knew we needed another four legged friend in our home. And then I was completely filled with joy and excitement - amazing when something just clicks and feels so darned right.

Anyhoo, I'm heart-sick because today I visited two dogs I may be able to adopt and I want them BOTH! One is a 3 yr old lab/husky mix named Lucy

and the other is a 14 week old mostly black lab named Chowder.

They are both total sweethearts and such beautiful dogs. I thought for sure once I looked into each dog's eyes I would know which was meant for us, but they both melted my heart to pure sap!

So here are the stats:

Lucy -gorgeous coat, very loving, somewhat high energy but also well behaved
when she settles down, house trained, leash trained, licks alot (kids were not
real fond of that), does not bark hardly at all just does a little "talking"
when she wants your attention, Graham was pretty scared of her but I think that
would quickly change once he got familiar w/her, female - which was my
preference initially, seems like she would be an extremely loyal companion,
really needs a home (she's had several trial runs without much luck, some
concern as to whether she could dig under the coyote fence and get lost,
apparently gets anxiety first few nights and won't sleep but I think that
subsides, likes to sleep in the bed (not gonna happen at our house)

Chowder - cute as can be, kids loved him and felt comfortable with him,
extremely well behaved, house broken with doggie door (so that will have to
change), dietary issues that require special dog food and more$$, seems more
mellow and independent than Lucy, has had obedience training and knows basic
commands already, classes for us included in adoption fee, likes to chew shoes,
will end up being a pretty big dog I think (bigger than Lucy it seems), he's
male which means he's more likely to run off, sleeps through the night next to
bed on his own bed or in a kennel.

Wow - this is impossible. Lucy is supposed to come on Sat for a week trial with us so that's already in the works. Chowder's adoption requires someone visiting our house to make sure it's suitable. Tough to adopt a pet around here. Andy likes to point out that anyone can have a baby, but a dog? . . . gotta pass the test first. I really don't mind; I'm sure there's plenty of lousy pet owners out there and I'm glad somebody is looking out for these animals. Jeez, maybe you should be required to pass a test or take classes before having children.

Well, I think I have to sleep on this, that is if my quandary doesn't give me insomnia. I still have not gotten Andy's opinion since he's been at work all day. Sure wish he could've come with us. The boys of course want the puppy - no brainer. I have a strange feeling Andy will prefer one and I'll prefer the other - then what?

Cherry Limeade

2009-06-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

Ok I'm back.

My friend Julie from the quilting store invited me to a lecture/presentation at the SF Quilting Guild meeting today. The speaker was renowned quilt artist, author, and teacher Frieda Anderson ( yeah, I'd never heard of her either.) Anyway, it was pretty inspiring. She dyes her own fabrics, which are the best part of it, and she does a lot of fusible applique and tiny itty bitty quilting. She passed some of her work around the room - one of which was the size of a postcard and priced at a whopping $50 buckeroos. So maybe there is money to be made someday. You can check out her quilts at www.friestyle.com/ .

I was easily the youngest woman in the room by about 15+ years - no surprise. I've really chosen a hip and happening hobby, huh? Oh well, you do what you love I suppose. I find it to be rather cool myself. It helps to a part of the quilt-along I mentioned because I've discovered how not alone I am as a thirty something mom addicted to fabric, crafts, and sewing.

Speakin a wich . . . here is my completed quilt top for Dana's quilt-along.

I think I'm calling it "Cherry Limeade" - my neighbor went to Sonic the other day to get one and it made me think of my quilt. I've finished free motion quilting the center and will be doing the border tonite. Now I'm on the prowl for my binding fabric which I want to be in the same family as the darker blue, tile-like fabric in the quilt. Strange, but I think every quilt I have made so far has a significant blue aspect to them. I think my blue bedroom walls are affecting me on some subconscious level. So anxious to paint that room!

I also had a breakthrough today because I finally took Andy's advice and went for a hike even though I felt exhausted this morning. It turned my world around! I haven't done that much since Lu-dog became unable to hike ( and since having babies). I forgot how cleansing it can be - just being out there breathing in the mountain air and feeling the warm sun on my shoulders. Truth be told, we went for an amazing hike with the kids last week at Kasha - Katuwe National Park, aka "Tent Rocks". I forgot how stunning that place is - the last time Andy and I had been there we had only been dating less than a year.

We were very proud of Finn because he hiked the three mile hike up to the top all by himself. Graham is still not entirely fond of hiking - except for the narrow canyon parts and climbing over big boulders. But we're proud of him too because it turned out that I was with him at urgent care that same night - poor guy had a raging ear infection all along. (FYI mom, he's fine)

Back in the Saddle

2009-06-21T11:30:00.001-07:00

I don't know why it's so hard for me to get back into the blogosphere after vacation. I've been a bit under the radar since we returned from the beach, trying to catch up on various projects and brainstorming the next several. Now that the teaching job is out of the picture, I've been a little unsure what my next step will be - other than planning for the summer dessert menu change and keeping up with my rascal children.

Our vacation, by the way, was amazing. We all had such a good time with Andy's family and friends. The beach was beautiful and the boys were endlessly entertained. Finn conquered his fear of crabs this year and learned to love the ocean.

Graham, however, not so much. Surprisingly, my water-loving little fish refused to go within six feet of the waves. Impossible to predict a toddler's preferences. He was much more interested in the little pool we had back at the house, but hopefully next year that will change. And while we were still in Greenville, Andy took Finn and Graham "fishing" at his buddy's friend's pond. Apparently it was somewhat futile, but this photo had to make it all worth it.

Be back later tonite when the boys are (hopefully) asleep.

Pack it up Pack it in

2009-06-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who was pulling for me this morning. I think the good vibes really made a difference because I felt the interview was a success - even if I don't end up getting the job. Apparently there were 58 resumes sent for this position and only 10 of us were asked to interview, so that in itself makes me feel pretty darned fantastic.

We leave painfully early tomorrow for the airport. No DVD player this time - yikes! So what did I do? What any decent mother would do: carted myself over to Walmart and bought tons of junk food and small toys. Will it be 5 hours worth of entertainment? Doubt it - but a girl's gotta try.

May the force be with you (and us)!!

Look Good Enough to Eat?

2009-05-31T17:02:00.000-07:00

Voila! It's a wrap! Man, am I glad that's done and with actually very little stress. The Bells of Ireland looked beautiful with the rich chocolate brown. Decorating with fresh flowers is the best - not only because it makes it super easy as opposed to piped doo-dads, but because it just looks so fresh and alive. Hope the bride and groom really enjoy their special day. I, for some inane reason, decided to make my own wedding cake. That was possibly the worst decision I've ever made, but apparently I was adamant about it. I remember trying to frost the buttercream in our very chilly house the morning of the wedding and it kept freezing up on me . . . ugh . . . talk about stress.

And while I'm on the topic of stress, we're feeling a bit more at ease now because we've decided to stay put in our house for at least another year. The thought of walking away from the house and neighborhood that we adore just to break even was pretty depressing. So now it feels good to be planting and fixing up the place for us - not just to lure potential buyers. And now I'm able to look into some jobs here that I've taken an interest in; namely, a postion teaching English at Desert Academy. My interview is this Tuesday at 8:45 am so please send out the positive energy my way - I need it.

Easy Peasy

2009-05-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

Part two : fill and and crumb coat with chocolate frosting. Complete! As you can see I've delayed grocery shopping until next week so we can empty out our fridge to make room for the cake. If you're wondering, I made an extra 10" cake to make sure they wouldn't run out - second helpings of this cake are always likely. Tomorrow I load up and pray - transport is definitely the most nerve racking part.
I'm back on track now with the quilt-along ; all fabrics cut into nice neat 2 1/2 " strips. Hopefully I can get next week's task done before we leave on our trip - but hey, not that it really matters. I'm feeling all warm and cozy inside because when I checked my flickr account a lot of people had some very nice comments about my fabric choices.

Andy went on an amazing hike the other day and took some killer photos. Wish I could've been there - the trail descends from White Rock down to the Rio Grande. Gorgeous.

Andy is very into petraglyphs. This is just a sampling of the several incredible ones he was able to photograph (despite the rain).

We're headed to the circus tonite - hopefully it won't give my kids clown nightmares - or me for that matter.

Be Here Now

2009-05-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

What a day we had today. Knock on wood, but it seems like the kiddos have finally gotten to the point where they can play for extended amounts of time with each other so that I can get a few things done around here. It sure helps that the weather is beautiful and they can be outside most of the day digging in the dirt, collecting earthworms, and generally having some good, clean, TV-less time.

I usually dread Thursdays - somehow the energy around here seems to get a little off and we all tend to suffer. But today was different! It all started when I got my fabric in the mail that I ordered to start my first online "quilt-along" - the bright idea of Dana who writes one of the blogs I check out frequently, Old Red Barn. I was worried about choosing coordinating fabrics online, but it actually turned out quite well I thought.

The one on the far left is a Paula Prass design that I used as my "feature fabric" -- so now I get like 50 extra chances to win the Janome 6600, which I guess is the finale of this whole deal. So me and about 2,000 other people are making a quilt together! Cool. If you want the details, check out her blog.

. . . hmmmmmm . . . what else did I do today? Oh yeah, wedding cake madness has officially begun!

It all started two days ago and now I have all the cakes baked and piled in my freezer. Tomorrow I start the filling and frosting process. Cake delivery is this Sunday 1:30 pm. The countdown continues. It's an all chocolate wedding cake - I like this bride.

What else -- oh, I've been awakening the seamstress in me lately, making a couple of new halter tops just in time for our trip to the BEACH. That's right, only one more week until we set off for South Carolina. I can't wait to feel some real heat baby. Anyway, the tops are turning out really cute - thank you Amy Butler!

Although I must say, I made some significant adjustments to the sun surf halter so it wouldn't look so maternity-ish (Andy's suggestion). As soon as I can get somebody to take a photo of me wearing them, I'll be sure to show them off.

Okay, It's now several hours later and I am pooped. I'm off to bed to finish reading A New Earth. Not that I think Mr. Eckhart Tolle is really saying anything new, but something about it is working for me. I've been trying to focus more on the present moment unsuccessfully for years, but now, reading his book, it's actually beginning to happen. It's starting to get a little esoteric for me at the end, but I think I'll be able to glean the useful nuggets that apply to my life. I mean, heck, Oprah likes it and she's never wrong - right?

Looking forward to waking up with a swirl on my face. Nighty night.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's . . . !

2009-05-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

Nice to have a couple of super heroes around.

Getting Hands Dirty

2009-05-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Andy and I started our Spring planting. Perennials from the last couple of years are coming up strong and the risk of freeze is finally over. Just focusing on the front yard for now, especially since we're planning on putting our house on the market in the next week or so. Don't panic anybody - we're not going anywhere. Not yet anyway. We love our casa so it will be a mixed blessing if it happens to sell.

As you can see, we're way into Columbine this year - it's just such a cool looking flower. But I was just informed by my neighbor that this is not such a good spot for them so they may be migrating to the backyard beds.

This could easily turn into an addiction.

Good for me, though, to be outside again getting my hands in the soil - and giving my sewing machine a little rest. Actually, that's not true - it's just that I'm in the middle of free motion quilting my first somewhat large quilt and I can only do a little at a time, because if you didn't know this already - quilting is quite tiring and if you're not in the zone things can get pretty frustrating.

To catch you up on recent projects . . .

This is the wall hanging I made for my mom for Mother's Day. I loved making it and have decided it's much more fun to make a quilt when you have the recipient in mind. I started with the "santos" fabric which I used for the center panels and coordinated a multicultural mix of other fabrics. The magnolias I machine appliqued on top, which conveniently disguise some of my little mishaps - and I think they really add an artful, collage-like quality to the quilt. Applique and I will be good friends I think. Hopefully Mom likes it as much as I do.

Take Me There (and Pie of the Month!)

2009-04-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

The April/May issue of ReadyMade magazine features an article about a place I thought could only exist in my dreams - an actual pie-shaped piece of land devoted to producing crops for making pies and other baked yummies . . . all tended by students and all trucked to Mission Pie in San Francisco (yet another pie themed destination to add to my list.)

The owner of both Mission Pie and Pie Ranch, Karen Heisler, sharing her bit of pie wisdom says, "Pie means community." The article goes on:

". . . pie always tastes richer when it's served with a scoop of
metaphor. Pie signifies the good life . . . it's an edible embodiment of nature's bounty and the reassuring comforts of domestic life. Pie brings people together; no one bakes a pie without plans to share it."

I'm truly inspired - what great seed for my pie book!

And speaking of pie (rarely am I not speaking of pie), I'm actually going to introduce May's Pie of the Month before the 31st!!

Rhubarb Pie

with Lemon Scented Almond Frangipane

unbaked pie crust
about 6 or so stalks of fresh rhubarb, chopped
3/4 # unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 # almond paste, room temp. - the best you can find
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
2 TBS all purpose flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp lemon juice
about 3-4 TBS melted butter
about 1/3 cup granulated sugar

In a food processor, cream the butter and almond paste until it is completely smooth. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, lemon juice and zest, and salt and process until mixed together. Fold in the flour. Spread the frangipane filling in the bottom of your chilled pie crust. Toss the chopped rhubarb with the melted butter and sugar to coat. Press the rhubarb in to the filling, covering the top of the pie up to the rim. bake for about 45 minutes until the frangipane is brown and the crust is golden ( once again, nice to have glass pie plate so you can make sure it has browned thoroughly on the bottom.)

I'm serving this as an individual crostada at the restaurant - with a buttermilk panna cotta and rhubarb sorbet. I think it would be awesome with a buttermilk ice cream so I'll search for my recipe and include that on my next post. I know some of you think you may not like rhubarb much, which is exactly why you should try this recipe because I'm convinced you'll change your tune. That tart rhubard marries perfectly with the rich almond flavor and the bright lemon zest.
Say asta la vista to the standard strawberry rhubarb pie (I think cooked mushy strawberries in pie filling is just all wrong) - go for a nice fresh strawberry sauce or ooh maybe strawberry buttermilk ice cream. Oh yeah.

Random Monday

2009-04-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

Having finished Finn's quilt in a tizzy, I've come to realize that it doesn't do much good to rush through something just to feel satisfied in having it done - it inevitably doesn't turn out how I want it to (same thing happens when I'm baking . . . um, yeah you'd think I'd have learned this truism by now). Not that I hate it - and luckily Finn likes it - I'd just rather not look at it too much you know? But onward ho and time to to get on to other WIP.

This month seems to have flown by, even with our sometimes miserable un-Spring like weather. I'm getting very excited about working in our yard again. Bought some new gloves today so I can start attacking our weeds in the back.

I know you're thinking, why Helen, these are such delightful little purple flowers why would you want to yank them up? Well, yes, we thought that too for a couple of years and finally figured out that these little buggers are responsible for our goathead problem. If you're not familiar with goatheads count your blessings, because to step on one (or ten) packs a painful punch. Why does Nature sometimes wrap up our grievances in such a pretty package?

The kiddos have been quite busy in the dirt lately, constructing miniature worlds for their animals complete with lakes of mud, the occasional bridge, and various other inexplicable contraptions. I love watching them at "work." Their faces have such profound looks of concentration.

And then of course, if I'm lucky, they'll collapse from exhaustion and fall into a surprisingly deep sleep. Wow, they look so sweet and innnocent - my heart goes all a flutter gazing at them like that.

Or like this.

I love the brother thing.

Pie of the Month -- April!

2009-04-26T12:53:00.001-07:00

Last week we invited my lovely cousin Stephanie over for Andy's Green Chili Stew as well as her new "friend" Scott and his almost 5 year old daughter Sylvie - the perfect opportunity to try out my mom's recipe for Lemon Chess Pie (which she actually got from one of her friends but I can't remember who so as far as we're concerned it's just Grammary's pie recipe.) I was considering trying it out for my Spring menu at the restaurant but I ended up with another rhubarb dessert that turned out great too - I'll share that one later. But back to our Chess Pie. It was awesome; we devoured it! I think Scott ate four pieces, but who's counting? And the rhubarb was an excellent accompaniment - so fresh and tart, yet earthy mmmmm mm!

Lemon Chess Pie
9 " unbaked pie crust
2 cups sugar
1 TBS all purpose flour
1 TBS cornmeal
4 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
4 oz melted butter
2 TBS lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
Combine all ingredients and pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake for 50
-60 minutes until set. Best served at room temperature.

My pie took the full hour of baking time and although it is set, it will still jiggle a bit. The top should be nicely browned and it's nice to have a glass pie plate so you can see that the crust has browned as well. Definitely dish it out at room temp - I thought my leftovers got a little too sticky in the fridge and the cold makes it lose it's comforting quality.

And please try the compote if you can find some really good rhubarb. It would also be delicious with any fruit that you enjoy with something lemony.

Vanilla Bean Poached Rhubarb

4 stalks rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, scraped
zest of 1/2 orange
1 cup water
In a small sauce pan, combine the sugar, vanilla bean, orange zest,
and water. Bring to a boil and immediately toss in the rhubarb. Lower the heat
to a simmer and cook rhubarb until it is just tender but still retains its
shape. Remove the rhubarb from the pan with a slotted spoon and allow to cool.
Reduce the leftover syrup until it thickens slightly. Cool the syrup and then
pour over rhubarb.

Hope everyone likes this one! Thanks for being patient with me this month - we've had alot going on. Feels good to be writing again, though. And thank you for your thoughtful comments about Lu dog. Feels strange to not have her lying out in the grass while we were playing just now. Finn, without saying a word about it, has started carting around all the doggy stuffed animals we have. Funny how kids have their own way of expressing themselves.

Goodbye my Friend

2009-04-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you for being at my side for over twelve years - I love you Tallulah with all my heart and will miss you everyday.

Ta Da!!

2009-04-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

Halleluiah!! I finally finished a quilt - I mean actually completely done, washed, laying on the bed. I tell you, making quilts is a very long process but I like that there are so many different steps from cutting and piecing to spray basting and quilting to hand stitching the binding.

I'm especially proud of my binding because I learned how to do it from a great little tutorial at www.crazymomquilts.com. I thought I would have to take another class and I still might when I start to care more how perfect things should be. I'm at a point now where I'm just so happy to be doing this that I'm not to worried about the details.
I'm just about finished with Finn's quilt too; just have to complete that binding as well. Finn's was an exercise in speed quilting because I must admit I'm ready to be done with these so I can get back to the fabrics I truly adore.

It's finally warmed up a tad in the last couple of days which has really lifted my spirits. Life is just better to me when it's warm and comfortable outside - front door open, no shoes, kids running around with their shirts off, neighbors popping by for a chat. Things take on an easier attitude it seems to me - I for one feel more alive and able to move my tired old self. I'm feeling better than I have in weeks, which is largely due to the fact that Gram has allowed me to get a full night 's sleep for the past few days. But partly it's me coming out of my winter hibernation.My folks arrive tomorrow to spend Easter with us. Looking forward to the company - I miss having more family around.

Makin' Whoopie

2009-03-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, today we went retro and finally made the NY Times whoopie pie recipe from a couple of weeks back. In truth, these can hardly be placed in the pie category, but hey that's the name, so I'm sticking with it and making it the pie of the month for crying out loud. These suckers are tasty let me tell you and easy breezy too.

The kids had fun. Finn was much more interested in the raw batter as you can see. Mom and Dad both like to eat raw cookie dough and cake batter so no surprise there. Both their faces were covered with chocolate by the end of our baking lesson - that's the way it should be, right?

Hopefully, ya'll can read this. The only change I made is that I added chopped semisweet chocolate to the batter because it just didn't seem chocolaty enough for me, which turned out great I think. Oh, and I didn't have a full cup of buttermilk so I added a little plain yogurt and heavy cream to top it off and that seemed to be a suitable substitute.

Basically, the cake part tastes like a chocolate muffin top - but once you add the buttercream frosting it rises to a whole other level of goodness. You just kinda sink into it's soft cloud-like texture. I don't know, maybe I'm swayed by the cooky, inexplicable name, but I loved it.

Also, these babies turned out "ginormous" as Finn would say. It makes much more than six and I would actually make the scoops of batter smaller next time. I also wanted to use a piping bag and a star tip to make the frosting a little more attractive, but I oddly don't have any piping bags at home.

The preparation time says 1 hour, but I don't think it even took us that long so this is a great last minute treat if you already have all the ingredients. You can always make time for whoopie I suppose.

Big Chill

2009-03-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

Well, stash those flip flops back in the closet because Winter has returned to Santa Fe and is laughing ha ha ha. Yes, what a fool I was to think I could store away the coats, hat, and mittens. But however much I hate the cold, it was a beautiful sight to wake up to yesterday morning and the kids loved to be out playing in it.

I think all the plants must be confused.

We desperately need the moisture so I'll keep my mouth shut from here on out and just be grateful . . . mmmmm . . . grrrrrr . . . mmmmmm.

It's been a busy week, working and kid stuff and me trying to fit in my sewing whenever possible. Cousin Steph came over to stay with the boys the other night so I could skip over to the quilting classroom fro a quick tutorial in spray basting and straight line "stitch in the ditch" machine quilting. I've made major progress on Gram's quilt and it actually looks like a quilt now minus the binding and some more quilting on the border that I'm waiting until my class tomorrow to learn some free motion quilting. I know, it's all a blur to me too. I can't seem to get enough! I'll show some photos when it's actually complete.

I've also made some headway on Finn's quilt and just purchased some border and backing material for it. I'm still using up Aunt Ginny's scraps - and lo and behold another huge box of fabric landed on my porch yesterday! Thank you Ginny!!!These triangles Ginny had already cut - so really this was a quick one to put together. It has a few more rows now and a couple of borders . . . to be continued.

And speaking of scraps, the boys and I had some fun the other day with some pie scraps I brought home from work. It's a great way to use up the leftovers that are too overworked to be anything else. They just rolled them out, cut the pie circles, poked them all over with a fork and brushed them with egg wash (they liked this part alot), and finally sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar. They were pretty darned tough after being abused by my chefs in training, but hey they didn't give a hoot.

Only a few more days to make a pie for March so momma better get her bootay back in the kitchen!

Red berries, Red blocks, and my dreams

2009-03-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

I'm lovin' the flip flop weather lately, although I'm in sore need of a pedicure. But, ah, those little luxuries are off the list of priorities for now. If the same goes for you head out to the store to buy a Ped Egg - it's like a microplane for your feet; awesome!

And to celebrate Spring I think everyone needs to try out this strawberry shortcake. We've been serving it at The Compound for like 5 years now - first brought to us by chef Nancy Oakes from Boulevard in San Francisco. It's a fabulous biscuit. All you need is some macerated strawberries, sweetened whipped cream, and a front porch swing.

3 cups self rising flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
melted butter and sugar to coat

Preheat oven to 350 (if you have a convection option use it at
325). Mix together flour, salt and sugar. Pour in cold heavy cream
and thoroughly combine until you have a smooth dough. Against your better
instincts, knead the dough on the counter for a couple of minutes (they rise
higher when you put some muscle into it - huge departure from regular
butter biscuits which require a very light hand). Roll or pat out to about
an inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter into rounds or just a
knife into squares. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and brush with
butter and sprinkle with sugar to your taste. Bake for approx. 15 minutes
or until golden brown on the edges. Best eaten the same day, but okay for
the next day too.

These are also wonderful biscuits for breakfast or dinner - just decrease the sugar in the recipe to 2 Tbs and leave it off the tops.

I serve the shortcake and strawberries with a Red Wine Strawberry Sauce which makes it a little more grown up and really brightens the fruit:

Reduce 2 cups red wine with a few black peppercorns, a cinnamon stick, and a vanilla bean, and 1 cup sugar until you get a nice syrup. Combine that with some pureed strawberries ( I use frozen ) - adjust the thickness by adding some water if necessary.

I hit a fever pitch last week, trying to finish this quilt top. It was intended for Finn, but of course he said he didn't like it and that he wanted a more red one.Okay Graham - here's the beginning of your life's first quilt! I really love how it turned out. All the fabric (minus the borders) was given to me by my Aunt Ginny. I think the scrappy log cabin design looks very old fashioned, which I thought would be great for the boys. Typically I'm not real fond of busy little prints, but cut into strips like this and put all together, I think it works. Thanks Ginny!!

I started Finn's new "red" quilt last night, which was inspired by a woman's photo of her quilt on Flickr for a virtual quilting bee.I'm kind of making it up as I go along so hopefully it will work out in the end. Monday is my last piecing class and then I get to learn how to actually quilt!

To ease my fabric addiction, I now save every nickle and dime at the bottom of my purse so I can purchase what's called a charm pack of some fabric of one of my favorite designers. Luckily, there's lots to choose from on Etsy and I like to support the Etsy cause. I like to support my local quilting store as well, but apparently they're doing fine. The owner says they must have a recession proof business - more people staying home, making things themselves. How great is that . . . perhaps my paper store idea can metamorphosize into a fabric store idea. Me, surrounded by bolts and bolts of fabric that I get to pick out - what could be better than that?!!

"live your bliss"

2009-03-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

It's so nice to see color in our yard again like this bright yellow Forsythia bush just below our front window. That yellow is just so sunny and happy. And all of a sudden there's some green here and there too. In Santa Fe, sometimes it feels like winter will never end - at least for me - Andy would say I have nothing to complain about; the weather here is unbeatable - and I must admit he's pretty much right (yes honey, it's here in black and white.)

So back to Finn's birthday cake. Everyone should have this recipe for chocolate cake. It is fast, easy, stays moist for days and needs nothing other than a tall, cold glass of milk.

To me, it is the quintessential chocolate layer cake - nothing too fancy or showy, just chocolate simple and direct.

Frosting:
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
9 oz chopped dark chocolate (at least 60% cacao and the best quality you
can find)
6 oz unsalted butter, diced
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS corn syrup

Cake:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cup All purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened and also the best you can find
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (high altitude = 3/4 tsp)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda (high altitude = 3/4 tsp)
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup whole milk
1 cup boiling water

Start the frosting first so it can have time to cool and thicken.
Combine the cream and sugar in a medium saucepan, stir, and bring to a boil.
Turn down to a simmer and cook for 6 minutes. Add the chocolate and butter and
stir until melted. Stir in vanilla and corn syrup. Let cool in fridge, whisking
occasionally, until it is thick enough to frost with.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cake pans and line with parchment paper,
spray again (either two 9" or three 8" or one half sheet pan). Ina mixing bowl
combine eggs, oil, and milk and whisk to combine, In another bowl, mix together
flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Combine the wet and
dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Slowly add the boiling water - the mixture
will be somewhat thin.

Pour into pans and bake for 30 - 40 minutes until cake pulls away from
the sides of the pan and toothpick in center comes out clean (a sheetpan takes
about 15-20 minutes). Cool in pans about 10 minutes then turn out and cool
completely. Use a long thin blade to level if you feel like it then layer the
cake with the frosting, swirling it around with spatula to decorate.

Let me know if you try this out. Also, let me know if I'm not descriptive enough in my instructions - it's difficult for me to be objective about it.

On an entirely different note . . . I finished the Rail Fence quilt top. And honestly, I'm not too crazy about it. Several issues for me - partly it's my choice of fabric. My instincts were against the combo but I was really struggling to fulfill the class requirements which were to choose three fabrics - light, medium, and dark. For the life of me I seemed to only be able to pick out medium fabrics - I just didn't like the contrast so much. I think I like a more blended look. But I went for it ( and actually teacher Mary said I still chose three medium fabrics. Say whah?)

But the bigger issue is I don't like the pattern - that big zig zag just bugs me. So not my style - way too organized or something. I knew about half way through I didn't like it but decided to complete it for the class and then cut it up and change it all around later; add some other fabrics, curvy quilting - free it up somehow. I will say this - it was very fast. I came home from class last Monday and finished that night save about nine inches because I ran out of thread.

I am now in what I consider serious obsession mode with the quilting thing. And I tell ya it's great to be here. "Get obsessed. Stay obsessed" I think that's from Hotel New Hampshire, not Garp - ask my brother Mike, he'd know. The only problem is that it's become difficult for me to want to do much of anything else. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Balance, Helen . . . breathe.

Finn turns 4 Years Old today

2009-03-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

I took this photo of our already blooming apricot tree two days ago, basking in the glow of perhaps an early Spring. But, alas, it always seems to turn bitter cold right around Finn's birthday. As a matter of fact, I remember driving to the hospital in labor wearing a parka in Houston - no wonder Finn loves the cold weather so much. I marvel that he came from my heat loving body.

We celebrated today without much fanfare - but by far the biggest event was Finn getting his first bike.But, you see, nothing is ever easy with our boy Finn. The first bike he flat out refused to ride after being on it about three minutes. Luckily, we decided to return it and get a smaller one and that worked out great. He rode and rode around our little cul de sac, every now and again busting out with an "awesome" and a thumb's up. We were oh so proud.

Then it was inside for cake and candles before Dad had to set off to work. I made my now standard chocolate cake recipe - "old reliable" is what it should be called. Because despite having been forced to use the only chocolate available (not good) at our neighborhood Smith's grocery store since I was extremely unwilling to drag the kids to another store while snow was dumping outside and they were already running loose like crazed hyenas - it turned out pretty darned good. Made with best quality chocolate and cocoa, however, and this cake will rock your world. But more on that later.

Yummy.

Hard to believe we've had our Finn for four years now. He's truly an incredible kid . . . smart, sensitive, imaginative. He's not the most easy going kid for sure, but he keeps us on our toes and keeps things interesting around here. I could just stare at him all day, watching his funny little moves and quirky routines. And, wow, what comes out of this kids mouth. The other day at the park, he stood up on a huge rock and delivered a speech to the rest of the children and parents there. Something or other about Barack Obama; couldn't really get the gist. And although no one else was paying him any attention (thank goodness), I stood back and listened to my little man exercise his rights. It was pretty cool - a bit strange - but that's what I love about him. Yes, he exhausts me but I love him tirelessly - ain't that the power of love.

My First Quilt Top

2009-03-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

I finally finished my quilt squares a couple of days ago and it looks like if I add some borders I can make it big enough for the queen size bed in our guest room. I'll be bringing it to class on Monday - can't wait to hear what our teacher Mary has to say about my intersections. Let's just say I never realized how much 1/16" matters when piecing it all together. Luckily, I don't think anyone else would even bother to notice that they are a bit off and I want it to have a home grown look anyway.I'm really happy with how the fabrics turned out together. I started with the center fabric in the photo - an "oriental" fabric with abstract tulips and went from there, bringing on four other fabrics (two of which are Amy Butler, one of those young, fabric designer moms that I envy.)

I think to some it may seem like a bit much - my friend Julie who works at the quilting shop thinks I have an aversion to solids - but I just love it and can't wait to wrap up in it - I adore the exquisite functionality of the fabric arts. It definately takes on a very different tone than my grandmothers quilts, especially with the bolder, more contemporary patterns in the fabric.

But my hope is that once it is actually quilted it will attain that timeless quality that her quilts seem to have. Since I've begun this new endeavor I often go to my old quilt that she made for me when I graduated highschool. It is extremely weathered now and barely hanging on - in some places there are just stitch holes where the quilting thread used to be. But you can still see the intricate, hand stitched design, especially on the back. It truley blows my mind that she once pumped several of these out on a regular basis.

Our next project in class is a Rail Fence (or Fence Rail) quilt. I've already bought the fabrics with the very last of my grant money and I think it will be amazing - check back for the finished results.

On a completely separate note, Rodeo de Santa Fe starts up soon and Finn decided to get decked out in my cowboy boots and hat the other day. Yee haw!

spring green

2009-03-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's really been a long time since I posted and I bet you've been wondering what I could possibly be doing. Well, I think I mentioned that my sewing machine has been calling my name, missing me . . . so we have spent the last couple of weeks getting thoroughly reacquainted. Suddenly I've taken on some huge projects; the first being recovering our really awful looking, but very functional sofa. I wish I had taken some "before" shots so you could appreciate the transformation. It once had a really nice white, professionally made slip cover that I ended up having to throw out after a few years of dog and babies and bleaching it so many times that it disintegrated. The original cover is covered in various stains and such and a few large tears. So here is our new and improved couch!

The cushions I actually did sew; and the arms - the bottom and back I covered using my new handy dandy staple gun ( that was really fun; I highly recommend it). It is very very far from perfect but I think it looks pretty decent if I may say so myself. But man what a work out. I used a heavy duty duck cloth in hopes that it would stand up to our family's wear and tear and it was a real beast on the sewing machine.

It has been great practice, however, and has made my next project seem comparatively simple. I'm now in the midst of piecing together my first quilt!! I finally started a quilting class last week and our first assignment is a patchwork quilt top with at least 64 six inch squares of at least 5 different fabrics. So far I've done 80 - which I thought would be it, but I decided today to add another row all the way around to try to make it close to a double bed size quilt.

Honestly, I'm in heaven. The quilting thing is great because I get to play around with fabric and color, my most favorite thing right now. Funny, I used to spend all my free time reading cookbooks and cooking magazines and trying out recipes - now I'm only interested in quilt patterns, fabric designers, and embroidery videos on YouTube. At some point I'll try to tie it all together. It just feels good to be learning and doing something entirely new.

Other than that, we've just kinda been horsin' around, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather (despite the allergies that come along with that.)

I'm glad I could document some proof that these boys can actually be sweet to one another every once in a while. Sharing apples on the the playground . . . I relish these moments.

Sort of Pie for February

2009-02-19T21:19:00.001-08:00

While we were in Florida recently, one of my top priorities was to sample the regional specialty Key Lime Pie. Unfortunately, I didn't quite have the time to scour every nook and cranny for a great piece of pie and that is sad - because the one we tried our very first night in town was pretty awful. (This photo, by the way, was not the awful one and I did not taste this particular pie.)

The up side is that I'm serving a lime ice cream on the menu right now that I swear is quite frankly the S_ _ _T . . . or the bomb, whatever. It is like the smoothest, creamiest key lime pie filling you've ever tasted and since I like that particular pie partially frozen anyway it works out. So I may have been disappointed but I am certainly not deprived.

I took some home yesterday and sandwiched a scoop between two ginger snap cookies. It was pretty good, but actually I think that if I had made a crumb crust from the cookies and molded the ice cream into a pie, it would have been even better. I'm not big on frozen cookies so while trying to soften them enough to eat, the ice cream melted a little too much and it turned out to be a fairly messy experience - which is a no-no in my book.

See, I do not like to do battle with my food -- so every dessert that I test for work I have to actually eat (not just taste) the final, composed dessert with all its components to make sure it will be accessible to the diner. Granted, there is a time and place for playing with food and really digging in. But, I'd rather the flavors and textures not have to compete in a wrestling match if you know what I mean.

ANYWAY . . . I did, however enjoy the presentation of the ice cream sandwiches on my new, adorable lime green and robin's egg blue vintage melamine dessert plates from http://www.vindeelyndee.etsy.com.Thanks Marnie! I adore them!

So for this month's pie of the month I'm giving you the recipe for Key Lime Pie Ice Cream, which is delicious served as is or you can try my suggestion with the gingersnap cookie crumb crust ( we serve it with pineapple beignets which is pretty good too.)

8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
zest and juice 6 regular limes (not little key limes) to equal 6 oz lime
juice
4 oz unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar
4 cups heavy cream
2 TBS vodka

Combine the first five listed ingredients in a large sauce pan and whisk over medium heat until it thickens and just begins to boil. Strain the resulting lime curd through a fine mesh strainer. Add the remaining sugar, cream, and vodka and chill thoroughly before churning in an ice cream machine. When it is done, either pour into prepared pie crust (topping with sweetened whipped cream if you'd like) and freeze or just freeze in a container with a lid.

Notes:

Slice the pie while frozen and then allow the individual pieces to sit at room temp for about 5 minutes before serving.
Please do not be tempted to use any kind of bottled lime juice, even if it says fresh and you bought it at Whole Foods or even if it says it is "real Key lime juice" - the fresh squeezed regular supermarket limes are far superior and you need the zest anyway. Bottled juice is what gives a lot of pies that strange, off flavor.
To zest, I use a Microplane and I strongly suggest you get one if you don't have one already.
Cuisinart makes a fairly affordable ice cream machine ($50) that works great, especially for home use, but we used it at the restaurant with great results before we finally got our kick butt $1500 Italian gelato machine.
If you think making your own ice cream is too much trouble, please just try it some time and you will be amazed at how easy it is to make something so much better than you can buy and that you can trick out however you want with all kinds of ingredients and flavorings.
Why vodka? Because vodka does not freeze it keeps the ice cream from turning rock hard and you won't have to let it sit on the counter for twenty minutes before you scoop it. Commercial ice creams have all sorts of weird stabilizers in them to keep them soft.

Love Love me do little

2009-02-14T20:28:00.000-08:00

As with most holidays, I tend to build up in my mind all the fabulous things I will make and do to make the day special . . . and then the precious day arrives and I'm scrambling around just to get through the day in one piece. Well, for once, I think I'm okay with that.

No, I did not make the paper chains I bought cute paper for the other day to hang all over the house and no, I did not make the French Silk Pie I thought would be the perfect over the top chocolate Valentine's Day dessert and no, I did not figure out how to make the needlepoint "LOVE" bracelet that I tried to do but eventually gave up on and no, I did not sew the velvet backed vintage valentine sachets I had conjured up in my mind to give out to friends and family. I mean, what kind of super woman do I think I am?

But, after going in to work this morning to finish up my prep for my dessert special at the restaurant tonite, I did get to spend the rest of the day with my two beautiful, spirited, and loving little boys -- and on top of that, I did take a nap that I desperately needed and I did make cut-out cookies. Granted, I was finishing them up around 7pm so essentially that's what the kids had for dinner and for the next hour they were running around the house like the sugar crazed maniacs that they were.

I actually saved some of the better ones to ice with a little more precision after they'd gone to bed, but I'm throwing in the towel at this point. Instead, I've decided to take a few minutes to appreciate the things and people in my life that make it what it is - far from perfect, but worth cherishing all the same. So please indulge me ( I never did the 25 things about me list on Facebook and trust me this list will not be 25 things long - it's past 10 pm and I'm eager to get in bed with my book.)

So here goes . . . Loves of My Life:

My husband Andy, who is, as I write this, slaving away at work feeding romantic dinners to over 200 people and who probably doesn't realize how awesome and amazing I think he is
the fact that my sons Finn and Graham are so willing to smother me with hugs and kisses throughout the day - I know it won't last forever
flip-flops
a hot cup of English Breakfast tea with milk and sugar
my sweet baby Lu - our 12 year old chocolate lab Talullah who can barely walk these days from excruciating arthritis, but still always greets me at the door when I come home and lays by my feet in front of the fire
cheeseburger, french fries, and a vanilla malt - when I was pregnant with Finn that's all I ever wanted to eat and I still think it's one of the best meals ever
Santa Fe, NM - I'm really not a big fan of the cold weather but this place from May until November is truly heaven on earth
pies, tarts, cookies, cake, ice cream, custards, mousse, chocolate bars, . . .
my family - mom and dad, three big brothers and three amazing sisters in law
Andy's family (I know, isn't that lucky for me)
my new Janome sewing machine which I have barely used but it is there like a promise of all the things I will someday have time to create
my antique drafting table that my good friend Quentin gave to me and which kind of legitimized my new role as a crafter
speaking of friends, my friend Allison who has known me and loved me since the eighth grade - she lives in L.A. and we never get to see each other and only talk on occasion, but just knowing she's there makes me feel better about myself
the South Carolina coast - we've been to the beach with Andy's family the past few summers and it is by far the greatest place to vacation with kids I've been to so far . . . no frills, no fuss - just time to hang out and live in the moment
hiking - hopefully Graham will be more in to it this summer so we can enjoy how lucky we are to be able to be 20 minutes from incredible forest trails, mountain streams, and high dessert vistas without having to carry him the whole way
Dwell magazine, Readymade magazine, and yes, I confess, Martha Stewart magazine - I can't help it, those people have so many good ideas
family meals - the four of us rarely get to sit down all together . . . I'm more and more impressed all the time that my mom succeeded in getting us all to the table together every darn day
really soft sheets
the Texas hill country

All right at this point I could just keep going on and on, but who wants that? So this list is by no means complete and a little all over the place, but it's nice to take a minute to remember what's important. Since I've started blogging I sometimes get overwhelmed by the other blogs I frequent - how can they do so much, write so well, take pictures of it all and still be a mother of three and hold a job?

Honestly, I don't really get it. My kids are nuts, my house is usually this side of a disaster, and I'm not performing at my job as well as I'd perhaps like to - but for today, I'm giving myself a good ol'fashioned break. It all starts with loving yourself, right?

Pie Lovers Unite!

2009-02-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

I'm really not one to join groups on Facebook and usually ignore any and all requests to be a member of much of anything. However, out of random curiosity I just did a Facebook group search for "pie lovers." Result: 447 groups meeting that criteria!! Is that insane? I knew lots of people share my adoration for crisp, flaky, buttery crust and a parade of fillings, but I sincerely did not realize so many people want to talk about pie or read what other people say about pie. That's AWESOME! Now I feel justified in my desire to publish a cookbook/coffee table book about the pie phenomenon. If only I had more time to make actual pie instead of daydreaming about it.

On a non-pie sweet note, I decided on my special Valentine's Day dessert for the restaurant . . .

Wildflower Honey Souffle Glace
Warm Raspberry Crush
with Blood Orange and Vanilla Bean
Citrus Lace Tuile

I tried to use several passionate words in the description . . . wild, flower, honey, warm, crush, blood, lace . . . did I get my point across? And I know what you're thinking - what, no chocolate? Well, since we already have two killer chocolate desserts on the menu right now, I needed to go in another direction. I'll report later on how it actually turns out.

And while we're thinking pink, thought I'd mention that we're now on round #2 of drops for "pink eye". Graham had it last week and now Finn and, as you can imagine, trying to get drops in a little guy's eye while he lunges and jerks in protest is a formidable task to say the least. But, other than that, we've all been fairly healthy this winter - knock on wood - and it's almost mid February. I don't care what Mr. Groundhog had to say, bring on Spring!

Lifestyles of the Rich and the Not So Famous

2009-02-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

We returned yesterday from Naples to a hail storm and 30 mph winds here in Santa Fe - kind of a brutal homecoming. I could easily get used to winter in Florida. They were having record lows and it still seemed like summer to us. We wined, we dined, we slept in a crazy comfortable hotel king sized bed and, oh yeah, we did do a little bit of work. Our seven course meal we cooked (priced at a mere $10, 000 per guest) went off without a hitch. Here's me and Andy in our host's incredible, brand new kitchen. He's making gnocchi . . . I'm just looking pretty I guess.

The Naples Winter Wine Festival is a charity event to raise money for at risk children in the Naples area. Celebrity chefs and their entourages (Emeril being the only true celebrity as far as I'm concerned) are invited from all over the country to cook and schmooze with the filthy rich. Needless to say, we had a great time and drank a lot of really incredible wines. Andy made a list of most of the best ones we tasted; I just kept going back for more.

As pastry chef, I was only responsible for the last two courses of our dinner:

Tangerine Curd Tart

Caramelized Blood Orange, Honey Sabayon

Pomegranate Sorbet, Fresh Ginger Creme Anglaise

followed by a little plate of Mignardises: Chocolate Peppermint Cookie, Lemon Butter Cookie with Lemon Buttercream, and Mission Fig Almond Pope's Hat Cookie.

It goes without saying that after six other fabulous courses, they just nibbled at the last two but I try not to get my feelings hurt by that. Anyhoo, it was a great experience. This was my first trip out of town without the kids since they were born and I've definitely decided that needs to happen a bit more often. I kind felt like my old self again - not that my new mommy self is a bad thing; it just felt good to realize that I can still be sorta fun and good for a few laughs.

So Valentine's Day is just around the corner - time to dust off the craft table, not to mention decide what pie or other dessert might be worthy of my favorite holiday. Hearts, hearts, hearts! Oh, how I heart hearts!

Choco in Chaco

2009-02-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

Front page of our beloved New Mexican reported today . . . "Traces of cacao were found in shards from cylinder jars found at Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico." This means that cacao beans, the pulp of which is fermented and dried to eventually produce cocoa and chocolate, was used in the U.S. several centuries earlier than was once thought.

Chaco Canyon is about a six hour drive from us here in Santa Fe and I have sadly never been to see it. Apparently, it is absolutely incredible: "a multistory pueblo (containing) an estimated 800 rooms, constructed from 860 to 1128 A.D."

Anyway, love seeing news about chocolate as well as pie. Just thought I'd share.

We're off to Naples, FL bright and early and will return in five days with photos and memorable moments from our trip and the Naples Food and Wine Festival. Have a great week!

Search for Best Chocolate Chip Cookie

2009-02-01T06:55:00.000-08:00

Whenever I'm asked to make chocolate chip cookies I usually always turn to the tried and true Toll House recipe. Although I do add more salt to the recipe, I've found that it's pretty hard to beat. I love it, everyone else loves it, so why bother creating a new one?

So when I saw this recipe in the New York Times Dining section by Jacques Torres, famed Master Pastry Chef and Chocolatier, I was obligated to try it out. Reaction #1: Andy thought it was the best chocolate chip cookie he'd ever tasted.
Reaction #2: Kids of course devoured them without comment.
Reaction#3: I thought they were great, but I'm still undecided as to whether they were that much better than the standard TH.

I'll admit that I did not complete the 24 hour chilling time called for in his recipe, but I really can't see as how that would make such a huge difference. But I've been wrong before, so I may try it out again. Also, this recipe may require a trip to Whole Foods for the chocolate and perhaps the cake and bread flour if you don't keep that on hand. That may or may not be a big deal for some. Baking cookies is usually a spontaneous activity for me; this recipe perhaps calls for some planning ahead.

So, if you are into chocolate, I should think you'd want to give this one a try. I especially like the sprinkling of sea salt on top of the cookie. You'll be amazed at what salt can do for chocolate.

And if you do try Chef Jacques recipe, let me know what your reaction is. Or if you think you've got a better one, I'm all ears. By the way, when I changed my blog template my comments tag ceased to function. I'm trying to remedy the problem, but it may require some outside expertise since I'm not real hip on writing code. If it's urgent you can always send me an email. Thanks for your patience!

A Bank, A Robber, A Pie

2009-01-26T21:36:00.000-08:00

The National section of the New York Times reported today that a small bank in Carleton , Nebraska was robbed this month for the first time in half a century . . .

Within nine minutes the sheriff's deputy arrived. Soon came the first
of many calls of concern and support, a few of which, a smiling Mr. Van Cleef
remembers, went like this: "Hear you've been robbed. Can I bring you
a pie?"

Mmmm. Made me smile too.

January's Pie: Coconut Cream

2009-01-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

That's right, I'm starting a pie of the month gig and I'm sneaking in this recipe for January just before the month ends. We've been serving these little babies at the restaurant since October and they've been hugely popular. I think what really makes the difference is that we fill the prebaked pie shells with the coconut custard to order and bake the meringue to order so the crust stays nice and crisp and the meringue doesn't "weep" all over the pie after sitting for a while. One thing to note here is that although I love meringue, I prefer this pie with a whipped cream topping so I'm going to provide that in the recipe. I'll also give you my meringue as well so you can choose - or you can save it to use as a topping on a different pie.

Coconut Cream Pie

Recipe fills a 9 inch prebaked pie crust - make sure it is cooked through on the bottom. To do this line pie crust with foil and pie weights (I use dried beans) and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove pie crust from oven and let it cool long enough for you to safely remove the foil and pie weights; maybe 10 minutes. return to the oven and bake for an additional 8 minutes or so until the crust bottom is golden brown. For a good pie crust recipe search through my quiche post.

1/2 cup sugar

4 TBS cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups whole milk, scalded

4 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded
coconut

2 TBS unsalted butter

Combine the sugar, cornstarch , and salt in a medium size mixing bowl. Whisk in the scalded milk. Set over a pot of simmering water (bain marie) and whisk until the mixture is slightly thickened. While whisking, gradually add the egg yolks into the hot milk mixture (this is called tempering in the eggs, so that you don't scramble them in the process). Place the bowl over a bain marie and cook until it is thick and custard like - stirring frequently so as not to curdle it. When the custard coats your spoon it is ready and you can carefully remove the bowl from the heat and add the vanilla and butter. Whisk to melt butter and add the coconut. Chill thoroughly before filling your cooled pie shell.

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

2 TBS sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

toasted unsweetened shredded coconut

Combine cream, sugar, and vanilla and whip until you have a medium stiff peak - at some later date I'll try to include some photos of the difference between soft, medium, and stiff peaks for both whipped cream and meringue. For this pie - if you are making one whole pie and not individual ones, you will need your cream to be stiff enough to slice through without oozing everywhere, yet be careful not to over whip it and start making butter.

So now fill your pie, top it with whipped cream, and sprinkle with the toasted coconut. You should chill the entire pie to set it for at least 45 minutes so you can get a fairly clean slice. Or do what I do and buy some individual pie pans so you don't have to worry about that - just plop a pie on a plate and you're done!

And before I forget . . . the Meringue recipe . . . this is for French Meringue. There are three distinctly different methods: French, Italian, and Swiss and if you'd like to study up on the differences there's a pretty good summation at http://www.baking911.com/howto/meringues.htm.

Meringue
4 egg whites
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Place egg whites in a very clean, dry mixing bowl and whisk on low until it gets frothy and opaque. Now increase the speed to medium and beat until you get smooth medium peaks then start gradually adding the powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time. Then beat on high until you achieve stiff peaks, ie. when you remove the whisk from the meringue it stands up on end maybe only drooping over a little bit. Once again be careful not to over beat - if it looks dry and separated you've taken it to far and, well, you need to start again.

Just a word - this mixture will be whisking for a while so once you add all the sugar go start washing the dishes or something and check it periodically. And also, I use a Kitchen Aid for just about all whisking and mixing that I do so if you're functioning without, I hope you've got some strong biceps and triceps cause you'll be working them.

If you're doing individual pies you can try my method of piping or spooning out little mounds of meringue on oiled parchment paper and putting them in the freezer until you are ready to serve. Then put them on a sheet pan, still on the paper of course, and bake them at 400 degrees until they are golden brown. After about 30 seconds of cooling, they should peel right off the paper into your hand and you can invert it onto the pie.

If you've made a nine inch pie, top the custard with he meringue, making pretty swirls and such with your spatula or knife, and then place the entire pie in the oven to brown the meringue. You'll need to cool it again once you've done this if you care about getting a good slice.

In the photo above the pie is served with a Passionfruit Caramel Sauce and candied fresh coconut. In the fall we did it with a Hot Buttered Rum, which I prefer if I absolutely had to have sauce. But really I prefer this pie, maybe all pie, sans the sauce. Except for presentation, I don't think it needs it. If you are, however, interested in these recipes please send an email; I'm happy to share them and they are not difficult to prepare.

Something Old . . . Something Blue

2009-01-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

Speaking of Etsy purchases, I just received this vintage Fireking milk glass mug yesterday from http://www.kultur.etsy.com/. Couldn't resist the "H." It's a little smallish for my tea - I like a huge cup of tea . . . English breakfast, whole milk and sugar - same thing twice a day. But I like small cups for coffee or it might be home to some of my art supplies or a tiny succulent. Anyway, thank you Kultur; I love it!

A friend at work said to me yesterday, "there's something weird yet undeniable about shopping." We were discussing how happy it can make you feel to find something special for yourself, especially if it's a bargain or something that seems like it was made just for you. Trust me, I'm not one who shops very often so I was kinda floating on air yesterday as a result of an economic stimulus outing. I had just picked up some blank needlepoint canvas and some yarn when I decided to pop into a consignment shop next door. I have sold some things before, but didn't realize that I actually had some credit. Hello Blue Suede Shoes!! And it's like they were free; like I found money on the sidewalk!It's too cold here right now to wear them of course, but Andy and I are headed to Naples, FL in couple of weeks to cook for the Naples Food & Wine Festival - just the thing for the "resort casual" dress code.

Trade Show

2009-01-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest things I've experienced so far since starting my Etsy shop is being asked to do trades. Just before Christmas I recieved two requests to exchange my fabric bird ornaments for something of my choosing on another Etsy member's shop. I was thrilled and so flattered that a fellow crafter would be interested in my birds - and I was so excited to pick out a unique, hand-made goodie for myself. Laura of http://www.blueterracotta.etsy.com/ sent me this fabulous fabric brooch in exchange for my "Blueberry Bird."

This is her description of it:

This bird was inspired by an ancient Mexican clay stamp. This is my rendition, in one of my favorite blue cotton fabrics. He's made from cotton decorator fabric with a felt backing. He has blue wire legs and a metal brooch clasp is securely sewn to the back.He's 4 1/2 inches long by 3 inches high, including his legs. (11.5 x 8 cm)

Laura is an American living in Lyons, France and included in the package she sent were some amazing chocolates . . . melt in you mouth edible velvet. I was very giddy to get a treat from France. Thank You Blue Terracotta! Also, I must do somes props . . . she's got these wonderfully creative new bird pillows on her shop right now so check them out (if anyone feels the need to gift me with one that would be okay).

The next is from Lisa of http://www.berkshirehostess.etsy.com/. She sent me an absolutely gorgeous scarf in exchange for my "Antigua Bird" and another bird friend made from the same Guatemalan fabric. She writes of the scarf:

This scarf is a dream to wear! This baby alpaca yarn is lightweight, warm and snuggly!! The colors are beautiful with variations of blue – teal, sky, ocean, gray – and a bit of twig brown to bring it back down to earth. I hand knit this scarf in my favorite stitch – seed stitch – to give the variegated colors lots of texture!

I really love this scarf - no itchy neck and the colors are great for me. So, in both instances, it was such a win-win situation and I've had etsy conversations with both women since the initial transaction and it feels good to be able to share in this way. I wish I could set up an entire website that is entirely based on trading. We could call it White Elephant. Hey, that's not such a bad idea . . . hmmmmmmmmmm.

Me and my Mod Podge

2009-01-18T14:24:00.000-08:00

One of the many thing I've been slowly working on for a couple of months now is my second checkerboard collage. The process is long and tedious, but can be meditative and the results are worth it. Here's the first one, which I completed last Spring and was one of my first craft projects ever. I've been displaying part of it in my profile picture.

It takes forever because after cutting out all the little squares, I had to arrange them in a contrasting checkerboard pattern - draw the hearts and then go back and very carefully cut the pieces along the outline . . . meanwhile . . . rearranging the entire row to get the shades right.

At this stage I think Andy really thought I'd gone off the deep end. Now when he sees me reading a needlepoint book, a quilting book, and a folk art book in bed it's no big surprise. Thank you honey.

The final stage of course is gluing it all down in place and painting it with layers and layers of Mod Podge.

The gluing process on this was especially challenging because I used paint sample card stock for the squares (thank you Benjamin Moore) and the thickness of made it hard to glue down the

curling corners.

My work in progress is a seashell image, mirrored as well. This time I just used different shades of blue craft paper and a fabulous little gadget that punches squares out like an over sized hole punch. It's truly amazing all the craft goodies that are out there - I could roam the aisles of Hobby Lobby for hours. Funny, I used to be embarrassed to shop there much less admit I enjoy it - don't ask me why. The craft revolution has allowed all of us tomboys to come out of the pink closet. Does that even make any sense?

Anyway . . . I have the squares cut and the image oulined but have only just started the cutting. I'm writing about this to inspire myself to get working on it again. It's actually collecting dust . . actual dust bunnies - which really isn't saying much here in Santa Fe; things get dusty here in a day.

Finally, a recipe: Best Ever Currant Scones

2009-01-17T07:07:00.000-08:00

Well, another night of next to no sleep . . . maybe the room switch wasn't such a good idea after all. But at least for now the boys are both happy eating their french toast and watching a movie.

So, I think I mentioned that I made a batch of scones while we were in Houston - three to be exact, two of which I strayed from my original recipe a bit to see if I could get them a little more like my dad prefers them. You see, these scones are incredibly tender and just melt in your mouth - but consequently they tend to fall apart in your hands as well.

I am, however, returning to the original because, to be honest, I like them just as they are. And I like to slice them, butter and jam them and eat them with a fork - they may be a bit difficult to slice cleanly, but I'm willing to sacrifice aesthetics for awesome flavor.

And, by the way, I think dad would now agree . . . he found some fig preserves that taste like those his mother used to make from fig trees in her back yard. He likes to slather sour cream on the scones before spooning the whole preserved figs over them. I must say, the figs are amazing; I may have to request a jar in the mail.

Helen's Currant Scones

2 1/4 cup All purpose Flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

1 Tbs baking powder

zest of 1/2 lemon

6 oz unsalted butter, chilled and diced

1 cup heavy cream, cold

1/2 cup dried currants (or other dried fruit if you prefer something else)

Preheat over to 400 degrees. In the food processor bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder , and lemon zest. Pulse a few times to mix. Add the cold, diced butter and process until the largest pieces of butter are the size of small pebbles. Add the currants and pulse a few more times.

At this point I prefer to dump all of this into a large mixing bowl and complete the dough by hand or with the paddle attachment of a Kitchen Aid mixer. Either way, add the cold cream and mix until just combined, pressing the bits of dough together to form a ball, being careful not to overwork the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and press into a disk shape.

Lightly flour a board and place the dough on top and roll or flatten it with your hands until it is about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter or slice it with a knife into triangles - I find the rounds work better for these particular scones.

Place on a parchment paper lined sheet pan and brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for approximately 20 minutes on the middle rack until golden brown on tops and bottom. Best eaten immediately.

(playing with Picnik again . . I can waste a lot of time on their site)

When all the fam came over to eat the scones the day before we left to return home, we were also lucky enough to enjoy my sister in law Debbie's Meyer Lemon Marmalade. Wow, it was incredible! Bob and Debbie have a flourishing Meyer lemon tree in their back yard with huge, luscious meyer lemons littering the branches right now. Apparently Debbie made Meyer Lemon Gift Baskets for a fortunate few, which among other things included a jar of the marmalade and a bag of candied meyer lemon zest ( I tasted my niece Emma's vigilantly guarded stash which was so delicious - the sweet Meyer lemons really make a difference; absolutely no bitter pith flavor).

Have a fantastic weekend everybody!

Plans and Promises

2009-01-14T10:21:00.001-08:00

We've been back home in Santa Fe a week and I can't seem to get back on track with my blog and other projects that are lingering on my work table. One thing I have accomplished is moving the boys into their shared room - previously mine and Andy's room. It was a huge ordeal and now I realize just how much stuff (junk) they have. The transition has been somewhat rocky . . . I've slept with Graham in his bed 4 of the 6 nights they've been in their together. But I think they like it so hopefully things will get a better with time.

The other major thing going on is that I'm considering relaunching my blog under a different server . . . host, whatever you call it . . . and narrowing my topic to my dessert making. I'd like to feel like I'm actually offering up some useful information instead of just blabbing on and on about my random thoughts and activities. I'm sure I will sprinkle it well with personal anecdotes and the occasional craft project because it would be impossible for me not to share all these new things I'm learning and experimenting with. I'm also wanting to add some new items to my etsy shop - not more birds, however ( a little burnt on those right now) - but I have to learn how to needlepoint first. Should be no problem right? I know it seems like my eyes are a little bigger than my stomach but that's just how I roll I guess.

So just so I don't lose anyone in the meantime I'll definitely try to post a recipe or two this week so keep an eye out. Thanks for bearing me for a few weeks.

crap . . . no naps

2008-12-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

FYI: the boys and I are in Houston this week visiting family and friends so I don't know how much I'll be posting especially since I did not bring my beloved camera and the kids aren't napping too well. I'll try to get a recipe on by the end of the week. I'm making mom's favorite scones on Friday and may be trying my grandmother's biscuit recipe at some point, so I'll share the details in a few days. Happy New Year everybody!

Quiche Sera Sera

2008-12-21T07:43:00.000-08:00

I'm going to try to post a recipe each week at the very least. It's a little more time consuming because I try to make each one and photograph it - and let me assure you, I don't really cook or bake that much at home. It's just so great at the restaurant with all the space and the equipment - and our glorious dish washers. I feel deprived in my own little kitchen.

But, something I do make quite often for my family is quiche. When I worked at The Daily Review Cafe and Aries Restaurant we made quiche everyday. My recipe is an adaptation of both of their recipes and it gets pretty rave reviews - even my children wolf it down. Andy usually eats a slice or two when he gets home late from a night's work at The Compound (he's the Chef de Cuisine . . . yes, it's an "office" romance.) So it's a great one to make and have in the fridge for leftovers or unexpected guests.

First make the pastry, which is a fairly standard pie dough recipe:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 # (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and diced

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ice water - depending on the level of humidity where you are

Place the flour and salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles a course meal. Slowly add the ice water and pulse a few times. Just to make sure not to over mix it, I dump it all into a large bowl and gently press it together to form a ball. Then divide the dough into four pieces and wrap each in plastic wrap - flattening it and forming into a disk with your hands which makes it easier to roll out into a circle later on. Take caution here because you really don't want to handle your pie dough too much because an overworked dough builds too much gluten - which makes it not only difficult to roll out, but tough in your mouth.

Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. If it's gotten too hard let it sit out for while to soften, but not so long that it gets oily. You will have leftover dough, which is great because you can freeze it and use it for your next quiche or pie. Just thaw it in the fridge over night. Take your chilled and rested dough disk and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about an 1/8th inch thickness. Brush off the excess flour - can be bitter once baked - and fold in half and place in your oiled pie plate. I use a 9 inch glass pie plate, which is nice because you can see when the crust is baked on the bottom. Crimp the edges if you're in the mood or just level it off with a pairing knife with the pie plate edge and then press it up just above the rim. Place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Now we're going to par-bake the pie crust, in other words partially bake it without the filling so the bottom is nice and crisp. Line your chilled pie crust with oiled aluminum foil and weigh it down with pie weights. I use inexpensive raw beans as pie weights - any variety does the trick, but my favorites are garbanzos or pintos. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Take your crust out of the oven, remove the pie weights and foil and place back in the oven for about 6 more minutes until you can see that the bottom is dried out and very light tan.

While the crust is baking and cooling, it's time to make the egg filling and the various and sundry items you'd like to add to your quiche. Custard Filling:

4 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups heavy cream or whipping cream - same thin
a few grates of nutmeg

salt and pepper

Whisk all the ingredients together and set aside. Now you can decide what you want to flavor your quiche. I used spinach and assorted cheeses because that's what I had in the fridge, but the possibilities are endless. Here are some suggestions which can be combined in any which way:

caramelized onion or shallot

asparagus

zucchini

yellow squash

sweet potato

bacon

diced ham

chorizo

fresh herbs

roasted red pepper

goat cheese or any cheese really

crab meat

spinach

corn

jalapeno

tomato (you need to oven dry the tomato at a low temp otherwise it will add to much liquid to the quiche and it will never set)

leeks

Saute your veggies and cook your selected meats, making sure to season them appropriately. Mix together with the cheese and custard filling. Pour all of it into your par-baked pie crust and bake at 325 for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. I like to set my timer for 30 minutes then rotate the quiche because my oven tends to bake somewhat unevenly. Another 10 - 15 minutes then I start checking it every 5 minutes of so.

It should be light brown on top and a little puffed around edges and set in the middle. If there's a slight jiggle in the middle that's okay, but only very slight. Mainly, however, try not to over bake it because the eggs can curdle. Let it cool a bit before you try to cut it. My preferred method of serving is to chill it completely before I cut the slices and then warm them in the oven. It's nice because you get a nice, clean cut - but really who has time for all that?

Enjoy your quiche - whatever will be will be.

Cuddle Me Critters

2008-12-19T18:48:00.000-08:00

I've rediscovered the public library lately. There's something really wonderful about actually holding a book in your hands and getting to keep it for a while - not that I don't fully appreciate the web as an amazing resource, but real books are good for the soul I think.

One such book I checked out recently is The Big Book of Soft Toys by Mabs Tyler. I've been making my little stuffed birds for a while now, but I have finally expanded to other members of the animal kingdom. The first being an owl for my niece Lily. The body is made from one of those purple upcycled sweaters Ann gave me. The embroidery stitches I learned from YouTube - awesome how to videos ( learning stitches from a book is next to impossible). I think it turned out pretty darned cute for my first go. I have a thing for owls . . . but I'll share more about that in another post.

So then I got encouraged and decided to try for another, this one being a caterpillar for a my nephew David. This one went a little quicker. I added a few things that were not in the pattern: the embroidery on the head and body, the little felt ball feet, and a couple of pipe cleaners sewn into the body so it could bend a little. This one I liked even better. I thought about adding antennae, but David is only about 18 months so I thought they's most likely be ripped off anyway. So he's kinda like a worm / caterpillar which suits me just fine.

If anyone would like the pattern to these critters, let me know. I may add them in anyway at some point, but right now I need to move forward on to the next thing on my list: hat for cousin Stephanie.

Cabin Fever

2008-12-15T14:37:00.000-08:00

It's been snowing ceaselessly since before I woke up this morning and while it may be beautiful and we surely need the moisture . . . I'm starting to dread the next few months of winter. I'm ready to be back in flip flops and the frost has just begun! This is a view from our front porch - ristra and coyote fence included! So New Mexico I know.

The boys and I have been just hanging around the house all day. Luckily we got out yesterday and braved the elements to hunt down a Christmas tree. And I'm not talking about driving to a lot and pointing to a $100 tree. Oh no, our family treks out to chop down a tree in the Pecos Wilderness. Not to worry, it's perfectly legal with a $10 permit within the cutting boundaries. It was a teensy bit unclear whether were on private property or not, but what the heck - it was freezing and snowing and we had the kids out tromping around in the snow with tennies on. We grabbed the first somewhat suitable tree and made a run for it. The trip was only made better by a stop at Dairy Queen in Pecos Village on the way home. I think it's been like eight years since I've had a Blizzard - soft serve heaven as far as I'm concerned.

On days like today - and everyday of winter - I love love love our kiva fireplace. For the entire first year we lived in this house we never even used it, as if we were convinced it couldn't possibly work. Maybe because the previous house we lived in had a really cute kiva with no draw and it was basically like having a campfire inside the house.

Speaking of campfires, I think we'll make s'mores tomorrow night while we trim the tree. The boys have not experienced s'mores yet (probably because we've yet to get it together and take them camping for real), so I think it's about time. Who knows, maybe it will become a tradition. I'm big on tradition and now that we're finally past the itsy bitsy baby phase we can start creating some here and there. I'd love to hear about some not so traditional holiday traditions if anyone would like to share. Andy and I have always worked in restaurant kitchens during the holidays so it's kind of a stressful time of year - perhaps I can live vicariously through some of you.

Ya don't have to be a hillbilly to like Mountain Dew Dumplings

2008-12-12T15:53:00.000-08:00

This experiment is in response to some of you who may have thought my Navajo Apple Dumplings were little too involved. Although my mother in law Karen asked me not to credit her for this recipe, I am anyway - hope that's okay Karen!

This is a great one to do with your kids . . . Karen suggested I call these Apple Dumplings al la Finn and Graham. We're not sure who originated this recipe so I guess now it's all ours. And now it can be yours. I do, however, have some suggestions for changes to this recipe (I can't help myself; I always do this). But first here's the original which I've taken the liberty to name:

Apple - achian Dumplings (aka Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings)

*the first advertising theme song for Mountain Dew was an old Appalachian folk song; cheeky eh? - for more fascinating facts on Mountain dew go to http://enwikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Dew

yield: 8 dumplings

1 can of original Pillsbury Crescent rolls

1 medium apple

1 stick of butter

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 can of Mountain Dew soda

Preheat your oven to 350. Peel (or don't peel - Karen doesn't peel) and core your apple and cut it into 8ths. Melt butter in a small sauce pan and brush a little in the bottom of your pan. I used a Pyrex casserole dish. Add the sugar to the melted buttter and simmer to dissolve the sugar. Add the cinnamon and mix together. Meanwhile, pop open the can of crescent rolls (kids like this part) and lay out the 8 triangles of dough. Wrap each slice of apple in the dough. Pour the butter/sugar mixture into the casserole and spread over the bottom of the pan. Place the dumplings on top and pour the Mountain Dew over the whole thing. Place in the over and bake for 30- 45 minutes until golden brown. After removing them from the oven I glazed the tops by just spooning some of the syrup over them. Serve hot.

So here are my thoughts. Good and gooey and great with ice cream. Karen suggests the Haagen Daaz Dulce de Leche - I had vanilla in the freezer so that's what I served. My apple was still a little too firm. I don't know if it was the variety I used or that I didn't cut the slice small enough. So make sure your apple slice is smallish or I think next time I might chop up the apple or grate it on a box grater to make sure it cooks through. If you do this you can also mix the apple bits with some extra cinnamon - I'm a big fan of cinnamon so I would definately double or triple the amount in the recipe.

It was also a tad too sweet for me. Finn had no complaints, but I usually like things a little less sweet and add salt to it - yes, salt in every dessert I make. It makes a huge difference I promise. So let's make it 1/2 cup sugar ( or maybe 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar) and 1/4 tsp salt and 2 tsp cinnamon with the stick of butter.

This was super easy to make and a great activity for the boys - no spilled fluids or blizzard of flour. Please give it a try and tell me what you think. Hey, and if you're really into the Mountain Dew thing I found a recipe for Mountain Dew Cake, actually several - just a quick Google should get you there.

Sun, Moon, and Birds

2008-12-11T19:12:00.000-08:00

I've been a bit under the weather so I'm only now including the photos from the restaurant. These hang in two of the dining rooms - aptly named the sun room and the moon room. My photos really don't do them justice - the lighting was difficult because it was snowing that morning.

I've been painting all day today; getting the boys' room ready. I'm actually considering making a mobile using the moon and star shapes above. My list of projects keeps getting longer and longer - there's really not enough time in the day.

By the way, I finished the ten bird ornaments that I am bringing to a shop here in town to sell. But I may list them in my Etsy shop instead, I don't know. I kind of liked the idea of my birdies hanging in an actual brick and mortor shop where people can really see them and touch them. On the other hand, my etsy shop needs some freshness in a bad way - it is http://www.adobepie.etsy.com/, which I'll include in my margins as soon as I can take the time to figure out how to do that.

Well, my Thursday went by way too fast, as usual.

Eye for Design

2008-12-09T05:44:00.000-08:00

When we went to the Museum of International Folk Art the other day I of course had my camera, but was predictably not allowed to photograph anything exibit-wise. But as I was leaving the restroom, which was tucked discreetly behind a semi wall, this awesome Alexander Girard mural was literally staring me in the face - and, needless to say, I couldn't pass it up. I know, I am bad - why does it feel so good?

I have become a huge devotee of any and all Alexander Girard anything over the years, probably due to the fact that the interior of the restaurant where I work in Santa Fe, The Compound, was designed by Girard when he moved here in the late 1950s and is home to some of his designs and folk art collection. I'm heading to work today so I'll take some photos there and add them in this afternoon.

Last Christmas Finn and Graham, aka my husband Andy, gave me the book Alexander Girard Designs for Herman Miller by Leslie Pina. It is incredible and a serious must for anyone interested in Eames era design or folkloric motifs, patterns, and colors. Then there's a mandatory visit for anyone within I'd say 100 miles or so of Santa Fe to The Museum of International Folk Art which houses Girard's collection of over 100, 000 folk art objects that he and his wife began collecting on their honeymoon. It is truly astounding and definately inspires you to take a closer look at the art of ordinary life and ordinary people - transformed into something quite extraordinary, especially when grouped in an exibit like that.

Que es Adobe Pie??

2008-12-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

So "adobe pie," the actual pie that is, means different things to different people. The only time I've eaten it was several years ago when I was the pastry chef at a restaurant in Albuquerque. For staff meal one day, our salad chef, a truly wonderful New Mexican woman who's name I regret to say I've forgotten, made a layered ice cream cake with sliced almonds on top and drizzled with chocolate sauce.
Pretty simple; just take some adobe colored ice creams, ie. chocolate, caramel, coffee, cinnamon, etc then layer them however you want in a springform pan with some chocolate cookie crumbs on the bottom. Sprinkle some lightly toasted sliced almonds on top and freeze until solid. Warm the sides of the pan to release and either drizzle with chocolate sauce or cut slices (with a warm knife) and top each piece with warm sauce.

Although her version was fabulous (and a great solution to the spontaneous dinner party), my mission is to develop an Adobe Pie recipe of my own - something a little more complex and a little less 10 minute meal - I mean it is my moniker for gad's sake. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

p.s. I'm a little addicted to picnik.com right now, thus the above image - I scanned in a photo of a slice of pie from one of my cookbooks then used to "doodle" feature to trick it out.

Fun with Photo Editing

2008-12-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

And I was more interested in the vintage circus posters on the wall in the play area. I tweeked this photo quite a bit to come up with what's called a "posterized collage." You can try this on http://www.picnik.com/, a free photo editing site that has some fun features to play with.

I might try to print out this poster at Kinko's for Finn and Graham's room (e.t.a. next Thursday, that is when they move into a bedroom together and Graham moves out of his crib - this might possibly be the dumbest thing we've done in a while but who's keeping track anyway). Anyhoo, I like the vibrant, yet blurred colors and the old images made new.

2008-12-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

Our family went to check out the Winter Celebration at the Museum of International Folk Art today. It's one of my favorite places on earth so I could probably go everyday, but the draw today was a solo marionette performance called "Maurice," starring Maurice the rooster. Unfortunately it was no John Malkovitch; my kids were much more interested in the train sets and big dragon hand puppets - no strings necessary; just put in on your head!

Santa Fe Fiesta Staple: Fry Bread

2008-12-05T06:35:00.000-08:00

My plan is to occasionally publish some of my favorite recipes or ones I'm experimenting with. So today it's Navajo Fry Bread Apple Dumplings. This dessert was our best seller at The Compound last winter. My dad gave it the seal of approval when he came to visit and since my folks are pretty honest about what they don't like (a very good thing), I'm thinking it's a winner.

Fry Bread Dough:

3 cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup dry powdered milk
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 1/2 oz butter, cold - diced into small pieces
1 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbs granulated sugar
3/4 cup - 1 cup ice water

Technique is similar to making pie dough so you get buttery, flaky dumpling. First combine flour, dry milk, salt, sugar, and baking powder in the bowl of stand mixer. and gently mix to combine. Add cold butter pieces and mix using the paddle attachment until it has the texture of a course meal and the butter is shaped like little pebbles. Slowly add the ice water with the motor running and mix just until dough comes together. Only add more water a teaspoon at a time if the dough is too crumbly and not holding together. But be careful not to over mix because the dough will get tough and it will be difficult to roll out. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to rest for at least 20 minutes. Cut in half and roll one half out on a floured surface. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out circles of whatever size you choose your dumplings to be. Brush edges with egg white, top with a spoonful of apple filling, and place another circle on top, pressing edges to seal. Fry in 350 degree canola oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

My suggestion is to doctor up some bottled apple sauce for the filling. We make apple butter at the restaurant, but it's fairly time consuming. Put the apple sauce in a sauce pan with some lemon zest, a bit of ground cinnamon, ginger, and any other spices you may have on hnad like nutneg, cardamom, mace, and cloves (we're talking pinches here). Simmer the spiced apple sauce until it has thickened and the juices have reduced. When cool you should be able to scoop it.

One more recipe that I feel makes this dish.

Rum "Raisin" Sauce:

3/4 cup suger
1 TBS water
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup Meyer's Dark Rum
about 2 TBS dried currants or raisins
2 oz butter

You're making caramel here, but do not fear - the addition of lemon juice makes it easy breezy. Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small sauce pan. Gently stir together without getting too much on the sides of the pan. Place over medium high heat and cook without stirring until it starts to shows signs of caramelization. Swirl the pan a bit to cook evenly. When it has reached a medium brown color and may have started smoking a little, remove from heat and very carefully add the rum and butter - it will bubble up on you so watch what you're doing. Return to a meduim low heat to remelt any sugar that may have seized up, whisking it together until you've got a smooth sauce. You're welcome to add a little hot water to thin it out to your liking.

So now you can serve it all up with a scoop of ice cream (I like to make cider ice cream, but vanilla would great) and a sprinkling of chopped pecans if you're a nut person, and wala!

So I'm now realizing that this may all be somewhat overwhelming so maybe next time I'll post something a little less involved. I willl say this, however - you can make this dough and fry it up plain tossed with cinnamon sugar, serve it with ice cream and I think you'd satisfy just about anyone

hello Sky

2008-12-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

If I can manage to wake up before Finn, my early early bird, there's a chance to enjoy the morning like I used to - my sacred time for quiet and a hot cup of black tea with milk and sugar.
Today, however, no such luck. But I thank him for at least calmly watching Sesame Street so I can step outside and see this gorgeous sunrise.

The Color Purple

2008-12-04T13:59:00.001-08:00

First day of blogging and now I have writer's block; hopefullly this is normal and will pass . . . hmmm . . . I've been wanting to start this for months and months, but I always felt like I had to wait until I had something earth-shattering to divulge. But no, today is just a good ol' Thursday, which for me means no kids and no work - just free to do what I want and force myself not to clean, do laundry, or grocery shop.

Today actually was pretty special because I was invited over to Ann Gati's house to rummage through her scraps of fabric and old sweater pieces. I met Ann at the post office - we got to talking about sewing; she sews jackets, vests, and things and sells them at a gallery here in Santa Fe. She gave me a huge bundle in exchange for a batch of my currant scones. I'm planning on "repurposing" them to make hats and gloves and blankets and the like.

Here's my sweater stack. Andy came into the room while I was spreading them out and said, "wo that's alota purple." Yes, it's alot of purple, which happens to be my favorite color recently and I keep telling myself and everyone else that it's very hot right now (although I have no idea whether anyone else thinks so).

My first hat I made with one of my old, stained sweaters and some fabric scraps. I lined the inside with some recycled fleece from some old baby mittens so it wouldn't make me itch like crazy. I love it! It's amazing how much warmer I can be wearing a hat; the rumors are true. This was also my first experience making a fabric covered button, which is ridiculously simple, but I didn't know that - yippee for me.