Most delicious spinach salad

I made up this salad for Valentine's Day dinner with my husband. It's sort of a conglomeration of various salads I've had over the years... but the end result is utterly delicious!! This recipe makes enough salad for two, so adjust your amounts as needed.

2-3 c. baby spinach

1 apple (I used Jonagold)

~3 strips of bacon, fried and crumbled

1/4 c. walnuts, chopped

1/4 c. feta cheese, crumbled

2 T. maple syrup (do NOT use the fake stuff!)

2 T. olive oil

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Fill two salad bowls with baby spinach. Cut an apple into eighths, then slice each eighth into pieces. Scatter a handful of apple slices over the spinach (be generous). Scatter crumbled bacon, chopped walnuts, and crumbled feta cheese over top of it all.

Mix together the maple syrup, olive oil, and vinegar with a pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle over the salad.

Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti

I have been thinking about what Christmas baking traditions I would like to start in my family. Last Christmas, I didn't do much baking other than some cinnamon rolls and gingerbread people. This year, I haven't done much either (having a newborn slows productivity), but I did manage to make these cranberry-pistachio biscotti from my mom's recipe box. I realized I've found recipe #1 for the Singer Christmas Cookies folder -- they've made the cut!

1-3/4 c. flour

1 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. dried cranberries

1 tsp. vanilla

4 T. butter

1-1/2 c. raw pistachios

2 eggs, beaten

sugar

Mix first four ingredients in food processor. Add cranberries, mix again. Add vanilla and butter in chunks. Mix until cornmeal texture (add a little water if needed). Add nuts and eggs. Fold into mixture 10-15 times. On floured surface, divide dough into four 8" logs. Spray cookie sheet with oil. Place logs on cookie sheet, flattening slightly. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes. Set on rack 15-20 minutes to cool. Slice and bake on sides for 7-10 minutes.

Signs of fall

Potted mums... mine are on the left, Douglas' on the right. Also note that they are dripping wet with October rain.


Apple-blackberry pie with REAL whipped cream, sprinkled with nutmeg. Luscious.


Out come my woolly yarns and halted projects are begun once again.


And of course the leaves are turning all kinds of vibrant, warm colors.


My handsome Irish husband digs out his flatcap and sweaters! I love it when he wears stuff like this. ;-)

One year!

Douglas and I were happy to celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary yesterday. We had a low-key celebration, attending church in the morning and relaxing at home in the afternoon and evening. I fixed a special fondue dinner with imported Swiss gruyère and emmentaler cheeses. For dunking, we had French bread chunks, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, and pears. No photos to share because it all disappeared too quickly! ;-) However, I can share the recipe.

• 1-3/4 c. dry white wine
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 3/4 lb. imported Swiss cheese, grated (about 3 c.)
  
• 2 T. flour
  
• 2 T. butter
  
• 2-6 T. heavy cream
  
• salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• 3 T. kirsch
  

Place the wine and garlic in a medium saucepan. Reduce to 1-1/3 c. by boiling. Strain out the garlic and return to the saucepan. In a small bowl, mix the cheese thoroughly with the flour. Add the cheese to the pan a little bit at a time, stirring constantly until all the cheese is in the pan. Stir until smooth, without letting it boil. Mix in the butter and the cream, a tablespoon at a time, until the proper consistency is achieved. The fondue should be thick enough to coat the spoon heavily, but not so thick that it clings to the spoon solidly. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the kirsch. Transfer to fondue pot and dip away!

(For the pregnancy version of this, I just leave out the kirsch -- I think the wine is cooked long enough that it's no longer a problem. If you want to avoid it altogether, you could probably use chicken broth instead.)

Laura's Autumn Pancakes

1 c. white flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 heaping T. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 T. wheat germ or ground flax seed (optional)

2 T. oil

1/4 c. molasses

2 eggs

1-3/4 milk

Blend the dry ingredients together in large bowl. In a medium bowl, blend the wet ingredients, then mix with the dry ingredients until the batter is thoroughly blended. Pour the batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto a skillet on medium heat. When bubbles begin to appear in the batter, flip the pancake with a spatula to cook the other side. When the pancake is finished cooking, flip it onto a plate and eat them warm!

Suggested toppings:

warm applesauce

maple syrup

apple butter

vanilla yogurt with apple slices

This is my first "totally made up" recipe (aside from a disgusting fiasco at age 8 or 9), so if you try it, let me know what you think!

Eggs a la goldenrod

Lunch was inspired by my morning walk along the Indiana roadside.



Make medium white sauce by melting 3 tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add 3 tbsp. flour and blend together, then add 1-1/2 c. milk. Cook until thick and smooth, stirring constantly. (This will take forever unless you up the heat a little as you go. Just be careful not to scorch or scald the sauce. You can get away with working on the eggs while this is thickening, just give the pan a stir frequently.)

Hard boil six eggs, then strip off the shells and cut eggs in half, dividing the yolk from the whites. Coursely chop up the egg whites and add them to the white sauce. Spoon the sauce over a piece of toast. Press the yolks through a sieve (I use a garlic press), then sprinkle the yolk over the white sauce mixture. Eat it while it's hot!

(This made enough for one pregnant lady, one hungry husband, and one visiting sister-in-law.)

Quiche

Earlier in the week, I made an impromptu quiche for dinner with ingredients we had on hand.

• start with a pie crust
  
• slice up two roma tomatoes and line the bottom of the crust
  
• chop up some broccoli and toss it in
  
• crumble a little feta cheese and scatter it around
  
• chiffonade any fresh basil you may be able to eke off your sickly basil plant and toss it in
  
• beat up six or seven eggs, add a little soy milk and some salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then pour it over the veggies into the pie shell
  
• bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes

It was delicious!

Lemonade

I bought some lemons at the farmer's market to make some old-fashioned lemonade as per the instructions in The Little House Cookbook. The result was far more refreshing than canned lemonade! I think I'm hooked on homemade lemonade as a summertime treat.

Guacamole

• two ripe avocados
  
• two roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
  
• 1/4 large purple onion, chopped
  
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
  
• handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
  
• salt, cayenne pepper, and lime juice to taste

Cut up the avocados and scoop out the innards into a medium bowl. Mash the avocado with a fork. Add the chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and cilantro and mix with the avocado mash until evenly coated. Add salt, cayenne pepper, and freshly-squeezed lime juice to suit your taste.

LAURA'S NOTE: This recipe is extremely flexible -- you can vary the amounts or ingredients to reflect whatever you have on hand, but it's always delicious! My husband is always very happy whenever I make this. It's yummy to eat with tortilla chips, or make your own healthier chips by toasting a whole wheat tortilla, then cutting it up into bite-sized pieces. I also think this tastes great as a dip for cauliflower.

Canisters

My husband gave me these canisters for Christmas. Let me now sing their praises... Aside from being attractive, they are sturdy stoneware that will last a very long time, unlike the cheap canisters I've seen in stores (when I was able to find any at all). They are large enough to hold plenty of flour or sugar -- and that's another thing I love, there's a canister for brown sugar! Usually a trio will include "coffee" as the final third and since we're not regular coffee-drinkers, I love the brown sugar jar instead. I also love the wide open mouths that give you enough room to dip in there with a measuring cup -- no awkward and messy pouring. Obviously, I think they're great!

Thanks, dear!

Gingerbread

Yesterday afternoon was time well spent, as I frosted gingerbread boys and girls in preparation for our Christmas guests!

Cottage Pie

This has been one of my favorite dishes to fix since I was married. It really hits the spot when it's cold outside! The amounts are extremely flexible so feel free to experiment a little.

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
  
• 2 onions, finely chopped
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• around 1.5 lbs. ground beef
  
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
  
• 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  
• 1 c. beef or chicken stock
  
• 1/2 c. red wine
  
• salt and pepper
  
  
• around 5-7 medium-sized potatoes, peeled
  
• 4 tbsp. butter
  
• milk
  
• salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened but not brown. Add the garlic and stir well. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. (Alternately, you can brown the beef separately and add it in with the onions and garlic once it's cooked, if you want to drain off the fat as I usually do.) Add the carrots and season well with salt and pepper. Stir in the flour, stock, and wine. Season with salt and pepper. Heat until simmering and thickened.

Transfer to baking dish and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into chunks and add them to a pot of boiling water until soft and mashable. Drain well and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Add the butter and enough milk to get the potatoes to the consistency you like (smooth and spreadable, but not overly wet). Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the ground beef mixture into an oven-proof baking dish and spread the mashed potatoes on top. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake at the top of the oven for 15-20 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Reception

We had our reception at a family friend's Georgian-style home.


The lawn was set up with tables and chairs.


Guests were served tea,


along with sweets (strawberry macaroons, cream puffs, butterscotch scones, and cupcakes with rose petals)...


...and savories (cucumber sandwiches, chicken salad on mini-croissants, and open-faced roast beef tea sandwiches).



Douglas and I sat at a small table on the south-facing portico...


...but this didn't last long as we soon began greeting our guests, table by table.


And lest we forget the cake, here it is!


Complete with vintage cake topper from my grandmother's 1947 wedding.

In the good ol' summertime

Take a peek at Cheri's and April's blogs to see what I was up to on Monday! :-D It was wonderful to meet these two lovely ladies, even though our time together seemed too brief. I did make a purchase at Denver Fabrics while we were there; perhaps I can share more about that later.

Back home in Nebraska, we're in the midst of blackberry season. We have a thicket of blackberries by the side of our house, courtesy of the birds (seriously -- we didn't plant it!). They are tart and juicy and utterly yummy on waffles, hot cereals, with yogurt, plain, or in a pie (I plan to bake one today!).


The bowl was a gift from Cheri -- isn't it beautiful??
It seems like the summer is flying by so quickly, I can't believe it's mid-July already!

Birthday cake

Same recipe as last year's cake -- when I find a Good Thing, I tend to latch onto it. We are considering using this recipe for our wedding cake, as well.

(This photo was before the 25 candles were added -- gives you an idea of what the wedding cake might look like!)

Tea and crumpets

Crumpets are one of my favorite teatime treats! You'll need crumpet rings (like these) to make them, but it's worth tracking some down in order to have fresh, homemade crumpets. I recommend the following recipe, which came to me by way of my friend Susan:

• 1 pkg. yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• 1/4 cup warm water (~110 degrees F)
  
• 1/3 cup milk at room temperature
  
• 1 egg
  
• ~4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine yeast, sugar, and water and let stand until bubbly. Blend in milk, egg, and 1 tbsp. of butter. Add flour and salt and beat smooth. Cover and let stand in a warm place until almost doubled (around 45 minutes). Brush insides of rings and surface of griddle with the melted butter. Heat rings and pan over low heat. Pour about 3 tbsp. of batter into each ring.


Bake until holes appear and tops are dry (around 7 minutes). Remove rings and turn crumpets to brown the other side lightly (around 2 minutes). Repeat with remaining batter.


Serve warm, or cool and toast before serving. Makes 7 to 8 crumpets.

(LAURA'S NOTE: I usually triple or quadruple the recipe. The amount you get will vary by the size of your crumpet rings and how heavy-handed you are when pouring batter.)

Orange marmalade cake

Today I made an orange marmalade cake for my Aunt Joanna's birthday. We didn't have round cake pans so the cake is square!

Christmas table

The "things" on the plates are Christmas crackers, if you're wondering.

On the Christmas menu:

• Roast goose
  
• Roast beef
  
• Yorkshire pudding
  
• Roasted potatoes with herbs
  
• Corn and peas
  
• Carrots with coconut
  
• Marinated broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes
  
• Green salad with pomegranates, pears, and pecans
  
• Flaming Christmas pudding
  
• Cranberry cake with butter rum sauce

Fezziwig Ball: the food

On the way up to the big city to do some shopping late last week, Mom and I planned out the menu for our ball. Some of this is subject to change, but we'd like to have a variety of savories and sweets. My grandma loves to cook so she will help us out in getting all this ready.

• hot wassail
  
• cold water (for the dancers!)
  
• bacon rounds (bacon, onions, and cheese on rye rounds)
  
• sugar and spice pecans
  
• green tea-infused deviled eggs (recipe in the Dec. Tea Time magazine)
  
• cream puffs
  
• cucumber sandwiches
  
• cranberry-pistachio biscotti

Sunday dinner

(By the way, around here it's "lunch" every day but Sunday, when we usually pull out all the stops... such a feast must be called "dinner"!)

My mom and I have been doing a bit more hostessin' than usual lately. Today we had some new friends over for Sunday dinner after I visited their church this morning. On the menu:

• pistachio-encrusted chicken
  
• butternut squash puree
  
• fruit salad (bananas, pineapples, mandarin oranges, pomegranates, and shredded coconut in yogurt)
  
• green salad with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots
  
• Snickers pie

Dad and I promptly worked this off by taking a walk in the 65-degree weather -- it's so beautiful outside today!

Sticky toffee pudding

For Guy Fawkes Day (Nov. 5), my Mom made sticky toffee pudding for dessert. We first had this decadent dish in Aberdeen, Scotland, at a well-known fish 'n' chips restaurant called The Ashvale. It's been a favorite ever since!

Sticky Toffee Pudding

• 3/4 cup pitted and chopped dates
  
• 1 cup boiling water
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
  
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Toffee Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons butter
  
• 5 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  
• Additional heavy cream for accompaniment (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175*C). Lightly grease a 11 x 7-inch baking pan; set aside.
2. Place the dates in a bowl and cover with the boiling water; mix in the baking soda and vanilla; set aside.
3. Whisk the flour and baking powder together in a small bowl; set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well. Stir in the flour mixture and mix well; then add the date mixture and mix well.
5. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan, spreading out evenly. Bake for 40 minutes.
6. To make the toffee sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the sugar and cream. Simmer gently for 3 minutes.
7. Poke the top of the hot pudding with the tines of a serving fork and pour the sauce on top.
8. Place under a hot broiler until it bubbles. Take care, as it burns easily.
9. Serve warm drizzled with heavy cream or if desired whip the unsweetened cream and dollop it on top of the pudding.

Makes 6 to 8 servings. (Recipe from Cooks Recipes.)

Toad-in-the-Hole

Today Mom went off to a birthday luncheon, so Dad and I were by ourselves for lunch. I fixed Toad-in-the-Hole, and boy, was Dad happy! I think this recipe would also be a hit with small children, not only because of the fun name but because of the simple ingredients (basically, it's Yorkshire pudding and sausages).

Classic English Toad-in-the-Hole

• 1-1/2 cup plain flour
  
• salt and pepper
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1-1/2 cup milk
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• ~1 lb. of sausage links

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift flour into a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Make a well in the center of the flour. Gradually whisk the eggs and the milk into the center of the well in the flour to smooth out lumps. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.

Brown the sausages in a little olive oil and cook through, about 10 minutes.

Put sausages in a roasting pan, pour the batter over the sausages and place in oven. Cook for about 20 minutes or until batter is risen and golden. Serves 4-6.

Surplus of basil

While we were on vacation, our herb garden grew like mad. Now we've got fresh basil coming out of our ears! Mom and I were using basil in almost every meal, until Dad said, "I hope there are lots of anti-oxidants in basil since we've been eating so much of it!" We eased up after that. :)

Anyway, here's a tasty recipe from Chips, Dips, and Salsa which uses up lots of basil:

Basil Avocado Chutney

• 2 cups packed basil leaves
  
• 1/3 cup blanched almonds
  
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced
  
• salt to taste

In a food processor, combine basil, almonds, garlic, and lemon juice. Pulse motor once or twice until the almonds are finely ground. Add the avocado and salt. Combine well. Refrigerate any leftovers. Colors will darken with storage, but taste is still superlative. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

Great-Grandma Irene's pie crust

This is a very basic recipe that has never failed me. It makes a two-crust pie for an 8" or 9" pan, or else two single-crust pies. I've used it for pies and quiches alike!

• 2 cups flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 cup Crisco
  
• 1/3 cup milk

Combine flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or a fork, mash Crisco into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Combine milk with the rest of the mixture (I just use my clean hands for this part). Use plenty of flour when rolling out!

Of course, I keep this recipe in Grandma Irene's recipe box.

Birthday cake

Favorite summer salad

(I made this for dinner tonight. It's absolutely delectable!)

2 lbs. new potatoes

1/4 lb. fresh summer green beans

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

salad greens

basil-garlic vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Clean new potatoes and halve or quarter as needed. Toss the potatoes with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet and roast for approx. 30 minutes or until tender.

Remove the stem ends from the green beans and cut in half if they're large. Bring a small pot of water to boil, and cook the green beans until they are tender (around 3-4 minutes, depending on the size). Rinse under cool water. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half or leave whole if they're small. Toss potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, greens, and vinaigrette together. Serves four.

Basil-garlic vinaigrette:

2 tbsp. Champagne vinegar

6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1/2 tsp. salt

1 garlic clove, coursely chopped

Combine everything in a blender and blend until smooth.

--adapted from Field of Greens by Annie Sommerville

Fat rascals

My dad has periodically reminisced with fondness over the fat rascals we ate at Betty's in York during our first family trip to Great Britain 12 years ago. Spurred on by my recent cravings for British food (thanks to My Love Affair With England), I decided to try to recreate them. I found a decent-looking recipe online, in metric! So my measurements were rather hazy ("150g flour = between 1 1/3 cup and 1 1/2 cup flour, I think!"). With some experimentation I could probably get the recipe to be a little more friendly to American cooks.

I also wasn't exactly sure what glacé cherries were; I figured if our grocery store carried them, they would be labeled as such. Wrong. After I got home from the store, I looked it up online and found that they are essentially candied cherries. So, I made do and used dried cherries -- though they are not as aesthetically appealing, they're probably better for you.

I made some decadent whipped cream to eat with the fat rascals, and guess what? They're delicious! (My friend Susan suggests that they are so named because if you eat too many, you'll become a fat rascal.)

Emily graduates

Today my good friend Emily graduated with a Bachelor's of Music from the college down the street from our house. She lived with us for two and a half years while she attended classes, so I'd gotten quite used to having a "sister" around!

For the weekend festivities, her mother made her a gown using Sense & Sensibility's 1914 afternoon dress pattern.


After the ceremony, we had a delicious lunch of roast beef, herb-roasted potatoes, cooked asparagus, and cranberry and pear green salad. I made a milk chocolate cake for dessert, which I decorated with frosting polka-dots and three fresh roses.

Golubtsy

Tonight for dinner I made Russian golubtsy -- that is, cabbage rolls. I got the recipe online, though I can't remember exactly where. The recipe I used is essentially just like this one, however.

The golubtsy was a hit, especially with my dad! I'm not sure how "authentic" it was, not having any frame of reference to compare it to. I've only had Russian food a few times in my life, but I've enjoyed what I have tried.

Custard pie on the cooling rack

Despite how it may look -- no, the pie is not burnt, and yes, it will taste good. :)

St. David's Day

Inspired by the Welsh hymn concert we attended last Sunday, I decided to have a St. David's Day dinner tonight. On the menu:

• Cream of Leek and Apple Soup
• Welsh Rarebit
• Winter Vegetable Medley
• Green Salad
  
• Pwdin Efa (Eve's Pudding)
• Prince of Wales Tea

After dinner, we listened to a few Welsh songs courtesy of my Aled Jones CD.

A nice, steaming cuppa

My tea of choice -- morning, noon, and night -- is Twinings' English Breakfast.