Thursday, June 30, 2011

Maple Oatmeal Scones

One of my favorite pastimes up at Ani and Brian's cozy house in SF is to leaf through her collection of cookbooks. And what do you know?--it often pays off with a recipe I just can't wait to try! So in the oven it goes, right there in Ani's kitchen. This one is from a book titled Flour by the author Joanne Chang, who operates the Flour Bakery in Boston. Warm and hearty with whole oats and a just sweet enough maple glaze. Here's the yumscious recipe with a few adaptations.

MAPLE OATMEAL SCONES

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups old fashioned oatmeal
(not instant or quick cooking)
2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup currants or chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 egg

Mix the flour, oatmeal, baking powder, pecans and currants in a bowl. Cut in the butter using a food processor or a pastry blender by hand. Then in a separate bowl stir together the cream, syrup and egg. When they are blended, stir them into the dry mixture. The dough will be soft and sticky enough to drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet sprayed with Pam. Makes 8.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown
Take them from the oven and cool ten minutes before you drizzle on the maple glaze.

GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar
3 tab. maple syrup
1 tab water

Drizzle the glaze over the scones with a spoon and serve warm, although, I promise, they are still yummy later when they've cooled.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

San Francisco with Jenon










Just back from another trip to SF to see our kids. But this time it was a little different. I headed up the Interstate 5 with my dear friend Jenon. We walked and ate and hiked and ate some more--and caught up with the 5 SF kids...

Highlights:

#1. Visits to Laurel's fun new photo Jojo offices, Ani's impressive new office space and a little time at facebook to catch up with Jessica--summer plans and wedding news.

#2. Multiple, memorable meals--sunset dinner at the Beach Chalet, our "second breakfast" at Crepevine, warming dumplings and lionshead meatball soup at Shanghai Dumpling King, delectable Spanish dinner including Laurel's potato tortilla around Ani's table, and Aaron's invitation to a beautiful Palo alto place (oh, the garlic fries!!)

#3. Hikes with Jenon--around Land's End in and out of the woods toward the Golden Gate Bridge, up-up-up the hill to Grandview park (thanks Brian!), a wander through Golden Gate Park ending at a lovely, quiet lake, and an intrepid hike in the oh so very beautiful Muir Woods--redwoods along a bubbling stream.

#4. Touring AA & J's new Menlo Park home--traditional and charming in a quiet wooded neighborhood, and finally getting to drop in at Laurel's new home sweet home--her cozy room and the whole truly beautiful house.

#5 And a few miscellaneous memories-- Touring the lovely Dolores Mission, shopping on Irving street with Laurel, a Sunday afternoon in the DeYoung Museum, and Sunday morning at the City Church.

Thanks Ani and Brian for taking good care of us as you alway do-- love your beautiful, cozy home. Thanks Laurel for showing us around town--and being the best Trivial Pursuit partner. Thanks Aaron and Jessica for the chance to catch up and see you new house. And thanks, thanks Jenon for being the best travel buddy. We had a fine, full weekend together.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Thinking over 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

This summer I'm trying to get my old brain to hold a few Bible verses that have become dear to me. Starting with 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is see, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporal, but what is unseen is eternal."

Just when I was "losing heart," I happened again upon these verses. When my trust in God wavers, my heart is lost over things I wish I could change, but cannot.

Just looking in the mirror reminds me about the wasting away part--59 years of living does wear a body down a bit. And also there's a friend who is starting on the journey of breast cancer, so much more severe. So our inward renewal--every day--is my hope, an eternal hope.

And best of all fixing my eyes on the unseen. I love all the things I see around me, our home, the faces of people I adore, the sun on our maple trees, sweetpeas on the table, a slice of tart on a plate. How can I remember that all that is so short lived and not forget to fix my eyes on the eternal? God, help my small faith to have the "assurance of things unseen."


Sunday, June 19, 2011

Egg Plant Parmesan

More often than not when we got to an Italian restaurant my Larry orders Eggplant Parmesan. and last week at Norma's house she served up a great dish of it. So when Larry came home from Sprout's and dropped a large shiny purple eggplant on the kitchen counter, I called up Norma for advice.
Here it is:

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

1 lovely plump purple eggplant
1/2 cup flour
2 tab. milk
1 egg
Italian bread crumbs
Mozarella cheese
parmesan cheese
your favorite spaghetti sauce
olive oil

Set out 3 bowls. In the first spoon in 1/2 cup flour, in the second 1 egg beaten with a couple tablespoons of milk, in the third a cup or so of bread crumbs. Slice the eggplant into slices 1/2 inch thick. Heat the olive oil in the pan. Dip each slice in the flour, coating both sides, then coat with the egg mixture and then cover with crumbs. Set into the hot oil until brown --about 4 or 5 minutes on each side. Don't have the heat on high or the crumbs will brown before it cooks clear through. As they finish set them on a paper towel to absorb extra oil. Put a nice thick slice of mozarella on each piece. Top then with spaghetti sauce and then parmesan. Arrange them on a baking dish and put in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes to melt the cheese. In the meantime you can warm the bread and make a luscious green salad and dinner is ready. Hearty, homey meal in less than 30 minutes.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Summer Goals 2011

So I sat in our last teachers meeting, listening intently I assure you, (I'm pretty certain my principal will never read this blog) and wrote out my list of "Summer Goals." Ten glorious weeks of unfettered hours, long lazy days of dilly dallying over breakfast, puttering around the house aimlessly, reading under the maple tree... Forget all that. I have totally once again filled up my schedule with my annual LIST! But I have to admit it all sounds like big fun. Here it is:

SUMMER GOALS 2011
#1. Read 10 books (and I have got some great ones on the stack! new Tim Keller, David Lebovitz, An Chi Min Pearl Buck biography...)
#2. Blog twice a week
#3. Have friends over for a meal once a week --breakfast, lunch or dinner.
#4. Meet and pray/walk/eat breakfast with Debbie and Jackie every Tuesday morning
#5. Finish two quilts-- For AA & J's wedding and for new baby Sittig
#6. Attack my (other!) list of house projects --starting with the family room redo.
#7. Buy & wrap the Christmas gifts for the Shanghai family.
#8. Plan & do as much as I can for a post wedding party for Aaron & Jessica (after the wedding we'll have the adorable grand-girls here so have to plan ahead)
#9. Three Bible study friends events & once MOPS girls dinner
#10. WALK- Monday with Diane
Tuesday with Jackie
Wednesday --walk and bagels with Mom and Lu
Thursday with Shawna
Saturday with Jenny
#11. Go see the kids in SF... twice
#12. Mom's Super birthday weekend with the fam--give her the time of her life!
#13. Visit my school kids and invite them to VBS --plan, prep, teach VBS
#14. Change rooms at school (waiting to hear on that one)
#15. Spend a long reading weekend at Big Bear with Larry

So that's it--my summer. Sound full and a bit frenetic but also full of fun. So far we've eaten spaghetti under the maple tree with friends (new fresh recipe-delish) and in ten minutes I'm "hooking to the sewing machine" (as my grandma would say) and sewing up a quilt top. Summer--looks like it's going to be a good one.


Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Years End in Third Grade

Just in the door from the last day of the school year. It was a good one. Having a 3rd/4th grade combination class gives you a lovely roomful of kids. They were a bunch of little work-a-holics, always beavering away. And really so much fun! I will miss them one and all.

But at this point I always have a few regrets. So I'm making my list for next year--goals for improvement. It really comes down to knowing the kids better and giving them just what they need-- and not just with reading and math. They learn a lot about life and the world in 3rd grade... It's a big job.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Peach Salsa

Summer peaches on sale at Ralph's this week. Yahoo! So I tried out a new recipe for peach salsa-- fresh and tangy. Put it over grilled chicken and served it with couscous flavored with grilled zucchini, almonds and red pepper. With a big green salad, it's a real summer meal!

FRESH PEACH SALSA

16 oz. peaches, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tsp. lime zest
2 tab. lime juice
2 tab. chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tab. chopped jalapeno or chipotle, minced (optional)

Great on chicken. It would work on pork or fish as well. And I would be great in a line up of salsas and guacamoles with chips to kick off a party.


Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Berry Crostata


In the side yard the boysenberries have turned from blossoms to berries. We'll have a real crop in about a week. So I have a new summer favorite thanks to a recipe link from Jenny and it couldn't be more fresh and luscious.

BERRY CROSTATA

PASTRY (makes two crusts)
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 pound cold butter, diced
6 tablespoons ice water

Combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter in with a food processor or a pastry blender. Divide the dough into two balls. Wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees when the dough is chilled and roll out each of the 2 balls of dough on a floured surface to make two 11" circles. Transfer to the dough to two baking sheets coated with cooking spray to top with fruit mixture.

BERRIES (for two crusts):

12 oz. boysenberries
12 oz. raspberries
12 oz. blueberries
2 tab. flour
2 tab. sugar

Mix the berries, flour and sugar and mound onto the 2 prepared crusts. Fold up the edges of the crust about an inch all the way around. (mix up the berries and the topping while the dough is chilling and you'll be ready to go!)

TOPPING (for 2 crostatas)

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar plus a bit more
dash salt
4 tab (1/2 stick) cold butter

Mix the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter with the food processor or a pastry blender. Sprinkle it evenly over the fruit. Then sprinkle the edges of the crust that are turned up with a couple spoonfuls of sugar.

Slide those crostadas into the hot oven and bake til they are a lovely brown, about 25 minutes.

Extra good served warm with ice cream or my favorite, mounds of vanilla whipped cream. This recipe makes the two crostadas. They aren't too big and so yummy you'll want a second one (for breakfast the next morning?). But if you by chance should want to just make one, put the second ball of wrapped dough into the freezer for another day and half the fruit and topping recipes.

I'm waiting to try this with peaches, topped with toasted almonds in August. That could be a winner too!




Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Mini miraculous munchable apricots

It almost seems miraculous. A few months ago that apricot tree was bare, not a leaf. Suddenly, it sprouted into spring with snowy blossoms and leaves of the tenderest green. And then so many apricots--all the mini variety, no bigger than a plump grape! They were sweet and all the better since they grew in the corner of our yard. We gathered our crop and tossed them in salads with almonds and tarragon dressing, cut them up over vanilla ice cream and stirred them into cake. Oh, and munched quite a few straight from the bowl on the kitchen sink. Tender and so, so sweet. It's gratifying to be a "farmer."