Dreams and Epiphanies

A Very Valentine

2012-02-14T07:31:00.000-06:00

Very fine is my valentine.

Very fine and very mine.

Very mine is my valentine very mine and very fine.

Very fine is my valentine and mine, very fine very mine and

mine is my valentine.

—Gertrude Stein

*Strawberry marshmallow hearts from World Market.

Work . . . when it's fun . . .

2012-01-31T22:51:00.000-06:00

Big event at work . . . I worked through most of December and January putting it together. It came with an impossible deadline, and a ridiculous budget, and somehow, we made it work . . . and now it's over . . . beautifully . . .

Here I am, receiving kudos from my boss . . . Ah . . . now I can begin to hibernate . . .

How to make Natilla (Vanilla Custard)

2012-01-23T08:50:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up, I watched my mother make Natilla all the time. My brother, Al, and I would stand by the stove waiting for her to finish so we could scrape the pot clean. I'll be darned if history hasn't repeated itself! This is one of my kids' favorite desserts, and, sure enough, even now, they will wait by the stove until I finish making it, anxiously hoping that I'll leave some in the pot, so they can have a little taste right away.

It took me a while to learn how to make this, since my mother never wrote down the recipe. She learned to cook using the metric system, so when I'd ask her how many cups, she'd say: “I don't know, about a liter . . . ” Argh! And figuring out the correct amount of corn starch took many, many tries. But I eventually got it just right, and it's become one of our family's comfort foods. Here's the recipe:

Add 4 cups of whole milk to a sauce pan or Dutch Oven. I use my Calphalon Dutch Oven all the time and love its versatility!

Another cup of milk goes in a mixing bowl . . .

Add a cup of sugar to the milk in the pot . . .

Add a cinnamon stick and a tablespoon vanilla extract . . . more or less . . . Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Add a pinch of salt . . . about ½ teaspoon . . .

While the milk is heating, separate 5 eggs . . .

Beat the egg yolks with a fork until combined, then add to the milk in the mixing bowl . . . Save the egg whites for an omelette, or for making meringues . . .

Add ½ cup corn starch to mixture in the bowl . . . Mix ingredients with a fork or whip until most of the lumps from the corn starch are dissolved . . .

By now, the milk should be just about ready to boil. The top should look a bit frothy . . .

Add the mixture in the mixing bowl to the pan, straining it through a sieve to catch any undissolved lumps . . .

Stir gently, but continuously with a whip to avoid lumps. A silicone whip won't scratch the non-stick pot . . .

The custard will thicken quickly, as if by magic . . .

Ladle onto ramekins and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Serve chilled.

I make Natilla so frequently that I've acquired a ramekin wardrobe over the years to change the presentation of this delicious, but simple dessert. Here it is in BIA Cordon Bleu ramekins . . .

In clay ramekins . . .

In squash-shaped ramekins for Halloween . . .

In mini glass bowls for our mini dessert table last Christmas . . .

It can be made ahead for a party, covering each individual ramekin with plastic wrap. I've used this recipe as the custard in English Trifle. Serve it with fresh strawberries. Serve it with lady fingers. Serve it fast! This won't stay in your refrigerator for very long.

No words . . .

2012-01-09T21:41:00.000-06:00

I woke up my son this morning to kiss him good bye. Christmas break is over and he was going to drive back to school today.

I came home tonight, after a long day at work and found this waiting for me at the kitchen table . . .

“To Mom, A little bit of color to fight the grey. Happy birthday! Love, John”

John gave me the pretty pitcher for Christmas. Today he filled it with flowers because he was leaving and wouldn't be able to be here for my birthday, and because he knows that winters are very tough for me.

I read the note and burst into tears. Then I spied my husband texting John: “She cried.” I guess they had a bet going.

My heart is so full. Sometimes, there just aren't any words . . .

Dulce de Toronja

2012-01-07T21:20:00.002-06:00

Sweetened Grapefruit Shells are as intrinsical to my culinary upbringing as you can get . . . yet this is the first time I make them. That's what happens when you grow up surrounded by talented cooks - you sometimes don't make things because, why bother, when your dear aunt makes the world's best?

I imagine the dessert originated amongst the peasantry who always makes use of everything available to them. How else could such a treat have originated?

This dessert is truly a labor of love. I think it will become a lost art because few will devote the time it takes to make it. I suppose that's another reason why I never tried before. Also, this is not something my family will eat. Isn't it sad? They won't even try it!

But filled with Christmas nostalgia, which brought back so many memories of my childhood, and finding these beautiful white grapefruits at the supermarket, I was not able to resist. I figured I better document this now, because who knows if I'll make it again?

Start with 5-6 large white grapefruits with as thick a skin as you can find. Peel away the yellow zest, removing as little of the white skin as possible to keep the shell intact . . . My sweet husband peeled them for me!

Once peeled, cut them in half . . .

And then in quarters . . .

Remove the juicy sections . . .

Save them for the juicer . . . freshly pressed grapefruit juice is delicious!

Place the shells in a plastic bowl and soak overnight . . .

The next day, drain the shells and discard the soaking water . . . Place the shells in a Dutch oven with fresh water to cover them and cook over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then discard the water. Repeat the procedure once more.

The shells will turn translucent . . .

Remove from heat, drain, gently pat them between paper towels to remove excess water . . . Then, if you suffer from OCD you might like to remove some of the extra fibrous strings that are still clinging to the shells . . .

Now we are ready to make the syrup . . .

In a Dutch oven add 2 cups of sugar, 4 cups of water and a cinnamon stick and stir until dissolved . . . Add the shells and cook over low-medium heat until the syrup thickens. . .

Allow the shells to cool at room temperature. Transfer to a glass bowl and refrigerate.

Serve cold with edam or gouda cheese . . .

How do I describe the taste . . . ? First of all, it has a citrusy freshness. It retains some of the tartness of the grapefruit, but it's very sweet at the same time. The shells absorb the syrup, so this delightful juiciness bursts out when you bite into a slice. The cheese balances the sweetness and its creaminess adds another layer of complexity to the whole thing.

This lovely dessert may be peasant fare . . . It may never catch on . . . I wish it would . . .

New Year's Eve: One of these things is not like the others . . .

2011-12-31T23:16:00.004-06:00

A Cuban New Year's Eve custom is to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight for good luck in the coming year, one grape for each month. The tradition comes from Spain, where, not only are twelve grapes consumed at midnight, but the purported rule is to swallow one every time the bell rings at each strike of the clock. Here's a link that explains the tradition a little more: http://www.simplespanishfood.com/2010/12/twelve-grapes-doce-uvas-a-spanish-new-years-eve-tradition.html

This year, I prepared grape skewers to get ready for our New Year's celebration, but my husband felt he had the better idea of how to use the skewers . . . Maybe this is the start of a new tradition . . .

Happy New Year! God bless us all!

A Cozy Christmas Tea

2011-12-30T13:13:00.002-06:00

“Perhaps that is the true gift of a teatime celebration: It fills our cups with joy and warmth and friendship. May the echo of the teacups’ message be heard not only at Christmas, not only on special occasions, but anytime friends come together.”

—Emilie Barnes, “A Cozy Christmas Tea”

Be merry all!

2011-12-29T17:52:00.001-06:00

Be merry all, be merry all,

With holly dress the festive hall;

Prepare the song, the feast, the ball,

To welcome merry Christmas.

—William Robert Spencer

The dessert table . . .

Gingerbread squares with cream cheese frosting . . .

Chocolate mousse . . .

Pears Mascarpone Custard . . .

Vanilla-Cinnamon Custard (Natilla) . . .

Crème de menthe brownies (made by my wonderful sister-in-law, Kathy) . . .

Wishing you a blessed Christmas, surrounded by family and enveloped in the love of God.

Christmas Eve Tablescape: Santa Claus is Coming to Town

2011-12-25T13:00:00.000-06:00

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

—Norman Vincent Peale

Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year - and yet, for all that, when it speaks, its voice has strong authority.

—W. J. Cameron

'Twas Christmas broach'd the mightiest ale;

'Twas Christmas told the merriest tale;

A Christmas gambol oft could cheer

The poor man's heart through half the year.

—Walter Scott

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!

—Hamilton Wright Mabie

Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles.

—Author Unknown

For the spirit of Christmas fulfils the greatest hunger of mankind.

—Loring A. Schuler

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.

—Agnes M. Pahro

At Christmas play and make good cheer,

For Christmas comes but once a year

—Thomas Tusser

Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.

—Augusta E. Rundel

A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;

It makes no noise at all,

But softly gives itself away.

—Eva Logue

Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.

—Bess Streeter Aldrich

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;

The spirit of Christmas which is peace;

The heart of Christmas which is love.

—Ada V. Hendricks

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. Stop by to see some amazingly creative tablescapes.

I love those J-I-N-G-L-E Bells!

2011-12-24T16:36:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve 2001

2011-12-18T06:52:00.000-06:00

How quickly have these kids grown! The crutches belonged to my nephew, Colin, who had broken his ankle just a few days earlier . . . The boxes on the children's table contained Christmas ornaments, and Colin's was a Santa Claus figure. We wrapped one of Santa's feet in gauze to match the cast Colin was sporting at the time . . . He got a kick out of it! And I just remembered how much I loved this wrapping paper! What is it with me and wrapping paper! I also remember that it took me a while and some experimenting to get the M&M candy on top of the boxes to stick and not fall down.

These were taken at our old house in Chicago, before we moved to the 'burbs . . . Lots of happy memories in this house . . .

Funny, but I think I'm making the same dinner this Christmas! Except, no baked potatoes. Instead, I'm trying out a new idea - a mashed potato bar.

Ghosts of Christmas 2000

2011-12-13T21:15:00.002-06:00

Fun at Woodfield Mall

The Children's Table on Christmas Eve - This was the year that Ty released their Chinese Zodiac Beanie Babies. The Chinese takeout boxes held each child's corresponding Zodiac Beanie and a miniature Chinese Zodiac book. Chopsticks were placed on top of each napkin. I remember we bought the boxes from our local Chinese restaurant - they were not available everywhere like they are now . . .

This was the year Martha Stewart showed us how to make gum drop Christmas trees . . .

. . . and gum drop wreaths . . .

And on the adult table, my mother's Poinsettia tablecloth reigned supreme . . .

A Telepathic Connection: Little Santas Everywhere

2011-12-09T20:37:00.002-06:00

A Christmas present arrived by mail today from Angela and Doug. Just look at this wrapping paper. It's got busy little Santas all over, reminding me of the wrapping paper I bought and blogged about on my last post! (Click here to read about it).

This is like cosmic confirmation that I'm on the right track with the Christmas theme this year! Great minds do think alike, and maybe even transmit the same thought frequencies!

I HATE YOU, CONTAINER STORE!

2011-12-04T18:34:00.003-06:00

No . . . No . . . I didn't mean it! . . . It's just a little holiday stress! . . . Please don't banish me from your store! I'm usually a very sane sort of human . . . perfectly rational most of the time . . . until I enter your premises . . . especially at Christmas time . . . with your wrapping papers . . . when I completely lose my head! All those choices! Do I want traditional? Modern? Crafty? Religious? Do I want snowflakes? Penguins? Owls . . . ? How about this beautiful green . . . ? But I did green last year . . . Didn't I already decide before I stepped in the store that I was going to go with my red tablecloth for Christmas Eve, and I came exclusively to find wrapping paper for the little favors that go on the table? Maria, you are not doing a Woodland Christmas this year! You did that a couple of years ago! Get away from the owls! I don't care how cute they are! And, no, you are not celebrating Hannukah! You are NOT, repeat, NOT going to get paper with Hannukah candles or menorahs . . . !

Your store clerk was so helpful . . . I told her that my theme this year was going to be “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” . . . She showed me every Santa paper you had in stock . . . until I fell in love . . .

"Working Santa" was the name on this roll . . . right for the theme . . .

I could get matching tissue paper . . .

Perfect for a little box, and it looks nice against the red napkins . . .

But now I'm thinking that these Santas are so cute and little . . . maybe I'll change the theme to “A Merry Little Christmas” . . . And that sort of ties in to the mini desserts table that I'm planning . . . See what you've started?

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T13:29:00.000-06:00

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Mrs. K's Koffee Shop

2011-11-21T21:00:00.005-06:00

Of all the things I imagined doing during our trip to Philadelphia, this one never occurred to me: Breakfast in an old-fashioned diner - Mrs. K's Koffee Shop is located on Chestnut Street - some very decent scrambled eggs are served here with a side helping of nostalgia . . .

Here are Doug, Angela, Robert and Barb, siblings-by-marriage and fun traveling companions. Calling them in-laws doesn't seem to do justice to these wonderful people who mean so much to me.

City Tavern Visit and Tablescape

2011-11-13T18:25:00.004-06:00

While visiting Philadelphia, we ate at City Tavern. The original City Tavern dated back to colonial days, and was known to many of the important figures of the American Revolution, including Paul Revere, George Washington and members of the 1st and 2nd Continental Congress. The Tavern was in continuous operation until 1834. In 1854 it was demolished to make room for some new stores, but in 1975 Independence National Historical Park completed an accurate replica.

The new City Tavern offers dishes adapted from the 18th Century. The staff is garbed in period costumes helping the visitor get a feel for the history of the times. Here's a link to their website:

http://www.citytavern.com/

The table was set with blue feather-edged dishes. The pretty dishes are a reproduction of antique creamware that was widely produced in the 18th and 19th centuries. The pottery is made from a soft paste clay and glazed in a cream color, with a darker hue used at the edge that bleeds into the cream, giving the dishes a feathery look, from which it takes its name . . .

This one was made in Germany . . . Doesn't everyone turn their dinner plate upside down . . . ?

Water was served on pewter goblets . . .

But we quenched our thirst with a Shrub . . . From the City Tavern menu: “Shrub is a drink made from fruit juice vinegar sweetened with sugar and spiked with alcohol or fizzed with soda water.” Ours was prepared with Spiced Rum. It was very light and refreshing.

Then the bread arrived, including slices of Sally Lunn bread, a sweet bread leavened with yeast, Anadama loaves, made with wheat, cornmeal and molasses, and sweet potato biscuits . . .

My husband had the West Indies Pepperpot Soup, a version of which was supposedly served by George Washington to his troops . . . I was concerned about how spicy it would be, so I played it safe with some lentil soup . . . I did try it, though, and it was delicious. I have the recipe now and hope to make it this coming winter . . .

The main course selection is varied and interesting. They even offer tofu, which was introduced to America by Benjamin Franklin . . . Tofu . . . who would have thunk . . . ? We unfortunately had no room left for dessert, so were unable to taste Martha Washington's chocolate cake . . . Ah, well, maybe next time . . .

Going back wouldn't be a hardship - not with such interesting surroundings . . .

The attention to detail was impressive . . . Here's a closeup of the molding . . .

It would have been fun to pretend for a little while that we had been transported back to that era, but our group was too grounded in this century, with our digital cameras, iPads, smart phones and other electronics, to be able to immerse ourselves fully in the period . . . Of course, come to think of it, I'm not sure that it would have been seemly for me, a mere woman, to cross the threshold at City Tavern in those earlier times . . . I'm ready to return to the 21st century now . . .

Scott and Elizabeth's Wedding - Part 2

2011-11-07T21:41:00.002-06:00

My niece, Dianna, was one of the bridesmaids and also sang at the wedding with such a sweet voice that she had us all in tears . . .

So maybe I'm a teensy bit biased, but isn't she beautiful?

We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was a gorgeous October day and the ceremony was lovely. Best wishes to the happy couple! Vive l'amour!

The reinvention of an old favorite

2011-10-25T21:27:00.002-05:00

How do you jazz up a good ol' peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Try switching to almond butter . . . Less fat, more calcium, more deliciousness . . .

Add a different jelly . . . It is a well known fact that Cubans have guava running through their veins . . .

Oatnut is a really nice bread . . . Say "Oatnut" three times fast . . . Now try it again with a mouth full of almond butter . . .

Cut the sandwich, for Pete's sake! It'll only take a second! And please cut it in thirds . . . after all, we are trying something different, right . . . ?

There now, all we need is a nice cup of tea . . .

Now, what kind of tea . . . ?

Wedding in Philadelphia

2011-10-19T19:44:00.001-05:00

Our nephew, Scott, married his Elizabeth just over a week ago . . .

They are such a beautiful couple! And such wonderful people, too!

We were so pleased to be able to witness their special day! If there was a dry eye to be found, it wasn't mine . . .

Philadelphia: Tropical Paradise . . . ?

2011-10-15T13:28:00.002-05:00

We traveled to Philadelphia to attend the wedding of Scott, our dear nephew, and the first thing we saw as we exited the gate at the airport was . . .

Just what you'd expect from this marvelous tropical destination . . . especially at this time of year!

Hmm . . . A little unusual . . . I wonder what other surprises await us . . .

Tea Bread Tuesday: Pumpkin Banana Bread

2011-10-04T19:54:00.007-05:00

A favorite recipe in a fancy new mold . . . Ain't it purty?

Click here for the recipe: Pumpkin Banana Bread. I took it to work and it was gone in a flash!

I went to Williams-Sonoma to buy the pumpkin bread mold . . . and left with a set of Pumpkin Botanical Print Dish Towels that were simply irresistible. Just keep me away from that store!

O.K. I'm officially welcoming . . . Pumpkin Season!

Marsh Hibiscus

2011-10-01T15:35:00.001-05:00

A crimson beauty from my sister-in-law's garden.

Summer's last hurrah!

Tea Bread Tuesday: Blueberry Muffins

2011-09-13T19:43:00.000-05:00

A farewell to summer! By-by blueberries! See you next spring!

Here's the recipe: Blueberry Muffins from Martha Stewart.

Balm in Gilead

2011-09-11T14:02:00.002-05:00

“Is there no balm in Gilead?” So cries
dour Jeremiah in granite tones.
“There is a balm in Gilead,” replies
a Negro Spiritual. The baritone

who chants it, leaning forward on the platform,
looks up, not knowing his voice is a rainstorm
that rinses air to reveal earth's surprises.
Today, the summer gone, four monarch butterflies,

their breed's survivor's, sucked a flower's last blooms,
opened their wings, orange-and-black stained glass,
and printed on the sky in zigzag lines,
watch bright things rise: winter moons, the white undersides
of a California condor, once thought doomed,

now flapping wide like the first bird from ashes.

—Grace Schulman

from The Paintings of Our Lives: Poems by Grace Schulman

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

My favorite scissors

2011-09-08T17:54:00.001-05:00

“If I stitch fast enough, does it count as aerobic exercise?” —Anonymous

Sunday Favorites

Ratatouille

2011-09-05T18:24:00.006-05:00

The first time I made ratatouille, the kitchen caught on fire. Really. The oil from the pot boiled over and before I knew it, grease was spitting and hissing and flames were shooting up to the ceiling. I grabbed my 3-month old baby, wrapped him in a towel - I had started to give him a bath - and ran out of the house while shouting to my neighbor to call 911.

I greeted some very hunky firemen with my hair sticking up and my clothes plastered to me from a very wet baby. I was quite a sight. But the fire was actually put out by another neighbor, even before the fire trucks arrived. Still, the firemen insisted on checking out the house completely, and I just couldn't get rid of them fast enough so I could change my clothes . . . and put a diaper on the baby.

Miraculously, the ratatouille was not ruined. In fact, it was amazing. Here's a dish that embodies all the glory of the Mediterranean: Tomatoes, olive oil, eggplant, basil, peppers . . . Serve it with lamb, roast pork, or even just parsleyed rice . . . It's so delicious!

Here's the recipe:

1½-2 cups extra virgin olive oil
4 small eggplants, roughly 4 lbs., cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons of salt
2 medium onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 zucchini, washed, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and cut into thirds
2 red peppers, cut into ½-inch strips
2 green peppers, cut into ½-inch strips
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 14.5-oz. Italian Plum tomatoes
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
a pinch of red pepper flakes
black pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
Pour one cup of olive oil into an aluminum roasting pan (easier clean up), add the eggplants with the salt. Stir. Cover the pan with foil and bake for about a half hour until the eggplant is cooked but not too soft. Stir a couple of times during baking to coat the eggplant with the oil.
In a large dutch oven, heat remaining cup of oil and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low heat for about 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Add the eggplant mixture and cook an additional 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, especially the salt.

If you serve it as a side dish, it should yield at least 12 portions.

And here's a picture of John plastered to me, right after his bath (but on a different day). I've posted this photo before, but it always makes me smile and brings back such happy memories. I thought this was the perfect excuse to show it one more time . . .

And, be still my beating heart, somehow I've managed to be on theme for the Photo of the Day Weekly Challenge - Been There, Done That!

The Afghan Project Update . . . and Photoshopping for a change of pace . . .

2011-09-04T13:07:00.002-05:00

Yep. Still at it. The afghan is currently close to reaching my ankles. I'd say I'm about 40% of the way done. I still find myself unraveling some of the work now and then, and I've come to the conclusion that this stitch is just a pain in the neck.

Pretty . . . but a pain in the neck . . .

This project has brought a lot of memories of my godmother, Mama Lala, knitting late into the night. She's the one who taught me how to knit and crochet. The sweater below was one of the last things she made for me, while I was still in Cuba . . .

I didn't realize when I started to look for this photo, how badly damaged it was, so I spent some time restoring it with Photoshop . . . Here's the original . . .

I'm so happy to have discovered Photoshop!!! So, now, what should I do? . . . Do I crochet . . . do I Photoshop . . . ? Do I catch up with my fellow bloggers . . . ? Too many hobbies . . .

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday. Please stop by and check out some fabulous transformations.

Apple trees no more!

2011-08-27T08:13:00.003-05:00

We finally cut down the apple trees that were ~~littering~~ growing in our front lawn. They were particularly annoying during the Autumn season when the apples started falling to the ground and kept on coming for what seemed an eternity! We would sometimes hire a neighborhood kid to pick apples for us (when we could find one), but even with some help, it was hard to keep up. It became a haven for gnats and bees, although, interestingly enough, the squirrels didn't care for the apples. But the trees were a problem in the summer as well, killing all grass in the vecinity. I blogged about this a couple of years ago here. We simply couldn't face another Fall with these trees.

We hired our "wood guy" - the man who delivers wood for our fireplace in the Fall, and mulch in the Spring - to cut them down and grind the stumps completely. What a difference!

One of my co-workers says that my other trees are still in mourning and it wouldn't be nice to bring in an interloper just yet. Some people take their gardening very seriously . . . We are going to wait, though, my husband wants to give the grass a chance to recover a little. I also have to think about what kind of tree I want to put there. Any suggestions?

A dirty little secret . . .

2011-08-21T16:00:00.007-05:00

The time has come to tackle a long overdue project in the Laundry Room: Replacing the water valves and drain unit for the washing machine.

The old valves were corroded from the chemical reaction of several kinds of metal connected improperly. The thing was unsightly and gave me the creeps, so I would ignore it until it got so dusty that I had no choice but to throw a rag in there and make a feeble attempt to wipe it. But really, such an ugly sight would hardly serve as inspiration for the task at hand!

To replace it, my husband had to cut out the old pipes and install new plumbing. Then, of course, he repaired the wall. That poor guy, I tease him that his life wouldn't be complete unless he got to open up a wall in our house, at least once a year.

The new plastic casing is white, not almond-colored, like the old one. We would never have replaced the casing with all the accompanying work just for the color, so this is such a nice little bonus! That almond color was just so . . . so eighties!

Oh, and naturally, we had to paint the walls . . . Is there such a thing as a “little” home improvement project . . . ?

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday. Please stop by and check out some wonderful transformations in home improvement.

My Neighbor's Garden

2011-08-15T19:53:00.000-05:00

I'm spoiled. But can you blame me? Just look at the view from my deck!

There's no fence between our properties and I've been able to enjoy watching her plant her garden . . .

I see her out there all the time . . .

I'm not much of a gardner, but I love flowers, and I can certainly appreciate the work it takes to create something this lovely . . .

Isn't it wonderful?

Tea for Two and Guava Pastries

2011-08-12T20:29:00.019-05:00

Once in a while, I get a craving for Guava Pastries, or Pastelitos de Guayaba, our favorite treat when I was growing up . . .

Sunday mornings meant a box of pastelitos that my father would pick up at the local Cuban bakery, and the Sunday paper. We'd each claim our favorite section of the paper, and reach into the box for a pastry. Ahh . . . those pastries . . . flaky . . . still warm from the oven . . . oozing guava filling . . . By the time we'd finish the paper, there would be pastry flakes all over everything.

Then, it was time to discuss the morning's news . . . I'll never again be able to eat a pastelito without thinking of Margaret Thatcher, the former prime minister of Great Britain. My family rehashed the entire Falkland Islands War in the early 80's over a box of pastries . . .

We no longer have a Cuban bakery nearby, so I've learned to make the pastries myself - surprisingly easy after discovering frozen puff pastry! Here are the ingredients: 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water, 1 box of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets, 1 can of guava paste and 1 egg. Most Hispanic markets carry guava paste. Goya is a popular brand. I like either Goya or Conchita.

Make a light syrup using 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water . . . Set aside to cool . . .

Butter a cookie sheet or use a vegetable oil spray. Don't use one of your good cookie sheets, this one will get messy . . .

Prepare an egg wash using 1 egg and 2 tablespoons of water . . . Set aside . . .

Open up the can of guava paste . . .

It looks somewhat like jellied cranberry sauce, but it's much firmer . . .

Cut into the paste . . .

Dig out that first slice. The first couple of slices can be messy and uneven. That's O.K., just keep going . . .

They won't go to waste anyway . . . Mmm . . .

Keep cutting slices out and lay them on a cutting board . . .

Use the lid to close the can back up. I then put the whole thing inside a Ziplog bag and it lasts for weeks in the refrigerator . . .

Cut the guava paste slices in pieces about one-inch long . . .

Defrost the puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator. Unroll the two sheets and place one on top of the other . . .

First, cut in thirds along the creases. Then cut in quarters across . . .

This is more or less what you need to end up with . . .

Separate the top and bottom piece. Place a piece of guava paste in the center of the bottom piece. Moisten the edges with water.

Cover with the top piece and crimp the edges so they seal well . . .

Place in the cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces . . .

Work moderately quickly so the puff pastry doesn't get too warm. When it's warm, it gets sticky . . .

Brush the pastries with the egg wash . . .

Place in the oven, pre-heated to 350° F, for about 25 minutes until golden brown . . .

Remove from the oven. Brush the tops with the simple syrup and put them back in the oven for another 5 minutes. The syrup will caramelize the tops . . .

WARNING: The guava paste is extremely hot when it comes out of the oven!!! Let the pastelitos cool for at least 15 minutes before attempting to eat one! I know it'll be hard, but you can do it!!!

Now, go ahead, invite England's Prime Minister to tea, if you like . . .

Or the President of the United States . . .

Maybe a nice pastry like this would improve his day . . .

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

A Pothos Tale . . .

2011-08-07T09:01:00.003-05:00

This pothos sits on top of our mantle all year, except for Christmas, when I usually move it to decorate for the holidays. It was given to me in a tiny 3-inch pot by a co-worker for my birthday, about eight years ago. This is a hardy plant. I'm always forgeting to water it, and the sunshine that it gets comes mostly from the skylight in the room. And yet, despite benign neglect, it keeps on thriving.

Pothos lovers of my acquaintance prefer to let the branches grow long, and as they grow, find little supports for it, until eventually the leaves around the pot are scraggly, but the branches form a beautiful bough in the room. I prefer to trim back those long branches, keeping the plant looking full and lush, but fairly contained.

Below is my son, John's, pothos. He's taken the clippings I've cut from the mother plant, rooted them, and has been working for about three years on making it a viable and beautiful plant. At times, the poor thing has looked like nothing more than a science experiment. But slowly, it has improved, thanks in large part to John's tenacity. He takes it with him to college, and when it comes home, it sits on the mantle keeping company with its mother.

Both my son and his plant, went back to college this past week. The house feels empty, and, as always, I'm a little lost right now. I wonder if my pothos is feeling lost as well . . .

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

The morning after . . .

2011-08-05T15:50:00.001-05:00

This was my kitchen the morning after our latest party . . .

I have friends that could never go to bed and leave their kitchens looking like this . . .

And I have others that clean during the party, so by the time the guests leave, at least half the clutter has already been cleared . . .

I have still other friends that manage to get the guests to help, and the guests are more than delighted to do so . . .

And, yes, indeed . . . I have considered those options . . .

And I haven't discarded any of those ideas completely . . .

But for now, I love the morning after! Seriously! I really, really do! For me, cleaning up is a meditation. It allows me to re-live the party. I think about what worked, and what didn't . . . As I wash, I'm flooded by memories: I smile at the conversations from the previous night. I remember other parties, toasts, moments in time that were fun! The older I get, the more tolerance I seem to have for people's outrageousness. And then, I always say a quiet little prayer of thanks . . .

A Tablescape with a Tuscan Vibe

2011-08-02T20:52:00.005-05:00

Here was the inspiration . . .

I yearn to see some day the lovely sight of sunflowers growing under the Tuscan sun . . . Until then, I can enjoy the imagery . . . and bring the flowers into my home . . .

Here was the opportunity: A reunion with my high school classmates and fellow members of the Cuban Club . . . I am the one seated second from left, with the diagonally-striped sweater . . .

I hope you enjoy the pictures. Please turn up your speakers so you can enjoy the music: Vivaldi's "Estate" from "The Four Seasons . . .

Salt cellars masquerading as wheel barrows . . .

Ahh . . . summer . . . L'estate!

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Please stop by to see the creations of these remarkable tablescapers.

How to Manage An Inferiority Complex

2011-08-01T18:22:00.005-05:00

What do you serve your friends, all members of the high school Cuban Club, 1973 through 1977? Hint: NOT CUBAN FOOD! They are all either better cooks than you, or their mothers can run circles around you with their perfect black bean soup and pumpkin flan. And besides, where's the surprise? No, no, no dear friends, you need to go in an altogether different direction. Enter: The Italian Antipasto Tray . . .

Start out with a large platter to hold it all. I picked this one up at HomeGoods for about $10!

Then, go nuts! I included cantaloupe, prosciutto, sopressata, black olives cured in olive oil, jumbo green olives stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, provolone cheese, green grapes, roasted red peppers, and Formaggio Ciliengine (fresh mozzarella balls, marinated in olive oil, red pepper flakes, basil and black pepper), all prettily showcased against a backdrop of radicchio . . .

Is your mouth watering yet . . . ?

And this is an old, old photo of the Cuban Club, from the year I was president. Where's Maria?

A Tablescape With A Tuscan Vibe coming tomorrow . . .

Just call me Penelope . . .

2011-07-28T19:22:00.006-05:00

As I was unraveling my crocheting project for, oh, I dunno . . . the fifth or sixth time, my son remarked that I reminded him of Penelope, Odysseus' wife. Yes, I have a son that uses Homer as material for his smart aleck cracks. Penelope was known for her faithfulness while she waited for her husband to return from fighting that pesky Trojan War. For three years, she weaved a shroud for the eventual funeral of her father-in-law, Laertes, and claimed that she would choose a new husband as soon as the shroud was completed. By day, the queen weaved her shroud and at night, she unraveled what she had done, until eventually she got caught.

There's one obvious conclusion to be drawn from this: Penelope was not a blogger. Fellow bloggers would not have let her get away with it for so long without wanting to see the progress . . . so, just to make sure no suitors for my hand get angry with me, here's what I've done so far . . .

But suitors beware: My husband and I just celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary last week. Our marriage shroud is still being crocheted. Every stitch has been a labor of love, and there's no end in sight for this project . . . you'd better find yourself another Penelope . . .

Meanwhile, it's that time of year again. Boxes in my Living Room can only mean one thing: My son is going back to college soon. There goes that little catch in my breath . . .

Tea Bread Tuesday: Spiced Peach-Carrot Bread

2011-07-26T19:24:00.003-05:00

Just a moment please, I'm having an epiphany . . . This . . . . is . . . . amazing!

Imagine little bits of peaches bursting in your mouth, making every bite so incredibly juicy . . . and then the carrots and spices adding layers and layers of flavor . . . and then the pecans . . . ah, the pecans . . . a little crunch . . . a little more flavor . . . my taste buds are having a party!

From Southern Living Magazine (July 2011), here's the recipe:

¾ cup chopped pecan
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1½ cups peeled and chopped fresh, ripe peaches
¾ cup freshly grated carrots
2/3 cup vegetable oil
½ cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Cool 15 minutes.
Stir together flour and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl; add peaches, next 4 ingredients, and toasted pecans, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Sppo batter into a lightly greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

“Life is better than death, I believe, if only because it is less boring and because it has fresh peaches in it”

—Thomas Walker

Crochet . . . organize . . . unravel . . . repeat . . .

2011-07-23T17:22:00.004-05:00

I won't show the crocheting project today . . . it's too depressing . . . I've started over twice, unraveled rows several times . . . my neck hurts . . . I have a cramp in my left hand . . . I had to do something else . . . Let's see . . .

Oh, yes, I'll restack the plastic bags in the cabinet . . . It's one of those pesky jobs that needs to be done . . . like NEVER!

And by the way, those yellow cardstock sheets taped to the bottom of the cabinet were put there by my son who's into feng shui . . . I have no idea what it means, but I'll have to ask him about balancing my chi to see if the crocheting improves . . .

Revisiting an old hobby . . .

2011-07-17T12:35:00.014-05:00

I fell in love with this afghan from Pottery Barn. Doesn't it just scream cozy? It made me think of cuddling up on a chilly afternoon with a fire burning in the fireplace and a cup of hot cocoa steaming by my side . . . Then I looked at the price tag: $79! “Are they kidding me?” I thought. “I could do this myself for a fraction of the cost!”

And so it began. With delusions of grandeur running amok, I've spent $66.25 in yarn and pattern books. Then, because I didn't know how to crochet a cable stitch and had actually never really learned how to read patterns, I decided to take a class at our local Joann's - for an additional $35 (I tried YouTube, but in this instance, it wasn't helping).

Let me tell you, it's been a while since I have been challenged like this. I have been so frustrated with this stitch! I can't begin to count how many times I wanted to give up! I cursed Pottery Barn and the day I saw that throw! But there's always an epiphany: I had been practicing the pattern on the yarn that they gave me when I took the class - a chartreuse green color - and I just wasn't “feeling it” - I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong, or visualizing the end product.

I decided to get a skein of white yarn and try again. It began to get easier. For one thing, I felt calmer - I only thought to give up once every 10 minutes or so . . . And finally . . . Voilà! Yes!!! Victory is mine!!! I feel like a football player doing a silly touchdown dance! Check out this perfectly executed cable turn!

Now let's get this party started! I've chosen a 100% cotton yarn that feels wonderful on my skin. It's not very stretchy, but, oh, it's a dream to work with . . . and did I mention how great it feels?

Even looking at the pile of skeins makes me happy! And do you notice the label? What could be more delicious than working with sugar and cream?

There will probably be some shrinkage . . . and I've added to the length and width of the original pattern so another trip to the store for more yarn is in the works . . . who knows how much this afghan will truly cost me in the end. But how do you price satisfaction . . . ?

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Passionately Artistic

Carmela's Salad Redux . . .

2011-07-16T13:41:00.003-05:00

The original Carmela's Salad is still my favorite, but here's proof that a good thing can be modified in many ways, and continue to work beautifully . . . or, in this case, deliciously . . .

This time, the pièce de resistance is salmon, baked simply in the oven with a little lemon juice . . . Steam some asparagus spears and red potatoes . . . boil some eggs . . .

Make a lemon vinaigrette, or stick to olive oil and vinegar . . .

Keep it simple. As Ina Garten would say, simple food has the most style . . .

Watermelon Tablescape

2011-07-09T17:12:00.003-05:00

Homage to watermelon . . . one of the joys of summer!

“When one has tasted watermelon, he knows what the angels eat.”

—Mark Twain

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for the fabulous weekly tablescape blog party. Please stop by and visit. Be amazed at the wonderful talent of these bloggers.

Precious blessings

2011-07-04T20:44:00.002-05:00

“My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!”

—Thomas Jefferson

The labor of democracy: Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-03T18:09:00.002-05:00

I found this little book on the bargain rack at Barnes and Noble. It was marked down to $4.99. Four dollars and ninety nine cents plus tax for access to the combined wisdom of our Founding Fathers - men of the Enlightenment, all too human, but wise beyond their time. At a leisurely pace, and with many interruptions, I was able to read it cover to cover in a couple of days.

My wish, as we celebrate our nation's independence, is for more people to read for themselves the content of this little book; for more people to stop trusting self-serving politicians or bombastic commentators, and seek out truth, wherever it may lie. And then, armed with the truth, change themselves.

“This above all: To thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

—William Shakespeare

Thinking . . . Hawaii

2011-06-25T12:37:00.006-05:00

Start out with a pineapple . . . How can one think about Hawaii without a pineapple . . . ?

Pick up some Mai Tai Mix . . .

Take out the ol' bottle of rum . . . Some ice . . . A blender . . .

Make a Mai Tai Cake using a box of yellow cake mix and substituting Mai Tai Mix for the water . . . Then make a glaze using more Mai Tai Mix . . .

Grill some Teriyaki Chicken and slices of that delicious pineapple . . . Ahh! This is what summer is all about . . .

Tea with a Tropical Flair

2011-06-16T08:22:00.012-05:00

How do you keep your annual tea party from becoming predictable? Give it a tropical twist!

Here's the menu: Chicken Potato Salad Cups, Cucumber Cilantro Sandwiches, Ham Bites, Beef-filled Puff Pastries, Flan Squares, Guava Pastries, Lime-Rum Cupcakes, China Oolong Tea . . .

The hibiscus gift boxes from The Container Store were perfect for the party favors (an assortment of single-serving packets of loose tea and a pair of sugar tongs). Tea parties must have cubed sugar - how else would you be able to ask “One lump or two?”

I kept the table settings very simple to let the flowers take center stage. Robert, my friend and florist, has been making arrangements for me since my wedding 27 years ago. He's the most patient and creative man imaginable . . . I asked him for tropical and femenine . . . exotic and ethereal . . . Not too bad, huh?

The centerpieces were composed of oncidium orchids (yellow), dendrobium orchids (magenta), cymbidium orchids (chartreuse), gardenias and white hypericum berries. Tea leaves were placed directly on the table to connect the three arrangements . . .

The oncidium orchids were tall, but wispy and did not block the view across the table . . .

Robert angled the oncidium on the two end pieces to make sure that they would not block the view.

And here are the lovely ladies that came to tea . . .

We didn't want the afternoon to end!

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Please stop by and visit today to see some wonderfully creative and beautiful tables.

Los Cabos: Peaks and Valley

2011-06-12T22:29:00.000-05:00

I feel so short!

Los Cabos - I dare you NOT to smile . . .

2011-06-09T06:32:00.001-05:00

Los Cabos Love (Subtitle: Tacky Tourist Hats!)

2011-06-04T08:14:00.001-05:00

IN THE BACKGROUND

The majestic view of “El Arco” and the beautiful turquoise waters of the Sea of Cortez.

IN THE FOREGROUND

A middle-aged couple having a great time, tacky hats and all!

Lee's bucket hat is actually a souvenir from our trip to Hawaii several years ago and depicts the Hawai'i state fish - the Humuhumunukunukuapua`a.

Birthday Boy in Los Cabos

2011-05-29T09:08:00.002-05:00

Today my son, David, turns 20. What an interesting and appealing man he's turning out to be - Kind, generous, thoughtful, stubborn (don't know how he comes by this), enigmatic, independent, hard-working, fearless, peace-seeking, handsome, quick-witted, smart, loving . . . I know that as his mother, I'm perhaps a tiny bit biased, but just a little . . . He does have faults, but today I can't think of any, not when my heart is so full of love for this child, this miraculous gift from God . . . Let me tell you, the day David was born, God was smiling down on me . . . He sent me the perfect child to teach me what it means to be human, and what it means to know God.

Happy birthday, David!

Los Cabos - The Flora (with John as guest photographer!)

2011-05-26T21:24:00.003-05:00

My son, John, spent a lot of time playing with his new camera. I was the lucky beneficiary of his hobby since he took all these photos!

And, since there's no point in duplicating efforts when you are on vacation, I turned my attention to other important things, like reading mindless novels, napping . . . and deciding whether to have a daiquiri or a piña colada brought to me by the pool . . .

Sometimes . . . life is very good . . .

Los Cabos - The Beach (and I blame Yolanda!)

2011-05-24T17:04:00.002-05:00

I ask you, can I be held responsible if my fellow blogger, Yolanda, of Yolanda-snapshotsofmylife taunted me with the gorgeous photos of her trip to Cabo San Lucas, so much so that I had to have my own photos?

The 200-foot granite rock is known to the locals as “El Arco.” It is the most memorable of a series of rock formations located in Cabo San Lucas, at the extreme southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, known as “Finisterra” - Land's End.

According to the locals, the waters around El Arco reach their lowest point once every four years, allowing the adventurous a closer look at El Arco. We were lucky enough to be visiting while this rare occurence was taking place.

Playa del Amor - Lover's Beach, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean. The beach on the Pacific side is known to the locals as Divorce Beach because of its rough waters.

The ocean waves, and the accompanying undertow, were fierce on this side of the Pacific, so there was no swimming on the beach, but the sound of the ocean lulled us by the pool during the day, and disguised our snores . . . well, it would have, if my husband hadn't kept poking me awake!

View of our hotel from the beach - InterContinental El Presidente Los Cabos, in San José del Cabo.

The great thing about digital photography is not having to deprive yourself of an extra shot that you just had to take. The bad thing about digital photography . . . is the same.

This and That

2011-05-15T09:11:00.015-05:00

The Easter lily has finally succumbed, but it brought us so much joy!

This year's plant was loaded with buds . . .

It bloomed and bloomed and bloomed . . .

Seventeen blooms!

We went to NIU to see our son and his work at an installation art exhibit. The subject of his work was color and how humans make judgments based on cultural connections to color. I told him that this picture of him reminded me a little of Che Guevara. He said: “Who's that?” Goodness, I'm getting old!

We finished painting our bedroom! The room went from Havana Cream yellow to Mountain Air blue . . . and we now have a lovely, smooth ceiling . . . the popcorn is gone!

The bedroom has a tall ceiling and it would be perfect for a beautiful chandelier, but then I'd have to give up the ceiling fan . . . I like having a ceiling fan, it really helps to circulate the air. It's nice when both form and function can be combined, but, for me, function has to come first . . . We have wall controls for the fan, but I couldn't resist these swirly fan pulls. It's like jewelry for the ceiling!

Today, for the first time, I pulled out the beautiful quilt my sons gave me for Mother's Day last year. It has a muted palette that makes the room feel so restful!

Here's a shot of the little corner I call mine. It has all the essentials: Good reading light, my iPod, the Kindle, lots of pillows, an old, faded, comfortable chair . . . However, it's lacking . . . je ne sais quoi . . . style?

Once when I was a teenager, I became ill while visiting a friend of my mother's. She took me into her bedroom to lie down and forever changed how I felt about bedrooms. Her bed was soft and the scent of lilacs perfumed the air. Her sheets were impeccably white and crisp. The decorations were sparse, but she had just enough touches in the room to make it a pretty and very personal space. I fell asleep and when I woke up, I felt better. I've never forgotten that wonderful room.

In recent years, we've gotten sidetracked with other projects, but seeing the freshly painted room and the lovely quilt has reminded me of how important it is to have a welcoming haven in which to read, pray, meditate and relax. Now I'd like to try and recreate the feelings evoked by that calm and inviting room of long ago, and I hope you'll come along for the journey . . . stay tuned!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T17:47:00.006-05:00

This photo of my mother and me was taken on my first birthday. It's such a sweet picture, symbolic of a time when love was simple for the two of us.

My mother was a beautiful woman, and a strong one. She suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for the last thirteen years of her life, eventually succumbing to the disease at the age of 58. We butted heads a lot in my teens and twenties, and I regret that we didn't have the opportunity to develop a more tempered relationship as adults. I can now look back and see how courageous her daily battles with her illness were, and how much effort it took to just get through her day.

Today, a memory came to mind of my mom, with her gnarled, swollen fingers, struggling to put my hair up in curlers so I would look nice for my first orchestra concert in high school, and of me, a bratty teenager, asking her to do one over because it wasn't laying just right . . . definitely not one of my finer moments.

If she were here today, I'd say to her: “Mom, I have kids now.” “I understand so much!”

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Thank you for all the sacrifices you made for me. I love you!

A Study In Pink

2011-05-01T19:56:00.005-05:00

Delicate, soothing, playful, vibrant, scrumptious, soft, femenine, lovely pink! I love pink! Too much pink . . . you think?

“Almost all words do have color and nothing is more pleasant than to utter a pink word and see someone's eyes light up and know it is a pink word for him or her too.”

—Gladys Taber

Author, and columnist for Ladies Home Journal and Family Circle

Tea Bread Tuesday: Blueberry-Raspberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

2011-04-26T21:21:00.000-05:00

I made these for Easter . . . Delicious!

Thank you, Emeril! Here's the link: Blueberry-raspberry-muffins-with-streusel-topping.

A Topsy Turvy Easter

2011-04-24T14:51:00.005-05:00

Our sons had complicated work and school schedules so we had our Easter feast on Saturday night - our Topsy Turvy Easter Brunch!

Instead of the simple, symmetrical lines I usually prefer, I tried something more whimsical, and, overcoming the testosterone that surrounds me, I went pink!

I bought these glass candy dishes from Lillian Vernon, a long, long time ago - at least 15 years ago . . .

They are tiny, but perfect for candy-coated sunflower seeds . . .

Remember the nests from Williams-Sonoma? They are making their second appearance, this time holding jelly beans . . .

The jelly bean colors were pure serendipity. The Jolly Ranchers jelly beans were, at first, a make-do substitute for the Jelly Bellies I'd bought earlier . . . and which my DH ate as soon as he discovered the stash! But the colors in this bag matched my theme . . . Sometimes, things seem come together so beautifully!

More rabbits!

The tulips were placed in bud vases in two different heights to create interest, and it was still easy to see the person sitting on the opposite side . . .

The taller bud vases came from IKEA (79¢ each!) . . .

The smaller vases came from Crate and Barrel . . .

I bought the tablecloth and napkins at HomeGoods . . . The pink and green plaid was a strong design element that balanced the overall softness of the pink theme . . .

I placed tea light holders on the table thinking that it would be dark enough to light them. However, there was still plenty of daylight left when we sat down at 6:30 P.M. . . . And that was totally fine with me!

Later on, they glowed beautifully on the fireplace mantle. What a lovely green color!

Where do you go if you want the best seasonal - and reasonably priced - flowers? Trader Joe's of course!

The tulip-shaped Chardonnay glasses came from IKEA. At $1.99 each, who could resist?

Fresh Blueberry-Raspberry Muffins with Streusel topping . . . The napkin has a Reticello lace corner and is part of a tablecloth set given to us by my godmother on David's baptism.

What would Easter be without a butter lamb on the table . . . ?

The menu, as always, was my kids' favorite: Dad's pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausage . . .

I added the muffins and Quiche Lorraine, and a nice bottle of Chardonnay (I mean, it was dinner, right?)

Oh, and some flaky rolls . . .

Never surprise the kids while eating, or we get this . . .

And this . . .

Happy Easter to everyone!

Happy birthday, Mama Abuela!

2011-04-22T21:39:00.004-05:00

Remembering my grandmother today, in what would have been her 110th birthday. Here she is below, holding me, her only granddaughter.

The most important memory I have of my grandmother is how she always made me feel - loved, safe, perfect. Her eyes would light up when she saw me. She used to call me "rayito de sol" - her little ray of sunshine. She was the first person to really listen to me and to make me feel that my opinions truly mattered. And I amused her. I once told her that I thought my ears had the same shape as hers, but I hoped they wouldn't get as big. She laughed until she cried, and then she said she hoped so, too.

I regret so much that I have so few pictures of her. She loathed the camera, and somehow, managed to avoid it with amazing regularity. And yet, it's not so important. I have her face imprinted in my memory . . . and I don't need to see her face to feel her immense love.

Tea Bread Tuesday: Seed Bread

2011-04-12T18:52:00.000-05:00

“ ‘Anything further I can get you, my lady? Cake of any kind?’
‘Cake?’ Lady Selina thought about it, was doubtful.
‘We are serving very good seed cake, my lady. I can recommend it.’
‘Seed cake? I haven't eaten seed cake for years. It is real seed cake?’
‘Oh, yes, my lady. The cook has had the recipe for years. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure.’
Henry gave a glance at one of his retinue, and the lad departed in search of seed cake.”

Seed cake? What the heck is seed cake? I was inpired this week by Agatha Christie's novel “At Bertram's Hotel” - one of Miss Marple's mysteries. I can just picture Lady Selina, in that oh-so-very-proper-English-accent saying: “It is real seed cake?” Well, I've solved my own little mystery by baking this interesting bread! The seeds in question are caraway seeds!

Here's the recipe:

1¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground almonds
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup maple sugar, or sweetener of choice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/3 cup whole milk (I used 2%)
3 tablespoons caraway seeds

Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9 x 5 loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, salt and almonds. Set aside.
In a larger bowl, cream butter and sugar until light colored and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Add the dry ingredients and milk alternately, a little at a time, until it is fully incorporated.
Pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with a little sugar and bake for 50-60 minutes or until lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes then invert on a rack and cool completely. Serve with butter or whipped cream.

I wonder if Lady Selina would approve . . .

The Argument of His Book

2011-04-10T15:55:00.002-05:00

I sing of brooks, of blossoms, birds, and bowers,

Of April, May, of June and July flowers.

I sing of Maypoles, hock carts, wassails, wakes,

Of bridegrooms, brides, and of their bridal cakes.

I write of youth, of love, and have access

By these to sing of cleanly wantonness.

I sing of dews, of rains, and, piece by piece,

Of balm, of oil, of spice, and ambergris.

I sing of times trans-shifting, and I write

How roses first came red and lilies white.

I write of groves, of twilights, and I sing

The court of Mab and of the fairy king.

I write of hell; I sing (and ever shall)

Of heaven, and hope to have it after all.

—Robert Herrick

A little piece of heaven on earth: The daffodils are blooming!

Yep. We're at it again . . .

2011-03-26T20:13:00.002-05:00

Spiderman doesn't always wear a red, spidery outfit, didn't you know? Sometimes, he wears good ol' jeans and a polo shirt that has seen better days . . . and he actually uses a ladder or two to get up high . . .

This is a shot of my bedroom today. Lee has scraped off all the popcorn plaster that was part of the "builder special" finish that came with the house. Now he's adding a thin layer of joint compound and re-taping all the edges . . . then sanding and smoothing things out so we can paint the ceiling . . . I have the paint color all picked out: It's called "Popcorn" by Behr. Seriously.

Tea Bread Tuesday: Irish Soda Bread Redux

2011-03-15T21:52:00.003-05:00

Tea Bread Tuesday is changing at my house. I will no longer bake a new tea bread every Tuesday. When even my husband, with his insatiable sweet tooth, stopped nibbling on the breads, I knew it was time to reassess the project. Oh, I'll still try out new recipes now and again. I just don't want to continue the search for a new recipe every week. When I started the project, I really thought I'd have enough recipes to fill an entire year. Well, it turns out that, although the recipes are certainly out there, I'm not interested in a great many of them. If anything, all this baking has made me very pernickety about what I choose to bake. So, I will continue to post a new quick bread recipe once in a while, but I'll intersperse my baking with the tried and true recipes that my family already loves.

This week I baked one of our favorites, Irish Soda Bread, which I posted here last year for St. Patrick's Day. This year I tried a small variation: I added the grated zest of one orange, borrowing a suggestion from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa - it was delicious! The orange zest compliments the currants beautifully, and adds a little more depth to the overall flavor.

Thanks to all my friends in blogland, who stuck it out all these months, and indulged me while I went through this tea bread phase. I'm not completely done with it; I'm sure there're one or two recipes that I just have to try out . . . I'll be in touch . . .

I'm back! Sort of . . .

2011-03-13T20:23:00.001-05:00

Twenty-one days of wallowing in my yearly winter depression that has me walking around in a fog, barely going through the motions. I go to work, I do some things around the house (not many). Somehow, enough laundry gets done to get by . . . And yet, as I reflect on the last twenty-one days, a lot of stuff has happened . . . I know I was there . . . sort of . . . Here are some of them:

I ran out of Vitamin D . . .
I caught a cold, my first one in five years . . .
I was Confirmation sponsor for my niece Joyce . . .
My son, John, celebrated his 22nd birthday . . .
I finally ordered Vitamin D online . . .
I booked our family vacation to Cabo San Lucas . . .
I had a new diagnostic mammogram, and it shows that a lump I've had under my breast for the last two years, is gone . . .
Lee started a new remodeling project: He's scraping the popcorn plaster off our bedroom ceiling and smoothing it out with joint compound, a necessary precursor to painting the room . . .
My Vitamin D arrived . . .
John is home on Spring Break . . .

Here are a couple of photos of Joyce's Confirmation. She chose "Lillian," her grandmother's name, as her confirmation name - a touching gesture and a beautiful name . . .

It upsets me so much, this wallowing. So many good things are happening to me, and, all I want to do is sleep! Today, I had a good day. The temperature was in the 40s, and the sun came out . . . The cardinals are back and we've heard them in the morning by our bedroom window . . . John is home, with his usual boundless enthusiasm, drawing us into his projects . . . I had the energy to cook and bake this weekend . . . I'm over the hump, I think, but I just ran out of Omega 3 capsules . . .

Tea Bread Tuesday: Maple Pecan Loaf

2011-02-22T21:38:00.000-06:00

This is a very similar recipe to the Sour Cream-Maple Bread I posted a few months ago but I didn't realize it until afterwards. I suppose we are drawn to the same flavors over and over again.

The bread turned out delicious! The crust was a bit crunchy and gave it a wonderful texture. The flavor was subtle and the bread was so moist! This is a good one!

1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
¾ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease and flour a loaf pan or spray it with PAM for Baking. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a larger bowl beat the butter, add the maple syrup, sour cream and eggs. Add pecans and slowly incorporate the flour mixture until combined.

Pour into the loaf pan and bake 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool bread in loaf pan for about ten minutes and then invert onto a serving platter.

Yum!

Coconut lovers beware . . .

2011-02-20T19:36:00.002-06:00

I spotted these at the checkout counter of my local grocery store. I love, love, love coconut, so despite my son's warning that coconut M&Ms were just wrong, I bought them and eagerly opened up the bag on the way home. I couldn't even wait to get home to try them . . . And, well . . . they were not very good . . . I could hardly taste the coconut!

I turned over the bag to read the ingredients and this is the list (capitalization theirs):

MILK CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SKIM MILK, COCOA BUTTER, LACTOSE, MILKFAT, SOY LETHICIN, SALT, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS), SUGAR CORNSTARCH, LESS THAN 1% - CORN SYRUP, DEXTRIN, COLORING (INCLUDES YELLOW 5 LAKE, RED 40 LAKE, BLUE 2 LAKE, YELLOW 6 LAKE, YELLOW 5, BLUE 1, RED 40, YELLOW 6, BLUE 1 LAKE, BLUE 2), ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, GUM ACACIA.

No coconut? How can you have Coconut M&Ms without coconut???? I turned over the bag again and looked at it a little closer . . .

Remember the old Wendy's Commercial "Where's the Beef?" Well, where's the coconut?

Tea Bread Tuesday: Amaretto Cake

2011-02-15T21:09:00.000-06:00

Who would have thought that there were so many variations for David's Cake?

From Linda (More Fun Less Laundry) - Add a little Kahlua

From Pat (The View Through My Lens) - Use Lemon Cake Mix and Lemon Instant Pudding

From Co-worker Diana - Add a cup of miniature chocolate chips and ¾ C. Bailey's Irish Cream

From Friend Sue - Use yellow cake mix and Pistachio Instant Pudding

And here's one more variation - Amaretto Cake:

Cake:

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
¾ C. Amaretto di Saronno
½ C. water
¼ teaspoon almond extract
4 eggs
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 C. sour cream

Glaze:

6 tablespoons Amaretto di Saronno
1 C. powdered sugar

Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a bundt pan, or spray with PAM for Baking. Combine cake ingredients and mix well until the lumps are gone. Pour mixture into bundt pan and bake 40-45 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in bundt pan for about 10 minutes. Invert on serving plate and allow to cool completely. Prepare glaze and pour over cake.

This cake is going to have you singing "O Sole Mio."

Valentine's Day - A Simple Dinner

2011-02-14T19:46:00.003-06:00

It's so hard to celebrate these minor holidays when they fall in the middle of the week. Tonight, my son, David, joined us for a hardy meal cooked by my husband . . .

While I ran around bringing a little Valentine flavor to the dinner . . .

The menu: Mezzi Rigatoni with meatballs alla marinara . . .

And for dessert . . . petit fours!

AND . . . ! I think I'm on theme for a change (Rule of Thirds) - three place settings! Happy Valentine's Day!

Tea Bread Tuesday: David's Cake

2011-02-08T19:48:00.001-06:00

There's nothing my son, David, likes better than a rich, moist chocolate cake. This recipe is simplicity itself, and chocolate seemed appropriate given that a) Valentine's Day is coming up and that puts me in the mood for chocolate, b) my husband is traveling this week, so I needed to make something that I knew David would eat, and c) . . . well, the powdered sugar covering the cake reminded me of snow, something that's been very much on our minds lately . . .

Here's the recipe:

1 box chocolate or Devil's Food cake mix
1 cup sour cream
5 eggs, slightly beaten
1 3.4-oz. package of instant chocolate pudding
¾ water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a bundt pan, or use PAM spray for baking. Mix all ingredients with a mixer until combined and no lumps remain. Pour into bundt pan. Bake for one hour, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Let cool in bundt pan for at least 10 minutes, invert on serving plate and let cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

I love this bundt pan, the arches in the mold make pretty impressions on the cake. It reminds me a little of this other white stuff and the impressions it created last week against our garage door . . .

Tea Bread Tuesday: Cinnamon Raisin-Bran Bread

2011-02-01T20:40:00.004-06:00

I left work at 2:25 P.M. today. As I write this, we are in the middle of a blizzard, and are expecting the biggest snowstorm to hit Chicago since January 1967. The wind gusts are incredible! The snow has been falling steadily since early in the afternoon, and forecasters are telling us that we are not even in the thick of it yet!

I got home at 5:00 P.M. My husband hadn't made it home yet, and he normally has an even longer commute than I do. Baking was the perfect activity to keep worry at bay, and . . . it's Tea Bread Tuesday!

This recipe came from the back of a box of Hodson Mill unprocessed wheat bran and what attracted me to it at first was the name of the bread - Cinnamon Raisin Bran Bread. I'm very fond of every single one of those ingredients! So, in between looking out the window, and worrying about Lee, and taking a long distance phone call from a cousin who entreated me not to drive tomorrow because she had had a "vision," I baked the bread.

The bread was O.K., nothing particularly special about it, but it did fill the house with wonderful, cozy smells, so when my husband walked in, he had a warm treat, and a fresh pot of coffee waiting for him. He got home at 6:00 P.M. Here's the recipe:

1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1½ cups unprocessed wheat bran
1½ cups seedless raisins
¼ cup softened butter
1½ cups hot water
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375°F. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Combine in a separate bowl wheat bran, raisins, butter and hot water. Mix until the butter melts. Add egg and vanilla extract. Beat well. Add the mixed dry ingredients and nuts; stir until all ingredients are moistened. Spread batter in an oiled 9x5x3 loaf pan and bake for 45-60 minutes. Cool before slicing. Yield 1 loaf.

More birthday fun . . .

2011-01-28T18:17:00.003-06:00

I could get so spoiled coming in to work every day and finding roses like these sitting on my desk . . .

Yup. Cubicle life is made a little more tolerable with some beautiful flowers . . . and it's so nice to be remembered . . .

Tea Bread Tuesday: Country Applesauce Muffins

2011-01-25T20:14:00.002-06:00

I can't quite make up my mind which job would be more fun to have: Picking out nail polish names for OPI (I'm currently wearing "I'm Not Really a Waitress") or designing paper liners for cupcakes and muffins . . . Aren't these paper liners fun?

For the muffins I decided to try out my sister-in-law, Barb's suggestion to lower the oven temperature a little bit and cook a little longer (although she was referring to cookie-baking). It worked beautifully! The muffins were so moist! I've also been noticing lately that I'm not too crazy about the taste of cloves. This recipe didn't call for cloves (unlike other spice cakes I've made recently) and I found the taste more subtle and much more to my liking . . .

I'll make this one again. Here's the link: Country Applesauce Muffins

53!

2011-01-24T18:13:00.001-06:00

Tea Bread Tuesday: Apricot Raisin Bread

2011-01-18T20:51:00.000-06:00

It's a true testament to how good this bread is, that, even though I botched the baking time, it still came out delicious.

I should rename this bread "Discombobulation Bread" in honor of my mood while I was preparing it. I couldn't get a system going as I prepared the bread. I was so distracted that I kept losing track of what I was doing and had to measure a few ingredients a couple of times . . . I even remarked to my DH that this bread was a lot of work, just because it called for soaking the apricots and raisins in boiling water . . . that little extra step was frustrating me to no end!

I finally popped it in the oven, and ran upstairs to my office to file a couple of warranty booklets that had been lying around since Christmas, then on top of my desk I noticed a friend's birthday card I'd been meaning to send . . . then there was the envelope with my friend's new address that had to be transferred to my address book . . . then there was a sock that needed to be put away, not two socks, mind you, just one . . . and where's the second one? Ah! There it is! In the sock drawer! And, since I was upstairs, I decided I may as well take my shower and get dressed . . . and while shampooing my hair, I suddenly remembered: THE BREAD!!!! I yelled down at my DH to check the bread, but it was already too late - the bread wasn't burned but it was definitely overdone, and somewhat dry.

So instead of a moist tea bread, I ended up with a bread that had the texture of panetone - a dry Italian fruit cake. But heck, I wasn't about to throw it out! We've been dunking it in our tea and coffee!

The bread was so tasty! I'll be making this one again for sure - but baking it for the correct time . . . after I take my shower . . .

Here's the recipe (from The Silver Palate Cookbook):

1 cup boiling water, approximately
¾ cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
½ cup raisins
3 tablespoons plus ½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten
2¼ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
3/4 cup unprocessed bran

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch bread pan.
Pour boiling water over apricots and raisins just to cover. Let sit for 10 minutes. Drain well and add 3 tablespoons sugar. Mix well.
While fruit is soaking, add the remaining ½ cup sugar to the oil and beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well mixed.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together and add alternately with milk and bran to oil mixture. Fold in fruits.
Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a cake rack.

1 loaf

Christmas . . . Continued . . .

2011-01-14T19:43:00.002-06:00

Check out the Christmas Eve centerpiece, more than 15 days later, revamped for another family get-together . . .

I removed the wilted roses, calla lilies and hydrangea, and inserted white carnations, alstroemeria, and, since the pickings at the supermarket were rather slim, I found an alternative to a third flower right on our Christmas tree - royal blue balls with silver swirls . . .

The blue/white/silver theme was reinforced with a navy tablecloth - a more forgiving color for such a casual dinner; blue and white York peppermint pieces in the white ramekins, and Lindor truffles resting on top of the napkins . . .

This was a very informal affair and everything was served buffet style, but buffet-style can still be organized, and welcoming, and, hopefully, a bit charming . . .

And here's the gang, two of my husband's sisters, their spouses and our rambunctious niece and nephew, who are growing up way too fast! For some weird reason, my brother-in-law, Jim, ended up wearing my pink, sequined cowgirl hat . . .

I have now officially closed the book on Christmas 2010 . . . but I'm still putting away the decorations . . .

Tea Bread Tuesday: Almond Bread - Celebrating Epiphany

2011-01-11T20:07:00.003-06:00

From YourDictionary.com:
al- (al)

the: used in words of Arabic origin: algebra, alchemy, al-Mansur
Origin: < Ar al
al- (al, əl)

Hmm . . . as in alcohol . . . or alabaster . . . or almonds . . .

Almonds always remind me of marzipan, and the Three Kings Day . . . The Magi purportedly came from the Middle East and Asia, where almonds were cultivated from early days . . . It's fun to imagine that along with gold, myrrh and frankincense, the Magi may have brought some almonds to the Baby Jesus . . . . (which, of course, Mary would have had to turn into almond milk . . . ). I had a college professor once in a Sociology class, who spent two days pondering what was likely to have been served at the Last Supper . . . but I digress . . .

I really like this almond bread recipe. The almond taste is mild, the texture is wonderful . . . my husband likes it . . . and the recipe yields two loaves, so I can keep one at home and take one to work . . . a complete win-win . . .

Here's the recipe:

1 cup grapenut cereal
3 cups milk
1 cup (1 can) almond paste, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs, beaten
1½ cups sugar
3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Combine cereal and mil and soak for one hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. Grease two 8x4x2 loaf pans.
Cream almond paste, butter, eggs and sugar. Add the mil and cereal mixture.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed mixture.
Pour into loaf pans and bake for one hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Yields 2 loaves

The Christmas season continues . . . As always, I pray for a year of epiphanies. May they teach me, and humble me, and guide me through the complicated labyrinth of life.

Tea Bread Tuesday: Cookies

2011-01-04T20:29:00.000-06:00

Surely, at this time of year, it must be all right to take a detour from tea breads, and move into the realm of cookies, wouldn't you say? I love cookies, but I don't enjoy baking them all that much. I don't mind mixing the dough, but the baking process seems to take forever. In and out of the oven with the cookie trays, the cooling racks . . . and they seem to me to be a bit persnickety with the oven temperature and the time in the oven. They certainly aren't very forgiving if you become distracted . . . But, ahh . . . they are so wonderful!

There's something magical about cookies, especially Christmas cookies . . . So, instead of tea and bread, this week my husband and I enjoyed a fresh cup of coffee and a cookie plate, featuring Butterballs, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Cranberry-Chocolate-Chip Biscotti made by my sister-in-law, Angela!

Angela is a wonderful cook. Everything she's ever baked for us has been delicious, and I'm not just saying that so she'll read this and send us more biscotti (but if you want to, Angela, Lee loves the ones you made with pistachios). She sent us the biscotti for Christmas and I hid it from the kids. Am I a horrible mother? See, the thing is that my kids do not have a very sophisticated palate and it seemed a waste to let them eat these scrumptious morsels, when they'd be just as happy with Oreos . . . and I did let them eat the homemade Chocolate Chip cookies, which is what they always ask for anyway . . .

For the Chocolate Chip cookies, I just followed the directions for Nestlé Toll House Cookies. The Butterballs came from The Silver Palate Cookbook. Here's the recipe for the Butterballs:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) sweet butter, softened
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup shelled pecans, chopped moderately fine
¾ cup confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease one or two cookie sheets.
Cream butter. Beat in honey; gradually mix in flour and salt, then vanilla. Add pecans. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Form balls by hand, the size of quarters. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Remove from oven; as soon as cool enough to touch, roll in confectioner's sugar. Allow to cool and roll again in sugar.

Yields about 36 cookies.

* * * * * * *

FLASH UPDATE ON THE COMPUTER SPEAKER: My son, John, is taking it with him back to school. I'm glad that it's going to be put to use, but this can be such a horrible setback! The last thing a pack-rat needs is to be emboldened by someone actually needing something they've picked up. They can't wait to say: "See?" "I knew it was a good thing to bring home!" It makes it ever so much more difficult to discourage them . . .

Marital Discord: Two Obsessive-Compulsive Neurotics Sharing Living Quarters

2011-01-03T18:44:00.004-06:00

I walked in the house tonight and found this on the kitchen table . . .

I won't keep you in suspense: This salt-shaker-looking thing is a computer speaker . . . a used, 6 or 7-year-old speaker that my husband brought home from work . . . because they were throwing it out! Mind you, he didn't bring it home because he found it interesting-looking. Nope. My husband, bless his heart, is all about function. Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) might have said that my DH sees the classic beauty of the object, not the romantic. He also didn't bring it home because he needed it. As a matter of fact, he has a new set of speakers that came with the new computer he got for Christmas. He brought it home because he has a pack-rat compulsion to bring home electronic "things" which even if he can't use immediately, he can save for that rainy day when China stops manufacturing them . . .

I fully realize that we all have our little quirks, and one of mine is trying to keep junk from finding a spot in the house and marking its turf . . . and I can be quite obsessive about it . . . but we just spent Sunday cleaning out part of the basement and organizing the Laundry Room and the pantry . . . I couldn't believe that after all that work he'd bring home . . . more junk? So soon???? Arrgh!!!

By the way, I read this post to him before I published it . . . he just laughed. The speaker will make its way to the basement and I'll be looking at this ugly thing on and off for the next decade until he finally convinces himself that it's time to let it go . . . And you know what? It could be worse. We have relatives (on both sides) that could give lessons in collecting stuff. I mean, college-level lessons, Pack-Ratting 101. Sometimes, I have to remind myself of how much worse it could be . . .

Meditation: Not Om . . . but Hiss . . .

2011-01-01T18:32:00.000-06:00

I love ironing. I know, there aren't too many of us out there . . . (maybe there's a blog . . . ). I use a Rowenta iron, which I've owned for close to 15 years. I remember how guilty I felt when I bought it all those years ago . . . I think I paid over $100 for it, although now you can find it for considerably less. It seemed like an outrageous amount of money to pay for an iron, even though I was ironing a lot of shirts every week while the boys were attending Catholic school . . . but I seem to have gotten my money's worth . . .

For me, ironing is a way to relax while still being productive . . . I love the smell of water vapor being released . . . And then, there's the hiss of the iron (set to maximum steam if possible) when it touches the damp fabric . . . It's a multi-sensory experience! Some people burn candles or incense when they meditate . . . I use my steam iron . . .

Our Laundry Room is small and does not allow enough space to be able to leave the ironing board unfolded and ready to go. And, between the lack of convenience and my busy life, I end up taking a lot of stuff to the dry cleaners that I once ironed myself. But I'm very particular about my tablecloths and napkins, and I haven't found a cleaners nearby that will press them to my satisfaction. I mean, is it too much to ask that all napkin corners match when folded in half . . . ?

Or that they give me a crease down the middle of the tablecloth and that they fold the tablecloth in half the long way . . . ? These dry cleaners insist on folding the tablecloth in half the short way, even when I specifically instruct them to crease it the other way . . . I've given up and just press them myself . . .

This is one of the tablecloths that we used on Christmas Eve . . . now nicely pressed and waiting for the next dinner party . . .

A beautiful tablescape begins here . . .

Tea Bread Tuesday: Gingerbread Cake II

2010-12-28T18:52:00.002-06:00

I had promised my husband that I'd make last week's cake again, but without the lemon glaze. It so happens that my wonderful sister-in-law, Barb, sent me this gingerbread mold for Christmas. Wow! Talk about perfect!

Those little guys are delightful! So moist! So cute! So perfect for the season!

Of the six siblings, only three made it out long enough to photograph; the other three must have run away, singing "Run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man" . . . or something . . .

Oh, and the bread without the lemon glaze was much more to my family's liking . . . Here's the recipe again . . . Gingerbread Cake

Christmas Eve Part 2: The food, the fam, the gifts . . .

2010-12-27T19:59:00.004-06:00

I've been remiss in posting Part 2 of our wonderful Christmas Eve celebration promptly, but I have been a bit distracted with . . . MY BRAND SPANKING NEW KINDLE!!!!!!!!!

I had barely begun warming up to the idea of an e-reader, and voilà! Santa was listening! Ho, Ho, Ho to me!

How come no one ever mentioned to me the cool pictures that appear on the cover every time you turn off the Kindle? It's taking me ten extra minutes staring at the cover before I start reading! They are so awesome!

Check out this other one . . .

Here's the coolest thing for me so far . . . We've been practicing homeopathy for over 20 years and I'm forever lugging about several reference books to help diagnose symptoms . . . BUT NO MORE!!!!! I found the books online at a fraction of the cost and weight of the paper versions!

Here it is now! Right in my very own little Kindle! Boy, traveling will never be the same again!

Anyway, on to the Christmas Eve menu:

Appetizers

Black Olives

Brie en Croute

Cheddar cheese, fresh fruit

Chicago Flat crackers

Salad of romaine lettuce, cranberries, walnuts and blue cheese crumbles, dressed with a pomegranate-infused balsamic vinaigrette

Roast Pork Shoulder with garlic marinade

Black Bean Soup, Cuban Style

Steamed White Rice

Yuca con Mojo (Casava with garlic-lime marinade)

Dessert

Flan de Leche

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting (made by my sister-in-law, Kathy)

This menu is for garlic lovers. Cuban cuisine is not spicy hot, but it makes up for it with the garlic!

No self-respecting Cuban would be caught dead without a rice cooker . . .

Or two . . . Together they made 15 cups of rice . . .

My godson, Scott, and his wife, Jackie, hadn't been with us for the last two years but called us at the last minute to say they were coming. I was so happy! They walked in, smelled the garlic, and Scotty promptly said: "On our way over, I was telling Jackie: 'Boy, she better be making the Cuban dinner!' " This confirmed my decision to stick to the tried and true menu above and not experiment with new dishes. It was so nice to relax and enjoy my family without having to worry about fussing in the kitchen . . .

My brother Al and beautiful sister-in-law, Kathy . . .

My boys, John and David with their Mama . . .

My nephews, Colin and Kevin . . .

The whole gang . . . My battery died just before this picture was taken, so this one was taken with Jackie's point-and-shoot camera propped up on top of four Harry Potter books . . .

It was such a wonderful night . . .

Christmas Eve Part 1: A Silver and Green Tablescape

2010-12-25T14:13:00.014-06:00

But not dark green . . . it had to be sort of a chartreuse green . . .

One of the little boxes that received the "hot glue" treatment . . . They contained Fannie May truffles . . .

The Christmas tree place card holders were a serendipitous find at Crate and Barrel . . . Each guest got to take one home to hang on their tree . . .

The china pattern is Federal Platinum by Lenox . . .

Chargers from Pottery Barn . . . Flatware from our local grocery store bought about 10 years ago in one of those spend-a-million-dollars-and-you-can-have-a-place-setting-for-$2 schemes . . . The napkins are embroidered with our last name initial, a find at Williams-Sonoma . . .

View of the auxiliary table with our Living-Room-turned-Library in the background . . .

The centerpieces contained calla lilies, miniature green hydrangeas, dendrobium orchids, white roses and green berries, resting on a bed of evergreens and accented with touches of silver, with 15-inch white candles rising from the center . . .

View of both tables . . .

We didn't have enough glasses of any one kind, so we mixed them up . . . On the table are Colonial Williamsburg's Winter's Garland (green water goblets), Atlantis Chartres (from our wedding), Riley stemware (Crate and Barrel) . . .

Tomorrow we'll talk about the food . . . and the company!!! Merry Christmas to everyone!

I'm joining Susan, at Between Naps on the Porch, for Tablescape Thursday. Please click on the link and visit, and enjoy the amazing work of fellow tablescapers.

Christmas Eve: Details, details . . .

2010-12-22T20:40:00.000-06:00

Tea Bread Tuesday: Gingerbread Cake

2010-12-21T21:19:00.004-06:00

Why is gingerbread traditionally baked in a square pan? I mentioned to a co-worker that I'd be baking a loaf of gingerbread this week and she immediately corrected me. Not a loaf, she says, but a square. Why? Because. That was the explanation she gave me . . . and I haven't been able to improve on that despite a cursory search on the internet . . . so I wasn't about to mess with tradition . . .

I loved this bread! Full disclosure: Lee thought it was too sweet. Perhaps, but I think that it's just a strong-tasting bread. Imagine the taste of molasses, ginger, cinnamon and lemon, all combined into one recipe. Subtle is one word that could not be applied to describe it. It needs the sugar, but I'll make it again, and perhaps I'll try it without the lemon glaze to see if my DH likes it better that way.

Here's the recipe:

1½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ salt
½ cup shortening
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup molasses
½ cup boiling water

Glaze:

3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cups powder sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a square baking pan. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the shortening, sugar, egg. Add molasses and water. Slowly add dry ingredients until combined. Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert in serving dish.

Make the glaze: Combine the lemon juice and powder sugar in a small bowl until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour over warm gingerbread. Cover and let it sit overnight. By morning, the glaze will have been completely absorbed.

3 more days til Christmas Eve!

The beauty of Christmas ain't always purty . . .

2010-12-20T17:43:00.000-06:00

Please pardon my attire. I did not realize when I came down early to wrap presents that I would be posing for pictures . . . Oops, my head was partially cut off . . . It's just as well, I still had bed hair . . .

Note to self: Don't ever buy silver wrapping paper again! My family thought I was insane for trying to use hot glue to seal these packages . . . They were right! I made the mistake of buying this silver wrapping paper and I hated how the Scotch tape strips showed. I tried three different kinds of tape, a satin, a matte, and another one labeled "Gift Wrap Tape" but none of them worked all that well . . .

Second note to self: Do not attempt to use the glue gun right after getting a manicure! The hot glue was a bust anyway - there were thin strands of glue that looked like spun sugar flying all over the place and sticking to everything . . . not to mention the glops on the table and the burns . . .

Third note to self: I can't think of a third one but there ought to be another one, don't you think . . . ?

Deck the Halls . . .

2010-12-17T12:41:00.000-06:00

With boughs of holly . . .

Fa la la la la, la la la la . . .

Tea Bread Tuesday: Blue Rum Cupcakes

2010-12-14T20:29:00.005-06:00

Whenever my resolve to continue the "Tea Bread Tuesday" project wavers, something happens to renew my commitment. This week, it was my son John's homecoming for the holidays. While I was at work today, John took over the kitchen - he made dinner AND baked cupcakes. The aroma of chicken fricassée greeted me in the garage . . . Ahh . . . a home-cooked meal in the middle of the week . . . am I in heaven? And this was waiting for me on the counter . . .

John made cupcakes from a box of yellow cake mix, adding a squirt of rum for a little zing . . . Can you imagine? MY SON IS IMPROVISING IN THE KITCHEN!!!

Is there anything better than a fresh cupcake . . . ?

It's so funny how my family has gotten behind Tea Bread Tuesday. Whether it's my husband hovering around the kitchen while I'm baking . . . or David teasing me about these cupcakes not counting because I didn't bake them . . . or John checking up on me from school to make sure I didn't forget to bake . . . they've all embraced the project . . . I don't think they'd let me quit now . . .

I suppose, technically, these cupcakes shouldn't count . . . but who wants to be technical, anyway? I ate one of these morsels for dessert and it was delicious! But let me tell you . . . the secret ingredient is not rum . . . it's love . . .

Mullets, shags and Christmas red . . .

2010-12-13T19:21:00.004-06:00

After Angela's comment on my last post, I wasn't sure whether I had a mullet in the 80's or a shag, so I had to go digging through the photo albums . . . It turned out I had both!

Here I am with a mullet, which I wore 1982 - 1983 . . .

And here I am with a shag as a newlywed in 1984 . . .

And here's my kitchen chandelier all decked out in Christmas red, which has nothing whatsoever to do with the 80's . . .

. . . but it's more fun to think about my chandelier, which always looks beautiful, than about my hair, which never looks quite right . . .

The Mikado

2010-12-12T15:13:00.010-06:00

One of the intriguing things that is beginning to happen to my husband and me as quasi-empty-nesters, is the opportunity to go out without too much advance planning, needing to take a vote, check baby-sitter availability, or having to make sure that the refrigerator is filled with food. I mean . . . we just got dressed and left . . . hmm . . . We didn't even have to write down emergency numbers for anyone . . . It was rather liberating . . . and weird . . .

Anyway, last night, Lee and I went to see The Mikado at the Lyric Opera House in downtown Chicago. Whenever we go there, I remember the first time Lee took me when we were dating back in 1983 to see the musical, 42nd Street. Picture the two of us . . . young and cute . . . with the most appalling taste in clothes! Lee wore his black biker leather jacket (yes, unbelievable as it may seem, at one point in his life, my husband owned a motorcycle) over his light blue polyester suit that had been out of style for at least ten years. I wore a Norwegian blue fox fur jacket . . . and a mullet. What can I say? It was the eighties!

In time, Lee got rid of the bike and the suit (the jacket is in the back of a closet somewhere . . . ), and I shed the mullet and the fur . . . but the memory . . . I wish I had a picture. This morning Lee and I were talking about our evening . . . and laughing at our young, naïve selves. The funny thing is that much has changed in the intervening 26 years with regards to the dress code for the opera; a broader range of styles is now quite acceptable and not so obviously out of place. I saw long dresses and pearls last night, although most women were wearing smart casual outfits . . . but there were also a few old coots that stuck to their jeans and gym shoes without regard to what anyone thought . . . I suppose I enjoyed them the most remembering that evening in 1983.

The evening as a whole was wonderful, but to be truthful, The Mikado was a bit disappointing. I thought for sure that a play featuring a pair of star-crossed lovers named Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum, had to be fun. I suppose part of the play was, but the music was just so-so. I didn't latch on to any song that would make me want to sing it in the shower over and over again. I did learn the origin of the term "The Grand Poo-Bah" - in The Mikado, he holds, among others, the titles of First Lord of the Treasury, Lord Chief Justice, Commander-in-Chief, Lord High Admiral, Archbishop of Titipu and Lord Mayor - and is now applied mockingly to someone who exhibits an inflated self-regard . . .

Here's a view of the Main Lobby as the crowd was exiting the theatre. The photo was taken from the Mezzanine . . .

The building has some beautiful Art Deco touches, including the chandeliers . . .

Detail from above one of the doorways . . .

The play started at 7:30 P.M. We left the house at around 5:15 P.M. to allow for time, weather and distance. When the play ended at 10:25 P.M. we were hungry, so we dashed to the nearest McDonald's. Never did one of those greasy, inferior hamburgers taste so good! Afterwards, we settled in for the ride back, and listened to Christmas music all the way home. Then we went to bed . . . me and my Nanki-Poo . . .

Father Christmas . . . WAKE UP!

2010-12-09T21:56:00.006-06:00

After laughing myself silly over Angela's and Nicki's posts of unusual Santas, I scrutinized my own collection and found this one, which was a souvenir from a friend visiting England during the holidays. He came complete with a Harrod's toy bag. This Santa doesn't seem to be able to keep his eyes open!

Flying around through all those time zones must be wrecking havoc with his sleep, poor fellow . . .

Las Tres Amigas

2010-12-09T06:20:00.005-06:00

Well, there's three of us . . . and I'm not entirely sure why we always seem to end up at Mexican restaurants . . . Carol, Sue and I have worked together for many years. It's so lovely when a great working relationship can transcend to true friendship. This is what has happened to us. We don't see each other often these days because our jobs have put us in multiple office locations, so these holiday get-togethers have become even more important and more fun . . .

We always start out talking about work, and end up talking about God . . . gradually moving from the mundane to that all-powerful Presence in our lives . . . and it surely must be Divine intervention that has put these marvelous women in my path. Merry Christmas, Carol and Sue!

Tea Bread Tuesday: Date-Nut Bread

2010-12-07T22:12:00.001-06:00

I baked the tea bread last night for today's blog post because I knew I'd be out tonight at the annual Las Tres Amigas get-together (more on that tomorrow). And this is what I found this morning on the kitchen counter before I had a chance to photograph the bread. A little mouse named Lee apparently had a slice before going to bed, and then a second one this morning on his way out the door . . . Well, at least he re-covered it so it wouldn't dry out . . .

The bread was deeee-licious! I have made many versions of Date-Nut Bread over the years, but I had never tried The Silver Palate's version. Now I could kick myself for having had this recipe at my fingertips all this time and never trying it out! The recipe's secret ingredient is rum - 1½ tablespoons of it, just enough to infuse the batter with its flavor. It compliments the dates beautifully! What an unexpected surprise! And, as an additional boon, Lee loved it! I'll definitely be making this one again.

Here's the recipe:

4 tablespoons sweet butter, cut into 6 chunks

1 cup, pitted dates, coarsely chopped

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup boiling water

1 egg, beaten

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, sifted

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup shelled black walnuts, coarsely chopped

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ tablespoon rum

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 bread pan.

2. Place butter in a large mixing bowl, place dates on top, and pour both sugars over. Pour boiling water over ingredients in the bowl. Let sit for 7 minutes. Stir well.

3. When mixture is cool, add the egg and mix well.

4. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to date mixture, beating for 30 seconds. Stir in walnuts, vanilla and rum.

5. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Just be careful of little mice left to wonder around by themselves . . .

Resistance is futile . . .

2010-12-06T20:29:00.004-06:00

Sometimes Mother Nature feels like the "Borg" - the alien race from Star Trek: The Next Generation, intent on assimilating individual intergalactic species into a single collective. Anyone who fought was told: "Resistance is futile." So, unlike those fearless trekkies, I surrender: Winter is here . . . This was the view from my bedroom window on Saturday morning.