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Weekend Cooking; An Easy Green Product to Love

Every Saturday morning this summer my husband has been getting up at the crack of dawn to load up his van and goods from our kitchen to sell at our local farmer’s market. He is steadfast and hardworking. We aren’t farmers though and the only reason he chose to do this is to do something with his church youth group-it was a way to earn money for their mission trip to W. VA. Half way through the summer they had enough so each teen could go on the trip and their original fee was waived. The market kept going though and now the earnings are just getting the youth group fun back in the green.

Handsome husband, Groovy Girl and youth group + customer

My husband learned last Spring how to grow a variety of different sprouts and those have sold well at the market. I started making about 4-5 loaves of my Simple Pot Bread every week and they usually all sold. When I first started experimenting with making multiple loaves I didn’t like wasting the saran wrap the recipe called for to cover the rising bread. I tried using parchment paper and some rubber bands (FAIL-the rubber bands kept snapping off) and ended up in the grocery aisle searching for a solution.

I found a funny looking product by Cover Mate; Stretch to Fit Food Covers. They look like clear plastic shower caps!! They work perfectly to cover bowls of dough, allowing it to rise and then I can use it again and again and again! I dislike throwing things away and I love it when I find a positive solution.

Weekend Cooking is sponsored by Beth Fish Reads. Click to her link to find many more food-related posts. She has a chicken wing recipe that my husband would love-maybe I should make it for him for all those early Saturday mornings he left me snoozing while he tip-toed out and to the market!

Have a peaceful week!

A Whirlwind Celebration

The birthday week started off with a matching sleep outfit for Groovy Girl and her matching A.G. doll. She was so excited about this gift she put her pajamas on at 6:30 in the evening!! Who would know that was the trick for an early bedtime!

Her actual birthday morning started with homemade waffles, warm maple syrup and fresh whipped cream! Don’t bother looking at the messy kitchen table–it’s an active week with no time for clearing off the table. To the right you can see the magical bonsai tree my handsome husband gave me for my August birthday. I’m happy to say the bonsai is doing well. I haven’t killed it off yet.

Here she is on her way to her afternoon piano lessons on her birthday-I just like the outfit and her smile shows she’s had a fabulous day. Sharing Matt’s Cookies at school with her classmates was one highlight for her! She is a girl on the go! This weekend she goes back to ice skating class and she wants to try a new gymnastics studio.

When I look at my big 9-year-old what I really see is this baby girl. She came into this world as a 3-lb fairy doll, barely filling out her preemie wardrobe and now she is the whirlwind above. Life truly is a blessing.

Weekend Cooking; Chocolate Birthday Cake

Groovy Girl’s birthday is just around the corner and tomorrow I will be making her a cake and decorating it too, Last year I made the same chocolate cake but with white frosting because she wanted to decorate it herself and there she is up above with her decorated cake-turning 8. This year our little cake lover is going to stick with a more subdued chocolate frosting and a little less decoration-they result will still be delicious and creative.

I’ve made this chocolate cake for her three years in a row and it is from my Baking Illustrated; The Practical Kitchen Companion for the Home Baker from the America’s Test Kitchen people. I LOVE this book because it provides me with all kinds of tips, tricks and the reasons why they work.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake (360-361)
(serves 12)

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
12 T. unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup nonalkalized cocoa, such as Hershey’s, sifted
2 tsp instant expresso or coffee powder
1 cup plus 2 T milk

1 recipe (to follow) Rich Chocolate Cream Frosting

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease two 8-inch round cake pans and cover the pan bottoms with rounds of parchment and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.
2. Beat the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer at medium-high speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar, beat until the mixture is fluffy and almost white, 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating 1 full minute after each addition.
3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and instant espresso powder in a medium bowl. Combine the milk and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer at the lowest speed, add about a third of the dry ingredients to the batter, followed immediately by about a third of the milk mixture; mix until incorporated into the batter. Repeat the process twice more. When the batter appears blended, stop the and scrape the sides with a spatula. Return the mixer to low speed; beat until the batter looks satiny, about 15 seconds longer.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. With a rubber spatula, spread the batter to the pan sides and smooth the tops. Bake the cakes until they feel firm in the center when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean, 23-30 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack; cool for 10 mins. Run a knife around the perimeter of each pan, invert the cakes onto the racks, and peel off the paper liners. reinvert the cakes onto additional racks; cool completely before frosting.
5. Assembly and frost the cake according to illustrations on page 144-when you turn to pg 144 you are given detailed directions on anchoring the cake with frosting, frosting in between the layers and how to get a smooth top. Mine never looks like their’s even though I follow the directions but it still tastes wonderful. Frost and slice.

Frosting:

16 ozs. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; pour over the chocolate. Add the corn syrup and let stand 3 minutes. Whisk gently until smooth; stir in vanilla. Refrigerate 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes, until the mixture reaches a spreadable consistency. This frosting does not keep well, so it should be served within a day.

Weekend Cooking is a weekly meme hosted by Beth Fish Reads-click on over to other wonderful food-related posts.

Laura Amy Schlitz's A Drowned Maiden's Hair; A Melodrama

I’ve been back to work a week and haven’t had a chance to blog all week. I’m tired every night and have just enough energy to work with Groovy Girl on homework and get something scraped together for dinner. I did manage to read this entire charming book one night as a lay awake with insomnia, the night before my return to school. I loved The Night Fairy by Schlitz and pulled this one off my library shelf and dragged it home in my summer library box. I love how I grab them out at the ninth hour, just as I’m returning to school to read. I’m happy I got this one finished though-it will be easy to talk students into reading this just creepy enough chapter book.

A Drowned Maiden’s Hair;

A Melodrama

Laura Amy Schlitz

2006

While this takes place in 1909 I don’t think I would categorize it as historical fiction-it truly is a melodrama!

Synopsis:

Maud Flynn is living at the Barbary Asylum for Female Orphans and hates it! She has trouble with authority and dislikes the horrible living conditions. Lucky for her two nice elderly women come looking to adopt an 8-year-old but pick 11-year-old Maud instead. At first, Maud is thrilled to be pampered and living in the almost lap of luxury with the three Hawthorne sisters. There is one catch though and that is she must remain hidden; a secret adopted child, never venturing outside and tiptoeing to her third floor room when visitors come calling. Eventually her favorite sister, Hyacinth, informs her of the family “business” and why she must remain hidden until they can put her to work as a “dead” child in a seance!

My thoughts:

This book is a lot of fun. The premise of the Hawthorne sisters holding seances to convince wealthy clients of their dead relatives desires is definite trickery but when they bring Maud in to play a young girl who drowned it becomes too much to bear. Maud, as an orphan, craves human love and the idea that the sisters only have concern for her when she serves their purpose becomes unbearable. Maud, choosing not to stay completely hidden (her independent streak shines), meets the grieving mother of the drowned girl, which makes Maud even more contrite as she tries to fight her inner desire for love and the yucky feeling tricking someone brings to her. It’s a twisted tale and you will cheer for Maud as she learns to make some difficult decisions on her own. I had another ending in mind that involved her brother but I was quite happy with how Schlitz chose to finish Maud’s tale.

Read another review at Becky’s Book Reviews.

Library Loot; A Quiet Trip to my Local

I ventured out yesterday with a small list of errands to do. I was on my own as Groovy Girl hadn’t even started cleaning her room she lost out on “getting to run errands” with me! One of my errands was to our local dairy for popcorn-yes, popcorn- and bleu cheese and she would have been able to get some farm fresh ice cream had she finished (or even started) cleaning her room. My errands were run solo and my library trip was quiet as I browsed the shelves. Sorry G.G.

Here’s what I found in the midst of all the beautiful library shelves:

1. Dirtall Pete by Eileen Brennen

2. Not All Princesses Dress In Pink by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple

3. Mudkin by Stephen Gammell

4. Hogg, Hogg, & Hog by Margie Palatini

5. Follow the Line To School by Laura Ljungkvist

6. A Garden for Pig by Kathryn K. Thurman

7. The Queen of France by Tim Wadham

8. An Amber Cat by Hilary McKay

9. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin

10. A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

11. The Sisters Grimm Number 6 by Michael Buckley

The first seven were from the new picture book shelf-a must stop for both Groovy Girl and I. She opened the bag and read all the picture books right after I returned yesterday.

Numbers 8 and 9 are picks for a fantasy class I am taking through Fresno Pacific. I’m excited about the class but I was a lot disappointed that the syllabus included with my course materials was filled with old (classics) and no new fantasy when there are so many.

Groovy Girl and I finished up number 5 of The Sisters Grimm on Saturday morning and she was desperate to get the next one. This series really has a hold on my little princess girl!

I also found a very helpful young male librarian in the YA section who special ordered Crossed by Allie Condie for me!
Library Loot is hosted by Eva at A Striped Armchair.

Weekend Cooking;The yumminess that is Bread Pudding w/ Whiskey Sauce

Teenage Son wrapped in new quilt made by
amazingly talented mother-in-law!

This is one of my husband’s favorite desserts and so I whipped it up to celebrate our anniversary. I like bread pudding but the pull for me is the sauce! This recipe is from an old Vegetarian Times (Feb, 2009) and its been written in my favorite recipes book ever since.

(Image from VT)

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

3 large eggs

2 egg whites

1 cup skim milk

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

5 cups cubed day old whole wheat bread, cut or torn into 1/2 in-cubes

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Whisk together first 7 ingredients. Fold in cubed bread, raisins and cranberries. Let stand 5 minutes for bread to absorb custard. Set oven to 350 degrees. Coat 9-in square baking pan with spray and spread bread mixture into pan. Bake 35-40 minutes until no egg mixture is bubbling up.

Whiskey Sauce:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup whiskey

Add water and brown sugar to small saucepan. Bring to a boil on med-high and let boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add whiskey. Boil 2 more minutes and then transfer to small pitcher. Let cool just a bit and serve warm over individual bowls of bread pudding. Add flavored whipped cream to top of bowl.

This is such an easy recipe for the delicious “ooohs” and “aahhhs” you will get when you serve it!

Weekend Cooking is a regular meme hosted by Beth Fish Reads-click to her link to find many more food-related posts and recipes.

Happy Cooking!!

August Update-13 books!

I’ve read a bunch of wonderful books in August! I had minor surgery to remove a cyst and have spent a lot of time resting and reading! Look at all the fun stuff I read this month! Links are for my reviews. Some toward the end of the list are still waiting for their own review and some I probably won’t review at all.

1. Where She Went by Gayle Forman – RF- I liked If I Stay better yet it was interesting hearing his voice. These two could win cutest musical couple award!

2. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly -HF- Top Author of the Month! I loved depressed teen Andi mixed with Alex’s fight to save the prince during the French Revolution. It was, well, revolutionary!

3. The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter -Modern Fantasy-The Hardscrabble kids are tough and show us just how kids feel about being ostracized.

4. Gemma by Meg Tilly – RF- Wow. Brutally honest abusive/pedophile story. Made me want to hold my children very close. Tilly has this creepy guy written just right.

5. In The Green Kitchen by Alice Waters -Cookbook-Simple start-off recipes to help you accomplish bigger tasks. I loved the pantry list. I showed it to my mother while she was visiting and loved it when she laughed and said…”Oh, I bought this for you! Can you wait until Christmas to get it?” So typical. And yes, I can wait.

6. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly -HF-It’s 1906 and this is Mattie’s coming-of-age story where she figures it all out after her mother dies. Luckily, she takes the road less traveled.

7. Countdown by Deborah Wiles – HF-It’s the 60’s and everyone is worried about the Russian’s and Cuba, students learn how to duck and cover to stay safe and Franny figures out why her Uncle Otts is so important.

8. How To Buy a Love Of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson -RF-Drunken, super rich children figure out they do have something to say at the last minute. Carley-I grew to like and Hunter-made me want to go to AA.

9. The Penderwicks; A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall- RF- Sweet, summer tale with a charming cottage and lots of room to play. Mrs. Tipton figured out her parenting skills at the last second-thankfully! I’m interested in the rest of this series.

10. True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet by Lola Douglass -RF- too-young-party-girl falls off the face of the earth and lands in Indiana. She’s startled to find real characters in the Midwest. Never too off for me-too much nap dropping.

11. The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas -Fantasy-Lovely magical tale about Oliver Twist-ish character who saves the magic and helps Nevery. I plan to read more of this series and was excited to see Prineas is an Iowa writer!

12. Matched by Allie Condie-Dystopian-Cassia has two loves on her post-warming world matched card and she must find a way to deal with her feelings for the unsanctioned Ky. This was a fast read and kept me reading even though I hated this overly organized world.

13.. The Love Season by Elin Hildenbrand – RF -Love the Nantucket setting, and the culinary experience of listening to Margo put together food-ohhhh! Did not enjoy Cade and his family or Miles. Loved Action’s character-could she have a spin-off book!

I am sad to say goodbye to summer. I always am. I’m a summer girl. I like to be warm. I like going to the pool. I like margaritas. Fall has it’s good points though and I’ve already made an Autumn dish and I especially like going into an Indian Summer September like we seem to be. My girl’s birthday comes up in September also!

Hope everyone has a blissful Labor Day Weekend. I will be celebrating my anniversary all weekend-we were married in Galena, IL and had all kinds of activities from golf outings to wine tastings for our guests to participate in. I’m sure we’ll find some fun this weekend even if I’m still healing.

The very unique Hardscrabble family in The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter

Oh, I am having so much fun reading this week, getting books off my to-read shelf that have languished too long. I thought this one was going to be all copycat Lemony Snickett(poor, poor orphan children) and while it does have some similarities, the Hardscrabble family is very unique.

“There were three of them. Otto was the oldest, and the oddest. Then there was Lucia, who wished something interesting would happen. Last of all was Max, who always thought he knew better. They lived in a small town in England called Little Tunks.” (1)

It is written in a very meta-fictive style in that as the reader you are talked to in a certain, knowing way. Their father has to go out of town on a supposed business trip and sends the children off to London, to an aunt’s house. Once they arrive they find only the cat sitter who made the mistake of pretending to understand what their dad said when he called to make arrangements.

Their aunt is truly on holiday and the cat sitter won’t let them stay (she doesn’t know them after all!) so they spend one scary night in London and then head off to their Great- Aunt’s house near the sea. It’s quite a journey and once they arrive their Great-Aunt is not what they expect at all. They have a small castle to explore and they find themselves pulled into the mysterious kneebone boy fiasco, which really all leads to what the Hardscrabble children really need; answers to what happened to their mother.

I found this book to be wonderfully quirky and I could think of a whole list of students to recommend it to because you need a unique mind to enjoy the Hardscrabble’s as characters as well as their unique journey.
I found it so refreshing when the children find out (although Otto remembers) that their mother has been dealing with her own mental health and that that is where the father goes every time he sets off for a trip.

Ellen Potter breathes an unusual life into Otto, Lucia, and Max, creating this story and I wouldn’t mind hearing more about their adventures. Take note of the cover above and realize you will find yourself returning to it throughout the story, checking on details about the children-like Otto’s scarf, wrapped so tightly around his neck, as though he is continually cold. Details. Explore Potter’s website

Countdown by Deborah Wiles

Countdown

Deborah Wiles

2010

This heavy book has been sitting on my desk looking at me for about 6 months. I stuck it in my summer box, brought it home, read a bunch of other stuff and it still kept looking at me. If I’d peeked inside I would have noticed the little typed line…”for the peacemakers,” which would have piqued my interest. That and the fact that it’s about the 60’s-the early years-should have captured me as well and once I did crack the cover I enjoyed every page-the story plus the memorabilia. 1962-the year I was born and Kennedy and Khrushchev battle it out through many conversations, each one not wanting to back down.

“The price of a gallon of gas rose to 31 cents today.”

And the opening sentence: “I am eleven years old, and I am invisible.”-not because she’s in some deep depression but because Mrs. Rodriquez hasn’t called on her to read-aloud in Social Studies. Remember when those of us that were good readers loved round robin reading-we were thrilled to be called on and Franny is the same, she is mad and feels like she is being punished by her teacher. She dangles herself out into the aisle, hoping Mrs. Rodriquez will realize her mistake.

Franny is a strong young female heroine trying to make sense of a world where her family struggles seem as large and confusing as the world struggles with Cuba, nuclear missiles and the idea that she has to be ready to duck and cover to save herself. You should know this book will make you smarter-it has a lot of history in it-and it will make you understand why peace is so important.

Each of Franny’s family member brings something to this story but much of the action stems from Uncle Otts, a veteran, suffering from shell-shock. He can’t seem to separate reality from his war experiences especially as the U.S. seems bent on stirring up trouble with Russia and Cuba. Things keep flashing back for him and I found this story line interesting as we still struggle with this as soldiers come back from Iraq and Afghanistan.

I read around a bit on Deborah Wiles’ website and she’s led and interesting life. I look forward to others in this three part series.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

I’m an even bigger fan of Donnelly’s now that I’ve read this book. I read Revolution (a newer book) first and then heard from many people about the fantastic-ness of A Northern Light, which prompted me to check it out from the library. I finished it last night and sighed and smiled.

It’s 1906 and Mattie Gokey is the oldest daughter in a family of four other girls. Their mother has died recently leaving them all with fresh sadness. Mattie’s been the one in charge of chores, taking care of her siblings while her father runs the farm. Mattie loves words, making her standout as a student when she is able to attend, and she looks up a new word in the dictionary every day. She has two best friends; Weaver, an African American young man who is set on going to Columbia to be a lawyer, and Millie, who left school last year to get married and gives birth to twins.

Mattie has dreams to attend Barnard College and received a scholarship to attend-she just needs money to ride the train, a place to stay and books. When the family mule dies her father needs help financially and agrees to let Mattie work at one of the local hotels. A whole new world opens up to Mattie as she discovers the wealthy lives of the people staying at the hotel and the mystery of a young lady who hands her a stack of letters.

I just can’t tell you any more. You should read all about the mystery yourself. This book has much to say about the beginning of the women’s movement and what it was like for women, like Mattie’s teacher, Miss Wilcox, who chose a life of their own. We take it for granted now; like it’s always been that way, even though it’s only about three generations ago that things began to change. This book blends a love of words with mysteries about her teacher, the young woman at the hotel as well as Mattie’s own dilemma as she sorts out what her own path will be.

Mattie is a wonderful heroine who doesn’t disappoint us in her choices and uses what she comes to understand from her work at the hotel, through her friend, Millie, and her own mother’s decisions as well as her relationship with Royal Loomis and everything he has to offer. This one deserves to be pulled out of the stacks and read.

Awarded in 2004 the ALA’s Michael L. Printz’s Award for Excellence Honor Book-the list. The First Part Last by Angela Johnson took the prize and understandably so.
Jennifer Donnelly’s website

Other thoughts:
Best Books I Have Not Read
Emily at Las Risas
Erin Reads