A Big Pot of Something!

Recently I was reading "Where the Wild Things Are" to my bitty ones and I love the end where max comes *home* to a bowl of hot soup and a big slice of cake.  Comfort spilling out from the page ;)  It made me smile, made me long for that.
So, today is a rainy day, a day i feel like making a big pot of something - soup, stew, ghoulash - and a cake.  Yet, so far I have not succeeded in that (as well as not blogging in FOREVER.)  I have strained my neck and yelled like a crazy lady at my children.  After a bit of calm and cuddling on the couch with grace and hudson, cozy by the fire, watching a movie (ahhhh)...I rose up, put a pretty apron on and baked a pumpkin spice cake and it smells like warm cinnamon and thanksgiving.

  I have a few minutes before a fight breaks out in the other room over Zingo and I am sitting in luxury now with these quick moving minutes - writing, dreaming, being.  Here come the footsteps, it is all about to end. Nice being here.  Maybe the big pot of something will come tomorrow - big hopes.  AND no more crazy lady today - forgive me Lord!
*while this is not the best picture - it is a pretty darn good cake.  I was leary of the lemon in the glaze, but go with it - it ends up cutting the sweetness. I also think eggs at room temperature may make for a smoother, less curdled batter.

Spiced Pumpkin Cake
(Real Simple Magazine 11/10)
2 sticks butter at room temperature (plus more for the pan)
3 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled (plus more for the pan)
5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 15 oz can organic pumpkin puree
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

*heat oven to 350F.  Butter (or spray) and flour a 12 cup bundt pan.
*In a bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
*In the bowl of a kitchen aid or with electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on med high until fluffy (2-3 min).  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Beat in pumpkin, milk, and molasses (may appear curdled at this point -it is ok - keep going).  Reduce the mixer to low and gradually add flour mixture - mix until combined - do not overmix.
*Pour batter into pan and bake until toothpick, bamboo stick, knife...comes out clean - about 55-65 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 30 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
*In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. If the glaze is too thick - add more lemon juice and/or water.  Drizzle over the cake. Let set before eating!

Strawberry Jammin

Grace and I are reading the Little House on the Praire Series and so much of their days were spent preparing food and working in the kitchen - canning food for the winter...so what perfect time for my sweet friend Nancy to come over with a flat of sweet organic strawberries this morning and we got right to work!  Aprons on, water boiling and strawberries getting mashed.  We made her low sugar recipe of strawberry jam - can't imagine what regular sugar recipe is like - this is perfectly sweet.  We ate it by spoonfuls as it was foaming and ready.  Yum.  So much fun. AND our time was lessened since we had such great helpers - Grace washing and drying the red morsels, Hudson mashing and Penelope eating.  Now I will go to bed dreaming of the morning when I can go to the bakery and buy my favorite french baguette (cest si bon) and butter it up with some strawberry jam.  Even more ambitious - make fresh brioche - something I have always wanted to do!

nancy's strawberry jam

6 pints of organic strawberries - washed, destemmed and crushed

4 cups of sugar

Crush berries with a potato masher to consistency you like - we crushed to a smooth texture.

Put in a large pot.

Mix 1/4 cup of sugar from 4 cups and 1 box of Sure-Jell in a small bowl.

Stir pectin sugar mixture into strawbs.

Add 1/2 tsp butter to reduce foaming, if desired.

Bring to a full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop boiling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.

Stir in remaining sugar quickly. Return to rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

Remove from heat.  Skim foam (delicious to eat with a spoon ;)

Ladle quickly into cleaned and boiled jars. Leave 1/8 inch at the top.

Cover with lids and turn upside down for 5 minutes.  Turn over and make sure the lids have "popped" or look almost concave.  If lids spring back they are not sealed.

Store at room temp for 1 year!

Italian Chicks

Donatella, Isabella, Francesca and Giovanna (Bitty)
our chickens, our ladies - little fuzz balls who stared into corners of their plastic cage under the brooder lamp - now fully social and owning the worms and bugs in the backyard. They travel together, roost together, dirt baths together and share Apache's hay together. The hay that was once shared with sweet ole beauregard! Poor Apache has another invader - 4 little invaders - to his evening meal.

These are going to be good eggs!

Blueberries for all

Out to somis, ca today. underwood family farms has a "you pick" blueberry farm.

we headed out and after an hour and a half we arrived. cute little farm animal area, fruit store, tractor rides and rows upon rows of blueberry bushes. we came back with 4 quarts of blueberries and then headed out down memory lane to Italia deli where I worked in high school. eggplant parmigiana sandwich on a hard roll, turkey and cheese on a soft, salame and cheese for hudson and grace and prosciutto and cheese for our friend visiting from italy - cecy!

The smells of yeasty italian bread and onions brought back so many memories as I squeezed into the all too familiar business of this tiny deli. i remember coming home smelling like an onion - not attractive.

Then to the health nut in calabasas for the dressing i remember as a child - after a driveby of the home i grew up in - so many innocent memories of being a child. and how everything looked so much smaller! how things change. fun to move in and out of memories.

coming home with loads of blueberries only means blueberry pie - 2. fun to make.

tonight allen and I saw "letters to juliet" and we both were pierced by all our dreams to experience life on a winery or place where we work the land, live differently, spend our days differently.

we will continue to dream until the lord shows us an open door - to go, go and live our dreams - get out of being "stuck" in how do we do it and move into living it. I long for that for allen. for me. for our children.

On to blueberry pie recipes.

First Pie:
Graham cracker crust
1 1/2 cups graham crackers crushed (cuisinart is your friend)
1/4 cup melted butter
1/8 cup water
*mix and pat into a pie dish

Blueberries
3-4 cups blueberries
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
7 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp lemon
*mix dry, add wet ingredients, add to the top of blueberries and pour into pie

350F for 50-60min

Second Pie:
adapted from "Polly's Perfect Blueberry Pie"
Crust:
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 - 2/3 cup vegetable oil
3-4 tbsp milk

Blueberries:
1 quart fresh berries
3 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
Dash freshly grated nutment
1 tsp lemon juice
4 tsp butter

Into a 9-inch pie plate, sift together the flour, sugar, and the salt. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together 1/2 cup salad oil and 3 tablespoons milk with a fork. Pour that over the flour mixture in pie plate and mix with a fork until all flour is evenly dampened. If it is still too dry to work with your hands, mix a little more oil with a little milk and add to flour mixture.

With your hands press the dough evenly against the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan, allowing the excess to fall on the counter. (This will be the top crumble crust and is about 1/3 of the total crust mixture.) Sweep it into your hand and reserve in a small bowl. Crimp the edges of the bottom crust or use a fork dipped in milk to flatten the crust along the rim.

Berry pie filling:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To the washed berries add cornstarch, sugar, and freshly grated nutmeg. Stir gently.

Place the berry mixture in the bottom crust and sprinkle lemon juice over it. Then with an ordinary teaspoon, place little 1/2 teaspoons soft butter evenly over the top of the berry filling.

Crumble the reserved crust on top of the pie.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Check it after 30 minutes. If crust is getting golden but pie filling is not quite congealed, tent the pie with aluminum foil to keep crust from getting too brown.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

LA Love

So many low roads taken today with all 3 kidlets- I despise the low roads and how bumpy they can be - I am very thankful for forgiveness - How quick a day can change things.

Just yesterday I was in complete relaxation, enjoying amazing food, farmers market and time with adorable allen.

Our weekend away started with gelato at 10:30 saturday morning after we just wanted to get a quick drink and ended up at a gelato store.

We cradled our cookies and cream and mocha almond fudge gelato and oh yes our little cups of tap water because we were after all thirsty.

Onward we drove with a grand idea to change our lunch plans and try to get a seat at Pizzeria Mozza. We arrived, they opened, we got the best seat in the house - at the bar, watching pies and all kinds of goodness going on behind the bar.

We started with fried squash blossoms hugging ricotta - out of this world, Rucola (arugala), funghi and piave (a nutty parmesan flavor yet softer) and then a pizza - get ready for this one...Stinging nettles, wild spinach, and salame with cacio di roma (a cow cheese).

Wow, wow, wow - along with a nice glass of lambrusco - I was so happy and content. Ready for dessert?

We deciphered we both are not butterscotch fans but still decided to try the Butterscotch budino served with Maldon sea salt and rosemary pine nut cookies - come on!!!!!!

The pudding was soft and held a nice light texture while it was blanketed by a caramel sauce and topped with a dollop of creme fraiche I believe - you have to dig deep with large spoons, like you would an ice cream sundae...decaf espresso - done, way done!!!!

Laying by the pool, getting served lovely ice water flavored with cucumber, strawberry-lime popsicles being passed around. A quick, short workout before dinner ;) We had reservations at Lucques on Melrose and it was just lovely.

Warm olives with almonds, a dish of sea salt and butter came to the table with thick rustic sourdough like, dense bread! Ricotta dumplings with fava beans, pancetta and just pillows of yumminess really.

To continue on with the Stinging Nettle theme, yes, I ordered the Stinging nettle, green garlic soup and then slowly ate a few bites of allen's short ribs - how does a belly hold all this food - mine had enough and we passed on dessert - i know, can you believe that!

I did get the restaurants "Sunday Suppers" cook book which I am so very excited about. I love Sunday suppers. Above is our farmer's market sunday supper. The mixed salad with flowers in it was my fav!
 
The evening ended with tea and coffee in our room while we sat in big, soft white robes and talked and talked - and then moved to the bedroom (don't worry it is safe to read on) and watched a movie and ate cookies from the pizzeria mozza store - an almondy lump of love ;)

The next morning we ended up at the good old Griddle cafe on Sunset (the best french toast i have ever tasted), we then headed to Larchmont for farmer's market shopping and Sam's bagels to take home (egg bagels toasted with butter falling in all the little cracks).

A special weekend to eat, dream and be with the man whom I adore. We had time to talk, didn't need to be anywhere except dinner - it was just plain lovely!

Mommy

Loved my day today - got to spend it with mommy. Buying flowers at the nursery (such childhood memories there) and then to a fancy lunch.

The lunch started off with chicken broth in a cute little cup and a giant popover with strawberry goodness (butter and jam and something else?) and then glorified tator tots topped with parmesan cheese.

Mandarin orange souffle, chicken salad - yes an interesting combo - but really good! The best part of the day was mommy saying "I want to get my ears pierced"

We walked over and did it and as I stood there I couldn't help but think back 20 years and remember her taking me to get my ears pierced and here I was taking her! Wow! How things circle round. I love Mommy!!!

Peas and Favas

I have a little friend - whom i adore - sitting contently next to me.

her name is pea olive and she is my youngest daughter - with a fever, content to be just next to me, leaning her head on me, sucking on her hospital pacifier -which she only uses in her crib but there are always exceptions - yes ;) - how blessed am I!!!

Usually I would be continuously pulling her off the table, off my desk, down from the couch - she would want to be typing - but not now, no -she is content.  It makes me think about my contentedness and where I find those places where I am pleased to just sit, sit with someone who I feel safe with, someone I can trust, somewhere I love - I am that for her right now and I love that I get to be.  Where or who is that for me - have many thoughts about that -something good for me to think on....

Speaking about P. olive and peas - Grace and I shelled fresh sugar snap peas and fava beans.  As we opened up their little home, there they lay, hanging out with their family, nestled close or surrounded by a soft sweater (you must feel the inside of a fava bean).  They are so cozy in their shell.  This is definitlely  their safe little place where they are content to just sit and be!

peanut butter quinoa cookie sweetened with honey and a lemonade with an orange slice seemed to make everything better all of sudden.  the chewy drippy taste of honey lingered after the soft peanuty dark brown rustic looking cookie.  going now to see if i can find a recipe for this amazing cookie.  here i go.

Is 2:30pm too early to put pajamas on and cozy up under my blankets?  - oh ya, I have 3 little ones - yes, it is too early.  I am dreaming of my down blanket and a warm sunny spot on the couch to warm my feet.  An episode of Murder She Wrote or continuing on in "A Homemade Life".  A large glass of water with lemon and orange and a tylenol.  An excitement for what the rest of the day holds rather than a dread of what activity I will come up with for afternoon witching hour entertainment.  I am wondering what it would be like to not feel so tired, what would that look like to my children who get 10% patient, kind me and 80% tired, irritable me these days - ok, not so hard on myself - maybe 11% patient, kind me and 79% tired one.

I have not gone to the my usual grocery store run but rather have been stopping daily stops here and there at markets to pick up whatever sounds good with 3 little mouths excitedly waiting and choosing and asking.  Yesterday it was 5:30pm driving home in traffic after another quite unenjoyable photo shoot at Target - why did I choose to do this again?  The drive thru at chic filet was so enticing (and I don't even like processed chicken!!!)  How EASY would that be....i fought the urge trying to imagine how much better I would feel feeding these precious ones a better meal.  So, I drove home and made orzo in chicken broth with spinach and parmesan cheese.  Then on pretty little white plates I placed 2 little fresh mozzarella balls, a chunk of perfectly ripe avocado, and a slice of prosciutto drizzled all in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. It looked really special and pretty - they deserve to feel special - they are!  I actually did find a decent dinner in my refrigerator that is quite empty and sad.  And yes, I felt satisfied that these 3 little bodies had good food in their tummies.

*this moment is ending as my activities coordinator job is about to begin - I hear the cries from the crib, footsteps emerging out of rooms - bring on the witching hour! ;)

Lemons, Blood Oranges and Fennel

This is day is a calm one - husband home from long Europe trip and the doors are all open, the weather is warm with a lovely breezy and I just could not help but use my lemons and blood orange and make a really pretty water - add in some basil inspired by Jules and this day is now even better!  Leo Kottke on guitar in the background, Grace playing "teachers" in back bedroom and I am cooking fennel on the stove  - Love this moment!  The outer leaves are pretty tough on the fennel bulb so I am cooking the outside parts of the bulb and I am going to chop them up, add olive oil, salt, pepper and a splash of apple cider vinegar - not too much - done!  I think Olive will love it!

*Chicken stock with pink peppercorns - another soothing food on a soothing day!

Renaissance Mamas

Inspiring day today with Jules in LA - renaissance mamas - she calls it - we talked about our kitchens, drank rooibos pineapple tea and created amazing meals with the local produce from the farmers market in Hollywood.  I feel like I want to clean out my cabinets and go to the farmers market as soon as one opens - saturday ;)  Fun to go on this adventure with Lara - we lauged a lot and enjoyed our few hours in a world we don't get to visit often - freedom to play, relax and create without our responsibilities pounding on the door!

"Rainy days and Mondays always get me down" - Karen Carpentar ;) Not me -  I love rainy days and yesterday was one of them.  I wrote this to a friend yesterday and thought this was a good synopsis of my day ;) "we are inside today - grace and hudson were playing in the puddles and now they are making their own lunch (which was actually decent for a 3 and 5 year old to make). Love it!! Penelope is making a mess and my dog ate my whole loaf of bread - this is all after a morning at the urgent care when allen needed 11 staples in his head after hitting it really hard on the cabinet ;) onward we press on - have a great day!" 

 Even through this chaos I loved this day.  I made a huge bowl of popcorn and my kids climbed into my bed and watched Mary Poppins, I got to bake some granola I have been wanting to try - delicious - and some of the softest molasses cookies I have ever had - amazing!!!  The sun came out for a brief time - may I add at the perfect time for me to get everyone outside and feed the horses, play some kickball and play outside just before coming in for warm cookies and a lovely spaghetti dinner.

* A great day I am thankful for.  Here comes little footsteps - love the sound of those - here goes a new day!