• spring rain and tea

    Friday afternoon decompression

    May 5, 2017 / No Comments

    I should be asleep, I know.

    It’s nearly 1 o’clock — way past my bedtime — and I’ve had a truly exhausting week.

    The dog is already in Morpheus’ realm, snoring near my desk, urging me to follow suit.

    I have no doubt the bed is comfortable, the covers warm and the pillows soft. There’s a Kindle on the nightstand with a virtual bookmark holding my place in a tome I’ve been rereading with pleasure. But I’m not quite ready to climb the stairs, undress and recline.

    There’s so much I want to do: boxes to unpack, treats to bake, stories to write, books to read, animals to pet, laundry to do. Yet sleep is the wisest course of action.

    Still I hesitate. The work week is done. My errands are complete. Rain is pattering against the windows. I just made a cup of tea, and I’m finally able to breathe.

  • us flag

    “I, Too” by Langston Hughes

    April 16, 2017 / 1 Comment

    I, too, sing America.
     
    I am the darker brother.
    They send me to eat in the kitchen

    When company comes,

    But I laugh,

    And eat well,
    
And grow strong.
     
    Tomorrow,
    
I’ll be at the table
    
When company comes.
    
Nobody’ll dare

    Say to me,

    “Eat in the kitchen,”
    
Then.
     
    Besides,

    They’ll see how beautiful I am

    And be ashamed—
     
    I, too, am America.

    –Photo by Krystle Fleming

  • Farewell, LJ!

    April 13, 2017 / 2 Comments

    After 15 years and 1,914 entries, I am leaving LiveJournal.

    The company, which was purchased by a Russian firm several years ago, recently changed its terms of service. The new rules prohibit users from posting “political solicitation materials” and anything “contradictory to the laws of the Russian Federation.” I also don’t approve of the idea that my writings can be used and/or sold at the company’s discretion without compensation.

    So, as of this weekend, I’m deleting my account. It’s been a good ride, LiveJournal. Time to bid you farewell.

    Oh, and thanks for the husband.

  • Chocolate cupcakes with cream and cherry

    100 recipes I want to master

    April 5, 2017 / 1 Comment

    I’m not a fan of reality television. I don’t like watching shows that make untalented people famous. I don’t like shows that focus on humiliation. And I really don’t like shows that use meanness to “create drama.”

    This last practice seems to be a staple on cooking competition shows. Although I’ve learned a lot about ingredients and techniques from watching “Chopped” and “Top Chef,” I simply can’t stand the cruel judges or the sniping between the “chef-testants.”

    The one exception? “The Great British Baking Show” on PBS. After watching the first episode, I immediately began binging on the rest. Not only does this charming program highlight the contestants’ skills, it features people who are supportive of each other. And when each episode ends, I head into the pantry, examine the ingredients on the shelves and start planning what I’m going to make next.

    Last week, the Brown Eyed Baker posted a blog entry about her kitchen conquests. Since she and I share a similar cooking style — we’re both huge fans of America’s Test Kitchen — I decided to follow her example and make a list of the 100 recipes I want to master. They are:

    Yeast Goodies:
    Apple cider doughnuts
    Beignets
    Breadsticks (both crunchy and chewy)
    Challah
    Ciabatta
    Focaccia
    Glazed chocolate cake doughnut holes
    Honey wheat dinner rolls
    Kaiser rolls
    Parker House Rolls
    Parmesan and garlic butter pull-apart bread
    Sourdough bread from homemade starter
    Thin-crust pizza

    Quick Breads:
    British scones
    Buttermilk biscuits
    Chocolate banana bread
    Churros
    Irish soda bread
    Shortbread
    Tart cherry and toasted almond scones

    Cookies/Bars:
    Biscotti
    Hot chocolate thumbprint cookies
    Mexican wedding cookies

    Pastries:
    Cherry chocolate rolls
    Éclairs
    Funnel cakes
    Kouign-Amann
    Raspberry-swirl lemon cheesecake bars

    Cakes:
    Angel food cake
    Banana pudding cupcakes
    Black forest cake
    Blueberry bundt cake
    Boston cream pie
    Butter cake
    Carrot cake
    Chai spiced coffee cake
    Charlotte rousse
    Chocolate biscuit cake
    Ding Dongs
    Dobos torte
    German chocolate cake
    Ginger peach cupcakes
    Gluten-free almond cakes
    Marble pound cake
    Midnight pumpkin layer cake
    Millionaire’s layer cake
    Petit fours
    Pineapple upside down cake
    Pound cake
    Red velvet cupcakes
    Trifle

    Pies:
    Cheddar apple pie
    Cherry handpies
    Chess pie
    Chocolate cheesecake
    Chocolate cream pie
    Chocolate handpies
    New York cheesecake
    Pumpkin cheesecake

    Breakfasts:
    Baked French toast muffins
    Blueberry pancake casserole
    Breakfast carbonara
    Crepes
    Quiche

    Dinners:
    All-chicken pot pie
    Beef stroganoff
    Calzones
    Chicken chimichangas
    Chicken saltimbocca
    Fettuccine with asparagus and smoked salmon
    Fideuà
    Guinness pie
    Homemade fettuccine
    Mahogany chicken
    Maryland crab cakes
    Mississippi roast
    Paella
    Pepperoni stuffed chicken
    Pierogi
    Rigatoni with white bolognese
    Stromboli
    Tortellini

    Soups, Salads and Sides:
    Bacon scalloped potatoes
    Baked beans
    Chorizo queso
    Chorizo corn chowder
    Crockpot chicken gnocchi soup
    Mozzarella sticks
    Shrimp and corn chowder
    White bean and rosemary gratin with parmesan croutons

    Frozen Desserts:
    Mint chocolate chocolate chip ice cream
    Semifreddo

    Miscellaneous Desserts:
    Baked Alaska
    Chocolate mousse
    Chocolate souffle
    Flan
    Fudge
    Nestle Crunch bars
    Pots de creme
    Twix bars

    Who wants to come over and taste my treats? If no one volunteers, M will be forced to be my guinea pig (not that he minds). I’m also open to suggestions of other recipes to try. Dishes that serve two people are always preferred.