Cupkakes ala Kate

What is it about cupcakes? I dunno.
Maybe they're like crayons, they take us back to simpler times.
I have so rarely eaten them in my adulthood.
There was always something special about getting
cupcakes for a birthday, or a special occasion, something
that a big ol cake just didn't do. Maybe it was their size.
Good things in small packages...n wot not.

Now I know there's lotsa folks out there
in the adult world eating cupcakes.
I know because I've drooled over your cupcake pictures.
Admired the fact that you baked them from scratch.
Envied your cupcake artistry when it comes to decorating.

I don't have a cupcake recipe for you.
In fact I only made these for the frosting.
And well, Hannah only ate the frosting.
The cake was good don't get me wrong
even tho they maybe a little unevenly shaped.
I like things a little imperfect.

Yes I used a box mix.
Hey...HEY.....HEY....nothing wrong with Betty Crocker.
The chocolate Devil's Food cake is killer.
[ ha at my unintended pun ]

So for these cupcakes follow the directions on the box.
As for the frosting...
C'mere.

Kate's Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 package cream cheese
1 stick softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
[ okay maybe...no definitely more ]


Whip cream cheese and butter together.
Add powdered sugar a little bit at a time.

I know that was hard.
Take a break you deserve one.

And I do decorate.

With sprinkles. : )

On The Subject of Thought

Mississippi River 2008

An idea is a point of departure and no more.
As soon as you elaborate it, it becomes transformed by thought.

Pablo Picasso

Good Morning!

• THE COLD IS ALMOST GONE!

• I have a new segment coming, I've been working on it for the past few months. 8 with Kate ....After dinner. I have my first guest, I have a few things to finish up in the way of the post. I think you all are going to enjoy this. I'll not say much more. I'm hoping to have it up by Sunday night. Look out you could be next.
  

• I've slowly been catching up on all your blogs...happily so, you all are very gifted.

• I just hung up on some 1-800 customer service person who called saying he could lower my interest rate on my visa/mastercard because I have been making payments on time, and my balance is over 3,000. I wonder if this was a stupid move on my part, but when he asked me for the credit card number, I said yehno. If you are calling me because you know I qualify, then you also should know my numbers. I wonder if this was a smart move on my part. He said the banks won't lower the rate they want to make money, and I'm thinking so who the hell are you? I think I'll just pay off the cards.
  

• Hannah and I are going to cook today and I think go bowling. She makes my days golden. She does. I'm always happiest when she's here.

On that note.......she and I have cupcakes waiting for frosting.
Y'all have a great day!

: )

George's Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

I have some serious catching up to do on all of your blogs.
And I will.

Worked some incredible hours, survived a cold in the middle of all of it.
I have a 24 hour reprieve before I work again. So I'd best make the most
of tonight, and tomorrow day before I dive back in.

What is it about getting older, that all those physical fears are so heightened?
I know, I know, our mortality is much closer to the hand than the fifteen year old
mindset of nothing can hurt or stop me. One sneeze, one wrong blink and we're
over the edge of the cliff so to speak.

A simple cold. Literally could not breathe thru my nose for three days.
Do you know how quietly discombobulating this was for me? I hated it.
This silent but ever present awareness of not being able to breathe,
god forbid I eat something, and well no air during chew or swallow.
I didn't eat much.
I'm not prone to panic attacks. I doubt I ever will be, but...
I will say this, I don't like colds anymore for a whole different reason than just being sick.


Moving on to George...

Of George and Catie,
are long time and close friends of mine who
have been absolutely wonderfully generous with their support
(I have to say I have had great support from all fronts and friends/family)
while I deal with a few things on the home front. (Yes A.B. hold off on that
child bearing thing for a while.) A big congratulations to these two...
They are getting remarried! Hurray for the second time around....
I think there's a song out there called the second time around,
no I know there is, I'm singing it in my head. Who remembers it?
My love to you both~!

During a recent visit George made the best biscuits
and sausage gravy I have ever eaten.
He was kind enough to allow me to share it with you
and yes it includes a secret to the "how to", that is
George's and George's alone, until now.
Sharing is caring right?

George's Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

Ingredients:

3 packets McCormick's sausage flavor Country Gravy
5 cups milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 pound breakfast sausage
1 pound ground sausage
2 packages of biscuits,
I used Grand, butter flavored flaky.
(yes I cheated)



Preparation:

In heavy bottomed pan or dutch oven, cook all sausage,
breaking it down into small pieces.
Drain. Set aside.

In the same pot, add milk, cream and all three packets.
Add cooked sausage. Stir as it thickens.

While your sauce is thickening
Bake your biscuits,
if you're really hungry it will
be the longest 12 minutes of your life.


Continue to stir as you break down the sausage.
Now here's the kicker, pull out one of those immersion blenders.
And use that to grind down the sausage, leaving some chunky pieces.
I swear to you this will add so much flavor from the sausage
to your gravy.

Add more milk as needed if your sauce thickens too much.
That's it.

That's all she wrote.

I realize there's no graceful way to photograph sausage gravy
without it looking like......
I've done my best.


Wishing you all a great weekend.
One Love. One Peace. Always and All Ways~

: )

Working like a crazy fool.......

NYC rush hour, 2007


I'll be around soon.
Working doubles and wot nots.
Hopefully I'll get to play catch up today, tonight.
Maybe.





post post edit.

no time for typing today.
but.
i do have food coming.
i have thoughts flowing.
MAYBE TOMORROW????

in the meantime...

~one love. one peace. always and all ways~

Morning Coffee...

• I wake up most days happy. I'm happy.
  
• I think people who cannot let go of things or other people, cannot move forward.
• I'm beginning to think they like being stuck.
  
• I was thinking about doing a blog called Must Love Cooking and turning it into a personal ad for myself.
• I don't understand people who eat steak in front of people who can only afford canned tuna and expect them to go yay for their material things. I'm not really talking about steak. Then again I've never been about material things. Making memories, that's what I'm about.
  
• I have a slight crush on the guy in the commercial for, credit report dot.com.
  
• I laid in bed last night and for the first time in a long time.......it felt good to be home.
  
• I am going to Spain in two weeks. I know how to self care. I just do it in a big way when I do, sometimes. More often than not self care is spending the day listening to good music and cooking what I like. . This trip I've earned. And these will be grand memories. Its the reunion tour. I can't wait to sit with them and talk about life, toilet paper and other things....again. And pictures there will be 3287564532 pictures.. Last time we all got together was in Florida, they're from England originally, now living in Spain.
• I take photographs so I can remember my life.
  
• I have a friend who does these lists short lists, sometimes long. I love her lists., they're one of my favorite reads. I did a list of 100 couple years ago, I stopped getting personal in my blogs, I don't know how you do these lists and not get personal. I deleted a few lines. I think I'm going to stick to taking pictures in the future. Speaking of which I have the day off, food I want to cook and photograph and a shower screaming my name.
• I've come back to this at least five times, post post, to edit.
  

• Y'all have a great morning...

Rachelle asked...why no cream

or heavy butter in my eggs....when I did a post note on my blog
about the methodology re:cooking scrambled eggs.
I wrote this...


In my world, scrambled eggs should be soft, smooth, moist but not runny,
they should have rounded edges, they should be supple.....even creamy.

(and I scrambled these this morning to make sure I was telling you accurately what I do)

And I wrote this...

The Cooks Word:
Yes i am going to limit the number of eggs per pan.
I use the largest size pan possible, always.
However, given a medium size saute pan I will cook
no more than five at the most.

How much butter you're asking, per five eggs...
Sit down.
Almost half a stick.
Yes. That's what I said.
And if I cook six eggs its definitely half a stick.

The reason I use the largest saute pan possible is because I like
to have the room to move the eggs around without over scrambling.
And my eggs don't like to be crowded.
I know because they told me so.
Not in so many words but well, my mouth knows.

So now will yours.

oh yeh. the answer to the question.
Rachelle, I use so much butter....
real butter
there's no need for cream or milk.
Honestly, I use that much if not more.


Now let me ask all of you...
how do you cook the perfect scrambled eggs?



where would the world be without butter.
sigh.
I'm glad we don't have to find out.

Scrambled Eggs, Bacon and Spam

Yes I said it. Eggs and Spam.

Never thought I'd admit to liking it.
I eat bologna.
Spam can't be much worse for you.


It's come to grow on me over the past few months.
My son has taken a liking to it.
He eats fried Spam sandwiches.

So when I was up at Jim and Marie's for a post Christmas, Christmas,
I wasn't the least bit appalled when they pulled out that little tin can
and announced that we would be having Spam in our eggs.

Kind enough to share their kitchen J & M let me cook
the scrambled eggs my way. I have to give my mother full credit.
She has the perfect scramble.

I never understood eggs cooked in a scratched up no longer non stick pan,
eggs that stick to the bottom of the pan, eggs that are scrambled to the point of
some dried up state you'd think they were re-hydrated army food,
which would probably be better, I hear its good,
or eggs that are omlette'd then chopped, and offered up as scrambled.
I don't get it.

In my world, scrambled eggs should be soft, smooth, moist but not runny,
they should have rounded edges, they should be supple.....even creamy.
I'm getting carried away, I'm not a writer and this is what happens
when none of my writer friends are around to describe them for me,
and I'm desperately trying to find adjectives.
Why do you think I take pictures...

Now these might be a little more well done than I like. In fact quite often I get told my eggs are
underdone. I beg to differ, shall we ask the french how to cook eggs?


Ingredients:

Eggs
Salt
Butter



Preparation:

Whisk your eggs in the bowl. [ i always use a fork ]
Make sure they are well blended.
Add a few pinches of salt at the last minute.
Heat skillet on high.
Pour in eggs when butter is 3/4 of the way melted. [ don't burn the butter ]
Using spatula, [ the flat edged kind, sometimes called a pancake flipper ]
lift gently the eggs as they start to cook and gently fold working your way
around the pan, half way through, turn heat off,
if necessary pull pan off heat.
Continue to gently fold eggs.....for about half a minute. less really.
Remove from saute pan onto plate.
This whole process as you know goes super fast.

If you are adding Spam, you'll want to have separately cooked the diced
Spam in another saute pan. Fold Spam into eggs at the very last second
before you put them on your plate.


Go get your bacon and toast.

The Cooks Word:
Yes i am going to limit the number of eggs per pan.
I use the largest size pan possible, always.
However, given a medium size saute pan I will cook
no more than five at the most.

How much butter you're asking, per five eggs...
Sit down.
Almost half a stick.
Yes. That's what I said.
And if I cook six eggs its definitely half a stick.

The reason I use the largest saute pan possible is because I like
to have the room to move the eggs around without over scrambling.
And my eggs don't like to be crowded.
I know because they told me so.
Not in so many words but well, my mouth knows.

So now will yours.


: )

THE BREAKFAST EATERS

Kathleen, Marie and Jim

On the Subject of Bacon

“I've long said that if I were about to be executed and were given a choice of my last meal,
it would be bacon and eggs. There are few sights that appeal to me more than
the streaks of lean and fat in a good side of bacon, or the lovely round
of pinkish meat framed in delicate white fat that is Canadian bacon.
Nothing is quite as intoxicating as the smell of bacon frying in the morning,
save perhaps the smell of coffee brewing.”

James Beard (1903-1985)

On The Subject of Romantic Love Redux

~because some things are worth repeating~

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides.
And when it subsides you have to make a decision.
You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together
that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is.
Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement,
it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion.
That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away,
and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.
Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground,
and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches
we found that we were one tree and not two.



- Captain Corelli's Mandolin.










.

On The Subject of Romantic Love

since it's Valentines day

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides.
And when it subsides you have to make a decision.
You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together
that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is.
Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement,
it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion.
That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away,
and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.
Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground,
and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches
we found that we were one tree and not two.



- Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

"Love is the beauty of the soul." --St. Augustine

Cheesecake,Strawberries, and Whip Cream

Sounds like a hot date doesn't it?
What it is...is a really good dessert.
And I almost never make desserts.
Hannah sure liked it.
That's all that matters.

The Cheesecake
New York Style

Ingredients:


1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eight ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla


Preparation:

(Preheat oven to 350)

In a large mixing bowl,
beat sugar and cream cheese on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.
Blend in cream. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg is added.
Mix in sour cream , flour and vanilla until smooth.

(yes crazy fool that I am, I used a bundt cake pan and no crust)

Bake for one hour in preheated oven.
Turn oven off and let cake cool in oven for about 5 hours.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

The Strawberries

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter
1 package of strawberries
(slice in half)
1/2 cup of sugar, no maybe a whole
(this is me remember, I don't measure)


Preparation:

Melt the butter in a saute pan.
Add the strawberries and sugar.

Simmer on low until sugar is melted
the strawberries have softened,
the liquid should be more like a syrup.

Let cool a bit.
Take a glass put a strawberry at the bottom.
The next layer is cool whip.
Chunk out your cheese cake and place that on top of the cool whip.
Ladle the strawberry mixture and layer that on top of the cheesecake.
Top with cool whip.
Let Chill in the freezer for a few.

~Yeh, we're happy girls tonight~





: )







.

Tuna Tartar My Way

I'm all about simple pleasures.
The simpler the better.

Tuna Tartar

Ingredients:

Fresh Tuna
Sesame Oil
Soy Sauce
Lemon Zest



Preparation:

I don't measure.
Not unless I have to.
Mix some soy sauce with desired amount of sesame oil.
Sprinkle with desired amount of lemon zest.
Pour over Tuna.

Eat.




The Cooks Word:
Honestly,
I prefer steak tartar, use top sirloin instead of the tuna.




.

Decisions...

I thought I would have something to say about that. I don't.
I made one last night. Right or wrong, I made one.
I'm going to be quiet today.
You all have a great weekend~!

Braised Ribs and Risotto

Just when I said to a coworker,
"I'm just not inspired to cook anymore."
Then I come across a recipe by Winepairings.
And I thought hey, my short person of 16 years
who is now taller than I might actually like this.
It involves no vegetables.

Well ...
the short person declined most of the plate.
Of course these days he opts for tv dinners if that's any consolation.
I on the other hand thought it was fantastic.
I modified Winepairings recipe a bit.
You'll see the recipe here as I cooked it.

Seth,
this one is for you
when you're feeling well enough to eat.
xo++

Braised Pork Ribs

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds country style pork ribs
* 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
* 5 cloves garlic
* approx. 32 ounces of dark ale
* 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon molasses
* 1 tbs bbq sauce (Jack Daniels)
* 1 apple, cut into wedges
ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Crush a clove of garlic, rub the meat and then sprinkle each rib liberally with salt.
Turn the pan up to medium. Add Ribs, halfway through add the crushed garlic.
I added it after the sear because I didn't want the garlic to burn.

When you're done searing the ribs,
use about 1/2 cup of the ale to deglaze the skillet.
Once you've deglazed, add enough ale to cover the ribs,
and then add the vinegar, molasses and sugar. Stir together well.
Bring the it up to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and let it cook for an hour.

As the ribs finish simmering, preheat the oven to 350.
When the ribs have cooked for an hour, add the bbq sauce and apple chunks.
Put ribs and liquid into the pot and the pot into the oven to heat for another 30 minutes.
I actually finished it off in the oven verses bringing it back to the skillet
(as suggested in the original recipe), and reducing the liquid there.
I had no problem with too much liquid, it reduced just fine in the oven for me.

I have no clue if the ale I used was dark. I think it was pale.

I went to the liquor store and laughed when I saw this six pack.

Saffron Risotto

Ingredients:

1 cup sushi rice
28 ounces chicken stock
1 stick butter
1 cup white wine
1 small onion
1 large pinch saffron
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano




Bring stock to a low simmer in a medium pot.
Heat olive oil and a couple tablespoons of butter
in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute.
Cook onion until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add rice and a pinch of salt. Sauté until rice is translucent.
Add wine; bring to a simmer, stirring,
until rice has absorbed most of wine.
Add 2 ladles of stock to rice; simmer, stirring,
until rice has absorbed most of stock.
Take a couple ladles of chicken stock and add the saffron.
Make sure it well dissolves. Add this next to your rice.
Continue adding stock, allowing rice to absorb it before adding the next ladle.
Cook until rice is al dente and mixture is a little loose.
Stir in the rest of the butter. Turn off heat. Stir in grated cheese.
Cover and let sit 2 minutes.

Oh hey,
have a beer.
You deserve one
after making a meal like this.

: )

.

Pendleton's Trees

Yes this blog is for you and you alone.
It has taken me this long to find the right picture.
For months, I've waited to photograph these trees.
For weeks, I've waited for the snow to fall just right.
It didn't snow when I wanted it to.
Today I took the picture.
Today I thought about you.
Today I remember
what an integral
part of my growth you have been...
Thank you.
Before you say anything...
let me say this again,

thank you.

Silence, just the soft crush
of new snow under my snowshoe.
Nature drops its blanket of white.
The mountains sigh, the woods renew.

Silence, just hare and deer and I
to enjoy this first winters day.
God's blessings float down by the millions
in an intricate aerial ballet.

Silence, look up to the snow filled sky
and thank God in a clear deep voice.
A prayer of awe and thanks with eyes wide open
head thrown back in full rejoice.



~Pendleton~

Roasted Red Bell Peppers

I appreciate convenience. I do.
But when it comes to minced garlic or roasted peppers
which require what, a little time a little effort, I'll do just that.
Put in the time and the effort and save convenience for other things
like...

double charbroils. HA!

It's as simple as taking your fresh bell peppers and putting them in the oven on broil.
You want to watch them closely, as soon as one side starts to char, flip it over.
You do this until all sides are charred.

The secret to an easy peel of the skin, is a brown paper bag.
When the peppers are done, put them in the bag.

Close the bag.

Let them sit and steam for a good fifteen minutes or longer.
I never really time it so honestly, I have no clue.

The skin comes right off.

Speaking of honest...
I had a commenter from someone who chose to remain anonymous,
comment on my Hemingway/radish blog about the "annoying" center formatting.


Anonymous said...

hey, centering your text is annoying. cool post, annoying format.

nobody
writes
like
this

Dig?




Right on. I have no problem with what this person said. It was honest.
Actually the editorial tone, sounded familiar. Someone I used to know,
always liked to edit my work. He usually made a few good points.
And not many people I know use the word "dig".
In fact I stole it. More often than not, I'll say "I dig that",
instead of saying "I like that".

Anyway...
The thing is, I don't disagree. What I need to know is how to CSS/html. I don't.
I need it center tabled, so that my text runs in the center, but lines up left to the left of the center.
So commenter if you know how to do this, school me please, I'd appreciate it.
If anyone else knows how.....I'll thank you muchly for showing this girl how to do it.

On the Subject of Harrassment...

A person's obsession with someone is only flattering for about five minutes.
The problem is the obsessed person does not initially recognize their own obsession as obsession,
by the time they finally do, and they do, they are incapable of stopping themselves.
They need to.




~Unknown~

Joshy Eats Hemingway's...

favorite sandwich.
Not much needed in the way of explanation.
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Radishes
Good crusty bread



Most of you know Joshy is like brother to me.
He's a Hemingway fan in all ways.




written by Joshy
photographed by Kate

In the simplicity of a meal can be its beauty and greatness.
Fresh radishes and a little bread are wonderfully simple and classic.
Things like this take me to a time when the world moved a little slower.
Things were appreciated for their effortless value.
There was not a want for more... the satisfaction was in the simplicity.
Imagine something so splendid and classic...

Hemingway ate them often at the Closerie des Lilas in Paris.
A time when his days were spent writing in the cafes
and walking in the gardens of the city.
While writing many meals were consumed
and conversations had...
an uncomplicated easiness.
Never searching for more.

"a simple masterpiece of little radishes and sauteed goose liver with mashed potatoes".

A Moveable Feast

Peanut Butter and Bacon Sandwiches

I got turned onto these a few years ago.
Sending a combo wink/smile n a nod out to Cappy. : )
They are not for the thin-waisted only eat a salad wannabe waifs.
This sandwich is for those of you NOT afraid of calories, nor artery clogging.

(I like this bread for this sandwich, - it says fat free- that makes me laugh, knowing what I'm about to do to it.)

Ingredients:

Bread
Bacon
Peanut butter




Preparation:

Toast Bread (lightly)
Slather both pieces of bread with peanut butter
Layer in (at least) six slices of cooked bacon

well you know the rest...


eat.
follow ...



with a large ice cold glass of milk.