Summertime, and the Living is Easy.

   Just a quick little post on Memorial Day to usher in the Summer season.  This year in Ohio, we seemed to go directly from early Spring (with the crazy amount of rain that we have had) to mid Summer (with 90 degree heat- My goodness, it's supposed to hit 95 tomorrow). 

   But I really know it is Summer because the follow things have happened:

• There is poison ivy in my yard.  So far, the poison ivy is NOT on me yet.  There is still plenty of time left.  And considering that my reaction to poison ivy keeps getting worse, this time might entail a fun filled trip to the emergency room.
• I broke down and turned the air conditioner on. I had to man, it was 79 degrees downstairs.  That equates to hell like temps upstairs.
• I attended my first official cookout of the year - burgers with smoked Gouda, sweet potato salad, asparagus and whoopie pies.
• I applied sunscreen.
• I managed to accidentally drench myself with a hose.  It got a little bit out of control when I was spraying off outdoor furniture.
• I watched the first small child of the year sit down in a puddle of water. On purpose, of course. Water is fun!
• I have seen an alarming number of flip flops.  
• I have been totally craving lemonade and ice tea.
• I had to water my tomato plants.
• I saw the first little person stripped down to a diaper and hosed off and changed before the car ride home.
• Edwin's yearly obsession with water from the hose has begun.
• There has not been any rain for two days.
• The sun was out!

   Here's hoping everyone has a great Summer. I plan on making mine a great one.  And I was just thinking that it's been a month since I have made pie. Better hop to that.  I see fruit pies in my future.  I am happy to say that I have found a berry hook up!  Oh yeah.  Oh hell yeah!
    I will leave you with one of my favorite Summertime songs - A Classic. Oh sing it Ella!

A Trip to the Park

    This blog post is a bit of a departure from my usual fare of food, preparing food, listening to music, or a combination of all of the above.  Although, I suppose this entry did begin with a food function.  So I guess the reality is - it's still all about the food.  But to be more specific, it's all about the functional gardens at Franklin Park that surround the AEP Education Pavilion on the new community gardens campus.  Hopefully, you can see from these photographs just how beautiful these gardens are.  And the coolest thing about them, is that the produce grown in the garden is used in their many cooking classes.

    I was privileged to attend a Filipino cooking class with a friend.  She is one of the many people who helps organize the Asian Festival each year.  As an extension of the festival, several Asian cooking classes are being offered at Franklin Park.  I had never been to a cooking class there before.  Let me just say it was lovely.  The facility is very nice.  And the class was a lot of fun.  There was a Spanish wine, a simple salad with cucumber, tomato and mango in a rice vinegar dressing, Lumpia (mini-eggroll of pork, shrimp, water chestnuts and mushrooms), Filipino Adobo with rice (pork cooked with bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns), and Pancit Bihon (rice noodles, pork, cabbage, carrots and shrimp prepared in a wok).  Let me just tell you it was yummy eating!

    The previous two photos were taken in the vegetable portion of the gardens.  The first is of some lettuce while this one is of cabbage-obviously.  Generally speaking, I am not a huge fan of cabbage.  But I find that lately I am becoming more tolerant of the taste.  I might even be beginning to enjoy the taste.  And you know, as we get older, more and more of out taste buds disappear.  Maybe that is part of the reason why I like stronger flavors now. 

    Flowers.  I am not even sure what type of flower this is but I thought they were beautiful.  White is not my favorite for flowers but it does make for a nice contrast with the foliage.

    Once again, I have no idea what these petite lovelies are.  But here they are in my blog for your viewing pleasure!

    Okay, I know what these are!  These are one of my favorite flowers which I cannot for the life of me grow in my yard.  I am sure it is because of the fact that my whole yard is shaded.  But I find it totally frustrating.  And yet every year I keep hoping my irises will do more than grow incredibly tall.

    Clematis. 

   These are my favorite flowers.  I love peonies.  I love them in all colors and styles. They remind me of my childhood.  In fact, I have an heirloom peony planted in my yard.  When an older family passed away, her children dug up one of her peony plants, divided it and shared it with many family members. Mine has grown like a house on fire for the past couple of years.  
   So in a way this blog entry, in fact my entire blog, is about things that I love.  So in a way, it is fitting that I end with a flower that I love - the peony.  The peony is big. It is magnificent. It is layered.  It can be messy.  There is sure a lot to love there.  Sounds a lot like life.

Poetry on Monday

Fox Trot Fridays

Thank the stars there's a day
each week to tuck in

the grief, lift your pearls, and
stride brush stride

quick-quick with a
heel-ball-toe. Smooth

as Nat King Cole's
slow satin smile,

easy as taking
one day at a time:

one man and
one woman,

rib to rib,
with no heartbreak in sight--

just the sweep of Paradise
and the space of a song

to count all the wonders in it.


by Rita Dove

The French Bread Experience

    Let me begin by saying that I have recently acquired an iphone.  Some of you may not be aware of my penchant for Apple products.  At the same time, some of you may be all to aware of this fact.  In fact, some of you may be super happy that I FINALLY own the iphone because now I may stop driving you crazy with my coveting chit-chat about it.  I said MAY.  Why do I bring this up at all, you ask?  Because these photographs were taken with my iphone using the Hipstamatic photo application.  It gives your photos a vintage look.  It is totally awesome!  There, that's enough talk about my new killer toy! 
   These snaps were taken during the process of making French bread for the first time.  The above photograph is of the dough after the first knead.  I know I mentioned this before but the Kitchen Aid mixer is really, really helpful when making bread.

    Above, the bread is in a covered bowl during the first rise.  This bread recipe called for the bread to rise three times.  But, I used fast rising yeast this time. That seemed to be just fine and cut the rising time in half.

    The photo above shows the dough after it has risen twice.  Also after the beat down and division of the dough.  Here, the dough is taking a five minute break before the shaping begins.

    Shaping all done.  I chose the boule shape rather than the baguette.  It seemed like an easier choice.  I may attempt a baguette the next time around.

    After the third rising time, I put the traditional tic tac toe cuts in the boule.  Next time, I will be a little more forceful with the knife. My cuts were not as defined as I would have liked.

    On the cooling rack.  So here's the way you get that crusty exterior on the bread. You put a pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven.  Go figure.

 more bread photos

 

And another photograph.

   Here is one of the finished loaves.  Look at how beautiful that is.  Really, this French bread experience was a good one.  I think the key to this bread is patience.  You must be patient and allow enough time for the magic to happen.
   I like that.  I think that can apply to everything in our lives.  Slow down, be patient and allow enough time for the magic to happen.

Bread Therapy

   In my world, there are always things to consider.  There are always questions to be answered.  There are always issues to be addressed.  This makes me sound so very important.  This makes me sound like my musings will impact the future of the free world.  Not so much, unless my ramblings on pie making, baking and life somehow change the course of events to come.  I bring up this topic because in many ways, I find cooking and baking therapeutic.  Sometimes, it provides me with time alone in my head to work out the big questions of the day while doing something productive.  Sometimes, when cooking with friends or family, it provides me with companionship, conversation and laughter that helps move me out of my head for a bit. Getting out of my head is a good thing, believe me.

   Well on my quest to be a better person, a better cook, and a better baker, I have now begun to explore the world of bread making.  This is also due in part to the fact that I am no fan of store bought bread.  And once again, making bread can be therapeutic.  Just consider all of that kneading and punching down that must be done during the process of bread making.  Here is a clear way to take out some aggression!  Not that I am full of rage or anything.  

   The photo below is of this bread baker's best friend.  This lovely Kitchen Aid mixer does a whole lotta work during the process.  And it is a beautiful red color!  In the photo, the mixer is kneading an herb bread. 

    What is so cool about using the mixer to make bread, you ask?  Well,  like the fact that it does a good portion of the work but still allows you some of the hands on experience at the same time.  If you make bread in a bread maker, you just throw everything in and go. Now that is convenient but you miss the process.  As a pre-kindergarten teacher, I must tell you, process is important. 

    Below, the herb bread after the first rise.  But before the addition of the herbs, just in case you were wondering.

    So, I made four little loaves in these ramekins.  This photo shows the addition of the herbs and the shaping process before the second rise.  I definitely could have done a better job folding in the herbs.  Ah well, next time.

    So, some funny little breads, right?  Kinda look like ice cream cone breads.  But they are tasty and served as a nice little Mother's Day treat for my Grandmother and Stepmother. 

   Bread making as therapy.  Works pretty well.  And it is a hell of a lot cheaper. 

   To all of you moms out there in blogland, you have a complicated job.  On this day, make sure you are taking some time for yourself.  You deserve it!  Maybe even eat some bread. Come on, carbs won't kill ya.

Poetry Sunday on Monday

Out Here In Montana

What I am thinking – out here in Montana

is time. Where the thoughts are slow

and clear.  - A pinpoint flashlight

outlining objects – a neon circle

fading away.

What I am thinking – out here in Montana

is peace. Where the wind blows a stray

cloud across the cerulean sky.  A candle

burning down to the end – slow

easy darkness.

What I am thinking – out here in Montana

is happiness. Where the sky is broad  

and the sun is close. – A hundred

watt light bulb turned on – heat

coming off in waves.

What I am thinking – out here in Montana

is love. Where the mountain snow is melting

in the middle of July.   Fireworks – lit

then a quick catch – bright

sudden explosion.

By Jessica Kerans  2010