Where We Dined Like Kings

Imagine: a cool autumn afternoon, you are sitting at a patio that is perched high on a hill, overlooking a valley of lush green grape vines; you are sipping fine wine and dining on fresh regional cuisine; and a faint smell of lavender fills the air as you enjoy conversation with loved ones.  Sounds dreamy doesn't it?  Well ... it really was!


Over the weekend I had the pleasure of going to King Estate Winery with my mom and sister.  It is located a short drive from downtown Eugene, but its beauty makes it seem worlds away.  1,033 acres of land includes orchards, vegetable gardens, flowers, and of course 430 acres of organic vineyards! 

The drive up was so pretty.  I admit that I was pretending to be in the French countryside.

A lovely pic of my mom, sister and I near the patio where we dined, overlooking the vineyard.

The panoramic view from the winery is really something to behold with neat rows of vines go as far as the eye can see.  We took a tour of the facility which led us through the process of getting wine from the vine to the glass, then at the restaurant we got to taste their product.  I went home with a bottle of their Acrobat Oregon Pinot Noir 2010, which I plan to bring out for a special occasion some time.

 The barrel rooms had beautiful arched ceilings and smelled strongly of, what else, oak.

 I felt very blessed to have the opportunity to jump out of the car and snap some shots of the grapes on the vine.  These bunches will soon be harvested.

Good wine, good food, good company and good laughs all made this a very memorable adventure.

Even though I still long to go to the wine country of France, it's a comfort to know that a similar experience is never too far away from me.

Capturing Perfection

I realize that the title of this post may seem a bit arrogant.  Really, I'm just proud of the way a baguette came out and I just HAD to photograph it!  For a few years I have been experimenting with making different kinds of breads, but my favorite is rustic french bread from my Joy of Cooking cookbook.  I use a mixed starter, meaning I use a bit of dough saved from a previous batch and put it into the new dough.  The result is a more developed flavor and chewy texture.

Hello, Gorgeous!

Yesterday I made four thin baguettes and one in particular came out looking so good; and if you squint slightly you might think it came from la boulangerie.  The slits showed up on the top, a thin dusting of flour made it look more rustic, and the golden color was perfect!  I also finally bought and used bread flour, which I think made all the difference.  I'd say the downside to making all of this is that we aren't big bread eaters around here.  Still it is a lot of fun to bake and experiment with.  I'm thinking next time I might add herbs or kalamata olives to really kick it up a notch.

Is There Anything Better Than Butter?

Have you seen the movie Julie & Julia?  There is a part where Julie Powell asks the question "Is there anything better than butter?"  Well, I have to reply with a resounding NO!


For example: pie crust.  Living in Oregon, I am beyond thrilled that this state produces some of the best fruits and berries you could ever imagine.  In fact, it is home to the marionberry, a variety of blackberry developed in the Willamette Valley.  These beautiful and flavorful berries are coveted for use in making pies and cobblers.  Yesterday when I was at the local grower's market, I picked up two pints of the black beauties, dreaming of what concoctions I could come up with them.

A glorious pint of organically grown marionberries.

I thought about a coffee cake or a crisp, but at the request of my son, settled on pie.  Well actually, I made turnovers, which I think are more fun to eat and seemed like a good summer treat.  I'm not really a baker and I don't have a tried and true pie crust, so I decided I would experiment and come up with one that I liked.  Let me just say that butter made it better!


I used a recipe that used only shortening, water, flour and salt.  The first batch was okay, except I rolled the crust too thick making it pale and not very flavorful. Today I changed it up a bit and instead added some cold, unsalted butter and rolled out thin crust.  To my delight it turned out light and flaky and golden and ... well let's just say I am in turnover heaven!

Marionberry turnovers.  Yes, I did eat TWO of them.

Heavenly Marionberry Turnovers - makes 8 turnovers or 2 pie crusts


Filling:
2 pints marionberries (or whatever fruit you like; I also threw in a few raspberries from my own backyard)
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
dash of salt


Pie crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter cut into small cubes
6 Tbsp icy cold water


Egg wash:
1 egg
1 Tbsp water


Topping:
ground cinnamon
turbinado sugar


In medium bowl, gently coat berries with flour, sugar and salt.  Set aside.  


To make crust, use a food processor by pulsing together flour, shortening, and salt.  One tablespoon at a time, add cold water and pulse.  Add in cold butter and pulse.  The dough should be soft and hold together in a ball.  On floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8" thickness.  Using a cutter (or bowl) approximately 5" in diameter, cut out rounds and place on parchment lined baking sheet.  


Spoon small amounts of berries onto each round, making sure not to over fill. Brush egg mixture onto edges and fold over the round, crimp the turnover closed with a knife.  Brush egg wash over the top of turnover, sprinkle with cinnamon and turbinado sugar.  Make a steam vent by slitting the top of the pastry with a sharp knife.


Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30-35 minutes.  Allow to cool on wire rack, or serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

My kids harvest (but mostly eat) the ripe raspberries from our backyard.

The crunchy turbindo sugar made these turnovers extra special in my opinion.  I can't wait to try these with some apples.  Hmm, and maybe some fresh cherries.  Ooh, and lets not forget peaches ... or pears ...

Pain Perdu

"Mama, what are we having for dinner?" my son asked me one night as I was slicing into a loaf of stale artisan bread.  "Pain perdu" I replied in the best French accent I could muster.  "Huh?" was what I heard in return.  "Okay, basically I'm making french toast."

The French of course don't call it french toast, they call it pain perdu which means "lost bread".  Not wanting to waste a bit of the rustic french bread I made myself, from a mixed starter, and formed by my very own hands - I thought that making it into a delicious eggy bread served with maple syrup was just the thing to do.


Typically a french toast is made with a sliced sour dough bread, fluffy in nature and square in shape.  Not mine.  It has a thick crust, dense crumb, and an organic shape.  In fact, it must be soaked for a good 10 minutes to soften the bread and allow the egg mixture to soak in.  And when it is cooked and served hot with butter and syrup ... whoa baby!

Pain Perdu


3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
3/4 to 1 inch slices (not fresh) rustic french or sour dough bread


Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon and place in a shallow baking dish.  Place bread slices into egg mixture and let soak for about 10 minutes.  Melt butter in skillet set to medium and cook up the bread.  Serve with a favorite syrup and sprinkling of powdered sugar.

How To Obtain Chai Blissfulness

There is just something about Chai tea that is so good.  It is decadent, rich, spicy and has always been a special treat to me since I'd either have to buy it from the store or head to my nearest Starbucks.  Well, no more!  No more waiting, no more spending, and no more unsatisfied cravings!  My mom introduced me to a recipe that is so insanely simple, I can have Chai tea whenever I want and it barely costs me a thing. 

I suppose you want the recipe now, huh?  Well okay, since I'm in a Chai induced generous mood:

HOMEMADE CHAI CONCENTRATE by parenthacks.com

1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 t. ground cardamom
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves

Mix everything and store in the refrigerator. A small, glass mason jar with a plastic storage cap works well. The mixture will keep, refrigerated, for six months.

Next up is a pictorial to demonstrate how easy it is to make yourself an unbelievable cup o' Chai.  Prepare for utter bliss:

 

First, steep your favorite black tea in boiling water.  Place a spoon in the cup while steeping to warm it up.

 Grab your Chai concentrate from the fridge. 

 Dry off your warmed spoon when the tea is done steeping, then get a heaping spoonful of the concentrate ...

 ... and drizzle it into the tea!

Give it a good stir and immediately start enjoying it.

If you are a Chai latte fan, try this method of making great foam and mix it in.  See, no need to leave the house and spend four bucks on temporary heaven!

Because Sometimes We're Fancy

Going out to a restaurant is such a treat for me.  I LOVE those occasions where I don't have to plan a dinner, prepare it, serve it, and then clean up after it.  Unfortunately, going out to a good Italian restaurant (my favorite) is usually a spendy affair and therefore becomes a rare event.

One thing that I adore about some restaurants is the little bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar they put out on the table to dip bread in.  It is a nice break from butter and is kinder on the waistline.  Feeling inspired, I bought a couple of bottles to dispense my own oil and vinegar at home.  And while I still have to go through the trouble of making a dinner most of the time, dipping my bread in these gorgeous condiments can make a meal special ... even fancy.

How To Be Popular

I have discovered the secret to popularity. I know how to obtain the love and respect of your family. If you try this method, you are guaranteed total adoration.

It's simple: Make this pizza.

It must have been all of the rest that I got over the weekend, but I was inspired to create an amazing feast for my family. There is a pizza place in Corvallis, Oregon that is rather well known called American Dream Pizza. It seems whenever I go to visit with family there, we enjoy their fabulous food. I've decided my favorite is their "Tejano", a BBQ chicken pizza with ingredients that just mesh well together. So, I decided to make one of my own, and boy did it yield great results!


Kelly's BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 pizza crust (I made my own, but store bought is fine too. I used this recipe)
sprinkling of corn meal
olive oil
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used Stubb's which is a little more gourmet even if found at the grocery store)
2 roasted chicken breasts, 1" cubes
1/2 tsp Italian herbs
1 cup smoked gouda cheese
1 cup fontina cheese
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
cilantro, coarsely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place cubed chicken in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce and Italian seasonings. Stir together to coat chicken. When the pizza dough is prepared, roll out into 14" circle at a 1/4" thickness. Sprinkle corn meal onto pizza pan and place dough on top; drizzle dough with olive oil. Spread out desired amount of BBQ sauce; sprinkle fontina cheese evenly; top with cubed chicken; sprinkle smoked gouda evenly and distribute onion slices. If you have garlic salt, shake a little on the outer edge of the crust for great flavor. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. If you have acquired a taste for it, sprinkle some cilantro on the top for added color and flavor.

Slice up the pizza and serve. Expect lots of wide eyes and compliments.


I served our pizza with a fresh green salad and for the adults a peppery Zinfandel. It was a seriously awesome meal and miracles even took place: my son ate all of his salad without prompting, just so he could have more pizza. Making me the most popular person in the house.

Cold Feets, Hot Treats

It's surprising that since I live in the high desert, last night was the first significant snow fall this season. And that means the kids were begging to go out sledding. Technically, there wasn't enough snow on the roads for a good morning of sledding, but that didn't stop us from having some fun!

A daddy's job is to pull the sled when there is insufficient snow.

A walk in the woods is perfect for making bootprints.

Even if it is cold outside, one can always avoid those pesky sister cooties!

One good sled down the hill was worth the effort ...

... even if that means you fall down and go BOOM.

Then probably the best part of an hour in the snow is the homemade hot cocoa that the kids helped to make!

Homemade Hot Cocoa (from the Hershey's 100th Anniversary Cookbook)

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
dash salt
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups milk
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

In medium saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa and salt; stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not boil. Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary beater or whisk until foamy. Serve with marshmallows, sweetened whipped cream, or for a minty treat ... candy canes!

Enjoy!

Frothy Bliss

I have a stove top cappuccino maker which I love dearly, but have always been a little bummed that the frothed milk doesn't come out as pristine white micro foam that I look forward to in a good coffee drink.

Just call me a foamed milk snob!

A friend on Facebook recently posted this link on how to make milk foam without a machine ... and it is awesome! Of course I love cappuccinos and tea lattes and after trying this method I am making them all the time.

This black tea latte really hit the spot. With a little Billy Holiday's I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm playing in the background and a knitting project in hand, it's been a good afternoon.

Thanks to this easy trick, I make espresso in my stove top cappuccino maker and create the foam by hand. I am not exaggerating when I say that it rivals Starbucks, and from my own kitchen no less! Hint: the higher the fat content in the milk, the better the foam. Plus, I don't have to clean much, waste much, or wait long.

Ooh, I think I'll have to go get some Chai tea now. The perfect Christmastime drink I think.

Chez Kelly

I've never been to Paris, but when I do go (and I will go) I plan to head out for a night at a local bistro. I like hearty dishes and casual dining. So, last night I made my own bistro-style meal and ate it at my own table. It was VERY casual, it always is with children. I didn't bother with the white table linens or candlelight, but I did use my Dansk Bistro dishes and white ramekins to get the experience.

We had homemade French Dip sandwiches and garlicky mashed potatoes. Milk for the kids and Cabernet Sauvignon for the adults. We gathered at the table and talked about our day. Watching my son try to eat the au jus with a fork was interesting; and I could have done without my daughter complaining that she didn't like potatoes; but all in all it was a nice meal together.

To anyone who has a crock pot and is non-vegetarian, here is an amazing French Dip recipe you must try:

French Dip Sandwiches with Au Jus

1 rump roast (about 4 lbs)
1 10.5 oz can beef broth
1 10.5 oz can French Onion soup
1 12 oz bottle of beer
French rolls or stadium rolls
butter
garlic salt
sliced provolone cheese

I like to start cooking my meat the night before. Trim excess fat and place in crock pot with a little bit of water and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Allow to cook overnight. In the morning, remove the water from the crock pot and add in the broth, soup and beer. Cook on low for 7 hours. (WARNING: the smell of this cooking with make your mouth water the whole day!)

To prepare for sandwiches, take out the meat and place on a cutting board. The roast should be falling apart, no need for slicing. Double strain the au jus to remove bits and ladle into ramekins.

When ready to assemble sandwiches, open up the rolls and spread on butter and garlic salt (I use California garlic salt). Place under the broiler on low for a few minutes until bread browns and butter melts. Add shredded meat to the rolls, top with sliced provolone and place back under the broiler, open faced, until cheese melts. Cut sandwiches in half diagonally and serve with au jus. Then sit back and listen to all of the oooohhhhhs and aaaahhhhhs.

My husband tried one bite of his sandwich and asked me to marry him again. That's how good it is!

The Magic Ingredient

It has taken a while, but I have learned to love summer vegetables. I was never a fan of zucchini, and now I greedily add it to my cart at the grocery store. I even like yellow crookneck squash! My children, however, are not convinced of their deliciousness. So, finding a way to get my kids to eat their vegetables without shoveling them down their throats is a challenge. Fortunately, I think I may have found the solution.

The "magic ingredient" is participation ... and cheese ... but mostly participation. My daughter helped me to assemble this meal and took pride in it, therefore she ate her dinner and asked for seconds. Here is a great recipe that we all enjoyed seconds of:


Summer Vegetable Flatbread (modified from foodnetwork.com)

All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 pound pizza dough
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus extra, for drizzling
1 large (8 ounce) zucchini, thinly sliced
1 yellow crookneck squash, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves, divided
1 1/2 cups (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella (I used pre-shredded Italian blend)

Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle. With a pastry brush, brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over the dough. Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over. Arrange the vegetable slices on top of the dough. Drizzle the vegetables with oil. Bake the dough for 18 to 20 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Remove the bread from the oven, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of oregano and the cheeses. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheeses are melted and bubbly.

Sprinkle the flatbread with the remaining oregano, cut into wedges and serve. A light sprinkling of garlic salt is quite nice as well.

Now THAT is a painless way to eat your veggies!

I Shan't Quit My Day Job

There is a part of me that longs to be a French pastry chef. The idea of mixing, baking and piping little bits of heaven sounds so ... well, heavenly. My latest fascination has been with macarons, not to be confused with macaroons. I have had one from my favorite little pastry shop in Ashland called Mix; and from the first bite of that hazelnut pastry, I was hooked.

Recently I discovered a charming blog called Tartelette that features enchanting recipes and many of them are for macarons. Inspired, I decided that today was the day for trying out these decadent treats.

The first thing I had to do was convert a lot of her measurements (i.e. grams into cups, because she is a real French pastry chef) and make sure I had all that I needed to get started. I mixed, I measured, I finely ground nuts and I piped the meringue into little rounds.

I failed miserably.

My meringues did NOT come out hard on the outside and light and soft on the inside. They were flat and gooey discs that my husband informed me looked like "sequential puddles of cat yack" (this is the reason I did not post a photo of my catastrophe!) Using salted pistachios was not a good idea as my husband informed me provided "a whole lot of flavor going on in one bite" and not in a good way.

I will not give up. I can see that it will take practice and when I successfully make a batch of these dreamy confections, you bet I will post a photo documenting my triumph. In the meantime, I shall not quit my day job. But I will dream of going to Paris and buying a box of these treats from the world famous Ladurée at Champs-Élysées, and this is what they would look like ...

photo from: http://sushtopia.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/macarons-perfect.jpg

Lunch for Dinner

Don't these bagels look delicious? I got them from a cute little place called Kelly's Kitchen!

Mmmm, bagels. There is just something about the soft and chewy insides and browned outsides that make these breads so appealing. There is a place in town called The Daily Bagel that has bagels of all flavors ranging from garlic & herb, poppyseed, cheese and my favorite cranberry orange. Lightly toasted with a little schmear and I am happy!

The other day I was watching Martha Stewart and she had a guest on her show who was making bagel sandwiches. The ingredients really grossed me out. Chicken liver and pickles or whitefish salad with wasabi roe ... blah! Surprisingly, these are the most popular sandwiches at his shop. And while the thought of biting into a sandwich full of mushy chicken livers did not appeal to me in any way, the bagels themselves, did. So I decided to try to make my own bagels.

Sure, I could always head down to The Daily Bagel and pick up a few, but I was up for a challenge. I had never made bagels before and was curious about the process. I found a recipe online (I chose it because I had all of the ingredients on hand) and I had a blast making them.

Homemade Bagels (modified from recipetips.com)

1 tablespoon dry yeast, or 1 package
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons sugar (optional, but gives a bit of gloss to the crust)
sesame seeds, poppy seeds, coarse salt (optional, for topping)

Dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Put flour, salt and sugar into electric mixer with dough hook attachment and mix. (Or mix together by hand in a bowl).

With mixer running, add yeasted water all at once and mix for about 30 seconds, until dough forms a single mass. If it's too runny to form a mass, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time. If too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time. Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for several minutes, adding a little more flour if necessary to make a firm dough.
Put dough into a bowl large enough to allow for rising, cover with plastic bag or damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Time will vary with temperature)

When dough is risen, preheat oven to 400 and bring 2 quarts water to boil in a pot wide enough to hold 2 or 3 bagels without crowding. Add 2 tablespoons sugar to boiling water. While oven and water heat, punch dough down and divide as evenly as possible into 8 pieces. Shape the pieces into balls. Flatten each ball into a disc about 4 inches across and poke a hole in the center. Use your hands to enlarge the hole and shape the dough.

When the oven is hot and the water boiling, starting with the bagels that were shaped first, slide 2 or 3 into the boiling water. Adjust the temperature to maintain a simmer or slow boil, not a hard boil, and cook for 2 minutes, turn over and cook for another 2 minutes. Lift out carefully and drain on a rack. Sprinkle on topping seeds or salt, if using.

Arrange bagels on greased baking sheet with enough room so they aren't touching and bake until lightly browned and crusty, about 20 minutes. Remove from sheet and cool on a rack.

My efforts resulted in delicious and chewy - if not a little funny looking - bagels that made perfect sandwiches that we had for dinner. I made my own herbed cream cheese which I put with slices of ham on each bagel. I cut up some carrot sticks and apples, and we had lunch for dinner! The family seemed pleased and I would definitely do this again. In fact, my husband didn't even realize at first that I had made them ... yeah, they were THAT good!

My New Favorite Hangout

Sometime last weekend, my husband started up a subscription to the local paper. This paper isn't too impressive as it is only a few pages and about 1/16 of an inch thick! But it does have some coupons and sales listed as well as a funnies section. It is also nice to know a little bit about what is going on around town as we have been quite out of it for the nearly five years we have lived here!

With the paper arriving everyday and a new recipe I have for scones, my own kitchen has become my latest favorite hangout. I'll warn you ... these scones are good! They are subject to addiction and should be made only at one's willingness to indulge.

Warm, fresh-from-the oven scones with a cup of coffee and the daily crossword - who needs to go all the way to a coffeehouse for that?

Coffeehouse Scones (modified from joyofbaking.com) Makes 6 scones.

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

2/3 cup buttermilk (I didn't have buttermilk so I made sour milk instead: 2/3 cup milk and add 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk (adding more if necessary) to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat, or roll, the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into 3 pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on a parchment lined baking sheet. Make an egg wash of one well-beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk and brush the tops of the scones with this mixture.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and then turn your broiler on high. Sift confectioners (powdered) sugar heavily over the tops of the scones and place them under the broiler. Broil for just a few seconds, turning the pan as necessary, until the sugar has melted and turns golden brown. Make sure to watch the scones carefully as the sugar will burn very quickly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Cherry Almond Scones

Use above recipe and add to dough before kneading:

1 tsp almond extract

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup dried cherries

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

Use above recipe and add to dough before kneading:

1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

zest of one lemon

2 Tbsp poppy seeds

These scones are a breeze to make and are a little easier on your wallet than going to your local bakery. My daughter had a blast making them, and all of us enjoyed eating them.

Blog Fodder

Some days I can't think of anything to blog about. Other days, it just pours out of me. Today is a blog fodder kind of day ...

Hot Date

It is a rare thing for my husband and I to have a date. We live in a town where the nearest relatives are 2 1/2 hours away, most of our friends have kids (and more of them than we do) and it doesn't seem right to ask them, and since we are pretty new to our current church we don't really know the teenagers enough to ask them to watch our kids. Fortunately, a very nice couple in our small group offered to watch our little ones if we ever wanted to go out. YES!!! This last Saturday we went on the first date since November and boy was it fun. We went to a charming little eatery and had a leisurely lunch. I also insisted that we take a couple of photos to remember who we are as a couple since almost all of our photos are of our kids.

Survival of the Fittest

I guess I wasn't fit in one of my Facebook "friends" opinion as I have been defriended. In Facebook you can remove someone as a friend and they may never know about it, or at least it could take a while. I was sorting through my friends and putting them into categories (i.e. family, high school, church, etc.) and discovered that someone wasn't on there any more. He was from my youth group in high school and I didn't know him that well, but still I feel the sting of rejection. Why was I removed? Did I offend? Did I get removed by accident? It's like high school all over again!

No Line on the Horizon

It's here. After 4 1/2 years since their last album, U2 has finally released a new one. Being a HUGE U2 fan I was quite excited. I have listened to it a couple of times now and I have decided that I like it. It may be a while before I love it, as most U2 albums need to grow on me. I mean I didn't even like them back in the 80s when they released their renowned album Joshua Tree (probably because I was listening to the poppy tunes of Debbie Gibson, I was only a 6th grader after all). I haven't had time to delve into the lyrical poetry of No Line on the Horizon, but knowing this morally conscious band, I'm sure it's in there. In the meantime, I have had a great time watching snippets of U2 on the Letterman Show last week. Here is an amusing clip featuring the "Top Ten Things U2 Has Learned Over the Years".

So Bad Yet So Good

I have discovered a bakery in town. That is both good and bad believe me! Good that the local bagel shop is no longer the only place to go for a morning treat and a decent cappuccino. Good that they sell fresh French breads and pastries - that fill my olfactory senses with wonderfulness as soon as I walk into the shop. Good that their cappuccino is so perfect that I can taste the whole milk, the good espresso and I don't even have to add sugar of any kind. Bad that I discovered this place and have already indulged, because now I can do nothing but dream of their croissants, their scones, and oh the chocolats! It's created a monster I'm afraid. Bad, bad Kelly!

An Ode to Bessie

I never knew my great-grandmother, Bessie. My mom has good memories of her and I wish I could have known her. It would have been fun to visit her house because she would often have bowls of Hershey's Kisses set out; can you imagine how pretty that must have looked? Bessie made good food. Comforting food. She made the best toast, and would let my mom have coffee at a young age - of course it was mostly milk.

A few months ago I bought a fantastic piece of cookery: a Le Creuset French Oven in cobalt blue. Since I tend to be in a habit of naming inanimate objects, I was trying to come up with a good name for my new pot. All I could think of was "Bessie". I think it is fitting to name it after my great-grandmother. It is used to make comfort foods like stews, soups, cassoulets, and pot roast; it is beautiful, classy and meant to last a lifetime - much like the memories that my mom has of her grandmother.

Since purchasing the pot I have used it to make many wonderful meals. My favorite is Beef Bourguignon which is a traditional French beef stew made with red wine. Another favorite dish is chili. I found this recipe in InStyle magazine of all places. It is fast, easy and healthy. I thought the ingredients sounded a little odd together, but this stuff is really good! It is kind of a sweet chili, but you can always add more spice if you want more of a kick. After making it a few times I have modified it a little and came up with this:

Healthy Chili

1 lb. lean ground beef (I use ground angus beef)

2 Tbsp. chili spice

3/4 C. water

1 20 oz. can vegetarian baked beans

1 15 oz. can petit diced tomatoes

1 15 oz. can kidney beans

1 15 oz. marinara sauce

Sauté meat in pan until brown. Drain excess juices. Add water and chili spice; simmer 5-1o minutes. Mix remaining ingredients in separate saucepan; add sautéed meat, and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.

Every time I use my pot I think of Bessie, and if she were still here today I hope I would make her proud.

The Greatest Invention of All Time

Okay, so maybe that it is a bit of an exaggeration to call it the greatest invention, but it comes pretty close! I am talking about the Bialetti Mukka Express stove top cappuccino maker. This polished aluminum beauty allows me to have a cup of frothy deliciousness whenever I want – and I don't have to leave the house to do so.

In my town there are very few places to get a truly awesome cappuccino, except for the local bagel shop. And being a busy mom, I rarely have time to stop somewhere and enjoy a cup. Coffee kiosks are very popular with my demographic – it's the battle between The Human Bean and Dutch Brothers. Both are good, but I think a cappuccino or latte deserves to be consumed out of a real cup. Going to these drive-thrus is also hard on the wallet and I can tell when the espresso machine hasn't been cleaned out.

So what is a coffee lover to do? Thumbing through a Crate & Barrel catalog I found an item that looked so intriguing I had to try it myself. I ordered the Mukka Express for a whopping $89, skeptical of its ability to produce my precious drink. When it arrived, I was a little overwhelmed by the contraption. There are many of steps you have to take to ensure a great cup of coffee. The instructions said you would have to discard the first few cups as you are “seasoning” the pot. I wasn't prepared for the huge amounts of coffee spewing all over my stove! It has taken me some time to get the system down, but since doing so I have enjoyed playing around with different blends of coffee. It doesn't produce perfectly white foam, but it takes up little space on the counter is easy to clean. Here is my recipe for a near perfect cappuccino:

Coffee Blend:
½ Starbucks House Blend
½ New Mexico Piñon Coffee
This blend provides a great espresso flavor without being too strong, the piñon gives a mild nutty flavor.

Milk:
Whole milk works best if you have it. It is okay to add a little heavy cream to low fat milk too.

If you love this creamy Italian drink the way I do, I highly recommend this wonderful apparatus.