February 23rd, 2011 §
The weather here lately has been unusually warm for February. A month ago we had the biggest snow storm in years, and this month we are having temperatures in the high 70′s with sunshine! I’m not sure how long it will stick around, but in the meantime I’m taking advantage of this early spring by enjoying daily walks and open windows. Oh, and this cake.
The citrus selection is slimming down a little since the season is wrapping up, but before it was gone completely I knew I wanted to try out a recipe using kumquats. They really are so cute and tasty, but I haven’t found many ways to use them in recipes. Yesterday the idea came to me that maybe I could make a cake reminiscent of a lemon pound cake, but using kumquats. Since you can’t exactly get much juice from these little guys and zesting would be a pain, why not use the whole thing? So that’s what we’ve done here. I used Ina Garten’s Lemon Yogurt Cake recipe as a platform, and went from there. This citrusy dessert is super moist and delicious, and really is fitting for this lovely weather.:)
Has anyone else had many experiences baking/cooking with kumquats? I’d love to hear!
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February 19th, 2011 §
English muffins are an all-time favorite of mine. Whether they’re toasted with butter, served with eggs benedict, made into a sandwich, or in Nat’s riccotta with warm banana (new fave!), the possibilities are endless. I felt like they could perhaps be made even better if they were homemade, so I went for it. It’s safe to say that they can indeed be even better. I’ve made them a couple of times now, testing out how they do with different flours. I’ve found that the best taste and texture comes with the unbleached all-purpose flour, but you can go with the healthier option with white whole-wheat, as long as you cut down on the flour content. Today I made the whole-wheat version, so that is why the muffins in my photos are a bit darker than usual.
I think on my next try I’d like to see how a cinnamon raisin or cranberry orange english muffin would be. If you attempt them before I do, let me know how they turn out!:)
February 14th, 2011 §
My charger has finally arrived! I’ve been so happy to finally be able to photograph some of my meals again to show you. Here’s one I made a few months ago, I was so pleased with the flavor that I decided to make it again. I thought the soup could use a little more of the garlic and onion flavor, so I doubled the content that was in the original recipe. I also added half & half to make it a bit more creamy. It’s a mild soup with a lovely flavor. Perfect to serve alongside some garlic toast and a nice salad.
P.S. Sorry that I don’t have any pink cupcakes or heart shaped cookies to share with you on this lovely day. My valentine is off firefighting for the holiday, so I’m putting off celebrating till he returns.:) hopefully you are all enjoying a sweet time with your special someone and eating enough chocolate for all of us! Happy Valentines!
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February 1st, 2011 §
Well, it’s looking like we’ve got a problem. Seems that I’ve gone and lost the charger for my camera. I have a few new recipes that I’ve been wanting to post about, but I can’t do that without photos. I have just ordered a new charger and the estimated shipping time is 2-11 days. (eek!)
In the meantime, you should run on over to my links page and check out some of the lovely bloggers I have listed there. They won’t disappoint!
P.S. a few of you have asked in the past what my kitchen looks like, so I dug up the picture above. There it is in all of it’s tiny glory!