Friday is PIE DAY!

It has been a whirlwind of activity in my kitchen today. My PIE DAY pie was created and baked throughout the day, and I have been making desserts for a wine tasting party that we are lucky enough to attend tonight.

For this weeks PIE DAY, I wanted to bake something that would be worthy of a May Day celebration.  Fresh berries and fruit came to mind, but we're still a bit early for much good fruit.  However, I found some organic blackberries on sale yesterday, and that seemed like a good start.  Lemon struck me as a bright springy combination with blackberries, so I came up with a May Day Meringue Pie. 

It's still cooling, and I have to get dressed for the party, so the recipe and taste report will follow tomorrow.
I can hardly wait for a slice!

Ok-  Here is the recipe for the May Day Meringue Pie!

1 9" pie crust, prebaked

Lemon Filling
1 c sugar
7 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 stick butter
4 egg yolks
1/2 c lemon juice
1 T lemon zest

-combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan
-add the milk, and whisk until smooth
-cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil and starts to thicken
-remove from heat, temper egg yolks, then stir in egg yolks
-bring this mixture back to a boil
-reduce heat to low and cook for 2 more minutes
-remove from heat and add butter, lemon juice and zest
-whisk until well blended and completely smooth.
-set aside to cool
-when cool, pour into prepared crust

Meringue

4 egg whites
6 T sugar
1 t lemon juice

-beat egg whites, adding sugar and lemon juice slowly, until soft peaks form
-starting at edges of pie, spread meringue into a tall ring around edge of pie
-bake at 350 degrees until meringue is lightly browned
-let cool to room temperature, then chill in refrigerator for an hour
-fill center with fresh, organic berries, slice and serve!

DIY: More May baskets!

Here is another super easy and colorful May basket project.

Make button 'flowers' by gluing stacks of buttons together, then attaching to a pipe cleaner stem.

I used a plastic flower petal base glued to the pipe cleaner to give them a nice base.

Fold and wrap another pipe cleaner around the stem to form leaves.

I filled a small shaker jar (these were $1 at Michael's!) with assorted candy.

Stick a few flowers into the shaker and tie a ribbon around the jar,

and you've got a colorful edible May basket filled with keepsake flowers.

May baskets need not always show up on a front door.

Surprise your family with a May basket hanging on their dresser door knob,

or on their chair at the breakfast table!

Happy May Day!

DIY: May basket

May Day is one of my favorite days.  Traditional celebrations aside, May 1st just seems like a good day to celebrate-the arrival of spring, the first blooming flowers, or just longer days outside. May baskets for May Day are a sweet little tradition, and I am surprised at how many people are unaware of it. My mother and I always made May baskets for me to take to school or hang on neighbors' doors.  Usually, they were filled with May flowers and Dutchman's Breeches that I picked in the woods, but sometimes we also included candy. I have continued this tradition, and people are always happy and surpised to find one adorning their front door.

It's a cinch to make this simple May basket.  A small jar-this one has a wire bale handle-holds water and spring blooms.  Tie a piece of lace trim (or ribbon, or twine-whatever you have on hand) around the jar, and one onto the handle to loop around a doorknob. A tag wishes a Happy May Day to the recipient, and a vintage clip-on earring adds a bit of bling.

Another springtime treat: morel mushrooms!

Mushrooms are one of my favorite things in the world.  My requests for special occasion food when I was little were usually mushroom pizza or cream of mushroom soup.  (I know-weird for a kid, right?)  The first time S made dinner for me he made a fabulous mushroom soup.  I don't remember if I had tipped him off or if it was just a really intuitive choice.  I won him over with rhubarb pie and he won me over with that soup.

Spring morel hunting has always been a thrill. Growing up surrounded by woodlands, we often had a pretty amazing harvest, and a couple of years ago we came upon a big cache.  For the most part, though, they are fairly elusive.  We spent a couple of hours searching this past weekend, only to come up empty-handed.  S called on his way home from work last night to tell me that he had a surprise. When he arrived home, he immediately called me up to the kitchen to see my surprise-a bowl full of morels!
(I wish I had a photo to put here, but I was so excited, that I forgot to take one)

I could have easily made a meal out of buttered bread and sauteed morels, but thought that I should probably add a little more substance.  My concoction was full of fabulous flavors, and I'd like to develop this one a bit more to make it more sophisticated and showy.  But, here is last night's version.....

Ham and Pink Lady Apple Ragout
with Artichoke Romaine Salad and Sauteed Morels

1 medium Pink Lady Apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup cubed cooked ham
1/4 cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

-saute onion and apple in 2 T olive oil until translucent and lightly browned
-deglaze pan with broth, then add ham, salt and pepper
-cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, until heated through

1 head Romaine lettuce, sliced
1 artichoke heart (with a little of the juice from the jar), finely chopped
3 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 t lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

-combine artichoke,olive oil, vinegar, lemon and salt and pepper
-whisk well, then pour over Romaine

morels
butter
garlic
salt

-adjust ingredient amounts according to number of morels-when in doubt, add more butter!
-saute slice morels in butter, minced garlic and salt

This made for a pretty tasty combination, but any one of these elements would work on their own or with other menus. 

Ahhh.....Lilacs

Today I picked the first lilac bunches of the season. 

This is the first year in a very long time that they have bloomed here before May 1st. 

I paired a big handful with a few stalks of bleeding heart blooms.

My first instinct was to grab a pale blue pottery vase,

but this bright blue mid-century piece from my collection

gives these old fashion flowers a modern twist.

A few stragglers cut from the big branches combine with a branch from a blooming apple tree

to form a diminutive arrangment in this milk glass playing card holder.

The scent is already filling the house,

and I'm giddy with excitement that the fresh cut blooms season has arrived!

Friday is PIE DAY!

My recent PIE DAY post for this glorious pie, left me hankering for more of that buttermilk tang.
So, I took away all the bells and whistles, and made a straight-up-no-frills buttermilk pie.  It's ingredients and preparation are similar to a classic custard pie, but with that signature buttermilk taste.  That said, if you don't care for buttermilk, um, chances are you won't care for this pie either.  But if you love buttermilk.....watch out!

Buttermilk Pie

1 9 inch unbaked pie shell
2 c buttermilk
1 c sugar
2 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 t vanilla
1 T butter, melted
3 T flour

-combine all ingredients in large bowl and beat until well combined
-pour into prepared pie shell
-bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes
-reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes
(test by inserting knife into center-it should come out clean)

Meringue is tasty on this pie, but optional.  Like I said, I was all about that full on buttermilk experience, so I decided against meringue this time.  If you want to add meringue, here's what to do!

3 egg whites
4 T sugar

-beat egg whites with mixer, adding sugar slowly (i mean it!), until it stiff peaks form
-spread meringue over pie, starting at edges and working your way to the center
-bake in 350 degree oven until slightly browned (about 6-8 minutes)

Collecting: A peek inside my drawers

Mmmmmm.....a drawer full of colorful plastic fun.

This one holds lots of party serving ware like the leaf plates

and a stack of melamine "butt bowls", as I call them.....

but the real gems are these little party favor or bridge snack trays.

They have a coaster half for your drink to rest on,

and a snack half for your mixed nuts or party mints!

Really, how have you lived without a few of these?

Aren't they darling?

The colors and flower motif found in this style make me swoon.

I used these at my sister's birthday party recently to hold a cupcake and jelly bean combo!

Use them for centerpieces, patio parties, table settings or cocktail parties,

or put one to work holding office supplies.

DIY: sleeve cozy

Sometimes a piece of clothing just needs a good trim.

These sleeve ends, trimmed off a couple of my cotton shirts, have been hanging around for a few months.

It is unlike me to save things like this, but I must have had a feeling that they would spark an idea.

I often fill a blue ball jar with ice water to drink when I am working in the garden,

and we also use them to tote gin and tonics to picnics.

These sleeves make the perfect cozy for a ball jar filled with a chilly beverage.

If you use the jars for storage, these will keep them looking tidy and add a splash of color.

They can also be used to dress up a flower vase.

Here I used both the pink and salmon sleeves to create layers of color and add some texture.

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles are one of those cookies that I would not think to put on my list of favorites.  Then I eat one and realize that they might just deserve a spot on that list.  They are a very unassuming cookie.  If you have never made them, you should give them a try.

Snickerdoodles

1/2 c butter (1 stick), softened
1 egg
1 c sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t cream of tartar

-cream butter, egg and sugar together until smooth
-stir in vanilla
-add dry ingredients and stir until well combined
-chill in refrigerator for at least one hour
-combine 4 T sugar and 1 T cinnamon in a small bowl
-roll chilled dough into small balls, then roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture

(I tend to make them small and bite-size, but you can make them bigger if you'd like)
-bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes (tops will get crackly and start to brown)

These are delightfully buttery, a bit crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, and have a hint of cinnamon.  yummy.  Another great every day cookie for your cookie jar.

Test kitchen

My neighbor across the street has started providing a very valuable service to Pies and Aprons-that of taste tester and "test kitchen".  Publishing recipes for other people to use definitely includes a learning curve for me, as I rarely use a recipe myself.  I try to be very diligent about paying attention to what I'm doing and writing things down as I'm cooking, but it doesn't always happen.  Then I am left trying to estimate how much of what I put in there and how long I let is simmer.  Sometimes, the translation does not quite work, and my neighbor has been reporting her results to me.  Most things have been just fine, but the other day on my cookie post, I left out a few bits of important information-like baking time and temperature.  Just minor things!  My apologies.  She also had poor results with the coconut rice, which, let's face it, was a little vague,  I am going to make it again tonight (which is not a hardship, believe me!), and promise to provide you with an actual recipe.  Please, please, please, feel free to share your results with me and ask questions (or just point out my failings-I can take it).

Friday is PIE DAY!

I'm not sure what inspired this pie.  Visions of tropical vacations?  The humid, breezy April day?  One too many pina coladas on the new deck?  Oh wait. It was the underripe pineapple that I bought earlier in the week.  Oh-that's annoying.  But, I'm here to tell you that it makes a mighty fine pie. 

Pineapple Mango Pie

9" double pie crust
1 pineapple, cored and cut into small chunks
2 mangos, peeled and diced
1 cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/8 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
2 t butter

-mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl
-mash the pineapple chunks just a bit-enough to break fibers down, but not enough to make it pulpy-you still want nice whole chunks
-add both fruits to the dry mixture and stir until well combined
-spoon into prepared crust
-dot top with slices of butter
-top with crust and vent
-bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes
-reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 25 minutes

This is the first pineapple pie that I've made, and it leaves me wondering why it took so long.  I was always worried that the pineapple would be too juicy, resulting in a big wet mess of a pie.  It seemed that it would take some special techniques or something fancy, but once I started, I ended up treating it just like any other fruit in a basic fruit pie recipe.  It cooked beautifully, stayed nice and firm, and looks much like a peach pie when you slice it.  The mango is a wonderful pairing, and you can adjust the amount of spice to your liking.  This is one pie that I like with a little more cinnamon flavor.  Add it to your summer pie list, or just keep the recipe handy for those times that you buy an underripe pineapple!

New deck progress

When we bought this little bungalow, we mistakenly thought that a small house=fewer projects.  It is now obvious to me that both S and I are project addicts, whether we'll admit it or not.  First, we did the obvious and quick move in projects.  Next came the big basement redo, then we completely redid the outside of the house for the DIY network show "Sweat Equity".  Kitchen and bath remodels are being planned and soon to begin, but first we're tackling the backyard.  The existing deck was poorly designed and poorly built, and we seriously thought about ditching it all together.  We will resell this house at some point though, and Minnesotans really love their decks.  So, the deck stays, but is getting completely redesigned. 

We removed the offending railing, then S cut back the existing deck by about a foot.  While I worked on defining garden beds and planning new landscaping, S built a second tier stepped down from the original deck.  This will tie the backyard and deck together, eliminating the front railing and making the backyard feel bigger.

This was the progress last weekend.  Now we have to add some steps, new railing and new skirting.

Then, new pavers sod and pathways go in, and the landscaping gets finalized.

I'll post again once we have a finished product.  Or maybe just invite you over for a BBQ!

Every day cookies

With this whole Pie Day thing going on, I feel that cookies have been a bit neglected here.  I generally keep our cookie jar stocked all the time because S has a powerful sweet tooth, but I realize that I've written very few posts about cookies.  I always seem to make them in a rush, and forget how much I like baking them.  As I was mixing up a batch this past weekend, I rediscovered that joy.  So-bum bum ba bum-from this day forth (imagine a page unrolling proclamation with a flourish!), I vow to give cookies their due.  I'm starting with my basic cookie dough recipe that I have made so many times I could nearly do it with my eyes closed.

Every day Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 1/4 c flour

No fancy directions.  I honestly just dump everything into a bowl and stir it up!

You can vary the mix-ins depending on your mood.

This weekend I used chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, raisins and oatmeal.
These get baked at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes-they should be starting to brown

Other great combos include:

-chocolate chips and pecans

-white chocolate chips, dried cranberries and walnuts

-oatmeal and raisins-classic

-m & m's and more m&m's

Cookies-your time has come!

Happy Baking

Christine

Collecting: colored glass

This mix of colorful mid-century glass vessels on my buffet makes me deliriously happy.

My only red piece (and only lidded piece) is especially lucious,

and is always filled with candy, usually gumdrops.

A gathering of dreamy hues.

Weekend dinner

Sunny, breezy and 70 degrees all weekend is unusual in April in Minnesota, and we definitely made the most of it.  Outdoor projects have begun in earnest and the gardens are getting a lot of attention.  While S was busy adding another level onto our deck!, I was defining beds, moving plants and painting garden fence.
Saturday night seemed like a perfect time to throw some food on the grill and mix some gin and tonics.  After working all day on projects, the last thing I wanted to do was spend too much time cooking a fussy dinner.   Some simple kabobs and rice were quick to prepare, and the perfect finish to a productive spring day. 

The kabobs were simply cubed sirloin with chunks of red bell pepper, onions and pineapple.

I coated them with a marinade of olive oil, worchestershire, fresh lime juice, sea salt and pepper.

Here are approximate amounts for 1/2 dozen kabobs.

1/4 c olive oil

3 T worchestershire

1 T fresh lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

I served these over a big dollop of coconut rice.  I start my rice as usual-about 1 cup of brown rice and two cups water, then add about 1/2 can of coconut milk in the last 15 minutes of cooking, letting all of the liquid absorb.  Super yummy and super easy, right?

Happy Spring and happy grilling!

Christine

Friday is PIE DAY!

When I woke up this morning, I had no idea what kind of pie I was going to make for Pie Day.  I wanted to get the pie baked early, so this meant using what I already had in my kitchen and eliminating a trip to the store.  Hmmmm.....lots of pantry staples, oranges and lemons, and some cranberries in the freezer.  Nope, not inspired yet.  Oh, now, wait a minute.  A bowl of pears that I bought for Easter and never used-that just might work.   S was in the kitchen packing his lunch and put his vote in for pears.  Now it was just a matter of deciding what to add to the pears.  There were many possibilities, so I bounced some ideas back and forth with S.  Should it be raisins and nuts?  I started boiling water to plump raisins, then spied slivered almonds in my pantry.  Yeah-pears and almonds-forget the raisins.  "Ooh-ooh, and honey and ginger," piped in S (that's my man). 

So-here is what I (we) finally dreamed up.  After the taste test, I have adjusted things a bit for the recipe below.  This may still need some tweaking, so if you make it, feel free to put your own spin on it-then let me know the results!

Pear Almond Crunch Pie

double crust for 9" pie

5 large pears, peeled, cored and diced

1 cup slivered almonds

2 T honey

1 T maple syrup

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c white sugar

(I've been trying to cut down sugar in pie recipes where I can, so I used only 1/3 cup of each in this pie.  That was really a bit tooooo skimpy-it's so not sweet that it tastes downright healthy)

1 T candied ginger (adjust according to your love for ginger!)

3 T flour

2 T butter

-spread almonds on a baking sheet and drizzle with honey and syrup

-bake at 350 until browned, about 10 minutes

I could have just eaten this pan of almond "brittle"-yum!

-stir into diced pears

-add sugars, ginger and flour and stir until combined

-spoon into prepared crust

-dot top of pie with slices of butter

-bake at 350 degrees for one hour

Collecting: a peek inside my drawers

photo: Jane Dagmi

Coasters. 

Why coasters?

I don't know.

It's that old story of form meets function.

I love the idea of this simple object inspiring so many people to design.

Metal, glass, plastic, wood, stone, paper, bark, fabric. 

You name the material, and I bet someone has made a coaster out of it.

They do make it out of the drawer on occasion for a party,

but I especially like the joy of opening this particular drawer from time to time

to see them waiting there for me.

you can find me in the garden

I have been a very bad blogger this week. 

You can attribute it to spring fever. 

This plant here. now. this big.

That never happens in Minnesota on April 7th.

So what is a girl to do?

Spend more time in the garden

or more time at the computer screen?

My apologies.

But I'm sure you understand.

Thank you for understanding.

spring treasures

My childhood home was in a river valley surrounded by lush woody areas.  There were lots of hills and ravines to explore, and I spent many many hours doing just that.  One of my greatest joys was the discovery of the first wildflowers of spring. 

Part of this past Easter weekend was spent at our family's cabin in Southern Minnesota.  The woods still look rather bare, but underneath is a developing carpet of green dotted with the earliest wildflowers, and I headed out, a little giddy, to see what I could find. 

My first discoveries were little clusters of Bloodroot. 

These flowers have large white petals with a brilliant yellow center.

They grow about 3-4" inches high.

Their most distinguishing feature is the reddish-orange liquid stored in a rhizome near the base of the stem.  This colored sap is what gives the flower it's common name.  Some Native American tribes used this substance as a medicinal treatment, skin dye or love potion.  Picking the flowers won't do you any harm, but the sap can be toxic if ingested, so take care.

I picked a small bunch and tucked them into this vintage spice tin for a cabin-worthy bouquet.

Dutchmans breeches were plentiful among the Bloodroot, but were still teeny tiny-only fit for baby dutchmen at this point.  The sunny hillside facing the lake, however, was filled with glorious bunches of pink tinted blooms.

I really love these flowers. 

They have a delicately fringed leaf that is slightly silvery, and a dangling stem full of whimiscal blooms. 

So delightful. 

A big bouquet of these graced our Easter table at the cabin.

I also dug up a few clumps to bring home, and I will try my hand at cultivating them in my city garden.

I'll let you know how they adapt.