Oklahoma Peach Fuzz

Blue Cranberry Applesauce

2011-11-16T16:59:00.000-06:00

My love affair with cranberry sauce started in childhood with the jellied version (I still love it) and finally progressed to the real thing. Several years ago I tried my hand at Pear Honey Cranberry Sauce from Allrecipes.com. My mother and I loved it so much that I've made homemade cranberry sauce each year when cranberries come available.

This year I decided to try a combination of two of my very favorites, Cranberry Applesauce on Simply Recipes and Blue Cranberry Sauce from Allrecipes, by using extra cranberries and Ocean Spray Blueberry Cocktail. I love it! It is a tiny bit tart, spicy from the cinnamon, and with a nice tang from the blueberry juice. Plus it looks gorgeous in my Mom's old crystal relish dish.

This made eight cups using my ingredients. I will serve a portion at a luncheon at church tomorrow and the remainder will be used in recipes. It keeps well in the refrigerator and freezes well, so it is great as a do-ahead for Thanksgiving or Christmas; and its vibrant color makes a stunning addition to the holiday table.

Please see the original recipe at Simply Recipes for Elise's version, as well as the excellent recipe for Blue Cranberry Sauce on Allrecipes.com, and give them both a try, after you've tried my version.

Blue Cranberry Applesauce
inspired by Simply Recipes and Allrecipes.com

10 peeled, cored, roughly chopped apples - I used Granny Smith and Honey Crisp
18 oz (1-1/2 bags) Ocean Spray cranberries
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 cups Ocean Spray Blueberry Cocktail Juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon honey

Place all ingredients except vanilla and honey in large (5-quart) pot. Bring to boil, lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook 20-30 minutes, or until apples can easily be mashed.

Remove from heat, add vanilla and honey, and mash apples and cranberries with potato masher to desired consistency.

Serve hot or cold.

Earthquakes In Oklahoma!

2011-11-06T07:18:00.000-06:00

On November 5, 2011, 10:52 pm CST, Oklahoma was rocked by a 5.6 magnitude earthquake, the largest ever recorded in the state. I had just gone to bed, and hubby was in his office, when a trembling started and increased to shaking. I jumped out of bed, Buddy the dog got out of his bed and did some woof/snort/barks, and hubby said, "Now that's an earthquake!" I had been wakened at 2:15 am that morning by a 4.7 that felt like someone was stomping around on our deck, but hubby slept through it, so he declared the 5.6 his "first" earthquake.

Earthquakes have become more frequent in Oklahoma during the past few years, and according to the Oklahoma Geological Survey, yesterday's quakes were the result of movement along the Seminole Uplift Structure. The epicenter was located just north of Prague, in Lincoln County, and about 50 miles east of where I live.

All I know is it was somewhat alarming. The house literally shook and creaked, our big light/ceiling fan swayed slightly, and dishes and windows rattled for about 20 seconds. Then the movement tapered off to a rocking sensation. It was weird! So far we haven't found any damage, other than our grandfather clock which stopped because the pendulum was swaying so much, and apparently there has been no major damage or injuries reported in the state.

My favorite comment was by an emergency manager in Lincoln county who commented, "It was a pretty ornery little earthquake."

Personally, I'll take the threat of tornadoes any day over the threat of earthquakes!

9/11/2001 8:46 am

2011-09-11T10:16:00.000-05:00

Sour Cherry Pie With Brown Sugar Cinnamon Crumble

2011-08-23T09:03:00.005-05:00

This afternoon when I visited LadyJayPee's blog and saw her gorgeous Fresh Sour Cherry Pie with its plump, juicy cherries and flaky crust, my life came to a halt, and I immediately went into the kitchen to make a cherry pie. I have a love affair with cherry pie that dates back to my childhood, and it has been too long since I made myself one.

The recipe I always use for cherry pie is from Betty Crocker's circa 1969 3-ring binder cookbook, because it is the closest in taste to that of the ultimate Pie Queen, my Granny Mitchell. Granny's pies are worthy of another post. This time I wanted to try a streusel topped version. I'm so glad I did. The slightly crisp, buttery, cinnamon-y crumble takes the sweet-tart cherry pie to a higher level. There is cinnamon in the streusel, but I left it out of the filling, as I don't think the cherries need anything to flavor them except sugar and almond extract.

My go-to pie crust is from the same cookbook, and I made the 9-inch single crust recipe with butter-flavor Crisco. Hubby, who declared this pie "excellent" in a forceful tone, said it was the best crust he had ever had. Love that man.

I have discovered that, for me, the keys to a good pie crust are to cut the shortening (you may prefer butter, but shortening yields a flakier, crisper crust, in my opinion) into the flour until it is the size of peas, to add the ice water one tablespoonful at a time, tossing with a fork, to use a very light hand when gathering the dough into a ball, and to handle the dough as little as possible. Flakiness reigns when I follow those steps.

After the pie crust is rolled out and carefully placed in the pie plate, I trim off the uneven edges and leave a 1/2 inch overhang, fold the overhang under and press it lightly till it is fairly smooth all around, then crimp or flute the edges.

Sour Cherry Crumble Pie

9-inch pie crust
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 -3 tablespoons ice cold water

Whisk together dry ingredients. Cut shortening into dry ingredients with pastry cutter until pieces are size of small peas. Sprinkle ice water over flour mixture one tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until mixture is moistened. Gather into ball. Place dough on floured surface and shape into flattened round. Roll into approximately 10 inch circle. I keep my pie plate close and loosely roll dough around my rolling pin, then transfer to pie plate and gently unroll it. Trim overhang to about 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate, tuck under and gently press to form even edge. Crimp with fingertips for fluted edge.

Crumble
1-1/4 cup flour
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix first 5 ingredients in bowl. Add melted butter and vanilla; mix with fingertips until easily clumped.
Filling
1-1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cans sour cherries, drained but reserving 2 tablespoons liquid

Toss filling ingredients including reserved liquid together and scrape into pie crust; sprinkle streusel over filling, covering completely.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes; reduce to 375 and bake another 45 – 1 hour, covering top with foil when crust begins to brown. Let cool on wire rack. Cool before serving.

Linking to

Layered Peaches and Cream Pie

2011-08-09T22:58:00.004-05:00

Continuing my multi-post obsession with peaches, this week I made a layered dessert based on inspiration by my fourth grade teacher's Fresh Peach Pie and the old favorite Four-Layer Dessert.

I found my teacher's recipe while browsing an old church cookbook. I was intrigued by her technique: instead of adding flour, sugar, and spices to the fruit and baking it in the pie crust, she cooked the liquid filling first, added the peaches, placed them in a pre-baked pie crust, and topped it with whipped cream. With this in mind, I made a version of Four Layer Dessert using a cookie crust and substituting a layer of fresh peach filling for the pudding layer. The result was a cool, summery treat reminiscent of peach pie but without a pastry crust . My hubby is not a fan of cooked peaches. This dessert, with juicy bites of peaches, tangy cream cheese, fluffy cream, and a not-too-sweet crumb crust, made him go back for seconds.

Layered Peaches and Cream Pie
Inspired by Mrs. Shimp
Serves 4-6

Crust
12 Keebler Sandies or other shortbread cookies
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
2-4 tablespoons peach preserves, melted and reserved until crust is cooled

Filling
3 peaches or nectarines, diced or small slices
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-1/2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream Cheese Layer
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Cool Whip

Topping
Cool Whip or real whipped cream and a light sprinkle of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Place cookies into bowl of food processor and process until crumbs form. Place in bowl and mix with brown sugar, cinnamon, and salted butter; press mixture into 7-inch X 11-inch baking pan or 9 inch pie plate. Bake 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. When crust has completely cooled, brush melted peach preserves onto crust.

Combine peaches, sugar, and lemon juice in bowl and let macerate for one hour. Meanwhile place cream cheese and powdered sugar in bowl of electric mixer and mix until smooth; add extracts and mix until combined. Add Cool Whip and mix on low speed till incorporated. Spread mixture over crust and refrigerate.

When peaches have finished macerating, drain, reserving juice. Add water to juice if needed to measure 1/2 cup of liquid. Place peach juice with flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in small saucepan over low heat and whisk until smooth and bubbly. Add butter and vanilla, stir; remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Add peaches, stirring to combine, and let cool to room temperature. Spread over cream cheese layer in pan. Top with more Cool Whip or freshly whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Refrigerate until serving.

Linking to These Chicks Cooked Link Party

AND

Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday

Peach Crumb Bars

2011-08-03T13:33:00.003-05:00

Peach-based recipes are so appropriate for this blog, and this one is a keeper. I've had it in my "Make This!" file for some time, and the time was right. Brown Eyed Baker adapted this recipe from Smitten Kitchen and Allrecipes.com. The only thing I added was vanilla, and I love to enhance peaches with vanilla.

I only had a small taste, since I was giving them away, but it was enough to tell me that these bars are rich and delicious with buttery crumbs above and below the jam-like peach filling, and I will make them again. I think cherry filling will be my next version!

Peach Crumb Bars
from the blog of Brown Eyed Baker
Makes 24 bars

3 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
1 egg, lightly beaten

5 cups (about 7 peaches) peeled and diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare 9×13-inch baking pan with baking spray or shortening.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender; add egg and continue cutting until dough is crumbly. Pat half of dough into prepared pan. Place pan and remainder of dough in refrigerator while preparing filling.

Place peaches in large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice; add vanilla and mix gently. In separate bowl whisk together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over the peaches and mix gently.

Spread peach mixture evenly over crust. Crumble remaining dough over peach layer.

Bake 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

I linked up to Roz's Fresh Food Friday.

AND

A Well Seasoned Life's Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Rosy Peach Ice Cream

2011-07-26T06:00:00.050-05:00

The peach ice cream featured on the blog of Annie's Eats came at just the right time, as I had 17 homegrown peaches ready to use from my dwarf peach tree. The tree is a Belle of Georgia purchased at Home Depot last year.

Here it is in a side-by-side shot to show the size difference of the tree: after I planted it last year is on the right and this year is on the left. It was difficult to get an accurate comparison photo, with cucumber vines all over the trunk, but the growth of that little tree is amazing.

When the peaches reached that gorgeous rosy peach color but still weren't soft, I picked them (fear of birds!) and put them into a paper sack to finish ripening. I left them in the sack a day or two too long, because when I peeled them they were very soft, and the insides were almost red, with crimson juice rolling down my wrists and onto the counter as I peeled them.

When I made Annie's ice cream, I subbed Greek yogurt for the sour cream in her recipe, used half milk and half cream for the full cup of cream, and added the peach schnapps she suggested (good suggestion ). The flavor was fresh-peachy perfect for the hot summer afternoon. Although my guy thought it wasn't sweet enough, it reminded me of my favorite frozen yogurt from Berri Licious, a local organic live culture frozen yogurt parlor.

Rosy Peach Ice Cream
adapted from the original recipe at Annie’s Eats

1-1/3 lbs ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon peach schnapps
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
A few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine peaches, water, and peach schnapps in medium nonreactive saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until peaches are soft and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat, mix in sugar, and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Add peach mixture to food processor with remaining ingredients. If a smooth texture with no chunks of fruit is desired, process until smooth. Chill thoroughly in refrigerator. Once chilled, transfer to ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Ice cream was "posed" in a depression era amethyst Newport Hairpin cream soup bowl by Hazel Atlas, circa 1930s.

I linked up to Roz's Fresh Food Friday.

Fresh Peach Summer Salad With Sauteed Vegetables

2011-07-23T13:13:00.001-05:00

There is a deep sense of satisfaction that comes from eating produce from one's own garden that fulfills like nothing else. In spite of the excessive heat and convection oven-like environment, which discourages bees, my organic garden is still yielding herbs and cucumbers, a few peppers, peaches (I picked 17 from my 2-year old tree!), and one squash; and several cantaloupes and a couple of golf ball-sized watermelons are lurking under masses of vines. I also pulled about 25 onions last month. I long for tomatoes, but at this point I will have to wait for cooler temperatures for the blossoms to set. Each treasure I find is welcomed with a feeling of wonder and thankfulness!

Here is a salad that I composed recently using ingredients freshly picked from my garden. The lettuce, tomatoes, olives, cheese, and dressing were store-bought. What took this salad over the top in flavor was the addition of a fresh peach and sauteed vegetables. The combination of ingredients still has me salivating just thinking about it - the sweet and juicy bites of peach, the tang of the green olives and Italian dressing, the light crunch of yellow squash, the delicious heat of the peppers, and the cool and mellow tang of Manchego - it was the best salad ever!

Fresh Peach Summer Salad With Sauteed Vegetables
Serves 1 generously

Organic herb and spring lettuce mix - 2 generous handfuls
1/2 cup chopped fresh cucumber
1 chopped fresh peach
4 green olives
6 red cherry tomatoes
1 small onion
1 straight-neck yellow squash
2 small hot red peppers
1/4 cup cubed Manchego cheese
Ken's Light Northern Italian dressing to taste

Place first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Saute onion, squash, and peppers in about 2 teaspoons of olive oil; cool the mixture about 5 minutes, then add it to salad. Top with cheese and dressing, and toss to combine.

The salad honestly does not need much dressing - the vegetables speak magnificently for themselves! To make this memorable meal even more special, I served this to myself in an old glass bowl in which my Mom used to serve her famous Jello salads.

Yard Crashers Update

2011-07-08T14:32:00.001-05:00

Here are a few photos for an updated look at our back yard, now that our pool is a whopping two summers old.

We could not be more pleased with our blue gem, especially during this brutal summer of 100-plus temperatures and little or no rain. We added a pebble border on one side, because grass kept getting into the pool when my husband weed-eated, and we changed the original "Creepy-Crawly" pool cleaner for The Pool Cleaner.

The pergola has provided much-needed shade and is becoming a popular bird sanctuary. The wisteria I planted last year still hasn't bloomed, but it is growing bushy and beautiful.

The firepit has not been used a lot, but when our grandkids are here, they love to roast marshmallows for s'mores.

Buddy inspects our crape myrtles, most of which survived the winter; we hope their red and white blooms will eventually fill this mulched area.

Although grass between the flagstones is a great natural look, it is a pain for my husband to weed-eat, and it looks puny during the summer heat, so he is contemplating digging it all up and grouting between the pieces.

We have a great view from our deck and feel lucky to have a bit of privacy, as we are separated from the back neighbors by a right-of-way.

Our patio garden is thriving in spite of the heat.

A flagstone path leads to my vegetable/flower garden on the south side of the house.

Here is the "before" version of my garden.

And here it is today.

I widened and lengthened the garden and have been granted permission by the Surveyor of the Kingdom (hubby) to use all the space I want on this side of the house.

Sadly, even though my garden looks beautiful, it produces lots of vines and little or no vegetables in this oven-like atmosphere.

However, my two year-old peach tree has a dozen or so peaches, so my eternal gardener's optimism remains intact.

The Toffee Bar Search Is Over!

2011-07-07T16:51:00.000-05:00

The search is over for the elusive toffee bars of my husband's youth. After trying several excellent recipes and having him say, "These are good but not THE ones", I finally came across his Mom's recipe in a cookbook published by our high school band in the 1960s.

His remembrance of the recipe was that it was topped with chocolate, which is not included in the original recipe. When I asked him if the chocolate topping was a variation, he said it was his contribution to the recipe.

His Mom's recipe is titled "Pecan Crisps" and no chocolate is necessary for these softly crunchy, praline-ish bars. The toffee-like consistency is achieved by adding no leavening and spreading the batter into a large pan. And even though there is a teaspoon of cinnamon, the bars do not taste spicy.

I am so excited to find this recipe and spent the morning thumbing through this and other old cookbooks from my hometown. With all my love of new cookbooks and bookmarking scores of recipes on the internet, my favorites are still from my old, shabby, full-of-memories community cookbooks and those hand-written recipes lovingly shared on recipe cards, notebook paper, or any scrap of paper the writer found convenient.

Pecan Crisps
from my husband's Mom

1 cup soft butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, separated
2 cups sifted flour
½ teaspoon salt (I left this out because I used salted butter)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in vanilla and egg yolk. Add sifted dry ingredients and 1/2 cup of the pecans. Mix well. Press into greased 15 X 10 X 1 pan and brush top with slightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup pecans. Bake in moderate oven (350) about 25 minutes. While warm, cut into 50 bars and remove at once to rack to cool. (I cut mine into larger bars.)

Dulce de Leche Carrot Cake

2011-06-25T12:57:00.002-05:00

My husband loves carrot cake, so for his birthday I made Dulce de Leche Carrot Cake with Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting from Bakespace.com, and it was a hit! I did make changes, both in the cake and in the buttercream, and those changes are reflected in the recipe below.

Dulce de Leche is a wonderful addition to moist carrot cake, lending its creamy, caramelly sweetness and reducing the sugar usually found in carrot cake recipes. Adding it to the traditional cream cheese frosting took it to another level.

Dulce De Leche Carrot Cake
Adapted from the original recipe at Bakespace.com

1 (14 ounce) can Dulce de leche, 1/4 cup removed
1 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups grated carrots, packed firmly
zest of one orange, finely minced

Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Buttercream and Filling

1/2 cup salted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup Dulce de Leche
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray and place circle of parchment paper in bottom of each.

In large bowl using hand whisk, blend dulce de leche, oil, applesauce, sugar, and eggs. Stir in vanilla extract and lemon juice. In smaller bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Fold flour mixture into wet ingredients and add carrots and zest, stirring well. Spoon into prepared pans.

Bake until cake springs back when gently pressed, about 25-30 minutes. Cool about 30 minutes before removing from pans to cool on wire rack. Make sure cake is room temperature or chilled before icing.

For buttercream, cream together softened butter, cream cheese, and dulce de leche until smooth and fluffy; add 1 cup powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add cream and vanilla and mix to incorporate. Add remainder of powdered sugar gradually and beat on medium speed until smooth. Fill and frost cake layers as desired. Sprinkle with ground nuts and touch of cinnamon. Unfrosted cake freezes well.

Guinness Chocolate Birthday Cheesecake

2011-06-22T15:54:00.011-05:00

My birthday was extra special this year because our kids and grandkids traveled from Texas to spend a few days with us. My daughter arrived bearing a Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake by Closet Cooking, and it was the best cheesecake EVER! It is hard to describe what Guinness does for chocolate, but it is a bit like the enhancement coffee provides for chocolate - it is marked by a depth of flavor not achieved by mere chocolate. The creaminess factor, combined with the richness of the chocolate, made me smack my lips.

I asked my daughter if she changed anything about the recipe, and she said that she ran out of dark chocolate and had to supplement with milk chocolate, and she used butter and chocolate graham crackers instead of grahams with cocoa. These changes are reflected in the recipe below.

Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake
adapted from the blog of Closet Cooking
8 servings

1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons heavy cream
8 oz dark chocolate, chopped
4 oz milk chocolate, chopped
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup Guinness

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter and press into bottom of 9-inch spring-form pan. Melt chocolates in cream in a double boiler; set aside. Beat cream cheese until smooth, then mix in sugar, chocolate, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and Guinness. Pour mixture into spring-form pans. Bake for 60 minutes. Turn off heat; leave cheesecake in oven with door slightly ajar for 60 minutes. Let cool completely, and chill in refrigerator overnight.

My hubby also provided a beautiful and delicious chocolate cake with chocolate and frosting, complete with a hot pink Happy Birthday. And yes, I had generous portions of both birthday cake and cheesecake. In my world there is no such thing as too much chocolate.

Salsa Pasta

2011-06-17T12:53:00.010-05:00

I recently harvested the first Sungold tomatoes and sweet onions from my garden and combined them with Archer Farms Bean, Corn, and Roasted Red Pepper Salsa and fresh spinach for this simple and satisfying pasta dish.

Salsa Pasta
Cooked pasta of your choice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion or shallot, chopped
1 generous handful fresh baby spinach
1 cup salsa of your choice
5 or 6 green olives
Fresh tomatoes

In small skillet heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion. Saute for about a minute then add spinach. Stir and toss briefly to coat spinach leaves with oil/onion mixture, then add cooked pasta. Toss with tongs, then add salsa and olives. Keep tossing until well mixed. Plate it with fresh tomatoes on top.

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins

2011-06-14T10:10:00.011-05:00

While searching online for recipes, I happened upon the blog of Sweet Pea's Kitchen and found this delicious recipe for doughnut muffins. I made them for my visiting kids and grand-kids this past weekend, and they could not stop talking about how good they were. And honestly, if I hadn't doubled the recipe, we wouldn't have had enough for the seven people of us. The muffins themselves were just perfect - tender texture, not too sweet - and the cinnamon/sugar topping made them really special. I love the addition of nutmeg and used extra in mine. My family was eating these late in the day as well as for breakfast! Seriously, they are that good.

I did adapt the recipe in minor ways, so be sure to look at Sweet Pea's original version.

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins
Original recipe here
12 muffins

Muffins:
1-1/4 cups unbleached bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup 2% milk

Topping:
1/2 cup melted salted butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in large mixing bowl. In small bowl whisk together oil, sugar, egg and milk. Make well in center of dry ingredients, add liquid ingredients, and stir until just combined. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Bake until muffin tops are pale golden and springy to touch, 22 to 24 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time.

While muffins are baking, combine sugar and cinnamon. Place melted butter in small bowl. When muffins are finished baking, dip tops in melted butter and then into sugar/cinnamon mixture.

I served these with homemade turkey sausage and OJ. This recipe will be a definite repeat at my house.

Red Gold Salsa Guacamole

2011-02-13T18:15:00.026-06:00

A few days ago a package arrived in the mail from Red Gold Tomatoes. I have consistently been choosing the Red Gold brand over Hunt's for several months, so when I was contacted by a Red Gold PR rep about receiving a "pretty cool tomato kit", I was stoked. However, I never anticipated the quality and care that was put into preparing and mailing the package. It was in a large box with a fruit crate-type label announcing that it was TOMATOES, so when the mail lady brought it to my door, she expressed surprise that anyone would mail fresh tomatoes in the dead of winter.

The box inside was a cardboard replica of a wooden crate and was beautifully packed and generously filled with four cans of tomato products, jar of salsa, reusable tote bag, magnetic clip and frame magnet, key chain, cookbook, recipe cards, coupon, AND a die cast metal SSR Model replica with doors, hood and trunk that open and a steering wheel that turns, which was immediately confiscated by my husband for his office bookshelf!

Red Gold has very attractive packaging and features my favorite kitchen color red!

This family owned company in Indiana has an interesting history. It was begun in 1942 as a venture to help feed the US Army after Pearl Harbor and has continued that humanitarian spirit through donations for 9/11, hurricane relief, and national food bank assistance, including the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank. The Oklahoma event occurred in conjunction with the unveiling of a billboard featuring America's largest tomato cans in March 2010.

The website is very attractive and user-friendly, with interesting articles about the company and an online store, and features a recipe contest -"Release Your Inner Red Gold Chef" where everyone who submits a recipe is a winner!

Other blogs have featured giveaways for their tomato kits, but I have selfishly chosen to keep my products.

I found my inspiration for the guacamole here. I used meyer lemon juice instead of lime, forgot to add the cilantro, and I subbed salsa for the can of tomatoes and onions. The salsa, which is colorful and chunky with juicy tomatoes, onions, and peppers, has a natural sweetness from the tomatoes since there is no sugar added. I love simple and fresh when it comes to guacamole, and this one is deliciously simple and fresh. I am looking forward to trying other recipes from my new cookbook and from the website!

The Great Blizzard of February 2011

2011-02-02T13:10:00.003-06:00

The storm some have called "Snowpocalypse" generated this satellite picture detailing the massive coverage of this monster storm. Here in Oklahoma records were broken by The Great Blizzard of February 1 - 2, 2011. Oklahoma City and surrounding towns experienced whiteout conditions, heavy snow of 2 inches per hour, and high winds gusting to 50 mph. Our new Governor Mary Fallin placed Oklahoma under a state of emergency.

These are some of the area snowfall totals:
Owasso, OK 21"
Miami, OK 20"
Tulsa, OK 15"
Oklahoma City, OK 12"

It was 0 degrees on our patio this morning, and the forecast is for minus 5 tonight. Here are a few initial photos from my house.

My garden in the middle of the blizzard

Looking out the front window

These trash cans are about 4-1/2 feet tall

Patio chairs and table during the storm; thermometer is around 5 degrees

Night-time solar lights next to our drift-covered sidewalk

Early morning after

Deck chairs and table

In spite of our equipment running constantly, the pool had a thick layer of ice

Buddy had a great time running

The yard has 3 foot drifts

The drift on our side garage door

We haven't ventured out of the front of the house yet, nor have we opened the garage door to see what awaits us there. I was bundled so much I could barely move, and the parts of my body that were exposed to the bitter cold this morning - my thumb, which was operating my iPhone camera, and my face - began to hurt. We might even try the roads later. If so, more photos to follow.

The Elusive Toffee Bar

2011-01-01T18:16:00.006-06:00

When my husband was a teen, his Mom used to make a toffee bar that he loved. His description of it indicates that it had a sweet, shortbread-type base, a layer of melted chocolate chips, and chopped pecans on top. Yeas ago I asked his Mom for the recipe, and sadly, she could not remember it. Since then I have tried various recipes in hopes that I would find the "right" one.

This recipe from the Joy of Baking website is the latest, but not the last, recipe I have tried. It made a beautiful bar and tasted great - toffee-ish, crunchy base with a yummy layer of chocolate and nuts - but after much discussion, nibbling, and compliments, hubby decided it was still not the elusive recipe.

Toffee Bars
Adapted from Joy of Baking

1/2 cup salted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour

Topping:
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup roasted pecans, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottom of 8 inch baking pan with parchment.

Melt butter in medium sized saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla extract. Add salt and flour and mix just until incorporated. Spread shortbread evenly on bottom of prepared pan and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until shortbread is golden brown with well browned edges.

Remove from oven and immediately scatter chocolate chips over hot shortbread. Return to oven for a minute or two or just until chocolate softens. Remove from oven and, with offset spatula or back of spoon, evenly spread chocolate. Sprinkle chopped pecans over chocolate, then press them lightly into chocolate. Cool on wire rack.

Makes about 16 squares.

In spite of the use of elastic waisted pants that my experiments demand, I have my sights on yet another recipe, this time from the Salad in a Jar blog. It looks like "the one".

Happy New Year - 1-1-11

2011-01-01T18:00:00.002-06:00

Christmas Party

2010-12-29T11:20:00.002-06:00

We recently invited my husband's office staff to an Appetizers and Desserts Buffet at our house. This was great incentive to decorate and clean the house and get set for the season!

We strung lights above the front porch, and even our cooktop was decorated with salt & pepper Santas. We hadn't decorated this much in years, and once it was done, I was caught up in the holiday spirit.

While iPhone photos are not the best quality, especially at night, I tried to capture the essence of the party tables. I set up the dining room and the kitchen with an assortment of desserts and appetizers. Where did the guests congregate? In the kitchen of course, but I failed to get a photo of the goodies in there.I used a combination of red paper plates and my Pfaltzgraff Winterberry pottery; but best of all was having an excuse to use the Christmas crystal platters and bowls that I have accumulated and especially those given to me by my Mother in years past. Each cherished item that I took from the china cabinet was greeted with delight. Mom gave me the red tablecloth and teal runner that adorned the dining room table, and I carried that color theme throughout the house.

I had fun making way too much food and have already started notes for next year. I based my menu on these adapted recipes:

Appys
Cranberry Manchego Cheese Pinwheels
Mini Ham & Cheese on Hawaiian Rolls
Swedish Meatballs
Jalapeno Popper Spread with bagel crisps
Ranch dip with baby carrots
Salsa with tortilla chips
Hot Crab Dip
Maple Glazed Apple Chicken Sausage Bites

Desserts
Fantasy Chocolate Pie
Fudge Truffle Cheesecake
Pretzel Turtles
Drop Sugar Cookies with Candy Cane Kisses
Gingerbread Truffles

I served fruit punch in this dispenser from World Market.

I hope everyone had a very happy Christmas!

OU Alumni

2010-12-13T11:00:00.001-06:00

Our little girl graduated from the University of Oklahoma on Saturday with a degree (and a 3.5+ GPA) in Criminal Justice. Way to go, Jenni!

It was a proud moment for all of her family, as her dream of a college degree was finally realized.

Convocation was in the stunning Catlett Music Center on OU's beautiful campus in Soonerland--Norman, Oklahoma.

A quick handshake and photo with Dr. James Pappas, Dean of the College of Liberal Studies, and the diploma!

Congratulations to the new Oklahoma University Alumni!

Earthquake!

2010-10-13T19:32:00.009-05:00

Magnitude 4.3 OKLAHOMA
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 14:06:29 UTC

At 9:06 AM CDT this morning, I experienced my first earthquake. Yes, here in central Oklahoma! At first I thought something huge had hit our roof, and it felt like the house moved sideways. My second thought was that it was an earthquake, because it felt different than anything I had ever felt. I immediately sent this message to my husband "Wow I think I might have just felt an earthquake or blast of some kind--it shook the house!!! I accessed the USGS (US Geological Survey), but there was no information there or on local news for about 20 minutes.

The earthquake was either 4.3, according to the USGS, or 5.1, according to the Oklahoma GS.

If you visit the website of the Oklahoma Geological Survey and click on "Earthquakes", you are directed to the Leonard Geophysical Observatory, which is located near my hometown. According to the Preliminary Earthquake Report on that website,

This earthquake was located 5 miles ENE of Noble, OK and 8 miles SE of Norman, OK at latitude 35.164 N and longitude 97.316 W. The best estimate of the earthquakes depth is 13 km (8 miles). Felt reports have ranged from Dallas, TX to Wichita, KS and as far east as Arkansas. No aftershocks have been observed as of 5 PM on Oct. 13, but aftershocks are quite likely and some may be felt by local residents. This earthquake did not occur on a known fault, but there are more faults in the rocks in the subsurface of Oklahoma than we could possibly count.

The USGS reported a moment magnitude (Mw) 4.3 and the Oklahoma Geological Survey reported a magnitude (mbLg) of 5.1. So which one is right? They both are, these are two different estimates of an earthquake’s size. They are two common seismological methods for determining the size, or magnitude, of an earthquake, which cannot be measured directly. They often have discrepancies similar to those that we are seeing for this earthquake. It is entirely possible that the magnitude estimates will change over time as further work is done to measure the size of the earthquake. Whether it is a magnitude 4.3, magnitude 5.1, or something in between, it is still a small to moderate sized earthquake. This also makes this earthquake the second or third largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in Oklahoma. Earthquakes of this size have the potential of occurring almost anywhere in Oklahoma at any time.

How ironic that in spite of several trips to California in my lifetime, my first earthquake experience was in Oklahoma.

My Beautiful Mother - 1912 - 2010

2010-09-28T23:25:00.001-05:00

All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.
~Abraham Lincoln

This older post is a reminder to me of my Mother's kitchen--the wonderful kitchen of my childhood.

~ What a brave soul she was, still trying to make each day count in the face of a debilitating illness.
~ What a magnificent life she led.
~ What a great amount of love she bestowed.
~ What a privilege to be loved by her.

Desperate Yard Crashers Update

2010-08-17T10:44:00.015-05:00

On the last update, our flagstone had been laid, new furniture put into place, and lovely plants strategically placed. The plants have long since burned up, thanks to a long hot Oklahoma summer that has put just a few kinks in the backyard project. Although we did get a beautiful pergola finished, it has been like an oven outside, even in the evenings, so we have not had enough opportunity to enjoy it to the fullest.

However, we did get our first break in the plus 100 temperatures yesterday, and last night it actually rained! Here are some photos of our latest addition.

Just for fun, I'll start with the photo from last year of the "blank slate".

Here is the finished flagstone last November.

And here is the new pergola, partially built by our lawn guys and finished by my talented hubby.

We removed the railing from our existing deck and added a step-down deck. The railing was recycled by installing it for privacy on the back side of the pergola.

I planted wisteria at the far corners of the pergola and hope it will eventually cover it with gorgeous spring blooms!

Hubby dug out and mulched an area for me to have a patio garden. We had a puny Rose of Sharon already in place that has flourished with the company of caladiums, lantana, and mandevilla.

A couple of patio plants are also flourishing. I think the pergola allows the perfect amount of sun and shade.

Hubby's vision of grass between the flagstone is coming along nicely; the fescue has suffered somewhat from the heat, but when cooler temps are finally here to stay, this area should be lush. Hibiscus in a pot has bloomed all summer. Next to the fence, an area of fescue that has not fared well.

The firepit has not been used this summer, but I am anticipating fall evenings with a toasty fire and s'mores!

Better Than Sausage Balls

2010-06-06T11:00:00.004-05:00

This is one of those twists to an old recipe that happened to turn out better than the original. I had the ingredients for one of our old favorite snacks, Sausage Balls--the one that has Bisquick as a main ingredient. In light of my daughter's recent post on eating more cleanly, I decided to use more natural ingredients--at least for the biscuit part! I used the sausage I had on hand, which happened to be Jimmy Dean, and it does have a couple of suspect ingredients. I have tried to make my own sausage, but I have not found the perfect recipe.

I combined parts of my old recipe for Sausage Balls from 1972 (which is when I first started making sausage balls) and Homesick Texan's flaky and delicious biscuit recipe. My most esteemed sausage ball critic, my hubby, declared these better than the original and told me I could make them for him any time! I liked them better too, especially the crunch of the little browned bits of cheese and the tenderness of the biscuit.

Sausage Balls
2 or 3 cups cubed cheese (the original recipe calls for Coon's Brand Cheese, which I cannot find anymore. I used a combination of cheddar, Manchego, and Pepper Jack)
8 oz sausage (the original recipe calls for 1 pound)
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed

Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in bowl of a food processor; add butter and process until the size of small peas; set aside. Melt cheese, either in microwave or over low heat in pan on stove; remove from heat add sausage, and mix thoroughly. Add flour mixture and mix with hands until mixture holds together. Form into 1 inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake in 375 oven about 20 minutes or until golden brown. These flatten out slightly and look more like a puffy cookie, instead of the typical ball. I sprinkled a tiny bit of sea salt of the tops after they baked.

Mother's Day Goodies

2010-05-24T12:46:00.012-05:00

I had a wonderful Mother's Day. My 2 year old peony bush finally decided to bloom, and the fragrance and color were amazing--nature's Mother's Day gift to me. My grown children make every single day Mother's Day for me. My daughter surprised me by showing up to help me clean up after a morning cater and also brought me her addictive Ritz Blitz Cracker Cookies. My son sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers and called to wish me a happy day.

I ate way too many of these. The chocolate/peanut butter/crunchy combo is just irresistible.

Hoops & YoYo--my favorite cards! My daughter knows that they make me laugh out loud.

Not only were the flowers gorgeous, but I love the etched purple vase in which they arrived.

Now the vase contains silk lavendar and resides in my foyer.

And of course my youngest "child", Buddy, thinks he is the greatest gift of all.

Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp

2010-05-21T23:40:00.013-05:00

If a ferocious hail storm, dozens of state-wide tornadoes, funnel clouds and sirens weren't convincing, the fresh vegetables and fruits available this month at the Oklahoma Food Coop made it clear that spring has come to Oklahoma. Peach Crest Farm, a certified organic farm, offered rhubarb and strawberries. Having little experience with rhubarb, I was curious to see what all the fuss is about. Using a recipe from my trusty old Betty Crocker cookbook as a guide, I combined it with the strawberries, which were red and juicy and magnificent.

As I diced the rhubarb, I tasted a bite of it--it was crisp and mouth-puckeringly tart. I was surprised at how tender it became when baked. The fusion of sweet strawberries with tart rhubarb and cinnamon streusel topping was luscious. I loved the combination so much that I would like to grow rhubarb and strawberries in my garden next year!

Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp
adapted from an old Betty Crocker recipe

1 cup chopped fresh rhubarb
2 cups halved fresh strawberries
(or use any combination to make 3-4 cups of fruit)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Toss fruit and vanilla and place in 8 X 8 inch or 11 X 7 inch baking pan sprayed with baking spray.

3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup (5 tablespoons) salted butter

Place flour, sugars, cinnamon, and butter in food processor and process until mixture starts to clump together. Sprinkle mixture evenly over fruit.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 40 minutes, or until top is browned and fruit is bubbling up through the topping.

My 97 year-old Mom told me that Granny used to grow rhubarb and mix it with apples from her Missouri orchard to make a delicious pie or cobbler. I would love to try that combination next time.

Handmade Glycerin Soaps and a Necklace

2010-02-21T09:30:00.004-06:00

I just love these fragrant, jewel-tone soaps handmade by my beautiful daughter, who surprised me with them on Valentine's Day. She crafted them from items purchased at Hobby Lobby including molds, glycerin, fragrance, and dye.

It will be difficult for me to actually use these translucent soaps, which I prefer to show off in a clear irridescent carnival glass dish.

She also fashioned a necklace for me with a bead of my favorite color and a lovely silver chain. I believe the style is called "pandora", but I know very little about beads. I just know I love it!

Thank you Little Girl!

Snow and Chocolate

2010-01-30T12:48:00.002-06:00

Yesterday most of Oklahoma was blanketed with at least 6 inches of snow on top of an inch of ice that covered surfaces the day before. Along with the Christmas Eve Blizzard of 2009, there has been a bumper crop of snow and ice this winter.

There is something about cold weather and being snowed in that creates within me a craving for chocolate. An online search for a chocolate cake yielded Tish Boyle's Diner Desserts and a recipe for Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake. This recipe, with the addition of brown sugar, cocoa, sour cream, and ice water, is nicely crumbed and moist and has that perfect balance of sweet and chocolate that appeased my craving for chocolate but brought a new addiction of its own.
The. best. chocolate. cake. I. have. ever. baked.

Now I am on the hunt for a copy of Diner Desserts, which is out of print. I did make minor modifications to the recipe, which I have noted below, and I made a scaled-down version of this cocoa-based frosting from Allrecipes.com instead of the Fudge Frosting listed with the original recipe.

Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake
modified from the original by Tish Boyle

2-2/3 cups unbleached flour
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature (I used yogurt from a local dairy
1 tablespoon vanilla
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted & cooled
1/2 cup corn oil (I used canola oil)
1-1/4 cups ice water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter bottom and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans. Dust pans with flour and tap out excess.

In medium bowl, sift together and then whisk flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Set aside.

In mixing bowl, use paddle attachment (or beaters) on low speed to beat melted butter and oil till blended. Beat in water. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix on low speed about 1 minute, till blended. Scrape down sides of bowl and add egg mixture; mix about 1 minute, till blended. Scrape batter into pans.

Bake about 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes, then invert onto racks and cool completely.

Frost cake with your favorite chocolate frosting.

Haiti: How to Help

2010-01-15T08:24:00.001-06:00

American Red Cross

United Methodist Committee on Relief

Salvation Army

United Nations Foundation

United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)

Merry White Christmas!

2009-12-25T12:05:00.001-06:00

Most of Oklahoma was under a blizzard warning yesterday, and with heavy snowfall and winds in excess of 50 mph, it was a sight to see.

Visibility was poor with blowing snow.

All the interstates in Oklahoma were closed, the airport was closed, and thousands were stranded in their cars last night. Here is the official "Record Event Report" from the National Weather Service:

TODAY DECEMBER 24TH... 14.1 INCHES OF SNOWFALL HAS BEEN MEASURED AT WILL ROGERS WORLD AIRPORT IN OKLAHOMA CITY. THIS HAS BROKEN THE PREVIOUS RECORD AMOUNT OF 2.5 INCHES...WHICH WAS SET ON CHRISTMAS EVE IN 1914.

THE 14.1 INCH SNOWFALL IS THE GREATEST SNOWFALL EVER MEASURED IN 24 HOURS IN OKLAHOMA CITY. THE PREVIOUS RECORD IN 24 HOURS WAS 11.3 INCHES ON MARCH 19TH IN 1924.

THE 14.1 INCH SNOWFALL IS ALSO A RECORD FOR THE GREATEST STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN OKLAHOMA CITY. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 12.1 INCHES ON JANUARY 5TH TO THE 7TH 1988.

These are some of the sights that greeted us this morning on this rare white Christmas in Oklahoma.

The backyard and pool are only fit for Eskimos and Buddy:

Desperate Yard Crashers - Part 2

2009-11-09T09:45:00.000-06:00

The back yard project is mostly finished, at least for the winter. More grass seed will be spread between the flagstones, since the first attempt didn't take. We want to build a pergola over the flagstone area and a little gate arbor leading into my (hopefully huge) garden area. But for now, we are happy to have most of it finished! (Photos courtesy of my talented daughter, Jenni)

We have a firepit for s'mores!

My favorite part of the back yard.

The pool has a solar cover to help retain the heat.

Buddy has already fallen into the pool twice, so he spends a lot of time on the deck.

Desperate Yard Crashers - Part 1

2009-10-16T08:00:00.012-05:00

If you are a fan of DIY Network, you will understand the combo title of my post. Before our pool was actually completed, my husband, who is my own personal Ahmad Hassan, began the sod replacement and flagstone bed preparation.

Here is the blank slate.

The sod, flagstone, and good Oklahoma sandy loam await our blood, sweat, and tears.

Hubby carted many loads of dirt and personally laid all the sod, because the rolls of fescue were too heavy for my daughter and me to lift.

I am a weak wuss, but my daughter was a trooper, filling the wheelbarrow with load after load of dirt to be dumped into the bed for the flagstone and to build up the corner for a flower bed. I think I moved two loads of dirt, total, before I was wiped out.

Finally the dirt and sod were removed from the driveway, and my yardgirl attempts to leave before we make her do more back-breaking work.

Remember the relocated crepe myrtle? It now has a new home.

Hubby installed stairs from the deck to the flagstone.

The flagstone is being properly laid by a landscape company, but it has been delayed due to daily rain. Part 2 will reveal more fun and games.

Life's Too Short--Build A Pool! - Done!

2009-10-15T09:15:00.002-05:00

Our pool was begun on August 6 and completed on September 10 for a total of 35 days--not bad considering all the rain delays. Business, yard work, laziness, and enjoying the pool have taken priority over posting the final pictures of pool development.

Here is the yard before and after.

Below is a brief gallery of the process since the gunite was applied:

Plaster is mixed on the truck and runs through a hose to the back yard.

Plaster is sprayed onto the gunite surface.

The plaster is smoothed to dark blue perfection.

The last step prior to filling the pool with water is acid wash. I was happy to see this gentleman arrive.

The hose is turned on full blast to fill the pool, starting at 10:30 a.m.

Here it is half-full at 6:00 p.m.

We turned off the water to the pool overnight then resumed filling the next morning. Here it is at 10:30 a.m., being cleaned by a happy hubby.

In the meantime, this awaited us.

My next post will be about the ongoing yard renovation.

Life's Too Short--Build A Pool! - Part 2

2009-09-04T10:30:00.001-05:00

The pool is progressing so fast now that I have not kept up with blogging about it! The gunite has been sprayed, the tile set into place, and the deck is complete. Now we are ready for the pool to be plastered.

The trucks arrived for the gunite--noisy and exciting!

The hose snaked from the truck to the pool.

The gunite is sprayed manually.

A screen was set in place to block some of the dust.

These guys worked quickly, but it was a lengthy process.

We squinted our eyes to picture our completed pool.

Gunite has to be watered twice a day for 7 days during the curing process. A neighbor told me that the Hoover dam had to cure for several years!

Next was tile!
We chose a matte tile with blue, dark brown, and beige, with dark brown grout, and we love how it looks.

Buddy and Randy survey their domain.

Next was prepping for the plaster.

I missed getting pictures of the first dark layer of plaster; the workers are laying the template for the "faux" flagstone decking.

The decking has been sprayed over the forms.

When the templates are removed the darker layer beneath appears to be flagstone grout.

Our weekend will be spent placing sod and garden soil to fill in the yard. During our breaks we will check out college football, and at 6:00 all work must end to watch the Sooners play BYU! GO SOONERS!!

Life's Too Short--Build A Pool! - Part 1

2009-08-24T08:53:00.000-05:00

After braving four summers in Oklahoma's dry heat, we made the monumental decision to build a pool. This summer, with its particularly brutal 100-plus temperatures and little rain, served as the final impetus for us to seek out one of our neighbors who manages Blue Haven Pools and get the ball rolling. On August 6, the fun began.

Here is how the nice green grass looked with the pool outline.

The logistics of getting Bobcats into the yard made us nervous. They had to first go through this narrow space.

Part of our new fence was dismantled, and the crepe myrtle had to be temporarily relocated.

Our little garden fence had to be partially removed.

After that, it was clear sailing.

Apparently all it takes to bring rain is to start a pool. On the second day, we received over an inch.

You can see why Oklahoma is famous for red dirt!

As the work progresses, the removed dirt is spread onto the yard.

These guys work hard.

The excitement continued after the weekend; gravel was brought to the driveway and carted back to the hole.

This pipe will have to be rerouted.

Scott, the Blue Haven manager, assures Randy all will be well, while my mother and Buddy the dog look on approvingly.

Steelwork was completed.

And of course the rains came again, and again. Here is the back yard after a three-inch rain.

In spite of the mud, progress was made on plumbing and electrical work. Now we are finally dried out and anticipating the concrete work this week.

At Last!

2009-07-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

After a long, hot, dry spell with a high pressure system firmly in place over Oklahoma and weeks of 100-plus heat, a slow moving cold front yesterday brought enough instability to trigger some boomers, resulting in almost an inch of badly-needed rain with a bonus of cool temperatures.

I first observed a buildup of cumulonimbus north of us about 3:00. At 4:30 I heard the first crackle of thunder and grabbed my camera to capture pictures of the rapidly developing storm.

The sheets of rain and wind gusts and frequent, close lightning increased, and by 4:40, small hail began falling, so I had to stop taking pictures and seek shelter inside.

A few minutes later the hail became one inch ice chunks and finally golf-ball sized hail! It looked like someone was throwing dozens of golf balls into our yard and the noise was incredible. The rain was blowing sideways at that point so I was unable to take the camera out the door and capture the sight. I did soak myself grabbing these souvenirs from the yard.

Crumb-Topped Fresh Peach Pie

2009-07-14T15:20:00.000-05:00

There is never a better time to make peach pie than when fresh peaches from Porter, Oklahoma are in season.

I used my old stand-by, Betty Crocker's Cookbook and modified her Fresh Peach Pie recipe to accommodate a crumb crust. Instead of trimming and crimping the edge of the crust, I left on the excess and pulled it up over the peaches, crostada-style.

Fresh Peach Pie
Pastry for 9-inch One-crust Pie, unbaked
5 cups sliced fresh peaches (about 9 medium)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt

Crumb topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) salted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together crumb topping ingredients, pour into bowl of food processor, and pulse until mixture forms clumps. Set aside.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry. Mix peaches and lemon juice. Stir together sugars, flour, cinnamon, and pinch of salt. Mix with peaches. Turn into pastry-lined pie pan. Sprinkle with crumb mixture until peaches are covered. If desired, cover edge of pie crust with 3 inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning; remove during last 10 minutes of baking.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until crust is brown and juice bubbles up through crust.

Rosie's Baked Beans and a Celebration

2009-07-06T11:30:00.012-05:00

Our Fourth of July dinner was a traditional feast this year, with Nathan's hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad, deviled eggs, and baked beans. Dessert was homemade Heath Bar ice cream. In other words, a total pig-out.

In the early 1970s, a wonderful gal named Rosie shared with me her baked bean recipe (she also taught me to crochet), and I have never been interested in any other recipe.

Rosie's Baked Beans
4 slices bacon (nitrate-free Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Bacon imparted a wonderful smoky flavor to these beans)
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 – 1 lb cans pork and beans, undrained
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar

In a large skillet, fry bacon till crisp. Drain, reserving 2 teaspoons grease, in which onions are sautéed till tender. Mix remaining ingredients into skillet, along with crumbled bacon. Pour into lightly greased baking dish and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Dessert could not be easier--into my Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream Maker, I placed whipping cream, milk, half and half, sugar, crushed Heath Bars.

The perfect end to our Fourth celebration was the arrival of nature's own fireworks in the form of a noisy, windy thunderstorm.

It's a Beautiful (Waffle) Morning

2009-07-04T07:30:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite "groovin' oldies" songs, It's a Beautiful Morning by The Rascals, perfectly expresses my feelings today. And there is nothing that gets my groove on like a beautiful Oklahoma morning with a chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. To further brighten my day, the Rose of Sharon bush has finally started blooming. Who needs fireworks when nature provides such dazzling displays?

On to the kitchen--armed with about 15,000 recipes I've bookmarked the past few days to make for the Fourth of July weekend, I decided to pump up my energy with a crispy Whole Grain Waffle by What A Dish!.

These waffles meet my strict standards for crispiness, which is surprising, because applesauce is subbed for part of the oil. Plus they are wholesome and nutritious with flax seed, whole wheat flour, and oatmeal; and Hubby, who shies away from anything labeled "healthy", loves them! The grains lend a nutty, sweet flavor that just adds to the crunchy appeal of these waffles.

Happy Fourth of July!

Adventures in Dallas

2009-06-30T10:55:00.019-05:00

The old homestead
Last week, Hubby and I made the three and one-half hour trek from OKC to Big D. Why? Simply to spend a couple nights away from home in one of our favorite places. Back in the 1970-1980s, when lived in a suburb near Dallas, our kids were in elementary and pre-school, we had several young couples as neighbors, and life was golden in that halcyonic way that one's mind remembers good times. In spite of my passion for Oklahoma, the lure of Dallas is still strong.

Of course we did a drive-by of the old house, and what shocked us more than anything was the size of the trees. In a former neighbor's yard, a tree that was 10 feet tall when we helped plant it is now 35-40 feet tall and nearly overwhelms the yard. And a former drainage ditch at the end of the street is now a lovely, park-like bayou with walking trails. Sadly, our old house was minus the loquat trees we placed in front, and other landscape details we established were missing.

Also on our agenda was a visit to a shooting range, where I discharged my new .22 for the first time. Learning to competently handle a gun is high on my to-do list this year. While I felt marginally comfortable shooting the .22, firing Hubby's .38 almost knocked me down. I fearlessly shot and destroyed the clip holding the target as well as a chunk of the ceiling. I feel certain that the gentlemen marksmen in nearby lanes feared for their lives. Hubby laughed bravely.

We purchased cupcakes at Sprinkles, attended a gun show in Mesquite, and wait, there's more--we shopped at a Kroger Signature grocery store, where we purchased gourmet goodies for a picnic dinner on our hotel bed. Oklahoma has no Kroger stores, and we keenly miss them.

Mostly we relaxed, ate what we wanted when we wanted to, took dorky self-photos, and enjoyed having no pressing plans. Good times in Dallas. But we were happy to go home to Okie-Land.

Good-Bye to My Big Bud

2009-06-20T07:26:00.001-05:00

My beloved brother, Dan - 1939 - 2009

Shredded Wheat Bread

2009-06-02T16:59:00.012-05:00

I will use almost any excuse to make bread. I have often used bread-worthy lefovers as my bread base--pancake or waffle batter, the remaining bits of granola, bits of fruit, and of course potatoes--all can be successfully incorporated into one's favorite bread recipe. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, but the process of invention is always fun. So yesterday, I had a few bite-sized frosted shredded wheats left in the bottom of the bag, and I got the brilliant idea to make bread from the crumbs.

First I pulverized the shredded wheat in the food processor, and then I added a cup of warm water to it, to soften it.

In the meantime, I added 2 teaspoons of yeast to a cup of warm water, then whisked in a cup of flour. After about 30 minutes, the yeast mixture was bubbly, and the shredded wheat had become a nice, fragrant "wheaty" mass.

Into the KitchenAid mixer bowl went the softened shredded wheat and the yeast mixture, along with 2 tablespoons of yogurt from Wagon Creek Creamery (an Oklahoma dairy), two teaspoons of salt, and enough flour (maybe another 3 cups) to make a slightly sticky dough. After a decent interval of mixing with the bread hook (God bless it), I let the dough rise for about an hour. I then turned it out onto a floured Silpat, gave a knead or two, and formed it into a Vienna-shaped loaf.

I had to run some errands, and when I returned, the loaf had risen to the size of a flattened whale; so I did not slash it for fear it would collapse. I baked it at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, and while it did not make a pretty loaf (think buff-colored whale) the finished product was delicious.

The texture was nice and moist and chewy, the shredded wheat lent an addictive nuttiness, and the crust was especially tasty toasted.

Useless Commentary

2009-05-19T23:05:00.011-05:00

Random thoughts and mindless ramblings from my brain this week:

Yesterday I received an email ad for this new "vibrating" mascara. Not to disparage the Maybelline company or anyone who buys this product, but is this not the ultimate in laziness? Although I cannot put on my mascara at the rate of 7000 vibrations per stroke, I have never been rendered physically exhausted by the act of applying mascara. And with my klutz reputation, I am not keen about putting a vibrating wand within millimeters of my eyeball.

A major movie began production this week in Guthrie, Oklahoma, a pretty little town about 20 miles north of Edmond. The Killer Inside Me will star Jessica Alba, Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, and my current favorite actor, Simon Baker, the Australian star of one of our favorite TV shows,
The Mentalist. ~~I have a crush on him~~ ~~I think he is hot~~ I really like him and find him attractive because his eyes reflect kindness and humor. And I don't think he wears mascara.

We are having a new fence built in our backyard, which means our dogs, Buddy and Holly, are spending quality time in the house this week. Their boredom is evident in their frequent yawns and whines, and the week promises to be a trying time for all of us. Buddy sighs and stares forlornly out the window. Holly declined to have her picture taken, as she was napping at the time.

The weather is beautiful, but boring, as high pressure has set up over the state. I try not to complain, because the temperature is near-ideal, with low humidity, but it is May, I live in Tornado Alley, and I want thunderstorms. Here is a photo from a more exciting day last week.

I Love Weather

2009-05-07T00:04:00.002-05:00

Living in the heart of Tornado Alley is definitely not boring, although I do find clear, sunny days a little dull.

If you think that all the weather-related links and posts on my blog indicate that weather is a major focus in my life, you are right. I have suffered from college degree-remorse for many years, having obtained a degree in mathematics instead of meteorology; so weather has become ~~an avid hobby~~ a freakish obsession instead of a vocation.

In March, I completed an evening of training to become a storm spotter for the National Weather Service. According to the Spotter page on the NWS website:

The training lasts about 2 1/2 hours and includes instruction on how to safely observe severe storms, how to identify important features, and how to make accurate and timely reports. In our area, storm spotters are a resource of each local community, and work with local emergency management officials to help protect their community from dangerous storms.

Very capably taught by Norman, Oklahoma NWS Office Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Rick Smith, the training was informative and fun. Such a diverse group was gathered, including newbies (like me) as well as people that had "spotted" for years. There is always something new to learn about weather. My favorite part of the evening was the discussion of how to differentiate between SLC, or Scary Looking Clouds, and a rotating wall cloud, which usually precedes a tornado.

Armed with my newly acquired spotter knowledge, a weather alert radio, an official rain gauge, and my camera, I can't wait to "spot" those storms.

This week is memorable for many Oklahomans, as Sunday marked the 10th anniversary of the May 3, 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak. Incredibly, almost 60 tornadoes occurred that day, along with the highest recorded tornado wind speeds (300+ mph), during the mile-wide F5 tornado that hit Moore and Bridge Creek, southwest of Oklahoma City. Sadly, forty people lost their lives in the state that day and over 600 were injured. However, thousands more lives were saved due to warnings from media personnel such as Gary England, Chief Meteorologist for KWTV Channel 9, who continuously urged viewers and listeners to "get below ground now". Credit also goes to live video coverage by storm chasers, spotters, and helicopter pilots.

Here is the classic hook echo of the F5 tornado:

And here is a map showing the path of the tornadoes:

The reason for the difference in these two radars of the same storm is phenomenal:

The radar on the left is of the tornado on open land. In the radar on the right, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory,

The bright red colors at the tornado location represent not rain or hail -- but the aggregate signature of car parts, pieces of houses, shredded tree branches, dirt and other debris, hoisted thousands of feet skyward by the tornado vortex!

I highly recommend Storm Warning, a very readable account of that terrible day by Oklahoma native Nancy Mathis, not only for its riveting personal stories and interviews, but also for the scientific data on the devastating storm and a well-researched account of the evolution of storm prediction.

Oklahoma Spring in My Backyard - Part 2

2009-03-28T10:29:00.025-05:00

Never discount the possibility of any kind of weather, any time of the year, in Oklahoma. Just when I thought it was safe to plan a weekend of deck lounging, a winter storm system moved out of Colorado, dumping two feet of snow on our neighbors in northwest Oklahoma and about an inch in my neighborhood in central Oklahoma.

Fortunately temperatures are supposed to warm up in a day or so; then we get to watch the skies for thunderstorms (YAY!)

See Oklahoma Spring in My Backyard - Part 1 for photos of the faux spring we experienced last week.

Oklahoma Spring in My Backyard - Part 1

2009-03-19T08:38:00.030-05:00

Random photos from my backyard...

Hubby built a new railing for our deck and installed a wall-mounted fountain:

Hot air balloons on a Sunday evening...

Tomato seedlings (cue the song "At Last" and see My Seed Problem for more thorough explanation). Buddy guards the door as I transplant seedlings from the starter tray into styrofoam "pots".

I have high hopes...

The Case of the Crooked Tree

2009-03-11T15:20:00.002-05:00

In spite of freezing temperatures and snow in the forecast this week, spring has already arrived in central Oklahoma. Bradford Pear trees line the streets of Edmond, creating clouds of white flowers. They are everywhere, in all sizes, and these spectacular trees burst into bloom the first week of March. We were fortunate to have several in place when we moved into our house three years ago. This year they displayed the most extravagant, snowy white blossoms ever; but my husband says that I say that every year. And I am very biased about the natural beauty I find in Oklahoma.

Sharing the front yard with the pear tree is a crooked little purple leaf plum tree. Prior to the arrival of shiny purple leaves, beautiful delicate pink-petaled blossoms adorn this tree.

Since it grows at an angle and is not exactly a lush, full tree, my husband has wanted to cut it down since he first saw it. He believes the yard would look better without it. My argument has been that it is healthy and that it seems a shame to cut down a perfectly good tree. But last summer I finally agreed to his reasoning, and our plan was to cut it down during the winter. Somehow we never got around to it.

The other day when I walked out to get the mail, I stopped and looked at our misshapen tree, and suddenly I was smitten. This sturdy little tree endures the Oklahoma weather extremes of cold temperatures, ice, snow, heat, and drought; and yet every spring it unfailingly provides us with beautiful blooms. How could we kill it? It deserves a chance to live.

And so, when Hubby got home, I took a deep breath and pleaded the case of the crooked tree, and he good-naturedly acquiesced.

The little plum tree will live out its natural life in all its quirky glory. And I swear since I told it the news, it has straightened up a little bit.

Orangette Is An Okie

2009-03-05T08:10:00.009-06:00

Oklahoman food editor Dave Cathey had a nice article about Molly Wizenberg yesterday. Molly hails (as we like to say in Oklahoma) from Oklahoma and is one of my blog idols. She authors the delightful Orangette blog, with impeccable writing and exquisite photography.

With the advent of her new book, A Homemade Life: A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, Okies are possessively rising up to claim her as their own.

Congratulations, Molly!

You may read further updates about Molly in Dave's blog, Food Dude.

Hubby's Gourmet Mac and 5 Cheese

2009-02-23T10:00:00.002-06:00

My hubby and I ate at our nearby TGI Friday's recently and decided to try the Gourmet Mac n' Five Cheese, which was winner of the Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown for comfort food. It contains blue cheese, which Hubby does not care for, but I told him he probably would not notice it as a separate flavor, so he trusted me and ordered it. It was served with sliced grilled chicken breast, and we absolutely loved the dish.

Over the weekend, he downloaded the recipe from Food Network and prepared it using the cheese we had on hand - fontina, gruyere, parmesan, provolone, and smoked gouda - and penne in place of macaroni (just like Friday's). He painstakingly followed the recipe and while the casserole was baking, he grilled the chicken.

It was excellent! We thought the cheese sauce needed that extra boost that the blue cheese and white cheddar would have provided, so next time we will add those to our shopping list. We also had to add an extra sprinkle of salt.

I managed to capture three photos before we gorged ourselves.

My Peanut Butter

2009-02-19T22:22:00.020-06:00

With all the recent concern about peanuts, I thought it was a good time to learn to make my own peanut butter. I chose Oklahoma grown raw Spanish peanuts from Lasley Family Farm and roasted them for about 30 minutes in a 350 oven. I will purchase roasted peanuts next time, as removing the skin from the peanuts was not fun.

Following Alton Brown's recipe for homemade peanut butter, I used my food processor to grind peanuts, oil, salt and honey to velvety goodness. When I took the lid off the processor, the heady roasted aroma made me weak.

Storing in the refrigerator preserves homemade peanut butter for up to two months, if it lasts that long.

A recent post on Shelby's blog inspired me to try My Peanut Butter in her Asian-inspired recipe. I adapted the ingredients to what I had on hand, including substituting dry sherry for the rice vinegar and omitting the ketchup and Hoisin sauce. I think the ingredients can be adjusted according to one's taste and sense of adventure. Here is my version:

Sesame Peanut Spaghetti
8 oz dry spaghetti
2 small uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Cook spaghetti in boiling water to desired doneness. Drain and set aside.

In a small saucepan over low heat, mix and warm peanut butter, sherry, brown sugar and soy sauce, gradually adding water until smooth. Set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in wok, add garlic and onion, saute until softened. Push to the side and add diced chicken. Saute until lightly browned and no longer pink. Push to the side and add sesame oil, heating briefly before adding spaghetti. Toss spaghetti with other wok ingredients. Add peanut butter sauce and mix thoroughly. Serve.

This was one of those meals that we could not stop eating. The savory peanut butter sauce coated and soaked into the spaghetti strands to produce rich, toothsome, very satisfying fare.

I did not photograph the finished product, because I had already sampled it and could not wait any longer to eat it. I did, however, take a lovely photo of what was left in the wok after dinner, right before I ate the last bites.

My Seed Problem

2009-02-01T13:58:00.005-06:00

This was the scene on Wednesday: a bone-chilling 10 degrees outside, a layer of ice and snow covering the ground, and my thoughts turned to...seeds! In the middle of a cold, windy Oklahoma winter I love to wrap up in my blanket and read seed catalogs, enticed by visions of rainbow hued tomatoes ripening in the July heat.

My problem, of course, is that I buy way too many seeds. My eyes are bigger than my garden.

When we lived near the Texas Gulf coast, I became enamored with old, open-pollinated varieties of tomatoes called heirloom tomatoes. Not only is the idea of heirloom seeds attractive to me, but their designations are so evocative and enticing that I buy some just for their names--Rose De Berne, Aunt Ginny's Purple, Black from Tula, Jaune Flamme, Yellow Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Caro Rich.

In one of my favorite gardening books, Dr. Carolyn Male's 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden, each page contains a photo of an heirloom tomato with taste descriptions rivaling that of a wine review. One of my fantasies is to have the space, the time, and the resources to grow every variety of tomato in that book!

My favorite cherry tomato is Sungold, the only hybrid tomato I grow, and it is most aromatic tomato ever, both in foliage and fruit. And thanks to organic gardening practices, I can pop those beauties right into my mouth straight from the vine. I not only ordered Sungold seeds this year but also heirlooms Beefsteak, Japanese Black Trifele, Moonglow, Yellow Plum, Babywine, Black, Black Pear, Ananas Noire, Ruby Pearl, and Chianti Rose.

In order to get a headstart on the Oklahoma heat, tomato plants should be in the ground by mid-March, and this means the seeds must be started this month. Where to plant all those tomatoes will be a real challenge with my small, raised beds.

These are some of the tomatoes produced by my attempt at organic gardening (a monumental challenge battling stinkbugs) in Texas in 2005:

And here is a mix of Farmer's Market and my own garden tomatoes in Oklahoma in 2007:

I hope my greed for seed pays off in bushels of juicy tomatoes this summer. Then I can blog about my salt problem.

BCS Bowl - The Best Team Lost

2009-01-11T23:20:00.007-06:00

The 2009 BCS Championship game on January 9 was a highly anticipated event at our house. Living in a state that is passionate about the OU Sooners football team is very satisfying. After living in Texas--home to the Longhorns, the Aggies, and Texas Tech--it is refreshing to find abundant Sooner fans proudly waving their OU flags, wearing red and white T-shirts and sweatshirts, and talking openly about their love of anything Sooner-ish. My hubby supports OU every morning with his coffee mug.

In case you have no idea what the BCS Bowl was all about, No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners faced No. 2 Florida Gators in Miami, Florida, to determine the BCS National champions. Florida defeated the Sooners 24-14. All I can say about it is that the Sooners are better than their game indicated, and I was depressed when the game was over.

Here is what my son, a Texas Aggie, said about the game. He supports the Sooners (when they are not playing Texas A&M.)

Tough game. OU should've had a 10-14 point lead at halftime, which would've changed the whole complexion of the game.

I also don't understand some of Kevin Wilson's decisions. OU was killing UF with the 4 and 5 WR set in the 1st half, and then they went away from it. Their OL was rock solid in the 1st half -- UF couldn't get close to Bradford. And then in the 2nd half they decide to roll Bradford out of the pocket where he was exposed. Once he gets hit, he's not the same QB.

Defense actually played well, but got worn down in the 4th qtr due to the offense's inability to score.

Stoops and Meyer are the two best coaches in the country; unfortunately, Meyer outcoached Stoops last night.

It was a great game though -- two very good teams. I would love to see Utah play Florida.

That part I bolded? I have no idea what that means. I call it "man language" (although many women speak it also) and there is no translation for it on Babel Fish.

Here is my husband's response, written in the same man language:

Yes, it was a very good game; wish it could have ended differently but I agree with you----the play calling was very good in the 2nd quarter but for whatever reason, they went in a different direction from what was working.

Defense played outstanding on all but way too many 3rd and long.
Good game overall but they should have stuck with the hurry up, run it down their throats plays that were working in the 2nd quarter.

A couple of questionable calls and a couple of better 3rd and 4th down offensive plays and it could have been a completely different game.

Neither of these quotes alleviated my depression in any way, but I am already looking forward to next fall and the 2009 college football season.

Volcano Cheese Bread

2009-01-01T10:36:00.015-06:00

I love melty, gooey cheese and warm, fragrant bread, and to find both in a recipe is a bread-baker's (and glutton's) dream. This recipe is an adaptation of one from the King Arthur Flour website and will not disappoint.

Volcano Cheese Bread
Starter
1-1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 cup cool water

Dough
All of the Starter
1-1/4 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
3-1/4 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

Filling
2-1/2 cups grated cheese (I used fresh mozzarella, havarti, parmesan, and sharp Cheddar)

Directions
Starter:
In a medium-sized bowl, mix Starter ingredients together till well-combined. Make sure all ingredients are well-mixed; batter will be stiff. Cover and let rest overnight at room temperature. After the overnight resting, it will look similar to this:

Bread Dough:
Combine risen starter with Dough ingredients. Knead (using your favorite method--I used my KitchenAid dough hook) until smooth dough is formed. Put dough in lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or till nearly doubled.

Gently press on dough with your fist to deflate it, then press it into a 9" x 12" shape. Mist with water; sprinkle with grated cheese. Starting with long side, roll carefully into a log and seal seam by pinching. Place seam-side down on lightly oiled or floured surface. Cover and let rise for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until puffed but not necessarily doubled.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut dough crosswise into 2 halves or four pieces, depending on the size of loaf you prefer. Place cut side up on lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, using one sheet for two halves or two sheets for four pieces. Gently spread apart to expose cheese.

Mist with warm water and bake immediately, 20 minutes for smaller loaves or 35 minutes for larger loaves, or until the cheese is melted and loaves are deep golden brown. Remove from the oven, cool on a rack until you can’t stand it anymore, then tear off pieces with your fingers and enjoy bites of savory fondue-like cheese encased in a tender and tangy bread.

Christmas Tradition: Deviled Eggs

2008-12-18T07:32:00.022-06:00

Along with other required favorites, my family always requests deviled eggs for our Christmas dinner. I found this recipe nearly 40 years ago, and I have never been persuaded to use any other version.

Deviled Eggs

6 hard-boiled eggs, halved
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Halve eggs lengthwise; remove yolks and mash (or process in food processor) with mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Fill or pipe into egg white. Chill.

Oklahoma's Big Score

2008-12-13T19:58:00.007-06:00

Congratulations to Oklahoma Sooners quarterback, Sam Bradford, for winning college football's prestigious Heisman trophy!

Just another reason to be proud to be an Okie.

Oh What A Beautiful Mornin'

2008-12-04T08:16:00.012-06:00

It's not just a song from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, it's a true statement. The above photo was taken this morning. The unusual streak above the horizon caught my eye.

Here is the sunrise from yesterday.

This sunrise was in February.

To step out my back door in the mornings, coffee cup in hand, and gaze at nature's palette--well it's just another reason to be grateful to live in Oklahoma.

State Pie of Oklahoma

2008-11-22T08:58:00.023-06:00

November, fresh Oklahoma pecans, and the approaching holidays make me crave pecan pie. Living in a state that not only holds the record for the world's largest pecan pie but also includes pecan pie in its official state meal impresses upon me a sense of responsibility to bake and eat as many versions as possible.

As a child who disliked nuts in my food, when I was served pecan pie I carefully pried off the top layer of nuts and ate only the rich custard filling and crust. Now I can't imagine leaving off that sweet layer of crunchy goodness.I purchased pecans through the Oklahoma Food Coop from Sandy Creek Farms. Small, sweet, and crisp, these Oklahoma native pecans have a high oil content, and baking with them brings out their buttery richness. I toasted them in the oven for a few minutes to further enhance their flavor.

The folks at Sandy Creek included this recipe with their pecans:

Sandy Creek Farms Pecan Pie
1 cup waffle or corn syrup
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla (opt)

Heat syrup and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Beat eggs slightly; gradually pour in hot syrup as you continue beating. Add butter and pecans. Add one teaspoon vanilla if corn syrup is used. Pour into an unbaked 9-inch pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Squash--More Than Just a Pretty Face

2008-10-26T23:55:00.018-05:00

October food finds at the Oklahoma Food Cooperative are anything but dull during the fall season, with pear-shaped butternuts and glorious orange sugar pumpkins finally on the scene, as well as late-season bright yellow squash and mottled dark green zucchini providing one last sweet gasp of summer.

These squash and Mystic pumpkins are fresh from the fields of Peach Crest Farm, in Norman, who also provided part of this month's colorful egg bounty. The other eggs are from the free range acreages of Rowdy Stickhorse Wild Acres, Noble Heritage Acres, and a new producer, Happy Eggs.

Other sustainably harvested foods that I could not resist: golden local honey from the 140 hives of Honey Hill Farm north of Guthrie; reddish-hued grape jelly from the Richardsons at Persimmon Hill Farm, in Stillwater. This is an unusual jelly from the Frontenac grape, which is normally designated only for wine.

Sandy Creek Pecans offered small, sweet native pecan halves from their sustainable pecan tree orchard in the southern Oklahoma town of Milburn. They included a personal note and recipe for pecan pie. Natives' high oil content makes a superior pie.

My first reaction after arriving home with food coop treasures is "what was I thinking?", then "why didn't I clean out my refrigerator?", and then "what should I do with all of it?" These beautiful butternuts were a natural choice to use first--after all, the name alone promotes salivation--BUTTERnut.

For the first butternut recipe of the season, I chose a bread recipe from Allrecipes.com, Squash Braid. With a cup of cooked, mashed butternut and one of the organic, sunny-yellow yolked eggs, the resulting loaf is buttery yellow and rich, slightly sweet, with a tender texture like that of Hawaiian bread. It was easy to make and even easier to eat.

Here is my KitchenAid version with a few modifications:

Butternut Squash Braid
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
1 cup cooked and pureed butternut squash
1/3 cup warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 3-1/2 cups unbleached flour
GLAZE:
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon water

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Melt butter in warm milk and add to yeast mixture, then add squash, egg, brown sugar and salt. Using paddle attachment, mix until well blended, then add a cup of flour and mix until smooth. Switch to dough hook and keep adding flour until a soft dough is formed. Let the dough hook do most of the kneading for you, then turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 3 or 4 minutes. You may need to add a little flour to keep it from sticking. (If you don't have a KitchenAid, simply mix the ingredients in a large bowl, add flour until a soft dough is formed, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes.)

Place in a greased bowl, cover with waxed paper, and let rise in a cozy place until doubled. Punch dough down and divide into 3 parts. On a lightly floured surface or a Roulpat, shape each portion into an 18 inch strand by rolling the dough back & forth beneath your hands. Take the ropes and attach them by pinching the tops together and tucking them under. Braid until you run out of dough and finish by pinching together bottom ends and tucking them underneath the braid. Let rise until nearly doubled.

Whisk together the egg and water and brush over braid before baking. Bake in a 375-400 degree oven (depending on your oven's performance) until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Carefully remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Savor.

Buying Into the Good Stuff

2008-09-22T13:20:00.012-05:00

I recently joined the Oklahoma Food Cooperative. Some of my cooking friends have long sung the praises of buying locally grown, organic food. Months ago my daughter sent me the link to the coop website and enthusiastically encouraged me to join. I wiped off my Cheetos-stained fingers and typed my response to her: "It costs too much--it's not worth it."

I don't remember exactly why I decided to revisit the link; but once I did I was drawn to the list of producers and their descriptions of their products. Who can resist "no bugs allowed", "free-ranging", "certified organic", "all-natural", "wild-picked", "hand-crafted", "heirloom", and the all-important "grown or made in Oklahoma". And if that wasn't enough to turn my head, here are Eight Reasons to Buy Oklahoma Food. I joined on the spot.

Larry Ressler of Ressler Farms, new to the coop this month, nicely sums up what makes buying from the coop such a beneficial experience:

I strive to practice truly sustainable agriculture. My use of the land does not consume or destroy its inherent value, but attempts to improve it while producing clean and wholesome food raised in a humane manner.

After I purchased eggs from Ressler Farms, Mr. Ressler emailed me to make sure his eggs were well received. When I contacted him with my praise for his eggs, he responded: "For me, it's not about the money. It's about doing my part to produce local, clean, humane and wholesome food." His cage-free and hormone-free Barred Rocks, White Rocks, Black Australorps, Buff Orpingtons, Blue Laced Red Wyandottes and Buttercups (I love fancy-pants chicken names) graze on pasture and provide these beauties.

Just look at this list from which to choose food, home, and garden products; and shopping is easily done online, wearing my fuzzy slippers & PJ's.

At the new Edmond location where I picked up my purchases, Chelsey, the Edmond coordinator, was a calm voice in the midst of friendly chaos--dozens of large ice chests full of orders, mesh bags full of produce, pails of wheat berries, and boxes of various products. From the operations center, to the drivers, to the distribution areas, it is a volunteer undertaking, so everyone pitches in to help sort and to assist others in finding their products. It was fun standing elbow-to-elbow trying to find my eggs from the dozens in the ice chests and my apples from the bags on the floor.

Check out the bounty I chose this month:
Jewel-like Seedless Red Raspberry Jelly from Granny's Oven Fresh in Chandler

Peach Salsa (it's addictive) from Peach Crest Farms in Stratford

Wild Grape Jelly, Garlic Tomato Basil Soup from Earth Elements Farm in Lexington

Eggs, including beautiful blue ones and "apples that are great but have a split", (they are crispy, tart, and delicious) from Peach Crest Farms
6-pack of certified organic lettuce from Crestview Farms in Arcadia

Eggs from Ressler Farms in Arcadia

Cowboy Cheese, preservative-free from hormone-free cows, from Christian Cheese in Kingfisher; Creamline Yogurt and sweet. creamy Butter from Wagon Creek Creamery in Helena
Was my order a bit more than I would pay at the grocery store? Yes, and worth every penny.

Oklahoma's "Landcane"

2008-08-19T06:47:00.003-05:00

Waking up to heavy rain in Oklahoma this morning was an eerie reminder of the anniversary of one of the state's strangest weather events. On August 19, 2007, the looping remnants of Tropical Storm Erin unexpectedly regained their purpose over Oklahoma and created a weather anomaly that fascinated both meteorologists and wannabe-meteorologists (like me).

Ironically, over the ocean Erin had been weak and disorganized, striking the Texas coast as a "mere" tropical depression. Nearing Oklahoma City, Erin produced an eye-like structure, falling pressure, and tropical storm force winds. Wait, was that a hurricane?

Dr. Jeff Masters of Weather Underground, who described the reintensification as "a tropical storm like-vortex", posted this fascinating long animation of the weather phenomenom and dubbed it a "landphoon". The National Hurricane Center's 17-page report finally designated the Oklahoma event as a low. I prefer Dr. Masters' more inventive nomenclature, in particular his classification of another odd storm as a "Thingamabobbercane".

Oklahoma's weather is, well, volatile at times; but a foot of rain and sustained high winds brought unfortunate fatalities, injuries, and property damage to a state not accustomed to hurricane preparations. Folks evacuating to Oklahoma to escape future hurricanes on the Gulf coast might want to set their sights farther north.

Thanks to Dr. Jeff Masters for the use of information from his Wunder Blog on Wunderground.

Agave Nectar and Yeast--A Love Story

2008-08-17T18:24:00.005-05:00

Agave nectar and yeast are a match made in heaven. While the health benefits of agave nectar are highly touted with encouraging words like "organic", "low glycemic", and "pure", the words that sold me were "sweeter than sugar". I wanted to test it in baking as a substitute for honey in a bread recipe. Since I didn't find a local source, I purchased a jar on eBay from Flying Bee Ranch, which is also an excellent source for delicious honeys.

A spoonful of agave nectar reveals a taste somewhat like honey but lighter, with a spicy overtone, and more sweetness than honey. It isn't as sticky or thick as honey, but is more like maple syrup in its consistency.

For my test, I chose a quick dinner roll recipe. The agave nectar mixes quickly with the other liquid ingredients, and if my first try is any indication, it boosts the power of the yeast. The first rising was an incredible 20 minutes to double, and by the time I shaped the last roll, the first one was already rising in bulbous rounds above the pan.

Non-fat yogurt and 1% milk (both from Oklahoma dairies), along with only 2 tablespoons of oil, reduce the fat grams in this recipe, and the end product has a light texture that yields nicely to a generous full-fat application of butter. The agave nectar lends a mild sweetness that contrasts nicely with the slight tang of yogurt.

Agave Nectar Dinner Rolls
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon yeast
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
4-1/2 to 5 cups flour

Mix milk and yogurt and warm in a saucepan to lukewarm. Place in bowl of electric mixer and add yeast, agave nectar, salt, and oil. With paddle attachment, mix until smooth, then start adding flour, a cup at a time, mixing until dough starts to pull away from sides of bowl. Scrape dough from paddle attachment, attach dough hook, and add remaining flour until dough is cohesive. Knead on floured surface until smooth and pliable. Place in greased bowl and let rise until double. Make into favorite roll shapes and place in greased baking pan. Let rolls rise above the pan. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes approximately 12 rolls.

Washington and Oklahoma

2008-08-12T17:27:00.009-05:00

What do the state of Washington and a kitchen in Oklahoma have in common?

No, I'm not talking about the latest NBA "thunder" about Seattle and Oklahoma City. I'm talking about Rainier and Bing cherries that I purchased at a recent farmer's market.
I wanted to try my hand (for the first time) at jam, and being inexperienced about using pectin, I searched for a recipe without it. I found and tried this "no-recipe" by David Lebovitz. I like his simple and informal approach to making jam. I followed his instructions, ignoring only his caution not to burn my mouth by sampling.

I am pleased with the resulting jam, although it is more like a thick syrup after refrigeration. Still, it is delicious (especially with Homesick Texan's biscuits) and worth another try with a different fruit--perhaps some Oklahoma peaches...

Sungold: How Sweet It Is

2008-08-10T10:22:00.003-05:00

Sungold tomatoes are my favorite cherry tomato. Mere words cannot describe their true sensory delight; once you try them, you will cry tears of joy.

Even the plant itself is richly fragrant--I don't like to wash my hands after I've picked Sungolds, because I love the scent left by brushing against the leaves. The taste of the bite-sized orange globe is at once sweet, fruity, tangy--some have described it as though it is a fine dessert wine: "sweet, rich, and complex" or "tropical and winey".

But it is better than wine, with no hangover.

It has one of the highest brix levels for a small tomato. Brix is the measurement of the carbohydrate level of plant juices; or in terms simple enough for me to understand--how sweet it is. However, the high brix level is balanced by a slight acid tang, and tomato paradise is achieved.

In spite of the fact that it is a hybrid, and I prefer growing heirloom tomatoes, Sungold has remained my favorite cherry tomato. It is a very dependable plant and will produce masses of bright orange 1" fruits from spring through fall.

I purchased a sungold plant this year from Farmers Grain Company in Edmond, a delightfully rustic store that has been in business since 1922. But for my 2009 garden, I will plant my own Sungold seeds in indoor pots and plant the seedlings in March. Updates to follow!

Farmer's Market - Better Than A Casino

2008-08-06T22:20:00.009-05:00

Last week at the Edmond Farmers Market, I allotted myself $40 to spend. Just like at a casino, my cash was gone in about 20 minutes. But I felt like a winner because I gambled on Oklahoma produce.

The Dibble vendor said this Israeli melon is very popular. The taste and texture is like that of a cantaloupe, but the sugar content is much higher.

Heirloom tomatoes, yellow Romas, and squash from Dibble
Spiro peaches and nectarines

Sweet bicolor corn from Bixby (my hometown!)

And from my favorite vendors--Country to Town Produce in Guthrie--sweet, juicy Rainier and Bing cherries from Washington State.

Click on the icon above and read about Oklahoma Grown Farmers Markets across the state, their locations, hours of operation, and contact information. Click on "Oklahoma Fruit and Vegetable Availability" to see when your favorite is available.

Oklahoma Fresh Peach Pie

2008-07-18T08:39:00.004-05:00

Nothing says Oklahoma in the summer quite like a fresh peach pie. With fresh peaches from Guthrie and an old Betty Crocker cookbook, nirvana is achieved.

The town of Edmond has a Farmer's Market on Wednesday & Saturdays, and farmers from all around the state bring freshly picked fruits, vegetable, and berries. In spite of my late morning appearance, vendors still had ample supplies of irresistibly succulent produce for me to gaze upon. I had to draw the line at carrying a watermelon around, but far too many fragrant, rosy peaches and red, sun-warmed tomatoes found their way into my bag.

The tomatoes became star ingredients for sandwiches and salads. The peaches that didn't get eaten out of hand over the sink were pie-worthy.

Oklahoma Fresh Peach Pie
Modified from the original Betty Crocker recipe

Pastry for a 9-inch 2-crust pie, unbaked
5 cups sliced fresh peaches
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar (to start, but adjust for the sweetness of your peaches)
1/4 cup flour
cinnamon to taste (I used 3/4 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter, diced

Heat oven to 425 ° Mix peaches, lemon juice, and vanilla. Whisk together flour, sugar, and cinnamon; stir into peach mixture. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan and dot with butter. Cover with top pie crust (cut slits in it) or lattice crust; seal and flute edges.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until filling is thickly bubbling through slits or lattice in crust. About 15 minutes into baking, cover edges of pie crust with an aluminum foil strip to prevent excessive browning.