Nectar & Light

finally!  right?  i know, i know.  and i know i keep saying i will be better about posting more recipes, but this time i mean it.  really.  or at least more food related posts.  will that work?

in the meantime, i give you the most delicious shrimp and grits recipe i have had outside of the south.  but this one is inspired by bobby's.  i found his recipe a few nights ago and had to give it a try  - with my own twist of course.  and something about the heat of the day called for an icy cocktail as well.  enjoy...

shrimp & grits:

~ 4 c. water

~ salt and pepper

~ 1 c. corn grits

~ 2 T butter

~ 2 t olive oil

~ 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar

~ 1 c. shredded havarti

~ 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

~ 8 slices of thick rashers

~ 2 t lemon juice

~ 1 garlic clove

~ 1 T fresh thyme

bring water to a boil.  add salt and pepper then pour in the cup of uncooked grits.  stir just a bit then partially cover the pan - let simmer until all of the water is absorbed. {*note:  people can get rather picky about the definition of properly cooked grits - if you like them a bit soupy {like my husband} pull them off the heat when the consistency resembles a thin oatmeal.  if you want your fork to be able to stand up in them - like me - they can go a bit longer}  once cooked, add butter and cheese - stir until well incorporated, cover and set aside.

while the grits are cooking, fry the bacon until cooked as desired.  pat dry with a paper towel and roughly chop - set aside.  add the clove of garlic to the bacon grease - when it begins to turn gold, add the shrimp, lemon juice and thyme.  cook until the shrimp are pink.  toss in bacon.

to serve - plate grits and spoon shrimp mixture over - and holy heaven.

the rangpur sunrise:

let me start by saying that when i mix drinks - i never really measure anything and i tend to pour enough for 4-6 people as opposed to two - just keep that in mind when reviewing the measures... taste it - you will know if it's right.

~ 1 c. tanqueray rangpur gin

~ 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

~ 4 c. orange juice

mix together well and pour over ice - garnish with orange slices... and be warned it goes down wicked easy. 

happy summer...

xoox~jla

a recipe is long overdue, and with the copious amount of apples we picked at the orchard a few weeks ago, the timing was ideal for making apple butter.  this is an autumn tradition in my home and this recipe results in a decedent, rich apple butter that you can use both traditionally as a spread on toast {with blue cheese as pictured below} and scones - but it also lends itself beautifully to salad dressings, a base for sweet barbecue sauces, basting fish, add it to french toast batter or scoop it over vanilla ice cream.

this is a canning recipe - and i have to say that i am not a canning expert - my annual batch of apple butter is my only experience with canning.  but this is a trick my mother taught me and it has worked well:  as you are preparing the apple butter, prepare your jars by placing them in the dishwasher, running them on the hottest, sanitizing cycle you can - try to time so that the jars are coming out of the dishwasher, steaming hot, and are ready to immediately be filled with apple butter.  fill them to nearly the top ensuring there are no air bubbles within the jar and quickly secure the jar lids tightly.  the lid should create a seal so you are able to store the butter for 6-12 months.  if it does not create a seal, the apple butter can still be eaten but should be done so within a few weeks and immediately stored in the refrigerator.  this recipe fills 5 16oz. jars.

happy canning...

maple-brandy apple butter:

~ 5 lbs. jonathan apples

~ 3 c. organic apple juice

~ 3 c. water

~ 1 1/2 c. organic raw sugar

~ 4 T. brandy

~ 2 T. maple syrup

~ 2 t. cinnamon

~ 1 t. cloves

~ 1/2 t. allspice

~ pinch of salt

combine the apple juice and water in a large stock pot and turn the stove top to high.  chop the apples into chunks and add them to the pot as you work.  while the size does not matter, keep in mind the larger the pieces, the longer it will take for them to soften.  stir often and cook for about 30-40 minutes until the apples begin to separate from their skins.  carefully pour the apples and liquid into a blender or food processor and puree - depending on the size of your equipment you may have to do this in 2-4 batches.  when all of the apples have been pureed, return the apples to the stock pot and the stove - over a medium flame.  add the remaining ingredients whisking them in until they are well incorporated.  cover and let the mixture cook for 15 minutes.  remove the cover and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to thicken.  ideally, this should be the time you are pulling your jars from the wash.  quickly fill the jars and seal... enjoy!

have a wonderful weekend, see you in this space next week - then i am off to atlanta for a long weekend!

xoox~jla

hello, i do hope you have had a wonderful week. 

we:

~ took it slow

~ ate at our favorite neighborhood pizza shop

~ and our favorite ice cream shop {twice}

~ spent minimal time on the computer

~ swam

~ swam

~ and swam some more

~ cried during the closing ceremony of the olympics

~ watched a neighborhood parade

~ watched the girls take such delight in that parade

~ ate waffles or pancakes almost every morning

~ made another tote bag for adie to carry her ballet shoes to class in

~ organized an art cabinet for the girls

~ organized a sewing/print making/camera cabinet for mama

~ slept

~ signed up for a 'learn to knit' class

~ landscaped - said a sad goodbye to a dying evergreen

~ watched the girls dance and sing with donny osmond in joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat at least once a day

~ discovered:

   teddy thompson

    fleet foxes

    adele

    noah and the whale

~ baked a white peach and raspberry pie:

    ~ 2 crusts {recipe here}

    ~ 6 large white peaches {thinly slice}

    ~ 6 oz. fresh, plump raspberries

    ~ 1/2 c. flour

    ~ 3/4 c. raw sugar

    ~ 1/2 t. cinnamon

    ~ 5 T. butter

preheat the oven to 425.  combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon and set aside.  in a large bowl, combine the peaches, raspberries and the flour mixture.  ensure the fruit is thoroughly coated and set aside for 10 minutes.  roll out the first crust and place it into a buttered pie dish.  fill the crust with fruit - pack it in.  chop the butter into 8-10 pieces and dot over the top of the fruit.  roll out the second crust and cut thin stripes with a knife or pastry cutter.  create a lattice top by weaving the pieces - it is easiest to lay half of the pieces in one direction first, then weave one piece at a time in the opposite direction.  place a drip pan in your oven and bake the pie for 30 minutes.  turn the oven temperature down to 325 and bake for an additional 20 minutes.  let the pie cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

have a lovely day - hope to check in later this week!

xoox~jla

    

 

hello friends!  i just want to start by saying thank you to all of you readers who leave comments every week - you are such an inspiration to me and i can not begin to tell you the power of your words and support - thank you so very much and i love getting to know you through this process...

so - i promised a recipe last week and alas, failed to deliver.  so i am hoping that this makes up for it.  it is two of my favorites and this weekend for the first time, we used these two together.  the first, is my recipe for challah bread.  challah is a jewish egg bread that we recite a blessing over on shabbat {every friday evening in the jewish tradition}.  however, anyone can obviously make this bread, eat this bread and enjoy this bread.  it is dense, rich and full of flavor - perfect for sandwiches, french toast, my chocolate challah bread pudding or - one of my favorite ways to indulge, is warm out of the oven and slathered in butter.  the second recipe i am sharing today is one of my new summer favorites:  fried green tomatoes.  my poor tomato plants quake at the site of me - i have allowed very few of the those delicious little loves to blush into maturity - we have been picking them just as they begin to swell, and just before they turn red - only to fry them - poor little guys.  i fell in love with fried green tomatoes where most people do - in the south.  i have yet to measure the ingredients exactly - but you will get the idea - and experiment with the flavors and seasonings you add...

challah {makes 1 ginormous loaf or two smaller loaves}

~ 6 c. flour

~ 1/2 c. turbinado sugar

~ 1/2 T. sea salt

~ 1 oz. yeast

~ 1 1/4 c. water {between 100-110 degrees F}

~ 1/4 c. oil

~ 3 cage free organic eggs

combine the water and oil in a large bowl, add the yeast and allow it to activate for 5-10 minutes.  the kitchen will begin to smell of beer and the surface of the water/oil will appear cloudy and bubbly.  in another bowl combine the flour, salt and sugar and set aside.  whisk the eggs in another bowl - then add to the yeast mixture - then slowly - while mixing, add the flour mixture.  work the dough with a dough hook or wooden spoon until it comes together and forms an elasticky dough.  turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead {push the dough into the work surface with the heels of your hand - folding the the dough towards you and in half - repeat several times}.  form a large ball with the dough.  in yet another bowl, spray a non-stick cooking spray or butter lightly, then add the dough.  cover with a damp towel and set aside for two hours.  the bread should more than double in size.  in the meantime, prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper - i always spray just a bit of non-stick on the pan before laying the parchment to prevent it from sliding.

after the initial two hours, turn the dough onto a floured surface once again. form in a long, fat log and divide the dough in half.  set one half aside.  start kneading the first half - working all of the air bubbles from the dough, adding more flour when needed.  again, shape this half into a large log, but divide it into three equal sections.  working with each section individually, roll it between your palms to create one long skinny log shape - it should be about an inch thick and about 12 inches long.  when all three sections have been prepared this way, lay them together on one of the baking sheets.  pinch all three ends on one side together and begin to braid the logs.  when you are finished tuck both ends under.  repeat this process with the other half of the dough.  preheat the oven to 325 and allow the loaves to rise an additional 30 minutes on the counter top.  once they are ready to go into the oven, whisk one egg with 1/4c. water and brush over the loaves before placing them in the oven.  bake for 25 minutes.  when the loaves are ready, pull them from the oven and reapply the egg wash liberally.  you can top them with poppy seeds, sesame seeds {both are very common treatments but must be applied immediately after the egg wash or they will not stick to the surface of the bread} or they can be left plain.

if you have never made bread from scratch before, this might seem a bit overwhelming.  but i encourage you to try - it is an art, it is poetry, it is therapy - you will either fall so deeply in love with the process your nose will forever be tipped in flour - or you will loathe it and buy a bread machine.  

as mentioned the uses for the bread are numerous - this weekend we used two thick slices to contain these little gems:

fried green tomatoes:

~ 5-6 green tomatoes {or 2 large}

~ 2c. flour

~ dried minced garlic

~ salt

~ pepper

~ 1 cage free organic egg

~ 1/2 c. organic whole milk

~ olive/canola oil

slice the tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick.  in one bowl combine the flour, garlic, salt and pepper - set aside.  in another bowl, whisk together the egg and milk - set aside.  in a heavy pan {cast iron tends to work best} pour enough oil to obtain about 1/2 inch depth and heat on high.  add the tomato slices to the wet mixture - then the dry - ensuring they are thoroughly coated - then drop them in the hot oil. {note:  it is easiest to work two or three slices at a time.  additionally, to ensure your oil is ready flick a VERY small amount of water into the oil - if the surface of the oil pops it is ready to fry in} all of the slices should fit in a larger pan - fry each side until golden brown {about 3-5 minutes per side} then drain on a paper towel and cool slightly before serving.

the sandwich:  two slices of challah, mayo, field greens, fried green tomatoes and red onion - enjoy!

xoox~jla

okay, so quiche isn't overwhelmingly creative; but i have to admit that it has been a challenge moving to a meat-free diet.  while we have been trying to fill the protein void with fish and soy, the girls have been slow to respond to some of the soy based dishes.  then it occurred to me in a moment of "am i seriously just thinking of this now?" that we could eat eggs for dinner.  those little brown delights of protein packed goodness - so many wonderful things you can do with them!  so i present the first of our delightful egg-filled dishes - quiche.  at one of the restaurants i worked at in my early 20s, quiche lorraine was a sunday brunch staple; and as tired as i was of laboring in someone else's kitchen all day, i would find myself at least twice a week trying new combinations of flavors for quiches at home.  the beauty of this dish is that it can be enjoyed any time of day, it is almost better as a leftover and the ease of it will encourage you to explore endless flavor combinations yourself - this week is smoked salmon and asparagus:

one of my favorite parts of the quiche is the pate brisee {or pie crust}.  this is a no fail recipe that i have been using for over 10 years - it is rich, buttery, flaky - everything a pie crust should be.  when i make it, i tend to make 3-6 crusts at a time as they freeze beautifully for up to six months.

pate brisee {for one crust}

~ 1 1/2 c. flour

~ 1/4 t. salt

~ 9 T. butter, cold and cut in chunks

~ 3 T. ice water

the easiest method for creating this particular crust is in a food processor.  i have not attempted to make it with a pastry blender but i am sure it is doable.  in the processor {fit with the blade} add the flour, salt and butter.  process until the flour resembles a fine meal - then through the opening on the top of the lid, add the 3 T. of ice water - continue to allow the processor to run until a ball of dough is formed.  remove the dough and form it into a thick disc.  if you want to use it right away, you should refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes prior to rolling it out.  if you will use it within a day or so, wrap it tightly in plastic {or a ziploc} and store in the refrigerator.  as mentioned, if does store quite well in the freezer.  i wrap each disc individually and remove from the freezer within two hours of when i would like to use it.

for the quiche, this pie crust should be rolled out and placed into a lightly buttered quiche pan or deep pie dish.  finish the edges as you wish.  the crust should be pre-baked at 375 for 20 minutes, or until it begins to turn golden.  when pre-baking crusts, they have a habit of rising a bit - be sure to place pie weights or beans into the shell to avoid this - using another pie dish that fits perfectly inside the shell works as well.

quiche filling:

~ 3 eggs

~ 1 1/2 c. heavy cream

~ 1 c. havarti {shredded}

~ 1 c. steamed asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces

~ 1 c. smoked salmon {flaked} - this is about two packages worth

~ salt and pepper to taste

to shred the havarti - because it is such a soft cheese - place it into the freezer for about 10 minutes to make it easier to shred.  whisk together the eggs and heavy cream. stir in havarti, asparagus and salmon.  add pepper and salt - you should not have to salt this too much as smoked salmon is on the rather salty side.  pour the filling into the baked crust and place in oven at 325 for 45 minutes.  the quiche is done when an inserted fork comes out clean.  let the quiche settle for about 15 minutes before cutting into it.

as mentioned, the variations are endless - the basics are:  3 eggs; 1 1/2 c. heavy cream, 3 c. filling and seasonings.  have fun, get creative and share what you have discovered!

xoox~jla

 

i hope you all had a lovely weekend!  we took the time to get some things done around the house, bake bread and fry some green tomatoes from our garden.  and we fell right back into one of our favorite weekend rituals - movie night with baked crab dip - and after first mentioning it here, i was flooded with emails about the recipe.  well, finally, here it is - i have to admit that the amounts of most ingredients are estimates - i tend to just throw this together - just taste as you go for you preference on seasonings.  i tend to go overboard with the chesapeake bay seasoning because it reminds me so much of my childhood; we used to travel with my dad regularly to washington dc and always ate blue crabs at the dancing crab - they were smothered in the stuff!  also, we always buy our goat cheese at our farmer's market and what a difference if makes!  if you do not like goat cheese, i have also used havarti, pecorino or brie - what ever makes you happy!  i do hope you enjoy:

baked crab dip with goat cheese

~ 4-6 oz. of goat cheese {local if possible}

~ 1 block of cream cheese

~ 1/2 c. mayonnaise

~ 3 T. chesapeake bay seasoning

~ 1 lb. cooked crab meat {leg meat works very well}

~ salt and pepper to taste

mix cream cheese, goat cheese and mayo together until they are completely incorporated.  add seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.  hand mix in the crab - if you prefer a smoother consistency, you may mix the whole thing in a food processor.  scoop into an oven proof baking dish and bake at 375 for about 25 minutes or until the the edges begin to turn gold and the top begins to bubble.  perfect with warm bread, crackers, veggies and quite good the next morning on toast.

have a lovely day...

xoox~jla

the weekend that is.  for father's day we had a lovely meal of veggie burgers, roast potato salad with a balsamic-dijon dressing {recipe coming soon!} and this lovely goodness finished us off - quite literally.  it is one of my favorite summer desserts and is another recipe that i discovered in a food & wine magazine in my early 20s.  it always reminds me of my dear friend who is like my baby sister, heather.  while living together in italy, she would ask for it constantly and if you know my dear heather - you know you simply can not deny her... i do hope you enjoy this sweet summer treat...

strawberry mint mousse:

{unless otherwise noted, all ingredients are organic}

~ 4 c. hulled and sliced strawberries

~ 1/2 c. turbinado sugar

~ 16 oz. lite sour cream

~ 1 pint heavy whipping cream

~ 1/4 c. powdered sugar

~ 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract

~ sprigs of fresh mint

combine the strawberries and the turbinado sugar in a bowl and stir to coat the strawberries thoroughly.  cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.  when ready, drain the juice created by the strawberries and sugar into a bowl and set the strawberries aside.  whisk the sour cream into the strawberry juice - set aside.  pour the heavy cream into a mixing bowl and begin to whisk slowly adding the vanilla nd powdered sugar {the colder the whisk and the bowl are - the faster the heavy cream will whip - i always stick my whisk attachment and bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes before making whipped cream}.  when the sugar begins to disappear into the cream, begin to whisk at a greater speed until stiff peaks form.  you do not want to over beat heavy cream as it will break.  when the whipped cream is ready, add about a third of the sour cream and strawberry mixture - folding it in slowly - you do not want to beat or mix this as you will loose all the air in the whipped cream.  repeat this folding action until all of the sour cream mixture is combined with the whipped cream.  repeat this with the strawberries - slowly folding them in.  spoon into a favorite cup - top with mint and savor.

xoox~jla

nearly two years ago - just before the impending holiday season - my husband and i caught the documentary 'super size me' on television.  we watched in awe as morgan spurlock subjected himself daily to the calorie and fat packed diet that was his experiment.  but the profile that exposed the average contents of a child's lunch box, and subsequently what was available to them in the cafeterias at school, is what shocked us the most.  we decided at that moment that we were done.  done with fast food, done with simply choosing the best bargain at the grocer, done with the bliss of the unknown - the unknown being what we were putting into our bodies - and more importantly, our children's.

i became, and still am, a compulsive label reader.  the first victim to be kicked squarely in the pants and directly out of our pantry was high fructose corn syrup {HFCS}.  for those of you who know what this genetically modified sweetener is capable of, you will know this is a good way to start.  but this is also where it ended.  we had expelled HFCS from our lives - and it is a challenge, i assure you; it is in everything from ketchup and bread to granola bars and iced tea.  but, we felt that particular challenge was met and life went on.

after a few months however, on busy days in particular - i found myself steering into the drive-thrus of places i had cursed just months before.  i think i was becoming a little lazy, pretending not to pay attention.  but over the last few months my husband and i have been doing a great deal of reading not only about the problems with the average american diet in general, but it's environmental impact on the world at large as well.  and we have been making better choices because of it.  we have always purchased organic milk, fruit and vegetables as well as cage-free eggs {after reading an expose about the average chicken farm i was mortified} - but it is becoming greater than that - words and phrases such as slow food, back to the earth and carbon footprint suddenly resonate very deeply.  i find myself endlessly inspired by women like heidi swanson, author of All Natural Cooking - her outlook and guidance through the road map of natural ingredients is a resource that should be in every cook's library.

and... we have stopped eating meat.  the reasons seemed to come to a head all at once.  firstly, i ate about a half of a cow on memorial day {okay, not that much - but it was a really, really big hamburger} and that night i read the chapter in this book about extracting the morrow from cow bones - finally, i have been reading and re-reading this beautiful post by nicole.  and suddenly i realized - for so many reasons, some above and some not listed, i really don't want meat in my diet any longer.  i am not saying that i will never eat a hamburger again, but it feels right for our family at this moment.

and this brings me to my final thought - we do everything we can to better ourselves and our environment in the process.  but is there a line and when {or should} we ever cross it?  this thought came to me while ordering breakfast at my favorite greasy spoon, "i wonder if they use cage-free eggs?"  i realized that i could simply ask - but did i want to know the answer?   does every choice we make - no matter how seemingly insignificant, contribute {or possibly take from} the greater cause here?  what choices have you made that impact your diet and the earth, do you allow yourself to toe that proverbial line?  when does responsibility truly challenge resonability?

would love to hear your thoughts...

xoox~jla

p.s. nicole has inspired me to start planting veggies - i am getting ready to bury my hands in the earth!  thank you friend ~xoox

i can't lie.  i was rather giddy with joy when kristina asked me to be a part of the in the kitchen with series on design*sponge.  and i was overcome with giddiness when i saw it posted on d*s this morning.  so if you are in desperate need of some weekend sweetness, head over for my recipe for chocolate-walnut mandelbrot!

have a lovely weekend!

xoox~jla

wednesday mornings have become our saturdays.  to aid to the delightful cloud of stress over my head, my husband has been on 12-hour night shifts six days a week for the last two months.  tuesday is his one night off and gives way to his one morning a week that he can join us for breakfast instead of burying himself under the covers for the day.  this morning, he made - what i truly believe - to be the loveliest pancakes i have ever had.  they are not the light airy pancakes of your childhood, they are dense, rich and rather decedent and would be equally scrumptious drowned in maple syrup or a rum sauce.  the recipe does make quite a few - but they are so good the next morning - just toss them in the toaster.  we can not take sole credit for this recipe - it is {very loosely} adapted from The Joy of Cooking and i can not take credit for making them - breakfast and the barbecue {now used exclusively for portobello burgers and tofu dogs - more on that later} are my husband's domain.  i can, however, take credit for the photo and oh yes, cleaning my plate.

His Pancakes

~ 2 c. flour

~ 1 c. whole wheat flour

~ 2 T. maple syrup

~ 1 T. baking powder

~ 1 t. salt

~ 3 c. organic milk

~ 3 eggs

~ 1 egg white

~ 1 t. vanilla

~ 6 T melted butter

melt the butter in a small pan on the stove and set aside.  combine the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt - set aside.  separate the eggs yolks and whites and beat the whites until they are fluffy and set aside.  mix the yolks, the maple syrup, milk, melted butter and vanilla.  combine the flour and the wet mixture then fold in the beaten whites.  ladle onto a buttered flat top griddle or non-stick pan allowing about a half an inch between each pancake.  after a few minutes flip - they are done when the edges begin to turn gold. 

* These are so rich that you really don't need to butter them before eating - but if you must, you must. 

xoox~jla

p.s.  thank you so much for your support and lovely comments in the black & white post - i responded to all of you individually in the comment section because each of you moved me so - thank you.

it is true, i have been neglecting the recipe section of this blog for sometime.  and there is a very good reason for this; i have not been cooking or baking.  part of it is the thought that my less-than-a-year-old beautiful gourmet kitchen is sitting, lonely, 30 minutes from where i am now, and quite frankly, it depresses the hell out of me.  if the house had sold by now, it might not be such a difficult thought - someone else would be taking great pleasure from the space - but no offers, and alone and cold it sits.  but a thought has occurred to me, a gentle reminder that came dancing up behind me - quite slowly - and whispered into my ear, "bake, it is the only time your mind stops reeling."  and there is so much truth in that fact, laying in bed, taking a hot bath, trying to read a book - it never quiets.  unless, i am baking, then it is flour, the eggs, the vanilla and i.  i wanted to try something this morning that i had never baked and i found a box full of recipe cards that i had filled out in my early 20s.  when my girlfriends were buried in the heat and heavy mascara of cosmo magazine, i was wiping flour off the tip of my nose and the latest copy of food & wine.  so i am unsure the source of this recipe - most likely a food & wine from the mid to late 90's - but it is as easy as coffee cake comes, delightfully comforting and perfection warm from the oven with hot coffee. 

sour cream coffee cake:

~ 1 c. butter

~ 2 c. sugar

~ 2 eggs

~ 1 t. vanilla

~ 1 t. salt

~ 1 t. baking powder

~ 2 c. flour

~ 1 c. sour cream

~ 1 tsp. cinnamon

~ 1/2 c. brown sugar

~ 1/2 c. chopped pecans

butter a bundt pan thoroughly and preheat the oven to 350F.  sift the flour, salt and baking powder together and set aside.  mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans together and set aside.  cream the butter, sugar and eggs - fold in the sour cream and vanilla.  add the dry ingredients to the batter.  pour half of the batter into the bundt pan then top the batter with all of the brown sugar mixture.  top that with the remaining batter and knock the pan on the counter a bit until the batter settles.  bake for 1 hour.  let the cake cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.  flip onto a plate and dust with powdered sugar {after it cools a bit more.}

xoox~jla

I know, I know - I promised I would be getting back to recipes at some point - and I still have every intention of doing so.  But sadly, I really have not been cooking of late.  After Atlanta - I plan on starting to get back into the weekly posting of an original recipe - for both your sake, and mine.  In the meantime, have another cup of your favorite brew, and enjoy some new {or not so new} food finds that I have stumbled across:

~ Tea & Cookies;

~ Tartelette;

~ Milk & Cookies;

~ Fig & Cherry;

~ Shutterbean;

~ 80 Breakfasts;

~ Foodbeam.

Enjoy - these should keep you more than busy until I start to play in the kitchen again ;)

xoox~jla

A beautiful morning - a rare calm in the house this morning - all of the girls seemed occupied in their own little worlds - are rare treat indeed.  And a moment to enjoy a lovely breakfast {smoked salmon with fresh cracked black pepper on cream cheese and oat bran toast - sliced organic cucumber} and enjoying some time to order this, listen to this and discover this.

Have a day of beauty...

xoox~jla

I tough weekend to be sure - but quite therapeutic - we spent the weekend purging.  If you remember my post about things - then you will recall that I have been blessed {most likely temporarily} with the gift to just let go.  And so we did.  But if you linger too long on things - they tend to find a safe haven in the hidden depths of a miscellaneous cardboard box destined for a attic.  So, you just close your eyes and do it.  Then, you take at page out of my friend Jen's handbook and mix yourself {or have your Dad do it} a concoction to put your mind elsewhere.  In the case of this drink it is more likely sugar shock than inebriation.  SO without further ado, I present The Cherry Bomb - my cocktail of choice - because there is no such thing as dinner before cocktail hour at my parent's house:

The Cherry Bomb:

~ 1 part lemon Vodka

~ 2 parts grenadine

~ 3 part tonic water

Combine in a chilled shaker with ice; pour into rocks glass full of crushed ice - insert skewer full of cherries and suck it down.

And a thank you, thank you, thank you to Tracy who named Nectar & Light as an Excellent Blog!  I would like to pass this award on to these 10 blogs who inspire me daily:

Simply Olive - who always makes me feel as if I am front row at Fashion Week;

Becoming a Foodie - it is no secret that I adore her and all she does;

Matt Bites - he simply makes me happy...

Marta Writes - for her beauty, honesty and divine skill at the written word;

The Habit of Being - for beauty in it's purest state;

Soule Mama - for the reminder that mother's CAN do it all;

Bloesem Kids - for the fact that it has become an indispensable resource;

Hei-Astrid - for a beautiful glimpse into the country that always been in my dreams;

True Nature - for her prose, her vision and her true nature;

Enhance the Everyday - my latest find and must read - beauty divine.

Happy reading... and drinking ;)

xoox~jla

Is it too early for Strawberry Shortcake?  Apparently not according to Adie.  Monday night we celebrated the first of several little birthday celebrations for her {her birthday is actually next week} and she insisted on this summer classic.  It is one of my favorites as well - instead of the sponginess of an angel cake base, I prefer the buttery depth of my grandmother's biscuits.  Enjoy friends:

~ 5 c. flour

~ 8 oz. butter

~ 1 c. sugar

~ 1 T. and 2 t. of baking soda

~2 c. milk

~ 2 c. of strawberries hulled and sliced

~ 1/4 c. sugar

~ 1 c. heavy cream

~1 t. vanilla

~ 1/4 c. powdered sugar

For the strawberries:  At least two hours ahead of serving time but no more than two days - combine the sliced berries with 1/4c. of sugar mix until the berries are covered in sugar and refrigerate.

For the biscuits:  These can be made up to two days ahead of time - they are almost better at least a day old as the butter really settles into the layers.  Mix all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.  Cut in the cold butter and add milk.  Stir until just incorporated and shape into a large rectangle on a greased baking sheet {you will need a bit more flour for this}.  Score the biscuits however you like - it should make at least 12 large squares.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

For the whipped goodness:  You can do this by hand but it is much easier with a stand or hand-held mixer; beat heavy whipping cream with vanilla and powdered sugar - taste to your personal sweetness preference - until semi-stiff peaks form.  Peaks will form much faster if your bowl and whisk attachment is chilled thoroughly.  Be sure not to over beat this as you will end up with butter.

To assemble:  Layer a biscuit at the bottom of a shallow bowl; spread a thin layer of whipped cream atop the biscuit; top with a healthy heap of strawberries and the delicious juice they have created; top with whipped cream.

And in case you were unsure, you can eat this as breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or at any snacking moment in between ;)

Have a wonderful day!

xoox~jla 

With nearly our entire house under the weather, the last thing I want to do is cook - and truly, there is no better time to do so.  In need of "real" nourishment - {ie. not Jimmy John's turkey sandwiches another night in a row}, I am determined to cook my tired, drained family a meal tonight.  Where do you turn for inspiration when you want to try something new?  I love my old {and new} cookbooks - I keep stacks of them everywhere - but there are some new titles beckoning me as well:

~ I love everything she does - she is beautiful, full of grace and good eats;

~ cover art always seduces me - this looks like a true delight;

~ highly recommended by a certain wonder foodie I know - see here;

~ this has nothing to do with what I need to be cooking, but I am sure the photography is sublime...

Have a beautiful day and stay well!

xoox~jla

Hello Friends!  I would love to share one of my favorite recipes with you today - we are buried in snow once again and Adie and I felt no better excuse to bake yesterday.  I do hope you enjoy - these do not last long in our home!

And thank you for all of the lovely comments this first week back - I LOVE hearing from you!  And through you I have discovered some delightful new wonders to browse - loving this {via Little YellowBird; this Cup of goodness and this delish little find.

Have a lovely day! 

xoox~jla

~ 1 c. butter {room temp}

~ 1 1/4 c. peanut butter {preferably smooth Jif}

~ 1 c. sugar

~ 1/2 c. honey

~ 2 organic eggs

~ 1/2 t. vanilla

~ 2 1/2 c. flour

~ 1 t. baking powder

~ 1 t. baking soda

~ 1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Smooth butter and peanut butter together - add sugar and mix until well blended.  Add honey and mix.  In a small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla - add to butter mixture and incorporate well.  In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder together - slowly add to wet mixture.  Scrap the bottom of the bowl several times to ensure all of the dry is properly mixed into the wet.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Place the dough in the refrigerator for up to 30 minutes.  Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.  Using an ice cream scoop {or tablespoon}, create {somewhat} equal sized balls of dough - spacing them about two inches apart on the baking sheet.  Return the dough to the fridge between each sheeting.  Do NOT flatten the dough with a fork or any other means.  Bake each sheet for 12 minutes or until edges just begin to turn gold.  Pull from the oven and let the cookies stand for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

*These freeze beautifully and defrost quickly if you really must have one right away ;)

She is back - stretching her long limbs into my kitchen this morning - sweet sunshine.  So it called for celebration; something to honor the warmth and dreams of Spring - a touch of strawberry jam does the trick.  This is one of my favorite ways to eat oatmeal - enjoy, cozy up and allow flowers to dance in your dreams...

1/4 c. McCann's Irish Oatmeal

1/2 c. hot water

1 T. organic maple syrup

1 T. demerara sugar

2 T. your favorite strawberry jam

Add dry oats to a bowl and pour the hot water over them.  Microwave for 1-2 minutes.  Stir, add sugar and syrup - stir until the sugar melts - stir in the jam... sweet perfection...

*And falling head-over-heels for two new finds here and here.

Thank you so much for all of the welcome back wishes!  I have received a few emails asking if I will be carrying over any of the content from Athena Says - no, I don't think I will - I need a fresh start! ;)  However, I have linked the Athena Says archives on the right column if you wish to browse the old stomping grounds. 

One of my short lived projects, but one that was near and dear to my heart was Athena Eats, a food blog in which I shared some of my personal recipes and experiences in the kitchen.  Though I will not be linking that site , I will be carrying some of it's content over as the mood fits.  And on that note, if you are to be snowed in tomorrow as we are {which is especially harsh considering the Spring like weather today} - this will act as the perfect pick-me-up!  Happy Snow Day!

~ 3 c. heavy cream

~ 1 1/4 c. half & half

~ 1 12 oz. bag of the most sinful semi-sweet chocolate you can find

~ 1 t. cinnamon

~ 1/2 t. cloves

~ 1/8 t. ginger

~ 1/8 t. sea salt

~ 3 whole organic eggs

~ 3 organic egg yolks

~ 1/2 + 2T sugar

~ 1 loaf of semi-stale challah torn into good size pieces

~ vanilla ice cream

Place chocolate in a very large bowl and set aside; whisk eggs, yolks and sugar together in another bowl and set aside.  Heat the heavy cream and half & half together until it just begins to boil.  Keep a close eye on this as you do not want the cream to curdle - whisk it frequently.  When it just begins to bubble, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate - whisk until the chocolate is completely melted.  Begin to temper with the egg mixture {this means add a bit of the egg mixture to the cream/chocolate mixture and whisk together - then add the cream/chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk - then add the remaining egg mixture to the bowl of chocolate again - this prevents the possibility of introducing too hot a liquid to the eggs and thus cooking them - ew!} .  Add the cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt and whisk until everything is well combined.

Add torn bread to the mixture a bit at a time ensuring you are submerging each piece.  Let the bread soak for 20 minutes.  Pour into a baking dish and place in a 325 degree oven for 50 minutes {or until inserted knife comes out clean}.  Let stand for 15 minutes before serving warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

... so here I am yet again.  This new year has brought about so many changes so quickly, sometimes I find it difficult to take it all in.  Yet, in this whirlwind of change, I realized how much I missed my little corner of the blogosphere.  For those of you coming over from Athena Says - thank you so much - that experience was so wonderful, you are the most devoted and open-hearted readers - I could not have imagined so much love when I began blogging two years ago.  With the close of Juniper Designs, which was the original catalyst for Athena Says, I was unsure of my place - but now - after some months reflecting - I know I am home once again.  A new look, a new direction and a new voice await you, I do hope you join me.  Thank you again and to my new readers, welcome!

xoox~jla