Well, I have been baking bread for a long time - over 35 years - and have never come close to baking the beautiful loaves that came out of the oven recently. That's because I recently got a copy of "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day" and used their awesome recipe. Bernadine mentioned it to me and gave me a copy of an article about the bread. However, when I used the recipe in the magazine, it did not work. I found out after reading the book that the article was flawed. Oh, well, you gotta try stuff to learn. Anyway, the book has an amazing process for rising and baking that does not require kneading!!! Be sure to check it out - not only is the basic loaf delicious but the alternative recipes are yummy as well and it is the easiest raised bread I've ever made.

By the way, I made lamb chops the other day so had to make more hollandaise sauce, which then left me with two egg whites. Of-course, I made more Angel Food cupcakes, only this time, I replaced one tablespoon of flour with cocoa powder and added banana extract - they were so good! They were a little more dense since the cocoa powder has fat in it but who the heck cares - a little fat in an Angel Food cupcake never hurt anybody!! I dipped the tops in chocolate ganache - scrumptious!

Does anyone have any good recipes that include gnats? Maybe we could catch them and put them in cake - they would just look like poppy seeds! I've sprayed vanilla scent on myself and that seemed to ward them off!

Fun, Fun, Fun

This has been the best summer here at the Stillman Inn so far! 

Creativity is flowing everywhere you look!

I bought this at the local Wild Bird Feed Store downtown.  It is filled with nesting material and you can see the birds love it.  You can also fill it with peanuts for the squirrels.  It's a great place to stuff my extra wool after spinning!



Here is the lovely "Fairy Garden" I splurged on this  year.  Purchased at Valley Perennials in Galena.  You can just sit and dream all day long looking at this beautiful mix.








 


And what can beat watching my sweet Grandbaby out in the cement mixing tray?  Yes, a turtle swimming pool is on the list to buy but she really loves playing around in our small ponds.  So for now, it works.









Currently working on "romantisizing" our little well in the back yard.  We have a turtle spitter in it, some plastic "chandeleir" mini lights with rose garland around the roof and we're growing a potatoe vine plant and parsley in front of the little pond.  There were marigolds too but my baby squirrels ate them up.  There are also morning glories sprouting.  That should be terrific.





Ahhh, the square foot gardens.  Love, love, love talking to the guests about them.  Many of the guests know right away the type of garden it is!  What fun to hear their gardening stories!

I've had my struggles with it, baby squirrels, hot weather, but mostly it is going just great.  Glad to be gardening again!  Already had sandwiches with homegrown lettuce.  Toooooo coooool!  Hope you are also enjoying this summer!

Strawberry Anyone?!

Okay, a hit of cognac to chase away the doubt and a big attempt to finally, actually "can" something! The Strawberries were big and beautiful at Hyvee (my favorite grocery store) and I couldn't resist. I've had all of the supplies needed for canning for several years now and most importantly the book by Better Homes and Gardens 'You Can Can'. I just love that name! But of course I first consulted Youtube and searched "canning strawberries". How did I ever survive without Youtube? It really helps me to watch someone doing something to learn.

My first canning experiment created 3 - 1/2 pints which really got me going. I followed the no sugar recipe on Youtube.

That's it, I got the bug and I was so proud! Back to the store for more strawberries. This time I used the pectin, sugar, etc. It produced 8 - 1/2 pints of terrific jam (I HAD to use the 1/2 pint jars cause they are just too cute. Leftovers were used to make a strawberry pie for the guests! With a sprig of mint from my garden!!!

Last weekend the guests enjoyed gourmet Chocolate Chip cookies with a soft frosting - Ghiradelli chocolates only! Oh my word. Recipe from Martha Stewart's book 'Cupcakes'. Not sorry I bought that one! And the guests are in for a real treat this season!

Yes, Jeff, I am baking for the guests.

Farmer Girlfriends - last fiber day I mentioned how "muddy" my beautiful roving turned out to be after spinning.  This is what I was talking about. 

The roving is absolutely breathtaking but when I spun and plied it it looks a little mucky, but somehow better in this photo.  Sherryl had some multi colored roving which spun up very clear and beautiful.  Maybe this had too much brown in it?  Lesson learned:  Not sure...maybe let Sherryl pick my roving from now on!  What fun!

Lavender Cookies

You can just smell them can't you!

Mom's in town so I had to make her some of my favorite lavendar cookies!  I warned her that these go fast so she better stash some away if she wants more!!!!

I found "Cooking Lavender" on the web.  My farmer girlfriend tells me you can use any lavender.  I'm planning on growing lots of lavender this summer.  Can't tell you how many lavender plants I've had and did absolutely nothing with them.  When we know better...we do better!

Lavender Cookies
5/8 cup butter (room temp)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg (room temp)
1 TBS Lavender flowers
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flower
Optional Frosting: Powdered sugar mixed with a bit of water and Lavender extract, sprinkle with sprinkles or extra lavender!!!
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.  I use my cooking stone!  No burned bottoms that way.  Warm it up in the oven while it is preheating.  Pull out to quickly put formed cookie dough on it to bake
2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beath the egg, and blend into the butter and sugar. Mix in the lavender flowers and the flour. Shape a chunk of dough into a ball and slightly flatten it. Set all prepared cookie dough forms to the side.  Once all are done, place on hot cooking stone or cookie sheet.
3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until goden brown. Remove cookies to cooling racks and drizzle frosting and sprinkle with sugar and/or lavender flowers if desired.

Tada!  Have a great day!

Chocolate & Hot Tea

Well I finally did it!  Ten years ago when we moved into the Stillman Inn I purchased this candy mold because I totally was planning on making our own truffles for the guests.

Needless to say, other things took the ranking of #1 on the list of things to do. 

I ran into this pan again when I was cleaning one day and decided "This Is It. Today Is The Day"! 

I ran into the website http://www.chocoley.com/.  They offer a free, no strings attached, six day course in basic chocolate making.  One of the topics was molded chocolate.  Bingo!  I placed my order for tempered chocolate (no, I'm not interested in tempering chocolate) and creamy vanilla and chocolate cream for the insides.  The class was extremely helpful and the chocolates and creams I ordered had great instructions.  I also viewed a couple of you tube videos on how to make "molded, filled chocolate".  Don't you love you tube? 

I received the chocolate and bravely moved forward, step by step.  I must say there was chocolate everywhere.  I did not listen to the lesson on placing a towel on top of the heating pad I used to protect it.  Later I put a towel on it and guess what, they were right!

These molded truffles turned out fabulous thanks to Chocoley's hints and tips.  I did think I was going to break the countertop when I was looking for a little help to release the candies but things ended up okay, nothing broken!

My Dave introduced me to having chocolate with a cup of hot tea.  I think I'm going to have to buy bigger clothes very soon.  Oh my gosh, it is so good!  Wish the name of the chocolate wasn't "Badaboom Badabing" though.  Should be something more classy and decadent.

You can tell great chocolate, I learned a few years ago, by the creaminess of it, no grit, when you are eating it and smooshing it against the roof of your mouth.  this is great chocolate.  Need to experiment with fillings now...or not, depending on my clothes.

I painted the Bunny some years ago.  It's just always around the house.  I never thought I could paint flowers and what do you know...you just have to try!

Carrot Cake

I had a piece of really good carrot cake while on vacation and had to come home and bake one. Could I find a decent recipe in the 30+ cookbooks I had? Of-course not! One had babyfood carrots in it, which I'm sure might be good but I wanted real pieces of carrot in this cake. Did I want to go down to my office and search the web - no, I wanted my cake NOW!!So, I took three recipes (one was actually an apple cake recipe) and combined them. Yum-yum - it was so good I have to include it for you here:
2 C flour
1.5 C brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
2 t baking powder
3 eggs
2 C carrot/zucchini, grated
3/4 C oil
1/2 C buttermilk

Sift dry ingredients together. Beat eggs with sugar, then add oil and buttermilk. Add Dry ingredients to wet and mix thoroughly. Pour into 2 greased round cake pans or one 8 x 10. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. Use toothpick to check for done-ness. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting - a little cream cheese, a little sugar (or your homemade Maple syrup)
and a little vanilla. This cake was good for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Pineapples

Saturday we had some new friends stop in with their charming family.  They presented us with a lovely and delicious pineapple.   

I quickly pulled out one of my favorite books "The Gentle Art of Domesticity" by Jane Brocket.  In it she writes about her first experience with being gifted with this lovely jewel of a fruit.  Not only does she discuss the symbolism of "hospitality" that it carries with it but she also discusses it as an art form and how we see it in crochet, prints on fabric, carved on furniture, in architecture, etc.  Interesting. 

On the web I found this description "The princess of fruits and the symbol of hospitality".  I like that. 



Dave loves, loves, loves, Pineapple Upside Down Cake and I make it for him every March 17th for his birthday as any smart wife would! Please enjoy this recipe.  I bake ours in a round cast iron skillet!    

  Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 can (16 ounces) sliced pineapple, drained
• Maraschino cherries,if desired
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granluated sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg

Heat oven to 350. Heat margarine in 10" ovenproof skillet or square pan, 9x9x2 inches, in oven until melted. Sprinkle brown sugar over margarine. Arrange pineapple slices in skillet. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice.

Beat remaining ingredients on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour over fruit in skillet. Bake skillet 45 to 50 minutes, square 50 to 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately invert onto heatproof plate. Let skillet ramin over cake a few minutes. Serve warm and, if desired with Whipped Cream!