Razzleberry lemon woopie pies

Recipe to come soon, sadly, they did not last long enough after being put together for me to photograph them. I took this photo whilst mixing them up (yes, all by hand... I have no whirring contraptions in my kitchen... yet!).


I think it is my new favorite photo of me, if I do say so myself... which I do! Aprons do wonders for your mood when cooking. I wear them out and about town some days too, they are also fun as the dickins to make.

I will be making them again, and am not afraid to change the berries!



I keep waiting til I have more time, more energy, more photos, something profound to pop in my head for this poor blog. It's time to just start posting what I'm doing, no matter how silly it is. Now, let's see if I can do that!

I'll be to my knuckles in pits soon

Peach pits, that is. I have a kitchen sink full of peaches I bought at the farmers market, and I CANNOT wait to start baking with them. The few that have fallen prey to my snacking have been the juiciest peaches I have had in a long, long time. Perhaps ever, dare I say it!



Aren't they breathtaking?


Summer does have its perks, and peaches are way up on that list. Now, can someone please do something about this blasted humidity??

xoxo



p.s. made a cobbler out of some of the peaches, YUUMMMY! Anyone need a new recipe for this dish? I'll share!

Rainy day snacks

It's been raining forever today! Really! We're working somewhere between 7 and 8 hours, I can't believe there's so much water left in the sky still. I've had to pull some of my potted plants up on the porch, so they wouldn't drown! (which may be over reacting, but I'm new to all this planty business, and am trying very hard to keep everyone alive and happy. (so I can eat them later...)). hm. :)

The thunder has let off for a bit, though it was strong enough that a crack of lightning cut the power for a few seconds while we were lazing about in bed this morning. There's not much better than that, snuggled into bed, listening to the rain and having a kitty who is a bit freaked out and wants you to be awake and about the house now, please. Poor Fidge spent the morning under the bed when she wasn't trying to get us up.

At one point the rain let up so we ran out and bought provisions; pizza supplies, breakfast goods, milk, and at one point some blackberries threw themselves at me and I just couldn't leave them there, now could I?? After lunch, knitting, and reading, I decided to make shortbread. It's pretty good, but the next batch will have more vanilla and a touch more salt. Dangerously easy to make, and even more dangerously easy to consume.




Didn't my snack turn out pretty? It looks so dainty.

This may become more common

I got this recipe in the mail the other day from a good friend. It is YUMMY! So I thought I should share with you! I meant to take a photo of the meal on our plates, but it was too late by the time I thought about it, and rice and lentils all mixed up in a tupper-ware is not so pretty.... Instead you get a photo of the Berbere spice getting measured out.

May I present
Spicy Ethiopian Lentil Stew:
2tsp oil of your choice
2 cups chopped red onion
1 tbsp minced and peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves
3 tbsp tomato paste
1.5 tbsp Berbere Spice (see below...)
3 cups veggie broth
1 cup dried small lentils
chopped fresh cilantro
cooked Batsmati rice

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over med. heat. Add onions, and cook until tender (15 min) stirring occasionally. Add ginger and garlic, cook for 5 more min, stir frequently. Add tomato paste and Berbere spice, cook 1 min more. Gradually add broth, stirring to combine with a whisk until blended. increase heat to med. high and bring to a simmer. Rinse the lentils in cool water, drain and add to broth misture, simmer, partialy covered for 35 min or until lentils are tender. stir occasionally. Stir in some salt to taste. Serve warm, over rice, sprinkle with cilantro. Now. I am going to add some diced tomatoes next time, it needed a little more... texture or something but was quite good! And I was very proud and surprised the Berbere spice worked out so well!

There are a millionty-one opinions on how to make Berbere spice, so I'd recommend searching around and choosing one that pleases you the most. I used chili powder, ginger powder, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, allspice, black pepper, turmeric, ummm... crushed red pepper... I think I wrote it down, and if anyone wants my "recipe" for the mix, let me know! It was yum, vegetarian (which I'm not, but was searching for something to serve to my friends who are) and pretty healthy I think. It would be easy to add tofu or maybe chicken.... not sure. but I will make it again!