The Tea Trolley

It's not popular to be a fan of winter. But if you stop and think about it, winter is the nurturing place of all that is cozy and warm and restful and even creative. It is this side of winter that I love. This week we have snow on the ground and it brightens up the winter days exponentially and gives that sort of magic that you find in Currier & Ives pictures. 

This morning Laura and I watched a handful of bluebirds flitting around our backyard. There were quite a few females but only one, radiantly blue male (and he didn't want his picture). Such a treat! 

Winter is the most perfect time for tea. I carry one of these (Sun's Tea(tm) 12oz 3-piece Strong Double Wall Glass Tea Tumbler (Travel Mug) with Strainer ) around with me all day it seems. I can't drink cold liquids in the winter so this is the way I stay hydrated.

A friend sent me her copy of the "Downton Times" this week! The New York Times included it in their paper a couple of weeks ago. It certainly called for a silver tea service. I thought the tarnished surface added to the sentiment.

These days I feel like I spend an inordinate amount of time in the kitchen. With all our food sensitivities and health issues to cook around it means just about everything from scratch. Since we are a "large" family it also means we can go through 2 dozen muffins in a day (or whatever else is baked) so there is not much "getting ahead." I've seen the benefits of making everyone a cooked breakfast in the morning (mostly I'm the one who benefits). But, that means nearly as much time in the kitchen in the morning as in the evening for dinner. Often I get in a cooking rut and can hardly think what to cook or even enjoy what I do cook. Thankfully this month has been a lot better. I've been making recipe after recipe from this book: Danielle Walker's Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Paleo Recipes to Make Anytime. We can't go completely grain free around here but this book seems to match up to the other foods we need to avoid pretty well!

I love when we can  incorporate cooking into the children's lives as well. Laura has been wanting to make the cake from this book "It's My Birthday" for some time. Last Saturday we took the time to make it and enjoy it with tea!

I recently discovered this book: My Paleo Patisserie: An Artisan Approach to Grain Free Baking. It's just amazing! Since I need to be gluten and dairy free, and aim to be as sugar free as possible, this book is perfect for me! I had to try out the chocolate cake on Sunday. It was amazing! The only thing that needs help is the coconut cream on top. I can't get past the strong coconut after taste. The texture is perfect and so is the look. I might try avocado mousse as an alternative. The filling was a mixed fruit, honey-sweetened jam from Costco. Very good. Next up will be cream puffs!

I love the heady scent of hyacinth at this time of year. It brings back a whole rush of emotion and memories that sort of dance just beyond my reach. I am so sensitive and allergic to perfumes and scents that it's funny to me how much I love the hyacinth and how it doesn't bother me one bit.

Looking in the small pantry door to the shelf of china at the back makes me so happy! It was worth all the effort of Michael's to paint the pantry and to paint the shelf. February is nearly here and it is the season for pink and white and gold china with lots of flowers!

I'm glad the boys enjoy baking. I don't like the mess it makes. In fact, yesterday one of them made a peanut butter recipe from our US geography study and the dishes are still sitting there. Rachel is allergic to peanut butter so she can't wash them with the other dishes and it doesn't seem to come off in our dishwasher anyway. I guess I'll need to find time to do those dishes and throw the sponge away afterward. At some point we will probably need to outlaw peanut butter from the house. I already have enough anxiety about it contaminating things. (I do have to say the gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies were awfully good!)

Well, it is time to get on to other chores. The sun is shining here today and there is still some snow left to make it pretty. Laura is looking forward to having a tea party later. Happy Weekend to all of you!

Please note this post contains affiliate links. Thanks for shopping on Amazon through my links!

Announcing: London Summer!!

I am so pleased to introduce to you my very first pdf cookbook -- London Summer: 12 Recipes for Festive Summer Teas.

London Summer Tea Cookbook

By Heather LeFebvre

32 pages, published 7/14/2012

London Summer: 12 Recipes for Festive Summer Teas features recipes perfect for celebrating the London Olympics and the year of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Each recipe also gives a gluten-free option and a shortcut option.

Inside I've included 30 pages of photos, recipes, and inspiration for hosting your very own tea party, Olympic celebration, or festive summer get-together. Check out a few of the pages:

Each of the 12 recipes contains gluten-free options and "cheat's" options for adapting the recipes to a wider variety of circumstances.

You can purchase the PDF Download on MagCloud for $3.50 or you can buy a printed version (which includes a free PDF as well) for $9.90+shipping. MagCloud will also let you flip through the book so you can see what each page looks like.

This week I'll be giving away 3 copies of the downloadable PDF here on the blog. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and on Friday I will draw three winners!!!!

Also, if you would like to post a review of this cookbook on your blog, please let me know and I will email you a free copy of the PDF.

I hope you all will enjoy the booklet as much as I enjoyed creating it!

Menu Planning

This year we have made a very big priority of staying on budget, particularly for household things like food, supplies, clothing, and toiletries. We don't feel like a cash system works well for us but we did open a separate bank account for household and at the beginning of each month the budget amount for all those categories is automatically deposited in the account. So, it's up to me to make sure that bank account doesn't empty before the month is up!!! I carry around a tiny notebook in my purse to keep a running balance of all our categories. So far things are working and I've stayed in budget! This amounts to a savings of $200/per month this year in the grocery budget alone! I'm very excited.

The not so exciting part is the work it takes to make this happen. For me that means making a month's worth of meal plans before I begin shopping each month. I find this difficult and uninspiring. I also find some of the basic meals I come up with not to be quite the joy to eat that I would like them to me. Fortunately, it seems the rest of the family is very happy and they don't care. Here are some of the things I take into account with my meal planning:

--I don't usually plan out Sundays in advance but do plan to have special meals that include large pieces of meat or extra side dishes, dessert for sure. This leaves room for creativity on the weekend.
--we always eat some form of eggs for dinner on Saturday night, usually crustless quiche with homemade oven fries and some vegetables
--that leaves me only 5 dinners to plan each week
--I try to make a note of what is in the freezer and include as many meals as possible based on what I've stored away
--I spread out meals that have a higher cost so they aren't all in the same week
--I also plan out breakfasts, lunches, and snacks because otherwise we end up eating only cereal, cheese sandwiches, and apples and no one wants to eat that day in and day out
--I give myself freedom to deviate from the plan if leftovers materialize, a great sale shows up, or I just can't bring myself to cook what I've planned
--I do a large shop at the beginning of the month at Costco and Trader Joe's to purchase everything I will need from these two stores in the month ahead. The rest of the month I go to Aldi to get fruit, vegetables and other basic staples. I make a few side trips to Meijer to get things Aldi does not carry. I try to purchase meat on sale and stock up, ideally having most meat for the coming month in the freezer before I even make a menu plan. Only very rarely do I end up buying meat for the current week in the very week I need it.
--I keep a few luxury items in stock so that I don't feel things are overly boring: these include a case of black olives and some nice jams, chocolate chips, and plenty of tea.
--fresh herbs added to "boring" meals make a big difference

Here are some lists of things I have included on my recent menus:

Breakfast:
Cold Cereal
Smoothies
Plain yogurt with maple syrup and granola
Egg McMuffins
Eggs in Tortillas
Scrambled Eggs
Baked Oatmeal
Homemade Instant Oatmeal
Leftovers: muffins, pumpkin pie, whatever

Lunches:
Baked Potatoes with Cottage Cheese
Pancakes
Black beans and rice
Cheese Melts with Tomato Soup
Cheese Sandwiches
Eggs
Refried Bean Burritos
Cottage cheese with toast

Snacks:
Popcorn
Crackers and Cheese
Toast and Milk
Nuts and Raisins
Apples and Peanut Butter

Dinners:
Pizza
Spaghetti
Thai Stir Fry
Beans and Rice with Taco Toppings
Tacos
Bratwurst
Grilled Pork Chops
Pork in Crockpot
Pork and Pasta
Grilled Chicken Salad
Baked Chicken
Burritos
Pork Burgers
Meatloaf
Grilled Chicken
Rarebit Chicken
Hamburgers
Fish
Sloppy Joes
Pasta Salad with Cottage Cheese
Chili Potatoes
Sandwiches
Soups (in winter)
Crockpot Chicken (curry or bbq)
Brats and Mash
Chicken Potpie
Meatballs
Sausage and fennel with beans
Tamali Pie
Ham
Turkey Burgers
Various forms of stir fry
Chili
White Chicken Chili

I am always on the lookout for new meals to try! I make lists from the food magazines I receive and try to include them in the next month's menus.

And now I must go down and get something started for lunch. Beans and Rice is out and I think we'll have french toast instead.

PS: Just a word about menu planning, budget keeping, etc. These kinds of things go in cycles in our lives -- sometimes we must budget very tightly, sometimes we don't need to worry. The important thing is to do what is best for your family. When Laura was so sick and life was very overwhelming, I couldn't stick to our budget very well. I shopped only at Meijer and we ate more variety. I didn't have the emotional energy it takes to exercise "will power" and confine my purchases and eating so tightly. Things are different right now. Who knows what they will be like a year from now. So, if you have to budget tightly, more power to you. If you don't have to budget and can eat whatever you like, more power to you too. Having food and raiment, let us therefore be content........

What Not To Wear

This is what not to wear when you are whipping cream on a Sunday afternoon.

The Ruffle Cake

Have you seen the Ruffle Tower Cake yet? My friend who stayed with us introduced me to them (we made 3 while she was here!) and now I'm hooked! The effect is quite stunning and I can't wait to create one for Christina's Trunk Show this coming Thursday.

You can find the recipe and instructions right here. Do be shocked at how much butter it takes!

Easter

After church on Sunday we headed to my sister Christina's in-laws for a lovely afternoon. The house was all decorated and full of light, flowers, and the air of spring.

The dinner table was beautifully set and each place had a little flower:

There were appetizers to enjoy in the living room before the meal.

And then we sat down to lunch:

The meal consisted of roast lamb, roast pork, rice pilaf, creamed cauliflower, fruit salad, roasted vegetables, and hot cross buns.

Baby John couldn't decide between a nap or being held:

And then there was an egg hunt for the children:

The afternoon ended with some fabulous desserts, including this adorable lamb cake:

Pavlova, with almond-flavored cream (our new favorite):

Iced cookies:

And almond flour carrot cake:

Many thanks to JK's parents for such a lovely afternoon!

Hot Cross Bun Bread

I do love making hot cross buns each year. This year I wanted to try making hot cross bun loaves -- basically a giant hot cross bun big enough to feed a family. I was very pleased with the results and thought you all might like to have the recipe.

The Cooks Next Door was already booked solid this week with some great ideas for Easter brunch, gluten-free Easter desserts, and some delicious Easter cupcakes (be sure to check them out!). So, the only place left to put this recipe was here......

HOT CROSS BUN BREAD
(Heather LeFebvre)

2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1/2 c. warm water
1/2 c. scalded milk
1/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter (2 ounces or 4 Tbsp.)
2 eggs
5 cups unbleached white flour
zest of 1 orange
1-2 tsp. mixed spice, depending on taste (or 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice plus 1/4 tsp. ground coriander)
1/2 c. yellow raisins (sultanas)
1/2 c. currants

1 egg white plus 2 Tbsp. sugar for glaze

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Pour scalded milk over sugar, salt, and butter. Cool milk mixture to lukewarm and add the dissolved yeast. Mix. Add eggs, 3 cups flour, spice, orange zest, raisins and currants. Add enough extra flour to make a smooth dough -- do not add too much flour.

Turn dough out on floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic -- about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Divide into two and shape into round, semi-flat loaves. Place on a greased cookie sheet and let rise, about 30 minutes. Lightly slash a cross in the top of each loaf.

Brush loaves with beaten egg white mixed with sugar. Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes or until nicely browned and cooked through. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 2 loaves. This recipe is easily doubled, tripled or quadrupled -- although a bread mixer is nice for doing larger quantities.

GLAZE: mix together 1/4 cup butter, 2 cups confectioners' sugar and enough milk to make a thick, but spreadable glaze. Use glaze to draw a cross on the bread.

The Week in Cooking

To read what I've been up to in the kitchen this week, hop over to The Cooks Next Door.

The Stove

My stove is fixed!!!! YAY!! Just in time too, because I need to bake a bunch of pies for company tonight.

Having felt deprived of nice, hot dinners in the last 10 days, I decided we needed to remedy that last night. We had pork and beef meatloaf which turned out a perfect consistency and had such a lovely savory taste (no doubt in part to the added grated apple and onion). This was accompanied by parmesan mashed potatoes and cauliflower roasted to crispy, golden perfection. And there was salad with avacado in it. Oh my! It was all SO good. Oh, and Rachel made baked apples for dessert, their brown sugar goodness enjoyed with pools of cream.

In case you are now feeling hungry, just think of all the dishes that were left and all the time it took to cook that. Oh well. It was worth it. It sure felt nice to have a hot dinner.

And now for a day of school and pie baking and tomorrow we celebrate the 5th birthday of James.

Raspberries

Today was the day to pick raspberries. And let me tell you, they were gorgeous! Bigger and better formed than I've ever seen them. And there were plenty of them!

It is always a treat for me to be out in the countryside. I just love it!

We couldn't get over how big some of the berries were. Together with a friend, we picked a total of 46 pounds of raspberries -- 26 of those are going in our freezer!

So beautiful, and not mushy!!!

And I couldn't resist some plums off the orchard's own trees.

Nor could I resist some of the season's first apples. I bought two varieties and am contemplating an apple pie. However, both varieties are delicious on their own.

And tonight I'm off to see Julie and Julia! I can't wait! I'm expecting lots of inspiration.

Making Jam

Christina and I got together to make jam last week. It's something we love to do. Cooking up fruit and ladling it into jars makes us feel like we are "playing house." It's a lot of work, and perhaps not extremely cost-effective, but it pays dividends in "feel goodness."

Tea was a necessary companion.

We made jars and jars of strawberry freezer jam and then took the plunge with the cherries we picked to make some proper cherry jam. It came out quite well!

The color of fresh strawberry jam is just amazing!

Now we are contemplating what's next. Black raspberries are in season, but it takes hours and hours of work in our woods, over days and days, to pick enough and I just don't feel like pushing for it. Perhaps raspberries will be the thing.

Book Review: Service Included

Service Included, by Phoebe Damrosch, is a fun read for a Foodie.

Damrosch describes what it was like to be trained, and then work, at the renowned New York restaurant Per Se (think $275+ per person). She gives a fascinating insider's look at the workings of a top-notch restaurant, with plenty of food descriptions to satisfy those foodie cravings.

Of course Damrosch includes some of her personal life, as she forms a relationship with one of the other Per Se employees. At times she is a bit crass, but the overall tone of the book is not that way.

This is the next best thing to actually being able to eat in a fancy restaurant.

Easter Lunch

Yesterday was delightful. In between church services there was plenty of good food and fellowship.



Em did the flowers:

There were Easter eggs for the children's table:

Cupcakes waiting for dessert:

The table all read and waiting for dinner:

My three boys:

Grandma and David:

Punch to go with the appetizers:

There were Hot Cross Buns, fruit, mini quiches, baby sausages and shrimp:

Trying not to eat too much before lunch:

We made the Pavlova from a recipe in the current issue of Gourmet. It is filled with lemon curd and topped with berries -- incredible! And check out the size -- huge! (I did double the recipe):

Easter candy is so beautiful:

And jelly beans are so hard to resist:

Especially for a certain child and a certain mother (mother not pictured):

The Salad: spinach, strawberries, blue cheese and a few onions:

The dinner: ham, asparagus, sweet potato gratin, potatoes with leeks, fruit salad and buns:

The children's table -- I didn't get a picture of the adults:

The table was so colorful and everyone's outfits added to it:

Then came tea-time:

And the Easter-egg china -- my favorite:

These cookies, made by Carla, were a hit. They were shortbread that melted in your mouth, filled with an almond cream!

Besides Pavlova, cookies, and cupcakes, we also had chocolate covered strawberries!

One happy boy! He is eating a gluten-free cupcake and loving it!

Easter dinner is over for another year. A new week has started and there is plenty to do......