Out of the Ordinary & What's for Breakfast?

When we moved back to New England from Dallas, TX to settle on Cape Cod over five years ago I was surprised to learn how many year round residents took their vacations in the summer far away from the Cape. I remember being surprised at that because Cape Cod is so beautiful and offers so much in the way of recreation and rest right here.
As a full-time resident I can now appreciate the charm in going off Cape for vacation  right when so many others are finding their way here.
Leaving Cape Cod in the summer offers an opportunity to do something out of the ordinary. And it offers a chance to get away from it all and see life from a fresh perspective. And spend some quality time with my kids.
The photo above is of my two teenagers this past week after hiking a trail in Ouray, Colorado. They enjoyed the change in culture and climate that a trip to the Mountains offered.
 While visiting with family one morning I offered to make breakfast. Finding the right ingredients for a recipe can be a bit of a challenge in a town like Ouray that is set high in the mountiains. The closest large Grocery story is about 35 miles away.
I decided to make a trip down to the local market to see what I might find. I wanted to make a fresh baked pastry, and what I came up with was a welcome and delicious breakfast treat. Tastes great with a pot of fresh coffee on the side too. And, as always it's great to be back home.

Breakfast Fruit Bake

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
two cans refrigerated croissants, open containers and spread flat on bottom of greased baking dish
1 8oz. container, cream cheese softened
8 oz. vanilla yogurt (Whip the yogurt and softened cream cheese until smooth in a small bowl)

Bake the flat croissant dough at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until begins to brown. Let cool. Spread the cream cheese mixture over cooled dough. Place clean and dried fresh fruit evenly on top. Let chill. Enjoy!

Summer Berry Pie

      I baked a pie earlier today. My daughter Bella asked if I would.
How could I resist? I know how much a simple well baked pie fresh from the oven can make others feel happy. And it's so easy.
     I chose the freshest blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries I could find from the grocery store. Brought them home and washed them in the large colander that rests on the top of my baker's hutch.
     I let them sit in the sink so the sun that peeks in through the kitchen window could kiss them dry while I tended to the (much needed) laundry. The summer always brings large loads of towels in need of washing from days spent at the beach. Not to mention all the sweaty clothes from kids playing outdoors much of the day.
      As for eating the Summer Berry Pie-- once cooled from the oven you might think you've died and gone to heaven. A single bite dissolves in your mouth and invites you to taste more. Satisfaction only comes when you can lick your whole plate and there's a dark circle of bluish red almost burgundy from the pie juice that rests above your top lip waiting to be wiped clean too..
     My son and his friends were at the house earlier today before heading down to Falmouth Heights to meet up with friends and watch the Fireworks. It's an important tradition to eat burgers cooked on the grill and slices of watermelon too. I didn't want to miss the opportunity while all the kids were around so I fired up my grill and turned my oven on. Besides, the teenagers always seem to be starving and I start to wonder if they possibly could have a hollow leg.
    At my house Summer is not only trips to the Beach, walking on the sand or staying up late watching a movie or reading a good book---it's also S'mores and Summer Berry Pie.

Birthday Parties & Summer Writing!

With two daughter's having birthday's in the summer, I've been busy planning parties. Ever since I can remember I've wanted to give my kids a birthday party that makes them feel (extra) special. It's the little things I do that seems to help them remember what they mean to me. Especially around their birthday.
Sophia and I baked sugar cookies together yesterday and rolled them into the shape of a pony. We are making them as party favors to give out at her pony party at our house this weekend. I decided to have a pony visit to give her and her friends a ride around the yard.
As for summer writing, I've been working on "Sweeter by the Beach". This past week Ive written the prologue and the first chapter called; "The Limoncello Girls".
With the kids out of school it's definitely slow going, but the way I see it, at least I'm making progress. And enjoying my kids while having a bit of a break from my busy teaching schedule.
My daughter Bella has developed a passion for photography and took this fun photo of our pony shaped cookies. You can find my recipe for "Nana's no Fail Sugar Cookie" in "Meet me in my Cape Cod Kitchen".
Link to purchase book below.

The e-book version of Meet Me in My Cape Cod Kitchen now available!

Greetings!

  I'm excited to share that I finally figured out (through trial and error) how to convert my recipe book to an e-book format and make available to you here.
You're now able to order an updated copy of "Meet Me in My Cape Cod Kitchen".You can purchase a hard copy at Maiden Voyage in Mashpee Commons.
 And you can read about where my love for baking began and have access to some of my very special and favorite recipes like "Summer Vegetable Tart", "Fabulous Carrot Cake" or "Dreamy Island Cookies".

Happy Baking!

Meet Me in My Cape Cod Kitchen

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Chicken Ceasar Salad Wraps, Sunset Cruise & Shrimp Cocktail!

I submitted the most recent article I wrote this week. It's about food ideas you can bring to the beach.

 It will be out for the July 4th supplement. I wrote a lot about keeping food dry and fresh while spending time on the sand and water. And I included a few fun and fancy food ideas like making a bunch of fresh Chicken Caesar salad wraps and even shrimp cocktail for a trip to the beach.

It was fun to hear back from the editor who said she not only loved reading the story but also made the Chicken Caesar salad wraps herself. She said they came out really good. I suggested she make sure she uses the large tortilla's and to wrap them first in foil and then seal in Ziploc bags so they'll stay fresher longer.

As for the Sunset Cruise, I went to a fundraiser last weekend to raise money for new uniforms for the Falmouth Football team with a bunch of friends. It was a fun time. It's always fun to laugh and be a little silly with a group of girlfriends.

 It turned out to be a really perfect night for a cruise around the harbor and the sunset was gorgeous! I donated a recipe book with a bunch of baker's tools that I put together in a gift basket for the event. Although I realized I never got to see who won the basket in the raffle. I hope whoever it was has fun trying out all the recipes.

I took the picture above while out on the cruise. It's a view of the Nobska Lighthouse in Woods Hole.

Meet Me in My Cape Cod Kitchen

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Recipe for a Rainy Day!

There's not much you can do about it when it rains. But sometimes, it's disappointing when your expecting to do something fun outdoors. There's a lot of people in town for celebrating Falmouth High School Graduation and different weddings that are scheduled this weekend.

 My sister is heading down tomorrow for my daughter's dance recital and we planned to go to the beach for a day. There's nothing like a sunny warm day at the beach, but what can you do? Like I told her, I'm hopeful the sun will return soon.

My students are taking their finals next week and I wanted to share a picture I snapped (above) of a ship heading out through the canal since I won't be up on Campus for awhile after my grading is done.

I'm home for the afternoon and I'm going to make two tasty dishes: Chicken & Sour Cream Enchilada's with a Tomatillo Sauce and Pecan & Maple Cookies. I've made the Enchilada's a hundred times. It's a favorite around our house.

And I'm sharing the recipe I'm trying below for Pecan & Maple Cookies. It's super easy and I love the combination of maple with pecans. In case you are sitting at home too and looking for something to do give these simple cookies a try.

And if you're in town look for Gail Blakely's Food Column in Friday's Enterprise. I shared my experience with cooking on my new Grill and chatted with her about making Pizza's!

Pecan & Maple Cookies


1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped + additional pecan halves to top cookie
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
3/4 cup self-rising flour

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2) Place the butter, maple syrup, and sugar in a bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk. Sift over the flour and chopped pecans. Mix until the dough becomes stiff.
3) Place balls of dough onto the cookie sheets and top with a reserved pecan half, pressing down gently.
4) Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Caprese Salad & Back-Yard Fire's!

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie."
                                                                                                          ~Jim Davis, "Garfield" Cartoonist

It's that time of year when there's so many opportunities to bring a favorite dish to a get together. There's cookouts, graduation parties and other celebrations to attend. One of my favorite salad's to make and bring especially this time of year to a gathering is that deliciously simple combination of fresh grown tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. My favorite version of it is shared below.

 I love the sentiment in the quote above because it's true; when it comes down to it we really like to eat what we like.Whether you're on a diet or not. I try to keep a balance between exercise and healthy eating. But I love a slice of Lemon Cake and a really good Chocolate Chip Cookie once and awhile too. So be it. Life is short. And why not try to enjoy it?

As for back yard fire's, it's a good time for that too. There's a chill in the air as the sun sets and the mosquito's haven't arrived quite yet. My daughter's and I sat around our fire-pit Friday. And of course we had to make s'mores.

Caprese Salad

1 lb. Fresh Mozzarella, sliced thin
2 large Ripe tomatoes, sliced thin
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
 1 tsp. fresh basil, chopped fine
Salt and Pepper to taste
 Fresh Romaine Lettuce, cleaned and dried

Take a large platter and place the romaine lettuce in a thin layer. Layer the mozzarella and the tomatoes on top of the Lettuce. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle with fresh basil and salt and pepper as desired. Chill slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Chocolate Crown Cake & Recipe for a Fabulous New Sandwich!

I baked a chocolate crown cake for dessert this week. It's such a fun and easy cake to make. I bake a chocolate cake in a bundt pan, let it cool and then drizzle it with lots of melted dark and white chocolate. It does look a little like a crown!

My son was home from school one day this week. I decided (since as a growing teen he's always hungry) to make a special lunch for us to share. Food always brings us together in a way that we can talk and share about things that matter.

I was in the mood to make French Dip sandwiches: those yummy sandwiches with sliced roast beef, cheese and au jus dipping sauce but I didn't have roast beef or au jus sauce on hand.

I decided to be creative instead and come up with a new specialty from items already in my fridge. Below is the recipe of what I came up with. We ate it with roasted rosemary, olive oil and garlic potatoes.

Black Pepper Turkey with Feta & Sharp Cheddar Melts with Barbecue Sauce

Yield two sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 Slices Black Pepper Turkey, thin from Deli

1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Hearty Fresh Oatmeal Bread

Barbecue Sauce

To make:

On a medium heat warm a skillet and place the bread buttered, face down and add the turkey and cheeses then cover with another slice of bread buttered on the top. Grill until brown and cheese melts. Slice in half and serve with potatoes on the side. Take a small bowl and warm Barbecue sauce in the microwave and serve as a dipping sauce along with the sandwich.

If you give it a try, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Let Them Eat Cake!

Monday is the last day of classes for one of the College Writing courses I've been teaching. By now my students have read and discussed many essays, wrote many entries in their journals and have written four essays to place in their final portfolio's.

Cake (really yummy cake that's made from scratch and with love) is a perfect way to celebrate the end of a semester. They've worked hard. We've worked hard together.

I'm baking a Lemon and a Banana Chocolate Cake over the weekend to share on our final day.
It reminds me that when I used to sell my cakes (before going back to teaching) I hand-printed my own label designs with a message that said eat more cake it'll make you feel good!