Daughter's, Feels Like Summer Again & Weekend Food!

" Food is our common ground, a universal experience". ~ James Beard

Last night after dinner my daughter's decided to bake a cake together. It was so much fun to hear them chatting and laughing away while they worked in the kitchen. My son was home too yet had little interest in the baking part. He did make an appearance when it was time to give it a taste.

It makes me happy that I've been able to pass on and share my love for baking with them. I hope it's something I continue to do and share with them for many years to come.

Today has felt like summer all over again so I spent the day outdoors as much as I could. I know the weather will turn cold soon enough.

I met a friend for lunch earlier then snuck down to Wood Neck Beach for a walk. I was the only one there, which was fun and a nice change from the busy summer days.

As for weekend food, I've been cooking on Friday's to have food and snacks on hand for the week-end. It's kind of nice because the kids are usually in and out and there's something ready for them to pull out and heat up. I made a large Pot Roast in the Crock-Pot and a Cranberry Apple Pie.

Intuitive Cooking, Roasted Red Pepper and Cheddar Tart & Chicken Pot Pie!

I love to pull out an old recipe that I've had for years and follow it to a T, because an old recipe evokes memories of other occasions, maybe even time with family and friends that we don't want to forget. And an old recipe promises it will be good, because we've used it many times before.
But I also love setting out to cook and bake by using my intuition. I like being creative in the kitchen and waiting to see what will emerge.
Last week I made the recipe I've had for years for Tortellini and Tomato Soup. But I didn't have sage, thyme or paprika on hand so I used cayenne pepper and lots of freshly chopped basil instead. It was delicious.
My oldest daughter asked if I would bake her a Chicken Pot Pie because she had one at a bakery recently and liked it. So, I made one up from scratch. The entire pie was gone within a single weekend. I made up my own version (simple and easy, perfect for a busy week-night).
As for the Roasted Red Pepper and Cheddar Tart, I made that for book-club last night and I just used a simple combination of sharp cheddar cheese and roasted red peppers on a flat sheet of puff pastry. Here is what I used to make the Chicken Pot Pie.
Super Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Take two pie crusts and place one on the bottom of a pie plate.
15 oz. can of cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups corn
1/2 cups of peas
1 Tbsp. freshly chopped garlic, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
tsp. sage
tsp. basil
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled and diced fine
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until mixed well.
Pour into pie crust and cover with additional crust, fold over the edges.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45-50 minutes.

Patti's Pumpkin Bread & Gifts from Friends!

It's a great day for baking. The weather is crisp and cool. When the feeling of summer fades it's fun to make more quiche, soups and breads.

There are a number of people in my life who stopped by to give me really special gifts this week to celebrate my birthday. I am so thankful for each and every one. And, my kids were especially good to me.

Among them is this beautiful bread tray a friend gave me as a gift. It's perfect for serving home made bread in.

I don't teach on Friday's which is a blessing because I have a chance to catch up around the house and get some baking done. Just in case you feel like baking this weekend here is my recipe for "Patti's Pumpkin Bread"--I got this recipe years ago as a gift from a friend of mine. Enjoy!

Patti's Pumpkin Bread

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3 tsp pumpkin pie spice (you can also put together your own combination of nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon)

1 tsp salt

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 (15 ounce can) pumpkin puree

1/2 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9 x5 inch loaf pans. Sift together the flour, powder, soda, salt and spice mixture and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, oil, eggs and pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture alternately with water. Divide batter evenly between the pans.

3. Bake for approximately 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center.

Walk at South Cape Beach, Friends & Food!

We were blessed with amazing weather this past weekend. After Labor Day, I get to enjoy South Cape Beach again. It's less crowded and after the Summer season ends it's easier to find parking. I love to walk the path on the town side to Dead Neck trail out to the Jetty. A friend of mine took this photograph and I want to share it with you.

My birthday is tomorrow. And I'm feeling very blessed to have so many wonderful friends. I hosted a small get together at my house on saturday as a way to celebrate my birthday.

I made Avocado and Cheddar quesadilla's with fresh Pico de Gallo and a Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil salad with Balsamic vinaigrette.

I baked an apple pie for my kids on Sunday because there's been so many fresh apples at the store right now. It disappeared instantly.

I also baked a batch of Dreamy Island Cookies for my neighbor because I know those are her favorite and I wanted to thank her for a small favor she had done for me earlier last week. She called to say, "How do you make them so good?"

I love finding opportunities to cook and bake for people. It seems like such a simple but satisfying thing to do for someone else. Who doesn't like good food?

Savoring Summer!

Pictured Above, From Top: Sophia and Mom's Apple Pie, Coconut Cake & Celebration Cookies, View from Bike Ride to Seconsett Island, Sunset at Chappy Beach and S'mores on the Fire-Pit, back-yard.

And even though it was a hectic week of driving my kids back and forth to Football & Cross Country practice, not to mention getting my own classes ready for a new semester to begin..we've been savoring all the sights, taste's and smells of summer too.

Food as Gift, Mike's Mussels & Fresh From the Garden!

I wrote a sweet essay I called "Food as Gift" that's going to be published in the upcoming September issue of "Cape Healing Arts". I shared two of my recipes for publication: one for Quiche and the other for Tomato & Tortellini Soup. They're both items I make often for my family. Since the article comes out September 1st, I thought one that included tomatoes would be useful because they're usually an over abundance of tomatoes as we head into September.

My neighbor has a wonderful garden and recently she invited me over to pick things I might enjoy. I used all the vegetables pictured here in a Cold Pasta Salad tossed with Feta, Italian Dressing and Balsamic Vinaigrette. It was yummy- even better because the vegetables were grown in her garden.
I love when people get passionate about a new recipe they try or create themselves. Recently, I saw a friend post about a sauce he made to dip his freshly steamed mussels in. I asked for the recipe so I could share it with you. I am a big fan of making good food and sharing it with others. He called it "Creamy Garlic and Wine Mussels".

I haven't always liked eating mussels, but since moving to the Cape I have had some very tasty ones at Chappaquoit Grill on 28A in West Falmouth and at Amari's on 6A in Sandwich. Amari's is just before the turn to Sandy Neck Beach and I've stopped there to pick up a batch of freshly steamed mussels before on the way down to watch a sunset.

Recipe for Mike's Creamy Garlic and Wine Mussels

1) Wash Mussels, take out any broken ones and place in a large pot with two cups of water.
2) Add lots of fresh chopped garlic, a whole small finely diced white onion, 3 tbsp. butter, fresh squeezed lemon, bunch of finely chopped fresh scallions and a sprinkle of fresh chopped basil and 1 cup dry white wine.
3) Steam for about five minutes. Drain, reserve liquid.
4) Place mussels in a large bowl.
5) Take the reserved liquid and add approximately a 1/4 cup of cream stir and place in a bowl.
You can either pour the liquid over the mussels or use in a separate bowl for dipping.
6) Make sure you have a loaf of really fresh, warmed sour dough bread to dip in the left over broth. Enjoy!

Following your Dreams and Peach & Pecan Strudel

"Trust in your heart." ~ Paulo Coelho

My Book-Club met last night. We just finished reading "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. It's a fable about the importance of following your dreams and pursuing that which excites and interests you.

One thing I love to do is make good food and share it with others or spend time in my kitchen dreaming up new recipes.

One of the items I made last night was a Peach and Pecan Strudel. It's super easy and tastes yummy! In case you feel like giving it a try, here is my recipe:

Recipe for Peach & Pecan Strudel

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread out a pie crust or a sheet of puff pastry flat on to a baking sheet.

2) Spread cream cheese on the crust in a thin layer, sprinkle brown sugar, chopped pecans then peel and cut into small pieces two fresh peaches.
3) Fold over and crimp the edges of the pie crust or puff pastry as pictured above. Bake for 20 minutes or until begins to brown.

4) Let cool slightly. Make a glaze of 2 Tbsp. melted butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp. of peach juice. If you use canned peaches you can simply use the juice that the peaches are packed in. Whisk together and pour over the baked strudel.

Recipe for Blueberry Pie!

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." ~ Luciano Pavarotti

Food's such a fun way to bring people together. Earlier this week my daughter Bella asked if I would make her a blueberry pie.

I picked up two large containers of fresh plump blueberries from Roche Bros. and decided to bake her one. It's so easy to make and especially right now when blueberries are so abundant and in season-- it's especially good.

Recipe for Blueberry Pie

1) For the Filling: In a medium bowl gently toss 4 cups of blueberries, 3 Tbsp cornstarch, 1 1/2 cups of white sugar, tsp. cinnamon and a squeeze of fresh lemon until berries are covered.

2) Either make a pie crust of your own, I have an easy recipe for one in "Meet Me in My Cape Cod Kitchen" or use a store bought refrigerated one and place one on the bottom of a pie plate. Pour the blueberry mixture in the center and top with 2 Tbsp. butter.

3) Place an additional pie crust over the top, fold over and crimp edges or you can cut strips of a second pie crust to make a lattice top, pictured above. (I used more than four cups of blueberries because I tossed in my extras so my pie overflowed with blueberries.)

4) Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.

Dusk, Hand-Tossed Pizza & Company!

It was especially calm down at the beach the other night around dusk. It's my favorite time of day. Wednesday night I went down to the water right after making some really yummy home made pizza. I made a hand tossed with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese topped with sauteed shrimp & fresh garlic and a diced meatball and feta pizza. We have two pizza stones that are perfect for baking really yummy home-made pizza's. I also love sauteed fresh diced tomato, chopped onion and fresh garlic as a topping combination.
As for company, I definitely have more people come to visit me in the summer and I can't really blame anyone, it's an enchantingly beautiful place during the summer months.
In the winter, I still find solace from the natural beauty but it isn't quite the same as the long lazy days of summer and not nearly as many people come down to visit.
When I know company is about to arrive I like to think ahead and have some easy food combinations on hand. I want to feel relaxed when company comes but I also want them to have food ready and to feel like they can help themselves.
Of course, life gets busy so things don't always fall into place. Last night we ate a roasted lemon and pepper chicken, a large leafy green salad and corn on the cob! My favorite company is the kind that isn't afraid to help out in the kitchen. My kids Dad's mother is in town visiting from Texas and it's nice to have a couple of extra hands around to help out in the kitchen. She made dinner while I picked up my son from Basketball camp and brought my youngest daughter to running camp.
When I finally sat down to eat last night, it all tasted so delicious.

Making Time, Pico de Gallo & Cranberry Biscotti!

"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresea, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein." ~Life's Little Instruction Book, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

I've decided to give myself the gift of time. At least a little bit of it anyway.The bit I can reasonably squeeze for myself with three kids, a house and freelance writing and baking work to tend to. For the next three weekends I am limiting my social obligations and devoting myself to my baker's book and related writing project I set up for myself this summer.
Although, other demands, summer get together's and projects often seem to get in the way, I'm going to commit myself to spending as much time over the next few weekends as I can to writing. This weekend the kids are spending time with their Dad so I'm taking myself on a close to home mini retreat from house chores then next weekend I'm going to Kripalu and packing my Laptop to take with me. The following weekend, well I won't get too far ahead of myself. I hate to make promises I can't keep. But I already know it involves time spent writing.
As for Pico De Gallo, I spent six years in Los Angeles, CA then ten years in Dallas, TX and among many other gifts and treasures I took away from that time in my life I learned how to make really good Pico De Gallo. Earlier this week, I grilled a steak, sliced it into thin slices and placed it into warmed tortilla's with shredded cheddar and slices of fresh avocado then topped with the Pico De Gallo.
And I just happened to bake Cranberry Biscotti first thing this morning. My oldest daughter had been away at Camp. The first thing she said when she walked in is, "Mom, I want some of your baked goods". She was happy to see I'd just made the Biscotti.
And I realize that I'm not the only one with only 24 hours to fill each day. You have that much as well. If you happened to stop by and read this particular post remember to use your time well toward the dreams you wish to accomplish too.

Recipe for Fresh Pico De Gallo

2 Large fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped fine
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 tsp. jalapeno, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh garlic, diced
Mix ingredients in a small bowl, chill and enjoy simply with corn chips or tortilla's and cheese.