I grew up on Florida's Gulf Coast, so fresh seafood was a regular part of my diet, and I miss having access to it. As a teenager, I'd drive over to Hubbard's Pier at Pass-A-Grille and wait for the deep sea fishing boats to come in. Tourists would arrive with their fresh catches in tow. They'd have their photos taken with the fish while smiling broadly. Then wouldn't know what to do with the fish. They couldn't take it back to their hotel rooms. As a result they often just gave the fish away. And, for a small fee--about 50 cents--one of the deck hands would clean the fish for you. Those days are long gone, but my vivid memories of having fresh fish to eat often come to mind. Lately, in efforts to improve my diet, I've decided to eat fish once or twice every week. Here in the mountains of Virginia, the only available salt water fish are found in the seafood case of our grocery store. I try not to think about the fish having been frozen and thawed and just buy it as quickly as I can. The other day I saw red snapper and it brought back so many memories I had to have it. When I got home I decided to bake it. Here's the recipe I used:

• 2 red snapper fillets, about 6 to 8 ounces each
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
• 3 or 4 drops Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning, or your own favorite seasoning blend, with salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon snipped fresh or frozen chives, optional
• 3 to 4 tablespoons plain or seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

So many things are blooming now - I'm thrilled!

It's been awhile since I've said hello around here.

Advent was busy, Christmastide was even busier and then Lent came and seemed to last a very, very long time this year.  It also happened early and during the most horrible time in the homeschooling world... February and March.   I suppose it is fitting that homeschooling is the biggest slog during a penitential season.   My husband has also been traveling an extraordinary amount for work and my kids are in a zillion activities because they all sounded so great until we actually had to get to each of them on time and participate in a good mood.   I also pretty much hate winter.  It is cold, bleak and dark.  I like cold, snowy weather during Advent and that is it!   Virginia is as far north as I ever intend to live.   All this to say - I didn't care about blogging or gardening or anything other than making sure the kids were fed and our house was not falling down into an episode of Hoarders all around us these last few months.

But spring is here and with it miserable seasonal allergies!  My husband watched me struggling to use steroid nasal spray and commented that I would be a terrible drug addict.  Yes, I believe I would.  I'm totally aggravated that I have to use a medication that requires entry into my body via my nose.  Ugh.  I've been taking so many medications so I can see out of my eyes and not cough and sneeze constantly that I am worried about my liver.  This is no joke!   Pollen makes me want to avoid being outside so that has also put a damper on my otherwise hearty welcome of spring.

I do have some pride so I have ventured outside on occasion to see what is springing up out of the dirt, what is blooming and what needs pruning.  I'm actually pretty pleased with the progress of our garden as of now, our 4th spring in this house.  I can dig a little here and there while getting weeds out and almost always find worms.  To think that worms would thrill me to the tips of my toes is pretty crazy, but thrill me they do as I know they are indicating that our soil is finally a survivable place for them to live and thrive.  Let me assure you that there were zero worms anywhere to be found on our property when we moved in here December of 2009.

The crocus, hyacinth and daffodils came up and gave a cheerful face to the otherwise boring landscape.     Some many other perennials began peeping up through the mulch and to me they really are like little tiny babies being born, crowning as they poke up after a long gestation period.  The roses that I thought were pruned enough are now looking alarmingly vigorous and leafy.  This is the best time for these ladies as they days are cool enough that black spot hasn't starting affecting them yet.  The Westerlands on my trellis on the south side of my house look monstrous and a little terrifying right now.   I know just enough about growing roses to keep them alive but I think a bit more reading is in order so I can learn better how to keep these over-acheivers in line!

I planted 3 bare root peonies last fall and only one came up.  She is tiny and has one flower bud.  I am anxious to see her bloom.  The alliums are all getting ready to pop open.  The bearded iris, woodland phlox, creeping phlox and tulips are all gorgeous right now.  My rosemary is even blooming and I have never seen it do so before.  The pansies are also perking back up and looking very purple and vibrant.

Here are a few pics:

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve!  We will trim our tree, bake St. Nicholas gingerbread cookies to leave out for Santa and light candles and the fireplace and say our prayers before bedtime.  It has been a quiet and blessed Advent for us this year.   I am so looking forward to Christmastide!

Yes.  I'm still planting.  It sure as heck was cold today with the wind blowing, though!

Advent is upon us and I've finally gotten the final gardening jobs finished that must occur.  There are still some shabby looking daylilies out there that need trimming back but I am just not going to look at them and pretend they do not look pathetic and sad and in need of trimming.

I've planted peonies, alliums, transplanted some dwarf hydrangeas, moved nandina and catmint, planted potted mums in places that didn't need anything new but I couldn't stand to toss them as their blooms began to fade and spruced up my window boxes with some more euonymus to fill in.    I planted (with help!) 500 Dutch Master daffodils around the sign of my church last weekend and went back out today with my husband and added some compost to the bed and then mulched.  The Knights of Columbus were out there selling Christmas trees and well, I am just not ready for that yet.  Too early for me!  I'd wait until Christmas Eve if my children did not give me pleading Bambi eyes about the whole thing.

Back to the alliums.  I planted some and I'm not sure why.  I had a Groupon for my favorite nursery and no idea what to buy (for the first time ever).  I don't have a lot of space left but I had an area in the back of a bed that could use a bit of drama and height so I planted some alliums to perk it up.  I'm not even sure I really like them as they look like a plant right out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  Huge lollipop flowers is what they are.

Ah, chocolate fudge pie...:sigh:  It's rich, chocolatey deliciousness, and Jessie inevitably asks for the recipe around this time of year so I thought I would go ahead and post and share (that, and Jori asked for it too ;oP).

This is a pie whose recipe doesn't call for a crust.  However, I like crust with my pie, so I'll use either a regular pie crust or a graham cracker crust (and as I was feeling lazy today, graham it was).

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• pinch salt
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

Directions for Chocolate Pie
Melt butter and chocolate in double boiler; beat in sugar. Fold in flour and salt. Add vanilla. Beat eggs; fold into chocolate mixture with pecans. Turn into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350° for 20 to 30 minutes. Center of the chocolate pie should still be moist when done.


This pie is incredibly fudgy and is wonderful when served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. :o)


Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!


--Rach

Yesterday was Nana's birthday.  I wanted to make a cake she would enjoy, something decadent, rich and utterly delicious. 

Knowing Nana's love of chocolate and raspberries, I thought I had hit upon perfection after a skeg through my pinboards. 

Lil took one look at this cake and said, "It sure is flat!"  Why yes, yes it is.  Flat and full of dense, chocolatey goodness. 

12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (2-1/4 cups)
6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into six pieces; more for the pan
5 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. table salt
3/4 oz. (1/4 cup) unsweetened natural cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy; more for the pan

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 300°F. Lightly butter the bottom of a 9x2-inch round cake pan and line it with a round of parchment. Lightly butter the parchment and the sides of the pan and dust with cocoa powder. Tap out any excess.

Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave or in a medium metal bowl set in a skillet of barely simmering water, stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth. Remove the bowl from the water bath and set aside to cool slightly. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and 2 Tbs. water. Beat on mediumhigh speed until the mixture is very foamy, pale in color, and doubled in volume, 2 min. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually pour in the chocolate mixture. Increase the speed to medium high and continue beating until well blended, about 30 seconds. Add the cocoa powder and mix on medium low just until blended, about 30 seconds.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a pick inserted in the center comes out looking wet with small gooey clumps, 40 to 45 min. Don’t overcook. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 30 min. If necessary, gently push the edges down with your fingertips until the layer is even. Run a small knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Cover the cake pan with a wire rack and invert. Remove the pan and parchment and let the cake cool completely. The cake may look cinched in around its sides, which is fine. Transfer to a cake plate. Cover and refrigerate the cake until it’s very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.

(Also, a helpful tip: To slice this cake (or any dense, sticky cake), heat the knife first, either by dipping it in a tall container of very hot water or by holding it under hot running water for a few seconds. Then wipe it dry before cutting the cake. The knife will cool quickly, and the cake will start sticking, so expect to rinse and repeat several times. A crème brûlée torch, if you have one, is also handy for heating up a knife.) 
 
I modified this blackberry cassis recipe to make the raspberry cassis.  I'd never made one before, and I have to say, this sauce hit the perfect note of sweet and tangy and was an unbelievable complement to the richness of the cake.

1 bag of frozen raspberries
1-2 baskets of fresh raspberries
1/3 cup creme de cassis
1/4 cup sugar, approx.
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
1 tspn cornstarch
pinch of salt

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the raspberries, frozen and fresh, until they begin to release their juices.
2. Add in the creme de cassis, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and bring to a simmer.
3. When the liquid begins to simmer, spoon about 1/4 cup of the liquid into a small bowl.  Add the cornstarch to the liquid in the bowl and whisk thoroughly until the cornstarch is dissolved.  Return the cornstarch mixture to the berries cooking in the saucepan.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow to boil for about a minute.
5. Reduce heat to a simmer until the liquid begins to be syrupy.  Remove from heat--serve warm immediately or reheat in microwave before serving (if you are freezing the sauce for later use).

This cake wasn't that hard, nor did it take that long to put together.  I made the raspberry sauce while the cake was baking and simply reheated it when it was time for birthday cake.  If you're looking for an easy, yet undeniably decadent dessert, this is it. :o)

--Rach

My husband is a very detail oriented, methodical, disciplined kind of guy.   It is nice to have him around because we balance each other out.   He is always our pumpkin carver as the kids like to choose their favorite character and see it lit up on the face of their pumpkin.  If it were up to me the pumpkins would have triangle eyes, a round nose and a lopsided mouth with a tooth or two stuck back in with toothpicks.  Absolutely nothing wrong with those kind of pumpkins as those were the jack-o-laterns that made up my childhood and I have nothing but fond memories of them.

Bob spent all morning last Sunday outside on our back porch as the wind began to whip (Sandy was on her way) carving these pumpkins.  Ella wanted to create her own design and she made a charming jagged grin with a nice "Boo" at the top.  I like her pumpkin a lot as it is very "her".  She is moving father away from commercial characters and she is very creative and likes to draw, write stories and so on.  I wasn't surprised that she wanted to go her own way with her pumpkin design.  Gabriel has left Thomas the Train behind and has become a huge super hero fan.  I either read or make up stories for the kids at bedtime and the other day I was scolded by him when SpiderMan began to fly in my story.  Apparently he only swings from webs he throws.  OK, now I know!  So, SpiderMan was his must have for his pumpkin.  Grace is very partial to Princess Aurora as she has long hair, a crown and wears a pink dress.    She liked the design that Bob carved into her pumpkin because Aurora's hair looks fancy and long.  Grace wants nothing more than long "princess" hair right now.

All three pumpkins turned out so well!

Bob and I took a 4 day trip to Blackberry Farm in Walland, TN last week.  It was wonderful!  The weather was perfect with crisp air and blue skies.  The air smelled of falling leaves with a hint of woodsmoke.  The Smokey Mountains were a riot of color and just magnificent.  It was a magical trip.

I first learned of Blackberry Farm years ago.  I don't even remember when or where but I did live in Knoxville, TN for a year with my aunt while I was in high school and perhaps I heard about it back then.  Anyway, I've always wanted to visit as the service was supposed to be excellent, the food out of this world (it was) and just a relaxing place to stay.  The place has a very genteel southern feel and it is peaceful and quiet.

Sometime in early spring I was reading my favorite magazine, Southern Living, and they had a best places to stay in the South article.  In it was featured Blackberry Farm.  I decided that this was the year we would make the trip.  I began doing more research about the place and I discovered that their farm/garden to table program is pretty top-notch.  I was curious about how the garden was run on property and what is supplemented in the way of produce and supplies.



I chose to take a tour of the garden with the gardening manager.  He was very nice and informative.  Most people are hearing now about heirloom seeds and organic gardening.    I am particularly interested in heirloom seeds and the work of some specific seed companies because I am concerned about companies like Monsanto compromising the integrity of agriculture as a whole.  Patents  on seeds, seeds then cross-pollinating onto small farms and farmers, who never intentionally "stole" that genetic material being sued by huge, monstrous companies for damages is just outrageous.   I buy products that contain GMO crops - but I try to make informed choices, especially when I choose to plant veggie seeds in my own garden.  It is tough to find the right balance, but I don't think perfecting avoidance is the goal, I think balance and awareness is key.



Anyway, I discovered that Blackberry Farm, like the Gettles of Baker Creek Seed, Seed Savers Exchange, FedCo and other farmers and seed suppliers is working hard to find and preserve heirloom seeds from extinction.  I respect that Blackberry Farm sends out their gardeners on seed finding trips, supports seed trials in their gardens and then outsources that seed to local farmers to help grow produce to support their resort's restaurants.

I was very surprised to learn that Blackberry Farm is attempting to grow truffles - in East Tennessee!  How neat is that?!  The gardener I spent time with was especially proud of their truffle experiment.  Apparently they are on year 6 and should know within a couple years if it worked or not.  Several years ago a UT PhD student successfully grew truffles for his dissertation work, researched local places to sell them to and found Blackberry Farm.  BF then in turn decided if the student made it work then maybe they could too.  The truffle industry in France is about as corrupt as the tulip trade was in the 16th and 17th centuries.  It will be interesting to see if Blackberry Farm and their gardeners are successful with this experiment.



I'm happy to financially support via my patronage a company that chooses to fund work that I think is important for our collective good.    I had a great time there, felt very relaxed and loved every minute of our fall trip and even better I felt like in some teeny-tiny way I was helping support work that is meaningful and important.  Bravo, Blackberry Farm for supporting small, local, organic farms and striving to save heirlooms varieties from extinction.

Ella is participating in American Heritage Girls and is desperate to earn as many badges as she can so her vest is full and pretty like the girls who have been in the group for a while.  I really like the program and I appreciate the clarity and consistency of the badge program.  She chose a few different projects that she wanted to pursue and we got started with the Cake Decorating badge-work this week.

She needs to dye frosting various colors for part of the badge-work so she selected a cake with pink frosting (I know, you're totally shocked).  This particular cake was featured in the book Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson.  I'd love to write out the recipe but it's a newish book and I have no idea about the copyright restrictions.   As it happens, the cake we made is featured on the cover below.  Not that ours looked like that!



This cake required hard to find ingredients like Dutch processed cocoa, so much butter that my heart is still palpitating and I had to actually take a bowl of egg whites and heat them up over a simmering pot of water.   Never again, I say.


We made raspberry buttercream frosting to go on top and it took longer to make than a Betty Crocker cake takes to mix and bake.  I kid you not.  My four year old son got particularly animated when it was time to mush the raspberries through a strainer and get all the juice but none of the pulp out.  I am still finding raspberry juice splatters all over the kitchen.  He definitely had a great time.




This cake turned out to be amazingly tasty and light and fluffy and the frosting was to-die-for good.   I just wish the author's bakery was close to my house so I could buy one of these cakes the next time I get a craving for it rather than having to slave over for hours myself.



Ella is halfway to earning her badge with the making of this cake and I earned a nice glass of wine.  This book is great, even for a non-baker like me.  If you like making cakes, this is a book to have on your shelf!  Even as a non-baker, I'm glad I've got it handy as this cake was literally the best cake I've ever made.  Yum.