In the Kitchen Again: Making A Delicious Fall Dinner!

Beautiful tomatoes from our plants in Washington on our kitchen windowsill in California!

The neighborhood kitties seem to be quite happy we are back :)

After several weeks of traveling (Alaska and the West Coast), it feels good to be back in the kitchen. Woodley and I have developed a new schedule that is working out quite well. When I am following it property, I plan menus and shop for groceries twice a week (Monday and Thursday mornings) which allows me the chance to work leftovers into the menu and to use up extra ingredients before they go bad. Also, it keeps my trips to the grocery store short and menu planning is more fun when I only have to worry about 3 dinners at a time. I've been following this schedule for a couple of weeks (both here and in Bellingham) and I love it!

Also, each day I have allotted myself 3 hours for cooking dinner, from 5pm to 8pm (although I might start some recipes earlier if they need to cook for a long time or marinate. So far, I've found that 3 hours is often enough and I have been much less frantic than when I only start dinner 2 hours before we want to sit down. And, if it's just the two of us, I can always bump dinner up to an earlier time if it doesn't take the full three hours.

For the past couple of weeks I've been having fun testing out new recipes from cookbooks I received as wedding presents. This past Monday, I picked up Williams-Sonoma's Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch which I was given at a bridal shower. I have used it a few times in the past year but I thought it was only breakfast foods I didn't ever realize there would be recipes that I could use for lunches and dinners as well. On Monday I was pleasantly surprised to discover several dishes I wanted to try out immediately and decided to use them as the backbone for Tuesday's dinner menu:

Tuesday's Dinner Menu:

French Bread with Brie

Crab Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette (Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch)

Carrot Soup with Crème Fraîche Toasts (Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch)

Crepes with Ice Cream, Bananas, and Chocolate Sauce (the crepes were left over from lunch)

~The Carrot Soup~

The Carrot Soup was delicious and very simple to make. I actually added a little bit of extra seasoning because I was worried it might be too plain. I think it would have been excellent as written though also. I made the toasts and floated them on the soup before serving it but I left out the Crème Fraîche because I didn't want to spend $4 for a container of it when we would only be using 4 teaspoons. We didn't miss it at all but it might be nice if you have some on hand.  

Carrot Soup with Crème Fraîche Toasts 

Serves 4

From William-Sonoma's Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch 

4 slices brioche or other firm, slightly sweet bread, about 1/4 inch thick, crusts trimmed {I used whole wheat french bread}

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 large shallots, minced

{I also used 1 small bay leaf and a small pinch of dried thyme and sage}

1 1/2 lb carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

6 cups chicken stock 

salt and freshly ground pepper

4 teaspoons Crème Fraîche

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F

2. Cut each bread slice on the diagonal to make 8 triangles. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 12 - 15 minutes, turning halfway through baking. Remove and set aside. 

3. In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shallots {as well as the bay leaf, thyme, and sage, if you are using them} and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 2 minutes. 

4. Stir in the carrots, pour in the stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. {While the soup was cooking, I went ahead and got the salad ready}

5. Remove from heat, uncover, and let the soup stand for 15 minutes to cool slightly. 

6. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pan until smooth. Alternatively, working in batches, puree the soup in a standing blender or food processor until smooth. 

7. Reheat the soup over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. 

8. Spoon crème fraîche on each toast triangle, dividing it evenly. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and float 2 toasts on each serving. Serve at once. Yum!!

~The Crab Salad~

The crab salad was simply amazing! It tasted so sophisticated and complex and not at all too crabby, which is what I had been worried about while I was preparing it. It is the perfect salad for early fall and is a good main dish if you want something simple and fairly healthy that is also quite impressive. (Just don't make it for anyone with an aversion to crab or tarragon.) I thought about buying freshly picked dungeness crab from the seafood section of the grocery but I discovered that it was very expensive. Instead, I decided to go with the canned crab which was a lot cheaper. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't like the way it tasted in the salad, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was! I didn't even notice a difference when I was eating it. 

Crab Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette

Serves 4

From William-Sonoma's Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch 

2 bunches watercress {I used just one bunch, because I forgot to buy 2, and it tasted just fine without it}

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon {our lovely friend Becca brought us the tarragon when she came over to join us for dinner, I think it completely made the salad! Thanks Becca!}

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored {I used 1 whole small Granny Smith apple}

3/4 lb. cooked lump crabmeat, picked over for small shell fragments

2 1/2 Tablespoons snipped fresh chives

4 large red-leaf lettuce leaves {I used more like 8}

1. Remove the tough stems from the watercress, reserving the leaves and tender stem clusters. Set aside several sprigs to use as a garnish. {I let my watercress soak in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes to get the dirt off}

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, tarragon, salt, and pepper until blended. Set aside.

3. Fill a bowl with water and add the lemon juice. Cut the apple into strips 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches long. Place the strips in lemon water.

4. Place the crabmeat in a bowl and, using a fork or your fingers, separate it into pieces a little smaller than bite-size. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and add the chives.

5. Drain the apple strips and pat dry. Add them to the crab mixture and toss gently to combine.

6. Add the watercress and toss again.

7. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each individual plate. {I used 2-3 leaves per plate} Top with the crab mixture, dividing it evenly. Garnish with the watercress sprigs and serve at once.

I'm hoping I can put together a little binder with the different menus I develop that I think work well together. That way I can use them again in the future. I just need to get a binder and then I'll be able to start on that project.

And now, with 1 1/2 hours until I need to start dinner, I'm off to work on a baby quilt!

~ElizabethRose~

I'm Back!

Hmmmm... it appears I have now neglected my blog for over 2 months! It's hard to say exactly how that happened. The first week after August 3rd (the last post), I didn't manage to blog because I was frantically trying to turn the 50 pounds of berries Woodley and I picked into jam and preserves. After that there was family vacation during which we found out that my grandfather's heart was rapidly failing, followed by a trip to Alaska to visit him and the family, and then, a few weeks later, another trip to Alaska for his funeral. That brings us up to early October at which point we drove back down the coast to California so I am now attempting to return to a more normal schedule.

Here are some highlights from August, September, and early October. I'll probably focus on some of them in more detail in later posts if I feel inspired. :)

August 15: Our new furniture we ordered from Macy's in May arrived. Sadly one of the couches was stained upon delivery. Here Woodley poses with the small stain. But, apart from the stain, we absolutely love the couch!

August 20: I made pickled watermelon rinds (I'll definitely have to blog about that later!). They turned out pretty well but I might try a slightly different recipe next year. I also made Old Fashioned Dill Pickles. They are super yummy!

August 21: I got carried away and ordered hundreds of daffodil, crocus, grape hyacinth, scilla, snowdrops, and other spring bulbs (all the ones the deer aren't supposed to like too much) from White Flower Farm, Brent and Becky's Bulbs, and Colorblends.

August 23: With the amazing help of Greg, Nicola, Rob, Michelle, Woodley, and my mom, we managed to move my mother's fabulous Frigidaire Flair range over to our house. Most of it wasn't working and since my mom was remodeling her kitchen she decided to give it to us. Woodley is now working on fixing it and I have grand plans to repaint it white or turquoise to go with the new kitchen I'm dreaming about. If it looks familiar, you may have seen it before on Bewitched since Samantha also had one. :) (The reason I love it: the doors of the 2 ovens open up and are then completely out of the way and the burners are in a retractable drawer which is closed in the picture above - it's amazing and the best range design I've ever seen! I'm still dreaming that it will make a comeback.)

August 24: Day 1 of Family Vacation 2009. My mother, brother, Woodley and I took a ferry to Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula and visited the Point Wilson Light. It was a bit foggy. Then we hiked up the hillside to see the remains of Fort Warden. If you're ever in the area, it is so much fun to run around the remains of the old fort.

August 25: Day 2 of Family Vacation 2009. From a home base near Sequim, WA and an adorable Bed and Breakfast we went exploring at the Dungeness Spit. It's a 10 mile walk round trip to end light house at the end of the spit. My mom and I made it about halfway there before heading back.

Rob and Woodley made it the whole way to the lighthouse and got to explore it a bit.

August 27: Day 4 of Family Vacation 2009. We visited the Olympic Game Farm, drive-through zoo of sorts for retired TV and circus animals. The Kodiak bears were my favorite. If we tossed them a piece of bread (which we bought from the staff at the beginning of our tour), they caught it in their mouths and they even waved at us! (I'm guessing they came from the circus.)

August 28: Alaska Day 1. While on the Olympic Peninsula we heard that my Grandpa Majors' heart was beginning to fail so we quickly figured out how to fly up to Alaska to visit him one last time. We finished up our family vacation on Friday and instead of going home, we went straight to the SeaTac airport and flew to Fairbanks. It was so nice to get to spend some time with my grandparents while grandpa was still able to tell jokes and get around bit.

August 29: Alaska Day 2. We visited the Fountainhead Antique Car and Auto Museum in Fairbanks. It was full of amazingly beautiful cars from the 1930s and earlier. However, our favorite piece wasn't a car at all but was this beautiful 19th century Albany Cutter Sled (It just made us want to move somewhere with snow and room for horses so we could ride around in one!):

August 30: Alaska Day 3. A wonderful afternoon at home with grandpa and grandma just like I remembered from visits in my childhood. Grandma was in the kitchen cooking dinner, grandpa sat in his chair, and the kids sprawled over the floor and sofa watching I Love Lucy.

August 31: Alaska Day 4. We visited Alaskaland, a Fairbanks favorite. Home to the lovely moose swing. :) While at Alaskaland I got a call from one of my best friends, Nicola, who shared the news of her engagement with me! Congratulations Nic!!

September 2: Alaska Day 6. We visited Creamer's Field, a migratory waterfowl refuge, where we got to see beautiful big cranes for the first time as well as some amazing Alaska fall foliage and beautiful birch forests.

September 4: Alaska Day 8. We had a big party at Aunt Marilyn's house to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa's 67th wedding anniversary (which was Sep. 6th). A bunch of the family acted out a skit of how grandma and grandpa decided to get married (a wonderful story I'll post later). Happy 67 years Grandma and Grandpa!

September 5: ~Alaska Day 9 ~ On our last afternoon in Alaska my Uncle David took us on a trip down the Chena River. It was a beautiful fall day! After that we were able to go visit with Grandpa and Grandma one last time. It was such a blessing to be able to see him and grandma together and I will always remember sitting out on the patio with him for pictures and a goodbye prayer.

September 12: Back in Bellingham, we hosted an Engagement Dinner Party for Nicola and Matt down by the lake. It was such a fun night! We were also thrilled to be joined by our wonderful friends Greg and Becca who came up from the Bay Area to visit us for the weekend. (I made roast leg of lamb and salmon, I was a bit nervous to be cooking for so many people, but it turned out really well. Yay!)

~Congratulations guys!~

September 16: Katie, Heidi, Woodley, and I had a fun tea party using the amazing Chinese tea ceremony set that Greg and Becca brought us all the way from China! (I still can't believe they brought something so big and so fragile all that way for us! Thank you so much guys!!! We LOVE it!!) A big part of the tea ceremony involves pouring hot water over all of the cups so the big wooden tray is used to collect the warming water and let it drain into a bowl under the table. I don't think I've had that much fun playing with water since I was a small child!

September 17: We got two big loads of compost delivered so that we could spread it around the flower beds for the winter. Also, my larkspur I planted in June started blooming along with the stock, love-in-a-mist, dahlias, and forget-me-nots. Even though it was getting fairly late in the year, the garden really started to look beautiful.

September 18: We were thrilled to be able to watch another kitty for a few weeks this summer. Meet Count. He had lived next door to us but when his owner moved out he asked if we could watch Count until he could find a safe place to live with a cat. We were so happy to have a kitty around the house again. And Count was such a sweetie! He followed me everywhere and always wanted to sit as close to me as he could. Also on the 18th, I made a spinach souffle (my first souffle ever!) and it turned out fairly well!

September 26: I made my first and last pie of the summer (sadly!). It was a delicious strawberry rhubarb. It turned out fabulously though and next summer I'm determined to bake a pie a week. I figure I'd better invest in a real rolling pin though since that was what kept me from baking more pies this summer. :) Also made my first quiche in years, a crab and shrimp quiche. I'll have to share the recipe later because it was fantastic and I will definitely be making it again!

September 24: We received a call from my cousin Leah and learned that my grandpa, Rev. George L. Majors passed away that morning at home. We are so thankful for his 92 years of service and that he was able to stay at home, surrounded by family.

September 25: Two orders of bulbs arrived the afternoon of the 25th. Altogether I they added up to about 900 daffodil bulbs. I got right to work planting them and managed to get through almost all of them by early October. I can't wait for Spring!!

September 27: We had a fun family picnic out at Hovander Park near Ferndale, WA. Hovander is one of my mom's favorite parks so we've been having picnics on the many lawns at the park ever since I was a baby. The weather was fabulous and we were able to enjoy magnificent views of Mt. Baker. I especially enjoyed walking through the flower, herb, and vegetable gardens. Very inspiring!

The lovely Graham Thomas rose!

September 30 - October 4: From Wednesday through Sunday my mother, Woodley, and I traveled once more up to Fairbanks, Alaska. This time to attend my Grandpa Majors' funeral service. Although I brought our camera, I completely forgot to get it out of our bag the entire time. The service was so nice and we were able to visit with a lot of family that we hadn't seen in years. When we headed home again I was able to take a few of my grandfather's sermon notes that I am planing to type up and post in another blog for our friends and family.

October 7: After we returned from Alaska we spent 3 busy days cleaning, gardening, and tidying up before we left to drive down the coast and back to California. Thankfully our little Bellingham home is going to be well looked after by some good friends while we are away and I have high hopes that my garden will look even better when we get back than when we left. Before we took off I ran around the yard to capture pictures of all my beloved beds.

The hollyhocks by the garage.

The planter box out front. (I think I need to do some work here...)

The dahlias and annuals on the side of the garage.

The beautiful tomato plants Katie gave me at the beginning of the summer.

The woodsy side bed.

And, most importantly, the amazing new herb bed that Woodley planned and created. It turned out so well and I such a joy to walk through. I also planted about 300 bulbs in and around the herbs so it should be quite fun in the spring!

And that brings us up to the point where we headed back to California. Given how long this post has gotten to be, I think I'll leave our romantic trip down the coast for tomorrow. :)

~ElizbethRose

Highlights from Saturday, the first day of August

I can already tell this is going to be a great month!

On August 1st:

 I found these lovely dahlias and hydrangeas at the Bellingham Farmer's Market...

and Woodley set up a makeshift studio/desk and started composing again!

Happy August!

~ElizabethRose

Guest Bedroom Update

At last, the guest bedroom is finally coming together! (and it has even been stayed in by 2 guests!) After putting down the flooring, putting up the crown moulding and adding a bed, bedside table, and linens, it now looks like this:

I am so happy with the way it is coming along! The highlight of last week was when the last set of linens arrived. I ordered a few from an online store and several more vintage pieces on eBay. The bed and bedside table we found at antique stores and we love they way it is coming together. 

These pillow cases were one of my eBay finds. They were super cheap (maybe $7 for the pair) and although the lace was made on a machine the buttons look like they are made of bone and they stitching is all hand done so I'm guessing they are fairly old. 

I am also super excited about our new duvet cover. It has a bit of Battenburg Lace in the center and around the edges and for only $50 along with 2 pillowcases, it was so much cheaper than anything new (and nice) that I could find in the stores around Bellingham. 

Now my to do list for the guest bedroom includes: 

1. Finish painting touchups around crown moulding and trim

2. Order curtains

3. Find a white table lamp and floor lamp

4. Find a chair to go with the desk 

5. Find a cozy white reading chair 

6. Find a white frame 

7. Find a better ceiling fixture

8. Hang the mirror I bought for the room somewhere on one of the walls

Altogether though I think it is coming along quite well and it can comfortably accommodate guests now!

~ElizabethRose

Watering Restrictions :(

We're having water troubles here in Bellingham. It's not that we don't have enough water, in fact, we have plenty to go around. The problem is that the recent heat wave has caused (we think) a big bloom of algae in the lake. This prolific algae is now clogging the filters in the city's water treatment plant which means that it is taking longer to produce the amount of clean water the city needs. 

Apparently the problem became so dire last week that the city of Bellingham enacted new and hopefully temporary water restrictions which prohibit us from watering established lawns and flower beds and really restrict the use of any water for plant maintenance purposes. They do allow you to water newly plantings, but only with a watering can. Since all of my plants that I've been watering are new plantings I think that means I can continue to water them. 

However, just to be safe, I decided to switch to watering using cans and lake water. I figure since there isn't any problem with the amount of water and only with the amount of clean water this shouldn't be a problem. So this morning I spent about an hour trudging back and forth from our little beach watering all of my new little flower beds. I certainly felt old fashioned. :) 

The most exciting moment though was when I heard a big splash, just as I was walking through the trees by the boat house, on my way to the beach to fill up my watering cans. I was surprised because it sounded like the splash came from very close to the shore and I didn't think there was anyone down at our beach. I hurried on and arrived at the beach just in time to see the eagle that lives in one of our big trees grab something out of the lake and slowly fly away with it. I think he must have dove down from the tree to pick up a fish out of the lake. It is so nice to have an eagle around the house!

Here's a photo of one of my new beds. I've planted a variety of flowers but the ones I am most hopeful about are the sweet peas. They are growing just on the opposite side of the iron fence and I hope I can train them to grow up it. Right now they are almost big enough to reach the bottom of the fence. 

And here's the dahlia bed. They dahlias seem to be growing well so far. I think I may have to start staking the big one soon though. 

Down at the beach I'm developing quite a collection of glass pieces. It seems that they wash up on our beach almost constantly. Most of them seem to be quite worn and don't have any really sharp edges. I think they must have been tossed into the lake quite a long time ago. Our neighbor who grew up in the house next door told us he has been picking glass up off the beach for over 30 years! 

My plan is to get a big glass jar to keep the glass pieces in. I'll set it down by our little beach, then I can just drop the new pieces of glass that I find into it and someday I'll have a fun collection of old glass pieces. 

And finally, here's a stack of new fabric I picked up at Jo-Ann's the other day. All of them were on sale so I just picked out a few that I thought might work nicely for a quilt or other sewing project. 

And now... back to cleaning the house!

~ElizabethRose