A few pictures from the bed and breakfast as we celebrate Kansas State University graduations this weekend with our guests …
Wishing the best to all of the new graduates out there!
(For the buttercream recipe, see my Wild Blueberry Cupcakes post.)
Monthly Archives: May 2013
Gorgeous, Dependable White Iris
Stately and fragrant, irises are one of my favorite flowers. Though delicate-looking, in the right location they are highly dependable. I can count on ours to bloom every year for Kansas State University graduation. I am especially fond of the white irises. They look so crisp and fresh and do a lovely job of greeting guests walking up to the bed and breakfast.
Fountain in Bright Sun
Since not much will be blooming in the garden for the next day or two, after breakfast I decided to play around with getting a few photos of our fountain. The sun was quite bright -so nice after the long winter we had.
Toasting Mothers with a Bellini
A toast to all of the wonderful mothers out there … especially mine! Happy Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 12th!
Bellini
Fill a Champagne glass about 1/3 of the way with chilled peach nectar*, then top off with chilled Champagne. Enjoy!
* If you can’t find peach nectar, try fresh or frozen peaches pureed with a little peach juice, or use peach sorbet for a sweeter cocktail. Another variation is to add a splash of Peach Schnapps and a little lemon juice before the Champagne.
The Best Laid Paths, Part #1
When one owns a Bed & Breakfast, one must wear many hats, so to speak. My chief hat today was that of head gardener.
The oregano bed in our back yard has an attractive brick border. Over the years, however, this border has buckled in places. Recently, whenever it rains (or we water) a section here and there tends to get buried in mud. Weather, tree roots, and decay of organic material can all cause even the best laid paths to shift. The coolish weather today being perfect for heavy yard work, though, I decided that Kairee and I would take the opportunity to remedy the mud problem.
We started out by lifting a few bricks here and there, but quickly realized that wasn’t going to be an adequate solution; and so we resorted to lifting large sections. When all was said and done, we had refinished about three quarters of the brickwork. Interestingly, we found that the bricks were much more colorful on the side that had been in the ground, rather than on the side facing up, so we flipped most of them over. They will probably fade in time, but not just yet.
The complete process: lift the bricks; scrape them clean; shave the surrounding soil so that it doesn’t sit above the border height; try not to trample any plants; add sand to area from which the bricks were lifted; level the surface; re-lay the bricks; tap in place; fill gaps with sand. The finished job looks pretty darned good, even though it still needs to be washed off. (I was just too tired to do that yet this afternoon.) To make it perfect, though, we would have needed to dig up the surrounding plants, level off the garden soil, and then replant. But sometimes, pretty darned good is good enough.
On the subject of what counts as good enough … after I laid the last brick in place, I realized that I was one short. (This is now after 5 hours of work.) I looked around, couldn’t find an unused brick, and decided that I must have mis-spaced that row. After all, how can one not see a brick? So I lifted the entire row, spaced the bricks just a little further apart, filled the gaps, and then pleased with myself, proceeded to clean up. And of course, you have guessed it … there was that last brick under my trash bag. But really, who can tell?
Travel Theme: Beaches
Where’s My Backpack‘s travel theme for this week is beaches.
It was difficult to decide which image I wanted to share, but decided upon one of my favorite photos from Ohope Beach, New Zealand. Its atmospheric quality seemed to fit my mood this morning. I hope that you enjoy the photo.
Upcoming Event: Ladies’ Weekend
We have several special events coming up at The Morning Star. One about which I am very excited is our first Ladies’ Weekend which will be held Friday, May 31st to Sunday, June 2nd. The weekend will kick off with a wine tasting on Friday evening. After breakfast on Saturday, we’ll have fun arranging flowers then guests get to spend a leisurely day. Late afternoon, we’ll have a tea. The weekend will conclude with Sunday Brunch. I think that it will be a lovely time!
A Word A Week Challenge: Orange
A beautiful rose … for A Word A Week Challenge which this week is orange.
Tortilla Soup
Tortilla Soup
(4 servings)
8 corn tortillas
salt
3 white bulb onions (or other mild onion), thinly sliced (about 3/4 c.)
1 t. olive oil
4 c. vegetable or chicken stock
4 c. chopped fresh tomatoes (or Muir Glen canned fire roasted tomatoes)
1 – 2 dried Guajillo chili peppers
1 T. lime juice
3 T. minced cilantro, plus cilantro for garnish
1 avocado, diced
lime wedges for garnish
Crema Agria (or other sour cream)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice tortillas into 3/4-inch strips. Cut strips in half. Spread out on a baking sheet. Lightly salt strips, then bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until crisp and lightly brown. Toss strips every 10 minutes while baking. When done, set strips aside until ready to serve.
2. Saute onion in olive oil until crisp-tender. Add tomatoes and cook for about 8 minutes or until tomatoes are cooked down and some of the liquid has cooked off. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree.
3. Pass tomato mixture through a sieve (to remove seeds and skins) into a 4 to 6 quart pot. Cook at a low simmer for about 30 minutes.
4. Add Guajillo pepper(s) to soup about 5 minutes before serving. Add lime juice and cilantro about 1 minute before serving. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Remove pepper(s) before serving.
5. To serve: divide tortilla strips between four bowls. Ladle soup base over tortilla strips. Top with avocado, crema agria and cilantro. Serve with a lime wedge.
Buen provecho!
Crema Agria (Homemade Sour Cream)
Since tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, I decided to make some homemade sour cream to go with Tortilla Soup. Homemade sour cream is incredibly easy to make and only takes two ingredients. When made with heavy cream and fresh lime juice, it is called Crema Agria. When made with heavy cream and buttermilk, it is called Crema Espesa (or Creme Fraiche). The lime juice version does retain the taste of lime is tangier than the buttermilk version. Either version, however, is thinner and creamier than commercial sour cream, and has a fresher taste.
Crema Agria (or Crema Espesa)
2 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (or buttermilk)
1. Warm heavy cream on stove until the cream reaches 90 to 100 degrees F (or about body temperature). Do not overheat the cream.
2. Stir in lime juice (or buttermilk).
3. Pour mixture into a glass jar. Cover loosely. Let sit at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours or until thickened. Cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before using.
A Taste of Morning 