Over the years, I have come to appreciate flowers that smell like flowers. So many modern varieties have been bred for bright colors and giant blooms, but not for fragrance. Garden Phlox (phlox paniculata) is an old-fashioned, tall and fragrant flower that is perfect for the back of border gardens. We have these planted along the curve of our wrap around porch. They are just delightful.
Author Archives: Laurie
Weekly Photography Challenge: Fleeting Moments
I’ve Been Inspired by … The Moon
Due to the warm weather, I have been outside earlier in the morning and later at night than usual. So I’ve been seeing more of the moon. I had tried getting pictures of it in the sky near Seven Dolors Church, but was disappointed with how they turned out. Right around the same time Lynda Michelle posted a photo of the moon and we exchanged a few comments which determined me to try again. At around 10 p.m. last night the moon was bright orange – like a sunrise and just captivating. So I grabbed my camera and tripod and ran outside to try to get a good shot. I didn’t quite manage to capture the glowing orange color – maybe I need to use a filter? – but I did get a few photos that indicate what a beautiful scene it was. Lynda Michelle took her photo when it was not quite as dark out, but I loved the contrast between the dark sky and the orange moon. Every time I see the moon like that, I am amazed that it is just reflecting the light of the sun. Thanks for the encouragement, Lynda Michelle.
Happy 4th of July everyone!
Eloté: Mexican-Style Grilled Corn
This is a recipe that was sent to me by our friend Brian. We made it for dinner the other night, despite the heat, and it is absolutely the best tasting corn I have ever had. If anyone is thinking about cooking out for July 4th, this would be a great dish to try. The lime-mayo sauce is similar melted butter but with a lot more flavor. The cheese and spices soak into the sauce and add a smoky-spicy-salty component to the flavor. We might just have to have it again this week.
Eloté
4 ears fresh corn on the cob
3 T. mayonnaise
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 t. ground ancho chili pepper
1/4/ t. ground cayenne pepper
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/8 t. garlic salt
(1) Peel back the husks on the ears of corn, but keep them attached. Remove the silk, then pull the husks back up. Soak corn in cold water for about 20 minutes. (If your corn is missing husks, wrap the ears in buttered aluminum foil or skip the grilling step and just steam the corn until it is tender.)
(2) Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Spray with high heat cooking spray. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until tender. This will depend on your grill, but probably about 10 – 20 minutes. (To be honest, I always have to test the doneness several times when grilling corn.)
(3) Meanwhile, in one small bowl, combine mayo and lime juice. In another, combine cheese and spices.
(4) When corn is done, pull back husks, brush corn with lime-mayo mixture, then sprinkle with spiced cheese mixture. Serve right away.
Remembering Ginger 1995-2012
This is a portrait that I did of our Boston Terrier Ginger as a present for my husband a few years ago. Ginger was a Papa’s girl and, even though we have loved all of our dogs, Ginger was Bill’s favorite. She had a wonderful and long life. Even for a small dog, 17 is quite old. Ginger loved to play more than any other dog I have known. When I took her to puppy classes, I had to reward her with a tennis ball rather than with dog treats. Her favorite game was frisbee. When Ginger was a younger dog, Bill took her to the park to play frisbee once or twice everyday. They even played in the snow. Bill used to take her on vacations to see how many states the two of them could play frisbee in. He says he didn’t take me because I don’t play frisbee. When Lucy game along, Ginger taught her to play frisbee too. Ginger liked her throws fast and long – she was all about speed – while Lucy liked lofty lobs that she could jump to catch. People driving by used to get out of their cars to watch Bill and the two little dogs play.
Ginger enjoyed the company of her five Boston Terrier “sisters” over the years. Millie was an old dog by the time Ginger came along, but the two of them played chase, tug, and jump over Mommy. We got Lucy to be a buddy for Ginger when Millie no longer had the energy to keep up with Ging. We always say that Lucy and Ginger played like little maniacs when they were young – and we mean that in a good way. They were best buds even after Ginger started going blind. Lucy used to help her older companion find her frisbee until Ginger just couldn’t play the game anymore. We got Abbey to play with Lucy when Ginger lost her eyesight, but the three of them were all friends. When Lucy passed, we got Penny. Then a few months ago, we took in a rescue dog named Peachy. Ginger enjoyed having her new and younger siblings snuggle with her. Being blind, it was important for her to have lots of physical contact.
Over the years, Ginger entertained many guests at the The Morning Star. She had a way of turning absolutely everything into a game. Guests who have stayed with us repeatedly over the years will surely be saddened that Ginger is gone.
Bill and I shall miss our little Ginger, but are thankful to have had her for so long.
What Is It About Cupcakes & Summer?
We can’t help ourselves – we just keep making cupcakes this summer. Yesterday’s were Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting and chocolate sprinkles. The cake recipe came from the wonderful cookbook More From Magnolia: Recipes from the World-Famous Bakery and Allysa Torey’s Home Kitchen. We improvised the frosting recipe and it was sooooo good. Chilled, the frosting is like peanut butter cheesecake. (Recipe below.)
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
(makes enough for 24 cupcakes)
20 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 oz. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
approximately 12 oz. peanut butter (I use The Bee’s Knees Peanut Butter by Peanut Butter & Co.)
approximately 1 1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar
(1) Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth and fluffy. Beat in peanut butter. Beat in sugar to taste.
(2) Decorate cupcakes (or other baked goods). Chill until serving.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Create
Roses for Ginger
For this challenge, I created a floral arrangement and an artistic photographic rendering of it.
Two Little Chefettes Monthly Cooking Challenge: Chocolate Chips
I was thrilled when I read that the theme for this month’s cooking challenge by Two Little Chefettes is Chocolate Chips. I have so many recipes that I love that call for chocolate chips. I considered entering one of my recent chocolate chip recipe posts (Bill’s Blondies, Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, or Forgot Me Not Cookies); but since I have been writing about the heat lately (It’s Scorching Hot …, 96 and Going to Havana), I decided instead to use my recipe for Blondies Caliente. Yum! Enjoy! Thanks Bebe and Ridha for putting together the monthly challenge! By the way, at the bottom of this post is my recipe for Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting which goes so well with these blondies.* So you get a 2-for-1 on this challenge!
Blondies Caliente
Makes about 16 blondies
Blondies with a kick. When used in baked goods Chipotle adds heat a little stronger than that of ginger, but with its own distinct flavor. These blondies are delightfully aromatic when warm.
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground chipotle pepper
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted
1 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 lg. egg
1/2 t. orange extract
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. semisweet or dark chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped honey-roasted peanuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8” square baking pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
- Place the butter in a medium size bowl. Stir in the sugar. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Beat in the egg, orange and vanilla extracts until the mixture is light and fluffy. (This takes several minutes. Do not underbeat.) On lowest mixer speed, beat in dry ingredients and then chocolate chips and peanuts.
- Spread the batter evenly in the baking pan. Bake for about 24 to 26 minutes or until blondies start to pull back from the edge of the pan and the center feels almost firm to the touch. Do not overbake. Cool and then cut into squares. If desired, chill before serving.
Variations: Substitute chopped Mexican chocolate for chocolate chips. Substitute peanut butter chips for honey-roasted peanuts.
Serving Suggestion: Frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting before serving. (Recipe below photo.)
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes enough to frost one 8″ or 9” square pan of baked goods.
This speckled pale brown frosting goes well with chocolate, orange, and nut flavorings.
6 oz. cream cheese softened
1/2 c. + 1 T. confectioner’s sugar
1 T. + 1 t. milk
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. vanilla extract
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in remaining ingredients until perfectly smooth again.
- Frosting can be spread on cooled brownies, blondies or cookies right away. If using frosting for piping decorations, chill for at least 4 hours first.
Be sure to refrigerate confections frosted with cream cheese frosting.
*Both of these are recipes that I developed for my cookbook Confectionately Yours: A Collection of Cookies, Candies & Yummy Confections.
Sunrise Over Poyntz Avenue
Another installment in my effort to capture local sunrises and sunsets. A few quick shots, then home to make breakfast!
I’ve Been Inspired by … Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea is rather exotic for this part of the country. So before now, I have not tried growing it in Kansas. Through her gorgeous photographs of these plants, Sofi from Arabica really got me thinking about how much I miss tropical bougainvilleas. When I lived in California, I loved seeing these colorful plants climbing in all kinds of places. So last week I purchased a petite specimen called Bengal Orange at one of our local garden centers. Bengal Orange supposedly only gets to be 18 inches tall but can grow up to 8 feet wide. I planted it in a terra cotta pot and am going to try to train it to grow along our “back porch” – a tiny space off my office where I do container gardening. The bougainvillea is a bright and cheerful addition. Thank you Sofi for the inspiration! I’ve since come across several other posts about bougainvilleas that I have “liked”: Smell the Flowers, Ramblings by Robin Scanlon, Gardening in the Lines, and The Make Shoppe. Here are a few photos of Bengal Orange. Oh, and since pretty Penny was keeping me company while I planted it, I had to include a picture of her too.
A Taste of Morning 