Winter doldrums

My body must be tired of winter. I have a craving for all things citrus. Yes, I know, here in North America, winter is the season when citrus fruits are at their most abundant. And cheapest. I suspect it has something to do with the growing season in the parts of the world where citrus fruits are grown. But I digress.

Thinking about oranges, lemons, etc. makes me think of summer. Might it have something to do with my summer drink of gin and tonic, with a wedge of lime? Perhaps. Regardless, right now, I can’t get enough of those citrus flavours. I’m drinking two or three large glasses of orange juice instead of my usual one small glass, used to wash down my multi-vitamin. I bought a jar of lemon curd, thinking I’d make a yummy sounding ginger cake with lemon frosting. That jar is now empty. Turns out lemon curd is delicious on toast.

I was in Target yesterday, and whilst standing in the check-out line, I was sorely tempted to buy a bag of gummy fruits, knowing full well I’d eat only the orange, green and yellow pieces. My mouth is watering right now thinking of the sweet/tart taste.

Yesterday afternoon, I gave in to my yearning. I also had a bunch of sad looking Clementine’s that needed using, so it was the perfect excuse. I went online, as you do, to search for a yummy recipe that involved oranges and cake, and found this. Oh my golly good heavens above, it is some good. I altered the recipe only in that I poked holes in the cake with a fork and drizzled the very hot glaze over the still warm cake while it was in the pan. Moist, orangey deliciousness.

I think a slice would make a great afternoon snack. So glad you agree with me.

I made brownies.

I know, not exactly a "stop the presses" moment. I've made brownies more times than I can remember. From scratch and by doctoring a mix.

But the brownies I made yesterday may just be the best brownies ever made, ever.

I wanted to make something for dessert for the evening meal and I was undecided. I flipped through a couple of cookbooks, including one that is a collection of 100 varieties of a basic cookie recipe (many of which I've made, and they are yummy). Nothing piqued my interest.

So I went online and headed to one of my favourite sites, Good Food. I did a search for cakes and chocolate, because if it isn't chocolate, well, then, pshaw! And I found Fudgy Coconut Brownies. Oh my, good heavens, holy moly. The recipe is written for those in the UK, and, fortunately, I have a food scale so didn't have to do any brain-hurting conversions.

These brownies are rich, chocolatey, and buttery. The coconut is not at all overpowering, but just gives it a little bit of something extra. I believe I've finally found my go-to brownie recipe.

Being a "foodie"

One of the best uses for the internet, in my opinion, is finding interesting cooking and baking recipes. I visit about a half dozen food blogs everyday to see what's cooking and to get ideas. I have a few butternut squash languishing in my cold room so it was fortuitous when I ran across this recipe:
Fettucine with Roasted Butternut Squash

I whipped this up last evening, and it looked EXACTLY like the picture (minus the pine nuts, because I didn't have any). It was also delicious. This was a meal that wouldn't have passed the taste test for Son2 (there's no meat, hehe) but for hubby and me it was perfect.

Something interesting in the comments section of the recipe caught my eye. Several people remarked that their hands got extremely dry after handling the squash. Now, I've cooked squash innumerable times and have never noticed this happening to me, but the idea lurked in my brain. I clasped a vegetable peeler in my right hand (I'm disgustingly right-handed), and held the squash in my left. After chopping the squash, I rinsed my hands. Continued with the prep, ate the meal (did I mention it was delicious?) and by the time I stacked the dishes in the washer the skin on my left hand was tight, dry and rough.

Back to the internet I went, and this is what I found.

Banana bread

Even better, chocolate-chip banana bread. Need I say more?

My boys love a nice thick slice with breakfast. And with lunch. And in that long gap between lunch and supper.

I got the original recipe for banana bread from my mom. Of course I've tweaked it a bit. The original instructions called for separating the eggs, then folding in the stiffly beaten whites before baking. I don't bother with the separating, but I do beat the dickens out of the butter/sugar/egg mixture, much like you do when making a cake. I think that incorporates enough air, and I stand by my decision.

My other tweak is adding a cup of mini chocolate chips. Regular size chocolate chips work too, but I find the mini chips distribute more evenly, and the bread is a tad easier to cut.

So without further ado...

Chocolate-chip Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup milk
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

In bowl of mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Stir in mashed bananas.

In separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir into banana mixture, alternating with the milk. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, batter will be thick. Bake for at least 1 hour. My oven needs 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cake tester or toothpick should come out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely.

I firmly believe this makes a perfect breakfast. You've got the fruit, the carbs and the protein (from the eggs). For added protein, spread a slice with peanut butter. Yum!

Blueberries in pie form

I rarely need an excuse to bake dessert. Actually, I never need an excuse. We have something for dessert after every supper, and it's usually home made. Except for ice cream. I need to buy an ice cream maker. I've been meaning to do so for several summers. Anyway...

Our youngest son and the neighbour's oldest girl are heading off to college in a couple of weeks. So we're having the neighbours over for a little shindig to celebrate. Hubby is grilling ribs and I baked a pie.

Being that it's wild blueberry season up here in Maine, I made a blueberry pie. I found this recipe many years ago, clipped it out and stuck it in my recipe scrapbook. Based on the paper, font and style of the clipping, the recipe came from Bon Appetit. I've altered the recipe, because that's what I do. I use a purchased graham cracker crumb pie shell instead of the listed pastry shell. I changed the flavourings in the filling just a smidge. And I left off the crumb/nut topping.

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

Filling:
1 cup sour cream (I used low-fat)
3/4 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
zest from one lemon
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix first 7 ingredients in bowl to blend. Fold in blueberries. Pour into graham crust. Bake until the filling is set, about 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

We have a new oven and it takes a bit longer, about 40 minutes. I look for the sides of the filling to be puffed, with one or two golden spots.

I serve with a dollop (or squirt) of whipped cream and a few fresh berries sprinkled on top.

Fabulous!

Ewww, gross!

I’m not, as a rule, squeamish about bugs and similar critters. I have two boys, and have always enjoyed discovering with them what lives inside rotted logs and under rocks. Son1 once found a praying mantis in the hedge, and fearing the coming frost of late October, brought her inside. We set up a lovely terrarium, purchased crickets for her meals, and enjoyed her company until the following spring.

I regularly capture bugs and spiders inside the house and release them to the great outdoors.

The only bugs I go out of my way to kill (squish, DESTROY!) are those insects that damage the garden. My spring days are spent hunting down and squishing the cutworms who seem to take delight in chopping down my green bean seedlings. While digging in the garden, I collect all the Japanese Beetle grubs I can, and feed them to the chickens. If I’m feeling lazy, I just squish the buggers between my fingers. (This always reminds me of the scene from Lion King when Timon mentions a “cream filling", *giggle*.)

A few days ago, whilst checking out the tomato plants, and rubbing my hands with glee at the coming bounty, I witnessed a sight that struck horror in my soul. Well, maybe not horror, but a definite case of heebie-jeebies. Branches stripped of their foliage, and little mounds of excrement on a few leaves. I knew what this meant.

Tobacco Hornworms, aka ewwww, gross! Ginormous caterpillars that chomp the leaves with their non-horny *giggle* ends, and poop out green goo from their horny ends *snort* . (I’ll stop now.)

What do these slimy (not really) disgusting things have to do with my opening sentence? I’ll tell you. I have a deep, visceral resistance to touching the Hornworms. They are just too damn big. Firm, yet slightly squishy. And they grip the plant with steel talons (not really) so it’s not just a matter of knocking them off. It takes at least a thumb and one finger, sometimes two, and considerable force, to dislodge the b**tards. And then they rear up as if to attack! OMG that’s scary.

I’m not alone in my fight, however. For there is within the wild kingdom of insects a species of beneficial wasps who need to find a nice place to grow their babies.

Those white pellet-y things are the pupae of the wasps, parasitizing the life out of the Hornworm (huzzah!).

The caterpillars covered with their little friends I leave in place, figuring more beneficial wasps will be the result.

The caterpillars without little friends I scrap off into a container, take them out to the road, and drop a brick on their sorry asses.

Side note: the chickens won't touch the Hornworms, and, in fact, flee in terror.

Gettin' nuthin' done

Raise your hand if you think I was being extremely silly to think I could get writing done when the house was full of carpenters.

I guess it’s unanimous.

It’s not only the noise (they’ve got a particular saw that sets my teeth on edge [no pun intended {you know – saw teeth?}]), or that there are several sets of fine masculine muscles wandering around. I just plain like to watch the work. I’d be a shadow if I didn’t know it would be really annoying to the shadow-ee.

It’s best not to annoy those responsible for remodelling the house. In my opinion.