So.....

It's been over a year since I last posted....perhaps time to bring the blog back in a more focused format - I'm thinking cooking, traveling and gardening.

To start off slowly, here's one of my favorite plant facts
http://www.nextnature.net/2009/08/why-are-carrots-orange-it-is-political/

Irish Soda Bread

Last weekend I actually made two types of Irish Soda Bread: A more traditional one and the one pictured above with fruit in it. Both were delicious, but I think this was the better of the two, served plain or with some Irish butter.

1 cup golden raisins and/or currants
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. fine salt
4 TBS cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Put the raisins and currants in a bowl and cover with hot water for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cake flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter using your hands and work it into flour mixture. Stir in the currants.

Add the buttermilk and stir with a spatula, just until the flour is moistened and comes together in a shaggy dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead lightly until just smooth, about 2 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and place on the center of the prepared baking sheet.

Using a sharp knife cut a 1/4-inch-deep "X" into the top of the dough. Bake until well browned, about 1 hour.

(adapted from a Food Network recipe)

ooops...guess I took a little hiatus. I haven't had much good news to share. The economy sucks.

We went to 7 fishes at Toscano tonight and the food was even better than previous years, just a little emptier.

Hmmm....don't really know what to post anymore. Off from work today to use up my vacation days. R was supposed to be off as well so we could go golfing, but he had some new guy starting at work today. Eh, it's kind crummy out anyway. It's cold in the house, but still warm enough that I don't want to fire up the heat yet.

Riveting, I know.

Green acres is the place for me

So at Lowe's today I was looking for a gardening magazine to browse today. My choices were down to Better Homes and Gardens or Mother Earth News.

I went over to R and was about to hand him my choice and he said " You chose the hippie magazine, didn't you?"

It tells you how to make your own cheese! We had a very farm-ful weekend. First was a trip to Willow Creek Orchards for lots of yummy organic produce and other local food (R 'forced' me to buy 2 small pies, so I retaliated with a turkey pot pie from Griggstown Quail Farm). Next was a trip to Merrymead Dairy for milkshakes (Cappucino Crunch & Mint Chocolate chip) and our milk for the week. We finished with our weekly Skippack Farmer's market trip. I don't think we've been to the Supermarket for a few weeks now....

off to Brigantine for Lars' wedding!

where's E?

haven't been posting in a while so here are some pictures from Italy. Not the best ones I took while there - just a few random ones I picked without looking at : )






eh, I've been having one of those months.