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Pumpkin Extravaganza!

I was in a pumpkin cooking mood today. First I made pumpkin muffins. Using my beloved Susan B. Komen KitchenAid mixer being that it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and all. I love this mixer. Well anyone that has a KitchenAid loves it but this one is PINK. Utter, lovely pinkness. Rick gave it to me "not for Christmas!!" – he knew I really wanted one but didn’t want to be pegged as that guy that gives his wife appliances for gifts so even though he gave it to me on Dec. 25th – it wasn’t a Christmas present. Okay – got it.

My grandmother was a breast cancer survivor. I say was because she has since passed away. Of old age. She was 93 when she died. She was also diagnosed in her 80’s. It’s never too late to get checked. It’s never too late to get treatment. It’s never too late to get past it. You know the drill ladies, Get Checked.

I wish I could say the muffins turned out fabulously but they were rather bland and not as pumpkin-y or spicy as I was hoping.

Because I only used a small amount out of the large can of pumpkin puree I decided to make my favorite pumpkin soup with the rest. I used the recipe out of the Susan Branch Vineyard Seasons cookbook. I can make this soup in my sleep. You are really supposed to cook a fresh pumpkin but in a hurry you can use canned puree. Works for me anyway. I sure wish Susan Branch would come out with a new cookbook. I have all of her books and love her drawings and handwritten recipes. And that she is so unabashedly not low cal or low fat.

So soup was lovely. Muffins not so much.

Shopping

I just spent a frustrating lunch hour. In the city of Roseville, near where I live, there is an older downtown area. It could be really charming. It probably was, during its hey days. The houses were all built in the 20’s and there is the old Tower Theater which looks straight out of the 30’s. The city is trying to revitalize the area but there is a new shopping center nearby with a Nordstrom, a Macy’s, mega bookstores and food court and it I fear it is drawing people away from the historic part of town. What once was the heart of the city is turning into a ghost town.

My son used to take guitar lessons off of the main street and while I was waiting for him I would often stroll down the street and poke in the shops that were there. This was about three years ago. Even back then most stores were empty. But there was a booming antique trade with a number of large stores along a three block area. So today I decide to head down there (mainly to see if I could find any interesting bedside tables). And they are gone. There are a couple of 2nd hand clothing stores (not really my thing) and one antique store featuring military collectibles (also not my thing). The rest – gone.

I love finding unique stores that don’t carry the same exact thing every other store carries. I love that feeling you get when you find something that you didn’t know you needed until you laid eyes on it. I have a few stores that never fail me. These aren’t chains and they don’t have online shopping for the most part – but if you happen to live near one or are planning a visit make sure to pop in. You never know what you might find.

Last November a few of us took a trip to Disneyland and our last day there we stopped at Roger’s Gardens in Corona Del Mar, CA. If I had known what I was in for I would have saved an entire day to go through the place. It is absolutely amazing. They have an incredible holiday shop each year and I spent the rest of my vacation money on Christmas ornaments. My youngest was with us and he refused to set foot in the place. Every now and then I would get a call from him from the parking lot "Mom! An entire BUSLOAD of old people just arrived, you should get out of there." When we left (after just an hour) there was a woman getting out of a limousine. The shops are what interested me the most but I would like to go back in the Springtime and really take a look at the gardens. They have the original bandstand from Disneyland there.

Another garden/shops combination I like is Wisteria Antiques and Aptos Gardens in Soquel, CA. This is actually two businesses sharing the same space. There are several buildings on the acre property, including an old house where antique furniture and accessories can be found. It’s always fun to look but rather pricy. My favorite part is the gardens. For inspiration and the occasional little treasure like my sleeping cherub. Beautiful plants, outdoor structures and furniture. The last time I was there they had several miniature gardens that were so incredibly detailed. Teeny pergolas and picket fences surrounding miniature bonsai’d plants (is that redundant? Miniature bonsai?) – all in containers that are about 18" across. A perfect, little garden.

For sheer fun there is I Love Funky’s in Fort Atkinson, WI – with both antiques and new treasures. That is where I picked up the mosiac bowl. I also bought a small silver tray that I keep on my vanity. There is a nice restaurant downstairs too. With an actual brig from an old ship. How on earth do you suppose they got their hands on that? The last time I was at Funky’s they had a antique french hanging wire chair. I have never fallen in love with a piece of garden furniture like that but it was amazing. Of course it wouldn’t fit in my suitcase and even though I probably could have justified the $695 price tag (a bargain!) I couldn’t afford to ship it home. Alas.

Well no shopping for me this weekend. I think my weekend is going to involve roofing. Rick was telling me something alarming about tying a rope around my waist in case I slip off the covered bridge.

I wanted to be on lemonade detail, not actually UP THERE in danger or anything.

Tour Eiffel

This is my last Eiffel Tower – I swear. This one was too cute to resist though and look how adorably it came packaged. I ordered it from Inspire Company and for a dollar extra I could have it gift wrapped. Who doesn’t like a present? So even though it was for me I had it gift wrapped and had a little card attached. From me to me.

It’s going into my Paris room. It’s not really over the top with the Paris theme – just a few Eiffel towers and my favorite – a picture of moi in front the the real Eiffel Tower taken circa 1969. That’s me with the red coat on the right.

I try not to get to locked into a theme when I’m decorating – or be too timid either – just mix it all up. I wouldn’t know how to describe my style – it’s a little bit of Rachel Ashwell, Trish Foley and my Mother all rolled into one. I have an addiction to decorating magazines. I lament the dearly departed Victoria Magazine. Gah! I loved that magazine. Right now I read Cottage Living, Country Living and Country Home (I can never remember which one it is I like better so I buy both when they come out), Martha Stewart’s Living, Romantic Homes – which was fabulous, then their Editor Eileen Paulin (no relation) left and there was a year or two where the magazine went rapidly downhill. Now under the tutelage of editor Jacqueline deMontravel they seem to be getting their mojo back. I also like Domino and Home Companion.

I like having an open door policy with the things that make it into my house – I’ve never cared for a house that is totally decorated in one style and one style only. All Shaker all the time. Or all Asian. I’m sure for the people that live there it must be very comforting and soothing. For me I like to rest my eye on a beloved object and just hope that in the grand scheme of things it works in my little abode.

Edited to add a picture of the room just so you can see it’s not dripping in Eiffel Towers. I’m not entirely sure how it got the Paris room moniker in the first place. I just bought the vintage chenille bedspread. I’m going for Grandma chic in the room even though it doesn’t look like I’ll be a Grandmother anytime soon. I just want it to look like the kind of room you would stay in when visiting your beloved Grandmother. I have got to get rid of those stupid round little tables. They were meant as a temporary bedside table and it’s been about three years now. On my to do list – find nice bedside chests. And the cliched Monet print – okay time to move on from that. Sheesh – nothing like putting your house on view to make you notice all its flaws.

Food

I keep meaning to do a food post. But then I get ready to cook dinner and the next thing I know it’s over with and I haven’t taken a single picture. I think my posts need pictures.

And I didn’t cook Brussel sprouts. God no. My niece*, who is willowy and pretty much fat-free, and would actually eat such a thing, brought them to cook for my father. What I did make was a fabulously easy – embarassingly easy – quiche. My sister’s recipe, actually. The niece’s mother – who was off aprender español for the evening. Anyway – the recipe couldn’t be easier and it is a fool-proof quiche.

*Growing up my niece was the ANTI Miss Clark. All she would eat was white food. It amazes me the things she will eat and claim to actually LIKE – like raw cow tongue. And brussel sprouts. And she writes about food now. Who would have thought?

Buy a prepared pie crust. Unless you feel strongly about making your own, from scratch, pie dough. This quiche is all about the easy so prepared works for me. Pre-bake it for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile mix the custard. Two whole eggs plus two additional egg yolks. 1 cup cream, 1 cup milk. Salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg (I hate when recipes call for a pinch. What is that exactly? The nutmeg container had a top with holes in it and I shook it three times over the eggs and milk). Whisk together. Grate 4 oz. of Jarlsburg or Swiss cheese (about a cup). When the crust is done pre-baking take it out of the oven and layer sliced tomato and onion rings (and by onion rings I mean the battered, frozen, Ore Ida variety) in the crust then top with the cheese. Pour the custard over the top until it is about 1/4" below the edge.

Since I have never made a quiche that didn’t have extra custard I decided to take a shallow ramekin and make a crustless quiche (for the willowy niece). I slightly buttered (I SWEAR – it was the teeniest amount of butter) the ramekin and layered tomato, onion rings and cheese then poured the left over custard mixture over the top.

I placed both quiches on a cookie sheet and baked at 375 for about 45 minutes.

Since I never can manage to take an after picture of anything I cook – here is the before:

Trust me when it came out of the oven it was golden brown and lovely looking. You can tell when it’s done by inserting a knife and having it come out clean. I also kind of poke at it make sure it’s not too jiggly.

The Brussel sprouts – heck I have no clue. I think they were quartered and tossed onto a baking sheet and put in the oven for a while. Someone ate them all but it sure as heck wasn’t me.

Home Ec

Click on picture to see enlarged version

Is Home Economics even a required course for girls anymore? I can remember my 8th grade Home Ec teacher quite clearly. Miss Clark. The first half of the year we did sewing arts and the second half of the year we did cooking. I can still hear Miss Clark’s voice in my head every single time I plate up food – admonishing us to make our meals pleasing to the eye, as well as the palate. No all beige food was her credo.

I was better at the cooking than I ever was at the sewing. As is the case these days, still. I want to sew, to embroider, to knit and I do have a basic grasp of the skills but it isn’t intuitive to me. And I’m afraid to admit I’m really impatient. I want the end result NOW. That’s why my projects tend to be small so I can whip them out quickly before my spirit lags.

I’m dying for this line of fabric by Heather Bailey to be available. I might even be convinced to make an entire bed sized quilt with colorway 2. When I look at the pictures on her website I want to crawl right into the picture and rest my cheek on any one of those stacks of fabric.

The picture above is my mother’s Home Ec class some time in the mid to late 30’s. She’s the one mid stitch with her hand pulling the thread taut. She was quite accomplished in the domestic arts. She was a fabulous cook for one and very adventuresome. She was making turkey mole in our 60’s suburban neighborhood when the rest of the kids on the block were eating Chef Boyardee. She took French cooking classes and I can remember sitting in front of our old black and white television with her watching Julia Child. I think the Las Vegas tag line of ‘"what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" was stolen directly from Julia. There was an episode where she dropped an entire chicken or something like that on the floor and she just looked straight at the camera and said something to the effect that no one needs to be privy to ALL the goings on in the kitchen. Then she dusted off the chicken and put it on a serving platter.

My mother was also a very accomplished knitter. I can knit flat things. Like a scarf. Or a…scarf. She would do entire sweaters. I can remember a sweater she knit for me that I got to design. I selected the yarn, a marled turquoisy green with flecks of all kinds of other color twisted in. I wanted a big daisy on the front of it. She knit the sweater then commisioned a neighbor down the street to crochet the daisy which she then appliqued on. That was one beautiful sweater.

I actually pulled out my knitting last week only to discover I lost one of my knitting needles. I crank out one scarf every 18 months or so. By the time I finish it I am so sick of the yarn I can’t bring myself to wear it. The trick (aside from working a lot faster) is to get really fabulous yarns to work with. The colors and textures have to be swoon worthy in order to keep my interest. My current project is a pale pink chenille type yarn from England that I’m knitting with a carry along eyelash yarn in ivory.

I’ll get right back to this project just as soon as I find that knitting needle.

I would love to learn how to crochet but there aren’t any crocheters in our family. My grandmother tried to teach me but finally told me I was too tense and was making my stitches too tight and that I might consider taking up another hobby instead. I’m also left handed which makes it trickier to learn. Can you teach yourself to crochet? I’m more of a monkey see monkey do learner but I suppose I could try.

The real reason I want to learn how to crochet is because I ~~need~~ want this.

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