Blueberry Maple Muffins from Eating Well

Like yesterday's Morning Glories, this recipe for Blueberry Maple Muffins comes from Eating Well. My daughter Katie uses Eating Well as a source for healthier versions of her favorite foods. She packed up a batch of these for this weekend's camping trip. What makes them even more special are the blueberries -- grown right here on our own bushes. We just have a few, but they are producing a nice crop of berries as July ends and August is on the horizon. It's definitely blueberry season in Upstate New York!

It's been quiet here at home while Katie, Bill, and the kiddos are camping north of Indian Lake in the Adirondacks, though I've been busy while they're away. Yesterday, I went to a graduation party for the nephew of two good friends, Cathi Jackson and Barbara Doane (sisters). My contribution to the party was the graduation cake. Delos Jackson is a great kid who graduated in June from Hartford (NY) High School where he was very active in sports, but especially basketball. He's a tall, blond stretch of a kid, with sparkling blue eyes and a shy smile. I've known him since he was a very little boy. His Aunt Cathi was my daughter's Girl Scout leader, and Delos and his family joined us on many of our excursions, but I especially remember the fun we had on our trips to Disney World. My sister-in-law Carolyn and I had rented a sporty convertible on that trip, and Delos, then about 8 or 9, loved riding in that car.  He sat in the back, with the top down, on our way back from a day at the beach in Daytona to our hotel, near Orlando. His excitement just made it all the more fun!  Delos is going to start at SUNY Adirondack in the fall, and I know he'll have a great first year of college. His mom Vicky and dad Ken (along with the rest of his family) have a lot to be proud of in Delos.

Hartford High School Colors - Black and Red!

My Saturday night was pretty quiet. I thought of taking a walk on Broadway in Saratoga Springs, THE summer place to be this time of year! Instead, I settled in here in Middle Grove and did some laundry, checked Facebook, watched a little TV, and talked to Russ (our pretty-much nightly ritual in this long-distance relationship - 16 years next month!). Of course, I'd much rather have a face-to-face conversation (especially with his handsome face!), but we'll catch up soon. We both have such busy lives it's a wonder we manage at all! But we do, and it works for us. I sometimes joke that we are the only two people who can put up with each others' crazy schedules! Fortunately, we can.

On this Sunday I look forward to doing a little shopping in preparation for my trip to North Carolina in just two weeks (!). When I get home this afternoon, I'll prepare a dinner for Katie, Bill, and my little men. After three days of camp food, and with today's rainy weather, comfort food like lasagna or meatloaf and mashed potatoes will be a welcome change. Later tonight, it's more baking for my favorite Saratoga hotel, to be dropped off in the early morning before I head to the track. Tomorrow there's a special race sponsored by Skidmore College's Tang Museum (home of my day job!) at the historic Saratoga Race Course, and our entire office staff will be there for the festivities. We'll be hosting an information booth near the paddock, from 10 am - 6 pm, for anyone who wants to stop by to say hello and pick up some Tang merch!

Looks like my quiet morning is leading into a busy couple of days!  Before the busy-ness kicks in, here's the recipe for Katie's Blueberry Maple Muffins, from Eating Well. Hope you are all enjoying a terrific Sunday!


BLUEBERRY MAPLE MUFFINS
very slightly adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:
1/3 cup whole flaxseeds (Katie used flax meal that I keep in my freezer - King Arthur)
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs (ours came from our chicken coop!)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup nonfat buttermilk (or sour 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar - let stand 5 minutes)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest (Katie used lemon)
1 tablespoon orange juice (Katie used fresh lemon juice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries (homegrown!)
1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.

1. Grind flaxseeds in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder or dry blender (Katie used King Arthur Flaxmeal, already ground). Transfer to a large bowl.Add whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; whisk to blend.

2. Whisk eggs and maple syrup in a medium bowl until smooth. Add buttermilk, oil, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla (Katie used lemon zest and juice).  Whisk until blended.

3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

4. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 26 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto wire rack to cool slightly.

Nutrition information from Eating Well:
Per muffin: 208 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 36 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 3 g fiber; 184 mg sodium; 149 mg potassium
Carbohydrate servings: 2
Exhanges: 1 starch, 1/2 other carbohydrate 1 1/2 fat

Link to original recipe:  http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/blueberry_maple_muffins.html

Jam-Packed Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

It's an exciting time in Saratoga Springs! Today marks the opening day of the 150th meet of the historic Saratoga Race Course. The excitement in the air is palpable as locals and visitors anticipate the first "They're off!' at post-time, about 1 p.m. this afternoon.

Summer in Saratoga is exciting. At the Tang Museum at Skidmore College, where since April 1st of this year I put in my 9-to-5, or today, noon-to-8, we're celebrating our summer exhibitions with a kick-off reception tomorrow evening, followed by an old-fashioned barbecue. As the Events Manager, I have a wonderful time planning for such occasions. At a recent staff meeting, I noted that "I feel like I'm getting paid to go to parties!" Indeed, I am, but I also have a share of hefty responsibilities and a hectic schedule that is well suited to my personality, so it's a great gig for me. Sometimes, things do just fall into place!

This is also the time for the annual Saratoga County Fair. My good friend, Catherine Golden, just heard that she won a slew of ribbons (9!) for her entries in the home-made jam competition! I have been  a fan of Catherine's jams for years. My favorite is her apricot jam, though I love all of them. Catherine, a professor of English at Skidmore, is a passionate jam maker. She picks all her own fruits and berries, and has a stash of jams stored in her home that guarantees gifts of jams to her friends for every occasion. I use many of her flavors in my jam thumb print cookies at Christmas time.

Just the other day, I was inspired by Catherine's jams to create a new sandwich. At the Tang, we had a reception Wednesday evening, and one of the appetizers was a mini-grilled cheese sandwich with a layer of apricot jam inside. It was absolutely delicious, and I couldn't wait to get home to try a lunch-sized version of this lovely little sandwich. I tested it out yesterday morning, early, before work. (It became my breakfast!). I think it's a perfect combination of sweet and savory. Try this, either cut into little appetizers or as two big halves on your lunch plate. I bet you'll love it!

JAM-PACKED GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

2 slices of your favorite bread (I used Freihofer's Country White)
2 slices Land-o-Lakes yellow American Cheese
1 tablespoon jam (Apricot is great!)
soft butter

Spread one side of each slice of bread with soft butter.  Place one slice, buttered side down, on med-to-hot griddle or frying pan.  Lay cheese over bread in pan. Spread jam over cheese. Place other slice of bread, buttered side out, on top of cheese.  Grill until nicely golden on the bottom and cheese starts to melt.  Carefully flip (jam can get slippery when it gets warm) and cook on other side until done.

Enjoy your new favorite grilled cheese sandwich!

Labor Day Weekend, Butterflies, and Hattie's Chicken!

Like many people, I am enjoying a 3-day Labor Day weekend.  I do have a bit of baking going on -- namely a 10-inch round 2-layer white cake with buttercream frosting for a friend's friends.  It's a celebration of her family's circle of friends and she asked for something pretty simple.  The cake is baked and will be frosted and decorated tomorrow morning and delivered in the afternoon.  In addition to the celebration cake, I have scones baking in the oven right now which is very typical Saturday night action in my home!  You've all seen my scones a gazillion times before, so I'll spare you another display of this buttery indulgence.  Tomorrow's cake will warrant a few photos, and I'll be happy to share as it comes together.

Today was not all about baking.  It was also about a little trip to a local tree nursery, Bob's Trees in Galway, New York, where Katie, the boys, and I had a great time looking at pretty evergreens (Katie wants to plant a "Christmas Tree" as part of her outdoor landscaping around her house).  The real attraction, though, was the abundance of Monarch butterflies which have chosen Bob's Trees as a layover point between their original point of departure and Mexico.  I was so amazed when I learned on an NPR segment that Monarch butterflies fly all the way from Canada, and south to cross the Gulf of Mexico in order to reach their destination.  When I look at their little bodies and delicate wing structures, I wonder how they are able to accomplish such an impressive feat.  Pete was joyful at the sight of the butterflies, which at first he called "birdies" but then,  in Pete-speak, fabricated his own version of "butterfly."  He and Henry ran after them with enthusiasm, but without enough speed or skill to actually capture one (good thing - I'd hate to be responsible for a missed trip to Mexico).  I got some good pictures of the chase of the butterflies:

Joyful!

Pete chasing butterflies!

After that, we had a full afternoon with lunch at Hattie's Chicken in Wilton (the satellite version of the famous downtown Saratoga Springs restaurant).  I had a really delicious house salad with a scoop of chicken salad and Hattie's own buttermilk ranch dressing.  Amazing!  Katie had a chicken sandwich with coleslaw as a garnish, and the boys had real chicken fingers and fries.  It was terrific and a place I'll go back to again and again!

Katie said, "I'm getting that next time!"

Hattie's cool restaurant!

After lunch, we made a quick trip to Home Depot where Katie and I bought some mums and pretty pots, wanting to make everything look pretty before my daughter Tricia's bridal shower in a few weeks.  When we came home, Katie planted some new (and transplated some old) bushes and plants in front of her house.  Henry had decided to take four mum plants and, in his own way, set them in the ground, spaced evently, with their little spikey description tags right along side (adorable!).  When he was all done, Katie helped by digging the holes a little deeper and setting them into the ground, since they wouldn't have survived an hour with their entire root ball above ground level!

Henry's plantings... (plus one acorn he found
that will become a giant oak tree!)

I look forward to the next two days of this long weekend, but with a little bit of apprehension as I wait for my daughters Meghan and Tricia to complete their cross-country drive from LA to home, something they're doing in just 4 days.  Meghan will be home for the first time in over a year, and Tricia flew out to meet her in order to keep her company on the long drive east.  I wont' relax until I see them standing right in front of me!

Early tomorrow morning (Sunday) we're headed to The Saratoga Race Track to watch the thoroughbreds' morning workout.  I haven't been to the track this season (6 weeks every summer) and the last day is Monday, so we're cutting it close.  It should be very exciting for Henry and Peter, and I will take pictures (big shocker!).

Hope you all enjoy a  relaxing Labor Day weekend.  All the best!

And Tomorrow, They're Off!!!!

David Letterman does it.  So does Jay Leno.  Even Oprah.  Every now and then a repeat is featured.  Today I'm re-running a post from last July 29 which was Opening Day for the historic Saratoga Race Course.  Things are starting a little bit earlier this year, and tomorrow is the first day of racing.  I thought you might enjoy reading today's rerun of last year's Opening Day post, just in time for tomorrow's big day:

When Saratoga Race Course opens for the season, there’s a lot of talk about how the city comes alive with all the associated excitement due to social goings-on and increased tourism, business and traffic.

For local residents, the change to our community is measurable in the simple things, like how long it takes to drive from one end of Broadway to the other, and many of us devise alternate routes for six weeks. While traffic is high on the list of locals’ complaints, I welcome much of what comes with racing season. During this late summer run, the vitality of our downtown is palpable. Sometimes it’s nice to get a new perspective on our home town by “playing tourist” and taking a day to experience Saratoga the way our visitors do – breakfast at the track, a stroll down Broadway going in and out of shops, lunch outside a restaurant under a canopy watching the world go by, maybe a visit to the Racing Museum. We full-time residents take a lot for granted here in Saratoga Springs. How many of us have enjoyed all it has to offer?

The New York Racing Association’s on-line Media Guide (found at www.nyra.com) devotes pages 13-16 to Saratoga Race Course, and its page on the history of Saratoga reads:

“Thoroughbred racing has no finer setting than Saratoga Race Course, named one of the world’s greatest sporting venues by Sports Illustrated. For six weeks every summer, the past comes alive in the historic grandstand as fans experience not only the best in racing, but the unmatched ambiance and charm of historic Saratoga Springs.”
The article continues:

“Already famous for its mineral baths, Saratoga held its first thoroughbred meet just a month after the Battle of Gettysburg. Staged by gambler, casino owner, ex-boxing champion and future Congressman John “Old Smoke” Morrissey and beginning on August 3, 1863, the four-day meet drew thousands of locals and tourists who saw Lizzie W. defeat Captain Moore in the best-of-three series of races…Emboldened by the success of the first meet, Morrissey promptly enlisted his friends John R. Hunter, William Travers and Leonard Jerome to form the Saratoga Association. Its first responsibility was the construction of a new, permanent grandstand on the current site of Saratoga Race Course. Across the street, the “old course” became the barn area known as Horse Haven, with the vestiges of the original track still encircling the stables.”

And later:

“Today, looking over the jam-packed backyard and grandstand on any sunny summer afternoon, it’s hard to fathom that racing at Saratoga once teetered on the brink of extinction. In the early 1960s, there was a movement to conduct summer racing exclusively at the new and modern Aqueduct Racetrack. But in 1962, New York State Governor W. Averill Harriman, who owned Log Cabin Stud, signed “The Harriman Law,” which mandated a minimum of 24 race days at Saratoga every year.”

From the New York Bred website, I found this:

An 1863 description of the track could still be written today:

". . . The main street of the place is a wide and handsome one. It is chiefly composed of hotels which are very large, well adapted to the comfort of summer visitors and no doubt well kept. We soon learned that all the hotels were full . . .The race course is well situated and quite near enough to the town. You can stand in the stable doors and look over a rich cultivated valley, many miles in width, to purple hills curtained with light summer haze far beyond."

My own personal connection to Saratoga Racecourse is that if it weren’t here, I wouldn’t be here. Not in terms of existing, but in terms of location. My father’s father, Valerian O’Farrell, and his family spent every summer in Saratoga Springs. Valerian O’Farrell was a famous New York City detective and loved the horses. There’s a lot of information about him now on Google, and, if you’re interested, you can do a search or read a little about him here.

My father had such fond memories of his own childhood summers in Saratoga that he and my mother decided to raise their family here. He used to take us, all seven children, to the backstretch and introduce us to people—horse owners, trainers, and track workers—his father had known. We’d be given carrots and told to open our hands flat to feed the horses. I was always afraid I’d lose a finger, but it was exciting and a special time in our lives.

Had it not been for the track, my family would never have arrived here, and my life would have played out very differently. I think of that almost every time I drive by the racecourse’s beautiful grounds on Union Avenue, aware that my family’s personal history is intertwined with that of this historic place, and knowing that my father, too, was grateful for the connection.


Photo credit: http://www.racing.saratoga.ny.us/postcards/pc18.jpg
NYBred quote: http://www.nybreds.com/racing/trackhistory.html