Soft Orange Custard, Cool and Citrusy!

Wanting to coordinate a light dessert with this blog's summer make-over, I searched the web for something cool, creamy, and full of citrus flavor.  I found it on Taste of Home's Web site in  their recipe for Soft Orange Custard.  Just follow the link to find the recipe.

Taste of Home's Soft Orange Custard!

I love custards.  They remind me of growing up.  My mom used to make something called Junkett Rennet Custard in flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.  We loved it.  I used to make baked egg custards for my own children when they were young.  Custard pie, and coconut custard pie, rank right up there among desserts I MUST have if they are on the menu!  Custards also remind me of a stand that we'd stop at near the Catskill Game Farm where soft-serve was then "frozen custard."  It was always something when my Dad would go up to the window and order 9 cones!  A good 50-plus years later (yikes!), I still remember the cool, rich, creaminess of that frozen custard.  Most people probably remember family outings by location or event -- I remember the foods we ate (big shocker!)...

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it has good reviews, and the photo (from Taste of Home's site) is just soooo pretty!  I think that alone provides all the credibility necessary for my recommendation to you.  What a lovely dessert it would be for company, or just you!


Recipe and Photo Credit:  http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Soft-Orange-Custard

The Sweet Life ~ A Beautiful Wedding & A Family Vacation

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bishop!

Just having returned from the beautiful wedding of my nephew Jack Bishop and Kristin Grimsgaard, memories of each little facet of the wedding, and those precious days before and after, continue to play over and over in my head.  Wanting to remember every single detail of what was a joyous and poignant moment in the lives of this young couple, as well as all  who were there as witness, has me focusing on the highlights of the evening (and the entire six days we were there).  The setting was The Addison in Boca Raton, Florida.  Here's a synopsis of how we experienced this past week and the memories of this time that many will take with us as Jack and Kristin move forward in their married life together.

July 4th:  After the exciting first-ever flight for Henry and Peter, we (being me, son Jeff, daughter Katie, son-in-law Bill, and Hank and Pete) arrived at our hotel and later joined Jack and Kristin and their families for a cook-out at the marina where Kristin's parents, Curt and Sherry, live in their house boat (beautiful!). I was especially happy to see my brother Danny and his wife Suzette there, in from California.  It's been too long since we've seen each other.  It was a great time with an all-American barbecue and all the fixings, and later we watched fireworks over the ocean from lawn chairs in the marina parking lot.  Henry and Peter loved it!

July 5th:
Early Thursday morning Henry agreed to go with me to the hotel pool (Embassy Suites, Deerfield Beach) where he met 5-year old twins Archer and Brody.  The ice breaker was when Brody approached Henry saying, "We have the same swim trunks" - all three boys were wearing identical Star Wars bathing suits. They became fast friends and played in the pool together each day until the twins and their parents checked out a few days later.  We also ventured to the beach that day, a gorgeous strip across the drive from the back of the hotel.  Henry loved (Pete didn't) the beach and the sand.  He especially loved jumping over the waves.  Our hotel hosted a happy hour every night, where we met family and relaxed for a while.  After happy hour that night, we drove to the Mai Kai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale where we feasted on tropical drinks and dishes.  Henry and Peter especially enjoyed the walk through the gardens with waterfalls and lighted Tiki torches!  It was getting late, and Henry fell asleep before he could finish his dinner.  Little brother Pete powered through.

Deerfield Beach, F-L-A!

Henry in the surf!

July 6th:
After morning pool and beach time, we ventured out to a local sea-turtle exhibit (which was lacking sea turtles because their expired permit had not yet been renewed) but it was fun nonetheless.  We saw other aquatic life, and took a walk on a boardwalk that wound around and through a wooded, marshy area.  Katie was horrified by the spiders and their huge webs.  It was a good afternoon, but we were happy to return to the air-conditioned car and  head back to the hotel.   Dinner that night was at the Whale's Rib, a really funky, 70s-ish era seafood restaurant/bar where I ordered a Caesar salad with crab cakes.  The kids were great, though Henry again fell asleep half way through dinner.  Something tells me we wore that kid out!

July 7th, THE BIG DAY:
The Wedding!!!  7 p.m. at The Addison in Boca Raton.  A visually beautiful setting.  Add to that a beautiful bride, her so-handsome groom, proud fathers, and the two best-looking and happy mothers of the bride and groom, and it was magical.  These are two special families, and I'm not just saying that.  Kristin is the eldest of four daughters.  Jack is the eldest of four sons.  The love and respect the siblings have for one another, their parents, and for their families-by-marriage, is evident.  It's as if these families had lived somewhat parallel lives and their joining is meant to be, and so easily understood.  This new expanded family will have many years of happy life to experience together, and I am excited to see what unfolds in their combined future. (and once again, Henry fell asleep and Pete partied on!)...

Here are just a few memories of that amazing evening:

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

July 8th.  Wind-down day.
It's a little anti-climactic, the day after a wedding.  People are still in a post-wedding happy stupor of sorts.  There may be a little sentiment of a bittersweet nature, realizing (for mothers,especially) that your child has moved on and things won't ever be the same again.  Yet,  you've done all you can to prepare them for the life ahead, trust them to make good decisions, and hold back a little when your opinion could help, because you want them to figure it out for themselves.  The day after the wedding has one thinking, "OK, that was great! What happens next?" after so many months of planning and anticipation.  My sister and her husband have much ahead this year, with their youngest son headed to college in August, a move from their current home pending, as well as all the details of everyday life we all manage.  After an afternoon excursion with our contingent to the Palm Beach Zoo, I finally caught up with Anne later in the afternoon.  She joined us at happy hour, and soon most of the family was gathered together. It was fun to relive happy moments of the wedding -- how beautiful it was, how gorgeous Kristin looked, Ben's terrific Best Man toast to his brother and new wife, how great the food was at The Addison, and THE DANCING:  Our brother Danny (O'Farrell) had everyone laughing with his entertaining dance moves, and it was a lively party all night long.

On this post-wedding evening, we went separate ways for dinner, with my group walking about a mile up the beach to JB's on the Beach, where we enjoyed a great meal and live music.  Our return trip to the hotel, on the walkway along the beach as dusk fell, was so nice.  The sky was in that just-before-dark glow of late day, lamp posts were lit, and there was a refreshing breeze coming off the ocean.  Beach-goers were packing up their cars, saying good-bye to a beautiful day.  I leisurely pushed the stroller through it all, and walked behind Katie, Bill, and Jeff.  Henry hummed all the way back, and Pete said "hi" to everyone we passed.  Back at the hotel, Henry and Pete enjoyed a cool bath, and were soon sound asleep.  We packed our bags for our trip home (reluctantly!), though Bill and I kept our swimsuits out in the hopes of an early morning dip in the ocean before heading to the airport.

This morning, July 9th:
7:15 a.m.:  I hear, "Jeannie, are you awake?" It was Bill, ready to go to the beach with his new snorkel gear. We were out the door in 5 minutes.  The water was calm as could be.  We were the only ones out there.  Bill went out into the water first, and saw a bunch of little fish.  Then he handed the equipment to me, and I gave it a shot, though I don't have the breathe/blow/water/don't suck in water thing down very well!  I opted for just the mask and stayed in shallow water where there were schools of small fish darting back and forth.  I gave Bill his equipment back and after a few minutes, he asked me to check out the fish that were tickling his ankles!  These were about 6-inches long and had a neon yellow spine along their back.  They were playful, and not at all afraid of Bill's hand attempting to swat them away.  Then they started on me!  I swear they did nip at me, and it feels like a misquito bit me!  After that I was a little freaked out because they followed my feet so we got out and got ready for our journey home, thus ending a beautiful six-day break from reality all centered around the wedding of Jack and Kristin.

I am so grateful I was able to spend this time with precious family and friends, and that Henry and Peter's first flight is attached to such a wonderful memory.  I don't know that they will be able to recall this week when they are older, but I will tell them about it often, and continue to share the joy of this wonderful occasion.

And before I part, just a few more extra memories, and then on to anticipating the joyful celebration of my own daughter Tricia's wedding to her fiance Jeff in October!  And you KNOW I'll be writing about that!

Let the happiness continue!

HAPPY MARRIAGE, JACK AND KRISTIN!

I love you both, so much.

Aunt Jeannie

Rounding Out June 2012 and Lemon Scones

There's less than an hour left to June 2012, and I am looking forward to July.  One week from today, my  nephew Jack marries his love, Kristin, and I can't wait to be there to witness their marriage.  In less than four months, my daughter Tricia will marry her fiance Jeff, and it's so exciting to realize that these happy celebrations are almost upon us.  What seemed to be far in the future is suddenly here!  There is so much eventful life happening in our families these days, with the birth of three great-nephews in the last three weeks (Drew Ryan Britten, Breccan Robert Eddy, and Daniel Gordon Eddy) and now the marriages of my nephew and later this year, my daughter.

With the demands of work life and after-work life, sometimes I don't take time to smell the roses.  Days begin and proceed and end with barely a moment for reflection.  Over the next few months, I will be sure to stop and be conscious of all that is around me, all that is taking place in a specific moment in time, and reflect on those things that matter most:  family, friends, and time spent together.

When I'm taking my final breaths, I'm sure I won't be patting myself on the back for all those extra hours I stayed at the office.  I hope, if I can't remember anything, that my grandsons will be reading these blog posts back to me and once again sharing all the precious moments that really mattered.  That's what I hope to capture here now and then, not just recipes but moments worth remembering.

Happy July everyone!  To greet the month, here's a collage of tonight's baking project: lemon-filled scones.  I posted the recipe back in March, so this is nothing new, but I made them tonight, they're pretty, and they deserve one evening's spotlight!

Lemon-filled Scones!

Graduations, Babies, and Connections!

Hard to believe it's been thirteen days since my last post.  We had a problem with our internet connection, since we don't have Roadrunner or cable.  Our provider (that company that starts with a big "V") when contacted told my daughter that the problem could only be repaired by a house call (actually road/telephone pole call), and finally, today it was resolved.  It's been a long, almost-two-weeks, fast from the internet at home.  While I was able to connect at work and also on my Windows phone to at least get email and check facebook, I wasn't saavy or patient enough to attempt composing an actual blog post on a phone!  Thought I'd just ride out the technology snafu and here we are, at last reconnected.  The repairman told my daughter Katie that a wire out by the road had actually worn out or shorted out, and thus our blackout.  Like anything else, you don't realize how much you miss it until it's gone.  Recharged, it was fun to watch Henry and Pete participate in a Skype call with their daddy tonight before they went to bed.  Two little boys were very excited to see their father on the computer screen (first time), and were talking simultaneously.  They are new to Skype and once they figured out how to see and hear each other at the same time, it went very well.  It's a great way for families to communicate at a distance.

Over the past two weeks, a lot has happened.  I have two new great-nephews!  On the O'Farrell side, my nephew Adam Britten and his wife Rebecca welcomed their second son, Drew Ryan, on June 14th, weighing in at just over 9 lbs.!  Then  yesterday, on the Eddy side, my nephew Roddy and his wife Emily also welcomed a second son, Breccan Robert (at a whopping 9 lbs., 11 oz.!).  It's been a good year for babies in this family!  And tomorrow, also on the Eddy side, my nephew Gordon and his wife Mary will be having their second baby boy, Daniel.  An abundance of little fellas!

During the internet draught, a lot of baking also took place.  This past weekend I made three cakes.  The first was for my nephew Will's graduation party, celebrating his moving on from Saratoga Springs High School to The College of Charleston in South Carolina this fall.  It was a bittersweet moment, because Will is the youngest of four boys, and my sister Anne and her husband John will be empty nesters come August.  While the boys come home for holidays and any chance they get, with Will's oldest brother Jack getting married next week (to his beautiful fiance Kristin), his brother Ben following a career path in New York City, and brother Patrick interning at a golf course in Westchester until the fall, the boys aren't home often enough for a family that loves to spend time together.  I get to join them in August for our annual trek south to Emerald Isle in North Carolina.  It's a week of sun, fun, happy hours, dinners "at home" and board games.  I always call it my mental health week, but it is so much more.  It's a period of time every year when I consciously tell myself as it's happening, "Remember this.  It's good and precious and these moments will come in handy in the middle of a cold, Saratoga February."  This year,our trip to Emerald Isle will be especially meaningful.

Memories of a very happy graduation weekend ~ congrats, Will!

The second cake for this weekend was for Nancy Stevens,  the winner of this blog's monthly contest for May.  It was a marble cake covered in swirls of chocolate mocha frosting.  She decided to "redeem" her prize to coincide with her daughter Megan's 24th birthday.  They all loved it, so it was well worth the effort and I'm glad Nancy won.  Get YOUR comments in before July 1st and you have a VERY GOOD chance of being the winner for June!!!

The last cake on Sunday was for a little boy named Toby.  His mom works at Skidmore and she asked if I'd bake a cake I'd never made before -- a lemon cake with chocolate frosting.  It had a soccer ball on top, made of fondant, and was for Toby's 8th birthday party.  I didn't get a photo of Megan's or Toby's cakes, but I did manage to snap a few shots of Will's cake (in the collage, above).

Some exciting news is that my Williams-Sonoma order arrived -- my new Cuisinart red ice cream maker, with two freezer bowls!  I am VERY excited about that, and planning to make sorbets and frozen yogurt recipes (to be posted) as soon as I have the energy to unpack that big box!  It's standing next to my refrigerator at the moment, taunting me to open it, but I will wait until I can devote the proper energy to finding it just the right place for it to hang out on my kitchen counter (or not).  Still haven't decided just where I want to show it off!

The disappointing news is that it looks like my striped-cake recipe was not a contender for The Today Show's "Best Birthday Cake" contest (winner to be announced and on air June 28th) and that's OK.  I gave it a shot.  Since they were only contacting the three finalists, no word means my cake must not have been in the running, which is kind of sad because it did get RAVE reviews by my son-in-law's co-workers.  So, maybe next time I'll try something a little less ambitious than a national morning television show.  Maybe a county fair.  But, as my friend Lynn often quotes...  "Shoot for the moon.  If you miss, at least you'll land among the stars!"  As far as I am concerned, there are plenty of stars in my midst, right Will?  I know if you shoot for the moon, you'll land there!  - xoxox, Aunt Jeannie

Taking My Chances: Striped Birthday Cake

I've entered my first-ever baking contest (well, excluding that 4th grade chocolate chip cake I made for a day camp baking contest, the first cake I ever made, which actually earned a blue ribbon!).  As an AAB (amateur adult baker) I've never taken a chance on putting my recipes up against anyone else's, until now.  A friend sent me a link to The Today Show's "Best Birthday Cake" contest, suggested I enter, and I decided it was time to throw my spatula into the ring.  The rules are simple, and at the same time, not, requiring one original recipe and one photo.  Starting tomorrow, June 14th, finalists are chosen based on recipe, taste, and originality.  The winner will go to The Big Apple June 27th and 28th.  I thought, "What the heck? I've got nothing to lose." and started thinking about what a "best" birthday cake could be.  It seemed a classic cake would be perfect, so I decided on an 8" round, 2-layer cake.  I can imagine that size with a ring of birthday candles just waiting to be wished upon and blown out.  Then the recipe - how do you come up with an original recipe, one that no one has ever made before?  Well, I did it, but wasn't sure my experiment would be up to snuff.  It had to be tested out with real subjects.  Since I bake almost every Sunday for my son-in-law Bill's co-workers (he brings the goodies with him to work Monday mornings), I figured them to be my perfect taste-testers.  So instead of the typical muffins, scones, cinnamon rolls, or coffee cake, this week they were treated to the Striped Birthday Cake, and it wasn't long before the reviews came in:  thumbs up all around.  No suggestions to change a thing.  They even wrote their reactions on the company white board!

Bill (real name "Millard") sent me this photo of
his co-workers' reactions to the cake!

Newly confident that the recipe was good, last night it was submitted on-line, as instructed.  There are no contest rules about not sharing the recipe, so I am posting it for you here.  It's simpler than it looks.  If you read through the recipe once or twice before you make this cake, it will seem even easier.  I hope you make this cake, and enjoy it, and even if The Today Show doesn't choose it, the Striped Birthday Cake may earn you your own "Best Birthday Cake" award!

STRIPED BIRTHDAY CAKE
Oven 350 degrees F
Prepare two 8-inch round pans:  grease and flour or spray with cooking spray and line with waxed paper rounds.

Cake:
In bowl, combine dry ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, beat:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar

Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add 1 cup sour cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.  Mix well.

Add 1/4 cup buttermilk (or 1/4 milk soured with 1 tsp. vinegar. let sit 5 min.)
Mix well.

Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, scraping sides as necessary, about 2 minutes.  Divide batter in half, placing half the batter in one 8-inch round pan.

To the remaining batter in the bowl, add:
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 tablespoons brewed coffee
Mix completely and spread the chocolate batter in the other 8-inch round pan.

Bake for 28 minutes or until cake tests done, springing back in the center when lightly pressed.

Cool layers in pans on rack for 15 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool completely.

Freeze layers for an hour or more, and when frozen, with serrated knife, remove any domes from layers to even them out.  Then, with same knife, split layers horizontally in half.  Insert the knife half way up and rotate the layer as you move in with the knife.

Place first layer on serving platter.  Spread with 1/3 of the cream cheese filling.  Alternate dark and light layers, with cream cheese filling between 2nd and third layers as well.  The top layer will be frosted with chocolate frosting, as will the sides.  Here are the filling and frosting recipes:

Cream Cheese Filling:
4 ounces cream cheese
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
milk

Beat cream cheese with confectioners sugar, add vanilla extract, and then just enough milk to make it creamy and spreadable (a tablespoon at a time).

Chocolate Frosting:
4 ounces unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 lbs. confectioners sugar
1/2 cup brewed coffee
up to 1/2 cup milk, more if necessary

Melt butter in microwave.  Place butter in mixing bowl and add cocoa powder, vegetable shortening, vanilla,  and salt.

Add all of the confectioners sugar to bowl,  Very slowly, start mixing together, adding brewed coffee slowly as you mix, then add up to 1/2 cup milk and beat very well (adding more milk, a tiny bit at a time, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable).  Don't add too much liquid.  You can always add a bit more if you need it, but you can never take it out.  You want a nice, thick, but spreadable frosting.

Frost top of cake and then sides.  If desired, add a border or rosettes to the top of the cake with left-over frosting (you'll have a lot).  To make it a true party cake, add sprinkles around the bottom and top edges of the cake.

Now, celebrate!

Taa Daa!!!!  

The Simplicity of the PB & J

In an effort to spend less money, I've been brown-bagging my work-day lunch lately.  Earlier this week, I poached a couple of boneless, skinless chicken breasts just to make chicken salad (inspired by last weekend's quick visit to Greenwich, New York).  I let the chicken breasts simmer (in just plain water, lightly salted) for about 20 minutes, took them out of the pot, and let them cool for another 20 minutes.  I kind of chopped, pulled the meat apart and added the following to make a GREAT chicken salad:  chopped walnuts, Craisins, red grapes sliced in half, mayo, salt and pepper.  It made a lot and I took it for lunch three days in a row - just put it in a container and ate it like that, with a fork, no bread.  It didn't need it.  I didn't add much in the way of seasoning, but that's just personal preference, anyway.  You can certainly make chicken salad your own by adding your favorite things -- celery, dill, seasoned salt -- and enjoy it any way you please!

When it came time to make today's lunch, I opted for the simplicity of that old childhood classic, peanut butter and jelly.  My mom always made it with Peter Pan peanut butter and Welch's grape jelly.  Maybe Jiff now and then, but always one of those two.  No jelly other than Welch's grape.  Ever.  And she made it on Sunbeam white bread, because in the 1960s and 70s, it seemed everyone ate white bread.  My peanut butter and jelly sandwich has evolved a bit from the one in my 1960s lunchbox.  Today, I use 12-grain bread and strawberry jam.  I do use Peter Pan peanut butter, though, and it is as good today as it was in my 5th grade lunch room!

One day at work, I had a craving for a PB&J, so I bought one from the sandwich case in the cafeteria.  It had about 4x the thickness of peanut butter than what I (or my mother) ever used, and I actually couldn't eat it!  My mom used to make 7 sandwiches in one fell-swoop, and if she ever used that much peanut butter, she'd be buying quarts of it every week.  No, I like a thinner smathering of PB to compliment my J.  I used a generous tablespoon (maybe a bit more) and it was plenty.  And since I ran out of sandwich bags, I even wrapped it up old-school style with a length of wax paper.  Rounding out today's retro lunch were red grapes and a handful of Cheez-its.  I must admit to a Cheez-it addiction.  I'm not proud.  Maybe I can stop, but why?  Life is too short not to enjoy Cheez-its with a PB&J!

Here are a few shots of my lunch as it was prepared this morning.  Notice my cute little lunch bag with its own retro vibe.  I think I bought it at Ocean State Job Lots for next-to-nothing, but I'm not sure.  Lunch bag/box collecting is something I could quickly become way too interested in if I let myself!

Lemon Dinosaur Cookies

A few weeks ago I bought a book for Henry and Peter. It's How Do Dinosaurs Eat Cookies? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague.  What prompted this purchase was the seeming disappearance (soon to be found, we hope)  of a beloved DVD, also by Jane Yolen, entitled "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" which was one of those random five-dollar purchases from an end cap at Target.  Every now and then I like to buy the boys a little something, and this DVD was a treasure from the first time the boys watched it.  I went back to Target to see if I could find another copy, but there wasn't one single copy in the store, and it looks like I'll find its replacement online.  BUT, in the children's book section I found the related cookie book and the boys love it.  It's a charming board book with beautiful illustrations.  It's a scratch-and-sniff book with scents like those you'd find in my kitchen -- cinnamon, lemon, chocolate chip cookie -- and the real surprise was when we came to the end and found two recipes!  The first is for Cinnama-Saurus Rex cookies, and the other is for "Fossilized Lemon Tracks" cookies.

Before they went camping up at Lake George for Memorial Day weekend, Katie used the lemon cookie recipe from the book.  A few days before, we had taken a ride to the nearby  Waterwheel Village Country Store (near Galway, New York) where Katie bought a set of dinosaur cookie cutters she'd seen on an earlier visit.  She used about a fourth of the dough for their camping trip, and froze the rest.  Tonight, after dinner, she asked the boys if they wanted to make more dinosaur cookies, and of course, they said yes!

Here's the recipe, followed by a few photos of their baking session tonight.

Fossilized Lemon Tracks
(aka lemon sugar cut-out dinosaur cookies)
from "How Do Dinosaurs Eat Cookies?" by Jane Yolen & Mark Teague

INGREDIENTS
1 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract (Katie didn't have any; she used lemon rind)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Extra sugar:  1/4 - 1/2 cup white sugar (do not mix into dough)

1.  Ask an adult to help you bake, and wash your hands
2.  In a large bowl, stir the butter with an electric mixer or large spoon.
3.  Add each ingredient in order (except for the extra sugar), mixing well each time.  At the end, you will need to wash your hands.
4.  Roll the dough into small balls.
5.  Sprinkle the extra sugar on a place and roll the dough balls around until coated.  Place them on the cookie sheet with space between them.  (Katie chose to roll the dough out, sugar-cookie style).
6.  Press "dino tracks" into each cookie dough ball with a chopstick, or the handle of a spoon, or some other kitchen tool.  Experiment with making different kinds of "tracks."  Press them in hard enough to squish the dough down by half.
7.  Bake for 9-12 minutes at 375 degrees F.  Let them cool 2 minutes before removing with spatula.
8.  Eat and share!

After dinner cookie session with  the boys...