On Sunday at the Ballard Farmers Market, I got some apricots and plums fresh-picked from the Martin Family Orchards in Orondo, Washington, to make both of my favorite cooked, non-pectin jams. I stirred them (for what seemed like hours) on Monday and supervised cookie-baking and water-coloring while I was “hosting” two neighborhood children all day … More Jam. More Jam. Apricot. Plum.
Last summer I poured a bit of my homemade blackberry reduction syrup over a scoop of the fresh raspberry ice cream and the taste combination was out of this world. It’s lovely to spoon a bit of the blackberry syrup along with the cream, but I decided to ripple some into the batch I just … More Blackberry Rippled Raspberry Ice Cream
Who thinks the title is a joke? It’s not, at least it’s not a joke if you don’t have a kitchen maid or if your local grocer doesn’t carry raspberry coulis. A couple hours of picking non-sprayed, local garden-grown raspberries, then a couple more hours of squishing and twice sieving six cups of berries to … More 5-Hour Raspberry Mousse Pie
July 6th is my mother’s 88th birthday. Goodies that she loves were sent Priority Mail on the 5th for arrival on her day. They included brownies with dates, huge pieces of walnuts and fudge frosting plus a butter cookie, a dozen mini peanut-butter cookies and an old family favorite called Hawaiian Dream Bars. The latter … More Goodie Box for Mother’s Birthday
This is the name my daughter wanted me to give Sprinkles Jones* and the cookie I dreamed up the same night she suggested it because I was firm on the sprinkles. It’s my Rainbow Jones, the second recent successful experiment! It is a tasty, pillowy soft raspberry and lemon cookie worthy of joining my Joneses, … More New! Rainbow Jones, A Raspberry Cookie with Lemon Cream Rainbows
Yesterday afternoon I had a bee in my bonnet to try yet another rhubarb and orange cake, using the recipe for the 3-layer Fresh Cranberry Orange Cake* but substituting chopped fresh, local rhubarb for the cranberries. However, I lacked the sour cream and didn’t want to go to the store since it would be too … More 3-Layer Rhubarb & Orange Cake with Orange Buttercream
In honor of Formula 1 Monaco today, I baked the third different rhubarb cake of the season, gratitude redounding to my niece for a link to someone else’s recipe for a cranberry upside-down cake*. After all, it’s often someone else’s recipe that gets adapted to palate preference or due to an ingredient gone missing from … More Rhubarb-Orange Upside-Down Cake
One of my nieces sent me a recipe for an upside-down cranberry cake from another blog in which the author said she sometimes makes it with rhubarb. I bookmarked it with the intention of making it today, along with a batch of rhubarb ice cream.* However, this morning when I clicked the link, it had … More Spring Rhubarb Cake with Rhubarb Ice Cream
In 1969, while a nanny, I took a night extension class at Bainbridge Island High School with the late Bob McAllister who was to become a local icon teaching, writing and bringing play production to a superb level. Surprisingly, it changed my culinary life but had nothing to do with food. The class was World … More Thank you, Bob McAllister, for Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls
When I went to deliver a double-slice of the (Heavenly) Roasted Coconut Cake* a couple days ago, my neighbors were preparing a brown rice version of lasagna. The word “Lasagna” worked its way into my to-do list, especially as I had a cup of leftover turkey pepperoni red sauce and a cup of cottage cheese … More Lasagna One Time, Strange flower
Ms Chef in Seattle 