How Does Your Herb Garden Grow?

Oh the joy of fresh herbs right from the garden.  They add so much flavor and vibrancy to any dish, simple or complex.

We moved six months ago (how the time has flown) and decided to plant a garden this year because we have a huge yard now.  Besides all the vegetables we planted, I wanted an herb garden.  Fresh herbs are expensive to buy, but pure delight to use.  Now, I can walk out my back door and pick what I want from my little herb garden.  If you don't have room to plant in the ground, herbs grow very well in pots.  One plant costs less than a bunch of herbs at the grocery most of the time.  Therefore, you have saved a lot of money because you have herbs to use whenever you want!  As you pick the herbs, they get bigger.

I planted basil, dill,  two varieties of oregano, rosemary, thyme, and cilantro.  Adding fresh herbs to the food I have been making kicks it up to a whole new level.

Here is a simple recipe for bread that can be eaten as a sandwich or a side for a meal.  It is delicious!  This would be wonderful to serve this Fourth of July weekend if you are looking or something new or different.

Ingredients you will need:

One baguette (or more if you are having company)
Sliced fresh mozzarella or grated mozzarella cheese (I like to slice fresh)
Olive oil
Fresh basil leaves

First, tear off a piece of aluminum foil that is big enough to wrap the baguette in.  Slice the baguette horizontally, like this.

Next, cover the bottom of the baguette with mozzarella cheese.  Drizzle the cut side of the baguette top  with olive oil.  Take about 3 or 4 basil leaves, roll them and chiffonade, which means to cut into small slivers.  Scatter the basil over the mozzarella cheese.

Place the top of the baguette over the bottom like you are making a sandwich.

Fold the foil over the baguette long ways, rolling tight.  Then roll the ends closed.

Place the foil wrapped bread on a baking sheet.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake the baguette for 20/30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and unwrap the foil.  Slice the bread into about 3 inch sections.  This is so delicious warm with the mozzarella oozing out the sides and the bright flavor of the basil adding to the deliciousness.  There is also the subtle hint of the olive oil which is wonderful and good for you.

Give this recipe a try.  It is super easy, super delicious and don't forget to  enjoy your holiday weekend!  Summer is zooming by.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:


‎"We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it." William Faulkner

We Have A Situation Here

Do you see this sign?  Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams just opened a shop in our neighborhood in East Nashville, Tennessee.  Two day's ago I read an article in The Huffington Post Food and Wine section that names Jeni's one of the top ten - that's top 10 - ice creams in the country.   They are based in Columbus, Ohio,  and, they have a location in our neighborhood.

Now this is serious because no one on the face of the earth loves ice cream more than my husband (and he's also a major chocoholic).  I mean he LOVES ice cream and we have a Jeni's right down the road.   This is seriously serious because it is right next to our favorite coffee shop, Ugly Mugs, and right next to Silly Goose which is an incredible gourmet sandwich shop.

Do you see where this is heading?  We are retired.  We can arrange our schedules most days to do what we want.   Many days, we start with coffee at Ugly Mugs.  It is a lovely locally owned coffee shop with a great atmosphere and nice outside sitting area which we like to take advantage of on these beautiful days.

Sandwiched between Ugly Mugs and Jeni's is Silly Goose (no pun intended).  Silly Goose just expanded to accommodate more patrons.  They serve wonderful cous cous, salads and gourmet sandwiches.  The cous cous dishes have things like curried shrimp and cashews, grilled chicken and poblano peppers.
Their salads have ingredients like prosciutto Di Parma, artichokes and kalamata tapenade, organic quinoua, roasted red peppers, roasted red beets, blue gouda and sweet onion jam.

Sandwiches include things like smoked salmon, honey black pepper goat cheese, ham, brie and green apple, or herb grilled portabello and walnut pesto on fabulous breads.  These aren't sandwiches you will find at a local chain restaurant and they are fantastic!

And then there is Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream -  and they are not kidding!  The orange and yellow sign hangs like a beacon in the night or perhaps a siren calling your name.  "Please stop in and try some of our delectable treats like Cherry Lambic Sorbet, Reisling Poached Pear Sorbet, Brambleberry Crisp, Bourbon Buttered Pecan, Queen City Cayenne, Wildberry Lavender, and Salty Caramel."  These are just some of the flavors.

Dan and I had several errands to run today and when we were done, I suggested giving Jeni's a try.  He was all up for that for sure.  He gave the dark chocolate ice cream a try and I had a scoop of the Reisling Poached Pear sorbet and a scoop of the Cherry Lambic sorbet.  There just are no words.  I am simply at a loss to describe the consistency and taste.  You will just have to try it if and when you can.   Know that when any of you come to visit, there will be a trip to Jeni's.   It's worth a trip to Nashville just to try the ice cream.  

Now, back to my point.  Here is the situation.  We can start the day at Ugly Mugs, enjoying our coffee, maybe a bagel or muffin to go with it, discussing philosophy and major world events.  Time will pass and it's lunch time.  Maybe we will just walk a few steps to Silly Goose.  There we can enjoy whatever we choose from the menu.  We can discuss philosophy and major world events, our grandsons, how the garden is growing.  Time passes.  Oh look, Jeni's is right next door.  Maybe we should have some ice cream before we go home.  And, before you know it, an entire day has passed and we have walked a total of 50 feet (maybe) and done nothing but eat and talk.  We have accomplished absolutely nothing but eating and talking.  Wait.   Now that I think about it, is that really so bad?   We have spent a lifetime working and hurrying.  Let me rethink this whole situation.  This is an ideal situation.  Things are looking up.  It is all in the way you look at it!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”   Winnie the Pooh

Ding Ding Ding, We Have a Winner

You may get tired of my posts about things to bake, but I really love to bake.  I find it comforting.  It is sort of like a meditation to me.  If I am really stressed, I bake.  There is something soothing about the measuring and the mixing - following the recipe. The one thing about baking is there is no room for improvising - you need to follow the recipe for the proper outcome.  I sometimes wish life had this same kind of recipe book, don't you?  But then, I guess it would take a lot of the wonder and creativity of daily living away.   

This cupcake recipe is maybe the best cupcake ever as far as we are concerned and we have tried many.  (believe me)  This rich chocolate cupcake is filled with a cream cheese and chocolate chip filling that is like a little cheesecake in the middle of chocolate heaven.  Dan, who is a "chocoholic" will verify the goodness of these heavenly morsels.  

Now, they are a little tricky to make.  You have to make the batter and the filling separately.  Here is what you do:

Ingredients for cupcakes:

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup water

Ingredients for filling:

6 ounces cream cheese softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

To make the cupcake batter, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips over hot water (double boiler) until smooth.  Set aside.  Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together.  Combine sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla.  Stir in melted chips.  Alternate 1 cup water and flour mixture while adding to sugar/oil/egg/vanilla/chips mixture.   This is a runny batter so don't be alarmed.

Make filling by combining all ingredients.   

Line muffin tin with 16 cupcake papers.  Spoon 1 TBSP of cake batter in bottom of cupcake papers.  Spoon  1 heaping TBSP filling over chocolate cake batter like this.  If there is remaining filling, distribute evenly among cupcakes.

Now, add another heaping TBSP cake batter over filling like this.

If there is remaining cake batter, distribute evenly among cupcakes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

I have made a chocolate glaze for these before and then sprinkled with confectioner's sugar but it is not necessary.  It  just makes them more "chocolatey."  Is that a word?  It is now.  

This recipe doubles nicely and you will probably want to do that because 16 of these cupcakes won't last long enough to put the supplies and cooking utensils away.  They are really nice to take to a pot luck or picnic.  Need something to share at work?  Perfect!  If you have children at home, I'm just sayin'.   No icing to melt and they are YUMMY!  

Next time you are feeling stressed, try baking.  It will do wonders for your spirit and your taste buds (not so much for your waistline unfortunately).  Go ahead, give these a try.  I know you are going to like these!  Chocolate!  Cheesecake!  What's not to like?  I'm heading to the kitchen now and preheating the oven.   

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

It's not what happens to you that counts, but how you handle it. It's not how far you fall, but how well you bounce~Dan Zadra

"Eat Your Beets Horace, They're Good For You"

 

One of my fondest memories from my childhood is my grandmother's pickled beets.  Your first impulse is to say yuck, beets.  Gross!  But let me ask, have you ever had home made pickled beets?  Made with cinnamon, all spice and cloves?  Let me tell you, they are amazing!  Yes, amazing.  I am not talking about those awful things they served in the school cafeteria that were swimming in some kind of white sauce and were absolutely tasteless.  Even roasted beets are wonderful.  No, we are talking pickled beets. 

I recently purchased about four pounds of beets at the farmers market.  They were not too big, still dirty from being right out of the garden and had the tops on them.  My first thought was pickled beets here we come.  Let me tell you about the nutritional value of beets.  First, they are very high in fiber.  They contain potassium, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, folate, betaine and many trace elements.  They are known to be anti-cancer (especially colon) and anti-inflammatory.  Pickled foods are actually very high in bifidobacteria, a necessary or "good" bacteria that aids in digestion and immune health.  So, before you toss out the thought of pickled beets, consider all the benefits they have besides being delicious.

I will post the pickling recipe at a later time, but I wanted to share the salad I made using my pickled beets.  (You can purchase pickled beets at the grocery, but they aren't quite as good.)  It was absolutely wonderful.  Here is what you need:

Ingredients:

Romaine lettuce or any mixed greens

1/2 cup pickled beets, sliced thin

1 avocado diced

1 medium tomato, diced

fresh mozzarella cheese

If using romaine, slice it in ribbons across the head and then cut the ribbons in half.  Place the lettuce or mixed greens in a salad bowl, layer avocado, tomato and beets on top.  Dice some fresh mozzarella and scatter over top of salad.  

Dressing:

1/2 cup good virgin olive oil

1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic turned into paste - do this by putting some coarse salt on a cutting board, mince garlic clove, then using the side of a big knife blade (like a chef's knife), place one hand on the knife handle and the heel of the other hand on the flat knife blade and mash the garlic back and forth in the salt until it becomes a paste

pinch salt

fresh cracked black pepper

mix ingredients together and serve on the side with the salad.  

This salad is so good and so full of nutrients and fiber which is an even bigger benefit.   Give it a try.  You may learn to like pickled beets after all.  As Dolly Levy said to Horace Vandergelder in Hello Dolly, "Eat your beets, Horace, they're good for you!"  If you are a fan already, good for you!  Another recipe to add to your book.  

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

‎"Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier." Mother Teresa

Simple Beauty

Hydrangeas possess a simple and elegant beauty.  They are a very old fashioned plant known for their showy blossoms.  Their popularity has grown in recent years and there are many new varieties available.  They grow easily in most yards, preferring sun to partial shade.  They do not like extreme heat, so afternoon shade is preferable.   They like well drained soil with deep watering weekly, especially during dry weather.  Soil conditions affect the color.  The more blue the color of the bloom, the more acidic the soil and the more aluminum the soil contains.  The more pink the color, the more alkaline the soil.  Remember those litmus tests from science class?   It is easier to change a pink hydrangea to blue than the reverse.   The color of white hydrangeas cannot be changed.

The lovely hydrangeas in the picture above were cut from a bush on the northeast side of our house.  I noticed the blooms as we were driving past.  I didn't even realize it was there.   We have only lived here a few months.  The color is a really deep rose pink - quite lovely.  I don't think I have ever seen one this shade before.  I had to cut a few and bring them in to enjoy.  

When cutting hydrangeas, you don't want to cut too deeply into the stem as new buds are set there.  It is better to take just the blossom stem where it attaches to the "old wood."  Therefore, stems tend to be rather short.  Short vases make arranging much easier.  I used a short cylinder vase and put three simple blossoms in it.   Odd numbers are easier to arrange than even numbers.  They have been sitting on my coffee table for a week.  Simple beauty simply makes me smile.

Take a pitcher or bucket of water with you when you cut hydrangeas as they wilt very quickly.  When you come back into the house, boil water and pour it into a container.  Place each stem in the container for 30 seconds.  Remove the flowers and arrange in room temperature water.  This process keeps the stem from sealing over so that it cannot take up water.   Change the water in the arrangement every few days, taking a small piece off the stem when you change the water.  Use boiling water to treat the stem each time the water is changed to help maintain the blooms for a longer period of time.  

I can remember the beautiful hydrangea bushes at my great grandmother's house when I was a little girl.  They were creamy white blooms covering bushes about 6 feet tall. She called them snowballs and they were gorgeous.  They make beautiful table arrangements and wedding bouquets.  If you are having a spring or summer wedding and have access to hydrangea bushes, you can make your own bouquets and centerpieces.  Because they are so "showy", arrangements do not have to be complicated.   Simple can be so elegant and beautiful.

Hydrangeas left on the bushes will dry naturally and can be cut in the fall and used for dried table arrangements or wreaths.  One of the most beautiful Christmas trees I ever saw was done by a dear friend of mine.  We worked together in a flower shop and had been friends for years.  He took  dried hydrangeas and used Design Master Floral Spray in gold and tipped dried hydrangeas and tied them together in bundles and scattered them in his tree and on his mantle among Christmas greens.  The effect was stunning!  

When our oldest daughter was married in York Harbor, Maine, I did the centerpieces for her reception with mixed fall flowers that I had ordered and beach hydrangeas that we cut from shrubs around her "In-Loves" home on the ocean front.  They were so very beautiful.  Beach hydrangeas are sort of cone shaped, cream on the bottom variegating to a mauve color on the top.  I dried many of them and kept them in a basket for years.  

Don't forget to use the bounty that nature provides out of doors in your home during the summer.  Fresh flowers add so much texture and color to our daily lives.  It is simple beauty worth enjoying every day that you can.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” — Buddha

A Tribute To My Children's Father

“To produce things and to rear them, To produce, but not to take possession of them, To act, but not to rely on one's own ability, To lead them, but not to master them - This is called profound and secret virtue.” 
-Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu 

Our two daughters and two sons call him Dad.  Our five grandsons call him Pawpaw.  I call him Dan, the love of my life.  We met after Sunday night service when I was 15 and he was 17.  Love at first sight?   I would say certainly.  We dated for 5 years and will be married 42 years this July.  There have been ups and downs, ins and outs, but his unwavering love and  patience have fueled this family for all these years.

Dan taught middle school history for 38 years with the same patience and understanding that he used to raise his family.  He left the house most days without any money in his wallet, driving an old car that I wouldn't have left the driveway in.  His faith and hope got him 15 miles there and 15 miles back every day.  There were a few road dilemmas through the years and the students all made fun of his ride.  Did it bother him?  Not one whit.

As for his own children, he welcomed each one with tears in his eyes and love in his unwavering heart.  His sacrifice was total, his support and encouragement beyond measure.  He taught by example, sharing all that he had without question.  There were bike rides and trips to the ice cream stand. We had some crazy vacations.   He sat through every performance and ball game with nothing but pride in his loving father's eyes.  He built sets for plays and umpired ball games when needed.  He did laundry, washed dishes, gave baths and put them to bed because I worked too and couldn't do it all.   Who could ask for more?  He gave up his own wants for us all.  

When there were hurts and broken hearts, he supported and sustained.  When there was sickness, he worried and walked the floor with them.  When there were questions, he tried to answer.  When one daughter and one son wanted to leave New York after 9/11, he rented a van on two different occasions and drove up the first time on Thanksgiving weekend, helped load the van and drove back.  Then, he made the trip again Superbowl Weekend, driving straight through, loaded the van and headed home.  Then, we helped move them to Nashville.  If they need anything, he is there - no questions asked.  

I owned my own costume business for many years.  When our oldest daughter had her second son, he went to New York and helped with her first son while she was in the hospital because I was in Halloween season and could not leave.  I vowed that situation would never happen again, but his big daddy's heart took time off from school and made the trip to help his daughter.  

His lifetime love of music spilled over to our children.  They all have beautiful voices and the two boys play guitar like their dad.  Because we always lived on a pretty tight budget, weekend entertainment was oftentimes family singing jams while dad played his guitar.  Our youngest son and his dad have been working on recording some of their music and it makes him so happy to get to have this experience.  (It sounds really, really good!)  Maybe you will hear some of it on the radio one of these days.  We all still love to get together and sing any time we can.

Our children are all creative and Dad has encouraged each of them to follow their dreams whatever they may be. When most parents were having a heart attack about their children wanting to be performers, actors or artists, this dad always said go for it.  What lucky children.  

As for the five grandsons, Pawpaw is always there.  We have made many trips to New York, Dallas, Nashville and Chicago to spend time with these precious little boys.  There is no one more proud than Pawpaw.  He plays, teases, sings, and teaches - again by example.  These boys are the jewels in his crown and he would do anything for each and every one of them.  His favorite time of the day?  Sharing ice cream or a root beer float with them.  Nothing could be better as far as he is concerned.

Life has not always been easy, but he has supported me in all that I have done.  He has always done the same for his children.  He lives an example of love, patience, understanding, gratitude, sharing and wisdom - always.  Dan posses a profound and secret virtue.  He has never tried to master or posses and he truly has given his children wings to soar.

Happy Father's Day.  We love you.  

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.  Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.  Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.  Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.  Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.  But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.  ~Buddha

Creative Storage 101

After 41 years of marriage, 24 of them spent in our last home, we moved to a different town and downsized.....considerably.  We have a lot less cabinet and storage space in this house so I had to think creatively about ways to store items we use on a daily basis.  Things like bath towels, tea towels and dish cloths -  necessary items unless you don't bathe or wash dishes.  

Years ago I saw someone on a talk show demonstrate how to pack a suitcase in the most efficient way.  He rolled the t-shirts, underwear and socks that he placed in the suitcase and it saved considerable space enabling him to pack many more items.  We have been doing that for years with clothing items we put in drawers.  Why wouldn't that work for our bath towels and tea towels?  So, I gave it a try and it is one of the smartest things I have ever done.  

Our kitchen has much less cabinet space than our former kitchen and I lost our big double pantry.  I have had to do Creative Storage 101.  There are not many drawers for me to store my tea towels, dish cloths and potholders in.  What to do, what to do?  My first thought was to get a small kitchen island for extra storage.  Our kitchen is a galley type design and there was not a lot of room for anything big.  The search was on.   

I was talking with my best buddy Don from back home explaining my dilemma.  Well, he is a super shopper extraordinaire and he was on the hunt.  Low and behold, he called me in just a few hours and said he had seen something at Target that might work and it was brand new.    I thanked him profusely and I was on my way.   There are serendipitous moments in life and this was one of them.  The cart he had told me about was perfect and it was only $29.00!  We made our purchase and hurried home.  Actually, the cart is for a microwave, but I planned to use it as a small cooking prep station and for storage.  I already had a few baskets and I used one to store my tea towels and dish cloths in and all my cloth napkins and napkin rings are in another.  There are potholders hanging on the end of the rack on the hooks provided.  Trivets and a basket of paper napkins are on another shelf.  There is cutting board on the top that is movable.  Absolutely perfect for my needs.  

I roll my towels in the following fashion to maximize the space in the basket.  We do the same with our bath towels and store them in a big basket in the bathroom as you can see in the picture above on the right.  Here is how you roll the towels:

Lay your towel out flat like this.   Then fold the towel in half, short ends together.  

Next, fold the towel in half again.

Start to roll the towel from the short side, rolling tightly.

The towel will look like this when finished.

You will not believe how much room this saves.  So much better than storing them flat.  This is what the basket looks like up close.

I don't roll my cloth napkins because I press them (yes, I really do iron) and fold them in different ways when I place them on the table.   This is how the basket looks up close.  There are 24 napkins in this basket.

Now, everything is within easy reach when I am in the kitchen.  It is all tidy and organized.  Same for the bath towels.  We lost a cabinet and a huge linen closet in the move, but  now everything works.  

If storage is an issue for you, I hope you will give these methods a try.  It is easy, inexpensive and saves a lot of space.  Also, try rolling t-shirts, underwear and socks in your storage drawers.  Oh, and don't forget to try it when you pack your suitcase.  You will be amazed!  

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself~Alan Alda