A Closer Look at Ottoman

Black Friday Through Cyber Monday Sale!

A quick note to say that if you enter "HOLIDAY2011" from November 25-28, 2011 at checkout in the shop, you'll receive 10% off. In addition, if you spend $50 or more, you'll receive five "FOR YOU" gift tags for free (a $6.25 value)! Shop handmade!

AND...

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy some fantastic squash of some sort...hopefully local. The squash above is a Chirimen from a farm nearby....cut in half, roasted with Earth Balance and salt, and then topped off with a bit more Earth Balance, salt and pepper. It would also be amazing with brown sugar instead of pepper. Mmmmm.

 

 

Oregon Berries

1. Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies aka Volcano Cookies - I got some raspberries from a local farm and decided to cook them down with a little water and sugar. I used some to make raspberry thumbprint cookies (based on this recipe), which Boo re-named Volcano Cookies. The rest of the raspberry "jam" was put in a jar and eaten by yours truly on toast for breakfast the rest of the week. It would have been great on plain yogurt as well.

2. U Pick Queen Anne Cherries - Cherries my parents and Boo picked from a local U Pick while my parents were visiting. We ate handfuls, but cherries don't last too long. I cooked them down too with less success (they brown a bit, which makes them less inviting to eat).

3. U Pick Blueberries - We've been U Picking blueberries and raspberries (which all started from the U Pick my parents and Boo found when they were here). I've been freezing what we don't eat in a few days and then getting more. I think the U Pick is closed now which is a bummer, but at least I've got several canning jars in the freezer of frozen berries. Boo's been requesting frozen blueberries...little treats.

4. Blueberry Crisp - I love ramakins for individual portions. I decided to make a crisp one night on a whim and put some blueberries in a bowl, squeezed a lemon on them, a sprikling of sugar (I think...if so, just a wee bit), and a bit of cornstarch. I put this mixture in the ramakins to the top (since I knew it would cook down), then made the topping. I mixed thick rolled oats, a little sugar, chopped up some cold butter, and mixed it all together, then piled it on the top of the blueberries. Cooked them in the toaster oven and topped with vanilla ice cream. Perfect.

So, I suppose Oregon is known for berries for a reason. Just when you think berry season is over, another type ripens. Last of which (I think) are blackberries. Most of ours are still small and green, but Boo found the first ripe one yesterday...here we go!

I hope you're enjoying the fruits of the season as well.

Local Lately

We've been getting produce from the farmers' market and local farms lately. I love eating fruit and veggies that are in season. It's been said before, but it's so true - kids do eat more fruits and veggies when they know where they came from. Yesterday, Boo and I sat outside eating shelling peas from the pod after picking them up from a farm.

1. Beet-stained hands: I roasted beets from a local farm (No, Boo didn't partake in the beets.)

2. Huevos Rancheros: 2 fried eggs from the same local farm

3. Rainier Cherries: from the farmers' market

I'm enjoying the fresh produce (and trying to enjoy the heat) while it's here!

Happy 4th!

Ants on a Log

I love that having a kid gives me permission to eat like a kid. Or, maybe I just didn't think about some of these foods anymore as an adult. I've re-discovered ants on a log, and I love it. Boo enjoys adding the raisins. My friend Codi once brought over a different version (she got the "recipe" somewhere). They were celery with cream cheese, and dried cranberries...yum. And, perfect for those with peanut allergy.

How about that? Motion blur with ants on a log...why not?

Strawberry Days

It's certainly strawberry season. We've started picking some berries from the garden and supplementing with organic berries from the supermarket (when on sale) and berries from the farmers' market. Boo eats them simply rinsed sans stems. I've used them for snacks (see the third picture below) and for this incredible dessert (Jeff and I can't get enough, but I would say to eat it warm or at room temp...I've tried it out of the fridge and it's just not the same.), in which the leftovers are consumed the next morning by yours truly.

I just watered the strawberry plants the first time today. They really needed it. We've been getting intermittent rain and I just didn't want to admit that I had to start hand-watering. But, it's worth it...there's nothing like strawberries fresh-picked from the plant - red through to the center, warm from the sun, juicy, and sweet.

The above image shows the strawberries that I picked today...that one, there, at 2 o'clock...that one is the perfect berry. So pretty. I want to find a (natural) lipstick that color.

Above is a great snack or dessert: plain yogurt, strawberries (these were the supermarket organic ones, notice the white centers), granola, and drizzled honey. You could also use vanilla yogurt and skip the honey.

Tomorrow is farmers' market day. Time for a tamale lunch and I found this incredible wee espresso stand that makes a really wonderful mocha (the type you want to attempt licking the inside of the cup if you weren't in public).

Have you been taking advantage of strawberry season? Or, are you in the Southern Hemisphere...and what's in season where you are?

Eat Yer Beets

I remembered the farmers' market today at the last minute...and I already went grocery shopping this week, so I didn't really need anything. However, Boo and I like to get an inexpensive lunch (and treats) and walk the market. There are still root vegetables about and today was really the first day of more spring-time produce...such as strawberries and asparagus (both of which grow wild around here as well). I heard this morning that May was the coldest May on record here, so everything is late at the market. I've gotten beets a couple of times recently, and since I'm the only one in my wee family that enjoys them, I bought one big one each time.

I decided to peel the beet(s), cube them, coat them in olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and thyme. Then they were roasted until they were soft when poked with a fork (no idea the time). The edges of some were crispy and they were like healthier fries...and so pretty!

I suppose the holiday threw me off this week, hopefully I'll remember the market next week so I can pick up some of the incredible local foods.

And as I type, it just started raining again...sigh. I hope my succulents, which I finally decided needed to be outside earlier this week for more sun, don't hate me.

 

Loud, Quiet, Loud

Boo and I made butter again (well, he mainly watched) from some leftover cream I had about. When you start to shake a jar with cream in it, it's loud. Then, after a few minutes, the contents become absolutely silent. If you open the jar, you have whipped cream. We decided to take a bit out as we had some strawberries on hand.

Then, I put the lid back on and shook the jar more until the solids formed a ball and the rest was buttermilk (since it isn't cultured, the buttermilk tastes like milk with bits of butter in it). The contents become loud again...a ball of butter and buttermilk shaking about.

We had a nice little snack.

1. a wee bit of buttermilk for two

2. strawberries with vanilla whipped cream (no sugar...the vanilla and sweet strawberries are perfect alone)

3. salted butter (I mixed a bit of salt with the butter) on crusty/seeded french bread.

It was a great way to spend some time together and I think kids should know where their food comes from (now I suppose we should visit a farm and Boo can watch a cow being milked). And, I was declared a genius! (Well, we do love Wile E. Coyote...what can I say?)

Those Oatmeal Cookies

I made those oatmeal cookies again (via)...with said modifications including lowering the amount of brown sugar (1/2 c. instead of 2/3 c.). I liked it (I say "liked" because they are already gone).

A short post today...lots of laundry to fold...it never ends, am I correct?

I hope you have a great weekend, it's been sunny here two days in a row, but it's supposed to rain tomorrow. Oh well, two days of open-toed shoes has been so nice anyway. Besides, pretty soon I'll be sweating and wishing for a break of rain.

Happy weekend!

A Simple Lunch

I thought I would share another food-related idea (I know, I know...more food...maybe that's pretty much what I've had time for lately). This reminds me of salad Salade Niçoise and it's easy to make.

It's simply:

1. a bed of spinach leaves

2. a can of tuna (it's a little much, I should have reserved a bit to make a sandwich for Boo later...oh, and line-caught)

3. leftover cooked pasta that had been chilled (I often make some and store it for when Boo would like some) 

4. a handful of olives (yes, the canned black ones...I often have them for nacho-making and such)

5. Annie's Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

6. salt and pepper to taste

Tummy Two-tone

Organic apples were on sale the other day, so I picked up a bunch. Later, when I wanted one of my favorite snacks, I noticed something...

It's the little things that make me smile.