A Spooktactular Halloween ...

I love this time of year.  The fall, with the chilliness in the air and colorful leaves falling to the ground, signals the start to the holiday season.  Halloween just happens to be one of my favorite holidays...simply because I get to decorate the house with orange and black (the best color combination and certainly one of my very, very favorites) and I can make some very special and artistic treats and I get to give them to friends and family.  I smile to think of the excitement the kids feel as they anxiously await All Hallows Eve and the candy they will accumulate while trick-or-treating.  And who doesn't love wearing a costume ... a chance to be a superhero or beautiful princess or cartoon character for one night ... so much fun.

With October about half over, I wanted to share some pictures of our decorating this year.  Our house is filled with lots of little creatures spooky in their own right ... spiders and bats ... mice and crows.  There are pumpkins and skeletons and Maurice the spooky butler.  There are tasty candies and cleverly decorated baked goods that make the kids eyes wide with excitement.  There are caramel apples filling a plate and jars of orange, yellow and red candies filling the buffet table in the dining room.   The table is home to a creepy skull covered in a cloche.  All placed with a purpose to create a perfectly spooky setting. 

Chris jokes every few days when I add just another little piece here and there that maybe we need just one more thing.  And I just giggle because there is so much more that I would love to add.  Each day though I hang just a few more strings of spider web or place another small spider on a lampshade or table runner ... just for fun and see him smile when he discovers my latest addition. I still have a bit of kid in my heart and feel the same excitment that our children do when the house comes alive with all the the scary props.

At nights when the lights are turned down low, the pumpkins shine eerily up the staircase and Maurice lets out a very spooky laugh and nearly scares us all out of our minds,  A crow sits with his wings spread in the bird cage on the porch watching over the house for visitors, lit underneath with a scary green light.  A black light shines on a skeleton breaking from the ground in a little well-placed cemetary in our front yard.  But its all in good fun and the house feels so playful ... because its all in the spirit of this fun-filled holiday where we can for one night pretend to be someone else and roam from house to house in the chilly evening air begging for treats.   And I have to admit that I love to dress up too, as a witch, and stand by the door greeting each little costumed trick or treater who is brave enough to venture past all the spooky things to our front door.  Happy Halloween...enjoy the season!

Perfect for a picnic or dinner around a fire....

I have to say that this is one of my favorite things to eat and its considerably healthy and best of all, its portable.  And we all know that I love portable food!  A couple of months ago, I decided to indulge and buy myself a little something ... not shoes or clothes .... but a Breville Pie Maker from Williams Sonoma.  Oh my gosh do I love this thing.  How could I not ... its makes my favorite treat in the world ... a pie (or an individual pie I should say) in about 4 minutes.  Yes, you read that correctly ... 4 minutes.  Now you have to keep in mind that doesn't include the time it takes to make the filling or the crust but it is very simple and I absolutely love it. 

Anyway, I have been experimenting with it alot lately and not only have I been whipping out fruit pies but I also made some really exceptional pot pies that are fun to wrap in some wax paper and slip into a picnic basket and eat just about anywhere you want.  And they are beautiful, as well as, tasty!  Go figure!

The ones you see in the image to the right happen to be chicken pies but you can do just about anything from veggie pies, beef pies, enchilada pies to chicken pesto.  Basically, all you have to do is start with a base ingredient like chicken and add all the yummy complimentary veggies and then make a thickened sauce that will tie it all together.  Cheese and other things are optional.  Below, I decided to pass on a basic recipe for a chicken pie that you might like to try.  

Chicken Pot Pie

Favorite pie Crust (rolled out into two rounds)
2 chicken breasts (chicken chopped into bite sized pieces)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chopped thyme
1/2 tsp chopped sage
2 carrots cut into bite size pieces
2  potatoes cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1 cup of frozen corn
1 cup of frozen peas
1 cup of green beans
1/4 cup sour cream
1 can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup

Cook chicken breast in a large sauce pan with 1 cup of water.  Bring to boil.  Add salt, pepper and chopped sage and thyme.  Add carrots, potatoes and celery.  Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.  Add corn, peas and green beans.  Continue to cook for 4 more minutes.  Remove from heat and sour cream and soup.  Stir until well combined. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a pie tin with 1/2 of the pie dough rolled into a circle.  Pour the chicken and veggie mixture into the crust.  Top with the remaining pie round and seal the edges.  Cut a couple of slits in the top of the crust for venting. 

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned. 

Chicken Mac and Cheese ... a new take on an old classic

I just had to share this with y'all!  Chris and I were having a quiet dinner the other night together.  Given our recent cold spell and the stress of the  past few weeks, the ultimate comfort food sounded perfect.

So after the kids were all settled doing there things for the evening, I decided to whip up a really tasty favorite of mine ... a gourmet macaroni and cheese that is made with chicken, bacon (of course), and gorgonzola, muenster and monterey jack cheeses.  Its really not all the difficult and pairs well with a salad of fresh baby greens with herbs, tomatoes, red peppers and a zippy vinegarette (I usually prefer a balsamic or a greek myself).  I also love baking it up in individual baking dishes or ramekins depending on how hungry you are or if it is going to be a side dish. 

Also, you can use any type of pasta that you prefer ... I used ziti in this one because I love the way it looks; however shells or elbows or bowties work fine.  You can also subtract the meat and make it vegetarian by replacing the chicken and bacon with roasted red peppers and sauted mushrooms ... or add them to this recipe if you want some excitement.  You can also increase the amount of cheese in the recipe depending on how cheesy you like it but the gorgonzola should remain the same as suggested in the recipe.

Chicken and Bacon Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

4 tbls unsalted butter

4 tbls all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups of whole milk
2 ounces of gorgonzola cheese
1 cup of shredded muenster cheese
1 cup of shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 box of pasta (ziti, elbow, bowtie, or other)
2 chicken breasts cubed
olive oil
4 strips of bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare pasta according to the package instructions in a 6 quart pan.  Once boiled al dente, drain and return to the pan.  While the pasta is cooking, place the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the cubed chicken breast meat and pan fry until the chicken cubes are browned and cooked through.  Add this to the drained pasta in the 6 quart pan.  Using the same skillet, fry the bacon.  Once crisp, remove the bacon to drain and once cool, crumble into the pasta and chicken. 

Using a small sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the salt and pepper and flour to the pan and whisk together until thoroughly mixed.  Allow this to bubble for about a minute to cook out the flour taste.  Add the milk to the pan whisking while pouring to mix and prevent lumps from forming.  Continue cooking over medium heat, whisking occasionally to prevent sticking until the mixture begins to thicken (like a sauce or gravy consistency).  Now add the cheese to the milk mixture, stirring until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is thick.  Pour this mixture over the pasta and meat in the pan.  Divide among four individual ramekins or baking dishes or place in one large baking dish which has been sprayed with PAM.  Sprinkle the top with a little monterey jack cheese.  Place in oven and back for 25 minutes or until the top is browned and the mixture is bubbly. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.  Eat up and smile!

Honey almond cupcakes anyone ...

My friend Hallie from the Downtown Raleigh Farmer's Market asked me if I could whip up some cupcakes for an event that was planned this month for one of our Wednesday markets ... the Honey Buzzival which highlighted our local honey producers and some unique and creative ways to use honey.  She suggested bees given the honey theme and I was so, so, so very excited ... I love being creative ... its my middle name afterall :)

I wanted to make not only something cute but a cupcake that was made from honey too.  After much thought and consideration, I decided to make a very tasty and healthy cupcake .... a honey almond cupcake topped with a honey cream cheese buttercream.  Yum, yum, yum!!!!  You can find the recipe below. 

I do have a few pointers though that I wanted to pass on.  First, I love shortcuts ... especially when I am in a hurry ... so instead of the toasted and ground almond slices, I opted for the easier route ... ground almond meal.   Thanks to the folks at Trader Joe's ... this allowed me to save a bit of time and effort. 

Another pointer would be to drizzle the honey into the bowl as you are mixing the batter on low ... this will allow you to evenly incorporate the honey into the batter. 

For the cream cheese frosting, I also suggest that the cream cheese be cold when you add it to your mixer.  Plus, cream cheese frosting has the tendency to soften quite a bit during the mixing process or if left out of the refrigerator, so I would recommend refrigerating for at least an hour before decorating your cupcakes. 

My honey bees were made from layered strips of fondant cut and hand-molded and then you simply place two sliced almond wings on either side of the fonant body.  Simple!

Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Cupcakes
Yields 12-15 cupcakes

Honey Almond Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups almonds slices (toasted and grounded)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (170g) honey
1/4 cup (110g) sugar
3 large eggs (separate the whites and the yolks)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line cupcake tin
2. Toast 1 1/2 cup of almond slices in the oven for about 6 mins.
3. Grind the almonds in a food processor with 1/2 cup of the flour until very fine. In a medium bowl, combine the grounded almonds, remaining flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. Beat butter, honey, 1/2 of the sugar, almond extract and vanilla in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Add the orange zest.  Add egg yolks one at the time at low speed... then switch to medium speed and continue beating for about 6-10 mins.

5. Add flour mixture in 3 equal parts to the yolk batter with a spatula, and then beat on low speed for 6 counts. Set aside.
6. Beat the egg whites with the remaining half of the sugar on low speed for 5 mins plus minutes.  Make sure the whites are not too stiff. When you lift up the paddle, the whites should drop to foam (a small hoop at the tip.)
7. Gently fold the whisked egg whites into the yolk batter in 3 parts. Fold with spatula lightly and quickly just until mixture is fully incorporated. Be careful not to over beat the mixture.
8. Spoon into cupcake liners and bake for about 20-25 mins

Cinnamon cream cheese frosting:

1 pkg cream cheese
2 ounces/4 tbls butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. honey
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup confectioner sugar

Just beat everything in the mixer. Refrigerate.
You can make the frosting a day in advance.
Decorate the cupcakes with some toasted almonds and dusting of powdered sugar.

*Recipe can be used for a loaf or bundt cake

A few of my favorite things ....

For those wondering ... I have not disappeared :)  It has just been a hectic and very busy past few weeks and I have just now found a few minutes to sit down and blog about a few of my favorite things ... or specifically my favorite baking/cooking accessories ... measuring cups.  Okay, okay I don't always use them and often prefer the dump and pour method ... using my hand in place of a measuring cup or just basically "eyeing it" but I do love them. 

Oh my gosh do I love beautiful things ... and where a lot of women will collect and adore jewelry or shoes or china, I must say that I love meauring cups and aprons ... especially vintage ones or vintage looking ones.  A few years ago while in Boston, I picked up these beautiful pewter measuring cups embellished with dragonflies ... another thing that I think is quite lovely and another one of my favorites.  It was like a match made in heaven and I have kept them close by in the kitchen since the day I brought them home.  I was also excited to see that Paula Dean uses a set from the same designer.  I think she has ones that are ocean themed ... also amazingly beautiful. 

So recently, while Chris and I were on a trip, I went to another one of my favorites, Anthropolgie, for a little window shopping and to see if I could find some amazing treasure at a good price.  Here is their website http://www.anthropologie.com/ .   I must say that this beautiful store sings to my soul.  I walk in and feel like a kid in a candy shop. And if you get the chance to visit one in person rather than just visiting their online site, you will understand why I adore them.  The clothing, accessories, shoes and home goods are so nostalgic and can transport you back to another time or bring fond memories to mind that were locked away temporarily. Its funny that just walking into the store seeing the lovely vintage designed dresses and smelling the rose water perfume somehow remind me of my Grandma Burke in her "house dresses" skittering about busily in the kitchen preparing food and tidying the house.  Typically, you would find one of everything in the store on my Christmas list.  Alright, back to my story, I have to share with you what I found.  As I was strolling leisurely through the home section, I just happened to find a wonderful collection of measuring cups ... all in different colorful patterns.  One in particular caught my eye and I just knew that they had to go home with me.  Are you ready? Are you ready .... beautiful aren't they? So delicate and fragile and colorful.  They remind me of times when I was a child watching my grandma bake.   And honestly they just inspire me to want to bake up some beautiful cupcakes and cakes.

I just want to decorate a cake for someone ... along the sides would be those lovely stripes in the same vibrant and happy colors and then embellish the top with dainty red and blue posies.  I can only image how pretty it would be and how much the person that I made it for would enjoy receiving it as much as I would enjoy making it.  I wonder who would love one?  Maybe I should start baking and surprise someone special ....

Breakfast for Dinner anyone :)

Another one of Tammy's messes ...

OH MY GOSH ... do I love breakfast for dinner and so do Chris and the kids ... win, win for all of us.  Tonight with the weather looking a little questionable and the prospect of the next few days being breezy, rainy and in the 60's, breakfast for dinner sounded so good.  Plus, since I have been a little tiny girl, I have loved breakfast ... its happy food ... comfort food ... energy food and I am a firm believer that we should all have breakfast to maintain great health.  And let's admit  the fact that I have been under a great deal of stress lately and its catching up with me, so I was in desperate need of comfort in a big way ... ta da ... I found my comfort. 

I whipped up a quick batch of silver dollar pancakes for the kids, a side of bacon and some very pretty over-easy eggs.  Here's the catch....I'm not much of a pancake lover ... never really been my thing, so I decided to whip up a really tasty "hash" out of things from the refrigerator.  It was so, so tasty and I thought I must share because y'all might like it.

It was one of those throw in this ... add that ... a little bit of this and finally throw on some cheese and a couple of eggs ... there it was ... yum!  Now remember ... it wasn't pretty, but sometimes the best tasting things come in an interesting little mess :)

And now I will share my tasty little creation with you. 

Tammy's Fried Green Tomato, Mushroom and Bacon Potato Hash with Eggs
(long title but whatever)

Serves 2

1 small green tomato diced into bite size pieces
4 strips of bacon fried and crumbled
1/4 cup of chopped mushrooms
2 cups of shredded potatoes (hash brown style)
1/4 cup of shredded cheese of your choice but I chose jalepeno jack (of course)
butter for frying ( a couple of pats)
4 eggs

Fry your bacon and crumble.  Set aside.  Drain the pan and add the diced green tomato.  Fry this for about 3 to 5 minutes until it is tender and getting browned.  Now add the potatoes and mushrooms to the pan and a pat of butter and let this fry for about 5 minutes until the potatoes are tender and lightly browned.  Remove from the heat and sprinkle the cheese of the mixture. 

Fry your 4 eggs in butter or cooking oil or spray over easy or to your liking.  In the meantime, divide the potato mixture into two portions and put on plates.  Top with two eggs each.  And then dig in!

Pimento Cheese ... Anyone ....

I know you are thinking ... has this chick lost her mind blogging about pimento cheese ... and I would probably agree.  A couple of weeks ago, I read a commentary in the Raleigh News and Observor from a guest writer originating from Wisconsin about the fact that southerners love biscuits.  First, I have to say that I found the article to be offensive ... even though I cannot lay claim to being born and raised in the south but I have lived here for 20 years of my life and being from Southern Ohio, I feel that I can say that I am more a part of the south than the midwest.  But after reading her article about how southerner staples include biscuits and grits and what not and that she doesn't appreciate any of these things, I thought that I would write about something that is near and dear to my heart and that really is quite yummy with many southern favorites.  Oh and also, let me say that grits and biscuits totally rock!  We practically live on them in our household. 



Oh my goodness gracious!  Lunch time!



Shall we get started .... okay ... imagine you are watching Forest Gump ... yes, that's right ... and you are in the scene where Bubba is telling Forest all the ways that you can prepare shrimp.  Okay, we are there and it is me telling you all the ways that you can use pimento cheese...there are sandwiches (with butter lettuce ... my fav), omelets, sandwiches with bacon and tomato, quiche, grilled sandwiches, cold dips and warm dips, muffins, and oh my gosh a hundred different ways to use pimento cheese to make alot of different things.  It's beautiful and the best comfort food ... toasted bread and your favorite topping and that beautiful pimento cheese.  I love it ... yum, yum, yum!

 And it's so much better when it is made homemade from scratch.  And it's terribly simple too!  I whip up a quick batch and put it in a storage container and we "work on it" all week.  So let me tell you some of the many ways that you can use it.  First, a simple and easy cold dip for veggies or pitas or a hot dip simply baked in a pretty dish which can be served with veggies, pitas or even chunks of bread.  Add bacon to it and its even tastier.  Next you can use it just as it's meant to be used ... as a sandwich ... with or without lettuce and tomato.  But imagine adding some strips of bacon and then you can also grill it between two pieces of buttered bread.  Holy Cow now that's the best thing in the world and you've probably realized now how much I love bacon.  And guess what, you can pop some in the middle of your muffin batter for something really special or even put a couple of spoonfuls in the middle of an omelet .... delish.  Make tiny triangular toast points spread with some pimento cheese and a sprinkle of watercress ... delicate and tasty.  But let me tell you what I love the most ... a nice buttery buttermilk biscuit filled with that beautiful, bright pimento cheese and a slice of bacon or two ... a cup of coffee with milk please and a side of buttery grits.  Now that is some good eatin!

So just like biscuits and grits, the many ways that you can serve this perfect little concoction is only limited by your imagination.  And they all three will bring a big grin to your face ....

Kicked-up Pimento Cheese

6 ounces cream cheese softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
1 cup of mayo (I love Dukes light)
6 tbls of pimentos (basically one jar)
3 jalepenos chopped finely
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
dash of pepper
dash of cayenne (optional)

Place the cream cheese in a mixer bowl and mix on low speed for a minute to make it very creamy.  Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix for a minute on low to medium speed until it is thoroughly mixed together.  Eat it up!

A day at the Eno....




My sweethearts ... Chris,
Andrew, Shannon and Sam



Holiday weekend ... house full of kids and some free time equals a day out at the Westpoint on the Eno ... a true oasis in Durham.  We just love the Eno River and the surrounding park.  It's sort of dear to our hearts ... one of the first places that we took the kids together as a group to get to know each other and we've gone back several times since.   But the true draw is the natural beauty... the fact that you can spend hours just enjoying nature around you ... its a treasure in this area and one that many people don't know about.

So Sunday, we got out of bed and decided it was going to be the perfect day to take a picnic and spend a few hours paddling up and down the river, swimming in the swimming hole and hiking the trails.  After deciding on a menu, I set about preparing a wonderful picnic basket and we rounded up three of the five kids to join us on our adventure.  Avocado chicken salad wraps, tortellini salad and summer pickles were on the menu ... paired with big pitchers of sweet tea and lemonade .... we had the foundation for a great day. 



Well hello there!



We packed up ... a bag with beach towels, sunscreen, a medical kit (a must have on an outing like this), hand sanitizer, a change of clothes, and our delicious lunch ... and headed Northwest to our destination.  Chris had been reading an interesting book that I've had in my collection for a few years called "Weird Carolinas" by Roger Manley and found a  surprise for the kids.  A quick stop just outside the Museum of Life and Science (another Durham treasure) ... a small diversion to our trip.... and a small walk up one of the walking trails and ta da!  What fun it was to see the kids expressions when along the bike/walking trail there stood a brontosarus.  It stood there in all its majesty .... a testiment to a different time ... having weathered hurricanes and storms ... it was beautiful.  I was impressed at how amazing it still looked at the age of 44 ... yes, it was built in 1967 as part of a nature trail system that included several other statues just like it but unfortunately the others were not quite so fortunate.  Thanks to a conservation effort, this bronto still delights pedestrians and cyclists today.  You have to go see it sometime.

Back into the car and back on course we finally pulled into the entrance to the Westpoint on the Eno.  Just in time too ... we were all starved.  This park is fantastic and very "user friendly".  You can park in a number of places that will give you access to the gristmill (still working), the farm house, the river and dam, or to a multitude of picnic tables scattered near the water or near the woods.  We opted though to spread out a quilt that my Grandma Calaway made when she was a young housewife and have our picnic the old fashioned way ... the kids really love it.  In a great place too ... a beautiful spot under a big shade tree next to one of the streams that flows into the river .... absolute perfection.  As was the food!

Tree along the Eno River

I had made a promise to Sam, my son, earlier that morning that we would rent canoes and paddle up and down the river.  The great thing is that its very affordable ... just $12.00 per hour for a canoe.  They have everything you need including the life jackets ... its perfect!  After packing our lunch back into the car, we rented a couple of canoes and set out on an adventure.  Let the fun begin!  The water is really calm and reasonably shallow here ... there are a few spots that are deeper ... so its easy to see all the little creatures swimming along beside you or under your canoe.  We were having a great time just exploring, counting the turtles and trying to spot any wildlife along the shady tree lined banks.  Its funny how the kids really enjoy this, especially given that there are no cell phones or video games involved ... just good old fashioned fun like we had when we were kids.  We spent an hour just paddling around and exploring little coves and then decided to return them and take a hike to the swimming hole and the rope swing ... woohoo!

Andrew gives the thumbs up!

The kids won't even complain of the hike back along the river trail to a spot that is like something out of the past ... like you see in old movies.  The river has an area where it has naturally pooled up and formed a swimming hole that's pretty large and deep enough that you can jump into the water from a rope swing attached to a very large tree.  We had these in the Shade River when I was growing up in southern Ohio and I remember how much fun we had as kids playing in the water.  Our kids ... no matter how big they are ... get so excited to have the opportunity to swing on that rope out over the water and make a big splash when they let go.  They could do it for hours ... and over the next two hours they did just that ... went from jumping from the rope swing to playing on the rocks in the water, a little further up stream and back to the rope swing.  Little explorers and even bigger explorers have a blast climbing on the rocks and playing in the little water holes.  You can find so many interesting things here.  Its just fun to make an adventure out of it and get dirty!  Chris and I were exploring while the kids were playing and found some of the tiniest, cutest little dark green frogs.  They were just popping all over the place.  Chris is an amazing photographer and was able to grab some beautiful  shots of all kinds of interesting things but mostly of natures beauty. 



After being at the park for over four hours, we decided to make the trek back to the car to leave.  Not really wanting to go ... its really hard to say goodbye to this place where time seems to stand still ... but realizing that darkness would be coming soon we decided to leave.  We made our trip back to Cary .... exhausted from our day of fun and exploration ... eager to get showers and curl up for a movie together.  And absolutely satisfied with the wonderful day that we had shared together ... as a family.

If you get the chance, please make this park a must see for you and your family.  You won't regret it and will fall in love with it just like we have.

Pickles in a dash ... quick and simple



The beginning of my masterpiece

 Have a few extra cucumbers lying around in the refrigerator ... well here's a great idea and what a great picnic side.  Nothing says summer or fall like a big batch of Summer Pickles.  The beauty of this recipe is that you can use cucumbers, zuchinni, or squash ... all are really good but my favorite will always be the pickled cucumbers.  Sweet and tangy at the same time, these little beauties have that subtle flavor of turmeric.  I fall in love every time I take a bite.  I decided to whip up a quick batch after my beautiful daughter, Shannon, expressed to me with great excitement that she would love for me to use the six cucumbers in the refrigerator to make some.  She loves them ... gets excited everytime summer rolls around because she knows its pickle time. 

This is the easiest process and it takes only a couple of hours before they are ready to gobble up ... not too many at once, of course ... you must savor them.  Plus they will get tastier during the week that they may be in your refrigerator ... if they last that long.  Try it ... they are delicious ... take a picnic and share them ...


Cucumbers added .... yummy!


Bread and Butter Summer Pickles

4 cups of sugar
4 cups of vinegar
1/2 cup salt
1 1/3 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 1/3 teaspoons celery seeds
1 1/3 teaspoons turmeric
1 large onion
6 to 8 cucumbers ... depending on the size

Combine the sugar, salt, mustard and celery seeds, and turmeric in a 1 gallon container.  Stir in the vinegar and mix well allowing the sugar to begin dissolving well.  Add thinly sliced onion and cucumber slices into the vinegar and sugar mixture and stir around to coat.  Place container in the refrigerator.  Pickles are good in the refrigerator for one week.  They can be eaten after a couple of hours.

Stressed out ... let's do some canning...



Okra stuffed jars with yummy garlic and herbs

 I bet you are wondering what I did... or maybe not, but I have to tell you anyway.  When I am feeling stressed ... in need of that comfort that makes you feel better...I tend to cook or clean or turn to family.  But with my family so far away, sometimes I do things that bring me comfort or remind me of the people who brought me the most comfort when I needed it.  So today, I got up and decided to make some bread and butter pickles and can some pickled okra.  Yes, that's right, I canned hot pickled okra.  What was my inspiration you ask...well that would be the large bag of okra that I purchased from Nancy, the lovely owner of Red Bud Farms from the Western Wake Farmer's Market.  That paired with the pound of jalepenos that I bought from Wild Onion Farms gave me the idea.  And then I have to remember the pickles that my beautiful daughter, Shannon, asked me to whip up if I had a minute.  Funny that! 

Ta da!  Lovely!

So this morning I got out of bed, feeling a bit down and thought ... hot pickled okra ... because the idea of canning reminded me how happy I was when I spent time with my Grandma Burke as a little girl and then as a teenager and then as an adult.  I loved helping her cook, can, quilt and garden.  And it was during those times that I shared alot of my thoughts and feelings with her and she would offer me a bit of wisdom that at the time I have to admit I wasn't sure I understood.  But today, upon reflection, I understand full well what she was saying.

I looked up a great recipe for which I seemed to have all the ingredients and I got busy.  I remembered from a week before, while unpacking from our recent move, I had come across a dozen or so canning jars and lids.  With jars lined up on the counter, I started measuring and placing all the wonderful smelling ingredients into the individual jars .... tarragon (mmmm), garlic, mustard seed, peppercorns .... so many wonderful aromas mixing together into such a fresh smelling bouquet.  It's so exciting at this point just thinking about the end result.

After rinsing and trimming the okra, I squeezed it all into the jars, all the while I'm smiling thinking of how I would love to have my grandma there offering up some of her great wisdom.  I can smell the  water, vinegar and salt I had placed on the stove.  It's boiling away, waiting to be poured into the jars all lined up in a row.  And while all this is happening, I'm reflecting back on the past few days and feeling so much better about things because even though she wasn't here with me physically, she was here ... with me ... watching over my "mess" ... my creative moment and I hope smiling at the beautiful work of "edible art" I had just created.  Stepping back to look at those beautiful jars, I found my happy thoughts again and this day that started off not looking so good became so much brighter.


Hot Pickled Okra
2 pounds young, small to medium okra pods
4 small dried chiles or 4 fresh chiles of your choice , split in 1/2
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
12 sprigs fresh tarragon
4 cloves, whole
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 cups rice wine vinegar
2 cups bottled water
4 sterilized pint-sized canning jars

Wash the okra and trim the stem to 1/2-inch. Place 1 chile, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 3 sprigs of tarragon, 1 clove garlic and 1/4 teaspoon peppercorns in the bottom of each of 4 sterilized jars. Divide the okra evenly among jars, standing them up vertically, alternating stems up and down.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the salt, vinegar and water to a boil. Once boiling, pour this mixture over the okra in the jars, leaving space between the top of the liquid and the lid. Seal the lids. Set in a cool dry place for around 2 weeks.

Chicken Avocado Salad

Chris encouraged me to post this most delicious recipe that I just came up with the other day for lunch.  I love when he joins me for lunch on days when he is so very busy.  And we both really enjoyed this refreshing chicken salad on wheat bread, but you could easily serve it in a pita, in a wrap (spinach please) or alone with pita chips or tortilla chips.  Try it and remember that I don't usually measure so these are great guestimates but I promise that you will fall in love with this as much as we did. Enjoy!

Chicken Avocado Salad

3 chicken breasts grilled and cut into bite-size pieces (or you can use a rotissarie chicken cut into bite size pieces)
2 avocados, skin removed, and cute into cubes
1/4 cup mayo
1 jalepeno chopped finely
1/4 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together mayo, sour cream, jalepeno and salt and pepper in a bowl.  Add chicken and avocado and stir together.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.  Serve as suggested above.

Picnic and a movie ....

Since Chris and I first met, we have valued every minute of quality alone time that we have together...given the fact that 90 percent of the time we have at least two of our five children with us.  Lately, we've had less of that time together with schedule changes and vacations.  So this week when I realized that we were going to have two days together alone, I thought that I would surprise him after work with a "date night".  I threw together a lovely picnic ... using my new pink picnic basket and a set of vintage dishes that Chris bought for me at the flea market last weekend.  Scallops wrapped in bacon broiled with a curried mango sauce, a lemon orzo and spinach salad, fresh heirloom tomato, basil and mozzarella salad (ingredients fresh from the Western Wake Farmer's Market) and to finish a lovely shortbread key lime tart with fresh raspberries were on the menu.  This delicious food and a lovely evening ... low humidity and a mild temperature... were the perfect ingredients for a truly romantic picnic.  We packed up the car and drove to Bond Park in Cary and found a perfect spot under a big tree next to a little creek and the lake near the boat house.  It was wonderful!  Bond Park offers so many wonderful spots to picnic ... wide open fields, wonderfully shaded areas, and perfect spots near the lake that allow you to catch a lovely sunset or the abundant wildlife. 

I wish we had more time after eating to snuggle up together on the blanket and watch the geese and ducks floating on the pond and talk about our day, but I had also planned a movie that Chris had wanted to see for that evening as well ... Rise of the Apes.  So we had to cut our picnic a little short and rush off to a 7:15 showtime.  And it was definitely worth it.  It was a very entertaining and touching movie and it was great seeing it together without interuption.  

And at the end of the night it was great to come home and relax and reflect and enjoy our quiet evening together in our new home.  I am anxiously awaiting our next opportunity for a quiet, romantic picnic together in another beautiful spot.  And I already know where it will be and what I will make so stay tuned and we'll share another great picnic with you. 

Edenton - love at first sight ....

That says it all ... it was love at first sight and I was happier yet that I was able to experience such a beautiful town with the love of my life.  I love the slow-paced, Southern lifestyle that is Edenton.  And I fell in love with every little bit of this pretty little town ... from the architecture, to the history, the shopping and the friendly people.  It was just awesome!  The only words that kept running through my mind were quaint and charming ... perfect!

Make this charming spot a definite stop when on your way to the Outer Banks or for just a weekend quick getaway.  It is truly lovely and you will feel very much at home while there.  And once again, you will find the perfect spot to picnic on the waterfront and there is a huge expanse.   There were several families and couples with the very same idea ... carrying picnic baskets and blankets ... looking for a secluded spot perfect for boat watching or people watching under one of the big shade trees that were scattered along the waterfront. 

After filling your tummy and relaxing in the shade, you can stroll along the waterfront and explore the main street downtown area to see what treasures you can find in the galleries and shops that line the street.  We even strolled through the lovely gardens of the Cupola House which even in the hot North Carolina summer heat still looked beautiful.  Andrew and I found a shady spot under an arbor covered in wysteria to sit while Chris took photographs of the purple plums that were growing on the fruit trees and a few plants that lined the fence. 

The Cupola House and gardens are just one of the sites that stand as a testiment to the history of Edenton.  As is the Barker House which sits along the waterfront with its large southern porches looking out over the water...the perfect spot to sit in a rocking chair and watch the boats coming and going and to catch a glimpse of the areas interesting wildlife. 

I have to admit how excited I was when I saw Chris snapping some photos that he knew I would just adore.  There are very few people who know that I have this love of old keys and locks ... and the bigger the better ... seriously!  I have always loved the idea of owning a home that used one of those old sets of keys to open the door ... impractical I know but such a romantic notion.  You can see one of the locks that he photographed in the Cupola House Gardens that hung on a gate.  As we were walking through the town looking at some of the massive and charming homes, taking in all of the amazing 18th century architecture, I was wondering how many of those homes were accessed by using one of those big keys or how many of the garden gates leading to those homes had a big lock on the gate door.  To me that would be a dream come true .... to live in one of those beautiful homes, architecturally perfect, surrounded by a romantic English garden .... living my life in love with my surroundings.  And I left behind in Edenton a little piece of my heart .... hoping to return again and again to experience a little bit more of its charm. 

Fresh figs perfect for a picnic....

Figs are in season!  Woohoo!  On Wednesday of last week, I picked up some fresh Turkey figs at the Downtown Raleigh Farmer's Market.  Yum!  Figs are one of my favorite things to eat and are perfect in many picnic dishes.  Below you will find a recipe that is just unreal and pairs perfectly with grapes, pears, and an assortment of cheese and crackers.

Prosciutto wrapped Fresh Figs

• 4 large whole figs halved
• Goat cheese
• 1 (3-ounce) package prosciutto
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. With parchment paper line a baking sheet and set aside.

Halve each fig and make a small indention in the center of each. Fill each indention with 1/4 teaspoon of goat cheese.  Tear in half one slice of prosciutto and wrap around the fig, starting from the top. Tuck at the ends. Repeat until all figs are wrapped. Toothpicks can be used to secure.  Place on prepared baking sheet.

Combine honey and cinnamon and drizzle over figs.  Place in the oven and roast them for 8 to 10 minutes. 

Pair this with a great wine and fresh fruit, cheese and crackers.  Delicious!

Next stop ... Plymouth, NC ... Belhaven, NC and Bath, NC

The next stop on our whirlwind trip was Plymouth, NC.  We had no idea what interesting things we would see in Plymouth if it weren't for these great books Chris found called "Backroads of North Carolina" by Kevin Adams and "Daytrips from Raleigh-Durham" by James L. Hoffman.  Plymouth, a little town along the Roanoke River and site of the second largest Civil War battle in North Carolina, is a great place to stay overnight when touring this interesting area or on your way to the Outer banks and offers some really interesting attractions ... plus great picnic venues. 

Here in this little town we found a replica of the CSS Albemarle anchored at the waterfront district in a beautiful little park.  Perfect for a picnic!  Lush green grass, massive shade trees, a boardwalk leading to the ironclad CSS Albemarle and the sound of the Roanoke River flowing calmly in the background.  It is a true gem.  And there are really interesting people, both local and tourists.  Further down the street along the waterfront is the Roanoke River Lighthouse .... and it is a magnificent sight.  The structure sits along the waterfront in another lovely park with boardwalks along the river for birdwatching ... another lovely spot for a picnic.  Its a wonderful surprise and a must see if you are visiting the area.  Pack a blanket and a basket full of goodies and pick a spot near the water to enjoy a quiet afternoon. 

Guess what, we decided to drive south a bit to catch a free ferry from the town of Bayview to Aurora.  Aurora is the home of the Aurora Fossil Museum, a really interesting little museum full of fossilized bones, teeth, shells and coral.  Kids will love it!  And you can do your own digging for fossils and shark teeth across the street in a little park.  Have a quick picnic and then pull out the shovels, sifters, gloves and storage bags to find your own treasures to take home. 

Cross back over the ferry and head to the town of Historic Bath.  Bath is the first town in North Carolina and one of the places that the legendary Edward Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard, called home for a while.  This little town had a very interestering history having survived violent rebellions, a yellow fever outbreak, droughts, piracy and Indian Wars.  Yet today there are several lovely homes and the St. Thomas Episcopal Church that have survived.  To stroll along this sedate little towns streets is mesmerizing and makes you yearn for slower quieter times.  I fell in love with this secluded little town and the beautiful scenery.  There is a beautiful grassy point along the waterfront near the Palmer-Marsh House that will steal your heart away.  Jelly fish float up and down in the water as you walk along the tree lined edge .... amazing ... and it is a very romantic and magical spot for a picnic or just to lie on a blanket under the big shade trees and gaze out over the amazing natural beauty or up through the trees at the amazingly blue sky.  It is love at first sight!

Note the handwritten label fading away.

Let's head northeast again to Belhaven, NC.  Belhaven is the home of a very interesting and intriguing museum, the Belhaven Memorial Museum.  When I say intriguing, I mean absolutely the most unusual and quirky museum I have ever been to and its chock full of great treasures.  Let's just say that Ripley's can't hold a candle to this place!  There is every oddity in the world here plus some really interesting objects that you might say you have never seen before or might never imagine seeing.  There is just tons and tons of things to look at literally!  Everything from seashells and buttons, clothes, rocks, dolls and guns to jars full of creatures too unusual to describe.  There is even a human skeleton.  Its absolutely bizzare and very interesting!  You could spend hours just looking at everything and trying to decypher the handwritten descriptions which are fading with age.  This museum is only open from 1:00 to 5:00  on specific days so be sure to check before going. 

How funny is this "pig with one big eye"? 

This was a really fun couple of days!  I would tell everyone that it is well worth a weekend trip to see all of these "hidden treasures" that this area of eastern North Carolina has to offer.  Take the time to tour and learn ... its so worth it .... savor all that there is to see and don't waste a minute.

Chicken Enchilada Handpies ....

Okay, as promised, I am sharing the recipe for one of my favorite things ... Chicken Enchilada Handpies .... mmmm mmmm mmmm.  These big boys are just tasty!  Just ask Chris ... he loves them!

Notice in the picture I couldn't wait to bite into mine ... which explains the missing corner.  Ooops!

Basically the recipe uses your favorite pie crust as the packet that holds all the delicious meaty filling.  And please remember while making this that I typically don't use formal recipes but rather just start with a base like chicken and then add the rest of the ingredients by "feel", so to speak, without measurements. 

4 pie crusts
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded or chopped  
    1 tsp Cumin, salt and pepper to taste
1 package of cream cheese (8 ounces)
6 ounces of chopped green chilis (I prefer mild)
1 finely chopped small jalepeno
4 ounces of shredded monterey jack cheese

Make your favorite pie crust recipe or you could use a store bought brand.  Roll out four pie rounds.  Cook the chicken breasts in water with cumin, salt, and pepper until done.  Remove from liquid to cool and then shred or chop.  Discard liquid and add chicken back to pan.  Add cream cheese, green chilis and chopped jalepeno and stir until blended and cream cheese is melted.  Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lay two pie crusts flat on your work surface.  Imagine you have divided each round into quarters.  Place a large spoon full of chicken mixture on each quarter (8 in all).  Sprinkle cheese on the chicken mixture of each quarter.  Now place the remaining two pastry rounds atop each of the rounds with the chicken mixture to cover.  With a pastry cutter or pizza slicer, quarter the two individual rounds.  Take each pie wedge and crimp the edges with a fork to seal them together. 

Place the eight individual sealed pie wedges on a greased baking sheet.  Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until the crust are golden brown.  Cool them slightly and then dig in!

Enjoy!

The mermaid moment ....

Another confession...I love the water (ocean, river, lake, whatever) and I should have been born a mermaid.  Nothing calls to my heart like being near the water.  And I think we found a truly beautiful place for a quiet picnic and a very breathtaking and relaxing walk.  We visited one of the most interesting attractions when we were in Washington, NC .... this quaint little town is home to the North Carolina Estuarium ( http://www.partnershipforthesounds.org/NorthCarolinaEstuarium.aspx ) .  What is an estuarium you ask?  Well an estuary is formed where fresh water and salt water mix together and this creates an interesting and vital ecosystem. The Albemarle-Pamlico estuary is literally the second largest estuarine system in the United States.  Amazing ... and its right here in a beautiful little town in Eastern North Carolina... go figure!



The facility is quite interesting and beautiful both inside and out.  With very informative and quite artistic displays inside the center and some absolutely breathtaking views as you walk along the very well crafted and quite extensive boardwalk system. 



Photography by Chris Harper ... love of my life



There are some lovely grassy spots near the center and some further up along the boardwalk that would make the perfect picnic spots.  And the beautiful part is after you've eaten that tasty meal, you have that extensive boardwalk to explore ... which we did!  Amazing .... and when we came to the vast expanse of water lilies in bloom and all those beautiful lily pads ... gigantic actually ... floating around ... my mermaid moment struck.  I was in love.... smitten!  It was one of those rare moments that something touches your heartstrings and you smile from ear to ear.  I gazed out over those lily pads ... some that I could literally wrap my arms around they were so big and some filled with glistening puddles of water.... and I could just imagine every sea creature being drawn here .... swimming and playing in this magical spot.  And then there were the turtles.... all, oh I don't know, well over 50 that we counted that followed us along the boardwalk.... swimming along just hoping that we would drop them some little morsel to eat.  Andrew was amazed!

We actually lost track of time just walking and stopping to take photos and mostly just gazing out over this amazing natural beauty.  And I, of course, daydreamed of lounging among those gigantic lily pads ... my inner mermaid ... basking in the sun and playing with the puddles of water that glistened in those lily pads.  It was absolutely magical and a true testiment that its the small things in life that bring us the most joy and that we shouldn't sweat the small stuff .... but rather just enjoy the moment ... especially when that moment is so perfect....

On the Road ......

Okay... so I admit ... I am the queen of picnics and road trips.  I could lay out a map on the table and just pick a spot to go to and that's exactly what we did a few weeks ago.  And Chris agreed to it!  We took Andrew, the youngest of our "Brady Bunch", to some of the most interesting places, but along the way, we had a really lovely picnic in the most serene place....and it was in a city park in Zebulon, NC.  What a wonderful spot and as if on cue there was the most wonderful doe that just stood there in the park eating grass as if she had not a care in the world. 

This was the beginning of our adventure to the Eastern part of our beautiful state.  We started here with a picnic in Zebulon and found a few wonderful treasures in Plymouth, Bath, Belhaven, Aurora and Edenton, NC.  Please visit these towns ... they are just beautiful and are testiment to our interesting and eclectic history.  

I have to share the wonderful lunch that I made for the boys!  What a treat and my next post will be the recipe for these great picnic favorites.....Chicken Enchilada Hand Pies.  You will love these as much as we do!

 

Next on our stop will be Washington, NC area in my next post.  Until then.... 

It all started when.....

It all started many years ago when I was a little girl, but it took a trip to the Raleigh Flea Market yesterday to remind me of how much I loved the art of picnicing ....

Yesterday, as I was walking with my three beautiful children and Chris, the love of my life, through the Raleigh Flea Market, I found a real treasure ... one that spoke to me .... a pink picnic basket with a red interior for a real bargain price.  It reminded me of so many years ago when my little sister, Missy, and I used to give my mom some much needed "quiet time" by carrying our little picnic basket filled with whatever wonderful creations my mom came up with ... up the hill to the beautiful oak tree that sat behind our barn.  We would sit there for what seemed like forever until we knew that my mom might be missing us.  It was wonderful ... sitting in the warm sun, we would just talk and sometimes complain to go back to the house ... but it was wonderful to have that time with my sister, the person that I hold so dear in my heart.  And funny....today, I continue that ... not quiet time for me but quality time for me and my children or quality time for me and Chris.  It is such a romantic concept...especially for a true romantic at heart.  But a very real treat... one that I will always treasure and hope to share and pass on. 

This blog is dedicated to the art of picnicing ... an art that should not be lost.  A valuable treasure that should be continued and embraced by everyone.  The beautiful and magical act of sharing your love of nature and good food and togetherness with someone you love or care for.  Its an act of casual spontenaity.  The act of togetherness and family and love.  It is happiness wrapped up in one little basket to share with everyone you wish.  

This blog is about something that I hold very dear.  A fond and wonderful memory and a tradition that I have shared with my children, family and friends.  And a tradition that should be shared with everyone.  Please follow me through a wonderful journey of great picnic experiences in the Carolinas and everywhere that we travel to find beautiful picnic places and ideas that you can share with your family and friends.

Happy picnicing ....