Amy Ruth

There is a whole lot of “stuff” that goes on daily.  At times it occurs to me, “what a great opening line for a post on my forlorn blog.”   There in lies the question.  What does inspire you?  What makes you feel strong enough about a feeling or a thought to actually sit down and write a complete sentence, let alone an entire paragraph.   Let’s take that a step further.  I can come up with clever ideas to hopefully perk your interest (operative word is hopefully) enough to read maybe the first paragraph.  I really am attracted to smashing photos.   I don’t know about you but I have a short attention span and so the photos are really something necessary to keep me on the page.   Let’s face it.  Time is short and experts say content is the end all to driving traffic to your site.  If that is your objective, traffic that is.

Let’s say it isn’t.  Let’s just say maybe its because you wish to chronicle your family life maybe for your children so that when they become adults and leave they will have these internet pages as a journal.  Maybe sharing recipes, or maybe recording them for their families.  Lots of really cool foodies claim they just started their blogs to share family recipes.  Hmm….

Last Friday I had the pleasure of visiting with a couple here in Columbia,  Aaron and Maureen Harris. After a phone call from Maureen, and  setting an appointed time, we met, chatted,  and presto, Aaron wrote a very nice story for the Examiner.  The story was about inspiration, and cookies. I made some new friends, and  shared some of my baked goods or cookies. Let me tell you what I learned.  I think I read about it actually here in Aaron’s personal blog today.  I love it when I tinker with a baking recipe and am able to produce something delicious.  I love to bake.   More than that I love sharing the food I make  with people and making friends. I love baking and sharing.   Building relationships is easy with food and if they happen to enjoy it , well that is even mo  betta.  I love  baking, making friends and sharing what I love to do.

Its safe to say that the pleasure I receive when I see someone smile with a cookie in hand…. well, that’s what inspires me.  Food and relationships.

This is one of the other things that inspires me.  :”)

Growing up, there were few food choices I disliked.  However, I do remember a handful of occasions when I sat at the table by myself.   The reason, there was something on my plate I did not want to eat or maybe it was the Nestle’s Quick Chocolate Milk I didn’t care to drink.    I honestly can’t remember for sure.  However, I can remember the hint of chocolate was not sufficient enough for me, even then.  That must have been the reason for the solitary minutes I spent at the table trying to talk myself into drinking the milk with the smidgen of Nestle’s Quick .

Funny this cookie does not contain a whiff of chocolate.  It does have a tiny sweet crunch from the small addition of corn meal.  A short bread cookie, rich with butter, and the rest of the typical ingredients one finds in a shortbread recipe. Along with those usual ingredients, cornmeal and citrus zest of lemon, however, I used lime.  I am fond of it and its pretty  and fresh in the dough.  These a a wonderful departure from  chocolate.  Definitely a cookie I will keep in my cookie collection.

Une Gamine dan la Cuisine by Valerie is the featured blogger this week for Tuesdays With Dorie.  A lovely little cookie.

Now you know the recipe is available both on the net and in Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

Thank you so much for looking here.

Twenty -four years I’ve maintained the same job as the mother.  Married for all my life, thank you.  I’m “that middle aged woman.” No, I don’t think I’m still young. Dang, I can see in the mirror.  My point?  Its amazing how many excuses one can find to procrastinate.  I pretty much have perfected the art, peeps.  I have three lovely, young adults in training.  Still they want me on a limited basis and I choose to always be available on a moments notice, mostly.  You see, if you were paying any attention, I did use the term, “on a limited basis.”  They get older, more independent, and make decisions and choices on their own.  At least that’s the plan.  Prayerfully, I hope they make good ones.  At least for them.  Maybe not what I would choose for them, however, they are not me.  They are them.  Right?

Two of the three adults in training are, as I write, on an adventure of a lifetime.  You see these words are from my perspective.  They still have a lifetime ahead and so they will have many more experiences.  Still I’m pretty sure they will treasure the memory of the 6 weeks in Australia together for a lifetime.  Just makes me smile to think they might.  That special connection they will share and remember and share with the families they create.  I know…. getting a little sappy.  Sorry.  Anyway, I’m all grown up (Wowza) and so I’m supposed to be able to cope with kids being on the other side of the earth with maturity and wisdom.  I’m trying.  Thankfully, our world’s population is really smart and has created an electronic world with instant communication.  What a relief for Mom and Dad.  We can at least know they are breathing.  They are, and they are having an amazing time together.  I hear they are making friends on the other side of the globe.  Kind of expands the scope of things, huh?  (I’ve never traveled across the pond….yet)  I think it is amazing how small technology makes the scope of ones world.

Really?  I know, this is a food blog.  I just wanted to share my confession, and let you know, (if you’re reading this at all) how it is that I have put blogging on the shelf for a time while trying to keep my feet on the ground.  There is much more, but somehow this blogging thing becomes very one sided if allowed.  That is a continual struggle I have…frankly, I’m not sure my life is all that interesting to others and  the “I” part of it is bothersome to me.

My part-time position at a local grocery store bakery, baking specialty items from scratch has perked along for about one year now. That has changed the scheme of things around this house a little. There have been some birthdays at my work place that I felt deserved a little treat or two.  I managed to snap a quick photo of one of them just to “get the ball rolling.”  I’ll even share a beloved recipe, which is rare in these parts.  I hope you’ve enjoyed your visit here and I thank you for taking the time to read…. there will be more confessions, probably, while trying to maintain some measure of brevity.

This cheesecake is one I have made many times.  Its a recipe I have  argued with and tinkered with and it still works each time.  Not for the faint of heart.  Seriously, if you have calorie counting issues or are type A and not at all able to bend from your “gym rat” diet regime not even for just one day, RUN I say, as fast as you can.  Or just click away now.  This one is a bender and it will please your palate.  Simple, creamy, and deliciously decadent.

Happy Birthday Cheesecake ~ for friends

Ingredients:

2  1/2 Pounds Cream Cheese

1  3/4 Cups Granulated Sugar

3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest

1/2 Teaspoon Grated Orange Zest

2 Egg Yolks

5 Large Eggs

1/4 Cup Heavy Cream

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy.

3. Mix in the sugar and flour, and continue beating until smooth.

4. Add the grated zest, then the yolks and whole eggs, one at a time, beating after each until the mixture is thoroughly blended.

5. Stir in the heavy cream and mix only briefly.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 15 minutes at 475 degrees, then reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees and continue to bake for another hour.

7. When the cakes is done, turn off the oven and allow the cake to cool slowly for an additional hour.  Remove the cake from the oven and cool to room temperature.  Chill overnight before serving.

My favorite crust for this cheesecake is a shortbread crust but some prefer traditional graham cracker.   This recipes requires a 10-inch springform pan.  It will serve up to 16.  Below is the shortbread crust recipe if you would like to try it.

1  1/2 Cups Sifted All Purpose Flour

1/4 to 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 Large Egg, Separated, and Yolk Lightly Beaten

1/2 Cup of Softened Butter

1. Place flour and sugar in the center of a flat working surface and mix together.  Form a small depression or well in the center of the mound.

2. Add the beaten yolk and the softened butter to the well, then blend these with the dry mixture.  Mix the ingredients thoroughly, using hands- no substitute for warm hands.

4. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap to chill.

Here is where I simply dump all the crumbs or the ball into my buttered/sprayed pan and smush it all evenly into the bottom.

Bake it for 15 or so minutes in a  400 degree oven or until its lightly golden.  Allow it to cool before pouring your cheesecake batter inside the pan.

(Feel free to add 1 teaspoon of vanilla or perhaps 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest.  I like to add my favorite liqueur to the mixture.)

The remaining egg white can be used to brush across the baked crust to help seal it from becoming soggy.  I do this sometimes when it won’t be consumed entirely in one day.    Just depends on when it will be served.

I hope you enjoy eating this classic, crowd pleasing cheesecake.  Although it is substantial it is light in flavor and texture.  Enjoy!

This recipe is from The Joy of Cheesecake by Dana Bovbjerg & Jeremy Iggers.

Happy New Year!

Happy Third  Anniversary to Tuesday’s With Dorie.

Happy Me, its a new year and, like many, I have done a small requisite amount of reflecting.  I will attempt to be Wonder Woman.  HA HA HA.   Not so much.  However, I really like chatting on Twitter and making new friends online.  That really means you don’t get to see them and the real bonus: they don’t get to see you with unkept hair, no makeup, and in your pj’s at 4 PM.  While many of us like to give the illusion of perfection….. HA HA HA, it just doesn’t exist.  Not even in the net world.  Its just in your/my mind.

Its been quiet on my little old blog.  The family has gone on without my blogging.  I have found out that the kitchen, yep even the ovens still work.  One oven had a little hiccup with the clock/timer’s going off at random hours.  I fixed that…. let me introduce you to the breaker box, sista.  Until I come up with the gazillion’s of dollars to replace my secondary Jenn-Air oven with a worn out timer module that still bakes,  I’ll just flip the switch.  Its not a part under warranty and these days you have to consider age with cost of repairs.  Funny company.  What  happened to customer service anyway?

Really?  Tuesday’s With Dorie has been around for three years?  Laurie, its been like raising another child, I’m sure.  My only words are Thank You!  I’m sure many words of praise are out there this week along with thanks, and remarks like “TWD has changed my life.”  I can say that too.  Many life lessons have been learned as well as some friendships, baking tips and, “OH, let me learn something new!”  The most fun part is the satisfaction of doing something new and achieving success.  That is fleeting.  However, the sharing of love with baked goods and the warmth in your heart, that is not.

I’ll tell you how I really feel.  While a lot of this blogging world is a popularity contest and is sort of that old cliche, “you get back what you put into it.”  As long as you don’t take “yourself” too seriously, it is rewarding and the contacts you make become friends, the food you make becomes a connection both in you and the people you share with and love.  You might actually learn a new word or two, ( I was hoping for learning to write) and remember the English language that evaporated while raising a herd of children.

Last night, around 11, that would be PM I figured on just getting to it…. so the Midnight Crackles really were mixed up around that time.  Corbin emerged from his cave to ask “What are ya makin Mom?”  I replied “Well, remember that blog I used to bake along for and TWD and oh yea, tomorrow is Tuesday?”  He just smiled and waited for me to describe the recipe for the week.  Turns out it really is so simple to put together, not many ingredients, and well, I’ll let you know later in the blog post how they turn out.  I’m guessing since they are mainly chocolate, butter and brown sugar they must be spectacular.  I love things like that.  :”)  Additionally, the more time you spend in Dorie Greenspan’s, Baking From My Home to Yours, the more likely you are to have the same sense of love and simplicity in the kitchen that she conveys.  That baking really isn’t a magic science but more like a product of your energy, resources and love.  She just shares hers in print and therefore allows many others like us bloggers to share with our families and friends all over the world.

Sorry if I’m sounding a little cheesy.  hehe

Well, here they are…. Libby and I think they are delightfully delicious.

This is a very special post for a very special lady.  Guess who?  Holly of PheMOMenon and Laurie of Slush gathered up their apron strings, wooden spoons and mixing bowls long enough to send out invitations to a surprise virtual birthday party for Dorie. We hope it was a surprise for her.  How do you do that on the internet?   This is my installment featuring the simply beautiful and seasonally appropriate  Marie-Helene’s apple cake on page 432 of Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.

I figure a lot of folks are learning a whole lot because of … a lot of people, but primarily Dorie Greenspan and Laurie Woodward.  Dorie authored the books and Laurie Woodward started the baking blog group, Tuesdays With Dorie and the most recently, French Fridays With Dorie for the book Around My French Table. Today is Dorie’s birthday and I thought she should have a birthday cake, the French way.   Happy Birthday Dorie! (this is the part where the birthday song plays)   I know as you visit around to the virtual Birthday Party you will surely have a big smile on your face.  You are probably running around the country visiting with lots of new faces and making yet more new friends while promoting your new book, Around My French Table. That’s a pretty amazing gift as well.

I could elaborate for a while but I want you to see the photo of this really beautiful, wonderful apple cake from Around My French Table.  No recipe here, you’ll have to buy the book (or maybe its on google….I bought the beautiful book).  I really can’t resist sharing some impressions while I was in the kitchen making Dorie’s recipe.    Among the ingredients is the usual eggs, butter, sugar, and apples.  I do love the smell of butter and sugar.  Did you know sugar actually has an aroma?  I have to confess Dorie, I have resisted buying yet another bottle of liquor for my collection and I finally folded and brought home some dark rum (for this recipe).  Let me just say I am so silly and regret I didn’t have it before for many of the previous recipes.  Its a heavenly aroma.  Can you smell it?  The cake batter is like liquid satin and  I love all the different apples added to the mixture.    After just having a bite, well more than just one bite, this is super delicious and you’ll love the chunky pieces of various apples inside.  Did you hear that apple lovers?

This year for Dorie’s birthday, Holly of PheMOMenon has coordinated this effort and has  the whole birthday party on her blog so make sure to visit  the entire party there,  see all the photos of the food and visit the different blogs to make new friends.

Thank you so much for coming to the Virtual Birthday Party.  Happy Birthday Dorie. Its safe to say that there are lots of folks out there sending you good thoughts and birthday hugs.