Sunday, July 12, 2009

recipe for a fine summer day


me and my pink grapefruit sorbetto

Start the Sunday morning with sourdough pancakes.
Totally fudged the recipe, added a little yeast, milk and butter, along with a couple of cups of flour the night before, some eggs, salt, and more flour and milk the next morning. They are divine, so light, so delicious...

While cleaning up the breakfast dishes, begin preparing dinner (love that). What's on the menu? Quinoa salad with peas and radishes, mint and cilantro, based on Heather's great recipe. Quinoa takes a lot of coddling (rinsing it beforehand, dry roasting it, rinsing it in cold after cooking to minimize the mush factor), but I think it's worth it. And so good for us.
And also, Baked Sweet Potato Falafel from 101 Cookbooks. My new favorite vegetarian food porn site. Here's what it looked like on the plate tonight, served with a side of cucumber-dill-mint yogurt salad, and fresh greens from our garden:
Sylvan had three helpings of quinoa salad, no Sweet Potato Croquettes (as we called them to avoid the gag reflex on the word "falafel" for the boys, you know "feel awful"). Jonas avoided the quinoa but ate the croquettes. Hey, both are delicious and good for you, so who cares.
Between breakfast and dinner we went to Damariscotta to the bead store for Jonas (who makes great earrings and he's taking orders to finance a portion of his ski pass), for a swim (my first of the season), and the fabric store for me to remedy one of those awful mistakes that we sometimes make. That would have made me swear a BIG BAD swear, had Jonas not still been awake.
Is the addage "Measure twice, cut once" one that crosses cultural borders? Probably, since idiocy knows no bounds. So I KNEW that I needed to cut the fabric for E's PJ pants a certain way. I thought it through twice. I laid it out. And cut it completely the wrong way. Argh. *&(*@!!!! See how I had the iPod all set to go for the pinning and cutting last night? (And that adorable little bag, a gift from E. and her mom, just because. Just because they thought of me when they saw it. I love that sentiment, the bag, and them!)
Also while in Damariscotta, we stopped by North Cottage Coffee for some outrageously lovely handmade gelato. This place is worth a stop, for coffee, gelato, sweet and savory treats, and a great cafe atmosphere. Above is pictured the blood orange sorbetto. I chose the pink grapefruit, which might possibly be up there as my new all-time favorite, up there with Jake's homemade strawberry sorbet. Great color, texture, and flavor to die for. And please notice these cute cups they serve the gelato in, and those plastic spoons? Totally great design, although made of plastic, they fit in your hand and have a nice small spoon-head, perfect for shaving off tiny nibbles of these delectable frozen treats.
Finally, our new peeps went outside their enclosure for the first time this evening. Just a little bit of fresh grass and flying bugs. They were a little unsure, a little nervous about the idea. Kept going in and out.
Notice that buff cochin at right, above photo? I love her fluffy little botto and feathered slippers! There was some aggressive behavior we observed, and we are hoping that we are not seeing the beginnings of roosters. We still have them separated from the "big" girls for now.

9 comments:

  1. Those little chic-chic-chickies are adorable!

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  2. oh, everything looks so good. the chick's are so sweet. we have three buff cochins too. i think one is a rooster, he is agressive. maybe they are just a little more agressive than the others? I hope so. I don't want to get rid of any of them!

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  3. I like the bell-bottoms on your chicken, there! He needs a little afro, don't you think?

    Or she... let us hope it is a she.

    I love that bag, too!

    I think I need one...

    Have a great day, I loved this post!

    XO,

    Rhea

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  4. Do you know, my recipe for a cold winter day could also start with sourdough pancakes. But I'd have to switch the frozen desserts for sticky date pudding with caramel sauce, the salads for hot ABC soup, and the feelawful (love that, I'm gonna use it next time I see some) for hot chilli and rice.
    Perfect recipe for a winter's day!

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  5. Could Miss Smith be persuaded to share her recipe for date pudding with caramel sauce?

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  6. Hey Anonymous,
    Miss Smith has graciously shared!!!

    Sticky date pudding with caramel sauce

    6 oz stoned chopped dates
    150 mL boiling water
    1/2 t bicarb soda
    4 oz butter
    4 oz brown sugar
    2 eggs
    4 oz self-raising flour

    Mix dates, boiling water, and bicarb soda in a bowl and leave to stand.
    Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in eggs one at a time. Fold in the sifted flour gently, and add the date mixture. Don't overmix or it will be tough. Pour into a greased and lined 20 cm cake tin and bake at 180 deg Celcius/350 Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.

    Toffee sauce

    6 oz brown sugar
    1 c double cream
    1 t vanilla essence
    1 T butter
    pinch of salt

    Combine in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook while stirring for 5 minutes.

    Serve wedges of date pudding with caramel sauce and extra cream or vanilla icecream if you like it.

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  7. many thanks. can't wait for winter.

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  8. my favorite is the Quinoa salad with peas and radishes, mint and cilantro - its similar to the rapture without having to disappear. Love, ikee

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  9. Matthew/Ikee/Bumpa (my father-in-law):

    That is one of my favorite comments. Ever.

    XO
    Iris

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