Bacon-Fried Bananas

That's right. Good Sunday morning! I wanted bacon immediately following Mass this morning, and couldn't bring myself to eat only bacon for breakfast. I didn't want eggs, though, so i decided on the world's easiest and best instant grits. I ain't got time--or skills--for slow grits and Quaker does a pretty good job with instant! So I decided I'd do grits with a bit of bacon grease and a crumbled piece of bacon and that's when I remembered a post my step sister put on Instagram yesterday. A post that inspired this:

Beth, one of my crafty and talented step sisters, is constantly cooking up something amazing and unique. She manages to feed her family of four with whole, clean, yummy, and marvelously concocted meals and I want to take a cooking class at her house. I'd settle for a menu-planning and grocery shopping class at this point. Yesterday she put up a lovely picture of bananas fried in bacon grease. Whaaat? Yes, I'm trying that soon, I thought! It promptly left my head till this morning when my grits-and-grease plan came together.

look at that caramelized banana. sweet & salty goodness!

This is our at-home Sunday brunch. As much as I enjoy a Bloody Mary at such a meal, this morning I was great need of more coffee, so I added pumpkin pie spice to the Peet's in our Keurig filter basket and it was fantastic.

Now I'm ready for all the things I have to do today. What a list it is! But first I must burn off some of this calorie craziness!

Going for a run,

kt

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Apple Pie & Baseball

No, there is nothing more American!

These two proverbial pastimes made my afternoon. I got to listen to my Nationals shut out the Marlins (thereby also taking first place in the National League and winning home field advantage for the playoffs next week!) and bake with apples I picked with my good friend Kailey on Wednesday. There's a fantastic, tiny orchard around the corner from my neighborhood and I noticed they had a "U PICK!" sign out front. Then she invited me to visit the orchard and pick apples with the moms group she's in so I went, and we picked about 15 pounds each. We spent that morning in the honeycrisps, which are super yummy, and it was such a fun way to spend the morning. We definitely went back today. There's an apple extravaganza planned for next week--we have big plans for pies and apple butter and apple cocktails and anything else we can pin! Meanwhile, I had to try making something today.

I had originally planned to pickle my cucumbers, but I needed to run the jars through the dishwasher. So, while I waited on that to finish, I couldn't resist starting on some apple pie. A test run, if you will (or impatience, whatever. call it what you want). I also had some Pilsbury pie crust (don't judge me) in the fridge in its last days so I needed to get rid of it.

So I made pies. Plural, 'cause they're mini! I cut out dough with my Salty Dog Cafe glass and made tiny pies with tiny leaf cutouts made from extra dough.

 

I used this filling recipe from sugarywinzy.com which was simple and smelled amazing. I even made my own brown sugar (1 T of molasses to 1 cup of granulated sugar, then measure & use according to your brown sugar needs)! Since I didn't use her crust recipe I guessed and baked at 425 for 23 minutes. A taste test will tell if I need to post some adjustments. I shall let you know.

 

 

Picking apples reminded me of when we were kids and used to go in the fall. Being in the apple trees reminded me of being back in Virginia, where Winchester rivals the North West's apple growing. Orchards make me happy! Eating apple pie reminds me I do like Autumn!

Oh, and I did also finish making pickles. I'll post that later this weekend.

Off to do dishes,

kt

 

 

 

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Trick or Treat!

Here's a treat. I found loads of fun Halloween themed fabric at Joann's yesterday, and it was all 30% off. I found a bunch more at Hancock this morning, but I neeeed to finish one thing at a time. I cannot go to the fabric store with a head full of potential projects--it's like going to the grocery store hungry. I needed orange thead. I may or may not have left with more that that...

The trick is that it's already FALL. Already?! Really? Okay, not going to lie: I like fall. It's just that I like summer so much more, but we've been over that. It's apple picking time! Pumpkin baking time! Potato gleaning time (you'd understand if you lived here). The leaves are turning and nights are getting cooler, red wines come out and Sam Adams & Shiner have put out their Oktoberfest offerings. I might add that New Belgium is peddling their Pumpkick again, and it's even better this year! Autumn is good. "Life starts over again," as F. Scott Fitzgerald said, "when it gets crisp in the fall." (Oddly enough it's 88 here in the eastern end of Idaho, but it'll be crisp soon.)

While I refuse to start Halloween decorating or purchasing fun Halloween stuff a minute before October 1st, I found myself in Joann's and suddenly got it in my mind that I should make cute aprons to sell in my mom's shop with this fabric. It turns out I didn't remember how much fabric I needed for said aprons, so when I bought some spontaneously (read: I need want to buy something!) I didn't buy enough. See how it's dangerous to go to the fabric store without a set purpose?

So, with this fabric I made my good friend's three-year-old chickadee a skirt. I am adoring this tutorial on MADE! A couple years back I sewed three in one day, which is a monumental feat for me, Mrs. Lazy Bones Afraid-to-Start Procrastinator. Three. In an afternoon. Which is how easy these are!

I wish this photo showed the skirt as dark as the black fabric actually is. Oh well. I just love the little candy! It's glittery, too. Cuteness.

Happy Fall,Y'all,

kt

 

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Summer Time

 

...and the livin's easy! well, for me anyway. School's out, work's done, and flowers are planted.

the living isn't so easy for this little gal. just look at that load--check out all that pollen! back to the hive she goes, and then off again for another load. she just visited my cosmos, and i hope she'll be back. I'd really like a visit to my tomatoes. pollenation keeps everyone happy!

i'm so fascinated by these little bugs. they work so hard, know so much, and have so much to give. they are so amazing! I read a book last summer called Robbing the Bees, written by Holley Bishop, that is one of the best non-fiction books I've ever read. It has a little bit of history, a little bit of personal narrative, and a lot of teaching. makes me want to buy some Tupelo honey (and a hive of my own)! you should check it out if you haven't and are remotely interested in bees, beekeeping, or something good to read.

Buzzing off,

kt

 

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Blackberry Morning

Good morning! In this indecisive season of March (65 tuesday, snow yesterday, cold today), I have had enough of winter mode. I found a muffin recipe a few weeks ago on Pinterest that I had to try. I started to make them last Saturday for breakfast, but ran out of time. How do I always think there's more time than there is? This morning there is plenty of time. It's my last weekday morning off and it's an off Friday for my fella (I love this schedule of every other Friday off!), so we get a free day together. Muffins that taste like summer are the best way to start such a day.

The recipe was for blueberry jam muffins, and their photo looks fantastic. They are blueberry with blueberry jam & lemon zesty sugar topping. This berry and citrus combination is something I've always enjoyed, and when I think of the colors of blueberry & lemon I have to smile. It's so so summery and fresh, no? I have been thinking about those muffins ever since I pinned them, but with no time to make them. I haven't baked since Christmas. What?!

Alas, I have no blueberries. Nor a lemon. But there is a handful of blackberries (frozen, but from the new Natural Grocers store that just opened in town! They'll do) and a handful of raspberries (frozen too, but I picked them at my friend Mary's house last summer to round out a super fun quintessential summer day). I rather enjoy when I find I have exactly the amount of something I need. I needed two cups and had a cup of each. So I made these muffins and just ate one with a full cup of hot, uninterrupted coffee and I'm a happy girl.

I adapted the recipe from Damn Delicious, and am looking forward to baking them just as she instructs in the very near future. In the meantime, my muffins have raspberries inside and blackberry jam on top. Sprinkled with a little bit of sugar, they've got such a good light crunch on the top. Yum.

You can find the original recipe for the blueberry muffins here. To make my Raspberry Muffins with Blackberry Jam Topping, I used one cup of blackberries for the first step (making the "jam") and one cup of raspberries for the batter.

And so I start my day with a tiny taste of summer. These muffins reminded me of a raspberry jam from last summer that I made. I am very, very much looking forward to doing that again soon. Not soon enough. I hope you have a fun Friday, and are staying warm wherever you are. Has it stopped snowing back East yet?!

 

With summery thoughts,

kt

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Spring Break

I just went for a run in shorts and a T-shirt. short sleeves! It is 65 degrees at the moment, and I decided to take advantage of the sunny, warm afternoon. I started out for a quick out-and-back that would have been about a 1/2 hour, then decided once I was out there that going back would be a waste of weather. It snowed this time last week, and it's supposed to be miserable on Thursday, so I needed to take in all I could.

While I was out there I saw a flock of new, tiny, black lambs and their mommas, got hit with a bug (the deep freeze is over!), and spied so many teensy buds on tree branches. I had to go around a parked landscape truck in two different places, and can smell the burn of the farmers clearing the canals of overgrown, dead grass and leaves. We're a week into spring and I'm getting teased by the indecisiveness of March. It generally makes me crazy waiting and wondering when warm is going to start and finally continue until further notice, but I've started to take it as it comes and try really hard to not worry about tomorrow's forecast while I enjoy today.

Including a full glorious hour in the garden just before putting on my running shoes, I've been outside for two hours straight. With no coat. Or hat. YAY! I weeded, hung out with the cats as they patrolled the fence line, and took a count of rhubarb buds and leaves. TWENTY SEVEN! If I can remember to do it, I'm going to take a picture daily of the plant and see what it looks like growing in time lapse. Two days ago there were 25; it's taking off! We'll see how it goes.

So, day two of spring break. Warm or not, I don't have to get up early, I'm drinking hot coffee, and I don't have any lesson plans to write. It is nice. Hope you're having a great week and a taste of warmer days!

with open windows,

kt

 

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Real, Good, Slow Food

We went to dinner with a friend from Charleston tonight.  Rob and he worked together in South Carolina and are still with the same company, but he's in Pittsburgh now and we're here in Idaho.  This gentleman came out for work--he's Management now--to see "The Site," as it's locally known, and learn what goes on out here, as some of the Idahoans do when they go inspect East occasionally.  Anyway, we've been planning on dinner out with him for some time now, and weren't sure where to take him.  We noticed a new restaurant several weeks ago, and wondered how it was.  It looked great, but unique and interesting restaurants don't really happen in this town.  There's the clever and refreshing Snake Bite Restaurant and the fancy, date-night Cellar, but that's it for interesting here.  Tonight we decided to try this new place with the modern sign and hip web page (and two terrific Yelp reviews!).

We came from Charleston, a town with more James Beard Award winners per capita than anywhere ever (that might be not quite right, but it cannot be far off the mark), and I miss good food so much.  I have a thing for food that was thought about, really and truly cooked with love, with ingredients that are appreciated and enjoyed, and served by happy, attentive and vouching waitstaff.  I am not a snob, or a foodie, or an afficianado of any sort--i can't even spell afficianado--but i LOVE food that is good.  I especially like food that is good that was raised and grown here.  I like a glass of wine, a conversation, laughs, some stunning food, flavor I can't stop thinking about, and someone who genuinely wants to know if we're enjoying the meal.  I like when my food makes me think, this is it.  this is where i want to be, doing this.  This was my dinner tonight.

Who knew this town had Tapas?!  It does.  Fried goat cheese with cracked-pepper honey.  Chorizo-stuffed jalapeno poppers.  Sea salt fingerling potatoes (local, of course, and purple!), bacon wrapped dates, crab cakes.  Oh my.

Good conversation, laughter, and catching up ensue.  We have a third good restaurant.  One I won't see in another town, on any other day.  It is going to be something that makes us who we are, a town with a personality and a fight for what's good and what's important.  Somewhere we can visit, enjoy and contribute to what's local and good.  We'll be back!

Much A'do About Rhubarb

SO much to do!  Good morning!  This weekend I took my scissors to the rhubarb plant again.  This is the third round of fruit I've gotten from my wonderful and generous little plant.  It's not so little anymore, and I didn't know how big it would get when I bought it on sale at Wal*Mart last summer.  It's made me a believer!  








Wowzuh, it's been so good to us.  It's just July and I've gotten a big old batch of rhubarb ginger jam, some to freeze, and now these yummy rhubarb muffins.  I had to Instagram and Facebook that picture, and got several suggestions in response to my "what do I do with this batch?!" quandary.  I'd not ever thought of muffins with this tarty loveliness, so I researched some recipes.  (Dear Pinterest, I love you so!)   

Here's what I found.  It's a terrific and easy recipe from a terrific and cleverly named blog called Arctic Garden Studio.  I realize Idaho Falls is no Fairbanks, but it is nice to have a resource and an ally in the world of Nothing Grows Before June!  I also enjoy that she uses yogurt--it makes these muffins so moist and spongy.  Terrific!  I used Hermes Greek Gods, and NOT the non-fat version.  I'll not have it!  Please note that I used mini muffin tins for two dozen treats, and also got a 1/2 dozen large muffins out of this recipe.  Here you have it!

Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins, from Arctic Garden Studio (who adapted it from Fine Cooking)

Muffins:

2 cups AP flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar (I use raw cane sugar)

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup whole milk yogurt (I use Hermes 

Greek God regular--not non-fat--yogurt)

8 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

1tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb

Topping:

3 T granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degreesF, and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil baking cups.  I used Pam instead of cups for the little ones--you need to grease or line!  

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients and whisk to blend.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together the next four ingredients until smooth.  Next, with a spatula, lightly stir the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture until the batter just comes together.  Be careful not to overmix.  Gently stir in the diced rhubarb.  The batter will be thick.

Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups, using the back of a spoon or spatula to settle the batter into the cups, or slam the pan on the counter to settle just as nicely (her suggestion, and it works well!).  The batter should mound a bit higher than the tops of the cups. 

In a small bowl, combine the sugar & cinnamon and mix well.  Sprinkle a 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture atop the large muffins (about a 1/4 tsp. on the minis).

Bake until the muffins are golden brown, and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18-22 minutes.*  Transfer the tins to a rack to cool, then carefully lift out the muffins.   Enjoy (several at a time)!

*I baked these--both the minis and the large ones, baked separately--for 15 minutes.  We also live at an elevation of 4,700 feet, and I can never get baking times right.  I decided to check them at 15 minutes and they were perfect.  

TADA!

Uh, don't tell anyone, but I've already eaten three...  Thanks to my friend, colleague, and fellow East Coaster & Nationals fan, Ken, for making the winning suggestion.  I shall share with him tomorrow. 

Meanwhile, I discovered rhubarb is one of those words that starts to sound funny if you say it enough. 

Rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb,

KT

Kitten Fishin'

Two Christmases ago my Mister got a fly rod and we've been itching to use it.  Or learn to use it, as it were.   Last summer flew by, and the fall and spring came and went; it's finally time again.  Idaho is prime trout fishing territory--80% of the trout consumed in the United States is produced in Idaho.  How do you like that?  I learned that on Good Eats about two weeks after we moved here.  We have got to get on the river!  Anyway, the weather finally warmed up, then there was a load of overtime at work, then a stellar vacation back to Charleston, and we found ourselves with a weekend at home.  Yesterday morning, after sleeping in till 9:00 (what?!) and playing with kitties in our newly fenced-in backyard, we went to the library for fly fishing how-to and to the fly shop for fishing line.  When we got home Rob got to work on spooling the reel, but not before untangling the line from the package it came it.  I should mention here that Blackbeard, one of our silly cats, is obsessed with string.  Once when he was exploring the garage (it's our outdoor cat compromise)  he came back in the house with a bungee cord and it's been one of his favorites since.  He's insane for shoelaces, and once nearly destroyed the laces on a pair of rental cross country ski boots.  And he drags them all into his food bowl every day, a strange habit that I don't understand, but I love.  But I digress...  So Blackbeard was chasing the sting all over the place, as it was stretched from the den and across the hallway, back and forth, as Rob was trying to spool it and unknot it, etc., etc.  Too cute.  

Finally it all got sorted out and reeled up, then we went out back ("Now that we have a fence I'm going to practice casting so nobody can see me," he says) and tried to cast.  Here is what ensued.  

helium balloon?  flying a kite?
nope, fishing for kittens.

You need to zoom in.  Do you see his mouth?!  And those talons?!  My favorite part is his shadow, tail straight out.  It's too much!  

Hopefully we'll get a big old cutthroat or steelhead on the end of it, but for now this is fun.  

Tight lines,

KT

It's Plantin' Time!

Good Friday morning!  It's a bit chilly here, and so windy, so I'm inside writing this instead of outside visiting my garden.  Oh well--I need the time inside I think.  I've nearly abandoned the inside of the house over the last couple days.  If I can get the kitchen cleaned and the bed made, we're golden.  

Anyway, we learned the hard way last year that April is too early to plant.  *gasp*  That was so foreign to me--I'd been eating fresh garden tomatoes by then for years!  About two weeks too late someone told us, "Yep, Memorial Day or when the snow melts on Taylor Mountain, whichever happens last."  What?!  For the record all the snow finally disappeared from said mountain in June.  We hiked & camped in the snow over Memorial Day Weekend, an absolute first for me.  So weird! 

With that knowledge this year we waited, and I am glad.  We did put the veggies in at the beginning of May or so, but made sure we bought frost-hardy, Idaho-friendly plants.  School ended the Friday after Memorial Day, so you know what I spent Monday & Tuesday doing!  I raided the local nursery and got busy in the backyard.  

Dahlias are one of my favorite flowers, and I'm glad these are coming up so well.  My zinnias--an absolute favorite--are trying, but I think something's eating them.  I'm working on those guys.  In the meantime, here's my first bloom from the dahlias.  They're so sunny and nice, and I enjoy seeing what color they'll turn out to be.  I've got a red one working on opening, and it will be fun to see what other colors we'll get.  Last year we planted a dinner plate dahlia--those were awesome!   

In other corners of the flowerbed and patio pots, I'm happy to report we're getting our first peony.  I planted a bulb last year and got the plant but no flowers, and this year it came back with one bud (yay for successful perennials!).  That bud is finally starting to open, and I hope it finishes by Tuesday.  That was one of our wedding flowers (that's why I bought it to begin with), and Tuesday is our second anniversary.  How cool would it be to get a bouquet flower on the day we celebrate our wedding?!

Well, that's it from here for now.  Have a perfect Friday, and I hope the weather wherever you are is good, safe, and makes you happy. 

With dirty fingernails,

kt

Summer!

ahhhh, those warm days.  perfect days, like today.  love 'em.  got to wear a skirt, with flip flops, and opened the sunroof!  woot--i cannot get enough.  I went to Mass, chatted with the gals at school for a bit, went to Pilates, and ran some errands.  There is nothing like doing things that have needed to get done, and all in the same morning.  So nice!  Library books are returned, birthday cards and potting soil have been purchased, oil is changed, and I got to try on fun dresses.  All to a fabulous soundtrack courtesy of the Pat McGee station on Pandora.  

afterwards, I hung out with a gal from work, visiting and chatting student-free while we packed up her classroom (we're getting our rooms painted over the summer).  then we met her daughter & husband for a pint at Idaho Brewing Company before walking over to the art museum to begin the Thursday artwalk.  

it was a fun, productive, and relaxing day.  i had to write it down.  thanks for reading.  

to many more,

kt

Squash

Bom dia! Good morning! We're back in the States, and I miss Brasil already. I miss the strong coffee, the friends we made, the temperature, and the sound of the Atlantic Ocean. I also miss our wacky attempts at Portuguese. The mister and I agreed to keep trying it at home; so far it's hi and thank you that have survived. I'm still trying to Facebook in Portuguese on wedding picture comments...

Anyway, we came home to three HUGE (that's GRANDE) zucchini.

zucchini cupcake yumminess

 Cupcakes it is, with caramel frosting. I will post the recipe soon, but here are a few pictures. The finished, frosted product will be pictured shortly, but I've got another batch to get going. Chat you soon!











tchau,

kt

             

muito bem

tonight we had dinner in Brazil. we shared our evening and conversation in English, Portuguese, and Spanish (spoken by a Polish girl and two Armenians) and somehow we all made it. My little brother is getting married on Saturday; my soon-to-be sister-in-law is the sweetest, most beautiful girl, and is from Santos, in São Paulo, Brazil. We arrived yesterday and have been amazed.

One thing that's been so terrific is that we are in a part of the country that the rest of the traveling world hasn't quite caught onto yet. There isn't loads to do and see in the tourist sense, and that's been the best part. it's been fun to see and do as the brazilians do, not as visitors do. It has always amazed me what tourists demand and "need" for their vacations to be just right. so much for VACATing your everyday... I like a neat, unique, and/or historical spot--don't get me wrong--but I also like to see a place as it is seen by the people who know real life there.

anyway, we went to the bar on the corner last night, about a hundred feet from our hotel, and had a caipirinha and chicken and watched the Santos Futbol Club defeat Chile on television with about seven other patrons. It was cool.

This morning we got up and, upon arriving in the lobby for a coffee, met my brother and two groomsmen--fresh from a week in Rio--and mom and stepdad on their way on from the airport. We dragged them to the beach for a look and then to a pizza place where we had pizza calabresa (sausage) and pizza quiejo (cheese). There were Brahma cervejas for the fellas and mom and I had Guarana, a soda from the famous Amazon berry. Then we had terrific doces (desserts) from the canfeteria joinville and left them to nap while rob and I walked along the beach and checked out the mall. Then we got ready and met everyone for dinner.

We had caipirinhas and amazing beef dinners, and the conversation was fantastic. It was so amazing to chat with people I'd never met, and most of whom didn't speak the same language. I mean, it's about a one to one ratio of English to Portuguese at this table. Somehow, though, it all works out. There is enough friendship and family to figure it all out, and at some point laughter and smiles bring it all together anyway. Rosetta Stone helps, but in the end if you just try what you know and learn from the people around you it works.

I am so excited to have a sister-in-law, and to see my brother so happy. This is going to be a beautiful week (and then some).

boa noite,

kt

Wrapping up summer

On this last day of my favorite season I found myself with some extra time to hang out in the garden and enjoy what is probably one of only a handful of warm evenings left. This week has been unusually busy and I've been sending myself off to dreamland each night with the frantic thought that I have no idea how our veggies are doing. Ack!!! It has been quite chilly here overnight, and I've been afraid to see how they've fared... Turns out all is well, and I have healthy zucchini which makes me happy. There are two big ones, and THIRTEEN total! I saw the two last weekend, but suddenly eleven more have joined the crew. Okay, I'll take it! I find that being in the garden is such a relief. It is one of the only-THE only?-things I do that absolutely frees me from my own head. I love it.

Meanwhile, tonight I ended up prepping and freezing a bunch of stuff! Some of it was homegrown and some of it was grocery store fare that never made it into its intended recipes...

Pictures tomorrow, but I made pickles, cut up rhubarb for a future pie, and made dinner with some tiny tomatoes; there was also puréed watermelon for soon-to-be-sorbet and puréed kiwi that I saved from near rotting stage.

I feel accomplished, and have the Killers station on Pandora to thank. Also I'd like to thank my new iPad for making music and recipes a breeze. Now if I could just figure out how to write a blog post on it... We'll see how this one turns out.

Still a PC gal,

kt

PS  i just broke down and turned on the real computer and want to add photos.  here you go!

Dragging My Heels

hello, and happy sunday!  as i write, the sounds of a football game on television are filling the background, and the signs of an impending autumn are showing up one by one.  i love summer.  i want summer to last longer.  i will miss summer.  i am, indeed, digging in my heels and trying to prolong the arrival of the next season.  this is the shortest summer i have ever experienced--out here it's over before you know it.  Orion arrived in the morning sky about a month ago and i balked at the idea of my warm, long days coming to their inevitable end.  i want my garden and the summery flowers in their blue and yellow pots to keep on keeping on.  i want my trips to the mountains to be green hikes and magpies, full aspens, and dirt trails.  i am was not ready for the summer to end.

i have found myself easing up a bit in the last few days.  crispy blue skies and chilly mornings are helping me, as are productive school days and a few recent gatherings with friends.  i think a bag full of apples from Christina's tree and a dinner last tuesday have sparked the fall cravings.  a friend of ours had somehow acquired a huge turkey breast and wanted to cook for us, so he and his roommate made an amazing dinner of roasted turkey and garlic & cheese mashed skin-on potatoes (yay, Idaho!).  not to be too ahead of things, they were sure to include fresh corn on the cob to keep things a good mix of soon-to-be-gone summer and almost-here autumn.  it was quite a great preview of what's sitting on the horizon, but the kicker was an AMAZING wine our friend Becci brought over.  she's just returned from her annual vineyard visits in Oregon and arrived with two reds that just about have me sold on the next season.  some years there's a sip of red that just makes me sigh and want to sit outside and enjoy a cool evening by a fire with friends or with my Mister under a blanket and stars.  that sip of a big, nice red wine after months of white wine & summer ales alongside the bright, fresh farmer's market fare of summertime just changes things.  i had that sip last tuesday.  the vineyard was Palotai and it was called "Bull's Blood."  yeah, i know, but it was really, really nice.  it made me want fall.

and then there was apple pie.  i'm so annoyed with myself because i did not take any pictures of the process.  this is mostly because i was multitasking like crazy and was just that at the moment--crazy!  it's also partly because i realized the pictures of the peach pie from last fall are not entirely appetizing.  i'm still working on getting photos to do their subjects justice.  that's a whole other project!  anyway, i am very proud of this pie. i had my doubts, but went with it and was so happy with the outcome.  it got good reviews (and was brought up twice the next night when we were all out downtown) and have filed it away into the Make Again pile.  i had a bunch of apples from the same garden as last year's peaches and it was time to do something with them.  they were sour as could be, so i was unsure of how they'd work in a pie, but i looked into it anyway.  i googled about pie with sour apples and came up with an interesting one.  it had a super fun secret ingredient:  chili powder!  i did a recipe mash up with my old standby and her recipe and adored the result.  i will be making this pie again.  and again and again.  mostly i just followed her apple cutting steps and used her idea of adding heat by using the chili powder, but i will go back and do another with the citrus.    the whole thing just sounds bizarre, but i'm willing to give it a whirl.  i used my crust--just a bottom, no top--and the filling recipe from last fall's pie post.  i used vegetable oil this time instead of olive, and added a light dusting of chili powder before i stirred it all together.  meanwhile, did i just make a topless pie?  scandalous.

and finally, the week ended with a farewell dinner for a friend at Jaker's, a local steakhouse that is really good.  coffee rubbed tri tip?!  yes please!!!  another night with great company and wonderful food, and three bottles of red (there were eleven of us!).  i tried a glass of a great blend called Cashmere Cline that was really great, then had a glass of Idaho's own Pend d'Oreille, a fall-is-here-break-out-the-long-sleeves cabernet.  SO good.

wherever you are, and whatever the weather or season, i hope you're having a great time and enjoying your days.  hopefully i'll still be coat-free by next posting.

not missing air conditioning,

katie

Let's Roll

It's been a few weeks (as usual), but we've been busy!  I've started a new teaching job (JOY!) and we've been squeezing every last bit out of our summer as August & September fly by and October closes in more quickly than we'd like.  But more on that later...

This morning I wanted to remember for a moment the surreal, unbelievable, tragic, bright blue Tuesday morning of September 11, 2001.  Has it been eleven years?  It is amazing to me that the babies of that year are in middle school.  The middle schoolers are in (or done with!) college.  The high school students of that year have now been on the battlefields for years.   I realized this morning that my 27 year old neighbor who is a US Marine was just driving when this attack occurred.  It feels, though, like it was the proverbial "yesterday."  I suspect it will always feel like such a short time ago.  

As I watch the events unfold again on television, I remember clearly and precisely what I was doing as every moment occurred.  I remember what I was hearing, where I was standing, who I was talking to, and the cup of coffee that went cold in my hand, unfinished--the cup of coffee I was purchasing at Winks Market in Kitty Hawk, NC, as the first plane struck.  I thank God I wasn't standing there, in the midst of it all.  I cannot imagine what those people remember and how it must have felt to watch that scene unfold AS IT HAPPENED.  Secretary Panetta just mentioned in his terrific and heartfelt speech in front of the Pentagon, "the smell of the rubble" and how those present would never forget it.  I cannot imagine.  

Say a prayer today for those lost and those who fought, saved, and cleaned up the mess.  Pray for those families who lost, who continue to grieve, and for the people who lead us then and who lead us today. Pray for those who hate us and want to destroy what we have; ask that they see the true God and the true meaning of faith and what it means to be human.  

Have a good day, and remember the good things!

God bless America!

from the land of the free & the brave,
kt

and i, i took the path bears traveled by...

hello!  hope everyone's had a fun few weeks.  we've been some hiking fools these last two weekends, and it has been super exciting.  what a beautiful place this Wild West is!  who knew?  yes, i'd always imagined the beauty of The West, but i've always been quite smitten with the ocean.  the Rockies and the Tetons and the rest of the gang are closing in fast on my old friend, the Atlantic.  while that beautiful, peaceful, curling and tumbling ocean will always be a favorite, it has a new roommate in the top slot.  i mean, this is hard to beat.  

two weekends ago we hiked Table Mountain, which put us up at 11,000 feet, and a mile away from Grand Teton.  I've been on the other side of this picture, and seen it up close, but always by car, or a short walk from a parking lot.  This was way different, and I'm so grateful to have been part of such adventure.  We hiked one of two routes to this point--"the steep one"--and it was challenging.  the aspen groves and wildflower meadows are such a great distraction!  the other route is called Huckleberry Canyon and i vote we go that way next time (i'm hoping there actually are huckleberries there).  the steep routes are always worse coming back down.  my knees and ankles protest vehemently!  

anyway, we're hiking up 

and up 

and up, 

a total of about three miles with an altitude gain of just over 3,000 feet, and we come to this:

i know that big old Grand is right over there.  so we make our way  s l o w l y  towards the "table" of Table Mountain (see?) and we're almost there.  once you get to the last part, all you can see is the wall in front of your face.  

you are al. most. there. 

then you take that last step up and -BAM- you see this!

STUNNING, no?!

i will never get tired of looking at this.  want to know something cool?  i can see that tall one--Grand Teton--from my neighborhood.  one state over.  120 miles away.  yes.  i love it here.  

but that was so last week.  THIS week we hiked a very long, very exhausting (okay, i was exhausted before i started) but beautiful trail towards Moose Lake along Moose Creek with a stop for lunch at Moose Falls.  

yes, we saw a moose.    

see her?

 she saw us, too, and i was kind of scared, but all is well (i wish moose were as friendly and goofy as they looked.  they're so not).  

there were some cool sights and a 

gorgeous view of the waterfall. 

i mean, we're standing on the edge 

of the canyon, in front of the falls, 

and it's just amazing.  

we had lunch here, at the 6.1 mile mark, then decided to go on further to Moose Lake.  about a mile later we all ultimately decided to turn around (thank you!), but not before we saw what i've been waiting and waiting to see.  

we're going along the trail, all eight of us, and i see meadow to the right, meeting up with a few bushes and the tree line, and green grass and rocks stretching to the left and beyond, up a hillside.  i'm in the back, where i usually am on the trail, and we see the other six of our group stop ahead.  what do they see?  why are they stopped?  they turn and look at us, pointing to the right.  they whisper something.  "WHAT?" i whisper back.  duh.  whispering on the trail.  this can only mean...

...yep, it is.  my first on-the-trail out-of-the-car BEAR.  eeeeeeeee!!!!!

we watched it for a bit, then realized how small it was and got a little nervous about a momma being around, so we headed on for a little while. 

we finally turned around when i announced my exhaustion and apprehension about going along to the end.  you know that voice that just says you need to rethink things?  the one that tells you, out of nowhere, what to do (or not do)?  yeah, always listen to it.  when we got in the car at the end and drove away, we looked back on black skies and a rainy haze.  the thunder started about a 1/2 mile from the end of the trail.  i am so glad we turned back when we did.  around the same time the thunder started, though, so did the wild raspberry bushes.  i got one ripe one and a huckleberry.  between that and the bear sighting, my day was perfect.  

this place is so full of beautiful scenery and amazing things to do, i am always looking forward to the next adventure.  two of my good friends are coming to visit next week and we're off to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.  we're camping in Yellowstone.  wish us luck!  

till next time.  

happy trails,

kt

Busy Afternoons

look at these!  i got a text yesterday morning from my friend Christina (remember Christina with the peach trees?) asking if i wanted to come over and pick raspberries later in the afternoon.  are you kidding?  YES!  see, raspberries are one of those foods i'd consider a weakness.  i must have them.  and they're worse than potato chips--i am not eating just one.  put them with some chocolate concoction and i'm done.  frozen with tequila and lime juice?  um, yes please.  plain and simple, off the bush in the backyard?  that works just as well.  so i went and i got a quart.  that was all i had time for.  i had to be off to make an early dinner so we could meet some friends downtown later.  i would have stayed for hours.  i would've scored some rhubarb, too, but i forgot about it and forgot to take it home.  i was so excited about my berries i got a little tunnel visioned...  oops.  i'm perusing Pinterest for some recipes; in the meantime they are freezing in their single layer on a wax-papered cookie sheet (will Pinterest never stop providing me with terrific hints and ideas?).  what shall i make?  freezer jam?  sorbet?  this summery cocktail?  hmmm.  i'll let you know what happens.  i've been invited back for when the rest are ready to be picked.  i cannot wait!


then this afternoon, i got some stuff done!  i'm feeling very motivated lately--it's so exciting.  my house is clean, things are getting sewn, the grass is mowed, garden weeded, laundry done AND put away, and i made my nephew his birthday present.  oh, and i went and picked up three old windows i found on craigslist for $5 each.  woot!  

i made little D this super cute thing i saw on Pinterest (it never ends!).  it's a Super Hero Fort Kit and it is too fun.  it originally came from meg + andy and i knew instantly i had to make it for him.  this blog has loads of cool things and i appreciate the idea for this kit.  i sewed a D on the front, and am calling it an Instant Fort, but the super hero idea is so cute.  his brother is the one into super heroes, so i thought i'd make it something else for him.  i also added a Where's Waldo book (he's not a reader just yet), some gummy bears and chocolate milk straws.  you've gotta have something to do in the fort!  it turned out okay.  i like her bag and sewing skills better, but it's not bad for my first one.  i need to figure out the drawstring concept.  the inside is what counts, right?  it was fun to make, and i hope fun to get.  maybe he'll let me play in it when i see him next.  

i'm pretty happy about getting two (late) birthday presents done in the same week.  uh, not to mention two blog posts in a row.  wowzuh.  hopefully i can keep up this momentum.  

holding down the fort,

kt

              

it's not too late (is it?)...

good morning.  so seven months have passed since my last post.  HUGE surprise.  lots and lots of activity, exploring, and travel have happened.  i feel like g&m is always in the back of my head, no matter what we're up to, so i haven't entirely neglected my duties.  okay, i have.    those pictures i take "so i can put 'em on the blog" still haven't made it here, and i haven't posted a single word.  but here i am, and i've got loads to chat about.  


i did organize my kitchen and i am proud of that.  after pictures?  none.  mostly i'm afraid if i put after pictures, i'll never keep up my newly organized kitchen space.  well, it was new in january, when i posted about it.  and y'all can forget about the hall closet.   it's finally warm and if i don't have to open it for a scarf or a coat, i ain't opening it.  let's worry about that in the fall, shall we?  i only open it to get out the vacuum, and as long as that fits in there, i'm satisfied.  


in the meantime, there's been two batches of homebrew, a handmade apron,  guinness cake, a garden, travel back to the east coast, a rain-and-snow-filled hike & camping trip, a rafting trip down the Salmon River, a visit to Yellowstone & the Tetons, so much beautiful Idaho scenery, and a ridiculously full "Things to Do" board on pinterest (so many, many ideas!).  i will get on top of all that soon, but i must show you what i did on monday.  


i found an adorable skirt on made, and HAD to try it.  it looked easy enough, and i need easy to get started.  if you haven't noticed by now, i find it extremely hard to start anything.  if i don't start it, i can't fail it.  i have got to end this thought process.  anyway, the little skirts she made are super cute, so i gave it a whirl.  i made three.  woo hooooo!  

my first one!
 i started it sunday, and after completely finishing it,
 i realized i stacked it inside out...
fixed it in the morning, and was motivated to keep on sewing! 

the second skirt--double stitching on the hem!

i'm so proud of this stiching!
bias tape is not my friend, but i won this battle!

they're bouncy and cute, and i hope they fit my little niece.  i can't wait to send them to her.   


till next time,
kt