Garden Bench

 For Metamorphosis and Mosaic Monday I thought I'd share a project my son has been working on for the past couple of weeks.  One of the causalities of the storm was our little Victorian garden bench.  The way it used to look is shown in the upper left-hand corner of this mosaic (photo from the Harbor Freight website).  I was perfectly happy with this, but after seeing it in bits, I decided I wanted something a bit different and more colorful with the placement changed from the far back of the yard, up to the front where I could see it every day as I was having my morning coffee.  The only spot relatively untouched by the tornado was a small area just outside the kitchen window, so a couple of weeks ago Andrew went to work.  Here are pictures of the results.

I LOVE the vibrant colors of this bench, and how great they look with the potted calibrachoa on top of the nudes base at right.  The "planter" at far left is the top of a birdbath, the base of which was lost to the storm, planted with begonias. Directly behind the bench I planted zinnia seeds, so it should be a riot of color come August.

All of the hostas in this area were rescued from beneath trees (now gone) in other parts of the yard.  We went from a yard that was all shade to one that is now virtually all sun, so I have to entirely rethink our existing and future plantings.  The small red impatiens will eventually grow together and fill this area with lots of red and hummingbirds.

These shoes have been in the garage for ages.  Many times I thought I should just get rid of them, but I'm glad I saved them as they look perfect beneath the bench, planted with creeping jenny.

Have a colorful Monday!

This post is linked to:
Seasonal Sunday, Metamorphosis Monday, Mosaic Monday,  This Week In my Garden, Wow Us Wednesday, Flora Thursday at Fishtail Cottage, Outdoor Wednesdays 
and

National German Chocolate Cake Day!

It is National German Chocolate Cake Day, and you can read all about it and get the recipe on Janet Rudolph's wonderful Dying for Chocolate blog. In reading Janet's post this morning, it brought to mind the fact that the German Chocolate Cake is my most favorite cake in the world.  Every year I get it for my birthday, crafted by the skilled hands of my mother who, at 85, continues the tradition (with the exception of one year that we only speak about in hushed tones). 

This tradition has been going on as far back as I can remember.  Then I married Jim.  He decided that, as my husband, it was his duty have the cake torch, as it were, passed to him.  But instead of making the traditional and much-beloved German Chocolate birthday cake of my desires, he decided to make me the cake on the cover of the October issue of Gourmet magazine.  Lord knows which year, it was early on in our marriage, so I'm guessing mid-'90s, but I can't be sure, and frankly, I've been blocking the entire experience.  I told him not to make that one no matter how good he thought it looked -- it was a three-layer chocolate cake, beautifully decorated with buttercream frosting (I do not like buttercream frosting), but I digress... I WANTED that German Chocolate Cake of my youth and fond imaginings, but noooo, he would not be deterred.  

In order to make the cake, it should be pointed out, he had to purchase the ingredients and suggested equipment from the list so kindly provided by Gourmet.  Among the items on the list was a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer that he went right out and bought.  He justified this rather costly purchase by saying that it was my birthday present -- SURPRISE!! --, but I hadn't asked for and didn't want one (though now don't know how I could live without it), and Jim was the one to open it up and the first person to use it.  But again, I digress...

He's a slow cook -- academics always seem to be slow in the whole cooking process -- and isn't an experienced baker, so the assembling of ingredients and getting it panned up for the oven took him three hours.  No, I am NOT exaggerating.  I was at work at the time and he called me to tell me how hard he'd worked on the cake as if to appease my anger over the German Chocolate Cake-free birthday I was about to celebrate.  (I was not appeased.)  Then, as he talked to me, he happened to look at the counter and noticed he'd failed to include one of the ingredients.  No matter, he told me, how much difference can a cup and a half of sour cream make? 

By the time I got home from work that afternoon the layers of cake, or should I say "slabs" had cooled on the racks.  He was too tired to make the frosting (and I suspect rather tired of the whole experience, no doubt sorry that he hadn't just let my mother do her birthday thing),  so asked if I'd mind doing it (of course I'd mind!).  Fine, I made the icing (did I mention I do not like buttercream?), and piped it on as decoratively as I could.  I felt a bit as if I were a character in a Christie novel, making the cake look so pretty, but knowing it was going to be as awful as poison, and slightly amused at how interesting it would be to note the reactions on the faces of the people Jim had invited to the party.

That evening when dinner dishes had been cleared, the lights dimmed, and way too many candles blazed on the top of the cake, I closed my eyes and made a wish.  In case you're wondering, it didn't come true, the cake was still there.  Then Jim presented me with a cake knife to slice and plate the cake while he got the ice cream.  It soon became apparent that the cake knife was not going to do the trick.  I needed a serrated blade, something with, perhaps a gasoline engine and chain attached.  The diners watched in silence as I struggled to get the carving knife I was then using through the cake.  I remained silent the entire time, struggling to keep the corners of my mouth from turning up in a satisfied grin.

Dessert was consumed in relative silence.  Not because people were shocked, but because they struggled mightily to chew the dense, desiccated mass with, don't forget, the decorative buttercream frosting, while mine sat untouched on my plate.  Jim had to come clean about the sour cream, receiving audible groans from the experienced cooks at the table, as he told the tale.  It was certainly a birthday I'll not forget, and now he knows the cake of choice for all future birthdays is German Chocolate!

Happy National German Chocolate Cake Day

(and I mean it!)

Emeril's Strawberry Lemonade

Louise at Months of Edible Celebrations blog is hosting a picnic, inviting bloggers to celebrate by bringing a full alphabet of picnic treats.  Louise assigned me the letter E for which I'm contributing Emeril's Strawberry Lemonade, an easy, refreshing, and delicious summer beverage.

I'm going on this virtual fantasy picnic, and I'm bringing:

A - Apricot Cobbler from Mae 

B - Banana Cream Pie from Marjie

C - Cherry Bars in a Jar from Barbara
 D- Diva Doggie Bites from Channon
 E - Emeril's Strawberry Lemonade

Other bloggers will be bringing foods from F through Z. Hope you'll stop by and join in the fun.

I love this time of the year when the strawberries are plentiful, and driving up to the farm stand is fragrant with the ripe scent of the newly-picked berries.  Of course, as it's also in the upper nineties with heat indices around 100, I've found one of the best ways to consume the strawberries is in liquid form.  Emeril's Strawberry Lemonade is nectar for the Gods during weather like this; I seriously wanted to dive right in!  Knowing I had a tall glass (okay three glasses, if you must know) waiting for me after spending so much time working in the yard, was incentive alone to keep on going.  This was so delicious that I'm going to serve it at my Ladies' Luncheon later in the month - they will LOVE it!  I'm also going to experiment with raspberries and blackberries, in place of the strawberries. I'll let you know how that works out.  In the meantime, whip up a batch of this.  You can't go wrong, I promise you.

Emeril's Strawberry Lemonade
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
2 cups cold sparkling water or club soda
Ice
Mint sprigs, garnish
Whole strawberries, garnish


In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then strain into a clean pitcher.

In a blender, puree the pint of strawberries and add to the pitcher with the lemon juice. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until well chilled.  Add the sparkling water and stir well. Pour over glasses filled with ice and serve, garnished with mint and strawberries.

This post is linked to: 
Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesdays, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits, and Celebrate Summer Seasonal Party

Sunshine Salad

With record-breaking heat and summer still weeks away, our meals are all about cold soups, cool, crisp salads, and chilled wrap sandwiches.  The salad we enjoyed today is from one of my favorite cookbooks (often mentioned here), St. Louis Days St. Louis Nights, a production of the St. Louis Junior League decades ago.  I happen to love Junior League cookbooks and this one gets plenty of use.  List maker and annotator that I am, you can see the notes I've made over the years in the margins of the page featuring the recipe (below).  

Even though this is what used to be referred to as a "Ladies Salad" back in the seventies in the days of bridge luncheons and ladies' clubs, I find the men like it as much as the women.  The fruit gives it a bit of sweetness, but not overly so, the tangy dressing really hits the spot.  I have found that a variety of fruits can work well in this mixture, and adding some crumbled cheese (in today's case, feta, in previous cases, bleu) makes it a bit more "manly" and therefore pleasing to the men in your life.  Eaten alone it makes a light, but pleasing lunch, pair it with a cold soup or club sandwich and you have the perfect summer dinner.

Stay cool!


This is linked to Just Something I Whipped Up and Cookbook Sundays and

Cinnamon Graham Cracker Pancake Mix Product Review

I love pancakes on a Saturday morning, but these days with such frantic schedules, a leisurely gathering of ingredients and careful whipping up of a batch of homemade pancakes just isn't always in the cards.  Enter Cinnamon Graham Cracker Pancake Mix offered exclusively from Williams-Sonoma.  This delicious blend of graham crackers, honey, and cinnamon is a winning combination, and the ease at which these can be stirred together makes this harried woman only too happy to serve them on even the busiest of mornings.   My husband, a notorious cinnamon hater, liked these enough to ask for seconds; my son who'd stopped by to spend the day helping us in the yard gave a "thumbs up" as well.  This mix works equally well for pancakes and waffles, if you prefer the latter.  If you find yourself lacking for dessert, whip up a batch, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with warm apple or caramel topping.  What could be easier?

Three thumbs up for this delicious mix!

This post is linked to Sweets for a Saturday.

Mini Crab Cakes

It's always a treat to visit the Missouri History Museum.  The exhibits are not only of local interest, but national and international as well.  We've visited the Titanic Exhibit in the past as well as the Treasures of NAPOLEON, Lewis & Clark: The National Bicentennial Exhibition, and look forward to the upcoming The Civil War in Missouri in November.  In addition, the Louisiana Purchase Gift Shop always offers many books and gift items relating to the local scene or exhibits.  This year a new offering was something I grabbed up in a hurry -- locally grown heirloom seeds.

The in-house restaurant called Bixby's is the icing on the cake!  The food is sensational.  We always go with friends, each of us ordering something different, and then we compare notes.  One of my favorite dishes is the mini crab cakes appetizer (a dish that allows for a tasting of the soup du jour and dessert afterwards!).  You can imagine how thrilled I was to find the recipe in our local food magazine, Sauce.  If you ever plan a trip to St. Louis, the History Museum and its luscious restaurant are “must sees.” Now, I'm off to buy ingredients for crab cakes for supper.

Mini Crab Cakes

Courtesy of Bixby's chef Todd Lough and Sauce Magazine

6 servings

1/4 cup fine diced yellow onion

1/4 cup fine diced red bell pepper

1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. dry English mustard

1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1 lb. lump crab meat (drained)

Sea salt and ground white pepper to taste

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, plus extra for breading

Dash Cholula hot sauce

Vegetable oil

Black bean salsa (recipe follows)

1 orange, segmented

Orange-chipotle aioli (recipe follows)

Place the onion, bell pepper and butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Sweat for 3 to 4 minutes, then spread the vegetables out on a sheet pan to cool. Combine the next 10 ingredients plus 1/2 cup of the panko in a large mixing bowl. Add the peppers and onions. Mix gently. Roll 3/4 ounce of the crab mixture into a small ball, then roll it in panko to coat. With your palm, flatten the crab mixture into a cake. Repeat until all of the crab mixture is used; you should have about 18 to 20 cakes. Coat the bottom of a saute pan with the oil and allow to heat. Sear the cakes until heated through, working in batches if necessary. To serve, place about 1/2 cup of black bean salsa on individual plates. Divide the orange segments between the plates. Top with three crab cakes and drizzle each plate with orange-chipotle aioli.

Black Bean Salsa

2 cups black beans, cooked tender

4 tomatillos, grilled and diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Juice of 3 limes

1 small red onion, diced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Orange-Chipotle Aioli

2 cups mayonnaise

1-1/2 tsp. roasted garlic paste

1/2 tsp. orange zest

1-1/2 Tbsp. chipotle pepper puree, seeds removed

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.