Lines from Linderhof

Snow, Valentine's Preparations and Soup!

2012-02-13T19:47:00.000-06:00

Winter on the prairie has been "less than winter" -- temperatures in January were in the 60s most days. We thought the winter of 2011/2012 would be one of those rare "non-winter" winters!

But cold temperatures last weekend made us realize that it was indeed winter. And then this morning, we awoke to . . .

The first real snow of the winter. There have been some flurries but no accumulation. Winter is supposed to be snowy and so, with no "outside of the house" plans, I welcomed the snowy day.

For tomorrow, is Valentine's and I've company coming!

I spent the day getting ready . . .

Making strawberry fudge hearts

For favors. And baking cookies for the table and to be used as place cards!

And making a pot of

Hearty Beef and Barley Soup. Which made the perfect supper for a snowy night.

And great lunches for the rest of the week.

A Rite of Winter . . .

2012-02-12T20:07:00.000-06:00

Every fall when I order bulbs for the garden, I order paperwhites for January bloom. For I simply adore paperwhites. I even like their aroma!

And paperwhites are easy . . . for I just take

My bulb bowl, add bulbs and water . . . and in a short time I have

A bowl filled with blooming paperwhites that scent the breakfast room. For that's where I grow them and where I keep them.

It's a blue and white bowl that I bought in a museum shop 6 or 7 years ago because I saw them in magazines and liked the look of the bulbs in them.

But, alas, I decided that I needed more than one bulb bowl. I searched Ebay to no avail. I googled and came up empty handed. There was, I figured, no more of these bowls to be found -- either new or used!

And then I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's website. And guess what I found!!!! I ordered two more. They are duplicates of my first one (can you believe that after seven years!). I stagger the planting times so that for a good six weeks I have blooming paperwhites in the winter.

And in previous years I've used other bowls and pots and even terra cotta pots to grow the bulbs in -- but I always thought they looked best in the bulb bowl! And now for those six weeks the bulbs will look splendid in the proper bowls!

It's Monday and I'm joining Susan at Between Naps On the Porch for Met Monday. There is no metamorphosis greater than going from a bulb to a blooming plant!

Nothing Like Copper In The Kitchen

2012-02-09T21:30:00.000-06:00

I've always admired copper in the kitchen. No one in my family ever had copper cookware but I'd seen it in kitchens in magazines and in cookbooks.

I decided early on that I'd like copper pots in the kitchen.

Early in married life (when we were very very poor), I bought a "set" of copper cookware from an advertisement in a magazine. All for about $15. It wasn't cooking quality but was for display only!

Not long after I decided that if I had copper cookware it was copper cookware to use and so in haunting flea markets and estate sales and even the markdown aisles at stores like TJ Maxx and Tuesday Morning, over the last 30 years or so, I've accumulated a nice "collection" of copper cookware.

Which is one reason that I have a pot rack in the kitchen!

(The other reason is that a pot rack is really the only place to store cookware in my kitchen!!!)

I've got two criteria in buying copper cookware -- it has to be French made and it has to be really really inexpensive!

Which means that there are long periods of time where I didn't buy any copper cookware! But I remember a "mother lode" of an Estate Sale at which I got two pieces and then the next day we went back and I got two more! It was all good quality French copper and the prices were so reasonable . . . nothing over $20!

I spent Wednesday polishing the copper. It's a chore I don't mind doing and I love the gleam when it's all freshly polished. I prefer Wright's Copper Polish and copper, unlike silver, is a wipe on and it's shiny again kind of polish.

But my greatest treasure is this . . .

A copper mixing bowl for my Kitchen Aide. I bought it from Bridge Kitchenware in New York. I had found something on their site that I had been looking for (it may have been my coeur la creme molds -- the big ones -- my little ones I got at the same Estate Sale that I got all the copper cookware at!) In with the order was a flyer and there was a copper mixing bowl. It was about $15 more than a stainless steel one.

I thought it would be great for whipping egg whites and it would be nice to have a second bowl -- for sometimes you need another bowl and for some reason I hate to stop and wash a bowl just to reuse.

It's copper inside and out and yes, it does a very very good job with egg whites. But it's the bowl I keep on the mixer stand and it's the bowl I use almost every time I use my mixer.

It's been almost 12 years since I bought the bowl and it's seen a lot of mixing in those 12 years. It's a purchase I treasure and one that I never regret.

I think the mixer looks especially smashing with the copper bowl!

It's Friday and time for Show and Tell so I'm sharing my lovely copper with Cindy at My Romantic Home.

Valentine's Luncheons

2012-02-08T19:35:00.000-06:00

Ever since I began life as full time mistress of Linderhof, one of my traditions has been a Valentine's Luncheon for friends. Every year on February 14, I invite 5 friends to share luncheon with me. A special Valentine's luncheon.

It takes at least a month to plan the food I'm going to serve and then I like to fuss around with the table -- to make it special for my friends . . . and often there are treats to take home as well.

As I plan for my Valentine's Luncheon 2012, I decided to look back at the luncheons I hosted the last three years.

2009

It's a red Valentine's at Linderhof.

Not my first luncheon, but the first I posted on Lines from Linderhof. It was definitely a red luncheon as the table cloth, napkins and centerpiece were red. Several of my silver julep cups were filled with red tulips and my cherub candlesticks (with red candles) were on either side!

My grandmothers gold bordered cream colored china -- Noritake Marcasite. Red napkins in my silver napkin rings and my silver place card holders. They hold a red tulip for each guest and I took the invitation and used it as the place card and wrote the menu on the back.

2010

The truffles in the centerpiece were the after dessert dessert!
Red was absent from the 2010 luncheon!

It's not a red Valentine but a lacy chocolate one. My silver epergne is filled with homemade truffles and white tulips grounded with a lace tablecloth.

My grandmother's china, a damask napkin in the silver napkin ring and a printed menu at each place.

2011

The only red in 2011 was from the vintage Valentines!

Remembrances from childhood Valentine's. Conversation hearts in silver compotes are part of the centerpiece and vintage Valentines are scattered around the table. The lacy tablecloth is reminiscent of the paper lacy doilies that we used to make Valentines. A silver basket is filled with white tulips.

Grandmother's china, damask napkins in silver rings and to take home, two sugar cookies frosted so they look like "Conversation Hearts"! A vintage Valentine adorns the menu.

It was fun to look back at Valentine's past and I must admit that going "back in time" had me rethinking my 2012 Valentine's table!

To see each year's post on my Valentine's Luncheon just click on the year.

My menu for this year? You'll have to wait to find out. My table? You'll see that next Thursday!

It is Thursday and I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

Why We Plant Pansies in the Fall . . .

2012-02-07T20:05:00.000-06:00

I love my pansies. Whenever we first find them in late winter or early spring, I bring home at least two flats. Tired of sad looking winter greens, the pansies are a bright spot of color that smiles as you, too!

But I also plant pansies in the fall -- not nearly as many -- not even a flat. Some years we can't find the fall pansies but I'm always elated when we do!

The back window box gets planted with pansies and if there are any left over, a pot or two in the back garden.

My love of winter pansies came quite by accident. Many many years ago, we were having a fall party and I had an old wheelbarrow (which is now the Fairy Garden) and I wanted to plant mums in the wheelbarrow so that pretty flowers would greet guests as they came to the party. It was a mission for Husband Jim -- getting the plants as I was busy in the kitchen.

And he came home with a flat of pansies! Not what I wanted at all. I sighed and planted them -- grumbling I am sure about husbands not paying attention and how simple it was to get the one little thing that I asked for.

We had a mild winter and those pansies were a joy not only all winter long but far into the spring as well. They bloomed their little hearts out until it got too hot for them.

I did "eat crow" and apologized to Husband Jim for he did make the right choice after all.

From that year on, fall pansies are planted at Linderhof!

This year, the winter has been mild -- many many days of temperatures in the 60's! The pansies . . .

How can you not like a flower that smiles at you?

Have been blooming their hearts out. It is always so nice to see them in the morning when I walk into the breakfast room.

They look like pure velvet.

We like a mix of colors especially in the fall.

This pot is just made for pansies -- the summer annuals never look as good as the pansies in fall and winter!

And we did have enough left over for one of the planters. This planter looks especially good with pansies in it!

This spring, I am sure, that perhaps I won't need two flats of pansies -- for the window box and the one planter should be ready for spring!

These happy little blooms in winter are the reason that I plant pansies in the fall. It's a gamble -- a harsh cold winter and I get very little bloom in the fall before they're frozen out but a mild winter makes planting pansies the right choice!

And besides pansies in the garden, we love to use them in our food -- sprinkled on salads and decorating

Fresh pansies decorate a cake beautifully!

cakes and cupcakes. Like the spring bulbs, pansies remind us that real spring shall be coming sooner rather than later!

It was a rather rainy drippy night, tonight. But we need the moisture and we haven't heard the "S" word and perhaps this winter will be the snowless one!

I found a package of sirloin tips at the market on Sunday and put them in a marinate overnight. It's from dear Friend Carolyn (Of A Southern's Notebook Fame) and she uses it mainly on London Broil (as do I) but I thought that the tips would be spectacular in the marinade. I was right. Carolyn gave me the recipe a long time ago -- with the understanding that I would tell no one. And I didn't. But then she's posted about it HERE so I'm silenced no more!

A big plate of the marinated sirloin tips with peppers and onions. Leftovers shall be served at room temperature as a topping for a salad of baby greens topped with a shower of Bleu cheese.

It's Wednesday and I'm sharing my pansies with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday.

It's Not Always Afternoon Tea . . .

2012-02-06T16:40:00.000-06:00

Although I embrace the English custom of a cup of tea at half past three, sometimes, in the afternoon, coffee seems to be the drink of choice. Especially when I have company!

Whenever we went visiting any of Dad's German relatives, after a welcoming hug, they would hand you a cup of coffee. (The adults, of course!)

I remember at all of the aunts houses that there was always coffee ready. (And in the afternoon that coffee would be rather "stout" which is perhaps, why, they always took it with a little cream!)

But it wouldn't be just coffee for there had to be something "with" -- a small treat of a cookie or a piece of cake. There would always be one or the other in the larder.

Last week, when I was preparing for my biscotti class, the memories came flooding back. I remembered going to Cousin Grace's (and her husband, Pockets) home as a child. I remembered the adults sitting around the kitchen table -- with coffee, of course -- and a plate of hard little cookies. Hard -- like biscotti -- not hard -- like stale! And dipping their cookies into their coffee!

And I remember not being enthralled with the cookies preferring instead to have an oatmeal raisin or a hermit -- but that wasn't offered. Just Cousin Grace's "hard cookies"!

And then I remembered something about how these cookies were "good keepers" and that Cousin Grace always had a tin in the larder not only for company but for her own afternoon coffee. And I also remembered being told that they were baked until they were crisp so that they would last longer.

What's a person to do? I called a cousin in Higginsville and she gave me the recipe for "Kaffebrot" as she (and Cousin Grace) called them. I didn't remember the name but when I described the cookie, she laughed and said that she still made them -- they were certainly good with (and in) coffee and they kept a long time.

So I made them -- not only for me but also for those attending my class on Biscotti at life+style. We gave them a warm German welcome that night -- with a cup of coffee and one (or two or three) of the kaffebrots before we got down to the business of demonstrating biscotti!

And I kept some (of course) and when two Nevada friends showed up one afternoon, I made a pot of coffee (instead of tea) and put some kaffebrots on a platter.

We drank coffee, we dipped kaffebrots, and we chatted away the afternoon. It's always good to get together with friends.

All ready for company

The breakfast room is my room of choice for an informal coffee (or tea). We can watch the antics of the birds as we sip and nibble and chat.

Coffee and cookies

No plates for the cookies go right on the saucer. Spode Blue Italian cups and saucers and even the sandwich plate (a remembrance of last year's trip to England -- the only piece of new pottery that I brought home).

Twice baked almond and sugared covered cookies -- they really are perfect with coffee for they're much better if you give them a dunk!

I like to use a tablecloth -- this is one of my tea cloths and the bowl of apples is still the centerpiece. The paperwhites are starting to grow but hadn't attained the proper height to be centerpiece worthy!

Nothing better than coffee, cookies and friends!

I've modified the recipe for the kaffebrots. You see, I'm pastry challenged. I'm way too impatient to properly cut fat into flour -- the size of peas to me mean peas the size of ice cubes! It made no never mind whether I used a fork or a pastry cutter, my "peas" were always huge. And then I discovered how easy it was to make pastry in a food processor. I made the best pie crust. So I tried biscuits. I made the best biscuits. So why not do it with the kaffebrot? I turned out very well -- but, shhh -- don't tell Cousin Helen -- she'll think I'm a heretic, making kaffebrot a new modern way!

COUSIN GRACE'S KAFFEBROT

3 1/2 c flour

1 2/3 c. sugar (divided)

1 t. baking soda

3 eggs

2 sticks butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

rind of 1 lemon, grated

1/4 t. almond extract

1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 T. heavy cream

1/2 c. slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350.

Place the flour, 1 1/3 c. sugar, baking soda, eggs, butter, lemon rind and almond extract in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the dough forms a ball. Take out of food processor and divide dough into 4 pieces. Shape each piece into a roll 1 inch thick and 17 inches long. Place on a buttered baking sheet (or a silicone or parchment lined one like I do). Press the rolls down a bit, using a fork dipped in flour. Brush with the egg-cream mixture. Sprinkle the almonds and remaining sugar evenly over all four rolls.

Bake for 18 minutes. Cut each roll crosswise into 1 1/4 inch cookies. Return the baking sheet to the turned-off oven for 30 minutes to dry.

It is so easy to do in the food processor -- way easier than the way Cousin Helen's recipe from Cousin Grace made them!

It's Tuesday and although it's really coffee instead of tea, I'm still joining these parties today:

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life

Sandi at A Rose Chintz Cottage

Ruth at Antiques and Teacups

A Return to Lovliness

Tea Party Tuesday

Bernideen at Bernideens Tea Time Blog

A Special Gift . . .

2012-02-05T17:57:00.000-06:00

It wasn't on my wedding day nor even on our honeymoon, but early on in our married life I yearned for a special gift for our 25th Anniversary -- a silver punch bowl.

When the occasion arose, I made my wishes known that when we celebrated our 25th that that was what I wanted and only that.

The month before our 25th wedding anniversary when we were out antiquing, we ran across a Reed and Barton punch bowl with tray with ladle and with cups!

And home it came with us and the very next day, we served punch out of it for a party that we were hosting.

Husband Jim listened!

And it had pride of place for a long time. It served the punch for many parties at Linderhof -- bridal showers and open houses. It served punch for Daughter Sarah's engagement party and it served the wedding punch for Daughter Sarah's wedding and Friend Shirley Ann's son, Steven's wedding.

Then we moved things around and it got relegated to the basement for there was just no room!

It wasn't that I didn't still adore it -- there just wasn't anywhere to store it upstairs! And during those basement years, it didn't get invited to any parties for it was a bit tarnished and if punch was called for, the glass punch bowl (which also lived in the basement) was much easier for all it needed was a good wash.

Then last year, I realized that I rarely served punch anymore because the bowls were in the basement! I would make punch but serve them out of pitchers instead!

So, I made a space for them in the very top of a cabinet in the kitchen and even found punch cups that matched my glass bowl on at an estate sale! The weekend before we hosted a party! The cups came in very handy!

And there they sat -- but at least they were usable and "at hand" but the silver punch bowl still needed polishing and whenever I needed to use a punch bowl, the glass one was the one I chose.

And then I got the wonderful old serving piece in the dining room.

Down came the silver punch bowl and an evening of television watching with polish and soft cloths . . .

The silver punch bowl got a good polish as well as the tray, all of the cups and the ladle. The lower shelf of that serving piece is just a perfect place for the punch bowl! And it is much happier being out where everyone can see and admire her instead of being shut up in a cabinet or (heaven forbid) being relegated to the basement!

I still adore the bowl -- I hadn't really ever fell out of love with it -- it is just that there hadn't been room to store it. It does, after all, take a lot of room! I am, however, glad that the new serving piece has a perfect place for the punch bowl.

The glass one takes up half of the top shelf of a cabinet in the kitchen. It's easy to get to, if needed, and inside are the 20 or so cups that go with it. A short climb up a ladder and a good wash is all that it needs to be ready for party day! And I have a silver ladle for that bowl as well.

And I have one other punch bowl -- that one resides most of the time on my dining room table -- the big blue and white Oriental bowl. It's really a punch bowl. This year, I bought 12 wee Spode Blue Italian cups to go with for I can see that punch bowl at Christmas surrounded by greenery full of holiday cheer!

I am thinking of having a party soon -- just so that we can put the silver punch bowl to use again!

A Breath of Spring . . .

2012-02-04T18:57:00.000-06:00

It really hasn't been winter on the prairie for with temps in the 60s and no snow, it seems more like spring and although most of December is really fall, when the Christmas decorations are put away, I really am ready for winter to be done.

I yearn for Spring which is why I force hyacinths and why I always buy way too many paperwhite bulbs and why as soon as I can, I have a vase or two of forsythia somewhere in the house.

This year, I chose to put the forsythia in a pair of old cloisonné vases on the breakfast room sideboard. With little birds on the shelf above that almost seem to be peeping through the forsythia, they echo the birds that visit our back garden.

My grandmother always called them yellow bells and I think that is a fitting name for these harbingers of spring.

It's Sunday and I'm sharing my forsythia with The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.

A Whole Lotti Biscotti . . .

2012-02-03T19:40:00.000-06:00

That was the name of my last cooking class. Biscotti are really very easy little cookies to make -- for you don't have to "fuss" with them (you put the log in and bake for a good long while, take it out to cool, cut into "fingers" and bake again for at least 15 minutes -- way easier than cutting out cookies or dropping spoonful on a baking sheet and waiting 8 to 10 minutes and then repeat!)

Like other cooks, I find a recipe and make it and make it and make it -- for a while I made biscotti at least every week and if I had to take something, it was biscotti!

Then as I usually do when I "overdo" something, I grew tired of making biscotti and I was done . . .
until friend Cynthia asked me to teach a class.

So I made a "Whole Lotti Biscotti"!

A baking tray filled with biscotti!

Three kinds fill the baking sheet -- rosemary walnut, pistachio cranberry and espresso. All made with the "mother" recipe with additions made -- some were online suggestions while some I made up myself!

And the final pan, at life+style, waiting to go in the oven . . .

Chocolate walnut biscotti. You can't make a "lotti biscotti" without making something chocolate!

Each class participant got a cello bag filled with four kinds of biscotti, there was biscotti to taste and coffee to drink and even a glass of Sutter Home Moscato so that they could see how good biscotti was done the Italian way -- dipped in wine instead of espresso.

I so enjoy teaching cooking classes and this class reminded me that I shouldn't wait years before I make biscotti again!

But I must admit that my favorite biscotti is the traditional one -- anise flavored and filled with almonds. I am a purist in so many things -- I prefer my scones to be either plain or fruit, my Creme Brûlée vanilla flavored.

Here is what I call the "Mother Recipe" -- a basic black dress of a biscotti recipe to which additions can be made.

BISCOTTI (THE MOTHER RECIPE)

2 c. flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

3/4 c. sugar

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1 t. grated lemon rind

1/4 t. salt

2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350.

Line a large baking sheet (half sheet pan) with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended.

Form the dough into a 13 inch long, 3 inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.

Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack to cool completely.

NOTE: Biscotti should have some sort of nut. Almonds are the traditional nut, but I had walnuts left over from Christmas and so I used those.

For additions it is 2/3 cup of "additions" (i.e. cranberries, dried blueberries, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, etc.) and 3/4 cup nuts, coarsely chopped.

After they are baked the second time and cooled, you can dip them into chocolate or white chocolate or spread the chocolate on one side.

The Proper Way to Serve Asparagus . . .

2012-02-03T05:08:00.000-06:00

One of my collections is old silver serving pieces. I'm always on the hunt and always feel that I've found a treasure when I unearth a piece that I don't have at a flea market or antique mall.

Collected over the years are these pieces . . .

Left to right: asparagus fork, asparagus tongs, individual asparagus tongs

All for the serving of asparagus. Those Victorians -- a piece for everything!

A plate of asparagus with a pair of tongs to eat with!

Would we want to eat asparagus with a fork -- no! Tongs are the way to go and they're made so that the tongs hold the asparagus nicely.

I've a set for four. Asparagus makes a great first course and the tongs are certainly a conversation starter!

Asparagus and silver

There are serving tongs as well as an asparagus fork. I must admit that I'm not an asparagus fork purist for I often use it for other things especially when I have a cocktail party. It's a big wide fork and can handle a variety of appetizers.

My favorite way to fix asparagus is roasted. A drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and into a 400 degree oven until it is "al dente". We don't like limp asparagus!

Breakfast doesn't get any better than this!

One of our most favorite ways to serve asparagus is for a lazy weekend breakfast with perfectly scrambled eggs and crisp bacon. With pots and pots of coffee!

It's Friday and I'm joining Michael at Designs by Golllum for Foodie Friday and since I'm showing off my "Asparagus Tools", I'm joining Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

An Italian Kind of Lunch

2012-02-01T21:24:00.000-06:00

Friend Shirley Ann invited herself for lunch. "I've got a new recipe for pasta salad" she said when she called "and it makes a ton. I'll be happy to share it with you."

I told her that would be great. That I had a new loaf of crusty bread and that I needed a break as I was baking biscotti for my class at Life+Style and that I could "steal" a few for our dessert.

While she was on her way over, I set the table

The breakfast room is the perfect spot for lunch.

One of my tea cloths and since it was an "Italian" lunch, the Spode blue Italian.

No garden flowers -- and the hyacinths were done and the paperwhites are still in their infancy -- so the Blue Italian bowl (which resides on the table during winter) with the remainder of this week's apples is the centerpiece as well as the two English barley twist candlesticks.

A simple table for a simple lunch.

A Spode Blue Italian plate for the pasta salad, a white linen napkin in a silver ring, the German knife and fork (laid English style -- upside down), a Spode Blue Italian bread plate and an English butter knife. A water goblet and wine goblet -- husband Jim got them at an Estate Sale -- 4 big ones and three little ones -- we use them "just for us".

Spode Blue Italian is the perfect china to use for an Italian pasta salad.

A couple of Blue Italian cups and saucers -- all the better to dunk the biscotti in.

We had a grand time at this impromptu lunch. Shirley's salad was wonderful and we both felt that the biscotti was the perfect dessert.

And it was a nice respite from biscotti baking!

It's Thursday and I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

Cartagena

2012-01-31T19:52:00.000-06:00

One of the stops on our Panama Canal cruise was in Cartegena, Columbia. Neither Husband Jim nor I have ever been to South America and we were excited to be able to visit this city in not only a new country but a new continent.

We walked up to the wall inside of which was the old city . . .

Cartagena, Columbia

Through the arched doorways and we walked a couple of blocks to

The square

Simone de Bolivar square. A shady place with park benches

Columbia women transport fruits and vegetables in bowls on their head. They have perfect posture!

And natives as well as tourists.

In the middle of the square a statute to honor

Simone de Bolivar -- a hero to the Columbians. We've very familiar with Bolivar for there is a town not too far form our town on the prairie that also has a statue of Simone de Bolivar on their square for the name of the town is Bolivar (pronounced Balivar) and yes, it was named after the same Simone de Bolivar!

We enjoyed sitting in the park

And I worked on my needlepoint. The canvas bought in England . . . and so close to being finished.

After our respite in the square, we crossed the street to the

Cathedral.

Which we found to be a beautiful church.

In the area by the dock where our ship was, we got to see some native birds . . .

Flamingos

Macaws

Of all the places that we went on our cruise, we both agreed that Cartagena was our favorite. Perhaps it was because it was such a laid back sort of day -- a walk in the old town, a sit in the square and a visit to a beautiful cathedral.

It's Wednesday and I'm sharing our day in Cartagena with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday.

It's Blue for You and Blue for Me and Blue for Tea!

2012-01-30T19:10:00.000-06:00

I write a column for our local paper, The Herald Tribune, which appears every Saturday. I've been doing it for a long time now (since 1997) and have a nice readership both here in my little town on the prairie (That's "The Tribune") and the little town 20 miles east of us (That's "The Herald"). We lived for 17 years in that little town so we have loads of acquaintances and lots of friends there.

I received an email from one of those acquaintances about some blue and white china that she had . . . would I like to look at it? Would I like to look at it!!!!! Of course!

So arrangements were made for her to come to Linderhof with china in tow and I invited her to share a cup of tea as well.

The breakfast room table all set up for tea and awaiting my friend's arrival.

Since it was a "blue and white" sort of day -- I set the table with an assortment of blue and white.

A mixture of blues make for a pretty table.

A Spode Blue Italian teapot, a Masons "muffin" dish filed with scones. Meyer lemon curd in my Indies open sugar.

Spode Blue Italian cups, saucers and tea plates. A pearl handled knife to spread the curd.

The hyacinths in bloom lending a heavenly aroma to the breakfast room.

And a trio of hyacinths for a centerpiece!

We drank tea, ate warm from the oven scones spread with homemade lemon curd and chatted and had a grand time.

And the china she brought . . .

Alfred Meakin Blue Florette. It's a lovely pattern and far different than any of my other blue and white. And with a real English tea cup as well!

A set for 8 with 8 plates, cups, saucers, tea plates, soup bowls, fruit bowls, a vegetable dish, a platter and a sugar and creamer.

Sigh -- my china cabinets are bulging and I didn't feel that I could get another set of china in -- sigh -- but I do know where Sandy lives -- in case I change my mind!

It's Tuesday and I'm joining the Tuesday parties:

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life

Sandi at A Rose Chintz Cottage

Ruth at Antiques and Teacups

A Return to Lovliness

Tea Party Tuesday

Bernideen at Bernideens Tea Time Blog

If It's January It Must be Hyacinth Time

2012-01-29T19:39:00.000-06:00

I love flowers indoors and all during the growing season of spring, summer and fall, there are always flowers on the breakfast room table and often a bouquet in the living room and on my bedside table as well.

But, alas, come the first freeze and the flowers of the garden are gone. In November, we have pumpkins and bittersweet to fill bowls instead of vases on tabletops and in December there are poinsettias and Christmas greens.

To insure flowers in January, we force bulbs. Paperwhites and hyacinths. The paperwhites in blue and white bowls and pots (stored in the basement just for this purpose) and the hyacinths in forcing vases -- made especially to coax hyacinths into bloom.

January centerpiece of hyacinths in the forcing vases

I have a nice collection -- bought slowly over the years -- two more green ones (one a twin of the one on the table) and another pink one. I would like a couple of more blue ones for they would be smashing with my blue and white china!

And last spring when we were in England, at one of the Antique Centres we went to . . .

I've never seen so many forcing vases in one place.

There was this lovely display! How I wanted to bring one or two or three home with me -- but, alas, I stayed away from anything breakable -- too much to worry about on the long plane trip home!

I must admit that I've always been a purist as to color -- although the vases are various colors -- the hyacinths themselves are always all of one color.

This year -- the color is

White!

I love the aroma especially first thing in the morning! It makes one smile!

A pure perfect white. And the fragrance in the breakfast room is heady.

I must confess, however, that this year I didn't force the bulbs -- for we left before the end of the year and there would be no one at Linderhof to "fuss" with the bulbs. I bought a pot of hyacinths in the bud, washed off the dirt and plunked them into my vases. Sigh. Which is why I only have three this year!

But I really can't imagine a year without hyacinths and so if I have to resort to trickery, I have to resort to trickery!

Today, a lot of odds and ends of chores got done at Linderhof . . . But at 3:30, I put the kettle on for my afternoon tea.

It's half past three!

It's always the perfect place in winter for a cup of afternoon tea!

I love this wee teapot and teacup and saucer.

My wee Burleigh Asiatic Pheasant teapot -- perfect for two cups of tea -- and a matching cup and saucer.

Slices of lemon apricot tea bread will be my afternoon tea treat this week.

And for a nosh, the lemon apricot tea bread I made yesterday. Not just a bread for tea but a bread with tea for it has tea infused milk as it's liquid. And, of course, the apricots I used were my boozy apricots which gave an added flavor to the bread.

It came yesterday in the Relish magazine and the recipe is a keeper!

LEMON APRICOT TEA BREAD

1 1/4 c. milk

4 bags English Breakfast tea

1 3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar (plus 1 T)

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 egg, beaten

1/4 c. canola oil

1 T. lemon juice

2 t. finely grated lemon peel

1/2 c. dried apricots, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

In a small saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until hot but not boiling; remove from heat and add tea bags. Cover and let steep 6 to 7 minutes; remove tea bags, gently squeezing out milk and discard bags. Let cool.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, 3/4 c. sugar, baing powder and salt. In another medium bowl, combine egg oil, lemon juice and 1 up cooled milk tea. (Mixture will curdle lightly.) Add egg mixture to dry mixture, stirring just until moistened. Fold in lemon peel and apricots.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, stir remaining milk tea with 2 T. sugar. While bread is still in pan, brush tea-sugar miture over top of loaf. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack.

The Last Few Days . . .

2012-01-28T21:46:00.000-06:00

The last few days have been fun. They've been "play days" -- First with friend Shirley Ann and a trip to Joplin. For some errands. For some fun. For a good lunch.

The errands were gotten out of the way first and then we headed for a favorite antique mall. We've not been in a while and so it was fun to peruse the booths.

And treasures came home with me . . .

I've been looking for a big Quaker Lace tablecloth for a long time!

A Quaker Lace tablecloth for the dining room table (I've got one for the breakfast room table). The last time I was at the this Mall, I had looked at the cloth but I thought it was a bit too pricey and so I passed it by.

This time, however, everything in the booth was half price. Home it came with me. It's in good shape with no holes and shall be on the dining room table the next time we have company.

I love lace cloths and there is none finer than Quaker Lace.

Everyone knows I love blue and white and this week found out that I also collect the Asian influenced bird and mum pattern. My other love, however, is white or cream china with a gold rim.

And there in a booth was 12 plates

I love gold rimmed cream or white china.

A creamy rim and white inside with a nice gold rim. Twelve lovely little dessert plates.

Marked Limoges - C. Ahrenfeldt. For Loring and Andrews, Cincinnati. I looked up C. Ahrenfeldt and found that this mark was used between 1894 and the 1930's. I couldn't find anything about Loring and Andrews, however. But I'm sure if they had C. Ahrenfeldt's company make them some wonderful china dessert plates that they were a high level store.

Yesterday, friend Sally and I went to Joplin. First to Sandstone where we oohed and ached, had a great lunch and friend Sally found two great concrete urns for the garden. On the way back we stopped at an Antique Store (read store not antique mall) in the little town South of us.

Dapper's Antiques is a gem of a store and we were gobsmacked by the quality of the merchandise!

Reluctantly we left without anything . . . and then this morning when I ran over on an errand, Sally mentioned that she should have bought an embroidered table doily.

We agreed that since we weren't doing anything today that we'd go back south right after lunch.

Sally made some purchases (besides the table doily that was the reason for the trip) and I came home

with these lovely linens

A linen and lace tablecloth which were used as "napkins" at Dappers.

A matching runner.

Five "napkin/placemats". I'm not sure of their age.

When I helped Sally bring her loot inside, she showed me her 100 year old Christmas cactus. It was a true old fashioned Christmas cactus -- you could tell by the bracts. I asked for a start . . .

A true old fashioned Christmas cactus.

And she gave me this -- a whole little plant. Which I shall treasure! Hers was blooming and it has a very pretty bloom. I'm hoping that I'll be able to get this little guy to bloom this year.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the kitchen, for this morning, in the Relish magazine which comes in our morning paper was this recipe

This will definitely go into my recipe book.

For Lemon Apricot Tea Bread.

Fresh out of the oven.

With everything in the pantry, I baked a loaf. I substituted, of course, my "boozy" apricots. (The story and recipe can be found HERE.)

Cooled and ready to wrap for next week's teas.

Which shall be my afternoon tea treat this week.

It's cooler today and a stew sounded like a good dinner. With a package of veal in the freezer, I made our favorite veal stew -- blanquette de veau with spring vegetables.

Nothing better on a chilly winter night than a LeCreuset pot filled with stew.

Even though it isn't spring. Nice pieces of veal and a wine and chicken flavored broth filled with onions, celery, small spring carrots, asparagus, spring onions and spinach. I make it often and have posted about it before, along with the recipe.

Spooned into the Spode soup bowls and sprinkled with parsley.

We always have candlelight for dinner in the fall, winter and spring. Husband Jim is in the kitchen pouring us each a glass of wine -- a pinot noir.

Served in the breakfast room with candles lit in the barley twist candlesticks.

And as is our custom . . . after I clean up the kitchen after dinner, I put the kettle on . . .

And bring a tray of coffee to the living room. A great way to end the day while we watch our favorite shows and I needlepoint or catch up on the computer.

It's a great way to end the day and a great end to a fun week!

Not All Orchids Are At Linderhof . . .

2012-01-27T21:04:00.000-06:00

When we were in Costa Rica, we visited a coffee plantation. But we also visited a

Botanical Orchid Garden. Of all the types of gardens, a Botanical Orchid Garden is an orchid grower's dream!

There were rows of Vanda orchids. Tall Vanda orchids.

In bloom!

And the other orchids on display and blooming . . .

This lovely white one with touches of yellow . . .

This beautiful deep pink spotted beauty.

A pale purple with interesting coloring on the petals.

And the most beautiful of all . . . this large beauty -- white with a deep purple center.

I was in awe as we walked through hundreds of orchids in bloom. And they reminded me of home . . .

And my few blooming orchids!

It's Pink Saturday. Please join Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday.

A Cooking Class -- I'm a Student Not a Teacher!

2012-01-26T21:51:00.000-06:00

One of our favorite places in our little town on the prairie is this store -- life+style. I'm always finding new finds and it's the place where I teach most of my cooking classes.

We are so glad that Jim and Cynthia not only moved to Fort Scott but opened this wonderful store two years ago!

life+style

And from September through May, it's where every Thursday night you'll find the cooks of Fort Scott for it's "Cooking Class Night"!

The cooking class begins

Tonight I was there not as a Teacher but as a Student for Friend and Owner Cynthia taught a class on Pot Pies.

Everyone had The Frugal Gourmet cookbooks in the 80s

Her favorite recipe that she's made for years and years -- from The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American.

Chicken Pie with Biscuit Topping

A pot pie topped with biscuits rather than pie crust or puff pastry. Pot pie is so good topped with biscuits for as Cynthia said, the underside is all "dumplingly" with the juices from the pot pie.

We each got a fair portion of the delectable entree along with a green salad and . . . a bonus was the

Easy Peach Cobbler with blueberries

Blueberry and peach "cobbler". An old recipe that's been around forever. Cynthia made it her own by adding blueberries and spices including ginger.

The class can hardly wait for dessert.

Rosemary dishing up the cobbler which made a great dessert to a pot pie dinner!

It was fun to be a student and no matter how much one cooks or how many classes one goes to, you can always learn something! Besides classes are always fun and everyone who attends has a common interest -- food!

Next Thursday, I'm donning my apron again as I'll be doing "A Whole Lotti Biscotti". I hope to see you there!

"THE FRUGS" CHICKEN PIE WITH BISCUIT TOPPING

3 - 3 1/2 pound whole chicken

1 bay leaf

1/4 t. thyme

1 T. butter

1/2 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 carrots, sliced

2 T. chopped parsley

2 cups chicken stock

4 T. butter with 4 T. flour cooked together to form a roux

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced and lightly sauteed

biscuit dough

Place chicken in 2 quart saucepan and add enough water to barely cover. Bring to boil and then turn down the heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Allow the chicken to cool in the liquid.

Take the chicken from the pot, reserving the liquid and remove the skin and bones. Cut the meat in 1/2 inch cubes, cover and set aside (you can do this the day before if you wish).

Place the bones in the cooking liquid and add the dry herbs. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. This will

provide you with the chicken stock.

Heat a frying pan and add a bit of butter or oil. Saute the onion, celery and carrots until they just begin to brown. In saucepan, add browned vegetables, parsley and 2 cups of chicken stock.

Prepare the roux and bring the vegetables and stock to a simmer. Thicken with the roux. Blend the sauce with the chicken meat and sautéed mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and place in deep 2 quart baking dish.

Prepare your favorite Biscuit Dough and roll out enough to make a lid for the casserole pan. (Cynthia cut hers into "biscuits".

Bake in a preheated 425 oven for 20 minutes or until the top is high and lightly browned.

EASY COBBLER

(The Original Recipe)

1 cup white sugar

1/2 c. butter, room temperature

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup milk

24 ounce can peaches

Preheat oven to 350. In a one-quart baking dish, cream together sugar and butter. Mix in flour and milk until smooth. Pour peaches and their juice over the top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven until golden brown.

CYNTHIA'S CHANGES:

She added about a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (with ground ginger added) to the flour, sugar, butter mixture. he also added the grated rind of one orange to the flour, sugar, butter mixture. Since she had a smaller can of peaches (16 ounces) -- she added about 1 cup of fresh blueberries as well.

It's Friday which means that it's Foodie Friday with Michael at Designs by Gollum. Join her to see all the other good things to eat this Friday.

A January Lunch

2012-01-25T20:58:00.000-06:00

The Lunch Bunch, three dear friends, meet once a month, on the third Tuesday of every month -- usually at Linderhof. It's my chance to try new recipes and that's really the reason that The Lunch Bunch came to be. We've been having these monthly lunches for 11 years and sometimes we do "road trips" to restaurants in the city or to museums or art galleries. Lunch, of course, is always included!

This month one of the "Bunchers" is in Oregon with her daughter who just had a baby and rather than change the date, we've decided that the date would be the date and if someone couldn't make it, then we would see them next month.

We did have to change January, however, for on our regular day Husband Jim and I were in LAX awaiting a plane for Kansas City. Therefore, we moved it back a week.

So, on Tuesday, the Lunch Bunch minus one came to Linderhof . . .

The weather on the prairie this winter has been fabulous -- unseasonably warm and no snow. But it still is winter, January has "blahs" whether it's warm or cold and Spring in January seems so far away.

A Spring table, I decided would be perfect for our January lunch . . .

The First Lunch Bunch Lunch of 2012

Lace tablecloth and new linen napkins from William Sonoma. On sale at a ridiculously low price -- but, alas, there was only 4! In silver napkin rings, of course!

Only three of us -- one was enjoying a new grand baby in Oregon!

Alas, no blue and white on the table . . .

The hyacinths were almost in bloom!

They weren't quite opened but the hyacinth vases with almost blooming white hyacinths in them. Two little ceramic birds bode Spring!

I love this pattern and collect them as I collect my beloved blue and white .

My Wedgwood Cuckoo. A similar pattern (and usually in similar colors) made by many of the English potteries.

I love the big streak of green that the Crown Staffordshire has.

Crown Staffordshire Roc Bird. Another similar pattern. Husband Jim's grandmother's cutlery.

A table that brings promise that Spring is around the corner!

A table full of greens and pinks and white with a bit of blue.

And the lunch? . . .

ham and leek and potato pie. A perfect pie to use leftover Christmas or Easter ham!

Ham and leek and potato pie.

Love these tiny zucchini -- finger sized!

Roasted baby zucchini dusted with a garlic dill mixture. The perfect side dish.

And no Lunch Bunch lunch is complete without dessert. Since I had made lemon curd over the weekend, I thought a cake would be the perfect dessert . . .

It's really a Meyer lemon curd cake -- decorated with blackberries and Meyer lemon wedges.

A lemon curd cake. A lemony cake filled with lemon curd with a cream cheese and lemon curd icing.

When there isn't many at table, I often do just half the cake. I freeze the other half for later (or if I can, make only half) and then create a "half" a layer cake. It's the perfect size!

Blackberries on the cake and blackberries on the plate.

Blue and white was the perfect plate for dessert. These are French from Tuesday Morning and it took me three years to acquire them at a price I could afford!

Blue and white and yellow.

Three perfect pieces of cake . . .

We savor dessert and linger over another cup of coffee.

Served along with freshly brewed coffee in my Spode Blue Italian cups and saucers. You know I don't mind mixing and matching my blue and white!

LEMON CURD CAKE

3 cups cake flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. ground ginger

1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

2 T. lemon juice, fresh

1 t. vanilla

1 1/3 c. buttermilk

1/4 t. cream of tartar

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar, sift before measuring

1/4 c. heavy cream

1/3 cup lemon curd (purchased or homemade)

Filling:

1 cup lemon curd (purchased or homemade

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 straight sided 9 x 2 inch round cake pans; dust generously with flour, tapping out excess. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger and salt. Sift into another large bowl. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed 2 minutes, until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture (about 4 flour additions and 3 buttermilk additions). Beat just until blended. In small bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. With rubber spatula, gently fold egg white mixture, in thirds into batter. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on racks, 10 minutes. Invert onto racks. Cool.

Frosting: In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter 2 minutes, until fluffy. At low speed, beat in powdered sugar, cream and lemon curd until smooth. Cover; chill 20 minutes until spreadable consistency.

To assemble: place one cake layer on plate, top with lemon curd, then second cake layer. Spread frosting on top and sides of cake.

NOTE: I prefer to frost cakes "English style" -- only the top.

NOTE: I made half a recipe of frosting which was more than enough to spread on top of the cake.

It's Thursday and I'm sharing my first luncheon of 2012 with Susan at Between Naps On the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

A Squirrel, A Chicken and Three Pears . . .

2012-01-24T20:10:00.000-06:00

We feed the birds all winter. This year, the starlings and grackles haven't found us for when we were gone last Spring we didn't feed and when we came back it was summer and so we didn't feed. When it cooled off a bit in September, we bought our first big bag of black sunflower seed. And the birds came . . . the jays, the cardinals, the titmice, the chickadees, winter wrens . . . but not the starlings or grackles.

And we re elated! For those two are not my favorite birds and although, I don't really begrudge them food, they're not as fun to watch as the colorful birds!

Besides birds, however, we often have another visitor in the backyard -- in search of those sunflower seeds . . .

Husband lures birds and squirrels to the statue by putting sunflower seed on it!

Husband Jim likes to pile seeds on top of the statue and the cardinals favor that spot but yesterday one of the squirrels decided that those seeds were just the best!!!!

Here on the prairie, we have a custom of bringing food whenever there has been a death or surgery. Some friends have an "always fix" meal to send to those homes but alas, I don't, although at times I wish I did. Often adult children and even adult grandchildren come to stay for a while and need to be fed.
And that is what friends are for!

Yesterday, I cooked for a friend who lost her husband . . .

Lemony Chicken and Rice Casserole all ready to take to a friend.

A chicken and rice casserole. Always brought in an aluminum throw away pan. I don't want to burden the bereaved with having to return dishes.

I put the recipe together myself -- I used Ina's recipe for lemon chicken for the chicken breasts, then I fixed a box of Uncle Ben's white and wild rice. I added a drained can of water chestnuts, a small jar of pimentos and a half of green pepper chopped and mixed it all together. I poured the sauce from the lemon chicken recipe over all. Wrapped with foil and wrote instructions as to how to reheat.

Husband Jim and I both tasted it and it was yummy! With a salad it makes a good meal.

And because I had three pears in the fridge -- Harry and David pears leftover from Christmas that were still good, I made . . .

Upside down cakes are great for dessert or breakfast.

A pear and ginger upside down cake. The batter tasted wonderful (but alas, I didn't get a bite of cake) and with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, it will make a good dessert or even good for breakfast with coffee.
The plate -- a Christmas cookie gift plate that I don't need back either.

PEAR GINGER UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

1/4 c. buter

2/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 t. ground ginger

3 pears, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Cake:

1 T. flour

1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

1 1/3 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 cup packed brown guar

6 T. butter, softened

2 eggs

1/2 t. vanilla

1/4 c. milk

Heat oven to 325. Grease bottom and sides of 8 or 9 inch square pan with butter.

In 1 quart saucepan, melt 1/4 c. butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2/3 c. brown sugar. Heat to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 t. ground ginger. Pour into pan; spread evenly.

Arrange pear wedge over brown sugar mixture, overlapping tightly and making 2 layers if necessary. Sprinkle 1/4 c. crystallized ginger evenly over pears.

Toss 1 T. flour and 1/4 cup crystalized ginger to coat; set aside. In medium bowl, mix 1 1/3 c. flour, the baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat 1 cup brown sugar and 6 T. butter with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture alternately with milk, beating after each addition until smooth. Stir in ginger-flour mixture. Spread batter over pears and ginger.

Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes on cooling rack. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan, turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. Store cake loosely covered.

NOTE: The recipe also came with a ginger whipped cream but since I was taking it to someone, I omitted that.

Below is the whipped cream recipe -- I think the cake would be smashing for dessert with a dollop of that cream!

GINGER WHIPPED CREAM

1 cup whipping cream

2 T. sguar

1/4 t. ground ginger

In a chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream on high speed until it begins to thicken. Gradually add sugar and 14 t. ground ginger, beating until soft peaks form.

NOTE: I baked my cake in a round pan for a round cake looks better on a round plate!

Here's Ina's chicken that I've made many times for it's a favorite of ours at Linderhof. Although hers calls for boneless skin on breasts, I've made it with skin and bone breasts as well as skinless and boneless. It works with all of the above!

INA'S LEMON CHICKEN BREASTS

1/4 c. olive oil

3 T. minced garlic (9 cloves)

1/4 c. dry white wine

1 T. grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 t. dried oregano

1 t. minced fresh thyme leaves

salt and pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)

1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium low heat, add the garlic and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme and 1 t. salt and pour into a 9 x 12 inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and then sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with foil and allow to rest for10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

NOTE: Because I used boneless and skinless breasts, they didn't really brown and I turned them over about halfway through the cooking so that the lemony garlic herby oil was on top.

It's Wednesday and I'm joining Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday

Lemons and Blueberries and Tulips . . .

2012-01-23T16:46:00.002-06:00

I am always excited in January when I see the first tulips for sale. I buy a bunch, of course, for they are a promise of the spring to come. This winter on the prairie has been mild and snowless but I still bought tulips, nevertheless, for now it is a ritual . . . and soon Linderhof's own tulips will fill a vase or two!

An old wing chair and a tilt top table . . . and my latest needlepoint cushion.

Although we like flowers on the breakfast room table, in winter, we prefer a Spode bowl filled with fruit -- handy for snacking -- and the flowers go into vases in the living room and master bedroom. This end table next to the wing chair is in my line of site as I sit in the living room -- seeing the tulips make me smile!

The pictures are so dear to me -- far better than something done in a photography studio!

A blue and white vase is the perfect holder for the tulips. A Chinese tea canister lamp and a Chinese bowl filled with my potpourri. Two pictures -- taken 23 years apart -- "family"pictures taken at Stonehenge. The little one in 1989 with us and 13 year old Daughter Sarah -- the bigger one taken last year with a very grown up Sarah and her Andy. What a difference 23 years makes! The amazing thing is that Husband Jim and I have not changed hardly at all!!!!

We love to travel and we love to share our travels -- not boring friends with photos but instead just visiting and sharing our experiences and answering questions. Today I had two friends to tea -- two friends who were eager to hear all about our trip through the Panama Canal.

I love the afternoon sunlight in the breakfast room.

And so as we sat in the breakfast room with the sun streaming through the windows . . .

A blue and white table.

That pretty late afternoon winter sun that seems so mellow and often is rarely seen on the prairie.

Spode makes the perfect china for tea.

Spode tea cups and tea plates and tea pot and some pearl handled English cake forks.

Anna's lemon blueberry cake is a favorite here -- perfect for breakfast or tea!

A wonderful lemon blueberry cake from Anna Pump and her Country Weekend Entertaining. I make it a lot and I've shared the recipe before -- Lemon Blueberry Cake. This time I made it into two loaves for I took one to a sick friend yesterday.

Meyer lemon curd

And if the cake weren't decadent enough -- some Meyer lemon curd to slather on. And slather we did!

For my tree this year produced one lemon -- but it was a big one -- the tree put all it's energy into making sure that it was a "super size" lemon!

And then, at Wal Mart, the only sack lemons you can buy are Meyer's -- can you believe that? I've bought three sacks so far for besides the cake . . .

The big lemon is from my tree -- the little ones from Wal Mart!

I made some lemon curd -- which is so good with breakfast or teatime toast. Lemon Curd is good -- Meyer lemon curd is wonderful!

Yellow "gold" for breakfast or tea!

Two jars and enough for my breakfast toast this morning.

It was fun sharing my trip with my dear friends. That's part of the fun of traveling are the stories and remembrances from your trips that you can share with friends.

We had a grand time and too soon it was time to say goodbye. We did make a definite dent in the cake (I've enough left for a tea time or two) and I must say that that bowl of curd is all gone!

I use Ina Garten's recipe for lemon curd -- it's easy and so delicious. You can make it with limes or oranges as well (wouldn't a blood orange curd be wonderful?) and I suppose even with grapefruit.

LEMON CURD

3 lemons

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/4 pound butter, at room temperature

4 extra large eggs

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/8 t. kosher salt

Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes) stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

It is Tuesday and I'm sharing my tulips and my lemons and my blueberries with:

It is Tuesday and I'm joining the following tea parties:

Tea Time Tuesday with Terri at Artful Affirmations

Tea Cup Tuesday with Martha at Martha's Favorites

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday with Pam at Breath of Fresh Air

Tuesday Tea for Two with Wanda Lee at The Plumed Pen

Tea Time Tuesday with Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage

Tuesday Cuppa Tea at Antiques and Tea Cups

Tea Party Tuesday at Sweetology 101

And I'm also joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday

From One Side to Another . . .

2012-01-22T18:20:00.000-06:00

Years and years ago on road trip to Minnesota and Wisconsin we came home through the tip of Illinois and stopped in a town that I'd read about in magazines and always wanted to visit, Galena, Illinois.

It is a neat historic town with a wonderful downtown full of wonderful touristy shops especially some nice antique shops.

In one, we happened to notice a "stove" -- it caught both of our eyes and we checked the price which was far too dear for us -- for what would we do with such a piece?

And the owner came over, saw a customer with some interest in this stove and said that he would take $100 for it.

"SOLD"

He was European and said that the stove had come over with him. It was a shop featuring mostly French antiques (in an Illinois river town -- go figure!) but the stove is German. And for years it lived on our front porch.

And then we had the breakfast room built and it was moved inside -- tucked into this corner.

The stove -- banished to the corner -- hidden, really.

It's ceramic and I'm sure if it was hooked up properly lit would work. I've never liked it in this corner . . . for I think it should be a focal point piece -- not a tucked into the corner piece. And besides, it reminds me of . . .

Much prettier than Linderhof's stove, it was workable (although we didn't know how) and reminded us so much of our little heating stove back home!

This stove which was in the dining room of our English Cottage, Blue Row. It was nice to find this stove there for it reminded me (during our stay in England) of our beloved Linderhof.

A pedestal with a secret -- CD storage inside and the Christmas cactus on top!

In front of the doors, we had our pedestal -- not just a "pedestal", it's also storage for our CD collection -- a nifty subterfuge, methinks.

And today, at breakfast, the "light bulb" came on!

The stove, now taking pride of place in the breakfast room and reminding us of the wonderful dining room at Blue Row!

And I switched them . . . I moved the stove in front of the windows (and I may, just may, put some pipe so it looks as if it does work)

I always thought this was a better place for the pedestal and the orange tree looks much better on top of a pedestal than on top of a stove!

And I put the pedestal in the corner -- which is where it resided until we moved the stove in. It's much easier to get to the CDs (for the CD player is close by) and the orange tree on top is not "catawompis" as it was on top of the stove -- for the stove's top is not entirely level!

I am happy with this small change and yes -- I did it by myself -- the pedestal was a "snap" to move -- the stove not so much but I can be stubborn about things and I was determined that I could get it moved!

It's Monday and although it is more of a change than a metamorphosis, I am sharing this with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday.

Reprise - A Winter Garden

2012-01-21T20:11:00.000-06:00

First posted on December 29, 2009, it reminds me that it can be winter. But alas, this winter on the prairie has not seen any snow. A few flakes but no accumulation and even though we've had some cold temperatures it's not been below the 20's and we've had many days in the 50's and 60's -- this winter of 2011/2012.

I do miss the snow -- for although it seems more like winter when there is snow -- that moisture is imperative for the garden.

There are still 57 days until spring and we've been known to have snow in March -- so we may have some "winter" yet!

I'm joining Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday Favorites and The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays. (for there isn't anything more seasonal than snow!)

The pond in summer - with the cat fountain sprewing water and goldfish swimming below the surface . . .

Transforms into frozen snow covered tundra. The goldfish are somewhere in the depths of the fountain. And the cat has been put out for the winter!

Quite a transformation from summer scene to winter scene!

And with the ice and snow covered ground, the birds have been flocking to the garden. Cardinals, juncos, chickadees, an occasional goldfinch and tufted titmouse. Herr Squirrel, too, has managed to get a meal or two.

But a favorite of ours is the bluejay. This fellow is working hard for his sunflower morsel.

While at the feeder, a fat (and sassy) Jay is eating his fill. Although Jays can be raucous birds, they have a soft spot in my heart. My high school mascot was the Jay and so I've always held them dear.

And what can be better than one Jay -- two Jays!

Summer or winter, I love to see the blues of the jays flit from tree to feeder and back again. Blue is always a favorite color in the garden -- whether it's feathers or petals!

Back In The Kitchen Again . . .

2012-01-20T19:44:00.001-06:00

We've been home three days now. Things are starting to settle down. We're unpacked and laundry is done and the house is finally cleaned.

Meals have been easy -- pasta with a jarred sauce for Wednesday night (getting home at 1:30 a.m. and having nothing in the house and no nap means that dinner is done the easy way!)

Thursday we were gone and so dinner was the container of Costco chicken noodle soup that I brought home. We adore it and often buy it when I go to Costco. It makes for great lunches until it is gone.

Which is what we did today -- a grey day, this, and a bit cold I thought. Soup is always the perfect winter luncheon.

And even if it was just us, I like to do things nice.

I always like to set a nice table -- even if it is just for us!

A tablecloth and real napkins in my silver napkin rings. Spode for soup and an Asiatic Pheasant under plate. Big soup spoons and my new Picardie glasses.

A blue and white table is always perfect!

The Spode bowl full of apples and my two barley twist English candlesticks. Lit, almost always, for dinner.

With an easy soup lunch and luscious pork chops in the freezer, I was "itching" to get in the kitchen again.

A favorite pork loin recipe from Ina Garten (Pork Loin with Green Peppercorns) was changed up to do it with just two pork chops.

I try to always keep a little jar of green peppercorns.

I almost always keep a jar of green peppercorns in the pantry for we do love this recipe.

It was great fun to be cooking again! Oh, and I served the chops with roasted carrots and parsnips. The perfect accompaniment!

We love the mustardy winey sauce that goes so perfectly with pork.

Alas, no dessert for we're trying to be good and we had far too many really good desserts on the cruise -- and it is just us, after all -- and it's hard to make small desserts -- we'll save them once again for company occasions!

This is Ina's recipe for the pork loin and although her recipe calls for bone in, it works as well with a boneless as it does with a bone in. This is my "go to" recipe for pork loin for company.

Ina's Roast Loin of Pork with Green Peppercorn Sauce

1 pork loin, bone in, Frenched and tied (about 5 pounds, 10 bones)

2 T. olive oil

4 t. Dijon mustard, divided

4 t. whole-grain mustard, divided

1 t. ground fennel seed

salt and pepper

3 T. flour

1 cup white wine

3 c. chicken stock

1/4 c. green peppercorns in brine, drained

Preheat the oven to 400. Allow the pork to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it comfortably. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 2 t. of each mustard, the fennel seed, 2 t. salt and 1/2 t. black pepper. Rub the mixture on top of the pork and roast for 1 to 1 1/4 hours until the internal temperature reaches 140. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and cover tightly with aluminum foil for 20 minutes.

For the sauce, remove all but 1/4 cup of the fat from the roasting pan. If there isn't 1/4 cup, add enough butter to the pan to make 1/4 c. total. Over medium heat, whisk the flour into the fat in the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock, the remaining 2 t. of each mustard, the green peppercorns, 2 t. salt and 1/2 t. black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened.

Remove the strings from the roast pork, slice between the bones and serve warm with the hot sauce.

NOTE: I made half of the rub and put half on top of each chop. I roasted them at 400 until done. It was by sight not by time! I then made half the sauce in the pan in which I had cooked the chops. I used Vermouth instead of wine, however. It made a great sauce for the chops and I will do that again -- this is not just a company dish!

Cruise Food - Part One

2012-01-19T19:08:00.000-06:00

Cruise Food. To me, I am always amazed at the quality of food on cruises especially when you think that they are feeding 2,000 to 3,000 people six meals per day.

Everything is made from scratch and their breakfast pastries are hard to pass up (but we often do) and on Princess, they even make their own ice creams which is also hard to pass up (and we often don't).

We prefer to take all our meals in the dining room. I like being waited on and Husband Jim who was in the military doesn't like standing in a line for food! Sometimes (like boarding day and port days) the dining room is closed -- we then resort to either room service or pizza or the grill.

We always like the traditional seating where we have the same dinner companions at the same time and with the same waiter. This cruise it was a table for six and the six of us became fast friends in our two weeks of dining together.

Breakfast and Lunch we always ask for a big table for we enjoy visiting with other cruisers and sometimes we found ourselves on the same time schedule as other cruisers and would join them day after day. We so enjoyed the three ladies traveling together who had been fast friends since high school. They were most interesting and we were glad when they were seated at our table a second and a third time!

But as everyone knows, part of cruising is about the food and as everyone also knows, sea air causes clothes to shrink. Sigh -- it's a fact of life!

I didn't take the camera with me to every meal but I did some and captured some of the great dishes we enjoyed the first two weeks of January!

My lunch -- Jim dined on the traditional fish and chips!

Cottage Pie

(The Coral Princess does an English Pub Lunch in one of its Speciality Restaurants -- it doesn't cost extra -- just a different venue than the dining room. They did a great job with their Pub Lunch.)

Husband Jim chose this as his first course for lunch.

Vitello Tonnato

(A picture pretty dish as prepared by the Coral Princess kitchen -- thin veal with a tuna flavored creamy sauce)

While Jim had the vitello tonnto, I had this lovely soup.

Borsht

(a cold beet soup with a dollop of sour cream)

I forget how wonderful asparagus can be as a first course.

Asparagus as an Appetizer

(Covered with hollandaise and sprinkled with prosciutto)

I've only had this a couple of times in my life and I've never made it -- should I remedy that?

Beef Wellington

(Filet covered with pate and then puff pastry and baked)

This was different than what I make but loved the fresh clams in the dish -- and the garnish of fresh chives.

Linguini with Clam Sauce

(Tasty and good and eaten as a first course rather than a main course!)

I could have eaten another order -- I love mussels!

Mussels (from Brussels)

(Not really -- they were from Chile but they were yummy with a creamy garlic sauce and bread for sopping up that wonderful sauce!)

This would make a great summer lunch -- especially when one is working in the garden!

Grilled Vegetables and Romaine with Lemon Vinaigrette

(A salad course which was my favorite salad of the whole cruise)

We're at home -- dinner last night was angel hair with a warmed jarred sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. We were both in the city today (on different journeys) and dinner tonight will be Costco's chicken noodle soup.

Reality!

It's Friday and I'm sharing Cruise Food -- Part One, with Michael at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

To Panama and Back . . .

2012-01-18T19:54:00.000-06:00

We've been gone. For quite a while -- for we celebrated New Year's Eve in the city and New Year's Day flew to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the following Wednesday, we were leaving on a cruise.

And the main reason for the cruise -- to see the Panama Canal!

It was a great experience to go through the Panama Canal.

It was awesome. This is the picture we took upon entering the first lock on the Atlantic side -- a boatload of containers is just ahead of us.

It took most of the day -- although the time in the locks was much less than I had imagined for they filled quickly and then you moved on. The lake between the sets of locks is large and it took a while to sail through the lake until we got to the final three locks and then, finally, into the Pacific Ocean.

And the day after the Panama Canal, we stopped in

Panama City was definitely a city of haves and have nots!

Panama City -- the buildings in the background are lined up on the ocean. High rise condos all -- built within the last eight years (or at least that is why our guide said). The richness of these condos was quite a contrast to the poverty of the older sections of Panama which we drove through.

But before we sailed through the Panama Canal, we also stopped in . . .

Nothing like a Caribbean Island -- white beaches and blue blue water.

Aruba. Our ship is in the background -- The Coral Princess -- our first Princess cruise!

Our favorite port on the cruise was in Columbia --

A town not far from us is Bolivar, Missouri -- it was fun to see another square named in honor of Bolivar!

Cartagena where we spent a few quiet hours on a park bench in a square named in honor of Simone de Bolivar before we visited their Cathedral and headed back to the ship.

And our last stop before five wonderful days at sea was in

The coffee plant and the coffee berries were not what I expected. At the plantation we visited, they still harvest by hand.

Costa Rica where we visited a coffee plantation. Fresh roasted coffee came home with us and I had a better understanding of how coffee is produced and what the raw beans look like on the bush. We were fortunate to be at the plantation during harvest -- not everyone gets to see the beans being harvested.

One of the best parts of a cruise is . . .

An ocean sunrise!

The view from your balcony as the sun rises. The perfect way to start the day!

Last Friday when the Costa ship "sank", it was the talk of every breakfast, lunch and dinner table until we got off the cruise. We were on a similar ship and Costa is a sister company to Princess -- both being owned by Carnival.

Being on a cruise means that there isn't any internet access (there is but it is way too expensive and way too slow and besides, we like the idea of not being "plugged in"!) so I apologize for not visiting your blogs while I was gone.

I'm back and life is almost back to normal at Linderhof. I'm trying to get used to only three meals a day -- and those I have to prepare myself! No one made my bed this morning (sigh) and I'm sure when I go upstairs that there will not be a chocolate on my turned down bed! (In fact, I doubt that my bed will even be turned down!)

Oliver missed us and that was my first chore this morning! He was very glad to get home and has been under my feet most of the day!

The second was sorting the container of mail that we received while we were gone (most of which went into the trash!) and the third was laundry.

We'll soon have guests for luncheons and dinners and real cooking will once again begin.

Vacations are fun but it is always so good to come home again!