Eating Our Way Through A Homemade Life and a Recipe for Berry Pound Cake

You know how I feel about Molly from Orangette.  I have written about her at least 3 times that I can recall.  Here, here and here.  I sound like a crazy stalker, but I assure you, I'm not.  (Trust me, I've had crazy stalkers and I am totally not one of them) I just really like her writing, her recipes and I am very inspired by her.  Maybe I have a little blog crush.

Moving on.

It is no surprise then that I entered Molly's book, A Homemade Life, into the mix for my book club's next read. 

I was so happy when it got picked.  I was even more happy when everyone agreed to make a recipe from the book and we'd all feast at our next meeting.  

And feast we did.  It was, perhaps, one of my most favorite book clubs ever.

Here's what we made: 

Burg's Potato Salad (pg 14)   So good.  And there is only 1 other potato salad in the world that I like.  My mother in law makes amazing potato salad.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes With Coriander (pg 192)  Delicious.  Especially with Cassie's home grown tomatoes.  She's our farmer.

Espresso Walnut Toffee (pg 82)  The espresso makes this sooo good. 

Scottish Scones with Lemon and Ginger (pg 174) Couldn't even get to these last night.  So I had mine for breakfast and it was perfect.

Jimmy's Pink Cookies (132) You can taste the butter.  Need I say more?

Hoosier Pie (pg 55)  I am not a fan of pecan pie.  But this pie has chocolate in it and that makes it a totally different kind of pecan pie experience.  Yum.

And my contribution: Blueberry Raspberry Pound Cake (pg 20)  Everyone should have a pound cake recipe in their back pocket.  This is mine.

Seriously, this is good pound cake.  You know a cake is going to be good when the batter is good.  This one is beautiful.  Thick and golden from all the butter and eggs; it tastes divine.  I risked salmonella to try several spoonfuls.  Then, when you add in the berries, there are all these lovely swirls of pink and blue.  It's pretty.  And cake should be pretty.

Here are the details about the cake:

I used blackberries instead of blueberries because William loves blackberries and he begged for them.  Also, we had beautiful blackberries in our backyard this summer and I envision making lots of this cake with those berries next summer.

I sprinkled the top with a bit of sugar because it sounded good to me.  It was.

I served it with freshly whipped cream because it sounded good to me.  It was.

I made it in 2 loaf pans because my bundt pan has mysteriously gone missing.  How?

I think the loaf pans are a good idea because I made 2 cakes instead of 1.  In the future I will put one cake in the freezer.  Because who doesn't want to have a berry pound cake in the freezer at the ready for any pound cakeish occasion?  That's what I thought.  

Here's the recipe.

Blueberry (or Blackberry) Raspberry Pound Cake

2 cups plus 8 tablespoons cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 large eggs

1 2/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

2 tablespoons kirsch (if using blackberries, omit kirsch and substitute 1 teaspoon each grated lemon and orange zest) 

1 cup blueberries (or blackberries) rinsed and dried well

1 cup raspberries rinsed and dried well

Preheat oven to 300.

Butter and flour a 9 cup bundt pan, or 2 loaf pans.

Whisk together 2 cups plus 6 tablespoons flour, baking powder and salt

In food processor, blend eggs and sugar until thick, about 1 minute

Add butter and kirsch and blend until fluffy, about 1 minute

Add dry ingredients and process until just combined.  Do not overmix.

Batter will be very thick and smooth.

In a large bowl, toss berries with remaining flour.

Pour batter over berries and using a rubber spatula, gently fold to combine.

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly across the top.

*This is when I sprinkled the top with sugar.

Bake until toothpick inserted in top comes out clean about 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Transfer to rack and cool in pan for 5 minutes. Carefully invert cake onto rack and wait at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Serve warm, at room temperature or with whipped cream and berries on the side.

There are so many good recipes in this book.  I hope you'll be inspired to try the pound cake.  It would be a nice treat for the weekend.  Say, Saturday afternoon, or Sunday morning breakfast?   

Go get Molly's book.  You won't be sorry.

Happy baking, eating and reading.  Those are 3 of my favorite things to do!

Love from,

Greta

Planning a Party in Hours --a Tutorial

About 2 weeks ago, my daughter, Lillian, turned 2.  I had big plans for her party.  I like to throw parties. But then, things happened and the party almost didn't.

At the very last minute, I pulled it together.  

I thought it turned out nice, despite the few hours I had to do it in.

Here is what I learned about last minute party throwing.

It's all in the details.

That might just be my new slogan for life.  It can be applied to so many different things.

I thought I'd walk you through my process, just in case you are ever throwing a party at the last minute.  It is good to have ideas in your head already.

That, in fact, is where I started.

Decorations.  

I remembered these from this post.  I loved them.  Simple, but big impact.  They look like giant flowers.  Perfect.

Next, choose the colors.  I love red.  I love turquoise.  Done.

It is a good idea to choose colors you love for a last minute party because, chances are, you already have things in those colors to use for the party.

Like these goody bags.

Inspired by the color scheme and the big flowers, I stamped a flower and each child's initial on a plain white label and put it on a brown paper lunch bag.  (I am a big fan of simple, graphic stamps.  It is good to have a variety on hand.  You never know when you might need one.)

Initially, I envisioned round labels, but the 2 stores I ran into did not have them, and I wasn't going to any more stores.  This was last minute, remember.  I made do.

Using a hole punch and some cute red ribbon I had in a drawer, I tied the bags shut and voila! Cute, matching goody bags are done.

I also used the stamps for making flags for the cupcakes.  Since I was missing those round labels, I couldn't do the flower stamp like I wanted to.  Instead, I stamped a 2 onto the white labels, stuck them around a toothpick and cut into a flag shape.

Perfect, easy and quick.  Cupcake decorations, done.

I did not have lots of time to properly decorate the cupcakes.  In fact, I think I frosted them after guests arrived.  No matter.  The kids loved the turquoise sprinkles.

The grownups got coconut.  They were, after all, coconut cupcakes.

And I used these adorable red polka dot liners from here.  I had them on hand already.  

It is so good to have things on hand.  It makes me feel like I am kind of Marthaish.  I am decidedly not Marthaish; these were just really lucky breaks.  

The last detail you must pay attention to is the food.

Choose high impact items.  Or choose things that you make best.  Or that are fast and easy.

Just choose a couple really good things to make yourself.

I did not make the food we snacked on.  Most of the time I do.  All of it.

This time, I bought a few choice munchies from Trader Joe's (I would starve without that store) and picked 2 things to make from scratch.

The cupcakes.  Always the cupcakes.  (recipe here.  So, so good)   And yes, that includes the frosting.  ALWAYS, ALWAYS make the frosting.

The popsicles.  It was a water party.  It was a hot afternoon.  Homemade popsicles seemed like the perfect idea.

It took me minutes to whip up some raspberry pops in the blender.

I poured them in dixie cups, put them in the freezer, waited a bit, put in the sticks and pulled them out for the party.

They were a hit.  You can get the easy recipe at the end of this post.  (and another one here)

I am not lying when I said this took me hours to put together.  And I mean a few hours--not 20.  
On Friday I visited 2 stores.  I went to bed that night having gotten nothing done, because I was just too tired.  I woke up at 6 and got to work.  
If you have some items always on hand:  stamps, colored ink pads, tissue paper, floral wire, cute cupcake cups, popsicle sticks, ribbon, labels and a few fabulous recipes, you'll be ready for a party in a moment's notice.  
Just remember,, it's all in the details.


I'd love to hear some of your favorite party planning tips.
Love from,
Greta

Simple Ways To Keep You Cool

It's been freakishly hot here.  And humid.  We don't do humid here.

It is hard to get anything done.  

It is hard to not be cranky.

It is hard to be anywhere but the beach.

Did I mention that I don't have an air conditioner?

There are only a few days of the year that I really want one.  This is day 5 that I want one.

Until one appears, here are some of the ways we're coping with the heat.

Tip # 1:

Inspired by this, we've been making Sun Tea.

The kids are totally into it.  They like to watch it get darker.  They're so easily pleased.

Plus, it tastes good.  Cause sometimes you just get sick of drinking water.  And my kids rarely drink juice.  Tea is better for them.  It's much cheaper than juice.  And it cools us down.

I use a fruity kind of tea so I don't have to use much sugar and I use decaf.  Duh.

Try raspberry, peach, or even orange.  Mint is also really refreshing.  

You'll be pretty glad you did.

Tip # 2:

Get out the Blow-up Pool.

If you are lucky enough to have a real pool, just skip this one.  If not, go buy a big blow up pool right now.  My kids spend HOURS in this.  It is the best $30 I spend of the summer.  And when it is hot enough, I go in too.  They love that.

Sometimes we even fill up other things with water too.  Cause it's just that hot.

Tip # 3:

Make your own Iced Coffee.

Every morning I make a little pot of espresso in my Bialetti.  I can't drink the whole thing (Aaron can--crazy man!) and so I mix up the rest with some milk and a bit of sugar, and pop it in the fridge or freezer.  By late afternoon, when the decaf tea is no longer doing it for me, I pull out the iced coffee and instantly feel better.  Also, I didn't spend $3 at Starbucks.

What, you don't know what a Bialett is?  I can hardly bear to drink regular coffee anymore.  We love ours so much, Aaron painted a picture of one for our kitchen.  You can find one here.

Tip # 4:

Stock your freezer full of Homemade Popsicles.

These are the best thing I've done for myself in a while.  Every afternoon, my kids are clamoring for a cool treat.  They've been in the pool for hours.  They've worked up an appetite.  

The ice ream man rolls by and they beg for a Bomb Pop, or a Spider Man ice cream.  

Gag.

Not only do those things taste gross, they cost a small fortune and they are terrible for them.

(Have you noticed I am kind of a cheapo when it comes to food for these kids?  And a bit of an ingredient freak?)

I mean, the ice cream man is fine for a special treat, like once a summer, but every day?  No way.

So I make these pops for them.  they get one very day.  

They don;t even ask for the ice cream man any more.

BAM!

And they are super cinchy to make.

Here are the details.

The particular batch we are on right now is made up of:

1 bag of frozen, organic raspberries.  (the seeds are so good for digestion and the frozen are so much cheaper.  Of course you can use whatever kind of fruit you like.  It is fun to try combinations as well.)

1 cup or so of vanilla yogurt

Enough milk to make it blendable

2 tablespoons of Flax seed meal (or more if your kids won't mind)

Sugar to taste, or honey, or agave nectar

This will require 2 batches in your blender.

So blend half and pour into mini Dixie cups.  I used the size that are often used in the bathroom.  They seem to be just right.

Blend second half and pour into cups.

Put all the cups on a tray and put into freezer.  

Check back in 15-20 minutes.  The pops should now be thick enough for you to put in a Popsicle stick and it will stay up.  If it falls to the side wait another 5 minutes or so.

As soon as they are frozen through, throw them all in some freezer bags and you have treats enough to last you a couple of weeks.  At least.

(Here's a recipe for blueberry sour cream popsicles.  They are fabulous)

And they won't even know how good those treats are for them.  They just know they taste good.

How are you keeping cool now that we are in the dog days of summer? 
Hope your weekend is cool--in more ways than one.
Love from,
Greta


Another way to keep cool?  Hitting the beach over at Lilly and the Brothers.

Patchwork Long Beach Part 3 -- The Final Favorites List

Here it is.  The last post about Patchwork Long Beach.  I hope you have checked out the artists I have featured and that you will support them.  These people are following their passions and I admire that.  And buying something handmade is so much better than getting something made by the million in some factory on the other side of the planet.

Buy American!  Buy Handmade!

OK, enough soapbox.  I fell in love instantly with this artist--a food artist.  Come to find out she is also one of Patchwork Long Beach's founders and she owns this store.  

Can you guess what her wares were?

Just some of the most amazing jams I have ever tasted.

And best of all, we actually did taste them.  She definitely thought outside the box.  There was a Meyer lemon jam that was to die for.  This one was a chipolte raspberry jam and the combination of sweet, spicy and smokey made me take seconds and want 5ths.  

I so want to make jam.

There were lots of other things for sale too.  Pickles and relishes.  Even lavender lemonade.  Yum!

She offers canning classes at her store for people like me who want to can and are a bit intimidated by the whole process.  Look at the class schedule here.  And be sure to take a peek at all the other classes.  It is an impressive list.  Intro to welding anyone?

Thank you Delilah for inspiring me, yet again, to make the leap and try canning.

This next food artist sold goods from all over Orange County. Isn't it pretty?

These women are beekeepers and have hives from one end of the OC to the next.  They do it all from collecting to making the honey.  Well, the bees do that, but you know what I mean.  

If you  have never tasted honey from outside one of those blasted honey bears at the store, you haven't lived.  Do yourself a favor and go to a local farmers market,  There is sure to be someone selling honey.  Try it.  You'll taste the difference.  

And if you live around here, try this honey.  It is really, really good.  We need to support our honeybees. They are having some problems these days and they are pretty important.  Get honey here.

Last on my list, a unique and inspiring group.

Think old fashioned quilters circle.  A bunch of crafty and creative people getting together to make things.  Each person brings their own project.  It might be sewing, painting, blogging or even making pinwheels.  Like the ones the Makers League was making with the kids at Patchwork.

One f the best parts abut the Makers League, in my book at least, is that they do not leave good food out of the equation.  1 Saturday morning a month they get together to eat and make.  It sounds like a pretty great combination.  I am so hoping I can make it some time.
See the Makers League info here and founder Heather's blog here.


There were so many more great artists at this fair.  I wish I could show them all.  But maybe this will inspire you to find an Indie Craft Fair where you are and see for yourself all the beautiful things that are being made by hand.  
Happy crafting!
Love from,
Greta

The View From My Weekend

Just a few pictures from the weekend.  We went camping at the beach, brought home some treasures and had a splendid lunch.  

Our vintage mugs ready for coffee around the campfire on Saturday morning.

Treasures from the sea ready to display on our nature table: black sea fans, unidentified bird bones, and parts of a lobster shell.

The perfect lunch for a summer afternoon: olive bread, (my absolute favorite) a ripe heirloom tomato from the farmers market, thickly sliced, a few slices of good quality dried salami, goat cheese with sun dried tomatoes and olive oil.  Heaven on a plate.

Hoping your weekend found you enjoying some simple summer pleasures.
Love from,
Greta


*To see more pics from our getaway and a review of the campground, visit Lilly and the Brothers.

Patchwork Long Beach Favorites -- Part 2: Rock Scissor Paper, Candles, Stuffies and More

Here are more of my favorites from Patchwork.  This post is chock full of good stuff.  Take a look!

Rock Scissor Paper was there.  That made me happy because they are one of my all time faves.  Like always, I loved perusing their wares.  And seeing these new cuties.  Love, love, love.

Don't forget to visit their blog.  It is one of the first I check every day.

Next up: jewelry.  These were some of my favorites because they were unique.

These are all made by Christine at Chocolate and Steel and I like her designs, don't you?

Isn't that whale adorable?  And the Eames chair?  Totally love it.

I thought these were a unique twist on a child's name.  Put their birth year instead.  She said she could also put their name on the back.

These would also make a sweet present for a bride.

And don't you love that orange felt with the holes?  She said she got it from IKEA long ago, but I wonder if there is a hole punch strong enough to go through felt like that?  If you are a crafty, sewy sort, and know the answer, do share.

I liked these pendants too because they say things like: "she's crafty" and "seriously rad."  

Of course, custom orders are available.

Check out more of her designs here.

Hello candles!  These are from Relight.

You know I have a thing for vintage state glasses, but this is something I have never thought of.

I think it is genius!

And there are many more glasses to choose from besides the state ones.  I also loved that one with the blue flowers at the bottom--very modern looking.  This is a really great idea.

There are a lot of stuffies at craft fairs.  These owls caught my eye. 

So did her penguins and her trees.  

Check out Desiree's Etsy shop to see a few of her adorable creations.

Lastly, I fell in love with these hair clips from Chabuki.

In fact, if you have seen me in the last week and a half, you have probably noticed me sporting the one I bought.  It makes me feel cute and stylish, even when I am just wearing jeans and a tee, which is almost always.  

Each one is different and lovingly made.  Just look at the attention detail on the back of the clip.

You can see her clothes, too at her Esty shop, but not many hair clips.  I am hoping she'll list more because I'd like a whole slew of them.  And some for Lilly too.


So, go, take a gander at all those links.
We're headed out for some cool summer beach camping (seriously, is the sun ever coming out in Southern California?) this weekend, but check in next week for my final wrap up of Patchwork Long Beach.
Happy weekending to you.  Hoping we can all find some sunshine.
Love from,
Greta

Patchwork Long Beach Favorites -- Part 1: The Poster List

Patchwork Long Beach was a week and a half ago.  These posts should have gone up long ago, but this weather and this week have me all messed up in terms of blogging.  So I'm a bit behind.  Cut me some slack--it's summer.

I was so happy that Patchwork came back to Long Beach but also to see it was much bigger than last time!  That means other people have caught on to this great craft fair.  I walked around and snapped photos of some of my favorites.

Here is the first in a long list.

There were so many amazing posters in this booth I asked, 

"where do you find your artists?"

"I'm the artist," said Adam with a smile.

I am impressed.  He is prolific.

There are so many different posters to choose from.  And in so many different styles.
I liked a whole lot of them.

This one, I brought home with me.

Doesn't it look perfect over our library?

Do check out The Poster List.
There are so many great posters you will have a hard time choosing just one.  
And since they are only $10, you don't have to limit yourself.
I think these will become my go to gift.  Everyone likes a good poster--framed or unframed--still always cooler than anything you could get from Target.
Support a local artist.  He's from Long Beach.
Even if you missed out on Patchwork, you don't have to miss out on these great posters.


There is lots more to come from Patchwork.  I can't wait to show you more of my faves.
But for now, I must sleep.
Love from,
Greta