How does Pavlova find itself on the table of an Irish meal? Well, if you're my friend Jenn, whose husband moved to Ireland when he was a little boy, from New Zealand, it's totally normal. While we were in Ireland, we shared a number of amazing meals. We had fresh mussels and fish curry, roasted chicken with spuds in jackets, pasties, fish and chips, cinnamon twists and a roasted lamb dinner that made me fall in love with my husband all over again! Our hostess Jenn, began cracking eggs and separating them. … [Read more...]
Happy 4th Of July ~ Summer Recipe Ideas For Picnics
By on July 3, 2012 with
Photo credit to our friend, talented jewelry designer, Lisa Lehmann. We hope you all have a happy 4th of July and that you table is full of feasting and friends! We know we will be spending our time with friends and family. Kristin's family is surviving power outages due to east coast storms that toppled trees and power lines in her neighborhood. I see from our LoveFeast Twitter feed that Kristin's family is invited over to some friends with working A/C for dinner! They have a great community for coming together! Our … [Read more...]
Cultivating a Coffee House Culture
By on June 5, 2012 with
Like most of you, we are busy wrapping up our school year. My oldest, Drama Boy, just graduated last Sunday from high school and this morning, my high school freshman, Baker Boy, had his final jury. My two oldest have had an amazing opportunity attending an arts high school here in Baltimore. Baker Boy is in the stage production tract at the school. So, this morning he had to pull together all of his best projects from this year and make a 10 minute presentation in front of all of his teachers. He had to share how he grew as an … [Read more...]
Vintage Americana BBQ for Graduation Party
By on May 24, 2012 with
It's been a few weeks since I've been able to clear a path and time in my day, to my computer. My family is in a very busy season and it's times like this I'm so grateful Chris Ann and I co-blog. This morning it's quiet. I think all the running around we've been doing is actually paying off with kids sleeping in. But, I feel the home stretch coming! My oldest, is finished his senior year and off to London for the week. I had my final homeschool review on Tuesday and am now fighting the urge to just call the school year … [Read more...]
Lemon Squares Made by Baker Boy
By on April 17, 2012 with
Did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up? What was it? Are you that person today? Raising 5 kids, I find that whole thing fascinating. As a parent, you see certain inclinations in your kids when they are young and you wonder, "Should I nurture that? Should I let it develop naturally?" I have kind of landed on doing both. My second son, AKA Baker Boy, loved food from day 1! How did I know when he was a nursing infant? Because, he wanted to nurse 24/7! My mom loves recalling the story when I called her in tears and … [Read more...]
Coffee Cake Bosses
By on April 5, 2012 with
I have two gingers, as they like to call themselves. The oldest, Baker, likes to refer to Little Man as "mini me". They are two peas in a pod separated by 9 years. They spent a few hours yesterday watching Cake Boss, one of their favorite shows, then decided to make their own coffee cake. Baker takes control in the kitchen. Like his dad, he loves it there. He's talked about going to culinary school and one day, opening his own bakery. He chose a Buttermilk Coffee Cake recipe out of the Advantium cookbook. I stood back and took … [Read more...]
Sunday Morning Croissant Sandwiches
By on February 19, 2012 with
I don't know about you, but Sunday mornings are the one day of the week we linger over coffee in our jammies and we usually make an effort with breakfast. During the week, it's cereal, oatmeal, bagels...quick food. But, on Saturday mornings, we try a little harder. Today, I decided to bake off Pillsbury Crescent rolls to use for egg sandwiches with turkey pastrami, aged cheddar cheese and fresh arugula. The beautiful thing about Pillsbury Crescent rolls, is they are convenient. It took me less than 5 minutes to unroll … [Read more...]
Valentine Treats To Savor With Tea
By on February 8, 2012 with
Taking time to savor the moment with a pot or cup of tea has always been something I have enjoyed in my day. Over the years, I have enjoyed the preparation of putting out a proper cup of tea for friends, with fancy favorite dishes and small bites. Sometimes I just pop a mug, quick in the microwave to make a single cup to enjoy by myself. My family has learned I rarely make something warm to drink without a nibble on the side. They have also learned to enjoy the nurturing moments of a warm cup and a moment to chat. The … [Read more...]
Strawberry Heart Cups with Goat Cheese Whipped Cream
By on January 26, 2012 with
It was about 10 years ago on Valentine's evening. Our casual, artsy coffee shop had been open for over a year. We served a purely vegetarian menu with baked pita pizzas like the Bella Donna and Artist's Heart. The menu was creative and we were constantly thinking outside the box when bringing flavors and technique together. Devon had been classically French trained under an amazing chef. He brought those techniques to our quaint, three story cafe situated in a historic, antique shopping district. There were days he longed to … [Read more...]
Hot Molten Lava Cakes
By on January 5, 2012 with
While Kristin was visiting a couple of weekends ago we hosted a dinner party with our husbands. The night before we had been playing poker. (Surprised? It's actually one of our traditions when we are together! We usually play for big stakes too -- like which family has to move to the other's state!) After a memorable dinner served with wine we were a bit too lazy and comfortable to make a proper dessert so we pulled out the "finer" chocolate stash that I had been building from early Christmas gifts. As the cards were dealt … [Read more...]
