Strawberry Pavlova, the Perfect Dessert to Celebrate a Milestone

"I'm thinking of signing him up for golf camp, basketball camp, a soccer camp and maybe some swimming," one of my well-meaning friends was saying to a group of us about a month ago. The conversation then lead to the fall, "Besides soccer, we're putting together a flag football team if anyone wants to do it."

The conversation continued and as I sat there listening, sipping my coffee, I thought about how different  I am now as a parent as opposed to when my daughter was younger.

She was in swim lessons at six-months-old. As a toddler, she had a regular "playgroup" that met weekly. She was in Gymboree classes...for years. She could write her name before she entered preschool and ride a bike and tie her shoes before she entered Kindergarten.

For my youngest, playgroup and Gymboree aren't even words in his vocabulary. As for some of the others, well, maybe I had been a little lackadaisical in teaching him some of those childhood milestones. So I said to my friends, "You know, I think you should count us out. We're still working on...some basics."

Later that day, I sat my Kindergartener down and said, "Guess what we're going to do this summer?"

"What?"

"You are going to have "Bike Camp with Mom," "Swim Camp with Mom," and "Tie-Your-Shoes Camp with Mom." We're going to start with Bike Camp. How does that sound?"

He was thrilled. Besides motherly guilt, I was feeling particularly motivated to get rid of the training wheels because I knew we'd be meeting up with his cousins at the beach for vacation soon and he just couldn't be shown up by his three-year-old cousin who could already ride a two-wheeler.

Day one of bike camp was held in our driveway. We worked on simply gliding. Then, I taught him how to use the kick-stand, how to use the brakes, how to start and then went on to the back-braker....holding onto the back of the bike as he "rode" it up and down the driveway. Luckily, before my back gave out, I was interrupted by my neighbor driving by. She stopped. And we chatted...on and on.

In the middle of our conversation, I decided to check on my little guy. As I turned around to look for him, there he was riding his bike out of the garage. On two-wheels. By himself.

I turned to my neighbor and said, "Sandbagger."

Then, I turned back to my guy and shouted, "Whoo! Hoo! You're riding your bike by yourself!!!"

With a huge smile on his face, he stopped the bike, put the kickstand down and took off his helmet. Then he said to me, "Can I go back in now?"

"But buddy, you just learned to ride your bike. That's so exciting. Don't you want to keep practicing?"

"Well, I was in the middle of a lego war when you called me out here." For crying out loud, his older brother would have been out here for hours practicing his new-found-skill if this had been him.

We continued our bike camp throughout the week, visiting various parks with tracks or trails and culminating with the park in our neighborhood whose trail travels over bridges, around a pond and up and down hills. He completed the required "two times around the pond" but he really just wanted to play on the playground with some friends who happened to be there.

To celebrate my little guy's "Completion of Bike Camp," that night I made a special dessert. Strawberry Pavlova...which he inhaled. As I watched him enjoy his dessert, I thought to myself how different my children are. How my middle guy was the kid who rode a two-wheeler at age three...because he wanted to. How my eldest could swim as a toddler and still is my fish...because she loves it.

And my little guy, well, apparently he takes on the mantra that the Rooster applies to handyman jobs from time to time, "It's not that I can't do it, it's just not how I choose to spend my time." (Although, let the record state that when the Rooster does choose to do handyman jobs, he does a mighty fine job.)

We'll see how swimming and shoe-tying go.....

Strawberry Pavlova
Inspired and adapted from The Reluctant Entertainer and MIX magazine

I am not a fancy dessert maker. Usually the pinnacle of my dessert making consists of ice cream with berries or every so often a pie but that's about it. However, I was intrigued to make this dessert when I read about it in my friend Sandy's book, The Reluctant Entertainer. And then a recent issue of our local food magazine MIX also had a recipe for it and considering that both the Rooster and I had brought home half-flats of Hood strawberries recently....well, I needed to find ways to use them up. Hood strawberries are truly the most delicious strawberry you will ever taste but...they don't last long.

Also, I made my pavlova with a sour cream filling because I don't like my desserts to be too sweet and trust me, it was plenty sweet...but if you're a whipped cream purist you could always substitute that for the filling.

Ingredients
Meringues
1/2 c egg whites (about 4) at room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 c granulated sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp cider vinegar or white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Filling
1 c sour cream or crème fraiche
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract


Berries
2 pints fresh strawberries (preferably Hoods if you can find them), hulled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice


Directions
Meringues
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.


In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your egg whites and cream of tartar. Using an electric mixer, beat them together until foamy. On medium speed, add in your granulated sugar a tablespoon at a time. Increase your speed to high and continue beating for about 3 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Fold in your cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla extract and stir just until combined.


Spoon out six half-domes of meringue onto the cookie sheet. Using the back of your spoon, press gently down on the center of each one to make a shallow well. Bake for about one hour or until your meringues lift easily off the parchment.


Filling
While your meringues are cooking, prepare your filling. Whip your sour cream, 1 tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract until thick. Then, put in the refrigerator while the meringues are finishing. You can make your filling in advance but it may need some gentle re-whisking if it sits for over an hour.


Strawberries
Put your sliced strawberries, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice in a bowl. Mix together to combine and then set aside to macerate for 5-10 minutes or the duration of your meringue baking time.


When ready to serve, put each meringue on an individual plate. Spoon on some of the filling and then, top with the berries. Put out for your friends and family to "ooh and ahh" over and then....enjoy.


Yield: 6 individual dessert...quite large servings

...

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Just in case you didn't see this message on my last post, La Pomme de Portland is just about to get a new look. My friend and web designer Kirsten Hope has been helping me create this lovely new space. It is so pretty.

The time has come for us to do the site transfer. In order to do so, my website will be down for about a week starting July 3rd. I'm letting you know this for a couple of reasons.

1. I am crossing all fingers and toes that nothing will happen but there is a chance that in the transfer I may loose a few of my email subscribers' subscriptions. I apologize in advance for this. Should you not receive your regular emails from me after July 10th, you may need to go back onto my site and re-subscribe. My site address will remain the same: www.lapommedeportland.com

2. In case you want any recipes for Fourth of July, I encourage you to print them before July 3rd. :) Once the site transfer happens, all recipes, new and old, will be available again.

...

Fourth of July Menu
In case you're looking for ideas, here is my Fourth of July menu:

Cowboy Caviar
Cherry Tomato and Asparagus Summer Salad
Grilled Salmon with Cherry Tomato and Shallot compote
A Strawberry Tart


...

Organizing Project
Just spent the past week, including...and I'm not kidding here...10 hours yesterday....organizing my yard. This included weeding, weeding and more weeding, planting 15 boxwood plants I bought on-sale on the one sunny day we had this past spring and filling my planter boxes with petunias I bought back in May in a fit of momentary excitement.



All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

Letting Go with Counter-Top Salads for Dinner

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Please read my message after the story especially my gracious email subscribers.


She was three years old when she performed in her first dance recital. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and The Bunny Hop. Her little feet could be heard "tap, tap, tapping" away as she practiced for her big debut.

Considering that when she wasn't dancing she was impersonating Mary Poppins, she seemed destined for life as a performer.

On the soccer field, she was the one with bows in her hair, picking daisies, twirling around and skipping as the ball rolled past her.

When the girls around her and the competitiveness of the game grew to such a level that skipping as the ball rolled past you wasn't considered cute anymore, the Rooster and I decided to pull her from soccer. We encouraged her to forge her own path in dance.

And dance, she did...ballet, pointe, jazz, hip-hop, tap, lyrical. Six nights a week. She blossomed into an amazing dancer. And call me bias....but I love to watch her dance. She's beautiful on-stage.

And just when there seemed to be no end to her dancing days and at the height of sequins, sparkles, lycra, stage make-up and dark auditoriums, she said to me, "Mom, I'd really like to try lacrosse."

Like a needle being ripped across a record, the room went silent.

"Lacrosse?"

"Yeah, my friends who play are always telling me how fun it is."

"But, sweetie, you have to wear goggles...and a mouthguard," I said to my fashion-concious daughter.

"I know."

"And you have to get in there and mix-it up with sticks and a ball," added the Rooster. "You don't like competitive contact. Remember when you played soccer?"

"No, I don't remember. Last time I played I was like in fourth grade."

That was probably true. While her "out-in-the-field picking daisies" ways were still very present in our minds, for her it was four years ago. Practically a lifetime.

We continued to throw out reasons why lacrosse wouldn't work for her and she continued to come back with reasons why it would.

On her own, she worked out a schedule that would accommodate lacrosse, dance and school. She contacted coaches about getting on the team. She figured out how to get to and from practices. When game time came around, she not only got in there and mixed-it up, she was aggressive. And fast.

When she asked to go to a tournament in Seattle at the end of the season, we had to say no. "You are committed to your dance classes that conflict with the lacrosse practices. Your recital is coming up. You can't miss class. Other dancers are counting on you."

She contacted the coaches for the tournament and arranged to miss Monday night practices so she could be at dance. I told the Rooster that her determination should be rewarded so we agreed to let her go to the tournament.

Her team, the Bulldogs, played three games in the tournament. The Rooster and I watched every one from under umbrellas, down jackets and fleece blankets. We watched our daughter flying down the field in the rain, fighting for the ball amidst a swarm of sticks and on occasion, putting that little ball into the net to score.

Her team lost all three games. The final game had a score of 2-13 but her coach awarded her "Player of the Game" for her persistence and hard work and I felt myself tear up.

There is something so gratifying about watching your child succeed at something that she alone wanted. Something she was determined to do even if her parents were trying to talk her out of it.

So last week, instead of feeling bitter about driving her out to a lacrosse camp clear across town, leaving no time to cook but only time for counter-top meals, I was happy to do it.

And as she limped along into her dance recital over the weekend, I could tell by her demeanor that perhaps this phase of her life was coming to a close. She was still beautiful on-stage but there was something removed about her stance. And when I asked her if she thought she'd take dance next year, she said to me, "Well, I know you like me to do dance...."

That's when I told myself, "Let go."

I don't know whether her future will hold mouthguards or ballet slippers but I do know that it is her future and I am loving watching her decide for herself just what that future will be.


...


IMPORTANT MESSAGE: I know I have alluded to the fact that  I have been working with web designer, Kirsten Hope, to create a new look for La Pomme de Portland. She has helped me create a lovely new space. I know you will love it.

The time has come for us to do the site transfer. In order to do so, my website will be down for about a week starting July 3rd. I'm letting you know this for a couple of reasons.

1. I am crossing all fingers and toes that nothing will happen but there is a chance that in the transfer I may loose a few of my email subscribers' subscriptions. I apologize in advance for this. Should you not receive your regular emails from me after July 10th, you may need to go back onto my site and re-subscribe. My site address will remain the same: www.lapommedeportland.com

2. In case you want any recipes for Fourth of July, I encourage you to print them off soon. :) Once the site transfer happens, all recipes, new and old, will be available again.

Counter-Top Salads
Sometimes there just isn't time to cook. Sometimes I don't want to cook. During the summer, I don't like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen especially considering that we've just come off of the coldest, wettest spring on record in 117 years...I want to be outside where it is finally sunny. One of my favorite meals when I'm feeling like this is the ole counter-top salad. Basically, pull out any leftover bits and pieces from your refrigerator and slap them on the counter with some lettuce as a base and a vinaigrette as a topping and voila....dinner. I'm always amazed at the things my children will put on their salads...that I didn't think they would like...when I let them choose their own toppings.

Ingredients
Of course, these ingredients could be anything you have leftover but here are my favorites....

a head or two of romaine lettuce, washed and coarsely chopped
cherry tomatoes
blanched green beans
cooked red potatoes, cut into quarters
hard boiled eggs
leftover roasted chicken
crumbled gorgonzola
and usually, I put a little crumbled bacon on top or avocado but I didn't have any leftover this time

homemade vinaigrette, recipe here.


Directions
I'm assuming that most of this is leftover from other meals but should you be making it from scratch, here are a few quick tips.

To blanch green beans, trim the ends then put in boiling water for two minutes. Drain the water and immediately run cold water over them to stop them from cooking.

To cook your potatoes, wash them, quarter them and put them in a pot of salted boiling water for about 12-15 minutes or until just softened. Drain water and set aside.

For the hard boiled eggs, everyone has a different method for the timing but I put mine in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to very, very low and simmer for 12 minutes. Drain and run cold water over them.

For your chicken, get a roasted one from the grocery store.

Put all of your ingredients out on your counter...plates at one end, vinaigrette at the other and let the troops have at it. Quick and easy....enjoy.

...


Organizing Project
The only thing I have been organizing is my summer....travel dates, camp registrations, down time, up time...so that I can simply enjoy and not have to worry about the details.



All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

What's In Season? Cherries

Well, it's cherry season! While I'm absolutely in love with the Rainier cherry - those unique little yellow and red orbs - I'm starting to have a new crush on the super-sweet Bing Cherries coming out of Washington. Of course, right now as I'm typing this to you and need to know the exact name of those Super-Sweets, I cannot recall it so...I'll get back to you on that one.

My favorite way to serve cherries is right out of a bowl. For meals I'll just stick a bowl on the table with a ramekin next to it for pits and stems and for the "littler" guys I always have "Charlie" handy.

If I was going to stray from the bowl of cherries and actually make something with them, the following recipes would serve as inspiration.
Chocolate Cherry Clafoutis
Cherry Jam
Grilled Peaches, Poached Cherries and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

And I can say that I have made Julia Child's Cherry Clafouti to rave reviews.


Happy Pitting!!


All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

Cherry Tomato and Asparagus Summer Salad on AM Northwest

So, my dear friends, this week has been filled with milestones, celebrations and a few tears on the part of yours truly. One headed to high school, one to middle school and one leaving that sweet, sweet year of Kindergarten and as I've said before every first for my littlest one is a monumental last for me. To say, "last day of Kindergarten" is a bit extra-emotional for me. Me, the weeper.

I'm sure you will understand when I say that I won't have one of my usual musings post this week. My time this week is being spent with family but I do leave you with a live version of a delicious summer salad I posted on La Pomme last July. Toss in a little chicken, some leftover grilled steak or serve it on the side of your grilled salmon. A perfect summer meal!!

Cherry Tomato and Asparagus Salad

Brought to life on AM Northwest

Click here for the recipe. (It's the second recipe...although the first one is good too!)

If a video screen does not appear above this line, click here to be taken directly to the site.


All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

What's In Season? Copper River Salmon

Well, friends, it's Salmon Season and more specifically it's Copper River Salmon season. I've been in conversations where the "hype" surrounding the Copper River Salmon has been debated. Is it just a marketing ploy? Is it worth the cost?

I am not a salmon expert although I grew up eating salmon the way other people grew up eating meat and potatoes so I do have a pretty good idea of which species of salmon I like (sockeye) and how I like it prepared (grilled, simply, with no crazy butter sauce.)

Now, I did have the opportunity to sit in on a "salmon class" taught by Christine Keff, Chef/Owner of the Flying Fish restaurant in Seattle who IS a salmon expert and she stressed to us the fact that the flavor of each salmon is determined not only by its species but also by which river it travels up to spawn.

As for the salmon of the Copper River, they have a 300-mile trek that takes them up a thousand foot elevation gain to where they finally reach their spawning grounds in an unspoiled wilderness...literally. And something about how these fish prepare for their marathon of sorts gives them their singularly distinct flavor...whether you think it's worth the hype or not.


My Favorite Grilled Salmon

My absolute favorite way to prepare salmon is grilled and I learned a little trick from the Weber boys that ensures the salmon turns out perfectly each time.

Pre-heat your grill to direct medium heat. Take your 1 1/2 - 2 lb whole salmon fillet with the skin left on. Generously brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.

Most people have a general idea that the average salmon fillet takes about 10 minutes to cook and they have the inclination to flip it at 5 minutes. Don't do it.

Place your generously oiled fillet on your pre-heated grill, flesh side down. Leave it there...don't touch it...for at least 7 minutes. You know it's ready to flip when the fish lifts up easily from the grill or at least, fairly easily.

Then, flip it, skin side down and cook for the remaining 2-3 minutes. When you are ready to take the fish off the grill, slip a metal spatula between the skin and the fish. The grilled fillet should lift easily off the skin and onto a plate. Perfection.

My favorite topping for grilled salmon is a Tomato/Shallot compote I've alluded to before here. Basically, I saute a chopped shallot or two in 1-2 tbsp of olive oil over low heat for about 7-10 minutes. During the last 3-4 minutes of cooking I add in a cup or two of cherry tomatoes cut in half, a generous sprinkling of kosher salt, some freshly ground black pepper and a tbsp or two of fresh thyme.

Enjoy...





All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

Rosemary Cheese Bites and The Winner Is....

So, my dear friends, I have a bonus post for you this week...weekend...whatever you want to call it. Katie Goodman, who is the author of the beautiful blog, GoodLife Eats, asked if I would do a guest post for her while she was taking some time off to spend with her sweet hubby. Of course, I said, "Absolutely...."

What you will find when you hop on over there is a little bit of musing...of course...and a recipe for Rosemary Cheese Bites that are like a grown-up Cheese-It. I can't tell you how good they are. You won't be able to stop eating them and no, they don't have any butter in them. None at all. They are calorie free. They aren't at all like a savory shortbread cookie. :)

Click here to hop on over to Rosemary Cheese Bites


And the Winner Is.....
Thanks so much all of you who entered to win the National Pork Board Giveaway I talked about on my last post. I wish I could have given it away to all of you but since I only had one, and to keep me honest, I let the Kindergartner choose the winning "ticket" and here's how it went.

The Kindergartner is stirring up the names.

He's pulling out the winning ticket.

He's opening it up.

And the Winner Is....

Amy M., I have your email address and will be in touch to gather all pertinent information. Congratulations!!


Organizing Project
The only kind of organizing getting done these days is what I have now coined as:
Drive-By Purging and Organizing: Creating Calm Out of Chaos

It's when your To-Do list has you so overwhelmed you simply abandon it and then, grab a paper sack and start throwing things in it to be donated without any thought. And even when you are loading it into the car, you are still looking around the garage saying to yourself, "What else can I throw in here? Oooo, small army man on the ground, you are a goner."



All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

A Heartfelt Thank You, A Giveaway and Some Chili-Rubbed Pork Chops

I pulled the car to a halt in front of the mailboxes. With half my body out the window, I hoisted the usual haul of catalogs, coupons and bills onto my lap. Methodically, I sifted through the stack on the very, off-chance that there would be something unexpected in the pile.

Caught between a Pottery Barn catalog and a Pottery Barn Teen catalog (Note to PB: Give it a rest already....), lay a small square envelope with handwritten script for the addresses. After shooing the boys out of the car and telling them they could walk up the driveway if they were that impatient, I slid my finger under the envelope flap and pulled out the floral embellished card. Upon opening it, I was treated to a heartfelt thank-you from a friend. Her words truly made my day, my month, my year.

I immediately felt the need to "reply" back. To thank her for her thank you as we do in the world of email. But with a handwritten and postal service delivered note, there isn't that option. Instead, her words were like a gift...given to me...without expecting anything in return.

I'm not a good gift giver...at least not tangible gifts. I know I've mentioned this to you before but it's true. I still cringe when I think about the batik shorts outfit I gave my sister for Christmas one year. I overthink the gift.

The same is true for thanking people. What should I get them? What would be appropriate? Will they like it? Does the gift seem trivial compared to what they've done for me...my family?

As I roll toward the end of the school year in a tumbleweed of chaos, I have managed to carve out some time to consider how much I have to be thankful for. How much generosity has been bestowed upon me, my children, my family. And again, feeling inadequate on how to properly give thanks, I decided that perhaps a handwritten note would be best.

Giveaway

When I was in Atlanta a few weeks ago, I happened to be graciously invited by Lori Lange on a Pork Crawl hosted by Jaden Hair and the National Pork Board. Essentially 10 of us climbed in a Land Rover limo and were taken, over the course of the evening, to three of Atlanta's top restaurants where the head chef of each place had prepared us multiple creations all made of....pork. Delicious would be an understatement. 

Upon returning to our hotel rooms, we found a huge, wrapped box for each of us left by the wonderful gals representing the National Pork Board. Yes, I realize that on some level, they are doing their job to get us excited about cooking with pork but even considering that, their gift was extremely generous.

And the generosity doesn't stop there. They also offered to pass along that same "wrapped box" to one of you. And considering how grateful I am to you...I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Inside the wrapped box were these goodies:

• Pork Be inspired branded Apron
• Pork Be inspired Brochure
• Digital Meat Thermometer
• Cuisinart CCJ-100 Citrus Pro Juicer
• Vacu Vin Pineapple Slicer
• Norpro Grip-Ez Jalapeno Pepper Corer
• Cuisinart Grill Pan (I'm most excited about this!)
• Dry Ingredients (Salt, Light Brown Sugar, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Chili Powder)

And not but a few days later, four pork chops were sent directly to my home and they will be sent to your home as well. Then you will have everything you need to make Chili-Rubbed Pork Chops with Grilled Pineapple Salsa.

If you are interested in receiving this generous gift from the National Pork Board, leave a comment with your email address here on this post before midnight, PST, Friday, June 10th. And yes, I realize my "commenter" can be temperamental so if you have trouble with it send me an email instead. I will go ahead and add your name in the comments. (carrieminns (at) me (dot) com)

I will have the Kindergartner draw the winning name from a hat and announce it on Saturday, June 11th. 

For those of you who see my Kindergartner on a regular basis, he may accept bribes. He loves AirHeads (thank you Mr. Kurtz) and Chocolate Chip Mint Ice Cream.

Chili-Rubbed Pork Chops and Pineapple Salsa
Adapted a bit from the National Pork Board's recipe

My family LOVED these pork chops. I changed the salsa recipe from the original one I've linked to above because I didn't have the time or the inclination to grill pineapple and jalapeno but I can't imagine that I missed much. The only negative part about making these was that I didn't make nearly enough! I think this dry rub would also be delicious on pork tenderloin. My stomach is grumbling just thinking about it.

Pork Chop Ingredients
4 pork bone-in rib chope, about 3/4 inch thick, trimmed
1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt

Pineapple Salsa Ingredients
1 1/2 c diced fresh pineapple (approx...)
1/2 c Rainier cherries, quartered
1 sm orange pepper, diced (approx 1/2 c)
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
a pinch of salt

In a small bowl, combine your chili powder, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Rub all sides of your pork chops with this mixture and set aside.

Next, combine all ingredients for your salsa in a medium bowl and set aside. I have to be honest here that I was planning on just using pineapple, lime juice and a bit of salt but I added too much salt so I started throwing in other things to dilute it....the cherries, the pepper, the cilantro...and in the end, the fruit salsa I made was devoured by the family and was perfect with the chops.

Next, prepare a grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. (Um...I forgot the "oil the grate" step, hence the extra-dark grill lines in the above photos.) Grill pork until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F or about 4 to 5 minutes per side.  Take those babies off the grill before they dry-out and let them rest 5-15 minutes. Serve with brown rice and salad greens tossed with a simple vinaigrette. Enjoy....

Yield: Maybe 4 people but that could be stretching it since they are that good.



All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

Chicken Marinara or Dinner from a Bottle and a Bag

It's 6:00 a.m., the radio is blaring but I'm not budging. Gone are the mornings when I gleefully arose, tiptoed downstairs through the dark house and pedaled my legs around the elliptical for a half hour like a gerbil in a habitrail while watching french films. This particular morning, I barely exert the energy to roll over and whack that alarm sending it into snooze mode. And so it goes, every 20 minutes for the next hour.

Finally, at 7:00 a.m. by sheer willpower, I lumber out of bed, open the doors of my sleeping chickens (except for my middle guy who is always up and at 'em before anyone), holler out a half-hearted "Good morning. Time to get up.", before I reluctantly make my way downstairs. I'm dreading what's waiting for me down there. And what's waiting for me is....the dang school lunches.

Can I be honest here? I'm worn out. I'm tired of being the cheerleader. The one who motivates everyone to get their homework done, get ready for this or that, speeds around the city getting them to their activities on-time which is a major feat for me considering I'm never on-time myself.* The one making sure they pick-up after themselves, brush their teeth, get to bed on-time, treat other people with respect, use good manners. And the one making meal after meal after meal. If only they would stop eating.

Just last week my middle-guy tells me with a twinkle in his eyes about his need for a nap...during school. How he convinced some buddies to turn the pages of his book during quiet reading time while he snoozed. For crying out loud! Normally, I would have launched into some big lecture on the importance of school, of getting to bed early, of how crucial reading skills are for success in life and on and on. But I was too tired for all of that. Instead, I just looked at him with fascination and said with a sigh, "Well, I guess everyone has their methods for getting through life."

(Although, Mr. Most Fabulous Teacher of my Fifth-Grade Son, if you happen to be reading this...consider yourself "tipped-off" but please, don't reveal your source. :) )

And then just this weekend, we were enjoying a lovely time on the Oregon Coast. We had our cars parked to block the wind so we could soak in a little sun. The adults were circled around in our beach chairs. The children were splashing in the water, building sand castles, tossing around the lacrosse ball and all seemed blissful when suddenly, the 5th grader emerges from the car with a bloody lip.

Upon further investigation, he had apparently been hit by an unidentified flying object hurled by the kindergartner. When I asked the kindergartner why he had thrown the object at his brother, he said with a quivering lip, "He was pressing on my heart!" Now, I could have launched into a dissertation about how we treat each other or tried the "hold hands" method of reconciliation again but that seemed like a lot of effort. Instead, I sighed and said, "Well, I guess what goes around comes around."

And as you can imagine, in this household, we have a constant dialogue running about eating healthy. I'm constantly pushing the fruits and vegetables. Yes, we have some "junk food" in-house but it's not a lot. And while all of my children are good eaters, my daughter definitely wins the award for "Healthiest Eater."

Recently, I had noticed that she had stopped making her normal smoothies for after-school snack but instead was gravitating toward bowls of ice cream. Just a few days ago, she somehow managed to get a tub of Butterfinger Ice Cream into the grocery cart and then, proceeded to munch it down, bowl after bowl. And guess what? Instead of lecturing her about healthy eating and on and on and on....I shrugged my shoulders, scooped myself up a bowl and plopped down on the couch to eat it with her because to bring it full circle...I'm pooped.

Which is why, not only do I dread making the school lunches these days, I dread the dinnertime hour....and I love to cook. But the problem is, I'm out of energy and ideas. Plain and simple.

This is when I tell myself, "not every meal has to be from scratch." "It's okay if the chicken and the vegetables didn't come from your own backyard. Really." Because sometimes you just need to get dinner on the table and preserve what little energy you have left to try and enjoy the end-of-the-school-year celebrations. A year of hard work - yours, your husband's and the children's. Celebrating your daughter leaving middle school and heading to high school. Your middle guy leaving grade school and heading to middle school. And, the last few weeks that you'll ever - ever and ever and ever - have a kindergartner. {sigh}


*For the record, the hubs helps with all of this as well and he's just as tired but he doesn't really like me to talk about him here on La Pomme; however, I wanted to make sure he got his "credit due" which is hugely appreciated and I couldn't do it without him. xo

Chicken Marinara
I find that I tend to make this meal every year around this time. When I'm out of energy and ready for summer. The kids always love it as well as the hubs. (As you may have noticed, I kind of like calling him "the hubs.") You can use whatever your favorite jarred marinara/pasta sauce is. For awhile I was using Dave's Gourmet Pasta Sauce but now I have a crush on Trader Joe's Organic Vodka Sauce. I also use a cast iron skillet for this recipe which moves easily from the stove-top to the oven but if you do not have an oven-friendly skillet you could always sear your chicken in a skillet and then, transfer the chicken to an oven-safe dish before you pour on your sauce and cheese.

Ingredients
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast sliced lengthwise into 3 pieces each
1-2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

2 cups of jarred marinara/tomato sauce (I'm loving Trader Joe's Organic Vodka Sauce right now.)
1 bag pre-shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese or Italian Cheese Blend

Directions
Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees.

Begin by cutting your chicken breasts lengthwise into 3 pieces each - although sometimes I end up with four. I'm sure I'm breaking all kinds of poultry rules here but since I'm not a chef...ignorance is bliss...and I don't care to "pound" my chicken into thin pieces which always results in microscopic chicken bits flying everywhere.

If using a cast iron skillet, put it on the stove over medium-high heat to begin heating up.

Brush both sides of your chicken pieces with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Turn your heat down to medium and lay your chicken pieces in the hot skillet. I know you're not supposed to "crowd the meat" but with this dish, my chicken pieces are usually quite snug with other pieces. However, if you want to be a rule follower you could always do this step in two batches. Allow your chicken to sear and brown for one minute on each side. Remove skillet from heat.

Carefully, pour your tomato sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with the grated cheese to your liking and pop the whole thing in the oven for another 6-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Pull it from the oven and serve with bread and applesauce on the side. Rice and bagged salad. Spaghetti and roasted asparagus. Whatever is easiest and gets the troops fed. Make your kids do the dishes. If you don't have any kids, find some neighbor kids.

Enjoy.

Yield: Dinner for a family of 4 and a kindergartner who doesn't eat much

...

Organizing Project
Does organizing the piles that have accumulated on the dining room table count?



All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

What's In Season? Strawberries by the Flat

Yes, yes, I realize that I brought your attention to the fact that strawberries were appearing at our local farmers market a week or so ago but let's be real....it's not possible to go to the farmers market every weekend...especially when I have no less than 5 lacrosse games staring me in the face. (And I don't even get the rules.)

So, when the hubs recently found flats of locally grown Oregon strawberries at his favorite grocery store, I rejoiced. And then the sweet man brought home not one...but two flats...so we've been eating strawberries. Lots of strawberries. Bowls and bowls of strawberries but hey, they're in season, they are oh so good and we love the hubs for bringing them home.

And even though we're still wearing down jackets and wool gloves here, each cheerful berry is a little hint that summer is not far off. We hope...


What would you do with bowls and bowls of strawberries?



Here's what I've done with them in the past here on La Pomme.

• Strawberry, Hazelnut and Goat Cheese Salad
• Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins
• A Strawberry Tart

And musings about those bright red berries

• At the Beginning...Hood Strawberries

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

A Bowl of Potato Corn Chowder and Pondering What Not to Wear

I had known about this trip for months. Five months to be exact. Five months to pack, go to the grocery store, make carpool arrangements, buy Birthday presents. Five months to figure out why the fan on my laptop runs continuously when I use it. But here it was t-minus three days and I had yet to do any of that.

In an effort to solve the laptop problem, I decided that I needed to remove photos off the hard drive. Which lead me to an investigation of where certain photo files were before I started the deletion process. Since I have photos backed up to two external hard drives, a few random thumb drives and the hard drives of a laptop and a desktop, it's sometimes difficult to know just where I put those bloomin' files.

Before long, I was overwhelmed by the investigation and instead found myself identifying "4923 unknown faces" in iPhoto's faces feature...3 at a time. This lead to a form of motion sickness and I turned the job over to the 6-year-old who can now read and gets joy from mouse clicks.

As I gave up my chair to my young child and turned to go, the stacks, bags and boxes of "printed" photos caught my eye. Maybe there were hard copies of the missing files? And before I could stop myself, I was immersed in the mission of sorting through and organizing TEN years worth of photos. For TEN YEARS many of these photos had been sitting in non-descript bags without thought and yet here, three days before leaving my family to go across the country on a trip that has NOTHING to do with those photos, I suddenly found an urgent calling to organize them. (Let's just say, it was a 2 a.m.-er.)

The next morning, sleep-deprived and in a complete fog, I dragged myself to our local "caffeinating-hole," where I confessed my lunacy to two friends. They empathized. They had "been there, done that." But why? Why do we feel the need to organize the spice drawer, clean out the pantry, scrub the fridge with a toothbrush or organize 10-years worth of photos right before we leave on a trip?

Nesting...we decided. We want our nest in order before we leave.

And so, across the country and back again I went.* And when I returned, I hugged my sweet chickens, kissed the Rooster and heaved a sigh of relief. Glad to be home safely. Back in my nest.

Once the homecoming festivities had quieted down, I warmed up a bowl of leftover Potato Corn Chowder, (Goodness knows I didn't eat on the plane.)(Seriously? They can't even afford a bag of pretzels??) snuck into my little office and admired the shelf of newly labeled photo boxes.

Between each bite of my creamy, herbed soup, I flipped through the boxes, smiling, making note of the passing years and some lessons to be learned from them.

Of course, the biggest lesson of all is: Childhood goes fast. A blink of an eye.

Even though I feel like this was yesterday, the little girl here will be headed to high school in the fall. The little boy...middle school. And the toothy baby, a grown-up first grader. (Sigh....)

A close second to the above lesson is: Be careful what you wear and how you actually allow yourself to be photographed. These decisions can come back to haunt you. Let me give you a few examples of this so you may be spared my pain.

Let this be a warning to all of you first-time pregnant Mama's in your third trimester who feel frumpy and thick and want to cut your hair off. Don't do it. Just look at the picture. Need I say more.

No matter how cute the matching Mother and Child photos are in the catalog, this does not necessarily compute to real life. Actually, as you see here, it does not compute at all.

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." 

Sometimes as a mother, no matter how much they beg you to play, it's just best to say no.

And finally, when asked my number one tip for taking beautiful photographs...never use a flash. Never, ever, ever. Never. Perhaps I should heed my own advice.

The soup bowl was empty. My eyelids were growing heavy. The photographs had been flipped through. The lessons learned. (Or at least acknowledged.) And admiring my boxes of photographs once again, I was glad I had stayed up until the wee hours to organize them.

Sometimes as a mother, when everything is a top priority, it takes that nesting instinct to get these seemingly unimportant projects done. And yet, spending the time, flipping through the years, smiling and watching my children grow-up before my eyes was anything but unimportant.

Potato Corn Chowder

While there are places in the world enjoying sunny days and short sleeve temperatures, this place, my hometown, is not one of them. We are still in the "spring showers" phase. Still carrying around umbrellas and donning our down jackets. Curling up with a bowl of soup continues to be part of our routine. This soup is perfect for spring. It takes advantage of the baby potatoes, leeks and herbs that are currently in-season. Throw in a little frozen corn and some crispy bacon and you've got a bowl of soup no one can resist.

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
3 leeks, white and light green parts, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 lbs of thin-skinned, yellow potatoes, diced (approx 10 cups)
8 c chicken broth
1 tbsp fresh thyme
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 c frozen sweet corn
1/2 c half-and-half (or at least, 2% milk)

Toppings
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/4 c fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Directions
In a large soup pot, heat your olive oil over medium heat. Add your leeks and sauté for about 8-10 minutes over medium-low heat until they are softened and almost transluscent. Careful not to burn them. Turn your heat down if they are browning too quickly.

Add in your garlic and sauté another minute.

Add your potatoes to the pot and pour in your chicken stock. Add your thyme, salt and pepper. Put the lid on and bring to a boil. Reduce your heat to medium-low. With the lid askew, simmer for about 12-14 minutes or until your potatoes are just soft when pricked with a fork.

Add in your corn and simmer another 3-5 minutes.

Remove soup from heat. Stir in your half-and-half.

Lay out your toppings. Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle a little of this and a little of that on top.

Then, take your bowl over to the window and watch the rain fall while daydreaming of sunnier places.


Yield: One big pot-full


*In case you were curious as to where I went...I traveled to Atlanta, Georgia last week for the BlogHerFood Conference. As you can imagine, we ate, talked and breathed food. I can't say enough good things about the trip. The women (and men) in the food world are truly amazing people. While I did not even take one picture, my friend (and roommate) Sandy Coughlin of Reluctant Entertainer wrote up a great post about the event (including more incriminating photos of me...clearly I'll never learn) which you can read by clicking here.


...


Organizing Project
A bit of a detour. See above. :)




All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

Hey Ding a Ding...It's Spring!

In the spring time, the only pretty ring time, 
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring. William Shakespeare

No visit to the farmers market was to be had this weekend. Instead, a trip across the country and back. More to come on that.

I left when the leaves on the trees and the blossoms on the dogwood were still wound tight.

But when I returned, they had unfurled their lovely colors.

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

What's In Season?

Only a quick trip to the Farmers Market was to be had this weekend...in-between dropping kids off at Lacrosse games and then, returning to watch said Lacrosse games.

I made the rounds, enjoyed the sights, the sounds, the smells.

I saw pints of snow peas with their feathery little blossoms still lying about.

I saw people headed to their cars carrying flats of strawberries for the first time this season.

But in the end, I left with only a box of cookies. And yet, it was a successful trip.

Sometimes it's just enough for me to make the loop under the blossoming canopy of trees. To stop and watch the street-corner musicians.

To feel like I left my little enclave and stepped out to see what the rest of the city is up to and somehow that makes the city feel smaller. More like a town. My town.

...


I know that some of you have shared with me that you have just recently started venturing out to your own farmers market and you felt a little overwhelmed. Here are some of my tips for navigating any farmers market.

1. Get your coffee BEFORE you arrive at the farmers market. The line for the market baristas is always one of the longest.

2. With coffee in hand, make a circle or a zig zag around your market without buying anything. Just take it all in.

3. On the second time around, make your purchases not worrying about whether this is the best vendor or this is the best price. You really can't go wrong with any local, in-season food.

4. Realize that in the beginning your trips to the farmers market may take longer than you had expected but know that overtime, you will discover who your favorite vendors are, what you like to buy, who's offering the best prices and so on.

5. Also know that in the beginning you may tend to "over-buy" so dazzled by all of the amazing food. After a few trips, you'll have a better idea of what you'll actually be able to use before things start to go bad.

6. Take the time to search out a farmers market that makes you feel comfortable. I had tried out a few in the beginning but came to really love the downtown Portland market. I know just where to park. I love the trees. I have my favorite vendors but for other people, coming downtown and being amongst the crowds can be stressful. With farmers markets on practically every corner, search out one that you really love.

7. And know that sometimes it's okay to come away with simply a box of cookies or a little tart because there's more to the farmers market than just food.




All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

Strawberries in a Salad and Siblings Who Skip

It snowed last year too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea.  -Dylan Thomas, Welsh poet

"Mom, it's so embarrassing! Do you know what he does all day at school?"

"No, please tell me."

"He skips."

"Well, he's in kindergarten."

"Well, it's embarrassing. My WHOLE class was lined up to go into the gym and guess who came out of the bathroom and skipped past my WHOLE class and all the way down the hall?"

This eldest son of mine then proceeds to go through a litany of infractions committed by his younger brother. "He makes weird noises. He hums. He kicks my seat. He takes my Lego guys without asking. He follows me around at recess with his hands like binoculars. He barks at me with those stuffed dogs. And...he skips!"

I did not grow up with brothers. Brothers, plural, that is. I have a brother. My "little" brother. He had the distinct honor of providing me with a worthy subject on which to practice my mothering skills. And that was just it. I was more "Mommy Jr" to him than sibling rival. And so now, when confronted with this up-close sibling rival between brothers, I sometimes feel at a loss of what to do.

"Just stop it!! Stop it!!"

Hearing the screams and crying from the garage, I leave the kitchen (where I've been trying to make and eat a quick salad for lunch) and head out to investigate. Upon seeing me, the kindergartner cries out, pointing in the direction of his older brother, "He threw a basketball at my legs."

In defense the 5th grader shoots back, "Yeah well, I wasn't even doing anything and he did this to me." He then proceeds to put his thumbs in his ears, wiggle his fingers and stick out his tongue. Choking back a smile, I said to myself, "I thought they only did that on TV." But judging by the way the 6-year old was covering his guilty face with his arms, apparently my children do that as well.

Both boys looked at me as if to say some justice must be done. Not sure what to do, I thought back to a peace-making method my elder son's kindergarten teacher used to use and I enact my own version of it.

"Okay boys, come here. Closer. Face each other. Hold each other's hands."

"No."

"Hold each other's hands and look at each other."

The 11-year old rolls his eyes and begrudgingly grabs his brother's hands. The littler one opens his eyes wide like a zombie, grabs his brother's hands and then, proceeds to jump up and down, over and over, like a kangaroo.

"Now I want you to compliment each other. Say something kind about your brother."

This is not a new concept to them. During our family dinners on Sundays (when they actually happen) we take turns complimenting other family members. I can usually count on the 11-year old to come up with a little gem about his siblings.

"Come on guys. we're not leaving til you say something kind to each other."

"He's not holding my hand," cries out the little one.

"Stop jumping! That's so weird," the older one shoots back.

Finally, there is a moment of calm and a bit of silence. I can see the older brother gathering his thoughts and the littler one, no longer jumping but still wide-eyed, not knowing what to say.

"C'mon. Surely you can think of something," I say, looking at the older brother, hoping he'll set a good example.

"Okay, okay," says the older one as he gathers himself together. And then, looking deep into his little brother's eyes, he says with all sincerity, "Brother....your farts don't stink."

The little one's eyes grow even bigger, he starts jumping again and with a huge smile on his face, he fires back, "Yeah, well.....your poop doesn't stink!"

They both start cracking up. I try to stifle my smile, throw my hands up in defeat and head inside to finally eat my lunch, muttering, "Boys."

While I sit at the kitchen table enjoying the first of this season's strawberries, my eldest son walks through the kitchen and I say to him, "You know, you'll never be in school with him again...in your whole life. You two could grow up to be best of friends but it depends on how you treat each other now. You're going to miss having him around next year."

He continues walking past me but I can tell he's listening.

At the foot of the stairs, he says back to me, "I know I'll miss him."

And then further up the stairs, "But I won't miss the skipping!"

...


A Strawberry, Hazelnut, and Goat Cheese Salad Drizzled with a Bit of Balsamic Vinaigrette

I have been reading about pairing sweet, luscious strawberries with piquant balsamic vinegar for quite sometime now and I thought it would be fun to try them out in a salad together. Sprinkle on some tangy goat cheese and nutty hazelnuts and you've got a salad fit for a Queen....or at least fit to keep you seated long enough to ponder on the intricacies of sibling rivalry and what to do about it.

I also show in the the photos above a clay ramekin from the talented guys & gals over at Olympic Provisions. Last weekend at the Farmer Market, they had kindly given me a ramekin of their homemade rillette to try on the baguette I was carrying around in my bag. I had never, knowingly, tried rillette. If you're curious to learn more, here's a wonderful post by the über-talented Matt Wright describing how to make and how to eat pork rillette. Once I figured out that I should bring it to room temperature and mix it all together (as opposed to just scraping the cold fat off the top), I discovered a luscious, rich meaty spread, perfect on a little piece of bread. Thank you, Olympic Provisions!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp shallot, minced (optional)
pinch o' salt
2-3 tbsp olive oil
couple handfuls of baby greens
1/2 cup or so of sliced strawberries
a sprinkling of crumbled goat cheese (feta might be good too.)
a sprinkling of roasted hazelnuts (or walnuts, almonds, whatever nuts you have on hand and I don't mean your children)
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine your vinegar and shallots, if you're using shallots, in a small bowl and let rest for 5-10 minutes. If not using the shallots you can skip the "resting" part.

Add your salt and whisk together. Then slowly, while whisking, drizzle in your olive oil.

Place your baby greens on a plate. Top with the strawberries, the goat cheese and the nuts. Drizzle on the balsamic vinaigrette to your liking. Add a few cracks of black pepper and...voila!

A couple slices of bread with rillette (or butter...or just plain), a glass of sparkling water and with each mouthful of your delicious salad you'll be able to feel summer drawing near. I realize that that is near impossible for those of us in Portland seeing as we haven't even had a spring but, nonetheless, I suggest giving it a try. Enjoy....

...

Organizing Project
Rien. Nada. Nichts. Nic. Niente.

...

Question for You
I get approached, from time to time, by vendors offering me products and cooking supplies to giveaway to you kind people who read my musings. Some of them are a good fit (coffee, chocolate, kitchen gadgets, etc.,) others (Ugg knock-offs) not so much. I am headed to Atlanta next week for the BlogHer Food Conference where I will undoubtedly be hit-up for these kinds of "giveaways."  Because I try to be sensitive to the amount of email that lands in your in-box, especially those of you who are so incredibly generous to subscribe to La Pomme de Portland, I have hesitated doing too many of these.

But you tell me, "Would you like to have me do more giveaways...provided they are a good fit?"

You can let me know in the comments below or in an email or ping me on Facebook.

...

A New Look
And speaking of comments, I realize my "commenter" is cr---- (rhymes with pappy)....and not that I want you to feel obligated to comment but if you felt inclined to do so, it's almost impossible.

Well right now, behind the scenes, La Pomme de Portland is getting a face-lift. Part of this face-lift will include an easier way to comment/ask questions as well as an easy way to print the recipes or subscribe by email or search for recipes. And most importantly, hopefully it will just be easier to read.

If any of you have ever thought, "I sure wish Carrie would...." or "Why doesn't this....work better on Carrie's site?" or "Has Carrie ever considered...?" or  "I would like Carrie to post more about ...."

Please, please, feel free to send me your thoughts.


Thank you so much for reading!! You kind, sweet souls, taking time to read La Pomme....it makes me weep!


All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011