Nutty Granola and Oatmeal Cookies: Similar Ingredients...Completely Different Results

"Yeah, yeah...I know...I've heard this speech before," my daughter said to me in a tone dripping with teenager attitude. Frustrated I fired back at her, "And that's exactly the kind of attitude that won't help out your cause." She pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. I left the room and headed toward the stairs.


Passing by the living room, I caught a glimpse of the 5-year-old standing erect with his arms at his side, hands clenched. His older brother was sitting nearby with a glimmer in his eye and a smirk on his face. A Zhu Zhu Babies commercial was playing on the television. This didn't look good. At the top of his lungs the 5-year-old screamed at his brother, "Just stop it! Just stop it you stupid-head!" stuck out his tongue and then pushed past me to run up the stairs. The 11-year-old couldn't help but break into a full smile at that point. With feigned innocence he turned to me and said, "What?"


I gave him "the look" and continued up the stairs. Tired. Out of "parenting" ideas. And wondering "Who are these children?"

I plopped down on my bed and went through the actions I'd taken over the past few months to try to guide my children into better, more respectful, more responsible behavior. The reminder signs. The consequences. The reasoning. But really...nothing seemed to be working all that great.


Reluctantly, I reached over and pulled the book off my nightstand. I didn't want to do it. Hadn't I already read enough parenting books? But, I admitted to myself, I needed some fresh thoughts on the matter.

As I flipped through the pages, little nuggets of wisdom seemed to call out to me.


"They are growing up but they are not grown-up."


"Don't take your child's behavior personally."


"Be curious enough to try to understand your child's point of view."


"You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts."


And then I came across a sentence. A simple sentence but one that made me slam the book shut. To sigh and shake my head. To realize that a bit of the truth was staring me right in the face.


"Sometimes you get the best results by forgetting about the behavior and focusing on the relationship."

Wasn't it true that I'd been spending an inordinate amount of time on my stuff? My writing. My photographs. My appointments. My projects around the house. My incessant need to cook...stuff.


Oh, yeah, I had been putting up my responsibility reminder lists, making sure they got their hour of weeding in on the weekends, their homework done, their beds made, dishes done...but had I really been spending any time with them? Focused time?


I'd even caught myself recently thinking, "I really should take my little guy to the playground." But I didn't.

Knowing that the kiddos were out of school on Monday, I made a promise to myself. I would take them to do something fun. Something they would really like. And I would just enjoy each one of them. Their company. I would put aside all thoughts of "To Dos" and "Goals."


So, I put all of my chickens in the car and we headed downtown for a movie. And not just any movie. But the "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" movie in 3D. (Let it be known that this was not the first choice of the 11-year-old. But he was a very good sport.) As I looked down the row at my three chickens with their glasses on, the 5-year-old munching away on his popcorn and everyone smiling, I couldn't help but smile myself. Later, we putzed around. Chatted. No real agenda except to be back in time for dinner.

That evening I learned that the 5-year-old had changed his name to Justin after discovering that he could "swish" his hair like his namesake. This is the type of situation that would normally set-off a litany of taunting and teasing by his older brother. But not this time. Instead, I found him kindly combing his little brother's hair into the proper swish, helping him put on a "Justin Bieber outfit" and then, leading him downstairs to pound away on our old, beat-up drum set.

And that night, instead of giving my daughter the rushed, "Good night," I laid down on her bed. With her. And we talked. She talked. Late into the evening. She covered all manner of subjects. Homework. Friends. All those stresses of middle school. And when I finally got up to go, she said to me, "Mom....?"


"Yes?"


"Thanks for today."


"You are so welcome."

So this morning, as snowflakes gently fall out my window, I mix up my oats, my cinnamon, my almonds. Individual ingredients that will eventually make-up a whole finished product. A batch of homemade granola. Or perhaps oatmeal cookies. Similar ingredients that produce uniquely different results. And I think to myself, "It's hard, isn't it? This delicate balancing act. Trying to figure out when to focus on teaching responsibility and respect and an entire encyclopedia of other attributes to our children and when...to let go of all of that and simply enjoy them. As people."


(Sigh....)






...






Nutty Granola and Oatmeal Cookies: Similar Ingredients...Completely Different Results


Okay, this week, you're getting two recipes....you lucky people you. The first is a batch of homemade granola. I tossed in a little of this and a little of that...which is the beauty of granola...and "Voila!" delicious. So, if you don't have all of the ingredients, no biggie. Use what you have. Then, I got crazy and took that homemade granola and put it into oatmeal cookies. (Don't tell the Rooster though. He recently asked me for a batch of oatmeal cookies but said, "Nothing crazy. No crazy ingredients. Just a plain oatmeal cookie." I can't help myself.) Both are the perfect antidote for a pensive, snowy day.






A Nutty Homemade Granola


Delicious plain, on yogurt, with milk, sprinkled over ice cream. And as a side note, I tend to have a lot of different nuts around. (I mean the ingredient, not my children.) I buy them in bulk and store them in the freezer where they keep beautifully for months and months.


Ingredients:


3 c old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 c raisins
1/2 c unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/2 c pecan pieces
1/2 c walnut pieces
1/2 c almonds, chopped or not, your choice
2 tbsp golden flax seed
1 tbsp wheat germ

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c pure maple syrup
2 tbsp olive oil


Directions:


Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Either grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper and set aside.


In a large bowl, mix together your dry ingredients: oats, raisins, coconut, pecans, walnuts, almonds, flax seed, wheat germ, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Then add in your maple syrup and olive oil. Stir until mixture is evenly coated with syrup and oil.


Pour out onto cookie sheet and spread evenly. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through baking time. Allow to cook a bit and then, start snacking. Once cooled completely, store in an air-tight container. Enjoy.....


Yield: 5 cups or so






Crunchy Granola Oatmeal Cookies
Inspired by Mrs. King's Irresistibles in Rose's Christmas Cookies


Obviously, I used the homemade granola I had made at home but you can use store-bought granola. Just make sure it's unsweetened or lightly-sweetened or it will be too sugary. If your granola does not have any nuts in it, you might want to consider decreasing the granola amount to 1 1/2  cups and adding in 1 cup of your favorite toasted nuts...walnuts, pecans, almonds.




Ingredients:


2 c homemade granola *see note above
1 c old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 2/3 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 c unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract




Directions:


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Into a small bowl, pour in your flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together well. Set aside.


In a mixing bowl, beat your sugars until well blended. Add in your butter and beat until smooth and creamy. Scraping down the sides. Beat in your eggs and vanilla until well incorporated. At low speed, add your flour mixture and mix just until combined. With a wooden spoon or spatula, gently fold in your granola, oats and chocolate chips just until evenly distributed in the dough.


Drop the dough by large, rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes or just until the tops are turning light brown. (Better to underbake than overbake.)


Cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then, transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.


Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a few weeks or in the freezer for several months.


Enjoy.....


Yield: About 3 dozen








...






Thank you, thank you, my dear friends!


I can hardly believe it but this post marks my 99th. Holy Catfish, is all I can say!! Holy Catfish and thank you! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for reading my musings (especially when I get a little long-winded.) For trying out my recipes. For kindly viewing my photographs. For buying my calendars. For thoughtfully letting me know when something I wrote made you laugh or cry. When you thought a photograph was "extra-purdy." Or a recipe extra-scrumptious.


I must do something extra-special for the 100th post. You deserve it. I deserve it. But what?


xoxo
Carrie






...






A Quick Note


Just in case you were curious...my all time favorite parenting books are from the Positive Discipline series. A dear friend of mine who is a teacher turned me on to them when my eldest was still a baby. Of course, as with any type of advice book, I don't necessarily agree with everything the author has to say...but definitely with most of it. I just recently bought the Positive Discipline for Teenagers. So telling....eh?  The author uses the word "discipline" in its true sense and that is, "to teach." And really, as parents, that's what we are...teachers. Right? Well, sometimes I'm a pack mule too, but that's a different story.






...






AM Northwest


Stopped by AM Northwest last week to mix up a pot of Hearty Lentil Soup with Helen and Dave. Was a hoot, as always.







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 2009-2010

A Provincial Sort of Apple Cake

I kept seeing it everywhere. This recipe for, "Dorie Greenspan's Apple Cake." Always referred to as a 4-word title. There it was in our local paper, tied to her book review on Amazon.com, traveling the virtual airways by Twitter, Facebook, Blogs. Hard bound and in print on page 432 of her new cookbook, Around My French Table. And even on AM Northwest, there was Dorie Greenspan making her Apple Cake. My curiosity was piqued...and as I've shared before, I'm not one to bake much.

Before giving it much thought, I tossed out the following statement to the virtual world by means of my La Pomme de Portland Facebook page, "Feeling a little sad to have missed Dorie Greenspan at the Heathman last night but went to Powell's today and bought her new cookbook, Around My French Table. If I make the apple cake, anyone want to come over and try it out with me?? I can't eat a whole cake by myself....seriously."

The response was a resounding, "Yes."

Then, I started to panic....a little. "I know it's Dorie Greenspan and all but what if I make the cake and it's not something I would want to serve to other people?" So, after finally making it to the liquor store for dark rum, I whipped up a trial run of Dorie's apple cake (which, by the way, is called Marie-Helene's Apple Cake in her cookbook.) And, as I pulled away the sides of my springform pan to admire the final product, I thought to myself, "This looks like a cake that Dorie Greenspan would make. It's petite, sophisticated, elegant. And the rum....wow!....you can't miss it." I sliced it up and passed around pieces to the family. I wondered, for just a moment, if I should be worried as I saw my 11-year old all wide-eyed going back for seconds. He, like me, who doesn't usually like baked goods.

The next morning, I carried slices next door, where my neighbor and I analyzed this final product over cups of coffee. I was curious what she thought.... she being a baker and all. Delicious, absolutely, but we couldn't help chuckling as we wondered if this was more of a "5 o' clock" cake. Of course, that didn't prevent us from eating each rum-laden bite.

After leaving my neighbor's, I came to the conclusion that this cake truly looked and tasted like something darling, sophisticated Dorie would serve to guests in her home. The cake reminded me of her...based on the brief amount of time I've spent around her. But for me, someone who spent her most formative years on an island in the Puget Sound, I needed something a little more provincial.

I hauled out my over-stuffed recipe box and whipped up an Apple Cake recipe I had copied down years ago. Too much oil. I pulled out cookbook after cookbook searching for Apple Cake recipes. Too many add-ins. I combed the internet for apple cake, apple bread, apple crumb cake, apple anything. Too much sugar. Finally, in a fit of frustration, using 4 or 5 different recipes as guides, I whipped up my own apple cake.

With Corinne Bailey Rae's rendition of "River" playing in the background and the first flakes of the season gently falling outside, I sat down with a slice of my apple cake. As I tasted that first spice-laden bite, I thought, "Yes. Now, this is something I would serve guests." A bit rustic but still pretty with the dusting of powdered sugar on top. I would serve it warm, with a cup of tea and possibly even a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Funny how even the food we set down for friends and family can say something about us.

And in the spirit of setting down food for family and friends, I wish you a most wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you may be, whatever you may be serving.

Apple Cake with a Provincial Flair

This cake isn't overly sweet which is how I like my baked goods but if you tend to go for cakes and cookies on the sweeter side you could add up to another cup of sugar. For the apples, I used a mixture of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith but any baking apple would work fine. Also, I didn't put any nuts in this cake since I have a kiddo with nut allergies but if you aren't in that same situation I'm begging you to put walnuts or pecans in yours. I just know it would be fantastic and would round out the flavors.

2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c applesauce
4 c apples, diced and peeled (approx 3-4 med apples)
Optional: 1 c chopped nuts, walnuts or pecans
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside

In a large bowl, cream together your butter and sugar. Add eggs, beating well after each addition. Stir in your vanilla and applesauce.

Slowly add your flour mixture to your butter mixture, bit by bit. Mix well to make sure all of the flour is absorbed. Fold in your apples (and your nuts). The mixture will seem to be heavy on the apples but not to worry.

Pour your mixture into your prepared Bundt pan and bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Then, invert onto rack and cool to room temperature. Once cool, sift a light dusting of powdered sugar onto the top.

Slice. Serve with a cup of tea and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, should you desire. Enjoy.



All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

A Humble Yet Decadent Homemade Granola

The older kids are off to school and the house holds just the 4-year old and myself. I look at my To-Do list...at least 143 items long. Where do I even begin? I hadn't taken the time on Monday to organize the list into more manageable bits and now here it is mid-week..."sigh." My mind wanders to a recipe, darling Shannalee recently posted on her poignant blog, Food Loves Writing. Olive Oil Granola. Ever since my daughter made homemade granola last summer, I have been intrigued with making my own "cereal"...so to speak. Hers was so delicious and easy to make, it now seems silly to buy it. When I saw Shannalee's recipe, I knew I had to try it out as well.

When I feel overwhelmed by the tasks of life, I simply check out from them. I procrastinate. And, usually when I'm procrastinating, you'll find me cooking. So, instead of checking anything off my list, I hauled out the humble ingredients for the granola. I mixed them together and popped it all in the oven. Then, I called over to my littlest one who was quietly drawing at the kitchen table. "Let's go outside and check out the birds." Ever since my daughter studied birds in 6th grade and we hung some feeders to attract the winged-critters for her observation, I have become a bird watcher. I get a thrill out of watching the flocks of chickadees land in our branches. The red-crested woodpecker poke-poke-poking his beak into the suet. What exactly does that say about me...my bird watching that is...and should I be admitting it?"

So, there we sat, side-by-side, on the front porch gazing across the way at the birds. Enjoying the cherry blossoms and the wave of daffodils the deer have fortunately left alone. (Yes, the daffodils resulting from my crazy bulb planting last fall.) He in his Star Wars jammies and me in my jammies exercise clothes. The rich smells of cinnamon and cardamom wafting out through the door left ajar. I glance at his profile. No longer the toddler he once was. Those plump round cheeks are giving way to a more defined look. He says to me, "Do I get to go to school today?" "No, sweetie, not today." "I like school." "I know." We can feel it. The time is coming. Time for him to start elementary school. And, after 13 straight year of having a little buddy by my side, it's time for me to move onto the next stage. But, it's okay to want to hold onto this one a little longer, isn't it? I kiss the top of his head and go in to stir the granola. He follows behind me.

A wise friend of mind once said that life is but a series of stages. She always seems so at peace with the passing of each stage and the introduction into each new one. I know that it's time. Time for what life brings me next but when you've been in one stage for so long it can be a bit daunting...wondering what's next. We carry little bowls of the sinfully delicious granola back outside. Fragrant and chewy but with a hint of crunch from the nuts. We sit down on the front steps just in time to see a squirrel making away with an entire suet block almost twice his size. "So, that's who's been clipping the rope to the feeder and making away with the food." And, I thought it had been the crows. We continue to sit there. Side-by-side. He and I. My littlest one and me. Watching the squirrel's progress. And, I try to be in the moment. Enjoying my procrastination, my little buddy...and every bit of my homemade granola.

Olive Oil Granola

Inspired by Shannalee and originally published in the New York Times

I love this granola. So, did all of my kids....well, except for the one allergic to nuts for obvious reasons. We mixed it with plain yogurt, drizzled with honey and topped with sliced bananas. I used the yogurt/granola mix as a dip for sliced apples for snack one day. We ate it straight out of hand. But probably the best way that my daughter and I enjoyed this granola was sprinkled over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The bits of salt and spice mixed with the smooth, creamy vanilla...unbelievable. I think you need to go make this right now. Go ahead. Get going. And, let me know if you agree...about the granola and ice cream that is.

Ingredients:

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped, slivered almonds

1 cup coconut flakes

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

3/4 cup chopped, dried apricots (I would use raisins next time. Just my personal preference.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except apricots. (If using raisins, I would add them to the bowl at this point.) Mix to combine. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer. You can spread the mixture on top of parchment paper or a Silpat to make clean-up easier. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes of so, until golden brown and well toasted.

Transfer granola to a large bowl and add apricots, tossing to combine. Enjoy.

Yield: About 9 cups.

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

Inspired by a Salad of Golden Yellow Beets and Brilliant Green Arugula

My appointed date in the "Blog-It Forward Mashup" has arrived at which time I am to share with the world what it is that inspires me. Thank you ever so much to the infinitely kind and talented, Victoria Smith, of the alway inspiring blog, sfgirlbybay, for organizing all 300 of us. The darling artist, Ariel, of La Petite Sirène passed the torch to me and I send it on its way to beautiful, Christine, of Lavender and Limes who will be sharing her musings with us on Monday. Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to stop by La Pomme today. I am ever so grateful.

Never straying too far from me, he sits at the kitchen table while I prepare dinner. His little hand still trying to find a good grasp on the pencil. With a blank sheet in front of him, he creates entire worlds on this humble piece of paper. World after world. Sheet after sheet. I kneel down in front of him and he shares with me where he's traveled in such a short time...and, I am inspired.

I am greeted by some morning light. A welcome respite from the grays of winter. The children are still sleeping. The house is hushed. With a hot cup of tea next to me, I flip open my laptop and click on my bookmarks. The list drops down. Across the world and back I go, as I click on my favorite "weblogs", one after another. I find myself swept away by the talent, the creativity, the inspiration. Encouraging me with their photographs, their artwork, their writing, their nuggets of knowledge. The food they prepare. The recipes they share. The stories they tell...and, I am inspired.

I watch him from afar as he nervously taps his foot and unconsciously drinks his water...every last drop of it...before the game begins. I think about what he said to me. About how, "Mom. Everyone is sitting there...in a line. Watching me." I see his coach motion to him. Time to go in. And then, there he is. On the court. All of that nervousness disappears. It's just him and the ball...moving in this beautiful rhythm up and down the court...and, I am inspired.

I set the finished book down on the forever-growing pile with a sigh. My eyelids are so heavy and yet, sleep eludes me. I think about where I've just traveled in my mind...a different place, a different time. Strangers I've come to know as neighbors. Friends. I think about what it means to truly be courageous. Not in the "conquering kingdoms" sense of the word but as one human being having compassion for another. I think about how the author has gently lead me in this direction...and, I am inspired.

I hear the announcer call out the next performance. I sit in the darkened room...waiting. I flashback to when she was 8 or 9 on-stage. When she knew all of the steps but her face wore a look of panic as she performed. The lights go up and I see her sweep across the floor and then, up into a grand jeté. I watch as her body becomes the artwork for the music. Her face, so full of emotion...and, I am inspired.

I have been dressed in grays and blacks and browns...for months. Perhaps I'm trying to coordinate with the sky. The landscape. The ground. I'm ready for some color. I need some color. So, with camera in hand, I set out to find some. And there, curled up ever so tightly, in a bud that will soon come to life, is a hint of pink. The sun, low in the sky, gently warms the tiny bud...and, I am inspired.

He's there on the stairs. Clean-shaven and ever so handsome. He flashes one of his smiles at me. My heart aches his smile is so beautiful. With a quick kiss to everyone and a "Have a great day!', he's off. Off to work...just as he does everyday. Even the days he'd rather be at home. With us. And yet, he goes. For him. For me. For us. Because he cares...and, I am inspired.

Here in the depths of winter, when there's not an open farmer's market to be found and I'm about out of ideas for meals made from canned goods and squash, a dear friend comes through town. The kind of friend who's known me so well, for so long, that we're starting to resemble each other like an old married couple. A gift she has in tow for me. Ivy Manning's, The Farm to Table Cookbook - The Art of Eating Locally. I flip through her tantalizing recipes organized by season. The helpful tips. The gorgeous photos lovingly taken by her husband. And there, in the section on winter, a flash of yellow catches my eye. That desperately needed color. Golden Beet Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts. My mouth waters just thinking of this melding of flavors. The creamy cheese with the spicy arugula. The sweet beets with the more pungent walnuts. A perfect winter medley...and, I am inspired.

Golden Beet Salad with Rogue River Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Inspired by Ivy Manning's recipe in The Farm to Table Cookbook

Now, I've taken the liberty to change a few of the items from the original recipe out of personal preference. After all, if a girl knows what she likes...well, she's got to go with it. I used olive oil instead of the walnut oil originally called for because it's what I had on hand. I also swapped out the balsamic vinegar for sherry vinegar out of preference and because I had some on hand from this recipe. Balsamic vinegar tends to be a little bit too syrupy for me on salads but I know that I'm probably in the minority here so do as you please. I've talked about Oregon's unbelievably delicious Rogue River Blue Cheese before here, but if you aren't able to get it where you live, any other soft blue cheese will work. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

8 to 10 ounces (1 1/4 pounds with greens) small golden beets

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup lukewarm water

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar or sherry vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp finely minced shallots

3 tbsp walnut oil or olive oil

6 oz (or 4 handfuls) arugula or other baby greens

2 oz Rogue River or other soft blue cheese

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted (for the "fyi" on toasting see this post)

optional: thinly sliced red onion

Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Wash the beets well and remove the greens and stems. Place the beets in a small baking dish and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until a knife easily goes through the largest beet. Remove the dish from the oven, carefully peel back the foil, and add the water; re-cover and set aside.

Combine the vinegar, sugar and shallots in a small bowl. Gradually whisk the oil to make an emulsified dressing.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, slip off their skins with your fingers and cut them into 1/2-inch wedges. Toss them with the arugula and enough dressing to coat the salad. Divide the salad among 4 plates, sprinkle with the blue cheese and walnuts (and red onions, if you like) and serve. Mmmmmm.....

Yield: 4 salads or salad fixings just for me to savor over the course of four days....

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

A Simple Salad & The Sound of Silence

The boxes have been put away. The vacuum has been run. The cheery red of the holidays has been replaced with winter whites. Linen. The poinsettias with bare branches. (Well, actually I didn't have any poinsettias but I like the way that sounds. Don't you?) The children are back at school and the only sounds I hear are those of my own footsteps and the soft, furry ones padding quietly behind me.

After the richness of the holidays, I want anything but.....so, here I sit with a simple salad laid out before me. A salad of spinach leaves, chevre sec (a dry goat cheese...you simply must), toasted walnuts and a homemade vinaigrette. Now don't be fooled by this salad's unassuming presence. One bite and you'll see that together the flavors are a carnival for your tongue. My fork hits the plate with a clank as I leave it to pick-up a piece of bread. A sip of water. And here I sit. Just me....and the cat. And listen. To the sound of silence.

Now, nevermind about the fact that my home happens to be located under the landing pattern for our local airport or the fact that a fleet of leaf blowers shows up every afternoon without fail (or so it seems) and fires up those dastardly things for what seems like hours when clearly the leaves are long since gone. What exactly are they "blowing around" out there? And is someone paying them to do this? And, yes, there's the train that seems to rumble right past my house blowing his horn even though in reality he's at least 5 miles away and we can't forget the most recent development....that of the apparent, afternoon, chainsaw session that takes place in the woods behind my house. Although, I have yet to see a felled tree or the chainsaw operator. What are they doing back there?

So, really...nevermind about all that. Silence is relative. I'm alone in my house. Just me...and the cat. Eating my salad. And it's silent.

A Simple Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette

I absolutely LOVE this salad. I cannot stop eating it. So simple to make. In the winter, I make it with baby spinach leaves but once arugula season hits, I switch the spinach out for that. No matter which "leaves" you use, it's the homemade vinaigrette that ties together all of the flavors. And, if you have a daughter like mine who wanders into the kitchen, asking, "Watcha makin' Mom?" and then wanders out after having polished off the last bit of the vinaigrette on her own salad, you may want to make a double batch. As for the cheese, I was turned on to "chevre sec" (literally - dry goat cheese) a few years ago. It has a creamy texture with a consistency more like feta as opposed to the regular soft goat cheese. There is a fromagerie right here in Mollala, Oregon making this type of artisan cheese - Goldin Artisan Goat Cheese. I happened to find a tiny, little wedge of her Tomme Cuivree at New Seasons the other day. Needless to say, it is now gone.

The Salad

A handful of greens - spinach, arugula or baby

Crumbled goat cheese - I prefer the "chevre sec" but regular goat cheese will work just as well

Toasted walnuts - 350 degrees for 10 minutes or in a pinch, one minute in the microwave

Freshly ground pepper on the top

Sometimes I put a few sliced mushrooms in it, a few cucumber slices but not much else. I try to keep it simple

The Homemade Vinaigrette

(Inspired by David Lebovitz) While I have made many different types of vinaigrettes over the years, I recently stumbled upon this one and it is my new favorite.

1/8 tsp sea salt (or kosher salt or whatever salt you use)

1 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

1/2 small shallot, peeled, minced (about 1 tbsp)

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (I tend to use Maille or Edmond Fallot)

3 -4 tbsp olive oil (I usually use 4)

1. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, vinegar and shallot. Let stand for about ten minutes while you prepare your salad and/or roast your walnuts.

2. Mix in the Dijon mustard, then whisk in 3 tbsp of olive oil. Mix well, then taste. If it's too strong add the final tablespoon of olive oil and a bit more salt, if necessary.

Drizzle on your salad. Toss to lightly coat every little bit of salad on your plate with this golden vinaigrette. Eat. Sigh. Enjoy.

Yield: About 1/4 cup, enough for one large green salad.

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

Banana Bread with Chocolate and Walnuts

“Will you walk into my parlor?” said the Spider to the Fly,

“’Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy.”

The Spider and the Fly, by Tony DiTerlizzi and Mary Howitt

I sit here at the dining room table my desk. I am wearing a down vest and flip-flops. My feet are cold. I need to put on socks. From where I sit I can inconspicuously peer out at the boys playing in the yard. The littlest one is brandishing a light saber, the older one a tree branch. They are fighting off an invisible enemy. I get up to crack the window realizing that I had not done that earlier. Now, I can hear them. “Get ‘em. Knock ‘em down. Look at ‘em. Gross. Mom! Mawwm! Mawwwwwm!” I know. The spiders are back.

I am quite aware that spiders get a bad rap but I feel a certain fondness for them. I find that they are all Charlotte to me. And furthermore, they signal the fact that my favorite season of the year is upon us. They usher in the changing of the leaves. The crispness to the air. The low hanging fog. My “New Year’s Day” is always the first day of autumn. A day that fills me with energy. Excitement. Motivation. All of which has gone into hibernation by the time the real New Year’s Day rolls around.

I get up from "my desk." Pull open the oven to check the banana bread baking in there. The warm smells from the oven immediately surround my head like a halo. Not quite yet. I stroll to the front door. Open it and step outside, cup of tea in my hands, to check on the boys. “Mom. We’re trying to kill all the spiders.” I gaze up to a big beauty that has spun her work of art overnight out of reach of the “spider killers.” I am awed. The sun reflects off the “spun glass” creating a prism. In the corner, I can see she has trapped a wasp for dinner.

I glance over to the patch of grass where the moles have literally had a field day. Our 17-year old Siamese turned in his Mole Patrol badge last year. Until this fall, we had never had a problem with them. While our neighbor had dug in traps, filled their tunnels with water and let off smoke bombs all to no avail, we had simply let Bruce outside to do his part in assuring the balance of nature is kept. Much like the spiders.

The smell of baking bread wafts through the open window. I stand up from the steps and go back inside to check on my creation. Ahh…perfectly golden on top. Clean toothpick. I pull it from the oven to cool. From the front door, I call the boys in. They throw down their “swords” and run inside. I glance once more up to the lady in the corner and smile at her handiwork before heading inside myself.

Banana Bread with Chocolate and Walnuts

(adapted from A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg)

I don't often make banana bread. I have the good fortune to live in the same city as that of what I consider to be the best banana bread...period. Mary's banana bread at Sweet Ambrosia is so delicious that I usually take the "Why bother?" approach to my own homemade version; however, should I have a bowl full of brown bananas, this is the recipe I turn to.

6 tbls unsalted butter, melted

2 c unbleached all-purpose flour

¾ c sugar

¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped up dark chocolate bar (I like to use Scharffen Berger 70% cacao dark chocolate or Valrhona.)

½ c chopped walnuts

2 large eggs

1 ½ c mashed banana (about 3 ripe bananas)

¼ c well-stirred plain yogurt (whole, low-fat, non-fat, Greek – whatever you have lying around.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch (or other standard sized) loaf pan with cooking spray or butter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts. Stir well to combine. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, melted butter and vanilla and stir to mix well. Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick and a bit lumpy but all the flour should be incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. The top should be a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean when the bread is done. (If it seems to be browning too quickly, tent the top with aluminum foil.)

Cool the loaf on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then, tip it out onto the rack and let it finish cooling. Slice. Eat. Enjoy.

My daughter and I discovered that, should you have any of this bread left the following day, you can bring it back to it’s “just baked” state by popping your slice in the microwave for 12 seconds. The bread will take on some warmth and the chocolate will just start to melt. Heavenly.

PS: If you have not discovered on your own the delightful Molly Wizenberg, I implore you to check out both her book, A Homemade Life, and her blog, Orangette. Both are well written and highly inspiring.

All original text and photos copyright: Carrie Minns 2009