Bread of the Month: Celebrating strawberries, streusel in a scone

By rahoward, on May 15th, 2022

I would wager that, in the spring, when grocery shoppers across this country get a hankering for strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, strawberry…anything, that don’t give a moment’s thought to the fact that most of the strawberries they’re buying come from the productive fields of California, from Oxnard to Watsonville.

My mom, Salinas-born, but Kansas-bound, . . . → Read More: Bread of the Month: Celebrating strawberries, streusel in a scone

Comments are closed   PANTRY, RECIPE BOX, Uncategorized   , , , , , , ,  

Cookie of the Month: Milling around California history

By rahoward, on February 27th, 2022

Our lack of rain this winter had me nervous and twitchy. I wanted to inspire more precipitation and thought I might get some sort of magic from visiting a place where water was not only flowing, but a source of power and purpose.

Iturned to the Bale Grist Mill Historic Park just beyond . . . → Read More: Cookie of the Month: Milling around California history

Comments are closed   BOOKSHELF, FIELD TRIP, PANTRY, RECIPE BOX, Uncategorized   , , , ,  

Baked Sunday Mornings: Satisfying an unwavering love of scones

By rahoward, on March 11th, 2018

Clearly — as one could see from the name of this blog — I am a scone fan. I’ve written of my love and admiration of scones here before, but I don’t have a problem making a new scone recipe to remind me of everything good — and great — about scones.

Of course, scones . . . → Read More: Baked Sunday Mornings: Satisfying an unwavering love of scones

Comments are closed   BOOKSHELF, PANTRY, RECIPE BOX, Uncategorized   , , , ,  

Bread of the Month: Searching for the best banana bread

By rahoward, on February 2nd, 2018

I have made countless loaves of banana bread over the years, always hoping for THE one…the one that will end my search for the perfect version. Then, I can just stop trying and always have MY go-to method at the ready.

I’ve made banana breads that have ended up too dry and some too wet. . . . → Read More: Bread of the Month: Searching for the best banana bread

Comments are closed   PANTRY, RECIPE BOX, Uncategorized   , , , ,  

Dancing with ‘sugarplums’

By rahoward, on December 6th, 2017

Just what are sugarplums, anyway? According to Clement Moore’s classic holiday story poem, “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” children had visions of them dancing in their heads. And sugarplum fairies flit magically in the most well-known and traditional of holiday ballets, “The Nutcracker.”

When I have done my own envisioning of what a sugarplum might . . . → Read More: Dancing with ‘sugarplums’

Comments are closed   PANTRY, RECIPE BOX, Uncategorized   , , , , , , , ,  

Thanking past cooks for a special book, pie

By rahoward, on December 20th, 2013

We come to find things in a seemingly roundabout way…or do we? Perhaps it is true that there are no accidents and that coincidence is not merely that. What led me to a most delicious pie recipe was my mother, whose fancy and instinct was successfully piqued as she nosed through her own mother’s very . . . → Read More: Thanking past cooks for a special book, pie

Comments are closed   BOOKSHELF, PANTRY, RECIPE BOX, Uncategorized   , , , , , , ,  

Picking a perky pesto

By rahoward, on July 29th, 2012

I first learned of nasturtiums several years ago when they were included in a planned herb garden kit. The seeds were large and legume-like, similar — to me, at least — to garbanzo beans. I planted them, along with parsley, thyme, borage, sage, etc., having little to no idea of what to expect.

Years hence, . . . → Read More: Picking a perky pesto

Comments are closed   PANTRY, RECIPE BOX, Uncategorized   , , , , , , , , ,