Under a Red Roof ·

Me and the Bee

July 6, 2009 in Cooking + Baking, Eating, Watching by Colleen | 4 comments

Good morning everyone!

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend. I sure did, which would account for not posting on Friday. The hubster had a three-day weekend, and I saw no reason not to join the fun.

It was pretty hot here, at least for me, the I don’t like it above 85 degrees gal, so we spent a lot of time in shady spaces – like the front yard of Bridget and Eric’s house, sipping cool drinks and noshing on cherries, as well as prostrate on the back porch, enjoying the breeze and the scent of jasmine.

As you can probably deduce, I also spent some time in the kitchen, making the scrumptious coffee cake Gregory is enjoying with his coffee. I’ll post the recipe at the end, as I’ve got something neat to show you first. Take a look.

I’ve got a little friend! I had been outside observing the bees as they devour the nectar from the lavender. I love to sit right on the ground next to the plants and watch them zip from blossom to blossom, all the while enjoying the buzzing symphony of happiness. I noticed this little guy about a half an hour after I had come back inside. I think it was on my skirt the entire time because I would have noticed a bee flying around the house. Maybe I am entirely deluded (it wouldn’t be the first time), but I honestly believe that the bees like me, too, and this fella was, quite like I do with them, just observing me in my habitat. Bees are very smart, after all. Besides, even if it isn’t true, it is still pretty neat to think that the little guy was clinging to my skirt the whole time.

So the recipe for the coffee cake and another confession about sugar. I wish I could say I haven’t been eating much, but that would be a bald-faced lie (such an odd expression). Truthfully, I’ve been eating it about twice a week. After my diagnosis, I decided to focus on that, not sweets. Once I’ve recovered from surgery, working on my sugar addiction will be at the top of my to-do list.

Fruity Coffee Cake

-adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook 75th Anniversary Edition

1 1/2 – 2 cups fresh or frozen fruit (I used two diced apricots and about 1 cup fresh raspberries)

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup butter

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt thinned with milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center, and set aside.

In another bowl, combine egg, buttermilk, and almond extract. Add this mixture, all at once, to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. The batter will be lumpy. Spread half of the batter into an ungreased 8″ square pan. Spread the fruit over the batter. Drop remaining batter in small mounds over all. Top with the streusel mixture.

streusel topping:

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter

Mash together with your fingers until the mixture holds together. Sprinkle over cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

A Really Good Sandwich

July 1, 2009 in Cooking + Baking, Eating by Colleen | 1 comment

Okay, so my cutting board isn’t looking too pretty right now. It is berry and cherry stained, but please don’t let it deter you from making this sandwich because it’s delicious. If you’re on the fence, I’ll even provide you with a testimonial: I didn’t know how well this sandwich would go over with the hubster (sometimes he’s picky), so I brought out a sample with the intention that he would take a bite and I’d eat the rest. I interrupted him while he was trimming the yard, which didn’t make him happy, but his face lit up once he tasted it. “This is good!” he exclaimed, and then proceeded to eat the rest, even though I told him it was mine. Sharing isn’t always his forte (he’s an only child), but it was a good sign and a source of laughter. Hopefully you’ll like it, too.

Sliced bread

Bell pepper – roasted, peeled, and diced (broil until browned all over, use the technique in this recipe, or buy roasted peppers in a jar at the store)

onion marmalade (recipe below)

cream cheese, chevre, or a spreadable sheep’s milk (Valentine from Ancient Heritage is awesome!)

Onion Marmalade (adapted from the July 2009 issue of Sunset)

1 tablespoon each – butter and extra virgin olive oil

2 large red onions, thinly sliced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/8 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt (I used my favorite Alder Smoked Sea salt from Mountain Rose Herbs)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup white Balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup white port or any other dry white wine

Melt the butter and oil in a large heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper, stirring well to combine. Cook until onions have softened and browned slightly, about ten minutes. Add the vinegar and wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the mixture is soft and sticky, about five to ten minutes. Allow to cool.

Now make a sandwich. The marmalade would taste great with a sharp cheddar and turkey or roast beef, too.

Enjoy!

Green Dress

June 30, 2009 in Making by Colleen | 4 comments

I made this.

Portland City Walks: No. 18 – Inside the Bubble

June 29, 2009 in Exploring, Remembering by Colleen | 1 comment

When I taught English at the high schools in Lake Oswego, the kids referred to their lives there as being “inside the bubble.” I came to believe this as well, as Lake Oswego is an interesting place of money, privilege, power, and very little crime. Unlike our neighborhood, the homes are all nice, with manicured gardens and expensive cars in the garage (not on the lawn as a select few do around here, sigh). My kids, so accustomed to life “inside” were often quite worried about my safety as I lived in Portland where the terrible things happened. “Oh Ms. Sohn, isn’t that a bad neighborhood? Aren’t you afraid?” In response, I would thank them for caring and assure them that I was rather fearless by nature (I did teach high school, after all) and felt safe, too.

Though they had many things I could only dream about at that age, my students were typical young people. They were sweet, smart (though sometimes altogether stupid), hilarious, sassy, sometimes unruly, and exhibited all of the behaviors associated with teenagers: trying to find their place in the world, the drama of relationships, and getting into all manner of trouble. In spite of or despite this, I’m not sure which, I loved them all, and did my best to teach them everything I knew.

Anyhoo, we ventured to the bubble for the 46th annual Festival of the Arts on Saturday afternoon. It was a perfect day – warm and sunny. As for the festival itself, it is quite nice, not too big, but big enough not to have Mama’s weird homemade junk, though I did see some rather creepy looking sculptures (to each their own). Our friend Jamee was one of the many talented artists there and had her usual display of beautiful paintings. I hope she did well. The highlight, however, had to be the incredible showcase of mosaics with many unique interpretations of the ancient art. I said “Wow!” a lot.

After perusing the art and buying a neat vase from the Yoga Goat, we completed Portland City Walk No. 18. It led us through a tour of the town, wandering down roads I had never taken when I taught there. It is a beautiful place with homes classic to modern and small to gigantic (I should say small for Lake Oswego because what looks little there is pretty normal, even slightly big, in our neighborhood), lots of mature trees, lovely views of the lake, the surrounding hills, Mount Hood, and many, many birds, like the Song Sparrow above, singing happily.

Ahh, another perfect Saturday – hope yours was too!

Rest In Peace

June 25, 2009 in Remembering, Spotlighting by Colleen | 1 comment

The man defied racial barriers, musical traditions, and quite often, logic. Thank you for the memories, the dance moves, and, most of all, that voice!