Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky

Tags

fall, Kentucky, Pleasant Hill, Shaker, Southern, travel, village

When my brother came to visit a couple of weeks ago, we decided to do something outdoors to enjoy what was probably the last pretty weekend of the year. We went to the Shaker Village in Pleasant Hill, about an hour from my house. The village was home to the Shakers, a religious sect, from 1805 to 1910. The Shakers believed in hard work for the communal good, peace and equality, and celibacy. During our tour of the grounds, we saw their excellent craftsmanship in construction and efficiency. For more about the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, go here or here.

My brother, Charlie, and I

A glimpse at just a bit of the stone fences that cover acres of farmland.

The kitchen to the main house. Notice the pegs. They were everywhere. Over 3,000 of them in the village. The Shakers believed in hanging things up so they could clean, clean, clean.

The Main House

Gorgeous fall colors.

A lone tree in the field.

Can you imagine living here? Gorgeous!

A garden spider.

I hope you enjoyed our little tour. If you get a change, check out the Shaker Village for yourself!

Plum Lavender Crumble with Almonds and Oats

Tags

almonds, crumble, dessert, fall, food, lavender, plum

I had some left over plums that were getting a little wilted and I needed a good way to use them up. I saw this recipe, originally using strawberries, and thought it would be perfect. It turned out pretty good but not sweet enough. A scoop of good vanilla bean ice cream will fix that though. If you don’t have the ice cream, add a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar to the fruit.

Plum Lavender Crumble with Almonds and Oats                                                  (inspired by a recipe from Running with Tweezers)

• 3 cups fresh sliced plums
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp dried lavender flowers
• zest of 1 small lemon
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2/3 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp butter, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine plums with the honey, lavender flowers, citrus zest and 1 tablespoon of the flour. Pour fruit mixture into shallow 1 quart baking dish. In another mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, slivered almonds, sugar, remaining flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. Drizzle with oil and stir to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle over the fruit mixture. Top with butter cubes. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until fruit is bubbling and top is a deep golden brown. Allow crumble to stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Pear Jam

Tags

canning, fall, gluten free, jam, pear, preserving, vegetarian

This is my first time canning anything. Ever. I don’t have any idea how it will turn out because this has definitely been an experiment. First, I have no formal canning equipment. I cobbled it all together from stuff already in my kitchen thanks to this helpful post. Rereading this recipe in preparation for this post, I made a discovery. I misread the recipe and used only four cups of sugar instead of five. It truly will be a miracle if this all turns out. So far it seems that every jar has sealed. We shall see in a few days if they stay that way. There was a bit left over and it tasted good. I wonder if the missing sugar will affect the consistency.

Despite the learning curve here, I am inspired to keep on canning. I think I have a new addiction that just may justify spending even more money on kitchen equipment.

Here are some recipes/websites that particularly inspire me.

All things from Food In Jars, but especially this one – Pear Vanilla Jam

Pinot Noir Wine Jelly

Lemon Curd

3 Varieties of Pizza Sauce

Persian Quince Jam with Cardamom and Rosewater

How to Prep the Jars, Lids, and Rings

Simply Canning – Lots of traditional recipes

Pear Jam

• 4 cups prepared fruit (about 3 lbs)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 box Fruit Pectin
• 5 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
• 1/2 tsp butter

Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

Peel and core pears. Finely grind or chop fruit. Measure exactly 4 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Stir in lemon juice. Stir in pectin. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar; stir. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

A Walk Through the Woods

Tags

fall, Kentucky, local, nature, Raven Run, Southern, travel

I am a huge believer in local, free entertainment. National, state, and local parks are great sources of fun and exercise. About 30 miles from our house is a wonderful city park called Raven Run Nature Sanctuary; the 735 acres are dedicated to the enjoyment of nature. The pictures below were taken during a 5.5 mile hike I recently took there.
Tiny mushroom on a mossy stump.

A view of the Kentucky River. 

A happy little creek.

A honeybee on a goldenrod.

A gorgeous field with native Kentucky fall flowers.

A wildflower.

Tobacco, cut and ready to house in the barn.

I hope you enjoyed our little walk as much as I did!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Tags

cake, carrot, cream cheese, cupcakes, dessert, fall, food, frosting

While I was in Virginia on vacation, my aunt and I found the cutest cupcake decorating kits. I bought the Thanksgiving kit. I plan to make 12 cupcakes for my family and 12 to take to the in-law’s Thanksgiving. The cupcakes have to be just as wonderful as their decoration. This is the first of several cupcake recipes I will be trying in the coming months. I think this is going to be a fun/tasty experiment.

I took these with me to the in-laws this weekend; they were a hit. Next time I may add raisins. Or more walnuts. Or both. The best part- they just get moister by the day.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (from Simply Recipes)

The Cupcakes:

• 1 cup of chopped walnuts
• 1 pound of carrots, shredded (I used the pre-shredded kind and it worked just fine)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup of buttermilk
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp of orange zest
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 2 tsps of baking powder
• 1 tsp of kosher salt
• 2 tsps of ground cardamom
• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon

The Frosting:

• 5 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the walnuts in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Place the carrots, buttermilk, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest together in a bowl and whisk thoroughly. In another bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon. Fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture, being sure not to overmix. Fold in the toasted walnuts until evenly incorporated.

Scoop into cupcake papers about 3/4 full and bake for 19-21 minutes at 350 degrees (or until a toothpick comes clean), being sure to rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking. Afterwards allow to cool for 5 minutes before taking the cupcakes out of the cupcake tin and allowing them to fully cool on a wire rack.

While cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. In a mixer bowl, combine frosting ingredients. Cream until well mixed. Spread on cooled cupcakes.

Apple Crunch Pie

Tags

apple, crunch, dessert, fall, pastry, pie, Southern

The cool, crisp air puts me in the mood for crisp apples and warm flavors. This apple pie is perfect for the fall. The fully in-season apples. The comforting cinnamon and nutmeg. My aunt’s favorite recipe, this pie embodies all the good things a pie should be.

Apple Crunch Pie

• 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter
• 7 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Place rack in lowest position in oven. Heat oven to 450 degrees F.

To Make Topping: Combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. This could be done with a food processor.

To Make Filling: Toss cut up apples, white sugar, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg.

Layer apple slices in pie shell, higher in the middle. Pour left over juice from apple mixture over apples. Pat the brown sugar topping evenly over apples to make a top crust.

Bake for 15 minutes on the 450 degrees. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes to one hour; bake until center of pie has no resistance. If top starts to get too dark, cover with piece of foil. Cool on wire rack before serving. Makes one 9 inch pie.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Tags

beverage, coffee, fall, food, pumpkin, spice, syrup

Here is that fantastic syrup recipe that is the base of yesterday’s Pumpkin Spiced Vietnamese Iced Coffee. I haven’t yet come up with another use but I am sure there could be many. Any ideas? (I was actually surprised how pretty this photo turned out!)

Pumpkin Spice Syrup (thanks to Food + Words for this recipe)

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 whole cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 7 whole cloves
• 7 whole allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, allow the mixture to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. When the syrup is cool, strain into a clean jar through a fine mesh sieve. Store in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 2 months.

One Pot Sausage and Quinoa Supper

Tags

fall, food, kale, kielbasa, one pot, quick, quinoa, sausage

This is a great quick supper with healthy ingredients that combine to create a tasty meal. It doesn’t leave you wanting something else, unless you want another bowl.

One Year Ago: Guacamole (one of my most favorite things!)

One Pot Sausage and Quinoa Supper

• 1 package (12 oz) beef kielbasa
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped sage
• 1 cup apple juice
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 cups chopped kale

In a large pot, saute sausage, onions and sage over medium-high heat until just browned. Add juice, quinoa, cranberries, salt and water. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is just absorbed, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in kale, cover again and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the kale to wilt.

Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Tags

apple, cake, cinnamon, cream cheese icing, dessert, fall

I saw this recipe in the fall and I had forgotten about it until today when I was attempting to clean out my bookmarks. I have so many fantastic recipes to try that it overwhelms me a little. So many recipes, so little time…

Ok, maybe that it a little dramatic. But it is clear to me that my full time job it getting in the way of my culinary creations. If only I could figure out a way to pay for things and never work! Maybe one day…

Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

(Gourmet Magazine October 2009)

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup pecans

Frosting:

• 5 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square cake pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in pecans. Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan until completely cool.

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Slowly add confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated. Spread frosting over top of completely cooled cake.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Tags

apple, dessert, fall, muffins, pumpkin

During the fall, a friend and I discovered the recipe for these muffins and thought they sounded fantastic. Very seasonal and easy to make.  They turned out quite pretty. I plan to take these to work tomorrow. Good food makes the day go a little easier, especially considering how busy it has been there lately.

The pumpkin and apple flavors are subtle but work well together!

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Muffins:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (see recipe below)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apple

Topping:

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 18 muffin cups or use paper liners. In a large bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stirring just to moisten. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffin batter. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

 

I made this combination today because I just don’t see the point of buying it premade. It just sits too long and runs the risk of tasting old. I’d rather make it as I need it. Double to below recipe for the tablespoon required by the muffins.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger, ground
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg, ground

Combine together. Store in a cool, dry location.