Tag: dessert

Grilled Rhubarb Cobbler

Grilled Rhubarb Cobbler

Every time I pick rhubarb for sale at the farm stand I think about the potentially diet-damaging and oh-so-delicious dishes I can create with the red celery-like stalks. I daydream about the cobblers and crumbles and compotes and jams and all of the wonderful ice creamy goodness! Then the summer temps slap those ideas right out of my head because this summer has been brutally hot. That’s the theme of my life these days and I’m not liking being (ahem) in my mid-forties one bit… especially in July. My hormones haven’t squelched my urge to cook and bake, but they have forced...Read More
What to do with Bespeckled Bananas

What to do with Bespeckled Bananas

Obviously, make banana bread. But not some oily, bland, burnt banana bread... you want one that tastes just like Aunt Pam's! And Aunt Pam would be whom, you ask? Well, she would be my mom's sister, and she is also the family expert on banana bread baking.  None of the banana breads I've had can compare to hers. I set out to find a recipe on Sunday morning (because Sunday mornings were made for baking... in case you didn't know), and found one in The Fannie Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham.  It looked like it would be similar to...Read More
There’s No Place Like Home

There’s No Place Like Home

Out here in the Black Dirt area of Orange County, NY, we have to deal with very unique circumstances and events, and after 40<cough, cough> years of living here, I'm kinda used to those things.  My father, after 70 years on Celery Avenue, probably knows the place better than anyone else, except maybe his big sister Beverly.  Hell, my kid has seen 3 devastating floods in his short lifetime, each one worse than the last, and he thinks it's just the way things are here in the farmland. Twisters, or dust devils, are a regular occurrence around here and while...Read More
Send a Friend (or two) a Box o’ Cookies!

Send a Friend (or two) a Box o’ Cookies!

I want to take this opportunity to send huge thanks to all of my friends for sharing my FarmGirl Facebook page and recommending my recipes and site to your friends and family.  As a promotion, I recently offered a dozen cookies to "Like" number 250 and the person who referred her. It didn't take long before those Facebook numbers climbed (YAY!) and two dozen Salted Cashew-Toffee-Chocolate Chip cookies were shipped yesterday.  They stack like a dream in a wide-mouth canning jar, which can then be boxed, safely cradled in packing material.  Have you tried packing in popped popcorn?  It works...Read More
Leprechaun Kisses

Leprechaun Kisses

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! I'm keeping today's post short and sweet and fat-free.  I'm guessing your holiday - because we're all a wee bit Irish on Saint Patty's Day, aren't we? - will include lots of Guinness, corned beef and cabbage and soda bread.  As such, I thought a light dessert like Leprechaun Kisses would put the finishing touches on a day of indulgence.  Enjoy! Leprechaun Kisses 1/2 cup egg whites 1 t vanilla extract 1/2 t mint extract 1/2 t cream of tartar 1 cup sugar green food coloring white chocolate, about 4 ounces, melted green nonpareil 'sprinkles' Preheat...Read More
Brown Sugar Coconut Cream Pie

Brown Sugar Coconut Cream Pie

As you're probably aware, because it's all over the blogosphere, today is Pi Day. Why Pi Day, you ask?  Because  today is March fourteenth. 3/14. 3.14. Now I'll play the geek card: 22/7 represents the ratio between the circumference and the diameter of any circle and it's decimal approximation is the non-repeating, non-terminating 3.141592653589... Too much for ya, eh? That's ok.... me, too.  Once I left college and stopped teaching all of that math went bye-bye. It's not, however, too much for my friend Kristin.  Kristin is the blogger/photographer/mathematician that I met in photography class.  Because she's  the picture of...Read More
Pulling Pigtails, plus Gluten-Free Lemon Cornmeal Cookies

Pulling Pigtails, plus Gluten-Free Lemon Cornmeal Cookies

Last week I had to take my baby boy to the optometrist.  His pediatrician told me several months back that his vision screening was 'borderline'. Now I've got a Madonna earworm. And my kid has glasses. I kinda figured as much, considering I've worn glasses since first grade.  They were pink and little and oh, so cute.  His are fancy Adidas frames and he looks adorable.  Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so, either. He got off the bus in a sour mood the other day.  Sometimes I take my time and treat him gently to coax it...Read More
Hello, Sweetheart

Hello, Sweetheart

The Boy was up before me this morning.  As I staggered out into the living room clutching my head ('tis migraine season at the farm), he asked, "are we up late today?" I chuckled (as best I could, considering), "nope, why do you ask?  The sun is different today, right?" "Yeah!  That's it!" Yes, my dear boy, spring is on its merry way, and not a moment too soon.  It hasn't been much of a winter in terms of bad weather, really, but it's been ANNOYING!  I don't think there's any other way to put it...  And like most everyone...Read More
Bake a Batch with the Kids: Molasses-Spice Cookies

Bake a Batch with the Kids: Molasses-Spice Cookies

This is the time of year for cookie swapping parties and food bloggers are getting into the act thanks to the efforts of Lindsey (LoveandOliveOil.com) and Julie (TheLittleKitchen.net).  These lovely ladies organized the cyber-swap (the second annual), matching each of us with three other bloggers.  I sent a dozen Molasses-Spice cookies to each of the bloggers on my list and I received three dozen delicious cookies in return from three other Secret Santas. Thankfully, there was no pressure to fill yet another holiday season time slot with activity.  We didn't have to be on our best behavior or wear  nice...Read More
My November… plus Cookies, Revisited

My November… plus Cookies, Revisited

"Mom, did we have power on  Halloween?" "No." "Did we have power the day before Halloween?" "No." "When did the power go out?" "October 29th." "And what's today?" "November 5th" "Well that's just ridiculous..." **Note: Power went out 10/29 when 2 trees came down and took out a ton of lines.  Thanks to Frankie for spearheading the tree removal process!  Power was finally restored on 11/6. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Up here in Orange County, we've pretty much recovered and Hurricane...Read More