Chocolate Covered Goodness

I think I have have good taste when it comes to food.  Over the years I've learned to appreciate gourmet foods, and have a great respect for those who put a lot of passion into what they do.  However,  when it comes to chocolate covered cherries, it is hard for me to resist a box of 2 dollar candies in the discount cart at the grocery store.  I like them that much.  So when I saw this recipe for Chocolate Covered Cherries I couldn't resist.  If the 2 dollar boxes taste THAT good, homemade must be freaking amazing.  My mother made chocolate covered cherries when I was growing up, but you had to keep them in the freezer for 2-3 weeks before eating.  This recipe calls for making a fondant and you only have to wait 2 days.  I know that fondant can be daunting, however, if you read the comments section in the recipe I linked you will see a neat, time saving technique that works well.  If it weren't for that tip, I wouldn't have attempted it.

Making Fondant

The Short Cut

Fondant Is Ready

Gingerbread House

For years I've wanted to make a gingerbread house.  Last year I was finally motivated to do it and with Mary Ann's help we made it happen. I found a template in a book and made the gingerbread from scratch.  Then we just ran with it and kept coming up with more and more ideas of things to add.  This year I wasn't really in the mood to do it.  It's a project that takes time and you really need to be in the mood to do it. It took us about 3 weeks to complete.  Below is the end result.  The base is a lazy susan that we covered with cardboard and foil. I made two batches of royal icing which makes great glue and snow.  Everything is edible except for the base.  Happy Holidays!!!

Saturday Morning at The North Market

This weekend I am at The North Market helping Mary Ann with her art at The North Market Holiday Open House and Craft Extravaganza.  This is a picture of what sits below us.

Christmas Cookies

Instead of partaking in Black Friday or Small Business Saturday, Mary Ann and I decided to create our own event.  We called it Black Small Business Friday.  We went to some great places in the Short North and downtown on Gay St.  But my favorite place was our first stop in the German Village.  I recently read another blog about the Bierberg Bakery and knew I had to visit soon.

  It is only open October-December and makes about 25 different German cookies. I also saw some fruit cake and stollen.  The room is dark with a few Christmas knick knacks and has two tables filled with tins brimming with cookies.  The lady we spoke with has a thick German accent and described any cookie we asked about and even let us sample a few.  The cookies are $16 a pound and so far are well worth it.

I wish I could tell you the names of them, but I have no idea.  Most of them contain nuts with a lot containing almonds.  There are also quite a few with raspberry jam.  I am already trying to think of more excuses to go back!  If you go, be mindful that they only take cash and checks and are closed on Sundays.

Bierberg Bakery
729 S. 5th St.
M-F  9-5
Sat. 9-3
443-9959

Making Mozzarella Cheese

I've been wanting to make cheese for quite some time and finally had the ingredients and the time.  Although it doesn't take much of either.  I got a kit from Roaring Brook Dairy.  You can also buy the ingredients at most supermarkets.  The milk came from Snowville Creamery.  There are a few things I would have done differently and the mess I made was really unnecessary.  But next time I will know better.

Heating the milk to 85 degrees.

After adding the rennet and citric acid.

Draining the whey.

More draining and kneading.

Shaping.

Prosciutto...yummmmmm!

                                           

Homemade Chili Powder

At the end of the summer growing season I had a few peppers left that I didn't use.  I've read that you can dry them and make your own chili powder.  As you can see, it didn't make very much. However, if it turns out well, I will plan to make more next year.

Fall in the Backyard

As the weather turns cooler, the backyard begins to prepare for its winter hibernation.  So I was very happy to walk through the backyard this morning and still see signs of life.

Sugar Snap Peas

Purple Cabbage

Beets, Carrots, and Spinach

Red Raspberries

Sage...lots and lots of sage.   

Let me know if you need any for the holidays!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Every 2 or 3 weeks Mary Ann and I shop at Trader Joe's for a few items we like to have on hand.  Last year we were there around Thanksgiving and heard a woman ask a clerk where the pumpkin pancake mix was.  When she found them, she immediately grabbed 7 boxes and seemed VERY happy.  I remember standing there with another customer who saw what happened.  We both looked at each other, knowing exactly what each of us was thinking. "Those must be GOOD!"  We both grabbed a box, smiled at one another, and went home to make pancakes.  Are they good?  Yes.  Believe my hype.  They are delicious. They remind me more of pumpkin bread rather than pumpkin pie.  My favorite part is that I can feel the little tingle that cloves leave on your tongue.

I also learned last year that these are a seasonal item only.  I've looked for them on every visit since then and haven't had any luck..until last week.  I grabbed...and I mean GRABBED, two boxes.  This morning breakfast was awesome.

Fall Grilling

The weather in central Ohio has been incredible this past week.  This evening I decided to fire up the grill again and fix pizza.

Sugar Snap Peas

Mary Ann and I are very excited to see if we can grow some vegetables during the fall.  Today I finally have enough sugar snap peas for each of us to have 10. I think this will be the most they will give us, and now I know that in the spring I will want to plant a lot more.  They are so good!

Sunday Breakfast

One of my favorite ways to treat myself is taking a small shopping spree to Whole Foods.  I was recently able to score a $20 coupon for only $10 from Living Social.  I know you are probably wondering, "what can I buy for $20 at Whole Foods?" I ended up walking out of the store spending the entire coupon plus .53.  I got around 2 cups of whole wheat flour, 12 fontina and asparagus ravioli, 8 slices of Prosciutto di Parma, 1/2 pound of Manchego cheese, and 1 loaf of focaccia bread.  This morning I thought the bread and cheese would make a great breakfast sandwich along with an egg, spinach, and crimini mushrooms.

Did you know it takes 3 knives to make a sandwich?

Peanuts

Insert Debbie Downer sound.

A few weeks ago I posted a few photos of my peanut plant.  I planted it this year as an experiment just to see if I could do it.  I hoped that I would have success and plant more next year.  It's funny what can happen to your garden while you are away for a few days and the dogs aren't there to watch over the yard. I was very upset when I came home and found that a critter got to the peanuts before I could.  They were very thorough.  All I have left are three very small peanuts.  I hope that I am going to be able to save them and use them for starters next year.

Kerrytown Farmers Market

Yesterday Mary Ann and I left for vacation in Saugatuck, MI.  We decided we would stop in Ann Arbor for lunch at Zingerman's Deli in Kerrytown.  They also have a Farmers Market that is open 7:00-3:00.  Below are some pictures Mary Ann took.

Morning Ritual

I love opening up the cold frame first thing in the morning and seeing what has happened since the previous morning.  Below are pictures from this morning.

Spinach

Beets

Spinach

We also planted a row of carrots and are still waiting to see them peek through the soil.

Saturday Morning Find

While I am watching my beloved Tennessee Volunteers get beat handily by UF,  I thought it would be a good time to post what I found in the back yard this morning.  A few weeks ago we planted some sugar snap pea plants that we found at Oakland Nursery.  They were on sale and I believe we got 8 plants for $1.99.  Their growth has been fairly steady, but this morning I found the first pea.

Sunday in the Garden

Today I knew I needed to get some work done in the garden or who knows when it would happen.  We've had the cold frame done for a few weeks, but haven't put it on the garden yet.  One of the glass panes broke awhile ago, so we've been trying to come up with an alternative that would work.  It seems that when it rained, the adhesive that was holding the glass to the wood was compromised and it fell.  I am glad that it happened when it was sitting on the driveway rather than in the garden.  So we stapled some plastic to it, cleaned out the garden, added some compost, and will plant some seeds later today.  Right now, it is time for football.

Below is picture of the green tomatoes we salvaged from clearing out the tomato plant.  It's amazing how many tomatoes one can get from a single plant.  Mary Ann would really like me to make some green tomato chutney.  So if I have the time this week I may try a new recipe.

I don't think I've mentioned that I tried growing a peanut plant this year.  We found one at Oakland Nursery this spring and planted it in the raised bed.  If it is successful I will grow more next year.  I've read that when the leaves turn yellow in the fall you should carefully dig it up and shake any loose soil free.  Then it should hang to dry for two weeks, pick off the peanuts, clean, and let them dry for another two weeks.  The leaves are just starting to turn and some peanuts are peeking out of the ground.  I hope that this time next week they will be ready to pull up.

You Can Save Thyme In A Bottle.

I have a new favorite kitchen tool.  It is a paint pen. I first discovered it while I was looking for an easy way to label  food that I was canning.  Now I look around my kitchen and see many different places I can use it.  You can buy them at an art supply store and there are a lot of colors to choose from.  So what happens when you want take the paint off?  They have a pen for that too!