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Archive for the ‘Musings’ Category

Pardon the Interruption

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Entertaining at Home, Success Tips, Travels, tagged , , on August 12, 2013| 2 Comments »

You’ve probably noticed I’ve not had many blog posts the last few weeks.

Starting today, I’m getting back on track.

Starting today, I’m beginning a new adventure.

Starting today, I’m writing not just a new chapter in my life story, but opening a new book.

Starting today, I no longer have the “safety net” of a full-time “day job” and am committing myself 100 percent to my writing.

I knew once I was bitten by the writing bug it was what I wanted to do full-time. I dreamed of the day when I could stop living my life in black and white and pursue the beautiful array of colors the life of my dreams presented.

Due to some circumstances I would not have predicted, I’m able to do that sooner than I planned.

I can’t even begin to tell you how excited this makes me.

I’m also excited because I discovered some things in the last few weeks.

• I have a backbone and using it will not kill me.

• I have a funny bone and using it is therapeutic.

• I have a breaking point on my tolerance for unacceptable behavior and drawing the line strengthens the backbone.

• Self-respect is a highly valuable commodity.

• Sometimes we need a nudge off the cliff to take a leap of faith.

• Faith is both empowering and reassuring.

• More people care about you than you’ll probably ever know.

• Some people will not do what is right.

• Always, always take the high road, because it gives you the ability to carry on with dignity and self-respect.

• True friends are there to lift you up and encourage you onward.

• My husband would walk through fire for me.

Yeah, I’m feeling very, very blessed today and grateful beyond my ability to put into words.

The past few years, I’ve had a quote taped  to my desk at work:

Sunflowers and summer butterflies

I hope whatever it is you imagine, whatever it is you dream – you give yourself the opportunity to become.

She Who Is So Giddy About Today

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Zeppole

Posted in bread, Captain Cavedweller, Recipes, tagged , , , on July 26, 2013| 2 Comments »

Zeppole plated

In the midst of writing a historical romance about an Italian girl who loves to cook, I decided to try out a few Italian recipes, trying to stick to selections she would have made in 1900.

Lucky enough to stumble across a cookbook, Italian Cooking, written by Dorothy Daly in 1900, it really helped me know the types of ingredients Caterina would have used and had available as well as cooking methods.

Of my experiments, so far, Captain Cavedweller has liked Zeppole the most.  Zeppole are Italian pastries, deep-fried of various sizes (especially if I’m the one making them!). Typically, they are about four inches in diameter.

I almost had to beat CC away with my spatula when I was finishing making these the other day because he was eating them about as fast as I was cooking them.

Rich and yeasty, they were really simple to make and amazingly tasty.

Start with some very basic ingredients.

Start with some very basic ingredients.

 

Mix the flour and salt together and set aside.

Mix the flour, sugar, and salt together and set aside.

 

Mix yeast with warm water and let set about five minutes.

Mix yeast with warm water and let set about five minutes.

 

Lightly whip eggs into yeast.

Lightly whip eggs into yeast.

 

Then add the flour mixture. The dough will be really sticky - not like bread dough.

Then add the flour mixture. The dough will be really sticky – not like bread dough.

 

Set in a warm spot, cover with a dish towel and let rise for about 20 minutes. Stir it back down and repeat the process. Can't you almost smell the yest with those delicious looking bubbles in the dough?

Set in a warm spot, cover with a dish towel and let rise for about 20 minutes. Stir it back down and repeat the process. Can’t you almost smell the yest with those delicious looking bubbles in the dough?

 

Heat about four cups of oil in a heavy saucepan (you want a couple inches of oil in there) and heat over medium-high heat until a bit of dough dropped in sizzles. Drop a heaping spoon of dough (carefully!) into the oil and fry until golden brown. These sweet little babies turn themselves over so you don't have to, unless you want to, then by all means- go right ahead!

Heat about four cups of oil in a heavy saucepan (you want a couple inches of oil in there) and heat over medium-high heat until a bit of dough dropped in sizzles. Drop a heaping spoon of dough (carefully!) into the oil and fry until golden brown. These sweet little babies turn themselves over so you don’t have to, unless you want to, then by all means- go right ahead!

 

While the Zeppole cool enough to be handled, scoop some powdered sugar into a lunch bag. Drop in a piece of the fried dough and give it a good shake then be prepared to fight people off.

While the Zeppole cool enough to be handled, scoop some powdered sugar into a lunch bag. Drop in a piece of the fried dough and give it a good shake then be prepared to fight people off.

 

You can also mix up some cinnamon and sugar...

You can also mix up some cinnamon and sugar…

And roll them around in it.

And roll them around in it.

See wasn’t that easy?

Zeppole

2/3 cup sugar

3 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 pkg. instant yeast

1 cup warm water

3 eggs

Mix flour, sugar and salt then set aside.

Empty yeast into a large bowl with warm water. Stir until dissolved then let rest about five minutes.

Add in eggs and whip lightly then add flour and stir until well mixed.

Cover bowl with a dish towel and set in a warm place for 20 minutes. Stir down the dough and let rise again before frying.

Heat a heavy-duty pan of oil on medium-high heat until a drop of dough sizzles in the pan.

Drop a tablespoon full of the dough (think in terms of the size of a plum) into the oil, being carefully not to burn yourself on any splatters and cook until golden brown. The Zeppole turn themselves over when they are cooking, which is fun to watch.

Drain on paper towels or paper bags (to soak up the grease) then drench in sugar. I liked powdered sugar best and CC preferred cinnamon and sugar. Either is delicious.

You can also serve these with fruit or whipped cream, if you so desire. (Or stand over the bag with powdered sugar devouring these like a ravenous beast.)

She Who Loves Italian Food

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Heirloom Garden

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Flowers, Home and Garden, tagged , , , on July 24, 2013| Leave a Comment »

In our travels on our vacation, one stop took us to an heirloom garden where flowers and veggies popular a century or so ago were featured at Fort Vancouver in Vancouver, WA.

garden arch

It was quite lovely.

purple poppy

There were plants that looked familiar and then some that we’d never seen before, like this gorgeous purple poppy. I want some of these!

artichoke

The artichokes grew in spiky splendor along with staples like corn and potatoes.

hollyhocks

They had the loveliest hollyhocks, growing contained where they were supposed to. While I gazed on in admiration, I saw Captain Cavedweller shudder. One year his mom and I both planted hollyhocks… apparently about three times as many as we should have and both of our yards were quickly overtaken with the towering blooms. I’ve been banned from ever again in this lifetime planting hollyhocks (I my mother-in-law was, too) so we have to admire them from afar.

flowers bright

I fell in love with this bright flower. I just loved the color and, of course, realized later I forgot to right down the name of the plant.

flowers against sky

Anyone have any ideas? The way they bloomed against the summer sky was absolutely gorgeous!

She Who Loves Seeing New Things

 

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Vacation

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Travels, tagged , , , on July 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

wheat lr

Last week, Captain Cavedweller and I took some time off and escaped to a big city where I can shop to my heart’s content and he can eat things like fall-off-the bone delicious ribs and the best french fries known to man.

Driving to our destination, we enjoyed the scenery and I may have asked (okay, more like yelled “stop the car!”) to pull over a few times to snap photos.

This is one of a beautiful wheat field set against the gorgeous summer sky.

I’ll be sharing more vacation photos and stories this week, just as soon as I get my head back on straight and our laundry done!

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