Blueberry Picking: A Lesson In Life

In my family, we have a tradition of going blueberry picking every summer. As soon as the fresh blueberries start arriving in the store, I start dreaming about fresh blueberries.  This summer, after a few weeks of extreme heat, and then extreme rain and then a cold spell, we finally had our day to go picking in late July.  Lucky for us, we got a fair amount of blueberries. I picked almost 5 pounds, despite the challenging picking conditions.  Last year, we picked pounds and pounds of blueberries.  They were practically falling off the bush into our pails.  Sadly, this year, because of the weather late spring and early summer with extreme heat offset by extreme cold, the conditions for picking were not as good.  There were lots of blueberries... but not all were ripe and many were small.  In short, we had to pick around to find the best berries...you know, the fat, plump, juicy, really blue blueberries.  Blueberry picking is a longstanding family tradition.  My grandfather used to pick as a little boy.  My mother picked them as a little girl.  And, the tradition continues with me.  

At some point my mom decided that the only time she would buy blueberries was when we picked them ourselves.  I guess that it was her way of teaching us that food doesn't grow in super markets.   Kids these days think that food comes from supermarkets. The only thing my mom grows are the geraniums that die days after we buy them from the store, despite our best efforts to grow them. We really do try to grow them, but we sometimes forget to water them and when we do realize that we have not watered them for 1 week, we then compensate by over watering them. Lets just say we are no gardeners.  However, blueberry picking is something we can do.  

A few years ago, she decided to teach us the value of a blueberry and told us we had to pick enough blueberries to last us the whole year. (She would freeze them for us.) That year, we picked only enough blueberries to last us to November. It was crushing to realize that we would have to wait until June for more fresh native blueberries.  The following year we headed back to the field with a new purpose.  After each picking, my mom stores them in freezer bags with our names, saying, "you eat what you pick"  Last year, we picked enough blueberries to last us until the following June! 

We adore the blueberries that we pick. They are sacred in my family.  Not only are they delicious fresh fruit, but they are also great in desserts. Some desserts that we enjoy with the blueberries are blueberry cobbler, blueberry muffins, blueberry smoothies, blueberry pancakes, blueberry pie, and the best of all, blueberries on warm oatmeal on a cold winter day.  For  me, blueberry picking is a symbol of summer. Sometimes the blueberries get me through the cold, long New England winter...dreaming of summer. 

Fresh blueberries are the best!

When All Else Fails, I Revert To Food...

O.K. let me explain. So, the reason I have not posted recently is because June has been a crazy month. First, I had this ongoing project for social studies that my class had been working on since March! The project was on a national park, and my park was American Samoa National Park located in of course, American Samoa.  Then, I got out of school really late due to all the snow days that I had. Lastly, my summer has been really hectic and crazy! So much for my effort to "post more this summer".  

Back to the school project... At first I had no interest in learning about this park...and then I started uncovering tons of interesting facts!  The park is located 2,600 miles from Hawaii and 4,800 miles from the closest US mainland. There are only about 4,000 visitors per year at my park which is nothing compared to the more than 9 million at the most visited park, the Great Smokey Mountains.  Don't worry if you have never heard of the park before, neither had I! You should worry even less if you haven't been there, afterall, flights only go from Hawaii two times a week.  I also found out about this very cool coral reef and crown of thorn starfish...more on that later!
 
Fortunately, this school project presented me with a chance to create something other than a written report.  I was just about out of ideas ( it was afterall already the end of June!) on what creative art project I could do and my mother was insisting she would not be spending loads of money at Michaels with only 3 days to go in my elementary career.  What could I do? ... Hmmmm, food anyone?

First, I wanted to do something with blue jello because almost 38 percent of this park is underwater. Then I realized that the jello would melt in between 8:50 and 1:30 (the time my school started at and the time that the projects were being presented at).

Then it hit me, why not bake a cake and do something creative with it. So, on June 19, I baked the cake. Then I made frosting, food colored it 2 different colors, food colored coconut, and frosted ice cream cones.  The green frosting was my grass, with the coconut on top of it, the ice cream cones were frosted green, like trees. The almond flour (left over from my rum cake) was the sand on the beach. Then the blue frosting was my ocean along with blue sprinkles. Then I got modeling clay and made a crown-of-thorn starfish with a coral reef. The coral reef had a stomach on it because that is how the starfish eat the coral. These starfish are killing the coral reefs so I thought that it was important to display one. 

So, do you wonder how the project ended?  Well, most importantly, the cake turned out to be a big hit!  I also learned that it's possible to do a great art project in 1 afternoon with 3 days left in the school year without spending loads of money at Michaels. Well...finally, I learned...


WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, I REVERT TO FOOD!!!!

This is a picture of my project

Thin Or Thick?

O.K. so a couple of posts ago, I posted about a book and I told you that the last line of the book was "CLAM CHOWDER FOR LUNCH!" I told you I was craving clam chowder at the end of the post. I really was craving clam chowder the other day. Then my aunt called. That changed everything. She said that I better post about thick clam chowder not thin. But my Nana said to post about thin clam chowder.  I was torn. So, I decided to blog about both. My poll in June  is "Which Type Of Clam Chowder Do You Like?” Please vote on the blog, as I would love to know which type you like.  Either way there is a thick recipe and a thin recipe included in this post. Tell me what you think of both.

I LOVE clam chowder. Like my aunt, I like thick, creamy ones. I mean I live in New England. How can I not LOVE clam chowder? I grew up with oyster crackers on the side of my soups...and have grown to love oyster crackers just plain (are making oyster crackers in my future?) Does that mean I am a New Englander at heart? And the potatoes. How I love potatoes in rich, creamy clam chowder. My favorite clam chowder is not from where you would think. Not the ocean –front seafood restaurant, where I spend my summers...no, the one I love and crave is from the soup place at my local market...The Fruit Center. I LOVE their clam chowder. I wish that it were on the menu 24/7 so I could get it whenever I want. Instead, they vary their soups each day so... I can only get it on certain days.  Why! Oh why?!

Clam Chowder recipes to come!

May: The Month Of Cooking

Hello everybody! Have you heard of the blog Orangette? Well, the creator of Orangette (also named Molly) has published a book (she is working on her second). For my birthday, my parents got me the book. While I was reading the book, I came across  a recipe called Tarte Tatin.

Tarte Tatin is another French recipe (I know!) . I think I am becoming obsessed with French food. I mean it makes perfect sense. I have gone to France, I speak French, and I go to school where some of my day is spent speaking in French. I think I am just destined to love French food.

Do you know the history of Tarte Tatin? While according to Wikipedia, it was first made by the sisters, Stéphanie and Caroline Tatin at a hotel in France called Hotel Tatin. There are conflicting stories about how this recipe originated but either way... it did. Both stories say that the recipe was created by accident. The stories also say that it was not originally called Tarte Tintin. Only after the sisters death was it named that. Wikipedia also states that you can make this with other fruits, such as pears, or peaches. Tarte Tintin can be also made with vegetables such as onions. 

I really had wanted to make this recipe since I got the book. It was the first recipe on my list to make.  It sounded really good. I was a little bit nervous at first as I had never worked with puff pastry before.  I decided that April vacation would be the perfect time to attempt this as I have more time to cook. This year we spent the week at my cousins' house.  I decided I would make it there. But, as the week went on, more and more apples were eaten.  Friday, I realized I would have to wait, not an apple was left!  I decided to make this the day I got back home, with freshly purchased apples!

Here's something to know... puff pastry, you can buy it or make your own.  I didn't go through the hassle of making my own. I just bought store-bought. My brand was Pepperedige Farm. This brand was very good and it comes with two sheets. So, the next time I make this I have some puff pastry waiting in my freezer for me, so I just need to thaw it. Yippe! If you do buy your puff pastry, you should make sure to thaw according to package directions. 

This post is called the month of cooking because I have less homework, therefore more time to cook and blog. I have this because I have two weeks of state standerized testing. Teachers are supposed to not pass out homework for the week. So, I can cook instead of having to do homework!!!!!!!  It will truly be a month of "after the bell cooking"!

I made this over vacation, for a dinner over at my grandmother's house. Everybody loved it. Here is the recipe.

Last Week In Dinners! Edition #1

O.K., so last week was a crazy week, back to reality after a nice, relaxing vacation. This week was crazy, with sports practices. On Monday, I had soccer and my brother had baseball. We were going to have an arugula steakhouse salad but we ended up just having pasta. The arugula steakhouse salad was from Parade Magazine. Since pasta is nothing special, the recipe is not included. 

Tuesday, I had a good recipe called Baked Panko Shrimp With Oregano And Garlic with Steamed Rice And Peas. On Tuesday, we only were supposed to have one sports practice (!) but because of the rain was canceled. But, because my Mom had 4 tutors, it was still a little crazy. The recipe was from a site called The Six O'Clock Scramble. You have to be a member in order to go on the site though. This is a good website for weeknight dinners as it gives you 5 recipes, and  a shopping list. We do not use all of the recipes every week. This week, we had for dinner 2 of this recipes (the other was on Wednesday). My aunt suggested this recipe, for us and she says that her kids love this. I agree with her, as this recipe is easy and delicious at the same time! The recipe is at the bottom of the post.


Wednesday, we had another Six O'Clock Scramble recipe. This was called Beef And Broccoli Terriaki. My family had had it a while back and we loved it. So, we decided to have it again this week. This time was better than last time because the beef was not too hard to bite.  We had two practices and my mom was tutoring 4 kids so, it was a really crazy day. I made the terriaki before I went to my practice, then when I came home I ate it. The recipe was super good and I am definitely going to share it with you.

Thursday we had 1 sports practice and we had a really good really yummy soup from Dinner A Love Story. It was called Chicken Soup With Orzo.  I was going to make homemade broth but I did not end up doing it. The soup was delicious. When I get home from school, it is usually around 3:30. This recipe takes 1 hr, 30 mins. So, if I started it when I get home I could finish it around 5:00, which is in between my hours of dinner which are 5:00-6:30. This is also a good recipe to make in advance, and is easy to freeze. One suggestion I would make is freeze the soup in single-serving batches and then defrost them as needed. That way you do not have to defrost the whole batch of soup, if you just want to have a little soup for lunch. Recipe is to follow.

Friday, we had take-out from a pizza place.

Saturday, we had take-out from a Chinese food place.

April Showers Bring...

Have you ever read Robert McCloskey's One Morning in Maine? My favorite line of the book is the last line of the book when the two girls, Sal and Jane scream "CLAM CHOWDER FOR LUNCH!" 

Well, instead of Clam Chowder, for me in my best Sal and Jane voice I am screaming FRENCH TOAST FOR DESSERT! 

Who wouldn't love French Toast for dessert? This recipe is easy to make but best for a small crowd as you have to get up in between dinner and dessert to make it. I know right, it is hard to believe that I am giving you a recipe for French Toast. Or even better yet, a recipe for French Toast for dessert. This is a special one though. Read on to find out more about it.  

This is called Pain Perdu and it is a traditional french nursery dessert. Just like the Creme Brulee, this is a french dish. I mean hey, look at the name. The exact translation is lost toast. But I don't think this french toast recipe will ever be lost in my house.  

Have you ever had french toast with almonds? While, this is what this is. With a topping of strawberries, and confectioners sugar. Although the original recipe calls for you to make the "pain perdu" in a skillet pan, I cooked some of mine in a skillet and then switched to a griddle and it worked so much better than a skillet. So, I am telling you definitely use the griddle. It is so much better. 

One reason the griddle is much better is you have to clean out the skillet each time and the skillet gets very hot. You also have to wait like 30 minutes for it to become cool enough, so you can carry it over to the sink . But with the griddle you don't have to wipe down the surface, so you can just keep making them. 


While making this, I noticed a couple of things.

1.) When you soak larger pieces for 4 minutes, they can get very soft. I suggest cutting them in half. It is easier to lift up with a spatula, and is also easier with transporting it to the skillet/griddle. 

2.) Bigger pieces get burnt more easily, again cut them in half. 

3.) 4 minutes can be a lot for pieces to soak, you can soak them for less if need be. 

March: A Month Of Holidays

So... I don't know about you but, March is a long month of birthdays, holidays, and "Spring" (even though the temperatures don't feel like it). You know the old saying  "March goes in like a lion and out like a lamb"? I don't think that is true now a days in New England. The temperatures don't really get going until middle of May. But anyways there are lots of holidays so it is a good trade off. 

One holiday that my whole family celebrates is St. Patrick's Day. We all get together at my Nana and Papa's house. It has sort of become a family tradition. One food that we enjoy every year is the Irish Bread that my Nana makes. In fact, my great-grandmother also made this very same Irish Bread. She came over from Ireland on a boat so this was a traditional recipe for us. She also used a great sifter with a nice, fine, sift. She used this sifter for about 80 years. My Nana has used it for about 40 years. The brand of the sifter is Bromwell. These sifters are still avalible today and you can find them at this website. 

Depending upon who we make this recipe for we use currents and caraway seeds although they are optional. These are traditional Irish ingredients and they taste delicious. 

This is a picture of the sifter that my Nana has from my great-grandmother 

This is the recipe in my Nana's recipe book. 

In case you can not see the writing in the  picture, here is the recipe: 

Winter Soup

So, did you have a big "Nor'easter"? Well, I did. When I look at the big pile of snow in front of my house or better yet the sheet of ice on my sidewalk, it just plain old makes me shiver! I decided to do something about this. At my 4th cooking lesson, I made Spiced Squash, Pear, and Fennel Soup. This soup was extraordinary. It was so good that it and the lentil soup are my favorite soups. You know, the Lentil soup that I begged you to try.  Yes, now I am making you try this! This is this good. I let my aunt try some of this soup, and she said "Wow! The flavors are so complex!" I am sure you are saying "What does that mean?" But after you taste the squash and pear flavors, the last flavor in your mouth is a citrus flavor thanks to the orange peel (!) in this soup. In fact, this soup is so good that I am eating it while I am posting. That never happens. One thing I did in advance was while the squash was roasting, I cut all the vegetables (and trust me, there are a lot!). After, I just had to put the vegetables in in the soup. One way I ate this soup was with crusty bread. It was really good and I used the bread like a spoon, scooping up the soup with the bread. Make sure, you roast the squash before cooking it because it boosts the vegetable's flavor. It also makes it easier to peel. 

These are the vegetables after I chopped them all while my squash was roasting

So...here is the recipe that I am insisting that you try. Please, just try the soup. I am sure that it will become one of your favorite soups too!