Travelogue, Kansas City (Area)

When we get the Smart Car serviced in Merriam, we make a day of it, usually on the Kansas side of KC.  Last time, we toured the new Ikea, listening to Christmas standards hyped up with a Latin beat.

This time, a sidewalk sale had broken out in downtown Overland Park, so we spent most of the afternoon at a handful of the shops.



The Snack Shop on Santa Fe makes the best sweet potato fries I've ever had anywhere (sorry #wichitawesome, but it's true).  I didn't know our Ten Thousand Villages in Newton had closed, so at the surviving shop in OP, a bargain cross-body bag was purchased.  Orange extract from Pensey's came home with us for attempts to create THOMY's favorite flavor of cake.  He also snagged clothes for much less than expected.

We took a break from consumerism to wade in a public fountain and gawk at a flower.




Oh, right, and there was an instance of yarn bombing.  A better look:



At the end of the afternoon, pie was savored.



Rhubarb pie



On the way home, we encountered a traditional road trip snack, one without the most appetizing of packaging.



And I only ever get to have a Hardees burger on the Turnpike now, which is probably for the best.  Somehow, though, the meaning of life is involved with the waiting for one.



A prettier hint at life's meaning is probably a flower petal for every bug or bug for every flower petal.  Or is that just a political slogan in the entomological world?

Happy Independence Day

To all my fellow Americans of these United States, may you have a happy and safe Independence Day.

If you're allowed to shoot fireworks in your neck of the bone-dry country (we are, though the prairie could burst into flame from a flash of anger), please don't be stupid.  It could make you sad.



And possibly disfigured.  (No, I didn't take a picture of a disfigured breakfast.  Ew.)

I did, however, shoot a creepy angle of Happy Breakfast...



...using my hard-fought freedom for sober and noble purposes only.

Using up the sweets stash

In the last post I said I'd "soon" show you what I did with my leftover graham cracker crumbs, from when I made the Easter cheesecake.  Well, by "soon," I guess I meant within in the month,  and that's almost instantaneous in geologic time, which is how we live around here.

So we left our hero with about three cups of crumb crust mixture (graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar) and a big puzzle about what to do with it.  With some of it, she drizzled the leftover chocolate candy melts and had a little Me Time in front of the noon-hour news.  

The rest could make a great topping for ice cream, no doubt, but she wanted something more…something substantial.  Something that would use up a few other sweet ingredients that had been lying in wait throughout the kitchen.  

And something quick.  And easy.  And photogenic, right?

Well, two out of three ain't bad.  But that crumbly mess is so good!  A quick search of the Taste of Home recipe site turned up the S'mores Crumb Bars concoction.  Three of its five ingredients I had mixed up already in the leftover crumbs.  The last two were in my cupboards.

First came half the crumb mixture, compacted into the bottom of the pan as if you're about to lay bricks on top.

Then the chocolate chips and the tiny marshmallows.  I had partial bags of semisweet chips and milk chocolate chunks.  My marshmallows had lived too long next to the toaster oven in the bread box and had melded together.  I just pulled them apart again.  Sticky fingers are fun.

Then came the second layer of crumbs, pressed down again.  Spatula marks are evidence of effort.

The pan spent ten minutes at 375-degrees F in the toaster oven.  The top crust browned a little more than would be acceptable in restaurants, but we're alright with it here.

A tastier picture:

I'm pretty sure I didn't match the ingredient measurements exactly on anything in the recipe.  Probably more butter would have cemented the crumbs more thoroughly.  Nevertheless, the pan of bars turned out delicious.  I mean, good grief, how wrong can you go with graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows?  Especially since the traditional method of cooking requires the marshmallows to be set on fire?

The Cheesecake

On my latest wedding anniversary, a few well wishers on Facebook reminisced about the kind of cake we'd had at the reception.  We served cheesecakes I had made over the week prior to the big day.  I had never undertaken a baking project like that before (or since), and I didn't save any money by doing it myself.  Except, maybe, I would've shelled out twice as much to delegate such a scrumptious cake to a pro...a scrumptious cake I almost didn't get to enjoy.  You see, the venue's event planner attempted to hurry us to the next reception custom at the moment we dared to sit down to have a piece.  I know, right?  The baker-bride gets her cake tax, so, dearie, sustenance comes before slinging a garter.  Every time.



The cake that inspired one of our wedding party to go back for fourths (ushering is hungry work, too, after all) is called Captivation Cheesecake, a recipe from a Wilton book I borrowed from my sister-in-law.  I think the title is A Treasury of Wilton Wedding Cakes, Updated Edition, but my memory isn't crystal clear on that anymore.  (Sister-in-law--you know who you are--am I right on this?)

And I mention all this because I attempted to recreate the cake the other day.  Just one cake, I mean, not the entire construction project.  Even so, gentle reader, all did not go smoothly.  After seventeen years, I'd forgotten a couple of tips from the baking marathon of yore. 

The reason why I decided to make another wedding cheesecake is because THOMY suggested I bring one to our church's Easter potluck brunch.  We're invited to bring something from which we may have been fasting during Lent or some special treat in which we don't indulge very often.  Based on the Facebook comments about our anniversary, THOMY thought it would be awesome to share the joy of wedding cheesecake.

I couldn't deny anyone such awesomeness, that would be uncharitable.  So I dragged out the ole Wedding Cheesecake Pan and Mixing Bowls I used back then.



As well as the hand mixer. 



This was my mom's from the 1970s.  I got a newer one as a wedding gift, but it's motor burnt out in less than a year.  This one just keeps  going, I think in defiance of its avocado green casing.

Now, the first thing I forgot regarding this recipe is that it makes a LOT of graham cracker crumbs for the crust.  Too much for one cake, even though the recipe claims everything listed is for one 9" cake or two 6" cakes. 



When I first made this recipe, I simply used the excess in more cake crusts since I needed roughly a gazillion cakes.  Now I was stuck with about three cups more than I needed.  What to do?  What to do?*

Next I forgot that one should melt candy chips in the microwave before the very point the bottom gets burnt and breaks the bowl.



This development was a real bummer.  I panicked for a full half minute, trying to figure out how I was going to get myself to the grocery store for more candy melts when my car was blocked by a contractor repairing our driveway that day. 

But no!  An Easter miracle met me right there in the kitchen.  I had just enough white chocolate chips left in the bag to add to the unburnt stuff.  So I melted them, very carefully.  Disaster averted. 

Also, I'd forgotten how heavy a glass mixing bowl is when filled with batter that sloshes and slicks the edges of the bowl.  Pouring the glop into the pan without dropping the whole thing and flipping the pan onto the floor felt like an Olympic event for a few harrowing seconds.  I guess I'm not as young as I used to be when I first hefted a full mixing bowl to make Wedding Cheesecake.

In the end, however, I managed to reproduce my original results. 



And the cake was well received at brunch.  I even had a taste of THOMY's slice, and we got to take some home which is way more than we managed to do all those years ago.  And that is as it should have been, as long as I got my tax.  Not that I wasn't thinking about myself on Easter Sunday.

*What I did with the excess crumbs shall be revealed in a later post.  Soon.

Love Your Mug

In the spirit of yet another gift-giving holiday (this time, St. Valentine's Day), I would like to share a couple things I was given for my most-recent birthday and as a belated Christmas present. They are both mugs. Clever mugs.

First, the hand warmer mug.
 

A friend of mine picked this out for my birthday. It's sold locally. That round protrusion? It's the outside of the pocket handle. Here's a peek at the other side.



And the full-on view.



Your fingers slip inside the pocket while your palm wraps around the rest of the mug. Excellent for keeping at least one hand warm with a hot beverage on a cold day. This mug was made for a righty like myself, but on the other hand (literally), I've discovered that if I slide the fingers of my left hand into the pocket so that my thumb pinches the outside of the pocket, the mug is quite ambidextrous. Lefties don't necessarily have to adapt, I'm told, because the pottery company makes a proper version for them, too.

Next, how's about finding these guys gaping at you in the cupboard each morning?



They're a little bit of Easter Island in my very own home. Except they hold food offerings in their mouths.



(That's a Hazelnut Crescent Roll waiting to be gobbled up. The top of the mug holds the milk.) And lest you think the mouth down under can't contain the entire sweet treat, think again.



THOMY found these at Uncommongoods.com.

By the way, those hazelnut crescent rolls are toooooo good for inanimate objects to eat. They're so good, I baked them as my birthday "cake," as did another friend for game night (my impromptu birthday party). Both batches rocked!

It's all in the smartitude

Almost three weeks ago, my Smart Car wouldn't start while sitting in the grocery store parking lot.  Packed with groceries.  At night.

After a cab ride home for me--groceries in the trunk--and a tow home for the car,  we discovered an unheavenly truth.  The local Mercedes dealership doesn't work on Smarts. (Mercedes makes Smart Cars.)  Never mind that someone at that dealership told me otherwise when we were thinking about buying the car (from an unrelated car lot, so the misinformation is totally not their fault) way back in January.  

I'm telling you, there was much sighing and rolling of eyes around here.  And phone calls.

Two days later, Triple-A towed the car 200 miles from home to an official Smart Center repair shop.  Thank God for them and for our inherent nervousness which had prompted us to buy the extended warranty for the car.  Both resources paid the majority of the bills.  

The repair itself took less than a day, but we had to wait another week and a half before we could fetch the car.  By that time, I was in the mood for an old fashioned road trip.  I was determined to redeem all our frustration into something fun.

So, on our way home from the repair shop, we visited the Louisburg Cider Mill during their Ciderfest.

I didn't take lots of pictures, but here is how the cider apples are given a bath...

before they take a little ride up a conveyer…

into the cider press house.

As you can see, quite a crowd attended the Ciderfest.  Here in Kansas, we had a long, miserable, record-breaking summer, so folks are ready for fall.  

On the other side of a long walk across a field of parked cars, however, the pumpkin patch lay wide open.

Off in the distance the maples are turning red…finally!  

We passed up several handsome pumpkins…

To adopt this pretty boy.

He's sporting a new shawl I whipped up for my local yarn shop.  I love the shawl's name: Arachnophilia. It's a name apropos for the first cooler-weather holiday, no?

The shawl, a pattern by Jennifer Dassau, is based on the same stitch I used for edging my Occasus square shawl.  Details about my version of Arachnophilia are on its Ravelry project page, but the short of it is it's an easy, fun shawl.

Finally, the best treat we ate at the Ciderfest was a batch of little cider donuts.  The mill's donuts are fried, but I baked a batch of my own using a mini donut tray and this recipe.  They turned out well, I think, though they don't melt in one's mouth like a fried donut.  

If I wanted to add calories, I'd soak them in melted butter and sprinkle sugar over them.  I'm naughty for eating donuts, but I'm not that naughty.  So instead, I soak them in milk.  For the discovery of cider donuts, I'm not so cranky anymore about my car wigging out three weeks ago.  I forgive it.

Sherbet Floats

A couple months ago I had a brief respite in the hospital. Nothing to worry about, just some planned surgery. As a gesture of kindness, a knitting friend brought over two tubs of sherbet and a bottle of ginger ale for post-op sherbet floats.



I already had the appropriate soda fountain glassware.  I'm a strong believer in consuming comfort food in the appropriate vessel.



As it happened, one of my pre-op orders had me drink something nasty, flavored lemon-lime in a futile attempt to mask its gag factor. The flavoring made it worse, in my opinion. And, so, I couldn't stomach the lime sherbet afterwards. Even now my face crinkles at the idea of Sprite or 7-Up or the like.  It would have been a real sad state of affairs during my recovery if my friend hadn't also brought the raspberry sherbet. I hoarded that tub and Would Not Share.  Thankfully, THOMY understood.

Watermelon gazpacho and a staggering harvest

The prospect of eating watermelon was enough to make me squeal when I was a wee young thing. I chewed my way through slices like a silk worm with mulberry leaves. At some point, though, and I don't remember when, I grew out of eating the sticky, awkward fruit. I guess my vanity has taken a few weird turns into my adulthood: I don't like to show my neck; I won't wear hats; and I don't eat watermelon.

Until now.

That is, the watermelon part.  I still don't do the other two.



I've tried a few cold soups lately. Strawberry: a yummy, sweet soup. Peach: more sweetness. Yesterday I tasted a zucchini lemon blend which was not sweet though quite buttery. Hands down, however, this Watermelon Gazpacho is the best savory cold soup evah.

Our version is based on the recipe out of Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious magazine, the July/August 2009 issue. We omitted the jalapeno pepper; the ginger adds enough heat for me.  Also, we substituted parsley for the cilantro because I'm not on Team Cilantro.


Watermelon Gazpacho

4 cups cubed watermelon, seeded, divided
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon salt
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 small cucumber, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 green onion, chopped

Puree 3 cups watermelon in a blender or food processor. Cut remaining watermelon in 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the watermelon puree, lime juice, lime peel, ginger and salt. Stir in the tomato, cucumber, green pepper, parsley, onions, and cubed watermelon. Chill until serving. Yield: 4 servings


And now to reveal our staggering tomato harvest so far this season.



Yep. And here is what it looks like to the right of a supermarket tomato.



Thank you, month of 100+ - degree days of drought. The home-grown tomato, a Silvery Fir Tree heirloom variety, really is supposed to be that small. Just not so...singular. We can count on two hands how many cherry-sized Golden Nugget tomatoes we're waiting to ripen.

And waiting. And waiting. Like the world is doing for me to pull my hair into a ponytail.

Salad Day no. 3

The final recipe of this week's salad trifecta comes courtesy of one of my uncles. He didn't give me the recipe; he provided the main ingredient. He is this household's primary source of fish, and by jove, do we have loads of catfish in the freezer.

The original recipe can be found at UScatfish.com. We sandwiched the salad between kaiser rolls. It also makes a mild dip for artisan breads or crackers.



Catfish Salad

3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked catfish (about ½ pound)
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons finely shredded carrot
2 tablespoons ranch salad dressing
Salt and pepper, to taste

For sandwiches:
6  hamburger buns
6  tomato slices
6 lettuce leaves
Dijon mustard
sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or sliced

Place ricotta cheese and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend for about 30 seconds or until smooth.  Mix cheese mixture, fish, celery, dressing, salt, and pepper. Place ½ cup fish mixture on each bun bottom, and add tomato, lettuce, and other condiments. Top with bun top. Serves 6.

Salad Day no. 2

I first feasted on this tortellini pasta salad at a friend's house, insisted she email me the recipe, couldn't wait for that and looked it up online for myself when I got home. It's that good: tangy, savory mouthfuls of joy . The dressing alone is worth drizzling on other veggie concoctions.



Again, we've altered the original recipe just a tad. We're not fond of olives, so those are out. Also, we drain the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and keep it in reserve for the dressing, then add enough olive oil to make up the difference for the total amount called for.

Tortellini Pasta Salad

Salad Ingredients:
24 ounces cheese tortellini
2 cups celery, chopped
14 ounces artichoke hearts
3/4 cup green onion
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and oil reserved
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Oil from tomatoes + olive oil to make 1/2 cup
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon oregano, ground
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried basil or 1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
1 clove garlic, minced or finely chopped

Cook and drain tortellini according to package instructions. Allow it to cool. If desired, slice or chop sun-dried tomatoes.  Combine tortellini, celery, artichoke hearts, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Serve immediately or cover and chill for 3 hours. Best if chilled overnight.

Salad Day no. 1

We find ourselves mired in the first genuinely hot week of the year. Summer, my friends, is my least favorite season but at least eating salads makes it endurable. Our menu for the week is a string of salads. And here is the first one, originally from Taste of Home magazine. We have altered it very little, cutting down on the onion because breathing fire is not a desirable side effect of dinner for us. Also, because cherry tomatoes are beyond our budget and our own plants aren't bearing fruit yet, we chopped larger tomatoes into comparable chunks.



Asparagus Mozzarella Salad

Salad Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
2 cups chopped tomatoes (or grape or cherry tomatoes)
1 small shallot, halved and sliced
1/4 cup minced fresh basil

Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large saucepan, bring 1/2 in. of water to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the cheese, tomatoes, onion and basil.
In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, mustard and pepper. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Drizzle with lemon juice. Chill until serving. Yield: 15 servings (2/3 cup each).