Psst. Mother’s Day is this weekend. Here are some last minute card ideas.

That’s all I’m going to say about that because there are fun things to share.

I’m always a sucker for a good cafe. This one looks so inviting!

Some baby clothes that really hit the mark.

You don’t have to be a bird nerd to appreciate watching graceful birds nesting. The sound on this web cam is better than any sleep machine.

Watch a young girl grow up. Very sweet.

I love this. A garden book for kids.

Make your own sophisticated cord basket. This is on the list thanks to pinterest.

Everyone is talking about Paris in Color. I can’t wait to see it!

Breakfast is one of the best things in life. Have you seen this tumblr?

Beautiful artwork. I’ll take one of each.

I’ve included some pictures from our trip to Arizona last week where we visited Oatman, AZ. They town is full of donkeys left there by miners years ago!

Hi there.

Did you know Mother’s Day is coming up here shortly? Yes, it’s true. Mother’s Day is on May 13th. That’s this weekend!

I imagine many of you are rolling your eyes right now. You are keenly aware of Mother’s Day. You’re already a mom or an informed offspring or spouse who takes pride in staying current on such matters. But maybe, just maybe, this came as news to you. You read that line about the upcoming festival of mamas and you started a bit. A touch of panic, perhaps?

It’s O.K. There is still time. You can still run to the store and find something pretty, useful, or educational depending on the type of mom you’re celebrating. You can still find a decent bouquet of flowers. You might even be able to do this on Sunday morning before she rises. It always seems there are an abundance of people standing on corners selling flowers out of buckets on Mother’s Day. You know the ones. They have flowers wrapped up in cellophane that is scalloped and tinged with bits of red to look like lace? These fancy things might even be nestled alongside some teddy bears with velvet hearts sewn between 2 itty bitty paws.

Sounds perfect.

But I have another idea.

Make her something sweet she will enjoy when she wakes up in the morning.

Moms are tired. They don’t want to make breakfast complicated, but they do want to eat something delicious. Besides, breakfast is the best meal of the day. Anyone who thinks otherwise hasn’t had a decent breakfast. There are so many things to make for the first meal of the day it can make your head spin. I assure you, however, there is no need to fear this meal. In know it’s early in the morning and we are all a bit foggy, but I am going to give you a recipe, which will undoubtedly ensure your place in mom’s heart forever.

Coffee cake.

Big Crumb Coffee Cake, to be precise.

I typed that and my stomach audibly rumbled. It’s pretty remarkable, actually. I never considered myself a real coffee cake person. It’s not that I don’t like coffee cake because I do. I like it a lot. In fact, I eye those tempting chunks of coffee cake in the glass cases at coffee shops all of the time. But I mostly resist. I find I have a surprising amount of will power when presented with sweets I didn’t make in my home kitchen.

I also think part of my ability to resist coffee cake is due to my early childhood baking experiences. My mom didn’t bake coffee cake so I didn’t have the proper exposure. I’m sure this some sort form of mild abuse, but I haven’t examined the issue much. I can say I am putting all that behind me because the winds of change are blowing around here.

I am a coffee cake person. It’s official. This big crumb coffee cake will blow your mind. Did I just say that? I think I did. It’s absolutely true. Did I mention there is also rhubarb in this cake? Yes, rhubarb! I can think of nothing better to surprise that special mama’s taste buds as she bites into this delectable cake. It’s moist and sweet, but not too sweet. The sour cream and rhubarb add just the perfect and quite subtle tang. The crumb on top is truly something to behold. It’s big as the name suggests and moist unlike any other crumb topping. I can’t say which I like better. Unlike most cakes, the top and bottom are deliciously addictive in equal measure. That’s the mark of a superb cake.

I do hope you try it. Your mother, wife, sister, or whoever you are celebrating will be so happy to have a hunk of this waiting for her on Sunday morning. I do warn you, however, to keep the cake clear of your wee ones. I made the mistake of giving Maeve the tiniest morsel, which caused her to wail for more. She loved it. We all did. In fact, I had to remove the cake from the premises to ensure we did not eat the entire thing in one sitting. It was sad to see the lovely treat go, but our bellies needed a rest.

Oh, and speaking of rest, mom needs one. This mom, in fact, needs one right now. I’ll see you all soon.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Big Crumb Rhubarb Coffee Cake

FOR THE RHUBARB FILLING:

1/2 pound rhubarb, trimmed

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

FOR THE CRUMBS:

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup melted butter

1 3/4 cups cake flour

FOR THE CAKE:

1/3 cup sour cream

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup cake flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan. For filling, slice rhubarb 1/2 inch thick and toss with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside.

To make crumbs, in a large bowl, whisk together sugars, spices, salt and butter until smooth. Stir in flour with a spatula. It will look like a solid dough.

To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Scoop out about 1/2 cup batter and set aside.

Scrape remaining batter into prepared pan. Spoon rhubarb over batter. Dollop set-aside batter over rhubarb; it does not have to be even.

Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size. They do not have to be uniform, but make sure most are around that size. Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter (it might be moist from rhubarb), 45 to 55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Source: New York Times

I can hardly believe it’s nearly the end of April. The month got away from me as it so often does. I thought I had lots of time for projects before I leave for a short vacation. I was going to plant the tomatoes. I was going to weed the beds. I was planning on trying my hand at making Maeve another dress and finishing a baby quilt for a dear friend. I accomplished none of this. That’s not too surprising, however. I often find myself running out of time leaving a path of half-finished projects and a trail of sticky cheerios in my wake.

And, what else? I just realized Cinco De Mayo is right around the corner. I discovered this by accident. I was going back and forth with a friend of mine in an effort to schedule an extremely important and long-coveted meatball making event for May. It turned out the 5th of May was the only day in the near future on which all parties could meet for the meatball olympics. The 5th day of May sounded familiar. Why? Oh, right, it’s Cinco De Mayo. I stared at the calendar for just a moment weighing the meatballs against a celebration of Mexican food.

The meatballs won. I’m not sorry to reveal this either. It’s good to be honest here. You know where my priorities lie now. But don’t fret. I made you Huevoros Rancheros to make up for it. It’s one of our favorite meals around here. I figure we can start at Cinco De Mayo with a fine and traditional breakfast. We can even sip a few margaritas on the back porch in the afternoon. By the evening, however, I will be getting down to the serious business of Greek meatball making. I can’t wait!

What will you be doing for Cinco de Mayo? If you also inadvertently made other plans, you can follow my lead. Huevos Rancheros is an easy breakfast that packs tons of flavor. The only time involved is what it takes to make the sauce and that is less than 10 minutes. This recipe is suprisingly simple and quick to make. It’s actually such a flavorful sauce that it strikes me as ridiculous. How is it that I have to simmer my meat sauces for hours to get the same depth of flavor? It’s sort of mysterious, but I’m not going to complain. I can attribute much of the flavor here to the chilies, which are packed in adobe sauce. They’re so smokey and delicious that their addition makes any sauce a savory miracle.

I’ll see you all soon, my friends. I’ll do my best to send a very sweaty update from the belly of Arizona.

Huevos Rancheros

1/2 white onion, roughly diced

1 large clove garlic, crushed

1 28 oz can organic tomato puree

1 tablespoon of chilies in adobe sauce

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

8 large eggs

4 large corn tortillas

2 tablespoons feta cheese

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley (optional)

Heat 1/2 of the oil in a pan on medium high heat. While the pan heats, puree the tomato sauce, garlic, chilies, and white onion in a food processor until smooth.  When smooth, pour the mixture in the hot pan and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently.  Remove from heat.

In another large frying pan, heat the remaining oil on low to medium heat. Crack all 8 eggs into the pan. Cover the pan and cook the eggs on the low heat until set, about 2-3 minutes. (You can use two pans if your pan isn’t big enough to accomodate 8 eggs)

In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining teaspoon of oil over medium to high heat. Fry the tortillas quickly warming each side but not browning them.

Place a cooked tortilla on a plate and top with 2 eggs. Drizzle sauce over the white part of the egg. Top with feta cheese and a bit of parsley.

I decided to do a list of things I love about Seattle. You have Ann to thank for this suggestion.

This isn’t an exhaustive list nor is it a typical one. I figure you already know about Pike Place Market and the Space Needle. Who doesn’t? Instead, I decided to share a few of my favorite places in Seattle about which you might not already know.

Enjoy and please feel free to email me with any questions!

The above picture was taken in West Seattle. This totem pole is a small spot, but it boasts one of the coolest views of the city.

If you like combining food, drinks, and crazy movies together, you’ll love the Central Cinema.

For summertime swimming, you have got to visit Coleman Pool. It’s a saltwater pool right on the shores of the Puget Sound. You can even host a private pool party there!

There are two places in this city for extraordinary sandwiches. I mean this. You will be forever changed by the Italian sandwiches at Salumi and the Caribbean sandwiches at Paseo.

While we are on the topic of food, please eat an amazing twice-baked almond croissant at Bakery Nouveaux.  For the best baguettes, I prefer Columbia City Bakery.

For a hearty breakfast, I love the Heartland Cafe. I also love the lesser-known Continental Greek restaurant in the University District. You will NOT find a better fried potato anywhere in this city.

If you are here on a Friday night and have a hankering for something different, I strongly encourage you to go to Dom Polski. It’s like walking into Poland and it is SO much fun. Delicious too.

Do you like coffee? I’m an addict. If you are downtown, take a moment to visit The Good Coffee Company. No frills here or fresh cups of coffee, but you can watch them grind fresh beans and learn a thing or two at the same time from the knowledgeable staff.

For a hot cup and a short jaunt from The Good Coffee Company, I love Trabant Coffee on 2nd Avenue. It’s wonderful organic coffee and a well-lit space to rest in an otherwise busy part of downtown.

One of my favorite quiet indoor places is the Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington. The cathedral like space is spectacular and perfect for a quiet moment. Also, the Chapel of St. Ignatius at Seattle University is beautiful. You don’t have to be religious to enjoy the light in this hideaway. It’s a nice respite from the craziness of the Capital Hill neighborhood.

Sunday afternoons are best spent wandering the stalls of the Fremont Sunday Market. Fresh fruits, baked goods, and a thrifter’s heavenly flea market.

There are a lot of places to eat pizza in this town. Everyone flocks to the wood fired pizza joints. They’re O.K., but I’d much rather have a big slice of pizza with fresh ingredients from Proletariat Pizza in White Center. While this isn’t technically Seattle, it’s worth a visit for some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. Also, you can have homemade ice cream across the street at Full Tilt Ice Cream or a nearby pint at Big Al’s Brewery.  And, other coolness? White Center has a roller rink too!

Finally, I love the Georgetown Trailer Park Mall. That sounds weird, I know. The trailer park is actually a group of airstream trailers, which were converted into small thrift stores and line one of the alleys in this very cool neighborhood of Seattle just south of Boeing Field. I’ve included some pictures to prove such a spot exists!

I’ll see you later this week. I hope you will try out some of this lesser-known spots in the Emerald City. If you do, I’d love to hear about it!

I even remembered the snacks. It was a miracle because I don’t always remember the snacks. Sometimes, I forget the snacks, but remember to pack an extra pair of baby socks. Sometimes, I forget the socks, but I manage to refill the wipe container. On those days, I’m certain to forget the diapers. That’s just how it is on most days. Yesterday, however, I was jolted out of a sleepy haze when the electricians arrived at 7:30 in the morning. I was in my pajamas. We all were. There is nothing quite like two strangers wondering around your home with big ladders and bright-eyed-ready-to-work faces when you are still seeing blurry and garbed in pink fuzzy pajamas. It’s humbling and more than a little embarrassing.

But I got it together despite the circumstances. Bits of ceiling rained down all around me as I snipped grapes into itty bitty pieces. I made a sandwich. I packed diapers, wipes, extra clothes, socks, and the aforementioned snacks. I was feeling accomplished. Nothing was going to stop me. We managed to get out the house in record time and even to wash our redheads. I stopped for gas. There were no tears. I drove to Greenlake while the little red fox napped peacefully. My friend arrived on time as well and pulled into the spot next to me. What are the chances of two miraculous parking spots on a busy day at the lake? Very slim, I am sure.

It was all rainbows as my friend parked her car and I pulled Maeve from her carseat. Yes, it was quite perfect until a split second later when I spun around and shut the car door.

I froze. I knew immediately.

I locked EVERYTHING in the car. Snacks too! Everything, but the baby. I guess I have to be thankful for that.

It was a tough morning and I’ll admit I nearly cried when the auto rescue service was an hour late and my wee one was screaming for food. What a morning. It does make you thankful for the little things. Little things like moments of peace, baby smiles, and long naps. And, really, the whole thing got me thinking about parenthood. It’s pretty great nearly all of the time. If you are thinking about becoming a parent, I encourage you to do so. The good parts far outweigh the bad.  That being said, things are going to change. Drastically. Yes, I know you know that. But it’s a hard thing to wrap your brain around without a solid basis for comparison.

One thing I never considered before Maeve arrived was my concept of luxury. I’m not talking about trips to the spa. There’s more to it than that. I’m in my thirties and my sense of what’s special and how I like to spend my money and downtime was well-developed at the time Maeve arrived.  Most of those little luxiourous pleasures are gone and redeveloped. Am I a bit wistful? Sometimes. I have a new concept of luxury, however.

These days, it’s bliss when I’m able to walk through my house barefooted without stepping on bits of chewed up food and miscellaneous toys. It’s wonderful to take a shower for more than 5 minutes and actually condition my hair. Putting on earrings makes me feel like a superstar. And the bathroom? Well, it’s perfectly brilliant when I’m able to close the bathroom door without protest and do whatever it is I might need to do.

The greatest luxury, however, is the ability to bake or cook something that’s more than just boiled noodles or stir-fried vegetables. Those moments are note-worthy and often make it onto this blog. It doesn’t happen everyday, which is why I’m so happy to find baking recipes that are easy and require only inactive time. I can wait for things to rise. I have nothing but time to wait for things to rise because I’m certain to be whisked off into another room to read countless books or to crawl around on my hands and knees pretending to be a wild elephant.

I’m excited to share this recipe for focaccia with you. There are other easy homemade breads out there, but this one was on the super easy side of things. That’s because I barely used my hands or brain for any of this. I used the dough hook on the mixer instead of my bare hands. I bet you have one of those. If you do have one and some basic ingredients, you can whip up this miracle bread. I made it twice in quick succession so I’m quite confident a more organized person can make enough focaccia for an army in no time.

And you should. This bread is wonderful. It’s aromatic. The rosemary scent will fill your house. The buttery flavor will compliment nearly any sandwich. Or, eat it on its own. That’s what we did. We stood over the rack of barely cool bread and inhaled big hunks of it one bright afternoon. Maeve too. She loved it and that’s a huge selling point around this place.

I do caution you to watch your bread. Focaccia cooks quickly. That’s good and bad. Start checking in at 20 minutes. My first batch was a touch more golden than I’d like, which dried out the bread a bit. It was still edible, but focaccia is best when it’s softer and more moist. Take it out of the oven when it’s just golden all over and you’ll see what I mean. It will be perfection and you won’t be able to resist pulling off big pieces before it’s cool.

I bid you amazing weeks. Keep your ovens on and your keys close, my friends. I’ll see you soon!

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Stir together 1 2/3 cups lukewarm (105 to 115°F) water and yeast in bowl of mixer and let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups flour, 1/4 cup oil, and 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt and beat with paddle attachment at medium speed until a dough forms. Replace paddle with dough hook and knead dough at high speed until soft, smooth, and sticky, 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour. Knead dough 1 minute (it will still be slightly sticky), then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with oil. Let rise, covered with plastic wrap, at warm room temperature, until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Press dough evenly into a generously oiled 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan. Let dough rise, covered completely with a kitchen towel, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Stir together rosemary and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Make shallow indentations all over dough with your fingertips, then brush with rosemary oil, letting it pool in indentations. Sprinkle sea salt evenly over focaccia and bake in middle of oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Immediately invert a rack over pan and flip focaccia onto rack, then turn right side up. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Gourmet

It was a rough weekend. I’ll explain more later this week, but here are some links and fun pictures for a brighter Monday!

I firmly believe anytime is a good time for chocolate. Learn how to make your own pretty chocolates here.

Crafty and cool jumbo cross-stitch.

You might not have time for a trip to the museum, but you can explore some pretty amazing art on-line through the Google Art Project.

An affordable pop of pastel color for your ears.

I want every single one of these amazing drawings.

And, while I’m on the subject of decorating, wouldn’t it be wonderful to have gorgeous floor cushions for the kiddos?

Where’s Walrus? This is such a sweet book. It’s Maeve’s new favorite.

I’m a real sucker for adorable lunch containers.

Cheese is good for you. I knew it!

A very clever kitchen tool.

More lovely kitchen knives.

I’ll see you mid-week. In the meantime, please pop me an email if you’re interested in advertising here next month!

achowlife(at)gmail.com

Life can really surprise and delight sometimes.

Lisa and I grew up together just one house apart in the Sunset District of San Francisco. We are the same age. We played together as children and went to the same high school. But we lost contact, which so often happens when you are thrust into adulthood at 18 years of age. We landed in different colleges in different states. And, apart from the occasional conversations of our polite parents who remain neighbors, I didn’t hear much about Lisa over the years.  Now, here were are many many years later with our little kids and our growing families. We both love clothes and pretty things. We both love our mid century homes, our husbands, and our wee ones. And, most delightfully, we both love to eat.

Did I mention pizza? Yes, we love it. Sure, that might not be entirely uncommon, but it’s enough for me. Lisa introduced me to a brilliant cookbook and a revelatory pizza recipe. I’m simply not letting go of this girl again.

Last month during our stay in San Francisco, Lisa and her husband had us over for dinner one night. It turned out to be a perfect night with the sky clearing just in time for a lovely sunset and a fun meal. The kids played well. The boys chatted. And we all ate a lot. I mean that. I probably ate more pizza that night than I did during all my middle school slumber parties combined. Yes, it was gluttonous. Yes, it was worth it.

This pizza I speak of is bright. It’s lemony and fresh. The cilantro marries so perfectly with the tart tomatoes, lemon juice, and zest. It’s a combination, which would never occur to me. I’m not that creative. However, I am so thankful that there are people in this universe who are pizza geniuses. I’m also thankful that those very geniuses created a wonderful cookbook, which I bought within hours of this dinner party.

Thank you, Lisa, for everything. Next time, we will feast in Seattle. I can’t promise it will blow your mind like this pizza. I can, however, promise to cook with tons of love for you guys.

Yeasted Pizza Dough (Makes three 10 inch pizzas)

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 and 1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 and 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, whisk the yeast into the warm water until dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes.

If using stand mixer, add all the olive oil, salt and 2 cups of the flour to the bowl. Using the paddle attachment on low speed, mix for 5 minutes to form a wet dough. Add 1 and 1/2 cups more flour, and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour by the tablespoonful as needed to form a soft dough with a nice sheen; it should be a little sticky, but not too wet.

If making by hand, add the olive oil, salt and 2 cups of flour to the bowl. Using a wooden spoon, mix for at least 5 minutes to form a wet dough. Pour 1 and 1/2 cups flour onto a work surface, place the dough on top of it, and knead it for about 8 minutes to form a soft dough with a nice sheen; it should be sticky but not too wet. If the dough sticks to the work surface, rub a little olive oil on it. if the dough is impossibly sticky, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour by the tablespoon as needed.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a large well oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Or, put the dough in the fridge and let rise overnight. The next day let it stand at room temperature for 2 hours before proceeding with recipe.

Tomato, Feta, and Lemon Zest Pizza

1 clove garlic minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 recipe (above) yeasted pizza dough
Fine yellow cornmeal or flour for sprinkling
4 cups (1 pound) shredded Mozerella cheese
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 ounces sheep’s milk Feta, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon

Arranged the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If using a baking stone, place it on the floor of the oven and preheat the oven for 45 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the garlic and olive oil. Set aside.

To shape the pizzas, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it into 3 pieces. Gently form each piece into a loose round and cover with a floured kitchen towel. Let rest for 20 minutes. Scatter cornmeal over 3 inverted baking sheets. Shape each round into a 10 inch disk.

Divide the Mozzarella into 2 piles, one about two thirds the total amount and the other one-third. Line up the 3 pizzas for assembly. Scatter the larger amount of cheese of the 3 pizzas, leaving a 1/2 inch rim. Layer the onion on top of the cheese and place the sliced tomatoes over the onion leaving a bit of space between each slice. Distribute the remaining Mozzarella on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with the Feta.

If using a baking stone, place a baking sheet with a pizza on the lower rack and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pizza to the upper rack, place the second pizza in the oven on the lower rack, and continue baking for 10 minutes. Then, finish baking the first pizza by sliding it off the pan directly onto the lower oven rack. Rotate the second pizza to the upper rack. Bake the pizza on the lower rack for 4-8 minutes to crisp the bottom until well browned. Finish baking the second and third pizzas in the same manner. Immediately after removing each pizza from the oven, brush the garlic oil onto the rim. Garnish with lemon zest and cilantro. Sprinkle lemon juice sparingly over the top.

Source: The Cheeseboard Collective Works

What are you going to do with all those leftover eggs from Easter? Here are ome ideas.

A gorgeous rainy springtime wedding in PDX at the Ace Hotel.

And, speaking of my talented husband, he shot the above picture during April in Portland a couple of years ago.

Pretty spring sandals. I’ll take one in green and another in yellow, please.

A kitchen garden plan. Tell my husband to start digging. I hate that part.

Turn on your grill, people.

Some spring cookbook lust.

Interesting. What’s your take? Is your daughter fat or are you crazy?

Polaroid Postcards.

Adorable alert. This is my new favorite etsy store. Customize your baby plates, prints, and pillows!

Stay tuned this week for a super fabulous pizza extravaganza.

I like cake, but that is no revelation. Everyone likes cake. It’s like puppies. Everyone likes puppies. If you don’t, there is probably something wrong with you and you should stop reading this blog and seek help.

Alright, that might sound a bit extreme.  If you really want to know the truth, I’ll take a slice of pie over a slice of the most decadent chocolate cake any day of the week. I mean that. Pie is divine. What other dessert, apart from a beloved crisp, always delights in showcasing something seasonal and fresh? I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find one. While folks do some wild and fun stuff with ice cream these days, that just won’t cut it. If you have to use a spoon, what’s the point?

Pie is on my mind a lot these days. I suppose it’s because it’s spring now and I know the growing season is just beginning.  There is always something new to put in a pie. Really, it’s so forgiving. With the right dough, you can’t go wrong. This week, I came home to my meager garden only to discover a vibrant rhubarb plant growing there amongst a pile of soppy leaves and countless ignored projects and plants. Oh, rhubarb, you are always the earliest to arrive and the last one to leave. I have to thank you for that.

I took it as a sign. I had to make pie. After all, Maeve needs to understand what is so wonderful about the spring. Although she loves mud and puddles, there is more to it than that. So I cast aside her sugar restrictions for an afternoon so she could experience the first fruits of spring. And, as you can see, the apple does not fall far from the tree. I’m not sure she ever ate with such vigor. It was fun to watch, but I only gave her half a pie. She is a tiny little thing, after all. Or maybe I needed more pie for myself? I can’t recall. Either way, the hand pies were a hit. They’re a far cry from those awful hand pies they sold during middle school lunches. You know the ones, right? They were in waxy white packages with colorful writing? They always seemed tempting until you bit into one and discovered it tasted like soap. I would know too. My mother washed my mouth out with soap on more than one occasion. It was disgusting and not unlike those middle school pies.

This pie is lovely. It’s a bit tart because of the rhubarb and the lemon juice, but that’s what I like about it. The pear and sugar really mellow out the punch and give it a nice and not-so-sweet flavor. The dough is a perfect consistency too. With a bit of buttermilk to add a slight tang and keep it together, it’s not too crumbly, but not soggy either. Plus, the pie is easy to eat too and fits so perfectly into the palm of your hand. I’m not sure why it took me so long to make a hand pie, but I’m looking forward to many many more. We enjoyed ours on Sunday afternoon with hot coffee. There’s not much better than that, I think. Cake simply cannot compete.

Rhubarb and Pear Hand Pies 

For the pastry:

3 cups all purpose flour + more for dusting

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar +more for dusting

1 large egg

3 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)

2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg white, lightly beaten

For the filling:

4 cups washed and thinly sliced rhubarb

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons lemon juice

2 medium pears, washed, peeled, and roughly chopped

2 teaspoons corn starch

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  With an electric mixture on high speed, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add egg, and beat until just combined.  Add cream cheese, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Beat until well combined.  Add reserved flour mixture, and beat until smooth.  Form dough into a ball, and cover with plastic wrap.  Flatten dough into a disk, and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight. Or, freeze it for up to 1 month (thaw in refrigerator before using).

Add the rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, and pears to a non-reactive heavy pot and heat over medium heat until soft, about 15 minutes. You can use a potato masher to mash up the bits of fruit into smaller pieces as it cooks. Add the cornstarch and boil for about 1 minute until it dissolves into the mixture and thickens.   Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator.  Let it stand at room temperature until pliable, 2-3 minutes.  Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 4 and1/2 inch or 5 inch rounds using a cookie cutter or round bowl (overturned). Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Spoon 1 tablespoon filling tinto the center of each round and brush the edges with water.  Fold round in half.  Using a fork, press down on the edges to seal.  Repeat with remaining rounds.  (Note: if you are using a slightly bigger round, you can spoon up to 2 spoonfuls of the mixture into each round)

Lightly brush the egg white over the pie tops and sprinkle them with the remaining sugar.  Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.  Transfer pies to a wire rack to cool.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: You can use whatever you like to fill these gorgeous little hand pies. Jam is wonderful as are preserves and lemon curd.

Source: The pie crust recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart.

We’re home and it feels so good. I missed this place despite the rain and gray skies. I still cannot quite get used to a rainy Easter, but it’s fun to brighten it up with pretty things. Here are some of my favorite Easter bits from around the web.

DIY eggs from silk neckties. Pretty incredible.

Vibrant DIY eggs with Rit dye.

DIY speckled eggs.

Wooden bunnies.

Paper bunnies.

DIY cloth bunny puppets.

Make your own bunny kit.

A very sweet bunny bowl for the wee one.

Spring pudding from delightful Sweet Paul Magazine.

Hot cross buns glazed with apricot jam (pictured above) are always a favorite. Or, possibly an apple oven pancake?

I just can’t resist sweet bunny cookies.

A pretty pink necktie for the ladies. And, one really sweet bow for the wee one too.

Scalloped white shoes.