"The wife is like the fire, or to put things in their proper proportion, the fire is like the wife.
Like the fire, the woman is expected to cook: not to excel in cooking, but to cook,

.... be a cook, but not a competitive cook,

a school mistress, but not a competitive schoolmistress; a house-decorator but not a competitive house-decorator, etc...
She should have not one trade but twenty hobbies; she... may develop all her second bests.


Women were not kept at home in order to keep them narrow;
on the contrary, they were kept at home in order to keep them broad.
"

G.K. Chesterton, What's Wrong with the World?

August 5, 2013

Lemon Vinaigrette


 I've been experimenting with fresh salad dressings for a few years now. 
 This is one of my favorites.


Mix together in a bowl:

1/4 tsp Fresh Lemon Peel
1 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
2 tsp Minced Shallots (I've also substituted garlic)
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Honey
1-2 tsp Dijon Mustard (optional, for more flavor and a thicker consistency)
Salt and Pepper to Taste


While whisking these ingredients in a bowl, slowly pour in:

2-3 TBS Walnut Oil or Olive Oil
(The walnut oil gives it a lighter and nuttier flavor)

And my favorite salad to put it on:

Mixed Greens
A thinly sliced Granny Smith Apple
Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese
Roasted Walnuts



You can dress it right before serving or serve the dressing on the side.

August 1, 2013

Fruit Cobbler

This is our favorite cobbler recipe.  We snagged it from my sister-in-law Susie many years ago.  It's originally made for blackberries, but we've used it for peaches and raspberries.  I think this topping/crust would work over anything.
 (Just check the ingredients and you'll know why. :)

We've used canned peaches in the winter, but in July we love to use fresh peaches.  You simply blanch the peaches, peel them, dice them into bite size pieces and they're ready to be baked.

                Fresh peach cobbler:


Fruit Cobbler

1. Set oven to 350 degrees.
2. Layer about 5 cups berries (or peeled diced peaches) evenly in a 9 x 13" pan.
3. Mix together these ingredients to make topping:

  1 cup butter
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 cup flour
1 cup oats

4. Spread topping evenly over berries.
5. Bake for 40 minutes or until topping is lightly browned.


Experiment with different berries and fruits or different flours.  Here's a version I made with two and a half cups each of fresh blackberries and fresh blueberries, and I replaced half the butter with a half cup almond butter. See photo below. It was a success!)