Double cranberry orange bread

It's Wednesday and Cook's Corner arrived with several good looking recipes.  I want to make this bread recipe for Easter because I have plans to have a really big platter of different slices of cakes and breads.  I have three already in the Easter section of the freezer.  This one looks scrumptious.  This recipe came from a new book: Everyday Baker which is new on the market for $40.  I don't know how they keep on printing cookbooks with the Internet having every recipe one could possible think of at a finger's touch.  But they do, so here is one from Everyday Baker, which is supposed to make you get right up and start baking...





Double cranberr
Prepare the loaf pan with spray or butter and flour (I use loaf pan papers which are easy and reliable.)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped (I keep these in the freezer all winter to have on hand.)
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
 1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Oven: center rack 350 preheat

Prepare you pan 8 1/2x 1/2x2 3/4 inch loaf pan
Put the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in medium bowl and whisk until until well blended.  Put in the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla in a small bowl or measure the buttermilk in a 2-cup glass measure and add the eggs and vanilla that way) and whisk until blended.  Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients along with the melted butter, fresh and dried cranberries and zest. Gently fold (NO stirring) until blended. Even it out and scatter the almonds on top. bake 55-60 minutes depending on your oven.  Let cool 15 minutes and release it from the pan.

More reading from the blue chair~

I read cookbooks like novels but not in great gulps.  I leave the current read by my blue kitchen chair (that goes outside in the summer) and at a few times during the day I sit down there with the current new cookbook or an old dog-eared friend and read. I slip a paper between the pages of the recipe I want to try from that book yet sometimes I am so inspired I get up and produce something.  At times it is the very recipe and other times it is a hybrid inspired by a recipe that I have just read. I finished Ruth Reichl's My Kitchen Year and was pleased to leave her happy at the end.  She had quite a journey in the year after Gourmet, but she seemed 'fixed' by the year she spent in her kitchen cooking away and getting back in touch.  Honey & Company is now on the blue chair read.  I can stand maybe eight to ten pages at a time reading a cookbook, but then I have to 'do something'. Honey & Company is London based and I am eager to read on. (But I am also into Lisa Gardner's new book, Find Her, which is a psychological thriller and she is really good at what she does.)

Honey & Company, London.

Reading, not cooking

After several weeks of no-read, I am suddenly at it again on Kindle Cloud.  I started and finished a book yesterday and am into page 147 of this book I have to tell you to find and read: THE PRESIDENT KILLED HIS WIFE.  I am afraid my family will starve because I can't stop to cook. If you like Lee Child's books or Stuart Wood's books, you will find this book very satisfying and compelling.  I went from the good little book called The Little Bookshop on the Seine which I liked and finished in a day to this one and I can tell you reading on line or on Kindle paperwhite is the way to go.  My house is loaded with books and I give them away but they multiply on their own, so Kindle is my new best friend. The sun is shining and there things to do, but I am off to read.  Catch you later.
Note:  I finished the book and am breathless.
I am now on chapter three of his next book, Counterblow. Also received Find Her by Lisa Gardner today and The City of Falling Angels  by John Berendt.  (Beth and the Cincy Lechler ladies are going to Italy in June and her aunt said she should read this before going.)  It is by the same author as Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. No cooking today.  Looks like Chinese take out.

Corn on the cob~

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups grated old cheddar cheese (the stronger the cheese the more flavour in the biscuit), you may use a combination of Jalapeno or other strong flavoured cheeses, mix it up a bit.
• 1-14 oz. can creamed corn
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp. milk to brush on top

1. Combine all dry ingredients. 
2. Cut in butter, stir in cheese, corn and eggs.
3. Knead 10-12 times.
4. Roll out to 1" thick on a lightly floured counter.
5. Cut into desired shape.
6. Brush tops with milk.
7. Bake @ 400 for 20 minutes or until golden brown (each oven varies, so keep a close eye on them.)
8. These are very quick and easy to mix up and fresh hot out of the oven is always best!

Picture and recipe from Mennonite Girls Can Cook (blog)

The Spook House

I remember the times when our boys were small and Andy's co-worker had fields of corn.  Andy would meet him in the field and load up our yellow station wagon brimmed full with the luscious offering of summer.  A final gift of summer. I would call my mother and give her the warning that we were on our way to the Spook House.  When we arrived big pots of boiling water were burbling away under the outdoor fire station.  Tables were covered with oil cloth, knives were sharpened and containers and bags were at the ready, but first we would have our fill of buttered corn.  Everyone we knew wanted to be with us that week end to enjoy the harvest.  First the corn was boiled, then stations of strippers cut the corn from the ears and filled bags for freezing while relaying how the bags would come in handy when snow was flying. Secured in ice chests, the corn stayed cool for the trip home.  I loved that time as well as the cherry picking time at the Spook House. Our
children have a lot of good memories. Our
boys and their cousins had a wonderful childhood.  They were lucky. This biscuit recipe would have been put to good use had we had it then.

Pursuit of happiness three

Otterbein sorority formal 1958 (Andy was in the background.)
Otterbein University

This is what has made me happiest~
Andy and I will be married 57 years April 4th.

     

Beth, Mike, Nate and Alyssa

Doris Lechler's childhood home in water color.

Glenda, Andy, David and Johnna, Melbourn Beach, Fla.

Doris Lechler

January 15 at 4:23pm · 

Today on the beach after a big stor

January 15 at 4:23pm 

Johnna, JD, David and Glenda and Joe

Doris Lechler

January 15 at 3:11pm · 

They're here. Florida, New England Eatery

·

Things that make me smile:

Family in St Augustine, Florida

Doris, Andy, Michael and David

Add caption

Back row: Mike, Beth, Alyssa, David; front row Jack (a friend), Brooks and JD.                      





Beth and her mother

                                         

David, JD, Johnna

Adam on top of the world. That makes me happy.

2016 Matt and Andy at the beach in January.


                        Making stock    

Entertaining makes me smile...

                   
                       

                                                                        

part 2 pursuit of happiness

     Everyone's hungry at Many Branches                                                                          

This is part two of the things that make me happy although not in any particular order of preciousness.

Winter cooking makes me happy and it follows the first of the series which was the home.             Cooking for loved ones in Hilton Head one Thanksgiving at the beach.

            

                                             
Easter roast (I want this now, please.)

he beginning of the set up~he beginning of the set up

                    Love beef stew,  perfect for this kind of weather.

Worth showing twice...beef stew

Be prepared for a crowd, always.

Afternoon tea

                                   From Andy's garden...it will come again soon. Sigh.

                                             

                                                     

                   

Using my 30 year old cake pans which I will keep on using since Nordic pans STICK.



I once loved my series of Nordic pans, now...not so much, they stick!


As you can see, I love to cook and I love the people who eat my cooking.

                                                  

WANT TO MAKE LIZZIE D's RED VELVET CHEESECAKE BROWNIES



                             
Skillet lasagna with noodles you don't have to boil and then bake.

Honey bun cake. I've made this a dozen times at least.

                                                                              

Pursuit of happiness~

   I just discovered Susan Branch this morning
and she reminds me so much of Tasha Tudor
whom you all remember I am sure.  Susan has
a really interesting and cozy blog, and, she has
several books one of which is about to come out
in a few days.
    I thought to share of few ideas of what makes
me happy in the pursuit of pleasure and happiness...
just for fun.  (This will be on going due to the trouble of getting so many pictures on this blog at one time.)

Our home makes us very happy.

                       
Many Branches


                      

A French baker's rack and wire servers...

Twin pantry cupboards with hand painted still life art
                                             



                                                                             
          
We liked spending the last four Januarys at the beach house with Joe (Andy's brother and his wife, Glenda.  A full month together without a spat.






                                   Having Mike and Beth and Nate with us makes us happy.

Loving vintage glass ware and china for entertaining~

                 

      I place these little felt baskets on the adult Easter tables so guest can select an after dinner drink from the basket choices.                                                                          

An early Haviland fresh strawberry server with a sugar basket for dipping.  Each person would get their own little handled scoop filled with beautiful spring berries.  They knew how to entertain back then.Below that, in an awkward posting, is a collection of trios, all different which consists of a tea cup and saucer and a matching cookie plate.

An early server for fresh strawberries; note the sugar basket for dipping.                                    

Antique tea cups, saucers and matching dessert plate. Everyone gets a different trio.

A place setting of beautiful dishes that Monet used from the book Monet's Table. Haviland makes them available now.                                                        

Each person gets a different dessert trio: cup, saucer and dessert plate. Also pictured, cake plates and other serving pieces.     The yellow is Monet's table ware shown in Monet's Tabl


                                                                 

                                                   
                                                               

                                                                          

Antique trios: tea cup, saucer and dessert plate.  Everyone gets a different set.