Apple-Cinnamon Doughnuts

14 Nov 11 by | 1 Comment | 145 view(s)
Categories: family, food | Tags: ,

Our family (starting with Tim’s parents and maybe even before) holds hands and sings a prayer before dinner. (So consider yourself warned if you ever join us for dinner.) Perhaps the most beloved song is the one we call “Johnny Appleseed”. The tradition is that the youngest member of the family is given the opportunity to solo on the word appleseed. Well, back in 2004, as Oakley was still learning the song, the following was our version…

All: Oh, the Lord is good to me
All: And so I thank the Lord
All: For giving me the things I need
All: The sun, the rain, and the…
Aspen (then almost 4 years old): Say ‘apple’, Oakley
Oakley (then almost 2 years old): Apple!
Aspen: Say ‘seed’, Oakley
Oakley: Seed!
Aspen: The Lord is good to me.
Oakley: Amen

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Yeasted Cranberry-Pecan Pumpkin Loaves

20 Nov 10 by | 9 Comments | 1,184 view(s)
Categories: food | Tags: , , , ,

“The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight…”

-M.F.K. Fisher in The Art of Eating

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But what about the sound of good bread making? Yes, the sound, at least when it comes to these yeasted cranberry-pecan pumpkin loaves.

The boing, boing, boing of fresh cranberries bouncing, just like Tigger. While trying to stuff as many of these crimson beauties into the dough as possible, some inevitably ended up on my kitchen floor. Oops!

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Why do cranberries bounce?

Bolzano Pear and Chocolate Cake

7 Nov 10 by | 10 Comments | 1,713 view(s)
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We have a plethora of pears, thanks to a considerate friend and her parents’ pear trees. (Thanks Becky!)

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Butternut Squash Soup

19 Dec 09 by | 15 Comments | 3,153 view(s)
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I like to think of winter squash as the Aretha Franklins of the squash family – just looking for a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Summer squash, such as yellow crookneck, pattypan, and zucchini, get lots of love here in the South. Sadly, we often relegate winter varieties such as butternut, delicata, and carnival to backup singer status (or really, something closer to William Hung, you know, like, “Please, dear God, never let him sing again.” OK, wait, hold on just a second. I’ll return you to the food related portion of this post in a minute, but seriously… I just discovered that William Hung has a Christmas album. And yes, it really is called Hung for the Holidays. I mean, wow. WOW. OK, sorry, back to the squash.)

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Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Apple Hash

19 Nov 09 by | 2 Comments | 304 view(s)
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Growing up near Rocky Top, I always heard the sweet potato referred to as the “Big Orange” potato. While it may not be the official tuber of the Vols, I do think this savory combination of sweet potatoes, salty bacon, and tart apples would go a long way in closing the endorsement deal. As it’s now turkey time in Tennessee, give this the starting job in your Thanksgiving line-up and then watch any leftovers disappear the next morning when served alongside poached or fried eggs for breakfast. While folks here still “get their corn from a jar” (if you know what I mean), their sweet potatoes should come in the form of this heavenly harvest hash. Even Smokey would agree that it makes for some doggone good eats.

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Cranberry-Walnut Braid

13 Nov 09 by | 3 Comments | 1,070 view(s)
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No doubt about it, turkey is the star of the Thanksgiving feast. Following close on its heels (do turkeys have heels?) comes dressing. Farther down the hierachy of Thanksgiving essentials fall cranberries. However, this bread could change all that. Studded with cranberries and walnuts, scented with orange, and sporting a double-decker braid, this bread is centerpiece worthy.

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Bejeweled Pumpkin Risotto

2 Nov 09 by | 3 Comments | 431 view(s)
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Some things just go together. Like peanut butter and jelly. (Or is it peanut butter and chocolate?) Lately for me, it has been pumpkin and pomegranate, beginning with those cupcakes. Call this variation II on a theme.

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Pumpkin Pie Play Dough

27 Oct 09 by | 1 Comment | 108 view(s)
Categories: family, food | Tags: ,

Hours of fall fun for little hands. Plus, it’s easy as pie – pumpkin pie, that is!

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

25 Oct 09 by | 7 Comments | 2,162 view(s)
Categories: food | Tags: , ,

I haiku. Do you?

Pumpkin. Cranberries.
Autumnal cinnamon rolls.
Nuts. Maple glaze. Yum!

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Maple Ice Cream with Wet Nuts

20 Oct 09 by | 1 Comment | 235 view(s)
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When examining the graham cracker box the other day as we were making s’mores, the girls asked why they aren’t spelled “gram” crackers. We explained that things are often named after the person who invented or popularized them (in this case, by Sylvester Graham in 1829). Following this logic, Tim then made the leap that his current ice cream “flavor of the month” should be called Tim Ice Cream. Curiously, he doesn’t want the wet nuts to be called “Tim’s Nuts” – go figure!

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