Milk and Cookies: Graham Crackers

To be honest, I had never considered making home-made graham crackers. I take it for granted that when I want a yummy cookie to dip into my milk, I can simply pull one out of a cellophane wrapper. So when I stumbled upon this months Daring Bakers' Challenge, it was a revelation of sorts: 'Home-made graham crackers? What a novel idea!' I'm on it.

And if you're wondering, they do taste like the store-bought kind....only better. Their texture is a bit less crunchy and their fine, honey flavor produces a great flourish. There goes one for a dunk right now.

If nothing else, these babies permeate your home with a wonderful warm, honeyed aroma for hours. Better than any Bath & Body Works candle I've ever come across... ;-)

I chose to make the ones from Heidi's blog, using all-purpose flour instead of going the gluten-free route. I made up the dough the night before and chilled it overnight.

Honey bear lost his head in honey.

It rolled out quite easily, cold from the fridge. It was cut into rectangles and chilled again for about a half hour before baking.



I sprinkled one tray with sugar and cinnamon.
The scrappy ones will be crumbled up for use in Part 2 of this challenge...stay tuned. :)

The January 2010 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Naniamo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.naniamo.ca.

Flying High

Jumping on a plane this morning to fly across the States -- should be packing right now but I'm giving into the procrastination bug...figure I'll just throw in a few things at the last minute and hope for the best! :-p -- I was considering what snacks to bring onboard.

I'm loading up a baggie with carrot sticks, another with Trader Joe's Sweet, Savory & Tart Trek Mix, a Cara Cara orange, and perhaps tossing a few granola bars into the mix. I like to bring healthy snacks along with me as most offered in the airports are both laden with preservatives and cost an arm and a leg. I would like to keep mine, thank you. ;)

It is sometimes difficult now with the restrictions on liquids. I used to bring along a yogurt cup, but that counts as a liquid. I had to throw it out last time I went through screening. I also drink copious amounts of water, especially important when you're flying, but, again, can't take that through the security screening check point. I've been known to gulp down 40 oz. of water just so I wouldn't have to throw out a bottle I just purchased, but I've learned my lesson and now tote along an empty water bottle I fill up as soon as I pass through those invasive machines.

I do have a weak spot for fro yo and ice cream, however....will probably make a pit-stop in Chicago for a quick treat. Haven't figured out how to pack those into my carry-on just yet.... :)

What sorts of comestibles do you prepare for your high-flying trips??

Chocolate Chex

Working with children, I often get to do childish things....like eat CHOCOLATE cereal. Hehehe. :)

I'm not usually a fan of sugary cereals, but when one appears within my peripheral vision with 'chocolate' on the label one of those days I'm particularly craving chocolate -- watch out. Must. Have. Chocolate. Now. Yeah, one of those days. I could eat the whole box. Good thing it was time for me to go on my break....

But seriously, folks, this is good stuff. Especially mixed together with a handful of chocolate chips and mini-marshmallows. We like to call it "Better Together Chex Mix" or "Smores Chex." You decide whichever suits your chocolately mood. ;)

Spaghetti with Cabernet Bolognese

"A good meal must be as harmonious as a symphony and as well-constructed as a Norman cathedral." ~Fernand Point

Even the simplest of suppers, when brought together just right, can prove a melodious tune. Case in point: a very easy dish to make in large quantities and freeze, this hearty meat sauce was a breeze to make (and consume!) and had me humming and dancing around the room

before and after its completion. :)

I started by sauteeing a chopped, large onion, several cloves of minced garlic and half-pound of sliced crimini mushrooms in olive oil. (A bell pepper would also be a great addition.) Then, I browned a pound of ground beef in the same pan.

Classico makes a wonderful Cabernet Marinara sauce which I added last to the pan and allowed to simmer for about 20 minutes.

I served it over spaghetti with some freshly grated parmesan, accompanied by steamed zucchini seasoned with salt and pepper.

This Pinot Noir in Robert Mondavi's Private Selection created a perfect harmony in this dinner orchestra.

Lands End

Lands End.

A place where the world drops off into a vast unknown. A place where you can contemplate the enormity of reality while you stand in the midst of it as a tiny, yet significant speck. A place which evokes every emotion. A place where many are missed. A place to stage Greek tragedies by flashlight. A place to imbibe inebriating drinks. A place to engage in deep philosophical discussion. A place to juggle or to toss. A place of bonfires and revelry. A place to fill every pocket with grains of sand. A place of first dates and moonlight walks. A place to turn cartwheels and skip. A place to simply feel the cool mist rising up off the water against your face. A place to just be. A place of memories....

There are few places in the world that hold so much significance for me. This wonderful space at the western end of San Francisco is one such place.

On a family excursion through the mid-West one summer, we stopped in a small town called Cody, Wyoming. It receives its name from a character in history by the name of Buffalo Bill Cody.

He was a travelling showman with a Wild West motif.

For a time in a the early 1900s, his show was camped in San Francisco along the bay.

In 1902, he took this photograph with his crew along Ocean Beach, which I came across while wandering through the museum in Cody dedicated to his life, filled with memorabilia from his show. (In September 2008, a man created a tribute to this photo with cardboard cutouts and it was on display for a week or so at the beach!)

It is funny the things in life which evoke a connection with people through the annals of history. To see a place where I had spent so much time, and to know that he had to, created a seeming bond between us. I knew just how special that place could be. And continues to be....

Glance up to the right-hand corner of the photograph and you will spot a grand building sitting atop an outcropping overlooking the ocean. This is the famous Cliff House. The building standing there when Buffalo Bill shot his photo was the 3rd of 4 buildings that have adorned that cliff since 1858.

It was a popular place for presidents and the like to visit, particularly in order to take advantage of the opportunity to recreate on the beach below.

It had a few additions made to it as it gained a reputation and increased in popularity. However, it soon became infamous for its debauchery which disturbed local businessman Adolf Sutro who purchased the site in order to reclaim its beauty.

He gave it a drastic makeover, designing it in the style of the French chateaus. It was never a hotel but housed several elegant restaurants and galleries frequented by politicians and other weathly citizens.

Although it withstood the 1906 earthquake, a devasting fire started in the kitchen burned it to its foundations in 1907.

The building that stands today was finished in 1909. It was closed briefly during Prohibition as the owner at the time decided it would be impossible to maintain without the ability to sell liquor on the premises. In 1977, it became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The facade was revamped within the past 5 years, give or take. It has the feel of a resort from the exterior, fine dining inside within several dining halls. It is a perfect place to warm the body with sumptuous food after a frolic along Ocean Beach.

We normally eat in the Bistro dining room, where I recently enjoyed their lamb sirloin with Israeli couscous. It is cooked in a jalapeno mint jus with dried apricots, figs, almonds, currants, and arugula. It was a very rich dish reminding me of previous African cuisine I have enjoyed.

The crown of the evening was a decadent creme brulee studded with vanilla bean, accompanied by lemon shortbread and delicately sliced strawberries. I couldn't help but finish every bite.