Day Trippers

We missed the boat.

Literally. 

                                                              We did.

You see....it all started like this. We had a plan, my friend Sandra and I. It was an awesome plan. On one of the days in my vacation week, we were to take a day trip on the high-speed ferry from Boston Harbor to Provincetown. What a great plan, right? A boat ride, a little shopping, a little lunch, a little people-watching, then home again on the boat.

I suppose you could say that we became somewhat derailed the night before. At Girl's Night. With lots of good food. Like Honey Stung Drummies, and fresh fruit , and yummy cheese and crackers and Marbled Brownies and Sandra's "Secret Satanic Dip", and Smoked Turkey with Cilantro mayonnaise on Cranberry Walnut Bread with Roasted Banana Pudding, Pie Fries and icy cold pitchers of fruity Sangria and Mike's Hard Lemonade. Whew. What can I say? When my "peeps" get together, there's always too much food.

We always complain and vow to never do it again. Until the next time....when we inevitably do it again. Don't worry. I'll share those recipes with you soon.

Since Sandy and I were headed out early to catch the 9am ferry out of Boston, she stayed over my  house.Thinking that 90 minutes would be more than enough time to travel the 21-mile route into the city, we left my house early, happily chatting about the day ahead. After sitting in stop-and-go traffic for more than an hour however, we grimly realized that our proverbial ship had already set sail for Provincetown.

Without us.

Crap.

Now what? A Whale Watch cruise was initially thrown into the mix....until we realized that we would both have to buy sweatshirts before we boarded the boat. After all, even though it is late July,  the air temperature five miles off the coast can be brrrrisk!  Um...do they make sweatshirts that say, "We missed the boat to P-Town and all we got was this *;%# sweatshirt" ? Should we go to Gloucester?  Rockport?  Or should we just continue with our original idea and make the 3 hour drive to Provincetown? No. No. No.  Wait.................what about.....................

 Newport. As in Rhode Island.

Although it's a mere 1 hour and 15 minute ride from where I live, I have never been there. I know. I know. Insane.  But I've been in a deep, deep relationship with Cape Cod most of my life....and as you know, when you are in a committed relationship, you have no need to look elsewhere. Until you break up. Then you're free to roam. And explore. 

....and so we did.

...and I think I'm in love again.

Luckily, Sandy spent happy summers in Newport as a child, and was quite familiar with our surroundings. It was a good thing, as I was just too awestruck to be of any help.  We visited one of the famous Newport Mansions...........The Breakers. It was the Vanderbilts summer "cottage". See it there in the picture?? With the red roof?  First castle on the left.  (Name that movie!)

Photography was not allowed anywhere inside the house, but this is the view from the upper balcony.

I was awestruck.

Sandy was overwhelmed. :)

Even as she lay flat out on the ground, doesn't she look fetching in my new hat?

We followed up our mansion tour with a simply delightful lunch at a restaurant on Bowen's Wharf, located on Thames Street in downtown Newport. 

Sigh.

It was simply charming. Seated at an outside table, the pedestrian activity gave us something to watch while we waited for our lunch to be served. 

 We saw lots of hats.

 And dogs. And dogs wearing hats. At one point, Sandy even thought she saw Oprah......but when it turned out to be just a maintenance worker with dreadlocks, we chalked it up to the heat of the day.

And the beer.

We also saw lots of people on mopeds and scooter-cruisers with the words "Rent Me" blazed across the fenders. 

Yup. 

We did.

In fact, we couldn't believe how much we crammed into our day.  Funny how things have a way of working themselves out sometimes, right? I left Newport thinking that I couldn't wait to go back. I couldn't wait to explore more of the city, stroll through another mansion or two, or just stare at the incredible views.

All you have to do is pull up a chair.

Pass the Pie Fries, please!

Did you ever see or taste something so delicious and painfully simplistic, you wonder how in the heck you never thought of it sooner???  Yeah. Me too.  That's how I feel about these.

Pie Fries.

I saw them in a magazine and instantly thought, "What a freakin' fabulous idea!" and wondered why I hadn't thought of it sooner. My Nana used to bake the scrap pie dough for us when my sister Kathy and I were little....and we sat at her kitchen table and happily munched on them with a glass of cold milk. But it ended there. So, how could I forget about them? So simple. So fun. But then again, the best things in life usually are, right?

Although I would usually make it from scratch, I cheated and used refrigerated pie dough.....so shoot me.

Unwrap and roll out each pie dough section, then cut them into "Fry-sized" pieces. I wanted to use a fluted pastry cutter, but was horrified to discover that I DON'T OWN ONE. How did this happen??

Then I sprayed the cut sections with butter (or you could just melt butter and brush it on), and sprinkle generously with sugar and cinnamon.

Then break up the sections and place them on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

Pop them into a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for between 12 and 20 minutes (depending on your oven) You want them to be golden brown and a little crispy.

Isn't this the silliest thing you've ever seen?? I used canned apple pie filling as a dipping sauce and it was absolutely scrumptious! Like a little bite of apple pie. Only cuter.  You could use any type of pie filling really.....pumpkin, lemon, blueberry, cherry, etc. 

Pie Fries.

 So simple.

 So good.  

Thanks, Nana.

I Did It Again.

It's true.

I didn't think I'd ever be ready.

I didn't think I'd ever get over the heartbreak of losing Emily, 

......but this may help.



I wasn't going to do it. But I could feel my protests gradually weaken under my sister's patient and  persistent voice saying it was "the right thing to do".   She's an 11-week old Boston Terrier who's sweet and spunky. I named her after one of my favorite people......a special aunt with whom I share a special bond. And now I get to say her name everyday.

Meet Gracie!

Peanut "Butta" Bread. Um.....Yum.





I have been on hiatus.

It was not meant to be a long break. But looking back, I guess it was. It's just crazy how life gets in the way sometimes, isn't it?

But I am coming back. Because I've missed you. However, don't be surprised when my posts are not always about baking treats and sweets anymore. Maybe I'm going to throw in something fun like a Potato Bacon  Bake..............or a creamy Mushroom Risotto, or I could go completely off the charts and just talk about the groundhog (who is the size of an adult Cocker Spaniel) that has taken up residency under my "pool-less" house.  (I'll explain later) I don't really know, but I wanted to warn you in advance.

Life is changing and to keep up with it, I may have to do a little song and dance now and then instead of my usual stroll. You're all okay with that, right?

My list of "recipes to try" continues to grow. Everytime I hear about something new...or I try something new in a restaurant or at a party, I mentally add it to the list. There just are not enough hours in the day, so I am starting on something easy....but spectacular none the less.  Peanut "Butta" Bread. Not the typical dessert-like bread, but the real deal, REAL bread. With yeast. Like the kind of bread you use for a sandwich. Are you following me?

Keep up with the class now.



This is an easy, easy recipe. In fact, you may already have the ingredients in your pantry. Do yourself a favor. MAKE IT RIGHT NOW.  You won't be sorry. In fact, you'll want to be my best friend. You know....BFF. (Best friend forever).

PEANUT "BUTTA" BREAD

1 cup lukewarm water

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) white whole wheat flour

1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter



Assemble your ingredients!

2 1/2 teaspoons of yeast..



one tablespoon of brown sugar and one cup of lukewarm water. Put them in a bowl and lightly stir. Set aside until the yeast looks a little foamy. About 10 minutes or so....

In a separate bowl, combine one cup of the bread flour,



 and one cup of the white whole wheat flour.

Add one teaspoon of salt,



....and one half cup of peanut butter.

Did you ever wonder what people use those little tiny spatulas for? I got this one at Stonewall Kitchen and as you can see, it is the PERFECT kitchen helper.

.



 Combine all the ingredients until mixture sticks to itself.

Roll the dough into a ball and place in the bottom of a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 45 minutes. Then smack it down again. It will feel good.

Trust me.

Lightly coat the inside of a loaf pan with cooking spray, re-roll the dough into a log that will fit into the bottom of the loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again for about 45-50 minutes. At this time you can heat the oven to 325 degrees.   When the second rise is complete, remove the plastic wrap and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing.

This loaf should have risen alot higher, but just as I was getting ready to time the first rise, someone dropped in for a visit and I got distracted.  See this flat bread? It is the direct result of a drop-in. Just sayin. :)

Where was I?  Ah yes. My favorite part. I found this evil looking stuff at Whole Foods. It's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter.  My hands are sweating just thinking about this. My B.F.F. Sandra  sampled some today and promptly referred to it as the "Satanic Spread".  Why? Because when it's spread on top of a piece of toasted Peanut Butta Bread.........it's positively evil.



So now it's time to wipe the drool from your mouth, get up from your computer and make some.

Are you still sitting there?

The Road To Heaven is Paved With Brownies!

Who doesn't like Brownies??

I am always on the search for the perfect brownie. You remember, don't you? Like when you were a kid......a little crunchy layer on the top, rich cocoa flavor and ooey-gooey chocolate on the inside.  I just may have found the best brownie recipe in the world! Joanne Chang, author of the best-selling book, Flour, has a kick-ass brownie recipe. Seriously. It's a brownie from the past.....like the way brownies are supposed to be.  I purchased Joanne's cookbook about a month ago and I've slept with it under my pillow ever since.

INTENSE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

5 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (62 to 70 percent cacao), chopped

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 and 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

5 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 and 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 by 13 inch baking pan.

Place the unsweetened chocolate and bittersweet chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Place over (not touching) barely simmering water in a saucepan and heat, stirring occasionally, until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until well  mixed. Let cool slightly.

Place the eggs in a stand mixer with the whip attachment (or use a handheld mixer). On low speed, slowly beat in the sugar for about one minute total or until frothy and somewhat thick. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate mixture.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using the spatula, gently fold the flour mixture into the egg-chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined. (If the bowl you used for the egg-chocolate mixture is too small for folding, transfer the mixture to a larger bowl and then fold in the flour mixture.) Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread in an even layer with the spatula (the batter will be thick).

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (but check every few minutes starting at 20 minutes to make sure the brownies don't overbake) or until a knife slipped into the center of the pan comes out with a few wet crumbs on it. If the knife comes out with the liquid batter on it, the brownies need more time in the oven; if the knife comes out with nothing on it, the brownies are probably a bit overbaked and no longer fudgy, but they will still be delicious. Let cook in the pan for at least 2 hours, or until completely cool. (Because these are so moist, they need time to cool and firm up enough to cut.)

You are going to start your journey to heaven with fresh unsalted butter,

....and good quality chopped chocolate.

You've already met my boyfriend...

Scharffen Berger right?

Fresh eggs,

Sugar,

Baking Powder,

...a little sifting....

Mixing together.....

Please keep in mind that there will be an excessive amount of

salivation by this time....

....not to mention a ridiculous amount of "spatula licking".....

...but it is SOOOOOOO worth it.

You must trust me on this.



When the brownies come out of the oven, you will have to physically restrain yourself from throwing yourself on top of them. But you mustn't disturb them.  Why? Because Joanne Chang said so, that's why. You have to let them cool completely before taking that first decadent bite.

Unless your self-control is tied up in the closet and you can't stand the suspense and just have to "take a peek". Just a teensy one.

Are you seeing this??  This is what makes this brownie recipe unique.  And in my opinion....perfect. The batter is thick and rich....you have to spread it manually into the pan. During the baking process, the batter rises up twice as high, so when you take the brownies from the oven, they will appear to be huge....almost threatening to explode from the pan. While they are cooling is when the magic happens. The brownies sink. The entire pan will compress , leaving the crust crispy, but the inside is moist and fudgy. They almost look underdone.

But they're not.

Trust me. 

It's quite a mouthful. 

Even for me. 

Well, almost.

Isn't this the most gorgeous shot you've ever seen??

I'm putting this one in my wallet.