Pickles, Pickles, Pickles!

I love pickles, but my daughter loves them even more. Here are three images celebrating our love for these fabulous treats!


The Empty Pickle Jar :: click here for original post
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Pickles :: click here for original post
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The Pickle Car :: click here for original post
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Raspberries

Today I wanted to share one of my favorite raspberry illustrations...in honor of my third challenge submission to the Foodbuzz Project Food Blog competition.

If you'd like to VOTE and read more about The Secret Society of Raspberry Revelry just click here!

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PFB Challenge #3: Luxury Dinner Party

Today you'll gain a sneak peak into The Secret Society of Raspberry Revelry and the festivities in which they partake.

The Society is composed of my two oldest children and their four friends. They met for dinner to share their love of the sweet and perfect raspberry. This post will share some of their most devout secrets.

Don't forget about having luxury dinner parties for your kids. It's a fabulous time to get away from cutesy birthday party themes and try something fresh and new.



Secret #1
They love to have dinner themes. Tonight they are focusing on the sweetness of raspberries. Did you know that choosing a theme actually expands your creativity? Try it.

To develop a dinner party theme...pick a favorite food, then pair it up with a fun word. Some examples include: A Pancake Picnic or a Souffle Soiree!

Secret #2
They love to dine outdoors. By choosing the coveted front porch, they enjoyed the fresh air, yet were still protected from obscure weather.





Secret #3
They insist on fresh flowers. Tonight they chose zinnias from the cutting garden, then paired them up with raspberries in small fruit boxes. To add a little punch we painted the boxes a bright blue.

Our theme dictated the color scheme (red and raspberry blue), so we chose fabrics to match. A little hint...when mixing patterns, always pair up a larger pattern with a small one.





Secret #4
They love making crafty decorations using what they have on hand. Today they made these nifty banners by dipping coffee filters in red and blue kool-aid. Once they dried, we stapled them onto twine. I just can't bring myself to take them down. They are so lovely.





Secret #5
They focus on simple and delicious food. By borrowing fabulous recipes from other talented cooks and using some of their own concoctions, The Society can focus on a beautiful setting and good company.



Secret #6
They enjoy picking goodies directly from the garden. Unfortunately, time constraints meant cutting out the berry patch this time, but don't forget to show your kids the source of their tasty foods.

Recipes for this course:

Frozen Melon Balls

Cranberry Raspberry Shirley Temple Sangria (cranberry raspberry juice and ginger ale, then drop in a clementine orange slice and a raspberry)

Recipes for this course:

Raspberry Pancakes (pancake mix, fresh raspberries)

Mini-Broccoli Quiche

Raspberry Chocolate Milk (chocolate milk, plus cranberry raspberry juice)

Recipes for this course:

Peanut Butter and Raspberry Jelly Cookies

Raspberry and Banana Smoothie (fresh raspberries, bananas, vanilla yogurt, raspberry juice and ice - blend together)

Secret #7
They love pairing drinks with each course. Tonight a different raspberry delicacy was combined with each food creation.

Secret #8
They enjoy the process of planning ahead. Tonight's meal was created over three days, spreading out the love of cooking, while eliminating stress.

Secret #9

They make sure to balance out their sweet and salty foods. Because the raspberry theme tended to be towards the sweet side, we added the cheese, quiche, and sausage to even it up a bit.

Secret #10

Well, maybe we'll just keep this last one a secret.

I hope you've enjoyed taking a peak into the The Secret Society of Raspberry Revelry. Look for our next agenda items soon.

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Toast and Cereal

This month I plan to highlight some of my favorite drawings from the past two years.

I'd like to start with my favorite meal of the day...breakfast!

Check out my new fabric with these illustrations at Spoonflower.


Sliced Bananas :: Click here for original post
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Six Pieces of Toast :: Click here for original post
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Yellow Submarine

We have just arrived at my last Beatle Food post. September has flown by so fast.

Because I am super busy I've decided to focus on my past favorites in October. I have drawn over 400 food images since January 2009. I'll sift through those and show you the ones I love most.

Check back in on Friday, October 1 for the start of my personal reflection.

Until then, enjoy a sub sandwich.

Marshmallow Pie...No fluff! It's time to vote again!

Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies. Yes, another from Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Lucy must have had a really good meal.

Speaking of tasty food...it's time to vote for the Project Food Blog Challenge #2! You can read my challenge entry and vote here.

Anyone can vote. You will need to register at Foodbuzz, but it only takes a minute...and if you love food, that's the place to be.

Project Food Blog Challenge #2: The Classics

As part of Project Food Blog's Challenge #2 we are to tackle a foreign cuisine outside our comfort zone (though, almost anything would be outside mine).

I've chosen a Scandinavian dessert called Upside-Down Lingonberry Muffins. My husband and I both have Norwegian ancestry, plus we currently live in a Norwegian community. We are not originally from this area, so have enjoyed learning many of the fabulous Scandinavian dishes. Every fall we partake in kumla suppers and our neighbor often shares her blue-ribbon kringla.

My featured ingredient is the lingonberry. Lingonberries are a staple in Scandinavian recipes. They are a small red berry found in mountainous areas of the Northern Hemisphere. These berries are often used with meats and baked goods. They are similar to cranberries and are just as healthy. This recipe, originally printed in A Lingonberry Cookbook, calls for fresh ones, but unfortunately, those can't be found in Iowa, so I slipped in lingonberry preserves instead. I must point out that finding lingonberry preserves is also no small feat. I dragged my kids all over central Iowa before locating that special jar.



To make Upside-Down Lingonberry Muffins, start by mixing the dry ingredients below.



Once mixed, add the following wet ingredients. The final batter will be lumpy.



This recipe makes 12 small muffins, but I decided to make six large ones instead. Make sure you grease the muffin tray first. Add the preserves to the bottom of the muffin indents, then pour the batter on top. The original recipe also required sugar and butter be added to the berries within each indent, but I left this out since I was using preserves. I did learn that this batter rises quite a bit, so you may want to leave about an inch at the top.



Pop into the oven for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Since I made six large ones, the 25 minutes worked perfectly. If you make smaller ones, 20 minutes may be more appropriate. Remove from the oven and allow to cool about ten minutes. Place a plate top facing down onto muffins, then flip muffins over onto plate (gently, of course). You may have to scoop out the extra berries and place them on top.



My favorite part of this recipe is the berry smell while they are cooking. Wow! The final result actually has a biscuit taste and texture. The salty texture of the muffin combined with the sweet berries is a great combination. Perfect with tea or a coffee break.

I am really veering from my blog intent by including photographs, but I wanted to show you that I did indeed bake these fabulous muffins.





Recipe gently borrowed from About.com: Scandinavian Food. Original recipe from the Bellingham Damekor's A Lingonberry Cookbook.

Sitting on a Cornflake

Have you ever sat on a cornflake...and what is the significance of that?

Song: I am the Walrus

Honey Pie...it's time to vote!

Today you can officially vote for your favorite Project Food Blog Challenge #1 entry. Click here to read mine.

Of course, I'd love to have your vote, but if my blog isn't your forte, I encourage you to peruse all the other fabulous entries.

Vote here...and enjoy all the virtual eating.

Voting is open through 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 23.

Song: Honey Pie
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Glass Onion

I really struggled with this one so went to my Facebook buddies for help. Their suggestions helped me come up with the crystal ball approach.

Can you see your future in the glass onion?

Song: Glass Onion