Maple Eclairs-My Dirty Little Secret

I haven't told anyone and now I'm telling all of you, shhhh, I'm addicted to Tom Douglas's Maple Eclairs. There I've said it and now I don't have to hide my dirty little secret anymore.  But I do have to hide the Maple Eclairs.  Oh my goodness, what deliciousness in an eclair-thick maple pastry cream,lighter than air pate a choux pastry,and topped with a light crunchy maple sugar glaze.

Before I dropped out of Pastry School, I was working on perfecting 3 things-Eclairs,Croissants and Ciabatta.  The holy trinity of my pastry repertoire .  I'm still working on perfecting them,but I've come very very close to the perfect eclair -Thanks to Chef Tom Douglas.  The pate a choux-so easy, the maple pastry cream so thick and smooth and the maple sugar glaze-genius.  I wish I could publish the recipe here. But my practice has always been that if it isn't published on the Internet already , I won't post it on my site.  I believe in supporting the Chef, so buy the book.  Get to your computer quickly click HERE  to buy it .

It's a beautiful cookbook,tons of photos,tips and how to instructions-hint hint-it would make a great Christmas gift for that baker in your life.  Or even better,  treat yourself.  I couldn't stop drooling over most of the recipes and my first attempt did not disappoint.  I have the puffiest eclairs still rising  in my oven.Beautiful roly poly shapes ( I made them slightly smaller than Chef Douglas recommends) and golden brown.

It's taken everything to not open the oven and  try one. I plan on working my way through this cookbook and cooking and baking every single recipe in it and I encourage you to do the same.

But back to the Maple Eclairs-imagine a maple bar with thick luscious maple pastry cream-heaven . I couldn't find a recipe for eclairs close to the one in The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook.  Many have similar or exact ingredients,but none seemed to match the oven temperatures used and cooking times.

I will share a little tip with you -Chef Douglas recommends filling the eclairs from the top-that way the glaze seals the filling in and it won't squeeze out from the bottom as you eat the eclair.

When I was in Pastry School, The Dahlia Bakery was at the top of my list for bakeries I  would dream about an internship there as I precisely cut my Napoleons or piped my little pate a choux swans.  But life always has little surprises around every corner. One of those little surprises popped up in the Fall of 2008 and I left school-I thought I might return,but never did.  It was one of the best experiences of my life, I will never forget what I learned and I now use this blog to recreate those experiences in my own kitchen. But, like Old Blue Eyes sings:

"Regrets, I've had a few 

But then again, too few to mention 

I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption 

I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway 

And more, much more than this, I did it my way "

I've said it hundreds of times before,everything happens for a reason.  I accept the change ,sometimes laughing,sometimes crying.  I throw myself into what life throws at me.  Someone once told me that I live my life like it is all or nothing at all; and that I needed to find a better balance in my life.  Do you understand  when I say all or nothing at all is my balance ? I love where it has taken me and what it has taught me .So now I think I will have another Maple Eclair and ponder where it will take me next. Bon Appetit !

Sriracha Deviled Eggs

 I'm doing a quickie post today !  I've been working on recipes and some crafty things for our Family Christmas Celebration in Seabrook.  But I didn't want to wait until Christmas to post this recipe. If you are looking for a fabulously simple appetizer to add to your  repertoire this is it .  Incredibly delicious with just the right amount of spice.  Definitely a keeper-hope you like them as much as I did. I found this recipe on a lovely little blog called Life's Ambrosia

Sriracha Deviled Eggs

Makes 12

You will need:
6 hard boiled eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Sriracha
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
chopped green onions for garnish

Peel eggs and cut in-half lengthwise.

Scoop all yolks into a bowl and mash with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard, Sriracha, minced onion and garlic powder. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Use a spoon or piping bag to fill each half of an egg with mixture. Squirt a dab of Sriracha sauce on top of each egg, sprinkle with green onion and serve.

Family and Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes

I love my family.  That's it.  I'm always grateful that through the workings of the Universe we all ended up living within a short drive of each other.  That's a feat unto itself considering we were scattered like ashes all over the country for such a long time.    We lived in Utah, Florida, Colorado, Oregon, Arizona, California,Pennsylvania, Massachusetts,and Virginia.  How did it happen that we all ended up living in Washington ?  We never had a family meeting to say: "Let's all move to Washington".  But somehow our spirits,our souls and our family bond brought each us together.

My sister and brother

Mel,Martha,Jorge,Deb

 I know we had to each find our own path in life and follow our wandering souls and we did.  If you put together a list of previous addresses and former jobs of ours,well the addresses I'm sure would number in the hundreds and the jobs probably in the fifties.  What were we searching for all those years ?  I've always believed it to be a home.  No matter where we were living or what we were doing we stayed close to each other-I have no memories of sibling rivalry or fights or not speaking (other than a few brief moments when we were pre-teens!).

Growing up 

Our common bond was the dysfunctional family we grew up in. We protected and loved each other while the craziness swirled like a cyclone around us. That love got us through some very difficult times; the untimely deaths of close friends; two aunts and an uncle killed in a plane crash; suicide of our mother; and all the baggage that came with these events.  We watched relatives fight over possessions and vowed we would never become them.  We watched relatives quit speaking to each other and vowed we would never do that.  It wasn't easy to make it to where we are today.  We all have probably funded the college education of a great deal of children of our therapists ! And here we are many many years later-still speaking,still loving and still bonded together by our love. I love that we can get together to celebrate each other.  And this past weekend we celebrated J's birthday and Mel & Martha's upcoming wedding in Hawaii.

Mel and Martha

J

Instead of a cake I decided to do cupcakes for our celebration.  And not just any ordinary cupcakes !  I made Martha Stewart's Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes.  So rich and so good.  These are some of the richest cupcakes I have ever made. Well worth the effort for the family I so dearly love. 

The Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 
3/4 teaspoon baking powder 
3/4 teaspoon salt 
2 large eggs 
3/4 cup buttermilk 
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
3/4 cup warm water 

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line mini muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add eggs, buttermilk, oil, extract, and the water; beat until smooth and combined.

Spoon the batter into liners about two-thirds full. Bake approximately 15 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Transfer tins to wire racks and allow to cool for 10 minutes; turn cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 1 month in air tight containers.

To finish, use a paring knife to cut a cone-shaped piece (about 1/2 inch deep) from the center of each cupcake and throw away the pieces. Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons warm Salted Caramel Filling into each hollowed-out cupcake. The caramel will sink into the cupcake a little, just fill it up each time it sinks-this takes about 30- 45 minutes for the caramel to finally settle. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the caramel filling.

Use a pastry bag with a medium open-star tip  and pipe Dark Chocolate Frosting onto each cupcake, swirling tip and releasing as you pull up to form a peak. Garnish each cupcake with a pinch of sea salt. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are filled and frosted. Store at room temperature in airtight containers - do not refrigerate or your caramel will harden !

Salted Caramel Filling
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups sugar 
2/3 cup water 
1 tablespoon light corn syrup 
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, preferably fleur de sel 

Directions
Heat sugar with the water and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over high, stirring occasionally, until syrup is clear; clip a candy thermometer to side of pan and stop stirring.

Cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed. Boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is caramelized and just reaches 360°F. Remove from heat and slowly pour in cream; stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in sea salt.

Use immediately; if caramel begins to harden reheat gently.

Dark Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water 
2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1 1/2 pounds best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled ( I ran out of semi sweet so I used bittersweet and it was delicious )

Directions:
Combine cocoa and boiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved.

With electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the cocoa mixture. 

Frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month in an air tight container. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat on low speed until smooth again.

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. 

Desmond Tutu 

Beignets and My Bucket List

 Last weekend we were  cooped up in Ruby on the WA Coast at Grayland Beach State Park.  It rained all three days that we were there.  From buckets pouring sideways to soft heavy misting rain.  Whenever there was a break in the clouds, we took advantage of it and walked on the beach.  

Normally we wouldn't let the rain bother us,just suit up in our rain pants and parkas and turn our face to the rain.  But we were both just at the tail end of horrible colds so that didn't seem like the wisest thing to do.  Instead,we snuggled up under a cuddly sheepskin (faux of course) blanket and while J read, I started daydreaming.  Mainly about sunshine but then I started thinking I never completed  the bucket list I started when I was struggling with my Lyme Disease. Yes, horrible diseases will do that to you, make you realize you might not have tomorrow and you should just grab for it now. That's why we've been doing so much camping lately. We don't want to just wait for J's retirement next Fall. So, even though we can't wander full time right now,we can wander and ramble with every free moment.  And as far as I am concerned a little rambling and wandering vs none is a zillion times better. 

So back to the window I was gazing out of. I love to travel-it's in my soul,don't know where it came from or how I got that way. J thinks its a sign that I'm a closet escapist-I don't see anything wrong with that-it's a great gig if you can get it. Anyway while I was snuggled in with my Bailey's and coffee I started daydreaming about places to visit and things I wanted to do while I'm still able to walk this glorious  Earth. And I thought, perfect, now I  will make my official bucket list. So Ta DA here it is.  In no particular order, just a list of random things I would like to accomplish,complete,do in my lifetime. Anything catch your fancy? Anything we have in common ?  What's at the top of your bucket list ?

                                              MY BUCKET LIST

GO DANCING WITH J ANYWHERE IN PARIS WHILE WEARING A DRESS LIKE THIS


DINE AT THE FRENCH LAUNDRY IN NAPA
EAT TAPAS IN SPAIN
DRIVE TO ALASKA AND SPEND 3 MONTHS CAMPING
CATCH HALIBUT AND CRAB IN ALASKA
BUY A PAIR OF CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN SHOES
CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK
CELEBRATE NEW YEARS EVE IN SYDNEY
SPEND VALENTINES DAY IN A CABIN IN THE SNOW ANYWHERE WITH J
RENT AN APARTMENT IN PARIS FOR A MONTH & DRINK CHAMPAGNE EVERY NIGHT
TAKE A TRIP TO BALI
RETURN TO PROVENCE
TAKE COOKING CLASSES IN PARIS, PROVENCE, SPAIN AND SAN FRANCISCO
SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ANYWHERE REMOTELY CLOSE TO THE ARTIC CIRCLE
TRAVEL ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WITH MY SWEETIE FOR AT LEAST A YEAR
BE IN NEW YORK DURING A HUGE SNOWFALL
VISIT NEW ENGLAND IN THE FALL
LEARN TO PLAY PIANO OR SAXOPHONE
LEARN TO SPEAK MUCH BETTER FRENCH
LEARN TO SPEAK SPANISH OR ITALIAN
LEARN TO PLAY CHESS
LEARN TO MAKE A PERFECT CROISSANT
LEARN TO PRACTICE YOGA
WINE AND DINE OUR WAY THROUGH SAN FRANCISCO
EAST AT CHEZ PANISSE
SEE JIMMY BUFFET IN CONCERT JUST ONE MORE TIME
VISIT FOLEGANDROS, GREECE AND SANTORINI



TAKE J TO NEW ORLEANS AND EAT BEIGNETS AT CAFÉ DU MONDE
EAT AT THE ZUNI CAFÉ IN SAN FRANCISCO
FIND THE PERFECT LITTLE BLACK DRESS , WEAR IT WHILE EATING CREPES IN PARIS
LAY DOWN IN A LAVENDER FIELD IN SOUTHERN FRANCE
DRINK BORDEAUX IN BORDEAUX
EAT CANALES IN BORDEAUX
HIKE PATAGONIA
HIKE MACHU PICHU
WATCH THE GLORIOUS SUNSETS WITH MY SWEETIE WHEREVER WE ARE
GO SNOWSHOEING WITH MY SWEETIE AND HAVE A PICNIC IN THE SNOW
LEARN TO HAND QUILT
SKYDIVE JUST ONE MORE TIME
BICYCLE THROUGH THE FRENCH WINE COUNTRY OR PROVENCE LIKE THIS : http://gourmetcyclingtravel.com/bike-tours/provence-luxury
VISIT CAPE BRETON ISLAND IN NOVA SCOTIA
VISIT ISTRIA IN CROATIA
STAY AT THE ROMANTIC CONRAD MALDIVES HOTEL ON RANGALI ISLAND




GO BACK TO TASMANIA
EAT A TON OF STONE CRAB CLAWS WITH CHAMPAGNE
DRINK GUINNESS IN IRELAND
VISIT THE ISLE OF MULL, SCOTLAND
EVERYWHERE WE VISIT, FIND THE BEST STREET FOOD VENDORS
SPEND THANKSGIVING OR CHRISTMAS IN A CABIN IN THE WOODS WITH MY FAMILY
GET TO THE OCEAN AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE
WATCH THE PLEIADES METEOR SHOWER FROM A REMOTE WILDERNESS AREA WITH MY SWEETIE
LIVE EACH DAY AS THOUGH IT WERE THE LAST
LEARN TO WATERCOLOR
VOLUNTEER
DRINK RED WINE, GOOD RED WINE AT LEAST ONCE PER WEEK
LISTEN TO MUSIC AT EVERY MOMENT POSSIBLE
WATCH THE RISE OF EVERY FULL MOON NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE
DRIVE  TO BAJA IN RUBY FOR AT LEAST A MONTH
VISIT THE GEORGIA OKEEFE MUSEUM
WATCH MORE FOREIGN FLICKS
LIVE ON A BEACH ANYWHERE
EAT AT ANY BOUCHON RESTAURANT
LEARN TO MAKE PERFECT FRENCH FRIES
SHOP MORE AT THE FARMERS MARKET
EAT ORANGES IN VALENCIA, SPAIN
LEARN TO FLY FISH
SEND MY SWEETIE ON A FISHING TRIP TO ALASKA
LEARN TO SURF AT LOS OLAS
LEARN TO KNIT
SWIM IN THE WATERS OF ROTTNEST ISLAND, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Wow, that's a challenging bucket list 70+ items,but it's so much fun to put one together. It really starts to feel magical and it's such wonderful fodder for dreams.  And then you start planning to make those dreams come true-what better way to spend a rainy day on the Washington Coast.  I've decided to rename Grayland Beach State Park to Dreamland Beach State Park !  And all this Bucket List thinking has made me hungry; by the way , did you notice how many things on my list are food related ?  With a hot Bailey's and coffee I think  a beignet would be perfect .

I was very fortunate to have my very first beignet in New Orleans.  I was down there about one year after Hurricane Katrina, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity-not building but tearing down the interior of the houses because of  all the damage from the hurricane.  That was one challenging time for me-J and I had just split and I was in search of myself. Cliche, right ?  Working in the 9th ward , shoveling out mud and muck,tearing down water soaked and bug infested insulation-all that made me so grateful for the life I had.  And fortunately for me,it only took me two years to find myself and my way back to J. Before I left New Orleans I wandered into the French Market  and found Cafe Du Monde and had my first powdery bite of a warm sweet beignet.  Someday I will take J there and enjoy a cafe au lait and beignet with my love.

Beignets 
Adapted from Allrecipes.com


Ingredients:
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F
/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
7 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup shortening
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water (110 degrees F). 
Add sugar, salt, eggs, evaporated milk, and blend well. 
Mix in 4 cups of the flour and beat until smooth. 
Add the shortening, and then the remaining 3 cups of flour. 
Cover and chill for up to 24 hours.
Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares. 
Fry in 360 degree F (180 degrees C) hot oil. Your beignets should float to the surface of the oil within 8-12 seconds as an indication your oil is hot enough.
Drain onto paper towels.
Shake confectioners' sugar on hot beignets. Serve warm.

This dough keeps very well, up to 1 week in the refrigerator. If you get tired of eating beignets (which I can't even imagine) you can roll the dough out and make cinnamon rolls from it !

I think I'll have another beignet ,Bailey's and coffee  and a little more daydreaming......

Sit in reverie and watch the changing color of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind.  ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Pistachios and Memories

Pistachios were always a treat growing up .  My mom loved them and got me addicted to them.  In those days the only way to buy pistachios was with Red Dye number something or other .  I grew up thinking pistachios were naturally red.  Of course I've learned the real story about red pistachios, but honestly,even with the crazy chemicals in the red dye I miss those stained red fingers, red lips and red teeth.  That was one treat you could never sneak a bite of, your fingers and lips gave you away immediately.  I rarely buy pistachios in their shell anymore-one of those childhood treats that has fallen by the wayside.  Now when I buy pistachios it's usually for something I'm baking.  After I saw these beautiful  Pistachio and Olive Oil Teacakes on White on Rice's  blog I found myself hurrying out to the grocery store to buy pistachios ! The original recipe for these was for a lovely bread found on the beautiful blog: Farm to Table Geek .

Want the recipe for the Pistachio Olive Oil Teacakes ?  Click here and visit WhiteOnRice.  I decided to add a little orange glaze to my tea cakes, it added just a little bit more moisture and really enhanced the taste of the pistachios.
Orange Glaze

2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice

1 cup powdered sugar

Mix the orange juice and powdered sugar until no lumps remain. Drizzle over the Pistachio cakes .

Butter Pecan Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream and Candied Pecans

Woke up to fog this morning and rain this afternoon. Yes I'm whining about the weather-again.  Don't get me wrong, I am so very grateful for the gorgeous extended summer weather we have been enjoying but I wanted it to last, at least until March !  I'm glad we went camping last weekend  at Mount Rainier, and got to enjoy what now appears to have been the end of Summer as we know it. Fall in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest is pretty spectacular-the way the fog rolls in over the sound; all the gorgeous maple and oaks changing colors; sunny crisp days and cool snugly nights-okay so it's not so bad.

One of the nicest things about the weather changing is all the projects I can accomplish while staying inside. Like baking Butter Pecan Cupcakes.  This recipe has been on my "Want to bake" list forever.  I'm not even sure where the recipe originated. I was on Pinterest this morning (yes I'm one of those people) and spotted a picture of butter pecan cupcakes with Swiss buttercream and candied pecans and knew I just had to make these today.  Butter Pecan Ice Cream is one of my favorites and I thought the flavor would be outstanding in a cupcake.  I also didn't want the frosting to over power the cupcake so I thought Vanilla buttercream would be perfect (also one of my favorites). And just to dress it up a bit-the candied pecans.  Yes it's 3 components you have to put together-but they aren't complicated.  Trust me-have I ever led you down the wrong road ?

So until the fog burns off  (not looking like it will ), I will be in the kitchen putting these little lovelies together. Enjoy !

Butter Pecan Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes
1 1/4 cups butter
2 cups chopped pecans
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line your muffin pans with cupcake liners
Melt 1/4 cup butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and brown the butter and pecans for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.(Caution-pay very close attention to browning the butter with the pecans-they can go from fragrant to stinky burnt in the blink of an eye). Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In another large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.Add the eggs two at a time to the creamed butter and sugar component, mixing well after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture and mix well .
Add the milk and vanilla, again mixing well. Mix in the rest of the flour and then fold in the pecans . Fill your cupcake liners to just a little over 1/2 full but not 3/4 full-or they will overflow.
Bake for 18 - 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into a cupcake

Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Yield: 5 cups

5 large egg whites

1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
Pinch of salt
1 lb. (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste (Optional)

To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar and salt in a double boiler or heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.

Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (don't panic at the separated appearance, it will come together!) Stir in the vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste and mix  until incorporated. 

Note: If you have trouble with your buttercream head over to Sweetapolita's blog. Not only is this a blogalicious blog, she has a great recipe for Swiss Buttercream along with step by step instructions.

Candied Butter Pecans

Yield: 1 cup

3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pinch nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl and set aside.

Saute butter and maple syrup in a large pan, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add nuts and toss to coat. Transfer nuts to a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the top of the nuts and toss gently to coat; don't over toss because the sugar will dissolve and won't stick to the top of  the nuts.

Spread out the nuts ensuring they are not touching one another.

Toast in the oven for 5 minutes. Let nuts cool completely.

My Favorite Doughnut Muffins from a Blogger Missing in Action

On July 8 I posted Where in the World is Seattle Pastry Girl ?  And then I disappeared for 12 weeks.  I would love to say I was out on camping adventures the entire time,  but unfortunately I had an adventure of a different kind.  It's funny I can call it an adventure now because while it was happening it definitely wasn't an adventure. So in that July 8th blog posting I told you about the fabulous "Ruby", our RV that we had brought back from California.  Well , besides bringing Ruby back I brought back something else-Lyme Disease.    One of those nasty- nasty 6 legged deer ticks also known as Ixodes pacificus found me somewhere in Northern California-most likely Big Sur where we did most of our hiking.  I didn't even know I had been "bitten".

  Long story short, about a week and a half after returning from our trip I felt like I was getting the flu-except a horrible version of it. Terrible achiness,excruciating headache,killer neck pain,fever, pain through out my body so bad I couldn't stand to have a blanket touch me, super sensitivity to sound-my sweetie could barely talk to me without the sound of his voice causing pain and no desire to eat or even drink water. Any attempts would make me feel even worse. I went to the emergency room and was sent home with the diagnosis: "a virus of some sort" . This was after they did a spinal tap and eliminated meningitis. The symptoms came and went until a week later when they got even worse and prompted another visit to the emergency room. More tests and  again sent home with pain pills and the "virus diagnosis".  Symptoms were up and down, until the 3rd week,just when I thought they couldn't get any worse they did and back to the emergency room for my 3rd visit.  Hallelujah, a Doctor who finally said-you have something, we don't know what it is but I'm not sending you home until we figure it out! So they admitted me to the hospital .

I had just started to develop a bull's eye type rash on my back and other rashes were popping up all over. An infectious disease specialist and an internist were brought in to take over.  Those 4 days were the most challenging days I have ever experienced. Until I was finally diagnosed, I would fall into my pain medication induced sleep not knowing if I was going to wake up in the morning .  I always thought that if life threw me a curve ball in the form of a life changing disease I would be one of those quietly strong brave people who would tackle it head on and fight it with grace and dignity.  Oh, that couldn't have been further from the truth-I learned how frightened and scared I was and bravery and grace were far far removed from my experience.  I didn't give up but I did give in to the overwhelming fear of what was going on and spent a lot of time crying .  You have to realize that each day the doctors would show up and let me know  what they thought my diagnosis could be-and these weren't diseases you recovered from-they were diseases you either died from or they were diseases that would result in lifelong challenges with no happy endings in sight.  The day my doctors walked in and confirmed Lyme Disease,as bad as I felt physically,mentally I was doing the Snoopy Happy Dance.

I was released from the hospital on July 27 with nothing but good thoughts about recovery on my mind. But whoa,another roadblock- a nasty little blood clot formed while I was trying to get better in the hospital.  Just another challenge to overcome. So here I am today,feeling pretty good about the Lyme Disease- experiencing some joint issues that I'm told will clear up over the next 6 months to 1 year and my clotting level is finally stabilized so the whole blood clot treatment should be over and done with in 3-6months ! As frustrating and frightening as these last few weeks have been I do feel truly blessed-there is a happy ending in sight and I've had a wonderful family and loving friends to support me and lean on. So I guess this really wasn't a long story short kind of thing-thanks for bearing with me.  Today I feel wonderful-I turned in my notice at work,Sept 6 was my last day and we just finished a very relaxing and rejuvenating trip to the San Juan Islands and British Columbia. You can read about those adventures on my new blog : www.roadtrekgirl.blogspot.com

 

  See what I mean,very blessed !  To celebrate getting back to "normal" I making one of my favorite treats.  I love doughnuts but don't particularly care for frying .  So years ago when I discovered doughnut muffins I fell in love with them.  I've made them before (an PS I like the recipe I used before better than this one )and have never been disappointed.   Great for weekend guests ! This recipe is from King Arthur Flour-enjoy !

 

 

Doughnut Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins.

 

Batter

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups  all purpose flour

1 cup milk

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

8 oz. (16 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more as needed 

2 cups sugar 

2 Tbs. ground cinnamon 

 

Alternate Glaze Topping

3 tablespoons butter; melted

1 cup confectioners’ sugar; sifted
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons hot water

 

To make the muffins

 

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. Or line with 12 paper or silicone muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.

Add the eggs, beating to combine.

Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.

Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full. A #16 ice-cream scoop gives you the perfect amount

Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.

Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them. To finish with Cinnamon Sugar Dipping Mixture: While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping (this is easily done in the microwave).

Use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with the butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Or simply dip the tops of muffins into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar.

Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store for a day or so at room temperature.

To finish with the Glaze:

In a medium bowl, prepare the glaze by mixing together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and water. Whisk until smooth. When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin crown into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. If you like you can glaze them twice for a sweeter topping.

I made these in my tiny little kitchen in Ruby our Sprinter van.  This is the extent of my mise en place !  You can read about the trip and my experience baking in the RV kitchen over at my other blog : www.Roadtrekgirl.blogspot.com.

Where in the World is Seattle Pastry Girl ?

Sherman & Kathy & Jim & Homer aka Ruby

Oh I've been a bad blogger,no posts since June 26. But I have a good excuse-honest-I've been away from the kitchen for a bit ,planning our retirement.  Guess I'm not so good at multi tasking! But this  planning also involved some activity which resulted in me being in WiFi dead zones for a bit and once I got home I was so excited about what was going on that ,GASP ,baking took a back seat. So what could be so distracting ?  Well for the past 7 months J and I have gotten very serious about how and where we want to spend our retirement and we narrowed it down to exotic living in Costa Rica or Belize or buying some type of RV to travel the country in for at least a year. And while I can definitely envision myself sitting on a beach in a tropical location with a mojito in one hand and my Kindle in the other, I cannot envision myself being so far away from my family and loved ones. So guess which of the 3 finalists won out-yes it was the RV. Or as one of my loving and funny friends referred to it as the "Westin on Wheels".

Stopping for breakfast along Monterey's 17 Mile Drive

J and I have always love traveling around the country and camping out.  It was after a very wet 3 days of tent camping at Wells Grey Park in Canada when I crawled out of the tent and  said please no more tent camping. So J indulged me and we bought one of those little pop up campers-we've lived with that for10-15years now and have been quite happy.  But I've been so envious of the folks that just pull into the campsite, open the door and voila they have set up camp.

"I like mine with lettuce and tomato
Heinz 57 and french fried potatoes
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer
Well good god almighty which way do I steer for my cheeseburger in paradise
Makin' the best of every virtue and vice "-Jimmy Buffett

We knew we didn't want some giant 45ft bus and we started looking at VW Camper vans but didn't know how long the marriage would last in such a small amount of space. Then we discovered Sprinter camping vans through Roadtrek and the bells and whistles started ringing all over the place. We found our home. For the last 7 months we have been searching Craiglist all over the country and tons of other sites until we found Ruby. Ruby was living in Santa Barbara so we flew down to bring her back home with us. We changed her name-she used to be Homer-not Simpson, but Homer the ancient Greek poet of the Iliad and the Odyssey . A beautiful name  and lovely name but we had to make her our own.

There's no place like home

And we liked Ruby, as in the Wizard of Oz Ruby Slippers,as in Glinda the Good Witch telling Dorothy  that she always had the power to return home, but that she needed to learn for herself that she didn't have to run away to find her heart's desire. Click your heels together 3 times and repeat  "There's no place like home, there's no place like home". We both loved the notion that with Ruby we could return home anytime we wanted and that in fact Ruby would be home for us !

One year on the road crossing the country -that's our plan-always taking the road less traveled !

We aren't officially retiring until next year but we will be doing lots of shakedown trips to get very familiar with Ruby because once we sell the house we are off for at least a year of exploring this beautiful country,Canada and Mexico. And I will be challenging myself to see what I can bake and cook in my little kitchen and share both the travel and cooking adventures with you.

My galley kitchen with refrigerator,propane stove,sink and oven that is convection,conventional and microwave !

Here's a little more pictures of our first road trip with Ruby, if I haven't bored you to death with these already !  We left Santa Barbara late evening about 5pm so our first stop wasn't too far north in Morro Bay. Next day we took our time and really enjoyed the winding road up through Big Sur-stopped and camped at Pfeiffer Big Sur Camp Ground. Took off for Monterey and absolutely had to drive the gorgeous 17 Mile Drive and oh and ah over the homes along the way. We made a little detour through Wine Country and stopped at Starlite Vineyards in Geyserville-stop by if you are anywhere near Geyersville-their wines are absolutely deliciously incredible,especially the Cabernet ! Heading further north,we entered Redwood country and stayed at Richardson Grove State Park. Then onto the Oregon Coast,where boo hoo, the first time we hit rain. It was still incredibly beautiful and we stopped at one of our favorite campgrounds-Beachside, just outside of Yachats. We used to tent camp there all the time and the pop up camper saw it's share of fun there too.  We headed home to Seattle .  We can't believe our good fortune and our so grateful for the blessings we continue to experience.