Mailbox at the Stairs

I spent this past weekend with my toes in the sand.  Beautiful days, cool ocean water, and entertaining family... it was a perfect weekend.  I also finished my book which has traveled with me to both ends of the state in the last week.

One of the fun things that I did while at the beach was visit the Mailbox at the Stairs.  This is a spot in Wrightsville Beach where both locals and visitors come to write in a journal.  Some passages are anonymous and some have names and dates.  After a little walk down the beach, I finally checked it out for myself. 

Sitting on the steps alone at the end of my weekend beach vacation with the Atlantic Ocean laid out in front of me, I became engrossed by the messages left by complete strangers.  It's interesting, because all the passages seemed unusually alike.  Some talked about their visit to Wrightsville Beach.  Some wrote favorite quotes or bible verses.

Most passages talked about love... new love, anniversaries, friendship, family, heartbreak, and even fear of not finding love. 

It didn't surprise me that many used this beautiful, peaceful spot to reflect on loved ones who have passed away...

It's just amazing to me that we all believe ourselves to be so unique and different from one another... all coming from different life experiences and points of view.  The overriding theme, though, of what makes, breaks, or affects us is all the same.  I thoroughly enjoyed my adventure to Mailbox at the Stairs.  I won't tell you where it is... searching for it is part of the fun.  Definitely stop by this beautiful spot next time you're in Wrightsville!

Lemon Tea Bread

(I made this for my coworkers a few months ago but never posted it.  It was a hit!)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons lemon rind, divided
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Beat softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon rind. Spoon batter into greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loafpan.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth; spoon evenly over top of bread, letting excess drip down sides. Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon lemon rind and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; sprinkle on top of bread.

The Work of AmeriCorps

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;

indeed, it's the only thing that ever does.

- Margaret Mead

Last night, I made blueberry muffins for my fellow AmeriCorps volunteers.  They certainly deserve the recognition considering they've helped over 200 Wake and Johnston County residents find work in less than a year.  I'm incredibly proud to be part of such a great cause!


To Die For Blueberry Muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Hello Summer!

Summer officially arrived this week... boy, could I feel it!  Hot, humid weather made every moment spent outside a brutal one.  It made me miss the pleasant mountain temperatures and cool evening breezes.  I guess I shouldn't be complaining about sunshine and blue skies though, right? 

Although I printed out my review material this morning for medical school, I'm trying not to think too much about August 16th.  Instead, I'm focusing on good company, wonderful books, and fun adventures.  This past weekend, life led me to the base of Twin Falls in Pisgah National Forest with Comfort Me with Apples (Ruth Reichl) in my backpack.  Reading about the life of a food critic with the sound of water in the background...ah, so content. 

This coming weekend, I'm heading to the opposite yet equally beautiful end of NC to enjoy some ocean swimming and beach walking.  Stay tuned!

Skillet Greens
(Bon Appetit, April 2008)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large bunch kale thick stems removed, greens cut into 1-inch strips (about 10 cups packed)
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cumin; stir 1 minute. Add greens by large handfuls; stir just until beginning to wilt before adding more, tossing until coated with oil. Cook until tender, 1 to 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and sauté until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

More Mountains

This weekend, I am in the mountains once again.  Enjoying the cool air, catching up with my favorite food guru, and spending time with this one boy... and, as always, I've been around delicious food. 

After a trail run on the Blue Ridge Parkway, my cousin took me to Over Easy in Asheville for brunch.  Friends, you have to go.  It's a tiny one-room diner with bright walls and friendly service.  The food is to die for.  Seriously, get the Huevos Rancheros and you will taste heaven.  The coffee cups are the coolest part of the restaurant though.  Big, warm mugs that are made by a local potter.  I decided to buy mine, so that I will think of the mountains and my lovely food guru every time I take a sip of coffee in the real world.

Yesterday evening, I went on the best date: jumping off waterfalls in Dupont State Forest, picnicking in front of a beautiful mountain view, and picking wild blueberries! 

I had never been berry picking before.  To be honest, I have always been worried that I'd pick something poisonous and find myself in the ER.  Not last night though... last night ended with a giant pale of blueberries, a tired Annie dog, and wonderful memories made.

Because I haven't done a lot of my own cooking this weekend, I shall revert back to a granola recipe that I made about 2 weeks ago.  I was trying to copy the expensive stuff that I always find myself splurging on at Whole Foods.  I dare say that I did a pretty darn good job!  Enjoy!

Delicious Granola
3/4 cups pecans
1/2 cup natural almonds
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup, cane syrup or honey, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup dried fruit
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large shallow baking sheet with foil. Spread the pecans and almonds on the sheet and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly toasted. Transfer the nuts to a board, let cool and chop the nuts. Set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F. Pour the oats and sesame seeds, if using, in a mound on the same baking sheet. Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave; stir in the maple syrup and salt and drizzle on top of the oats. Stir well with a rubber spatula and then spread out the oats in an even layer.

Bake the oats for 30 minutes, stirring once with the spatula halfway through, until the oats are lightly colored. Let cool completely; the mixture will crisp as it cools. Add the berries, chocolate, and reserved nuts and toss.

(This mix will store well in an air tight container for a month.)

Engagement Party Festivities

Hello loves!  I hope that you stayed cool during this scorcher of a weekend.  My weekend was a busy one: spending my time in 2 different worlds of planning a fancy engagement party and teaching/volunteering in the prison. 

On Saturday, I joined forces with 5 other lovely ladies to throw the first engagement party of many for my favorite couple, John and Rachel.  It turned out to be a beautiful evening and the event fell together perfectly. 

As part of the decorations, I threw together this cheap, easy, and, might I say, clever flower arrangement.  I used old wine bottles (which aren't hard to collect), string, and flowers that were cut out of a friend's yard.  Jordan and I were also in charge of the cupcakes.  Don't you like the flags?  They were printed by Adrian and assembled by yours truly.

Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes
(Makes 1 dozen)
2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.

Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

Sprinkles' Strawberry Frosting
1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not over mix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

A Thrown-Together Summah Dinnah

In most aspects of my life, I'm a planner.  I plan what I'm going to eat for the week on Sunday.  I rely on shopping lists, to-do lists, pre-set goals, and timelines.  My personal planner is my life force, and I even write down when I'm going to work out each day.

With that being said, I'm always so proud of myself when I throw together a dinner without a lot of planning in advance.  I'm even happier when it comes out super tasty.  This happened on Tuesday night.  With leftover zucchini from my zucchini cupcakes, I decided to throw together some Zucchini Latkes for dinner with a side of tomatoes and basil.  Oh my, it hit the spot.  Try this recipe...

Zucchini Latkes
3 lbs. zucchini
1 1/3 cups plain fine dry bread crumbs
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
About 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Grate zucchini using medium shredding disk of a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons salt. Let stand 30 minutes.

Squeeze zucchini in batches in a kitchen towel to remove as much liquid as possible. The latkes will not stick together well with a lot of liquid.  Squeezing the water out of the zucchini is the key to the recipe.

Transfer zucchini to a large bowl and stir in bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. 

Preheat oven to 200°F.   Heat 1/3 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Scoop 2 tablespoon mixture per latke into skillet (6 to 8 per batch). Flatten with a fork to form 2 1/2-to 3-inch pancakes. Fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side (adding more oil as necessary). Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in oven.

...Why not pair this recipe with my new favorite beer, Bison Honey Basil Beer.

 (I always splurge on beer...bud light do not exist in my refridgerator.)

Summer Soup Sunday

This weekend was a fun one.  On Friday night, I went to Wine and Design with my mom.  It's the coolest place, and I urge you to go right away.  Basically, you learn how to paint a specific piece of art with step-by-step instructions from a local artist...and you bring your own wine and appetizers to enjoy during the night.  I am not the least bit artistically inclined, and I was pleased with the results. 

After lots of painting, mom and I headed to Lilly's for pizza.  I enjoyed the best beer while sitting with my mom and a great couple from Chapel Hill (who had 2 seats to spare)...Honey and Basil!  It was the perfect taste of Summer. 

Mom and I didn't eat a lot of our pizza (I think that we overdid it with the cheese and crackers), and about 3/4 of a delicious vege and sausage pizza came home.  Unfortunately, Annie decided to enjoy the remainder of the pizza as a late night snack while I was visiting neighbors and my mom was asleep.  Like the kids I babysit, Annie doesn't like the crust.  All that remained were pieces of pizza crust on the kitchen floor.

On Saturday, my little brother swam at the statewide Special Olympics swim meet.  It was so neat to see the pride that crossed the athletes' faces as they finish their events, and I was inspired as I saw a girl be lifted from her wheelchair to swim like an angel across the pool.  I'm not sure that Drew understood that the events were races.  He just floated along, gracefully enjoying every lap.  During the backstroke, he stopped to give me a big wave.  Later, he told us that Jesus helped him win...so funny.

I hope that your weekend was filled with good company and fun memories as well.  I've arrived at Sunday so tired... nothing on the agenda but napping, grocery shopping, and bonding with Annie dog.  I also made this Summer soup... 

Chilled Beet and Buttermilk Soup

4 cups chopped cooked beets

1 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 cups buttermilk
1 T. minced fresh dill
1/4 cup minced scallions

salt to taste

finely chopped cucumbers

In a food processor, combine the beets, apple juice, and buttermilk and puree until smooth.  Transfer to a bowl or storage container and stir in the dill and scallions.  Refrigerate for at last 2 hours.

Add salt to taste and serve topped with finely chopped cucumber.

Dessert for the Neighbors

If you are very lucky, you will live in a neighborhood with neighbors as great as mine once in your lifetime.  I love my neighbors; they are an eclectic group of woman (and one goofy, skinny computer guy) who love to be outside and all have dogs. 

There is Bentley the Rescue's owner, a kindred UNC die-hard basketball fan who doesn't mind sharing her flat screened TV (and suffering with me during this year's season) on game nights.  There is Milly the Boston Terrier's owner, a 50 something year old nurse who randomly left a bag of apples on my porch, because she noticed how much I liked fresh fruits and vegetables.  There is Bo's owner, the most put-together gal with the best southern accent who always has the best commentary for her dog's personality and actions.  Finally, there is Dolly's owner, a free-spirited yoga instructor who will put on her tall rain boots after a rain and splash around in the very deep rain puddles that form in our backyard with the neighborhood dogs.

Whether it's a quick wave before work or chatting over a beer in the evening, my neighbors play an important roll in forming my happy days in Raleigh.  I wanted to thank them for being such great neighbors, so I delivered a cupcake dessert to them yesterday evening!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 lb. zucchini, coarsely grated (1 cup)
1 (6-oz.) package semisweet chocolate chips
Equipment: a muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) cups with paper liners

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Whisk together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Beat together sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer until thick and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just incorporated. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips. Divide among lined muffin cups and bake until tops spring back when lightly pressed, 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn out to cool completely.

...I added cream cheese frosting, because it's always a hit!

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese
softened 1/4 cup butter
softened 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.