easy melba sauce

yet another raspberry installment... i just cannot resist sharing another delicious recipe for my favorite fruit, especially when they are home grown! this sauce was originally created by a famous french chef for an australian opera star, dame nellie melba, hence the name. this version is quite simple.


easy melba sauce

1 cup raspberries
1/4 cup sugar

puree' raspberries in a blender or food processor. press the puree through a strainer with a spatula to remove seeds, put it in a small sauce pan. add the sugar and heat over medium heat stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved. remove from heat and cool. refrigerate. serve over ice cream or pound cake. traditionally it is served over peaches. i drizzled mine over vanilla ice cream.

wisconsin, america's dairyland...

i couldn't resist one more picture from our trip to wisconsin!

hummingbird

as i am weeding my flower beds, i hear a faint, miniature helicopter coming near...so i freeze. slowly, moving only my eyes, i look around and observe a hummingbird just inches away from me, moving efficiently from flower to flower collecting nectar. if i am still, he will not mind me watching him. i am mesmerized by the iridescent green and red. i am so amazed as i study the blur that is his wings. God has engineered this tiniest of all birds to do, without effort, feats that man has struggled to accomplish with inventions, contraptions, and clumsy flying machines. in a flash he is gone, zipping off to find more flowers. and i sit in the midst of my garden, amazed once again at God's creation.

everyday gift: hummingbirds

little house wayside

while mark and the boys were away last week at another boy scout camp (more on their adventures later), we decided to take a little road trip, a girls' get-away! we set off for the birth place of laura ingalls wilder and the site of the little house in the big woods. it really brought our reading of the book to life and gave us some special time together.

although the original cabin has not survived, the replica sits on the foundation of the cabin charles ingalls built for his family in the early 1860's. it was charming.

"The 'Little House' books are stories of long ago. the way we live and your schools are much different now; so many changes have made living and learning easier. But the real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong." ~ laura ingalls wilder

B and i at the Little House in the Big Woods

this old carriage stood outside the great river amish inn, where we stayed.

"Once upon a time, sixty years ago, a little girl lived in the Big Woods of wisconsin, in a little gray house made of logs."

i loved the big stone chimney

B at laura ingalls wilder park

pepin railroad depot museum

everyday gift: living out our history lessons

scenes of pepin, wisconsin

B and i had a lovely time walking through the quaint little town of pepin, wisconsin. it seemed everywhere we looked we saw a picture. i think wading in lake pepin and collecting pebbles and shells was a highlight for B. when we got home we stitched up a little calico pocket to hold her pebbles. they were selling them in the gift shop, but we made our own in about 10 minutes! :o)

trains rumbled through town quite frequently between lake pepin and first street. i loved the potted boats!

a cafe along first street with a view of the lake

the gray building is The Pickle Factory, a fun little restaurant right on the lake.

" But Laura and Mary ran along the lake shore, picking up pretty pebbles that had been rolled back and forth by the waves until they were polished smooth. There were no pebbles like that in the Big Woods."

the shore of lake pepin

secret message in the sand

a calico pocket of lake pepin treasures

"The heavy pebbles tore her pocket right out of her dress. The pocket fell, and the pebbles rolled all over the bottom of the wagon box."

everday gift: having B all to myself on a special trip

tea time cookies

B made a delicious batch of cutout cookies the other day! she did all the work herself.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

2/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour


Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt and beat until combined. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer, then stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Cover and chill dough for about 30 minutes, or until easy to handle.

Roll out dough on a floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time. Cut with floured cookie cutter and sprinkle with sugar (unless you plan to ice them). Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375* for 7-8 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.






everyday gift: tea parties and cookies with sugar sprinkles

black raspberry scones

are you beginning to think that i am a bit obsessed with my raspberries? wait until i add the pictures and you will not wonder why! oh, yum!

my grandma's rolling pin

fingers in the icing

Any-berry Scones

2 cups flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter
8 ounces sour cream
1 egg yolk, beaten
3/4 cup frozen berries (frozen berries work best as they don't squish so much)

Stir together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter until it is the consistency of coarse crumbs. Stir together the sour cream and egg yolk. Add to the flour mixture and stir until combined. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead lightly until soft dough forms, pressing in frozen berries as you go. Pat into a 7" circle and cut into wedges. Place on a greased baking sheet 2" apart.

Bake at 400* for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.

To make a glaze mix powdered sugar with a little cream and just a dash of almond extract. drizzle over scones while they are on the cooling rack.

thank you, kathleen, for sharing your recipe with me!

everyday gift: hot scones and coffee for breakfast