Sunday, February 22, 2009

First Strawberries of the Year

When I brought strawberries home, Ben--the newest member of the produce police--immediately demanded to know where I got strawberries in February. Reassured that these strawberries traveled from only as far as California, Ben decided that the first strawberries of the year should be celebrated. One of the boys' favorite desserts is Strawberry Shortcake ... not just any shortcake, but Brown Sugar Shortcake. Using a traditional biscuit dough, I roll it out cinnamon-roll style, spread a paste of brown sugar and melted butter over the dough, roll it into a log and cut into 1 inch slices. Bake on a parchment covered cookie sheet (the brown sugar makes a mess) until lightly browned. Cool slightly and cover with sliced strawberries and a bit of whipped cream. You'll never eat plain shortcake again.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Valentine Treats (and Costco advice)

First, the advice: Never go to Costco when you are hungry, unless you don't mind coming home with a few extra purchases. Though I have a fine selection of cookbooks and though the internet provides more recipes than one could bake in a lifetime, I HAD to buy the Martha Stewart Cookies book. For this recipe. Which, I later discovered, is here. The recipe is definitely a keeper. I baked these Surprise Cookies for the office (and the boys) for Valentine's Day. The 'surprise' is a marshmallow melted in the center of the cookie, then covered with frosting. I used my new King Arthur Flour cookie scoop and wonder why I waited so long to buy this handy gadget. The cookie scoop was almost a necessity with this recipe, as the dough is very sticky--like a very thick cake batter. Parchment-lined cookie sheets were also a necessity: the cookies are very fragile until they are cool. I forgot to sift the cocoa for the frosting and ended up with tiny bits of cocoa powder, which no amount of whisking or whipping could disperse. No one complained, but still. For perfection, sift the cocoa.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Annual Boondoggle

Why is it when you mention going to a conference at a five-star resort people smirk and whisper "boondoggle", nodding knowingly? Our annual conference was held over the weekend at the Salishan Spa and Resort and it was fun, informative, and inspiring. And not much time for boondoggling. The federal update was a bit, er, overwhelming: 1200 pages of new legislation and a 200 page Dear Colleague letter issuing guidance. My presentations went fine, although I'm exhausted from fretting over them. And an added bonus ... a Sticks and String networking session was offered for the first time, allowing fellow knitters to have an organized time to get together. Helen showed me how to knit two socks simultaneously on a circular needle and I can't wait to try this technique. I have never knit socks because I feel so awkward when I use double pointed needles. Note to self: Must finish baby blankets first. Matt's and Amy's baby shower is the 10th.

I really don't think I want to live anywhere else in the world. I've often thought it would be fun to live in Billings, Montana ... or maybe even Helena. But no. I could never be more than a two hour drive from the beach. I love the beach at any time of year, but today was perfection: sunny, warm, and no wind. In February. I love Oregon.