Journal Entries

The Cookbook Challenge! Recipes From Huckleberry!

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The Cookbook Challenge!  Recipes From Huckleberry!

Recently, I tried my hand at another epic Cookbook Challenge from a wonderful cookbook that my husband and I bought, in part, because of the stories the author, Zoe Nathan, shares of her adventures in baking.

The Cookbook Challenge!

There’s nothing that endears you to a cookbook more than reading about the “inside” story, so to speak, of how it came about…after reading about Huckleberry, one of my goals in life is meet the unique and enterprising author of this cookbook!  The recipes are also mostly breakfast and brunch recipes, which are my weakness, so of course, this cookbook is quickly becoming a favorite!

Huckleberry Cookbook by Zoe Nathan

My husband was drawn to this unique cookbook because he remembers picking huckleberries as a young boy by his uncle’s farm in Idaho.

Huckleberry cookbook.

I just knew that a cookbook with polka dot paper edges had to be worth trying!

In her fun writing style, Zoe Nathan tells the reader that there are two ways to use her cookbook:

“If you choose to wake up at 6 A.M. to surprise your family with muffins made by exactly following one of our recipes, I promise you will be successful and get a lot of extra praise and appreciation from your family.  You can also use these recipes to give you guidance, messing around with them, inserting your own ideas, until you get it exactly as you want it.  I will certainly not be offended.  Remember, baking is supposed to be fun, so don’t take yourself too seriously while doing it!”

Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica, California

The Huckleberry cookbook also shares the name of  Zoe Nathan’s bakery and café in Santa Monica, California!  Anybody game for a road trip!!

Besides being a visual feast, Huckleberry cookbook features recipes that are hearty and healthy where basic ingredients are combined in a way that you won’t soon forget the deliciousness–they’ll put a whole new twist to your next upcoming family get-together!

Huckleberry Cookbook Challenge!

Huckleberry bakery and cafe.

Zoe Nathan first met her husband, Joel Loeb, when she was hired to bake pastries at his restaurant, Rustic Canyon.  Their “real life” collaboration was meant to be…together they own and bake for Huckleberry Bakery and Café now! 

Huckleberry Monte Cristo Sandwiches! 

I had my first delectable Monte Cristo sandwich at a local deli and was hooked from the first yummy bite!  That deli has since closed up shop, so when I saw the recipe in Huckleberry for these sandwiches, I knew it would be one of the first things I made from this wonderful cookbook!

Ingredients:  Serves 3

3 tbsp. heavy cream

You can use half and half or milk too–I love the cream.

3 sage leaves  I don’t add this.

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Pinch of fresh ground pepper

3 eggs whisked

1 tsp. sugar

9 slices brioche bread

Brioche bread.

The Huckleberry cookbook has a recipe for Brioche bread, I just bought mine.  Challah bread works great too.

4 tbsp. Dijon mustard

I don’t usually like Dijon, but it’s good in these.

6 tbsp. mayonnaise

12 thin slices of ham

I like Land O’ Frost Bistro Favorites Black Forest ham.

1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese 

Sometimes I substitute Swiss cheese, which is just as good.

Blueberry jam

Huckleberry homemade jam recipe after sandwich instructions.

Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions:

In a small sauce pan, bring cream to boil with sage, salt and pepper.  Allow to cool completely.  Whisk in eggs and sugar.  Put in refrigerator until needed.

To build the sandwiches, start by laying out all nine slices of bread.  On 3 slices spread mustard; set aside.  On the 6 remaining slices spread mayo, and divide the ham and cheese on these bread slices.  Put mustard-covered bread slices on top of 3 of the ham and cheese slices, then invert those onto the last 3 ham and cheese slices.  This makes 3 triple decker sandwiches with the mustard slices in the middle.  To be honest, I don’t make triple decker sandwiches, but I’m sure I would love every extra yummy bite of bread if I ordered these at Huckleberry!

When you’re ready to cook sandwiches, heat 1 tbsp. of butter in large saucepan over medium heat; dip the sandwiches in egg batter until well coated and cook until the top, bottom and sides of sandwiches are goldeny brown and cheese is melted.  Slice and serve with a light dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of blueberry jam,  the recipe for Huckleberry homemade blueberry jam is below.

Cooking with a skillet.

I cook these in a cast iron skill because it creates the best golden brown color. 

Blueberry Jam:

4 cups fresh blueberries

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup water

Combine above ingredients in medium stainless-steel saucepan.  simmer until jammy, about 15-20 minutes.  Serve as dip for Monte Cristo sandwiches.  This will keep good for approximately two weeks in your refrigerator. 

Homemade bluberry jam.

This jam is easy to make and used for several recipes throughout the cookbook.

The Cookbook Challenge! Recipes From Huckleberry!

Every Monte Cristo sandwich I’ve ever eaten has always been cut into fourths, making them the perfect triangle size for dipping in the jam.

I have also had Monte Cristo sandwiches served with turkey slices added along with the ham and cheese, with strawberry or raspberry jam.  

Zoe Nathan states in her introduction, that this cookbook came about largely due to the fact that after she had her son, baking became more personal and she loved to make him freshly baked goodies from her own kitchen; it gave her a great sense of satisfaction.  That’s the special feeling she wanted to share with us in her Huckleberry cookbook.

If you try this recipe, let me know how you liked it.  Any new recipes you’ve tried lately and absolutely loved?

Happy baking…..and eating!  Mary

Garden Therapy! Colorful Shade Plants!

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Garden Therapy!  Colorful Shade Plants!

So far, spring in Utah where I live hasn’t consisted of too many sunny days…but thank goodness the sun does eventually shine!  Meanwhile, I’ve been wandering our local garden centers in anticipation of getting out in my flowerbeds again.  Usually, my focus is on good hardy plants that will survive and thrive in the heat of the summer sun, but since the trees are maturing and getting bigger in my yard, I’ve been doing a little research on fun, colorful plants that do good in shady areas.

Well-Known Shade Plants!

  • Impatiens

Probably one of the most recognizable and popular colorful shade plants is Impatiens; they are fairly hardy plants and require little care other than moderate watering and some insect and slug control, since snails love their delicate petals and aphids breed well in shady areas.

Colorful Shade plants--impatiens.

Impatiens are pretty annual flowers that come in a variety of colors and bloom all summer long.  They usually grow about 8-10 inches tall.  I like to plant a combination of all the bright colors in some of my shady flower beds.

Slug and pest control for flowers.

I’ve found sprinkling Corry’s slug bait in the mulch around my plants works best to protect them against snails, and that Bayer Flower Insect Spry does a great job of protecting flowers from a variety of insects–it’s also animal safe.

I think we’re all pretty familiar with many of the more well-known shade plants, typically planted in the north facing areas of our yards.  Growing up, we had a large side yard that faced north where several pine trees grew; it was a favorite place to play with neighborhood friends during the summer, since it didn’t get the heat of the midday sun.  My mom grew rhubarb plants along the fence and planted what seemed like hundreds of colorful Impatiens under the pine trees.   

Impatient: Colorful shade flowers.

Impatiens will do well in rocky and clay soil if you just add some sand and mulch to your dirt for the best flowering results.  Since decorative, cement curbing wasn’t available back then, my parents often lined rocks around their flowers beds–I love the natural look and have used some in parts of my yard.

  • Coleus    

One of my very favorite shade plants is coleus; the variety and colors of these lush, leafy plants seems to be endless.  Coleus are a great filler to any flowerbed, but also gorgeous all on their own!

Coleus plants.

Coleus provide stunning color to any shade area.  Most varieties grow 16-18 inches tall, but you can pinch them back so the plants grow out more full.  

Photo (105)

Colorful shade plants for container pots.

Impatiens and coleus are perfect for porch planters where there’s no direct sun! 

  • Pansies and Violas

These pretty, lacy-edged flowers were a favorite of both my grandmother and my mother-in-law.  They’re usually the first flowers you’ll see blooming in all their pretty color combinations come springtime.

Colorful shade flowers-pansies and violas.

While pansies and violas tend to thrive in the cooler, early spring sun, I’ve found that they don’t like the heat of the hotter summer sun unless planted in shady areas that only allows for some indirect sunlight to shine on them.

Colorful shade flowers-pansies and violas.

If you’ll pinch off the old, wilted blooms on your pansy and viola flowers, it will help generate new ones much quicker.  They require regular watering too.

Other Colorful Shade Plants!

  • Lamium 

Lamium, better known to me as purple dragon, is a pretty perennial flowering ground cover that blooms most of the summer.  I love the variegation of the silvery green color of the leaves along with the unique flower shape.  (There’s a white flower variety too.) 

I like to mix Lamium in with other kinds of ground cover under the big maple trees in my back yard for some fun added color and texture.  

  •  Astilbe

When I was first in search of some long lasting, blooming shade perennial flowers, a cute gal at our nearby garden center introduced me to Astilbe flowers–my granddaughters knowingly refer to them as feather duster plants–since that is exactly what they look like!  (Your yard will thank you in lush plants if you become good friends with your local plant ladies…and guys–seriously, such fun people and they all love what they do!)    

Astilbe-bloom

Astilbe flowers can tolerate some indirect sunlight, but do best when planted in mostly shady areas.  They also like soil that stays pretty moist, so you will want to keep the slug bait and sprinkle some around them every other week.  Even when their blooms fade, they have a neat rustic look to them.   

  • Hydrangeas

I was always fascinated with the ever-changing color hues of the hydrangea bushes my grandmother grew in her beautiful gardens, and to this day the smell of them reminds me of the blooms she’d clip and put in fun vases throughout her house.  For some reason though, I didn’t think I had the “green thumb” so to speak, to keep any growing in my own yard…but come to find out, they are really very easy to grow as long as you plant them in more shady flowerbeds that don’t get hot afternoon sun and fertilize them regularly.

Colorful Shande flowers-hydrandeas

I usually plant the “Endless Summer” variety of Hydrangea bushes because, as the name indicates, they bloom all summer long.  I love how the blossoms fade from bright pink to a pale bluish hue as they mature.  Hydrangeas like mulch rich, moist soil.  Plant Hydrangeas where there is room to grow since they will get about 3-5 feet high.  I treat them with Bayer pest spray once a month. 

Easy to grow Endless Summer hydrangeas.

I love to plant Hydrangea bushes in large ceramic pots in my flower beds too; just water every other day and make sure there’s good drainage.

My grandma was such a neat influence in my life.  As a child, I loved working together in her flowerbeds; those memories are some of the main reasons I look forward to getting out in my own yard this time of year–she often told me that…

Quote about spring.

Whatever you like to do to renew your spirit this special springtime of year…I  hope you find it in abundance!

What are some colorful shade plants you love to plant in your yard?  Do you have any handy yard care tips that you’d share with us here?

–Mary

Admirable Women! The Quiet Strength of Laura Bush!

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Admirable Women!

There are so many loving and gracious women from my mother and grandmother, to wonderful teachers, friends and neighbors, as well as influential public figures, who have enriched my life in so many ways, that I have decided to start a new series here on the Tribute Journal spotlighting some of these admirable women!

Admirable Women!

In today’s society, it often seems that more attention is paid to the women yelling obscenities into a mega phone, rather than those who show by their untiring efforts to make a “real” difference as they lead with gentle fortitude and steadfast commitment to their families, churches and communities.  These are the kind of women I want to rally with, so to speak; these are the women I want my children and grandchildren to be inspired by when they face tough times and hard decisions, so they can still remain hopeful and happy in this ever evolving world.

The Quiet Strength of Laura Bush!

flotus-300

(via White House Portraits)

Laura Welch Bush was the only child of Harold and Jenna Welch.  Mrs. Bush states in her autobiography, Spoken From The Heart, that although her beloved parents lost three other babies, due to either miscarriage or infant death, they loved and laughed; nurturing her with kind, supportive care to help her become the capable, educated and considerate woman she is today!

Laura Bush grew up in Midland Texas, a place she describes as ice cream sundaes…and Saturday morning pony rides.  Mrs. Bush graduated from Southern Methodist University in Texas with a degree in early childhood education and later went on to receive her master degree in library science.  One of the things I probably admire most about Laura Bush, is the fact that as a teacher, first in Dallas, then later in Houston, she championed community causes such as literacy and elementary school programs long before she became a high-profile public figure.  Mrs. Bush was a major driving force behind the local book fairs that are common in many of the grade schools even now.

Admirable Women! The Quiet Strength of Laura Bush!

(via Laura Bush Foundation)

“Libraries allow children to ask questions about the world and find answers.  And the wonderful thing is that once a child learns to use a library, the doors to learning are always open.”  Laura Bush

In 1995, as the wife of then Governor George W. Bush, Mrs. Bush established the Texas Book Festival, an annual event that promotes literacy; when her husband became President of the United States in 2001, she launched the first National Book Festival, which featured authors from every state across the nation.

Laura Bush also became involved in the Reach Out and Read program, which is an early childhood development initiative geared to helping parents and other caregivers to prepare children for formal instruction in reading.

In 2002, Mrs. Bush launched the Laura Bush Foundation for American Libraries, that grants awards worth more than $1,000,000 to US schools every year.

Children's books by Laura Bush.

Laura Bush has also written two delightful children’s books with her daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, that my granddaughters love me to read to them. 

As an avid reader myself, who loves to share good books with family and friends, I greatly admire the remarkable efforts of Laura Bush in setting a higher standard for literacy, libraries and education in America!

Laura Bush quote.

September 11, 2001, not only brought the horror and devastation of terrorism to America, it shed light on the cruel and inhumane treatment of Afghan women in their homeland.  Mrs. Bush, along with other thoughtful and influential women, including Condoleezza Rice, became outspoken advocates for expanding rights and opportunities for all women worldwide!

Laura Bush, Condoleza Rice advocate for Afghan women's rights.

(via Condoleezza Rice archives) 

On November 17, 2001, the White House assigned President Bush’s weekly radio address to First Lady, Laura Bush.  It was the first time that a presidential wife was given this opportunity.  Mrs. Bush stated that the war on terrorism was “a fight for the rights and dignity of women everywhere.” 

“Islam is a religion that respects women and humanity and condemns the brutal degradation of women and children by the Taliban regime.  In Afghanistan, we see the world the terrorists would like to impose on the rest of us.”  Laura Bush

Anyone who considerately seeks after proper treatment of women and children with dignified finesse, is for me, someone who is worthy of deep admiration!

Admirable Women! The Quiet Strength of Laura Bush!

Perhaps one of the things I admire more than anything else about Laura Bush and her husband, is how honorably they have conducted their post presidential years.  According to biography.com, the former president and first lady enjoy an active and enjoyable life at their home in Crawford, Texas, that includes the love of gardening for her, and painting for him.  (Pres. Bush recently published a book portrait paintings he did of former Veteran’s titled “Portraits of Courage”.)  Mrs. Bush also remains actively involved with many of the causes she championed during her more public years.

The Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health.

(via Laura Bush Foundation)

Laura Bush continues to promote current women’s issues and the improvement of women’s healthcare worldwide, which includes raising funds for “The Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health” founded in August of 2007 as part of Texas Tech University’s Health Science Center in Lubbock, Texas. 

Admirable Women! The Quiet Strength of Laura Bush!

(via George W. Bush Institute)

The former President of the United States and Mrs. Bush visited Botswana and Namibia, Africa on April 4-7, 2017, as part of their George W. Bush Institute’s work on global advancement of women’s health and leadership that has now made available breast and cervical screening tests in that country. 

As a maternity and NICU nurse, with a degree in health education, I understand well the need for all women to make their health a priority.  I’m in awe of the work the Bush’s have done to make health information and aid available to so many in need throughout the world!

Laura Bush quote.

Of the women you find admirable, what are some of their character traits that inspire you?  Also, I’d love your input on other women, from all walks of life, that you’d like featured in this series.  Would you be interested in being a guest writer on my blog and presenting a woman you admire? 

–Love always, Mary