Holidays

Recipe of the Day: Lavender Tea Bread

3/4 cup milk2 T. dried lavender flowers, finely chopped, or 3 T. fresh2 cups all-purpose flour1-1/2 tsp. baking powder1/4 tsp. salt6 T. butter, softened1 cup sugar2 large eggs Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Heat milk with lavender almost to a boil, then let steepContinue reading “Recipe of the Day: Lavender Tea Bread”

10 Reasons I Like this time of year

Last fall, I moved from one side of the state to other. Eastern Washington is known for its cold winters and hot summers. The weather was more temperate year-round in the Seattle area and the Olympic Peninsula. I was a bit apprehensive about what Spokane summers would be like, only to experience what felt likeContinue reading “10 Reasons I Like this time of year”

Outside

I don’t have a lot of pictures of me and my siblings in the 1950s. Film was expensive then, for a poor family, and flash bulbs or flash attachments even more so. I suspect these photos were taken by my grandmother with her old Brownie camera. Of course, in those days kids didn’t have thingsContinue reading “Outside”

Recipe of the Day: Root Beer Floats

Summertime at my house when I was growing up meant root beer floats. I remember the excitement when dad brought home bottles of root beer and mom got out the vanilla ice cream. One year, dad decided to make homemade root beer from scratch. It was a lot of work so that was the oneContinue reading “Recipe of the Day: Root Beer Floats”

Outfit of the Day: Aqua Mint

Recipe of the Day: Ham with Mustard Glaze

Ham with Mustard Glaze Ham (fresh, not canned)1/2 cup brown sugar1/2 teaspoon dry mustard1 tablespoon prepared mustard (like French’s)2 tablespoons orange juice, lemon juice, or water1/2 cup (more) brown sugar Place ham, fat side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Do not cover or add water. Score ham with a sharp knife in a diamondContinue reading “Recipe of the Day: Ham with Mustard Glaze”

Recipe of the Day: Boxty

We tried a lot of different recipes for Boxty (potato pancakes); we both grew up eating these. We settled on this version. Irish Potato Boxty Cakes 1 C. mashed potatoes1 C. raw potatoes, grated2 eggs1/2 C. flour1 tsp. baking soda2 T. buttersalt & pepper Place mashed potatoes in a bowl, add gratedraw potato and egg;Continue reading “Recipe of the Day: Boxty”

Outfit of the Day: St. Patrick’s Day

Recipe of the Day: Chinese New Year Dinner Menu for the Lunar New Year

About forty years ago, I took a Chinese cooking class at the University District store, The House Of Rice, in Seattle. I made these recipes so often that I ended up teaching classes using them. These recipes make a great menu to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Chinese Dinner for Company Chinese BBQ PorkFried RiceAsian-StyleContinue reading “Recipe of the Day: Chinese New Year Dinner Menu for the Lunar New Year”

Outfit of the Day: On Fire

The fifteen-day celebration in China called Lunar New Year started on Feb 1st. In honor of this holiday, I was inspired to create this outfit. It’s the Year of the Tiger.