Not So Spooky

It seems fitting to share this so close to Halloween.  This has been one of my favorite walks since I was about twelve.  I would visit my Grandma in Red Wing and sneak away with my camera to explore.  I'd walk up East Avenue...

...and into Oakwood Cemetery.

I took the same walk today... up the path...

...and into the woods, blanketed in leaves....

...aglow with color....

....beautiful color....

.....big landscapes like Barns Bluff surround...

....and delicate beauty of Maiden Hair Ferns below my feet...

....thoughts of angels....

....lovely day.  Not so spooky.

Mission Accomplished

Why does this feel like a masterpiece?  Over the past two-and-a-half weeks we have stripped 104 years of paint, sanded, patched, stained, re-sanded, re-stained, varnished, patched and painted.  It seemed like it would never end.  All this for a sixteen square-foot back entry to our house.  The previous owners did a skillful job refinishing the entire house - it is humbling to feel victorious over this tiny corner.  The  door, walls and trim were painted white - they now glow in their original wood finish and walls to match the kitchen.  If you visit, I doubt you will even know the difference.   To me however it is piece of art.

Dahlias Gone Wild

Thanks to the previous owners of our house, we are rich with Dahlias!

With this warm weather, the flowers are really giving it a last hurrah.

There were so many last night, I made four arrangements for my house and gave six bouquets to my neighbors.  Wild!

The tough question now is which to save?  Dahlias hail from Mexico so in Minnesota we dig them up and overwinter them in sphagnum in a cool dark place.  I need to make room for vegetables next year so need to reduce the number of Dahlias from the twenty eight plants in my yard.  Which to choose - they are so beautiful!

Oh My Madeleines!

I did it!  My madeleines are better then any other I have tasted.

It irked me that I liked Starbucks Madeleine's better then those I attempted to make earlier - and theirs was better then others I had purchased at French bakeries in the U.S.   Leave it to Julia though, today I tried the recipe from Baking with Julia and hit the jackpot in the world of Madeline's.

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 c cake flour, sifted
3/4 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 large eggs at room temperature
4 large egg yolks at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla

Sift the flour, add 1 tbsp of sugar and the salt and set aside on a sheet of waxed paper.   Put eggs and yolks along with 1 tbsp sugar in a ceramic bowl and mix by hand with beater from mixer.  Add the remaining sugar and wisk by hand.  Then whip the egg/sugar mixture on high speed for about 5 minutes until the mixture "makes a ribbon" that sits on top for 10 seconds before sinking.  Add the vanilla.  Next mix in about 1/3 of the flour mixture gently with a spatula.  Do not over fold!  Then gently add the next thirds the same way.  Carefully fold in the melted butter.  Immediately and carefully spoon the batter into the madeleine pans.  Bake about 10 minutes at 400.  I like the edges brown and crispy - the madeleines should bounce back to the touch.   Cool a bit before removing from pan.  The recipe says thy taste best the first day - and can be frozen for up to ten days.  I can tell you they taste great on day one!

You can get a used copy of Baking With Julia for $10-15.  This cookbook is so so so worth it.  Everything I have made from pie crust to croissants with these recipes have been the best ever.