We like to think that our lives are unchanging; that things will go on as they have, but every day we grow older, we change, our circumstances change.  Sometimes they change violently and without warning.  Sometimes it doesn’t seem fair. But if we can grab every ounce of faith we have and hang on to our ethics, beliefs, and the good in our lives we come through stronger, happier, and better people. The deepest people I have ever met are those that have lived through much pain.

Sorry, I always wanted to preach…. ok..so on with Blogsurfing Saturday!

All though I usually talk about Muddy Dog Coffee on Kettle and Cup this week it is to announce that they are roasting something besides coffee. They have come out with roasted grits and cornmeal. They will be sending me some in the  next week or two for review but in the meantime check out the eggplant Napoleon that they made.

It’s Daring Baker’s week and the challenge was Cannoli. You need to search these out because everyone’s looked great. I loved this cherry brandy version that Courtney did.

Chris at Mele Cotte has a fantastic post and recipe about Pork Roast with Balsamic Thyme Fig Sauce. I heart balsamic and fig flavor and the thyme must make this amazing.

Barbara at Wino’s and Foodies has posted a White Chocolate Cake with Mango and Pomegranate Syrup that looks luscious.

Joelen has an amazing Wild Rice and Portabella Salad that seems to me to be a perfect lunch to have in front of a fire with a hearty red wine, a crunchy baguette, and a baked apple for the finish.

Go ahead and try to resist these Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes from Salt and Chocolate.

Balance has a Honey Chipotle Lime Glazed Chicken that truly makes my mouth water.

If you have a chilly day at hand, maybe a little snow falling, and a chilly house check out this Beer and Vegetable Cheese Soup with Bacon at Adventures of Kitchen Girl.

Greedy Pudding Pear Cake at Tinned Tomatoes has me feeling a bit greedy myself. I think I could eat the entire thing.

I just love Becke of Columbus Foodie and this smaller Thanksgiving meal looks perfect. I think it would be a great dinner any time you wanted something a little festive but not too huge.

Don’t forget to check out the amazing images at Baking Delights Flickr group.  Food Po#n at it’s best! Need an example? Check these Peanut Butter Crisp Squares from Brown Eyed Baker!

image: marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Nah…it’s just Texas weather.

So I spent the week shopping with my girls. I need to still get the boys outfitted for winter but that is usually a little easier. Both girls are hard to fit. Shiloh is nearly 14, tall and long legged so it would be hard enough without the hooker-wear all the stores seem to be carrying. Trying to find a simple dress for church that is not so low cut that it shows a mile an a half of nubile 14 year old cleavage is almost impossible. While we were shopping I remembered WHY I let Shiloh wear jeans and sweaters to church.

Yes…that IS a pink BB gun….

Nothing redneck about our family…nope.

Anyway, so now my checking account need a mainline fix from Fort Knox.  Two more reasons I need to dust off the sewing machine and add sewing back to my to do list.

With all the fall weather I am feeling like autumn desserts. The house always smells so good when you are baking with the spices and pumpkin and apple flavors of fall. And what better time to eat desserts than when you are going to be wearing so many layers that you look huge anyway, right?

Speaking of layers…

Kyrie is unusual, y’all know that. Well today it was cold and dark and drizzly for Texas. She was wearing 5 shirts (yep I swear) and her new winter coat…and panties. That’s it. I said, “So, K-bug, don’t you think you should put some pants on? ” She looked serious for a minute and then said, “Nope. I have on 5 shirts so it balances out.”

I am guessing that 53F legs and 150F torso averages about 100F all over? Not sure…..

Ready to do some Autumn surfing? Here are some of the coolest desserts ever -

• Black Bottomed Mini Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites from Picky Palate
• Chocolate and Strawberry Mascarpone Cake from Passionate About Baking
• This Weeks YeastSpotting from Wild Yeast..head over there and drool..I ‘ll wait.
• Sour Cream Pumpkin Coffee Cake from Megan’s Cookin’
• Raised Waffles with Sauteed Chai- Spiced  Apples from Cookie Pie
• Pumpkin Shortbread Cookies from Adventures in Shaw
• Date Spice Loaf from Smitten Kitchen
• Congrats to Lori of RecipeGirl for TWO prizewinning pies!
• Toffee Apple Upside Down Cake from Inn Cuisine
• White Chocolate Bread Pudding from Baking Bites

image:marye audet

image: Cori from Brambleberry Cottage

Post from: Baking Delights

I usually like to add an image to share something about my life in the past week. I really can’t today..I mean, I DO have a picture of my neck but I don’t think you want to see that…especially on a food blog…I have been mostly in my room and it is a nice room…but not exactly fascinating. So for your viewing pleasure…a random image of my antique silver on one of  my favorite antique plates: Salem China, Godey Victory pattern, circa very early 1940s. I have a (mostly) full set.

The summer is winding down as the school busses start to pass our house again. It is still hot but the color of the light has changed to an autumn gold and the various normal noises have a muffled sound to them that seems to happen this time of year. 

I am laying here thinking that by Monday I need to return to a real schedule. Things are stacking up and the end of the month is going to be worse than usual id I don’t. Besides..it is hard to write a food blog if you haven’t cooked much. There is a definite lack of material.

Here is blogsurfing for today!

• Oh my..Apple Pops by Bakerella. These are too cute for words. I want to be her when I grow up.
• Grilled Eggplant and Olive Pizza from Smitten Kitchen… I will take three, do you deliver?
• Triple Chocolate Devil’s Food Cupcakes from Purple Foodie. I could eat an entire batch.
• Brown Sugar Plum Cakes from Passionate About Baking. I asked Deeba to send me these for breakfast this morning.
• Chipotle Chicken, Apricot, and Brie Quesadillas from Closet Cooking… Now I am STARVING.

That’s it for today..I am tired and I think I am going to rest for a bit. Have a great weekend.

image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I dislike modern society. We have lost the ability to relax in a hammock in the back yard with a book, because it is too hot to do anything in the house. We don’t relax as all anymore. We have created a year ’round climate that allows us to work ourselves to death.

Today make a decision to put it aside for a bit. Enjoy your kids. Enjoy your family, savor the last few weeks of summer as much as you can. Make a choice to learn to relax more, live more, work less. I know that I am right there with ya.

In light of that, here are some recipes that I found that are quick and support our new, kicked back lifestyle!

• Double Tomato Bruschetta just serve it with a slice of honeydew and a salad
• Garbanzo Bean Salad with Red Onion, Parsley, Cilantro and Feta and a loaf of black olive bread and some sliced tomatoes.. Just have yogurt over fresh fruit for dessert
• Green Tea Blueberry Smoothie This would be a great quick breakfast or afternoon refresher
• Homemade Toaster Strudel – Make up a batch of these in the cool of a morning and breakfast all week.
• Cheddar and Gruyere Gougeres -   Serve with your favorite  salad and have ice cream for dessert

Have a great weekend!

Post from: Baking Delights

Anyway, what got me started on that was the fact that yet again the sky is gray and a storm is brewing. We have had enough rain lately that the weeds in the back yard are waist high and the front needs mowing desperately. It has just been too wet.  Poor Marc has a rare Saturday off and it will be too wet to go biking.

I need to go shopping again. I have used and overused my antique and vintage dishes in my images until I am totally bored with them-you probably are too. I particularly liked the above image though.

I am gearing up for my surgery on the sixth. A little nervous but not too bad. And…certainly not looking forward to the gourmet Veteran’s Administration Hospital version of American Noveau Cuisnine. I have a lot of posts and reviews to get done this week and I am wondering where the time will come from.

So the three older kids had a lock in last night with the youth group. Since Matt is now driving they pulled in this morning without me having to go after them. Bliss! Freedom!  I notice the boys went straight to bed but Shiloh is putting makeup on Kyrie and otherwise puttering around. I suppose she is practicing to be a mom someday and learning to live on no sleep.

O.k..on this very moody Saturday let’s do a little surfing, shall we?

• Grilled Mexican Chicken with Tomato Avocado Salsa
• I am SO making these cookies soon! Jammie Bodgers
• Thai Pork Salad
• I love Lavender Shortbread cookies. This has semolina in it for texture.
• Baked Blueberry French Toast
• Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
• Penne with Roast Vegetables and Fresh Pesto
• Melon Raspberry Ice Cream
• Smore Cookies
• Crumb Peach Bread

So..that’s it for this week. Next week is iffy, unless I happen to prepost. Such a busy, busy week. I am hoping to spend a little of my recovery time planning school. Kyrie really wants to learn to read, and I think she is ready.

Have a great weekend!

images:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

The house is quiet this morning with just the soft whrrrr of the ceiling fans and the sounds of the cicadas outside. The kids are murmuring in another room–THEY were  up all night literally, having a sleepover. Silly thing to call a group of kids getting together at night, isn’t it? More like an awake over. Anyway, Matt finally got his 17th birthday party (his birthday was July 11) so he and Ethan, and several friends spent the night in the den with numerous electric guitars, acoustic guitars, etc. Have I mentioned that my bedroom is almost directly over the den?

So I believe that they created songs, Shiloh stayed up too and a couple of the guys created songs about her…All in all they had a great time..and the house is…quiet.

I am still waiting on the VA to decide how and when they are going to handle my thyroid issues. Silly me. Thought when we talked surgery it was decided. UPDATE: AS I was writing this I got a call from the VA…on Saturday mind you…

“Mrs. Audet? You are scheduled for your physical on Tuesday July 28. Your surgery will be August 6. Report to Day Surgery at 6:am.”

HUH???????

So..in the space of an hour…I have found out I have a little over a week to completely schedule the month of August. Yay.

As I sit in my very messy kitchen this morning I can see up the gravel driveway. It is a long driveway and dappled with sunlight. There is something comforting to me about seeing it, the closest I have to a country dirt road at this point in my life.  I am thinking that in a month it will be the end of August, and we will be gearing up for my favorite two seasons, and wondering what the autumn will bring.

So…that behind us..are you ready to check out some cool stuff?

• Mojito Cookies
• Mango Apricot Walnut Strudel
• Grilled Chicken under a Brick
• Banana Pudding Ice Cream
• Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar Cheese Burgers
• Lemon Blueberry Panna Cotta
• Oatmeal Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Pretzel Bars
• Cup of Caprese
• Peanut Butter Cupcakes

image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Nick (9) enjoying the fountains. It was 102F at 6 p.m.

Yes, that is my SON. He likes his hair long and I see no reason to change that. Unfortunately he takes a lot of flack for it..but then, so did Matt until he got old enough to stick up for himself. I sure don’t understand people.

I had my followup with oncology on Wednesday. No cancer cells were found in the tumors, however they did find follicular cells which are an indicator. So I had three options:

1. Have biopsies every 3-6 months to monitor changes
2. Have the problem half of the thyroid removed and have biopsies yearly to monitor changes
3. Have the whole thing taken out and go on medication to replace the thyroid hormone

I chose #3 because I need thyroid hormone anyway. I have most of the indicators of hypothyroidism, including (blah) weight gain. Hopefully they will be able to get it adjusted to where I can actually eat. I don’t mind not having an appetite/not eating but I hate that despite the low calorie intake I am gaining weight… and I am exhausted much of the time.

Anyway..that should be going down in the next two weeks sometime. I will not miss a whole lot..because it should only be about two days in the hospital and then home. I will let you know for sure when I know.

Here are my picks for some of the coolest recipes of summer…

• Deeba at Passionate About Baking has an amazing chicken and cheese lasagne with homemade ricotta. Her images are always beautiful.
• Kevin at Closet Cooking created a Roasted Strawberry Saganaki Salad which sounds unusual and delicious..and looks fantastic.
• Valli created a delicious looking and sounding Mediterranean  Pasta Salad with her usual magic abilities in the kitchen. So much More Than Burnt Toast on her blog!
• Dharms Stuffed Peppers. ‘Nough said. Dad~Baker & Chef is one of my favorites, even if Dharm does have a slight persona confusion with Agent 007.
• Caitlin at Engineer Baker always has yummy stuff when I stop by…Sour Cherry Pie certainly qualifies!
• Did you see Kelly’s (Evil Shenanigans)  Spicy Red Bean Soup?  It goes on the favorites list.
• Diana from Cookerati has a great post about Farmer’s Markets. I want to go to mine, I should, and I will..if only Marc didn’t work on Saturdays, I didn’t hate driving downtown, and other excuses.
• Lemon Pi, Green Tea Macarons
• If you ever wanted to know how to do Marshmallow Fondant then head over to I Heart Cuppycakes
• Susan at Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy posted a great recipe for Creme Fraiche Ice Cream

I know it’s short and sweet today but I have a little girl with an upset tummy who needs mommy time.

image: (c) marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

We generally have a huge 4th of July Picnic but this year Marc had to work and Erin and Jon had plans elsewhere. We will be going up to a picnic at our church later but for now? Very low key.

I made lemon butter bars to take to the picnic, and will be making a red, white, and blue heirloom potato salad using the Southwestern Potato Salad recipe I posted. The butter bars use a cake mix, and you can substitute any flavor mix to have a variety of butter bars…and lets face it, folks, the world NEEDS more butter bars…desperately.

Anyway, here is the July 4th version of Saturday Surfing.

• Have you ever had Italian Wedding Cake? I am not even sure where it gets it’s name but the one by Emily at Sugar Plum looks delicious.
• What would the 4th be without Macaroni Salad. This one from Life’s Ambrosia looks fabulous.
• Courtney has a yummy sounding chocolate, banana, and cinnamon infused jam on her blog. My oh my.
• Everything anyone could want to know about food and probably much that they don’t want to know. Food Reference.
• Cathy is just so cool. I scan her blog, Noble Pig, once in awhile because I love her wit, photography, and majorly awesome recipes…like these Firecracker Cupcakes with Poprocks.
• The Purple Foodie has a recipe for Banana Nutella Crepes and a cookbook give away going on now. It ends the 25th of July so you have some time.
• Passionate About Baking is one of my favorites. These chocolate, walnut, and dried cranberry bar cookies look amazing.
• foodiePrints has been fun to get to know on twitter, and I have more and more been furtively visiting his blog. Check out these peach and yogurt muffins…those will wake ya up in the morning.
• Donna is a fellow Texan (except she has an accent, y’all) and I have actually met her. What a sweetie. Just like this Raspberry Margarita Smoothie.
• Kahlua Carrot Cakes with Maple icing on Worth the Whisk. Sigh.

O.k..and that is it for this week. Hey, I will be announcing a cool giveaway next week, reviewing some eco-friendly disposable items, AND posting a recipe for Snicker Bar Blondies, a cool chopped salad and some other goodies.

Have a great holiday weekend!

image:maryeaudet

Post from: Baking Delights

We are left with 4300 square feet of potential. This is bed and breakfast material. I hope that we can finish it out the way I want and someone who wants a bed and breakfast sees it. It is just perfect for it. Right now it feels as if it is too much for us under the circumstances. But I love it.

Perfect summer mornings like this remind me of being a kid…summer stretched endlessly…one adventure after another. I was one of the last generations to have the freedom of the woods, and small towns, and meadows near the areas I grew up. I could disappear in the cool, moist Pennsylvania morning and spend the day in the woods, lunching on ripe wild blackberries and hickory nuts, and old heirloom apple trees that had been long forgotten. I learned to love nature and I learned a lot about it. And the freedom I had gave me a lot of confidence that carried me through difficult times I faced later. Because of my love for nature I discovered a kindred spirit in Thoreau, who in turn let me to Whitman…and on and on.

Hours of solitude, days with nothing to do, these things enriched me and deepened my mind and allowed me to develop into who I was created to be without a lot of molding by society. I am sorry for kids today that don’t have those freedoms, that feel comfortable with their perceived academic success based on what they learned in a sterile book. My kids are blessed. Although we only have a bit over two acres there are woods to explore, a creek to swim in, and adventures to find. Here is what my 10 year old and 9 year old created in the back yard last week when they had a friend over. They had no help.They found adventure.

Nick is the one with the long hair. Uh..he is a unique child….trust me. Sean is “the quiet one”.  Amazingly, throughout high winds, storms, and chicken invasions the fort is still standing.

So…if you have lived through that much of my rambling..are you ready for..you know?

First up…Ben from What’s Cooking is an amazing photographer, no matter what anyone else thinks. He is one of the handful of food bloggers that could put images in galleries. Check out this Poblano Risotto to see what I mean.

If you haven’t heard this news you either are so not into food or you live under a rock…but Zoe and Jeff created a second Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day book and it will be released in October. It is available for preorder now. I have the first book and I love it! I lent it to a friend and she loved it so much she kept mine for two months until she bought herself a copy…LOL!

Megan’s Rainbow graduation cake is beautiful and I am so trying that filling SOON. I have been curious about the edible decals for cakes and now I am ready to try my hand at it too.

Valli of More than Burnt Toast has created chocolate perfection for Barefoot Bloggers with these outrageous brownies. They look perfect with walnuts and coffee and…can you imagine? A pound of chocolate!

Inge of Vanielje’s Kitchen was gone for awhile but she is abck with a vengence, blogging from her (seems to me) exotic existence in Africa, running a successful deli (similar to our tea room) and accomplishing it all beautifully. You can certainly understand why when you see these giant Peanut, oat and M &M’s cookies!

Nami-Nami is a new blog to me but one I will try to get to more often. Rhubarb is one of Marc’s favorites, and I usually just do strawberry rhubarb pie because … you know, that’s what people DO. Check out this rosy rhubarb ice cream of all things and then imagine it melting over a warm square of apple crisp or strawberry pie.

O.k. since Valli’s brownies sort of magnetized me to chocolate (sigh) I would not be able to live with myself if I did not point out the amazing peanut butter and chocolate brownies on Two Peas and Their Pod. Imagine brownies with peanut butter AND Reeses cups!

You may not know this but my oldest daughter, Erin, has a dirty little secret. Yes. She is a Dr. Pepper Addict. Shhhh. I know. Heartbreaking. Please don’t tell her about this Dr. Pepper Bundt Cake recipe on Lick the Bowl Good.

Jenn from LeftoverQueen has been in the midst of a glorius move but I had to laugh when she Tweeted "At least the kitchen is unpacked". Isn’t that just like a foodie? I always had the kitchen unpacked and some baking going the first night in a new place. It was security for me. Anyway, she has a recipe for Norwegian Cardamom and Custard Buns. Yum. Seriously.

Donna at WayMoreHomemade lives not too far from me, and we got together with Kelly from Evil Shenanigans last Saturday for Kelly’s Food Buzz 24 24 24 shindig. It was amazing fun and Donna brought the pie. Umm…excuse me…she brought the piiiiiiiiiiiih. Lots of berries in this All-Kindsa Berry Pie (piiiiiiiiiiiih)

That;s it for me today. I have a couple of things left ot write and then I am hoping to just veg on this beautiful day. Have a blessed weekend!

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I have been thinking about a lot of things this week. One of the things that has been swirling around in my head is how we spend out time.  More accurately how I spend my time.

I was telling Marc yesterday that while computers have made everything *easier* they have stepped up the pace of  living until it is unbelievably stressful.  An example?

I used to be an office manager, when I was 16. I went to school until 11:30 and then went to work.  It was a busy life.  Everything had to be done by hand.  Typing jewelry appraisals, balancing the books, inventory…all of it. Now all of that can be done in seconds.  But you know what? I knew that there was only so much I could get done every day.  I was not pushed to do more because I was not expected to work at the same speed as a computer and accomplish ten times what I would in actual real time.

Now we work constantly to keep up with computer time.  Everything is done in computer time even cooking.  It used to take 60 minutes to bake a potato perfectly now you can do it in under 6 minutes. Ten times faster.

I write this blog, and Kettle and Cup.  But…I also edit for LoveToKnow Antiques and LoveToKnow Organic AND I write and average of  twenty 700-1000 word articles a month for them on a variety of subjects.  But wait, there’s more.  Because I am an editor I also keep the landing pages updated, do the comments and other things.  I also write for HubPages, about 15-25 1000 word articles a month.  And I have been doing hard copy like the book and a local magazine.  Add to that homeschooling, farming, I am supposed to be working on a painting for a friend’s gallery in the Philly area, cooking, cleaning….

wow.  That is a harsh schedule.  I am looking at it and realizing that I am a candidate for burn out in a big way.  At some point I will need to prioritize and be willing to let go of some things and some income so I can be human again.  What is your life looking like? Anything like mine? DO you expect yourself to work on computer time rather than real time?  Maybe it is time to stop, grab a cookie and re-think it with me, huh?

O.k.  so I am done waxing philisophical and it is time for….Blogsurfing Saturday! (Queue the sound of waves hitting the shore…queue the sun …..queue the smell of coconut coppertone….)

I just love the banner that Cori made for me!

Dharm has Mediterranian Rice Tartletts for his entry in to the Royal Foodie Joust.They look simply…joust-worthy!

Thai Coffee Creme Caramel.  Sigh.  Baking Bites is INCREDIBLE.

This Lentil Salad at Kalyn’s Kitchen has me drooling. Pinkie swear.

Kelly made the earth move here in the Dallas area this morning. Yep, the 3.3 earthquake was her fault.  Which has nothing to do with the glorious Apple, Onion, and Bacon Tart she made last week..I just wanted to say it.

Thai Fried Sweet Potatoes on She Simmers sound perfect… now to actually make them!

I am running on computer time today so I am going to leave it at those five excellent offering and go get lunch made before Marc gets home.  Have a fantastic weekend..and think about how you spend your time.  Life is not a dress rehearsal and tomorrow is not guaranteed. 

Image :SXC

Image:Cori

Post from: Baking Delights