Some of my favorite kitchen tools are simple things. I mean, I love my electric mixer and all, but you know what? Nothing beats cream like the old fashioned Dover beater. If you are uninitiated, that is a hand cranked beater, just a step up from a whisk .  It is downstairs in a drawer at the moment or I would get a picture of it. Fantastic machine, red wooden handles and very eco-friendly. I have a  hand cranked mouli-grater from the 1930s. I would not trade that thing for anything. Nothing, and I mean nothing grates nutmeg like that thing!

My parents lived through the Depression. My dad was born in 1917 and my mom in 1918. They saw an amazing amount of change in their lives. Maybe because of the Depression or maybe because they grew up in the country, my parents were very self sufficient. My dad could fix anything, build anything, and come up with the answer to anything. His answer to any failure was to try harder and think deeper. There was nothing you couldn’t do if you just kept trying.

Anyway, I was trying to find a round cutter to make hamburger buns one day. I wanted a particular size and could not find what I was looking for. Finally, a light went off in my brain and….

Do you see it? No? Take a closer look…

Yep. It is a big tomato can. Perfect size for hamburger buns.  The normal size cans are great for biscuits, and the small cans, like tomato paste size,  make great cookies or mini scones.

This is one of my favorite kitchen tools. Every time I use it I think of my dad.

So…True confessions. Do you have a “highly technical” kitchen utensil that you love?

images: marye audet

I am loving the after Christmas clearances at the grocery stores.  I don’t know how it is where you are but apparently people around here did not bake, cook, or buy as much as usual because there are a ton of things clearanced.

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As I have said before, I love breakfast but I really hate making it.  Yes, I am a morning person, and yes I love cooking but the idea of getting up and having to cook is what does me in.

So, in my fantasies I am the quintessential 1950’s sit-com mom (no! Not Lucy!) with the apron, the coiffed hair, the pearls and high heels; but in reality I wear jeans, barefoot most of the time, and I almost always have flour or batter marks on my jean legs where I have cleaned my hands on them rather than being reasonable and wearing an apron.  There is nothing…NOTHING like going to the grocery store to pick up an ingredient you overlooked and realizing that you have two perfectly placed flour handprints on your backside.

Yes.  True confessions.  Oh, and that spot on my jeans?  Chili.

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About two weeks ago I attended a special party and I needed to bring something…Hmmm…I was in a rush, as always…what to bring?

SCONES! Read more

Too hot for the oven!

When I bought my stove I bought a huge one with a griddle in the middle. There are many things I dislike about my stove but THAT is not one. Read more

Yeah. I said it. Poser.

Sometimes getting breakfast around here is a big headache.  Imagine what mornings are like with 12 people, 8 of them kids…and of those kids all of them pretty much prefer different things. Cereal is not an option..way too expensive with that many people and teenage boy appetites.

I make doughnuts, and pancakes, and french toast… sometimes when I remember the night before I make cinnamon rolls…The other morning I decided to try Read more

Yes, we had a wonderful day antiquing. Thank you.

I woke up tasting these. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make them but I had the flavor in my head from the time I opened my eyes.

I was absolutely not disappointed with these. They spread out a bit more than I anticipated, next time I will make sure the dough is firmer. The flavor is delicate and sweetly fruity..the white tea is a fantastic addition. Try these, they are seriously good. Read more

I wanted to do something a little different to go with lunch the other day. Usually scones are a breakfast item here, I just don’t think of them for lunch. But with a salad and some Brie these are a great way to round out a light meal.

They are sweet from the glaze. The vanilla mellows out the lavender to make a great taste combination. A few months ago I read about a technique where you grated cold butter into scones and biscuits to give a more tender product. This really does make a difference and I have been doing them this way with good results. The scones can be made any size you like..I wanted them to be small and dainty. Sometimes I just need to make girlie foods to balance out all the testosterone in the house! Read more

Crumbcake. A muffin but not.

Usually when you see a recipe for crumbcake it will be baked in a square pan. I like to make them in muffin cups; little individual bites of WOW. By doing it this way you can Read more

Cheese and onion biscuits are, to me, the perfect accompaniment to cream based soups. I especially like them with potato soup and clam chowder.

Marc, being from Massachusetts, is very keen on clam chowder. In fact, it is almost his number one comfort food. I do try to make it often. My recipe for clam chowder is going to be up on Apron Strings and Simmering Things a bit later today. Trust me, it is awesome.

However, the cheese biscuits to serve with it? Right here, right now. Read more