Spring Feasts

Spring Feasts

    Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”  . ~Hans Christian Andersen     First, a few delectable moments of spring from last weekend. While we sisters visited inside our little rented getaway house, outside these beauties 

Chocolate Ricotta Mousse

Chocolate Ricotta Mousse

  This is a super-duper easy way to enjoy the creamy pudding sensation with a bonus of a protein boost and without worrying about ‘breaking’ the custard. We were enjoying this and musing that everything can benefit from adding chocolate, que no? Well, maybe not grapefruit. 

Green Tea Crème Brûlée

Green Tea Crème Brûlée

  Last spring I came across the recipe of a peach-leaf infused Crème Brûlée featured at Chez Panisse and I thought it sounded divine and vowed to try it sometime in the summer. In our region of the Upper Midwest few peach trees can survive but 

Dairy Free Chocolate Mousse

Dairy Free Chocolate Mousse

  I’ve been perusing recipes lately, books on the shelf and the random pieces of paper with notes scribbled on them that are stuffed in the books or in my folders labeled “Recipes”. I’ve had this piece of paper for a while, I have no 

Rhubarb Almond Cake

Rhubarb Almond Cake

  My Darling Lemon Thyme by Emma Galloway of New Zealand is one of my favorite food blogs. Emma worked as a pastry chef for a while and it really shows in her amazing creativity with gluten free desserts. This cake is based on one 

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Chocolate Chia Pudding

  The Upper Peninsula sunsets have been spectacular here in the sub-zero air.  This is the view from just outside our cabin, right next to the outhouse that I did not include in the photo—you’ve already seen numerous scenic outhouse photos over the years.  These 

Spiced Blueberry Soup

Spiced Blueberry Soup

. Beginning in Sälen and ending in Mora, Sweden, the 90 kilometer Swedish Vasaloppet is one of the largest ski races in the world.  Tens of thousands of skiers pilgrimage to Sälen in mid-March to ski, enjoy the spectacle, and some to winter camp along 

Cookie Monsters

Cookie Monsters

  My sister puts the fun in cookies.  I remember when I was very young the production of Christmas cookies was an all-afternoon artistic blitz.  My older sisters would spend hours on their colorful sculptural creations…or at least the first dozen or two were works 

Gluten Free Carrot Cake and Muffins

Gluten Free Carrot Cake and Muffins

  Here was another moment where we leaped into producing a large amount (330 servings) of an untested recipe that had been Frankenstein-ed together from multiple other recipes.  Sometimes there just isn’t time and you have to rely on the lessons learned from all the other mistakes you’ve done 

Gluten Free Szechuan Shortbread

Gluten Free Szechuan Shortbread

  First, a stunning photo by Coleen Sullins.   She joined us for a trip to ABR then afterwards sent along this Birch beauty for the post.  It almost appears that she was laying down for the shot…I didn’t ask if perhaps she fell while skiing and 

Gluten Free Ladyfingers

Gluten Free Ladyfingers

  “One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it.” . -Clarissa Pinkola 

Kissel

Kissel

  An extraordinary project has been happening in our little town this year. Our resident English stone-guru Ted Wilson is building a dry-stone arch bridge with the help of Sean Smyth from Missoula, MT who travels around the country working on complex stone projects like this.  Dry-stone is an ancient building 

Estonian Chévre Cheesecake

Estonian Chévre Cheesecake

  Judging from the cleaned and possibly licked-out ramekins we cleared from the tables at the end of the night I think this cheesecake may have been the favorite course of September’s Estonian Dinner.  Creamy with a hint of tang, it’s great with a fruit sauce or 

5-Spice Rhubarb Crisp

5-Spice Rhubarb Crisp

  Spices that launched a thousand ships.  Aren’t they beautiful?   Five Spice Powder is used extensively in Chinese and southeast Asian cooking, often as a rub with meats like duck or in sauces and stews, and as many foods do it has now spread 

GF Lemon Almond Cake (Torta Caprese Bianca)

GF Lemon Almond Cake (Torta Caprese Bianca)

    Spring means freak snowstorms and a gathering of my sisters…and last week we had both.  Once everyone made it through the weather and to our destination safely we had a lovely weekend of eating, laughing, sharing, sight seeing, and then of course eating 

Coconut Pumpkin Freeze

Coconut Pumpkin Freeze

    If I called this ice cream you wouldn’t even want to try it because you don’t have an ice cream maker or churn.  It’s too thick to be called a smoothie.  Whatever the name might be, here it is and it’s tasty as-is or could 

Herbed Fruit

Herbed Fruit

  Is ‘herb’ a verb? It is now.     I was recently asked to provide some desserts for a party in late September, a request I usually decline because I’m not baking-inclined, but they wanted the entire event to be gluten free so my empathetic 

No-Grain Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Lemon Zest

No-Grain Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Lemon Zest

  More woodland flowers from a walk on the bluff top, a pair of Bloodroot blooms.  This North American native is a member of the Poppy family and the root was used as a dye for baskets and clothing.  Here are more tidbits about the medicinal uses of this beautiful Bloodroot, or 

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

  It’s now day five after making these cookies and the one I just ate was still soft and delicious.  Who needs flour?!?  The most difficult part is that I’m trying to save some for a sister’s get-together later this week and I’m really not so sure 

Faroe Island Oat Cake

Faroe Island Oat Cake

    On my way to bed recently I happened to glance at this window…what an incredible creation!  The streetlight gives the orange hue, but the morning sunlight would erase this temporary masterpiece so there was to be no waiting until daylight.  I know that my