Sentimental Journey

Not surprisingly, now that I've made the decision to leave my home, sentimentality is setting in. I have just over one week left in my house, and I've started to note the last time I'll do things. For example, I picked a bouquet of hydrangeas last night and thought to myself, "that's probably the last time I'll pick a bouquet of hydrangeas from my front yard."

And how pretty they look on my [almost] barren mantel! When the time comes for another garden, hydrangeas will be one of the first flowers planted, along with peonies.

Another favorite thing I did for the last time in my house this week was bake. My neighbor gave me a monster of a zucchini, (the length of my forearm!) which I could not let go to waste. I dug out my favorite zucchini bread recipe and got to work.

Zucchini-Oat Bread

Nonstick cooking spray

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3 eggs

1 cup applesauce

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

3/4 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside. Combine 1 tablespoon of the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon; set aside. Combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and remaining cinnamon; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes or until foamy. Add remaining sugar, the applesauce, butter, and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in zucchini, nuts, and raisins. Spoon into prepared pan. Sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture.

2. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on rack.

My baking dishes are all packed away now, and the zucchini bread has been doled out to friends and neighbors. Leaving my home is going to be one of the hardest things I've ever done -- despite my best efforts to remain detached and unemotional -- but also an exciting step in a new direction. And someday, I'm certain, I will live in another sweet little house with a pretty little garden and counter space galore!

Blueberries Up, Blueberries Down

With a moving date looming in the near future, I'm starting to feel the pressure to get everything done -- pack, take care of business, (who knew there was so much paperwork involved in selling a house, renting an apartment, and starting a new job?) say goodbye to those I'll miss the most, revisit all my favorite places in Rochester, and still try to keep a semblance of order in the house for Frances. So I was relieved to have a "day off" from moving-related tasks to visit one of my favorite places for an afternoon of eating and friendship. I returned to Hurd Orchards, this time with friends, for their Blueberries Up, Blueberries Down luncheon. When we chose the date back in June, we had no idea that it would turn out to be one of the most pleasant days of the summer thus far.

The barn, where lunch was served, was awash in sunlight and flowers. There was a gentle breeze blowing through the open doors, with lovely aromas coming from within the kitchen. In keeping with the blueberry theme, the entire meal had blueberries in one form or another.

Salad with blueberries and apricots in a toasted almond dressing.

Honey oatmeal bread with blueberry-cherry jam and mini blueberry muffins.

Chicken with blueberry catsup, zucchini fans and yellow transparent applesauce, (first apples of the season!).

Blueberry buckle for dessert.

It was a perfectly enjoyable day, and one that I was so happy to have. Time slowed down for a few hours, and I wasn't concerned with checking items off my "to do" list. But now it's back to the list, with high heat and humidity making a return as well. I'm not wishing away my remaining time in Rochester, but am wishing that I could just get everything done and not have to worry so much!

My Big Announcement

Yes, it's true. My sweet nest will soon no longer be my sweet nest. [sniff] I've sold my little house and am moving onwards and southwards. I'll soon be writing of my adventures in Northern Virginia!

Remember my trip to Washington, DC, where I followed in Julia Child's footsteps? Doing so inspired me to seek out an adventure, much like she would have done, and apply for a job in Alexandria, Virginia. As luck would have it, I was offered the position, sold my house in one week, and have found an apartment worth getting excited about. So while I am so sad to leave my house and family behind, I am looking forward to all the opportunity a new city and new job will bring.

Goodbye Rochester! Hello Washington!

My Favorite Things

If you're reading this blog, chances are you already know a lot about me. But in the event you were wondering, I've gone ahead and made a list of some of my favorite things:

Color: raspberry pink

Flower: peony

Book: The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

Movie: Sliding Doors

Music: jazz

TV Show: Sex and the City

Season: spring

Dessert: Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Cuisine: French

Drink: Prosecco

Car: red Mini Cooper

Animal: dog (mine, of course!)

Place to eat: alfresco

Time of day: early morning

Indulgence: chocolate

Meal: dinner

State of being: cozy

Way to spend my time: (okay, there's more than one) reading, cooking, traveling, walking my dog, going to farmer's markets, picnicking, entertaining, kayaking, and seeking out pretty things, just to name a few.

Now you know a little bit more about me than you knew before. More to come soon -- a big announcement and surprise! Stay tuned...

A Cherry on Top

After a stretch of unbearably hot and humid weather, (my least favorite) a little reprieve finally came on Saturday, forcing me outside to enjoy the much more pleasant temperature and sunshine. My mom and I made a trip to the Bidwell Farmers Market in Buffalo, where we enjoyed the colorful array of fruit, flowers and veggies.

The show-stopper?

Beautiful, bright, shiny, red cherries! Gorgeous enough to look at, even better to eat. Later on my mom and I put the cherries to use and made our first clafouti.

Custardy, creamy goodness just perfect for showcasing the best of the market. With a light dusting of confectioner's sugar, it was almost as pretty as the cherries themselves.

My Favorite Excursion

Finding myself with some free time and a gorgeous, sunny afternoon, I decided to make the most of my Saturday by taking a trip to one of my favorite places: Hurd Orchards. The love affair began three years ago when I happened upon this little gem looking to pick strawberries. It's an idyllic place where you can pick your own fruit, poke around their little shop, or attend a luncheon. This time I was there to pick blueberries, but first took a gander around the market.

Feeling inspired by all the red, white, and blue, I set off to the blueberry patch to pick myself a bucket of blueberries.

Hello cuties!

It was the perfect day to be out in the field with the beautiful sunshine, lovely breeze and ripe blueberries. The ladies at Hurd told me it was an especially great year for blueberries because of all the rain we've had, and I have to agree. They are delicious! Perfect for my patriotic dessert.

Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp with Pistachio Crust, served warm with vanilla ice cream. Yummy! Happy 4th of July!

This Reminds Me

Yesterday I spent part of the last day of my favorite month doing one of my favorite things: baking. Nothing fancy... just your basic chocolate chip cookie.

Doing so made me think of my grandmother, who always baked chocolate chip cookies in anticipation of anyone coming to visit her. If we timed it just right, the chocolate chips would still be soft upon our arrival at her house.

Aside from cookies, the other thing that always reminds me of my grandmother is rhubarb sauce. I've enjoyed it countless times, but have never attempted to make it. So when I visited for her 92nd birthday a couple weeks ago, I asked her to teach me to make rhubarb sauce. I tromped through her backyard in the rain to cut the rhubarb stalks that are still growing in her garden, cleaned them off, chopped them up and proceeded like this:

Me: So what's next?

Grandma: Boil the rhubarb.

Me: How?

Grandma: With water.

Me: How much?

Grandma: Enough.

Me: How much is enough?

Grandma: You know.

Me: For how long?

Grandma: Long enough.

Me: Then what?

Grandma: Mix in sugar.

Me: How much sugar?

Grandma: Enough.

Her recipe for rhubarb sauce is all just trial and error -- or years of experience -- but watching her make it, I can try to sum up the recipe.

Grandma's Rhubarb Sauce

Rhubarb, cleaned and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

Granulated sugar

Water

Place rhubarb in a pot with enough water to just cover, (adjust for thicker or thinner sauce). Boil for approximately 20 minutes, or until rhubarb breaks down easily. Immediately mix with sugar until it is the desired sweetness.

To give you an idea, this is the amount of rhubarb I used and my grandmother added about 1/2 cup of sugar. I like my rhubarb sauce on its own, but I'm sure it would taste fantastic over vanilla ice cream.