The Hazel Bloom

Window Shelf - Think Outside the Box!

Spring has sprung in Seattle. In fact, spring has been springing for the better part of a month now. Daffs have been blooming for weeks, rhodies are starting to show some colors, and the cherry blossoms are full-on.

While last year, we had the rarest blizzard ever and were snowed in by a good two feet of the white stuff, this year has been, well, the polar opposite. No snow to speak of, very few freezing days, and now, when we should be in the thick of winter, there's nary a snowflake or patch of black ice to be seen.

I shouldn't complain. I hate the bone-chilling, ever-damp, dark gray Seattle winters. 

But the truth is, I haven't been ready for spring. It's just not the right time. I mean, what if I accept it and let spring fever overcome me and then, wham, two months of gloom?  What a cruel joke.

This week, though, I let a couple people convince me. "I think spring just came early this year!" "Winter? We already had it."

They better be right, because now I'm feeling the inklings. I bought some lettuce seeds. I whipped out the plans for our backyard after months of disinterest (now there will be a project). I'm ready to weed, plant, mulch, and bask in the sun with a nice margarita.

I do have a point, other than the fact that Mother Nature has suckered me and she's undoubtedly up there laughing her ass off right about now.

Here's my point: I was going through some old photos and found these from a couple of years ago. At the time, I lived in a tiny old cottage that lent itself super well to shabby thrift-store chic. So naturally, I went with it. It was so fun.

One year, I redid the backyard on $100 of plants, a bunch of repurposed thrift store stuff, and a serious case of spring fever. The back of the house was a little bare, so one of the things I did was pick up a gold metal shelf for a quarter, gave it a shot of white paint, screwed it to the house right below a window, and gathered a few plants in some old terra cotta pots on it for a makeshift window box.

Not only was it way easier to assemble and install than a full blown window box, it was so easy to switch pots and plants around with the seasons and my whims. Super flexible.

Look closely - see it under the umbrella? Note: This was not an excuse to show you, yet again, my cute dogs. Really. Truly. But aren't Angel and Lizzie cute?

Anyway, I loved my little window shelf. Still do, when I see these photos. So I thought I'd share the idea, and maybe also share a little spring fever. I mean, even if it isn't officially here, it's right around the corner.

I hope.

Berry Crisp

I feel as though I've committed a serious crime. A foodie crime, if you will.

Oh, there is such a thing. In fact, this may be my third strike. First, I used Velveeta, and admitted to loving it. Then, I made macaroons instead of macarons. Strike two. And now... a fruit crisp made with frozen blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries?!

I think I need a lawyer, stat.

Hey, the winter made me do it, man. It's not like farms are just overflowing with berries right now. And I had a hankerin'!

Really, this stuff is very good, frozen berries and all. This particular crisp has a bottom crust, which is terrific. The oats, butter, and berries are criminally good right out of the oven, plopped with a melty scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. And hey, even the guys give it two grunts up.

So why don't you make some and join me in jail? I'll need some good company.

Here's the recipe:

Berry Crisp

Adapted from the Triple Berry Crisp recipe posted by Polly Giebler on allrecipes.com

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of frozen berries, thawed and drained (I used a mix of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (1 and a half sticks) unsalted butter

Instructions:

• Pour frozen berries into a colander and set in sink for about an hour, so they can thaw and drain at the same time. See! Not all law-breakers are dumm.
  
  
   
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mix the berries and the 3 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.
  
  

 

• In another large bowl, mix the flour, oats, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  
  

 

• With a couple of knives, a pastry blender, or just your hands, cut in the cold unsalted butter.
  
  
  
 

• You want your mixture to look like very coarse crumbs.
  
  

 

• Press half the mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 pan.
  
  
  
 

• Pour the berries on top and lightly push 'em around so they evenly cover the crust.
  
  
  


• Sprinkle the rest of the flour/butter mixture over the top.
  
  

 

• Bake uncovered at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.
  
  
  


• Well hello there. I see you've joined me on the dark side.

 

Dark Chocolate Macaroons

Is it weird that I love the Bob's Red Mill aisle at my local grocery store? Bags and bags of flours, oatmeal, seeds, grains... so many possibilities, I could browse for a long, long time. (Yes, I totally know it's weird. I don't even know why I asked.)

Recently I picked up a bag of the unsweetened shredded coconut to attempt a tart crust for a friend who's going gluten free. The tart didn't work out so well, but the macaroons from the recipe on the back of the bag? Yes, oh yes. They definitely worked out.

 

Not to be mistaken with the big, chewy, cakey and often chocolate-dipped macaroons I grew up with, or the adorable French macaroons (aka macarons) that look like little sandwich cookies from heaven, these macaroons from Bob's Red Mill are really terrific in their own right.

The batter starts its life as a meringue (whipped egg whites and sugar), so they are super light and chewy. But they also pack this incredible, surprising chocolate punch - dark chocolate in this case, because I subbed dark chocolate for the semi-sweet chocolate chips the original recipe calls for. So good.

Want the recipe?

Oh, but first. No matter how pleading their look, no matter how puppy-dog adorable they can make their adorable puppy-dog eyes, please keep the dark chocolate macaroons away from the canine units.

Poor Angel. Sometimes they just don't know what's (very, very) bad for them.

Okay, here's the recipe.

Wait! One more thing! I forgot to tell you how easy these are to make. So easy.

Okay, for reals, here you go!

Dark Chocolate Macaroons

Adapted from the Bob's Red Mill recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 6 ounces of dark chocolate, broken into pieces, melted, and cooled slightly
• Powdered (aka: Confectioner's) sugar for dusting, if you like

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Add salt to egg whites, and beat with a hand mixer until almost stiff.
   
    
   
3. Slowly add sugar, beating slowly. Continue beating until egg whites are stiff enough to form peaks. It kind of looks like less-thick marshmallow cream.
   
   
   
4. Add almond extract.
5. Carefully fold in coconut
   
   
   
6. Stir in melted chocolate until well incorporated.
   
   
   
   
    
   
   
7. Spray cookie sheets with Pam or line with parchment paper.
8. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto cookie sheets.
   
   
   
9. Bake for 15 minutes.
10. Allow to cool slightly, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Sprinkle with confectioner's (powdered) sugar, if desired.
12. And enjoy!

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Oh, and here's another one to file under The Hazel Bloom Disasters. I tried to make these with white chocolate, too. Would you like to see how those turned out?

Yeah, I think I have a teensy bit of perfecting to do on that particular version. Stay tuned.

Fruit Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing

Okay, so I've been digressing a little bit. First I gushed a bunch about my dog Lizzie, then I was mean and posted pictures of our (mostly) sunny trip to Arizona. Not really food, home, or garden related, I know. I just couldn't help myself.

But now, I'm back! Behold: Delicious fruit!

Fruit salad is one of those things I don't make nearly enough of. Whenever I do get around to making it, I always think, "Why don't I make this any more than I do?"

Probably my favorite dressing is a simple mix of honey and lime juice, with a little lime zest thrown in for good measure. The honey adds a sweet touch, and the lime brightens it all up. 

Toss a small amount of the dressing with diced mangoes, kiwis, some blueberries, even some chunks of tart Granny Smith apple, and you've got something pretty much perfect. 

For this one, I tossed in a handful of frozen raspberries, too.

Here's the recipe!

Honey-Lime Fruit Salad Dressing

Adapted from Honey-Lime Fruit Salad from FamilyFun.go.com

• Zest and juice of two small limes (or one large) - enough for about 1/4 cup of juice
• 1/3 cup honey

1. Chop up your fruit and place in a big bowl
2. Mix up the dressing
3. Pour it over the salad and lightly toss
4. Serve and enjoy!

Escape to Arizona

I'm not sure I could state anything any more obvious than this, but: Seattle winters suck. Really suck.

Gray. Dark gray. Drizzly. Soggy. Everything is a constant state of damp, for months on end.

Don't get me wrong - much of spring, all of summer, and most of autumn more than make up for the dark, depressing winters. But sometimes, winters around here feel so endless.

I discovered years ago that nothing gets me through this season better than a mid-winter trip somewhere warm, with palm trees (a must), where I can turn my face up to the sun and soak it in like a dude crawling through a desert and has finally found his agua.

Except the desert dude's clearly had it better than me because at least he's had some sunlight.

So this year, we escaped to Scottsdale, Arizona for four blissful days in the sun. Okay, so it only got up to about 70, and it drizzled sometimes, but it was still fabulous.

We stayed at the Intercontinental Montelucia (other than the crazily high prices on mediocre food, I highly, highly recommend). There were blue skies! And palm trees! And birds chirping everywhere, all the time! And flowers! And citrus trees! I was in heaven. I feel better.

I ran around every day taking the same set of photos: The pool. Hummingbirds. Close-ups of flowers. Close-ups of oranges in trees. Camelback Mountain. Repeat the next day and the next.

(I just have to ask: Do you see it? In the photo up top? The lounging lady cloud reading the book?! Totally me.)

It was fabulous. And so, I thought I'd share a few photos - mostly of flowers and plants around the resort. When I look at them, I can still practically feel the sun on my face, and a mai tai in my hand by the pool.

P.S.: Apologies in advance. I just really like palm trees.

 
 

My Buddy Valentine

I wrote this story three years ago about my crazy, sweet dog Lizzie, who has wound up being the most terrific pooch. Sure, she's got her issues, just like most any dog that's been through something as traumatic as Hurricane Katrina. But I wouldn't have her any other way. She's the most affectionate, cuddly, sweet-hearted dog I've ever known. She's the best.

This is Lizzie. And this is the story of how she came to live with me.

 
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Lizzie: My Buddy Valentine

February 14, 2007

A year ago, I spent the day of love and kisses driving across the vast, taupe state of Texas, stopping for the night at a dingy motel about 250 miles east of El Paso. My significant others? Two dogs: Hurricane Katrina survivors, en route to their new homes via me and my rented Nissan Altima. Lizzie was coming to live with me in Seattle, and I was dropping Wild Child off at her new home along the way.

I wasn’t exactly feeling the love, except maybe from the tree with the big heart-shaped scar outside my room. But that was probably meant for the noisy, amorous couple in the room right above me, anyway.

Wild Child, the young German Shepherd mix usually confined to her crate and sedative-induced state (trust me, her name was an understatement), somehow managed to use the very center of the motel bed as her own personal toilet while I assembled her nighttime cage. I shifted the bedding as well as I could to get away from the huge potty spot and lay clinging dangerously to the edge of the bed, trying to drift, when I realized my other companion and future best friend, Lizzie, was leaving me a nice little doggy doo-doo present by the door.

Wild Child

Not exactly starry-eyed romance. But then last Valentine’s Day wasn’t about me. And really, that's just fine — I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’d met Lizzie five weeks earlier at the Best Friends sanctuary assembled in Tylertown, Mississippi, after Hurricane Katrina blew through. I had the wonderful opportunity to help care for some of the hundreds of dogs still living there five months after the disaster. I fell head over heels for the sad little rust-and-white girl who looked like a giant Jack Russell terrier with a little Pit Bull thrown in. She was adorable and irresistible with those pleading, scared eyes and cautious but constant tail wags.

Lizzie in her Tylertown kennel

Lizzie had arrived at the sanctuary a month earlier, a stray wandering one of many abandoned, toppled New Orleans neighborhoods. She was so wild and scared, she had to be trapped by the Best Friends folks.

When I met her, she'd been in Tylertown for about a month. She was so happy, almost relieved, when she would find it in herself to inch close enough to get a few delicious chin and chest scratches. All she wanted was love. Well, and food, but mostly love. And so the day I was scheduled to leave, I found myself filling out adoption papers. No transport options panned out, so I headed back down a month later to fetch my Valentine.

It was a looooong drive home. I guiltily tranqed the oh-so wild Wild Child with the sedatives the Best Friends crew gave me "just in case." Lizzie was sometimes so scared that she’d refuse to leave the car for potty breaks. Eerily, she would not let me out of her sight. I could feel her constant, suspicious gaze on me from wherever she was stationed in the car or in various motel rooms. But sometimes at night, I’d stir in my sleep and she’d trot over and cuddle with me for a just few seconds. So I hoped that meant that maybe was starting to dig me okay, too.

Wild Child went to her new people in Southern California first. She'd never met them, so I was a little concerned about how it would go—she'd spent much of the drive growling at Lizzie and barking at any human who came within 10 feet of the car. But when I opened the car door, she trotted over to her new people and rolled over on her back. Tongue lolling, tail wagging, happy as a clam that she'd found her people. It's funny how sometimes dogs just know.

And as soon as I got Lizzie home, I think she, too, knew it was all going to be okay. Though she still wanted the protection of her crate.

(See those suspicious eyes?!)

She became fast friends with her new sister, Angelyne, relying on the wise, calm old Golden Retriever to help her get through. She immediately became more comfortable with getting loves from me. Just one day after she arrived, she was up on the couch (ahem, sorry, her couch) with a tennis ball—and within a few more days, she was tearing gleeful circles around the house. Since then, the only thing that slowed her down, temporarily, was a grueling heartworm treatment.

Finding it in herself to play on her second day home

As rewarding as it was to deliver Wild Child to her new family in Pasadena, and to bring Lizzie home, I must say I’m glad I’ll be spending this Valentine's Day in the comfort of my own home. A nice, clean, dog pee-free bed is certainly preferable. Best of all, I'll have Lizzie: My sweet, tail-wagging package full of unconditional love and hugs and kisses. And I’m pretty sure she's just as thrilled to have me.

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And because I just can't help but share a few more pics of the little squirt over the past four years...

 

(Making friends with the new addition to the family: The dude who ended up being my guy [or *our* guy as Liz would say. She's big time into him.])

Hearty Buttermilk Pancakes with Raspberry-Honey Syrup

These pancakes are not only hearty, they're heart-y!

I know, I know. I'm not only dorky, I'm dork-y!

But I made delicious pancakes with cute hearts in the middle. So there is that.

A perfect choice for V-Day breakfast, these pancakes and their amazing Raspberry-Honey Syrup were adapted from the Five-Grain Buttermilk Pancakes with Raspberry Honey recipe found in the January 2010 issue of the wonderful (oh, so wonderful) Sunset magazine. You can find the original recipe here.

Mine only have four grains, and that's if you count white flour as a grain. And flaxseed as a grain. Oh, forget the grains and just check out the recipe.

(Oh, and my apologies for lack of pictures with the recipe. I'll add them as soon as I can!)

Hearty Buttermilk Pancakes

Serves 4 - 5

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons flaxseed
• 1/2 cup rolled oats

Raspberry-Honey Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Instructions:

1. Make the raspberry honey. First, heat the honey in a saucepan over low heat.
2. When the honey is warm, stir in the raspberries. 
3. Stir occasionally while cooking on low, until berries start to fall apart, and set aside.
4. Time to make the pancakes! In a large bowl, mix together both flours, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
5. Crack the eggs, placing the whites in a medium bowl of their own, and the yolks in their own medium bowl
6. Whisk together the egg yolks, honey, vanilla, canola oil, and buttermilk.
7. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture and whisk together just until blended.
8. Stir in the flaxseed and oats. 
9. Time to whisk the egg whites into a frenzy. Wait. Strike that. For the love of all that is good and holy, please get out your hand mixer and beat them into a frenzy with that. Because, while you can hand-whisk your egg whites (until stiff peaks have formed, please), it can be an arm-numbing experience. 
10. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
11. Scoop in 1/3 cup measures or thereabouts onto a buttered griddle heated to about 325 degrees.
12. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes on each side.
13. When cooked through, move to a flat surface (cutting board or the like).
14. Let cool for just a minute or so, then cut a heart out of the middle with a heart-shaped cookie cutter.
15. Flip the heart shape over and stick it back in the pancake, a little askew.
16. Arrange on plate, add butter if desired (how can butter not be desired?!) and pour the raspberry-honey syrup over.
17. And enjoy!

Feta-Stuffed Medjool Dates

Looking for the perfect date this Valentine's Day?

Sorry. So sorry. I couldn't resist. Let me start again.

We picked up some luscious-looking Medjool dates the other day, and I've been enjoying them straight out of the box and stirred into my oatmeal. I figured I should do something a little fancier with a few. This is what I came up with.

(That ended up being rather boring, I know. But I think it still beat the punny perfect-date line of thought.)

Feta-Stuffed Medjool Dates are a simple, yet sophisticated-looking appetizer sure to please the most discerning palettes. In other words: Hey! These things are pretty dang good! The saltiness of the feta is the perfect counterbalance to the rich sweetness of the plump fig. Add pecans, if you want, or don't - they add a nice extra bit of texture. And topped with honey? Swoon.

I'm ready to run down to the kitchen and make more.

Oh - speaking of dates, have you ever had a date shake? I have not. Half the reason I want to take a winter jaunt to Palm Springs someday is, I think, because I want to try an authentic Palm Springs date shake. How can that possibly be anything but insanely good?

Anyway, here's the recipe!

Feta-Stuffed Medjool Dates

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 12 Medjool dates
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Honey for drizzling
• Chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray or lay a piece of parchment paper on it.
2. Slice the date along the top, carefully pop it open, and remove the pit.
   
    
   
   See?! there's the pit. Remove that sucker.
   
   
   
   
3. Place the dates on the cookie sheet.
4. In a food processor, mix together the feta, olive oil, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
   
   
   
5. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the cheese mixture into each date.
   
   
   
6. If using, sprinkle with pecans.
   
   
   
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
8. Let cool for a couple of minutes, then move to the serving platter.
9. Drizzle each warmed date lightly with honey.
10. Serve and enjoy!

French Toast

I haven't talked about the Grunt Rating System lately. But trust me, it remains in full force. It was invented by my guy as a way to communicate the true male-friendliness of a particular dish.

• One Grunt Up: My guy really really likes this and deems this recipe most definitely dude friendly.
• Two Grunts Up: My guy thinks it's amazing, and he wants to eat it every day for the rest of his life. See: Drunken Pot Roast. 
• Three Grunts Up: The pinnacle of pure man-friendly excellence. Only one food shared here at The Hazel Bloom so far has received three grunts, and that is Butterscotch Pudding.

Today, I'm sharing my go-to basic French Toast recipe, which earns One Grunt Up. Yes, only one, but that's still high guy praise. After all, he is very careful when doling out even one lonely grunt. My guy takes this job very seriously.

This French Toast recipe is almost exactly what you'll find in the ever-wonderful Joy of Cooking. Just a couple small adaptations. I use a hearty, whole-grain bread to make it a little healthier. If you want healthier still, consider serving with a heap of fresh fruit instead of syrup. Yum. Note: Fresh fruit may negate the previously awarded grunt.

French Toast

Adapted from "Joy of Cooking"

Makes approx. 6 slices

Ingredients:

• 6 slices of bread (a little on the stale side works best)
• 2/3 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (go for 1/4 if you really like nutmeg)

Instructions:

1. Beat together the eggs and milk.
2. Add the sugar, vanilla, salt, nutmeg.
   
   
   
3. Dip the bread into the egg mixture. Let soak for just a couple of seconds on either side.
   
   
   
4. Cook on a buttered nonstick skillet heated to about 350 degrees.
5. Cook both sides until golden brown.
   
   
   
6. Top with butter and/or syrup and/or fruit and/or whatever you want. And enjoy!

The Hunger Challenge: A Summary

As I'm sure you're well aware by now, last week we participated in the United Way of King County Hunger Challenge. The two of us ate on a mere $12 per day for five days. And we're not just talking about Top Ramen and Kraft mac and cheese. We did our very best to eat clean, healthy, organic foods whenever possible - not easy on a very limited budget. Not easy at all.

My main takeaway was, jeez: This takes time. It took the better part of a Sunday to plan our meals and figure out what we could stretch from one meal to the next. Time I'm sure many people who are trying to raise kids and living on a very limited budget just don't have.

Well, that was one of two main takeaways, actually. The second was, dang. I'm lucky. We've got plenty of money to eat well. And (okay, three) I need to do better at giving to those who are less fortunate. I'm going to start by giving to the Yes We Can! Project. It's pretty cool.

Here are the menus we lived on, along with a few links, tips, and other bloggers who did an amazing job on the challenge themselves.

Each day's menus and cost breakdown

• The Hunger Challenge: Day 1
• The Hunger Challenge: Day 2
• The Hunger Challenge: Day 3
• The Hunger Challenge: Day 4
• The Hunger Challenge: Day 5

Budget-friendly recipes

Featured last week

• 45 Cent Potato Soup
• Black Beans and Rice
• Emerald Quinoa
• My Formula for a Perfect Smoothie

A few more to try

• Becky's Award-Winning Turkey Chili
• Crock Pot Vegetarian Chili
• Drunken Pot Roast
• Peanut Butter Noodles

Tips for trimming your grocery budget

Nothing like living on $12 per day to give you some ideas about how and where you can trim.

Plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead. Try to plan your week's menus the weekend prior. You're more likely to use everything you buy, and buy only what you're going to use.

Give pop the heave-ho. Soda is usually full of sugar, chemicals, or both. Substitute water - it's healthy, your body craves it, and it's free!

Go veggie for a day (or more). It's animal friendly and budget friendly.

Make enough for leftovers. When you eat last night's dinner for today's lunch, you're more likely to enjoy a well-balanced meal - and save a ton while you're at it.

Buy in bulk. Sometimes. But never assume you're automatically nabbing a bargain. Compare price per piece/ounce first to make sure you're really getting that great deal.

Speaking of bulk - check out the bulk bins for great deals. Steel-cut oats are a terrific value when purchased in bulk. And bulk spices - what a steal.

Find a few favorite power foods, and use them often. Black beans are full of fiber and protein. Popcorn's a terrific, fiber-filled, inexpensive snack. Quinoa? Don't even get me started. It's got it all.

Other bloggers who took the challenge. And who also happen to be terrific.

• Gluten Free Girl
• Diggin Food
• Dianasaur Dishes
• Savory Sweet Life
• Salty Seattle
• KitchenSink Unplugged
• Mirch Masala
• Family Friendly Food
• A Gorgeous Minute
• D's Home Food
• Cook Local
• Back to Basics
• And Brian Calvert, a repeat Hunger Challenge participant, had plenty of great stuff to say about the 2010 challenge.