Remember being in the back seat of the car as a child and impatiently waiting  the arrival of your destination? It didn’t matter if we were going to Grandma’s house or up

the windy mountain roads for a picnic, it always seemed the wait was long and included the classic phrase, “Are we there yet?”  We have had the longest, most beautiful summer that

I can remember. It just wont end!  I’ve tasted the fragrant fruits of the season, felt the delicious warmth of the sun on my face. I’ve seen the delicate blossoms of  roses, and

smelled the pleasing aroma of lavender. Yet, here I am asking myself, “Are we there yet?”  Honestly, I have savored the summer, but, bring on the rain!!! I have refrained from

buying pumpkins and apples. I have resisted the urge to bring home rust and orange mums, apple cider, caramels and candy corn, but this is it! This is the week end I have been

waiting for. I was created for autumn! So, I bring to you two cookie recipes that are season-less. They are both delectable little jewels that will invade your taste-buds and fill you

with gratification and joy, but no defining flavor or color of a particular season.

 

 

Chocolate-olive oil cookies:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cups cocoa powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chunks

Instructions:

Beat together oil and sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, cocoa powder and salt.

Mix together baking soda with warm water until dissolved, then add it to the mixture. Add vanilla and chocolate chunks. ( I like Trader Joe’s)

I use a small cookie scoop so all cookies are the same size and bake evenly. Scoop into small balls and either sprinkle

with sea salt or roll in granulated sugar. I’ve made both and prefer the salt, but others prefer sugar.

Bake 350º for about 8 minutes. You really don’t want to over bake these, if you have to choose, under bake them.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup finely chopped, fresh basil
• 2 tbsp fresh lime zest

Instructions:

In an electric mixer, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and salt. In separate bowl, mix together flour, basil and lime zest.

Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and beat at low speed until just combined and mixture forms a ball. Remove dough from mixer, wrap with plastic and refrigerate 1-2 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350º, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8″ thick, and cut with 2″ round

fluted cookie cutters. Sprinkle with sugar, bake 8-10 minutes until edges begin to brown. Cool on wire racks, enjoy with a cup of tea.

 

 

My husband showed me this wheel while we were on a picnic this past week-end. My daughter-in-law and I peered inside and wondered what it was. Are we there yet?

I’m sure you wont  be surprised if my next posts are filled with flaming reds, brilliant oranges, pumpkins and apples!

Until then, “Keep the Glamour Going”

Cindi

It is definitely that time of year. It’s that in- between- time. It’s still technically summer, but it is September. It’s starting to feel like autumn. Yesterday, we had thunder and lightening and it poured!! It’s starting to look like autumn.  I understand the whole solstice and equinox , but I think seasons should change on the 1st of the month. September 1st being the first day of autumn, December 1st the first day of winter, etc.. I’m a very black and white thinker and that would just simplify things.  No date to remember. Is it the 21st at 1 am, but the 22nd is the first full day of autumn? Since in my mind it is neither summer nor autumn, I’ve decided just to celebrate. Let’s celebrate everything that is. We don’t do it often enough you know. Most of us have our special china set tucked away at the back of a cupboard, and some lovely silver in a box somewhere.  We save our sparkly jewelry and fine clothing for special occasions. Why? Why can’t everyday be special? Are we afraid it might not mean anything if we do it too often? If we treat ordinary days as splendid? Will joy become meaningless? Will elegance become dull?  I think not. I’m ready to try.

Monday was cherry Turnover day. I cheated a bit, and used a box of frozen puff pastry dough, and a can of cherry pie filling. But the point is, I celebrated. Just cut each sheet into four squares, put a dollop of cherry pie filling on each one, fold in half to form a triangle and crimp the edges. bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden. I mixed a little milk and vanilla with some powdered sugar and drizzled it over the top when they came out of the oven. I served them on a beautiful plate. I celebrated Cherry Turnover day. It was fun. A person can go online and find a fascinating array of things to celebrate every single day. I was going to celebrate National Procrastination Day but didn’t get to it. ( Not really, it’s not until the 7th.)  Since this is mostly a food blog, I will list a few foods to celebrate the next couple of weeks.

• Sept 3 Afternoon Tea Day
• Sept 4 Macadamia Nut Day
• Sept 5 Cheese Pizza Day
• Sept 6 Coffee Ice Cream Day
• Sept 7 Acorn Squash Day
• Sept 8 Date-nut Bread Day
• Sept 9 Wiener-schnitzel Day
• Sept 10 TV Dinner Day
• Sept 11 Hot Cross Bun Day
• Sept 12 Chocolate Milkshake Day
• Sept 13 Peanut Day
• Sept 14 Cream Filled Donut Day
• Sept 15 Linguine Day

 

Yesterday was my mom’s birthday. She is no longer with us, but I had the pleasure of visiting while one of my sisters prepared a lovely lunch for us. We celebrated Mom’s birthday. We celebrated each other. We celebrated, because this is the day that the Lord has made. We rejoiced and we were glad. It was special, and it didn’t take any more effort for her to put on her cheery, Fiesta Ware, and lovely tablecloth , than paper plates and paper towels. But it changed the occasion from ordinary to special.

I will post pictures of our afternoon tea celebration, and a yummy rosemary cheese pizza recipe for Friday’s Cheese Pizza Day.

What will you celebrate this week? How will you celebrate it? I’d like to know.

Until next time, “Keep the Glamour Going.”

Cindi

 

 

 

Good wishes for a grand weekend! Last week I got a bit excited and jumped ahead a little, daydreaming about the autumn.. I have always been a day dreamer. I need to reel myself in a bit. Have you looked out the window? Its beautiful, this end of August. These weeks that bring closure to the summer have a kind of magnetism, drawing us away from the routine, away from the ordinary. It’s these alluring days that create special memories. We decide to do. We go on picnics, we go camping, have reunions. Its that last romantic fling before the lover leaves…Summer. Let’s seize these weeks and bask in the warmth of this delightful season.

 

Today’s Glamour Guest is Danielle Devoe. Danielle is a water quality expert from the Seattle area. One of the most appealing aspects to Danielle’s job is the ability to work outdoors, checking the water quality of our many streams and rivers.  She is very passionate about taking care of  the world and ensuring a healthy relationship between its people and the little critters who share our majestic Earth. If she could chose any super power, it would be the ability to talk to and understand animals. Danielle is an avid sailor, volunteers for many clean up projects and can go from murky swamps to Glamour Girl in nothing flat. The first thing we did was head outside and take advantage of those beautiful blackberries I keep talking about.

 

 

 

Glamour Blackberry Crisp

• 8 cups fresh blackberries
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 cup flour
• 1TBSP lemon juice
• 1 TBSP lemon zest
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter

Rinse blackberries and mix with one cup sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest, reserving 1/4 cup sugar.
Put sweetened berries in a buttered 9×13 pan.
In small bowl, mix together 1/4 reserved sugar with brown sugar, flour, and oats.
With pastry blender or fork, cut butter into flour-sugar mixture and sprinkle on top of berries.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until topping is browned.

Thank you, Danielle, for the fun-filled glamorous day and beautiful hibiscus tea cup . It is truly a time to get out there and fulfill the desires of your heart. Enjoy these warm, slower-paced days. May they be rich in friendships and family and drenched in laughter and memories to come.
Until next week, “Keep the Glamour Going.”
Cindi

Hello Glamour Canners,

When ever I see blackberries ripening, I get that little jolt of excitement because I know that Autumn is nearing. I love the summer, and it has been a wonderful summer. It has been filled with many long, warm, dazzling days, but Autumn… Autumn is my true love and I can feel it approaching. It makes me smile. Picking blackberries; those dark, warm, juicy-sweet berries, that slight musty, almost wine- like smell of the fruit makes me do the happy dance.

 

After picking them I just put them in a big bowl and admired them.

 

Then I transferred some to a small bowl and decided to make some blackberry lemonade.

During the summer months I always keep a light simple syrup in the refrigerator so fresh lemonade is easy.

Simple Syrup

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar

Boil together, cool and store in air-tight container in the fridge.

Fill tall glass with ice. Squeeze juice from one lemon. Add juice and 1/2 of  the empty lemon rind to the glass. Fill with simple syrup, add a handful of berries and stir.

 

Fresh berries are so nice in a salad. Here, I paired sweet soft berries, with sun-dried tomatoes and toasted walnuts. It went nicely with honey mustard dressing.

Honey Mustard Dressing:

• one cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• salt & pepper
• two TBSP milk

Blend all ingredients in small bowl. Add more or less milk according to how thin you like your dressing.

 

I hope you enjoy this simple, yet glamorous lemonade and salad.

Until next week, “Keep the Glamour Going.”

Cindi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a beautiful summer we are having. I hope you are savoring every drop of sunshine and every bite of delicious berry.

Dark blue gems are among the most rare and valuable stones in the world. The deep blue color suggest loyalty, wisdom and calm.

It has been said, that the person wearing sapphires is supposed to find wise solutions to their problems. For the past month I have

been harvesting these dark blue, sapphire-like gems by the gallon. While I may not have every solution to every problem, I have a

wealth of uses for these lovely berries.

• Blueberries contain more antioxidants than most fruits and vegetables
• These lovely berries are America’s 2nd favorite berry
• Early colonists made gray paint by boiling blueberries in milk
• The anthocyanin present in blueberries is good for eyesight
• Native Americans used blueberry juice for its medicinal value

 

 

Now, Glamour Canners, lets gather up our sapphires, blue topaz, and aquamarine gems.

Put on your blue silk dress and your blue satin shoes and lets “Get Glamming” .

I love being able to use any fresh produce I have from my garden. You can make this salad using  just about anything fresh you have on hand.

My good friend Darryl, gave me some yellow summer squash, so I I put to good use.

Roast together at 350 degrees:

• 1 small summer squash
• one red pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• salt & pepper

After roasting, put in fridge to cool. I added 1 cup corn at this time.

Mix together:

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TBSP honey
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 TBSP fresh cilantro

Pour dressing onto salad and toss, season to taste. If you don’t like cilantro, try parsley. Use any combinations of vegetables you like, varying what you roast and add fresh.

I like the berries and peppers roasted, because they add a sweetness that pairs nicely with the tartness of lime juice. Maybe add jalapeno pepper and cumin? Be creative.

 

 

I played around with these muffins for a long time to get the tenderness of a cupcake with out the sweetness. Because They aren’t as sweet, I topped them with a nice lemon glaze.

I really like the contrast of sweet and sour adding to the texture of the ripe berries.

Glamour Muffins:

In mixing bowl cream together:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar  ADD
• 2 eggs

In small bowl mix together:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 TBSP lemon zest

Add dry ingredients to creamed butter mixture alternately with :

• 1 cup milk

Scoop into muffin tins, bake 350 degrees 20 minutes or so until toothpick comes out clean.

makes 12 -16 muffins

 

 

Another Glamour-filled, fun day. I have more blueberry goodness to share with you next time. Until then, treat yourselves well, and as always, “Keep the Glamour Going.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gracious Greeting, Glamour-Canners,

This week, lets take a look at my favorite berry; the raspberry. Since I was young lady-in-training, I have always adored  raspberries. Strawberries, I agree, have that fun, cotton- candy-summer- carnival feel to them, and while that is well and good…you have to admire the succulent  raspberry. Raspberries have always seemed more grown-up, more delicate, and elegant. They hold more mystery and somehow feel kind of elusive and of course glamorous. Everyone has their summer parties featuring their favorite (you guessed it ) strawberry shortcake, but it is the rare party that entices you with some delectable, slightly sweet,  raspberry confection.

Some Glamour facts about Raspberries

• Another sweet, delicious, fruit from the rose family
• 1 cup of berries provides 42% of your daily vitamin C requirements
• 3rd most popular berry in the U.S., after strawberries and blueberries
• Raspberries can be red, black, purple, or golden-orange
• Raspberries are the only berry to have a hollow core, they are, therefore, most delicate
• Organic raspberries have a significantly higher levels anti-oxidant properties
• Raspberries are made out of many connected individual sections of fruit. Each with its own seed

Now that you know a little more about raspberries, let’s put on our white gloves and pearls and get Glamming.

 Glamour Canner Raspberry Syrup

• 2cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 cups raspberries
• 1 TBSP lemon juice

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Let cool, and pour through a fine, mesh, strainer.

Makes 4 cups

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Raspberry glazed lemon pound cake   

Pound Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9×5 or two 5.75×3 loaf pans.

In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients, set aside.

In an electric mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternately with the yogurt until all is combined. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla.

Pour into prepared pans, baking about 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes clean.

let cool 10 minutes, pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup raspberry syrup over each loaf. Drizzle with lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2TBSP milk

Mix all ingredients together to form a thin glaze. Drizzle over pound cakes(s).

 

Raspberry Parfait:

• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup raspberry syrup
• 4 TBSP honey
• 1 cup fresh raspberries

Divide yogurt into 4 glass dishes, top with 1 TBSP each, raspberry syrup and honey. Sprinkle 1/4 cup fresh raspberries on each.

Makes 4 servings

 

Raspberry Italian Soda:

• 1 cup sparkling water
• 2 to 4 TBSP raspberry syrup
• 1/4 cup half&half
• ice

Slip a few ice cubes into a pretty glass. Fill with sparkling water, add raspberry syrup and cream. Stir, and savor the lightly sweet, fruity goodness.

 

 Photo by Trina Farnham

Thank you for joining me for another beautiful week-end filled with sunshine, diamonds, rubies and pearls!!! Glamour, Glamour, Glamour!!!

Join me next week for Beautiful Blueberries. Until then, ” Keep the Glamour Going”

Cindi

 

 

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Good Morning, Glamour Canners! Are you ready to get your Glam On?

Last week, we talked a little about strawberries and made some jam. This week, lets make a few things from the jam, and use up those leftover berries.

I spent the week trying to find any excuse to make toast, or pancakes just so I could sample some of our freshly made jam. I even stirred it into my yogurt for breakfast.

Q: What could be better than using our left over strawberries to make sweet, refreshing, Popsicles?

A: Using our leftover strawberries to make sweet, refreshing, Popsicles dipped in milk chocolate!

So, do you have your pearls on? Your glittery-gold and diamond jewelry? How about your pink or red nail polish and matching lipstick? Perfect! Let’s begin!

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Popsicles

2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries

1/4 cup coconut (or regular) sugar

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 TBSP coconut (or regular) vegetable oil

Blend the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in your blender until smooth. Pour into your Popsicle molds and freeze until solid. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and the oil together until melted. (30 to 60 seconds)  Mix together until completely smooth. Run the Popsicle mold under warm water to release the treats more easily, and one at a time spoon melted chocolate over each Popsicle. Return to a plate and store in the freezer. Yummy! You may also add crushed walnuts, coconut, or chocolate sprinkles immediately after spooning on chocolate for a more elegant, glamorous treat . Makes 8

 

 

Strawberry Fruit Roll-ups

Using the same recipe as the Strawberry Popsicles excepting  the chocolate chips and coconut oil, pour the berry mixture into a jelly-roll pan lined with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180 degrees or the lowest heat setting your oven has. Bake 4-6 hours until dry when touched. When cool, roll from the long side into a log, and cut into eight slices. Store in an air-tight container. Makes eight.

 

Strawberry/lemonade Jam-Thumbprint Cookies

2 cubes butter

2/3 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

2 1/4 cups flour

2 TBSP lemon zest

1/3 cup strawberry jam

Cream the butter and sugar together. When fluffy, add the salt, egg, flour and lemon zest. Mix until combined well. Spoon onto cookie sheet using a teaspoon, or a small cookie scoop. Press down on each one lightly with your thumb or finger to make an indent. Fill each indent with a small amount of jam. Bake in 350 degree oven for ten minutes. Dusting with powered sugar when cool will make the cookies fit for any afternoon tea with the queen. ( Dust the cookies with the powdered sugar, not yourself.) Makes 36

 

 

Strawberry Jam Pop-Tarts

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup butter, cubed

1 tsp salt

1 TBSP sugar

Ice water

1/2 cup strawberry jam

For the tart crust: Mix flour, salt and sugar with the cubed butter. Use a pastry blender or two forks to cut butter into the flour mixture. Add enough ice water to allow the dough to stick together, incorporating the crumbs on the bottom of the bowl, but not too wet; about 1/2 cup, maybe a bit more.                                                             

Divide the dough into two balls. Cover with plastic wrap and chill an hour to make the dough easier to work with.

Roll each half into a an 11″x18″.  Measure out 10″x16″ and cut with a ruler to make a nice even rectangle.

Cut this in half the long way, so you have two 5’x16′” pieces, then cut each half into fourths, creating 8, 5″x4″ rectangles.

Repeat with second ball of dough to create eight more 5″x4″ pieces. You now have 8 tops and 8 bottoms for the pop-tarts.

Put 8 pieces on a large cookie sheet. Spread about 1 TBSP strawberry jam on each piece, not quite reaching the edges.

Top with 8 tops. Crimp the entire way around with a small fork. Poke five holes in each one with a toothpick and bake in 350 degree

oven for about 30 minutes, until lightly toasty brown. Eat them plain, or mix 2 TBSP strawberry jam with 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp

milk to create a thin frosting. Frost each one and sprinkle with colored sprinkles.

 

Next week: Let’s get our Glam On with more summer fruit. Raspberries? Blueberries? Gorgeous, delicious, berries, warmed by the sun and kissed by the gentle winds.

Until next week,  “Keep the Glamour Going”.

Cindi

 

 

July marks the anniversary of my mom going to heaven. Although I seem to think of her most often during this month, I carry her memory with me always.     

She taught me to dream, she taught me to laugh. She was elegant, poised, funny and real. She was beautiful, gifted, and gracious.

  To Mom, to Grammy; you will always be missed, you will always be remembered.

 

 

Okay, Glamor Canners, its time to” Get your Glam on”. Last month kicked off the beginning of summer berry season. The sight and sweet perfume of these beautiful, juicy-red, heart-shaped berries means its time to get busy savoring and preserving the very essence of summer itself.

Today we will be making and canning strawberry jam. In the weeks ahead we will explore strawberry syrups, glazes, and some lovely recipes using our newly made creations.

 

Some fun facts about strawberries:

• Strawberries are part of the rose family, no wonder they smell so sweet.
• 8 strawberries provide more vitamin C than an average orange.
• They were once thought to be an aphrodisiac and fed to newlyweds on the morning of their honeymoon. (whoo hoo)
• Strawberries are the only fruit to wear their seeds on the outside.
• Including frozen, Americans eat an average of five pounds of berries every year.
• California produces 8o% of the strawberries in the U.S., about 2 billion per year.

Glamor Canner Strawberry Jam:

7 cups crushed strawberries

7 1/2 TBSP powered pectin

8 1/3 c sugar

Preparing:

Wash and stem berries. In a large 8-10 qt. pot, combine crushed berries and pectin.

Bring to a full rolling boil (a boil that can not be stirred down).  Stir in sugar. Return

to a full rolling boil. Boil hard, uncovered, for one minute, stirring constantly. I add 1/2

tsp of butter before adding the sugar to help reduce foam. Remove from heat.

Water-bath canning:

Ladle jam at once into hot, clean, half-pint jars, leaving  1/4″ headspace. Wipe jar rims;

adjust lids and add rings. Process in boiling water bath 15 minutes, starting timer when water comes

to a boil. Makes 7 to 8 1/2 pints of jam to enjoy later.

 

Until next time, “Keep the glamor going”,

Cindi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kale and spinach salad from our garden. With walnuts, blueberries and home made pesto dressing.

Plain yogurt, honey, homemade raspberry syrup, topped with fresh berries from the garden.