TWD/BWJ: Fresh Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

Apparently, I have a problem with posting "on time". Even made this cake a day in advance, but never got around to the documentation. Guess I'm not perfect... as if there was ever any doubt, ha ha.

I only have one thing to say about this recipe. And it's a personal opinion.

brown sugar + pecans ≠ "spring"

Made the trip to the Farmer's Market for the fresh rhubarb, even substituted Cointreau for the bourbon thinking it would seem fruity-er, but this cake still tasted like Autumn to me. And I'm ready for Spring. REALLY ready. Just when I think it's going to be warm, the temperature drops 20 degrees. I know I don't have anything to complain about compared to the folks getting SNOW in May, but it's almost unbearable this year. Spring (or should it be Summer now?) is tantalizingly close and yet just out of reach. It turned me against the cake psychologically. It's not the cake's fault, but most of it went to waste. Here are a couple of pictures just to prove that I tried.

Maybe I'll try this recipe again some crisp autumn day, when it's supposed to be cold. The other Tuesday With Dorie participants are here. And the recipe can be found on (new mom) Erin's blog. Literally, she just had a baby girl 3 days ago. Congratulations, Erin! Enjoy every minute because the time passes so quickly and before you know it, your baby will be graduating from college.

I say this with certainty because we have a new graduate in the family! Yes, my first-born, by baby, my son has a real degree now. He just received his B.S. in Computer Game Design and Development, with minors in Computer Science and Software Engineering. I'm so proud! And astounded at how fast he went from diapers to adulthood. Don't know what's coming next, but I can't wait to watch it unfold and reveal itself.

Here's a shoe. Perfectly calm in the middle of a busy intersection on Jimmy Carter Boulevard.

TWD/BWJ: Madeleines

Well, who'd have thunk it? Little cakes the size of a cookie! I always thought a Madeleine was more of a shortbread-y thing. Considered skipping this recipe since I knew it required a special pan that I didn't own, but stopped in at the Home Goods store and they had TWO different sized pans. So I bought one and will definitely be using it again. Easy-peasey and quick. I added lemon zest to the batter and drizzled with a lemon glaze after baking. And they were good for days! The recipe can be found here and the blog roll of other bakers is here.

Crushed up the egg shells
for my worms. What? I
haven't mentioned my
worm box before? Those
little guys are the best!

I was late baking these because on Tuesday, April 16th, my husband and I were enjoying our last day in Hawaii.  We spent a week making memories on the island of Oahu. Saw plenty of sites and spent a good bit of time resting, soaking up sunlight, and gazing at the Pacific. It was restorative. And I discovered papaya!









Was barely home long enough to make Madeleines and figure out what time zone I was in, then spent the better part of the past week at the big AQS Quilt Show in Paducah, Kentucky. Which just happens to be my hometown. It was amazing and wonderful, as usual. If you're not familiar with the current state of quilting, let me assure you that it's truly an artform. There was even a quilt about baking! This 3-dimensional quilt by Dominique Ehrmann of Quebec, Ontario entitled "Sweet Memories" commemorates her 25 years as a baker and chocolate maker.

And now a shoe. Michael spotted this one as we were crossing the road on the North Shore of Oahu to watch surfers.

Aloha!

TWD/BWJ: Rustic Potato Loaves

An easy yeast bread that didn't take 2 days! Yay! That alone puts it near the top of my favorites list. Following the advice of other bakers, I left the peels on the potatoes and liked the character they added. At first the dough seemed waaaaay too dry, but then something magical happened and it turned into a lovely soft mixture. I love it when the impossible happens.

smells good, Mom!

If you'd like the recipe, you can find it here. The TWD blogroll for this recipe is here.

Things are looking up in our world. It's finally beginning to get warm, we had a wonderful doctor's appointment (he used the word "awesome"!), and we're on our way to paradise. More about that next time...

On the way home from the doctor's office yesterday, I saw this shoe. Felt like a chartreuse celebration!

TWD/BWJ: Mocha Chocolate Chips

A miracle has occurred! I'm posting on the right day. And to honor the miracle, I ate one of these cookies even though I gave up carbs for Lent. It was a small cookie and it was fabulous. What can I say? I'm definitely a grace-dependent person.

A couple of notes to my future self:
1) Use at least 2 T. of espresso powder - only used 1 1/2 this time, needed more.
2) A combo of dark and white chocolate is good, but more dark next time.
3) Don't be afraid of the apricots. And add lots of chopped walnuts for Michael.
4) Refrigerate the dough overnight and use the small scoop.
5) Use the airbake cookie sheets and parchment.

Here are some pictures:

Ghirardelli chips are fine.
Don't worry about all that chopping.

Small is good. They don't spread so much
and you can eat more!

Caught her stealing the dough.
There's less mocha flavor after baking.

The recipe for these wonderful cookies can be found here and the other bloggers are here.

And now for a shoe. This past weekend was the Greater Atlanta Quilt Shop Hop. I put some miles on the car visiting the 10 quilt shops in the Atlanta area. The GPS took me astray while looking for one of them, and instead I came across the most amazing group of shoes in the road! Sometimes those who think they are lost are actually in exactly the right place. Here's a picture of one of those shoes.

TWD/BWJ: Croissants

I *only* used 3 1/2 sticks of butter.
The recipe called for 4 1/2 but several
people mentioned that they were greasy.

I don't even know how far behind I am at this point. But I don't care. I made croissants. That's all that matters. And I took a little road trip with my boy, which required that the dough go into hibernation for a few days. The finished product disappeared right quick, so they must have been good. Here are a few pictures:

That's the butter layered on the dough.

pounded it out with my new french rolling pin

The infamous "double fold". 

Had to wait for me in the freezer. Half of it is still there.

used the scraper to cut. Have I mentioned
that this one little tool has changed my life?

let 'em rise outside in the sun.  

The croissant recipe can be found here and the TWD bloggers are here. But if you want to make these you simply must watch this. 

Here we are at the Space Center in Huntsville. The scale of those things is hard to capture in a picture. 

 

Saw a couple of shoes in the road on this trip, but didn't get a picture. So here's one from another time and place. It was last year in York, SC.

TWD/BWJ: Boca Negra

Didn't plan on baking this time because I gave up carbs for Lent but both kids came home for the weekend. It seemed like the right thing to do after all. And besides, Sundays don't count during Lent. Mama had to have a little slice. Just to test it, of course.

I'm a Kentucky girl, so you KNOW there was bourbon on the shelf. But only just enough since Christmas makes a dent in the supplies, what with eggnog and bourbon balls and all...

The only word I can think of to describe this is LUSCIOUS. And easy. Used the food processor method. It won't be the last time for Boca Negra at our house, although I may try Kahlua or Grand Marnier next time instead of the bourbon.

Tried to tell her that chocolate
isn't good for dogs. She didn't
care for that explanation.

Flipped out just fine.

Even poor nauseous Daddy took to it. This was a bad bad week all around. Chemo was hard, and then came the news that we're losing our pastor. I can hardly stand it. The kids and the chocolate saved me for now.

Did you notice my daughter's red hair? It used to be blonde (for the first 20 years of her life). That's what happens when they become art majors. Just sayin'. Get it out of your system now, honey. 

This recipe can be found here, and the other TWD bloggers are here. Do not fear the Boca Negra.

Here's a shoe I spotted in the courtyard at church one Sunday:

TWD/BWJ: Foccacia

OK, I'm late again. But *late* is a relative term.

A very wise woman once said to me that the most important question in quilting (and in life) is "who made that rule and why?" Maybe I should go back and look at the Tuesdays With Dorie rules. Do they *require* me to bake the recipe on the given date? Because if that's the case, a large portion of the bakers are breaking the rules, but they're baking in advance. So as long as I'm baking, experimenting, learning, TRYING - the project is a success in my book.

Saw on Cher's blog that drawing on the wrap
could help me judge the rise time.
See how much I'm learning?

This was good bread, but it took me 3 days from start to finish. Well, technically, it took the yeast 3 days. All I did was mix it up, watch it rise, and let it hang out in the fridge for a day and a half. Nothing hard about that. But if I want to have this again, I need to remember to start REALLY early. As I believe I've demonstrated quite effectively, doing things in advance is not really my forte...

to think of all the years this poor stone
languished in the oven unused...

My beloved USM on a beautiful day

Remember that little road trip my son and I went on a couple of months ago? When we saw the first dorm I ever lived in? That dorm was on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg. How glad I am that we made that trip. Late yesterday afternoon, a tornado ripped through Hattiesburg, straight down Hardy Street to the USM campus. Thankfully, most of the students were gone on a Mardi Gras break. But there is much damage to the town. The pictures and videos are shocking. Unbelievably, there seem to have been no fatalities. Thanks, God.

Your life can change in a minute. So enjoy as many of the minutes as you can. Eat warm bread straight out of the oven. And don't worry if you didn't bake it on the right day.

This recipe can be found here, and the other TWD bloggers are here.

Since this week is Valentine's Day, here's a shoe I've been saving for awhile. It was on the side of the interstate in a really bad place to slow down, so excuse the bad quality. But how many times do you see a red Croc?!? Happy Valentine's Day!  Hope you have some really good minutes this week.