The Bluebird

Nestled in the small town of Stanford, Kentucky sits a cafe that is well worth the drive. It's one I kept hearing about from Kentucky friends and family. On the wedding week-end, a group of young people who arrived from Idaho and California for the event, joined Julia and Rylan made sure they enjoyed a hearty breakfast there before they started their Kentucky day and the busy wedding schedule! 

So, once the wedding was over and we had a day to relax before shuttling family back to the airport to meet their planes, we decided to check out the Bluebird for ourselves.

Now, who in the world would write an entire blog post about a restaurant? Well, I guess I would. Bear with me. There are some yummy food pictures coming up!

Dad was his usual cheerful self. He enjoys talking to people and engaged our waitress in conversation about the restaurant. 
Local. Fresh. Sustainable. Pure.
D E L I C I O U S

Our server was helpful in finding us exactly what we needed to meet our dietary needs. The vegetarian and gluten-free in our group came away happily satisfied with a great selection of foods.

Look at this for freshness! Pasta served with spinach, onion, and artichoke hearts. Add to that roasted red pepper, olives, and a good sprinkling of sunflower seeds.

Gluten free breads were available, like this wrap. They could be served around a variety of delicious gluten-free and vegetarian ingredients.

And you can never go wrong with made-from-scratch potato soup!

I'll admit that we did do some food sharing, simply so we could "try" the yummy looking foods that other family members had ordered. 

Alma looks satisfied. Everything was delicious!

And. . .I was able to buy a BLUE.bird mug so I can remember the experience as I sip on my tea here at home. Connections. LOVE. Memories.

Garden Greens and Violets

Our menu for supper recently was bean enchiladas, spiced Spanish millet, and a garden green salad. It was the first meal from our garden greens. Oh, they were fresh and so delicious! There were freckled and white violets blooming nearby, so I added them in as well as some fresh curly parsley, Italian parsley, and cilantro from the herb garden. The violets were 'not' picked out of the salad at meal time --- by now my family is used to my ways.

Just think about all the vitamins and minerals in those garden fresh greens!

I used garden scissors to snip the baby greens. Since they were scatter planted, rather than placed in rows, the early harvest by snipping (not pulling) helps to thin them out and yet gives the plants opportunity to sprout new growth from the roots still in the ground.

The spring bush peas are growing, and the Cherokee bush beans have pushed their heart-shaped leaves out of the soil. Walla Walla Sweet onions are growing in two of my garden 'squares' and this week the pickling cukes and regular cucumbers have sprouted leaves through the earth. And, the beet greens are a little behind, but are coming along alright.

There is something about a garden...

Wise Words from Julia Child

Never name a dish before you serve it.

Your souffle falls in the oven? You're now 

serving Fallen Souffle.

Julia Child

The Blessing of the Day

I hope your Mother's Day was special! Families throughout the world celebrate Mother' Day, but each seems to have their own roots, dates, and traditions. In the United States, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May. It is a day set aside to recognize mothers, motherhood, and all maternal bonds. It is an opportunity and moment that everyone can share, simply because everyone has a mother. We can honor a memory, give tokens of love and appreciation, and enjoy the benefits of being a mother if we have been blessed by the opportunity. Roots to this day reach back to remembrance and honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother's Day officially on May 9, 1914 and it was tradition that American citizens would display an American flag on that day to honor the mother's of those who had lost sons. Obviously, the meaning of Mother's Day and what it represents has morphed into something different as the years have progressed. It now is a day that all mother's are remembered, appreciated, and honored. Many families have their own unique traditions special to this day.

I've enjoyed browsing through blog posts by others, as there has been much sharing of happenings and doings. It's so special to hear about ways that families honor their mothers. Breakfast in bed seems to be popular, as does a special Mother's Day brunch or tea. I've heard of spa days (where the kids give a pedicure and dad paints mom's toenails!) and of many mothers who are receiving hanging baskets of flowers or flats of annuals to plant in their garden. Although the official Mother's Day flower was a carnation, I think it has blossomed to be simply flowers, now ninety-nine years later! I think most mother's would agree, that it is the thought that counts and simply being together as a family is the very best gift of all!

Our Mother's Day has been one of remembering our mom's (and grandmother's) and how they enriched our lives with love and guidance. Their memory is important to us and it is they who have made us into who we are today. It has also been a time to appreciate the blessings of today. Time spent together as a family, simply talking, doing something, and eating special foods. It's been fun to have the boys home and to enjoy a traditional, yummy brunch together! Just "being" is something I especially "savor" on a day like today!

I hope your day has been blessed as well!

Faith is a Way of Life

"To make bread or love, to dig in the earth, to feed an animal or cook for a stranger; these activities require no extensive commentary, no lucid theology. All they require is someone willing to bend, reach, chop, stir. Most of these tasks are so full of pleasure that there is no need to complicate things by calling them holy. And yet these are the same activities that change lives, sometimes all at once and sometimes more slowly, the way dripping water changes stone. In a world where faith is often construed as a way of thinking, bodily practices remind the willing that faith is a way of life."

Barbara Brown Taylor

An Invitation

You are invited to visit my other blog, My Cozy Kitchen. It's a quiet place where I share healthy, whole-food recipes. The recipes are posted from my collection as I prepare them or as they come into focus when I am browsing through my recipe files. They are filled with antioxidants and phytochemicals, are full of fiber, and help maintain wellness and promote good health. If you stop by, please leave me a comment so I know you've been by. I'd love to share a cup of tea with you, but in blogland a few words will have to do. Happy eating and stay healthy!

Disease Proof by Dr. Joel Furhman is a site that I enjoy and is highly recommended for help with healthy eating and food choices. Don't forget the G.O.M.B.S. method for wellness!

The Way Great-Grandmother Did

"That's the way Great-grandmother did it. She looked in the larder, the cellar and then took a walk through the garden to see what she had. And then she made menus for the next couple days."

~ Carla Emory ~

*Do you cook with an electric or gas range? Which do you prefer and why? This is my cabin range and I love how instantly it heats. I think I prefer the electric oven at home for baking though.*

Happy Birthday, Sally

August is here, bringing late summer flowers and a birthday!  We were happy to celebrate Sally's twenty-fifth birthday with her this week-end.  A chocolate cake with chocolate frosting was in order!  

Brown-eyed Susan's, cone flowers, pinks, roses, and lavender in simple vases brought life to the table as homespun centerpieces. 

The mix of purple, pink, and yellow created an eclectic mix of cheer.

Local watermelons are ripe and so tasty.  I enjoy local melons because the farmer's make sure they are well-ripened in the field before harvesting them.  A friend shared her recipe for watermelon and sweet-onion salad with me and it was yummy!  Orange segments, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro added much depth of flavor.

Recently I've been trying my hand at spring rolls as well.  They are so simple and very tasty!  The wraps are made from tapioca or rice starch.  They look like hard, translucent crackers and can be found at the Asian market.  There's no cooking of the wraps involved.  Instead, soak the wrap in a bowl of warm water and then remove, drip dry a bit, and place on a plate.  Then add a filling of choice.  I used a filling of stir-fried vegetables with tofu, seasonings, and soy sauce for the one pictured above.  For another option I made a fruit salad of mango, apricot, and cantaloupe that was served with a cherry fruit sauce.  

Fortunately Sally stuck by while we sang Happy Birthday to her!  We had a false start and were a bit off-key, I'm afraid!  She blew out all the candles at once, so she's in for a great year!

Gift time included some beautiful prints, patterns, and notions.  A tiered sun-dress in pink and orange is option one.

And a turquoise tunic is option two.  I stopped a woman about Sally's age at the fabric store to ask her opinion on prints and colors.  I figured she'd set me straight if I was way off fashion base!  I made sure I asked someone who looked like she knew something about style or it could have been disastrous!

Of course Sally needed something to stitch the garments together with, so a new sewing machine was in order as well.  Since Sally's career involves being a computer expert, we made sure her sewing machine was computerized as well.  A girl can never have too many computers!

Happy Birthday to you, Sally!!!!

All the best for the year ahead!

Summertime Fare

 

What's a picnic without a blog post? Summer produce is abundant and so available this time of year. The Lo Mien recipe called for half of the garden veggies that were put into it --- but they only enhanced the flavor rather than detouring it. Carrots, broccoli, sweet onions, string beans, and more were mixed with brown rice pasta, nutritional yeast, a sprinkle of stevia, and soy sauce. Yummy, yummy!

And a salad is always in order in the summer as well. Garden leaf lettuce, sweet onions, tomatoes, and avocado all blended with an organic garlic vinaigrette equaled lots of flavor!

 

Rylan baked the cake and it was excellent! Super dark and abundant chocolate layered with a frosting that he made from an old-fashioned recipe. There's no powdered sugar in it! I didn't know it was even possible to make frosting without powdered sugar, but he did and it was very good. Marcona almonds and cherries in syrup added garnish and flavor.

And last, but not least, wonderful slabs of local watermelon! So sweet and good. When the watermelon is ripe in the valley you know that summer is really here!

A Royal Wedding Pizza

By now you have probably seen a plethora of pictures of the royal wedding pair.  So, how's this for something new and unusual?  This picture is being forwarded along via emails and I think it's quite unique.  Prince Williams' suit is created from salami and peppers, while Duchess Kate's veil is fashioned from mushrooms.  Her dress is made from cheese.  According to the chief marketing officer for Papa John's, "it tastes as good as it looks".  Now, if you would like to see some serious wedding photos, the British Monarchy's Flickr photostream can be viewed here.  

Home Ec 101

 

Sometimes it is fun to walk down memory lane.  It is interesting to look back and to realize how certain situations or people helped form you into the person you are today.  I found a box filled with old school pictures recently, and enjoyed time reminiscing about youthful days.   In this picture are the girls from my eighth grade class.  We are with our home ec teacher, Mrs. K, who taught us homemaking skills every Friday, and Physical Education on Monday through Thursday.  On this day we made salads, and my group made spring pea salad on lettuce leaves.  I think the other group made cottage cheese filling in tomato cups.  I don't remember the three-tiered tray, but there must have been quick breads or crackers on each level.  It's interesting for me to observe the little things.  Our shoes, for example, which were usually always black and with a clunky heel.  Or the fact that those nylons were probably not pantyhose!  We always wore dresses to school, since pantsuits didn't become fashionable, nor allowed, until 9th grade.  Either long, straight hair or a puffy bouffant were the fashion of the day.  At this age we were very influenced by Coed magazine and we read it faithfully each month.  We could order a subscription through our home ec teacher and it would be delivered to us in class.  When the bulk order arrived at school, our home ec teacher would give them to us and dedicate a class period to reading them.  So many memories.  I know how Mrs. K and this class influenced my life.  I wonder how it influenced the others in my class.  That would be fun to know!

A Quilters Lunch

Thank you, Karleen, for inviting me to lunch today! It was fun to take a break from my daily routine to come visit you and your friend, Julie. The shared lunch worked together to create a delicious menu of Tasha Tudor bread with sandwich fillings, fruit salad, ants-on-a-log celery sticks, and lemonade.

[For anyone interested, the recipes for my contribution (olive and walnut spread; herbed butter) can be found here. The recipe for the Tasha Tutor bread can be found in the Tasha Tudor Cookbook. It was exceptional!]


What beautiful projects you and Julie were working on! I felt a little lost without my sewing machine too, but I enjoyed visiting while you sewed. And seeing all the fun projects you two are working on was truly an inspiration!


Of course I enjoyed sharing time with Chalupa and Lucy as well. Canine friends are always special. The treat of the day was to be able to look out your back patio door to see a tug boat and barge pass by so closely! Unfortunately, it looks far away in the picture, but it seemed to be so close as it motored on by. And what a pretty garden --- not a weed in sight!

Thank you for sharing your day with me! It was fun!

Cooking America

Are you busy preparing for Thanksgiving dinner? Across America, grocery stores and markets are filled with shoppers buying ingredients for their traditional family foods. Kitchens are starting to sizzle with the sounds and fragrance of one of the most family-oriented American holidays. More people will be traveling to visit family during this yearly holiday than any other. Life has been busy at our house too. In the midst of it all, I've been trying to blog 'three recipes a day' at My Cozy Kitchen. Stop by for a last minute holiday recipe if you'd like. I look forward to seeing you there. And then I'd better get cookin' too. What's cooking in your kitchen?

Photo: Elm Street Antiques

Junk Food Dome

Research papers, art projects, and preparations for final exams are keeping life interesting around here. Rylan has been working late into each night, writing or creating. An eight-page paper on The English Patient is in draft form and Rylan has shared enough about the book that I asked to read it myself. It was captivating, mysterious, and lyrical. What beautiful word pictures the author provides when describing the people, places, and events in the story. Romance is contrasted with themes of nationalism and familial cohesiveness within a very diverse group of characters. It's a classic piece of modern day literature that is historically based and has a unique perspective that makes one look at events with new eyes. Additionally, Rylan was given a group project in his art class. After a chapter on types of architecture, the instructor assigned a different form of design to each group and asked them to build it totally out of junk food! Rylan and his partner were assigned the "dome" which they achieved by baking three layers of sheet cakes and cutting them into the shape they needed. The dome was crafted out of rice crispy treats that were formed in a mixing bowl. Layers of white frosting and marshmallow cream coated everything and candy was used to embellish and add detail. They are calling this dome the Palomar Observatory in Winter. A unique and possibly unusual assignment for a college level class, it appears to have provided students with a bit of relaxation therapy after a very intense quarter of study. Rylan's counting down to Wednesday when he's out of school for the Christmas holiday. Brandon has one more week until his final exams are completed.

100 Mile Diet

A recent post on CNN.com reports about the 100 Mile Diet. It states that for some, if the food hasn't been grown within 100 miles of where they live -- they won't buy it. This is the pledge of concerned foodies across the country who are taking this challenge for the entire month of September.

If you scroll to the end of the article, there's a link to blogs who speak on this subject. Gracious Hospitality's recent post regarding a trip to Pike Place Market is listed there. If you are interested in reading the entire article, click here.