Caipirinha

What a refreshing way to spend the day than with a Caipirinha, it is the National Drink of Brazil if you did not know.  Made with Cachaça, which is Brazil's version of Rum manufactured from sugar cane.  The Caipirinha is similar to a Mojito only made with Cachaça instead of rum.  You can try a twist and make it with turbinado sugar if you like.  It's refreshing, but watch out - it packs a punch!

2 oz. Leblon Cachaça

1/2 Lime
2 tsp Superfine sugar
Ice - preferably crushed

Cut the lime into four wedges. Muddle the lime and sugar in a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and add Leblon Cachaça. Shake vigorously. Serve in a rocks glass. Garnish with a slice of lime.

The Best Flour Sack Towels - Kitchen Gadgets

Kitchen Gadgets dancing around that have been hand-embroidered on durable flour-sack towels to help you do your cleaning. Set of seven for $49 -

Candy Apple Salad

Recently when I was down at my mother's house I had this salad.  I thought it was one of the most interesting taste combinations I had tried in a while.  After finding out what was in it, I knew I had to share it with you.  Just in time for a weekend celebration!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 tbsp. vanilla-bean paste
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
4 large apples, chopped (about 6 cups)
4 Snickers candy bars (2.07 ounces each), cut into 1/2-inch pieces ( I used the mini's)

Directions:
Place 1 1/2 cups cream and pudding package in a saucepan, bring to boil and remove from heat.  Alternatively you can place cream and pudding package into a liquid measuring cup and microve for up to six minutes, stirring every two minutes until set (this may not take six minutes depending on your microwave).  Remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl, add vanilla-bean paste and stir to combine.  Allow to cool to room temperature or chill, covering it with plastic wrap to avoid it getting a skin.   Fold in whipped topping, followed by gently adding apples and candy bars. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Crumb Cake 101

I love crumb cake. I find that too many of them are too much cake and not enough crumb. There needs to be a balance between the two, and of course what would this cake be without a great cup of coffee! Here is my recipe for coffee cake. I make this in a 10" or 9" springform pan so I can bring the cake to the table in the pan (after I have taken off the springform sides). This makes cutting the cake easier and presentation nice. In the end, who doesn't love a fresh, warm piece of coffee cake?

Crumb Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl mix together:

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup milk

In another bowl whisk together:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry and stir with a spatula to bring them together (do not use a mixer!) Spread this in an even layer on your springform pan.

In another bowl, mix together:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark both work)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter - melted

Confectioner's sugar to dust (if desired)

Stir these ingredients together to make the 'crumb' and distribute on top of cake batter layer.

Transfer the pan into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, rotating 1/2 way around for even browning. Test your cake before you pull it out of the oven with a toothpick (make sure it comes out clean). If it does not, let it bake for an additional five minutes depending on your oven.

Pull it out of the oven, let it rest a couple minutes and unspring it. You can at this point dust it with confectioners sugar. Use a serrated knife to cut the cake and serve. Enjoy!

kon-tent music - Mezzanine de l'Alcazar

Everyone has experienced the situation when planning their ultimate dinner party – what music should you play? Every aspect of the guests experience has been catered for, the menu, the drinks, the table settings and the lighting. The only thing that remains is to set the mood with the music. Mezzanine De L’Alcazar sets this perfectly and effortlessly with a sublime soundtrack to dine to as well as turning up the tempo for the after dinner party. Situated on Saint Germain in Paris’ Left Bank, an area made famous thanks to philosophers such as Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus and Simone De Beauvoir discussing existentialism in its coffee shops, is Sir Terence Conran’s restaurant Mezzanine De L’Alcazar. A firm favorite among Paris’ cultured, jet setting bon vivants and stylish gastronomes, Mezzanine De L’Alcazar sits comfortably in revitalized, modern day Saint German, where you’ll find the lively Latin Quarter and couture fashion boutiques. In a city famed for gourmet dining and couture fashion, Mezzanine De L’Alcazar is Paris’ destination restaurant: the place to see and be seen in, and that’s down to Sir Terence Conran, the leading British designer of his generation’s, trademark elegance and fastidious attention to detail. Conran’s transformed the former 17th century Royal Tennis Court and cross-dressing cabaret venue, into a split-level restaurant and a 40-foot glass roof bathes Mezzanine De L’Alcazar in light, air and space.

Dining at Mezzanine De L’Alcazar is a multi-sensory experience: its classic French-Mediterranean and English cuisine with a twist teases the palate, and simultaneously sparks your sense of smell and touch; exhibitions from world-renowned photographers (including Japan’s most famous lens man Nobuyoshi Araki) catch your gaze as DJs including Michael Canitrot (So Happy In Paris), who’s conceived sound designs for Dior, Cartier, Versace, and Prada, tickle your ears with delicate disco and luscious soulful house.

This delicate collection of specially selected tracks has been designed to stimulate the senses while you are dining and then later after your espresso, it sets the mood with sophisticated music to dance to. This is the perfect music choice for any sophisticated host.

Appliances 101 - Kitchen Scale

I purchased my kitchen scale over ten years ago thinking it was a silly purchase and I would rarely ever use it. To the contrary it has become an integral part of my kitchen. I do not care for digital scales for two reasons. One, I do not have to worry about changing/replacing batteries (I am not good at that) and I also do not do any type of dietary cooking where it needs to be THAT exact. Two, I like the way a manual scale looks - slightly nostalgic and timeless.
I constantly run acros recipes that ask for 1/2 lb. of this or 4 lbs. of that, and even the 4 ounces of chocolate or 11 ounces of rice. I would not even attempt these recipes without a scale.
I was thrilled to see that the same scale that I purchased that many years ago is still the same price. Dualit is a great company, and I have not had one problem with this scale. The glass comes out to keep the entire unit clean. Wash by hand please.

Jerk Pork Sliders with Maple-Apple Slaw

For the burgers:
3 lbs ground pork
3 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp jerk seasoning

Mix together and set aside.  You will top these with cheddar cheese.

For the slaw
4 Granny Smith apples, cored and grated/shredded
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup chives, chopped
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp jerk seasoning

Grate apples over towel to drain and absorb excess moisture  Mix ingredients together and set aside.

Fry burgers and top with shredded cheddar cheese.  After you remove from grill, top with apple slaw and enjoy.

Hamburger & Hotdog Buns from Scratch

First off, throw out the misconception that this is back-breaking work OR too time consuming.  Both are not true.  Also, don't even get the notion in your head that you are going to need a rolling pin and cutter.  Those recipes I think are created by people who have nothing better to do than make us all feel like we will never measure up.  I sometimes imagine these individuals in board rooms drumming up recipes to make us feel inadequate.

The truth is, hamburger buns should be just like the hamburger itself - EASY!  Don't overthink or overwork your food here.  You will find that the recipe here is a little different, some of you may get scared and think you will have to ingest additional cholesterol medication, but that is not the case.  The reality is is that although I am using heavy whipping cream in the recipe, I have omitted the butter.  The end result is light and flaky, makes it easier to eat the burger.  You shouldn't have to bite down like a vice grip for a burger.  The bun should act as the vessel so your teeth effortlessly sink through your masterpiece.  These do not resemble anything you can purchase at your local grocery store - the flavor on these will remind you of home and  are subltely complex.

I used a simple egg/cream wash on top for added browning and sprinkled them with hulled sesame seeds.  You don't want these to get too brown, baking time is shortened on these.  This recipe makes 16 regular-sized buns, or 32 slider-sized buns. 

3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
5 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. salt
5 1/2 cups bread flour

Egg wash:
1/2 cup cream
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
sesame seeds - for garnish

We are going to start out by proofing our yeast.  In a liquid measuring cup, add 1 cup heavy cream and sugar - stir with a fork to dissolve sugar into cream.  Microwave for around one minute, or until warm.  Not too hot, it should feel warm or lightly hot to your pinkie finger.  If it is hot, let it cool until warm.  It is ONLY at this time that I put in my yeast.

I whisk the mixture together to incorporate it and I walk away for a couple minutes. A watched pot never boils. After a couple minutes when I come around again, I should have a foam beginning to build on the top of my milk mixture. This means we are ready to go on the rest. If you do not have this, you need new yeast.

My next step with anything I am making is that I put all of the ingredients MINUS the flour into the bowl. THEN I add the flour.  I place the dough hook onto my mixer and turn it on low to medium depending on what I am making. Then, I watch. You want to begin to see that the mixture is coming together. Patience here my friend, don't try to rush it along by putting it on high. Be thankful that you aren't having to do this by hand. Grab a cocktail and take a sip while you let the mixer do the work for you. After about a minute, maybe two you will see it forming together - creating a mass so to speak.

Look into the bottom of the bowl at this point and see if it is sticking. If it is, take 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour and put it in the bowl. Watch again until this flour gets incorporated fully. Look into the bottom of your bowl again for sticking, or is it coming clean? If not, add that scant amount of flour again and repeat.

Once you see that it is no longer sticking to the bottom of the bowl, let the dough hook do its' work for another minute or two then turn it off.

NOTE: The amount of flour you use today will vary from the amount of flour you use in two months, where you live or what brand you use. Getting to know this method will be the key to your success in making dough

Remove the dough hook and the bowl from the mixer. I remove the dough from the bowl and butter the inside of the bowl, then roll the dough around to get it buttered on all sides. I cover the bowl and place into an oven. I then set the oven to 200 degrees and set my timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes I turn the oven off and set the timer for one hour.

After that hour, I remove the dough from the cozy oven it has been rising in. I then place it into the desired form I need and allow it to rise for another 30 minutes until I am ready to bake it off.  Here for the buns, I am going to initially form it into a ball, then using a knife, but the amount of sections I desire.  16 for regular or 32 for mini's.  I then take the ball and with an undertucking motion take the dough from the top, down the sides and pinch it underneath to create a smooth top - the bottom is not going to be seen.

I let these rise again for another 30 minutes and then brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes on a silpat-lined sheet, or until desired browning.

Another suggestion, I always, always, always (did I say always?) use a whisk to sift my flour for any recipe. This means taking your whisk and plunging it into the flour and moving it around to lighten it and incorporate air. This means you don't over flour your recipe. You can always add more, but trying to fix a dense or heavy recipe is not easy.

Vanilla-Bean Paste

I have received many emails from people asking me, what is Vanilla-Bean Paste and where do I get it?  Vanilla-Bean Paste is pure vanilla with natural vanilla bean seeds in a unique, convenient, paste form that adds a gourmet appearance to any recipe.  I love to use it in any recipe where I would notice the vanilla bean seeds in the food, whipped cream, sugar cookies, cinnamon rolls, ice cream, white chocolate martini, the list goes on.  You use it one for one in replacement of vanilla in any recipe.  You can buy a 1-quart bottle from me for $35 (a 4-oz. jar in the store will set you back $14), you can also buy regular vanilla from me in 1-quart bottles for $27, including shipping.  Contact me at ross@kon-tent.com to place your order.

kon-tent tools: pizza cutter

I love this pizza cutter, it is by far the easiest one I have ever used.  It reminds me of the days when I used to make pizzas at the local restaurant in my hometown.  Interestingly enough, I always wondered if I would ever find one of these and it was an absolute fluke when I ran across it.  Made by Bialetti, the company that manufactures stovetop espresso pots.  The best part is that it's super cheap, only $13 and available here through Williams-Sonoma.  I'd definitely call it one of my essential kitchen tools.

Granola-Apple Muffins

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup granola, plus more for garnish
¼ cup wheat germ
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce
⅔ cup packed golden brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 crisp apples, preferably Granny Smith, 1 peeled, cored, finely diced
AND 1 cored and sliced into 12 wedges - not peeled


Preheat oven to 375°F.
Stir the first 9 ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce, brown sugar and butter together. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in diced apple.
Divide mixture evenly among 12 muffin cups, I prefer to use tulip muffin cups for this recipe since they allow me to overstuff the muffin. Sprinkle the top of each with a pinch of extra granola. Stand an apple wedge upright in batter of each muffin and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from pan.

Ideas:

Batter can be baked in a loaf pan or a round cake pan. Arrange apple wedges on top of batter with extra granola. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Faux Bois Dinnerware Cake - Wedding Cake

What with Spring here and weddings in full bloom, I thought about this wonderful gift idea for the Bride and Groom.  A service for eight of my Faux Bois Dinnerware gifted to them as a tiered-wedding cake.  Eight Dinner plates, Salad plates, Cups and saucers.  Several other pieces are available, but this is a nice set to get them started with an heirloom that they can hand down to their generations to come.  Check out the Faux Bois Dinneware Collection here.

Buy the Complete Faux Bois Wedding Cake

Made From Scratch S'mores

So here is a great way to entertain and amaze your guests at your next gathering.  Home-made S'mores - they only look intimidating.  I guess I should admit that the graham crackers are slightly time consuming, but they are not hard to make.  In fact, you could make the graham cracker dough on day - roll it out and stick in the freezer on day one, then cut, prep and bake the next day. 

My Vanilla-Bean Marshmallows are a breeze to make - the only requirement is a good mixer since they need to whip for 15 minutes - this needs a tough motor.  The alteration to this recipe is that you pour the marshmallow into a 1/2 sheet pan to create a thinner marshmallow.  If you put them in a regular 9X13, it would get too thick.  The marshmallow needs to rest for at least four hours before you cut them.

Lastly, to assemble you will need to prepare your chocolate:

16 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 tsp. canola oil

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and oil together until smooth. Remove from heat, take bowl off of bain maire and let rest on counter for 15 minutes. Take a regular teaspoon and puddle 1-2 spoons onto the bottom of each graham cracker.  Let those rest for 15 minutes to set up so the chocolate cools enough and then it will not flood out when you assemble. 

Place a marshmallow on top of one chocolate-prepped graham cracker, then top it with another chocolate-prepped graham craker.  Let rest for at least four hours to set.

Chewy Breakfast Bars

I love oatmeal breakfast bars for a couple reasons.  First, it's a matter of convenience - grab and go.  Second, it helps me eat one of my favorite things - oatmeal.  I readily admit I don't like oatmeal cooked on the stove for breakfast unless it is doctored up with some type of sweetness.  I don't really care for the oatmeal bars you purchase in the store because they are either like chewing wet cardboard or nibbling on a brick.  I decided to come up with an EASY alternative to was versatile to fit not only various tastes, but one that would allow me to intermix ingredients so the recipe doesn't get stale.  The recipe below allows you to add three cups of magic ingredients.  This can be nuts, pepitas or dried fruit - even more oatmeal. 

4 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
3 cups magic ingredient
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups honey
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Prepare two 1/4 (quarter) sheet pans by liberally spraying them with cooking spray, applying a silpat on top and applying more cooking spray - set aside.

In a 4 quart saucepan on medium heat, bring butter, honey, brown sugar and salt to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and on boil low for 5 minutes.  Set your timer as this is all that matters.  After 5 minutes add oatmeal and magic ingredient.  Stir gently to combine and continue to cook for two more minutes. 

Remove from heat and divide between two-1/4 sheet pans.  Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and place on cooling rack until completely cool. 

To remove bars, you may need to utilize a sharp knife around the edge to release.  Turn bars upside down, remove silpat and continue to cut into16 bars.


SIDENOTE: As you can see from the photo above, you can also glaze them with chocolate.  I subsequently sprinkled Fleur de Sel on top of the chocolate to give it a salty hint.  To glaze with chocolate use good, quality chocolate - NOT chocolate chips, they are not the same.  The amounts below with glaze almost all the bars.

16 oz chocolate, chopped - I used bittersweet, but you can use milk or white
1 tsp. canola oil

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and oil together until smooth.  Remove from heat, take bowl off of bain maire and let rest on counter for 15 minutes.  Dip tops of bars into melted chocolate and let rest on cooling rack.  Sprinkle with Fleur de Sel if interested.

Miniature Oreo Cheesecake

Here is an example of how to look at a favorite recipe of yours and mix it up.  I took my Oreo cheesecake recipe and decided to make snack-sized versions.  There are great for when you want a quick fix or perfect for parties so guests can walk around.  Using a standard muffin pan filled with paper cupcake liners, I placed a Double-Stuff Oreo in the bottom of each liner then filled the cups until they were almost full.  I turned the oven temperature down 25 degrees and baked them less time as well.  The recipe made 48 of these little critters and I am thrilled with the results.

3 pounds cream cheese

2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla-bean paste or pure vanilla extract

1 package Double Stuff Oreo cookies

To make the filling: Place  sugar and cream cheese in a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until soft (6 to 8 minutes). Use a rubber spatula to scrape bowl often to ensure even distribution.  Turn mixer on low, then slowly add eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined.

Remove bowl from mixer.  Scoop batter into prepared cups until almost full.  Bake for 30 minutes or until top of cheesecake is slightly golden. Refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving.

To make the garnish: If desired, top each slice of cheesecake with 1 ounce of real whipped cream and a broken chunk of an Oreo cookie.

Day Six of our Road Trip Across America - Happy Trails

We began our day after spending a wonderful evening at Country Inn & Suites - Meridian in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - http://www.countryinns.com/hotels/okokair.  Breakfast consisted of biscuits with sausage gravy and bacon on the side, it was wonderful.  Colette, the manager of the hotel was great and full of hospitality.

We spent the better part of our day in Oklahoma City, OK and I have to tell you - what a place to spend time.  It was completely the opposite of what I had in my mind Oklahoma City would be.  I was thinking Western, dry, rural and quiet - to my astonishment it was filled with amazing people, amazing locations and amazing topography, history and destinations!  What a way to begin our day than the National Cowboy Museum http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/.  When you enter this beautiful building you are struck with how rich the history and people were that came before us and forged this country into what it is today.  The sculpture you see above is an 18-foot plaster piece by James Earle Fraser called 'End of the Trail.'  It struck me how ironic it was to begin the day before the end of our #CIS1K with a tribute to this warriors end of his trail.  There truly was so many sights to see here, it was hard to fit it all into the microcosm of time we had.  Yet again, another place to return to - which causes excitement about a return to Oklahoma City, OK and it's gracious people.

We set forward to the Bricktown in Oklahoma City, OK - http://www.bricktownokc.com/ to take go on a tour via water taxi around the area - http://www.bricktownwatertaxi.com/.  We saw this amazing mosaic contructed by local artisans, as well as the corporate headquarters of Sonic, beautiful magnolia trees, this phenomenal Bronze sculpture outdoor exhibit that is still in process and when done will be the largest bronze sculpture exhibit in the world.  The bronze sculptures depicted the early cowboys that came to claim land in the area.  Back in the day, as long as you settled on the property and built a house within three years - 160 acres were yours for the taking, bring your flag!

We ate at one of the many restaurants along the waterfront, it was a New Orleans themed restaurant.  I had a burger topped with Andouille, called the Louis Armstrong, Mitch had a catfish po' boy and Kara Williams, our travel companion on the adventure had red beans and rice, while her husband ordered a shrimp po' boy.  The food was a nice adventure for our pallets and the atmosphere was similar to that which you would find in NoLa. 

We hopped back into our Ford Flex and drove to Sulphur, Oklahoma to pay a visit to the almighty Bison at Chickasaw National Recreation Area - http://www.nps.gov/chic/index.htm.  This Suite Stop required us to upload a video of us singing 'Home on the range....'  My 14-yo did not know the lyrics, I guess it's time to start renting musicals!  We began to notice a change in topography here, as well as wildlife.  We saw cactus growing, armadillo and heard we might even run into scorpions.  Aunty Em, we aren't in Minnesota anymore...

We headed to Texas to get a photo of us at the State Line and then on to Denton, Texas to catch a glimpse of the 114-yo Courthouse.  I found Denton to be lovely and we stopped at a local frozen yogurt shop called Yogurt Fusion.  Here they had several, self-serve flavors but what was interesting is at each section were three dispensers - one on each side for a single flavor, i.e. yellow cake on one side, peanut butter on the other.  If you used the middle dispenser - it would fuse the two flavors together to create say - yellow peanut butter cake.  Delish - I highly recommend this hotspot, they even have a Wii to create memories with the family.

As we wound down our day, we drove to Lewisville, Texas and were greeted warmly by Country Inn & Suites, Lewisville - http://www.countryinns.com/lewisvilletx.  I have yet to eat my shortbread cookie, but I guarantee I will thoroughly enjoy it.  Our room contained a mysterious box with a crepe-paper question mark taped to it.  Strict orders to not open the box were given until instructed - I love surprises.

Let me say before this trip winds down that over the last week my family has experienced things that we will be able to take with us for a lifetime.  It has generated conversations we would have never had the time to do and will make for future conversations as we continue to process the amazement of what we have been able to enjoy.  We are grateful to Country Inn & Suites by Carlson for inviting us to participate and sponsor such an amazing adventure as the #CIS1K Road Trip Adventure. 

Remember, you can schedule your own mystery trip - make the effort to do a road trip, slow your life down and get out to see this beautiful country that our forefathers fought for.  There have been so many wonderful individuals and experiences to mention.  Go to http://www.talkofthecountry.com/ and take us along with you on your family's adventure!  Cheers....

Chalkboard Canning Labels now available in my store!

I absolutely love using these 3" x 2" chalkboard labels for canning.  They are reminiscent of a time past and I can reuse the label over and over again when I am canning that recipe again.  I choose to write on them with an extra-fine point Sharpie paint pen in white.  The heavy duty black vinyl labels are self adhesive, and can be used to organize virtually anything in your life.   They are made in France!


Set of 12 - $6

Day Five of our Road Trip Across America - Fluid Movement

Day Five started off at The Plaza District in Kansas City.  For those of you unfamiliar with this area, to me it is reminiscent of Brigadoon.  I always feel like I have stepped into an imaginary world when I am at The Plaza.  A little unknown fact to most people is that Kansas City is ranked the 2nd City in the world with the most water fountains, right behind Rome!  The photo you see above is of the JC Nichols Memorial Fountain.  JC Nichols is noted for making all of these fountains possible in Kansas City - I would have to say that I consider his work to be a memorial to greatness and beauty.  I hope the residents of Kansas City are able to appreciate it from time to time. http://www.countryclubplaza.com/

Today truly was a road warrier day as we hopped back in our Ford Flex, sponsored by Avis and drove three hours to Wichita and the Kansas Aviation Museum.  I was a bit skeptical about this destination, but that was quickly averted by all of the interesting sights and information taught to us.  My only regret was not getting to spend more hours there due to time constraints of our next destination.  I did find one tidbit interesting and that is the fact that the Aviation Museum is the ONLY Federal building without air conditioning.  I wondered what our Congressman think of that?  Here is one of my favorite planes from the day, one because it is yellow, but two because did you know that the exterior of this plane is made from painted muslin - yes my friends, muslin the fabric!  I found that factoid unsettling and was happy that I was not living back in 1927.

Being that the Kansas Aviation Museum used to be an actual airport, it was also interesting to learn that before trans-continental flight became a reality this airport served as the landing place for any plane traveling across the United States as they needed to fuel up to make the second leg of their flight.  Fred Astair actually danced in the lobby and Frank Sinatra also was one of many celebrities that graced this beautiful airport back in the day.  Please visit http://www.kansasaviationmuseum.org/ for more information.

Hop back into our cars for the second leg of our movement down south today to find ourselves in Oklahoma City, OK - staying at none other than the amazing Country Inn & Suites on Meridian by the airport.  Colette the manager greeted us with a sign that had our #CIS1K Adventure information AND cookies.  As you know, a significant portion of our road trip is sponsored by Country Inn & Suites by Carlson.  She was extremely gracious and recommeded we go to Cattleman's Steakhouse for an authentic Oklahoman dining experience.  We ordered up ourselves some Cactus Kickers and enjoyed the wonderful food and hospitality of this region.  The Cactus Kicker was served in a boot that we actually got to take home!  Our waitress Heather made some great recommendations and we especially love the coconut pie which is made from scratch by the restaurant.  http://cattlemensrestaurant.com/

Where are we headed, we don't know - but the adventure is filled with fun and excitement thanks to Country Inn & Suites by Carlson.  Check out http://www.talkofthecountry.com/ to follow our adventures.  I recommend you make your own memories by following the link and going on a road trip of your own.  But make sure and let me know, so I can follow you as you make your way across this great nation!

The Best Flour Sack Towels - May - Lily of the Valley

I spent embroidering over the weekend, one of my favorite past times.  I worked on this flower of the month flour sack towel.  I chose pink lily of the valley because it is not commonly known you can get this color and I love the smell of them.  I took roughly an afternoon from start to finish to do this towel, I thought it would be fun to show the towel in process.  You can order one for $7 -

Collecting - Louis Vuitton, the history of luxe travel

It's been over 20 years since I purchased my Louis Vuitton luggage.  My first piece as the hard side case pictured, and then it was followed by several others.  My first piece was aptly called boite bouteilles, which translated to English means bottle box.  I have always used it to carry all my apothecary that I will need for my travels.  Hard side luggage is a rarely seen these days, and these pieces were originally designed for train or boat travel - it's sturdy sides ensured your items would arrive safe and unharmed. 

Louis Vuitton Malletier — commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton or shortened to LV — is a French fashion house specializing in luxury trunks, leather goods, ready-to-wear, shoes, watches, jewelery, accessories, sunglasses, and books. Known the world over for its LV monogram and logo, Louis Vuitton is one of the World's most recognized brands. A long time symbol of prestige and wealth, the company commands some of the highest prices in the international fashion market for its products.

Louis Vuitton was founded by Monsieur Vuitton in 1854 in Paris. In 1858, Louis Vuitton introduced his flat-bottom trunks with trianon canvas (they were lightweight and airtight).  Before the introduction of Vuitton's trunks, rounded-top trunks were used, generally to promote water run off, and thus could not be stacked. It was Vuitton's gray Trianon canvas flat trunk that allowed the ability to stack for ease with voyages. Becoming successful and prestigious, many other luggagemakers began to imitate LV's style and design.

In 1867, the company participated in the universal exhibition in Paris. To protect against the duplication of his look, he changed the Trianon design to a beige and brown stripes design in 1876.  By 1885, the company opened its first store in London, England on Oxford Street.  Soon thereafter, due to the continuing imitation of his look, in 1888, the Damier Canvas pattern was created by Louis Vuitton, bearing a logo that reads "marque L. Vuitton déposée," which translates to "mark L. Vuitton deposited" or, roughly, "L. Vuitton trademark". In 1892, Louis Vuitton died, and the company's management passed to his son.
After the death of his father, Georges Vuitton began a campaign to build the company into a worldwide corporation, exhibiting the company's products at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. In 1896, the company launched the legendary Monogram Canvas and made the worldwide patents on it. Its graphic symbols, including quatrefoils and flowers (as well as the LV monogram), were based on the trend of using Japanese and Oriental designs in the late Victorian era. The patents later proved to be successful in stopping counterfeiting. In this same year, Georges traveled to the United States, where he toured various cities (such as New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago), selling Vuitton products during the visit. In 1901, the Louis Vuitton Company introduced the Steamer Bag, a smaller piece of luggage designed to be kept inside Vuitton luggage trunks.

By 1913, the Louis Vuitton Building opened on the Champs-Elysees. It was the largest travel-goods store in the world at the time. Stores also opened in New York, Bombay, Washington, London, Alexandria, and Buenos Aires as World War I began. Afterwards, in 1930, the Keepall bag was introduced. During 1932, LV introduced the Noé bag. This bag was originally made for champagne vintners to transport bottles. Soon thereafter, the Louis Vuitton Speedy bag was introduced (both are still manufactured today).

My train case, as well as all of my luggage has been well used and I am confident these pieces will outlast me and be handed down to my daughter as heirlooms.  I find Louis Vuitton luggage to be synonymous with luxe travel no matter where you are going.  Undoubtedly you never have to wonder where your luggage is at baggage claim.  With the information age at our advantage, it is increasingly easy to find vintage trunks and carry-ons if you visit the right places and know what to look for so you make sure your Louis Vuitton piece is authentic. 

I will forever cherish my Louis Vuitton luggage and hope that one day I can own a coveted steamer trunk.

Vintage Lounge - Music to Relax by in your Barcalounger

While at my mothers this last weekend I ran across some vintage lounge records.  I never remembered listening to this stuff when I was younger, but obviously it had an effect on me because I am a lounge music fanatic.  This record was designed by Barcalounger to be played while you relaxed in their lovely recliners and was a gift with purchase item.  What a find!

I sat and listened to these records all weekend long and now want to get my hands on one of those vintage record player cabinets that we used to have as a kid with the wood exterior and fancy cloth, covered speakers - all hi-fi.  I need to do some research on those record to cd recorders that I have heard of too, so I can get these fantastic sounds onto my iPod.

Sour Cream Raisin Pie

When I was in college, there was a restaurant in town that made the most delicious sour cream raisin pie I had ever had. I got the recipe from them many years later and have tweeked the recipe to my own liking. I love the creamy filling topped by the meringue. I know in some places they top it with whipped cream, but I still prefer the light meringue.

3 egg, separated - yolks for filling, whites for meringue
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

In a medium saucepan add raisins to boiling water. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain. (this will make the raisins plump and soft)  Separate the eggs and save the whites for the meringue topping. Beat eggs in medium bowl, then add sugar to combine.  Add sour cream to egg mixture and whip, then add nutmeg, salt and lemon juice.  Fold in raisins until incoporated.  Whip sour cream and fold into egg mixture.

Place a pan on the stove and get some water simmering in the pan.  Put mixing bowl over the simmering water and stir until the filling mixture thickens.  Let filling mixture cool and then pour into a pre-baked 9" pie crust.  Set aside.

Meringue topping:

1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup hot water
6 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix cornstarch and cold water in saucepan, add 1/2 cup hot water and bring to a boil - stirring constantly. Stir and cook until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool down.  In a medium bowl beat egg whites until foamy, add sugar, salt and vanilla - beat to combine.  Turn mixer on low and slowly mix in cooled cornstarch mixture.  Return mixer to high and beat until medium peaks form.

Spread meringue onto cooled pie. Take care to spread completely to the sides so meringue topping does not shrink from edges.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Watch closely and remove when peaks of topping are golden brown.  Enjoy

Vintage Pot Roast - Remixed

I had a weekend filled with nostalgia this past weekend at my mother's house.  It's interesting in this day of expensive cookware and fancy gadgets that our parents and grandparents somehow survived without clad bakeware, bamboo mixing bowls or fine cutlery.  Don't get me wrong, I love my kitchenware and it would be very difficult to not have it.  I have a deep appreciation for quality cookware, bakeware, knives, etc. - but I was reminded of how some things really do stand the test of time.  Note, my mother's covered roaster - this was actually her mother's roaster, she figured it was at least 60 years old.  No, it's not fancy, clad or copper - but it is the perfect tool for the job in this kitchen.  It made a succulent roast and potatoes that fed a crowd, with some to spare.  It's funny, because the roaster doesn't seem to weigh more than a couple of sheets of paper - yet I forgot how this is what we grew up on. 

With that said, we used this vintage, covered roaster and remixed my mother's traditional pot roast and potatoes by updating it.  You will review the recipe below and think 'what, are you serious?', but you will be amazed at how these flavors meld together and form a wonderful base for the meat and subsequent vegetables to braise in.  The first oddity is Dr.Pepper, we use that for the acid - it helps to break down the meat fibers and make it more tender.  Second is a can of cream soup, can't have a traditional Midwestern meal without at least adding one can of cream soup.  Last is a package of onion soup mix - this provides all the seasoning and spices you will need. 

3-4 lb beef roast

Pepper, for seasoning roast

2 tbsp oil

2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut

1 lb carrots, peeled and cut

1 can or bottle Dr.Pepper, Coke or Pepsi

1 can Cream soup - mushroom, chicken or celery

1 package dry onion soup mix

For gravy

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp. corn starch

Preheat oven to 350.  Place roaster on stovetop over medium high heat.  Season outside of roast lightly with pepper.  Add 2 tbsp oil and when oil is shimmering place roast in pan and sear for 5 minutes, until brown.  Turn roast on other side and brown for 4-5 minutes.

Pour pop, cream soup and dry onion soup mix into roaster and stir to combine.  Put cover on top and place in oven for two hours.  Remove from oven, uncover and place vegetable in with the roast, place cover back on and put into oven for one additional hour.

Remove from oven, using a slotted spoon or fork remove roast and vegetable - place on platter and cover with foil to keep warm.  Place roaster on stovetop and bring to boil  Mix 1/2 cup water with 2 tbsp. corn starch, stir with fork to combine.  Pour mixture into gravy and stir to thicken gravy, make sure it is boiling as gravy will not thicken if it is not boiling.  Remove from heat and let sit for five minutes.  Remove tent  from platter, pour gravy into pitcher if desired or place a ladle in the roaster.  Serve.

Day Four of our Road Trip Across America - Up, Up and away...

We spent yet another lovely night at Country Inn & Suites, yet this stay was in St. Charles, Missouri.  The atmosphere in the hotel was beautiful, historic in nature - lots of woodwork and the staff were wonderful. 

Shortly after we arrived, we were provided with fresh-baked cookies - who wouldn't love that.  We stepped out in the local area and walked what was a very short distance to this amazing, historic with red-brick lined streets.  So many lovely restaurants and shoppes - it was hard to stop perusing the brick streets to finally decide where we are going to have dinner.  We decided upon a local restaurant that serves their own microbrews, dinner was great.  I absolutely love this area and highly recommend it to anyone. 

We slept blissfully and woke up to have a hearty Continental Plus breakfast which included biscuits with sausage gravy and even Belgian waffles - a lovely way to start the day.

Our first stop was the historic St. Louis Arch.  Having seen the Arch before from a distance, yet never up close - it truly was an amazing experience.  Each base to me runs roughly 30 feet in diameter, which helps to settle the mind about its' durability.  You actually walk underneath the Arch to enter it.  Tickets were inexpensive - $10 per person and we proceeded immediately to go up, up, up!

The space you enter is surprisingly large and my mind was at ease.  We walked through an area with photos and information about the original construction of the Arch.  We sprint through the area because we were under the assumption that we needed to catch the next shipment up top.  We ended up in an area reminiscent of the waiting area for rides at amusement parks.  They made the announcement about claustrophobia and using flashes with camera's.  The doors open and the woman in the lane next to us says 'um, I am not going in there - no way!'  It was slighly amusing - here's a shot of our pod.  Let's just say, it was definitely tiny - almost spaceship-like in appearance.

The ride up reminded us of what it must feel like working in a mine, but with a window view which was fascinating.  You could see the inner workings of the Arch and how it is constructed.  We arrived up top in a few minutes to find this amazingly, large space.  There were several windows to view the topography of St.Lous and considering it was a monument as the gateway to the West - it was interesting to take measure of the East View and the West View - West was definitely more built up.  Another thing that I found especially nice was that you were not rushed to leave, we are allowed to spend as much time as possible up in the observatory.  After a half hour we took the trek down to solid footing which included a museum that is acutally under the Arch.  So much to see, we spent over an hour there.

Our next stop was at a historic rest stop paying tribute to the original Interstate built in America - I-70.  I ever realized that the first Interstate was in the Midwest.  As we waited for our next Suite Stop, we enjoyed the beautiful weather until we found out that we were heading to Perche Creek Golf Course to take our hand at a round of miniature golf!  I love miniature golf and was doubly happy to win!

Hadass was not overly thrilled to not win, but she was a good sport about playing - it was her first time ever!

We hopped back in the Ford Flex supplied by Avis and drove to our final Suite Stop of the day, which is the Country Inn & Suites, Kansas City.  I already am comforted by the fact that I know I am going to have a restful sleep - the staff again was so friendly and the hotel spacious and beautifully decorated.  We are not sure where we are headed tomorrow on our Road Trip Across America, but you can follow us at http://www.talkofthecountry.com/ where we are going to continue to report our travels - join us!

Clouds 101

Cumulus: In Latin, this means "heap." Cumulus clouds look like a heap of cotton balls or whipped cream.  Cumulus clouds are low individual billowy globs that are low, have flat bases and look a little like cauliflower. They are at least as tall as they are wide and form on sunny days from pockets of rising air. Their constantly changing outlines are fun to watch because they can take the shapes of almost anything, including animals and faces. Cumulus clouds usually signal fair weather. If they build into the middle or high part of the atmosphere they get the name cumulonimbus. A cumulonimbus cloud is tall, deep and dark and can bring lightning, heavy rain and even severe weather such as hail, damaging winds or tornadoes. It is a sign of rapidly rising and sinking air currents.

Stratus: It's Latin for "covering" or "blanket." Stratus clouds look like a flat blanket in the sky.  Stratus clouds are layered and cover most of the sky. They are much wider than they are tall. If you see them in broken or puffy layers, they are stratocumulus clouds. If you see them in thin high layers that turn the sky solid white, they're cirrostratus clouds. The tiny prisms of ice in a cirrostratus layer can bend the sun's light. As a result, often you can see a halo or veil of rainbow colors around the sun. When stratus clouds are very thick, they become dark nimbostratus clouds, which can produce rain, drizzle or snow.

Cirrus: It's Latin for "curl." Cirrus clouds look like curls of white hair.  Cirrus clouds are high and thin and made entirely of ice crystals. Forming above 20,000 feet in the atmosphere, they often look like wisps of white hair. Cirrus clouds, which are a sign of warm moist air rising up over cold air, are sometimes an early signal that thickening clouds could bring light rain or snow within one or two days

Too Clean for Clouds? Our air has to be just a little bit dirty for clouds to form. That’s because water vapor needs a surface on which to condense. Fortunately, even the cleanest air has some microscopic particles of dust, smoke or salt for water droplets to cling to, so the air is rarely too clean for clouds to form.

Day Three of our Road Trip Across America - Americana

If you, ever plan to motor west....  We started our day in Naperville, a beautiful suburb of Chicago at Country Inn & Suites.  Our initial stop was to see a large clock on the Riverwalk area which to my dismay I did not get to wander around too much since it was raining - but the area looked beautiful and the people were so friendly.

We headed East toward a town called Atlanta, Illinois to see a Beardless Paul Bunyan on what used to be part of Route 66.  What is interesting is that Paul Bunyan is a common character in Minnesota, but he was a familar piece of Americana on Route 66 back in the day and there were and still are several statues of him along the Route.  Here we saw a massive statue of him holding a hot dog in a bun, which normally in our area he is portrayed with his axe and Babe, his blue ox. 

Our next Suite Stop was right across the street to a historic diner called Palms Grill.  I was all over a place like this - the vintage food, the atmosphere - even the waitress had on a vintage apron.  As soon as she started talking to me I said 'well, we have obviously crossed the border to the southern accent!' - she laughed.  I have always found the southern accent to be so inviting - I love it. 

What was on the menu?  Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and something called Ponyshoes.  I ordered the meatloaf because I wanted to find out how this area prepared their version.  It was thick and homey, and served with mashed potatoes and loaded with gravy!  It was studded with grated Vidalia onion and sage - YUM! 

Ponyshoes, what is it?!  It's a piece of bread, topped with your choice of meat (here is sliced turkey), then topped with french fries and covered with melted cheese sauce.  I have to admit, I would have eaten it - heart attack on a plate please!  Paired with a bottle of Route 66 Root Beer or homemade Cherry Coke - it was classic Americana Food.

We finished off our dinner with a slice of home-made rhubarb pie that had been topped with crystal sugar - it was delicious.

Our next destination took us to a little town called Mount Olive and another part of Route 66 - one of the original Soulsby's Shell Gas Stations on the Route which still stands today and is maintained.  It was interesting to see something of that age still upheld and appreciated - you can never know where you are going unless you see where you have been.  The vintage gas pumps were nostalgic of a time when life was simpler - easier.

Onward to our last stop of the day and to our resting place, Country Inn & Suites - St. Charles, MO.  What a beautiful building and location.  As usual, the bedding is sublime - supreme comforters and amazing pillows.  I seriously have bedding like this in my own home - it's that nice!

We walked down the street a couple of minutes to the local shopping district - LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.  All the vintage buildings, shops and restaurants.  I actually saw an empty space that inspired me to consider opening up a kitchen store/cooking class shop - it is just the perfect space.  I have committed myself to coming back to this amazing area in the next six months to spend a week - relaxation and an education to learn about the history of beautiful St. Charles.  This area although new to me, is instantly a very special place to decompress and enjoy the beauty life has to offer.  You simply must come and stay for a spell...

Follow our journey at: http://www.talkofthecountry.com/