Her Love of Fine Foods

Now that she's crawling, Ava - my darling girl - will pick up all sorts of random "bits" from the kitchen floor and promptly stick them directly into her mouth. Garlic peels, escaped peas ("escapeas"?), a ribbon of shredded carrot, a forgotten bacon crumble. What I find hysterical, though, is the look of confusion and concern she throws my way when I offer her a Cheerio. As if I've lost my mind.

Weeks Worth of Baking

I have been a baking machine. In the last week, I have baked myself out of flour (two kinds), sugar (two kinds), butter and cinnamon, and have gone through two dozen eggs. It's been a crazy, delicious circus around here. It seems as though I've had occasion to bake almost every night this week. Friends for dinner, birthday parties, a fall brunch, date-at-home sweets..............oh my.

And the lucky winners:

*Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
*Good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies - double batch
*Blueberry-Cranberry Coffee Cake (x2), recipe courtesy of Pleasant View Schoolhouse (this is a regular around our house. So easy, so good)
*Blueberry-Banana Bread (at my sister's request)
*Apple Cornmeal Cake with Raisins
*Double Chocolate Layer Cake with caramel, sweetened milk, coconut and whipped cream topping

Oh, and I almost forgot the two double-batches of homemade Shells and Cheese for my brother's 21st birthday party.

All of these irresistable temptations while trying to lose a few pounds before my December vacation. Unfair.

My Favorite Autumn Things

I was sitting at my desk this morning by the kitchen window. With a hot cup of tea and slice of apple raisin cake for breakfast, I glanced out at the freshly stacked firewood on our porch. And, thankful that it is finally necessary to walk around in wool socks, thought of my favorite autumn things................

* The crisp morning air that's waiting when you open the front door

* The sound of Wes, up early, splitting wood on the deck for kindling so he can get the fire going before I get up

* Deciding on REAL hot chocolate instead of coffee

* Taking a walk with a sweater on and the sun still shining

* Ava in her new, softer-than-soft, footed jammies

* Baking a warm, apple something in the oven that covers the whole house in a sweet cinnamon scent (I love, in general, when Wes walks in and says "it smells gooooood in here")

I can't wait till there are enough leaves for a pile. For jumping into, of course.

Roasted Chicken and Vegetables with Orzo

This is something I whipped up last night and it turned out very well. So well, in fact, that it's on my "regulars" menu. My favorite way to prepare chicken is roasting, with good olive oil, salt and pepper, and whichever herb or spice you choose (if at all). For last night's roasted chicken, I chose Herbes de Provence. Here's the concept in full:

Roasted Chicken and Vegetables with Orzo

Serves 2-4

4 Split chicken breasts (bone-in)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Splash of white wine

3-4 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
2 zuchinni, cut into 2" cubes
1 onion, sliced somewhat thickly
3 cloves garlic, minced
Handful of frozen peas

1 pound orzo
2 T. butter
Splash of cream or half and half

Preheat oven to 425.

Place chicken in a roasting dish. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher (or sea, yum) salt, freshly ground black pepper and Herbes de Provence. Rub with your hands to coat. Cook uncovered in oven until thermometer reads close to 175 or juices run clear (about 45 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to sit.

While chicken is resting, spread out vegetables on baking sheet (I put parchment paper down first). Rub olive oil, salt and pepper on, then roast vegetables on top rack of oven until tender (about 15 minutes or so). They may turn a little dark on the edges; just keep an eye on them and knock the heat back if you're afraid they'll burn.

While vegetables roast, cook orzo according to package directions (definitely salt your water!). When done, drain, return to pot, add butter and a little cream, and stir. When your vegetables are done, stir them into the orzo and add a handful of frozen peas (if desired). Cover.

Shred or loosely pull apart the chicken. Then, take the pan juices and transfer to skillet. Add a tablespoon of butter and a little flour (I used about a teaspoon) to make a thin gravy. Once flour is incorporated, add a good splash of white wine and simmer all for a minute or two. Transfer orzo to bowl or serving dish. Spread chicken on top, then pour sauce over entire dish. Sprinkle with Herbes de Provence or selected spice.

We really loved this meal. The onion and garlic took on a salty-sweet flavor while roasting, and the kosher salt melted into the chicken, giving it wonderful flavor. Best of all, it was a snap to make, even with an eight month old under foot.

Dinner Date

Last night we went to one of our favorite tapas restaurants in the city. The weather was perfect; low 70's, slightly breezy, the sort of clean, fresh air I longed for throughout the humid summer. Our first order of business: a pitcher of the best Red Sangria we've found. We "shopped" from the specials menu, which was fun. Not to mention delicious.

Our picks:

* Almond-crusted manchego, fried till "melty"

* Buttery breaded shrimp with a spicy chili sauce and lemon

* Flaky dorado, served almost plain, with it's own juice and a little citrus accenting the super-moist consistency

* Salt cod fritters served with creamy lemon sauce

* Potato and cheese croquettes drizzled with black truffle oil and bits

* Super-thin chicken on crostini with parmesan and mozzarella broiled on top

But my favorite? A hot apple tart, made with locally-grown fruit, topped with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar mixture and, oh yeah, vanilla ice cream.

First Post

So, last night I took digitals of our dinner so I could create my first post today. The meal, while basic, was quite good. I discovered, however, that our camera really sucks (as you will see in the following photographs). Wes has been hinting about a new camera, and last night I said "you're totally right......get one". In the meantime, here goes:

I used two Red Snapper fillets and pan-fried them in a sauce of olive oil, honey, lemon, vinegar, garlic, ginger, green onions and a little splash of white wine.

Paired with roasted garlicky asparagus and toasted almond rice (from a box!), this made for a super-fast, tasty meal.

We added glasses of White Rioja (the red version is a favorite, and the white is almost as good).