Simple and Sweet

First off...remember those old cake toppers that they put on cakes way back when.Bakeries like "Delight" and "Carlocks" and "The Cream Puff" always had them on the cakes at Christmas. I love them. I started collecting them years ago...The Santa and his sleigh was always my favorite one. I like to line them up in my kitchen window at Christmastime...

In Cambria there is Hospitality Night. This year it is tomorrow night.We're not going, but John works in Cambria and asked me to make some cupcakes for it. It is the night when all the local businesses are open...they light the town tree, Santa and Mrs. Claus wander the village, they have caroling,all the shops are open and offer treats and hot cider but my favorite is the live nativity...One year they had a baby camel. Julie and I must have gone by and checked that out about every 5 minutes. He was so cute, we just couldn't get enough of him...

So this morning I decided to make some simple, plain white cupcakes....

Morning Light-December 1st

It was frosty rooftops here this morning on our walk with Buddy so it got me in the mood to do some Christmas decorating. I got out the red windowpane tablecloth that I got at an antique shop up in Paso Robles with Sharon years ago. I love how it looks with the red quilt hanging on the wall behind it.I prefer getting my Christmas decorations up See Canyon...pine boughs, berries, walnuts, acorns...nature... really try to keep a Maine Woodland theme here. I like the quiet of Christmas. I am really not an up-at-3-in-the-morning-looking-for-a-bargain-type person.I like the way the sun turns red as it sinks low in the west late in the afternoon...and the way the moon looks as it rises up over Terrace Hill in the east. Big and bright and white against the purple-blue December sky.

John and I come in the gate at Farmhouse ,gather firewood from under the apple trees and come inside to build a fire in "little woodstove." We light our candles, put on some Christmas music and start our supper.Tonight I am making Mushroom, Leek & Pine Nut Tagliatelle out of my Chez Panisse Pasta Cookbook by Alice Waters...

If it's good, I'll post the recipe tomorrow....hoping for better luck than I had the other night....oh and yeah...those are all cookbooks..and that's only half of it.....

Don't Be Fooled

It's not what it seems. John and I were both burnt out on poultry. So he says...why don't you make some enchiladas. We had some really good avocados that I had gotten up in Templeton at Nature's Touch..and they were perfectly ripe. So mexican night sounded good. Just so you know, I make the worlds worst enchiladas and have vowed time and time again to NEVER make them again. But I had a long Saturday alone..everyone was gone..and thought..why not..I'll give it another shot. So I asked myself..just why are my enchiladas so bad. The sauce. That's it. I use that canned stuff. You know the one. The Las Palmas Sauce. It is horrible. So, I thought...I'll cruise Epicurious and see how to make the real red chili sauce. Found a recipe from Gourmet..said you need dried red chilis. So I loaded up and headed to New Frontier..our local health food store.Got the dried chilis..came home..toasted them...soaked them in water..then boiled them to soften them for about 20 minutes. Got out the blender. Puree..puree..puree....whiz..whiz...whiz.. 3 batches..press it though the sieve..got out another cast iron skillet..made the roux of flour and oil...heated and thickend the sauce..and you know what..the sauce was good....but I still have the enchilada challenge ahead. So I grated a mountain of monterey jack cheese..the good stuff...heated another pan of oil..dipped in the tortillas..drained..rolled up the cheese in the tortilla..and they looked great. Ta Da...I think I did it. These look really good. John comes home all excited for his mexican night supper. We build a fire, picked out a nice wine..slipped the enchiladas in the oven..bake...bake...bake.. take them out..uh oh...pure mush...looked like a pile of cornmeal mush...Really, really bad.....so that's it for me..I'm done with 'em....next time we are going to Taco Bell.

Candy Cup Garland

I saw these paper garlands over at Katy Elliot and she saw them from blogger Pam Garrison. Things were quiet around Farmhouse on Thanksgiving Eve afternoon, so I got out some candy cups, some were white and some were silver. I had picked them up a few days ago just because they were so cute. Had no idea what I was going to do with them. Got some string and a crotchet hook, punched a hole in the flattened out paper cups and started stringing. I have them over the windows in my window seat downstairs here in the kitchen. They look cute at night when the lights shine through them. Would be a fun holiday project to do with kids. It's easy...

Thanksgiving Eve Greetings From Farmhouse

Happy Thanksgiving Eve, dear friends. I've made the cranberry sauce and am off to pick up a few last minute things for Thanksgiving. I couldn't leave without wishing all of you a peaceful and blessed Thanksgiving Day with your family and friends. All of you have given me so much pleasure over the past few months with your visits and inspriation. When I started this blog last July I had no idea how much it would open my world to meeting so many wonderful new friends from all over the world.But it has. I am so lucky to have met all of you and I look forward to the Christmas holidays. I am thankful for each and every one of you and I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving..California-Style

Most of you who read me know I wish I was in New England...so yesterday for me was not my favorite sort of day.I'll just say it. It's hot out here in California.We took Buddy to Burger King for a double cheeseburger. He loves the drive-thru down in Arroyo Grande. Then we drove along the Pacific into Pismo Beach..checked out all the surfers, beach goers,and assorted dog walkers in the sand. After that we made our way to Avila Beach. Buddy loves the little playground there. I however do not. But I do it for him. People were actually laying out on the beach. On Thanksgiving. And they love it...but to tell you all the truth, it was putting me in a really bad mood.Where are the falling red maple leaves,the woodsmoke curling from chimneys,big overstuffed couches piled high with wool plaid blankets, apple cider simmering on the stovetop? It was smoothies and sunscreen here.KSBY T.V. was on early this morning. Did he just say we will reach a high of 81 degrees on Thanksgiving? He did. I heard him. 81 degrees. As I write this all the doors and windows are wide open and Buddy is panting. I may have to get the fan back out. And I wanted to put on my flannel Santa sheets today. Maybe not today.

But it is Thanksgiving..and I have alot to be grateful for. So I told John I'm done complaining.The weather should be the least of my problems... so now I feel greedy and petty for ever even saying anything. There is so much worse that 81 degrees. Way worse.So I am letting it go. I am thankful for the turkey in my refrigerator, the big sack of brown russet potatoes on my drainboard,the bakery box of rolls,the fresh green beans,the cranberries and the little carton of cream,my bag of walnuts from farmers market and the Limbertwig apples from Gopher Glen. My crock of fresh butter with sea salt.My soft warm bed upstairs,my garden, my kitty Whiskey sleeping happily in that red plaid chair,getting to take Buddy on his walk, what was left of my walnut bread to have toasted this morning with my "JOY" tea.The goldfinches tweeting at the feeder, my family....and all of you, my dear friends. I am thankful for you... Happy Thanksgiving.

Walnut Cinnamon Raisin Bread

I decided to start a new tradition this year here at Farmhouse. The weekend before Thanksgiving I thought it would be nice to bake some breakfast bread to have in the morning with our coffee and tea. So I got out my "Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart and flipped through the pages the other night. That's it. That's the one. The Walnut Cinnamon Raisin bread. Had to make a quick run to Scolaris in the morning for the raisins, but other than that I had everything in the pantry. I mixed all the ingredients in the morning..it has yeast so it needed time to rise. After it rose in a couple of hours I flattened it out and pressed on the cinnamon sugar, rolled it up,placed it in the pans and let it rise again.It was getting late in the afternoon and my kitchen was getting dark, so I turned on the oven and in went the bread. While it baked I went outside...Christmas music playing....and got out my outdoor lights.I had John move a Christmas Tree that I have had in a big clay pot for years by the french door going out to the garden...and this year it will get lights. Later this afternoon John and I are going out to Baywood Park for farmers market...there is an italian man there that has the best old variety grapes. I want some for Thanksgiving and some for my cranberry and Limbertwig salad.It felt so Thanksgiving this morning on our walk with Buddy. The liquid amber on the corner of Church and Morro Street is bright red now. We call it the Thanksgiving tree. And it did not dissapoint...it was stunning this morning as the sun rose over Terrace Hill, the cold late November winds blew and the dark clouds floated through the sky.

Late this afternoon we are going to take Buddy for a walk. Saturday evening we hit the Motherlode of nature world. 2 barn owls. High up in a cedar tree. One took flight soaring quietly off towards that sliver of a moon against the dark inky sky. The other one stared at us...and Buddy. Big flat white face...orange eyes..and then, we heard them..hoooo hoooo....hoooo hoooo....going at 5 tonight to see if we can see them.....I'll let you know.