sweet eggs

come spring

we bring it outside

entertaining is a bit more relaxed

food becomes

a bit less fussy

perhaps a tad more whimsical

certainly

more seasonally driven

we keep chickens, ducks and geese

which means we have a generous supply of eggs

when putting together a weekend brunch

i love to serve

sweet eggs

very simple and darling on display

these eggs are filled with vanilla yogurt and lemon curd

sweet eggs

emptied and cleaned goose, duck or extra large chicken eggs

plain or vanilla yogurt

vanilla extract (if using plain yogurt)-optional

brown or granulated sugar (if using plain yogurt)-optional

your favorite lemon curd recipe

-martha has a nice one HERE

using an egg topper such as this one

is by far the easiest way to get those perfect edges.  

-while the eggs are uncooked, take the top off.  separate the whites and the yolks as you empty the shell. use the yolks for your curd, the whites for another delicious recipe.

-you must be gentle when washing the shells, but you must be very thorough in the washing.  there may be a layer of membrane attached to the interior of the shell.  make sure you get that completely out.  it comes out easier when you run water through it.  once the membrane is cleared, use a good soap and hot water to get it completely cleaned out. let them air dry with good air-flow.

-you can either set the eggs in egg cups, or use the top inverted and glued to the bottom of the egg to create a stand.  you may also just want to place in a small bowl, or in a large bowl on top of artificial grass (or if you have access, hay or straw)

if you are using plain yogurt and wish to sweeten it up a bit (i recommend doing so, particularly if you have a nice tart lemon curd), add just a touch of sweetness with your sweetener of choice.  i like brown sugar because it takes very little and adds a bit of a caramel flavor to the yogurt.  start with 1 tsp per 2 cups and add more to taste. the same with the vanilla.

make the lemon curd as directed and let cool completely

to assemble...place the yogurt and lemon curd in separate decorating bags (alternatively you can use a small spoon).  layer directly into the shell starting with the yogurt.  fill the shell approximately 1/3 full with the yogurt. add a thin (max 1/4") layer of lemon curd. add more yogurt to almost reach the top of the shell, and top with more curd, placed to resemble an egg yolk. 

serve with demi-tasse spoons.

you may also add gingersnap crumbles or graham cracker crumbles to the bottom for additional flavor and a bit of crunch.  serving with a bit of granola is a nice compliment.  for something really fun,  fashion sugar cookies into "toast soldiers" and pop them right in to look like a soft boiled egg and toast.

while the eggs can be washed and prepped in advance, and the yogurt and curd can be made ahead as well, i do not recommend assembling until just prior to serving

*i do not recommend reusing the egg shells

adventures in goat milk

we have goats

dairy goats

darling sweet girls

that will provide us with lots of milk

in the years to come

but for now

they are still growing

little doelings

while we wait

i have been practicing my recipes

with 

goat milk from a local dairy

today

i am trying out my cream separator for the first time

goat's milk is naturally homogenized

which means the cream does not automatically rise to the top

you have to spin it out

this is how you do it

i ran a half-gallon of fresh goat milk through

yielding about 1/2 cup of heavy cream

in order to get the best results

the milk needs to be warm as it goes through the separator

what to do with all that delicious warm frothy milk?

make delicious coffee drinks 

of course

honestly

fresh goat milk is delicious

it has a mild and sweet taste

virtually indistinguishable 

from

fresh cow's milk

delicious

best of all

it can be used to make

this

homemade yogurt

creme fraiche

ricotta

feta

creme fraiche

no story

no fancy words

just a simple plea

make.your.own.

and 

use.it.liberally.

creme fraiche

3 cups heavy cream--room temperature

6 Tbs plain greek yogurt--room temperature

stir the yogurt into the heavy cream.  put into a glass jar and cover with a bit of cheesecloth (to keep out bugs and dust, but allow for airflow)

let sit draft free at room temperature for at least 12 hours and up to 36 hours

-the longer you leave it out, the more tangy it will become-

give it a good stir, it will thicken right before your eyes

tightly cover and pop in the fridge

enjoy where you would otherwise enjoy cream or sour cream

mix with a bit of brown sugar and pour over berries

stir into warm soup

create a calvados cream sauce for roast pork

pour over warm peas, carrots

or 

cold beets

just for starters....

homemade yogurt

my mother is not a hippie

she would never be mistaken as "granola"

birkenstocks have never graced her perfectly manicured feet

however

when i was a kid

the dogs were fed brewer's yeast

our bread came from the health food store

red dye no. 2 was banned from the house

and

our yogurt was homemade

i thought it was so lame

my friends were eating

yogurt with dreamy flavors

of

coffee, chocolate and lemon swirl

while i  

was being brainwashed to believe

that mine

 while not sweet like pudding

was filled with acidolphilus

my best defense

against turistas

if ever i found my 8 year old self in mexico

with a head of  unwashed lettuce in one hand

and 

a tall glass of tap water in the other

here in lies the rub

now

as an adult

i love homemade yogurt

finding myself extolling the virtues

of

good bacteria

without apology

to anyone who will listen

 

 homemade yogurt

1/2 gallon milk (i use 2%)

1/4 cup good quality plain yogurt-room temperature

jams, jellies, honey, fruit--to serve

preheat oven to 185F.  heat milk in a pot that will best retain temperature over low heat until it reaches 185F.  once it reaches the desired temperature, pop it into the preheated oven and allow to sit for 30 minutes.  remove from oven and allow the milk to cool to 110F. when the milk has cooled to 110F add the yogurt and stir well.  it is important to keep the milk at 110F for the next 7-10 hours.(i have a warming oven that i use which will keep a consistent low temperature.  other methods can be a warming pad, creating a foil tent over a electric skillet, testing the residual heat of an upper oven, while the lower oven is on, placing the pot in a water bath and keeping the water at 110F)

after 7-10 hours you will see thickened milk soaking in the whey.  give this a good stir, then spoon into containers and  place in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours before eating.  

what i do next is not necessary, but hubster and i have different ideas about how thick yogurt should be. i like mine extra thick, he doesn't.  i place the yogurt in a sieve lined with cheesecloth over a large bowl, and let it sit for a few hours or overnight. the yogurt becomes the consistency of cream cheese, and the whey collects in the bowl.   i place the yogurt in one container and the whey in another.  when i make up my pots of yogurt, i whisk in enough whey to achieve the desired consistency. the extra thick yogurt is great as a spread on bread or for flavored dips.

i am linking this to
tuesday night supper club
a little birdie told me

yogurt pops

summer is in full swing

and it is hot, hot, hot

which is the perfect weather 

for frozen treats

these are guilt free

but taste oh so sinful

enjoy a handful after dinner tonight!

frozen yogurt pops
(printable recipe)
2 cups fruit
2 cups plain non-fat yogurt (i use greek yogurt)
1/2 cup sugar
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

process the fruit, juice, salt and vanilla in a blender or food processor until pureed.  at this point, if you don't like seeds in your pops, strain. pour in yogurt and pulse a few times.  taste for sweetness and add additional sweetener if needed.  pour into popsicle molds, or dixie cups and freeze.

I am participating in alphabe-thursday

over at

jenny matlock

you should go check it out

and see what all the fun is about

this week

sponsored by the letter Y

for a bit of fun, i dipped the pops in flavored sugar candies

Mock Banana Pudding

no

i am not advocating

that we all make fun of 

banana pudding

but i AM

in favor

of

playing around a bit

i love pudding

but summer is coming

and to eat pudding is a good thing

to appear you are filled with pudding

is not

just for clarification

this does not taste like pudding

but it is creamy

and can be as sweet as you like

and has the requisite

nilla wafers

and chunks of bananas

and is really quite good 

for breakfast

or dessert

mock banana pudding
(printable recipe)

 17 oz tub non-fat or 2% FAGE greek style plain yogurt

(you can use any thick plain yogurt you like, but this is really delish)

1/2 vanilla bean

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp honey

2 bananas

20 miniature nilla wafers

split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds. drop into the yogurt. add the vanilla and honey. stir to combine.  slice or cut the bananas in chunks.  layer with the yogurt and nilla wafers in a parfait glass.

enjoy without guilt

you can thank me later

picnic on parade

on the eve of 2009

we are lucky enough to live on the rose parade route

so every new year's eve

gathering begins

people begin to gather on the streets

setting up camp

lighting fires

preparing for a sleepless night

and

lots of childish fun

and then once dark falls

the floats begin to arrive

people bustling about

readying those famous floats

testing out the mechanics

and

adding the final touches of flourish

all this happens

on our doorstep

and there is no sleep to be had

no fighting the crowds

so what we do

is enjoy the heck out of it

but

i have found that

new year's day comes rather quickly

and i am usually in need of food and coffee

as i rush out the door

as the live action of the floats, bands, horses and cheer of the crowd

begins

so

i pack a breakfast

easy and ready in an instant

in as long as it takes for me to brew a pot of coffee

i have a well balanced meal

that i greedily eat

while others watch in envy

Breakfast Picnic

everything needs to be made in advance 1 or 2 days ahead of time and put together before you head out the door

Frittata Sandwich
(printable recipe)

1/2 potato or leftover baked potato--sliced

a few thin slices of onion

olive oil

handful of grated cheese

4 eggs

pinch basil

Tbs milk

salt and pepper

baguette or hard roll

up to 2 days before serving.  Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and grated cheese.  Take a small (5 or 6") skillet and add a glug of olive oil. Keep on low and cook potatoes and onion until soft and beginning to brown.  pour in the eggs and cook on low until it is cooked through. it is meant to look like a round omelet.  I pop mine into a 350 oven to finish cooking, so i can move on to other things

remove from pan, put on a plate and pop in fridge until you need it.

when ready to make the sandwich, toast a baguette, place a wedge of frittata on top and wrap. You can add more cheese or some bacon if you are so inclined. You can also add any of that to the frittata while you are cooking it.

Rich and Creamy Yogurt

2 cups non-fat plain yogurt

cheesecloth

strainer

bowl

vanilla

honey

apples for dipping

line the strainer with cheesecloth and place over a bowl.  Pour in yogurt, tie up the cheeescloth with a bit of twine and place the whole contraption in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.  This will drain most of the moisture from the yogurt..making it thick like that expensive yogurt, but a lot cheaper.  Add vanilla and honey to taste...or eat it plain with berries on top. I also use this like cream cheese. It is amazingly rich and delicious!

Coffee Cake

recipe in a previous post

you can also make some Cocoa

from this post

just heat some milk in the microwave

stir and enjoy

Put it all in a fun container, a lunch pail, or a paper sack

and enjoy the parade

your stomach will thank you

The Secret Life of Bee Keepers

I never thought much of bees, outside of not wanting to be stung by one. Once at a girl scout outing, a fellow camper was stung on her tongue by a really pissed off bee. It had been enjoying a bit of black cherry soda when Tracy did the same. The bee defended itself and Tracy ended up with a swollen tongue for two days. The visual may be funny, but bee stings are serious stuff.

Then, at friend's wedding, the bride and groom thought it would be lovely to have a photo of all the wedding guests together.   As we were dutifully posing, outside a beautiful venue on a beautiful day, the photographer suddenly went down, screaming. She had stepped upon an underground beehive and was being stung by the swarm of bees. Very scary and very dangerous. The poor woman had to be rushed to the hospital. It's no wonder we flail and flee when bees come around.
I am not allergic, but still being stung isn't comfortable. I try not to freak out when a bee is hovering. I remain still, so as not to agitate it. Not really sure that is a valid approach, but its the only one I've got.  I have to admit; as far as insects go, honey bees are my favorite. Their purpose produces such a wonderful nectar--bee stings be damned!
When I was young, I was a competitive swimmer. We used to "dose up" on honey before a race. At the end of a meet, the side of the pool would be strewn with plastic bears, left behind, like a junkie's fix. We were real renegades. 
Honey gave us the extra energy, but not the complete crash that sugar does.
And it somehow feels healthy.

I had never really thought much about beekeeping. It always seemed like a big production. I figured one would need a space suit, a smoker, acres and acres of lavender. It never occurred to me that beekeeping in the city was a reality. Then I went to Paris.
I was wandering through Luxembourg Gardens and happened upon beehives and a beekeeping school. I stood on the periphery and watched some budding beekeepers practice their craft. And it didn't look that difficult. As far as I could see, it is pretty straight forward.

I have been wanted to have bees for almost 10 years now. And until Mike and I bought our cabin, I haven't had anyplace to keep them. While there are stories of New Yorkers keeping bees on their balcony and people with rooftop hives, I just didn't feel I could swing it in our condo complex. People here tend to complain if there is a wilting plant in the window, I think a beehive might raise some concern.

Because we finally have a place that could sustain a bee colony, Mike and I have been talking about it quite a bit. Imagine our surprise that while cruising around the LA County Fair we stumbled upon a honey bee exhibit.
 Just for clarification...the LA County Fair is one of the worst fairs I have ever been to. Let's just say the best thing about the fair is the commercials.
 Coincidentally,  the most interesting part of the fair (the bees) was sequestered in the farthest corner, behind a small garden. There we met a representative of the Los Angeles Beekeepers Association and geeze was she knowledgeable. I really want to be her friend.

bee colony at the fair

My new best friend (from the fair), whose name I didn't catch, explained that we shouldn't start our hive until next spring.  Which gives us a good 6 or so months to get our act together. In the meanwhile, we are going to join the beekeepers association and gather our supplies.  In our planning, we anticipate our first honey harvest in Spring 2011.  Put your orders in now people!

Talking about honey, made me want to eat honey.  So I have been playing in the kitchen and made a couple of honey kissed yummies.

Tropical Fruit Crumble with Vanilla-Honey Yogurt

Topping

3/4  cup dark brown sugar

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup rolled oats or granola

1 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter--cold and cut into pieces

1/3 cup sweetened coconut flakes

handful of toasted macadamia nuts

pinch of ground ginger

Mix the dry ingredients together.  Toss in coconut flakes.  Cut in butter, then add nuts.

Fruit
8 cups tropical fruit--bananas, pineapple, mango, papaya, orange segments (all chopped into equal size pieces)
juice of 1/2 lime
3 Tbs honey
3 knobs candied ginger, finely chopped

Heat oven to 375.  In a large bowl mix together the fruit.  Heat the honey with the lime juice to make a syrup, then pour over fruit.  Add more honey if you desire more sweetness.  

Remember your crumble will be sweet, so don't over-do it.  Scoop the fruit mixture into individual ramekins, leaving about a 1/4" to the rim.  Top with loads of crumble mixture.  Place in oven and cook until it bubbles and juice oozes.  Meanwhile, make the vanilla honey yogurt.  Remove the crumble from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.  They should be warm but not steaming.  Top with a large dollop of Vanilla Honey Yogurt.

Vanilla Honey Yogurt
1 large tub good greek yogurt (i like fage total 2%)
"caviar" from 1 vanilla bean or 11/2 tsp vanilla or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 generous Tbs (or to your taste) honey
Mix all together and return to the refrigerator to meld the flavors.

Tropical Fruit Parfait

great for breakfast, a snack, or even a light dessert

Use the fruit mix from the Crumble recipe.  Layer with Vanilla Honey Yogurt. Top with a bit of granola or toasted nuts and a drizzle of honey. 

Watch this space for more honey buzz (get it?!).  I would sure bee grateful if you have any honey favorites of you own you want to share.