What's That Smell?!?!

I think I told all of you that all the rain and resulting flooding in March claimed the lives of both my washer and dryer. It put my hot water heater on CPR (as in, for almost half the month - I had no heat or hot water). Last weekend, I discovered that all those tiny droplets of water cumulatively claimed the live of a third victim - my extra freezer.


Unfortunately, the motor still ran, but everything dethawed. My freezer was essentially brain dead.

I came to discover this unfortunate death last Saturday morning. How you ask? THE SMELL!! I wandered past my cellar door and the smell of rotting/rotten meat had seeped out of the now dead freezer, up the cellar stairs and was starting to permeate the air of my front hall, kitchen and den.

It took three people and two nauseating hours to clean up. I now mourn the loss of my freezer and the hundred of dollars of tasty foods that went to waste....

On the bright side - FEMA made a swing by today and we're likely to get funding to replace the washer & dryer and add a dehumidifier. *I can.not.believe that I just said that a visit from FEMA was the bright side to my story.  Who ever thinks they're going to be among those needing disaster relief?!?!*

Tuesdays At The Table - Lemon Poppy Muffins

Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had a fabulous Easter!  Mine was....well....interesting. More details later in the week.

Those of you that follow me on Twitter know that I went a little nuts ordering plants last week.  I can't wait until they all arrive - especially my Meyer Lemon Trees!!  I'm so excited to make this recipe with my own lemons.  :-)

Lemon Poppy Muffins

2/3 cup granulated sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick (8 Tablespoons) butter, melted
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for topping the batter before baking)

Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar whisked together with 2 or 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice

In a large bowl, mash the granulated sugar with the lemon zest until the sugar is lightly colored and scented with lemon. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the eggs, or sour cream, vanilla extract, melted butter and lemon juice.


Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together. When almost thoroughly mixed, add the poppy seeds. Divide batter between muffin cups. Sprinkle each would be muffing with granulated sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes (until the tops are golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean). Let cook on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before glazing.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

It's Funnier Now That It's Over....

Ladies, it's been a long week.  It rained in Massachusetts almost the entire month of March.  We got about 15 inches of rain - not to speak of the flooding that left many of us without heat, hot water and power for days at a time & the poor folks that have had to get evacuated by the Coast Guard, National Guard or local fire/police departments.  But, it's over now and I can appreciate the resilience of New Englanders.

Below are a few quotes from Boston.com (aka Boston Globe) this week.

CITY/TOWN: Lakeville

TIME: 10:57 AM
NAME: D.Smith
STREET/NEIGHBORHOOD: Lakeside Ave
HOW HAS YOUR STREET FARED?: I just saw Noah's Ark float by
IS YOUR BASEMENT FLOODED?: 7 to 9 inches
DETAILS: I now live on an island-surrounded by the lakes. Hard to leave town because of the flooded streets and both Routes 18 and 140 closed. National Guard at the end of the street. These lakes are not receding any time soon.

CITY/TOWN: Burlington

TIME: 1:15 PM
NAME: Noah
STREET/NEIGHBORHOOD:
HOW HAS YOUR STREET FARED?: I just saw Noah's Ark float by
IS YOUR BASEMENT FLOODED?: It's just damp
DETAILS: I am launching the Ark I've built in the garage momentarily. The neighbors are coming in two by two. Unlike before, I've got no extra room for nature's creatures.

CITY/TOWN: Hingham

TIME: 9:41 PM
NAME: Captain Cook
STREET/NEIGHBORHOOD: Neptune's Garden
HOW HAS YOUR STREET FARED?: I just saw Noah's Ark float by
IS YOUR BASEMENT FLOODED?: 1 to 3 inches
DETAILS: Ahoy matey, launch the lifeboats and prepare to abandon ship!!! We going down by the stern!!!
CITY/TOWN: Haverhill

TIME: 9:05 PM
NAME: Huckleberry Finn
STREET/NEIGHBORHOOD: Byron
HOW HAS YOUR STREET FARED?: We're soggy, but not flooded
IS YOUR BASEMENT FLOODED?: Less than an inch
DETAILS: A duck just knocked on my door and asked if he could spend the night....
I saw this video today too.  This guy is a freaking genius!

Tuesdays At The Table - Champagne Cupcakes

Hi Gang!  It's raining in the Northeast again.  Grr....I just got my basement dry from the last flood (and I do mean flood).  Are any of you experiencing nasty weather too?

I've noticed a few new people joining in and linking up these past few weeks.  HURRAY!!  Welcome!  I love seeing new people and reading new blogs.  :-)  I hope you all are taking the opportunity to visit that fabulous cooks that contribute recipes.  You all make such amazing things!!

Champagne Cupcakes

Batter:
2 3/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teasoon salt
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup champagne (the sweeter the better!)
6 egg whites

Frosting:
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons champagne, at room temperature

To make the cupcakes - In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, and then blend into creamed mixture alternately with champagne.

In another large clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into batter to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 about minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

To make the frosting - With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter. Mix on low until well blended, and then on medium for another two minutes. Add vanilla and champagne, beating on medium for another minute. *Note: If you like to go heavy on the frosting, you might want to double the recipe.*

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Tuesdays At The Table - Oatmeal Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Welcome to Spring!  HURRAY!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  This week, TATT is going to the dogs.  Like all dogs, my pups enjoy a good treat.  However, the boxes don't display the fat & calories the way I'd like them to.  One of my Cocker Spaniels - Peach Blossom passed away a few years ago after living with Cushing's Disease.  I learned from her the value of watching my herd's waistline.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons wheat germ (sometimes I use flax seed)
1 tablespoon of honey
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup organic peanut butter (my pups like chunky)
1 1/4 cups hot water

Combine the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Add the peanut butter, honey and water.  You may need to add more hot water if the dough is really sticky.  Knead the dough well.  Roll out onto a floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.  Use cookie cutters (I use pawprints) to cut the dough into shapes.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes (depending on size of cookie cutter used).  Turn off oven and let the treats dry out overnight.  Pack into airtight container.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Christina's Surprise Baby Shower

Last week I had the priviledge of throwing my work BFF, Christina, a surprise baby shower.  I tell her just about everything...so keeping this a secret was a big accomplishment for me.  :-)  Believe it or not, it's only the second surprise party she's ever had!  I appreciate that she didn't throttle me when she walked into her fake "meeting" and discovered a party instead!

Wow, in this picture...she barely looks pregnant!

My boss sprung for pizza for the group, and I got the cake.  I'm a geek, but I'm proud of the inscription.  Even if I did use a piece of baby bottle shaped confetti as a comma between "Christina" and "for"! (For the record, it wasn't until I read the cake that I realize that I truly am that anal about punctuation.)

Yes, I know it's a little ghetto...but we did punch in a bucket.  Can I tell you all that I went to 4 stores looking for punch bowls?!?!  This was my compromise.

It doesn't look like a lot, but I bundled things tight in that laundry basket!  Onesies in sizes from newborn on up to 1 year, carriage toys, towels, wipes, binkies, swaddling blankets.  I went NUTS!

I saw this onesie with a monkey on the butt, and had to buy it!

I think that both Christina's mom and her hubby's mom are both going to be fond of this onesie.  :-)

Lastly is my little homemade touch.  I made a baby blanket for the little one.  I wish I had taken a better picture!

Throwing this party was a ball!  The look on her face made up for the fact that most people didn't contribute to the "group" gift.  Losers!!  Even if they didn't contribute...it didn't stop me from spending tons of money. 

So, no one else get pregnant (you know, other than the 11 of my friends who are already pregnant- three of you with TWINS!) until my bank account recovers...mmmkay?!?!

Tuesdays At The Table - Easy Cheese Dip

Happy Tuesday!  I hope you're all adjusting to Daylight Savings Time.  :-)  I'd love the extra daylight if it would just stop raining here!

This is one my favorite recipes - mostly because everyone likes cheese.  But it's so easy that you can make it anytime too.

Easy Cheese Dip

16 oz cheese (combination of anything you like: fontina, parmegan, gouda, cheddar, pepper jack)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup white wine

Let cheese and butter soften a bit until they are about room temperature.  Either shred cheese or cut into small cubes.  Throw all ingredients into the food processor and blend until the consistency of whipped cream cheese.  Serve!

What's cooking in your kitchen?