MY FOXY FAMILY, SEWING AND ORANGE STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE!

*Apropos of NOTHING, because that's the way my mind is working today, here is a photo of my pretty great-grandmother, Amelia "Amy" Bessette (please disregard the glare--this was taken through glass). I can see my mother in her, and also a little bit of my sister:

*This being a lazy Sunday afternoon, I finally finished up this quilted pillow I've been working on--think it came out pretty cute!:

I like the way it looks nestled in with my other throw pillows on our bed. Big Daddy is a HUGE fan of multitudes of pillows (note: heavy handed sarcasm, used freely):

Next week I'm getting started on a new table runner, made out of these fat quarter squares I picked up in a quilting store recently. I just LOVE these colors!:

* Big Daddy had a very important Board of Director's meeting to run yesterday, and he asked me to kindly make a cake, to go along with the coffee. Pressure, pressure! If you read my newspaper column last week, you saw a recipe for an Orange Struesel Coffee Cake. Which I totally borrowed from fellow blogger Doreen Frost at Vermont Harvest Folk Art. This is such a delicious cake, and it comes together quite easily.

First, mix together the streusel--You will use lots of grated orange zest in this recipe!:

Then, in your mixer, combine the batter ingredients. You will need about 2/3 cup orange juice in this recipe. When you are mixing your dry ingredients into the batter, you will alternate pouring in orange juice:

The batter will come out looking like this (SO hard not to lick the spatula!):

Spoon half of the batter into a greased bundt pan, then sprinkle on half of streusel:

Repeat layers, then bake. Fresh out of the oven (your whole house is going to smell orangey-almondey delicious!), let the cake cool in the pan:

When completely cool, invert onto serving plate and drizzle with glaze. OMG this is SO my favorite part (thus, the glaze close up)!:

You may notice that there's a chunk missing--well for goodness sakes I had to TEST it for the gentlemen who would be eating it, to make sure it wasn't POISONED! In the end, the guys loved this cake--I think the President himself licked the plate clean. Here's the recipe:

DOREEN'S ORANGE STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE

Streusel:

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup flour

3 tblsp. butter, melted

1 tsp. grated orange zest

Cake:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp. grated orange peel

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2/3 cup orange juice

Glaze:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 1/2 tsp. orange juice

(I doubled this, because we like lots 'o glaze!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 or 10 inch tube pan. To prepare streusel, in a medium bowl mix together brown sugar, nuts and flour. Stir in butter and zest. To prepare cake, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Best in zest and vanilla. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Alternately beat flour and orange juice into egg mixture at a low speed, beginning and ending with flour. Spoon half of the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the struesel. Top with remaining batter and streusel. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. To prepare the glaze, in a cup stir together confectioners sugar with orange juice until smooth. Turn the cake onto serving plate, placing it right-side up and drizzle with the glaze.

TOP 3 THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR TODAY:

1. I'm grateful that the Academy Awards are on tonite--such excitement!

2. I'm grateful that we've seen all of the movies nominated, for a change.

2. I'm grateful for my dermatologist, who is unraveling a great mystery for me. More to come on this subject, soon!

TIMOTHY'S WHITE CHICKEN CHILI AND THE CHILI BOWL LUNCHEON!

So, our little town in the Adirondacks has a beeeee-you-teee-fulll new Arts Center, and it just opened. We've always had an Arts Center here, right across the highway, but it was getting a little small, so a big new one was built. Every year, the Arts Center hosts its Chili Bowl Luncheon, which is just so wonderful, especially this time of year. Local potters make beautiful bowls, and various locals pitch in and make various kinds of chili to fill said bowls. Well, this year was a real barn-burner; over 350 bowls were sold, I'm told! That's why the table in the above photo looks a little sparse--because I was a little late! Here are some fun photos of the "scene" at the annual Chili Bowl Luncheon (and I PROMISE that, after today, no more day/date/time stamps on my pictures to annoy you!):

                                                   Isn't this pretty?

                    
                                           My friends Shelley and Leslie:

                                  
Okay, and here's a funny story--this is my new friend Reggie. I just met her, about 2 seconds before this picture was taken, but feel like I've known her forever. You see, at least once a day, someone walks up to me and says, "Hey, Reggie!" And then, realizing their error, tell me that I absolutely have a twin in this town. Well, now that I've met her, I'm TOTALLY flattered, because she's just GORGEOUS (by the way, I'm the one on the right)!:
             

                 Here's Big Daddy's bowl of beef chili--we are probably the ONLY attendees who didn't buy a handmade bowl this year, because every year for the past 4 or 5 we've bought bowls, and so I've been told I'm forbidden to buy any more--our kitchen is just too "bowl-ey"! Is that even possible?:

I must confess, I don't have any pictures of this White Chicken Chili recipe preparation for you today--I've been a tad "under the weather" lately, and have spent all my time this week running back and forth to Utica (an hour away) to see my 10,354 specialists. BUT, you simply must try this chili--it is DA BOMB! Just perfect for a cold Sunday afternoon (you need to be around for this one as it simmers on the stove). Hey, it would be just perfect for this Sunday's Academy Awards watching!

Credit for this recipe goes to my old nextdoor neighbor Meg, in Omaha. She has no idea who "Timothy" is, but we still call this "Timothy's White Chicken Chili", in his honor. Pretty funny~!  Enjoy!

TIMOTHY'S WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

Serves 6

1 lb. large white beans (like Great Northern), soaked overnight

6 cups chicken stock

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium yellow or white onions, chopped--divided

1 tblsp. olive oil

2 4oz cans mild green chilis, chopped

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more, if you like more heat)

4 cups diced cooked chicken breast

 Grated Monterey Jack cheese

Sour Cream

Salsa

Combine beans, broth, garlic and 1/2 of the chopped onion in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer until beans are soft--3 hours or more, adding more broth if necessary. In a skillet, saute remaining onions in oil until tender. Add chilis and seasoning and mix thoroughly. Add to bean mixture, then add cooked chicken and simmer for 1 hour. Serve on a cold and snowy day, topped with grated cheese, salsa and sour cream.

                            TOP 3 THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR TODAY:

1. I am very grateful that our new "laundry room" is just about finished. Maybe someday I'll get all of the sheet rock dust that is coating my home cleaned up!

2. I'm grateful that Tuesday is March 1st!

3. I'm grateful for Venti Skinny Lattes--they make my world go 'round.

WORLD'S BEST OATMEAL AND A WALK IN DA HOOD

Ccccccoooolllldddd again here this morning (it seems to always hover around zero at our house), but Willie and I needed a walk, and I needed to practice some photography, so off we went! Here's what I hate about winter: how friggin' long it takes to get out the door; long underwear, hat, gloves, scarf, coat, boots, on and on. But here's what I love about winter: the blue, blue sky against the snowy trees, and the crisp pure mountain air:

My walk usually starts by my neighbor's house; her son had his snowmobiles parked outside--a sure sign of winter here. In fact, did you know that where we live (Old Forge, NY) is the Snowmobile Capital of the East? Well, now you do:

People also like to ski here--check out my neighbor's antique skis that decorate her house every winter:

Onward we walked, down the private road near our house. I have a "thing" for split rail fences--LOVE THEM!:

We had a pretty bad wind/snow blizzard storm type thing here last weekend--these people are going to be so surprised by this monster tree that fell across their driveway. Welcome Home!:

In fact, we've had so much snow this winter that, if you didn't happen to shovel off your roof, this is what could happen:

(That's our friend Rick's excavation building--bummer!) Onward we walked, checking out this old farmhouse with a craggly old apple tree out front:

Then we cruised by our friend's Bed and Breakfast, located right on the Moose River:

You should see how gorgeous their garden on the river is in the summertime!

Next we walked by Thendara's old train depot and town hall. Check out the Pepsi machine--don't think THAT was there when the depot was built!:

A few more awesome homes in the hood--I LOVE the yellow on this house (and again, the split rail fence thing)!:

By the time we got home, we were pretty danged cold. I would say it's time for some oatmeal! One thing I have to mention: For the record, Big Daddy has HATE HATE HATED oatmeal his entire life, until I switched over to the Steel Cut Irish Oats. Now he can't get enough--seriously, he begs me to make it, at least twice a week.

(Please note--these oatmeal photos are the last ever from my old piece of SH%* digital camera--much better quality food pictures are on the way!)

The key to great oatmeal, in my book? The toppings:

I like to add things like chopped nuts, raisins and/or cranberries, chopped dried apricots, diced apple or banana. Of course, you also need a little butter, a little brown sugar (if desired) and some cinnamon:

I MUST show you my cuter than cute butter dish, that I've had forever and a day:

I buy the quick cooking Irish Oats, so I can whip up a pot full in about 10 minutes time--just enough time to chop up your fruit and nuts:

And here's breakfast! So delicious, and so nutritious!

             TOP 3 THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR TODAY:

1. I'm grateful that my husband hired an amazing new assistant manager for his club--should make Big Daddy's job much, much easier from now on!

2. I'm grateful that today is our Arts Center's Chili luncheon--gotta love chili on a day like this!

3. I'm grateful that our daughter and her boyfriend have just announced that they'll both be HERE for over a week in March. SO looking forward to seeing them!

PATTY SUE'S ASPARAGUS TOFU NOODLE STIR FRY!

We had SOOOO much fun last night, and I want to tell you all about it, but first I'm going to show you what a frrrreeaaak I've become with my new camera. I am seriously driving everyone crazy, speshallie the pets! So here are some really random photos I think came out really terrific, if I do say so, myself!:

                                               My oldest cat, Sexy Jack

             My fattest cat, Pee Wee. This is seriously where he spends ALL of his days

              Pretty little Margaret--she's so tiny, she lies under the lamp for heat!

And now, the big, bad dawg:

                          I dig this next photo--his fur looks all swirley-like!

                                   Poor, tired Big Daddy--I woke him up!

This is the necklace I've been rockin' lately--my friend Cindy at Hidden Pond Farm made the "Farmgirl Sass" charm for me:

Here's my fridge, with the new baking sheet/pantry cabinets we had built around it (see, I TOLD you these were random photos!)

So last night, my girlfriend Patty offered to come over and cook us a vegetarian dinner! Of course, I said, "SIGN ME UP"! I made sure the table was set for the event:

Patty, my editor Lisa and pesky little neighbor Sharon (the blond with the terrified look on her face--she's going to KILL me!), Big Daddy and I enjoyed nice and stiff gin and tonics before dinner:

Hee Hee! Here it is.......wait for it.....ta DA!!!:

                                   Big Daddy and Lisa, up to no good, as usual:

Patty insisted we start cooking, rather than just drinking our suppahs--what a killjoy! But really, she had everything prepared for this Asparagus Tofu Noodle Stir Fry recipe, kindly given to her from our friend Sue (thus, the title of this post: Patty Sue). Here we are, chopping and stir-frying away:

Oh yum, I wish you could have tasted this dinner--heavenly! The ginger and sesame and spicy red chili pepper flakes were perfect. We never even missed the meat!

After our wonderful dinner, Big Daddy got tired of being the only man around (too much girl talk for him), and headed for bed. He absolutely couldn't take any more:

What a great evening--thank you, Patty! Here's the recipe:

PATTY SUE'S ASPARAGUS TOFU NOODLE STIR FRY

Serves 4

(note: you can prepare the marinade, cook the noodles and cut the vegetables up to a day in advance--then the actual stir-fry takes only 15 minutes or less)

8 scallions, minced

2 medium sized cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tblsp. minced fresh ginger root

2 tblsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tblsp. sesame oil

3 tblsp. water

3 tsp. brown or granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 lb. soft tofu, cut in small dice

5 to 6 oz. uncooked vermicelli or linguine

1 1/2 tblsp. cornstarch

2 tblsp. oil

1 lb. slim asparagus, tough bottoms removed, and tops cut diagonally at 1 inch intervals

12 to 15 fresh mushrooms, sliced or quartered

3 tblsp.toasted sesame seeds, for the topping

In a small bowl combine scallions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, red pepper, lemon juice, sesame oil, water, sugar and salt. Stir in the tofu. Cover and set aside. Let stand for at least 15 minutes. Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water until al dente. Drain, and immediately rinse under cold water. Drain again. Place the cornstarch in a small bowl. Add about 1 cup of the liquid from the marinade, and whisk until smooth. Return this mixture to the marinade, leaving the whisk in the bowl. Place a wok over medium heat and wait a minute or two. Add 2 tblsp. oil, and wait 1 more minute. Then turn up the heat and add the asparagus and mushrooms. Stir fry for several minutes until the asparagus is just tender. Add the drained noodles and stir fry for about 3 more minutes, keeping the heat high. Whisk the marinade from the bottom of the bowl, and pour the entire mixture into the wok. Continue to stir fry for 5 to 8 minutes more, or until everything is well coated and the sauce thickens. Serve immediately topped with sesame seeds.

  TOP 3 THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR TODAY:

1. I'm grateful I have such sweet and fun friends--what is better than laughing and eating on a Friday night with your BFFs?

2. I'm grateful that our wild winter storm last night wasn't worse--no trees down, at least in our yard!

3. I'm grateful that the power came back on at 5a.m.--mornings are not pretty without my Starbuck's French Roast!