PEACH UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE, AND A LITTLE LIVING IN THE MOMENT....



Summertime is just whizzing by, so very fast this year...in a little over two weeks these beauties (above, Allison on the left and my girl, Abbie, on the right) will be back at school, finishing up their senior years of kollidge...didn't they just graduate from HIGH SCHOOL?

Next week the girls hit Montreal, for four days of sightseeing and concert going (Snoop Dawg, amongst others I've never heard of).......a much needed break for them during their hectic summer of multiple jobs....

I'll be flying back to California with Abbie this year, both to help get her settled into her new housing and to throw a little 50th anniversary party for her grandparents.

I'll be sure to take you all along with me!

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Our summers are VERRRRY short here in upstate New York...Please don't think I'm crazy when I say that I can already feel a bit of Fall in the air...especially in the mornings.

Pretty soon, we'll be eating stews and lighting candles and building fires, once again...........

But for now....just trying my hardest to keep those pesky deer from gobbling up all of our perennials.........

And just trying to enjoy every single day of this glorious summer...........

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SPEAKING of Fall, y'all, I've been busy busy busy whipping up some new offerings for my Etsy store AND a few little sweet things for my friend Marianne's shop in Cazenovia, NY, called Old and Everlasting.........check out my latest, hand embroidered burlap feed-sack pillows.........

And a few spooky Halloween kitties.......

Words cannot express how much fun I'm having up in my sewing room these days....my whole life, I've lived to create things, and for once I'm really letting myself take the time to actually go nuts with fabric and color and design!

'Bout time, right?

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Don't know if you remember my post last summer, Fourth of July and a Georgia Peach Pie? Well, it was my #1 most viewed post, EVER....I think most people like summertime desserts made with sweet peaches!

Yesterday, for Sunday dessert, I made Southern Living's Peach Upside-Down Cake.

I know I've said this before, but you seriously can never, ever go wrong with any dessert (or recipe, for that matter) from Southern Living magazine...it is by far my favorite source for great, fool-proof recipes.....

You make this upside-down cake in a cast iron skillet...and this is what you see once you've inverted the baked cake, still warm from the oven..........just look at those peaches!............

Probably the most moist cake we've ever eaten.

And THIS is what you get when you slice the cake, and serve it with homemade whipped cream, dusted with a little cinnamon....MMMMMM........



You can find the recipe, HERE.

Till next time,

Leslie

XXX000

DEBBIE'S LEMON BROWNIES AND THE TOP 10 REASONS WHY I ADORE MY HUSBAND!....

Before I get all into the business of THESE...........

(I mean really, can you even STAND it? Check out that lemon zest!)

......I would like to take just a brief moment of your time to chat about why I love my Wink!...........

TOP 10 REASONS WHY I ADORE MY HUSBAND....

(Halloween, 2008--gotta love a man who's not afraid to wear black lipstick!)

1. He's a better father than I could have ever dreamed up for our daughter--his support of her is "unwavering", in Abbie's sweet words.

2. He's put up with ME and my crazy schemes for 25 (come August) married years now--he's the Ricky to my Lucy!

3. He's my biggest cheerleader, and never lets me forget my hopes and dreams.

4. He is kind to all animals and children.

5. He loves his chosen career, and has created a very comfortable life for his family, because he's just so GOOD at what he does.

6. He cares about his health more than most men I know, and has even recently started (yikes--can you say KNEE REPLACEMENT?!) running!

7. He keeps me on my toes--who else would encourage me to get out of bed with him at 5 a.m. on a freezing winter morning to go and "kill" myself at the gym? Because he CARES about my butt not getting too huge!

8. He's funny! Wink does funny "jigs" around our home when he's feeling giddy, and he mixes up commonly used expressions all the time: just the other night, he told a friend of ours that he heard a "BONE curdling scream"! (Not laughing AT you, Wink--laughing WITH you!). Do bones even curdle?

9. He's FUN--never afraid to dress up for Halloween (see above), and is the world's BEST travel companion, always up for a wild adventure!

10. He tells me how pretty I am and how thin (did I mention he has terrible eyesight?) I am just about every single day--SHOOT--I think I might just keep him for another 25!

 I LOVE MY WINKIE WILLARD!!

(crappy I-phone photo)

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Well, with a husband like that, you'd better believe I try to be nice to him, as often as I can! Last night, I knew Wink would be tired after 3 days of meetings, plus driving home from Rochester, so I planned to have his favorite dinner waiting for him (he begs me to make this Italian Sausage and Lentil Soup for him, all the time--you can find the recipe, HERE) when he got home. Plus a special, surprise dessert.

(I think that's one of the reasons we have such a happy marriage--we like to do nice things for each other! Wink cooks for me often when he knows that I'm tired, and never grumbles about it. Hey, maybe I should make that number 11 on my list....)

I've mentioned my friend Debbie's blog here before--it's called Mountain Breaths. Debbie lives in nearby Utica, and often features tempting recipes. WELL, when I saw her recent post on Lemon Brownies, I just knew I had to try them out, because there is nothing Wink loves more than a lemon dessert!

But wait--don't brownies need to be BROWN, and include chocolate, you ask? Well, I thought so too, but then my darling Aunt Jan reminded me of "Blondies", which I do believe are white chocolate brownies. Anyways, I think the name "brownie" is apropos here, because the texture is the same as a moist chocolate brownie...and if you love lemon and butter, then these are just for you!.............

(I used salted butter, because the recipe didn't say NOT to, and they came out just fine, FYI)

First thing to do: line the bottom of a baking dish with Parchment, then spray with Pam. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt.....add butter..............

(I used my mixer, because Debbie didn't say NOT to!)

Stir together eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest; stir into batter.........

Spread batter in prepared pan............

Bake as directed...when cool, mix up glaze ingredients (powdered sugar and lemon juice); drizzle over brownies and sprinkle with additoinal lemon zest..........

Mmmm-hmmmmm..........

Oh SISTAHMAMAFRIEND--these are just glorious!

You can find this amazing recipe and Debbie's amazing blog, HERE.

Thank you so much Debbie for sharing this with my loyal readers--you are such an inspiration!

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL  FOR.....

***the fact that I have 10 reasons to love my husband, plus many more that I won't bore you with!

***that it is supposed to warm up again here soon--it was 12 degrees here yesterday morning!

***My kitchen--since our mini-remodel last year, I just love cooking in it now! I plan on giving you a tour of what we had done, very soon!


 



CHRISTMAS MORNING FROSTED NUT BANANA BREAD!

You know your college student is home for the holidays WHEN......

***Her formerly clean floor looks like this......... 

***This is what you find, still underneath the covers, AT NOON......

***The back-of-the-door shoe contraption is full, once again (sister LOVES her some shoes!)..........

***All of the cheese in your refrigerator MYSTERIOUSLY disappears........

Welcome home, Little Miss Thing! Only a few precious days to spend together until you are off to your dreamy semester in Paris.............

Laissez les bons temps rouler!...............

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So I have an AMAZING recipe to share with you today, but I am going to tell you the longish tale of how I actually found this recipe in a very rambling, round-about way, so please bear with me.

One day I was at one of my favorite places on the planet, Barnes and Noble, drinking a skinny Venti Latte and checking out the magazines. One magazine caught my eye...this one:

It's a little bit expensive (I think this quarterly mag. usually runs around $14.99), but SOOO worth the ducket, because if you are into crafting and art, or maybe just setting up a personal space for yourself to do whatever your heart desires, this magazine is super inspiring. Anywhoooo, I happened to come across across an article about a woman named Cindy who had a lovely old home and shop in Skaneateles, New York. Which is only a couple of hours from where I live. Cindy has a blog named Hidden Pond Farm (I've written about her a lot, verging on a scary obsession, I know that....), and I started following it. Then I started commenting on her posts, and before you know it, well, we became friends. Now, whenever I visit Skan-town, as Cindy calls it, I always like to pay her a visit. Check out her 150 year old farmhouse (this was taken on kind of a cold and gray day, but that's just how so many winter days ARE here in upstate NY).......Cindy is notoriously camera-shy, so this is all I've got for you......

Recently, Cindy was featured in ANOTHER magazine, this time focusing on her kitchen and her cooking. This magazine is a sister of Where Women Create, called Where Women Cook, and it can be found on newstands, nationwide.....

If you love cooking and kitchens and food, then this will surely be your new favorite magazine--promise! The spread on Cindy's kitchen will be coming up shortly ; I'll be sure to let you know, as soon as I stop salivating all over the article.

In the most recent issue of Where Women Cook, I was intrigued by a recipe for Frosted Nut Banana Bread that promised to become a family tradition. So of course I had to make it, and let me tell you that if you would love something special for the holidays (or anytime, really), this recipe is IT! The bread is soooo moist and delicious, and then, well now, HELLO cream cheese frosting! So decadent!  I also love that this is pretty much a one-bowl recipe...very little to clean up.

To begin, mash three ripe bananas you just have lying around going to waste........

Beat together butter, eggs and sugar in a large bowl......

Add vanilla, CREAM CHEESE, chopped pecans, mashed bananas and WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS--oh yum!........

Fold in, by hand, flour, baking soda and salt, just until blended......

Pour into a greased bread pan............

And bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, or until done in center..........

Let cool. Mix frosting ingredients together...want a lick?............

And frost cooled bread on a serving plate............

How fabulous would this be on Christmas morning, served with perhaps some scrambled eggs, fresh berries and coffee.............?

I have been storing ours in the refrigerator, and look who I caught sneaking a bite.............

Here's the recipe...I hope you enjoy it as much as we have...thank you, Where Women Cook!

FROSTED NUT BANANA BREAD

Makes 1 loaf

Bread:

1 stick butter at room temperature

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

8 oz. cream cheese, softened in microwave

1 / 2 cups chopped pecans

3 medium ripe bananas, mashed

1 / 2 cup white chocolate chips

1 and 1 / 2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 / 2 tsp. salt

Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened in microwave

1 tsp. vanilla

2 and 1 / 2 cups powdered sugar

For bread, combine butter, eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Beat until creamy. Add next 5 ingredients, ending with chocolate chips; mix thoroughly. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix again. Spray large bread pan with spray oil; pour batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until center is done when tested. Let cool for 20 minutes; remove from pan and let cool on serving plate. For frosting, mix ingredients together by hand until smooth. Frost cooled bread. Store in refrigerator.

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR....

***The fun girl's night out with friends Lisa and Barb, this past Friday night. Too fun, despite the fun they had, at my expense, laughing at my crooked ears!

***That our daughter's flights home were on time and uneventful, and that her luggage arrived with her. A rarity these days....

***That all of my Christmas shopping is DONE--now all I have to do is bake, rest, and enjoy my family......

CRAZY FUN IN THE CALIFORNIA SUN!

Hey you! Got an hour? Good, because that's about how long you'll need to read this post ; I took soooo many fun and beautiful photos over the past couple of days on my whirlwind trip to the Bay Area of Northern California. So sit back and enjoy the ride!

Before I begin, however, I must warn you.....I'm still pretty jet lagged and wiped out, especially after my TWO day return trip home.....due to "technical problems", my flight from Dulles Airport in DC to Syracuse, NY was delayed, then delayed again, and AGAIN, until it was 2a.m. and we weary travelers were told we had to stay in a hotel, then come back the next day....sigh. At least I was able to catch about 4 hours of sleep in my nice Embassy Suites bed, and wash my face before continuing on. And that's all the complaining I'm gonna do here, because I am one blessed girl, and I know it!

Here I go again, snapping photos from 35,000 feet! I think this was taken over the snowy Sierras...........

Oh, and by the way, the apple butter and pumpkin bread made it to California in my luggage, JUST FINE, thank you very much Ricky Ricardo (my husband) !

Here's what I did Day #1 ........

Met my girlie for coffee at the sweetest little cafe by my hotel and her apartment.....

Don't I look happy here? Someday when I die and go to heaven I'm gonna spend all of eternity sitting in cute little coffee shops, just watching the world go by over my spiced Chai latte..........

Here's one of the things we love to do......walk around and look at all of the pretty flowers growing in people's pretty yards...you'd never know it was Fall in California.....wish I knew what this pretty purple flowering bush was called.......

This one I do know....Bougainvillea. This vine climbs all over the homes in California and Mexico.....

Here's Little Miss Thing, stealing a fig out of someone's yard....but Karma came and stung her in the butt, because it wasn't even ripe!.............

Here's another thing we love to do......walk around town and check out all of the amazing food displays....they don't call California the land of milk and honey (or, fruits and vegetables) for nothing....everything for sale is locally grown and organic......hope you're not hungry!...........These are called French Macaroons, according to Abbie....

I just adored this vintage cake holder, with the baby on top!................

Now these next two are from a fantastic candy store that carries all of the fun old stuff, like wax lips, candy buttons and cigarettes......I am SO aging myself again........

Amazing heirloom tomatoes.....now THIS is my kinda candy!.............

Have you ever seen a Kumquat? (OOPS, I stand corrected--my Uncle Joe just told me these are PERSIMMONS, not Kumquats!)...........

These cheeses haunted my dreams.............

Mmmmm....me so hungry!..........

You know me and my apples!...........

If you're a real Foodie, you'll love this next shot....the world famous Chez Panisse restaurant....located right across the street from my hotel......someday when I'm rich, rich, rich, I shall dine here (or, at least when we get our college tuition paid off).....

In the afternoon, we decided to stroll around the Cal (UC Berkeley) campus....we could not have had better weather.....almost hot, and not a cloud in the sky. Did you know that one of the 2011 Nobel Prize winners is a Cal faculty member, and that 22 Cal faculty members have won Nobel Prizes? Makes me proud to be the mama of a child who is around such brilliance! Here is some of the campus....love the varied architectural styles..............

Cal is a HUGE school, home to over 40,000 students, all of whom must pass through the famed Sather Gate arches....

I think my favorite structure is the Campanile, or the bell tower......we had great fun with my camera and the Campanile.......

You can actually take an elevator all the way to the top, but seeing that we experienced not one, not two, not three but FOUR small earthquakes during my visit, I chickened out. Wouldn't you?.......

This is my silly brother, Andy...you'll be seeing much more of him later on....

He really isn't as scary as he looks!.....

Abbie and I were so fortunate that Friday afternoon to happen upon a Cal pep rally....Cal has a huge football program, and there was a game scheduled for the next day over in San Francisco. Do you know Cal's biggest football rival? It's Stanford University, right across the bay. Here are the band and pep squad descending upon the quad area....so exciting!.....

Happily, Cal won the next day......go Bears!

I was really excited to meet a lot of Abbie's new friends during this trip....such sweet, smart girls......forgive me, but I cannot remember these darlings name to save my life, but aren't they cute?............

Here's Abbie's cute friend Stephanie, who we met for coffee.....

Believe it or not, she comes from NEW JERSEY...see, we aren't the only crazy ones! Soon I got jealous of these two, and decided to let Abbie sit on my lap, then I sat on hers.....do you think she'll ever let me come back?............

On Saturday we met up with our family....my Uncle and cousin Joe are both Cal grads themselves, and my mom and brother, well, they're just graduates of the school of HARD KNOCKS--hah!.........We enjoyed a fun Chinese lunch.....Here are Mom and "Android", dickering over the bill, as usual.......

Uncle Joe, figgering it all out.......

Doesn't EVERYONE show off their tatts in a restaurant?......I think Andy is starting to look more and more like Billy Idol, every day.......

Speaking of Andy...look how photogenic he is......

Girls, he's single~!........

I call this one "the thinker".....

And I call this one "brotherly love"......

AGAIN with the money thing!.............

I love my family......

Because we're ALL about the food, that night we went to an amazing Greek restaurant with my cousin Joe, pretty much my favorite person on the planet.....we ate until we popped!.....Gotta love that outside California dining.......

On Sunday, we said goodbye to my mom, brother and uncle, and Abbie and I decided to take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) into San Francisco. Which means taking that train UNDER the bay, in a tunnel.....did I ever tell you how claustrophobic I am, AND afraid of earthquakes? Well, I swallowed my fears and jumped on board....

The day was wicked hot, and we were wicked tired, so we just took it easy, strolling around the Mission District of the city. Had some ice cream.....

Checked out some classic S.F. architecture.....

Just look at these murals!...........

On certain streets in the Mission on Sundays, the streets are closed off to everything except bikes and pedestrians. And well, this wouldn't be San Francisco without the usual cast of "characters".......this gal was really dolled up....

Check out the canoe on wheels.....

And last, just so you'll have sweet dreams, I found Abbie's future husband, on roller skates, grooving to some vintage George Michael......too funny!...

OOPS--wait, wait! Just when I thought I'd shown you everything, I plum forgot to show you the "end of the world" guy we found on campus...he's a disciple of that preacher you've seen on the national news, who says the world is coming to an end..........when I took "Yoshua's" photo, he pointed his finger at me and called me "chimpanzee"!!! I kid you not!

Well, this photo was taken on Saturday....aren't you glad he was WRONG!!! I sure am!

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR.....

***My amazingly fun and crazy life!

***My sweet husband, who had to drive 2 hours each way, TWICE, when my plane didn't show up at the airport as planned. And, he NEVER complained! He must love me.

***My sweet inlaws, who met me at the San Francisco international airport with their awesome Hybrid Honda for me to use during my trip. I don't know what we would do without those two!