Jubilee Rain joined our family on December 5, 2023

Congratulations Talstra Family

Registered Nurse

 A proud parent moment.

There's an RN in the family.

(wishing Amanda could have been with us)

This is how you feed thirteen for the weekend . . .

french apple tart

My new favorite Autumn dessert

courtesy of Alexandra cooks.

So easy yet looks so fancy.

mendon ponds

 A perfect day for a walk at Mendon Ponds.

mixed berry galette

I have made this Galette 5 times this summer 
and am thrilled to find such an easy crust recipe. 
If you come for dinner this is what I'll serve you. 
I'm looking forward to trying it with 

a savory filling, perhaps tomatoes and onions. 

{recipe from alexandra cooks}

pandemic baking

Bagels (with Toppings)

Serving 8 bagels

What you need:

4 ½ cups bread flour (1 lb 3.125oz / 570 g)

1 Tablespoon instant yeast (12 g)

1 Tablespoon white sugar (13 g) 

2 teaspoons kosher salt (12 g)

1 ¼ cups plus 2 Tablespoons water (330 ml)

Toppings:

1 beaten egg for glaze

  Poppy seeds (optional)

  Sesame seeds (optional)

  Onion flakes (optional)

Bagel water boil:

2 quarts water

2 Tablespoons molasses

What to do:

Combine flour, yeast, sugar, salt in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook.  Mix on low speed gradually adding the water until a shaggy dough forms. Continue mixing with the dough hook until well-developed, about 6-8 minutes. 

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with a cotton towel and let rise until doubled – about 1 1/2 hours.

Divide dough into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a tight ball. Arrange dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet 2 inches apart.  Cover and let the bagels rest for 20 minutes. Insert one finger into each dough ball and gently widen the holes to about 1 inch.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a deep frying pan. Add molasses. Boil the bagels, four at a time for 1 minute per side. Remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush each bagels with the egg wash. Sprinkle with desired toppings. Bake in the preheated oven until the bagels begin to brown, 20 to 22 minutes.

the moment in the middle

 the moment in the middle

hold your breath
here it is
Christmas eve
my favorite time of the Christmas season
the perfect moment between all the preparations and all of the celebrations

From the book Out to Cannan (the fourth book in the Mitford series)
by: Jan Karon

All is done yet all is yet to come . . .
"It was a moment of perfection he would probably not find again this year, and he sat without moving, almost without breathing. There was the upside of a garden, when one was digging and planting, heaving and hauling, and then the downside, when it was all weeding and grooming and watering and sweating. One had to be fleet to catch the moment in the middle, the mountaintop, when perfection was as brief as the visit of a butterfly to an outstretched palm."

matching masks

Remember when kids and parents wore matching shirts? 

Now they wear matching masks. 

So sad . . . .

original 1905 salad

We recently ate at the Columbia Restaurant in 

St. Augustine, FL and ordered the most delicious salad.

Here is our version . . .

Columbia Restaurant’s Original “1905” Salad
{slightly adapted}

What you need
4 cups iceberg or romaine lettuce,
broken into 1 ½" × 1 ½" pieces
1 ripe tomato, cut into pieces
½ cup baked ham, julienned 2" × ⅛" (5.5 oz)
½ cup Swiss cheese, julienned 2" × ⅛" (3 oz)
½ cup pimiento-stuffed green Spanish olives
¼ cup Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated

What to do
Combine lettuce, tomato, ham, Swiss cheese and olives in a large salad bowl. Before serving, add “1905” Dressing and toss well.  Sprinkle Romano or Parmesan cheese on top.  Serve immediately. Makes 2 full salads or 4 side salads.

“1905” Dressing Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad Dressing Preparation
Mix olive oil, garlic, and oregano in a bowl with a wire whisk. Stir in vinegar and lemon juice, gradually beating to form an emulsion, and then season with salt and pepper. For best results, prepare a few hours ahead of time.

leisure house

We see the most beautiful sunsets at our Leisure House.

{a neighbor took this photo of our winter home}