Saturday Meanderings

Can you believe it’s already been a week since our Independence Day and America’s 250th celebrations? I hope you have recovered from all the festivities. As you know, we are escaping the Phoenix heat at our mountain cabin, where nearly every home is dressed in red, white, and blue. Our house guests have headed home, the beds have fresh linens, and the house is clean from top to bottom. Life is settling back into its familiar rhythm. I am so happy you are here today. Pour yourself your favorite beverage and let’s settle in to catch up on all the good things this past week.

The Annual Bullfrog Loop Parade

One of our favorite traditions at the cabin is the Annual Bullfrog Loop parade. Since our home sits right on the parade route, we have front-row seats to one of the most patriotic gathering of friends, neighbors, and visitors in the White Mountains. Year after year, this beloved parade seems to grow, and this year’s attendance may have been the largest we’ve ever seen.

Of course, parade day always begins with brunch on the back porch. The menu has become somewhat of a tradition itself and changes very little from year to year. This time, however, I added a few new dishes to the lineup. Katherine’s (you see her comments frequently on this blog) delicious Morning Glory muffins made their debut alongside a roasted vegetable egg casserole. My always popular Green Chile Egg casserole remains as well as my colorful fruit board and plenty of crispy bacon.

Although our gathering was a bit smaller than in years past, the enthusiasm certainly wasn’t. The pride in our community and in our nation was on full display. It was a spectacular Independence Day weekend.

A Homemade Hostess Gift

Whenever someone invites us to dinner in their home, I like to bring something special as a way of saying thank you. Sometimes it’s a dozen fresh eggs from our chickens and other times it’s something harvested from the garden. I think a homemade gift is such a simple but meaningful gesture of appreciation.

Since we don’t have chickens or much of a garden at the cabin, I decide to try my hand at making sourdough focaccia. The recipe comes from Maurizio Leo at The Perfect Loaf. If you’re interested in learning anything about sourdough baking, Maurizio is the expert I recommend following. He has a very informative book filled with wonderful recipes with excellent instructions for success.

One of the things I love about this recipe is how approachable it is. You can begin around 9:00 a.m. and have it in the oven by 3:30 p.m. With just ripe sourdough starter, flour, water, olive oil, and salt, you’ve created the perfect bread for whatever toppings you enjoy. I topped mine with fresh rosemary, black olives, tomatoes, a hefty drizzle of olive oil and good sprinkling of sea salt.

If you’ve never made focaccia before, don’t be intimidated. It’s one of those wonderfully forgiving recipes that’s surprisingly difficult to mess up. Don’t have sourdough starter? There are numerous recipes using packaged yeast too. The result is a bread with a crisp, golden exterior, a light and airy interior, and a flavor that makes it seem as though you spent far more time on it than you actually did.

Berry Desserts: What’s the Difference?

After the Fourth of July festivities, I found myself with several berries left over from our brunch. I was craving something warm and comforting~ a berry crisp or perhaps a Brown Betty. Then I realized I wasn’t exactly sure what made one different from the other. And while we’re at it, where do cobblers, crumbles, and dump cakes fit into the picture? Who came up with the name Brown Betty, anyway?

After a bit of research, here’s a quick guide to these classic fruit desserts.

Crisp-A crisp is probably the most familiar. Fresh fruit is topped with a buttery mixture of flour, brown sugar, butter and usually oats. As it bakes, the topping becomes crisp and crunchy-hence the name. It’s especially delicious served warm with a scoop of ice cream.

Crumble– Very similar to a crisp, a crumble has the same buttery topping but traditionally leaves out the oats. This topping is softer and more crumbly than a crisp.

Brown Betty– This old-fashioned American dessert dates back to colonial times. Instead of a topping, layers are fruit are alternated with buttered bread crumbs or cubes, often seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of lemon. As it bakes, the bread absorbs the fruit juices while the top turns beautifully golden. Most historians believe that the “Brown” refers to the browned bread crumbs, while “Betty” was simply a common woman’s name in the 18th and 19th centuries, giving the dessert a homey, familiar feel.

Cobbler– A cobbler skips the crumb topping altogether. Instead the fruit is topped with dollops of biscuit dough or soft batter that bakes into golden, rustic “cobbles”. The uneven topping is said to resemble an old cobblestone street.

Dump Cake– Despite the less-than-elegant name, a dump cake is beloved for its simplicity. Fruit, often pie filling, is placed in a baking dish, dry cake mix is sprinkled over the top, followed by slices or pats of butter. The best part? There is usually no mixing involved- you simply “dump” the ingredients into the pan.

After learning the difference, I realize there’s really no wrong choice. My craving is more crisp or Brown Betty, so I made a Triple Berry Crisp from Allrecipes, where the “crisp” was both on the bottom and top. Of course, I failed to take a picture of it golden brown and bubbly out of the oven! But it was yummy.

Since berries are in season, which one would you like the best?

A New Twist on My Favorite Breakfast

Well, aren’t we discussing a lot of food today? A few months ago, I shared that my favorite breakfast is a simple bowl of low-fat cottage cheese, topped with cherry tomatoes, raw pumpkin seeds, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. It’s quick, satisfying, and packed with protein.

I’m happy to report that I still love this breakfast, but I’ve been experimenting with a few additions to make it even more nutritious. Now I toss in a handful of chopped arugula, add a teaspoon or two of my homemade Daily Brain Booster, and have swapped the olive oil for flaxseed oil (an excellent source of plant-based omega–3 fatty acids).

The recipe for the Daily Brain Booster (recipe below) comes from one of my newest favorite books, Forgotten Home Apothecary by Nicole Apelian, Ph.D. It’s a fascinating resource filled with more the 250 natural remedies for everyday ailments. From soothing an upset stomach to making anti-inflammatory tinctures for aching joints to creating salves for age spots, the book is packed with practical ideas rooted in traditional herbal wisdom. Even if you don’t plan to make every recipe, it’s an enjoyable read and a wonderful reference to have on your bookshelf.

Who knew a simple bowl of cottage cheese could become such a nutritious meal? Please note that the recipe suggests having it in a beverage before a meal, however, I am really enjoying it as part of my breakfast. Wonder if it makes a difference?

How Is Your Metabolic Health?

Last week, I mentioned the book Good Energy by Dr. Casey Means. The farther I get into it, the more convinced I am that it should be required reading. It has completely changed the way I think about metabolic health and the role it plays in nearly every aspect of our wellbeing.

One statistic in particular stopped me in my tracks: according to Dr. Means 93.2% of Americans have dysfunctional metabolisms, meaning they are not producing energy in their cells as efficiently as possible. That leaves on 6.8% of American functioning at an optimal level. Those numbers are astonishing.

Dr. Means believes the answers to the following questions should be readily available after your annual physical. They provide a simple snapshot of your metabolic health:

• 1. Fasting glucose: Less that 100 mg/dL
• 2. Triglycerides: Less than 150 mg/dL
• 3. HDL (“good”) cholesterol: Above 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women.
• 4. Waist circumference: Less than or equal to 40 inches (102 cm) for men and less than or equal to 35 inches (88 cm) for women.
• 5. Blood pressure: Less than 120/80 mmHg

How do you score? I find this to be a helpful reminder that our annual physical shouldn’t just tell us we’re “fine”. It should give us the information we need to understand how our bodies are functioning and, more importantly, what we can do to improve our health. Knowledge really is the first step in making better choices.

A Special Birthday

Our dear friend and neighbor, Gary, celebrates his birthday on the Fourth of July. What a wonderful day to have a birthday! Over the past several years, I have made it my tradition to bake his birthday cake as my gift to him. This year’s only request? “Make it patriotic.”

I couldn’t think of a dessert that say America more than strawberry shortcake. Using one of my favorite cake cookbooks, Layered by Tessa Huff, I baked the lightest chiffon cake and filled it with fresh summer strawberries and the most delicious basil whipped cream. The combination was a refreshing change from the traditional buttercream frosting.

Of course, no patriotic birthday cake would be complete without a festive finish. Decorated with American flags and a firecracker candle, it was the perfect cake to celebrate both our nation’s 250th birthday and Gary’s special day.

As we wrap up this week’s Saturday Meanderings, I thought I’d leave you with a few more photos of the holiday weekend. I hope they capture the joy, patriotism and beauty we’ve been fortunate to experience this past week.

Wishing you a relaxing and enjoyable weekend, wherever you may be. As for us, we’re beginning ours with a less-than-glamorous plumbing issue that’s preventing our toilets from flushing properly. Every homeowner knows there’s never a convenient time for problems like this! Here’s hoping it’s an easy fix and not an expensive one.

Until next week, stay safe, and thank you, as always, for spending part of your Saturday with me.