Author: jstv

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A Fall Tea Party

Today we flavored, colored and whipped half a dozen different types of heavy cream, dumped a dozen macarons that were an odd blue color and made buttercream that was way too sweet.

For the past few weeks our kitchen has remained in a constant state of disarray. We are in the process of settling a menu for our Pumpkin Tea. Every fall we host an english tea party, a tradition that goes back to when our dining room couldn’t really seat all the people waiting to sip tea and butter scones.

I’m really not sure who christened it Pumpkin Tea, but this party recently started back up again. Usually mid to late September our house hosts a party generating a few dozen different baked goods and tables of goodies.

The crux of the event from our prospective is being able to try a lot of different baking techniques and recipes without eating too many calories. Of course too many calories is a relative term, but with Pumpkin Tea we get to play with a wide range of methods and flavors.

This year we are doing more traditional english tea party fare.

Think … finger sandwiches, tea cakes and tarts. There is also an almond cake with a variety of flavored creams and fresh berries as toppings. 

One year we made four different cakes to find the right flavor and texture.

This year we went through several batches of macarons, realizing how hard it is to get those cookies consistently right.

Over the course of a month the menu expands, contracts and shifts as the testing points out items that may be tasty but require too much work. It also presents bakes that never seem to work out.

However, in the end we have a party spread and lots of good tastes … and we hope a good time is had by all. 

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Photo Ninja

20 years ago I read a book that focused on the roads less traveled. William Least Heat-Moon wrote Blue Highways in 1999 and we’re acolytes of his travel philosophy. The blue highways have become single red and black lines on current maps, but we seek them out just the same.

A recent road trip was meant, primarily, as a shakedown for the Eurovan and us as campers. To date our “vanlife’ has been overnight fishing trips. Now, we are going to be on the road for a week or more.

This type of excursion involves a great deal more drive time. The first two days were spent just getting to our major destination … Montana. In all that driving JQ developed a ninja-like prowess for snapping pictures from the van’s windows.

A wealth of images were found speeding along the highways from Oregon through Idaho, into Montana and Wyoming. Thats not to say we didn’t take advantage of scenic overlooks, historical markers and other roadside stops. But from the window of her camper, JQ gathered a rather nice collection of the sights along the red & black highways.

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Just a couple of cookies, please

You know, there are times what’s needed is …

a cookie hot from the oven!

Rarely does this occur when you actually have time to make a batch.

The other issue? Once made, cookies, in our house at least, rarely last more than a day.

We’ve discovered a system that allows small amounts of cookies, oven fresh, anytime and eliminates a cookie jar full of temptation.

For fifteen bucks or less you can get two Casabella freezer cookie trays, enough for a batch. Order online at either Amazon or King Arthur Flour. Each tray holds 15 tablespoon sized scoops of your favorite dough (chocolate chip, right). Easy seal lids protect cookie nuggets from the taste of last month’s frozen burrito’s. The scoops pop out easily. We found that cooking time is maybe a minute or two longer than the original recipe. It may be a bit too easy, but very convenient.

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Is everyone in Yellowstone National Park?

 

Sulphur Caldron (one of the most active areas of Yellowstone’s buried volcano)

The geological phenomena that is Yellowstone National Park (NP) attracts a global array of tourists. It’s July and it seems like everyone is at the same overlook we’re at.

We’d picked July because the Flyfishing Federation International meeting was in Bozeman. 

No surprise …

it’s not a good idea to go at the peak of the season.  That said, Yellowstone is the kind of park you can see from your car.

Pretty much most national parks are not dog friendly. Tip was banned from nearly every trail, boardwalk, and even short-paved paths to scenic overlooks. That, and the jam of people kept our visit to a day and a half, but in that time we managed to see a lot of cool sites.

Artist Point (Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River)

It should be noted that we avoided the geyser basins. My childhood memories of Yellowstone are of unpleasant odors (gagging and retching), rather than magnificant views.  We managed to find some un-occupied pull-outs along the Madison and Firehole rivers that made perfect picnic stops.

It’s a beautiful park, just a bit crowded which is to be expected.  We did manage to catch bison stopping traffic, as well as a couple of bull elk in velvet. Yeah, the classic Yellowstone picture ops.

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A basic scone recipe

Simple is good when it comes to getting scones on the table. This recipe can be brought together quickly in the food processor and it is pretty easy to add dried fruit and/or nuts at the end.

Print Recipe

Folkestone Inn Scones

Nice basic scone recipe
Course: Breakfast

Ingredients

  • 2 cups All purpose (AP) flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5½ Tablespoons butter chilled and cut into cubes
  • 1 egg
  • 1 yolk
  • ⅓ cup milk more if needed

glaze

  • 1 egg white
  • ¼ cup sugar use as needed for frosting

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to food processor and combine. Add cubes of butter to mixture and mix until the flour resembles a coarse crumb.
  • In separate bowl combine egg, yolk and 1/3 cup milk.
  • Add egg mixture to the food processor bowl and run until a ball forms. You can add more milk to soften the dough.
  • Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead gently. Form into a ball.
  • Roll out to 1/2 inch thick circle and cut into wedges about 2 inches wide. Place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet.
  • In a small bowl beat egg white until frothy and then brush over the top of dough wedges and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
  • Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Cool on wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.