the final stretch

Welcome to October, the greatest month of the year, the real welcome wagon of Autumn, and my birthday month! Though I've been counting down for the past thirty days, we've now entered the final countdown and are quickly approaching my big day. Don't worry though, I'm checking off items from my dirty thirty to-do list just as quickly as the days go by. Here's another update for those of you who are keeping track of me and my homework. For our second installment, numbers 31 through 60 -

#32. look at all this pretty stationary waiting to be
signed, sealed & delivered to the perfect pen pal!

31. Get health insurance - It took a long while and there were many medical problemos along the way. I became a familiar face at the urgent care clinic and got used to waiting hours and hours for a new dose of asthma meds. But I survived it and now I have a job that I love and that loves me back by providing me with health care options! Though now that it's October, just about anyone can find themselves some form of these benefits.
32. Collect correspondence with friends - I love pen pals! I actually have a drawer full of cards, postcards and stationary just waiting to be mailed out. I love the excitement of getting something other than a bill or take-out menu in my mailbox (I don't mind catalogues so much because I love fake shopping,) and I like to surprise other with that same joy and delight. I actually just read this Buzzfeed bit about how everyone needs to start writing more letters and I couldn't agree more. If you'd like to be my pen pal, just send me your address!
33. Live through a blind date - A mutual love of mopey, sad sack indie rock does not make for a joyful date. It does, however, make for a good concert buddy so thanks for that set-up Mom.
34. Be a gracious guest - Well, I've never been banned from anyone's home and I usually come with a bottle of wine or homemade baked goods.

#38. one of many pairs crowding my closet.

35. Invest in ear plugs - We have oodles of these lying around the house but I have to say that I'm not particularly fond of them. My dad gave me a bunch when I moved to noisy New York but I actually enjoyed the city sounds. I much prefer some quite music through ear buds than the muffled, pseudo silence of little foamy bits in my ears.
36. Know your blood type - I've been a regular blood donor since my 18th birthday. The Red Cross and I are pretty friendly.
37. Confront someone who's done you wrong - It hurts to be honest sometimes, to know that you've done wrong and that has done wrong to you, to admit all of those wrongdoings. But it's awfully cathartic when you can air it our and let it go. Sometimes it takes longer than you'd like, but it's always worth it in the end, grudges just weigh you down.
38. Walk in heels - After I broke my leg I was terrified of two things - that I'd never ride my bike again and that I'd never wear heels again. Thankfully I've been able to continue doing both things. 
39. Watch the sun rise and set on the same day by yourself - At times I can be both a night owl and an early riser so the opportunities to follow the sun are not foreign to me. Most frequently, I enjoyed the orbits while Honey napped on our camping trip to North Carolina.

#39. sunrise.

#39. sunset.

40. Disagree. Out loud - I'm from New Jersey; I love a good debate.
41. Memorize your ring size - In case you care to buy me anything off my baubles, bling & shiny things Pinterest board, I wear a 6.
42. Have a mantra - Does "It's always better with bacon" count? Other than that, I'd have to say that my favorite word to live by is 'hopeful', my own realistic version of optimism.
43. Open a bottle of champagne - Haha I'm an old pro! My other mantra might just be Hester Browne's words of wisdom - "Always keep a bottle of champagne in the fridge for special occasions. Sometimes the special occasion is that you've got a bottle of champagne in the fridge."
44. Adopt an awkward teenager - My time as an after-school librarian was well spent mentoring and befriending dozens of awkwardly goofy but brilliant teens. They reminded me of better versions of my past self and I relished being the grown-up friend they needed.

#47. style icon

45. Eat soy - I love soy! Tofu, edamame, miso, all of it. I'm definitely not veggie but I do participate in Meatless Mondays and many Tofu Tuesdays.
46. Cultivate your own style / 47. Dress for longevity / 48. Own a cashmere sweater - Two words for you - Preppy & British. I love a classically chic outfit that is so timeless it could have been worn by a Hepburn or a Hathaway. The key is fit and fabric. I like to live by the word of Tim Gunn I'm a huge fan of J. Crew, Boden, Jack Wills, Madewell, Kate Spade & Anthropologie. Mix in a few key vintage, trendy or antique pieces for an effortlessly fashionable look that will never go out of style. 
49. Defy gravity - The kindly Jewish lady on Orchard Street helped me with this one. A quick glance at my boobies and she knew exactly what I needed. Never again will I be confused by all those ill-fitting over-the-shoulder boulder holders regular stores have hanging on the racks (no pun intended!)
50. Use a great dermo / 51. Get a massage - Ahh to be pampered. I miss NY for this very reason - the best facials in the world could be had at Christine Chin Spa and a great massage was right around the corner at the cheapy nail place. Gosh I miss those $8.50 manis!
52. Sleep in a hammock - I'm slightly terrified of hammocks because of an incident a few Fourth of Julys ago when I was rudely flipped out of one and did some damage to a few ribs (thanks again for that Pat, and happy birthday tomorrow!) But that fear hasn't stopped me from dozing poolside at the old homestead.

#49. do you buy a Titzling or do you buy a Brassiere?

53. Own a toolbox with all the basics / 54. Hook up something high tech by yourself - My father gifted me a basic blue toolbox when I moved into my very first apartment Junior year of college. It's followed me around ever since and helped me hang pictures, build a bookshelf, put together awful Ikea furniture, and so much more. High tech though? Does scanning photos and creating a digital catalog of my archive count? I'll say yes.
55. Memorize your favorite smells - Surround yourself with them. Like the sparks song says "the olfactory sense is the sense that most strongly evokes memories of the past." Spaghetti sauce cooking on the stove, delicious foods roasting or baking in the oven, fresh cleaned sheets with lavender spritz, a light breeze carrying hints of the bay, and freshly sawed wood. But my two favorite scents are ones that immediately bring back memories of the past and people - I love the waxy, perfumed scent of lipstick because it makes me think of my mom and her reminder to always wear lipstick. I also love the smell of pipe tobacco because it makes me think of my dad. Not because he smoked a pipe but because when I was little he would take me to the hardware store with him and the old man who worked there smoke pipes. I love those sentimental smells.

56. Fall in love (or lust) without blowing off your friends - Why would I want to ditch all of my awesome gals for my equally awesome guy? That seems so silly, especially when their combined awesomeness makes my life so much better!
57. Care about where your food comes from - I absolutely care about what I put in my body and where it all comes from. If I could always shop locally, organically and seasonally I would but it gets to be very expensive. I'm very fortunate to have a few very well supplied and varied farmers markets and little shops in my neighborhood and I frequent them as often as my wallet allows.

#58. the good life.

58. Fly first class - :) This might just be my favorite of all 100 items on the list, mostly because I never thought I'd be able to get it checked off since I don't frequently travel by plane and I'm certainly not wealthy enough to buy a first class ticket. But, every once in awhile things work out and prove that patience truly is a virtue. Here's how it all went down - On my way back from the SAA conference in New Orleans my flight was running a little late because of some passenger confusion. When I heard my name called over the loudspeaker my eyes nearly fell out of my head from rolling so hard. I begrudgingly walked up to the check-in desk only to find out that they simply wanted to see if I would mind them moving my seat to convenience a few difficult passengers. Of course I didn't mind, put me in the teeny tiny bathroom for all I care, just get me home to Honey! I could tell that, despite my flexibility, the poor airline staff was still having difficulties with a few of the not-so frequent fliers so I went back up to the desk and told them to seat me last. That they really could put me anywhere, just worry about getting everyone else on the plane first. And as a joke I let them know that I wouldn't mind sitting in first class if that's the only place they could find me a seat. Well, my kindness and easy breezy attitude didn't seem to be getting me that fancy front row seat because I found myself being shuffled to the back of the plane... only to be tapped on the shoulder and informed that seat 3C was available for me. 3C?! I was greeted with a chilled glass of white wine, a smile, and a huge reclining seat. Kindness and patience really do pay off!
59. Carry something to read, a notebook and a pen at all times - In our fast-paced modern times all of these items have essentially been replaced by our smartphones. Unfortunately they run out of a charge every now and then. I've always got a pen and a piece of scrap paper in my purse or pocket. To read, well I'll read just about anything and those free newspapers are always lying around cities when I've left one of my many books or magazines at home.
60. Make a killer cocktail - I've hung out at enough bars and befriended enough bartenders to learn a few tricks of the trade. I prefer the classics and perfected the art of the Manhattan, the Martini, and the Negroni. Though I really love going out and watching the real masters at work, I might just mix you up something if you came by for a visit.

Stay tuned throughout the rest of the week. I'll do my best to put aside party planning and keep you posted about my progress. Four more days!

one pan wonder

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my cast iron skillet? The one that was lovingly seasoned by my grandmother, then used for years by my mother before being gifted to me not too long ago? It may just be my favorite kitchen tool (shhh, don't tell the KitchenAid!) I use it nearly every night for something or other, feeling wonderfully old-fashioned with my apron and wooden spoon. I especially love the nights that involve sinfully simple meals made entirely in that one genius pan. Nights like tonight.

Oh seasonal veggies, how wonderful you are. 'Tis the season for two of my favorites, brussels sprouts and yams. With some fresh rosemary from the backyard garden, tasty lamb sausage links, and everyone's favorite fat, bacon grease, a one pan meal was made. It was delicious, it was easy, and it was pretty healthy; well, at least there were loads of fresh seasonal veggies. Follow along for a super simple weeknight meal that's sure to please. Bonus - cleanup is a breeze when you only use one pan!

skillet roasted seasonal veggies with lamb sausage
ingredients
6 lamb merguez sausage links
1 tsp bacon fat
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 tsp minced garlic
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed
5 c halved brussels sprouts
1 tsp hazelnut oil
1 tsp hot Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika

1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp cumin
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
fresh ground salt & pepper to taste

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and warm the cast iron skillet over medium heat. Melt the bacon fat in the pan and toss in the garlic & onions. When the onions begin to clarify, toss in the sausage links, cooking evenly. When the sausage is nearly cooked, remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.

2. With the flame steady at medium, heat the hazelnut oil and spices before mixing in the sweet potatoes. Lightly toss to coat each piece. When the potatoes begin to soften, mix in the brussels sprouts.

3. When the brussels sprouts begin to wilt, return the sausage to the pan and place the entire pan in the oven. Roast for about 20 minutes or until everything has a nice, even crisp. Serve hot with fresh beet greens for a tasty, simple meal.

stoned love

I sometimes feel as though I never shut up about how awesome farmers markets are. How fresh, local fruits and vegetables are vastly superior to hot house perishables from the Giant or the Safeway (not that I don't love my grocery stores because I totally do. They're huge! Like ten times the size of all NYC grocery stores combined.) Other than the obvious perks of fresh markets - supporting local growers and farmers, contributing to the neighborhood and community, being green, healthy stuff, etc. - there's my favorite aspect of it which is seeing what's available right this very moment. Seasonal doesn't really exist in grocery stores because everything is forcibly grown in a greenhouse. But most real life fruits and veggies only grow for a very specific moment of the year that we call their season, that's why they're seasonal. Since I've started shopping mostly at local markets I've become much more familiar with those seasons and what grows when, but every once in awhile I'm still surprised or caught off guard, sometimes I just see some amazing pieces of fruit that are calling out to me, or a unique veggie that I've never really cooked with that is begging to be put in my reusable tote. I rarely go to the market with a list but I often leave with an empty wallet and always come up with something amazing in the delirious kitchen.

The other morning I was browsing around the Saturday Fells Point Farmers Market with my darling friend Amy, chatting about work and boys and reminiscing about how crazy long we've known each other, when I was struck by a vision of the BIGGEST peaches I have ever seen. Seriously, these things were the size of newborn baby heads, smelled amazing and felt perfectly ripe. Mmhmm, I felt up those peaches. Now, I've been considering a stone fruit pie for a couple of years now and I considered this my sign that now was the time to finally do it; I've actually had this post title saved as a draft without any text since last summer. The time had come, my brain wheels were spinning and I bought all of the fruit with giant pits that they had to offer, my bags bursting with monstrous peaches, juicy nectarines, tart purple plums, and super sweet golden plums, before heading off to a waterfront brunch with my gal pal. 

As soon as Amy's cab pulled away I got to work. I had recently picked up some ground cardamom (the second most expensive spice ever, by the bye,) for a recipe that I can't for the life of me recall at this moment but I will attempt to remember soon, and decided that the savory, gingery flavors would be amazing with the sweet and tart summery fruits. Why did I think this? Well, firstly I wasn't about to let some crazy expensive spice go unused and secondly, years ago I had a love affair with Ginger Peach tea and I've never really gotten over it. So with the addition of a fifth stone fruit (bet you didn't know almonds counted as one, didya?) I tossed in my sweetness staples, cinnamon and brown sugar to make a simple but layered, seasonal pie filling. All that was missing was the crust.

I've only made homemade pie crust a couple of times and, though it was a far cry from being the worst thing I've ever rolled out, it certainly wasn't one of my top recipes. But since I was already deep into pie making and movie watching, I was really resistant to the idea of walking all the way (maybe half a mile) to grocery store to buy the prepped pie crust that I frequently work with. That left me with the terrifying task of scratchin' it. But with my 30th birthday on the horizon, I decided that there was no time like the present to learn how to make that perfect pie crust. And you know what? Thanks to the Pioneer Woman, I did it!!! I don't have a pastry cutter but I managed to handle two knives like a pro and every step along the way to creating this shockingly simple kitchen essential, the contents of my bowl looked nearly identical to Ree's. The crust was perfectly flaky and melt-in-your-mouth amazing, even when pre-baked which I always do so that the bottom never gets too soggy from the filling. Flakey crust, flavorful filling, it was all so wonderful that I had to send most of it up to Daddy-o, the ultimate pie judge. Plain old peach pie is his absolute favorite so his opinion was really what mattered most. Though it wasn't as simple as the peach pie he would make for himself if he ever made himself a peach pie, he loved it. So, with Daddy-o's all-important approval, I present to you my End of Summer Spiced Five Stone Pie.

perfect pie crust via Ree Drumond of The Pioneer Woman Cooks

ingredients

1 1/2 c Crisco

3 c flour

1 egg, beaten

5 tbsp cold water

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tsp salt

directions

1. In a large bowl, cut together flour and Crisco using a pastry cutter (or two knives as I did) until the mix resembles course meal and all the flour is blended in. Add the egg, water, vinegar and salt and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated.

2. Separate the dough into three equal balls and put in Ziploc bags. Slightly flatten each ball and freeze them until you're ready to use them. If you're using the crust right away, let it chill in the freezer for about 20 minutes. If you're using it at another time, pull it out about 15 minutes before you need it.

3. Roll out the dough on a floured surface, starting the rolling pin at the center. A metal surface is preferable for this part so I use a cookie sheet since I don't have fancy metal countertops. 

perfect pie alongside farmers market finds

spiced five stone pie

ingredients

4 c sliced peaches

2 c sliced plums

2 c sliced nectarines

2 c pitted golden plums

1/4 c ground almonds

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp ground cardamom

2/3 tsp roasted cinnamon

2/3 c white sugar

2 tsp brown sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, chopped

3 tbsp flour

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Line a deep dish pie pan with your perfect pie crust. In a large bowl, mix all fruits with flour, brown sugar, almond extract, cinnamon and cardamom. 

2. In a food processor, blend together chopped vanilla bean and white sugar to make vanilla sugar. Toss the vanilla sugar with the fruit. Pour into the pie pan. Sprinkle ground almond on top of the mix (you can also add a tsp or two of sliced butter if you want something extra decadent.) 

3. Top with the second pie crust however fancy you feel like doing it - I like an experimental lattice top. Bake on the middle rack for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving. It would be super delicious with Steve's Bourbon Vanilla ice cream.

The transition to Autumn is my favorite time of year and this pie absolutely captures those cool, crisp mornings that lead into the still warm, sunny days. Sweet Summer fruits with warming Autumn spices in an amazingly lovely crust. Paired with a cup of tea and a good book, this made for the perfect breakfast and welcome to my all-time favorite season. Happy Autumn!

picnic, promenade & perigee

(via aaron starmer)

Did any of you lovely readers take a moment or two this past weekend to step outside and gaze at the moon? In case you missed it, this past weekend's full moon was the largest super moon of the year. At it's perigee it was bigger, brighter and closer than any other full moons and was a mere 356,991 km from Earth! The view was very much a "Somewhere Out There" kind of sight. I knew I couldn't simply gaze out onto the light-polluted Baltimore Harbor to catch a glimpse of this magnificent sight, a sight that won't be seen again until August of next year. No, I had to venture to a quieter, darker locale to take in the moon in all of it's super glory. So, I packed a picnic and headed to Havre de Grace with honey by my side.

The drive up and down 95 is not an unfamiliar drive to me. Between Baltimore and Brooklyn my absolute favorite spot is the Millard E Tydings Memorial Bridge. The bridge carries you over the Susquehanna River sharing stunning views on either side of water and woods that appear to go on for days. But for as many times as I've driven back and forth over that bridge, I've never stopped to see what lies below it on the shores of the river. Turns out it's the cute little marina town of Havre de Grace, chock full of waterfront parks and docked sailboats. In other words, the ideal spot for an evening picnic and a view of the moon on the water.

The perfect summer evening picnic requires very little. All you really need is your honey, a tasty assortment of snacks, fresh ingredients, a beautiful view, and boxed wine. Yup, boxed wine. I'm not talking about those crummy boxes of wine that we once indulged in while throwing or attending "classier" college soirees, no no no. There has been a recent revolution in the prevalence of boxed wines at my local liquor stores. The boxes are not only easier and more economical to produce and recycle, they are also easier to travel with... and to sneak into outdoor film screenings, on beach outings and camping trips, and bring along on picnics! There is greater selection and higher quality in the boxed wines that are now available making a complete picnic so much easier and instantly swankier. A couple of Little Green Boxes in my basket rounded out the antipasta picnic I had packed - a sliced loaf of crunchy whole wheat baguette, fresh ricotta, fresh mozzarella, salami, roast beef, prosciutto, roasted red peppers, sauteed mushrooms and onions, mussels in white wine and garlic sauce, tapenade, basil pesto, olives, and balsamic heirloom tomato and artichoke salad. It was truly a feast.

We wrapped up our supper and with full bellies, took a stroll along the boardwalk in search of dessert. Of course a cute little town like Havre de Grace would have a perfect little ice cream parlor. Honey indulged in Mint Oreo while I was quickly set on Snickerdoodle after the gal behind the counter responded to my inquiry of it's taste by saying "it's perfect." Boy was she right - sweet cream with cinnamon and bits of snickerdoodle cookies, mmm. Strolling back along the moonlit waterfront, we snapped some photos and imagined sailing off into the night. It was an absolutely wonderful and super Summer evening. Do any of you darlings have a favorite picnic fare? What's your dream picnic? And do you know of any awesome picnic places in the Baltimore area? Share your super moon pictures and stories with me and maybe I'll share my next picnic with you! ;)

a march menu

This past weekend Honey and I hosted our very first dinner party! His folks were headed home from North Carolina and decided to plan their halfway home rest stop in Baltimore so that they could see our new home. Rather than go out to dinner and have the "We'll pay" "No, we've got it" back and forth that parents and grownup kids always have when the check comes, I decided that I wanted to cook for the two of them. I wanted to impress them and let them know that their first born was being taken care of by an awesome gal... plus I love cooking for people, getting to their hearts through their stomachs.

I thought long and hard about what I would prepare. It had to be something comforting since they would be arriving after a long day of driving, but nothing too filling since they had the other leg of their trip early the next morning. It needed to be nice enough that it didn't appear thrown together, but not so nice that it looked like I was trying to show them up or be fancier than I am. Most importantly, it had to be layered - no, not like a 7 layer dip, but layered as in many complimentary flavors and tastes and textures. I decided that my theme would be March, and here is what I came up with.

spring salad - frisee, mache rosettes, radishes, mustard vinaigrette

uborkasalata (Hungarian cucumber salad)

homemade spaetzle with nutmeg tossed in brown butter

creamy paprika chicken

kale and hazelnuts sauteed with shallots and hazelnut oil

red and white wines, preferably from Hungary or Austria

You may be asking yourself how on earth this menu reflects the month of March. Let me tell you - You know that old adage 'in like a lion, out like a lamb/in like a lamb, out like a lion'? Some people prefer their light, Spring salad before their hearty, spicy entree and some prefer it the other way around. Voila! The menu is march and march is the menu. I'll be back tomorrow with more details and a few recipes for you. Until then, feel free to bask in my awesome menu cleverness and let your mouth water thinking about how tasty our supper was!

the source of my inspriation

happy first day of spring!

Our new house is two blocks from a Rita's. How could I not? Even though it was pretty chilly I decided to grab a freebie cup of Georgia peach (and fondly be reminded of my southern belles Isabelle and Victoria, real deal Georgia peaches who I miss terribly!) I went for a lovely late afternoon stroll through the harbor, enjoyed my indulgence, and even ran into an old friend; what a wonderful start to a new season!

oh yeah, I'm fancy enough to have instagram now! follow me @paperbackrider

Coming up this season - spring cleaning, new home cooking, decor dramatics, garden gnomes, adventures of Honey & Macaroni, and the many charms of Charm City. I have so much to say so stay tuned! I've missed this.

baking in baltimore

Hello? Is anyone out there? Is anyone still listening to me? Hello...

I'm sorry for the sudden disappearing act, folks. Things got pretty nutty towards the end of the year - I was working a whole heck of a lot, trying to make ends meet, interviewing for something I could call a career, spending a lot of time enjoying Brooklyn with my honey, and playing in the lukewarm winter with my pals. To be honest, I wasn't in the kitchen all that often and when I was, it was out of necessity and I wasn't really inspired to blog; a touch of writers block I suppose. Slowly but surely, however, the urge to blab to my darling readers has come over me once again and boy oh boy do I have a lot to catch y'all up on! For starters, I no longer live in Brooklyn.

I know what you're thinking - 'Wait, what?! No more Brooklyn? That makes no sense!' It's true though. You know how I mentioned my seemingly neverending search for a full-time career that put my multiple degrees to good use? Something that had pretty regular hours to replace the motley mix of jobs that I was working to pay the rent? Well, the New York rat race was bringing me down and I just couldn't stand being the runner-up for a big girl job anymore. So, I expanded my horizons and began looking outside of New York - California, Colorado, Boston, Baltimore, Chicago, Philly, any city that sounded remotely interesting and had a decent cultural scene really. And what do you know? I heard back from a job that sounded pretty cool. And after my first video chat interview (super awkward by the bye - I felt like the great and powerful Oz on a giant screen in front of my interviewers,) I was invited down for a second interview. My dad and I drove to it in the middle of the only crazy snowstorm I saw all winter and I had a full day interview with about a billion people. Then, a week later, I got a call as I was sending my honey off to work and sitting down to a breakfast of cookies and hot chocolate. They offered me the position! What's so great about it is that, with each stage of the interview process, the position sounded better and better and better. Now that I've started, I feel like I kind of landed my dream job! I'm now a School Archivist... in Baltimore.

It's been an interesting transition, Brooklyn to Baltimore. But it's been pretty nice, too. I loved this little city when I came down here for college as a wide-eyed eighteen year-old. It prepared me well for a life in the city that never sleeps. Now that I'm returning as a nearly thirty year-old lady, I welcome the slower, sort of Southern pace and the fewer partyparty distractions. I've already been down for a couple of months but I'm just now starting to get super settled. Honey and I found a perfect little house in a super cute neighborhood that we absolutely love. We moved in a couple of weeks ago and I've been spending a lot of my time getting it all set up to feel like a home for us to share. He's still up in Brooklyn, tying up all our loose ends and I relish the weekends when he takes the bus down and I get to show him all the neat little things I've done or the cute new shops and restaurants and bars I've found! It's also been super nice catching up with old friends who I haven't seen in years. Absence certainly does make the heart grow fonder and I lovelovelove how we can get together after not seeing each other for so long and just pick up exactly where we left off!

One of my favorite things about my new life in Baltimore - my fresh start. The plan that I've been brushing under the bed for so long is starting to work itself out in ways that I didn't expect, but completely welcome. I'm going to be 30 this year... finally! It's also the year of the snake so I'm shedding my old skin and starting anew, but still remembering everything I've learned. I'm reuniting with old friends, making new friends, and discovering new aspects about so many existing friendships that are now long distance. And how appropriate that all of this exciting change and growth and my return to the delirious kitchen is happening just as spring starts poking up through the frozen ground. So to honor so many new beginnings (and to feed the little cuties I got to hang out with the other day - my friends have the cutest kids!,) I made yummy springtime cupcakes! Nothing special, just a little whole wheat vanilla cake with bright yellow buttercream frosting and cutesy, colorful daisy sprinkles. Perfect to brighten up a dreary day and excite you for the warmer weather! Enjoy the tasty treat and stay tuned for more delirious stories from Charm City!

Welcome back, darlings!

springtime treat cupcakes

ingredients

1/2 c unsalted butter, softened

1 c sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 c nonfat milk, chilled

directions

1. In your mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.

2. Sift dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixer.

3. Stir in the milk and mix until all ingredients are totally mixed.

4. Bake in a cupcake tin at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool and ice with a simple buttercream icing (unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract blended and colored to taste and consistency.)

black cats and pumpkins

It must be Halloween, my favorite time of year full of costumes, spookiness and fall flavors!  However, one quintessential Halloween flavor has always escaped me.  That's right, I'm talking about pumpkin.  Sure I get pumped for the return of warm apple cider, but pumpkin spice?  No, thank you.  Honestly, I don't know that I've ever had a slice of pumpkin pie (stay away, angry mob!)  I love the flavors of ginger and cinnamon and cloves but something about pumpkin has just never done it for me.  Sure I always have a can of Libby's in my baking cupboard and I'll occasionally add it to pancakes or muffins, but the whole pumpkin spice craze of lattes and scones and cookies has never really appealed to me.  But I love squash.  Especially the big beautiful gourds that come out this time of year.  I love the sweet starchiness, the bright yellows and oranges, and all their versatility, from soups to fritters to casseroles... oh my, the possibilities seem endless!  So what's the difference?  I can't hold the Starbucks stigma against this simple vegetable.  So when my CSA had what seemed like an entire patch full of beautiful pumpkins, I decided to grab one for a little kitchen adventure.

The past few days have been pretty chilly so I thought a soup would be the best, and simplest way to cook up this great pumpkin that sat on my counter - something simple with a little veggie stock, some onion, maybe cumin and smokey paprika, I wanted the flavors to be warming.  But as I was dicing it up to steam, honey did what he always does and snuck a piece.  Despite my protestations (I was afraid that raw winter squash was like raw potatoes and could be poisonous; it isn't,) he nibbled on it and noticed something curious.  After I took my own tiny taste, we both realized that this autumn veggie tasted oddly like a summer fruit.  It had a distinct melon flavor to it.  How strange!  And how tragic that my bellywarming flavors would no longer work!  But with great team effort and much collaboration (and lots of hours and many glasses of wine,) my honey and I crafted a big ole pot of warm, delicious soup that filled the apartment with sweet and savory smells and filled our bellies with a goodness that worked some magic on me as I am now a lover of pumpkin.

We tweaked and adjusted throughout the cooking process, working mostly with what I had in the fridge and a couple of items from a quick dash to the grocery store.  Though our final product was delicious, we've decided to make a few adjustments, so you can consider this a recipe rough draft.  Once we get it right I'll post a revision, but I couldn't not share this tasty creation with you, dearies.  Try it out and don't be afraid to add an ingredient or two in to make it your own... but make sure you share it with me because I want this to be the best soup ever, and that might just take some help from my friends.

rough draft pumpkin soup
ingredients
I forgot to measure so all of these measurements are "about"
4c sweet pumpkin, cubed
3c veggie stock
2 red peppers, cubed
1/2 c ricotta cheese
1/4 c bacon and prosciutto, sliced 
a few tbsp queso freso, grated
fresh parsley, chopped
garlic
salt & pepper
directions
1. Steam the pumpkin in about 1c veggie stock until soft.  Add the red pepper and continue steaming until that gets soft, too.  Add to simmering veggie stock and let bubble up together until it gets even softer.  Using an immersion blender, blend it all together to a soup-like consistency and stir in the parsley.
2. With a tiny bit of warm veggie stock and some fresh garlic, crisp up the bacon and prosciutto. Once it has reached a satisfactory level of crispness, dump it all in the soup pot.  Stir together and let those flavors meld.
3. One heaping spoonful at a time, slowly stir in the ricotta cheese.  This will cut the slight acidity and make the soup creamy and thick.  Sprinkle in the queso fresco.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Easy enough, right?  I topped my bowl with a little extra ricotta and a chunk of grainy bread for good measure.  Very tasty.  So what we're thinking for next time is this -

• A little more pumpkin! I want it to be really thick and hearty.
• A little less pepper.  Sometimes red pepper just wants to take over the whole party and that is not okay.  We want the pumpkin to be the star of this show.
• Cream instead of ricotta.  Yes, the soup is best as a cream soup, but the ricotta might be best saved as a topping.  And the queso fresco, though delicious, is maybe a little too off the flavor palette that we were going for.  Maybe a parmesan or ricotta insalata?
• Pancetta instead of bacon or prosciutto.  It's heartier and holds a crisp better so it won't get lost in the soup.
• Since we'll be getting all fancy and garnishing this soup with a dollop of fresh ricotta, let's throw a couple more decorative tidbits on top.  I'm thinking crushed, toasted hazelnuts and a drizzle of honey! This also pulls from our original melon inspiration (you know, melon wrapped in smoky meats with honey as a summer tapas?)

I'm hoping that we get to try this recipe out again soon because I have a feeling that as we tweak it, it will just get better and better until it truly becomes one of our signature dishes.  And how fun is it to create something like that with your honey?  Teamwork and kitchen fun, huzzah!  But wait... Honey and I couldn't be the only ones to indulge in and enjoy the harvest flavors of pumpkin soup.  What about our little buddy, Macaroni?  Honey hardly ever gives him fancy food, so I get to spoil him every once in awhile with the good stuff (that's how I make sure I'm always his favorite!)  Lucky for the little guy, I stumbled upon a pouch of Pumpkin Soup and Shredded Chicken cat food so we all got to have pretty much the same supper, like a big happy family!  Macaroni was so excited that he started lapping up the juicy morsels before I could even get them in his bowl.  Delicious pumpkin soup for everyone!  Happy almost Halloween!

pear-ly there

I've never been the biggest fan of pears.  I've always found them to be a little too mealy and the skin is always so thick and they're either sickeningly sweet or boring and bland and, worst of all, they look like a lady with a fat butt which reminds me too much of myself!  Sure, when you cover them with caramel and brown sugar and nuts they can be delicious, but in a masked sort of way.  I think what bugs me most about pears is that they aren't apples.  That's right, I said it - pears are kind of like the lame cousins of apples, and frankly, I'm not too fond of them.  Or at least I thought I wasn't.  Then, I saw this itty bitty, teeny tiny pear.  I'm a sucker for all things adorable and this may be one of the cutest pieces of fruit I have ever seen!  It's like a teacup pig in pear form... and it doesn't even make me feel bad about my giant ass!

I ate the tiny pear for breakfast this morning and guess what - it was still thick-skinned and mealy.  But it was also sweet and juicy and crisp and tart, like an apple but not an apple.  Truth is, I'm still not convinced that I could love pears, but because of its cuteness and tastiness this baby one has weaseled its way into my heart and belly; enough to make me believe that I could learn to enjoy all pears as something other than an ingredient.  But it might take some time.  So until then, help me out and tell me your favorite ways to enjoy this other orchard fruit, darlings.

happy october!

Ladies and gentlemen, it is finally here... my favorite month!  I woke up this morning all giddy and excited because after treading through the past nine months I had finally made it to October.  Honey asked me 'why is October your favorite month?  Is it because it's your birthday month?'  To which I staunchly replied 'absolutely not!' and then changed that to 'well, maybe a little, but for lots of other reasons, too.'  I suppose it doesn't hurt that my favorite month is practically kicked off with a celebration of me, and that my overly-celebratory family believes that a birthday is not nearly festive enough; I get at least a week or, more frequently, a month.  To start this festive time of year off on the right foot, I was finally allowed to open up this -

Yes, those are glittery purple balloons.  Lizzie B is just too awesome for words.  But really, October is certainly about way more than my birthday.  It's about color and flavor and change and growth.  It's the first full month of Autumn.  Let's face it, September is still half Summer here in the Northeast.  I sent most of my warm weather clothes into storage but still haven't felt the need to start bundling up quite yet.  Maybe a day here or an evening there has called for a sweater or a scarf, but nothing too bad.  October is another story altogether.  I walked out the door mid-afternoon today and was glad to have a light jacket on.  It's also the best time of year for sleeping.  I love to leave all the windows open until snow and frost starts coming through them (and even then the bedroom window stays open just a crack.)  In October this makes the room crisp and cool enough to warrant pulling out an extra blanket or two but not so cold that you need to bundle up with heavy comforters.  It's also a good excuse to snuggle up extra close to sleeping buddies!

October is about flavor and seasonal ingredients!  True, I try to use fresh, seasonal ingredients all year long but harvest time really is the best for that.  Last year, if you can recall, I made the world's best apple pie and put it in a jam jar!  This year, though the amount of free time I have has been drastically cut back, I plan on making at least a couple of variants on the original delicious treat.  Maybe I can even sneak out of work one day and go apple picking.  It's been far too long since I've done that and apple choosing at the Union Square market doesn't quite have the same feeling, though that warm cider is pretty darn delicious.  I love squash and the seasonal varieties that start showing up at the market this time of year are so good and lend themselves well to so many tasty dishes.  It's time to bust out the dutch ovens again and slow cook the heck out of some soups and stews and chilis, oh my!  October is the best on all calendars, especially the culinary calendar.

Besides my birthday, there are some other pretty awesome holidays this month - well there's Halloween and that's just the best darn holiday ever so it's all we really need.  And, since it happens to fall on my birthday weekend this year, I plan on celebrating the heck out of Columbus Day.  In fact, Honey and I are taking advantage of the long weekend and jetting off to the Big Easy for a Birthday Extravaganza!  So, I hope you can all understand why I love October so much and I hope yours starts off as happy as mine did.  And of all my birthday wishes this year, the one I'm really hoping comes true, is that I can find more time in my ever hectic schedule to spend with you, darling readers.  Maybe I'll unwrap some extra hours this Friday.

now this seems more appropriate

Was today not a beautiful and almost perfect day?  Warm enough to wear sandals but cool enough to need a little sweater.  It was an absolutely ideal transition day, the kind that makes you think Summer is really laying out the welcome mat for Fall.  Since I'm still trying to kick this under-the-weather feeling that I've been having, I'm making sure to drink a lot of hot tea and oj and water, but mostly hot tea (hot whiskey tea would be even better but I have to work.)  And as you may remember from the other day, I sometimes need a little more kick than plain old tea.  And since today was a much more seasonally appropriate day, I decided to opt for one of my favorite seasonal beverages - a spicy, peppery chai.  Since this was an extra special treat (I don't often get more than one fancy beverage a week,) I wasn't about to settle for any old chai.  No no no, it had to be the best chai.  A quick search through a few trusted internerd sources and I found the perfect place - OST Cafe.  Just a few blocks, and a lovely walk from the library, this is the perfect East Village cafe.  And the advise of my fellow food bloggers was absolutely right!  This may be the best chai latte in all of NYC.  Made with real black tea, the combination of creamy, barely sweetened milk with the layered flavors of anise, cinnamon and cloves was oh so balanced and rich.  It was the perfect cuppa for a perfect day... and it was extra swirly, fancypants!  

too soon?

I walked out of the house this morning in a plain old, ordinary outfit that I believed to be perfectly reasonable for an early September school day - a belted cotton dress, sandals, and a lightweight cardigan.  Very library appropriate.  But by the time I had hopped on my bike and riden around the corner and into the breeze, I was regretting not wearing tights and a parka.  Is summer really over?  Do I need to start wearing a jacket and stop strapping on my sandals?  Oh no!  All my fall clothes are in storage at my parents house... what's a girl to do?

Well, since I was already late I just ended up peddling extra hard to work and by the time I got to my fourth graders I was warm and flushed and slightly out of breath.  But that only lasted a few hours until my next venture into the out of doors; a dreaded trip to Macy's.  After spending an hour in the tie department (what's so bad about paisley and pink?), then trying on more styles of skinny bootcut jeans than I knew existed, then finding out that they no longer carry either of my makeup brands at Sephora (what have I, what have I, what have I done to deserve this?), and all in this blistering cold 75 degrees and sunny weather, I decided that I was due for a treat.  Once I had come to that decision, and took notice of what corner I was on, I knew exactly what I had to do.

There are many things I love about brisk Autumn weather - scarves, old-fashioned hats, leather gloves, boots, knee-high socks, pie, not being afraid to turn on the oven, leaves, train rides, and of course, seasonal beverages.  Usually I lean towards spicier drinks like a peppery cinnamon chai or a crisp and tart cider, but today was different.  I was feeling crummy and my brain was addled from the stress of shopping despite my super shopping skills, so I chose the only warm beverage that could cure my chilliness and my mopeyness... a thick and creamy hot chocolate from City Bakery.  I'm pretty sure I've raved about their hot chocolate before and if I haven't, you'll be hearing plenty in the next few months.  Their hot chocolate is like melted ice cream; it's so thick and creamy and heavy and dark and delicious. 

As I sipped at my sinful snack I wandered up a block to peruse the selection at Idlewild Books, fueling my already wanderlusty mind with dreams of my own personal Roman holiday.  And as I strolled through Union Square and back to the hallowed halls of the library, I thought to myself 'Is it too soon for this?'  Well, is it?  Have I fast forwarded through Indian Summer and Autumn only to land in a Winter wonderland that makes me dream of melting snow and Spring blossoms?  I prefer to think that I've just given myself a little preview of the coming attractions.  A taste of whats to come, a wake up call for my seasonal senses and just the kick I needed to get out of my frigid funk and back into the swing of things.  My minds is racing with all the exciting things I have planned for the fall.  Stay posted, kids.  This kitchen bitch is back!

happy first day of school!

When I was growing up (that's not to say that I'm a grown-up,) I lived in a house of many traditions.  We celebrated a lot, were big fans of themed anything, and loved a good family dinner.  Pretty much every night brought the four of us to the table for supper together no matter if it was fish sticks and fries or homemade mac 'n cheese with ham and stewed tomatoes.  But one of my favorite celebrated occasions and one of my favorite meals was always our back to school supper - a bit pot of spaghetti and meatballs.  To this day, the smell of a huge pot of spiced and seasoned tomato sauce is one of my favorites.  It brings back a flood of memories of me and my kid sis doing out homework at the kitchen table, of my mom at the stove stirring a massive pot of delicious, the anticipation of meeting new friends and getting to know new teachers, and the stress of trying to pick out the perfect outfit for the start of a brand new year, a brand new grade!

Well, for me, none of that ever went away.  After high school came college, and then grad school, some substitute teaching and then I landed where I am today.  In a school.  As a school librarian.  And I love it!  Not just because it's pretty much the best job ever (which it is,) but also because it means that I get to keep the tradition of back to school supper alive!  This year, it worked out absolutely perfectly.

A few weeks back, I had a streak of crummy days that left me craving something warm and comforting despite the 90+ degree weather with monsoon-like rain.  After a very wet bike ride to pick up all the ingredients, I was able to whip up a marvelous meal for me and the dude-man.  Then, just a few days before school started up again, he got that very same craving.  Well boy was he in luck!  I broke out the frozen leftovers, added some fresh ingredients, tossed it all with fresh, curly spaghetti (I like the long, curly pasta noodles because it looks like my hair,) and some spicy sausage from Graham Ave. Meats and the tradition continued.  Not only did it continue, but it spread to a new family.  Honey's brother is taking classes again this semester and, though our first days did not match up on the calendar, I invited him over to relish in the new school year with us!  It was delicious and perfect and the best way to energize for the next day's new batch of kiddies.

Thank goodness I had all the carb-tastic energy stored up because this year's group of kiddies is a doozy!  But they're also smart, brilliant and amazing and I can't wait to work with them all and get book clubs started again and help them prepare for the great world beyond... college.  But no matter how many batches of students I watch graduate, I will continue to have a first day of school and a traditional back to school supper.  And what makes this longstanding tradition even better is the fact that what started out as my mom's tomato sauce recipe has now become completely my own.  Each year brings a little twist or an extra pinch of ingredients that make it hearty and wholesome and all mine!  That's truly one of my favorite things about traditions, how they naturally evolve.  Good luck learning about that in any of your classes, kids!

just like mom's but even better homemade tomato sauce
ingredients (the measurements are loose, everything is pretty much all to taste)
1 large can pureed tomatoes
1 tiny can tomato paste
1 small can diced tomatoes
6 - 12 fresh campari or roma tomatoes, diced and seeded
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 - 3 roasted red peppers, diced (optional)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
dash of very course salt
healthy heaps of black pepper and crushed red pepper
fresh parsley, finely chopped
lots of oregano
loads of fresh basil
directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot and let simmer for hours.  If you're making meatballs, pan fry them first to maintain the shape and then let them finish off cooking in the sauce - it makes both the sauce and the meatballs taste that much better!

we're going on a picnic and i'm bringing...

lobster rolls!  My summer is winding down and I came to the realization that I hadn't been on a single picnic this season.  How could that be true?  I have a beautiful picnic basket, a head full of fantastic seasonal recipes, and a pretty well-stocked kitchen.  So, on this beautiful, warm and sunny day, I packed up some snacks and trekked up to midtown for an afternoon lunch break with my honey.  Into the basket went dark russet potato chips, whiskey sour pickles, avocado and heirloom tomato salad, classic sodas, fresh berries, and whoopie pies!  Oh yeah, and buttery, toasty buns jam-packed with chunks of lobster dressed to perfection in mayo.  It was as if we were transported from the crowded, steamy streets of New York to a quaint little beachfront town in New England.  What a perfect way to start the weekend... why haven't we been doing this all summer long?  And why haven't I been blogging?  Well, I'm not quite sure why I took such a sudden hiatus but I'm back and I hope you're still here with me, beloved readers.  Check out my lovely luncheon and come back later on for some recipes and more detailed updates (oh yeah, and how about some back-posts?)  I've missed you all so much.  Let's dig in!

upside down you're turning me

A little over a year ago, I was attempting to start a Mad Men evening at one of the neighborhood bars I frequented.  Though it didn't really work out the way I had hoped (a 10PM screening at a busy bar in Brooklyn isn't exactly calm and quiet enough to enjoy an hour long TV show,) I did serve up some wonderful 1960s themed treats in my attempt to make a party out of a regular Sunday night while watching my fave show without having to get cable.  While trying to find some delicious new old recipes, throwbacks if you will.  One retro recipe that I came across was for Pineapple Upside Down Cake.  The recipe from Elise at Simply Recipes turned out to be one of the best pineapple upside down cakes I've ever had... ever.  So much so that it's become one of my go to quick and easy entertaining cakes.  It was sweet, but not too sweet; nutty, caramelly, warm and fruity.  It was the perfect coffee cake, to be enjoyed warm with a cup of tea in the afternoon, or for a late breakfast while relaxing on a day off with the paper and some good friends and family.

In other words, the perfect breakfast to enjoy after a gluttonous day of turkey, gravy and all the fixins.  But pineapple upside down cake has always been more of a summery thing in my mind.  So to make a perfect post-Thanksgiving brunch treat, I seasoned it up.

pear upside down cake

looks like the fruit of the month club - pears every month!

Follow this recipe but instead of pineapple slices, use sliced pears.  I tend to be a little overzealous about everything so I used four different kind of pears and loaded the bottom of the pan with slices of bosc, bartlett, anjou and forelle.  Because I used so many pear slices, my cake pan didn't fit as much batter as it normally would so I made itty bitty upside down cakes in a cupcake tin with the leftover cake batter, some leftover caramel I found in the fridge and small slices of pear.  Substitute the ground almonds for 2 cups of finely ground walnuts.  Also, add about a tablespoon of cinnamon to the batter to give it that extra Autumnal kick.




Thankfully, I did a test run of this recipe at home in Brooklyn for a couple of friends the other night when we decided to have a last minute rainy night cake & champagne soiree.  Because if I hadn't tested it out beforehand, I would have wound up serving this mess to my entire family -

maybe the champagne was to blame and not the caramel...
it's a mystery.  a delicious mystery.

There is an art to the upside-downing of a cake.  The caramel hardens pretty quickly and if that happens before you flip the cake, you'll end up losing half the cake because it will all be stuck to the bottom of the pan.  If you flip it too soon however, the caramel is still hot lava melty and it breaks the cake into a million pieces.  You must be careful to time it perfectly!  Even though the cake crumbled a bit, it still tasted delicious and was perfect for a post Autumn celebration breakfast or coffee.  This cake is kind of like my original, prize winning cherry almond coffee cake - versatile and seasonal.  It just takes a little culinary creativity to make it fit every occasion.  And perfect timing.  It definitely takes that, too!

curds and yay!

I love a good lemon curd.  The creamy sweet tartness is an amazing addition to so many cakes and tarts.  Lemon curd is amazing spread on toasty warm biscuits.  And up until now, I've been perfectly happy and content with the way lemon curd, the only curd, has been present in my life.  Little did I know that any other kind of curd could have even existed.  Boy was I wrong!  Apparently there are all kinds of fruit curd including the perfectly Thanksgiving-ish cranberry curd.  I wish I could remember where I came across the idea of cranberry curd, but I can't.  Still, the idea was planted and I had to figure out how to get my hands on some.  Seems that cranberry curd isn't something that can be picked up at just any old store.  In fact, none of the stores I frequent had any.  But thankfully the Brooklyn Kitchen has a great supply of beautiful, fresh cranberries from a farm in Vermont and I figured curd couldn't be too hard to make.  Again, I was wrong.

Though I found a simple enough recipe, the process wasn't that simple.  See, it tells you to use a food mill.  At the time I made this, I did not own a food mill.  I went to the store to check them out and see if I could maybe pick one up for a song.  I could not; they cost about $50!  So the pureeing of all of these cranberries consisted of me mashing them through a mesh cone with the back of a spoon until I thought my arm was going to fall off.  It took about four turns through the mesh to get all the goop out, but it finally happened.  Thanks to Aunt Patty, I will never have to struggle through that again as she gifted her rarely used ricer to me when I went to her house for Turkey Day.  Not that I need to worry about making more cranberry curd anytime soon.  As usual I failed to read the recipe ahead of time and didn't realize that the small batch I thought I was making would actually make five jars of curd; and that the cookies I planned on filling with the curd would take only one of those jars.  Thankfully it's the holiday season and I'm poor and people love homemade gifts!

cranberry curd for days

So if your in the mood for a more seasonal approach to the typical fruit curd, try whipping up a batch of this, adjusting the recipe for your needs of course.  Follow this recipe from Aunt Cookie on Food.com and voila!  Holiday happiness.  I kicked it up a bit by adding a few of the ingredients that I typically put in my own cranberry sauce figuring that my cranberry sauce is pretty delish and that in curd for would be amazeballs!  So if you're interested in my version, check this out -

lady j's cranberry curd (adapted from Aunt Cookie)

ingredients

1 lb fresh cranberries (fat, juicy ones from NJ are best, but the pretty speckled ones from VT worked just fine!)

1 cup plus water

7 tbsp unsalted butter

1 2/3 c sugar

6 eggs, beaten

1 tbsp whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1/8 c fresh squeezed tangerine juice

directions

1. Put the cranberries, water and tangerine juice in a covered saucepan and cook on a low temperature until popped and mushy.

2. Puree the cranberries using a food mill or ricer.  If you want a major workout, smash them through a mesh strain about 8000 times until you've got all the good stuff out.  Return all the good cranberry mush to the saucepan.

3. Slowly melt in the butter and sugar, stirring consistently.  Gently strain in the eggs while still stirring so the eggs don't cook on their own ( that would be really gross.)  This part can be tricky if you aren't super coordinated like I am so you might want to grab a sous chef to help you out.  Continue to stir constantly over a medium low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but not gross and curdled (then you just have scrambled cranberry eggs and trust me, no one wants that!)

4. Let cool before pouring into five 1/2 pint glass jars.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Like I said, I used my cranberry curd as the thumbprint in the tasty cookies that I gave to the grand prize winner of my Halloween costume contest.  But, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, there are lots of other uses for cranberry curd, or any other fruit curd for that matter.  Try mixing some into a simple cake recipe for a little extra flavor, or smearing a bit onto toasty, delicious English muffins.  How about spread on warm scones at afternoon tea?  Try serving it in place of syrup for a pancake or waffle breakfast.  The possibilities are endless!  You can even mix up the fruit you use; maybe try oranges or cherries or lemon-lime curd!  What would you do with your fruit curd?  Also, I wonder if you could recycle your leftover Thanksgiving cranberry sauce and turn it into cranberry curd... ooo my brain wheels are turning.