The Peach Report, I

A little breeze started blowing every time I took a picture so the fruit closest to the lens is fuzzy.

A few days ago I got my answer about the pollination success of the early blooming peach tree. I discovered fruit on it while I was shooing one of the dogs from that area of the yard. (It’s fenced and supposed to be off limits.) To say I was excited would probably be an understatement. Some of the peaches are already bigger than the end of my thumb, and they seem to get a little bigger each day.

Until this point I haven’t really done anything special with my trees except to plant them with MiracleGro soil for trees and try to keep them watered. Since the rain is getting stingy again, I’m going to have to get back into the watering groove. Five gallon buckets with a hole in the bottom are a good way to water without straining restricted supplies. They will sit by the trees and be refilled as needed. Some grooming of the trees is needed too. There are suckers growing at the bottom which are probably from the grafted root stock, so they have to be pruned off. And most painful of all, I will have to remove some of the fruit. It’s necessary, though. The remaining peaches will be bigger and healthier.

One more thing I might try is covering my developing fruit with brown paper lunch bags. An article in an organic gardening magazine explained the benefits of the technique for growing apples without sprays. Since this is my first crop of peaches I figured experimentation early on isn’t going to hurt anything. If the bags keep my fruit bug and disease-free, and they continue to develop while covered, then I will have a strategy for growing organic fruit from the very beginning. Besides, a package or two of brown paper bags will be cheaper than chemical controls, organic or otherwise. After the growing season, the bags can be added to the compost container or mulched.

During the growing season for the peaches, I will give updates culminating in a harvest of the fruit. (Hopefully) Feel free to follow along and learn with me.

The Project Queen

Hawaiian Grog Coffee Cake

This recipe was inspired by Lola Savannah’s flavored coffee, Hawaiian Grog. Since Easter weekend is coming up, and I’m sure a few people will be hosting or attending a brunch, it seems like a good time to share it.

Like some other recipes I’ve posted, this one is a bit labor intensive if all the components are made at once. But it’s easy to do the separate parts in advance then assemble on the day you want to bake. Refrigeration will be required until you’re ready to put the coffee cake together, so allow yourself enough time to bring things to room temp before baking. It’s easier to spread everything around the pan if it’s not stiff with cold.

For those who want to stretch this recipe over a couple of days, here’s the recommended order. Make the crumb topping first. It doesn’t contain any raw eggs so sitting covered in the refrigerator for a couple of days won’t cause any harm. Do the filling and the batter the day before baking, or just combine the batter’s dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients on baking day. It’s a quick bread (or cake) recipe so there is no waiting for yeast to rise.

Here is a recommendation for the coffee flavor. You can certainly use good old basic instant coffee granules such as Folgers, Taster’s Choice or a store brand. If you already have one of those in your kitchen don’t make a special trip. Just put in a tbsp instead of a tsp. The granules of regular instant coffee are much larger and less concentrated than instant espresso. Where do you find instant espresso? If it’s not in the coffee/tea isle of your favorite store, check the foreign food isle – Italian section. King Arthur Flour also carries it.

Not feeling Hawaiian Grog? It’s difficult for me to imagine, but macadamia nuts and coconut don’t thrill everyone. Leave them out and go with a tiramisu slant instead. Substitute mascarpone cheese for cream cheese. Like hazelnut coffee? Make the recipe mostly as written and put hazelnuts on the cake. If coffee isn’t your thing, but you adore chocolate, put ¼ - ¾ c. cocoa in the batter. (The amount depends on how dark you like it.) One tbsp. of cocoa in the crumb topping should be enough. Go one step further and make it chocolate-hazelnut (or use your favorite nut). Like fruit and want to get fancier? (Maybe mimosas are being served?) Choose your favorite flavor for the cake. Make a compote or spread your favorite jam over the cream cheese filling. Now you have a pretty, and tasty, ribbon of color in the middle of your cake. This is a versatile recipe. Experiment and let me know what you did with it.

Crumb Topping

½ c. Brown Sugar

½ c. Flour

1 tsp. Instant Espresso

¼ c. Butter, solid (can be allowed to warm a bit but don’t melt. You want crumbs, not paste.)

Combine the dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Cut in the butter until you have pea-sized crumbs. Some bigger and smaller crumbs are OK. (Butter can be cut in with a pastry cutter, but a strong fork and knife work too.) When ready to put over the cake batter, sprinkle ½ c. coconut and 4-5 oz. macadamia nuts on first.

Filling

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1 Egg

1-2 tbsp. Dark Rum (or 1 tsp. of your preferred extract)

¼ c. cane sugar

Place all ingredients in a bowl and go to town with a hand or stand mixer. Don’t stress if you have some small lumps of cheese.

Cake Batter

2 ½ c. All-Purpose Flour

1 ½ c. Brown Sugar

½ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Instant Espresso

2 tsp. Baking Powder

½ tsp. Baking Soda

2/3 c. Butter, softened

2 Eggs

1 1/3 c. Buttermilk

Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9” x 13” baking pan. (Spray oil is easy.)

Confession time here. I’m often a lazy baker, and quick breads and some cakes can be simplified when you have power tools. If I’m time-crunched or just not in the mood to fuss with sifting or beating, this is what I do. All the dry ingredients go into a mixing bowl. I stir them about to make sure they’re blended. Then all the wet ingredients go into the bowl, and the hand mixer comes out to play. Blend enough to mix, but don’t overwork the batter.

To assemble the cake, pour half of the batter in the pan. Spread the filling over it and cover with the remaining batter. After topping the cake with the coconut, nuts and crumbs, bake for 35-40 minutes. Test the center with a toothpick and remove from the oven when it comes out clean.

You won’t want to cut into it the moment it comes out of the oven, but it can be enjoyed while still warm. In the event that the cake isn’t consumed at one meal, I recommend keeping it refrigerated until gone, because of the cream cheese filling. It’s still delicious even when cold.

The Project Queen

$5 Dessert Pedestal Plate

When I was younger, especially during my teenage years, thrift stores didn’t thrill me. I guess I was too worried about what other people might think. These days I really don’t care what others think, and it’s entirely possible I inherited the thrift store gene from my paternal grandma. She loved them. They’re a great place to go on treasure hunts, and the treasures are reasonably priced. I guess it just took a bit of maturity and a fully developed imagination to appreciate the potential of thrift stores. (The occasional visit to Pinterest probably helps too.)

My older daughter and I spent a couple of hours in the Salvation Army store a few days ago. Besides 2 skirts, 1 dress and a cashmere sweater, I got a glass candle holder and a plate. The grand total for everything was just under $25 including sales tax. The glass pieces were $2 and $3. I was actually looking for the components to make a cake stand. All clothing happened to be half off that day, so those items were a bonus.

The cake stand was a very quick project. I would say ten minutes tops, the majority of that time spent cleaning wax out of the candle holder. When I’m adhering one piece of glass to another, I prefer to use silicone-based aquarium sealer, instead of epoxy. Aquarium sealer doesn’t smell as strong, and it isn’t a 2-part product that has to be mixed. Before gluing the pieces together, the surfaces do need to be clean and dry. (The sealer is waterproof after it cures.) Put the sealer on the top of the base, than center the plate over the base if you’re using clear glass. For opaque pieces you will still want to put the sealer on the base. Lay the plate face-down and put the base in the center. The sealer sets in a few minutes. There is a little time to adjust placement of items, but you won’t want to smear too much of the sealer around. Don’t get carried away with the amount used either. Follow the sealer’s package directions for cure time, usually 48 hours. So if you are making this item as a gift, or for a special occasion you may be hosting, give yourself enough time to let it cure properly.

The one thing I don’t have to make my dessert stand complete is a glass dome. I’m hoping I’ll find one the next time I browse in a thrift store.

The Project Queen

I was going to fill the candle holder with small decorator marbles but changed my mind.

I decided the bubbles in the plate didn't need any competition.

Spring is here!

I almost feeling guilty writing this post because I know winter is still hanging on in many areas north of my adopted home. But one of my peach trees is blooming and I just had to share.

Some of my excitement stems from the fact that I got those trees as a Mother’s Day gift last year, when they were half price at the home improvement store. In Southeast Texas, May is a bit late to be planting trees and shrubs. However, they managed to survive the summer heat, and after a dormancy period of about 2 months, the first one started blooming almost two weeks ago.

Both trees are still small (3 years old now) so I don’t think I’ll get much fruit this year. The second tree has also just started blooming, so I’m not sure they will be able to cross pollinate. Of course the pollinators would have to be out and about now to help things along. Normally, I wouldn’t complain about the absence of bugs. However, as a gardener I do appreciate the bees and butterflies. So I guess we’ll see in July or August if I have a peach harvest.

The Project Queen

Meet Mr. Harry Buns

I recently added a new pet / investment to our household. You might be wondering what kind of animal would be given the name Harry Buns. He’s an Angora rabbit. Because he’s an adoption and a young rabbit of about 6 months, I can only guess at his breed. He appears to be at least part English Angora. Time will tell. If he’s purebred, by the time he’s a year old he could look like a cotton ball with a nose and ears.

Many of you have probably never seen an Angora rabbit, and Buns is the first I’ve actually seen and handled in person. There is a very specific reason for that. While they are very charming rabbits, Angoras are seldom raised for the pet trade. They’re high maintenance. Because of their long hair, they require very specific and vigilant care. Whether kept inside or outside, they are not the kind of animal that can be given several days of food and water then be ignored until it’s convenient. All rabbits can have digestive issues because of their grooming habits. They clean themselves the same way cats do. However, they can’t cough up hairballs. The condition is known as wool block and it’s particularly deadly for Angoras. Because of their grooming and extremely clean housing needs they are seldom suitable pets for children or the casual owner.

What possesses a person to want such a pet? In my case it’s a love of fiber, luxury fibers in particular such as cashmere, alpaca and angora. Have you ever owned a knit item that was particularly soft and fuzzy? Chances are it contained Angora fiber, which is harvested from rabbits. Don’t worry. The rabbits aren’t hurt. Depending on breed, they are either plucked when they blow their coats, or shorn like mini sheep.

Most hard-core fiber lovers (knitters, crocheters, weavers…) fantasize about owning their own fiber producing livestock. Some will make it a reality, others will decide its more work than they want. Perhaps because I’m a crazy project person, I guess I’m not happy until I’ve experienced the full spectrum of all the processes required to produce a completed item. Learning to spin is on my wish list of acquired skills, and since I have a spinning wheel made by my dad, I owe it to him to learn. Buns is my motivation to get started. (Sheep, goats and alpacas just aren’t possible at my current address.) Since he’s my only rabbit at the moment, it will be awhile before I have a significant amount of hair to work with. Hopefully, by the time I’ve accumulated a pound or two, I’ll be proficient enough at spinning to do his beautiful white hair justice.

The Project Queen

Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

No doubt it’s become obvious that food is one of my favorite ways to remember and honor loved ones. Cinnamon rolls are one of those foods. I had a great aunt in Nebraska whose cinnamon rolls are a cherished memory.

Visiting Aunt Marie was like going to a great-grandmother’s house. My maternal great-grandmother died when my grandmother and her twin sister were five. There were a total of eight siblings in that family. Some of them were almost grown, and the youngest was 3. I never did hear the exact reason, but Uncle Ever (eever) and his wife Marie adopted the twins. They were treated as if they were born to their uncle and aunt. That good relationship was extended to my mom and later to me and my brother.

We weren’t able to visit every summer, but there were several trips from east Colorado to central Nebraska when I was growing up. My mom had many cousins she visited, and we often stayed with some of Grandma’s sisters. (All excellent cooks) Then we stayed at least a couple of nights with Uncle Ever and Aunt Marie. Being on our best behavior was a given when we were there. Uncle Ever always seemed like a crotchety gentleman, but he did come from a generation where children better mind their manners. (He was also a WWI vet. It may have had something to do with his seeming grumpiness.) Aunt Marie didn’t stand any nonsense either, but I really looked forward to staying at their house. She was a tiny, feisty lady who enjoyed telling family stories. And she made delicious things for breakfast, like Swedish pancakes and cinnamon rolls. Despite having arthritis for many years she made her dough from scratch. I was in middle school when mixing and kneading became too much for her hands, but she still managed to wield a rolling pin. At that point she concluded there was no shame in frozen bread dough, and she still made cinnamon rolls for our visits.

The following recipe probably isn’t exactly like Aunt Marie’s, but it should share the same characteristics. Sweet roll doughs are known as enriched, meaning they contain dairy and/or eggs. They also have more sugar than dough baked into loaves or sandwich rolls. I usually use this recipe for sandwich rolls and use sweet (reg.) milk, but it’s very versatile. It does contain less sugar and butter than many sweet roll doughs. However, I promise you won’t miss them. Bread flour and a smaller quantity of butter means a dough easily capable of doubling itself. And baking into light, fluffy rolls.

I don’t plan to make many product recommendations on this blog, but I highly recommend King Arthur’s Bread Flour. I’ve had the best luck with it when it comes to rising sky high. Using instant yeast is the best way to have a no-fail rise. I usually use SAF, but have to order it because I haven’t found it locally. I recently found Fleischmann’s instant yeast at Sam’s Club. Both brands come in one pound pkgs. At Sam’s you get 2 pkgs. sold together. It sounds like a lot of yeast, but instant yeast isn’t bothered by storage in the freezer. It can be used directly from the freezer, it works in recipes with lukewarm liquids and tolerates up to 130°. Buying the 1 lb. pkgs. is the most economical way to purchase yeast. If you try bread baking and do it regularly, I highly recommend buying the yeast measuring spoon from King Arthur Flour. It is the equivalent of a yeast packet and makes it easy to use your bulk yeast for any recipe calling for packets.

7 c. Bread Flour

½ c. Sugar

4 ½ tsp. Instant Yeast (2 pkgs. yeast)

1 tsp.Salt

2 c. Buttermilk

4 tbsp. Butter, melted

4 Egg yolks (room temp)

These directions are for a stand mixer, but at the point where the dough goes under the hook, it can be thoroughly mixed by hand with a sturdy wood spoon and turned onto a floured surface for hand kneading. Place 6 cups of flour and the next three ingredients in the mixing bowl. Gently stir them together. Measure the buttermilk into a glass measuring cup, add the butter and heat just enough to melt the butter. Use a thermometer to double check the liquid temp. Make sure it doesn’t exceed 130°. If using active dry yeast the temp. shouldn’t exceed 110 - 115° (check pkg. directions), and it will have be dissolved in a small amount of liquid and sugar before adding to the other ingredients.(proofing) If it isn’t getting foamy and bubbly, the yeast is dead. Add the milk/butter to the dry ingredients and stir until the dough starts looking a little shaggy. Add the egg yolks at this point. By now, the temp. of the liquid should be cool enough that the yolks won’t cook and become lumpy. It’s OK if it seems like you can’t reach the flour at the bottom of the bowl. After the rough mix by hand, let the dough sit about 5 min. so it has some time to hydrate.

For those with a stand mixer this is the point where you attach the bowl and let the dough hook finish mixing and kneading. As the hook first begins its work, you will see the dough start to wrap around it. If the dough suddenly collapses to the bottom of the bowl, you need more flour. Before adding any, turn off the mixer, lower the bowl or raise the hook, and use a bowl scraper or spatula to work your way to the bottom of the bowl. Make sure there isn’t any flour trapped at the bottom. Use the spatula to roughly work the flour into the dough. Restart the mixer and watch the dough. Once all the flour is incorporated, if the dough is still collapsing or a lot of it isn’t coming away from the mixing bowl, add more at ¼ cup each time. Make sure all additions are absorbed before adding more. When the magic quantity has been reached, the dough will “clean” the bowl. There will be small streaks of dough on the bowl, but you should be able to see the bottom. Leave the dough under the hook for at least 6 min. to knead. It should be firm and slightly sticky to the touch. Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl. Roll it around to coat with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise in a warm place. When it’s doubled in size, poke your finger in the middle. If the dough springs back, it’s not done rising. Check again in half an hour. (Want to spread your bread making out over a couple days? After kneading, put the dough in an oiled container with a tight lid, and place in the refrigerator. Use the dough within 4 days. That’s the beauty of using instant yeast. It takes any bread recipe and makes it compatible with the cold fermentation process. Just set out long enough to reach room temp. before using.)

Yields 24 rolls: To make cinnamon rolls, punch the dough down and form into a ball. Place it on a floured surface or silicone baking mat. Cut in half and place one piece back in the greased bowl, covered. Shape the first piece into a rectangle, then roll at least 12” wide. Roll it as long as necessary to get close to ¼” thickness. (You want as many layers as possible for cinnamon and sugar.) After rolling, spread soft or melted butter over the dough. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar and cinnamon. To shape the dough into cinnamon rolls, make sure one of the short (12”) sides is facing you. Work up about a 1” deep strip and fold it over the filling. From one end to the other, keep working the dough over on its self until you have 12” long log with a spiral of filling in the middle. Cut the log in half, then cut in half again. Each quarter should yield (3) 1” rolls. Place rolls in a greased 9” x 13” baking pan, spirals of filling facing up – 3 rolls wide (9”), 4 rolls deep (12”). Coat surface with cooking spray and cover with a kitchen towel. (No terrycloth). They should be level with the top of the pan when done rising. Heat the oven to 375°. Bake for 20-25 min. They may need to be rotated halfway into the baking time to ensure even color. The tops of the rolls will be golden brown when done.

Use your favorite icing or cream cheese frosting. The rolls should cool some first, but it’s OK, and even desirable to frost them while warm. They’re at their yummy best when the topping melts a bit into all the crevices.

Now that I’m coming to the end of it, I see this has become a long post. I make bread rather than buying store-bought, so I have these steps down where I can make dough very quickly. Don’t let yourself be intimidated. Practice will eventually have you making from-scratch cinnamon rolls with a minimum of fuss. Just like anything homemade, they are so very worth the effort. You never know what kind of impression your rolls might make on someone.

The Project Queen

P.S. – Is there something on this blog you would like to see as video instruction, like bread making? Don’t be shy and let me know. Public speaking and making videos aren’t necessarily my best talents, but they might benefit from practice. = )

Operation Rose Rescue

Two planters I recently did for co-workers

Did you receive a potted miniature rose for Valentine’s Day? Perhaps it’s starting to look a little sad. I’m going to let you in on a secret, something I learned when working at a commercial greenhouse during high school. If it’s a 4 inch pot, there are at least 3-4 plants in it. It’s a standard trick used to make a pot look full, but roses like their space. So if the flowers never really opened or leaves are dropping like crazy, it’s very likely the plants are root-bound and suffering from being too close to each other.

There are a couple of options for rescuing your poor babies. Either way, the roses will need to be removed from the pot and separated. They may have thorns. Make sure you wear gloves. Examine the base of the plants just above the soil. You should be able to find the main stem for each. Grasp 2 plants opposite from each other and pull apart. If the root ball is really stubborn use a sharp knife to cut it into thirds or quarters depending on the number of plants. There should be a decent size root ball for each plant. Transplant shock will be minimized when the plants have good support. There is one other thing that must be done to make the transition easier. Remove all the flowers, no matter their condition. Find the first leaf cluster below the rose that has 5 leaves and make an angular cut just above that node. Or cut about 2 inches down from the flower, again above a node, if most of the leaves are gone. Removing the tops of the plants will do 2 things. Since it isn’t putting its energy into the flowers it will survive transplanting better, and it will convert that energy into new growth.

Miniature roses can be treated much like their large sisters. They are perfectly happy when planted outside. Choose an area where they get 6-8 hrs. of sunlight and prepare their new home with plenty of organic matter. To help them get established make sure they are watered well, but don’t leave them constantly wet. Many roses can also be container grown, minis being especially well suited due to size. You could put each in its own pot or a planter that’s large enough to spread them out. If you do a planter, I recommend one large enough for 3 plants. For some reason odd numbers are more appealing to the human eye. There are soils formulated specifically for roses or blooming plants, but when it’s available I prefer organic potting soil. Water well after the plants are in the soil.

Regulating water for potted roses is crucial for success. Water deeply so that it drains from the bottom of the planter. A thorough watering will help establish stronger, deeper roots. However, don’t water all the time. Unless they are from a bog or swamp most plants don’t like to be constantly wet. When temps are more moderate, once a week is probably fine. Hotter weather will require more frequent watering. But do the plants a favor first. Put a finger down into the soil as far as you can. If you feel moisture, wait a day or two and check again. While watering, whether ground or container, keep moisture off the foliage. It will help prevent the spread of disease.

For long term health of your roses there is one other thing that must be done. Keep dropped leaves away from them. It’s breeding habit for insects and the funguses that can devastate your roses. That includes clearing way the dead stuff that fell into the original pot. Since you are taking the trouble to transplant, start with a clean slate.

The roses may look a bit scraggly when first transplanted. However, a little care will go a long way toward making them beautiful again. Just be patient. And once they start blooming again make sure to deadhead the spent flowers. It will help promote repeat blooming. Just stop cutting off the flowers when the weather gets colder. Leaving the last fall flowers on your roses helps them go dormant for winter.

By rescuing your minis from their store pot you should be able to extend your enjoyment of them. And you have a bonus rose to give as a gift later, if you do a planter of 3. Getting it established in a pot now means a rose which could be blooming by an important holiday that’s now just over 2 months away. Mother’s Day…

The Project Queen

They look a little pathetic now, but with care and patience they will grow and bloom again.

 If the flowers are still pretty when you do the transplant, there is no reason not to enjoy them a little longer. Just do an old-fashioned rose bowl arrangement.