Attempting to grow flowers (again)

4.22.2017


It's gardening season again.

After the near epic failure of my cutting garden last year, it seems silly that I even thought it would be advisable to try again. Maybe next year I'll learn my lesson and just let it be a dirt pit for Ruby May to roll around in.

But alas, no lesson learned. So I opened up my Excel planning doc from last year and began to make some adjustments.  There were a few things that were certain: sunflowers, dusty miller, and white dahlias. I had fallen in love with the combo of white dahlias and dusty miller and could never go back. The rest was up in the air.

Dusty Miller // I'll recommend Dusty Miller to anyone who will listen. Not only is it beautiful but it's also versatile and drought resistant - at least in my experience. We had water restrictions last year and yet these babes did so well. How well? They are growing back again this year. I wasn't sure if they would so I did plant some contingency seedlings but doesn't seem like I'm going to need them. [Floret link]

Dahlias // Even though I would plant just a field of white dahlias, I've actually planned for three varieties. I wasn't on my game enough to get bulbs from Floret so I've picked my varieties from Swan Island Dahlias. I'll be doing: Snowbound, Bridezilla, and Arabian Night.

Sunflowers // I have a bunch of seeds leftover from last year - and my brother gave me some for Christmas this year. A real big variety so it'll be fun to see how they all grow in together.

Cosmos // I've planted two varieties of cosmos of which one was also a gift from a friend. The real variety is called Rose Bon Bon Cosmos but she crossed Rose because her sassy dog is called "Dixie Bon Bon". The other variety I picked up, Double Click Cosmos, from Kennedy's Country Gardens in Scituate.

Love-in-A-Mist // The only reason I'm planting these is because I had a bit of a blank space and figured it was worth a shot. Given how small these seeds are - and how windy the yard can be - I have nearly zero confidence in these but the name was super cute and whatever [Floret link]

Ranunculus // Of several failures from last year, ranunculus were definitely up there. I planted these babes and then NOTHING. So, just like the Love-in-a-mist I have really low expectations. But I just love ranunculus so much that the love won out and I Amazon Prime'd some bulbs. It did seem like I was potentially pretty late in planting these so I did try to jump start them via this method for a few weeks. Also, I bought two yellow ranunculus from Lowe's because I couldn't handle all the bare dirt.

Tuberose the Pearl // I ordered these bulbs from Burpee like two months ago - and they still haven't arrived yet. Bulbs are super confusing and far more intimidating to me than tomatoes. Like why am I behind on my ranunculus, but potential on time for dahlias, but too early for these ones? They are supposed to be a great cut flower and smell amazing.
So we'll see how this all goes. The good news is that in the last day the ranunculus have begun to peek out of the ground. When I was prepping the beds a bit and setting up the lobster bricks, I could see some rogue plants were starting to grow. I have a sneaking suspicion that they might be sunflowers but we'll see. I'm going to let them grow a bit and then replant them in the correct section because I'm the boss, not them.

Spring is here

4.21.2017

 Spring is finally here - or so it feels like it.

If nothing else, mentally Spring has arrived. I no longer want to wear coats to work. Bye bye puffy jackets! I made my first batch of sun tea on a very sunny Saturday and I'm dreaming of pre-work mornings staring at my tomatoes. So pretty much just a rinse and repeat of Spring/Summer 2016. I'm honestly not sure what I would change - maybe more vacation days.

Recently, I've been working on fixing the dead spots in the lawn. A friend of mine asked me what I was doing one late Saturday afternoon and I responded "reseeding the lawn". So this is real now. I Last summer there were some incredible water restrictions which resulted in the lawn looking like splotchy bald man and so I'm trying to fix that. Everything on the internet tells you to only grow grass seed in the Fall, but what are you supposed to do when you realize its all dead in the Spring... just sit around and wait 5 months? Also, Lowe's really wants to sell everyone seed and dirt right now. Obviously I'm growing the grass anyway - or trying to at least. I'd like to understand why it is so easy to grow weeds - and less easy to grow grass.

But, I'm thrilled for these seasons to return. I can't wait to not have planned anything for dinner and then be like "well I guess I'll just have a fresh caprese salad ... again". Only like 3-4 months for that to happen. In the meantime, I'm getting as much fresh air as I can handle. I did a lot of trail walking this winter and those trails are starting to get green again. I heard a rumor there might be some fiddleheads coming up nearby and so finding them is pretty much the only thing on my weekend to-do list.
[top] brand new baby cow at Hornstra. I can't admit how often I visit the baby cows because they might start to charge me. 
[1-2] Weekend visit to John Little Conservation in Marshfield
[3] I discovered this new (to me) trail in Marshfield and this incredible house is right off the path. It's actually owned by the town - and I'm in love with every little spec of it. All the windows. All the corners and nooks - and especially that giant tree. 
[4-5] I renewed my Trustees membership and then immediately put it to use at World's End in Hingham. It was one of the first warm spring days and Ruby needed to take a dunk to cool off. When people ask me if she likes to swim, I say no - but she does love to wade in the water. She has the spirit of an old New England woman inside of her and I love it.
[6] There are some birds building this nest next to the front door. While I still question their placement and construction skills, I feel like I have to let them have this spot - clearly I haven't be able to provide them with any other places to raise their children. Plus, optimistically baby birds for Eleanor and I to watch for a few weeks.
[7] I thought I had done a reasonably good job doing Fall cleanup but never actually emptied the planters of their mums, kale, and pumpkins - whoops. It wasn't super fun to clean out but now they have pansies... which is absolutely better than decomposing gourds. 
[8-10] Quick little afternoon trip to Weir River Farm. The cat is named John and he is apparently a ruthless killer - who also likes belly rubs.

beet pickled deviled eggs

4.17.2017


Technically, these are called "beet pickled eggs" but it might be more accurate to call them "gently beet pickled eggs". But they look great right? Look at those beautiful pink edges.

I had inadvertently did not respond to the family text chain about what I was brining to Easter dinner. While I often ask others to plan in advance, I sometimes fail to do this myself. Sometimes I use this as an opportunity to do some last minute recipe planning - and that is how we ended up with these deviled eggs. This recipe is both shockingly easy... and a crowd pleaser. This appetizer won't disappear as fast as normal deviled eggs - but they will still be enjoyed. I think the next time I'll try to add a slightly salty or crunchy topping to them - either the crispy shallots from this recipe or perhaps some fried capers.

So the catch here?

  1. Time // You really need a solid 12-18 hrs at minimum for this recipe. I really missed that when I was trolling the internet. I picked up all the ingredients. Hard boiled my eggs. Then realized you need to let the eggs sit in the pickle business for quite a while - and the longer the better. I lasted for just under 12 hours.
  2. Container // You need to let the eggs pickle in a container that is non-reactive (e.g. glass) and can be airtight (e.g. a jar). Given my lack of advance planning, I was not prepared for this. I dumped out my jar of almonds and used that instead. 

If you do decide to make these - which you should - I would recommend using 1.5 jars of beets if you are trying to shorten the pickle (e.g. pink coloring) time. You can allegedly use the pickled beets in other meals (maybe avocado toast or a salad?) but so far they are still sitting my fridge. While I'm not sure if I'll get around to using them, I'll absolutely make these eggs again... perhaps with some beets from my own garden.



  1. Hard boil your eggs and peel them.
  2. Bring vinegar, sugar, salt, and 2½ cups water to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. 
  3. Add can of beets with juice, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes then let cool.
  4. Put your eggs in the jar and pour the brine over the eggs. Feel free to include some of the sliced beets. I'm not confident that it'll give you extra color but it won't hurt.
  5. Let the jar rest in your refrigerator for at least 12 hours. When you are ready, you can just pull the egg from the brine and use it however you like. 
Shopping List
7 hard boiled eggs
4 cups of white vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 can of sliced beets

hot cross bun loaf

4.16.2017

It feels like a lifetime since I wrote here - and nothing like a good seasonal baking event. Last year I made hot cross buns and I never like to make the same thing twice. I wasn't sure how many ways you could mix up "hot cross buns" but I do know that you can turn it into a loaf. Williams-Sonoma published a recipe and it only took me five years to stumble across it.

Honestly, only the title makes this recipe feel seasonal... everything else makes it rather idea for a year-round morning snack. Despite accidentally cooking it at 400F - instead of 350F, the loaf turned out great. You'd think that it would have been totally torched but honestly it was rather perfect. I'd still tell you to use 350, but the outside was nice and crusty and the inside was just the right amount of squishy and cinnamon sugary. I think you could also make it a little tastier with some chocolate chips or nuts - but that really is a bit alternation from the traditional hot cross bun recipe. 
Rave reviews all around for this gem - and I'll absolutely make it another time. It's one of those recipes where you wish you have more of it than you actually do. I'll probably 1.5x it next time to get three loaves because I just don't want to share anymore than I need to. Here's how it goes...
  1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine melted butter, room temperature milk, and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Add to the yeast mixture along with the eggs, currants, and orange zest. Combine all the ingredients using the dough hook and knead the dough on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes. Scrape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 1 1⁄2 hours.
  3. FILLING// In a bowl, stir together the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
  4. Grease two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into an 8 1⁄2-inch square. 
  5. Smear each rolled out dough with half of the filling. Roll up the dough and place seam side down in a prepared pan. Let rise again for about 45 minutes. Brush down the loaves with the egg white. 
  6. Preheat to 350°F. Brush the loaves with the egg wash. Bake until the loaves are golden brown and pull away from the pan sides, about 35 minutes. Turn out onto racks and let cool completely.
Shopping List
4 Tbs. butter
1 cup whole milk
1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
1 package active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
3⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄8 tsp. ground allspice
1⁄8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup dried currants
1 Tbs. finely grated orange zest

For the filling:4 Tbs. butter, softened
2⁄3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1 egg white, beaten with a little warm water

For the glaze:1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. whole milk

funfetti cinnamon rolls

4.02.2017

I made funfetti cinnamon rolls... because I'm a giant adult.

I was invited - or I invited myself, it's hard to keep track - over to a neighbor's house for dinner this weekend. They were already covering the pizza and salad - so I wasn't sure what to bring. They have two adorable little girls so my brain immediately jumped to funfetti cinnamon rolls. I had seen a hacky video of someone making them this week and it made perfect sense. They used like fridge dough and then cake mix? Honestly, seems more challenging than this recipe here.

These cinnamon rolls looked so good coming out of the oven that I rather immediately ate one - despite dinner being right around the corner. They were amazing warm. I always feel like cinnamon rolls like this need a glaze - but for some reason it just isn't necessary here. 

A few notes:
  • This recipe is really easy. The only things that are important are your initial water temperature (so you don't kill the yeast) and planing enough time for the dough to rise. If you need immediate cinnamon rolls, here is a recipe for that.
  • Dough cutting - I was trying to make the dough stretch enough for the hosting gift - and give me 2 or 3 rolls for testing (and eating). The original recipe says this will make 12 rolls but I probably managed to get up to 16 or so. The thinest I would slice the dough log is probably just over 1 inch.
  • Baking - I baked this recipe two ways: (1) in a muffin pan and (2) in a disposable round pan. The muffin pan is the perfect method as far as I'm concerned but the disposable pan made gifting them so much easier. I'll absolutely do this again and might even try just putting 2 or 3 rolls in a baby loaf pan as well.
Here's how it goes.
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle yeast over water and milk. Add 1 Tbsp sugar and stir to combine. Let sit for 5-7 minutes to allow mixture to bubble and active.
  2. After the yeast is foamy, mix together the remaining sugar, egg, and egg yolk.
  3. Switch to the dough hook and begin adding in flour. Add 2 cups to start, mix it, then another cup of flour.
  4. While the mixer is still on low, add in small pieces of the softened butter. I went with like 1/2 Tbsp slices. BUT - add them in one at a time. When you've finished adding in all the butter, then add the last cup of flour and knead the dough until it is smooth and pulls back from the sides of the bowl.
  5. Add in your confetti sprinkles in thirds. It doesn't have to be precise but it'll help to get the sprinkles more evenly distributed in the dough. Ideally, you can do this while the mixer is still on low - but this is how I spilled sprinkles all over the counter.
  6. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest until it has doubled in size (approx. 1 hour)
  7. Dump the risen dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle. The dough will be so beautiful! This isn't really scientific - but it'll be maybe about 1/3 inch thick.
  8. For the filling, combine softened (or melted) butter with the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Spread this over the rolled out dough.
  9. Roll the dough into a long log and sliced into the sizing you want. 
  10. Cook in a 350F preheated oven  for about 30 minutes. The time will depend a bit on the size of rolls you cut and the pan you cook them in.
Recipe is slightly adapted from this original post on The Little EpicureanShopping List
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large yolk
4 cups flour
5 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confetti sprinkles
Cinnamon Sugar Filling:1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
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