Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

I am getting closer to making my decisions for this year’s winners of the 2023 Great Bloggers’ Bake-Off. I have narrowed some things down and have made some decisions, but have a few more to make. I should have the results very, very soon. In the mean time though, I will continue to share some more of our fabulous entries. We have a lot of very talented bakers in our midst. 🙂

And another great interview with Mel. This time she interviewed Sadje from https://lifeafter50forwomen.com/

There are two words that we have heard again and again when talking to WordPressers about why they stick with WordPress and why they like this community of writers so much. The first was INSPIRATION, but equally important is ENCOURAGEMENT.

We all know that ENCOURAGEMENT can be a powerful motivator. Like sunshine and water to a seedling, the positive feedback we give and receive within WordPress can be a huge spur to us growing creatively and becoming more confident in expressing ourselves.

When we thought about the power of ENCOURAGEMENT on WordPress many names came to mind – but top of the list was Sadje. She has a reputation from being one of the friendliest and most encouraging of writers. Some of us remember Sadje when she was new to WordPress, and we have seen her flourish and grow and admire at what a creative force she has steadily become.

Sadje, it is a true pleasure to be able to feature you as one of our INPSIRATIONAL WORDPRESSERS this weekend. We have some questions for you, and we are sure that your answers will be a great source of encouragement for us.

When did you start out on WordPress and what has motivated you to continue publishing online?

I started my blog on 6th September 2018. It was a spur of the moment decision and I never imagined where it would take me. 

It was fun and exciting to connect with so many like-minded people on WordPress and make friends with them. The act of putting my words and thoughts out there in the world was cathartic, exhilarating, and inspiring. When I saw the response of many of my readers I kept on writing!

How do writing prompts help you to develop your creativity?

I think it was early on in my blogging journey that I discovered the various prompts and challenges different people were hosting. Once I started writing for them, I got addicted to doing the daily challenges. These words would be so different from each other that combining them in one post would be a challenging task. I loved doing that. 

I also started writing poetry, which I hadn’t done before but now I can proudly say that I can write different forms of poetry too. 

Sadje, we know everyone will agree that you have been one of the most encouraging WordPressers out there – why is it so important to you to encourage others with their creativity?

Thank you Mel for your kind words. I think I wanted to repay in kind what was gifted to me when I started my blog. 

I used to make many mistakes initially, both in spellings and grammar and some very kind and generous people would correct me in a manner that would be encouraging and never put me down.  So I also wanted to be that sort of support to new bloggers in WordPress. I also believe that the real spirit of blogging lies in the interaction between bloggers. So I try my best to engage with the people I follow. A positive feedback brings out the best in us all.

We know that you host at least one prompt. Could you let us know how we can find your prompts and give us an idea of what they involve please?

I host a weekly image-based challenge that is posted every Monday. I took over when a very dear friend/ blogger Helene passed away in 2019. This challenge is called, “WHAT DO YOU SEE?”  Every Sunday, I also ask a question in my, “SUNDAY POSER” The question can be related to life in general or sometimes to blogging. 

We know some of us have at times encountered challenges in using WordPress, but what would you say is the best thing about WordPress?

I feel the best thing about WordPress is its community and the community spirit. People here are helpful, kind, and supportive. So despite the various technical difficulties/ glitches we all have experienced on this platform, we all are still around because of our awesome community. 

Thank you Sadje – for this interview and also for all that you have contributed to WordPress. You have encouraged so many other writers, and become a very precious part of a thriving WordPress community, We are so glad for all that you are and all that you do.

And thank you Mel for ALL your amazing work every year on this fabulously fun event. You make it all happen. 🙂

It’s getting harder and harder to spontaneously enjoy nature, at least in our neck of the woods. Now you have to schedule an appointment for many of the National Parks before you can get in, at least during peak seasons. But schedule an appointment we did, and boy what a fabulous day we had too.

We had scheduled our day at RMNP a few weeks ago. Saturday, we packed a picnic lunch and headed up to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) with Mike and Lauren. It was a perfect day. A little cooler and cloudy at first, but it was perfect. At times we were driving through the clouds, and then we were above the clouds, looking down into them. It was very dreamlike.

And believe it or not, there were still some patches of snow at the higher elevations. When we entered the park, the elevation was 8200 feet. The highest part, or peak was 12,000 feet.

We saw a lot of pretty mountain wildflowers. You all know how much I love my flowers.

We hiked down to a gorgeous water fall that flowed heavily down the mountain.

We had some very playful and curious crows who decided to entertain us through lunch.

And best of all, we saw LOTS and LOTS of critters. I always look for critters, and this time they were all over the place. WHOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!! It totally made our day. 🙂

First we saw a momma deer and her baby. I didn’t get any good pictures of the baby. She was shy and stayed protected behind the trees. But momma was curious.

I would have been happy if these two were all we saw, but we were in for a real treat. There were so many elk all around. It is elk season and they were definitely out and about. We even saw two young bucks rutting, and showing off a bit.

Then a little further down the road we saw a much bigger buck who couldn’t be bothered with the youngsters. He was so majestic and gorgeous, and he definitely knew it too.

Again, this would have made my day, but there were still so many more to see as well. We saw another big buck presiding over his herd. We saw 6 all together in a higher meadow, including at least 1 calf.

We even saw him bugling to is herd just to let them all know where he was, and that they were safe.

We were all thrilled!!!!!! It was a fantastic day. I can’t believe how many elk we saw. Sometimes we just get lucky like this. Most of the time though, we don’t see any. But it’s always exciting when we do. 🙂

I have been looking at all of your fabulous entries once again, and WOW!!!!! Holy cow!!!! Everyone did such an amazing job baking this year. Everything looks so good. 🙂

I haven’t made my final decisions yet, but I am getting closer. You are all really making me work this year. And I LOVE every minute of it too. 🙂

Again, I am going to share some of this year’s entries and another bit of inspiration from Punam.

Here is Mel’s interview with Punam:

We knew that this year, we wanted to feature a WordPress treasure, a writer and poet who has been a key part of THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF every year. It is always a joy to share with you Punam, the creator of PAEANSUNPLUGGEDBLOG!

Punam, you have a treasure trove of poetry on your website – going back over seven and a half years. We have regularly seen your brilliant interpretation of writing prompts on WordPress and wondered how you keep on coming up with so many great poems. We wanted to ask you about your creativity because you are such an inspirational WordPresser.

Hi Mel. Before I answer your questions, I would like to thank you for inviting me to share my blogging journey.

Our honour Punam!

When did you start out on WordPress and how has your personal creativity developed since you began publishing online?

I started my blog on 28th February 2016 as a birthday gift to my childhood best friend. She had been very insistent that I start blogging and gave me the ultimatum that as a birthday gift she wanted me to start a blog!
I had started writing poems in high school, wrote a few in college and then lost interest in writing.

Years later I started writing again and shared sporadically in a WhatsApp group of school friends who were very encouraging.
It has made a huge difference to my writing since I went online. I have learnt so much about forms, rhyme and rhythm, syllable counting and so much more from my very accomplished fellow bloggers. Being on WordPress has taught me so much more about poetry than what I learnt in school or college.

Punam, how does having a creative outlet to express yourself help you to cope with challenges in life?

Believe me, Mel, it is very helpful. Whether I am ranting, despairing or writing about my joys and sorrows, putting my thoughts into words always helps me de-stress.

Moreover the comments from the community are always uplifting and supportive. My interactions with fellow bloggers reaffirms my faith in humanity. So yes, having a creative outlet definitely helps in facing life’s challenges.

How have writing prompts been a source of inspiration?

I started off by responding to the daily prompt by WordPress. That is where I got in touch with so many bloggers who are friends now. Responding to different prompts not only helps me exercise my creative muscles, I get to meet new bloggers and I also learn so much from fellow bloggers who are so creative. The added bonus is this community feels like family.

Have you ever encountered “writer’s block”? What do you do to ignite inspiration?

I haven’t really encountered “writer’s block” till now. If a prompt leads me to a topic I have already written about a number of times, I do reread my own poems so that I don’t repeat myself. Or if when I have written something that I feel is not worth posting, I leave it and come back to it later and that usually helps.

We know that at times some of us have encountered challenges using WordPress, but what would you say is the best thing about using WordPress?

The best thing about WordPress is certainly the community it has created. I am not very tech savvy, as a result I often struggle with glitches on WP, yet I can’t think of quitting this platform because of the beautiful unconditional bonds we have created here and how it helps me hone my creativity.

Thank you so much Punam – we think you have captured perfectly exactly what we have been celebrating all weekend. How proud we are of this great community on WordPress that has provided a constant flow of inspiration and encouragement and you are a lynchpin of this community. How grateful we are to you for your replies to our questions – full of inspirationan and encouragement for all of us.

And now for some more of our fabulous creations.

See why my job as judge is so challenging this year? And there are still so many more. Everything just looks so delicious!!!!! Gob job everyone. Well done!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Always let your creative juices flow freely. You never know what can happen when you just let yourself be free. 🙂 Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

OMG!!!!!!! A huge round of applause to all of you bakers out there. I just saw the entries. All I can say is WOW!!!!! Everyone did such an amazing job this year. You all totally out did yourselves. Now, my job as judge is even harder than ever. Everyone is most definitely a winner though, no matter what the final results turn out to be. Thank you ALL so much for participating and submitting so many wonderful recipes. Hopefully I will have made my final decisions within a few days. I have to really look at everything and put my thinking cap on.

In the mean time, I will share some of our entries we received this year, as well as the interview with Mel and Irene. Everything looks so delicious!!!!!! Thanks. I just gained another 10 or so lbs just by looking at everything. 🙂

Irene won The Star Baker Award last year for her Nova Scotia Style Oatcakes. https://mysliceofmexico.ca/2022/10/15/nova-scotia-style-oatcakes/.

One of our favorite features of THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF is the chance to share with you one of our incredible baking creatives who has made a very delicious contribution to THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF over the years.

Irene, we are thrilled to be featuring you. On so many levels, you are a shining example of the very best of the WordPress community – the international, multi-cultural, creative talent that has been a phenomenally positive force on WordPress. We would love to know about your online publishing and your experience when it comes to INSPIRATION and ENCOURAGEMENT.

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO START OUT PUBLISHING ONLINE AND TO STICK AT IT?

Growing up in Mexico, my friends and teachers frequently asked me about my Japanese background, so I got used to asking my parents if some particular food, word or tradition was Japanese, Mexican, or a blend. When I came to Canada as a young grown-up, I found myself talking again about food, words and traditions, but the questions had mostly turned to Mexico, my country of origin. I knew some answers, but sometimes it was hard to put them into context or, shamefully, there were many I simply did not know. That motivated me to find meaningful answers to those questions, and what started as brushing up on colloquial Spanish, Mexican history and its food, became a new experience, and stuff I learned in school or took for granted, acquired a new dimension. 

Throughout the years, I have shared those findings with my husband and daughters, friends, teachers, colleagues, and even curious strangers, so five years ago, I was very excited to begin documenting them in a blog.  What motivates me to continue publishing is the kind feedback I receive from readers and fellow bloggers, especially when someone has tried (and liked) a recipe, or finds a story relevant or interesting.

HOW HAVE YOU PUT YOUR OWN UNIQUE TWIST ON YOUR WORDPRESS SITE AND THE POSTS YOU PUBLISH?

I read and follow many great blogs about cooking, literature, Mexican history, Spanish language, gardening, and personal stories.  I have found that in general, Mexican cuisine sites sometimes incorporate one of the other aspects, but not in great detail, and history, literature and gardening sites may talk about Mexican food, but if a recipe is included, it is not fully developed or explained.  I enjoy following the background of a recipe, many times finding fun facts or unexpected twists that put ingredients and methods into context, then testing and sharing full recipes with directions; or sometimes, I start with a personal memory, a piece of history or a gardening tip, and it leads me to a dish that has significance and enhances the story.  I really think I have found a niche that allows me to share recipes and reach, and engage with, readers interested in food, but also one or more of the other topics concerning the dishes. 

HOW HAS PUBLISHING HELPED YOU TO DEVELOP AND EXPRESS YOUR CREATIVITY?

Publishing a recipe requires more than copying ingredients from my notes. I check the background, see if ingredients will be readily available outside Mexico, and find sources or substitutions; then, I test the recipe, and try to find ways to photograph the cooking process so the steps will be easy to follow, and to showcase the final product.  Staging the food is a lot of fun, and I never use fake props or inedible enhancers.  I also credit the word prompts and other challenges provided by fellow bloggers; since English is my second language, it is always a welcomed exercise to try and make the prompts fit in my stories.

WHEN READERS VISIT YOUR SITE OR READ YOUR POSTS – WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THEM TO REMEMBER OR TAKE AWAY?

Anything that is relevant to them; it could be a story that brought back a memory of their own, a recipe that calls for their favourite ingredients (or the forgotten veggies that were mutating in their fridge, LOL), a tip that will help in their garden, or a photo of a flower or dish that made them smile.

WHAT KIND OF BAKE WOULD REPRESENT YOUR PERSONALITY?

I think maybe small cakes, like squares or petit fours.  They are versatile (sweet or savory, decadent or lean, etc.), neat and orderly (perfectly aligned or arranged on a tray), and require precision and creativity. 

IS THERE A DISH OR RECIPE ON YOUR SITE THAT HAS A SPECIAL PERSONAL CONNECTION OR IS VERY CLOSE TO YOUR HEART?

I think because of the nature of my website, in which almost every dish has a backstory, there are many recipes that connect to my childhood, or cooking and sharing with my daughters.  One at the top is my banana bread, because it reminds me of both my late brother, and my mom, with whom I developed the recipe with our secret ingredient, one time she was visiting here in Canada.

HOW HAS THE WAY OTHER WORDPRESS USERS EXPRESS THEMSELVES ENCOURAGED YOU?

When bloggers share their personal stories, traditions, and memories, they make their websites special and unique, regardless of the topics they cover (fiction, bio, travel, gardening, or of course, cooking).  That model encouraged me to pursue mine as an account of my own way of experiencing Mexico (hence the name “My Slice of Mexico”), and the support, comments and feedback I receive is what keeps me going. 

Thank you all, and especially the awesome GBBO organizers for giving everyone an opportunity to share their bakes, widen audiences, and discover new sites through this epic contest. This year’s theme “Express Yourself” promises to be another great platform for showcasing all bakers’ creativity; I am looking forward to joining the fun, and discovering new websites and baked creations!

Irene, thank you so much for this wonderful interview, and for the extraordinary work you put into your website MY SLICE OF MEXICO. It’s an honor to be able to share your story here to stir our excitement for THE 2023 “EXPRESS YOURSELF” GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF. And thank you Mel, for putting all of this together for a deliciously fun event every year. You do an amazing job pulling us all together through food and baking.

Stay tuned. I am only just beginning. We have lots more still yet to discover. 🙂

No matter how much we know about something, there is always more to learn. This is true about everything. I am a good cook, and I know a lot about cooking, baking, preparing foods, and service, etc., but I too am always still learning new things.

I was a culinary student once again, learning something new about something I had never done before. I went to a pickling class that was offered at my favorite spice shop in Denver, Savory Spice. Savory Spices of Denver

I have cooked and prepared many things in my life, and I do so everyday, but I have never pickled or canned anything before, other than salsas and things like that. I am on Savory Spice‘s email list, and the other day I received an email for a pickling class. I checked the calendar and it was clear. I asked Lauren if she wanted to go with me, since learning new things is always more fun when you have a friend with you, and she was clear too, so off we went. We learned a quick and simple way to pickle vegetables.

Rebecca was our leader for the day. She had everything all prepared and demonstrated before letting us novice picklers try it out. She had fresh, organic green beans, carrots, and cucumbers all cut up and ready for us to pick and choose what we wanted, along with all the pickling spices laid out and the warmed brine ready to go. She also had some elephant garlic and fresh dill and dried jalapenos. We could pick and choose and customize our vegetable jars however we wanted. All of us created our own unique jar of pickled vegetables that we got to take home with us. There were 9 of us who attended the class. It was just the right size too; not too small and definitely not too big. I think we all learned something new and had a good time in the process.

Lauren and I showing off our pickled jars.

I am not exactly sure what Lauren put in hers, but I put a little bit of everything in mine. I filled it with green beans and carrots, then added some of the elephant garlic, fresh dill, dried jalapeno slices, and about 3-4 tsp of pickling spices, which included black peppercorns, mustard seed and coriander seeds.

Elephant garlic is a HUGE garlic bulb, that can often weigh up to 1 lb each. It has a milder flavor than regular, smaller garlic cloves and can be used for just about anything you would use regular garlic for as well.

Simple Pickling Brine

A brine is necessary to pickle vegetables. Without a brine, your vegetables will just wilt, and won’t be preserved or “pickle”. A good pickling brine has the proper ratio of water, vinegar, salt and sugar. This same brine can be used for any kinds of vegetables.

1 cup distilled white viegar

2 TBSP kosher salt

2 tsp sugar

2-4 TBSP pickling spices

2 cups water

Combine everything together in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil until all the salt and sugar have completely dissolved.

Pack your choice of vegetables in a mason jar with a tight fitting lid. Pack it as full as you can, then add your finishing touches. More is better for this one. A nice little tip Rebecca pointed out, is that sometimes it is best to add your pickling spices directly into each jar as well, to make sure they are evenly distributed throughout the batch. Once your vegetables are packed the way you want them, pour the vinegar mixture over them and fill the jar. Then seal the jar tightly and flip it over a few times to mix everything up. Allow the vegetables to sit at room temperature for 24 hours, then you can store them in the refrigerator. They will last for months in the refrigerator, especially if unopened.

Our pickling class proudly displaying our creations. Thank you Rebecca. It was a fun, new learning experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the class.

And of course I didn’t just come home with a jar of pickled vegetables. No, no, no. I bought some other fun goodies too, that you know I will put to good use very soon. 🙂 I LOVE Savory Spice. I have been hooked ever since my friend Janet introduced me to them a a few years ago. They offer so many unique and different spices that you won’t find anywhere else.

This time my haul included dried mustard, dried lemon peel, candied orange peels, candied ginger and espresso powder, and because I spent over $40, I got another jar of spices for free. I chose some California citrus rub, that I used in my pork quesadillas last night for dinner. YUMMY!

Savory Spice is a local Denver spice store, owned and operated here in Denver, but they ship anywhere in the United States. I am not sure if they ship out of the country or not, but then you never know until you try, right?! Savory Spice has a few locations in the Denver Metro area, but the one we went to was located at 1537 Platte Street, Denver, CO 80202. You can contact them either by phone at (303) 477-3322 or online at http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/denver-platte-08 or denver@savorysoiceshop.com. If you have never been in a spice shop before, you definitely have to try it. You will be in for an unforgettable experience in the world of spices. 🙂

Learn something new and have fun too. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Thank you once again to both the Ohio Cook https://beatcancer2010.wordpress.com/ and Mimi from Good Eats By Mimi at https://goodeatsbymimi.blog/ for this delicious inspiration of the Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins. Please keep your good recipes coming. 🙂 The only things I did differently from your recipe was I added some banana extract and I made them as mini muffins. Other than that, I followed your lead. They were a big hit today.

I decided to make these as mini muffins 1) because I needed to get more to feed more people and 2) because I like to keep things on my coffee cart as bite-sized or small portions. These were perfect, especially since they were served alongside other goodies as well.

Cinnamon Chocolate Banana Muffins

If you choose to make these as full sized muffins, you will get about 1 dozen. I made them as mini muffins, and I got 5 dozen. i did need to make more streusel topping though.

Preheat the oven to 425* F or 220* C.

Line your muffin pans with paper muffin cups.

The Streusel

1 TBSP cinnamon

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix everything together then place a little bit of the mixture on the bottom of the paper muffin cups. Save the rest for later.

The Muffins

1 2/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

6TBSP softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp banana extract

1 1/2 cups or about 3-4 bananas, mashed

1/4 cup plain yogurt

Mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Mix the butter and sugar together until creamy, then add the mashed bananas and the vanilla and banana extract and mix again . Add 1/2 the flour mixture and 1/2 of the yogurt and mix, then repeat until it is all mixed together.

Add the batter on top of the streusel mixture, then add the rest of the streusel mixture on top of the batter.

Bake for 5 minutes at 425* then reduce the heat to 375* F or 191*C and continue to bake for about 20 minutes, or until the muffins are set and are done on the inside.

Remove from the oven and cool before eating. Mine all disappeared very quickly, again. Yours will too. 🙂

Thank you ladies once again for this delicious inspiration and idea. Please keep them coming. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I laughed so hard at Larry a few days ago when he said I needed to eat more leftovers. What????? Does he NOT realize I am the Queen of Leftovers??? I recreate with leftovers ALL THE TIME!!!! Oh well. Whatever! I guess he just doesn’t realize that. I’ll take that as a compliment. 🙂

This time I had some leftover pulled pork that I took out of the freezer and mixed it with the leftover glaze I made from my cherry-lime-jalapeno chicken, From The Farmers’ Market and made it even spicier with some chipotle peppers. Then I slow cooked it all in the slow cooker for about 5 hours.

The pork, though cooked, was still tough, so slow cooking it was perfect. It came out so tender and was just full of flavor. All the flavors of the sauce just came together and went so well with the pork.

I didn’t measure anything, but then again, I never do. I just added a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and voila. Dinner was done. But since you want recipes, I will guestimate for you. 🙂

1/2 cup cherry-lime-jalapeno sauce

2-3 TBSP lime juice

1/2 cup water

2-3 chipotle peppers with sauce, chopped fine

I just mixed everything together and put it all in the slow cooker for about 5 hours. I walked away and forgot about it until it was ready to dish up and serve.

I served it all on top of some wild rice with some cooked green beans on top. And a red blend on the side.

So see, leftovers can be fun, especially if you recreate them into something totally different than what they were as firstovers. 🙂

As I always say, play with your food and be creative. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

You all know I love my cookies. I will eat any kind of cookie that comes my way. Of course, I have my favorites, and that list is continuously growing. But I haven’t found a bad cookie yet. They’re all good to me.

I made cookies with a light lemon glaze the other day. They just melted in my mouth. They only have a hint of lemon, but it is just enough to know there is a bit of a citrus accent to them.

Of course I changed the recipe. Originally they were supposed to maple flavored with nuts, but I changed everything maple to lemon instead and took out the nuts. With all the nut allergies today, I don’t make as many things with nuts as I would like, which is a shame, because I love nuts, and I was already offering my cinnamon roll cake that had nuts. Cinnamon Roll Cake Next time I might just have to make them with the maple and the nuts. 🙂

Lightly Lemon Glazed Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180* C.

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup or 2 sticks softened butter

3 eggs

1 1/4 tsp lemon extract

3/4 cup milk

4 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

As with most cookies, mix the sugar and butter together until creamy, then add the eggs one at a time, and the vanilla.

Combine all the dry ingredients and mix well, then add 1/2 at a time and mix, add the milk 1/2 at a time and mix, and repeat.

Drop into 1 TBSP sized portions, and lightly roll into a ball, then press gently if you like them a bit flatter. These cookies are going to be puffy cookies because of the eggs and the baking soda. I pressed them down a bit more at about the half-way point. I am not a big fan of puffy cookies. I like them flatter and a bit crunchier. But this just me. There is nothing wrong with puffy cookies if that’s what you like. They are just not my favorites.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the cookies are are lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before adding the glaze.

I had some lemon glaze from something else leftover, so I used that instead of making some more.

Lemon Glaze

1/4 cup softened butter

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp lemon extract

2 tsp water

Mix everything together until it is spreadable, then spread a dabble on top of each cookie. I added some purple sprinkles on top just for some color and little pizzazz. These cookies are subtle, so I wanted the toppings to be subtle too.

Enjoy all the cookies and have a great day. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I love sunflowers. They are such happy flowers. Right now they are in full bloom all over the place. There are different varieties, different sizes, different colors, and all are beautiful.

This is my own sunflower patch in my backyard. I let them just completely take over and bloom to their heart’s content.

They were my inspiration for this.

I am still very much an amateur painter, but I enjoy painting, and I just felt like painting. This is what I created.

Sometimes you just have to play around and let your creative side come out. It doesn’t matter how good something is. Just do it for you. What matters is how does it make you feel when you do it. Do things that make you happy and give you joy. Just get those creative juices flowing. Who knows what the results will be, but have a good time and have fun creating. 🙂

Galettes are very popular free form pies. They can be either sweet or savory. You can fill them with anything you like. The possibilities are endless.

When Lauren and I went to the Farmers’ market the other day, I bought a 1/2 box of Palisade peaches. From The Farmers’ Market I will be using them again for something else this weekend, but the first thing I made with them was a peach and cherry galette.

Galettes, originally known as gales, have been around since the Ancient Norman times. Gales were flat cakes. They were first made in the regions of Normandy, Brittany and French Guiana. Italians also have a type of galette that they call crostada or galettas. They are the same thing under a different name. In Spanish, they are known as galetas.

Galettes are made from a pie dough which is baked on a baking sheet rather than in a pie tin or pan. The dough is rolled out into a thin circle, then placed on the pan, filled with the filling, and the edges are folded over and pinched together. No two galettes are ever going to be exactly the same. And even when you pinch and and fold it over perfectly, they have a mind of their own, and often take different shapes.

Peach and Cherry Galette

I made my dough first, which is my basic go-to pate sucre, or sugar dough. Peach and Blueberry Galette Then I made the filling.

Preheat the oven to 400* F or 205* C

Line your baking pan with parchment paper

5-6 peaches, peeled and sliced

2 cups cherries, stems removed and pitted

1 tsp lemon extract

1/2 cup + 1 TBSP sugar

1/4 cup cold water

2 TBSP cornstarch

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp lemon zest

egg wash

sugar for topping

Let the dough set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. Roll out the dough into a thin circle. Then place it on the prepared pan.

Mix everything together for the filling and place it all in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil until the sugar and cornstarch dissolves, and most of the liquid has evaporated. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour the fruit compote into the center of the dough, trying to leave the edges clear. Then work your way around the dough, lifting, folding and pinching it as you go. If the juice runs it, it runs out. No worries. That’s what the parchment paper is for.

Make and egg wash and brush it all over the top and sides of the dough, then sprinkle sugar all around the top.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and set. Remove from the oven and let cool before serving. It is best when served warm, with either some ice cream or whipped cream on the side.

This is a delicious rustic dessert that you can make however you like. There are NO rules. Enjoy!

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay cool, stay safe and stay well. ’til next time.