Monday, August 27, 2012

It's a Whale, It's a Whale, It's a Whalefish he cried"

Avila Beach
was
in
the
national news
few mornings ago

pod
of
were
hovering
around
Avila bay
in between
and
 around the piers
and causing quite
a
scene


 pelicans
were
everywhere

kind of felt
like
that
eerie
Hitchcock movie
"The Birds"
_MG_0001


fish
must
be crazy
there below the
surface
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pelicans dive-bombing

seals

dolphins
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 and
huge
glorious
Humpback whales
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slow dancing
in and out
of
 the water
_MG_0008



awesome

magnificent
_MG_0011


so
close to
the pier

diving
in and around
fishing boats
_MG_0014

putting on
quite
a
 performance
for 
all
who came 
to see
_MG_0016

….


_MG_0021



_MG_0024…..


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and they 
slow-danced
back
out
to sea
_MG_0039..


_MG_0042


and were gone



the whales
reminded 
me 
of a song
from
1962
sung by the Limeliters


a song
that I played
many years
later
when 
Annie and Andrew
were little

cannot
even imagine
how
anyone could ever
kill
or even harm
those
magnificent
creatures



…just saying




Thank you, John Conner
for 
all the 
wonderful
photographs
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Monday, August 13, 2012

A Really REALLY Good Cookie - continued……….



My
Aunt Martha
was
so
right-on
with
her
Pearl of Wisdom

ONLY
yes, only
eat a 
really really good cookie



here
(courtesy of Isabel)
is
a
Really Really Good Cookie


remember
the 
blog?
(it is highlighted for easy referral)


I
baked
these 
Speculaas Nutella Cookies
as
a
birthday treat
for an
old
(not OLD…..  but old)
family 
friend
that was 
born in
the Netherlands
IMG_1535
you 
mix up
Speculaas
with
butter sugars flour….
then
s w i r l
in
Nutella
IMG_1537

then roll
the
dough
into
balls
IMG_1539
make a criss cross
with
the
tine
of a 
fork
IMG_1545


bake

and
indulge
IMG_1550

crispy
on the outside
and
perfectly 
chewy
in the inside
IMG_1551

Here's
the
recipe:

Izzy's Speculaas Nutella Cookies

1/2 c. Speculaas spread
1/2 c. softened butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. Nutella

375 degree oven

In a mixer (or with a mixer, if you like the hand kind better) combine Speculaas
and butter until well combined and pale in color
Beat in sugars, egg and vanilla.  Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and soda and mix into Speculaas batter until just combined.
Swirl Nutella into dough.
Form into walnut sized balls and criss cross with the tines of a fork
Bake about 12 minutes until a teeny bit brown around edges.
Cool on a baking rack (if you can…  …)

This would be an amazing Christmas Cookie !!

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Speculoos

Speculoos
or
Speculaas
is a
Dutch 
or
Flemmish
Cookie Butter




What is a cookie butter?


tried
desperately
to explain
"cookie butter"
to 
me and Ashley
….."it is really popular in Belgium and the Netherlands.  It looks like peanut butter, but like Nutella, but not chocolate, with cookies in it - like gingerbread"
uh?  what?

        the next day,
             Isabel brought me Speculoos
                      from Trader Joes
                                and she wrote down three recipes 
                                          for me to try
IMG_1525

this
is
SPECULOOS
IMG_1522

Speculoos
does
look like
peanut butter
and it
does
taste a
bit
like
gingerbread
IMG_1527

and
the
recipe
bakes
up
into
beautiful
light
fragrant
banana bread
IMG_1529

a bit spicy
and
so
delicious
IMG_1530

and
like Nutella,
Speculoos
would be delicious
spread
on toast
or graham cookies
or apple slices

IZZY'S SPECULOOS BANANA BREAD

3 ripe bananas
1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 c. Speculoos
3 TBS. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

350 degrees - I loaf pan, or 3 mini loaf pans, greased (or Pam'd)

In the bowl if a mixer, combine first 5 ingredients until creamy.  Set aside.
In another bowl, mix together sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon
Slowly pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix until batter forms.
Bake one hour for large loaf and 45 minutes for mini loaves

Sadly for Petit Soleil
the love for
Belgium
(and her grandpa)
has 
called
Izzy
away
we hope she 
will
return
to Petit
when 
she
gets back
to
Cal Poly

Thank you

Izzy

for
introducing
us
to 
Speculoos 


and for all 
the 
extra
little
special
things
you did 
for
 Petit Soleil


we will miss you!