Rain and snow were all mixed up in the weather report today, making my morning walk full of drips and slips. I was in a fine mood even so, running into a friend or two along my route. The melting snow revealed bits of green beneath, and my steps were light. Then I had the inspiration…
Category: Dessert Recipes
Prayers, Pomegranates and Moroccan Fruit Salad
The allure of the pomegranate. I have been intrigued as long as I can remember. The abundance of hidden sweetness behind every papery membrane. Discovery. Stained fingers. The fruit of legends. The Stupa of Dharmakaya, Shambhala Mountain Center at Red Feather Lakes in Colorado is a setting where a beautiful depiction of the pomegranate fruit is displayed….
Two Lovely Shortbread Cookies: Glazed Lavender + Toasted Hazelnut Clementine
One holiday tradition I always look forward to is baking. Yesterday it was my recipe for the absolutely delectable, intriguing – and beguiling! – glazed lavender shortbread, first notably served at a winter solstice party (2007, the year the tradition began) to raves and immediate requests for the recipe. The shortbread is buttery and offers the mellow, unexpected…
A Sunny October Day – and GF Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti
Loving the light this October day, especially with a freshly made chocolate dipped biscotti in hand, sitting under this tree in my backyard. Discovering, baking and revising gluten free recipes, then basking in the afterglow of finished goods such as this fresh biscotti is a beautiful thing (or —best of all — homemade cream puffs,…
Autumn – Almond Butter Cookies – And Criss Crossed Lines
This world is filled with lines that cross. Everywhere. In a myriad of ways. Lines of communication, lineage of families. Branches of trees making up a forest. Tic Tac Toe. Lines, highways, rivers and streets. Words on a page. Prayers criss cross and tumble over each other on the wind – for our lives, to connect to each…
Paonia Peaches! Elderberry peach crisp, Frangelico peach preserves, Serrano peach hot sauce
The North Fork Valley of Colorado where I live is blessed with so many orchards, most of them organic. In mid – August, everyone was talking about JJ’s peaches, u-pick for 1.25 a lb. I decided to drive up to Lamborn Mesa during the height of the earliest picking season, on a coolish morning which was quickly warming…
The Chokecherry Tree ~ and a fine dessert recipe of GF Honey Lavender Shortcakes with Caramelized Peaches and Chokecherry Syrup
I’m living in a sweet, residential neighborhood of a small town on the western slope of Colorado, the North Fork Valley. The street has a lush canopy of leaves, my home is a 106 year old renovated two story, with plenty of trees and flowers, and a rich garden plot in the back. It really…
A Moving-in Celebration (and) Eating Local in Denver
This weekend was a greatly anticipated trip to Denver to see my son and daughter-in-law, their new place in the city (and their two dogs, a beagle and chihuahua mix, and cat, of course!) Coming from my garden in rural Colorado and with the cherries, apricots and peaches literally bouncing off the trees right now gave me…
Apricots, a parade……and cooking dinner with friends on the Fourth of July
I was so happy to have a sweet invitation on the Fourth of July to come over to a friend’s house and cook dinner with a vibrant group of people. Living in a town of about 1600 folks with a few yearly festivals and lots of culture means that on July 4th the annual Cherry Days/Fourth of July…
Sour Cherry Season – with recipes
The season of Cherries is upon us! These trees are in my friends’ expansive organic AND biodynamic orchard in Paonia, Colorado – in the fruit grower’s valley, THE fruit grower’s valley of the state. I have an Italian plum, small “summer” apple, a big grape bower with Reliance and Thompson seedless grapes, a small strawberry…