Banana Ketchup, You're the One
March 6, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
At first glance, it seems a little strange, right? I was skeptical myself. But take my word for it, banana ketchup is really delicious. It starts with the sweetness of banana and ends with the tanginess of its tomato-based cousin. All with less salt and sugar! Great for dipping, and we even used it to baste some grilled chicken last weekend ... sooooo tasty. Thanks to the island of St. Lucia for inventing, or at least distributing, this wonderful product. And lucky for you, you can buy it online.
Yum. Yum. Double yum. (Name that children's book!)
Tomatoes for Harry
March 4, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
Today would have been my Grandpa's 88th birthday. When I was a kid, every summer he had the most beautiful vegetable garden with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, corn, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, string beans, butternut squash, pumpkins, blueberries, and raspberries. He even had an asparagus patch and grapevines. Of course, there was never, ever a weed in sight, and he'd always plant a row of gladiolus flowers. Those were for my Grandma. He'd bring them to her up at the house a few stalks at a time, where she would put them in a vase on the kitchen windowsill above the sink and call them her "glads".
I like to think that I got my own green thumb from my Grandpa. I loved walking the garden with him as I learned all the plants, and he taught me everything I know about digging potatoes. To be entrusted with gathering the daily harvest was a pleasure that gave great pride to my 12-year-old self. All the tomatoes, zucchini, squash, and cucs that were not eaten right away were put on the plastic-gingham-clad picnic table in the garage, where a green faux-turf rug crunched underfoot. No visitor went away empty handed, and leftovers were made into zucchini relish and pickles for canning. There was an ever evolving three-bean salad in the fridge, there were fresh cherry tomatoes with homemade bleu cheese dip every night before dinner, and the first of the late summer corn was a very big deal.
From his impeccable beds to his prize-winning pumpkins to his tireless dedication, my Grandpa is my constant gardening inspiration. What I wouldn't give to be able to pick his brain these days. I hope I've made him proud.Snowmageddon in Charm City
February 25, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
I had a great trip spending time with the fam in Baltimore. I managed to get there right in between the two storms of the "snowpocalypse". It was cold and very snowy, but rosy cheeks and hot chocolate make for a nice change of pace (once in a while). My nieces, Louisa and Celia, are growing so fast and are so cute, and I even got to see all the family canines, not to mention my parents, sisters, and brother-in-law. It had also been years since I'd been on a sled, but the hill in Mere and Joe's new backyard did not disappoint!
Our Newest Niece
February 6, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
I'd like you to meet Miss Iris Helen. She was born on January 28th, weighing in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces. Iris is the first grandbaby on Tom's side, and we're all so excited she's arrived!
Change of Plans ... and COWS!
February 5, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
With 18+ inches of snow about to descend upon Baltimore, my trip has been delayed until Monday. It's a bit disappointing (especially since I'll be missing the Super Bowl party for which I was going to make a most delectable buffalo chicken dip), but I'd rather be home for a few more days than be stuck in some Orlando airport hotel. I do have to commend AirTran, though. I got an email offering to let me change my flight at no charge in order to avoid the practically guaranteed weather-related cancelations. I know it was in their own self-interest, but I felt like it was a classy move nonetheless.
On the bright side, now I get to tell you about what happened yesterday afternoon. Remember three days ago when I was describing my obsession with feral cows and lamenting that I've never caught them on camera? Well, now I can put a sock in it!
Although interestingly, lamenting really seems to work for me lately. This fall I lamented what an awful fantasy football team I had, and we all know how that turned out. And now, publicly bemoaning my lack of cow photos has worked too! Just imagine the possibilites.
Anyways, I was walking Zipper behind the field station after lunch, we came around a corner, and there they were right in front of us. I gasped, Zipper growled, the cows turned around and stared at us. When Zipper barked and made a move to chase them, they began to trot away while the largest cow let out a mooing-snorting noise and made a lunge at him. That scared the bejesus out of Zipper and he hightailed it out of there.
In total there were four adults, including one with very full udders, and a baby. The baby was already off into the bushes by the time I made it back with the camera, so I didn't get a shot of it. This brown one must be the lookout, because he never took his eyes off me.
Yes, I see your very pointy horns, and I promise to keep my distance!
She went thataway!
February 4, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
Tomorrow I leave for a two-week jaunt to Baltimore, and in spite of the projections for snow and cold, I am very, very excited. While trying to pack I've discoverd that I just don't own very many warm clothes anymore. Living in Florida for two years before being here for another two and a half has really thinned the wardrobe. I don't even have that many things with long sleeves! Maybe if I just layer everything on all at once it won't be so bad ... right?
Bovine Graveyard
February 2, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
I know I mention the feral cows a lot. But honestly, I'm a little bit obsessed with them. A couple weeks ago, one of our college groups actually spotted a few meandering down the road and even got PICTURES of them. My insane jealousy has yet to abate.
But while they have pictures of living feral cows, I have pictures of an ancient feral cow burial ground! Behold!!
Okay, okay ... maybe it's not quite ancient, but the big fella is certainly long-dead. It reminds me of the elephant graveyard from the Lion King. So much so that I keep inadvertantly calling it the elephant graveyard, which for some reason annoys Tom to no end. I think I'll keep doing it.
There are several cow trails that come into the west side of the field station property, and if you follow one of these back into the bush, you'll stumble upon this scattered patch of bones. There is no skull (it probably became a trophy for some grave robber), but pretty much everything else is there. Including this vertebra that looks like a funny little happy face.
I like to think it symbolizes the blissful, carefree life of a tropical feral cow.
Yup, I'm obsessed.
Kohlrabi as big as my head!
January 30, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
Please excuse my horrendous hat hair. Thank you.
Never underestimate the in-flight magazine
January 26, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
One of the things that I've gotten much better at since moving to San Salvador is making things (mostly food) from scratch. For instance, I'm a big fan of brownies, the chewier and fudgier the better. My whole life living in the states, I always made them from a box and never even thought twice about it. But then I moved here, and low and behold there is no boxed brownie mix to be had. Along with raspberry jam and maple syrup, the grocery stores just don't have it.
At first I thought, "No big deal ... I'll just learn to make my own." But several failed attempts later, I was quite discouraged. Maybe I shouldn't say 'failed' attempts. The brownies would turn out fine and were quite edible, but they were never my ideal of the perfect brownie. They were always cakier than the thick, chocolatey brownies I craved, even when the recipes promised otherwise. And my recipes were coming from very reliable sources. We're talking Joy of Cooking, Food&Wine magazine, and Martha Stewart here. I was pretty much ready to give up and resign myself to having to cram a couple of boxes of brownie mix in my suitcase whenever I traveled.
But then, before it was too late, I was saved! And from a very unlikely source, I might add. I was on a USAirways flight, leafing though the in-flight magazine, when I stumbled across the key to my future brownie success. A short article by Susie Middleton, an Editor for Fine Cooking magazine, entitled 'Sweet Nostalgia' enlightned me thus:
"The best brownies, like the ones featured here, are made with cocoa powder, not solid chocolate. Cocoa powder has very little cocoa butter in it, and ounce for ounce packs more intense flavor than solid chocolate."
Right then and there I realized that Susie might just be a genius. All those other recipes I had tried all called for melted solid chocolate, whereas it was cocoa powder that I truly needed all along. As soon as I tried her recipe, I knew I had finally found the perfect brownies. And as an added bonus, cocoa powder is sooooo much easier to get here than solid baking chocolate. What could be more serendipitous?
Chewy, Fudgy Brownies
Adapted From USAirways Magazine, September 2008
3 sticks butter
3 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 and 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
Melt butter in medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from heat. Stir in sugar, followed by eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Stir batter until smooth and uniform, about 1 minute. Spread batter into the prepared baking pan, smoothing to fill pan evenly.
Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few moist clumps clinging to it (about 35-40 minutes). Let brownies cool completely in pan on a rack. Cut into squares and serve.
Keep brownies at room temperature, well wrapped. They can also be frozen and enjoyed later.
Today's Harvest
January 23, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
