High-Low Carbs: Heavenly Biscuits, Quick Crescents & Apple Pie Secrets 🍎🍏

 

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High

Dan was away in Boston and Maine last weekend for work and a short family visit. Punchy was out. I had a yen for the Lo's Fried Chicken carryout dinner for two from Turtle + The Wolf, a beloved Montclair restaurant. I wanted the chicken, but what I really wanted was the featherlight buttermilk biscuits. I ordered this dinner package once during that lonely, dark pandemic to share with Punchy. It is not cheap but honestly, the salad was enough for two nights and the 10 pieces of cult-favorite chicken took me through a few lunches/dinners. (You have to order ahead.) The creamy mashed potatoes, yum. (I resisted the Chocolate Peanut-Butter Tart with toasted fluff but had it once with Dan at the real restaurant table.) The hot biscuits were perfection, four small, light, leavened-in-heaven beauties lined up and presented with a little cup of honey. Golden tops and tender, fluffy insides. Omigosh, butter from my fridge, and honey from the cup. Excellent. 

Low 

The Pillsbury rolls contain flour, shortening, water, baking powder--and possibly palm oil.

By contrast, I went to ShopRite with Punch last week when she was hungry. She wanted to make a Seafood Boil, and that was nice, with snow crab, fresh mussels, baby potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp and plenty of Slap Ya Mama and Old Bay Seasoning. I also allowed her to chose some kid things like chocolate milk, fruit punch (one of each), waffles and Pillsbury Original Crescents rolls. She made them after school today. "I love snacks," I heard her say on the phone to a friend. I was surprised at how good the crescents were, again with butter and honey (her idea). Also, food science at work. Processed, I know, but took me back to my girlhood, round biscuits in a tube, arranging them in a metal pie pan in our 1950s green Dumont kitchen, setting the table for my mother. Today's crescent dough triangles are rolled up so neatly, the directions so clear ($3.49 for an 8-ounce tube).

Apple Pie Secrets

I just wrote a story about Apple Secrets for Food52. I'm proud, and have been sending along more ideas. I've wanted to work for/write for that site ever since one of my idols, NY Times food columnist Amanda Hesser (Cooking for Mr. Latte book), co-founded it. Here is the link:

https://food52.com/story/apple-secrets-baking-cooking-fall

Still chasing my dreams at age 64, and why not? (Bobbi Brown and Katie Couric shared at the 92nd Street Y talk Wednesday night that they are both 68, and nothing's stopping them.)

My apple story intro mentions a tube of biscuit dough. That came first, before we bought the crescents.

Have a good night. 🍎🍏🍎🍏

Vintage White Lace, Icing On a Cake

The Butterfield Skirt and matching cake,

PerennialSpring.com. Cake not available to order.

Designer Caily Herbert grew up down the block from us here in Montclair. Young Figgy received one of her girlhood dresses, a fancy hand-me-down, new with tags. Caily's been a baker, worked on a farm and in the book publishing world, involved with the (near) release of a very big book. She attended Bard College, in its magical perch overlooking the Hudson River.

But now, behold: Her dreamy, handmade clothing line fashioned from finite amounts of fabrics and trims that she found on her treasure hunts. Every garment is made-to-order.

From the PerennialSpring website: The Butterfield Skirt in eucalyptus green cotton, ever so slightly sheer. Order skirt with lining for ensured opacity. Garments pictured are unlined. Available in sizes XXS to 4X. (That's Caily modeling.)

I love this feminine circle skirt, made with vintage Schiffli lace trim that Caily says "looks like frosting on a cake." A long row of covered buttons at the side adds to the confectionery appeal. In one Instagram photo, Caily models the skirt while holding a blue frosted cake with careful swoops of white icing. "Correct accessory for the Butterfield Skirt," the caption says. If I get the skirt, it will be a splurge to wear as a feminine basic, with a black top and black capri leggings, since I am no longer twentysomething. A kitten heel would help, too. I love the color (my favorite), the cut, the swing, the buttons--and the cake lace. 👗👗🎂

This beautiful young woman can sew and bake...for her mom's milestone birthday party, she made a "Wedgwood" Cake modeled after the famous English china pattern dating to May 1759 and named for potter Josiah Wedgwood. Here's that iconic color scheme (BTW, the designer's mother, Kate, said both blue cakes tasted as good as they looked):

The 7-inch Magnolia Blossom vase from 2Modern.

Caily has a whole line of circle skating skirts with vintage ribbon trims. She styles them all with fun winter sweaters. You have to take a look.

As the Sand Passed Through the Hourglass

Note the little bulbs on the brown algae. Fig and I squeezed them to release a beauty treatment to work through our hair. After all, they sell seaweed shampoo at the store.

The surf was rough in Maine--I mean crashing and scary with Punch. Like, get back on the beach, this shark-infested water could kill you. I won't go into details. And it continued to be terrorizing last night, upon return at 11 p.m., and today.

If future me wants to remember the pain and fear (oh, yeah, that's what happened that trip), my code words are Fireside Inn, soap in can and bus ticket.

But there were still some nice moments amidst the fear and danger:

1. The wedding party at Mere Point for Leah and Greg.
2. Drive to Rockport with Figgy to my niece Anna's tiny house in the woods, built by her Dad. Fig had never been there. Anna served us coffee and fruit and Grape-Nuts with a high-protein yogurt I plan to buy. Icelandic, I think, and lemon-flavored without a lot of sugar. It was lovely to see her, and see the girls together.
3. A leisurely stop by the rocky coast to explore with my firstborn and a visit to Dot's Market in Lincolnville Beach, a pricey gourmet shop with a great edit. No, no, I did not notice any chocolate peanut butter cupcakes with fat caps of swirled icing. Nope.
4. Seeing my sisters-in-law (all four). That counts Therese, with a flower in her hair; Sheila, natural beauty and gifted cook (she filled the grill with hotdogs, burgers, chicken and street corn and managed it all); Martha, intellectual, funny, fit, blonde, insightful; and Eileen, Dan's capable, professional, stylish little sister, who moved up to Maine with my mother-in-law as a young girl.
5. Biking over the historic Belfast bridge, and then walking it another day when Fig roller-skated over the span.
6. Small talk with strangers on the bridge about dogs and fishing.
7. July Fourth cookout. Nice hotdog on grilled bun, homemade potato salad.
8. Seeing our nephews' little children--and the Dads we knew as boys.
9. Belfast Co-op.
10. Chamomile flowers. I bought a plant for Anna and one to plant here at home.
11. Baking a Blueberry Galette from a Down East-published book found in Southern Maine with Nancy. The crust was raggedy, hard and off-kilter, I piled the berries too high and the juice ran all over the cookie sheet instead of staying in the galette but it still tasted good. I tried. My life was/is raggedy, hard and off-kilter, so why shouldn't the galette be? Still, I liked gathering ingredients and baking in my sister-in-law Martha's yellow kitchen.
12. Visiting dear Leah at her house on my way home to NJ. Seeing her beautiful pocket gardens and paint colors and home office and pet bunny for the kids.
13. Seaweed hair treatment. Fig and I squeezed the clear juice from the bulbs on seaweed/kelp found in Belfast. Snap, squeeze, finger-comb through hair. We like doing things like that.
14. Cocktails (I had sun tea) at Pat and Martha's neighbors' lovely old farmhouse. Smoked Gouda, sliced baby cucumber from the garden and juicy little strawberries, the fruitful gems of summer in Maine.

I was going to say sorry for another sad sap post but it's not my fault, so can't say sorry.

That's it. The pain is real but there was some beauty. And while I see that 14 might seem like a high tally, in my mind, it did not/could not cancel out even that one first night in a Maine hotel.

Memory Lane with Marilynn

Seeing those quilts in Amish Country yesterday brought back memories of my 10 years working at Good Housekeeping Magazine, on the fifth floor of the venerable Hearst Building. 

My friend Marilynn worked one floor up, and we became fast friends, along with a couple of other peers. Marilynn was number 2 in the Needlework & Crafts Department (yes, we had one of those).

She worked for refined Cecilia and the two produced pages for GH that featured sewing projects and patterns, too. I wrote at least one of their quilt stories, and Marilynn told me about the pretty wedding ring quilt pattern. The pair even went on a GH cruise, and I guess did events a-sea involving their skills. I bet the passengers loved it. The Food Department guru, Mildred, was also on board. :)

So many firsts with Marilynn....she and Margaret V. (tall, Geena Davis lookalike, with dimples) from the Beauty Department took me under their wings to have high tea at the Plaza one day after work!!! So elegant and not as pricey as it is now. Strawberries and cream, Devonshire cream for the buttery scones. 

Marilynn donated platelets at the blood donor center, and inspired me to do that eventually, too.

She was the first person I knew who had Hermès scarves, which she wore to the office over a dress or top and skirt. I don't think she would mind me saying that they were passed down to her from her cousin, Cindy (sp), who had a successful career and, I guess, many of the iconic scarves from Paris.

In at least one personal emergency, probably after first calling Moey in New Jersey on speed dial, I punched my friend's four digits on my desk phone and she came down from the sixth floor to meet me in the stairwell for a private consult.

She liked to bake and talk about baking like I did/do. She gave me a recipe for an impossibly good, classic pecan pie, which she brought warm to our apartment. I still remember the delicious crust and rich filling. I shared a recipe she liked for a coconut sheet cake. You poke holes in the top when it's baked and pour in cream of coconut, then frost and cover with shredded coconut.

As you can tell, youth was a time of growth, often carefree and fun. Then there is my dear friend Kim from our first jobs at Woman's Day, but that's a story for another time. It was Kim who inspired me to blog in the first place, 14 years ago, because she was blogging. Tonight, I still haven't eaten my dinner.

Good night.

Chicken Potpie, a Day Later

 https://alicegarbarinihurley.medium.com/addiction-story-14-bleeding-heart-broken-iphone-leads-to-chicken-potpie-3d80fb47a0d9

The road to overeating might possibly be paved with excellent pie dough.

An early good night.

Southern Charm & the Magic of Chicken Potpie

I’m on a lot of email lists...one is for Reed Smythe & Company.

I landed there out of my deep admiration for southern writer Julia Reed (who has since died). I love her books, and she founded Reed Smythe with her longtime friend, a woman named Keith Smythe Meacham.

I love browsing the curated, pricey collection of home and entertaining items (also jewelry by Helen Bransford)....I saw a beautiful garden table with scalloped edge there, and I moon over Bransford’s chain necklace and solid gold lunar charm. But all cost hundreds of dollars, or a thousand plus. Out of loyalty and Julia love, I have ordered one of her books on the site, and a little glass votive, too.

Above: Madison Table ($1,000 plus shipping) inspired by 18th-century shutter paint color used by James and Dolley Madison. Here is product link. Oh, I just know my summer flowerpots would look so pretty on that table.

Anyway, today my email brought a recipe from Keith--her Mama’s Chicken Pie, with an endorsement from Julia (now in potpie and garden heaven, I trust).

https://www.reedsmythe.com/mary-macks-chicken-pie/

I started to follow the recipe--had Dan get the Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup on his blizzard run to ShopRite today. (I used Cream of Mushroom since Dan doesn’t eat chicken, and I was making two filling versions, one for him.)

I used Mary Mack’s technique of simmering the chicken in a stockpot with water to cook. And I loved Keith’s suggestion of pairing the pie with "blanched haricots verts with plenty of coarse salt and lemon zest.” Very good.

But then I remembered the perfect chicken potpies Punchy and I made on Christmas Eve afternoon 2020, following the book So Much to Celebrate by Katie Jacobs. The crust was so good....and easy.....I wanted to go back to that. (Katie’s filling recipe brilliantly calls for two rotisserie chickens, meat removed and shredded.)

I started cooking at 3:30 and didn’t finish until two+ hours later. It felt good, therapeutic--Cat Stevens playing on Google Speaker. Punch is at Mimi’s. Peaceful, must say.

It’s an easy, forgiving dough. I don’t have a food processor, so I adapted it here to use an electric mixer.

I would put my filling recipe here but I doctored it today to make one potful vegetarian for Dan and one with chicken for me (and the little pie I froze for Sis). So it was a mix of Mary Mack’s and Katie J’s. 

But here is the crust from Katie. It makes enough for two standard pie tops, or six individual potpie tops--or even one double-crusted pie, if you were in the mood for fruit instead.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup Crisco (get the sticks, follow markings on wrapper)

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water (with ice cubes in it)

1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)

In large bowl, whisk flour, salt and baking powder. Add Crisco and butter and using electric (I used handheld) mixer on low, mix until the fat is the size of peas. Pour in the half-cup ice water (it should be enough) and mix again just until the dough just starts coming together into a shaggy mess (to use the words from a favorite Fine Cooking crust recipe). Dough should not come together in a ball. If you need more water, you can drizzle a little more on. 

Press dough together into a large disk. Wrap disk in plastic wrap and put in fridge for up to 30 minutes.

Then divide disk into two and roll each out on lightly floured surface.

Potpie (or any pie) tops are not picture-perfect in my book--mine are often patched up and a little raggedy. But good ones taste like heaven on a plate.

Thanks to Katie Jacobs (who suggests brushing the tops with the egg wash after they are placed on the filling, and cutting 4 steam vents into each).

Her recommended potpie baking guide is one hour at 375 degrees (place the pies on a baking pan to prevent drips).

LMK if you try it.

Enjoy. It’s tender and delicious, one forkful after another of homespun comfort.

Baker’s Urge/Splurge: $44.53 Spanakopita

The image above is worth a million bucks in my book. That magic happens when you combine phyllo dough, melted butter and toasty oven heat. Photo from the blog Alexandra’s Kitchen.

What’s a lifelong dessert baker to do when she swears off butter/flour/sugar combinations?

I send roses, roses to my long-time writer friend and fellow blogger, Kim, who wrote about the Alexandra’s Kitchen blog, which I love. I’m also holding myself back from ordering Alexandra’s cookbook, called Bread Toast Crumbs. It looks so good. Might succumb one day. (Breads generally don’t contain sugar!)

I made the large spanakopita below, not the individual strudels. (Keep scrolling way down, past the strudels.)

https://alexandracooks.com/2012/03/23/spanakopita-strudels/

I was thinking Punch and I would be in all day and night and I would have her make it. Pandemic cooking lesson #9? (Pot roast twice, chicken pot pies once, skillet chicken ratatouille twice, raspberry buttercream chocolate cake for Christmas, Baker’s Famous One-Bowl Brownies twice.) 

She would be very good at the layering of paper-thin phyllo dough, the spooning of spinach/cheese filling, the brushing of melted butter. I know she would.

BUT: Dan was driving down to South Jersey to get his first vaccine at Rowan University, then driving into NYC to meet his lifelong friend, Dan, for dinner at an outdoor cafe. So he took Punch with him. I got a whole Saturday afternoon and evening off. I plan to take a bath while this baby bakes. It is in the oven now. 

I made two important switches because the recipe was very rich:

1. Reduced melted butter from 3 sticks (!!!!!!) to 1.5 sticks.
2. Reduce feta cheese from 1.5 lbs. to 1 lb. 
3. Reduce number of beaten eggs from 10 (!!!) to 7. After all, I was reducing the cheese, so it made sense to decrease the eggs in the filling.
4. Had to reduce the baby spinach. Recipe called for 20 oz. total (hence, all that filling, I guess) and I asked for two 11-oz. bags, but my shopper brought me two 6-oz bags. Dan has our car, and I didn’t feel like walking to Kings in freezing cold or spending more money. So be it.

Here is the receipt:

• Dozen eggs in cardboard carton (I sidestep single-use plastic when possible), $1.99.
• 2 half-pound feta blocks at $6.99 each (sounds like a lot $), $13.98.
• 2 six-ounce bags baby spinach at $5.99 each, $11.98.
• Friendship Cottage Cheese, 16 oz., $3.79.
• Athens Phyllo Dough, twin pack, 16 oz. total, $6.79.

I already had the butter on hand.

Grocery total: $38.53.

Tip: I had done $3.85 (10 percent), but bc Chaquanda had chatted with me about replacements, etc., I increased it to $5 after giving her a 5-star rating.

Service fee: $1.00.

I got Express Member free delivery but that is because I pay $9.99 per month for my Instacart membership so that I can get groceries and other items delivered from many different stores. Dan and I are looking at our grocery budget with a sharp eye, so I might cancel this membership. I’m not sure what delivery fees would be otherwise. But until now, this monthly investment has been pandemic wise, that’s for sure.

This big 9 by 13 pan is supposed to be 12 servings, so I figure if my family went out to a diner for spanakopita, it might not be as fresh and good as this and also, we would pay close to $10 each with tax and tip, and that’s not counting extras, like beverages. Maybe it would come with a salad, though.

12 diner servings x $10=$120.

Thus, $44.53 for the whole heavy panful is a bargain.

I roasted cauliflower with walnut oil. So I plan to have one serving and round out my plate with vegs.

I plan to watch the 1966 movie "Georgy Girl," set in "Swinging London," which I have never seen.

Good night to you.

Hey, Cookie

The Covid-safe cookie swap was fun! We brought the chocolate chip cookies (made by Punch) from a Katie Jacobs recipe. The five great treats we came home with were:

• Amy's shortbread rounds.
• Sally's mini pumpkin bread loaf, made from her mother's recipe.
• Lydia's cutout cookies decorated to look like pretty windows with snowy white icing trim--because we have all been stuck indoors so much, she said.  
• Jen's Norwegian cookies.
• Paige's graham cracker crack, that barklike treat you may have seen made with a saltine cracker base....with butter and chocolate.

It was really nice to catch up in the cold. I also went to Anderson Park with P and our young (six year old) neighborhood friend, a boy named G. We met friend V and her mom at park and walked, but that turned out to be rocky, then I took P and G for hot chocolate and one mini pastry each.

Good night.

I Want Your Blood & Other Upbeat Notes

Upbeat things today:

• Donated platelets at blood center. Platelets (a triple batch, the nurse called it) take a while--I arrived at 10:15 and finished by about 12:45. The young man next to me was donating Covid antibodies, which sounded promising.
• Stopped at nearby Nordstrom in Paramus to get a gift I ordered for Sis, choose something for Punch and drop off empty beauty jars, tubes and bottles for the Beautycycle program.
• Instacarted for healthful groceries. For dinner, made baked potatoes, salmon (with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil on top before it went in the oven), baby spinach salad with sliced English cucumber and my friend Jessi's lemon tahini dressing, so good.
• Six women on our block, including me, are doing a cookie swap tomorrow on Sally's driveway. Since I'm trying my best to sidestep sugar and not bake, P did the baking for our contribution. I tied pretty vintage (1970s) floral paper ribbon around each container. I'm hoping I will keep the cookies we bring home off-limits for me. I just couldn't resist this sweet holiday tradition. I don't think I have been a cookie swap since my friend Candy had one in her apartment on the Upper West Side years before she was married and had children. Because of Covid, we are all packing up the cookies ahead of time tomorrow, no touching.
• Ordered some things to arrive by Christmas. I hope I'm finished now. Well, actually, I'm not....but probably yes for shipped items. 

Good night.

Sorry Not Sorry, Santa--No Cookies for You

1. A picture of me in a dress by Karina Dresses that I came across maybe seven? years ago in Thread, a boutique that used to be right next to Bluestone Coffee Co. on Watchung Avenue in Montclair. That's Punch/Skippy sitting nearby. Then, over Labor Day Weekend 2019, Dan, Punch and I tried to go away overnight at the last minute with our friends A and M and their daughter, but the Airbnb fell through and we ended up walking around Kingston, NY, where my friend A saw the Karina Dress shop, with its motto: "The original easy dress."  However, the shop was closed. I looked it up online later.
2. A link to my latest Medium story, which includes a reference to Karina Dresses and a new teal velvet one.

https://alicegarbarinihurley.medium.com/sorry-santa-no-cookies-for-you-9330a4a10b31

Under the Covers

I’ve loved magazines since girlhood and still do. About to curl up near Dan with Harper’s Bazaar--Sarah Paulson cover story.

$ MONEY 💰 SPENT OUT OF POCKET

Items of interest:

• CVS, went for 2 RXs, got 6-pack Viva paper towels; Harper’s Bazaar; Cook’s Illustrated (would like to bake the oatmeal rolls w Punch--I'm a novice at baking with yeast); Nivea slight glow lotion; pecans; walnuts; pack of Hallmark notecards; air freshener x2; 6-pack strawberry extra-protein Ensure drinks for P breakfasts; lavender bath salts; Naked juice for P; eye drops for Sug, $122 total spend.

One Day (and No Brownies) at a Time

Today, Punchy wanted to make One-Bowl Brownies. The recipe is on the unsweetened Baker's Chocolate box [containing four bitter 1-ounce squares]. It's OK that the chocolate is bitter because you will use 2 full cups of sugar.

I have been making these brownies for decades. 

My friend Nancy presented a china plateful back in Dumont, when we were teenagers. My mother was very impressed. 

See, Alice? she said from the sofa. Nancy used real chocolate in these brownies. Aren't they delicious? 

Nancy and her mother, Rita, showed me a Baker's box from the pantry. Rita taught me a lot about food and entertaining, including how to warm china plates before serving dinner to company.

Please understand, my mother was not overweight, but had a true appreciation for things like the Schrafft's hot fudge sundaes of her girlhood and for that matter, any restaurant that served hot fudge in a little individual pitcher for the patron to pour over her dessert.

Later, when Dan and I lived in our Montclair apartment before buying a house, I sold the rich Baker’s brownies at a yard sale, after pressing a single Andes Creme de Menthe thin into each warm square. They were a hot ticket. 

Moey did the sale with us, and we decided it was worth me popping back into the apt. and making a second batch, because they are that easy, and that loved. [Secrets: Use butter, add 1/2 tsp salt, line pan with foil overlapping at ends so you can lift one big brownie out to cut and do not overbake.]

I remember writing an article for a spring issue of Good Housekeeping, that first spring after 9/11--it was about what people were doing to commemorate those they had lost on that terrible day--and it was a rush. When I finally handed it in on a Friday in the nick of time to get young Figgy at school by 3 o'clock, I said to my editor, Great, now I can make s'mores brownies with my daughter and her friend, who is coming over for a play date. 

Figgy was in first grade, our little rumpled angel--broad smile; tender, trusting heart; flyaway reddish hair. The friend was a blue-eyed blonde. We topped the brownies with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips.

This is not meant to be catty or critical, but I do think the assigning editor was almost dangerously slender, an absolute brownie againster. Sometimes I wonder what she thought of my afternoon plans. I recall she laughed uncomfortably.

My sweet story ends there. I stopped making these deadly dames a few years ago.  

I cannot make them, swipe a taste of the batter, eat the broken ones when cutting, without falling deeper and deeper into a dark sugar swirl. I put Punch off for a long time. They are her favorite treat--along with Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies. The last time I broke down and made those, when P's friend was over one wintry afternoon, I ate so many that  I fell into a stupor on the couch and could barely get up when the Dad rang the doorbell for pickup.

So far, I haven't had a single lick. I plan to continue that. 

I told Punch she would have to bike to Kings to get sugar and Baker's Chocolate and that she would do the whole project, just with my supervision [hot oven, etc.]. I like to add a little extra vanilla, she said, putting her own stamp on the treat. When it came to cutting, she begged me to help and after a couple begs, I tried. But they were not cutting evenly for me, either. Maybe we didn't chill them long enough.

Please, I said, I can't. It's like asking a drug addict to measure cocaine.

I want to go read more. I'm loving Life Among the Savages, bought used on Amazon and written by Shirley Jackson. It's about raising her kids and managing her rambling house in Vermont, after she and her husband moved from an apartment in NYC.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Walked Sug around block.
2. Used ripe apricots in a Ruth Reichl tart; cut back the sugar.
3. Healthy foods eaten: Homemade oatmeal w walnuts; veg burger; roasted baby beets; roasted cauliflower and broccoli w lemon juice and zest; small portion grass-fed steak; those apricots. These days, Figgy loves things like roasted broccoli and I am happy to oblige. She does like the occasional rich vegan brownie, too. Alas, those are also usually loaded w sugar.
4. About to text someone for more don't-eat-the-brownies support.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Gave Punch $11 for grocery store.

Total daily spend: $11.

Ongoing monthly spend as of July 15: $1,381.32.
Avg daily spend: $92.08.

3 Spoonfuls of Sugar

I stumbled upon this paperback in the 1980s,
and it is a treasure.

We had some apples that were going bad, and don't like to waste anything in this time of fewer trips to the grocery store. This recipe for Apple Cake is from a charming old cookbook I love called Sweets for Saints & Sinners, by Janice Feuer, illustrated by Veronica di Rosa. It was published in San Francisco in 1980, and I found it on the "giveaway table" at my first magazine job. Woman's Day editors often put things out for the taking on the hallway tables--cross-stitched tablecloths, crafty curtains and other projects from photo shoots, cookbooks, even treats.

The recipe is so easy, you can slide it in the oven in under 30 minutes. It is really delicious. I cut back the total sugar from 1 cup to 3 tablespoons. This cake would be delicious made with hazelnut or walnut oil, but they're pricey and I didn't have any. Fig loved the cake. This small loaf is mostly fruit, and it vanishes fast.

APPLE SNACK CAKE, adapted from Sweets for Saints & Sinners

2 cups unpeeled apples [about 2 to 3 apples], rinsed and diced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 egg [I used egg replacer powder]
1/4 cup canola oil
2/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Grated nutmeg, about 1/2 "nut" or use ground nutmeg but freshly grated is best
Pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white or whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Shelled walnut or pecan halves, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line the bottom of an 8 by 4 inch loaf pan or an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper, or butter and flour the pan.
3. Combine the diced apples with the sugars in a bowl and let stand. 
4. In medium-size bowl, whip the egg lightly with a whisk. Whisk in the oil, then cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
5. With a wooden spoon, stir in the apple mixture, flour and vanilla. I added a handful of pecan halves.
6. Spoon the thick batter into pan; smooth out best you can.
7. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

TCOY

1. Clipped overgrown forsythia shrubs again [we have several in the backyard] and filled a lawn and leaf bag to bring to the curb.
2. Picked up my hair color bag at salon. [It was outside on salon porch with other customers' secret formulas.]
3. Ate some baby spinach.

FOOD

• Dan and I are trying hard to get Punch on board for remote school. She had 11 am Zoom session with math teacher. P lost a tooth last night [still has 3 baby teeth to go]. Was up at 2 am. Dan made a BIG brainy breakfast with scrambled eggs, Hungry Jack pancakes, bacon and sausage, with a little glass of milk. I had 2 fluffy, small, fat HJ pancakes w butter and a little pure maple syrup, 3 pc bacon, 1 sausage, 1 whole-wheat toast with butter, 1 coffee w milk.
• I made the apple cake. I had 2.5 pieces. It was so toasty and good.
• About 6 walnuts.
• Tall ice waters.
• Lunch during home school day; baby spinach w avocado, tomato, croutons, feta and a little dressing; six Bagel Bites, worst ever. 
• Second coffee with whole milk.
• 8 Ritz crackers w a couple slices Cheddar.
• Spoonful crunchy Skippy PB.
• Breaded, pan-browned flounder, tartar sauce, broccoli, Basmati rice.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Nordstrom credit card, pretty Wacoal bra on sale, free shipping, $29.98. [Using the Nordstrom phone app is fun and fast. Great filters for sales, size, brand, etc.]
• Paper Plane Coffee in Montclair, curbside pickup, three iced drinks for tomorrow at 9:30 am, can't wait, including Iced Matcha for Punch, $3.50 tip to help support staff, $22.16.
• Charity donation, Giving Tuesday Now, $25.

Total daily spend: $77.14.

Ongoing monthly spend as of May 5: $220.14.

Avg daily spend: $44.03.

Hard Water--and Soft Beet Brownies

Can't get into the rough waters here, but too bad the tide turned, because the early morning yoga foreshadowed a smooth day.

TCOY

1. Woo-hoo, I got to Joe's 8 am Restorative Yoga class. What a great way to start the day. [I still have 6 prepaid classes remaining; they expire Feb. 19.]
2. Baked a pan of beet brownies, made with 3 large pureed beets....low-sugar, vegan recipe. Here is the LINK to an article I wrote last year, referring to the recipe. Baking brings me comfort.
3. PTA meeting....I don't go often these days, but I liked tonight's topic....the Restorative Justice program in our schools....kids meeting for circle time, passing around an item and when it reaches you, it’s your turn to voice a feeling or thought.. We did a big circle... a lot of nice parents with good intentions.The school counselor talked later about social media, substance abuse, vaping and other issues, to help us come up with healthy ways to handle them. HINT: Shame and guilt are not good for kids and often lead to substance abuse. Also, we should tell our kids not to experiment with drugs or alcohol in middle school, that it is dangerous. I think that is the word the expert used. "We encourage them to wait for 21, when they can make their own decisions, but hope they wait until 18," he said.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Montclair parking meter, 35 cents. [I was just scooting over to Java Love for my FREE birthday coffee. I got a beautiful, large whole milk latte.]
• CVS, milk, KIND bar boxes x2, single low-sugar bars x2, dog food x2, bags of good coffee x2, $31.73.

total daily spend: $32.08

ongoing monthly spend as of Jan. 23: $2,585.28.

avg daily spend: $112.40.

Report for Tuesday

Beautiful vintage book cover image from HERE.

I'm listening to Little Women, read aloud on Spotify [Bauer Audio Books]. I love it.

LOVE.

Catchup for Tuesday here. I was too tired to post last night--winter hibernation, just want to get out of clothes, slip into nightie and get between soft L.L. Bean flannel sheets and read. However, last night, I ended up checking Instagram instead of reading.

I drove Punch, V and F to the 6th grade science fair at school. Participation was optional, but earned extra credit. Punch, V and F didn't do projects, but we all loved going. Just one hour, 7 to 8 pm.

I enjoyed the sixth grade projects. The budding scientists tested hypotheses such as:

• "Weary Roses," by Owen and Cooper--comparing how cut roses thrive in plain water, water with sugar, water with sugar and lemon, and water with that powdered flower-food packet. I think the last did the best.
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Butter Content.....the Tollhouse recipe was baked with different quantities of butter...samples available.
• Whole Wheat Flour vs. White Flour Choc Chip Cookies...I think the finding, which I too have found, is that the ones made with the higher-fiber flour were harder...samples available. 
• What Melts Faster? Milk, semisweet or dark chocolate?
• Which helps you run faster?  Cleats or turf shoes? Nolan did that one...
• Which creates more static electricity, horse hair or human hair? Maya and Marin did this...they ride horses...their answer was horse hair, which is thicker.

Although Punchy didn't do one, we talked on the way home about Nolan's project....we think maybe the turf shoes were faster but we didn't check the finding. We talked about the horse hair project. The cafeteria was really buzzing with pride and energy.....I think kids are into science projects now, thanks to the internet......earnest tests, silly tests, funny tests, etc....

TCOY

1. Joe's 8 am yoga class. I felt it. I have been absent from my mat.
2. Hot bath with salts.
3. Salad.
4. Good dental care.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

I must say it felt good to use my earnings to pay family bills also, which I don't put here on my daily spending list. This included a payment to Public Service Electric & Gas and another to Dan's brother, Mike. We repaid $1,000 Mike had generously loaned us when we were between freelance paychecks so Punch could join Dan on that fall trip he took to San Francisco for the NY Times Magazine assignment. It was a great journey for them both. [Sis also lends us money sometimes and is always very generous to our family--treating us to elegant dinners, chartered boat rides and much more.] I made an extra Nordstrom credit card payment, too, paying down that lavender wool coat as quickly as I can.

• Montclair Bread Co., $9 including tip.
• Bloomfield parking meter, when I took Punch to dentist, $1.
• Place I went in to get change for meter, bought 2 small [1-ounce] bags chips, $2.
• Kings, half-gallon organic whole milk, bottled drink for Punch, Sharon's mango sorbet for girls, dark chocolate, etc., $22.67.

total daily spend: $34.67.

ongoing monthly spend as of Jan. 7: $891.23.

avg daily spend: $127.32.

Catch You Tomorrow

450 Miles to Maine with a Summer Peach Pie 🍑 🥧

Dan left for Maine in our old blue Toyota today. He has about an hour to go en route [as of 10 pm real time now]. He was booked to write 60-Second Novels at an event midday this Saturday and we felt we couldn't turn down the income. We are digging out of household debt.

So he has to drive back Friday.

Punchy, Figgy and I are leaving tomorrow in a rental car, after P. gets off the schoolbus after her Thanksgiving feast with classmates. I'm sending in 2 loaves of pumpkin bread, one of her favorites. She should be back home by about 1ish. Figgy got off work, is excited, and we are returning Sunday.

The rental car companies were such a rip-off. I didn't call til today, but our local Upper Montclair Avis had no more cars; they've got 40 booked to leave the lot tomorrow. I called another Avis location and Enterprise; I could not believe they were quoting me rates of $680 to $740 just to have a compact car from tomorrow until Monday morning. Fortunately, Dan knows an Enterprise location in Paterson, and that rate was $458.85, including $64.84 in taxes and fees, and that is from tomorrow til Tuesday evening. I have a coupon that should bring the $$ down a bit more.

We’re traveling with a peach pie I made from the fruit of Dan's tree this summer--LOL, that sounds biblical--and a vegan chocolate pecan pie made with fine quality Guittard bars  [my friend Rach gave me the recipe]

I have to go to bed now. Good night.

TCOY

1. Baked apple.
2. Water.
3. Private Benjamin appt! 

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Yesterday, cab fare at lunch time to and from important funeral service, $40.80 round trip [it was MUCH cheaper than Uber]. And I had to go uptown almost 40 blocks and across the park to Amsterdam Avenue, so would have involved subway and bus, from what I could see. Money well spent.
• Yesterday, Macaron, a darling place I discovered more than 10 years ago, for a gift of 12 macarons [gluten-free and kosher, for shiva] and, for our home, a bag of coffee beans tied with pink satin ribbon, plus tip, $46.73. So pretty, the colors. So delicious, too. I remember.
• Yesterday, lunch, Japanese place, with tip, $19.
• Yesterday, Duane Reade, organic half and half, $3.49.
• Yesterday, ATM bank fees, $4.25.
• Yesterday, 2 stamps, $1.10.
• Today, Kings, groceries, including Guittard chocolate and pure maple syrup for vegan pie, plus a few ingredients for 2 pumpkin breads to send to Punchy's school feast, $102.37.

TOTAL SPEND FOR TWO DAYS: $217.74.

[not counting rental car tomorrow or therapy cost]

ongoing spend for month as of November 26: $2,726.40.

average daily spend: $104.86.

TGIF, in a Big Way

TCOY

1. Been loving Gwyneth Paltrow’s pink Himalayan Salt Scalp Scrub Shampoo in jar. Goop.com. Natural, and scalp and hair are so clean. The whip smells so good and feels invigorating. I was not paid or enticed to say that.
2. Water.
3. Shorter walk. Tired by Friday.
4. Big, generous Thanksgiving feast at work. Had 2 small portions homemade desserts but skipped store-bought even though they looked v. good. So now tomorrow is clean sugar start again. The food was abundant and delicious.
5. Going to movie w Dan. [Mimi got Punch after school today.]
6. Planning to learn how to master bread. Hot Bread 🥖 Kitchen Cookbook arrived and I’ve been reading it on bus.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Bag of Bugles snacks, $2.99.
• Friday's, drinks with Dan before movie started, plus tip, $25.38.

Total daily spend: $28.37.

Ongoing monthly spend with all except coat added now: $2,340.28.

Average daily spend: $106.38.

This is high. But since Oct. 21, my monthly spend has included round-trip daily bus fare of $13.90; subway fare one or two ways per day [I try to walk back but am sometimes too tired or need to get home to Punch faster]; and some work accessories, such as Wolford tights; a modern lipstick; and better-quality reading glasses.

COMPARE TO 3 PRIOR MONTHS:

TOTAL SPEND FOR OCTOBER (31 DAYS): $2,495.36.🍎 ⬆️

AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $80.49.🍎 ⬆️

_____________________________________________________________________

TOTAL SPEND FOR SEPTEMBER (30 DAYS): $2,214.43.🍎⬇️

AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $73.81.🍎⬇️

_______________________________________________________________________________

TOTAL SPEND FOR AUGUST (31 DAYS): $2,895.06. ⬆️

AUGUST AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $93.39.  ⬆️

Tired

TCOY

1. Support group. Very supportive.
2. Pumpkin latte, no refined sugar, yum....so good. So comforting on a chilly day.
3. Candles burning in living room.
4. I love baking. for sport and satisfaction, beauty , tradition, comfort and hipness. I made Melissa Clark's rosemary shortbread, using rosemary I grew and a mix of flours: rice flour [recommended in a vintage shortbread cookbook I have by a real Scottish woman; it even has a plaid cover, which I love], whole-wheat pastry flour and all-purpose. I used just 3 teaspoons of sugar. Then Melissa has a more elaborate recipe that calls for breaking up 4 oz. dark chocolate and scattering it over top of just-baked shortbread and putting it back in turned-off oven for 1-2 minutes, then spreading. I used a 2.8 oz. bar. Rosemary shortbread with dark chocolate...savory and rich.....

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Joyist, large pumpkin latte, $8.
• CVS, smallish can of Pringles, $1.49.
• Kings, groceries again. Started out to get snacks [crunchy Cheetos and Pillsbury chocolate-chip cookie dough] for Punch and her friend, who is sleeping over. Then added melatonin for Punch [we ran out]; another Equal Exchange 80 percent dark chocolate bar; 2 boxes vegan "chicken" on bun sandwiches, sale; 4 big cans San Marzano tomatoes, on sale, $2.99 each; 3 hummus, sale; food bank donation at register, $2; pint half and half; huge head of cauliflower to roast tomorrow; Smithfield bacon, sale; jar minced garlic; quart of matzo ball soup with big pieces of chicken, for dinner one night, $79.76.

TOTAL DAILY SPEND: $89.25.

RUNNING TOTAL FOR MONTH AS OF NOV. 9: $544.62.

AVG. DAILY SPEND: $60.51.

COMPARE TO 3 PRIOR MONTHS:

TOTAL SPEND FOR OCTOBER (31 DAYS): $2,495.36.🍎 ⬆️

AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $80.49.🍎 ⬆️

_____________________________________________________________________

TOTAL SPEND FOR SEPTEMBER (30 DAYS): $2,214.43.🍎⬇️

AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $73.81.🍎⬇️

_______________________________________________________________________________

TOTAL SPEND FOR AUGUST (31 DAYS): $2,895.06. ⬆️

AUGUST AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $93.39.  ⬆️

Back to Day 1 Again/The Cakes Called My Name

I didn't post last night because I was so tired. It was our block's 45th annual party--the first was in 1974. I was a teenager living north of here in Dumont, where I didn't know of block parties. Dan and I bought our home 25 years ago, in November 1994. Figgy was born nine months later. Punchy came into the picture in 2007.

I've been running the bake-off for years, and people count on it. Since I've chosen to detour from the Sugar Road, we did pizza this year. (Party planner Heather's idea.) I also try to avoid that, but planned to indulge--you have got to see this stuff.

Nick finished his pizza on his backyard grill; Nate brought a prosciutto/fig jam/goat cheese/balsamic glaze wonder. We had Punch and Vaurie's Tropical Storm Dessert Pizza, a pineapple upside-down number that caught their eyes online; Beth's grilled veggie; Iam's two deep dish, one with meat, one with veggies; John's vegan [amazing]; Lee's veggie with pesto; young Sam's two, one with capers and olives; and Liliana's cauliflower crust with soy cheese and her adult-entry winner, Best of Montclair, a rectangular "grandma" pie with fresh mozzarella from Rosario's, sauce from Cucina 98 on Walnut Street, her husband Michael's homegrown basil, and dough from Whole Foods. 

Punch and Vaurie won for ages 13 and under and were proud. Their apple crisp didn't take the prize last year in our APPLE OF MY EYE contest.

Picture floral tablecloths, fresh garden flowers, shiny kitchen tool gifts for every entrant, cute pins made by neighborhood artist Maiko for four judges and me/George/Catherine. We three coordinated the event and our pins said UPPER CRUST. George tallies the numbers. Catherine cut the portions and brought a pitcher of ice water for the judges. Dan and I donated two $15 gift card prizes. Our neighbor, Peter, pitched in the great stainless-steel utensils for entrants. They were from his business and included kick-ass pizza cutters, spatulas, spoons, etc.

Our house is up the hill, so it's a lot of trips up and down with supplies, etc. Dan and Fig helped, but it was still tiring. And my friend Amalia made two trips up for me!

The bake-off is a highlight; kids and adults enter. But we also have an ancient tug-of-war rope that's been passed down, barricades to close the streets so kids can run free, pinatas, a bubble machine and music!  And this year, two nice new neighbors, a married couple--both young, handsome men--hired a bounce house. It was amazing.

Those two generous fellows, Mark and Derek (sp), also brought a chocolate layer cake with thick vanilla frosting in a white bakery box from Little Daisy Bake Shop. Meg brought a rich chocolate on chocolate layer cake with the words BLOCK PARTY on top. And someone baked an excellent rich yogurt pound cake. I decided on the spot that I would indulge and start my day count again today. I don't think I regret this decision--if it can remain an isolated incident.

It was the little girl in me, the one who helped her mother bake Duncan Hines cake--the one who had her own miniature cake pan. Cake was honored in our family, a treat when we had it.

Onward. That's over, as my friend Jane would say. It doesn't help that I saw a picture of myself. I hadn't taken time to do hair and makeup. I looked heavy--and doughy. Did not like that.

After the party, Punch always says, I think we should do this twice a year.

TCOY for yesterday and today; Monday is new Day 1 off Sugar Road 

1. Mass.
2. Oats with fruit before bake-off. Probably filled me up a bit but not enuf to crowd out cake!
3. Water. If I drank alcohol at party, would have been even more off course.
4. Asked for help--from Dan, Fig, Punch, Amalia, Catherine, others. And requested clean-up help ahead of time on neighborhood list serve and Facebook group. Many people pitched in.
5. Biked to and from bank Monday.
6. Cleaned up my act. Fresh peach; Greek salad; chicken cutlets; artichokes.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Sunday, Kings, fresh pineapple and maraschino cherries for girls' Tropical Storm Dessert Pizza; dog treats; and paper plates for bake-off. $19.19.
• Monday, Kings, freshly breaded chicken cutlets, Greek salad, Palmolive dish soap, dog food x2, 1/2 pint heavy cream and 1/2 gallon whole milk [dairy products not organic, since only had $20.50 on me]. $19.91.

TOTAL DAILY SPEND Sunday: $19.19.
TOTAL DAILY SPEND Monday: $19.91. 
RUNNING TOTAL FOR MONTH AS OF SEPTEMBER 23: $1,714.86.

AVERAGE DAILY SPEND SO FAR: $74.56.

Compare to last month:

TOTAL SPEND FOR MONTH OF AUGUST: $2,895.06. ⬆️

AUGUST AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $93.39.  ⬆️

Big-ticket 🎟🎟 September spends:

🎟 Citarella at Hudson Yards, NYC, dinner; plus fresh fruit, etc. to bring home, $35.

🎟 Whole Foods, groceries, including present for Fig and big yellow mum plant, $84.

🎟 Whole Foods, groceries, including salmon for dinner and an iced coffee from the barista, $63.

🎟 ShopRite, groceries, laundry detergent etc., $50.

🎟 Sky Zone [worth it, Punchy went with her nice friends], $25.

🎟 Joyist, $29.

🎟 Kings, groceries, $46.

🎟 Piazza della Sole, comfy, high-end shoes, half-price, $90.
🎟 Gasoline, twice, $52.
🎟 Chinese lunch with Sis, $33.
🎟 Grocery shopping in Connecticut w Sis, $48.
🎟 CPAP dr. co-pay, specialist, $50.
🎟 Whole Foods again, including 3-pack soy candles, pound smoked salmon and Hydro Flask for Punch, $166.
🎟  Jackie's Grillette treat, casual dinner and soft drinks for three, plus tip, about $45.
🎟 Salon 212 blowout plus tips for job hunting Friday, $45.
🎟 Kings, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella for women's group platter, $58.
🎟 CVS, melatonin gummies, milk, Listerine, $30.
🎟 Kings, 1/2 gallon organic milk, 1/2 gallon oat milk, yellow baby potatoes, teriyaki sauce, Cabot shredded cheese, fresh black figs, 1.38 lb flank steak, etc, $48.
🎟 Kings again, groceries, $39.
🎟 Chez Josephine dinner with Candy and Allegra, $60.
🎟 Duane Reade, emergency makeup in Port Authority, $25.
🎟 Prize donation for pizza bake-off, 2 gift cards, total $30.
🎟 ShopRite, bake-off ingredients for girls plus a lot of groceries, $84.
🎟 Healthy Friday afternoon Joyist for Punch, Figgy and me, plus metal straw with cleaning brush, $33.
🎟 Kings, coffee beans x 2 plus other groceries, $34.