Giveaway Tickets to "Charlotte's Web" at the Children's Theatre in Minneapolis

Quote of the Day:  
“But we have received a sign, Edith - a mysterious sign. A miracle has happened on this farm... in the middle of the web there were the words 'Some Pig'... we have no ordinary pig." 

"Well", said Mrs. Zuckerman, "it seems to me you're a little off. It seems to me we have no ordinary spider.” 
― E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

“It is deeply satisfying to win a prize in front of a lot of people.” 
― E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

Photo by Dan Norman featuring Emma Thvedt

The Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, MN is presenting Charlotte's Web September 17 - October 27, 2013. They have graciously offered up THREE pairs of tickets for me to give away for performances on either Wednesday, Sept. 25 or Thursday, Sept. 26, 7:00 pm. If you win, you can claim your tickets at the box office. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment on this blog, or on facebook. Include your email address so I can let you know that you won. I will need to give your name and contact info to the Children's Theatre box office. If you are unable to leave a comment, you can also send me an email, subject: Some Pig, mary.aalgaard@yahoo.com. Contest closes at noon on Sunday, September 15, 2013. I'll post the winners next Monday, September 16, 2013.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Do you have a special memory of reading or watching "Charlotte's Web," a favorite character or scene? What would you write in your web about a friend?

September Garden Colors

It's September in the garden and the colors of early fall are beginning to mingle with those of late summer.

The beans took a break for a bit, but seemed to have gotten a second wind. I love how the purple and green look together.

And there seems to be no end to the amount of summer squash and cucumbers for little hands to pick through.

Watermelon? In the foothills? We'll see if these minis actually ripen...

The tomatoes on one side of my garden all got blight. Not too happy about these colors. Fortunately, I have more on the other side of the garden that seem to be doing just fine.

The red cabbage is heading and looks so pretty.

And the little girls are all about the little pops of berry color scattered throughout the garden. Strawberries, raspberries, and this lone pink lemonade blueberry.

I'm linking up again this week to the Tuesday Garden Party at An Oregon Cottage.

Chocolate Frangelico Cake

  

I learned a valuable lesson today.  Even the most experienced cooks, makes some serious mistakes.   For example, I learned a long time ago, never to try to bake and prepare anything in a hot and humid kitchen.   It took some time, for me to realize,  it was just to hot.  Ingredients do not fair well in humidity.    In fact, here is a cake that on test number one, I used almost no liquid.  By today's test, it required some thinning.  So today, I looked for some practicality, instilled in me by my husband's Mother.  She was  a great Southern cook in her own right.   When all else fails, grab a can of club soda.  
I suppose, using water would have worked, or a few drops of milk.   But I had to give this a try.  Either way, it works.   The second thing to remember is never rush through adding your ingredients.   Add ingredients in steps, one at a time, especially when dealing with liquids.   We are so tempted to throw everything together.  Believe me, I was too.    Here are the steps to a one bowl wonder.  I always keep a jar of Dutch, unsweetened Cocoa powder, ready and waiting.  You never know when you will need a dessert in a hurry.   A chocolate one is always welcome.  I have made cupcakes too with this recipe.  You can too.   Buon Appetito!
Ingredients:  1 cup plus  1/2 cup unbleached flour (I used Gold Medal today)
1 cup plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
One teaspoon baking soda
One teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
One teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup Mascarpone (Sour cream can be substituted)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons Frangelico (You can use Kahlua)
1/2 cup club soda 
 If you do not have this on hand, use warm water or milk.
Into a bowl sift together your dry ingredients and give it a mix by hand with a whisk.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees 
Add your wet ingredients one at a time.   Leave the club soda for last.  Slowly add your club soda.   Add and mix with a hand mixer or in a bowl of a standing mixer until your batter, drips in a thick stream from the back of your wooden spoon.
It's that easy.  You might not have to use all your liquid.  You can even mix this batter by hand.  No fancy equipment needed.  Pour into your favorite bundt pan.  

I baked it for 35-40 minutes in a 8 inch round Bundt cake pan.  Be sure and begin checking  your cake by inserting a knife into it after 30 minutes.  When it's comes out clean, it's done. 

 Cooking times are approximations.  Recipes are a guide.  Watch your oven.

I sprinkled a little toasted almonds across the top.  Once done and turned over, it adds a little crunch to the bottom of the cake. 

 

 Special note:   
1. The club soda gives this cake an extra lift.  Decrease your cooking time slightly. You will not need as much liquid as you think.  Begin checking your cake in your Bundt pan at the 30 minute mark
2.   You can omit the alcohol if you like.  I like to include it as it helps to intensify the overall taste of your cake.  The alcoholic content will cook out.
3.  This recipe is an adaptation of many recipes out on the web.  I am just sharing my version.  
  Enjoy.  Can be made last minute.  Pour your favorite icing or liquor directly over your cake before serving.  I served mine with a little whipped cream.  More pics to come.  Buon Appetito!

Birthdays and Art Saturday

Quote of the Day:  The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. Oprah Winfrey

Birthdays are great.

Celebrate life!

Millie and Willie Cottonpoly: Happy Birthday, Mary!

Pad Thai

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE (deserves all caps)

Sisters

Friends

Coffee

Chocolate

Sweet gifts

Dinner and spending time with the Biker Chef

Massage

Hair cut

First week of school

Lunch with writers and lovers of words

and many more blessings

ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY!

First birthday party at the Primo Art Spa!

The best lunch you could get anywhere.

Thanks for the spring rolls and movie night!

I've been celebrating for about a week, now, but my friend Krista said, "That's okay. It's the octave of your birthday." Cool. I still have few days (notes) left to complete it! (Do you think I could sneak in the sharps & flats, too, the minor & major chords?)

This week we had our first Art Saturday. Go to our Primo Art Spa blog to see photos and find out what's coming next and how you can get moving on your creativity!

Coming soon: a chance to win tickets to "Charlotte's Web" at the Children's Theatre in Minneapolis! Yippy. He's some pig.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What are you celebrating?

Baba Al Rum

Setting out to make this Baba al Rum recipe was no easy task.  It took 3 separate test recipes to get an accurate resemblence to a classic Neapolitan, spongy cake.  Then the fun really begins.  Which Rum to use?  I took the advice of my Pastry chef uncle, who advised me to always use a good quality liquor.  A little for the recipe, a little for the cook.  All kidding aside, it is the most logical.  I have never understood people who want to buy the least expensive wine or liquor to add to your recipe.  Just remember, if you would not buy it to stock your bar at home, why would you put it in a recipe?  Enough about that, let's get cooking.

For this recipe, you will need to either use 8 non stick cups about 2 1/2 inches tall/ about 1-1/2 round.  Any size will do. You can re-use your pans almost immediately.  Don't fill them up to much and you will get 12.  Be sure and watch that cooking time.  Nonstick is ideal.  Just be sure and watch your cooking time and check your oven.  

 Be sure to line the cups with butter.  I used a non-stick popover pan.  This works well too.

Food processor Method

Baba al Rum

Ingredients:  

1 TABLESPOON PLUS 1/2 TABLESPOON YEAST

2-1/2 cups of all purpose flour plus extra in case it looks to wet when mixed (You may not need it)

4 large eggs

1 tsp salt

3 tablespoons sugar

9 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup whole milk

Syrup:

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

one cup Dark Rum

1/2 cup Apricot Jam (Optional, however traditional)

Method:

Begin by adding your yeast to your mixing bowl of your food processor.  Add your milk and one tablespoon of sugar and pulse.  Let stand about 5 minutes until bubbles form on the outside rim.

Add your flour and pulse.  Turn your mixer on and add your eggs, salt.  Stop the mixer and scrape the sides.  Turn it back on again and mix for a few minutes, until your flour is incorporated.  In a separate bowl, beat the remaining sugar (2 tablespoons), with your butter.  Scrape the butter into the bowl and mix.  Yes, the butter needs to be added last. This will ensure a pretty, shiny coat on the outside of your Baba. 

 Here is a review:

Gather your ingredients

Add your yeast, milk and tablespoon of sugar to the bowl. Add your flour.    Follow directions above.

Add you eggs and salt, when all incorporated, add your butter mixture last.  Just mix for a few minutes until incorporated.

Remove your mixture from your mixer and cover with plastic wrap.  Place in a warm place (inside of a kitchen cabinet), for up to 2 hours.   Your mixture should almost double in bulk.   Butter your pan or cups.  After this time, unwrap and scoop your mixture into your cups. 

Preheat your oven to 400 bake.

Once in their cups, cover again with plastic wrap for 30 minutes.  They will be spongy. Your mixture will bounce back.  This is what your looking for.  Do not be concerned.  If you have gotten this far, they will be good. 

After this time,  place in a hot oven for 10 minutes.  Turn your oven down to 350 and cook for 5 minutes more.

(Don't worry if they look a little uneven, just shake the pan and let rest.  They will continue to rise).

Special Note:  Oven times will vary.  Keep a watchful eye.  They might be ready ahead.  Cup sizes vary too.  These were quite large and required longer cooking time.   Check if they are done by inserting a toothpick.  If it comes out clean, they are done.

Syrup: 

Melt your sugar and water, until clear and dissolved.  Add your apricot Jam and continue stirring until dissolved.  Add your rum and turn off your heat.  Let both your Baba's and syrup cool for 30 minutes.  

Place your Baba's on their side and begin poking holes all over your Baba's.  They will not cause your Baba's to break, so don't worry.  You want to enable the syrup to sneak into your cakes while soaking.

Then, into their rum bath.  You can either place them for a few minutes 2 at a time.  Or place them all into a container over night, covered in Syrup.  Remember, the longer you let the sit, the better they are.  So they will  keep well in a tight container for several days.

Don't be afraid to let them soak.

Before serving, try splitting them open and add some Whipped cream or serve them with some additional Rum on Top.

Which ever way you like, it's all delicious and hard to resist just one. 

Buon Appetito!

Thank you to my sweet, Uncle Johnny at The Swiss Bake Shop in Scotch Plains New Jersey, for convincing me,  you can make them at home and sharing this recipe with you!

IWSG September 2013

Quote of the Day:  
I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We've been taught that silence would save us, but it won't. Audre Lorde

Photograph of a photograph at the MN State Fair fine arts building.

The card reads: The World is about to Turn 

Mark C. Christianson, Minneapolis (photographer)

The photograph illustrates the controversial issue of marriage and what it means to different people.

Today marks the two year anniversary of the Insecure Writer's Support Group started by Alex J. Cavanaugh, click his name to find more insecure writers and to read his blog. I am a charter member of IWSG. I missed the very first posting because it was my birthday, and I wasn't feeling insecure that day, nor did I spend much time online. Otherwise, I don't think that I've missed a month. Thanks, Alex, for starting this wonderful network of writers!

My insecurity for September 2013 comes from a desire, a calling even, to write about a controversial issue. I believe in justice, and this particular issue is more than a political issue or a religious issue, it is a justice issue. People are being hurt by unfair laws, policies and beliefs. It causes them to live in fear, to be silent and hidden, rather than live their authentic lives.

There are people standing on the opposite side of this issue. People who might reject me and the women I interview for an article I'm writing because they are so afraid of it, of the people who embody it. I'll write it anyway. They have a story to share. They are now able to live their authentic lives and announce to the world who they are and whom they love. 

Sometimes being a writer is hard. You are made for a higher calling, one that gives voice to the voiceless, sheds light on darkness, and empowers the hurting. I hope you're feeling brave enough to answer that call.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Please visit the co-hosts for this month's IWSG.

Chemist Ken

SL Hennessey

Michelle Wallace

Joylene Nowell Butler

Journaling Prompt:  Have you ever written about, or taken a stand on, a controversial subject? Have you ever been afraid to publish what you've written? When have you felt really brave as a writer/artist?

Record Breaking Crowds at MN State Fair, and we were there!

Quote of the Day:  It's the great Minnesota get-together. MN State Fair motto. And, boy, were we a large crowd last Sunday!

Small glimpse at the sea of humanity at the MN State Fair!

It's hard to know which way to look with so many folks milling about!

The Midway

Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Dairy Princess, was nearby taking photos.

I don't know the woman and child in the picture.

Behind them is the cooler with the princess's heads carved in butter.

Nordy, MN Wild Hockey team mascot, paused for a photo op.

Thanks, Nordy!

Minnesota is the birthplace of Spam. I know, what a claim to fame!

We did not have the spamburger.

In fact, we barely ate anything because it was so crowded.

It was the first day that it wasn't so horribly hot, plus a Sunday, plus people just wanted to get together!

The only building I really wanted to go into was the Fine Arts building.

This motorcycle is made out of folded paper!

It was behind glass for a good reason.

I thought this sculpture was so cool.

The fine arts building is on the opposite end of the Midway, so when the boys called my cellphone to say they were out of money, I said, "Go to the milk stand, and if you have a dollar, you can have all the milk you can drink."

I don't think they went. They just stood by the sling shot ride watching the throngs of people.

It is kind of cool to be part of history. This was the largest Sunday crowd at the State Fair and the highest number of any day of the fair for 2013, at 236,197 people!

And, now, another school year has begun.

Go. Create. Inspire!

If you're looking for some fun art, music, and drama classes, check out our Primo Art Spa. This Saturday, Sept. 7, from 10:00-noon, we'll have Puppets, Pottery, and Pastries. Come on over!

Journaling Prompt:  When have you felt like you were part of history? How's the new school year going for you and your students? Are you a student this year?