Winter Gardening: Forced Blooms - SouthernLiving.com

Winter Gardening: Forced Blooms - Photos - SouthernLiving.com

Photo: Erica George DinesArticle: Kate Karam

This is my inspiration for the day...to clean house! I could sit in that chair with a good book all morning...but alas, things to do...jobs to search for...*sigh* Let's get to work!

Whitman's Bakery...a sad tale of change in ownership

This used to be my favorite place to eat. I used to grab a pastry with my dad before he took me to school at least once a week. Every summer when we had company it was always on the itinerary to show off Whitman's, the best hot dogs I had ever eaten. It was THE place to stop on a rainy afternoon to get a yummy date bar or a fresh cookie.

Not anymore. It looks the same, but that is all. The standards are not as high as they were with the original family and staff that made the "old" Whitman's a treasure. If you wanted something to drink I recommend you go in to see the splendor that once was...but quality and the heart of Whitman's will never be the same. I ate there today and was not impressed. Sadly I think it was my last visit. I do hope it turns around, as it USED to be such a joy.

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Are you feeling the love?

My near & dears will be! Here's what I've accomplished with my recent down time: handmade Valentine cards. I used some of my Grandmother's lace for a few of the cards and bien sûr my Martha Stewart glitters. The card middle-bottom is called quilling or paper filigree. I first heard of it whilst substitute teaching for an art class a few years ago. The instructions were poor, so thanks again to Martha, all the kiddies went home with something to show off. And now so have I.

So here they are...Happy Valentine's Day!

Comfort Food

Sometimes a home cooked meal just makes you feel better.

My grandmother passed away on her birthday, January 31, 2010. It is a bittersweet thing, we will of course miss her... I always pictured her coming with me & my mother to pick out my wedding dress. She had impeccable taste. But she was suffering, so I wouldn't bring her back. I know she is up in heaven having the time of her life.

She was firm believer in eating, it was always: "you eat good now" or "what can I fix ya" even as her health was fading. Her funeral was on Thursday...so yesterday the whole week caught up with us. The sleet and rain just added to our mood. So it was defiantly a time for comfort food.

I decided to make Martha Stewart's Italian Pot Pies. I've made them before and they are easy and hearty. The recipe is from Everyday Food, December 2008. It is the Italian rendition of shepherd's pie.

Prep: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound ground beef sirloin, thawed if frozen
• 2 cups homemade or best-quality store-bought tomato sauce
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup whole milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, Parmesan, baking powder, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; make a well in center, and add butter and milk. Stir just until dough comes together.
3. Spoon meat mixture into four 8-ounce ramekins; mound dough on top. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake until topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in topping comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.

Last night I realized I was out of tomato sauce, and with all the snow and slush it was not worth a trip to the store. So I substituted with Prego's traditional italian sauce. It gave it a lot more flavor, so it actually turned out to be a good thing!

By the time dinner was over, bellies full, we felt just that little bit better. And knowing Nan would've been pleased made it even more enjoyable.