Changes are Coming!

Over the past few months, I’ve missed blogging. I would love to continue Bona Vita, but simply don’t have the time to post and network regularly. However, after several months of brainstorming, I think I have discovered a solution.

My daughter, Emily, an occasional guest blogger here, has agreed to take a more active role in Bona Vita. She’ll be performing much more of the hands-on work while we’ll collaborate together to gather recipes and resources.

Over the next few weeks, a number of changes will occur as the transition takes place. The first one is Bona Vita’s move from WordPress.com to a self-hosted site. The new address is http://www.bonavitablog.com. Don’t forget to bookmark and subscribe to the new location!

We’ll keep you updated at the new site as we continue to work out the new system.

Au Revoire

Life is particularly hectic these days. Something had to give and I decided it probably shouldn’t be my children’s education.

I may find time to post a recipe now and then, but it will probably be sporadic at best for a time.

I hope to be able to post more regularly sometime in the future, perhaps next summer.

The Great Chocolate Nightmare

Thanks to Mom’s culinary endeavors, our pantry is generally stocked to overflowing with nutritious and yet gourmet foods that please everyone from the youngest to the oldest. They’re designed to stretch our pallates while soothing us with a sense of the familiar. Or not. 

Do we love great food? Oh yes. But we’re not that weird. Five nights out of seven, most of us would just as soon eat a grilled cheese sandwich as the gourmet meals that Mom prepares. Complete with the fake Kraft cheese. And non-organic ketchup. However, we do fully appreciate Mom’s efforts in the kitchen.

However, sometimes even the best cooks try recipes that really do go awry. One perfect example is presented by what we fondly refer to as “The Chocolate Nightmare Cake”. Her intentions were noble. It was the middle of summer, the sun was beating down, the thermometer was soaring, and bored family members aimlessly wandered the path between the garage and the living room. So Mom decided to make a sumptuous chocolate cake. This wasn’t just a plain sheet cake, either. It was the real deal.

She enhanced two white boxed cakes and created four layers of vanilla richness. Then she created a sinfully delicious milk-chocolate frosting. Emphasis on the milk. It was nothing short of fabulous. The only hitch was that, by the time she was done thickening the frosting with powdered sugar, there was about 3 gallons of the stuff. (Or should I measure that in pounds?) There was a lot. Way too much.

Ignoring that issue for the moment, Mom turned to the task at hand: applying the frosting to the cake. Have I mentioned that the kitchen was hot? The first layer went on as expected. Mom set the second cake layer on and began to frost the top. And then things started to slide downhill. Literally. The second layer started to slide off towards its impending doom.

The gravity of the situation began to dawn upon us. The frosting was melting before our eyes. Mom shoved the bowl into the fridge to chill. A few minutes later, the frosting looked stable. So Mom pulled it out and began to frost the sides. This time she moved fast. And the frosting moved faster. Drip. Drip.

And suddenly, her magnificent tower of chocolate began to look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Finally, every inch of the cake was covered in (rapidly liquifying) chocolate frosting. Mom pushed the cake into the fridge, slammed the door shut and reassessed the situation. What were we going to do with the massive amount of extra (melting) chocolate?

What are neighbors for? Mom whipped up another cake mix and slathered excess frosting on it. Then we bore it down the street and delivered with a stern warning: “This is  . . . um . . .  melting. You should probably put it in the fridge. Soon.”

Don’t get me wrong – the cake tasted great. And I’d love to provide you with a recipe so that you could recreate The Chocolate Nightmare for your home. Unfortunately, in the rush of rescuing the cake, Mom neglected to write the recipe down. Sadly, that recipe has disappeared from history forever. 

The End.

~Emily

Emily Adams is the oldest daughter of Kathy Adams and a 2007 graduate of  Belhaven College. She is a freelance writer and firmly belives that reality is funnier than fiction.

Burning Daylight

It feels like I haven’t blogged in ages. The time saved not blogging has allowed me to spend time in other areas:

• Catch up on reading
• Play board games with my children
• Organize my pantry
• Keep up with the wash
• Sew 

In all honesty, I probably could have accomplished the above and blogged. However, I really couldn’t think of anything worthy of penning. So, I thought maybe it was appropriate to use the “time crunch” excuse to  say good-bye to Bona Vita.

But, then I would miss my blogging friends.  And I know Emily would miss our mother-daughter “bonding” moments over photo editing in the wee hours of the morning. . .

So, I began to think about all that I could  share here today.

I would love to tell you about my daughter’s and son’s road trip to Florida this weekend.  I could spend several paragraphs explaining the car trouble they encountered in Nashville.  The bottom-line is God sent them an angel in a not-so-angelic package. This rough and tumble good Samaritan went above and beyond the call of duty to help them alleviate their auto problems (all on New Year’s Day). They were back on the road in record time. This was accomplished with out him expecting anything in return. Maybe I will elaborate on this story in another post.

I might spend some time writing about the Basic Instructor Workshop for Cued Speech that my kids are attending in Tampa (thus the road trip) this weekend. But, I think I will save that for another time, as well.

I could just wax eloquently about Cued Speech.  I might define it for you and discuss it’s history and uses. I could tell you what a huge blessing it’s been to our son as he works on language acquisition.  But then I would be led to talk about cochlear implants . . . I would get quite excited as I think about the possibility of our son receiving his second implant allowing him to have binaural hearing.  I am not ready to go into this yet.

I could visit the subject of ice fishing. I don’t know much about this topic. I have become more aware of this sport lately.  Our view of the pond on the 18th fairway has been transformed into a view of sportsmen precariously engaged in, what I consider, another “extreme” sport.   The whole thing makes me nervous. . . Will they fall through the ice?  How can we help them?  Will they want our help? Should we throw them a rope? For now, I watch as they haul in another fish. How many 4 inch fish would one need to provide dinner for a family of 11? I think I have exhausted this topic.

So, instead, I will share a terrific recipe for a coffee cake that I have been serving my family for years.  The recipe originated in the Better Home and Garden Cookbook. Of course I didn’t leave it alone. I have been tweaking it routinely.

 

Coffee Cake

3 cups flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 tblsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup milk

1/2 oil

Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter a 9 x 13  baking dish.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir the milk, eggs and oil together and add to the flour mixture. Mix well. At this point, you can add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips or nuts if you desire. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the mixture. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 – 35 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean.

Topping

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

3 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 tblsp. butter

Combine utilizing a pastry cutter until uniform and crumbly.

After you remove the cake from the oven drizzle sparingly with a thin powdered sugar icing.

Powdered Sugar Icing

1 Cup sifted powdered sugar

2 – 4 tblsp milk

1/2 tsp. flavoring ( vanilla, almond or orange)

Combine powdered sugar, flavoring and enough milk to form the desired consistency.

 Serve warm. This warm, fragrant cake always makes hearts happy.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” – Psalm 100: 4-5

 

Boxed Blessings

Yes, I enjoy cooking and baking with recipes and ideas from Gourmet, Bon Appetit, and interesting cookbooks. However, a few of my favorite recipes are derived from the packaging of common grocery items.

For instance, I love using a recipe that I call Roasted Seasoned Potatoes. I have served this side dish to small and large crowds alike for years. It is a favorite with both children and adults. Aside from chopping millions of potatoes into bite-size pieces, it is quite easy to make.  I stumbled upon this recipe on the back of a Lipton’s Onion Recipe Soup and Dip Mix years ago.

Another box-top favorite of mine is One-Bowl Brownies.  I discovered this recipe on the back of Baker’s Unsweetened Baking Chocolate Squares. I have customized it with various toppings over the years, but the integrity of the original recipe remains the same. This is an easy dessert to prepare and receives rave reviews.

 

Baker’s One Bowl Brownies (with my twists)

4 squares Baker’s unsweetened baking chocolate

1 1/2 sticks butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/2  cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with foil and butter the foil. Make certain that the ends of the foil extend over the sides of the dish.

Place the chocolate and the butter into a microwavable bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes or until the butter is melted.  Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the sugar. Blend in the eggs, milk and vanilla.  Mix in the flour. Spread the brownies into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Do not overbake. A toothpick inserted into the middle should have fudgy crumbs on it.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the brownies from the pan utilizing the foil “handles”.  Cut into squares.

Toppings: 

• Immediately after removing the brownies from the oven, sprinkle chocolate chips over the hot brownies and spread them with a spatula as the chips melt.
• Sift powdered sugar over the hot brownies
• Serve topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate drizzles, and strawberries

 ”A hundred times a day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depends on the labor of other [people], living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving. I am strongly drawn to the simple life and am often oppressed by the feeling that I am engrossing an unnecessary amount of the labor of my fellow [people].”   – Albert Einstein

Passing Seasons

As much as I love the Christmas season, I must say I enjoy the bitter sweet motions of its closing. Last night, we carefully packed away the ornaments, trees, wreaths and garlands. Its actually a comforting ritual. Once again we talked about the significance of  particular ornaments as we delicately wrapped and stored them for next year’s celebrations.

For the sake of organization, I attempt to box our decorations in a systematic manner. I store the traditional Christmas tree ornaments in one tote, the formal tree ornaments in another, and box delicate nativity scenes and antique ornaments together. I pack the greenery in large bags. Lights are gently wound up, secured with quick-ties, and stored together.

I appreciate  having the opportunity to thoroughly dust my banisters and mantels. I vacuumed away every trace of greenery, enjoying our freshly decluttered home.

Winter is here in all of its glory.  We are living under mounds of snow and frigid temperatures, enjoying the warmth of fires inside. Even so, I can sense a crocus somewhere underneath it all.

“At Christmas, I no more desire a rose; Than wish a snow in May’s newfangled mirth; But like each thing that in season grows.” – William Shakespeare

Visions of Sugar-Plums

I have loved peeking into so many of my blogger friends’ homes this Christmas season. I am always  amazed at the elegant, creative motifs at this time of year. I have tucked away terrific new ideas hoping I might recreate these lovely embellishments in our own house . . . one year in the future. In the mean time, I am enjoying our Christmas decorations and the lovely spirit that permeates our home and hearts . 

Our Christmas motif doesn’t have a theme, it certainly doesn’t carry a professional look, but it’s cozy and warm, filled with my children’s special touches. In the spirit of Christmas, we spent Sunday baking. Here is our favorite sugar cookie recipe. The almond extract adds a nice touch.

 Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter ( 2 cubes), softened

2 cups sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp lemon juice

5 cups flour

 

Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. Combine sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the sugar mixture to the butter and mix until combined. Add the sour cream, almond extract, and lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Beat in the eggs.  Now add the flour, one cup at a time and beat until blended into the mixture. You may have to mix the last cup or  2 of flour in by hand utilizing  a wooden spoon as the mixture will become very stiff. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Cover and chill for at  least 2 hours.

 

Working with 1 piece at a time, roll out the dough on a well floured surface to 1/4 – 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets and bake in a 375° oven for 7 – 9 minutes. Do not over bake. The cookies should just start to turn golden on the edges.

 

Decorate with your favorite frosting and embellishments.

 

“Christmas was close at hand, in all his bluff and hearty honesty; it was the season of hospitality, merriment, and open-heartedness; the old year was preparing, like an ancient philosopher, to call his friends around him, and amidst the sound of feasting and revelry to pass gently and calmly away.” -Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers

Dare To Dream

Due to overwhelming response . . . Photographic Friday is cancelled until further notice. I simply can’t keep up with the plethora of links . . . I am especially thankful to Jena at Organizing Mommy and Andrea at Embracing Him for their participation. Oh, and since a few of you have asked, here is a little information about my camera. My photography is made possible with a Canon 40D.  This 10.0 Megapixel, high-sensitivity, high-resolution Canon sports a strong and rugged magnesium-alloy exterior.

 

 

The camera has a new AF system with 9 cross-type sensors and the world’s first diagonal high-precision cross type AF at center point with f/2.8 and faster lenses.  The 3.o” LCD monitor with its live view function is convenient. The Canon 40D can shoot up to 6.5 frames per second. This camera provides superb image quality with outstanding color tones. I utilize a  Canon  EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM  ultra wide-angle zoom lens. I enjoy its extremely precise focusing. This lens has internal stabilization that makes it outstanding even in low light situations.

 

O.K. – That isn’t true.

 I do not own a Canon 40D. I do have a traditional 35 mm Canon Rebel from the “olden days”, but it sits in a drawer. It does sport a very nice Tamron Lens, but that sits in the drawer as well. You see, I now like digital photography . . . it’s so much more convenient.  I have a short attention-span and like seeing my photos right away. So, until I realize my dream of that Canon described above, I will continue to shoot my photos with my faithful Olympus C-740 Digital Camera.

Its compact body is convenient and it takes fairly high-quality pictures. The most important feature of this little number is  – it really does sit on my counter ready to be utilized at any moment.

“For his part, every beauty of art or nature made him thankful as well as happy, and that the pleasure to be had in listening to fine music, as in looking at the stars in the sky, or at a beautiful landscape or picture, was a benefit for which we might thank Heaven as sincerely as for any other worldly blessing.” – William Makepeace Thackeray

Photographic Friday

The theme for today’s meme is “Celebrating Christmas” once again. Share your photos that depict the sights and sounds of this holiday season . Remember, the simple and the ordinary are full of beauty if gazed upon from the correct angle.

Here’s how to participate:

 1. Photograph an object, room, or person in keeping with the posted topic.

2. Post one picture on your blog.

3. Include a link to Bona Vita’s Photographic Friday in your post.

4. Through Bona Vita’s Mr. Linky, link to your Photographic Friday blog post (not to your main site). Remember, I reserve the right to delete inappropriate links!

5. Be sure to leave a comment!

 

Christmas celebrations are all about delicious desserts.  Last weekend I served these simple but festive lemon-raspberry cupcakes. They proved to be sophisticated enough for adults when sitting side by side a caramel cheesecake. Yet, children delighted in them as well. I was initially inspired by these petite cakes as they graced the cover of  Bon Appetit’s April 2008 cover. Here is my customized version.

 

Lemon-Raspberry Cupcakes

1 white cake mix

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup lemon juice

8 tblsp melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

Lemon Icing

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

4 – 6 tblsp lemon juice

Whisk the sugar and lemon juice together. You should start with 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and add additional juice as you need it. The icing should be fairly viscous.

Place the cake mix, water, lemon juice, butter and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend on medium speed until combined, about 20 seconds. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the cake batter mixing after each addition.  Once all of the eggs have been added,  continue mixing for 2 minutes on medium speed.  Pour the batter into prepared cupcake pans. You can either grease and flour your pans or utilize cupcake liners. Silver liners always look festive. Bake in a 350° oven for 17 – 20 minutes. Do not over bake the cupcakes. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack. Spread lemon icing evenly over the cupcakes and top with a plump raspberry.

You can utilize raspberry jam or preserves as a filling in these cupcakes. Simply add 1 or 2 tablespoons of cake batter to the cupcake pan, then add 1 tablespoon of jam and cover with additional cake batter. 

“The children were nestled all snug in their beds, / While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads . . . ” – Clement Clarke Moore, The Night Before Christmas 

 

Truth Be Told

This is a guest post by my eldest daughter, Emily.  My disclaimer: Take everything with a grain of salt . . .

____________________________________

My mother’s skills abound. She is an extraordinary cook, a charming hostess, and a tasteful decorator. However, I think the time has come for truth to prevail. Contrary to common misconception, domestic catastrophe is never far away.

For every Lucious Lemon Cake, there is a discarded disaster. To top this off, Mom holds tightly to an aggravating habit of remaining in sweats up until 30 minutes before guests are scheduled to arrive. I’ve tried to break this terrifying habit, but it’s hopeless.

Her taste is generally impeccable, but there was that time that she painted tiger stripes on the living room bookshelf. It was awful. Fortunately, my brother’s brutal honesty saved our reputation and decor.

Lately, she has, to the consternation of her already-intimidated friends and family, also discovered her love and talent for photography. However, the pictures which effortlessly grace the pages of Bona Vita, frankly, hide a dark secret.

Several dozen shots have been discarded for every lovely photo published. Mom, having never mastered the over-achiever within, is an obsessive editor. I have padded sleepily into the kitchen on many a dark and snowy morning to find Mom holding out a camera. “Emily, can you upload these really quickly?” Three hours later, we’re still tweaking.

Fortunately, what works for my mom is Paint.net. Paint.net was designed by some brilliant undergraduate students. These students will have my (and my mother’s) eternal gratitude. This program makes editing, tweaking, and enhancing photos enjoyable and simple. (For others, the process might even be faster). It  has several attractive aspects:

• It’s cheap. The suggested donation is $12.00
• It’s easy to use.
• It’s a simplistic copy-cat of Photoshop.

How, exactly, does Photo.net enhance Mom’s photography? The following is an example. Here is an unmodified picture, hot off the press:

And here is a modified version:

Here’s another example:

 

 

Here is the “Photo-netified” version:

 

You see? The originals are really quite . . . . normal. The magic lies in the editing.

For more tips, tricks, and secrets revealed, visit Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in My Dryer.

“No legacy is so rich as honesty.” – William Shakespeare

Emily Adams is the oldest daughter of Kathy Adams and a 2007 graduate of  Belhaven College. She is a freelance writer and offers classes for homeschooled students through Alethea Academy when not uploading pictures for Bona Vita.