Autumn

Currently, I am at the homestead. Boyfriend is out of town, doing an opening in Springfield, Illinois. When he isn't around, and my friends are all of town too (on vacation in San Diego), I don't have much to do. This summer flew by! I spent most of it not at home, and therefore not in my kitchen. This summer was one of r&r and I was not nearly as active as I usually am. I barely rode my bike, didn't go hiking, and I am ashamed to say that I still haven't gone on a picnic. I am determined to go on one when my love gets home. You see, fall is my favorite season. I love everything about it. The weather, the tasty tasty tastes of fall- all things pumpkin, and spice, the smells!, pumpkins!, Halloween!, Thanksgiving too... the leaves get all pretty, and it's chilly out so you have an excuse to snuggle, and drink hot chocolate. Autumn is just great. I got up to some baking this week. I made some pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and pumpkin gobs with maple buttercream filling. They were tasty! I took them to feed my friends at Scope on Tuesday night & everyone said they were delicious. I love making people smile with baked goods :) It's why I like to do it! Speaking of baking, I applied for a job at a bakery in a great location that will hopefully make it possible for me to move in with my beau. Wish me luck! The place is really cute, homey, but I'm not sure how they felt about me. I will let you know how it goes. It would be perfect!!! Anyways, I am thinking of all the things I could make for what will be a most excellent Autumnal picnic. Of course, I think of all the desserts first! I'm totally down for a dessert picnic! I've been wanting to try to recreate something like Pumpkin Delights, the Little Debbie snacks. I love them, and I buy boxes and boxes of them when they're in stores. I cam across something similar on StumbleUpon the other day that I'm going to have to try to find and see how it goes. I'm not sure what all I will take, though I have been contemplating some sparkling wine. They gave us some at Shinto (a wonderful local hibachi/sushi restaurant in Strongsville) when we went their to celebrate our anniversary that was so good it's been on my mind since! I think the rich, sweet flavor would go well with Fall flavors. I do know exactly where I will be going on this picnic though, the Music Mound in Berea. I've mentioned it before, and it is BEAUTIFUL in Autumn. I remember when Where the Wild Things (lovelovelove) was just out and I wanted to rumpus about the metro parks where the Music Mound is and no one would go with me, because it was raining, so I went alone- and fell in the mud! It was totally worth it though :) Perhaps we will make a day of it, and go to the art museum after the picnic- I've been wanting to go there for a while, I haven't been since early 2010. Two of my favorite places with my favorite person? Sounds like the makings of a wonderful day to me. Do any of you like fall? What about it? Have you been picnicing lately? -R

Picnic Love

Sorry I've been so absent! It's hard to start a revolution when you're falling in love.

That might sound cheesy, but it's true.

We also had what seemed like a monsoon season here in Ohio that did not particularly lend itself to picnics. Now, it is dry & boy is it HOT! I've been itching for a picnic for the last week or so and hope to go on one soon. I will post pictures of it asap after it happens!

I just wanted to show you that I'm not the only one who is interested in picnics, my idol, Paula Deen, is as well! Today on Facebook she posted a link to a picnic menu. Some of the recipes sound really good- the skillet potato salad looks like a potato salad I would eat, I adore sweet tea, and the brownies sound divine! I'm sure the other recipes are excellent as well, as Paula is a Goddess, but I'm not a huge fan of pork or broccoli. There is also a contest going on with it! I urge you to check it out, and enter the contest to win some picnic goodies and carry on the revolution!

Here's the link

You will hear from me again soon!
Vive La Revolution!
<3
Rachael

Picnic Gear: The Picnic Blanket

We have this blanket that floats around my homestead... one side is forest green and burgundy plaid and the other side is black rubber-ish material.

It is the perfect picnic blanket. The LAST thing you want when you go on a picnic is to get a damp hiney. If you're me this is especially true as you are probably wearing some fanciful sundress! So, my friends, you're probably asking where can I get myself one of these fabulous hiney-protecting blankets? Where did you get yours?

While I have no idea where our blanket came from, I can direct your attention to a number of places on the interwebs where you can find the perfect blanket for all of your picnicking needs! Hooray!

I want this one




It's adorable!

This one is cute as well...



Here are some called Mega Mats that are 100% waterproof and convert into neat little bundles some come with handles for easy carrying...




Do any of you have picnic blankets? Are they waterproof?

Or, do you prefer picnic tables?

-R

Picnic Weather Came & Went

Two days ago, NE Ohio had 80 degree weather!

I'd love to tell you I went on a picnic... but I didn't. I spent some time snuggling, then worked the rest of the evening. It's back in the 40's now :( And nothing on the weather forecast looks promising! As the pink Hello Kitty t-shirt that I am wearing today says, "April Showers Bring May Flowers"

Recently, I've been thinking about shutting my religion blog down. Don't let me fool you, it's not like I write there as often as I should, because I don't, but I think it's time for me to focus my efforts. Instead of having 14 blogs about 20 different things I think I need to turn my interweb efforts to what I plan on turning my life towards: cooking and baking.

Which brings me to an announcement; I don't plan on going to graduate school for religion anymore, I want to pursue a career in baking.

My thesis advisor, spiritual mentor, chaplain, and friend led me to this conclusion. Baking, and cooking, is what I am truly passionate about.

I guess Joseph Campbell is right... You just have to follow your bliss

-R

Making babycakes for my friend, Chis, who forgot them!

Long time, no Blog

Sorry for the absence... I really have no excuse other than the fact that life has been distracting lately, and I am here to distract myself from what I should be doing right now aka writing my senior thesis.

The weather in NE Ohio has gotten close to picnic friendly a few times, but the ground has been wet/mushy/snow covered far too often to actually be picnic friendly. This winter has actually been a lot worse than last years. Last year, Easter was around this time and it was so warm & sunny we spent most of the day outside- we even ate Easter dinner on my grandparent's patio! If Easter had happened this weekend, the ground would have been soggy and we would have all been wearing winter coats & boots.

I am so ready for picnic weather!

I have been thinking about a few picnic-related things...

1. If I could picnic anywhere RIGHT now, where would it be?
-The Music Mound, Berea Ohio. This is one of my favorite places on Earth. It is so lovely there, set back from the road... you can really escape into it, not to mention it has a few big stone slabs that would be perfect for picnicing on. And, after you picnic you can explore!
-Letha House Park, Chatam Township Ohio. This is my favorite place on Earth. You might notice a theme here, but it is also set back from everything, there are never many people there, it's gorgeous, and you can also explore. They have picnic tables under a shelter, a few nestled in the woods, and plenty of space to unfold a blanket and picnic on the ground.
-Whipps Ledges, Hinkley Ohio. I've had so many picnics here with my family... it's always a great place to go. There is hiking, swimming, food on site (if you don't want to bring your own), places to sit around the lake, put-put near by, etc!
-Any beach in Delaware. We went on vacation in Delaware a few years ago & it was an amazing trip. I miss the ocean and could really go for a visit. We're vacationing in Maine this year, which is close by!

2. At these picnics, what would I eat??
Hard to say... the possibilities are endless, really. But, lately, I've been craving a Mediterranean veggie sandwich from Panera so I could re-create that and bring it along, sweet tea, chocolate chip cookies, and a fruit salad. Yummy!

3. Speaking of salads... I am not a huge fan of 'salads' that are not lettuce based or fruit salads, I'm talking about macaroni salad, potato salad, chicken salad, tuna salad etc... I just don't like mayo or mustard very much and the gloppy texture grosses me out. I also have never been a fan of pasta salad just because. However, I saw this and thought it sounded great. I'm going to have to try it!

So, where would you go? What would you eat?

Day 14.2: Stale Bread

Two Sundays ago, now, I went to the grocery store and bought a bunch of food. You see, I had just watched Ratatouille and that movie always makes me want to cook!



Goodies!


However, unbeknownst to me there was a hole in the baguette's bag! And the whole freaking loaf went stale! I was initially very very sad- I wanted to make bruschetta, you see...and you need some good bread for that!

I did not despair for long, as I remembered that stale bread is NOT useless and should not be thrown out, for you can make HOMEMADE CRUTONS with it!!!!!!!!!! WOOO HOOO!

The great thing about homemade crutons is that they are SO simple to make, but they sound really impressive. Or I like to pretend they do, at least.

All you're going to need is the following:

stale bread
olive oil (about 2tbs)
salt (I used a sea salt grinder)
freshly ground pepper

And for prepping/baking- a cutting board, knife, pastry brush, and baking sheet

You can also add other spices if you wish, maybe some garlic powder for garlic crutons, or maybe even some cheese! Yum.

To get started, you're going to want to get the oven preheating at 375degrees and then cube your bread. Since this baguette was rock solid...it took some work!



First, I just cut it into rounds and then cubed it up.

Ta-da! Bread cubes!



Then, you want to lay them out on a baking sheet. They can be close together, farther apart- doesn't matter.



Next, brush the olive oil on the bread cubes.



You can do this individually if you want even coverage or sort of haphazardly if you don't really care...

Now! It's time for salt and pepper!















You're looking for somewhat even coverage with the s&p so you don't have some REALLY salty crutons or burning-hot pepper encrusted ones either. Like this,





Bake for 15 minutes or so- it depends on your oven and the bread, really. You're looking for some nice browning on the edges.



Voila! Tasty homemade crutons!

R


Ps- You don't have to make crutons out of stale bread, you can make them out of fresh bread too if you so desire :)

Day 14: Bad Bad Blogger!

I have been a bad bad bad blogger... I blame school, sickness, being busy, being distracted, and planning a trip to NEW YORK CITY with my best friend! Talk about the food that will happen on that trip! I am so excited!

I promise to update more. Promise.

Today is Valentine's Day... so to the blogosphere, Happy Valentine's Day! Whether you are single, dating someone, engaged, married, or whatever, I think everyone can enjoy Valentine's Day. For me, I've had a Valentine once... and the holiday isn't that big of a deal to me, but it is a great opportunity to talk about the indoor picnic!

Here in North East Ohio we've been having some warm weather for winter- 48-50degrees! But that's not quite warm enough to back a picnic basket and head outside, right? So, I have one simple suggestion: Have a picnic inside.

At first it might sound strange... even silly... and it could be, but I've never been one to really mind doing silly things.

For Valentine's day I'm thinking of two different approaches...both involve blanket forts!

Do you remember making blanket forts when you were little? It's. so. fun. It's whimsical! And who doesn't need a little whimsy!

Things you are going to need:

Chairs
Couches
Blankets!
Pillows
and maybe a lamp...


At my house we have these great tall stools, which are perfect. I put one on the middle and throw a big blanket over it. Then, strategically place other chairs and stools around, draping the center blanket over them and adding more to make a pretty good size tent. If you don't want to put a stool in the middle, if you find a way to stretch the blanket tight enough- you could use a broom or mop handle to make a higher peak.

For kids (or adults I guess), the picnic food can consist of sweets only, because it's Valentine's Day. You could make cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries, cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, or just various candies. You could make heart shaped pb&j sandwiches with this:


Isn't in darling!?!
Blanket forts are perfect for movie nights, and since this Valentine's day falls on a Monday which is a school and work night, spending the evening in might not be a bad idea. Pizza would also be a perfect dinner to eat under a blanket fort!

So what do you think, will you be constructing a Valentine's Day blanket fort? ;)

-Rachael

Day 6: Sickness

Well, I'm not following Ree's advice very well BUT I think I have some good reasons...

1.) I have been crazy sick since Wednesday :( This is the second time I've battled this illness in less than two months!

2.) The internet has been so so so slow because of the weather/inches of ice on our satellite dish. I did TRY to post but the pictures I wanted to upload would not cooperate. So I made a Flickr account to try to make it easier...but, alas, the interwebs was going to slow and the pictures wouldn't load onto flickr! I will be on campus (for the first time since Tuesday) tomorrow and will have legit internet so HOPEFULLY I will be able to post those pictures.

Just a thought: Since I am sick, I could have had a soup picnic in my living room under a blanket tent! But, I was far to lazy for that!

I'll be back tomorrow-
Rachael

Ps- Instead of watching the Super Bowl I watched Ratatouille and I plan on making ratatouille now :) I've wanted to try making it since I watched this movie the first time. Such a good movie! Anyone can cook!

Day Two: Gearing Up1.0

Hello again!

The Wise Ree Drummond once wrote that bloggers should write something, no matter how small, everyday. (I'd link the exact post, but I can't seem to find it...) So, with 50 minutes left of the day, I am taking her advice.

As I mentioned in my first entry, for the time being I am going to write about picnic gear and indoor picnics. Today, I am going to cover one of the essential items required for a picnic...

The basket.

I own two, and a few years back, I bought my mom one for Mother's Day. Now, picnic baskets can get expensive. I've seen some online for $120! Fortunately, I've gotten mine for much less. One was free! :) I won it at my Winans' family reunion a few years back. It is so fun- it's brightly colored, orange with some multi-colored accents, and includes 2 plates, cups, napkins, and sets of silverware in a nifty front pocket. I almost forgot! It also has a corkscrew! The body of the "basket" is more like a cooler bag- it has that silvery plastic lining, which is awesome in the event of a spill. The other one is an actual basket that has an adjustable leather strap and cream linen lining- inside it has plates, mugs, goblets?, napkins, cute knife & fork napkin rings, and sets of reusable plasticware. I got it at the thrift store for something like $10! What I love about this basket is that the previous owners showed some creativity. They added the two goblets?, napkins, and napkin rings. The downside to their initiative is that, once the goblets are in the basket- there isn't any room for food :/

I encourage you to keep a vigilant eye at thrift stores, flea markets, and garage sales- you never know when the most amazing basket will fall into your hands :)

In case you don't want to wait for serendipitous-amazingest-basket-finding, you have so many options online and in a number of stores. Today I will share with you two really good websites, for not only baskets but a wide variety of picnic gear: http://www.epicnicbasket.com/ and http://www.picnic-basket.com/ They have everything in handy categories so you can find a basket that meets your needs, fits in your price range etc.

A few things to consider when purchasing a basket- how many people are you usually going to be packing the basket for? Do you want it to be lined with plastic, or is linen fine? Do you want an empty basket so you can find the dishes you like? Or, do you want a basket that has everything in it already? Do you want a woven basket-basket? Or would a "backpack" style "basket" work for you? Price is another factor you will want to consider. The websites I listed ARE great sites, but only if you want to dish out some $$$. If you can't find anything on one of them you can afford, keep your eye on store shelves- for instance, Target usually carries picnic baskets at some point in their seasonal section.

That's all for today- stay tuned for more entries about other gear!

Pax,
Rachael

Welcome to the Revolution

I don't think people go on picnics enough anymore.

I love picnics, so I have decided to start a picnic revolution!

In this blog, I will post about picnic gear, great picnic locations, food to make for picnics, and everything else related.

For the time being, most of my posts will be about gear because it's Winter in Ohio, where I live.

I hope to show people the joy of picnicing!

Viva La Revolution!

-Rachael