August 2011

American Pie

25 August 2011
Apple Pie

Before I moved to Friday Harbor, Washington, I’d never attended a county fair.   I couldn’t even tell you the location of the fair grounds where I grew up in Northern California.   But in Friday Harbor, there’s no missing the San Juan County Fair.  I’m pretty sure you’d get voted off the island if you tried [...]

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Dream Cake

22 August 2011
Tumbling Block Quilt Cake

My mother stitches my family’s history together one quilt at a time.   My childhood bed at my parents’ house — the one my daughter sleeps in now when we visit — is covered with one of the first quilts she made.   When my sister, and then my brother, and then I got married, she made [...]

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Pizza Predicament

15 August 2011
Deep Dish Pizza

We eat pizza frequently in our house.   Much of the eating that takes place goes on in the creation phase, at least for my daughters.  A snitch of prosciutto here, an olive there, some red pepper, maybe a pinch of dough, or two, or three.  While they snack, they create faces with a combination of [...]

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Good Things Come in Threes

4 August 2011
Buttermilk Cake with Fresh Strawberries and Cream

Last summer, my friend Kimi came to visit us for her birthday.   She’s spent enough time on the island to know how she wanted to celebrate: dinner at South Beach followed by buttermilk cake with fresh strawberries and cream. I’m a fan of summer evenings at South Beach, and I’m also a fan of buttermilk [...]

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A Moveable Feast

1 August 2011
Beet Green and Goat Cheese Tart

On Wednesdays this summer, I’m supposed to work on the astronomy class I need to finish in order to achieve “highly qualified” status for teaching high school science.   Summertime Wednesdays also bring “Music on the Lawn,” which means we get to pack up a picnic dinner and go listen to live music at the San [...]

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