The Buttercreme Baker

The mums go out, the geranium comes in

To better acclimate myself in the garden, I have been doing a bit of research. I found this wonderful site made specifically for VA.; it's chock full of great home gardening information. I just know it will soon be a constant reference.

Do you ever find yourself marveling in the beauty of something you've seen time and again? Since choosing to end my career in real estate, I feel renewed both in my thinking and in the way I see things. This Geranium looked almost surreal bathed in the glow of the afternoon sunlight.

I took a moment to "smell the Geranium".

Bought several mums to decorate the entrances for fall but, there is something about this one that begs to be kept inside.

The best recipe for cornbread I've tested by far. Its taste is very southern- a lot sweeter than your average cornbread.

Five County Fair

Shilo and I had booth duty at the Five County Fair this year. Even though we probably won't get any business out of it, we had a great time.

Shilo the Rock Star, clad in her fair appropriate attire.

It seems that I've been commissioned to make cakes for the hotel in my spare time (as if). The feedback has been truly inspiring. What do you think?

This is called The Classic and it is a vanilla cake with either fudge or chocolate buttercream icing, chocolate curls grace the top and white and semi-sweet chocolate dipped strawberries.

Caliente!

I had a couple of showings scheduled for today and boy, was it hot! The impending hurricane is really creating wacky weather here in South Central VA. I am grateful for the rain though; it was much needed.

Pork Chops topped with Smoked Gouda & Bacon

The baked potato was also topped with the Gouda & bacon mixture. The bacon and Garlic & Herb Blend really compliments the smoky flavor of the Gouda.

Pork Chops topped with Smoked Gouda & Bacon

2 oz smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

4 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces

¼ C fresh parsley, chopped

1/8 t ground black pepper

2 t Wildtree Garlic & Herb Blend

2 (2 ¼" thick) bone-in pork chops

¼ t salt

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook bacon in a heavy skillet over medium heat until done. Remove bacon from pan to drain on paper towels;     retain 2 t of the grease in the pan.

Season pork chops with salt, herb blend and pepper. Brown pork chops on each side in the skillet (4-5 minutes per side). Place them in a 13"x9" pan and cook in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

    While the pork chops are cooking, combine cheese, bacon, parsley and salt in a small bowl. Cover the pork chops     with the cheese mixture and return to the oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

    

 

Leis

Real Living Cornerstone is throwing a huge bash September 27, 2008 to celebrate the great year we've had and to give thanks to our wonderful clients, customers and supporters. May and Sandy were on the invitation committee and came up with really cute invites that have hibiscus flowers outlining the copy. I thought red envelopes would really make the invitations "pop" so, our fearless leader was generous enough to order some for all of us. Thanks, Navona!

I'm having a little trouble with my Wildtree site-some kind of server error. But, as soon as tech support addresses it, you'll be able to check it out and see what wonderful things are featured.

Getting Caught Up

Ahhh…the weekend; I finally get to catch up on all of my real estate shows. My new obsession is Million Dollar Listing (Season 2) on Bravo. Main characters, Josh, Madison and Chad, are insanely obnoxious but, I love them just the same. Another guilty pleasure of mine is The Real Estate Pros on TLC. Although the new season hasn't started yet; I am happy to watch the reruns. It's always interesting to me to see other agent perspectives in different areas of the country and know that their plights and triumphs are very much the same as mine.

My Wildtree herbs arrived yesterday. I went to the office for a listing appointment and when I turned the corner to my office, there they were.

I made spaghetti for dinner tonight and used the "Hearty Spaghetti Sauce Blend". When I opened the jar the smell was so fragrant I couldn't believe it. As a family, we like our spaghetti spicy so, I added some of the "Cajun Seasoning". These spices sure didn't disappoint-there was hardly any leftover.

Mangia! Mangia!

Berry Pancakes

This is a new listing in my MLS and I just had to highlight it. It is located in Blackstone and according to the listing agent; it was built in 1900 in the Neoclassical style with its original detailing still intact. Judging by the photos it has not been compromised architecturally (which is rare for a house of this age); it has beautiful wainscoting, French doors and the lighting appear to be original to the house-can't wait to preview this one.

I tried something different this evening for Breakfast Night, it's called Berry Pancake. The texture of the pancake is more substantial than I had expected with just a hint of cinnamon and vanilla. The sweetness pairs very well with the tartness of the berries. I found the recipe on a wonderful site called: JoyofBaking.com.

Berry Pancake

1 T unsalted butter

1 large egg

1 C milk

½ t pure vanilla extract

½ C all-purpose flour

1/8 t salt

1/8 t ground cinnamon

2 T sugar

Garnish:

1 C fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries &/or blackberries)

1-2 T sugar

Confectioners' sugar

Whipped cream &/or pure maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and place the rack in the center of the oven.
   
2. Melt butter in a heavy 10" non-stick, ovenproof skillet. Roll around to coat.
   
3. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender place egg, milk, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Process for 45-60 seconds. Add flour slowly and pulse for another 30 seconds. Once the batter is completely smooth, pour into the skillet with the melted butter.
   
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pancake is slightly puffed and set. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the berries that have been tossed in sugar. Gently roll or fold the sides over the berries and slide onto a serving platter. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with whipped cream and syrup.

Computer Issues

I recently purchased a router and new printer/fax machine combo so that I could print wirelessly from my laptop. Today, I decided to install "the wireless network"…BIG MISTAKE! A total of six hours later, not only did I not have internet service, but I didn't even have a working router. Finally, I just had to walk away and admit defeat…momentarily. John came home and saved the day-well, he fixed his laptop's connection but, mine was still not working. After dinner though, I could begin to think like a sane person and I FIXED IT! From now on, I'll leave the network connections to the true techies.

The computer debacle took up much of my day. I did make it into the office for a few hours to return a bunch of phone calls from my database. One of my listings was due to expire today but, I saved it. That made me and, especially Navona, very happy. You never want to lose a listing because so much is spent marketing the property and if you lose it, you'll never recoup the advertising dollars. Hopefully, I will have the listing agreement signed and returned by Monday so I can continue to sell, sell, sell!

It's such a cute rancher. New construction, 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths, beautiful deck and lots of little details that really make an impression.

You know what today is…

It's my tried and true recipe for waffles with fruit compote I made last minute. The recipe was adapted from a raspberry sauce in Betty Croker's "The Big Red Cookbook".

Mixed Fruit Compote

3 T sugar

2 t cornstarch

1/3 C water

10oz frozen mixed fruit*

1. Mix sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Stir in water and fruit. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.
2. Strain sauce through a strainer, if desired. Serve warm or cool. Store covered in refrigerator up to 10 days.

*I used a frozen fruit blend from Schwan's.

Perks

There was a knock on the door this morning at about 10. I peeped out of the window and saw a Dominion hard hat so; I ignored it and went on with my work. An hour later, the power shuts off-should have answered the door. So, I decided to go in to the office early. Walking to my car, it became clear to me why I had no power-they were working on the power lines. I prayed that we would have electricity by the time we got home.

So, I've been putting in extra time at the office lately and it's starting to pay off. I am really uncomfortable committing to a set time to do floor duty; I feel like it's tying me down I guess. But, (and here's the funny part) I'm in the office a minimum of four afternoons a week. Yet, I won't sign-up to handle the walk-ins and calls I'm fielding anyway…so silly.

Coming home really makes me appreciate where I live. I totally decompress when I turn onto my street that is lined with beautiful old houses situated on lovely lawns. The feeling of safety and community pride is palpable here. And yippy, we now have power!

Madelyn suggested homemade rolls with dinner tonight…at 4 o'clock! Just enough time to whip some up.

Light Rolls

3 to 4 C all-purpose flour

¼ C unsalted butter, melted

¼ C vegetable oil

¼ C sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 ½ C buttermilk, at room temp

1 pkg. yeast

1 t salt

    Proof or dissolve yeast in room temperature buttermilk. Allow to bubble 8 minutes.

    Sift flour well into a large bowl.

In a small bowl, mix together the buttermilk/yeast mixture with the vegetable oil, butter, sugar, salt and beaten egg. Stir in flour until the dough makes a ball that's slightly sticky. (The exact amount will depend on humidity and altitude.)

Place dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours, overnight or in a warm place for 1 hour.

Roll out the refrigerated dough to about 1" thick and cut into round biscuits. Place closely together on a lightly greased cookie sheet or round pie plate. Cover lightly with a towel and allow to proof at room temperature until doubled in size-about 45-60 minutes.*

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

*Note-As you cut the rolls with the biscuit cutter, set the scraps aside. Only after you've cut all the rest of the dough should you lightly roll out the scraps for more rolls. Waiting gives the dough a chance to rest resulting in softer rolls.

Winging It

I realized why I have a daily "to-do" list…without it; I would never get anything done. I forgot to write out my tasks last night and today…I paid for it. Got a lot done but not a whole lot of what I needed to get done.

Mike and I planned to go and preview area houses tomorrow. There is nothing like having firsthand knowledge of a property-just looking at the pics doesn't cut it. There are plenty of houses that were awful to look at online but, in person, they were totally different.

First on the list is a house on my street that has been listed for about four months. It's an old house (1920) but judging by the listing details, it has been "updated". I always cringe when I hear that word in relation to an old house because it usually means the architectural character of the house has been compromised. I hope this isn't the case.

300 Second Ave

I am so over well-done steak. Every since the dinner with Terry last month-we are medium-well fans.

Dinner was Ranch-Style Steak and Cheese, Garlic Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes

Ranch-Style Steak and Cheese

"The cheese sauce is great over potatoes as well as the steak."

2 T butter, divided

1 T olive oil

4 T-bone or club steaks

2 T all-purpose flour

½ C light cream or half-and-half

½ C chicken broth*

¾ C shredded cheddar or American cheese

¼ t salt

¼ t black pepper

1/8 t cayenne pepper

2 T chopped fresh chives or parsley

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 T of the butter and the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add steaks; cook, stirring once, until done to taste, about 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to plate and keep warm.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add remaining butter and flour, cook, stirring until mixture thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Do not let flour brown.
3. Add cream and broth to skillet and bring to a boil, stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Reduce heat and simmer until thick, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir cheddar, salt, black pepper and cayenne into the cream mixture; cook, stirring until sauce is creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in chives or parsley. Spoon sauce over steaks and potatoes.

*Beef broth can be substituted.

Muffins

Yah know…I'm seriously considering becoming a Pampered Chef &/or Wildtree consultant as a hobby. I love both companies and what they offer and the added exposure couldn't hurt as far a real estate is concerned either.

I had a pretty in-depth conversation with Debi last evening about the possibility of becoming a rep and I really liked the idea of sharing my love of cooking and baking. We'll see.

As you all know, my family lives for Breakfast Night. This recipe comes from AllRecipes.com. I was in the mood for something lemony.

Glazed Lemon Muffins 

Streusel

¼ C all-purpose flour

¼ C sugar

2T cold butter

Muffins

¾ C butter

1 ½ C sugar

3 eggs

¾ C sour cream

1T plus 1 ½ t lemon juice

1T grated lemon peel

2 ¼ C all-purpose flour

¼ t baking soda

¼ t salt

Glaze

¼ C plus 2 T confectioners' sugar

2 T plus 2 t lemon juice

1. In a bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly; set aside.
2. For muffins, cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, sour cream, lemon juice and peel. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; stir into creamed mixture just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Sprinkle with reserved crumb topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over muffins.