What's in My Garden? Bella Anna Hydrangea

I love Hydrangeas.  I think I can officially call them my favorite flower, which I guess is evident in the fact that I used them in all my wedding flowers.  Last year I decided to try a Bella Anna Hydrangea, not to be confused with the Annabelle Hydrangea which comes in white.  Technically the Bella Anna is a type of Annabelle.  I chose this one mostly because I loved the antique pink colored blooms.  Their blooms tend to be made up of smaller flowers in clusters, as opposed to the bigger flowers in cluster you see with the original mop head hydrangea.

Common Name: Bella Anna (part of the Annabelle family)
Scientific Name: Hydrangea arborescens
Brand: Endless Summer
Sun: Full Sun to Part shade.  Prefers morning sun with afternoon shade or dappled light.
Soil: Prefers acidic soil. To help acidify soil naturally, take used tea and place it under the plants. 
Size: 3-5' by 3-5'
Water:I always water them about twice a week when there is no rain, or when they look droopy.
Fertilize: Use a handful of fertilizer at planting and again in early March.  They make special acid loving fertilizers you add to water as well, but avoid using when plant is in full bloom. 
Pruning: Deadheading spent flowers will encourage new buds to set and bloom throughout the year.
Endless Summer flowers can grow on both old and new wood so there is no need to prune in the early spring with the Bella Anna.  Only prune if you want to make the bush smaller in early spring before blooming starts.
Wintertizing:  The first 2 years you have your plant,cover the base with extra mulch to protect from extreme weather.

I got the Bella Anna because I wanted something to in the part of my garden that is pretty much under my deck and thought a hydrangea would do well since they like dappled light and some sun comes through the deck boards.  Sadly I was pretty much wrong.  Bella Anna needs quite a bit more sun than that and I could tell it wasn't doing well when the blooms, which started off pink, started to turn green.  I kept it there through the winter, which may have saved it since it got some cover from the weather by being under the deck.  We had a terrible winter with temperatures below 0 some days.

I knew the Bella Anna wasn't happy where it was when I noticed all my other mop heads were starting to sprout and the Bella Anna was doing nothing.  So I decided to move it to a bit sunnier spot.   ended up moving it to the North west portion of my flower bed, where it would be a bit shaded by a trellis at times but still get a good dose of full sun during the day as well.

Even after moving I still didn't see much growth and was pretty sure it was dead,but then all of a sudden ...



So she's not dead yet! (did anyone else just think of Monty Python?)  She's taking her time, but it looks like slowly she will come back to life.  Sadly one thing I also did wrong was I pruned back the old wood so I'll have to wait till next year to get any real good growth.

Keep and eye out for updates! 

A Kentucky Classic, Derby Pie

To be completely honest, I can not say I grew up eating derby pie all the time or even ever year to celebrate the Kentucky Derby.  I wanna say one of the first times I really had it was actually when I made this recipe which I found  on My Cooking Spot.  I made this for some friend who came over to a doggie play date and I'm glad I did because it was awesome.

My only notes I would add to the original recipe is it did not mention some specifics like what kind of butter or chocolate chips to use so I made sure to mention what I used in this version.  One thing I think made this recipe particularly awesome was the fact that I did not use a frozen crust, I got one that was refrigerated. I think those ones are a little better since they don't get freezer burn.  Of course if you have an awesome homemade crust recipe then go for it, but a store bought one will not ruin this pie.  Another factor was the fact that I used real pure vanilla, and mine was actually from Mexico (I got it when we were there for our honeymoon).  It gave the pie just that extra hint of awesome.  Also make sure to do is have chopped pecans, bit halves, even if you kind of crush them yourself.  If there are big chunks of pecans in the pie it makes it super hard to cut into nice looking slices.  But enough talk, here is the thing you came here for.  

Derby Pie

Total time: 2 hours 20 mins

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup sugar 

2 eggs 

1 tsp pure vanilla 

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 cup whole wheat flour 

1 cup pecans, chopped 

1 cup milk chocolate chips 

1 refrigerated pie crust

Preheat over to 325 degrees.  Press pie crust into a 9 inch pie pan, trimming any excess crust and crimping the edges.  Mix butter and sugar then add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add salt and flour, and mix well. Fold in pecans and chips. Pour mixture into pie crust and bake for 1 hour. Let cool for 1 hour before slicing. Serves 6-8.

Better than Bdubs Buffalo Wings

My taste buds go through various cycles and I tend to become obsessed with various taste for weeks, maybe months at a time.  Lately a favorite of mine has been Buffalo sauce.  I have been wanting to eat it constantly and on everything.  But what goes best with buffalo sauce more than chicken wings.  While I am not unknown to go for the full fat fried and dunked in sauce version I tried a lighter version recently that I was delightfully surprised by.  I found a pretty decent way to bake chicken wings and still get that nice crisp skin you want and be juicy inside.  My sauce recipe comes from AllRecipes.com with a slight alteration due to personal taste.  Best part is this recipe is just in time for the super bowl.

The original recipe makes a ton of sauce, and I usually just cook for 2 for I make enough to cover about 10 whole wings with some left over to save for dunking chicken tenders in.  I always thought buffalo sauce just involved hot sauce and butter.  But this recipe really kicks it up a notch with the extra stuff.  The key to having the wings come out nice a crisp is having the wings roast on a cookie rack in the over so the oil drops down and air circulates well, as well as brushing it with oil.  I prefer to use whole wings mainly because I'm lazy and don't care for cutting up wings.  And don'tskim on the kosher salt and fresh pepper.  They will always be way better than table salt and pre ground crap.  And to make the sauce less spicy just us less hot sauce to your taste.

Baked Buffalo Wings

Wings

10-15 whole chicken wings

Vegetable oil

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked pepper

Sauce

1/2 cup Frank's RedHot® sauce
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste

Preheat over to 400 degree.  Rinse Chicken wings and pat dry with a paper towel.  Place wings skin side up on a metal cookie rack and place that on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or foil to keep oil for messing up the pan.  Brush skin side of wings with oil.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.  Roast in over for 20 minutes.  Turn wings and roast another 10 minutes.  Turn once more and change oven to broil.  Broil wings skin side up for about 5 minutes or until skin is crisp and lightly browned.  While wings cook combine the all the sauce ingredients in a pot and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer while stirring with a whisk. As soon as the liquid begins to bubble on the sides of the pot, remove from heat, stir with the whisk, and set aside for use.  Once wings are roasted place in a bowl and toss with sauce

Foster Dog: Hanzel (Hanz)

Hanz' favorite place, sitting in the corner of the couch.  

Help us find Hanzel his forever home!    

Quick Facts

From: Kansas City Pet Project (Link to profile)

Gender: Male

Age: 6 years (estimated)

Altered: Yes

Breed:  American Pit Bull Mix
Came into Foster:  Jan 11th, 2013

Reason for Intake: Stray

House Broken: Yes

Kennel Trained: No, he escapes from kennels, but is not destructive when left in the house alone

Leash Trained: Yes, but does best with a Gentle Leader
Rides in Car Well: Yes
Bathtime:  He does great and does not freak out, he even gets in the tub on his own (with the help of a cookie or too)
Groomers: Yes

Does well with…
Other Dogs: He can be selective (read more below)

Cats: Not Yet Tested

Other Small Animals: Yes, he has been around 2 fancy rats

Children: Not Yet Tested

His Favorite Thing: Sleeping on the couch and cuddling

His Least Favorite Thing: getting his teeth brushed

He is Motivated by:  Attention and love

Commands He Knows: Working on sit, down, how to stay out of the way in the kitchen, and asking permission to get on the couch.

Interesting Fact about Hanz: He has the loudest most violent sneeze you will ever heard, and has the magical ability to always lick you right as you are opening your mouth. 

Hanz is a lovable pooch who is a great ambassador for his breed.  Hanz shows that not all pits are the terrible beasts everyone thinks they are.  He is a total lover who is happiest just cuddling all day with you on the couch, as well and keep you warm in bed.  He loves acting as a foot warmer or a pillow for you.  He is motivated by love and attention and while he likes treats he does not get too excited about them (nowhere near as much as our dog Eva). He also doesn’t seem to know what toys are all about, but he does enjoy chewing on a kong.  If he get's real playful he might chew on a rope toy. He tends to only bark when other dogs do, or when he hears unfamiliar sounds from outside.  He barks when people come to the door, so he makes a good alarm system :) but it is best to take him into another room before the people enter so they can meet him without being intimidated by him.  Once people are inside and he has met them he relaxes and just lays back down on the couch. 

He is a mellow dog who tends to match his energy level with other dogs around him.   However if you have an excitable dog or one who is selective I would highly recommend you do a dog to dog meeting to make sure Hanz and your current dog get along.  He does tend to correct other dogs who he thinks are being too high energy by nipping them, which may come across as try to start a fight.  But at KCPP they just call him a fun hater, because he would go around in play groups correcting other dogs who were getting too rough while playing.  Basically, he acts like a grumpy old man sometimes who has to put young whipper snappers in their place:) We have a female 5 year old dog who is very mellow as well with small burst of playfulness and they get along great.  

Hanz is house broken and has very good manners in the house and learns new house rules quickly.  While he loves the couch and the bed he knows at our house he can’t get up until he is invited (unless we aren’t home, then all bets are off).  He has occasional spurts of energy and playfulness, mostly when you get home for the day.  Then he loves to go outside and run circles around the yard…gallop is really more the word.  It is difficult to keep Hanz in a kennel since he seems to be part magician and always gets out. Even after adding locks to the latches of his wire kennel he still managed to undo the bottom one and wiggle his way out.  The good news is he is not destructive when left alone in the house, he just want to be in a more comfortable place than a kennel. 

It looks like Hanz was a stray for a while because he has a lot of tartar and plaque buildup on his teeth and some look chipped for what he has eaten.  Due to this he has pretty bad breath but is very leery to getting his teeth brushed and fights it a lot. His glums have shown signs of bleeding.  I would recommend whoever adopts Hanz takes him to see the vet to get a good professional teeth cleaning and then get him use to regular dental care.  Hanz does well when it comes bath time and doesn’t fight you hardly at all, but he does get a little bit of dry skin, so a conditioner should be used with each bath, and he could also benefit from some fish oil with his meals.  Other than that he appears to be a happy healthy boy.  

Merry Christmas From the Holfelners

How to Enjoy Raclette in the US

Some of you may remember the post I created back when I was living in France all about Raclette and how awesome it is.  Well I am happy to say I have finally figured out how to enjoy it in the States as well, albeit not quit as tasty, but pretty darn close.

Get Grilling

I actually found a raclette grill pretty easily. I got mine from Wayfair via Walmart's website for only $38. I thought the one I got was going to be awesome with it's little fondue pot, but turns out the part the grill it sets on is not solid like I was hoping.  There is a while so that the fodue pot sets right on the heating coils.  I don't really care for this since I would like the option of having more grilling room on top if I don't need to use the fondue pot.  But other than that it works well.  It has different temp settings and serve 8 (or 4 if you want each person to have 2 tray like I usually do).

Cheesy Goodness

The hard part about doing raclette in the US is finding the right kind of cheese.  Some people may find it easier to find raclette cheese depending on what part of the country you are in, and what kind of access you have to shops that carry it.  I live in Kansas City and was super excited to find out that Trader Joe's actually sales traditional raclette cheese, and it comes from France.  Only downside is it is just the plain kind so no yummy favors like cracked pepper, or smoked.

But what kind of raclette party would it be with just one kind of cheese?  I have tried a few kinds of cheese with my grill and I am happy to report that provolone makes for a great cheese and melts quickly to a nice creamy texture.  The best part is Whole Food carries a smoked version so I can still have my smoked cheese!  Gouda was recommended to me and while I do love smoked Gouda as well and found it has the best flavor, it takes a long time to melt and tends to not be as creamy or melt as well.  Swiss Melts well but has a fairly bland flavor by itself.  Munster also did well and Havarti always melts well.  Next I plan to try mozzarella (they also have this smoked at Whole Food), and maybe some pepper jack since it has great flavor, and a few other cheese.  I will update as I find out more.

Meat, Meat and more Meat...Then pickles

As far as a selection of meats you really can choose whatever you like.  Trader Joe's has a nice Italian and Spanish variety pack for $3.99, which provides enough for about 3-4 people. We also had some smoked salmon from another recipe, so we grilled it and that was pretty nice, though the pieces of salmon fall apart easily.  My personal favorite it prosciutto (found in the Italian variety pack) and I don't grill it. I also love chorizo and other hard sausages, and they now sell them in some Bed Bath and Beyonds that carry World Foods.  You can also go with plain deli meat like ham or turkey if you want some more low fat options.

Then of course you have to have the pickles.  I love them in between trying different cheeses and I usually just go with a sweet gherkin, but you can try others as well.  You could stick with any kind of baby sized pickle. Real French cornichons are the best kind though, but they can be hard to find.  They are great because they are small like gerkins, but not as sweet, but not too sour like dills.  Real cornichons also have pearl onions in them to help add flavor.

Tater Time

And last but not least the potatoes.  I have used baby gold potatoes (or just new potatoes) as well as cutting up a boiling large gold potatoes.  I want to try russets as well just to see if there is a flavor different.  And looking back at my photos from France I was thinking about trying to find some baby bakers to see if they are more like the first potatoes I had with raclette. But so far the best potatoes to be baby dutch potoes, sometime called peewee dutch potoates.  We have a local chain here in KC where you can find them called Price Chopper.  They have a real nice smooth texture and cook quick.  I keep them whole to maintain the creaminess. I find it helps to add salt the water so you don't have to add as much, if any, after.  Then I like to drain them and put a little herb butter and pepper over them.

And voila, now you too can start enjoying the wonder and awesomeness that is raclette in your very own home!

My First Thanksgiving

I am proud to say I have officially hosted my first family Thanksgiving.  After going back home 4 times already this year for the wedding we had had enough of driving.  Since we knew we would be making Christmas out 5th trip we decided if people wanted to see us for Thanksgiving they could come to us this year.  My mom and dad took us off on that offer and came to stay for Thanksgiving and the weekend.

I wanted to try and make my first Thanksgiving as painless as possible so I pretty much decided the only completely new thing I would be cooking was the turkey.  This was my Thanksgiving menu:

Turkey and Gravy
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
Roasted Carrots
Deviled Eggs
Rolls

Here are some pictures of the end products! I also listed where I got my dinnerware items in case anyone wants to find the same ones.  You don't have to be Martha Stewart or spend a fortune to make a beautiful dinner.

I got to use my dad's mom's silver for the first time.  It's a not a huge or fancy set but it is real silver.  It means something to my dad so it means something to me.  

And since we were serving 4 it was an excuse to get some more pieces to my formal china.  We only got 1 set for the wedding so I bought 4 more sets from Macy's. Best part is I got the matching oval serving plate I put the turkey on for free with my purchase! I think we'll just buy our formal china anytime Macy's is having a free gift give away with it.  My china pattern is Silk Ribbon Slate by Ralph Lauren ($98 per 5 piece set at Macy's) and the glassware is Mikasa French Country Side ($12.99 per stem at Bed Bath and Beyond, cheaper from Mikasa's website). The silver is old and the name engraved in it said Lady Doris Silver Plate, also known as Princess Lady Doris.

The table cloth and table runner both come from Bed Bath and Beyond.  

I got my napkins from Maison du Monde while I was living in France. I love that shop.  It has tons of cool house stuff.  I also brought back some wine glasses but they are a little more modern looking than my Mikasa ones.  The napkin rings also come from Macy's (set of 4 for $14.99)

I decided to do a short simple centerpiece so there would be plenty of room on the table for food, and so people could easily talk.  Matt is always moving my pretty flowers out of the way if we have people over and he feel like he can't see them, so I decided to avoid it all together.  I love using decorative balls as centerpieces because you can buy a couple shallow wide bowls and then buy whatever colors you want in the ball and it will go with anything.  I decided to have mine match the dinning room instead of be fall colors.  My walls are teal and the accents and hardware are gold.  I got the glass bowl from TJMaxx for about $10 a while back and got the decorative balls from Hobby Lobby, half off of course. 

And now for the food.  We all enjoyed a nice appetizer of shrimp cocktail from Whole Foods and I made Kir Royal, a french apertif made of sparkling wine and creme de cassis.

And now for the food.  My mom offered to make the deviled eggs, of which she is usually wonderful at.  However this time we had a snafoo and she put too much salt in them since she is not use to my salt box and poured too much in at once.  They were pretty much inedible but we put them on the table anyway just since they look so pretty. However mom made the gravy well.  I was going to just forget about since I've never really made it.  

And of course it wouldn't be a special dinner without green beans the way Neenaw makes them.  I usually use about 2-3 cans of green beans, but this time it was a full 6 cans to feed everyone, and have leftovers of course.  I did make the error of not cooking all the water off the green beans like Neenaw always says you must do, but they were still pretty good.  

I did try one new side dish. I still remember the roasted carrots Rachel made for Thanksgiving back in France.  They were so yummy and I have been trying to recreate it.  This recipe was ok, but not quite the same.  I added parsnips just because the recipe called for it, but I was not a fan of them.  

While I have made mashed potatoes before (though not the most tasty) I wanted to try a new method I had found on Pinterest.  This recipe called for making the mashed potatoes in a crock pot.  I was not a fan of them I think because it used yellow potatoes instead of russet.  They had a bit a gluey texture and were very yellow instead of white and fluffy.  I would like to try this method again but use russets and see if it still has a gluey texture.  According to Alton, if you over boil them they will get a glue like consistency and that may be what the issue was since they were in the crock pot for while.

I have never been a bread maker so I always go with pre-made ones.  I personally prefer Sister Schubert's rolls.  

Matt is the pit master, the fireplace pit that is.  Nothing feels nicer than enjoying dinner with a nice roaring fire.

And the piece de resistance, the turkey!  I got started the day before just to brine the turkey. I cooked a turkey from Alton Browns Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe.  This recipe has almost 5000 reviews and still gets 5 stars, and for good reason. Though I did see another version of a Thanksgiving turkey that involved basting with an herb butter from Pioneer Woman I would like to try.  While the turkey was great, I need to learn how to make a good homemade stuff.  I made just some store bought stuff from Pepridge Farm and I was not impressed.  

And mom got the honor of cutting the turkey, since she is the only one who knows how.  

But soon Matt will be a carving master as well

Keep dreaming dog

Now let's eat! 

The cook concers, it is good. And she's her own worst critic

But we're not done yet!  Now it's time for pie, and what a pie it was.  I tried this one once before to take over our neighbors for diner one night and it was an instant hit.  So of course it had to appear for Thanksgiving.  my Awseome Pumpkin Pie recipe comes from Taste of home.  I would recommend topping it with Redi Whip, not Aldi brand. We had Aldi brand stuff and it just flattened out much faster and wasn't as fluffy.  

And with coffee of course. We also had a course of spiced warm wine

All in all things went well and I think everyone enjoyed the feast.  The hardest part I found was keeping everything piping hot until the rest of the stuff was done.  I think buffet chaffing dish would have been helpful, so I might look into getting one of those.  I hope this help inspires more people to brave the adventure that is cooking Thanksgiving dinner for their family for the first time.