And you thought your camera was an antique...

I've been working my way through 20+ years of collected treasures when I came across this rare find.  Can you believe I own an original Kodak Trimlite Instamatic?  Pretty sweet huh, it even has stickers.  I'm not sure if I can part with this beauty, but if your camera is more outdated than this one; send me your address and I'd be happy to send this one your way.

My house smells like icky cardboard at the moment instead of its usual delightful cookie aroma.  I've never considered myself a collector or anything like that.  Have you ever received a gift you just weren't crazy about, but didn't have the heart to get rid of because you didn't want to hurt the feelings of the giver.... well let's just say I may be guilty of that crime.

Sitting on the floor with a bin full of stuffed animals I played a little game of - I Love You, I Love You Not.  I couldn't help but feel a little blue every time I tossed one into the Love You Not pile, for I couldn't help but remember when and where the girls got each one.

There was one project I had avoided for years; getting my huge collection of photos in order.  Don't lie that you don't have the same problem lying around in a dark corner of your house somewhere.  I always remember being the family shutterbug and I sure have the photos to prove it.  I had photos everywhere, everywhere but in albums that is.  I purchased a bunch of matching black albums and put all I could in them, labeling them by year.  I had quite a few oversized photos that didn't fit anywhere, so I bought a couple of portfolios to keep them in for long term storage.

It was a project well worth doing and I only wish I hadn't waited so long.  

I met up with Bonni and Visda for lunch at Zuni in San Francisco to say good-bye to Visda.  Visda is getting ready to leave the country for two years for work and can only bring 2 suitcases with her, and I thought I had it rough.  

Can I leave you with a couple of sweet ideas you could make for your Valentines while I finish up my packing? Besides the sooner I finish, the sooner I hope to get back in the kitchen.  

Chocolate Waffles with Whip Cream and Strawberries

Chocolate Peanut Butter Souffles

Meyer Lemon and Blackberry Muffins

Strawberry-Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone,

Gina

Blood Orange Jam - Just One Jar

Everyone has been parading around blood oranges lately with reckless abandon.  The more I saw them, the more I wanted them.  Usually I've already found blood oranges at the market by now, scratch that; stalked the produce isle relentlessly till I've found the crimson beauties.  I peppered the produce guy with questions as to the where abouts of my favorite winter obsession.  I kinda got this strange feeling I was starting to bug him. Nah.

I even threw out a few names thinking it might ring a bell in his memory.  Surely you know Buttercream Blondi or Nami; they have both been spotted using blood oranges.  That's when I lost it; I knew he was holding out on me.  "Look Dude I don't want to have to get all up in your grill but quit hiding all the freaking blood oranges for yourself before I have to get ugly up in here." The next few moments were a complete blur and I have no idea why I was swiftly escorted out of the store at that point.

The fact I was shouting, "Don't you know who I am, I'm SPCookieQueen" or "Don't think I won't blog about this", probably wasn't helping the matter.  So I threw on some dark sunglasses, an over sized hat and slunk into another grocery store unnoticed.

Blood Orange Jam

5 blood oranges, medium sized (1 1/2 pounds)

Juice from 2 Meyer lemons

Zest from 2 of the blood oranges

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 teaspoons low-sugar pectin

Clean, empty one pint jar with a tight fitting lid

Wash and dry all of the oranges.  Zest two of the oranges and put the zest into a small saucepan.

Cut the top and bottom off of an orange, stand the orange up on the cut off end and cut away all the rind from the orange, don't leave any of the white pith behind.  Cut out the segments of flesh with a paring knife.  Squeeze the orange for the remaining juice and discard the membrane. Repeat.  Add the orange segments and lemon juice to the sauce pan.  Add sugar and pectin, stir.

Cook on medium low heat for 16-20 minutes until the jam is starting to thicken.  Stirring every few minutes, and turn down the heat if it is boiling too rapidly.

This recipe makes 1 pint of jam.  Put a seal and lid on the jar and store it in the fridge.

The jam never made it two days in this house due to the fact I made Becky's - Meyer Lemon Bread. Talk about a crazy good combination.

Note:  This jam sets up firm, if you want a little looser jam decrease the pectin to 2 teaspoons.  I just prefer mine a little thicker.

Meyer Lemon Bread - adapted slightly from Becky's recipe

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

Zest of 2 Meyer lemons

Juice of 2 Meyer lemons

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, or 325 degrees F for a glass pan.

In the bowl of a mixer cream the butter and sugar, till light and fluffy.  Add the 2 eggs, lemon zest and juice.  Beat well.  Add the flour, baking powder and milk, mix until combined.

Pour the batter into an 8"x4" pan sprayed with no-stick spray and dusted with flour.  Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

I used a metal pan and Becky used a glass pan and hers took much longer, so don't worry if you use glass and it seems like it isn't cooking as fast.

The bread ends up being super lemony and has a nice moist cake like texture.

I'm hoping that if I drop in and bring the produce guy and store manager one of these cakes and a jar of jam that all will be forgiven and they let me start shopping there again.  Gosh I hope it works, I miss that store already.

Enjoy,

Gina

Meyer Lemon & Blackberry Surprise Muffins

I love Meyer lemons, I can't get enough of them.  I've been fully engulfed by S.A.D. this week, and isn't that the perfect acronym for it.  I'm pretty sure Californians are fueled by the sun and when we go days on end without it; things just get a little rough.  Nonetheless, I'm still thankful we aren't knee deep in snow. Or I'd probably be like a bear, curled up in a ball hibernating somewhere.

I really wanted to put a little sunshine back in my life.  What's more perfect than Meyer lemons for the job.  Meyer lemons have a stronger perfume and sweeter taste, let's just hail them the Queen of lemons and a regular lemon - would just be a Princess or something.  You are going to have to trust me on this one, because you know full well by now I'm not about to explain the scientific breakdown of them; you would be on the wrong blog for sure.

When I was little my mom always made surprise muffins for us, they were a simple muffin with jelly in the middle.  I was hoping by recreating these in my favorite flavor, maybe it would bring a little sunshine back into to my life.  I love leaving a bowl of these on the counter, waltzing by and smelling them as if they were perfume.

Meyer Lemon Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cups granulated sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil or butter, melted

Zest and juice from 2 Meyer lemons

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

Blackberry jam

12 blackberries (optional, but extra yummy)

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Stir to combine.  In another bowl add oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs, and milk, stir together and add to dry ingredients. Mix well.

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.  Fill half way with lemon batter and then add a teaspoon full of blackberry jam and a whole blackberry.

Then cover with rest of lemon batter, until cupcakes are full.

Bake in 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes.  Let cool a bit.

Lemon Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2-3 tsp. Meyer lemon juice

Zest from 1 Meyer lemon

Mix sugar, zest and juice until combined, if not spoon-able add a little water.  Spoon over top of muffins.

These muffins aren't for those who want a hint of lemon flavor; they are for those of us who want to be smacked in the face with it.  Just a warning though, you may be tempted to eat the paper wrappers in order to get all the goodness off it!

See the yummy surprise in there that will be waiting for you if you make these tangy muffins.

Hope they brought you at least a little smile and sunshine!

Serves 24.

Enjoy,

Gina