Daffodils in Full Bloom

 It seems particularly early this year for our daffodils to be in full bloom but I suppose I think the same thing every year. It is such a shock to see color in the gray, brown and tan world. The meadow is alive with clumps of yellow. brilliant blossoms among last fall's weeds and dead leaves. It is a shock to the system.

March 10

 Two days ago I walked to the meadow and cut a bouquet of daffodils and Mom placed them in a deep blue glass that she keeps mostly for this purpose. They are sitting on the kitchen counter, a touch of spring while winter continues - on the calendar, anyway.

We have had an unusually warm winter again. February was nearly 13° above normal; January was up 7°. Temperatures like this - and the lack of snow cover - have prompted the spring bulbs to explore the tepid air.

February 6 

 I first walked to the meadow in early February and pushed a few leaves aside. I found the clumps of daffodils already above the soil, probably having sprouted a week or so before. This day was 59°, a full 13° above normal.

February 19 

 By mid-month, the shoots had formed buds and were testing the air to see whether it was safe to open. This day it was 58°.

March 9 

 Then, in early March, the flowers burst forth. I probably missed the opening by several days. As I walked to the meadow on 3/9, it was 66°. Winter of 2017 just passed us by.

March 10

 And finally a bouquet for the kitchen. I'll leave most of the blooms in the meadow where they can make a natural display. But we needed a few to enjoy up close. The picture at the top of this blog was taken in macro-mode of a blossom in this bunch.
 Though we will surely have some cold days ahead - Wednesday is forecast to dip into the lower teens - spring is well underway and there is no turning back. Winter is behind us, even if the calendar says eight days remain.

Newport Pizza Company

 Yesterday after I arrived at Tom's he suggested we go to lunch soon and he had a place in mind: the Newport Pizza Company. He and his friend, Nan, have been there before and loved it. I was game. I hadn't had pizza in a while (translation: more than one day).

 Tom immediately suggested a specialty pizza called The Garden of Eden ...

 Tom and I both love artichoke hearts and this pizza features them. Also notable are the thick slices of bright red peppers. Other toppings: red onions, black olives, mushrooms and broccoli. The dough is crispy around the edges and the tomato sauce is delightful. They call it "a vegetarian delight". We ordered the largest, a 16". We each had a slice left over so Mom benefited, too.

 There is a small bar there, too.

 Located at 1601 Monmouth Street in Newport, KY, it's just over the river from Cincinnati. It's well worth the short trip for a pizza that is unique and yet not too far out. Click here for more information.

Two Loaves of White

 We were grocery shopping yesterday when Mom suggested we buy bread. "Let me just make a couple of loaves this afternoon," I told her. I far prefer homemade bread for toast at breakfast (though I'll admit commercial bread is better for sandwiches).

 So when we got home, I put together a couple of loaves of basic white bread. I've already posted the recipe on this blog. Click here to have a look.

 Late in the afternoon after the loaves were finished, we cut off an end of one and Mom and I each had samples. Delicious! It's best with lots of butter ... and you can see we didn't skimp there.

 Here's the dough after the first rise. It seemed a little dry to me and I think I should have added extra milk (or water). But the dough clearly doubled in size in the hour and fifteen minutes I let it rise in a warmed oven.

 The risen dough is knocked down, divided in two and placed into bread pans. Here's the second loaf as I got ready to remove it from the warm oven. Because our kitchen is cold, I always use the oven as a warm spot for rising. I just turn the oven on for a minute and then turn it back off. I further regulate the temperature by opening the oven door as needed. Then, when I get ready to bake, I remove the risen loaves and set them aside while the oven heats.

 Here's the two loaves, still steaming hot. They popped out of the greased pans easily.

 This morning I had two slices. I toasted them fairly dark, lathered on butter and ate them with blackberry jam. Now that's the way to start the day.

My Nose Turns Red?

 Tom and I showed up yesterday at the Cincinnati Art Museum - because it was free - just in time to see kids staging a "My Nose Turns Red" demonstration. Their motto: "Let your child runaway and join the circus ... without leaving home."

 The organization operates "circus camps" for kids 4 to 16 in Clifton, Evandale and Terrace Park.

 The youngest kids tried out hula hoops. The older kids attempted balance exercises.

For information on the organization, click here.

Orange Olive Oil Cake

 Last weekend, Tom gave me the most recent copy of Kroger's "Private Selections" booklet ("Warming Winter Flavors"). Both of us were intrigued by this recipe.

As usual, I didn't quite follow the directions. I always opt for the easy way and it seldom - though not always - matters.

Orange Olive Oil Cake

1-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly-grated orange zest
1/2 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/2 cup olive oil
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

I combined the oil, eggs, vanilla, yogurt, salt, sugar, baking powder and orange zest.
Once thoroughly combined I added the flour.

Pour this into a 9" round (greased) cake pan and bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes. Use a toothpick in the center to test for done (it should come out clean). The cake should be browned on top.


Kroger's suggests using Private Selection California Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I did use their olive oil but it was one I already had on hand. To cut the cost, I used a mixture of olive oil and vegetable oil.

They also suggested rubbing the orange zest and sugar together with your fingers before adding it to the mix. I didn't bother.

Here's how the mixture looked before I added the flour ...

 And here's the cake just out of the oven ...

 This would be great served with ice cream, as Kroger's suggests, but we plan on adding only a dollop of whipped cream instead. A simple icing, made with powdered sugar, milk and vanilla would be wonderful drizzled lightly across the top, too.

 In any case, this is a light dessert, easy to make and the taste is absolutely wonderful.

Kennedy's Air Force One

 Nearly 54 years ago I sat in a study hall at Miamisburg High School when the teacher announced that President Kennedy had been shot. It was surreal, hardly a normal day for a high school kid. We were all sent home.

 Later Air Force One landed back in Washington DC carrying the casket of our assassinated president.

 I've wanted to see that plane for years - Special Air Mission 26000 (SAM) - which is housed nearby at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. In past years, the plane wasn't part of the regular exhibit but required an early visit to the museum and a shuttle ride to where it was housed.
 Now the plane is in the main museum, in a new hanger which houses various "Presidential" planes. Here's a similar shot to the black & white one posted above.

 Tom and I visited the museum yesterday (02/11/17) with the express purpose of touring the plane. I haven't been to the museum for four years and Tom remembers a distant visit when he was just a kid.

 Everything is behind Plexiglas. The corridor is narrow and you must pass through an area which makes sure you can manage to squeeze through the plane. The shot above is of the cockpit.

 I expected the decor to be even more upscale. But then the plane was manufactured in 1962 and shows its age in that regard.

 The above shot is the general area where Jackie Kennedy stood nearby and Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office.

 I took a shot of myself at about this point in the walk-through.

 Tom exits the plane.

 A shot of myself at the rear exit.

 Near the left entrance to the plane is this sign explaining the Kennedy connection.

 Tom reads one of the signs.
 The plane remained in service until 1998. Read more about the plane by clicking here.

 Though we walked through a few of the other exhibits, it was the Kennedy plane that commanded my attention. It was an unbelievable day for the short trip to Fairborn. We topped out at 64° and had to have the air conditioning turned on in the car for the drive home.

Apple Dumplings

 Every now and then I get hungry for homemade apple dumplings. They were a regular treat when Bob and I were kids. I loved the homemade dough, the tart apples, the cinnamon and nutmeg, the bright red sauce.

I've made them myself but I found I had forgotten how to place the sliced apples inside and how to fold the dough around them, how to crimp the edges.

 The dough is rolled out into a 12 x 18" piece and then cut into six rectangular pieces.

 Mom places five or six slices of apple on one section of dough and then we add sugar and cinnamon and fold the dough over, crimping the edges.

 They're a little oddly-shaped but that is the meaning of homemade, isn't it?. There's nothing perfect about them, other than  the taste.

 Here's the pan coming out of the oven. I'll have one for supper but Mom's already had hers. She said they were just right.