use real butter

Recipe: rugelach

As a scientist and as a lover of the outdoors, I own a lot of field guides because I always want to know what rocks, flowers, trees, bugs, birds, weather phenomena, and critters we encounter.

just a small sampler of my guides

Recently I added another field guide to my collection, but this one won’t help me too much in the backcountry. It’s not quite like the others…

well, hello there

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: blueberry muffins (cake)

My days have been up and down. When they are down, I lay low and listen to my body and just try to recover. When they are up, I’m brimming with ideas and raring to go. Yesterday was a seriously up day for me. I was able to cook a ton of food and feel as if the kitchen was mine once again. Of course, there were a few changes to work through - like the fact that my taste has been heavily wankered, that my GI tract now rejects about 70% of what I typically love to eat (spicy, sour, salty, fatty, all that good stuff), and that I can’t eat berries. Well, I CAN eat berries, but I’ve been strongly advised to avoid eating raw berries (among other raw foods) for my own well-being.

I had bought some blueberries before my treatment began last week and Jeremy was taking a hell of a long time to finish them off. I really wanted those blueberries. And then I really wanted some… cake. And then I began flipping through my cookbooks and wondering what ingredients I had to make some cake with blueberries. I mean, if they’re cooked then I can eat them, right?

donna to the rescue

**Jump for more butter**

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. I am definitely on the mend although not 100% back to normal. I really can’t stand being ill, but to add insult to injury is my loss of appetite, which I guarantee rarely happens.

Peabody mentioned that she likes pears in salad a while back, and that got me thinking… It’s pear season and pears are everywhere. A couple of nights ago, I thought I’d follow a good suggestion and added it to a favorite salad. It’s quick, easy, but full of a lively array of flavors. I tossed baby arugula with a light dressing of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then I topped it with a few shaves of Parmesan, some slices of ripe pear, and a couple of thin sheets of prosciutto. Thanks for a great idea, Peabody!

a great arugula salad for fall