use real butter

Recipe: chocolate banana bombes

It’s easy to catch sunset. You start to notice the light softening and getting longer (in terms of wavelength λ – actually what happens is that the shorter wavelengths are getting kicked out by scattering off the atmosphere) and there are all these signs that it’s going to happen so you have time to get ready. Sunrise is another matter. Sunrise happens backwards and you start in the dark. In winter, you start in the dark and cold and lonely because everyone, including the dog, is snoring away under the covers still happily chasing bunnies in dreamland. Tons of people catch sunset, but not as many catch sunrise. Sunrise is glorious and I usually witness it alone, but it’s lovely to share with others too. I like sunrise because it’s the beginning of the day and I love beginnings. It means the long winter night is over, or it means you have a little peace before the mosquitoes of alpine summer begin to stir (and bite!). Sunrise can be quiet, peaceful, pensive. It also feels like opportunity. I’m feeling it!

pink light of sunrise ignites the tips of our lofty high peaks

If you will recall I discovered the joys of single-ingredient ice cream a while back. I finally found a way to use up overripe bananas as well as make a non-dairy ice cream alternative that is healthy and pretty creamy. It got me thinking about chocolate-dipped frozen bananas and how I had a lot of trouble eating those as a kid because the bananas were frozen solid like a rock. I wanted something similar, but easier to consume.

you just need some chocolate chips

i prefer to temper the chocolate

Okay, I just wanted an excuse to use my bombe molds. They’re so cute and whenever you give someone a bombe, a smile spreads across their face. You don’t have to temper the chocolate, but if you do it winds up with a beautiful sheen and snap. Just a note based on my experience – if you temper the chocolate it’s easiest with a minimum of one pound of chocolate even though you’ll only need a fraction of that amount for the actual coating. The heat capacity of a smaller amount is just too low to maintain a steady working temperature for very long.

paint the bombe molds with three coats

chop some peanuts

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: passion fruit bars

Happy new year, everyone! Did you make any new year’s resolutions?

As some of you know, I don’t do new year’s resolutions. I was wondering about this the other day. I realized that it’s not because I don’t do resolutions, it’s just that I am too impatient to wait until the first of the year to start one if I think of it on any other day of the year. That’s how I roll. In the past few months I’ve readjusted my goals a smidge. It’s always ultimately been about passion – the things I’m passionate about – but a little course correction was warranted. I think I’m on the right track.

This morning, Kaweah is happily romping about and disemboweling her plush toys with great gusto. Jeremy and I have eaten something sweet first thing in the morning to ensure that “sweet words” come out of our mouths all year long! I think it’s going to be a very good year. In fact, let’s all agree to make it so, okay?

geese at sunrise

And speaking of passion… this past week I got a small package in the mail from Todd and Diane – those two hilarious green thumb, photographer, videographer, practical joker extraordinaires. It was a box of precious passion fruits from their garden. I know, right?! Those two are freaking awesome!

a box of california sunshine in colorado

I began looking for passion fruit recipes to put these gems to good use when I ran across a blog entry for passion fruit bars. Passion fruit bars! That’s like lemon bars without the lemon, but with passion fruit. I’m a huge fan of lemon bars as it is, so I was all over the passion fruit bars.

cutting butter into the flour and powdered sugar

pressing the coarse crumbs into the bottom of the baking pan

In hindsight, I should have lined the baking pan with parchment because the bars didn’t release nicely. So if you don’t care about a clean release, then do whatever you want. If you want the bars to look presentable without mangling them, then line the pan.

six eggs to be beaten

add the sugar gradually

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: campari mimosas

Winter can’t make up her mind. Sun? Snow? Both? The “both” is usually accompanied by insane winds. Around my ‘hood, you’ve got to keep your eye on the weather for that perfect combination of recent snow, light winds (under 35 mph is pretty good), and decent ski temperatures. What’s decent? My GP says she likes to ski in the 40s. Um… ice MELTS starting at 32°F on the Earth’s surface – pah! My perfect temperature for skiing is probably around 20°F, lower if it’s not windy.

lovely day = no ground blizzards

Our local hill has expanded their open terrain from the White Strip O’ Death (you know, when only one run is open and it’s mostly man-made snow) to three complete runs top to bottom. Every morning, I wake up and check the snow report on about… five mountains. When you have afternoon appointments, you have to forgo those 8 inches of freshies at Vail two hours away in favor of 3 inches of freshies just ten minutes away. It’s the adult thing to do.

jeremy skis a line that connects all of the untouched powder patches

and we ran into my friend, james (nice pants, man)

By the time we left, the powder was pretty much skied up. Our work there was done. Not a bad start to the morning. I certainly can’t complain. It’s good to unplug and often! But there’s always work to be done back at the office…

officemate with her assistant (that’s mr. hedgehog, to you)

If you will recall the tea I hosted a few weeks ago, we served mimosas to our guests in addition to tea. When I consulted with Manisha on the mimosas, she sent me to a recipe for Campari mimosas. Sure, why not? I could buy some Campari and champagne.

simple is good: campari, prosecco, oranges

getting a nice strip of orange peel

**Jump for more butter**