Community | Caramelize Life

May 12

Friday’s with Dorie- Dieter’s Tartine

Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook Around My French Table is not small nor is it a featherweight book. It has heft and substance and her work speaks for itself.

I was introduced to Dorie’s recipes a few years ago but didn’t realize just what I had stumbled upon. I am a happy Friday’s with Dorie member, which is just a lovely way to discuss and share kitchen experiences while eating our way through Dorie’s cookbook with other food lovers from afar via the Internet.

This is such a great lunch option. There’s only one way to make it better and that would be to have the garden brimming with fresh tomatoes and cucumber…I guess a little more patience and that wish will come true, it’s only a matter of time!

If you are curious about this recipe you can find it on page 38 & 39 of Around My French Table, it is super easy, quick to assemble and will transport you to summer in Paris.

~Rachelle

“Making Life a Little Sweeter through Food, Travel, and Community“

Jun 17

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PHOTO FRIDAY

During the hot summer months here in the Methow Valley we make it a priority to carve out time at the end of the day, for a cooling dip in the river and seek out friends, who are never too far away, to enjoy a relaxing evening where we share a meal and catch up.

We were doing just that very thing when the light turned golden, a photographer’s dream time of day, and my husband E.A caught the glowing fence line a few feet away. A true sign of a dedicated photographer is that, they are willing to leave a cold beer and fresh appetizers for one and two that they have their camera at the ready, always. For that, I am grateful and I continue to learn.

We wish you a wonderful weekend full of fun and laughter especially to all those wonderful Dads out there!

Rachelle @caramelizelife.com

“Making Life a Little Sweeter through Food, Travel and Community“

May 8

Thoughts on Mom…From a Dad’s Perspective

“Hey Mom, where’s my…”

“Mommy, will you…”

“Mom, when do we go…”

“Mama, my throat hurts…”

“Mom, what’s for…”

“Mom? MOM? MOM!….I forgot what I was going to ask.”

“Mom, how do I…”

Mom. It’s probably the first word I ever said, the first word I ever even thought to say, and more than likely it emerged in a demanding tone. From there, the endless barrage of questions, requests, demands, expectations and needs ensued.

MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM

Fast forward a few decades and I now witness this age old pattern unfold first hand, from the sidelines. Don’t get me wrong; my head is (almost) always in the game, but sometimes I feel like a 3rd string rookie, just waiting for my opportunity to contribute while my wife is not only the starting quarterback, linebacker, and safety, but the head coach as well. Everything goes through her…through Mom.

We have two wonderful daughters, each of whom are well over a decade into their lives. Yes; they are far more self sufficient than they once were. Yes; the things they need from Mom are generally less pressing and occur more infrequently than in their younger years. But the time and energy required on Mom’s part to address these issues seems to be ratcheted up exponentially now. Morning, noon and night there are always multiple needs that Mom is juggling. It never ceases, and hopefully it never will. As the moments blend into weeks and then into decades, the questions, demands and needs have congealed into one long stream of MOMOMOMOMOMOMOMOMOMOMOM… it has become so ever present, such a ubiquitous constant that the sound has become part of the fabric of our lives.

It just… is.

MOM.

MOMOMOMOMOMOMOMOMoMoMoMomOmOmOmOmOm Om om om om.

Om. ॐ

The sound of consciousness.

The sound of love.

The sound of Mom.

~E.A

“Making Life a Little Sweeter Through Food, Travel and Community”

Feb 15

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When was the last time you remembered to do this?

I took time out to nurture myself. It can take me awhile to realize that I need to refill my cup and a little longer to act on that realization.

I joke that life is either moving at warp speeds or trudging along. As I write this, the cartoon bubble pops up within my mind and I’m visualizing myself as a stick figure pushing and pulling at a life-size round clock with the large roman numeral numbers painted on it. By the time the clock begins to roll, gaining momentum it’s moving too fast and I can’t keep up! That’s typically when I realize I need to reassess my life strategies and take some time to nurture my being. So, I can keep up with all that life throws at me… sometimes I just need to go get a new pair of running shoes other times more is needed.

This (stick figure) is the limit of my artistic ability!

So, when three separate weekend opportunities popped up, I said YES to all of them! Then, it hit me that all three were right in a row and that was going to take some planning, help from friends and forgiveness on my family’s part.

How did I chose to refresh?

First, I sought out a way to feed my creative side. I did this by surrounding myself with others who are also passionate about writing, photography and food. This was an extended weekend of excursions, workshops and inspiring speakers who were only a short drive away in emerald city of Seattle at the International Food Bloggers Convention. A creative stay-cation of sorts.

Then, to nurture my adventurous spirit I couldn’t pass up a chance to road trip with girlfriends and celebrate a close friend’s 60th birthday in Canadian Kootenay Rockies of Nelson B.C .

Finally to squeeze it all in before my luck ran out, I packed a bag (a rather too large and heavy one) and hit the trail with a couple of friends, where we immersed ourselves in nature. This wasn’t hard to do with the technicolor views of the North Cascades Mountains framed with fiery berry bushes and golden rods of high alpine larch trees. This delight for the eyes combined with the indian summer temperatures we couldn’t have been more lucky.

So, if you are feeling like you could use a refill go ahead and hit refresh. Feed your creative side, nurture your relationships, follow your adventurous side and immerse yourself in nature. Start daydreaming it’s your gateway to adventure!

Caramelize life when you can and take time to nurture yourself.

~Rachelle

“Making Life a Little Sweeter through Food, Travel and Community”

Jan 27

Dorie Greenspans, Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Weekend Cake On http://www.caramelizelife.com

28 Comments

Brown Butter and Vanilla Bean~ Weekend Cake| TWD

I would like to share a slice of Brown Butter and Vanilla Bean Weekend Cake with you but there’s none to be had, it was that good. I am not sure how this can be called a weekend cake, I might aptly rename it the 12 hour, if we are lucky, cake. Because that’s how long it lasted in our home before it disappeared.

: Buttered loaf pan awaiting a dusting of flour

The texture of this Brown Butter and Vanilla Bean Weekend Cake reminded me of my grandmother’s pound cakes I devoured as a child. The stand out difference between the two is Dorie’s addition of vanilla beans, pure vanilla extract and dark rum. These ingredients are an intoxicating combination that had my family sneaking in for just one more paper-thin slice.

One hour into the life of the Brown Butter & Vanilla Bean Weekend Cake

We found this cake to be the perfect après ski Sunday afternoon goûter/ snack and fitting, because it reminded me of family to be served on my Grandmother Ruth’s china with tea if you are me and bourbon if you are my husband.

Brown Butter and Vanilla Bean Cake Served Up on Maple Leaf China

Sweet Memories Through The Senses

Just today, Tuesday, my daughter asked if I would make this lovely cake again, she suggested, tomorrow. I tried to tell her about how Dorie named it a weekend cake after the French gâteaux de voyage (travel cake) and that it was far from the weekend so she would have to wait the four (well, three now) long days until the weekend and I would mix up another. I won’t mind when I do because the aroma of vanilla fills the house making it feel even more like home.
The butter (beurre noisette) is caramelized to bring out it’s nutty flavors, and I used my homemade pure vanilla extract letting it work its magic as a flavor potentiator. Complete the experience with coffee, tea or rum as recommended by Dorie as an accompaniment. I might make two next time so we can share it with friends on the ski hill and have a picnic.

Tuesdays with Dorie Greenspan and Baking Chez Moi is an open group dedicated to baking through Dorie’s latest books. If you would like to learn more about how this recipe turned out for the group you can find them here at Tuesdays with Dorie.

Happy Baking!

Rachelle @ Caramelize Life

“Making Life a Little Sweeter through Food, Travel and Community“

Jan 20

9 Comments

This Post Is Dedicated To…

To break from my norm, I dedicate this post to you; my readers. Thank you for choosing to subscribe to and support Caramelize Life, I’m glad you are enjoying our hard work. This is not my normal story or recipe but it’s what matters most: the connection with each other about things that interest us.

When I first thought about this blog it was an unusually warm winter and we found ourselves congregating around a friend’s table enjoying a delicious meal. It was the winter we lived in Chamonix, France and our kids brought us together. I can be shy sometimes and I am thankful for this wonderful family. I have learned so much from them and have warm memories of our times together. What came from our ritual midday espresso and blend of Russian, English and American meals prepared high in the French Alps was this blog. It is here to highlight the gems in life. Friends and community are what sparkle most, I find.

In my venture into the blogosphere I have jumped in with both feet (good thing I took swimming lessons as a kid!) I love photography, writing, travel, nature and the outdoors. I enjoy giving kudos to those following their passions and searching for the silver lining in everything. It’s not easy and it takes dedication. One grumpy morning a few years back I remember having a conversation with my happy-go-lucky husband about choices. He was explaining to our then single-digit daughter that he makes a decision every day when he awakes to chose to be happy. That may not be the way he awoke but that would be his decision to go into the day positively. As with anything that is really worth something it takes practice and may not always come out perfectly.

And this is how I see my project Caramelize Life, a way to practice making that decision each day to find the good, highlight those doing the same and enjoy all aspects of what life brings (even the not so happy parts) because we are all connected. In six degrees of separation we all overlap somewhere. It’s a learning process and I will share each one as I bumble along.

To better equip myself so that I am a better blogger (and so you get a better experience) I have put myself in the blogging equivalent of an obstacle course, figuring out new terms and technologies, dedicating myself to learning everything I can about WordPress and how to get the most out of the platform I am using. For what it’s worth, I give a standing ovation to those who work at WP and make it happen because they know what they’re doing and are quick and responsive to everything I’ve ever asked. They’ve created a vast community of talented people and continue to support bloggers like me to join at their table and share our thoughts. In my WordPress 101 class today we were instructed to write about a blog that we had commented on previously. Why we chose to we stop and what jumped out at us, moving our fingers to comment on their post. I couldn’t think of anything at first but that’s what is so freaking fun about blogging and the community out there in the ether. We might visualize the cloud of words up above us floating around but each one of those words links back to a human being who has taken the time and courage to produce their ideas into a form and share them so we may enjoy and experience them. When it strikes a cord I leave a comment to acknowledge their work, to learn more or simply engage.

In response to my daily assignment, my last comment that I left was on Toronto Cooks. It was a simple statement about eating out in their about page that caught my attention. They choose to eat “in”. Which got me to thinking about why I “eat in”. I simply do because there are few options where I live. Since there are very few options to “eat out” it has an affect on how we gather and our patterns as a community. This small statement is really a large part of what forms our small rural community, that when described, well traveled people, say ours is unique. This got my mind linking thoughts as to what that recipe is, to make a strong community? Could it be that we gather around tables and share meals, breaking bread together so to speak that keeps us connecting? Could it be that we have perfected the potluck dinner? Or maybe it’s that we share a positive outlook to making things happen? I’m not entirely sure but it really seems to work.

So, I thank you, readers, for being a part of the Caramelize Life community connecting and engaging in making life sweeter through sharing our life’s stories here in the blogosphere. Cheers, to many more posts and friendships made.

Rachelle @ Caramelize Life

“Making Life a Little Sweeter through Food, Travel and Community”

Jan 19

Are You Serious About Biscuits?

Biscuits are to my father in-law as cribbage is to my father; serious business but with a little bit of luck thrown in too. When we visit, our mornings gravitate towards a slower pace and the early coffee becomes a second pot and brunch more often than not.

I’m not sure if it could be called a tradition just yet but I love the connection the mornings bring. My youngest can be an early bird, as is her Grandpa, so they have found a sweet rhythm in the early morning hours. She wakes and waits fairly patiently to hear his footsteps in the kitchen above. She runs upstairs, out pacing our equally excited four legged friend, to enjoy some one on one time with her Grandpa. I know they have great conversations that span more years than she is old. I believe there is a childhood window for these opportunities. I think back, to our oldest who used to enjoy these same early mornings but now as a teenager, she rarely stirs before the sun and is more in-tune with the moon and the stars. These windows of opportunity allow for precious light to warm us and connect who we are as individuals. I know my girls share their thoughts with their Grandpa as he shares his passions, in those morning hours, they have learned to oil and watercolor paint from him and all three equally share the love of baking, eating and trying new recipes together.

Last year we all received (I think it was at Christmastime) a new cookbook, full of delicious Tom Douglas and the Dahlia Bakery recipes. I can’t think of one dish I’ve experienced at a Tom Douglas restaurant that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy. So, when I heard Grandpa and the girls were planning to make biscuits in the morning and TD serious biscuits at that, I had no doubt they would be good. Even our teenager was present and at the ready to help with these.

Sunday Mornings Biscuits

I was not disappointed, they turned out beautifully, light and buttery. I think next time they would go well with a little Southern Gravy!

Rachelle @ Caramelize Life

“Making Life a Little Sweeter through Food, Travel and Community“

Jan 15

Tuesdays with Dorie Greenspan, Granola Energy Bars and Caramelize Life

24 Comments

Keeping My 2015 Resolutions, How About You?

Did you make a new year’s resolution for 2015? I did. And I’m sticking to them. Yes; them. I made more than one resolution and so far it’s going great! The Doriesta’s must have made a few too or either that, or they figured many of us would be deciding after the holidays we could use a healthy recipe to nourish and energize us into keeping our resolutions.

So as you may have guessed, I am focusing on eating smarter. I think I eat fairly healthy already but I know I could eat smarter. Over time my habit of skipping breakfast and having just a coffee has worn it’s way into my daily routine but then I forget to get a good breakfast going until that crazy clock tells me it’s lunch. In our family we use the term ‘HANGRY’ that I now see popping up on t-shirts and posters so maybe we’re not alone. Do you know anyone who gets HANGRY?

Maybe Dorie does because she has come up with a fantastic and healthy way to keep the “Hangries” at bay with her Granola Energy Bars. Dorie, my family will be writing you a personal thank you card for this one.

These granola energy bars, take no time to make and if stored properly will keep for a week (if not eaten before). Dorie suggests to cut them up into bite sized pieces and serve them with tea (maybe a way to keep the Hangries in us, civilized). I chose to cut them a little larger and store them in a glass container so I could grab and go. Unfortunately, I didn’t cut them soon enough and could have used them on my ski this morning. At the 8k mark I was sloooowwwig down just as my good friend and I were talking about kids eating habits and helping them to make good choices. Old habits die hard and I had to confess that I hadn’t eaten a fantastic breakfast this morning…hence my slower pace. What a good friend I had who, waited for me and gave me a scolding in a motherly way of course- thanks Stew!

Run Boris Run

We know who did eat his breakfast and then slyly got another family member to feed him a second. Dog wisdom, Maybe I should follow Boris’s lead.

Dorie’s bars are pretty close to making granola but instead of spreading out the ingredients on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet, she instructs to firmly press the granola into a parchment lined pan and then bake it.

I absolutely loved the parchment idea because once the bars had cooled I just popped the whole thing cleanly out of the casserole dish. This was an added bonus since we are still without hot water (long story but the short version is no boiler= not hot h2o) and our “Glamping” is going on week two. Maybe I’ll write about that another time, there are a few gems to tell for sure.

Caramelize Life makes Granola Energy Bars with Tuesdays with Dorie

Just out of the oven!

Once out of the dish the bars were ready to be cut. At the time I chose the usual long slices but now that I think about it I could have pulled out my sweet cookie cutters and made some fun shapes. If you have a little one at home they would probably really enjoy a specialized energy bar in their lunch. I wonder if my tween and teen would? Maybe I’ll have to test it out… next time. I do plan to put these into my repertoire since they were super quick and easy to make and the ingredient list can be varied to whatever you might have on hand in the pantry. Keeping with the ratio of two cups oats : two cups of your favorite; seeds, nuts,dried fruits and sweets(chocolate chips, cocoa nibs, crystallized ginger,etc) then a binder of brown rice syrup, honey or maple syrup and butter. If you are dying to know the full recipe check out page 238-239 in Baking Chez Moi.

Granola Energy Bars- Tuesdays With Dorie and Caramelizelife

Yum!

Tuesdays with Dorie Greenspan and Baking Chez Moi is an open group dedicated to baking through Dorie’s latest books. To see more of the groups experiences with the Granola Energy Bars click on the link.

Rachelle @ Caramelize Life
“Making Life a Little Sweeter through Food, Travel and Community“

Jan 2

1 Comment

Chicken Breasts Diable

Celebrating life, community and new experiences.

We celebrated my youngest’s birthday when she rolled into proud double digits. It is our family tradition to honor a new year with a special dinner. The previous year she choose Lamb with her family-famous quote “Lamb is my cake” when asked what she desired for dinner. This time she chose her favorite steamed beets with melted chèvre and being a member to the French Friday’s with Dorie I decided to try a new recipe from her most loved cookbook Around My French Table – Chicken Breasts Diable.

continue reading!

Dec 12

4 Comments

Turning Lemons into…

It seems as though the downpour of the four letter word, the one starting with the 18th letter of the alphabet, the one that rhymes with pain and shall never, in a ski town, be spoken out-loud during the winter has arrived, unceremoniously and uninvited. Our little mountain valley is begrudgingly receiving copious amounts of this four letter word. It would have been very welcome this past July when we were on fire. However, when given buckets of **** in December, it has us all out doing our special chicken dances in the snow…or what’s left of it anyway.

First, we need to get our yodels fine tuned so we can wake up Ullr and remind him he’s slacking on the job. Next, we need to find whatever social media scheduling app Boreas is using to remind her that she is, after all, in the snow business and that, yes, we need more snow. Ullr, please blow this tropical pineapple express outta here. Heck, one of my children even double checked to make sure our rain stick was placed in the freezer for the winter just to seal the deal.

In the winter we are a ski town and with that comes the need for snow. This summer we were metaphorically dealt lemons and I watched our community make lemonade by the helicopter load. Yesterday, it felt like lemons were falling from the sky in so many ways. That snow we depend upon, was being washed away by the ****. When the snow arrived unannounced in November we were thankful. Thankful to have a starting base for our skis to slide upon. However, with its über heavy, moisture laden load, the storm also took out beautiful old trees and in turn, our power. Again, like before, I was hearing from those who lost everything this summer, comments like “fitting we are having thanksgiving by candle light”. By now, one has to begin wondering “how much lemonade we can consume here in our little valley?” As I gaze out my windows, another damp gray day is holding on like a soaked towel that fell in the pool. The fact that it’s so very close to being winter, I’ve decided to make limoncello instead. Maybe Ullr will swing by for a nip!