Rosemary Shortbread

"There's rosemary, that's for rememberance."

----Shakespeare's Hamlet to Ophelia

This was my most popular cookie last Christmas. Shortbread is traditional for Christmas and always a crowd pleaser. The idea of adding rosemary to a cookie seemed odd to me, but at the same time I was so intrigued I couldn't resist trying it. Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs and we have a nice shrub of it growing in our border garden.

Tradition says that rosemary will grow for 33 years, until it reaches the height of Christ when he was crucified, then it will die. Sprigs of rosemary were placed under pillows at night to ward off evil spirits and bad dreams. The wood was used to make lutes and musical instruments.

Scientists are now saying that the scent of rosemary is an effective memory stimulant.

All I know is I loved the beautiful aroma I experienced as I cut a few stems, brought them in, rinsed and placed them upon my cutting board, and proceeded to mince them very finely.

Rosemary Shortbread

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
2/3 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. chopped, fresh, rosemary
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar for topping

Cream the butter and the 2/3 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour, salt, and rosemary until well blended. The dough will be soft. Bring together into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 13x9 inch baking pan. Press the dough into the pan evenly, smoothing as you go. (This part is very fun so take your time.) Once you are satisfied with the eveness, prick holes all about the dough.

Bake for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the edges are just becoming golden. Cool the shortbread completely before cutting into squares or rectangles, or triangles as I did.
I am sending this to Food Blogga for Susan's 3rd Annual Christmas Cookie Event

Merry Christmas

I am feeling so much better than I was the last time I posted.  I have even cooked a few meals. And I have baked several batches of cookies!

I haven't blogged about any of these things, even though that fish chowder was delicious and some of my cookies are beautiful, because my computer has crashed.

I am pecking this out on a tablet. I don't know if there is a way to move photos from my camera to this device and if so how.

Meanwhile, here are pictures of some of our family ornament collection which I posted last year.

Thank you so much for all your positive thoughts and prayers. They have meant so much to me.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

Peace on Earth



Where Have I Been?

When I went back to work full time, my blogging became less frequent. When I became sick, it came to a screeching halt.

I have never really talked about my personal life, here on my blog, because it is a blog about food. Not to mention that I am a very private person.  But since I have not been cooking lately and therefore have no new material to blog about, I decided to write about what IS going on and that is about my health.

Seven weeks ago, after a few weeks of being sick and a few trips to the doctor, I was diagnosed with Lymphoma.  The treatment began immediately and what a ride it has been! Of the past seven weeks, I have spent 20 days in the hospital, and yes a post will be coming about hospital food.

I will be writing a series of posts about my cancer treatment. Some things have already happened and some adventures await me.  And maybe there will be food posts popping up--I sure hope so.  But nothing morbid or depressing. No matter how sick I get, I will always have my sense of humor.

And speaking of depressing, let me just go ahead and address the subject of talking to someone who has been given a diagnosis of illness.  As word got out about mine, and boy did it ever get out, I started hearing from people.

I heard things like, "I'm so sorry to hear you are battling the "Big C" and  "I hope you are doing as well as can be expected" and "I'm so worried about you".  And let's not even talk about all the crying. Are these things really supposed to help me? Make me feel better?

I have never doubted that I will be restored to my full health and so I want to say to people: If you think of me, please think positive thoughts. If you speak to me, please speak positive words.

Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich

We are at the peak of our locally grown tomato harvest. Lush, vine-ripened tomatoes, kissed by the summer sun, are flooding the markets. And how happy we are about it. We have been eating tomatoes in every way we can think.

But really, is there any better way to honor the summer tomato than a humble BLT? While the BLT offers many opportunities for experimentation and adaption, and I am as guilty of that as anyone, I always go back to the time-honored classic that I remember from my childhood.

Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich
For each sandwich
2 slices sturdy white bread
mayonnaise or butter, to taste
freshly washed and dried lettuce
strips of crispy bacon
slices of ripe tomato
Salt and pepper

Spread each bread slice with mayo or butter. Layer one slice of bread with lettuce, bacon, and tomato. Sprinkle tomato with salt and pepper.  Top with the other slice of bread, cut in half and enjoy!

Spinach Enchiladas

We have finally gotten some relief from the heat and I feel like cooking again. I can even bake! We have been eating salads, sandwiches, cold soups for so long, I am beginning to crave cooked, warm food.

I recently made these fresh spinach enchiladas which turned out great. Pritchard Parker and I both enjoyed them very much.

I went to a local Mexican Market (Tienda) to purchase my tortillas, queso blanco, and enchilada sauce.  I love ferreting out authentic ingredients in small, family owned, ethnic markets. The prices are always good, I learn a lot, and the shopkeepers are always helpful, friendly, and grateful.

Of course you can buy your tortillas and enchilada sauce at any grocery store. If you can't find queso blanco,  substitute ricotta or cottage cheese.





Spinach Enchiladas
1 Tbsp. butter
1 bunch sliced scallions
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. fresh spinach, steamed until barely tender, then rinsed and squeezed dry
1 cup queso blanco
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10 (6-inch) corn tortillas
18 oz. enchilada sauce

Melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and scallions and cook for a few minutes until fragrant, but not brown. Stir in spinach and cook a few minutes longer. Remove from heat and mix in the queso blanco, sour cream, and 1 cup of the Monterey Jack.

Warm the tortillas, a few at a time, wrapped in damp paper towels, for about 30 seconds in the microwave.  Spoon about 1/4 cup of spinach mixture onto the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place, seam side down, in a 13x9 inch baking dish. Pour the enchilada sauce over the top, and top with the remaining 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.