There's something so rustically pretty about shortcake

I love strawberry shortcake.  It and tiramisu tie for first place in the race for the title of my favorite dessert.  I love it so much that last summer I began experimenting with different types of shortcake + fruit combinations.  I got to thinking, “Why isn’t there a shortcake shop like there are ice cream parlors and cupcake boutiques?” There are so many ways to make fruit shortcakes, it can be really mind-boggling!

So last week when I got some truly fantastic blueberries from the farmer’s market, I got the idea for these blueberry cornmeal shortcakes with lemon cream.  We ended up eating the whole pint of blueberries in two days, with the exception of a small handful I saved for The Sprout since she loves blueberries! I have to admit, I am not a huge fan of them, but these were just so good I couldn’t stay away!

So this week I bought another pint of blueberries specifically with these shortcakes in mind.  I thought blueberries and lemon go really well together, and blueberries are also good with cornmeal, so this seemed like a natural combination.  And you know what? cornmeal shortcakes are one of the most successful culinary experiments I’ve ever tried (another being hazelnut shortcakes but that’s a different story for a different day).

If you like blueberries as much as our four-year-old does, you’ll love these shortcakes.  She got so excited watching me whip the cream and assemble that she was nearly squealing.  And as far as desserts go, it’s not too unhealthy.  So get yourself a freshly-picked pint and enjoy these blueberry cornmeal shortcakes this summer!

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Posted by Valerie 
Category: Desserts/Confections

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Note from Valerie: Noticing I had not posted in a while, my husband hijacked my blog to tell his story.  It’s mostly therapeutic to him, so if you’re looking for food, this isn’t it.  But if you want to see a bad picture of me cooking with his kid, you’ve come to the right place.

…when a person needs to make choices that will alter not only their life, but the lives of others as well.  I don’t mean a choice as simple as a new job or a new house, I mean something that has the ability to destroy someone’s life if they’re not able to adapt.  I had to make a choice like this about 5 or 6 years ago; unfortunately, I made the wrong one and I have 3 children that are still suffering from that choice.  My intentions were good in the sense that in the long run I would be able to improve things for them.  However, as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  Proverbs, quotes, beliefs, fortune cookies, they’re there for a reason, so others can learn from the mistakes of the past.

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Posted by The Grump 
Category: Rants and Ramblings

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Another unphotogenic dish...

I am not really a cabbage kind of girl.  I do like the [very] occasional coleslaw as a necessary topping for pulled pork sandwiches and recently I have gotten into brussels sprouts or baby bok choy sautéed with various sauces, especially Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce.

But napa cabbage is one cabbage I really enjoy, and have for a couple years.  I like to put napa in my udon noodles, yakisoba, stir fries, and miso soup.  I have even used it to make Colcannon, which I preferred to Colcannon made with regular cabbage (as opposed to kale).

The Grump is an anti-cabbage kind of guy.  Whenever I make brussels sprouts or baby bok choy he refuses to touch them.  Even though he likes spicy peanut sauce, he wouldn’t go near this Spicy Peanut Butter Napa.  As much as he teases me about the foods I don’t like, he’s very truculent about cabbage! But then, he does have the nickname for a reason…

Grumpy husband aside, I really liked this side dish.  It has a nice combination of flavors, which makes it interesting, and it can be as spicy or mild as you want it to be.  I had it along side Soba Noodles in Toasted Sesame Sauce, but I think it would be good with any Asian-inspired meal.

It was so good, in fact, I just might have some Spicy Peanut Butter Napa with lunch tomorrow!

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Posted by Valerie 
Category: Side Dishes, Vegetarian

1 Comment »

Hi everyone.  I was doing pretty well there with posting for a little while.  I know I slipped a bit again, but I don’t think you can blame me this time.  You see, The Grump and I finally got married!

It was a very quiet day with no one but The Sprout with us, but it was ours.  There was very little planning for it, but my dad (an ordained minister) officiated, which was nice.  The real celebration was this past weekend when we got to go to Boston and spend two wonderful days with my dad and stepmother.  And this weekend we’re going to see my entire maternal extended family for my cousin’s wedding!

So please forgive the lapse in updates again while I get caught up with this whirlwind around me.  Hopefully I can dig myself out long enough to cook something worth actually photographing and sharing!

Thank you everyone for putting up with my little blog through now.  :love:

Posted by Valerie 
Category: In the news, Love & Dating

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I am working on some site administrative stuff, and first up is an update to the “Yummy” category of links.  It’s about time I share all the blogs that I read, keeping me from updating my own blog.  Sheesh.  Every blog on that list is one I read on a regular basis, most of them via RSS – daily.

So yeah…I definitely recommend them!

Also also! I’m updating the weekly menu! I always forget to do that…so if you’re interested in what kind of food we’re eating this week (you stalker!), go take a look!

Posted by Valerie 
Category: In the news

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