Baking Brownies

Yesterday, My Pirate took the morning shift with Barnaby and let me (and The Assistant) sleep three extra hours.  My Pirate woke me up by delivering a fresh cup of sweetened strong coffee and Barnaby greeted me with puppy kisses and a nibble.  Oh, those itchy puppy teeth!  And I felt like every atom of my being was aligned and ready to go.

As we chatted over coffee and eggs, I watched the big fat rain drops blanket our garden and decided to put off planting my new plants.  And instead, the urge to bake brownies took hold.   One of my favorite things to do on a rainy afternoon is to bake brownies and share them.  I savor the whole process and allow myself one warm chocolaty square with a cup of coffee. 

I’m a sucker for a new brownie recipe.  And I have a recipe for every brownie mood.  Yesterday, I felt like making a rich nutty brownie with a crisp shattered top, so I made Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts. As I measured out the ingredients, I hummed to Barnaby sitting on my feet. 

My Pirate walked into the kitchen and asked, “Are you showing off?”

And I laughed, “They’re just brownies.”   

“Mmm-hmmm.  You’re taking those to physical therapy today.” He replied.

“And to the vet,” I quipped.

“So, you are showing off,” he stated.

I simply waved him out of the kitchen after that.  Is it possible to show off with a simple brownie?  I’d never really considered it.  But, this recipe is my favorite brownie to bring to parties, diced up small in a pretty glass bowl. 

One small bite packs a rich nutty flavor followed by a wave of bitter chocolate and then it finishes off with the astringency of the toasted walnuts.  It packs a wallop of flavor and one bite is enough unlike those boxed brownie mixes that leave you unsatisfied and reaching for another brownie.  Oh no, these brownies deliver big flavor in a small bite.  And that’s the way that I like it.  And if that is showing off, so be it. 

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts

Ever so slightly adapted from Alice Medrich in Bon Appetite Magazine

                 Nonstick vegetable oil spray

            10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

            1 1/4 cups sugar—I used vanilla sugar

            3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into measuring cup)

            1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

               2 large eggs, chilled

            1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour

pinch of espresso powder

2 teaspoons of water

¼ teaspoon (generous) salt

            1 cup walnut pieces-toasted in 325 degree oven for ten minutes

Preheat oven to 325°F. Pour walnuts on cookie sheet and toast in oven for approximately 10 minutes.

Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang.  Spray with nonstick spray.

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat, for about five minutes, until it foams and then turns brown.  Take the pan off the heat and pour in the sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons water, vanilla, and salt.  Stir.  Then let it cool for 5 minutes.

Stir in eggs, one at a time making sure that they are completely combined.  Then mix in the flour.  Beat it vigorously for 60 strokes.  Then add the nuts.  Pour the mixture into the pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.  Mine took 35 minutes.  Cool on a rack.  Remove the brownies using the foil overhang.  DO AHEAD:  These brownies freeze nicely.  Unthaw on the counter.  Then share.

Permission to Grow

Giant Pineapple Lily,  Eucomis pole-evansii

I love to play in my garden and grow new (to me) plants.  Whenever I used to talk about my garden, my friends would roll their eyes and politely change the subject.  So, I turned to garden blogs to get my gardening chat fix. I followed their adventures at nurseries and plant sales.  I cheered when their plants thrived and sighed when plants curled up and died.  These garden bloggers' stories reside in my interior world. 

I started my blog in an attempt to live a bigger life and share my journey.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would ever get to meet these bloggers.  But I did.  On April 20^th, I attended a plant swap with the very garden bloggers that fuel my plant lust.  I did my very best not to squeal like the fan girl that I am and act like a (somewhat) mature adult.  And while I explored Linda’s garden and chatted with fellow bloggers, I felt my brain implode with the realization that I was now part of the conversation and no longer a silent observer.

Here is Rainy Day Gardener's post  and The Outlaw Gardener's post on the plant swap. 

Yesterday, I attended the Rare Plant Sale for the second year in a row and bumped into Heather from Just A Girl With a Hammer and introduced her to My Pirate.  And then I bumped into my favorite garden blogger, Loree.  Here's her post on the sale from last year.  Loree writes Danger Garden and she looked like she was completely in her element.  I imagined the plants reaching out to her asking to be taken home to her dreamy garden. 

I’ve read about the Rare Plant Sale since 2009 and finally developed the courage to attend it last year.  As I walked through the greenhouses with a big smile plastered on my face, I kept being asked, “First timer?”  And I would smile and nod a big lusty YES.  I only bought three plants at the sale last year, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the orchids that I passed up.  So, I returned this year with a longer list and bigger budget.

  

This is what I purchased.  I hope that I labelled them all properly.

• Pineapple Lilies
• Giant Pineapple lily, Eucomis pole-evansii
• 2 Yellow flowered orchid, Bletilla ochracea
• 2 Chinese windmill palm, Trachycarpus fortunii
• Tree Dahlia, Dahlia imperialis
• Black Taro, Colocasia ‘Pucker Up’
• Giant Colocasia, Colocasia gigantean also know as Giant Elephant Ear

Pineapple Lily

I purchased several different pineapple lilies.  I've never grown them before and I'm curious to see how they do.  I was instructed to plant them in mounds like squash, to help with the drainage.

yellow flowered orchid, Bletilla ochracea

These are the orchids that I regretted not purchasing at the sale last year because they like to grow in shade and acid soil.  I bought two pots to plant in the backyard.  

Tree Dahlia, Dahlia imperialis

 Don't let this little start fool you.  Tree dahlias can get huge.  I'm trying this for fun to see what it does.

Black Taro, Colocasia 'Pucker Up'

This black taro was an impulse buy. As was this giant elephant ear.  I was curious to try them.

Giant Colocasia, Colocasia gigantean

And My Pirate picked out two palms to plant beside the pergola to keep our other palm company.

Chinese Windmill Palm, Trachycarpus fortunii

I am so deeply grateful to the garden bloggers that have helped fuel my passion for gardening.  Your stories have given me permission to grow new plants and try new things.  Danger Garden inspires me to be true to myself and grow what interests me.  Rhone Street Gardens encourages me to look at the interaction of light and foliage through my camera lens.  The Outlaw Gardener's ardent sense of humor guides me to approach my garden through a sense of play.  When I feel uninspired I turn to Just a Girl with a Hammer to read her mighty life list and realize that we're all remodeling our life as we go along.  And I could go on and on.  Thank you.  

Barnaby's Nicknames

Barnaby joined our family a little over a month ago and he fits right in.  He loves to be in the kitchen while I cook.  He sits between my ankles while I write.  He begs to go sit outside on the patio furniture with me and chew on a stick.  And he loves to snuggle up on the couch with us and watch movies.

Barnaby has already earned a few nicknames.  And I love to sing his name to him, barn-A-beeee!

Barnaby's nicknames

1.  Barnabus--his vampire alter ego when he turns into a crazy toothy puppy

2.  My Little Piranha--quick, hand him a chew toy!

3.  Dude

4.  Little Boy

5.  Buddy

6.  And his favorite name of all...Good Boy!

Cut It Down

As a teenager, I would occasionally get a massive zit between my eyes that would ooze and crust over when I tried to pop it.  And no amount of makeup or futzing with my bangs could make it disappear.  It was the focal point on my face and I felt self conscious and miserable.  I winced whenever anyone commented on it.  

This rhododendron in our front yard has made me feel the same exact way for three years.  

My Pirate wanted to rip out the rhododendron the moment we moved into our house.  He was right.  

Our front yard in 2006, when we moved in.

I chose to keep it because I thought that it would help give our yard continuity with our neighbors.  Ha!  Like I worry about that now.  Our next door neighbors have gorgeous rhododendrons in their yard that I not so secretly covet.  Our neighbor even came over and trimmed our rhododendron one year to try and help it look better.  But it didn't help.

One example of our next door neighbors' gorgeous rhododendrons.

When a neighbor tore out a large fir tree, our rhododendron got sicker and I thought that it was sunburned, like all the other shade plants that I had to move. So, I gave it more water and compost.

Then last year, I noticed white insects and insect damage on the underside of the leaves.  With a little sleuthing I diagnosed them as azalea lace bugs.  I took a sample to Rob at Shorty's to confirm it, which he did, and he helped me pick out an insecticide.  I sprayed my rhododendrons twice last season.  And it still looked awful.

I hate to use chemicals in the garden because I treasure the tree frogs and other wildlife in our garden.  So, I made the difficult decision to rip out our sick rhodies.  Last week we ripped out three red rhododendrons in the backyard by the hammock.  

Before

After

Yesterday, I plugged in the electric chainsaw and cut down the big rhododendron in ten minutes.  My Pirate happily helped.  Just look at that smile! And I feel much better too.

I'm going to redesign and replant our flower beds by the house.  Time to go plant shopping!  If you have any suggestions and ideas, please let me know.

Before

After

Helpful links on Rhododendron and Azalea lace bugs
Kym Pykorny's recent article on lace bugs
WSU Master Gardener Hortsense--Azalea Lace Bug
WSU Master Gardener Rhododendron Lace-Bug article

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: May 2013

Our May weather has felt more like July.  I've savored warm and sunny 80 degree days and I've already started my watering soaker hose schedule that I usually begin at the end of June.  The soil has warmed up and my summer garden has launched early while the spring flowers are swooning.  

Royal Wedding Oriental Poppy

The poppies started popping open this week.

Western Bleeding Heart, Dicentra formosa

 The bleeding hearts are starting to wrap up their show as the rodgersia are expanding. 

After blooming until Christmas, the hardy fuchsias are beginning to burst open again.  

 The geums are opening.  Pedestrians love to pick these as they walk by and I don't mind.  

Pagoda Dogwood, Cornus Alternifolia

The pagoda dogwood is blooming for the second time.  This is one of my favorite plants.

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 The rugosa roses are blooming and filling the garden with their sweet clove fragrance.  The blooms close up at night and open when they warm up.  This one looks like it needs a cup of coffee, or maybe that's just me.

 This weigela was a gift from a friend.  I put the name tag in a safe place, even safe from me, apparently. 

wild rose, rosa nutkana

 A wild rose bloom peers out.

salmon berry  thimble berry

 The native salmon berry thimble berry, known as natures toilet paper, is blooming.
Update:  Thanks for the correction, Portland Tree Tour.  This plant is thimble berry, not salmon berry. 

Chinese Fairy Bells

Rosa glauca

 The Rosa glauca is blooming, but I grow it for it's interesting blue and purple foliage. 

Rosa glauca

And while I was busy editing my pictures this morning, Barnaby, our 10 week old Great Dane puppy, raced down the hallway with toilet paper streaming out behind him.  And I laughed, took a picture, seized his contraband, and put the toilet paper out of reach...for now.   

Please visit Carol, our lovely hostess, at May Dreams Gardens to explore blooms from around the world.  Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day to you!