My mom recently gave me a terracotta apple baker ... so I was DELIGHTED when Susanne at Arthur Morgan House Inn sent me a recipe that gave me the opportunity to use it.

As I read on through the recipe I realized it was stove top.  Bummer!  So I decided to try it both ways ... sauteed and oven baked.

A sort of apple cook-off.  A contest.  A duel.  An absolute apple taste test.

Maybe it's because I was just having one of those frustrating weeks where stress started creeping in because I had a lot of projects started and nothing finished.  So slicing and chopping apples was just the outlet I needed for releasing some energy.

Get your apples on the counter.  LOTS and LOTS of apples.  Any variety that's available.  A mix of tart and sweet.  I used gala, granny smith and fuji.

The recipe was sort of wingin' it ... no exact measurements.  It's a fun way to cook ... a dash here and a dash there ... but difficult to duplicate and share!  Susanne is delightful through email, and I can tell she's been making these for so long that it just comes naturally to her.  So, I've "winged it" and made up some measurements form Susanne's list of ingredients that worked pretty well and added one of my own ... cinnamon.

You'll need ... about a teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg (our local grocer didn't carry whole nutmeg, so I used some already grated.) Also, about a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger (another item our grocer was out of.  Sheesh! And I love freshly grated ginger.  I was too impatient to wait 2 days for their next shipment to come in, so I used some I had in my spice rack as a standby.)A teaspoon of cinnamon (after I re-read the recipe, realized this was my own addition!  Whoops!  I just couldn't imagine apples without cinnamon). Add to that some lemon juice, vanilla and a handful of raisins.

I used the same ingredients for baking as I did for the stove top  ... we'll see which produces a better apple!  (Hint: It takes a little more time, but so worth it.  Follow along ...)

I'm gonna show you the baked apples first, then the sauteed Arthur Morgan House Apples.

For the baked apples, I sliced and cored them but kept the peels in tact.  I did it such a way that the whole apple was still connected by the skin at the bottom.  A little tricky, as you have to sort of pull the apple back through the slicer.  Don't pull your finger through at the same time!  Unless ... of course ... you're making this recipe for Halloween and are going for the whole bloody-apples-with-finger-bits kind of dish.  But that's just plain gross.

I thought it would later make a nice presentation with a big scoop of ice cream in the middle.

I needed a little leverage on some of these firm apples, so I stepped up on a stool to throw my weight into this coring thing.  So THIS is how Julia Child felt hovering over her counter tops.  Aaah.  It's nice to be tall ... even just for a moment.

All the apples nestled nicely in their little baker.

Despite my unfruitful search for fresh ginger and whole nutmeg to grind ... I did find a lonely lemon.  I roll lemons on the cutting board a bit to get it a bit more juiced up.

Here's where I let the photos tell the story for a bit.  A little lemon, a dash of vanilla ...

GASP!  At this point I remembered my spices.  Too late.  The apples have already started soaking up the lemon and vanilla and boy-o-boy did it pour quick.   Ah well.  Rethink.  Revise.  Sprinkling it is.  I guess it is possible that the spices would have just stuck to the bowl?  (making myself feel better anyway!) Now I'll just be more precise with how to sprinkle them?  At least each apple got a little extra love and some undivided spice attention.

Well ain't that symmetrical?

Strategically place some raisins and you're ready to go!

We are now up to our elbows in apples and I realized I got a little carried away.  For the sauteed apples I should have PEELED them first, then chopped.   Now we've got to peel them all individually and I'm having flashbacks to stories of my grandfather talking about how peeling potatoes in the army was sort of a punishment.  I guess I'm paying my penance  for any wrong doings of the week.  I may have to pour some autumn sangria to get through this tedious task!

Assuming you're smarter than me, and actually peeled your apples before slicing, then this process should be pretty quick.  Next, add your naked apples to a warmed up saute pan (medium heat) with the same juice/vanilla/spice concoction listed above for the baked apples.

Pour on the raisins ...

Reduce heat to low/medium and stir every 5 to 10 minutes until the apples have absorbed all the spices and they turn into a gooey compote.

So, is it the sauteed apples ...

Or the baked apples that passed the taste test?

Both were excellent and immediately devoured with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  If you're into the dessert for breakfast sort-of-thing.  Susanne says guests love it served warm either solo, with cereal or yogurt.  I would even spoon it on toast.

The baked apples were a little less sweet.  The sauteed much more tender and syrupy.  Hands down, I'd say I preferred the stove top version. Turned out much tastier!  Well, at least I can use the apple baker as a serving dish!

Arthur Morgan House Apples

Peel and slice apples of several varieties into a large sauce pan with grated fresh ginger, fresh grating of nutmeg, a handful of raisins, a splash of lemon juice, and a dribble of good-quality vanilla (Susanne recommends Sunny Caribee's Vanilla Vanilla from the British Virgin Islands).  Cook over low-medium heat until apples are tender.  Taste as you go and you'll find the right balance of flavors.

**Susanne recommends mixing a little of this compote into the batter next time you make banana bread. Mmm.

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Even though breakfast is my favorite food group, I do eat other foods.  For instance, I love fish.  I just don't usually cook them.  If it wiggles, has scales, gills, tales, and ESPECIALLY eyeballs ... I can't see it until it's prepared.  Call me squeamish, but I just can't look my food in the eye.  I know, some day I'll have to face my fear and chop off a fish head and roll some sushi ... but today is not that day.

So that made things real interesting when I received a couple of recipes from Elisse at the Elkhorn Inn in West Virginia.  She refers to her husband, Dan, as Hot Chef.  He's definitely a huntin-fishin-spear-em-up-cook-em-out-on-the-grill type of manly man.  Retired from the US Army and a chef, he's the type that you'd want to be-friend on the show Survivor.  When it comes to smokin, roastin and grillin ... guests from NYC say he can kick Bobby Flay's butt any day.

But I'm a girlie girl.  I can't look my food in the eye.  I was even considering buying a barbie pink grill yesterday ... and unless my foodie friends came over it would probably only see vegetables.  So ... I tackled the one recipe that didn't involve prepping fresh fish or smoking ribs (although I'll love eating them both!).  Pumpkin Mango Soup.

Pumpkin and mango are two ingredients I can handle and I've never had them married together in one dish before ... so this is the dish I tried.  Call it a "brunch" recipe.  It would actually make a great Thanksgiving appetizer so it fits perfectly with the season.

This is a signature dish at the Elkhorn Inn and the ingredients are simple, fresh and it's one of my favorite regional cuisines ... Thai.  Call me a nut for peanuts, but it's pure comfort food for me.

Here's what you'll need ...

2 Cups chicken broth, 2 cups pumpkin puree, 1 1/2 cups mango nectar, 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter, 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons minced green onions, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon  crushed red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind, 1 garlic crushed garlic clove, and candied ginger for garnish.

There are a lot of ingredients in here that individually are my favs ... ginger, garlic, peanut butter, pumpkin, mango ... so it's gonna be real interesting to mix them all together.  Similar to gathering all your unique friends over for a party ... will they all get along?

Combine the chicken broth, mango nectar and pumpkin puree in a large pot.

(Make sure to get plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling!)

Mmm.  It's getting steamy.  Can you smell it?  Yum!  And we haven't even added the good stuff yet.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

While it's simmering, you can prep the other ingredients.  Such as chopping your green onions ...

And grating fresh ginger.  Jaden with www.SteamyKitchen.com actually shared this little secret trick with me last weekend when we were playing around in my kitchen.  She had an awesome recipe for wings that had a hint of ginger. And all this time I had been "chopping" my ginger.  Sheesh! What was I thinking?  This was one of those "aaaaaaah" moments where I realized I could save a ton of time AND pull out a lot more flavor.

Take off the skin/bark ..

And then grate.  (I'm gonna try making some ginger tea now with this new little trick.)

Then some orange ...

Now your kitchen should smell fresh and clean ... orange and ginger zest molecules floating all around.

Scoop out about a cup of the soup mixture into a bowl or measuring cup.

Then add in the chunky peanut butter and stir until dissolved.  Add back into the soup pot.

Stir in the rice vinegar ...

green onions ...

ginger and orange ...

red pepper ...

... and garlic.  Just use a garlic smasher and squeeze it right into the pot.

Stir together an let it simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes.

Chop up some fresh cilantro.

Garnish and serve!

This soup was really fabulous.  You can really taste all the flavors ... they DID get along!  First the mango, then the bite of ginger, then creamy peanut, and then a latent heat from the red pepper.  Yum.

Elkhorn Inn's Pumpkin Mango Soup

Ingredients

2 Cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups mango nectar

2 cups pumpkin puree

1/4 cup chunky peanut butter

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons minced green onions

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind

1 garlic clove, crushed

Garnish:  fresh chopped cilantro, sugared ginger slices, mango slices

Directions

1) Combine chicken broth, pumpkin puree and mango nectar in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

2) In a large cup or bowl, combine 1 cup of the hot pumpkin soup mixture with the peanut butter and stir until well blended, then return mixture to pot.

3) Stir in vinegar and the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 3 minutes until the flavors have blended and it's heated through.  Pour into soup bowls and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.  Serve with a thin slice of mango and sugared ginger.

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Want to add some color to your breakfast?  Then then read on because the blend of lavender, dry mustard, cayenne and green chilies makes this a rainbow of flavor.  But it's not sweet like Skittles. This New Mexico Souffle fills your senses with calm floral lavender and leaves you with a zippy heat from the chilies.  Get ready to have a party in your mouth, New Mexico style.

Tammy with the Mauger Estate B&B in Albuquerque submitted this recipe.    Coming from the South West, full of  bright colors and a little heat, this is a great one to bookmark and whip up in the morning when the grey winter blues stroll in.

Here's what you'll need.  Get out a pen and paper or hit your print button 'cause there's a lot of goin into this souffle casserole.  And unbelievably ... wait ... the world just stood still for a whole 1/100th of a second ... I didn't FORGET an ingredient.  WOW!

Hmm.  Looking at the recipe again there really isn't a whole lot to it.  Didn't mean to make it sound intimidating (or LOOK) intimidating by my big menagerie of ingredients.  I think I went a little overboard with double checking and re-checking to make sure I didn't forget anything.  There are at least 4 of those in the photo that are "accoutrement" for serving.  Including:  the tortillas, sour cream, salsa, and jalapeno that I'm too wimpy for.  Anything that sets my mouth on fire and requires a fire hydrant to put out is a bit too much spice for my tongue.  But, for those that like nuclear heat, chop it up and serve it on the side.

Here's the "list" in order of appearance ...

Whisk together:

8 eggs, 1/2 cup of flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 3 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp salt, 1tsp cayenne pepper.

Then add:

2 cups cottage cheese, 2 cups shredded jack cheese, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 2 cups corn, 16 oz. green chilies, and my favorite ... 2 tablespoons of lavender.

Let's take a look, shall we?

All the color spread across my counter has got me thinking of this a a painter's pallet.  Fortunately, it doesn't require anything too artsy.   The lavender smells AMAZING.

The green chilies took me a little while to find at my local grocer.  Mostly because they have "two" Latin food areas.  After I went up and down a few aisles I ended up finding them in the most obvious location ... next to taco mix and shells.  These came in small little cans, so I had to use 4 cans to get 16 oz.  Make a note of that when you go shopping.

And it's as easy as it sounds.  Get one great big ole bowl, whisk together your eggs, and then add the first list of ingredients.  Starting with flour ...

Then your spices and baking powder.

Blend.  Mmm.

Next add your cheeses.  Starting with cottage cheese.  Can't you just hear it plop?

Now.  The recipe called for "Jack Cheese."  I found Monterey Jack.  And Colby Jack.  But not just plain old Jack.  Then it got me thinking, who is Monterey or Colby anyway?  Where did these names come from?  Inquiring minds want to know!  Mixed cheese going into the bowl ...

Then the corn.  You can use fresh, frozen or canned.  I opted for canned.  Just make sure you drain and rinse.

Add in the chilies and stir.

Wow.  Lavender. I love this little flower, but I've never cooked with it.  I've eaten it once, in a cheese that I can't remember the name of, and  it was fabulous.

Rub it together between your fingers to release the aroma and flavor.

Now your souffle is about ready!

Add the shredded potatoes to a 9 x 13 greased pan.

You can just spray it with Pam.

This is my "oh my God, is it all gonna fit?" face ...

I don't know.  I'm beginning to wonder if I should bring out a second pan.

Well, whatdya know.  It all did fit into one pan!  Forgot about that nifty thing called gravity.

Sprinkle on some paprika and bake at 350 degrees for an hour.

When it's done, let it cool for a bit (maybe about 5 minutes) and then slice and serve.

New Mexico Souffle

Ingredients & Directions

Whisk together the following:

8 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper

Then add:

2 cups cottage cheese

2 cups shredded jack cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups corn (frozen or drained canned)

16 oz. green chile

2 tbsp lavender (rub between fingers/palms to release aroma and flavor)

Additional Ingredients:

2-3 cups shredded potatoes (hash browns)

tortillas

salsa

sour cream

In a 9 x 13 pan, spray with Pam and layer the bottom of the pan with shredded potatoes (frozen hash browns).

Next, pour the cheese/egg mixture over the potatoes.  Dust with paprika and bake at 350 degrees for an hour.  Serve with tortillas, salsa, sour cream and raspberry chipotle sauce.

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During the fall, I'll probably post several different variations of pumpkin flavored yummies. It's my favorite fall ingredient ... and my favorite color so I never tire of it. Each variation is a tad different. The Sweet Potato Muffins I posted earlier can also be made with pumpkin. They're a little more hearty and healthy, where this one is moist and decadent.

Inez with Christopher's Inn gave this recipe to me a few years back.  Her inn sort of becomes a factory for these things in October as she bakes them for her family, friends, church and anyone smart enough to take a loaf.

It has to be one of my favorite recipes because it's so easy.  Mix all the ingredients in one bowl and you've got a rich moist pumpkin bread without a whole lot of clean up.  I used to buy pumpkin bread mix at the store and just doctor it up with a few ingredients.  But no more!  Once you try this recipe and see how easy it is you'll add it to your seasonal holiday recipes too.

Here's what you'll need:

One can or about 14 ounces of pumpkin, 1 cup of oil, 3 cups of sugar (yes, I said 3 cups.  I didn't say this was healthy!),
3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 3 eggs, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of cloves, one cup of chopped walnuts and  one cup of raisins.

This is just a little honorable mention to what makes this sooooooo good.  Spices. Mmm. Here's my little mountain range of goodness.  Don't sneeze.

Mix it all in one big ole bowl.

Big.

HUGE.

GIGANTIC.

If not, you're gonna have spillage.  Start with the dry stuff.

Flour ...

Sugar ...

Watch out ... you're getting ready to move mountains here ...

Gasp!  Huh!  What's this?  A second boooowl?  I lied!  This is supposed to be one bowl bread!  Well DARN!  I learned through making this a dozen times that whisking the eggs first helps them mix in a little easier.  But ... if you want ... you can just plop the eggs into the flour/sugar bowl and make it truly a one bowl recipe.  Just be sure to mix real good.  Like, until your arm falls off or your mixer smokes.  But I digress ... add the eggs whisked or not.

Then add your other wet ingredients including the pumpkin and oil.

See!  Even with one extra bowl for whipping eggs ... little mess.

Mix all your ingredients together before adding the walnuts and raisins.  They're a little chunkier, so we'll fold them in.   Just don't call them "chunky" to their face.  Food does have feelings too ya now.

I like to scrape the side with a spatula to make sure it's well blended and there are no powdery bits hanging out on the edge.  Look at that cool yin yang symbol I made!  Must be some left over zen from this morning's yoga class.

Next, add in your crunchy chunky bits ... the raisins and walnuts.  I started out with some finesse and then just ended up dumping the bowl into the batter.

Some may be asking ... what exactly is "folding."  Well, basically you scoop up the batter from the bottom and bring it up to the top/middle and squish it in. Repeat.  Repeat. Repeat. Until the raisins and nuts are pretty evenly dispersed.

Next, scoop into greased/floured bread pans.  I used one large bread baking stone and two little tin bread pans.  If I were only using the tin pans, it would make 4 loafs.

Good thing I had some help in the kitchen today 'cause my "big ole bowl" was a bit to heavy to lift when full of batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.

This is the best part.  Singing loudly to Van Halen and "pre-washing" the bowl and utensils.

This is me catching my friend Beth stealing the spatula and keeping it all to herself.  What a mischievous little kitchen helper.  Or, she could just be flirting with her husband ... he's the one behind the camera.

This is my baby girl also doing a "pre-wash" of the floor.  No wonder she's turned into such a beggar!

After baking, let cool on a wire rack.

Slice thick portions and serve with butter.  This is almost like dessert.  YUM!

Ingredients & Directions

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The thing I love most about Fall ... well, besides the cooler weather, holidays, festivals, and everything decorated in my favorite color (orange) ... is the spices.

Clove. Cinnamon.  Nutmeg.  Allspice. Ginger.

They all seem to bring with them a feeling of comfort and warmth.  For the next three months I'll be baking up a storm using every combination of these delightful spices.

As much as I like to hover over my hot cup of coffee and savor the morning, some days are a little more rushed than others.  This recipe is perfect for one of those days where you crave the soothing feeling of being wrapped up in a warm blanket lingering over a hot beverage ... but in reality you have to get out the door quick.  Take a couple of these wholesome treats with you for a boost of energy you'll need to face the day.

This recipe for Sweet Potato Muffins was sent to me from  Mitch at the Beaufort Inn in South Carolina.  He's had a lot of practice making breakfast over the years, even before life as an Innkeeper.  Sundays used to be his only day off and he would make something delicious in the morning for his daughter and a houseful of her friends.  Lucky girls!

Here's what you'll need ...

Here's what you'll need ... 2 cups white flour, 1/2 cup freshly ground flax seed, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 tablespoon ground cloves, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 cup oil, 2 cups baked/peeled/cubed sweet potato, 2 eggs, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup dried cranberries.

Mix your dry ingredients together into a large bowl.

These are the little boogers you have to watch out for.  Flax seeds.  They're what makes these little muffins wholesome, hearty, filling and delish ... but don't over indulge our you'll experience what I call a flax-itive.

I grind mine in a coffee grinder.  It does the trick pretty good.

After grinding the flax seed, add them to your flour and spice mixture and mix well.

Next, beat the eggs in a separate bowl.

Add your eggs, oil, and honey to the flour/flax/spice bowl.

This is going to get real thick, real fast.  I don't recommend using a mixer or beater.

Instead just a fork will do and fold the batter together.

The honey combined with the flax seed makes this a thick and hearty stick-to-your-gut kind of muffin.  No fluffy pastry here.  This is a get outside and go hiking-climbing-fall-leaf-collecting-pumpkin-picking kind of breakfast.  Eat your heart out Kashi.

I had to resist the temptation to puree the sweet potato.  Add them cubed, not mashed.  They melt down a little and give it a moist texture.

Fold in the nuts, cranberries and sweet potatoes.  Do you feel like you're making your own super food bar yet?  The recipes I post are usually not the healthy kind.  Bookmark this one for when you get into the thick of the holidays full of butter and sugar and crave a less guilt-ridden snack.  Just remember ... don't over indulge.

Scoop the gooey wholesome goodness into greased muffin pans.  I like to add a little flour too.

I makes em pop out really easy and creates a little crust on the edge.

This batch of batter almost made 2 dozen small muffins.  You could also make 12 really gigantic ones ... just add a little more time to your baking.

Let cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Muffins

Ingredients

2 Cups white flour

1/2 Cup freshly ground flax seed

1/2 Cup honey

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tbsp ground cloves

1/2 cup oil

2 cups baked, peeled, cubed sweet potatoes

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup walnuts

1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2) Using a wire whisk, mix dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, flax seeed and spices) in large bowl.

3) Blend in beaten eggs and honey and mix well.

4) With a spoon mix in sweet potato cubes, walnuts and cranberries.

5) Separate into greased muffin pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

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Here in Florida, since the weather stays warm, the only way to know if the season has changed is when the store fronts change their displays.  And since orange and black and purple Halloween stuff is around every corner I turn when shopping ... we must be entering into my favorite season ... FALL!!!  I'm glad all the stores have their stuff out early because the month of October seems to fly by too fast.  I say, better to get started sooner rather than later ... even if it's still 90 degrees out.

Fall brings with it many big festivals to our quaint little town and one I'm really looking forward to this year is the 25th Annual Craft Fair. The sweet smell of kettle corn, funnel cakes and cinnamon brooms.  The buzz of the crowd.  And the many really cool artisan crafts lining the streets.

During our last festival, I had the opportunity to meet Teresa Haun, craftsman artist and creator of Mind's Eye Journals. She stayed at our cottages during Mount Dora's Annual Art Festival and we instantly became buds while sharing travel stories and philosophies on life around a fire pit while roasting marshmallows and making smores.

Teresa resides in Tahoe, but has spent the last year with her husband innkeeping at the Silver Forset Inn located in Montana between art shows. Being an innkeeper has given them both the opportunity to express their creative side in the kitchen mixing ingredients and and flavors.

She's coming back this October and I can't wait!  Teresa recently sent me two of their favorite recipes, and this one below is the perfect thing to wake your senses out of any Halloween-candy-sugar-induced coma you may find yourself in during the coming months.

I trimmed the recipe in half since I was just cooking for two ... however, I have the full recipe at the end of this post.

Here are the players ... full character roll listed at the bottom with the recipe.

Italian seasonings include marjoram, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano and basil and are very fragrant. Usually you can find this in a gourmet spice blend. Once you add them to the simmering butter ... the aroma will lure people into your kitchen asking, "whatchya makin'?" Meaning ... "I'm going to get to taste this, right?"

Melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the spices and crushed garlic.  The garlic crusher takes two hands for me ... it was a big clove ... but no vampires will be lurking around here for Halloween with this recipe for sure!  Set your oven to 350 degrees to start warming up.

Garlic, spices and melted butter ... is anyone hovering over your shoulder making "Mmm" noises yet? I recommend doing this on low heat so that the butter doesn't bubble or burn.

While your waiting, wash your mushrooms and place them in a cake pan or cookie sheet with edges gill side up with the stems removed.

When the butter is fully melted and the spices have simmered for a minute or two,  evenly divide the mixture in all the caps. My baking dish is clear, so it looks like I'm doing this on my counter top.   Bake the caps for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

While your caps are cooking, your ready to start poaching your eggs. "I don't have an egg poacher," you say. No problem! You can poach eggs without an official egg poacher.
Next, add a tsp (maybe a dash more) of white vinegar. This helps the eggs stick together as one piece instead of making a stringy egg drop soup.

My first tip, bring the water to a boil, then turn down the heat so it is more of a simmer and not a rumbling bubbly boil.

And the secret ... crack your eggs into a small bowl and slide the egg from the bowl to the water.  This also helps them stay in one piece as opposed to plopping into some stringy Saturn-shape. Also, if you happen to break the yolk, you won't be dirtying up your water.

The eggs will take about 3 to 5 minute to cook depending on the firmness you like. I would start the process when your caps are almost complete. If you need to, you can add your eggs to an ice bath to stop the cooking process while you're preparing other things. We'll warm them up again in the oven with the mushroom caps.

You can use a slotted spoon to corral the egg when you first slide it into the water. Cover and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.  For this recipe ... be sure not to over-cook the eggs as you're gonna add them to the oven as well.

While your eggs are cooking (and this is going to happen quickly, so don't be like me and wait until the last minute to get your spinach out of the fridge), saute/steam your spinach in another frying pan with a little olive oil and water. This should also only take about 3 to 4 minutes. We'll be flash broiling all the ingredients together in a little bit.

At this point, your caps should be done. Take them out of the oven and switch the temperature on the oven from 350 to Broil.

Arrange your spinach onto oven safe plates and gently slice your mushroom caps onto the spinach.

Next, you'll add the cream. I was a goof and forgot to divide the cream in half when I was reducing the recipe for two people. So ... I have a pint ... and at least I can use what's left over to cream my coffee. If you are baking 4 mushroom caps, then a pint is perfect. If you're only baking two, then a pint will drown them so don't add the whole thing.

Now that my confession is over with ... add two eggs to each cap and then drizzle with a cream.

The cream will blend with the butter, garlic and seasonings and create a rich savory sauce.

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan. This is getting good ...

Cover with foil and broil (didn't mean for that to rhyme) for about 3 to 4 minutes.

Just enough for the cheese to melt.

Mmm. Delish. When you remove from the oven, sprinkle with chopped parsley and enjoy!  Be sure to add the plates to a charger for a moment as they will be hot!

Portobello Eggs

Ingredients

2 Portabello Mushroom Caps
1 Garlic Clove
1 tbsp Italian Seasonings
3 tbsp Melted Butter
1 tsp White Vinegar
(not pictured and used for poaching eggs)
4 cups Spinach
(totally forgot this in the fridge come picture time! but it's in the recipe!)
1 pint Heavy Cream
(yeah, I should have reduced this to half ... at least I had some left over cream for my coffee!)
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan
Parsley for Garnish

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Melt the butter, add the crushed garlic and Italian seasonings. Using a cake pan or cookie sheet with edges, place the caps gill side up and without the stem. Equally divide the butter mixture between caps and bake for about 20 minutes. Caps should be cooked but not shriveled ... firm to the touch and just a little light color left. When the caps are done, remove them and cover with foil. Turn the oven up to broil.

3) While caps are cooking, start your poached egg water. It should almost be at a boil, but not rolling bubbling boil. Add a teaspoon of white vinegar to help bind the eggs. Crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl, and slide the egg from the bowl to the water to poach your eggs. This helps contain the egg better and prevent it from spreading out and getting stringy in the water. The eggs should only take about 4 minutes depending on the firmness desired.

4) In a separate large frying pan, saute/steam your spinach in just a touch of olive oil and a little water.

5) Arrange spinach on oven safe plates. Place 1 cap on each bed of spinach, place 2 eggs on each cap.

6) Drizzle with heavy cream over the whole plate. (this mixes with the butter mixture adn creates a rich sauce) Sprinkle with Parmesan and flash under the broiler, just enough to melt the cheese a little. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve. (I like to "chop" my parsley with kitchen scissors)

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Spanish wines.  Tapas.  I've died and gone to heaven.  Or maybe it's dined and gone to heaven?

The best thing about a dinner soiree at a b&b is that you can drink all the wine you want ... and then walk to bed.  Or crawl.  Maybe shuffle and sway?  In any case, our tummies were so full of food by the end of the night that it  absorbed the buzz.  Sinful, I know.

The soirees at the Adora Inn are one of my favorites.  The elegantly placed candles, white linens, ethereal art work and Mediterranean jazz tunes provide an instant escape from ordinary.

While we were enjoying ourselves mixing and mingling with other guests, the first course started with gazpacho shooters.  These were such a tease.  Gazpacho is one of my summer favorites.  It's cool, refreshing, and has a little zing that wakes up your taste buds.  One little shot was not enough ... so I had two.  Okay, maybe three.  At least it's a healthy indulgence.

We found our table and enjoyed the rest of the Spanish portfolio of wines perfectly paired with tapas-style courses including shrimp cakes, stuffed peppers Rioja style, roasted hens, Crema Catalana and some coffee to wake us up out of our food-induced coma.

The wine had the conversations flowing easily from topic to topic starting politely with the weather, then reminiscing on past travels, and then the ultimate unanswered question, which came first, the chicken or the egg?  Is there really a difference between a Hen and a Chicken?  Hens eggs vs. chicken eggs?  And how exactly do you eat a hen in a fancy schmancy setting.  Luckily our table agreed ... pick it up with your fingers!  It is tapas after all.

The Adora Inn plans monthly wine dinners for their guests, so be sure to book your room in advance as they tend to fill up quickly.  The next Adora Inn Wine Soiree is scheduled for September 25th and will actually be held at the Mount Dora Center for the Arts in their gallery showcasing Chef Arthur Natales artwork. For more information you can call 352-735-3110.

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I can't think of a better way to kick off the Fall season than with a glass of spice infused Autumn Sangria.  My good friend, Maranda, gave me this recipe years ago and I always make a batch around Labor Day to celebrate the coming of Fall. 

First I'm gonna show you how to make it.  Then we're gonna clink glasses and have a little toast.  Okay ... maybe just clink your glass to your computer monitor ... just be sure to not spill any on the keyboard.

First, grab yourself two really cheap bottles of Merlot.  If you're a fan of the movie Sideways ... and you don't like Merlot ... tough.  You need a strong red wine to keep the flavor after we manipulate it with some sugar and spice.  And you need it to be cheap wine so that you don't cry when we pour all the ingredients in.  Since you can't really find a rich earthy Barolo that's cheap, trust me with the Merlot.

Next, you'll need a little sugar and spice to make everything nyahiiice.  A big pinch of cinnamon and a little pinch of clove and nutmeg.   Some apples and cinnamon sticks for flavor AND decoration.  And a whole boatload of sugar.  One cup, to be exact.  And a bottle of ginger ale.

Pour the two bottles of wine into a deep sauce pan on medium heat.

This is the look I give my friends when they question whether or not the "full" two bottles of wine are going into the recipe ... or if one is for the cook.

Now this is why I'm telling you to use the cheap stuff.  Pour in the cup of sugar and spices.  Even though you're using a cheap Merlot, believe me when I say it's gonna taste goooooood.

Stir the wine as the spices and sugar melt and blend in.  This whole process takes about 8 to 10 minutes.  Be sure to not "boil" the wine.  You just want it to get a little warm simmer.  Boiling would burn off the alcohol ... and then defeat the whole purpose of making sangria!

While the wine is simmering, this gives you time to chop up some apples.  Cut the slices fairly thin and mix in a few varieties to add some color and make it fancy schmancy looking.  Also add about two handfuls of cinnamon sticks.  I almost spelled sin-a-men sticks.  Freudian slip?

 After the wine has simmered for about 10 minutes, pour into a pitcher or punch bowl, add the ginger ale and a cup of ice and refrigerate for 24 hours.  This allows all the spices to marinate and blend.

If you are going to serve immediately (within 24 to 48 hours) then the apples and cinnamon will really spice it up and also give it a festive look.  After 48 hours, strain the big bits out so that all you have left is the liquid. 

Raise your glass ... a toast to Fall ...

" Frame your mind to mirth and merriment,
Which bars a thousand harms and lengthens life."

 --Taming of the Shrew/Shakespeare

Autumn Sangria

Ingredients

2 bottles Merlot

1 bottle ginger ale

1 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground clove

4 to 6 apples

6 to 10 cinnamon sticks

Directions

In a medium pot, combine Merlot, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Let simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved.

Pour immediately into a sealed pitcher or other container. Chop apples and add them along with the cinnamon sticks to the mixture. Add ice and ginger ale. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

For a more carbonated punch or mimosa, add the ginger ale to the wine after it's cooled ... then it will keep the fizz.

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