To me, beauty is . . .
1. Beauty is waking up each morning to who and what you love the most.
2. Beauty is the face of a child when they first learn how to read.
3. Beauty is standing on top of a mountain and understanding what it took to get there.
4. Beauty is an intelligent mind working for the good of others.
5. Beauty is remembering the beauty of those who came before, and knowing they are with us always, no matter how long ago they left this earth.
6. Beauty is a heart which is always open.
7. Beauty is the sky over water after a thunderstorm.
8. Beauty is looking in the mirror and loving what you see.
9. Beauty is walking through misty mountains in a soft rain.
10. Beauty is what we have the opportunity to see when looking at the world with an approachable mind.
May you find beauty in unexpected places.
Updated: Mar 12
Ginger and spice with rich cream cheese frosting . . . I'm hooked. I've always enjoyed a good gingerbread, and while flavorful and moist, they were never quite this moist. Of course, the frosting might have something to do with it.
This recipe is super easy and quick. First tried before the holidays, and baked a few times since, this ginger loaf offers a perfect balance of ginger, spice, sugar, and well, everything else. It's so delicious and addicting, but also rich enough where even half a slice will satisfy.
Kidding, eat the whole slice. It's totally worth it.
Gingerbread would definitely have been on the menu at Tilly's Cafe in Briarwood, as a seasonal treat at Hawk's Peak, or in any one of the kitchens in Crooked Creek or Whitcomb Springs. It is comforting to know that while recipes have certainly evolved, we enjoy variations of many of the foods from centuries ago.
Fix a cup of cocoa, slice off a nice helping, and enjoy while reading a favorite book.
There are a lot of great ginger loaf recipes out there. This one comes from Creme de la Crumb, so head on over and check it out. The loaf is mouthwateringly moist and popping with flavor.
Enjoy!
Updated: Mar 12
“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.” – Robert Browning
I dabbled with different bread recipes over the years, though have become more adamant about making all my own breads in the past year. This super-soft, all-purpose bread gets top billing alongside the sourdough and peasant bread I make regularly.
“Bread is the king of the table and all else is merely the court that surrounds the king. The countries are the soup, the meat, the vegetables, the salad, but bread is king.” – Louis Bromfield, American novelist (1896-1956)
Commercially-sliced bread wasn't available until the twentieth-century, which meant that my nineteenth-century friends were still enjoying the bread made daily in their kitchens. With a growing family and hungry ranch hands to feed, the Gallagher kitchen produces many loaves a week. Clara Stowe's inn in Crooked Creek produces even more during fair-weather months. While baking bread daily can be inconvenient, especially the busier people are, there is great satisfaction in the kneading and rising, and of course the scent of fresh bread wafting through the house.
“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.” – James Beard
I have often said that while the land was rougher and life harder, I imagine it would have been infinitely more satisfying before the advent of so many conveniences. Or, is that just my thinking?
This recipe comes from Sally's Baking Addition. Except for a experimenting with a wheat version (to be shared at a later date), I have made no modifications. You can find the recipe on her blog.
If you try this recipe, I hope you'll let me know how it worked out! I made it often prior to this posting, and it is soft and delicious every time.
