A Gift Grown from Love

So I'm excited to share my latest creation. This one was not made in my kitchen and took a little longer to create then a tasty dessert or savory dinner. These beauty's came to life in three pots nestled near the sunshine from my dining room windows.





My baby Narcissus finally bloomed after about 6 weeks of love and nurturing. The fragile bulbs lay a top soft peat moss, soaking up the suns rays and drinking the minimal water they need to build up enough energy for the stalks to break through the bulbs thick barrier. I know it sounds like I'm talking about a child here, but after you care for them for 10 weeks, they kind of become your baby.

My real reason for telling you about these pretty little flowers is for the beautiful, inexpensive holiday gift they make. Whether you need a hostess gift, a gift for a neighbor, or a gift for that person who gives you an unexpected present, these hand raised flowers in a beautiful flower pot make the perfect holiday gift. And the scent they give off is just as sweet as they look too!

For $3 you get a bag of 6 bulbs at Lowes around early November, make sure to also get some peat moss or even rocks while your there (these bulbs don't like a lot moistness). Then just pick up a few small holiday pots at your local Michaels, Home Goods, or Christmas Tree Shops.



Put the peat moss or rocks in the pots, place the bulbs so that only half the bulb is covered (making sure the root side is down) and then water every few days. Make sure not to over water in the beginning; once the stalks start to emerge you can water more frequently.


If you want flowers around the week of Christmas plant 4-6 weeks before Dec. 25th and the more direct sunlight they get, the quicker they will grow



Around the time you are gifting these to some lucky friends, you'll have the sweetest pot of white Narcissus you've ever seen. A few buds will still be waiting to bloom, but that will give your friend something to look forward to and will lengthen the life of your gift!


And if you can't bare to part with a few pots of these beauties, they make wonderful center pieces for your Holiday Table display.


Jacklyn Lorraine

Maple Bacon Biscuits

Hello again. I'm back from my 3 month hiatus. Who knew fall could be so busy? While I was gone I've done some occasional baking that I'd like to share.

My sister had suggested going on a Food Tour in Manhattan back in November and being the food lover that I am, I decide to join her. I would recommend this tour to local New Yorkers, tunnel and bridge folk, or the average tourist; it was a blast! The tour was called Food on Foot; it's rated number 3 on Trip Advisor "Things to do" in NYC. Not only did we eat great food, find restaurants and food vendors hidden in what seemed like closet sized spaces, but the tour guide was a just an average guy with a passion for great food. My sister did a great post on our tour. You can see it on her blog Quick Feet Good Eats. One of the tasty treats that stuck in my mind after the tour was a maple bacon Scone which we sampled at a bakery called Build a Green Bakery on 1st Avenue. The next day I had to find a recipe and make them for myself.

Maple Bacon Biscuits



Makes: 2 Dozen Biscuits
Total Time: 1 hr, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb. Bacon, crumbled
3 1/2 cups Flour
2 tbls sugar
1 tbls baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/2 in. cubes
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 egg yolk
1 egg
1 tbls heavy cream
Fleur de sel

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fry bacon over medium heat until cooked but not crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove excess fat on a paper towel lined plate when done.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, but in the diced butter, until it resembles small peas. Stir in the bacon, then one-fourth cup plus 2 tbls of maple syrup and the buttermilk until the dough just comes together (it will still be clumpy). Be careful not to overwork the dough.


On a lightly floured surface, gently press or roll the dough to 1 inch thickness. Cut the biscuits using a 2 inch round cutter; you should have 24 biscuits. Place 12 biscuits on each of two parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Freeze the trays just until the biscuits are chilled, about 10 minutes.

While the biscuits are chilling, prepare the egg wash. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, egg and cream. Brush the chilled biscuits with egg wash and top each with a pinch of fleur de sel.

Bake the biscuits until they just begin to brown, about 25 minutes (you should easily be able to pick the biscuits up off the tray.) Remove the tray from the oven. Quickly drizzle 1 tsp of the remaining maple syrup over each biscuit, then place the tray back in the oven for 3 minutes more. Serve while still warm.



A wonderful after dinner or treat or breakfast. These treats mix sweet and salty perfectly. Yum!

Jacklyn Lorraine