Much like cutting back on coffee or foregoing sugar for a spell, I found our stay at Blue Moon Rising, an eco-friendly tiny house community in Deep Creek, Maryland, to…
For Valentine's Day of this year, I gave the Urban Farmer a guessing game of sorts- bottles of wine with moons on their labels, bagged with poems and quotes about the moon and the heavens. (I could have given him a bottle of moonshine, but I value his eyesight.) Was this a newfound interest in astronomy? No, it was my thematic, obscure way of saying, "We're going to Blue Moon Rising!"
The coconut sugar gives this quick bread a dark color and almost molasses flavor. For breakfast, serve a slice with a spread of lavender infused butter. As a dessert, top a slice with a candied lemon and a dollop of ice cream. Garnish your cocktails with any leftover honey candied lemons, and one baking session will last a week!
At every gathering I host, I like to add at least one little detail that will get guests to say, "oh girl, oh no you didn't!" Infused butters will elicit that remark. They're that 2.0 moment, the little cherry on top of the sundae, and best of all, you'll likely have enough leftover to continue spreading all that flavor on subsequent pancakes, morning toast or quick breads long after the party dust has settled.
Vegan gravy may seem like an oxymoron, but this mushroom version will appease vegans, vegetarians and carnivores alike, which is why I also recommend it if you want to follow my lead and throw a Biscuit Buffet Brunch. If biscuits feel intimidating, pair this gravy with a whole grain or gluten free pasta or mashed potatoes. The possibilities abound!
I love hosting friends and family in our home, but I also love sitting and eating, so I always try to strike a balance of effort when it comes to menu planning. I hosted a Biscuit Buffet and provided plenty of whole grain biscuits, a few staple toppings and invited my friends to bring their favorite toppings as well as some bubbly.
So when the internet started talking about adding dollops of butter and coconut oil to morning brews, I crossed my arms in staunch protest. The idea of oil pooling on the surface of my coffee, my carefully brewed Chemex coffee, did not appeal to me in the least. I ignored the hype, but hype is persistent, and it found me.
Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. But around here, we celebrate with butter and flour!