In flight WiFi

Flying with WiFi, really! So, as I' on an Alaska Airline flight to Dallas, I see a card in the seat in front of me......it says "WiFi-in flight". WHAT? Internet while flying? EMAIL, google, searching, Blogger, Facebook, etc, etc???? YES! How awesome is this? I know I've heard of it but this is my FIRST experience! IN FACT...... It's what I'm using RIGHT NOW! (on my new iPad....by the way) It's not perfect...can't connect to Netflix, but it IS downloading a movie from iTunes. It's NOT FREE but it is only $5.00. Not too bad. The wine cost more $6.00. Both totally worth it. The pilot just announced we are flying by Pocatello, Idaho. Seriously! Can't see it..... Too many clouds. More good news... I got row 6 on the isle...loads of legroom at no extra charge! Love you Alaska! Stay tuned, more info to follow. Jeanette

Breakfast tart

breakfast tart with creame fraise, bacon, cheese and two eggsI saw this while I was cruising the Internet this morning on the Williams and Sonoma site. It was excellent!Here's the recipe:Ingredients1 sheet puff pastry dough1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water3 oz. crème fraîche2 oz. shredded Gruyère cheeseSalt and freshly ground pepper, to taste8 bacon slices, cooked until crisp3 eggs (I only used 2 eggs)10 fresh chives, cut on the bias into 1/2-inch lengthsDirectionsThaw the puff pastry dough according to the package instructions.Preheat an oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.On lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into a 10-by-8-inch rectangle. Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Using a paring knife, score a border 1/2 inch in from the edge of the pastry. Using a fork, prick the center of the pastry. Brush the border with the egg wash and refrigerate for 15 minutes.In a small bowl, stir together the crème fraîche and cheese, and season with salt and pepper.Spread the crème fraîche mixture on the pastry, keeping the border clean. Lay the bacon on top, slightly overlapping the slices. Bake the tart for 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a level heatproof surface. Using a fork, prick any large air pockets in the pastry. Crack the eggs onto the tart, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still soft, 7 to 10 minutes.Transfer the tart to a platter, garnish with the chives and serve immediately. Serves 4.With the left over pastry I added a bit of brushed on creame and then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. As long as the oven was hot.......

IPad arrived today!!! Posting with it RIGHT NOW

My new iPad3 or iPadR or what ever they want to call it arrived this afternoon and I LOVE IT! Still learning how it works. Stay tuned!

POPCORN!

POPCORN
I was in World Market 2-3 days ago and found this small bag of rainbow popcorn. It was only $1.99! Totally impulse shopping.

It's been so long since I either had or made popcorn I thought what a FUN thing to make one of these evenings. So here it is! It's called Amish Country Popcorn. There's a website: http://www.amishcountrypopcorn.com
They have all kinds of colored popcorn, popcorn oil, HULL-LESS popcorn (?), and it's all GMO free.

I put enough oil in the bottom of a pan to cover the bottom, let it get hot, added just enough popcorn to cover the bottom and left the lid ajar to let the steam out.

Then it started popping! VERY fun and smelled just like my dad used to make! Funny how a smell can bring back memories.

The popped corn was a bit pastel-like in color. Melted a bit of butter (not too much), poured it over then added sea salt and pepper.
Digit liked it too.

Digit eating popcorn

(he's a weird cat, he likes bread too).

It was great and sure didn't last long.


Popcorn has an interesting history. It was used by Native Americans for thousands of years. There is evidence of popcorn from 3600 BC in New Mexico and 4700 BC in Peru. Popcorn was the variety that saved the pilgrims. It's easy to store and is very nutritious.

This is from Wikipedia:

Popping mechanism

The process of a kernel popping

Each kernel of popcorn contains a certain amount of moisture and oil. Unlike most other grains, the outer hull of the popcorn kernel is both strong and impervious to moisture, and the starch inside consists almost entirely of a hard, dense type.^[7]
As the oil and the water are heated past the boiling point, they turn the moisture in the kernel, which has a moisture-proof hull, into a superheated pressurized steam. Under these conditions, the starch inside the kernel gelatinizes, softens and becomes pliable. The pressure continues to increase until the breaking point of the hull is reached: a pressure of about 135 psi (930 kPa) and a temperature of 180 °C (356 °F). The hull ruptures rapidly, causing a sudden drop in pressure inside the kernel and a corresponding rapid expansion of the steam, which expands the starch and proteins of the endosperm into airy foam. As the foam rapidly cools, the starch and protein polymers set into the familiar crispy puff.
Special varieties are grown to give improved popping yield. Some wild types will pop, but the cultivated strain is Zea mays averta, which is a special kind of flint corn.

Very Cool! Chemistry, Physics AND good food all rolled into one.

Get ready for it.....Pi (Pie) Day

March 14th is not just an ordinary day, it's Pi-Day!

What's this mean?

Make PIES! Take them to work, give them away! Have a PIE pot luck!
Did you know there's a website? http://www.piday.org there are shirts, caps, etc.

There's a Wikipedia site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi_Day

So, organize a PI day pot luck at work!

PI day!

I'm going to make mini-pies..... I call them "3 bite pies"

First...Start with a great crust. That starts with a great flour. I LOVE King Arthur flour.
I usually use a tablespoon of vodka our of the freezer. Why? colder than cold water....and all the alcohol evaporates...making for a VERY flaky crust.
Here's a GREAT recipe:

• 2 ½ cups King Arthur Perfect Pastry Blend
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk powder
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening
• 10 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vinegar, cider or white
• 6 to 10 tablespoons ice water, don't forget to add the vodka!

Let the dough sit for at least 30 min in the refrigerator. Roll it out between parchment paper.

Cut out the small pie bottoms and tops. Make some filling. It's ALMOST spring. Rhubarb anyone? But you can make apple, pear or blueberry filling almost anytime now.

Enjoy.....make some whipped cream.....

MMMMMMMM