garlic scape butter

Are you growing garlic in your garden? Well then snip off those garlic scapes and make yourself some garlic butter.

1 lb unsalted (soft) garlic butter
8 c. (very approx.) chopped garlic scapes

Put the scapes in a cuisinart. Chop 'em up, add the soft butter and blend.  Dump onto a sheet of waxed paper and roll up into a log. put in the freezer. The amount of scapes you put in depends on your tolerance for garlic. If you have a bit of a sensitive stomach, add fewer scapes. Scapes can be used in place of garlic in any recipe, they have a more mild flavor than raw garlic. I plan to slice off a pat of scape butter anytime I'm in need of a little garlicky, rich flavor...pasta dishes...inside twice baked potatoes...grilled fish....

banana espresso cake

Adapted from vanillasugar


2 c mashed very ripe bananas
1/4 c brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c plus 1 T milk, whole or skim, whatever, or half and half if you are feeling naughty
1 T instant espresso
1 egg
1 c flour
1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour, if you don't have pastry flour, regular whole wheat is fine (or use all white flour)
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
3/4 c chocolate chips


beat banana, sugar, butter, milk, espresso powder and egg together until well blended. sift dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, including chocolate chips, stir briefly, just until blended through. 
350 deg oven. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate pan and bake for another 15-20 min. Total baking time: 40 ish minutes. 
enjoy..........yum...............

Iced Coffee...how to

With summer upon us...pass the coffee, make mine iced. This method for making iced coffee will not disappoint...guaranteed! We diverged a bit from the original recipe found here...


12 oz ground coffee (medium grind)
8 c room temp water


combine coffee and water in a giant pitcher. stir and cover. let sit for 20-24 hrs. strain with a fine strainer and dilute to your liking. I  think 1 part coffee, 2 parts water is a fine ratio...the concentrate will stay good in the refrigerator for 10 days! (yes, 10!)