So much is happening. The earth is awake in every way. Fat robins, leaves bursting on all the big old trees that were but shadows a few months ago. Tomorrow is mother's day.
Mother Earth, Grandmother Spider, hand holder, arm rocker, maker, taker, doer, magic being of visible and invisible strengths.

Jean Pierre got stung by a bee today. His first sting.
He was trying to rescue a baby bee that had fallen into the pool and had picked him up in his hand. Upon rescue the bee stung him on the finger. His yowls were those of someone who did not yet know that kind of pain. I held him for a long time, until the feeling subsided. Once he regained his calm he asked me if the bee would die, now that it had stung him (something I, no doubt, had told him happens). Lucien then piped up that he had just read a book that details the first 10 weeks of a young bees life and said that during that time they can sting and not die. I do not know if this is actually true, but it was the right fact for the moment. Jean Pierre blinked and said, I am so happy he will not die. That is good that he will not die. I am humbled by the wisdom of my children and so deeply grateful to get to be a mother this time around. Maybe next time I will be a bee. Speaking of, check out this new movie- it looks really good. http://www.colonymovie.com/

Happy almost birthday Jean Pierre.
p.s. these cupcakes are wonderful!

Strawberry rose cupcakes from Sunset

* 1 cup butter, at room temperature
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3/4 cup buttermilk
* 2 1/2 cups flour
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup strawberry jam
* 1 1/2 to 2 tsp. rose water*
* Cream Cheese-Rose Frosting
* 2 1/2 cups small rose petals (organically grown)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°. Line 16 muffin cups with liners. Beat butter and sugar with a stand mixer until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat until well blended.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Gradually beat into butter mixture until well blended.
Whisk together jam and rose water to taste in a small bowl. Spread 2 heaping tbsp. batter in each liner. Top with 1 tsp. jam mixture, then another 2 heaping tbsp. batter, carefully spreading it to cover jam.
Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted toward the edge comes out clean, 25 to 27 minutes. Let cool in pans 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Spread with frosting and decorate with organic rose petals.

I had a dream last night that I was ironing and folding tiny baby clothes to put in a box to give away. Goodbye babies. It's true, damn it, time rolls on.

Love cookies

The best part about these cookies was delivering them to our valentines around town. Love is grand. This recipe is direct from my Grandmother who I think got the recipe from Martha herself although I cannot imagine a real cookie ever looking like the perfect photos in her magazine cut outs. The jam filled ones were very tasty if a bit misshapen.

* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
* 2 cups sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 4 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup buttermilk
* 1/2 cup pale-pink or white sanding sugar (optional)
* Petal dust in pink, orange, and violet tones (optional)
* 2/3 cup apricot or strawberry jam, slightly warmed (optional)

Directions

1. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into large bowl. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture to mixer bowl, alternating with buttermilk, until combined. Wrap dough in plastic; chill until firm, 1 hour or overnight.
2. To color white sanding sugar, if using: Place a few tablespoons in a small bowl. Mix in petal dust with a toothpick, a bit at a time, until desired shade is reached. Colored sanding sugar will last indefinitely.
3. Heat oven with two racks centered to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut out hearts using any 1- to 3 1/2-inch heart cookie cutters. If desired, cut centers out of some hearts. Transfer with spatula to baking sheets. Chill for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using. Bake until just golden but not too brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack. Continue with dough; reroll scraps.
4. To make sandwich hearts: Brush bottom heart lightly with jam; cover with a second heart with center cut out; jam will adhere hearts. Fill cut-out area with more jam. Cookies will keep, in an airtight container, at room temperature for 1 week.

Hello, February

My birthday is the last day of January. It is usually very cold and this year was no exception. It was a quiet, frozen day punctuated with lovely visits from friends and family. I also received this very beautiful typewriter from my husband. Nothing like a blank page to start a new year.

Good Old Lady Cake

This cake, adapted from a recipe from Baker & Spice in this book, is perfect for a cold afternoon. I baked it for a dumpling party this weekend and the best compliment was one from my friend's cute date. He said "this is good old lady cake!" .....There you have it folks.

Olive Oil Citrus Cake

1 1/4 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t fine sea salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
zest of 1 grapefruit
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
tad of lemon juice
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 C extra virgin olive oil

Choose a fruity olive oil that you like and don't skimp on the zests- go big on the citrus.

Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a 9 inch by 2 inch round baking pan with olive oil and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt twice. In a separate bowl beat eggs, sugar and zests on high speed for 5 minutes. Add vanilla and a tad of lemon juice. Drizzle in olive oil and mix at medium speed and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix slowly until just incorporated. Pour batter into pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake is golden.
Cool to room temp. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or glaze.. maybe the glaze is the old lady part?

Grapefruit glaze

3/4 cup confectioners sugar
3 T freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

Whisk to combine and pour over cooled cake.

One Piece Missing

A New Year. January is always a bit of a challenge for me. The charm of the holidays is over, it is still very cold and we still have a long haul before spring. It is a good time to read, bake, and dig in to the part of me that craves silence and darkness.
I bought this puzzle second hand for Lucien and he actually finished it! (with some help from his father.) I love that there is one piece missing. There is always one piece missing, isn't there?