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Sunday, July 28, 2024

Peach Custard Tart, Smokey Skies and a Moose on the Loose!


Peach and Cream Tart

 It's fresh peach season!  I never miss the opportunity to buy fresh peaches this time of year as they are among my favorite fruits. 



If you've followed my blog over the years you might remember that I've shared many peach recipes, which you can scroll through on this Peach tab on my blog.

I also have a Pinterest Peach Board devoted to both sweet and savory peach recipes--right now there are 621 pins of peach recipes on that board and I'm sure I'll be adding more as I come across them




Special friends will visit us this week and I wanted to make a dessert they would enjoy. A Land of Lakes recipe for a Peach Custard Tart caught my eye while browsing Facebook this morning. You can read their recipe at the link above, but I made a few modifications which I'll share here.  

I hope you will try either recipe during sweet peach season!


Peach Custard Tart

Tart Crust:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Grated zest of 1 lemon or 1 small orange—or a little of both (about 1 tablespoon)

1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons total) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and zest in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse briefly to combine. Distribute the butter around the bowl and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg and egg yolk and process until the dough begins to clump together.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and gather it together into a ball. Form the dough into two disks, one slightly larger than the other--the smaller dough will be for the top of the tart. Wrap each disk tightly in reusable or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until well chilled (overnight is fine). Remove the dough from the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before rolling it out.


The Filling:

6 large peaches, peeled, sliced

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons of Fiori di Sicilia flavoring (or 2 teaspoons of vanilla flavoring)

*You can substitute frozen sliced peaches, thawed, well-drained. Pat frozen peach slices dry with paper towels thoroughly before placing them in your tart.


Make and assemble the tart crust: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Have ready a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.

1. Lightly dust a work surface and rolling-pin with flour. Roll the larger disk of tart dough into an 11-inch circle, lifting and turning the dough as you roll to prevent sticking and create an even round. Gently wrap the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it over the tart pan. Gently press the dough into the pan without stretching it. Use the palm of your hand or the rolling pin to trim off the excess. Refrigerate while you roll out the second piece of dough.

2. Roll the smaller piece into a 10-inch circle and use a fluted or smooth pastry wheel or a knife to cut it into strips from 1/2 inch to 1 inch wide and reserve for the top.

3. Add the sliced peaches to the tart crust and spread them as evenly as possible.

4. Make the Custard Combine all remaining filling ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. Pour the filling mixture over the peach slices and criss cross the top with the reserved pastry strips.

Bake 32-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set. Cool completely. Store refrigerated. Enjoy!



I dusted the tart with some powdered sugar and I'm sure it would be extra nice served with a scoop of ice cream!




Sadly, the wildfires in California, Oregon, and Western Canada have sent much smoke to our skies along the Front Range of Colorado! We had many days of hazardous air quality alerts.  We had some improvement this weekend, but the local news told us a return of hotter weather this week will trap the smoke again in our skies.

 I have kept my windows closed, and my air conditioner on, and we used our two HEPA-filtered air cleaning machines non-stop, all of which have helped when the air quality was bad.

If you are in the US and would like to check your air quality go to Airnow.gov and enter your zip code.




A surprise in our neighborhood last week was the appearance of a young moose!  Our area is not their natural habitat and this one was obviously lost. Residents were excited to see him but were also worried, as an angry or scared moose could be dangerous.  He wandered out of our neighborhood by that evening, but I read a few days later that he moved into an even more populated area so Colorado Parks and Wildlife had to sedate him and transport him back to the wilderness in a higher elevation. I'm glad he is safe. and that so are we!


Enjoy the end of July--on to August!


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Sunday, July 21, 2024

Boston and the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum



After leaving Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia, Canada--see my prior post--click here-- our cruise sailed south on the Atlantic Ocean with a day at sea.  The following day we sailed into Boston Harbor for our next stop in Boston, Massachusetts.



 My husband and I were fortunate to have visited Boston often over the year we lived in New York City. It is a wonderful city full of diverse neighborhoods, with a rich history, and a legacy of arts, culture, and education. One could spend many days visiting all it has to offer! Since we were only going to visit for one day we chose an excursion that would take us on a bus tour with city highlights of Boston and Cambridge, which is the location of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.




Our licensed tour guide was fantastic and provided an engaging narrative about all the locations we passed, offering their historical backgrounds and anecdotes.



One step off the bus we made was by the John Hancock Tower (also known as 200 Clarendon) as it has an interesting background. The building, which is the tallest building in New England, was designed by the renowned architect I.M. Pei, who also designed Boston’s Government Center and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum.
Sadly, our guide told us as soon as this 60-story, 790-foot (240 m) skyscraper in the Back Bay neighborhood of downtown Boston was built it began to fall apart! When groundbreaking began in 1968 the excavation was bungled and nearby Trinity Church was damaged. The church sued John Hancock and won $11.6 million.
Then, while still under construction, the windows, which weighed 500 pounds each, started popping out of the building during high winds. The opening of the building was delayed from 1971 to 1976, and the cost went from $75 million to $175 million. It was discovered that the cause was in the design of the window, so all 10,334 panes of glass had to be replaced.
Then it was discovered that the tower swayed to a dangerous degree. The tower required “interior reinforcing to prevent walls and partitions from cracking in high winds and preventing the workers inside from vertigo from the sway." 
Finally, on September 29, 1976, the new addition to the city skyline was dedicated. It was later awarded the American Institute of Architects National Honor Award in 1977.
One of the aspects of the building that is unique is its very reflective windows, as you can see by the reflections of Trinity Church and other buildings in my photos.



Another part of the city that made an impression on me was crossing the famous  Boston Marathon Finish Line. Nearby we could see the glass memorials for the people who were killed during the 2013 terrorist bombing  that took place among the spectators near the finish line on Boylston Street. The memorials’ centerpieces are bronze spires that stand 17 to 21 feet tall with glass tubing in the center that project light at night. These are framed by two cherry trees, which will bloom around the time of the anniversary each year.


Next, we visited the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

This was the first presidential museum we had visited and we looked forward to the experience as President Kennedy was also the first President we remembered as children. 

As we entered the building we read this dedication on a placard: "The John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated to the 35th President. Part of the National Archives and Records Administration, the Library houses a museum, research archives, and education center. It also hosts a rich array of public programs to promote understanding and discussion of the critical issues of our kind."

It contains ..." the essential evidence documenting the life and career of President Kennedy. Approximately 24 million pages of documents. 515,000 photographs, 14,000 sound recordings, 6,300 videotapes, 4,6000 motion picture reels, 1,600 oral history interviews, and 30,000 museum artifacts."




There were many photos and displays about Kennedy's early life...




...his heroic military service...





...campaign memorabilia...



...a video of the first televised Presidential debate between Kennedy and Nixon...




....the way our country voted in this election held in November 1960.


Click on the photo to enlarge

There were many wonderful and interesting photos, videos, and displays about the Kennedy Presidency...



...as well as display for First Lady Jaqueline Bouvier Kennedy.



There were many memorable quotations made by President Kennedy on display.



Please click on the photo to enlarge to read about President Kennedy's legacy



 As we all know, President Kennedy was tragically assassinated on November 22, 1963.
 
When Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis sought the perfect location for the Kennedy Library, she looked to the sea that President Kennedy loved so well. The site she chose on Dorchester Bay encompasses a 9.5-acre park, landscaped with pine trees, shrubs, and wild roses, reminiscent of the Caper Cod landscape familiar to President Kennedy. His sailboat is on display on the grounds and many scenic views from within the large atrium windows.

We really enjoyed our three-hour visit to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and would encourage anyone who enjoys history to add it to a Boston itinerary.




Life these days...

It is the fawn season in our part of Colorado and almost daily I am gifted to see mule deer doe and her fawns traveling through my backyard. The little ones are so entertaining! It has been unusually hot and dry this summer. However, this week we finally had much-needed rain and cooler temperatures, which I much prefer!


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Sunday, July 14, 2024

Peggy's Cove, Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada


 Nova Scotia is home to over 160 historic lighthouses, and these majestic beacons can be found throughout the province. Some of the lighthouses are world-famous! One of the most well-known lighthouses in Nova Scotia is Peggy's Cove Lighthouse, also known as Peggy's Point Lighthouse. It may be the most photographed lighthouse in Canada. It is located in the quaint fishing village of Peggy’s Cove along the South Shore, Peggy’s Point Lighthouse was built in 1915.


We visited Peggy's Cove as a half-day excursion we booked on our recent East Coast Princess Cruise.  It was the second time we saw this charming lighthouse as we visited it twenty years ago when we took our very first cruise to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary on the Queen Mary 2 during her maiden year.


It was wonderful to visit again and see this iconic lighthouse looking very much the same with the addition of a large network of viewing boardwalks surrounding it for safety.  The rock outcrop the lighthouse sits on can get very slippery and giant rogue waves can arrive, even on calm sunny days, which can be very dangerous.   Our excursion guide told us that over two hundred cruise ships visit Halifax each year and they expect that number to increase with time, so during the slow tourist time during the Covid pandemic, Canada invested in building the boardwalks to make the area safer for tourists.


Peggy’s Cove is famous for its picturesque, typically East-Coast profile, with houses perched along a narrow inlet and on wave-washed boulders facing the Atlantic.   


Despite being designated as a preservation area, it is still an active fishing and lobster trapping community with families who have lived there for many generations.

Below are two interesting informational placards about the fishing industry in the area....click on each photo two times to fully enlarge them to read the information:





This placard below describes how the natural beauty of Peggy's Cove has attracted many artists and photographers over the years:




One such artist who became famous as a painter, sculptor and illustrator was William E. DeGarthe. He was born in Finland in 1907 and immigrated to Canada when he was 19 years old. He apprenticed under Stanley Royle in Sackville, New Brunswick, while studying at Mount Allison University. William Edward DeGarthe paintings were of Peggy's Cove and the villagers and small coastal towns around it.  Degarthe's Peggys Cove home and studio has been transformed into the William E. deGarthe Gallery where 65 of his paintings and sculptures are on permanent exhibition. It is open from May 1 until October 31 each year.




An informational placard on the side of the DeGarthe gallery--click on to enlarge.




In the late 1970s, deGarthe began a ten-year project to sculpt a "lasting monument to Nova Scotia fishermen" on a 30 m (100 ft) granite outcropping behind his Peggy's Cove Home. In 1976 deGarthe invited one of his students, J. Rene Barrette (Lt. Col. Retd) to help him with the sculpture. They worked together for 5 years. The project was about 80-per cent complete when the artist died in 1983



Some close-ups of the sculpture.

The work depicts thirty-two fishermen and their wives and children enveloped by the wings of the guardian angel St. Elmo. It also features the image of Peggy, a legendary late-18th century shipwreck survivor deGarthe believed gave her name to the village. DeGarthe bequeathed the sculpture to the province of Nova Scotia and it can be viewed in a park located behind his former home/



Degarthe's ashes are interred inside the sculpture.


A last look at the picturesque village and lighthouse. We were happy to visit Peggy's Cove again and learn more about it!

My life lately:
I hope everyone is having an enjoyable summer! We have been busy as we helped move our community's historical society's large historical archive collection from one building to another. My husband and I have also been involved in a project with other volunteers to digitalize the many historical files and photographs for preservation purposes. We have many sites in our area on the National Register of Historic Places, so the work is very interesting  We also lost two dear local friends recently-- one was expected but one was not.  We hold our good memories of them both in our hearts. Cherish each day to the fullest!

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