Golf Blossoms in Atlanta - FedEx Cup Tour Championship by Coca-Cola at East Lake

Robert and I had fun at the FedEx Cup Tour Championship by Coca-Cola here in Atlanta.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

I took some photos of the flower arrangements that I thought were pretty. Here is one in the Champions Tent on the 17th green.
  

Photo Credit: CK Worley

 Another on the walkway at the 18th.
It's always a good thing to take photos of the arrangements that you like and keep them for future reference. You can copy them later and look like a real professional florist!


 And here are the trophies surrounded by roses! Really beautiful.  Jordan Spieth won today. He’s 22 years old and just won 11 million dollars. What a day!

Photo Credit: CK Worley

The tournament is held at East Lake Golf Club. Once one of the worst sections of the city now is one of the better areas in town thanks to developer Tom Cousins.  He bought the nearly bankrupt club,  restored the clubhouse which was designed by architect Neel Reid in 1914 and began transforming the surrounding community. He build the first charter school in Atlanta and began building mixed income housing there. Cousins also began First Tee of East Lake. The program exposes disadvantaged youth to the game of golf. It’s growing into a great community.

East Lake Golf Club then and now.

Bobby Jones on the 6th Green in 1927.  c/o eastlakegolfclub.com

Photo Credit: SportingATL

                         

Making English Muffins at Home

I honestly can not believe how easy it is to make your own English Muffins. I'd love to show you how. I got this recipe from Damaris Phillips host of Southern at Heart.

Here is what you'll need.

4 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading
3 TBSP sugar
1 1/4 ounce packed instant yeast
2 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 1/2 TBSP coconut oil plus more for the bowl and dough
Coarse cornmeal for sprinkling
Cooking spray
Butter and jam for serving

Photo Credit: CK Worley

First whisk the flour, sugar, yeast and salt
in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the egg
but don't stir it in yet.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Heat the milk and coconut oil in a saucepan until a thermometer reads 110 degrees. If the milk is too
hot when you add it to the flour mixture it will kill the yeast.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Avoid pouring it directly on the egg. You don't want the hot milk to cook it!
Using the dough hook, mix on medium speed until the dough comes together and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 3 to 4 minutes.  Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, if needed.  The dough will look a little irregular in texture.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, soft and elastic, 3 to 4 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a large bowl lightly oiled with coconut oil, rub the top of the dough with a little more coconut oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Sprinkle 2 baking sheets with cornmeal and set aside. After the dough rises, punch it down and divide into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten into a 3 inch disk. Place the disks on the baking sheets. (The baking sheets are just a staging area for the disks. You won't be using them to cook on.)




Heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Coast the skillet with cooking spray and liberally sprinkle with cornmeal. Working in batches, cook the muffins until they are deep golden brown, 5-9 minutes per side. If they start to rise in a domed fashion, flatten them with a spatula. Let the English muffins cool completely then split open with a fork, toast and serve with butter and jam.

Photo Credit: Food Network Magazine

The song "Oh do you know the muffin man" came from an era where a man would walk the streets during tea time to sell muffins from a wooden tray. I used to sing that song all the time when I was a kid. Never realizing he sold English Muffins. 

Ladies who Lunch

What a wonderful luncheon with some great friends today.  It started out with smoked salmon from Patak:

http://growitfirst.blogspot.com/search/label/Patak

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Followed by a chopped Kale, Cabbage, Brussels Sprout, Dried Cranberry, Pumpkin Seed in a Poppy Seed Dressing Salad.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

The main event:
Chicken Rollatini followed by Dulce De Leche Cookie Bars- YUM!

Chicken Rollatini:

Here is what you’ll need:

1 slice country white bread
5 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage (right from my kitchen garden)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 oz. provolone cheese, cut into 8 sticks (1/2 inch by 1 inch)
8 chicken  cutlets
8 slices of pancetta (we used Prosciutto)
1 cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 15 oz. can cannelloni beans
1 head escarole or chicory, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 TBSP unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the bread in half then cut each half crosswise into 4 strips, toss with 1 TSBP olive oil and the sage and season with salt and pepper.  Put 1 strip of bread and 1 provolone stick across the center of each chicken cutlet. Tightly roll up the chicken around the bread and cheese, then wrap each roll with a piece of pancetta or prosciutto and secure with a tooth pick.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Heat a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add 2 TBSP olive oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning until browned.  (4 Minutes) Add 1/4 cup broth. Transfer the skillet to the oven; cook until the chicken is golden and cooked through 7-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook until slightly golden, about 30 seconds.  Add the beans and cook, stirring, until warmed through. about 2 minutes.  Add the escarole, the remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally until the escarole is tender. (7 minutes)

Remove the chicken from the skillet using a slotted spoon,.  Cook the pan juices in the skillet over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and swirl in the butter.  Serve the chicken with the pan sauce and escarole mixture.

Photo Credit: Food Network Magazine

Dulce De Leche Cookie Bars:

Here is what you’ll need:

First make the Duce De Leche by:

Pouring two 14 - ounce cans sweetened condensed milk into a 9-13 inch baking dish. Cover with foil and set in a roasting pan, add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake a 425 degrees until thick and dark amber, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Refrigerate until thickened, 1 hour. Makes 2 cups but you’ll only need one for this recipe.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Now for the cookie bars: Here is what you’ll need-

Cooking Spray
2 cups plus 1 TBSP all purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter diced
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 TBSP pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup Dulce de leche
1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 320 degrees. Line a 9 inch square baking dish with foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on two sides. Coat the foil with cooking spray.

Pulse 2 cups flour, the butter, confectioners sugar,1 tsp vanilla and the salt in a food processor until the mixture starts clumping together, about 1 minutes. Press firmly and evenly in the bottom and 1/4 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake until
firm and lightly browned. 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 5 minutes.

Photo Credit: Food Network Magazine

Meanwhile, combine the Dulce de leche, heavy cream, egg yolks and the remaining 1 TSBP flour and 2 tsp vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture over the crust and sprinkle with the chocolate chips and pecans.  Return to the oven and bake until set around the edge but slightly jiggly in the center 20- 25 minutes.

3. Transfer to the rack and let cool completely. Lift out of the pan using the overhanging foil  Remove the foil and cut into pieces.

Photo Credit: R. S. Worley

It was a glorious day and we had such fun together. This is something we have to do more often. Love my friends.

Our Boston Trip - Sept. 2015

We went to see our daughter in Boston this week to help her get organized in her new apartment.
It was usually hot for September and most houses and some hotels don’t have air-conditioning. A ceiling fan usually does the trick. But honestly, it was uncomfortable. Especially at night when we were trying to get some sleep. We stayed at an Air B&B and other than the lack of cool air we were very happy with the place.

Photo Credit: Yelp.com

We used UBER for the first time and it made buying and moving new things so much easier. We did use a taxi to move a large piece we bought at an antique store but other than that we used UBER to get around. A really pleasant experience. Quick, fast and priced right. All you do is download the app to your phone and away you go!

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Photo Credit: CK Worley

We took a break from organizing. While on her back porch we saw this amazing Weeping Willow tree in the backyard. Most willows grow anywhere from 35 to 50 feet high but this one was maybe 70 feet high. The trunk was huge so I thought I’d take a picture for you.

Raindrops falling off the slender leaves reminded people of tears so that is how the tree got it’s name.  A compound in the bark is called salicin and this was the precursor to aspirin. They used this compound for many years in Egypt as a remedy for fevers or aches and pains. Willow wood has been used to make everything from baskets to brooms, ropes to whistles and more.

We have been in and out of Boston many times and have always taken the Orange T (the T is short for subway train) to the Blue line which takes us to a bus that takes us to the airport.
This trip we discovered the Silver Line bus to Logan airport.

Photo Credit: systraconsulting.com

First we rode the Red Line to South Station. We got off at South Station and went up one floor. If you go up two you will end up on street level and you don’t want that. Follow the signs to the airport. You’ll end up waiting for the Silver Line bus. This will take you right to your terminal. No transferring. From what we could gather - the bus stopping on the right of the platform is for people going to work so stay left and wait for the bus to stop in front of you. They would rather have the passengers who have luggage get on first. store their bags and get seated then pull up to pick up the people on their way to work.

The Silver line bus runs like a trolley through the underground tunnels. When the bus leaves the tunnel it will stop for a few seconds while it is switch to a gas run vehicle. It’s very cool and very convenient.

Photo Credit: cityroom.blog.nytimes.com

It cost $1.60 with your Charlie Card. You can buy a Charlie Card right outside the T-lines. They are so necessary for easy travel in Boston. You can get a 7 day pass for $19.00 and it’s worth it. This gives you access to the trolley cars, bus and rail system. Give the card to your family or friends when you leave so they can use any remaining $ left on the card.

My daughter's place is really nice and she’s in with her old buddies from college so we think she will be happy as a lark there.

Photo Credit: CK Worley