HOW I CAME TO AEBLESKIVERS

I remember when my parents, then my sister, got Aebleskiver pans and we all had a great conversation about how delicious and difficult they were to make. I suppose that conversation must have been 10 + years ago.

Then, on a trip to Solvang, CA, a quaint Danish town in Southern California, we had the authentic experience: Smörgåsbord (yes, I know that Swedish) with all of the Scandinavian delights including herring and the elusive aebleskivers with lingon berries. Well, that was Heaven!

Several years afterward, I started noticing that Williams-Sonoma was offering their version of the Aebleskiver Pan. Then other places had their knock-offs. You know the AEBLESKIVER has finally arrived when you can get an Aebleskiver Pan from Target.

Well, that was it! When asked what I wanted for Christmas, I told my Dad, "I want an Aebleskiver Pan... Damn it!" And that's just what I got. That same Christmas Day, I seasoned my new cast iron Aebleskiver pan and started to dream of Aebleskivers.

To say there was an intimidation factor would be to grossly understate my feelings. In fact, I spent the two weeks following Christmas in a constant state of recollection - "They're so hard to turn." my mother had said those many years earlier. "They're easy to break." said my sister back then. "They're damn good!" said my father who grew up in a Scandinavian area of Northwest Wisconsin.

These recollections were torture for me, and I don't know why. Finally, I did remember a conversation I once had with one of my cousins. She told me that she would always watch her grandmother (my great-aunt) make them... and the key was to use the thinnest skewer you can find. Armed with this secret knowledge, I grew the courage to dive in.

Set on making a nice brunch, I searched the web for the perfect recipe which was, due to my rising late that morning, the least difficult recipe available.

OK. So the first ones were less than perfect as I deflated them with my aggressive turning style. I would add that though the pan was previously seasoned, there is nothing like the magic of COOKING to properly season a cast iron pan. This greatly helped the appearance of the second batch which turned a bit easier than the first. By the third batch, they were Spectacular! Then, as is often the case, the final batch fell short of the beauty I had earlier attained. I summise that the pan was by then too hot.

So the keys to Aebleskivers are these: don't make these if you're in a hurry because they are a bit time consuming; figure out quickly how much batter is enough-too much batter defeats the goal of a spherical shape; figure out quickly the temperature; learn delicacy with a sharp, thin skewer and never poke the center; remember these are related to pancakes and thus you must wait for the majority of bubbles to pop before turning. If you do this last step and the aebleskivers are too dark or burned, then the heat is too high.

In the end, they were as delicious as anything I've ever eaten. Light as air yet grounded when served with lingon berries. Oh, how it was worth the wait! Oh, how worth it to make these once a year or every other weekend! Oh, how I adore Aebleskivers!

And just so you know, I used the word Aebleskiver as much as I possibly could! THAT'S how much I love Aebleskivers!

SunnySideoftheGraveyard.com

It's official! We have a soft launch of our new online retail store, SunnySideoftheGraveyard.com.

Why the name? Well, for many years my sign-off has been "From the Sunny Side of the Graveyard," and how fitting it is. I'm know for looking at the sunny side of things, even the paranormal. It's like shining a flashlight into a dark room. I suppose I have always used humor and sentiment to make my way through challenging times and now the idea of "Sunny Side of the Graveyard" seems more relevant than ever.

The theme of the retail store is Paranormal Culinary Lifestyle and that pretty much sums it all up for me. You'll see what I mean when you click over.

So, we found a variety of products and are continuing to add new items all the time. It's a time consuming process, and frankly, I LOVE IT! There is something very personal in it for me. I enjoy using these items and they help me to create happier and intrinsically valuable experiences.

We started the Paranormal category with candles and incense that I have come to depend on in my daily rituals and in some of the Paranormal work that I do. These are useful tools for anyone - not just mediums, witches, and paranormal researchers.

In the Culinary category, you will find a fun variety of silicone ice trays that also work great as chocolate molds. Two of the best sellers of these are the Gin and Titonic (oceanliners and icebergs) and the Cool Shooters so you can freeze your own shot glasses... OR... make chocolate cups to fill with fruit, mouse, or fresh ground almond butter.

The Lifestyle category is full of fun items that help you make a statement. My favorite item right now is the COFFINS UMBRELLA - yes, coffins on a grey field. It's COOL and very attention getting.

Also in Lifestyle is the Valentine's Day Special. The HEARTS RAINBOOTS are so cute with white hearts on a reddish pink background. They're only available in one size, UK 38 which is between size 7 and 7.5 in the USA. The number 23 has a particular significance for me so these boots are 23% off through Valentine's Day!

There are many products in the works and it's been intersting to see pre-orders. We've been filling pre-orders with merchandise enroute resulting in the need to re-order. This means we haven't even been able to have them in stock yet. Wow! That was an unforseen activity and that learning curve is kind of fun too!

That's the "quick and dirty" on the soft launch. I'll post more shortly and then make a big announcement about the projected Grand Opening!

BEVZ NEIGHBORHOOD

This is a Photo Blog.

After reading Haunted Amy’s blog, which was inspired by Madelyn Alt’s, I really started to think about what are the elements in my area that make it My Neighborhood. Would I walk down the street taking photos? Would I pick a theme? Finally, I grabbed my camera and just drove around.

I took 125 photos that day. Of course, not all of them looked good, and many were different angles of the same scene. These are the best of them. Regrettably, my favorite subject turned out to be a long streak . . . taken in the car, I tried to capture the essence of my favorite Wild Turkeys that gather on ranchland near Highway 68, the Salinas-Monterey Highway. These creatures are elusive and fascinating, elegant while still strange looking.

Anyhow, what follow are photos of buildings and places that have influenced me – either by being a formative part of my past, or by being an interesting part of my present.





Old Town Salinas – Salinas, CA. I leave three blocks from here. You can see the smoke as haze from the numerous and catastrophic fires that surround the Central California Coast.




First Awakenings – Salinas, CA. My very favorite breakfast/lunch restaurant. They also have a Monterey location that is equally fantastic!




The National Steinbeck Center – Salinas, CA. Yes. I live four blocks from a center dedicated to area’s most famous writer . . . and I’ve never gone there to check it out. Shameful, really! It’s a product of having John Steinbeck and his work shoveled down my throat for most of my life. Yet, I will visit there this summer. Promise!




Star Market – Salinas, CA. This is the market I go to when I need that something special. They have an immense collection of domestic and imported beers and wines, a butcher extraordinaire, and generally carry the best produce the Salinas Valley has to offer.




Separating Salinas from all other parts of California, one finds the most interesting farmlands. Produce ranges from strawberries and lettuce, to broccoli and artichokes. It truly is “The Salad Bowl of America”. Again, notice how dark the sky is from the smoke.



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Cathedral San Carlos Borromeo de Monterey also known as the “The Royal Presidio Chapel” is the smallest cathedral in the continental United States and is the location of the so-called “Plymouth Rock of the Pacific Coast”. This is my parish where, as a teenager, I first became aware of the Chapel’s haunted past when I myself experienced a paranormal event. I can only imagine what spiritual chaos is being stirred up as workers clamor to rescue the aged building.




Ah . . . the Cemetery! This is San Carlos Cemetery in Monterey, CA. I use to live four blocks from this cemetery where my grandmother is interred. It is a lovely and tranquil place.



Except when all the children are across the street at the famous Dennis the Menace Park erected by Hank Ketchum. This train, at the entrance of the park, was an integral part of my childhood. Actually, it is fitting that one can travel a few steps between the beginning of life (a childrens park) and the end of it (the park of eternal rest).




This is one view of Lake El Estero, a man-made lake. In the distance you can see Dennis the Menace Park. In the foreground, one sees the distinctive shape of Monterey Cypress trees. On the placid lake, paddle-boaters enjoy sharing this space with Canadian geese, mallards, loons, and seagulls. When I look at this photo, I feel like I captured some small flavor of the early ‘70s when I was a child feeding the ducks.




The Robert Louis Stevenson House – Monterey, CA. Well . . . this was actually a hotel that RLS stayed in while visiting the Monterey Peninsula. It is said that he wrote “Treasure Island” while here and it is known that Point Lobos is the actual location of “the Island”. This is only one of the most haunted locations in the area.




The building is not square to the street (hm, methinks this contributes to the hauntings) so here is another photo of the front. The small Carmel stone entry leads to the beautiful gardens contained within a huge, private courtyard. I went to High School a few short blocks away and this was one of my hang-outs when I choose to enhance my education outside of the confines of school. =^)




A one view of the back entry to what is now a museum. There have been many sightings of a woman in the windows or on the stairs here. Note the sandbags near the doorway. This area of Monterey . . . the most historical . . . has a consistent water intrusion issue that spans the centuries.




This is just a small peak into the expansive gardens.




The other side of the back of the building. I can look at this area for hours and not release the passage of time.




Back out through the Carmel stone garden entry lays one of Monterey’s oldest streets.




This is one of three Carmel stone structures on the street. This building was empty for more than two decades. One day, shortly after graduating university, I decided to call the owners to ask about how much they wanted for it. The windows were broken and the building had structural damage so I was sure the price would be low. Instead I was told that it would cost $5,000,000.00. Too rich for my blood! I had wanted to put a bed and breakfast there, with a bakery in the front lobby. Within a year, the building was being repaired for occupancy. What business opened there? A bed and breakfast with a bakery in the lobby! sigh

Next post is Bevz Garden!


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