Mayapples

The mayapples are in finally in full bloom here in the Pewaukee area.  These were growing in the woods along the side of Lindsay Road.  The little white flowers are hard to see unless you bend over and look underneath the leaves.  There is some debate about whether the resulting fruit is edible - it supposedly ripens in the fall and has a lemony flavor, and was once considered a staple of Native Americans.

Happy Easter: Buttercream Frosted Cupcakes Edition!

Happy Easter! I spent yesterday making some homemade vanilla cupcakes topped with my favorite icing: Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting. It is unbelievably light, fluffy, smooth and silky ~ and not cloyingly sweet, as standard buttercream tends to be.  There is effort involved, but I promise: the results are worth it.  This recipe also gives me a chance to use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, which I don't pull out too often.

The recipe is below. Due to the length of time required for beating this frosting, you'll want to utilize a stand-style mixer. In addition, a candy thermometer is a must. Also, this style of buttercream yields the best results if made during a cool, dry day.

Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:

• 5 egg whites*
• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. white granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 sticks of unsalted butter - cut into chunks & softened (room temperature)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract (other desired flavor)
• Food grade food color for tinting frosting (optional)
  
  *Note: Refrigerate or freeze the egg yolks for future use in pound cake, lemon cured, or other "yolk-only" recipes.

Directions:

• Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand-mixer & start beating on low speed.
• In a small saucepan, pour in 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water.  Stir well to combine. Over high heat bring sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Once mixture reaches the boiling point, insert candy thermometer and boil until it reaches 238 F. - also called "soft-ball" stage. (Avoid stirring the mixture during this step as it will help keep it clear.)
• While sugar is heating, increase egg whites to high speed and add the 2 Tbsp. of sugar.
• When egg whites reach a firm, glossy stage and hold their peaks, stop mixing - or mix on low - until sugar syrup is ready.
• When sugar syrup reaches 238 F. - makes sure it boils for approx. 30 seconds at that temperature and then remove from heat and let set for another 30 seconds or so until boiling stops. (The syrup is HOT and can cause burns - so do not touch it.)
• Next, while mixer is beating on medium-high speed, SLOWLY pour a thin stream of the syrup from the saucepan into the mixing bowl (near the edge) directly into the egg whites.  Be careful not to let syrup hit the side of the bowl or the beater itself. Beat the mixture on high until it becomes firm and smooth and the sides of the bowl feel close to room temperature - approx. 7 to 8 minutes. 
• At this point, you can start to beat in the chunks of softened butter, one at a time, until all have been incorporated.  IMPORTANT:  the mixture may appear to become curdled or grainy during this process - and if this happens (& it often does) - just keep beating until the texture becomes silky and fluffy. It may take another 5 minutes or so, but it will come together!
• Finally, beat in your desired flavoring and color until well blended. Now you are ready to frost your cake!

Below is a video of my frosting right before I added the color.

Tip: Any remaining frosting refrigerates or freezes well. Just bring to room temperature and whip for a few minutes until fluffy and smooth.

Enjoy!

SkyWatch Friday: Along the Boardwalk

Another 'Flashback Friday' photo from last year about this same time, when Nik and I were taking a late spring hike along the Simmons Woods boardwalk. This year the marsh and trees are no where near as green as this picture shows them to be... but at least the sky is blue and the sun is shining!

See more SkyWatch Friday photos here.

Spring Thaw

Southeast Wisconsin is finally experiencing a bit of spring thaw - even though temps are still mostly in the 30s. This photo shows our street the other day when Nik and I were taking our morning walk amongst the remaining patches of snow. The weatherman predicts we may reach 50 degrees on Sunday (& we maybe even see some sunshine.) Woo-hoo!

June Theme Day -The Beauty of Decay: Shrek!

Life and beauty spring from the depths of decay.  An old dead tree stump is the host to these budding shelf mushrooms.  They remind me of the ogre Shrek, with his two little horn-like ears on the top of his head!

See more City Daily Photo Theme Day entries for June here.

Li'l Red Truck

I've seen this truck around town, but I finally got right behind it the other day on the way to work!

Trilliums

Trilliums are the perfect "trifecta." - The flowers have three petals and the plant has three leaves.
This pretty pink variety was growing along the edge of Lindsay Road. I experimented with a b&w overlay to show the contrast of the flowering plants against the lush green background.

Spring Wildflowers

Spring is truly here and there are a variety of wildflowers, blooms, and fungus scattered throughout the woods during our daily walks.  Here is a delicate variety of spring beauties (or fairy spud!) growing in the shade under a canopy of ash and hickory trees. Latin name: Claytonia virginica. I'll have more postings of our discoveries throughout the week.

Sunset over Pewaukee Lake

We had one of our gorgeous spring days yesterday - 70's and sunny.  If only all days in Wisconsin could be like this!  To take advantage of it, we took a walk down by Pewaukee Lake to enjoy the people-watching and the sunset.  Love the silhouettes of the little kids playing on the beach.

Syttende Mai: CDP Theme Day

"Velkommen" (Welcome!) is the Norwegian greeting on this nightstand sign in our guest bedroom. This was a handmade rosemaled gift from my brother and his wife many years ago to my mother, a woman of proud Norwegian heritage. The woven wool runner on the nightstand came from Norway as well, a gift from my Uncle Harley, purchased during one of his many visits to the "old country."

The 17th of May (Norwegian Constitution Day) is celebrated in Norway and in many U.S. cities with Norwegian ancestry. "Glad Syttende Mai" to all!

See more CDP mid-month theme day images here.

Brrrrr!

The sheep at the neighboring Freyer Family Centennial Farm in Pewaukee had just been sheared and were frolicking outside their barn yesterday afternoon, enjoying a little bit of sun and fresh air. It was still rather chilly, so even though they were saying "baaa" they were probably thinking "brrr."  Bet they wish they still had their warm coats!

The "head honcho" of the group is this ram:

...and the most entertaining of the group is the Siamese "Border-Cat" shepherd!

Arts & Crafts Part II

Just down the street from the home posted yesterday is another gorgeous example of Arts & Crafts architecture in suburban Wauwatosa. This one looks like it belongs deep in the forest of a fairy tale.

...Except for the neon flamingos!

Vintage Arts & Crafts

An original Arts & Crafts-style house located on Stickney Avenue in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. There are a number of these beautiful works of art on this street, and throughout the city. This style of architecture flourished in the early part of the 20th century. They just don't build 'em like this anymore.

Faith

Last night some places in western Wisconsin got over a foot of snow! Earth to Mother Nature:  "Hello! It's May!"

Thankfully, the Milwaukee/Waukesha area was spared this indignity. We do have sunshine this morning, but it's only in the 30's, and most flowers and trees have still not budded out.  That's why I am posting this pretty image of my blooming clematis taken in May a few years ago - to remind us that spring will eventually be here - even if she is taking her sweet time!

Grazing in the Grass

The sun has finally come out and the grass is starting to grow - ever so slightly!  Driving by one of the local farms on my way to work the other day, I noticed a group of horses grazing in the field.

As I drove closer, I rolled down my window to snap a few shots. But no matter how much I cooed and begged, the guy below would NOT look up at me!  There must have been something quite delicious at the corner of that fence post. : -)

Constantine & Helen

The City of Wauwatosa is sometimes called the "City of Churches" because there are over a dozen within the old village area alone.  Set amidst a pleasant neighborhood of stately vintage homes, Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthadox church stands out as a divergent bit of architecture.

Reservoir Pond Sunset: SkyWatch Friday

This reservoir pond sits in the midst of our nearby shopping center.  Beyond the far edge is a little subdivision of houses and the Simmons Woods trails.

See more entries in SkyWatch Friday here.

April Showers Bring Spring Flowers

Well, we've had lots of April showers (and hail and snow and sleet!) - but no sign of any greenery, much less flowers, outside of our doors up here in Pewaukee.  So, to brighten the mood, I'm posting a photo of a bouquet I bought recently for our dining table. COLOR! My heart lightens a bit just looking at it. :-)

Hoo-Who?

While waiting at an intersection the other day, I had to do a double-take at the utility pole across the way.  Upon closer inspection, I realized it was merely an owl decoy placed to keep other birds from congregating in the area.  I'm not sure why there are no wires attached to the pole itself, unless it's just a throw-back to the "olden days."

Shivering Oaks: SkyWatch Friday

The setting sun on a blustery day as seen from Highway 16 in Waukesha County.

You can see more SkyWatch Friday photos here.