Time to cross another item off my To-Do List

The original vibrant colors

Today Bill Chamberlain, from Van-Go Painting, is completing my last big painting project...repainting the orange doors & roof trim, plus the parrot green window frames, of my TreeHouse. I hate how the searing Florida sun has bleached my bright happy colors into dull yucky submission over the years. It annoys me every day, but soon I'll be able to smile when I see my house exuding the same positive energy it did when I moved in ;-)

With a little help from my friends, a new mini house facade now surrounds the mailbox next to my driveway. The turquoise doors open to display my weekly MENU, giving locals without email access a chance to order goodies too. Thanks Ray for your generous time & talent. Now I have something new to decorate & play with. Humm, maybe some flowers & ribbons.

This is my last bake in January. Next week I'm headed back to my former home of New York City for a week filled with family, friends, leftover snow, great food & lots of fun. I've rented a house in Woodstock, NY for the weekend so the 6 of us, plus animals, can hang out & play together. You probably know the time has come for me to return back North; my only question is where? The Hudson River Valley is one of the areas I want to explore, as well as potential housing options in NYC. This short trip is the beginning of my hands-on search.

Sudden blizzard in NYC closed JFK when I was there Feb 2013

I will post my next BONNI BAKES MENU on Monday Feb 9th, with pick-up Friday Feb the 13th. Yikes, hope you aren't superstitious. It's a good time to get spooked. I just discovered that I'm flying to NYC during a Full Moon, so who knows what will be flying next to the plane, and who will be crawling around the City.

On a more light-hearted note I recently came across this photo of an unusual salad we served (as part of a Spanish Beach Dinner) at BONNI BAKES a few years ago. Since oranges are in season now, I thought I'd share it in case you're looking for something colorful & refreshing. It was delicious! Federico, is this salad being served on Minorca these days?

Spanish Orange & Red Onion Salad      Serves 4

      4 medium navel oranges, peeled

      1 small red onion, sliced thin

      2 TBL fresh lemon juice

      6 TBL extra virgin olive oil

      Salt  & Pepper to taste

      4 TBL golden raisins (soaked, covered in hot water for 20 minutes, then drained)

      20 black olives, pitted

      2 TBL toasted sliced almonds

      4 sprigs of fresh mint, for garnish

Directions:

Remove white pith from oranges & cut the fruit crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.  Arrange on a serving platter & scatter the sliced onion over the orange slices.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil and salt & pepper to taste.  Spoon this dressing over the slices of onion & orange.

Sprinkle with raisins, olives & almonds.  Garnish with mint sprigs & chill before serving.

I'm in the mood for something a little ethnic, so I decided to make Spanikopida using fresh spinach and a lot of buttered phyllo layers. But I couldn't ignore the fact that Florida strawberries are showing up in all our markets. And then there are those tender broccoli leaves in my organic Earth Boxes (remember the soup from a few weeks ago) and I haven't tried to turn them into Broccoli Chips ala Kale Chips. I'm going to make some for you to taste when you pick up your order, and will have the free recipe if you'd like. This week's MENU satisfies all my desires, I hope you enjoy!!

WEEKLY MENU     Pick-up   Fri  Jan 30   1-5 pm

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin     $2

A rich blending of fresh sweet banana punctuated by loads of melty dark chocolate chips. So satisfying it could pass for dessert. Perfect with a glass of milk!

The Big Cookie     $1.50

Each individually wrapped in the following flavors:  Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Orange Walnut Belgium Bittersweet Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, Pecan Coconut Belgium Milk Chocolate.  

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookie

Strawberry Cheese Braid     $3/slice

Enjoy a generous slice of this yummy soft Danish with a filling of sweetened cream cheese and fresh local strawberries. Oh yes, strawberries & cream, how delightful.

Chocolate Orgasm Cookies     $5/pkg

My legendary chocolate delivery system made from melted Belgium Bittersweet chocolate, toasted fresh almonds, chocolate chips & very little flour. Sold in packages of 4 because you must have more than one.

Spanikopita   $4/square

The traditional Greek pie made with sauteed fresh spinach, garlic & three cheeses (Feta, ricotta & parmigiano) encased within layers of buttered phyllo dough. Crispy outside, creamy inside.

Seeded Flatbread Crisps   (VEGAN)   $4/pkg

When you want something very light, crisp and full of flavor, try a package of these. Hand rolled, seeded and cut into unique shards. Great with soup, salad, dips or in a bread basket.

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread    $5/loaf

Over 1/2 lb of raisins per loaf & made with REAL CEYLON CINNAMON that I hand grate. Look how beautifully it toasts up, begging you to bite into that heavenly scented slice. Jam optional.

  

Jam or Chutney   $4/jar 

                                     Only 5 flavors available now     

Mango Chutney, Ginger Pear Chutney, Pineapple Daiquiri Jam,  Mango Meyer Lemon Jam, Blueberry Pineapple Fusion Jam

No artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fake stuff EVER!!

ORDER BY 5pm WEDNESDAY

all items in limited supply... first come, first served

PICK UP FRIDAY 1-5 pm at Bonni's Treehouse

in the Village of the Arts

   932 12th Street West 

(down the driveway thru the white wrought iron gate) 

TO PLACE AN ORDER 

email bonnibakes@gmail.com  

  
or call me at (941) 746-6647 

   PAY BY CASH OR LOCAL CHECK TO BONNI BROWN  

 Hugs from my kitchen,
Bonni

It's back...the Penis Tree returns to the Village

A few years ago Village metal artist Victor Garcia made a 12' birthday present for Village clay artist Mark Runnals, and installed it in his front yard. As nice as that was, when our then City Councilman Rev. Golden (who only visited the Village for photo-ops) heard about the gift, he called a special meeting of City Council to try and have it removed. The artwork, a magnificent fruited tree created in aluminum and titled "End of Innocence", sported hanging fruit that resembled male & female genitalia.

Over the course of several weeks there were threats, protests, discussions with the ACLU, media publicity and a lot of folks walking past Mark's house. Ultimately, freedom of speech won out over the City's inappropriate attempts to censor art on private property. Some years later Mark moved, taking with him what had come to be known as "The Penis Tree".

Today Mark and Victor installed the artwork in the front yard of Kim's Once over Twice Gallery, 1015 12th St West. It's just down the street from me, so the next time you pick-up your baked goods take a minute to enjoy Victor's talent & welcome it back home where it belongs. Thanks Mark for sharing it.

Victor also spent weeks creating the beautiful aluminum bannister railings for my TreeHouse, designed by John Secleter. You can see them when my house will be Open during the annual Village Garden Tour this Spring.

This Saturday, January 24th, Rea & I would have celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary. We could never remember whether we married on the 23rd or 24th, so we just celebrated both days each year. Our wedding took place at St. Andrews Golf Club in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY where he was the Golf Captain that year. Being a second wedding for both of us, we just wanted everyone we knew to share in our happiness. Rea hand wrote our wedding invitation, including a hand drawn map. The Judge was drunk, but that was no surprise since everyone playing golf with him that day knew he was to officiate at our wedding that evening, and helped him on his way. 

We catered the food from Zabars and Citarella in NYC, heavy on the halavah and cold shrimp. Mary, the head waitress, worried that my 9 year old son wanted to eat dessert first instead of the order planned for the buffet. Who cared, it was his Mom's wedding. My daughter Abby was beautiful in tights & ballet slippers. Our wonderful friends Judy & Ben surprised us with a wedding cake but got lost in the bad weather and almost missed the ceremony. Uncle Irv's car suffered a flat tire and several guests went out into the snow & repaired it so he could take Aunt Gert home.  My brother & friends provided the wonderful music but few of us recognized him with a mustache. 

Many people thought our union would never last and a few even called me the "trophy wife". We never wasted a minute thinking about that, we were too happy feeling lucky at having found another chance at love. And we relished that forever. While I miss Rea & the life we shared together I'll be forever grateful that somehow two wounded birds learned to trust again and together discover magic beyond anything they had known before. No one & nothing is perfect, you have to take a chance on love, but sometimes the rewards are incredible. Good luck!

WEEKLY MENU     Pick-up   Fri  Jan 23   1-5 pm

Blueberry Lemon Muffin     $2
Jump into this delicious muffin flavored by fresh lemons, which forms a great balance to the all of those big juicy blueberries that will burst in your mouth. A very yummy classic.

Hamantaschen     $ 2.50 

They're not just for Purim any more. With their crumbly shortbread base and smooth prune or apricot filling, these classic Jewish pastries are welcome in my house all year long.

The Big Cookie     $1.50

Individually wrapped. Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Orange Walnut Belgium Bittersweet Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, Pecan Coconut Belgium Milk Chocolate.  

                

Chocolate Orgasm Cookies     $5/pkg

My legendary chocolate delivery system made from melted Belgium Bittersweet chocolate, toasted fresh almonds, chocolate chips & very little flour. Sold in packages of 4 because you must have more than one.

Mandarin Chocolate Biscotti     $2.50/pkg of 2

A delicious combination of toasted almonds, fresh orange, pure vanilla and big chunks of Belgium milk chocolate joined together in a dippable or munchable crunchy cookie.

Roast Garlic Blue Cheese Breadstix    $4

Enjoy the subtle dance in your mouth as the warm flavor of roasted garlic plays against the sharp Blue Cheese...and they're crunchy to boot! Perfect partner for soup, salad or a drink. 

Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Bread    $4.50/loaf

This perfect sandwich bread is also delicious toasted or grilled. White whole wheat flour provides the nutrition without a strong bite, along with oats and a subtle taste of honey.

JAM or CHUTNEY $4   

Only 5 flavors available now     

Mango Chutney, Ginger Pear Chutney, Pineapple Daiquiri Jam,  Mango Meyer Lemon Jam, Blueberry Pineapple Fusion Jam

No artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fake stuff EVER!!

ORDER BY 5pm WEDNESDAY

all items in limited supply... first come, first served

PICK UP FRIDAY 1-5 pm at Bonni's Treehouse

in the Village of the Arts

   932 12th Street West 

(down the driveway thru the white wrought iron gate) 

TO PLACE AN ORDER 

email bonnibakes@gmail.com  

  
or call me at (941) 746-6647 

   PAY BY CASH OR LOCAL CHECK TO BONNI BROWN  

 Hugs from my kitchen,
Bonni

MAKE WAY FOR THE MONARCH

Sorry for the fuzzy focus, but this itsy bitsy mini Monarch butterfly is actually less than 1/2" long. Mike spotted it yesterday hiding on the underside of a leaf. He planted four good sized Butterfly bushes in the garden last week. We're hoping to provide a Monarch nursery for fluttering Moms who deposit their eggs with us.

Last time I mentioned the Food & Wine magazine article about making soup with the leaves of broccoli plants. I was too curious about the outcome, so of course I had to make the soup.

Prepare the leaves by discarding the center stem, then tear the leaves roughly into 4"x 3". Pile them up and slice into 1/2" thick shreds. The rest is simple; 

chopped veggies & stock (chicken or veggie) and dumplings. I used homemade pork wontons I had in the freezer to give my soup an Asian twist. The shredded broccoli leaves were silky soft, just a little thicker than spinach, and the soup was delicious. I'll be happy to email you the recipe, if you'd like to try it yourself. 

With my upcoming trip to New York City just a few weeks away, I'm already thinking about what I'll be eating there. As a result, this week's Menu features some items from the old Jewish bakeries.

WEEKLY MENU     Pick-up   Fri  Jan 16   1-5 pm

Pumpkin Date Nut Muffin     $2

A rich muffin with the background flavors of pumpkin & warm spices studded with plump dates, raisins and roasted walnuts. A great way to welcome our sometimes chilly season.

The Big Cookie     $1.50

Individually wrapped. Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Orange Walnut Belgium Bittersweet Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, Pecan Coconut Belgium Milk Chocolate.  

                

Chocolate Orgasm Cookies     $5/pkg

My legendary chocolate delivery system made from melted Belgium Bittersweet chocolate, toasted fresh almonds, chocolate chips & very little flour. Sold in packages of 4 because you must have more than one.

Jewish Cheese Danish     $3

The wonderful cheese filled pastry that I grew up on. A delicate crust encases the lightly sweetened farmer cheese based filling. Topped with sliced almonds; what could be bad.

Chocolate Raspberry Rugelach     $5/pkg

The quintessential Jewish pastry that's made with a cream cheese dough and filled with Chocolate chunks, Raspberry Jam & Pecans. Oh my, they'll melt in your mouth & leave you smiling. 

Brooklyn Bialys    VEGAN      $3.50/pkg of 4

When I was a kid Sunday breakfast always included a toasted bialy. Sometimes schmeared with cream cheese & lox or buttered, alongside oatmeal. Whatever, I'd pick a bialy over a bagel any day.

New York Challah     $4.50/loaf
The classic bread used by Jews to celebrate Sabbath all over the world. A golden crust with soft interior; made with eggs and a second cousin to brioche. Use leftovers for the best French toast ever!

JAM or CHUTNEY $4          MANGO BUTTER $5     

Mango Chutney, Ginger Pear Chutney, Mango Butter, Pineapple Daiquiri Jam,  Mango Meyer Lemon Jam, Blueberry Pineapple Fusion Jam

Certain flavors in very limited supply

No artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fake stuff EVER!!

ORDER BY 5pm WEDNESDAY

all items in limited supply... first come, first served

PICK UP FRIDAY 1-5 pm at Bonni's Treehouse

in the Village of the Arts

   932 12th Street West 

(down the driveway thru the white wrought iron gate) 

TO PLACE AN ORDER 

email bonnibakes@gmail.com  

  
or call me at (941) 746-6647 

   PAY BY CASH OR LOCAL CHECK TO BONNI BROWN  

 Hugs from my kitchen,
Bonni