home again

I love to go on vacation but what I love, even more, is coming home. Isn’t everyone like that? Dave and I had another lovely week up in the North Woods of Wisconsin with our BFF’s Jeff and Jen and their 3 boys; Travis, Blake, and Jack. They (as in the 6 of them, not me) love swimming in the lake, boating, fishing, water skiing, tanning, hiking in the woods, and being outdoors. I love staying inside their gorgeous log-cabin home, cooking and relaxing. They can have all that sun, water, nature, and mosquitoes! Even though I do everything in my power to avoid those blood-sucking devils, they find me. Oh well, it’s worth it to live in the beauty of the pines and be with the people I love. Another thing I love is making meals with Jen. She’s a great cook and she and I are totally in tune with each other in the kitchen. Can’t wait until next year…

While we were out of town, we missed a big happening in “the Valley of the Sun” – and I’m not talking about the All-Star Game. We missed the “now famous haboob” that occurred here on July 5th! I have a link for you to watch it – as I did – from the comfort of my laptop. This time-lapse video is Amazing!

And here is a picture of a damp paper towel that I used to wipe off the center island kitchen counter … mind you, my house was completely and professionally cleaned by Gabby, my “twice-a-month house cleaner” earlier that very same day – July 5th! And no other living creature has been in the house since. This is a small sampling of the dirt that came in through our closed and locked windows and doors when the massive wall of dirt rolled over our defenseless little house!

Disgusting! On to better and more appetizing things…

Cheese Blintzes

Filling
3 cups cottage cheese, divided
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour, if needed
Blintz Batter
6 large eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Fruit Topping
4 cups frozen blueberries, thawed
1/4 cup apricot preserves

Begin Filling: Place 1 cup of the cottage cheese in a cheesecloth-lined strainer placed over a bowl and allow to drain for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, begin making the blintz batter.

Blintz Batter: In a blender mix together the eggs, water, milk, baking powder, flour, sugar, and the 2 tablespoons melted butter and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In an 8-inch skillet, preferably non-stick, melt a thin slice of the butter over moderately high heat. Pour in enough batter to just coat the bottom of the skillet, swirling, and cook, undisturbed; until the top is set and the bottom is golden (do not turn over). Transfer blintz to paper towels in one layer, golden side down. Make more blintzes with the remaining butter and batter.

Finish Filling: In a food processor, blend the drained and undrained cottage cheeses, cream cheese, sugar, and cinnamon until smooth. If necessary, add flour to thicken the filling.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put 3 tablespoons of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold opposite sides of wrapper over filling until sides barely touch. Fold in ends to completely enclose filling, forming packets, and arrange, seams sides down, on a baking sheet. Make more blintzes with the remaining filling and wrappers. Bake blintzes, covered loosely with foil until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.

Fruit Topping: Place blueberries and apricot preserves in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir occasionally for 8 minutes, then remove from heat and spoon over warmed blintzes and serve immediately.

Makes 10 blintzes

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