Franciscan Apple Earthenware & A Fruit Nut Oatmeal Loaf

Franciscan Apple Earthenware

🍎 🌱🍎 Franciscan Apple Earthenware 🍎🌱🍎
A Fruit Nut Oatmeal Loaf
And Mother’s Day

With Mother’s Day around the corner, I’ve been reminiscing about my mom’s delicious home-cooked meals, which she served on these dishes for well over half a century. This Franciscan Apple Earthenware has proven to be very durable, a few pieces are chipped, but overall a fine collection in great condition. And now that I am the keeper of the entire collection, I will cherish it forever. Thank you for all the meals and memories, Love You Ma! ❤️

Franciscan Apple is one of the most popular raised-relief hand-painted patterns from Gladding, McBean & Co., which began production of Franciscan dinnerware in 1934 at their plant in Glendale, California. This pattern first appeared in 1940. My father received this set as a gift almost 80 years ago.

The name Franciscan is an allusion to Franciscan Friars and reflected the simple, informal style of Mexican folk pottery. The Franciscan Apple pattern has become a darling of collectors with its branches, beautiful green leaves and red harvest apples painted on cream-colored porcelain reminiscent of days gone by.

Franciscan Apple Earthenware, Fruit Nut Granola Loaf

American production of Franciscan Ware ceased in 1984, following the announcement to relocate all Franciscan production to England.

Franciscan Apple Earthenware

The endearing retro design includes one of a kind hand-painting; teacup handles shaped like apple tree branches; little apple knobs atop the butter dish, sugar bowl, and casserole dishes; and my favorite, apple-shaped tea bag holders. It continues to be a treasure for collectors of vintage dinnerware, like me.

Franciscan Apple Earthenware, Fruit Nut Granola LoafMy oatmeal cookies are always a big hit, and this oatmeal loaf is also a big winner. It’s a dense bread chock-full of nuts and seeds and fruit – toasted almonds and walnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds, dried apricots, cherries and raisins. It’s heavenly sliced and heated in the toaster oven, served nice and toasty, spread with butter or a piece of brie cheese.

This oatmeal loaf is perfect to serve to house guests as a simple light breakfast along with coffee or tea, or as an addition to a (Mother’s Day) brunch buffet. It’s even more delightful when served on vintage china…

Fruit Nut Oatmeal Loaf Recipe

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Smoked Sablefish

Smoked Sablefish

Smoked Sablefish & Watermelon Radish
Masia El Altet Olive Oil
Capers, Lemon Zest, Red Onion, Beet Microgreens

Starting the New Year off with a deliciously vibrant and easy brunch! This super-delightful appetizer or brunch course is made with sliced smoked sablefish layered with crisp watermelon radish, dressed with the best olive oil.

It is garnished with capers, lemon zest, red onion, beet microgreens and a bit of fresh ground black pepper to finish. Served with a toasted poppy seed bagel on the side, the silky buttery fish is heavenly paired with the crunchy mildly-peppery radish.

Smoked Sablefish

Smoked Sablefish & Watermelon Radish Recipe

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Spinach Cheese Brunch Loaf

Spinach Cheese Brunch Loaf

Spinach Cheese Brunch Loaf

Spinach Cheese Brunch Loaf

There are millions of recipes with the combination of spinach, cheese, and eggs – recipes from wildly different cultures including the Italian frittata, Greek spanakopita, Syrian jibn, French quiche, and so many more…

So why cook this one? Well, it’s easy and inexpensive! It’s crust-free, heavy on the vegetable and light on the eggs & cheese. It’s low-carb, gluten-free, vegetarian. And really quite tasty! A simple salad on the side is all it takes to make a fantastic brunch dish. Or slice it into cubes and serve it as part of a brunch buffet.

Spinach Cheese Brunch Loaf Recipe

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The Port of Los Angeles Area Brunch Scene

The Port of Los Angeles Area Brunch SceneThe Port of Los Angeles Area Brunch Scene

Gone are those kitschy restaurants and funky shops that once lined the docks of the busiest port in the country. The entire Ports O’ Call Village was recently demolished…with bulldozers, and it was painfully traumatic for the locals. But it will be a good thing in the end (we hope) because by 2020 the old fish joints will be replaced by a mega development of glossy restaurants and high-end shops called the San Pedro Public Market.

In the meantime, here are five places to enjoy brunch now, perhaps while waiting for your cruise ship to sail from the iconic Port of Los Angeles.

Enjoy Brunch Now

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Southwest-Style Shakshuka with Avocado, Epazote, Pinto Beans

Southwest-Style Shakshuka (Eggs Cooked in Spiced Tomato Sauce) Avocado, Epazote, Pinto Beans

Southwest-Style Shakshuka (Eggs Cooked in Spiced Tomato Sauce) Avocado, Epazote, Pinto Beans

Shakshuka, the breakfast/lunch dish that originated in Tunisia that’s wildly popular in Israel, is a perfect brunch item. It is easy to prepare in a single pan but takes a bit more time than weekday fried eggs and toast. The skillet doubles as the serving dish, and makes a terrific presentation on the buffet.

This now-global egg and tomato skillet dish has many incarnations – made with a myriad of ingredients such as sausage, feta, bell peppers, eggplant, potatoes, and a variety of herbs and spices depending on geography and the seasons.

Epazote in garden

Inspired by my garden overflowing with epazote, I decided to make shakshuka with a Southwestern influence. Epazote is often paired with beans for its natural carminative properties. The saw-toothed epazote leaves give the shakshuka a unique aroma and flavor. I have fallen in love with this herb and its intriguing bouquet which is strangely reminiscent of, if you can believe it, kerosene. Here, spicy tomato sauce is simmered with pinto beans and epazote, then topped with eggs. Once cooked, the whole thing is garnished with avocado slices, cilantro and scallions.

Smoky charred corn tortillas and sour cream

It can be served on its own or as tacos with smoky charred corn tortillas and sour cream.

Southwest-Style Shakshuka (Eggs Cooked in Spiced Tomato Sauce) Avocado, Epazote, Pinto Beans

For the Memorial Day holiday, try this vegetarian shakshuka for brunch, and save the meat for a big barbecue later in the day.

Memorial Day

My Memorial Day

Every year at the end of May, it is our duty to honor those who have laid down their lives to defend our freedom and ensure our liberty. Simultaneously we celebrate Memorial Day weekend as the official start of the summer grilling season. So in addition to serving awesome grilled foods and refreshing drinks, we proudly display the American flag and observe a minute of silence at 3:00 PM to honor and remember those who have died in service to our nation. We turn on the television to watch the President lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and we listen with respect as a lone bugler plays the languid 24-note melancholy bugle call known as Taps.

“The solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.”
Abraham Lincoln

“A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.”
John F. Kennedy

“Memorial Day is a day of ceremonies and speeches. Throughout America today, we honor the dead of our wars. We recall their valor and their sacrifices. We remember they gave their lives so that others might live.”
Ronald Reagan

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