My life has suddenly become active after nearly three months of leisurely quiet: I'm out of my cast and mostly out of the air boot and in physical therapy three times a week, which sure cuts into my reading and writing time. With that, I'm also gradually assuming more household tasks and relieving Tony in the kitchen for at least dinners. I'm determined not to lose the quiet time though -- I want to read and think and meditate some every day, but it's been more of a challenge since I am definitely not moving at a rapid pace.
I'll get there, but at my own speed. Like today's prompts will get done maybe today, maybe tomorrow. Eventually I'll get through the whole series.
Day 8 prompts:
1. Many of our fondest memories are associated with food.
Describe a memorable experience that took place while preparing or
eating food.
2. Write about a time when a preconceived notion or opinion (about a
person, place, thing, etc.) turned out to be wrong. What did it take to
change your mind?
The first prompt would seem to be the logical one here. I've written in the past about memories surrounding food: Christmas cookies and our traditional wild rice and bacon, popcorn balls, -- well, just hit the 'food' label on this blog to see some of them.
I think that sensory memories are the first and strongest we hold all of our lives. A scent of your mother's perfume can instantly take you back to your very earliest days. For me, the smell of coffee and bacon and toast in the morning puts me in my childhood home, coming sleepily downstairs to a bright, warm kitchen and Daddy cooking bacon while he sang little snippets of song. The tang of sharp cheddar on my tongue conjures him up, slicing thick pieces of it for a snack or a fabulous Sunday evening grilled cheese sandwich.
The salty, creamy mixture of clams and linguine puts my mother with me at the table: she loved her linguine and clams, and once after a hospitalization for something I don't now remember, I made a big batch for her and froze the sauce in individual cups so she could have it whenever she wanted it, since it was one of only a few foods that she was at all interested in eating.
I have my mother's and my grandmother's recipe boxes, and while I don't often use the recipes, I do read them, fingering the old, stained 3x5 cards with the faded ink in their distinctive handwriting. Sometimes there are notes about where the recipes came from: "John's Marge," "Leon's Marge," (my dad and his brother both married women named Marjorie.) "Lois." "Paul's beans." "Ginny's pancake."
There is life in those cards despite the fact that their writers are both dead, as are so many of the people referred to. I know their stories. I've tasted the results. Some, like the Lima Bean and Pork Chop casserole, will never be made again, at least by me (hated it then, doesn't remotely appeal now).
When I make Jule Kage, the citron and cardamom-flavored Scandinavian Christmas bread, my grandmother and my mother are there in the kitchen, reminding me to heat the milk and knead it well (although I cheat and use my bread machine most of the time). I haven't made Fattigman, the thin, rolled, deep-fried and powdered-sugar Norwegian cookies that my grandmother always had, in decades -- they are so not healthy! -- but I can see her hands rolling them out and showing me how to cut a slit in one end of the diamond and pull the other through before dropping it in the deep fat even when I read the recipe.
I don't know who will get these recipes when I'm no longer cooking. I have a recipe file too, but more of them are printed rather than handwritten, although some are stained and dark with use. I hope my girls will read them one day and feel my spirit in the kitchen with them too.
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Monday, March 26, 2012
The Scintilla Project - Day 9
The menu du jour: We'll attempt to list 23 recipes, doing #2. (Or maybe we'll do 10 recipes. Or whatever...)
1. Talk about the ways in which your body is awesome.
2. Write a list of 23. (23 things to do, 23 people you owe apologies to, 23 books you've lied about reading, 23 things you can see from where you're sitting, 23 ten-word hooks for stories you want to tell....)
*******************
In no particular order, here are some recipes (and links to them) that I love making, including, if applicable, my adaptations. I'm all about lower fat, lower carb these days, and little sugar, although some of these do NOT fit any of those, but I've included them because they're so good.
1. Easy No-Rise Pizza Crust. This has been my go-to recipe for homemade pizza for some time, but last night I figured out how to make it diabetic-friendly! Cut the recipe in half, using whole wheat flour, and stir in two cups of grated zucchini, well-drained. Let it rise at least 10 minutes. Pat the crust onto a pizza stone, or a cookiie sheet, and bake it 5 minutes. Top with a homemade (sugar-free) sauce and all the healthy veggies you want -- I added some sliced turkey sausage, grated Parmesan cheese, and maybe 3/4 cup of grated mozzarella. Bake about 15 minutes or until brown. Nice, thin, good-for-you crust!
2. Hearty Vegetable Soup. My standard veggie soup recipe, and my, oh, my, it is GOOD and freezes well. Resist the urge to add additional spices, although I love adding a can of diced tomatoes with green chilis to zip it up. I also make a smaller quantity for just us. Like so many veggie soups, this gets better as it sits.
3.Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread Muffins. I halved this recipe too, and used sour non-fat milk (because I had no buttermilk) and omitted the raisins when I made them to serve with our St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage. Satisfying and healthy.
4. Crustless Cranberry Pie. Okay, so this isn't something that's necessarily all that carb-friendly, but it is good. I made it sometime in December and probably used half to two-thirds the sugar and at least half whole wheat flour. Especially with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipping cream, this makes a tangy, nice sweet treat.
5. Crockpot Lasagna. Especially when it is way too hot to light the oven but you're tired of salads, this recipe gives you some good lasagna taste without heating up the kitchen. I always use low or no-fat cheese options when I can, including the cottage cheese, and whole wheat lasagna noodles.
6. Bread Machine Focaccia with Sundried Tomatoes. Not low-carb, but great to take to a potluck or for an appetizer. I've got jars of dried tomatoes in my pantry from past gardens, so I use those, reconstituted, and substitute half whole wheat flour. Works really well with a bread dipper too.
7. Hot Sour Chicken and Noodles. I cut this out of Family Circle decades ago and it is our family's preferred home remedy for colds, especially with extra vinegar and hot sauce. We call it Spicy Chicken Soup. I often use leftover rotisserie chicken in it, and boil the carcass and skin for the broth. I omit the miso, mainly because it's not an ingredient that I can easily find in the grocery store. It always makes the sickie feel better.
8. Apple Pie by Grandma Opie. NOT, so NOT, a low anything recipe. But it is an amazing apple pie. I spice the apples with cinnamon and nutmeg because I like a spicy pie, and I pile 'em high. The caramel sauce makes it wonderfully rich and different.
9. Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. So while we're on rich desserts, this one came from my friend Melissa, and I made it for a couple of Christmas gifts last year, in addition to keeping one for ourselves. Big yum. No healthifying this one, I'm afraid.
10. Whole Wheat Zucchini Herb Bread. Love my Zojirushi bread machine! And this is a great way to use up some of those surplus summer zucchinis in a healthy bread that tastes great. If I don't have the sesame seed, I omit it.
11. Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert. Oh, another not-healthy recipe, but fun and easy. The hardest part is unwrapping all those ice cream sandwiches. Sort of like a Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait in a cake pan.
12. Layered Ice Cream "Cake". Better than Baskin Robbins, and you can customize the flavors! I made this for my friend Maureen's birthday -- she wanted an ice cream cake with lots of chocolate, so I used chocolate chip, triple chocolate, and fudge tracks ice creams, layered with hot fudge and caramel toppings. Sent big chunks home with the honoree and guests, too!(Clearly I refused to even look at the sugar, carbs, and fat content.)
13. Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup. We like the spicy hot Italian sausage in this, and red potatoes, and I usually use fat-free half and half instead of the heavy cream just because. But it's a delicious soup.
14. Garlic Bubble Bread. Fun and easy to take to a potluck! I used the frozen rolls (thawed) rather than bread dough, but I'll bet you could do this like the ever-popular overnight monkey bread recipe and leave it to rise for several hours. This is comfort food, not health food.
15. Mediterranean Kale and White Bean Soup. This is a non-creamy soup with tremendous flavor. I also used a can of diced tomatoes, and you could substitute swiss chard or spinach for the kale. We prefer the hot Italian sausage.This is a good low-fat and lower carb recipe, as long as the sausage is well-drained. I usually cut that amount in half -- still get the flavor, but not all the fat.
16. Pimiento Cheese Spread. Nobody can live in the South and not taste pimiento cheese. This is pretty close to what I make, although I do NOT use Miracle Whip, and certainly not that much mayo either. I've been known to use some Velveeta if I have it, or to use up odds and ends of cheese too, but it is best with the sharp cheddar. This is also yummy on party rye for an appetizer, or as a sandwich on regular rye. Not especially low calorie or carb, however.
17. Grapefruit Pie. My mother first served us this pie when we visited my folks in the Rio Grande Valley over the Christmas holidays back in the mid-1990s. They wintered there and tremendously enjoyed the citrus orchards and fresh veggies that were available at the famer's markets. The grapefruit take some time to peel and pith, but the results are delicious. I've successfully used sugar-free jello and Splenda in this recipe. If you use a nut crust, you can limit the carbs.
18. Spinach-Apple Salad with Almonds. The sugary almonds really make this salad special. I've used either agave or stevia in the dressing to sweeten without the sugar. Love the Honeycrisp apples in this.
Okayyyyy. My Internet connection is not doing well at the moment -- too many gusty winds blowing our next storm in, so we're going to call it a post at 18.
1. Talk about the ways in which your body is awesome.
2. Write a list of 23. (23 things to do, 23 people you owe apologies to, 23 books you've lied about reading, 23 things you can see from where you're sitting, 23 ten-word hooks for stories you want to tell....)
*******************
In no particular order, here are some recipes (and links to them) that I love making, including, if applicable, my adaptations. I'm all about lower fat, lower carb these days, and little sugar, although some of these do NOT fit any of those, but I've included them because they're so good.
1. Easy No-Rise Pizza Crust. This has been my go-to recipe for homemade pizza for some time, but last night I figured out how to make it diabetic-friendly! Cut the recipe in half, using whole wheat flour, and stir in two cups of grated zucchini, well-drained. Let it rise at least 10 minutes. Pat the crust onto a pizza stone, or a cookiie sheet, and bake it 5 minutes. Top with a homemade (sugar-free) sauce and all the healthy veggies you want -- I added some sliced turkey sausage, grated Parmesan cheese, and maybe 3/4 cup of grated mozzarella. Bake about 15 minutes or until brown. Nice, thin, good-for-you crust!
2. Hearty Vegetable Soup. My standard veggie soup recipe, and my, oh, my, it is GOOD and freezes well. Resist the urge to add additional spices, although I love adding a can of diced tomatoes with green chilis to zip it up. I also make a smaller quantity for just us. Like so many veggie soups, this gets better as it sits.
3.Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread Muffins. I halved this recipe too, and used sour non-fat milk (because I had no buttermilk) and omitted the raisins when I made them to serve with our St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage. Satisfying and healthy.
4. Crustless Cranberry Pie. Okay, so this isn't something that's necessarily all that carb-friendly, but it is good. I made it sometime in December and probably used half to two-thirds the sugar and at least half whole wheat flour. Especially with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipping cream, this makes a tangy, nice sweet treat.
5. Crockpot Lasagna. Especially when it is way too hot to light the oven but you're tired of salads, this recipe gives you some good lasagna taste without heating up the kitchen. I always use low or no-fat cheese options when I can, including the cottage cheese, and whole wheat lasagna noodles.
6. Bread Machine Focaccia with Sundried Tomatoes. Not low-carb, but great to take to a potluck or for an appetizer. I've got jars of dried tomatoes in my pantry from past gardens, so I use those, reconstituted, and substitute half whole wheat flour. Works really well with a bread dipper too.
7. Hot Sour Chicken and Noodles. I cut this out of Family Circle decades ago and it is our family's preferred home remedy for colds, especially with extra vinegar and hot sauce. We call it Spicy Chicken Soup. I often use leftover rotisserie chicken in it, and boil the carcass and skin for the broth. I omit the miso, mainly because it's not an ingredient that I can easily find in the grocery store. It always makes the sickie feel better.
8. Apple Pie by Grandma Opie. NOT, so NOT, a low anything recipe. But it is an amazing apple pie. I spice the apples with cinnamon and nutmeg because I like a spicy pie, and I pile 'em high. The caramel sauce makes it wonderfully rich and different.
9. Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. So while we're on rich desserts, this one came from my friend Melissa, and I made it for a couple of Christmas gifts last year, in addition to keeping one for ourselves. Big yum. No healthifying this one, I'm afraid.
10. Whole Wheat Zucchini Herb Bread. Love my Zojirushi bread machine! And this is a great way to use up some of those surplus summer zucchinis in a healthy bread that tastes great. If I don't have the sesame seed, I omit it.
11. Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert. Oh, another not-healthy recipe, but fun and easy. The hardest part is unwrapping all those ice cream sandwiches. Sort of like a Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait in a cake pan.
12. Layered Ice Cream "Cake". Better than Baskin Robbins, and you can customize the flavors! I made this for my friend Maureen's birthday -- she wanted an ice cream cake with lots of chocolate, so I used chocolate chip, triple chocolate, and fudge tracks ice creams, layered with hot fudge and caramel toppings. Sent big chunks home with the honoree and guests, too!(Clearly I refused to even look at the sugar, carbs, and fat content.)
13. Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup. We like the spicy hot Italian sausage in this, and red potatoes, and I usually use fat-free half and half instead of the heavy cream just because. But it's a delicious soup.
14. Garlic Bubble Bread. Fun and easy to take to a potluck! I used the frozen rolls (thawed) rather than bread dough, but I'll bet you could do this like the ever-popular overnight monkey bread recipe and leave it to rise for several hours. This is comfort food, not health food.
15. Mediterranean Kale and White Bean Soup. This is a non-creamy soup with tremendous flavor. I also used a can of diced tomatoes, and you could substitute swiss chard or spinach for the kale. We prefer the hot Italian sausage.This is a good low-fat and lower carb recipe, as long as the sausage is well-drained. I usually cut that amount in half -- still get the flavor, but not all the fat.
16. Pimiento Cheese Spread. Nobody can live in the South and not taste pimiento cheese. This is pretty close to what I make, although I do NOT use Miracle Whip, and certainly not that much mayo either. I've been known to use some Velveeta if I have it, or to use up odds and ends of cheese too, but it is best with the sharp cheddar. This is also yummy on party rye for an appetizer, or as a sandwich on regular rye. Not especially low calorie or carb, however.
17. Grapefruit Pie. My mother first served us this pie when we visited my folks in the Rio Grande Valley over the Christmas holidays back in the mid-1990s. They wintered there and tremendously enjoyed the citrus orchards and fresh veggies that were available at the famer's markets. The grapefruit take some time to peel and pith, but the results are delicious. I've successfully used sugar-free jello and Splenda in this recipe. If you use a nut crust, you can limit the carbs.
18. Spinach-Apple Salad with Almonds. The sugary almonds really make this salad special. I've used either agave or stevia in the dressing to sweeten without the sugar. Love the Honeycrisp apples in this.
Okayyyyy. My Internet connection is not doing well at the moment -- too many gusty winds blowing our next storm in, so we're going to call it a post at 18.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Do you really cook like this?
I just finished catching up on a couple of episodes of "The Pioneer Woman" on HGTV, which is followed by Paula Deen's show (so I caught a few minutes of that, even though I don't record her).
Perhaps it's my admittedly somewhat growly mood today, but I don't cook like either of these women and mostly never have. Oh, sure, I've made some marvelous ham/broccoli/cheese chowders and casseroles in my day, but it's always served with veggie sticks or a green or fruit salad, and I usually try to cut calories and fat by using reduced fat versions of the sour cream/half and half/milk. And no, this way of cooking didn't just start recently; I've cooked this way for decades.
And I hear Pioneer Woman say, "Oh you can just use all milk (whole, of course) instead of half and half -- but why would you want to? (cute smirky smile)"
Memo toPaula and Ree (and yeah, most of the rest of the TV cooks): Do you think I don't know how delicious these soups/casseroles/desserts are with the full-fat versions and damn the calories and fat? Do you think you're forever going to escape the high cholesterol/triglycerides/blood sugar readings (well, we already know that Paula hasn't)?
Hmm. I wonder how long I'd live if I'd just toss out all the low-and-no fat versions of milk, cheese,. butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, and load up on the delicious bread bowls and pasta and biscuits (white flour, all), and fix luscious chocolate desserts and pies and clafoutis for dessert every night. There's rarely a salad to be found in their menus, and any veggies served are loaded with sauce, cheese, or butter, or all three.
With obesity rates climbing and diabetes rapidly affecting all ages, I just marvel that the cooking channels continue to feature meals based on starch, sweets, and fats. Oh yeah, they are good. I'd love to bite into one of those magnificent creations Right. About. Now. And then have what's left before bedtime. But I'd update my will first and make sure my next of kin know my final preferences.
Will anyone step up and actually put some cooking shows on there for the real people? The ones who eat a lot of salad and green veggies and fresh fruits and veggies, and try to limit portion sizes and stuff that clogs arteries and causes this epidemic of obesity?
Or maybe they just can't sell the ads. Perhaps people don't want to see healthy food cooked in pleasing, tasty ways? I'm not talking about tons of tofu and raw kale here. I'd just like to see a show that features food I'd not only LIKE to eat, but that I CAN eat without feeling guilty or without hurting my health.
I can't afford to eat the way Pioneer Woman or Paula cooks, not if I value my health. I'm betting you can't either. Maybe it's time to speak up? Think I'll write a letter....
Perhaps it's my admittedly somewhat growly mood today, but I don't cook like either of these women and mostly never have. Oh, sure, I've made some marvelous ham/broccoli/cheese chowders and casseroles in my day, but it's always served with veggie sticks or a green or fruit salad, and I usually try to cut calories and fat by using reduced fat versions of the sour cream/half and half/milk. And no, this way of cooking didn't just start recently; I've cooked this way for decades.
And I hear Pioneer Woman say, "Oh you can just use all milk (whole, of course) instead of half and half -- but why would you want to? (cute smirky smile)"
Memo toPaula and Ree (and yeah, most of the rest of the TV cooks): Do you think I don't know how delicious these soups/casseroles/desserts are with the full-fat versions and damn the calories and fat? Do you think you're forever going to escape the high cholesterol/triglycerides/blood sugar readings (well, we already know that Paula hasn't)?
Hmm. I wonder how long I'd live if I'd just toss out all the low-and-no fat versions of milk, cheese,. butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, and load up on the delicious bread bowls and pasta and biscuits (white flour, all), and fix luscious chocolate desserts and pies and clafoutis for dessert every night. There's rarely a salad to be found in their menus, and any veggies served are loaded with sauce, cheese, or butter, or all three.
With obesity rates climbing and diabetes rapidly affecting all ages, I just marvel that the cooking channels continue to feature meals based on starch, sweets, and fats. Oh yeah, they are good. I'd love to bite into one of those magnificent creations Right. About. Now. And then have what's left before bedtime. But I'd update my will first and make sure my next of kin know my final preferences.
Will anyone step up and actually put some cooking shows on there for the real people? The ones who eat a lot of salad and green veggies and fresh fruits and veggies, and try to limit portion sizes and stuff that clogs arteries and causes this epidemic of obesity?
Or maybe they just can't sell the ads. Perhaps people don't want to see healthy food cooked in pleasing, tasty ways? I'm not talking about tons of tofu and raw kale here. I'd just like to see a show that features food I'd not only LIKE to eat, but that I CAN eat without feeling guilty or without hurting my health.
I can't afford to eat the way Pioneer Woman or Paula cooks, not if I value my health. I'm betting you can't either. Maybe it's time to speak up? Think I'll write a letter....
Friday, March 18, 2011
Tomato soup warms us up
Instead of corned beef and cabbage on yesterday's St. Patrick's Day, I made ham salad sandwiches (open-faced and toasted) and homemade tomato soup for dinner. (Tony had planned to go to a program after work but changed his mind at the last minute because others had decided not to go.)
The soup was really good and very easy, and beats the canned stuff all to pieces. So I thought I'd share.
I started with a recipe from Food.com, which I often browse, but then adapted it enough that it really isn't the same recipe.
Tomato Soup
Saute in 1-2T olive oil a medium chopped onion and four cloves of minced garlic until soft. Throw in a couple of bay leaves and a few sprinkles of basil leaves if you like that flavor (we do) -- maybe half a teaspoon.
When veggies are soft but not browned:
Add a 28-oz. can of whole, diced or stewed tomatoes, whatever you have in the pantry.
Pour in a couple of cups of chicken or veggie broth, or -- as I did, not wanting to open a quart of broth for just two cups -- two cups of chicken bouillion (low sodium preferred)
I added two small cans of V-8 to this mix; you may choose to add 1/4 c of tomato paste.
Generously pepper.
Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. At that point I also added about a slice of bread, torn into pieces. (Use whatever you have, or omit if you like. It thickens the soup just a little.) Simmer maybe another 10 minutes until you really can't see the bread. (I suppose you could add the bread when you add the other stuff too.)
Using your handy-dandy immersion blender (which I got for my birthday last fall and while I don't use it often, LOVElovelove it), puree until everything is smooth. In lieu of that, you can puree small batches in your blender, but be careful to hold the lid on so soup doesn't explode over your countertop. Or you can mash it all together with a potato masher (the low-tech version).
It turned out warm and smooth and peppery, warming us up all the way down. I'll choose this soup any day over anything canned, and it's very easy.
I'm guessing you could add some cream at the very last to make it cream of tomato, or put in other veggies or rice or macaroni to stretch it or to use leftovers.
Corned beef and cabbage tonight!
The soup was really good and very easy, and beats the canned stuff all to pieces. So I thought I'd share.
I started with a recipe from Food.com, which I often browse, but then adapted it enough that it really isn't the same recipe.
Tomato Soup
Saute in 1-2T olive oil a medium chopped onion and four cloves of minced garlic until soft. Throw in a couple of bay leaves and a few sprinkles of basil leaves if you like that flavor (we do) -- maybe half a teaspoon.
When veggies are soft but not browned:
Add a 28-oz. can of whole, diced or stewed tomatoes, whatever you have in the pantry.
Pour in a couple of cups of chicken or veggie broth, or -- as I did, not wanting to open a quart of broth for just two cups -- two cups of chicken bouillion (low sodium preferred)
I added two small cans of V-8 to this mix; you may choose to add 1/4 c of tomato paste.
Generously pepper.
Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. At that point I also added about a slice of bread, torn into pieces. (Use whatever you have, or omit if you like. It thickens the soup just a little.) Simmer maybe another 10 minutes until you really can't see the bread. (I suppose you could add the bread when you add the other stuff too.)
Using your handy-dandy immersion blender (which I got for my birthday last fall and while I don't use it often, LOVElovelove it), puree until everything is smooth. In lieu of that, you can puree small batches in your blender, but be careful to hold the lid on so soup doesn't explode over your countertop. Or you can mash it all together with a potato masher (the low-tech version).
It turned out warm and smooth and peppery, warming us up all the way down. I'll choose this soup any day over anything canned, and it's very easy.
I'm guessing you could add some cream at the very last to make it cream of tomato, or put in other veggies or rice or macaroni to stretch it or to use leftovers.
Corned beef and cabbage tonight!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Blogging in my head
That's what I've done all week -- written blog posts in my head -- but I haven't had enough time to let them flow through my fingers onto the screen. New articles to write, places I have to be, tasks that must be done...
But here I am right now. There's a big pot of braised shortribs in sauce simmering in the Crock Pot, filling the house with a wonderfully spicy-tomato-y scent. I should let it sit overnight and skim off the fat, but it smells too good to wait -- so I'll skim off what I can from the top of the pot. These are good, Tehama-county-grown beef shortribs, too. I cut the very last of the Swiss chard from the garden this morning, so we'll have that along side, and I'll probably cook some whole wheat wide noodles too, to soak up that wonderful sauce. Yum. (Can you tell I'm hungry?)
I pulled up the tomato vines today and tossed what was left to the deer, saving a few green tomatoes for us. It's time for the garden to be done. I thanked the earth for all the wonderful food we enjoyed this season. In the next day or so, if I can find an hour, I'll RoundUp the whole thing to get rid of all the awful weeds we had this year. Then I'll pull up the dead stuff, till the soil, and layer newspaper and the good, dried manure that's waiting in a small trailer. Next summer ought to be a really good growing season!
Another article in the Record Searchlight -- and today I got a call thanking me for the story. Seems Gottschalks called and volunteered to wrap gifts and to donate a few more; a cookie store is making cookies especially for Adopt-A-Family; and they've gotten another few volunteers. That just makes me glow. I've got two more stories done that probably will run this weekend, and am talking tomorrow to one more person about the program. This has been a fun run.
But it's kept me hopping!
Saturday evening we went to the Red Bluff Christmas parade -- Tony took some photos, and I watched. It was a mild night for November, although I was in layers and my gloved fingers still got cold. I watched two younger teens next to us, dressed in sockless tennies and capri pants, eating cotton candy and watching the lights. They spoke to us a few times -- very pleasant girls. It made me remember that age -- BEING that age (yes, I can still recall that in this aging brain) -- with all its insecurities and dreams and desires. They were young enough to be unselfconscious about how they acted as they watched -- still slightly gawky in bodies that haven't reached full maturity yet. One had carrotty-red hair that could have been real; both wore a little makeup, but not excessive.
I wondered what they want for Christmas, if they have boyfriends, how they behave around their parents. I wondered what they like about school, if they participate in clubs or activities. I wondered what they dream about being when they grow up. They're still young enough to get excited about Christmas -- and I hope they each get something they really want, and have a Christmas tree, and are with family who love them.
I guess that writing these stories and talking to volunteers and staff, and browsing through some of the families in the Adopt-A-Family program has really heightened my awareness of how hard some people struggle to make things work, and how very, VERY lucky I am and always have been.
I'm a huge believer that we make our own destiny -- and that there are angels who are there to help us along the way, mostly unrecognized by us. For many of these families, the volunteers who offer gifts and food and money may be their angels, and just may make the difference between giving up and continuing to work hard. It's touching, and inspiring. I hope my stories make a difference -- from what I've heard, they have.
I am not going to have to search for the Christmas spirit this year -- I don't even mind the carols already playing in the stores -- although I was listening to Pavarotti singing "Ave Maria" in Latin in Walmart (of all places), and overheard a woman saying, "That music is just driving me NUTS!" (okay, no accounting for taste. Maybe she prefers "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.") I'm looking forward to cookies and music and lights and the pungent scent of pine trees, and to watching bubble lights perking away on the tree. To hearing from old friends, and to writing them back. To remembering Christmases past, and being thankful.
I am looking forward to being with my brother and sister-in-law this year, and with my daughter -- this will be the first Christmas we've been together since Mother died, and I have so missed that family connection. Even though there's still all the shopping and wrapping and stuff to do, it's okay. I'm just grateful we'll be together, and that we have enough....of everything.
McMurphy update: he had one more (unanticipatedly is that even a word? expensive) test and seems to be fine. He is so happy to be home and with us, and seems a little quieter than he was before he got sick. We are so glad to have him back.
And that's all I have time for today. Hark, how the bells...
But here I am right now. There's a big pot of braised shortribs in sauce simmering in the Crock Pot, filling the house with a wonderfully spicy-tomato-y scent. I should let it sit overnight and skim off the fat, but it smells too good to wait -- so I'll skim off what I can from the top of the pot. These are good, Tehama-county-grown beef shortribs, too. I cut the very last of the Swiss chard from the garden this morning, so we'll have that along side, and I'll probably cook some whole wheat wide noodles too, to soak up that wonderful sauce. Yum. (Can you tell I'm hungry?)
I pulled up the tomato vines today and tossed what was left to the deer, saving a few green tomatoes for us. It's time for the garden to be done. I thanked the earth for all the wonderful food we enjoyed this season. In the next day or so, if I can find an hour, I'll RoundUp the whole thing to get rid of all the awful weeds we had this year. Then I'll pull up the dead stuff, till the soil, and layer newspaper and the good, dried manure that's waiting in a small trailer. Next summer ought to be a really good growing season!
Another article in the Record Searchlight -- and today I got a call thanking me for the story. Seems Gottschalks called and volunteered to wrap gifts and to donate a few more; a cookie store is making cookies especially for Adopt-A-Family; and they've gotten another few volunteers. That just makes me glow. I've got two more stories done that probably will run this weekend, and am talking tomorrow to one more person about the program. This has been a fun run.
But it's kept me hopping!
Saturday evening we went to the Red Bluff Christmas parade -- Tony took some photos, and I watched. It was a mild night for November, although I was in layers and my gloved fingers still got cold. I watched two younger teens next to us, dressed in sockless tennies and capri pants, eating cotton candy and watching the lights. They spoke to us a few times -- very pleasant girls. It made me remember that age -- BEING that age (yes, I can still recall that in this aging brain) -- with all its insecurities and dreams and desires. They were young enough to be unselfconscious about how they acted as they watched -- still slightly gawky in bodies that haven't reached full maturity yet. One had carrotty-red hair that could have been real; both wore a little makeup, but not excessive.
I wondered what they want for Christmas, if they have boyfriends, how they behave around their parents. I wondered what they like about school, if they participate in clubs or activities. I wondered what they dream about being when they grow up. They're still young enough to get excited about Christmas -- and I hope they each get something they really want, and have a Christmas tree, and are with family who love them.
I guess that writing these stories and talking to volunteers and staff, and browsing through some of the families in the Adopt-A-Family program has really heightened my awareness of how hard some people struggle to make things work, and how very, VERY lucky I am and always have been.
I'm a huge believer that we make our own destiny -- and that there are angels who are there to help us along the way, mostly unrecognized by us. For many of these families, the volunteers who offer gifts and food and money may be their angels, and just may make the difference between giving up and continuing to work hard. It's touching, and inspiring. I hope my stories make a difference -- from what I've heard, they have.
I am not going to have to search for the Christmas spirit this year -- I don't even mind the carols already playing in the stores -- although I was listening to Pavarotti singing "Ave Maria" in Latin in Walmart (of all places), and overheard a woman saying, "That music is just driving me NUTS!" (okay, no accounting for taste. Maybe she prefers "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.") I'm looking forward to cookies and music and lights and the pungent scent of pine trees, and to watching bubble lights perking away on the tree. To hearing from old friends, and to writing them back. To remembering Christmases past, and being thankful.
I am looking forward to being with my brother and sister-in-law this year, and with my daughter -- this will be the first Christmas we've been together since Mother died, and I have so missed that family connection. Even though there's still all the shopping and wrapping and stuff to do, it's okay. I'm just grateful we'll be together, and that we have enough....of everything.
McMurphy update: he had one more (unanticipatedly is that even a word? expensive) test and seems to be fine. He is so happy to be home and with us, and seems a little quieter than he was before he got sick. We are so glad to have him back.
And that's all I have time for today. Hark, how the bells...
Sunday, July 08, 2007
The garden delivers...
The lettuce in the garden is bolting -- not surprising, after our recent 112+ degree temps, although the romaine still appears okay. Green onions are still okay, although with our rocky soil, you gotta get them when it's damp. I doubt any of them will stay good for much longer-- just too hot.
Sugar snap peas are about done, too, and this has been a nice, long season for them, with ample supplies for salads and stirfrys. The vines are browning, and the deer will get the last bits when I yank them up, probably this week.
Green beans have been slow, but we've had a few suppers with them. The plants didn't do as well as I'd hoped, and I may put a few more in the ground when it cools down a bit this week (to high 90s and low 100s -- )
Even though the tomato plants are runty and small, they're loaded with tomatoes, and I'm about to get the first big one. The grape tomatoes have given us a handful -- about enough for a salad. Zucchini, also runty, has a few small ones coming along and the plants are healthy and blooming....just small. I've picked a small eggplant and a green pepper, and we had a quick sauce with those and with fresh tomatoes from someone else's garden over pasta the other night. Very yummy. I don't know what happened with the pepper plants this year: I planted a dozen or so, and something ate all but two of them -- nothing else in the garden, just the pepper plants. Whatever it was hasn't touched the three I planted a few weeks ago.
Tonight we had our first mess of swiss chard, and -- also the first one -- a half a sliced Asian cucumber that I marinated in white wine vinegar, along with a boneless chicken breast that I used a dry rub on and sauteed, then cooked briefly in a little red wine. Love those cukes, and with just one plant this year, I hope we won't get overrun as we have in years past.
But the swiss chard was just exquisite. A neighbor gave me the ultimate recipe and I could just savor this as a whole meal. Here 'tis:
Thank you, Deb!
I also made a very small batch of fresh plum freezer jam with plums from another neighbor's tree. They're the tiny prune plums that are at least half seed, so I washed them and put them with a little water into a pan and cooked it down, then ran the results through a food mill -- had to manually pick out the stones, but it was easy. Got about 3 cups of pulpy plum, to which I added a cup of Splenda (they were very flavorful, but rather sour), and then used the no-sugar pectin to blend with the mixture. I'll put the jars in the freezer tomorrow -- I think it will be fairly soft, but it was really tasty.
I am so grateful for the luscious fresh veggies we get to enjoy from our garden, and the bounty of fresh fruit that we have in this area! It is such fun to cook with whatever is ripe today. The Wednesday farmer's markets begin this week, so there will be even more to choose from. I hope you enjoy this summer's harvest!
Sugar snap peas are about done, too, and this has been a nice, long season for them, with ample supplies for salads and stirfrys. The vines are browning, and the deer will get the last bits when I yank them up, probably this week.
Green beans have been slow, but we've had a few suppers with them. The plants didn't do as well as I'd hoped, and I may put a few more in the ground when it cools down a bit this week (to high 90s and low 100s -- )
Even though the tomato plants are runty and small, they're loaded with tomatoes, and I'm about to get the first big one. The grape tomatoes have given us a handful -- about enough for a salad. Zucchini, also runty, has a few small ones coming along and the plants are healthy and blooming....just small. I've picked a small eggplant and a green pepper, and we had a quick sauce with those and with fresh tomatoes from someone else's garden over pasta the other night. Very yummy. I don't know what happened with the pepper plants this year: I planted a dozen or so, and something ate all but two of them -- nothing else in the garden, just the pepper plants. Whatever it was hasn't touched the three I planted a few weeks ago.
Tonight we had our first mess of swiss chard, and -- also the first one -- a half a sliced Asian cucumber that I marinated in white wine vinegar, along with a boneless chicken breast that I used a dry rub on and sauteed, then cooked briefly in a little red wine. Love those cukes, and with just one plant this year, I hope we won't get overrun as we have in years past.
But the swiss chard was just exquisite. A neighbor gave me the ultimate recipe and I could just savor this as a whole meal. Here 'tis:
Sweet-and-sour Swiss Chard with Dried Currants
4 Servings
3 pounds green and/or red Swiss chard (about 3 large bunches), tough ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces.
1 tablespoon olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
3 Tablespoons dried currants
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
COOK Swiss chard in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well.
HEAT oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add Swiss chard and currants; saute until heated through, about 3 minutes.
Drizzle vinegar over and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.
I also made a very small batch of fresh plum freezer jam with plums from another neighbor's tree. They're the tiny prune plums that are at least half seed, so I washed them and put them with a little water into a pan and cooked it down, then ran the results through a food mill -- had to manually pick out the stones, but it was easy. Got about 3 cups of pulpy plum, to which I added a cup of Splenda (they were very flavorful, but rather sour), and then used the no-sugar pectin to blend with the mixture. I'll put the jars in the freezer tomorrow -- I think it will be fairly soft, but it was really tasty.
I am so grateful for the luscious fresh veggies we get to enjoy from our garden, and the bounty of fresh fruit that we have in this area! It is such fun to cook with whatever is ripe today. The Wednesday farmer's markets begin this week, so there will be even more to choose from. I hope you enjoy this summer's harvest!
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