Merry Christmas

Vegetarian Chili

In response to a special request by Kathy, here is our vegetarian chili recipe. If you are an omnivore, you won't miss the meat - the bulgar adds a nice texture. Merry Christmas!

1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
4 stalks celery chopped, diced
1 red pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can kidney beans
3/4 c bulgar wheat
2 c or 1 15 oz can tomatoes
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp basil

First post entered with my new Mac Book. Thanks Pete!

Thourougly Modern Betty

Mom reading this blog!

Meet Betty Berlin O'Connell. My mom (aka Grandma B) arrived to spend the holidays with us this morning. Of course it is a delight to have her here - she is my mom after all. I don't know a more positive person then my mother, whose adage has always been "if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all." After spending most of the past nine winters in Australia though, the subzero temperatures of Minnesota and Wisconsin are testing her courage.

Mom, Davyd, Ali and I baked Candy Cane Cookies this afternoon. We made Potato Pancakes for supper (it is Hanukkah isn't it?) Mom thought the Joy of Cooking recipe was the same as her German father used to make for Friday night suppers. It is always nice to time travel.

Rumors are that Grandma B will be teaching Ali how to make her world famous cinnamon bread tomorrow.

Happy Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas!

Candy Cane Cookies

I believe this recipe originated from the old Betty Crocker Cookbook. I aspire to make these like my Great Aunt Angie who had them down to an art form. I use half butter instead of all shortening, added the peppermint extract and reduced the salt in half. Rolling these cookies can test the nerve of the impatient. One year I used my kids Playdough Fun Factory, I have tried the Spritz maker but find hand rolling is best.

1/2 c butter
1/2 c shortening
1 c sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 crushed candy canes to sprinkle on top or mix in dough (optional)
Red food coloring

Cream butters and eggs and then mix in dy ingedients. Color half the dough with red food coloring and chill all of the dough. Roll dough into pencil or smaller diameter rols and twist togehter from ends - the cookies look nicest if you leave the centers rounded. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 for 9-11 minutes until they are just golden on the edges.

Potato Pancakes

Modified slightly from Joy of Cooking.

4 c grated potatoes
6 eggs
3 tbsp flour
4 tbsp grated onion
1 tsp salt
oil for cooking
Applesauce
Sour cream
Chives



Ali loves potato pancakes

Grate the potatoes and wrap in a fine dishtowel or heavy paper towels and squeeze as much liquid out as you can. Mix all ingredients together and fry as you would pancakes. Top with applesauce or chives and sour cream. You can substitute part of the potatoes with sweet potatoes, carrots or other root vegetable to make this old world recipe "new age." A great breakfast or dinner. This recipe feeds about six.

Grandma B's Sugar Cookies

These are your standard cut-out sugar cookie. It is the recipe my Grandmother Lizette Berlin used. She usually had round scalloped sugar cookies in a large jar in her cupboard. Just thinking about them makes me feel good.

3 eggs
1 1/3 c sugar
1 c butter or shortening (I haven't experimented which is better)
2 tsp cram of tarter
1 tsp baking soda
3 c flour plus more for rolling
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp tsp almond extract

Cream eggs, sugar and butter. Blend dry ingredients and add to egg mixture. Chill dough. Roll out dough thin on well floured surface (flour your rolling pin too.) Bake at 425 for 8 minutes.

Winter is back. Happy Solstice!

Davyd in his snow fort

The wind blew across Lake Michigan through the night, sculpting the foot of snow that fell through the night on Wednesday. Davyd was delighted to have a snow day off school on Thursday. We frolicked in the snow, baked Christmas cookies, wrapped presents, listened to music and had a cozy day.

Davyd's "holiday" concert was Friday. How I love music teachers. I can't imagine any greater contribution then knowing hundreds of children have sang during their day. Friday was also graced us with our furnace going out - really makes one appreciate the pleasure of being warm!

Davyd and I woke up at 5:30AM Saturday to participate in a Solstice celebration at Schlitz Audubon. Davyd Stokes did a lovely job through song and candles making tribute to longest night. We shared things we hoped for and things we wished leave behind. We symbolically marked the things we hoped to usher out, by writing them on the back of a smooth Lake Michigan rocks. We then hiked through the snow down to the beach and tossed the stones into the icy water. One could see darkness as negative, yet the dark gives us time to reflect and better see the light of the future. Happy Solstice.

Best Reads

So, here are a handful of the favorite reads from my bookshelf. A list of your favorite books can be one of the best gifts you can give someone. Share yours?


Fiction
Bitter Grounds - Sandra Benitez
Talk Before Sleep - Elizabeth Berg
The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
I Feel Bad About About My Neck - Nora Ephram
Something Curious About a Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon
Map of the World - Jane Hamition
The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
Bean Trees (and all others by BK) - Barbara Kingsolver
Close Company - Stories of Mothers and Daughters - Christine Park and Caroline Heaton
Christ the Lord - Anne Rice
A Gravestone Made of Wheat - Will Weaver


Nonfiction
Seeking Enlightenment Hat by Hat - Nevada Barr
How the Irish Saved to Mysteries of the Middle Ages - all of the books by Thomas Cahill
Where God Was Born - A Journey By Land o the Roots of Religion - Bruce Feiler
The World is Flat - Thomas Friedman
1491 - Charles Mann
Mayflower - Nathaniel Philbrick
Omnivores Dilemma - Michael Polan
History of the World in Six Glasses - Tom Standage
Brothers - The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years - David Talbot
A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle

Almond Biscotti

MMMMM -mmmmm and thanks to Connie Chaney for sharing this recipe with me - I just ad a little extra extract.

6 eggs
2 c sugar
1 1/2 c oil
2/3 c chopped almonds
6 tsp almond extract
5 tsp baking powder
6 c flour

I use my food processor but have also mixed by hand. Buzz almonds and then add sugar, oil and almond extract. Add to larger bowl with baking powder and flour and fold together until blended. Form 3-4 flat loaves (about 3-5 inches wide and 3/4 inches high in middle and taper ends to edge) on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake 40-50 minutes until golden brown - slice into1/2-3/4 inch slices and place sideways on pan and then bake 10-20 minutes more to dry. Let biscotti cool and then dip ends in melted chocolate chips and optionally dip in slivered almonds.

Russian Tea Cakes

My favorite Christmas cookies since way back when. AKA Mexican Wedding Cakes, Snowballs...

2 c butter
1 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
5 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 finely chopped walnuts

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add flour, salt and mix together until even though sandy in texture. Chill overnight and roll into 3/4 inch balls. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes, until just golden on bottom. Roll in powdered sugar just before they cool. Makes about 11 dozen.

Mortgage Crisis? What Mortgage Crisis?

All this talk of bailouts and credit crunch is driving me crazy - and I am not even a Republican! It must have been drilled into me as a kid "Work hard - save your money - live within you means."

Until last spring I worked since I was fourteen years old. True, I was fortunate that my dad helped me get my first job, at the church office across the street. I answered phones, light office work and did my homework when things got quiet. I worked three hours an evening - for a smacking $2.00 an hour. It was enough to build my savings account to pay for my private high school tuition. When I was sixteen I worked in a hospital kitchen earning double minimum wage. Thinking back, I am amazed at the responsibility I had, moving from cooks helper to dietitian's assistant and even kosher cook (that always astounded me as I was Catholic then!) Through college I had more interesting employment with jobs related to my profession, working at the Bell Museum of Natural History, Eddie Bauer, and as a Botany Teaching Assistant - sometimes all three at once! I paid for every penny of my college education - no debt. Upon graduation I had $1000 saved and I lived of that as I volunteered to do wildlife research for a year. Simple things made me happy - back then I felt as though I was rich if I could afford to buy mushrooms when I went grocery shopping. The volunteer work boosted my resume' and I was fortunate to get my dream job as a Wildlife Biologist for the US Forest Service.

When I got married my father again gave me financial support (in advice not cash) and suggested we live off one paycheck and save the other, at least until we had kids. That we did, which was fortunate because when I became a widow at 35, financially I could make ends meet. In time, I even paid off my mortgage. I have never liked credit - I prefer debit cards over credit cards. I am not quite into stuffing cash in the mattress, but if you haven't earned it I can't fathom wanting it. It's basic math in my mind.

Not that I don't squirm a bit - I retired in May and my investments have taken the same nose dive as everyone else. I also know not everyone is fortunate enough to even have investments to loose. I fear that as Americans we have and want to much. We expect so everything right now so we reach beyond our means and fool ourselves into believing that something is there when it isn't. It's better to live simpler and within our means. Thanks dad.

Snow Gone

I guess it was too good to be true. A little over a week ago the trees were blanketed in snow, we could ski the trails at Schlitz Audubon, winter was here. Yesterday it all melted. Waiting for more.....

Caramels

These are so good, it is a shame to just make them over the holidays. There used to be a woman I worked with that would ask me for weeks if I was going to bring any in until I did. Pier One usually has little bright colored boxes that are perfect to package these for little gifts. This recipe is also a good one for cookie exchanges.

4 c lite corn syrup
1 bag brown sugar
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 lb butter

Lightly butter a 11X17 rimmed cookie sheet or two 9X13 pans. Cook all ingredients to 240 degrees (soft ball stage) and then pour into pan. Cool at room temperature. Meanwhile cut wax paper in 2 1/2 X 4 inch pieces. After a few hours, use a long straight knife to cut caramels into 1/2 X 1 1/2 inch rectangles and wrap in wax paper, twisting each end. Makes about 150 caramels.

Fudge

OK, this is the first of several Christmas cookie recipes I intend to post. I hope it won't keep Jill and Ali from calling me for recipes every year though! This fudge recipe is just right to make thick fudge in a 11x17 inch rimmed cookie sheet. Enough for Pete to sneak some, to give to friends and plenty for holiday treats. Or you can cut it by a third if your family is more disciplined then mine.

9 c sugar
4 sticks butter
15 oz evaporated milk
36 oz chocolate chips
3 jars of marshmallow cream
3 c chopped walnuts
3 tsp vanilla

Line pan with foil or parchment. Combine sugar, butter and milk and bring to a boil 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in marshmallow cream, chocolate chips, walnuts and vanilla. Cool at least 4 hours.

Kitchen Progress

The Floor, walls and electrical are done! We have decided on three taupe and one red wall. Cabinets to follow next week.

Watch it evolve!

Favorites

Color I like to wear - Green or black
Regardless of size or circumstance, an animal I'd like as a pet - A chickadee that would rest on my shoulder and fly as I walk in the woods.
A flower I like to grow in my garden - Ferns, bloodroots and hepaticas
My lucky number - 3
Smells that give me pause - Lavender, honey, roses, thunderstorms
Tastes that makes me melt - A good chocolate cake, Meridith feta, Kopp's icecream, honeycrisp apples
Hobbies that occupy my time - Drawing, writing, knitting, decorating, being outdoors
A sport I enjoy watching - I don't enjoy spectator sports
Sport I enjoy participating in the most - Cross country skiing
Cities I enjoy visiting - Minneapolis, New York, Seattle
Favorite small town - Stockholm, Wisconsin
Countries I enjoyed exploring - Sweden, Norway, Finland, Australia, Canada
My favorite meal - Grilled salmon with lemon
Drink I often order - Cabernet or a latte
Most delicious dessert - Rhubarb custard pie
Game I like to play - Cribbage
Book I strongly recommend - 1491 (Mann), There is Something About my Neck (Ephram)
An author who has affected me - Victor Frankl (Man's Search for Meaning)
The magazine I read most frequently - New Yorker
The newspaper I prefer to read on Sunday - The New York Times
Music I prefer when I am alone - Classical or folk
Musician I currently listen to the most - Many on Pandora.com
A film I could watch over and over - I can't watch films over and over but have have watched Michael and Fried Green Tomatoes more then any other (but only 3-4 times)
A director I admire - ?
An actress whose performance I admire - Meryl Streep
An actor whose performances I admire - ?
A TV show I watch regularly - I haven't watched TV in years but recently started watching Brothers and Sisters
An artist whose work I highly respect - Georgia O'Keefe
A piece of clothing I love to wear - My black Smartwool long sleeve shirt
A monument I would like to view from my bedroom - Suzie Island archipelago
My favorite time of day - Just before the sun rises
My favorite place to sit at home - By the fireplace in the winter, on the deck in the summer
What I like to do most on Sunday - Sleep until the sun comes up and then read the NYTimes with a cup of Alterra coffee; find inspiration the rest of the morning by reading, going to church, or walking, biking or kayaking; in the afternoon write or draw, cook a great dinner with family or friends, and end the day by reading in bed.
My motto - "Do what you love, love what you do"

First of a series of questions from: All About Me by Phillip Keel. For those who have never taken the time to ask enough questions or those who have never been asked.

Kitchen Remodel

Yes this is the kitchen we baked our Thanksgiving pumpkin pies, turkey and sweet potatoes in this year. We are knee deep in a kitchen remodel! The project began on Halloween as we ordered the natural cherry cabinets, granite counter tops and oak flooring. The wiring and lighting are done, the flooring soon to be in and selecting paint color is our current challenge. Cabinets should be installed next week and counters around the new year. I must admit life is a little more hectic ("where did I put the rolling pin?") but I also enjoy the creative decisions. Stay tuned for photos documenting future progress.

So that is my excuse for infrequent posts!

Wild Rice Soup

Nic and Ali usually request this soup after Thanksgiving and I am happy to oblige. This is a modification of a recipe I found at Byerley's in Minneapolis. I thank Lee Westfield not only for taking me ricing some 21 years ago but for sharing the rice and maple syrup he has gathered these past few years.

6 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 small to medium onion minced
1/2 c flour
3 c chicken or vegetable broth
2 c cooked wild rice
1/2 c grated carrots
3 tbsp slivered almonds
1 c half and half (fat free half and half if feeling chubby or soy milk for vegans in the crowd)
2 tbsp dry sherry

Saute the onion in butter/oil. Blend in flour and gradually ad broth, stirring until mixture comes to a boil for one minute. Stir in rice, carrots, and almonds, simmering for about 5 minutes. Blend in sherry and half and half and heat until serving temperature.  The meat-eaters in our family add turkey, a dot of cranberries on top tastes great as well!