It's officially seed time -- seed catalogues are arriving every day, potting soil is popping up in spots vacated by Christmas items, and Lowe's has set up the early seed stands. When we walked into Lowe's on Sunday and spotted that, I was in disbelief. We're only a couple weeks into Winter and seeds are already out?! My husband just smirked; he'd been stating well before Christmas that as soon as the holiday was over, the seeds would be on sale.
I've so far resisted purchasing any seeds, mainly because those at Lowe's were crammed up against the customer service line, and I need to make an inventory of what's in "the box" already. I have a boot box full of seeds and I may be upgrading that this year. Ideas needed on this one. A tackle box has the right height, but it may actually be smaller than the current seed storage box.
I haven't really mapped out any garden plans this year. *Somewhere* is last year's short list of vegetables I wish I had added and wanted to integrate into the next year's scheme. Don has stated he would like to regain partial control of the garden and reclaim the sadly-underused portion that was Don III's garden. In the space I could have grown a full Summer's worth of bounty from, he managed to harvest a pumpkin and some zucchini. Showing up for one day a week and hosing the thing down (before it rained, of course), leaving the hose on the ground, and never weeding was his gardening maintenance schedule. The result was corn that was attacked by weeds and insects before it could finish forming an ear; cantaloupes that never fully ripened and just infested my garden, choking the tobacco; and way too many summer squash and zucchini, from which he probably only harvested a handful. His excuse on the large number of summer squash plants was that he could always give some away....thus marking the free farmer's market and our loss of garden space. As much as I wish to encourage him to learn to garden and be self-sufficient, he isn't finishing what he starts and two years is long enough for this experiment. He can pick from our gardens, cook up some squash or munch on tomatoes, but the jungle weed garden won't be making an appearance this year. I wanted to "lay the law down" last year, but didn't have the heart. It's good to see a guy his age interested in growing veggies, and I know the whole planning process is exciting for him, but this year he is relegated to container gardening. Many plants can be grown in pots, it will be a new experience for him. We'll consider it retraining -- I'll teach him how to weed my garden. I hope he won't be angry with us.
The big shove-out is partially due to the economy. Don isn't exactly an end-of-the-world theorist, but he does see us heading for an overdue depression and has been planning accordingly. As he states, he hopes he's wrong because then his stock will be fantastic, but he has a backup plan just in case. His planned use for his son's portion of the gardens is potatoes. Lots of potatoes. He's Irish, what more can I say? I hope he at least puts something above ground.
Suffice to say, Don has ordered me not to plant anything too exotic in my garden. He wants vegetables he can eat and identify. I particularly enjoyed when he made a face at an adorable yellow tomato in a seed catalogue and gave a small speech about the lack of flavour in hybrids. I had to point out that I was in the heirloom tomato section, and isn't one of his preferred tomatoes a hybrid? I will not be deterred from growing rainbow carrots (which have a much stronger carrot-y taste than the usual) and purple tomatoes (although I may have to grow a different strain than last time).
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
A Holly Jolly 2008 Feast
Today my husband informed me he wants the same feast I prepared for Christmas as this coming year's Easter spread. Everything, all of it, no changes. Except, with the addition of hard-boiled eggs, obviously. He loved it all, he even had one of his coworkers try the Wenslydale Tart & Pinot Noir Cranberry Sauce. Would you believe I actually pared down my menu this year, making dishes that would require minimal preparation time? Sometimes the best things require the least work. The entire menu, minus the Wenslydale Tart and mincemeat tarts (ok, and the bread), was prepared in under two hours. Remember, we had to first visit with Don's brothers and one of their families. While I had the ham, the cranberry sauce, and the apples in the oven, the men were munching on mincemeat tarts and scooping up the brie. I think I need more people to feed, though...hint, hint family and friends.
Try out these recipes and tell me what you think. Yes, I admit, there are no photos yet, but they are coming...I promise!
Creamed Spinach
2 bags of spinach (18 oz), cleaned, stemmed, and any excess water shaken off
1 pint heavy cream
1 1/2 c milk
flour, roughly 1/4 c
nutmeg
grated Parmesan
There's two (at least) perfectly acceptable methods for preparing the thickener for this dish. The easiest route is to put together a quick slurry by mixing together cold water and the flour, then adding it to the hot cream and milk. Or, if you're not super hyper and manage to remember this step, prepare a light roux by mixing the flour with melted butter and enough milk to form a paste, then cooking it off before slowly incorporating the milk and cream.
Using your thickener of choice, combine with the milk and cream in a large pot and bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and allow to thicken. Season well with freshly cracked pepper and salt, adding a few pinches of grated nutmeg and approximately 1/4 c Parmesan. Gradually add spinach to the pot, stirring well before each addition. If desired, a splash of Pernod or hot sauce can be added prior to serving.
Wenslydale Tart with Pinot Noir Cranberry Sauce (adapted from Epicurious.com)
The original recipe for this cheese tart calls for Stilton, but Wenslydale is equally fabulous and has the right texture and tang. Try it with both and see which you prefer.
Tart dough:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pastry-Dough-105948
Tart:
1 c heavy cream
1 egg + 2 egg yolks
1/4 lb Wenslydale, crumbled
Crumble cheese over baked tart crust. Whisk together cream and eggs until just combined, then season with salt and cracked black pepper; pour over cheese. Bake at 325F for 30 minutes, or until set and beginning to take on colour.
Pinot Noir Cranberry Sauce (adapted from Epicurious.com):
2 c fresh cranberries, washed and de-stemmed
1 2/3 c Pinot Noir (I used Fat Cat 2007)
1 1/3 c sugar
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp good curry powder (do not omit this, it is a key ingredient)
either 1/4 tsp Chinese 5 Spice or 1/8 tsp each cinnamon and ground cloves + 3 whole star anise and a pinch of cracked pepper (alternatively, this is a fantastic recipe for 5 spice but it won't be exactly as I used)
about 1/4 tsp arrowroot powder
Mix together all ingredients in saucepan (or bake at 400F until thick and syrupy for about 40 min like I did) and allow to thicken, adding more arrowroot if necessary. Serve warm or chilled -- either is fantastic!
Cherry and Whiskey Glaze
This is a concoction I put together for glazing the Christmas ham, but it could be used on any meat, or even a dessert.
1/3 c cherry preserves (I used Morello Cherry Preserves from Aldi)
1/8 c Irish Whiskey (Kilbeggan!)
Mix together and heat until the preserves dissolve and form a thick syrup. Use however you desire.
Baked Apples with Treacle Syrup
6 or so apples, enough to fill the dish (figure about 1-2 apples per person)
a handful of brown sugar (guessing about 1/4-1/3 c, depending on # of apples)
1/2 c hard cider (that we unintentionally, but happily, purchased from a local orchard)
1/8 c treacle or golden syrup, preferably Lyle's
1/4 tsp arrowroot, or more as needed
Peel, halve and core apples, placing upside down in baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pour hard cider into dish around apples. Bake at 400F about 30 minutes, or until the apples start to caramelize. The apples will give off juices in the cooking process, mixing with the cider. Using a turkey baster, remove all liquid from baking dish 10 minutes before removing from oven. Mix liquid with treacle or golden syrup and arrowroot. Microwave for a couple minutes, until it begins to bubble up and turn syrupy. Pour half the syrup over the apples and continue baking, reserving leftover syrup for guests to pour over an extra helping.
Baked Brie Topped with Caramelized Onions and Cranberries
1 brie round
1 large onion
1/8 c brown sugar
3-4 tb butter
1/8 c + 1 tb dried cranberries, or you could use cranberry chutney
rum
Thinly slice top off brie, placing it in gratin dish; top with remaining brie round. Slice onion and sauté with butter, adding brown sugar once onions soften. Continue to cook onions, allowing to caramelize to a thick jam consistency. Remove from heat and cool. Plump cranberries in 1/4 c boiling hot rum; spoon out cranberries to another dish using a slotted spoon, discarding remaining rum. Top brie round with caramelized onions and plumped cranberries, scattering excess cranberries around brie in dish. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, until sides just start to slightly collapse and brie looks a little melted. Garnish with orange zest. I served this with puff pastry twists, pretzel crisps, simple butter crackers, and a French wreath bread.
Try out these recipes and tell me what you think. Yes, I admit, there are no photos yet, but they are coming...I promise!
Creamed Spinach
2 bags of spinach (18 oz), cleaned, stemmed, and any excess water shaken off
1 pint heavy cream
1 1/2 c milk
flour, roughly 1/4 c
nutmeg
grated Parmesan
There's two (at least) perfectly acceptable methods for preparing the thickener for this dish. The easiest route is to put together a quick slurry by mixing together cold water and the flour, then adding it to the hot cream and milk. Or, if you're not super hyper and manage to remember this step, prepare a light roux by mixing the flour with melted butter and enough milk to form a paste, then cooking it off before slowly incorporating the milk and cream.
Using your thickener of choice, combine with the milk and cream in a large pot and bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and allow to thicken. Season well with freshly cracked pepper and salt, adding a few pinches of grated nutmeg and approximately 1/4 c Parmesan. Gradually add spinach to the pot, stirring well before each addition. If desired, a splash of Pernod or hot sauce can be added prior to serving.
Wenslydale Tart with Pinot Noir Cranberry Sauce (adapted from Epicurious.com)
The original recipe for this cheese tart calls for Stilton, but Wenslydale is equally fabulous and has the right texture and tang. Try it with both and see which you prefer.
Tart dough:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pastry-Dough-105948
Tart:
1 c heavy cream
1 egg + 2 egg yolks
1/4 lb Wenslydale, crumbled
Crumble cheese over baked tart crust. Whisk together cream and eggs until just combined, then season with salt and cracked black pepper; pour over cheese. Bake at 325F for 30 minutes, or until set and beginning to take on colour.
Pinot Noir Cranberry Sauce (adapted from Epicurious.com):
2 c fresh cranberries, washed and de-stemmed
1 2/3 c Pinot Noir (I used Fat Cat 2007)
1 1/3 c sugar
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp good curry powder (do not omit this, it is a key ingredient)
either 1/4 tsp Chinese 5 Spice or 1/8 tsp each cinnamon and ground cloves + 3 whole star anise and a pinch of cracked pepper (alternatively, this is a fantastic recipe for 5 spice but it won't be exactly as I used)
about 1/4 tsp arrowroot powder
Mix together all ingredients in saucepan (or bake at 400F until thick and syrupy for about 40 min like I did) and allow to thicken, adding more arrowroot if necessary. Serve warm or chilled -- either is fantastic!
Cherry and Whiskey Glaze
This is a concoction I put together for glazing the Christmas ham, but it could be used on any meat, or even a dessert.
1/3 c cherry preserves (I used Morello Cherry Preserves from Aldi)
1/8 c Irish Whiskey (Kilbeggan!)
Mix together and heat until the preserves dissolve and form a thick syrup. Use however you desire.
Baked Apples with Treacle Syrup
6 or so apples, enough to fill the dish (figure about 1-2 apples per person)
a handful of brown sugar (guessing about 1/4-1/3 c, depending on # of apples)
1/2 c hard cider (that we unintentionally, but happily, purchased from a local orchard)
1/8 c treacle or golden syrup, preferably Lyle's
1/4 tsp arrowroot, or more as needed
Peel, halve and core apples, placing upside down in baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pour hard cider into dish around apples. Bake at 400F about 30 minutes, or until the apples start to caramelize. The apples will give off juices in the cooking process, mixing with the cider. Using a turkey baster, remove all liquid from baking dish 10 minutes before removing from oven. Mix liquid with treacle or golden syrup and arrowroot. Microwave for a couple minutes, until it begins to bubble up and turn syrupy. Pour half the syrup over the apples and continue baking, reserving leftover syrup for guests to pour over an extra helping.
Baked Brie Topped with Caramelized Onions and Cranberries
1 brie round
1 large onion
1/8 c brown sugar
3-4 tb butter
1/8 c + 1 tb dried cranberries, or you could use cranberry chutney
rum
Thinly slice top off brie, placing it in gratin dish; top with remaining brie round. Slice onion and sauté with butter, adding brown sugar once onions soften. Continue to cook onions, allowing to caramelize to a thick jam consistency. Remove from heat and cool. Plump cranberries in 1/4 c boiling hot rum; spoon out cranberries to another dish using a slotted spoon, discarding remaining rum. Top brie round with caramelized onions and plumped cranberries, scattering excess cranberries around brie in dish. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, until sides just start to slightly collapse and brie looks a little melted. Garnish with orange zest. I served this with puff pastry twists, pretzel crisps, simple butter crackers, and a French wreath bread.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
~Nadolig Llawen~
We're clinging onto the last few hours of Christmas day here. Can you believe I have to work tomorrow? After a couple glasses of Fat Cat Pinot Noir, and a day's worth of activity, I am quite lucky to be typing the correct letters. Karen, my sister-in-law, dreamily informed us this afternoon that she had drank 5 glasses of wine and wanted us to stay longer because she felt like chatting a lot. Dale, our illustrious brother-in-law, prophetically chose his gift this year for her -- an Alcoholics Anonymous handbook that he found on a bus. He seems to think I need a little religion in my life, for he presented me with a Quran. Let's not forget the accusation that I am a member of Al Qaeda and have infiltrated the family (the only possible explanation for why I hooked up with his brother). Maybe it has something to do with my husband's spontaneous outbursts about the government and the possibility of mandatory gold recalls at set prices. Just a thought. So what did the "gold hoarder" receive for Christmas from his brother? A "bling watch" the size of a wall clock and studded with rhinestones. We bought him a very special soap, colour-coded and labelled for anatomical use on either side, to remove those public transport pathogens. Karen, our newly proclaimed AA kin, had a shirt made for Dale with the monogram "FOB" -- Found on Bus.
Although it would have been nice to stay a bit and let someone else do the cooking for once, Don's son was meeting us back at the house after he had Christmas lunch at his mother's house. However, we didn't quite make it out before Karen raged a jihad on my still-sensitive teeth with a rock hard cookie. It looked delicious, the cookies weren't burned, but they were devoid of any moisture (think she lost track of the time between glasses of wine). Don gently steered me away from a peanut blossom, but I thought a chocolate chip cookie would be safe. Afterwards, I was certain I had lost a filling or rammed my teeth into the roots. Thankfully, we have a tube of sensodyne-type gel in the medicine cabinet.
Christmas back at our house was a bit more tame. Don and I have a tradition that we open one gift an hour each. I put together a heavy Christmas morning breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, and orange poppy seed muffins (in snowmen, Santa, and tree shapes) topped with citrus preserves. The stockings were carted to the kitchen table as a teaser to the gifts to come, Don's stuffed with chocolate and techy accessories. I'm writing this post from one of my gifts -- a sleek new Medion Akoya laptop. As an extra surprise, Don had already customised it, replacing Windows with Linux and adjusting the settings to connect to the LAN. All I have to do is install the drivers for the Nvidia GeForce card and the fingerprint reader.
While the laptop was the big gift, Don had several other good surprises in store. He upgraded my knife block with a new Chicago Cutlery carbon steel 18-piece set, which I have already put to good use. Other goodies include an incredibly soft and cuddly red terry cloth robe, slipper boots for keeping warm inside, and a self-charging smoke alarm and portable alarms for doors and windows for my safety.
I did a little splurging on Don as well... He's been drooling over digital camcorders for a while, so Santa brought him a 9.1 mp Sanyo Xacti CG9 pocket-size digital camcorder. It's gorgeous...the video is surprisingly good and it adjusts well to changes in lighting and focus. Don had been asking for an MP3 player; something he could download talk radio shows and europop to for listening at work or whilst mowing the lawn. A Sandisk Sansa e250 did the trick. Nothing too fancy, but enough options to allow it to expand as Don finds more uses for it. Also tucked under the tree from Santa's bag were the DVD and CD for Naqoyqatsi, the third and final film of the Qatsi documentary trilogy (he already had the other two); a Nissan Thermos travel mug for his morning coffee; and the art deco World's Fair poster he chose online.
Dinner turned out fantastic, even though the menfolk filled up on starters. When we returned from Duane and Karen's house, Don III was already waiting at the house. I had baked the mincemeat tarts before we left, requiring only that they be placed on a plate before I headed back to the kitchen to prepare the baked brie. For the brie, I simply sliced off the top of the rind, then scooped on brown sugar-caramelized onions, rum-soaked cranberries, and a little orange zest. Ten minutes later, I called the men to the table for the brie (with orders to bring in the mincemeat tarts), which I served with a French bread wreath looking just like this one: http://daytonsbread.blogspot.com/2008/12/wreath-of-european-peasant-bread.html Very easy to make, choose your favourite bread recipe and just adjust the shape. For dinner, I basted a brown sugar-cured ham with cherry preserves and Kilbeggan Irish whiskey. Served alongside were apples baked in a treacle and hard cider syrup, creamed spinach, and a Wenslydale cheese tart with Pinot Noir cranberry sauce. Recipes and pictures coming tomorrow....
Although it would have been nice to stay a bit and let someone else do the cooking for once, Don's son was meeting us back at the house after he had Christmas lunch at his mother's house. However, we didn't quite make it out before Karen raged a jihad on my still-sensitive teeth with a rock hard cookie. It looked delicious, the cookies weren't burned, but they were devoid of any moisture (think she lost track of the time between glasses of wine). Don gently steered me away from a peanut blossom, but I thought a chocolate chip cookie would be safe. Afterwards, I was certain I had lost a filling or rammed my teeth into the roots. Thankfully, we have a tube of sensodyne-type gel in the medicine cabinet.
Christmas back at our house was a bit more tame. Don and I have a tradition that we open one gift an hour each. I put together a heavy Christmas morning breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, and orange poppy seed muffins (in snowmen, Santa, and tree shapes) topped with citrus preserves. The stockings were carted to the kitchen table as a teaser to the gifts to come, Don's stuffed with chocolate and techy accessories. I'm writing this post from one of my gifts -- a sleek new Medion Akoya laptop. As an extra surprise, Don had already customised it, replacing Windows with Linux and adjusting the settings to connect to the LAN. All I have to do is install the drivers for the Nvidia GeForce card and the fingerprint reader.
While the laptop was the big gift, Don had several other good surprises in store. He upgraded my knife block with a new Chicago Cutlery carbon steel 18-piece set, which I have already put to good use. Other goodies include an incredibly soft and cuddly red terry cloth robe, slipper boots for keeping warm inside, and a self-charging smoke alarm and portable alarms for doors and windows for my safety.
I did a little splurging on Don as well... He's been drooling over digital camcorders for a while, so Santa brought him a 9.1 mp Sanyo Xacti CG9 pocket-size digital camcorder. It's gorgeous...the video is surprisingly good and it adjusts well to changes in lighting and focus. Don had been asking for an MP3 player; something he could download talk radio shows and europop to for listening at work or whilst mowing the lawn. A Sandisk Sansa e250 did the trick. Nothing too fancy, but enough options to allow it to expand as Don finds more uses for it. Also tucked under the tree from Santa's bag were the DVD and CD for Naqoyqatsi, the third and final film of the Qatsi documentary trilogy (he already had the other two); a Nissan Thermos travel mug for his morning coffee; and the art deco World's Fair poster he chose online.
Dinner turned out fantastic, even though the menfolk filled up on starters. When we returned from Duane and Karen's house, Don III was already waiting at the house. I had baked the mincemeat tarts before we left, requiring only that they be placed on a plate before I headed back to the kitchen to prepare the baked brie. For the brie, I simply sliced off the top of the rind, then scooped on brown sugar-caramelized onions, rum-soaked cranberries, and a little orange zest. Ten minutes later, I called the men to the table for the brie (with orders to bring in the mincemeat tarts), which I served with a French bread wreath looking just like this one: http://daytonsbread.blogspot.com/2008/12/wreath-of-european-peasant-bread.html Very easy to make, choose your favourite bread recipe and just adjust the shape. For dinner, I basted a brown sugar-cured ham with cherry preserves and Kilbeggan Irish whiskey. Served alongside were apples baked in a treacle and hard cider syrup, creamed spinach, and a Wenslydale cheese tart with Pinot Noir cranberry sauce. Recipes and pictures coming tomorrow....
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
USPS & Fedex Madness
I really try not to complain too much; no one enjoys a perpetual griper. Actually, my latest rant is kind of amusing in a mind-boggling, am-I-going-insane sort of way. Let's get you up to date:
On November 13th, I bought Donnie's first Christmas present online. The next day, the seller emailed that it was shipped via USPS Ground shipping and should arrive in 4-14 business days. It's now December 16th -- it never arrived. The seller has been very good with maintaining email contact about this issue; no complaints on communication. Yesterday, the seller, noting it had been a month now, announced it would be sending a replacement in under 24 hours. That actually really surprised me. I was completely expecting the company to keep me on the line until I gave up and went away, which they would have rightly assumed as it isn't really worth more bother. The item isn't an expensive one and it is quite probable the shipping issue is not their fault at all. So, if this item shows up in the next few days, the seller in question is going to get a rave review courtesy of yours truly.
Mistakes happen, boxes sometimes end up on the wrong doorsteps or enter a sorting machine black hole. It's usually not a tragedy. Not receiving the chestnut purée that I ordered before Thanksgiving for the chestnut cheesecake is not a tragedy. What is driving me insane is that Fedex has recorded in its computers that the item was delivered to my front door November 28th. Yeah...been checking that porch (and the side porch and mailbox and every other area anyone would drop off a box) several times a day since I started ordering Christmas gifts in mid-November. The house number is on the mailbox. Out of the nine items I've ordered online in the past two months, with my Paypal confirmed address, only the chestnut purée and the previously mentioned gift item have failed to arrive. It's not as though the box got lost somewhere or wasn't shipped -- someone recorded it as delivered! Either a computer error was made (understandable, that happens, but where's my box?) or the Fedex delivery person saw the company name on the box and took it for himself thinking he was getting a couple ounces of beluga. I'm beginning to accept there won't be chestnut cheesecake on the Christmas menu, either.
Don and I do quite a bit of online shopping. You save money and it's easier to find exactly what you're looking for without having to settle for what is at the local shops. We've had mail issues in the past -- the village post office kept returning the refund from my stolen traveller's cheques because they didn't know I'd shacked up with the mayor (that's small towns for you...and don't pack anything of value in your checked luggage if you're travelling via PHL); there was a delay on receiving the comforter order for our new bedroom because the seller couldn't comprehend a rural address and thought we wanted to stuff it in a post box (refer to Paypal confirmed address); and then...huh, I think that's it. Oh! I had to start locking the doors at all times to prevent the UPS guy from letting the cat out. All in all, we really don't have too many problems receiving mail. Don has had no issues receiving the several packages he's ordered in the past month or two, including the itsy bitsy tool part he had to order from England and the four wheels for my car (snow tire time). At the very least, it would be nice to know what happened to the two errant packages. That way, maybe I can cease the repeat nighttime searches with a flashlight around the porches and garage.
On November 13th, I bought Donnie's first Christmas present online. The next day, the seller emailed that it was shipped via USPS Ground shipping and should arrive in 4-14 business days. It's now December 16th -- it never arrived. The seller has been very good with maintaining email contact about this issue; no complaints on communication. Yesterday, the seller, noting it had been a month now, announced it would be sending a replacement in under 24 hours. That actually really surprised me. I was completely expecting the company to keep me on the line until I gave up and went away, which they would have rightly assumed as it isn't really worth more bother. The item isn't an expensive one and it is quite probable the shipping issue is not their fault at all. So, if this item shows up in the next few days, the seller in question is going to get a rave review courtesy of yours truly.
Mistakes happen, boxes sometimes end up on the wrong doorsteps or enter a sorting machine black hole. It's usually not a tragedy. Not receiving the chestnut purée that I ordered before Thanksgiving for the chestnut cheesecake is not a tragedy. What is driving me insane is that Fedex has recorded in its computers that the item was delivered to my front door November 28th. Yeah...been checking that porch (and the side porch and mailbox and every other area anyone would drop off a box) several times a day since I started ordering Christmas gifts in mid-November. The house number is on the mailbox. Out of the nine items I've ordered online in the past two months, with my Paypal confirmed address, only the chestnut purée and the previously mentioned gift item have failed to arrive. It's not as though the box got lost somewhere or wasn't shipped -- someone recorded it as delivered! Either a computer error was made (understandable, that happens, but where's my box?) or the Fedex delivery person saw the company name on the box and took it for himself thinking he was getting a couple ounces of beluga. I'm beginning to accept there won't be chestnut cheesecake on the Christmas menu, either.
Don and I do quite a bit of online shopping. You save money and it's easier to find exactly what you're looking for without having to settle for what is at the local shops. We've had mail issues in the past -- the village post office kept returning the refund from my stolen traveller's cheques because they didn't know I'd shacked up with the mayor (that's small towns for you...and don't pack anything of value in your checked luggage if you're travelling via PHL); there was a delay on receiving the comforter order for our new bedroom because the seller couldn't comprehend a rural address and thought we wanted to stuff it in a post box (refer to Paypal confirmed address); and then...huh, I think that's it. Oh! I had to start locking the doors at all times to prevent the UPS guy from letting the cat out. All in all, we really don't have too many problems receiving mail. Don has had no issues receiving the several packages he's ordered in the past month or two, including the itsy bitsy tool part he had to order from England and the four wheels for my car (snow tire time). At the very least, it would be nice to know what happened to the two errant packages. That way, maybe I can cease the repeat nighttime searches with a flashlight around the porches and garage.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Stewart Vs. The Hamster Wheel of Horror
When you live in a rural area, you get used to auto-wildlife collisions. Dragging a deer under your car and having its antlers snap the radiator in half (Don), get a bat stuck in your van grill (Don again), or incinerating a field mouse in your blower vent. Technically, Don committed the last deed as well for he was the one that actually moved my car and caused the heat to turn on. He's demanding his case be stated on this one, though.
It all started Thursday. I came home from work a half hour early (because I went in three hours early) and parked my barely warmed car at the garage. Behind the garage is a wooded hill leading up the mountain -- prime rodent hiding spot. Two hours later, Don came home (also early) and moved my car so he could place his inside the garage to protect it from the forecasted snow/ice. Before you ask, I had Friday off work. A few minutes later, he walked inside the house with a disturbed look on his face and stated that my car's blower vent was making a strange noise. It wasn't making that noise on my way home from work... He was worried that a replacement may be in order. There was also that little problem of the spent fuse when he turned the heat up to the '3' setting.
On Friday, he researched the situation for possible causes, got some feedback from his coworkers. On Saturday, we bought more fuses. I made a batch of cocoa for us and watched, from the warmth of the kerosene heater, as he began dismantling the glove compartment area to reach the blower vent. First, though, I had to hear the noise.
Don: *getting ready to turn the ignition* "Sit there and listen so you can hear the sound it's making."
Me: "I think I'll stay out here away from explosions."
Don: *apparently with heat on in car now* "Did you hear that?"
Me: "No; I was out here."
I warily agreed to sit in the passenger seat the second time he tried the experiment. Sure enough, there was a soft thudding noise that wasn't there before. That ruled out my theory that ice had got in there. Thinking positive, I suggested perhaps it was a snake. Or a big worm.
Don went to work getting to the blower vent. When he finally had it in his hands, he tried to stifle a laugh as he warned me not to scream. Laying in the "hamster wheel" was a small field mouse. In the short time my car was parked, he had managed to get into the blower and moved a few acorns in with him. After snacking on the acorns, he unwittingly committed auto seppaku, ritual disembowelment via blower vent. I actually feel sorry for the little critter. He thought he'd made a real find, a warm spot away from the elements. At least it was a mouse and not a small kitten as I feared, though. On the good side, car sounds fine now!
It all started Thursday. I came home from work a half hour early (because I went in three hours early) and parked my barely warmed car at the garage. Behind the garage is a wooded hill leading up the mountain -- prime rodent hiding spot. Two hours later, Don came home (also early) and moved my car so he could place his inside the garage to protect it from the forecasted snow/ice. Before you ask, I had Friday off work. A few minutes later, he walked inside the house with a disturbed look on his face and stated that my car's blower vent was making a strange noise. It wasn't making that noise on my way home from work... He was worried that a replacement may be in order. There was also that little problem of the spent fuse when he turned the heat up to the '3' setting.
On Friday, he researched the situation for possible causes, got some feedback from his coworkers. On Saturday, we bought more fuses. I made a batch of cocoa for us and watched, from the warmth of the kerosene heater, as he began dismantling the glove compartment area to reach the blower vent. First, though, I had to hear the noise.
Don: *getting ready to turn the ignition* "Sit there and listen so you can hear the sound it's making."
Me: "I think I'll stay out here away from explosions."
Don: *apparently with heat on in car now* "Did you hear that?"
Me: "No; I was out here."
I warily agreed to sit in the passenger seat the second time he tried the experiment. Sure enough, there was a soft thudding noise that wasn't there before. That ruled out my theory that ice had got in there. Thinking positive, I suggested perhaps it was a snake. Or a big worm.
Don went to work getting to the blower vent. When he finally had it in his hands, he tried to stifle a laugh as he warned me not to scream. Laying in the "hamster wheel" was a small field mouse. In the short time my car was parked, he had managed to get into the blower and moved a few acorns in with him. After snacking on the acorns, he unwittingly committed auto seppaku, ritual disembowelment via blower vent. I actually feel sorry for the little critter. He thought he'd made a real find, a warm spot away from the elements. At least it was a mouse and not a small kitten as I feared, though. On the good side, car sounds fine now!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Anyone Need a Christmas Turkey?
Normally, animals take shelter during an ice storm. Not our stupid wild turkeys, though. I was driving out of the parking lot at work this afternoon when I noticed hulking figures moving about in the heavy sleet. We weren't being invaded by transients; no, there had to be around 50 turkeys lumbering about, looking for wiggly snacks on the lawn. Either they thought themselves safe under the cover of the bloated grey clouds, or were all too aware (and a little too confident) that turkey season was over and deer season had begun. I had my camera, and almost stopped my car in the middle of the exit drive to snap a few pics, but grudgingly continued on. There was the minor concern that another car would pull up behind me, which wouldn't have been good as we're also not allowed to have cameras on grounds, not to mention that any photo would most likely have come out blurred competing with the weather. It was a cute moment, though, seeing a herd of filthy, mean mammals stomping around in the open. Not quite as surprising as when I encountered the grey fox on the way to the car earlier this week, but definitely the most pleasant interlude in my day.
I'm not sure if it's raining or sleeting right now, but there's been a wintry mix since 4 am this morning. The forecast is calling for the mix to completely move over to snow sometime tonight, but not before it coats everything with an inch of ice. Don has already warned me to expect power failure -- can I just take the snow? :) It would be nice to do a little baking tomorrow and this weekend, a white background outside serving as a perfect contrast to the toasty kitchen. Two people today were already asking for a batch of kringler, reminding me it's time to start bringing in some Christmas treats.
We finished the Christmas shopping last night. The tree is almost completely decorated -- I've left some ornaments for the menfolk to put up and have plans to put together a dozen or so feathered ornaments. Ming managed to behave around the feathers until last night. Don pointed out this morning that Ming had found the opened bag and mauled a few. Maybe I should be more careful about leaving out open bags of real feathers, particularly when they've been imported from China. He has already claimed the bell ornaments I made last year; whenever he's mad about humans neglecting his each and every need, he angrily tosses the bells between the parlour and living room.
Yikes - the lights are flickering again! Let's see if there's snow tomorrow.
I'm not sure if it's raining or sleeting right now, but there's been a wintry mix since 4 am this morning. The forecast is calling for the mix to completely move over to snow sometime tonight, but not before it coats everything with an inch of ice. Don has already warned me to expect power failure -- can I just take the snow? :) It would be nice to do a little baking tomorrow and this weekend, a white background outside serving as a perfect contrast to the toasty kitchen. Two people today were already asking for a batch of kringler, reminding me it's time to start bringing in some Christmas treats.
We finished the Christmas shopping last night. The tree is almost completely decorated -- I've left some ornaments for the menfolk to put up and have plans to put together a dozen or so feathered ornaments. Ming managed to behave around the feathers until last night. Don pointed out this morning that Ming had found the opened bag and mauled a few. Maybe I should be more careful about leaving out open bags of real feathers, particularly when they've been imported from China. He has already claimed the bell ornaments I made last year; whenever he's mad about humans neglecting his each and every need, he angrily tosses the bells between the parlour and living room.
Yikes - the lights are flickering again! Let's see if there's snow tomorrow.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Christmas Shopping Update; Taking Backup for the Valley Run
I was planning to hit the Valley today. Well, technically I was in the Valley, but not the really busy part. Didn't have to join the mad traffic, however there wasn't much in the way of stores either. When I related my shop-til-I-drop plans to my husband last night, he reminded me there are crazy people in the Valley who drive like they are on acid. Actually, they're on meth, but that's another story. Mentioning one particular town, where a neat store is mistakenly located, really got his attention. As calmly as possible, steam beginning to softly waft out his ears, he stated he didn't think it would be a good idea for me to go to that neighbourhood alone. I wasn't really considering doing that, was I? I did remind him I have been in that neighbourhood alone before, once for a few minutes driving out of it, due to work. I did have a big van to run over people with at the time, though.
This morning, Donnie quizzed me as to my scheduled day's events. I told him I was plotting a course on my Garmin, trying to decide between malls. Many comments followed about little blonds being easy victims for rape and carjackings LOL I was going to be stolen; bad things would happen. Then he promised to escort me to the malls for Christmas shopping Tuesday night. Good thing Macy's is open real late now.
Is Macy's always open so late this time of year? I don't recall the hours extending to midnight last year. That's the case this year, on Fridays and Saturdays. Tuesday's hours are until 10 PM, not too bad.
Anyways, today I hit the economy shops that are located within 25 minutes of home. Don and I will hunt down the remaining three gifts and stocking stuffers on Tuesday. I'll have to make him turn his back when I purchase his stocking stuffers. I purchased all but one of the gifts we were planning to get little Don - the last one is at Macy's, of course. Have some stocking stuffer ideas in mind, already. Two of Don's gifts are still on the way, somewhere in UPS or USPS or FedEx land. We have one small item to get for our sister-in-law and one for Don's youngest brother. His other brother's gift is in the mail...I don't think he can beat us this year in the classless gift contest :) Other than that, it's time to start putting together the care packages to mail to my family. Any suggestions from fam reading this??
This morning, Donnie quizzed me as to my scheduled day's events. I told him I was plotting a course on my Garmin, trying to decide between malls. Many comments followed about little blonds being easy victims for rape and carjackings LOL I was going to be stolen; bad things would happen. Then he promised to escort me to the malls for Christmas shopping Tuesday night. Good thing Macy's is open real late now.
Is Macy's always open so late this time of year? I don't recall the hours extending to midnight last year. That's the case this year, on Fridays and Saturdays. Tuesday's hours are until 10 PM, not too bad.
Anyways, today I hit the economy shops that are located within 25 minutes of home. Don and I will hunt down the remaining three gifts and stocking stuffers on Tuesday. I'll have to make him turn his back when I purchase his stocking stuffers. I purchased all but one of the gifts we were planning to get little Don - the last one is at Macy's, of course. Have some stocking stuffer ideas in mind, already. Two of Don's gifts are still on the way, somewhere in UPS or USPS or FedEx land. We have one small item to get for our sister-in-law and one for Don's youngest brother. His other brother's gift is in the mail...I don't think he can beat us this year in the classless gift contest :) Other than that, it's time to start putting together the care packages to mail to my family. Any suggestions from fam reading this??
Curry & Dried Cranberry Bread
Up until a couple years ago, I would have cringed at the sight of one of the most infamous baking shortcuts, the bread machine. Then, during one of my mother's car-packed visits, she passed on her little-used bread machine, stating I would make better use of it. To ease the pain of another enormous piece of machinery in the kitchen, she and my sister bought me what turned out to be a really neat bread machine cookbook. About a third of the recipes in the book actually are meant to be baked in the oven but can be prepped with the bread machine if you're strapped for time. Any bread machine recipe can be made the traditional way, so it really depends on how lazy you're feeling.
One of the recipes in this mysterious bread cookbook was for a Curry and Smoked Almond Bread. Just the picture made me drool; I had to make it just to replicate the sandwich in the photo! Chicken, tomato, sautéed red onion and a heavy spread of dijon...mmm.... I've adapted the recipe slightly, adjusting measurements, omitting the almonds and replacing the currants with dried cranberries. Psst...I'm also switching the chicken with turkey.
Curry & Dried Cranberry Sandwich Bread
2 tsp curry powder
1 tb butter, melted
3 c flour
3/4 c warm milk
2 tsp yeast
1/4 c dried cranberries
1 tb brown sugar
1 egg
chopped smoked almonds, if desired
This loaf can be made using a bread machine or oven. I went with the bread machine. If you are going with the traditional method, try this:
Combine curry powder and butter. Proof yeast with milk and brown sugar; add curry butter mixture. Add egg, then kneed in flour to make a soft dough. Gently kneed in dried cranberries. Place in large greased loaf pan and allow to double in size. Bake at 375F until golden.
The aroma of this bread is wonderful. The entire kitchen has a yeasty, spicy warm note to it right now.
One of the recipes in this mysterious bread cookbook was for a Curry and Smoked Almond Bread. Just the picture made me drool; I had to make it just to replicate the sandwich in the photo! Chicken, tomato, sautéed red onion and a heavy spread of dijon...mmm.... I've adapted the recipe slightly, adjusting measurements, omitting the almonds and replacing the currants with dried cranberries. Psst...I'm also switching the chicken with turkey.
Curry & Dried Cranberry Sandwich Bread
2 tsp curry powder
1 tb butter, melted
3 c flour
3/4 c warm milk
2 tsp yeast
1/4 c dried cranberries
1 tb brown sugar
1 egg
chopped smoked almonds, if desired
This loaf can be made using a bread machine or oven. I went with the bread machine. If you are going with the traditional method, try this:
Combine curry powder and butter. Proof yeast with milk and brown sugar; add curry butter mixture. Add egg, then kneed in flour to make a soft dough. Gently kneed in dried cranberries. Place in large greased loaf pan and allow to double in size. Bake at 375F until golden.
The aroma of this bread is wonderful. The entire kitchen has a yeasty, spicy warm note to it right now.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Revisiting the Thanksgiving Kitchen '08
Plump roasted turkey ready for carvingThanksgiving may be over, but perhaps some of these recipes would be helpful for your Christmas feast? Otherwise, save them for another special dinner.
For the first time ever, the entire meal went per schedule. Appetizers just before noon, turkey out at 1:30 pm and ready for slicing at 2 pm. Yet, the perfect coordination seemed to be all for nought really. I was cooking for only two other people; my husband seemed to enjoy the Thanksgiving feast, but my step-son was feeling a bit down and had to keep his portions small as he had to attend yet another dinner at his mother's house later on. We're going to have to come up with a helpful resolution for this issue; I don't like feeling as if we're playing a game of tug-of-war at every holiday and obligating his presence. Besides, who says Thanksgiving cannot be celebrated on Thanksgiving Eve? It means taking another day off work, but that may be the solution to that holiday. Also, it gives further argument to Don's insistence that we roast a ham, rather than turkey, for Thanksgiving :) However, I am not giving up Christmas day *crossing arms firmly across chest and giving the "eye"*
Naan with Prosciutto, Gorgonzola, and Fig Preserves
1 pkg pre-made Naan bread (unless you're really enterprising and have the oven to make your own)
1/8 lb thinly-sliced Prosciutto
fig preserves
crumbled Gorgonzola
Drizzle olive oil over Naan bread, then put under broiler for 2 minutes. Liberally spread flatbreads with fig preserves, just enough Gorgonzola to lightly cover surface, and three to four slices of Prosciutto. Place back under broiler, further away from the heat this time, until crispy and light golden.
Oyster Stuffing
4 oz fresh oysters
1 pre-made cornbread, cooled (use the basic recipe on the bag or buy a pre-baked one)
half a bag of cubed bread (I was taking a shortcut - make your own if desired)
1 small onion
2 celery ribs
4 oz butter
few rashers of bacon, cut into 1" pieces
2 eggs, beaten
4 oz mushrooms, thickly sliced
dried sage
thyme
handful of fresh parsley
chicken or turkey stock/juices
Using either a cubed crusty baguette or ciabatta, or a bag of crouton-size bread, place evenly in oven pan and bake until crunchy. Cut cornbread into chunks and add to large bowl with cubed bread. Pan fry bacon until crispy; set aside to cool. Melt butter in pan, sauté with onion and celery. Add ingredients to large bowl with bread. Drizzle pan lightly with olive oil and quickly sauté mushrooms and oysters for no more than a couple minutes. Place in bowl, adding enough chicken/turkey stock/juices to moisten stuffing and fold in beaten eggs. Season well with dried sage, thyme, parsley, salt and freshly cracked pepper. Bake at 400F for 35 minutes.
One of two loaves of fresh Boston Brown Bread from our stovetopBoston Bread Stuffing with Fennel, Bacon, Apple and Sausage
Boston Brown Bread (cut into 2" chunks):
http://abigailsbakery.com/bread-recipes/boston-brown-bread-recipe.htm
leftover baguette, cubed into 2" chunks
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 small onion, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
4 rashers bacon, cut into 1" pieces
2 small-medium green apples, peeled and chopped into thick chunks
16 oz pork sausage (I used Jimmy Dean Original, that tubular thing in the plastic wrapping)
turkey juice, about a cup
1/2 tsp fennel seed, lightly crushed
1/2-1 tsp ground sage
Bake bread chunks in large pan at 250F until just crunchy; place in large bowl. Pan fry bacon; set aside. In same pan, sauté celery, onion, and fennel; add apple chunks for the last minute, then add all ingredients to bowl. Cook sausage, mincing into bite-size pieces; add to bowl. Mix together bowl contents, taking care not to crush the bread chunks. Add in just enough to turkey juice to moisten, seasoning with crushed fennel, ground sage, freshly cracked pepper and salt. Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes.
Homemade turkey stockThis produced enough for a big pot of turkey noodle soup and 4 quarts of leftover stock
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Under the Influence of Tryptophan & Work
How many of you were uncomfortably noticing the gap since my last post and wondering whether I had contracted a vicious bout of botulism from the turkey experiment? No worries, I haven't been sick at all; I've been Internet shopping :) Most of the Christmas list has been crossed off, boxes have been gradually arriving, and there are only a few gift items that will require a visit to an actual brick-and-mortar store. We live half an hour away from any malls, specialty shops, or department stores. There's a mini Walmart just over 15 minutes away and a sad excuse for a Kmart about 20 minutes away, but neither is an ideal shopper's paradise. However, there are many very nice shops in nearby Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. I'm planning to head out this weekend and pick up a couple practical gifts for my stepson, then finish the shopping together with my husband for the last couple gifts. It's never too early to start shopping, especially if you are awaiting shipping during the busy holiday season.
The tree is up, the lights are on it, and I've started adding a few ornaments every day. Donnie has lights strung up across the front of the house, although not hooked up to the electricity yet. The first batch of Christmas cookies have been baked, mint and raspberry filled thumbprint cookies, with kringler and Linzer cookies on the way. Anyone else baking?
As for that aforementioned turkey, we all survived the experiment! The bird sat out in the cooler on the side porch with optimal freezing cold to maintain a safe temperature, then spent the last day in the Riesling brine. A couple spoonfuls of juniper berries, caraway seed, mustard seed and bay leaves provided for a very flavourful and moist turkey. The turkey never made it to the freezer, or the fridge for that matter, and no one became ill. All hail my eco-friendly, energy conserving hybrid turkey. More on the Thanksgiving feast to come tomorrow...too tired tonight.
I'm working overtime 4 out of 5 days this week, some prep work for three short-notice inspections. This weekend is going to be a luxury....unfortunately, Donnie has to work this weekend. Perhaps, I will get some pics and recipes uploaded in the free time. Now, though, my eyes are glazing over.
The tree is up, the lights are on it, and I've started adding a few ornaments every day. Donnie has lights strung up across the front of the house, although not hooked up to the electricity yet. The first batch of Christmas cookies have been baked, mint and raspberry filled thumbprint cookies, with kringler and Linzer cookies on the way. Anyone else baking?
As for that aforementioned turkey, we all survived the experiment! The bird sat out in the cooler on the side porch with optimal freezing cold to maintain a safe temperature, then spent the last day in the Riesling brine. A couple spoonfuls of juniper berries, caraway seed, mustard seed and bay leaves provided for a very flavourful and moist turkey. The turkey never made it to the freezer, or the fridge for that matter, and no one became ill. All hail my eco-friendly, energy conserving hybrid turkey. More on the Thanksgiving feast to come tomorrow...too tired tonight.
I'm working overtime 4 out of 5 days this week, some prep work for three short-notice inspections. This weekend is going to be a luxury....unfortunately, Donnie has to work this weekend. Perhaps, I will get some pics and recipes uploaded in the free time. Now, though, my eyes are glazing over.
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