Easy step by step instructions and template.
Monday, September 29, 2008
A Fun Project
So you like to make handmade stuff, but have a hard time coming up with ideas yourself. That is my struggle as well. Last year I found this cute sill sitter block and made a bunch to give as teacher gifts. They are perfect for that as well as hostess and neighbor gifts. Don't forget to make one for you! These are easy and fun, just photocopy the template and you're off!
Easy step by step instructions and template.
Easy step by step instructions and template.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Thanksgiving Dinner Fare
My sister is preparing to host Thanksgiving dinner for the family of her beloved. There's never any pressure in that, right? She is looking for yummy suitable dishes to serve up to the crew. All she requested was "yummy", but I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume she also would like no fuss, traditional, and tried and true. So I'm including recipes that I have used myself and been very pleased with. These are dishes that use harvest vegetables and put them in their best light. So fire up the printer or go grab your recipe cards because these are truly worth trying.
My favorite cookbook I own is the White Dog Cafe Cookbook. The White Dog Cafe itself is in Philadelphia, PA. Author credit goes to Judy Wicks and Kevin Von Klause. Buy it here.
Caraway-roasted Vegetables
1 Large white onion, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 lb red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
4 T olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp rubbed sage
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 oz button mushrooms, cleaned
8 oz Brussels sprouts
2 T chopped fresh sage leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 450 deg.
2. In a medium bowl, toss together the onion, potatoes, 2 T of the olive oil, 1 tsp each of the garlic and caraway seeds, and 1/2 tsp of the rubbed sage. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, using the same bowl, toss together the carrots, mushrooms, the remaining 2 T of the olive oil, the remaining 1 tsp each minced garlic and caraway seeds, and the remaining 1/2 tsp of rubbed sage. Spread the veggies in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until slightly golden and just tender, about 15 minutes. Keep warm.
4. While the veggies roast, bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Trim the end off each Brussels sprout with a paring knife. Make two shallow incisions at the base of each, forming an X. Blanch the sprouts until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. To test the Brussels sprouts for doneness, remove 1 from the pot and cut it in half. If cooked through to the center, it's done. Drain and reserve.
5. Toss together the warm roasted vegetables and Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Season with the chopped fresh sage, salt, and pepper. This dish tastes and looks best when served immediately. However, if necessary, let cool to room temp, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in a warm oven before serving.
I'm telling you, this cookbook is plum full of savory delights. If you don't want to get it for yourself, buy it as a Christmas gift for your favorite cook. I got it as a wedding gift and it has seen a lot of use these 10 years.
The next one is from Cooking Light, also a great recipe source online or in publication.
Honey-Roasted Acorn Squash Rings
2 acorn squash (about 3 lbs)
2 T honey
4 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cut 1/4 inch from stem and bottom of each squash and discard. Cut each squash in half crosswise. Discard the seeds and membrane. Cut each squash half crosswise into 2 (1-inch-thick) slices. Combine 2 T honey, 4 tsp olive oil, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Add squash and toss to coat. Place squash on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until tender. Serves 4.
I can't seem to find the recipe for the next one, but have no fear, you can do it without it. When making mashed potatoes, try mashing in some cooked cauliflower. It gives you an extra veggie, but also adds a wonderful earthy flavor to the spuds. I love this as a sneaky way to get cauliflower into my kids.
Here's a slightly less traditional spin on mushrooms that has become a Thanksgiving Dinner staple in our home. This is from the good ol' Better Homes and Gardens Prize-Winning Recipes.
Spicy Teriyaki Mushrooms
2 T sugar
2 T soy sauce
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T cooking oil
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8-1/4 tsp garlic powder
24 small mushroom (about 8 oz), halved
2 T sliced green onion
In a medium saucepan combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, crushed red pepper, ginger, and garlic powder. Add mushrooms and green onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Makes 4 servings.
Watch out, that one can get pretty spicy!
This last one I clipped from Parents Magazine some years ago.
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
4 T butter
1 large onion, finely chopped (though for my taste I prefer to back off a bit on the onion)
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 C water
1 can (29 oz) solid-pack pumpkin
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 tsp gr. ginger
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp gr. nutmeg
1 C heavy cream
1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots; cook five minutes, until softened. Add broth, water, pumpkin, apple, ginger, salt, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.
2. Using a handheld blender, puree soup in pot, or puree in batches in a standing blender. ( Soup may be prepared up to 2 days ahead to this point.) Whisk in cream. Reheat gently. Ladle into a soup tureen.
To make a pumpkin tureen, heat oven to 375. Cut top off a 5 to 6 pound pumpkin. Scrape out the seeds and some pulp. Rinse inside with cold water; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Replace top and roast 45 minutes, until pumpkin is slightly softened .
Hopefully that will get you started- let me know if you want other ideas. I'm actually in the process of organizing my recipes. What a task! As I come across others that fit the bill I'll include them here.
Happy cooking!
My favorite cookbook I own is the White Dog Cafe Cookbook. The White Dog Cafe itself is in Philadelphia, PA. Author credit goes to Judy Wicks and Kevin Von Klause. Buy it here.
Caraway-roasted Vegetables
1 Large white onion, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 lb red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
4 T olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp rubbed sage
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 oz button mushrooms, cleaned
8 oz Brussels sprouts
2 T chopped fresh sage leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 450 deg.
2. In a medium bowl, toss together the onion, potatoes, 2 T of the olive oil, 1 tsp each of the garlic and caraway seeds, and 1/2 tsp of the rubbed sage. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, using the same bowl, toss together the carrots, mushrooms, the remaining 2 T of the olive oil, the remaining 1 tsp each minced garlic and caraway seeds, and the remaining 1/2 tsp of rubbed sage. Spread the veggies in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until slightly golden and just tender, about 15 minutes. Keep warm.
4. While the veggies roast, bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Trim the end off each Brussels sprout with a paring knife. Make two shallow incisions at the base of each, forming an X. Blanch the sprouts until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. To test the Brussels sprouts for doneness, remove 1 from the pot and cut it in half. If cooked through to the center, it's done. Drain and reserve.
5. Toss together the warm roasted vegetables and Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Season with the chopped fresh sage, salt, and pepper. This dish tastes and looks best when served immediately. However, if necessary, let cool to room temp, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in a warm oven before serving.
I'm telling you, this cookbook is plum full of savory delights. If you don't want to get it for yourself, buy it as a Christmas gift for your favorite cook. I got it as a wedding gift and it has seen a lot of use these 10 years.
The next one is from Cooking Light, also a great recipe source online or in publication.
Honey-Roasted Acorn Squash Rings
2 acorn squash (about 3 lbs)
2 T honey
4 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cut 1/4 inch from stem and bottom of each squash and discard. Cut each squash in half crosswise. Discard the seeds and membrane. Cut each squash half crosswise into 2 (1-inch-thick) slices. Combine 2 T honey, 4 tsp olive oil, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Add squash and toss to coat. Place squash on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until tender. Serves 4.
I can't seem to find the recipe for the next one, but have no fear, you can do it without it. When making mashed potatoes, try mashing in some cooked cauliflower. It gives you an extra veggie, but also adds a wonderful earthy flavor to the spuds. I love this as a sneaky way to get cauliflower into my kids.
Here's a slightly less traditional spin on mushrooms that has become a Thanksgiving Dinner staple in our home. This is from the good ol' Better Homes and Gardens Prize-Winning Recipes.
Spicy Teriyaki Mushrooms
2 T sugar
2 T soy sauce
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T cooking oil
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8-1/4 tsp garlic powder
24 small mushroom (about 8 oz), halved
2 T sliced green onion
In a medium saucepan combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, crushed red pepper, ginger, and garlic powder. Add mushrooms and green onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Makes 4 servings.
Watch out, that one can get pretty spicy!
This last one I clipped from Parents Magazine some years ago.
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
4 T butter
1 large onion, finely chopped (though for my taste I prefer to back off a bit on the onion)
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 C water
1 can (29 oz) solid-pack pumpkin
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 tsp gr. ginger
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp gr. nutmeg
1 C heavy cream
1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots; cook five minutes, until softened. Add broth, water, pumpkin, apple, ginger, salt, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.
2. Using a handheld blender, puree soup in pot, or puree in batches in a standing blender. ( Soup may be prepared up to 2 days ahead to this point.) Whisk in cream. Reheat gently. Ladle into a soup tureen.
To make a pumpkin tureen, heat oven to 375. Cut top off a 5 to 6 pound pumpkin. Scrape out the seeds and some pulp. Rinse inside with cold water; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Replace top and roast 45 minutes, until pumpkin is slightly softened .
Hopefully that will get you started- let me know if you want other ideas. I'm actually in the process of organizing my recipes. What a task! As I come across others that fit the bill I'll include them here.
Happy cooking!
Here We Come A-Wassailing!
Does anything say "Christmas Eve" better than hot wassail? OK, maybe not to everyone, but for me it certainly is the essence of Christmas Eve. My mother always made a big pot of this spicy, sweet, tangy, hot drink to be consumed Christmas Eve along with lots of delightful goodies. We drank it out of punch glasses, the swirling eddies of spices visible through the glass. The aroma alone is enough to cheer and warm the soul, but tasting and feeling it slide down truly warms from the inside out. I've had wassail made by other people, and they are all good, but none compares to the perfect combination of spicy, sweet, and tangy that my mother's recipe achieves. This is the recipe she has always made on Christmas Eve and the one I use now. Try it out. Make up a big batch for a sledding party, a caroling party, or, of course, a quiet Christmas Eve.
Mom's Wassail
1 Gallon apple cider
1 C light or dark brown sugar
1 6oz can lemonade concentrate
1 6 oz can orange juice
1 T whole cloves
1 T whole allspice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
Mix together with cloves and allspice tied in cheesecloth. Simmer covered for 20 minutes. Scoop out spices, serve with cinnamon sticks.
Mom's Wassail
1 Gallon apple cider
1 C light or dark brown sugar
1 6oz can lemonade concentrate
1 6 oz can orange juice
1 T whole cloves
1 T whole allspice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
Mix together with cloves and allspice tied in cheesecloth. Simmer covered for 20 minutes. Scoop out spices, serve with cinnamon sticks.
Friday, September 26, 2008
A Family Tradition
On Christmas Eve my extended family likes to sit together and test our memories in an attempt at reciting the Clement C. Moore classic, A Visit From Saint Nicholas. You may be more familiar with the more common title, 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. Last year, my eight year old daughter and I memorized it together, reading and practicing in the evenings leading up to Christmas. It was fantastic one on one time and a great brain builder at the same time, not to mention loads of fun. I highly recommend it! In case you'd like to do this yourself, here's a copy of the poem. Depending on your memorization skills and the age of your children, you may want to start early. It's pretty easy to find online, I found this at kaboose dot com.
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On Cupid! On, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On Cupid! On, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
Welcome!
At the first hint of chill in the air, my thoughts turn to Christmas. My mind and heart begin to fill with visions of sugar plums indeed. My weekly menu turns decidedly toward comfort food and I begin rummaging in my brain for homemade Christmas gift ideas for my loved ones. I begin hauling out first the autumn decorations and later the Christmas, decking my halls and every other available surface. I take delight in the season, the magic, wonder and glory of it all. This blog was born from that delight. Here you will find dinner ideas, crafts, decor, stories, memories, and music. Some ideas will be entirely mine, but I will also include anything cute I come across that I think you might like to see, credit given to the creator or source. Please leave me your ideas in the comments and any other feedback you'd like to give.
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