1. I wish you a calm and peaceful holiday season.
2. I'm ready for congress to go on recess...that's what I'm thinking.
3. Please bring me a case of citrus fruit.
4. My job is so amazing.
5. One of my fondest hopes is that my house will stay clean for 5 minutes.
6. My mom and dad taught me how to cook, and I just wanted to say thank you.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to knitting in bed, tomorrow my plans include staying overnight in Kalamazoo and Sunday, I want to clean house and get ready for a fun and busy week!
Below are the first letters of the first line from well-known Christmas songs. Can you figure them out? Honestly, I love Christmas music and I've only figured out two!
8. YKDADAPAVCACADAB:
9. ISMKSCUTMLN:
10. CSBSDIHS:
11. HTHASGTTNK:
12. GGROBAR:
13. OHNTSASB:
14. AIWFCIMTFT:
15. DTTSIAOHOS:
16. WTKOOA:
j
 I followed the lovely and simple Ann Marie Infinity Scarf pattern. This type of scarf goes by many names, but simply put, it's a scarf with no end. Some knitters deliberately (or accidentally) put a twist in their scarf, resulting in a Moebius Scarf. Wide versions of these scarves can be pulled over the head like a hood and are called "Smoke Rings and still others are called cowls. I knit this on size 9, 42" round needles, casting on a bizillion stitches and working a 5 x 5 rib with sock yarn. I bound off a bit too tightly but the result was an interesting, wavy scarf. All in all I'm happy with the result. I plan on giving it to my student teacher and I promise not to wear it (too much) this weekend.
 I may have discovered the perfect Sunday after Thanksgiving dinner. It is a quick, savory open-faced turkey sandwich that can be adapted to many different ingredients you probably have on hand. The classic and its many variations are described at length on Wikipedia. It's basically a Welsh Rarebit with a bit of turkey, bacon and tomato. What could possibly be bad?
This is more a formula than a recipe, but if you don't know how to make a white sauce you probably shouldn't be trying any of my recipes...not because they are so difficult but because they are....inaccurate. Sorry
Smokin' Hot Brown
For each serving you will need:
1 slice of bread, lightly toasted (I used French bread) Enough sliced or torn cooked turkey to cover the bread 1/2 - 3/4 cup of sauce...we'll get to it, don't worry 1 slice of crispy bacon, crumbled Diced tomato or apple First, the sauce. Make a simple white sauce by whisking flour into an equal amount of melted butter over medium heat. Whisk in milk until it is smooth. Allow it to barely come to a boil, stirring frequently. Tonight I added a teaspoon of dijon mustard, shredded sharp cheddar cheese and lots of black pepper but please be sure to check out the variations at the end of this recipe. You might consider using Swiss, Gruyere or Fontinella cheese (though not for the faint of heart). A mix of cheese would be outstanding! I'd also recommend a splash of white wine or Worcestershire sauce. Of course a grating of nutmeg or a sprinkling of cayenne pepper would not be amiss. To assemble, layer the toasted bread in the bottom of a baking dish. Scatter the torn or sliced turkey over the bread. Spoon generous amounts of the Mornay (that's what you made!) sauce over the bread and turkey. Toss the pan under the broiler until the top is bubbly and brown. Garnish with crumbled bacon and diced fresh tomato. Were I making this for my dear friend Addie King I would most definitely top it with diced apple, and I did this for my sons. They loved it! And now for the best part, the variations!
-Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce or white wine to the sauce. -Whisk grated nutmeg or cayenne pepper into the sauce. -Use any cheese you like, so long as it melts well. Gruyere, Swiss or Fontinella (though not for the faint of heart) would be terrific. A mix of leftover cheeses would be interesting. If you're a freak who likes Pepper-Jack cheese that might work too. -Spread mango chutney, pepper jelly or apple butter on the bread before topping with turkey. I have a Cranberry-Horseradish jam I would love to try on this.) -Layer cooked spinach or broccoli with the turkey. -Make it easier for kids (and adults) to eat by cubing the bread before tossing it in the baking dish. This would make it more like a casserole than a sandwich. -Make it with smoked turkey or ham...or CRAB! *drool*
1. Three things I must have on my Thanksgiving table: turkey, scalloped oysters, and gravy.
2.I am Christmas shopping while nearly sacked out on the couch.
3. This is my favorite kind of weekend.
4. I am looking forward to decorating my great big old house.
5. Oh, man, thankfully it's Black Friday and I'm at home.
6. I want to perfect the art of pie baking.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to knitting up some Christmas gifts, tomorrow my plans include going out to dinner and Sunday, I want to get ready for three weeks of craziness before Christmas break!
After a lengthy absence I'm back, with a simple, hearty dish.
While on the way home from a visit with my friend Catherine I texted my husband and asked him to pull something out of the freezer for dinner. I suggested lamb. I was so hoping he would grab something perfect for slow cooking. He did, and this is what I whipped up on a dreary Sunday afternoon.
 You will need:
1 lamb roast (I used a small leg of lamb, but a lamb shoulder roast or even lamb shanks would be fine)
6 roasted tomatoes or sun dried tomatoes, in oil or otherwise
1 tablespoon chopped garlic or 4 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons dried thyme or 3 stems of fresh thyme
1/2 - 1 cup of white wine, sweet or dry, I don't care
Salt and pepper
A sharp grating cheese such as Locatelli, Pecorino Romano, Asiago or Parmesan
1 pound of dry orrechiette or similar shaped pasta
 You should:
Toss the roast in a pan with a heavy lid. Scatter the tomatoes around it, smear it with garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Douse the lot with the white wine. Clamp on the lid and throw it in a low oven (300 degrees) for 3-4 hours. Turn it around here and there, checking to see if it's starting to fall apart on you.
 It should look like this. Pull out the roast and allow it to cool enough so that you can shred it easily. Deglaze the lovely stuff in the bottom (the "fond") with water or chicken broth over heat. At this point I take a moment to mash around the tomatoes and pick out the tomato skins (gag). I used a stick blender to puree what was left into a gorgeous, rich, velvety red sauce.
 Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Take a moment. This is a rich dish, does it need a little acid? A splash of balsamic vinegar, wine or sharp cheese might do the trick. I opted for fine shred of Locatelli.
Cook your pasta in salted water, adding it to the sauce over the heat when nearly al dente. Add the shredded meat, stirring to heat it thoroughly. Tear up the parsley and scatter it over the top. Gild the lily with a drizzle of olive oil and some sharp, grated cheese.
My grandmother has been hospitalized for a week now and I'd like to tell you a little bit about her. Martha Washington Warsop is 88 years old. She was born on George Washington's birthday, which is why her clever parents gave her the middle name Washington. She's lead a mostly healthy life with a few bumps along the way. My grandmother still lives on her own, cooks for herself and cleans her own house. She is such a good driver that I still trust her to pick up my kids from school and drive them home. Oh, and she still enjoys meeting her sister for a beer. Or two.
A little over a week ago my uncle and his wife brought her to the emergency room because she had slurred speech and was very weak. The ER docs diagnosed it as dehydration, hydrated her up and sent her home. My step-mother stayed with her over night and she awoke to find that my grandmother's condition had deteriorated so much that they had to take her back to the hospital by ambulance. She arrived with a temperature of 103. Grandma was disorientated and extremely weak. Suspecting a heart attack, Oaklawn Hosptial shipped her to Bronson Hospital where they have an established cardiac care center.
Long story short(ish) the doctors at Bronson first diagnosed her problem as extensive heart disease and began treating her with nytroglicerin, potassium, blood thinners, and the like. Her condition improved. However, she still had this pesky fever that would not go away. After many blood cultures and a down-the-throat ultrasound they found that she had a staph infection in her heart. The staph bacteria had grown like vegetation around her heart valves, gumming up the works. She had no heart attack, heart disease, or anything! Good news, I suppose. The bad news is she has to go to a nursing home for 6 weeks of physical therapy, occupational therapy and IV antibiotics. After that she has to go back to Bronson for a valve tune-up. The bacteria in her heart has likely damaged her heart valves and they will need to be prepared or replaced. Oink!
Grandma is perking up and getting grouchy, which is a good sign. Oh, and the staph infection? The most likely scenario is that it entered her bloodstream during dental work.
1. Layers of LeBron James bullshit are what make me dislike modern sports.
2. Reading...a lot...leads to insight.
3. I'd be willing to bet I'm going to download the Carol King/James Taylor album even though it makes me feel incredibly middle-aged.
4. I should scare the dog (I don't much like dogs).
5. I'm fond of creme' fresh and strawberry jam sandwiches.
6. I've been staying up late too much!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a visit from my sister's family, tomorrow my plans include going to my 20th class reunion (blergh) and Sunday, I want to go to a Renaissance Festival!
Okay, so we talk about food at my house...a lot. My kids cook, shop and garden with me. I include them when I make food decisions because I think it's important for them to be thoughtful about what they put in their bodies. I want my children to eat a variety of foods, pay attention to the seasons and buy locally. Most of the time I think this talk goes in one ear and out the other, but obviously some of it is sinking in. So, I've ordered a copy of Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma for Kids. I think Joe (9) is ready for it. And don't even get him started on CAFO beef.
Joe's Essay on Corn Syrup, etc.
The way people use corn in our food is bad for us. They are turning corn into unhealthy things, like corn syrup. This would be okay, but people use it in food too much. For example, people now put corn products in most things you may find in the snack aisle at any normal supermarket. On most ingredient lists on snacks it normally has something in it made by corn.
McDonald's uses a lot of corn products, but that's not all. I've heard that McDonald's bleaches dark meat in their Chicken McNuggets white so that kids will eat them.
All this "food" shouldn't be called food. It should always be called "food-like substances"!
People only buy all of this garbage loaded with crap because they don't know what's in it. Maybe they know what's in it but do not want to pay more for real food. Many kids won't eat real food because now they're used to the taste of all these food-like substances.
Pop was never supposed to be healthy, but now it's loaded with more fake things. Only special pop has sugar instead of corn syrup. Pop is now mostly a food-like substance.
Now, back to McDonald's. McDonald's isn't all bad. It's also what people choose to eat there. People could choose milk instead of pop or apples instead of fries but most people don't.
I strongly disagree. Some people think it's great to have fake food around, and it is sometimes. But many people are now over weight. Don't become one of them!
 In Sally Schneider's The Improvisational Cook, she says of her All-Purpose Aromatic Pepper. : I keep a pepper mill filled with this mixture and use it often in place of freshly ground pepper; it is a great instant seasoning for just about any food. To make an instant rub for meats and poultry, blend with kosher salt.
I too keep a pepper mill filled with a mixture, but it's really my only pepper mill, and I use it for everything, especially in the winter. The next time you fill your peppermill combine any sort of peppercorns you like with a few allspice berries and a couple of cloves. Schneider also recommends tossing in some coriander seed, but honestly I haven't tried that yet. What you'll have is a fragrant, warm, spicy pepper that really works with just about everything. I use it on roasted meats, poultry and vegetables and in sauces, casseroles, soups and stews.
I haven't tried it on wine-poached pears, but I definitely think you should.
There is nothing better than enjoying summer-picked fruit in the dead of winter. Last summer I picked 45 pounds of cherries. We dried cherries and made Black Forest preserves, fruit leather, cherry jam, cherry preserves and frozen pie cherries. I love grabbing a bag of gorgeous sour cherries out of the freezer on a frigid February day, and this year I came up with the perfect recipe for them.
This cobbler is adapted from the 1997 edition of The Joy of Cooking "Blueberry Cobbler with Sour Cream Biscuits".
Cherry Cobbler with Almond Biscuits
5 cups pitted sour cherries
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of allspice
Biscuits
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons cold, salted butter, cut into small pieces*
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk, half and half, or heavy cream
1/2 cup slivered almonds or almond slices
1 teaspoon almond extract
Spread the cherries on the bottom of a 9 x 11 baking dish. Sprinkle the sugar, allspice and cornstarch over the top of the cherries and mix to combine. In a separate mixing bowl, blend together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the cold pieces of butter and blend quickly with fingers until the mixture resembles very coarse breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl mix together the sour cream, almond extract and half and half. Gently combine the sour cream mixture and the dry ingredients. Mix until combined. Fold in almonds. Drop biscuit mixture by tablespoons on top of the cherry filing. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the cherries are bubbly and the biscuits are browned.
You must serve this with good vanilla ice cream. That is all.
*I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter because I omit the salt in the recipe.
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