The One Who Was Born on Pearl Harbor Day

Quote of the Day:  Naming My Daughter by Patricia Fargnoli

In the Uruba tribe of Africa, children are

named not only at birth but throughout their

lives by their characteristics and the events

that befall them.

The one who took hold in the cold night

The one who kicked loudly

The one who slid down quickly in the ice storm

She who came while the doctor was eating dessert

New one held up by heels in the glare

The river between two brothers

Second pot on the stove

Princess of a hundred dolls

Hair like water falling beneath moonlight

Strides into the day

She who runs away with motorcycle club president

Daughter kicked with a boot

Daughter blizzard in the sky

Daughter night-pocket

She who sells sports club memberships

One who loves over and over

She who wants child but lost one.

She who wants marriage but has none

She who never gives up

Diana (Goddess of the Chase)

Doris (for the carrot-top grandmother

she never knew)

Fargnoli (for the father

who drank and left and died)

Peter Pan, Iron Pumper

Tumbleweed who goes months without calling

Daughter who is a pillar of light

Daughter mirror, Daughter stands alone

Daughter boomerang who always comes back

Daughter who flies forward into the day

where I will be nameless.

"Naming My Daughter" by Patricia Fargnoli, from Necessary Light. © Utah State University Press, 1999. Found on the Writer's Almanac.

Yesterday, Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Day remembered in the USA, my son Zach became a teenager.  Thirteen years ago, I was living in Grand Rapids, MN with his older brother Bobby and their dad.  We'd gone Christmas shopping that day - the only year that I started and finished that early.  We ended the day by going to the movie Flubber.  Zach started letting me know that he was ready to arrive a little earlier than scheduled - an early Christmas gift, if you will. 

With inspiration from Patricia Fargnoli - Naming my Second-born Son

The One who was born on a infamous day

The One who came early in a quiet hospital

The One who needed sunlight for jaundice

The One who looked like Baby Jesus on Christmas Eve

The One who slept best

The One who liked pancakes

The One who told stories and memorized books

The One who brought home Matilda

The One who makes friends easy

The One who sings

The One who plays trumpet

The One who broke his cheek bone

The One who doesn't have an appendix

The One who got the swine flu

The One who cared for me when I got it, too

The One who is a math master

The One who rocks at the breast stroke

The One who reads and reads and reads

The One who hugs

The One who doesn't think he's too old to say, "I love you."

The One who got sick on his birthday

The One I call my Christmas Baby

Journaling Prompt:  Write a naming poem for you or someone you care about.



Giant Cookie

Because it is cookie month, and also because I wanted to make a special treat for my in-laws who had volunteered to watch all three kids for a majority of the weekend, I went searching for a fun cookie to make.  When I saw this giant cookie at My Kitchen Cafe I knew it would be perfect.  Sure, it tastes just like a regular cookie but I have to admit there is something special about a dessert that is typically small in nature and making it crazy big. 

I let the kids help me with this recipe because it is your basic cookie recipe (except for the size) and very easy to mix up.  My favorite part is that after the dough is prepared you can mix anything into it that you want.  We raided what was left of the plain chocolate Halloween candy, chopped it up, and found a sad little bunch of butterscotch chips that were in the freezer but you can use anything. Wrap it up with a pretty bow and you have a very fun gift!  Enjoy!

Giant Cookie
Recipe Source: Modified slightly from My Kitchen Cafe

*Makes 1 giant cookie

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1-2 Tbs. milk if the dough is too stiff
1/2 cup chocolate chips, candy pieces, nuts or anything else you would like to add

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and butter. Add the egg and vanilla and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. If needed add in a little milk.  My dough was very dry so I add only 1 tbs. and it was perfect. Fold in the chocolate chips, candy or nuts.

Line a large (11X17-inch) baking pan with foil and press the cookie into a 9 inch circle. When it bakes, it spreads to about 11 inches.  I used my round baking stone minus the foil, but a regular cookie sheet will work too. 
If desired, top the cookie with M&M’s or any other garnishes. Bake for 13-16 minutes until the cookie is lightly golden brown. Let the cookie cool completely on the baking pan – this helps the cookie stabilize and set so it can be easily lifted off the pan. Once cool, gently use the foil to lift the cookie off the pan.

Total Cost-I'm going to say hardly anything.
If I was forced to guess I'm going to say less than $.75 because the butter was on sale, it called for very little sugar and flour, and my candy was free.  It is all about utilizing what is on hand.

Christmas Music

Quote of the Day:  There is a spirit in all music, the spirit has the ability to conjure up thoughts even pictures of something that happened or you wished would happen or you anticipate happening. Music has the ability to create ideas in you and me. It has the ability to encourage us to be creative. - Maya Angelou

That quote from Maya Angelou, one of my favorite authors/performers, sings to my heart. When I am anywhere near good music, my creative spirit soars. Last year, I read about a local high school girl who was planning on pursuing a career in music. She said, "I love being part of the song." I understood exactly what she meant. I love playing the piano, singing, and listening to music. Somehow, even as an audience member, I feel like I'm part of the song. I am so excited to hear that our local high school choir will be joining the amazing From Age to Age professional choir for an evening of Christmas music.

 Confession: I have never heard Handel's Messiah performed live. I'll get the chance to hear parts of that masterpiece performed as well as many holiday favorites on Dec. 18, at 7:30 pm. at First Lutheran Church in Brainerd. My heart is already singing.



To learn more about From Age to Age, click here. I have written about this group several times. I am inspired by their director, Andrew Miller, for his creativity, his mission, and his ability to connect. He is serious about his art and giving professionals a place to sing. He is adventurous in his outreach and bringing an amazing musical experience to people all over the state, and he gives part of their free-will offering to a couple of global humanitarian causes. Whenever I attend one of his concerts, I am filled with creative spirit, sigh that it's over, and leave with new energy to...

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Write about someone or something that fills you with creative energy and encourages you to make it happen!

Potato Chip Cookies

Yes it sounds strange, but I promise you these cookies are very good.  They hold a very special place in my heart and are one of those foods that remind me of childhood.  My late Grandma W. used to make these cookies to serve with ice cream for dessert after Sunday dinner.  Always looking for a way to be thrifty, she would save her potato chip crumbs in a baggie until there were enough to make a batch.  These cookies are  rich, salty, and sweet all at the same time. They taste very good by themselves or with ice cream as Grandma always had them  Enjoy!

Potato Chip Cookies
Recipe Source: Grandma W.

1 lb butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 cups flour
2 cups crushed potato chips (plain)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar or melted chocolate for topping


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla.  Gradually add flour.  Add potato chips and nuts by hand. 

Shape dough into small balls.  Place on an un-greased cookie sheet.  Flatten each with a fork dipped in cold water. Bake 20 minutes or until very light brown.  Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate. 

**Cook's note:  I cut this recipe in half and it worked beautifully. 

Total Cost- $1.53 for a half batch more if you add nuts
Butter $.98
Sugar $.22
Flour $.12
Chips $.20 (approx.  I bought the cheapest chips I could find and have most of the bag left still)
Vanilla Free
Powdered sugar-$.01

Wintersong

Quote of the Day:  Wisdom comes with winters. - Oscar Wilde

I woke up to this wintery, crystalized scene at my parents' farm last weekend.  It reminds me that beauty comes with every season.

Top 10 things I like about Winter:
1. frost decorating everything outdoors
2. Sun dogs on the coldest days
3. ice-skating
4. using the cold as an excuse to stay inside to read
5. same excuse to watch movies & eat popcorn with my boys
6. the holidays
7. how the fresh, white snow covers everything, like wiping the slate clean for a fresh start.
8. Winter fashions, including cute sweaters and long pants and not needing to shave your legs
9. Watching the neighbors help each other out after a snowstorm
10. Music

Last night my oldest son and I went to the Madrigal Dinner put on by the high school choirs.  They served and sang, performed and played.  They had kings and queens, beggars and peasants.  Some of them stayed in character throughout the three hour evening.  The skit was fun and funny, the food delightful and delicious.  And, the singing was wonderful wintersong.  They sang my favorite choral winter piece, "Hark of the Bells."  I love how it starts out soft, just sopranos, then adds each part, building, then coming back down, and oh, how that low-note dong at the end always gives me shivers.

 What is broken and full of cobwebs can be beautiful with the coverings of ice crystals, a reflection of light, and a song that sends the kind of shivers that warm.

I'm looking forward to hearing the high school choir again in two weeks as they join their voices with my favorite choir, From Age to Age, in a holiday concert.  Stay tuned for details.

Journaling Prompt:  Make your list of top things to like about winter and/or the holidays.

Scotch Oat Crunchies . . . Sandwich Cookies with Raspberry-Key Lime Jam

Somewhere along the line in my evolution as a typical female, I veered off the path and began to loathe massive shopping malls. Oh sure, I roamed them like a free-range sheep when I was much younger, often along with a small flock of friends. We'd meander happily, a little cluster of girls window shopping just for fun.

But I rarely venture into them now, preferring instead to hunt for exactly what I need online, or in the sort of free-standing stores that hold the potential for incredible bargains and unique discoveries. I'm talking about places like TJMaxx, HomeGoods, Tueday Morning, Marshalls, and the odd second-hand shop. Of course, many of these establishments are neatness-challenged and a few of them lack every semblance of organization, so it's advisable to be completely okay with that before you ever set foot in the door.

In prowling for treasures, the potential for causing an avalanche is ever present. Gotta keep an eye out for that Kilimanjaro-like pile of cartoon-print pajama pants to your left, the ones that someone slung hastily atop a leaning tower of bone china dinner plates. Successful navigation through the labyrinth of aisles, each one stuffed to the gills with goods, requires nimble maneuvering and a light touch. But, such drawbacks aside, these joints do cater fairly well to the average gal's yen to forage. And when the hunt yields up something worthwhile, there's that little ping of satisfaction, that feeling of Oh, good! This errand was definitely worth my time. Do you know what I mean?

In one such store a few days ago, I unearthed a nicely discounted jar of  Sarabeth's Kitchen raspberry key-lime jam. Tucking it into my floppy shopping pouch, I remembered that this crunchy sandwich cookie recipe, which I planned to try out, recommends using a tart jam to augment the pleasant but humble flavor of the cookie wafers themselves. The recipe suggests using cherry jam, which I like, but given the choice I'm more of a pushover for raspberry. This jam's bright flavor gives it a comfortingly homemade quality, and it's not overly sugary (I realize I keep referring to it as jam, but the label on the jar actually calls it "spreadable fruit").



This cookie recipe, dating back to January 1943, comes to us from the new Gourmet Cookie Book: The Single Best Recipe From Each Year 1941-2009. These cookies are very crunchy indeed, so their title is apt. This is the kind of sweet that goes hand in glove with a good cup of hot tea--the perfect cookie for a frosty December day.

I reworded the recipe, adding in more detail, but not altering the time-tested formula.
 
Scotch Oat Crunchies with Jam Filling

(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)

Preheat oven to 350 shortly before you're ready to bake. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
2 and 1/2 cups pastry flour (This is hard for home bakers to find in most grocery stores so, alternately, Gourmet suggests the use of White Lily brand flour--that's what I used. Another alternative you might try is to use a 50/50 mix of All Purpose flour and cake flour--that's a typical substitution for pastry flour. Gourmet also suggests using cake flour alone.)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 and 1/2 oats (I used quick oats.)
1/2 cup cold water
3 drops almond extract and 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup jam/preserves of your choice

In a very small container, stir together the water and extracts. Set aside.

In the large bowl of your mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until it's almost white; this may take  several minutes. Add in the brown sugar gradually, and continue creaming until completely blended.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then sift this mixture again one more time. Stir in the oats.

With the mixer on its lowest speed, add in the dry ingredients alternately with the water. Mix just until fully combined. Cover the dough and chill it for at least half an hour before attempting to roll it out (or chill it overnight, if you prefer, then let it soften slightly before using).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a well floured work surface, roll a portion of the dough out to a thickness of 1/8" (I rolled my dough a little thicker than this because it was pretty sticky. I didn't skimp on the flour for the work surface.) Use a 2" cookie cutter to cut out rounds or squares, using a thin metal spatula to place them on the parchment lined cookie sheet(s).

Bake the cookies until lightly golden, perhaps 10 to 12 minutes or so. Let them cool before trying to handle them. Fill the cookies with a generous half teaspoon of the jam of your choice, and sandwich two of the wafers together gently. Let the jam set for a while before serving the cookies.

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Football

Quote of the Day:  Kenny Chesney says it best in this video from YouTube The Boys of Fall.  They played this song during the slide show at the Football banquet last night.  My big boy was on the team.  His position is Offensive Lineman.  He played during the JV games and one quarter of a varsity game that our team dominated.  Mostly, he stood on the sidelines, suited up and ready, and cheered on his teammates.  Brainerd had a winning season.  They made it to the metrodome for the semi-final game, and lost. 

My boy is a junior this year.  He has one more season to play, but for the seniors it was like the first graduation of their final year of high school.  A couple of the boys gave speeches and broke down.  One boy said, "Hey, you guys know I'm an emotional guy."  He could barely talk as he said good-bye to the team, and called up next year's captains.

When my boy was in 4th grade he was so excited to sign up to play youth football.  "It's real tackle football, Mom," he said with a gleam in his eye.  At that age, everyone gets to play.  They get to try every position and feel the thrill of the game and hear the crack of the shoulder pads.  They're all smiles and excitement.  So, even though I don't love football and grimace every time I hear that crack of pads and helmets and gently touch their bruises, I get it.  I understand that boys love to play rough.  They love the game, the strategy, the camaraderie.  I also understand that by high school varsity, it's about winning and who can make that happen.  And, the guys who come to practice, take the hits for the starters, and stand on the sidelines to cheer, are dressed and ready in case they might get their chance for a play - just one good hit.

I asked my boy what the best memory or moment was for him this season.  They won some big games, practiced at the Minnesota Vikings training facility, and played in the Metrodome.  He said, "The Apollo game because I got to play most of the last quarter."

This post is dedicated to Sue at the dry cleaners.  Last week, I dropped off my boy's dirty dress clothes and told her I'd need them back for the football banquet.  She got all nostalgic, reminiscing about her son's football days, and we had a good mom chat.  She said she wished she was going to the banquet with us.  She still goes to games.  Once a football mom, always a football mom.

Journaling Prompt:  Write about your high school activity experiences.  Were you a player, or tooting your horn in the pep band like I did?  Or, were you in some other place discovering your gifts and talents?