Birthdays, Nerf Bullets, and Snow!

Quote of the Day:  The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found? J. B. Priestley

It looks like we got about six inches!

 

Minnesota is beautiful after a snowfall.

 

Leo is hesitant to go out, despite his snow camo!

 

I think the first snowfall of the year brings out the best in people. The gals at the coffee shop were wearing their holiday hats and were as cheerful and Christmas elves. Drivers were being cautious. Of course, it was a Sunday, so people weren't in too much of a hurry. The Chef came over on Saturday and in anticipation of the big snowfall, took a look at my snowblower. He thought it might be too gummed up to run properly. We used it just once last year because we had such a mild winter. So, we hauled it over to a nearby shop where they fixed it for $2.00!  Merry Christmas! All it needed was to have some fresh gas run through it.

 

 

We also celebrated second son's birthday this weekend. He's a Pearl Harbor Day baby. He had some friends over on Saturday night, and his auntie Joy baked him a most delicious chocolate cake, from scratch!

 

He's 15, not 10. That's all the candles I had.

 

We spent the snow day, Sunday, indoors rearranging furniture, cleaning, and decorating a little. We found Nerf bullets in every nook and cranny! We still need put up the tree and decorate for the holidays. In the later afternoon, I asked the Birthday Boy to go out and use the snowblower. He went out to the garage, then yelled back into the house, "Mom, come here and look at this!" A kind neighbor had plowed out our driveway! All Zach had to do was shovel the walk and the area in front of the garage doors. Of course, the city snowplow came by around 2:00 a.m. which is great, but it woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep. Also, I'll need to be the first one of the season to use the snowblower and clear out the end of the driveway and the part around the mailbox. Otherwise, they won't deliver our mail. Snow is pretty, but it does create work.

 

Hope all your holiday and winter prep are going well!

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

 

Journaling Prompt:  Do you like snow? What's your favorite holiday song?

 

 

 

 

IWSG December 2012

Quote of the Day:  Words of wisdom from the late Johnny Carson:
I was raised to be humble, but that doesn't really work in show business. You have to have a certain amount of ego to make it. I don't mean, being all cocky, but you have to go out there with a confidence that you are the best. When you go out there, you have to believe that you are great at what you do.

I'm sitting here in my living room, with my cat on my lap, wondering what I have to say to other insecure writers (and artists and anyone who might need a confidence builder), and I'm watching a PBS special on Johnny Carson. He had to believe that he was the best of the best and go out night after night with that confidence. He didn't have room for self-doubt. If he had it, he hid it well.

I heard a professional basketball player say something similar. He said that when he's out on the court, he has to believe that he's the best player out there, then he plays like it.

Do you do your art with that same kind of confidence? Do you say, "This is what I do best. People want to read my words (or see my art, eat my food, hear my ideas, etc.)" You need to. If you can't say it out loud, think it. Write it in your journal or your bathroom mirror. Yours is the first positive voice you hear in the morning. Another way to build your confidence is to truly listen to compliments. Hear what others are saying about your work that builds you up. Keep writing, or making your art, because you don't want to let your followers down.

I've been hearing from fans that they'd like to see another play this spring. I wrote, produced, directed, and acted in my first full-length play last year. I feel pressure to produce something new that is as entertaining, and excitement to do it, as well as the fear of not pulling it off. And, where's the time, for goodness sake?!?!

Mary at the Shante before a performance of "Coffee Shop Confessions"

Will there be a second cup? Double Shot?

It's a mystery.

Go. Create. Inspire!
And, dare to be the best at what you love to do.

(To connect with more bloggers on the list of Insecure Writer's Support Group, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, click on the badge on the right or his blog. We post our IWSG on the first Wed. of each month.)

Journaling Prompt:  Of all your gifts and talents, what do you do the best?

Old-fashioned Girls

Quote of the Day:  Creative Clutter is better than idle neatness. from Pinterest

Creativity takes Courage. Henri Matisse

Creativity is intelligence having fun. Albert Einstein

Creativity is a natural extension of our enthusiasm. Earl Nightingale

I enjoyed finding those quotes on Pinterest this morning!

My first crochet snowflake

 

Since my sister has arrived, we've been to the fabric/craft store about five times. She taught me how to crochet the above snowflake this weekend. I like to knit, but haven't done any crocheting, so it was fun to learn a new way to play with yarn. As we were sitting side by side on the couch, pouring over a pattern we found on 21 Crochet Snowflake Patterns, we were like our aunts and great-aunts who spent their evenings knitting, sewing, and creating things back in the times before tv and computers, facebook and other distractions. It always feels good to make something. It's good therapy, too, time to sit a moment, think, and let your thoughts unravel with the yarn and reform into a new creation.

 

We'll get to the cleaning, furniture rearranging and holiday decorating later this week!

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Have you tried a new craft or hobby lately?

Dark Chocolate Cherry Biscotti . . .

After the spicy, nutty, creamy, buttery, pumpkin-laden extravaganza that comprises the universe of Thanksgiving Day desserts I now find that I'm in the mood for something distinctly crunchy, slightly bittersweet, entirely absent of butter, and far from gooey.

These dark-chocolate cherry biscotti evoke all the best attributes of chocolate-covered cherries, absent the rich fat and cloying sweetness of that iconic candy. They're supremely dunkable if you're a coffee drinker, and they don't mind taking a dip in a glass of milk if you're not.

Surely I don't have to tell you that I briefly considered drizzling the biscotti with melted chocolate, (you know me) but the sense of restraint that invades a baker's psyche the week following Thanksgiving held sway. And it's a good thing it did. I figure, when you take the plunge and coat your biscotti with chocolate, you're committing to the creation of an altogether more indulgent cookie.

Today's treat provides a nice contrast to the extreme richness of last week's feast. Thanksgiving comes but once a year, and we all love it, but once is enough. Thank heaven for that.

About this recipe . . . 

Adapted from pastry chef David Lebovitz's beautiful book, Ready for Dessert, I made a few minor adjustments to his biscotti formula.

I omitted the black pepper (yes, pepper), reduced the amount of solid chocolate by about half, omitted almond extract in favor of vanilla, and soaked my dried cherries in the lusciousness of Chambord, a yummy berry liqueur, versus his suggestion of kirsch/grappa/rum.

Really good biscotti, fellow bakers. I baked the pieces long enough so they'd be very hard and crunchy. Expect lots and lots of lovely little crumbs. And don't forget to dunk.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Biscotti

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

Yield: Two loaves of biscotti, each loaf sliced into about 14 half-inch thick pieces

Spread parchment over two regular size baking sheets, or over one large sheet.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
(No electric mixer needed for this recipe.)

Ingredients: 
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (You don't have to use Dutch, but I think it's the best for something like this; I used Penzeys brand.)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (I used fine sea salt.)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup dark chocolate, chopped small (I used Guittard disks, 60+ percent cacao.) 
3/4 cup dried cherries, cut in half if they're large
2 tablespoons Chambord (or any similar fruity liqueur that you really like)

To brush/sprinkle on the dough before baking:
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sanding/coarse white sugar, or turbinado or Demarara sugar

In a small bowl, drizzle the Chambord over the cherries and let them sit for at least 30 minutes or so at room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, completely whisk together the three large eggs, the granulated sugar, and the vanilla extract.

Into that, gradually add the sifted ingredients. The dough will be very dry and thick. Dump the dried cherries, with all of their liquid, into the bowl. Stir that in. Add in the chocolate pieces and stir to combine as best you can. The dough will be extremely thick and pretty sticky.

Plop all of the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Lightly flour your hands.

Roll each dough-half into a long log, a few inches shorter than the length of your baking sheet(s);  the dough spreads out quite a bit in all directions when baking. Place each log onto a parchment-covered baking sheet. Dampen your palms with cold water and pat the top of the loaves, gently pressing down so each log is slightly flattened.

Using a pastry brush, liberally coat each loaf with beaten egg; do this twice to each log. Sprinkle sanding/coarse sugar (or whatever kind you've chosen to use) atop the length of each loaf.

Bake the loaves for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven, reversing the pan(s) in the oven halfway through the baking time. Remove them from the oven; lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Leaving the loaves on the baking sheets, let them cool for up to 15 minutes.

Move the loaves, still on their parchment, to a cutting surface. Using a serrated knife (ideally, a very sharp bread knife), cut each loaf on the diagonal into slices that are about 1/2" thick (I think mine were actually a little thicker than that).

Lay all of the biscotti pieces, cut sides down, back onto parchment-covered baking sheets.

Continue to bake for 20 to 30 minutes, flipping the pieces over halfway through, and reversing the direction of the baking sheet(s) in the oven. If you want the cookies to be really hard and crunchy, bake them for the maximum amount of time, and check to see that they're pretty firm before you take them out of the oven.

When they're done, let them cool completely on the baking sheets. Store them well covered. They'll be good for about a week. (And, of course, if you're dying to dip them in melted chocolate, well, follow your dream!)

(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple COMMENTS below.)

Potato Dumplings

Quote of the Day:  Dumplings are a memory food. Jane Aalgaard, my mom

We spent the whole Thanksgiving weekend at my parents' farm, preparing food, eating food, cleaning up the food, doing projects, and playing a few games. I made it a point to photograph the process and take some notes. My food focus today is Potato Dumplings, a favorite of folks of the Norwegian descent.

Picture me following my mom around with my camera and notebook, trying desperately to learn how to make the dumplings and record the stories that accompany them. The truth is, I don't know how to make them. Whenever I called Mom up to ask what to do, she would reply, "Oh, just come out here and have them. I was in the mood to make them, anyway." So, I did. The most I've ever done is grind the potatoes.

First, you peel the potatoes. For our Sunday dinner, "Dad stood in the utility room for three quarters of an hour, peeling," said Mom, which was approximately 10 pounds (probably more).

Then, you run them through the grinder.

Mom and Dad grinding the potatoes

 

Close up of the grinder. I have one just like it that I've never used.

I don't even know where it is!

 

Joy, dancing & grinding

 

Mom, preparing the dumpling mixture.

 

I tried to pay attention to Mom as she was mixing the dumplings. Here's her "recipe."

 

Start a big pot of water boiling with a hambone

Peel about 10 pounds of red potatoes

Grind the potatoes

Put in about 2 Tablespoons of salt (You need lots of salt.)

Mom puts in one cup of whole wheat flour and keeps adding white flour "until it's the right consistency."

 

"How much is that, Mom?" I asked.

"Enough flour to hold them together," answered Mom.

 

Also, if you have some leftover, cooled, mashed or boiled potatoes, it is good to add them to the freshly ground ones. They'll stick together better and be lighter. (As if a dumpling could ever be light.)

 

Be sure the broth is boiling hard the whole time that you're adding the dumplings. If the water stops boiling, the dumplings will fall apart and mush to the bottom.

 

Mom's hands forming the dumplings.

 

 

It looks pretty good to me.

 

I think Mom boiled them for about 45 minutes.

 

Serve them with ham, the juice from the boiled hambone, loads of butter, and maybe some vegetables. Some people put a piece of ham or fat in the center of the dumpling before boiling it, but Mom thinks that it makes them fall apart easier.

 

She said that the biggest crew she ever served potato dumplings was one New Year's Eve, back in the '70's when she invited Dad's siblings and cousins in the area and their families. Plus, all of her six kids were still at home. She couldn't remember the exact number. She served 15 of us on Sunday, more than were there on Thanksgiving. I said, "You probably couldn't even mention that you were making dumplings when you were at church today because everyone would want to come over." In fact, a couple people must have smelled the evidence because they were complaining that they hadn't had potato dumplings in a long time. We did invite Mable, our closest neighbor, but she's like family.

 

When they do a dumpling dinner for a church fundraiser, they peel about 300 pounds of potatoes. Mom's not sure how many they serve. It varies, I suppose, and they "give some away, throw some in the woods and scrape the rest off the bottom of the kettles." Sometimes, they stick so badly, they have to soak the kettle for a week. One year, someone had the bright idea that if they put a plate inside on the bottom of the kettle the dumplings wouldn't stick. "Sure, they didn't stick," said my Mom, "But, you couldn't get the plate out of there."  The pastor spent the whole afternoon trying to pry the thing off the bottom of the kettle.

 

Dumplings are the poor immigrant's food, like lefse and lutefisk. I'll have to take photos and notes at Christmas for the lutefisk post. The wonderful thing about food is that it is a memory trigger. It links us back to the old country, wherever that may be. It brings up cozy times of growing up and eating together. Many times, it is a special occasion that you're sharing with folks you love.

 

 

 

May your tastebuds bring joyful memories, while creating new ones.

Go. Create. Inspire!

 

Journaling Prompt:  Write about a food tradition.

 

 

 

Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese

It's Secret Recipe Club reveal day!  This has become one of my favorite events each month.  This month I was lucky to be assigned Healthy. Delicious. as my blog to choose a recipe from.  Lauren loves to cook and has a blog full of tasty AND healthy food.  I had a lot of trouble choosing a recipe because Lauren's blog is full of amazing food, and since she has been blogging since March of 2007 there were many tasty recipes to choose from!  Finally, I narrowed my choices down to three: Pear and Raspberry Brie Puffs, Brussel Sprout Salad with Maple Vinaigrette, and Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese.  I settled on the Mac and Cheese because homemade mac and cheese is one of my all time favorite dishes, and jalapeno poppers are a favorite appetizer of mine.  Both have cheese, and in my book cheese bumps a recipe to the top of the rankings.

Let's get to business about this recipe.  I love that Lauren took a favorite unhealthy recipe of mine and lightened it up.  This mac and cheese is made with reduced fat cheeses and vegetable stock.  The addition of cream cheese helps create the jalapeno popper flavor, while also keeping the final product creamy--which is how mac and cheese should be!  There is a smokey flavor from the bacon, crunchy breadcrumb topping, and, the best part, diced jalapenos dotted throughout the entire dish.  Is a party in your mouth!

To make this dish kid friendly, I chopped the jalapenos very small and also reduced the overall amount to three peppers instead of eight.  If it were just the hubby and me, I could have left it as the original recipe stated.  I also increased the cream cheese to six ounces. This was an accident because I didn't pay attention, though it was a good accident.  The extra cheese only helped the dish have a creamy texture and gave it more flavor.

Overall, this is one of my favorite Secret Recipe Club recipes that I have posted. It was delicious and a HUGE hit for the entire family.  ENJOY!

Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese

Recipe Source: Modified slightly from Healthy. Delicious. 

4 ounces dry small, ridged pasta (I used Shells)

1 slice bacon, diced (optional)

1/4 cup diced Red Onion

1 clove Garlic, minced

3 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and sliced (the original recipe called for 8)

2 Tablespoons Flour

1 cup Vegetable Stock

4 ounces Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

4 ounces Reduced Fat Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

6 ounces 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, cut into cubes (the original recipe called for 4)

1/4 cup Bread Crumbs

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to directions on the package until al dente.  Don’t overcook the pasta!

While the pasta is cooking brown the bacon, in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Allow to get crispy then remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.  Leave the grease in the pot.

To the warm bacon grease, add the onion and garlic and cook until softened — about 3 minutes.

If you choose not use bacon simply soften the onion and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the jalapenos and cook until soft. Stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute, and then add the vegetable stock. Cook for about five minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken.

Slowly stir in the Cheddar and Pepper Jack cheeses, adding a little at a time and letting it melt completely before adding more. Don’t add the cheese too quickly or the sauce will become grainy.  Stir in the cream cheese. Mix in the crumbled bacon, if using.

Combine the cooked pasta and cheese in a shallow baking dish or individual ramekins. (At this point no one will know if you sample a few bites!)  Sprinkle a thin layer of bread crumbs over the top. Broil 3-5 minutes, or until bread crumb topping is crispy and golden brown.

Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake

Every year, after the massive amounts of food at Thanksgiving dinner, we head over to my sister-in-law's house for dessert.  It has become a tradition for all of the extended family, and everyone enjoys the time together.  I try to make a new dish each year to share.  Last year it was this Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake that took two days to make, but was insanely good and worth every second of effort.  This year I needed something easy and quick to make, but with the same decadence as last year's contribution. 

After a short visit to my Pinterest page, I found a chocolate cake that I had pinned a while back.  It looked rich and moist, but best of all the recipe was easy.  Perfect to bake the morning of Thanksgiving. Now, I'm not a huge fan of mixes, but when a cake looks this good I am willing to make compromises.  I am so glad that I did.  The recipe called for two cups of sour cream which contributed to the tenderness of the final result, and I substituted coffee for the water.  The pudding added a richness that I have never achieved before with a chocolate cake recipe.  The final result was a cake that was uber moist and full of rich, chocolate flavor.  I loved that it didn't require a thick layer of frosting and it was even better the next day once all of the flavors had melded together.  I opted to include  the fudge sauce and more chocolate chips; however, they are not necessary at all.  ENJOY!

Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake

Recipe Source: modified slightly from Let's Dish 

Ingredients
1 (18.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix
1 (3.4 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding mix
2 cups sour cream
3 eggs
⅓ cup vegetable oil
½ cup strong coffee (or water if you prefer)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted or bundt pan very well. Mix all ingredients, except the chocolate chips, in stand mixer or with a handheld mixer until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon batter (it will be thick) into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.  If desired, top with fudge sauce and more chocolate chips (I did and it was wonderful!)

Fudge Sauce

Recipe Source: Let's Dish originally from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook

Ingredients
1/4 cup light corn syrup
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions
In a small saucepan, combine corn syrup and chocolate chips over medium-low heat. Stir occassionally until smooth, 4-5 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream until smooth and well blended. Serve warm, or cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Store any unused sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.