Some of the lovely yellow leaves on our maple tree in the backyard.
New Adventures and New Ideas:
As the holidays approach and this year comes to a close I think about all of the wonderful things that I have learned, changes that I have made and the journeys that are still to come on my path and the paths of my family. I feel so happy to be on this journey and to find out new and wonderful things every day about myself. As I embark on the new adventure of starting a new business (which I will outline a bit more below) I look back on so many things I have learned about that are carving the path for me now. I believe that it is never too late to discover your true mission in life and your true passion. Staying positive and focused is a great way to achieve your goals and dreams! I am so excited about every day!
I started out the year on a new system from Fly-lady to clean out my garage and I learned many tips and routines to keep my house in order and not feel overwhelmed by cleaning tasks. I feel like I have found my own system within this system that works just for me and I am proud of that. It has given me peace of mind and more time to spend with my sweet boy Adam. Every morning I look forward to taking a few minutes to read the Fly-lady e-mail digest and learn more cleaning tips and tricks. There are also many inspirational stories that help keep me focused. Along the way I found that Fly-lady also encourages us to be proud of ourselves which I think is such a great thing!
Along the way from Fly-lady I also learned the power of doing tasks for a few minutes each day until they are done. This really worked for me recently because I had some curtains in our family room that needed to be hemmed. I had put this project off for more than a year because I thought it would be a really large project. However, I set my timer for 15-20 minutes here and there and within 2 days I had both curtains hemmed! I was amazed and so thrilled to be done with this project at last!
Recently I have also discovered "The Daily Love." It is a website and daily e-mail digest that is a wonderful motivator. It provides daily perspectives that are very positive and I read it every morning to "charge me up" for the day. It outlines how we all have the positive power to change and shape our lives by taking action for ourselves. I think this is a very powerful message that is so helpful. We all have the power to be who we want to be and to help others in the process.
My more refined goal as of now for my dream is to become a personal chef. This is a very long term goal but in a way I feel like I have been training for it for my whole life. I have always loved cooking, entertaining and throwing parties. I am glad that I was exposed to a lot of different cooking and entertaining while growing up and that my mom allowed me to be creative in the kitchen and also let me practice entertaining along the way. I know that my parent's creative influence is one reason that I love to "tinker" with recipes and create menus. It is a different type of artistic pursuit and I really enjoy it.
I really love what I do now, but I am compelled to find a way to practice my true passion of cooking for others very soon. I am going to keep practicing my pastry and cooking skills as well as creating menus and learning the business side of things as I go along. It is nice to have plenty of time to put my ideas into motion. Every day- as my Aunt Echo said to me I "keep plugging away" at my goal and I am loving it! I know that I can create a business that helps others with their busy lives as well as balance that with my family life by limiting my schedule so that I can be there for them as well.
Country Garden News:
Just when we thought the harvest was done, my mom reported that she found these lovely brussels sprouts among other late season vegetables in the garden the other day! What a find! On Friday when my mom came to our house to visit us we discovered that we still had some tomatoes on our plants that could be harvested! So, she decided to check her garden to see what was out there as well.
She reported that they also found beets, Swiss chard, kale, turnips, rutabagas, carrots and parsnips. My mom is amazing in that she makes the most of all of the produce from the garden and the fruit from the orchard and I know that will really pay off this winter!
Praline Pumpkin Pie:
This is an amazing pie recipe that I got from my "Grandma Rose's" dessert cookbook. It is incredible and made so delicious with the addition of rum to the filling!
Praline Shell:
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust
Blend pecans with sugar and butter. Press gently with the back of a spoon into the bottom of pie shell.
Filling and Meringue:
3 whole eggs
2 eggs separated
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup rum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon mace
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Blend all ingredients except egg whites and granulated sugar. Pour into pie shell and bake for ab out 50 minutes. Make sure that a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
3. Meanwhile, make the meringue: beat egg whites until stiff, adding sugar while beating. Remove pie from oven, cover with meringue, and return to 425F oven to brown. Watch carefully.
Turkey Tetrazzini:
This is a recipe that is simple but elevated with a French sauce and some sauteed mushrooms. We enjoyed the turkey leftovers as much as our turkey dinner! This recipe came from "The Fannie Farmer Cookbook" which always has such classic recipes.
Tetrazzini:
4 cups cooked spaghetti (about 1/2 pound)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons dry sherry
Salt to taste
1 recipe Veloute sauce (recipe below)
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
8 or more slices cooked turkey or chicken- I ended up dicing the slices up.
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Butter a 2 quart shallow baking dish, and spread the cooked spaghetti in it.
3. Stir the nutmeg, sherry and salt into the warm veloute sauce and set aside.
4. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until soft.
5. Spoon half the sauce over the spaghetti. Place the turkey or chicken over that and then place the mushrooms on top. Spoon on the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
Veloute Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup hot chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste
1. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan. Stir in the flour and blend with a wire whisk over moderate heat until
2. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cook 2 minutes more.
3. Pour in the cream, add salt and heat thoroughly.
Sopes and Spanish Rice:
These sopes or Mexican corn cakes and Spanish rice make a delicious, healthy and economical meal. I have made sopes many different ways but this time I made them very simply with canned refried beans.
These were my baking project this week. They ended up being a three day project from start to finish so I did not have time to make bread this week.
It was another fun week seeing how Adam is adventurous and creative with his play. I love how he loves to invent and tinker with things. He is an amazing little boy! As you can see from the pictures below he loves to create vehicles from blocks and other objects and he is able to experiment with how things work. He is becoming very interested in reading now. We talk about the letters- as he knows the alphabet and numbers 1-10 and we also talk about the sounds the letters make. It is such a joy seeing how Adam is learning and growing. This is such a precious time and I feel so joyful that I am able to share it with him! Enjoy the photos below and have a great week!
As the holidays approach and this year comes to a close I think about all of the wonderful things that I have learned, changes that I have made and the journeys that are still to come on my path and the paths of my family. I feel so happy to be on this journey and to find out new and wonderful things every day about myself. As I embark on the new adventure of starting a new business (which I will outline a bit more below) I look back on so many things I have learned about that are carving the path for me now. I believe that it is never too late to discover your true mission in life and your true passion. Staying positive and focused is a great way to achieve your goals and dreams! I am so excited about every day!
I started out the year on a new system from Fly-lady to clean out my garage and I learned many tips and routines to keep my house in order and not feel overwhelmed by cleaning tasks. I feel like I have found my own system within this system that works just for me and I am proud of that. It has given me peace of mind and more time to spend with my sweet boy Adam. Every morning I look forward to taking a few minutes to read the Fly-lady e-mail digest and learn more cleaning tips and tricks. There are also many inspirational stories that help keep me focused. Along the way I found that Fly-lady also encourages us to be proud of ourselves which I think is such a great thing!
Along the way from Fly-lady I also learned the power of doing tasks for a few minutes each day until they are done. This really worked for me recently because I had some curtains in our family room that needed to be hemmed. I had put this project off for more than a year because I thought it would be a really large project. However, I set my timer for 15-20 minutes here and there and within 2 days I had both curtains hemmed! I was amazed and so thrilled to be done with this project at last!
Recently I have also discovered "The Daily Love." It is a website and daily e-mail digest that is a wonderful motivator. It provides daily perspectives that are very positive and I read it every morning to "charge me up" for the day. It outlines how we all have the positive power to change and shape our lives by taking action for ourselves. I think this is a very powerful message that is so helpful. We all have the power to be who we want to be and to help others in the process.
My more refined goal as of now for my dream is to become a personal chef. This is a very long term goal but in a way I feel like I have been training for it for my whole life. I have always loved cooking, entertaining and throwing parties. I am glad that I was exposed to a lot of different cooking and entertaining while growing up and that my mom allowed me to be creative in the kitchen and also let me practice entertaining along the way. I know that my parent's creative influence is one reason that I love to "tinker" with recipes and create menus. It is a different type of artistic pursuit and I really enjoy it.
I really love what I do now, but I am compelled to find a way to practice my true passion of cooking for others very soon. I am going to keep practicing my pastry and cooking skills as well as creating menus and learning the business side of things as I go along. It is nice to have plenty of time to put my ideas into motion. Every day- as my Aunt Echo said to me I "keep plugging away" at my goal and I am loving it! I know that I can create a business that helps others with their busy lives as well as balance that with my family life by limiting my schedule so that I can be there for them as well.
Country Garden News:
Just when we thought the harvest was done, my mom reported that she found these lovely brussels sprouts among other late season vegetables in the garden the other day! What a find! On Friday when my mom came to our house to visit us we discovered that we still had some tomatoes on our plants that could be harvested! So, she decided to check her garden to see what was out there as well.
She reported that they also found beets, Swiss chard, kale, turnips, rutabagas, carrots and parsnips. My mom is amazing in that she makes the most of all of the produce from the garden and the fruit from the orchard and I know that will really pay off this winter!
Praline Pumpkin Pie:
This is an amazing pie recipe that I got from my "Grandma Rose's" dessert cookbook. It is incredible and made so delicious with the addition of rum to the filling!
The praline pumpkin pie that I made for our "little thanksgiving."
Praline Shell:
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust
Blend pecans with sugar and butter. Press gently with the back of a spoon into the bottom of pie shell.
Filling and Meringue:
3 whole eggs
2 eggs separated
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup rum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon mace
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Blend all ingredients except egg whites and granulated sugar. Pour into pie shell and bake for ab out 50 minutes. Make sure that a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
3. Meanwhile, make the meringue: beat egg whites until stiff, adding sugar while beating. Remove pie from oven, cover with meringue, and return to 425F oven to brown. Watch carefully.
Turkey Tetrazzini:
This is a recipe that is simple but elevated with a French sauce and some sauteed mushrooms. We enjoyed the turkey leftovers as much as our turkey dinner! This recipe came from "The Fannie Farmer Cookbook" which always has such classic recipes.
Tetrazzini:
4 cups cooked spaghetti (about 1/2 pound)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons dry sherry
Salt to taste
1 recipe Veloute sauce (recipe below)
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
8 or more slices cooked turkey or chicken- I ended up dicing the slices up.
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Butter a 2 quart shallow baking dish, and spread the cooked spaghetti in it.
3. Stir the nutmeg, sherry and salt into the warm veloute sauce and set aside.
4. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until soft.
5. Spoon half the sauce over the spaghetti. Place the turkey or chicken over that and then place the mushrooms on top. Spoon on the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
Veloute Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup hot chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste
1. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan. Stir in the flour and blend with a wire whisk over moderate heat until
2. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cook 2 minutes more.
3. Pour in the cream, add salt and heat thoroughly.
Sopes and Spanish Rice:
These sopes or Mexican corn cakes and Spanish rice make a delicious, healthy and economical meal. I have made sopes many different ways but this time I made them very simply with canned refried beans.
Spanish rice and a sope topped with refried beans and queso fresco.
Sopes: Mexican Corn Cakes:
2 cups Maseca (instant corn masa flour- found in the Hispanic section of the grocery store)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 + cups water
canola oil
Toppings:
-refried beans
-shredded chicken
-seasoned ground beef
-shredded beef
-queso fresco
-salsa
-chopped lettuce
-fresh tomatoes
1. Mix the Maseca, salt and water together for about 2 minutes. If it is too dry, add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Make sure the masa or dough is not too dry.
2. Form the dough into golf ball size or larger balls. Flatten and shape the balls into round cakes that are about 1/2 inch thick or so.
3. Heat canola oil in an electric skillet or in a skillet on the stove over medium heat.
4. Place the corn cakes in the hot oil and brown them on each side. Make sure they are cooked through. Place on a plate as each corn cake cooks.
5. Spread refried beans on the bottom of the sope- add other toppings as you wish. Enjoy!
Spanish Rice:
This is a simple recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I love this rice because it is "saucy".
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 28 ounce can tomatoes, undrained and cut up (I used some tomatoes from our garden that I had frozen, then defrosted them, peeled them and cut them up)
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 4 ounce can diced green chile peppers undrained
-a dash or two of bottled pepper sauce (if desired)
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1. In a large skillet cook onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Add chili powder and cook 1 minute more. Stir in undrained tomatoes, rice, chile peppers, hot pepper sauce (if using), 1 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
2. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Enjoy!
Butterhorns:Sopes: Mexican Corn Cakes:
2 cups Maseca (instant corn masa flour- found in the Hispanic section of the grocery store)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 + cups water
canola oil
Toppings:
-refried beans
-shredded chicken
-seasoned ground beef
-shredded beef
-queso fresco
-salsa
-chopped lettuce
-fresh tomatoes
1. Mix the Maseca, salt and water together for about 2 minutes. If it is too dry, add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Make sure the masa or dough is not too dry.
2. Form the dough into golf ball size or larger balls. Flatten and shape the balls into round cakes that are about 1/2 inch thick or so.
3. Heat canola oil in an electric skillet or in a skillet on the stove over medium heat.
4. Place the corn cakes in the hot oil and brown them on each side. Make sure they are cooked through. Place on a plate as each corn cake cooks.
5. Spread refried beans on the bottom of the sope- add other toppings as you wish. Enjoy!
Spanish Rice:
This is a simple recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I love this rice because it is "saucy".
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 28 ounce can tomatoes, undrained and cut up (I used some tomatoes from our garden that I had frozen, then defrosted them, peeled them and cut them up)
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 4 ounce can diced green chile peppers undrained
-a dash or two of bottled pepper sauce (if desired)
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1. In a large skillet cook onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Add chili powder and cook 1 minute more. Stir in undrained tomatoes, rice, chile peppers, hot pepper sauce (if using), 1 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
2. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Enjoy!
These were my baking project this week. They ended up being a three day project from start to finish so I did not have time to make bread this week.
Some of the buttery Danish pastries I made
The danish dough folded and ready to cut.
The cut butter horns ready to rise and bake.
The danish dough wrapped in an envelope over the margarine
The danish dough folded and ready to cut.
The cut butter horns ready to rise and bake.I learned a lot about making pastries from this project. The mistake that I made caused me to learn what to do next time. I ended up letting the pastries rise a bit after I formed them knowing that I would need to put them in the freezer before I baked them. I think next time I will form the pastries quickly and then put them in the freezer before they have a chance to rise so that they will fully rise when they come to room temperature out of the freezer. I think for this reason my butter horns turned out a bit flat and not very puffy. I am excited to try this dough again and see if my theory is correct.
Gingerbread Waffles:
This is a recipe that I clipped out of the Oregonian newspaper a long while ago. I have made them before but this time I added a bit of candied ginger. I love the results! They are tasty!
This is a recipe that I clipped out of the Oregonian newspaper a long while ago. I have made them before but this time I added a bit of candied ginger. I love the results! They are tasty!
A gingerbread waffle that I made this weekend with cinnamon whipped cream on top.
This makes 3-4 waffles. If you have a larger group to serve I would suggest doubling or tripling the recipe.
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
3 tablespoons dark molasses
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, separated (divided)
whipping cream, granulated sugar and cinnamon for whipped cream topping
1. Preheat a waffle iron and grease lightly. If you are making more than 1 batch of waffles, heat the oven to 200F to keep the waffles warm.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, molasses, melted butter and egg yolk. In a small bowl, beat the egg white until it holds a 2 inch peak; set aside.
4. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients in a steady stream while gently mixing with a rubber spatula, using a folding motion toward the end. Then, gently fold in the egg white.
5. Spread the appropriate amount of batter onto the waffle iron and follow manufacturer's instructions. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven until the other waffles are ready (place waffles directly on the oven racks, don't stack them).
6. Whip a small amount of whipping cream- 1 cup or so, with the desired amount of granulated sugar and about a teaspoon of cinnamon.
Serve the waffles with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Enjoy!!
Adventures with Adam:1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
3 tablespoons dark molasses
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, separated (divided)
whipping cream, granulated sugar and cinnamon for whipped cream topping
1. Preheat a waffle iron and grease lightly. If you are making more than 1 batch of waffles, heat the oven to 200F to keep the waffles warm.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, molasses, melted butter and egg yolk. In a small bowl, beat the egg white until it holds a 2 inch peak; set aside.
4. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients in a steady stream while gently mixing with a rubber spatula, using a folding motion toward the end. Then, gently fold in the egg white.
5. Spread the appropriate amount of batter onto the waffle iron and follow manufacturer's instructions. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven until the other waffles are ready (place waffles directly on the oven racks, don't stack them).
6. Whip a small amount of whipping cream- 1 cup or so, with the desired amount of granulated sugar and about a teaspoon of cinnamon.
Serve the waffles with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Enjoy!!
It was another fun week seeing how Adam is adventurous and creative with his play. I love how he loves to invent and tinker with things. He is an amazing little boy! As you can see from the pictures below he loves to create vehicles from blocks and other objects and he is able to experiment with how things work. He is becoming very interested in reading now. We talk about the letters- as he knows the alphabet and numbers 1-10 and we also talk about the sounds the letters make. It is such a joy seeing how Adam is learning and growing. This is such a precious time and I feel so joyful that I am able to share it with him! Enjoy the photos below and have a great week!
Adam riding on his "vehicle" he made with the footstool and some blocks.
Adam decorating the compost bucket on our deck with beautiful leaves.
Me with Adam in our backyard with our lovely dogwood tree. I love the pretty red leaves. He was very busy looking around with his binoculars and didn't have time to look at the camera- ha ha!
Adam decorating the compost bucket on our deck with beautiful leaves.
Me with Adam in our backyard with our lovely dogwood tree. I love the pretty red leaves. He was very busy looking around with his binoculars and didn't have time to look at the camera- ha ha! The picture below was taken by my husband Paul who was watching Adam one evening while I was teaching. Adam hid from him and he found him in this cabinet among the blankets! What a surprise!!
Adam hiding in the linen closet in the hall that is full of blankets!
Have an amazing week everyone!
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