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Another Reality Check

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

I do strive to create a lovely atmosphere in our home. My hope is that our lives are generally peaceful, beautiful and orderly. However, I often have to face the fact that I am fighting entropy. We live in a fallen world, so sometimes life gets a bit ugly. This was the case in our home this week.

We were enjoying our delightful northern Michigan home . It’s an idyllic setting in small-town America. You know, the kind of spot where only beautiful memories are made. Until this past weekend when our life looked more like a fractured fairy tale.

First, we decided to grace a few of our local merchants with our business. While we were in the quaint kitchen store, our van lost its rear-view mirror to a hit-and-run incident. Of course, it will be pricey to replace.  Needless to say, I was disappointed in the “brotherly love” displayed in our small town.

Next, the steering went out on our truck. It has something to do with universal joints and ball joints effected by salt and rust. This means little to me, but I did understand the bill.

Now, fade in to our return home from shopping. A few of our older children had remained at home to play board games. Keep in mind, this home is in the middle of NO WHERE. The drive leading to the house is long. We rarely lock anything. When we are there, the house and the barn remain open.  This has been our pattern for years. Not anymore. While we were out, someone decided to visit our barn and help themselves to my husband’s chainsaws. (He loved those chainsaws.) These were not just ordinary pieces of equipment – we are talking 24-inch Husqvarna and Echo chainsaws. Again, another pricey replacement.

My little world was shaken. After all, on top of everything, my children were in our home alone while some stranger was lurking within 100 feet of  them helping themselves to our chainsaws. Obviously, I am grateful that our kids are safe, particularly considering my 16-year-old son’s personality. Had he known what was going on in the barn while he was playing Risk, he certainly would have confronted the situation – Scary.

I am grateful, but I am also mad.  I feel violated. While my steadfast husband didn’t miss a beat and calmly reported the situation to the sheriff and insurance people, I was devising revenge in my mind. The sheriff and our insurance agent both assured us that these perpetrators would return. I, of course, want to be ready for them. Fortunately, my husband brushed away my vengeful ideas and resolutely set about to build a gate across our road. Certainly this doesn’t involve the drama of my plans but it does illustrate the difference in our personalities. He never exhibited the emotion, anger or angst that I did over this situation. He is a rock. . . calm, calculating and kind even in ugly situations. I guess that is why he leads our family . . .

I spent the remainder of the weekend baking in my wonderful kitchen. Somehow the warmth and lovely aromas created by banana bread and pumpkin pie in the ovens brought back a sense of peace and order to my shaken world.

Banana Bread

4 cups of flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter (2 cubes), softened

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

Butter 2 loaf pans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mash the bananas. Cream sugar and butter together in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating the ingredients after each egg. Periodically scrape the sides of the bowl. Combine the dry ingredients with the butter mixture.  Add the bananas, sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix thoroughly. Divide the mixture between the two pans. I always weigh the pans to assure even baking. Bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

This recipe is a result of years of customizing a recipe I ran across in The Martha Stewart Cookbook (1995 edition). For another terrific banana bread recipe visit Embracing Him.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John16:33

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No Deception Now. . .

Monday, October 20th, 2008

Baking is such a natural activity this time of year.  As the weather turns cooler, I enjoy making and serving traditional quick breads.

Now, I personally think the entire concept of “quick” breads is ironic. Yes, I understand they utilize chemical leavens like baking soda and baking powder instead of yeast. However, my experience has been that the only thing quick about these flavorful breads is the speed in which they are devoured. They actually take me longer to prepare than most yeast breads.

I will continue to present my family with warm, delicious quick breads: banana, pumpkin, zucchini, and cranberry. Their sweet aroma will be a lovely addition to our home this fall. However, I’ll always feel a little deceived when I think about  ”quick breads”.

Here is a recipe for a particularly versatile pumpkin bread. It is a recipe that I found originally in The Martha Stewart Cookbook (1995 ed.). I have customized it over the years. It is savory enough to be served alone or with butter and yet its texture is the perfect density for delightful sandwiches. It  works well with  tarragon chicken salad.

Pumpkin Bread

3 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup (12 tblsp) softened butter

1/4 cup molasses

2 cups sugar

5 eggs

2/3 cup orange juice

2 cups (15-16 oz) pumpkin puree

Mix dry ingredients. Cream molasses, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat until light and fluffy. Add orange juice and pumpkin. Blend well. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients. Make certain all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Divide mixture between 2 9″ x 5″ x 3″ generously buttered loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour  at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes on a rack. Turn out of the pans and continue to cool the bread on the racks.

“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 7:9-12

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Color Effects

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

Fall is in full swing here in the midwest. The air is sometimes more than crisp. The harvesters are toiling through exhausted corn fields. The motif decorating porches and store fronts is all about hay and pumpkins. And our world is colored with the vivid reds, oranges, yellows and golds of the season that make those who don’t enjoy an autumn crowned in glory wish they were here.

My camera is as busy as anyone’s shooting the foliage as I watch the leaves fly. However, part of me misses the greens of summer . . . After all, I’m not certain I look forward to  taking inventory of our jackets and boots as we wait for you-know-what.

So, I’m going to take one last glance back at summer this weekend by making something that definitely brings green back into my life . . . PESTO.

This recipe is adapted from one that I found in a beautiful source -”Heart of the Home” by Susan Branch.

Basil Pesto Sauce

2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry (discard stems)

5 Tbsp. pine nuts

4 Tbsp. butter

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

1/2 cup olive oil

Saute the pine nuts and the garlic in the butter until the nuts are a light golden-brown. Remove from the heat and cool for a few moments. Place the pine nut mixture, cheese and the olive oil into a food processor and blend until you have a smooth sauce. Serve over your favorite pasta.

For another lovely pesto sauce, visit Organizing Mommy.

“Pounding fragrant things — particularly garlic, basil, parsley — is a tremendous antidote to depression. But it applies also to juniper berries, coriander seeds and the grilled fruits of the chilli pepper. Pounding these things produces an alteration in one’s being — from sighing with fatigue to inhaling with pleasure. The cheering effects of herbs and alliums cannot be too often reiterated. Virgil’s appetite was probably improved equally by pounding garlic as by eating it.” – Patience Gray, cookery author

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Much Virtue in Herbs

Monday, October 13th, 2008

I am continuing to harvest a bountiful crop of herbs. “Bountiful” is a relative term here as my garden sits in diminutive pots on my patio. The harvest, however small, has allowed me to enjoy cooking with fresh aromatic plants throughout the summer and into the fall.

I relish unleashing the rich verdure as the herbs are chopped, crushed and pureed.  Fresh herbs enhance the flavors of an endless number of dishes and add an artful presentation to any culinary experience.

Cilantro, with its delicate lacy foliage and pungent flavor, is a favorite of mine for flavoring chicken, rice and ethnic entrees.

Basil, touted as the “king of herbs”, is a tender plant with an endless variety of aromas. Its fragrant, delightful leaves are the foundation of pesto.

The diminutive thyme leaf, utilized by the ancients in their baths and incense, is now a work-horse herb which commonly enlivens meats, soups and stews.

Herbs are so convenient in their dried form. However, nothing matches the flavoring power of fresh herbs. Unfortunately, the fresh herb maintains a short shelf life. Fresh thyme cannot be expected to make it even a week in the refrigerator. You can savor the fresh flavor a little longer by blanching the herbs in hot water and then freezing them. I understand that basil freezes nicely once pureed. I’d love to hear about your experiences with frozen herbs.

I have shared my recipe for Balsamic Chicken with Cilantro. It would be a disservice to the chicken to utilize anything but fresh cilantro in this dish. Now, I would like to recommend a recipe that my daughter enjoys preparing. Her inspiration for this recipe came from the June 1995 issue of Gourmet. Thyme is given its rightful place as it enhances this delightful and easy chicken entree.

Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken

12-15 chicken breasts halved

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup Chardonnay or similar white wine

3 tbl. freshly ground pepper

3 tsp garlic

3 tbl. fresh thyme

Whisk all ingredients together in large bowl. Place chicken breasts in large baking dish. Pour blended ingredients over chicken. Let marinate for 15-30 minutes, forking occasionally. Grill on medium heat for about 4-6 minutes per side. Do not over cook as the chicken will dry out. . Serves 8-10.

“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.” – Prov. 15:17

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Hamburger Mine

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

Hamburgers take their place with apple pie as American traditional fare.  Historically, as the name suggests, the hamburger appears to have originated in Germany.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language states:

“. . .By the middle of the 19th century people in the port city of Hamburg, Germany, enjoyed a form of pounded beef called Hamburg steak. The large numbers of Germans who migrated to North America during this time probably brought the dish and its name along with them. The entrée may have appeared on an American menu as early as 1836, although the first recorded use of Hamburg steak is not found until 1884. The variant form hamburger steak, using the German adjective Hamburger meaning “from Hamburg,” first appears in a Walla Walla, Washington, newspaper in 1889. By 1902 we find the first description of a Hamburg steak close to our conception of the hamburger, namely a recipe calling for ground beef mixed with onion and pepper. By then the hamburger was on its way, to be followed—much later—by the shortened form burger, used in forming cheeseburger and the names of other variations on the basic burger, as well as on its own.”

Hamburgers are a favorite entree served throughout the summer. Their juicy, hearty taste is unlocked as they are grilled outside. Backyard chefs are unleashed as they accent hamburgers with garlic, pepper and a plethora of other seasonings. They might wrap them in bacon and perhaps add an additional smoked flavor as they barbecue their creations over apple wood.

The grilling season is endless in warmer climates. However, you can enjoy  delicious burgers well into the fall even as you prepare for a snowy winter. I have actually fired up my grill in the middle of a winter wonderland after a willing son cleared my path through the snow.

Here is my take on an American classic. . .

The 7-and-7 Hamburger

3 pounds extra lean ground sirloin

1 egg

1/2 cup Progresso Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon ground pepper (freshly ground is best)

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl until the egg and seasonings are thoroughly incorporated into the ground beef. Shape hamburger patties. This recipe will allow you to make about 12 medium-sized hamburgers.

Brush 12 hamburger buns with butter in preparation for grilling. Refrigerate until you are ready to grill your burgers.

Slice cheese for  those who enjoy cheeseburgers. I prefer extra-sharp cheddar cheese; however, this is simply a matter of preference.

Prepare a condiment tray to your liking – sliced tomatoes, pickles, lettuce and onions are always favorites.

Place the hamburger patties on your pre-heated grill. Usually a medium to medium-high heat is preferred. I have found that cooking the hamburgers for 7 minutes on one side and 7 minutes on the other side is just about the right timing. I like to serve well-done hamburgers. You might have to adjust the cooking time to suit your taste.

During the last three minutes of grilling, place the cheese slices on the burgers for adequate melting. At this time, you can even top the cheese with cooked slices of bacon. You may also grill the buttered side of your buns as well.

Serve the hamburgers with your condiments: spicy mustard, mayonnaise, and even ketchup.

“There’s nothing in the world that can compare / With a hamburger, juicy and rare / A hamburger lives for the pleasure it gives / It’s a thrill-on-the-bill affair / Such heavenly food deserves the best / A home and contentment beneath my vest / There’s nothing in the world that’s so divine / As a hamburger, tender and fine / I adore you, hamburger mine. ” -Wimpy, from Popeye

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Don’t Count Your Chickens. . .

Thursday, September 25th, 2008

One of my family’s favorite entrees is a dish they fondly refer to as “Chicken Fried Chicken”.  I prefer to refer to this as “Crusted Parmesan Chicken”.

Crusted Parmesan Chicken is transformed when topped off with a delicious marinara sauce or a lemon-caper sauce. It is also tasty standing alone.

Here is the recipe for this savory family favorite.

Crusted Parmesan Chicken

5 pounds skinless, boneless, trimmed breast halves

1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs ( I usually work with Progresso Brand)

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, very finely grated

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon ground pepper

5 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup olive oil ( add additional oil if needed when sauteing the chicken)

Flatten the chicken breasts with a kitchen mallet to about 1/2 inch thick.

In a medium mixing bowl whip the eggs, milk, garlic, and pepper until thoroughly combined. Mix the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese together on a large plate or shallow baking dish.  Meanwhile, heat the oil on medium in a skillet.

Dip each chicken breast in the egg-milk mixture and then dredge the breast in the bread crumb-cheese combination. Repeat the process so that the chicken breast has two coatings of the milk mixture and the bread crumbs. Place the breaded chicken breast in the heated olive oil and saute until both sides of the breast are light golden brown.  Repeat with all of the breasts. You should be able to work with 4 or 5 chicken breasts at one time, depending on the size of your skillet.

Do not over-brown the chicken breasts. Traditionally, sauteing is a process in which the chicken would be completely cooked  in your skillet. However, you will bake the chicken in the oven after you saute the breasts. Thus, you only need to brown the chicken, not completely cook it.

After each breast is sauteed, place them on a baking sheet. Once all of the chicken is sauteed, place the baking sheet in the oven on 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve with a garnish of lemon or parsley.  Serves 10-12.

“One can say everything best over a meal.” – George Eliot

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Citrus Glazed Ham

Saturday, September 20th, 2008

Ham is an entree with an intriguing and protracted history.

About.com states “Domestication of pigs for food dates back to 4900 B.C. in China and by 1500 B.C., Europe had followed suit. Although Christopher Columbus had eight pigs on board when he left Spain for the new world, it is explorer Hernando de Soto whose 13 pigs became the breeding stock for America’s pork industry. By the 17th century, most American farmers raised pigs. The shelf-life of salt pork and bacon made both staple in most kitchens.”

Whatscookingamerica.net explained:

“ . . . Hams have been produced in America since the settling of Jamestown in the early 1600s. . . . These wild pigs were the principal food for new settlers, as well as the Indians, because they were available all the year and more easily caught than wild game and fish. Since the Native Indians had been curing venison by smoking long before the settlers arrived in Jamestown, they taught them to cure meat with salt . . .”

Today a lovely, traditional ham dinner conjures up visions of holidays, special occasions, and entertaining large parties. While this image has merit, ham is a versatile dish. It can be served on a regular basis. Ham has a value as a convenient meal. It is effortless to prepare (as long as you work with a cured ham) and provides ample leftovers for additional timely meals.

This ham recipe is easily prepared in an oven or a crock-pot.

Citrus Glazed Ham

4 -6 pound boneless, fully cooked ham

1 12 oz. can root beer or 7-Up

1/2 cup honey

3 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon ground cloves (you can substitute whole cloves, piercing the top of the ham with these in a diamond pattern)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Citrus Glaze

1 cup orange juice

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

A few drops of red pepper sauce (to taste)

3-4 tbsp. of ham drippings

Combine the cornstarch with the orange juice and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the additional ingredients. Simmer and stir until the mixture is thick and bubbly.

Place the ham in a large roasting pan or a crock-pot. Mix the soda with the honey, spices and mustard. Pour the mixture over the ham. If you are utilizing a crock-pot, cover the ham and cook 3-4 hours on high or about 6 hours on low. Watch the level of the liquid and add small amounts of water if needed. If you are baking the ham in an oven, tightly cover it with foil and bake at 325 degrees for about 2 hours. Do not over-bake the ham as you do not want to risk compromising the succulent, savory flavors.

Let the ham sit for about 15 minutes after you remove it from the oven or crock-pot. Prepare the glaze while the ham is resting.

Ladle the warm, flavorful sauce over the ham as you serve it. You will enjoy the distinctive, zesty quality of this combination.

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Hard Times

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

Lehman Brothers declares bankruptcy, AIG is rescued from bankruptcy, Merrill Lynch is delivered from bankruptcy by Bank of America, the Dow drops 500 points, the nation is experiencing a housing foreclosure crisis . . . tough times appear to be upon us.

Tough financial times require most of us to tighten our belts. Little luxuries must often be sacrificed. Perhaps this is why Starbucks has experienced a decline in their fan base. Some of the first things to go are the delicious, aromatic beverages that we so easily purchased as we zipped through the local coffeehouse drive-through. We are saving our pennies as well as our dollars.

I have a terrific frugal alternative to that expensive cup of joe. First, fire up your own coffee maker. Now, when you add your coffee grounds sprinkle 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or 1 teaspoon of vanilla (or both) into the grounds. A lovely fragrance will waft through your home as the coffee is brewing. You will enjoy a flavorful and economical beverage.

For other great Works For Me Wednesday tips, visit http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/.

“There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing and debt.” – Henrik Ibsen

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You Elegant Fowl

Tuesday, September 16th, 2008

Roasted chicken: here is a time-honored classic dish. It conjures up visions of a comforting meal shared by family and friends alike in any season. It can be the central figure in a modest meal, the one you turn to when you are trimming your budget. The faithful bird, even during tough times, remains succulent, fragrant, golden, crisp, and savory.

If you are feeling elegant, simply surround your roasted fowl with white linens, lovely serving dishes filled with mouth-watering treats, candlelight and goblets of your favorite wine.  The fine, feathered bird is so versatile.

Roasting a chicken is so deliciously easy.  You can complicate it with stuffing, dressings, and the like. I prefer a bird less fussy. As you will note in my recipe, I simply wrap my chickens around citrus and onions, allowing these flavors to mingle with the spices and natural juices of the fowl. It quickly and effortlessly roasts to perfection.

Roasted Chicken

1  4-6 lb. roasting chicken, rinsed inside and out and patted dry

Herbs: thyme,  rosemary, basil, oregano, sage ( I have utilized any and all combinations of these herbs when roasting a chicken) preferably both dried and fresh.

Olive oil

1 Lemon

1 large onion

1 tsp. granulated garlic

Freshly ground pepper

1 tbl. salt

Rub the salt into the cavity of the chicken. Generously sprinkle ground pepper, garlic and dried herbs into the cavity. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of the lemon into the cavity. Now, place the squeezed lemon (only one half may fit) into the cavity along with an onion quartered.  Rub olive oil over the chicken. Lift the skin up and tuck fresh herbs under it.  You can not be too generous with your herbs.

Place the chicken breast side down (allows for moist breast meat) in a roasting pan. Tightly cover with foil. Bake at 325 degrees for about 2 hours. Remove the foil for the last 45 minutes of baking to  allow the skin to brown nicely.  I prefer baking the chicken at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. Instant-read thermometers can be used to test the temperature of the chicken.

The temperature should read 170 – 180 degrees. The liquid should run clear when it is done.Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before carving.

“Dining is and always was a great artistic opportunity.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

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Simply Onion Soup

Saturday, September 13th, 2008

One crisp autumn day, warm your family and friends with savory onion soup. They will delight in the earthy flavor of this rich but simple treat. The remains of a multitude of buttery, golden onions, slowly cooked over hours, mix with the sumptuous flavors of beef stock and the complex qualities of chardonnay. This soup, served with a slice of crusty bread and blanketed with melted cheese is an ample meal in itself.

I was originally inspired to create this soup from a a recipe that I found in The Martha Stewart Cookbook (1995, pg. 146). I have played with the recipe over the years and customized it to our family’s liking. I hope you enjoy my version of French Onion Soup.

French Onion Soup

10 pounds onions, sliced very thin

1 1/2 cubes of butter

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 to 1/2 cup flour

28 cups beef broth ( you can make this with concentrated beef stock found in granular, paste, and cubed form)

3 cups chardonnay

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

Slices of French Bread

Grated mozzarella cheese

In a very large stock pot melt butter and combine with the oil. Add the sliced onions and stir to coat with the butter-oil mixture. At this point your pot will be full of onions. After a few minutes, sprinkle the sugar over the onions and stir. Simmer and stir the onion mixture for 2-3 hours. The onions will cook down to 1/4 -1/3 of their original volume and  turn a rich, golden brown.

Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to evenly coat.  Slowly add the broth, chardonnay, and the worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for another 1/2 of an hour.

Ladle the soup into oven-proof crocks. Place a thick piece of french bread in each bowl and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of the bread and soup.  Broil for a minute or two, until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Be careful handling the extremely hot bowls.

Serve and enjoy this flavorful, warm treat.

“Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup? Who soothes you when you are ill? Who refuses to leave you when you are impoverished and stretches its resources to give a hearty sustenance and cheer? Who warms you in the winter and cools you in the summer? Yet who also is capable of doing honor to your richest table and impressing your most demanding guests? Soup does its loyal best, no matter what undignified conditions are imposed upon it. You don’t catch steak hanging around when you’re poor and sick, do you?” – Judith Martin (Miss Manners)

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