Rookie Cookery

HAVE A SOULFUL NEW YEAR

  

    I love the ritual of making New Year's Resolutions. No matter how many times I fail (and sometimes succeed) in achieving my goals, I love the process of clarifying my vision for how life could be, fulfilling my aspirations to be a better person in all ways. In recent years I have used the "Getting Things Done" process as taught by David Allen, a highly useful tool.
    This being the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, I have the added (and not typical) luxury of being on vacation. Perfect for pulling out the paper and writing my lists and goals.
    Yet as perfect as conditions are, I can't seem to pull it off. The truth is, I am exhausted. Specifically, I am exhausted on a spiritual level.
    There are good reasons for this exhaustion. Because it involves another person, I won't go into details. Suffice it to say, during the last two months I have had the opportunity to be of service while God saved the life of someone I love. This is the answer to prayers over many years-- my own, and others, for this person in need. Finally, after years in the Pit, he was able to let go and say Yes to help, and by the grace of God and perfect timing, I was able to respond and help line up resources for this person. I would do it again in a heartbeat, but I confess the whole process was made much more difficult by my own fear, anxiety, and worry. Despite my willingness to be of service, I can't say there was no static on the line between me and God during all this drama. 
    People, it all came together. And it was a series of miracles that left me bowled over with the knowledge of God's love and Grace in our lives, if we would only trust. So once again in God's economy I see how in being of service I am also being blessed and healed.
    Grace upon Grace, that's all.
    So anyway, I have been reading (providentially) Thomas Moore's new book "A Life At Work: The Joy Of Discovering What You Were Born To Do", in which he shares his insights on the life of the Soul and Spirit as it relates to doing our life Work. He talks about job and career through the lens of finding meaning for a life well lived.
    The terms "Soul" and "Spirit" are often used interchangeably, yet Moore shows us that these are two aspects of self with very different impulses and purpose.
    It is our Soul that connects us to depth of feeling, meaning, personal history, family and community. Soul work is intimate and slow and evolves over time. Soul does not care so much for the Ego concerns of success and failure as defined by society. In the world of work or career, a Soulful job makes us feel nourished by the work, whereas a job without soul makes us feel empty or dead inside.
    It is Spirit within us that is aspirational, where we cultivate a vision for the future and how things could be. Spirit brings energy and vitality, creativity and spark to what we do, either at the job or at home. A Spirit that is satisfied by work has something to contribute. A spirit crushing job is one where creativity is unwelcome, where one feels like a "cog in the machine"--interchangeable and bored.
    As I anticipate the New Year, contemplating this duality of Soul and Spirit brings a welcome perspective to the usual ritual of making "resolutions".  Instead of being frustrated that I cannot charge ahead with my Ego, writing up a laundry list of Things To Do and Be, I see the gift in being just plain too tired.
    I see that the last two months have been deeply tiring to my Spirit, not because it came from my Ego, but because my Ego did not quite trust enough. In other words, while my Spirit was working, my Ego was also trying and interfering and making it Hard. Now that the crisis is over, I see how my Spirit needed to learn this lesson. Does that make sense?
    In these days of Christmas and after, I find myself reflexively doing Soul feeding work, while my Spirit takes a rest. I rest in the bosom of my family. I revel in the presence of my husband and grown sons. I gaze in joy at the nine month old face of Joshua, my nephew's new son. I hold him and feel him push his tiny feet into my abdomen, getting ready to stand and walk someday very soon.
    I bake gingerbread cookies and let their sweet aroma of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves transport me to Christmas both past and present. I look at the lights and familiar ornaments. I hum the carols. I sweep and mop the floors. It is all so very good.
    This year, when my Spirit revives (and it will), there will be new resolutions and a new vision for the Work God has in store for me. I intend to face it with courage and discipline, (virtues I confess I have often lacked).  But this time, as I follow the promptings of Spirit, (and writing this essay is one such prompting), I won't leave the slow, grounded and humbling work of Soul behind. There's been a bit too much Heroics for that, and it simply has not worked for me. The yearnings of my Spirit must be answered if I am to have a full Life. However attending to the balance of Soul and Spirit in my life may make it a little less likely that my Ego will assert itself and hijack the horse I am riding into the sunset. That's my prayer, anyway.
    We'll see.
    Have a Spirit filled, Soulful New Year everyone!

   
  

Aletha Scutt Meek: Artist

My Mom, Aletha Scutt Meek, was an artist. She would have denied the fact, vehemently. The lovely bit of lace under the blue vase pictured above is an example of her crochet work. I think it's gorgeous. Here's another view:

Whenever I admired her needlework, Mom said that "Anyone could do that,"  simply becuse she followed a pattern.  I don't think she realized how much skill, concentration, planning and a love of beauty came together in her handiwork.

This past Saturday (Sept. 17) marked the first annivesary of Mom's death. I miss her. I wanted to celebrate her life by sharing some of her artistic creations. She was very prolific, so there will be a lot to share, not all at once but a every once in a while, over time.

CABINET OF WONDERS: SEPT. 2011, Aletha's Embroidery

You may remember that I like to fill my dining room "Cabinet of Wonders" with a rotating display of seasonal or spontaneous collections of objects-- kind of a collage of curiosities. This month it holds samples of my Mom's embroidery.

The two pieces on the left (the green design on white and the red and black on yellow fabric) are called "Swedish Weaving", or "Huck" Weaving.  To create this intricate effect, Mom painstakingly picked through the weave of the background cloth with her needle and green thread, carefully counting the correct number of threads in the weave to get the design placed just right.

Here's another hand towel Mom decorated, this time in a blue design on yellow:

For this towel she also added a tatted edging which she created:

(This particular item is being displayed on top of a sideboard, not in the Cabinet of Wonders. )

The other items on the top shelf are not tapestry. The pink floral motif (also currently shown on the blog masthead)  is embroidery, and I believe the white butterfly and floral motif on peach colored cloth is a technique called Trapunto, or "stuffed work", which creates a raised design with the thread.

Shelf number 2 (above) shows a little more Huck weaving on the left, and a collection of colorful embroidered flowers.

Shelf 3 (above) features cross stitch figural and floral designs.

And finally, there is a charming "black work" (black thread embroidered) palm tree design, and some appliqued flowers on blue cloths.

My Mom was a modest person, and kept these beauties hidden away in a drawer (along with other treasures in needlework which I hope to share with you).  And although I have been adamant about using and enjoying fragile items like china dishes, I am much less likely to use these hand towels for their intended purpose, only because I want to keep them in good condition and avoid the stains anad tears that come with use. But I will find ways to display and safely enjoy them, no doubt. This Cabinet of Wonders is their glorious debut! I love to look at them and think of Mom.

A Sweet Cookie Icing Recipe

For Valentine's Day, I wanted to bake some cookies that I could also pack and mail to our son Evan. I made a simple sugar cookie, and needed an icing that would set to a glossy flat surface that would stand up to shipping. This recipe works very well indeed. It is sweet, can be colored any shade of the rainbow, and I found it easy to apply by adding a teaspoon to the cookie and gently pushing it to cover the surface with the back of the spoon. Make sure you give it enough time to dry, (you may have to eat a few to make sure-- heh heh) and don't add the icing until the cookies are completely cooled from the oven.  If the icing is too runny, add a little more confectioner's sugar or a tiny bit of corn syrup. It will harden as it dries.

To pack the cookies for mailing, line the tin or box with bubble wrap or crushed paper. Place layers of parchment paper or flattened coffee filters between each layer of cookies. Add another layer of paper or bubble wrap to buffer the top. You want to pack the cookies lightly yet firmly enough so that they won't move too much during shipping.

Ironically, Evan surprised us with a home visit the night I made these cookies, so these were not  shipped after all. That was a nice Valentine's Day gift!

ICING SUGAR RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar, sifted

2 teasoons milk (may add one or two more depending on desired consistency)

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

optional: a drop or two of food coloring (I used red to make two shades of pink)

Notes: You can use small squirt bottles to apply the icing if you wish to outline or make other designs on the cookies. I doubled this recipe to cover about 50 cookies. A drop of food coloring goes a LONG way so add it one drop at a time and blend well before using to make sure you acheive the look you are going for.

Happy Valentine's Day everybody!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO!

 

 

Posh Nosh you say?

Next time I have  Burn's Night Supper, I'd love to invite the hosts of the BBC's Posh Nosh. THEY know their way around a kitchen.

Evidence:

 

Cranachan for a Burn's Night Supper 2011

I have written before about How To Have A Burn's Night Supper,    but in previous years we have attended Burn's Night events hosted by someone else. This year, we hosted our own dinner at home (last night, although Burn's birthday is actually this Tuesday the 25th) and invited our good friends John, Julia and Devin to join us. These friends, like my family, share a Scottish heritage, and arrived wearing traditional tartan and kilt finery. It was fabulous. I didn't wear my tartan skirt, because I had kitchen duties that could get messy.

Here was our menu:

Cock-a-leekie Soup

Poached Salmon

Neeps and Tatties

Peas

Haggis

Shortbread

Cranachan

Glenmorangie Scotch (10 year)

I was a little nervous about how I was going to pull off this menu in terms of timing, but these are the tricks I used to make it easy: First, I made the Cock-a-leekie soup early in the day in the crock pot. It was done well before our guests arrived. For the salmon, I made a court bouillon (a poaching liquid featuring water, white wine, onions, herbs and spices) and cooked the fish in an electric pan that also kept it warm. I baked the shortbread and made the cranachan earlier in the day. When it came time for dinner, all that remained was to cook and mash the potatoes and turnips, and heat the peas and haggis.

Dessert was quick to assemble and the haggis was (say it loud and proud) a canned version from Caledonian Kitchen that I bought at the local Corti Brothers grocery store.

Initially I was resistant to serve haggis from a can. I wanted to preserve my authentic food cred and it rankled me to take a short cut. But the fact is, haggis is made with tripe, lamb liver, lungs, heart etc. and I just didn't have it in me to track down the ingredients and make it happen. So I found an acceptable alternative in a can. It was strictly a heat and serve item, created for more common taste buds. Yes, everybody tried the haggis! The verdict? Not bad! Not bad at all.

Then we drank a wee dram of Scotch and I mangled my way through a reading of Burn's Address to a Haggis. The scotch helped.

How much is a dram, I hear you ask? A dram is an eighth of an ounce. So technically we had a tiny bit more than  a dram. But you get the point.

A highlight of the meal for me (other than the hilarity at the table with our friends) was the very traditional Scottish dessert called Cranachan. It was so simple and delicious to make. Here's how:

CRANACHAN RECIPE

Whip a cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form

Add a tablespoon of Scotch whiskey

Add a tablespoon or more of heather honey, mix again,  and taste until it has the desired sweetness

In a dry pan, Toast about a quarter cup of pin head oats until fragrant.

After the oats cool, gently fold them and mix thoroughly into the whipped cream.

In a serving bowl, dollop the whipped cream mixture in layers with fresh raspberries.

Serve with a generous piece of fresh shortbread.

 The moral of the story is-- don't be afraid to have your own Burn's Night Supper at home. You can do it.  All it takes is a little planning and a lot of love for all things Scottish! That's me.

How To Store Christmas Ornaments in Recycled (or new) Packaging

Christmas is over-- and it is time to pack and store your decorations until next year. When do you pack it all away? Do you do it the very next day (Boxing Day)? Or procrastinate for some long, indefinite period until you get quizzical expressions from your mail carrier who is delivering Valentine's Day cards?

I prefer to choose a date, because I am always a little sad to see the decorations go. We do it on January 6th, which is Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night, celebrated with the famed "Twelve Days of Christmas" carol. We have no partridges in a pear tree or ten drummers drumming, but there is plenty else to deal with.

Probably my favorite part of decorating for the holidays is setting up the Christmas tree and adorning it with ornaments our family has collected over many years. I want to protect and preserve those fragile treasures so they will last until my own kids inherit them.

Our ornaments are made of many different materials-- glass, plastic, wood, fabric, metal-- and are many different shapes, from snowflakes and stars to animals and birds.  Among them are the traditional round balls.

I don't usually buy fresh fruit in plastic "clam shell" containers, but one year I realized such a container would provide a sturdy home for our sphere shaped ornaments.  It worked perfectly-- with the added bonus of being clear, so I can see the ornaments at a glance. There was even a flat place where I could tape on my own label. The cost is free except for the cost of the fruit, unless you are able to glean one from a friend. For more recyled Christmas packaging ideas, read on.

Did someone at the office Christmas party bring in a giant tub of flavored popcorn? I bought these two large tins at a thrift store for about 45 cents each. I especially love that  they are already decorated with Christmas images, but any large tin will do. Make sure it's clean and dry. I use these to store our house lights, gently coiled, and other large garlands. Use masking tape and a marker pen to label the contents.

Here's another set of recycled plastic jars, holding garlands. I love being able to display them while they are in storage. Makes it easy to find them on the shelf or garage next year. Label these too so you can remember what went in there when you re-pack them.

Sometimes, a specially manufactured and purchased storage option is the best. I used to store our very large Christmas wreath in the box it came in-- stuffed inside a black plastic yard waste bag. NOT attractive, and we had to tear apart the bag which we had taped shut every year.

This wreath bag is the bomb: It zips open and closed, there is an interior hook for the wreath to hang from, and in turn there is an external hook so it can be hung in the garage or a closet-- wherever you have room. The festive red color and label made this a no-brainer. You can buy your own at Amazon.

 Finally-- what to do with all the other fragile, hand-made-by-your kids, or glass blown ornaments that have made their way into your life?

You can wrap them anad stash them in a beat up old box with a wish and a prayer that they make it to next year-- or--you can get one of these:

 

This is another specialty made product I advocate: An ornament storage box with dividers inside. I bought mine a couple of years ago and I love it. There are two tiers of trays that have cord-stye handles, so you can lift them out gently.  I add little buffers of paper toweling or tissue paper to cushion the ornaments, although a purist would look for acid free paper or even bubble wrap for their fragile or heirloom pieces.

A clever person could probably build their own nesting, divided boxes for storage. This is not rocket science.  There are large plastic bins available for the job, although I prefer cardboard, because I think it is softer, not prone to split with age the way plastic is, and sturdy enough for the minimal handling I give it.  This size is good for us, but I there is a pricey-but highly reviewed, fabric lined three tiered box available on Amazon that looks mighty tempting. Maybe next year.

Black Beans, Eggs and Salsa

This has been breakfast lately-- a scramble of black beans, (from a can, rinsed, and heated quickly with a teaspoon or so of olive oil), eggs, and some salsa.  A little salt and pepper at the end. This is also sometimes dinner instead. It's delicious and tastes like huevos rancheros.

The start of the new year has me wanting to eat healthfully, and this fits the bill nicely.

 

Ribbon Candy

I am going to admit that I bought this candy just because it is so pretty.  It is literally eye candy for me, although last night after dinner my family and I finally started breaking off pieces and eating it, enjoying the way the colors hinted at the subtle flavors in the shattering sugar bits: peppermint, lemon, orange, cinnamon. 

Ribbon candy is unabashedly pretty.  It is made with the same technique as taffy, where a melted sugar mixture is colored and flavored and then, as it cools, it is pulled and shaped into its final form. Ribbon candy in particular can be a challenge to make, because the timing of the work is closely correlated with the temperature of the candy as it cools and hardens.  Here are a couple of videos that show how the Hercules Candy Company of New York  makes their ribbon candy the old fashioned way, by hand:

 

If you want to try it yourself, a recipe and directions can be found here-- although the lack of skill on the candy maker's part is evident in the pictures.

Even the Hilliard's Company, which shapes their ribbon candy by machine, has lots of tricky physical work to do in making their candy:

 

Kate of Accidental Hedonist has been doing tons of fabulous research on candy, and I was delighted to see her post about the glorious hard and pretty candies of Scotland.  I see some candies there I know I tried as a child and never knew they were from Scotland--  land of my ancestors. Thank you Kate!

Christmas Cabinet of Wonders

 

You thought I'd never get around to it, didn't you? (sigh)

This has been around for weeks, and I'll take it down on January 6th (Epiphany)-- when do you take down your Christmas or other holiday decorations?

Here's shelf one:

Only fitting that the Holy Family gets top shelf, yes?  They are flanked by a little singing angel figure I received as a gift from a church friend years ago, and on the right-- The Holy Cow, a singing angel cow made of clay by our son Evan when he was a wee lad. I adore it. (It deserves its own post).

There are lots of vintage Christmas paper napkins on the shelves, too. There are nine designs featuring the words and music of favorite Christmas carols, with images. I bought the set at an antique fair and I love their cheerful designs.

Ah, shelf two features a treasure I inherited from my Grandmother-- ceramic cardinal birds, and a creamer, napkin holder, and salt and pepper shakers decorated with cardinals in greenery. (The sugar bowl is in use on my dining room table). My grandmother Rhea lived in Cuba New York, and she loved cardinals. She used to paint them on her dining picture-window at Christmas time.  I will never forget my first sighting of a red cardinal in New York. (They don't live in California to my knowledge). The color was spectacular! Cardinals say Christmas to me because of this set of dishes. 

A few more hand-me-downs among the thrift store finds.

I bought these ceramic figures (Dept. 56 brand) from a store display (translation: cheap!) where I once worked retail. In the "background" is a vintage Christmas post card I bought for 50 cents at a Paper Ephemera Show once. Even as a Californian, I dream of a snowey white Christmas!

How about it, readers? Are your Christmas decorations still up? When will you take them down? Are they already packed away?  Do you decorate for the New Year? I'd love to hear from you.

 

 

Turkey Panzanella Recipe (Thanksgiving Leftovers ahoy)

Some of you may remember I have written about panzanella before. Panzanella is an Italian style salad featuring leftover bread and fresh tomatoes. It is the epitome of a late-summer salad that typically makes use of chopped, fresh tomatoes tossed with home made croutons. So why do I mention it now, in November when the weather is cold?

Today is the day after Thanksgiving, and after the heavy meal we enjoyed last night, I am craving a healthy lunch that features vegetables. So I grabbed a can of chopped tomatoes and pretended it was summer. If you are looking for a great way to use leftover turkey, look no further.

To make this salad, cut some left over crusty french bread into cubes, and toast them in a hot pan on the stove top in some olive oil and minced garlic. Toss them into a large bowl with some green lettuce ripped into bite size pieces.

Now add whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand. I chopped and added some green onions, leftover cooked green beans, sliced celery, and some chunks of diced canned tomatoes (without the juice). I also added some pieces of hard salamie and peperoni.  Finally, chop and add pieces of left over turkey breast meat. Over all this, drizzle a little fresh vinaigrette.  You will hardly know you are eating Thanksgiving leftovers for lunch.

PS:  My friend Elise at Simply Recipes tells you how to make your own croutons here.