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We're having a second (third? fourth?) Christmas this weekend in the old hometown, so today Nice Mom and Sister accompanied Sweet Husband, the dogs, and I on a walk at Wilderness Park. It was chilly enough that the strip pits were lightly frozen over, but there wasn't any snow--and just enough mud to get the Wee Welshman's beard suitably dirty.
More pictures here.
Went for another snowy walk today; this time on the trails near the Kansas River and with dogs in tow. We've had the greatest winter weather these past few weeks. It seems like as soon as the snow starts to melt we get another two or three inches to top it off and keep everything white and beautiful.
However, today I discovered that while snow is lovely for walking it isn't very good for letterboxing. The dogs and I walked for a full hour along the river trail and couldn't find a satisfactory place to put my new "Kaw River" letterbox. There were a few hopeful spots, but in the end it was just too hard to tell how well camouflaged the box would be once the snow melts.
Eh, it's a good excuse to go back another day....
When we want my dear grandmother to have a stress-free visit with us, we don't tell her we're coming. Why? Because when she has a head's up she plans for what seems like weeks in advance--menus and schedules and who's sitting where. And, of course, we tease her about it to no end.
But, a full two weeks before Christmas at my house this year, Sweet Husband found me sitting down with pad and pen mapping out...you guessed it, menus and schedules and who's sitting where. After a suspicious cough that sounded a little like my grandmother's name, he hurried away before I could ask his opinion on side dishes.
This is just one of the many ways that I am slowly growing into my mother and grandmothers.
For this week's poll:
What is a good habit that you have that's like your parents or grandparents? A bad one? A funny one?
Comment and discuss.
It's very rare that I go on a walk by myself, but today I was out driving with camera in tow--no dogs, no Sweet Husband--and just kind of ended up out by the Wakarusa River. I wasn't properly shod for taking a really long walk, but I did make it down a few of the shorter trails we found last summer. No other humans had been back there yet, although I did find some animal tracks. It felt almost sacrilegious to break the snow....
(By way of explanation, I never can decide if I like the color shots better or the black and white, so today you get both.)
About a month ago, in conjunction with some of the other fun holiday baking challenges I was thinking about taking part in, I issued a challenge of my own:
"December is a month of holidays--from World Aids Day to New Year's Eve, from Night of the Radishes to Boxing Day it seems like there's something to commemorate or celebrate almost every day. For this "Joyous Jumble", pick a December holiday that you would not typically celebrate and make a food associated with it. It can be sweet or savory, difficult or super simple, traditional or with your own special twist--have fun!"
Hence the Joyous Jumble challenge was issued. Although the number of entries was small, each one is a perfect little winter-time jewel that I can't wait to try....
Linda at "Make Life Sweeter" in the Netherlands made Speculaas Meringues with Marzipan Butter in celebration of Sinterklaas. Linda explains, "Saint Nicolas is the patron saint of children (among other things). Each year on the 5th of December Sinterklaas and his helper 'Zwarte Piet' (Black Pete) bring presents to every child...correction: every child that has been good that is!"
Helen at "Tartlette" in South Carolina, USA made Sufganiyot (or Jelly Doughnuts) for some Jewish friends in celebration of Hanukkah. Helen writes, "I know you can't tell from the pictures, and that is because I did not have time to take proper shots while the gluttons were devouring these, but they are filled with raspberry jelly. . . . It was a pleasure to see C's and the kids' face when I dropped these off. I shared some eggnog and coffee with them while listening to family stories and traditions. I also enjoyed reading more about this holiday that although not completely foreign to me, had not been explained in details and researching recipes as well as history was a fantastic part of blogging."
For my own entry, you will remember I made Saint Lucia Day buns to celebrate Saint Lucia's Day.
And here are the round-ups of all the other tasty food challenges and fun I've had this month....
Happy Christmas everyone!
This month's Daring Bakers challenge was to make a yule log cake (also known as a Buche de Noel). Having once won third place in the "Buche contest" at my high school French Club's holiday soiree (yup, I'm still proud), I thought I'd have this one down.
Eh, sort of. The cake part actually worked out quite well. I flavored it with rum and orange, and it only cracked ever so slightly when I rolled it--very nice on the whole.
I had some temperature issues with the buttercream, though. When I first mixed it together, it looked grainy. After consulting with some of my co-Daring Bakers, I discovered this meant the buttercream was too cold, and the solution was to microwave a quarter of it and then mix it back in. It worked well, and made the part of the icing I used for the filling nice and smooth. Then I put the cake and icing in the refrigerator over night, per the recipe. When I pulled it all out in the morning, however, I couldn't seem to get the icing back to the right temperature again. As a result the icing on the outside of the log was a little grainy, but it still tasted good. (I also added about 1/4 cup of melted chocolate chips to make the icing dark brown.)
The part I probably had the most fun with however, was the mushrooms! We had the option to make them with either meringue or marzipan--I choose marzipan. After making the mushrooms--which were incredibly easy--I dyed my leftover marzipan different colors and used it to make some pretty little marzipan fruits. It was like playing with play-dough, only really yummy tasting!
Thanks to Ivonne and Lis for coming up with this challenge. Read on if you'd like the recipe.
Although I'm usually all about tasteful and understated, I confess a certain weakness when it comes to over-the-top, embracing-the-tacky Christmas light displays. Be it a blow-up Santa in a pontoon boat or a polar bear in a stock car (you know who you are!), I love the dedication and effusion of Christmas spirit that such displays suggest.
And gosh darn it, it's fun!
So for this week's Wednesday poll:
What's the craziest, tackiest, most all-out Christmas lights display you've seen? Be specific! Bonus points for pictures (which can be sent to blackbird13ATgmailDOTcom, and will be posted!)
Comment and discuss.
Earlier this month I put my name in for a sort of international secret Santa called "Seasoned Eatings." The game (hosted by Lindsay and Katie) went something like this:
"Your task is to find one spice, that is either local to your area or is representative of your cooking style. Then you package it up and send it off to the blogger you are assigned to (this is how we will maintain the element of surprise). With the package you send to your secret recipient you will add a recipe for the spice you are including. Then, when you receive your package in the mail you get to post a picture of the package and your reaction to the mystery ingredient."
For my giftee, I drew Morven of "Food Art and Random Thoughts" in New Zealand. I didn't quite realize what I had gotten myself into until I started trying to think of a "local" Midwestern spice. The problem is that--like many of the people that live in the Midwest--many of the spices we commonly cook with came from somewhere else in the not too distant past.
But then I started reading Morven's blog, which oddly enough gave me an idea; she wrote, "BBQ ribs would rate as one of my favourite foods." Ah yes, Kansas City barbecue. Although I rarely partake in it myself, it is something that's pretty unique to my part of the world. Thus I packed off a good portion of "Arthur Bryant's Rib Rub" and barbecue sauce, along with some hickory wood chips (which were sadly confiscated by the ministry of agriculture--darn!).
My gift came from Lisa of "I've Got Seoul" in South Korea. (Her posts about time zones and getting it into the mail late--here and here--cracked me up!) Lisa sent me a packet of "Korean Red Spice" along with this recipe for tofu.
Having never really cooked with tofu before--although I do like it fried--I'm excited to try it out. I think I might make up a batch for our pre-Christmas dinner munchie platter. Thanks Lisa!
And also thanks to Lindsay and Katie for putting together such a fun exchange. Can't wait to do it again next year!
Although we didn't get nearly the 7 inches predicted, we've got snow! I curled up inside most of the morning. Then this afternoon, Sweet Husband and I took our two little murderers the dogs for a walk.
Grrr...it's hard to stay mad at a Welshie with snow beard....More pictures here.
Tonight, I came home from my lovely office Christmas party to a bird cage door that was slightly ajar and piles of feathers on the floor.
No birds, no bodies, just feathers.
After a thorough hunt, the answer to the mystery was clear--the dogs ate the birds.
I won't pretend I was madly in love with our lovebirds Duck and Chick, but they were certainly amusing and I've grown to love their squawking and other antics. While they didn't care a fig for us, they were certainly always happy with each other and that was pleasing to me in it's own way.
And now they're gone...there weren't even bodies to bury, we had to scatter their feathers from inside the vacuum cleaner.
I can't be seriously mad at the dogs--they were just doing what dogs do--but is it OK if I don't want them to kiss me or sleep with me for awhile? And what's with crazy things happening to our pets around the holidays? It's like some sort of hokey Christmas curse.
I don't know about you, but lately it seems like I'm living in darkness. When I wake up in the morning it's dark; the sky just lightens to gray most days, but even when the sun comes out it's pale and weak; then by the time I come home it's dark again.
Which is possibly why I love reading and learning about winter holidays that celebrate light. One such holiday is Saint Lucia's Day. Celebrated largely in Scandinavian countries, on Lucia Day morning,
"Traditionally, the oldest daughter in the family portrays Saint Lucia, the Queen of Light, and she serves the elder members of the family coffee and pastries in bed. The pageant goes something like this. While the parents snuggle under comforters and feign sleep, the children are in the kitchen bustling about. Coffee must be brewed, and saffron-flavored Saint Lucia coffeecake or buns must be warmed. The daughter, dressed in a long white gown with red sash, lights a ring of candles and carefully lifts it up to rest securely on her head as a crown. . . . When everything is ready, the coffee is poured, the Lucia buns are placed on a tray and the breakfast procession slowly begins toward the parents' bedroom. The children sing a traditional song: 'Now the light is carried forth, proud on its crown, in every house, and every home, the song shall ring.'"
For Saint Lucia Day this year (and for my own entry in Joyous Jumble), I decided to try my hand at some Saint Lucia Buns. Here is the recipe I used. The saffron is a bit expensive, but as it's basically the whole point it can't be omitted. The dough was absolutely amazing to work with, but it really does make 4 dozen buns so either halve the recipe or plan to share. I compromised by making a few dozen buns and then doing a braided loaf and wreath. The buns themselves are not sweet in the way I think most Americans would think "sweet", but at the same time they're not truly savory either. It's hard to describe, but if you're one of those people (and I am) who thinks cinnamon rolls are often sickly sweet you'll love these. And with that beautiful, saffron-y yellow color, they're like little buns of sunshine.
I really thought it was just me, but after reading this article and this one, I realized other people have gone through it too. One year the holidays were just...different. Still wonderful and happy, to be sure, but no longer truly magical. It didn't have anything to do with presents, and I had stopped believing in Santa over a decade before, but something was just missing.
For a few years after, I tried so hard to get it back, but whatever "it" was it was gone for good. And although I'm now very much at peace with this new, grown-up version of Christmas, I sometimes still can't help but wonder about the transformation....
So, for this week's Wednesday poll:
As you got older, was there a year that Christmas changed for you? Why do you think it was? Is there a cut-off age for "the magic of Christmas"?
Comment and discuss.
My paperwhites have started opening up, and the smell is heavenly! Combined with the baking I've been doing, I could happily just sit in my kitchen all day and sniff.
As you will recall, this year I'm experimenting with my paperwhites pursuant to a study done at Cornell University. I've been watering my paperwhites with a solution that's about 5% alcohol in order to stunt their growth and keep them from being tall and floppy.
For the most part, the experiment has been very successful, but I've noticed something peculiar. All the bulbs I planted in deep containers (e.g. jam jars, vases) are perfectly about half as tall as they should be. But the five bulbs I planted in this shallow bowl are just as tall as they were last year. I can't think of why the depth of the container would make a difference, but that's the only variable I can see.
I'm tempted to write Cornell and see if they can tell me what's up....
I finally got around to trying Kathy's dog treat recipe today (being iced-in helped). As she says, it's extremely forgiving. I couldn't find ground flax seed, so I bought whole seeds and coarsely ground them in my food processor. The result was a pretty, flecked dough that--despite the stickiness of the peanut butter and molasses--was very nice to work with.
Moe and Porter approved of the result, and with about 4 dozen cookies (I doubled the recipe) chances are some other dogs will be enjoying them soon too!
Although we missed the worst of the ice storm--our power was only out for a few hours and the streets are mostly clear for now--the trees are literally dripping with ice. To everyone who got it worse than we did--stay safe and stay warm!
"The festive season approaches. Whether it’s Christmas, Eid al Adha, Hannukkah, Mahayana, the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Ji or New Year’s Eve, there are feasts to be had and food to be cooked."
Hence, Anna of "Morels and Musings" decided to host a recipe carousel featuring "festive foods". My entry is as follows....
When I was little we had a fabulously illustrated copy of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. In the picture where the Ghost of Christmas Present appeared, amid all sorts of cheese and meats and the like, his feast included what looked like hundreds of sparkling candied fruit shimmering in the firelight. I remember thinking that was really what a proper magical Christmas feast should look like.
So, this year I decided to make my own candied orange peels. For the recipe, read on. (And here's the round-up.)
Continue reading "Festive Food Fair: Candied Orange Peels" »
I watched from my office window as big, fat flakes fell this morning and afternoon, and by the time I got home I was so ready to play. After bundling up (with some protest from the dogs), we took a lovely family walk. It's warm enough that the snow is a bit slushy, but, as I discovered, much too cold to make a proper snowman without digging out my mittens!
We just got maybe an inch or so, but we're due for more this weekend!
Some of you may remember better than others, but today is the anniversary of the day Moe pushed aside an x-pen, climbed the Christmas tree, and ate a box of chocolate, expending the second of his nine lives (this was the first) and blowing my Christmas budget to smithereens in the process.
In commemoration of that momentous day, I offer you the gift of the National Geographic chocolate chart. Has your pup gotten into some of the forbidden stuff? Want to know if you need to go to the vet, go straight to the vet, do not pass go, prepare to pay hundreds of dollars? The chocolate chart tells all. Just put in your dog's weight and the amount and type of chocolate consumed and it will tell you what you're in for on a scale from vomiting and diarrhea to possible death. (Never say I didn't give you anything.)
And right now while you're thinking about it, remember, they can get into places you would never think they'd be able to--make sure all your chocolate Christmas eatables get stashed very, very far out of reach!
I've been trying to work this into a post for months now, and it seems this is the week for it.
You know how you just get overwhelmed sometimes? Not by anything in particular, sometimes not even by stuff that's going on in your own life, but just a little of this and a little of that until finally all you want to do is curl up in a little ball and lock the door?
When I feel like that, I watch this video.
You don't have to watch the whole thing if you don't want to (although I would suggest it), basically it's about five minutes of Welshie puppies frolicking to cheerful music. I don't know what it was made for, I don't understand any of the words, but it just makes things better. It's my happy thought.
For this week's Wednesday poll:
What's something silly that makes you happy?
Comment and discuss.
In "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" (the second book of the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis), Edmund Pevensie betrays his family in order to get an extra taste of Turkish Delight from the White Witch.
I've often wondered what candy could possibly be that good, so this year I decided to try to make my own Turkish Delight . . . even though I wasn't all that sure what Turkish Delight was.
Not to worry though, research quickly unveiled that Turkish Delight (also called "Lokum") is a jelly-type square with a powdered sugar crust. Easy enough, right?
Umm, not really. The first batch, made with this recipe, didn't go so well. Or at least, I didn't think it did at the time. It set up fairly well, but I couldn't get it to dry enough on the outside to get the powdered sugar to work. Every time I added powdered sugar to the little jelly-jubey squares they would look right for a few minutes, but then kind of suck in the sugar and make it wet. (Note: Powdered sugar + water = sticky mess.) In retrospect however, I actually think this batch was tolerable. It wasn't quite gummy enough to be sure (more like heavy jello), but it was certainly closer than the second batch.
The second batch, made according to this recipe, didn't set up right or taste good. And when I put it in the freezer to try and help it along, it dribbled. (Note: Semi-frozen goo = sticky mess.)
While I'm a reasonably persistent girl in some areas, the kitchen isn't one of them. After batch #2 failed, I started looking at other options for getting my hands on some Turkish Delight. Turns out Brits, my local "purveyor of British goods" has boxes and boxes of the stuff--rose flavored, citrus, or pistachio covered with chocolate--all waiting to be bought, no sticky mess involved. Against the advice of the store owner (who recommended the pistachio) I chose the above pictured box which was citrus flavored.
When I opened it up, I found that--as with most food photographers--people who take pictures of Turkish Delight fudge a little. Far from looking like the pictures on the box or the pictures I was looking at on the internet, real Turkish Delight kind of sucks in the powdered sugar in the way my first batch did. No worries though, a simple re-dusting and I was ready to give it a try.
And although I won't be trading Sweet Husband or the pups in for a box of it anytime soon, it is pretty good stuff. I wonder if the White Witch would be interested in a pair of lovebirds?
"The next couple of weeks is going to be full of feasts, fests, food, friends and family. Many cultures and religions will be celebrating in some form or the other. At the end of this week the Indians will be celebrating Diwali - Festival of Lights, Hanuka for the Jewish or Thanksgiving and Christmas for many others and not to mention New Year's at the end of it all. It's simply a great time of year. I love spending warm, cosy evenings surrounded by friends and family, digging into a luxurious or traditional meal. The room alight with chatter, laughter and full of warmth."
Hence, Meeta of "What's For Lunch Honey?" chose the theme "Traditional Feasts" for her December "Monthly Mingle" food blogging fun.
Although I'm not sure if many other people would consider it a traditional holiday food, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas for me without some of my Grandma Mary's peanut butter balls.
I don't ever remember making them with her--I probably wasn't patient enough as a child--but somehow, even though everyone else loved them too, there was always a special container of them tucked away just for me. For the recipe, read on. Check out the round up of all the "Monthly Mingle" entries here.
Continue reading "Monthly Mingle "Traditional Feasts": Grandma Mary's Peanut Butter Balls" »
Today's Christmas fun was the 13th Annual Gingerbread Festival and Auction. It works pretty much the same way the Festival of Trees did--people give a small donation to get in to see the houses, then eventually the houses are auctioned off with proceeds going to Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
There were graham cracker houses made by little kids, log cabins made of pretzels, some very pretty sugar stained glass, and even a few Lawrence landmarks. It totally inspired me to make a gingerbread house this year. More pictures (including a few of Sweet Husband's booth at the Holiday Art Fair) are here.
Continuing with my Christmas food challenges (I keep deciding to do new ones--they're kind of addictive), this is my entry in "A Spoonful of Christmas" hosted by Zlamushka of "Zlamushka's Spicy Kitchen". The challenge was to make food that can be given away as a gift.
My Sweetie Little Sister (age 9 3/4) has a very honestly-come-by olive addiction. At a young age we started her with canned black olives--very fun to eat off your fingers--and a few years ago I introduced her to the wonders of kalamatas. She quickly fell in love with the cheese stuffed ones, however, while they were easy to find at first they have since become much more scarce even at my ordinarily well-stocked local olive bar.
Nonetheless, every time she knows I'm coming home, Sweetie Sister always puts in a request, "Will you pretty-please bring some of those really good olives?" What's a nice sister to do?
Continue reading "A Spoonful of Christmas: Stuffed Olives" »
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