Words to live by....

Love and Compassion are necessities not luxuries. Without them we cannot survive.



Friday, December 17, 2010

Tannenbaum

Christmas trees are very personal. Never judge someone's Christmas tree. There may be a very good reason why there isn't a 6-footer covered with balls and lights and tinsel. Maybe like a CAT in the house.



This is our "New Age Tannenbaum" - for this year. It was fun to make, and hasn't made a dent in the power bill.










So far Birdie has ignored it. So far. She just hasn't noticed that sparkly star yet. Too busy chasing mice.
And stealing the wrapped hard candies out of the candy dish, which is right next to this charming little tree. That is strategy, my friends. Strategy.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Maple Truffles

Got your attention, huh?!



Here's my Christmas present to all of you with even the tiniest sweet tooth (is there such a thing??) The holidays are all about indulgence, and boy, do these little morsals fill the bill!




MAPLE TRUFFLES
makes about 42 candies


Ingredients:


1/2 c. butter, softened
2 tsps. maple flavoring
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. finely chopped pecans (optional, but tasty)
1 pkg. (11 1/2 oz. Nestles Tollhouse Milk Chocolate Morsels (or equivelant brand)
2 tsp. shortening



Directions:


In a large bowl, cream butter and maple flavoring until light and fluffy (hand or stand mixer works). Gradually add sugar and mix well. Stir in pecans. Shape in 1" balls. The mix may seem dry, just squish a spoonful very firmly and then roll gently into a ball. Place on a plate. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour, until firm and well chilled.



In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and shortening (takes about 2 min. or so, stirring a few times). Stir until smooth.


Here's the coolest tip I've found for a long time. Don't run out and buy special chocolate dipping tools. Dig into the back of your silverware drawer and resurrect a plastic picnic fork. Break off the two middle tines. Wa-lah! A dipping fork that is better than anything in the stores - and you don't even have to wash it when the job is done!


Here's how I do the dipping. Other folks will undoubtedly have their own secret methods. I'm not like that. I share.
Place the bowl of melted chocolate into a larger bowl filled with enough very hot water to come up to the level of the chocolate in the smaller bowl. Got that? Then drop, one at a time, the maple balls into the chocolate bath, roll gently with spoon to completely coat. Lift the coated ball out with the special one-of-a-kind dipping fork you have cleverly made all by your big girl or big boy self.
I drag the bottom across the edge of the bowl to take off excess chocolate, then carefully deposit the coated ball on a sheet of wax paper placed on a small cookie sheet.
Using the edge of one tine, swirl the top of the chocolate around a few times and lift to form a cute little curly top. By the end of the batch, you will feel like a pro.

Place the pan of chocolate coated balls in the fridge to harden. You have now officially made truffles.
Here's the best part. You MUST taste test.
After all, one wouldn't want to share an inferior product with one's friends, would one?? Besides, 1) you deserve it, 2) they are definately irrisistable, and 3) Santa said to (but watch out for jealous elves, they'll be sneaking those glorious goodies right out of the fridge when you aren't looking).
With any luck and a strong ability to say "NO!" to your greedy fingers, you will have a lovely plate of truffles to proudly present to guests.


Store any truffles left from marauders in a covered container in the refrigerator. You may not have to worry about this step.

Now that I have become a chocolatier and can make swirlys on the top of dipped candies, I've started collecting truffle recipes. Next up: Orange Coconut Creams. Or perhaps the Oreo Cheesecake Truffles.
So many recipes, so little time before New Year's Resolutions.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Potato bug...

OK. So it's a CARROT bug.


But he's definately after those potatoes, destined for Indian Spuds not a bug's belly.


It's so fun to go out to the raised bed and pull carrots in the middle of winter. Crisp, sweet, delicious nuggets of goodness.


And sometimes funky.

Friday, December 3, 2010

This is how its done...

Sister Becky is our go-to gal for haircuts. Whenever she's planning to head for the coast, we remind her to bring her scissors. She almost never remembers. So she usually ends up using some of our almost-sharp scissors. So far we still have our ears... But our hair sure looks good!

During the family Thanksgiving weekend, we called upon a little known talent that Becky has been able to cultivate through being the slave of four demanding cats. She cuts cat nails. When she isn't putting caps on them, that is. This is not as simple as it may sound. There are very sharp stickers on all four corners of a cat. Most cats object strenuously to having their hunting tools dulled.

The first time Tilly visited after Birdie moved in, the cat landed on Tils face and left broken-off claws actually sticking out of the poor dog's nose. We had to pull her off. Literally. So our Birdie got a professional trim. Becky just picked her up, plopped her in her lap, and started explaining to the TERRIBLY upset cat why her nails needed nipped. You can see how upset Birdie is...can't you? Well, ya. She just doesn't project trauma. We're still trying to decide if she's blaise, or just plain lazy.
"HEY, that's a little close there. Leave me some mouse-grabbers, will ya?"
"For the love 'o Mike, get it DONE, already. I've got serious business lined up...that mouse is under the couch again...and QUIT TICKLIN' MY TOES."


She is definately SMART. She knows a cat slave when she smells one. Just a word to the wise, Becky - now she'll expect this expert service everytime she sees you. Trust me.
I should add, those are FAKE mice, folks. Rabbit fur, etc. Honest.

Monday, November 29, 2010

What a bunch of turkeys...

One of our family holiday traditions is doing some crafts. It started out as something to entertain the peanut gallery, but has evolved into projects that just about everyone wants to make. This year's Thanksgiving craft winner was...


a real turkey of an idea.

Paper grocery sacks, some construction paper, pompoms, a stapler and a few markers.
It didn't take long for the idea to turn into family portraits! Here's Chris and Bev's family - pretty cute - for a bunch of turkeys.

Terry escaped the turkey flock (he's more into elk - have to work on that one - maybe reindeer for Christmas? hmmm), but here's the rest of the up-the-hill crowd.


By the end of the day, some of us were look pretty much like this....




We had a truly terrific Thanksgiving! Family time is so fun!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Choco-LOT!

Did you ever see the movie "Chocolat" with J. Depp? He was the eye-candy. The star of the story was actually chocolate. Luscious, velvety, soul-satsifying chocolate. The drool starts just thinking about it. It was a good story, too, chocolate aside.


Anyway - when you put this...

and this...
in the same vacinity as Anne and Matt in a kitchen, you get...

these!! Chocolate-dipped Walnut Caramels with Sea Salt Flakes. Whoa nelly.

I can't even begin to describe how yummy these little sabateurs are! First the dark rich chocolate spiked with salt hits the appropriate taste buds. As the chocolate melts and swims in your mouth, the medium-soft caramel is released. Butter. Vanilla. Molten goodness with tiny bits of walnuts gathering for a bit of warm crunchy texture. I'm telling you, one of these in your mouth is like being on a week-long honeymoon.


Anne has perfected Grandpa Griffin's caramel recipe. She has the right pan, the right temperature, timed the cooking to the precise minute - yep, perfection. Then she stirs finely chopped walnuts into the buttery golden smooth caramel before pouring the vanilla-richened mass into a 9x13 glass pan. The firmed cooled caramel is then cut into squares and refrigerated to prepare for the next step: a nice bath in carefully tempered chocolate. Once the caramels are dipped out and placed on the waxed paper, Matt quickly and delicately adds a few grains of flaked sea salt to each one. The confections are then returned to the refridgerator for the chocolate to set.
A batch of these went to the Thanksgiving dinner. Brother Terry professed he wasn't interested in those new-fangled things, that there was nothing wrong with Dad's plain 'ol caramels like we always make - and he's absolutely correct about that. But. We finally persuaded him to try one. Hmmm. That's not bad. It wasn't long before we saw him quietly walk by the dessert buffet and nab another Chocolate-dipped Walnut Caramel with Sea Salt Flakes.
Old dogs are definately open to new tricks. And new addictions. Chocolate and the right caramel can do that to you.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Milwaukee Wisconsin Museum

There are so many fascinating things to browse and contemplate in a superlative museum. The Milwaukee Museum set the standard for quality displays - on all three floors. I restrained myself and tried not to take photos of every single thing that caught my particular attention. But here are a few.

The background paintings for dioramas and displays were absolutely jaw-dropping. Here's an example, which was over 10 feet long and about five feet high. I had to make it a two-part photo, to get it all in. The otter feeding in the foreground was a taxidermy piece, so beautiful.



There was one section, of one floor of the museum, dedicated to anthropological history of our country (there were other countries, in other areas). The dioramas were wonderful, so detailed. The figures are about 6" tall, and so intricately detailed - you felt you could walk into the scenes The transition from models to painted background was seamless. This one was obviously southwestern.

Hope you can read this - I was trying to save time by snapping some of the signs rather than writing it all down. ( Double click on it to make it larger, then back arrow to return to blog)
This section on the Canadian and Northwest natives was another diorama that captured me.
Not like I haven't seen similar scenes in some of our area museums, but this was exquisitely done. This section was specifically dedicated to the Kwatiutl people.

There were many familiar tools and artifacts on display. Felt like home.

Male artisans were woodworkers, a full-time occupation. Cedar and at times hemlock, alder or ash, were fashioned into everything from massive plant-walled houses, totem poles and sea-going canoes, to delicately tooled masks, rattles, storage boxes, food dishes and spoons.

Boxes were constructed by the distinctive method of folding. The sides were made from one piece of wood which was grooved, steamed, and bent at right angles. The two ends were then sewn together. The bottom was grooved to fit the sides and was either sewn or pegged on. These boxes were used in cooking by dropping hot stones into a water-filled box. They were also used for storage purposes.
So - the next time you need a new cooking pot - you know just how to make one!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

From hand to hand...

Our family has been blessed with artists and skilled craftsmen. As I was rolling out pie dough recently, I was struck by the things in our daily life that have been provided by the hands, imagination and skill of family members no longer with us. These are items that will be passed on to the now-growing-up generation, along with the stories.

I took a few minutes to get some of these precious and practical jewels recorded.


This salad serving set was carved by Grandpa Harry Fellows; Harry was my dad's stepfather. Harry was about 5' tall, a logger who had a handle on using dynamite - except for that one little booboo that cost him one of his eyes. Harry loved to carve. If he was sitting, he was carving. He had a set of tools that were a source of curiosity to all of us kids. The things he could carve! I remember some ball-and-maze puzzle things, and although I'm not sure who has them now, I know they are still in the extended family somewhere. We still use this lovely carved set, although not daily.

Grandpa Harry not only made full size serving utensils, he was fond of carving miniatures. This set, and it's hanger, are on the wall in our dining room. I can't remember a time when they haven't been there.
This gives an idea of the scale of these tiny carvings. I need to try to figure out what type of wood they are made of and get it recorded as a note on the back of the display, for future admirers.

OK, this is another facet of Grandpa Harry's carving. I never saw another like this one. It may or may not have been a self-portrait...


Moving right along...
I have used this rolling pin ever since I first learned how to roll out a pie crust. Another thing that I just took for granted, it was always in the drawer. Mom's brother Marion, (better known as Moke) made this on his lathe as a wedding gift for mom. His advice: use it on your husband.


This is a solid, heavy rolling pin, made from oldgrowth fir. I remember how heavy it seemed when I was a neophyte baker. I wonder if handling this rolling pin is why mom always won the rolling pin toss at the annual town picnic when we were kids..

Here's a trifecta. The top tool is a steel that belonged to Grandma Ruby Fellows (Dad's mother, Harry's wife). Mom says Ruby felt it wasn't doing the job anymore and had purchased a new one. This one was headed for the trash when mom asked if she might have it. That was over 50 years ago, we just figured out. It still is useful to straighten blades.

The middle knife was made by Mom's brother Martin (better known as Mutt) from a sawblade. Uncle Mutt had some welding tools; we also grew up with a double-circle steel clothes drying rack that hung above our oil stove which heated the house for many many years.
The lower knife was made by Uncle Warren Walling, who was my dad's brother-in-law for some years. It was a gift to mom.

Notice the difference in the handles. The bottom knife has a handle that fits the hand quite well, with a bumper at the end. The top knife has a shorter handle, and wasn't as easy to grasp, so it got wrapped (more than once) with electrician tape - no duct tape in the "olden days" ;-)

Here's another design element of both these knives: the tang, the metal part that you see in the handle, is a continuation of the blade, which strengthens the whole knife. If you look at many mediocre knives in the kitchen department, you may see that the tang doesn't go through the handle, it may be just stuck INTO the handle. If that makes any sense.

Anyway, both these knives are heavy duty and have seen a lot of use. The upper knife, from Uncle Mutt, is great for cutting through bone like when cutting salmon steaks - mom cuts through the flesh down to the bone, then takes a hammer and beats the blade on through the bone with a couple of swift raps. That tough old steel blade can take that. I sure wouldn't try it with a "modern" blade.


It is such a pleasure to use these knives and the rolling pin, to think of the hands that crafted them. The carved pieces evoke the feeling of pleasure that Harry enjoyed as he carved them.
These hand-made keepsakes and tools will undoubtedly go on through the family long after the current generations are gone. They add warmth to our life, and memories of days past with people who blessed us.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Blast from the past!

I recently saw an interview with Laura Bush. Which brought back a lot of memories of the White House visit four very unlikely people enjoyed a couple of years ago. Courtesy of a invitation from Laura - yeah, we just call her Laura now...you know how it is. I'm not going to retell the whole story, but here are a couple of my favorite photos from that adventure.

My fellow-adventurers were Kathy, who is never far from hand when I need her, and Carrie and friend Courtney.


Wanna guess which room we were in here?

I took this just to prove we really WERE at the White House, not on a movie set. You don't get this close without the Secret Service escort, or your invitation from Laura in hand!

And last but far from least - our very favorite saying from the trip: "I left my keys at the White House." No kidding! It really happened - just ask Carrie!

Grand memories from a totally unexpected, once-in-a-lifetime adventure. And I am NOT having another heartattack just to get another invitation!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Challenging the Colonel

Here's a real Wisconsin farm-style dinner: fried chicken, mashed 'taties, garden salad, corn, and lemon pie.

But wait! This chicken isn't fried.

Coming to you right off the back of the Corn Flake package:

CRUNCHY CHICKEN
Oven 375 degrees. Line baking pan with foil.
3-4 pound fryer chicken, cut up, or equivalent favorite pieces
Wash well and pat dry.
Crush 7 c. cornflakes, put in shallow bowl
Mix to make a batter:
1 egg
1 c. milk
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Roll chicken pieces in batter, then in crushed Corn Flakes. Place on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with melted butter (about 3 T total).
Bake 45-60 min., until juices run clear from pierce near bone or thickest part of pieces. Remove smaller or thinner pieces as they are done, leave larger pieces in a bit longer. Don't overbake.

Serve immediately.

This chicken is really best eaten warm. Once chilled in fridge, the corn flakes get hard, and the chicken may get too dry with reheating. Although I did strip the meat off some uneaten pieces and used it chopped in fried rice the next day, and it was OK.

Yes, unbelievably there were a few pieces left-over. It wasn't because they guys didn't like it - they did - but we had cooked more pieces than we needed. When the home-grown fryers went into the freezer, many of the packages were not mixed pieces of one whole chicken - so there were bags of just legs, just thighs, just breast, etc. Each bag was enough for the whole family. So when we got the dinner order for thighs AND breast - well, it was enough for a block party by the time we got it all cooked!

And the lemon pie? I have to say, after years of experimenting with dozens of recipes, I still think the original Betty Crocker Cookbook Lemon Pie recipe is the best. That gal knew about pies!

When you live on a farm with plenty of chickens, of COURSE you will have "fried" chicken. And lemon pie - the best way to use those extra eggs!

Friday, November 19, 2010

The Craft Warehouse Caper

When Anne asked me if I would be interested in working at Craft Warehouse Holiday Open House, I fell over my tongue saying "YES!" The pay was a $40 gift certificate, two certificates for 40% and 25% off single items of choice, and a handful of other coupons. Plus a Chinese food buffet and fancy cupcakes served to all the workers between regular closing hour and the beginning of the Open House bash.

As I meandered around the store to get acquainted with the special sales for the evening, I noticed a few things that surprised me.


I didn't know there were spare Scrabble tiles available. I love Scrabble, so this was nice to know. Of course it was a bit disturbing, reading the label...almost made me want to check the Scrabble dictionary.

These alphabet tiles are useful for all kinds of crafty things. May even substitute for Scrabble tiles, in a pinch.
Another game we enjoy is dominoes. I was very happy to see that a person could get replacement tiles for that game, too. Or use them for jewelry - although they might be a tad heavy for earrings.


Speaking of jewelry - this display is blinding! And this is only part of the offerings. There were also Swavroski crystals on sale, outstandingly beautiful baubles.

I loved browsing the many displays of craft ideas. I brought home the makin's for this cute Christmas tree. I like trees that don't drop needles...

Oh, you want to know what my job was. Well - I swept. For 5 solid hours. And I have the blisters to prove it. Because in the interest of keeping customers happy campers while they waited in lines or wiggled through the store in search of bargins, POPCORN was passed out. Tubs of popcorn. Bags of popcorn. All night long. And you know what happens if you step on popcorn on a concrete floor? Skating rink time. So. Yeah. I was a sweeper.
And I had a blast - I enjoyed every minute of a wild evening!

Not to mention some mighty fine art supply bargins and goodies.