Food Fix

Any time the family visits East Tennessee the guys have to make a pit stop at Krystal's for at least one meal. They each order and devour a stack of these miniature burgers as if nothing on earth could taste as good. Personally, I don't see the need to eat these every six months, but then again I usually spend the time leading up to our trip wondering what my mom will cook. Whatever is on the menu at her house is generally my food fix.

This time of year desserts abound, but this week a couple in particular satisfied my yearning for something delicious I didn't have to cook. First, Mom made a red velvet-cheesecake combo that is fabulous. (She got the idea after looking at a frozen confection at Sam's Club awhile back.) The premise is straightforward. Bake one layer of red velvet cake and a layer of cheesecake (in the same pan so they fit together) and combine the two using cream cheese icing. The resulting confection is both beautiful and tasty. (I purchased one of the frozen cakes to defrost on my birthday, so we're waiting to see if it is any different from the one Mom created.) In addition to that lovely dessert, we've nearly devoured a blackberry cobbler made from some of the beautiful berries we picked last summer. Since Jeff did not accompany us at the time, Mom promised him a taste of the dark purple gems when we arrived. I must say, they are just as good now as they were in July.

So on a day when many people are thinking about diets and reforming their eating habits for the new year, we are throwing caution to the wind and munching on decadent goodies which reminds me of my grandmother's favorite saying - Life is short; eat dessert first (or always in our case).

Good Eats Abound

Christmas celebrations mean lots of food. Our holiday meals began at a brunch with the in-laws last week and continued through tasty shopping today.
Brunch included such goodies as sparkling wine, shrimp cocktail, and German stollen. In addition to these purchased yummies we had farmer's casserole (a dozen scrambled eggs mixed with cream of mushroom soup, chopped ham, grated cheese, and sauteed vegetables baked together in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes), hash browns, Paula Deen's French toast casserole http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/baked-french-toast-casserole-with-maple-syrup-recipe2/index.html (though, this time I used a small loaf of raisin bread and cut the rest of the recipe in half because this recipe could feed an army), and some apple sauce my mother-in-law made from scratch. Needless to say, this feast kick started our gift-giving time frame!

A few days later, the family made its way to East Tennessee for Christmas with my clan. Upon our arrival we were greeted with hugs, kisses, and plenty of warm food to combat the unseasonably chilly weather (which turned into a winter storm within hours of our arrival). The guys and I filled bowls of steaming soup paired with mini meatball paninis http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/mini-meatball-panini-mad-hungry. These diminutive sandwiches took my mom some time, but were an excellent addition to our soup and stomachs. (She made them ahead of time, stored them in the freezer, and reheated them in the oven to keep them crispy.) Of course, in our discussion of these tasty snacks we decided that slices of meatloaf would work just as well as the meatballs and take less time and effort. They were like gourmet sliders at home!

Next on the celebration menu was Christmas dinner which included a roasted pork tenderloin (moist and perfect with plenty of peppery seasoning), fruited wild rice, stuffed mushrooms, manicotti, and yeast rolls. Although my brother and his family did not make it to the feast due to snowy conditions, the rest of us enjoyed our meal immensely and were happy to have plenty of leftovers to munch throughout the week. We capped off the evening with slices of ginger roll http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/dec/02/gingerbread-roulade-is-notable-chage/?cid=Facebook , assorted drinks including hot buttered rum http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Hot-Buttered-Rum-Mix/Detail.aspx, and a rousing game of Scattergories. (The buttered rum mixture can be used in hot tea or coffee, but I really enjoyed it in warm, straight rum, so I nuked the alcohol instead of adding boiling water!)

Today we continued our eating adventure during a post-holiday shopping trip to Knoxville. We started with several samples at Sam's Club, including a Black Forest macaroon that was particularly good. Later in the day we hit another food heavy store - World Market - in search of bargains and came home with Jeff's favorite cream filled cookies (from Germany, of course) and a bag of white cheddar crunchy "icicles" which are like upscale Cheetos with a sour cream after taste. Meanwhile, a short jaunt through Dollar Tree yielded some inexpensive goodies like chocolate covered orange creams and marshmallow "suckers" for the boy. Finally, though, Pei Wei lured us to end our day with true sustenance in the form of tofu and vegetables in spicy orange sauce, crispy honey-seared chicken, and tender mandarin chicken with assorted types of rice and fortunes. (The boy's said he will be a great philanthropist later in life, which we all took as a good sign of future riches!)

The best news for us, is that since it is only Monday we are sure to have plenty more holiday related treats before the week is out. After all, my mom's cabinets are laden with peanut butter bon bons, English toffee, nougat candy, and multiple varieties of cookies to be tasted throughout the coming days.

A Cup of Cheer

The aroma of a fresh cup of coffee has to be one of the best simple pleasures in life. Of course, when it comes from a brand new Keurig coffee maker, it's even better - especially when Santa delivers the coolest model complete with timer function, multiple cup sizes, and a water reservoir to boot! I suppose since the machine is so high-tech I can't really refer to my coffee as a "simple pleasure" any longer, but I can learn to live with that small sacrifice.

Truthfully, this coffee maker is great for our house because it brews all kinds of hot drinks - one at a time - so Jeff and I can both have our favorites. Jeff doesn't drink coffee, so we frequently end up with a pot of tea and a pot of coffee, neither of which gets finished. Now we can have both with lots of flavors and no waste. Jeff is in love with Cafe Escapes' chai latte flavor, and I'm working my way through the various assorted coffees that came with my gift. (Santa was kind enough to provide a holiday assortment of coffee flavors including spicy eggnog, golden french toast, and gingerbread along with some more standard fare.) So far, I haven't tried one I didn't like.

The only draw back I can see to this whole thing is that I'll be drinking more coffee. Frequently I have considered a steaming cup of joe in the afternoon, but didn't want to make half a pot for only one cup. Alas, this, too, is a sacrifice I can live with. After all, a warm mug of anything is pretty tempting, especially at this time of year. Of course, the next step will be to add my next favorite beverage - booze - to the mix to make some interesting cocktails. A shot of coffee, almond, chocolate, peppermint, or butterscotch liqueur is always in order, but I'm considering something a little more interesting tonight (After all, it is Christmas break!). Here are some choices I found in a quick Google search.

Black Gold
4 oz coffee, hot
1/4 oz Triple Sec
1/4 oz Amaretto
1/4 oz Irish Cream
1/4 oz hazelnut liqueur
Dash of cinnamon Schnapps

Mix all ingredients in a mug and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream.

 

Cajun Coffee (This one is my pick for the night. What could be better than the dark taste of molasses with spicy rum and coffee?)

1 cup coffee

1 tablespoon molasses

1 shot rum

Heat the coffee and molasses until the molasses dissolves. Add a shot of rum to the mug and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream.

 

Sunshine in a Cup

1 cup hot coffee

1.5 shots coffee liqueur

1 shot orange vodka

Stir together all ingredients. Garnish with an orange slice.

 

If coffee isn't your cup of tea, try something a little more civilized!

 

Sweet Tea

1 cup orange pekoe hot tea

1 ounce amaretto

1 ounce orange liqueur

Rim a brandy snifter with sugar. Add all ingredients and stir. Garnish with a an orange twist. 

 

Melon-Lemon Tea

1 cup orange pekoe hot tea

1 ounce melon liqueur

1 ounce orange liqueur

1 lemon wedge

Combine the tea and liqueurs in a mug. Squeeze in the fresh lemon juice and stir.

 

Fireside Chat

1 cup strong orange pekoe hot tea

1.5 ounces dark rum

1.5 ounces vanilla liqueur

Stir together all ingredients in a mug and enjoy.

Candy, Candy, Everywhere

Making candy at Christmas isn't about providing treats for the guys, so much as for myself because Jeff's kids always bombard him on the last day of school with enough goodies to feed a small army. This year's haul includes five large-size Hershey bars, a myriad of regular-size holiday candy like red and green M & M's, two of the 8 oz chocolate kisses, plates of fudge and caramel corn (both homemade and purchased), small gift bags filled with assorted Lindt chocolates, mugs of gourmet hot cocoa mix with peppermint stick stirrers, and a gift certificate for a one-pound box of See's chocolates. Obviously, the kids know that Jeff is a chocoholic extraordinaire. Alas, though, I am a little pickier about my sweets. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy an excellent piece of chocolate as much as anyone (so the Lindor truffles from the goody bags are on my radar), but I don't think Hershey bars, M & M's, and grainy fudge fit that description.

So, in an effort to feed my own sweet tooth, today I made almond butter crunch (aka toffee) and salted chocolate caramels. The toffee recipe is a basic one from my old standby Better Homes and Gardens cook book. The real secret to making this candy is in the finishing. Most toffee recipes call for cooking the syrup to the hard crack stage, but I think it is too crunchy at that point and just succeeds in sticking to my teeth. So I always stop at the soft crack stage which still provides a brittle texture to easily break the candy when its cool, but leaves it soft enough that the buttery goodness just melts in the mouth. On top of that, I don't ever mix the nuts into the toffee. Again, I like the texture of the unadulterated toffee. I do, however, put slivered almonds on top to add just a little crunch. In addition, many directions say to allow the candy to cool and then spread melted milk chocolate on top. I much prefer the richness of darker chocolates, so I always use semi-sweet for this step (Buy a good brand like Ghiradelli for the best results.) and I sprinkle the chips (or chopped up bar) across the toffee as soon as it has been poured. Walk away for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to melt from the heat of the candy, and then simply spread it across the top and sprinkle on those almonds. (I find that the amount of time it takes me to thoroughly scrape the bottom of the pan and gingerly eat the hot candy from a spoon is just about the right amount of time for the chocolate to melt.)

The salted caramels are a new treat for me this year. Yesterday, my mom posted a blog link on Facebook from a woman who tried this recipe (from the Kraft website http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/salted-chocolate-covered-caramels-120321.aspx ) and wrote her own review. She noted that she had trouble getting the toothpicks into the caramels. I didn't experience any difficulty, though I think a few seconds in the microwave might soften them up a little if necessary. In addition, I left the toothpick in the caramels to make them easy to pick up and eat later (voila! built-in handle). Basically, I followed the recipe and directions from Kraft, though I did add a little shortening (to make the chocolate smoother and shinier) and a teaspoon of instant coffee to intensify the dark chocolate flavor even more. I was also pretty liberal with the sea salt, knowing that I like the contrast between salty and sweet. In addition, I didn't put my in the fridge to set up since that would harden the caramels. (Yes, I could wait for them to warm back up once they're set, but I'm not known for my patience!) Instead, I chilled a cookie sheet in the freezer while I made the toffee and pulled it out to drop the caramels on after dipping. The cold pan helped the chocolate set up quickly without making the caramels hard. In the end, these did not disappoint. The richness of the dark chocolate married to the sweet caramels and punctuated with grains of sea salt made a perfect combination on the tongue. I suppose I should be glad Jeff's kids send home so much candy for him (and the boy) to eat since it leaves more of the really good stuff for me.

A Taste of Christmas

Today marks the first day of winter break for our family. Since the first day of any long break always warrants something special, we celebrated with a brunch of honey ham, potato patties, and Cracker Barrel fried apples (courtesy of a gift box my brother's family sent). It was our good fortune to be joined by one of our son's friends - a polite young man who not only had excellent table manners, but ate second helpings and promptly hopped up to help with the dishes. While the ham was one of the pre-cooked varieties I picked up at the grocery last week and the fried apples only required reheating, I did actually make the potato patties from scratch. This happens to be one of the easiest and best ways I know to eat leftover mashed potatoes. (Of course, there aren't usually any left, or they may only last a day or so!) Simple mix about two cups of cold mashed potatoes with one beaten egg, salt, and pepper. (You can add some chopped onions if you want, but I prefer a little onion powder or some fresh herbs.) Form the mixture into patties (My potatoes are usually quite soft, so sometimes I have to add a little flour to the mixture in order to form the patties.), dip them in flour, and cook them in non-stick skillet with a little melted butter over medium-low heat until they are brown on both sides. Keep the patties warm in the oven if you need to cook them in more than one batch.

Once this holiday treat was done, the boy and I decided to do some running around, so we headed to World Market to check out their ornament sale. While we didn't come home with any more glass baubles for the tree (which is probably a good thing since it is already so full), we did leave with several edible indulgences. Luckily for us, the store was sampling a myriad of products today including chianti, a rose bubbly, jalapeno chips, butter cookies, cheese straws, and apple stollen. After trying tasting all of these goodies we came home with several of our own including a bottle of Banfi Rosa Regale, which has smaller bubbles than a classic brut and a much sweeter taste that I knew Jeff would love; a bag of the jalapeno flavored potato chips which actually have the distinctive pepper taste with very little heat; and a German baked apple stollen, which was dense and moist with plenty of fruit. This came in several other flavors including cranberry and marzipan, as well.

Since Jeff has been under the weather for the last couple of days, we decided to chill the wine until he's feeling better, and the stollen is a treat I'm saving for our Christmas celebration with the in-laws. Thus, only the jalapeno chips provided us with instant gratification when we returned home. Oh well, sometimes the best part of the holidays is looking forward to all the wonderful tastes to come!

Holiday Cheater

O.k. I admit it. I'm a total cheat on the goody bags this year. The holidays have been so hectic - I'm mean let's face it, two parties and three concerts in eight days is a bit much - that I just didn't get a lot of baking done. That means I didn't have little treat bags of cookies and candy to hand out to everyone in the department today. Although I know my coworkers do not expect me to give them food, I have certain expectations of myself, particularly around the holidays. One of those is to provide something yummy for my department members to munch during final exams. So Monday night as I graded papers while my son finished his last guitar class of the semester, and Tuesday night while I graded more papers while waiting for Jeff to finish his last caroling gig with the kids, I mulled over what to do about the cookie-less tins in my kitchen. The answer came to me somewhere between the 60th and 90th novel packet that I could cheat. I could use the frozen cookie dough we purchased from the choir fundraiser to put together 20 goody bags - and it worked, too. Everyone gushed about my baking skills! Little do they know I didn't make any of it from scratch.

Yesterday, I baked five kinds of cookies - vanilla sugar, snicker doodle, chocolate chip, cranberry chunk, and apple crunch - after school. With two sheet pans filled, it only took me three rounds to get them all done. While some cookies cooked, others cooled, and ultimately they all went into little wreath-printed cello bags I picked up at Dollar Tree a couple of weeks ago. Since the grading was done and the cookies are a hurry-up-and-wait sort of thing, I decided to make some book marks for my English teacher reader friends. I found some cute patterns on a calendar I received at Half-Price Books, copied some parts on to card stock and cut them out. (The pictures were dogs and cats with doctored author names and bios like "Harpurr Lee author of How to Kill and Eat a Mockingbird" or "Sir Arthur Canine Doyle author of The Hound of the Bassetvilles.") Once everything was cut out, I glued the pieces to strips of pretty scrapbook paper to give them some pizazz. Thus, each teacher ended up with a goody bag of five cookies, plus four book marks, and a holiday card. These little gifts didn't cost much in the way of money or time (considering I put together 20 gifts - start to finish - in a single afternoon). Of course, the payback I received in smiles and appreciation today made it time well spent. (Not to mention that I could once again look in the mirror knowing I had fulfilled my Christmas mission at school!)

In addition to these little bags, a couple of my close friends received an extra gift. Again, this was more about remembrance than extravagance. Several days ago I was surfing the internet looking for homemade gift ideas when I came across a patchwork clipboard. This seemed perfect for teachers who pace the room with clipboard in hand every day, so I gave it a try. (Here's the link, though I didn't use the exact layout or materials shown:  http://janesapron.typepad.com/janes_apron/2009/11/patchwork-clipboard-a-tutorial.html) The basic idea is to use different sizes of squares and rectangles cut from coordinating scrapbook papers to decorate a plain clipboard (which I bought at Walmart for a dollar each). Decide how to arrange the squares and rectangles, and then glue them to the clipboard. Once all the paper is on the board, coat the top with a layer of glue to seal it. The directions I found used Mod Podge as the gluing agent, but since I didn't have any, I used plain white craft glue, which seemed to work fine. This little project took less than an hour for both clipboards - including the time it took me to select and cut the papers. Both of my friends thought these were adorable, as did I! As a matter of fact, if I started early enough, I could see giving one of these to everyone in the department next year. While the girls like the patchwork look, I think the guys would like a simpler design done in their school colors, perhaps. Of course, cammo or sports papers might also be a good choice. The possibilities are endless.

So even when time is short and a little cheating is necessary, I guess it really is the thought that counts.

Food for Thought

As finals week is upon us, we seem to be relegated to frozen dinners like popcorn shrimp or chicken strips coupled with leftover party food like potato salad or vegetable dip and chips. This makes it difficult to discuss "good eats" as Alton Brown would say. However, one thing I'm not short of is parent and student complaints and whines. (Yes, I'd like to say, "That's a nice domestic. Have you tried some smoked Gouda on rye with that?")

It seems everyone is for high standards in education until they apply to his or her particular student. For example, I caught a kid cheating on a novel assignment last week. The kid admitted it to me, but denied it to the parent. Now, the parent is bombarding me, the counseling office, and administration with e-mails saying the kid should not receive a zero for the assignment, even though the kid had a D before the zero and still has a D (albeit a lower one) after the zero. (As a matter of fact, the kid has had a D for 15 of the 18 weeks that comprise the semester.) While I truly believe it is the parent's job to be an advocate for the student, it astounds me that so many parents don't believe their cherubs could possibly be lying. As the mother of a soon-to-be-16-year-old boy, I'm confident that I've been lied to on several occasions when he wanted to get out of trouble.

Another student brought his parent to my room yesterday afternoon and said, "I have a bad grade. What can I do to raise it?" Of course, the answer is nothing because it is too late - the kid will take the final exam in two days. However, I spent the next 45 minutes explaining every bad grade for the entire semester to the parent (to which she responded several times, "Well, he's never had to read this much," or "He really doesn't like all the reading" or "He doesn't have time for much homework because he plays soccer.") The whole situation is particularly frustrating because the parents have access to the grades in real time and can check them at their leisure. In addition, this particular student has had a bad grade all semester, and I have emailed the parent several times about his lack of progress. Still, the matter doesn't seem important enough to warrant a discussion until the week that grade will go on his permanent record.

The kicker of all this is that these are honors students. (Yes, you read it right.) While these kids are often the best and brightest, they can just as easily be the laziest and most manipulative. And yet, these students are not allowed to learn some of the most important lessons of high school - those that go far beyond English or social studies, math or science - the lessons that deal with personal responsibility and integrity, those that deal with feeling on top of the world when you give something your all and succeed, and those that deal with learning to pick yourself up to try again when you give your all and fail. These are the real lessons kids need. Many people are capable of teaching grammar and literature, but not many can find the steel backbone to teach these important life lessons in the face of screaming parents and a society that portrays teachers as stupid, vindictive, and villainous.

Lucky for me, I was just born stubborn.

Old Favorites

Last night we rounded out our holiday event week with a caroling party. Each year, Jeff's top singing group, along with their parents, come over to eat, sing, and make merry. Though the caroling was a bust this year because most of the people in our neighborhood were at a local church function, everything else was fabulous -especially the food. The students brought appetizers ranging from homemade salsa to fried eggplant, main dishes like chicken enchiladas, sides of fruited cole slaw and freshly baked rolls, and desserts ranging from M & M cookies to a two-tier, gift-shaped chocolate cake.

Earlier in the week, I took requests for my contributions to the party and ended up making some old favorites. Interesting that when given a choice of foods, most people stick with the tried and true. For starters, the kids asked for potato skins, which pretty much disappeared as soon as the plate hit the bar. (Here's the method I used:  http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/potato_skins/ .) Next, several of the boys yearned for something with bacon, while others requested shrimp, so I combined them to create a standard appetizer of shrimp and sliced water chestnuts wrapped in bacon and then broiled to crispy doneness. As an added bonus, I threw in some roasted eggplant dip (made from the last few eggplants we retrieved from the garden before the temperature hit freezing last week) with an assortment of buttery crackers to please several of the vegetarian kids. (This was simple, too. I cut the eggplant - along with one onion - into chunks, tossed them with a little olive oil and a good dose of Italian seasonings, and baked them at 450 for about 20 minutes. Once the veggies cooled, I put them in the food processor and drizzled in a little more olive oil, some salt and pepper, and the juice of one fresh lemon.)

For main courses and side dishes, their requests included orange chicken (which is sooo easy to make with frozen chicken chunks - just be sure to use the good breast meat variety instead of the formed saucers - and some Panda Express orange sauce), anything with potatoes and cheese (I couldn't resist the opportunity to make Paula Deen's yummy hash brown casserole, though I use cream of mushroom soup instead of the cream of celery and omit the potato chip topping. Here's the recipe from foodnetwork.com : http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/creamy-hash-brown-casserole-recipe/index.html .), ravioli (which I prepped and baked in canned spaghetti sauce doctored with some fresh herbs from the garden and covered with a layer of mozzarella cheese), and a broccoli casserole (again, Paula Deen's rich goodness http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/broccoli-casserole-recipe/index.html though I like cream of broccoli soup instead of the cream of mushroom in mine).

The alto section of the choir was in charge of desserts, so I didn't have to worry much about those, but I did have a request for boiled cookies like my mom made when I was a kid.  This is classic game night fare in many households, but if you don't have a recipe of your own, this one is pretty standard:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/No-Bake-Cookies-III/Detail.aspx. The student who asked for these said her grandmother used to make them for her; however she passed away last year and hadn't made any for quite awhile before that. So those easy little bites of peanut butter and chocolate rounded out my holiday cookie plate, while the kids showed up with cheesecake and a myriad of other goodies.

This party marks the end of our big holiday push, even though Christmas is still a couple of weeks away. Last Saturday, we kicked-off the celebrations with a holiday cocktail party, which was followed by several concerts throughout the week. It seems only fitting that we ended with another party. Though we've had fun over the last seven days, I think the whole family is looking forward to getting through finals week and having some much needed rest over winter break.

Food for the Soul

This week has been filled with holiday celebrations beginning with Jeff's concert Tuesday night, the boy's concert Wednesday night, and the King's Singers concert last night. While you may think there is only so much Christmas music a person can enjoy in three short days, I assure you I did not reach saturation. This is true mostly because of the high quality performances and the company.

Jeff's concert, which is soon to be broadcast on EdTV and the Internet (I'll let you know when the link is available), kicked off the week. This was his fifth annual "Will Sing for Food Concert" which collects nonperishable food items from audience members. Even in these tough economic times, nearly 700 items were donated to Skyline High School's Breakfast with Santa program (slated for tomorrow) which is a school wide effort to fulfill Christmas wishes for needy families in our area. In exchange for the much needed food for local children, audience members were treated to food for the soul. Skyline choir concerts are known for their entertainment value with running jokes, humorous pre-concert videos and silly holiday songs like "The Snickelways of York" and "Cold and Fugue Season", but they also provide moments of deeply moving music that remind us of the true meaning of Christmas with contemporary songs like "Mary, Did You Know?" and fabulous arrangements of traditional carols like "We Three Kings." The faculty joined the combined choirs to form a group nearly 200 voices strong for the finale of "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" which sent everyone home humming a happy tune. All this music simply provided a warm up to my son's choir concert on the following night.



The boy all dressed up and spinning
his wheels before the concert began.



Queen Creek High School's choir program is younger and smaller, but still provides ample opportunities to find the holiday spirit. The women's chorus did a cute arrangement of "Jingle Bells Through the Ages" which featured the well-known tune set in various traditional and contemporary styles. (Of course the sparkly Santa hats were just an added bonus!) Chorale, the larger mixed group, performed a lovely rendition of "The First Noel" combined with "Pachelbel's Canon in D." My son spent the last two weeks singing and playing this on the piano, so I was excited to hear it with all the voices in place. They finished their performance with an excellent arrangement of "Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow." Of course, post concert etiquette at our house demands dessert and critique, so Oma and Opa joined us for coffee and assorted Christmas goodies while we discussed the merits of each piece and were serenaded by boy and his guitar.



Of course, the third concert - The King's Singers - was spectacular. The first half of their show was devoted to serious Christmas literature interspersed with poems and other readings. One of the most moving sections included a reading from a letter written by a British soldier stationed on the Western front on Christmas Eve 1915. He wrote to his wife about how the fighting had stopped and both British and German soldiers were enjoying camaraderie and peace. His moving words were flanked by the quite beginnings of "Silent Night" in its original German. As the reading ended the glorious music swelled to fill the hall and tears filled the eyes of many audience members. After a break, the group returned to regale us with sillier versions of Christmas songs like "The Twelve Days of Christmas" complemented by imaginary letters from the recipient of all those gifts. If you're not familiar with The King's Singers, here's a link to one of the songs we heard last night to get you started: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziHrnW9S3UQ . Of course, once the concert was over, Jeff made the rounds and had each member autograph the CD he purchased!

The culmination to this musical week will be tomorrow night's caroling party. I have to admit that while hearing the gorgeous strains of well-trained singers is always a treat, walking through the neighborhood, spreading Christmas cheer with my own voice is the best night of all. Being able to participate in the music, feeling it fill the lungs (the heart, the soul) and the air all around is truly the feeling that Christmas has come at last.

Only Time for a Quickie

Concert night is hectic to say the least. The boy and I are usually on our own for dinner, while Jeff eats a frozen entree or a bowl of soup at school. Still, I often try to have something we can eat before the show that Jeff can warm up for a late dinner after we get home.

Tonight's quickie dinner is shrimp linguine with Alfredo sauce. This is especially easy because the only part I actually cook is the pasta. In addition, this dinner is made from frozen and packaged goods that I keep on hand, so we can have it any time. It is a tasty meal that feels homemade in less than 20 minutes. Enjoy!

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop in a package of linguine.
2. While this cooks, pull a bag of veggies (like the California mix of cauliflower, carrots, and green beans) out of the freezer along with a bag of pre-cooked peeled and deveined shrimp. (This is often on sale at Fry's for $4.99 for a one pound bag. Use whichever size shrimp is the cheapest because everything gets mixed together for this dish, so no one will notice if you don't have the jumbo prawns - which are pretty pricey.
3. Pull some garlic bread out of the freezer as well, and preheat the oven to toast it. (While the loaves are nice, the guys and I really like the Texas toast style because it actually gets brown on each side while staying soft in the middle.)
4. When the linguine is almost done, pop the garlic bread in the oven to toast and add the frozen veggies and shrimp to the boiling water.
5. By the time the pasta has finished cooking everything else is defrosted and heated through. Simply drain the whole pot in a large strainer.
6. Pour a jar of Alfredo sauce into the still warm pot and return the pasta mixture. Add some black pepper and a squeeze of lemon for flavor. Stir everything together to evenly distribute the sauce, vegetables, and shrimp.
7. Dish up the pasta in bowls and sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on top. Pull the bread out of the oven to serve on the side.

If you're out of frozen veggies some canned goods will suffice. Drain the canned vegetables well and add them just a moment or two before the pasta is done to heat them through. In addition, a can of tuna or chicken can easily be substituted for the frozen shrimp and still tastes good. Drain it well and add it to the sauce in the warm pot before returning the pasta and veggies.

Party Food

Last night about 20 people showed up at Casa Medlock to eat, drink, and be merry. Everyone brought eats to share. Though most of it was store bought, a couple of people brought perennial party favorites like spinach dip in a bread bowl, crispy crust pizza covered with thinly sliced tomatoes, black olives, and artichoke hearts, and (of course) cheesecake. For our part, we provided a clean home, drinks, and some food to get everyone started.



On the kitchen table, easily accessible from the bar area, we usually add bottles of wine and an assortment of glasses. (I don't really like sipping cocktails from plastic cups.) Since the bar is in the kitchen, other drinks (like water, soda, lemonade, and beer) are on ice in a large tub on the patio. This arrangement works well to avoid congestion and prevent condensation from the ice bucket dripping on the floor. Since we live in the Valley of the Sun, the patio is a nice temperature on early December evenings.



I always think it is better to put the desserts on a table separate from the main munchies. Plus, moving the bar to the kitchen frees up our sideboard for the sweet goodies. This tiered tray stand holds a couple of desserts I made just for the party along with a couple of goodies I already had on hand. Using some things I'd already made cut the party prep time quite a bit while still providing many choices for guests. If you're in a pinch, you can also make one or two easy dishes and supplement with pretty store bought cookies or chocolates arranged on a tray interspersed with homemade sweets.



These are mock Girl Scout cookies that were super easy to make and super delicious. They are simply Ritz crackers dipped in doctored chocolate. (I melted a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips with just a little Crisco - to make the chocolate smooth and glossy - and about half a capful of peppermint extract. The microwave works well for this. Just put everything in a glass bowl and microwave for 1 minute on high. Stir the chocolate well to help the chips melt. If it isn't quite dipping consistency, put the chocolate back in for another 30 seconds.)

 

These are red velvet cake balls dipped in milk or white chocolate. I made a red velvet cake mix and then crumbled it up when it was cool. Next, add a cup of store bought frosting (I used cream cheese, of course) and form the mixture into balls. Stick them in the freezer for a little while (I think mine were in for an hour while I did other things.) to help them set up and retain their shape. Finally, dip them in melted chocolate or candy coating and return them to the cold tray so they set up quickly. Stick them back in the freezer to finish setting and make them easier to handle.

 

This is left over persimmon pudding that Jeff's mom made for us. I cut it into small bites to make it easier to try since most people won't recognized it. Once they had a bite, though, many guests went back for a couple more.

  

These are ginger cookies I made and iced last weekend. They are a holiday favorite.

 

To keep food prep easy, I made assorted nacho toppings and served them in three small crock pots. This one is like chicken enchilada filling. I made white sauce on the stove top, added salt, pepper, a can of green chilies, and shredded cooked chicken. Once the topping was ready, I put it in the ceramic crock pot and stored it in the fridge until about 30 minutes before the guests arrived. At that point I warmed it up in the microwave, gave it a good stir, and set the base to warm so it would stay nice and toasty throughout the party.



In addition to the chicken, I made regular taco filling for the nachos. I actually used ground turkey because it was on sale and had less fat than the beef, but I treated it like ground beef and I don't think anyone actually noticed. I simply browned the meat and added some chopped onions, a can of fire roasted tomatoes (with the liquid), and a packet of taco seasoning. Once done, I again stored it in the fridge in the ceramic pot and reheated it before setting into the crock pot base to keep it warm.

Finally, I filled the third pot with cheese sauce, which is super easy. Chunk up a block of Velveeta, pour salsa (or Rotelle tomatoes) over the top and microwave it all until it melts. Then, just put it on the warmer to keep it ready for dousing the nacho chips.



I rounded out the whole deal with some condiments, scoop-shaped chips, a dish of guacamole, and Mexicali corn dip, which was simple and easy. Combine two 11 oz. cans of  Mexican-style corn (well drained) with a can of green chilies, a cup of mayo,  an 8 oz carton of sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste. At this point, you can add some chopped (and seeded) jalapeno peppers or some chipotle sauce depending on how hot you want the dip to be. This is better after it sits in the fridge for awhile, so make it well ahead and let the flavors meld together before serving.



Cute and Cheap

Today Jeff received the first of many holiday gifts from his students. (He is Mr. Popularity!) This one is so cute (and so easy to make) that I just have to share in case any of you are looking for some little gift that has a personal touch. This is something kids can make for their friends or a stocking stuffer item to surprise everyone with on Christmas morning.

Over the years we have seen many versions of this type of gift ranging from small baggies filled with marshmallows labeled as "Snowman Poop" (or baggies filled with hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, and a miniature candy cane labeled as "Snowman Soup") to a wooden moose (that resides in our basement) with a hollowed out "stomach" for Skittles (or M & M's or Reece's Pieces). When you raise the moose's head he "poops" out some candy.

 A quick search on Google yielded quite a few variations on the poem that goes with this gift, but today's incarnation is one of the best I've seen. Start with a 12 ounce carton of Whoppers. Next cut out some basic shapes to represent a reindeer face, ears, and antlers. These were made from stiffened felt (the kind that comes in sheets at the craft store), but construction paper would work just as well. A pair of google eyes and a red pom pom nose complete the face while some mini jingle bells adorn the antlers. The head is finished off with a tiny golden bow.

On the back of the box, cut a large teardrop shaped flap (be sure to leave it attached at the bottom for a hinge). The flap is covered in another piece of stiff felt (or construction paper) with a cotton ball attached for the tail. A piece of tape folded under on the top edge creates a little handle to use while opening and closing the tail. The tape keeps the tail from opening unintentionally and spilling the Whoppers.  

Some curling ribbon and a printed poem finish off the present. This poem reads:

Christmas is coming and so are the deer.

Listen closely and bells you will hear.

Along with them come a special treat.

Reindeer droppings for you to eat.

Give a shake - then turn me around.

Pull on my tail and a treat will be found.

Hope you enjoyed this as much as we did! It is just too cute!

A Sign of Hope

Over the years Jeff and I have received many interesting (and tasty) mail order gifts from Hickory Farms, Swiss Colony, and Harry and David. Each of these has brought delight to our family, but today we came home to a box of a different sort. Jeff's sister sent us a lovely holiday wreath made from fresh evergreen boughs. The moment we opened the box, the scent of Christmas began to fill our kitchen, and since we want to continue enjoying that fragrance, we hung it on the pantry door.

This is the first time we've ever had a fresh wreath for the holidays. Each year I look at them as we drive by the Christmas tree lots or watch as a QVC host touts the suppleness of the greenery, but I've never purchased one. In my book, purchasing a fresh wreath is akin to buying cut flowers. They are lovely and sumptuous treats, but not something a girl buys for herself. They denote special occasions and festivities. However, I'm discovering that this wonderful wreath may be just what the doctor ordered for the end of semester blues. Each time I pass it, my hands move out (seemingly of their own volition) to touch its velvety boughs. The slight stickiness of the sap clings to my fingers, along with the pine scent, and reminds me of family and home. The simplicity of this gift seems to exude hope.

Of course, that is the purpose of a holiday wreath - to symbolize hope. The circle with no beginning and no end has held deep meaning for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks and Romans used wreaths to signify victory. In addition, they brought evergreen boughs into their homes to celebrate winter festivals and as a reminder of nature's vitality. They also exchanged sprigs of holly to symbolize good fortune and prosperity in the coming year. 

The pre-Christian Germanic people used wreaths to liven up dark dreary winters. The evergreen boughs represented the coming spring while other plants - like holly and mistletoe - not only survive the harshest cold, but flourish and prosper in it - truly a magnificent feat! These traditions were incorporated into the Christian religion with the added symbolism of the wreath as everlasting life. By the 16th century Christians had added candles to create the advent wreath, counting down the weeks to the coming of Christ, the Light of the World. Traditionally advent wreaths have three purple and one rose colored candle. The purple candles represent hope, peace, and love, while the rose candle represents joy. The warmth of the candlelight combined with the fresh greenery provided comfort and the hope of spring on the longest nights of the year.

In many ways, the wreath we hung today does the same for us. It is a reminder of the eternal within us all and a symbol of endurance. With North and South Korea on the brink of war, an economy continuing to falter leading to further budget cuts for education, and the knowledge that many people in the world are cold and hungry, this bit of life bids us to carry on - working cheerfully through the darkness.

T-Minus 24 and Counting

One holiday tradition at our house is using an advent calendar to count down the days to Christmas. As soon as our son was old enough to eat chocolates, his Oma sent him the first one setting the trend for years to come. Over the last decade and a half we have accumulated several reusable models that we take for a spin each year.

This countdown calendar has been with Jeff since he was about seven years old. (Yes, that is quite a long time!) It was a gift from his Sunday school teacher. The poem, which is printed on a piece of card stock and glued to a circle of felt, reads:
December first to Christmas is the longest time of the year.
Seems as though old Santa never will appear.
How many days till Christmas?
It's mighty hard to count!
So this little candy ribbon will tell the right amount.
Untie a candy every night when the sandman casts his spell,
And Christmas Eve will be here by the time you reach the bell.
The "ribbon" is a strip of felt with small lengths of yarn knotted through to tie on a piece of candy. Miniature candy canes or anything wrapped (like the taffy we have this year) work well on this calendar which features a little jingle bell at the tip. This seems fairly simple to make and would be an excellent craft for parents or grandparents with young kids around. (I've been toying with reworking the poem and making a semester countdown for the teachers in my department. I haven't come up with the exact wording yet, but the idea seems fun.)

Here's another calendar that comes from a craft project, though this one is quite a bit more complicated. Jeff's mom made this, which combines two of our favorite icons - music and cats - several years ago. It came as one of those preprinted patterns on a bolt in the fabric store. While I've seen many other Christmas crafts on fabric (including some darling aprons, tree skirts, and ornaments), I've never seen another advent calendar like this one. Each day has its own little pocket with its own little musical instrument cut-out that matches the picture of the kitty playing the instrument. There is a large pocket across the bottom to hold the instruments as they are removed from their specific days. This is a favorite holiday decoration that we hang each year.

This calendar was also a gift from Jeff's mom, though not home made. Although it looks like wood, it is actually very heavy gauge cardboard. The drawers reverse to create a snowman scene. So, as the days go by, the numbers go away and create a whole new decoration. In its original state each drawer contained a piece of chocolate. Now, we hang it every year and fill it with myriad items ranging from pieces of candy to state quarters to small toys from the party store. (A bag of pinata goodies works well for this kind of thing.) Of course, the older our son has gotten the more frequently it is filled with his favorite candy - though he'd probably like the money more!



Of course, last but not least, is this year's traditional chocolate countdown. While some of them are pretty sedate (like this one), we've found imported advent calendars at World Market that create new pictures by fastening the opened "door" to the front of the calendar. One even had an outdoor manger scene on the outside and each day slowly morphed the picture to the inner manger scene with baby Jesus finishing the picture on December 24. I have to admit, we haven't seen anything that elaborate in recent years, but when we lived in Las Vegas there seemed to be a wider selection. No matter how plain or fancy, though, advent calendars can be a lot of fun for the young or the young at heart.

Spicy Sweetness

As Thanksgiving weekend draws to a close I have one more tradition to uphold: ginger cookies. Every year I make these wonderful, spicy treats as a kick-off to holiday baking. They fill the house with the luscious aromas of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves which seem to provide a warmth unparalleled by other treats (at least in my mind). As children, my brother and I came home to these scents each year, and now it just isn't Christmas for me until I've eaten a few iced cookies with a glass of cold milk. While the taste remains the same year after year, the decorations frequently vary. Some years I cut the cookies into fruit shapes, brush them with a crystalline lemon glaze, and then outline the designs in bright white royal icing. Other years, the whole family has decorated ornament shapes with star tips and multiple colors of butter cream frosting. This year, simplicity reigns with traditional shapes and a vanilla icing that will harden to a glossy white finish. While these cookies do take some time and effort, the end result is well-worth the trouble. Enjoy!

Pigs are considered good luck in Germany!

Rolled Ginger Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup molasses (for a less spicy cookie, use half molasses and half honey)
2 tablespoons vinegar
5 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons ground ginger (I always put in the whole amount.)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Cream the shortening and sugar. Beat in the egg, molasses, and vinegar. Sift together the dry ingredients and add about a cup at a time with the mixer on low speed until blended. Divide the dough in half and form into two disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours. (I often make the dough on evening and leave the cutting, baking, and decorating for the next day.)

Roll the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness on a well-floured surface. (If you have a dough board and rolling pin cover, use them here.) Cut into shapes and place on a cookie sheet lined with foil. (They don't spread much, so you can put them pretty close together.) Bake at 375 degrees for 5 or 6 minutes. Leave them on the pan for at least five minutes after removing them from the oven, and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. I usually get about four and a half dozen small to medium-sized cookies, plus another half dozen larger gingerbread men.

Cookie Icing (This icing takes awhile to harden, but it finishes up glossy and tasty.)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

Stir all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. The icing will be stiff. If you want thinner icing, just add more milk. One more tablespoon creates a medium consistency, while two more will make the icing thinner but still spreadable. I like it a little thinner since I prefer to taste the spice of the cookie over the sugar of the icing. (You can also put a thin coat of icing on the cookies, allow it to set, and then add details on top by piping on royal icing.)

A Holiday from Cooking

The day after Thanksgiving I am grateful for leftovers. While most of America seems to be standing in line at 3 a.m. on Black Friday, Jeff and I are sound asleep, tucked snugly under our covers, because we don't shop on the biggest shopping day of the year. I know, we're missing all the good sales, but we discovered long ago that we seldom want to buy those door buster items that are only available to the first 50 people who have been camping out for a week. In addition, this year we have been inundated with coupons (paper and electronic) touting great sale prices before and after the big day. (As a matter of fact, one store honored its Black Friday sale price when were picking up our son's gift last Monday evening.)

So, the $64,000 question is if we're not out shopping, why can't I cook on the day after Thanksgiving? As tempting as it might be to go on strike after all the holiday preparations, that's not what happens either. On Black Friday the three of us spring from our beds and begin pulling Christmas decorations galore out of storage. By the time the day is over, it looks like Santa lives here (even though there won't be snow). We have two 7.5 foot Christmas trees crammed with ornaments, multiple wreaths bedecking the front door and several interior doors as well, a large nutcracker collection to put on display, a few centerpieces, more table linens than I'll ever use, three advent calendars, ceramic figurines, and doodads hanging from every handle and light fixture in sight. We even have a couple of holiday projects the boy created in grade school that find a home on our coffee table every Christmas. Of course, once the inside is done, we have to move outdoors as well, stringing lights along the roof line, adding silk poinsettias to baskets on the porch, changing out banners, chair covers, and door mats.  Luckily, as the boy has grown he becomes better at fluffing tree branches and adding lights, garland, and ornaments (especially at the top where I can't reach). This year, he even took on the job of putting up the outside lights on his own, much to Jeff's delight.

You're probably wondering about the excessive amount of glitz that takes over our home. Most people don't believe I'm capable of this kind of over-indulgence until they see it for themselves. ("She's so practical and level headed," my friends often say. "She's just not the type to go overboard.") In truth, the hoopla serves several purposes. First it puts me in the Christmas spirit, even when it's 70 degrees and sunny outside. It also allows my to begin counting the days to our annual trek homeward. Next, it turns the house upside down for awhile making everything seem new again when we put the "normal" decor back out on January first. Most importantly, though, it reminds me of the magical transformation that used to occur at Christmas. When I was a kid, stores didn't play Christmas carols, suspend garland from the ceiling, or put up a single ornament until Thanksgiving. I can remember thinking the entire world became glittery and beautiful over night. This miracle of suddenly having Christmas was just as impressive as Santa's mysterious trip on December 24. Thus, as stores begin hawking their holiday wares long before Halloween, we have made it our tradition to transform our home in one fell swoop the day after Thanksgiving. So, in our little corner of the world tonight, suddenly it's Christmas!

The First Thanksgiving

Holidays are all about tradition. Each of us expects a particular pie, side dish, or stuffing to adorn the table on Thanksgiving. Christmas often means special desserts or cookies, and even Independence Day is associated with family cook outs at the lake. Over the years, these traditions make up the fabric of who we are and how we identify ourselves as do the memories of holiday dinners past and loved ones - nearby and far away, present and departed.

The first Thanksgiving Jeff and I spent together was part of a larger gathering at a school superintendent's home in Kingman, Arizona. It was the second year I'd spent the holiday some 2,000 miles from the mountains of East Tennessee, and the first year Jeff wasn't with his family. In retrospect, I'm pretty sure he would have just hopped into the car and driven the four hours from Kingman to Mesa if I hadn't asked him to accompany me to the boss's dinner. (I guess even then he was my best friend.) I don't remember much about the meal, - I'm sure it was a traditional turkey with all the trimmings - but I do remember the feelings associated with the day.

The night before I had lost a beloved pet to cancer, and I wasn't sure I wanted to see anyone at all. To make matters worse, I showed up with a bottle of wine for the celebration only to learn that my hosts didn't drink. Despite these difficulties, though, Jeff and I had a good time. The table was crowded with family members and a few other teachers who were far from home. The conversation was lively - filled with jokes and laughter, stories of kindness and faith, talk of the traditions we had grown up with.

That Thanksgiving was filled with a spirit of companionship and sharing. Over the years, Jeff and I have had small dinners that barely qualify as a Thanksgiving meal and feasts with dishes of every variety covering the table. No matter where we are or what we eat, though, I am always reminded of our first Thanksgiving together, and I'm truly thankful we found each other. These memories have become part of my tradition, and each year I reflect on how they have made me who I am today.

Decisions, Decisions

Wouldn't it be nice if the toughest choice we ever had to make was what kind of pie to serve? Ahh...dream on. But in the meantime, I do have to make that kind of decision tonight. The guys requested an apple pie for our Thanksgiving feast, and I just can't leave well enough alone. So, here are my two favorite apple pie recipes. Take your pick!

Upside Down Apple Pie

Pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie (Make your own or just pick up a box in the refrigerator section at the grocery.)

Caramel-pecan mixture
3 tablespoons butter softened (use the real stuff here)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecan halves

Pie filling
Most recipes call for one kind or another, but the secret to a great apple pie is mixing the kinds of apples. Choose two firm/tart apples like Granny Smith, two firm/sweet apples like Braeburn or Pink Lady, and two soft/sweet apples like Red Delicious. This variety of textures and flavors will add depth to the pie and ensure that some apples hold their shape while others cook into the syrupy filling.
6 apples peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice (use a fresh one if you have it)
1/4 brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Make the caramel mixture by creaming the butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Spread it in the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate and arrange the pecan halves in a pretty pattern. (Remember to put them upside down so they'll be right side up when you flip the pie later.)

Put the bottom crust over the caramel-pecan mixture. Combine the apple slices with the remaining ingredients. Mix well to coat the apples evenly. Turn the mixture into the pie shell and pack it down evenly. Add the top layer of crust. Use a little water and a fork to seal the edges well. Cut several vents in the top crust. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil to keep them from burning.

Bake the pie in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake another 30 to 35 minutes. (Remove the foil from the crust about 10 minutes before the pie is done.) Allow the pie to cool for about 10 minutes before inverting on a serving plate. (You might want to bake the pie on top of a cookie sheet, just in case it bubbles over around the edges.)

Caramel Apple Pie

Pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie
Apple pie filling mixture (from above recipe)
3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping - divided
2 tablespoons flour (in addition to the flour added to the apples)

Place the bottom crust in a 9-inch pie pan. Mix 1/2 cup of caramel topping with two tablespoons flour and spread it evenly across the bottom of the pie crust. Make the apple pie filling as directed above and put it on top of the caramel layer. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of caramel topping over the apple filling. Put on the top crust and seal the edges. Cut several small vents. Bake as directed above.

The Chicken I Didn't Cook

Today while the boy and I were at Fry's he gave me the puppy dog eyes in the deli section and asked if we could take home a rotisserie chicken for dinner. Relenting, I reached for the smaller size and met with a gentle rebuke: "Oh, we can get the smaller one if you want," he said agreeably, "but it's usually gone in three minutes flat." Thus the larger bird found its way to my cart and to my kitchen where Jeff said, "You must be able to read my mind. I was thinking about calling you to see if you could bring home a roasted chicken for dinner." And so my fate was sealed - rotisserie chicken (not my favorite meal) became the main course. I popped a bag of "lightly sauced" pasta and veggies in the microwave and some brown and serve rolls in the oven to round out the meal.

I think the best part of rotisserie chicken is what's leftover. Once everyone has eaten his fill, there's still plenty of chicken to be picked off the bones and shredded for other dishes - like chicken salad (one of my personal favorites). The best chicken salad has shredded chicken (or tuna if you like), a chopped (preferably green) apple, and an equal amount of halved or quartered black or red grapes. Put everything in a bowl and add an appropriate amount of mayonnaise. This could be just enough to keep everything moist or enough to drown the bird -whichever you prefer. Finally, put in plenty of freshly ground black pepper. This offsets the sweetness of the fruit and makes the salad sing. I could sit and eat this from the bowl - forget any need for bread.

Another good use for left over chicken (or turkey since Thanksgiving is on the way) is enchiladas. Make a medium consistency white sauce and season it to taste. Add some chopped green chilies and sauteed onions to the chicken. Soften some corn tortillas in a little oil over medium heat. Finally, put a spoonful of white sauce and chicken mixture inside the tortillas, roll them up tightly, and place them in a large casserole. Pour the remainder of the sauce over the finished rolls and top with a generous amount of grated cheese (cheddar or a casserole mix work well here). Put the dish in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until the cheese is thoroughly melted and everything is bubbly. Allow it to rest a few minutes and top it with some chopped tomatoes and black olives. This is excellent served with avocado slices and a dollop of sour cream. (If you want to take the easy way out, just layer the tortillas and chicken mixture in the casserole dish instead of rolling each one. It tastes just as good and saves a lot of time.)

Of course, left over chicken is always good added into other dishes - like potato soup or vegetable stir fry - for some protein.Whatever route you go, don't pass up the opportunity to use all of that rotisserie chicken you might bring home rather than just some of it. You might find the leftovers are better than the original incarnation.

A Family Day Off

Breakfast with Harry Potter has been a tradition at our house since the first movie of the series was released nine years ago this month, so it isn't surprising that we continued our family fun day this morning with breakfast followed by an early show of The Deathly Hallows Part 1. Part of our ritual for Harry Potter movies is to eat breakfast - one of Jeff's favorite meals - out before heading to the theater. We usually choose some place like Village Inn, Denny's, or Cracker Barrel, but today we found a little mom and pop place called the Apple Dumpling Cafe (www.appledumplingcafe.com).

The restaurant is located in a small strip-mall storefront on the edge of town between Queen Creek and Chandler. The windows are filled with advertisements for daily specials, a couple of outdoor tables with umbrellas flank the door, and a stand-up chalkboard sign greets guests as they step into the shade of the sidewalk. The bright, clean establishment was nearly empty when we arrived around 9:30 this morning, but after enjoying our visit, I'm guessing it's a happening little place at busier times of the day. We were greeted by one of the owners as soon as we walked in the door, who invited us to "Just sit anywhere ya like." Each table was prepped with silverware rolls and a local newspaper for patrons to enjoy while they sip their coffee.

The breakfast menu wasn't vast like some of the large chain restaurants, but it was varied ranging from several omelet plates to crepes and stuffed French toast to a huge "hearty" breakfast with the words "good luck eating it all" printed beneath the list of food. We were amused by the down home quality of the menus and signs, which my son took pleasure in reading to us while we waited for our food. Jeff and I both mulled the fruit crepes and the country fried steak breakfast, so we decided to order one of each and split them both. This was an excellent choice! The crepes were stuffed with the patron's choice of apples, bananas, or strawberries and we opted for one of each. The strawberries were particularly good with a rich flavor that made us think there were some additions like cinnamon or vanilla. The apple was good, too, though not as tasty as the strawberry, and the banana, which featured slices of perfectly ripe fruit, was a strong contender for first place. The crepes themselves were thin and beautiful, perfectly cooked with just a hint of brown around the edges. The country fried steak breakfast included a good deal of wonderfully peppered gravy, sliced home fry potatoes, two fluffy scrambled eggs, and a triangle of watermelon that hit the spot at the end. The chicken fried steak itself was tender, perfectly coated, and crisply browned to perfection. The boy opted for a build-your-own omelet that came with the same potatoes and sourdough toast.

After we practically licked the plates, the owner, who had served us the meal, talked to us a little and we learned that the "fried" elements including the beautifully cooked potatoes and breaded steak were actually made in a commercial convection oven to crisp the food without deep frying in grease. (This fact alone made we want an oven that could this!) In addition, the couple that owns the place has some help from one of their daughters, who makes the crepes for the establishment. As we left, Jeff and I talked about how much we wished there were more little places like this (which opened about three-and-half years ago) around town. The meal was excellent, the service friendly, and the prices fair. We will definitely be going back to the Apple Dumpling Cafe for lunch or to try their homemade custard ice cream some summer afternoon.

Breakfast and a Book

This morning was my first foray into the world of book clubs. The idea is obvious - people who like books get together to talk about one they've read. Of course, at my school this process also involves food. So, this morning Jeff and I embarked for work about 25 minutes early, dropping the boy off on the way, and arriving before the main buildings were unlocked for students (ah, quiet in the hallway). My contribution to breakfast was a lovely frittata I made last night, cut in squares, and wrapped for travel.

Until recent months I had never tried frittatas because I assumed they would be too "eggy" for my taste. Luckily, I was wrong. In reality, a frittata is just a flattened out omelet and can have any number of ingredients, so I just tossed in whatever I had on hand. I started with sauteing some garlic and minced scallops in a little vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet. While that cooked, I put some of the summer's sun dried tomatoes in a little water mixed with blackberry balsamic vinegar in the microwave to plump up a bit. When these were done, I gave them a rough chop and pitched them in the skillet along with the remaining vinegar and water. Since the liquid takes a couple of minutes to sizzle off, I hopped out to the garden to obtain fresh herbs - rosemary, purple basil, and chives - for good measure. Once the aromatics were chopped and stirred into the pan, all looked ready for the eggs. I removed the pan from the heat to allow the flavorful bits to cool a little while I whipped six large eggs with a wire whisk until they were foamy. Then I put the contents of the skillet in with the eggs and added some grated Parmesan cheese for good measure. After putting the pan back on the heat, I gave everything a final stir, poured it in, and walked away. (There's the hard part!) While the eggs cook on the bottom, preheat the broiler on high. Once the eggs were well set around the edges, I put the pan under the broiler to cook the top until it was just brown.

This always comes out of the oven smelling fabulous and looking puffy like a restaurant omelet. Once the frittata hits the plate, it loses a little air, but is easy to cut into pie slices or squares for immediate consumption. I've discovered it is also good at room temperature because the flavors seem to intensify as it cools. This can be a good appetizer as well served in small bites on whole wheat crackers to add some texture. A little fig chutney makes an excellent garnish on this, but don't mix it into the eggs before cooking because it gives them a dark, muddy color that isn't particularly appetizing (though it tastes great). Today's frittata was particularly excellent because the flavors of the herbs and sun dried tomatoes (which created beautiful specks of dark green, purple, and red) permeated the dish as it sat in the fridge overnight. Much to my delight, there were oohs and ahhs with every bite.

A friend of mine brought one of my all-time favorite breakfast dishes - hash brown casserole filled with butter, cheese, and sour cream - along with some garlic cheddar biscuits. Unfortunately, no one else brought food this morning, but we had plenty because attendance was low. (It seems many members weren't crazy about the book we read - Hominids. They didn't finish it and didn't come to the meeting.) In the end, we didn't spend much time talking about the book, but we did have an excellent breakfast.

Slow Cooking for a Fast Meal

A couple times a week we are in a bigger hurry than usual to eat dinner before rushing off to our son's guitar class. On those days I am particularly thankful for the slow cooker my mother-in-law gave me last Christmas. (Actually, I've used it quite a lot!) With this helpful contraption the family can have a lovely, sit down dinner that didn't come from a can or a box and still have time to meet our commitments.

Tonight's masterpiece was a pot roast I purchased a couple of weeks ago on a buy-one-get-one-sale and stashed in the freezer. I've always loved a bargain and subscribed to the idea that clothes, home decor, gadgets, etc. are better when purchased at a thrifty price. I'm beginning to think the same principle applies to food. Somehow it just seems to taste better when I know it was cheap. (I hope I'm not turning into Scrooge, though! Maybe it's just a sign of the times.)

To make the whole process easier, I prepped the ceramic pot insert last night, stashed it in the fridge, and pulled it out to cook this morning when we left for school. In addition, while I peeled shallots and cut up red potatoes and carrots, Jeff tossed in some simple seasonings: salt, pepper, and Mrs. Dash. Next he poured chicken broth over everything while I added a little blackberry-ginger vinegar and some vegetable juice for a tomato base. This conglomeration simmered on low all day, which leads me to the best part of crock pot cooking - the aroma. The second we opened the door, Jeff and I were greeted with the scent of tender, luscious pot roast permeating the house. It took only a few minutes to set the table, put the veggies and roast in a dish (though this was bit tricky since it kept falling apart!), and thicken up some gravy. One of the true joys in life has to be the welcoming warmth of a home-cooked meal after a long day of labor (especially if I didn't have to stay home to cook it).

Thus, we all enjoyed a good dinner with time to talk about the day's events. In addition, we had three helpings left to go to school tomorrow for lunch. The extra is for Jeff's mom (who volunteers in his classroom a couple days a week) because we thought she'd enjoy the tasty treat that came from her 11-month old gift that continues to make our lives easier.

Time for Turkey

Watching Food Network can definitely be addictive. Just as I was about to turn off the idiot box (after an hour of HGTV, of course) and head to my office to write this blog, who should appear in front of my wondering eyes but Ina Garten touting a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner. Needless to say, I spent another 30 minutes on the couch enthralled by the prospect of having a holiday meal planned for me.

For the main event she prepared an herb-rubbed turkey breast. (As luck would have I recently purchased one on sale for our own feast.) The secret, she said, was to put half the herb mixture under the skin and half on top before returning it to the refrigerator the night before. Next, she made some basic vegetables like French green beans, roasted carrots, and acorn squash with maple syrup. These seemed easy enough to fix ahead of time and simply reheat. She chose one vegetable dish to be the star creating a puree from celery root and apples. While I'm not sure this dish is one I would choose, the idea of having a single stand-out side dish coupled with one or two basics is great. (I always struggle to make every dish spectacular, when that isn't really necessary.) She also made the gravy ahead of time and added a little brandy to it for some extra flavor.

Perhaps the most interesting dish she made was sausage and apple stuffing. She started by cooking chunks of apple, onion, and celery in butter. Meanwhile she toasted a brioche loaf (which she had cut into cubes) until it was just golden brown. When the bread chunks (They were pretty large, actually.) came out of the oven, she poured the apple mixture over the top and put a mixture of sweet and spicy Italian sausage into the skillet. This was then added to rest of the stuffing along with some seasonings and a cup of chicken stock. Once the whole conglomeration went into a large casserole, it too found its way to the refrigerator for overnight storage. To make matters even more helpful, she added a countdown clock for Thanksgiving day to roast the bird, cook the stuffing, and reheat everything else so it all went on the table at the same time.

I realize it seems strange to make such a big deal out of watching the Barefoot Contessa. (Jeff says I'm the only person he knows who talks back to the cooking show hostess with comments like, "Oh, that has to smell good," or "I never thought of that.") However, I think everyone who cooks worries about making holiday meals special. Some of us slave for hours and days ahead of time to make sure our families and guests experience the best of everything, yet in the end we deny ourselves the same pleasure. So this year, I'm taking a cue (and several recipes) from Ina Garten. I'm going to couple some simple basics like my favorite roasted vegetables and deluxe mashed potatoes with a succulent bird and some fabulous stuffing. I'll probably throw in a caramel apple pie for good measure, but this seems pretty low-key to previous years when I spent so much time and energy planning and preparing the food that I didn't really enjoy it. I think there is a breaking point where so much time is invested that no matter how good the food is, it can't be worth the exhaustion of creating it. This is one lesson I've only recently realized: every return has to be weighed carefully against the investment of time and energy.

Here's the link to the episode and recipe information http://www.foodnetwork.com/barefoot-contessa/thanksgiving-countdown/index.html. While you're on foodnetwork.com, check out the 50 variations on basic stuffing as well http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/50-stuffings/index.html. Happy eating!