Recipes – Page 3 – This Old House 2

Here and There

Well, darn it, winter is still being wintery ’round here, go figure… We got more snow yesterday and temps were in the teens this morning… just a few inches of the white stuff.

Sadie the hen took two steps outside, took a good luck around, said Oh, Hell No…. and strutted right back inside the hen house where the cozy coop heater is keeping the flock warm. Star, peering out from behind her, took the hint and jumped back up on the roost without placing a mere toe in the snow.

That’s kinda what I’ve been doing every time I attempt to catch a little of the news. Try as I may, I can’t ignore the twilight zone that currently occupies the White House. It’s like trying to look away from a bad accident, you’re just compelled to look back upon it as if you’re not convinced this is really what it appears to be. Wow, by absolutely anyone’s standards, I don’t care who you are or on what side of the proverbial isle you stand, or if you stand in the middle of the isle, outside in the hall, up in the attic, down in the basement or way out in the backyard with your head in the sand… this is all so bizarre.

Onward.

I’ve been playing with my new camera lens and eventually got a few moon shots I’m pretty happy with… one was an evening shot without a tripod so there is blur from the slight motion of holding up a camera with a really big lens…

And a few days later – this morning at 7 a.m., a moonset over the hill behind the barn… The tripod makes a huge difference when you’re trying to capture clarity… see the craters below? Amazing when you think of the distance between me and that moon, what a camera can do?

Meanwhile, down at Stella by the sea, another photographer who catches some beautiful landscape shots on the shoreline took this awesome photo in our cove… that’s one hardy clammer right there at very low tide.

Speaking of the cottage and cove – On one particularly cold afternoon I made this sea glass tree to hang on the wall down at the cottage. It was surprisingly easy to put together, the simple materials not expensive at all, and I love sea glass displayed in a way you can see all the pieces. When the natural light hits this piece, the sea.and.salt tumbled glass looks beautiful. If you’ve got sea glass you’d like to create something with, Pinterest, that great time suck, has tons of ideas.

It’s superbowl time! Do you have a favorite? I’m a Patriots fan.. they have many many fans, and just as many haters, funny thing. I had a football boyfriend in HS and our team back in the day was incredible – our senior year was a shut out season and in a burrough of NY, there’s a lot of talent. Currently one of our schoolmates has just been taken on by the Giants as a defensive coach. I went to every single game wearing one of the BF’s ratty old jerseys, cheering like no one’s business in the stands with my friends. It’s how I came to truly understand and love the game itself, except for the violence in those tackles. Yes I know, there isn’t one without the other, truth.

Here’s a recipe I’m making tomorrow, it’s always a hit and great superbowl fare if you’re serving it up. Easy to put together too, we can all use some -easy-, no?

Pillsbury Antipasto Squares… recipe HERE.

Go Pats! Let’s hope the commercials are not political and just plain fun or inspirational. We could all use a little of that…

Have a good weekend, all –

Heavy and Light

For lemon lovers, here’s a cupcake frosting recipe I found on Pinterest, the recipe and photo originated at rosebakes.com.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks of real (salted) butter, at room temperature
4 ounces of shortening
4 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
8-9 cups of powdered sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2-3 Tablespoons milk

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and cream cheese until very smooth. Add in the vanilla and mix again.
Begin adding powdered sugar, one cup at a time up to 8 cups.
Your frosting will be very stiff at this point – now add in the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of milk.
Mix and check the consistency.
From here, I had to add a little more powdered sugar (it was too soft) but then I went too far, so I added a little more milk. Just play with it until you get a consistency you’re happy with! I made mine on the softer side so it was silky smooth …

And since we started with a sugary treat, let’s balance it with something healthy. Oh the struggle is real, a balance I don’t always get right. This recipe and photo courtesy Wellplated.com

Tomato Eggplant Zucchini Bake with Garlic and Parmesan.

Produce

1/4 cup Basil, fresh
1 pint Cherry or grape tomatoes
1 Eggplant, small medium
4 large cloves Garlic
1/4 cup Parsley, fresh
3 Zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds), medium

Spices

1/4 tsp Black pepper, ground
1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1 tbsp Olive oil, extra-virgin

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a deep 9×9-inch baking dish or similar 3 1/2-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Quarter the zucchini then cut into 1/2-inch slices and place in a large mixing bowl (each piece of zucchini should be roughly 1/2 to 3/4 inches in size). Next, slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch rounds, then stack the rounds and cut into roughly 3/4-inch pieces. Add to the bowl with the zucchini. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to the bowl. Drizzle the cut vegetables with the olive oil, then add the garlic, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and half of the basil and parsley. Toss gently to combine.

Transfer the vegetables to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes, cover the pan with aluminum foil, then continue baking for 10 to 20 additional minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese, basil, and parsley. Serve warm.

As for this government shut down – 45 once said it is the President’s fault when the government shuts down – He also said it would never happen on his watch because he is the great deal maker. There is actually a documentary about his first year in office – consisting of his 2000 lies told in this first year. He’s since added at least 50. That this is OK with ANYONE, for any reason and on any level.. is flabbergasting.

Women are marching again this weekend – I’m not attending but I’ve donated to the cause once again and bought the tee shirt too, because I think it’s so important to call this blossoming bullshit what it is. None of it’s new.. but it’s found a stronger foothold thanks to 45, hard to imagine in these “enlightened” times. We’ve gone backward as a society, not forward, and at an alarming speed.

I’m convinced it will be women who save humanity eventually. Men have been in charge till now and look how they’ve managed to f*ck it all up. *** TO BE CLEAR – there are many, many decent men out there. Many. Just not the ones who currently wield all the power… and if you look at our world history – it’s man’s ego and greed that dragged us through the ugliest times. I think it’s women who will eventually make this world a more humane place in every aspect. Not as superiors to men, but as equals. We have certainly earned our place.

On the fitness front – I’ve stopped beating myself up over failed attempts to achieve my best body weight. Life hands you enough insults, no? I’m tired of adding to the heap, so I’ve been working on my interior voice – the one that shouts when I look in the mirror “You’re still fat! WTF! Stop the nonsense! Girl, where’s your will power?”… have you heard that interior voice too? She sucks.. she’s sapping the joy right out of everything and it truly doesn’t help the cause.

So this is what I’m working on…the new dialogue from the inside – OK – today’s a new day – so far you’ve managed a good intake of water and you’ve been out for that hike with the dogs. Most of your food choices were healthy. You need to work on the portion sizes, and you know you didn’t need the cupcake, but it’s done. Let’s do better tomorrow, but you got some good stuff in there today. Onward.

So much better, right?

I’m walking every day that it’s not absolutely frigid – a few miles anyway, up and down hills and some nice straightaways. I’m drinking more water – these two things are so important for all of us, mild exercise regularly and hydration. I have found that filling up a favorite large mug of water and leaving it out on the counter at room temperature has been a successful habit to form. I’m drinking more water and I’m not using all that plastic from refrigerated bottles. Room temperature water is easier to drink, too.

I take Vitamin B12, D3 and Biotin daily. I’m finding sticking to the combination of all these things is helping the Fibromyalgia and I am feeling better and stronger over all. As we get older, any significant slacking off comes home to roost quickly. It’s important to keep moving, keep striving to gain or keep better health. Doesn’t have to be an obsession, just a gentle daily process with a little wiggle room and forgiveness when you don’t get it perfect.

*That word shouldn’t exist, truth be told. Nothing.. is perfect, ever.

What steps do you take for your well being, emotionally and physically? Feel free to share them in the comments below – and I’ll leave you with a little gem a friend shared on her page..

Till soon, friends –

One of those ramblers

Did you watch the Golden Globes? I’m not big on award shows but this one caught my attention, because indeed, this is a year of change. Bigly and Yuge. If you read here often, you know I’m thoroughly horrified at the idea that enough of the people of this country elected such a bullying egotistical mentally unfit sociopathic self absorbed and self obsessed idiot that he actually got elected. I say this and I’m not a Republican hater – I just really believe in the importance of decency and respect in general from a world leader. I paid attention to what all the candidates had to say in 2016. I felt Dems were missing the mark on a few important issues so I was open to a Rep candidate that might speak to all the issues we have before us. As for Republicans – The old guard is showing their true colors lately. I hope “new” republicans will change the ugly face of the old in the near future.

( Note: I’ve already lost 45 supporting readers for the most part, and that’s OK, I get it…In all fairness, a lot of the reasons he was elected were legitimate.. people were tired of the same old that wasn’t working….. and it’s kind of offensive to hear someone talk about your guy or your brand as I do here. I’m kind of offended that they’re not offended, but the beauty of this country is we can all have an opinion and no one is forced to read mine.)

Some good things might come of this turmoil, though. Take that award ceremony. For one thing – women have decided after a self admitting p*ssy grabber was elected President that Enough is Enough. Look how many sleezes have been flushed out of the woodwork in recent months. The sea of black attire at the Globes was a show of support for women everywhere. The message was clear – we will not tolerate abuse, we demand equality on all fronts, once and for all. I commend the men, and there are many many truly good and decent men in this world… I commend them for standing with women on this.

Oprah’s speech- Wow. While there is some noise about her run for the Presidency in 2020 – and the Orange Scream had no more experience than she does so that’s a moot (thank you, anonymous, for the grammar correction) point, I hope she doesn’t take that idea to the mat. Why? Truly she doesn’t have the experience in the political world – I do still think that matters, even though she is far more capable of critical thinking than 45. And we all know now, what a life it is. Would you choose to live under such scrutiny? I sure wouldn’t, no matter what the perks. The meanness in our society plays a full court press in politics. It’s ugly and disheartening and after all she’s accomplished, why do that to yourself?

I wouldn’t be surprised if 45 isn’t thinking that very thing at this point in time – and his whole family, even more so… What the hell did we do? Because their lives are forever changed, and I don’t believe for one minute it’s for the better. Think of the freedoms and the ways they ran their lives under the radar in important ways before, ways in which they can’t now and never will again. After watching his outrageous behavior unbecoming of a world leader on a daily basis, I take comfort in that small piece of knowledge. He’s suffering too. For every cringeworthy tweet and speech he vomits on all of us, for every environmentally unfriendly policy change, for every white supr*macy encouraging move he makes, he deserves what he’s asked for.

Truly, he’s his own worst enemy.

By the way, I bought that book. Not that I’m going to read it – simply because it’s a vote. A vote against all the crap he’s unleashed on us all. I hope it reaches the best seller list and my little purchase is a drop in that sea – because he does pay attention to his numbers. Then again, he lies about them too.

I don’t like my blog to be about the negatives, though. We all have enough of that in our lives, why visit someone else’s site for more of it, right? Most of my posts this year will not encourage this sort of environment. Sometimes it just feels irresponsible to ignore it completely.

So let’s get up out of the swamp, shall we? Until recently I was intimidated by the thought of baking bread from scratch. Something about the active yeast, the kneading, the rising, the possibility of flopping.. it all seemed too risky. I’m a decent cook for cripes sake, so that’s a little ridiculous, no? I decided to try a recipe shared by a fellow blogger, and it came out pretty darn good. But I knew I still wasn’t getting it quite right. Then I asked another blogger friend what her tips were, as she is a master bread baker.

Her tips? Hot water used with the kind of Yeast that is kept in the fridge, even sold that way at health food stores. She also buys her flour at a local mill where there is no crap added to it… and she shared this very very simple recipe with me. Within two hours I had a delicious loaf on the counter yesterday. My guys devoured it and the house smelled delicious. I think what makes this really simple french bread extra special is the touch of honey added to the mix. Yum!

Easy Peasy French Bread

Ingredients

1½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon honey
1½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
3½ – 4½ cups flour

Instruction

Combine water, honey, salt and yeast. Let sit for 5-10 mins until there is a foam on top.
Knead in flour until no longer sticky.
Cover with a towel and let it sit for 20 mins. while preheating the oven at 400*
Cut slits in the top and bake for 15-20 mins.

I bought these little bulb vases at the grocery store yesterday – There’s a little patch in my garden just outside my kitchen sliders that contains a variety of hyacinth planted from winters past – the smell of a hyacinth is delicious, isn’t it? I do this every year when winter is it’s most ferocious to remind me that spring is coming. These bulbs will join that little gathering outside the door come spring, but for now, I have a little bloom on my kitchen window sill.

I’ve been decluttering and de Christmasing this old house while the temps have been in the single digits, feels a bit like spring cleaning, lifts the spirits.

Now that I’ve purged on this post, and I thank you for getting this far (!) it’s time to head out for barn and coop chores on this almost balmy! morning at 28 degrees.

Till soon, friends –

Winterizing

The Mr. took this week off – gave the crew some much needed R & R – although with yesterday’s little snow fall they were back out in force shoveling and plowing – with frigid temps making layers necessary. Oh, do I know that woe – barn chores are not fun by any standards at 6 degrees F. I’ve been chiseling out ice buckets for days and the manure is frozen to the ground in the paddocks. Bleh.

When the Mr. actually takes a week off, I see a glimpse of what “retirement” will look like for him. And me. This man of mine has to be doing something almost all the time, and if he’s not doing something he’s wondering what I’m doing and what I could be doing in a more organized fashion *sigh. I’m sure I’m not alone in this dilemna… ah, but that for another day.

In between snow chores we’ve been doing some much needed clean up – moved some furniture around, cleaned out some drawers and I packed away Christmas (yes I did that already – I decorate the weekend after Thanksgiving and for me, once the holiday is done, it’s done). Our bedroom decor needed a lift, so I switched out some pictures and bought a new throw blanket and a few new pillows to put on the bed – the effect with just a few simple changes was warm and uplifting without breaking the bank. If you’re feeling a little stuck-in-a-rut during these cold winter months, take a look around your home space – declutter (!) where you can, add a little color, rearrange the furniture if that’s practical, give it a fresh perspective and you will feel refreshed yourself.

We got hooked on Game of Thrones this week too, crazy thing. It’s a little alarming, the binge watching that we’ve been doing… but we truly had NO IDEA how addictive the series can be! Have you been watching? I believe they are on season 8 this coming year. I hadn’t paid any attention to it, as we aren’t big on TV unless it’s a great series, and this particular series at first glance looked like it was all about raw nudity, vulgarity and hideous violence. Nudity doesn’t offend me but there’s an awful lot of it paired with violence, which I really hate. So I didn’t invest in watching… until this vacation week when the temps kept us in more than out. So many nuggets of wisdom, so many great actors, truly! I’m glad we figured that out.

Cold weather makes me crave comfort foods – like this Turkey chili I threw together yesterday in the big pot, my favorite pot of all, a le Crueset with many sauces, stews and soups under it’s proverbial belt. The cookware is expensive, but it’s worth saving up for a piece or two because it does such a good job with the cooking.

I don’t have a recipe to share with you – but I can tell you what I threw in the pot.

I browned ground turkey in a bit of olive oil in the pot first, then added diced onions until translucent. Then I threw in a large can of crushed tomatoes and a large can of diced tomatoes. I rinsed and drained a can of dark red kidney beans and a can of light red kidney beans and threw those in. I diced celery, added it to the mixture along with shredded carrots, and then added the spices – Chili powder, Cayene powder, two gloves garlic minced, Cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper – all to taste. The whole mixture simmered for hours on the stove – Then I served it with shredded cheddar melted in, and then sprinkled on top with a blob of sour cream for garnish. Delicious! and a big comfort on a very cold evening.

Below is a simple desert, easy to make and delicious – It was a big hit on Christmas Day – I first saw it on another blog and thought – hmm, let’s give it a go – Thank you, Raven, for the idea.

My Christmas gift from the Mr. was a super zoom lens for my Canon – These pictures were taken from the warmth and comfort of my house because it’s too darn cold to take the good camera out in the tundra. Thankfully I have a bird feeder not far from the kitchen window and was able to get these shots from that very spot, even through dirty windows 🙂

This little Junco below doesn’t look too happy with the weather ..

Either that or he’s not fond of the paparazzi…

– Karen

Decency Matters ….and a few more holiday recipes

Lately I’ve tried not to dive daily headfirst into the current political mess we’re all in. There’s no question the stress flares the fibromyalgia, and it’s so not worth it over something I have little control over (like zero). What I can say today is that I was so happy when I woke up a few mornings ago to the news that a pedophiliac racist bigot who so hypocritically hides behind a religion like R*y More-or-Less was sent a very clear message – Decency Matters. I want to shout out to the world so that Alabama can hear – THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALABAMA.

Onward! I’ve got all my shopping done and wrapped, been trying some new recipes too. It’s hell trying to avoid gluten at this time of year, and although I’ve given it a sincere effort, baking those favorite recipes with gluten free substitutes just.. sucks. SO… I’m making and baking as I always do, and I’m not eating it myself. Have you ANY idea how difficult that is? But I have to acknowledge my truth – while I am not a celiac, gluten makes me feel yuck and flares the fibro. *sigh.

Making this for our celebration with mom on Sunday

Eggnog Cheesecake

Recipe HERE

Spinach Dip Breadstick Christmas Tree

Recipe HERE

This is the scene right this minute outside my little office window here at the farm.

Light snow falling on a stand of pine trees –

my favorite spot at This Old House.

The nature that surrounds us, the saving grace.

Till soon, friends –

It’s Raining Men

… that simple line is immediately what came to mind as I tuned in to the news the other day and saw yet another sexual harassment shoe drop – it’s happening almost daily lately. And ya know? … I believe we have NotMyPresident Tr*mp to thank – because once that disgusting tape came out with his own pussy grabbing “she was married but I went in on her like a bitch” talk… and then that same guy was elected POT*S…. I believe it was a catalyst and folks finally got angry enough and found the tremendous courage it takes to say enough is enough.

In a related conversation, someone said “It’s not just men who abuse, you know…. is this male hunting season? Maybe all men should just move to Montana and leave you women to fend for yourselves“. Hmmm.. well.. Clearly we live in a masculine and emasculating society, no? It is absolutely not just men who abuse… and I think more men don’t stand up because they fear backlash, jeers from their peers (what’s the matter with you, can’t defend yourself from a woman? or worse, a gay man? ) … and so on. There are many many good and decent men in this world who wouldn’t lay an inappropriate hand on another human being. But clearly.. there are many, especially those in power, who do, and have since the dawn of time. If your’e not a sexual predator – why are you moving to Montana? And why Montana… are they more accepting of sexual abuse in big sky country? I’m thinking not.

A male friend of mine said… after yet another was announced… “jeez, so basically just anyone can accuse anyone now and they’re guilty?” It’s never right to wrongly accuse someone of a crime. There are false accusations out there for every crime. Why are we assuming the accusations by women are false? It takes tremendous courage to stand up and call out this kind of behavior. Many women (and men) have not done so over the years for fear of losing their jobs, and leaving a job is not such a simple thing to do when you’re supporting yourself and possibly a family and the job market is less than stellar. There’s the fear (and reality!) of not being believed and then the possibility of being harassed further because you did stand up. All those issues factor in and lead people to remain silent more often than not.

I , for one, am so glad to see people finding the courage to speak out. At the very least it will give people in power pause before abusing again.

I’m sharing a simple and sinfully delicious chocolate butter cream icing

recipe here with you because WOW, it’s the best we’ve had.

It’s so good you’re gonna want to eat it with a spoon

out of the mixing bowl.

(yes I did)

CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

3 sticks butter, softened

1 cup unsweetened cocoa

5 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon expresso powder (it makes the chocolate pop)

Mix all together in mixing bowl with hand mixer

and frost your favorite cupcakes or cake.

***********************

Another holiday recipe I found on facebook and will make today – it looks easy and delicious.

Photo and recipe credit momontimeout.com

Practically Perfect Peppermint Fudge

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

2 mins

Total time

7 mins

Tis the season for peppermint and sweets! You can have the best of both with this Practically Perfect Peppermint Fudge! Just a handful of ingredients and five minutes are all you need to make this pretty and festive fudge!

Author: Trish – Mom On Timeout

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 64 candies

Ingredients

24 oz white chocolate chips
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp peppermint extract
1 cup crushed peppermint candy or candy canes, divided

Instructions

Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with non-stick foil and set aside.
Combine white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and salt in a medium bowl.
Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Stir in the peppermint extract.
Stir in ¾ cup of the crushed peppermint candy canes.
Pour the fudge into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Top with remaining crushed peppermint candy canes.
Refrigerate for 2 hours until set.
Cut into bite size pieces if desired.

Till soon, friends – thanks for stopping by.

Nature’s Beauty & that Thanksgiving Meal

Two nights ago I was out feeding the horses their evening grain and hay when I noticed up over the hill the glow from the setting sun was intensifying dramatically. I quickly finished up at the barn and grabbed my iphone to snap some pictures out in the field.

In these photos I’m standing in the same spot, just turning around for the views…

It went from this…

To this…with a 2 minute rain storm that soaked me pretty good.

To this.

Nature is truly amazing and the most beautiful artist –

Are you serving Thanksgiving dinner this year? Anything new on the menu? We are hosting for a party of ten – not too big, just perfect because all can fit at the dining room table, tight but cozy. I’m cooking most of the food with a little help from my mom and SIL- they’ll each bring a dish so that my two ovens can handle what I’m making here. I’ll make the pies the day before.. actually one pie and a custard cake – Pumpkin pie because YOU GOTTA! and… an apple custard cake recipe I found in Yankee magazine instead of the traditional apple pie, which I love and hesitate to leave out but my favorite son asked for the variation and I can’t say no and sooooooo….. the link to that recipe can be found below…

Apple Custard Cake

I’ll also have the traditional Turkey, stuffing, gravy, a small spiral ham, mashed sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts gratin, twice baked potatoes, cranberry relish from Williams Sonoma, green beans, and a cheese/crackers tray and those cranberry brie bites for apps beforehand.

About those brussel sprouts – I either love ’em or hate ’em, depending on how they’re prepared. This seems like a good option and it’s something new, so I’m going for it. Click on the titles for recipe links.

Brussel Sprouts Gratin

I’m not making the following cheesecake for this holiday – but BOY is it good. Not hard to make either…. try it if you’re looking for something a little different.

New York Maple Cheesecake

There will be wine! The husband and I aren’t big drinkers, never have been. If we have beer in the fridge it’s to offer visitors. More often we might have a glass of wine with Friday night dinner out, but we always have it on hand for company and holiday meals. We are not well versed in the world of fine wines, but we do know what we like.

It’s usually in the reds family – If we’re feeling extravagant, Caymus and Amarone are our picks.

If we’re feeling frugal, 14 hands Merlot or Rare Red are our go-to’s.

With all the cooking and baking and eating that comes with the holiday season, I’ve ramped up my exercise routine. I take long walks with the dogs on the farm and trails daily, no excuses including drizzle, and it feels good. I’ve discovered losing weight after 50 is a JOKE!!!… you need to eat five crumbs, three grapes, seventeen glasses of water and maybe an egg for the entire day unless you do 450 minutes of cardio daily – ain’t happening. Truly, it’s calorie intake and I know I still need to pare that down. Work in progress, always.

No point in dragging out the political dramas today – in simplest terms, all I got is..

What the everloving F*ck.

Breaking Bread

Of all the baking I’ve done over the years, I haven’t tried a loaf of bread from scratch, like, ever. I’m not talking about banana bread, pumpkin bread, applesauce bread – the mix and bake kind. Done plenty of that. Something about the active yeast, kneading, rising, pounding, rolling, more rising… was intimidating. But… is there anything that smells more wonderful or is more satisfying than a fresh warm loaf of home baked bread? In my book not many things compare. My Aunt Virginia, who was a prolific baker and maker of delicious italian foods and cookies… had a bread baking machine. She raved – all you do is throw in the ingredients and it does all the work. The bread was delicious… but something about that process seemed… fabricated.

Recently a blog friend, Diane over at Lavender Dreams , shared a favorite bread recipe on her blog and had been making it for years for her family. Yesterday when I had finished the barn and coop chores in the chilly autumn morning air, I said… self? Wouldn’t this be an awesome time to get over your bread baking anxiety and just do it? I needed two ingredients I don’t stock here – active yeast packets and whole wheat flour. Found them at the grocery store and returned to start the process…

(yep I roll things out right on the counter – cleaned first, of course).

After the mixing and rising and kneading and separating into two dough balls and more rising and punching down and rolling and then rolling again, pinching and butter basting and FINALLY… baking…. ooooh, the result was delicious, amazing, hearth warming. Can you believe I didn’t get a picture of the finished product? You’ll just have to take my word for it. And… if you haven’t gotten over your fear of from-scratch bread baking yet, get over it – the end result is so worth the effort.

Thank you, Diane – for unknowingly helping me get over my bread making anxiety. It’s a beautiful thing.

28! Plus Outrageous Truffles and the best Cider ever

My girlie turns 28 this weekend! It seems it was not so very long ago that she was about to have her fifth birthday party. I remember oh so clearly how I said to myself as I fastened balloons to the dining room chairs.. well, my first (and at that time only) child is about to be five… If I haven’t screwed up the parenting too badly by now, we should be good to go. HA!!! …. Oh, the times to come after that first five years. Clearly I didn’t hear that little voice exclaiming…. you ain’t seen nothing yet, honey.

And that’s not to imply that it wasn’t anything less than a privilege or that I did or didn’t make my fair share of mistakes along the way. I have been truly blessed to have and to hold and to raise and to scold and especially… to love these two awesome kids of mine. Bear with me while I brag on them just a little.. they’re kind, they’re considerate, they’re hard working and responsible. Of course they’re also a pain in the arse at times, but truthfully, not often and only in the littlest of unimportant ways. Hopefully the same can be said for their mother.

So today as I set the plates and fasten the balloons in the dining room, I’m saying to myself… Well, if I haven’t screwed up the parenting too bad by now, …heck, I already know.. we’re good. We’re more than good.. we’re blessed.

Two things I’ll be serving up with dinner this weekend – These delicious and easy to make Pumpkin Truffles…

These are SOOO GOOD!! and easy to make –
Dixie Crystals Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles. I recommend doubling the recipe unless you make your truffles tiny. Great to bring to a fall gathering of any kind, to set beside the pies at Thanksgiving, to bring to work to cheer up coworkers – to keep in the fridge for just you to pick on!

Plan For
3 hours chill time
Yield :18 truffles

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
2/3 cup crushed graham crackers, plus extra for garnish
1 ounce cream cheese
1 tablespoon Confectioners Powdered Sugar
5 ounces dark chocolate

DIRECTIONS
Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a microwave safe bowl, microwave white chocolate chips for 30 seconds and stir. If not completely melted, microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth.
Add melted white chocolate chips, pumpkin puree, crushed graham crackers, cream cheese and powdered sugar to food processor. Pulse until a dough forms. Chill dough for 3 hours, or until it is easy to roll into balls (dough will still be sticky).
Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place onto prepared cookie sheet. Chill balls in freezer for 15 minutes.
In a microwave safe bowl, microwave dark chocolate for 1 minute and stir. If not completely melted, microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth.
Dip balls into melted dark chocolate using toothpicks or a fork. Return to cookie sheet and sprinkle tops with crushed graham crackers for garnish if desired.
Let truffles harden on counter for 1 hour or in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

And… this cider recipe… served hot right out of the big pot on the stove.

Hot Buttered Cider with Rum

By Jennifer Segal

Servings: 8

Ingredients

Half-gallon (64 ounces) all natural apple cider
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
Rum (or apple brandy)
Cinnamon sticks (optional)

Instructions

Bring the apple cider to a simmer over medium heat in a large pot, then turn the heat down to low. Stir in the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Continue stirring until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
Ladle the buttered cider into mugs. Top each drink off with a shot of rum and garnish with a cinnamon stick, if desired. Serve hot.

The K-List – Fall edition

When I was much younger I believed I should have been born down South because the thought of -always Summer- was magical to me. As I have matured I have come to truly cherish the change in seasons and now I won’t give it up. While it’s true Winter in New England can drag on with more grey cold days than I’d like, it has it’s merits. Living on a farm means spending much of your daylight hours outside tending livestock and gardens and hay fields, etc. When winter sets in we’re in the house earlier, hunkered down by the fire most evenings, reading and catching up on the news. It’s a time to allow ourselves to be together quietly, to recharge and even hibernate just a little, to not be so busy out and about. My dogs seem to recharge too – they sit in my lap and around my feet near the fire in the mancave or at my desk as I work, and they soak in sunspots on the floor of the kitchen.

Speaking of dogs… Miss Sally has blended very well with our family – at seven months she’s a bit rambunctious at times but Ben, Bailey and Frasier tell her what they think of the new kid on the block without bloodshed and she has slowly been accepted into the pack.

The light in a New England Autumn is just so warm and inviting. The skies bluest of blue.

And that moon! Did you happen to glimpse the full moon last night? It was amazing… I need to buy a zoom lens. My phone and canon with regular zoom did not catch it’s magnificence.

**Skip this section if you are avoiding unpleasant current events – and I don’t blame you. Scroll on down to the recipes…

In the midst of enjoying all this fall beauty, we are constantly reminded of all the horrors occurring out there in the world. Sometimes I just want to ignore it all, shut it all out… and yet that seems irresponsible. The horror of what has happened yet again, this time in Vegas.. Well, to sound cliche-ish – what is our world coming to. And how can you stop a madman from an act such as this.

Regarding gun laws – I believe in our right to own a gun responsibly. I also think not enough safety precautions are in place – not enough restrictions, regulations. Thorough background checks, mental health history checks (oh yes, I know that violates rights, but still… ).. why is it harder to get a drivers license than a handgun? Why are civilians allowed to buy semi-automatic assault weapons? Silencers, $50 accessories that make a gun fire more rapidly? And you know, while it may be true that the bad guys will find a way to get their weapon of choice, why not put up roadblocks regardless? Any life that might be saved, any deterrent that might stop the progress of an attack such as the Vegas horror show, why ever not? I don’t agree with those who believe all gun owners are evil and no one should own one except law enforcement. We don’t live in a Utopian world, we have to be prepared for the real world, the madness of which you and I are fully aware. Gun ownership is not all about angry white men, as a friend of mine would have you believe. However, the lack of restrictions and regulations in this country is appalling. Slippery slope, this issue. But doing nothing seems criminal.

It continues to amaze me that 45 still has his seat in the Oval office, and the support of his base as well. I’m no snowflake – I just believe in truth and maturity and a general sense that our President is here for all of us, not the some-of-us who like his brand of… I can’t even call it leadership. How we can all see the same behavior and either applaud it or be horrified and embarrassed by it is beyond my scope of understanding. I had a conversation with a family member last night about this very thing. I asked what exactly was it about this POTUS that felt inspirational. Because that was the word the person used. The explanation was that what 45 says in rallies makes that person feel pride in being American… it says “screw the establishment, it hasn’t been working for the people, we’re finding our own way”. Well… what can I say to that – that is my cherished person’s truth. What I see is the complete opposite. How did this come to be? Clearly, I couldn’t tell ya. I haven’t been happy with the government corruption and obstructionism among parties, lobbyists, etc. for a long time, so I get that sentiment. It is a small comfort to see some of the GOP putting their party loyalty aside and standing up for integrity, truths, calling a spade a spade. Right now it seems our divides in this country and abroad are growing wider. Where this will all lead is a mystery to just about all of us, no matter what our beliefs.. but chaos is an undeniable part of it and that’s a scary deal for all.

ONWARD!

None of these recipes are mine, all credit goes to the links provided. It’s my goal to make all of these throughout the season though, and hopefully not eat most of each. Luckily my grown kids stop in frequently and clear out the glass covered cake dish I try to keep full on the kitchen island. I’m not ashamed to admit I use a little bribery to lure them in for visits and I love every one, even when they’re just drive-bys or bathroom stops or complaint filings. 🙂

Note: What’s been helping me to stick to a healthier diet lately is I’m really trying to focus on this gluten free thing, to see if it helps with this lovely fibromyalgia pain. I’m giving it six months, so I know for sure whether it helps to be gluten free. Two months in, I do notice much less bloat. For that reason, I won’t be eating most of this stuff myself, although I sure am a glutton for punishment, eh? The temptation will be extreme.

**Please add your favorite fall dish of any kind in the comments section if you’d like to share too.

Pumpkin Nutella Cookie Bars