Stockings, Not Nylons

The children have taken on the charge of mother's stocking these past years. It is very fun. I am a bit exacting toward the others. I insist on each finding a few items that are small, light, and her favorites. They hand them off to me before Christmas Eve and I keep them in a drawer in my closet. Despite our annual successes, I have run into a few snags with their offerings. Robin always buys mother a dish cleaner wand or other tall kitchen item that either takes up most of the stocking or sticks out of it unbecomingly. I like whatever sticks out the top to be either cute or festive. Brian often buys heavy-laden sacks of candy. They take up much of the space and weigh down the stocking. In fact, sometimes, a few items are forced to linger outside the stocking what with these choices I previously mentioned.

One year I hit the jackpot. An Eloise pencil box. I think it was her favorite gift she has received from moi. I will spend the rest of my years trying to top this. I read a few neato lists of stocking "stuffers" here. I dreamed up my own list for the joy and entertainment of my kith and kin.

1. doublesided tape
2. jerky and batteries, for the man in your life
3. pens and Sharpies
4. good paper scissors
5. handmade candy cane
6. box of spice
7. jewels, for the woman in your life
8. lip gloss, nail polish, emery board, foot file
9. See's chocolate chips
10. iTunes gift cards
11. Lindt truffles
12. car washes
13. new box of crayons
14. socks
15. Johnson's Creamy Baby Oil with Cocoa and Shea Butter (heavy but worth it!)
16. bubble gum or a favorite candy bar
17. small packages of a favorite cookie (for example, Santa will give me Nutter Butters if I am good. He will give Brian Lorna Doones.)
18. sunglasses
19. super cool matchbooks
20. money
21. hair bands
22. deck of cards
23. and the stocking within a stocking: elegant hosiery

I Love You Sew Sew Sew Sew Much

My niece Taylor and I have a lot in common. We can both look cross-eyed and we can both whistle. These are no small talents in this family. Often the three eldest take turns for their sleepovers at Gramma's house. Since Taylor let fly last month she wanted to learn to sew, I was glad she was up next. Thus, our Saturday night. We started by choosing and cutting out frabric for her sewing project. Our time was short before taking in a high school production matinée of The Phantom of the Opera, punctuated by a real fire drill. I only shushed her and Gramma once in medias play. We came home to preheat the oven and whip the whites for our cheese soufflé (is there anything easier and more noble? nay). We plated a simple and delicious salad and used some of my favorites dishes and chargers. I am not a charger girl but felt it would add to the elegance of our table. We also made a chocolate chip cookie dough with toasted walnuts and See's chocolate chips. We had never tried the See's chips and let us recommend them without apology. Gramma especially recommends them. We ate the cookies after our dinner by candle and used her favorite teapot with her favorite French Vanilla hot drink. Whipped cream. She took up her sewing as the cookies baked. After sweets, we graduated to the sofa for more sewing and a showing of A Little Princess. A movie I love and she watched with interest. Here is the close-up of her salad she requested I digitally record. 

At bedtime, I read A Bargain for Frances and Gramma chose to read Humbug Witch. Though we spent much of the weekend in decorum, she enjoyed a riotous time in the bath and thought this picture of her would be fitting.

Cheese Soufflé

The Best of Sunset: Over 500 All-Time Favorite Recipes from the Magazine of Western Living

Makes 4 to 6 servings


3 T butter
3 T flour
1 C milk
Dash ground red pepper
1/4 t dry mustard
1 C shredded Cheddar or Swiss cheese
Salt
4 or 5 eggs, separated


Melt butter in a medium-size pan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (do not brown). Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk; then add red pepper and mustard. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens. Add cheese; stir until melted. Season to taste with salt. Remove from heat and beat in egg yolks, one at a time. In a small bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer or a wire whisk until they hold distinct  but moist peaks. Stir in about a fourth of the whites into the cheese mixture, then carefully fold in remaining whites until blended. Pour into a well-buttered 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish or four to six 1-cup ramekins. Draw a circle on surface of soufflé batter about 1 inch from rim, using a spoon or the tip of a knife. Bake in a 375 degree F oven until soufflé feels firm when lightly tapped and crack looks fairly dry (about 35 minutes for a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish; about 20 minutes for ramekins). Serve at once.

The Unexpected

Here is mother pictured at her Saturday night party at the rehab facility. You can tell she loved it. Then there were three others who look like her descendants loitering around the halls. They look like a cross between Patti and the Chipmunks. Of any of the family who could be in a rehab facility, we would not have guessed it would be mother.

 Father turned 88 the same day. We celebrated at Robin's on Sunday night.

Jeff and I had a last supper at the Pizza Factory before he moved to Texas. He has now reached his destination. The only thing I have found is a duracell battery in the grass and father's home health nurse found a tie tack that I happen to know is Stephen's. Hopefully that is all they left behind. He never planned to move before James left for his mission.

I finished the binding on my sampler quilt what with all the sitting time I've had with mother. It is a miracle the whole is finished.

 

October Weather

In my experience the reunion of long-ago friends is likely to be average. But, not this weekend. Despite this norm, I spent a lovely visit with my true and steady girlhood friend, Karen (also). She continues strong, comic, and heartfelt. Scott ran the marathon and she hoped to get together. I was eager to rejoin. I spent a happy hour with her on Saturday evening during a day of running to and fro across a couple states. I loved engaging. Her husband came home and we kept it up. He is a man who will engage. They are normal in the best way. The next morning they came to the homestead to rejoin with my parents and enjoy a conference brunch featuring this coffee cake, fruit, bacon and eggs, and sausage. Jeff and James arrived at 10 on the dot following Karen and Scott. Sadie Ann enjoyed such a morning of sofa dwelling. We took some snaps, spouted commentary, and ate m&ms from the knock-off Beatrix Potter harvest dish. I had a bag of magazines ready to send with the travellers and forgot. The magazines are now on mother's hospital tray as we receive rain in St. George. The next morning, mother fell on the slick driveway and fractured her pelvis and her elbow. We are warm inside. Mother sleeps.

The Menu

I love those occasions that call for a menu. Like a dinner party, a weekend of guests, a restaurant. For a dinner party, I create a printed menu to place by the table setting of each guest. My menus are less ornate, more simple as I progress through life. When I learned Jeff and James would come for a long weekend, the first thing I did was jot down menu ideas. To me, the menu is anticipation at its best. The meals leaned toward the crock-pot and Mexican. Few complained. Friday night was slow-stewed chicken for tacos. Sunday morning was coconut french toast and for after church a pot of slow-cooked bbq beef for buns accompanied by vinegar potatoes and green salad with bleu cheese and mushrooms. As the dryer and the dishwasher hum, I sit here full of brunch from

The real image was not taken: four empty plates. Something I've never seen at this establishment. We fell upon the manhole sized chocolate chip pancake, a bacon, avocado, and pepper jack omelette, and dark horse winning breakfast burrito. The small pot of salsa was empty. Did I mention the plates were empty? We will not eat again, but I pen some more menus.

Saturday Night Baths

Sometime this year I bought a product from The Body Shop. This is not news. In fact, last time I was in the shop, a sales associate labelled me one of their best customers. Folly? Perhaps. Yet, I continue to flash my green card and buy with discounts. The product I bring to you today is a cleansing oil. The scent of my oil is heavy and foreign. It is probably not a terrific match for me. I could care less. The idea of a cleansing oil is right up my alley. Last week, I was presented a travel size almond cleansing oil from L'Occitane. It has a lighter, slightly sweet fragrance. Often I don't apply body lotion after a shower. I tell you, friends, it is rich.

Foot Traffic

This was one of the mornings I woke up and decided to trot down to the beach. I love Sunday mornings when the air is cool, the foot traffic is light and mostly silent, surfers bob, and I walk alone. The sand is wet, soft, cool. I happen to live where I climb down a cliff to the water.

There are perks to this "goat trail" and they are the drama of the cliff, the few who dare to brave the goat trail, and the shade it affords when the sun rises in the east. At sunset, the cliff burns gold like Maxfield Parrish. I look at his paintings (I love him) and know what he is talking about. We all travel light who descend to the beach. There was a time in my life I said I would believe in God if I found a whole sand dollar. It had been a while and I assumed they were possibly nonexistent. I have since found many sand dollars and happier still, they have little to do with my belief in God.

I think we do equate spirituality to the sea. The scriptures say Christ's voice is "the sound of the rushing of great waters." And people and worlds are pronounced numberless, as many as the sands of the sea.

Myself, I am one, and I am drawn to the shore, both water and sand.

S'more Summer

I was tempted to list a s'more as my death row dessert. Both last summer and this summer my goal was to eat them one evening. My favorite s'more venue of recent years was my sister's gas firepit at her previous home. It was easy, outdoor, and fulfilling. Her new home has no firepit; I don't know if she has realized the loss. Last week in St. George, we had s'mores the night before the keeds went back to school after cooking burgers on the bbq. Here, Taylor is eating a brownie roll-out cookie. They are remarkably yum and easy. If I can roll them out, anyone can. And, they go fast.

July is for Birthdays

We start with mother, move to Jeff, then comes Maysen, and finally Brian. There is cake around all month. The banner never comes down. Mother enjoys chocolate so this is hers. We turned it into a three-layer majesty. Her frosting was half room temp sour cream, half room temp melted chocolate chips. Don't make me repeat this. Let it be the key to your success in life. You will never regret it, unless your name is Brian. Jeff requested lemon poppyseed so I trusted a tried and true girl and went with this one. Another upside to this recipe was ridding my mother of two cans of rancid poppyseeds. Never buy these in bulk. It will not pay. Donn and Nancy left today. We enjoyed several recipes with them and also for 4th of July. They are potato salad, coleslaw, and apple pie. Brian looks forward to his Albertson's sheet cake: vanilla with vanilla custard.

Dinner on Death Row

Donn and Nancy left today. We love their biannual visit. Here Donny found an empty Red Bull (pun) can in Robin and Duane's yard this morning. Inside, Maysen reported it was his father's. During the week, we interviewed everyone at dinner with the question, what would you eat for your last supper on Death Row. Donny had earlier stated his favorite food which spawned the answers. And, here they are.

Donn: appetizer apple fritter, extra-large pizza, brownies
Nancy: grossly rare steak, sautéed mushrooms, angel food cake
Brian: chicken noodle soup + grilled cheese sandwich, vanilla pudding with a shortbread cookie, hot chocolate
Patti: unknown (she could not decide since we could not tell her what she would have eaten the night prior). I suggested cheese fondue for her last supper and she did not say no.
Father: liver and onions (we divined this)
Jeffy: meat and marinara lasagna (with soft, not al dente, noodles), Italian veggies, lemon meringue pie, cold milk
Karen: a warm brothy bowl of Mulligatawny soup with toasts, cc-pecan-coconut cookie from Cooking for Mr. Latte

Year One

We did almost everything on our list. What was not done: a nighttime walk at the beach and remaking a flat apple pie. Jeffy is very open to a "new possible favorite" so we went to Bangkok Bay in Solana Beach for dinner on Saturday, our anniversary to the day. We celebrate the day of our second date, not the day we met, or our first date. It was a mutual decision. I ordered red curry with tofu. He ordered Bangkok fried rice with squid. We started with chicken satay. It was quite lovely and our evening was very much in focus though this image is not.

It's a shame you can't see my outfit. It was cute especially in the daylight. Before dinner, we had a few spoonfuls of Ben and Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup and Mint Cookie something or other. For his stay, we had two nights at my place and two nights at Gloria's neighbor's house. It was ideal to have a mix and a good time was had by all. We made a crock-pot meal on Sunday, a hoisin beef stew. Sadly, we ate the leftovers of the Thai before eating the stew. A comparison was rough. After not enough sleep for three nights, I began to wane on Sunday, perking up when Jeffy revealed he had M&Ms in his car. I envisioned a pocket-sized bag. My face lit up. My spirit lifted. He went on to say it was a 3-lb bag. I remember something high-pitched coming from my person. I was redeemed by the mere thought. We watched 1/2 of Chocolat that evening and he left before the sun on Monday. I slept a good long time.

From There to Here

On your last day with baby Hodge, you can sit under a tree. Until his mother urges you to sit in the sun to offset the beginnings of jaundice.

Your mother will send you home with roses and your brother will burn a CD of the Carpenters. Yesterday once more.
You warm a serving of Chicken and Rice Soup for your sister and everyone gets a baggie of Chocolate Charlies. And shelve The Bishop's School Cookbook that you had a lot of fun with.

Until we meet again.

Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Rice Soup
Makes 4 to 6 servings

1/2 C uncooked white rice
1 1/2 C water
4 C chicken broth
1/4 C chopped green pepper
1/2 C diced celery
1/4 C diced onion
1/4 C shredded carrot
1/4 C chopped mushrooms
1/2 t minced garlic
2 T butter, melted
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C shredded cooked chicken (white meat)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t white pepper
1 C evaporated nonfat milk

Combine rice and water in large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or less. Add chicken broth to rice in saucepan. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Sauté green pepper, celery, onion, carrot, mushrooms, and garlic in butter in large skillet. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and rice to mixture in skillet, a little at a time at first, stirring constantly, so flour will not lump. Stir in evaporated milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until thoroughly heated. DO NOT BOIL.

Chocolate Charlies
Makes 16 large cookies

2 oz unsweetened chocolate
6 oz semisweet chocolate
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/4 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
2 eggs
3/4 C sugar
2 t instant coffee
1/2 t vanilla
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
8 oz chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt unsweetened chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and butter in a small, heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring slowly but constantly. When smooth, remove from heat and let cool. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. Beat the eggs, sugar, coffee, and vanilla in a large bowl on medium-high speed for 1 or 2 minutes to thicken slightly. Then lower speed and beat in the cooled, melted chocolate and flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto foil-lined cookie sheets. Bake until cookies look shiny outside and still moist, but not gooey inside, approximately 10 minutes for large cookies, less for smaller ones. Cool completely before trying to take the cookies off the foil. (The cookies have a crisp, chocolate, meringue-like exterior and a soft, fudge-like interior, irresistible to chocolate lovers.)

Spring in Saint George

It is perhaps the best time of the year to visit. When things are blooming. The weather is normal.

Mothers have their day.

And that makes one more little boy.

The Great Cake Bake

We convened Saturday evening at six. The anticipation, the ovens had been fired. I brought Carla's tomato bisque and we had two salads and someone opened and baked a canister of prefab bread dough. There were a variety of cake recipes and formats. I made a layer cake: the Lady Baltimore. It was fine but different if you know what I mean. Lots of almond extract and a whipped icing with raisins, pecans, and figs. I had never tasted it and wanted to. The other layer cakes were chocolate ganache and orange cake and lemon with candied lemon slices. The other cakes were a 9 x 13 grasshopper cake with chopped Andes mints, red velvet cake balls rolled in milk chocolate and served cold, and chocolate bacon cupcakes.

Lady Baltimore Cake
Charleston Receipts

1 C butter
3 C sugar
4 eggs
1 C milk
3 1/2 C cake flour
4 t baking powder
2 t vanilla
2 t almond extract
1/2 C water

Use electric mixer, if possible; cream butter, add 2 cups sugar gradually and beat until the consistency of whipped cream. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat thoroughly. Sift baking powder and flour three times and add alternately with milk, using a wooden spoon for blending. Bake in 2 11" greased cake pans in 350 F degree oven 30 minutes. Make a thick syrup of 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Flavor with almond and vanilla. Spread this over your layers as soon as you remove them from the pans.

Frosting
2 C sugar
2/3 C water
2 egg whites (beaten stiff)
2 t corn syrup
2 C seeded raisins
2 C pecans or walnuts
12 figs
Almond and vanilla extract

Mix sugar, water, and syrup. Cook until it forms a firm ball in cold water. Pour gradually into the stiff egg whites, beating constantly. Now add raisins, pecan nuts, and figs all cut fine. Raisins and figs may be soaked overnight in small amount of sherry or brandy, if desired. Add almond and vanilla extracts to taste. Spread between layers, on top and sides of cake.

Mrs. Howard Read (Adelaide Higgins)

Receipts and Heritage: The Collection

Because I am insane, this week I acquired two new cookbooks. At least I can attest, they have been on my wish list. And, of course, the cookbook is useful. Especially those from The Junior League. My acquisitions are Charleston Receipts, the oldest Junior League cookbook still in print (appearing much older than its 1950 publication date), and California Heritage (Pasadena). As stated, I've had my eye on these for a long time. Laurie Colwin cites the Receipts in some of the best food writing we have in America. As it crops up everywhere, I felt it was an approved purchase. Since I grew up alongside Pasadena, the Heritage cookbook is on the shelves of most home kitchens. When I was served Swedish Cream at my reading society two months ago, we traced its origin to the Pasadena record. Last year I went into a Los Angeles County home kitchen which was circa their wedding year (about 25 years before) and the Heritage cookbook is in a little trough of cookbooks on display. I took it down and lovingly touched its leaves. The female of the couple made a comment I didn't hear as I was busy. I doubt she ever used the book . . . I am illustrating its widespread popularity in that geographical region. So, I ordered the new one, much preferring the old cover (above) mind you, and it arrived this week. The Receipts is in anticipation of the Lady Baltimore Cake I'll make this weekend for the Great Cake Bake. More to come . . . .

Wild Geese

by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Happy Easter, Egg!

I made the assignments last week. Mother agreed to Baked Virigina Ham from the Contessa and deviled eggs. Robin took one for the team: starch and carbs. Her world famous rolls and scalloped potatoes, which morphed into funeral potatoes by Easter day. I had high hopes for Curried Pea Soup but forgot to purchase butter lettuce the day prior. I settled on Green Peas in Cream from Edna Lewis who always makes me feel like an American. That's the thing. Even international holidays make me feel like a patriot. I also tossed mixed greens, strawberries, toasted pecans, French feta, and balsamic olive oil mix in a wooden bowl. We finished with strawberry-shortcake cookies and chocolate cupcakes with Cadbury mini eggs atop.

A Fling for Spring

We had a fling this weekend. Jeff came for a good time and it was had by all. He drove down on Friday, joining me at work for the last few hours. He came to the temple on Saturday morning and we loved being there again. The rest of the weekend was made of quality time: long walks (day and night), church fun, and eating. In fact, he told me when he called on the drive home last night that the meals were a highlight. In addition to the other stuff that is. One of my favorite moments of the weekend was when he described to Cami how easy the apple pie was to make. Clearly, neither of them had ever made an apple pie and I chortled without ceasing. He lamented how long dough takes to make (I tried the TJs pie crust and recommend emphatically) and proceeded to list what goes in the pie, stopping after apples. Quite the time, my friends, quite the time.

Saturday saw us making meatloaf sandwiches. I will again state I am not a carnivore. But, I had made Lenny Schwartz's Market Street huge meatloaf on Thursday and had always heard tell of the appeal of a sandwich. I ended up using whole wheat kaiser rolls, havarti, and spreading mayo and mustard. We (ok, I) heated the loaf slices in a pan to warm and brown. Taken with Lay's Kettle Chips and veggie sticks. On Sunday morning we made sour cream pancakes (two pans going . . . it was fast and fun). Sunday evening we shredded pork from the daylong simmering crock-pot for Chile Verde. We were true to form, using a tortilla. The blessed tortilla. It is so precious.

Private View of a New Collection

A number of years ago, I planned a soiree. It was to be an Art Salon. Set off by the art show invitation in Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband, I set to work planning a small group of artistic friends who would create original art to be displayed against a backdrop of canapes and gougeres. The occasional man would sport an ascot. All men would wear jackets. The women in black and pearls or silk.

As this evening has not yet occurred, I have no doubt it will in future. Invitees will send the title, artist name, media, date of the art piece previous to the evening. A Q&A would ensue for all the artists.

Menu: nuts, olives, cheese plate, coconut chicken balls, and the gougeres.

I have doubt that the right people can make an evening.

Muffins: Back on Top

In the early years of college, I went through a muffin baking period. It lasted about a year. Since, I rarely bake muffins and avoid commercially baked muffins as I would a plague. I have a healthy fear of oil and that's what they taste like to me. The only muffin I have entertained in the last few years is a large muffin at Pannikin featuring nuts and dried fruit. It is a meal in itself. I couple it with euco-mint tea.

As our weather has been rainy these past few weeks, I've baked two kinds of muffins. One was for a luncheon with Simone. She had a field day with them. The topping is fun. I have written elsewhere that coconut will make anything better. She vowed to make the recipe that day after a trip to the store and make housecalls to her friends. I encourage this kind of enthusiasm. That's what an applesauce oatmeal muffin will do to a nice person.

Today I made spiced yogurt muffins from Food and Wine. I clombed onto this during a search for something else. I use plain yogurt for just about anything I can. And, again, the applesauce. I would still like to try the applesauce cake in Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.

But, I will include here the recipe for Rachel Broadbent's Mookies, featured in Sunset. They are the best oatmeal cookies you will eat, and have place here for their likeness to muffin tops. Thank me later.

Mookies
Makes 16 giant cookies

1 C butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla
3 C rolled oats
1 C flour
1 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1 C chopped walnuts
1/2 C sweetened shredded dried coconut
1/2 C raisins

Mix butter and brown sugar until thoroughly blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine oats, flour, salt, and baking powder. Blend oat mixture with butter mixture. Stir in walnuts, coconut, and raisins.

Pack cookie dough into an ice cream scoop (4-oz. size) or 1/2 C measuring cup, scrape dough level with rim, and empty onto lightly oiled baking sheets, spacing dough about 3 inches apart.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven until cookie edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes (if using one oven, switch pans halfway through baking). Cool cookies on a rack; serve, or store airtight up to 2 days.