Advent Blessings!

On this first day of Advent, I can't help but wish (just a little) for snow.  Not as much as we had last year, thank you very much, but just a little bit to gladden your heart.  Wasn't the first snowfall always magical as a child?  I'm going to try and post recipes that reflect the season in the next few weeks.  Enjoy!



Artisan St. Lucia or Braided Focaccia Bread Wreath

Ingredients

	5½	cups all-purpose flour
	4	Tbsp. sugar
	2	packages Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast
	2	tsp. salt
	2	cups water
	6	Tbsp. margarine
	~	Toppings: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, grated Parmesan, fresh basil

Steps

1. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt. Heat water and butter until very warm (125 to 130ºF). Gradually add to dry ingredients; and stir until you make a dough.
2. Knead on floured surface until smooth. Divide dough into 3 pieces; roll each to 24-inch rope; braid ropes. Place braid on greased pizza sheet. Form into ring and pinch ends to seal.
3. Top with oil to prevent cracking, decorate with cherry tomatoes and bell peppers or your favorite fresh veggies in the manner of a green wreath with berries.
4. Place large, shallow pan on counter; half-fill with boiling water. Place baking sheet over pan. Let rise 15 minutes until puffy.
5. Bake at 400ºF for 25 minutes or until done. When almost ready, sprinkle on Parmesan cheese and continue baking until lightly browned. Brush oil on ring. Garnish with fresh basil and tall Advent or St. Lucia taper candles.

I simply cannot believe it is Thanksgiving already!  Thanksgiving has always been a favorite holiday of mine.  My mom would start weeks early it seemed.  My favorite was always her homemade crescent rolls.  I have not yet attempted to try making my own.  I loved watching her slather each crescent with butter before rolling them and letting them rise.  I always imagine her thinking of all the family that would soon be arriving...  the laughter and the hugs.  It always amazes me to think of how, as our families grew, we all fit so snugly into her home during the holidays.  One by one, the families would arrive and there would be a flurry of greetings and hugs.  Dad would often go out to the driveway and greet each person with a wave and a smile. Mom would be stirring in the kitchen, eyes sparkling as she watched from the kitchen window.  I think she was happiest when we were all together.  The girls would help in the kitchen or play with the new babies and Dad would entertain the boys.  As soon as the last family arrived, the food was heaped on the tables and Mom would lead the prayer.  I am sure she held private Thanks in her heart for her family and the opportunity to gather.  My most poignant memory of family gatherings is feeling the tug in my heart when I knew it was time to go.  There would be long goodbyes and promises to write... and then they would follow everyone out to their cars and linger a while longer.  I can still see them waving at the end of the driveway until the cars were out of site.
Our family certainly held its challenges, but I am most thankful for having that family.  I cherish all the memories and give Thanks every day for each of them.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

First Snow

I read a post this morning where a young mom said her kids woke up to a winter wonderland this morning and how excited they were for the first snow.  We had our first snow during the night, so I missed watching the first flakes fall.  Growing up in North Dakota, the winters did seem magical.  We would rush through breakfast and then pull on our red snowpants and boots and rush out for hours of snow fun.  The one thing I can't remember doing is building snowmen, but I suppose we did when the snow was sticky enough to form a ball.  We ran around making tracks and built tunnels if the snow was deep enough.  I still am tempted to catch a snowflake on my tongue.

I honestly haven't tried this recipe yet, but maybe one of you will try it and let me know how it goes.  It just sounds fabulous.  Happy First Snow!

Wittamer’s Belgian Hot Chocolate
1 quart (1l) half-and-half or whole milk ( I think low fat would work just fine.)
8 ounces (230g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (try and find good quality chocolate)
4 ounces (115g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
tiny pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1. Warm about one-third of the half-and-half or milk, with the chopped chocolates and salt, stirring until the chocolate is melted.
2. Whisk in the remaining half-and-half or milk, heating until the mixture is warmed through. Add the cinnamon.
3. Use a hand-held blender, or a whisk, and mix the hot chocolate until it’s completely smooth. Serve very warm.
Serve with a poof of whipped cream and chocolate curls.

Happy Halloween!

Halloweens growing up in North Dakota seemed so wonderfully fun.  We usually made our own costumes and I don't remember it ever being unbearably cold like Montana halloweens can be.  I don't really remember having school parties, but I do remember rushing home and trying to hurry mother along with supper so we could have more time to trick or treat.  I don't remember carving jack o lanterns or having any kind of spooky decorations in our house, but we had fun none the less.  I still like carving pumpkins, but I don't do it so much anymore.  Here's a great recipe for savory stuffed pumpkin.  It's a winner!


Savory Stuffed Pumpkin 

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1-1/2 cups cooked rice
• 1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 large pumpkin (8 to 9 pounds)
• Vegetable oil

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the soup, mushrooms, soy sauce and brown sugar. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rice and water chestnuts.
• Wash pumpkin; cut a 6-in. circle around stem. Remove top and set aside. Discard seeds and loose fibers from the inside. Spoon beef mixture into pumpkin; replace top.
• Place in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Rub oil over outside of pumpkin. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1-1/2 hours or until pumpkin is tender. Scoop out some pumpkin with each serving of beef mixture. Yield: 6 servings.

Kahlua Soaked Grilled Pears a la Mode

Today was one of those beautiful autumn days full of crunching leaves, the smell of wood stoves and rain.  The moon is almost full and my thoughts are turning to simmering soups and hearty casseroles that fill my kitchen with the most comforting aromas.  Autumn brings crisp apples and delicious pears just ripe for baking or munching.  My friend and I recently got together and shared a meal on a Sunday afternoon and found this recipe for Kaluah Soaked Pears.  It turned into a wonderful afternoon of conversation and laughter.  We also watched old movies and complained about our kids.  By the time the pears were ready, we were done solving the problems of the world, and completed a couple crossword puzzles.  Aren't friends the greatest?

Kahlua Soaked Grilled Pears a la Mode

Ingredients

• 2 pears cored and cut into six slices lengthwise.
• 1 cup Kahlua
• ¼ cup rum
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 large cinnamon stick broken into small pieces
• 6-7 cardamom pods broken
•  For serving
•     Pecans
•     Ice cream of your choice.
• Method

Mix the Kahlua, rum, sugar and spices in a large bowl and place the pear quarters in the bowl. Mix well so the pears are coated with the liquor. Leave it in the fridge for at least two hours, overnight will be great.
Heat a grill to medium high heat and place the pear slices at an angle, so that it gets diagonal grill marks. Grill for about 3-4 minutes per side, the slices will start to brown and the fruit will get soft.
In the meantime, soak the pecans if using, in the same marinade. Place a slightly greased pan on the stove. When the pan is hot add the pecans and heat them through stirring frequently. Remove when the pecans are brown and toasty.
To serve, arrange 2-4 pear slices in a bowl, place a scoop of ice cream, pour some of the marinade over and top with the pecans.

Turkey Buzzards

For some odd reason, I have grown fond of these huge birds that perch in a tree near the middle school playground.  I love the quizzical tilt of that one bird's head.  It's as if he's trying to figure us out.  In the evenings there can be fifty or more birds sitting around on braches, looking spectacularily spooky.  Until now, I have not been a fan of birds.  Especially after seeing an Alfred Hitchcock movie of birds going crazy.  My mom loved birds, however and saved all kinds of bread scraps to take out to her little feeder.  I think she liked to watch the birds as she did dishes.  Mom was a joyful woman and found all kinds of ways to celebrate little things in life.  I think all us girls have that same kind of joyful spirit.  We often share little things that amuse us.  My story today was discovering halfway through the work day that I had my garden shoes on instead of work shoes.  It wasn't very fashionable, but it sure was comfortable.  I actually was relieved that I had on a matching pair.  I'm sure that will be the next thing.  That did happen to a co-worker a few years ago.  They were the same color, but different heel size.  She wondered all day long why she felt like she was walking funny.  I love moments like those. 

English Tea Party

What a beautiful day for a Tea Party!  Our little town celebrated the twentieth anniversary opening of the Evelyn Cameron Gallery with an old fashioned High Tea.   We were greeted at the door by the Board Members and given a memento 2012 calendar. We were then invited to view the amazing Cameron photos taken in the late 1800s and early 1900s depicting Homestead life, immigrants and cowboys.  We could also view the diary transcriptions and copies of Evelyn's diaries she kept of daily life in Eastern Montana.  The tea party was so much fun.  They had antique silver tea sets and an assortment of savory and sweet items.  There were several kinds of cucumber sandwichs, a scottish bread with orange marmalade, several different kinds of scones and tea infused shortbread.  There were fruit desserts and jams and all kinds of goodness.  Autumn flowers were everywhere and little purple pansies decorated the plates.  The gallery is housed in an old building that was once a pharmacy and drugstore... and in the back, where we ate used to be an old fashioned ice cream parlor.  The elderly couple who invited me to sit with them told me stories about working there as high schoolers and all the shenanigans they pulled to get free sodas.  It was a charming visit.  If you haven't had a chance to read about Evelyn and Ewen Cameron's life, it is worth the read.