Happy Pi Day

 

It's been awhile since I made a pie so I got motivated today to whip something together.  My choices with what I had on hand were some questionable apples in the fridge, pudding mix in the cupboard, or a can of cherry pie filling on the pantry shelf. Cherry will always win out at our house.

 

Rather than reinvent the wheel, I stuck to my favorite pie crust recipe which is the recipe my grandma and mom used when they baked tarts.  You can find it here.  Because I am inherently lazy and also because I love streusel topping, I opted for that as opposed to a top pastry crust.  Below is the basic ingredients to put that together.  I rolled out the crust and placed it in a regular 9 inch pie plate, threw in the cherry pie filling, topped with the streusel topping, and baked at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.Voila!

 

 Streusel Pie Topping

1 stick room temperature butter

1 cup flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

dash of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

With a pastry cutter or your fingers, mix everything together until it makes a cohesive crumble. Distribute evenly over the pie of your choice.

Snowball Cookies Redux

 

Christmas is one week away and I have to admit I have not been very interested this year. I am sure I am not alone in this sentiment.  Seeing that The Husband and I will be not be leaving our humble abode and will not be receiving any visitors, I felt there was no reason to do my usual batches of holiday treats.

This afternoon I had a slight change in my bah humbug attitude and decided to make one batch of traditional cookies I grew up with, the snowball cookie.  These have a special place in my heart as they were my dear dad's favorite.  The other thing is that they are super easy to make.  I blogged about these originally here and today I used a simpler recipe that didn't even require hauling out the mixer.

Wishing one and all happy holidays and may 2021 be a much better year for all of you and for our country.

Snowball Cookies

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 pinch kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans or walnuts 

1/2 cup warmed butter, cut in cubes

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

In a bowl combine flour, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla,and nuts until mixed together. Add butter with your hands and combine until mix resembles a coarse crumble. Form cookies into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden brown.  While cookies are still slightly warm, roll them in powdered sugar and place on cooling rack. Makes 15-20 cookies.

 

Yorkshire Pudding Redux

 

Going back to the well with my Yorkshire Pudding recipe..This side dish has been a favorite food my entire life.  It was served by my Yorkshire grandmother when the Chase clan would come for Sunday dinner. It was served by my mother along with our Christmas prime rib. It has been one of my favorite things to make when on occasion, I make a roast beef dinner. The smell of this entire dinner cooking certainly evokes fond memories of both my grandparents and parents home when I was growing up.

I have an entry in my blog of the recipe my mom and grandmother used but I have found a new and I think improved recipe that I find makes for very satisfying results. I use a popover recipe and have an actual popover pan that I use to make super high and puffy Yorkshire pudding. I use a dab of beef fat from the roast as well as spraying the sides of the pan with Pam to ensure easy release.  

The one thing I would recommend when making these is to put a baking sheet on the bottom shelf of the oven to catch any drips of batter or grease that might spill out as these puddings puff  up in the pan. The last major oven fire we had (and there have been a few in our kitchen) was caused by Yorkshire pudding drippings.

There it is. The perfect English Sunday dinner, minus roasted potatoes because,well,...who needs those when you have Yorkshire Pudding.

 

Yorkshire Pudding or American Popovers

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

3 eggs

1 cup milk

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

Whisk eggs, milk, and oil together. Sift flour and salt over wet mixture. Whisk into a smooth batter. 

Put 1 tsp beef fat or vegetable oil in the bottom of popover pan. Spray sides of each cup with Pam.  Place pan in oven for approximately 5 minutes to heat up oil. Carefully remove hot pan from oven and fill each cup no more than 1/2 full. Place in oven with cookie sheet below pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, Take out of pan and serve immediately.   

Tea Time Treats

 

It's raining and windy and not a day for my much loved hike in the park so I decided to bake, my other passion.  Unlike hiking which helps me burn calories, baking can be detrimental to my health.  My excuse today was to bake some shortbread cookies to give as a hostess gift to our best friends who have invited us for a socially distanced Thanksgiving next week.

These cookies are a breeze to make. I baked two types-regular butter shortbread and a brown sugar shortbread, Quality assurance is so important so I taste tested both of them. My preference is the brown sugar version. Both go perfect with a nice cup of black tea. If you are looking for a quick cookie for yourself or to give as a gift, these might fit the bill.  They freeze and pack up very well.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Butter Shortbread Cookies  (makes approximately 24 3 inch cookies)

1 stick softened butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Cream together butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Slowly mix in flour and baking powder. Mix until a soft dough is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for approximately 30 minutes. Roll out dough on lightly floured board to approximately 1/16th of an inch.  Cut out cookies with 3 inch cookie cutter. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until pale brown. Let cool on rack.

Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies (makes approximately 30 3 inch cookies)

1 stick softened butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Cream together butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Slowly mix in flour and baking powder. Mix until a soft dough is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for approximately 30 minutes. Roll out dough on lightly floured board to approximately 1/16th of an inch.  Cut out cookies with 3 inch cookie cutter. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until pale brown. Let cool on rack.

Declutter Dilemmas

One of my retirement goals is to declutter accumulated things from the past that I no longer have a need for.  This includes clothing, kitchen items, books, photos, etc.  I was so excited about having the time to do this but it has, in fact, brought me some angst.

I started with books first.  I have 3 book shelves filled with my books. This does not include the two bookshelves filled with over 100 cookbooks in our kitchen.  The Husband has 2 bookshelves which I will leave to him, as only he can decide what books are dear to him.

This project was fairly easy for me. There were many books I had read once and if after 20 or more years I hadn't decided to re-read them, into the donation bag they went.  I also have been carting around with me for FORTY years textbooks relating to my minor and major that I guess someday I thought I might need for reference. I didn't!  What to do with all of these books was the next hurdle.

I took all my novels, non-fiction, and travel books to a second hand book store in town that gives credit for books and then when you buy a book from them they use your credit and give you half off the price of your purchase.  Let's just say we have a lot of credit on their books that will take some time to use up.  They had no interest in some of my books, including the textbooks which I just packed up and gave to Goodwill.  Perhaps there will be some recreation or psychology student who would like to read some outdated notions in their particular disciplines.  Anyway, they are gone from my house which is all that matters.

Next project I decided to tackle was dishes.  This is where I am having some anxiety.  I started collecting tea cups when I was a young girl, perhaps in 6th grade. I wrote about this in an earlier blog here. I know exactly which one was my first but I love them all.  The thing is I never use them. I am lucky to have a built-in china cupboard in our house but most likely will not have this space when next we move.  Not only do I have all of the china and glassware, we also have an entire set of dishes and silverware from my mother-in-law we must eventually deal with.

So the reason for this particular blog entry is to get some feedback from anyone who has gone through serious downsizing.  What should I do with my dishes? Any thoughts will be appreciated.

Exploring My World

It has been almost 4 months since I retired and I have yet to be bored. My days are never alike and I so enjoy being out and about, either on foot or driving, discovering the world around me.  I feel as though during my 40 years of working I was so limited in what I was able to do because of time constraints.  Though I was able to do quite a lot of world travel, there was always a restriction on the number of days I could be away from my job and in the back of my mind loomed the inevitable having to get home to resume the rat race.


Now I wake up with absolutely no restrictions as to what I can do each day.  Of course I am mindful of our finances, particularly because The Husband is still working and I certainly don't want to be frivolous with our money. I have discovered though that there is so much to do around this beautiful part of the world that doesn't cost a thing or can be done at a very reasonable price.

For instance, yesterday I wanted to go for a walk in the morning and for some reason I thought about The Oregon Garden ( https://www.oregongarden.org/ ) found just 10 miles away in the charming little town of Silverton, Oregon.  I have been there a couple times before since it opened in 2002, but I never really took the time to explore. They have a tram that will drive people around the perimeter of the grounds which is what I did both other times.  This time I opted to walk. What a treat!  First because I was able to do so without any difficulty, and second, because there was so much to see that I had been previously unaware.

As usual, I was there before they opened on a grey, misty Tuesday morning and was Guest #1 for the day.  With trusty trail map in one hand and my camera in the other, I took off down the path.  The air was cool, there was no one about but some of the gardeners, and the only sounds through much of my walk were the birds singing.

The garden is set up in many different "rooms" highlighting various plants, trees, and shrubs.  There were water features, a sensory garden, a serpent made of oyster shells,  various types of forests, as well as a beautiful area where weddings are held. In addition to the garden, right outside the gate is the only Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in Oregon called the Gordon House. It is certainly interesting to look at close up and read the information about it's architectural style.

Perhaps it was too early in the season, or perhaps it's because we have had a rather cold beginning of spring, but there were not many blooming flowers to be found.  It didn't matter to me though because we are lucky to have so many flower gardens/farms around here that I will explore as things begin to come into full bloom.

My walk turned out to be about 1 1/2 miles altogether but it could have been longer had I gone down every path available.  I was so pleased and impressed with the garden I decided to purchase an annual membership with unlimited entry until April 30, 2020.  I will make up the cost in just 3 visits which I fully intend to do. On a side note, I was able to get my membership at the Senior price and as I said earlier, I am all about frugality, but there is still something quite shocking to my ego/reality that I qualify as a Senior. How did this happen?

Swedish Visiting Cake

One of my retirement goals I have fallen short on so far over the past 3 months is trying a new recipe once a week.  It's not that I have been idle, because I certainly haven't.  I just haven't felt inspired to spend time in the kitchen.  So many other things to explore with all my new found freedom, with walking regularly at the top of my list.


Today I made soup to take over to my BFF's for lunch and along with the soup (cabbage and potato in case you were wondering), I bought a loaf of wonderful, crusty French bread and I made a new cake recipe.  It is from one of my favorite cookbook writers, Dorie Greenspan and it's from her Baking book.  Anyone who loves to bake should check out this very complete and detailed book with recipes ranging from cookies to breads, cakes, pies, and all things yummy.


This particular cake recipe was so easy which is why it appealed to me this morning.  It is a one bowl cake, requiring no electric mixer, and most people would have the basic ingredients required in their homes.  I had it made and in the oven within 10 minutes.  The end results was a lovely, subtly flavored cake perfect for after our lunch.  It would be delicious with a cup of tea or coffee for an afternoon treat.  I highly recommend this cake and I love the name of it too!

Swedish Visiting Cake

From Dorie Greenspan’s Baking Book

1 cup sugar (plus more more sprinkling on top right before baking) grated zest of one lemon
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used 2 tsp of vanilla paste and opted not to use almond extract)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
1 stick melted butter, cooled
1/4 cup sliced almonds

In a medium bowl, add the lemon zest to the sugar. Rub the zest and sugar in between your fingers to release the oils, the sugar will start to smell delicious.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time.

Whisk in the salt and the extracts.

Change to a spatula and stir in the flour.

Fold in the butter.

Stir until combined. This can me made in a 9-inch cast iron skillet, cake pan, or pie pan. I used a little of the melted butter to grease the pan.

Pour the batter into the pan and top with the sliced almonds and a generous sprinkling of sugar.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. It will be golden and the edges will have a nice crust.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then take a knife and run it around the edge of the pan.

Fifty Years of Friendship: A Love Letter

Dear Patti,
How can it be that 50 years have gone by since we first met in junior high on March 5th, 1969? I realize that date may not be 100% accurate. Perhaps we met sometime prior, but we do both remember attending our mutual friend's birthday party on that date, so we decided to make that our annual Friendaversary date.

What an adventure it has been knowing you all this time! We have seen each other through all of life's ups and downs-births, deaths, relationships, weddings, funerals, jobs, travel, and just the routines of daily minutia. Sometimes I start to tell The Husband something perhaps on the trivial side and he will say "That sounds like something Patti would like to hear" and he is exactly right. You always do (or at least you pretend well).

There are a few significant reasons why I believe our friendship has endured 50 years while other friendships have come and gone. One of those things is constant communication. There has rarely been a day that we haven't touched base with each other in one way or another.

Back in the day we had our rotary phones (ES-72340) where we would call each other as teenage girls and yack for hours, arranging outings like school trips, cruising downtown, or trips to your lake cabin as examples. When you went off to Western our first year of college, we wrote letters back and forth sharing our experiences. Once we became roommates when I joined you at WWU, our adventures really began and we never quit talking, even in the many classes we took together, much to our professors chagrin. When you married your beloved husband and he moved you away to Oregon, we continued talking over the phone constantly as our long distance phone bills indicated. Nowadays there are so many ways to stay in touch it's mind boggling. So, even though we live in the same town we are constantly finding new ways to amuse each other via Facebook, texts, and our newest discovery, video chatting. Someday we may even master that particular technology.

A second reason we have endured is our differences. You have always brought out my sometimes repressed sense of adventure and challenged my fears with your unbound zest for life. I, on the other hand, at times try to rein you in on those rare occasions when it's just a little bit necessary. I am a rule follower while you have a devil-may-care attitude. I love that about you and have always been a bit envious of that characteristic.  You accessorize, I don't!

The last and most important thing that has kept us going is laughter. Since the time we met, constant, never-ending, silly, wicked, ridiculous laughter. There was an instance early in our friendship when we were seniors in high school and we were environmental camp counselors. The school principal was making a speech to the little grade school children and you leaned in and whispered something in my ear I thought at the time was terribly naughty. I nearly died trying to contain myself.  It has been like that ever since. We have set each other off in the most awkward of situations, to the point of having to separate ourselves, or be separated by others in order to regain our composure. Museums, lecture halls, churches, jobs, funerals, weddings, restaurants-nothing is sacred.  It is this laughter that has gotten us through all of life's difficulties as well as brought us so much joy and unadulterated fun.

I could write volumes detailing the innumerable experiences we have had together, but words cannot encapsulate this amazing gift of knowing you for 50 years.  I look forward to many more years of sharing life's rich pageantry of experiences and all of their humorous moments with you.

Forever your friend,
Love, Sue

In The Moment

I am making good progress on one of my retirement pledges to walk.  Not doing so well yet on some of the others such as cleaning out closets and cupboards, but I have plenty of time for that (she says optimistically)! 

To say I as out of shape while I was working would be an major understatement. The hospital where I worked is huge and sometimes it could be 1/4 mile from where I would end up parking to my office. I could do short spurts, but I had no endurance.

Since January, I have worked up to being able to walk 3 miles without a single ache, pain, or issue. I am able to enjoy my surroundings, observe the flora and fauna-as much as there is in an urban environment, and really have a peaceful meditation time in the outdoors. It is one of the most enjoyable parts of this new non-work lifestyle.

Today's walk led me up and down the streets of my neighborhood, through the beautiful forest park near my house, and down my favorite street where I imagine the interiors of various wonderful old homes. I heard various birds, including a noisy woodpecker and some somber sounding mourning doves, saw a flock of hens pecking around in the grass while busily clucking at each other, a couple of squirrels chasing each other up and down a massive cedar tree, smelled the wonderful scent of wood smoke and rich mulchy earth, observed more and more early spring bulbs starting to peek out from their winter underground, and even some new buds on a cherry tree.

Being in the moment while I am on my little treks is extremely beneficial for erasing any cares I may have (such as current politics) and resets my mind and body in the most healthy way.  I have included a picture of a poem by the late Ursula K. LeGuin that someone had framed and posted at the edge of their yard. Lovely, and I am happy to say I made it home before the skies opened up and rained up a storm.

Picture This

We have a new camera and do I have a lot to learn.  This is something I have wanted for ages, a Nikon DSLR. I have had a small Fuji FinePix point and shoot type of camera and if I do say so myself, I have taken some good shots with it over the years. In fact, this blog was created because of buying that camera and needing a reason to take pictures.

Now though I have an honest-to-goodness professional camera and it's a bit overwhelming. I have been watching many YouTube videos on this particular model and its' settings and capabilities. I have started to experiment a bit just inside the house and as soon as the weather improves some, I can't wait to take it out and about.

I will say it isn't as convenient as my little Fuji camera or my cell phone for just sticking it in my purse and having a camera at the ready, but when I am ready to really try my hand at still life photos or portraits, I can't wait to use this new one. 

It has a multitude of settings for particular scenes already pre- programmed, but I have been learning about using the manual mode and setting things myself as I did with the picture above.  This picture was taken in rather low lighting with the aperture set low so as to blur the background objects with a clear focal point.  I absolutely love the detail this camera can capture.  If you look very closely you can see the dust bits on the rocks.  Perhaps I need to put the camera down and get out the dust cloth!