Doing the Can-Can

It has been years since I have canned. I use to do most of my canning when my children were small. Canning is one of those things you can work all day at and then exhaustedly sit down on the couch and enjoy the fruits of your labor, sort of like having a child. I am curious to know if that is where the commonly used phrase “the fruits of your labor” comes from. It certainly wouldn’t be cleaning house, you can spend all day cleaning and by that night it seems you are back where you started. Unlike work where you receive a paycheck, you have already worked the hours, and then come the taxes and the bills and it is gone.

Canning has to sit at least 24 hours before consumption, I have lied and said it takes much longer so all the jeweled bottles of seasons best fruits and vegetables take up space on the kitchen counter longer then necessary. In fact I would share with you this small bit of magic…hide some of your canned goods and slowly bring them out each day and you will be forgiven for laying totally spent in front of the television watching reruns of NCIS.

Making jams is an exact art. You must follow the directions to have it jell and set. However that stifles my creativity, so a little almond extract in the cherry jam and adding a pat of butter to the jams right before pouring them into their nesting place gives me the thrill of not following the rules. Perhaps I ought to name it Rebel Jam.

I have also looked in my fridge to see what may be aging, like a couple of wrinkled nectarines and plums and add them to the jam I am making. I wonder if pectin would do the same thing for my face that it does for wrinkled fruit. I may be on to something.

I also heard substituting part pineapple juice for water when canning apricots is divine. Not finding the exact recipe, I made a big cauldron of 16 cups water, two cans of pineapple juice and 10 cups of sugar. There was left over syrup so I poured it over my bottled unpitted cherries too.

I have canned with my kids and their friends who have never heard of such a thing. This time I spent quality time with my only daughter and her only daughter so far. Little bits is only 17 -months -old, her mom and I have always done this dance together in the kitchen. That will be another story, for now the bottles will sit on my counter and when someone asks what I have done all day…I will wearily point to my accomplishment.

Food For Thought

"Bush is a Book Lover" was alluded to in "Out with the Old, in with the New" when discussing the media's depiction of President Bush as dumb, stupid etc.
I have added two others that were also thought provoking. Yes, I am a huge Karl Rove fan and all three were written by him for the Wall Street Journal.

Bush Was Right When It Mattered Most

Bush Is a Book Lover

Welcome to the White House, Mr. Obama

Out With The Old, In With The New

I am excited about tomorrow, history will be made, hope is alive, yet I have mixed feelings about the inauguration of President Obama.

However, let me talk about the old first, President George W. Bush. No matter what the critics say, no matter how the media has painted him, no matter what your personal party or leaning may be, he has been a president who kept us safe, has high moral character, physically fit (even though at this time the goo-goo media touts Obama as the ideal man), Bush is a smart man (great article in the Wall Street Journal by Karl Rove …, he is an everyday kind of guy. Yes, there have been mistakes along the way, but if you don’t take risks, you don’t make mistakes. One of my favorite sayings by Theodore Roosevelt pretty much sums up how I feel:

“ It's not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or when the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”

I wish the best for President Bush as he leaves office. I thank him for his presidency and for him quietly going about the business at hand without looking for a photo opportunity at every turn. May he and his family enjoy their time at home in Texas.

Tomorrow there will be gala after gala, I would have hoped Obama would have looked at this as an opportunity to start off right with a nation in trouble, to go the economic route, as a “do as I say”, example. But with tinsel town taking over our capital and the unrealistic lives they lead and what they are accustom to that wouldn’t have drawn the crowds.

So, on January 20, 2009, I wish President Obama the best. I refuse to be one of the hate mongers that followed President Bush’s every word and deed. I will pray for him and his presidency to succeed. For our Founding Fathers to be proud of what we are doing with this nation, for our children to have hope in their future, for Obama to change what needs to be changed and strengthen what has worked and for the wisdom to know the difference. I hope for him the courage to stand up for the morals and values this nation was founded on and not kowtow to the special interest groups that feel Obama owes them something. Obama will be my president and may I disagree with him at times and at other times agree with him. I live in a country that allows me that freedom. May God bless America and President Obama too.

The New Year Bath and Letting Go

I know, I know, it has been ages since I added to my blog and what does this title have to do with politics or food. Well, everything is political and there will be a recipe involved and mojo does involve magic, voodoo, hoodoo etc.

Today I woke up to a beautiful day and went for an early morning walk with my friend, Rose. Of course we discussed the ills of the world and solved most of them. We also discussed the baggage we carry with us when hurt by friends, or guilt of not being perfect and that we judge too harshly at times not knowing what experiences makes them so difficult. ☺

I worked on the computer, paid some bills, but became so cold and tired, and it was only 11 am! I decided to take a bath, yes in the middle of the day. It could be I was just reading “Warming Winter Baths” and the different types to take whether it be a de-stress or an energizing bath etc. My sister Jojo introduced me to essential oils (EO) years ago, she is a wise sister and part of the witch sister trilogy. Since I was going to do bath bombs for my friends for Christmas and their birthdays, but never did, I had all the ingredients. So, I whipped up a potion of bath salts and a potion for shampoo build-up for my hair and headed to my claw foot tub with a picture of the Carlsbad flower field and ocean in the background hanging in view. It is my peaceful place. Step-by-step pictures were and will always be unavailable.

As I lay there I thought of the previous year, previous years and generational buildup and baggage we carry with us. So, as I soaked I decided to let go. Let go of the fear of the coming year and what I didn’t do right last year or years before. To let go of worry if my sister will lose her job, if my son-in-law will find one, if I am a good wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend. If I weigh too much, if I said something wrong…if, if, if, then the song from South Pacific started playing in my head…I’m gonna wash that man right outta my hair, and I changed it to, I’m gonna wash that guilt, baggage and so on right out of my hair, off my mind, outta my heart and down the drain.


Years ago my friend Jane gave me a book called “ The Art of Doing Nothing: Simple Ways to Make Time For Yourself”. I had time once to read it as it sat water splashed next to my tub. It is a short book that reminded me it is ok sometimes to do nothing.

So, this year I am letting go, I am going to unburden myself from things I can do nothing about, forgive myself for the things I can, and be more grateful then wanting. I am running a campaign, which I love to do. I am taking Herbalogy classes, a four-day energy-training seminar and if luck will have it a cooking class far away in Vermont. I love to learn.

As promised “The Energizing Bath”
By Laurel Vukovic

Lavender, rosemary, peppermint and basil make a refreshing and energizing aromatherapy bath. Because peppermint and basil can cause skin irritation, you should dilute the essential oils in whole milk, vodka or witch hazel extract before adding them to the bath.

• 5 drops lavender essential oil
• 2 drops rosemary essential oil
• 2 drops peppermint essential oil
• 1 drop basil essential oil
• 1 tablespoon whole milk, vodka or witch hazel extract

Mix ingredients together and add to the bath after the tub has filled. Agitate the water vigorously with your hand to disperse the oils before entering the tub.

I added the oils to a mixture of: (without using the milk, vodka or witch hazel)
• ½ C. each sea salt and Epson salts
• 1 C. baking soda

Mix well and use about 4 Tablespoons in your bath water.

Hair rinse for product build up:
1 part vinegar
2 parts warm water

Pour over your hair after shampooing and rinse.

Now if I can only get my home organized.
Happy New Year to all you old and new blog followers.

Day After Sliders and Dagwoods

I think one of the best parts of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. If we have an early Thanksgiving dinner, we may have sandwiches later that evening. No matter when you have them, they are something to be thankful for.

Turkey Sliders/Cluckers
(little sandwiches that slide down your throat)

Small buns or rolls (my favorite roll recipe follows)
Turkey
Miracle Whip (so says sister Alyssa, but just on these)
or good mayo like Best Foods
Cranberry sauce

Spread Miracle Whip or mayo on each side of roll
Whatever else you what to put on them, remember they are to be small as opposed to the Dagwood.

Dagwoods
(my honey’s favorite)

Good whole grain bread
Mayonnaise
Mustard, whole grain (optional)
Turkey
Ham (optional)
Cranberry sauce
Dressing/stuffing
Sprouts
Ranch House dressing

Spread mayo and mustard on both sides of bread. Start stacking one side of bread with turkey and ham, then cranberry sauce,dressing, sprouts, and drizzle with Ranch House dressing. Place the remaining slice of bread on and hope you can wrap your mouth around it.

Savory Rolls
(courtesy of the Ford sisters)
¾ cup Parmesan cheese (the finer, the better)
¼ cup dried parsley
¼ tsp. garlic salt
melted butter
24 Rhodes Rolls

Mix cheese, parsley and garlic salt, set aside. Dip frozen rolls in melted butter and roll in cheese mixture. Place on cookie sheet and let rise per roll directions on bag, about 4-5 hours. Bake according to package directions.

To Stuff Or Dress, That Is The Question

…a confusing dilemma indeed. So, I turned to my trusty food dictionary, sort of a foodie’s Bible if you will, Food Lover’s Companion (from now on referred to as FLC). Under dressing it says, “A mixture used to stuff poultry, fish, meat and some vegetables. It can be cooked separately or in the food in which it is stuffed. Dressings (also called stuffings) are usually well seasoned and based on breadcrumbs or cubes-though rice, potatoes and other foods are also used.” It also refers to dressing as “a sauce, usually cold, used to top salads-some cold vegetables, fish and meat dishes”. I will be referring to the first one.

Clear as gravy? My thinking is a stuffing is anything you stuff into something, of course that could be a wad of cash you put in your bra or what you do when you put your jeans on following Thanksgiving. Anyhow, I digress when I am suppose to be clarifying this muddle for the home cook, perhaps even for an Iron Chef.

Back in the day of going out and killing your own game for dinner/supper (yet another quandary) the hunter would need to “dress” his catch. “Meaning to prepare game, fowl, fish and so forth by plucking, scalding, eviscerating, and so on.” It also can mean, “to dress a salad, which simply means adding a dressing”(FLC). This had nothing to do with being dressed by Tim Gunn, although a girl can dream.

So whatever you want to call it, I love it. I even like Stove Top, but at Thanksgiving I have to make the real thing. It doesn’t take long and you can experiment with it. Below is a basic recipe that you can build upon, following it one of my favorites. What FLC didn’t define is stuffing yourself!
Happy Thanksgiving.

To my sister Alyssa who asked for recipes:

Basic Stuffing:
1 16-oz bag stuffing (I prefer Pepperidge Farm’s Herb Seasoned Stuffing)
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (12 Tablespoons)
4-6 stalks celery with leaves, medium dice
1 large yellow onion, diced
4-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stem
10 fresh sage leaves chopped

Preheat oven to 350’. Butter 2-quart baking dish.

Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in skillet and sauté’ onions and celery until soft. Add remaining butter, thyme and sage. Add broth and season to taste with salt and pepper, heat through. Pour over stuffing mix, toss well and place in buttered dish. Bake 30-40 minutes until browned on top. Let set 10 minutes before serving.

Sausage, Cherry and Sage Stuffing
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, remove casings
1 stick butter
3 cups onions, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 T. fresh sage and thyme, chopped
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped
6 cups croutons or Pepperidge Farms Herb Stuffing
½ t. allspice
¼ cup maple syrup (the real stuff)
2 cups dried cherries
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
2 cups chicken broth (low sodium) may need more
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven 350’

Sauté’ sausage in large skillet, crumbling until cooked through. Remove sausage with slotted spoon to a large bowl. Discard sausage fat. Melt butter in pan and add onions and celery. Sauté’ until tender 10-15 minutes. Add sausage, herbs, stock, allspice, maple syrup and warm through.

In bowl, place croutons, cherries and pecans. Pour stock mixture over and toss to coat. Mixture should be moist, not soggy. Add salt & pepper to taste. Place stuffing in buttered baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 1 hour then uncover and bake another 20 minutes until top is golden.

Turkey 101

Talking turkey could be considered a political term as well as a food term and either could apply at this time of year. However, before I delve into the "light or dark" side of politics, Thanksgiving happens to be one of my favorite holidays. I have been cooking turkey since I was in high school. About 15 years ago I found a great recipe and have used it ever since. I even experimented with how to get it done the day before so I would have room in the oven and the turkey mess already cleaned up. So "here it tis".

The Perfect Turkey

Preheat oven 375'
1 fresh turkey
stuffing
Bed of root veggies: White onion, scrubbed carrot (cut in chunks),
celery stalks (no leaves), cut in chunks, 5-6 garlic cloves,
three sprigs fresh thyme, rosemary or both (I prefer rosemary)
3 bay leaves, 2 turnips (scrubbed and cut in chunks)

Scatter root vegetables on bottom of roasting pan. Place turkey on top of veggies, stuff with favorite stuffing/dressing. Tie turkey legs together. Brush with baste mixture.
Baste mixture: 1 stick melted butter mixed with
3 T. olive oil
1 T. salt (that is right)
1/4 t. pepper

Place turkey in oven uncovered for 30 minutes at 375'
or until nicely browned.
Reduce the temperature to 275' cooking 20 minutes per each pound
of turkey or until internal temp reaches 160'.
Baste every 30 minutes with baste mixture and/or pan drippings.
Tent with foil and let turkey rest at least 20 minutes before carving.
Strain pan juices of solid and make your gravy.

*Do turkey the day ahead, carve and place in oven proof dish.
Pour some pan juices and place any loose turkey skin over the sliced turkey.
Seal well with foil.
Next day heat up at 350' for 30' minutes.

** I will be adding a FAQ at some point
to answer any cooking questions and to offer needed recipes.