tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34022917911175315032024-02-20T10:12:45.877-06:00A Course for AdventureA Web trip through 50 states highlighting children's stories and family-friendly meals. Get ready as we cross another state border...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-37116290948502442862011-06-19T17:50:00.000-05:002011-06-19T17:50:43.925-05:00Leaving Town OR a Toast -- under barbecue ribs -- to KC<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-1hUoGE1F2xQvgA8XZU8R_doPr1Cr7JEFIhQLbMJcSF-C5sd7EKMQrxlMLcn8Nj1zfM_nwarR1vZeBS_NOGaXkEJoEE7Z9p2mJg1bNKuF8J-3o-qTR1PjEMSxtft0O8p-rXtaWD3kGKJ/s1600/kcskyline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-1hUoGE1F2xQvgA8XZU8R_doPr1Cr7JEFIhQLbMJcSF-C5sd7EKMQrxlMLcn8Nj1zfM_nwarR1vZeBS_NOGaXkEJoEE7Z9p2mJg1bNKuF8J-3o-qTR1PjEMSxtft0O8p-rXtaWD3kGKJ/s320/kcskyline.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Facing South and the Kansas City skyline.</td></tr>
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PHOTO NOTE: <i>My photos aren't too crisp because I've not had a chance to purchase a real camera. There's only so much my iPhone camera can capture. But on my last afternoon in KC, I called my friend Sue -- we'll been good friends since college -- and we met at <a href="http://lattelandkc.com/">Lattéland</a> at <a href="http://www.briarcliffvillagekc.com/">Briarcliff Village</a> for tea. It wasn't a good-bye tea, but a quick break and it soothed the soul. Atop this plateau, the shopping center has the best views of the city. There's a good Argentinian restaurant there but the two times we dined there they sat us in tall wooden booths in the center without any view of the great skyline. Anyway, I hadn't noticed this statue before and I thought it graced the view of my town. </i><br />
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The problem with slowly chronicling our family adventures is that my prolific and writing machine of a husband has already written posts on this topic for days, weeks, months. I am positive I could find Joe's blog posts from before 2009 foreshadowing this move.<br />
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So forgive me if this is old news.... but we've left our comfortable home and dear friends and family in Kansas City, Missouri, to venture out to Charlotte, N.C. Officially in the South where they say 'y'all' -- even though I'd been told that's just a Texas thing -- by a former Texas resident. May I just state that getting further away from all things Texas is not a bad thing. I still slip and call Penn State's home College Station instead of State College. I still automatically yell "You drive too fast" when I see any Texas license plate. I cringe when I hear talk of Texas barbecue. And I hear them Carolinas have that mustard-based stuff. Blasphemy.<br />
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We're finding Charlotte to be a place where people are most friendly and downright helpful, like the mother showing me her favorite -- and rarely stocked -- ice cream dessert for children in the freezer section of Trader Joe's -- Hold the Cone mini ice cream cones. But I'm getting ahead of myself, because this post is about the place we left behind. We've got to dig up the past before delving into the future or something like that, right?<br />
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I clipped coupons out of a new paper in a new city I feel I don't yet know. I found my old coupon organizer and realized all my coupons haphazardly clipped had expired in 2009. Under the RESTAURANTS headings, I became nostalgic for my old city and our old haunts. I found a pass for the Truman Library that I never got a chance to visit in Independence. Though we did finally take our favorite babysitters to <a href="http://www.paleteriastropicana.com/Tropicana.html">Tropicana</a> in Independence last week for frozen fruity pops. (If you go to their Southwest Boulevard location take your Spanish-speaking friends as the menu board isn't in English. If not, it makes ordering more adventurous. Some of their pops have chili as an ingredient.)<br />
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I long to know exotic popsicle and ice cream purveyors in our new town. Does Charlotte have a chocolateur like Christopher Elbow? (Whose <a href="http://www.glaceicecream.com/">ice cream</a> is also svelte and creamy and divine.) Is there an Italian restaurant where movie stars get visits from the chef? I gawked at Paul Rudd at <a href="http://www.jasperskc.com/">Jasper's</a> one night. I wonder if Charlotte's own Brooklyn Decker eats pasta? Joe with his SI connections should be able to find out Brooklyn's fave spots. Not that I'm stalking. And I could just ask her myself on Twitter.<br />
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I miss the zoo (didn't get a chance to see the Polar Bear exhibit), and the Nelson-Atkins and their kids art classes and our fave lion statue so majestically greeting us on each and every visit, and Loose Park's duck pond, and just walking around the Country Club Plaza or English Landing Park in Parkville. I miss a zillion other things that made raising children in KC easier. It was comfortable. It was our home, until last week. <br />
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I'm missing my town where when I think of restaurants, I don't think of menu specialties as much as I think of people. Like Kevin Ryan who owns Governor Stumpy's in Brookside, who always made us feel as welcomed as if we were Norm from Cheers. Michael Garazzo who invented chicken spedini and remembers that his downtown spot is where Joe proposed to me 13 years and 7 months ago. Or the American, where Joe and the girls took me for Mother's Day brunch and we got to view the kitchen after the meal (I never thought I'd say I enjoyed a stinging nettle soup) and talk with chef Debbie Gold.<br />
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Then there's the barbecue. The "Hello, may I help you?" more of a command than an actual greeting at <a href="http://www.gatesbbq.com/">Gates</a>. The cheesy corn, beef brisket and flattened chicken at <a href="http://www.jackstackbbq.com/">Jack Stack</a>. The burnt ends at <a href="http://www.arthurbryantsbbq.com/">Arthur Bryants</a>, where the sides are sparse but the barbecue is for real with three types of sauces. I'd mix the original and rich & spicy sauces together for sheer dipping delight. I've learned that it's not real barbecue unless it's on a slice of Texas Toast. (See, Texas keeps butting into everything.)<br />
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I used to always admonish Joe for mentioning "too many" restaurants in his annual Thanksgiving column in the Kansas City Star. I've fallen for that same culinary blunder. I miss that local flair. I grew up in Kansas and I have memories of my father firing up the grill every Sunday for lunch (my parents called the noonday meal dinner.) It was always steak or maybe hamburgers. Red meat. Grrrrrr, meal of hearty Midwesterners. KC would put just about anything on the grill. The 'Arm of Zeus' (beef loin) we marinated in Allegro. We'd opt for chicken almost exclusively unless it was time for barbecue and we'd venture for brisket and ribs, with a few veggies jazzed up with cheese (cheesy corn) or mustard seed (cole slaw) and a dessert before the sun went down on the Heartland. That was our quintessential KC meal. The meal made perfect with friends, who we've asked to visit us on the East Coast. A chance for us to grill and reminisce.<br />
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I must find out quickly if they grill here in the South. .... <i>to be continued</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-37622452770712314842011-03-01T10:02:00.001-06:002011-03-01T10:03:39.868-06:00Start Your Engines, We're In Indiana!A small amount of snow still sits on the ground, but school is in session, and that's a very good thing on many levels. It allows me to get back to this journey. We last left off when we announced Indiana as our next itinerary.<br />
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Thanks to Jay Lemke at Red Gold, an Indiana cannery, who submitted recipes that feature the ever versatile tomato. Jay also sent me a press packet with some of their products, from canned tomatoes to ketchup. (Which I sneak into chili and homemade barbecue sauce when Liz isn't looking.) Which reminds me, if you have unique food products from your state, I'd love to know about them. You can e-mail me at: courseforadventure (at) gmail.com <br />
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I've been so underwhelmed with "fresh" grocery store tomatoes, that in winter I only purchase canned tomatoes. A friend who makes her own salsa says she'll only use Red Gold because it doesn't have a "tinny" taste. <br />
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Red Gold Tomatoes has a cookbook that features many uses for the red fruit called "Heartwarming Recipes for the Busy Cook." I've seen it recently at my local grocery store. Page 67 in the cookbook features founder Fran Reichart's Tomato Tart. I'm intrigued with the mayonnaise in the mix.<br />
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<u><b>INDIANA:</b></u><br />
<u><b>Fran Reichart's </b>Red Gold</u><u><b> Tomato Tart</b></u><br />
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell*<br />
2 (14.5-ounce) cans Red Gold diced tomatoes roasted garlic & onion<br />
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped<br />
1/4 teaspoon salf<br />
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese (I use low-fat when possible)<br />
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese (low-fat)<br />
1/2 cup mayonnaise<br />
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* Click <a href="http://acourseforadventure.blogspot.com/2010/12/winning-n-easy-ketucky-derby-pie.html">HERE</a> for my grandmother's super-easy pie crust recipe!<br />
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Prep time: 20 minutes / Bake time: 40 minutes<br />
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Fit the pie shell into a 9-inch pie plate. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork. (A great way to take out aggravation.) Bake for 12 minutes.<br />
Combine undrained cans of tomatoes, basil and salt in a bowl and mix well. Spread the tomato mixture evenly in the prepared pie plate. Combine the two cheeses and mayonnaise in a bowl and mix well. Spread evenly over the tomato mixture. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown. Cut into bite-size pieces. Serve warm. Serves 12.<br />
Serving suggestions: Works as appetizer or entree. Serve with soup, tossed green salad and raspberry ice.<br />
<i>Calories 230, Fat 18g, Chol 25mg, Sodium 250 mg, Carbs 12g, Fiber 1g, Protein 6g. </i><br />
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Mayonnaise seems to be the family's secret ingredient to pair with their tomatoes. Jay sent another Red Gold family recipe from their CEO Brian Reichart, who says: "This is the greatest pizza in the world."<br />
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<u><b>INDIANA:</b></u><br />
<u><b> Brian Reichart's Fresh Tomato Basil Pizza</b></u><br />
1 (10 ounce) package refrigerator pizza crust**<br />
3/4 cup mayonnaise<br />
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (low-fat if possible)<br />
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese (low-fat if possible)<br />
1 garlic clove, minced<br />
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Red Gold diced tomatoes, drained<br />
or 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Red Gold petite diced tomatoes, drained<br />
1 bell pepper, chopped<br />
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil<br />
Prep time: 10 minutes / Cook time: 15 minutes <br />
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease 12” pizza pan or 13x9x2 inch pan. Unroll pizza crust and place in greased pan. Starting at center press out with hands. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup Mozzarella cheese and garlic. Spread cheese mixture on crust. Arrange diced tomatoes in a single layer over cheese. Sprinkle bell pepper and remaining Mozzarella cheese over tomatoes. Bake 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Just before serving sprinkle with fresh basil. Serves: 12.<br />
<i>Calories 170, Fat 8g, Chol 15mg, Sodium 370mg, Carbs 16g, Fiber 1g, Protein 8g.</i><br />
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** Here's what I use for making fresh pizza dough or more technically, impasto per pizze. It's from <a href="http://www.toscanabrentwood.com/cookbook.htm">Toscana restaurant in LA</a>.<br />
Makes 8 (10-inch) pizzas, but I always halve the recipe and still have enough for a large pizza and a small dough ball for the next day's after-school snack of savory or cinnamon-sugar-coated mini-pizza round.<br />
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<u><b>CALIFORNIA:</b></u><br />
<u><b>Toscana's Impasto Per Pizze (Fresh Pizza Dough)</b></u><br />
2 cups warm water<br />
1 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 1/4 teaspoon sugar<br />
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />
6 cups Italian "OO" flour (a finely ground flour from Italy that makes a crispier crust. I just use my <a href="http://www.hudsoncream.com/product.taf">Hudson Cream flour</a>.)<br />
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In a mixing bowl, add warm water, yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil. Whisk until yeast dissolves and activates, about 2 minutes. (The yeast should foam up a little bit before disappearing.) Pour the mixture into a mixer using the dough hook and set to slow speed. Add the flour. When all the flour is added, speed up the machine for 1 minute until a dough ball is formed. Remove the dough and place on a floured countertop and allow to rest about 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 "balls." (With half the recipe I take two-thirds for the larger pizza ball and make a smaller ball with what's left). Cover with a damp cloth, let rise for 15 minutes. The dough is now ready to use.<br />
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Who knew that a trip to Indiana would lead us to Italy? When the girls and I make pizza we crank up our iTunes Italian Night music folder that features:<br />
"Off to Italy" on A Little Romance soundtrack by Georges Delerue<br />
"Balcony e gondola" and "Tarantela rusticana" on World Music Italy, Vol. 4<br />
"Con te partiro" on Romanza by Andrea Bocelli<br />
"Rigoletto, Act III: La donna e mobile" on Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy: My Favorite Opera for Everyone<br />
"Lolita" on Italy - Famous Italian Favorites by Graham BLVD<br />
"Tarantella" and "Mambo Italiano" on Italian Dinner Party Music<br />
and "La Giocanda" on Italian Favorites by Il Nuovo Canzoniere Italiano G<br />
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So as they say in Indiana "Enjoy!" or Italy "Buon Appetito!"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-38388252176178116262011-02-03T13:28:00.001-06:002011-02-03T13:44:46.307-06:00Happy New (Year of the Rabbit)That blizzard and a third snow day has kept us busy (and a bit stir crazy) at home and kept us from virtually heading to Indiana. But since today is the Chinese New Year, thought we'd toss out a recipe we're planning on having today or tomorrow in honor of the holiday. Happy New Year!<br />
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Though we just learned from our neighbors who celebrate the holiday that it's not considered good luck to shower (washes away good luck) or chop anything today. You can find other prohibitions <a href="http://holidays.kaboose.com/chinese-new-year-day-dishes.html">HERE, including avoiding meats.</a><br />
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So technically, this dish makes more sense to fix tomorrow when chopping vegetables isn't considered bad luck. I've got enough problems with my knives that I don't need any more bad vibes. I'm not sure it sounds like good karma to fix rabbit today either. (Though <a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Welsh-Rabbit">Welsh Rabbit</a> might be okay.)<br />
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Here's one of my favorite Chinese-inspired recipes from my friend, Shelly Trenholm in the Asbury United Methodist Church's "Treasured Recipes 2006" cookbook.<br />
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<u><b>Chinese Chicken Bake</b></u><br />
2 TABLESPOONS margarine or butter, melted<br />
1/4 teaspoon onion powder<br />
2 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal<br />
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained well<br />
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey — chopped, though might be better to get canned chicken today<br />
1 (10 3/4 oz) can reduced fat condensed cream of mushroom soup<br />
1 1/4 cup celery, — chopped, use food processor?<br />
2 TABLESPOONS green onions — chopped, food processor?<br />
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Preheat oven to 350°. Combine butter and onion powder. Gradually add cereal, stirring until all pieces are evenly coated. Set aside. Place in an ungreased 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cereal mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until top is lightly browned.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-50559045213808915172011-01-28T13:21:00.002-06:002011-01-28T13:24:05.746-06:00Making a Food Statement: Arkansas' Finest<div class="MsoNormal">Snow is melting, I'm starting a new diet today that's more exercise — <a href="http://www.wired.com/playbook/2010/11/total-body-tracking/">NFL Training Camp for the Wii </a>— and calorie awareness thanks to <a href="http://www.mynetdiary.com/">MyNetDiary for the iPad </a>— and we're getting back on track with more great, and easy family meals.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As advertised we're headed for Indiana next week, but today's meal features favorites from Arkansas.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK03nfsqgPJPtTH1xNDIskawsRd1-HtfxKi9PEiCePIj0vbtiT7P0XU058ZEqT4rFvgaPTDi91G70xYuR271wpuJKu07rtL4s2H_Az2XSdmLYaNTa_okPaFoaCHV0NR7tJ_K_ugw09olxV/s1600/ArkansasMENU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK03nfsqgPJPtTH1xNDIskawsRd1-HtfxKi9PEiCePIj0vbtiT7P0XU058ZEqT4rFvgaPTDi91G70xYuR271wpuJKu07rtL4s2H_Az2XSdmLYaNTa_okPaFoaCHV0NR7tJ_K_ugw09olxV/s320/ArkansasMENU.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This menu is compliments of the Arkansas Governor's Mansion. Thanks to Tiffany Dabbs who consulted the three culinary chefs on staff at the Mansion, as well as <a href="http://www.arkansasfirstlady.com/healthy_habits.html">First Lady Ginger Beebe</a> to present A Course for Adventure with the ideal Arkansas meal. I don't think you can get more authentic Arkansas flair than that!<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal">Without further ado, here is the quintessential Arkansas Menu:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Salad</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.athomearkansas.com/article/growing-governor%E2%80%99s-mansion">Arkansas Governor’s Mansion</a> grown figs with Goat Cheese over Arugula. Dressed with a Fig Vinaigrette.<br />
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Here's a link to <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/fig-vinaigrette">Martha Stewart's fig vinaigrette</a> made with dried figs, which are easier to find than fresh figs, which do not ship well. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyan5tsm9qb_84cZKAFykhLjlZ78Tphzm4rH6fSLTcDKD-f6vgXWUZoBFt62rCaaIPgymltO172JpI1HlrPDg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<a href="http://www.uaex.edu/sebastian/podcast/2009/figs_12022009.htm">Video is from University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.</a> The video notes figs are one of the easiest fruits to grow in Arkansas. Interesting to note, people with latex allergies shouldn't handle figs.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tiffany says this is salad is one of Arkansas First Lady Ginger Beebe’s favorite. It's also featured on the Mansion catering menu.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Entree</b><br />
<u>Roasted Whole Chicken</u><br />
See <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe/index.html">Ina Garten's perfect roast chicken recipe</a>. This needs to be started 2 hours before dinner time but the rest of the dinner is easy.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><br />
</u><u>Fresh Green Beans with Shallots</u><br />
Food Network Kitchen's recipe <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/green-beans-with-shallots-recipe/index.html">HERE.</a><br />
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<u>Arkansas Wild Rice Pilaf with Cranberries</u></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/wild-rice-pilaf-recipe/index.html">Here is the link for Sandra Lee's very quick version</a>. <a href="http://www.arkansasricefarmers.org/arkansas-rice-facts/">Arkansas is a big rice state</a> as <a href="http://acourseforadventure.blogspot.com/2010/11/chicken-and-rice-casserole-arkansas.html">my friend Jennifer mentioned earlier</a>. Riceland Foods started in Stuttgart, Arkansas, in 1921. They have some <a href="http://www.riceland.com/consumers/recipes/">rice-inspired dishes here.</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.arkansaskids.com/made_in_arkansas/">Check out this Tourism site</a> for more products that are made in Arkansas.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbH00mX2K2NeTs9rsDZUdMRRs32Lho6OXEvSidlU2PhJv-8wx5GtUN_OAOebQOfWRdEHM9-JXRBLky4lz4ICPjzwKXqoHfObJqR5KpR0FYlKVMfZG-NzXXa68Q5019zF2fqayIYm4kY6s/s1600/ArkansasGUIDES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbH00mX2K2NeTs9rsDZUdMRRs32Lho6OXEvSidlU2PhJv-8wx5GtUN_OAOebQOfWRdEHM9-JXRBLky4lz4ICPjzwKXqoHfObJqR5KpR0FYlKVMfZG-NzXXa68Q5019zF2fqayIYm4kY6s/s320/ArkansasGUIDES.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free Arkansas travel info <a href="http://www.arkansas.com/helpful-info/free-vacation-kit/">HERE.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>Dessert</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><dessert></dessert></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u>Bourbon Pecan Pie</u></div><div class="MsoNormal">Store bought crust or<br />
<u>Homemade crust</u><br />
1½ cups all-purpose flour<br />
½ teaspoon of salt<br />
<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 14pt;">½ cup Crisco</span> <br />
3 Tablespoons of water<br />
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<u>Pie filling</u><br />
1 cup Karo syrup<br />
3 eggs<br />
1 cup of sugar<br />
2 TABLESPOONS of butter, melted<br />
1<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 14pt;">½ cups pecan halves</span><br />
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</div>For crust, sift flour with salt then mix with Crisco until mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Add water to mixture and combine until dough ball forms. Do Not over mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.Roll out dough onto a 9” to 10” round, flat surface and then place dough in a sprayed pie dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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Mix together Karo syrup, eggs, sugar, melted butter, and pecan halves. Pour into pie shell and bake for 60-70 minutes.<br />
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<i>Thank you Tiffany Dabbs,</i><i> <a href="http://www.arkansasfirstlady.com/healthy_habits.html">First Lady Ginger Beebe</a> and Mansion chefs for your time and help with our states project.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-44685519202186156892011-01-21T12:04:00.000-06:002011-01-21T12:04:21.268-06:00Dinner for 200Last Sunday afternoon a semi-artic chill circled through downtown Kansas City and mounds of gray-swirled, week-old snow left the town feeling lonely and eerie. I circled around the desolate block of mainly industrial buildings again, trying to figure out where to park near the shelter.<br />
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Katie saw something else. When I opened the automatic side door to our minivan she said: "Mom, I think I saw a castle nearby. Is this a fairy tale place we're going to?"<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbd-MJ_1NofexFiDAdKq74wpsBxxoLEyqfImfyiOURHo1bGPNP9ZUxMaVoWsci8Y-LIhBChb7xOG_tm5QqtQgE44yEaiAKqGavi3DkJ7llWWTkzem1VcqoaKlTA3z7rLchFUClVAm9ppPS/s1600/restart3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbd-MJ_1NofexFiDAdKq74wpsBxxoLEyqfImfyiOURHo1bGPNP9ZUxMaVoWsci8Y-LIhBChb7xOG_tm5QqtQgE44yEaiAKqGavi3DkJ7llWWTkzem1VcqoaKlTA3z7rLchFUClVAm9ppPS/s320/restart3.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><br />
I didn't want to dash my sweet child's romantic notions. But she also needed to know that we weren't headed into an opulent place. We were meeting three families and a kitchen crew to make dinner for a homeless shelter. We'd not seen any Disney movies about this adventure.<br />
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Coming into the shelter from the cold and quiet downtown street, we checked in at the front desk, took the elevator to the basement floor and walked into the kitchen. I'd been cautioned that it wasn't the cleanest of kitchens. Despite feeling a little dingy, it seemed to have the basics: plastic bins marked with the words "Utensils," a steel island with ingredients for a chicken gravy, stovetops where peas were thawing, a giant fryer/skillet where chicken breasts were sizzling, and two big sinks where the ingredients for a fresh lettuce salad and a side entree of oven-roasted potatoes could be washed.<br />
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It was 3:30 in the afternoon and we had until 5 to get a hot, balanced meal ready for 200 people. <i>Perhaps</i> doable. We got directions from Steve, the sweet, smiling volunteer from our group who coordinates lunch and dinner on Saturdays and Sundays during the month of January for the shelter. He's been doing this for years and seemed delighted to show us the ingredients we could put together for a chicken white sauce: two large packages of instant chicken gravy mix, large packages of grated cheese, a pound and a half of butter, a gallon and a half of milk and a bottle of tarragon. He couldn't find the garlic or other spices.<br />
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My friend, Debbie, and I didn't have the heart to tell Steve we weren't good at making gravy. We just never ever made the stuff. Steve suggested we could wait until all the chickens were done frying and then we could make our sauce right in that high-sided fryer/skillet. That did seem fun. When Steve said he didn't have an actual sauce recipe, I used my phone to find an <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/white-sauce/Detail.aspx">easy white sauce</a> and used the website's conversion tool to figure out 200 servings. <br />
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We went to a smaller sink to wash our hands and put on kitchen gloves. I cautioned my daughters about them needing to practice good health etiquette and not touch their faces. I guess I didn't specify touching things on the floor because Katie soon held up a penny she'd found. I told her to put the penny in the front of her apron, wash her hands again and put on new gloves. That was a five-minute process for a five-year-old.<br />
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We helped friends cut up lettuce and tomatoes for the salad. Steve had asked us to arrange the tomatoes around the lettuce to make it all look presentable. You could tell he took pride in his menus.<br />
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Katie asked to help cut up carrots but I instructed her that even though I brought a first-aid kit, she really just needed to be a less skilled helper. Her friends cut carrots and she placed them in the plastic bin, ready to be added to the peas for a side dish.<br />
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Once the chicken breasts were done, Debbie and I slowly added the ingredients to the browned remnants and grease remaining in the vast skillet. Debbie's husband reminded us the grease would make it tasty — his mother made a mean gravy. After more than 10 minutes with four of us stirring in this vast pot, Steve came over to taste and announced it was awesome, just not nearly enough. The goal was to pour it over the four enormous pans of chicken, top with more cheese and then keep warm in the oven. We added the last of the chicken gravy powder mixed with more water, more cheese and tarragon and increased the heat to return the mixture to its earlier thicker texture, without lumps.<br />
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Nearing 5 o'clock, the white sauce was ladled over the chickens in the pans. The meal did look good.<br />
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Next we volunteered to help on the serving line.<br />
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About half-way through the dinner serving hours, two other grade-school friends took over for Elizabeth and her friend who had been dishing up the hot vegetables.<br />
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Katie and her friend had run out of cookies to hand out so she asked to help serve cornbread. Katie relished her job, scooping up the tall, airy <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/tippins-cornbread-2-167360">Tippins-recipe cornbread asking everyone if they wanted some. </a>Most of the folks in line commented on her Minnie Mouse hat and she seemed to make them smile. Nearing 6:30 the food was not quite all gone, but Katie was diving into the last of three large pans of cornbread. She asked one man if he wanted cornbread. "No, but I'll give you a kiss instead," as he lowered to plant a kiss on her right gloved hand.<br />
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Later that evening Katie told me in school they had talked about wants and needs. The needs she said were shelter, clothing, food and love. She said the man who kissed her hand was giving love. And to me it seemed all the more pronounced since he was able to give back when he was there for two basic needs of shelter and food for himself. <br />
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The meal ended soon after. It was just one warm meal for the diners who's stood in line waiting, not knowing what was on the menu.<br />
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It's one meal we'll long remember. We helped clean up and then walked up the stairs. Katie, never shy, asked to hold the hand of another friend who normally wouldn't be holding hands with a Kindergartener. Then my daughters and I and our friends walked out into the cold winter's night.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-35138809333197512382011-01-19T16:32:00.000-06:002011-01-19T16:32:47.883-06:00Hoops in the Heartland<i>Too many snow days has caused a lull in our regional cooking but keep checking back. We've got Indiana coming up and with the cold weather here in Missouri, I'm thinking thoughts of Hawaii. I've forgotten what WARM breezes feel like. </i><br />
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<i>We have more snowflakes falling at a nice clip today so I'm guessing tomorrow will be a snow day with my daughters looking to be entertained. (Read: watching more TV and making some microwave caramel popcorn.) In the meantime, here's an adventure from our weekend.</i><br />
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It sort of pained me to tell people my daughter was giving up dance to concentrate on basketball and spring soccer. Well sort of, and perhaps if I was being totally honest it wouldn't be discomforting to see my little girly girl change into an athlete seemingly overnight. <i>And not that dancers aren't athletes. I think Paula Abdul would make an incredible bodyguard.</i><br />
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Liz is lithe and graceful, fit to be a dancer in my scout's eyes. I loved watching both daughters in their beautiful, classy dance outfits in last May's dance recital. I was gearing up for that again this year. I liked the other parents and it seemed a more civilized way to get exercise without the notion of competition and all that brings out in parents. If you've been to a youth league game recently you know what I mean.<br />
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But I think I'm more in love with the idea of having dancers, probably because I never got the chance to dance as a child. In my small Kansas town we lived too far away from a dance studio for it to be a viable option. Now rather than live vicariously through my daughters I am thinking of joining an adult class to get a start on becoming graceful. Though I suspect I might be too late in that regard. Though my balance and posture do need a lot of help.<br />
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A yoga instruction recently explained that she's always getting potential students who fear their balance isn't good enough to even try yoga. She says she reassures everyone that balance isn't something you're born with, it's always changing and needing work even for her entire yoga class. I like that idea that we must continually work on balance and balancing what live throws our way. That's why I'll try and support my daughters in whatever direction their hearts takes them.<br />
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It's just that Liz's new-found love of basketball is treading close to my most passionate sport. Basketball conjures up many moments of dread and pain and embarrassment -- puking during warm-up drills and going a full season in high school with barely a win. Oh, there were a moments of glory (winning a game!) as with all sports, but just hearing sneakers squeak on hardwood (even making that sound on my home's not-quite-as-buffed-floor) flips this little switch in my brain where I start thinking: "I don't want to watch, I want to play."<br />
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And Katie who's five wanted to play basketball too. She might have some power. And since she's so short and petite, she's going to have to be one tenacious point guard. But early indications show Katie's spunky enough to not let anybody get in her way. She's NOT the daughter who cowers from rebounds. She's in fact the one child clearly running down MOST rebounds and dribbling down the count in her "Fun Basketball" practice/games. She's gotten more ball time than her sister by far, but that's a stat we don't mention out loud.<br />
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There are so many things I want to point out to both girls. I want to teach them about playing all-out all the time, setting picks, boxing out and using their hips, and knowing that making a basket is 90 percent confidence. But I try to stay quiet, reminding myself that from the court it's hard to focus on what parents are yelling from the stands. (Her grandfather -- my father -- enjoyed yelling instructions in one game. I kept hushing him, even apologizing to the coach after the game. The coach was nice enough to say he'd not heard my father.)<br />
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I wish I could will my daughters my court sense. I always thought I had good court awareness, vital for full-court presses and fast breaks, few and far between in third-grade basketball. I still motion too much with my hands, as if I'm a puppeter moving Liz to where she needs to be on defense.<br />
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And Liz's defense is improving. My friend Christi who's a good player and still referees and coaches in her freetime, says that at this age defense is key because it's hard for most kids to basically heave the ball to make a basket.<br />
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Liz only really gets an hour once a week at practice to work on shooting because it's too darn cold to practice shooting on our outdoor goal. What Liz really needed was the knowledge that she COULD make a goal. Too often I hear her say she cannot do something around the house, and I have to turn to Dick Vitale speech to get her to do her job. I was concerned she's feel that offense and making baskets was "too hard."<br />
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But last Saturday's game proved to be the best challenge yet with just five players including Liz. With 10 players at the beginning of the year, the coach had the luxury of playing each girl for half of each 10-minute quarter. Liz was about to get more playing time and she and her teammates responded to the call. Liz, always a bit hesitant when lining up around the circle for the tip, got the ball and started to dribble it, her first time to actually dribble in four games.<br />
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Just having her near the group rebounding with her hands up was an improvement over her first two games where she'd duck with her hands over her head when the ball came anywhere near her. We've been working on playing catch in the basement to work through that fear.<br />
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This game, Liz got a few rebounds and on one, heaved it back up. That's when adrenaline came in and her toss was a perfect arc toward the basket. And the basket went in! I was overjoyed but tried to not act too excited. Her sportswriting father smiled and had a great deal to say on the subject later. I was proud beyond words, and I know that even if she doesn't make a basket or win another game for the rest of the season, this year has been worth it.<br />
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Liz seemed to keep it in perspective, acting like her first basket in a game EVER was no big deal. I'm trying to do the same and keep my emotions in check. But I cannot help to think about the bigger picture: She's learning so much more than she thinks. She's learning to be part of a team and all the intangibles that come with working with others. She's also learning more about herself -- self-esteem which can come even on a team that loses more than wins -- and find the ability to BELIEVE is can do anything she sets her mind to do. I think she's learning that practice can provide results that go beyond one game, one basket. And she seems to really like it, which makes me think she'll be sticking with it. <br />
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I'm getting too excited now and I really do need to check into that dance class for my own sense of movement and dance floor awareness. I really do need to find out if sneakers squeak on dance floors.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-4246619154474046692011-01-07T15:26:00.000-06:002011-01-07T15:26:58.260-06:00Potter's Place, Part OneWe've recently returned from out outing at Harry Potter's Wizarding World at Universal's Island of Adventure Theme Park at Orlando, Florida. We went over break, as well as several other gazillion theme park fans.<br />
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My husband wrote about the experience <a href="http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2011/01/katie-prefect.html">here.</a> Really, after that post there's not much more I think I could even add. But I will try to share about my experience standing in line for Butterbeer later. I'm getting ready for a marathon scrapbooking weekend right now.<br />
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So in the meantime, I'll leave you with some butterbeer recipes. It's very good even though I'm the only one in the family who seemed to really like it. And I want to experiment and try to see if I can brew a "hot" version.<br />
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I'm including some links for recipes that come similar to making your own magical Butterbeer:<br />
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<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/semi-homemade-cooking-with-sandra-lee/butterbeer-recipe/index.html">Sanda Lee's take</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.mugglenet.com/misc/rosmertas/butterbeer.shtml">MuggleNet's recipe by Melissa </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/30/butterbeer-recipe-harry-p_n_630959.html">Huffington Post's version</a><br />
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We'll also be doing some kitchen alchemy soon, and I just ordered Elizabeth <a href="http://unofficialharrypottercookbook.com/">this book</a>, which I think she'll really enjoy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-86226127129353293262011-01-04T08:56:00.000-06:002011-01-04T08:56:26.137-06:00There's a New Chef in the KitchenHappy New Year and thanks for checking in. We've gearing up for a great journey through some more great states. And really aren't they all great states? When we're seeking the best a state has to offer and finding quick family meal solutions, it's a great way to brush up on geography and dabble in the kitchen without feeling stressed.<br />
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So what's first on our itinerary in January? We're studying up for a trip to Indiana and a return trip to Arkansas where we call on the First Lady to provide her quintessential state meal.<br />
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<b>We also plan to start a state-by-state page with food highlights, so if you've got a great find from your state, we'd love to hear about it!</b><br />
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So onward into 2011, exploring more great foods of all 50 states. And there's another new development in the kitchen. I thought you'd like to hear about it, too.<br />
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I grew up watching my mother and my grandmother cook, domestic goddesses in their warm kitchens. And lured by premium prize money at our summer county fair starting at the age of 8, I learned to bake. I still have my 4-H cookbooks with names like: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/TRICKS-TREATS-Project-Members-Manual/dp/B001B1RKZK">Tricks for Treats</a> and All American Foods. They're dated, sure, when a drop biscuit recipe calls for either shortening or lard. I kept them not so much for the recipes but for the chance to have my daughters look through them someday.<br />
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Someday is here. And how it came about after fixing a gazillion meals I'm not sure. We've been watching a bit more food shows over the holiday break and I've been baking more, though a "creamy caramel" flop made me question my time in the kitchen. <i>My caramel didn't get firm enough and resembled a blob, though its taste was dulce.</i><br />
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But what was sweetest of all was when 9-year-old Liz confidently announced early Monday that she wasn't just helping cook. She WAS cooking. She got out her fairly recently acquired <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780756645007">Cookbook for Girls </a>and picked out her evening menu she would be preparing "on her own."<br />
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<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780756645007?aff=MPosnanski"><img onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found.jpg';" src="http://images.booksense.com/images/books/007/645/FC9780756645007.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><br />
Liz's new fave cookbook</a><br />
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Her menu was: Spring rolls for appetizers, barbecued chicken kabobs for the main course with pink lemonade and white chocolate and raspberry brownies for dessert. She made her list and one modification. She agreed to use regular dark chocolate when her father announced he didn't like white chocolate.<br />
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Liz diligently wrote out her shopping list and we all went to the store. She was ready to start cooking right after we returned. I told her starting at 3:30 was a bit too early. But once she got started at quarter til 5 and for the ensuing hour and a half, she was a trooper, grating, stirring, reading and instructing me in which vegetables needing chopping and other ingredients she needed. I'd read over her shoulder occassionally to make sure she was reading the fractions right but I was more than happy to be the sous chef as she directed the action.<br />
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Liz was most concerned that her homemade barbecue sauce was made with ketchup, which to her is a most vile ingredient. But with a little coaxing she added the six tablespoons of the yucky red sauce with plenty of brown sugar and it turned out much better than she imagined. We'd also forgotten to soak our wooden skewers so we just placed the chicken chunks directly on the broiler pan and it still tasted fine.<br />
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Nearing 7 p.m. I told Liz that we'd have to make her lemonade recipe another night and so her father stepping in to help her with her fourth and final recipe. They used a salad spoon as their drink stirrer, but hey, we were ALL cookin'!<br />
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Katie, who helped too was most complimentary of her sister's abilities. Liz seemed pleased with her accomplishments and ready to make Monday night her cooking night. (Cue the Hank Williams Jr. lead-in music!) Leadership in action and oh, how I hope it continues, if only so I can have one less meal to plan. I've not been this excited for Monday nights in a long time.<br />
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Got an aspiring chef in your kitchen? Here are super easy biscuits I made my first year of cooking in 4-H when I was around Elizabeth's age.<br />
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<u><b>Drop Biscuits</b></u><br />
2 cups sifted enriched flour <br />
1 Tablespoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspon salt<br />
1/3 cup shortening or lard (don't worry about seeking out lard, shortening will do)<br />
1 cup milk<br />
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1. Preheat oven to very hot (450° F).<br />
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl. (I don't worry about sifting just weighing the flour. A kitchen scale is a great thing to have. One cup of flour is around 4 ounces/113 grams)<br />
3. Cut in shortening until mixture looks like coarse meal.<br />
4. Make a hole in the center of mixture and pour in all the milk.<br />
5. Stir until dry ingredients are barely damp.<br />
6. Drop dough by spoonsful onto the ungreased cookie sheet. Use one spoon to dip out the dough and the other spoon to push the dough onto the cookie sheet. Leave about 2-inch spaces between the biscuits.<br />
7. Bake in preheated oven about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.<br />
<i>Makes about 14 biscuits.</i><br />
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<u><b>Variation: Cinnamon Balls </b></u><br />
1. Combine 3 Tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon on a piece of waxed paper.<br />
2. Drop a teaspoon of biscuit dough at a time into the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Roll dough around to coat the surface and gently shape into a ball.<br />
3. Place coated balls of dough about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated hot oven (450° F).<br />
<i>Makes about 24.</i><br />
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<i>from "Tricks for Treats, A Fun with Foods Project" member manual published by the National 4-H Council.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-42331352120676762052010-12-20T23:24:00.000-06:002010-12-20T23:24:39.297-06:00A Horse for the AgesToday finishes our stay in the Great State of Kentucky, but not before a great horse story as promised, and a link for a fun twist on the classic Mint Julep drink. Maker's Mark's Toll Gate Cafe serves Chocolate Mint Julep Cookies with Andres creme de menth candies and tops it with a Bourbon Fudge.<br />
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I made the cookies without the fudge for my cookie exchange recently and they still have a good kick, but I can imagine the topping is decadent. Depending on how the rest of the winter goes, I might need to be testing the fudge soon. You can find the recipe <a href="http://www.bourbonblog.com/blog/2009/12/04/chocolate-mint-julep-cookie-recipefrom-makers-mark-distillerys-toll-gate-cafe/">HERE.</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrn2dTkluaJs9YJSdMo5oNPrMJCO3KwhVAMiIOxXUKQTXfoNfDm6TVVFBtVPgT1B98iZiRfapwLSaiZ2V5ZA8v8d_QIHaoW2NvhDfnO4wHwzqWLK5I-gXv6-FKfbeLRAF6AUXx3IFwtIe/s1600/Perfect+Drift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrn2dTkluaJs9YJSdMo5oNPrMJCO3KwhVAMiIOxXUKQTXfoNfDm6TVVFBtVPgT1B98iZiRfapwLSaiZ2V5ZA8v8d_QIHaoW2NvhDfnO4wHwzqWLK5I-gXv6-FKfbeLRAF6AUXx3IFwtIe/s320/Perfect+Drift.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect Drift will turn 11 this spring. (Photos by Dianne Reed)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So with visions of Bourbon fudge on mint cookies it's time to meet the second richest racehorse in America. Perfect Drift, who is the horse in resident at the Derby Museum at Churchill Downs in the spring and summer and winters in Kansas City, Missouri. Perfect Drift won more than $4.7 million from 2002 until his retirement in 2008.<br />
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I recently talked with our friend Dianne Reed, a great cook, who with her husband, Bryan, a veterinarian, help Bryan's parents Dr. William and Mary Reed run Stonecrest Farm, a beautiful 110-acre horse farm in south Kansas City. Their farm gained attention when Perfect Drift placed third at the 2002 Kentucky Derby. <br />
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"It was fun at <a href="http://www.kentuckyderby.info/millionairesrow.php">Millionaires Row,</a> we saw so much of everything," Dianne said. But they had a hard time getting to and from the paddock before the race because of all the celebrities. "Kid Rock, one of the Jacksons, and Josh Groban were near there. It was so crowded and all these celebrities kept getting in my way. I just wanted to see my horse."<br />
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But the Derby was just the start of Perfect Drift's career, as he'd raced in five straight Breeders' Cup Classics.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIyTxBQKfEbE9Ek2fvUzF53qAWfassH1gkd2ZDOXGP5oIDnM6ziINbha4v36rkAZKOqF7oOX8TREFlSN4eTabx2mN8lyhjudbPIwvunYiz4iVMJrKINFiBKxqn5ffyx3JrEEakQG3LJEq/s1600/Drift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIyTxBQKfEbE9Ek2fvUzF53qAWfassH1gkd2ZDOXGP5oIDnM6ziINbha4v36rkAZKOqF7oOX8TREFlSN4eTabx2mN8lyhjudbPIwvunYiz4iVMJrKINFiBKxqn5ffyx3JrEEakQG3LJEq/s320/Drift.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Churchill paddock before Stephen Foster race.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>In all, this mighty athlete started 50 races in a seven-year span. Dianne points out that the sire, Dynaformer, produces big horses who tend to mature later.<br />
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And the Reeds, who are very caring of all their animals, would give Perfect Drift and other racing horses time off, bringing them back each winter to Stonecrest Farms. "We gave him a break each winter and that was very unorthodox," Dianne said. "We let him be a snow horse, and get a hairy coat."<br />
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The winter break seemed to work well, but for Perfect Drift it was always about having the right racing attitude. "It's all about heart," Dianne said, who compares the horse to a great athlete. She recalls a race where in the paddock prior to the start time, Perfect Drift came into contact with another racer. "He snorted at the other horse and turned his head as if to dismiss that horse," Dianne said.<br />
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Plus she said he'd always pose for the cameras and seemed to like women better than men. It was always men who were wanting Perfect Drift to work hard. And even this fall when Dianne and Bryan went back to Churchill Downs to see him, he quickly remembered Dianne and tried to get to her purse, where she keeps a supply of mints. I wonder if Perfect Drift would like those mint cookies in the link above?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKCzUCJAwaKut8m96XCjZKjYbKLJh6I3kTj7WrIfX0VpxUJAbj2KylTrjIwE1306nvehKKvrbWpCQdladH8hcGbDZXUuUdoVEOFVV38sojXyRUOvIAEVJ4d52d__bDHfRt58egwIcxmDV/s1600/PD+retirement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKCzUCJAwaKut8m96XCjZKjYbKLJh6I3kTj7WrIfX0VpxUJAbj2KylTrjIwE1306nvehKKvrbWpCQdladH8hcGbDZXUuUdoVEOFVV38sojXyRUOvIAEVJ4d52d__bDHfRt58egwIcxmDV/s320/PD+retirement.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Perfect Drift's retirement in 2008 at Turfway Park with Pat Day up.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-33678267585275108522010-12-13T09:19:00.001-06:002010-12-13T09:21:11.201-06:00A Speedy Hot Brown Becomes Favored<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchcEzJ_PdNyWIozpCXPNINg8VwqpmzyGXyVT2XfBHHuwStglcxIyVER2qMIUsN4US40XATLoDQ3YIjhz0MmalTHAGfs-dCGsMhDzE6VEUMLXE1drzEjtWSZ7sr9lToSjv_h2x_emf5YNk/s1600/HotBrown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchcEzJ_PdNyWIozpCXPNINg8VwqpmzyGXyVT2XfBHHuwStglcxIyVER2qMIUsN4US40XATLoDQ3YIjhz0MmalTHAGfs-dCGsMhDzE6VEUMLXE1drzEjtWSZ7sr9lToSjv_h2x_emf5YNk/s400/HotBrown.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I'm accustomed to having my daughters get surprised by new food dishes, but most of the time I'm not wowed by new dishes. I like trying new things -- thus this blog -- but I usually have an idea how new recipes will turn out. When I talked with my friend Dianne Reed we realized that a feature of Kentucky's famous foods needed to include the Hot Brown recipe, though neither of us were fans. We discussed ways to make it easier and more kid-friendly. Who needs to spend time making the cheesy Mornay sauce when kids will just turn up their noses?<br />
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The tasty results surprised me, and this recipe moves up from a Thanksgiving leftovers recipe to my quick weeknight meal recipe file. Keep reading to see our quick makeover. Later this week we'll feature racehorse Perfect Drift, who spends racing season in Kentucky and winters in Kansas City, and a delicious dessert for Chocolate Mint Julep Cookies.<br />
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It's probably no surprise that the Hot Brown was first created at the landmark Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. You can read the history of the recipe <a href="http://www.brownhotel.com/dining-hot-brown.htm">HERE.</a><br />
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It makes a hearty breakfast but we've made it into a weeknight comfort food. We've switched out the cheese sauce that takes time and opted to use a brown gravy mix. You can add cheddar cheese if your family likes cheese and top with tomatoes and turkey bacon. I didn't have tomatoes nor bacon on hand so I left those off. <br />
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<u><b>A Course for Adventure's</b></u><br />
<u><b>Kentucky Hot Brown</b></u><br />
4 slices of Texas Toast<br />
1/2 pound of sliced turkey (leftover turkey works), I used smoked turkey from the deli<br />
1 packet of brown gravy mix<br />
slices of Cheddar cheese (optional)<br />
1 tomato (optional)<br />
4 to 6 slices of turkey bacon<br />
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Direction: Mix gravy mix according to instructions. You can also find gravies in bottles that just needed to be heated. Or make your own recipe if you're so inclined.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDlOwqwu-B3H1IDbXbK7sVBtlqa92VEq7O5gfxLDC9RJe_zS2kSSMbtCKrT1NbTp_u2kK0RD98VShohqDMpDKIgfCUxaqwYouAnnLaJV26ndZ7be7J8dY6njSgSFbVrSymBRXPYrirr5B/s1600/gravy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDlOwqwu-B3H1IDbXbK7sVBtlqa92VEq7O5gfxLDC9RJe_zS2kSSMbtCKrT1NbTp_u2kK0RD98VShohqDMpDKIgfCUxaqwYouAnnLaJV26ndZ7be7J8dY6njSgSFbVrSymBRXPYrirr5B/s320/gravy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Toast the bread. I've always wondered why they call the thick bread Texas Toast when it's not toasted yet?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWyiNWx49pdE4WHqGMZZRzNhH5JE0AT2Uj6KHgDdgrm0gfNnMLDSt5_HAObUEKyuyoegm45udeLZHf9_wdrc8ce0aI3tpPLXCnX0rCSsLzcMOSC_jM8UmLczNywugOij3ADOL5skWWKJM/s1600/toast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWyiNWx49pdE4WHqGMZZRzNhH5JE0AT2Uj6KHgDdgrm0gfNnMLDSt5_HAObUEKyuyoegm45udeLZHf9_wdrc8ce0aI3tpPLXCnX0rCSsLzcMOSC_jM8UmLczNywugOij3ADOL5skWWKJM/s320/toast.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I cut the toast into triangles (tell your children you're trying to make the state's shape, sort of) and placed them into an 8" square pan. I then added the 1/2 pound of turkey on top of the toast ...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfK_PRwPKYhTLxipW7QpxVqzrnnruYR_Vau9ctZk96V-kjBLMsmjG5zd8wMcFWKpivX7eMaBlx092OdpLj4wOuJhF4bZIIj59l22qmKBCC_5JN2I9PtASRDYz9d0CAeianEujlnMCHV5z4/s1600/turkeyNsquare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfK_PRwPKYhTLxipW7QpxVqzrnnruYR_Vau9ctZk96V-kjBLMsmjG5zd8wMcFWKpivX7eMaBlx092OdpLj4wOuJhF4bZIIj59l22qmKBCC_5JN2I9PtASRDYz9d0CAeianEujlnMCHV5z4/s320/turkeyNsquare.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>followed by the cheese, if using, and pour the hot gravy on top. Bake in 425° until bubbly, about 5 to 10 minutes. Top with turkey bacon and sliced tomatoes -- if your family will eat them. And then you have a quick meal on the table for a state that's known for fast horses, quick tracks and a now a speedy Hot Brown.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXz0ucQdi6WMvvhUIJcApF2lOiRU1p06yaob2pLj98k4s8AtnLNYT_ufHps2OGnsd1W0rP6uvWvB5fwQWGZoJjB_xkj_7x5zjWjclT6ijAwhDjcEa77eWWkpNjyJIBEobqcSiM9Y5mReX/s1600/KentuckyHotBrown.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXz0ucQdi6WMvvhUIJcApF2lOiRU1p06yaob2pLj98k4s8AtnLNYT_ufHps2OGnsd1W0rP6uvWvB5fwQWGZoJjB_xkj_7x5zjWjclT6ijAwhDjcEa77eWWkpNjyJIBEobqcSiM9Y5mReX/s320/KentuckyHotBrown.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Thanks to Dianne Reed for her insight. I referenced the Kentucky Hot Brown recipe in "Derby Entertaining, Traditional Kentucky Recipes," Copyright 2000 by McClanahan Publishing House.<br />
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<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781934898017?aff=MPosnanski"><img onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found.jpg';" src="http://images.booksense.com/images/books/017/898/FC9781934898017.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><br />
Updated version of the cookbook</a><br />
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Check <a href="http://www.atasteofkentucky.com/shop/kentucky-proud-kentucky-crafted-products.php?atokID=6d51082705132819d37a01381ec41433">HERE</a> for a collection of Kentucky-made products, including sweets like Bourbon Balls. <br />
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Winter got you feeling blah? Here are some books to make you think of springtime in Kentucky and heart-pumping racing season at <a href="http://www.churchilldowns.com/">Churchill Downs</a>: <br />
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Secretariat's owners have a new book that came out this year.<br />
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<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780982701904?aff=MPosnanski"><img onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found.jpg';" src="http://images.booksense.com/images/books/904/701/FC9780982701904.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><br />
Shop Indie Bookstores</a><br />
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William Nack's classic book was made into a movie:<br />
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<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781401324018?aff=MPosnanski"><img onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found.jpg';" src="http://images.booksense.com/images/books/018/324/FC9781401324018.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><br />
Shop Indie Bookstores</a><br />
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The exciting book about Seabiscuit:<br />
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<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780345465085?aff=MPosnanski"><img onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found.jpg';" src="http://images.booksense.com/images/books/085/465/FC9780345465085.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><br />
Shop Indie Bookstores</a> <br />
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A trifecta of books from friend and <a href="http://therail.blogs.nytimes.com/author/joe-drape/">New York Times racing writer Joe Drape</a>, who grew up in Kansas City.<br />
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<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780802138859?aff=MPosnanski"><img onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found.jpg';" src="http://images.booksense.com/images/books/859/138/FC9780802138859.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><br />
Shop Indie Bookstores</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780312357955?aff=MPosnanski"><img onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found.jpg';" src="http://images.booksense.com/images/books/955/357/FC9780312357955.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><br />
Shop Indie Bookstores</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780060537296?aff=MPosnanski"><img onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found.jpg';" src="http://images.booksense.com/images/books/296/537/FC9780060537296.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><br />
Shop Indie Bookstores</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.horsehats.com/horse-books-for-kids.html">Here's a link for a few picture books on horses for children. </a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-16669258633224892112010-12-07T11:19:00.002-06:002010-12-07T11:23:26.310-06:00A Winning 'n' Easy Kentucky Derby Pie<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UR1g0S0_WIfV7BmzSy8B4GwYT34Ja_Gdoa_jX_ZfD_YWlpNUXLCEyO6rdN79ZSh75Ly0ZcvkLZsWiyEfxDNj2VJksI1WOUekfYLqajfixnkljtR4q-N-IDmJG2xgMkjs3FO71FvhnKPT/s1600/DerbyPie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UR1g0S0_WIfV7BmzSy8B4GwYT34Ja_Gdoa_jX_ZfD_YWlpNUXLCEyO6rdN79ZSh75Ly0ZcvkLZsWiyEfxDNj2VJksI1WOUekfYLqajfixnkljtR4q-N-IDmJG2xgMkjs3FO71FvhnKPT/s320/DerbyPie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'll be in the winner's circle in no time with this quick recipe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Imagine a state's quintessential pie that's like eating cookie dough in a flaky pie crust. It's long on taste but short on time with my grandmother's no roll-out method pie crust. I'd say it's like cheating on making pie crust, but that doesn't quite keep with our winning theme here. And the inside filling is like a pecan pie meets a chocolate bar. <br />
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I'm incorporating my grandmother's pie crust with my mother's recipe for Kentucky Derby Pie. I'm not sure where we first found the recipe but my copy, as best I can tell, was printed on our late '80s dot matrix printer that would have been hooked up to our Steve Wozniak Apple IIGS computer. It was one of my younger sister Becky's favorite desserts. It's a recipe that goes together quickly. Kind of like how I always forget how fast the Derby Race begins and then ends. <i>Check back for more on insight on the story of a Kentucky Derby racehorse, Perfect Drift.</i><br />
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I have to confess that while many blog sites were featuring pies leading up to Thanksgiving I was pretty much in pie denial. I'd convinced myself I didn't like to bake pies. Perhaps it was because when I'd made pies it was always apple pies that took longer to peel and slice the apples than bake them. And the traditional Thanksgiving pumpkin pie just wasn't anything my family was willing to try. Not that I can blame them, there's always been something about the texture of pumpkin pie that just isn't right despite the addition of exotic cooking spices and fresh whipped cream. To my family, pumpkin seems more akin to squash and therefore a yucky vegetable than a lovely aromatic fruit. I suppose my entire household is more Marie Antoinette than pilgrim. (I do realize that I'm perpetuating two myths here: Marie didn't say that cake line and pilgrims didn't eat pie at the first Thanksgiving.) <br />
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So pies haven't been on my mind until I started thinking about my Kentucky menu. I'd forgotten about this quicker pie crust recipe until I was taking to my aunt who baked three pies for our Thanksgiving meal. She'd tried a new crust recipe that she wasn't sure she liked. I remembered how her mother, my grandmother, was certain that with my skill, or rather lack of skill at using the rolling pin I was in dire need of her recipe that skips the rolling and resting and refrigerating dough. It's quick and quite flaky and would also make a smash-up crust for quiches on the quick. (Another item that only my eldest daughter and I will eat in our house.)<br />
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<u><b>A Course for Adventure's</b></u><br />
<u><b>Kentucky Derby Pie</b></u><br />
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<u><b>Margaret Lesovsky's</b></u><br />
<u><b>"Easy as Pie" Crust recipe (no-roll-out method)</b></u><br />
2 cups flour (<a href="http://www.hudsoncream.com/product.taf">I use unbleached Hudson Cream</a>)<br />
2 teaspoons sugar<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
2/3 cup oil<br />
3 Tablespoons milk<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKo0FuG9AN1ZF5_uEE-S40qKzc4h39bQ86jFLT-UC0QLZOmu-q9WJxdB-YLZuqlpNwwtP02SfQ5pgkoYsDoJ4LLGicfIYBtNmaO-iZtMnKLLbnGoGAEBC66WJRf98GJBV_YayZhBk8mQVx/s1600/DerbyPiebatter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKo0FuG9AN1ZF5_uEE-S40qKzc4h39bQ86jFLT-UC0QLZOmu-q9WJxdB-YLZuqlpNwwtP02SfQ5pgkoYsDoJ4LLGicfIYBtNmaO-iZtMnKLLbnGoGAEBC66WJRf98GJBV_YayZhBk8mQVx/s320/DerbyPiebatter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Blend together all the ingredients well with a fork.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHxju1dZjDAowr4Rey4swjQ6i237Dn38zODlF0AP0eyhWd_QI7BsR7n4-Z6S6laR6YzIaIi2X7GMpdKSRZvEAyXqX4JLPx1WxLP9PIZgSI04JrNuPUku9S8H2YgHzObgV_RUfYy_cwOMo/s1600/DerbyPiemix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHxju1dZjDAowr4Rey4swjQ6i237Dn38zODlF0AP0eyhWd_QI7BsR7n4-Z6S6laR6YzIaIi2X7GMpdKSRZvEAyXqX4JLPx1WxLP9PIZgSI04JrNuPUku9S8H2YgHzObgV_RUfYy_cwOMo/s320/DerbyPiemix.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Pat together to make a dough ball. Divide into half. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnJAZ2liDXZjBN3lc4VdemMVzIB6x5th1YZPWyBgtOWasrRz4u62AdhWY4dcL7RG9C9ZH4pufUAqpgbaVQlPwYEFaG_lbmN-JmjHH9jxswYUVMi93OJJEk0xSy0_KHXDvnKJrxuSu7K7m/s1600/DerbyPiepastry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnJAZ2liDXZjBN3lc4VdemMVzIB6x5th1YZPWyBgtOWasrRz4u62AdhWY4dcL7RG9C9ZH4pufUAqpgbaVQlPwYEFaG_lbmN-JmjHH9jxswYUVMi93OJJEk0xSy0_KHXDvnKJrxuSu7K7m/s320/DerbyPiepastry.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>With your hands press across the bottom and up sides of a pie plate. I used a 10" inch pie plate and used a little more than half the dough. I refrigerated the other portion of the dough to use as a topping for a hearty ground beef and vegetable filled pie. If a recipe calls for a top crust, you can just use your fingers to sprinkle the other half of the dough on top of the pie filling.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2slXeS2Yzpbeu2qlBH1S_bZdUKdOisoMh0X10k_vap8WM_5A8X_M7uLJLWPiJKNKEzyR62FBVP0uoVqGQZEDrgnQfmvbtDzNbaAe7LHVlpYSVZs5NeQVJEuXB_WghWavicaRdx4SLZqy9/s1600/DerbyPieshell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2slXeS2Yzpbeu2qlBH1S_bZdUKdOisoMh0X10k_vap8WM_5A8X_M7uLJLWPiJKNKEzyR62FBVP0uoVqGQZEDrgnQfmvbtDzNbaAe7LHVlpYSVZs5NeQVJEuXB_WghWavicaRdx4SLZqy9/s320/DerbyPieshell.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>You can bake this quick crust like any other pie crust.<br />
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<br />
<b><u>Kentucky Derby Pie Filling</u></b><br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup flour<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
2 eggs, beaten (try to get range free eggs if possible)<br />
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), melted and cooled<br />
1 cup of pecans OR English walnuts, in small pieces (or mixture of both)<br />
1 cup chocolate chips<br />
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Mix sugar, flour, vanilla and eggs together. Add butter, nuts and chocolate chips. Mix all together thoroughly.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-I-05FBkfE7RyTaNx-yTrK2WRoc-m3X17eKroXqp04hb2ECz7WIKS5atQ3KCwFV88aBOKzhRoT1cYF1ImwdmU_Bnt70COBT5dcl7Jld7cPD0lIFBqCGUMYC3ezAO_cfNSk3ZHCLpMjDE/s1600/DerbyPiegoodies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-I-05FBkfE7RyTaNx-yTrK2WRoc-m3X17eKroXqp04hb2ECz7WIKS5atQ3KCwFV88aBOKzhRoT1cYF1ImwdmU_Bnt70COBT5dcl7Jld7cPD0lIFBqCGUMYC3ezAO_cfNSk3ZHCLpMjDE/s320/DerbyPiegoodies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Pour into the unbaked pie shell ...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6Q_1STRM1QYNdINuGzt9gZnRB-SQMnpsJ6cDLkQOxHU5ivI49tQ8HHVi0L367ajGkbM33e8OzMV5N2g9bncinDdVE0KV4AL9xTN_zEdtNu9VaPXhex_YQIt3F_dyYkmiD4ltHuIDJ4Tq/s1600/DerbyPieunbake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6Q_1STRM1QYNdINuGzt9gZnRB-SQMnpsJ6cDLkQOxHU5ivI49tQ8HHVi0L367ajGkbM33e8OzMV5N2g9bncinDdVE0KV4AL9xTN_zEdtNu9VaPXhex_YQIt3F_dyYkmiD4ltHuIDJ4Tq/s320/DerbyPieunbake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool before serving.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-75246506496775525212010-12-01T10:06:00.001-06:002010-12-01T10:08:56.131-06:00Good-Bye to Massachusetts and On to KentuckySo as we leave Massachusetts (for now, returning later) I leave you with a link for a New England clam chowder recipe. I'd planned to make this for my family but my husband (and myself) find that rich, cream dishes are best to forgo. I still love the thought of a creamy and steamy, thick white clam chowder.<br />
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<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/new-england-clam-chowder-recipe/index.html">Dave Lieberman's New England Clam Chowder from Food Network web site.</a><br />
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I think soups are perfect for chilly winter evenings, but my family doesn't seem to think dinner surrounded by liquid is their idea of a good meal. I appreciate the ease of throwing a bunch of healthy ingredients in a pot of water and then just letting it simmer over the stove for an hour. So my mission is to find that ideal soup recipe that makes my family likes. It always makes me think of that story about Stone Soup.<br />
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<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780439339094?aff=MPosnanski"><img onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found.jpg';" src="http://images.booksense.com/images/books/094/339/FC9780439339094.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><br />
Shop Indie Bookstores</a><br />
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So as we cross a new state border, we wander over to Kentucky, a state with rolling green hills and stately white fences and a history of horses. Our friend Dianne Reed of Overland Park, Kansas, says it's a friendly state that despite status everyone talks horses. "The horses are such a great equalizer," Dianne says. "From barn workers to dealing with the richest people in the world, everyone talks about horses. Perfect Drift opened a lot of doors for us."<br />
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As a three-year-old gelding in 2002, Perfect Drift placed third at the Kentucky Derby and continued to have a successful racing career for many years after. Since 2009 Perfect Drift has spent the warmer months as the horse in residence at the <a href="http://www.derbymuseum.org/news/?p=28">Kentucky Derby Museum, right beside Churchill Downs.</a> But this week, Perfect Drift will be returning to his annual winter home with his owners, Dr. William and Mary Reed of Stonecrest Farms, south of Kansas City. <br />
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We'll share more of Perfect Drift's great story later this week -- you've got to have a great horse story for Kentucky Week, and Perfect Drift's is a Cinderella story.<br />
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While we're on soups, here's a link from <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kentucky_burgoo/">Simply Recipes for a typical soup/stew called Kentucky Burgoo. </a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-45736757751251937442010-11-24T21:45:00.002-06:002010-11-25T09:37:18.287-06:00The Pie that was really a Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2okeif-TVebKSzupt-72Zt3CPq-EM3lHo0m-Tj6LTWBVJuCwlkyZwCIx3xn67IhAGDnwk-TE4oawBh5sxIp2q5oxPiBb_ISTBKlw7gFyMrTV0zqtVsiRm6s0Lbtyq30fkTd4gBNiYIjY/s1600/Bostcreampie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2okeif-TVebKSzupt-72Zt3CPq-EM3lHo0m-Tj6LTWBVJuCwlkyZwCIx3xn67IhAGDnwk-TE4oawBh5sxIp2q5oxPiBb_ISTBKlw7gFyMrTV0zqtVsiRm6s0Lbtyq30fkTd4gBNiYIjY/s320/Bostcreampie.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>Here are the details for our Thanksgiving pie -- that's really a cake and a fabulously easy cake!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>First, from our family to yours...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUQC2HqhI9Kb7_eh7H2VscsmBOo76QBTdrmGTGN89YUmzVCbCrAP7KQbcDdA_9syqHihdup9b5frUh7fLJTOdXrtp9YNviGKOhDebaGGbxITD1A7C9jX36sQEgdl1jdQ0ityrWr9zemDa/s1600/ThanksgivingTEXT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUQC2HqhI9Kb7_eh7H2VscsmBOo76QBTdrmGTGN89YUmzVCbCrAP7KQbcDdA_9syqHihdup9b5frUh7fLJTOdXrtp9YNviGKOhDebaGGbxITD1A7C9jX36sQEgdl1jdQ0ityrWr9zemDa/s400/ThanksgivingTEXT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I've referred to my friend and her mother, also a dear friend, for recipes at other holidays. I've searched for an easy Boston Cream Pie and found I only had to search as far as Kansas City because Diane Balanoff has made an easy version for years. It's one of her son's favorite cakes. And she says she'll deny she used a yellow cake (as will I). But for a busy holiday, a cool cake is just a few simple steps away!<br />
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<u><b>Diane Balanoff's</b></u><br />
<u><b>Boston Cream Pie</b></u><br />
1 box of Duncan Hines yellow cake mix<br />
vegetable oil, eggs and water as directed on back of cake box<br />
(I just recycled the box and don't want to rummage for the exact ingredients, which may vary. Also don't get a mix that has pudding in the mix, since that's the filling you'll add: <br />
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Pudding:<br />
1 package (or 2 small boxes) Jello Vanilla flavored pudding and pie filling, the Bake and Serve kind, NOT INSTANT!<br />
Whole milk (amount depends on size of box)<br />
<i>A large 6 oz box required 2 cups of milk</i><br />
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Chocolate topping:<br />
1 lb. powdered sugar<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa<br />
1 teaspoon of vanilla<br />
1/4 teaspoon of salt<br />
1/3 cup of butter or margarine<br />
6 Tablespoons of boiling water<br />
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Mix and bake the cake as directed on the box. I used two 9-inch round cake pans, but it may work better for one tall cake which you can then cut in half after it cools.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCUVukwmfeehu0tWW-Jo_bJJ_NsDSwc-bLRo8GSctedSa7YIRl_NO9wJ7t58oaZ4IM2gbAcGeLyimOfTtwofL3coojL2nQzWqOddcrZEU47WJxu_QNTNOGHD2jtWrkgIxeaHCSOSiDltq/s1600/2cakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCUVukwmfeehu0tWW-Jo_bJJ_NsDSwc-bLRo8GSctedSa7YIRl_NO9wJ7t58oaZ4IM2gbAcGeLyimOfTtwofL3coojL2nQzWqOddcrZEU47WJxu_QNTNOGHD2jtWrkgIxeaHCSOSiDltq/s320/2cakes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The tricky part with the cake is keeping it stable since there's only pudding in the middle. Diane jokingly says it's best to make the dessert in the dining room or whatever room you'll be using for serving the <strike>pie</strike> cake.<br />
To make the dessert set up and transport better, I used my springform pan:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XsuVyDO_kEanC2n9skxYB6XCOlhUdXwcACljWj76Bdcen7ARurcMW48njpWRju9YMGKCg_iy5IoIejDgssIaZaqUt8KbKsKoFrc3Zqni0u-Et_2w3bBDOrmGha8AV8nlmDOwoK01-DEv/s1600/springformPan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XsuVyDO_kEanC2n9skxYB6XCOlhUdXwcACljWj76Bdcen7ARurcMW48njpWRju9YMGKCg_iy5IoIejDgssIaZaqUt8KbKsKoFrc3Zqni0u-Et_2w3bBDOrmGha8AV8nlmDOwoK01-DEv/s200/springformPan.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I placed the first cake with the bottom up over a layer of parchment paper:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDxR5H5bTEGcFP9YEWTHkGiOVeJWuQ2LHpGR0PbId6u11N3LHezgKNFP41sX05BFUdGXW9MX-qFH5HQtVxqMLF0I_nkpQM1WCGTyRid2XTl607Jh9IIv8v8AfsGmUJcipAV5KhjbfSlZN/s1600/pielayer1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDxR5H5bTEGcFP9YEWTHkGiOVeJWuQ2LHpGR0PbId6u11N3LHezgKNFP41sX05BFUdGXW9MX-qFH5HQtVxqMLF0I_nkpQM1WCGTyRid2XTl607Jh9IIv8v8AfsGmUJcipAV5KhjbfSlZN/s320/pielayer1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>While the cake was cooling I made the pudding, which despite not being the instant kind of Jello pudding, still came together easy. The key is to get the pudding to come to a rolling boil (like a witch's potion!)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_8tvaGCr7Wxu8EMSfVV4c_9XuphJactgUSzByaoDHyFNFKZlgsR5ssFh5CU34rp-0DTCgrDrYpOKimmZskqIwZWALGdR1y6r0sYu7vg5RdbYa3ZJnpWPDBJx4Ory5Cw4gKl4ZLXAhlZW/s1600/roilingBOIL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_8tvaGCr7Wxu8EMSfVV4c_9XuphJactgUSzByaoDHyFNFKZlgsR5ssFh5CU34rp-0DTCgrDrYpOKimmZskqIwZWALGdR1y6r0sYu7vg5RdbYa3ZJnpWPDBJx4Ory5Cw4gKl4ZLXAhlZW/s320/roilingBOIL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>When the pudding cooled I spooned it mainly in the middle of the bottom layer, like this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwjcKSHB3WxTnlYHsJ_up0-CCc1INuneFJ-87lzxHlDTdFjfsXbbRysvMoTNAplQz4cnN_VWTDPtzY2ZK_hKY7I-GNTZlTFWGmY-jQzZCNbmp8FljGW66wE147z-3kv7XT-0L4Aff1Y_U/s1600/puddingMiddle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwjcKSHB3WxTnlYHsJ_up0-CCc1INuneFJ-87lzxHlDTdFjfsXbbRysvMoTNAplQz4cnN_VWTDPtzY2ZK_hKY7I-GNTZlTFWGmY-jQzZCNbmp8FljGW66wE147z-3kv7XT-0L4Aff1Y_U/s320/puddingMiddle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I then added the top layer and tried not to press down too hard to keep the pudding between the layers:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiI2FGEumpIU9zuaNg7kil_90YpzKZ0fgGOI-19xcsCMPreqS9-7NQ45H4_DN8jtoJ6l_UUTOMuwtkKs_9CZeG4jfrDEOq2pik_8UKfXiYdJ71jkgB8ckGZOiHRDyXPcRLeCmSp2EqWlL/s1600/caketop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiI2FGEumpIU9zuaNg7kil_90YpzKZ0fgGOI-19xcsCMPreqS9-7NQ45H4_DN8jtoJ6l_UUTOMuwtkKs_9CZeG4jfrDEOq2pik_8UKfXiYdJ71jkgB8ckGZOiHRDyXPcRLeCmSp2EqWlL/s320/caketop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Then I started on the chocolate topping, which Diane has been making for years. It makes more than enough for the top of the cake (don't worry about the sides.) The key for the chocolate is to add enough water to make a pourable topping, it shouldn't be too thick. You may need to add more than six tablespoons of water. I halved the chocolate recipe, but still needed nearly six tablespoons of water.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0stZ56i5B7Gr-FO-JNmPsVvL3rqZa3V1XppbbcCG13FHlpPWg1G9xA0RqtM8ln2Bv1oTL6VZDuYIwqaBxOTfKDJiz0TtBclDJyFmYwHjahlryTB6cPmLIUIIj66BtrhRtPBUwIDFVDO7b/s1600/drizzle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0stZ56i5B7Gr-FO-JNmPsVvL3rqZa3V1XppbbcCG13FHlpPWg1G9xA0RqtM8ln2Bv1oTL6VZDuYIwqaBxOTfKDJiz0TtBclDJyFmYwHjahlryTB6cPmLIUIIj66BtrhRtPBUwIDFVDO7b/s320/drizzle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I didn't worry if it dripped a little bit ...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzj66q6CImNJ4LjWPqXrUHGu4d204f3ZYHAL_rnM7AZ-nmHbunkxBGO9zw40JGaKDUErMPJwx_Wc741haWUBGMjt314kjM2kCmqDnys9s81uQCkZBHt0FRU567inYHUrxvWrQzOvSFnVW/s1600/finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzj66q6CImNJ4LjWPqXrUHGu4d204f3ZYHAL_rnM7AZ-nmHbunkxBGO9zw40JGaKDUErMPJwx_Wc741haWUBGMjt314kjM2kCmqDnys9s81uQCkZBHt0FRU567inYHUrxvWrQzOvSFnVW/s320/finish.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And there is our answer to pie on Thanksgiving Day. (Plus my mother-in-law made another decadent sponge cake with a coffee and chocolate topping from an old Hungarian recipe.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-87258126769373582462010-11-23T09:59:00.001-06:002010-11-24T21:51:15.133-06:00Park it Right Here for a Better Roll Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81JwsvSS4kyP43nYZtZbrF5hKzldM-2BPXpP0-Z6jRYJDRyEkCdoKNwvLUZCJWv-TJ8lbjULfEMxVuJMTHpm_5zLOl5EqcEcZNKxO0gVsUa__FF0896WmOeRMQ-V8fGq7xk_69xr7oDLF/s1600/Massweek1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81JwsvSS4kyP43nYZtZbrF5hKzldM-2BPXpP0-Z6jRYJDRyEkCdoKNwvLUZCJWv-TJ8lbjULfEMxVuJMTHpm_5zLOl5EqcEcZNKxO0gVsUa__FF0896WmOeRMQ-V8fGq7xk_69xr7oDLF/s1600/Massweek1.jpg" /></a></div>So it seems that the same restaurant that created Boston Cream Pie (not a pie but rather a cream-filled cake) also created the Parker House rolls that are creamy inside and toasty, crunchy on the outside -- and not that hard to make if you're BRAVE enough to spend a few hours babysitting some yeast. Need some delish homebaked bread for your Thanksgiving feast? Can't you smell that aroma now? Check out this recipe that started in the great state of Massachusetts, our featured state of the week.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>First, you can find the original recipe for these rolls at the Omni's Parker House Hotel in Boston <a href="http://www.omnihotels.com/Home/FindAHotel/BostonParkerHouse/Dining.aspx">HERE</a>. The recipe says you'll need 3 and a half hours before serving but I'm not about baking under pressure. I'm freezing some rolls now for later in the week. The recipe should make more than 3 dozen. You can make cut out smaller rolls to increase that number, too.<br />
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Here's why I like this recipe: You can take a round cookie cutter and cut out the dough rather than spend awhile trying to shape a gazillion round perfect balls for uniform rolls. These rolls don't need to look great because the butter factor will ensure they're incredibly good to eat. We're already tackling the monster that is yeast so no need to complicate things anymore. I used the top of a glass to make my circles, though I'd not recommend that if you're having children help cut out shapes!<br />
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<u><b>The Original Parker House Rolls</b></u><br />
<u><b>from the Omni Hotels Parker House in Boston, Mass.</b></u><br />
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<b>6 cups all-purpose flour* </b><br />
<b>1/2 cup sugar</b><br />
<b>2 teaspoons salt</b><br />
<b>2 packages of active dry yeast**</b><br />
<b>1 cup margarine or butter (2 sticks) softened</b><br />
<b>1 large egg (try to buy range-free, if possible)</b><br />
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*You may need more flour depending on humidity and other factors like number of helpers pouring in flour. Try to use good quality flour, I usually try to sneak in a bit of whole wheat flour but didn't for this recipe. This week isn't about healthy.<br />
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** This should equal 4 1/2 teaspoons of yeast if you buy it in the jar, but double-check the label.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwMA6ZpPPP4GJIMzBYiobWA07z6UuKyZMPzh3luss1leZ2ML_zR2kpQyTGKDSvDxWpF8S5QHyYaNklKbxFWRcGlochtLoY_fiSIld9WzN3GFoVCCsLS4TPJzAb7b1Km4S6guhblkng1GO/s1600/PHdough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwMA6ZpPPP4GJIMzBYiobWA07z6UuKyZMPzh3luss1leZ2ML_zR2kpQyTGKDSvDxWpF8S5QHyYaNklKbxFWRcGlochtLoY_fiSIld9WzN3GFoVCCsLS4TPJzAb7b1Km4S6guhblkng1GO/s320/PHdough.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Step 1: In a mixing bowl (with a dough attachment, that hook-looking thing) combine 2 1/4 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast; add 1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick). <i>The other stick of butter/margarine will be for dipping and making the rolls crunchy on the outside!</i><br />
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With mixer at low speed, gradually pour 2 cups hot tap water (120 degrees to 130 degrees F) into dry ingredients. <i>I get water that feels warm to my wrist. Too hot and the yeast won't like it.</i> Add egg, increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes, scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Beat in 3/4 cup flour or enough to make a thick batter; continue beating 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. With spoon, stir in enough additional flour (about 2 1/2 cups) to make a soft dough. <i>I recall my grandmother's advice that relies on the mixer to do more of the kneading. So use that hook to mix in dough where it leaves the side of the mixer. The pic above needs more flour before going to the next step.</i><br />
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2. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, working in more flour (about 1/2 cups) while kneading.<i> I put more flour in the mixer and let the dough hook do most of the magic, making my by hand kneading time roughly about 3 minutes. </i>Shape dough into a ball and place in greased large bowl, turning over so that top of dough is greased, just like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsI42yu3mcVKkuu2fLHunSNzOv9Hu7z632r_iHOlNDHCkwRq8L5HV7vN_TKpiRv_LLpmLMfIH_eT97C0Le-BlCSp8bVEKCBQEp51vQj313SMhwZoEyXJqeJkA87IMRt8LS9dU44xEuKBD/s1600/doughBowl1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsI42yu3mcVKkuu2fLHunSNzOv9Hu7z632r_iHOlNDHCkwRq8L5HV7vN_TKpiRv_LLpmLMfIH_eT97C0Le-BlCSp8bVEKCBQEp51vQj313SMhwZoEyXJqeJkA87IMRt8LS9dU44xEuKBD/s320/doughBowl1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Cover with a towel; let rise in warm place (80 to 85 degrees F) until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. <i>I just placed the dough on top of a warm oven -- I'd just finished my self-cleaning option.</i> (Dough is doubled when two fingers pressed into dough leaves dent.) <i>It will look similar to this with working yeast:</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0k1rp4psyrTrctLpALk4IpnRRtNqycvc78suuMRbEIo1lsVmoyZtoWT544uoj62MGr5aCNXYLpu1dBQTM9-Z6ws4OD79BP8vJMqqtxGMxfkO5VMm2zKyDRC31HqhXWx31h9eSUtfQ-OyX/s1600/PHdough2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0k1rp4psyrTrctLpALk4IpnRRtNqycvc78suuMRbEIo1lsVmoyZtoWT544uoj62MGr5aCNXYLpu1dBQTM9-Z6ws4OD79BP8vJMqqtxGMxfkO5VMm2zKyDRC31HqhXWx31h9eSUtfQ-OyX/s320/PHdough2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><br />
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3. Punch down dough by pushing down the center of dough with fist, then pushing edges of dough into center. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead lightly to make smooth ball; cover with bowl for 15 minutes and let dough rest. <i>I think I know where the term "raising" children comes from. There are similarities with working with yeast dough and children. It's like you're putting dough into a time out. I love the recipe requires the bowl to be placed upside down over the dough -- like it's got it's own special hideout.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_ZLmaSKuLrHS-_NjzGqdIMP81yE-EJP5YrUeE7IZVn9RFbF9zRc4Xt8kIBE_l02OQS4XZA5OCblr4wSsD-5niHjnpS_AtMRuTs80qxzQl9GU7NRAxFQX5Z7JpyaPtJizr9q-L0vs-sFX/s1600/doughrest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_ZLmaSKuLrHS-_NjzGqdIMP81yE-EJP5YrUeE7IZVn9RFbF9zRc4Xt8kIBE_l02OQS4XZA5OCblr4wSsD-5niHjnpS_AtMRuTs80qxzQl9GU7NRAxFQX5Z7JpyaPtJizr9q-L0vs-sFX/s320/doughrest.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
4. In 17 1/4 inch by 11 1/2 inch roasting or baking pan<i> (this size pan is really optimal for this recipe), </i>over low heat <i>in oven</i>, melt remaining 1/2 cup<i> (1 stick)</i> of butter or margarine; tilt pan to grease bottom.<br />
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5. On lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll dough 1/2 inch thick. With floured 2 3/4 cutter, cut dough into circles. Holding dough circle by the edge, dip both sides into melted butter/margarine in pan; fold in half.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTZ6vsyKa0_E6AKFNbDVLMT4QK_BbJ7TmU_d7kluxhlNulX-Vxwj2y93wIoMBNeAY-_cC_WdF0jzMMBgJ9cI-84nJjDeQj52jDGdjvs-1wfc6jgLnMkQHotCcNA-8fcW2hAw8BsbI-qLr/s1600/shape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTZ6vsyKa0_E6AKFNbDVLMT4QK_BbJ7TmU_d7kluxhlNulX-Vxwj2y93wIoMBNeAY-_cC_WdF0jzMMBgJ9cI-84nJjDeQj52jDGdjvs-1wfc6jgLnMkQHotCcNA-8fcW2hAw8BsbI-qLr/s320/shape.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Knead trimmings together; re-roll and cut more rolls. Cover pan with towel; let dough rise in warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4uTundBtE1asGLmO1WIV1OPRI3viMSjsRfOoTmWpwT__fVZz35WPFVCWTGQsQx0z5O9EaqwR7aTGJBYIyI5-qzBgwJD2fkHsQSZ7fJVkmzGG_SWJgwi5wHv2sk6hRnJqsbJ94Vn8UKnf/s1600/shape1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4uTundBtE1asGLmO1WIV1OPRI3viMSjsRfOoTmWpwT__fVZz35WPFVCWTGQsQx0z5O9EaqwR7aTGJBYIyI5-qzBgwJD2fkHsQSZ7fJVkmzGG_SWJgwi5wHv2sk6hRnJqsbJ94Vn8UKnf/s320/shape1.jpg" width="268" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJA0A0iqrIC382K0FhQ59ZH5eo-_x0r26tj_4VJCia3A92HUJf6alPC_m_Daew-nzo20A_qQ4a7HypaJTtXtauwJa5VoFD4z51opsGdGqx3EIu76WQW93UShgwwV2eJCZH1-HrnFFjxWe_/s1600/shape2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJA0A0iqrIC382K0FhQ59ZH5eo-_x0r26tj_4VJCia3A92HUJf6alPC_m_Daew-nzo20A_qQ4a7HypaJTtXtauwJa5VoFD4z51opsGdGqx3EIu76WQW93UShgwwV2eJCZH1-HrnFFjxWe_/s320/shape2.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br />
6. Bake rolls in a 400-degree oven 15-18 minutes until browned.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtyU2tL9V0IRbapHbWDtjF6tAIz5hbV9LVVe8bGCfmyRwNfU6K6lesJqja9pfWW2PcCQSzvJb5KbyM1Bm7s6LHz75AiU2RpMa9JYNmHWgsD-8Oqx1IZM_TdhgDPPrkeScxZLcRUNjIe2UJ/s1600/inoven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtyU2tL9V0IRbapHbWDtjF6tAIz5hbV9LVVe8bGCfmyRwNfU6K6lesJqja9pfWW2PcCQSzvJb5KbyM1Bm7s6LHz75AiU2RpMa9JYNmHWgsD-8Oqx1IZM_TdhgDPPrkeScxZLcRUNjIe2UJ/s320/inoven.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They'll rise a bit more in the oven.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9qv7oNC5uCh4Pw8a00hFTD5I4rGD8UlV-Ce_O-aWMfJAgiRAw40EWcCUJVkCs70VHewSg7pboL_x_jqgNz82A5Agx8xKyMi4dffxY4bdTz7IsPOQBxvuxp1-ExJ3Hw0b0fIRqiC0vhuz/s1600/finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9qv7oNC5uCh4Pw8a00hFTD5I4rGD8UlV-Ce_O-aWMfJAgiRAw40EWcCUJVkCs70VHewSg7pboL_x_jqgNz82A5Agx8xKyMi4dffxY4bdTz7IsPOQBxvuxp1-ExJ3Hw0b0fIRqiC0vhuz/s320/finish.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden tops means they're done.</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Not perfect looking rolls, but a success (taste-wise) for my first time attempting this recipe, which means you can do it, too. The rolls are soft and flavorful inside and the tops and the bottoms are crunchy, making this a good contrast of taste and texture that would look right at home on a holiday buffet table. Let me know in comments what you think!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b> Next up: I attempt my friend's super-duper easy Boston Cream Pie recipe!</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-56208546266606144192010-11-22T11:07:00.001-06:002010-11-22T11:10:28.340-06:00The Storm Before the CalmHubby is out of the house today working partially because he has a lot of writing and maybe because he's afraid I'll put him to work helping me clean the house. I don't just make a nice "to-do" list like my mother did when I was growing up. I've pondered just e-mailing and texting little reminders or for the girls -- leaving notes in their rooms since they're not yet into texting. (Thank the Technology Gods -- for the moment -- that they're semi-reachable by voice and not hooked to a wired network.)<br />
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I yell out instructions, at least the fourth or fifth time I'm having to repeat myself. (Husband may disagree here.) And the girls are learning how to operate the sweeper though they're acting like it's a monster they cannot control. So while they're at school I'm cleaning the oven...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrvZrVQLgeXLR0EsVKPYa_Nzh87OcQ9wjngMUyqFDEye9gHaA0S_vEJnFqJLdSmKB1dWk_c2Yn9ap-2fisJuLTaS4DzrSlyzA6aYoPGUqiH5SBkr8W-W2g42MSzFQMZD0sNDxXw08_weO/s1600/oven2010a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrvZrVQLgeXLR0EsVKPYa_Nzh87OcQ9wjngMUyqFDEye9gHaA0S_vEJnFqJLdSmKB1dWk_c2Yn9ap-2fisJuLTaS4DzrSlyzA6aYoPGUqiH5SBkr8W-W2g42MSzFQMZD0sNDxXw08_weO/s320/oven2010a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My oven that needs some self-cleaning time.</td></tr>
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... so my baking project for the day is getting delayed. I've found Boston's Parker House hotel's recipe for Parker House rolls that I'll be attempting later today. And I'm calling a friend to get her easy Boston Cream Pie (really it's a cake!) recipe, so check back for more cooking excitement.<br />
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In the meantime, I'm hitting corners of the house that need my attention:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vl9jAcOHldh3QbY66fj57oeKvWXYyftucjByKKvYki4Iewqm3yGAYMm6iMjaMzIHnT34dczBjNEq9OYCc83ol50sqvgVbUUmIyP3X0BNuJpa67aXrP4nYrdxWBDI_uyJgr4JWacYcVT_/s1600/soapscum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vl9jAcOHldh3QbY66fj57oeKvWXYyftucjByKKvYki4Iewqm3yGAYMm6iMjaMzIHnT34dczBjNEq9OYCc83ol50sqvgVbUUmIyP3X0BNuJpa67aXrP4nYrdxWBDI_uyJgr4JWacYcVT_/s320/soapscum.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just soap scum in the guest bathroom</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhEY957ovLRcBQUQClHpeN_sWfbewiN0v0c3cl4edZ7PG_vbU5iA6ltzvdCCD6EK4Fj8xzY_-5l1STZIxW7qSfEH0n1Wcmtiy749L3uo-2WvctwOont3WVuR53IH07K1XF8ERjMNK9Pvw/s1600/tablemess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhEY957ovLRcBQUQClHpeN_sWfbewiN0v0c3cl4edZ7PG_vbU5iA6ltzvdCCD6EK4Fj8xzY_-5l1STZIxW7qSfEH0n1Wcmtiy749L3uo-2WvctwOont3WVuR53IH07K1XF8ERjMNK9Pvw/s320/tablemess.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and heaven knows what on my table! Ugh!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-20743524096712991512010-11-18T10:24:00.001-06:002010-11-18T11:40:01.857-06:00Plymouth Celebration means MassachusettsSince it's closing in on Thanksgiving, we've skipping a few states (since we're a virtual tour!) and focusing this week and next on Massachusetts.<br />
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For more info for that first Thanksgiving, check the Pilgrim Hall Museum site <a href="http://www.pilgrimhall.org/f_thanks.htm">HERE.</a> More info about the state can be found at the <a href="http://www.massvacation.com/">Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism site.</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlyNTUfPjWeovZ3ZvC5d5p8phvbvqdn8Qj0rEKvADVjpcRgZpIEBhB6LpZh-MOG8I2KSjgYSdIu_wM-XysCVENyt9MgOJPRv9XN_dYbDpQH0lvZ2fV0TN6aR1mbbXVJSWQkxDNWVnoU5O/s1600/cranberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlyNTUfPjWeovZ3ZvC5d5p8phvbvqdn8Qj0rEKvADVjpcRgZpIEBhB6LpZh-MOG8I2KSjgYSdIu_wM-XysCVENyt9MgOJPRv9XN_dYbDpQH0lvZ2fV0TN6aR1mbbXVJSWQkxDNWVnoU5O/s320/cranberries.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And even if you and your family aren't necessarily cranberry fans, here are some <a href="http://www.oceanspray.com/about/cranberry_history2.aspx">fun facts on the vivid berry</a>.<br />
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I've made homemade cranberry sauce before but my husband prefers the canned version, likely because that's what he grew up eating every Thanksgiving. I could just let those fresh cranberries simmer (anything simmering on the stove top is always so comforting) for a sauce that just sits on the table and looks pretty. But with my mother-in-law's extensive menu (menu to be posted soon!) we'll likely just buy a can of Ocean Spray's finest and just call it good.<br />
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Though this <a href="http://www.oceanspray.com/recipes/Cranberry_Festive_Sparkler.aspx?id=2783&nid=8">Cranberry Festive Sparkler</a> looks good and Grandpa Steven looks his seltzer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-84412849572757127122010-11-12T15:41:00.001-06:002010-11-12T15:44:02.475-06:00Chicken and Rice Casserole, Arkansas Style<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If your town is anything like mine today, it's time for some good ol' comfort food. I asked my good friend Jennifer Ingraham for insight into her home state's culinary legacy. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Here is Jennifer's insight:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"Nationally, Arkansas ranks No. 1 in rice and poultry production. I know this because I learned the rice fact in fifth-grade Arkansas history and I’ve seen some of the rice farms along the Mississippi River. I know the chicken fact because I grew up in Northwest Arkansas and my high school was next to a Tyson chicken plant. So it seems only appropriate that I offer a simple, traditional chicken and rice casserole, loaded with fattening ingredients and topped with butter and Ritz crackers. Mmm, mmm, good!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"This recipe took 3rd-place honors at the 2006 Arkansas State Fair," Jennifer says.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Check out this link at <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/10/top-10-new-food-items-at-the-arkansas-state-fair-slideshow.html#">Serious Eats</a> to see the new food items that popped up at this year's Arkansas State Fair. If you like your entrees and desserts deep-fried, you'll be pleased with the deep-fried and battered hard boiled eggs and deep-fried bacon bombs followed by chocolate smooches and chocolate cream cheese bites!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<u><b>Jennifer Ingraham's </b></u></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u><b>State Fair Chicken & Rice Casserole </b></u></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">4 chicken breasts, boiled and boned </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">1 10 oz can cream of chicken soup </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">1 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">1 1/2 cups cooked rice </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">1 cup sour cream </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">3 cups chicken broth </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">2 packages Ritz Crackers, crushed </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">1 stick (1/4 pound) butter</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Chop chicken. Combine chicken, soups, rice, sour cream, and broth. Place in two 2-quart dishes. Crush crackers and add dollops of butter. Sprinkle over dishes. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thank you, Jennifer. This seems a great dish for a good weekend meal and another dish to freeze for another quick meal for a busy weeknight. What's better than a meal in the freezer?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">MORE FUN: Here's a <a href="http://www.soskids.arkansas.gov/5-8-history-state-symbols.html">fun kids site</a> with more Arkansas info. <br />
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;"></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-69404544522407031862010-11-08T11:00:00.003-06:002010-11-08T13:41:14.711-06:00The Dessert Loving State of ArkansasYou know a state takes its desserts seriously when the state's First Lady hosts a pie contest at the state fair. (Missouri's First Lady also hosts a pie contest, too.) Click <a href="http://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/southern-cuisine/view-recipe.aspx?recipe=ChocolatePie">HERE</a> for a previous year's winning chocolate pie recipe from Arkansas.<br />
<br />
First Lady of Arkansas Ginger Beebe points out on her website that 38 percent of Arkansas youth are obese compared to the national average of 29 percent. Click <a href="http://www.arkansasfirstlady.com/healthy_habits.html">HERE </a>for some of the fun and HEALTHY recipes she shares on her site.<br />
<br />
So in search of a healthier dessert I found a carrot cake recipe from David and Ruth Glass. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYIyZc4sK4Ksbuu06JQ70CKplLjjPhKsnjOtrvbkBgfnp2I2EpW1PUSii6PJsHfMwMA9bUxysWgSSjK6VAiLU5rbkLKY6ziX2yEPraLRfyeK2slfBdynmZxm3BG6Qms6OhFP8CT20mg86/s1600/gratedcarrots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYIyZc4sK4Ksbuu06JQ70CKplLjjPhKsnjOtrvbkBgfnp2I2EpW1PUSii6PJsHfMwMA9bUxysWgSSjK6VAiLU5rbkLKY6ziX2yEPraLRfyeK2slfBdynmZxm3BG6Qms6OhFP8CT20mg86/s1600/gratedcarrots.jpg" /></a></div><br />
David Glass grew up in Missouri, but is the previous CEO of Wal-Mart based in Bentonville, Arkansas. David has been CEO of the Kansas City Royals since 1993, and I found their family recipe for this dessert in a charity cookbook "From Our Plate to Yours" with recipes from Royals players and management that was a benefit for <a href="http://www.tcpkc.org/">The Children's Place.</a> The note below the title reads — I'm thinking this if from Ruth — "This is a very old recipe that never fails. Good for new brides and dessert loving husbands."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojDDYq0NWUnPD53NqobU9NRoZa-4e9bXbFOFq2jGrTH1KPpZA073mUtvvfAnrJNKrkYNzsQbdSrO3jmByNVivJ4iSGcbHo1BMmFh01v-RCaU32tDCxn6RbccfhtvHB4Wp8Ed4kpZkCSQl/s1600/grating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojDDYq0NWUnPD53NqobU9NRoZa-4e9bXbFOFq2jGrTH1KPpZA073mUtvvfAnrJNKrkYNzsQbdSrO3jmByNVivJ4iSGcbHo1BMmFh01v-RCaU32tDCxn6RbccfhtvHB4Wp8Ed4kpZkCSQl/s320/grating.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grating carrots might be more fun than eating them.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<u><i>David and Ruth Glass' Carrot Cake</i></u><br />
4 eggs <u><i></i></u><br />
1 ½ cups vegetable oil<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
1 cup pecans, chopped (we left this out, but added ½ cup of raisins)<br />
2 cups flour<br />
2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
3 cups carrots, grated (about 1½ small packages of regular-sized carrots)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHuKQlu8MPZQNCk0MS1ymM-8Mew-QyfSP2mATkZuB1u4WvVr3L_3W9xZY94s850OIRSOfqaAyO7VstS2Uxdy52WKCYhxXjActWvVYH7WSsk-pc1fmZKMR30lI_zf9T5P9rq7VqRrXttcb/s1600/batter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHuKQlu8MPZQNCk0MS1ymM-8Mew-QyfSP2mATkZuB1u4WvVr3L_3W9xZY94s850OIRSOfqaAyO7VstS2Uxdy52WKCYhxXjActWvVYH7WSsk-pc1fmZKMR30lI_zf9T5P9rq7VqRrXttcb/s320/batter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Icing:<br />
8 oz cream cheese, softened<br />
½ cup butter, softened<br />
16 oz package powdered sugar<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
<br />
Beat 4 eggs well then stir in oil and sugar. Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl, then combine with other mixture. Stir in carrots and pecans. Grease and four two 9" cake pans and pour ingredients into pans. (Inspired by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_774610369">Ina Garten's Parties! cookbook</a><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/carrot-cake-cupcakes-recipe/index.html"> carrot cake cupcake recipe</a>, we opted to make cupcakes instead of one big cake. There was enough batter for 24 cupcakes and a mini-bread loaf.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzvj7hP-jkw-FqsCmn51bLf-90CH4K4GBB0PvSvT84YZyEx2oFzTNdPtHbOF7SGwd7N0ppx0l0_DNiDxrlE7EP-WCGhQ7mw0poXPnYNAIwnve2gA-eeyY7erUGoYZtqZSCrbwu3qWT067/s1600/mess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzvj7hP-jkw-FqsCmn51bLf-90CH4K4GBB0PvSvT84YZyEx2oFzTNdPtHbOF7SGwd7N0ppx0l0_DNiDxrlE7EP-WCGhQ7mw0poXPnYNAIwnve2gA-eeyY7erUGoYZtqZSCrbwu3qWT067/s320/mess.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It can be messy prep, but it's worth the extra work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Bake at 350 degrees until cake is no longer doughy. (We baked our cupcakes about 35 minutes.) When finished baking, cool in pans for 10 minutes then invert onto wire racks. Cool completely (may refrigerate.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlC1dXmDDR4-xpRNB1dyE3QOSzPlZJoD2Wo84OPxJHDrZULxHh76tHL3vHwUHBPFyuMCFud5c68lsXQmvq0fzD5fshXCmsTNVag8zb3FL4HiQL7P6uQOn8gTPd9AhtK6l6B2rHRx-Wbaw/s1600/inside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlC1dXmDDR4-xpRNB1dyE3QOSzPlZJoD2Wo84OPxJHDrZULxHh76tHL3vHwUHBPFyuMCFud5c68lsXQmvq0fzD5fshXCmsTNVag8zb3FL4HiQL7P6uQOn8gTPd9AhtK6l6B2rHRx-Wbaw/s320/inside.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Icing: Combine cream cheese and butter, beating until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Ice cakes after completely cooled.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8oeXunGAfwpjPn2cRcnfASn_5SNxOHhkNzAU4GuJSZWWfaj-EZMHb6qD_K_boLZO7jw1k7NjIse7J5Cvmo-bdtsuQopgiTEdMiUCjobxkcptWZmZ7u0OSCklwuFZbBdgcilfUKBxlw5Y/s1600/frosted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8oeXunGAfwpjPn2cRcnfASn_5SNxOHhkNzAU4GuJSZWWfaj-EZMHb6qD_K_boLZO7jw1k7NjIse7J5Cvmo-bdtsuQopgiTEdMiUCjobxkcptWZmZ7u0OSCklwuFZbBdgcilfUKBxlw5Y/s1600/frosted.jpg" /></a></div><br />
In his fun and informative cookbook, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/United-Cakes-America-Recipes-Celebrating/dp/1584798394">United Cakes of America</a>, Warren Brown states that this scrumptious version we know today that's paired with cream cheese was published in a women's club cookbook in Wichita, Kansas, in 1929. (Not sure I'd think of Kansas as being in the vanguard of carrot recipes.) But tossing carrots in cakes goes back even further. <a href="http://culinarytypes.blogspot.com/2010/02/colonial-carrot-cake-new-york-tavern.html">T.W. Barritt at his blog 'Culinary Types' </a>shares more about the event where George Washington was served a carrot tea cake in New York City in 1783.<br />
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THEMED BOOKS:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Giant-Carrot-Jan-Peck/dp/0803718233/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289235857&sr=1-4">"The Giant Carrot" by Jan Peck, illustrated by Barry Root</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carrot-Seed-60th-Anniversary/dp/0064432106/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289235857&sr=1-6">"The Carrot Seed" by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson</a><br />
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OTHER MEDIA:<br />
See the Warner Brothers' Bugs Bunny Hopping Carrot Hunt game <a href="http://looneytunes.kidswb.com/games/bugs-bunny-hopping-carrot-hunt">HERE.</a><br />
Check out this soundtrack <a href="http://www.bugsbunnyatthesymphony.net/">"Bugs Bunny at the Symphony"</a> for some entertaining music from the one and only famous rabbit while cookin' up this tasty carrot recipe.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtA10db-LDIWuA0peRNJOljK4GgyhxJlPAr4mKLCuIWgaQAnfflZoE4ZtK6a3NdqnarSIixq9Pjpi72-bTUrSa_v7FaIKm0pvmrOoemC00lyiEzx60HLndTEyoGAhswTmr8qcZlY_kS2RH/s1600/Sydney_Symphony-Bugs_Bunny_at_the_Symphon_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtA10db-LDIWuA0peRNJOljK4GgyhxJlPAr4mKLCuIWgaQAnfflZoE4ZtK6a3NdqnarSIixq9Pjpi72-bTUrSa_v7FaIKm0pvmrOoemC00lyiEzx60HLndTEyoGAhswTmr8qcZlY_kS2RH/s1600/Sydney_Symphony-Bugs_Bunny_at_the_Symphon_2.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-2457248799387254982010-11-05T20:20:00.003-05:002010-11-10T10:31:33.879-06:00A Polk Recipe from Flippin, Arkansas<div>My friend Gwen VanAsselt is today's guest to discuss the culinary delights from Arkansas. Gwen's polk shoots recipe is from her grandmother who grew up eating this in Flippin, Arkansas, and brought the recipe with her to Missouri when she moved to Missouri's Lake Ozark in her 30's.</div><div></div><div><br />
You, like me, may be wondering about polk shoots (also called poke or pokeweed). Here's a <a href="http://www.aihd.ku.edu/foods/pokeweed.html">good link</a> for more info.</div><div></div><div><br />
Gwen says: "One of the wonderful things about my grandma is that she doesn't beat around the bush and isn't afraid to speak her mind. She came to stay with us for a week after the birth of our first child. After the first day of my recipes (lots of lentils and tofu) she told me I didn't have the right ingredients to make anything. She couldn't believe that I didn't have a can of bacon grease on my stove. She said, 'all good recipes start with a little bacon grease.'<br />
</div><div></div><div>"At some point during her trip she noticed that we had polk growing in our landscaping. (We are not the best at yard maintenance.) She picked a full pot of it out of our landscaped beds and served it to us that night for dinner.<br />
</div><div></div><div>"I called her to get the recipe. </div><div></div><div><br />
"In Arkansas you know that poke is up when the Oak trees put out leaves. It is best in the spring when it is tender. It grew later in Michigan because the climate is cooler. It will grow into fall and make berries. Never eat the berries. They are almost poison.</div><div></div><div><br />
<b><u>Polk recipe:</u></b></div><div>1. Pick a full pot of polk because it will shrink.</div><div>2. Wash it three times to get the dirt and sand off.</div><div>3. Put it back in the large pot with some water and cook it until it is tender.</div><div>4. Lift the polk out of the water and put it in a frying pan with a few tablespoons of bacon grease. Add salt and pepper.</div><div>5. Go by taste and make sure it is tender.</div><div></div><div><br />
She reminded me several times not to eat the berries in the fall and never to eat polk raw because it will cause diarrhea.<br />
Enjoy the recipe!<br />
</div><div></div>Thanks for sharing, Gwen. I think I'll wait to try this until your grandmother can peruse our landscaping. (See below for a previous year's "garden" that kind of took over. I'm sure there was something edible here!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnTax0_5ZRayxmqDb4SOnvfiavakR4B7OMMDPDUY9bFlQYnVm1ILRoSwAUR-tA0gblS7YwoFvG75ciEp9g0NDeUIxegig4KclRwGurQEyYNZeTiFacs16f31YsVD8m3fcFFihlZ4s_vtP/s1600/IMG_0761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnTax0_5ZRayxmqDb4SOnvfiavakR4B7OMMDPDUY9bFlQYnVm1ILRoSwAUR-tA0gblS7YwoFvG75ciEp9g0NDeUIxegig4KclRwGurQEyYNZeTiFacs16f31YsVD8m3fcFFihlZ4s_vtP/s320/IMG_0761.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-29679908064164483852010-11-02T10:15:00.002-05:002010-11-03T14:04:44.911-05:00Ode to Oklahoma and on to Arkansas — Land of HopeFirst, it's election day and I hope you've found time to vote. (Continue reading after you've finished voting, we'll still be here waiting for you.) Trying to teach the students about voting our Kindergarten teacher used the book "The Little Red Hen" to show the students to vote for the <strike>animal</strike> individual who is the hardest worker. On a recent stop on his road trip through the country <a href="http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/09/17/election-road-trip-day-11-democratic-tea/">Time's Joe Klein</a> mentioned that politicians are some of the hardest working individuals in the country. It's easy to forget that with all the negative campaign material floating around. I wrote about ballot revisions - design revisions at least -- on my Mom2MomKC blog <a href="http://www.mom2momkc.com/?a=profile&u=66&t=blog&blog_id=3551">HERE</a>.<br />
<br />
So for just a few Presidential items (though it's not a presidential voting year) I thought it would be fun to include:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHx-6NLd8I3OWepelfdnO-QuJHFquz82TWTvVu-aibdquoIjj2LzVdWiYAIYNo2gqUUXh-YH9anwG-Mpwc96ttb2WqnPjK-DG-JW2JJAuixds7tweS9rEk8LVpmWG9fvl8HtlSG-qM_np/s200/Screen+shot+2010-11-02+at+9.44.45+AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="115" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Diamond Bear Brewing Company in Arkansas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHx-6NLd8I3OWepelfdnO-QuJHFquz82TWTvVu-aibdquoIjj2LzVdWiYAIYNo2gqUUXh-YH9anwG-Mpwc96ttb2WqnPjK-DG-JW2JJAuixds7tweS9rEk8LVpmWG9fvl8HtlSG-qM_np/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-11-02+at+9.44.45+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
BEVERAGES:<br />
How about a <a href="http://www.diamondbear.com/the-beer/presidential-ipa/">Presidential Pale Ale Beer</a>? (From Arkansas, our next state to explore!)<br />
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Click <a href="http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/president-clintons-childhood-eating-habits/">HERE</a> to hear how former President Clinton ate when he was growing up in Hope, Arkansas. (From an interview on Rachel Ray's TV show.) <br />
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Try this Presidential food trivia test <a href="http://www.foodmuseum.com/Presidentialfoodcontest.html">HERE.</a><br />
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And one of our favorite books with stories and great illustrations of the White House and its families is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Our-White-House-Looking-Out/dp/076362067X">"Our White House, Looking In, Looking Out." </a><br />
It has a great collection of short stories and information on all our past presidents and their families. It's a treasury of great authors and illustrators on a topic that should be of interest to all children (and parents) interested in the history of their country.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNUTRRKlTpBj3DjK0sbqyn4XaF7bB2bJbuKkZ8u6vR8eND4TB4lKJXtpmc1uVy5sqlImg0ZLPzTM6L2oXKCRbDWGp9eb-01wdPrHvAENsYqswOHug0RODdS-5LTCCACqDyZalXNWpuDeV/s320/Screen+shot+2010-11-02+at+9.49.07+AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presidential illustration by Bob Kolar in "Our White House"</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNUTRRKlTpBj3DjK0sbqyn4XaF7bB2bJbuKkZ8u6vR8eND4TB4lKJXtpmc1uVy5sqlImg0ZLPzTM6L2oXKCRbDWGp9eb-01wdPrHvAENsYqswOHug0RODdS-5LTCCACqDyZalXNWpuDeV/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-11-02+at+9.49.07+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>So as we depart Oklahoma (with a pledge to return when we have more recipes and stories), we give you our new-found recipe for Oklahoma Caviar, that features blackeyed peas, of course! I've heard this zesty bean dip for chips referred to as poor man's cavair, too, but the Oklahoma title fits our needs just fine. (I'd happily call it Texan caviar, too.)<br />
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<u><b>Oklahoma Caviar</b></u><br />
1 (12 oz) can of black beans<br />
1 (14 oz) can of shoepeg corn (I choose frozen)<br />
1 (15 oz) can blackeyed peas<br />
2 (15 oz) cans chopped tomatoes<br />
2 bunches of green onions, chopped (I used 3 stalks only)<br />
1 (16 oz) bottle of Italian dressing (I didn't use all of the bottle)<br />
<br />
Drain and rinse beans and corn from the cans. Add the ingredients in a bowl with the canned tomatoes, green onions and dressing. Mix well. Refrigerate and marinate overnight. (But can be served right after mixing though the flavors are best after marinating.) Serve with corn chips.<br />
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My eldest really liked it, though the youngest thought it was a bit too spicy for her taste. I may try to find a less "zesty" Italian dressing, but I love finding new ways to serve up vegetables for the girls.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-17966785845029584032010-10-30T20:13:00.001-05:002010-10-30T20:18:01.333-05:00Tis the Season for Pumpkin Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHldErvZlqOSyfsn5zXT-bRRfl3jiW96hMDLiW8_3vD1jgMz8dFeQ11DYfx0lpstju8B65f-s4YM4Z92qZ2jSYm_vNK1yMXFL7yOzFE-t2qEOtbD8UiFugDd65saH1fK5_iQa3q5-zPm7/s1600/pumpkinbread2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHldErvZlqOSyfsn5zXT-bRRfl3jiW96hMDLiW8_3vD1jgMz8dFeQ11DYfx0lpstju8B65f-s4YM4Z92qZ2jSYm_vNK1yMXFL7yOzFE-t2qEOtbD8UiFugDd65saH1fK5_iQa3q5-zPm7/s320/pumpkinbread2.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><br />
We couldn't let Halloween come and go without an easy and delish recipe that's quick to fix and perfect for ghouls and boys of all ages. I was rummaging through my mother's cookbooks and found a fun recipe for pumpkin bread. Although I didn't recognize the cookbook* the recipe was from my cousin Kay Reynolds. Kay is a former Home Economics teacher at Derby High School and known in our family as the accomplished entertainer.<br />
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I baked up some loaves and left one in Kay's kitchen in her weekend getaway I'm dubbing The Lodge. (See above.) There's also a chance that Kay baked up some bread this weekend, too.<br />
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The recipe is great because it calls for an entire can of pumpkin. I'm always frustrated with recipes that just call for a cup or a half can of pumpkin. I try to think of something to throw the leftover puree into (my friend Kate swears it makes chili great) but I always forget about that small amount in a plastic container hangin' out in the frig. Until three weeks later I open the container and discover I've got a great start for a science project.<br />
<br />
It's a great recipe that calls for mixing with a spoon, so it's a great baking project for the kids to easily help in the kitchen. While rummaging in my mother's kitchen I spotted part of a Ghirardelli Chocolate baking bar. (How that thing didn't get eaten ages ago I do NOT know, but I broke up the bar and added it to the batter while I was pouring it into the pans. To finish off the tops of the loaves I added pecans and a sprinkling of brown sugar. <br />
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<u><b>Kay Reynold's Pumpkin Bread</b></u><br />
3 1/2 cups flour<br />
2 teaspoons of baking soda<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />
1 teaspoon of cinnamon<br />
1 teaspoon of nutmeg <i>(or cloves or allspice or whatever sounds spicy in the back of the spice rack)</i><br />
3 cups of sugar<br />
1 cup of vegetable oil <i>(I like Canola or sunflower)</i><br />
1- 15 oz. - can of pumpkin <i>(NOT pumpkin pie filling, just the pumpkin puree)</i><br />
4 large eggs, beaten<br />
2/3 cup water<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>In a large bowl mix together first six ingredients: flour through sugar. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add last four ingredients: oil, pumpkin, eggs and water. Mix until the dry ingredients are wet. Place in 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. </b><br />
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<i>Times will vary depending on size of pans. The recipe for me made one large loaf, two medium loaves, two baby loaves and a dozen muffins. The muffins took about 15 to 20 minutes but the large loaf baked for more than 50 minutes.</i><br />
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* Recipe published in a custom published cookbook in memory of a father and son and the Kenney and Kent Kraus Vocational Scholarship at Mulvane H.S. in KansasUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-45337328058176970932010-10-29T15:46:00.000-05:002010-10-29T15:46:01.295-05:00Oklahoma's State Menu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPlWWEeTZ1tLPwWFuI5lVsbPRqrInRZJJ7QH1dh4nGoTAFHmQ8kffJxNa8GKsyUjMi7tQOQesxhiSkEXL7OtQxBEOCq20031hl9mUXWeQ2njr4_057PtE-E2Mt6VbjB9W1h4eL63Z_dhN/s1600/buffalo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPlWWEeTZ1tLPwWFuI5lVsbPRqrInRZJJ7QH1dh4nGoTAFHmQ8kffJxNa8GKsyUjMi7tQOQesxhiSkEXL7OtQxBEOCq20031hl9mUXWeQ2njr4_057PtE-E2Mt6VbjB9W1h4eL63Z_dhN/s320/buffalo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Oklahoma has an official state meal and it's not for dieters. Click <a href="http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/S/ST023.html">HERE</a> to read more. It reflects a Southern slant and prairie diet with influences from Native Americans.<br />
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Barbecued pork<br />
<a href="http://acourseforadventure.blogspot.com/2010/09/steaks-mighty-chicken-fried-way.html">chicken-fried steak</a><br />
and sausage with biscuits and gravy<br />
fried okra and squash<br />
grits<br />
corn<br />
black-eyed peas<br />
<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cheddar-dill-cornbread-recipe/index.html">cornbread</a><br />
strawberries<br />
<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/pecan-pie-recipe/index.html"> pecan pie. </a><br />
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My friend Sue Wendelbo — who I commend for eating well despite multiple food allergies — writes: "I hate to disappoint you, but Oklahoma "was" known for FRYING EVERYTHING! Thank goodness the Raw Food Movement has made a great entrance into the Great, Great State of Oklahoma! <a href="http://105degrees.com/">105 Degrees is a culinary academy</a> that is shaping the way Southwest foodies are living life to the fullest. Chris and I regularly frequent 105 Degrees on our visits and when we leave the fine dining establishment our pallets are anxious to return. Oklahoma really has become the hot bed of culinary arts with several schools and chefs from as far away as London and New York City hired as instructors. Who would have ever guessed?"<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhCuuy3HLgErMzXfsz2gj9tCSJY69DB-wazyKZlTVtZkRCcLiq0ac1JHNXI6Ey_GqoVBZ4lXqLhS3IQk4ue2jl7EmocYpqF-gLWUZBMFaISpGcUBK-aO3QCKVwiMTVYST9qEoxYCkqjL1/s1600/eskimo_joes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhCuuy3HLgErMzXfsz2gj9tCSJY69DB-wazyKZlTVtZkRCcLiq0ac1JHNXI6Ey_GqoVBZ4lXqLhS3IQk4ue2jl7EmocYpqF-gLWUZBMFaISpGcUBK-aO3QCKVwiMTVYST9qEoxYCkqjL1/s200/eskimo_joes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Thanks, Sue, I'm now excited about checking out 105 Degrees though I've less chance to travel through Oklahoma since my sister moved from Austin, Texas. (Oklahoma City was always our stopping point for the night because 12 hours from our home to Austin was just too much for our family to handle in one day's drive.) It's good to know food is getting more sophisticated. When I was in college the only Oklahoma restaurant/establishment that I was familiar with that served food and refreshments was <a href="http://www.eskimojoes.com/">Eskimo Joe's</a>. (I never road tripped there either!) Everyone had their T-shirt from the place, it was like the Midwest's version of the Hard Rock T-shirt. <br />
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And I'd be remiss in not linking to the beautiful web site that's the work of Ree Drummond the <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/">Pioneer Woman</a>, who cooks, does photography and home schools in Oklahoma. How she does it all, I have NO idea!<br />
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Click <a href="http://www.travelok.com/restaurants">HERE</a> for more info on Oklahoma restaurants.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQA3SvM8HQfr7RidRC98v3xj7jJYfighcG68JyG26mVyY6jIl5g6AWsyV-Xf_w-bVW6EcaOYW01CJp2vZilUfRURU0Igg47zhyHH1uBgq07D8ztQNB53Fy0hMAL5FRTvVVSomUl-NFzfG3/s1600/OKstate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQA3SvM8HQfr7RidRC98v3xj7jJYfighcG68JyG26mVyY6jIl5g6AWsyV-Xf_w-bVW6EcaOYW01CJp2vZilUfRURU0Igg47zhyHH1uBgq07D8ztQNB53Fy0hMAL5FRTvVVSomUl-NFzfG3/s320/OKstate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And my friend Holly Lawton who grew up in Oklahoma City, writes, "One thing I remember from Oklahoma that other states don't seem to do is to have black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. The quintessential OK food would have to be red meat!"<br />
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I'm experimenting with a black-eyed peas salad and if it works I'll share it. (Still not had a chance to make biscuits with vinegar gel yet, but it's on the agenda. Don't forget to vote!) Still seeking noodle recipes, too! <br />
<div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-64068874608746077292010-10-27T09:04:00.000-05:002010-10-27T09:04:44.479-05:00Bookin' it in OklahomaWelcome back to more of Oklahoma Week<br />
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<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781423490562?aff=MPosnanski"><img onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found.jpg';" src="http://images.booksense.com/images/books/562/490/FC9781423490562.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><br />
Book of Oklahoma!</a><br />
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The girls and I watched Oklahoma! this past weekend. Well the five-year-old was the most into it while her older sister complained that it was too long and I started dozing off and missed all the dream scenes. And I forgot how brooding Jed is, including his stalking tendencies and finally setting a haystack on fire that held the pair of newlyweds, Curly the cowboy and farm girl Shirley Jones. (Though for a farm girl Shirley wasn't as handy around the farm as you'd think she should have be in frontierland. And I'm not quite sure her new husband Curly knew quite enough about keeping her aunt's farm in tip-top working condition.)<br />
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Here is a list of famous <b><a href="http://www.ibelieveinoklahoma.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=27&id=18&Itemid=644">Oklahomans that lends itself to checking out many famous authors.</a></b><br />
I discovered a Native American poet, <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/search/apachesolr_search/field_contributor_name:Joy+Harjo">Joy Harjo</a>, who's work includes this fun-looking children's book:<br />
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<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780152321970?aff=MPosnanski"><img onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found.jpg';" src="http://images.booksense.com/images/books/970/321/FC9780152321970.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><br />
Children's book from Oklahoma author</a> <br />
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While there have been many writers and actors, I found Broadway star <b><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kristin-Chenoweths-Salad-Dressing-230197">Kristin Chenoweth's salad dressing recipe</a></b> from her mother (from SELF magazine, April 2003.) (It's got vinegar and sugar in it!) <a href="http://www.ibelieveinoklahoma.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=49&Itemid=49#chenoweth">The Chenoweths are from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma,</a> though Kristin now spends her time in NYC and LA.<br />
<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781416580560?aff=MPosnanski"><img onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found.jpg';" src="http://images.booksense.com/images/books/560/580/FC9781416580560.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><br />
Kristin Chenoweth's memoir</a><br />
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According to a <a href="http://womensmemoirs.com/memoir-book-reviews/book-review-a-little-bit-wicked-live-love-and-faith-in-stages-by-kristin-chenoweth/">review of Kristin's memoir</a>, "A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages," Kristin enjoys food and she shares recipes for desserts like Butterfinger Pie and Chenolicious White Trash Cookies. I'm tracking down her book right now to try out these recipes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-37292352043662277262010-10-26T00:30:00.000-05:002010-10-26T00:30:27.202-05:00UpdateSo I just finished my Mom2Mom post for this week and I'm still researching Oklahoma recipes and attractions. Did you know that mistletoe is the <a href="http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Oklahoma/Mistletoefloral_emblem.html">state's floral emblem?</a> And Black-eyed peas (the food not the group) seem to be a big New Year's tradition. There's more to come soon and also a post before Halloween on the making of a pop star. (The group kind not the beverage.) Until then, don't forget to vote on the vinegar syrup poll, and I'll keep you posted if I end up making and tasting it!<br />
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Oh, do I even have to hint at noodle recipe help?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402291791117531503.post-73725583641590371852010-10-22T12:03:00.002-05:002010-10-22T13:17:07.885-05:00Oklahoma Comfort Food - with Vinegar Gel<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.travelok.com/photos/photo_id.2131">Ready to check out a new state?</a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<welcome to=""><b>Welcome to Oklahoma Week</b> where we highlight two er, one standard comfort food today. These classic made-from-scratch biscuits (as all biscuits should be!) include a rather unique topping. That topping is a family recipe born out of originality and necessity and now a recipe that those BORN in the family seen to have a predisposed craving to enjoy. It still causes much division at the family's gatherings to this day.<br />
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Ah, the wonders of food. I like to think there is something to genetics and eating. <i>We're still grilling which likely started as some caveman's way to relieve stress on the five days after a big hunting project while the wife tossed together a lovely berry salad while carrying for the kids, repainting and sweeping the cave while <a href="http://www.mom2momkc.com/?a=profile&u=66&t=blog&blog_id=1570">entertaining the in-laws.</a> And that last point made her remember that the clan's arrows needed sharpening, again.</i><br />
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Fast forward to the present, as we focus on the states surrounding Kansas for this project, I like to tap my friends who grew up on each state's food fare. For Oklahoma, I talked with a couple our family much admires, Bill and Nicki Hancock. Nicki is a former English teacher (and a Kansas Master Teacher of the Year) and Bill is the Executive Director of the Bowl Championship Series. Bill and Nicki live in KC but grew up and met in Oklahoma and have family there. Nicki shares the story of her mother's biscuit recipe and the vinegar gel topping! Enjoy -- with or withOUT the vinegar gel.</welcome><br />
<welcome to=""> <br />
Nicki writes:</welcome></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>"Growing up in Oklahoma, sometimes for breakfast but often with dinner, we had my mother’s made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits. Even though she worked as a teacher, writer, tax preparer and lawyer, she still made biscuits several times a month. We always had them for special occasions. Since my father’s hobby was raising bird dogs and taking them into the fields for hunting on crisp, fall Saturdays, for Christmas breakfast we always had fried quail with biscuits and gravy. <b>Our 1907-vintage farmhouse teemed with activity as we all scurried to help prepare the feast. The aroma filled the steamy kitchen up to its high ceiling, and even the sweaty windows radiated warmth. It was a treat that we four children looked forward to all year.</b><br />
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"Very little changed after we added four spouses, 12 grandchildren and now three great-grandchildren. Mother has moved to an assisted-living center and someone else now lives in our old farmhouse, but we’re still there in our hearts at Christmas time.<br />
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"With our biscuits we always had (and still have) a Depression-era treat called vinegar gel. Probably created from a recipe for vinegar pie (a Southern dessert), it consists of flour, sugar, vinegar and water, cooked into a syrup-like topping for biscuits. We mix it with sugar and butter and pour it over the biscuits. My family says only descendents from our Watkins ancestors like it. I do know that at our family get-togethers none of the 'married-ins' will touch it, but the rest of us savor it — even the babies."<br />
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<u><b>Nellie's Biscuits</b></u><br />
<u><b>Recipe from Nicki (Perry) Hancock </b></u><br />
2 cups flour<br />
1/3 cup shortening<br />
½ teaspoon soda<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
¾ to 1 cup of buttermilk<br />
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Cut shortening into dry ingredients to consistency of corn meal. Add buttermilk to make a sticky dough. Roll out on a lightly floured sheet and cut into two-and-a-half-inch rounds. Bake at 400 degrees about 7 to 10 minutes until golden brown.<br />
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<b><u>Watkins Family Vinegar Gel</u></b><br />
<b><u>Recipe from Nicki (Perry) Hancock </u></b><br />
1/3 cup white vinegar<br />
1 cup water<br />
2 Tablespoons flour<br />
1/3 cup sugar<br />
2/3 cup water<br />
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Bring vinegar and first cup of water to a boil. Put flour, sugar and remaining water into a jar with a tight lid and shake well to mix. Add to boiling mixture. Cook over low heat until thickened. To serve, mix individual portions with one pat of butter and sugar to taste. Serve over buttered biscuits or as a dip for pieces of biscuit.<br />
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Nicki says the mixture usually thickens in about 10 minutes. I feel I must in good conscience at least TRY all the recipes I post here. But Bill wants to make one thing clear, "A word of caution: Vinegar gel is awful!" Bill writes. "But then I’m one of those 'married-in' people. I’m told it was invented during the Depression when folks didn’t have enough money to buy jelly. I suppose most people canned their own, but others created vinegar jel. With that in their diet, I’m surprised that anyone survived."<br />
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And Nicki agrees: "I have to admit I don't expect non-family members to take to the vinegar gel, but Bill loves the biscuits with sorghum or jelly."<br />
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At least everyone can agree on the comforts of steaming-hot biscuits, no matter what topping pleases the taste buds. <br />
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Got a story and recipe for Oklahoma? Please leave us a note in comments. (We're also still looking for noodle recipes.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2