Thank A Soldier

XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL 
  
If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com   you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services. 
  
How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!!    It is FREE and it only takes a second. 
  
Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these?    Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them. 
  
This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you.    Please take the time and please take the time to pass it on for others to do.  We can never say enough thank you's. 
  
Thanks for taking to time to support our military! 

A Cook's Notes: I sent a card from TBHITW. I choose the one from Michigan as it was his home state. I am all about honoring the men and women who serve this country. Won't you do the same?

Stockings Hung and Lemon Curd

And the stockings were hung on the staircase with care.

I don't have a chimney.

And I couldn't find the red satin ribbon that I usually use to hang them. So I used poultry twine. What can I say, I'm a cook. I use what I have.

I couldn't bear to not hang TBHITW's stocking. TBHITW always called our stockings "socks". This was a point of contention with us. A Midwest versus East Coast kind of thing. He also called soda, "pop".. oy-ee-vay.

Maybe Santa will find it in his heart to put something in his sock.

I would like that; even if it is really a stocking.

Lemon Curd is expensive to buy but easy to make. If you want a treat on Christmas morning to top your waffles or French Toast or English Muffin or cheese cake or ice cream or whatever you eat on Christmas morning whip up a batch of this in the coming week or so. It keeps beautifully in your refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. It is sweet and sour - like this holiday is to me.

Lemon Curd: makes 2 cups (easily doubles)

3 lemons (unrefrigerated)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten well

Zest the lemons and mince the zest. Set aside.
Juice the lemons. Set aside.
Combine the zest, juice, butter and sugar. Place in a small saucepan or double boiler.

Cook, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.

Beat the eggs with a whisk. Add a small amount (2 tablespoons) of hot juice mixture to eggs to temper the eggs*.
Now add the egg mixture very (read very) slowly to the juice mixture. Make sure the heat is VERY low. (are you getting that I mean VERY?).
Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. DO NOT BOIL.  (about 10 minutes).
Cool slightly and pour into jars, custard cups or a sealable plastic storage bowl. (I like small jelly or mason jars for this).
Refrigerate and enjoy at will.

*A Cook's Notes: Tempering the eggs means adding a bit of the hot mixture to the eggs so that the eggs won't scramble when added to the hot ingredients. If you are patient you can do this!

PS: Tinsel by the fistful.

Happy Birthday and Vanilla Scones

Happy 17th. Birthday bouncing baby boy. You were the best Christmas Gift I ever received. You are the gift that keeps on giving.

Your first day home

Your first best friend

Your first e-trade

Your first big boy bike

Jenna - your first girlfriend (don't make her mad)

The world is yours - go get it

Is there anything better than just turning 17 years old? Is there anything better than passing your driver's test on the first try on your 17th. birthday? Is there anything better than having mom pay your car insurance premium? 

Just one thing: your mom making you Vanilla Scones with freshly arrived Madagascar Vanilla Beans.

Vanilla Scones: makes 20 mini scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
1 cup regular full-fat sour cream
1 large egg yolk
2 fresh vanilla beans, split and scraped (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
water, as needed

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 deg. F. 

Sift together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. 

Using any method you prefer, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until flour resembles coarse meal, or use the following tip: The "grate" method: grate a block of cold butter against the large holes of a box grater. Toss the butter ribbons with the flour mixture, and then use two knives to cut the flour-coated ribbons into 1/4-inch pieces. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg yolk and vanilla bean seeds or extract until blended. Add this to the flour-butter mixture and stir with a fork until dough forms a cohesive ball. Use a spatula to get the dry bits fully incorporated. (It may not seem to have enough liquid at first, but the dough will eventually come together.). 

Place the sticky dough onto a parchment-lined (or ungreased) baking sheet and pat into a disk about 1-inch in height. Cut the dough into wedges but do not separate. Or scoop dough into a mini scone pan if available. (Yield will vary depending on how big you slice the wedges.). 

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. 

Prepare glaze while scones are baking. 

GLAZE: Place powdered sugar in a medium bowl, and add water one teaspoon at a time, mixing vigorously until smooth and runny. 

Use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of glaze over the hot scones. Brushing rather than drizzling gives a smoother appearance and requires less glaze. 

Serve immediately. Store cooled scones in an airtight container.

Hug your baby because they grow up too fast.

Sadness and Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I am having a sad day. A very sad day. Sad days call for comfort food. Even if I don't feel like eating.

My sister M sent me this recipe. Today seems like the perfect day to make it.

Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar Soup: (serves 4)

1 TB Butter, melted

1/2 medium onion diced

1/4 c butter

1/4 c flour 

2 c half and half (M uses 1 cup half and half and 1 cup milk)

2 c chicken stock

1/2 lb broccoli (fresh or frozen)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp nutmeg

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Saute onion in the 1TB butter until soft.  Add the 1/4 c butter and when

melted, add the flour.  Wisk over medium heat for 3 - 5 minutes.  Stirring

constantly, slowly add the half and half.  When incorporated, add the

chicken stock, continue stirring.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring

every few minutes.  Add the broccoli and cook over low heat until tender,

about 20 minutes.  Add salt and pepper.  Use a hand immersion blender to

chop up the broccoli.  ( I don't completely blend it - I like small chunks

of broccoli).  Add grated cheese and stir until melted and combined.  Stir

in nutmeg.  Serve with crusty bread.

Eat on a sad day. Repeat as often as necessary.

More Angels Who Walk Among Us

I belong to an online grief support group. It is called Daily Strength. The people there are the most amazing people I have ever been fortunate enough to meet. One of the members posed a question a week or so ago and received an astonishing 117 replies.

What did she do with those replies? She turned her own sadness, her own grief into a beautiful tribute to all of us and to all of our loved ones who have gone before us.

Here is her tribute. Note: Every one of these pictures contain a missed, loved and cherished spouse.

God Bless You Judi - I am so humbled to call you friend.

Please take the time to watch the video - in doing so you will honor me and my many friends in remembering our loved ones.

In Judi's words:

It started a few weeks ago when i posted a seemingly simple request for all of us to introduce ourselves again, as there were so many new names. and to also add what you were praying for during this season of hope. 
the response was beyond my wildest imagination. 117 people stood up proudly and with open hearts, told their stories. but what amazed me the most was that through all the grief, every last person who responded had a prayer. 

i spent a week reading the profiles of all who responded, and i ended up realizing that this little post was in the end, my Christmas miracle. to see everyone's life before grief, was so beautiful that my heart almost burst with happiness for the miracles of love. 

so i needed to do something with all this beauty, and decided to invite 117 guests into my heart for the holidays. i took every last answer to that post and copied them onto luminary bags and yesterday i lit them. and as each was lit and placed in my driveway , i said your prayers. i wish i had a camera to take the night picture, as they are gorgeous in the dark, but please know they will stay lit as long as the weather allows. 

the best gift of the season is to remember the happier times and the love that lives on..... and to know that we are not alone..... we have each other. 
so, the following link is a remembrance to the 117 guests that will live in my heart on Christmas day. i know that many of you that answered did not have photos to be included in this, but please know that you do have a luminary with your prayer. 
i can not thank you all enough, 
i so hope you enjoy watching this, it helped me so much to see the beauty of the lives that brought us all to this place! 
enjoy, and my most heartfelt thanks and love to 117 hearts here on earth, and 117 angels in heaven 
happy holidays 
judi 

Tinsel and Caviar Pie

TBHITW loved Christmas. 

It's as simple as that. He LOVED Christmas. 

He loved everything about it. EVERYTHING.

Every year he would take a day off from work to shop. He loved the music (always started playing Christmas music officially on the Friday after Thanksgiving). He loved the malls that were decorated. He loved the crowds. He loved the lights, the food, everything. 

But he especially loved tinsel on the Christmas tree. 

He had a special technique for putting tinsel on the tree. He would grab a handful, stand back about 5 feet and throw it at the tree. 

Me, I'm a one strand on each branch kind of girl. 

Because we believe in compromise, one year he would get his method of tinsel and the next I would get mine. 

This worked for many years until about 2 or 3 years ago when I relented and just let him have his way. He got such joy out of it... who was I go argue? 

This morning as I was showering, getting ready to take my grandlittles to see The Nutcracker Ballet (featuring The Moscow Ballet Company - yes! Those Russians can dance).. I was thinking about Christmas and all the gift giving. My DIL had suggested that in addition to the Ballet tickets I might want to fund the grandlittle's winter swimming lessons. As I was showering I was thinking perhaps that was too much. The tickets to the ballet, lunch, etc.. would be enough of a gift. (yes, I was thinking cheap)... When I stepped out of the shower, there, on the bath mat was a single strand of tinsel. 

Now let me tell you.... I have not dragged out a single ornament. Besides, my bathroom is on the third floor - 2 stories away from where we store the Christmas ornaments. How did it get there?

I stopped cold in my tracks (in my towel) and stared at that single strand of tinsel. Then I started laughing. Then I cried. Then I laughed again. Then I went into the office and wrote out a check for swimming lessons. 

TBHITW continues to guide me. And I will be putting a bit of tinsel in every Christmas card I send this year. I might even throw it by the handful onto our Christmas tree. 

This is a decadent, beautiful dish. Easy to make and lovely to serve on a buffet table. 

Caviar Pie: serves 15-20 people

1 10" springform cake pan
1 doz. eggs, hard boiled & cooled
1 1/2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 med. onion, finely chopped
1 lg. pkg. cream cheese
1 sm. container sour cream
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 (4 oz.) jar lumpfish caviar

Finely chop eggs and combine with mayonnaise. Spread mixture evenly in springform pan. Sprinkle onion over top of mixture. Mix cream cheese, sour cream and lemon juice together until smooth and spread over the onions and egg mixture. Cover pan.Chill for at least 4 hours, overnight if possible. Just prior to serving, run knife around side of pan, remove springform side. (Set pan on serving platter first.) Spread caviar on top. Serve with a variety of crackers.


A Cook's Note: This may sound expensive but the entire pie, excluding crackers, costs approximately $12.00 to make and will serve about 15-20 people. Use black lumpfish or for a really festive look choose red lumpfish.

Tis The Season

Well okay then universe. I hear you. 

I got out the Christmas greens and wrapped the front porch railings, it looks nice. I put the two little white reindeer and placed them in the serenity garden next to the Japanese Maple and they look nice too. Then the wind started blowing yesterday and knocked down the reindeer. The bigger of the two - the one with the antlers, now has broken antlers - he looks like a floppy eared rabbit. The smaller of the two fell over and broke his neck. I put them both back upright and looked at them. They are pitiful with their floppy antlers and crooked neck. I think they are just perfect. They remind me of me a little, broken but still standing.

I wasn't going to send Christmas cards this year - we always bought personalized cards with a picture of our lastest adventure. How many trips around the world did those Santa Hats make? Well, I ordered cards last night. Some people may think they are creepy but I like them. I used the last picture I took of Jim (2 days before he died) 

- walking down the beach with the dog.. walking into the light.. and I added the caption

Jim S***

July 7, 1958 - August 11, 2010

May your holidays be filled with wondrous moments; past, present and future.

So there.

I went shopping yesterday and I'm almost done with gifts for the kids. Not a lot - but enough. There are a couple of other special little touches I want to do - personal things of Jim's that I know they will hold dear. 

Jim loved Christmas and I am going to honor him and his memory by making this Christmas about Christmas - the real Christmas. 

I have plans to attend Mass on Christmas Eve and then we will all go to our good friends house for a late dinner. I ordered a prime rib yesterday and Anne and I will cook together in fellowship. We will drink a toast to Jim - to all the Christmases he made so special and over the top. I won't make it "over the top"... that was his job. But I will make it beautiful and memorable and peaceful. 

Broken antlers and all.