My Favorite Spoon

Shhh - don't tell the other spoons - but I have a favorite. I've had it for years and don't really remember where I got it. It is a very old, white enamel spoon and is fabulous. The shape of the bowl is deeper and a bit narrower than modern spoons and you can really heap food up in the spoon. Did you know there is another name for the handle? Tang! I like that name for the handle - sounds so elegant.

My spoon can be elegant - or just plain down-home.

Mixing up muffin batter . . .

Muffins are in the oven . . .

A pork roast - let me help you lift that . . .

Cooking meat for stroganoff - smell heavenly . . .

Don't cry - it's just onions for French Onion soup . . .

Mixing it up with friends. . .

Nice and clean . . .

Would You Like To Go To An Apple Farm?

2011 flowers 9-18-11 apple farm

Picnic At Silver Lake - Ahhh Summer

After all that snow last week I thought it would be fun to visit the lake, like we did last summer. This was a wonderfully warm and sunny day last September - everyone was enjoying the lake.

It is Silver Lake County Park, about an hour away - there is picnicking, swimming, boating, camping and snug little cabins to rent.

Peaceful and calm. The buildings across the lake are the lodge and a larger cabin that groups and families can rent.

Some boys were enjoying a day of jumping off the dock . . .

Splash!

Getting ready for a kayak ride . . .

Lots of kayaks and canoes that day . . .

The view from our picnic table . . .

Taking the dog along . . .

I was hoping to see a hawk in this old dead tree - we had seen one before, but not today, just the lovely old tree . . .

Ahhh summer, where are you planning a picnic next summer - never to early to start planning.

Christmas Cookies

Today is cookie baking day . . . come in for a cookie and a cup of tea !

. My friend Julie is doing a series of blog posts about Norwegian Cookies that are traditional in her family and I thought I'd post about some of the cookies that we traditionally have for the holidays - though not specific to any nationality - they are favorites that we just couldn't do without every year. Last weekend I finished mixing up three batches of cookies - and have a couple more chilling in the fridge - and yes, recipes are included.

My first and all time favorite is Russian Teacakes. As you might seen in previous posts, growing up in Alaska these cookies were always a big part of the Bishop's Tea at the Bishop's Residence in Sitka, Alaska during Russian Christmas.

RUSSIAN TEACAKES

1	cup butter softened
1/2	cup powdered sugar
1	teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4	cups flour
3/4	cup finely chopped nuts
1/4	teaspoon salt
	Powdered sugar Cream together confectioner's sugar and butter. Add vanilla. Knead in flour by hand until completely mixed. Or if you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer that works just as well. Chill dough for about an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or use parchment paper - my "new" discovery. Roll dough into a ball. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for about 15 minutes. When baked, dip or roll in confectioner's sugar. Store airtight in layers with waxed paper in between.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

3/4cup packed brown sugar

1 ½ cup butter softened

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs, separated (or 1 egg separated and 1 whole egg)

3cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 cup finely chopped nuts

Jam or jelly

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Mix brown sugar, butter, vanilla and egg yolks (or 1 egg yolk – save the white for later in this recipe - and 1 whole egg) in medium bowl.

Stir in flour and salt until dough holds together.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls.

Beat egg white slightly. Dip each ball into egg white.

Roll the cookie balls in chopped nuts. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet, or parchment paper. Press thumb deeply in center of each. Fill the indentation with your favorite jam.

Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, or eat one or two right away – but be careful – that jam is like hot lava.

CRANBERRY PECAN/SHORTBREAD

(for those of you who didn't get this recipe in a previous post) This is a NEW traditionally favorite cookie - simply because it is too good to not make for the holidays.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature (do NOT use margarine)

2/3 cup sugar

1 t. vanilla

2 1/3 cups flour

1/2 t. salt

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

Cream the butter until smooth (about 1 - 2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until smooth and creamy (about 3 minutes). Beat in the vanilla. Gently stir in the flour and salt just until incorporated.

Fold in the chopped pecans and dried cranberries. (Make sure that the nuts and cranberries are evenly distributed throughout the dough.)

Divide the dough in half. You might have to knead the dough a bit to get it to stick together – this is a rather dry dough. Place the dough on a piece of waxed paper. Smooth and shape the dough into an evenly shaped log that is about 10 inches long and 2 inches wide. Then thoroughly roll the shaped logs in the waxed paper, twist the ends of the paper to seal the logs, and chill for at least two hours, or up to three days. (The logs can also be frozen for about two months. If freezing, it is best to defrost the logs in the refrigerator overnight before slicing and baking.)

Preheat oven to 325, with the rack in the center of the oven. Grease pans or use parchment paper.

Using a thin bladed knife ( I used a good thin, finely serrated knife), slice the logs into ¼ thick cookies. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about ½ inch apart – the cookies don't really spread.

Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until the cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 48 shortbread cookies. What I like about these cookies, besides they are the best tasting in the world – is that you mix them up one day and then bake them another, when the kitchen is clean and there is no mixing-up-cookie-dough mess.

Gingerbread Pigs

Here is my favorite recipe for Gingerbread Cookies - online - isn't that handy dandy?!? Or you can use any Gingerbread Cut-out Cookie recipe you like. I found my copper pig cookie cutter many years ago.

These pigs are very popular at our house - got to have that traditional Christmas Pig!

And then there are Sugar Cutout Cookies - but you can find a zillion recipes for those online - or maybe you already have your favorites. Don likes them flavored with Almond Extract.

Today I have baked 10 logs of Summer Sausage, 3 dozen sugar cookies, 2 dozen big Gingerbread Pigs, 3 dozen Pecan/Cranberry Shortbread cookies, dozens of Russian Teacakes, more dozens of Thumbprint cookies with home-made raspberry jam and two loaves of bread for the stuffing on Christmas day - it has been a most excellent day!

And what are your favorite holiday treats?

Summer Sausage

One more recipe - I've had a lot of requests for this one! A batch is in the oven right now, I make a double batch at a time because it is so popular. Another double batch is going in the fridge to chill overnight.

It is another family favorite - I've been making this for years. It is great for gifts and for snacks - not just at the holidays but anytime. And very easy to make!





Summer Sausage

2 lbs lean ground beef
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1 c water
2 T tender quick
1/4 tsp onion salt
1 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke

Mix all ingredients. Shape into three logs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (at least 12 hours) Remove plastic wrap and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees. Refrigerate after cooking. Slice and serve on sandwiches or crackers, with cheese (and, no, I don't have a recipe for cheese - since I've never made any).

I use disposable gloves for the mixing - you really need to get your hands in there tom mix it completely.

Tender Quik has been a little harder to find lately - in our town you can usually find it at Haggen Stores. It used to be available in any market. It is in the section by the salt.

Enjoy!

Cranberry/Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Since several friends have asked for my Cranberry/Pecan Shortbread Cookie recipe I thought I would put it here where I can share with more people. Enjoy - and next - a recipe for Summer Sausage!

Cranberry Pecan Shortbread

Or - The Best Cookie You'll Ever Eat!

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature (do NOT use margarine)

2/3 cup sugar

1 t. vanilla

2 1/3 cups flour

1/2 t. salt

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

2 T cold water

Cream the butter until smooth (about 1 - 2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until smooth and creamy (about 3 minutes). Beat in the vanilla. Gently stir in the flour and salt just until incorporated.

Fold in the chopped pecans and dried cranberries and water (Make sure that the nuts and cranberries are evenly distributed throughout the dough).

Divide the dough in half. You might have to knead the dough a bit to get it to stick together – this is a rather dry dough. Place the dough on a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Smooth and shape the dough into an evenly shaped log that is about 10 inches long and 2 inches across . Then thoroughly wrap the shaped logs in the waxed paper or plastic wrap, twist the ends of the paper to seal the logs, and chill for at least two hours, or up to three days. (The logs can also be frozen for about two months. If freezing, it is best to defrost the logs in the refrigerator overnight before slicing and baking.)

Preheat oven to 325, with the rack in the center of the oven. Grease pans or use parchment paper.

Using a thin bladed knife ( I used a good thin, finely serrated knife), slice the logs into ¼ thick cookies. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about ½ inch apart – the cookies don't really spread.

Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until the cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 48 shortbread cookies. What I like about these cookies, besides they are the best tasting in the world – is that you mix them up one day and then bake them another, when the kitchen is clean and there is no mixing-up-cookie-dough mess.

And I always make a double batch (that is all that will fit in my mixer bowl - if I want more I make a second double batch) - they get eaten quickly.

Cranberry-Nut Bread - made with dried cranberries

1cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

zest of one orange

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup dried cranberries (craisins)

1/3 c fresh squeezed orange juice (from the lemon you zested)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside.

In a large bowl stir together the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, cranberrries and chopped nuts.

In small bowl beat eggs with a fork; stir in milk, orange zest and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Add the orange juice at this time.

Spread in loaf pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing - if you can wait that long.

Summertime Food

Don't you just love the fabulous summertime food? We were taking a drive way out in the country and came across a little stand that said "Mama's Garden" -- so of course we had to stop.

There was no one around, but there were lots of fresh vegetables in big glass-doored refrigerators, so you could see what they had. There was a box for money and signs encouraging you to pick your favorites.

We got one large bag of new lettuce - several varieties . . .

Some gorgeous squash . . .

And the prettiest carrots I'd ever seen . . .

The carrots were even prettied when sliced up for salad . . .

If we are ever back that way we'll stop in again - summer time is so wonderful!

Lunch with friends - and some shopping

A small group from our Anacortes sew-ins got together last month at Applebees for lunch and some show and tell. We also brought our UFO lists and our lists of projects we want to make. It was fun - with lots of laughing, talking and good food. We ate our food so fast that I forgot to take pictures. I rarely get pictures of food at restaurants - guess I'm always too hungry to think about it.

Daisy is making magnetic paper dolls for her granddaughters for christmas. The dolls are fabric, glued to magentic sheets and then cut out - and the she does the same with their clothes - such cuties. . .

Susannah is making a crazy quilt - this is her first beautiful block.

Ursula's cute ghostie is almost finished. . .

And Susannah is hand quilting this Baltimore Album block to go in her newly redecorated guest room.

I didn't have any show-and-tell, my current project was too big to take to the restaurant. I probably would have just gotten food on it.

We had a lovely lunch - and then we went to Sewer's Dream after lunch. It is in the outlet mall and sadly it is going out of business.

Everything in the store was 30% off - and their prices are great to start with - and better with the discount. Their flat folds are 4.20 a yard usually - and I found a few that I liked a lot.

I have a project that I want to make - for next fall. It is this Pumpkin and Spice quilt.

This one was made by my friend SueBee - she makes the most wonderful quilts. She gives away her patterns after she is finished and I missed being the one chosen for receiving it - but we found the pattern online. The company that sells the pattern has discontinued it - and when they discontinue a pattern they put it on the internet and you can download it for free. (click those words for the free download) Isn't that the nicest thing? I thought so - and quickly downloaded the pattern.

Here are some of the fabrics that I found at Sewer's Dream - and they were $2.92 a yard after the discount.

And more - I think all these will be great in the Pumpkin and Spice quilt. Next year - when I've finished hand quilting my current project.