The Tao of Cake

Dear Life...

2012-01-17T04:19:00.000-06:00

Last Tuesday, I managed to burn my hand by stupidly grabbing hold of the splatter screen on a pan coming directly out of a 500-degree oven. I had a 3" burn across my palm and burns on my thumb and each finger. Those burns were pretty much at the joints, as my hand had been curled around the handle. Yes, stupid, stupid, stupid. Not exactly the stuff that instills confidence in one's blog when one writes about food a lot... or even for a sporadic blogger like me.

not an oven mitt...

Wednesday, my husband became ill with severe abdominal cramps, which thankfully, were not related to my cooking! I spent 2 1/2 hours at UrgiCare with him (after having spent an hour at the doctor for my hand), and then an additional 3 1/2 hours at the Emerency Room. He was admitted to the hospital for immediate surgery. During the surgery, they determined he had a twisted bowel, a very dangerous, and potentially deadly situation. Thankfully, the doctors, nurses, techs, and other hospital staff were all very knowledgeable and good at their jobs. They were all very nice, as well. My husband spent 6 days in the hospital and I was there most of the time, only coming home three times to get clean clothes, check the mail, pick up supplies, etc. Fortunately, our neighbor was kind enough to take care of our dog while we were gone.

The times I went home, I left in the late evening at returned after midnight. That was for two reasons: 1. My husband mostly slept through the time I was gone; and, 2. I could actually get a decent parking space when I came back to the hospital. Their parking lots are always packed during the day and evening! They have a lot of construction going on right now, too, so parking is really limited.

St. Francis Hospital, AKA "The Pink Palace", Tulsa, Oklahoma

Six days of near-constant togetherness in the hospital can also take its toll. I drove my husband crazy a time or two with all my questions, but he was a captive audience and I had to take advantage of that, you know? (LOL) When he started driving me crazy, I went to the snack bar, cafeteria, or gift shop. The hospital has great merchandise in the gift shop, but it isn't over-priced. The snack bar and cafeteria have a wide variety of really good food. There is even a Starbucks! (That is the one place I didn't get to visit, though, as the line was always long and I was not willing to wait.) Of course, he slept a lot, which forced me to watch television with the mute button on. I was really happy when I figured out how to turn on the Closed Captioning and could stop trying to read lips. That only took three days! (haha) We were also very glad when we had visitors, as it gave us an additional break from having to entertain each other. {Special shout out of thanks to my cousin Ronda and her family, who brought me lunch and dinner on three separate occasions! The food was all delicious and much appreciated! We love you guys!!}

My husband was released from the hospital Monday morning and we got home around noon. It's hard to get any rest while at the hospital, as the patient is constantly being awakened to have their vitals checked, draw blood, walk around the floor for exercise, change the IV bags, etc. That inadvertently awakens the family member (AKA "unpaid caregiver") staying with the patient. But it is possibly even harder to rest at home - at least for said unpaid caregiver. Since we returned home I have washed clothes from the bottomless laundry basket, picked up his prescription, made homemade applesauce (recipe to be blogged later), washed dishes, made pudding, put the hospital stuff away, folded the endless laundry, etc., etc. I wanted to lie down and take a nap, but our dog was hogging my side of the bed. She was so happy to have her "daddy" home, she wasn't leaving his side for any reason!

Leiua and her "daddy"

[Now that I think about it, the hospital staff that drew the blood only ever came in at night. Is it just an odd coincidence that phlebotomists work those hours, or are there really Vampyres in Tulsa? ...Okay, just a little "House of Night" humor. If you are not familiar with the book series by P. C. & Kristen Cast, it is young adult fiction about a vampyre finishing school set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the surrounding area. I am enjoying reading the books, as the stories are well written. I especially like reading about the local scenery, stores, activities, and the like, though. It really makes the books come alive for me. If you are into the whole supernatural literature scene, you should definitely check the books out.]

Anyway, my husband is slow to get around and on some pretty stiff pain medication. He will be off work for several days, at the very least. Thank goodness for the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), as it will allow me to stay home and care for him, as well. That way I won't have to worry about him all day while I am at work. Hopefully, we won't kill each other from all the togetherness, since there is no gift shop or snack bar for escape! Hmmm... QuikTrip is only a couple of miles down the road...

Homemade Wrinkle Releaser Spray

2012-01-09T03:30:00.000-06:00

I hate to iron! Wait... I don't just hate to iron. I really, really, really hate to iron! That being said, wrinkle releaser spray is one of my favorite products. When I first found out there was such a thing, I bought a bottle to try it out. Downy Wrinkle Releaser Spray worked wonderfully and I loved it.

Then, my grocery store stopped carrying the product. I found out that Dollar General Stores carried it, so I bought it there for several months. Then they, too, discontinued the product. However, they had a store brand that seemed to work just as well. As a bonus, it was half the cost. I used that for several more months and then the unthinkable happened. They stopped carrying their own version of wrinkle releaser spray.

In a fit of frustration, I decided there had to be a recipe for making my own wrinkle releaser spray out there somewhere. This was over ten years ago, but I after an hour or so I was able to find a recipe. It was very simple. In fact, it was so simple I didn't think it would be effective. I whipped up a batch and put it in an empty spray bottle. I sprayed a very wrinkled shirt and waited. Surprisingly, the homemade product worked as well or better as the store-bought wrinkle releaser spray. The cost of making my own spray was pennies on the dollar. Given the simplicity of the recipe, it just doesn't make sense to pay the high cost for the store-brand version. Give the recipe a try and see if you agree with me.

You need three things to make your own Wrinkle Releaser Spray:
1) empty spray bottle (32 ounce) - may be used, but must be clean
2) liquid fabric softener (any brand)
3) tap water.

Step 1: Take the lid off the spray bottle;
Step 2: Uncap the liquid fabric softener and pour one capful;
Step 3: Carefully pour the liquid fabric softener into the empty spray bottle;
Step 4: Fill the spray bottle the rest of the way with tap water;
Step 5: Recap the spray bottle and shake to mix well.

Spray directly onto colorfast clothing and hang them to allow wrinkles to fall out on their own. You may hold the fabric taut and gently "brush" the wrinkles out with your free hand, as well. To test for colorfastness, find a hidden seam of the garment or an hidden spot. Apply the spray to the garment and then dab the area with a clean cotton cloth. If the color removes itself from the garment onto the cloth, you should not use the spray on the clothing. In all honesty, I have found that if I can throw the clothing in the washer, I can use the wrinkle releaser spray on it. If a garment is marked "Dry Clean Only", I do the colorfast test before spraying it with the releaser.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Happy Holidays from The Gingerbread Queen!

2011-12-19T02:43:00.000-06:00

Leiua, The Gingerbread Queen, would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays!!

The life of The Gingerbread Queen is apparently quite wearisome.

Or maybe it's just being saddled with an owner who likes weird headbands...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

What Do You Do...?

2011-11-23T02:13:00.001-06:00

What do you do when your spouse or significant other is away from home for a couple of days? Recently, my husband went out of town for some C.L.E.E.T. classes (that's continuing education classes for Oklahoma law enforcement types). He doesn't go out of town very often, so it is rare that I have an evening to myself - and even more rare for me to have two or three in a row.

First on the list for each evening was getting home and letting out the dog, Leiua (pronounced "Lou-ya", and almost blasphemously short for Hallelujah). Leiua is an American Pit Bull, and is the sweetest dog you will ever meet. She is seven years old and has only growled once that I know of - not counting when she is chasing rabbits in her sleep. She is a big clown and makes me laugh every day. Leiua is not quite 60 pounds - a runt by most Pit Bull standards, but she still thinks she is a lap dog. She is very docile and submissive - not at all like the media portrays Pit Bulls. Leiua is the epitome of what American Pit Bulls used to be called - "America's Nanny Dogs". She is not very protective, though. Leiua thinks everyone is her friend and anyone that comes to the house is there to see and play with her. It doesn't exactly strike fear into anyone's heart when she immediately rolls over to try and persuade them to scratch her belly. The only thing lethal about Leiua is her tail. That is a little whip that will bruise the heck out of your calves if you don't get out of her way when she is excited... or happy... or playful... or ornery...

[As an aside, I bet many of you didn't know that Helen Keller, who was blind, deaf, and unable to speak for most of her life, had a Pit Bull. "Sir Thomas" was her companion for many years. I bring this up only to illustrate that the viciousness of Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes you always hear about in the media is a fairly new aberration and that fighting is not actually the Pit Bulls' true nature.]

Helen Keller and "Sir Thomas", her Pit Bull

Back to my story... The first big question of each evening was, "What's for dinner?" Since I didn't have to cook, I had planned to take full advantage of the many and varied restaurants in the greater Tulsa area. Unfortunately, I had not counted on all my friends being too busy to go out to eat with me. My evenings wound up being rather one-sided conversations with the dog about the various merits of the restaurants in our immediate area, whether or not they would freak out if my dining companion wore a floppy hat to cover her large ears and rather hairy facial features, whether or not I could actually get Leiua to wear the hat for any length of time (I could not), and, finally, which restaurants were fairly quick with take-out.

"We are not amused."

The next question ultimately was, "Is there anything worth watching on television?" With over 150 channels, you would think that surely there was. I am sad to report there was not, which led to the subsequent question of, "What do we do now?" Since I still couldn't get Leiua to wear the hat for any length of time, making a stealth community outing with her was impossible. The first night, I resigned myself to remaining home. I thought about going to the movies, since there is now, thankfully, a really nice theater just 3 1/2 miles from my house. Unfortunately, they weren't showing anything that interested me, either. I could have watched any number of DVDs, but making the choice of which one to pick was too tiring to even think about by that time. I flipped through the channels for a couple of hours without finding anything very interesting. (I long for the days when the History Channel actually showed historical shows and not endless hours of pickers and storage locker auctions. And when did hoarders and addicts become art or entertainment, A&E? But, I digress...)

The second night I decided to skip television all together and browsed my local Target after dinner. I managed to pick up a few badly needed items, even if I didn't know how badly I needed them until I stumbled across them in the aisles.

First off, was a new shower curtain, followed by a matching liner, and some pretty cool double-sided hooks (I hadn't ever seen those before). The shower curtain that was in the master bath was ancient (read "bought the year we moved into this house") - one of those billowy, fabric ones with the fake valance and no liner that were so popular back then. This shower curtain set has a tight waffle weave and lends a spa-type feel to the bath. The liner has little square prisms all over, which reflect the light inside the shower. The set even matches the wallpaper, which is surprising, and gives the bath a much needed update. One of these days I'll strip off that wallpaper, but that is a big project for another day.

The next purchase I discovered to be a necessity was a new ironing board cover. The old cover was falling apart. Let me just say that I don't iron unless it is a dire emergency. I am all about wash and wear. When that fails, I use wrinkle releaser spray. (By the way, if you buy wrinkle realeaser sprays, you are wasting your money. I found a recipe on the internet years ago and have been making my own for just pennies a bottle. Let me know if you want the recipe.) ...back to ironing... My husband is an ironer. He learned to iron in the Army and has been going strong ever since. He asked me to iron something once but didn't like the way I had done it, so he never asked again. (And I was soooo ~~happy~~ sad, yeah, that's it, sad, not to have been more help to him in that area...) In case you are wondering, this new cover has thick padding, is heat resistant, snagproof, and a pleasing lilac color - which goes with absolutely nothing in the room. (Yes, my husband insists on keeping the ironing board up 24/7 in the bedroom. Ugh.)

A few aisles over, I came upon some queen-size sheet sets that were in the Clearance section. I really wanted a pink set (which my husband would have hated), but wound up buying what looked like a mustard-colored set, as it was on Super Clearance compared with the other sets. You don't find 400-thread count, percale, allegedly wrinkle-free, queen-size sheet sets for $20 very often. Lucky for me, when I got them home and on the bed, I realized the sheets were actually gold and an exact match for the comforter set. BONUS! (Sorry about the wrinkled sheets in the photo, but I didn't think about taking it until after I had already lounged for a bit... and now we know that the "wrinkle-free" promise was a lie.)

My final purchase was a charcoal-infused mattress pad with a silky, textured cover. It is one of those "memory" foam pads and is really, really comfy - sort of like lying on a cloud of freshly ginned cotton. Unfortunately, we can't get the mattress pad to stay in place. There was nothing included in the box to affix it to the mattress and the sheets won't hold it still, hence the duct tape you see in the photo. I tried that on the corners to keep it from sliding, but it didn't work. I am sorry to report that it has become my daily chore to reposition the mattress pad every night. It usually only moves a few inches while we are sleeping, but that is enough to keep us from having a good sleep the following night. If anyone has any ideas as to how to get the mattress pad to stay in place, please let me know.

All in all, I was in Target for over three hours just wandering up and down the aisles - sometimes going over the same aisle several times. I saw lots of other things I wanted, like office supplies (which I definitely do not need - I am already the Sticky Note Queen), and a really cool Hampton Forge Tomodachi cutlery block with six super-sharp, stainless steel coated knives in bright, rainbow-colored hues. I really, really, really wanted that knife set, but just couldn't justify the expense. I tried, believe me. But seriously, aren't they just gorgeous? I am a sucker for bright colors and sparkly things... The knife block doesn't have the blade guards, but does have an additional four steak knives. Maybe I can justify buying it another day... sigh...

I finally paid for my merchandise and was rewarded with a coupon for a free soda from the Snack Bar. That was good, and since it was so close to store closing, they even threw in a free bag of popcorn.

When I got home, I unloaded everything, played with Leiua and ate my popcorn, before calling it a night and heading to bed. My final night sans spouse, I hung the new shower curtain set, replaced the raggedy ironing board cover, and put the mattress pad and sheet set on the bed. I felt a surge of accomplishment (which probably just shows how little it takes to excite me). I couldn't wait to see my husband's reaction the next evening. I waited with bated breath (well, almost). Would he like the new spa-like look in the bath? Would he revel in the luxurious, cocooning comfort of the new mattress pad and sheets? Would he be happy the ironing board cover was well-padded and snug for a smoother ironing experience?

I imagined he would relax against the bedding and his back pain would become non-existent thanks to the new mattress pad. Surely, he would gush about how wonderful it felt and commend me for being the industrious and hard-working wife who catered to his needs. Yeah... apparently, I imagined I was married to someone else... If my husband noticed any of the changes, he didn't mention them. Of course, that's not entirely a bad thing. If he hadn't liked them, you can be sure I would have heard about it and back to the store they would have gone. I would like to think that he just took the changes in stride and chose to keep the deliciousness of them to himself. In reality, he probably really didn't notice them, and that's okay. I know they are there and I am loving them.

So... what do YOU do when your spouse or significant other is away for a few days?

Easy Tip for Cleaning Scorched Pans

2011-11-14T02:37:00.001-06:00

I can't recall where I first heard this tip for cleaning scorched pans, but thankfully I remembered it when the hubby began cooking more... cooking more, but not cleaning more. His specialty appears to be scorched pans.

He never cleans them. I tore up several steel wool scrubbing pads attacking the burned-on gunk. Then I had a moment of clarity when this simple cleaning tip returned to the forefront of my mind. It saved my sanity, not to mention my arm muscles. Honestly, if I'm going to get tennis elbow, I want to have at least gotten it from actually playing tennis! If you are even a little bit like me, you will be happy for this tip. You don't even have to scrape the pan first!

1. Add a small squirt of dish washing liquid to the pan. (No specific brand required.)

2. Add water to cover the scorched area, being sure to cover the bottom of the pan about 1/2" or so.

3. Set the pan on the burner and turn the heat up to High.

4. Bring to a boil.

Allow to boil at a full roll at least one minute.

4. Remove from heat using a hot pad, if necessary - don't burn yourself! Rinse under running water. Use a regular kitchen scrubbing pad to scrape away any bits of food left behind from the rinse. A steel wool pad should not be needed. You should still have plenty of soap in the pan, but if not, add a few drops more to ensure the pan is nice and clean.

Voila! From scorched on food to nice and clean without having to use all that elbow grease!

Dr Pepper 10

2011-09-07T00:47:00.000-05:00

If you are a fan of Diet Dr Pepper, you have to try the newest product in their line-up:

Dr Pepper 10.

The gray can with the logo in maroon, red, black, and white is a bit on the subdued side, but there is nothing subtle about Dr Pepper 10. Sweetened with High Fructose Corn Syrup, this formula has only 10 calories per 12-ounce can. It is without a doubt even closer to the original, sugary soda formula than any diet drink I have ever tasted.

Say what you will, but I harbor no ill will toward High Fructose Corn Syrup or those that manufacture and utilize it. I love the stuff. According to the Mayo Clinic, the jury is still out on the benefits or problems resulting from the consumption of High Fructose Corn Syrup. However, there has been no conclusive study that showed High Fructose Corn Syrup had mercury leaching into the product. Nor has there been a conclusive study showing that it is less healthy or more likely to cause weight gain than other forms of added sweetener. (www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup/AN01588)

BUT... what is really inside that can is MAGIC! One sip and THIS is how I felt:

I was instantly transported to 1965 (or so), when I was allowed to get an ice-cold bottle of Dr Pepper out of the crisper drawer in my great-grandparents' refrigerator! I absolutely could not believe the full flavor of this soda for only 10 calories per can. That feeling remained from the first drink to the last. AMAZING!!!

(Okay, okay. I admit that this photo is not quite 1965, but it is just a year or two earlier and I swear I really didn't change much during that time.)

The formula also tastes very much like a true soda fountain Dr Pepper made with syrup containing pure cane sugar, just like I used to get at my grandparents' drug store.

(Maynard Drug, Washington, Oklahoma; 10-24-56)

If you haven't tried Dr Pepper 10 - seek it out and try it now! You won't be disappointed!!

IMPORTANT NOTE: I did not receive anything from Dr Pepper or any other company, person, or entity for this review. I saw Dr Pepper 10 at my local Target and decided to try it. I was so amazed at the flavor, I decided to write about it.

I Heart Faces - It's Pet Week!

2011-08-22T22:36:00.000-05:00

www.iheartfaces.com/

I Heart Faces has weekly photography contests for amateur and professional photographers. I definitely fall into the former category. I don't enter their contests very often, and I really don't do it to win. Although, I have heard that just as many amateurs win as pros. When I do enter, I do so for the fun of it and because I want my photo to have lots of exposure. You can bet that any photo on their website gets viewed... a lot!

Each week they post a theme and at least one human face must be visible in the entered photos. Some weeks they don't require a face. This week is one of those rarities. It is Pet Week! That being said, I am entering this photograph of my beloved dog, Leiua. She is a full-blood American Pit Bull, but is the complete antithesis of the Pit Bulls you hear about in the media. Leiua (short for Hallelujah, but a bit blasphemus, probably) is the sweetest, most docile dog you will ever meet. Leiua is actually the poster child for "America's Nanny Dog", which used to be the nickname for Pit Bulls before cruel, unethical dog fighters came into the picture. In fact, Helen Keller, who was deaf, blind, and mute for the first several years of her life, had a Pit Bull named Sir Thomas. Pit Bulls are also commonly referred to as the clowns of the dog world. They are just plain goofy, as you can see in my photo below:

Have you ever seen such a big smile for the camera? : D

goodreads and "The Help"

2011-08-18T22:26:00.015-05:00

If you haven't checked out www.goodreads.com, you are missing out! This is a major book review website. It includes numerous authors, librarians, and readers. Anyone can join and anyone can post reviews. It is a wonderful way to check out books before you check out books (from the library). haha It's also a great way to make sure that your children are reading books appropriate for their age.

That said, here is my review of The Help by Kathryn Stockett:

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Help is an excellent book that allegedly accurately portrays race relations in the South in the 1960s. This is from the perspective of black maids and their white employers. While I was a little concerned with a white person writing black dialect, it didn't seem stiff or "put on". The interactions between the various maids and employers were entertaining. The book showed the hopefulness of the black community for acceptance and equal protection/equal rights under the law, as well as the stubborn backward-glancing of some white characters who would have liked nothing more than to perpetuate the separation of the races through any means, including violence, misinformation, and outright lies. Some of the people in this book are not likeable at all, but others shine for their honesty and the clarity of their vision. This is a MUST read.

(I did notice one glaring error in the book, however. When discussing Medgar Evers' murder, book characters state he was bludgeoned to death. A quick internet check by Stockett or her editors would have quickly revealed that Evers was killed by an assassin's bullet. To make such an error is nothing short of lazy and is deeply disappointing, given that the book is truly about the civil rights movement.)

To view my reviews on goodreads, click here.

If you join the website or are already a member of goodreads,

feel free to add me as a friend!

[NOTE (added 08-21-11): I saw the movie version today. While the writer corrected the mistake about Medgar Evers' murder, so many things were changed from the book that it made me sad. Now, I know that when you translate a book to a screenplay, lots of things usually have to be left out. That's not what I'm complaining about here. Several of the changes didn't seem to have any rhyme or reason. One change in particular - the reason Constantine was no longer the maid for Skeeter's family - made it look like her mother was way more vindictive and wrong for what happened than it did in the book. I don't know if they were trying to soften the responsibility of other minor characters, but they certainly left Skeeter's mother looking more like one of the horrible employers Skeeter and the "colored domestics" were exposing in their book. If you ask me (which you didn't), you can see the movie for the performances, some of which were pretty good, but if you are going to see it, read the book afterward. I think you will be disappointed if you read the book first. I know I was.]

A Mailbox of Possibilities

2011-07-01T02:47:00.004-05:00

My mailbox today held a single plain, white, non-descript envelope. It was surprisingly stiff and heavy when I lifted it out of the box. As I closed the mailbox lid, I pondered the envelope. What was inside? Why was it so heavy? It was too flat for a credit card - even one of those fake ones they sometimes send to try to entice you into applying for a "pre-approved" card. I turned the envelope over several times as I walked to the front door.

Once inside, I looked closely at the return address: WGBH, Canton, MA. Hmmm... nothing I recognized. The stamp was one of those pre-sorted ones with a golden eagle staring off to the left. The only other marking was, "Address Services Requested", something I used to write on the mailings I sent to my clients when I was a Probation & Parole Officer. It was supposed to ensure that if a person had moved, the Post Office would not forward the mail, but would return it with the person's new address listed on the front, thus keeping me informed of all my clients whereabouts, even if they were less than forthcoming about where they were living. (Assuming, of course, that probationers and parolees actually filed change-of-address orders with the Post Office.)

I didn't remember sending off for any refunds, rebates, coupons, or the like, so what could this be? I tore open the flap. I pulled out a small flyer that read, "Test your appraisal skills with the new ANTIQUES ROADSHOW app!" I made a mental note to check the app out later and set the paper aside. Next out were a couple of brochures for a bank and an insurance company, if I recall correctly. I threw those away. Finally, I freed the folded cardstock from the envelope. My name and address were in the lower left corner. At the top left corner it read, "Congratulations! Here are your ANTIQUES ROADSHOW tickets..." YES!!

(That's a gold-foil treasure chest in the top middle of the ticket, in case you were wondering.)

Several months ago, I learned The Antiques Roadshow was coming to Tulsa. Tickets were free, but you had to enter a lottery and apply to win a pair. In April or May, I learned I had won two tickets. I knew lots of people who had applied for tickets, but I don't know anyone else who actually got them. You aren't supposed to be able to buy or sell the tickets, which I know frustrates some people. I actually like that, though, as it is a more just system and rich or poor, you have exactly the same odds of getting into the show as everyone else. (I did have someone offer to buy a ticket for quite a bit of money when they heard I had won a pair. I turned them down, of course.)

I sent my sister a message telling her the tickets were here. She has super mad garage sale and thrift store skills and is the queen of finding things of value amongst all the junk! I am not lying when I tell you she once paid a nickel for a tiny little doll about an inch tall. She thought it looked like a Liddle Kiddle, a series of teensy dolls that were very popular in the 1960's. She called me to check, as I still have my Kiddles, as well as a book about their value. Then she sent me a photo of the doll. I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw the exact same doll in the pages of the book with a note saying it was a never-released prototype. (How the doll wound up in a garage sale in Noble, OK, is anyone's guess!) I copied the pages and sent them to her. She listed the doll on eBay and sold it for $105.00!! I have never figured it up, but I'm pretty sure it was about a one hundred gazillion percent increase over her five-cent investment. But she's lucky like that. Way back when, she even won $100,000.00 in the McDonald's "Dick Tracy" promotion.

Unfortunately, my sister isn't sure she can make the trip to Tulsa (she lives in Washington, OK), as her husband and one daughter will be on a mission trip and she will have the other daughter with her. I suggested the girl stay at my house with my dog, but I'm not sure I sold it. (For the record, both girls are teenagers, so don't call the authorities on me, please. haha) BUT, if my sister backs out, I will be looking for a placement. Any takers?

Now if you will excuse me, I am off to sort through my ~~priceless antiques~~... ~~objets d' art~~...~~family heirlooms~~... ~~collectibles~~... junk for something to take. If it isn't worth anything, maybe I'll get on the outtake reel at the end where everyone talks about how they brought Aunt Mildred's prized Ming vase that they were sure was worth millions, only to find out it was actually a Vacation Bible School paper-mache art project (but a REALLY, REALLY good one!)!!

Rest in Peace my Sweet, Sweet Tillie

2011-05-28T00:13:00.011-05:00

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." ~ Will Rogers

Today I had the unfortunate predicament of whether to put my long-time friend and companion of more than 16 years, Attila the Hound - or Tillie, for short - to sleep. It wasn't my decision alone, but it was still the most heart-wrenching thing to have to decide. It was something I have been dreading for months. I had even taken her to the vet about five months ago and asked if it was time, as she had seemed to be going downhill. The vet checked her out and decided we could up her medications and give her an additional pain pill. She had a pretty bad case of arthritis, hearing loss, and cataracts, plus a sprained ACL. (I didn't even know dogs had ACL muscles before then!)

The new medications worked great until a couple of days ago. Poor Tillie now appeared to have either sprained her ACL again, or maybe tore it; and her arthritis was much worse. She could barely stand up, stumbled around, slipped, and appeared to be at least a little disoriented quite a bit of the time. I gave her the last of the pain pills, hoping they would help her put the spring back in her step - or at least keep her from falling down for no reason. They helped a little, but not much.

Today I had to take Tillie back to the vet. My daughter has been visiting and went with me, thank goodness. I don't know if I could have done it by myself. Leiua came with us, too, because she insisted. As soon as I put Tillie's leash on, Leiua began carrying on and would not be quiet. When told she was not going for a ride, Leiua bolted out the front door. She ignored my calls to come back, despite the promise of dog biscuits galore. I jumped in the truck and went after her. When I caught up with Leiua, I opened the truck door and she jumped in the cab. She refused to get out when I got back to the house. So I put Leiua's leash on her and my daughter and I took Tillie to the truck.

Once at the vet's, the hardest part was having to admit that Tillie's quality of life was not what it should have been. Her bad days outnumbered her good ones. Tillie still loved to be petted and had a habit of walking up to anyone sitting down and clunking her head onto their knee. If they didn't pet her, she would keep nudging them with her head until they did. That always made me laugh! Tillie was always sweet and loving. She would bark at strangers, but was never mean to anyone. She loved "people food", which I gave her whenever possible, even though my husband didn't approve. But Tillie hadn't eaten very well for several months, so I would feed her anything I could to try to get her to eat. She loved "Panda Express"!

Still, I knew it was time to let Tillie go, but couldn't bring myself to say it without confirmation from my husband and daughter. Once that decision was made, we had to decide what to do afterward. We decided to have Tillie cremated. Dr. Sarah and the vet tech came in and prepped Tillie. She was calm and quiet throughout the entire thing, although Leiua was very talkative. She seemed to know what was going on and refused to be quiet. Tillie was 10-years-old when we got a 7-month-old Leiua, and they had both always been very protective of each other. The vet tech offered to take Leiua out of the room, but I thought she deserved to be there for Tillie, too.

I stroked Tillie's head and spoke softly to her while Dr. Sarah administered the medication that would ease Tillie from her pain and our lives. Tillie went to sleep and passed from this life to what I would like to believe was her own Heaven to wait for us.

[As a Christian, I have always been taught that animals don't have souls and don't go to Heaven. While I believe they don't have souls, I don't see how they cannot be in Heaven, as I know for Heaven to be perfect for me, my animals have to be there. No other creature gives such pure, unconditional love as a dog. Surely, they are deserving of being eternal companions!]

We get Tillie back in a couple of weeks. Her ashes will be delivered in a very nice wooden box with an inscribed name plate. I can't even imagine how I will feel when I pick her up. I miss her so much it's crazy! She was so much a part of our family, the house seems empty without her. Leiua has been searching the house and the yard for Tillie and seems to be grieving, too.

Maybe I'll bring Leiua something from "Panda Express" tomorrow in honor of Tillie. I think that might be fitting.

Our gratitude and thanks to Dr. Sarah Smith, Dr. Laura Embry, and the staff at the Catoosa Small Animal Hospital for all of their loving care of Tillie and Leiua over the years, and for helping us through this most difficult time. They were very considerate and patient while we struggled with our decisions. I am very pleased that we chose them for our veterinarian provider when we first got Tillie. They have always provided the utmost professional, compassionate care for our dogs and us, as well. (They probably wouldn't approve of the dogs eating "Panda Express", though. LOL)

Finally, thanks to the Animal Rescue Foundation of Tulsa (ARF) for bringing Tillie into our lives all those years ago. We have had the best time with her and have made the most wonderful memories!

Rest in peace my sweet and beautiful Tillie.
We miss you so much!!

Danger! Laptop Issues Ahead...

2011-05-15T23:07:00.002-05:00

Well, after two weeks of a crashed computer and it being in the shop, I finally have my laptop back. Unfortunately, it is exceptionally slow now, even though it is supposed to be faster. I don't understand it and the laptop will be going back to the shop tomorrow. Most of my programs are missing and I am not happy. They backed up my system and restored the operating system, so shouldn't I have my programs? They also failed to add the memory like I requested. I would think that even without the additional memory, the computer should be a lot faster since my programs are gone. Why, oh why, is it slower???

I would backup my system using my external hard drive (HP Simple Save), but since the computer was badly infected. So, if I use the Simple Save and put the programs back, will it infect the computer again? I am beyond frustrated.

I hope to get the computer issues resolved tomorrow. I again apologize to you all for not having something yummy or crafty to write about at this time. Maybe I can put up a real post before the end of the week.

Thanks for bearing with me!

"Dirty Snow" Cupcakes

2011-04-25T04:02:00.001-05:00

I should have made these cupcakes back in February during Round 1 or Round 2 of the Oklahoma blizzard. But I didn't... First I didn't have the right ingredients. Then I had the ingredients, but I didn't have the drive. Now I have both - AND a day off from work. So, without further ado, I give you "Dirty Snow" Cupcakes. (Okay, it's really an Earl Grey Tea Cupcake with Earl Grey Tea Buttercream, but I'm taking a bit of creative license here.) I found the recipe at a website, which will go unnamed because I didn't really like their recipe for the cupcakes or the frosting. Since I modified their recipes so much, I am not posting those, either.

First, brew your tea. Drink some to make sure it's not too strong.

Prepare your muffin tin. I used a really cute flower-shaped one that my sister gave me for my last birthday.

I used snowflake cupcake liners. I forgot to take photos of the filled tins, so we will skip right to the frosting.

Whip the frosting to a light consistency and add the contents of two Earl Gray tea bags. The tea looks like pepper or vanilla bean seeds when it is mixed into the icing. The frosting will change to cream-colored.

The frosting was a bit runny, but set up well after a few minutes in the refrigerator.

Sprinkle with some snowflake candies and they're done! (Someone said they should have been called "Biscuits & Gravy" cupcakes. I might have to try that next time. Sausage cupcakes, anyone? Haha!)

The cakes were light and airy. The cupcake and buttercream had a slight tea flavor, but it was more pronounced in the frosting. The overall effect was a cupcake that was both sweet and a bit savory. All in all, pretty darn good.

An Apology

2011-04-16T03:02:00.001-05:00

I have been most remiss in not posting more things last month and this month. Work has been crazy busy, but I will get a couple of things up this month. Promise!

Homemade Pizza

2011-03-17T01:48:00.001-05:00

I don't make homemade pizza very often, but here's what I do when I decide to forgo carry-out:

1. Buy pre-made pizza crusts because they are inexpensive and pretty tasty and ~~I am lazy~~ they are so much easier than making my own. I prefer Mama Mary's, which come two in a package. This time I bought Traditional, but I understand they also make Thin Crust. I'll try that next time if my grocery store has them.

2. Buy one large can of Hunt's Tomato Puree (about 12 ounces), one large package of pepperoni (at least 100 slices), and one package of Kraft Shredded Italian Cheese (2 - 3 cups). (I picked up the new 5-Cheese Blend with Philadelphia Cream Cheese added.)

3. Gather the cooking spray, Olive Oil, and Kraft 100% Real Parmesan/Romano/Asiago Grated Cheese Blend. I make a mix of spices using the following: 1/2 Tbl. Crushed Basil, 1 1/2 Tbl. Italian Seasoning Blend, and 1 Tbl. Dry Mustard. If I'm out of Italian Seasoning, I use 1 Tbl. Crushed Oregano.

4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a pizza screen with cooking spray. If I use the pizza stone, I put it in the oven before turning on the heat, as the stone could crack otherwise. I don't like using cookie sheets, as the crust gets a better texture from the screen or stone. Today I used the screen.

5. Lightly coat the interior of the pizza shell with Olive Oil. Pour 1/3 to 1/2 of the Tomato Puree on the shell and spread around as evenly as possible. It will be a little "patchy", but I never want too many empty spots, so I add more puree as needed.

6. I make sure the spice mix is well-blended and evenly, but lightly, sprinkle about 1/3 of it over the sauce. I follow with a slightly heavier, but even, sprinkling of the Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese Blend.

7. Add pepperoni in concentric circles starting at the edge of the crust and working inward to the center. Spread half of the Shredded Italian Cheese over the top. Add another layer of pepperoni making the same circle pattern.

8. Turn the oven down to 425 degrees and bake for 10 - 14 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and starting to turn brown.

9. Remove the pizza from the oven using a pizza paddle or oven mitt and allow to rest on a cutting board or other safe surface for at least 3 minutes. Cut using large kitchen shears. I serve with Crushed Red Pepper and the Grated Cheese Blend or freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.

Our pimply-faced Pac-Man Pizza. (Sorry! I couldn't resist.)

Wacca, wacca, wacca, wacca...

He's headed for the super-rare scissors bonus fruit! (LOL)

Look out! Here come the ghosts!!

Inky, Pinky, Blinky, and Clyde

(In case you were wondering, Blinky is red, Pinky is pink, Inky is blue, and Clyde is orange. Just don't ask me why.)

Oklahoma's Waiting Child Heart Gallery

2011-02-22T22:15:00.000-06:00

http://www.heartgalleryofamerica.org/Galleries/OK_HeartGallery/gallery.asp

In the past month or so, four kiddos on my caseload have been adopted. That makes me smile. Two of them were featured on Oklahoma's Waiting Child Heart Gallery, a photo gallery of children available for adoption through the Department of Human Services. That's where their new "forever family" found them.

The gallery is just a small sampling of the children in the permanent custody of DHS waiting for someone to give them the opportunity to be a part of their family.

These kids didn't do anything wrong. They don't have a lot of high expectations or a sense of entitlement about the families they are seeking. They only want to feel safe and loved. If you have a minute, check out the gallery or tell your friends about it.

A hundred years from now

No one will remember
How much money I had in the bank
What kind of car I drove
Or what kind of job I had.

But I will be remembered
As someone special
Because I made a difference
In the life of a child.

~ Author Unknown

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-14T18:52:00.002-06:00

For those of you who don't know my husband,

this tiny box of chocolates means more to me

than a huge box or a bouquet of flowers!

Boeuf Bourguignon Soup

2011-02-10T20:42:00.003-06:00

To be honest, the idea of making Boeuf Bourguignon in any form was a bit daunting, but after reading this recipe from the Martha Stewart Living December 2010 magazine, I decided to give it a try. It was time-consuming, but well worth the effort. It was marvelous!

4 bone-in short ribs (2 inches thick, 2 pounds total)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered
3 carrots, 2 finely chopped and 1 cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3 shallots, minced
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 strips bacon, thinly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 thyme sprigs
1 dried bay leaf
1 cup dry red wine, such as Burgundy
8 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium beef stock
2 cups water

Directions

Season ribs with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Coat with cornstarch. Heat oil in a large heavy pot (preferably enameled cast iron) over medium-high heat. Lightly brown ribs on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add mushrooms to pot. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; add cubed carrot.
Add shallots, celery, bacon, and chopped carrots to pot. Cook until caramelized, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste.
Return ribs with plate juices to pot. Add thyme and bay leaf. Raise heat to high. Add wine. Cook, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add stock and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until beef is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Remove ribs. Separate meat from bones; discard. Cut meat into bite-size pieces; return to pot. Add reserved mushroom-carrot mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook until cubed carrots are tender. Season with salt. Ladle soup over bowls of egg noodles and serve with bread on the side.

Serves 6.

Talk about coincidences - I just realized this was my 50th post and I also gained my 50th "follower" today! (I know it says I have 51 followers, but I am following myself, so there are really only 50.) I thank you all!!

Green Country? What the Heck?

2011-02-06T23:38:00.002-06:00

Okay, someone sent me a message yesterday and said they lived in "Snow Country", too. Not that you can tell it from these photos, but I actually live in Green Country! (It's true. That is the official name for the section of Oklahoma where I live. In case you are wondering, it is the northeast quadrant of the state.)

We had a record 15" of snow on Tuesday, 02-01-11, followed by 6" of snow on 02-04-11. We are supposed to get flurries tonight (Sunday, 02-06-11), and another 6-12" this coming Tuesday, 02-08-11.

Can someone please make it stop?!?

This is the backdoor from my bedroom. There is about a foot of snow covering the step. Note the snow above the door handle and the deadbolt. This is unreal!

This is the view just off my back porch off the bedroom. That's about 3 1/2' of snow. It's also very weird how the snow stopped in a perfectly straight edge.

This is my neighbor's kitchen window. That's about 4 1/2' of snow.

Thursday my husband convinced me to take a ride in the pickup with him. That's 3 1/2' of snow on the right side of the road. I thought we were only going in the neighborhood. We had no phones, no IDs, no cash, etc. It's a good thing we made it home in one piece! It took us approximately half an hour to make a four-mile loop south of our house. The roads were not in good shape. Fortunately, my husband is an excellent driver, because the other people out driving were not. I was gripping the armrest the whole way!

Notice that my husband shoveled snow behind the pickup so he could get out, but did not shovel behind my car. That's okay. I wasn't taking that baby anywhere, anyway. Besides, he shoveled a path for the dogs in the back yard and another to the mailbox (not that we got any mail for 5 days).

This is the back yard. That's about 5' deep. Good thing I put that outdoor faucet cover on Monday night.

Leiua loved the snow in small doses. Tillie, on the other hand, didn't want any part of it. (She's standing by the back door to the kitchen.) Unfortunately, she got stranded in the snow three separate times and had to be rescued each time. I don't blame her for not wanting to get back out in it.

Leiua liked digging in the snow. She found a bone, so at least it was productive. (Plus, she looked so cute with snow on her muzzle.)

Thank goodness for young entrepreneurs! Just as I was getting ready to head out and shovel that snow behind my car, these young businessmen offered to do the job for me in exchange for a nominal fee. They did such a good job, I gave each of them a bonus. I was thrilled that I didn't have to shovel the snow, although my husband thought I needed the exercise. (I thought he was crazy to think I would do it myself.)

I missed four days of work last week. I am grateful that the offices were closed most days and that I did not have to take leave for three of those days. I am thankful that I have plenty of leave built up to cover the fourth day. I am happy that the court moved their dockets to accommodate the snow days, even though that will jam up the dockets down the line. I am grateful for a loving husband, as well as family and neighbors who checked on us regularly. Even though the family was too far away to help, it was nice to hear from them. I also thank the Lord that we didn't lose electricity or water. We have a wood-burning stove insert in our fireplace, but we couldn't use it because our wood, although covered with a tarp, was inaccessible, as it was completely covered in snow.

Now, I think I'll contact my travel agent. I need some sun and some sand!!

(NOTE: Late Tuesday/early Wednesday we got our third round of snow. Another 6-8" dumped right on top of all the other. Several snowfall records have been set with this storm system.)

Roger's New England Clam Chowder

2011-02-03T22:47:00.001-06:00

2 dozen chowder clams (quahogs) - you can use frozen clams, if necessary, one box should be enough
3 cups white wine
1/2 pound salt pork or fat back, diced fine (bacon can be used, if necessary)
4 Tablespoons butter (not margarine)
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 bay leaf
pinch of thyme
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream

your choice of crackers

Steam the clams in the wine until they just open. Remove and strain the liquid. Reserve. When the clams are cool enough to handle, remove them from the shell and chop them. Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the salt pork until crisp. Drain and discard the fat.

In a large pot, melt the butter with the oil and add onions, celery, bay leaf, thyme, and crisped pork. Cook until vegetables are softened and translucent. Add reserved clam juice and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, milk, and cream. Cook until potatoes are just cooked, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add chopped clams and bring the chowder to a slow boil, stirring occasionally.

Serve with crackers.

Yield: 4-8 servings.

It's a Snow Day... ummm... Snow Week! Yea!!

2011-02-02T02:29:00.006-06:00

This is an extremely old recipe for Snow Cream. It was my grandmother's and I think she got it from her mother. (My grandmother passed away last year just shy of her 101st birthday, so the recipe is tried and true.) Enjoy!

Snow Cream

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 - 2 teaspoons vanilla
3 - 4 cups milk
Sugar to taste (about 2 cups)
A dash of salt
1 large bowl of fresh, clean, powdery snow (not crusty or packed)

Pour  milk and beaten egg into a saucepan and heat on low, stirring  constantly. Do not allow to boil. When the mix begins to form tiny  bubbles, slowly add the vanilla and then the sugar, all the while  stirring the mixture. Turn off heat and allow to cool a bit. Gather fresh snow and divide  into individual dishes. Carefully pour the milk mixture over the snow,  stirring until you get the consistency you want. Add more snow or milk  mixture, if needed. Refrigerate leftover milk mixture.

P. S.  Last night I decided this would make excellent "Hot Vanilla", too.  For those that don't like Hot Chocolate, can't have it for some reason, or just want something different - add more milk to the liquid and heat it up.  Delicious!  

Albert G's Sweet Potato Pie

2011-01-26T02:04:00.000-06:00

I love Sweet Potato Pie. I didn't know it until I married my husband. I was prepared to make Pumpkin Pie for our first Thanksgiving, when he announced that he would prefer Sweet Potato Pie. I had heard of this type of pie, but I had never tasted it and had no idea how to make it. Fortunately for me, about that same time, The Tulsa World printed the recipe for Albert G's Sweet Potato Pie. Albert G's is a local Southern-style barbecue joint. Everything they serve is delicious, but heads above the rest is this pie.

(The recipe is at the bottom of this post. Bear with me.)

I'm not sure why I failed to take any photos of the ingredients or the preparatory stages of this recipe, but I didn't. I baked these in Frankoma pottery pie pans. I think Frankoma pottery is fantastic! I own the Oklahoma Centennial collection (pie pan, rectangular pie pan, square baking pan, and large round bowl), two of the Oklahoma-shaped baking pans (one in each size), a cornbread pan, a super-large round bowl, and a few other pieces. The Centennial collection has the most wonderful graphics baked into the pottery. Another time I will post photos of the set. They are gorgeous!

I bought almost all of my pieces at the Frankoma Factory Store in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, which isn't far from my home in Broken Arrow. I bought a lot of them in the Seconds section and a few of them off of the "Ugly" rack, which was where they put the items that were still suitable for use, but had cracks, glazing inconsistencies, etc. The items on the "Ugly" rack were only $1 each, so even if I only got one or two uses out of them, they were still a bargain!

I used the Williams-Sonoma Piecrust Cutters to cut leaves for decorations. I cut lots of them and lightly sprinkled the extras with cinnamon and sugar and baked them on a Silpat sheet. I used the extras for dog treats. My dogs loved them!

This pie went to my neighbor's mother. She is a very sweet, elderly lady, who couldn't bake for herself this year for a variety of reasons. My neighbor is also very sweet, so it was nice to do something for them.

I kept this pie for us, as I stuck a knife in it to check for doneness.

The pies set for several hours until they were thoroughly cooled.

This is Leiua after she consumed a LOT of the piecrust leaves.

Albert G's Sweet Potato Pie

(Filling)

2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (freshly cooked and still warm, although I have warmed and mashed canned sweet potatoes in a pinch)

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 small can (5 ounces) evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed milk)

9-inch pie crust shell, unbaked (The recipe calls for one pie crust, but I have always had enough for two pies.)

In a mixing bowl, blend softened butter with warm sweet potatoes until smooth. (Use a low to medium speed, so that you don't splatter the batter.) Add remaining filling ingredients and beat in mixer at low speed until mixture is smooth. Pour into pie shell and bake in preheated 375-degree oven for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (NOTE: If you are using a Frankoma pie pan or similar pottery, it is important to start with a COLD oven, not a preheated one. You will have to adjust the baking time to account for this.) Be sure to check the edges of the crust after about 30 minutes, as you may have to use a piecrust shiel or aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.

Here is another Sweet Potato Pie I made in 2007 using this same recipe. I used Williams-Sonoma Piecrust Cutters to decorate this pie, too, but from the set put out that year. I layered the shapes around the edge of the pie to create the rim.

Chicken Curry with Apple

2011-01-26T00:49:00.001-06:00

This recipe was slightly adapted from 365 Ways to Cook Chicken, by Cheryl Sedaker.

The photo doesn't do the recipe justice. The monochromatic colors of the dish belie the deliciousness of the flavor blend. Of course, the bowl - a vintage piece of Fireking Peach Lustreware in the swirled pattern - is also too close to the shade of the curried chicken. I should have picked a brighter color for the plating.

Chicken Curry with Apple
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine (I used butter.)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup peeled, chopped apple (I used Pink Lady or Gala.)
1 can (16 ounces) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 cup chicken broth, or more if needed (I used about 1 3/4 cups.)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon curry powder, or more to taste (I used about 3 Tablespoons.)
4 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped or shredded
Salt & Pepper, to taste (I used freshly ground black peppercorns and a combination of Black Lava Hawaiian Kai Sea Salt & Red Alae Hawaiian Kai Sea Salt. These salts are much "saltier", if you will, so you use less.)

Garnishes
Toasted Coconut
Mandarin Orange segments
Chopped Peanuts
Raisins
Cooked Bacon
Mango Chutney
Sour Cream
Chopped Chives
Dietz & Watson's Jalapeno & Cayenne Pepper Cheese (This is my favorite. It adds a nice "bite" to the dish.)
Greek Yogurt, plain (This is my husband's favorite and adds a different type of "bite" to the dish. It is the garnish shown in the above photo.)

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven or a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add apple, tomatoes with juice, broth, lemon juice, and curry powder. Simmer, uncovered, about 35 minutes.
2. Add chicken and heat through, about 5 minutes. Add more broth and curry powder, if necessary.
3. Serve with a scoop of white rice, either above or below, and your choice of garnish on top or on the side.

After making this recipe for the second time, it occurs to me that curry powder is an excellent organic food colorant (if it wasn't something you necessarily wanted to eat). Below is a photo of my beautiful blue silicone spoon. After using it to make this dish, the spoon part is on its way to becoming forest green. : /

12 Days of Christmas Swap!

2011-01-10T03:02:00.007-06:00

Sami over at Symmetry in Motion sponsored the Christmas swap and it was an exciting 13 days! Yes, that was 13 Days of Christmas for me, because my swap partner, Sylvia of Mi familia, included a birthday gift for me. I was so excited to get the box. It was heavy! I opened it as soon as I got in the house.

It was loaded! Sylvia put cute little, fuzzy stickers on each package, along with a short note on most of them. She included ribbons and that really cute flower hairclip as package decorations. I am sorry to say I was much less clever with my wrapping. Now days, if someone actually gets wrapping paper it's a miracle! (I at least wrapped all of the items I sent. LOL)

The first package was for my birthday, which was December 7th. It was the BIG 5-0, so it was nice to have that little extra remembrance. It was unexpected, and therefore, even more special.

Possibly the most adorable Nativity scene ever! : ) Since we went low-key with decorating this year, it fit in perfectly with our decor. (Yes, that's a Rosemary bush doing double-duty as our Christmas tree.)

Day 1: A Christmas DVD by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and a CD of assorted Christmas music helped to set the holiday mood. These were quite inspiring!

Day 2: Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate! This went to my office where it's locked away. LOL

Day 3: Sylvia was right. You can't have too many of these! We have been using the heck out of these kitchen towels. They are thirsty and work great!

Day 4: This leather-bound journal with pen has been my go-to book for keeping track of all my work-related stuff (i.e. Court information, mileage, hours worked, dates/times of visits, etc.). It has been a life saver, as the State has not provided us calendars this year and I keep forgetting to go buy one for myself. I haven't used the stickers yet, but you can be assured that I will.

Day 5: I love the ladybug perforater. I always wanted one, but never bought one for myself. The rolls of ribbon and the cute Christmas tree buttons will go to good use.

Day 6: Cookie cutters! These were so cute! Sylvia made some very good choices. I especially love the Noah's Ark one. There is also hand sanitizer (a must in my field) and some Hemp hand lotion. Good choices!

Day 7: The Lorax and Fancy Nancy: The Show Must Go On. I love children's books! And I recently learned I am going to be a Grandmother, so these will make great additions to my library.

Day 8: A "blingy" crystal nail file (which I absolutely love!), Plumeria body wash from Bath & Body Works, Redken shampoo & conditioner, and a lip liner pencil in the perfect rosy shade for me. Couldn't have chosen better myself!

Day 9: Two stamp pads and six inspirational word stamps. Now I have no excuses for not attempting to make my own cards. I already have a Cricut and now I have the stamps. I'll keep you posted on my progress in this area.

Day 10: The flower hairclip I mentioned earlier was the decoration on this handmade box. (At least I think it's handmade. Sylvia did such a great job on it, the box looks store-bought. You can't completely see the design, but it's a very tired angel soaking her feet. Cute!) The pearl necklace is gorgeous! I love it!!

Day 11: This adorable tile, which I think Sylvia stamped and drew the flowers and bee using paint markers similar to the ones she included with the gift. Did I tell her that the office I worked at was 72B and often referred to as "The B"? (I even made bee cupcakes for work once.) I don't think so, and that makes this present even more special. Obviously, it was serendipity at play.

Day 12: Good day, and welcome to Day 12! (Kudos to anyone who got the "Doug & Bob Mackenzie's Great White North" reference. For those of us who remember and for those who have never seen it: Doug & Bob Mackenzie: 12 Days of Christmas. It makes me laugh every time.)

Anyway... back to Day 12: European Chocolate Truffles. Need I say more? Simply delicious!!!

Thanks to Sylvia for such great gifts and for keeping me guessing each day. Thanks to Sami for sponsoring the bloggers event. And a special thanks to the United States Postal Service for getting the package there on time. It was great fun!!

Ode to my Oven

2010-12-22T01:14:00.002-06:00

Ode to my Oven

(AKA Decent Poetry Takes a Holiday, as does my Oven)

Oh oven, dear oven

Why hast thou forsaken me?

Cookies, pies, and cake

Were supposed to bake

To perfection

In your toasty tummy.

Now no heat radiates.

No delicious smells emanate,

To make us anticipate

The delicacy on the plate.

Christmas draws ever near

And it appears painfully clear

That the repairman won't appear

Before the beginning of the year.

No Chex mix, no cupcakes,

No casseroles or strudel.

No brioche, no biscuits,

No shortbread or noodles.

You may hear me exclaim

As I drive out of sight,

"The oven's not working,

It's pizza tonight!"

The Road Home

2010-12-11T02:38:00.007-06:00

If you take I-35 South out of Norman, you will soon come across Exit 104, Goldsby/Washington. Take that exit and keep going south on Highway 24.

You will drive about seven miles before coming to this sign. As you approach the town, there is a three-way stop. Turn right. Welcome to Washington, Oklahoma, in McClain County. The town was named after George Washington, an Indian Chief, who once lived in the area. (I have forgotten the name of his tribe.)

Washington is a small town - just a dot on the map. When I was a Senior in high school, way back in 1979, we only had 151 students from Kindergarten through 12th Grade. (I know this because I was editor of the Yearbook and had to count those photos more than once.) The town is a little bigger now. I think there are a few hundred in school and there is a four-way stop at the intersection of Main Street and Highway 24. There is even a set of apartments. There are four churches, a Senior Citizens' Center, one convenience store, a medical supply store, and a bakery/cafe, but not much else. There used to be a bank and a movie theater way back in the 1920s, but those burned down and were never rebuilt. More recently, there was a cotton gin, Maynard's Drug, Haxel's Hardware, Burns' Mill, Clyde's Barber Shop, Keith's Grocery, a domino hall, and a laundromat. Retirement, illness, death, and the economy took care of those, however. They are now and forever only in the town's collective memory.

My grandparents owned the drug store. (See my previous post from October 1st about that, if you are interested.) They lived southwest of town in this house. They built the house in the 1950s.

Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren loved to come visit. There was a ping-pong table in the basement, a trap door with a secret entrance (which was really a laundry chute, but no child would ever want to believe that!), fields to run in and play softball, a barn to explore, two ponds for swimming and fishing, a huge front porch with a swing, and countless cows, chickens, dogs, and cats. When the cousins were at Grandmother's house, everyone wanted to be there, too. Dominoes, Rook (with special Maynard Family rules), and teasing the children were standard game play for the adults.

Granddaddy passed away in 1987. Grandmother lived alone for several years before her health forced my mother to move in with her around 2002, in order to help care for her. My mom was the oldest of the six children and the only one of to be widowed, so it worked out well.

Grandmother lived a good and full life, surrounded by her family and friends. She passed away on September 26, 2010, five days before her 101st birthday. My mother currently stays at the house part-time, but is preparing to move back to her own home. My mother and aunts and uncles have not yet decided what to do with the house and land.

My mother is 81 now and I haven't lived in the Washington area for over twenty-two years. But this is the place I was raised and it is a big part of who I am. There is a peaceful feeling that descends over me when I recognize the red dirt in the landscape and I know that I am truly home.

But I am struck by the question of how much longer will I be traveling this road to home? ...and it makes me a little bit sad.

Anatomy of an Illicit Nap - As Told by Leiua

2010-11-29T02:30:00.004-06:00

1. Select your napping spot in a place where you know you are not supposed to be. Try to look extra cute.

2. Watch your humans to ensure they are not going to yell at you to move. Tail wagging helps.

3. Slide down to a comfortable napping position.

4. Be sure to keep your guard up a little, so you can make sure you don't get interrupted by anyone.

5. Don't let other dogs usurp your napping place. They will try.

6. Enjoy your nap! You deserve it!!

7. When your nap is over, get up and go to bed for a good night's sleep!

12 Days if Christmas Swap!

2010-11-23T00:44:00.003-06:00

Bloggers are invited to participate in the 12 Days of Christmas Swap, sponsored by Sami at Symmetry in Motion. It should be fun and creative! Once matched, I will shop, create, etc. until I have my 12 gifts. Then I will package and ship them to my swap partner. There is a spending limit, but not a minimum - only the maxim that you can save money, but you can't be cheap. I will post more about this later. And let me be the first to say "Merry Christmas!" (even if isn't Thanksgiving yet).

Sarah's Lucky Pumpkin Cheesecake

2010-11-13T02:07:00.010-06:00

My daughter, Sarah Luck, is married to an Airman and they have been stationed in South Korea for over two years now. (I miss her more than words can say!) We communicate mostly through Facebook and telephone. It always strikes me a little odd when she calls, because she has a "local" - as in MY area code - telephone number through Skype.

When she was younger, I tried to get her interested in cooking and baking. She could not have cared less at that time. I suppose there was just too much to do back then. We had much more fun on "Mommy-Daughter Night" when the husband/father was out working late. We did all the requisite things - dinner, movies, miniature golf, Tulsa State Fair, shopping, etc. Too bad there weren't any cooking classes for kids back then.

When she married, Sarah and her husband, Adam, realized that neither of them really knew how to cook. But, no worries. She called and asked people for recipes, read magazines and cookbooks, and researched recipes online. She turned out to be a fine cook.

Sarah graciously agreed to share her recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake on the blog. She and her husband will be back in the U. S. within a year. I can't wait until we have an opportunity to bake together and share the bounties of our kitchens.

So without further ado, here is the recipe for "Sarah's Lucky Pumpkin Cheesecake":

Sarah's Lucky Pumpkin Cheesecake

What you need:

Springform cake pan, mixer

To make the crust:

1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, melted

To make the batter:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

To put it all together:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all crust ingredients together and press into the bottom of springform pan.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
In the mean time... In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, blending each well. Set aside one cup of the mixture. (This batter will be cream-colored.)
Add 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the main bowl, blending well.
Pour the pumpkin batter into the crust and tap the pan on the counter to level.
Drop the plain batter by spoonfuls on top.
Swirl with a knife to marble your cake. Be careful not to over-mix the batters or you will lose the marbling effect.
Bake 55 minutes. Remove from oven.
Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan. Set the pan on a wire grid and allow to cool.
After the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, place it in the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
Before serving, remove the Springform pan collar.

Enjoy! This recipe has become a holiday tradition in the Luck house. My daughter made the one pictured above for her husband to take to work with him. She also took the beautiful photograph.

(Cheesecake cutting tip: If you want to cut the cheesecake before serving, here is an easy tip. Cut a length of dental floss approximately twice the diameter of your cheesecake. After the cheesecake has cooled, remove it from the Springform pan and place it on the counter or cake plate. Wrap the dental floss around one hand and hold the other end in the opposite hand. Firmly, but gently, use the dental floss to cut the cheesecake. When you get to the bottom of the cake, let go of the floss being held and pull it out from the other side. Wipe the floss with a clean cloth, if necessary, and continue to cut the cheesecake utilizing this method until you have the desired number of slices.)

"You Can Learn to Read" - video

2010-11-03T02:22:00.002-05:00

My sister, Kristi Parker Hazelrigg, the media specialist at Parkview Elementary School in Midwest City, Oklahoma, wrote and sang the lyrics (see below for the words) to this song. It's based on Taylor Swift's, "You Belong with Me". Kristi also produced the video, which stars Maggie Place, one of our little cousins.

I think this is adorable and I hope you do, too! It's a great way to introduce children to the joys of reading and offers just the right encouragement. Please feel free to share the video with one and all. Maybe it will go viral. Wouldn't that be something! :D

You Can Learn to Read
Inspired by Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with Me”; new lyrics by Kristi Hazelrigg

You’re staring at the page and you’re upset
You can’t understand a single word that it says
You just can’t read the story like they do

You’re in your room, it’s a typical day, you’re bored
You need to read to let your imagination soar
But you just can’t read the stories like they do

So many good books, open up and take a look
But with silent E's, Q's and U's, you’re getting confused
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find
That you can make some sense out of all those little lines

If you could see how all those letters work together
Line ‘em up and sound ‘em out, then you’d see
You can learn to read, you can learn to read

Reading all the words and knowing what they mean
I can’t help thinking this is how it ought to be
Laughing on a park bench, reading to yourself--Hey, isn’t this easy?

There’s somethin’ ‘bout reading that can turn your life around
‘Specially when you find a book that you can’t put down
You say you’re fine, I know you better than that
I know you wanna read a book like that

History and dinosaurs, fairy tales, cookbooks
Animals and astronauts, Goosebumps and joke books
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find
That you can make some sense out of all those little lines

If you could see how all those letters work together
Line ‘em up and sound ‘em out, then you’d see
You can learn to read

Standing by and watching how your mom reads
All this time, how could you not know, baby?
You can learn to read, you can learn to read

Oh, pretty soon you’ll be reading ‘neath the covers in the middle of the night
All the books that make you laugh and the books that make you cry
You’ll have your favorite ones and you’ll share them with your friends
Think I know it won’t be long, think I know how this will end….

Junie B., Green Eggs & Ham, Ramona Quimby
Ferdinand, Anansi and Winn Dixie need you to learn to read

Miss Rumphius, Frindle, Max and all the Wild Things
Charlotte, Wilbur, and Tuck Everlasting need
You to learn to read, you can learn to read

You can learn to read
Have you ever thought just maybe you can learn to read?
You can learn to read!

Roger's Pasta Salad

2010-10-26T23:42:00.001-05:00

I haven't posted in a bit, so I thought I would put together a little post about a very easy pasta salad. My husband found this recipe in the little newspaper put out by an area lake community. We modified it a bit to suit our tastes and you can do the same.

First, I gathered all my ingredients together. If you are observant, you will see that "one of these things is not like the other" (with apologies to Sesame Street). Do you see it? Yes, there it is - a small handgun right between the carrots, Dijon mustard, and pasta. This is EXTREME COOKING!! We don't want to take the chance that someone is going to bust in the kitchen and hijack dinner. (Actually, the hubby put the gun on the counter when he got home and I didn't see it when I took the photo. If you are a firearms enthusiast, it's a L. W. Seecamp .380.)

If you are brand-loyal or a foodie elitist, you are probably cringing at the Best Choice products shown. Personally, I think their pastas and tomato products are pretty much the same as most of the higher end items, so I have no issue with using them to save a little money.

For this recipe, I used pork steaks. I grilled the steaks the night before and let them sit overnight in the refrigerator before slicing. When writing this post, I realized that I left the green onions out of the recipe this time. It was still delicious! This salad gets better with time, as the dressing soaks into the pasta and marinates the vegetables and meat. This pasta has been suggested as the perfect picnic food. As long as you are able to keep it cold before serving, it should be great.

I like the Tupperware mixer/shaker for making the dressing, as I can use the measurements on the side of the cup for the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Once the other ingredients are added, I just pop in the shaker ring and snap on the top. Then I do my best Carmen Miranda impression and merengue around the kitchen to the music in my head, shaking the heck out of that Tupperware and mixing the dressing by default. For grating the Parmesan cheese, there is nothing like a Microplane grater. I own the box grater, this beauty you see in the photo below, and a smaller one that also does little garnish-thingies.

Roger's Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad

1 (16 oz.) pkg. pasta - preferably rotini, cavatappi, large shell, etc.; cooked according to package directions, rinsed with cold water, and drained
1 (28 oz.) can cut tomatoes, drained
2 medium carrots, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 green bell pepper, julienned
1/2 yellow or orange bell pepper, julienned
1/3 cup green onions, sliced
1 (2.25 oz.) can ripe black olives, sliced and drained
2 pork steaks, beef steaks, chicken breasts, or lamb chops, cooked and sliced thin
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste
Louisiana Hot Sauce

In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta and vegetables.

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoon Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
Juice of 1 fresh lime
1 teaspoon salt
Louisiana Hot Sauce

Pour olive oil into mixing bowl, add wine vinegar, minced garlic, mustard, Miracle Whip (or mayonnaise), and fresh lime juice. Season with salt and hot sauce to taste. Whisk until smooth. Pour dressing over and toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the salad before serving.

Modified from "Outdoor Cookin' with Otis" (Grand Times on Grand Lake news gazette), 06-25-97.

National Homemade Cookie Day (October 1st)

2010-10-01T23:25:00.010-05:00

Today, October 1st, is National Homemade Cookie Day. It is also my grandmother's 101st birthday... or it would have been. She passed away peacefully last Sunday, September 26th. My grandmother, had a good life... a great life, even. She loved her family, which included 6 children, 18 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren, and 9 great-great-grandchildren. (I am not counting spouses here, but if I did, the whole family numbers greater than 100!)

Grandmother was always a bit shy and quiet. When she got married at age 18, she was so embarrassed that she wouldn't even get out of the car and go into the pastor's house. The preacher had to go out to the Model-T Ford and perform the ceremony while they sat in the car.

Grandmother and Granddaddy, Barbara Anna (Melton) & Johney Burse Maynard, owned and operated Maynard's Drug in my hometown, Washington, Oklahoma, from 1951 - 1980. Washington is a small town and they sold everything. Just before school started each year, they sold school supplies and all of the required school books. The kids and grandkids pitched in to help during that time. All of the grandchildren longed for the day when they were deemed old enough to help sell school books. Big Chief Tablets, Fun with Dick and Jane, elementary workbooks, and number 2 pencils all have that old familiar smell that I love.

One of my favorite things had to be the soda fountain. Grandmother taught me how to make the perfect Coke. (Hint: It's all in the wrist... well, and the correct ratio of syrup to carbonated water. LOL) It had the old-fashioned pump-type syrup dispensers, fruit dippers, a double-sink, and water spigots - one for carbonated water and one for plain water. I loved the glass rinser. It was a small round hole with a rubber ring around the top and a rubber grid on the bottom. You inserted a glass upside down and sprayers squirted water all around and inside the glass, rinsing it clean. There were five or six red-leatherette barstools on the opposite side for customers. The stools were about 3' or so tall and spun around. I remember we used to get into trouble for spinning on them too much.

There was a candy counter with all sorts of delicious goodies - Pixie Sticks, Secret Centers, Hershey's Chocolate Bars, Jaw Breakers, Tootsie Rolls, gum, crackers, etc. Just about everything you could imagine was there to choose from. Halloween meant the addition of wax lips and Wowee! wax whistles.

Free comic books were also high on that favorite things list. Once the unsold comics were pulled from the shelf and the covers torn off, we got to take home huge stacks of them. We poured over Archie, Little Dot, Richie Rich, Hot Stuff, Casper, Superman, Batman, and even the war and love comics. We kept stacks of them in the house and would read and re-read them until they were falling apart.

Most of the grandchildren loved the malt-flavored ice cream. It was a special ice cream for making malts, and Granddaddy would rebuff our requests for it, but we could always talk Grandmother into letting us have it on a cone. Malt ice cream was white, but it wasn't vanilla or chocolate, just malt. I would love to find some now days, and have looked all over the internet and in stores, but it is nowhere to be found. (If anyone knows where I can find some, please hook me up!)

Grandmother's specialty dessert was Italian Cream Cake. It was always so tall and loaded with fluffy coconut. It was absolutely divine. In honor of her - and of National Homemade Cookie Day - I think I am going to make Italian Cream Cookies... or some type of cookie, anyway. I won't be able to get photos posted today, but I will update the post later to show the cookies.

Ladies and Gentlemen... Meet George!

2010-09-16T02:52:00.005-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen... meet George!

[With apologies to JFK, Jr. and the now defunct "George" magazine]

The Tulsa Cake Club meets every second Tuesday of the month at All Things Cake, the best cake supply shop in Tulsa. It is a gathering of people (all women and girls right now) who like to bake and decorate cakes, cupcakes, cookies, etc. Some are professionals, some, like me, aren't. We have demonstrations, club news updates, suggestions for charitable giving of cakes or cupcakes, door prizes, snacks, etc.

This month's demonstration was on modeling fondant. Club member Diane Bewley was our demonstrator. She makes the most amazing fondant pieces to decorate her cakes and she is completely self-taught! Each person received a small lump of fondant, a piece of dried spaghetti, a toothpick, and a cotton swab. Diane showed us how to make a baby out of the fondant. I defied convention and made a bunny, complete with buck teeth and a bow tie. I thought George turned out pretty well for my first time modeling a figure, considering I only spent about 15 minutes on him. (By the way, those are not polka dots on his head. It's a reflection of the overhead lights.)

George is named in honor of the Looney Tunes cartoon, in which the abominable snowman (à la Lon Chaney's characterization of Lennie from Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck) refers to Bugs Bunny, and says, "I will name him George, and I will hug him and pet him and squeeze him." Thanks to Jennifer Schooley Bengel for reminding me about that cartoon classic!

Watermelon! (And a Short Lesson on Seed Saving) :D

2010-09-13T03:32:00.000-05:00

I stopped at a local roadside stand the other day. Really, it was just a couple of tables with tarp canopies over them to keep off the hot Summer sun. Initially, I drove past the stand, but I turned around after spying several different types of watermelons on the tables. I saw what I knew to be Jubilees, Juliettes, Black Diamonds, and Sugar Babies. I was hoping for a yellow-meated watermelon, but the gentleman manning the stand didn't have any. However, he did have four beautiful OrangeGlo melons, which have a gorgeous golden yellow-orange flesh. He stated that he purchased the OrangeGlos from someone who was unable to purchase the seeds anymore and had to save them every year so that he had enough to replant a good crop.

That statement got me thinking about my father, who, up until the year of his death, had always planted a very large garden with several different types of watermelons. He always dried some of the seeds and planted them the next year. My mother moved out of the house I grew up in a year or so after my father died. I have no idea if she took the seeds with her or threw them away. It was a long time ago (1989), so she may not even remember (and they probably aren't viable at this point, anyway). I will have to ask her, though.

I stood at the sink and ate the heart of one-half of the melon first. I prefer watermelon at room temperature and this one was delicious! The watermelon was refreshingly tasty, with a crispness and sweetness that bespoke Summer days gone by. The rind was fairly thin. Since I don't care for the slight bitter taste, I cut around the rind by about 1/2".

I sorted the seeds onto a paper towel with a piece of wax paper underneath to prevent the seeds from soaking through and sticking to the counter. I turned the seeds frequently to ensure even drying. After they were completely dry (about 3 days), I rubbed the seeds to remove any dried watermelon flesh and stored the seeds in an envelope. [If you must use a plastic bag to store the seeds - even temporarily - be sure to leave a large opening for air circulation. If you seal the bag, the moisture inside will most likely kill the seeds.]

The weird part about all of this is that I don't have a garden. Oh, I want one, but my husband doesn't want me to "tear up the yard", even though it would be in the back and no one would see it. Personally, I think the fresh, organic fruits and vegetables would be worth it, but he doesn't. So sadly, no garden for me... for now. I'll keep working on him, though.

My nephew, Garrett, said he would like some seeds because, in his words, "I'd love to take those seeds. If I could grow my own watermelon, I'd be ridiculously happy." Far be it from me to stand between him and true happiness. (Obviously, he doesn't visit any home improvement stores, co-ops, or farm implement stores or he would know that they all carry tons of seed packets each Spring.)

I will also offer seeds to anyone who asks, for as long as I have them to share. If you are interested, leave me a comment. If you like watermelon, you will most likely love the OrangeGlo!

Below is a short tutorial on saving and drying seeds for future planting. I found the information via Ask.com :

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-dry-seeds-for-next-year.htm

Seed saving has been practiced for years, and is a form of evolution. Plants that don’t survive well, or are sickly are discarded, while strong, healthy plants are preserved and grown against the next year. Presently, this is mostly done by seed companies, but any gardener can save their own seeds and dry them for the next year.

Plants are grown from one of two sources. The first are typical seeds, which are plant embryos contained in a hard shell, similar to eggs. The second source is known as transplants. Transplants are portions of living plants that are able to grow out of the soil independently.

Saving and drying seeds to use later is about maintaining the same genetic make-up and variety of plant. For the plant to be the same as its parent, it can only be pollinated with pollen from plants of the same variety. For airborne pollinated crops, no other varieties can be within a mile of the plant. Insect pollinated plants must be at least a quarter of a mile away from other varieties. Self-pollinated plants have no risk of cross pollination.

Hybrid plant seeds can produce a number of different plant types, because only the person who owns the original parent plants can produce more hybrid seeds. Be sure to check the package on the first seeds purchased before attempting to harvest and dry future seeds. F1 Hybrid indicates the plant is a hybrid and seed saving will not be possible. F2 means the plant can be involved in seed saving.

Different seeds are harvested at different times. Most fruit seeds can be extracted after ripening, but before rotting. Squash, cucumber, and pumpkin should be left on vine until after the first frost. The seeds can then be separated from the pulp and dried at room temperature. Pod plants and seed heads should be left to dry on the vine, and the seeds should be gathered before dispersion.

Biennial crops, primarily made up of root plants, do not produce seed at the end of the growing season. Instead, the roots should be dug up during the fall and stored at a temperature between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit (0 to 7 degrees Celsius) through the winter.
Once the seeds are properly harvested, gently rub them between your fingers to remove any excess chaff. Store them in an envelope in a cool, dry room, and label the envelope so there is no confusion later. For best results, plant them the following year. Continue to choose seeds from the best plants to replant every year.

Mustard & Herb-Encrusted Lamb Chops, Fried Cornmeal-Battered Okra, and Sweet Potatoes

2010-08-30T00:41:00.000-05:00

I received this recipe via text message from Martha Stewart Living. Each day they send the name of a recipe and if you think it sounds good, you text, "Cook", in reply. You receive another text with the shopping list. You have to go online to get the preparation directions.

We don't often eat lamb, so this sounded different and delicious. The bonus was that it wasn't hugely labor-intensive. The lamb chops came from a local meat market. They were rinsed, patted dry, and seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

While the lamb chops were adjusting to room temperature, I sliced up a some fresh okra. Since there was only enough for two people, I don't think it qualifies as a "mess of okra". (I've always loved that figure of speech, though.) I read somewhere that if you use too much water to wash the okra, it becomes sticky,. The okra was briefly rinsed and patted dry immediately before going into the dry ingredients, a simple mixture of yellow cornmeal, salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of sugar.

Meanwhile, the lamb chops were brushed with a mix of Dijon Mustard and minced garlic. They were then dredged in bread crumbs, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and Herbs de Provence. The recipe actually called for rosemary and Italian herbs, but I didn't have any on hand.
Herbs de Provence contains both of these, plus several other herbs, so I thought it would be a good substitute. It was.

The lamb chops were fried in a small amount of vegetable oil over a medium-high flame until browned on each side. The Parmesan in the crust made the chops brown a little faster than I wanted, so I had to move them around a bit. We also prefer our lamb cooked a bit more than you see on television cooking shows. (We cook ours to a medium level, while the cooking world suggests a very rare, red meat.) The okra was fried in a different skillet until golden brown on each side. Sweet potatoes with honey and brown sugar made a nice side dish for this home-cooked meal.

Strawberry Lemonade Marmalade

2010-08-22T18:38:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe on another local blogger's site, The Errant Cook , and decided it would make a good first try at home canning. . Since I consider her also to be a friend, I asked if she would mind if I blogged about making the recipe. She generously agreed, and only asked that proper credit be given to Doris and Jilly Cook, where the recipe originated. If you click on the hyperlink for "The Errant Cook", you will be taken to her post about making the same recipe. If you click on the hyperlink for "Doris and Jilly Cook", you will be taken to the actual recipe.

I remember helping my mother and oldest sister do some canning way back when, but I had never tried it on my own. The original recipe is actually titled, "Strawberry Lemon Marmalade", but the finished product reminded me a lot of strawberry lemonade, so I renamed it. I had some Ball canning jars, lids, and rings in the garage so the only immediate cost was for the lemons, strawberries, and sugar.

Starting out with a bag of lemons, I selected 5 small to medium ones. I cut off the ends of each lemon and made sure the pith (white part covering the lemon flesh) wasn't too thick. Next, I used the mandolin slicer to thinly slice the lemon, rind and all.

I chopped the lemons and placed them in a 5-quart dutch oven. They were covered with water (no real measurement, just about an inch above the lemons). I boiled them for five minutes, then turned off the burner. The recipe directs you to leave the lemons on the stove overnight. I did, but the next day I realized I couldn't finish the marmalade, so I put the lemons in the refrigerator. In the meantime, I sliced up a quart of strawberries and put sugar over them. I left them in the refrigerator, too.

After the strawberries and sugar had made a sufficient amount of juice, I took them out and smashed them with a potato masher. This made them nice and pulpy.

The lemons were poured back into the 5-quart dutch oven and added the strawberries. The recipe called for 3 cups of sugar, but I added about 3/4 cup more after reading how some people thought the recipe was a bit too tart. I cooked the fruit mixture over medium-low heat until it started to boil.

The flame was reduced enough to keep the mixture at a low boil, which kept splatters to a minimum. (I used a high-heat silicone-based plastic spoon to stir the mix on a regular basis. I found the spoon at The Stock Pot in Tulsa.) In the meantime, I put the canning lids in hot water in a shallow pan to heat thoroughly. This is so the seals are properly prepared. I didn't have a water bath, so I filled my pressure cooker 3/4-full of water and began to heat it to a boil. I didn't have a jar rack, either, so I crumpled several pieces of aluminum foil and heated them with the water.

Since there is no pectin in this recipe, it took a long time to get thick. After about 30 minutes or more, the mixture started to cook down. After about an hour, it was a rich ruby color flecked with bright yellow particles.

I had to ask "The Errant Cook" how to know when the marmalade was ready, as I couldn't see it actually jelling (again, probably because there is no pectin in the mixture) and I was having trouble finding this information on the internet. She graciously told me to chill a small plate in the freezer. After the plate is chilled, you take a spoon of the mix and place it on the plate. Turning the plate on its side, if the mixture runs, it's not ready to can. If it stays in place, it has jelled. It turned out my marmalade was ready to can, so I got out the Back to Basics Canning Tools (a set I also purchased at The Stock Pot), which includes a jar lifter, a magnetic lid lifter, canning funnel, kitchen tongs, and a jar wrench. I had prepared the jars and rings by running them through the dishwasher, so they were clean and dry. I carefully filled seven jars and two small baby food jars. The lids were removed from the hot water and placed on the jars. The jar rings were placed on and tightened. I used the jar lifters to transfer the hot, filled jars to the homemade water bath. I had one casualty.

After picking up the glass and metal and mopping up the mess as best I could, I transferred the other jars to the water bath. I carefully set the jars into the aluminum foil crumples and made sure the jars were not touching. I added more hot water to the pot, covering the jars by 2 - 3 inches. The jars were boiled for 10 minutes. I lifted the jars out and placed them on a kitchen towel to cool. I listened as the jar lids made their distinctive pops and wheezes indicating that they were properly sealed. I later checked to verify that the jars were properly sealed and they were, with the exception of the baby food jars. As they were used jars, the lids didn't seal and actually popped off in the water bath. The marmalade remained in the jars, so I poured off the water and replaced the lids. I put these jars in the refrigerator, along with the small amount of extra marmalade that was left over. (NOTE: If the jars don't seal, you can safely refrigerate the jelly for several weeks.) As the jars cooled, I cleaned the kitchen and properly mopped the floor.

I finished up with 6- 1/2-pint jars (7, if you count the one that broke) and 2 small baby food jars of marmalade. I loved the ease of the recipe and the flavor was incredible! With each bite, you get the sweetness of the strawberries and just enough of the tartness from the lemons. It's really a complex mix of flavors. The finished jars also looked very pretty with the different colors showing through the glass.

Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich... Sort of...

2010-08-21T04:03:00.000-05:00

My nephew, Drew, recently turned 18-years-old. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he responded, "A peanut butter sandwich." Attempts to prompt him into giving me a real answer were futile.

I realized that I was just going to have to give him money for his birthday. However, I really like to be creative with my gifts, so I decided to make a peanut butter sandwich out of art foam. Initially, I thought I would make the peanut butter out of cardstock and put a check in to represent jelly. This didn't suit my vision of a peanut butter sandwich, as the nothing but the "bread" had any real substance. I decided to see if I could find a peanut butter-colored clay. I found Pluffy, a clay that can be shaped and baked in the oven, which preserves the shape of your design. They had a wide assortment of colors and, fortunately, there was one that was very close to peanut butter. I found some light yellow cardstock that was the color of banana slices. This was the perfect solution to my dilemna, as banana slices would be a great disguise for $1 gold coins.

I bought one sheet of white art foam, two pieces of light yellow cardstock, and one package of Pluffy clay. I fished twenty-five $1 coins from one of my banks and dragged out the Cricut Expression machine for the very first time. I took my X-acto Knife and carefully cut one "slice of bread" from the art foam, then took that piece and used it as a guide to cut a second "slice".

A brown Sharpy was used to color the edges of the "bread". Next, I molded the Pluffy clay to the shape that I wanted to best resemble peanut butter spread. The Pluffy is baked at 275 degrees for 15 minutes.

After the clay had cooled, I placed it on the "bread" and set out to make the "banana slices". After watching the Cricut DVD and doing a bit of trial and error, I cut 50 1-1/4" circles out of the yellow cardstock. I took a black Sharpy and added dots and lines to imitate the seeds and natural markings of bananas.

Double-sided adhesive was placed on the unmarked sides of each "banana slice". A $1 coin was secured to one circle and a second circle was pressed onto the coin. The edges of the cardstock circles were slightly depressed.

The "sandwich" was now ready to assemble.

When my nephew opened his "lunch", he said, "Ha! That's funny!" He later told me the gift was "awesome", which made all the work worthwhile and was why I wanted a more creative way of giving him cash than just writing a check, anyway.

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

2010-07-21T01:45:00.000-05:00

Okay, if you have never seen real horseradish root, let's just say it's rather... ummm...phallic... and this is one of the "nicer" specimens. Some of them are downright nasty-looking.

Anyway... My husband asked me to buy some horseradish root to make some real, homemade horseradish sauce. Unfortunately, the first recipe he picked out was not meant to be made with raw horseradish, but with a prepared sauce. Once I told him that, he picked out a second recipe. This one was little more than pureed horseradish root with a touch of salt, sugar, and vinegar. It was not spreadable by any means, and was fairly disgusting. The horseradish smell was overpowering! My eyes watered and my nose ran if I stood too close to the food processor!

Since that recipe obviously wasn't what my husband wanted either, we found another recipe. This one added a cup of heavy cream, more vinegar, half of a pureed turnip, and assorted spices.

The sauce was creamier, but the turnip and cream cut down the sharp, hot taste of the horseradish and made it too mild. He likes it HOT! I added more pureed horseradish to the mix, but he said it still was not hot enough and refused to eat it. {{sigh}}

I wasn't going to let it go to waste, as I had invested a minimum of two hours on this project, when I had been looking forward to a relaxing evening. I ladled the sauce into recycled jars and labeled them. (Okay, not beautiful labels, but maybe when I actually hook up and figure out my Cricut Expression, I can do better.)

I cleaned up the approximately 647 kitchen utensils and counters that had been used (or splattered on) in the preparation of the now unwanted horseradish sauce. Finally, I posted a note on Facebook offering the horseradish sauce to friends. Thankfully, three of my friends were brave and adventurous souls who took me up on the offer of free "horsey" sauce. I am happy to announce that all three have gotten back to me and said they really liked it. One even said, "That homemade horseradish was so good that my mom and I have been eating it with spoons!!!!" (emphasis hers - Thanks, Lisa!)

So at this point, three out of three guinea pigs prefer my homemade horseradish sauce over no horseradish sauce at all!

Steven King's "IT" Birthday Cake

2010-07-07T02:15:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine asked me to make his son's birthday cake. He didn't have anything particular in mind, only that it reflect something having to do with one or more of Steven King's books. The first (and really, only) thing I could think of was Tim Curry's version of Pennywise, the clown from the television mini-series, "IT" (1990). That was one scary clown!

Now before anyone complains that this is more "cakewreck" than anything else, let me just say that: 1) this was the first time I have ever sculpted candy clay; and 2) I was injured in a traffic accident a few days before, and was working basically one-handed. Also, I'm just an amateur, and I don't claim to be a world-class decorator, although I wish I was. (I wasn't in a sling at the time I made the cake, but my left arm was pretty useless.) ...and yes, I realize my shirt and camera match my shower curtain... sheer coincidence...

Anyway, here is the cake. The angle isn't the best to show the clown, as it gives the appearance of having an elongated chin and you can't really see the creases in the face, etc. The cake is not exactly as I had envisioned, but I think it turned out pretty well, all things considered. This is a Red Velvet cake with Pure Buttercream Frosting "grass", a fondant "sidewalk", a candy clay "Pennywise" clown, fondant clown fingers, and giant jawbreaker "balloons". I used a Sugar Craft gun to make Pennywise's hair, and used clay tools to sculpt the face and teeth, which were implanted in the mouth. A Wilton Icing Writer pen was used to give the appearance of sidewalk chalk. I had intended to dust the writing with different colored luster dust, but my friend came to pick up the cake before I could do that. He liked it "as is", so I left it alone.

The feedback was positive and I understand my friend's son was very happy with the cake. They said he wanted to freeze the clown and keep it forever, and he talked about the cake for several days. That's the ultimate compliment!

Guest Post - Matt from Tiepedia on "The Tie Cake"

2010-06-13T01:12:00.000-05:00

In honor of having reached over 1,000 hits to the blog (which were admittedly, probably mostly me), I have a guest blogger today! Meet Matt from "Tiepedia", http://www.tiepedia.com:

I read his blog and enjoyed it. He graciously allowed me to borrow his post in honor of Fathers' Day. Please read it for yourself and drop by Matt's blog when you get a chance. He would appreciate it. Thanks again, Matt!

Not Your Ordinary Father's Day Ties

It may surprise some of you to hear what I am about to say, but it must be said. Not all guys want a tie on Father's Day. GASP! I know, I know, it sounds crazy... and I certainly am not one of those guys, but apparently it's true.

Listen to what Joseph Hurtado has to say, "there are only two types of men: those who hate ties, and those who grudgingly accept them as part of the job."

Blasphemy as far as I am concerned, but if you're Mrs. Hurtado you may want to think twice about getting Joseph a tie for Father's Day. How about baking him a delicious necktie cake instead? I don't think many men could resist that. Here are some sweet examples for you to consider! (Congrats to the cake artists who created these!)

Original Source Here

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About The Author: Matt’s longest streak of consecutively wearing a tie is 2 years and 5 days! (Don't worry they were different ties) He loves life, his family, his heaven, and his sports (golf, basketball and college football).

"Caja China" Pig Roast

2010-06-07T03:07:00.000-05:00

DISCLAIMER/WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS PHOTOS OF A WHOLE PIG BEING ROASTED. IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY STOP READING NOW!

My husband decided that he wanted to roast a whole pig. I don't know why. He ordered the special "Caja China" - or Cuban roasting box - online. Then he ordered a "suckling" pig from a local butcher shop. For some reason, I thought a "suckling" pig would be about 15 pounds and 24 inches long, like the piglets I had seen on farms when I was young. This bad boy was 53 pounds and about 4 feet long! He barely fit into the box.

The pig was already dressed (i.e. gutted and castrated) when we bought it from the butcher. We had to press it between the grates and hook them together to flatten out the pig. I believe this had something to do with ensuring that it cooked at an even rate.

Then the pig was placed inside the box and a pan-like top was put on, followed by a grate. Charcoal was added on top. We started getting everything ready around 4:30 pm and the cooking actually began at approximately 5:00 pm.

(We started out in the back yard, but had to move to the front of the house because of the wind.)

We had to scrape off the ash about once an hour, and rake the remaining coals and fresh charcoal to make sure it was spread out evenly. We had to add approximately 10 pounds of charcoal every hour. (We used Kingsford.)

Slits had to be cut into the skin to prevent it from busting open toward the end of the cooking process.

Approximately 1:00 am: After about 8 hours, the pig turned out very crispy and "fall-off-the-bone" tender.

The obligatory "apple" shot.

EEEEEEEEK! This is the stuff of nightmares!!

Bananas Foster Redux

2010-06-02T00:55:00.000-05:00

I used the same Bananas Foster cupcake recipe to make these star cupcakes for the graduation party of my niece and two nephews. (Congratulations to Jordan on her Bachelor of Arts from Oklahoma Baptist University, Drew on his diploma from Choctaw High School, and Garrett on his Masters Degree from Texas State University!) The star shape fit in nicely with the star theme of the party.

I used the Wilton silicone star cupcake pan for these and was not at all pleased with it. I found that I had to experiment with the baking time and ultimately had to increase the cooking time by about half (34 minutes, instead of 24), plus I could only cook six cupcakes at a time. To make 45 cupcakes, it took me almost half the night. They were cute, but just not worth the effort for me. I will be giving this pan to my niece, who loves stars of all kinds.

What Flavor is a Princess?

2010-05-27T23:03:00.000-05:00

So, I was shopping in a local store a few weeks ago browsing the cake supplies when I stumbled across this... I was a bit puzzled by the name, as really nowhere did it specifically state what the flavor was. Eventually I found some very small print that implied it was a sweet, buttery flavor. Weird.

I do have to admit that this product inspired numerous semi-obscene comments from my co-workers, though. We are a warped bunch.

Napoleon Complex?

2010-05-11T01:41:00.000-05:00

I have loved Napoleons ever since I was first introduced to them in the mid-1980s. The first Napoleon I ever had was strawberry. The thin, flaky layers of the puff pastry were chewy and crisp around the edges; the vanilla-flavored, pudding-like filling was rich; the strawberries were ripe and juicy; and the whipped cream topping was just the right texture and sweetness. There was even a slight dusting of powdered sugar on top. It was heavenly and I was hooked.

I had never attempted to make a Napoleon before now. Oh, I had thought about it, but I thought they would be difficult to make because they seemed like such perfection, and everyone knows perfection is never easy. I would get a little anxious just thinking about making them, hence the title of this article. :) However, Napoleons are really quite simple to make. ...Simple, if you aren't making your own puff pastry. If you are making your own puff pastry, I bow before your obviously superior culinary skills! I have never even seen a recipe for puff pastry (not that I've looked).

I have to admit that I didn't follow a traditional recipe for Napoleons, though. I read a few recipes on blogs here and there, as well as the one on the side of the puff pastry box, before deciding to come up with my own version. I wanted a slightly more complex flavor for the filling than what I read in the recipes.

I whipped up two pints of heavy cream, slowly adding about 1/4 c. sugar after it had reached the soft peak stage. I continued to whip the cream until waves of cream stood out like an angry ocean. I reserved approximately 2 cups of whipped cream. I folded about 1 1/2 cups of the buttercream frosting I had left over from the Bananas Foster cupcakes into the remaining whipped cream. (If you have been reading my blog, you may recall that was basic buttercream mixed with caramel dessert topping and butterscotch ice cream topping.) Next, I added two Jell-O Single Serving Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix Sticks. After it was thoroughly blended, I refrigerated the mixture overnight.

I cut up a quart of strawberries and covered them with sugar. These were also placed in the refrigerator overnight. I chilled a tub of T. Marzetti's Glaze for Strawberries, as well as another quart of berries.

I took two sheets of Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry and cut each sheet into twelve squares. The squares were placed in muffin tins and baked according to the package directions. This gave each square a slight curve on the sides to better hold the fillings. After they had cooled, I split each pastry square in half and placed the bottoms in metallic baking liners. A dollop of the vanilla cream mixture was spooned in, followed by 1 teaspoon of strawberry glaze and about 1 teaspoon of cut strawberries. The top pastry squares were added and a dollop of whipped cream was placed in the middle. Two strawberry slices garnished the whipped cream. The Napoleons were then placed in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

I pulled one out after a few hours to see what it was like. The puff pastry was a little chewy, as I have often found it to be when you don't consume it immediately. Of course, this might also have something to do with the fact that it was refrigerated or that the liquids in the fillings were being absorbed by the pastry. I liked the flavor blends of the caramel-butterscotch-laced vanilla cream, the strawberries, and the whipped cream. I also think the cupcake-sized portions were just the right amount, although I could have used a bit more whipped cream. I am hoping my co-workers enjoy these. I guess I will find out tomorrow.

Going Bananas

2010-04-29T18:40:00.000-05:00

I had been wanting to make some banana cupcakes for some time. I bought bananas, let them ripen, and then lost the urge to make anything. I went through this cycle a couple of times, so the last time I bought bananas, I also bought the other things I knew I would need to create a recipe, banana baby food, yogurt, etc.

I toyed around with different banana cupcake ideas. I considered banana-apricot, banana nut, banana-caramel, etc. I finally decided on Bananas Foster, which is basically caramelized banana, but with a few other subtle flavors. True Bananas Foster has rum flavoring, but I left this out. I might use a little extract next time, but I didn't want to use it this time.

The cupcakes were topped with a buttercream-based frosting, which had been blended with butterscotch and caramel. Turbinado sugar (raw sugar) and caramel dessert topping were drizzled over the icing.

The taste of the cupcake was similar to banana bread, but was not as heavy or dense as most banana bread recipes. The crumb was soft and light. The frosting was very sticky, but had the complexities of the different flavors. The turbinado sugar provided a nice textural contrast to the icing.

I will definitely make these again, probably with a couple of slight variations. I should do it soon, too, as I have tons of leftover frosting!

Dragonmoon Tea Company

2010-04-23T00:46:00.000-05:00

First of all, let me start out by saying I did not make this petit four. It is one of two that I purchased at Dragonmoon Tea Company in Tulsa this week. The waitress said these were not made by the restaurant, but were purchased for sale in the shop. The photo does not do justice to the delicate shading of the butterfly's wings. The other butterfly looked more like a Monarch, but had blue wings.

This is a chocolate petit four covered in a chocolate ganache-type icing. The cake was dark and fudgey. The cake was small (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter), but very rich and satisfying. The butterfly is made out of rice paper, I believe, and soy-based inks were used, so it was completely edible. The gold dot is a dragee, also edible (unless you live in California, then they are illegal to sell/purchase/possess, as are the silver ones... weird).

I gave the petit four with the blue butterfly to our clerical aide for Administrative Assistants' Day. I split this one with one of our part-time case aides. My butterfly wing had chocolate underneath it, so I didn't notice if the wing tasted like paper or not. It melted rather quickly in my mouth. The price was about $4 each, which is a bit pricey, but for a special occasion, it is well worth the cost.

Think Spring!

2010-03-24T22:04:00.000-05:00

I named these "Think Spring!" cupcakes. I wanted to make a green velvet cupcake for St. Patrick's Day, but didn't get around to doing it. Since I had the ingredients, I decided to make them in honor of Spring. (We actually had a snow storm on the first day of Spring and I still have patches of snow in my yard!)

I found the basic recipe on the internet, but I used Jones' Green Apple Soda in place of the water called for in the recipe. You can't really taste the apple, though. The recipe also called for 1 box of vanilla pudding and 1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream. I used about 1 cup of yogurt, instead. Green food coloring was added to get a nice shade of Spring Green. The result was 24 good-sized, very moist cupcakes. If I had filled the cups a little less full, I probably could have gotten 30 cupcakes that would still have pleased the average person.

Here is a close-up of the inside:

This design was from What's New, Cupcake?, by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. The cupcakes were iced with buttercream frosting. Mini-marshmallows were cut in half (on the diagonal) and rolled in colored sugars before being placed around the cupcakes in rows to form the flower petals. Candied licorice was used for the stamens.

Hello, Cupcake! & What's New, Cupcake? Books

2010-03-24T21:42:00.000-05:00

These are absolutely the best cupcake books for amateur bakers. Written by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, the recipes are simple and the decorating ingredients can be purchased at just about any grocery or convenience store. The designs are really cute and while they look hard, each is broken down into pretty easy steps. Decorating the cupcakes is usually somewhat labor intensive, but the overall effect will draw rave reviews!

In this blog you will see some of the designs from the books. From the first book, Hello, Cupcake!, I have made the spaghetti and meatballs, sleepover, and sunflower cupcakes. My next post will be the chrysanthemum cupcakes from the new book, What's New, Cupcake?

Spaghetti & Meatballs anyone?

2010-03-01T22:54:00.000-06:00

I took this idea from the Hello, Cupcake! book. These were vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting. The frosting was squeezed out in strands to look like cooked spaghetti. Seedless strawberry jam was used to simulate spaghetti sauce. Ferrero Rocher chocolate halves stood in for meatballs and white chocolate shavings were used in place of parmesan cheese.

A little closer look.

Are you a fan of delicious flavor?

2010-02-22T01:59:00.000-06:00

These cupcakes are a nod to my favorite television show, Psych. The title of this post is a recurring line in the show and relates directly to today's flavor choice - pineapple. There is at least one pineapple hidden in every show (sometimes well-hidden and sometimes obvious) and the network even has "Find the Pineapple" sweepstakes each week.

http://www.usanetwork.com/series/psych/

These cupcakes are called "Pineapple Princess", after a song by Annette Funicello, released in the summer of 1960, on the album, "Hawaiiannette". It was also in Disney's "Lilo and Stitch 2". It's one of those songs that just gets stuck in your head.

Annette Funicello - "Pineapple Princess"

These are golden yellow cupcakes with crushed pineapple folded into the batter. They are very moist and somewhat dense, but they are still tender. The frosting is Pineapple Mascarpone Cream Cheese. Each cupcake is topped with a candied pineapple tidbit.

The frosting is very susceptible to heat, so it appears a bit gooey after setting at room temperature for a bit. The other cupcakes were refrigerated to avoid this. There is no filling in the cupcakes. The frosting just sort of oozed downward with the knife during cutting. All in all, these were pretty tasty.

Cupcakes for a Stay-at-Home Dad

2010-02-15T22:11:00.000-06:00

These cupcakes were made for a friend who was quitting his job to become a stay-at-home dad. He even took on home-schooling. (That's courageous in my book, because I would never have dreamed of trying it!) These were vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting.

These are some of my earliest cupcakes, so try not to judge me too harshly. They aren't my best work, but there was a lot of time and effort put into them. From a creative standpoint, I was pleased.

There were remote controls (very primitive ones, with only volume and channel arrow buttons, a red power button, and the name of our local cable provider). The blue ones represented the family swimming pool. Tiny green tadpoles swim in the blue water (because they had an infestation of tadpoles the summer before this) among life preservers.

The remotes were made on the back side of miniature Hershey's Chocolate Bars; the tadpoles were made from Starburst Fruit Chews; and the life preservers were actually Peach Rings.

The top two rows you see on the right are "Honey Do" lists, flip flop shoes, sunglasses, "Dad's Taxi" signs, grocery lists, etc. Fruit Roll-Ups were used for the lists and the sunglasses lenses. Starburst Fruit Chews were used for the flip flops and sunglasses.

The bottom row was personalized cupcakes for the dad and kids. The afternoon nap is depicted. (The mom didn't get a personalized cupcake, because she would not be napping and would be at work.) The dad is holding a cookbook. The son is wide-awake because he has been reading a book of ghost stories. The next two are daughters and they are sleeping soundly with their teddy bears. The baby has a pacifier.

Marshmallow halves were used for the pillows and bodies. Vanilla Wafers made the heads; Fruit Roll-Ups were used for blankets and books; miniature Teddy Grahams were used for the teddy bears. Everything else was frosting and food coloring.

I understand the kids really enjoyed their personal cupcakes. I hope that's true, because I had a lot of fun creating these.

Brownies and Pixies

2010-02-05T21:17:00.000-06:00

Last week I wanted to bake something but didn't have much time, due to so many long hours at work. The kiddos on my caseload (or "pixies" in this case) were pretty demanding last week and the weather wasn't cooperating very well, either. I rummaged around the kitchen and pulled out the only box of brownie mix I had - a box of Betty Crocker Deluxe Brownie Mix with Hershey's Chocolate and Walnuts. I decided to whip up a batch and put them in a 9" x 13" pan, so that they would be the thin chewy type, like those in the photograph. I'm not a big fan of cake-type brownies. (That's a stock photo above and it shows brownies with pecans, not walnuts, but I could only stand to look at so many photos of brownies without developing a craving for another batch! I failed to take any photographs of the brownies I baked.)

At any rate, the box mix yielded 20 brownies. I didn't put frosting on them, because I am a brownie purist. I think frosting detracts from the fudgey goodness. The most I ever add to my brownies is a dusting of powdered sugar, but these brownies were naked - no frosting; no powdered sugar; just chocolate and walnut in a delicious marriage of flavor.

"Pretty Please with a Cherry on Top?"

2010-01-26T21:38:00.000-06:00

I developed this recipe after being unable to find a recipe for cherry cupcakes that sounded good to me. I wanted something simple and tasty. I was very pleased with this result. I think I will coat the "dropped" cherries with flour next time in an attempt to suspend them in the center of the cupcake instead of having them drop to the bottom. Even though the cherries dropped, they added a nice touch to the cupcakes.

I used a new recipe for "Special Buttercream Frosting" that I found on www.allrecipes.com, but I modified that, too. Instead of all shortening, I used half shortening and half butter and increased the amount of whipping cream.

The reviews were pretty spectacular, so I think this cupcake recipe is a keeper!

(These cupcakes were made for a little girl on my caseload. She just turned four and was recently reunited with her family, so I took three cupcakes to her house when I did my monthly visit. They seemed to appreciate it.)

Pie are Round?

2010-01-24T02:06:00.000-06:00

In Math class we learned that "Pi are square". In Home Economics, we learned that "Pie are round". In this case, "Pie are rectangular". Most people that saw this pie thought it was a cobbler based upon shape alone. They didn't seem to like pie in a non-traditional shape, although the taste was the same. Odd...

I got this pie pan from www.kitchenkrafts.com. I like that it has diagonal wedge guides in the bottom of the pan, but I think they are set too far apart. It is set to cut 6 large slices of pie. I would probably cut this into 8 slices. I also like the fact that because of the unique pan design, you only have one side of exposed filling at any one time. However, if you normally use a pie gate, it won't work with this pan.

This is an apricot pie with a sugar-laden lattice crust. It was yummy!

Sunflower Cupcakes

2010-01-18T00:59:00.000-06:00

These were sunflower cupcakes made for work. Chocolate and white cupcakes were the base. Oreos serve as the centers of the flowers, buttercream frosting makes the grass and flower petals, and Nabisco Honey Graham Bees pollinate each cupcake. The reason some of the sunflowers are blue (an impossible color for a sunflower) is simply that I ran out of yellow.

A Life in Cupcakes

2010-01-08T02:52:00.000-06:00

(NOTE: This post has been slightly modified for posting to www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com.)

These Red Velvet cupcakes with Fluffy White frosting were made for my mother's 80th birthday last year. I just used a boxed cake mix and canned frosting from Duncan Hines. The true story is in the decorations. (I also made Pistachio Almond Fudge cupcakes - the cake part from a mix and the frosting from scratch! - for the same party and blogged about them recently. They can be seen in the first photo here. The table in the first photo is sprinkled with confetti, not food stains.)

I thought it would be easy to come up with designs describing my mother's life in cupcakes. I was wrong. There was just too many things - some lent themselves well to a cupcake tableau, but many did not. There was also a time issue. So I settled for cotton bolls, Scrabble tiles, basketballs, marbles, music notes, dominoes, and yes, a few obscure frying pans (black fondant with blue liquid gel inside). Please allow me to explain...

When my mother, Joan (pronounced JoAnn), was a young girl, her family worked the cotton fields. Now I hoed peanuts as a teenager, but that was by choice and I only did it one summer. My mother's entire family planted, hoed, chopped, and picked cotton - even the toddlers - and they did it year after year. This is something I really have a hard time imagining, but I respect the work ethic that all of the children pitched in with little to no complaints. The cotton bolls are made from semi-sweet chocolate, which was shaped by ladling melted chocolate into plastic Easter eggs. When it was hardened, the eggs were bent to remove the "bolls". The cotton was white cotton candy, which had to be special ordered from New Jersey. The shipping was actually more than the cost of the cotton candy! I tried to find white cotton candy locally, but was unsuccessful. (However, big kudos to The Corn Popper of Tulsa for trying and for giving me what they made for free!)

The others are mostly self-explanatory:

My mother played marbles as a child and was pretty good at the game;

Dominoes were a staple game in her family and she still loves Moon and regular dominoes.

My mother played basketball in high school - back when girls still played 6-on-6 half-court ball and could only dribble the ball one time before passing it - and she was quite good.

My mother loves music in most forms and has always had a lovely singing voice. She has played the organ for her church for over 50 years and often sang at church and home.

Now for the obscure frying pan - it's not for the reason you may think. While my mother is a very good cook, it has nothing to do with cooking, but is a reference to music (sort of). When my mother was young, her father would entertain his children by making up rhymes about each one and singing them to the kids, along with "Eefin' & Oofin'" or skat. My mother's rhyme was:

"I know a little girl,

Her name is Joan,

She washed her feet

in the frying pan!"

All of the kids thought this was very funny, as did Granddaddy and Grandmother. I can still remember hearing him sing it to my sisters and me when we were small.

So there you have it - my mother's life, on a very small scale, in cupcakes.

: )

Baby Steps

2009-12-23T02:10:00.000-06:00

These were for my supervisor's baby shower. I used the medium-sized Wilton paisley-shaped pan and carved the edges to make the cakes appear more foot-shaped. I forgot to line the cake boards with foil wrap and regretted it very quickly. The cake on the left was chocolate with liquid fudge filling and the one on the right was white with raspberry vanilla filling. Both cakes were iced in buttercream frosting. The footprints were made using frozen buttercream transfers. It was my first time using this technique and it was pretty simple, probably because there was only one color. But I thought the cakes turned out pretty cute.

Happy Feet

2009-12-22T02:06:00.000-06:00

I think this cake looks much worse from this angle. It really wasn't lopsided or out-of-square, but it certainly looks very "wrecky" here. (Thank goodness I am not a professional who turned out a cake like this one.) This was for a baby shower at work. The bottom layer was half-white and half-chocolate and the top layer was yellow. Both layers were torted and filled with a chocolate fudge filling. The frosting was a chocolate butter cream and the baby feet were made of white fondant. Due to a time crunch, the fondant was sprayed with a food-safe dye to get the proper color. The lettering and edging were "frosting in a can", not my first choice - ever - but again, due to a time crunch I worked with what I could get. The cake tasted much better than it looked.

Chocolate Sinful Surprise

2009-12-14T02:12:00.000-06:00

I named these cupcakes "Chocolate Sinful Surprise", as each chocolate cupcake had a small Rolo (chocolate & caramel) or Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in the middle. The frosting was chocolate buttercream made with Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa and they were dusted with the Special Dark Cocoa powder. You can't tell here, but oddly enough, the cocoa powder looks green up close...

There was no story behind these cupcakes, other than a friend at work gave me the box of Special Dark Cocoa and I wanted to try it.

It's my Birthday! :D

2009-12-06T01:14:00.000-06:00

Okay, today isn't really my birthday, tomorrow is (December 7th). I am a Pearl Harbor Day baby. The nurse wanted my mother to name me Pearl. Thank goodness my mother refused. (No offense to any "Pearls" out there.)

One of my goals for the past 17 years has been to get my husband to remember when my birthday is. He knows it's on Pearl Harbor Day, but he cannot remember when that is. Never mind that every media outlet around floods the air waves with reminders every year...

And this pie wasn't baked for my birthday, but for Christmas last year (obviously, from the date). It is a coconut cream pie with meringue. I used a recipe I found in one of my mother's old cookbooks back when I was in high school (many years ago). In fact, the book was so old then that the front and back covers were gone and I have no idea what it was called. I'm sure she still has it, though. I have made the pie numerous times and the only change I have ever made to it was to add more coconut to the filling. I love lots of coconut in there. :) The meringue is true egg white meringue, not the meringue you can make using Meringue Powder, although that works well, too. I like this recipe for meringue because the pie doesn't weep as much as some others I have seen.

This pie dish is one of my favorites, mostly because the unique heart shape lets everyone know that this is not a store-bought pie.

A Christmas Story

2009-12-01T01:21:00.000-06:00

These are "A Christmas Story" sugar cookies. They were made with Fun Dough, a set of four tubs of colored cookie dough in red, green, blue, and yellow. The dough was purchased through a school fundraiser and was very tasty. The cookie cutters were in the shapes of a house, a star, a roasted turkey, Ralphie in his pink bunny suit, and the infamous "major award" - the leg lamp. The cutters only came in the deluxe boxed DVD set, but were worth the extra cost. Everyone loved these.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T00:48:00.000-06:00

This is a sweet potato pie I made a couple of years ago using Albert G's recipe, which I found in the Tulsa World many years ago. The edge and the shapes on top were cut out using plunger pie-crust cutters (small cookie cutters) from Williams-Sonoma. The pies made from this recipe have a smooth, rich flavor and melt in your mouth.

Last year I made a similar pie, but didn't decorate it. Hence, no photo of it. This year we visited relatives and I took flavored popcorns from The Corn Popper in Tulsa. No muss, no fuss. :D

Pistachio Almond Fudge cupcakes

2009-11-22T01:48:00.000-06:00

(NOTE: This blog has been slightly modified for inclusion at www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com. Yes, I entered it last week, but it wasn't a contest then and I still think this is my best dessert photo. Sorry if you are seeing it a second time.)

These were made for my mother's 80th birthday party and were an homage to my favorite Baskin Robbins ice cream flavor, which is now defunct. I wish they would bring the flavor back, but since it's been over 20 years, they probably won't.

The cupcakes were triple chocolate fudge with homemade pistachio almond frosting. The cupcake batter was from a Duncan Hines Specialty mix. The frosting was homemade and extremely tedious to make. Magic Shell Chocolate Fudge ice cream topping was drizzled over them and a speckled jewel-tone chocolate almond was pressed into the top of each one. The Magic Shell didn't harden like it does with cold foods, so I popped the cupcakes into the refrigerator for a few minutes. This worked initially, but when the cupcakes warmed to room temperature, the Magic Shell liquefied again. It stayed a bit thick, though, so it turned out fine.

I found the recipe for the pistachio frosting on the "How to Eat a Cupcake" blog about spumoni cupcakes. I modified it by grinding roasted almonds along with the pistachios. I used about twice as many pistachios as almonds. The pistachio almond frosting took over eight hours to make by itself and consisted of shelling, soaking, roasting, and grinding the nuts before making them into a paste. It was so time consuming, that unless I can find some pistachio paste for sale, I won't make these again. But I must say they tasted wonderful!

"Bite Me" Cupcakes

2009-11-17T22:14:00.000-06:00

These cupcakes were for Halloween at the office, although I didn't bring them to the office until the following Monday. They were basic white cupcakes with fluffy pale white frosting. Two holes were made in the baked cupcakes by using the end of a wooden spoon, although a straw would probably have worked, as well. The cupcakes were frosted after the holes were made. I inserted toothpicks into the holes so that I would remember where they were, then I used the toothpicks to open the holes back up. Raspberry Dessert Gel (from the refrigerated section at the grocery store) was used to fill the holes, allowing the gel to ooze out the top for a gorey "vampire bite" look to each cupcake. The raspberry filling was seedless and added a good flavor to the vanilla cupcakes.

Happy "B" cupcakes

2009-11-17T01:58:00.000-06:00

These little bee cupcakes were in honor of my office, Tulsa County 72B, affectionately known at "The B" to staff there. I transferred to this office just a couple of months before baking these and I don't really recall exactly why I made them, other than to share with co-workers. There were chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and cream cheese icing. The flower centers were Oreo cookies. The bees were lemon drops and the wings were made out of white Airheads candy or different types of stick gum. However, I found that there are not very many white or beige stick gums anymore, so some of the wings were yellow. The faces and stripes of the bees were black food gel and were drawn on with a toothpick.

The Only Difference between Men and Boys...

2009-11-15T00:41:00.000-06:00

This was the cake for my husband's first ever birthday party. I was running short on time, so I bought the sheet cake and had them add edible images from his childhood and recent years to the cake. They also wrote the phrase and did the border. The cake was half chocolate and half white. I wasn't completely thrilled with the bakery's job, as the writing was slanted, but after I added the embellishments, I thought it looked pretty good. I made the poker chips, golf tees, golf ball, and dollar bills out of fondant. I added foil-wrapped chocolate coins and full-sized chocolate cigars. The cigars had "It's a Boy!" labels, so I removed those and added real cigar labels that I had saved from my husband's smoking room. (The chocolate cigars had cellophane under the wrappers, so changing the labels didn't require that I touch the chocolate. They were still pristine.)

The party was at one of the cigar shops my husband frequents. We had sandwiches, chips, pretzels, dips, and this cake. It was a surprise party, but he was a bit suspicious. All went well, though, and he and his friends had a good time. :)

Blue Velvet Cupcakes

2009-11-14T02:35:00.000-06:00

These cupcakes were made for the birthday of a little boy on my caseload. He was in the hospital, so I took one to him and shared the rest with my co-workers. The cupcakes were moist and had a very creamy vanilla flavor, with just a slight hint of bubblegum. The frosting was basic decorator's frosting tinted with Wilton gel food coloring. The glitter sprinkles are from Wilton, as well. They are the size and shape of jimmies, but are really small sugar bars.