I think this is a fun video. It was done in one take - pretty amazing!
Here's one for dog lovers:
And then this is one made by two Irish Step dancers who show they've got it, even when they are not on their feet:
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Ethan's Eagle Project Progress Update
Last weekend Ethan was lucky to have good weather. It was cold and a bit windy, but good enough that many people showed up for the next stage of building the pergola.
At this point the holes for the concrete had been dug and filled. Each of the concrete sections had a brace to hold the wood pillars. The boys began by prepping the work site.
Beams went up slowly. Keeping them stable until the entire structure was built was a challenge. Leading and managing the volunteers was a challenge. Ethan wanted to be in there doing the work, too. However, one of the main goals of the Eagle project is to learn how to manage a group of people, which is tougher than it sounds.
There was a lot of measuring and remeasuring to make sure everything was correct before the big pillars were cut.
They also needed to be leveled in several directions and secured so that they did not move.
During the week, some of the kids from school wanted to help with the stuff that needed to be finished up. Here, Ethan works with T. moving the pillar about 2" over. T. is one tough little dude.
The volunteers also made sure that the work site looked good before they closed up for the afternoon.
The end of phase one will be done very soon - it is all very exciting!
At this point the holes for the concrete had been dug and filled. Each of the concrete sections had a brace to hold the wood pillars. The boys began by prepping the work site.
Beams went up slowly. Keeping them stable until the entire structure was built was a challenge. Leading and managing the volunteers was a challenge. Ethan wanted to be in there doing the work, too. However, one of the main goals of the Eagle project is to learn how to manage a group of people, which is tougher than it sounds.
There was a lot of measuring and remeasuring to make sure everything was correct before the big pillars were cut.
They also needed to be leveled in several directions and secured so that they did not move.
During the week, some of the kids from school wanted to help with the stuff that needed to be finished up. Here, Ethan works with T. moving the pillar about 2" over. T. is one tough little dude.
The volunteers also made sure that the work site looked good before they closed up for the afternoon.The end of phase one will be done very soon - it is all very exciting!
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Getting Ready for a Party - Recipes Galore & Decoration Inspiration
It has been so warm here that it does not feel like Christmas, yet. But, I've found some decorating inspiration online. Here, I'd like to share a few of them with you:
From: Blessing From Our Nest blog
From: Ideal Home
from: Nell's Hill
Advent Display by Stephanie Lynn Blog
We had so much fun Wendy, David, Caroline and Laura last weekend that we have decided to have them over this weekend. I'm trying to put together a really fun party. I love planning and executing this kind of thing. (Some day, after I retire from teaching, I'd love to run a Bed and Breakfast. I'd have a wonderful excuse to do things like this more often.)
We'll start with some appetizers, have my zucchinni and cheese soup for the first course, then cheese fondue and a Moroccan inspired salad for the next two courses and some sort of decedent dessert. Here are the new recipes that have caught my eye:
Moroccan Quinoa Salad
from Green Kitchen Stories
Serves 4
If you don’t feel like marinating the zucchini and eggplant yourself you can find ready-made at most supermarkets (but nothing beats homemade).
1 zucchini, cut in thin slices
1 eggplant , cut in thin slices
olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
1 1/2 cup quinoa
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 lemon
1/2 cup almonds
2 bunches mint leaves
1 bunch cilantro/coriander
3 tbsp raisins
2 avocados, cut into 1 inch squares
4 small spring onions, chopped
1 cup almonds, divided in half, roasted and salted
Start by making the marinated vegetables. Spread out the zucchini and eggplant slices on a bbq, in a grill pan or in the oven, a couple of minutes on each side. Put them in a bowl, drizzle olive oil, garlic and salt over them and set aside.
Cook the quinoa according to the package but add two tbsp cinnamon in the water. When it’s done cooking, rinse and set aside to cool off. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon and add five tbsp of olive oil into the quinoa. Chop half of the mint leaves, half of the cilantro and all the raisins, throw them in the quinoa and toss it around until everything is mixed. Serve in bowls together with the marinated vegetables, avocado, spring onions, the rest of the mint and cilantro and the roasted almonds.
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Quinoa and Pomegranate Salad
via OOh, Look blog
serves 3-4
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups reduced salt chicken stock
50g baby spinach leaves, shredded
1/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1/2 pomegranate, seeds extracted
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Dressing
4 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tblsp red wine vinegar
1 tblsp pomegranate molasses
salt and pepper
Method
1. To cook the quinoa: rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve, drain, then place in a medium saucepan with the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until the quinoa is soft and the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
2. For the dressing: Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a jug or bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. To assemble the salad: Fluff up the quinoa with a fork, then combine with the spinach, craisins and pomegranate seeds. Pour over the dressing and toss through. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve.
Read more: http://ooh-look.blogspot.com/2010/11/quinoa-pomegranate-salad-and-whack-pom.html#ixzz17lwjRPag
Salted Caramel Bars
via What's Gaby Cooking? blog
Ingredients
Shortbread:
10 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk, whisked
1 2/3 cups AP flour
Caramel Topping:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
12 tbsp light corn syrup
2 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Sea salt flakes
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9-by-9-inch pan with parchment paper with the edges of the parchment hanging over the sides. This will make removing the bars easier.
In a large bowl combine the melted butter, sugar and salt with a fork. Add the yolk and combine with the fork. Add the flour and using your hands, combine the dough until its flaky. Transfer the dough into the parchment lined pan and press down with your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup. Refrigerate this for 30 minutes. Once chilled, bake for 27 minutes until lightly browned.
Once baked, remove and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, in a pot combine the topping ingredients; butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, sugar and cream. Bring to a boil and make sure all the sugar is dissolved. Stir for about 5-10 minutes until its thick and bubbly. If you have a candy thermometer – the caramel should be about 230 degrees. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract and pour on top of the shortbread.
Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Then sprinkle with the sea salt flakes and serve!
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Snowman Shooters
via Babble blog
* 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
* 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
* 1 pint of vanilla ice cream
* 1 Small & 1medium ice cream scoops
* 8-12 Mini chocolate chips (or peppercorns)
* 4-6 Small pieces of carrots, cut into tiny spears
In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, place the chocolate squares and microwave them for 35-40 seconds, just enough to soften. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the chocolate, then return to the microwave for 50-60 seconds. Remove and stir until the chocolate is fully melted and a thick hot fudge sauce forms.
Spoon hot fudge sauce into the bottom of 4-5 small shooter glasses. Using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, scoop some of the vanilla ice cream into a rounded ball and plop it carefully on top of the hot fudge sauce. Use the small sized scoop to do the same, placing the second scoop on top of the first one to create the snowman’s head.
Gently press the carrot nose & chocolate chip eyes into the snowman’s head. Return to the freezer and allow to freeze until ready to serve (to ensure your shot glasses don’t freeze & crack, I recommend making these just about 1 hour ahead of time).
-----------
Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Cookies
via Becky Bakes blog
Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Cookies
3 cups flour
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (I omitted)
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Semi-sweet or dark chocolate disks (I used Trader Joe’s chocolate callets)*
Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl.
Using a mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Immediately press a callet into the center of each cookie. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.
---------------
Lia's Toffee Bar
via Pioneer Woman
Ingredients
* 16 ounces, weight Butter, Melted
* 16 ounces, weight Granulated Sugar
* 3 ounces, fluid Water
* 1 teaspoon Salt
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
* 16 ounces, weight Chopped Topping: Toasted Nuts, Candy Canes, Sea Salt, Etc.
* 24 ounces, weight Tempered Dark Chocolate For Coating, Melted
Preparation Instructions
*Necessary Equipment: Candy Thermometer*
Combine butter, sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Cook over moderate heat, stirring gently, until candy thermometer registers 298 degrees.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla until well combined.
Pour the mixture onto a silicone baking mat or good parchment paper. Use a heatproof rubber spatula or offset spatula to spread quickly before the toffee sets. Spread thin.
Allow toffee to cool completely. Blot to remove excess oil from the surface. Coat surface with half of the melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle with topping.
When chocolate has totally set, carefully flip over (it’s okay if it falls apart a bit) and coat other side with the rest of the chocolate. Sprinkle on topping.
Allow to set, then break into bite-size pieces.
Store in an airtight container.
-----------
I also really enjoyed the "Glee" Christmas story. This was one of my favorite scenes -
And then, I love it when I find wonderful stop-motion
MINI PLANNERS from Moleskine ® on Vimeo.
Bikers and Western Dancing
It has been unseasonably warm around here. It is kind of weird. It makes me forget that it is Christmas season. On Sunday morning, on my way to a cooking demonstration at the William-Sonoma store in Cherry Creek, I came upon a convoy of bikers on their way to the Toys for Tots run. The lead guy, big, burly and leather clad, had a giant Rudolph strapped to the front of his bike, leading the way. Behind him were a band of noisy, jovial, gift totting buddies. One bike carried a man, a wife and a GIANT bag of toys. Others strapped on teddy bears like toddlers onto their seats. One man, a very large fellow, carried a group of dolls whose permanently cheerful hair waved in the wind. It was a wonderful way to start the day and remind me that the season is here.
That evening Ellie and Christy went to cotillion for a Western "Sock Hop" with their extra socks that will be gifted to people at the Interfaith Rescue Mission. We were able to provide a nice number of band new socks of many kinds. The girls had a fun time learning some line dances and have a more informal time at cotillion than usual. The sixth grade class joined their 7th/8th grade class.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Dinner with Friends and a Technical Takes Her Out!
When I am watching Ellie race and I see people who are usually behind her go by without my seeing her, my heart begins to worry. My eyes scan the course for a crash and I begin to notice who else might be missing.
This pastSaturday was the Colorado State Cyclocross 2010 Championship race and that happened near the end of the race. Ellie had prepped for it, gotten a good start, but then crashed in the second (of three) laps. It broke her shifter and locked up her front wheel. She had to walk back to the start of the course with her bike on her back. It was a long, slow and most likely lonely mile or so back to where the cheering crowds were. She ended up with a DNF (Did Not Finish) and earned no points. She was bummed, but handled it with grace.
We had the most delightful dinner with some friends last night. I thought we were going over to have a simple meal and decorate the great wooden snowflakes that Wendy and I recently purchased. When we arrived, we found that it was something much more in-depth and exciting.
Wendy set two lovely tables, each with their own theme. She wanted to honor the kids and the adults alike.
Inspired by Ethan's recent hunting trip, David made a few recipes from The Sacajawea Cookbook by T. Evenson, L Lesmeiste and T Everson. We started out with a lot of chatting and soon began eating. David made a mushroom pate' that Ellie really enjoyed. (I have included the recipe for that one below.) David also made a great salad with an oil and vinegar dressing. This was pared with the wine we brought to the party. Next up was a Venison stew (that actually had buffalo meat since they could not find venison in the store) that everyone loved. We were really touched that they went out of their way to try new recipes and honor Ethan's recent new adventures.
The kids seemed to have conversations that were just as animated as the one at the adult table. Ethan handled the needs and interests of three very different girls with ease and grace. What a boy. :)
Part way into the main meal David upcorked an old and wonderful wine. It was much smoother than most of the wines I have had. He had Wendy pull out the decanter and a flashlight so that we could see what he was doing. He swirled the wine until it was well aerated.
We finished up the lovely meal with chocolate fondue. You had your choice of strawberries, green apples, bananas or pund cake for dipping. ait was luscious. Most of us ended up wearing some it.
During all of the chatting we did at least look at and admire the basecoat painting of their snowflakes. I was inspired and began to rethink my plan. Laura had each one painted a different shade of blue. Wendy had been inspired by nature. She had many colors including a nice, dark teal blue and an intensely purple one. Caroline made my favorite ones. With her usual child infues enthusiasm and carefree attitude, she let colors mix and mingle. She made one that look a bit like tye-dye and another looked like it was made of heavy water coloring paper. (I wish I had taken photos of them to share.) I think they are wonderful just the way they are. Mine are all white. I may have to rethink my plan.
Hazelnut Mushroom Pate'
2TBL Butter
2 Cloves of Garlic, roasted and minced
1 1/2 cup Fresh Mushrooms, diced
1 small Onion, diced
1 cup Hazel nuts, chopped
1 TBL Basil Pesto
1 TBL Soy Sauce
1TB Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper (To taste)
2 TBL Cream Cheese (softened)
Melt that butter and saute' the garlic, mushrooms and onions until the onion is translucent, but not browned. Transfer this to a food processor. Add in the hazel nuts, basil pesto, soy sauce, lemon juice and seasonings (to taste). Process until smooth. Add in the cream cheese and pulse until just incorporated. Serve with cracker or bagel chips.
Makes 2 cups
This pastSaturday was the Colorado State Cyclocross 2010 Championship race and that happened near the end of the race. Ellie had prepped for it, gotten a good start, but then crashed in the second (of three) laps. It broke her shifter and locked up her front wheel. She had to walk back to the start of the course with her bike on her back. It was a long, slow and most likely lonely mile or so back to where the cheering crowds were. She ended up with a DNF (Did Not Finish) and earned no points. She was bummed, but handled it with grace.
We had the most delightful dinner with some friends last night. I thought we were going over to have a simple meal and decorate the great wooden snowflakes that Wendy and I recently purchased. When we arrived, we found that it was something much more in-depth and exciting.
Wendy set two lovely tables, each with their own theme. She wanted to honor the kids and the adults alike.
Inspired by Ethan's recent hunting trip, David made a few recipes from The Sacajawea Cookbook by T. Evenson, L Lesmeiste and T Everson. We started out with a lot of chatting and soon began eating. David made a mushroom pate' that Ellie really enjoyed. (I have included the recipe for that one below.) David also made a great salad with an oil and vinegar dressing. This was pared with the wine we brought to the party. Next up was a Venison stew (that actually had buffalo meat since they could not find venison in the store) that everyone loved. We were really touched that they went out of their way to try new recipes and honor Ethan's recent new adventures.
The kids seemed to have conversations that were just as animated as the one at the adult table. Ethan handled the needs and interests of three very different girls with ease and grace. What a boy. :)
Part way into the main meal David upcorked an old and wonderful wine. It was much smoother than most of the wines I have had. He had Wendy pull out the decanter and a flashlight so that we could see what he was doing. He swirled the wine until it was well aerated.
We finished up the lovely meal with chocolate fondue. You had your choice of strawberries, green apples, bananas or pund cake for dipping. ait was luscious. Most of us ended up wearing some it.
During all of the chatting we did at least look at and admire the basecoat painting of their snowflakes. I was inspired and began to rethink my plan. Laura had each one painted a different shade of blue. Wendy had been inspired by nature. She had many colors including a nice, dark teal blue and an intensely purple one. Caroline made my favorite ones. With her usual child infues enthusiasm and carefree attitude, she let colors mix and mingle. She made one that look a bit like tye-dye and another looked like it was made of heavy water coloring paper. (I wish I had taken photos of them to share.) I think they are wonderful just the way they are. Mine are all white. I may have to rethink my plan.
Hazelnut Mushroom Pate'
2TBL Butter
2 Cloves of Garlic, roasted and minced
1 1/2 cup Fresh Mushrooms, diced
1 small Onion, diced
1 cup Hazel nuts, chopped
1 TBL Basil Pesto
1 TBL Soy Sauce
1TB Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper (To taste)
2 TBL Cream Cheese (softened)
Melt that butter and saute' the garlic, mushrooms and onions until the onion is translucent, but not browned. Transfer this to a food processor. Add in the hazel nuts, basil pesto, soy sauce, lemon juice and seasonings (to taste). Process until smooth. Add in the cream cheese and pulse until just incorporated. Serve with cracker or bagel chips.
Makes 2 cups
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Holiday Crafting Inspiration
I am finding Holiday inspiration in many places:
There are the handmade vintage style cardboard villages I found over at Twig and Thistle, by way of A Field Journal blog.
She as a link to make (or rather bleach and then redye) bottle brush trees at the Makin' Projiks blog.
That tutorial led me to check out the Flickr group where I found the magical images from the Oh Merci! blog.
Over at A Field Journal blog there is a link to resources for making such glittered villages. Imagine my surprise when I found that it was from the Posie Gets Cozy blog that I read every day.
Then, somewhere among my blog reading, one person posted about being inspired by the Christmas notebooks that some people are keeping. I must confess that I keep whole magazines and then put them out each year at the right time. I love to look over my many years of Martha Stewart magazine. These photos come from Molly Irwin's older post. I may have to make one, too.
On a completely different note there is an oh-so-cool-and-artsy "garland" project over at Chookooloonk's blog.
At SimplyRobin.com I discovered lovely, natural branch candles as well as branch chandeliers with tiny LED lights.
And there are more, but it is a work night and my son call's me to bed. He reminds me that I should not stay up so late - how's that for turn around.
There are the handmade vintage style cardboard villages I found over at Twig and Thistle, by way of A Field Journal blog.
She as a link to make (or rather bleach and then redye) bottle brush trees at the Makin' Projiks blog.
That tutorial led me to check out the Flickr group where I found the magical images from the Oh Merci! blog.
Over at A Field Journal blog there is a link to resources for making such glittered villages. Imagine my surprise when I found that it was from the Posie Gets Cozy blog that I read every day.
Then, somewhere among my blog reading, one person posted about being inspired by the Christmas notebooks that some people are keeping. I must confess that I keep whole magazines and then put them out each year at the right time. I love to look over my many years of Martha Stewart magazine. These photos come from Molly Irwin's older post. I may have to make one, too.
On a completely different note there is an oh-so-cool-and-artsy "garland" project over at Chookooloonk's blog.
At SimplyRobin.com I discovered lovely, natural branch candles as well as branch chandeliers with tiny LED lights.
And there are more, but it is a work night and my son call's me to bed. He reminds me that I should not stay up so late - how's that for turn around.
Giving Thanks and a Bit of Black Friday
It is amazing to me to realize that Thanksgiving was almost a week ago. The time whirls by so quickly!
A week ago my husband and kids had a half day at school. I had the entire, glorious day off and really enjoyed it.I had decided that I would use most of the same recipes from last year. I like trying out new stuff, but work related time demands and stress made that less appealing this year. I decided to only tweak a few things and call it good. I had my grocery shopping list made, had intended to go to the grocery store early, but puttered instead. What a luxury that was. After getting groceries I went to The Container store to pick up a few table decorations I spied a few days earlier. As I was walking to my car I noticed that a soft, gentle, calming snow had begun to float down. I had been inside long enough that the vehicles and trees had a slight dusting of snow and the Christmas lights had a special glow. It was a reminder that the Holiday season was upon up. It set such a nice mood up in my soul.
Later that evening Ellie helped me by baking two Nantucket Cranberry pies. I made stuffing, and tons of sides. Larr and Ethan set up the extra table and began gathering the various plates, glasses and silverware that we would use the next day.
We had a small group for Thanksgiving this year. Grandpa Don taught Ethan how to carve the turkey.
Mark and Lilia came along. Lilia made a crab appetizer and a lovely White Cranberry Spritzer that was a great hit (recipe below). Grandma Gay brought over green beans and lots of goodies for appetizers. Aunt Kathy brought along a cherry pie and an Almond Chocolate Tart (recipe below, too) that my mom loved. She even asked for the recipe, which is rare for her.
We had a quiet evening after our guests left. Ellie and I perused the Black Friday ads. I kept an eye out for deals on the IPod Touch 4g. The best deal I found was at Target where they had them for $220 with #0 in Target gift cards. Ellie decided that she wanted to go to Black Friday. She remarked, "I don't know why I didn't go [Black Friday shopping] with you and Ethan last year. I guess I was still a tomboy and did not care." Ethan thought about going with us, but was lulled into a deep sleep once he went to bed. I had a feeling that Target would only be selling a few of those IPod Touches at that incredible price so I continued to search after the girl went to bed. In the end I found one for $199 with free shipping. I decided to go for it and reduce my anxiety over getting a great deal.
The next morning 3:15 a.m. came early, but an excited Ellie was ready to go quickly and we were in line by 3:30. Target hired 5 police and security officers to make sure that the line was civil. It snaked around the front and side of the building and continued along the fence of the nearby post office. The people at the very front of the line had been there since 11:00 Thursday night. They were after a half price giant HD television. Once in the store I sent Ellie to zip through the crowd to the Electronics department, but she forgot which Target she was in and made it there at the same time I did. By then the two specially priced IPod Touch 4g.s were already sold and paid for. We spent a while looking around and picking out a few movies that were on sale for $2-$3, instead of $13-$15. Everyone was pretty civil. I think Ellie had hoped for more drama.
We left Target and went to Radio Shack. The guy there was late so we headed over to check out the wild times at Walmart. The woman ahead of us in line had been there at midnight. She said it was crazy. We wanted to see it for ourselves. Sure enough, it was still a madhouse. People stood, looking forlorn, in front of empty wooden pallets that had surely held some desired treasure just a short time earlier. Some of them looked like they thought they could make the good materialize if they simply showed enough desire or distress. The Electronics department was the very essence of Black Friday madness. There were people with carts and crumbled lists moving in packs, like wild dogs. One young woman with an obscene mouth waded through the crowds ranting and berating them. I was a little amazed that someone did not reach out and clock her. At each of the price checking stations there were piles of discarded goods. We spied a pair of women who had clearly taken part of the "Take as Many as Possible and Decide if You Want It Later" group. They started out with huge pile of movies and games, walking away with just two of them. Even with every register open and running at top speed, the check out lines ran the length of the store and then some. Ah, The People of Walmart were in fine fashion that day. We were glad to step over piles of stuff and exit without any bags in hand. We thought about going out for breakfast, but I did not feel like sitting and waiting so we headed over to Sam's club to grab some milk, eggs and the like. They were handing out a nice breakfast that we enjoyed together. We were back home by 9:30 and it felt like an entire day had passed. I took a short nap and I think Ellie did, too.
White Cranberry Spritzervia Cooking Light magazine, December 2010
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: about 2/3 cup)
2 3/4 cups white cranberry juice drink (such as Ocean Spray)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
12 mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 cups club soda, chilled
1 1/2 cups white rum (This was substituted with more club soda)
Crushed ice
Preparation
1. Combine cranberry juice, sugar, rosemary, and 12 mint leaves in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Strain juice mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Stir in lime juice; cover and refrigerate.
2. Combine juice mixture, club soda, and rum in a large pitcher; stir well to combine. Serve mixture over crushed ice. Serve immediately.
CHOCOLATE ALMOND SHORTBREAD TART
via Aunt Kathy
1/2 c. SLIVERED ALMONDS + ENOUGH TO SPRINKLE ON TOP (1/4 c.?), toasted (4 min. at 350 deg.)
10 OZ. SHORTBREAD COOKIES (LORNA DOONE OR SANDIES) to yield 1 1/4 C.
Crumbs
2 T. SUGAR
¼ c. BUTTER, MELTED
1 ½ c. HEAVY CREAM
12 OZ. SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE (BAKING, NOT CHOC. CHIPS), CUT INTO SMALL PIECES
¾ t. INSTANT ESPRESSO OR COFFEE (I forgot to add)
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 375.
Reserve almonds for topping, & transfer remaining almonds to food processor; process until minced. Add cookies & sugar; process until mixture finely ground. Drizzle in butter; pulse until just incorporated (or mix butter into cookie mixture with spatula).
Transfer mixture to 9” (what I used) or 11” tart pan with removable bottom; tamp crumbs into pan bottom & up sides. Bake about 10 min.
Meanwhile, place cream, chocolate & espresso in 1 ½ quart microwaveable bow; microwave on high until cream is hot & chocolate has mostly melted, about 3 min.
Whisk until chocolate mixture is smooth.
Pour into shell & refrigerate until firm for up to a day ahead. No more than 2 hrs. before serving, bring tart to room temp. Sprinkle with remaining almonds & serve.
Serves 12-16.
A week ago my husband and kids had a half day at school. I had the entire, glorious day off and really enjoyed it.I had decided that I would use most of the same recipes from last year. I like trying out new stuff, but work related time demands and stress made that less appealing this year. I decided to only tweak a few things and call it good. I had my grocery shopping list made, had intended to go to the grocery store early, but puttered instead. What a luxury that was. After getting groceries I went to The Container store to pick up a few table decorations I spied a few days earlier. As I was walking to my car I noticed that a soft, gentle, calming snow had begun to float down. I had been inside long enough that the vehicles and trees had a slight dusting of snow and the Christmas lights had a special glow. It was a reminder that the Holiday season was upon up. It set such a nice mood up in my soul.
Later that evening Ellie helped me by baking two Nantucket Cranberry pies. I made stuffing, and tons of sides. Larr and Ethan set up the extra table and began gathering the various plates, glasses and silverware that we would use the next day.
We had a small group for Thanksgiving this year. Grandpa Don taught Ethan how to carve the turkey.
Mark and Lilia came along. Lilia made a crab appetizer and a lovely White Cranberry Spritzer that was a great hit (recipe below). Grandma Gay brought over green beans and lots of goodies for appetizers. Aunt Kathy brought along a cherry pie and an Almond Chocolate Tart (recipe below, too) that my mom loved. She even asked for the recipe, which is rare for her.
We had a quiet evening after our guests left. Ellie and I perused the Black Friday ads. I kept an eye out for deals on the IPod Touch 4g. The best deal I found was at Target where they had them for $220 with #0 in Target gift cards. Ellie decided that she wanted to go to Black Friday. She remarked, "I don't know why I didn't go [Black Friday shopping] with you and Ethan last year. I guess I was still a tomboy and did not care." Ethan thought about going with us, but was lulled into a deep sleep once he went to bed. I had a feeling that Target would only be selling a few of those IPod Touches at that incredible price so I continued to search after the girl went to bed. In the end I found one for $199 with free shipping. I decided to go for it and reduce my anxiety over getting a great deal.
The next morning 3:15 a.m. came early, but an excited Ellie was ready to go quickly and we were in line by 3:30. Target hired 5 police and security officers to make sure that the line was civil. It snaked around the front and side of the building and continued along the fence of the nearby post office. The people at the very front of the line had been there since 11:00 Thursday night. They were after a half price giant HD television. Once in the store I sent Ellie to zip through the crowd to the Electronics department, but she forgot which Target she was in and made it there at the same time I did. By then the two specially priced IPod Touch 4g.s were already sold and paid for. We spent a while looking around and picking out a few movies that were on sale for $2-$3, instead of $13-$15. Everyone was pretty civil. I think Ellie had hoped for more drama.
We left Target and went to Radio Shack. The guy there was late so we headed over to check out the wild times at Walmart. The woman ahead of us in line had been there at midnight. She said it was crazy. We wanted to see it for ourselves. Sure enough, it was still a madhouse. People stood, looking forlorn, in front of empty wooden pallets that had surely held some desired treasure just a short time earlier. Some of them looked like they thought they could make the good materialize if they simply showed enough desire or distress. The Electronics department was the very essence of Black Friday madness. There were people with carts and crumbled lists moving in packs, like wild dogs. One young woman with an obscene mouth waded through the crowds ranting and berating them. I was a little amazed that someone did not reach out and clock her. At each of the price checking stations there were piles of discarded goods. We spied a pair of women who had clearly taken part of the "Take as Many as Possible and Decide if You Want It Later" group. They started out with huge pile of movies and games, walking away with just two of them. Even with every register open and running at top speed, the check out lines ran the length of the store and then some. Ah, The People of Walmart were in fine fashion that day. We were glad to step over piles of stuff and exit without any bags in hand. We thought about going out for breakfast, but I did not feel like sitting and waiting so we headed over to Sam's club to grab some milk, eggs and the like. They were handing out a nice breakfast that we enjoyed together. We were back home by 9:30 and it felt like an entire day had passed. I took a short nap and I think Ellie did, too.
White Cranberry Spritzervia Cooking Light magazine, December 2010
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: about 2/3 cup)
2 3/4 cups white cranberry juice drink (such as Ocean Spray)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
12 mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 cups club soda, chilled
1 1/2 cups white rum (This was substituted with more club soda)
Crushed ice
Preparation
1. Combine cranberry juice, sugar, rosemary, and 12 mint leaves in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Strain juice mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Stir in lime juice; cover and refrigerate.
2. Combine juice mixture, club soda, and rum in a large pitcher; stir well to combine. Serve mixture over crushed ice. Serve immediately.
CHOCOLATE ALMOND SHORTBREAD TART
via Aunt Kathy
1/2 c. SLIVERED ALMONDS + ENOUGH TO SPRINKLE ON TOP (1/4 c.?), toasted (4 min. at 350 deg.)
10 OZ. SHORTBREAD COOKIES (LORNA DOONE OR SANDIES) to yield 1 1/4 C.
Crumbs
2 T. SUGAR
¼ c. BUTTER, MELTED
1 ½ c. HEAVY CREAM
12 OZ. SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE (BAKING, NOT CHOC. CHIPS), CUT INTO SMALL PIECES
¾ t. INSTANT ESPRESSO OR COFFEE (I forgot to add)
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 375.
Reserve almonds for topping, & transfer remaining almonds to food processor; process until minced. Add cookies & sugar; process until mixture finely ground. Drizzle in butter; pulse until just incorporated (or mix butter into cookie mixture with spatula).
Transfer mixture to 9” (what I used) or 11” tart pan with removable bottom; tamp crumbs into pan bottom & up sides. Bake about 10 min.
Meanwhile, place cream, chocolate & espresso in 1 ½ quart microwaveable bow; microwave on high until cream is hot & chocolate has mostly melted, about 3 min.
Whisk until chocolate mixture is smooth.
Pour into shell & refrigerate until firm for up to a day ahead. No more than 2 hrs. before serving, bring tart to room temp. Sprinkle with remaining almonds & serve.
Serves 12-16.
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