Homesick for Ohio

I’ve been inside today quilting a tabletopper for my daughter’s orchestra benefit concert silent auction. It’s perfect day for it: Fall weather with sloppy rain and a pretty good breeze. I enjoy the crab apple and red maples shimmering red foliage through the window. It makes me want to go home. I suppose everyone has a time of year which beckons them to their childhood haunts. For me, Fall seems to whisper that I’ve been too long away from my hometown of Toledo, Ohio.

Long about the end of October, I get an itch to start gathering acorns and Buckeye nuts. Every fall there was a contest in my neighborhood to see how many buckeyes could be collected. Buckeye nuts are pretty much inedible; even the squirrels reject them. They are the most beautiful dark, warm shade of shiny brown with a light brown spot which imitates a deer’s eye. A member of the horse chestnut family, the nuts are encased in a thorny husk which must be crushed open to extract them.

If you were lucky enough to have a Buckeye tree in your yard, you were an automatic kid magnet. Droves of children would descend on your yard and grab as many nuts as possible leaving the thorny husks, leaves and stems behind for you to clean up. Lucky, I say! At some point, when the entire neighborhood had been denuded of the buckeye harvest, it was time to count them up. Black plastic yard bags full of nuts would be most accurately counted and a winner proclaimed.

Fortunately, my adopted town of Boise, is home to a few of these trees as well as Burr Oaks which have fabulously furry big acorns. My children used to think I am a bit of a nut myself for going out and picking up these fallen gems; it won’t do until I have a big bowl of them. But, just this weekend, my son who is attending college in Logan, Utah, brought me home four precious buckeyes he picked up while walking across campus. That boy knows the way to his mother’s heart!

Maybe tomorrow is a good day to hunt leaves to press, collect acorns in all their varieties and smell the autumn air redolent with wet leaves, wood smoke, and apple sweetness. I think I may have to pick up some cider

There Will Come Soft Rains

I needed to walk today. There are more obvious reasons, such as missing many of my workouts this last week for a variety of impositions in my schedule.  But, there are always other things which weigh upon the mind.  Everyone has them: some things joyful, others more ponderous and stressful all wrapped up in their implications for our daily lives.

The day broke heavy with clouds and a drizzling rain. Motivation to get out of bed can be challenging on a day such as today, when your mattress wraps its arms around you and a book begs to be read.  I steeled myself against what appeared to be another wet and cold day.  It would be warmer and dryer to head to the gym, but I decided to bundle up in sweats and a hoodie and head for my typical 1.5 walk in the neighborhood. 

Spring comes to Boise earlier than to much of the rest of Idaho, still encased in snow and sub-freezing weather.  I often invite family and friends to visit so they can enjoy Spring twice.  As I set out, gusts of wind threaten my comfort. Clouds mist the mountains leaving powdered sugar on their peaks. Almost immediately, however, birdsong becomes apparent. Chickadees are joyfully ringing their message and flirting in their flight path, more fanciful than direct in their course. Quail, who I’d seen scurrying about in covies only a week or two before, are making their way in couples.

Everything seems more vibrant in the rain. Greens are more lush, flowers more radiant. Even the dribbling sound of rain in the sewer grates makes me feel like I am in a Japanese garden listening to a bamboo water fountain. The grass grows in unmowed tufts, which I secretly enjoy, despite my husbands need for a manicured lawn. Everything beckons to slow down and take it in.  I am reminded of one of my favorite poems by Sara Teasdale (1920):

There Will Come Soft Rains

There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;

And frogs in the pool singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white;

Robins will wear their feathery fire,
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;

And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.

Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,
If mankind perished utterly;

And Spring herself when she woke at dawn
Would scarcely know that we were gone.

I often think about the significance of Spring rain and its ability to wash away ugliness in the world, and replace it with such beauty and a sense of newness. In the same way our Savior, Jesus Christ, is able to cleanse us from the weariness and pain of our sins and vicissitudes. He can renew our spirits whether sullied by sin, war, tragedy, or the evil choices of others and replace it with peace, health, happiness and joy.

Yes, I needed to walk.

Why Not Everyone Should Own a Jack Russell Terrier

I was out in my backyard plantation this week inspecting beds for Spring growth when I was yet again reminded of the vicissitudinous joys and aggravations of owning my Jack Russell Terrier named Spot a.k.a. The Wonder Dog or Spoticus. As with many terrier breeds, you have to have a serious sense of humor, willingness to go the distance (15 years average), and interminable sense of being the Top dog. So here are a few wake up calls as well as brags:

1. If you think you are getting a cute little lap dog like Wishbone or Eddie…think again. Cute yes. Lap dog, not really. Those TV doggie personalities are highly trained and working for treats proffered by dog trainers off stage. Spot is 10 years old and only has time for lap time when he’s tired or it’s dark out. The rest of the time he is on an obsessive-compulsive patrol of the yard for vermin, namely squirrels and cats. In his mind, it is his responsibility, nay, his duty to eradicate the premises of anything with hair that isn’t a person or a dog. He is really quite a show as he checks every knot hole in the fence for possible threats to the Hansen abode.

2. If you want a dog to take out in the field for a game of ball, you had better consider a Lab. As a rule, unless highly trained with a shock collar and radar antenna, a Jack will be way more interested in squirrels, cats, birds, ducks, geese, mountain lions, other dogs, and cars. Jacks are “go to ground dogs” and were bred to tunnel in after fox, rats, badgers and the like. They will stay with their quarry until either it or its quarry dies of exhaustion or the owner digs it out. Many Jacks have been lost to such a situation. Therefore, they are strictly yard dogs.
3. Spot has nearly a 5 foot vertical. Yes that’s right. All 13 pounds of him can jump his head over our 5 foot fence. Luckily, he hasn’t figured out that if he could get his front paws over the top he’d be over and have instant squirrel gratification. This is pretty annoying to one of my neighbors who planted a screen on their side of the fence to avoid seeing Spot’s head continually popping over the fence. A pretty good stand of prickly Oregon grapes on our side hasn’t deterred him so far. This is a video of a Jack jumping: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmW3LDxPKk0
4. Unlike many terrier breeds, Jacks DO shed. Even the smooth coated Jacks shed little white, barbed (I swear), hairs that imbed and weave into all of your clothing and furniture. Solution: leather. Spot is a rough coated Jack like Fraser’s “Eddie”. He requires regular combing/brushing and hand stripping of his coat, i.e. high maintenance. Also allergies abound in terriers, so Spot eats a special trout and salmon Vet diet = expensive.
5. Prepare to landscape a la Canine. Dogs usually take the path of least resistance when it comes to traversing the landscape. Add a Jack’s obsessive-compulsive nature and you get muddy trails right through the middle of your lawn. Now, you could just cover the path with stone or sand, hoping they’ll keep to it or cut your flowerbeds perimeter larger, but they’ll just forge another path. Sigh.
6. Obedience is a relative term to a Jack. Like an eternal teenager pushing the boundaries, Jacks are just too smart to lie down and take it. Once you’ve asserted yourself as the pack leader, expect to have your authority challenged fairly regularly. Typically this isn’t a challenge with teeth behind it, but yes Spot, the garbage is still off limits like it was a month ago.
7. Yappy? Yup. Citronella spray bark collar is a necessary accoutrement to keep peace with the neighbors, and just barely at that.
8. Spot will do anything for treats. He will even perform extra tricks on his own if he thinks you’ll give him more treats. He has a repertoire of about 8 tricks, but could be taught more given something yummy. He learned these tricks in the space of about a week. You’ll probably never find a smarter dog.

Given all of these issues, why have a Jack? They are great company, continually entertaining, and just plain adorable. No squirrels sup at my birdfeeders. There's always something to laugh about. Only Jack owners know.

Apetizers- Will Old School Recipes Make Sense to a Younger Generation?

The game was heartwrenching! The quarterback, injured in the first drive of the game, was replaced with a very young freshman. The team played valiantly, making a comeback in the 3rd quarter, but ultimately lost the much sought after national title. Well maybe next year.

So, how did the new/old recipes fare? Well, that depends on your taste and point of view of course…

The starting lineup included: Braunschweiger Apetizers, Lou Gmitro’s Cheese Spread, Oyster Snack Crackers, and Chicken Wings. Could they stand up to the criticism of two college kids and a highly sensitive 14 year old feeling the pains of her hero quarterback? Would the EC (Eternal companion) slam the unfamiliar tastes down before they were even room temperature? What of the Boise local food critic a.k.a. BFF? Here’s the rundown:

Braunschweiger Apetizers (Page 2)

I was feeling all domestic while making this lovely paté and aspic creation until the reveal when my 21 year old daughter shamelessly and loudly (in ear shot of the sensitive 14 year-old with the undeveloped palate) proclaimed it as “meat jello” and vowed never to let such a thing touch her lips. Luckily, I anticipated such a reception. I actually like Braunschweiger since a child but decided to make a half recipe. Whew! Good call! The middle child did recant later to inform me that although this was very beneath her discriminating palate, it was artfully done. A backhanded compliment, but I’ll take it. Aspic creations are apparently passé to most 20-something and younger individuals.

I am not averse to aspic however, and I thought it quite good on freshly sliced, warmed French bread. If you like Braunschweiger, essentially pork liver pate, give it a spin, but beware of aspic where neophytes are concerned. This might be great for a 50’s or 60’s themed party. Here are a few hints: I used Campbell’s Beef consommé bringing it back to normal concentration with a can of water. Since cream cheese doesn’t come in 6 oz packages, you can increase to 8 oz if you don’t have a bagel to schmear the leftovers. One tablespoon of gelatin is a little less than two packets of Knox gelatin and you can probably through the rest in without any harm. Finally, an immersion blender or food processor makes blending the pate ingredients quick business.

Chicken Wings (Page 4)

This was a clear winner among the young and old. Easily made and appealing on a plate. Make sure to have lots of napkins around. Michael believes that all chicken wings should be deep-fried after consuming hundreds at Wingman while serving his LDS mission in the Denver area. Be that as it may, this disappeared quickly.

Lu Gmitro’s Cheese Spread (Page 8)

This measurement absent recipe is tasty if you enjoy a mild curry taste. Here are the adjustments: ¾ cup mayonnaise, ½ to 1 teaspoon curry powder, 2 scallions, 1 or 2 six-oz cans of tiny shrimp. I went with two cans because I like shrimp in every bite. Turn up the heat with a spicier curry.

Oyster Snack Crackers (Page 9)

These heavily dilled crackers were tasty, but making them was a revelation. Plain oyster crackers require oil to carry and keep the seasoning on them without causing them to go mushy. But one cup??!! I couldn’t quite buy off on so much oil so I used two packages of Oyster crackers. This worked well for the seasonings, but I still think you could use the two packages of crackers and cut back to ½ cup of oil. Hidden Valley doesn’t make Italian dressing mix any longer so I substituted Good Seasons Zesty Italian dry mix. You could probably use the ranch dressing mix satisfactorily as well. Cut out or down the amount dill weed if you aren’t a fan.

Grandma Helen's Cookbook

Grandma Helen Burton (Coon) Thomas left a cooking legacy contained in 161 pages of a cookbook she typed herself originally in 1960 and gave to her three children.  By the time a few decades went by, more recipes were included, some of which were contributed by children and grandchildren who also inherited Grandma’s knack for cooking. The new edition was distributed to the cousins and is a standby in their kitchens.

Helen was an amazing person: raised in the hometown of Uncle Sam (Troy, NY), real estate agent  extraordinaire in the Twin Cities, and world traveler among her many talents and pastimes. She loved to entertain, and collected cultural know-how, skills and recipes that have been blessing her progeny ever since.

 Because two of my siblings were born after the second edition was distributed and other books were misplaced, I scanned the cookbook onto a CD for them. As I did so, I realized there were many recipes that I’d never tried before. Many of the recipes are reminiscent of the war years when certain foodstuffs were rationed.  Others are celebrations of 50’s postwar culinary inventions. Some recipes have ingredients which are no longer available or are substantially different than they were originally created.

So friends and family, I have decided to begin a one year adventure in the spirit of the movie “Julie and Julia”.  Two or three times a week I will make recipes contained in the book until they’ve all been checked off, blogging my results afterward.  Many recipes will require some modernization and possibly substitution where ingredients are no longer available.  I pledge to be as faithful to the originals as possible with one caveat.  Where recipes contain coffee, tea or uncooked alcohol, I will be making substitutions or eliminate altogether due to my religious and personal health beliefs. I do keep a limited amount of wine for cooking, but the recipe will require heat or burning off such that the amount alcohol will be reduced to no more than vanilla extract.

 

The perfect event to kick off this journey begins tonight. The National Championship Bowl game will be running and friends and family will be coming to munch. A great opportunity to play with those Appetizer and Drinks recipes.

Grandma Helen was not as well known as Julia Child for her cooking prowess, but among her family, friends and acquaintances, she was an Iron Chef. Get your immersion blenders running, crack those books open and let’s get cooking!