I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Though she was never a Scrooge in any way about it, my Mother found herself a bit melancholy at times during the Christmas season. She had such fond memories of her Christmases growing up, until 1944.

That summer, with World War II in full swing, Mom and 3 girlfriends from Grove City, Ethel, Elaine and Dorothy, went to Washinton, D.C. to work as government girls. They made no plans to come back to Minnesota for the holidays that year since travel was nearly impossible those days. Mom and her friends were busy decorating their apartment with fresh holly and evergreen when a Western Union telegram arrived at their door with news that her mother had been hospitalized and could she please try to get home for the holidays. Their friend, Dick Daby, also from Grove City was a serviceman on leave with plans to head back to Minnesota on the 20th. He offered to escort Mom home. On the way to the train station, they stopped at Woolworth’s, bought an expensive wedding band and she posed as his wife, since Christmas week would be a difficult time for any unnecessary travel.

The miles clicked by and, despite the crowded, noisy, smoky train cars. Everyone seemed to be in a holiday mood, with laughter and singing all the way home, especially the old tune, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.”

When Mom and Dick disembarked in Minneapolis, the look on the faces that greeted her, her Dad, brother and sister, told the story. Her sister tried to break it gently but blurted out, “Mother died this morning.” Dick had learned the news in Chicago when they changed trains, but didn’t have the heart to tell her.

On the 27^th, the day of her Mother’s funeral, a box marked “Return to Sender” came for Mom in the mail. It was a big tin of homemade Christmas cookies her Mother had baked and sent to the Washington girls who wouldn’t be home for Christmas and would be in need of a taste of home that year.

It is 67 years ago today, December 22, that my Mother lost hers. But she always remembered the bulging cookie tins and passed those recipes on to me.

MOM’S FAVORITE CHRISTMAS COOKIE

1-1/4 cups shortening

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk (save white)

2 teaspoons cardamom

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 to 4 cups flour

Topping: Egg white, sugar, finely chopped walnuts

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs. Stir in spices and flour. Chill dough. Roll into small balls and then roll in sugar. Dip top of cookie in egg white, then into nuts, then into sugar again. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

SPRITZ

2 cups butter

1-3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

3 egg yolks

4 cups of flour (or 3/4 cup more if needed)

In a large mixing bowl, blend butter and sugar. Stir in all other ingredients. Knead in food coloring, if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 4 minutes. 

GRANDMA’S SUGAR COOKIES

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3-3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup whipping cream

Colored sugar or frosting and sprinkles

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and baking powder, alternating with cream. Cover bowl and chill 2 hours. Roll out dough on floured surface. Cut into shapes. Sprinkle with colored sugar if frosting is not desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. If cookies are to be frosted, cool first. 

LIFE LESSONS FROM THE BARNYARD

I’ve had a lot of pets in my life. I’m no stranger to living in a farm setting where even the family dog is around for only a dozen years or so. But losing Tucker recently, my ancient beloved Pygmy, a rescue goat, has left a big hole in my life. I didn’t realize how much I would miss him but, every day when I fed and petted him, he would nuzzle my hand and look up at me with a smile. No kidding, the whole bottom row of teeth were visible.

He was extra special because he was rescued from a life of torture, which caused him to have deformed back legs and one ear missing. Most likely no shelter in freezing weather took care of that, but no one seemed to be able to decide what ruined his hind feet.

Nevertheless, Cricket Meadow was his final home and prior to that, he was shuffled from 3 farm sites, that I know of. Never really appreciated. Here, even though he was low man on the rung in the goat pen, he was everyone’s favorite outside the fence. He was small and had fuzzy, salt and pepper hair. He had long curly horns and looked like a little elf with turned up shoes because his back hooves grew upward. No trimming would make them right. He limped badly, like a little old man and, of course a one-eared head is definitely a strange sight. He was clearly a cripple, handicapped and always shoved out of the queue at trough time.

A couple of weeks ago, he stopped eating and began losing weight. He would pretend to eat when he was being observed, but really, like an anorexic, just moved the food around his dish. A few days later, I called Doc Williams who dropped in to check on my little buddy. He took his temp and listened to his lungs and said there was no sign of pneumonia. He gave him a shot, an anti-inflammatory, and told me to keep an eye on him. Later, that evening, I looked in on him and he was walking around, seemingly better.

But the next morning, when I went to do the chores, I saw him stretched out on the floor of the shed, stiff, cold, eyes wide open. Later that day, my dear friend, Dave, came over to help me bury him behind the tool shed. The sight I will never forget, the most endearing thing of all, is that Rusty, the rescue rooster, nursed back to health himself under the tender care of the goats, was like a sentinel, standing guard over Tucker’s body until burial. I like to think that Rusty eased his passing by keeping vigil through the night. Friendship, a brotherhood. What lessons we can learn by just looking on the other side of the fence.

How does this segue into food? It doesn’t…I just had to tell the story. 

ANGEL WINGS (RUSTY’S)

1 cup cold butter, cubed

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sour cream

10 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 tablespoon cinnamon, divided

In a mixing bowl, cut butter into flour until mixture is coarse crumbs. Stir in sour cream. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead 6 to 8 times until mixture holds together. Shape into 4 balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. Unwrap one ball. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar on waxed paper; coat all sides of ball with sugar. Roll into a 12 by 5 inch rectangle between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Remove top sheet of waxed paper. Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon onto dough. Lightly mark a line with a knife down the center of the dough, making two 6 by 5 inch rectangles. Starting with a short side, roll up jelly-roll style to the center mark; peel waxed paper away while rolling. Repeat with the other short side. Wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze for 30 minutes.  Place remaining sugar on waxed paper. Unwrap one roll. Cut into 1/2 inch slices; dip each side in sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes. Turn cookies and bake 5 to 8 minutes longer. Cool on wire racks. Makes 3 dozen.

ELF SHOES

3 egg yolks

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1 to 1-1/4 cups flour

Oil for frying

Powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar together. Add cream and cardamom. Mix well. Gradually add flour until dough is firm enough to roll. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 15 inch square. Using a knife, cut into 15 by 1-1/2 inch strips. Cut diagonally at 2-1/2 inch intervals. In the center of each piece, cut a 1 inch slit. Pull one end of dough through slit. In an electric skillet, heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry each cookie, a few at a time, for 20 to 40 seconds, until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels and dust with powdered sugar. Makes 4 dozen.

FRIENDSHIP (FOR LIFE) BARS

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

 2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Chopped walnuts (optional)

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in flour. Pat into an ungreased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top of bars immediately after removing from the oven. Spread to frost when melted. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top if desired.

FREE RANGIN' THANKSGIVING

I’ve been around for a lot of Thanksgivings, over 50. It’s always been my favorite holiday. The food epitomizes comfort to me and, even though turkey is often on my menu, roasting a 20 pound bird usually isn’t. I remember countless delicious platters of the most juicy, flavorful meat on our Thanksgiving table. But then there was the year I decided it would be fun to try a farmyard –to- table turkey.

I found a farmer about 50 miles from here who raised free range fowl. I arranged for him to select and butcher the bird and I would pick it up the day before Thanksgiving. I was excited about the prospect of roasting and serving such a fresh catch. My first inkling of disaster should have been the prehistoric body proportions of this turkey. It had very little breast but extraordinarily long legs. Not much fat, either. I stuffed the body in my enormous roaster, letting the gangly legs hang over the edge. The I set out to roast the aberration. When it never seemed to get tender, I started to panic. It had reposed more than long enough in my perfectly calibrated oven. My brand new meat thermometer registered 185 degrees. I felt safe in proclaiming it done. I pulled it from the oven, let it sit in all its awkwardness for a few minutes as I sharpened the knife. Cutting was a chore and every man in the house was enlisted to give a hand. We finally resorted to an electric knife, and wondered for a minute about digging out the chainsaw.

Finally, slathered with drippings to moisten it, the meat found its way to our table. I was allowed some grace because, after all, it was a holiday. And we found other things to be thankful for (after I beat myself up for not have a plump Jennie-O or Butterball backup). Needless to say, the meat turned out to be like a chewing on a mouthful of rubber bands. We managed to laugh. And eat more pumpkin pie. And vow to keep the store bought turkeys a part of our lives. Forever.

 FARMSTYLE CROUTONS

1 loaf crusty bread, cubed

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground mustard

Place bread in a large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients. Drizzle over bread and toss to coat. Place in a single layer in an ungreased 15 by 10 inch pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or till golden brown, stirring occasionally. Cool.

SWEET POTATO ROLLS

1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons sugar

1 packet dry yeast

1/2 cup sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed (or 1/2 cup canned pumpkin)

2 eggs

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 to1-1/3 cups flour

In a large bowl, mix warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar and yeast packet. Let stand for 5 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in remaining sugar, sweet potato, eggs, butter and salt. Gradually stir in whole wheat flour and as much white flour as possible. Turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball. Cover and let rise in a greased bowl until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down. Let rest 10 minutes. Shape into 16 balls and place in a greased 9 by 13 inch pan. Allow to double in size, about 45 minutes, and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Brush with melted butter while cooling on wire rack.

CINNAMON SUGARED PRETZELS

2/3 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

16 ounce bag small pretzel twists or rings

In a large roasting pan, stir together oil, sugar and cinnamon. Add pretzels and toss well to coat with cinnamon sugar. Bake uncovered at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring twice. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes 12 cups.

SHOOTIN' FROM THE HIP

I don’t often venture into my kid’s bedrooms. For one thing, I don’t have any reason to but also, it is a painful reminder of how fast they fled the premises and how vacated those rooms feel. Just the other day, I was looking for a book in Haakon’s room, when my eye landed on the arrow he split with another arrow on one of his earliest target shoots. He sliced it right down the middle and the arrows remain stuck together. We kept it for its William Tell bragging rights.

But why wouldn’t he be a great shot? I chuckled as I recalled all the practice he got. When he was probably in junior high, he and I were home alone a lot. The girls were off in college and Walt was working out of state. I would make dinner (always Haakon’s favorites or I’d be eating alone!), then we’d watch the outdoor channel and then he would do some shooting.

Here is where I get “Mom of the Decade” award. He would stand at the far west wall of our house and shoot through the entire length of our house, through the family room, kitchen, entryway and garage. At least 75 feet. This target practice could go on for an hour or two, as he shot at a target affixed to the trash dumpster. I really couldn’t sit still so I would do chores around the house, mostly in the kitchen or laundry room but would have to be absolutely alert for the archer at the other end of the house. Every time he was about to let an arrow fly, he’d holler out, “SHOOTING!” That was my cue to hunker down until I heard the “whizz” and then the “thunk” as he hit the target. He only missed once, and there was an arrow-sized hole in the garage drywall until we finally decided to repair it.

I am glad, for both of our sakes, that he never hit me. That I remained alert enough to listen for the verbal warning call and lie low each time.  All that practice paid off, Haak became an expert hunter, we bonded like Krazy Glue to human skin and I have great memories of our years together, as I hope he has.

HUNTER’S MEAL IN A PAN

8 venison steaks or pork chops

1/4 cup flour

1 onion, chopped

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

1 can water

6 large potatoes, sliced

4 carrots, sliced (peels on)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, brown meat with onion. Grease a 9 by 13 inch pan and spread half the potatoes on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and flour. Add carrots. Put meat on top of carrots and cover with remaining potatoes. Pour soup and water over top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1hour. Uncover and bake 1/2 hour longer.

STRAIGHT SHOOTER’S SPUD SOUP

6 to 8 potatoes

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup flour

1 large can evaporated milk

2 cups water

2 strips bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

Fresh parsley, chopped

Sour cream

Shredded cheddar cheese

Green onions, diced

Bake potatoes. Skin and set aside. In a large stockpot, brown mushrooms, celery and onion in butter. Add broth. Whisk flour and evaporated milk together to make a roux. Stir in to broth and vegetables. Then add water. Dice potatoes and add to pot. Stir in bacon and parsley. Heat all together and serve with sour cream, shredded cheese and diced green onions on top of each serving.

BULL’S EYE COOKIE STIX

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, sugars, egg and vanilla. Mix well. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture. Divide dough in half. On a greased baking sheet, shape each portion into a 15 by 3 inch rectangle, about 3 inches apart. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over dough, pressing them in lightly. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and cut into 1 inch strips with a pizza cutter. Remove to rack to cool. Yield: 3 dozen.

TRICK OR TREAT

CREEPY, CRAWLY, BIG BLACK SPIDER,

DRINK A CUP OF POISONED CIDER…

Well, that’s not quite what happened, but I will never forget my first Trick or Treating experience. Mom decided that, since my brother and I were quite young, we didn’t need the whole “comb the town” routine with too much candy and excitement, that we could make our debut just hitting the homes of a few farm neighbors around our township. We climbed into the car and Mom chauffeured me (a witch) and my brother (an Indian chief) down the dusty gravel roads. It was dusk and a balmy October evening.

We drove a couple of miles and knocked on the first door. “Trick or Treat,” we shouted from under our masks. If looks could kill, we’d have been goners. Mom shuffled us toward the door as she tried to make small talk with the farm wife, who recovered her sense of humanity and opened the door a bit wider so we all entered the back entry. Mom explained that she didn’t mean to intrude but felt just dropping by a few neighborhood homes would be “sufficient for young children who really shouldn’t have so much candy anyway, and…”

The Ice Queen cut her off. “I never LET my kids go around begging.” Mom turned us toward the door and apologized for the inconvenience (us). “Just a minute,” our neighbor said. She left us standing there utterly mortified and embarrassed only to return a minute later with a vanilla ice cream cone for each of us. We choked out a “thank you” and quickly made our getaway.

Back in the car, Mom said, “Well? Are you up for trying again?” My brother and I decided we weren’t about to give up our first Halloween without one thing in our pumpkin bags. Not that we didn’t appreciate the ice cream. We were just scared out of our wits by such hostility. We visited half a dozen more houses and, because country dwellers don’t get many Trick-or- Treaters, we ended up with full boxes of Milk Duds, large Snickers bars and whole packs of gum. The last house we stopped at was the home of a sweet old bachelor who, apologizing, gave us each a few M&M’s. We didn’t care. He enjoyed seeing us and we knew it.

Our Halloween proverb (is that an oxymoron?) from that day forward became,

                                   “Better one M&M given generously,

                                     than a large ice cream cone begrudgingly.”

GHOST AND GOBLIN SNICKERDOODLE PIE

1 prepared pie crust

1 tablespoon raw sugar

1/2 plus 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, divided

2 teaspoons butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 plus 1 teaspoon vanilla, divided

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1-1/4 cups flour

In a bowl, combine raw sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Brush melted butter over pie crust. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon cinnamon-sugar mixture. Set the rest aside. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, water, corn syrup and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil gently for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat 1/4 softened butter. Beat in sugar, powdered sugar, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar until well combined. Beat in egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in milk until combined. Spread in crust. Slowly pour syrup over filling in pie crust. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar. Cover edges of crust with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove foil from crust and bake 20 minutes more. Cool on wire rack.

JACK O’ LANTERN SWEET POTATO CUPCAKES

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

1-1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

17 ounce can sweet potatoes, mashed

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, soda and salt. Set aside. In a large mixer bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds on medium. Add sugar and beat on high for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low each time. Add sweet potatoes and vanilla, beating until combined. Add flour mixture. Beat until batter is mixed well. Divide evenly into 24 muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool and frost.

ORANGE ZEST CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 ounces cream cheese

2/3 cup butter

2 tablespoons orange juice

8 cups powdered sugar

Orange zest

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and butter for 30 seconds. Add orange juice. Beat in powdered sugar one cup at a time until desired consistency is reached. Frost cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle zest over tops of each cupcake.

AUTUMN SPICE BARS WITH MAPLE ICING

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup water

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together. Add baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, soda and salt. Beat until combined. Add molasses, water and eggs. Mix well. Beat in flours. Spoon into a greased 9 by 13 inch pan. Spread evenly. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool and frost.

MAPLE CREAM ICING

1/3 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

3 cups powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, stir together sour cream, vanilla and maple extract. Beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time stirring until smooth. Frost cooled bars. Top with chopped pecans, if desired or sprinkle cinnamon lightly over top.

BUTCHER IN THE BARNYARD

Though we never raised pigs on my home farm after I was born, I’m sure, if we had, fall would have been hog butchering time. As it was, we designated spring and fall to chicken butchering and it was a dreaded day. All those cute, fluffy chicks we raised each spring, grew into potential menu items being prepped for our table. It was hard not to get attached to them as we fed them and watched them grow. We even named many of them and considered them pets.

Never mind that, life on the farm meant we had a barnyard to table policy. Raise, kill, eat. That simple. So, on a lovely fall Saturday, when we couldn’t take refuge in school, Dad would snag a dozen roosters and place them in a crate. One by one, he’d stretch their necks on a stump and, holding their legs in one hand and an axe in the other, dealt a swift blow, cleanly chopping their heads off. It was a gruesome sight to witness all that blood as the bodies flopped around on the grass. Next, came the boiling water dunk. A five gallon pail of water was bubbling in the firepit and the birds were dipped in head(less) first to prepare for the plucking crew. That was me and my brothers. We picked handfuls of the soggy feathers before Mom, wielding a very large and very sharp butcher knife (was that tool named for the chore or the profession?), cut an opening between the legs of each chicken large enough to insert a hand into to remove the entrails. We all took our turns at this too because, despite that smell which I will NEVER forget, it was downright fascinating. Intestines, gizzards, liver, hearts, kidneys, the crop, it was sobering but morbidly educational. Lastly, the feet were broken off after cutting around the joint. Those we chose not to eat though I have tried them. Once was enough for that.

The final chore before the bodies hit the oven or freezer was to singe the pin feathers with a wooden match. Then, guess what we had for dinner? You got it. Company! That was the one redeeming part of the whole day.

COMPANY’S COMING FRIED CHICKEN

2 fryer chickens, cut up

1 quart plus 1/4 cup buttermilk

5 cups flour

3 tablespoons seasoned salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1/4 cup milk

Canola oil for frying

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Soak chicken in one quart buttermilk overnight. When ready to prepare, mix breading ingredients together in a large bowl: flour, seasoned salt, pepper, thyme, paprika and cayenne. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup buttermilk and milk. Pour into flour mixture combine till slightly lumpy. Heat 1-1/2 inches oil in a deep skillet until it reaches 365 degrees on a thermometer. Lower heat slightly. Working in batches, coat each piece of chicken in breading. Add chicken to hot oil, cover pan and fry 5 to 7 minutes. Turn pieces over and fry 3 to 5 minutes more. Keep oil at stable temperature. Remove chicken from oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

4 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup shortening

1/3 cup cold butter, cut in pieces

1-1/4 cups buttermilk

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. With a pastry blender, cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in buttermilk and mix gently with a fork until just combined. Lightly flour a clean surface. Turn dough out of bowl and roll to a 1/3 to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter and place on baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 11 to 14 minutes until golden brown.

FALL (FLAT) APPLE PIE

5 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons flour

Juice of half a lemon

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pie crust

6 tablespoons butter

In a large bowl,  stir together apples, flour, lemon juice and sugars and salt. Set aside. Roll out 2 pie crusts into large circles. Place on baking sheets. Place half of the apple mixture on each crust. Fold the edge of each crust so that it covers 2 to 3 inches of the apples. Dot the top of each pie with butter. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until golden and bubbly. Slice into wedges. 

A FALL RIDE

In the nearly thirty years that I’ve lived at Cricket Meadow, I had never had the opportunity to ride a horse around the farm until just recently. It was a glorious fall day… the warm sunshine in the bright blue sky felt good on my shoulders and the beauty of fall was all around us: red sumac leaves, yellow goldenrod and cattails swaying in the gentle breeze. It was such fun to explore the meadow, the pasture and the bogs at Cricket Meadow. I rode Wilbur, the big black Friesian and enjoyed the leisurely pace of his gait as we circled the farm, skirting soybean fields and avoiding trampling the corn. We scared up wild turkeys, pheasants and waterfowl. Even a fox darted from the tall grasses near the fence line. Wild grapes hung in clusters just above our heads as we rode the trails in the woods and I made a mental note to come back and pick all I could find for jelly. The apples on the trees were ready to be picked and Wilbur and I took all we could carry or eat. Apple crisp was suddenly on the menu. The herbs in the garden were begging to be picked as we rode back near the house and I realized that I love nothing more than the smell of my kitchen as I dry my herbs and spread that fragrant earthy scent to the entire house.

My ride with Wilbur is one of many I hope to take this fall. It was a highlight and made me remember just why I love living here and enjoying the bounty of the season.

SPICED WILD GRAPE JAM

1-1/2 pounds wild grapes

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

1 cup water

2-1/4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cloves

Wash grapes. Cook in a heavy saucepan until skins separate from grapes. Sieve to remove juice and pulp, discarding seeds. Add orange peel and water; cook 10 minutes. Stir in sugar and spices; cook over medium-low heat until thick. Pour into hot scalded jars; seal. Makes about 3 half pint jars.

HERB GARDEN TOMATO SALAD

1 pound cherry tomatoes

1 medium cucumber, peeled, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoom fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup plain yogurt

Fresh ground pepper

Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, onion and herbs in a bowl. Toss with yogurt. Grind pepper over top. Toss and serve immediately.

FALL RIDE APPLE CRISP

4 large apples, peeled (or not) and sliced

2/3 to ¾ cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/3 cup butter

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease sides and bottom of an 8 inch square pan. Place apples in bottom of pan. Mix remaining ingredients and sprinkle over apples. Bake about 30 minutes until topping is golden brown and apples are tender. Serve with whipped or ice cream.

PUMPKIN HARVEST BARS

1/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 teaspoon ginger

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts mixed with 2 tablespoons flour

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add brown sugar and stir until blended. Remove from heat and add all other ingredients, mixing well. Spread into a greased 9 by 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar over top. Cool and cut into squares.

MOUNTAIN MOMENTS MELT MY HEART

I’m watching my son Haakon split wood for kindling this morning. He is pretty skilled with a hatchet. He just finished preparing the firepit for our evening campfires. For the fourth straight year, I’m back in Montana, sitting at the old rustic table by the back porch here on this glorious mountain enjoying the warm sunshine, a gentle breeze, the smell of the pines, the chuckling sound of the creek.

My husband, Walt, and I loaded the two dogs and took off in the truck to Big Sky country this week and, as usual, we enjoyed every mile of the drive. Wide open spaces in North Dakota, beautiful sunflower fields, acres of wheat, gently rolling eastern Montana and then the rugged beauty as we headed into Gallatin County and the Bozeman area. It’s great to be back.

The crisp fall mornings here are a perfect match for buttermilk pancakes and Mountain Huckleberry muffins. Next up, a trek on the mountain bikes, a hike or just a cup of coffee on the porch swing. If we go to town, we will browse the quaint shops, lunch at one of Bozeman’s cute cafés, stock up on fresh produce at the co-op, buy a pair of boots at the feed store. Today I met a couple that live at the base of Timberline Road who have horses, so a trail ride is on the list of things to do.

It’s not hard to fall in love with mountain life. The dogs are having a heyday chasing chipmunks out from under the porch, dashing into the creek for a swim and sniffing out a whole new set of smells. We will savor each moment here at Winchester Cabin as a rest from the usual, hectic pace we all keep. Haakon will start his fourth year of college next week and we will leave this all behind and head east, back to Cricket Meadow and life on the prairie. Hopefully, he will be on the five year plan, and we will follow him back here next year for more of the same.

If I could bottle a memory, this would be a favorite I’d keep at my fingertips. It would be called “Montana Moments.”

WINCHESTER CABIN BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

1-2/3 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1-3/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup plain yogurt

1 egg

1 tablespoon pure vanilla

2 tablespoons canola oil

Stir together dry ingredients and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, yogurt, egg, vanilla and oil. Add to dry ingredients and combine. Heat griddle to 375 degrees. Lightly coat the surface with oil and spoon 1/4 cup batter onto griddle for each pancake. When bubbles appear, flip and cook for about 1 minute more. Serve immediately.

BIG SKY SURPRISE

Well, my trip to Montana to visit my son Haakon and his buddies didn’t go quite as I’d planned. I fully intended to drop into their rental house near campus and be a high maintenance visitor, simply so Haakon could experience what I’ve lived all summer. (And miss, I might add).  Anyway, it just wasn’t fun because, even if I had dropped my big shoes in the doorway (as I have been so accustomed living with, thanks to Haak and his friends) the guys wouldn’t have noticed. When I walked in to their apartment, there were 12 pairs of size 12s already parked there. They wouldn’t have seen or even been annoyed by mine. Rats. But I had to admit, at least they are conscious of leaving dirty shoes at the door.

 So, as I meander into the house, peeking into each room, I find that the bathroom is already out of toilet paper; I couldn’t even pretend to leave an empty roll. The towel wasn’t there, either. It was probably lying on a floor somewhere, wet and dirty. Then, as I proceed into the lower level, what to my wondering eyes would appear but a washer and dryer chugging in the basement. They were out of towels because they were washing them! To be completely fair, I was pleasantly surprised at their orderliness, and in spite of spare surroundings, the guys bought themselves a gas grill, lots of groceries and (here Haakon shines with all of his restaurant experience) they actually cook! They boasted of steak dinners, barbequed chicken and steamed rice, vegetables and salads. I was becoming impressed in short order.

I had to chuckle, remembering how both of my daughters managed to furnish cute dorm rooms, apartments and now houses, and contrasting that with the bare-bones decorating that a boy loves. Down to the pickup truck toolbox posing as a coffee table in the living room.

The visit to Montana was especially delightful because all of these boys, no matter what I playfully suggest, are wonderful, mature people, a joy to be around. AND they study!

So, no matter if the household isn’t a tight-run ship, these guys will survive just fine without Mom’s nagging and doting. A little hard to take, but what we all want for our kids just the same.

FIVE MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE (OR THE MOST DANGEROUS CAKE RECIPE IN THE WORLD)

4 tablespoons cake flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Add dry ingredients to a large coffee mug. Mix well. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in milk and oil and mix well. Add chocolate chips and vanilla. Mix again. Put mug in microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. Cake will rise over top of mug. Allow to cool slightly and tip out onto a plate. EAT! This can serve two if you want to feel slightly more virtuous. 

NOTE: And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of day or night! 

LUNCH IN THE FIELD

Traveling across the states of Montana and North Dakota last week, I saw lots of wheat fields being harvested. The combines sweeping across vast stretches of gold left endless stubble in their wake. I saw a pickup with a woman and children bumping along the field, about to meet up with the man on the combine.

I felt an instant pang of remembrance of my brothers and I piling in the car with Mom to bring Dad and my Uncle Harold “dinner” in the field. That’s what we called the noon meal. And why wouldn’t we? It was a huge spread flanked by salad and dessert and the evening meal, “supper,” was exactly like it.

As noon approached, on a “field meal” day, Mom would pull kettles off the stove and roasters out of the oven and put together individual salads in little Tupperware containers for each of us. She never packed paper plates, we always used real dishes and flatware, and included various condiments like salt and pepper, pickles, ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish and even a little bowl of sugar for my uncle’s coffee. She wrapped each serving dish in newspaper then tied a white cotton dishtowel around each one. Then she packed the whole works in a big cardboard box saved in the basement for such purposes. The serving utensils were toted in a wicker picnic basket and, lastly, blankets and rag rugs were packed for our comfort as we sat on the stubble in the shade of the combine and enjoyed our meal.

The only part of this thing I remember with a tinge of nausea is if Mom put the food in the car and not in the trunk. If it was just the two of us, and the boys were also working in the field, she put the food in the back seat to avoid the dust that lived in the trunk and swirled around our heads from the gravel roads we traveled with the car windows rolled down (we had no air conditioning) and it was easier to deal with if you didn’t need to “dust your dinner” before eating it. However, the repugnant (at least to ME) aroma of food sweltering in newspaper, cotton and cardboard was almost more than I could stand and I remember hanging my head out the window like a dog to avoid losing it in the car. If we traveled a far distance (5 or 10 miles to another farm), I would have to get my appetite back by walking around the field and breathing the late summer air.

Once I saw Mom dishing up mountains of mashed potatoes, juicy pork chops with gravy or meatloaf and creamed green beans from the garden, or discovered the array of dessert selections like chocolate cake with fluffy white frosting or Dad’s favorite, sour cream raisin pie or peach crisp, I forgot the whole disgusting odor still lingering in the warm car. How could food so delicious have such a dark side? I don’t know, but I’ve never forgotten it.

FIELD MEAL MEATLOAF

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

1 cup bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 small can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 tablespoons mustard

2 tablespoons brown sugar

In a mixing bowl, stir together meat, bread crumbs, egg, onion, salt, pepper and half the can of tomato sauce. Put in a loaf pan or an 8 inch square pan. In a small bowl, combine the other half of tomato sauce, vinegar, mustard and brown sugar. Spread over top of meatloaf and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

OAT STUBBLE PEACH CRISP

4 cups peaches, peeled and sliced

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg

1/3 cup butter

Place peaches in the bottom of an 8 inch square pan. In a medium bowl, combine topping ingredients and cut in butter. When crumbly cover top of peaches with this mixture and pat lightly. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

WHEAT HARVEST SOUR CREAM RAISIN PIE

9 inch pie crust, unbaked

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon flour

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup raisins

1 cup sour cream

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a mixing bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins. In a separate bowl, mix sour cream, eggs, butter and vanilla. Pour into an unbaked pie crust. Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until firm, about 30 to 40 minutes more. Top with meringue.

MERINGUE

6 egg whites

Scant 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat until very stiff, but not dry. Sprinkle cornstarch in a beat until blended. Spread meringue over hot pie, sealing to edges. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until browned. Cool gradually and avoid drafts. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

HERB GARDEN HARVEST

     Shorter days and cooler nights remind me that fall is presenting itself in all of its splendor. Another sure sign each year is the discordant rasp of a million crickets outside my door...hence the name of our farm. I always forget how much I love fall when summer is in full swing, but it is such a refreshing change to breathe the crisp air and crackle colorful leaves underfoot on my daily walks through the woods.
     Today the sky is a brilliant blue, a gentle breeze tickles my cheek and I realize that it is a perfect time to harvest the bounty in my backyard herb garden, which is a profusion of glorious specimens begging to be "put by."
     I lovingly stroke each plant to release the heady aroma of pineapple sage and chocolate mint, delicious in iced tea all summer long, which will now be dried in the dehydrator and served hot in the cold months ahead. The clusters of thyme, delicate and diminutive, look similar yet are so varied in their uses...lemon thyme for lovely tea breads and sugar-encrusted cookies; oregano thyme for salsa and spaghetti sauce, French thyme sprigs for soups, stews, sauces and meats.
     Circling the brick walk, I behold more variety: lavender for sachets, tansy's yellow button flowers for dried bouquets, tarragon for vinegar, summer savory for meat dishes, rosemary--pungent and pine-like, a must with chicken, sage for stuffing the Thanksgiving turkey, chamomile for bedtime tea, parsley, dill, chives, cilantro, marjoram, lemon balm, santolina...
     As I continue along the path, I come at last to basil, the most favored of all. Waist-high bushes of highly aromatic green and purple basil remind me that another project today should be to make pesto to enjoy all winter in spaghetti and pizza. And for dinner tonight? That's just been decided too. Pasta tossed with fresh tomato and basil...

HERB GARDEN PESTO


2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, pressed


In a food processor, combine basil with pine nuts and pulse a few times. Add garlic cloves and pulse a few more times. Slowly add olive oil in a constant stream with food processor on. Stop and stir with a rubber spatula. Add cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pasta or on bread. Makes 1 cup.