Thursday Thought

¨The moment you think of others, your mind widens.¨

the Dalai Lama, as quoted in A Force for Good: the Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World by Daniel Goleman

Man, talk about inspiring - I so enjoyed reading about the Dalai Lama. 

At times I get discouraged by how much room for positive change there is in the world. I lament that we will never become a truly ¨family-friendly¨ society, where we take care of the sick and the elderly and allow parents to actually spend time with their children when they come into the world, where no one works 60 hour work weeks. I do believe change is possible though - that by thinking of others and encouraging our communities to do the same, our minds and hearts will both widen.

The Final Recipe - Bobbie's Custard - #112

The note at the bottom of my recipe card for Bobbie's Custard said that ¨Bobbie [Trent's grandmother] made this custard for many ill friends.¨ While I was happy that my friends remained relatively healthy throughout the year of the challenge, I saved this one up until the end just in case I would be called upon to cheer up a sick friend. Fortunately, that didn't happen, so I made a half recipe in my custard cups (which had never before been used to bake custard). I don't think I stirred these up thoroughly enough, as one cup set 15 minutes before the other seemed ready. There is something magical and delightful about the change the egg and milk mixture undergoes in the oven. A simple recipe made from real food.

Bobbie's Custard

• 2 cups milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup sugar
• cinnamon for dusting top

Heat the milk to bubbling stage. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add sugar and vanilla. Add the hot milk to the egg mixture, slowly at first so hot milk does not begin to cook the eggs. Pour in casserole or custard cups and dust with cinnamon. Bake for 35 min. at 350 degrees in a bain marie.

Southern Cheese Biscuits - Recipe #111

It seems fitting that the last two recipes in the Loose Recipe Challenge are family recipes. This savory cookie has arrived at our doorstep countless times as part of a Christmas care package from Trent's mom, but this was the first time I had baked it on my own. The rolls were so crumbly, I was certain that I had not followed the recipe correctly, but by the time they chilled, I was able to cut them into the small slices necessary.

Just one more recipe to go...

Southern Cheese Biscuits

• 2-3 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. paprika

Mix together then add:

• 10 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 c. flour

Form into rolls and chill. Slice thinly, sprinkle with sugar, top with pecan half, and bake at 350 degrees for 10 min. or until edges just begin to brown. Sprinkle again with sugar.

From Modie, Trent's great-grandmother.

Crab Cakes - Recipe #110

We have a crab pot for Rock Lobster, so for the last few years, Trent has gotten his shellfish license, gone down to Shilshole, dropped the pot and returned with either Red Rock crabs or Dungeness or a combination. While normally we just enjoy a crab boil, on days where the yield is especially high, I'll save some crab meat for this Simply Recipes recipe. This year was a little busier than usual, so we never got the shellfish license. With as expensive as crab is, I typically don't purchase it from the grocery store - but the Challenge called, so off I headed to PCC for 1/2 lb. of crab (at $35.99 per pound, I decided not to make a full recipe, though there was a very sad sigh from Trent when he learned that there were no leftovers). On the up side, it was far less time-consuming to make these when the meat has already been extracted from the shells. Fresh bread crumbs add to the deliciousness of the recipe, though I'm always afraid that I'll wear out the food processor motor, as I did to my chopper-grinder the last time I ground gingersnaps for cabbage rolls.

Crab Cakes

• 1 lb. crab
• 1/2 stick butter (1 T & 3 T)
• 1/2 cup shallots
• 1 tsp. kosher salt (divided)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 T. tartar
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
• 2 T. parsley
• 2 cups bread (crusts removed)
• 2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Heat butter, shallots, 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook until translucent Whisk remaining ingredients. Fold in crab and bread. Make 12 patties 2 1/4¨ x 3/4¨. Place on rimmed tray with Silpat, sprinkled with half of the breadcrumbs. Place the other half on top. Cover loosely. Chill at least 1 hr. Heat 3 T. butter in a large non-stick pan on med. high heat. Cook in uncrowded pan, approx. 3 min. each side.

Cheese-Mushroom Fingers - Recipe 109

Another recipe from my mother-in-law. I've made this several times as an appetizer, but it had been languishing in my recipe for a while since the last time I made it. I had made a double (or was it a triple?) recipe for an event and there were leftovers upon leftovers to the point where I couldn't make myself get excited about eating any more. I came this close to recycling it, but I'm glad I didn't. While it still makes a great appetizer, its resemblance to quiche makes an even better breakfast heated up in the toaster oven or mid-morning snack. And I got wise this time and made just a half recipe in a 9x9 baking dish. My ¨green¨ peppers that I ordered from my CSA ended up purple (but no less delicious) and my cottage cheese from PCC ended up being all curds and no whey, which probably helped the texture.

Cheese-Mushroom Fingers

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
• 1 lg. onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 lg. green pepper

Saute mushrooms, onion and garlic in butter until soft. Add pepper and cook a minute more. Set aside.

• 10 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. dried basil
• 2 cups small curd cottage cheese
• 4 cups shredded Jack cheese
• 3/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp. salt

Beat eggs. Then mix in the other ingredients until blended. Add the mushroom mixture.

Put into greased 10"x 15¨ jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 min. or until firm.

Cool at least 15 min. before cutting into 3/4¨ x 2¨ fingers. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate up to 2 days. Freezes well.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin - Recipe #108

I hate grilling - but I love pork tenderloin, so it is no surprise that while I kept this recipe from Trent's mom, I never had made it before the Recipe Challenge. I adore the smell of lighter fluid and charcoal together (though I know it is probably not the best for me), but I can never seem to get them to actually light - or if I do, I don't have the patience for the coals to glow with heat. So I was a little nervous having this as one of my final recipes in the month of October, always iffy grilling weather. Fortunately, we have had a lovely early autumn and I had a willing grill-er/sous chef in Trent. I did have to make one substitution - I could not find guava jelly anywhere, so I substituted red pepper jelly. Delish! I served some of the leftover marinade sauce on a salmon burger.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Brine:

• 1 1/2 Tbs. salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups cold water

Stir salt and sugar in boiling water to dissolve, then add cold water. Add meat and brine in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Rub:

• 3 Tbs. Spanish paprika
• 1 Tbs. cumin
• 2 tsp. ground fennel
• 1 Tbs. ground mustard
• 2 tsp. salt
• coarse black pepper

Mix spices together and rub into meat, then coat with olive oil. Grill meat 5 to 6 min. per side over med. hot coals, turning 1/4 turn each time, and basting with glaze often.

Glaze:

• 1 cup guava jelly
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• salt & pepper

Reserve some glaze for serving, adding cilantro.

Frozen Cranberry-Pineapple Salad - Recipe #107

I can't decide whether to count this as a dessert or a salad. This is a Thanksgiving classic from Trent's mom. The first time I prepared it, I brought it to my grandmother's for dinner. My family seemed excited to try it until they learned there was sour cream in it (who knows what their bias is - sour cream makes it like a delicious creamsicle). For the challenge, I prepared just a half recipe, taking advantage of the half can of pineapple leftover from the carrot cake and the sour cream leftover from the sour cream horseradish sauce and Beef Stroganoff.

Frozen Cranberry-Pineapple Salad 

• 1 can crushed pineapple (1#, 4oz.), drained
• 1 can cranberry sauce
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1/4 c. coarsely chopped pecans

Thoroughly mix all ingredients. Freeze at least 3 hours until firm. Allow to sit at room temp. for a few min. before cutting.

Kristy's Yummy Butternut Squash Soup - Recipe #106

Another delicious recipe from my bridal shower. This was the first time, I'd made it because 1) Trent doesn't care for squash and 2) it is a pain to peel squash. Well, though I avoided any injury, it is painful to peel the squash, so next time I'll likely purchase a pre-cut Trader Joe's bag o' squash, rather than painstakingly hacking away at my CSA beauty. I had a teeny-tiny squash that only made two-cups worth of cubed squash so I only made one-third of a recipe - just a perfect individual size recipe. Even with only one cube of bouillon, it was fairly salty, so I will probably make it in homemade veggie broth next time. Yum, yum, yummy.

Kristy's Yummy Butternut Squash Soup

• 6 tbls. chopped onion
• 1 tbs. margarine (I used butter)
• 6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 3 cups water
• 4 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
• 1 3 oz. package cream cheese

In a large saucepan, saute onions in margarine until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil; cook 20 minutes or until squash is tender.

Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan and heat through. Do not boil.

(Note reads: This is my FAVORITE on a cold evening! :))

Carrot Cake - Recipe #105

Oh carrot cake, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. For the carrots and pineapple, that make thee feel virtuous; for the moist texture resulting from said carrots and pineapple; and most of all, for thy cream cheese frosting.

It was a bit alarming to have a cake in the final 10 without a corresponding social event to share it at, so I chose to make a half batch in an oblong pan. Without layers to frost, I probably could have made a third of a recipe of frosting, but I played it safe, thus providing suitable quantities for bowl-licking. And we did tempt one friend to come over for carrot cake and rum after a late night showing of The Martian (so good, but so much tiredness the next day - we are now reading the book aloud together).

This is another of the recipes that I received from Trent's mom one Christmas.

Carrot Cake

Mix together:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon

Stir in and beat well:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups veg. oil
• 4 eggs

Add and mix well:

• 2 cups finely grated carrots
• 1 can drained crushed pineapple
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Pour into three 9¨ pans or 1 oblong and one round, well greased. Bake for 35 to 40 min. at 350 degrees.

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 lb. powdered sugar

Mix butter, cream cheese, and vanilla, then add the sugar, mixing slowly at first.

Thursday Thought

“Learning – by definition – will always feel inauthentic. Practicing a new behavior, showing up in a new way, or acting differently, feels inauthentic. Changing a dance that’s been danced many times before will never feel natural. It will feel awkward, fake, like pretending.”

Peter Bregman “A Simple Formula for Changing Our Behavior”, Harvard Business Review

I don't know why this resonated with me when I read it earlier this week. Perhaps because I never thought I was the kind of person who would read the Harvard Business Review regularly - at a point in time, it would have been ¨inauthentic¨, but now I look forward to finding new articles in my blog feed. Or the fact that my first day on the job as an Assistant Managing Librarian, I felt a bit like a fraud. It's not just imposter syndrome, it is that when we learn, we are doing the things that don't just come naturally to us - whether in work or in life.

Beef with Sour Cream Horseradish Sauce - Recipe #104

The recipes that originate with Trent share some commonalities - they are written on scratch paper, like old phone bills, or Post-it notes and they lack detailed instructions or in the case of this rub and sauce combo, the type of meat to serve it with. While I asked (unfruitfully) what the intended meat for this was, it was only after I purchased and served a tough roast that suggested baking at 325 degrees until 140 degrees, that he said ¨I think this was for a London Broil¨. I quite enjoyed the sauce and plan to use the leftovers (even though I only made half a batch, some still remains) on a London Broil soon.

Beef with Sour Cream Horseradish Sauce

• 1 tsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme, crushed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp pepper, black, crushed

325 degrees, 1 - 1 1/2 hr (140 degrees interior temp.)

• 1 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. horseradish
• 2 T. milk
• 1 T. chives, fresh
• 1/8 tsp pepper, white, ground

Elenor's Eclairs - Recipe # 103

Another extraordinarily simple dessert recipe. Rather than making a complete recipe, I used leftover graham crackers from an earlier dessert and just half of the pudding. Well, I tried to use just half of the pudding - however, when I was at the store, I couldn't remember whether I was supposed to buy a small package or a large package, so I erred on the side of getting too much. After my 8 x 8 pan of eclairs was finished, I still had half a box of pudding leftover that remains in my refrigerator. This would be a fun recipe to make with young children. A little too much reliance on already prepped ingredients for me to enlist into my normal routine, though I'll keep it for the sentimental value.

Elenor's Eclairs

• 2 small packages instant vanilla pudding
• 3 cups milk
• Graham crackers
• Chocolate cake frosting

Cover the bottom of a 9¨ x 13¨ pan with graham crackers. Combine pudding mix with 3 cups of milk and spread on top of crackers. Top with another layer of graham crackers. Add a layer of ready-made chocolate cake frosting. It may be easier to quickly frost top crackers before putting them on pudding layer, then fill in any gaps. Allow layers to ¨blend¨ in refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving.

Elenor was Jack's (Trent's grandfather) long-time secretary and bookkeeper.

Rolo Treats - Recipe #102

Monday nights I work until 8:05 p.m., rush off to the bus that leaves at 8:11 p.m. and return home by 8:35-ish. So any recipe that I make on a Monday is typically either something that requires morning prep time, such as a slow cooker meal, or something so easy it barely counts as a recipe. Last Monday, during my ¨lunch¨ break at 4 p.m., I headed to Roger's Market to pick up the majority of the remaining ingredients needed for the Recipe Challenge. As I unloaded my basket with pretzels and Rolos, I felt like defending myself by saying ¨really, most of the time, I have fresh healthy food¨, though I suppose in the grand scheme of things, pretzels are a ¨healthy¨ junk food.

My good friends who hosted my bridal shower shared this recipe with me, one that they've used at many a party. It's easy enough for a late night and scalable - I made just the number of Rolo treats as there are Rolos in a package. Yummy and small enough that you don't feel any guilt over eating one or two.

Rolo Treats

• pretzels
• Rolos
• pecans

Layer a baking sheet with pretzels.

Stack a single Rolo candy on each pretzel.

Preheat oven on bake to 250 degrees.

Bake pretzels and Rolos for 4 minutes.

Place pecan on top of Rolo and pretzel and press.

Cool in fridge - enjoy!

Makes: as many as you want

Salmon with Chili-Honey Glaze - Recipe #101

The race continues. The closer I get to the end, the more likely I am to make only one-half the recipe, just so my refrigerator doesn't explode. This recipe was quite good, though I prefer a drier, less sweet rub for my salmon in general. It was the perfect end to a sunny sail to Kingston last Sunday. Not a very complex recipe, but it still feels fancy. Plus I had stayed up to late the night before playing board games and was sleepy enough that I wouldn't have trusted myself with anything too complex.

Salmon with Chili-Honey Glaze

• 1 1/3 lb. salmon fillet
• 2 T orange juice
• 2 T lime juice
• 3 T honey
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1 t ground chili powder
• 1 small minced green chili
• 1/4 t salt
• freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place salmon in foil-lined baking pan.

Combine orange and lime juice, honey, cumin, chili powder and minced chili, stirring well to dissolve the honey.

Pour about half the glaze over the salmon, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake 12 minutes per inch of thickness (this is where I regretted that my oven thermometer had died and the new one hadn't yet arrived). Halfway through the cooking time, pour the remaining glaze on top. When the salmon is cooked through, remove from the oven. Spoon the thickened glaze in the bottom of the pan over the salmon and serve.

Serves 4.

Little Cheesecakes - Recipe #100

Wow - a milestone. One hundred recipes made from the Loose Recipe Challenge. Hard to believe that it's almost finished. We had dinner and game night at a friend's house last week. As I had worked that day, I nearly didn't prepare a recipe until Trent reminded me how little time (and how many desserts) I had left. This is another of the recipes that I received one Christmas from Trent's mom. It got good reviews from the other dinner guests.

Little Cheesecakes

Beat together:

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Pour into well greased muffin tins (do not skimp on this step - I had a heck of a time getting them out intact, even from the silicone cookware) - 6 for dessert size, 10-12 for smaller treat size. Bake at 375 for 15-30 minutes depending on size, until knife comes out clean. Remove from tins while warm. Top with sweetened sour cream or serve with fresh or frozen fruit (I took advantage of the season and sauteed some apples in butter with a little cinnamon and sugar and mixed with some caramel sauce remaining from another dessert-making foray). Double recipe and freeze extras.

Mom's Berry Muffins - Recipe #99

Mom's berry muffins are part of the taste of my childhood. No mixes for us - our baked goods were from scratch. And when blackberry season began, we had pies, muffins, shortbread and more to use up some of nature's bounty. So at my bridal shower, I was pleased that this was the recipe she chose to share. This time, I used some of the last batch of raspberries from the Wallingford Farmer's Market. I should have known that in late September they'd be better baking-berries than eating-berries. I shared them at a friend's brunch and then with another friend, as I knew that recipes for numerous other baked goods were coming up soon.

• 1 c. white flour
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 T. baking powder
• 2 t. sugar or honey
• 1/8 t. salt
• 1/4 t. ground cloves (I was out, so substituted allspice)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. oil
• 1 c. milk
• 1 c. berries
• 1/2 t. cinnamon (for berries)
• 1 T. sugar (for berries)

Mix dry ingredients. Make a well. Place egg and oil in well and beat slightly. Pour in milk and stir until all ingredients are moist. Mix berries, cinnamon and sugar separately and fold into the mixture. Bake in muffin tin at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Thursday Thought

¨Lots of people have all the time in the world, and yet they don't know it. They fill their time - that's the problem; they clutter their lives. Then they discover they have none. But they once did, even if they did not know it.¨

Alexander McCall Smith, The Novel Habits of Happiness

Why are we so busy nowadays? At the library recently, I overheard one of our children's staff inviting a family to our upcoming Lego Robotics program. ¨Oh, we don't have any time - the kids have too many other obligations.¨ It made me a bit sad that there was no time for a more spur-of-the-moment idea for them, but not too surprised.

Perhaps I'm particularly susceptible to feeling busy at the moment. I just started teaching a series of classes on Best New Picture Books to childcare providers and parents. At the same time, I have a few closing meetings for my trip to Tanzania, am a part of my church's ¨long range strategic planning taskforce¨, which requires a few small group discussions this month and still go to choir on Thursday nights. It's getting so an evening home is a rare and lovely treat. Time for me to start guarding my time a bit more (though not too jealously, as I have a tendency towards holing up at home as the evenings get darker).

Steak (or I learn a valuable lesson) - Recipe # 98

The next ¨recipe¨ barely counts as a recipe, as it is more like basic cooking instructions given to Trent by his mom when we first got together. I rarely make steak, in part because I am terrified of over- or under-cooking. So this time, I decided to make use of our handy-dandy oven thermometer. Knowing the interior temperature of the meat would surely prevent any errors. Sadly, I had not made the connection that the broiler might be dangerous to the poor little thermometer. I glanced over to see that it read 345 degrees (at least 200 degrees hotter than I wanted the interior of my meat) and quickly yanked open the oven only to see a small orange flame on the wire of the temperature gauge. I removed it and kept a true fire from starting, but sadly it no longer worked. And I ended up with steak a little rarer than I would have liked. Fortunately, there is a happy ending. I just received my replacement probe in the mail (hooray for the internets!) and will be testing it out on a couple of the last recipes of the challenge.

Steak

Buy 4 oz. to 1 lb. per person depending on waste (fat and bone). Use porterhouse, T-bone, tenderloin, New York, rib-eye, *minute, *sirloin. (* less tender, less expensive)

Trim fat, slash edges of any remaining fat to prevent curling when cooking.

Set oven and temp. to broil (550 - leave door open). Place meat on broiler pan so top of 1 in. steak is 2-3 in. from heat, place thicker steak lower. Outside grill -- put meat about 4 in. from hot coals.

Broil till brown on both sides, turning only once. Check for doneness by cutting slit in thickest part of meat or next to bone. Medium is pink in the center. Will take 15 to 30 min. depending on size, thickness, and personal choice. First side takes longer and outdoor grilling is usually a little quicker.

Season after cooking.

Golden Potatoes - Recipe #97

Funny how long it took me to make this classic Thanksgiving dish from Trent's mom. I think the sheer amounts scared me off. Fortunately, I am perfectly fine with halving or quartering a recipe, as I did here. I just can't imagine how long it would take me and Trent to finish off 8 potatoes. Two is much more manageable for two people - and even still, we had some leftover. Very tasty, but dangerous to make too often, as I have very little resistance when it comes to cheesy potatoes.

Golden Potatoes

• 8 potatoes
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I used extra-sharp)
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 2 cups sour cream

Boil potatoes in skins, refrigerate overnight (I started this process at the same time I made my pickles and ribs), then peel, grate, salt and pepper them the next day. Toss lightly with rest of ingredients, place in casserole and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Can use more potatoes to make healthier, adding some skim milk if necessary, still good! Serves 8 to 10.

Variation: make with a combination of potatoes and sweet potatoes

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars - Recipe #96

Last December, on my last day as Children's Services Coordinator, I attended our Public Services retreat at the Snohomish Library. By the end of the day, our brains hurt from all of the prioritizing and sticky notes. Fortunately, our stomachs were happy, as some wonderful souls brought along dessert. It was love at first bite for me with this Pumpkin Cheesecake Bar, which our Island district manager had found in a local church cookbook. I raved about it and a few days later, it showed up in a shotgun envelope at my new job. Since it was at the tale end of pumpkin season, I didn't end up making it right away, but with the end of the challenge drawing steadily closer (and the fall of the autumn leaves) I knew the time was drawing nigh.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

• 1 c. flour
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 5 T. butter
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Combine flour and brown sugar and cut in butter to make a crumb mixture. Stir in nuts. Set aside 3/4 cup of mixture and press the rest into an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool Slightly. Combine cream cheese, sugar, pumpkin, eggs and spices. Blend until smooth. Pour over baked crust. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over pumpkin. Bake at 350 deg. for 30-35 minuts. Cut into bars 2 x 1 1/2 inches. Makes about 24.

Ribs - Recipe #95

My father's first job was at the Chuckwagon BBQ on Aurora. He was at the Wallingford Boys Club (before they added ¨and Girls¨ to the name) when they came to post the job. While he was younger than the other teens, he got the job by being the only one there that day - apparently there was a field trip that everyone else had gone on. My dad loves to cook and in some ways I wonder if his work life would have been more fulfilling if he'd stayed in the restaurant business. Even now, I can see him opening up a little food truck called Papa's that serves up home-cookin'. He insists that he wouldn't want to obligated to cook every day, but if we opened up a food truck, he'd come by every once in a while with special treats. But I digress...

It was at the Chuckwagon that he learned this recipe for ribs, one of my childhood favorites. The recipe makes enough for a short-order crowd, so he advises dividing it by 10.

So after making a few recipes from Trent's family, it was time to move on to some of my own. I almost made this for a friend's birthday party ¨rib-off¨ back in April. However, since I had to work the day of, I was unable to find the time to do them right - which is a shame, because I think these may just have taken the top prize.

Tabasco sauce (a couple of shakes)
some garlic (powder or fresh)
10 lb. can tomato puree
10 lb can tomatoes
1/2 10 lb. can water
tomato scraps
large onion, diced
7 T. mustard powder
2 T. chili powder
4 T. pepper
4 T. fennel seed
3 c. Worcestershire sauce
3 c. soy sauce
1 1/2 c. vinegar
(salt if desired)
4-12 slabs of ribs

Bake at 350 degrees for 3 1/2 hours or until the bones pull out(I made it at the same time as my pickles so that I could limit my babysitting kitchen ingredients to just 1 day)

Traditionally served with garlic bread, corn on the cob and/or baked potatoes. Serve the leftover sauce on burgers for a delicious Chuckwagon barbecue burger.

Zucchini Pickles - Recipe #94

I've often longed to be the kind of person who ¨puts up¨ summer's bounty, making preserves and pickles, but other than a time or two helping my mom and next door neighbor make blackberry jam years ago or helping my grandma cut up pears, I've never followed through. In part, I'm reluctant to purchase canning equipment that will take up space. I'm also mildly fearful of botulism. I have a good friend who swears by refrigerator pickles though and this recipe, made by Trent's aunt Norma on the occasion of his parents' bridal shower, looked to be adaptable.

Trent is not a fan of fresh zucchini, so I figured that I may have to eat this jar of pickles alone. However, in the magic process of pickling, zucchini no longer has its trademark taste or texture. The verdict: ¨they taste like pickles¨ (and fortunately, the sweet pickles that his family loves, rather than dills).

This is a great recipe to make on a lazy day close to home, as there is plenty of time spent letting them ¨stand¨. I made a half batch, mostly because my CSA share delivered 1 lb. of zucchini the previous week, as well as only having one small onion left.

Zucchini Pickles

• 2 lbs. zucchini
• 2 small onions
• 1/4 c. salt
• 2 c. white vinegar
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. tumeric
• 1 tsp. celery seed
• 1 tsp. mustard seed

Washin zucchini and cut into thin slices. Peel and slice onions. Cover vegetables with water and add salt. Let stand for 2 hrs., then drain thoroughly. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil and pour over vegetables. Let stand for 2 hours, then bring everything to a boil for 5 minutes. Pack in hot, sterilized jars and seal (or worry a little less about proper sealing technique if you plan to eat immediately as we are doing). Makes about 3 pints.

Beef Stroganoff - Recipe #93

Well, the heat of summer has disappeared and with it, my desire to spend hours in the kitchen has returned. Since I gave myself just one year to finish my Loose Recipe Challenge and my first recipe was made on October 16 I have just two weeks to finish 13 new recipes. I have full confidence that I can pull it off, though it may mean that friends and family will have to pull together to help eat the dessert because I don't think Trent and I can handle it alone.

I started back up again in earnest last week, making six recipes between Thursday and Sunday (the 13 recipes don't include these). First up was Trent's mom's beef stroganoff recipe, given to him back when we first started dating - one of the first recipes that he cooked for me. Trent's comment, ¨it taste's like the food I grew up with.¨ Exactly the effect one would hope for...

2 servings
Cut 1/2 to 1 lb. steak into bite-sized pieces (I used the smaller amount of meat). With less tender meat, cut very thin strips. Partially frozen meat is easiest to cut (I've always known this, but don't usually follow the advice. This time I did and it made everything so much easier). Brown meat in skillet over med. heat in 1-2 T oil or butter.

(start rice now if making)

Wash and quarter 1/4 to 1/2 lb. mushrooms (I used the greater amount of mushrooms). Remove outer layer and dice 1/2 yellow onion. Cook over med. heat in 1-2 T. oil or butter until done (about 10 min.) Or add 1 can mushrooms, drained, and 2 t. dried onion.

Add 1/2 can beef broth, 1 T catsup and 1/2 t. salt to meat and vegetables. (start noodles now if making). Simmer covered for 10 min. Or add extra water to compensate for escaping steam if not covered.

Mix a little cold water or broth with 2 T flour, then stir into hot meat mixture. Boil, stirring constantly for 1 min. until it thickens.

Add 2-3 T sour cream. Do not boil. For more sauce, add more sour cream (and calories). Serve over hot noodles or rice.

Thursday Thought

¨You do not need anyone's permission to live a creative life.¨

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

I just started reading Elizabeth Gilbert's (of Eat, Pray, Love fame) new book on creativity and already I'm inspired. I've always felt like I'm not really creative - that I don't do anything new or innovative. But as a human, I am drawn to creative acts - knitting, writing/blogging, cooking - bringing something from nothing.

Another of her ideas that I am especially drawn to is the idea that artists are not genius, they possess genius or are visited by a spark. No one reaches perfection every time they put pen to paper or paint to canvas - but if you don't try, you'll never have the opportunity to showcase genius, should it decide to appear.