(content previously published on old Filigreen blog in 2013/2015)
Living in the Tornado Capital of the World, I have come to regard Spring with one eye on the daffodils and irises, and the other on the thunderheads building in the west. What is for other parts of the country, a gradual awakening of Mother Earth, can be for us a season of nail-biting and being afraid to go to sleep in case a storm strikes in the night. While my husband and kids go on to bed, I spend the late hours of the night with the "other men" in my life - my local news station meteorologists. I trust these guys with my life, as I have seen over and over their dedication in staying on air for 12-14 hours while storms wheel across the state. The feeling I have towards them is somewhat like my feelings for the OB doctor who delivered my two babies - they really have protected the lives of people here with their devotion to getting it right on these critical days. In the 19 years we have lived here, we have had 4 tornados hit in the vicinity and so a spring thunderstorm can make for a sleepless night. Once I get the all-clear from "my weather guys", I am off to bed to dream of the quieter days of midsummer. Added as a postscript -- On Monday, May 20, 2013, the unthinkable happened. Once more, an EF5 tornado ground its way through Moore, Oklahoma, and our home of 19 years was destroyed in 60 seconds. That day left some enormous wounds in our hearts, lives, and our community. We are all moving forward as best we can, trusting God with our futures, knowing He is always with us and working from within us.
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(content previously published on old Filigreen blog in 2013)
Thriftstores . . . aaahhh, the seductive lure of saving money on necessities, finding abundant fodder for my creative machine, discovering a lost treasure amongst the castoff cake pans and plaster plaques, and vintage clothing to make my inner 80's teen very, very happy. But there is a dark side, too . . . I make myself watch a couple of episodes of "Hoarders" every week so that I remember to keep myself in check. The thriftstore can be a goldmine in savings for people on a budget or for a high school drama department that is rich in talent but poor in money. At a sewing day yesterday for my oldest daughter's upcoming musical, some of the other ladies and I were sharing our attraction to the fabrics, colors, textures, the POSSIBILITIES!! . . . to be found in the clothing racks at the thriftstore. We are opportunists walking a sheer cliff, discovering, snatching up, and showing off our unique and fabulous finds, but we have to use both foresight AND restraint, because you can only fit so much of this stuff into your closet or costume room. From the time I got my driver's license, I could roam around our four-state corner looking for great thriftstores. I still visit my first and favorite thrift - the Friendship House in Miami, Oklahoma, when I go home for a visit. Great memories of shopping thrifts with sisters and friends - once a friend (Hi to Judy D**a!) and I went to a small town in Kansas in 1982, where an old decrepit department store building was being emptied. We found heels, dresses, sweaters, and jewelry from the 50's, and then we went out to lunch and had Monte Cristo sandwiches (the way they are SUPPOSED to be made, deep-fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar). When my first daughter was born, I wanted everything new, pristine, and clean. No used clothing for my children, please! It only took a short while to understand that 100% cotton stains, not everything can be bleached, and that $24 onesie looks like a hand-me-down after one wearing and an encounter with baby carrots. As the holidays and seasons went by, the realization sunk in that the $50 holiday dress and faux fur baby coat, worn for one Christmas party in 1998, might not even FIT the next baby at the right season, and thrifting began to look very smart. Over the years, I've bought clothes, boots and shoes, toys, decor, furniture, and costumes at various resale sites - whether consignment, antique malls, garage sales, or straight-forward thrift stores. A favorite photo of my husband and first daughter at age two shows her wearing red baby cowboy boots I bought at a thrift store on my lunch break at work. I loved those boots and so did she; when she outgrew them, I donated them to charity and kissed them good-bye. One of the great treasures found at thrifts is the handknitted or crocheted afghan. I'm thinking they were handmade as gifts, then people took such good care of them that they were never used, and they have ended up in new condition on a hanger in a thrift store. Naturally, you have to inspect everything carefully and be sure items can somehow be cleaned before using. In the case of afghans, they are almost always made from acrylic yarn and machine-washable. I recently ran across a Hudson's Bay wool blanket for $5, but it had several moth-eaten spots. For someone who was willing to dry clean it, and then cut it up and use the good parts creatively, it would have been a steal, but it wasn't worth it to me that day. I am fortunate to live in a large metro area where there are several thrift stores - and they all have their version of a sale, whether it's Wacky Wednesday, brown bag day, or buy-it-by-the-pound day. I do try to go on these days, so if I buy something and have second thoughts later, I haven't invested too much money. Lately I am fascinated with ladies' brooches, something our mothers, grand-, and great-grandmothers would have worn. I may not ever wear them, but they don't take up much room in my jewelry box, and I get a lot of pleasure from looking at them. Some day my daughters may raid my costume jewelry looking for just the right accessory and find them there . . . waiting to be treasured again. (content previously published on old Filigreen blog in 2013) One Christmas tradition that people have strong views on is fruitcake. People either love it or hate it. It makes the ambitious baker wonder if it is even worth it to take on this challenge. Holiday fruitcake is a baked item that becomes rather an event - as it requires two days to make, and then some weeks to mature. I was exposed early in life to wonderful fruitcake, courtesy of my dear Grandma Wynn, who would every year order a cake for my family from the famous Collin Street Bakery in Texas. Heavy on the pecans, with only a moderate amount of dried fruit, they had just enough sweet batter to hold it all together. She also loved these cakes and would order one for herself and Grandpa. She would laugh and tell me how, at night after he had gone to bed, she would sneak over in her robe and walker, lean on the counter, and cut off little slices to eat standing up. For a lady in her 90's who had had two hip replacements, this says something about the fruitcake's great taste as a motivator! The making of fruitcake is quite an undertaking, from shopping for ingredients to chopping the dried fruits, stirring the heavy batter, baking a long time in a slow oven, then cooling, decorating, and wrapping in brandy-soaked cheesecloth for storage. THEN you must wait at least a couple of weeks to let the cakes mature before even taking a little taste . . . or kindly presenting them to family & friends in time for Christmas giving. However, I have a recipe that makes it all worth it. I can't even remember where I found it, but I could tell from reading that it would be very similar to the Collin Street fruitcakes. I made a test version, and was convinced that I would never want another fruitcake recipe. With four cups of pecans, and more butter & sugar than flour, more raisins than cherries, and a candy-like texture after the maturing process (not to mention a heady zing from the soaked-in brandy!), this is a fruitcake that might make you famous in your circle. I usually make my fruitcake the weekend right after Thanksgiving, so that the cakes have a good three weeks to mature before distributing around Christmastime. Traditionally, fruitcakes or Christmas puddings are started on the last Sunday before the beginning of Advent, when the Anglican Book of Common Prayer has a prayer worded: 'Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works may of Thee be plenteously rewarded...' The timing of this prayer is a fortuitous reminder to "stir up" the fruitcake early enough that it is well-matured by Christmas. It is worthwhile to shop early for the ingredients, as if you wait until close to Thanksgiving to buy them, the best brands will be gone and maybe not restocked for some time. Usually in October, the stores start stocking the dried fruits, so I get a couple of ingredients at a time, to not unbalance my weekly food budget. If you can find good pecans from Texas, Oklahoma, or Arkansas, those are the best ones, and can be frozen to preserve the flavor; by shopping early, you may even find them on sale. HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE Makes: 1 Bundt pan plus 2 standard loaves plus 3 mini-loaves or 1.5-2 doz. mini-muffins OR six loaves made in 8"x3.75" disposable aluminum pans 1 1/2 c. candied pineapple chunks 1 c. black raisins or chopped dates 2 c. golden raisins 1 1/2 c. candied cherries 1 c. dried cranberries 2 oz. candied orange peel** 2 oz. candied lemon peel** 1 c. plus extra brandy for soaking (I like Paul Masson Grande Amber U.S.) 2 c. butter 4 c. confectioners sugar 8 eggs, separated 4 c. pecans, chopped 3 c. sifted all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1 TBS. vanilla extract (Extra candied fruit and pecan halves for decorating) **if you can't find these, it is fairly easy to make your own: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/19000/sweet-candied-orange-and-lemon-peel/ 1. The day before baking: Chop pineapple, raisins/dates, cherries, cranberries, orange and lemon peel; soak in brandy overnight in refrigerator. 2. Preheat oven to 275 deg F. Place a small pan of water on the lower rack of oven. Line loaf pans with buttered parchment. Bundt pan - butter it well. Mini-muffins - use foil liner cups sprayed with release spray. 3. NOTE: The final amount of batter is quite large, and requires something like a large roasting pan in which to mix it (see pictures below). In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioner's sugar. Stir in beaten egg yolks. Transfer to a large mixing vessel, such as a roasting pan. Stir in fruit, soaking brandy, pecans, and vanilla. 4. In a separate bowl, lightly stir salt into sifted flour; add to batter in large pan. 5. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold into the rest of the batter. Fill pans up to about 2/3 full. 6. Bake according to times below, until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Smaller items will cook faster and therefore be removed from the oven earlier than larger items. Bundt pan - 2-2.5 hrs. Standard loaves - 2 hrs. Mini-loaves - 1.5 hrs. Mini-muffins - 1 hr. (Continued) 7. Glaze (optional): Glaze to attach decorative fruit, such as red/green halved candied cherries, candied pineapple, or pecan halves. Boil together 1/2 c. water and 1/2 c. white sugar for about 15 min, until it is like thick syrup when a bit is cooled on a plate. Brush over the top of the cakes while they are hot, place fruit as decoration, then brush with glaze again. Let the glaze set for 1 hr. before wrapping in next step. 8. Store for at least 2 weeks (2-4 weeks is best), wrapped in a cheesecloth soaked in brandy, then a layer of plastic wrap, and a final layer of foil (see picture below). Add a little more brandy every few days (open the foil and plastic wrap, then just spoon over the cheesecloth in small trickles). I have always kept mine in the refrigerator for the maturing process, because we live in the South and it can be warm, even in November. I find the best way to serve this fruitcake is to cut the cold fruitcake into 1/4"-1/2" thick slices. It can have a quite heady alcohol content, if you have a generous hand with the brandy, so teetotalers are forewarned! It will still be delicious even if you use a smaller amount of brandy. It is not recommended to eliminate the brandy entirely, as the alcohol not only adds flavor and improves texture, but it also extends the shelf life of the cake and keeps it from going bad during the long maturing process.
Happy Christmas and may you always be blessed with fruitcake! (Content previously published on my old Filigreen blog in Jan. 2013)
I saved a scone recipe some time ago and decided to make them recently as a sweet way to wrap up the blessed extra time with my children during their break from school. Naturally, I didn't have the two key flavor ingredients so I had to substitute . . . and they turned out SO GOOD! Maybe next time I will try with the original ingredients, but these were so delicious as they were, that I may just keep them that way. Cherry and White Chocolate Scones 1 1/2 c. + 2 TBS. all-purpose flour 5 TBS. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1/8 tsp. salt 3/4 c. dried cherries, chopped 1/3 c. white almond bark bar, roughly chopped 1 c. heavy cream 1-2 TBS. butter, melted Additional sugar for sprinkling (I used decorative white sugar crystals) Directions: Preheat oven to 375 deg. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; stir well. Stir in the dried cherries and almond bark. Add the heavy cream to the flour mixture, stirring until just incorporated. Using well-floured hands and counter, turn the mixture out of the bowl and pat out to 1/2" depth. Use a floured 1 1/2" circle cutter to cut out rounds; transfer to cookie sheet, placing 1 1/2" apart. Gently bring scraps together and reroll to cut the rest. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with the decorative sugar. Bake for 16-18 minutes, turning pan halfway through the baking time. Makes 25 - 1 1/2" scones. Cool for a few minutes before enjoying with lemon curd and creme fraiche! (Original recipe called for freeze-dried strawberries & white chocolate chips. Here's a link to original: http://dinahs-dishes.com/2012/01/20/strawberry-and-cream-scones/) Faux Creme Fraiche 1 c. Cool Whip, regular 2 TBS. sour cream Mix thoroughly and lavish on warm scones. As the mother of two dear daughters, having a tea party is for us the height of ladylike elegance. Whether we go out to a favorite tea shop, meet with their vivacious aunts in someone's home, or just have a little party for us in our own kitchen, we think this is the best way to celebrate a special occasion or to make an ordinary day into one! (content previously published on old Filigreen blog)
Below are the French lyrics and translation for "Serenade" by Sumi Jo. I first heard this beautiful melody when I was browsing Youtube for ideas for my daughter's District Choral Contest song. Of course, I am not the expert that her Choir Director or vocal coach are, but I know a pretty song when I hear it! I don't think my dear daughter liked it as much as I did, but she's young . . . I've been searching for a set of lyrics to post along with it, and here they are; it turns out to be a Victor Hugo poem set to music by the French composer Gounod. Listening to this song makes me think of a couple of my favorite movies about romantic love that are set in Italy - Enchanted April and A Room With A View. Serenade Lyrics: Quand tu chantes, bercée Le soir entre mes bras, Entends-tu ma pensée Qui te répond tout bas? Ton doux chant me rappelle Les plus beaux de mes jours. Ah! Chantez, Chantez,ma belle, Chantez, chatez toujours! Quand tu ris, sur ta bouche L'amour s'épanouit, Et soudain le farouche Soupçon s'évanouit. Ah! le rire fidèle prouve un coeur sans détours! Ah! Riez, ma belle, Riez, toujours! Quand tu dors, calme et pure, al' ombre, sous mes yeux, ton haleine murmure des mots harmonieux. Ton beau corps se révèle sans voile et sans atours... Ah! Dormez, dormez ma belle... dormez dormez toujours! TRANSLATION: Title: Serenade Author: Victor Hugo ("Quand tu chantes.") When the voice of thy lute at the eve Charmeth the ear, In the hour of enchantment believe What I murmur near. That the tune can the Age of Gold With its magic restore. Play on, play on, my fair one, Play on for evermore. When thy laugh like the song of the dawn Riseth so gay That the shadows of Night are withdrawn And melt away, I remember my years of care And misgiving no more. Laugh on, laugh on, my fair one, Laugh on for evermore. When thy sleep like the moonlight above Lulling the sea, Doth enwind thee in visions of love, Perchance, of me! I can watch so in dream that enthralled me, Never before! Sleep on, sleep on, my fair one! Sleep on for evermore. Translated by HENRY F. CHORLEY. (content previously published on old Filigreen blog)
Scenario: It's 6:03 p.m. on a weekday. Younger kiddo has been home from school for a couple of hours, had her snack earlier, been playing and doing homework, but she won't be hungry for a while still. Husband and older kiddo come in the door, tired, hungry, irritated by traffic or worn out from musical practice, ravenous and looking in the fridge for something quick to eat. We are watching fat and avoiding refined carbs, so what can I give them to eat that's fast, healthy, and not too filling, because supper will be ready soon? More and more lately, the answer is Mast-o-Khiar, a Persian Yogurt-Cucumber Dip. Introduced to me by my dear Persian sisters-in-law, this dip is a refreshing alternative to salsa for whole-grain chips and toasted pita bread. We always have the raw ingredients and it goes together in less than ten minutes. Sometimes I get it made earlier in the day and the flavors have time to mingle, and sometimes I put it together while they go change clothes and just go a little heavier on the ingredients to push up the flavor immediately. We eat it with whole-grain chips or boxed baked pitas, or I toast a couple of whole-wheat pitas to tear into handy pieces for dipping. It's greatly adaptable to personal taste - this is the way we like it, but people also add chopped walnuts, raisins, mint instead of dill, etc. It is also widely used as a condiment in Persian cuisine, served alongside chicken or beef kabobs and rice. Mast-o-Khiar 2 c. fat-free Greek-style yogurt (we like Fage) 1 cucumber, peeled, 1/4" dice 2 green onions, trimmed, halved, minced 1 1/2 TBS. dried dill weed or 3 TBS. fresh dill weed, minced 6-8 pickled jalapeno slices, minced salt & pepper to taste Mix, refrigerate, enjoy! (content previously published on old Filigreen blog site in Feb 2013) Ever since I worked at a Mexican food restaurant during college (where I met my dear husband-to-be!) I have been a devotee of green chiles. This was no ordinary Mexican food restaurant - the owners were from New Mexico and regional specialties like Chile Colorado, Chile Verde, Posole, and Stacked Enchiladas were on the menu. These were new and exotic to me 25+ years ago, and although I have now experimented with southwestern cuisine on my own, those tastes from years ago are what I crave the most. The recipe book was off-limits, but after working there for several years, eating a lot of this delicious stuff, and searching the Internet for recipes, I have been able to recreate some of those wonderful recipes. This is a recipe for Green Chile Stew, a hearty and filling dish that was served several different ways. The stew was served in a bowl with flour tortillas on the side, in a soft baked burrito with more gravy and sour cream on top, and in a fried chimichanga with extra gravy on the side and sour cream on top. We usually just serve it in a bowl, as it doesn't really last long enough at my house to go through too many creative reincarnations. Sour cream is a deliciously suitable topping to the bowl of stew, with tortillas, crackers, or a hearty bread for sopping up the thick broth gravy. Green Chile Stew 2-3 TBS. cooking oil 1 lb. beef stew meat 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. black pepper 2 lg. onions, long-sliced 1/2 bottle DXX beer (someone can drink the rest!) 2 c. water *16 oz. canned whole green chiles, roughly chopped by hand, with juice 8-oz. can chopped green chiles 2 slices cooked bacon, chopped 1/3 c. salsa 1 tsp. garlic powder 3/4 tsp. dried oregano 1/4 tsp. ground cumin 2 pinches dried red pepper flakes 2 4-oz. cans sliced mushrooms 6 lg. potatoes, peeled, chopped into 1" cubes 1 TBS. concentrated beef base (I use Better Than Boullion or Knorr Concentrated Stock) 2 c. water (Sour Cream for topping) In a large Dutch oven with lid, brown the meat in the oil for 5-6 minutes over med-high heat, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, pepper, and onions; turn heat down to med-low. Cover and continue to brown for another 5 minutes, stirring with a spatula every couple of minutes, being careful not to scorch it. Add the beer and first 2 c. of water, all the green chiles, bacon, salsa, herbs/spices, and mushrooms. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes, cover, and cook for another 20-25 minutes until potatoes are done. Add the beef base and next 2 c. water; check seasoning and add more salt and black pepper, if needed. Cook 5 more minutes, then serve with sour cream and your favorite hearty bread, tortillas, or crackers. Makes 8 big servings. *If you can't find this in your grocery store, you can add a number of small cans to be equivalent in ounces. I just think the whole ones have a better flavor; they are going to break down all the way in the cooking, so the canned chopped ones will be okay on texture. If you want to roast your own whole chiles, such as Anaheim chiles you may find in the produce section, here is a link to instructions: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2009/09/how-to-roast-anaheim-green-chiles-on.html I have always been a writer. I have not ever been much of a talker. The quiet child, quiet young person, quiet adult, wife, and mom who has always found it easier to listen than to articulate my thoughts. Now that I am older and the world in general (and I in particular) have become more aware of introversion, I value my quiet nature in a way I never could when I was younger. But writing . . . writing was always a magnet to me, and I started composing short poems when I was in grade school. In my middle school years, I wrote long, loopy letters to my pen pal and my grandmothers. In high school and college, I was committed to making regular journal entries. I did my best to keep up with my journals through motherhood, but sometimes years would go by between entries. However, when I felt the urge to write, I could always pick up my journal and pen again, and the words would flow as if there had been no interruption. It was with much delight and enthusiasm that I took up blogging a few years ago, with the best intentions of posting at least twice a month. Well, let's just say reality was quite different from my intentions! In the interest of getting back into a habit of regular blog posts, I have revamped my Filigreen site and am hoping to be a more productive blogger! I hope you enjoy my blog and reading about my different perspectives and projects. Welcome! |
AuthorI am Kelly - a wife, mother, cook, gardener, sewist, and much more. Creativity is the gift that I have been blessed with, and it has been a river of blessings to me. A creative outlet is good for you, body and soul. This blog is about helping you find ways to fit more creativity into your life, to enrich your own life and that of others. Archives
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