Monday's Hero

I want to write about Columbus a little bit today. I keep hearing people slamming him. They are changing the name of the holiday to Fall Holiday, etc because of the atrocities he caused the people of Hispaniola when he came over (bringing smallpox and enslaving them,etc. - but if you really look into it, these things weren't Columbus' personal fault but the fault of other Europeans. He is just taking the fall). They also say he can't possibly have discovered anything because people were already here. I disagree. There may have been people here already but his discovery brought the people of Europe here. I am a descendant of them and I am mighty glad that I am here. My ancestors came for a variety a reasons, my most recent ones, the Brugger's because of religious freedom and to live close to people that believed the same way they did. No matter how we look at it - every hero has flaws. They are human. We can still be grateful for the good they did.

Today, to celebrate Columbus Day, Clyde and I went the Gillette Castle in Connecticut. Elise Cannon had gone there with her friend Teresa just before her visit here over Labor Day. We took her advice and went and took a gander. It was fascinating. William Gillette was the actor best known for originating the part of Sherlock Holmes. He was a stage actor and he is the one that came up with the Meerschaum pipe, the Inverness Cape and the deerstalker hat that became the trademarks of Sherlock Holmes on the stage and in the early movies at the beginning of the 20th century. The house is constructed entirely of stone - inside and out. It is like a rustic hunting lodge. I suggest that you get on the Internet and look at pictures of it. We forgot our camera but they were being really strict about what could be photographed and what couldn't be anyway. There was an elaborate system of latches and locks on the doors that were beautiful as well as functional and in the windows too. The light switches were also a series of levers and pulleys (he had steam heat, gas lighting and electricity years before anyone else did). It was a fascinating excursion.

I am thankful for a comfortable car, beautiful autumn colors, the wonderful company of my husband, returned missionaries and good friends.

Thursday's Recipes

First of all - a belated Happy Birthday to my niece, Sara Marie Walker. I am so sorry I spaced your birthday yesterday. I wasn't feeling well and so I just blew the whole day! I love you and hope you had an amazing birthday. You certainly deserve it.

Now to the business at hand. I hope you enjoy these recipes. The first one is one that I make mostly in the Autumn and Winter simply because it is just those kind of flavors. I fix this for Clyde a couple of times a month for breakfast and serve it with fresh whipped cream. He gets his fresh fruit in the side.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Waffles
1 cup flour (you can use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white if desired)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

In a bowl stir together dry ingredients. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. If the mixture is thick add a bit of regular milk or water until the it is the right consistency. (Sometimes buttermilk comes very thick). Pour as much as your waffle baker uses and cook according to manufacturer's directions. Serve with maple syrup, apple sauce or whipped cream.

** Note: If you have Pumpkin Pie Spice - use 2 teaspoons of that instead of measuring out all of the spices.
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This is what I take to every potluck (linger-longer's is what they are called here) we have at Church. I have yet to bring any home. It is a recipe that I have had since we lived in Kerrville and I would fix it there when we would stay all day for General Conference. Then I would bring it in a large roaster and several times I had it spill all over the back of my car. Now I have made the recipe crockpot friendly! My crockpot has a snap down lid so no more spills in the back of my car! I made this at Carianne's when we were there this summer - same results. Everyone loved it and very few leftovers and there were not the swarms of people there like there are Church.

10 Bean Crockpot Special
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage (I can't always find bulk sausage so I just strip off the casings from the links)
1/4 pound pepperoni sausage sliced thin and then in half again
1/2 pound smoked Kielbasa, sliced thin and then in half again
16 ounce can pork and beans, un-drained
16 ounce can red kidney beans, un-drained
16 ounce can chili beans with meat, un-drained
16 ounces pinto beans, drained
16 ounces Canellini (white kidney beans) drained
16 ounces butter beans, drained
1 cup frozen Lima beans
16 ounces black beans, drained
16 ounces navy beans, drained
16 ounces pink beans, drained
1 can tomato soup, undiluted
3 ounces tomato paste
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup spicy barbecue sauce
6 slice bacon fried crisp and broken up

Brown the Italian sausage in a skillet and drain well. Dump into a 12-cup crockpot. Fry off the bacon and slice up or break up. Add all the meats to the crockpot. Add all of the beans, stirring after each addition. Mix in the tomato soup. Stir in the tomato past, brown sugar and barbecue sauce. Mix all the ingredients well. Cook on low for 3 hours. Serves 16-20.

** Note: I usually dump the whole pound of Italian sausage and Kielbasa into the crockpot along with the whole package of slice pepperoni I get. This could be why the men especially love this dish. At Carianne's we couldn't find Italian Sausage so I can't remember if we used breakfast sausage or chorizo but it was sure good.

I figure that I never know how frequently I will be making the dish so it isn't advantageous to freeze the leftover meats because they could be in the freezer way too long. I would rather buy everything fresh as needed. If your crockpot can hold more beans - feel free to add them but drain them. This gets pretty soupy pretty quick. This originally started out as a 6 bean casserole.

It is an expensive dish. I figure it costs me about $20 every time I make it. On the other hand how could I possible feed so many people for so little money?

Things I am thankful for: the ability to make wonderful dishes like these, the foods to make dishes like these, a great crockpot, that I am feeling better this morning.

Tuesday Book Review

For our book group at Church this month we are reading "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See. I have to say I was hesitant about the book but once I started reading the book I could not put it down - to the point that when I got to the end I actually made Clyde get his own dinner. That is something I very rarely do. But I just could not stop reading the book until I came to the end. It is about a girl named Lily and her lifelong friend, a secret writing that only women know and foot binding in China. This all takes place in what I surmise to be the late 1700's or early 1800's but I couldn't find an exact time for the dynasties - though I tried. It doesn't matter - it was an incredible tale of heartfelt love and betrayal. I highly recommend it!

I have also read my China Bayles, Meg Langslow, Death on Demand books along with my 'Quilter's Apprentice' books. I am also reading the newest Kevin Leman book, "What Your Childhood Memories Tell You" and enjoying that. But I only read that book when I am in the sauna at Sedona - so that is slower going. (Don't worry it is a dry sauna so that book is not harmed). I need to read the last of the Thursday Next books but I am kind of waiting to do that one when I finish the Kevin Leman book. I like to read those books slowly. There is too much to absorb to hurry through them.

Things I thankful for - heaters, sweaters, warm slippers, cocoa motion machine, my recliner.

Monday's Entry

This is not a Monday's Heroe per se. Today Clyde's mother is having surgery on her left hand because of a fall at Clyde's sister's home. Thelma crushed her left wrist. The doctors are not sure they will be able to set the bones but they are hoping to be able to get her the use of her hand again. She is left-handed so to have some use of her hand would be nice. So I am letting people know her plight so she can be in prayers. She is 85 years old and could have ended up with a broken hip or worse but a broken wrist and two black eyes is bad enough.

Pam and Chris Davis' Anniversary

It is Pam and Chris Davis' 6th anniversary today. It is amazing to me that we have lived in Rhode Island that long but there you are. I have loved having Pam and Chris in Pennsylvania for the last 2 years. It has been so much fun to just take off and go and see them when the whim struck. We love you guys so much! I am at the Church and my picture sticks are at home. I will post a picture later.

It's Been Too Long

Pam, Elise, Me and Clyde in our miniscule living room.

Pam, Elise, Me and Teresa

I have been sitting on these pictures WAY too long. On Labor Day Weekend, Clyde and I had the most company we have ever had since we moved to Rhode Island (and we have now lived here longer than we lived in Ephraim!). Pam and her son Dutch came to visit and so did Elise Cannon (there is no other way of claiming her than saying she is like my fifth daughter) and her friend Teresa. We had so much fun! Pam and Dutch came on Friday and we had had a really amazing weekend. Then Elise and Teresa came Sunday Evening and stayed at our friends house (Gary and MaryAnn Kohl's) Sunday night and came for breakfast Monday morning. Clyde, Pam and I are dressed for the Newport Ward Labor day picnic. Elise and Teresa went to see the Newport Mansions (where movies like High Society and the Great Gatsby have been filmed). But for the few hours we spent together we laughed and had an amazing time with Elise and Teresa. Basically we picked up with Elise where we left off. She is such a part of our family. I am sure if we ran into her parents it would be the same way. Her mom and dad are very special to us - which is why our girls called them Aunt Debbie and Uncle Curt. One day one our daughters asked me how we were related to the Cannons. I told her by love.

Recipe Day

I get requests for my recipes so much I decided I needed to just start writing them down. So one day a week I will put one or two of my recipes on the blog. This week it is Thursday - I am not sure if it will stay on Thursdays or not.

Blondies
1 stick butter (Butter is best but stick margarine will work)
1 pound brown sugar (2 cups packed as tightly as you can get it in the cups)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups flour

Set your oven for 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a 3 quart saucepan. When the butter is completely melted, take off the heat and add the brown sugar to the saucepan. Mix completely. Add the eggs, one at a time and mix quickly and completely (so you don't get scrambled eggs). Add the vanilla, baking powder and salt and blend in. Add the flour and stir just until blended (I find it is best to mix it in as I measure it, 1 cup, then 1/2, then 1/4 cup. It is much easier to mix this thick batter then). Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray especially for baking. Pour the batter in and make sure it is evenly spread over the bottom of the pan. Bake for 25 minutes. When you take the blondies out, score them with a pancake turner deeply in the amount you want. If you don't do it right when you take them out - they are much harder to cut later. If you have done this right, in about an hour, you can pop them out of the pan and break them apart along the 'score' lines into bars. Enjoy. Whatever is not eaten today, seal in a plastic bag for tomorrow.

These are my most requested item other than my 10 bean crock-pot dish at Church. It is in our ward cookbook but it is easier for me to make it. As a variation you can add, nuts, chocolate chips or raisins. However my family has always preferred them just plain and apparently so does the Newport Ward.

Ham and Potato Chowder

In a 3 quart saucepan, drop in 3 cups of cut up potatoes. Add enough chicken broth to cover them and simmer until the potatoes are tender. With a potato masher, coarsely mash the potatoes (you don't want this overly smooth but you don't want big chunks either). Add 2 Tablespoons of flour and mix well. Let the mixture come to a boil (you might have to add a bit more broth at this point - you want it thick but not too thick). On medium low heat add one cup milk, 3/4 cup cheese (I usually use a combination of cheddar and Swiss) and anywhere from 3/4 to 1 cup of cubed ham. Blend until the cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Do not let the soup boil or the milk and cheese will curdle and it will not be appealing to eat (learned the hard way). Serves 3-4 generously.

This is a great dish if you have leftover ham from a big dinner. I have even used leftover potatoes in it. I have also used processed cheese slices when I realized that is all I have had - with good results.

I make this so much that I don't even have the recipe written down anywhere. I do it completely by look and taste now.

I am grateful for good food to eat, a warm place to live, sweaters, flannel pajamas and family love.