History In Recipes

At Mother's Day I wrote a post lamenting the fact that I had never met my mother-in-law.  As Weber remembers stories about her he shares them with me.  And as we unpack more boxes at the house, things that she owned, made, and collected are surfacing.  With each discovery comes another opportunity to come to know a woman whom I greatly admire and will never meet.

Today's discovery was her cookbook.  You know the one; we all have one just like it.  Most of us got it as a wedding present  - The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook or the Joy of Cooking or something similar.  There is no doubt that the information in these cookbooks has been a lifesaver at least once in our cooking careers, but it is the recipes that have been clipped from newspapers or handwritten on now yellowed paper and stuck inside the book's cover that give us real insight into the woman behind the cookbook.

My mother in law's cookbook is titled Household Searchlight Recipe Book, published in 1938 by The Household Magazine in Topeka, Kansas.  I have not yet had time to digest all that lies within the pages of this book.  I am looking forward to all that it has to offer.  Today I want to share one of the first clippings thatI I found when I opened the book.

Right inside the front cover, on that characteristic yellowed paper that I spoke of earlier, is a collection of favorite recipes from the First Christian Church of Carrollton, Texas.  It is an example of what desktop publishing looked like in 1975.  On the first page of that collection is the following:

At a time when this country is mourning the passing and celebrating the life of Betty Ford, I found this to be a synchronistic finding.  If you are interested in cooking like a first lady, here is Betty Ford's recipe.

Mrs. Gerald Ford's recipe for

RUBY-RED GRAPEFRUIT CHICKEN

(Quick Cooking)

2 ruby-red grapefruit

1/2 whole cranberry sauce

1 Tbsp. honey

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

1 fryer, disjointed

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Peel and section grapefruit, squeezing all juice from membranes into saucepan.  Add cranberry sauce, honey, cloves and salt, mixing well, then bring to a boil.  Stir in grapefruit sections.  Brown chicken in butter in fryer, then place in a shallow baking dish.  Baste with grapefruit sauce.  Bake in 350-degree oven for about 45 minutes, basting frequently.  Serve chicken with remaining grapefruit sauce.  Serves 4.

I'm amazed at how many of our memories reside in food, both that we liked and disliked.  How many times have you heard someone say something along the lines of "Do you remember that awful jello casserole with the cottage cheese and walnuts that Aunt Lulu made?'  Or, "I have grandma's chocolate chip cookie recipe but they just don't taste the same when I make them."  I remember thinking the first Christmas after my mom passed away how much I missed the jar of bread and butter pickles made from cucumbers from my dad's garden that she always gave me at Christmastime.  And now I'm on the hunt for her cole slaw recipe.  Cole slaw was something that I didn't care for as a child so I never asked her for her recipe.  Now I love the stuff!  Go figure!

To all of you cooks out there who make a family favorite that has become a tradition, make sure you write it down.  Stick it in the front cover of your "work horse" cookbook.  It will make someone smile once you are gone.  I promise!

It's A Bird. It's a Plane. It's . . .

. . .A Cloud

I thought that this one cloud that, to me at least, looks like a plane soaring across the horizon was fascinating.  Thank goodness for the camera on my phone or I would miss many cool sights like this.

Our First Anniversary

Today we have been married a year. Well, actually we have been married 47 years but only one to each other. A few days ago someone asked me how we were going to celebrate our first anniversary. Though both Weber and I aware of the significance of this day, neither of us had any notion that it would take on an extra-ordinary feel. After I was asked how we were planning to observe our special day and after I had to reply with the truth, that we had no special plans, I started pondering whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

TV shows, movies, and comic strips find much material in the husband who forgets his anniversary. The opposite is the couple who plans an expensive getaway to some exotic location hoping for some fairy take adventure. I will admit that I don’t want to be the wife whose husband forgets our anniversary, but is some extreme celebration, particularly on your first anniversary, really necessary. Maybe my attitudes are coming from the fact that I am nearly 50 and not 20 something or maybe they are coming from the place where I feel loved every day and don’t need one day a year of ceremonial gestures to remind me of that. I don’t know. I do know that however we spend our day it will be perfect.

So what did we do?

We slept late and did not go to church. This was not some gift to ourselves. It had to do with the fact that the dog felt called to go outside every hour from about 12;30am to 7 am. Needless to say, when the alarm went off at 7:15 there was very little discussion about whether we were going to get up.

We went out to breakfast at one of our favorite gourmet restaurants - Waffle House. This really was a treat. At Waffle House you can get a fried egg. It takes a cooktop to fry an egg, or anything else for that matter. We still don’t have a cooktop. Well, we do but it is in the box. In fact, we just paid for the extended warranty just in case it doesn’t work when we finally get it installed.

Then we went grocery shopping at Central Market. Celebrating this way is a family tradition. The one thing that Brooke wanted for her 18th birthday was unlimited time and unlimited spending at Central Market. Her wish was granted. We had neither unlimited time nor unlimited spending but we did have fun. I think we experienced the same feelings of joy on our special day as Brooke did on her monumental birthday.

Coincidentally the Resounding Harmony end of the season/beginning of the new season party was today. In some ways this was a perfect way for us to celebrate our first year of married life. RH is the first thing that we decided to do together after we were married. It is the only group that has known me only as married to Weber. I did not have to transition through the name change thing. It is the one place where we have a completely clean slate. For this reason, nobody at the party this evening knew that today is our first anniversary, but we did. And we were able to enjoy our time together with new friends pretending that the party was being thrown on our behalf.

When we got home I prepared for school and did the laundry. It was like any other evening. And like every other evening I give thanks that I have someone whom I deeply love to share my life. Each day that we fall asleep and wake up together, share a cup of coffee and work the crossword puzzle, stroll through the grocery store discussing whether we should buy Gala or Fuji apples, fold a basket of laundry together, or take turns sweeping the never ending wads of dog hair is a day of celebration. What more can a person ask for?

Our wedding day was an amazing day but life keeps getting better!

Two Week's Time

,I seemed to have lost track of time. I was shocked when I realized that I have not posted here in nearly two weeks. Like most of us when we fall short of our goals I have tried to figure out what went wrong; what the heck have I been doing for all this time? What makes this whole situation even more curious is that I have been at home the entire time, except on the days I teach, because Weber has been without his contacts during these two weeks in preparation for cataract surgery and has not been able to drive. As I have reflected on these past couple of weeks, I realize that I have accomplished a few things. The fact that I have done so in a leisurely way is so uncommon for me that I have the feeling that I have not done much when the truth is that I really have. Calm feels really nice!

What I Have Done Over the Past Two Weeks

• Though I have not written a blog post, I have done some writing for some projects whose identities are not yet ready to be disclosed. If and when they are, I will gladly share them with all of you.

• I have walked to and from school. The morning walk is a fabulous way to start the day. The temperatures are cool, relatively speaking, the birds are singing, and I get a little exercise. The afternoon walk home is not quite as pleasant but it is certainly not unbearable.

• Through the miracle of Netflix we watched several Michael Moore films, all of which were eye-opening, maddening, powerful, and very well done. We also watched a documentary titled, “America’s Most Hated Family.” This chronicled the doings of Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. I don’t recommend this film to anyone who has high blood pressure, a heart condition or anger management issues. It will make your heart hurt, your blood boil, and trigger even the slightest inclination toward a fit of rage. Because we could not go anywhere to get ice cream, chocolate, alcohol or anything else to calm our souls after watching this, we opted to watch something much less controversial, something focused on the process of creation rather than destruction. “Between the Folds” is an amazing documentary on the many facets of origami - everything from its beauty as an amazing art form to how it is used as a teaching tool in classrooms across the world.

• I unpacked a few more boxes, probably not as many as I could have or should have. But, every little bit helps, right? Please say “yes”!

• Adidas and I have taken our individual obsessions and formed a meaningful symbiotic relationship. He is an compulsive shedder and I have become a compulsive sweeper. This may be where 99% of my time has gone during my days at home. The upshot here is that all things considered, the house is pretty darn clean right now. And watching Clean House on the Style channel makes me want to keep it that way. Many facets of my life may make for a hit reality TV show; Clean House is definitely one that I don’t want to be on!

• I did not do much laundry. When you don’t leave the house, the dress code reads, “Same shirt. Different day.” And, several other articles of clothing are, lets just say, unnecessary.

• We did all of the daily New York Times crossword puzzles - even Friday. I have not decided whether is comforting or disturbing to have come to the point where we can do a successful mind meld with Will Shortz.

• FYI - Amazon.com sells my new favorite cookies. (I am getting my money’s worth from my Amazon Prime membership.) The UPS man is my new best friend. He brings my cookies that Amazon sells and he brings coffee too! This is just a public service announcement. I did n ot spend time ordering these things. The truth is that it takes very little, probably too little,time to order just about anything online - especially books. Enough said.

• I knit, therefore I have one sock. I need two socks. I needed two socks a month ago. I did not knit enough.

• We also spent time watching our garden grow. Though we have yet to see tomatoes or cucumbers, the okra and jalapenos are doing great. We also picked our first crooked neck squash. I have to admit hat this was very exciting. It was so exciting that Weber took a picture of our first squash.

With that we give thanks for the fruits of our garden, the fruits of our time, and the fruits of our imagination!

One Small Step for the Kitchen, One Giant Step for Our Gastronomic Possibilities

For many months our kitchen has looked like this.

The refrigerator has protective coverings but has been plugged in and working for quite a while. That has been the extent of our kitchen function. As you can see, the oven is in place but its protective coverings and interior packing materials have not been removed. The many boxes in this picture contain the cooktop, microwave, garbage disposal and, yes, the kitchen sink. You will notice a definite lack of cabinets and countertops.

Today we took one small step for the kitchen and one giant step for our gastronomic possibilities. The oven has now been fully installed! Real baked potatoes, pizza bigger than 13" (whicht is the biggest that the toaster oven will hold), a Texas-sized pan of brownies and angel food cake that is not seared on the top are all mine with the push of a few simple buttons.

Weber, being a good consumer, opted to read the manual for the oven rather than choosing my more experiential method of just pushing all the buttons and figuring out that way how it all works. This proved to be as entertaining as it was informative.

The following are exact quotes from our new oven's manual.

• Never Use the Oven for Warming or Heating the Room. I thought this was an added bonus offered with most ovens, one that is not appreciated at this time of year.
• Children should not be allowed to sit or stand on any part of the oven. I guess that they should be laid comfortably on an appropriately sized pan before cooking.
• Wear proper apparel. Loose fitting or hanging garments should never be worn while using the oven. I now have an opportunity to wear that baking bikini that has worked its way to the bottom of my drawer. And I'm so glad that they specified "hanging garments." I'd hate to think that I couldn't cook unless I'm wearing proper foundational garments!
• Flammable items should not be stored in an oven. I sure hope we have cabinets soon since I no longer have a place to store the lighter fluid.
• Do Not Heat Unopened Food Containers. So much for convenience foods.
• DO NOT TOUCH HEATING ELEMENTS OR INTERIOR SURFACES OF OVEN. Where was our governor Rick Perry when this manual was being written? He vetoed a bill prohibiting texting while driving because he said that he "did not want to micromanage the personal behaviors of individuals." I think I should have the right to touch my oven wherever I want to. If I am foolish enough to engage in an inappropriate relationship then I should learn from the error of my ways.

Though we had several good laughs reading these warnings, the sad truth is that they are included here because someone or ones did these very things, probably with somewhat negative results, and tried to blame the manufacturer. If we promoted cooking education instead of abstinence our society might be better equipped to face the challenges of everyday life. Oh wait, wrong soapbox, but I guess it works here too. If rather than simply saying don't touch the heating elements, the instructions said be sure to use an oven mitt when the possibility of touching a hot oven exists. And remember, oven mitts alone are not a guarantee against serious burns.

Despite the comical nature of the oven's instructions, it is a very nice appliance and I am looking forward to building a long-lasting relationship with it. It does some really cool things. It has a setting for dehydrating. And one for proofing bread. It also has a Sabbath setting. It does all the normal stuff too. And, did I mention that it will cook an angel food cake without searing the top? This is a relationship made in heaven!

Frames, Francis, and Felines

As the end of June nears, I find myself struck by how quickly time has passed. It has been a little over a year since we began the work to remodel the house and a little less than a year since Weber and I were married. To mark these milestones we are doing our best to assimilate mine, his, and ours to create a home that is comfortable and uniquely ours.

After the arrival of dining room furniture tomorrow, every room will have furniture. I can say this because kitchens don’t have furniture; so, the fact that we are still minus a functional kitchen doesn’t compromise the truth of my statement about furniture. Well, we will eventually need bar stools but that seems like small potatoes in the big scheme of things.

Now that we have furnishings, we can start to hang art on the walls and add those little touches that make a house a home. Once we got all of our pictures and prints in one place I was amazed by just how much we have – photographs that I have taken, paintings done by Weber’s mother and grandmother, prints that we have collected, a few original pieces, and several icons. We spent today looking at our collection, deciding what should go where, and buying the necessary frames. Since we have removed a few walls, we may very well have more art than we do wall space. I can think of worse situations. (Like no sink, or stove, or cabinets . . .) Back to the point-

One of the things that needed a frame was this.

It is an image of St. Francis done by artist Catherine Nolin. (www.catherinenolin.org) This was Weber’s wedding gift to me. Sadly it has been safely tucked amidst a cardboard sandwich for nearly a year. I remember thinking when I first saw it that it was beautiful but that it didn’t make any sense to frame it and hang it at that point because we were in a state of transition. I decided to wait until we had moved and settled into our new home so that it would have a room, or at least a wall, of its own.

Looking at this picture again today with fresh eyes, I still think it is beautiful. I feel like I am right there with Francis, watching him, feeling him, admiring him, and breathing his essence. The door is open for me to follow him, to join him on the path of humility, love, and joy.

The thing that today struck me most about this image is the cat. To most, there is probably nothing particularly striking about this cat. However, if you are a regular reader here, you may remember that in the assimilation of mine, his and ours in the “ours” is a kitten who came to live with us shortly after we returned from our honeymoon.

Though in her baby pictures the kitten is pure white, as she has grown orange highlights have emerged. To me she looks like a toasted marshmallow. She also looks like the cat it the picture. They both have the orange ears and tail and faint orange shadings on their backs. And, they both enjoy sitting, or lying, at the door and watching the world outside. It is as if our newest family member was the model for Catherine Nolin’s depiction of St. Francis.

As I have said more than once, I don’t believe in coincidence. That Weber chose this particular picture of St. Francis when there are literally hundreds of them available, that it contains a cat that looks just like ours, at that our cat’s name is Frankie, a name that we did not chose for her, are things that did not happen simply by chance.

What is meant to be will be.

Father's Day 2011

It is funny how our obligations to and relationships with holidays change throughout life. My first memories of Father’s Day are from when I was four or so and my “gift” to my Dad was to help him wash the car. Having now raised two children who were at various times four years old, I’m not sure how much of a gift that really was for my Dad; it was perhaps a better deal for my mom who got some free time while I had some bonding time with my paternal parental unit. As a teenager I struggled to find gifts for my Dad because as an officer in the Navy he was not home much. I didn’t know him very well and he didn’t know me. Now, some thirty years later, we have gotten to know one another pretty well, and we are very much alike. I sent my Dad a book and a pound of Texas Pecan coffee, two things that I would be happy to receive on any occasion that necessitates gift giving.

The one thing that I did not do this Father’s Day was to help the girls shop for Mike. First of all, they are not in close proximity and second of all, they are old enough to check the calendar and realize that they need to acknowledge the day without me nagging them. So, I didn’t. I do know that Offspring No. 2 was shopping last night at midnight. I’m not sure about No. 1. And, it is not my problem.

At our house, we have joined the realm of people who receive Mother’s and Father’s Day cards from their four-legged children. Technically, Adidas and Harley have a step-dog relationship with Weber. Although with Adidas, “top dog” in his world is whoever feeds him. Most of the time that is Weber so Adidas ignores the stepparent designation.

In the realm of some relationships are kind of complicated, is Harley’s relationship with Weber. In a post back in February of 2007, I told the story of Harley coming to live with us. At that time, I neglected what has come to be a rather ironic detail. I did receive a call from a friend at the local knit shop asking me if I wanted a tiny, freezing, abandoned puppy. The irony is that before this friend called me, she had called Weber’s ex-wife asking if they wanted the puppy. Obviously she said “No” and the rest is history . . .sort of. It seems though that the greater plan was that Harley was indeed to be in Weber’s life and she was destined to live here in Dallas. For this we are all very grateful!

"I love you, Dad!"

So how did the dogs and their dad spend Father’s Day? Doing something that they all love . . .sharing watermelon. Both Adidas and Harley “helped” Weber cut the watermelon, much in the same way that I helped my dad wash the car when I was four. They all had several bites of the melon just to make sure that it was indeed good. Though the process took longer than it probably should have, they all seemed to enjoy themselves.

He who cuts the watermelon gets the first bite.

He who whines the loudest, or helps the most, gets the second bite.

Patient girls finish last.

Good to the last drop!

Happy Father’s Day to all of you who have parented both two-legged and four-legged kids!