HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

                              
                             HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!


So today is the day universally accepted to show you love someone. I think it has gone overboard commercially. After all, if you love someone, you should do that through your actions every day, as we all know actions speak louder than words. That being said, if you want to do a nice dessert, here's old fashioned red velvet cake with cooked icing. This is My other half's favorite cake and since his birthday is day after tomorrow, this cake kills two birds with one stone, so to speak.

RED VELVET CAKE

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil for the pans
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
• Crushed pecans, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smoothbatter is formed.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. 

COOKED ICING

1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. flour

In small saucepan cook until thick and smooth: milk, flour. Stir with wooden spoon constantly. Set aside to cool. In a bowl cream butter and shortening together using electric mixer. Add sugar gradually. Beat well until no longer grainy. Add cooked flour mixture. Beat until consistency of whipped cream. Add vanilla and stir. 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

1 Cor. 13:4

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  John 3:16

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Pieces of Time

New years come and new years go,

Pieces of time all in a row.

As we live our life, each second and minute,

We know we’re privileged to have you in it.

Our appreciation never ends

For our greatest blessings: our family and friends.

Happy New Year!

~By Joanna Fuchs 

  This has been such a challenging year. 2011 was a year of loss for many around here. The floods were of biblical  and record proportions, changing the lives of many and affecting everyone, whether directly or indirectly. Crops and gardens and animals all suffered right along with their human counterparts. As I write this, we still have not had hard winter freezing yet, and the ground is still wet and mushy. 

So for 2012, I ask for just normal rain amounts, good gardens  and crops with high yields, healthy animals, and for nature to take pity on us and give us all a rest. I gain new hope daily as my favorite seed catalogs have started arriving, and I and others start eagerly planning gardens and hoping for a far better year. I have really enjoyed starting to explore heirloom seeds and am getting away from commercial seed. Lots of good outlets and nice to know I am not contributing to further GMO problems.

The new year also brings it's own rituals. Tonight, our family will have surf and turf at home, with new york strips, lobster and scallops, goopy potatoes (very cheesy yummy mashed taters) and a variety of salads and veggies. We usually also have a clam dip that I make that i will share here.

New year's day brings another tradition here, pork and sauerkraut. The reason we all eat pork on new year's day is because pigs root ahead, and we want good luck in "rooting ahead" into the New Year! The dinner is usually accompanied by mashed taters, corn, pepper cabbage, and dumplings. We always look forward to pigging out before being good in the New Year!

CLAM DIP

This is pretty common, but yummy!

• 2 small packages (6 ounces total) cream cheese
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 small clove of garlic, crushed and finely minced
• 1 can (7 oz) minced clams, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• dash ground cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

Clam dip directions
Mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and garlic together until smooth. Add minced clams and blend in with remaining seasonings. Chill clam dip thoroughly. Serve clam dip with chips, crackers, or vegetable dippers.

PORK and SAUERKRAUT DINNER--Crockpot Version

4 lbs pork roast, browned first with a little chicken montreal seasoning in butter

Put the roast in the crockpot and cover with roughly 2 lbs. of sauerkraut and then cover in chicken broth. Use silver floss brand for the kraut.

cook on low for roughly 10 hrs or until tender

For the dumplings, mix  two cups of bisquick with 3/4 cup of milk until there's a soft dough. Spoon the dough onto the pork and sauerkraut when it's done. Let it cook for about 15 minutes, and then put the crock pot (minus the heating unit, of course) in the oven at 450 for five minutes, until the tops get crusty and lightly brown. Make mashed taters and corn as sides, and further in my blog is the recipe for pepper cabbage.

ENJOY and HAPPY NEW YEAR!  

Christkindl Market

 This past weekend, Mifflinburg PA, hosted the annual Christkindl German Christmas Market. A few block of a couple of streets are turned into the traditional Christmas market with vendors, folk dancers, food, carolers, crafters etc. it is a fun time indeed. So here are few pictures from the day.

 This is the Tinsel Angel and her story is posted in another picture below.

Here are some antique and restored bells.

One of the pretty wreaths.

This is a German Pyramid. They have a neat history all their own and you can read about them at
http://www.christkindl-markt.com/german-tradition-german-pyramids-a-43.html

I love folk art and loved these hand painted game boards.

The top picture and this are from the same Church in Mifflinburg.

Some German folk dancing!

Can't have a festival without food. I was eating brats with saukraut and Spätzle and Stollen and, well, you get the idea! Good sharp cheese and garlic balogna courtesy of RISHEL'S MEATSAddress: 701 Walnut ST, Mifflinburg, PA 17844

Another pretty wreath....and game board......

My best friend and I with Old World St. Nicholas. I was unable to get pictures of the beautiful nutcrackers, though.

  

Live nativity......

Great pickles, extra hot garlic! Courtesy of Peter Piper's Pickles, they ship!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peter-Pipers-PA-Pickles/114801461944205

Sign of Mifflinburg.

                                                            The story of the Tinsel Angel.

                                                         One of the many pretty trees......

                                         One of the pretty houses and decorations....................

                                                                     Last wreath..................

Christmas Cookies!

Christmas is only a week away. I am always amazed at how quickly the year (and years) pass by. I am often swamped this time of year because I often have to work a lot of overtime hours November and December which makes it really tough to do the things I love to in this season which is cook, bake, and craft.

I do always decorate though and try at least get some baking in. Every family has their favorites. I won't post all mine today but will share a few for you to try this week.

My father loves thick soft sugar. Our family recipe can use any number of different extracts. Most commonly I use lemon or almond or vanilla for these but have used others as well. So it can be a really nice versatile cookie for you as well. And iced, they are show stoppers!

SUGAR COOKIES

4 C sifted flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 C shortening/butter
1 1/2 C sugar
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla ( or other extract flavors like lemon and almond)
4 tsp milk (approx)

Directions:

Sift--- flour, baking powder, salt sifted 3 times-- set aside
Mix--butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla until light and fluffy
Alternate mixing dry ingredients into wet (if you want to add food coloring, here is the place to do it)
Chill dough in freezer to cool quickly, or make into ball and leave in fridge overnight
Heat oven to 400 degrees F
Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness
Cut out with flour dipped cutters
Bake on lightly greased sheets until bottoms look golden, tops will still be pretty light and soft looking, let cool.

Another favorite here that Mike likes are my Oatmeal cookies. You can vary these as well depending on whether you like to add chocolate chips or nuts or whatever to them.

OATMEAL SPICE COOKIES

1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 C butter
1 C sugar
1 egg
2/3 C buttermilk
2 C rolled oats

Directions:

Sift------flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
Mix-----Cream butter, add sugar in 2 portions and cream. Beat in egg until fluffy.
Add----- flour mix and buttermilk alternately in 2 or 3 portions until smooth after each. Stir in rolled oats.

If you want to add chips or nuts, just cut back on the flour by 1/4 C.

Bake----on lightly greased sheets at 400 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes.


Another one I often bake here are spritz cookies. These are a butter cookie used with a cookie press. Like the sugar cookies, you can use any flavor extract you like. I do these in almond and vanilla, amaretto and chocolate, and like the sugar cookies, can be colored as well with food coloring's.

SPRITZ COOKIES

2 1/2 C flour
1 C butter = 1/2 lb
3/4 C sugar sifted
3 egg YOLKS
1/2 tsp almond extract OR 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Sift---flour
Mix--cream butter until shiny , add sifted sugar gradually.
Beat- add egg yolks until fluffy. Add flavoring and color.
Stir--in flour in 3 or 4 portions

Press onto cold ungreased sheets and bake at 400 degrees F about 8 minutes.

For CHOCOLATE SPRITZ COOKIES;

Follow same as above except after creaming butter and sugar, immediately add  1 1/2 squares melted unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled, and use 1 tsp vanilla for the flavoring.

We also like no bake cookies. These things rock!

NO BAKE COOKIES:

In a 2 QT saucepan in over medium low heat, melt and mix

2 C sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 C milk
4 heaping tsp cocoa
pinch of salt

Whisk to blend, when it comes to a full boil, boil 1 minute.
Take off stove and then ADD;

3/4 C peanut butter
2 1/4 C quick oats
2 tsp vanilla

Mix well and drop on 2 greased cookie sheets and cool in the fridge.




Keep checking back this week as I will be adding more Christmas recipes and also
Hanukkah which is this week!

And We Give Thanks......

                                                  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!


                   Thanksgiving to me has always been truly about giving thanks and family. Of course, food traditions certainly play a part in these memories. But growing up in northeastern PA on a dairy farm, all the family came home to the farm for Thanksgiving. I always looked forward to this. My parents now have a farm in NYS, and with the way we work, holidays like today included, those days of the big thanksgiving on the farm are not the same anymore. My significant other's family has a lovely family gathering though and it is just next door at his sister's so it is still in the country, where I feel it should always be.

                  After all, we are thankful to God for the harvests and what we have been able to reap with His blessing. So at the farm where the abundance of produce is plentiful makes sense. It also makes sense in being surrounded by the natural beauty of the earth.


                  This holiday has so many food traditions from house to house and region to region, that it could be celebrated every day with a totally different array of food at each meal! So, I thought I would share a few dishes from around my region with you. 


                  My mother's menu often looked like this:


Roast turkey with herbed filling
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Mashed butternut cinnamon squash
Corn Pudding (which is like a bread pudding)
Green Bean Casserole
Candied carrots
Apple cranberry salad
Fresh dinner rolls and bread
Her apple and pumpkin spice pies


I am here to tell you that the squash and corn pudding I will often make at other times as well, and that salad cannot be beat! They are also simple to make. Another staple here in this part of Pennsylvania is potato stuffing. I love both, combined......how can you lose! So I will share that first!


POTATO STUFFING

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 to 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 6 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 2 slices white bread, torn
• 3 cups mashed potatoes
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in the bread, potatoes and parsley. Spoon into a greased 1-qt. casserole.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes or until top is lightly browned. 

APPLE CRANBERRY SALAD


This is actually more of a slaw.


Ingredients:
   1 lb bag of fresh cranberries washed
   7-8 fresh apples
   orange zest
  1/4 C sugar (can add more to taste)


Directions

• wash and shred in food processor or hand grater the cranberries and peeled and cored apples
• zest a bit of orange rind
• add the sugar to taste
• combine and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving

Cinnamon Squash Mash

Ingredients

   1 butternut squash

   3 tbs butter

   1/4 C brown sugar

   1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

• cut squash lengthwise and bake face down on a greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees about an hour or until tender.
• after pitting seeds, scoop flesh out in large bowl
• add the butter, sugar and cinnamon 
• mash and serve

Thanksgiving

(Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer)

Let us give thanks to God above,

Thanks for expressions of His love,

Seen in the book of nature, grand

Taught by His love on every hand.

Let us be thankful in our hearts,

Thankful for all the truth imparts,

For the religion of our Lord,

All that is taught us in His word.

Let us be thankful for a land,

That will for such religion stand;

One that protects it by the law,

One that before it stands in awe.

Thankful for all things let us be,

Though there be woes and misery;

Lessons they bring us for our good-

Later 'twill all be understood.

Thankful for peace o'er land and sea,

Thankful for signs of liberty,

Thankful for homes, for life and health,

Pleasure and plenty, fame and wealth.

Thankful for friends and loved ones, too,

Thankful for all things, good and true,

Thankful for harvest in the fall,

Thankful to Him who gave it all.

The Tree

                                                              I am studying a tree.


                                                          I don't think it had a name.


                                                                  I gave it one.


                                                         It is the Rush Baptist Tree.


 I have been taking pictures of my tree for almost a year now, in differing lights and seasons. Why? I have no idea except that this lone tree atop Rush Ridge speaks to me. Maybe it's because it sits atop the ridge, silhoutted against the sky and surrounded by 200 year old tombstones that murmur of times gone by in a differing era of rural life. Off to the side sits the quintessential little red country church, that still holds services rain or shine or snow or bitter cold and that all the local old farming families still attend.


Perhaps it is that this stately tree reminds me so much of the tree of life. Symbolic in so many ways to Christ, of life and the life cycle. Perhaps it is that I feel God's presence here among the residents of the cemetery  whom the tree seems to watch and preside over, like a preacher to his congregation on a sunny Sunday morn.


Whatever the fascination, I love my tree. And I'll continue to photograph him in case that day comes that through the ravages of time he is no longer there to comfort me, or his other patrons. You must admit, trees like this are so regal and are symbolic of so much in life.


The gnarled bare branches heading into winter reminded me, of all things, my grandmother's hands. They were bare and gnarled in her elder years, but had accomplished much. They were the hands of an amazing dynamo of a tiny woman who gardened, sewed, canned and loved.


Yesterday, as I visited my parents, I sat next to my mother. My mother was busy laying out goodies to eat (something we both love), and as she sat next to me with her hands resting upon the table, I noticed that her hands were starting to look like my grandmother's. The arthritis that has made the joints larger, the finer skin, the callouses from being a ranch woman and working outdoors so much. Beautiful hands that cook the yummiest things and create the most beautiful pictures of animals and scenes in pastels, and that can write comforting words of counseling and wisdom and just pure beauty to a soul.


I then looked to my own hands, hands starting to show the midlife age wear and tear with a little arthritis starting, callouses, finer skin etc, just like my mom's. And I thought to myself that I have a preview here, and that if I'm lucky, one day, my hands will be as beautiful as my mother's and my grandmother's. Just like my bare winter tree, with it's gnarled and bare but ever so strong and comforting branches encompassing its silent congregation on the ridge.