Surprise Gifts

K -- let's not mention any of this to the parentals, ok? Mom and N are no longer really on speaking terms...

How did I forget to mention this? As many people who know me in person are aware, Mister's sorta-aunt N is very close to me. She's the significant other of Mister's uncle, but is already married... it's a nasty situation, and I hope to never need to make such a decision.

She is the one who was to host our wedding. She is the one who bought me my sewing machine (the glorious thing that it is!). She is the one who went fabric shopping with me and my mother. She is the one who lent me Mister's Great-Grandfather's and Great-Great Grandfather's autobiographies, feeling that if I was marrying into the family I should know that Mister gets his craziness honestly.

N is also the one who saw me at my lowest ebb the week that Mister and I called things off. I hadn't eaten for 30 hours (and not much when I last ate) and I was a messy ball of emotions. She is the one who emailed my mother and said that I was probably in emergency situation-land.

And thus, my mother appeared on the doorstep the next morning and apparently blithely told N that she must have been hallucinating. (My mother told me that N emailed, and also told me that she thought I seemed ok. I told her that yes, I was -better-, but not -good-. I guess it lost a bit in translation -- my mother apparently was quite rude, even if unmeaning to.) N told me later that if she'd had the legal authority to do so, she'd have checked me into a hospital that night.

I saw N again the evening of the fourth, when Mister and I went to his kid sister's concert. (It was fabulous btw -- I had no idea she had coloratura chops! Still a lot to work on, but she's only 16. She'll do fine.) I told her about how the trip to NY went (disastrous) and the initial discussion with my parents (worse than a disaster -- almost abusive). She was incredibly upset and worried for me, and told me that if I ever needed her, she was around. Which I appreciate. As I've said, she's very dear to me, and even knowing that she's technically part of Mister's family, I rely on her a great deal.

[My relations with my parents have become much more cordial. My dad apologized for things that he had said in haste, and my mother has probably forgotten what she's said. I have come out of it with no long lasting scars, and perhaps it was better to clear the air among the three of us. I have finally reached the point where I can talk on the phone with them, as opposed to communicating my email. Perhaps I was more hurt than I though...]

Monday the sixth rolled around, and around 5pm, N showed up at the front door. She had two dozen tea roses, a bunch of bananas, St. John's Wort, and multivitamins. All for me. I put the roses in a vase and ate a banana. I was incredibly grateful for the St. John's Wort, as I didn't have any in the house. I had chamomile, but that will merely give a gentle calm, as opposed to actually helping mood. N told me how a friend found that her mood and well-being were greatly improved by having a banana every day and drinking four tall glasses of water. The vitamin and the St. John's wort I didn't need telling to know how they can help bring some balance.

I've asked Mister if he's noticed a difference the week I've been taking these, and he said that there has been a significant improvement in my mood. Which is fabulous. I'm not sure how much is the St. John's Wort and how much is just having life going pretty well. Perhaps it feels like it's going so well BECAUSE my mood was already lifted by the St. John's Wort. I don't feel like experimenting with it right now. :-P

I am incredibly grateful for the effort that N continues to put into me and I hope that no matter what happens between Mister and I, we will be close. She is one of my favorite people.

Artwork Currently Set Up

Rimi -- this is image heavy.

I recently got a lot of our art put up on the walls. There's nothing like one's artwork to make a place start to feel like home. Let's do a little tour, shall we?



Here's the first. This is a print from the comic strip Minus. This is in the front hallway, facing you when you walk into our apartment.



This is immediately to the right when entering the living room. It hangs over a small bookcase. It's a Valentine's Card on handmade paper that I received from my sister's godmother years and years ago. I just love it.



This is hanging over the back of the couch. It's a self-portrait photo of a friend of mine, B, from high school. I gave it to Mister as a gift several years ago.



This is hanging to the right of the last piece. It's a digital print of what I believe was initially a colored pencil work, done by a friend, K, in high school. It's entitled: Tea with the Moon.



This is opposite the couch, over the electric piano. It's a pen and ink drawing of (two?) griffin(s), drawn by Mister's Great Aunt. General consensus is they're having sex, but I like to remember it as being a single griffin. :-P



This is hanging to the left of the griffin. It's an Artist's Proof of a rather noir block print entitled: Hello/Goodbye. It was created by my ex-boyfriend, P.



This is hanging directly below the block print. It's a pen and ink drawing that my ex-boyfriend, P, drew on the envelope of a birthday card for me. In case you were wondering, that is a stylized drawing of me playing the oboe in my little red hat (K, the one that you hate and you were ashamed that I bought :-P).



On to the dining room. This piece hangs immediately to the left upon entering the room from the living room. This is a pen and ink drawing by my friend from high school, K (who did Tea with the Moon), that my mother bought for me as a Christmas gift years ago. I call her: Úrsula.



This hangs directly opposite Úrsula. This is a painting by P the ex-bf that I believe was the gift given at the time of the birthday card mentioned. It sadly is torn due to circumstances that I don't want to get into. So it currently has some duct tape on the back. Yup.



This piece is on the right side of the dining room, when entering from the living room. This is a print of a pen and ink drawing by Mister's Great Aunt P again. This is Odin, and we're pretty sure he's about to ravish the young lady in the pic. Did we mention his Great Aunt was crazy?



This is in the hallway, to the left of the bathroom door. It is either ink and brush or a watercolor painting by P the ex-bf and entitled: First Snow.



This piece is on display in the bathroom. It's acrylic on plywood. I got this and two other pieces for free from an art student on Craigslist. Apparently it creeps some people out, but I find it a really cool piece and a nice bit of color in the bathroom (it's a bit brighter than the picture makes out).



This piece is in the study to the right immediately upon entering. It had been hung above the light switch, but Mister knocked it down and damaged the frame. It is now on the bookshelf, awaiting repair. It is a watercolor or ink and brush painting by the gentleman who created Minus, the comic from the very beginning (we have about 13 Minus prints -- most are not displayed currently). This was a surprise gift when we ordered all of our prints, as it's a "extra scene" from a story arc that we bought the entire set of.



This is immediately opposite the Minus print, and facing the person entering the study. It is a sharpie cartoon created by a friend, H, in high school. It's entitled: Procrastinating with Henry. I love it. I had to fight people to get it!



These are to the right of the cartoon, but all three are displayed above a low 5' long bookshelf to the left of the closet. The top piece is a watercolor painting that my mother made when I was a kid, and the bottom one is a cute postcard that I like.



This is yet another piece by P the ex-bf. This is an Artist's Proof of a photo entitled: Teapot. It hangs above the kitchen sink.

And that's the tour of art in my apartment currently. There are so many things that I need to have framed, repaired or find a way to hang (the plywood pieces require a shelf). But I love my art, and I love that the majority of it was created by artist's that I know instead of prints of famous work or generic "Home Goods"-type pictures.

Theoretical Cream Puffs

A friend of mine has a horrible collection of food allergies. Wheat and gluten, cow milk products (but not sheep or goat), and chicken. As she's also not a cook, she often EATS horribly as well.

I rather extravagantly informed her that I could cook and bake her whatever, as both Mister and I love to feed people and we merely look upon her allergies as a challenge. She replied: cream puffs.

So I've looked into it, and thankfully, I made eclairs last Sunday with another friend (at her instigation -- it just happened coincidentally), so I have a general idea of what I need to work with.

The basic recipe goes like this:

2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs

For the pudding, I can make vegan vanilla pudding based off of this:

1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups soy milk
1 tsp vanilla

However I would use tapioca starch as it's finer, and either almond, rice or coconut milk as I don't like soy.

For the heavy cream, it's apparently as easy as this:

2 cans full fat coconut milk (13.5 oz cans)
1/3 cup powdered sugar or to taste
1 - 4 Tbsp coconut flour or tapioca flour (add 1 Tbsp at a time)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract or to taste

1 - Chill the cans of coconut milk overnight in the fridge
2 - Open the cans, drain off the clear liquid and transfer the cream to a chilled bowl, using a rubber spatula to scrape all the cream out of the cans
3 - Beat the thick coconut cream in the chilled bowl with a hand mixer until thick and fluffy
4 - Add the vanilla, then gradually beat in the powdered sugar and coconut or tapioca flour, 1 or 2 Tbsp at a time, testing for flavor and consistency
5 - Using a rubber spatula, transfer the coconut cream to a covered storage container, and chill for 2 hours until the mixture firms. Serve chilled.

For the actual shell recipe, I'd replace the butter with butter-flavored Earth Balance, and probably just buy Bob's Red Mills GF Mix, as that's the easiest way to sub consistent results.

For presentation, I wish I had a pastry bag to fill the cream puffs, but I don't. :-( Looks like I'll have to slice the tops to fill them.

The directions to make the cream puffs are:

1 - Whip the coconut milk. Refridgerate.
2 - Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3 - In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. 4 - Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
5 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.
6 - Mix up pudding. Fold in coconut milk cream. Refridgerate.
7 - When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

And I'm done! I have figured out the "challenge" and found it wanting! I also, while searching through things, rediscovered the Chocolate Oblivion Torte which is both gluten and dairy free! :-D

Last Post for October! Household Updates

We had our first snow this past weekend! It snowed a little bit Friday night (it was mostly rain -- horrible, cold, grey rain), and Saturday, it snowed enough that we had our first snow plows. That's right, we had 2" of snow stick to the ground. It of course melted when the sun came out Sunday :-P. Apparently, there are hundreds of homes without power due to the snow. Say what? How can NO ONE have been prepared for snow in October? Seriously folks, it ain't hard. It's kinda a fact of life when you live in the north east US. If you tried to pull that kind of thing in Syracuse or Buffalo they'd laugh you out of town. But that's another story. Mister and I also only turned our heat on the day before any snow hit. We're just awesome like that. :-D

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I started working on the muslin for my wedding dress. Let's just say that I suck at pleats and measuring the amount of fabric required. At one point, I threw the thing down and told Mister I was done. When I explained that it was too big, he inquired further.

Mister: Well, how big is it supposed to be?
Me: Me-sized.
Mister: How big is it?
Me: (*holds out hands 3' apart)
Mister: You could fit two of you in that!

I'm pretty sure it's because I think it requires three inches of fabric to make one inch of pleated fabric, and it winds up only needing two inches of fabric. But that's just my suspicion. I'm now tacking down pleats and seeing what I've got left after that.

Thankfully, this is the hardest part I think... It's a pleated bodice that connects to a fitted waist, and a full skirt that goes to just below the knee. There will be additional tricksy-ness for the actual dress as I'm doing super cute things with... uh... pleats... (maybe I should rethink :-P)

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Basil and Pepper are cuddling in the kitchen currently and I may actually get more peppers. I kept meaning to bring Pepper in, and forgetting, and when Sunday, after the snow melted and I saw Pepper acting so happy I figured I'd bring him in. He has little pepper plants set! We'll see how this goes.

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Still haven't heard from L about the money she owes us. We forgot to call her last Friday, so I've reminded Mister to call her and let her know that we're filing papers tomorrow. (It was supposed to be today.)

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Bumped into a friend Saturday, as she was on her way back from picking up her sister at the train station. Wound up grabbing a meal with them, and while waiting for a table, it came up that my friend, M, had never seen Dirty Dancing. As this cannot be born, a movie night was had on Sunday after she got out of gamelan practice. Mister made his awesome Boeuf Bourgignon and we had goat cheese of some variety. M cannot have wheat, gluten, cow milk products, or chicken. Mister and I have rolled with this and we often cook delicious things for her (I made her cake for her birthday last week 'cause I rock ;-) ). Yet, every single time we cook something that we find quite obvious and simple (chili, beef stew, cabbage and bean soup, rice flour cake, etc.), she always seems quite surprised and shocked that we've a) cooked for her and b) found something delicious she can eat. Mister even commented to me last night: 'I think she doesn't really cook much or eat much variety...'. Which is quite probably true. I think what makes it perhaps different is that we're not going out and buying gluten-free wanna-be-wheat products or vegan cheese or what-have-you. Now, these are still quite simple meals -- I wouldn't call chili difficult in any sense of the word -- but perhaps it's something that she never thinks of? I dunno. Extrapolating with too few data points.

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Had another friend, M (too many Ms!), over Saturday night for cards, and the conversation turned to reed making. At which point he proclaimed that it probably wasn't too hard and he could make them. I immediately pulled my kit out and put him to the test. He managed to make a functioning (not perfect) reed in 30 mins, and snapped two others due to a) not soaking b) not sharpening the knife often enough or c) not appreciating the delicate nature of cane. I call that a success. He can work in my reed sweatshop ANY time! :-D

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Mister and I realized something last night: half of the reason why the kitchen hadn't been getting clean of late is because we kept trying to say it was this person's job or that person's job. When really, we work better when the two of us are in there, and not getting in each other's way. He was cooking and I was washing dishes, and washing what he needed, and cleaning the counter space that he needed -- when we both try to wash, or both clean, we wind up sniping at each other because we work quite differently, yet similarly in one way: we both are brusque and demanding when in work-mode. This has led to quite a few exciting fights.

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I'll also post today on school updates, as I haven't been posting much of late.

Planning Russian Tea Party

Based upon this website, I am building my Russian tea party. In order to save the information, I will also put it here.

Over the course of the last two hundred years, the tea ceremony has become one of the strongest and most pervasive cultural traditions in Central Russia. Since its introduction from China early in the seventeenth century, tea has become the Russians' favorite drink. The tea ceremony has become not only a cultural tradition but also has developed into a strong communicational bond for the society.


In Russia tea is served after meals and during mid-afternoon breaks, a kind of English "five-o'clock-tea" with difference that this Russian "five-o'clock-tea" may occur in any part of day and in any place - in office, in a car, in a park. When friends visit somebody hosts invite them to have a cup of tea. This "cup of tea" is not just a tea but a lots of cookies, sandwiches, other meal. Each feast ends with tea-drinking with candies and cakes. Till present time when bagged tea got popular in the world Russians still prefer tea prepared in old classical way when loose tea is brewed in a hot teapot or samovar - the central symbol of the Russian Tea Ceremony.

Here are 9 rules for Russian tea ceremony:


1) Russian tea drinking is called chaepitie, tea is chai
2) Russian tea means - black tea. There are some rules to prepare good tea. That water should be boiled till "sparkling boiling" when first air bubbles appeared. Water should be soft, hard water with much salts is not good for tea. A tea-pot is heated a little bit with some hot water. Then tea is put into the tea-pot - 1 tea-spoon for each person plus 1 for tea-pot - classical recipe. After 3-4 minutes tea is ready.
3) Loose tea is brewed in a teapot, producing strong tea called zavarka. Zavarka is served in teacups or stakan s podstakannikom (glass with metal holder) diluted with hot water to fit personal taste.
4) Sugar and a lemon are a must, everyone adds them in tea to taste.
5) Tea is drunk from cups with saucers. Drinking tea from saucers is allowed, but not recommended. Children often allowed to do it in order to cool their tea.
6) If children are the part of the ceremony they are usially seated at the separate little table, with much less strict rules of behaviour.
7) Russian tea drinking is accompanied by plentiful snack.
- snack nourishing (pies with meat or fish, with cottage cheese, with cabbage, with rice, pancakes with nourishing stuffings).
- sandwiches, cut bread and butter.
- pastries and sweets (any sweet cookies, cakes, chocolate, jam, honey, nuts, pancakes with sweet stuffings). Jam and honey are not put into cup or glass with tea but are served in a kind of bowl or special vase and then each participant of tea party put portion into personal little plate or bowl and then eats by a tea spoon. Often white bread or roll is offered, in this case loaves of bread are spread with jam or honey. Of course fresh butter is served - just in case to spread onto bread.

8) Most of all, remember that tea, in Russia, is not just for tea time. I like to think that the warmth, comfort and hospitality that tea symbolizes, in Russian culture, is why it is offered at every meal and anytime during the day, especially when family and friends are gathered.
9) The main tea drinking in Russian is a conversation. Therefore simply do not invite to tea visitors who you do not want to have a deep conversation with.
Pleasant chaepitie!

Russian Samovars

The samovar came to Russia from Persia and the Middle East in the 18th century. The samovar is a a metal urn in which water is kept boiling for tea. Charcoal or wood is burned in a vertical pipe through the center of the samovar and this heats the water. On top of the samovar is a holder for a small teapot. In this pot, a strong tea concentrate is brewed. This tea essence is then diluted with hot water from the samovar.

In old Russia, in the days before mass production, tea drinking was a way of life. The samovar was a staple in homes, restaurants and offices. Samovars would be located on street corners to sell tea to passersby. Even trains were equipped with samovars for their passengers.
The first samovars in Russia were imported and were very utilitarian in form. As is typical for the Russian people, they began to decorate and develop the samovar into a beautiful work of art, as welcome in the Winter Palace as in a peasant's izba (hut). The first samovar was made in Tula in 1820. After a while, Tula became known as the center of Russian samovar production (in addition to the production of munitions and other metalwork). By 1900, there were 40 samovar factories in Tula with an annual production of around 630,000. The Batashev Metalworks, which became one of the most famous factories, produced 110,000 samovars alone each year.

Samovars came in various shapes and sizes depending on their use. Most were small, around 18 inches high, and were used in homes and offices. Larger samovars could be several feet in hight and diameter. Traveling samovars were equipped with handles and removable legs. Others had compartments for preparing food. The metalworkers of the Russian samovar factories provided exquisite detail in silver, bronze, and iron.

Modern day Russians still use the samovar quite often. However modern technology has provided for electric samovars which don't require the use of charcoal. As in old, these samovars are found in kitchens, offices, and even on Russian Trains. And the use of the samovar has spread from Russia to much of eastern Europe.

I intend to make pierogi, and probably fry them up as well served with sour cream, and I will probably make a sweet of some sort. But will that be enough? Should I maybe do a meat pie or a cabbage pie or a potato pie (all of which sound AMAZING), should I do open-faced Russian sandwiches, or should I at least include bread and butter and jam? I want to make a lot of delicious food, but it ALL sounds good!

... I have half of a cabbage in my fridge, and perhaps I should make cabbage pie tonight!

And since I'm super nervous about losing these recipes and the website, I will list off their recipes as well.

Cabbage Pirog

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 lb. sweet butter, divided
3/4 cup cold water
2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tbsp. rum or vodka
2 lbs cabbage
1 tsp. sugar
3 hardboiled eggs, peeled and chopped
Milk
1 egg yolk
Preparation:
To make the dough combine 3 cups flour with 1/2 lb. cold sweet butter (2 sticks), cutting it until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix together the 3/4 cup water, 1 tsp. salt, and the rum or vodka. Add this to the flour mixture and gently mix. Turn out onto a floured board and roll out dough into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Fold into thirds, seal in a plastic bag and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
Bring one stick butter (1/4-lb.) to room temperature. Roll out dough again to a thickness of 1/2-inch and spread butter on it. Fold into thirds and roll again. Fold the dough again, place in airtight plastic in refrigerator.
Finely shred the cabbage as if you were making cole slaw. (Or you can use 3 bags of the already shredded cabbage that you can purchase at some supermarkets, but be sure the cabbage is very white and fresh.) Put cabbage in a pan with enough milk to cover 1/2 the depth of the cabbage. Add 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp. salt. Mix gently and cook, uncovered, until soft. Drain cabbage well. Into the pan that you used to cook the cabbage, put the remaining 1 stick of butter and heat to melt. Add the cabbage and the chopped hard-boiled eggs.
Preheat oven to 550-degrees F. Butter a 9 x 12 x-inch pan. Take 3/4 of the dough, roll it into a rectangle slightly larger than the pan, bringing the dough up the sides and cutting off the excess. Spread cabbage mixture over top. Roll out remaining dough and place over top. Pinch edges to seal. Brush with an egg wash that you have made by combining one egg yolk and 1-tsp. water. Make holes in the top of the pie to let steam escape during cooking.
Place pan on lowest rack of preheated oven. Bake for 15-minutes. Move up to middle rack and lower heat to 500-degrees. Bake another 30 to 35 minutes, watching to see that it does not burn. Note: Doubled, to serve a large group, this recipe will fill a standard 12 x 18-inch baking sheet.


Meat Pirog

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
250 g butter
15 g yeast
0.5 c milk
Filling:
500 g meat
2-3 onions
2-3 potatoes
parsley
dill
salt
pepper
2 eggs
0.5 c meat stock
Preparation:
Make dough from the butter, flour, 1 egg, yeast, and put it in the cold. Roll out the dough in a layer 1 cm thick. Place a half of it in a dripping pan and cover with the meat filling, onions and herbs. Salt the filling, add some pepper, 1 bay leaf, and finely chopped raw potatoes. Cover with the second layer of dough, and spread an egg over it. Make small holes in the pie, and pour some broth through it while baking. Bake in a hot oven for 30-40 minutes.


Kulebiaka

Ingredients:
4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 pound of chilled unsalted butter, cut into bits
6 tablespoons of chilled vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon of salt
10 to 12 tablespoons of ice water
Filling:
2 cups of dry white wine
1 cup of coarsely chopped onions
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped celery
1 cup of scraped, coarsely chopped carrots
10 whole black peppercorns
4 1/2 teaspoons of salt
2 1/2 pounds of fresh salmon, in one piece
8 tablespoons of unsalted butter (1/4 pound stick)
1/2 pound of fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons of fresh, strained lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
3 cups of finely chopped onions
1/2 cup of unconverted, long-grain white rice
1 cup of chicken stock, fresh or canned
1/3 cup of finely cut fresh dill leaves
3 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
Preparation:
In a large, chilled bowl, combine the flour, butter, shortening and salt. Working quickly, use your fingers to rub the flour and fat together until they blend and resemble flakes of a coarse meal. Pour 10 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture all at once, toss together lightly and gather into a ball. If the dough seems crumbly, add up to 2 tablespoons more of ice water by drops. Divide the dough in half, dust each half with flour, and wrap them separately in wax paper. Refrigerate 3 hours, or until firm.
Combine 3 quarts of water, wine, coarsely chopped onions, celery, carrots, peppercorns, and 3 teaspoons of salt in a 4- to 6-quart enameled or stainless steel casserole. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the salmon into the liquid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish is firm to the touch. With a slotted spatula, transfer the fish to a large bowl and separate it into small flakes with your fingers or a fork.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet set over high heat. Add the mushrooms, reduce the heat to moderate, and, stirring occasionally, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a small bowl and toss them with lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
Melt 4 more tablespoons of butter in the skillet over high heat and drop in all but 1 tablespoon of the finely chopped onions. Reduce the heat to moderate and, stirring occasionally, cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft but not brown. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and with a rubber spatula, scrape into the mushrooms.
Now melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet over high heat. Drop in the remaining tablespoon of onion, reduce the heat to moderate and stirring frequently, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft but not brown. Stir in the rice and cook 2 or 3 minutes, stirring almost constantly, until each grain is coated with butter. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and over the pan tightly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender and fluffy. Off the heat, stir in the dill with a fork. Add the cooked mushrooms and onions, rice and chopped, hard-cooked eggs to the bowl of salmon and toss together lightly but thoroughly. Taste for seasoning.


Blini

Ingredients:
4.5 glasses (7 cups) flour
4 glasses (4 1/2 cups) milk
25 g (1 1/2 tbsps) yeast
25 g (1 1/2 tbsps) butter
100 g (1/2 cup) cream
2 eggs
2 tsps sugar
1 tsp salt
Preparation:
Dissolve half the flour, the yeast and butter in milk and let it rise. Beat up the dough, add the rest of the flour, salt and egg yolks ground with sugar. Beat again, add the beaten egg whites and cream, let the dough rest and then begin to bake.


Blinchiki with Tvorog

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
3 eggs
salt
oil to fry
Filling:
200 g tvorog (Russian style cottage cheese)
1/2 cup milk
100 g poppy seeds
1 c raisins
sugar to taste
Preparation:
Put ground poppy seeds and raisins in hot milk and heat until dense, add sugar and cool down. Combine the mixture with tvorog and 2 yolks. Sift flour in a bowl, add milk and salt. Stir in 1 whole egg and 2 whites and knead dough. Bake thin pancakes, but fry only on one side. Put a pancake fried side on a plate, spread the filling and roll into a log. Put all the rolls on a baking sheet, brush with butter and bake in the oven. Serve with milk or juice.


Syrniki

Ingredients:
250 g tvorog (Russian style cottage cheese)
75 g oil to fry
2 tb semolina flour
2 tb wheat flour
3 tb sugar
2 eggs
Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients, except flour, and knead stiff dough. Shape small balls and roll in flour. Fry in oil for 3-4 minutes every side until bright golden.


Piroshki

Ingredients:
4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
16 tablespoons (two and a quarter pound sticks) unslated butter, cut into 1/4-inch bits and chilled
8 tablespoons of chilled lard, cut into 1/4-inch bits
8 to 12 tablespoons of ice water
Filling: meat
4 tablespoons of butter
3 cups of finely choppped onions
11/2 pounds of lean ground beef
3 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
6 tablespoons of finely cut fresh dill leaves
2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
Filling: cabbage
3 pound head of white cabbage, quartered, cored, then coarsely shredded
4 tablespoons of butter
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
4 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
1/4 cup of finely cut fresh dill leaves
2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Combine the flour, salt, butter and lard in a deep bowl. With your fingers, rub the flour and fat together until they look like flakes of coarse meal. Pour in 8 tablespoons of ice water all at once and gather the dough into a ball. If it curmbles, add up to 4 tablespoons more of ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until the particles adhere. Wrap the ball of dough in wax paper, and chill for about 1 hour. On a lightlly floured surface, shape the pastry into a rough rectangle 1 inch thick and roll it into a strip about 21 inches long and 6 inches wide. Turn the pastry around and again roll it out lengthwise int a 21-by-6-inch strip. Fold into thirds and roll out the packet as before. Repeat this entire process twice more, ending with the folded packet. Wrap it is wax paper and refrigerate for an additional hour.

Meat Filling:
Over high heat, melt the butter in a heavy 10-to 12-inch skillet. Add onions and, stirring occasionally, cook over moderate heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are soft and transparent but not brown. Stir in the beef and, mashing the meat with a fork to break up any lumps, cook briskly until no traces of pink remain. Grind the meat-and-onion mixture through the finest blade of a meat grinder (or, the mixture finely with a knife). Combine the meat in a large bowl with eggs, dill, salt and pepper, mix thoroughly and taste for seasoning.

Cabbage Filling:
Over high heat, bring 4 quarts of lightly salted water to a boil in a 8- to 10-quart pot and drop in the cabbage. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Then drain the cabbage in a colander and set it aside.
Melt the butter over high heat in a deep skillet or 3- to 4-quart casserole. Add the chopped onions, reduce the heat to moderate, and cook 5 to 8 minutes, or until the onions are soft and lightly colored. Drop in the cabbage and cover the pan. (The pan may be filled to the brim, but the cabbage will shrink as it cooks.) Simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender, then uncover the pan, raise the heat to high and boil briskly until almost all of the liquid in the pan has evaporated. Drain the cabbage in a colander and combine it with the chopped eggs, dill and parsley. Stir in the salt, sugar and a few grindings of pepper and taste for seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 400 degree. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick. With a 3- to 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out as many circles as you can. Gather the scraps into a ball and roll out again, cutting additional circles. Drop 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each round and flatten the filling slightly. Fold one long side of the dough up over the filling, almost covering it. Fold in the two ends of the dough about 1/2 inch, and lastly, fold over the remaining long side of the dough. Place the pirozhki side by side, with the seam sides down on a buttered baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes , or until golden brown.


Knydli

Ingredients:

600 g potatoes.
200 g flour.
1 ea egg.
200 g small plums boneless.
salt.
sugar.
butter.
Preparation:
Grate potatoes very finely and pour off the juice. Add flour, egg, sugar and salt. Knead stiff dough (use more flour if needed). Shape small balls and put a boneless plum inside of every ball. Cook in boiling lightly salted water. Knydli are served with melted butter.


Vatrushki

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 egg
1/2 cup of sour cream
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
Filling:
1 pound of tvorog (Russian style cottage cheese)
1 tablespoon of sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Preparation:
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a deep well in the center of the flour and drop in the egg, sour cream and butter. With your fingers, slowly mix the flour into the liquid ingredients, then beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth, moderately firm dough is formed. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it loosely in wax paper, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Drain the tvorog by placing it is a colander, covering it with a double thickness of cheesecloth or a kitchen towel and weighting it with a heavy dish on top. Let it drain undisturbed for 2 or 3 hours, then with the back of a large spoon, rub the cheese through a fine sieve set over a large bowl. Beat into it the sour cream, eggs, sugar and salt. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
On ligtly floured surface, roll te dough into a circle of about 1/8 inch thick. With a 4-inch cookie cutter, cut out as many circles as possible. Gather the remaining scraps into a ball, roll it out again, and cut out additional circles (there should be 14 to 16 circles in all). Make a border around each circle by turning over about 1/4 inch of the dough all around its circumference and pinching this raised rim into small decorative pleats. Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling into the center and flatten it slightly. Using a pastry brush, coat the filling and borders with the egg yolk-and-water mixture and bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, or until pale gold in color.


Smetannik

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons of unsalted butter (1/4-pound stick), cut into 1/3-inch bits
3 tablespoons of chilled vegetable oil shortening
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
5 to7 tablespoons of ice water
Filling:
2 cups of finely ground almonds, lightly toasted
4 teaspoons of milk
6 tablespoons of raspberry jam
6 tablespoons of cherry jam
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup of sour cream
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, softened
Preparation:
Soak the almonds in milk for 5 to 10 minutes. With the back of a large spoon, rub the raspberry and cherry jams through a fine sieve set over a large bowl. Then beat in the egg yolks, sour cream, cinnamon, nuts and soaking milk.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. With a pastry brush, coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch false-bottomed tart pan with the tablespoon of softened butter. Drape the pastry over the rolling pin, lift it up and unfold it slackly over the pan. Gently press the pastry into the bottom and around the sides of the pan, being careful not to stretch it. Roll the pin over the rim of the pan, pressing down hard to trim off the excess pastry.
Preheat the oven to 425 Degree F. Pour the filling into the pastry shell and roll out the other half of dough into a 12-inch circle. Drape it over the rolling pin, lift it up and unfold it over the filling. Press the edges of the pastry layers together. Then crimp them with your fingers or press them firmly around the rim with the prongs of a fork. With a sharp knife, cut three 1-inch slits about 1 inch apart in the top of the pastry. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Then set the pan on a large jar or coffee can and carefully slip off the outside rim. Let the pie cool to room temperature before serving.


Medovik

Ingredients:
8 lg eggs; separated
6 tb butter
14 oz honey; clover or wild
2 c sugar
6 c flour
2 ts baking powder
2 ts baking powder
2 ts cinnamon
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 c strong coffee
1 c sour cream
1 c walnuts, chopped
Preparation:
Heat the honey to boiling and allow to cool. Separate the eggs, reserving the whites. Beat the room temperature yolks with the butter until fluffy. Add the cooled honey and beat until well blended. Add the sugar and blend well. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together, then sift again. add to the honey mixture. Add the orange zest, juice, coffee and sour cream stirring until no dry flour shows. Whip the egg whites until stiff, then fold in a little of the whites, mixing well, then add the rest of the whites. Stir in the chopped nuts, if using them. Pour into buttered and floured loaf pans, rapping them to even the batter. Bake in a preheated 325 Degree F. oven for about an hour. DO NOT open the oven door during the first 30 minutes of baking. When done, cool on wire racks for 10 minutes and then turn out to finish cooling. Wrap well in heavy duty aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator.


Mazurka

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, softened
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup of superfine sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon of fresh strained lemon juice
1 /2 pound of toasted hazelnuts, shelled and pulverized in a mortar and pestle a grinder
5 egg whites
Topping:
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of rum
2 tablespoons of powdered sugar (confectioners�)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 Degree F. With a pastry brush, butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch -wide, 3-inch-deep springform cake pan with the tablespoons of softened butter. With a whisk or a rotary or electric beater, beat the egg yolks for about minute, then slowly pour in the sugar. Continue beating until the mixture falls back upon itself in a ribbon when the beater is lifted out of the bowl. Beat in the grated lemon rind and lemon juice. With a rubber spatula, fold in the hazelnuts.
In another bowl, and with a clean beater, beat the egg whites until they form firm, unwavering peaks on the beater when it is lifted out of the bowl. Gently but thoroughly fold the whites into the egg-yolk mixture until no streaks of white show. Pour the batter into the buttered pan and spread evenly to the sides with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes, or until it has puffed and has begun to come slightly away from the sides of the pan. Turn off the heat and let the cake rest in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the side of the pan and turn the cake out on a cake rack. Cool to room temperature.
To make the topping, beat the cream with a whisk or rotary or electric beater until it forms soft peaks. The gradually beat in the rum and sugar and continue to beat until stiff. With a spatula, spread over the top of the cake and serve at once.


Napoleon

Ingredients:
1500 g flour
250 g margarine
1 ea egg
1 tb vinegar Icing:
1 sugar
0,5 l milk
2 ea eggs
2 tb flour
200 g butter
vanilla.
Preparation:
Cut margarine into small pieces and toss with flour until smooth. Mix egg, vinegar in 1 cup of water and add it to flour. Knead the dough until elastic and smooth. Divide the dough into 8 parts and put in the fridge for 40-60 minutes. Roll out every part very thin, put in a baking form, cut out remains, pierce with a fork and bake in a preheated oven until light golden. Bake the remains of dough until golden colour.
Icing: Mix sugar, eggs, flour and then pour over milk. Cook on low heat, stirring regularly, until dense. When icing cools down a little, add butter and vanilla.
Spread the icing on every shortcake and on the top. Crumb the dough remains and sprinkle all the cake with them. Puy in a fridge at least for a couple of hours.


Kartoshka

Ingredients:
cocoa powder (unsweeted)
1 2/3 cups ground toasted walnuts, sifted
1 2/3 cups dry sponge cake crumbs, sifted
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
3/4 cup unsweetened evaporated milk or heavy cream
3 tablespoons rum
1 teaspoon rum
Preparation:
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the 1/4 cup of ground walnuts and mix thoroughly until well blended. Scoop up about 1/4 cup of the mixture and shape into a ball. Spread the 1/4 cup of ground walnuts or cocoa on wax paper, roll the rum ball in them.


Kulich

Ingredients:
2 pkg. rapid rise yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
4 cups evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
4 cups flour
1 tbs ground cardamom
1 1/2 cups butter
3 cups sugar
2 tbs salt
1 tbs vanilla
1 tbs grated orange peel
1 tbs grated lemon peel
9 eggs
12 cups flour
3 cups raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preparation:
Dissolve yeast in the lukewarm water. Set aside. Scald and cool to lukewarm the 4 cups milk. Add yeast and the 1 cup sugar, 4 cups of the flour and the cardamom to the lukewarm milk. Mix into a smooth sponge and set in a warm place for approximately 2 hours. When sponge is done resting, melt and warm the butter. Stir the sugar, salt, vanilla and zest into the butter and add to the sponge. Gradually work in the flour until the dough is smooth and elastic. Knead for 5 minutes. Add nuts and raisins and knead another 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl and oil or butte dough to prevent crust from forming. Let rise until double in bulk. Roll into various sized balls and place in greased various sized metal cans you have saved. Oil the top of dough. Bake in a 350-degree oven. Baking time will vary depending on size of cans. When dough is done remove from pan and butter the crust. Place on baking rack to cool.


Paskha

Ingredients:
2 kg tvorog (Russian style cottage cheese)
300 g butter
400 g sour cream
4 ea eggs
salt to taste
Preparation:
Paskha is a traditional dish for Easter table. Butter must be soft and supple.Put tvorog under weight for 2 hours, drain through the sieve twice (never use a mincer). Drained tvorog is souffle and light. Bring to boil butter, sour cream and 3 eggs in a separate pan, stirring constantly. Pour in hot mass in drained tvorog, add 1 egg and salt. Blend until homogenous. Fill in the Easter form (with a traditional drawing and ornaments). The bottom is covered with wet gauze. Cover with a plate and put a weight. Keep in the fridge for 12 hours.


Pishki

Ingredients:
1 pc active dry yeast
1/4 c warm water
1/3 c butter
3/2 c sugar
1 ea egg
3 ea egg yolks
1 ts vanilla extract
1 ts grated lemon peel
3/4 ts salt
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
confectioners' sugar
oil to fry
Preparation:
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, then egg yolks, one at a time. Add vanilla extract, lemon peel, dissolved yeast, and salt. Beat up until well mixed. Stir in flour gradually, adding enough to make a stiff dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic for about 10 minutes. Place in a floured bowl. Cover. Let rise until doubled. Shape little flat rounds. Fry in hot fat 2 to 3 minutes; turn to brown all sides. Drain doughnuts on paper towels and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired.


Pryaniki

Ingredients:

1 lb sugar, 1/2 c water
1 1/2 c honey
1/2 lb almonds
500 g flour
12 g potash
cardamom
cloves
Icing:
1 1/2 lb sugar
1/2 lb chocolate powder.
Preparation:
Dissolve sugar in the water, mix with honey and boil this syrupin a big pan. Add potash, cardamom, cloves to taste and choppedalmonds. Take off from the heat and add flour. Stir thoroughlyand make the dough on the table. Cut out different figurines,put on the sheet and bake in the oven until ready.

Frustrated As All Get-Out

I try to pay my bills on time. Granted, as I have very little in my own name, and am not currently working, these bills are not particularly many. However, there are several that effect my life.

One -- "temporary" ex-roommate still owes us three weeks worth of rent, and is not responding to phone calls nor returning them.

Two -- I am a guarantor for Mister's car payment, and we just received notice that we're 21 days away from defaulting on this loan.

Three -- last month we had to receive an email from our landlords requesting that we pay rent on the first, not the fifteenth or the 22nd... yeah.

Four -- I received notice from UMass that because my tuition is late, they are charging $100 extra.

_________________________

How I am dealing with these:

One -- I am going to be filing papers as of Monday to take her to court.

Two -- I am going to beat the ever living hell out of Mister. And make him change his godsdamned bank account so the direct deposit that's set up works.

Three -- I am attempting to remember to remind Mister about these on the weekends, so that I don't have to hound him at work and he gets pissy.

Four -- I am making my dad deal with that, as it's his fault that it's late.

_________________________

Why don't people pay their godsdamned bills on time? Why does it have to bother my life? I want to stab things... grr... maybe I should buy meat for dinner.

Wedding Planning

On Amazon.com, they have a lovely set of tools to help those that are planning a wedding. Lots of etiquette tips, check lists, planning schedules, and of course a registry at Amazon.com! As some things have changed in the planning yet there isn't an option to ADD items to the checklist (although thankfully I can delete them!), I'm going to have a running list here, based upon Amazon's.

12 Months Ahead
- announce engagement
- select sites for ceremony and reception: Mister's uncle's house for the reception, court house for the ceremony
- start working on guest list for approximate headcount: ~60 people
- introduce both sets of parents
- talk to families about budget, place, size, etc.
- open a joint bank account for wedding savings (not sure if we're going to do this one)
- set a budget for wedding rings

10 Months Ahead
- start thinking about invitations and shopping for a stationer: me, I just need to pick a font and practice it over and over again
- start scouting for vendors (all ? indicate unconfirmed status)

     - caterer: Redbones?
     - bakery: family and friends?
     - musicians: Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band?
     - photographer: Mister's coworker?
     - videographer: n/a
     - florist: Trader Joe's
     - calligrapher: me

- start sketching dress designs
- help decide landscape choices at Mister's uncle's house

8 Months Ahead
- register for gifts: just a couple things to hammer out...
- discuss wedding ring style with partner: and got an appointment set up with the jeweler in January :-D
- book your caterer (Redbones)
- book your musicians (ENSMB)
- research honeymoon
- finalize guest list and start collecting addresses
- order stationary: I have the invitations, I just need a business card-sized card with the registry address, Thank You cards and a postcard for RSVPs
- decide what cakes to make: due to brilliant brainstorming, we'll be making 10 pound cakes (of 5 recipes), so we need to pick tasty ones
- decide on a dress design
- pick out fabric and notions
- make decisions about disposable vs. real dishes/glasses/flatware etc.
- start thinking about table settings

6 Months Ahead
- scout accommodations for out-of-town guests: Mister's uncle offered three bedrooms, and we MAYBE have one, but that's it
- plan menu with caterer
- plan playlist with musicians: we'll probably just say "have fun"
- shop for wedding bands: will already be done, if my January schedule works out
- book honeymoon
- mail invitations 6 months before
- work on dress?
- finalize table settings

4 Months Ahead
- research requirements for marriage license
- make honeymoon reservations
- meet with party-rental company to discuss tables and chairs
- work on dress?

2 Months Ahead
- review insurance (car, life, medical, home) documents with fiance, anticipating change in marital status
- finalize menu with caterer
- finalize beverage choices: having friends brew two kegs for us? and a handful of wines and cider?
- have dress finished by now

4 Weeks Ahead
- plan day-after brunch/party: not sure if we'll do this
- plan seating for reception
- confirm details with all vendors
- confirm honeymoon arrangements (e.g., pet sitters, housesitters, suspension of mail delivery)
- have a favor-making get-together, if you're making your own

2 Weeks Ahead
- get marriage license
- submit final playlist to musican: not sure necessary
- write out table and placecards for reception: not sure necessary
- break in your shoes
- keep up with thank-you notes (for bridal shower gifts or help with making favors, for example)
- confirm honeymoon reservations and give copy of itinerary to friend

1 Week Ahead
- pack for honeymoon
- give caterer final head count
- place fees, including tips, for all the vendors in marked envelopes, to be distributed on the day
- bake cakes/confirm who's baking cakes: ideally I'll have help with this, but I can bake cakes

One Day Ahead
- try to get a good night's sleep
- get outfit set out and ready
- pack car

Wedding Day
- if sending wedding announcements, make sure they're in the mail: I'm not sure if we'll do this, but there will be people that we won't be able to invite that this might be the right gesture for
- eat a good breakfast

Life Changes!

So things have been different in my house these past couple of days, and are bound to get even more so this week. My good friend from high school, L, has just moved to the area and is crashing with us until she finds a place. I love her dearly, and she's been great fun to have around.

One thing that makes me sad to do, but is important, is we're charging her to stay. Nominally, it's $100/week, but she's at $50/week and she's helping us clean (her point was that it de-stresses her, and she's gonna do it anyways). The reason why we have the bar set fairly high is this: another friend from high school, C, has rather irresponsibly decided that she's ALSO moving out here, and is apparently under the delusion that either a) I'm finding her an apartment or b) she's living with me and Mister. Neither of these are happening (esp. as Mister can't stand C and she bugs the ever-loving crap out of me after about 20 mins) so we're charging an amount that we're sure she cannot attain as she does not have a job in the area. :-D Sneaky and underhanded yes, but so is getting a phone call from your mother asking why you didn't tell her that C was going to be your new roommate (apparently my mother heard it from C's dad that C was moving in). It is not an issue with L, as L DOES have a job that starts tomorrow, L is actively searching for an apartment, and L is not obnoxious.

The other thing that starts tomorrow is school. Due to the unemployed aspect of my life, I am going to be a full-time student (yippee kiyay). I'm looking forward to classes, I really am, but the thought of being surrounded by teenagers is really disheartening. Luckily, quite a few of my classes should NOT be populated by young'uns, as I'm taking Theory 3 and Ear Training 3 (my old school called it Aural Skills and I keep finding it difficult to not call it that), as well as Russian and I feel that's a less common one. :-P

Gah, it may not be TMI Tuesday, but TMI ahead: I had an IUD put in about a month ago, and although it will be fabulous in the long run, it means that I have 6 months of cramping and intermittent spotting. I've been in two straight weeks of cramping every single day and not enjoying it. Usually by the SECOND dose of drugs it goes away. I want to remove my organs with a fork and knife and feed it to wild cats.

Birthday Dinner Party

Since the boys totally went all out on the dinner they made us M and I decided that Something Must Be Done.

(Apparently also, M's boyfriend keeps making that stew and going "you'll never top this.")

So, here is the fabulous Italian inspired dinner to whup the boys' French inspired dinner:

Course One: Antipasti platter
Course Two: Pasta with garlic and oil (we'll probably get a really awesome looking pasta)
Course Three: Sliced strawberries and kiwi in a fun design
Course Four: Braised beef with a wine and mushroom sauce, topped with fried onions
Course Five: Steamed fresh sugar snap peas with lemon juice
Course Six: Biscotti, espresso, sambucca

We'll also have little Petit Four holding the place cards at the table (since M does love her little desserts).

We're going to WIN. :-D

Update: Warning, Image Heavy

Man, what is with the radio silence around here? You'd think that someone was a bad blogger or something! :-P

So lots of things have happened since the last time I posted.



Lots of food was had (as well as my last shopping trip at LUSH with my discount),



Lots of dishes weren't done and compost not taken out,



Not one,



But TWO tasty meals were planned and created with friends.



Some seeds were planted...



In neat little rows...



Placed in the window,



TOPPLED!...



from their rather precarious position (the pictures were taken after I've already scooped by seeds back into place).

And still remaining, more seeds to plant, make compost tea, plan a birthday dinner, and hopefully start an exercise regime!

Cooking for Tonight

Mister has invited a coworker back to our place for dinner and cards tonight. We have the Beekeeper's Cabbage that I made yesterday, some kielbasa that we picked up last night (FYI? we need a new source of kielbasa -- this will be the last that I buy from the grocery store... MSG...), and then what to have as another side? The beekeeper's cabbage would be enough for two, but probably not for three. So I poked around my fridge, and we also have green beans leftover from my stirfry, leeks from the farmer's market, potatoes, eggs, lots of options...

After checking in at Heidi Swanson's site, I think that I've decided upon Vibrant Green Beans as my second side. It uses the leeks, uses the beans, and I'll use a spice other than dill (as I apparently don't care for it).

Also, would love to try this recipe for delicata squash, as I have a couple of those around, and am interested in fun and exciting ways to cook them!

Pickle Party Results

So I had J and M over to taste the pickles that I made a month ago. The party is over, and it definately looks like good times were had!



We wound up having nibbles all evening (pita chips, hummus, bread, two cheeses, cherry tomatoes, chocolate, and my grape mulled cider), and so dinner never actually was made. As an aside, we went through one whole quart of cider -- it only makes three mugs. I need to make more!

But, we all had nibbles of pickles as well, and I sent each girl home with a jelly jar of pickles (whatever their favorite was).



As you can see, the first batch, the Bread and Butter, was not well received. The common thought is that there is too much mustard seed, and they might be good on sandwiches (thanks J for that suggestion!). The next batch, the Montego Boy, was J's favorite. It was fairly sweet, but still tasty and flavorful. The last batch, the Sweet Pickle Spears, was M's favorite. It was very sweet, with a little bit of an odd aftertaste (both the SPSs and the BnBs used a lot of turmeric and mustard seed, so it could be that), and I felt would be better cold. All in all, if I had to pick one, I would make the Montego Boy again in a heartbeat. The fact that I didn't have to use the water bath canner made it all the better.

Follow-up of Brunch -- Strata and Spicy Apple Dumplings

So J and her roommate M came over for brunch. (Of the massive horde that I invite... sheesh.) Due to my loving to work last minute coupled with their arrival 10 minutes early, even the coffee wasn't ready (but the kettle was already on the stove! ... and things were ready in 10 mins).

As I had to be at home from 8-12 for the RCN guy to show up (if he'd shown up at 8 I was going to punch him), I had to be here early. But, as it was RCN that was showing up, our internet was down. And where did I post all of those lovely recipes I wanted to try? My blog. Where did I leave the book they came from? Mister's house.

Luckily, I typed all of the damn things in, so remembered the basics of what I wanted.

Half of it turned out as delicious as I wanted. The other half... I'll explain.

Based upon my half remembered Basic Breakfast Strata.
Strata Recipe:

Ingredients:
-- ground pork
-- bread (preferably day old, but I dried out regular bread)
-- garlic
-- oil
-- spices
-- 6 eggs
-- milk
-- 8 oz. block of cheddar cheese

I fried the pork with garlic and spices until appropriately browned. In a greased casserole dish, layer 1/3 of your bread in torn up bits. Add a layer of half of the sausage. Add 1/3 of the cheese. Another 1/3 of bread. The second half of sausage. Another 1/3 of cheese. Final 1/3 of bread. Leave final 1/3 of cheese off. Mix eggs with milk, and VERY VERY VERY SLOWLY pour the egg/milk mix over your casserole, allowing it to soak in everywhere (if you don't pour slowly, it bounces off the bread and onto the counter. Don't ask how I know). Let sit for an hour. Add final layer of cheese, and bake in 375F for close to an hour, or until done.

Verdict? Delicious.

Based upon my staring at this recipe a lot -- I looked up a recipe for the dough in the King Arthur Flour's Baking Companion.
Spicy Apple Dumpling Recipe(Picture above):

-- 2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
-- sugar
-- vanilla
-- choc. chips
-- cinnamon
-- garam masala
-- 2 c. flour (+ more for rolling out)
-- 2 tsp. baking powder
-- 1/2 tsp. salt
-- 2/3 c. shortening
-- 1/2 c. milk

In a med. sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, blend in shortening until crumbly. Stir in milk and form a soft dough. Divide dough in half, wrap each half in plastic, and refridgerate it while preparing apples.

Prepare apples as listed above. Throw in a bowl with a bunch of sugar, and, remembering that Garam Masala is cinnamon and a few other spices, toss a boat-load in and consider it a job done. Mix, and realize apples are spicier than an apple has a right to be. Throw in vanilla, cinnamon, more sugar and finally, chocolate chips in an endeavor to fix said spicy apples. Consider it as good as it's gonna get.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Roll out small balls of dough (<2" diameter in ball form). Place a spoonful of apple mix in the middle, and fold dough over into little purse-shapes. Place dumplings seam side down on a greased pan.

Bake for 45-50 mins.

Verdict? Spicy. I keep trying to convince Mister to come over and eat them. He's entrenched at his apartment, and not budging (nor am I being a sweetie and bringing them to him).


All in all, a fun morning drinking coffee and discussing musicals and odd bits of youtube.