The Giant Turnip

Father's Day: Crepes

2011-06-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

I know I've shared this recipe in the past, but it didn't ever have a picture to go with it. This is what I made for our Father's Day breakfast this year.

Crepes:

(makes 8)
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar (heaping)

For best results, blend this in a blender and spread out on a flat cooking surface --we like to use our electric griddle. Unless of course, you have a crepe maker. Turn when just barely golden, and yes, one side will be ugly.
Makes enough for 4 normal adults, or 3 hungry adults who like to stuff themselves silly.

Super crepe sauce:
Sour cream
Brown Sugar
about a 3:1 ratio respectively (just go by personal taste)

Favorite toppings: (not necessarily all together though) Fresh strawberries, pineapple, mandarin oranges, peaches, banana slices, blueberries, powdered sugar, whipped cream, super crepe sauce, Nutella, yogurt, homemade jam, apple or cherry pie filling, pudding, ice cream... the sky's the limit!

Yum!

Creamy Mushroom Sauce

2011-06-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

This is anything but healthy, but man was it good! Richard brought home some Morel mushrooms that he found while working (don't worry, he knows how to tell the difference between the fake ones and the real ones) and since those things usually run about $50/lb we decided we'd eat like kings for one night regardless of calories.

I imagine that you can substitute other mushrooms as well, or... you can come to our place for the full experience. You're all welcome anytime!

I have to admit this isn't an exact recipe, since I made it up as I went, but you get the general idea. Feel free to add any suggestions. (For example, my sister added a little white wine instead of lemon juice, but that's not something I usually have on hand.)

Creamy Mushroom Sauce:

1 small Shallot diced finely (or one thin slice sweet onion)
carmelize in
2 T butter
add about
2 c sliced mushrooms
saute until tender
Add 1 1/2 - 2 c heavy cream, (half and half works too)
Simmer until it thickens a little,
add 1/2 c fresh grated parmesan
Squeeze a little fresh Lemon Juice in,
Add about a 1/2 tsp fresh Thyme (or 1/4 tsp dry)
Salt and pepper to taste

Serving Suggestion: This goes well over Fettuccine and Grilled Chicken.

Enjoy!

Gwennie's goals

2011-03-16T07:30:00.001-07:00

In a recent post on Texas Moments, I wrote about the book that Gwendolyn and I made for her use in making goals. Since blogger apparently doesn't allow pdfs, I made a handful of images to show part of the layout of the pamphlet, including the cover and the title page (above). Gwennie says, "these goals will help because I get a prize when I finish a section. I'm starting with goals about not responding in anger, memorizing five poems and making one of my own, finding an animal shelter to donate a special amount of money to, and reading books by my favorite author and writing a story from the perspective of my favorite character." The images below, after the contents, represent one of the four sections in the booklet.

Chinese Dinner!

2011-02-03T11:44:00.001-08:00

(It was actually an accident that I posted this on Chinese New Year --it must have been something in the air...)

This dinner is a favorite that we made a nearly-monthly tradition with the Ricks family when we lived in Rexburg --mostly because it is delicious and too good to just make for yourself, but also because it makes so much, and it's nice to split up the work as well.

Egg Rolls

2 Bags coleslaw mix
3 Chicken breasts cooked (boiled and shredded is how I do it) or the equivalent meat of a rotisserie chicken shredded (much tastier, but don't get one with any special flavoring like rosemary or barbecue.)
2 T Soy sauce
2 T Wok oil (can be bought near the soy sauce -this is a key ingredient, it's infused with garlic and other spices)

Heat slowly in large pan with lid until cabbage is tender.
Let cool in fridge for an hour or so --if you don't, the steam will turn the wrappers into mush (yeah... learned from experience.)

Wrap in large egg roll wrappers (can be found in the produce section near the tofu and wontons and foreign foods) follow directions on back of package. This recipe can fill two packages of wraps (about 23 egg rolls each).

Fry in 1-2 in. of oil until just barely golden. Keep temperature around 300-350 deg. F. (We use our electric skillet to keep the temperature of the oil from getting too hot. I'm sure you could do it on the stove, or in a deep fryer too.)

These are my favorite egg rolls, I actually didn't ever like egg rolls before this recipe came along, and I think they're even better than those at the restaurants. They're also really easy--no shredding cabbage for me (wrapping takes the longest actually). Leftovers can be heated in the microwave until warmed through, and then put under the broiler or in a toaster oven for a few minutes to get the outsides crispy again. Yum!

Sweet and Sour Sauce

In saucepan combine:
1 tsp Ketchup
2/3 c Brown sugar (mix with ketchup so ketchup doesn't clump and float)
1/4 c White vinegar
2/3 c Pineapple juice or Mandarin orange juice --or both if you're doubling (drained from the can you get exactly 2/3 cup)
1 tsp Soy Sauce

Boil together, then to thicken add
1/4 cup cold water and 2 Tb Corn Starch mixed
Boil until desired thickness -may add pineapple tidbits at this point if you like.

I've been through quite a few sweet and sour recipes but this is my favorite. It's not like the red stuff you get at buffets, more like what you'd get at Fong's in Rexburg. I also always double this if I'm making the whole meal.

Batter-Fried Chicken (for sweet and sour chicken)

1 c flour
1 c milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg

Heat oil to 350-375 deg. F
Dip dry chicken breast pieces (cut into 1in. cubes or finger size strips) in batter and fry til golden.

Make sure the pieces of chicken aren't too thick, or you'll have to really brown them to cook them through, but don't make them too thin, or the chicken will be dry and leathery. The batter will easily cover 3 large chicken breasts, (judge about 1/3 of a chicken breast per adult). Let the chicken cool on a cooling rack over some paper towels to catch the excess oil (same for the egg rolls).

Doesn't that look so yummy!?

Now, Andrea just needs to post her excellent recipe for Fried Rice (hint hint) pictured above, and to counteract the carbs, add a favorite steamed vegetable, and voila! the perfect Chinese dinner!

It's a lot of work, but it's so worth it! Just give yourself at least 2-3 hours to get everything ready and cooked, and prepare as much as possible beforehand --cooking and shredding the chicken for the egg rolls can be done the day before, in fact the filling for the egg rolls can be refrigerated overnight --just don't wrap them until you're ready to fry them, and it probably wouldn't hurt the fried rice to be rewarmed the next day either.
Also, if you're like me, and you don't want your house to smell like fried food for days, invest in an electric skillet and plug it in outside to do the cooking. Please be careful with the hot oil! I'd hate to hear that anyone got hurt because of this recipe. If you use your skillet for the egg roll filling and wash it, make sure it is completely dry (like even turn it on warm for a bit to evaporate any water off), cause any molecule of water that is in the pan will make the oil sputter and pop. Keep a spatter guard handy and wear an apron.

butterbeer

2010-11-29T21:11:00.000-08:00

When the Harry Potter theme park opened in Florida, several of the news reports (which we were obligated to read to Gwennie and Linus) made a big deal of the butterbeer which was being sold in the Hogsmeade section of the park. Though that drink sounds like little more than an upscale cream soda, it renewed interest in the beverage around our house.

After looking at some recipe attempts on the internets and rejecting them as pretty gross-sounding (many were based on carbonated drinks, and one actually included melting vanilla ice cream and adding it to the soda), I found a recipe in a book which I was able to adapt. Not only is it delicious, but it has the advantage of including butter as its base. So I should note that, while it does not consist of melted ice cream, it is not exactly a health shake. But for an occasional indulgence, it's been well received around here.

Butterbeer

2 cups water
1/2 stick butter
1 packed cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
shake of ground cloves
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk

Melt the sugars and the butter in the water over high heat, whisking to dissolve the sugars in the liquid. After they are fully integrated, reduce the heat to low and add the salt and spices, heating until quite hot. Meanwhile, mix the cream and milk in a blender and process until frothy. (The dairy seems to thicken best if blended cold.)

Ladle 1/4 cup of the cream mixture into a mug, followed by 3/4 cup of the spice liquid. Stirring with the tip of your wand may be considered bad manners, but no one objects to seeing frothy mustaches from a hearty gulp of butterbeer.

Melon Pops!

2010-09-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

Have you ever picked out a melon, be it cantaloupe or honeydew, and found the flavor to be less than sweet, or the texture too mushy to enjoy? What then? Do you throw it out, or let it sit in your fridge until mold allows you to justify trashing it so you don't feel quite so wasteful?

I went for years not even trying to pick out melons because I couldn't stand the disappointment of a bad one. Luckily though, I have found the perfect solution... Melon Pops! And since it's that time of year right now, I thought I would share.

It started with a honeydew --one of those that just isn't sweet. I didn't want to throw it out, but even the kids didn't really like it. I just happened to have some leftover sweetened condensed milk in the fridge, so I tried dipping it, which helped some, but then Richard made remark about popsicles and an idea was born. I blended up the left over melon, added sweetened condensed milk until it was satisfactorily sweet, and froze it in some forms we had gotten from the dollar store. Voila! Melon Pops! They were fantastic! I was surprised at the creaminess of the texture actually, and I felt that with that much actual fruit, it was bound to be good for you. In fact, these popsicles are actually pretty filling. We've tried it with fat free sweetened condensed milk and it might be less smooth (some brands can be gritty) but it usually works just as well. We've only tried honeydew a and cantaloupe, but are looking forward to experimenting with others. Here's a basic recipe:

Melon Pops-

1 Melon (of the muskmelon variety--meaning not watermelon) off the rind and cut into chunks or "smiles" as we call them

2-3 T Sweetened condensed milk (amount will vary depending on the sweetness of the fruit, just taste it and adjust to your liking)

Put all ingredients in blender, blend on high, and pulse if necessary till it is smooth. Freeze in popsicle forms, ice cube trays with toothpicks, or paper cups with wooden popsicle sticks for a few hours or until solid.

Enjoy!

Note: Picking out melons can be tricky, but here are a few things I've found to be helpful:

-Smell is a huge indicator of sweetness.

-Color is also helpful; Cantaloupes should be more yellowish than green, honeydews should also have a milky white or yellow color.

-Finally, your should feel the ends, if you push on it you can usually tell if the fruit is going to be too ripe and mushy --pick a firmer fruit but not too firm. Of course, now that you know what to do if you pick amiss, it doesn't really matter does it?

One other note: Melons that are really too green don't work as well, since sometimes people like me can have allergic reactions such as itchy ears --the kids wouldn't eat popsicles made out of those ones either even though they were perfectly sweet.

Homemade Pizza

2010-04-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

I expect that everyone has a version of homemade pizza which they make regularly, but we've fallen into this particular variant recently (called "Puffaroni" by Gwendolyn because the crust gets so fluffy), and we've all been loving it.

Basic Dough:

olive oil
4 cups bread flour
1 1/3 tsp quick-rise yeast
2/3 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup water, 110 degrees F

Mix the dry ingredients, then add the lukewarm water to the mixture (a mixer with a dough hook or paddle attachment is useful). Once you have a shaggy mass, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it lightly; it will remain somewhat sticky. Place in a bowl which you have greased with the olive oil, turning the dough to grease its sides, and let it warm until doubled, around 45 minutes.

Whole Wheat Dough:

1 2/3 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
scant 2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp bread machine yeast

We allow this recipe to mix in our bread machine on the dough setting, which provides it with a great environment for the yeast to rise, but I suppose that it could also be made by hand.

In either case, the risen dough should be divided in two equal portions, which can be shaped into rounds, tossed or rolled flat (allowing several minutes between sessions for the dough to relax), and shaped or placed on a round pizza pan. Allowing the dough time to rise after it's been shaped makes a big difference in the final results, we've found. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 or 500 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, as we do, place it on the lower rack and allow it to heat as well.

A friend in Boston taught me a handy way of cooking pizzas. Matt would par-bake the crusts with the sauce for half the cooking time, then would add the toppings and return it to the oven. So when the oven is ready, we spread bottled marinara sauce (we prefer Barilla tomato and basil) over the dough and place it in the oven for six to seven minutes while we prepare the other crust.

After taking the partially-baked crust from the oven, I brush some creamy salad dressing (something like Girard's Caesar) around the outer edge and sprinkle parmesan cheese on it to give the crust a little flavor, but this can be skipped in the interest of diet or health. We generally improvise the rest, but we tend to include grated mozzarella, some herbs or spices (fresh black pepper, dried thyme, shallot pepper, or whatever's on hand), and whatever the family likes. The pizza is then returned to the oven for another six or seven minutes, and after cooling for a few minutes, it's ready to be devoured.

Where toppings are concerned, we tend to keep some pepperoni in the freezer for the children, but Jen and I prefer vegetable pizzas. Our last foray included a fresh tomato/artichoke heart pizza and a spinach/artichoke pizza which I found particularly irresistible. In case you're interested in trying it, here's the recipe for the artichoke hearts:

1 Tbsp olive oil
9 oz frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and roughly chopped
2 shallots, minced
juice of 1/4 lemon
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt

Heat the oil over medium, and add the minced shallots when heated, cooking until soft and translucent. (Can I also mention the love affair I've been having with shallots since I started cooking with them last year? -- they're incredible. Nero Wolfe would be proud.) Add the artichokes, lemon juice, water, and salt, then cover. Cook for an additional 5 or 6 minutes until the artichokes are tender, then uncover and continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated. Let cool. (If you're also adding spinach, just cook it in boiling water for 2 minutes, then shock it in cool water and press it hard to drain the water. Roughly chop it before adding it to the pizza, and enjoy.)

Lemon Pepper Chicken Pita Sandwiches

2010-04-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

This is something we learned from our friends in Jackson. I think they're healthy, although we could have made them healthier if I knew where to find whole wheat pitas and didn't use so much cheese or dressing. (Dressing not pictured, I forgot it when I was taking pictures).

Here's the recipe.

Lemon Pepper Chicken Pita Sandwiches:

1 Rotisserie Chicken (or just cook your own whole fryer)--shred and put in sauce pan

1/2 T Lemon Pepper

2 T Lemon Juice

1/3 c water

2 Chicken Bouillon cubes

Bring to a boil on the stove, then add the bouillon cubes and simmer to reduce water (honestly, it's not much water, so just do what you can to get the bouillon cubes incorporated before you run out of water. Also, I didn't have any lemons, but lime worked just great!) remove from heat.

Cut about an inch and a half thick strip off the top of your pitas, open them and stick some slices of Pepper Jack cheese inside (or other favorite white cheese). Put on cookie sheet and warm in oven just enough to melt cheese (we actually didn't have any cheese, so I just spread the insides with cream cheese and it was also delicious).

Fill the pita pockets with the chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, peppers, and whatever else you feel like. Top with Ranch Dressing and enjoy!

Greek Chicken Wraps (Andrea)

2010-04-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry about this picture: again, I remembered when the last one was being eaten. Thanks, Kevin.)

This is one of our favorite meals (in fact, we've had it twice in the last month) and works really well with grilled chicken. We love the way this meal tastes, and it is really quite easy to prepare and also quite healthy.

GREEK CHICKEN WRAPS

2-3 large chicken breasts, grilled (or however you want to cook them) and cut up into bite-size pieces. Our standard grilling topping is to sprinkle equal amounts of onion powder, garlic powder, marjoram, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and Mrs. Dash (the one with the yellow lid, although any onion/garlic based season salt will probably work).

Feta cheese

Tomatoes, diced

Jack cheese

Lettuce leaves (Bibb lettuce is awesome, but we've used Romaine before and it works well, too because it's larger)

Tzatziki sauce: (mix all these together)
1 cucumber, sliced and quartered
1 c. light sour cream
1 c. plain yogurt
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Get a lettuce leaf, and assemble your wrap with any or all of the ingredients (we have tried it with fresh mango, too, which is good). Kind of messy, but yummy. If your kids don't want to have it in lettuce, then these work just as well in regular tortillas.

Hope you enjoy--let me know if you make them and how they turn out.

Baked Chicken Vegetable Pasta (Andrea)

2010-03-04T15:09:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe off the SparkPeople recipe site and the original name is "Chef Meg's Healthy Chicken Vegetable Casserole." You can get to the original recipe here. I took the main idea and changed a few things, including the name (Dad's aversion to the word 'casserole' must have rubbed off on me). I think my changes made it a little less healthy (some salt, a bit more sauce, a bit more cheese), but I think it still qualifies as healthy, so I'm posting it here with a picture (aren't you impressed with my foresight? Usually I remember to take a picture when the last of it is actually being consumed).

BAKED CHICKEN VEGETABLE PASTA

10 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked al dente
1 1/2-2 c. cooked chicken, shredded or cut into pieces
2 heads broccoli, cut into small pieces and steamed until crisp-tender
Place all in a big bowl

1 medium onion, minced
3/4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
Saute the onion, garlic and red pepper in 1 T. olive oil until the onions are translucent, then add the zucchini and cook until the peppers and zucchini are crisp-tender. Mix with pasta mixture in big bowl, stirring gently. Season with kosher salt (about 1-2 tsp.) and dump into 13 x 9 pan.

Sauce:
3 T. butter--melt in saucepan over medium
1/3 c. flour--add to butter and stir 1 min. until smooth & bubbly
2-4 T. low-fat cream cheese, softened--mix into butter mixture until smooth
2 c. milk--stir into mix and stir until thickened over medium heat (5-10 minutes)

Remove from heat and add:
1 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/3 c. parmesean cheese

Pour sauce evenly over mixture in pan and with spoon gently work in. You don't have to mix it up totally, just prod it a little all over so the sauce can work its way down.

Top with 1 c. Monterey Jack cheese, cover and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Uncover and cook 5 more minutes.

Yum!

Mexican Feast (Andrea)

2010-02-17T12:33:00.000-08:00

Hi guys. Here are some of our favorite Mexican recipes. They make a really good meal all together, or you could use them to make enchiladas or a salad or something. Since moving from Boise, I've been trying to recreate some Costa Vida recipes, and I think some of these are about as close as I'm going to get (although I still miss that restaurant!)

Sorry about the lack of pictures--I will get some later, or if any of you happen to make this before me, feel free to add pictures!

SLOW-COOKER SALSA CHICKEN

(This one I got from Sparkrecipes.com just recently--they have some awesome recipes!)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts--Place in crockpot
1 pkg. taco seasoning (or 1/3 c. homemade taco seasoning)--Sprinkle over chicken
1 c. salsa--Pour over chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup--Pour over chicken
1/2 c. sour cream (optional)

Cook chicken on low 6-8 hours. Remove from heat & stir in sour cream [we actually never do this--we just have a dollop of sour cream on the side]. You can eat the chicken in whole pieces, or shred it.

GREEN CHILI RICE

3 c. chicken broth
2 c. white rice
4 oz. can green chilis
1 small onion, diced small
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cumin

Combine all ingredients but rice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high, then add rice. Stir once, then cover and turn to low. Cook for 20 minutes. Optional: after the rice is on your plate, it's really yummy with some fresh cilantro and lime juice.

BLACK BEANS

2 cans black beans
1/2 medium onion, chopped (you can use dried onions for this, but it isn't nearly as good)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic (fresh or jarred is best)
1/2 tsp. oregano
1-2 tsp. chicken base
1/2 c. water

Simmer in saucepan on med-low for about 20 minutes. After about 10 or 15 minutes, mash about half the beans. Add kosher salt and pepper to taste when finished cooking. Also, for a bit more flavor, mix in about 1/4-1/2 c. salsa at the end.

PICO DE GALLO

4 ripe roma tomatoes, chopped (romas are less juicy, but you can use whatever tomatoes you have on hand)
1 small white onion, minced
1/2 c. cilantro leaf, chopped
2-3 jalepeno pepper pieces, chopped (we use jarred, but you can use fresh)
1-2 T. lime juice
Kosher salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Yum!

Health Tip --go Bunless!

2010-02-05T14:49:00.000-08:00

Again, not a recipe, but something I've been trying lately in order to cut the carbs: Going bunless! I was so surprised at how much I liked it --I just had to share.

I really don't miss the bun at all, and it cuts about 26 carbs out and nearly 200 calories! If you can't handle going without both buns, then just try going topless at least. This works for most sandwiches as well, I've been having open faced turkey sandwiches, tuna sandwiches, and even grilled cheese sandwiches (which is still not healthy, but better than having two slices of bread with it right?). Substituting low-fat cottage cheese or avocado for the mayo is also a good idea, but I would be lying if I said I did that all the time. There are plenty of calorie-saving tricks out there, you just have to choose which ones you can live with.

I have to admit too that sometimes the only reason I cut carbs like this, is so I can have something else like THIS:

I'm not going to post the recipe for this one, because it's definitely not healthy.

...unless someone really wants it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Pasta with Veggie Marinara and Breadsticks--Andrea

2010-02-03T13:54:00.000-08:00

It's kind of funny that both Laura & I are posting a Marinara sauce recipe this week, but that's what I had planned so... Correct me if I'm wrong here, Laura, but yours sounds more like a dipping/pizza sauce. Mine is more of a meal/pasta topping with the vegetables. At any rate, you can't go wrong with a bunch of good sauce recipes! I think most of you have eaten this--Kevin and I made it for one of our reunion meals I think a few years ago?

PASTA WITH MARINARA SAUCE

2-3 cloves chopped garlic
1 onion, minced
1 T. olive oil
Heat these in saucepan until onion starts to turn translucent & garlic is fragrant

2-3 large zucchini, chopped into 1/4 inch-size cubes (I've actually started grating one of these and chopping them quite small, since my boys don't love the chunks all that much)
Saute this until starting to be tender, then add to pan:
10-14 mushrooms, chopped (again, half of this ends up grated to cut down the chunkiness, and the grated vegetables help thicken the sauce)

When vegetables are crisp-tender, add:
2 large cans crushed tomatoes
2 large cans tomato sauce
1 small can diced tomatoes
(you can alter the amount and types of tomatoes according to your tastes)
2-3 T. dried parsley (or the equivalent amount fresh if you have it; I never do)
2-3 tsp. basil (same with fresh)
salt & pepper to taste
1-2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
(I made this recipe up, so it's a little different every time. Just do what you think. It's very forgiving and almost impossible to mess up.)

Serve over pasta, preferrably in Dad's bowls, if you have them. It does taste better that way :0) This is a healthy recipe and would, of course, be more healthy over whole wheat pasta.

ONE-HOUR BREADSTICKS

I do have another breadstick recipe that I like a little better than these, but they also take about twice as long. This is my favorite for when I forget to start the others (more than half the time I make them :0). We got this from Kevin's sister Jolyn and it's a good one and super easy (especially with the time-saver tweaks I've figured out). This recipe makes about 30 5 inch breadsticks.

1 1/2 c. hot water
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 c. flour
1 T. yeast

1- Preheat oven to 350
2- Stick your water, sugar and salt in a mixer bowl.
3- Mix the yeast with 1 c. flour and slowly add it to the water, mixing on low, (I'm assuming here that you are using a good brand of yeast (Saf-instant) that doesn't have to be proofed. If it does, add the yeast but not the salt to luke-warm water in the second step, then the flour & salt in the third step. I always make these with at least 1/2 whole wheat flour, sometimes more--they are way healthier that way, if a little more dense)
4- Add enough flour so you have a dough that is still a tiny bit sticky
5- If using ww flour, mix in mixer for about 5 minutes.
6- Stick cookie sheet into oven to warm for a few minutes while the dough rests, about 5 minutes.
7- Pull cookie sheet out & spray with oil
8- Using fingers (but don't burn yourself) or a rolling pin, spread dough out as far as it will go toward edge of pan.
9- Use a pizza roller to cut through the middle horizontally, then every inch or inch & a half across to cut your breadsticks. (don't worry about getting all the way to the edge: they are easy to pull apart after they bake)
10- Bake 17-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Optional: for extra flavor, add 1 tsp. garlic powder & italian seasoning to dough. And/or: before or after baking, brush dough or breadsticks with butter or olive oil and sprinkle this awesome stuff on.

Good idea--not necessarily health food

2010-02-01T17:45:00.000-08:00

This isn't a recipe, and it's not exactly healthy, but it's really yummy!

Chicken Pot-Pie in a bowl! I used the stoneware bowls we got from Grampa Sam to cook chicken pot-pies in, and they turned out so delicious! I know it's healthier to go without the double crusts, but I would rather just have this dish half as often because when you cook them in stoneware the crust is so crispy and delicious it's not worth having any other way! Just use whatever recipe you like for the filling, sealing the top and bottom crusts together well and putting holes in the top for the steam to vent out. Cook it at 425 for 35 minutes on the bottom rack and voila! They just pop right out and aren't they beautiful!

Just a note, my recipe for crust (3c flour, 1 c shortening, 1 tsp salt, water) makes about 2 pies top and bottom in the large bowls pictured (about 5"-6" dia.), and one bowl is plenty for two people.

Pizza Crust

2010-02-01T15:03:00.000-08:00

This one was requested by Jill after having it with us this weekend. I usually make it with 1/2 wheat flour and enjoy the nutty flavor, but didn't have any good stuff this last time. For best results use with my marinara Also, we like to put spinach on our pizza. If you put a thin layer of fresh baby spinach on right after the sauce and cover it with cheese, no one can tell it's there but you still get the benefits! Roasted red peppers are also tasty. This crust is perfect for a nice thin crispy crust.

Pizza Crust

2 c warmish water

1 1/3 c flour

4 tsp sugar

4 tsp Yeast (I use saf-instant)

Mix together and let sit until yeast is bubbly

Sift together:

3 1/2 c flour

1 1/3 tsp salt

Mix with wet stuff until dough is soft and pliable, but not sticky.

Roll out thin. Makes 2 large thin crust pizzas.

Cook pizzas on lowest shelf in oven, at 400-425 until underside is golden and crispy.

I coat my pans with Pam, and then sprinkle them with a little cornmeal to add flavor and crunch.

Food glorious food! --Marinara

2010-02-01T13:13:00.000-08:00

I'm excited about this recipe sharing thing. Let's see how well this works.

This is my favorite sauce for Pizza, but it's also great on pastas like Tortellini. I don't have a picture of the sauce itself, but I'll get one next time I make it.

Garlic Basil Marinara

4 cloves Garlic, chopped

saute in

2 T Olive Oil

add:

4 cans diced Tomatoes (I use petite diced).

Cook down for at least an hour, depending on how thick you want it.

Just before you take it off the heat add:

about 2 T Fresh Basil crushed and minced

Salt and Pepper and Oregano (fresh or dried) to taste.

Blend in blender until smooth.

Makes about 1 qt sauce. I freeze it in smaller quantities. and use it as needed.

Ricks boys

2009-06-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hi, here are my boys. (Sorry about the annoying rosy tint to the picture--my camera is dying a slow and pink death.)

salutations

2009-06-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

Gwendolyn, Casper, and Linus

We thought it might be worthwhile to ask everyone to post a recent picture of their families (particularly the children), so that the cousins can be reminded of their friends and given a sense of who to expect at the reunion. This would be really useful for my bunch, anyway, who have been talking about the games they played with their cousins last year (without being able to remember exactly who they were).

victuals

2009-06-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

Laura brought up the question of whether we could plan more meals together during the reunion. Like her, I thought that our dinners last year were a highlight. I enjoyed sharing recipes and styles of eating; I guess I'm a believer in the ritual of sharing food. I suppose that we will be occupied on Friday, but see no reason that we couldn't arrange formal meals (certainly lunch and dinner) on Saturday and Sunday (how late will you be staying in Boise, Laura?) -- as long as most of us can congregate at the rental house.

What does everyone else think? Should I try to make a schedule? Andrea, you mentioned being willing to help with a meal on Saturday -- would you prefer to continue our collaboration, or would you rather take the lead at a later time? Again, I think that we will try to keep things informal and quick -- but those are often the kinds of recipes that are most in demand in our house.

LCB

2009-06-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that the Samuelson Ladies (by name and by blood) have been doing a Long- Distance Craft Bonanza. We have decided to do an exchange at this years reunion. Maybe we could incorporate this exchange into the auction.
For those who haven't made/bought their items yet could make/buy an extra one for sale at the auction.

reunion logistics

2009-06-22T21:21:00.001-07:00

When I called Dad last night, he and Mom wanted to discuss some of their thoughts about the reunion. I want to nominate our collaborative blog, Ginormous Turnip (tm Jeff), as a discussion space. I think that the easiest way to share our ideas and preferences about the weekend will be to make individual posts for specific questions and topics, then each of us can respond to those issues in the comments, or raise new issues by writing new posts.

Mom and Dad realize that with everything involved in Steve and Shawna’s wedding, and with the difficulties attendant upon each of our families living out of suitcases for the weekend, we are going to have to be more flexible than at last year’s reunion. Keeping our plans minimal and our expectations limber will help to ensure that we all enjoy our time together. Anyway, we’ll be best able to preserve time for talk and play if we keep things informal.

That said, Dad feels really strongly that we keep some continuity from last year’s reunion. What is important to you to see in this year's reunion?

auction

2009-06-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

The auction seems to be the central thing that Dad, in particular, would like to see us attempt. I’m sure that it will be less ambitious than before, but I’d like to suggest that we approach it more or less the same way, though on a smaller scale. We should take some time to talk about logistics: the only practical time for both auctions seems to be the afternoon of July 4, but that’s open to debate.

Should we plan on an auction in which we lower our expectations, but still try to share what we can? Andrea just sent me the suggestion that we take some time to traipse around Boise, going to thrift shops and trying to find auction items. This sounds like great fun, if a little risky (at least with my family’s schedule, I’m not sure that we’re going to be able to fit thrifting into the time we’ll have), but there’s no reason to insist that all (or even most) of the items in the auction be homemade. We understand that there are other obligations which will take precedence this year (you know, moving, having babies, getting married, buying houses), and I suggest that we should just try to have a few fun things to give, wherever they come from. I’ll bring the money, Dad will bring the paddles, and I hope that Steve will bring his auctioneer’s patter.

children's auction

2009-06-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

(Not an auction of children)

The kids’ “auction” was a real hit, I thought, and I’d like to repeat it. If you find any interesting candies or little toys that you can bring for the bags, please do; we’ll probably have to search Boise, land of dollar stores, for the majority of the stuff. Since we won’t have the luxury of putting kids to sleep before we have the adult auction, one possible fringe benefit of having the kids enjoying their bags is that it may work to buy time for us to have the adult auction. (As I see it, since we will probably have to hold the auctions at the rental house for reasons of space and timing, we’ll need to find something for the young ones to do while we wheel and deal.) If they are looking through their bags, it may provide us at least some beginning time for our auction.

I had another thought, actually. A week ago, Jeffrey sent me this fun link . It describes a family’s efforts at making trading/playing cards which depict monsters or other invented creatures. After the members of the family draw pictures of beasts on their cards (and name them), they shuffle, pick, and exchange them. I thought that it might be fun to have the kids involved with something like this – if we have them draw the cards on Friday or Saturday before the auction, we could put cards in the bags and then allow the children to look at and swap them while we are auctioning. I wonder whether someone whose boys are already into trading cards (Jill and Will, do I understand that this may apply to your family?) could weigh in on the possibilities here – and the things that might raise interest in such a project. Let me know what you think; if there is approval for this idea, I could cut some paper for the cards before we come.

favor

2009-05-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

Well, Shawna and Stephen asked me to make announcements for their wedding, and I found it a real pleasure to work on them. And although I can't exactly say that I met their deadline, they tell me that they've received the package with 150 cards, each including an image of hydrangeas (printed from a hand-cut wood engraving), type set with the invitation text, and my calligraphic presentation of their names. I don't think that it's really possible to see enough of the announcement to make this photo a spoiler, but I thought you might find it interesting to see part of the project drying in my pressroom.

Laura's Easter Favorites

2009-04-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

Crepes:

(makes 8)
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar

Super crepe sauce:
Sour cream
Brown Sugar.
2:1 ratio respectively

Open-faced egg sandwiches:
(for four people)

Eight or nine eggs, hard boiled and cut up into chunks.
About a half cup mayonnaise.
About two tablespoons mustard.
About a half cup ham chunks
About a half cup grated or diced mild cheddar cheese.
Salt and pepper to taste.

I say about, because everything is really to taste. Mix everything together in a bowl, and then spoon onto halves of potato or dinner rolls. Broil on middle shelf for a few minutes. Keep an eye on it, because as soon as they start browning, they go fast and can burn easily.

Easter Sunday Meal

2009-04-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

We don't really have any foods that we eat specifically around Easter. I love ham but we decided to go non-traditional (and cheap) for our Easter meal.We tried a chicken fajita marinade from Our Best Bites. It was really tasty. Also, as a special treat I made Brazillian Lemonade from the same site. I have been wanting to try this, because I have heard a lot of good things. It was delicious!
I made muffins for breakfast. I had ripped this recipe out of Wondertime magazine years ago and never made them. I substituted canned pumpkin for the yams and craisins for the cranberry sauce. They were really tasty. In fact, I made them again today with the leftover pumpkin.
I also found this recipe for Easter Rolls that looks so fun. You bake a marshmellow in the center of a roll and when you bake them the marshmellow melts. When you open the roll it is empty (like the tomb). I thought it would be a really fun recipe to make with the kids!

Gwennie's "Lovey-Pop People"

2009-04-06T17:08:00.001-07:00

I think I invented lollipop puppets when I made a person lollipop. I just wanted to have a head. I wanted to eat the lollipop, but I saved it under my pillow, I think.

The first one was a really silly one, with the dress going around her. I should have done it the other way -- where you put the dress straight on her, and tape it on the back and front and bottom and top.

Big sister and kitty

Ingredients:
a piece of paper
wire
a lollipop (that's the importantest)
tape

Tools:
wire cutters
pencils
scissors

Little sister and brother

First, you need to cut out a square. Then you color on the square. Then you tape the square onto a lollipop. The square is for the dress.

Then, you cut out two even pieces of paper, then you measure it, see how long the pieces of paper are, then you tape the wire onto one piece of paper and tape the other piece of paper on top of the wire. That's the arms. So, you just get some more tape, and tape the arms on. If you want to do a boy, you can do a shirt. The girls just have skirts with arms. The boys? No, they don't have any arms -- they just have shirts, shirt sleeves or long sleeves.

Baby and candy purse

And then -- it might be the hardest -- put some tape if you want eyes on the face, then draw eyes. If you want to do the hair, you have to collect it from when your brothers or sisters -- or you! -- have haircuts. Then tape it on. Or you can cut it out and color it, or just have them have white hair. But if it's a different color piece of paper, just leave it, or color it differently. If you want legs, do it the same as arms, but two of them, and shorter.

To make a bag or a purse, whatever you want, you cut out walls and a bottom and then do an opening that can open and close, and tape it together. And if you wanted a handle, cut out a skinny, long piece of paper, and tape it on the top as well. And then you can put small little things in there, and candy, that's what I did.

(Instructions by Gwendolyn.)

what I listened to in 2008

2009-01-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

For the third successive year, I've succumbed to the temptation to rank my favorite new songs. If nothing else, it's a way of charting a significant part of my life during the past months – but it could also serve as a prompt for conversation and debate.

The ground rules? Only one song per band (side projects excluded). The song should have been released during the calendar year, though I've bent the rules where some self-published or import albums from last year are concerned. I'd love to see some other lists popping up on here. Steez? Jeffrey? BJ? Melissa? Buzz? Andrea? Mom?

My 75 in descending order:

1 Grizzly Bear – While You Wait for the Others (Live on KCRW)

2 Fleet Foxes – Mykonos

3 Wolf Parade – The Grey Estates

4 Love Is All – Give It Back

5 Bottomless Pit – Fish Eyes

6 Department of Eagles – Waves of Rye

7 Beach House – Home Again

8 Bon Iver – Skinny Love

9 Horse Feathers – Curs in the Weeds

10 Sera Cahoone – Only as the Day is Long

11 Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – Buriedfed

12 Blitzen Trapper – Furr

13 Land of Talk – Corner Phone

14 Deerhoof – Chandelier Searchlight

15 White Denim – Sitting

16 Man Man – Harpoon Fever (Queequeg’s Playhouse)

17 Frightened Rabbit – Good Arms vs Bad Arms

18 Sigur Ros – Gobbledigook

19 The Walkmen – In the New Year

20 Andrew Bird – Oh No

21 Thao – Yes, So On and So On

22 Mirah – Don’t

23 The Dodos – Fools

24 TV on the Radio – Love Dog

25 Cat Power – New York

26 Giant Sand – Belly Full of Fire

27 Scout Niblett (f. Will Oldham) – Kiss

28 Richard Swift – Would You?

29 Karl Blau – Mockingbird Diet

30 Mount Eerie and Julie Doiron – Voice in Headphones

31 Chad VanGaalen – Willow Tree

32 Sun Kil Moon – Tonight the Sky

33 Women – Group Transport Hall

34 Marnie Stern – The Package is Wrapped

35 Jay Reatard – Night of Broken Glass

36 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – Paranoia (Never Enough)

37 Destroyer – Leopard of Honor

38 Dungen – Det Tar Did

39 Bound Stems – Happens to Us All Otherwise

40 Crooked Fingers – Cannibals

41 Port O’Brien – I Woke Up Today

42 The Shaky Hands – Show Me Your Life

43 Fanfarlo – Harold T. Wilkins

44 King Khan and the Shrines – Welfare Bread

45 She & Him – I Was Made for You

46 Sunset – When Perfect Flames Expire

47 The Magnetic Fields – Old Fools

48 Grouper – Heavy Water / I’d Rather Be Sleeping

49 Marissa Nadler – Colorado Girl

50 Grand Archives – Orange Juice

51 Soltero – Out at the Wall

52 White Rabbits – Beehive State

53 The Fiery Furnaces – Duplexes of the Dead

54 Gnarls Barkley – Run

55 of Montreal – Id Engager

56 MGMT – Electric Feel

57 Dosh – If You Want To, You Have To

58 Ratatat – Falcon Jab

59 Q-Tip – Move

60 The Roots – Rising Down

61 Chairlift – Bruises

62 Vivian Girls – Never See Me Again

63 Tape – Beams

64 Laura Gibson – Freight Train

65 Rocketship Park – Run Away

66 Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Glue Girls

67 The Raveonettes – Dead Sound

68 No Age – Things I Did When I Was Dead

69 The Rosebuds – Life Like

70 Shearwater – The Hunter’s Star

71 Calexico – Two Silver Trees

72 Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks – Cold Son

73 Spoon – All I Got Is Me

74 Tapes ‘n Tapes – Hang Them All

75 Islands – The Arm

It's a little strange to see the songs lined up like this; it shows me that I've been listening to a preponderance of pop and folk and less of the noise stuff that benefits from live performance. Maybe this is what happens when you live in a city with no music venues.

Anyway, if there is interest, I'll continue posting mp3s. And if anyone wants to e-mail or text me their list, I'll post it, and will add the music where I have it.

hallelujah

2008-12-04T08:20:00.000-08:00

The Donkey from The Friendly Beasts

I love Christmas music, but it feels a little strange to admit it. The reason, of course, is that there is so much bad music that falls into the category. My problem is that I feel barraged with the worst versions of even the better songs, as well as the treacly, sentimental, awful songs which -- as far as I can see -- have little to do with Christmas. But I can enjoy the season without becoming a total curmudgeon as long as I can shield myself a little -- and keep away from department stores.

In terms of choral music, I couldn't do without Saint-Saens' Christmas Oratorio, which is my favorite Christmas piece. It's slighter than the Messiah or many of the other oratorios which are favored around the season, but it seems more characteristic of the Christmas spirit to me -- which, to my mind, is not epic as much as quiet and filled with wonder. (Even those who aren't familiar with the oratorio might recognize the trio, "Tecum Principium," which is often heard in translated or instrumental versions.)

Camille Saint-Saens: Tecum Principium

A few years ago I got a little obsessed with finding some good vocal renditions of my favorite Christmas carols, and I was amazed at the range in quality you find in the readily available albums. The ones I found that I was most pleased with were wonderful collections from the Tewkesbury Abbey Choir, and another from The Sixteen and Harry Christopher.

Tewkesbury Abbey Choir: Quelle est cette odeur agreable

The Sixteen: In Dulci Jubilo

If you like fingerpicked guitar, John Fahey has a great Christmas album called A New Possibility. I'm generally not the biggest fan of what might be termed classical guitar, but Fahey's a real virtuoso who knows when to hold back, and he offers really nice takes on carols familiar and less so. In a somewhat similar vein, Pete Seeger's Traditional Christmas Carols record offers some beautiful folk-inflected carols with a lot more vitality than I find in most other renditions of these songs. A recent gift from Jeffrey, Willie Nelson's Pretty Paper provides less distinct imaginings of familiar songs, but it's nice to hear him handle the carols. I can almost listen to "Winter Wonderland" when it's Willie singing it. Almost.

John Fahey: Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming

Pete Seeger: Masters in this Hall

Willie Nelson: Pretty Paper

We also get a lot of mileage out of Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas, mostly because the kids like to listen to "Linus and Lucy" for obvious reasons. "Skating" is great, too.

Vince Guaraldi: Skating

Of recent albums, we listen quite a bit to Sufjan Stevens -- his five Christmas eps are lovely, with inventive versions of traditional carols and a few great additions to the canon. It's his version of "The Friendly Beasts" that the kids, Linus especially, fell in love with. Jeff recently turned me on to an ep by Low, a band I had only listened to sporadically. "Just Like Christmas" is a beautiful song which I think will become a standard for our family. I might also recommend Julian Koster's Christmas album, which was just released. Koster is a multi-instrumentalist who played with Neutral Milk Hotel, and this record was produced entirely with the ethereal, icy sounds of the musical saw.

Sufjan Stevens: The Friendly Beasts

Low: Just Like Christmas

Julian Koster: The First Noel

Let us know some of your favorite albums and songs.

accolades

2008-12-03T19:31:00.000-08:00

It's the end of the year, which means list season. I'll probably be posting a series of my favorite songs of the year a little later on, just to get in on the action. (It's compulsory on the internets.) So far I've just been enjoying reading some of the praise, and I'm obsessive-compulsive enough to appreciate the act of listing for its own sake.

It was a fairly rare pleasure to see someone I know singled out for honor. A few months ago, an illustrated children's book by Suzy Lee was reviewed by The Times, and got a front-page thumbnail. The Wave, published by one of my favorite houses, Chronicle Books, has now been named one of the top ten children's picture books of the year.
This wordless book narrates the encounters of its young protagonist at the seashore, and does a wonderful job depicting the shifting emotional reactions of the little girl to the wildness of the ocean. Its exuberant illustrations are a combination of acrylic (the monochromatic waves) and lively charcoal drawings (the girl, the horizon, the seagulls). I'd place it up there with Harry by the Sea (Gene Zion/Margaret Bloy Graham) and Mrs. Armitage and the Big Wave (Quentin Blake) among my favorite seaside picture books.

I met Suzy at the Museum of Printing History, where she was studying stone lithography with Charles Criner, our artist-in-residence. She became one of the early members of the Book Arts Group I founded with a Museum bookbinder, though she was only with us for a few months before moving to Singapore. One of my sorrows about my experience at the MPH is that I was not able to buy a copy of the illustrated book, The Black Bird, which she printed on the lithographic press there -- though I understand that a reproduction is available from a press in Korea and France.
At any rate, the children and I recommend Suzy's book (in fact, they bought it for my birthday). Now I need to get my hands on her other U.S.-printed book, The Zoo.

symmetrical

2008-11-22T10:19:00.002-08:00

The children caught a comment that their mother made about Casper's asymmetry (by which she was referring to his floppy ear, multidirectional teeth, and the eye that tends to squint on its own) and were curious about what the word meant.

We explained that the fact that their brother's features aren't exactly balanced doesn't make him a freak -- in fact, studies have shown that faces which have been digitally altered to be perfectly symmetrical seem uncanny and unpleasant. To give them an example, we took some of their better pictures and flopped them over to show what they might look like if their features were perfectly balanced, and this is the fun we came up with:

Our conclusions? Well, that it's funny and silly to see yourself this way. That freckles are not evenly distributed. It also appears to us that Linus has the most symmetrical features of the three. And that Casper looks like the Weekly World News's Bat Boy when he's totally symmetrical:

(To be fair, this was a strange angle to begin with. I should also confess -- something which usually gets a parent in trouble -- that Casper has a grin which is the most infectious and adorable thing I've ever seen, and that he may end up being the best looking of the bunch.)

three tales of my father's dragon

2008-11-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

We love to get audiobooks at the library and a few months ago, we picked up Three Tales of My Father's Dragon, which turned out to be three books in one. We later checked out each of the books, My Father's Dragon, Elmer and the Dragon, and The Dragons of Blueland so we could enjoy the charming stories as well as the fun illustrations. The books are written by Ruth Stiles Gannett and illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett.

These are all short chapter books, perfect read alone books for early readers and perfect read-aloud books for ages 3+ (Linus adores the stories).My Father's Dragon begins when the mother of a young boy throws out an alley cat that he had been feeding. When the cat tells Elmer about the fantastical Wild Island, and a dragon imprisoned there by the ferocious animals, he decides to stow away on a ship and try to save the baby dragon. He succeeds through a series of encounters with the animals -- each time they threaten him, he distracts them by offering some bit of the toiletries he had packed. The lighthearted tone, not to mention Elmer's cleverness in tricking his powerful adversaries, is part of what makes the book such a success.

Bum cack! Bum cack! We dreed our nagon!

In Texas, November is still late summer

2008-11-02T19:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend, we grilled chicken breasts with a new marinade that I wanted to share with everyone, even if your weather makes grilling more a labor of love than an excuse to luxuriate in a beautiful afternoon. (This sentiment isn't meant to sound mean spirited, but if it encourages anyone to visit us, so much the better.)

Here is the recipe that I made for the meal, which we think turned out pretty well:

Citrus Tarragon Marinade

INGREDIENTS

1 ¼ cups plain yogurt
¼ cups vegetable (canola) oil
¼ cups tarragon vinegar
juice of 2 large lemons

1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, broken into pieces
2-4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 ½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground (or more to taste)

DIRECTIONS

After mixing the ingredients, place 4-5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts in a sealable bag with 2/3 of the marinade. Reserve the remainder for the grilling.

After as many as 3 hours marinating (but no longer), remove the chicken breasts and cook them over a hot charcoal fire. The marinade may stick to the grill, so brushing oil over it before cooking may prevent problems. Turn after the breasts show a nice char, and watch to ensure that they remain moist. (Remember, too, that they will continue to cook for a few minutes after they are removed from the heat.) Brush on some of the reserved marinade, and allow the added moisture to cook and crust before adding more to the other side, and cooking for a few minutes. I prefer heating this final stage only until the surface is a little goopy, not until the added marinade is cooked fully dry.

Serve with herbed long-grain rice, such as basmati.

The result is a lemony and fragrant accent to the chicken, which gains the advantages of its savory surface from the charcoal, and a nice moisture from the marinade. The real secret is the tarragon vinegar, which is magical. I'd recommend it for any kitchen.

(Gwennie gets photo credit for this image.)

R.I.P. Levi Stubbs

2008-10-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

Tonight I discovered that Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops has died. However you feel about his lengthy list of Motown hits, he would be worth memorializing, and celebrating, for his role in creating one of the great pop songs of all time -- the Holland-Dozier-Holland hit It's the Same Old Song. Some of the obituaries I've read suggest that, as his songwriters pushed his natural baritone up to a tenor register, his voice gained its characteristic "urgent and pleading" quality. You should listen to it, anyway:

The Four Tops: It's the Same Old Song

And here is a wonderful cover by Iron & Wine: Same Old Song

A funny aside: after his Motown heyday, Levi Stubbs took jobs recording video game voiceovers and starred as the plant in the film version of Little Shop of Horrors. I imagine the conversation about that job going something like this:

Agent: Ever hear of Little Shop of Horrors?
Levi: Uh . . . the movie or the shop?
Agent: The brand-new multimillion-dollar musical. And you are starring . . . as the horror.
Levi: It's the part I was born to play, baby!

Fortune Tellers

2008-10-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know what these are really called, but chances are, you all remember them. Searcy's sent one to Zoe for her birthday and it was so fun I had to make them for Liam and Lydia also. One thing that is so fun about them is you can customize the insides to fit what interests your child has at the time. Instead of telling fortunes ours had actions. Such as: "make a funny face", "hop on one foot", or "try to make someone laugh". They can also include questions: "What is your favorite food"?
To make them (if you don't recall), take a square of paper (8.5X8.5 works, we used 12X12) crease down the middle both ways and unfold. Take the corners and fold each one into the middle, lining them up perfectly. Turn the paper over and fold in each corner to the middle(just like the other side). At this point it is ready for labeling and playing. Let me know if you need instructions from here.

meander

2008-10-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

Around a year ago, a popular "meme" on the internets was to post an iPod playlist on shuffle, listing the songs as they appeared. I think that the idea was a sort of masochistic self-baring (it's the internet, remember), since it was important to include guilty pleasures as much as hipster-approved songs. Anyway, it's been several months since I've seen anything of the sort on the blogs, so the trend must be dead.

Accordingly, I'm going to start something similar on the Giant Turnip. Instead of a full-iPod list, though, I'm going to use the kids' playlist, which contains songs they have chosen to listen to (usually while in the car), and songs I've helped them choose. The playlist is currently about 300 songs long, and will continue to grow and shrink as we decide what we like and don't so much.

Here's the first ten to pop up:

1 Guided by Voices -- Drag Days
2 M Ward -- Chinese Translation
3 Built to Spill -- Now and Then
4 Kristin Hersh -- What'll We Do With the Baby-O
5 Voxtrot -- Soft & Warm (the Sophia Song)
6 The Breeders -- Drivin' on 9
7 Bob Hund -- Dusseldorf
8 Beach House -- All the Years
9 Beatles -- She Said She Said
10 Death Cab for Cutie -- I Was a Kaleidoscope

A few notes: yes, I know this is actually my music. But the children also tell me which songs they like, which are the ones which stay on the list. And they've become pretty attached to them: Gwennie often requests the M. Ward song (she's seen the clever video); both children refer to the song by Austin band Voxtrot by the name of their cousin, because of the resemblance of some of the lyrics (what does "so feel alive" sound like to you?).

Also, expect an entire post on the Kristin Hersh selection one of these days.

elsa beskow

2008-09-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

A big part of the Waldorf curriculum has to do with celebrating the rhythms of nature, including the seasons. We have a little nature table in our home which we change at the beginning of each season, then add to through the months. And since we are a family of bibliophiles, we love to read books about the seasons or which take place in specific seasons.

One of our favorite author/illustrators of seasonal tales is Elsa Beskow. Her illustrations are colorful and simple, but full of life. Always filled with magic, the main characters are often little wood sprites, fairies, or gnomes.

Elsa Beskow was born in Sweden in 1874. During her career, she wrote thirty-three picture books and illustrated eight collections of fairy tales, though she began writing for her family. Her first six books were for her children – one for each of her sons.

Here are some of our favorites:

Pelle’s New Suit This is my favorite, hands down (and sadly, one we don’t yet own). A simple tale of a boy who takes some wool and though a series of barters, get the wool made into a new suit. Lovely.

The Sun Egg Some of Beskow’s most charming illustrations and perhaps the cleverest story. An elf finds an orange in her woods and believes the Sun had laid an egg. What to do?

Woody, Hazel and Little Pip This might be Gwendolyn’s favorite -- I think she relates to the mischief these little wood sprites get into. A great Autumn book.

Ollie’s Ski Trip About a little boy who has the good luck of meeting Jack Frost and King Winter during a ski trip through the woods. We recently purchased a used copy and are excited about adding this to our Winter book collection.

Children of the Forest This story follows a family of wood sprites in their work and play through the seasons. A classic with beautiful illustrations of the natural world.

The Flowers’ Festival A Spring-time tale about the plants and flowers coming to life on Midsummer’s Eve. The book is a little long, but Gwendolyn loves it.

Look for Elsa Beskow during your next library visit!

fudge sauce

2008-09-28T18:34:00.001-07:00

On a couple of occasions, I've gotten phone calls from members of the family who have wanted to make this quick and addictive fudge sauce, so I thought I'd put it here for easy reference, Dad.

The recipe comes from a beautiful cookbook called Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts. I can recommend it heartily, though I've relied more upon fragments -- a sauce here, a mousse there -- than the full, finished recipes (although her crushed pepper brownies are really something). The rather spartan design is compensated for by the strength of the content; who needs color photography when you have recipes as perfected as these?

This fudge sauce is the ideal sort of recipe -- a simple process with a big payout. Maida suggests the use of Dutch-process cocoa, but I think that finding a really good quality cocoa powder of either kind is most important (you see my choice at the top of the post). Let me know how it comes out for you:

1/2 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp. sweet butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup strained unsweetened cocoa powder

Heat the cream and butter in a saucepan over moderate heat until the butter has melted and the cream just begins to boil. Add the sugars and stir for at least a few minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is smooth. At this point, reduce the heat, then add the salt and the cocoa powder and whisk until it's integrated. If any lumps of cocoa remain, press them against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and serve.

Gwennie's chain necklace

2008-09-28T18:21:00.001-07:00

I taught myself how to make straw paper chains one day during quiet time. It's good for necklaces, rings, and bracelets. I'd like my cousins to try this, especially Zoe.

To make a straw paper chain you have to cut a straw, and then you have to put the straw you cut onto another to make the chain longer. It can very easily break, so you can put it in a cup or glue it. You have to be careful with a necklace because it's very fragile.

I'd like my cousins to show me some of the things they think up.

Love, Gwendolyn

Fake Music

2008-09-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bands for the past decade at least, Yo La Tengo is comprised of a husband-and-wife team, Ira and Georgia, and their partner in crime, James. They are multi-instrumentalists who swap instruments at will during their shows. These concerts are always incredible -- in fact, I saw them at Royal Festival Hall in London, and Jen left Russia so that she could see them in Germany. Add those memorable concerts to a handful of appearances in Cambridge, Somerville (with Jen and Stephen), and Houston, and they may be the band I've gone to see most frequently. (They are also, incidentally, responsible for one of the funniest videos I've ever seen, in which they collaborate with Bob and David of Mr. Show.)

At times, their sound may be a little abrasive for younger ears, but their eclectic and melodic style frequently produces great songs to share; Gwennie in particular is fond of an album of covers, Fakebook. Rather than simply recreate versions of obscure songs (though the album frequently succeeds at this -- Ira was a music critic before becoming an international rock star), the band creates a sustained musical statement, partially by including "covers" of a few original songs among the reinventions. The entire album is a showcase for the good humor and gentleness of the band, while also hinting at their sonic adventurousness.

Here are some full-family favorites:

mp3: Here Comes My Baby

This cover of a Cat Stevens song actually reached the band through a wilder and rather more obscure version by a sixties garage band called The Tremeloes. A good dancing song for small (and larger) feet.

mp3: Griselda

Gwennie has called this song "Mazelda," one of her favorite made-up princess names, for the past few years. I think of it as the country equivalent of a Shakespearean sonnet, in the sense of a mannerly or courtly seduction. It strikes me as funny, but that may be due to its lyrical deftness. It's another obscure number originally by the Unholy Modal Rounders.

mp3: The Summer

And finally, one of the band's auto-covers: simple and perfect.

The Adventures of Polo

2008-09-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

We found this book, The Adventures of Polo, at the library this summer. Liam cannot get enough of it. It is written by Regis Faller, who is French. In fact it may be a phenomenon in France.

The book is illustrated in comic book style with many frames with pictures to each page. There are no words, so it is great for non-readers. Liam enjoys looking at each picture and following the story like that.

Polo, who is a dog, is very expressive and has so many adventures. It reminds me a little of Harold and the Purple Crayon, without words. There is another Polo book, The Runaway Book, that we liked as well as the first.

Two children's music artists we met this summer

2008-09-12T19:05:00.001-07:00

Justin Roberts started his career playing with an indie-rock band in Minneapolis. Success came slower than he’d hoped, and he became a Montessori preschool teacher during the days. One Christmas he sent out a CD of songs that he’d written for his young students to friends and family. One of his college friends, Liam Davis, was a music producer, and suggested they record the songs professionally.

He has visited our public library here in Rochester a few times since we moved here, but ironically, we really met his music this summer while we were away in Florida. His lyrics are deliberate and fun (often quite silly), and his indie family music style is engaging and varied.

The words that open an alphabet song he sings on his first album, Great Big Sun, were some of the first that caught our attention: “A is for the applesauce that mother poured into my bubble bath. Bath starts with B, and don’t starts with D, and I forgot C, but everything else starts with E.” The song does make its way through the rest of the alphabet, but not without much silliness. My boys are quite entertained. Worth a look if you need something new.

The second artist that we discovered this summer is Frances England. She has two cds. The first one, Fascinating Creatures, she wrote as a fundraiser for her son’s school. The second one, Family Tree (which I haven’t heard yet), celebrates the birth of her second son. Also a sort of indie-folk feel, her music is easy to listen to—do you have to live with a three-year-old to appreciate some of the issue she writes about? Toddler mood swings, tricycles, blueberry pancakes. No, I think you just have to have been three.

Key to the Treasure II

2008-09-07T20:06:00.001-07:00

Since we planned a treasure hunt for Gwendolyn's birthday party on Saturday, I thought I'd write a followup post. After the children had shared their tea party and had decapitated the pinata, they returned inside for cupcakes. I'd secreted puzzle pieces under their plates, and set up the rest of the hunt while they were preoccupied. Once they'd finished with Chocolate Time, I told Gwennie to move her plate; she found the puzzle piece, and the rest of the girls discovered theirs as well. They rushed to clear a spot on the table, and to put the picture together.

Initially, they thought that the image depicted a shelf of books, but after a little thought, Gwennie recognized the children's picnic table on our patio. They all rushed outside and found the cutout which I'd taped underneath. After a little more searching, they found the pictures of the three sand buckets which usually live in the sandbox, but which I'd hidden around the yard, each with a rolled-up "scroll" inside.

This finished picture led to a birdhouse in our tree, where they found the final image, a closeup of part of a play structure in the yard. I'd hung a basket with the sewn bags holding the party favors beneath the playset, which the girls swarmed after they'd put everything together. I think that they had a fun time with the hunt; it might have taken them fifteen minutes all told, but they seemed absorbed throughout. (It's impossible to say how much of that is attributable to the hunt itself, and how much is simply the promise of treasure.)

Here's what I found interesting about all of this: we called Mom and Dad tonight to tell them about the party and the past few weeks. When I mentioned the Giant Turnip enterprise to them, I told them about the treasure hunt, and Mom said, "oh, just like your Dad used to make." Now, I've stolen many of the games which Dad invented, from the ten minute game to the dollar game. In fact, it's not uncommon for Gwennie to come into the living room when she's supposed to be sleeping, and ask for me to come and talk with her for a minute or two to help her sleep. When this happens, she invariably asks for a story about when I was a little boy, and I tell her about playing tic-tac-toe with Dad's pipe clamps, or about the wooden rhino pin or model of a California mission we (he) made for my school projects. But I don't recall picture-directed treasure hunts distinctly, much as it's characteristic of his creative games. Andrea may remember better than I do. But I wonder how much of my pleasure in the return to the Key to the Treasure book comes from an unremembered association with Dad's games.

Shells and Cheese

2008-09-02T18:15:00.001-07:00

Fresh off its triumph at the family reunion, here is the recipe for shells and cheese that has become a family standard for us over the past half year. All kidding aside, I'm gratified that so many of us -- particularly the younger ones -- enjoyed this dish. It's from Fine Cooking, the cuisine magazine which Dad introduced me to a few years ago (remember his Fine Woodworking magazines? They come from the same publishing house, Taunton Press) and which I've kept up a subscription to. Great recipes, lively writing, good design. And we're all the beneficiaries of recipes like this one.

INGREDIENTS

kosher salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 quart whole milk, heated
1 large sprig fresh thyme, plus 1 tsp. chopped thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
8 oz (2 packed cups) grated extra-sharp white cheddar (such as Cabot’s Seriously Sharp)
4 oz (1 packed cup) grated Monterey Jack
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional)
½ tsp. Tabasco sauce (optional)
black pepper
1 lb. shell pasta
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil; more for the baking dish
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 ½ oz (1/2 lightly packed cup) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 cups small-diced ham

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put on water to boil.

Brown the diced ham in the butter over medium-high heat. After five or ten minutes, drain it on paper towels. (I've taken to putting the ham in the oven to get a touch of a char after taking it from the butter; you can do this while the bread crumbs dry on another rack, and it will free up the saucepan for the rest of your work.)

Reduce the heat to medium, then add the onion and ½ tsp salt. Cook 4-5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until slightly darker, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the mustard. Switch to a whisk and gradually add the milk, whisking constantly.

When all the milk has been added, switch back to the spoon and stir in the thyme sprig, bay leaf, and ½ tsp. salt. Let come to a bare simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes to meld the flavors, reducing the heat to maintain a bare simmer. (In Idaho I had problems with the sauce thickening properly, though this has never been an issue for me at home. Perhaps it's a sea level problem. At any rate, if this happens, you can either make a flour slurry of a quarter cup flour and a quarter cup milk, mixed well, to add to the sauce, which should give it some body. If not, or if you don't want to go to the trouble, don't worry -- it will thicken in the oven.)

Discard the thyme sprig and bay leaf. Add the Cheddar and Jack cheeses, stirring until melted, and then add the Worcestershire and Tabasco. (About half the time I've made this dish, I've added the Tabasco, or some hot sauce such as Cholula or Frank's Red Hot, two local favorites. I think it gives a more complex and balanced flavor, but the children may prefer the dish without. Even with the Tabasco, the final result won't be very hot.) Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Keep warm, stirring occasionally.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water, and drain. Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and diced ham, stirring until well combined. Season. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish; spread the pasta in the dish.

In a medium bowl, toss the breadcrumbs, Parmigiano, olive oil, chopped thyme, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. (The best part of the entire dish is the Parmigiano, so make sure you grate fresh from a block; it's something you want in your refrigerator, anyway, and it will last forever, or until you find enough dishes to use it all. You should also take the time to make your own bread crumbs -- grind storebought French bread in a food processor, smooth a layer out on a cookie sheet, and put it in the heating oven for ten minutes or so, just long enough for the crumbs to dry and start to get a little crunchy around the edges.) Scatter the crumbs evenly over the pasta. Bake in the center of the oven until the topping is golden, around 15 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Macaroni and Cheese
by Jennifer Armentrout
from Fine Cooking v.91, March 2008, p. 48

Key to the Treasure

2008-09-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

For at least a year, I’ve been trying to recollect the name of a series of books I read as a pre-teen. Because of what I remember of their gentle domestic mysteries and propulsive (though relatively simple) riddles, I’d thought that they would be ideal for Gwendolyn, our almost-six-year old. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember the author or the title of the series, which I remembered only through ancillary details – four siblings, I thought, and their search for hidden treasure (of mostly sentimental value). The image I remembered best came from the end of one of the books, when a young protagonist is stung by a wasp, preventing her from making a final discovery.

I started thinking that in order to find the books, I’d have to call in the professionals – maybe a children’s librarian, or the book dealers at Loganberry Books (who have a service in which they, and their readers, attempt to locate books based upon the most sketchy descriptions and faulty memories). I’d procrastinated following this prompt, maybe out of a perverse desire to solve my own riddles.

A week ago, I returned from work to find the children ready to take me on a field trip. I had never been to our local library’s main branch, which is older and larger than the location we started visiting when we moved here. I found this building much more to my liking than the new, computer-centric library we’ve frequented; it reminded me of the county library I remember from my childhood, with its stolid architecture, hulking bookstacks, and the tang of dust and paste in the air. While the children were picking out their choices for the week, I walked the aisles, and a book caught my glance. Whether I recognized the binding from some subterranean memory, or whether the title finally returned to me, I realized that I’d found the book I remembered.

The book – Key to the Treasure (1966) – was written for younger children than I’d expected, but still carried, more or less, the charms which had attracted me as a young reader. Glancing through the pages at the library, I found three siblings, not four, but there is the wasp scene, and others I’d forgotten. I had also never realized that the author, Peggy Parish, was more familiar to me from another set of books I’d enjoyed, but as an even younger reader – the Amelia Bedelia series. Linus, our three-year old, especially enjoyed the ink sketches by Paul Frame, which – though not especially remarkable – give a lively pace to the chapters.

I read it to the two older kids, who responded much as I’d anticipated. They were caught up in the behavior of the children, and the dynamic series of clues and discoveries. At times, the description of the three children's interactions struck me as having a bit of a fifties-sitcom sheen, but they are allowed enough squabbles and setbacks to seem like authentic children. Rather than the fanciful “treasure” which is common fare of children’s literature, I thought that the result of their search – a “treasure” hidden by the children’s great-great-grandfather for his own children, which, because of the loss of his first clue, was never found – was striking in its emotional resonances.

One mark of a lasting book – at least as far as Gwendolyn is concerned – is whether she wants to revisit the story for a time after we read. Key to the Treasure passed this test. On Sunday, she asked to “play” it, so I made up a series of visual clues (drawings of details of items throughout the house), and hid them so one led to the next. I hid the final image, a photograph of the children peering over their mother’s belly shortly before the birth of Casper. When they followed the clues to the picture, they found their treasure (candy necklaces). It was enough of a hit that I think we’ll work a similar hunt into the six-year birthday party this weekend.