Collections

12.  Are you a collector of anything?  Some people collect hats, some collect cards people send to them, other people collect antiques.  I love to look through magazines and come across someone who has a cherished collection of adored items.  They place them on display and speak of them as if they were old friends.  Museums have rooms filled with cherished collected items that we all go to view with awe and amazement.

I am a collector...and I have to admit, I collect several different types of things.  I would not characterize myself as a pack-rat, although my husband just smiles and shakes his head.  But, there are items that have won my heart and they bring me delight!

One of those items are Santa's!  I have always loved the stories of St. Nicholas and my mother would speak of placing her shoes outside the door on Christmas Eve when she was a very small child in Poland.  Her sisters would find candy and fruit in their shoes the next morning from "Swiety Mikolaj", but she always seemed to receive lumps of coal to her dismay.  Hearing these stories created a fascination in my mind for the legend and legacy of "St. Nick", "Santa", "Pere Noel" "Father Christmas" or as some legends say, "The Saint Nicholas".  A kind-hearted man who had love in his heart for children and the down trodden.  

Here is part of my collection of Santa's, mostly my favorites.  Most of them have been gifts given by dear loving friends.

This Santa is most fascinating because it is carved out of a bar of Dove soap!  A co-worker of mine would speak to me of my love of Santa's and one day she came to work with this Santa wrapped up in tissue paper.  She told me her Grandfather had carved it and had given it to her Grandmother and now she wanted to give it to me.  She surprised me...and it has been a part of my favorite conversation pieces.

These are candy molds...which I just love.  I have made chocolate lollipops from the largest mold and also, bee's wax ornaments.   This year I plan to make hard-tack lollipops in them.  I'll let you know how they turn out.

I think December is a great time to share about your collections.  

  MaKe ThE SeAsOn BrIgHt!

Trees, Lights & Ornaments

11.  We have a family tradition maintained for 25 years.  The day after Thanksgiving, we bundle up, pull out the work gloves, pruners and old sheets to line the trunk of the car.  Then set out to the Christmas Tree Farm.  It was wonderful weather  this year with a bright blue sky and not much wind.  There is a great Christmas Tree Farm on the North Fork of Long Island that has thousands of trees to choose from!  

We hopped on the wagon and road out into the field of trees...all along feeling so excited to be with my family and make a new year of memories.  Maggie, my 10 year old, always searches for a sturdy walking stick while Emily, my 21 year old, hunts  for photo-worthy sites and items.  My husband is so patient with his three women in tow.  We set out for the furthest point in the farm where the frasier firs and white pine trees are located.  Our trees from the past three years were chosen from that very spot.  

After two hours of hiking through the trees, picking pine cones, laughing uncontrollably, and being hit and poked with a walking stick...we found our tree!

It is a douglas fir and it smells wonderful...a lemony-pine scent that has filled our home!

These are the unique pine cones from a douglas fir.

When we bring the tree home, we pull out the lights and ornaments, and I prepare yummy snacks to munch on.  Although, this year, we were all so exhausted, we filled our plates and sat down to watch the movie "Little Women"...one of our favorite Christmas movie traditions, and left the decorating till the following day.  

Here is our beautiful tree...May your days be Merry and Bright!

Savory Pumpkin Puffs

 10.  Puff pastry is divine!  

I found a recipe for "Savory Pumpkin Puffs" in a Martha Stewart Living Magazine several years ago.  It went into my "need to try" pile of recipes.  So this year was a perfect time to try it.  Although I love working with puff pastry, I encouraged my daughter to make this recipe so she could experience the "divinity factor".

We set the dough out at room temperature and prepared each ingredient and she began the assembly process.  

Savory Pumpkin Puffs

Makes 18-24

parchment paper

flour for dusting paper

1 pkg puff pastry, room temp

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 1/2 Tblsp dijon mustard

1 1/2 cups finely grated Gruyere Cheese

1 cup finely gated Parmesan Cheese

freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Generously flour 2 pieces of parchment paper; on each, roll out an unfolded pastry sheet to form a 15 x 13" rectangle, about 1/16th inch thick.  Refrigerate until firm about 15 min.  Meanwhile, stir the paprika into the melted butter and whisk together.  Remove pastry and brush off excess flour.  Spread a rectangle of pastry with mustard; sprinkle with both cheeses. Season with pepper.

Lay the second pastry rectangle on top covering the cheese.  Lay the parchment paper on top of the stacked pastry; using a rolling pin, roll until smooth and pastry layers are sealed together.  Remove the parchment and brush the top of the pastry with paprika/butter mixture.  Chill until firm, about 30 min.

With a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter, cut 18-24 shapes.  

Immediately place the shapes on parchment-lined baking sheet.  Using a sharp knife, score each shape four or five times to make pumpkin ridges.

If you forget to brush the top of the dough before it is cut.. brushing them after cut works out fine.)

Bake until golden, 15-20 min.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Aren't they lovely?   Divine, right?

So after they were finished and we all were munching on the finished product...we came up with a variety of options for this recipe:

Why not a sweet version...jam or fruit filling in the middle, any flavor would do, and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top.  Or...Mexican with taco flavored meat and cheddar cheese and cut them in triangles...

You get the picture...whatever your mind can think up...you can try with puff pastry.

Try this one...you will be delighted and so will your guests!

Thanksgiving Thoughts

 9.  The holiday of Thanksgiving came and went by so fast this year.  It seemed surreal, part reality, part fantasy.  But with cleaning the house for 2 days, shopping and cooking, I am still recuperating three days later.  My achy ankles are reminder of that reality.

The fantasy aspect is the delight and enjoyment of cooking and loosing oneself in the preparations.  Showing my daughter little tips and hints in baking and cooking...the Food Network cameras should have been right here in our kitchen.  We would have made a fantastic show!

So the menu:  Turkey, of course, Stuffing from day old bread, Mashed Potatoes and pan dripping Gravy, homemade Cranberry Sauce, Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls, Onion Pudding, Pumpkin Puff Appetizer, Roast Vegetable Tsimmes with Apricots, Buttered Broccoli, Veggie tray, Fresh Fruit platter, Cranberry Streusel Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Cranberry Orange Cookies...coffee, tea and  hungry appetites.

I must show you the pictures:

Going through the recipes...and my lovely assistant, daughter Emily.  She made the cranberry sauce and the Cranberry Streusel Pie.

The pumpkin pie is always one of my favorites!

When we prepare a meal and welcome family and friends to dine with us, there is a special bond that happens.  We experience tastes, textures and delights of food, but more importantly, these moments can never be forgotten.  Similar to a quilt, each piece that is sewn together creates a comfortable, warm article to use for chilly nights, or to adorn your bed, but it takes the attaching of each piece to another.  One can not exist unless sewn to an adjoining piece of cloth.  Our memories and experiences are the same.  Each opportunity spent dining, sharing or laughing together is like the thread that holds us together.  

I am thankful for the wonderful moments my family and friends have shared with me!

What a beautiful life one has, if it is shared with others!

Kitchen Gadgets

 8. I love to collect and use kitchen gadgets.  They are the tools used to make delightful and delicious treats!  

Last spring, I had the opportunity to attend "The Martha Show" in NYC with my sister.  During the show, Martha made great Turkey Sliders, which I have made, and they are delicious...and while she was showing the steps, she pulled out a yellow "gadget" to squeeze a lemon.  It was bright yellow and she put her seal of approval on this product.  When the show was over, one of my goals was to buy one of those bright yellow, lemon squeeze gadgets.  I found a green one for squeezing limes...it was great...if you were using limes.  I tried a few lemons but the lemon was a bit too big.  Last week I was in a discount store and low and behold, on the clearance shelf was a bright orange squeeze gadget!!!  Fantastic...I had to pick it up and I am so glad I did.  It really came in handy for making Thanksgiving dinner and desserts.  So now to get my hands on a bright yellow, lemon squeeze gadget.  My search continues.  Actually, I think I will add this bright yellow lemon, squeeze gadget to my Christmas List.  That way my family can go crazy trying to find it.  Speaking of Christmas Lists...I listed a new food processor...why, you say...what's wrong with the old faithful processor?  That is a story in itself.

I have had my food processor, a Cuisinart, for approximately 15 years.  It has been a great companion in the kitchen. Although the size of the bowl has never seemed to be quite big enough and the motor can't go for long.  But it has been faithful.  A while ago, part of the plastic locking lip chipped off, but the machine still worked, you just had to make sure it was in the locked position tightly.  The other day I had day-old dried bread and decided to make breadcrumbs.  So, out comes old "faithful".  I loaded the bowl of the processor with dried bread, placed the lid on and flipped the on switch...which simultaneously...my daughter Maggie asked me a question about homework...and I turned my head to hear her...when behind me there was a loud bang!!!  When I quickly looked back, the locking lip, on the opposite side of the lid broke off, the lid flew off, the blade was still spinning madly, (which the motor is suppose to stop as soon as the lid is removed) and bread chunks and crumbs went flying everywhere!!!  On me, on the counter, all over the stove, floor and some bread even went rolling down the stairs!  My daughter came running and asked me, in a very parental way, "What are you doing?"  To that I answered, "Do you believe it?"  This is insane!"  As our dachshund came running to our aide and began eating the bread chunks as quickly as he could before he got caught.  There were breadcrumbs in my hair...down my shirt...between my toes...on each slat of the blinds, did I say everywhere?  Well, breadcrumbs where everywhere!  

After I vacuumed up each last crumb and wiped down the kitchen, for the third time that day, and shooed the dog away, I had to figure out a way to make bread crumbs...hmmmm...what if I take the broken piece of plastic and just set it where it broke off and push it into the locking position...IT WORKED!  I couldn't believe it, but it worked...all the bread was processed and put away in the freezer and "Old Faithful" completed it's last and final job...with a bit of drama!  It is in the trash now ready for pickup to it's new home.

My Christmas List...bright yellow, lemon squeeze gadget and a new! food processor.  That would make me happy! <3

Pizza from scratch

 7. Don't you just love pizza...Sicilian or Neapolitan...New York Pizza is at the top of the list.  Especially the pizza shops in Oceanside, NY, Gigantes & Villa Formia or on the streets in NYC. It is hard to find a "bad" slice of pizza in NY.   I can have pizza once a week and never get tired of it.  Pizza made from "scratch" or made at home is another of my favorites.  No, it isn't baked in a wood fired oven at 500 degrees but still has a delicious flavor.

I like to make my own pizza dough, which is very easy!  I use my bread machine to mix the dough but I have also made it by hand.  Multi-tasking is part of my life, so the bread machine can do all the work as I busy myself with other tasks.  It takes about an hour and thirty minutes for the dough, or I'll put the ingredients in the machine and leave the house for up to three hours and the dough is ready when I return home.  It usually rises and falls only to rise again. Makes for a more crispy crust.

Pizza Dough

1 cup very warm water

1 tsp salt

2 Tblsp olive oil

3 cups flour

2 tsp dry yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

In a bread machine, add ingredients in this order.  Set for dough, approximately 1 1/2 hours.

By hand, place warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle yeast into water.  stir gently and let rest for 5 minutes to proof the yeast.  In a large mixing bowl place flour, salt and sugar.  Blend with a fork then add the proofed yeast and oil.  Begin to mix with hand until dough forms and all flour comes away from the side of the bowl and comes away from your fingers.  Dough will be an elastic consistency.  Place dough on a floured surface and knead for about 3 min.  In mixing bowl place a small amount of oil and coat bowl.  Place dough in the bowl and turn over so dough has been lightly coated with oil.  Place plastic wrap over top of bowl and cover with a clean dish towel.  Place in a warm spot free from drafts.  Allow dough to rise till double, approx. 1 hour.  Punch dough down and allow dough to rise once more.  Once dough has doubled in size the second time you are ready to bake.  

At home, I use my Pampered Chef stone bar pan for deep dish pizza.  It bakes evenly and makes the crust crispy.   I preheat my oven to 450 degrees, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and oil the stone bar pan.  

Today, I made a meatball pizza.  My honey made a pot of meatballs and sauce last week so I saved 6 meatballs and sauce.  I spread the bottom of the dough with the cut up meatballs and sauce and then covered it with 2 cups mozzarella cheese.  Bake till cheese begins to lightly brown on top.  This was dinner!  and a plate of cut up veggies and dip.

Homemade Biscuits

 6. Biscuits are on my list of comfort food.  I'm talking about the homemade biscuits not the ones that pop out of a cardboard tube.  I tried quite a few biscuit recipes in the past but have finally found the best!  Some recipes call for shortening but the flavor isn't as rich. 

Homemade Biscuits

3 cups flour, sift

4 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

6 Tblsp cold butter cut in pieces

1 1/4 cup milk or buttermilk

(Opt ingredients:  1/2 cup chedder cheese, 1/4 cup chopped chives, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese - add before the butter)

In large mixing bowl add flour, baking powder and salt. Cut butter pieces into the flour till it resembles course meal.  Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in milk.  Using a fork, stir together till liquid is incorporated in flour.  Drop onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough till smooth, about one minute.  Use as little flour as possible and handle quickly.  Roll dough till 1/2 inch thick.  Cut 3" circles of dough and place on baking sheet.  Bake 450 degrees for 12 minutes.  To test if done, biscuit should be doubled in size and the bottoms will be lightly browned. .