Jessie/Jessica

This doll's name is Jessie, or Jessica.  It has been over 40 years.  I remember receiving her as a Christmas present in my parents house in Albany, OR.  She was wrapped in plastic.  I remember my father taking out his pocket knife to cut her loose from all that.  I remember the pleasure of holding her when she was was nearly my size.  She carries a few scars from years of use, but so do I.

My sister, Melinda, got a similar doll, about 3 feet tall.  My Jess is wearing a dress made by my Mother.  It has my Mother's neat small hand stitches, and her signature love of rick-rack and bias tape during this period. 

I might mention that my maternal grandmother was Jessie Irene Rose.   My grandmother was born in Northwest Oklahoma and died in Albany, OR.  She went by Irene, but her actual given name was Jessie.  My cousin, Kellie named her first daughter Jessie.  I was the first person to see or hold young Jessie, Kellie's Jessie, as she was delivered in the hospital.  

Step grand daughter likes Jessie, the doll.  Carries her around the house.  Holds her and shows her to people who visit.  Tells people Jessie is her daughter and that Jessie is 4 years old.  But, she doesn't belong to step granddaughter.  She was a Christmas's present to me more than 40 years prior.  If you are step grand daughter, how could you be expected to get your head around that one?

Remember to hang in there Miss Jess.  You are creating something.  Not sure what, but something.  And sorry about the ramble.  Just what's on my head today.  

 

Thanksgiving Potatoes

My parents and grandparents were married until one of them died. I think my parents liked each other and truly enjoyed each other's company. But I'm not sure that was true for maternal grandparents who went through huge struggles and grew through it. I think they grew in different directions and at end of life were not happy with each other. I hope for happiness for everyone. Just saying, on that. But, for the young ones, it created a very secure and stable life for the old ones to stay together. My sister and I talk about that we are secure today partly because of the security our parents built for us at a personal price to themselves.

But I married into a family that suffered a divorce prior to my entry. For the young ones, there are pressures from many sides around the holidays. Their significant others have multiple people wanting them for the holidays too.  This is different from the way I grew up.  They need to meet multiple obligations to the older ones around the holidays. How can we not be part of the pressure for them?

Husband and I had a careful talk. Our plan is to be as much support and comfort to the young ones for the holidays with traditions that build upon the past and look toward the future. We'll plan several holiday events. The first one is this Sunday. It will be a table full. These are people we like. I want a good meal for them and a pleasant memory. We've been sick with 2 viruses over the last month. We seem to go from hard time to hard time but here is the beginning of the Holiday season, 2010. Time to get moving.

So there is a Butterball defrosting in the fridge. Nothing fancy, but that's how I do it. I'm making lists, like I do, planning it out and looking forward to Sunday.

I make the potatoes 1 or 2 days in advance.  No fun mashing the potatoes at the last minute and I plan to have fun.  According to my notes, I started making this in 1997.  Trust me.  Nothing fancy, but makes time for the fun stuff, pies and other favorites.

Make-Ahead Potatoes
10 large Russets, peeled and quartered
1 C. sour cream
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, brought to room temp
6 T. butter,at room temp,  divided
2T. dried minced onion
1 t. salt
paprika

Place potatoes in large pan with enough water to cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook until they stick easily with a fork.  20 - 25 minutes.  Drain and return to the pan.  Add sour cream and cream cheese, 4T. butter, onion and salt.  Mix with a hand mixer until smooth and incorporated.  Spread into a large casserole dish.  Melt remaining 2T. butter; drizzle over top.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready.  Let stand 30 minutes on the counter after taking from the fridge.  Then, bake covered for 350 degrees for 40 minutes and uncovered for 20 minutes.  12 servings or so.
 
More to come.
 
Remember to plan for the future.

Kitchen talk #2: The Ideal Marriage

I've seen a few things and done a few things in my 51 years.  I've made a few mistakes and watched others make a few.  I have the following observations about marriage.

1.  Some people marry thinking that the marriage or their spouse will make life easier for them or make them happier or make life better for them somehow.  Unfortunately, no other person can do those things for you.  Once the truth comes out, it is a difficult thing to recover from.  Personal growth is a life long activity for most of us.  Try to grow together, but try to allow your beloved the freedom to grow as he or she needs.

2.  Others marry with some idealized idea of what it will be like, how wonderful it will be to come home to their beloved.  No cold bed, no eating alone, no being alone.  Or some Prince Charming idea.  Or some pursuit of a good provider, or good housekeeper, or good mother or father.   And, once again, reality sinks in and it is hard to recover from. 

3.  It's so interesting how many people pick a person very different from themselves.  I did that.  I'm left brain, organized, detail oriented.  I can be a little awkward socially.  My emotions are stable.  I don't have the great highs and lows my sweet heart has.  He is a big picture thinker, a dreamer.  He is the life of the party.  He is a lover of music and art.  He can talk to anyone. We believe we picked each other because we balance each other.  Together we are one really good person.  I have one very distinct set of skills, talents and abilities.  He has a very different set. When it's all working for us, we create synergy.  We can do anything.  The world is ours.  When we fight it, it's horrible. 

Lesson here:  Don't fight it.  It is important to me to be good roll models for marriage and partnership and life skills for the young ones around me, but some days we just aren't up to it.

4.  What about love?  Hot pants love mellows over time.  If you are lucky, it never goes away.  Hot coals turn to slower embers, still cooking, but part of a natural progression and good in it's own way. 

I had this quote on our wedding anouncements.  I can't remember where I got it.  If you know, please say. 

"Love is friendship that has caught fire.  It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving.  It is loyalty through good and bad times.  It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses."  This may not sound like Prince Charming, but I kissed a few frogs to get here.

Love my Grey Wolf.

Meatball Monday #1

I've learned something fairly important.  The hamburger that we got from the rancher, the local cow from Battle Ground, is so much better that I can't even think to go back to hamburger from the grocery store.  I didn't know that the quality would be so much different.  I mean hamburger.  Really?  But this is leaner and just noticeably nicer.  The texture is smoother.  It cooks out so crumbly with a little bit of crunchies.  Just better.  Makes me wonder what we've been eating.  

What I didn't get was enough steak.  What I got too much of was big roasts.  I'll be doing this differently next time.  It may take a couple times to figure out exactly what we like the best.  The rancher who we got it from said that they sometimes have what she called a hamburger cow.  By that she means a cow that just all goes to hamburger.  I can feel more experimenting coming on.

It is handy to have some meatballs premade in the freezer.  They can turn into spaghetti, sandwiches, Swedish meatballs and many other things.  The premade meatballs you find in the freezer section of your grocery are much fatter.  And much less really flavor.  And much less wholesome.

Basic Meatballs

1 lb lean ground Beef

1 egg

1/2 c. quick oats or bread crumbs

1/4 finely chopped onion or shallot or 1 T. dry minced onion 

1 or 2 large cloves of garlic minced
2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t. each of salt and pepper. 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Add all ingredients and mix to combine.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am not ashamed to enjoy this part.  Your hands are your best tool.  Remember I said that. 

I like small meatballs.  Easier for the kiddos to eat.  Easier for the ladies watching their figure to pick out the number they think they should have.  Makes nice appetizers.  Swedish meatballs with a toothpick as an appetizer.  Good for the holidays.  Just saying. 

Bake about 10 minutes.  The time may vary depending upon how big you make them and the meat itself.  If you've got doubts, break one open to make sure the pink is gone. 

I sometimes turn them over half way between baking, but it isn't required.  Just makes the brown on both sides.  When done, put them on a paper towel lined plate to drain and cool.  Freeze them in a zip lock bag until you need them or use them immediately.  Food made simple. 

Remember to plan ahead.

Pheasant, an ethnic food, and other issues

I'm a big fan of the show, Iron Chef, on Food Network.  Each show there is a featured food.   I just watched one where the featured food was Pheasant. 

The Iron Chef was Morimoto, who is of Japanese descent.  I hope not to offend anyone.  My heart is pure on this.  Morimoto made really grand dishes saying that in Japanese culture, pheasant was reserved for Royalty.  Because he is not royalty, he said this was very special to him.

My grandfather was a farmer in mid-northern Willamette Valley in Oregon when I was in my teens.  His main money making crop during my teen years was Peppermint.  I've blogged extensively about that prior to very many people coming to my blog, when I was still talking to myself, so I should do that again in some form.

My grandfather had no grandsons, but he had 5 granddaughters and I has the oldest, plus 2 step grand kids.  His first name was Lee.  I was named after him and had a very special relationship with him.  But, he did not treat me delicately.  I was his grandson for every purpose.  To me, he was someone I admired and desperately wanted to please. 

For 2 years of high school and 1 year of college, he let me drive the Swather that harvested the peppermint.  Well, the truth is that the Swather cut down the peppermint.  It was fallowed by a machine we called the Chopper which picked it up and shot it into a tub on wheels which was sent to the mint still to de-still the mint oil. 

My grandfather insisted that any vehicle that I drove I was able to do basic service to.  Every morning, 5 - 6 a.m. or so depending upon weather, we fueled the equipment and serviced it.  I was proud and felt special that I could perform his service protocol and get out to the field doing exact what he asked.  But, the rest of the day was boring, and not difficult, but I felt that I was part of a bigger vision.  Back and forth across the field, turn and back, turn and back.  Grandma and the younger cousins brought presents which were stowed at the end of the row.  Bottles of cold/ice water or Ice Tea.  Boxes of sandwiches, pickles, other salad and pickles items, sweets. 

You'd see amazing things as you drove at 2 miles per hour across a 50 acre field of pepper mint.  Various birds and other critters.  From time to time, you'd see wild birds including pheasants which would be scared up by the machinery.  It was nearly an out of body experience, the things I saw.  Being boyish by nature, this was an interesting experience because the boys around would hunt the game that scared up.  I remember eating pheasant which I believe was cooked on a Weber kettle in the back yard.  My memory is a poultry that was flavorful and rich , but oily.  Game is not special to me and not regal.  It is very basic and earthy.  

Remember to deal with reality and earthy things first.

Remember to Enjoy Yourself with Someone You Love

Whoever suggesting eating to live instead of living to eat, needs to get out more. 

Husband and I work very hard.  Pre-recession when our business made, oh, a little more money, we went out to dinner more.  We enjoyed trying new places and sampling things we wouldn't normally eat.  We are humble people from working class families who worked very hard to produce us.  We are grateful.  I don't really mind that we go out less.  In fact, we enjoy it so much more now.  Life can be hard, but you appreciate things more, don't you think?


At lunch we went to Hudson Bay Bar and Grill  It is in the Heathman in Vancouver WA.  One of our favor places in the area.
http://www.hudsonsbarandgrill.com/

I had their house salad with blue cheese dressing, yum.  And the most lovely thing: A bed of barley cooked in a rich stock with herbs covered with sauted prawns, oysters and clams in shell.  I've always said that the best food is eaten with those tiny forks and the hands.  There was a lovely broth or sauce over it.  Normally I can identify the tastes of herbs and spices.  I know only from the menu that it was Saffron which I know very little about except that it is horribly expensive, from a flower that is harvested in France, and it is red.  And judging from my lunch absolutely delicious.  I stuffed myself and we had a great talk, the kind of thing husbands and wifes do, about the kids, the future, the next trip we are planning, our memories about things. 

Husband had corn chicken chowder which was equally delicious.  Isn't in the best thing that simple food can be the best?  It had been up close and personal with cream and butter.  Although it was pureed, there was a very earthy vegetable base.  But it wasn't completely pureed.  I don't believe in baby food soup.  There were some chunks of corn and chicken, small but enough to add texture and feel.  Yum, Yum.

I didn't taste his sandwich but it was thick sliced turkey on rustic bread.  He liked it and ate every crumb.

I didn't have it this time, but try the seafood stew.  Yum, Yum and Awesome.  I would love to take a lesson on the stock for this stew.  I've made soup all my life.  I have several cook books on the subject.  My mother was the queen of the stew pot, this seafood stew is just plain excellent.   If you go at night, they have a pot of steamer clams that are just delicious.  Husband has enjoyed their local fish specials several times.

Remember to enjoy yourself when you can.  But remember to go back to work.

Roasting a Whole Chicken

I'm a big fan of buying whole chickens.  My corner store uses whole chickens as a loss leader.  This little baby is a 4.2 lb chicken which I bought for $.79 per pound.  With the "club card", I bought it for $3.32.  A whole chicken.   When I see it at this price point, I buy several for the freezer.  

I'm not tempted by the prettily packaged 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts and you shouldn't either.  If you are at all intimidated by the idea of cutting up a chicken, let me tell you a story or a couple stories.  First story:  My Grandparents on both sides were farmers in NW Oklahoma during the depression.  There were years they had zero income, none at all.  They lived off what the farm could produce and what they could barter for for complete years.  Next time you think you've got something to complain about, think about that.  About this time in the story, my step kids are rolling their eyes and checking their watches, but wait!  They aren't here right now.  For the rest of you, this is going to get more interesting.

My paternal grandfather was Miles Bennett.  His cousin was J.D. Decker.  The Deckers farmed down the road close to Orient, OK.  One hard year, the Bennetts ate their chickens for food.  Now, they had no eggs. 

If you've never been hungry, think about that. They had little children and they ate their chickens because they were hungry and didn't know what else to do.  Do you currently have something to complain about? 

So for a year or two, the Bennetts bought eggs from the Deckers until they could get back on their feet and get laying hens again.  So the story goes, this crate was taken to the Deckers who put eggs into it and sent it home to the Bennetts.  Yes, if you are a left brainer like me, there are a couple flaws in the story, but that is the story that was told in my family over and over and over again until you just want to scream.  If you look carefully, my aunt placed Easter egg basket grass and a plastic chicken in this crate.  She gave it to me upon the death of my paternal grandmother along with a little family jewelry and made me promise that if I took the crate I would leave the chicken.  So here's to you, Grandma and Grandpa Bennett and Aunt Vera.  And thanks for all you taught me.   

Now, story 2:  wait for it, I have a million.  At Grandma Bennett's funeral, the old ones got together with Pastor and told some stories about her.  Pastor told the stories at the service.  I'll always remember Pastor saying that Grandma was known for her hospitality.  In the time it would take for her to see new guests coming over the hill, she could kill, pluck and cook a chicken and have her famous chocolate cake in the oven.  

Now, for you left brainers, I have a cook book that Grandma Bennett gave me that supposedly has her famous chocolate cake recipe in it.  She gave it to me new when I was about 12 or 13.  I still have it and have blogged about it.  She moved off the farm when I was a baby upon the death of Grandpa Bennett.  But you get the story and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy, actually it empowers me that I could do anything, even if it is totally boggus.

Now I've been cutting a chicken in half to roast it.  This is not the way my mother did it, but it cooks faster. 

Scour the sink until it is very clean.  In a very clean sink, remove the internal organs from the cavity.  Run water through it and take a few moments to pick or cut off anything that you know you don't want to eat.  Breast side up, with a large knife, start at the tail end and cut straight down moving towards the top of the chicken ( the neck or wings end.) 

There is a bone at the top which I usually break with my hands, but if you have a really good knife you can cut it or break it.  Up to you.  Lay the chicken flat in the sink 

Still in the sink, turn the chicken over.  The backbone now faces up, as well as the thighs and legs.  You are going to literally cut out the backbown by cutting down either side.   

Feel your way.  God gave you strong hands and strong fingers. Cut as close to the center as you can with the objective of cutting out that center back bone. 

 

The next picture shows the two halves of the chickens with the backbone in the middle.  Throw away the back bone or use it with other parts to make soup or stock.  We'll roast the two halves.

Clean your sink thoroughly again.

Herb Roast Chicken at the Bennett/Osbornes

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Cut the chicken in half.  Place the two halves skin side up in a foil lined flat metal pan.  The bottom part of my broiling pan works well for this if you haven't got some fancy roasting pan.  

Melt 4 T. butter in a small sauce pan.  Add 1 1/2 t. Italian seasoning, 1 T. lemon juice (bottled works fine), 1/4 t. salt and 1/4 t. fresh cracked pepper.  Stir, then literally pour it over the chicken. 

Now place in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes.  This is called Roasting in cooking terms.  You can brush the chicken with the juices and butter at the bottom of the pan but I often don't. 

One of the reasons I like this is that I can cook a whole chicken on any week night.  A little rice.   A little brocolli and we aren't doing that bad. 

If you think you can't do this on a week night, trust me you can.  If you still think you can't, try it on a week end or an easier day until you build confidence. 

I've done this for company using two chickens, a good salad, good bread and a good vegetable.  Remember to trust me

Oh, and I think I linked to Real Food Wednesday.  It looks pretty cool.  If I did it wrong, I'll do better next time. http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/11/real-food-wednesday-11310-2.html. 

I also linked to Simple Lives Thursday.  Check this out.
http://gnowfglins.com/2010/11/04/simple-lives-thursday-17/