Pumpkin Cookies to Take to School

First things first.  Happy Birthday to my little sister, Melinda Bennett.  She is not the same person as Melynda who comments regularly here.  Hi, Melynda!  Actually, I'd say hi, Melinda, but I haven't gotten my little sister very interested in computers.  Last time I asked her, she hadn't yet visited.

Why is it so hard to take a picture of a fire in the fireplace?  Well, you'll have to take my word for it. 

Next, are we ever really thankful enough?  Today, I'm more than usually thankful for a warm house and a full pantry.  The washing machine is swishing away getting our clothes clean for the coming week.  What a lucky girl I am.  Remember to take a moment and be grateful for what you have, whatever that is.  Things could be worse.  Gratitude is something very powerful and essential in our lives and getting more scarce in the secular and materialistic world we live in.

On that happy note, Husband is busy playing with his new DVD player.  And by the way, when did DVD players need to be hooked up to the internet and where was I when this happened?  And what is Blue Ray, again?  Seems like only yesterday when Dad was recording the season fanale of Dallas for Mom, because she has a class that night and she didn't know how to time delay the video tape machine.  Yes, children, that was before DVD players were conceived of or imagined.

Now to the important stuff:  My assignment for this afternoon is to make pumpkin cookies with Step Granddaughter that she can take to a school event tomorrow.  Another thing to be thankful for.  I've found a canned pumpkin that says it is packaged in Corvallis, OR, which is near were I was born, so local enough for me.  I've seen it at Freddies and Safeway. 

Oh, and here is my inspiration for this.  http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/2010/11/pumpkin-spice-thumbprints-and-csn.html


Pumpkin Cookies
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. packed bown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. rolled oats
1 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 1/4 c.  AP flour
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
Some where around 40 Hersey's Kisses, one for each cookie
Melted chocolate for drizzling.

In one bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients.  In another bowl, combine the next 6 ingredients.  Add one bowl to the other and stir to combine.  Preheat the over to 350 degrees.  Drop teaspoons full on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non stick spray.  Bake for 12 minutes.

Straight out of the oven I pressed a Hersey's Kiss into each cookie and drizzeled with a little chocolate syrup.  Okay, so this was more fun for me than her.  But she humored me.  And we got cookies to take to her event.  She ate enough that she won't want her dinner.  Hope I'm not in trouble again.

Remember that the details count for something.

Jackson the Doberman

We lost a dog today, Jackson, Doberman Pincher. He was a good boy. Thanks for guarding us, people (grown ups and children), business, home. Thanks for leading and protecting children and golden retrievers, and still being good dog for adult people. Not perfect, but good. I'll miss you, Jackson. Meemaw loves you.

Kitchen talk #3; Whale Done

I love the book Whale Done, by Ken Blanchard.  If you haven't read it, it is a quick read and I highly recommend it.  And his other books, The One Minute Manager, Raving Fans, Gung Ho.  His books are simple ideas that many of us learned early in life, but sort of forgot along the way.

Whale Done starts with the idea of how they train whales to do tricks at Sea World.  I've never been there, but I've seen it on TV.  So how do they get the whales to do tricks?  Beat them?  Starve them?  Would you want to be in the water with a mistreated whale?

According to this book, whales are trained by rewarding desirable behavior and ignoring undesirable behavior.  The book goes on to suggest that we translate these ideas to our personal relationships with the people who are important to us.  Just because the people around us aren't likely to physically hurt us (well, I'm hoping) doesn't mean that their sensibilities and sensitivities are less important.  And really, are negative interactions motivating or helpful?  Well of course not.

So there goes any form of criticism right out the window.  Along with it goes most sarcasm.  Darn, because I like sarcasm.  I'm really pretty darned good at sarcasm.  But it doesn't get you anything but a momentary sense of righteous indignation.  It doesn't teach anything.  And it doesn't encourage the behavior you like to see in the people around you.

So Well Done, Step Grand Daughter for careful stirring.  Ignoring the little mess on the counter.  Next time she does anything that looks like cleaning up, I'll try to praise her immediately. 

And Well Done, Brilliant Baby for closing the cabinet door.  Ignoring that he opened it. 

Oh, and Well Done, Good Husband for all the things you do to make our lives better.  Ignoring... well, let's not go there.

Remember to point out the positive.

Meatball Monday #2: Beef and Bacon Meatballs in Sauce

Last week, I gave my basic meatball recipe.  I use it in several dishes and keep a batch frozen instead of buying those frozen meatballs at the store which are very fatty and kind of icky, I think.

http://dinnerattheosbornes.blogspot.com/2010/11/meatball-monday-1.html

Here is my first Meatball in Tomatoe Sauce.  I do this several different ways. 

Beef and Bacon Meatballs in Sauce
1 lb lean ground beef
5 pieces bacon, uncooked, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. commerical bread crumbs
1T. dry minced onion
2 cloves garlice, Minced
2 t. worchestershire sauce
3 dashes chipolte tabasco

Combine the ingredients and shape into small meatballs.  Bake in a 450 oven for about 10 minutes.   Refer back to last weeks meatballs for more detailed instructions.  This is a fatter meatball that the first week because of the bacon.  Husband is at step son and daughter in law's looking at some repair to a canopy and having a very good time, I'm sure.  But he will be a long soon.

Since it's just the 2 of us tonight, I'll freeze half of the meatballs for meatball sandwiches in Josh's barbecue sauce for another day.

Sauce for the meatballs.
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1/2 t. sugar
2 t. Italian seasoning.
Mix together and set aside.

Once the meatballs are cooked, place half of them in a large skillet and set aside the others for packaging for later.  Pour the sauce over the meatballs and bring to a slow simmer.  Turn the meatballs in the sauce as they simmer slowly for about 20 minutes.  This isn't anything like marinara.  This is more of a glaze.    

Simmer until you haven't got much sauce left.

More like this. Anyway, we like it.



With buttered carrots, salt, a little marjoram.  Not bad.

Remember to simmer, not boil.

Next Monday, Meatballs in Plum Sauce.

Mince Meat Pie for Breakfast

Taquila Sunrise Cranberry Sauce

Oh, yes.  I'm having a good time getting ready for my guests.  There is something so wonderful about a warm kitchen on a cool day.  Either you know what I mean or you don't.  A warm kitchen on a cool day makes me deliriously happy. 

Here is an original recipe for cranberries that it a little different and daring, but also delicious.

Sunrise Cranberry Sauce
12 oz bag of cranberries
1 c. sugar
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup taquila

Put the cranberries in a collander in the sink and wash them, pick out anything you don't want to eat.  In a medium pan, combine the sugar and juice over medium until the sugar is desolved.  Add the cranberries and taquila and cook until cranberries start to pop.  About 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat.   Cool to room temperature, then chill.

Of course, the alcohol burns off as it cooks.  And it is really, really good.  Just saying.



Remember to try new things.

This post is linked to http://amoderatelife.com/2010/11/hearth-soul-recipe-hop-23/

Thanksgiving Pie

We'll have a mincemeat pie and a pumpkin pie. 

Why mincemeat?  see this link - http://dinnerattheosbornes.blogspot.com/2010/09/grandma-streckers-old-fashioned-mince.html  Or because I want to.

Why pumpkin?  Because my darling step grand daughter wants it.  Not just pumpkin pie, but pumpkin pie with Cool Whip.  Not some fancy version that is being pushed on Food network.  Just basic pumpkin pie with Cool Whip.  And by golly, that's what she is getting.  I'll use the Libby's pumpkin recipe, not because it is fabulous, but because it is satisfying.   Actually, I make a pretty decent pumpkin cheese cake which I clipped out of Gourmet magazine some years ago, but we'll save that for another year.  

So I planned this out, really I did.  I'm good at planning things out.  It's one of the best things I do.  But really, we had so freaking much fun, that I didn't take any pictures.  Step grand daughter came over to help me make pie crust.  It is one of my greatest fantasies that SOMEONE WILL LET ME TEACH THEM HOW TO MAKE PIE CRUST.  I mean really!  If step grand daughter doesn't learn, there is a younger one.  Remember to teach what you know.

"What is shortening?" says my lovely girl.  "Well,  It's kind of like oil," I say.  "Oil?" says my brilliant girl.  "Uiooooooo!"

But make pie crust we did.   I measured and she mixed.  Well, she measured some.  I cleaned up the spills, some.  But that's okay.  I told her that a cook's best tool is her hands.  We then washed well and mixed the dough by hand.  We said it was like play-do but we will eat it.  Oh, yes.  We had fun.

Dad (step son) came by, for a bit.  Step grand daughter lost interest for a while.  Making pie is not an easy task.  But she came back and taught me a song which had the main lyric "I wouldn't want to be a turkey on Thanksgiving day,  Oh Yeah." 

My mother cut up left over pie crust and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, then baked.  We did that today and ate it like cookies.  And yes, that is just as disgusting as it sounds to the adult palate, but children just love it and we ate a ton of it at the Osbornes today. God help us.

Papa joined in. Girls, he is pretty darned good at changing diapers, finding binky, and filling sipper cups. But he is taken, sorry. The truth is that the children often prefer him, because he is so warm and open and just a really nice guy.

The pie crusts are packed away in their pie plates and wrapped in plastic.  We'll bake them tomorrow.

After carefully cleaning the sink, we unwrapped the Butterball that had been defrosting in my fridge the last 4 days.  We rinsed it and dried it and put in the roasting pan.  Step grand daughter and I had an extended discussion about it - mostly where it's boobs were and where it's butt was.  We looked inside it. She pointed out that she could see it's bones.  She wanted to see the giblets, which we simmered on the stove and will give to the dog tomorrow.  Mostly, everything about the turkey was icky and disgusting, but we will eat it tomorrow.

Remember to look eye ball to eye ball at your food and remember to involve others.  Oh, and remember to enjoy yourself.