Monthly Archive for November, 2009

A Hot Tip for Good Money

Published by Nancy Ann on November 30, 2009 in From Me. 14 Comments

Years ago I took a speed-sewing class because those were the days when my sewing machine was in nearly constant use, and I was always looking for a shortcut. I loved sewing for the family, and it gave me great pleasure to see a job actually finished that I wouldn’t have to do again the next day (like the dishes).

I started sewing in high school and sometimes my dad would laugh that he was going to come in and throw a bucket of water on the machine to cool it off. My motto then was “Sew it tonight; wear it tomorrow.” I found out years later that my dear mother would redo zippers and re-set sloppy sleeves while I was at school. I never even noticed! She didn’t want to discourage me by insisting that I redo the reckless seams, but at the same Continue reading ‘A Hot Tip for Good Money’

Sabbath Mac and Cheese

Published by Nancy Ann on November 28, 2009 in Sabbath Fixin's. 8 Comments

Tonight is the first Sabbath Feast of Advent, and coming hard on the heels of Thanksgiving, it is hard to think of cooking much. So we are having a spiral-cut ham which simply requires heating, and a large vat of homemade mac and cheese. We will light the Advent candle and I will give the children their Advent calendars (one per family, not one per child), and we will rejoice together at the coming of Christmas.

Today is also the twins’ second birthday, so it is a triple celebration: Sabbath, Advent, and birthday. This is another reason for the kid-friendly menu. Expect pictures of the cupcake extravaganza, and Happy Advent to you all!

Haiku on Writing Poetry

Published by lizziejank on November 28, 2009 in From (Rachel) Lizzie. 0 Comments

Plastic caddy brain

No triple word score tonight

Look for something short.

Jiggity-Jig!

Published by rebekah on November 26, 2009 in OK in the USA. 16 Comments

We’re home again, home again! And it’s Thanksgiving, so of course none of you are reading this – you’re probably all far too busy peeling potatoes and stuffing turkeys. I, however, am sitting here quite negligently drinking my coffee in my pajamas still, having just dug out of my suitcases all the English goodies that we brought back for the kids. And I really feel that I need to post this quite quickly before I pull my act together and go dive into the great festivities in the kitchen.

Does anyone happen to recall the terrible travesty of the canned American Style Hot Dogs which I’ve had occasion to mention in the past? In case anyone missed this previously, here is a little visual aid for you.

the-hot-dog.JPG

Yes. I know. No American that I know of would dream of eating one of those . . . and yet the producers of this horrifying food-stuff have placed the stars and stripes upon it and, it seems to me, are willfully misleading a trusting British public. I did my patriotic best to explain to people while we were there that these are NOT in fact “American Style” – and the end result was that some dear friends of ours gave us a can for Christmas. Our present to them, incidentally, was a small ceramic Starbucks cup to hang on the Christmas tree. Each, in fact, giving the other a little something to remember them by.

The result was that, as we traveled home last night, we had buried in the depths of our luggage this can of American hot dogs. We had loads of other things too – mallow tea cakes, and chocolatines, and mince pies, and mincemeat filling, and wine, and jam, some Bucatini, some goose fat, some suet, and even a loaf of Tiger Bread which was the specific request of our 6 year old. The customs people noticed that we had listed food on our declaration form, and we got pulled out of the line for an agricultural exam. They scanned our luggage, and then made us open up one suitcase for them to inspect. And guess what got pulled out for a lengthy exam? Yes. The Stars and Stripes can of hot dogs. They said, and I quote, “What IS this thing?” They passed it around and had a consultation about it. They looked over the ingredients. They checked on where it was made.

And then they confiscated it.

Yes indeed. Not allowed into the country. And I was very proud. America will not be sullied by such things. Our standards remain high, and our borders secure.

Cranberry Sauce

Published by Nancy Ann on November 25, 2009 in Recipes. 4 Comments

When I was a kid, the cranberry sauce (from the can) was my favorite part of Thanksgiving Dinner. No joke. In fact, once I ate all the leftovers and broke out in hives the next day. But I still love cranberry sauce, though we don’t eat the jellied stuff from the can anymore. We make our own. I made two varieties this year, a fresh uncooked relish that is easy as can be and a cooked version. The first is called Cranberry Double-Orange Relish (and the recipe is in Hot Providence) and the other is from Thanksgiving 101 and it’s called Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce. Both use an orange with the cranberries, which is a perfect combo with turkey and all the trimmings. And it’s so beautiful.

dscn1993.JPG In case you want the recipe, here’s the quick Cranberry Double-Orange Relish:

1 medium orange

1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries

1 cup marmalade

Cut the unpeeled orange into eighths and pick out seeds. Place half the orange and half the cranberries in a food processor. Process until evenly chopped. Transfer into a bowl, and repeat with the remaining orange and cranberries. Stir in marmalade. May be made a day ahead, covered, and refrigerated.

The Grand Marnier Sauce takes a bit longer to prepare.

2 large navel oranges

12 oz bag fresh cranberries

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 T Grand Marnier

Grate 2 tsp zest from the oranges and set aside. Carefully remove all the membrane from the orange sections and set aside. In a medium saucepan combine the berries, sugar, 1 cup water, and the zest. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often to help dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is thick and berries have burst, about 10 minutes. Add the orange sections the last few minutes of simmering. Remove from the heat and stir in the Grand Marnier. Cool completely. May be made up to a week ahead, covered and refrigerated. Serve at room temp or chilled.

The Finish Line

Published by Nancy Ann on November 25, 2009 in Family Stuff. 4 Comments

I’m hitting the finish line today as Ben and Bekah fly home from the UK, so my nana-as-babysitter status is about to lapse. It has been a sweet time, and the kids have not wilted once about missing their folks. Judah however (age 5) just goes to sleep whenever he is done. One of the first nights he passed out on the couch while Doug was reading a chapter of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Since then he just heads off to his bunk when he’s had enough.

This morning Jemima iced the last tray of cinnamon rolls that Bekah left for the kids in the freezer. They’ve hunted down all the clues each day in the treasure hunt, and they’ve built a snow man and a snow fort in the front yard, just finishing the snow fort in time yesterday before the snow all but disappeared. (Most of it disappeared right into their snowpants and coats and mittens, which are all still soaking wet.)

I’m ready to hand the baton back to the parents. Ta da! But it just so happens that as I’m hitting the finish line, I’m also at the starting line for Thanksgiving Dinner, so I’m typing this with my Thanksgiving apron already tied on, and I’m getting warmed up for the first event of the day, which is pie-baking.

May you all have a fruitful preparation day, and many blessings to you and your households as you feast together, thanking God for the abundance of all things.