Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thankful

Today, I wanted to take a moment to tell you how thankful I am for all of you. I began this blog simply as a way to discipline myself to write more. As an artist I am constantly looking for new forms to express myself in a way that touches people. But a funny thing happened. I found that the more I wrote about my life, the more I enjoyed each day. Then, I was surprised and blessed to find that people actually wanted to read what I wrote. The icing on the cake was that you began to take time out of your very busy lives to comment both here and on facebook.

So thank you for joining me on this journey. Like every trip with me, there are bound to be some detours, bumps in the road and of course I will get lost a few times along the way. But as I have been taught by my Mother, that is the way you find the most interesting stuff. So sit back, buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Cheilon's Sweet Potato's (a family holiday tradition started by my sister's Mother-in-law, and now prepared by my children)

3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, melted

Combine first 7 ingredients, mix well and put into casserole dish. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 350' for 35-40 min.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

I'm Dreaming...


As a young woman growing up in California I yearned for a White Christmas above all things. Two major factors stood in the way, the first being the rarity with which temperatures dipped below freezing and our approximate 100 feet above sea level altitude. I grew up in "orange country" and the thought of anything below 32' was dreaded by any farmer of this citrus. But for those of us kids, we were sure that with enough wishing someday Santa would deliver a white blanket of snow on Christmas Eve.

It never happened.

In my almost 8 years as a resident of the Blue Mountains (our house sits at around 3000 feet)I have seen many White Christmas', and White Thanksgivings, White Halloweens, White Easters, and even a few White Memorial Days. Those who have lived here for decades can add White 4th of Julys to the list.

I spent my first year in "The Valley" in turtle necks, boots and scarfs. I will never forget my first Women's event at the church. It was early May and somewhere around 50'. When I arrived at the church in my layers of wool, I felt a bit out of place. Apparently anything over the 45' mark that early in the year is cause for breaking out the capris and flippies (thongs for those of you over 30). As I eyed these "hearty" women (no I am not calling you fat!) with awe, I never thought I would count myself among them.

Flash forward to today...it is the week of Thanksgiving and we have already had two snowfalls. More if you count the ones that didn't stick. I will be starting the car a good 10 minutes early just to make sure the ice on the windshield is melted (I don't scrape!) This reminds me of all of the other crazy things living in a snowy environment has required.

1. Spent all day waiting to get my snow tires put on. This yearly ritual consists of waking up one morning to realize there is 3 inches of the white stuff on the ground and you haven't had your studs put on to keep from sliding into the other Moms in the line to drop off kids at the school.
2.Stayed overnight in a hotel or friend's house on the other side of the Mountains because the passes to get home were closed. (I hate the feeling of waking up in the same clothes I went to bed in and no toothbrush to boot.)
3. Shown up at major school events only to find out it had been canceled due to bad roads. (Hey I made it!)
4. Walked with the kids downtown because it was quicker than driving.(Might as well stop for hot chocolate.)
5. Gone sledding on streets that are closed for that specific purpose.(Have you ever seen a "closed for sledding" sign? I have.)
6. Watched kids arrive at school on snowmobiles.
7. Kept the kids out of school for a family snowball fight.(That's educational, right?)
8. Sat for hours in front of our picture window with a cup of steaming tea and watched as flakes the size of nickles pile up on the front lawn.
9. Ran out the door in sub-freezing weather in just a long sleeved t-shirt, because it was just a "quick trip to the store".
10. Worn flippies in the snow.(Okay, I have not done that yet, but I know tons who have.)

So, now I count myself among the "hearty women"(no this has nothing to do with my weight!). Better go start the car.

Scones with Cranberries (my hubby made these for my birthday this year)

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons cold butter cut into bits
1/4 cup half and half
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped nuts (we use walnuts)
1/4 cup cranberries (raisins work also, but they are yucky)

Pre-heat oven to 400' F
1. Sift flour, baking soda, and sugar into bowl. Add butter and blend until resembles coarse meal.
2.Beat together half and half and eggs.Stir into flour mixture, until just combined.
3.Add nuts and cranberries.
4.Pat dough onto floured surface to about 1/3 in. thick. Cut into rounds or into triangles.
5.Bake on buttered baking sheet for 15-20 min.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Fashion Police


Today I wore a new fabric rose that I made. I not only love it, but I am kind of obsessed with these Anthropology inspired accessories. I have made them in every color for myself, and may even give a few as gifts this Christmas. It was with great pride that I pinned a medium sized cream and pale pink blossom to my brown cord jacket. It made me smile...for a moment. Then I began to think about all of the comments I would receive at church. "What is that?" and "what's up with that thing on your jacket?" ran through my mind. I took one more quick look in the mirror, drew in a deep breath and walked out the door.

Don't get me wrong, I go to one of the most accepting and loving churches on the planet. It doesn't matter if you stink, are dirty or come to service in your PJ's, you are welcomed in with a hug and open hearts. We are family who love one another deeply. It is just that people are not use to some of the things I choose to wear.

I have always been a bit of a fashion dare devil. One of those kids who pared mismatched prints with polka dots in elementary school. The girl in Jr High who was stacking Swatch watches, not only up my arm, but also in my hair. In High School it was a journey into all things Hippie, followed by a head first dive into Grunge in college. Even living in California, my fashion sense was not always accepted. I am not saying I am a great visionary ahead of her time. I simply love clothes and have worn what I like no matter what the norm. But somehow, amid the thousands of other clothes junkies I didn't stick out quite so much.

In a area where jeans are a socially acceptable option for weddings and camo is for more than just hunting, I tend to stand out a little more. I guess I can't blame people, you have to really go out of your way to know the latest options in fashion. We are not inundated by media bombardment, enticing us to purchase the newest looks. Kids do not segregate themselves based on who is wearing what. In fact, half of the school year is spent covered up by winter coats and snow boots. So if people don't know what a Capelet is or why I would wear somthing that resembles the love child of a sweater and a poncho, it is ok.

I just really wish my own son hadn't said "Hey Mom, why do you have that thing on your coat?"

Iced Pumpkin Cookies(Hot out of my hubby's test kitchen)

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1cups white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves,ginger and salt; set aside.
2.In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3.Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
4.To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

'Tis the Season


It's that time of year again. The time that many look forward to with breathless anticipation while others dread as if the plague has returned. Yep, you guess it,it is that magical time of year known as Hunting Season.
I myself grew up as a casual observer of this annual phenomenon. Once a year my father, grandfather and when he was old enough, my step brother would pack up the RV and head out for a week or two. They took guns, tons of food and came back smelling so badly that we knew that there was no way they had spent the time with other women. I vaguely recall them bring home some sort of dead animal once, but that is as far as it went.
It was with this background that I meet my husband. When he told me he hunted I thought I had a good bead on the concept. Boy was I wrong! Not only does my husband hunt, but so does his father, brothers, uncles, aunts, sisters, cousins and the stories of his mothers ability to shoot from horseback are legendary. And I was completely unprepared for the amount of time this venture could eat up. I once met a woman from the area at a Thanksgiving party and asked her to coffee. She told me that sometime around February would work as there was nothing "open" that month and her husband would be around to watch their children.
Much like the modern, overly extended "Holiday Season" that runs from four days after "back to school" through Valentine's day, Hunting Season lasts a number of months and includes various shorter seasons.
We begin in the late summer with archery season. Now, I for one do not understand how flinging a stick at a 800 pound animal is fun, but hey what do I know? Maybe it is the twelve hours of tracking the blood trail that adds to the appeal. Then we move on to early bird hunting followed by the riffle seasons for big game. There is nothing better than driving through town and seeing the severed head of a deer or elk in the back of a truck. One would think by the crowd gathered to oggle the kill and hear the story that this was a rare sight. But the men standing around the truck most likely have another such kill in the back of their own truck. Next comes the extremely popular water foul season. Men travel from all over the state to sit in near freezing water for hours waiting for the opportunity to lure ducks and geese to their death.
My own love affair with hunting was short lived. A few years ago I had the great idea to pack up the kids and spend the week at elk camp with my hubby. His brothers and cousins had not drawn tags for that season and I looked forward to the time with just the four of us. But as we drove miles and miles further from the nearest town, or even the closest house I began to feel I may have made a mistake. To make a long story short, my dream of quiet days knitting and reading while awaiting the love of my life's return did not quite pan out as planned. While my hubby hunted between the hours of 4am and noon, I quickly used up my entire supply of yarn. And when he returned to the field from 3pm until dark, I burned through the stack of books I brought at a rate I had not foreseen. By day three I was out of options and feeling the effects of cabin fever. As we packed up to head home early (day 4) I recounted my excursion into solitude and realized that having two emotional melt downs in four days may mean I am not cut out for homestead life.
But never fear hunting and I have made peace. Now on Saturday mornings the man and boy child head out sometime long before sunrise, while the girl child and I sleep in. They come home covered in mud and bearing birds to be cleaned. I stand at the window and watch my kids chase each other around the yard with duck feet as my husband makes sure that whatever meat comes into my house looks like it came from a butcher shop. I sip the Starbucks they picked up of me on the way home and hum to myself "It's the most wonderful time of the year"!

8 1/2 Buckaroo Marinade (the best thing to soak any game meat in, but don't use with chicken)

1 1/4 c salad oil
3/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c worchestershire sauce
2 tbls dry mustard
2 1/4 tsp salt
1tbls pepper
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dry parsley
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/3 c lemon juice

mix all together and soak meat (any red meat works well) and veggies for 12 hours. grill slowly so veggies don't burn.