This Friday at Brookfield Suites Hotel on 1200 S. Moorland Road , The King Arthur Flour company will offer 2 baking classes. Did I mention it was FREE?

Their web page says, No registration is necessary – just come join us! For more information, call 800.827.6836. (The hotel is located on Moorland Road just north of Greenfield Ave. and south of I-94, phone 262-782-2900)

The first class is on Sweet & Savory Yeast Breads at 12:00 noon:

Sweet & Savory Yeast Breads covers basic yeast bread recipes and techniques, from ingredients and mixing, to shaping everything from soft dinner rolls and decadent cinnamon rolls, to decorative loaves and even pizza.

The second class at 7pm is on Festive Cookies & Pies:

In Festive Cookies & Pies, you’ll learn how to achieve the perfectly flaky pie crust, wow guests with beautifully decorated cookies, and even get some of your holiday baking done ahead of time.

In my opinion, there is no comparison between the quality of home made and a commercial bakery. Plus, baking it yourself is one of the best ways to save money on your grocery bill. This is a great opportunity to become more familiar with baking if you find the idea intimidating.

Each session runs about 2 hours.

Please, comment content should relate to the subject of the post. Although I try to respond to many, do not interpret my lack of a response as agreement.

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Do you still have green tomatoes sitting on your kitchen counter? I do. (I treasure every one.)

Some of them ripen nicely; some of them ripen sort-of; some of them never quite make it. The ones that ripen nicely I save for adding to a tossed salad or making BLTs. The tomatoes that ripen but are less than perfect, I have been making this colorful and tasty marinated tomato & pepper salad with. (The duds sometimes find their way into a pot of chili.)  

This recipe came from the Milwaukee Journal years ago. Like most recipes in my collection, I don't quite follow the original. Because the salad can be made ahead of time, it is great for pot-luck suppers or picnics.

The original recipe: + my variation 

6 large tomatoes - I love to use various colors and types, but any will do. (If you use cherry ones, cut them in half so the flavors will mingle.)

2 large red onions - I don't like raw onion very much. 2 was rather overpowering. I use about 1/2 of a md. red onion. It is plenty!

3 large bell peppers: red, green, yellow, orange, whatever - I mix it up, depending on the color of my tomatoes and what is on sale. The last salad I made, I used some frozen pepper strips* I had previously stashed in the freezer. They worked fine.

I added about 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil at the end, but don't boil this.

Marinade: 

3/4 C apple cider vinegar

1/4 C water

2 T sugar

1 t ground cumin (or less) - I use this same amount. It is not overly spicy, but does have a little heat.

1 t paprika

1/2 t hot red pepper sauce - (or less. I use the full amount.) 

1 t dried oregano - I am not a big fan of oregano. I use basil or The Spice House's Pasta Sprinkles instead (a blend of Italian herbs)

1 large clove minced garlic

1/2 t salt

1/2 t freshly ground pepper

The Process: 

The original recipe said to boil marinade ingredients and pour over prepared vegetables. 

I do it a little differently. Because I never like to refrigerate a tomato and want to keep them a little more intact, I pour the boiling marinade over the onions first--I think it also helped make them less onion-y.

Let cool a little, then add the pepper strips. Add the tomato pieces. Drizzle on the olive oil and mix gently.

If I am serving it soon, I would just leave at room temperature** and stir a few times prior to serving.

If I am making the salad ahead of time, I would refrigerate before adding the tomatoes. Then cut up the tomato pieces and add about 30 min. before serving (as above) or leaving the house.

I would say the recipe serves 8, with large helpings. For my family of 3, I make a half of a recipe and still have a little left over.

Hope you enjoy the salad. It is a great way to use those beloved last-of-the-tomatoes!
 

*Red, green, yellow, orange peppers may be frozen without blanching. Just wash, core, cut up into the size you desire and put into freezer zip-loc bags for future use. It is a great way to take advantage of peppers when they are on sale!

**I do not like to eat tomatoes that have been refrigerated. They lose flavor. 

Please, comment content should relate to the subject of the post. Although I try to respond to many, do not interpret my lack of a response as agreement.

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Last July my high school girlfriends and I lunched at an interesting restaurant in Shorewood, the ANABA TEA ROOM.

It was a beautiful day and we opted to have lunch up on their roof garden.

The setting was delightful and the food good. This weekend promises to be glorious. If you are on the east side, give the tea room a try.

ANABA TEA ROOM is located at 2107 E. Capitol Drive in Shorewood (east of Oakland Ave, in the vicinity of St. Roberts Church and Atwater School.) 

They serve salads, sandwiches,  traditional tea sandwiches,  sweet treats, and of course...tea! Their complete menu and prices are online. 

With all the bad news about the economy,  dining up on the roof just might lift your spirits! 

You may also dine in the regular restaurant on the lower level.

There was an interesting garden/home shop on the main floor. Be sure to check that out as well.

Please, comment content should relate to the subject of the post. Although I try to respond to many, do not interpret my lack of a response as agreement.

Links: 

 

Brookfield7, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, Jay Weber, Mark Levin,  Vicki Mckenna

 

 

Growing up, one of our favorite summer meals was sweet corn, Italian bread, maybe some tuna fish, and tomatoes and garlic salad. It was a very simple supper, but it sure tasted good!

I still make this marinated salad just like my Italian grandfather did--with homegrown tomatoes (or from the farmer's market), garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. It is very simple to prepare. If you like tomatoes and garlic, give it a try.

Put all ingredients into a salad bowl.

Use at least one tomato per person. Wash it, core it, and cut into wedges--about 1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inches.

Peel and slice 1 clove of garlic per 3 tomatoes--more or less to taste.

Pour on about 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil per tomato.

Some people might want to add a pinch of salt. 

Let sit at room temperature for a few hours and stir a few times. DO NOT REFRIGERATE!!!

When ready to serve, you can pick out the garlic slices if you like, or leave in.

Serve with Italian bread. The juice from the tomatoes mixed with the oil and garlic is delicious. Grandpa would break off pieces of the bread to soak up the juices with. That is how we eat it too.

I like the Italian bread from Angelina's Deli on North Ave. just east of Pilgrim. They also have the best Italian sausage in town, in my opinion. The sausages would make a nice addition to this meal, instead of the tuna.

We get our sweet corn from Simon's on Greenfield Ave. and Vista View--between Mooreland and Sunnyslope. It is excellent.

So give this simple summer supper a try soon.

Links: 

Brookfield7, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, Mark Levin,   Vicki Mckenna

What cookout or casual gathering would be complete without baked beans? Homemade ones are not difficult to make and taste ever so much better than canned. Like most things you make yourself, they are less expensive than canned or deli varieties. I make them a day ahead, starting them in the evening and cooking all night.

This recipe was adapted from The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, which called for parboiling and baking, but I make them in a Crockpot.  (1977 was the year of the Crockpot--we received 3 of them as wedding presents!  I still have the same Crockpot and husband, for that matter.)

You will need a large Crockpot.

Ingredients: 

2 pounds of assorted dry beans, rinsed. I like a combination of navy pea beans, baby Lima beans, and large Lima beans. 

About 2 quarts of water

2 t. salt

1 C. molasses   I like to use about 3/4 C regular molasses and 1/4 black strap molasses (much darker and stronger)

1 - 2 t. dry mustard

2 T brown or white sugar

Ketchup - big blurp. Honest, that is what I wrote on the recipe card. I think about 1/2 C would do 

Barbecue sauce - little blurp. I would call that 1/4 C

2 T cider vinegar

1 small onion chopped

1/2 pound of bacon or ham. Nueske's bacon would be my favorite, but it is pricey. Any will do. You can add raw bacon, but then you cannot taste the mixture until they are done. If you fry the bacon first, you can either add the bacon drippings too or substitute 1/4 C olive oil. You can also omit the bacon/ham altogether if you want vegetarian beans. Then just add 1/4 C olive oil and a few drops of liquid smoke or veggie bacon bits instead.

Directions: 

Soak the beans about 8 hours (overnight works well), drain, then put all ingredients in Crockpot, stir, and cook about 8 hours on high.

I often don't soak at all and just start them on high the night before, cook all night, and turn to med. or low in the morning. Cook time about 15 - 20 hours. You might have to add some water if they get too dry.

If they are done early, just let them cool and refrigerate, then reheat later to serve.

Sorry, I cannot tell you exactly how long they cook. Cooking time depends on the moisture content of the beans I think.

It has been my experience that if I need them earlier in the day, they won't get done, and if I need them later, they cook quickly! That is why if I need to bring them somewhere, I would make ahead of time and then just heat the day of the occasion.

Often I will make a whole crock full just for the 3 of us and freeze remaining beans in pint freezer jars for future use. If freezing, don't let beans get too done. They will reheat better if a little firmer in texture.

Don't be a slave to the recipe. It is not an exact science. Like them sweeter? Add more sugar. Like them more tangy? Add more barbecue sauce, mustard or vinegar. One reader says she uses 2 T molasses, 1/2 C brown sugar, 1/4 C cider vinegar, and adds 4 cloves.
 

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Good German potato salad is a difficult thing to find. To my husband, there really is no other kind of potato salad, except German. The deli varieties and even restaurant offerings are always a disappointment, but my Auntie Lu's German potato salad, ah, now you are talking delicious!

Auntie Lu has been the potato salad guru in my family for years, but a recipe was illusive. She just made it without a written recipe. Her daughters-in-law, wanting to duplicate her delicacy, finally watched her make it. They measured each ingredient as she put it in, observed the order and timing of preparation, and wrote it down. Thanks to their efforts, even I can make it now. So can you!

The first step is to make the sauce. You can also use this sauce as hot bacon dressing on a spinach salad. (When I heat the dressing for a salad [for 4], I use about 1/3 C sauce and just add maybe 1 T cider vinegar, sugar, and olive oil to thin it a little. Then I pour the warm dressing over spinach, bacon pieces, walnuts, and sliced hard boiled eggs.) 

My recipe makes 5# of potato salad. 

Sauce:

1 pound bacon - Slowly fry in a large, heavy pan until very crisp -  Remove the bacon and set aside, but KEEP GREASE

1 large chopped onion -  Put chopped onion into the bacon grease and slowly fry until translucent

1/2 C + 2 T white flour - Stir this into the bacon and onion mixture. Slowly heat and stir until thick and bubbly (like a Roux)

1 1/2 C water - Add this into the fry pan goo. Mix thoroughly. It will get very white and opaque, and you will think you ruined it. You did not.

1 C WHITE vinegar - Add this right after the water. Stir until incorporated. (You must use white vinegar. For years I used cider vinegar and could not figure out why my potato salad did not taste quite up to par. In a conversation with Auntie Lu, as to why my salad never quite measured up, she said, Do you use white vinegar? That was it!)

2 C white sugar - Add this into the mix. You will notice the goo changes from opaque to translucent :)

1 T + 1 t. salt - Stir this in too

Now you have the basic sauce made. It can be kept in a glass jar/s for a long time in the refrigerator. I often make a batch of sauce and then use it for the next month or so for smaller meal sized batches of potato salad or making spinach salads.

Finishing the salad

Boil 5 pounds of red potatoes. I wash them and cut them in half or quarters if they are not small (they cook quicker.) Russet potatoes will work in a pinch, but do not have that characteristic waxy, firm texture.

Cook potatoes until a fork can be inserted in the potato, so they are cooked but still firm. (You might want to try one for proper consistency: too crunchy isn't good either.)

Drain off the hot water, pour in cold, and let potatoes soak a bit. As soon as you can touch them, start rubbing the peelings off. They should come off rather easily. You can leave the skins on for a more peasant type salad, but then scrub them more thoroughly before cooking. Cut out any imperfections and eyes.

Slice the cooked potatoes into 1/4 inch or so slices and put in a large pot with the sauce. (You can wash out your potato cooking pot and return them to it, or if you are doing the sauce and salad on the same day, place the sliced potatoes into the fry pan with the sauce.)

Crumble or chop the crispy bacon and add to the mix. 

Gently heat sauce, potatoes, and bacon together, mixing carefully. The sauce will soak into the potatoes at this point. If it gets too thick, you can add a little water to thin.

Add 1/2 C chopped fresh parsley. (You can use dried in a pinch, but fresh is better.)

You are finished! 

Potato salad may be served cold, room temp. or warmed.

To serve, garnish with hard cooked egg slices and more bacon crumbles and chopped parsley if desired. 

Of course, no recipe is written in stone. If you like yours a little less sweet or more salty, etc. just adjust accordingly.

Enjoy! 

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Since many of you might be needing an easy salad recipe for your July 4th festivities, I thought I better honor my promise from the Aldi's comments to share my 3 Bean Salad recipe. (I will try to post my German Potato Salad and Baked Beans recipes too before the 4th.)

I adapted this recipe from the Victory Garden cookbook years ago. You can make it with just 3 different kinds of beans or add however many you wish. Martha Stewart once had a 10 bean salad, so let your imagination run wild!

The recipe:

1 1/2 C green beans (1 drained can or use fresh or frozen but lightly steam first. I use Aldi's or Roundy's brand--they are fine)

1 1/2 C yellow wax beans (same as above)

! 1/2 C dark red kidney beans (one can, drained, or cook your own)

1 C slivered green, red, orange, and/or yellow peppers 

3/4 C thinly sliced red onion (optional)

1 clove garlic peeled and split in 2. (Allow to marinate in dressing but remove prior to serving)

2/3 C wine vinegar

1/3 C sugar (I like brown)

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C veg. oil (I omitted this)

1/2 t. Worcester sauce 

1 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1/8 t. celery seed (I added this)

 
Mix the dressing in a large salad bowl and then add the beans. Chill. Pretty simple!

 
Now for the variations :)

I have added frozen baby peas (just pour them in right from the bag), garbanzo beans (I cook my own, or canned is fine), whole green beans (Aldi's cute little whole frozen type), C&W frozen yellow and green Italian green beans, black beans (if using canned, wash well), light and dark kidney beans, frozen Lima beans (lightly steamed), 1 cup sliced quartered cucumbers, 1/2 C. celery slices....did I miss anything?

Use whatever beans and peas your family likes. If you are adding a lot of extra beans, make extra dressing. For a large gathering, I would double the dressing and non-bean ingredients and then add up to 5 C extra beans.

Beans are very nutritious and contain soluble fiber. If you add any grain (bread, corn on the cob, rice, etc.) you get a complete protein.

Bean salad is great because you can make it in advance and don't have to worry about it spoiling at the picnic.

Enjoy! 

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here passed the 1 million mark. It is at 1.2 million now. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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I just got back from a trip to the Elm Grove Sendik's. Wow, lots of tasty samples, good deals, and drawings for prizes.

Reason? It is Sendik's 82nd anniversary celebration. Food and drink samples will be served all weekend, I believe, at all Balistreri Sendik's stores. So if you are out and about, stop in--especially if you have children. (Kids always like samples.)

I filled out a two entries for their drawings while I was there--Brewer tickets, gift certificates, a TV, and even a $1,000 shopping spree are being given away.

My bargain of the day was a pound of very nice strawberries for $1.50. 

Growing up on the east side of Milwaukee, Sendik's was a household name. As kids, we loved to go in their stores and watch the fresh orange juice squeezer machine. I think it automatically cut the oranges in half, squeezed, discarded used halves, and started over again. It was a source of great fascination to most children in the neighborhood.

My grandfather came from Sicily and knew all the Italian shop keepers. He did all the grocery shopping and would often bring home interesting vegetables from Sendik's like fennel and artichokes. 

These days, I find I am going to Sendik's more and more. I'm afraid my usual grocery stomping ground, Pick 'n Save, is letting me down more and more. They are eliminating some of the more unusual products from their line, one being coconut oil. That has forced me to seek other shopping venues. I checked at Sendik's and sure enough, they had it.

Sendik's, although more expensive on some things, has great bargains on others. Their quality is very good, and I like the atmosphere of their stores. They also respond to requests for products. My favorite Cedar Crest ice cream is Coconut Joy. The old Sentry always carried it, but when the new Sendik's moved in, they did not. I asked at the customer service desk if they could order it, and they said yes. I like that kind of service.

Check out Sendik's bargain shelf in the produce department too. Often they have great deals there. I picked up a 3 pound bag of green beans for .99 and a bag of red and yellow peppers for $1.50. Can't beat that.

So Happy Anniversary Sendik's. May you have many more. Having you here evokes many happy childhood memories.

(I am not affiliated with Sendik's in any way) 

Links: Kinsey Park Clean Up and Pier

This is not a political commentary posting! It is about soup.

I grew up in a home that was not very enthused about turkey, but I married a turkey-a-holic!

It must be an inherited trait on the Y chromosome, because both my guys cannot get enough of the big bird!

Sadly, our turkey leftovers are history, but there is one last meal to be had from our Thanksgiving feast, and that is turkey soup. I make it just as I would chicken soup.

I take the roasted carcass and pick off all the meat I can and refrigerate. Place the bones, scraps, and even the skin into a large soup pot.

Cover with water and add a small onion, stalk of celery, and carrot. A few parsley stalks are good too. Simmer for a few hours.

Strain the contents through a collandar into a big bowl or another pot and return the broth to the soup kettle. Skim off excess fat.

Peel a few carrots and slice into disks, chop a med. onion, and slice up a few celery stalks and add these to the pot.

Simmer an hour longer and taste. Add salt and pepper to taste and some freshly chopped parsley (or dried).

By this time the bones are cool enough to go through, removing any pieces of meat. Put the meat in the broth.

Add more of the meat you set aside when you started the soup and cut into bite-sized pieces and toss in the pot.

Now you have a choice to make: Turkey Dumpling Soup or Turkey, Rosemary, Rice Soup.

For Turkey Dumpling, just take 1 beaten egg, 1 t salt, and 1 C white flour. Mix together until you can't get any more four into the egg and break off little pieces of the dough and toss into the boiling broth. Cook about 20 min. My guys really like these crude dumplings, so I make double the amount.

For the Turkey, Rosemary, Rice soup, add a sprig of rosemary to the soup, some cooked brown and wild rice (if you have any), and a few drops of Tabasco sauce. This of course it to taste. Simmer 20 minutes and then fish out the rosemary. If you have a herb bag or large tea ball, this would keep the rosemary leaves together. This soup creation came from a friend and we really like it just as well as the dumpling variation.

Depending on how much turkey you had to start with, you might have to add a little chicken bullion to make it more flavorful.

Anyway, turkey soup, either variation, has become a real family favorite. I freeze the left overs and keep them for future meals. It is like money in the bank!

Try it with your Christmas Turkey.
 

My oven is back in business, thanks to my resident repairman. (My son)

Friday night, he searched the internet and ordered the parts. Today, the parts arrived. Tonight, he fixed the oven. Thanksgiving is saved!

By the way, I take no credit for his abilities. We never formally studied electronics in the 13 years I taught him. He just was interested and I had the good sense to get out of his way.

My husband and I always encouraged our son to do real work at an early age though, and he taught our son quite a bit about electricity and volt meters etc. while doing work around the house.

I think kids can do far more than we give them credit for. We tend to insulate them and keep them in the play workshop world too long instead of letting them do real jobs (with close supervision, of course).
 
Here is the culprit--a small, innocent looking relay--that because of its failure, could have burned down the house!

The surprising thing was that they were German made. We were expecting them to be of Chinese origin. Both were replaced, so the oven is back in business.

My final Thanksgiving food tip is to cook the turkey upside down.

I have done this for years and it results in very juicy white meat. I usually start it upside down for at least 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Since we don't carve the bird at the table, presentation is not an issue, so I left it upside down 1 hour longer last year. If you have those new silicone hot mitts, you can just grab the turkey and turn it back right side up after the alloted time and let it finish baking. If you don't have the mitts, turning can be a little challenging--but worth it in juicy white meat.

Maybe tomorrow I will get back to blogging about 4K. I needed to take a break and talk about more pleasant things for a bit, so thanks for bearing with me. The recipes also gave me a chance to try out an older laptop that came my way with the remote desktop feature on my computer. That was fun!

What would Thanksgiving be without apple pie? I have the traditional recipe from my mother here and also a pretty variation: Kyle's Apple Cranberry Pie. (I can't leave a recipe alone!)

Mom's Apple Pie

Enough pie crust for a double crust pie.

Apples: A combination of Macintosh, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith

½ cup to 2/3 cup sugar (I use ½ for an 8 inch crust and 2/3 for a 10 inch-again, our family likes things on the tart side)

2 Tablespoons of unbleached white flour (I have since changed to 1 T flour and 1T instant tapioca-it makes for a more translucent juice with a better consistency)

Cinnamon

Butter to dot the top, about 4 teaspoons

Procedure: 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Have the crust rolled out and ready: the bottom crust in the pie pan (I prefer glass unless you are freezing it first), and the top, ready to go, rolled out on the pastry cloth.

Wash the apples and start cutting one of each into quarters. Cut out the core and peel with a sharp paring knife. Cut each quarter into 3 to 4 sections. Arrange with the peeled side out around the bottom of the crust. Keep cutting up the apples and putting into the pie shell. While you don't have to make art work of this job, you don't want large pockets of air. I like to keep piling the apple pieces up until they mound up about 1 ½ inches above the pie pan edge level.

Mix up the sugar and flour (flour and tapioca) in a bowl. Add in cinnamon. This is to taste. Sprinkle some on and stir it in.

Spoon the sugary mixture over the apples in the pie pan. Try to get it down into the cracks and spaces between the apples if you can.

Cut up the butter into about 8 pieces and place evenly over the apples and sugar mixture. 

Now put the top crust on. Pat the edges together and cut off excess crust leaving about ½ to 5/8 inch extra beyond the pie plate edge. Use a butter knife or small paring knife to cut through the crust, gently supporting from the underside the crust with your finger.

Fold under about ½ inch of the crust until the entire pie edge has been tucked under. Go around again and pat and form into a nice, even smooth edge. Crimp or decorate the edge.

Cut steam vents into the top. Use a knife and just cut slits about 1 ½ inch from the pie edge. Be sure to cut enough slits--it prevents soggy crust. You can also cut words or shapes into the top.

Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for another 45 minutes. Filling should be bubbling inside when done. If crust gets too brown, cut off strips of aluminum foil and loosely put over the pie edges.

Take out of the oven and set aside to cool.

For best results, serve on the same day you bake the pie. 

If you wish to make them ahead, then freeze when you have the pie completed, but still unbaked. (Use aluminum pie pan, not glass.) When you want the pie, bake frozen. You will probably have to increase the 350 degree bake time.

Cranberry Variation:

Apples: Mixture of Macintosh, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith - about 3 of each for a large pie

1 cup raw cranberries, washed

2/3 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon of white, unbleached flour

1 Tablespoon of instant tapioca

Cinnamon

Butter, about 4 teaspoons

Prepare as the Mom's Apple Pie above, but sprinkle the cranberries evenly through the apples in the pie shell.

The cranberries add a pretty color to the pie and give it a nice tart flavor. The tapioca keeps the juices from running too much and yet it is not too thick.

Macintosh apples break down in cooking and fill in the empty spaces. Golden Delicious keep their shape. Granny Smith give a nice, tart flavor.

I cannot remember when I made my first pie; maybe I was 7 years old? Mom always let my sister and I help in the kitchen and taught us to cook and bake at an early age. The great thing about it was that she did not mind that it looked like a disaster area when we finished. It is a fond memory that I hold in my heart.

Many people are very afraid of making a pie. I think it might be because they don't have a good pie crust recipe to start with. I think Mom's recipe came from the Settlement Cookbook. It is a good, simple, basic recipe. I've never had a flop and never heard a complaint. 

Here's the recipe--enough for 2 double crust or 4 single crust pies:

3 cups of all purpose, unbleached white flour -not bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups of real, salted butter OR  2/3 cup of real, salted butter and 2/3 cup of lard (yes, lard) I tend to use all butter simply because I always have it on hand. Lard makes a flakier crust.

½ cup of very cold water

The process:

Measure the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.

With a pastry cutter, cut in 2/3 cup of the butter. (A pastry cutter is an inexpensive gizmo with a handle and multiple semi-circle dull blades--obtainable even from the widget section in the grocery store cooking accessories isle.) Keep cutting, pressing the cutter through the butter into the flour, until the texture is even. The color will be an even creamy tone.

Add the lard or remaining portion of butter and cut in again. This time you want to stop before it is all finely worked in. Stop when the largest chunks are the size of very small peas.

Next, fluff up the butter/lard/flour/salt mixture with a fork. Run the cold water until it is very cold and measure out ½ cup. Drizzle it into the mixture while tossing with a fork until the water is distributed. Here is where you must be careful. DO NOT OVER MIX! Over mixing will develop the gluten in the flour and make your crust tough. Properly done, your dough will probably be somewhat crumbly with some white looking streaks. This is fine.

Most recipes say to chill now. I have never needed to do that, but if your kitchen is very warm, you may want to chill for a half hour. You can also put it in the refrigerator and use it later in the week. I press down the crust dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. You can also freeze it in a plastic bag for future use.

When it is time to roll out the pie crust, get out the pastry canvas and pin sock. These are essential to pie making. You can use a stiff piece of laundered canvas or other tightly woven cotton cloth for the canvas. If you cannot find a pin sock, I have used a leg from a pair of clean pantie hose. Just cut off the leg and slip over the rolling pin. Leave an inch or so extra on each end and cut off the foot. Liberally flour the cloth and the rolling pin. That means you sprinkle on flour and work it into the fabric with your hand.

Cut the pie dough into 4 parts. With your hands, form the quarter section of the dough into a round, flattened disk, patting it into shape. Lay it in the center of the floured canvas. Take the rolling pin and start to gently press it into the center in a cross mark and roll outwards. You are flattening it out a little at a time. Continue rolling it in all directions, keeping its round shape. If it starts sticking to the canvas or pin, put more flour on the fabric. Roll from the center to the edges.

When it is about 1 to 1½ inches bigger than your pie pan all the way around (hold the pan over the crust to estimate) you are ready to put it into the pan. It will be a scant 1/8 inch thick. I roll the crust loosely onto the pin--about half way (here is where the canvas really helps you out; you can lift the cloth up from one side and help maneuver the pastry onto the pin)--and then lift the crust over the pan and lower it into place. Put the outer edge about ¾ - 1 inch over the pie pan edge. Then unroll the remaining crust. Re-center if needed. Ease the crust down to the bottom edges of the pan. If it cracks a little, just squish the edges back together. If you need to put in a patch (a piece of extra rolled out crust from the edge) just wet the area to be patched (use your finger or pastry brush) and put the piece of crust on top. Gently pat into place. No one will ever know!

Now if this is a double crust pie, you repeat the roll out, leave it on the canvas and make the filling. After the filling is in the pie shell, some people brush the edge of the crust in the pie pan with a little water (it acts like glue), but I don't. Once the filling is in the pie shell, repeat the loose roll up of half the pie crust onto the pin and transfer to the pie shell. Start at one edge, leaving that extra margin of crust to hang over the edge and unroll.

For either single or double crust pies, the crimp phase is pretty much the same. First, cut the excess of crust off the pie-I use a butter knife or small paring knife for this. I support the crust with my finger from underneath and cut into it. I leave about ½ inch for double crust and 3/4 inch for single crust pies beyond the pie pan edge.  Then start to gently turn and tuck that extra pie dough under all around the pie. Once you have gone around the pie once, go around again and push into place any irregular spots. The idea is to make it an even thickness.

Note that for single crust pies, there is a tendency for the crust to slip into the pie when blind baking (baking the crust with no filling in it--such as for a banana cream pie). To avoid this, make sure you do not stretch the crust to fit the pan. In fact, try to ease a little extra crust down into the pie pan.

Now comes the fun part: the crimp or decorative edge. The simplest method is to just use a fork dipped in flour to prevent sticking and press down gently to make little ridges. My favorite is the peaked crimp. For this one, I first pinch the crust edge into a raised lip all the way around the crust edge. Then using the knuckle of my right forefinger and thumb and forefinger of my left hand, I gently coax the dough into the pinch of my left two fingers with the knuckle of my right. Keeping my fingers lightly floured will keep the dough from sticking.

Be sure to cut ample steam vents into that top crust, or your crust will be soggy. This can be simply done, or in an artistic design. Sometimes I write the name of the pie into the crust with little slits or make hole in the center apple shaped, for an apple pie and add some extra crust apple leaves.

For a double crust fruit pie, bake at 450 degrees in a pre-heated oven (very important) for 15 minutes, then turn down to 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Because I like to really fill up my pies, usually I need to bake longer at 350-at least until I see the filling bubbling inside.

If you are baking a single crust pie, blind (no filling), be sure to *** the crust bottom with a fork before you put it into the pre-heated 450 degree oven. This prevents large bubbles from forming in the crust. These you bake at 450 for 8 to 10 minutes. Check after about 6 min. You don't want it to get too brown.  I have as of late started at 450 degrees and then turned down to 425 once the shell is in the oven. This seems to give me a good crust that does not get too brown.

You can make a fancier crust edge by using small cookie cutter shapes of pie dough and gluing onto crust edge with water. Martha Stewart had some very pretty pie edges on page 36 of her November magazine issue.

Sometimes I make some pretty shapes such as a free form Maple leaf or cookie cutter hearts, etc. to place on top of the whipped cream on a pumpkin pie. If you plan on doing this edge, cut more off your crust edge before you turn it under. Otherwise there will be too much crust under the cut outs. For shapes, roll out your crust as usual and cut out the shapes. You will need to flour the cutters to prevent sticking. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake as you would the single, blind crust, but check after a few minutes. The smaller shapes bake faster. You can also sprinkle these with cinnamon and sugar before baking. Better tell your family these are spoken for though, or they may disappear before you get them on the finished pie!

Glass pie pans are my favorites. They make a much crisper crust. Aluminum would be my second choice. (I won't use that horrid baker's secret tin ware.)

One lady recently told me her grandmother always replaced 1 t. of water with 1 t. cider vinegar per double crust pie. She said it made for a flakier crust. I may just try that trick. Let me know if you ever tried that one

I know many people like to use the Cuisinart for crust. I have one and have used it, but I still prefer to do it by hand. I think you have more control by hand.

For a little extra zip, I have used about 1/4 C lemon juice mixed with enough powdered sugar to make a thin frosting. I then drizzle it over an apple pie. Yum.

PS Dad sometimes would make pies too, so don't think pie making is only for women!
 

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One year when a family member had to avoid bread (wheat allergy), I improvised on my mom’s traditional stuffing recipe by replacing the bread with brown rice, wild rice and chopped rye crisp crackers. It was good! We all liked the rice and rye flavor so much that when bread no longer needed to be avoided, I kept the rice and rye bread ingredients and incorporated them in this new stuffing recipe. I have been using it ever since. 

Ingredients:

1 stick real butter 

3 cups diced celery

9 T. chopped fresh parsley – if you’re lucky, there is still some from your garden

(4 ½ T. dried parsley may be substituted)

½ cup chopped onion 

12 slices of bread, cubed.

(I like a mixture of a good rye, whole wheat (Manitowoc Ovens Hunger Filler is a favorite for this), and a white, such as Manitowoc Ovens English Muffin bread or a nice potato bread. The bread should have some body to it, not that soft, cottony type.

Freshly ground pepper—a few turns of the grinder do it for me

½ # (pre-cooked weight) wild rice – cooked (you can do this ahead of time)

1 # (pre-cooked weight) brown rice – you will need to cook this too before assembling

¼ cup roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1 to 1½  teaspoons dried marjoram

½ to 1 teaspoon ground sage (to taste, some people do not like sage)

*Optional: sliced mushrooms, coarsely chopped pecans, chopped apple, etc. 

Preparation:

In a large frying pan, melt the butter and gently sauté the onions. Add the celery until translucent. Add the bread and remaining ingredients and mix together. Taste it to make sure all is well.

I make my stuffing the day before Thanksgiving and keep it refrigerated in a plastic bag.

DO NOT pre-stuff the turkey the day before. I have heard this is a no-no because of possible bacteria build up.

When you are ready to bake the bird, spoon stuffing loosely into the cavity and pin/truss shut. The remaining stuffing can be put into a greased, covered casserole dish. I put this extra stuffing in the oven to bake closer to meal time for about 30 to 45 min. Baste it with some of the cooked turkey juices and stir the basting juices into the stuffing. (The turkey should be almost done now). Be careful the extra stuffing does not get too browned or the rice will get hard. When you scoop out the stuffing from the turkey, you can mix it into this extra stuffing in the casserole dish.

FYI: When I cook rice, I cook up a large batch and then freeze it in smaller amounts (for my family, 1-2 C. for brown and ½-1 C. for wild). This really helps when preparing meals that require some cooked rice. Sometimes, just the thought of having to cook the rice first can be rather defeating.

I do not cook my brown rice as long as the directions tell you. I put the rice into a large pot with plenty of cold water and start it cooking. About 20 to 30 minutes is usually sufficient. I then drain it and rinse. Brown rice is infinitely more nutritious than white, and I think it is tastier too.

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I was first introduced to raw cranberry relish at my mother-in-law's table, before I was married. It was a Prast family favorite. When it was time for me to host my first turkey dinner, I made what I thought was like my husband's mother's recipe. It wasn't. As it turned out, everyone liked my variation better!

This relish is ridiculously easy to make and is good at any time of year with pork, ham, chicken, and of course, turkey. You will need a food processor though, or it won't work.
 

Ingredients:

1 bag, 12 ounces, of fresh cranberries, washed (*frozen berries can be used too)

1 navel orange, scrubbed

¾ to 1 cup sugar (I use ¾ because we like things on the tart side-it is also less sugar!)

3 ribs of celery, diced-not the dark green outer ribs but the more mild flavored medium to light green ones

½ to 1 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts (I do this by hand as it yields a more even texture)
 

The Process:

First, cut the ends off of the orange, just far enough to reach the flesh of the orange. Trim off any blemishes on the peeling. Cut the orange in half and then each half into quarters.

Place the 8 pieces of orange, still with the peeling on, into the food processor, with the chopping blade installed. Pulse until the orange is chopped into approx ¼ inch bits. Some will be smaller, some larger. Set aside.

Next, put the cranberries into the food processor (no need to wash the work bowl). Pulse until the berries are at least quartered. Again, some pieces will be smaller, some larger. (Some people like them more finely chopped, I don't.)

Place the chopped berries into a mixing bowl and add the oranges, sugar, celery and walnuts and stir. It takes a few minutes for the sugar to dissolve. Serve.  Coarsely chopped fresh pineapple can be added too for a different twist.

This salad can be made the day ahead of Thanksgiving, but I like to keep the ingredients separated. I just put the chopped berries in the serving bowl first, then the pile of chopped oranges. I put the sugar in a zip loc bag, celery in another small zip loc and walnuts in a 3^rd bag.  I place the baggies on top of the berries and oranges and cover the whole bowl with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator until the next day. An hour or two before serving time, I just mix all the ingredients together. I found this delayed mix method works better-it makes a prettier presentation. If mixed too early, the red bleeds into the orange, walnuts, and celery. (It still tastes fine the next day though).

*Fresh cranberries aren't available all year, so I make sure I buy extra bags for the freezer.

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Almost had a meltdown yesterday after I turned on my oven to start dinner. I threw in 3 sweet potatoes, set the temperature and did some other kitchen-y things. I thank God I did not set it to auto-start and leave as is sometimes my habit.

As I was cutting up some salad, I smelled something burning in the oven. Hmm, that's odd, I thought. Guess it is time to clean the oven? But the smell got stronger. I peeked inside and found my sweet potatoes rather blackened on the tops.

My oven is one of those Acubake type, the heating element alters from top to bottom to keep the temperature even. It works very well--usually. Yesterday, as my techno-boy tells me, the relay died in the open position (that means on). Even turning off the oven had no effect, the element stayed on! We resorted to turning off the circuit breaker.

Well, now you know my favorite way of making sweet potatoes. I just wash them, cut of the ends a tiny bit to prevent exploding spuds, and throw them on the oven rack at 350 degrees until tender.

What I would like to know from you is do you know of any horror stories of auto start oven timers? I find it very convenient to put something in the oven, set the timer and temp, and then leave. Love that coming home to a ready meal.  But now I am wondering if I must add auto start to the list of things not to do--like leaving the house with the dishwasher or dryer on?

Please share your ovens gone wrong stories with me if you have any. I want to know if auto start is trustworthy.

PS I was to have made Thanksgiving dinner. It may still be on my horizon if I can get my oven fixed in time. In the meanwhile, I am going to dig out some of my favorite recipes to share with you later.


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