A Beautiful White Christmas

A Beautiful White Christmas

This year, Michigan was both blessed and cursed with a beautiful white Christmas.  Blessed by the awe inspiring landscapes covered in ice and snow, but cursed do to the number of power outages that raged through the state. 

My husband and I were lucky enough to only go without power for a few hours.  He spent Christmas Eve digging us out, but secretly I think enjoyed every minute of it!

The sunrise was absolutely gorgeous!  This is why I love living in the Midwest.  You cannot beat the peaceful surroundings and I will admit that I love SNOW!  

The ice that morning clung to the trees and created a sparkling effect like know other.  While it was beautiful, our hearts went out to all those without power and to all of the workers who spent countless hours over the holidays restoring power!

My puppy appreciated having her heat as she is not exactly a winter dog!  She definitely enjoys the view from inside and is looking forward to spring already:)

My Pledge to Thanksgiving

As time passes quickly, yet another Thanksgiving has come and went.   I must admit, that next to Halloween, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  There is just something about the crisp cool Midwest air, the smell of turkey and football on the TV.  However this year felt different.  It was almost as if we have forgotten about the entire holiday.  It all began the evening of Halloween.  I stopped to pick up some candy for the trick-or-treaters and much to my dismay, the Christmas decorations were being hung before I could finish my hot cider.  This my friends, is a problem that seems to be growing worse!  Now stores are opening on Thanksgiving day to buy the oh so important TV or iPad.  But what about my stuffing?  What about my mashed potatoes?  What about the one holiday just about food and family?  To be honest, I am always sad after Thanksgiving.  The holiday marks the end of Fall and so by skipping it entirely, I feel cheated.  So this is my pledge to Thanksgiving.....

I will not take down my corn stalks or pumpkins until after Thanksgiving.

I will only drink pumpkin spice lattes, no peppermint mocha for me Starbucks!

I will not buy a single Christmas present or even think about the concept of shopping on Black Friday, let alone on Thanksgiving.

I will wear my brown boots, scarf and sweaters, before I have to pull out my winter coat and mittens.

I will be grateful for the sunrise on a cool Thanksgiving morning, that just happened to bring snow this year.

I will eat my omelet and drink my bloody mary for breakfast, thanks to my gracious neighbors, the Parkers.

I will cheer on the Packer's even though my brother-in-law was happily rubbing the Lion's success in my face. (It started out as rather intense game...)

I will love every minute of cooking dinner....battle scars included.

I won't even mind the clean-up, even if it is not until the next morning.

But most importantly, I will thankful for the time I get to spend with my loved ones for that is what the holidays are truly about.

And after all is said and done, I will especially enjoy the time to relax with the puppy after a long day of turkey eating....

Take the Thanksgiving Pledge next year...You won't be disappointed!

Corn Husking  - Old Traditions Come Alive

My hands are hugging a warm cup of cider and the crisp breeze reminds me that the indian summer is gone.  I look around and I see friends and family gathered around doing what I like to call "farmer talk".  Off in the distance there ar two gentleman discussing the quality of different tractors from Farmalls to Olivers and maybe a John Deere......

The conversations continue to develop around the weather, crop prices, yields, and who still has a few hundred acres to go.  The day has brought on the perfect weather for corn husking at the Birchmeiers. A time for multiple generations of farmers and tractor lovers to get together and appreciate how farming was done before all the high tech equipment.

Corn husking is an opportunity to respect the past, which as most of you know, I love.  As a history major, I eat this day up, and most importantly, as an educator, I love the fact that history comes alive for multiple generations.  Below is a picture of Ella with her Great Granfather Mose.  The joy in her great grandfather's face seeing Ella having fun with what he loved doing, was to me the million dollar shot of the day. 

However, there were also a few more......

I don't know about you, but I think she is trying to figure out how to move the tractor without getting into trouble.

And let's admit that watching two Farmall guys working on an Oliver was quite entertaining.

Whether you were snuggled up by the fire, introducing yourself to the cows, or playing in the corn, the day was one to reflect on, relax and enjoy.  

Thank you to the Birchmeiers for putting on the event each year and reminding us of days gone by.

Let's Talk About Wrinkles...I Mean Memories:)

Turning 33 last month, I began taking a closer look in the mirror.  Conceded yes, but an evaluation had to be done.  Do I have hair growing out of places that it shouldn't be?  Do any of my many freckles look like age spots or skin cancer?  Should I begin using the many age fighting creams, lotions and potions on my face?  And then I noticed my wrinkles....

Being that I am not on TV or the silver screen, I did not go running out to get Botox or plastic surgery, but I did notice them.  I could not believe it, wrinkles, already?!  

The next day, I kept thinking about my wrinkles.  How are they nonexistent one moment, and then BAM right in the kisser, you have these wrinkles or should I use the politically correct term "laugh lines".  I looked again at the wrinkles next to my mouth and thought, how many times did I have to laugh to form these.  Who did I smile at recently that contributed to my aging:)

Then there are the wrinkles between my eyes.  These to me are angry or stress wrinkles.  They appear from putting to much pressure on the brain!  I really need to stop doing that.  

Finally, I thought about my forehead.  I thought for a long time, pondering what on earth contributed to these.  Questions? Surprises?  Confusion?  And then it hit me!  I have inherited these wrinkles from my father.  He has a matching pair.  It is one of the defined features on his face no matter what his expression is.  These wrinkles are my memories both good and bad.  For every moment that is meant to be captured, I lock it tight in side and as a result I have developed a family trait.

I suppose I could look at the development of my wrinkles as a sign of developed wisdom.  But I prefer to look at all of wrinkles as memories.  Emotional moments that have been etched onto my face and those that define who I am as individual.

To Be Brave Like a Kid Again

Why is it, as we get older, our bravery skills diminish?  Trying something new at the ripe old age of 33 strikes fear in me like no other.  I miss the days when a double dare at the monkey bars would result in a triumphant face plant in the sand and I would stand up and say "see, I tried it".  Or swinging as high as the top bar, to jump out and only to land perfectly on your feet.  Those were the days.  It seems like lately, the bravery concept is lost in the monotony of everyday life.  Why is that?

Today, with the help of one little girl, I figured it out.  Adults do not like to learn anything new and we lose trust in each other.  Take Syd for example, today is her seventh birthday and her first ever tractor pull.  She can't even reach the floor of the tractor and yet she has no fear.  When I asked her why she felt so confident.  She told me it was because she practiced a lot and she had dad to help her.

Syd did a great job today.  Even though she didn't take first, she walked away with the understanding that she was successful simply because she tried.

As we get older, we need to be reminded every once in awhile that it is ok to fail, as long as you try.  That being brave involves others by your side.  And that learning something new means practice and that no matter how old we are, we still have much to learn!

"Please Let it Come Out!"

So that was my thought as I ever so carefully turned my Pineapple Upside Down Cake out of the skillet.  It came out beautifully.  The cake itself is very easy to make in regards to baking it...it is the turning it upside down part that is a bit scary for me.  You don't want it to stick or come out in chunks and as my husband will tell you I felt like I had completed a marathon I was so proud when it popped right out.  

Over our very scrumptious and moist slices, Nick and I began discussing the concept of the cake, where it came from, and the different fruit you could use.  After a quick google search I pieced together some basic facts that seem to match up.  

First the history of the cake is sketchy.  It can be dated back as early as 1925 when a little pineapple company in Hawaii (Dole:) ran an advertisement for pineapple recipes and the flood waters opened.  But here is my question.  They received so many upside down cake recipes that it was clear it was developed BEFORE this date.  Perhaps some Midwest housewife, wanting to be creative, developed the recipe shortly after sliced pineapple rings were available in 1911.   

So today I made mine in a traditional way with my cast iron skillet.  If you have not done this you need to!  I have seen my mom make this cake before but it was never in a skillet so I was bit skeptical.  I slowly melted the stick of butter and added the brown sugar.  Carefully, I placed my pineapple rings and the cherries before adding the batter and placing it in the oven. 

I always thought the pineapple upside down cake originated in the 1950s.  With the cherries and pineapple it just had that color and vibe to it.  So I was a bit surprised when I found out how early it may have been created.  But it makes sense.  The skillet is a great vessel for this cake and many people had skillets versus cake pans at the turn of the century.  I also read about skillet cakes and the different varieties you can make...perhaps this is next weekends adventure!  

Needless to say, the cake came out and we enjoyed every bite.  Recipe is on the "My Cravings Satisfied" page. I even turned it over on a cake platter owned my Nick's Grandmother Katie.  I was feeling a bit nostalgic.  Even though the cake is older than expected I still felt like running upstairs to put on a A line dress, pumps and pearls and serve it on some china! 

The blog is dedicated to the Pineapple Upside Down Cake!  May it last many more years in the Midwest Kitchen.

A Wet Midwest Spring

Yesterday morning, my husband and I went for a ride to check out the flooding.  The sun had finally come out (we had not seen it in about a week) and even though it was cold I bundled up and grabbed my camera.  I took this picture off of Fry Road and giggled to myself as I took it.

The water had already declined from the night before.  This was also taken on Fry Road and Friday night the water was to the white lines on the road.

This is typically a corn field.....just saying.

 I know a lot of people have been talking about the great hundred year flood that occurred in 1986.  Now granted I was only 6 at the time, and don't remember much, but this just didn't seem to compare to the stories.  My husband and I both agreed that there was some flooding, some friends had some basemement issues, and planting is a little delayed, but this was nothing like the flood in 86.  What have is a rather wet Midwest spring, that brought some much needed water to the area.

Reduce Stress by Baking Bread

Sunday morning, when I woke up, my thoughts went instantly to work.  All I could think about was my to-do list and all of the meetings I had scheduled throughout the week.  My heart rate increased rapidly and my head hurt; all this before my feet hit the floor.  And Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest in our house!

When I get like this I have trouble "shutting my mind off"as my husband would say.  I have to find a task that will challenge me and keep me occupied.  Now, I know most of you are thinking, but it's just bread.  Here is the thing, I inherited an inability to bake bread from my mother.  She will tell you that most of her bread never rises and often is so dense that you could use it as a door stop.

So today I set myself up for a challenge.  I made three different recipes today.  I started with a challah recipe I have been working on.  I mixed the starter (yeast, sugar, warm water and a bit of flour).  Then, because of the length of time involved in allowing it to foam up, I moved onto a banana bourbon bread with pecans and chocolate.  I wish I could say that this one was mine, but it is not below is the link to the recipe.  I love sweet breads.  You can have your dessert for breakfast with them!  I combined all of the ingredients and new instantly I had found a winner.  It had the slight aroma of a bananas foster.  

Banana Bread Recipe - A Bitch'n Kitchen

With the banana bread in the oven, it was time to mix my challah starter with some more flour.  I gradually folded and folded until not only the flour was incorporated, but my thoughts were finally in a more relaxed setting.   I placed the dough in a warm location and this is when I pray.  There is just something magical about bread dough rising and when it happens correctly I feel like I have won the war.

With the challah bread rising, I set to the task of making some corn bread.  I love making corn bread.  It is so diverse as you can make it sweet or savory.  Corn bread can also come in many forms, little squares, muffins, bread slices....plus the way you can cook it.  I know some who almost fry the dough in a cast iron skillet before baking it.  Others swear by their stone ware.  I have finally figured out my process for a sweet moist corn bread that is to die for.  The recipe can be found in "My Cravings Satisfied". 

With two breads in the oven and one rising, by thoughts began to stray.  I quickly decided that with good bread comes soup or stew.  Today, being 32 degrees (yes it is April) I decided on chili to go with the corn bread.

As I set the chili to simmer, and took the breads out of the oven, it was time to go to work on the challah.  I love braiding bread:)  It just makes my day.  Once the challah was braided  and set to rise again (told you it was a long process) we decided to go on an afternoon outing.  Bowling with friends is always a great distraction and I needed one.  So with bread rising or cooling and the chili complete we headed off with our friends the Mose's.  Check out their kiddos first time bowling in "Take a Picture it Lasts Longer".

When we arrived home, the challah was ready for the oven.  It had risen beautifully and I could not wait to taste it.  Let me tell you, nothing beats the aroma of baking bread in a house.  This recipe is not quite ready to share yet, but as soon as it is I will let you know.

With all of the bread done and dinner in our bellies, I realized how successful I felt and relaxed.  Baking bread helped me reduce stress and prepare myself for the busy week ahead.  After all someone has to eat all of the bread I baked so that will at least make my staff happy:)

Have a great week and hopefully I can find time to write!

With spring comes some not so pleasant moments.  The hubby discovered a broken tile that had to be fixed on the edge of one of our fields.  I am sure he would have much rather had me pick up a shovel then stand around with my camera.......

Spring Break in the Midwest is a completely different experience for those of us who do not venture to Mexico or Florida.  It is currently April 3rd and about 32 degrees!  This morning when I went for my run, with the puppy, my nostrils stuck together.  During this time frame it is the hardest for people living in the midwest.  Winter is over...in theory.  The snow is gone, but there is nothing green.  We are craving the sunshine, wanting to clean out our flower beds, and like to kid ourselves that the snow will not return.  So, even though I wanted to have a spring type breakfast with eggs, asparagus, and fresh fruit, I continue to eat my warm oatmeal and ignore my cravings for spring.  

I think the puppy thought it was a bit cold for the run this morning too!!

Spring has arrived and with that comes new growth, cleaning, and a sense of newness in the air.  With that said I have decided to update my blog and promised myself I would work harder on publishing every week!