Cookie Pie

I'm hearing a LOT of murmuring about putting 2016 to bed. I have heard this year described as the apocalypse + the plagues Moses unleashed on Egypt + head lice. Was it really that bad?

How about before 2017 kicks off we put on our rose tinted glasses, look at that half-full glass, and eat cookies. Better yet, cookies in pie form.

Can I get an Amen?

White Chocolate, Salted Caramel Cookie Pie

adapted from Our Best Bites

This pie is easy to make and universally loved. Make sure to serve it warm with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream. I like to make it in the morning, then before serving pop it back into the oven at 150 while we eat dinner to warm up. It should have a crisp crust, crackly top, and gooey middle.

1 9 inch pie shell

3/4 cup butter softened to room temp

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white chocolate chips, plus more for garnish

8 Kraft caramels snipped with scissors into 6 pieces, plus more for garnish

Maldon or other large flake sea salt 

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease pie pan and line with pie crust, crimping edges decoratively. Line pie crust with parchment or foil and fill the pan with beans or rice or pie weights to keep the crust from shrinking while baking. Bake crust for 15 minutes.

Remove the crust from the oven and cool. Remove pie weights when cool enough to handle.

Reduce oven temperature to 325.

In a mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugars until slightly fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt and mix well. On low speed add the all-purpose flour. Stir in the white chocolate chips and caramel pieces. Spoon the batter into the pie shell and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted halfway between the edge and the center of the pie comes out clean.

If desired, melt some white chocolate with a little cream in a small bowl using the microwave then set aside. Do the same with the caramels. Using a fork drizzle some of each onto the top of the pie and then sprinkle with the flaky sea salt. If you are not doing this step sprinkle the top of the pie with the sea salt immediately after removing it from the oven.

A Little Tenderness. Also, Bourbon.

So. Today is the last day of this election season. Can I get an AMEN?

Feeling the need for a little warmth, tenderness, and comfort, I made muffins. And, because we all probably need it after these months of debate and verbal sparring, I added some Bourbon. And, because I thought it was a great idea to buy a bag of pears at Costco this weekend, they went into the mix as well. The pears and some chopped, candied ginger settled in to make jammy pockets that are quite lovely.

Go vote if you haven't already. Really it is a privilege. Do it! Go for a walk. Make these muffins. Then, depending on tonight results, grab some Champagne to celebrate, or more Bourbon if you feel otherwise.

Spiced Pear Muffins with Crumb Topping

adapted from One Hundred Dollars a Month

For muffins:

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter softened to room temperature

2 eggs beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons Bourbon

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, freshly ground if you can

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup buttermilk, see note

2 medium pears, unpeeled, cored, and finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped candied or crystallized ginger

For crumb topping:

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup flour

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place muffin cups in muffin tin and set aside. See note.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk well to combine and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugars, and softened butter until it is blended well and slightly fluffy. About 3 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla, and Bourbon, and mix until well combined.

Alternate blending half the flour and half the milk into the butter mixture. Stir only until the flour is incorporated. Fold in the pears and candied ginger.

Divide the muffin batter between the muffin cups. Roughly 2/3rds of the way full.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the ingredients for the crumb topping. Use your fingers to cut the butter into the flour until a nice crumb texture is reached. Evenly distribute the crumb topping over the muffin batter.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let muffins cool in pan for 10 minutes then either turn each muffin on it's side in the tin or remove to a rack to cool completely.

Note:

The original recipe called for 1/2 cup milk. I switched this to buttermilk because it was all I had on hand. I found the batter to be very dry and stiff so I added an additional 1/4 cup. See what you think...

The recipe said it makes 1 dozen muffins, I got 16 muffins out of this batch.

Plans this weekend?

Grab some friends and family, chase that last sunset, crack open some wine.

Definitely, make this. Pork Ragu, pork shoulder, tomatoes, fennel, oregano and a little heat. Throw it over pasta, over grilled bread, oh heck, just eat it out of the pan.  Once you assemble the dish, you just slip it into the oven for the afternoon. It is a dinner party, just waiting to happen.

Pork Shoulder Ragu

adapted from Dinner a Love Story

3-pound boneless pork shoulder roast

1 medium onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

salt and pepper

olive oil

1, 14 ounce can of whole plum tomatoes

1, 10 ounce can of tomato puree

1 1/2 cups of red wine

5 sprigs of fresh thyme

5 sprigs of fresh oregano

2 large bay leaves

A small handful of fennel seeds slightly crushed

1/2-1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 325.

In a large dutch oven heat the olive oil. Liberally season the pork shoulder with salt and pepper. Sear the pork on all sides, about 10 minutes total time. Remove the pork and to the hot pan add the onions and saute until light brown in color and soft. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.

Add the whole tomatoes slightly crushing them with the back of a spoon. Add the tomato puree, red wine, and herbs. I like to push the sprigs of thyme and oregano, and the bay leaves off to the sides to make it easier to remove before serving.

Return the pork to the pan and turn to coat in the cooking liquid. The liquid should come 1/3 up the side of the pork. Add water, stock, or more wine if needed.

Cover the pan and slip it into the preheated oven. Cook for 4 hours or until the pork is very tender and shreds easily with a fork.

Remove the pan from the oven and using 2 forks pull the pork apart into large chunks and shreds. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Summer's End

“The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color.”
―Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting

I am never prepared for the end of summer. The return to school, work, organized days, and good habits. Let's face it, we all go a little feral over the summer months. Shower? A swim in the lake is a fine substitute. Dinner? Popsicles and popcorn work. Laundry? Dare to be an outfit repeater I say.

This summer we settled into this empty nest thing. We chased sunsets, read books, and one of us was known to yell "Get it" a time or two while watching Olympic events. I know it is not true but I think that if I hold my breath, cross my fingers, and only watch through one eye Michael Phelps will be assured another Gold Medal. It is a heavy burden but I will do it for you, Michael every time.

Sunset from Samish Overlook

This was also the summer of smoothies in all sorts of forms. Bowls, with toppings, layered; if you could Pin it I tried it. Yesterday I stumbled on one that just might make this back to school routine a little easier. It is easy to customize for you or your family. Choose your own nut butter, liquid, add coffee if you want. Frozen bananas and oats make it thick and creamy, the dates add a great caramel note. It is a winner around here.

Monkey on a Date (serves 2)

3 frozen bananas cut into 1-inch pieces

5 dates, pitted. Please don't forget to pit them. It is annoying to squish through your half blended smoothie to retrieve them. 

1/2 cup oatmeal

1 big scoop of the nut butter of your choice. Use as much or as little as you want. I think I used 3 tablespoons.

1 cup of either milk, almond milk, coconut milk, whatever you choose.

Optional: a shot of espresso or 1/2 cup cold coffee. Really.

Place all the ingredients in a blender and process until very smooth. It takes a bit of time so be patient. I love this with the espresso or coffee, sort of like a one-stop breakfast.

Blood Orange Tart

I am infatuated with Blood Oranges.
My daughter is looking over my shoulder nodding Yep.

So pretty.

I first fell for them when we were living in Tunisia. Here, they are a bright spot in the bleak days of winter when the rain and overcast skies threaten to linger past their welcome.

Now I sort of hoard them when I see them. I juice them and freeze the juice and the zest. 

No idea what I am going to do with my stash but it makes me happy knowing it is there.

A few weeks ago I offered a "Dessert a Month" at a fundraising auction. My friend Missy bought my offering and we agreed my first dessert would be for Easter. So, I made Blood Orange Bars with Brown Butter Crust

I halved the recipe and made it into a tart.

This rich buttery shortbread crust was filled with a gorgeous Blood Orange Curd. The curd was beautiful in color, very smooth (okay it was luscious,) and showed off that delicious berry-orange flavor the oranges are known for. 

See what I mean

All finished.

Blood Orange Bars with Brown Butter Crust

adapted from White on Rice Couple

A few notes. This recipe is meant to be made in a 9" x 13" or 1/4 sheet pan. I made half of this recipe and used a 4" x 14" tart pan. Even so I had PLENTY of crust and curd leftover and made an additional 12 tarts in a mini muffin tin. I also found my oranges to be on the too sweet side and lacking acid, taste your juice. I added the juice of two lemons to balance the flavor.

Crust:

2 Cups unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Blood Orange Curd:

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

12 eggs beaten

4 egg yolks beaten

zest of 6 Blood Oranges

2 1/2 cups of Blood Orange juice (taste your juice!)

1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2" pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 Grease pan and set aside.

Crust: Put butter in a saucepan to melt over medium low heat. Cook the butter until it begins to smell nutty and toasty and turns amber in color. This is not the time to go check Facebook. You'll burn your butter. I'm sure your mom would have something to say about that.

Once brown, remove the butter from the heat and stir in the sugar. Blend until the sugar is nearly dissolved. In a mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Stir in the butter mixture until well blended then press into the prepared pan working the dough up the sides of the pan and evenly across the bottom. Neaten up those edges....presentation is important.

Bake the crust for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile...

Make the curd: Set a medium saucepan filled with water over medium high heat and bring to a gentle boil.

In a mixing bowl that can set over the simmering water, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Add the eggs, zest and juice. Set the bowl over the saucepan, you do not want the water to touch the bottom of your mixing bowl.

Cook the curd stirring frequently until it begins to thicken. Remove the mixing bowl from the simmering water and stir in the butter a few small pieces at a time until it is all incorporated. Strain the curd through a fine mesh strainer.

Pour the curd into the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven. Return the pan to the oven and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until the filling has thickened and looks slightly set.

Cool completely then refrigerate at least 4 hours, but overnight is best.

Serve chilled.

3.14

A pie on Pi Day for my math loving guy. Two pies in one blog post.

Banoffee Pie
Adapted from Epicurious

Make the toffee/Dulce de Leche the day before or morning of when making this pie. I refrigerated the toffee overnight and would recommend letting it come to room temperature prior to spreading in pie crust. Let's just say the crust in the above photo was not the first crust made that day...

2 cans of sweetened condensed milk.
9 inch pie crust baked according to directions and cooled
3 large bananas
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
grated chocolate for garnish, optional

Toffee:
Using the 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk follow these instructions to make Dulce de Leche.
Allow to cool completely. You can use store bought Dulce if, you know, you're a cheater.

Once cooled spread evenly in pre-baked pie crust. Slice bananas and distribute evenly over Dulce de Leche.

Beat cream, brown sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Pile over top of bananas. Garnish with grated chocolate and refrigerate until ready to serve.

I make stabilized whipped cream so that it doesn't deflate while waiting for the pie to be served. If you are interested in doing the same, follow these instructions.

The picture isn't great but the dish is delicious!

Pi Day Pot Pie

Black Pepper Pastry:
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
6 tablespoons butter very cold, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarse cracked black pepper
3-5 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium onion diced
4 carrots peeled and sliced
2 large potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups frozen peas
5 tablespoons of butter
5 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375.

Pastry:
In a large mixing bowl combine flour, butter, salt and pepper. Toss together then cut butter into flour mixture until well combined. Add water by the tablespoon and toss with a fork until dough comes together. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Filling:
First make the roux. In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Cook the roux until light brown in color.
Add thyme and then slowly add the chicken broth whisking continuously to make a smooth sauce. Add cream and lemon juice. Turn off heat and set aside.
In a large saute pan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent and just beginning to brown. Add carrots and potatoes and saute for 5 minutes. Add frozen peas and toss through. Season with salt and pepper.

Assembly:.
Mix vegetables and prepared chicken with the sauce. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and spread evenly.

Remove pastry dough from refrigerator and roll on flour dusted surface into a rough 9x13 inch rectangle. Drape over filling and cut vents in top.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Happy Pi Day everyone!

Especially Andy.

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

I don't know what plans you have for the weekend, but you should stop what you are doing and make these.

I am going to go out on a limb and proclaim these as MY MOST FAVORITE OF ALL THE DAYS PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE. 

Because saying "World's Best" is just so overdone.

They are a little crispy, chewy on the bottom, fudgy in the middle, and I am smitten with the crinkly tops sprinkled with sea salt. Also. They are delicious.

If you want to be virtuous you can tell your friends they are gluten and dairy free.

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

adapted from Ovenly  and Smitten Kitchen

1 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Coarse sea salt such as Maldon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl beat together the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and peanut butter. Once all the ingredients come together it should have the look and feel of play-doh, this process takes a few minutes and you'll need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl every now and then.

Pop the mixing bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes. This helps to create those lovely craggy tops. After 15 minutes stir the dough well. Use a 1/4 cup scoop (such as this one) to form the dough, and space evenly on the baking sheet. If you want your cookies to be rounded and high in the middle like the ones pictured, put the baking sheet with the portioned dough into the freezer for another 15 minutes. I typically get 16 cookies, the original recipe says 12. Sprinkle the tops with the sea salt and bake for 20 minutes. If you are baking two sheets of cookies at a time rotate the pans halfway through the baking time.

Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before being removed to cool. I simply slide them off the baking sheet with the parchment paper and allow to cool on the counter.

Notes:
- Do you need to freeze the dough? No, but the cookies will spread and have smoother tops. Not bad things mind you. You'll want to wait to sprinkle the salt on until after baking if this is the route you choose.
- Can I use a spoon to form the dough? Yes, but again the cookies won't look the same. Again, not a bad thing.
- Can I use natural peanut butter? Nope. The overall texture of the cookie will be different. This is a Skippy Peanut Butter all the way kind of situation, or maybe Jif if that's your thing.
- Sometimes I get little crispy almost burnt craggy bits on the edges of the baked cookie. Once cool I gently break them off to give the cookies a more uniform look.

Christmas Pre-Func(tion)

Do people even say Pre-Func anymore?
Anyway, we had some old friends over for dinner last night. The house is all decorated (but that in no way implies we are ready for Christmas. No ma'am, we are not), there was a howling windstorm outside, and all was cozy inside.
A perfect night for a post-mortem on Thanksgiving, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and to give each other a pep talk for the upcoming holiday which will be equally rife with shenanigans, expectations, and probably too much of ALL THE THINGS.

So. To get the party started we had this.

My younger daughter had returned from a Young Life camp this past summer raving about BIG COOKIES and MOM I GOT THE RECIPE except IT FEEDS 900 PEOPLE. 

900 people. I'm not one to shy away from big projects but...The math to scale that recipe was crazy making, so I tossed it aside and turned to my good friend Mr. Google. Thankfully, Big Cookies, aka Pizzookies or Skillet Cookies, are a total thing so it wasn't too hard to find a recipe.

Yes, we ate it straight out of the pan. I put plates out, what was I thinking.

I was pretty convinced that we wouldn't be able to finish it and wondered how I would wrap up the leftovers.

Forgive the blurry photo. Just needed proof that yes, I clearly underestimated my friends. We polished the whole thing off. 

We definitely got the holiday season off to a good start.

Peppermint Bark Big Cookie

adapted from The Judy Lab

1/2 cup butter softened to room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 cup all purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped peppermint bark (see note)

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)

1 pint peppermint stick ice cream 

Hot fudge sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12 inch cast iron pan with baking spray.

Cream together the butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and mix well.

Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low until combined. Stir in the peppermint bark and nuts if using.

Spoon the dough into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 18 minutes.

Allow the cookie to cool for about 5 minutes. Top with the pint of ice cream and then spoon some hot fudge over the top. Serve immediately with spoons for all, clearly who would need a plate for this.

Note:

I did not have peppermint bark so I used 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and a cup of Andes brand peppermint crunch baking chips.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, Snoqualamie Ice Cream Peppermint Stick Gelato will serve you well.

We Were Naive

My friend and I.
We thought these summers were endless. Summers filled with kayaks, piles of wet beach towels, giggles and whispers drifting upstairs from the basement, long walks, and late night campfires with both our families snuggled close.

A well loved backyard at the cabin

Our blissful summers by the lake were soon interrupted by camp counseling gigs, dropping kids off at unversity, summer internships, study abroad, and career changes.

All grown up. New Years Eve 2014.

I can't say that I begrudge our kids any moment of the story they are writing for their lives, BUT.
I'd like to turn back the clock.
I want a moment to memorize the sound of their collective laughter.
I want to freeze a snapshot (or two or twelve) of them playing, teasing, becoming siblings.
I want to go back and take advantage of those days that I thought would always be.

This summer took me off guard. But it is still good. Really good. The older kids caught up with each other while studying abroad, the youngers grabbed each other in between their summer comings and goings. I think it was a glimpse of what their adult friendships will look like.
And us parents? We spent a few evenings contemplating the looming empty nest.

Empty. Nest. Can I just say that the term "Empty Nest" conjures the image of champagne AND tissues. A totally celebratory weepfest.

Anyway...

One hot summer evening the twins dropped by with a bag of peaches from the over abundant tree on their property. They were perfectly ripe and smelled heavenly. I had planned to use them in a pie but the week got away from me, as did the peaches. They quickly became more suitable for jam. And what better way to preserve our summer memories than in a few jars of peach butter.

Lakepoint Place Peach Butter
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

4 pounds peaches, pitted, peeled and quartered
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
Juice of one lemon

Place peaches and water in a large, heavy pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the peaches from heat and puree, I used an immersion blender. I made mine very smooth but I'll leave it up to you as to how you like your fruit butter.
Return the peach puree to the pot and add the sugar, and lemon juice. Bring this to a simmer/low boil and cook for 40 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.
Now, the peach butter is done when a wooden spoon leaves a clear trail when scraped across the bottom of the pan. IMPORTANT NOTE: I cooked my peach butter for an hour and a half and still did not achieve this. I gave up out of boredom and spooned it into jars and called it good. It's a bit on the thin side and could double as a sauce. All I can say is whatever.
Kept airtight in the fridge it should last you two weeks. If you want directions on how to can the jars see the original post on Smitten Kitchen.

One Day Soon....

Senior year. Senior. Year. 46 days until she graduates. I can't even.

This child who still holds my hand, snuggles in close, and whispers that I am her best friend is ready to fly. She is so very ready to fly.

I'm not ready to let go. Not yet. There is still so much to be said, to be taught, to experience. Have I made her understand how remarkable she is? She is brave, and a truth teller, and tender hearted.
So tender hearted.
She is GRACIOUS, and merciful. And... she can be a handful.
There is a reason we call her Le Petit Générale.

Bali Indonesia 2003

Her sister used to say that Morgy was just like the center of a cinnamon roll. Warm and soft, and squishy. If you had the pleasure of knowing her when she was a child you would remember her hands. Oh Lord, those hands. Little pillows of squishy goodness.

So I am grateful for these days. For early mornings when my family room is filled with her friends who have come for breakfast before school. For soft murmurs of them praying for each other. For snapchats, and texts, and a Gilmore Girl binge watching companion. I am even grateful for all the times she loses things and needs help to find them. Every mom knows it is nice when they still need you a little bit.

And while one day soon she will fly, we have some time left.

School Nurse Stories, My Messy Beautiful

Taking a break from cooking to bring you this. Me and my little blog are heading over to Glennon Melton's  Momastery to be a part of her Messy, Beautiful Warrior Project. To learn more about us click HERE , and to learn more about the New York Times Best Selling Memoir Carry On Warrior: The Power of Embracing Your Messy, Beautiful Life, click Here

I'm a school nurse. Yes, the person who calls to tell you that your child fell off the monkey bars, bit another student, has a fever, or GOD FORBID, lice.

Yeah, we know all sorts of crazy happens after that phone call.

I approach any phone call home with more than a little trepidation. It doesn't matter the reason for my call, the response is always the same. I introduce myself. There is a brief moment of silence followed by a sharp intake of breath, and then you, slightly panicked, trying to play it cool: OHMYGOODNESSWHATHAPPENED!

Take it easy Tiger; maybe I'm just calling to get your cupcake recipe from the bake sale. Do we always have to assume the worst?

This is one of my favorites. I'm really fond of my long slender neck and slightly startled look.

As part of my job I get asked a lot of questions and I hear a lot of stories.
Questions.
And stories.
From YOUR children.

Lets just take a moment to ponder that.

Those characters of yours tell some whoppers that make me laugh until I need my inhaler.

As evidence, I present to you these little gems:

Student: Mrs. Donahue my mom asked me to tell all my teachers about my new diagnosis. I let them know that I have Leprosy.
Me: That's great! I'm proud of you for being so responsible! (I then spent the afternoon making urgent phone calls notifying his teachers that he had Epilepsy and not Leprosy. Worrisome yes, but you know, on a different level)

"Mrs. Donahue, I just violated myself in the bathroom." (After further questioning it was determined  he had only vomited, but kudos for putting that new English vocab word to use)

"Do you think I might have Parkinson's?" (No, I think you drank too much coffee.)

Student: I'm pretty sure I have Fattigoo.
Me: Hmmm. Can you spell that for me?
Student: f-a-t-i-g-u-e

"We just studied sexually transmitted diseases in class. Do you have any tranquilizers?" (Oh little lamb, lets call mom)

"Are you sure I'm not dying?" (Metaphysically or right now from a disease?)

"Mrs. Donahue, I think the carbuncle on my buttock popped." (I have no response for this.)

"Can you look to see if I have a tapeworm?" (No.) (Hell no.)

Do you see what I'm working with?

I call this one Rainbows and Ice Cream Cone, or Rainbows and Baby Jesus in a Manger from my heart to yours. I also adore that she spelled her name wrong and that there are googly eyes. The world would be a better place with more googly eyes.

But, its a two way street. I also have to ask a lot of questions and get the story behind what is going on. A carbuncle you say?  Tell me all about it. What exactly do you mean by "popped?" Like, running down your leg leakage or sticking to your underwear leakage?

Gather information, get the story, and make a plan. Don't roll your eyes, snicker, or gag. And NEVER looked surprised.

That's my job in a nutshell.

Over the years I have found two questions that are key to my job. What do you need, and tell me your story. What do you need right now? What do you need to get through class? What do you need to make it through today?

Sometimes though I need to close the door, silence my phone; sit down and say, "Tell me your story." I need to hear the story behind the stomachaches. I need to hear why you attended three different schools this year. Sometimes, sometimes I can only help after I have heard the story. Because at times the most appropriate treatment is not a Band-Aid or Tylenol. It is being heard. Sometime the healing can't start until the story is told.

And so I found myself the other day, sitting across the table from a very young mother and father. They were frightened. They were ashamed. They felt judged. They were crying deep ugly sobs. Their children had been removed from their home. They didn't know what would happen next.

I had worked with this young family for months, and in the end their lives derailed. I was conflicted in the most uncomfortable of ways. I felt as though I had somehow betrayed them. After all, aren't they are just broken people trying to find their way? On the other hand....I was so mad, my inner sense of justice yelled "They deserved this." But, I believe in GRACE, and I believe that God is in the relationship business, and the family business, and the healing business. So I put aside my frustration, and put the lid on my anger. I set down my notebook, capped my pen, silenced my phone and closed the door.

I grabbed a box of tissues and asked my question.

Tell me your story.

"Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable."

-David Augsburger

Let it Ride

Sometimes God quiets the Storm.
Sometimes God quiets His child.
-Pastor Bob

Sometimes God just lets it ride.
-Shelly

This weekend there were storms of the weather variety. While driving to Seattle the rain was pelting so hard and fast I could not see out my windshield. It was like driving through Snoqualmie Falls.

Yes. That is totally an exaggeration. I do that.

Had I been able to see well enough to pull over I would have taken the nearest exit and hung out at Starbucks. I could not. I crouched over the steering wheel trying to see better. I started to get panicky and sweaty. I said bad words. I prayed. They were not prayers like my Sunday School teacher taught me to pray. There was no Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. They were prayers that sort of sounded like me telling the creator of the universe that he needed to step up and do His job. I mean don't you think that if He could bring the world into existence He certainly had the power to make the $@&* rain stop.

Create the world - Check
Make a covenant with Abraham - Check
Defeat death - Double check
Stop a rain storm - Let it ride

The whole thing left me feeling all stressed and sweaty, and wondering if it was a good thing to try and boss God around. Anyway, I decided to totally check out and not use my brain for any reason (other than to possibly recall my credit card number while I surfed the internet.)

And here is the product of my labors. I present to you my recipe to recover from a storm.

First of all you need something comforting to drink. The Woods Coffee does the best sugar free hot chocolate made with coconut milk or almond milk.

I just discovered a local artist, Stephen Cousens. I first saw his work in our principals office. It was a gorgeous pastel of City Hall here in Bellingham.

Read through a few blogs.......in no particular order.
Apartment Therapy/The Kitchn
One Green Bee
Joy the Baker
Djibouti Jones
The Domestic Man

Got lost down the rabbit hole of Pinterest and Stumbleupon

Watched House of Cards. Can't. Stop. Watching. Everytime I see Kevin Spacey I have the urge to yell "SHARK." He reminds me of a Great White on the hunt, in human form of course. He is creepy and entirely delightful all at once.

Dreamt about making this for dinner.

 Photo cred to Cooking Light

Grilled Skirt Steak with Mint Chimichurri and Honeyed Sunchokes.
Couldn't find sunchokes but this recipe is on my list to make soon!
We settled for leftovers.

And now all is right with the world. No worse for the ride.

Game Time

I predict that one of these two teams will win the Super Bowl

-Gilbert Gottfried

I'm pulling for the 12th man and the Legion of BOOM!

We haven't watched the Super Bowl in years. With the time differences of the places we lived it never worked out to watch it on Sunday and even if you went totally radio/media silent to try and watch it after work on Monday, someone would let slip the score. Eventually it just wasn't on our radar and we stopped watching.

But this year! It has been a lot of fun catching the 12th man spirit, wearing green and blue, being loud and proud, and cheering on the Seahawks!

And what would the Super Bowl be without snack and other goodies.

Bacon topped with Guacamole and tomato. Yes. They're pretty awesome.

And.......

BeastMode Cookies (Yes, I hand picked the blue and green candies out of 2 pound bags of M&M's)

The cookies are Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from America's Test Kitchen. The BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe on the planet. But that's just my opinion. I swapped out the M&M's for the chocolate chips.

We've got our jerseys on, the ribs are in the oven, the beer is chilling....Can I say that I really need this game to be over. The suspense has been killing me. 

GO SEAHAWKS!

Kale Haiku

Kale, a Superfood

or loathsome vegetable

Stuck between my teeth

Ah, kale. The darling of the farmers market. The badge of the Paleo police. The leathery, chewy, leaf that is just EVERYWHERE. That stuff is not my favorite raw. I gritted my teeth, quite literally, through a bag of mixed salad greens I had bought for my lunch last week. I swear I cut my lip on its jaggedy edge. But, braised, with some olive oil, chicken broth and garlic? That's nice. Sliced into ribbons and swirled through a garlicky, brothy soup? It becomes all silky and adds nice structure to the broth. Bake it until crisp and sprinkled with a little sea salt. Pretty darn tasty.

It just has no business mixing it up with my romaine.

Baked Kale Chips

Preheat the oven to 300

Remove the stems and tough ribs from the leaves of one bunch of lacinato kale. Wash the kale thoroughly (unless you have a thing for grit) and dry it very well.

In a large bowl toss the kale leaves with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, (you could also use avocado oil or coconut oil) make sure the leaves are evenly covered with the oil.

Lay the leaves in a single layer on a sheet pan that has been lined with parchment. 

Bake the leaves for 20 minutes or until dry and crispy. Immediately after pulling them from the oven sprinkle them with some sea salt.

I Forgot I Liked Brunch

Moving in to the New Year I find myself both reflecting and looking forward. Probably like most people this time of year. I'm not one to make resolutions but I do have some hopes and plans afoot.

Moving back to the States brought with it the joy of spending time with extended family. I belong to a tribe of very funny, intelligent, talented, and kind people. I am ever so lucky to be related to them and I'm looking forward to seeing them as often as possible.

Grainy panoramic of a very joyful Christmas Eve. There was singing and flamingos.

I'm turning 50 this year. No big deal, but it IS a big deal that we are going here to celebrate!

I know. I'm a grown woman. But the Magic Kingdom has my heart! Splash Mountain here I come!

(But not the Tea Cups. The Tea Cups are of the Devil)

I have plans for our garden. We bought a house, (yay!) which sat vacant while it was on the market. Between the sitting vacant part, and the transitioning to life stateside part, some things fell apart.

It was alive at one point and then....no words. Just shame. 

Found this in the garden. For now it is the only pet I'm allowing us to have. Mostly out of fear that it will start to resemble the plants. Deadish.

She's a keeper. We named her Annie.

And, I decided that I really like having people over for brunch. I'm going to host brunch more often this year and I'm going to serve these.

Sweet Potato Hashies.

Sweet Potato Hashies

adapted from Whole Family Strong

The original recipe calls for cinnamon which I omitted. I just wanted the taste of the crispy sweet potatoes to shine through. I think they also might be nice with a little cumin and chili powder if you're so inclined. Ooh, and green onions would be great!

4 cups grated sweet potatoes

4 eggs mixed well

2 tablespoons coconut flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Coconut oil or fat of your choice for sautéing 

If you have the patience of a saint then by all means use a box grater for your sweet potatoes. I do not, so I used the shredding blade on my food processor and made short work of this part of the recipe. 

In a large mixing bowl stir together all the ingredients, except for the oil. Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Melt a couple tablespoons of the fat of your choice in a large sauté pan. When the pan is sizzling place a scant 1/4 cup of the shredded potato mixture in the pan. I could place about 4 hashies at a time in my pan. 

Let the potatoes cook until well browned on one side, 3-5 minutes, then carefully flip them over. Since they don't have a lot of binder to hold them together some may fall apart. That's okay, just push them back together and carry on, cooking another 3-5 minutes on the second side.

I placed my finished potatoes on a sheet pan in my oven at 300 degrees to stay warm until the teenagers decided to arise. I really like that they crisped up a bit more, but if they are going to be in the oven for longer than 20 min I'd use a lower temp.

We served these with sausage patties and poached eggs.

What does a New Year hold?

The invitation: Would you want to spend some time with us while we're home?
The answer: YES, on our way!

We took a short road trip to see a some friends and welcomed the New Year with them. We sipped Mumm Napa Cuvée M (which was delightful), nibbled on Tapenade and Texas Trash, played Settlers of Catan (I really needed more brick. I had enough sheep to rival New Zealand), and marveled in the miracle that we all stayed awake to see the ball drop at midnight.

The evening was interspersed with the joy of deep conversation and laughter. Our friends live a few time zones away so with limited time we dive deep, tell me, tell me, tell me.....everything was discussed, prayers said, blessings given, and then finally everyone was enveloped in hugs that will tide us over until we see each other again.

The road home allowed for time to reflect on the past year. A lot can happen in a year. A LOT. Last January we were living in Tunisia and looking ahead to a path that wasn't clearly marked. I had been reading a lovely book called To Bless the Space Between Us by John O'Donohue. It is a book of blessings as you journey over life's thresholds. At that time A Blessing for the Interim spoke straight to my heart and I would meditate on it daily. One line in particular summed up life then, and I think it rightfully describes the newness of the year: "The path you took to get here is washed out, the way forward is still concealed from you. The old is not yet old enough to have died away, the new is still too young to be born." I always feel like the last waning days of the school break are sort of the twilight of the New Year, not clearly defined but holding a lot of promise. In 2013 we crossed a lot of thresholds. New careers, new country, new home, new schools, new friends, and we're standing in the twilight of 2014 wondering what it holds.

Total goodness I'm sure, and there's always sparkling wine and Catan for the days that end up going sideways.

And friends to share them with.

Hazy orchards at P's house on New Years Day

He thought I was being mean

Confession.
In 21 years of marriage I have never made Brussels sprouts.
We eat a LOT OF vegetables but the mini cabbages never made it into my kitchen. I had never eaten them all that often growing up. Not sure why other than, well, they're Brussels sprouts.

I once asked a friend what she thought of them and she replied that she craved them. CRAVED THEM. I was incredulous. What on earth made these things crave worthy?

Flash forward a few years and I read an article about them. The photo and the write up made me think that this was a dish that I needed to make. Like NOW. Off I went to the store and picked up a little bundle. The recipe was fairly straight forward and it had the added bonus of onion and bacon. As we all know, caramelized onions and bacon will make just about anything taste good.

When my husband came home from work and saw what I was making he asked why I was being mean. What had he done? I showed him the bacon and onions and he conceded that given those ingredients they would most likely be tasty.

 Pot Stuck Brussels Sprouts  is what they were called. The recipe is from Food 52 and through that recipe we became converts. OK, convert might be a strong word. We liked them, we would make them again, but we were not evangelistic about the sprouts. Certainly, we did not crave them. That, would come soon though.

Enter, this recipe. Warm Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Asian Citrus Dressing. I was browsing for a Thanksgiving side dish and ran across this recipe. I liked that it was prepared a little differently, the sprouts are shaved thin then roasted until they get a little caramelized and frizzled on the edges then while still warm tossed with a very flavorful punchy dressing. These are sprouts worth telling the world about.

I served them with seared scallops dressed with Ponzu sauce. They went together perfectly and while I won't say that I crave Brussels sprouts, I do look forward to eating them again. And my husband? He no longer thinks I'm mean if he sees a little bag of Brussels sprouts in the crisper.

Warm Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Asian Citrus Dressing
adapted from Nom Nom Paleo
For the slaw:
2 1/4 pounds Brussels sprouts trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
For the dressing:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 small shallot minced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
For the garnish:
2 green onions thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Preheat your oven to 450. Line a sheet pan or large baking dish with parchment paper.
Very thinly slice the sprouts with a knife or with the slicing blade of a food processor. Toss them with the olive oil and salt. Evenly spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. Every 10 minutes remove them from the oven and stir them. Cooking times may vary, you want the Brussels sprouts to be browned and a little frizzled in spots.
While the sprouts are roasting away, mix together the dressing ingredients and set aside.
When the Brussels sprouts have finished cooking, pull them from the oven and immediately pour the dressing over and toss them well.
Place the warm slaw on a platter and sprinkle evenly with the green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds.

Snow Day Cookies

School was cancelled this morning due to snow. The decision was made early on to knock out some Christmas cookies to give to the neighbors. I'm not ashamed to say that before 10am, the girls and I went through 2 pounds of butter.

I KNOW!

We made Butter Pecan Cookies

Which were so good you'll notice that one is already missing in the photo. Make them. Add a cup of mini chocolate chips and a cup of Heath toffee chips to the dough. You're welcome.

And then we made Red Velvet Shortbread

The original recipe used pistachios for the green which makes for a pretty cookie but I had green sprinkles on hand. I have a thing for sprinkles.
Sprinkles make me happy.

And then because, why not......Sugar Cookies
It is the first day of Christmas Break after all!

And yes, that would be an Ugly Christmas Sweater cookie on the left. We had a lot of fun decorating those. We didn't break out the piping bags or gel food colors, we just went with what we had on hand.

It was a perfect day with my girls. The snow was falling, we had a fire crackling away, and Holiday movies playing. I am most grateful for this snow day. It was a perfect start to the break.