The Baker’s Chain Letter

The other day a friend gave me a zip lock bag with the starter mixture for Amish Friendship Bread. Now, I have to admit, I’ve received these bags of slime before and I’ve never used them. I did, in fact, throw them away.

GASP!

I know! Isort of take the friend out of the friendship bread starter mix chain letter. And I’ll  probably have 1,000 years of bad luck or get hit by a train on my way home, even though I don’t cross any train tracks on my commute home. I just have a feeling that’s the intense kind of bad luck that probably befalls someone who hasn’t completed her friendship bread duties.

Well, I promise this time things will be different. I’ve decided that I’m actually going to see thing friendship bread thing through to its completion. I have kneaded the mixture in the bag, like the directions say, and I have added the required sugar, flour and milk. I promise to watch it and lovingly care for it as it sits and does whatever it is this stuff is supposed to do.

One reason I’ve always thrown it away is because the thought of milk hanging out in a zip lock bag on my counter for a few days kind of grosses me out. Just sayin’.

But I will give it a try this time. I will follow the instructions to a T and I will even pass along the starter mixture to other friends as directed. And I will encourage them to keep the Friendship Bread tradition alive, because I certainly wouldn’t want anyone to have bad luck involving trains as a result of breaking the baker’s chain letter.

We Don’t Need No Butterball Hotline

Since Thanksgiving is only two weeks away, I thought I would share my turkey secrets with you.

I was “really” nervous the first time a cooked my own turkey. I think I must have called my mother at least a half dozen times to ask her questions about the process. And yes, I did remember to remove the bag of giblets from inside the turkey prior to cooking it. I wasn’t one of “those” cooks. And it turned out ok. But it was just ok.

I love turkey. And I love the outside pieces because that’s where all the flavor is. I wanted the entire turkey to have the same flavor as those few precious outside pieces had. That’s when I started doing my research and looking for the holy grail of perfect turkeys.

And a few years ago, I found it. Turkey Brine. It will change your world. I promise – or at least it will change your turkey. Try it this year. You won’t be disappointed!

Here’s my recipe for turkey brine:

Turkey Brine

1 cup sea salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 bay leaves
2 tablespoons black pepper corns
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon rubbed sage
1 tablespoon coriander seeds

Dissolve brine in 2 quarts of boiling water. Once it is dissolved, add in 1-2 quarts more water (depending on the size of your bird). Place your turkey in a large Ziploc storage bag (one of the big ones designed for holding sweaters). When the brine is cool, pour over bird (you can add a bunch of ice cubes to speed this process).

Let bird sit in brine for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator. If your bird won’t fit in your refrigerator, put it in a cooler and cover with ice.

When are ready to cook your turkey, remove it, rinse and roast as you normally would.

My other secret is that I use Reynolds Oven Bags to cook my turkey in. It cuts down on the cook time and makes for one juicy bird!

So what’s your secret for making the perfect turkey? We all want to know!

 

 

Crazy About Cranberry Bread

I twittered about making some homemade orange-cranberry bread the other day and I had several people ask me for the recipe, so I decided to share it here on my blog so everyone could have the chance to make this cranberrylishious bread.

I know most folks like their pumpkin flavored breads, muffins, etc. this time of year, but I have always been an orange-cranberry lover. While I like to eat this stuff anytime, fall just seems like the perfect time of year for this particular bread. It’s just the right blend of sweetness and tartness. Kind of like me.

Anyway, here’s the recipe. I hope you enjoy.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup butter (softened)
• 1 egg (slightly beaten)
• 1 tsp finely shredded orange peel
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 1 ½ cups cranberries (thawed if frozen) cut in half
• 1 cup of chopped nuts (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×5x3 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. In a small bowl combine egg, orange peel and orange juice. Add to flour mixture; stir until just moistened. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Spoon into loaf pan.
4. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of bread comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap. If you don’t let it cool completely, it will sweat in the plastic wrap and the bread will become soggy.

You can always just skip the cooling and wrapping step, like I often do, and eat the warm bread with some butter on it. It’s like a little slice of heaven. Or a big slice depending on how you cut it.

Happy Baking!

At Least It Smells Like Fall

Just because the calendar says it’s fall doesn’t mean the weather is in a cooperative mood. We’ve had highs in the 80s this past week and it definitely isn’t sweater weather yet.

I did, however, make some purchases to help move the autumn process along. Febreze has these wonderful fall scents and are, of course, “available for a limited time only.” I found mine at Wally World and bought the two pack. I “really” want my house to smell like fall. Besides I have all these smelly boys running around so I can use all the help I can get. I also picked up some fall inspired candles.

Thankfully football is in full swing and even though the temps outside don’t tell me it’s fall, Saturday College Football and lazy Sunday afternoons with the NFL tell me it is. And football means fall cooking, you know: chili, cornbread, homemade apple sauce, pies – well, you get the picture.

With that in mind, I’m excited that Pioneer Woman has finally finished writing her cookbook and it is now available. In fact she’ll be hitting the road for a (cook) book signing tour and Sis and I are already making our plans to attend when she hits our town.

I love taking pictures in the fall and even though the leaves haven’t started changing color in full force yet, my backyard has a good head start on collecting them. Soon I’ll be forcing asking my boys to pose with pumpkins and scarecrows in order to get that perfect scrapbook page photo. I remember the year I saw this great photo idea where the kids were laying in the leaves and the mom took  their picture from overhead. It was a really cute shot, and even though I tried for about 20 minutes, I just couldn’t duplicate the look. It didn’t help that J, who was about 3 at the time, did not want to lay on the ground in leaves and even though I kept pushing him down patiently trying to convince him, he just wouldn’t cooperate. Maybe this year.

But if you need to catch up on scrapbooking those fall (and if you are like me, every other season) pictures, check out this web site. I haven’t tried them myself yet, but I have great intentions. 

So, while I’m not breaking out the flannel jammy pants and sweatshirts yet, I am enjoying college football, chicken nachos and the sweet smell of cinnamon flavored pumpkin spice air freshener.

Now where are those boys of mine? I’m in the mood to take some pictures.

To My Baby

I’ve always loved you best because you were the third miracle. You were the last and it made you such a joy. You accepted the stained bibs, old bed, the “third-hand” toys and the baby book that was never quite up-to-date. You are the one I held onto so tightly. There were times when I wanted to stop the hands on the clock; if only for a few hours. You challenged my patience, gave me humility and you made me laugh. You were spoiled beyond belief and you were positive the world revolved around you. Even when you’re old and gray, you will still be the baby of the family. That’s why I’ve always loved you best.

My youngest isn’t my only favorite. I have two others. You can read why they are my favorites here and here.

To My Firstborn

As I indicated in my last post, I have written little, love notes to each of my boys telling them why they are my favorite. This one belongs to my oldest.

I’ve always loved you best because you were the first miracle. You were the genesis; the fullfillment of young love, the promise of new life. You accepted the fact that I was new to motherhood and we often cried together. Your first words, first steps and other notable milestones were a joy to me. You were new and perfect in every way. You got the new clothes, new toys and new parents. I was always scared I would do something wrong so I read the books and studied ways to be a good mother. You made me soon realize I only had to follow my heart. That’s why I’ve always loved you best.

To My Middle Child

I’ve always loved you best because you were my second miracle. You cried less, had more patience, wore faded clothes and never in your life did anything first, but it only made you more special. You were the one I relaxed with and realized a dog could kiss you and you wouldn’t get sick. You could cross the street by yourself long before you could get married, and the world wouldn’t come to an end if you went to bed with dirty feet. You were the love of my busy life. You were the little brother and big brother all at the same time. Without you I could have never survived the hectic routine that is life. That’s why I’ve always loved you best.

Happy Birthday, G-Man!

(PS – Just so you know there are two other “why I’ve always loved you best” notes that I have tucked away. Each of their baby books contain their personal note on the last page. I’ll post the other two in the coming days. I’ve always told them individually that I love them best and not to tell the other two. Someday, if they compare notes or read this blog they’ll find out who I really loved best.)

Be Good and You Might Get a Skittle

I was talking with some fellow moms the other day and and our conversation turned to the recent “back to school dentist visits” that our kids had endured lately. We all agreed that it seemed like our kids had more cavities than we did growing up. Of course in an effort to discover the root cause and ultimately solve the issue once and for all for all of mankind we each threw out what we suspected to be the culprit.

There was the old stand by about our kids drinking more bottled and filtered water and therefore not getting enough fluoride. We even lamented over the overall lack of dental hygiene that most kids practice, but the one thing we could all agree on was the candy.

Our kids and their peers consume a lot of sugar and a good portion of it in the form of candy. And that’s because candy has become society’s reward system. Kids learn at an early age that if they behave well in certain circumstances they will receive a sweet treat.

Teachers use candy to reward good behavior, good grades, good attitudes, good attendance. Good grief!

Stop in any local bank, hair salon or doctor’s office, and you will find a bowl of lollipops just daring your kid to be bad.  I think the dentist himself is the only place in town not serving up candy for good behavior. I’m sure it’s not for a lack of desire either; they just have to keep up that whole “healthy mouth” thing that they have going on.

Our church is even in on the conspiracy, because I’ve seen the kids lined up to go into Children’s Worship and what does each one of them get handed at the door before they go in? You got it! A piece of candy.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have been known to silence a screaming toddler once or twice in my day with a promised candy bar in the grocery store check out line. Heck, I’ve been known to silence my own screaming with a Three Musketeer or four. They don’t call it “point of purchase” for nothing.

All in all I think a few cavities is a small price to pay for well behaved kids. Besides doesn’t everybody really win in this scenario. The dentist gets his new sports car, the kids get their sugar fix, and mom and dad enjoy the blissful silence of well behaved children.

That is, until the novacaine wears off. Somebody pass the skittles, please!

The Last First Day

Today was the first day of my oldest son’s senior year of high school. I really thought it would take longer for this day to get here. I never imagined the day I took him to kindergarten, dropped him off in the car pool line, parked my car, and secretly followed him to his classroom, that this day would arrive so quickly.

But it did.

I blinked and my first baby was towering over me saying goodbye, and driving away to start his final year in the public school system.

I’m excited for him as he begins this final chapter. I’m hopeful for the future that lies ahead of him, and I am grateful for the opportunities that we have been able to provide for him.

I realize that if the years leading up to this moment have passed so quickly, this year will probably be a mere blip on the radar of time. I also realize that this is just the beginning of many “last times.”

It won’t, however, be the last time I shed a few tears!

This is dedicated to all my friends who have high school seniors this year. And a big thank you to my dear friend Twila who was the inspiration for today’s blog title.

College 101

I think I mentioned in my last post that I am going back to college. I’m actually pretty excited about hanging out in the hallowed halls of learning again. As geeky as it sounds, I’m looking forward to sitting in a lecture hall, having homework and and pulling all nighters. Ok, maybe not the all nighters. I wasn’t a huge fan of them the first time around.

Not everyone in my household, however, was initially as excited as I was. When I shared the news with my 10 year old that I had been accepted and was going back to complete my degree, he got a very concerned look on his face.

“You’re going back to college?” he asked.

“Yes!” I replied, “Isn’t that cool?”

In a quavering voice he asked, “Are you going to live in the dorms?”

“Yep,” I said, “but I’ll be home on weekends to do my laundry.”