My Type

What's this Nanni??? Huh? What's this?!!! Wow, it never occurred to me that the kiddos wouldn't know what a typewriter was!! Hmmmm, uh ......it's like a keyboard......you can write letters on it, like emails.....except you put them in a envelope and mail them in the mail box. Yikes....sign of the times!

Speaking of letters, got this at the library yesterday. I had gotten it some time ago, but had returned it, because I had too many other books to read at the time. After Kate mentioned Sunday night, she was reading it , and enjoying it, and then Monday morning, Dot said there was a book she thought I would like...... I decided to read it this time!

Have you read it? It's a fictional compilation of letters. Who knows, maybe even typed ones!

(Thanks for the typewriter, Mom and Dad, I love it!)

Snow Days Science Project

We don't have a "Snowy Days" Activity book.... but today, we pulled out this one I got thrifting at Goodwill, a few years ago.Volcanoes have been the subject of study at school, and the topic of conversations and subject of documentaries and youtube viewing here at the farm, lately. We chose to recreate.....

MT. ST HELENS !

First you need two properly attired volcanologist assistants:

Organize tools and chemicals

Mix the baking soda and food coloring into the cup of water.

Pour into the empty bottle, add drops of dish detergent.

(Don't shake)

Set the bottle in sink , Pour 1 cup of vinegar into the bottle (Don't stand directly over the bottle opening)

Tamale Tutorial

The girls got this book at the library last week. It was one that had been read at school in class and enjoyed. Its about a girl who tries on her Mother's diamond ring without permission, and fears she's lost it in the tamales they had been making. She recruits her siblings and cousins to help eat the tamales, to try to find it. Victoria wondered if I'd ever had tamales, and said she hadn't. She wanted to try some. So.... with rings off, that's what I fixed for dinner. Here's a how-to.

Cover a chicken with water. Season with chili powder, garlic powder and salt to taste.

Cook until it's tender and falls from the bones.

Soak dried corn husks in warm water for 30 minutes or more, til soft and pliable.

Remove the chicken meat from the bones and skin, and shred it.
Place the shredded meat back into the stock and simmer 15 minutes.
Drain most of the liquid. Prepare chicken filling:
Saute 1/2 onion, add chicken,
season it to taste with more chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix 3 c. masa with 1 & 1/2 c. chicken broth and scant 1/2 tsp. salt.
Add some chili powder to it for a bit of color.
(Add water if necessary to incorporate all of the dry masa.)
Knead. It should be about the consistency of playdoh.

Place 1 lb. lard in mixer bowl, soften, add the masa mixture and mix together well,
to the consistency of frosting.
Place a little blob of it, (1 tsp. or so) into a bowl of water. It should float a bit.

Spread 1/4 c. masa mixture onto the inside of a corn husk, into about a 4x4 square.

Don't spread it all of the way to the left edge.

You can use a rice paddle to spread, but I end up using my fingers.

Place 2 tablespoons or so of the meat filling down the center of the spread masa.

(I got busy rolling tamales and didn't "film" the process)

But starting at the edge to your right,

roll once toward the left, fold tail up, and continue rolling to left edge.

Pretty soon, you'll end up with a whole mess of 'em.

Traditionally they are placed in a steamer.

I put mine on end in the crockpot, preheated on high,

add 1" of boiling water to the base of the tamales.

(Don't put water in before placing the tamales in, or you'll get steam burned.)

To ensure that the steam stays in well, place a sheet of aluminum foil on top and
place the lid on top of it. Steam for an hour or more.
They're done! Tamale wrapper on left......steamed tamale on the right.

served with frijoles and salsa.

cooling. preparing to freeze.

We prefer them cut into chunks in a casserole with chili beans,

with additional onion and cheese, and baked 30 min. or so at 350F.

Babushka Matryoshkas

***UPDATE****

When Kate and I found this fabric at Jo-Anns a couple of years ago, I just loved it. For Christmas that year, I made Josie a pair of pajama pants out of it. They had the dark pink tiny ball fringe on the hem.

Here are my dolls:

I had to kidnap the picture below from Amazon of Matryoska Dolls, because mine were AWOL when I went to take a picture of them. The last time I saw them was earlier today..... a little girl was "admiring" them.

This book looks very sweet, and is about a missing little sister doll, "the size of a bumblebee"

(Amazon)

I have always loved these little nesting dolls, and I would love to collect enough to have a set to pass down to each of my little gran-girlies.

We went over to Sarah's this weekend. Had an amazing Martha Stewart triple berry cobbler with enough butter to have made Paula Deen happy, y'all! DEE-lish!

Hmmm, I digressed.....back to the Babushkas....
Sarah, Josie and I went thrift shopping and Sarah and Josie found a 1/2 of a darling little Matryoshka doll. We spent the rest of the time there combing that place for the other 1/2 and her sisters! Never found them....so sad.

Jen vs. Heidi

Praying for my sister Jen, who is gone to Sierra Leone and Liberia for 3 weeks. Praying for marriages there as she ministers to couples, and praying for an abundant rice harvest for the school in Liberia.

Last night, the little girls were here, and we watched a different version of the movie "Heidi". This one starred Jane Seymour, Patricia Neal, and Jason Robard. I thanked my hubby over and over for not having a mustache, as I got thoroughly grossed out by Jason Robard drinking his gruel out of his bowl and wearing that gruel thickly on his mustache. Nasty. It reminded me of Jen....no not the nasty part...the drinking out of the bowl part.

When we were little girls and I had just been reading "Heidi", Mom was in bed sick, and I was looking after my sisters. I insisted that Jen drink her milk out of her bowl. She was fussing about it, and adamant that no way was she doing that. She wanted her milk in a cup, period. I kept after her about it, and neither one of us would budge. I kept insisting..."But, Heidi did!" Bless Mom's heart, She had to leave her sick bed, and set us straight. Poor Jen, she won the argument, but she missed out on a literary inspired experience. She's making up for it as an adult, traveling around the world and dining in the manner of the local people, whatever that might be. Maybe even milk from a bowl.

Falling Cloudberries, take II

This is a video about Tessa Kiros, and her book Falling Cloudberries. She has done other cookbooks as well, among them Apples for Jam, which is said to be cool too. I don't have the broad variety of cultural backgrounds, from my family, but I identify with her, in memories of a traveled, military life, and so many good, shared meals with friends from around the world. There were afternoons spent learning how to prepare Turkish dolmas with Tasha, Indian puri, chai, jalebi,and aloo matar with Kanta Patel, fried rice and bulgogi with Korean neighbor ladies, Vietnamese lettuce rolls, with Kim Hoa, Mama Barcio's authentic Italian lasagne, ....the list goes on and on. My life has been the richer for all of those meals, times, memories, and friendships. Even when I couldn't speak their language, [at all,] and their English was sometimes limited, we found a commonality in our love of family, good food, prepared as taught by Mothers and Aunties before us, and working side by side in a kitchen.

Fall and falling cloudberries

[gourmet.com]

Fall is in the air. There are the remnants of summer to take care of, and preparations for winter.

I've been hearing about "falling cloudberries", for some time now. This book is on my "would like" list. I don't own it, but have made the Pastitsio recipe from it, a few times now. (Jim really likes it.) Since it makes a large casserole, I freeze part of it for a "busy day", so I'll have something easy to pull out.

The day Bella got hurt, and had to have her surgery, we were babysitting, I had gotten a call to go pick up corn, and was putting it up for in the freezer. The last thing I wanted to worry about was "what's for dinner?"

Pastitsio to the rescue!





Bubbly, bechamel deliciousness.

Oh my, Miss Marple

Have you ever watched movies or read books with an accent or vernacular different from your own, and had it get in your head? Lately, I've been watching lots of British films/BBC TV programs. Jim is not a fan, but I love them. Hmmmm, Well now, that's just not quite right now, is it? You'd think he would; he's been reading books by an author who frequently uses the term "octagenarian", and Miss Marple fits that term perfectly. But as they say "don't let the knitting needles fool you!." In addition to that lovely pink mohair yarn, she's working with; She's quite the sleuth. I love her sensible, quiet ways, and her quirky, mishapen, felt gardening hat, support hose and old lady, tied, high heeled shoes. I love her quick wit, and analytical mind. Hmmm, well yes that's just as how it should be, isn't it? Hmmm, yes, .......quite.

Winter Gardening

My dear friend Bonny and I went to another gardening class. It's always good to have an excuse to get together! This class was on winter gardening, which is something I've considered from time to time. The gal that gave the class made alot of references to this book:

I've been a long time fan of Eliot Coleman and his wife Barbara Damrosch, and their approach to gardening. We learned some things for "future reference". However, Bonny and I are tired right now and we're standing on the "to everything there is a season" Word. We happen to be grateful for the fall and winter rains, as they give us the freedom to work on "in-the-house projects",

guilt free.
Or at least they used to.
Now we'll just have to learn to live with the guilt.

Alibris

My love of books was inherited from my Mama. She's a reader and had a collection of books from her childhood. When I was just a baby, she purchased a set of Childcraft books that cost dearly. I learned Mother Goose nursery rythmes from them, read stories from around the world, sang songs from them,and have them to this day.

In the first grade, I was ecstatic at not just being read to,but actually being able to enter in to the world of Dick and Jane all by myself. In fact a whole new world was out there; just for the taking. New friends were there to be made, places were there; waiting to be traveled to, all at the turn of a page.

As an adult, my philosophy has pretty much always been:

1. If there was something I wanted to do, and didn't know how....
2. someone else did, and had probably written a book about it
3. i knew how to read.

My sisters and I wore out many of my Mom's books. Most of the favorite books in my personal collection are in pretty sad shape too. They're not crisp and clean anymore. Instead, they're dear old friends, bringing back memories of not just the information they hold between their tattered and torn covers, but of the many times and places in my life that they've been a part of. They are much loved.

My children, and now their children as well, have been read to, and in libraries since they were in snuglis, backpacks, and strollers.
Your legacy lives on, Mama.

SUMMER SQUASH

Jim has been bringing home a lot of summer squash, lately.
We've had it stir fried several times, made 2 regular zucchini cakes, and 1 chocolate zucchini cake, grilled them twice......you get the picture......
Reminds me of a favorite children's book:

It is a thing of beauty.......

FLOWER POWER PATTY PAN

Can you imagine what an upscale restaurant would charge for these tender little delicacies?!
*WARNING!* If your name is Jess, and you are not a fan of the wafting aroma of curry....don't read this!
I made Subzi and bagged and froze for winter again this year. The whole house smelled like curry. Not really a kid dish, unless they particularly like Pakistani/Indian cuisine.

All of this to say......

1. We love summer squash
2. Ours in the garden hasn't produced yet
3. we planted a lot of it
4. When it comes on....

I think it may be donated......

to the gleaners! :)