Man's Best Friend

My scriptures this week are taken from the sermon our pastor gave last Sunday. The sermon, titled "Chapter 2" is about wrapping up another year under the sun and about the endurance needed to begin again.

My Little Dog "Nick"

My sister-in-law has 9 (count ‘em NINE) Jack Russell Terriers! She recently gave me this recipe for a healthy doggie treat. I made them and my little dog, Nick, just loves them! I hope your best friend will like them too! By the way you can view Liz’s little sweethearts at http://www.rausjackrussellterriers.com

Spot’s Golden Cheese Dreams

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsps garlic powder

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup shredded cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

In large mixing bowl, combine flour and garlic powder.

Make a well in the flour mixture and gradually stir in the oil, cheese, egg and milk until well blended. Knead dough on a floured surface, about 3-4 minutes.

With a rolling pin, roll dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut to desired shape and place on lightly greased baking sheet (I use parchment paper). Bake 25 minutes @ 400 F.

Cool on a rack and store, at room temperature, in a container with a loose fitting lid.

Today's Scripture: Are We Listening?

Revelations 2:17

"Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. I'll give the sacred manna to every overcomer; I'll also give a clear, smooth stone inscribed with your new name, your secret new name." (The Message)

I John 5:4-5

"for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. [5] Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

I am Stuffed

Well, what did you think of the Cranberry relish? We had mixed reviews at our Christmas table. Personally, I liked it. Our turkey was so tasty that it really didn’t need the added “zip” – but it was still good. The other 5 guests at our dinner table didn’t care for it at all. My son, who originally got the recipe from NPR Radio, said in his experience you either "love it" or "hate it". Everyone was expecting some sweetness to the Cranberry relish and this year’s relish was far from sweet.

The brined turkey roasted perfectly and was absolutely delicious. Side dishes were all yummy, we ate too much, told lots of fun stories and laughed a lot. Even without our children and grandchildren home it was all in all a fun celebration. I do hope your Christmas day was spent with family and friends celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior.

Next I am on to planning for a New Year’s Day 2010 “High Noon” Party! Here is our invite:

New Year's 2010

We can barely make it to ten, let alone midnight -
To ring in the New Year with champagne and delight!
So for this New Year’s party we’ve found a new way
Let’s meet at noon on New Year’s Day!
For a little bit of drink ☺, food, fellowship and fun-
We will celebrate the New Year under the sun!

Menu planning has begun. We are going “Italian” this year. I will include recipes over the next few days!

In the meantime, enjoy the weekend and many blessings!

Today's Scripture: Luke 2

Luke 2 (New International Version)

Luke 2: 8-12 The Birth of Jesus

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^a]">[a] the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Three Days and Counting ... Brine That Turkey!

Thanks aunt Lynn for the information regarding our strange cranberry relish. Here is what she wrote: "The first time I 'heard' about this recipe was on NPR about 15 years ago. It is Mama Standberg's Cranberry Relish. It is weird but yummy. BTW: NPR, on the Morning Edition, repeats the recipe every year just before Thanksgiving." I am making it tomorrow.

Today we headed south about 35 miles to make visits to my husbands relatives. Cousins, aunts, brother, sister-in-law, we spent the entire day visiting and delivering homemade caramel corn, decorated sugar cookies and my mom’s peanut clusters. Lee’s oldest aunt is 103 and even though she can’t hear well, her mind is sharp as a tack and she is quite amazing to visit. With the visits over it is time to begin the Christmas dinner preparations!

If you are preparing turkey I highly suggest you brine it the day before for fabulous moist results. Best info on brining and roasting comes from Alton Brown from the Food Network. I am using a brine mix that I bought from Williams Sonoma but I will follow all the other directions from Alton. Just click today’s title “Three Day and Counting Down… Brine That Turkey” and it will take you to Alton’s directions! I am also printed it below.

For the brine container I use a huge Ziploc bag (11 gallon) that holds a 14lb turkey and all the brine. You can get most of the air out and so the turkey really absorbs the spices. Christmas morning I will rinse the bird and follow Alton’s directions for roasting. Give it a try – you’ll like it and it is so easy.

Good Eats Roast Turkey
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Prep Time:
15 min
Inactive Prep Time:
7 hr 0 min
Cook Time:
2 hr 30 min
Level:
Easy
Serves: 10 to 12
Ingredients
• 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:
• 1 red apple, sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup water
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 6 leaves sage
• Canola oil

Directions

2 to 3 days before roasting:
Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:
Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting.

Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.


Today's Scripture:

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)

Merry Christmas!

Four Days Until Christmas

Four days until Christmas and counting down. I have put off heading to the grocery store long enough! Today is the day. Ugh. My least favorite part of cooking is the shopping! However, when I am finished with this day we will have ample supply for our Christmas Dinner: Roasted Turkey with Cory’s newly discovered Cranberry Sauce, Cornbread Dressing, Whipped Potatoes, Scalloped Corn, Broccoli Salad (green and red with Craisins), Yeast Rolls and this year’s Bread and Butter Pickles from the pantry! A dessert bar - which we will talk about tomorrow ☺.

But for today, I pray for patience for the masses, friendly clerks not totally over-whelmed by the fact they are working with holiday exhaustion setting in, and finally, a 14 lb. Butterball turkey – on sale!

Cory tells me this cranberry sauce will mirror Pepto Bismal in color, he says the taste and compliment for the turkey is out of this world. My first time to make it. Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

Cory’s Cranberry Relish

2 cups whole raw cranberries, washed
1 small onion
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons horseradish from a jar ("red is a bit milder than white")

Grind the raw berries and onion together. (use an old-fashioned meat grinder or I'm sure there's a setting on the food processor that will give you a chunky grind — not a puree)

Add everything else and mix.

Put in a plastic container and freeze.

Early Christmas morning, move it from freezer to refrigerator compartment to thaw. ("It should still have some little icy slivers left.")

The relish will be thick, creamy, and shocking pink. (OK, Pepto Bismol pink. It has a tangy taste that cuts through and perks up the turkey and gravy. It's also good on next-day turkey sandwiches, and with roast beef.)

Makes 1 1/2 pints.
** If you are wondering what makes it “Cory’s Cranberry Relish” – it is because he gave it to me. He didn’t invent it – just passed it on.

In The Beginning...

I have always enjoyed cooking. Even as a young girl I liked messing around in the kitchen. I say "messing around" because even though I was "cooking or baking" I know my mother just hated the messes I assuredly left behind in her kitchen! The first cookbook I wrote was a variety of recipes I gathered during the first 15 years after high school. I hand wrote some of the pages and typed (on an electric typewriter) the rest. The book was a gift for my son Cory. Fifteen years later in 2005 I compiled a second cookbook while I was an innkeeper at Walnut Grove Bed and Breakfast in Shelbyville, TN. Our guests regularly asked for "this recipe" or "that recipe" and I was constantly typing and printing out a requested recipe on the spur of the moment! Out of self defense of my time, I compiled a Friends and Family Cookbook containing some of my own bed-and-breakfast recipes, favorite family recipes and many special recipes given to me by friends.

I have found that when you enjoy cooking, friends and "friends of friends" regularly share recipes. After we sold Walnut Grove I intended to write a second book, compiling the many recipes the first cookbook prompted to be given to me! I wanted to include a daily scripture to share along with the recipe.

Instead, two and a half years later, a blog seems a fantastic way that I can share food for both body and soul!

Neither the recipes or the scriptures are in any particular order - other than my own daily devotions and my favorite recipes!
May this blog bless you - body and soul.

*****
Mother and I spent this afternoon baking the traditional sugar cookies and frosting in colors of red and green, sprinkle with colored sugars and silver balls. This is my Grandma Greathouse's Powdered Sugar Cookie Recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup vegetable oil
1 pinch salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. Beat sugars, margarine, vegetable oil and salt very well. Add eggs and dry ingredients.

2. Make into balls, roll in sugar and place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8 minutes. For holidays or special occasions, roll in colored sugar instead of white sugar.

*****
Genesis 1 (New International Version)
The Beginning
1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 Now the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day."