One of my daughters wanted to start her own tradition of Christmas mornings with cinnamon rolls. I have to tell you making any type of bread without a bread machine is an art and I didn't have enough faith in my daughter's ability to make a good cinnamon roll. Boy!!! was I wrong!!!! First time she made the recipe, she nailed it and I was so proud of her. She even said they tasted very good. That's when I knew I needed to post one more final "Traditions" recipe.
The recipe was called Poertzelki or New Year's cookies. My grandmother would make the dough and then would add either raisins or chopped apples to her mixture. I know I've talked about my grandmother a lot but she had a lot of recipes from the "old country" and never hesitated to talk about our roots in Prussia. I guess that's why traditions are so important for me to hand down from generation to generation some of those "old country" recipes and stories told by my parents and grandparents.
One of my children has a blog and talked about her own grandparents who instilled the idea of traditions and the importance in her life. Both of her grandparents passed away last year and her blog touched my heart because she is starting her own family traditions of telling her children what's important in families. Her newly found recipe of cinnamon rolls and making them for Christmas morning will be something her husband and children will remember and think of traditions in their own family. I'm very proud of this daughter and her wonderful sense of traditions.
I hope you have enjoyed the German (Mennonite) recipes as much as I have. Enjoy and remember if you haven't started any traditions in your family, its never too late to make those memories.
Poertzelk - New Year's Cookies
3-4 cups flour - this should be a medium to slight stiff batter
3 cups raisins
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
6 eggs
2 packages of yeast
Pinch of Nutmeg
2 cups scalded milk
Mix all the ingredients and let rise 2 hours in a warm place. Then drop by spoon into hot oil. (350-375)
I don't know how many "cookies" this makes. If you want to make a modern version, use a cinnamon sugar and roll the "cookies" into this after frying.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Traditions - continued
Its 5 am and I couldn't sleep and thought I'd add a new post to this blog. Only 3 more days until Christmas.
Traditions are important for families and my joy has been in watching our children build their own traditions in their families. The memories of my childhood and growing up during the Christmas holidays hold some of the best times of my life. Hearing my Dad walking around the house on Christmas Eve saying "Have you been a good girl", or "Fee, Fi, Fo, Dum, I hear the sounds of Santa's sleigh" still echo in my mind.
One of the traditions I started as a single parent was to put my daughter to bed and then after would fall alseep I would go to her room door and shake bells to mimick Santa's bells. I would then wake her up and tell her Santa came and if she could hear the bells. My daughter would race out of bed to her Christmas Stocking with joy to see what Santa brought. Now I know this is a bit far-fetched, and eventually she figured it out, but having with Traditions and building your own is what family is alll about.
Christmas for my family is going to be a bit different than previous years. My wonderful husband and I decided to go to our place in Central Oregon for the holiday, sit outside under the covered deck with a cup of coffee and watch it snow. The holiday baking is done and the cookies have almost been destroyed so its time to make more cookies.
Many years ago, my mother introduced me to the final cookie that I make for the holidays. Its a Butter Rum Cookie that has another unique flavor and its best when eaten frozen. I know, I know, sounds pretty funny but some things are just better frozen and this cookie is one of those favorites I leave in the freezer and eat frozen. The tradition started when my mother was looking through some old magazines and found this diagonal shaped cookie. She would bake these and they would be gone in seconds. The glaze on top is made from a butter rum flavoring and powdered sugar giving this cookie just the right sweetness. I thought I'd only make one batch this year, but they disappeared so quickly I'm making another one.
Enjoy your family this holiday season and treasure every moment. If you don't already have a tradition specific to your family, now is the time to build a tradition giving your family wonderful memories throughout the years.
Butter Rum Cookies
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter - room temperature
1 cup sweeted flaked coconut
3 drops yellow food coloring
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add coconut and cream a bit longer. Add the food coloring. Start working the flour into the dough until it is blended. This may take a while and you may have to use your hands to work in the last cup of flour. Once the dough sticks together, line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using your hands shape 3 long logs about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick for one baking sheet. Using your two forefingers, flatten the logs leaving a ridge where the two forefingers meet. This batch will make 5 logs. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-15 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown. While hot, spoon a glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon water and 2 drops butter rum flavoring. Spoon this over the logs and allow to cool another 5 minutes. With a sharp knife and while still warm, start cutting the logs into a 1 1/2 inch piece in a diagonal direction. After the logs cool completely, carefully remove the cut cookies onto a cooling rack. Freeze like I do or just eat them without freezing. Either way, they are good no matter whether frozen or room temperatur.
Traditions are important for families and my joy has been in watching our children build their own traditions in their families. The memories of my childhood and growing up during the Christmas holidays hold some of the best times of my life. Hearing my Dad walking around the house on Christmas Eve saying "Have you been a good girl", or "Fee, Fi, Fo, Dum, I hear the sounds of Santa's sleigh" still echo in my mind.
One of the traditions I started as a single parent was to put my daughter to bed and then after would fall alseep I would go to her room door and shake bells to mimick Santa's bells. I would then wake her up and tell her Santa came and if she could hear the bells. My daughter would race out of bed to her Christmas Stocking with joy to see what Santa brought. Now I know this is a bit far-fetched, and eventually she figured it out, but having with Traditions and building your own is what family is alll about.
Christmas for my family is going to be a bit different than previous years. My wonderful husband and I decided to go to our place in Central Oregon for the holiday, sit outside under the covered deck with a cup of coffee and watch it snow. The holiday baking is done and the cookies have almost been destroyed so its time to make more cookies.
Many years ago, my mother introduced me to the final cookie that I make for the holidays. Its a Butter Rum Cookie that has another unique flavor and its best when eaten frozen. I know, I know, sounds pretty funny but some things are just better frozen and this cookie is one of those favorites I leave in the freezer and eat frozen. The tradition started when my mother was looking through some old magazines and found this diagonal shaped cookie. She would bake these and they would be gone in seconds. The glaze on top is made from a butter rum flavoring and powdered sugar giving this cookie just the right sweetness. I thought I'd only make one batch this year, but they disappeared so quickly I'm making another one.
Enjoy your family this holiday season and treasure every moment. If you don't already have a tradition specific to your family, now is the time to build a tradition giving your family wonderful memories throughout the years.
Butter Rum Cookies
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter - room temperature
1 cup sweeted flaked coconut
3 drops yellow food coloring
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add coconut and cream a bit longer. Add the food coloring. Start working the flour into the dough until it is blended. This may take a while and you may have to use your hands to work in the last cup of flour. Once the dough sticks together, line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using your hands shape 3 long logs about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick for one baking sheet. Using your two forefingers, flatten the logs leaving a ridge where the two forefingers meet. This batch will make 5 logs. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-15 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown. While hot, spoon a glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon water and 2 drops butter rum flavoring. Spoon this over the logs and allow to cool another 5 minutes. With a sharp knife and while still warm, start cutting the logs into a 1 1/2 inch piece in a diagonal direction. After the logs cool completely, carefully remove the cut cookies onto a cooling rack. Freeze like I do or just eat them without freezing. Either way, they are good no matter whether frozen or room temperatur.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Traditions - continued
Only 11 more days until Christmas.
One of the recipes my Grandmother and mother made during the Christmas holidays was a small cookie made the size of a penny. Can you imagine a cookie that small? My family grew up with this cookie made only during the holidays. My grandmother could tell you the name of the cookie in a minute but none of the grandchildren were able to pronounce it so we nicknamed the cookie, "Pappenate" (pape-a-nate). The real name however is Pfeffernussee.
My mother called this cookie, "Poor man's cookies" because she grew up in a poor home and they had little resources. The cookie uses dark corn syrup, shortening and flour as the main ingrediants so hence the name of "Poor man's cookies."
Depending on the German background, each family had its own twist to this cookie. Some families would put cinnamon and nutmeg in their mix and some would make it bigger than my mother but essentually the baisc recipe was the same. My mother said to get just the texture, you needed to beat the mix with a wooden spoon (sorry, no mixers allowed).
Each Christmas, my mother would make 2-3 batches of this cookie and gave them to each son or daughter's family making sure everyone knew about the tradition of this German cookie. One of our daughters says this cookie is her favorite and my mom would give her a container full of these cookies just for this daughter because she would eat them all anyway. HAHA. This year, I want to make sure this daughter still has her own container to share with her friends.
Last year when my parents' health was failing, members of our family ventured to make the cookie and take little bags to my mom and dad in the care facility. The cookie again used the basic recipe but the taste varied differently among the families. One of my friends asked me the other night how these cookies tasted and I didn't have an answer because they are a unique flavor. You decide. The cookies are best eaten with a cup of coffee or you can let them melt in your mouth.
Here you go for Pfeffernussee:
2 cups dark corn syrup
2 cups white sugar
1 cup shortening (DO NOT USE BUTTER) Lard is even better if you have it
1 1/2 teaspoon sale
2 teaspoon baking powder
7 cups flour
1/4 cup milk
Mix the dark corn syrup, sugar and shortening WITH A WOODEN SPOON (you can use a regular spoon if you like), until the mix looks white and fluffy. This process will take about 10 minutes of hand mixing. (Remember no mixers are allowed with this cookie).
Add the dry ingrediants alternately with the milk and mix together to form a stiff dough. Take a handful of dough and roll into a 1/2 inch log and with a sharp knife, cut into small pieces 1/2 to 3/4 inch long. Drop the pieces onto a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees until very light golden. The cookies will flatten out and look about the size of a penny when they're done. Cook on a wire rack. When cool, put the cookies into an airtight container and enjoy all Christmas season long. Once the cookies are cool, they are hard and ready for eating.
One of the recipes my Grandmother and mother made during the Christmas holidays was a small cookie made the size of a penny. Can you imagine a cookie that small? My family grew up with this cookie made only during the holidays. My grandmother could tell you the name of the cookie in a minute but none of the grandchildren were able to pronounce it so we nicknamed the cookie, "Pappenate" (pape-a-nate). The real name however is Pfeffernussee.
My mother called this cookie, "Poor man's cookies" because she grew up in a poor home and they had little resources. The cookie uses dark corn syrup, shortening and flour as the main ingrediants so hence the name of "Poor man's cookies."
Depending on the German background, each family had its own twist to this cookie. Some families would put cinnamon and nutmeg in their mix and some would make it bigger than my mother but essentually the baisc recipe was the same. My mother said to get just the texture, you needed to beat the mix with a wooden spoon (sorry, no mixers allowed).
Each Christmas, my mother would make 2-3 batches of this cookie and gave them to each son or daughter's family making sure everyone knew about the tradition of this German cookie. One of our daughters says this cookie is her favorite and my mom would give her a container full of these cookies just for this daughter because she would eat them all anyway. HAHA. This year, I want to make sure this daughter still has her own container to share with her friends.
Last year when my parents' health was failing, members of our family ventured to make the cookie and take little bags to my mom and dad in the care facility. The cookie again used the basic recipe but the taste varied differently among the families. One of my friends asked me the other night how these cookies tasted and I didn't have an answer because they are a unique flavor. You decide. The cookies are best eaten with a cup of coffee or you can let them melt in your mouth.
Here you go for Pfeffernussee:
2 cups dark corn syrup
2 cups white sugar
1 cup shortening (DO NOT USE BUTTER) Lard is even better if you have it
1 1/2 teaspoon sale
2 teaspoon baking powder
7 cups flour
1/4 cup milk
Mix the dark corn syrup, sugar and shortening WITH A WOODEN SPOON (you can use a regular spoon if you like), until the mix looks white and fluffy. This process will take about 10 minutes of hand mixing. (Remember no mixers are allowed with this cookie).
Add the dry ingrediants alternately with the milk and mix together to form a stiff dough. Take a handful of dough and roll into a 1/2 inch log and with a sharp knife, cut into small pieces 1/2 to 3/4 inch long. Drop the pieces onto a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees until very light golden. The cookies will flatten out and look about the size of a penny when they're done. Cook on a wire rack. When cool, put the cookies into an airtight container and enjoy all Christmas season long. Once the cookies are cool, they are hard and ready for eating.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Traditions - continued
I've talked a lot about growing up in the country on a farm and my Grandmother. She lived only 1/4 of a mile from our house so as a kid, walking to her house was fun plus she was in the kitchen most times cooking or baking. Walking into her house was fun because you never knew what she had been making but her house smelled so good.
My grandmother loved to entertain and to help her out, she would "hire" me for her dinners where I would help to prepare the food, serve the food and then clean up. This gave her the opportunity to be the quintessential hostess.
Helping out in the kitchen was fun and I loved to "show-off" my culinary talents by making danish pastry, yeast bread and also desserts. During the Christmas holidays helping my grandmother was the most fun and besides, I'd be the first to try out her specialities. One of those specialities was Zwiebach. This is a German bread our family would make EVERY (yes every) Saturday. Since Germans typically ate their main meal at noon, I would have this bread just coming out of the oven in time for "dinner". Then for supper, the main menu would be leftover Zwiebach with milk mixed together in a bowl, some type of cold cuts and some type of canned fruit. The key to good Zwiebach is to "kanniep (prounced Kanneep) the small balls into a stacked roll. Learning this technique took me several years to master but I was eventually able to get it right.
Zwiebach
2 cups scalded milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup lard or shortening
Mix the scalded milk together with the sugar and lard. Add
2 teaspoons salt
2 packages dry acting yeast
1/2 cup warm water
In the warm water, add the yeast and let it develop for approximately 5 minutes. Set aside.
In the liquid mixture, add 2 cups of flour and beat the mixture until it is elastic. Add yeast mixture and beat again. Add 2 more cups of flour and continue beating until elastic. Add 2 more cups of flour and beat again. Let rest for 10 minutes with a damp towel over the bowl.
Turn dough out onto a floured board or surface and knead for 10 minutes until elastic adding flour gradually while kneading. You know when you're done when the dough bounces back when you poke it.
Place the dough in a greased bowl covered with the damp towel. Let rise until double. Punch down and let rise again for about 45 minutes. Pinch off a handful of dough with greased hands using your thumb and forefinger, "kanniep" (or cut with your fingers) a medium ball. Using the same technique, "kanniep" a smaller ball and place on top of the medium ball. Using your forefinger, punch the to of the stacked balls to make sure they stay together. Continue this until all the dough has been used up. Let rise until double. Bake at 400 degrees until light golden. This makes two cookie sheets worth of rolls.
You can eat these right out of the oven or later.
I don't make these often but for special occasions, I'll pull out all the stops and create the Zwiebach.
If you want to make this a modernized recipe, cut the recipe in half and use a bread mixer or stand alone mixer to make the dough. Be sure to place the "wet" ingrediants first in the bread mixer and then add the flour, and sugar last.
My grandmother loved to entertain and to help her out, she would "hire" me for her dinners where I would help to prepare the food, serve the food and then clean up. This gave her the opportunity to be the quintessential hostess.
Helping out in the kitchen was fun and I loved to "show-off" my culinary talents by making danish pastry, yeast bread and also desserts. During the Christmas holidays helping my grandmother was the most fun and besides, I'd be the first to try out her specialities. One of those specialities was Zwiebach. This is a German bread our family would make EVERY (yes every) Saturday. Since Germans typically ate their main meal at noon, I would have this bread just coming out of the oven in time for "dinner". Then for supper, the main menu would be leftover Zwiebach with milk mixed together in a bowl, some type of cold cuts and some type of canned fruit. The key to good Zwiebach is to "kanniep (prounced Kanneep) the small balls into a stacked roll. Learning this technique took me several years to master but I was eventually able to get it right.
Zwiebach
2 cups scalded milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup lard or shortening
Mix the scalded milk together with the sugar and lard. Add
2 teaspoons salt
2 packages dry acting yeast
1/2 cup warm water
In the warm water, add the yeast and let it develop for approximately 5 minutes. Set aside.
In the liquid mixture, add 2 cups of flour and beat the mixture until it is elastic. Add yeast mixture and beat again. Add 2 more cups of flour and continue beating until elastic. Add 2 more cups of flour and beat again. Let rest for 10 minutes with a damp towel over the bowl.
Turn dough out onto a floured board or surface and knead for 10 minutes until elastic adding flour gradually while kneading. You know when you're done when the dough bounces back when you poke it.
Place the dough in a greased bowl covered with the damp towel. Let rise until double. Punch down and let rise again for about 45 minutes. Pinch off a handful of dough with greased hands using your thumb and forefinger, "kanniep" (or cut with your fingers) a medium ball. Using the same technique, "kanniep" a smaller ball and place on top of the medium ball. Using your forefinger, punch the to of the stacked balls to make sure they stay together. Continue this until all the dough has been used up. Let rise until double. Bake at 400 degrees until light golden. This makes two cookie sheets worth of rolls.
You can eat these right out of the oven or later.
I don't make these often but for special occasions, I'll pull out all the stops and create the Zwiebach.
If you want to make this a modernized recipe, cut the recipe in half and use a bread mixer or stand alone mixer to make the dough. Be sure to place the "wet" ingrediants first in the bread mixer and then add the flour, and sugar last.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Traditions - continued
I'm going to continue on the "Traditions" theme for the new few weeks because I feel it is important for our families to know where we come from and what types of traditions have been handed down from generation to generation.
I've talked a lot about my grandmother who gave up her citizenship for the love of her life. Her life was sprinkled with challenges as a young mother and farm wife. My grandmother kept a German diary and I still have excerpts of it in my history records. In fact my grandmother and grandfather spoke fluent "low" German known to Mennoites. During the growing up years my family didn't have very much money, however, my grandmother always fixed her favorite
Christmas foods during the holidays. She had such great stories of growing up, meeting her husband and the faith they shared.
One of those dishes that somehow appeared during the holidays was a raisin and prune dish. Its called Pluma Mousse (prounced Pluma Moss). I never liked it very much but my mother carried on the tradition of making this dish every Christmas even though she was the only one who ate it in our family. For those who love prunes and raisins, this dish is for you.
Pluma Mousse
1 cup prunes
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup canned milk or cream
3/4 cup raisins
3 heaping tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
Cook prunes in 3 cups of water until well done. Mash the prunes and add raisins plus 2 cups more water and cook a bit longer. Mix flour and sugar together, add cream and then mix everything together. Add 2 cups milk and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon vinegar which improves the flavor (at least that's what my grandmother would say). This recipe makes about 1/2 gallon and will last all season. It can be eaten cold or hot like soup.
After writing this recipe, I still don't really care for this dish but I'm sure someone will.
I've talked a lot about my grandmother who gave up her citizenship for the love of her life. Her life was sprinkled with challenges as a young mother and farm wife. My grandmother kept a German diary and I still have excerpts of it in my history records. In fact my grandmother and grandfather spoke fluent "low" German known to Mennoites. During the growing up years my family didn't have very much money, however, my grandmother always fixed her favorite
Christmas foods during the holidays. She had such great stories of growing up, meeting her husband and the faith they shared.
One of those dishes that somehow appeared during the holidays was a raisin and prune dish. Its called Pluma Mousse (prounced Pluma Moss). I never liked it very much but my mother carried on the tradition of making this dish every Christmas even though she was the only one who ate it in our family. For those who love prunes and raisins, this dish is for you.
Pluma Mousse
1 cup prunes
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup canned milk or cream
3/4 cup raisins
3 heaping tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
Cook prunes in 3 cups of water until well done. Mash the prunes and add raisins plus 2 cups more water and cook a bit longer. Mix flour and sugar together, add cream and then mix everything together. Add 2 cups milk and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon vinegar which improves the flavor (at least that's what my grandmother would say). This recipe makes about 1/2 gallon and will last all season. It can be eaten cold or hot like soup.
After writing this recipe, I still don't really care for this dish but I'm sure someone will.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Traditions
Remember the movie Fiddler on the Roof ? Every family has some type of tradition for the holidays. My grandfather came from Prussia when he was a teen and when he married my grandmother, my grandmother gave up her citizenship. Now that's true love. When my grandfather became naturalized, my grandmother was again granted her citizenship.
Both grandparents were steeped in traditions from the Mennonite "old country" and each year at Christmas my grandmother would pull out all the stops and make sure our family knew about our heritage and those traditions they loved. Recipes have been handed down for generations and each family has tweeked those recipes to how their own preferences.
My brother, Stan, said he wanted the recipe for Veranika because he didn't have one so this traditional pasta dish is for you, Stan. I make this periodically but wish I could make it more often. I don't remember how many rounds this makes but I remember how my uncle and dad would try to out-eat each other saying, "I ate 6 Veranika", or "I ate more than you".
Making your own family traditions is up to you. One tradition I started when our girls were small was to give Christmas stockings in their Christmas stockings. The girls loved it and would pull out their special socks in November. All their friends wanted to know where the cool socks came from year after year. I still continue to give Christmas socks for each family so this tradition continues.
Veranika
Pasta dough
2 cups flour
1 whole egg plus one egg white
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
Put the 2 cups of flour on a surface and make a well in the center. Combine the wet ingrediants and pour into the well. Use your fingers to work the dough together to make a stiff pasta dough. Set aside.
Filling
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped scallions
Gravy
1 cup heavy cream - pour in the bacon grease after the rounds have been fried
8 strips of bacon - fry these and set aside to eat with the rounds or you can chop them up and add to the heavy cream mix.
Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut into 4 inch rounds. Put 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center and fold over the dough in half sealing it with water. Drop the rounds in boiling water until they float to the top of the pot. Carefully lift out the rounds and fry in bacon grease until golden. After all the rounds have been fried, use 1 cup heavy cream and pour into the bacon grease and simmer. The best part is to take the rounds and pour the hot cream over them. Eat while hot.
Both grandparents were steeped in traditions from the Mennonite "old country" and each year at Christmas my grandmother would pull out all the stops and make sure our family knew about our heritage and those traditions they loved. Recipes have been handed down for generations and each family has tweeked those recipes to how their own preferences.
My brother, Stan, said he wanted the recipe for Veranika because he didn't have one so this traditional pasta dish is for you, Stan. I make this periodically but wish I could make it more often. I don't remember how many rounds this makes but I remember how my uncle and dad would try to out-eat each other saying, "I ate 6 Veranika", or "I ate more than you".
Making your own family traditions is up to you. One tradition I started when our girls were small was to give Christmas stockings in their Christmas stockings. The girls loved it and would pull out their special socks in November. All their friends wanted to know where the cool socks came from year after year. I still continue to give Christmas socks for each family so this tradition continues.
Veranika
Pasta dough
2 cups flour
1 whole egg plus one egg white
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
Put the 2 cups of flour on a surface and make a well in the center. Combine the wet ingrediants and pour into the well. Use your fingers to work the dough together to make a stiff pasta dough. Set aside.
Filling
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped scallions
Gravy
1 cup heavy cream - pour in the bacon grease after the rounds have been fried
8 strips of bacon - fry these and set aside to eat with the rounds or you can chop them up and add to the heavy cream mix.
Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut into 4 inch rounds. Put 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center and fold over the dough in half sealing it with water. Drop the rounds in boiling water until they float to the top of the pot. Carefully lift out the rounds and fry in bacon grease until golden. After all the rounds have been fried, use 1 cup heavy cream and pour into the bacon grease and simmer. The best part is to take the rounds and pour the hot cream over them. Eat while hot.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Progress making a spash at the McCarter Household
Many of our friends know that Mike is very handy when it comes to plumbing or fixing things around the home. In fact, he built our living area with a friend doing the electrical, sheetrock, heat ducts; like I said, he did everything. Mike likes to dream about projects he wants to do for the house but getting them done usually doesn't happen because he's a procrastinator.
With that thought in mind, we are creating a sitting room where the den once was upstairs. The wall has been torn apart from the bedroom to the sitting room and all the flooring is gone. He finally is starting to work on the new sitting room and I'm happy about the changes that are finally taking place.
What does that have to do with recipes you might ask. There's a recipe I have that takes all day to make but the time it takes makes the sauce unbelievably good. I guess good things take awhile to make, just like our sitting room.
Spaghetti Sauce
1 large can tomato paste
2 cans of water (fill the tomato paste can twice)
1/2 cup good quality Ketchup
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Basil
1 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons Wostishire Sauce
1 Chopped Onion
1 cup mushrooms
Saute onions until tender and place in the crock pot. Place the heat on low. Then add everything except the mushrooms. Cook for 4 hours until thickened and add your cooked hamburger or cooked sausage. One hour before the sauce is done, add Mushrooms.
Serve on pasta or your favorite dish as a tomato based sauce. Sprinkle with cheese to top it off.
This was one of my mom's favorite dishes and I still use it today.
With that thought in mind, we are creating a sitting room where the den once was upstairs. The wall has been torn apart from the bedroom to the sitting room and all the flooring is gone. He finally is starting to work on the new sitting room and I'm happy about the changes that are finally taking place.
What does that have to do with recipes you might ask. There's a recipe I have that takes all day to make but the time it takes makes the sauce unbelievably good. I guess good things take awhile to make, just like our sitting room.
Spaghetti Sauce
1 large can tomato paste
2 cans of water (fill the tomato paste can twice)
1/2 cup good quality Ketchup
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Basil
1 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons Wostishire Sauce
1 Chopped Onion
1 cup mushrooms
Saute onions until tender and place in the crock pot. Place the heat on low. Then add everything except the mushrooms. Cook for 4 hours until thickened and add your cooked hamburger or cooked sausage. One hour before the sauce is done, add Mushrooms.
Serve on pasta or your favorite dish as a tomato based sauce. Sprinkle with cheese to top it off.
This was one of my mom's favorite dishes and I still use it today.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Memories
In our family, Thanksgiving is more important than Christmas because its a time when our family gets together and enjoys each others' company without all the clutter and excitedness of gifts, and children running around on sugar plum highs.
Thinking about last year, the memories are bittersweet. I knew it would be the last time my parents would be able to come to Thanksgiving so I tried to make it an extra special day where everyone sat at the table and come together as a family. Mike's grandmother has an old antique table with 8 leaves and when they are all installed, the table looks like one of those old time tables where you picture one person sitting at each end with miles of space inbetween. My mom made the tradition of always having baby lima beans at Thanksgiving while my dad would always eat only pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream for dessert. Last year, mom said the lima beans were perfect. Dad didn't eat much but did finish off his small piece of pumpkin pie.
The recipe I'm sharing for Thanksgiving is a simple yet wonderful jello salad with a whipped cream topping. When family gets together for potlucks, the old tradition was that the newest bride would bring the jello salad. Pretty funny.
Pat's famous red jello salad
1 large box of raspberry jello
2 cups applesauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Make the jello according to the directions but only add half the water requested. When the jellow starts to set, add the applesauce and cinnamon. Let the jello set either in a mold or bowl. Top with real whipped cream - 1 cup whipping cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a drop of vanilla. Whip until soft peaks form and top your jello salad. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.
Thinking about last year, the memories are bittersweet. I knew it would be the last time my parents would be able to come to Thanksgiving so I tried to make it an extra special day where everyone sat at the table and come together as a family. Mike's grandmother has an old antique table with 8 leaves and when they are all installed, the table looks like one of those old time tables where you picture one person sitting at each end with miles of space inbetween. My mom made the tradition of always having baby lima beans at Thanksgiving while my dad would always eat only pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream for dessert. Last year, mom said the lima beans were perfect. Dad didn't eat much but did finish off his small piece of pumpkin pie.
The recipe I'm sharing for Thanksgiving is a simple yet wonderful jello salad with a whipped cream topping. When family gets together for potlucks, the old tradition was that the newest bride would bring the jello salad. Pretty funny.
Pat's famous red jello salad
1 large box of raspberry jello
2 cups applesauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Make the jello according to the directions but only add half the water requested. When the jellow starts to set, add the applesauce and cinnamon. Let the jello set either in a mold or bowl. Top with real whipped cream - 1 cup whipping cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a drop of vanilla. Whip until soft peaks form and top your jello salad. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thankful for family
This post is about my family and how thankful for them I am. Growing up, I remember that my Dad was always taking moving pictures with his moving camera. Any special occasion, you'd find my Dad with his trusty camera keeping a record of the goings on of the Reimer and Thiessen families.
My brother, Jon, had these memories put on 3 DVDs and gave them to family members recently. Watching them has been bittersweet as the memories flood back of growing up on the farm with a large family, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles and their families on both sides. There was always a lot of food around especially at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Dinners at Grandma's house were huge and she had lots of food. Families would gather on the holidays, but also at least 1-2 times per month just sharing fellowship and love with family. So on this blog, I'm going to share a recipe that my Grandma would usually make for large gatherings. She made the best Whole Wheat bread and rolls. When family arrived at her house, you could smell these rolls just coming out of the oven most of the rolls didn't make it to the dinner table as somehow, they all disappeared mysteriously.
Grandma Reimer's Whole Wheat rolls/bread
2 cups scalded milk
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup warm water for 2 packages of yeast
2 eggs
4 cups whole wheat flour
3 - 3 1/2 cups white unbleached flour
Mix the oil, molasses with the scalded milk and let cool. I usually put the milk in the microwave for 3 minutes until a thin film appears on the top. When cooled, beat in 2 cups whole wheat flour and beat the dough until elastic. Add the warm water with the dissolved yeast (prepare this while you're scalding the milk.)
Work in the rest of the flour until it becomes a thick bread like dough. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a floured surface and knead until elastic and dough doesn't take any more flour. Let rise in a warm room until double in size. Punch down and let rise again until doubled in size. Shape round rolls and place on parchment paper and let rise. Bake at 400 degrees until light golden. Cool on wire racks and enjoy.
Makes about 2 dozen rolls.
Thanks Grandma Reimer.....Love ya
My brother, Jon, had these memories put on 3 DVDs and gave them to family members recently. Watching them has been bittersweet as the memories flood back of growing up on the farm with a large family, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles and their families on both sides. There was always a lot of food around especially at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Dinners at Grandma's house were huge and she had lots of food. Families would gather on the holidays, but also at least 1-2 times per month just sharing fellowship and love with family. So on this blog, I'm going to share a recipe that my Grandma would usually make for large gatherings. She made the best Whole Wheat bread and rolls. When family arrived at her house, you could smell these rolls just coming out of the oven most of the rolls didn't make it to the dinner table as somehow, they all disappeared mysteriously.
Grandma Reimer's Whole Wheat rolls/bread
2 cups scalded milk
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup warm water for 2 packages of yeast
2 eggs
4 cups whole wheat flour
3 - 3 1/2 cups white unbleached flour
Mix the oil, molasses with the scalded milk and let cool. I usually put the milk in the microwave for 3 minutes until a thin film appears on the top. When cooled, beat in 2 cups whole wheat flour and beat the dough until elastic. Add the warm water with the dissolved yeast (prepare this while you're scalding the milk.)
Work in the rest of the flour until it becomes a thick bread like dough. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a floured surface and knead until elastic and dough doesn't take any more flour. Let rise in a warm room until double in size. Punch down and let rise again until doubled in size. Shape round rolls and place on parchment paper and let rise. Bake at 400 degrees until light golden. Cool on wire racks and enjoy.
Makes about 2 dozen rolls.
Thanks Grandma Reimer.....Love ya
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
God's gift - Grandchildren
Two years ago, one of our daughters married the love of her life and had twins last year. With the holidays fast approaching, I wanted to wish this special couple Happy Anniversary and Mike and I are so blessed to have two more grandchildren.
Holidays can be a stressful time, but it can also be a time where families connect and share with each other. Even though Jeanne and Mark are in Washington DC several thousand miles away, I hope their family enjoys the holidays together. Mike and I miss those twins dearly and wish the family lived closer.
One of the things I enjoyed doing with another grandaughter, Aleshia, when her family visited so long ago was to make sugar cookes. These cookies are not your everyday sugar cookie. The recipie has been handed down from my grandmother to my family and now I'm sharing that recipie with you all. I remember making these cookies with my grandmother and somehow she would always pull them out of the freezer after a huge Thanksgiving meal and share them with family. These cookies would be the first of many Christmas cookies we would enjoy. I try to make them in time for Thanksgiving like my Grandmother but sometimes they get eaten before Christmas and I have to make more. This is a large dough batter so be prepared to make lots of cookies. Freeze them ahead so you can pull them out any time. There's nothing better than a cold frozen cookie. YUM.....
Grandma's sugar cookies
1 1/2 cups butter softened
3 cups sugar
2 eggs
Cream these ingrediants together until fluffy
Mix dry ingrediants together
5 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
Mix the dry ingrediants alternately with 1/2 cup milk until the mixture is blended. Doug will be soft.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch and cut into your favorite shapes. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown or about 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the cookie.
Frost with any type of butter cream icing or your favorite icing and sprinkle with colored sprinkles. This makes a lot of cookies so you can cut the recipie in half.
Holidays can be a stressful time, but it can also be a time where families connect and share with each other. Even though Jeanne and Mark are in Washington DC several thousand miles away, I hope their family enjoys the holidays together. Mike and I miss those twins dearly and wish the family lived closer.
One of the things I enjoyed doing with another grandaughter, Aleshia, when her family visited so long ago was to make sugar cookes. These cookies are not your everyday sugar cookie. The recipie has been handed down from my grandmother to my family and now I'm sharing that recipie with you all. I remember making these cookies with my grandmother and somehow she would always pull them out of the freezer after a huge Thanksgiving meal and share them with family. These cookies would be the first of many Christmas cookies we would enjoy. I try to make them in time for Thanksgiving like my Grandmother but sometimes they get eaten before Christmas and I have to make more. This is a large dough batter so be prepared to make lots of cookies. Freeze them ahead so you can pull them out any time. There's nothing better than a cold frozen cookie. YUM.....
Grandma's sugar cookies
1 1/2 cups butter softened
3 cups sugar
2 eggs
Cream these ingrediants together until fluffy
Mix dry ingrediants together
5 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
Mix the dry ingrediants alternately with 1/2 cup milk until the mixture is blended. Doug will be soft.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch and cut into your favorite shapes. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown or about 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the cookie.
Frost with any type of butter cream icing or your favorite icing and sprinkle with colored sprinkles. This makes a lot of cookies so you can cut the recipie in half.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Hunting Season is Here Again
For those of us who have husbands who enjoy the sport of hunting, this is one of the big weekends when our spouses get together to play (aka hunt). Yes, my husband is one of those boys who likes to hunt. He related a story to me when he was younger he and a cousin talked his mother into letting the two boys have an adventure. The adventure was to be left out in the Mt. Hood wilderness for one week on their own at the age of 12 to fend for themselves. My husband and his cousin survived that weekend in the woods and my husband's mother picked my husband and his cousin up at the end of the week.
Surviving the hunting season for me or those wives left behind becomes interesting. I decided to spend some time in Central Oregon, and had the joy of getting together with all my sisters to celebrate a birthday. The sisters talked about cooking and I had a chance to let them know about my blog and I would be providing recipies in my blog.
Since having an adventure is on my mind, I decided to make another one of my original recipies. I hope you enjoy it as much as our community group has enjoyed it. Of course I had to make it when I got home from Central Oregon today.
Decadent Orange/Coconut brownies
1 cup softened butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
zest of one orange
2 teaspoons orange flavoring
Cream the above together and add 2 eggs. Continue to cream the ingrediants.
Add
1/2 salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups coconut
Bake in a 8x8 square pan at 350 until lightly golden and the center is set - about 20-30 minutes.
Frost when cool:
1/2 cup butter softened
2 cups powdered sugar
zest of one orange
1 teaspoon orange flavoring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
milk or cream to make it frosting consistency
Frost. Serve with French vanilla ice cream. This is soooo good.
Surviving the hunting season for me or those wives left behind becomes interesting. I decided to spend some time in Central Oregon, and had the joy of getting together with all my sisters to celebrate a birthday. The sisters talked about cooking and I had a chance to let them know about my blog and I would be providing recipies in my blog.
Since having an adventure is on my mind, I decided to make another one of my original recipies. I hope you enjoy it as much as our community group has enjoyed it. Of course I had to make it when I got home from Central Oregon today.
Decadent Orange/Coconut brownies
1 cup softened butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
zest of one orange
2 teaspoons orange flavoring
Cream the above together and add 2 eggs. Continue to cream the ingrediants.
Add
1/2 salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups coconut
Bake in a 8x8 square pan at 350 until lightly golden and the center is set - about 20-30 minutes.
Frost when cool:
1/2 cup butter softened
2 cups powdered sugar
zest of one orange
1 teaspoon orange flavoring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
milk or cream to make it frosting consistency
Frost. Serve with French vanilla ice cream. This is soooo good.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Valuable Friends
I am so blessed with friends who truly care about Mike and me. The Bible tells us how important Christian fellowship is and to spend time with other believers. Mike and I have a community group and the members of this group had their kickoff potluck today. It was a BYOM (Bring Your Own meat) BBQ with side dishes brought by the members of our group.
Of course if you come from my family (the Reimer side), you know that my mother ALWAYS brought food for the family but also food for others as well. You knew when you attended a Reimer potluck, you'd find too much food. My mother told me, "Its better to have too much than not enough food." I suppose this reasoning can back-fire, but I try to be prepared for potlucks.
The recipie I'm going to share today takes advantage of the fresh fruit from the summer plus the wonderful seasoning I love to use which is cinnamon. The members of our potluch could smell the cinnamon the minute they dove into this dessert. Enjoy that precious fellowship that only God provides with your friends and fellow Christians.
Spicy Cinnamon Cobbler
Wash 4 cups of Katata Blackberries or your favorite blackberry
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
Cook the above until the berries are bubbly. Add a slurry of 1/4 cup cold water and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and cook until the berry juice is clear. Pour in a cobbler pan or 8 x 9 inch square pan.
Cobbler mix
1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Mix the dry ingrediants together and make a well in the bowl. Pour in the liquid ingrediants and mix until just moistened. Drop by teaspoon fulls on top of the berry mix and bake the cobbler at 400 degrees until the biscuits are nicely golden. Serves 8 people.
Of course if you come from my family (the Reimer side), you know that my mother ALWAYS brought food for the family but also food for others as well. You knew when you attended a Reimer potluck, you'd find too much food. My mother told me, "Its better to have too much than not enough food." I suppose this reasoning can back-fire, but I try to be prepared for potlucks.
The recipie I'm going to share today takes advantage of the fresh fruit from the summer plus the wonderful seasoning I love to use which is cinnamon. The members of our potluch could smell the cinnamon the minute they dove into this dessert. Enjoy that precious fellowship that only God provides with your friends and fellow Christians.
Spicy Cinnamon Cobbler
Wash 4 cups of Katata Blackberries or your favorite blackberry
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
Cook the above until the berries are bubbly. Add a slurry of 1/4 cup cold water and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and cook until the berry juice is clear. Pour in a cobbler pan or 8 x 9 inch square pan.
Cobbler mix
1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Mix the dry ingrediants together and make a well in the bowl. Pour in the liquid ingrediants and mix until just moistened. Drop by teaspoon fulls on top of the berry mix and bake the cobbler at 400 degrees until the biscuits are nicely golden. Serves 8 people.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Welcome to my blog
Hi everyone. This blog is something that I've started because I thought it would be a good way to share recipies that I've developed and continue to develop.
Learning to cook as a child was considered a "chore" in our household growing up. By the age of middle school, I was making breads, danish pastries, whole meals and other baked goods. My mother worked outside the home much of the time while growing up so cooking fell to me most of the time. She and my grandmother taught me most of what I know. My grandmother would "hire" me and pay me a small wage when she had her dinner parties. I usually made some type of bread plus helped in the kitchen and cleaned up while she enjoyed her dinner party. I have fond memories of sitting in her kitchen listening to her tell me how meals should be made. What a special time!
I have the privilege to serve my church (Morning Star Church) by making breakfast every morning for our Production and Worship teams. What they don't know is that I love to fix them surprises every Sunday by making something different and unique that maybe they haven't had before.
This blog will share some receipies that I've been making a long time plus all the new ones I've made for our church group on Sunday Mornings. God says that each one of us has a unique and different gift and/or talent. I think mine is cooking and even though there are only two of us at home now, I get to cook on a regular basis for groups or families in need. When cooking for a family in need, I try to give the recipe along with the meal so that if the family wants to create it again, they can.
I love the ingrediants cinnamon and in Proverbs, it says: "I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon." So you will see cinnamon in a lot of the recipies I use. Here's the first one called Pumpkin Struesel Nut Coffee Cake. I made it as an original for our group yesterday. They ate it up and there were just a few pieces left over to nibble on today.
Pumpkin Struesel Nut Coffee Cake
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
4 eggs
1 can solid pumpkin (not baking mix)
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
2 cups floor
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Cloves
1/2 teaspoon Ginger
Cream the sugar, butter and eggs together to make a fluffy batter. Add dry ingrediants and pumpking alternately ending with the pumpkin. Pour into an oblong large pan.
Struesel Topping
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup floor
1 cup chopped nuts
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1/2 cold butter
Cut the cold butter into the other ingrediants and crumble over the pumpkin mixture. Dont worry about mixing in or cutting in the struesel with a knife as the topping will melt somewhat into the batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes until the cake is set in the middle. You can serve hot or cooled. I like to dress it up with cinnamon whipped cream (combing 1 cup whipping cream with 1 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/4 cup powdered sugar). Whip until the cream is fluffy and serve with the cake.
Learning to cook as a child was considered a "chore" in our household growing up. By the age of middle school, I was making breads, danish pastries, whole meals and other baked goods. My mother worked outside the home much of the time while growing up so cooking fell to me most of the time. She and my grandmother taught me most of what I know. My grandmother would "hire" me and pay me a small wage when she had her dinner parties. I usually made some type of bread plus helped in the kitchen and cleaned up while she enjoyed her dinner party. I have fond memories of sitting in her kitchen listening to her tell me how meals should be made. What a special time!
I have the privilege to serve my church (Morning Star Church) by making breakfast every morning for our Production and Worship teams. What they don't know is that I love to fix them surprises every Sunday by making something different and unique that maybe they haven't had before.
This blog will share some receipies that I've been making a long time plus all the new ones I've made for our church group on Sunday Mornings. God says that each one of us has a unique and different gift and/or talent. I think mine is cooking and even though there are only two of us at home now, I get to cook on a regular basis for groups or families in need. When cooking for a family in need, I try to give the recipe along with the meal so that if the family wants to create it again, they can.
I love the ingrediants cinnamon and in Proverbs, it says: "I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon." So you will see cinnamon in a lot of the recipies I use. Here's the first one called Pumpkin Struesel Nut Coffee Cake. I made it as an original for our group yesterday. They ate it up and there were just a few pieces left over to nibble on today.
Pumpkin Struesel Nut Coffee Cake
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
4 eggs
1 can solid pumpkin (not baking mix)
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
2 cups floor
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Cloves
1/2 teaspoon Ginger
Cream the sugar, butter and eggs together to make a fluffy batter. Add dry ingrediants and pumpking alternately ending with the pumpkin. Pour into an oblong large pan.
Struesel Topping
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup floor
1 cup chopped nuts
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1/2 cold butter
Cut the cold butter into the other ingrediants and crumble over the pumpkin mixture. Dont worry about mixing in or cutting in the struesel with a knife as the topping will melt somewhat into the batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes until the cake is set in the middle. You can serve hot or cooled. I like to dress it up with cinnamon whipped cream (combing 1 cup whipping cream with 1 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/4 cup powdered sugar). Whip until the cream is fluffy and serve with the cake.
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