SPICED PUMPKIN BUTTER

This is good anywhere you would use jam. I found some cute little jars and have 10 jars ready to give away as Christmas favors.

My mother was the queen of canning when I was a child. She made Apple Butter and I loved it. Recently I have come across recipes for Pumpkin Butter. In my love for the Apple version I decided to try this. This recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens. I read the recipe reviews online and those that tried it said the ginger was too strong. I don't like ginger in my pumpkin pie so I didn't use it at all in the Pumpkin Butter. I just increased the Cinnamon and Nutmeg. I like the flavor of this. I also cooked a fresh pumpkin which is not for the faint of heart. I had a pumpkin about 1 foot in diameter which I cut up in 6-7 inch pieces and put them in a large pot with 3-4 inches of water to steam for about an hour. I then cooled the pieces on a cookie sheet and scraped the flesh off the peel. Then I put it in a food processor and blended until smooth. I put the puree back in the pan and cooked, stirring constantly for 1/2 hour or so until some of the water evaporated. Whew! This is work. I am posting an alternate way to cook the pumpkin in the oven which I will do next time because it may eliminate the thickening of the puree by cooking as the pumpkin probably dries out in baking. As you can see by the recipe you can use canned pumpkin. If you use canned I would replace the 1/2 cup of apple juice with 1 can of applesauce.

Spiced Pumpkin Butter

Ingredients
4 cups Pumpkin Puree, or two 15-oz. cans pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple juice or 1 can of applesauce
2 T cider vinegar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions
1. In 5-quart Dutch oven combine all ingredients. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, 25 minutes or until thick. (If mixture spatters, reduce heat to medium-low. I used one of those grease popping screens while stirring). I suspect the canned pumpkin would cook faster than the fresh pulp. Remove from heat; cool.
2. Ladle into jars or freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Cover; store in refrigerator up to 1 week or freezer up to 6 months.

PUMPKIN PUREE FROM A FRESH PUMPKIN (Oven Method)

Cut pumpkin in 5 inch pieces. Remove seeds and strings. Arrange in a single layer skin side up in foil lined baking pan. Bake covered, 1 hour or until tender. Cool and scoop pulp from rind. Puree in blender or food processor. Can be frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator to use.

WHAT MAKES LIFE SWEET FOR MIKE ANDERSON?

Mike and his sister Alicia

Do all men get better with age or just mine? Mike Anderson is doing a very sweet thing for me lately besides the dishes every night. I go to the temple on Fridays. Sometimes before I leave and at other times not until after my return I spy a white paper sitting on my shiny black stovetop. It makes me happy because I know this sheet is a hand written note from my thoughtful husband about something he admires about me. It is usually one page with details of his admiration. Most of the notes relate to normal things we women do when we are trying to be a good wife and homemaker. Others are recognition of my personal goals that he respects. It is nice and motivating to see that my man actually notices and appreciates what I am doing...even the simple things.
　
One Thursday morning last summer Mike went with me on a 10-mile bike ride which loops through west Farmington. We do this route often during the summer. I have spent most of this summer going alone as Mike's hip replacement hasn’t been comfortable enough to bike. On this particular day we passed Mike’s sister Alicia, who lives in Farmington Crossing. She was walking on a street in Oakridge with a friend. We didn’t stop to talk but waved a hearty hello. (Alicia tells me that when I am alone they often see me but I don’t see them—excessive concentration?) Mike said to me as we rode along, "Isn’t that great! I saw my sister on the street this morning."

When I returned from the temple on Friday the white sheet of paper was waiting for me to read. Mike told me later that seeing his sister walking on Thursday morning inspired him to write this list:

SOME things that make life sweet:

-Watching our birds
-Sitting on the deck on a cool morning
-A home cooked meal
-Taking a bike ride and seeing my sister walking
-A soft mattress
-St. George in February
-A daughter who lives in the area
-Grandsons
Michael making his first par
Being called "Poppy"
Watching Luke toddle
-Your paintings
-Golf channel/Hitting a long drive
-Visiting Monterey
-Good friends
-A fresh tomato, sweet corn, watermelon, chocolate, your marshmallow frosting on cake, hot fudge
-A movie we both like
-A day without pain
-The smell of fresh cookies
-Finishing a stained glass project
-Hearing a word in Spanish, French, German or Italian and understanding it. (He knows some of all these languages)-A Sarah Brightman classic
-When a child is happy or has a success
-A pet like Puddles (Maren's wonderful cat)
-Spending my life with you

I feel great joy that I could be a part of the sweetness in Mike’s life. Thanks my precious partner for your generous appreciation for the simple joys.

CHOCOLATE HOT POTS

I went on a Carnival cruise with Maren in July and the Warm Chocolate Melting Cakes were their best dessert. I gained 4 lbs. eating more than my share. When I came home I began research on a recipe (love the internet). After trying 3 recipes this is the one I created and am pleased with the results.  A friend named them Hot Pots. 

(I have simplified the recipe for those of you who have seen this before.  There was too much information) They are really very simple. 

1 C. butter melted and add:
8 oz. dark chocolate – stir until chocolate is smooth.  If you use semisweet add 2 T. Dutch process Cocoa or what you have. (I often 1 1/2 times this recipe which uses 1 pkg. of Hershey's Dark Choc Chips from Walmart and I still add 1 T. Cocoa. (Love these Hershey chips) 

  

Cool the chocolate for 10 minutes if it is hot. Add 4 eggs and 1 egg yolk along with ½ C. of sugar, ¼ C. of flour and 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir well and chill until solid. This can stay in the refrigerator for a week and it will also freeze (form into balls, chill on a sprayed plate and then lift them in a fold top bag individually . (if you only want to bake a couple at a time like we do) One recipe makes about 7 cups. 

The baking process is the key to success. Buy some small ceramic ramkins 3 1/2 inch (the clear glass ones get too hot.  Ross has them often.  

Fill the Pam sprayed cups with 1/3 C. generously filled cold mixture.  If I have it I make a hole in the middle and add a T Nutella. Bake at 400 for 13-14 minutes. That's what it takes in my oven.  I have also added a choc, or mint truffle in the middle and it is a fun addition.  Don't bake them until the center closes over.  You want the center to be gooey.

A scoop of ice cream on top of the ceramic cups is my favorite. I receive rave reviews every time I serve this. Enjoy!

LAST WEEK IN MONTEREY CALIFORNIA

Cheryl in the front of her house

I wonder if the friends that we make in our young married adulthood are the most important. They were for me. Cheryl was my neighbor for a few years in Somerset Farms in Farmington. We had children of similar ages. We shared a love of art, crafts and sewing. She was a sister I never had and has remained so through the years even as she has moved to Australia and other states in the US. For the last 15 years (or so) she has lived in the "Pastures of Heaven" so well named by John Steinbeck. This lovely place is located in the Salinas hills about 15 minutes from Monterey. Cheryl's sister Viki, her mother Beth and brother Larry (along with all their children) have come to be our family as well and we have all shared many good experiences together. We spent last week in Monterey with the "group". The guys golfed Poppy Hills and Spanish Bay...a rare opportunity, especially because the Bay was free and the Hills at a discount because Viki and Cheryl's husbands Steve and Ron are Golf marshals there. We love the restaurants in the area. I did a little cooking for the family which is a joy for me. We watched conference together. And we walked the beach and the Salinas hills. Thank you dear friends for sharing our life.

The front yard

Stair to the hills by Cheryl and Ron's house

Walking in the hills

Toro Park Path

CREAMY ZUCCHINI BASIL SOUP

You might think I am having a bumper crop of zucchini this year with still another soup with the green veggie. Not so. I am garden free but I do have a nice farmer's market close that I stock up on fresh produce bi-weekly. Last week we went to a Vietnamese restaurant in St. George (in Washington behind Roadhouse Steaks). I had the chicken soup and it had such a wonderful basil broth it made me think about making my zucchini soup again with a basil flare. I love this soup! I could have eaten the entire pot on Saturday when I made it. Zucchini is not very exciting but it lends itself to interesting additions.

In a dutch oven size pan put:
1 T. olive oil

1/2 medium onion chopped or 2 T dried flakes
3-4 cloves of garlic grated
Stir fry until it begins to brown. Add 6 cups of water and:

1 ½ lbs. of sliced zucchini (about 3 medium)
½ stalk of celery grated
1 medium carrot grated
1 peeled cubed medium potato
½ Cup of loosely packed fresh basil or
1 T. dry basil (taste as you are cooking it might need more. I used the fresh)
2 tsp. Salt to start
¼ - ½ tsp. Fresh grated pepper to taste
Simmer for 20 minutes. Add 2 large peeled chopped fresh tomatoes.

Blend with a hand blender or in batches in a regular blender.
Add ¼ C. whipping cream
Serve with crusty French Bread. Pass Parmesan cheese.

4-6 servings

WHY I LOVED "JULIE AND JULIA" THE MOVIE

Mike and I spent last week with his brothers and sisters in St. George for our yearly get-together. Mike's brother Kent lives in Florida and so we all make an effort to spend time together in September when Kent comes to Utah. It has been a very bonding time. The guys play a lot of golf and watch football. The women try to keep themselves entertained. One afternoon we went to the movie Julie and Julia, together. It was a joy. I smiled through the entire movie.

My new office closet has an entire wall of book shelves. Since seeing the movie I couldn't wait to get home and find my old copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," by Julia Child. I have had it for 25 years or so. It was given to me by my friend Cheryl Johnston when she moved out of our neighborhood, many years ago, as she was moving to Australia and had to minimize her stuff. I have looked at it a few times but it definitely wasn't one of my recipe book staples--French cooking and kids? I don't thinks so. I was very disappointed to find that it wasn't there. I must have chucked it when we moved 2 years ago. I remember holding it in my hand and wondering if I should keep it. In my mind I did but it is nowhere in the shelves. I made a second cut of books when they all didn't fit and it must have gone then.

I checked http://fetchbook.info/ for a used copy. $15 plus shipping is cheaper than I expected but I doubt I will get it again.

The story is about 30 year old Julie who spends a year cooking every recipe in the book and blogging about her experiences. Because I blog, cook and am tall this story made me feel connected. Meryl Streep couldn't have been a better Julia Child. I was amazed at how tall they made her look. I know Julia Child was over 6 feet. Amy Adams as Julie was so fresh and charming you couldn't help but adore her. There is a very gratuitous "F" word and I am not sure why they included a negative comment that Julia Child was to have said about Julie's blog at the end. It left a little question in me.

I will never feel the same about butter and I am anxious to see this another time (with Mike, I think he will like it. He can handle chick flicks) and I may want my own copy so when I need to smile I can watch it again.

NOURISH

This is a Christmas dinner with my family. My brother Jack is on the left next to my mother and his wife Jeannine, me, Cliff, Andy and my dad must be taking the picture.

"Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul." D&C 59: 18-19

 Yes, food does enliven the soul. ( Unfortunately most of it needs it be prepared.) Is it any wonder that physical nourishment is so often symbolic of love and care in the scriptures? The father of the Prodigal Son killed the fatted calf to celebrate the return of his wayward son. Today I ate a piece of bread and drank a cup of water symbolic of the atonement and Christ’s love for me.

Lehi went to the tree of life in the Book of Mormon and ate a piece of fruit that was pure and sweet above anything he had ever eaten but his joy was not complete until he could share the sweetness with his family.

 Recently my grandson Michael was baptized and I cooked all week preparing a celebration feast for the people I love. "...how oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you. " (3 Nephi 10:4) I feel akin to God in my desire to nourish. I believe He wanted us to make this connection.

 Feeding people is the plight and joy of women. It does get old and tiresome but we nourish with food knowing that the body must be fed before the spirit can be taught. We do it because nothing is more loving than a nourishing, tasty meal set before a hungry family or friends. We do it because nothing feels quite like the joy of making someone’s favorite dessert.

Men also have a part in the nourishment process as they provide the means for obtaining the food. I have watched my husband keep a job that never really excited him for years, because it was the best way to feed our family. I saw my dad come home from the coal mine every day with black around his eyes because the paycheck bought bread. And of course there are the men who cook, like my brother Jack. Feeding people, wonderful food, is his greatest joy. And often when others are enjoying the party Jack is in the kitchen.


About a year ago I was asked to be the compassionate service leader in our Ward. I worried about asking women to bring meals to those in need. Would it be difficult? Would they respond? Would I end up doing a lot of cooking myself because I couldn’t find anyone? I have been pleased and impressed with the women in my Ward and their willingness to serve each other. I thank heaven for e-mail, which has made my job easier. We have fed some families during my time for several months at a time--one who had severe morning sickness and couldn’t cook. Then again when she was threatening to miscarry her baby. We fed another sister who was inactive. Her husband was having some problems and she had to go back to work. I silently questioned the number of meals we took to her. One sister fed this family every Monday for several months. Then one Sunday several months later a sister I didn’t recognize sat by us in church. It was this sister who had come back to activity and has been at church weekly since. We fed her family and she couldn’t resist our love.
There are mornings when I send out an e-mail requesting meals and by noon I have 10 or more offers to cook and deliver one. Recently I passed around a sign up sheet in Relief Society for two weeks of meals and every day was filled by the end of the meeting. Surely the sisters in my ward have taken the scripture to heart: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my (sisters) ye have done it unto me."
When we moved into our Fruit Heights home 2 years ago the Relief Society presidency brought dinner. At the time I thought, "They can’t do this for everyone who moves in." We are in a new area with people moving in every week. But they did. Dozens of meals, I know. Food cooked by someone else always tastes so good. Home cooked food waiting in the refrigerator is very comforting.
I had foot surgery this year and my visiting teacher brought a beautiful dinner. I felt guilty. It is easy to give but not always so easy to receive.
Today I am in awe of all the women who nourish with home cooked food. I couldn’t resist telling the sisters in testimony meeting that they are amazing.
 "And whosoever among you are sick, and have not faith to be healed, but believe, shall be nourished with all tenderness, with herbs and mild food... " D&C 42: 43　 　 　

The Guernsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Society - Book Review

This is the most charming book I have read in a long time. Masterpiece Theatre had a mini-series a few years ago about the German take over of the Guernsey Islands off the coast of Britain. It was a tragic and difficult event in so many ways. The author Mary Ann Schafer has taken a very serious topic and crafted a story with fun human elements that help people get through difficult times together. All but a few diary entries at the end are written as letters, which I thought might be tedious, but they make the story unique and charming. The ending wrapped up a little too quickly for me but it turns out that the author died before the book was completed and her young niece finished the story. Costco has this for about $8

The following description comes from Goodreads which is a great place to go for book reviews: http://www.goodreads.com/

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb.

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society--born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island--boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

GRANDSONS LUKE AND MICHAEL COME TO VISIT

MUSINGS ON DIETING - WITH MY HUSBAND

This photo was taken when we were both down about 10 lbs.

Mike and I came home from a road trip after Memorial Day weekend and went on a diet – both of us. I don’t think we have ever dieted at the same time before. In the past I would go on a diet and he would lose weight. Mike’s dieting experience is that he loses 10 lbs. in two weeks and quits gaining it all back within the next month. But this time we were both successful—doing it together may have helped. 10 weeks later I have lost 21 lbs. and Mike has lost 16. And no, no one has asked me if I have lost weight but they have him. Do I sound a little jaded here? Well, maybe I am. Dieting with a man makes you realize how unfair the eating situation is between men and women.

Dieting is 95% will and determination. My clothes were getting tight and trying on "my size" was not working so I was in the determined mode. Mike was looking at a larger size pant so he was there also. In the first 2 weeks Mike lost 10 lbs. and I lost 3. We were not on the same diet but that wasn’t really the problem. Women have to starve to lose weight. Mike’s diet consisted of a protein drink for breakfast and lunch, except on T, Thurs., and Sat. when I made him a salad at home, and a "sensible dinner, " which included a couple of pieces of corn on the cob, mashed potatoes and gravy and such. But he also ate watermelon, Creamies ice cream bars and other cheats, which I shall disclose later.

My diet routine was protein for breakfast and lunch and a "very sensible dinner", no sugar in any form. I mostly ate 1/3 C. cottage cheese and a few walnuts for breakfast and a small salad with chicken or shrimp for lunch and half what my usual dinner would have been. Instead of two tacos I ate one, or a small serving of whatever. I also fasted one day a week. This worked for the first 8 lbs. but then I went several days without losing and so for the next month I eliminated carbs. It started to feel like I was in a contest with my body. I was determined to show it that I would win. Although I lost 20 lbs. in 10 weeks this was not a 2 lbs. a week loss. Bodies are very illogical in the way it responds to dieting. You can starve for 4 days and lose nothing and then lose 4 lbs. the next 3 days. Or you can gain a pound when you starved all day and went to bed hungry. None of it made much sense.

When I was down 16 lbs. I went on a 4 day cruise with Maren. We tried to be careful and even worked out on the ship but there were those molten chocolate cakes at dinner and tempting food everywhere all day. I mostly resisted but came home up 4 lbs. I was able to get it off in a week—of starving. Now I would feel bad if Mike was home dieting but he was eating out at his favorite burger and fry joints while I was gone.

The worst part about dieting is going somewhere for dinner, like to one of our favorites, Market Street Broiler, with friends. I was good and had a salad. Mike ate clam chowder (40 fat grams worth) and the early bird halibut special with lots of French bread and ice cream at the end. I ate no bread. Then there was the family home evening where he ate 2 ice cream sundies for dessert. I had salad. And can I forget the box of Hostess cupcakes that I got for Michael. He ate one and Mike finished off the box to the tune of 3 before that evening was over. I could write another page about his cheats but you get the picture. Now tell me, is this fair?

Because of Mike’s hip replacement he was unable to exercise much during our dieting. I walked for an hour in the hills 3 days a week and biked 10 miles the other two. The exercise didn’t seem to make much difference in what I could eat.

On Friday night we celebrated our weight loss at Roosters. We had their wonderful bread pudding for dessert. The next day I was up 1 ½ lbs., not Mike. Will I ever eat again? It is no wonder we give up and decide that maybe it is not worth it. I wasn’t really that fat in the first place. But I am determined and hopefully I can stay that way. Mike seems determined too. He is even talking about losing another 5 lbs., but when you can eat like he can, why not.

Here is one last little diet secret that I picked up from Maren: if you are in a diet slump eat nothing but 5 apples in one day—every 2 hours from 10AM to 6PM. You can lose 2 lbs. in a day. It worked for me. Dieting is pure misery when you are a woman but it is also a conquering challenge—Women, charge on because in the end I lost the most.