BUTTERNUT SOUP WITH GARAM MASALA - From Spain

 Ron and Cheryl Miller and Me (not praying)

We spent a week in southern Spain last fall.  The hills around Malaga are covered with white pueblo villages.  We stayed in one and visited several other villages during our time there.  We had a wonderful lunch in the village of Frigiliana overlooking the valley.  We ate a butternut squash, tomato soup with garam masala, a spice I recognized.  It is often used in Indian cooking.    I have experimented twice changing the amount of tomato and spice the second time.  I am pleased with the final product.  I served it to guests both times and they liked both versions.  Roasting the squash adds a nice flavor but it is still good just putting everything in a pot if you are pressed for time.

Toss together the following in a bowl and pour onto a cookie sheet.  Broil on high for 10-12 minutes or until you have some browned edges:

5 Cups of cut up peeled butternut squash
1/2 chopped onion
3-5 cloves garlic grated
1 stalk of celery cut up
2 T. olive oil
(If you don't want to roast the squash, brown the garlic and onions in the oil in your soup pot before adding the other ingredients)

Cover everything with 5 cups of water and 2 tsps. of garam masala 1/4 tsp pepper and salt to taste (start with 1/2 tsp).  Add 1 cup canned diced tomatoes.   (You can buy garam masala spice but it is not easy to find.  I made my own and have included the recipe I used.  If you search the internet there are dozens of different recipes for garam masala.)  Simmer covered for 40 minutes and blend until smooth with an immersion blender (the hand held kind.  If you don't have one Walmart has one for about $10.  I couldn't live without it.)  Add 1/4-1/2 cups whipping cream.  (the richer the better but you may be counting fat.)

 Garam Masala spice mix :
1 tablespoon coriander; ground
1 tablespoon cumin; ground
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fennel seeds; ground (mortar and pistal)
1 tablespoon ginger; ground
1 tablespoon cardamom; ground
1 tablespoon nutmeg; ground
1 TEASPOON cloves; ground
Cayenne pepper to taste (I use about ½ tsp. You can always add more later)

MEMORIES OF NEW ZEALAND - For Leif

 

Oil on Linen Board - 16X20

My son Leif is graduating from the University of Washington in Seattle this spring. Last fall he went to New Zealand to help a friend photograph a  project studying some kind of rodent they have there.  (that's all I know)  I told him I would paint one of his photographs from the trip.  These are hot pools where they were swimming.  It was different from anything I  have painted and enjoyed the challenge.   This is Leif in the picture and yes, that is his hair. 

CHEESY POTATO SPOON BREAD

I have made this twice.  The second time I cut up a cup of butternut squash and boiled it with 4 potatoes and whipped them together for the potato base.  I plan to use 2 C. butternut squash next time with 2-3 potatoes.  The first time I used Sharp White Cheddar Cheese and the second time I used Smoked Gouda (from Costco)  I liked this the best.  The recipe calls for Pepper Jack Cheese.  I will try that next time.  I think crumbled bacon would be good with the cheese filling or maybe even chopped asparagus, broccoli or spinach. . I didn't have a souffle dish big enough so used this round casserole dish.  It is a nice side dish with chicken, fish or beef or a nice vegetarian main dish.  The leftovers sliced up to make a nice lunch the next day.

    4 cups fresh or leftover mashed potatoes (or part butternut squash)

     Cook the squash and potatoes together and whip as you would 

      mashed potatoes.

    1 cup all-purpose flour
     3 T. butter
    1/2 teaspoon onion powder
    salt to taste
    1/2 teaspoon ground  pepper
    1/4-1/2  teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
    4 large eggs, beaten, or 1 cup egg substitute
    1/4 cup minced parsley (optional)
    8 oz. Cheese – Pepper Jack, Sharp Cheddar or Smoked Gouda
    8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened or 1 generous cup cottage cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Generously butter 6 1-cup ramekins or 2-qt. soufflé dish or casserole.

2. If using cold mashed potatoes, warm in microwave until hot. Or use fresh hot mashed potatoes.  (About 4-5 medium Potatoes or use part butternut squash)

3. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Put flour, butter, onion powder, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper in mixing bowl, and pour boiling water over mixture. Using electric mixer on low, beat for 1 minute, and add very hot mashed potatoes. Beat again well. Add eggs, and beat again, until thoroughly combined..

4. Mix parsley, shredded cheese and cream cheese or cottage cheese in mixing bowl. Scoop 1/2 cup potato mixture into each ramekin,  Make a well in center, and spoon in 2 heaping tablespoons of parsley-cheese filling. Cover filling with 4 tablespoons potato mixture. If using casserole,  pour half the potato mixture into  a well sprayed dish dot with cheese mixture and cover with the remaining potato mixture.

5. Bake 50 minutes  (I am not sure how long for the ramekins). Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with sprigs of parsley if desired. Serves 6.

This is the version without butternut squash

BOOK REVIEW - ISAAC'S STORM - By Erik Larson

Some books have so much educational value that it’s a plus when they also entertain, which was so with “Isaac’s Storm.”  This book was somewhat of a documentary told in a sparkling way so that it felt like a novel.  Erik Larson tells the story from 3 fronts even though they intertwine as the story moves along:

1. Isaac Cline’s life is developed from beginning to end as a weatherman, a medical student, a scientist, a Sunday School teacher and a family man.  He was highly motivated, and even driven in all of his stewardships.  He is a man I would like.  But his competency was not above learning humility.  And this humility takes place in the eye of a hurricane that he has studied all his life.

2. The second focus of the book was a history of American weather forecasting, including some wonderful stories about Christopher Columbus and his dealings with weather and in particular a hurricane.  The telegraph created weather forecasting.  The abilities, frustrations, and human ego involved in forecasting are laid out from the perspective of the US government trying to create a forecasting crew across the country.  Isaac was a part of this group almost from the beginning.

3. The last and most interesting part of the story is the real basis of the book, the Galveston, Texas hurricane that took place in September of 1900.  Upwards of 8,000 people were killed.  This story is gripping, and tragic in its well researched details.  Isaac Cline had been living and working in Galveston for many years when the Hurricane occurred.  His life and career were forever changed by this event.  Much of the detail comes from his eyes.  I will never look at Hurricanes the same. 

Thanks to my friend Jill Gerrish for recommending this Book.  I would give it 4 stars.

TOFFEE CRACKER COOKIES

These are soooooooo good if you like toffee and the base is a simple cracker.  I used the little Keebler Club crackers because they are buttery and fit into the cookie sheet nicely.  But you can also use saltines. 
Cover a large sided cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray.  Cover with crackers edge to edge to fill up the tin.  In a medium sauce pan melt 1 1/4 C. butter.  Add 1 1/4 C. brown sugar to the butter and boil for 3 minutes.  Pour carefully over the crackers smoothing to cover  them nicely.  Bake until they are bubbling all over the top and starting to brown just a little, 8-10 minutes 350 (if you undercook they won't be crunchy)  Cool for 1 minute.  Sprinkle with 1 large pkg. chocolate chips (I often use 1 1/2 pkg. of chips...more chocolate!)  Put back in the warm oven for a minute or two until the chips are melting.  Spread them to cover the top.  Add chopped toasted almonds or any other nut or no nuts as you prefer. Press into the chocolate.  I usually make half and half for the non nuts.   A pizza cutter works well to cut them into squares.Break or cut apart.

Half the recipe if you don't want this much but they freeze nicely and are nice to have around for a little treat. 

Toffee Layer

Cutting in the pan.

ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

I have never cooked anything with Tomatillos before but after seeing a recipe on Tasty Kitchen (See my links) I decided to make my own version.  I love salsa and Mexican food.  I liked this recipe and will make it again and again I know.  Because it is cooked its refrigerator life is longer than fresh tomato salsa.  At least a week, maybe more.  I couldn't leave it alone.  This recipe will serve 4-6 for dipping and more for tacos. You can make half but I figure while you are at it make enough to last a few days.

INGREDIENTS 
2 lbs Tomatillos (12-14 medium) (husks removed easier under running water) Cut into 4 sections.
4-5 good size jalapenos seeded with the white membrane removed.  The more membrane the more heat.
4-5 cloves garlic sliced
1 medium onion cut into sections (sweet onion is good)
2 tsps. fresh ground cumin seeds (it is worth getting a mortar and pistil just for cumin seeds)

Spread it all in one layer in a large sided cookie sheet.  Broil on high for 10-12 minutes.  I put another cookie sheet upside down under to get the vegetables closer to the heat elements.  You want to get some brown roasted edges for flavor.  Scrape into a food processor and pulse a bit.  Keep it a little coarse.  Add 1/2 -1 Cup loosely packed Cilantro (optional) Pulse again and add salt to taste.  One avocado chopped in it upon serving is good.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW - SOUTH RIDING - by Winifred Holtby

I will admit that I am a Masterpiece Theater junkie.  So when I discovered that they were going to have a production of “South Riding” this year I got on line and ordered a used copy.  It was published in 1936. (The picture here is a new release)  I was not disappointed. 

Two things gave me pause before I began.  The introduction said the story moved around English local government.  Could that be interesting, I wondered? And then there was a list of characters 6 pages long at the beginning of the book.  Wow!  How will I ever keep that many straight.  But neither issue was detracting.  Holtby was a spinster and lived in the era she was writing about and her mother was involved in local government so she knew of what she wrote.  The seaside village life of her story was vividly portrayed with every sort of character that might have lived there.

Winifred Holtby’s writing is crisp and quick moving.  I was never bored or bogged down.   She says a lot with an economy of words.  Her character descriptions and dialogue are insightful with sparkle, humor and pathos.  She didn’t judge her characters.  Even the badly flawed in the story had redeeming qualities. 

Sarah Burton is a 38 year old spinster, small, plain, red headed and spunky.  She is the new head mistress of the South Riding High School.  All of the characters have chapters in the book that unfold as they relate to Sarah or to the local government.   Life is changing in this era.  The landed aristocracy is losing its grip and urbanization and industrialization are altering every day life.  Progressive ideas and opportunities for women are shifting the family and society.

Can you be optimistic to a fault?  I like these thoughts of Sarah when she first arrives at the school.  If she is wrong she is beautifully wrong.  

“There was all the more reason why she must fortify her children, equip them with knowledge and confidence and ambition, arm them with weapons to fight the deadening monotony of life, arm them with joy, with memories, with passion.  She would challenge them to make something better of their lives than their parents had done.  She would inoculate their minds with her own gospel of resolution and intelligence.  ‘Go therefore, and do that which is within you to do.  Take no heed of gestures that beckon you aside.  Ask of no man permission to perform’—that was the motto she gave to the girls who left her care to become housewives, typists, children’s nurse, shop assistants.  She laughed at her extravagance of vision.  Oh, but that wasn’t what she meant.  It was something unexpected and spontaneous—an afternoon snatched from the fixed routine of time-tables, a chance of joy, a burst of music, an insistence upon beauty or pleasure of daring.  Something positive and wild and lovely—like driving out before the dawn of Greenwich and watching the ships sail up the silver Thames.”

The book made me think about women and their need to love a man.  All my wallflower friends in High School picked out a guy to have a crush on.  He didn’t know we existed but we would carry on our fantasy and it got us through our need for romance.   Even though Sarah was a progressive, liberated 38-year-old she still wanted to love someone and becomes infatuated with Robert Carne, a Mr. Rochester like character, with an insane wife who is living in a care center.  His story dominates a lot of the book.  This is not a satisfying love story but Sarah’s unrequited love is sweet and you long for her to find a happy place, which she does, as all upbeat ambitious people like her are bound to do.

I am excited to see how Masterpiece portrays the book.   5 stars – loved it!

MOVIE REVIEW - THE KING'S SPEECH

Once in awhile it is a tragedy that they make a movie R rated..."The King's Speech," is such a movie.  It is based on the very severe stutter of the would be King George VI on the brink of WWII.  Colin Firth is superb in the part looking regal but masterfully showing the stress and pain of his impediment. Jeffery Rush plays Lionel Louge, the last resort, unorthodox speech therapist.  The part was made for Rush.  He may have even out shined Firth.  Louge's family is a delight to watch.  Helna Bonham Carter is perfect as Elizabeth and the royal family life looks idyllic.  The whole situation with Bertie's older brother David, who was intended to be King, plays out as his playboy life is revealed and his intention to marry Wallace Simpson prevents that from happening.  And for me (Pride and Prejudice aficionado that I am) it was fun to see Mr. Collins from the A&E production have a cameo part.  And Jennifer Ehle who was Lizzie as Lional's wife. 

So why the R rating?  As part of his therapy Linoel is trying to shock Bertie into relaxing and throwing off his internal stress so he has him repeat the "f" word and the "s" word repeatedly.  Something about swear words with an English accent--they don't sound quite so bad.  It really isn't offensive as you see the therapeutic value.  These are situations where the rating system is very flawed--where you can  justify seeing  a PG 13 movie with promiscuous sex and miss something as worth while and uplifting as this.  I do believe personal discretion  should play a part in our movie choices.   
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BIRTHDAY CAKE FROSTING

When I was a kid my mother had a frosting that she only made when it was someone's birthday.  It is basically a 7 minute fluffy frosting but it has a cup of Karo syrup in it so it never goes to sugar like some similar recipes. Now I make it often because it is well loved in my house, especially by my husband who requests it as his favorite cake--a white cake with fudge filling and mounds of the fluffy stuff.  The pictures here are from his December birthday cake.  I have made multiple recipes and frosted several wedding cakes.  It makes a lovely cake if you are covering it with flowers.   It is very much no fail.   It is heavenly on my favorite from scratch Chocolate Cake

For the chocolate drizzle add 2 tsp. oil to 1/2 C chocolate chips and microwave on low power until melted. 

HEAVENLY FROSTING 

1 C. Corn syrup
2 Egg whites
1/3 C. Sugar
pinch of Salt
¼ tsp. Cream of tarter
3 drops of vanilla
Beat over boiling water (double boiler) 7 min.
Cool to room temperature – beat for 3 minutes - frost

BOOK REVIEW - RELUCTANT SAINT - The Life of Francis of Assisi

Reluctant Saint
The Life of Francis of Assisi by Donald Spoto

The last uttered words of Francis of Assisi, minutes before his death, to his long time companions Bernard and Giles was this:  “I have done what is mine.  May Christ teach you what is yours to do.”  (p. 215)

All who are attempting to follow Christ must decide what our discipleship will look like.  Perhaps too often we don’t decide.  We just follow the flow of those around us, not realizing that we have unique choices.  This book was a look at Francis’s life, his conversion and the facets of his faith as they evolved over the years.  It made me look at my own evolution of faith.  It made me want to make some choices about what is mine “to do.”   What can I take from Francis of Assisi in my own spiritual journey?

Francis was a rich self-indulged young man when he found God in the crucifix in an old church.

“....this immense and unimaginably good God, Who addressed Francis in the image of the poor, crucified one, also brought him to life, gave him purpose, rescued him from chaos....Francis had not only been lifted from the depths of depression, he had been lifted out of the prison of self.” (p.46)

To commemorate this day Francis composed a short prayer:  “Most High, glorious God: enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me true faith, certain hope and perfect charity, sense and knowledge, Lord—that I may carry out Your holy and true command.”   He lived this prayer every day for the next 22 years of his life.

These are the tenants of Francis’s Christian commitments:

- God is the absolute good and must have priority in our lives
- Our lives themselves manifest the praise of God.
- We give thanks for the beauty of the world.
- We long to believe fully in the triune God, Who created, redeemed and will finally act in love to save us forever.
- We long to desire nothing but God, on Whom we depend and in Whom we hope.
- We want to love God because He has first loved us.
- Doing penance means constantly turning to God.
- We are poor because God alone is rich, and everything good belongs to Him Who gives us everything.  He is not unfeeling or indifferent, but He constantly draws near to us, speaks to us, saves us.
- For all these reasons, we are also concerned for the well-being and salvation of all mankind.
- We prefer the celebration and the living out of faith rather than disputing about it—hence we go among unbelievers and preach to others mostly by example. (p. 185)

Francis reiterated these beliefs 5 years before his death when his followers had grown large and the basic elements of his teachings were threatened to fall into the pot of other mainstream religious fraternities. 

Francis’ fraternal order took root as many were drawn to his simple upbeat sermons and his service to the poor.  He started with the lepers:

“The Lord gave me, Brother Francis, thus to begin doing penance in this way: for when I was in sin, it seemed too bitter for me to see lepers.  And the Lord Himself led me among them, and I showed mercy to them.  And when I left them, what had seemed bitter to me was turned into sweetness of soul and body.” ( p.210)

I couldn’t help but judge some of Francis’ decisions.  He had bad health most of his life.  It was shocking he lived to 44, considering all of his ailments.  Did he fast too much?  Did his desire for poverty limit good food choices?  Did his work with the lepers and the sick put his health at risk?  He most likely had leprosy when he died.  At one point , after a failed attempt to travel to Spain by ship he decided he would walk – barefoot from Italy.  He had a desire to preach to the Muslims in Spain, even though he knew they would kill him.  He always hoped he could be a martyr for Christ.  His health kept him from completing the journey and his health worsened after.  He said of his martyrdom:  “To suffer this illness, even for three days, is harder for me than any martyrdom would be.”   (p.199) But, he did what he did for his spiritual health, which was more important than his life or bodily health. 

Francis embarked on and interesting (but crazy) journey to Egypt during the Fifth Crusade.   His desire was to bear Christianity to the Muslin sultan.  His wish was granted with amazing results:

“But the sultan was a man who appreciated true faith wherever he found it, he also admired Francis’s character, his wholehearted commitment to his faith and his clear contempt for the luxuries of the world.  ‘I am going to act against this advice,’ al-Kamil said to Francis when they were alone.  ‘I will never condemn you to death—for that would indeed be an evil reward to bestow on you, who conscientiously risked death in order to save my life before God, as you believe.’ “ (p.161)

This trip further depleted Francis’s health as he attempted to help the many disease-ridden poor and dying victims of the atrocities of the Crusades.  On the trip home his eyes became infected and he lost most of his vision as a result. 

What most impressed me about Francis was his commitment to a cheery upbeat ministry.  He never preached the gospel of fear, which was popular at the time.  He believed in being an example of joy, peace, love and happiness, despite his poverty and suffering.  He was a troubadour of happy songs of faith and a preacher of good will.   I believe it was the secret to his success.  His desire was for the “fraternity to remain ...a lay movement without the bonds of institutional and clerical structures.” (p.149)  But as it became larger and the church became more involved things began to change and this is the one time when Francis became discouraged, depressed, and feeling he had failed.

Two years before his death Francis had a dream that helped him to understand his faith, which was based on his desire to imitate the life of Jesus and not on any perceived mortal successes or failures.   Like Francis we all have many opportunities for conversion as life hands us trials and experiences that teach and change us.

Perhaps I am a kindred spirit to Francis of Assissi because of my love of birds.  About 20 years ago I had a spiritual experience involving hawks on my morning walk.  See Wings of Hope  Birds have become a symbol of my hope for my family.  Now in our new home Mike and I feed the birds from the trees visible from our living area.  It brings us a lot of joy.

“...throughout the Middle Ages, birds were often used to represent souls, because they can fly up to God.  They were also potent symbols of freedom.  In the feudal system, the majority of people were tied to the land, and almost no one was mobile.  But birds were unfettered, cheerful, singing, hopeful—everything workers aspired to be.”  ( p. 103)

Francis had more success with the lowest level of society—the poor and manual workers, poetically symbolized by birds.  In describing his last moments, Francis’s friends never forgot one detail:  “Many birds, called larks, flew low above the roof of the house where he lay, wheeling in a circle and singing.”
(p. 215)

Thanks to Rebecca Bateman for recommending this book and her great review that enticed me to read it.  It has caused me to take a serious look at what is mine to do and I do believe that Christ will teach me if I seek him in faith.