Christmas Morning Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Bake

Christmas Morning Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Bake

Wonderfully delicious!

Christmas Morning Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Bake

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

zest from 1 large lemon

1 cup sugar (Set aside 1 T. for sprinkling over the top later)

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flower (Set aside 1/4 cup to toss with blueberries)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.    

Cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy.  Works great in the kitchen aid!

Add the egg and vanilla and buttermilk and beat until combined.

Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with the 1/4 cup flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt. 

Add half the flour mixture to the batter, and stir with a spatula to incorporate.  

Add all the buttermilk.  Stir.  Add remaining flour and mix until flour is absorbed.

Fold in the blueberries.  (Leave the excess flour from the blueberry bowl behind.)

Grease an 8- or 9-inch baking pan (I like my pink pie plate.) with butter or non-stick cooking spray.

Spread the batter in the pan, and sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake for about 1 hour.  [I start checking done-ness at about 45-minutes.]

The Closest Thing to Mr Miller's Cranberry Walnut Bread

I came across this no-knead recipe for an artisan style cranberry honey walnut bread, and thought I'd give it a try.  It worked!  We all agreed that this recipe is a keeper!  It's from The Busy Baker.

My mother-in-law used to get a yummy cranberry bread in Lancaster, PA, from a baker she called Mr. Miller.  Maybe you know him?  His might have been a little more sourdough-y.  But this one is still a keeper.

It requires the dough to rise for 12-18 hours.  We discovered that a good place for rising (in our cold winter house) is above the dishwasher, as it releases some heat during the wash cycle that transfers through the countertop.

Tastey toasted!

If on a Winter's Evening : Pho at Home - Vietnamese Beef Broth

Vietnamese Pho

It worked!  I signed up for a Vietnamese Cooking class at Craftsy (now BluePrint) with Andrea Nguyen where she teaches some of the classics of Vietnamese cooking.

I'd tried to make Pho once before in the crock pot with a purchased muslin bag of Pho spices, but I left them in too long, and the flavors got funny.  Very disappointing batch.   Also, the recipe didn't explain a lot of things that Andrea Nguyen explained in the class video.  Very worth the price!

This time it worked marvelously!



Secret 1 : Char the aromatics (onion, ginger, shallots) -- I mean really roast them over a flame until they are CSI burnt.   They will be soft and roasted on the inside -- just what you need for the broth.  You pull off the burnt outer crust before adding these to the pot.


It took about 15 minutes to get to this point on our gas stove.  Next time, I'll probably cut the ginger in half the long way.

Secret 2 : Get good beef bones (organic and grass fed).  Par-boil them to release the initial scum, then throw that water away.  Wash the pot; Rinse the bones, add more water and then simmer your broth for 3 hours with the spices and aromatics.

We used sturdy neck bones from a local meat supplier who sells organic and grass-fed beef.
I am convinced this makes a huge difference in the quality of the broth.  My husband tried to make Pho a long time ago when he lived in Houston with conventionally raised beef bones.  The scum stage never ended, and it stank to high heaven.  That's when he became convinced that there truly is a difference in quality between conventional and organic meats -- extending to veggies, too.

Andrea Nguyen recommends the big leg bones with lots of marrow.  Not sure if that would release more scum that I got with the neck bones, or not.  I'm happy with the way mine turned out -- and so are my boys who asked me to make this regularly!  Which is high praise, since I don't often cook anymore.

Secret 3 : Toast the spices before you add them to the pot. This brings out their flavors beautifully!

 

Here it is just beginning to simmer with the spices and aromatics.  

The bubbles coming up now are "clean."

  

 

 The simmering goes on for 3 hours.  ;-) 

 

After a while, it takes on this golden color as the shallots, onions, ginger, and spices give up their flavor to the broth.

 

 

This is all the "stuff" that gets strained out of the final broth and tossed.  The aromatics have softened and disintegrated.  The cinnamon stick has unrolled itself.  The black cardamom has plumped up with the added moisture.  The dried shrimp have re-hydrated.  It's all kind of soft and mushy.   All the flavor is in the broth.

We strain it a second time through a finer strainer, and a jelly-like substance gets held back.  I wonder if that's the marrow?  She says you can spread it on bread if you like that.

 

And here is the final golden broth, which smells divine! 

Here is a version of Andrea Nguyen's Pho Bo Recipe from The Steamy Kitchen, written up by Jaden.
[I am including this here for my own future reference when I can't find the paper recipe.  It's not exactly the same as the one Andrea used in the Craftsy class, but it's close. ;-)  I also made a smaller portion for 4 people, but now that we know it's a good recipe, we'll make bigger quantities, and freeze the broth to use later.]

Vietnamese Pho Recipe (Beef Pho)

Prep Time : 1 hr

Cook Time : 3 hrs 30 mins

Total Time : 4 hrs 30 mins

Recipe adapted with permission from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen Cookbook by Andrea Nguyen. Note: You can find "Pho Spice Pack" that includes all the spices at Asian markets. [MM: This spice pack didn't work so well for me.  I prefer to mix my own.]  In Andrea's cookbook, she uses star anise, cloves and cinnamon stick. Some prefer the addition of fennel, coriander and cardamom, and I've noted those ingredients as "optional" in the recipe.

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 292 kcal

Author: Jaden

Ingredients  For the Pho broth

• 2 yellow onions unpeeled, sliced in half
• 4 inch piece fresh ginger unpeeled, sliced in half
• 5 pounds beef leg or knuckle bones [MM : We used neck bones.]
• 6 quarts water
• 5 star anise
• 6 whole cloves [MM : optional - I did NOT use cloves]
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds optional [MM : optional - I did NOT use Coriander]
• 1 [BLACK] cardamom pod
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 
• 1 pound boneless beef chuck, rump brisket or cross-rib roast, well trimmed, and cut into large chunks
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar or 1-inch chunk of yellow rock sugar

For the Pho Bowls

• 2 pounds small flat rice noodles dried or fresh
• Cooked beef from the broth
• 1/2 pound eye of round sirloin, London broil, flank steak or tri-tip steak, thinly sliced across the grain
• 1 yellow onion sliced paper-thin, soaked in cold water to cover for 30 minutes and drained
• 2 scallions green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leafy tops only

Garnish for Pho Recipe

• 3 cups fresh bean sprouts about 1/2 pound
• Mint
• Thai basil
• 2 Thai or serrano chiles thinly sliced
• 2 limes cut into wedges

Instructions

Make the Pho Broth

1. Set baking rack 8 inches below heating element. Turn oven to low broil. Place the onion and ginger halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Brush the halves with a little bit of oil. Broil until the onion and ginger slightly charred, about 10 minutes, turning half-way. Remove from heat and cool.
2. Parboil the beef bones: Fill a large stockpot (about 12 quart capacity) with water and bring to rapid boil. Carefully lower in the bones. Boil vigorously for 3 minutes to release the impurities. Dump bones and water into a clean sink, and rinse the bones with water to wash off any clinging residue. Quickly scrub pot clean and fill with about 6 quarts of clean water. Return bones to pot. Add the charred onion, ginger, spices, beef, fish sauce, and sugar to pot.
3. Bring water to boil over high heat, and lower heat to gentle simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours.
4. While simmering, use a ladle or fine-mesh strainer to spoon off any scum that rises on top.
5. At this point, the boneless meat should be slightly chewy, but not tough. Use tongs to transfer the meat to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Meanwhile, maintain the broth at a steady simmer for 1 1/2 hours longer.
6. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve (or a coarse-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth) positioned over a pot. Discard the remaining solids. Use ladle or fine meshed skimmer to skim as much fat as possible from the top of the broth. Taste and adjust the flavor with salt, fish sauce and sugar. There should be about 4 quarts (16 cups) of broth.

Assemble the bowls

1. If using dried rice noodles, cover them with hot tap water and let them soak for 15 minutes, or until they are pliable and opaque. Drain in a colander. If using fresh rice noodles, untangle them, place in a colander, and rinse briefly under cold running water.
2. Cut the cooked beef across the grain into thin slices. Freeze the raw beef for 15 minutes, then slice it across the grain into very thin slices. Set all beef aside. Ready the raw onion, scallions, cilantro leaves for adding to the bowls. Arrange the garnishes on a plate and put on the table.
3. To ensure good timing, bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat as you are assembling the bowls.
4. At the same time, fill a separate large pot with water and boil. For each bowl, place a portion of the noodles on a strainer (or mesh sieve) and dunk the noodles in the boiling water for 10 seconds. Immediately pull the strainer from the water, letting the water drain back into the pot. Empty the noodles into a bowl.
5. Top each bowl of noodles with cooked and raw beef, arranging the slices flat. Add a bit of raw onion, scallions, cilantro leaves to each bowl.
6. The pho broth needs to be boiling hot, to cook the raw beef slices. Raise the heat of the broth to a boil. Do a final taste and make any last minute adjustments with fish sauce and sugar. Ladle about 2 cups of broth into each bowl. Serve immediately with plate of garnishes.

Bon Appetite!

Rhubarb Custard Crunch

This makes a double batch at our house.
Ingredients :
8 cups rhubarb, diced
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour

Custard :
6 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
zest of 1 lemon
1 Tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Topping :
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. flour
1 c.oatmeal
1 stick of butter (1/2 c.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Blend topping and set aside.  Use a pastry cutter or squeeze with your hands/fingers to get those pleasing lumps.

Combine rhubarb, sugar, flour.  Pour into a 9x13 inch glass baking dish.
Mix custard. combine with rhubarb in pan.  The custard will will in any spaces between the rhubarb.
Cover with topping.

Bake for 50 minutes.

Serve with ice cream or yogurt. Yum!

* This recipe is an amalgam of several other "found" recipes.  No one (before us) has quite put it together link this!

Spring Awakening, Beyond Reconcilliation

This was originally posted in August of 2010.  10 years ago.  I've made progress since then, so it's entirely appropriate to revisit this passage.  This has become of one the stories of my life that grows sweeter each season.  From apple juice to sparkling cider!

[Revisiting] Spring Awakening & Reconciliation

[Image by Debbie Fischer from here. Used by permission with my gratitude.]

"Every now and again the compressing folds of time touch and prompt a memory sparkle, sometimes inducing sadness, and sometimes a private smile that carries [me] for a moment before disappearing again ..." --Fish (the Rockstar)

Do you remember Tony Moore? [No, not that Tony Moore ...] He was that set designer/theatre guy I fell for in college at UW-River Falls in 1989. It was a beautiful, gorgeous pink and sparkly Spring that I don't ever want to forget. I was so young, just 18 years old. He was a student of 26. We got to know each other in 40+ hours in the scene shop, building the set for A Day in the Death of Joe Egg. On the night of strike, after the last show, when everyone else had gone, we said our reluctant goodbyes, and he kissed me. I was in 7th heaven! In May, 2 weeks later, we stood under these exploding pink crab apple trees while the sun went down, and the moon and stars came up. [Talk about a magical set!]   More kissing.  Then we talked about our futures--apart. He was encouraging and supportive and tried to be kind ... He broke my heart back then, but I understand why he had to do it : I had things to do, a life to lead, places to see ... and so did he. He gave me my freedom.  He'd cut it off just as it was starting ...

Anyway, he's been in the dog house for the last 20 years of my mind, or pushed down so as not to think about him at all. They say when we fall in love, we fall in love with the way the other person makes us feel. He made me feel like I'd never felt before ... absolutely wonderful, and wanted ...  in love!    Beautiful.   Of course I wanted more--who wouldn't? But I couldn't have more, so I buried it. But those buried pieces kept sending up shoots and runners that would not be ignored ...

About 2 years ago, CL was cutting some fresh lumber in the front yard--the smell of that fresh-cut lumber brought me back to the scene shop at UW-RF, and my lovely spring romance. So I re-read my journals, and realized, yes, that spring was sweet, but there was way more hurt there in the year of separation after. Even just 2 years ago, when I thought of TM, I would argue with him in my head. Knowing that wouldn't go anywhere, I eventually buried it again.

Something shifted this summer. I had a dream about TM, and although I don't remember any real words, the general feeling was Reconciliation. He didn't apologize (and neither did I), but the feeling is very different now. It's hard to explain ... I wonder where he is now? First kiss. If he hadn't been that, I'd probably have forgotten about him.   It was more than just a kiss for me.  That was defining moment / turning point in my life--something I'm sure he didn't realize at the time. Because of all the problems with my jaws in high school, I felt like a freak--The Elephant Woman with people staring at me. Even after the jaw surgery fixed the physical problem, I still had psychological scars. I did not feel beautiful or attractive or desirable--even though looking at pictures from that time, I just looked pretty normal. Tony Moore gave me a glimpse that I was not a freak, though it took many more years for me to really GET it. Tony had a way of just watching me walk across a room with true appreciation and pleasure--not at all leering, or lascivious, nor did he want anything from me. He just enjoyed what he saw in me. I felt beautiful when he looked at me.  That was a precious gift for me, considering where I'd been. I liked his eyes on me; I felt comfortable with him. That was entirely new for me. In 40+ hours in the scene / set shop for Joe Egg, we got to know each other. He was funny, handsome, and talented -- with those Buddy Holly safety specs. He would say hilarious things, and none of the other students would understand he was making a joke.   I laughed--I seemed to "get" him.  All that to say it was a mutual attraction. I liked him too.  And it was more than just physical ...  I know I was able to support and encourage him when he had to give a presentation, or get critiqued on his work.   It was sweet and refreshing and wonderful ...  When our hearts were open, we could "settle" each other down.  We could ground each other, anchor each other ...  and then it went awry.

Now I'm older, I can look back on those situations and yes, I remember my own hurt, but I can better see what the other person was going through, too. Compassion. It was hard for him, too. He liked me, just didn't realize I was so young. He didn't write me at all that summer -- and when we got back to school in the fall, of course I was hurt and angry and still wanted to be with him. He had broken it off just as it was getting started ... but now I remember him coming to the reference desk at the library where I was working when Mike A. (the computer guy) was there. He was talking to Mike, and looking at me the whole time with a pained look on his face. Now, I understand that he just wanted to be near me, but he couldn't approach me alone ... Now I'd probably say, "Let's go for a walk, Ton. Seems like you have something to say ..." At the time, I think I probably escaped to the bathroom. It was just too hard to be that close to him, and not hug him. There were a few other incidents like that with him coming near when it seemed "safe."  And each time, my heart was racing, I couldn't break down the walls I'd built to keep my heart safe.   I didn't understand what was happening then, or how to handle it. I was too hurt and dejected. It was hard for him to turn me away--for my own good. He liked me too. 

I wish we had found a way to enjoy each other AND get our schoolwork done the 2nd year. I wish we'd have been able to get to know each other better ... I really did enjoy his company, his sense of humor, his soft voice--not to mention his good looks. It was more than infatuation for me, or I wouldn't be reflecting on it all these years later. Sigh! But then, as they say, "a kiss is just a kiss."

It's a defining moment for me because I soldiered on and built my life as I wanted, as he ordered me to do back then. I couldn't wait for him. He wouldn't let me do that. He didn't want to hold me back.  Back then, too, I didn't know how to handle the situation. It wasn't so much rejection as redirection. But at the time, it sure felt like rejection. In later years with bad relationships, I learned how to let go and not look back, learned what I wouldn't put up with in a relationship. It worked because I'm not pining away for any of those guys. Tony was special for me. There were some firsts, some really wonderful memories that I don't want to forget. Those are the parts I don't want to let go of. I finally let go of the anger and the hurt ... That feels GREAT! I will savor the sweetness. TM is part of my story. He is written into the threads of my life. I don't have to give that up. ;-)

Thanks for the memories, Ton! I'm glad you were part of it. I hope you are well and that you've found someone to share your heart and life with.

Now, 20 years later, what I really want to do is give him the update on my life, tell him how things have turned out for me so far, and hear his adventures, too. I honestly wish him well. I wish him Love, Abundance, Happiness. All things good.

None of this should matter now that I've got a whole other life with a well-matched husband. I'm happy, and grounded. Except that it DOES matter ... Anyway, I just hope that Mr. Moore feels the shift in energies through the Force (I'm talking Star Wars here, Unseen Forces Network), because I'll likely never get the chance to tell him myself.

A big day for the inner life. 

 _________________________________________________________________________

Epilogue as of May 2018 :

 "Kayleigh Spring"

Now on to my progress in present day.  In April, I took an art quilting class to learn how to take a landscape photo and turn it into fabric art.  The subject I wanted to memorialize was that sparkly, blooming pink apple tree Tony and I stood under that spring evening, discussing our futures.  No photo to work with -- just a memory.

You can read about the actual process of making Kayleigh Spring on my other blog, Sweet Leaf Notebook. 

By the time the class came around in April, I wasn't looking forward to going.  3 days in class an hour's drive round trip from home.   Eeesh!  Turns out, the process of getting this pent-up story out on fabric was a wonderful and transformative experience.  A small class, and a great teacher.  Much of the work I was doing was internal ...  letting go of the story, releasing the hurt of separation, finally forgiving TM for not writing me that summer, forgiving myself for avoiding him the next year and closing my heart.   I thought I was doing what he wanted me to do, for both our sakes.    And still my heart aches for the time wasted, not spent together while we had the chance, living in the same town, attending the same college.  How often do you find someone you connect with so well? Just not ready for each other ... Bad timing.

I am reminded of that quote by Rumi :

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” 

I've re-read my journals from that time, talked things out with TM in my head via the door-of-the-heart al la Rumi and dreams, since it's not possible in real life.   That door is open again, and all things are possible.  We have forgiven each other--I can feel it.  Another shift in the cosmos.  Healing.  I hope that he feels it, too.  What a relief!   Why did it have to take 30 years?  For some things, I'm a very slow learner, and stubborn.   I am so glad TM was there to see me "becoming," blossoming that spring.  What a memorable and special gift for both of us.

This is what I looked like at that time in 1988.  

Not a freak of nature / or a monster at all.  This is what TM saw, what I couldn't see until much later.  

I do think that before we're born, when we're still in the Spirit World setting up for our next lifetime, we look at the important points in our lives - birth, family, first friend, first kiss, first love, who we marry -- all those important moments, and we decide who will be there with us, for us.   We plan out moments in our lives, we ask certain people to be there with us.   Sometimes it's just a brief passage and someone comes into our lives only for a moment -- as that exquisite spring with TM at UW-RF 30 years ago.  That memory gets sweeter each season.  The parts are sort of scripted, and sort of not.  More like we know the parts we're supposed to play -- when someone so familiar appears in this dream called life -- a guidepost--someone who knows us, who loves us, who's known us before, who appears and gives us encouragement along the way.  Someone who agrees to help us make wonderful memories.  I have been fortunate to have so many good memories.  Sometimes the partnerships are only "contracted" for a short time -- as with TM.  Sometimes for much  longer as with CL.

It's like when I was planning my life, I said, "Tony" --who I'd known and loved before this lifetime-- "I want you to be there for my first kiss.  I want you to witness my blooming, my becoming -- beautiful.  I know you'll appreciate what you see.  You'll love me and keep me safe and send me on to the rest of my life.  I'll see you again someday ...  I'll make it worth your while with a beautiful set, and encouragement when you need it too.  Will you be there?"  And he said, "Yes, of course.  I wouldn't miss it for the world!"  We played our parts ... and then on to our separate lives, with the memories.

Tremendous gratitude now.  Thank you, Mr. Moore.

Miracle of Miracles : I did not realize how much I was still holding back about this tender and hard passage in my life.  That spring at UW-River Falls, living away from home for the first time, I developed seasonal allergies to trees.   I put it down to living on the edge of the Great Plains, so close to Minnesota -- all that prairie.    I went to UW Health Services, and got the diagnosis of hay fever, and have managed every sneezy, itchy-eyed, runny nosed spring since with Claritin and allergy eye drops --   for the last 30 years.  Until this spring --  I didn't realize that all this time, I was still internalizing that wonderful 1989 spring and the difficult separation that followed.  In my mind and body, I equated that wonderful feeling of being in love with spring, and the separation that followed.  I was literally allergic to spring, allergic to love, allergic to feeling that good--and allergic to not being with the object of my affection.   It's remarkable to me how the body deals with things the mind won't.  All this time, it's been trying to get my attention, to tell me something ...  And now I finally got it!     This spring has been the mildest case of spring allergies I can remember -- all because I've finally dealt with some of this emotional stuff, processed it fully, and let it out.  Put it down in an art quilt -- I don't have to carry it around anymore.  This art piece will hold it for me. 

I know that every decision I've made has brought me here, where I am now -- and it's a good place.  Still, I wish I had done some things had been done with more grace.

To honor the story, I've created a YouTube playlist with songs that help to tell the story :



Just a little something I play when I want to revisit the feelings ...

Coming of Age [Original Poem]

Magic & Memory of a Kayleigh Spring on Sweet Leaf Notebook

Dr. Nancy Homburg Interview 4-16-2015

I don't often let the streams of my work and home life cross paths, but this Story Corps Interview with Dr. Nancy Homburg is something I am particularly proud of.   ;-)

If you have a little time over the Holidays, I would encourage you to listen to this Story Corps-like interview I did with Dr Nancy Homburg in 2015. This oral history project is one of the fun and rewarding things I get to do in my work as a Medical Librarian. Dr Homburg is one of the most eloquent, passionate, and professional people I've ever met. Treat yourself and listen! It's the first link in the blog post below.

Dr Nancy Homburg Interview 4-16-2015

Dr. Nancy Homburg talks about her career as a Family Practice Physician and how Hospice and Palliative Care came to the Fox Cities of Wisconsin.

In the photo above, Dr. Homburg is strategically standing next to the orange and purple binders for Education for Physicians in End-of-Life Care (EPEC), the program she coordinates in the Fox Valley.

Dr. Homburg's Quotes from the session :
"Dying is about who you are, and who you're connected to, not the disease.  It's about community and relationships."

"All beauty is infinite--and nothing lasts forever."

**********************************************************
Dr. Nancy Homburg's Interview at Story Corps (Audio Link)
          AHS-OHP-001  April 16, 2016       (63 min.  14 sec.)
          Interviewed by Michele Matucheski at Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh, WI.

Field Notes for Dr. Homburg's Interview (doc)

Transcript for Dr Homburg's Story Corps Interview 4-16-2015 (doc)

1979 Parade Article featuring Dr Homburg as "a new breed of women physicians specializing in family practice."

Women Physicians of the Fox Valley 1993  Holiday greeting from 1993 Post Crescent newspaper listing the area Women Physicians that year.

***********************************************************
This posting first appeared on The What's New at Ministry Libraries Blog in December 2016.  

Goodbye Maggie

On December 2, Maggie, my beloved second-hand Newfie died, after 10 years with us.  She came to us as a rescue who needed some work.  Ok, a lot of work.  I signed up to foster her, and fell in love with this shy and scared-of-everything dog who absolutely blossomed with us.  Yes-- I believed in her early on, and she knew it.  All that time, I thought we were helping her, when in reality, it was a definite Partnership (with a capital P).  I needed her as much as she needed us.  Since she's been gone, I'm remembering how closely my mental health is tied to having a dog to stay grounded.   

I am so grateful for our time together, that she decided to stay with us after being so far down and out, and finally have a normal dog life filled with Love and Joy.  You were meant to be here, Mags.  Thank you for coming into our lives.  And thank you to Joni G. and the Oshkosh Area Humane Society for doing right by her in 2006, knowing she couldn't stay at the Shelter, and placing her with us.  Please consider giving OAHS (or your local Humane Society) a donation this holiday season for the important work they do.

I carry her with me.  I can't touch her anymore, but I can FEEL her again.  So welcome!

Story Corps : Vicki Moen Remembers Lee Smith and their First Date

On the verge of her moving out to Colorado from nearly 20 years in Wisconsin, Vicki Moen remembers Lee Smith, the Love-of-her-Life, and their first date.  I've heard most of these stories before -- usually in a car on our way to a Ren Faire, or Dickens-of-a-Christmas, or some other fun cultural event filled with music.  Before Vicki left, I wanted to hear some of these stories just one more time.  This is my farewell gift to Vicki.

Who : Vicki Moen remembers Lee Smith
Interviewer : Michele Matucheski
Where : Neenah, WI
When : October 5, 2016

Link to Audio Interview (92 minutes)

Link to interview at Story Corps (92 minutes)

Note : There's about 36 seconds of dead air at the beginning of the recording.  I should have edited that out, but wanted to get these up ASAP.  Skip ahead, or let it run ...

1. Tell me about when you and Lee first met.
      When did you know he was "The One"?
2.  Now tell it from Lee's POV.
3.  I know you had certain dating rules and expectations for the relationship.  What were they?
4.  Tell me about your trip to Texas, where you learned that you could travel together.
5.  Tell me the story of how you got engaged.
6.  Why did you wait so long to get married?
7.   How would you describe Lee to someone who had never met him?
8. What are the most important lessons you learned from Lee?
9.  Tell me about your happiest moments together.

Lee Smith and Vicki Moen at the Bristol Ren Faire.

Outlander Tour of Scotland 2016 - Falkland

This Missing Poster was in a shop window down a side street in Falkland -- just for the Outlander visitors who would "get it."  Falkland is the little Scottish town where they filmed the scenes of Claire and Frank taking some time off after the war in Inverness -- but because Inverness is now so built up and modern, it's difficult to find a quaint retro place like it used to be.  Enter Falkland.

In July/August of 2016, I took a wonderful Outlander Tour by Visit Scotland, where we visited many sites relative to the novels and the filming of the Starz tv series.   It's a quaint little town, easy to walk around and explore.  Here are some of the sites :

 The Covenanter Hotel in Falkland - used for filming Claire and Frank's getaway reunion, and the town near where Claire disappears.

 Church of Falkland with blue and white skies emplematic of the Scottish flag.

 Scottish Textures - Cobblestones

 A door matt -- Interesting textures for quilting?

 Flowers at Gate in Falkland

 Black Cat in Falkland

 Scottish Textures - Rusty stone

 I thought this sign was amusing.  ;-) 

Wondering of someone picked off that particular "o" on purpose?

 And because I'm a Librarian by trade, I like to visit libraries when I travel.  

Call it a pilgrimage.

 Outside the Falkland Public Library.

 Castle Palace at Falkland - where Mary Queen of Scotts Father died.

 Campbell's shop in downtown Falkland - for Janna

 Entrance for The Covenanter Hotel in Falkland - where Claire and Frank stayed for their getaway.

Another shot of The Covenanter.

Taco Dip Recipe

Taco Dip

Taco Dip
Ingredients :
 
8 oz. Cream Cheese
8 oz. Sour Cream
1 pkg Taco Seasoning Mix
   (OR  2 tsp Chili Powder plus 1 tsp garlic powder)
 Blend with a mixer until creamy and smooth. Spread in a pan or platter as the base layer.

1 can refried beans
1 can Herdez Verde (green chili sauce)
Mix these together and spread atop the cream cheese layer.  You won't need the whole batch of beans for the taco dip, so save the rest for dipping chips directly.

Additional layers as desired.  Here are some of our favorites, chopped :

Shredded cheese (as you'd use for tacos)
Black Olives
Red and/or Yellow Peppers
Green Onions

Serve with nachos.

I usually make this for Thanksgiving and Christmas-time feasts as an appetizer.  Time to post the recipe here for easy access.