Thirteen Log Cabins

There are different accounts of Stephen Foster’s death, but the one most widely accepted is this: January 1864 the song writer was weak with fever in his hotel in lower Manhattan. He fell, cutting himself, and had lost a lot of blood by the time his writing partner found him. Foster died in hospital three days later. The author of “Camptown Races,” “My Old Kentucky Home,” “Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair,” and “Beautiful Dreamer” was only 37. At the time of his death a scrap of paper was found in Foster’s pocket with the words, "dear friends and gentle hearts.” It’s always been assumed these were words in a song he never finished. Eighty-five years later those words inspired Sammy Fain and Bob Hilliard to write “Dear Hearts and Gentle People.” Their song describes folks “who live in my home town,” friendly neighbors who “read the good book” and “smile and say hello.” I think Stephen Foster would be proud.

Brick House

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 1/2 pound cubed stew beef

1 small white onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, sliced

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 cup dry burgundy (optional, but delicious)

1 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (skip this if your broth isn't low sodium)

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Cook bacon in frying pan until crisp; transfer to slow cooker. Brown beef on all sides in bacon fat, then transfer to slow cooker. Add xanthan gum, tomato paste, burgundy and broth to pan; stir to deglaze pan. (If you skipped the wine, simply double the broth.) Cook broth mixture until it just begins to thicken. Add broth mixture and remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Serve over steamed riced cauliflower (if you’re on a low carb diet) or mashed potatoes (if you’re not.)

Nine Crayon Stars

I saw it sitting on a shelf in the quilt shop, looking for all the world like a box of Crayola crayons. It was a set of ten fat quarters of solid cotton fabric, each one rolled up to look like crayon, stacked together in a green and yellow box. How could I resist? Even the color names were tempting: scarlet, macaroni and cheese, dandelion, shamrock, mermaid tail, midnight blue, periwinkle, purple mountain’s majesty, tickle me pink, and raw sienna. The back of the box suggested a free downloadable pattern to use all these lovely solids, but my head was already spinning with all the OTHER possibilities this box might bring. It’s exactly the same reaction I have to an actual box of crayons. These stars were only one of many ideas. They’ll be part of a quilt donated to the Festival of Trees this fall – maybe more than one. I still have LOTS of fabric left.

Stick House

I watch It’s a Wonderful Life every December, and never seem to tire of it – though I often end up watching alone. Heather and I see Ground Hog’s Day every February second. At Easter it’s Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments. We often watch The Wizard of Oz the first week in September; that’s when CBS used to air it every year. Most of the movies we watch again and again are comedies: Galaxy Quest, Three Men and a Baby, Princess Bride, Miss Congeniality, Guardians of the Galaxy, While You Were Sleeping, Toy Story 3, The Three Amigos, Megamind and Meet the Robinsons. A couple of my favorite movies - After the Sunset and Age of Adaline - have amazing female roles. Salma Hayek’s Lola is retired, but she parasails, scuba dives, learns tennis, and even builds a deck. If I never aged like Adaline Bowman, I like to think I’d read braille, speak several languages, and be unbeatable at Trivial Pursuit. What movies will you never tire of watching?

Another Jewel

There aren’t a lot of sauces that lend themselves well to a low carb diet. Enchilada sauce is one of the few exceptions. Last week we had enchiladas for dinner, but without the tortillas and without the baking. I filled three rice bowls with steamed chopped cauliflower (but broccoli or shredded cabbage would have worked, too) and topped it with pulled chicken breast that I’d simmered in green enchilada sauce. On top of that went chopped avocado, shredded cheddar, thinly sliced green onions, a bit of fresh salsa, a little chopped tomato, and sour cream. If I’d had canned chilies or sliced jalapeno, I’d have tossed them in, too. The impromptu enchilada bowls were a big hit. Next time I may try them with turkey meat, or with pork or beef and red enchilada sauce.

Straw House

“I wouldn’t trade living in this time with any other time in the history of the world. We are blessed beyond measure to live in a day of unparalleled prosperity, enlightenment, and advantage. Most of all, we are blessed to have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which gives us a unique perspective on the world’s dangers and shows us how to either avoid these dangers or deal with them. When I think of these blessings, I want to fall to my knees and offer praises to our Heavenly Father for His never-ending love for all of His children. I don’t believe God wants His children to be fearful or dwell on the evils of the world. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.’ 2 Timothy 1:7) He has given us an abundance of reasons to rejoice. We just need to find and to recognize them.” – President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Waring Square

I’ve made this block only once before, more than eight years ago. My first version of Waring Square was done in black floral, green pin dots, and two shades of pink. I remember ripping out several seams before I finally got the color placement right. Even then, I was never entirely pleased with the finished block. This time I got the whole block finished before I realized the four triangles in the center were supposed to be red geraniums and green pin dots. The four triangles that surround them should be green leaves. And the whole block is just a bit larger than the intended 12.5” unfinished, which means when I sew it into a quilt, I’ll probably lose the points on those annoying green triangles in the middle of each side. Oh, bother. I guess eight years older doesn’t automatically mean eight years smarter. 

Nine Mushrooms

About half an hour before dinnertime the other day, I realized the cooked chicken I’d meant to thaw for chicken salad was still sitting in the freezer. There were three boneless pork chops in the fridge and very little else. I REALLY didn’t want to resort to fast food. I preheated the oven to 400F and lightly beat an egg. Then I coated the chops on both sides with egg and dredged them in a mixture of 3/4 cup grated Parmesan, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and a pinch of fresh ground pepper. I sprayed my roasting pan with cooking spray and baked the chops for 25 minutes. While the pork chops cooked, I steamed some cauliflower and broccoli to serve with them. Necessity is the mother of invention. Sometimes, so is forgetfulness.

Another Dutchman

Busy weeknights call for meals that don’t require a lot of effort. This dish fits the bill without being boring. We enjoyed it with steamed green beans, but rice would probably be lovely, too.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

1 pound boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon dill weed

Fry chicken in oil over medium heat until browned on each side and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside. Add broth to pan and whisk to deglaze. Add lemon juice and garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce liquid by half, about 10 minutes. Whisk butter and cream into broth mixture until smooth and creamy. Return chicken to the skillet and sprinkle with fresh dill. Cook for 1 minute to rewarm the chicken. Serve immediately.

Crown Jewels

Last week I learned I’m a distant relation to jazz giant Stan Kenton. His name brought back an old memory. It was my first performance as part of a college jazz band and on an electronic keyboard. Stan Kenton was the guest of honor seated close enough to hit me with a rock. We opened with Kenton’s arrangement of the Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim number “Somewhere” from West Side Story. It starts with a haunting piano solo that I knew like the back of my hand. My teacher always said, “Study until you know the piece better than anyone in the room.” This doesn’t help when the guy who wrote it is in the room. The conductor raised his baton, I began my solo and the keyboard made no sound at all. I soldiered silently on. Halfway through the number a technician reconnected a loose cable and I was suddenly too loud. Would I have been less embarrassed if I’d known Kenton was my seventh cousin twice removed? Probably not.

Four Mushrooms

Last week we were privileged to be in the Salt Lake temple as our niece and her husband were sealed to their adopted daughter. The man who performed the ceremony spoke of the prophets and apostles who were present at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 16 and 17) and also during the early days of the restoration of the Lord’s church (D&C 110) to bestow “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Among these were Moses and Elijah, two translated beings. Sometimes things I hear in the temple color my thoughts for days to come. I read in 1 Kings 19 that Elijah was tired of living and asked to be allowed to die. He slept and was visited by an angel who fed him – twice. This gave him strength for a 40-day journey, and presumably he didn’t ask for death again. Never underestimate the power of a nap and a good meal.

Broken Dishes

“On those days when we have special need of heaven’s help, we would do well to remember one of the titles given to the Savior in the epistle to the Hebrews. Speaking of Jesus’ more excellent ministry and why He is the mediator of a better covenant filled with better promises, this author—presumably the Apostle Paul—tells us that through His mediation and Atonement, Christ became ‘an high priest of good things to come.’ Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better. Moroni spoke of it in the Book of Mormon as hope for a better world. For emotional health and spiritual stamina, everyone needs to be able to look forward to some respite, to something pleasant and renewing and hopeful, whether that blessing be near at hand or still some distance ahead. It is enough just to know we can get there, that however measured or far away, there is the promise of good things to come.” – Jeffrey R. Holland

Tiny Mushroom

There once was an oyster whose story I'll tell

Who found that some sand had slipped under his shell.

Just one little grain but it gave him much pain

For oysters have feelings although they're quite plain.

Now did he berate the working of fate

Which had led him to such a deplorable state?

No! He said to himself, as he lay on the shelf,

"If I can't remove it, I'll try to improve it."

So, the years rolled by as years always do,

And he came to his ultimate destiny: stew!

But the small grain of sand which had bothered him so

Was a beautiful pearl all richly aglow.

Now this tale has a moral, for isn't it grand

What an oyster can do with a morsel of sand?

What couldn't we do if we'd only begin

To enrich all those things that get under our skin.

- Author Unknown

Another Jig Jog

One morning last year one of my neighbors came to me, visibly upset. She’d seen our city garbage collector come by. She’d watched as his truck’s mechanical arm picked up BOTH her trash bin and her recycling bin and dumped their contents into the truck. “Why separate recycling from the trash,” she exclaimed, “If it all goes to the dump anyway?” It’s actually worse than she thought. Much worse. If your house is like ours, most your recycling is plastic. If your community is like ours, most of your plastic recyclables used to get shipped to China, until January 2018, when China stopped accepting it. Now it all goes to the landfill, where it will take FOREVER to break down. Suddenly it’s not enough that I diligently separate recyclables from the rubbish. It’s not enough that I refuse plastic straws and ask for paper shopping bags. I’ve got to rethink EVERYTHING I buy in single-use plastic. We all do.

Four Dutchman's Puzzles

You may have noticed I like to make four copies of a block when I get the chance. These blocks are destined to be sewn into at least three separate quilts, but when I place them together – temporarily – on my design wall, I catch a glimpse of what a quilt might look like if it was made entirely of these blocks. In this case, you can see the four red-orange stars that were the centers of each block, but you can also see a fifth one that only appears when all four blocks are joined. Between them are four sneaky little green stars that just showed up like magic. Mind you, I’d never EVER make a one-block quilt from blocks like these. They’re fun to look at, but they were a royal pain to piece. None of the points wanted to meet, and they refuse to lie flat. If I tried joining these blocks, it would just be more of the same.

Thirty-two Trees

I’m beginning to like Wednesdays. Not because they’re hump day; I generally work as hard on weekends as weekdays, so I’m not counting down to Saturday. All of my Wednesday piano students have decamped to Mondays or Fridays, days that in previous years no one seemed to want. Monday is Heather’s bowling day. Tuesdays we go to the library. Thursdays are Special Needs Activity days and sing-alongs at the senior center. Fridays we do the marketing. We’d decided Wednesday should be swimming day, but so far that hasn’t happened. Our neighborhood pool is closed for the season, and if it wasn’t it would be closed for repairs. The pool at the rec center is fine, but our memberships have lapsed. Our swimsuits are looking pretty ratty, and the only thing worse than wearing a worn-out swimsuit is shopping for a new one. So at the moment, Wednesdays are our stay-at-home-and-sew-while-watching-Disney-movies days. I can live with that.

Christmas Jewel

Here’s my first attempt at:

Gluten-free Brownies

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Mine’s homemade, so I know it’s gluten-free)

3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa

3 large eggs

3/4 cup brown rice flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts, optional (We skipped the nuts)
1 tablespoon cinnamon, also optional (Didn't skip this)

Preheat oven to 350F. Place sugar, butter, and salt in saucepan. Heat, stirring until butter melts. Transfer mixture to a bowl; blend in the vanilla and cocoa, then add the eggs and mix until shiny. Blend in rice flour and baking powder. Stir in the chips (and nuts). Pour the batter into greased, parchment-covered 9” pan, spreading to the edges. Bake brownies about 35 minutes, until the top is almost set. Remove from oven and cool at least 15 minutes. Pull brownies – parchment and all – out of pan and place on counter before cutting. Makes 16 brownies.

Aztec Jewel

"I asked Heavenly Father what He would have me do. I wrote down what I felt His answers were. I typed, color coded, and pasted those answers in the front of my scriptures. Every time I came to something, I marked it in blue. Soon I developed my own topical guide around what I thought the Lord wanted me to do. I have learned much through this process. Going to the scriptures to learn what to do makes all the difference. The Lord can teach us. When we come to a crisis in our life, such as losing a child or spouse, we should go looking in the scriptures for specific help. We will find answers in the scriptures. The Lord seemed to anticipate all of our problems and all of our needs, and He put help in the scriptures for us--if only we seek it." - Henry B. Eyring

Four Union Stars

March 9 is Panic Day. My research turned up the origin of Panic Day: Tom and Ruth Roy, the creators of more than seventy (!) copyrighted “holidays.” I found no evidence as to WHY they thought we needed a day to panic. Maybe they were just too freaked out to leave a record. What I do know about Tom and Ruth is that they share a very quirky sense of humor. I’d guess they invented Panic Day to give us all an annual excuse to run in circles, screaming. If that’s not the sort of thing that floats your boat, you might celebrate by doing something quieter to relieve stress. Enroll in a yoga class. Learn to meditate. Go for a long walk. Plant something and watch it grow. Choose a good book and get lost in it for a while. If none of that helps, you can always run around screaming on June 18, International Panic Day.

Dutchman's Christmas

Mary Ann Shaffer was born in 1934 in West Virginia. She and her husband moved to California where they raised two daughters. Most of her life she worked as a librarian. She was author of only one book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, which was published posthumously in 2008. Here are a few of the gems you can find inside: “There is nothing I would rather do than rummage through bookshops. I have gone to them for years, always finding the one book I wanted and then three more I hadn't known I wanted.” “He gave me The Beginner's Cook-Book for Girl Guides. It was just the thing; the writer assumes you know nothing about cookery and writes useful hints – ‘When adding eggs, break the shells first.’” And “We could have gone on longing for one another and pretending not to notice forever. This obsession with dignity can ruin your life if you let it.”

Dutchman's Puzzle

Today’s block came from the Quilt Etc. free block-of-the-month class. They renamed it after this month’s novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. But I did a little research and found its real name. I loved this book. I’ve read others about World War 2, of course: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman, and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It’s a venerable list, but the Guernsey book is the only one I’d care to read again. I often find books that inspire me to visit the places in which they’re set. I think this is the only one I’ve actually visited. We spent a day in Guernsey and discovered that, like much of Europe, they haven’t left the war behind. They probably never will.  

Four Crayon Stars

Not all of the gluten-free substitutes I’ve tried have been disappointing. Some are actually quite nice. I get Brazilian cheese bread dough balls at Harmons, and the grandkids eat them faster than I can bake them. Costco sells hexagonal multi-grain crackers that are wonderful with a little cheese and mustard, or as an accompaniment to soup. MOD makes a pizza crust from potato starch you'd swear was the real deal. The Starbucks inside Barnes and Noble has wheat-free brownies that are so delicious I almost forget I can’t eat any of the other baked treats there. Winder Dairy delivers something similar, cut into little bites so I can make it last until next delivery day. On Valentine’s Day I paid an embarrassing amount of money for a flourless Chocolate Decadence cake at Gourmandise. I shared it with everyone, but it took about two weeks to polish it off. One bite and your eyes roll back in your head. Worth. Every. Penny.

Nesting Ducklings

My bread tastes like sand. I have it toasted with a poached egg nearly every morning. It’s like eating toasted sand with jam or marmalade or cream cheese or Nutella on top. It’s amazing what you can get used to. My pasta is like sand, too, because it’s made from brown rice flour just like my bread. I can stomach a little toasted sand for breakfast, but for some reason I can’t bring myself to eat sandy pasta. It doesn’t matter what I put on it: marinara, Bolognese, Alfredo or pesto. Most of it ends up in the bin. A Girl Scout came to the door last week, selling cookies. To my surprise, alongside the Tagalongs, Samoas and Thin Mints, there was a gluten-free variety called Toffee-Tastic. I bought a box, of course. The cookies are a little like sandy shortbread, with bits of toffee thrown in. Not bad, if you have enough milk. I should have bought two boxes.

Crayon Star

“As we strive to follow the Savior’s example, we must first know and number His sheep. We have been assigned specific individuals and families to tend so we are certain that all of the Lord’s flock are accounted for and no one is forgotten. Numbering, however, is not really about numbers; it is about making certain each person feels the love of the Savior through someone who serves for Him. In that way, all can recognize that they are known by a loving Father in Heaven. I recently met a young woman who has been assigned to minister to a sister almost five times her age. Together, they have discovered a common love for music. When this young woman visits, they sing songs together, and they share their favorites. They are forging a friendship that blesses both of their lives.” – Bonnie H. Cordon

Nine Log Cabins

This was the main course for last week’s Sunday dinner. Because some of us are gluten free, some are keto, some nondairy and some are just plain picky eaters, it's hard to please everyone. But this recipe came pretty darn close.

Almond Chicken

3 large chicken breasts

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cups ground almonds

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon oregano

3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment. Carefully rinse chicken (don’t allow water to splash on counters, etc.) and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 1/2” strips. In small bowl, beat eggs until uniform. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Dip each chicken strip in egg, then coat with almond mixture. Place coated chicken on parchment and bake 15 minutes. Turn and back 15 more minutes. Serve with mustard, ranch dressing, catsup and barbecue sauce.

Crazy Anna

Shawna Richardson was walking Haven, her Husky last Thursday near Herriman’s Cove Pond. They spotted some ducks and Shawna dropped the leash so Haven could give chase. The ducks led Haven over ice too thin to hold her. “I saw her in the pond and totally panicked,” Shawna remembers. “I got close enough to grab her collar. Right then the ice broke and I fell into the water with her. The cold just takes your breath away: your brain gets sluggish. Then this guy appeared from nowhere.” The man pulled them both from the pond. When a woman drove up, he loaded Shawna and Haven into the backseat and asked the woman to drive them home. Now that she and Haven are safe and dry, Shawna hopes to find her rescuers. “I really want to thank these strangers that helped me. I didn’t get to thank them the night it happened.”