Red and Brown Eccentric Star

 

Sure, you can make corn bread from a mix, but this is SO much better. The secret is stone-ground cornmeal. Regular cornmeal has had its germ removed for a longer shelf life. Stone-ground cornmeal must be stored in the refrigerator, but it has a nutty taste and crunchy texture you won’t get from a mix.

 

World’s Best Corn Bread

 

1 2/3 cups stone-ground cornmeal

1 2/3 cups white flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons (This isn’t a typo) baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 2/3 cups milk

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons melted butter

 

Stir first five ingredients together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, combine milk, eggs and melted butter. Pour the wet mixture into the dry one. Stir until just combined; don’t over mix. Pour into buttered 9” baking pan and bake at 375F for half an hour. Serve warm with butter and honey.

Songbird Cabin

 

“Part of enduring well consists of being meek enough, amid our suffering, to learn from our relevant experiences. Rather than simply passing through these things, they must pass through us and do so in ways which sanctify these experiences for our good. Thereby, our empathy, too, is enriched and everlasting. Thus, life is carefully designed to produce for us, if we are willing, a harvest of relevant and portable experience. But there is such a short growing season! The fields must be worked intensively amid droughts, late springs, and early frosts. For the disobedient and despairing who refuse to plant, plow, or harvest, theirs is not simply a 'winter of discontent' but a despair for all seasons. The indifferent and lackluster who work only on the surface of life will harvest little. Only for the perspiring and anxiously engaged faithful will the harvest be manifold.” - Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Two Little Cedar Tree Blocks

 

This is as foolproof a recipe as I’ve ever seen. If you’re out of bacon, diced ham will do. You can add a can of kidney, pinto, white or lima beans for variety. Substitute honey or maple syrup for the brown sugar. Out of yellow onion or yellow mustard? Red onions or shallots, Dijon or spicy brown will work just fine.

 

Slow Cooker BBQ Baked Beans

 

8 ounces bacon

55 ounces canned baked beans

1 yellow onion, minced

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoon yellow mustard

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

 

Slice bacon into 1” pieces. Pan fry until HALFWAY done; add to slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low about 5 hours. You may want to stir a few times towards the end of the cooking time, in case your slow cooker has a “hot spot.” Serve warm or cold, with anything off the grill.

Sweetheart

 

Every year since the early eighties, I’ve followed the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) awards. The Caldecott Medal is given to the previous year’s best picture book, and the Newbery goes to the best contribution in children’s literature. A day or two after the award winners are announced in late January, I show up at my favorite book store (It used to be Borders, then B. Dalton, now Barnes & Noble) and pick up the new Caldecott book. I’ve read most of the Newbery winners, but I usually borrow them from the library. Last year’s winners weren’t in the library or the bookstore until mid-February; victims of paper shortages, hiring challenges, and transportation issues. I ended up ordering through Amazon and receiving my package just after Valentine’s Day. This year it’s even worse. I’ll be lucky to see Jason Chin’s “Watercress” before the end of March. And it’s costing me twice as much.

Red and Black Churn Dash

 

Several of my neighbors complain that our recyclables only get picked up every other week. A walk around the neighborhood on trash day shows most of the bins are overflowing. But it isn’t hard to see much of what they toss in recycling bins doesn’t belong there. We can only recycle three things: corrugated cardboard (not newspapers or cereal boxes), plastic jugs and bottles with necks (not plastic food containers or bags) and metal food and beverage cans (not Styrofoam or glass). Everything should be rinsed and flattened before being placed in the bin. If they actually read and followed these directions, there would be more than enough room in their bins. Better yet, they could choose not to buy so many things in throw-away containers. Even when we think we’re helping the planet, there’s collateral damage. Rinsing plastic in a drought makes no sense. And recycling trucks and plants run on fossil fuel. 

Framed Heart

 

Fifteen random facts about me:

America’s my country. Disneyland’s my home town.

I can touch my nose with my tongue. You don’t want to see it.

I’m 4'9", which means I’m a midget.

I’ve taught classes on nearly every instrument in the orchestra.

You can try beating me at word games. You won’t succeed.

I like dogs better than I like cats. Or people.

Patchwork quilting relaxes me: it's cheaper than therapy, and warmer.

I don’t drink coffee, tea, alcohol, or soda.

Dark chocolate’s my weakness, on berries, caramel, nuts or marzipan.

I seldom have trouble falling asleep. Or waking up.

I’ve staged dozens of theatrical productions, in every capacity.

I love pajamas. If the world was truly civilized, we’d wear them 24/7.

I like four seasons, but two last longer than necessary.

I can bake a bread, grow tomatoes and breed hedgehogs.

I knew how to milk cows and clean fish, but I’ve conveniently forgotten.

Two Whirling Geese Blocks

 

Last week we had Brussels sprouts as a side dish, coarsely chopped and pan-fried with olive oil, salt and pepper. They were delicious, but they left a horrid smell behind! A scented candle made it bearable until bedtime, and baking a batch of ginger cookies the next morning dispelled any traces that were left. Cooking cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts does tend to stink up the place, but there are several ways to avoid it. I could have roasted the veg on an outdoor grill, or opened a window while cooking indoors. I could have chosen a cooking method that took less time, like steaming or microwaving. I could have added a splash of vinegar to the pan as I cooked. I might have served my veg raw, cut in bite-size pieces with a dip, or chopped up in a salad or slaw. I’m saving this to remind myself, but I’ll probably forget. Again.