The Toffee

My Mom is something else at Christmas time.  She makes about 20 different kinds of cookies and candies.   It is truly amazing to see the boxes of treats she puts together for her family and friends.  When I was in my twenties, I used to emulate her Christmas output and made large boxes of several kinds of goodies for friends.  But it was a lot of work!  Finally, I just asked my friends what their favorite treats were, thinking I would make just one thing for each of them.  Interestingly, they all named the same thing--the toffee.  In my family, we always call it "Filbert Toffee."  Filberts is another name for hazelnuts.  Oregon is famous for it's filberts but didn't start marketing them as hazelnuts until the 1980s when it became the trendy thing to call them.  My Mom found the recipe somewhere but doesn't remember when or where.  All I know is that she's made it for as long as I can remember.  And I've been making it for about 35 years, I think. I've spent the last two days making this year's batches of toffee.  The house smells of butter and sugar and filberts and chocolate. Mmmm....  I package it up and send it to friends in California or take it to friends in Oregon.  I used to send it to Paul all those years we were pen pals.  He says it is definitely his favorite candy and "one of the best things you can eat."  Making toffee is an important part of Christmas for me.  Some folks make fruitcake at Christmas.  I make toffee.

O Chrismas Tree

Suddenly it's December and the holiday season is upon us.  For some reason, it seems early this year.  Perhaps that's because we already have our Christmas tree.  We had to get it this weekend while Peter was here, either that or wait two more weeks and that seemed a bit late.  Because we travel to visit family, we get the tree earlier than we might otherwise.  We like some time to enjoy it before heading out.  We always get our tree from the Boy Scout troop in Potlatch, Idaho, about 8 miles from here.  When I first came here, all trees were $8.  Yes, you are seeing correctly, that's eight dollars!  After a couple years, it went up to $10 and this year they are $12.  But I was told they only raised the price because the Forest Service charges them for each tree they cut and take.  So, the trees are fresh cut and not those manicured, tree farm, Barbie doll trees.  Some years, the pickings have been a bit slim and challenging.  This year, however, we walked up to the tree lot and had one picked out within five minutes.  Our fastest foray ever.  It's a really nice tree, too. 

I love a tree with a bit of character.  Actually, I love a lot of things with character: houses,  people, food. 

 I have my own tradition for decorating the tree.  I put on some Christmas music and pour myself a snifter of Grand Marnier and set to work.  There always seems to be a "good" side and a bare spot and a funky branch or two.  But once you put the lights and ornaments on, it is transformed into Christmas, glowing and shimmering with some kind of magic, or so it seems to me. 

Giving Thanks

Ahh, Thanksgiving.  It is truly my favorite holiday.  It's all about family, friends, and food.  No commercialism.  No frenzy (hopefully).  It's a day for counting one's blessings....and eating good food.  This year we roasted our first fresh turkey from Turnbow Flat Farm right outside of Palouse.  It was a Bourbon Red turkey and it was delicious.  We're pretty traditional when it comes to the Thanksgiving table.  There is always turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry-orange relish and some lovely vegetable.  This year it was a spinach salad with pomegranate seeds.  And, this year, I fixed sweet potatoes like my Grandma Alta always fixed, smothered in a sinful caramel-like sauce of butter, brown sugar, and (gasp) melted marshmallows (but no marshmallows on top).  Paul was very skeptical about the marshmallow part and completely won over when he tasted them. Oh, and, of course, a pumpkin pie. 

I love the traditions of Thanksgiving, like grandma's sweet potatoes and Paul's Mom's cranberry relish.  Paul always does the turkey and gravy and I do the rest.  We get out the Smith family china and silver along with some pieces of my great-grandmother's dishes and my good crystal goblets.  We light candles at the table in my grandma's pewter candelabra.  My favorite tradition, however, is when we go around the table and tell things we are thankful for.  It usually gets a little emotional and always touches my heart.  We have so many blessings in our lives and it is humbling to enumerate them.  I always come away from the table feeling very lucky.

Today I saw a quote in a comic strip, of all places.  It is my new favorite.  The author is unknown.  "I give thanks for this perfect day.  Miracle will follow miracle and wonders will never cease."   All I can add is...in all things, give thanks.

Pumpkin Eaters

 I could have called this post "Fall Food, Part 2" but, it's doesn't sound as exciting as Pumpkin Eaters.  As you probably have guessed, another favorite fall food around here is pumpkin and winter squash, especially butternut and acorn squash.  They have such a lovely fall flavor.  These are a couple of recent meals featuring yummy squash.  This first one is a pumpkin and cashew curry over rice.  It is rich and creamy and spicy all at once.  You can't beat ginger, garlic, onions, and coconut milk for tasty.

Although this salad gives it a good run for the money.  It has the most interesting combination of flavors.  Roasted squash covered with cumin, smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne is mixed in with lentils, arugula, chopped mint, roasted pumpkin seeds, and goat cheese.  It's dressed with a bit of olive oil and red wine vinegar.  It sounds bizarre but it is delicious!  

And, of course, there are many warming soups with squash.  One favorite pairs pears and butternut squash with a bit of bacon and cream.  Mmmmm....just talking about it makes my mouth water.  

Naturally there is pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.  Last year I made my first pumpkin pie filling from scratch, baking the pumpkin and all.  It was far and away the best pumpkin pie I've ever made.  I can not go back to pie filling from a can!   

But, the one thing that eludes me, so far, is a good pumpkin scone.  We love scones around here and we have many favorites.  However, I really am craving a good pumpkin scone.  I've tried a couple recipes but they aren't what I'm looking for.  I have some ideas for tweaking the last batch to make them do my will.  I'll just have to keep trying....and taste testing...oh, darn.

The Autumn Leaves

 The fall colors are stunning this year.  I think I appreciate them even more after last year's dull season.  Mother Nature sent an early October cold snap that killed all the leaves and turned them a dead brown.  No color was left in any of them.  But, this year She is making up for it.  Everywhere I look there are gorgeous reds, oranges, yellows and greens. And they are hanging on the trees late into the season.  That may be good or bad for us.  We have several trees and many, many, many leaves.  I have been tempted to go out and start raking; however, Paul is of the 

 philosophy that one should wait until they've all come down and do that raking job just one time.  He's probably right.  When we do start raking, it's an all day job.  We rake the piles of leaves onto a tarp and drag them over to the compost and garden.  We cram as many as we can into the compost bins and the rest make winter blankets on the raised beds.  And, often, there are still leaves left over.  They get scattered out into the prairie and we let the wind take care of them.  

But as I look out at all the beautiful colors now, I don't really think about all the work they will become.  I just thank Mother Nature for the amazing show.  

Fall Food

Even though I seem to go kicking and screaming from summer, I really do like fall.  Especially fall food....like these luscious looking chanterelles.  I remember the first time I ate chanterelles, sautéed in a bit of butter.  They were like eating something golden and I was hooked.   Every fall I begin to look for chanterelles at the Co-op.  I was so pleased this week when they were there in the produce section beckoning me.  They ended up being roasted with shallots and fresh thyme and added to a lovely risotto for dinner last night.  

Another fall food I always look forward to is pomegranates.  This one fell into my cart at Safeway, of all places.  Isn't it gorgeous?  Some people don't like to deal with seeding a pomegranate but I rather enjoy it.  I just push up my sleeves and hold it down in the sink to catch any errant splatters.  I like how it feels to tickle those gelatinous little seeds from the pulp.  We ate some on a fresh spinach salad along with the risotto.  Delicious!  With a freshly baked apple pie for dessert, it was a perfect fall food meal. 

The "F" Word

No, it's not what you think. Well, it could be but it's not.  Around here, at this time of year, the "f" word is "freeze."  Our first freeze of the year was just a few days ago.  As you can see, some of the garden looks a bit worse for it.   The average first freeze in this part of the country is September 23!  Luckily for us it was later than usual and we got a couple more weeks of growing season to make up for the short summer this year.  But the first freeze means the end of the real growing season.  The only tomatoes that will ripen now are the orange ones we picked and brought inside.  No more fresh basil or squash or cucumbers.  The root vegetables and parsley and other herbs carry on like the hearty troopers they are but everything else is winding down.  It's always a bit sad, I think.  At least I'm not saying the other "f" word!