The Perfect Topping

for each of the little bites in yesterday's post? A dash of old fashioned fun!

Little Bites

of art and technology illuminating the way to the New Year...

I probably should call this post "Movie Madness". We had no power for a few days due to an ice storm followed by a "thunder-snow" and after huddling in a 40 degree house, opted to go to a really warm movie theater and see both "Lincoln" and "Les Miserables". They are fabulous...exquisitely acted and emotionally engaging.

So much so that one thing led to another and from these movies, especially "Lincoln", I learned volumes about my own family...people and places I had never heard of before. There were some truly stunning discoveries.

My family is fortunate to know a lot about many. While there have been some avid geneologists, they missed a huge part of one branch of the family that I unearthed.

I learned that the state where I have been living for over 27 years and thinking there was no familial connection at all, has hundreds of relatives who have been here since the early 1800's. I learned that this line goes back to a Dutch merchant who arrived in the New World in 1624 and was one of the first land owners in "New Amsterdam", now my beloved New York City. I learned, sadly, my family had slaves until the late 1700's, maybe beyond. Because some stayed in the North and some came South, they most likely fought against each other in The Civil War. I learned my great-grandfather's grandfather was one of Napoleon's grenadiers and his personal bodyguard. And there is so much more...all because of art and technology: the movies, an old family lithograph, an inquisitiveness about any possible ties to Lincoln and the incredible access to information on the web...one little bite after another.

All this has given me pause and thoughts for the New Year. There was a beautiful interview that aired on Christmas with CBS's Scott Pelley and Nazi death camp survivor and Nobel Laureate, Elie Wiesel. Technology allows me to hear these poignant words whenever I want to and need to...to have a reminder, to illuminate the way. When asked how to create peace, Mr. Wiesel said start with ending humiliation and taking small daily steps...little bites of peace, one at a time.

Getting ready to welcome in 2013 and all of its discoveries, here are my New Year's little bites...

May peace be with you and your families this coming year and always!

Green-Gold Gift Guide

Tomorrow is December 1st and I will officially dive into this holiday season. For many reasons, I changed gears a few years ago and decided to give fewer gifts with more value and meaning. I am looking forward to enjoying "tidings of comfort and joy" and will try my best to avoid the whirlpool of craziness. "KISS and green" is my holiday mantra.

Here are few beginning thoughts: my Green-Gold Baker's Dozen of Gifts for this year, soon to be all wrapped up...

I plan to give those I love...

1. My time and energy
2. A donation of time and/or money in their honor to the charity of their choice
3. An heirloom...whether bean or bauble
4. Something vintage
5. Something repurposed
6. Something handmade
7. Something locally made
8. Something made in the U.S.A.
There is a fabulous Pinterest board on all things American made. Go to http://pinterest.com/vermontwoods/American-made/
9. Something fair-traded
10. Something that celebrates local arts
11. Something that supports a local service
12. Something non-toxic
(I have tons of sources...just ask!)
13. Last but not least, Natural State Granola

What's on your list?

A few more of my favorite things...

.

Chowder's on!

While it's still Friday at Blogger HQ, it's Monday at our house. How about yours?

Soup is always a big hit around our house no matter what day it is and this sweet potato one is so good and the color so perfect for this week. It is also quick to make, just in case the Witching Hour starts super early at your house. Like sweet potato Vichyssoise, it is wonderful cold with a little cream swirled in.

Do you have traditional Halloween foods you cook up for your family?

Our kiddoes grew up on Witches Brew Stew, Scaredy Cat Punch, Bat Wing Biscuits and Ghost Pie that I made every Halloween. There were several years I didn't quite get to the biscuits and pie but the stew and punch were always bubbling away.

Now they are making these for their little goblins. Fun!

If you don't have a set menu, give this soup a try. The cashews look like teeth, claws, bone shards or half moons. And the chickpeas could pass for eyeballs...you decide. Make 'em work for you! I served it with a lentil Waldorf-like salad and a rustic bread I baked up over the weekend. Between that bread and the cake on Friday, that's more baking than I've done in a long time. Maybe I am possessed!

Sweet Potato Chowder

3 leeks, cleaned really well and sliced (white part only)
3 sweet potatoes
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
4 cups veggie broth
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and drained again
Cashews, pan toasted

Melt butter in a large soup pot and sauté leeks, sweet potatoes, onion and garlic for a few minutes to lightly caramelize them. Add white wine and cook for a few minutes more. Add veggie broth, bay leaf and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are done, about 20 minutes.

Remove about half of the soup to a blender and purée. I usually like to leave some of the soup chunky but feel free to purée it all. Add chickpeas and heat until they are warmed through. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve with pan toasted cashews and a few fresh oregano leaves.

For those in the storm's path today, be so careful. Be safe!

I just got this picture, taken about 9 a.m. from a friend on the eastern end of Long Island. Oh my. The docks are already under water. Take care...take really good care of yourselves and each other today. Oxox

Stoutly on the Side of Fun

It started out innocently. I needed some stout for a recipe. I got to the store and quickly, my eye caught hold of this...

I love cooking, especially baking, with stout and well, chocolate gets me every time! So why not give chocolate-y stout a try? And, to cinch it, the girl on the bottle looked jubilant holding up her frothy brew which to me (not much of a stout drinker) looked rather like an ice cream float.

And that's how it started. Before I knew it, I was buying chocolate ice cream and dashing home to whip up this devilish concoction. To heck with what I was going to bake. I gotta try this. It's Halloween season...I am throwing caution to the wind.

Now, to keep this idea afloat and to take it from devilish to wicked, I need to have a piece of Mylo Coffee Company's decadent shortbread as a partner in crime. Can't wait to see them at tomorrow's farmers' market!

Oh my, such wicked weekend fun! If you dare, give this a try. What are you doing that's devilish or not this weekend?

(Note: For those who've never had stout, it's rather bitter and I think people either love it or don't. Let the ice cream melt down into the stout and stir it up quite well. Really different! I am completely out of my element with beer but I bet you can also just use a milder dark beer or ale. This float is like a combo after dinner drink/dessert. I am going to try out a ginger beer float for Thanksgiving!)

Chocolate Stout Floats

1 bottle stout or dark beer of choice (the variety of flavors is so fun, leading to endless frothy combinations!)
2 scoops of favorite chocolate ice cream or ice cream of choice. Coffee ice cream would also be great!
Something else chocolate-y...maybe syrup or chocolate to grate?

Toss scoops of ice cream in a tall chilled mug or glass and pour in stout, little by little. One bottle will makes several floats. Stir well to mix it up. Taste and add some extra chocolate if you have it. Toss in an orange peel garnish and your favorite goofy straw.

Cop a devil-may-care attitude and have a great weekend!

Such a hoot!

And, I finally did make that cake!

Mothering beyond Hallmark

To all women who have "mothered" or "originated or given rise to" a garden, a cat's purr, a dog's tail wagging in glee, a baby's smile, a neighbor's hello, a cause, a community's strength and a family no matter how it is defined, this day is for all of you. Happy Mother's Day!

Special love goes to the mothers "old" and the mothers "new" in my life. I love you with all my heart. To my own mom, my son and his family, my daughter and her family, my pups and my fledgling garden, you light my way. xoxoxoxo

Someone else can take the cake...

I'll have the PIE!

I love pie. Really love it. Good pie that is. So much so that on a family vacation years ago, when we arrived at our hotel, right there in the lobby, I spotted a revolving case full of the most gorgeous pies I had ever seen and I thought..oh my, I am in paradise!

As well as eating them, I also loved making them. When we were in Mexico, I even had a small pie business featuring 4 or 5 of my family favorites. It was lots of delicious fun.

Imagine my delight last weekend at our local farmers' market, Hillcrest Farmers Market, when I locked eyes on this...

a vintage-y looking pie cart loaded with all kinds of pies...whole pies, pie slices, mini pies, little pies baked in cute little Mason jars. Drool! 

Fresh Strawberry Heaven!

Mini Pies, Cute-as-a-Button Jar Pies...pies, pies, pies, oh my!

Then, I learned all these beautiful pies were made with family recipes, local ingredients and baked in energy-saving, recycle-perfect glass pie plates and jars. (You can turn down your oven 25 degrees when baking in glass!) These are the very eco-friendly, super delicious pies I dream of serving right here on Our Green Table. Every bite fits all Our Golden-Green Rules (on sidebar)! More drool!

Fresh local strawberries piled sky high over a white chocolate glazed crust...a slice of cloud nine!

Pie Wizardess Leah sells her Pie in the Sky pies at several local spots and also has a great website, www.pieintheskylr.com where you can check out her whole sky full of pies and where her luscious cart will be heading. I will be getting my pie fix following her to the Quapaw Quarter Home Tour on Sunday. Maybe I will see you there...just don't try to cut in front of me in line!

Just in case you are eager to whip up a little of your own heavenly magic, here is a recipe from Leah! Have a great weekend! xox

Brownie Nutella Mini Pies

Brownie mixture:
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (get yours from a local source!)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick or 1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 squares unsweentend baker's chocolate
1/4 tsp. instant coffee (not regular coffee grounds!)
1/4 cup flour
small jar of nutella
1 cup whole almonds - toasted and coarsely chopped

Melt the chopped chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Add salt and instant coffee. When melted, let cool away from heat while mixing sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large mixing bowl. Add chocolate mixture to bowl and mix very well. Finally, add flour and mix just until blended.
For the mini pies, use a homemade or store-bought refrigerated pie crust, and cut into 4-inch rounds. Line 12 ungreased muffin tins with the rounds allowing a small edge to hang over each muffin cup. Fill each crust-lined muffin tin 2/3 full with brownie mixture and bake 350 for 30-35 minutes or until muffin edges are slightly browned and brownie center are puffed. Let cool completely on wire racks.

When brownie pies are cool, the centers will sink to form a small indention. If this doesn't happen to all the brownie pies, you can create a small indention or hole with your finger or the end of a wooden spoon. Fill the indention on each pie with 1 Tbsp of Nutella. Top with chopped almonds. Enjoy! Will keep in airtight container for 1 week.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

Those sweet babes are rolling!!! Yippee! Oh, it is so much fun watching those Grand Ones roll into new antics. (Thank goodness for the wonders of videos and technology!) Now they are flipping and rolling over and very much pleased with themselves to boot. Their smiles are so bright...definitely rival the gorgeous Supermoon! Such sweet ones! Oh my.

I rolled from one thing into another this weekend, too, and ended up with a full plate of comida auténtica for Cinco De Mayo. It's funny, because except in Puebla, this "holiday" is really celebrated way more in the U.S. than it is in Mexico. At any rate, it is a great reason to try out some new platos mexicanos.

Here are some pictures of what I made. I had only intended to make up a big pot of heirloom beans but like I said, one thing rolled into another and all (except breakfast!) were quite good with that mint julep!

Huevos Revueltos...Mexican Scrambled Eggs

Chopped prickly pear cactus paddle that turned into

 Ensalada de Nopalitos...Prickly Pear Cactus Salad...so much fun to make and eat!

Tacos de Verduras (veggie tacos) flipping over in the pan to join

Heirloom Frijoles

Dinner complete with Queso Fresco and both Mole Verde and red Salsa Fresca 

It was lots of fun cooking and watching these dishes evolve! And, oh my...wait until you see dessert! I will show you that Friday. Don't miss it!

Tomatoes are not very flavorful yet and so I am going to share another salsa recipe, also from Saveur. This picture is theirs as well, although we do have the same dishes!

Spicy Pineapple Salsa

1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 jalapeños, stemmed and minced
1/2 small red onion, minced

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients; serve at room temperature. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.                                                                                                     

Keepin' the Dream Alive...

I think I have already shared with you that most of my cookware is ancient. Goodies I inherited from my mom, grandmothers and aunt. The only "pot" I can remember buying is the bean pot in Monday's post.

All of them are well worn, mostly Revere stainless steel with copper bottoms and an assortment of enamel over cast iron pieces. I love them and put them all to good use. Modern benefit for ancient wares? They are all made from very safe materials and are really energy efficient. There is one pot that has remained sidelined...just too far gone and missing a lid. I wax poetic over it because it is an honest to goodness Le Creuset in swoon...orange, the original color and my favorite. I bet it is close to my age, too. Sigh.

Anyway, I called Le Creuset yesterday on a fluke and asked if, by chance, they had a lid and had any suggestions on how to restore this pot to its former beauty and function. Bad news...no. That size was discontinued ages ago. Good news...would I like a new one in the current size? Oh my...are you kidding? I had to pay a small replacement fee but trust me, it was a pittance.

On their website, it clearly states that Le Creuset offers a lifetime guarantee. I explained that I was not the original owner and also that I had inherited it, not gotten it at a garage sale. No problem. "Lifetime" can be enjoyed by many cooks apparently and really means "eternal". Just amazing. I am pretty ecstatic and packing up the old gal as I write this. Looks like Le Creuset not only cooks like a dream but also is a company that wants to keep the dream alive.

Dreamsicles!

To celebrate, I am making this dish from their website using spring's all stars...asparagus and eggs! See some pix below the recipe for a look at some other "stars of the season"!

Grilled and glorious

Dunbar "Divas" best!

Roasted Asparagus topped with Eggs

From Le Creuset's website: "It’s fun to cook with versatile cookware because you have so many options. Here we do the unexpected: roast asparagus, and in the same pan, fry the eggs and top each serving. The pan’s size lets you roast the vegetables and turn them halfway through the cooking. Use this as a different first or appetizer course."

1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, medium thickness (36 to 42 spears)
3 tablespoons good olive oil, preferably Spanish, divided (I love Spanish, too!)
1 1/2 teaspoons Spanish sherry vinegar
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 large eggs (preferably from local farmer)
Strips of jarred piquillo peppers for garnish
1/4 cup grated manchego or Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a rack in the middle of the oven.

Bend each asparagus spear and snap off the tough fibrous end. Rinse the spears and pat dry. Arrange them on the pan and drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Use your hands for this. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and toss again.

Place the oval skillet in the oven and roast the vegetables for about 5 minutes. Slide out the rack and use two wooden spoons to turn the spears over. Continue roasting another 4 or 6 minutes, depending on the thickness, until just tender.

Remove the skillet from the oven and place on the stovetop. Divide the asparagus between 6 plates (6 or 7 spears per plate) and drizzle a bit of sherry vinegar over each portion. (The asparagus may be served at room temperature.)

Set the pan on the stovetop and turn to medium-high heat. Add another tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of butter to the skillet. When it is heated, quickly saute the ham strips. When the ham pieces are crisp, move the skillet off the burner. Remove the ham to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Return the pan to the heat and fry the eggs until the whites are set and the yolks are almost set but still a bit runny. Using a thin spatula, carefully lift each egg and place each atop the asparagus. Dust each egg with salt and pepper. Top each egg with equal amounts of the ham and strips of pepper. Sprinkle the optional cheese and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Have a great weekend! I have some "cheese-y" news to share Monday!

L'il Miss Carrot Top says "Keep dreaming! Have fun! Be well!"

Ha! I love taking pictures of food almost as much as I love cooking and eating! Here are some pictures from a brief visit to get my eggs this morning...

New kids on the block!

Carrots, radishes, some wild radish pods, two kinds of bok choy, kale and a few eggs

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day

It is officially Earth Day on Sunday, and to end this week back where we started on Monday, this was an important article for me to read and thought you might like to as well. The first 4 paragraphs are illuminating. Here is the article.

This weekend is a perfect time to reflect on the products you're putting on your skin every day, twice a day, day after day. And on the foods you eat and the people you hold hands with or listen to. This weekend, commit to taking charge of your own well-being which will also effect the well-being of Mother Earth and all her loved ones. Read labels, ask questions and spread the word! Let's turn those CDC statistics on their ear. Shorter, sicker lives for our children and their children? NO! Not on my watch. How about yours? Email me. I have tons of resources. 

A lovely menu for this weekend from my fave Dr. Barnard is here: Earth Day Menu

Share our commitment to make this weekend's celebrations a lifestyle! For "dinner and a movie" go see Bully (teachers, community and church leaders: please read yesterday's post for a special toolkit available) now showing in my hometown, too, or rent Food, Inc., Flow, Ken Burns:The National Parks orThe March of the Penquins. 

If your weekend is so full of Earth day activities and you only have time for snacking and a video clip, make our Green Shake (we hear it has taken over Vanderbilt by a green storm!) and watch this. CBS celebrated Walter Cronkite this week. Here is his broadcast to introduce the first Earth Day 1970.

We are the environment. Let's create a great one! xoxox

Two hearts

One of the first sets of dishes I had my then youngster son dubbed “Happy-Sad Plates”. They were the classic Pfaltzgraff pattern “Yorktowne", blue stencil on white stoneware. I am sure you have seen it. Anyway…that is how I feel today. Happy-sad. Really happy. Really sad. 

I have loved every minute…every second of my four month stay here in New York. From the very purpose of it to the extras that came along, it has fit me like a glove. I am very fortunate that New York is my home away from home. Both kiddoes and now their children and my mom live here. And before them, my grandparents and great-grandparents and so on. Places I go to now as a 60 plus year old, I went to as a 6 month old. A big chunk of my heart and soul, my history and future live here.

I hate leaving. The only thing that saves me is that in the yin and yang of things, leaving creates another opportunity to come back. Also in the yin and yang of things, I find both profound peace and energy here. When stressed, between bites of soothing chocolate, I either close my eyes and envision or actually look out over the most peaceful scenes ever…the faces of my children and their children or the farmlands and the waters of Long Island’s North Fork. All positively melt away stress. The beach at Bootlegger’s Alley is pure solace. It knows my joys and sorrows better than any place on earth.

By the same token, I have never felt such energy and possibility walking the streets of New York City and Brooklyn. The scenery is always changing, bustling, pulsating with good, creative Life Force. Give me a street to walk and I am a happy gal. Looks like someone else with my name loves it, too.

Don’t get me wrong. I do love where I live. But I am a Pisces…symbolized by two fishes…and not knowing much at all about astrology, I take it to mean, I have two hearts, a back up one for when I need it. Like today. Leaving my children, their precious babies and my mom will be dreadful and my emotions will be on overdrive. One heart will really hurt. 

Good luck to the person who is my seatmate on the plane. 

P.S. I am also happy that I have stayed really well despite living out of a suitcase, more or less, for four months and at times, being beyond exhausted. What I have been doing and eating works and I am so glad it has!

Rolling into a new one...

Today is my birthday. Seems like I just had one.

 Dawn rolling into a New Year!

This birthday is uniquely special. It is the first one that I am a grandmother. I would love to be able to put into words what I felt as my grandchildren were being born…feelings and emotions both for them as well as for my own children and their loved ones. As well as for my mom. We are now officially four generations. Amazing.

It is also hard to express what being a grandmother feels like. When I hold my Grand Ones, it seems like just yesterday when I was holding my two. When I look into their faces, I see a combination of peace and possibility…and I hope for patience. I hope their lives unfold slowly and they live each season fully. Enjoy being Little Ones until it is time to move on to being Bigger Ones.

And so, that is my birthday wish…that all of us may live each season fully, as it comes, and that I will enjoy this new chapter of my life one slow, savory step at a time. And, I am also going to follow the lead of my Grand Ones. They just started rolling over. When they do, I believe, from the looks on their faces, they are both amazed and joyful. As I roll into a new year, I am going to act the same way. Happy day to you and Happy Birthday to me, all 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, 86,400 seconds of it!

What do you wish for on your birthday?

The Prophet

Yesterday, before I left Brooklyn, my daughter and I were talking about the book, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. It is one of my absolute favorites and I have cherished a copy of it since I was 15.

Its beautiful thoughts and quiet wisdom, chapter by chapter, have helped me with the many chapters of my life. When she asked what advice (!) I had, I said the best parenting advice I ever heard is right here...
http://www.youtube.com/embed/ByPOnZqICfs

Sweet feet (from Internet stock)  

Have a great weekend!

Lip-smacking!

The babies are doing great! Both are beyond the newborn stage and are smiling, focusing their sweet eyes, cooing and acting well, like babies. Their cheeks are amazing. Like butter. Let’s see…which cheek needs a kiss? Smooch. Now, I gotta kiss the other. Double smooch. Oh, and let’s do one more just for fun! And then another. 

The days pass like the wind. I am dreading what one day soon will bring. I have to leave.

But until I do, there are still lots of kisses to plant and if you are like me, you are very concerned about the news reports of lead in most all lipsticks (Maybelline is the worst!). Let me now if you want your smooches to be non-toxic. Truly…non-toxic, not tauted as “natural” yet full of bad stuff. I have the “goods” for your lips! Email me (pennyrudder@yahoo.com) and I will help you with lip glosses, lip balms and lip color.

Non-Toxic Kisses for Everyone!

While on the topic of “lip-smacking”, take a look at what my sweet DIL fixed for dinner the other night…a luscious tomato and chickpea stew served over orzo. So flavorful, so pretty!

She is an amazing cook. Everything she makes tastes so fresh. Alas, though, she is an intuitive cook...just knows what works and so there is really not a recipe for this, just suggestions. Here is what went into this delicious dish...

A new "kid" on the shelf...organic chickpeas, no can and look...

Zoom in and cheer...low sodium, high fiber! Sweet!

Chickpea Stew over Orzo

To tomatoes, either fresh, canned yourself or from a non BPA-lined can, like Eden Organics, add fresh herbs of choice like rosemary. Heat and reduce until the mix is stewlike, not soupy, and then add chickpeas, either cooked yourself or this new find. Serve over orzo. Garnish with fresh flat leaf parsley and slivers of garlic, sauteed until they are crispy. Vary the amount of chickpeas from little to lots depending on if this is a main vegetarian dish or you are serving another dish along with it, say a lovely salad with goat cheese. Just wonderful! 



Fat Thursday

Last night I was so excited I could hardly keep from bursting! I had the joy of listening to my son speak and speak in a setting that was just dazzling to boot…the 40th floor of a building near Freedom Tower. The cityscape was magnificent and my son…oh my, a “mom moment” for sure! 

Anyway, to burn off some adrenaline (this was also my first nighttime visit to the city since coming here…I told you I don’t get out much! Ha!), I had the cab drop me off way before my apartment.

Donuts, served by a Knight In Shining Armour

I have said over and over, “These people can bake!” Seriously. Here are two signs that jumped off the sidewalk. “Fat Thursday"? Am I missing something? Donuts as an aperitif? Turns out this is a big holiday. For the "skinny" on it, read more about it here and maybe just read...don't eat every bite? Or, wash 'em down with yesterday's super healthy shake?

No surprise that donuts are not at all nutritionally heart-healthy, as a matter of fact, are among the worst offenders, but happiness and celebrating with friends go a long way in building better health, too! Happy Fat Thursday! Good thing it's only once a year!! xoxo