An Outrageously Sweet Day

Today would have been my dad's 87th birthday and it is so nice that a mention of him appeared in The Shelter Island Reporter yesterday. A couple of weeks ago, there was a reception at the Shelter Island Library for Dad...officially dedicating "Charlie's Bench", the outside reading bench that sits (and is well sat on already!!) in a grassy little nook and officially unveiling the wonderful picture that hangs in honor of Dad in the library's nautically-themed reading area downstairs. Both are affectionate tributes to his love of and service to the library and it is especially nice that the painting is by his good friend, Peter Waldner. My pix of his art isn't the best, but Peter's work of art and his studio are!

My dad loved the library, I mean loved it, and I didn't quite "get it" until after he was gone and I found myself drawn into the community the library creates. Yes, there are tons of books and other goodies there, but it is the feeling when you walk through the door that makes every trip there special. I owe much of the peace and support I found during the last couple of years to those wonderful, friendly people at the library. I cherish his library card because I know now it was one of his most prized possessions.

After the reception, I drove Mom and her friend Agnes around the island and actually came upon a couple of places and sights they had never seen before and some others that were very familiar.

As "girls" of any age will do, we cut loose with some serious girl talk and chatted about everything from the fabulous lip color Agnes had on, to books we were reading, new sights we were seeing and, of course, to foods we were eating. With me and Mom both in the car, that conversation is going to happen! I mentioned how great it was that the reception had LOTS of cookies...Dad's favorite munchie... and that was the cue Agnes needed to give me this recipe. If she says they are outrageously good, that is more than good enough for me! 

Agnes' Outrageous Cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (organic if you can)
1/2 cup peanut butter (organic if you can)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg (local is best!)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Beat sugars, butter and peanut butter, vanilla and egg until creamy. Mix in flour, oats, baking soda and salt. STir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonsful 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until light brown. Cool one minute and grab one. Make about 2 dozen.

The whole day was sweet and this pix sums it up...

Party On!

Hallmark must be in over-drive because it seems I have missed more than several holidays in March already and oodles slipped by me in February. No, not the big ones like Valentines' Day and Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays (remember how fun those were to celebrate separately with a jelly roll "log" cake for Lincoln and sweet cherry something for Washington??) Most of the other "special days" I hadn't heard of but I bet some of you feted the margarita on National Margarita Day, right? Anyone??? I will try to remind those of you who missed it when I remember exactly which day in Feb it was! I have got to read the fine print in my day planner better...certainly it knows all these important dates!! Anyway, onward to March.

March is National Peanut Butter Month and National Have a Friend Over for Dinner Month ( as well as my birth month, Paddy's Day, Daylight Savings Day, Vernal Equinox...) I am not kidding; each week is jam-packed with excuses to have a party or two or three.

March began while I was at my mom's soothing her over the first anniversary of my dad's death. Except for a few blips and crazy weather, things went pretty well. A tear or two or several but overall, she (and I) talked through the remembrances and nearly finished up all the legal/administrative stuff. I am really glad that the first year is behind us. It was great to hear her recall some of their moments together with a little laughter instead of such deep sadness. I do worry about her loneliness and so, among other things I had to do, I also threw a few parties for her pals, not March's dinner idea but lunch.

Both of us love to trying out new recipes on guests (consider yourself warned!) and without knowing it, did give March and peanut butter its due. For one party, our guests were world travelers and so we wanted a fun exotic dish to serve. You can vary this recipe in so many ways. Our guests included two omnivores and two veggies and so I actually made two versions, one with local bay scallops (oh my, they were back in season this year with a salty-sweetness that was amazing!) and the other with tofu. While not a fan of soy, I found this tofu one terrific.

West African Stew

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 large white onion, diced

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced

1 tart apple, diced (sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning)

1 14-ounce can veggie broth

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon Tabasco

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

2 tablespoon orange marmalade

1 pound bay scallops or firm organic tofu ( note: original recipe called for chicken, turkey or shrimp but I had to "make it mine" and substitute sustainable alternatives for omnivores and vegetarians)

1 cup brown rice (cook with 2 cups liquid)

In a large skillet, heat peanut oil over medium heat until hot. Add onions, Worcestershire sauce and minced jalapenos. Saute until onions are brown. Add sweet potato and apple. Stir in 1/2 cup veggie broth. Add peanut butter, stirring until it is absorbed. Turn down heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Add curry, Tabasco, coconut extract, marmalade and simmer 30 minutes, adding remaining broth as needed. While the stew cooks, prepare rice. About 5 minutes before serving, add in scallops or tofu and heat through. To serve, ladle over a bed of rice and top with a merriment of condiments: chopped almonds or peanuts, flaked coconut, sliced bananas, etc.

Serves 4.

Great balls of...

To look around, "round" is the shape of the week. Early in the week, gorgeous, big, fluffy, round snowflakes fell and for several moments, there was a winter wonderland all around us. Then, not-so-gorgeous, big, sloppy, round rain drops fell. For the rest of the week, icy slush has been all around us, its dreary messiness brightened up by delightful round-bellied snowmen in neighbors' yards.

Like I said in an earlier post, I love snow, especially the big flaked kind. So many wonderful memories swirl around snow...of our snowmen (one we kept part of in the freezer for three years), of "real'' snow cones sweetened with maple syrup, of sledding on my stomach, skiing on my back, ice skating on my ankles and making snow angels as soon as there was enough snow to spread into wings. As a kid, whatever I lacked in winter athleticism, I made up for in "free-form" winter enthusiasm. My dad was an avid winter sportsmen and he introduced me to all his favorite sports and tried to pass on his skills. I must admit ( and I am sure he knew) that my favorite part of our ski or skating adventures together was the after...warming icy toes and frozen noses in front of the fire! As a mom, I also love the memories of bundling up our babies with layers and layers of snow clothes until they were fluffy, round, snow-suited cuties and then, trying to pile those human "snow balls" onto sleds and flying saucers. When they were babies, we lived less than a mile from Lake Erie and the "lake effect" had us around snow and rain for many, many months of the year. They were round little bundles a lot! Now, our babies are adults and our round-bellied pups offer their own doggie twist on snowbaby cuteness. Love it...and I could go on and on, but I am going in circles...

Back to earth...Valentine's Day is right around the corner and I promised a "healthy" treat. This recipe is from my friend Ann and it is quite versatile. You can roll these delicious little balls in sesame seeds or coconut or dip them in melted unsweetened dark chocolate. Although I haven't done this yet, I bet you can substitute almond or cashew butter for the peanut butter, and other dried fruits or dark chocolate bits for the raisins. Snow or no snow, have fun playing around with these. With just a little imagination, you will have a whole "candy" box full.

Valentine "Butter" Balls

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (stir well if there is oil in the jar)

1/3 cup local honey

1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup dry milk

1/2 cup raisins

3/4 cup wheat germ or All Bran cereal

Mix all until well combined and then shape into balls. Keep in 'fridge for snacking.

Half Mast and Mostly, Filled with Fun

I got several comments about the " 'Boo.." post, almost as many as the "Let the elephant..." one and so I feel I need to add this post in before I move on to the granola and hot dogs which really are coming next!


Some of you were a little surprised by the peanut butter jar having a place of prominence at my dad's memorial service. I guess you did have to be there but I will share the scene better than I did in an earlier post. I had never planned a memorial service before and of course, my dad left me no instructions and my mom's only comment was, "Pensy, what are you going to do for Dad's service?"

Dad's "assignment" over the past few years was to write me a "Doomsday Book". When I was up with him in January, I gently asked him how the writing was going. His response, "Oh, good, babe. Yea, good. You will find everything you need in the metal box by my desk." The day after he died, I tiptoed up to his room to look for my book and you guessed it. The neatly typed Title Page was the book in its entirety. And so, feeling the heaviness of my dad's death and the fragility of both my mom's and brother's condition, I decided we needed to throw a party in Dad's honor.

While the flags all over their island were lowered to half mast and the antique fire truck was draped in black, our party for Dad was actually fun, moments softened with a few tears here and there, but mostly replete with laughter. One of Dad's most honored achievements was that he was a commissioner of the volunteer fire department and an honorary fireman, and so we had his party at Firehouse #3. I went full throttle on a display with different vignettes that told his story, right down to the foods and snacks he loved...hence the peanut butter. We had his letter sweater from high school, trophies won from sailing, medals from The War, oars from his beloved dinghy, books from the library, his walking stick and trowel and the piece de resistance...a collage of every theater and event ticket he had saved and a list of 85 favorite things. In the background, we played his favorite show tunes.

It makes me smile just to think about that day. My mom is still getting letters and cards which make her smile and my brother is happy . All is good. Here is one of the foods we served. Dad loved a good deviled egg and he loved Firehouse #3.

Firehouse #3 Deviled Eggs

10 large eggs, hard-cooked and shelled

1 clove garlic, minced

2 serrano chilies, seeded and minced

1/2 cup real mayo

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

1/4 teaspoon good chili powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon chopped chives

Slice off top 1/3 of each egg and set aside. (It is a great help to slice off the bottom of each egg so that it sits flat and doesn't roll.) Scoop out the yolks and mash together with the rest of the ingredients except the chives. Refill egg white shells. Garnish with chives and serve chilled. Serves quite a few unless you are also feeding firemen. Those guys can eat!