Here on the frontier, There are falling leaves, Although my neighbors are all barbarions…And you? You are a thousand miles away. There are always two cups on my table.
The big day is coming and cooking ahead makes life so much easier!
The Chef may or may not be frying the turkey ’cause it looks like rain here in B’more.
I may just slow roast it.
But I love nothing better than to sit with the kids and watch the Macy’s Day parade on TV, and then (I know this is so lame…) the International Dog Show.
I’m probably the only person without a competitor watching.
But me and Cujo we just loves it!
So I don’t want to be in kitchen the whole day.
I want my chocolate spoon in my good Ghiardelli hot cocoa and some french toast.
Maybe some caramel popcorn during the day.
But to get that free time and still have a meal for 15 people come late afternoon I have to cook today (and yesterday).
This side dish of baked butternut squash is another seasonal good one that goes nicely with the traditional foods of Thanksgiving.
Just be careful when you are cutting this hard squash up you don’t cut yourself.
You can soften it first by cooking it in the microwave for a few minutes first then proceeding with the recipe.
If you do that be sure to pierce the squash deeply so if pressure builds inside it doesn’t explode all over the place.
Directions:
Peel the butternut squash and cut it into cubes.
After the squash is peeled cut it into cubes. There will be seeds in a center pocket that you can discard.
Dice up 1/2 cup of an onion.
Put the butternut squash into a baking dish.
Toss with 1/2 cup of oil.
Put the onion over the squash pieces and sprinkle on salt, pepper and a teaspoon of sugar.
The squah and onions seasoned and ready to bake.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Into the oven you go covered snugly with aluminum foil
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
Take foil off and continue baking until squash is fork tender, about 15 minutes.
If you are making this dish ahead of time don’t do the last 15 minutes of bake time.
When you reheat the dish on Thursday prior to the meal you will finish off the baking then.
That’s it another yum dish to serve on your Thanksgiving table.
The finished dish after baking uncovered the last 15 minutes will have browned edges and be so yummy.
My eldest child, just now expecting her first child.
I am a grandmom twice.
This child having her own will complete a circle that I have waited for quite sometime.
My girl China, who made me into a mother.
Seeing her now take the place as mother to her own,
now that’s something special.
I will attend her at birth as I have with the other daugher and daughter-in-law,
and have done with hundreds of other babies over the past 18 years or so as a doula.
I have attended hypnobirths, Bradley births, c-sections, stillbirths and of course medicated births.
In hospital, at home and at birthing centers.
I have given birth 6 times myself plus one stillbaby born too soon.
All unmedicated births.
The last 3 using hypnotherapy.
I won’t claim to be an authority but I have a bit of experience under my belt,
so to speak.
China, invited me to her hypnobirth class.
I agreed.
A few couples sat in a semi darkened room with a candle lit.
The instructor sat cross-legged on a footstool with a pashmina across her shoulders like a prayer shawl,
and her hair hanging loose to her mid back,
a good look when you are 30.
Not so much at 55.
She proceeded to speak on birth without pain of any kind.
The contractions as “surges” and pushing as “so yesterday”.
Now as I mentioned I am all for Hypnobirthing.
I think it’s extremely helpful in attaining a natural childbirth if that’s the woman’s wish.
I held my tongue as she led the women through the “full dilation” (or pushing stage of labor) breathing.
“Ladies”, she quietly sang, “You gently breathe in, and breathe out,there is no drama of pushing ,or people coaching you to push your baby out, your baby comes out all on its own with no more effort than your gentle breath.”
Okay, I was done holding my tongue.
I can tolerate varying opinions and means to an end in getting babies born, but telling a group of first time expectant mothers that they won’t have to push their babies out, and that the experience will be pain-free is just plain horsepee.
It will be a sad day for these women when their babies descend low into their pelvis towards birth.
The time when the tendons stretch, and tissues, (it doesn’t matter if you massage in a gallon of evening primrose oil) stretch and often tear with the scope of the coming skull.
I’m not talking perineum here I mean the vaginal canal.
Never mind the “Ring of fire” (straight from a hypnobirth training manual to describe when the head emerges from mom’s body).
“Ring of Fire”
Hello!!!
It’s not called that for nothing!
Hypnobirthing can absolutely get a woman through labor and delivery with much “less pain” then just muscling through the contractions.
But pain-free it ain’t.
“Madam”, I said,”I have attended hundreds of births of all kinds and the disservice you are doing to this group of women appalls me.
Never in all my experience has even the most calm,the most ‘in control’ woman who has used hypnobirth didn’t say post-birth that it was the hardest thing she had ever done.”
I felt my daughter’s hand on my arm.
I was embarrassing her in front of her teacher and classmates.
“With all due respect”,I finished.
We left the class into the cold of the Silver Spring night.
I apologized to China who walked arm-in-arm with her husband.
“I couldn’t abide seeing you lied to,” I said,” Having a baby is going to be the greatest day of your life, a day you never forget, I won’t have someone build you up ridiculous expectations that may leave you feeling afterward like your body failed you.
That if you do end up choosing to take an epidural you will have failed at childbirth.
You are going to have 18 years to raise this child.
This is only one day in your life. Whether she comes natural, by epidural or section she is going to be the same baby. ”
I have been trying to help Rose with one of her college courses.
Psycho-analytical BS I think it’s called.
She has to read this book, Geo-political Architechture.
Just reading it is a challenge.
Understanding it a puzzle.
Some pompous, ESL meshuganeh definitely wrote it.
Translating English to English pain in the …
So there we are.
Cuddled up in bed, me reading, her looking somewhat dazed,
doodling on a notesheet.
Then we heard it.
Skittering little rodent feet across the ceiling.
OMG, I hate mice.
Nervy fellow kept running back and forth.
Rose said, “Don’t worry Ma it’s just one, we’ll get ’em.”
But you know the old saying, “If you see one there are ten.”
I hope they are mice and not rats…
Next day I’m off to Home Depot and perusing the kill section of the warehouse…nice.
Do I want to go guillotine and snap they little brains out or glue their little mouse feet to a board and watch them slowly die of starvation.
The little houses with poison inside, reminiscent of some Grimm’s Fairytale looks interesting.
“I was trapped in the witch’s house with no escape and nought to eat but a bit of funky smelling peanut butter.
Oh God I hate mice.
I went with a dozen snap traps.
But mice are smart.
Smarter then we humans realize.
I set the traps in groups of 4 along the walls where the small fur devils have been hanging out and although there are new sh#t bits the traps are not sprung.
So you want to play rough huh?
I devise a home-made trap with a bucket of water laced with bait and a dowel for easy access up the side for them to climb and take the fatal dive into the bucket.
Hopefully this will fool the ones who have been around for a while and are well acquainted with aforementioned old-fashioned snap traps.
I can hear them in their homes telling their young, “..and never ever go near those dumb-ass wooden squares you see around… But there is a bucket with food in it that looks like fun kids!”
I hate mice.
So it’s day four of the mouse kill.
No catches yet.
I get up early to start breakfast for the troops.
Let Cujo out to do his business.
Drink a quiet cup of coffee listening to Hoo start to stir in his crib.
Perhaps we and the mice can co-exist peacefully.
They are just mice for goodness sake.
Just wanting a warm place for the winter and some spilled dog food to eat.
As a child I even had a few as pets.
As I sip my coffee before the day officially starts memories of Michael Jackson singing “Ben” come to mind.
“Flowers For Algernon.”
And I realize with a start,
I can’t kill these mice…
Then I hear 2 traps snap shut in quick succession behind the breakfront.
When you feed a big family you cut corners where you can.
When you have a bunch that eats strictly organic it’s even more of a challenge to keep the food costs low.
Making your own yogurt is no more expensive than the milk it costs to make it.
It tastes great, can be mixed with honey or agave and fruit.
Hubby eats it everyday mixed with a drop of vanilla.
low-fat milk makes a firmer yogurt.
Higher fat milk makes a creamier yogurt.
The only kitchen tool you will need is a cooking thermometer.
Now eat like Hoo does and make yourself some healthy yogurt!
This is gmom and Hoo, and even Cujo coming to you from chilly B’more.
The leaves are fallin’ here.
It’s beautiful.
Be safe out there.
Heat up milk to 185 degree F. This is just to the point when milk starts to froth. You have to stir it constantly to make sure it doesn't scorch. Some people use a double boiler to avoid burning the milk but if you keep stirring you won't have a problem!
Heat milk to 185 F being careful not to burn it. Stir often and watch carefully.
Let milk cool down to 115 F before adding your starter yogurt.
Once the milk has cooled to 115 F stir in 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt containing active yogurt cultures.
Pour cooled milk now infused with active yogurt cultures into clean containers.
Hoo is helping to put the heating pad into the bottom of the cooler and covering that with a dishtowel. Hoo loves his organic homemade yogurt!
Put your covered yugurt into the cooler to set on top of a heating pad set on low. The yogurt must be kept warm at a temperature at about 110 F.
Once the yogurt containers are in the cooler turn the heating pad on low. It will take 7 hours for the yogurt to culture and set.
Leave the yogurt to set for at least 7 hours. It will be custard like. The longer you leave it beyond 7 hours the more tangy it becomes. You may notice a slightly greenish fluid on top. That's normal and safe. You can pour it off or stir it into your yogurt before eating.
So another day begins as they all pile out to the trucks.
Genady and Bart lingering over coffee and a cigarette by their truck.
Waving to Hoo who stands by the screen door waving and calling to them.
I pick him up.
Come on big boy.
Time to get dressed.
These breakfast bars although not healthy enough to replace a well-balanced breakfast are good enough in a pinch or for those who won’t eat breakfast.
They make a great mid-morning snack too.
As you adjust the recipe to suit your own tastes just be aware that the recipe does not do well with flax or flax-seed or with drier cereals like chex.
Have a great week WP kids.
Be safe out there.
If you see an oil truck on the B’more streets be kind to them.
Here you go kids.
An easy and delicious recipe.
As an entree or appetizer it totally rocks both with adults and kids.
From Gmom’s kitchen to yours have a safe and peaceful New Year!
Chicken Pastrami Honey Mustard Roll Ups
——————————————-
Pound the chicken breast to 1/4 inch thickness. Coat in dry rub and let marinate in fridge for several hours.
INGREDIENTS:
6- whole chicken breast, cut in half and pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
24- slices of pastrami
4- tablespoons brown sugar
4- tablespoon oil
3- teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
2- teaspoons Seasonal or Lawry’s
3- tablespoons paprika
5-tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1/4- cup honey
1- cup seasoned breadcrumbs
——————————————-
Pound out the chicken breast halves to 1/4 inch thickness.
Mix in a small bowl the brown sugar, oil, seasonal, garlic,pepper and paprika.
Rub this mixture all over the chicken and let the chicken marinate in the fridge for up to 6 hours.
In a small bowl stir together the mustard and honey.
Do not rinse off the marinade.
On each chicken half arrange 2 slices of pastrami.
Brush on top of the pastrami a coating of the honey mustard.
Roll up the chicken and place seam side down into a baking pan.
Roll up the chicken breast tucking in to the ends any stray bits for a more uniform presentation.
Arrange rolls in a baking pan so they do not touch. You don't want them to steam. The breadcrumbs you sprinkle on after they are in the pan will crisp with this small difference.
Coat any of the remaining honey mustard on the rolls.
Sprinkle a generous amount of the seasoned breadcrumbs on the rolls.
Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes.
Serve whole for entree or in one inch slices for appetizers.
Combine butter,hot sauce,garlic and pepper in a saucepan and heat through.
Put aside for later.
Mix dry ingredients and toss with wings. Put in fridge for 1 hour. This is an important step and you will only know the difference if you make fried chicken skipping this step. It makes the crispy skin and batter stick.
Fry wings for 10-15 minutes or until golden.
Turn into a paper towel lined bowl to drain excess oil.
When ready to serve pour the hot sauce over the wings and toss.
Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese or sour cream dip if you like.
Alternate to frying:
You can take your wings and season them with Lawry’s or Spike.
Put them in a very hot oven 500-550 F.
Let them cook until crisp, about 30-40 minutes.
Then toss with the hot sauce.
This is the way I make them and they are delicious.
Happy 4th. kids.
gmom loves you and Maybe says hi!
These really are the best ribs.
Personally for the fourth of July, I don't want to be hanging over the hot grill.
I want to be drinking with everyone else.
Put these in the oven Saturday night and by morning they are done.
Boil up some corn on the cob.
Make some cole slaw.
Watermelon for dessert.
Done!
Ingredients:
4 teaspoons seasoning salt (original recipe calls for Spike if you can get it)
2 teaspoons Accent (monosodiumglutamate)
2 teaspoon black pepper
10 racks of baby back ribs (pork or beef) 10 pounds about
(in the pics the racks are about 1 1/4 pound each)
12 cloves minced garlic
4 large jalepeno peppers minced
4 large onions thinly sliced
4 green bell peppers thinly sliced
4 yellow bell peppers thinly sliced
4 red bell peppers thinly sliced
Directions:
Combine seasoning salt (Spike), Accent and black pepper.
Rub 1/4 teaspoon on each side of ribs.
Mix garlic and jalepeno peppers with any remaining seasoning mix and rub on each rib rack.
In a large roasting pan lay out a long length of aluminum foil,enough to wrap the ribs when you are done.
Put a layer of onion and the peppers on the bottom and then a couple of racks of ribs side by side.Layer more onions and peppers on top and continue layering.
Tightly wrap the ribs in the foil and leave in the fridge for 2 days to marinate.
I have left mine for 3-4 days with good results and have added red pepper flakes to kick up the heat.
When ready to cook.
Preheat your oven to 400 F.
Turn it down to 300F.
Put in your ribs and let cook 6-8 hours.
Serve with the vegetables which really wither to almost nothing but those ribs are going to go fast so make more then you think you are going to need.
For my hungry crew I sometimes tuck a hunk of chuck 4-5 pounds into the middle of the ribs and cook as directed in this recipe.
Some people just don’t like the gristle and mess of the ribs and want a piece of meat.
In the pics I have used half of the racks called for in the recipe and then made a second pan. Count on each meat eater eating at least 1 racks of ribs.
I hope you enjoy this recipe.
We love it.
Have a happy fourth.
Be safe friends.
Cujo says hi.
New Mind Snack 
Written
on November 26, 2013