English Journal Installment 14

Kayakers take advantage of nice weather to navigate River Stour near Flatford Mill, an area where artist John Constable found many of the subjects used in his paintings.

A tree leans over the River Stour in Suffolk.

Excerpts from an English Journal, Part 14

March 24: Only one full day left here after today and it’s supposed to rain! I have no complaints though. As I’ve said before, the weather here has been gorgeous with only one day of heavy rain since I’ve been here. (I knew Richard shouldn’t have washed the car yesterday!) It won’t affect us much though as we’d planned to stay in most of it so I can pack my things and wind down a little before flying out at noon on Thursday.

Afternoon: The weather turned out nicely after all so we took a short trip to Constable Country after lunch. This is an area of Suffolk, just across the Essex border, that was home to British romantic artist John Constable. Constable, who came late to painting, was never financially successful during his lifetime and although he sold more paintings in France than England, his paintings are now among the most popular and valuable in British art. The village of East Bergholt has thousands of visitors annually who want to see where he lived and the objects and scenery he painted

Constable’s contribution to the economy even in death has inspired EDF Energy Networks to spend £450,000 to move four miles of power lines to underground tunnels in order to clear the landscape of Dedham Vale and re-create the "wire free" landscape captured in his art. The project is more than half complete and EDF is currently working with Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project on the power lines between Stratford St. Mary and Boxted Mill.

We parked at East Bergholt and took a public footpath to Dedham, about two and a half miles away. The path winds beside narrow country roads and through meadows. Part of the meadows we crossed had herds of cattle who were quite friendly and walked up to us for a scratch on the head. I’m sure there have been others before me, but as of now I’m the only person I know who traveled 5,000 miles just to step on a dried cow patty. And yes, they smell just like the ones in America and the residue is equally difficult to remove from the treads in athletic shoes!

At Dedham, we visited the Essex Rose Tearoom before heading back to East Bergholt. They carry a large variety of chocolates and pastries as well as local jams and sauces available for purchase. I hadn’t realized until today that Tiptree Wilkins & Son is headquartered in Essex. I’ve enjoyed their jams for several years but never really paid attention to their place of origin until today. I also learned they started producing conserves in 1885 and still specialize in fruit grown on their estate. They do make some of the best jam I’ve ever eaten. I haven’t tried every flavor as yet but am working towards that goal.

The Rose also had a lunch and tea menu that turned out to be delicious. Richard had a chunky homemade soup with loads of vegetable and topped with croutons. The roll served with it was not as good as the one accompanying my Roasted Vegetable Lasagna so I gave it to him. (The salad and lasagna were more than enough for me.)

Both of us had a very tiny champagne truffle to top the meal and Richard had a pot of rich hot chocolate with loads of cream but I managed to resist that. It was tempting but I was too stuffed to do more than taste it.

The wind was relentless most of the afternoon but the sun made it bearable. I think the walk back wasn’t quite as chilly but maybe it was all that food that warmed us up. It didn’t hurt either that I was wearing a shirt, sweater and coat. Despite the weather, it was easy to see why Constable chose this area to paint. The vista is breathtaking and should be inspirational to anyone whether s/he is an artist or just a connoisseur of nature and its beauty.

Evening: The ride home was pleasant and we started getting dinner ready as soon as we got back. (Glad I did most of the prep work last night!). In addition to the meatlof and broccoli casserole, Richard prepared roasted parsnips. That tiny oven was way overloaded but we managed to get all of it ready just a little past the time we had promised.

Joanne joined Kevan and us and everyone seemed to enjoy the meal. Jo stayed and visited a while but Kevan had to leave as soon as he ate because of a problem at work that needed his attention. I’m glad I had a chance to say goodbye to both of them even though it was a little bittersweet. I gave Jo a new dictionary as a parting gift and promised to send some Skippy Chunky Peanut Butter to Kev. (That’s his favorite and apparently not available here.) A dictionary as a gift may sound a little odd but when Jo was admiring the one I bought for myself, she remarked that the one she had was really old and she needed a new one. In any event, she seemed absolutely delighted so it turned out to be a good choice. All-in-all, it was a lovely end to a lovely day.

*********

Easy Champagne Truffles

1 c. heavy cream

 lb. high quality bittersweet chocolate, divided

2 T. butter, softened

1 oz. Champagne

1 lb. cocoa powder

Divide chocolate in half and chop coarsely. Place half of the chocolate in a mixing bowl and set aside. Bring cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Let mixture stand 1—2 minutes and stir until smooth. Beat in softened butter and allow this to cool. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light in color. Beat in cognac and use a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tube to pipe out small truffles on parchment or waxed paper. Refrigerate to set.

Sift the cocoa into a deep pan and set aside. Melt remaining half of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Dip the truffles in melted chocolate and then deposit them in sifted cocoa, shaking the pan to cover them. After the covering sets, shake the truffles in a strainer to remove the excess cocoa. Keep cool until ready to serve. Yields about two dozen candies.

Broccoli Casserole

20 oz. frozen, chopped broccoli

8 oz. Velveeta

1 stick (1/2 c.) butter cut into slices

6 oz. can sliced mushrooms or 1/2 c. fresh, opt.

2 c. buttery cracker crumbs

Cook and drain broccoli. You may use shredded Velveeta or cut it into thin slices, add it and butter slices to hot broccoli. Mix until cheese and butter is melted; then stir in mushrooms. Pour into greased casserole and top with cracker crumbs. Bake @ 325º for 30 minutes or until casserole is bubbly.

This simple but delicious casserole can be made ahead but wait until ready to bake before sprinkling with cracker crumbs. You may also use an equivalent amount of cooked fresh broccoli if desired. For extra flavor, mix a little softened butter with cracker crumbs before topping casserole with them.

Easy Meat Loaf

2 lb. ground beef

2 eggs, well beaten

1 t. salt

1/2 t. coarse black pepper

1/2 c. catsup

1/2 c. diced onion

1 t. granulated garlic, opt.

1/4 c. wheat bran

Extra catsup for topping

Put ground beef in large bowl and add other ingredients in order given. After mixing thoroughly, shape into a loaf and put in baking pan that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray or on a rack that has been sprayed. Pour extra catsup over top and spread with a fork. Bake @ 325º for approximately 1 hour or until done.

This recipe has been a favorite of my family for years. If you use less expensive ground beef and cook on a rack to drain, the finished product will be much moister and flavorful.

Thanksgiving Food Article /w/ Recipes

This is the article I wrote for this week's paper, sans the photos that accompanied it. On a side note, when I made the Pumpkin Bourbon pie this week, I tossed in a 1/2 t. or so of ground cloves and sprinkled the crust lightly with cinnamon sugar before pouring the filling in it.)

Let us Give Thanks Every Day

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ~ JFK

Contrary to what many seem to think, Thanksgiving Day was not invented solely for the purpose of pigging out and watching football all day. Neither was it a tradition repeated every year by early American columnists as is frequently claimed.

After Plymouth colonists gathered the first harvest, Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and prayer to be shared by all the colonists and neighboring Indians. They did celebrate a successful harvest in1621 but it is highly unlikely that they called it Thanksgiving.

To them, a thanksgiving was a religious holiday they observed by going to church to give thanks for specific things like winning a battle. Also, the types of activities they and the Wampanoag Indians participated in during the harvest feast would not have had a place in a religious holiday. The dancing, singing secular songs and playing games made it a temporal celebration in their eyes and would have never been considered what they observed as a thanksgiving.

Another myth is that the original Thanksgiving feast took place on the fourth Thursday of November as it does today. It was based on English harvest festivals that occurred around September 29 and actually occurred between September 21 and November 11, lasting three days as did those in England.

Another day of thanksgiving and prayer was changed to one of thanksgiving in 1623 when drought-breaking rain came during the prayers. The custom of celebrating thanksgiving after the harvest gradually prevailed in New England and the Continental Congress suggested an annual day of thanksgiving during the American Revolution.

In 1817, New York adopted Thanksgiving Day a yearly custom and by mid-nineteenth century, several other states had followed suit. President Abraham Lincoln appointed a day of thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November, perhaps correlating it with the anchoring of the Mayflower at Cape Cod on November 21, 1621.

Subsequent presidents continued the custom, each issuing a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, until President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially set the date as the fourth Thursday in November 1939. Congress officially approved it in 1941.

Another myth is the type food served at the first harvest. They didn’t have ham or sweet potatoes or fresh corn. Waterfowl was plentiful as were mussels and other seafood and the Indians hunted squirrel, turkey and deer. Likely, the main entrée was a combination of these choices. There is a record of Chief Massasoit bringing five deer to Governor Bradford so it’s probably safe to assume there was venison on the menu.

They may have served nuts, grapes, peas, beans, onions, and/or radishes but if if pumpkin was present, it would have been stewed as sugar was too scarce to use in pies. If they had cheese, it would have been goat cheese because they brought neither cows nor pigs with them on their journey over.

The roast turkey we have come to expect has given way in recent years to smoked turkey, grilled turkey or deep-fried turkey. Another non-traditional Thanksgiving entrée that has come into favor in recent years is Turducken. It takes a lot of time to prepare but if you like turkey, duck and chicken, it may be worth your time. It’s sure to be interesting at the very least.

Turducken

Ingredients:

2-3/4 c. prepared savory bread stuffing, divided

2 c. prepared cornbread stuffing, divided

1/4 c. chopped pecans

1/2 c. whole berry cranberry sauce

1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey, deboned

1 (4 to 5-pound) duck, deboned

1 (3 to 4 pound) chicken, deboned

4 T. butter

3 cloves garlic, quartered

6 fresh sage leaves

2 T. fresh thyme leaves

1 T. browning sauce like Kitchen Bouquet®

1 T. olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Have the turkey, duck and chicken deboned before you begin to assemble the turducken. Keep poultry refrigerated until you are ready to use it. Do not assemble turducken ahead of time in order to avoid food borne illnesses.

Measure out 2-1/4 cups of bread stuffing and set aside. Place remaining 1/2 cup of bread stuffing in another bowl and add 1/2 cup of the cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce and pecans. Toss gently to combine. Set remaining 1-1/2 cups cornbread stuffing aside. You should have 3 separate stuffings.

Using the metal blade of your food processor, to finely chop butter, garlic, sage and thyme together. Run your hand under turkey skin to separate and make a pocket, but do not separate skin completely from the meat. Distribute the butter herb mixture evenly under the skin.

Rub turkey skin first with the browning sauce, then with the olive oil. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Flip turkey over so it is open with skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. At this point, turn the oven to 300° to preheat.

Spread bread stuffing evenly over turkey cavity and place duce on top of bread stuffing, skin-side down. Spread cranberry nut stuffing on top of open duck cavity and top with chicken, skin-side down.

Spread cornbread stuffing on top of open chicken cavity and skewer the back of the chicken closed. Bring up the sides of the duck to cover the chicken and skewer the back of the duck closed. Repeat process with the turkey. Carefully turn turducken over, leaving seam-side down and breast-side up. Remove all skewers except the last one holding the turkey together.

Place turducken in a heavy roaster and roast 3-4 hours or until meat thermometer inserted in the center of chicken stuffing reaches 165° F. Baste once per hour with pan juices. If turducken begins to get too brown, tent loosely with heavy-duty aluminum foil that has been coated with vegetable spray.

Let turducken rest 30 minutes before carving. When ready to serve, slice turducken across the breast to show off each layer. Yield: 12 to 14 servings

Pumpkin Bourbon Pie

1 stick of butter

1-1/2 c. sugar

1-1/2 c. prepared pumpkin

1 T. flour

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 t. salt

3 T. bourbon

1 t. allspice

1 unbaked 9" pie shell

Mix butter and sugar. Stir in flour, then add remaining ingredients. Mix well and pour into pie shell. Bake @ 450 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 50 additional minutes. Cool on rack.

I enjoy this slightly different take on pumpkin pie more than the original type. It’s better made in advance to allow flavors to meld.

Pumpkin Squares

Bottom layer:

1 18.25 oz-box yellow cake mix

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 c. butter, melted

Top layer:

1 8-oz.package cream cheese, softened

1 15-oz. can pumpkin

3 large eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground nutmeg

Pinch of salt

1-lb. box powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In the mixing bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, combine cake mix, egg and melted butter, and beat with the flat beater until the mixture forms a ball. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of prepared baking dish and set aside.

In the mixing bowl of the heavy-duty stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and pumpkin and beat with the flat beater until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, beating well to incorporate. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until combined.

Spoon the batter over the cake mix crust and bake for 35-45 minutes.

This is very much like a cheesecake, which will not look completely set in the center when the mixture is done. The center will still be a little soft and wiggly, but will firm up as it cools. Remove to a wire rack to cool and refrigerate until completely chilled. Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

This is a good alternative for those who do not care for pumpkin pie or just for something a little different for the holidays.

My Favorite Cranberry Sauce

1-1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. water

3 c. (appr. 12 oz.) fresh cranberries

1/4 c. Grand Marnier

Rinse and clean berries and drain in colander. Combine water and sugar in saucepan. Add berries and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until berries pop and sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Grand Marnier.

Cool at room temperature and store in refrigerator. I think this is the absolute best cranberry sauce you can make. I’ve had people who swore they didn't like cranberry sauce eat this and rave over it.

*****

A little Thanksgiving humor (with apologies to Clement Moore):

'Twas the night of Thanksgiving,
but I just couldn't sleep.
I tried counting backwards,
I tried counting sheep.

The leftovers beckoned -
the dark meat and white
but I fought the temptation
with all of my might.

Tossing and turning
with anticipation,
the thought of a snack
became infatuation.

So, I raced to the kitchen,
flung open the door
and gazed at the fridge
full of goodies galore.

I gobbled up turkey
and buttered potatoes,
pickles and beets,
beans and tomatoes.

I felt myself swelling
so plump and so round,
'til all of a sudden
I rose off the ground.

I crashed through the ceiling,
floating into the sky
with a mouthful of pudding
and a handful of pie.

But, I managed to yell
as I soared past the trees...
happy eating to all -
pass the cranberries, please.

May your stuffing be tasty.
May your turkey be plump.
May your potatoes 'n gravy
have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious.
May your pies take the prize.
May your Thanksgiving dinner
stay off your thighs!

~ Author unknown

From a 3-year-old's perspective

I traded my Monday morning stint with Little Bit for Friday morning this week so her other grandmother could leave early for a trip. It's amazing to see how much she has changed in just a few months. She's gone from a mostly quiet child into a full time chatterbox. She's also speaking much more clearly so her parents had better be careful what they say. (They only think they have secrets from me!)

The following excerpt is just a small part of what transpired today.

Her: I'm going to live forever and ever!!

Me: You are? That's really a long time.

Her: Yes. (pause) It takes a long time to get dead.  It not fun to get dead. It makes people sad and they cry.

Me: Cracking up, laughing.

Her: (Laughing): That was a joke, Judy! (She sounded delighted that I "got" her joke. Actually, I didn't. It was all just  funny.)

Almost

The week is almost over, it's almost Thanksgiving, the year is almost over, and I have no idea where all the time has gone. Maybe by the time Thanksgiving/Christmas 2010 season rolls around, I will have my condo like I want it. Of course, my lease will be up then and they will probably kick me out, forcing me to have to start all over again! I really hope not though. I'd forgotten how much "fun" moving can be and I think I've enjoyed as much of it as I can for a while.

For some reason, I've managed to get really busy since I moved here. Nothing special, just a little of this and that, but enough to keep me from getting much done in the apartment. I had started some minor stuff this evening but a last minute bridge invitation tempted me and I just had to go. Maybe tomorrow...

Don't laugh

Those of you who know me will laugh when I say I need to be more assertive but I really do.

I played trivia tonight with a group that calls themselves the Delta Force and we tied for third. There was a big crowd there but we could have done a little better if I had spoken up on a couple of answers. Darn it, I knew them but just didn't have enough confidence to speak out. Have to work on that, lol.

They really are a nice bunch of folks though and I had a great time. I had walked down to the restaurant earlier and they readily invited me to join them before the game started. It's only about a block from my condo but one insisted on giving me a ride back. It's well lighted and I didn't mind walking back but I accepted and enjoyed the company. I've been invited to join them again next week and I think I shall.

Also met one of my near neighbors, a nice lady named Annie. She lives just across the way with her mother. She says she writes music, mostly blues, and I'm looking forward to hearing some of her compositions.

Definitely looking as though this community will be a good fit for me.

It's Monday!

It's Monday and we all survived the bowling birthday party. Barely. You only think those indoor jumping playgrounds are loud! This type party is off the chart for noise, especially when others are taking place simultaneously.

I will say though the people who were in charge were quite efficient and very pleasant. It was nice to have everything taken care of and cleaned up afterwards too. The kids enjoyed the pizza and punch and birthday cake immensely and all seemed to have a very good time. I personally enjoyed having the private room to retreat to while the others were supervising the bowling.

I am pretty much out of excuses to get busy organizing my apartment even though I'm pretty sure I could come up with some if I were given enough time.

The fix-it guy got here just before 1:00p.m. and has taken care of several little things that needed to be repaired. He's at Home Depot now getting a new hood for my stove, thank goodness. The light on the old one won't work and it's so dirty I haven't been able to scrub all the grease from it. It took a hot soak and two rounds in the dishwasher just to clean the filter!

Oh, there's a great excuse. I have to wait until he finishes to do anything else. I knew I would think of something!

Six Days on the Road...

Six days down, one to go this week, two if you count Sunday as the end of the week instead of the first day. One other event, Roo's birthday party tomorrow afternoon, and I should be able to relax a little after that. Her uncle is treating her to a bowling birthday party, a first for all of us. Should be interesting but I wouldn't want to be too close to the lanes with those 6-year-olds tossing heavy equipment around!

It's been a hectic week to say the least but at least I've got new color and a new haircut to show for it anyway. Lots of stuff unpacked and lots to go yet. I'm pretty sure I will be rearranging for a long time to come though. I'm too OCD or ADD or too something not to! The people I've met here have been very friendly and I think I will enjoy living here.

Hopefully, things will slow down a bit and I'll get inspired to write something interesting. Until then, who knows?!?