Plinky.com's Question: Which movie's characters would you befriend in real life?

It would have to be the characters from the movie "Hellboy". Amazing superheros with hearts of gold, great paranormal "gifts" (I wish I could do that fire thing! And the mind reading thing too and yeah, I'd like to be super strong as well- hauling laundry baskets up and down the stairs would be a piece of cake!) and how can you not just love Hellboy himself?! He is just human enough, (he loves kittens and cats- and no, not to eat!) with cool bad habits and who better to "have your back" when in a bad situation? I bet you could even picnic in the park w/ this crew! (Although it may be a very odd looking gathering!) If you've never seen the movie, rent it! Love it!

One day I'll roll in a

classic '64 Pontiac GTO...it's just ....HOT! All that muscle under the hood...mmmmmm! and I bet you thought I'd go for a 50's classic- I would love a classic 1940's Chevy pickup however! I do own a 1940 Chevy Super Deluxe, all original, not running and in need of restoration- I'm hoping my son or daughter will lean towards being a gear head and want to restore her, meanwhile she sits and waits. this photo is of what she COULD look like,  right now she's black original paint, not so much rust...the potential is awesome, financially- our restoration funds go towards the house.  Ah well, someday!(pin up by artist Gil Elvgren) (and yes, of course that's me tinkering!)

The next scene features

I signed up with an online service called Plinky   http://www.plinky.com 

They provide writing prompts (daily!) for Bloggers, Facebookers, Twitter people, etc. Pretty interesting, thought I'd try it out for some fun. Not that I'm lacking in things to go on and on about, but maybe you all would like to read something intelligent, thought provoking or different than my regular meanderings! 

(Image of Pin Up by artist Gil Elvgren)

"If all the world's a stage, and we're merely players, how does your next scene begin?"  The next scene features....me, (of course!) immersed in creating my art.......I need more hours (and energy!) in the day!

Pin Ups

"Taking A Lacing" Pin Up by Artist Edward D'Ancona

So I've been asked by a few readers (who don't know me as well as some of you do) "So what's the deal with the Pin Ups?" Well, here's a bit of an explanation: I love the 1940's and 50's era. Since I was a little kid. I think vintage Pin Ups are beautiful, sexy and yes, tasteful.  The artists were (and are, those who are still living that is) very talented and knew how to bring the canvas to life. The servicemen totally appreciated the art in WWII. (Nothing against the modern Pin Up artists that are out there, but I like retro/vintage). It's my alter ego- yes, a Pin Up Model. I'd be one of Gil Elvgren's (He's amongst one of my very favorite pin up artists).  Miss Pixie Pants. That's her/my picture on this Blog. (My profile Pic is actually a Runci not an Elvgren- but their styles are very similar.) Pixie Pants Designs is the name of my art business- I make Pin Up pins to wear (much altered and embellished) as well as altered art cards featuring Pin Ups. (altered enough to avoid any copyright infringement) So, some may think I'm strange or just plain weird, but that's ok, I'm a Pin Up Model (on the inside- perpetually svelte and 27 years old). It's a mindset. I am who I am. I live vicariously through my art (and all of those gorgeous vintage Pin Ups)! 

The Black Dagger Brotherhood

I've been at it again- getting totally addicted to Vampire novels. I have recently read the entire series of author J.R.Ward's "The Black Dagger Brotherhood".

  The Vampires in The Black Dagger Brotherhood are warriors/protectors of their race and are totally wicked hot stuff!  J.R.Ward writes these characters so well that I can just SEE a movie being made...as well as the actors I'd love to see portray her Vampire Warriors. Think very tall, dark, handsome, built (as in totally ripped!) , deep,  lots of attitude, charm and very individual personalities. And wealthy. For what I call "grocery store paperback reading" it's an awesome series. The next book in the series comes out the end of April. I'll be waiting at the doors for it! It's Twilight for grown ups. (Definitely for grown ups!) Check it out here:

  http://www.blackdaggerfans.net 

I am a very fast reader, I can devour a book in 24 hours. Yes, I will stay up until the wee hours of the morning if it's T.G. (THAT GOOD). I annoy the heck out of my hubby when I do that. He gets all huffy if he wakes up at 3 am and my nose is in the book with my itty-bitty book light. He's a non-reader. Can't believe I married a non-reader! He just doesn't understand. Fortunately the kids take after me when it comes to reading (addicitve reading!). We could have worse habits though, right?! 

Next up for reading is the "Sookie Stackhouse" series by author Charlaine Harris. Yes, you guessed it- more Vampires and Paranormal Adventures! The HBO original series "True Blood" is based directly on the Sookie Stackhouse novels.  I'm starting tonight on the first book in the series and I'll give you an update soon!

http://www.charlaineharris.com

Pecan Shortbread- Gluten Free

Pecan Shortbread- Gluten Free

3 ounces (6 Tablespoons) Butter, softened

1/2 Vanilla Bean, split and scraped (save pod for another recipe- zip lock in the freezer, or stick it in a small container of sugar to flavor the sugar- sublime!)

1/2 cup of Sugar

1 cup Brown Rice Flour (Bob's Red Mill is good)

3 ounces Pecans (toasted then chopped fine- about 1 cup after chopping)

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350*. Butter a square baking pan (8"x8") and set aside. Cream the butter, vanilla seeds and sugar with your mixer until fluffy, then reduce speed to low. Add flour, pecans and salt. Mix until just mixed. Press into pan and stick it in the freezer until firm (approx. 30 min.) Score the shortbread into 18 pieces, bake until lightly golden (approx. 50-55 min.) Let cool for about 15 minutes, then turn over onto cooling rack. Let cool completely, then cut into pieces.

Absolutely delish with a cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon!

I am feeling SMUG!

"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" Ok, so most of you remember that part of The Wizard Of Oz, where the man behind the curtain was frantically cranking and  spinning handles and knobs, pushing buttons, watching the dials and gauges like a madman? Well that was me a couple of weeks ago! My husband was on his way to Mexico (not the scary parts) to do a field service job (which pays very well so I was not grumpy about his being gone to a warm climate while we're still here in the barren tundra) and because this is spring in New England- it's high water season- spring run-off, snow melting, all that. We own three hydro electric power stations which were running when he had to leave. Yep, busy time of year for hydro stations. Hubby called me from the airport in Detroit and said he recieved an automated call from one of the stations that it went "off line" which means it needed to be re-started. Now. I paused and said "And....this means what? Who do I call?" His reply: "I will call you in 20 minutes and I will talk you through start up procedure. Love ya, bye!" I was speechless. Which says a lot for me! So off I went to the station to await his call. It took me ten minutes to figure out which key it was to unlock the door to the place! Although I've been to the stations many times (I've even had hubby give my Girl Scout Troop tours through there). have I ever touched the equipment? Or even paid any attention at all to what buttons he pushed, dials he turned or what not? NOOOO! I was always busy trying to avoid the hydraulic oil and greasy bits of everything there. It is like being in a auto mechanics garage- everything is lubricated, filmy, and every guys dream. I was a bit out of my element to say the least, and the place is downright creepy! All that high voltage whizzing around! Although I do admire the nice vintage black bakelite handles on the equipment. So he called and took me through the list of procedures to start the thing up. (warning signs all around "DANGER! HIGH VOLTAGE!" egads!) Push this RED button, turn this handle, count to three, turn this other handle, count to ten, push this other RED button, turn on the synchroscope, watch the lights flash and the needle spin around crazy, turn this other handle, wait for it, wait for it, wait for it...throw the switch... now! BANG! (heart palpitations!) It's running! Oh! Wait! What happened?!  Everything just shut down again! Oh, you forgot to tell me what? So now I have to start all over?! Are you kidding me?! (insert cuss words here) Ok, I'll try it again! So, long story short, I got it up and going on the 4th try. I was feeling quite smug! Almost like Dr. Frankenstein (that's Frankensteeen!) "It's ALIVE!!!!" Thank God there were no ZZZZAPS, or sparks going off (although the big bang scared the crap out of me- hubby said he was sorry he forgot to warn me about that part.) So, I got to check the stations every day for 2 weeks, one of them went offline once and I got it started on the first try. YAY for me! I did get a big grease smudge on my favorite jacket though- aarrggghhh! Hubby thanked me and said he was VERY impressed, I told him it was my pleasure and he'd be recieving my invoice shortly. 

Hi Everyone! I have learned an important lesson recently, "Always Backup Your Computer!"

This lesson was learned the hard way- my computer was infected with not just one, but three Trojan Horse Viruses. When it was happening, it reminded me of the computer "Dave" (I think that was it's name anyways!) from Space Odyssey 2001. It was possessed, and I fully expected it to melt down to a puddle of smoking wires and gooey plastic in front of my eyes. It didn't, but I took it down to our computer guy and he actually got it running again! (I was really sweating it out for over a week!)I now have a few more "dead sectors" on my hard drive, but all of my documents and pictures have been saved, as well as most of my programs. I am lucky!  Anyways, on Amazon.com I purchased a little gadget called a Clickfree Automatic Backup (for under $98.00 and free shipping) it plugs into the USB port and does it's thing without any effort on my part and it's got enough brain space to backup multiple computers! A marriage made in heaven!  I've missed blogging, so I'm off to do drudgery housework, and when I take a break, I'll blog some more!

Sweet Potatoes!

My family LOVES sweet potatoes. I always bake too many and always have leftovers. No one ever stops me from putting too many in the oven, I think because they like what I do with the leftovers! Here are two recipes that make great use of leftover baked sweet potatoes, or pop a couple in the oven, slip them out of their jackets when they are done, mash 'em up and add them to the following:

Sweet Potato Cornbread

(Bob's Red Mill brand make an awesome Gluten Free Cornbread mix that I use instead of regular cornbread mix, but here's the original recipe:)

2 cups self-rising cornmeal bread mix

1/4 cup sugar (I usually cut that in half and add some honey)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato

1/4 cup of butter, melted

1 large egg, beaten

Whisk together all ingredients, whisking just enough until dry ingrdeients are moistened. Spoon batter into a prepared 8" pan.

Bake at 350* until a pick inserted in middle comes out clean, approx 20-25 minutes.

 Sweet Potato Pie (Andrew's All Time Favorite Pie)

From Shelly, and her wonderful Blog "My Vintage Kitchen"

http://myvintagekitchen.blogspot.com

Crust (this is out of the 1950's Betty Crocker Cookbook)
3/4 stick of cold butter
1 cup flour (substitute RICE Flour for a Gluten Free version)
3 Tablespoons water (adjust if needed)
I just use a pastry cutter until everything is incorporated and starts to stick. Roll in a ball and put on a floured surface. Roll out...makes a 9" pie crust. 
Pie Filling
2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (again, substitute Rice flour for this to be Gluten free)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Mix together mashed sweet potatoes, butter or margarine, and eggs. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, flour, and salt. Mix in spices if desired. Add to sweet potato mixture and stir well.
Mix together buttermilk and baking soda. Add to sweet potato mixture and stir well. Mix in vanilla extract. Pour filling into pastry shell.
Bake in preheated oven for 70 minutes, until set in center.

Spring Cleaning?

Tonight we set our clocks ahead 1 hour, it's getting close to SPRING! I am actually looking forward to Mud Season and even the Blackflies. This winter has been brutal. This weekend, aside from a bit of rain, was absolutely lovely and spring like. Of course more SNOW is in the forecast for tonight and tommorow- 4-6 inches. Because we're near Mt. Monadnock, we usually get a bit more. *sigh*

Anyways, I am thinking SPRING and getting preparations underway for spring cleaning. I am starting with the most disgusting nastiest toughest job first- the oven. I do a lot of cooking and baking. After this weeks homemade baked beans, Indian pudding, baked ham, sweet potatoes, homemade pizza (which I bake directly on the rack, no pan) the bottom of my oven looks like a creature is ready to burst forth and grab a passerby. It is covered with black crusty bubble like formations of gooey junk. I have long ago gave up the nasty chemical oven cleaners and use the all natural and better smelling homemade stuff with great sucess. Here's the recipe: 

Oven Cleaner (non-toxic)

You only need four ingredients:

Borax, which is found in the laundry soap section of your grocery store.

distilled white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar (I prefer the apple cider vinegar- smells a bit better)

water

Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap, (I love the Almond one) which you'll find in your local natural food store, or section of your grocery store. I use Dr. Bronner's for doing dishes, it doesn't hurt my hands  or our septic tank.

Mix two teaspoons of Borax, four tablespoons of vinegar, two cups of water and an eighth of a cup of Dr. Bronner's Castile soap.

Spray this homemade cleaner into your oven ... all over the oven walls and floor. Then, cover the wet surface with baking soda and follow with a second layer of your homemade cleaner. Let that sit overnight and wipe clean in the morning.

*If you remember your 3rd grade science class experiments, baking soda and vinegar make a foamy chemical reaction. Don't be alarmed! This is a good thing! For scorched stuck on stuff in pans, I throw in some baking soda then a bit of vinegar and let it sit, comes right off. Your oven will be sparkling and no brain cells will have been harmed in the process.

Pink Princess Tea Parties

Dear Daughter's elementary school is having it's annual Scholastic Book Fair and although our home is bursting with books, I couldn't resist getting a couple of books. (Snuck into the house lest I get caught by Dear Husband bringing "yet MORE books" into the house!) Amongst them the "Pink Princess Tea Parties" book by Barbara Beery. (ISBN: 1423604164, published by Gibbs Smith). It was the cover that attracted me- and of course it's a COOKBOOK. Gah! Like I need another cookbook! I have been "weeding through" and passing some of my cookbooks on to friends as I had far too vast a collection. Anyways, this book gave me the idea that for my Girl Scout Troop's annual End-Of-The-Year Awards Dinner we could do a formal Tea Party theme. We've done the Luau theme, Pirates, Under the Sea and other themes but not a Tea Party. This book is geared towards younger girls, but I think it's completely adaptable to an older age group. Now mind you, "my" girls are all going to be in Middle School next fall, so it can't be all pink, sparkely little girl cuteness-the girls would say they are "too mature for that". (Although I know for a fact that they are all still sparkly, pink, little girl cuteness!) So I will have to dress things up a bit. Some mature tea party foods added to the menu. I do love the idea of cupcakes baked right in the tea cups- I know the girls will think those are COOL. I'm sure I can get some cute teacups at the dollar store.  The picture on the cover of the book (above) is actually the cupcake I'm talking about, pretty nifty I say! Here's the recipe from the book:

Teacup Cupcakes

*Miss Pixie Pants says: although this is not a Gluten Free recipe, there are some wicked good G.F. cake mixes that could be used inplace of the regular mix. 

This makes approx. 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 box chocolate cake mix *Miss Pixie Pants suggests not using a box mix, put a little effort in and make it from scratch- if time allows!

milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract *Miss Pixie Pants says NEVER use anything but REAL Vanilla Extract! It's flavor doesn't compare to imitation vanilla extract. Nielsen-Massey's is a favorite.

Frosting:

2 cups butter, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

food coloring (if desired)

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1 (16ounce) jar marshmallow creme

Assorted sprinkles or candies 

Preheat oven to 350*. Generously spray 24 heatproof teacups with your favorite non-stick spray and dust with cocoa powder. Place on cookie sheets and set aside.

Make cupcake batter according to package directions, substituting milk for water and adding vanilla. Divide batter evenly between the prepared teacups. Bake cupcakes according to package directions. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Beat in half of the powdered sugar. Add the remainig powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add food coloring. Add Vanilla and stir in the marshmallow creme until well blended. Frost cooled cupcakes and decorate teacups. 

*The author shows three teacup cupcakes, each with a different frosting color, one a lovely spring green, one a cute dark lavender, and one in pink. 

Of course no tea party would be complete without the tea! I think my girls will find this very agreeable!

Sweet Chai Tea
4 cups filtered water 
3 regular tea bags* 
2 cinnamon sticks
6 cardamom seeds
3 whole cloves
6 black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 inch thinly sliced fresh ginger 
1 cup plain or vanilla soy milk 
4 teaspoons honey or maple syrup 

*English breakfast tea, orange pekoe, Darjeeling, or Earl Grey

Makes 4-5 servings

Let's start stirring! 

Place water, tea bags, and all spices in a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. 
Remove from heat and add soy milk. Return to heat and simmer another 5 minutes, or until steaming. Remove from heat. 

Pour chai through a large strainer into a teapot. Stir in honey or maple syrup and serve. Or chai may be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day and then served cold over crushed ice.

We were bombed with snow yesterday- a typical New England Nor'Easter. The snow blew around so much up here on our hill, it was hard to measure, but if I had to guess I'd say we got around 14". Probably more. School was cancelled. The dog did not want to go out, but finally gave in and braved the storm, shaking and shivering for all of the 5 seconds it took him to do his thing. And that was with his doggy sherpa coat on. The kids were brave and went out to play. Hypothermia Playing in the snow sure does make them tired.   After a cup of hot chocolate, they were total lumps only good for watching movies the rest of the day. It's a good thing they're cute. Especially with their rosy cheeks. 

They are back in school today, so I'm actually getting some things done (besides blogging!) The wind is still howling around outside, the temp is all of a balmy 18* and the dog will not come out from under my down comforter until absolutely necessary. Not even for the UPS guy. 

Aside from drudgery housework, I'm baking today. Just in the mood to bake something sweet and warm for dessert tonight. This cake is like a light almond macaroon cookie, soft and - yum! And it's gluten free. Emily and I are giving it a go w/ the gluten free thing as she has Irritable Bowel Syndrome and we think gluten may aggravate it. We know dairy does, so she takes a tablet every morning of pro-biotics to help digest any dairy that she may have throughout the day. Works like a charm.  Anyways, here's what I'm making:

Almond Cake with Roasted Pear Compote

Almond Cake (Gluten free) 

Ingredients 
6 ounces blanched slivered almonds (about 1⅓ cups) 
¾ cup granulated sugar (divided) 
5 eggs, separated 
1 teaspoon almond extract 
¼ teaspoon salt 
Powdered sugar 


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment or wax paper; butter the paper.  

In a food processor, pulse the almonds with 2 tablespoons of the sugar until very finely ground. (Do not over-process or you'll have nut butter.) Put the egg yolks in a large bowl with the remaining sugar. Using a hand-held or standing mixer, beat the yolks until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Stir in the almond extract and the ground almonds. 

In another large bowl, combine the egg whites and salt. Using clean, dry beaters, beat the whites until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Using a large rubber spatula, fold a quarter of the egg whites into the almond mixture. Gently fold in remaining whites in 2 or 3 additions.  


Pour the mixture in the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake. Remove the pan sides and move the cake (still on the pan bottom) to a rack to cool completely (it will deflate a little as it cools). When the cake is cool, remove it from the springform base and peel off the parchment paper. Sift powdered sugar over the top of the cake. The cake can be made one day ahead and kept well-covered at room temperature. Serve with Roasted Pear Compote or on its own.

Roasted Pear Compote

Ingredients 
4 ripe pears, such as Comice, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces 
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar 
2 tablespoons melted butter 
Pinch salt 


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine the pears, brown sugar, butter and salt in a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the pears, stirring once, until tender, about 10 minutes. Turn broiler to high heat and broil for about 3 minutes or until the pears are lightly browned. Serve warm. Or, make up to 2 days ahead and keep covered in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave before serving. 

Recipe from somewhere on line last year, I had printed it out and it did not print the source. I believe it may have been in an Oregon newspaper.

More Snow

Winter Storm Warning 12"-16" by tommorow afternoon. Snow is now in the  4 letter word catagory and is not allowed to be said in the house. Even planning the veggie garden isn't cheering me up. At least it will cover the petrified dog poop that is all over the yard. Dear Dog hates the snow, and doesn't ever want to go far to do his "business" when the white stuff is on the ground. It's not like he's a Hairless Chihuahua! He is 10 and a 1/2 now, so I cut him some slack. He's a good boy. Except when he tries to bite the living crap out of chase Dear Son, who has to run fast. Dear Son has unmercilessly teased Dear Dog  pretty much constantly at times with D.D.'s favorite sqeaky toys and bones. The corker was just the other day when Andrew decided to Nerf Gun Mr. Squiddley,Jack's FAVORITE squeaky. In front of Jack. Dear Dog was very upset. Andrew was astonished whenever he was in the same room as Jack and Jack growled at him. Lips curled and teeth bared growling. For about a week.  Dear Son deserves to get bitten must realize that Dear Dog is older and crankier and will not put up with any crap tolerate teasing. Much like me and Dear Husband. Atta boy Jackie!

A trip to Boston

We stayed at the Royal Sonesta (right around the corner from the Museum of Science) It is very modern in decor but has awesome service and spotlessly clean rooms. This is our third time staying there and have not been disappointed yet. Reasonably priced, especially for Boston. We had complimentary early check in and an upgraded room to a river view room. Sweet! We took a hotel shuttle to Faneill Hall, and I begged and pleaded convinced Dear Husband to have lunch at Durgin-Park. My World Traveler/Adventurer husband was dismayed a bit surprised at the service -the waitress was awesome, but Durgin Park is (still) a Tavern, pretty much unchanged since revolutionary times. Glasses pluncked down next to the water pitcher, silverware and cloth napkins plunked down as well- left to you to divvy up amongst yourselves. You are seated at one of many long tables elbows to the next person regardless of whom they might be. I LOVE the place, the food is incredible (see below for some of their recipes) Yankee cooking done perfect! Bob decided he liked it very much too, and will go there again. It helped alot when I explained the history of the place to him. Yes it is dingy in there, Tablecloths are not changed after every guest leaves, another one is laid atop the last. I think it's an awesome place and the kids loved it as well!  

I am always in awe of the sheer history of Boston. Fanueill Hall  was built from the bricks that were used as ballast in the ships coming from England. Egads! How cool is that?! Walking on the same cobblestones as did the Founding Fathers and Mothers of our country!

Ok, yes, I am a sappy sentamentalist, and a Patriot. I love history. As a 1st grader, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up,  an achaeologist- and that has remained unchanged throughout my life, although obviously life had other plans for me. (I still secretly dream of sitting in seclusion in some quiet, dingy basement of a museum cataloging shards and remnants, making copious notes and sketches) but I digress....Anyways, from there we walked around the market, met Ben Franklin (see picture in previous post) and headed onto the Freedom Trail.

The Old State House on the Freedom Trail in Boston, MA

All there is to remind us of the Boston Massacre, is that circle of bricks in the center of the traffic island directly infront of the Old State House. Sad really. Dear Son (and consumate Patriot now that he is studying early American history) Andrew was shocked that "THAT is it? That's all there is? And it's in a traffic island? That is just....WRONG!" I agree.

A little off the freedom trail, I was attracted to this building, I really wanted to go inside!

The Old Corner Bookstore, now a jewelry store. This sits across the street from the South Meeting House.

The old South Meeting House. It is very beautiful inside, unfortunately pictures were not allowed to be taken inside the building. So of course I snapped one, just to be a rebel. I didn't use flash, so it was ok, as far as I was concerned!I would have taken more but both kids were hissing loudly whispering at me "MOM! The SIGN says NO PHOTOS!" So I said "always question authority" and continued to snap away I behaved and didn't take anymore lest I set a bad example for them.

Incredibley, this building was once slated for demolition, but a rallying of locals came and saved it by purchasing the building. We were astounded at that bit of information. Sitting in one of the seats quietly, one cannot help but feel the history of the place seep into the soul. 

Old City Hall. A bit of a creepy looking building. I wanted to go inside to investigate it a bit, but family kept saying "Let's go mom....we have to see the next thing!". We will return and spend more time here on the Freedom Trail. 

A stone in the Granary Cemetary commemorating the burial spot of the victims of the Boston Massacre.  A very, very interesting cemetary- I could have spent hours there.  Yep, I'm one of those people who LOVE old cemetaries.

We also went to the Grand Lodge of Freemasons but had missed the tour time, so had to settle for checking out the lobby which was interesting.  We went and had dinner at Legal Seafood, which was good, if not a bit pricey. Bob loves the place, but I'm trying to get him to expand his horizons to try other seafood places in Boston. Like the Union Oyster House. I did actually get him to try McCormicks and Schmicks for dinner on Friday night. He liked it better than Legal S.F. Hurray! There's hope! Our day at the Museum of Science was fab- I love that museum- I remember when my mom took me, I was Emily's age- 10- some things there remain unchanged, which is cool, and their traveling exhibits are great- Frogs- (it was awesome!) and Mythical Creatures (equally fab!) and we took in 2 Omni Theater movies- Amazon (it made me a bit dizzy at times so I closed my eyes at those bits!) and Roving Mars (Just AWESOME). Never a disappointment at the Museum of Science! Dear Husband and Dear Son had to go back home friday night as D.H. had failed to check his calendar as I reminded him to do prior to making reservations forgotten that D.S. had a Boy Scout event to attend prior to the crack of dawn, so they had a car come and pick them up to deliver them home.  Dear Daughter and I got to stay over by ourselves another night. We were a bit famished around 8:30pm (the men took the leftovers from dinner home with them) so we ordered room service- it was a princess pampering evening! We slept in a bit the next morning, had breakfast out, and shopped a bit at the Cambridgeside Galleria before venturing home. I am tired!It was a good adventure!

Emily, Mr. Franklin and Andrew at Quincy Market

Boston Baked Beans (The Real Thing)and Baked Indian Corn Pudding (Both from Durgin-Park, Boston, MA)

Boston Baked Beans

Recipe By : Durgin-Park Restaurant, Boston, MA

  1   2 1/2-quart bean pot or covered casserole

  1 pound beans*

  1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  1/2 pound salt pork

  1/2 medium onion -- peeled and uncut

  4 tablespoons sugar

  1/3 cup molasses

  1 teaspoon dry mustard

  1 teaspoon salt

  1/4 teaspoon pepper

 
 *Use California pea beans, York State beans or small white beans.
 
 Soak beans overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 325° F. Place the
 baking soda in a Dutch oven and fill half way with water. Bring to a boil
 and add the beans. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain beans in a colander and run
 cold water through them. Set aside.
 
 Dice the salt pork (available in the bacon section of the grocery store)
 into 1-inch squares. Put half of the salt pork on the bottom of the bean
 pot, along with the onion. Put beans in the pot. Put the remaining salt
 pork on top of the beans.
 
 Mix the sugar, molasses, mustard, salt and pepper with 3 cups of hot water
 and pour over the beans. Cover pot with lid and place the pot into the
 preheated oven. Bake for 6 hours. Check pot periodically to check the
 amount of liquid. Add water to the beans slowly as needed to keep them
 moist; do not flood them. Remove the pot from the oven and serve. Makes
 about 7 cups.
 
 NOTE:  Durgin-Park, a Boston restaurant whose origins date back to the
 American Revolution, is famous for its Boston baked beans, baked Indian
 pudding and apple pan dowdy, Cod dinners and Roast Beef dinners.
 
 Durgin-Park serves 1,000 diners on an average Saturday evening. The
 waitresses have a reputation for their long memories: the second time you come in, you get the same thing you ordered the first time--unless you speak fast.

Baked Indian Pudding
Recipe from: The Durgin-Park Cookbook
by Jane Stern, Michael Stern
Cookbook Heaven at Recipelink.com 
(Taken from the aforementioned book:)

"Durgin-Park's Indian pudding is the best there is. Dark brown with substantial gravity, it smells like roasted corn and tastes like the first Thanksgiving. The long cooking time is necessary to soften the corn and for the flavors to meld. Although some restaurants add raisins or other flavorings, the only traditional way to doll it up is with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting fast atop each hot serving. Tommy Ryan (Durgin-Parks Baker) loves telling the story about the time he was eating in a restaurant in New Hampshire-just a regular customer, unknown to the staff. He asked the waitress if they had Indian pudding for dessert. "Well, we do," she said reluctantly, but then she bent close and clued him in to a secret: "Sir, if you want really good Indian pudding, I suggest you go to Durgin-Park." Just to keep the record straight: this is not a Native American dish adapted by colonist cooks. Its name comes from the fact that early settlers considered virtually anything made with corn to be Indian in nature."

Servings: 6

1 1/2 plus 1 1/2 cups milk 

1/4 cup black molasses 

2 tablespoons sugar 

2 tablespoons butter 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/8 teaspoon baking powder 

1 egg 

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 


In a bowl mix 1 1/2 cups of the milk with the molasses, sugar, butter, salt, baking powder, egg, and cornmeal. Pour the mixture into a stone crock that has been well greased and bake until it boils. 


Heat and stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk. 


Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F and bake for 5 to 7 hours. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

*personal note: Both recipes taste like warm rich history in a bowl, humble, sweet and good for the soul.

Lemon Pie

Lemon PieDear Daughter asked me to post this recipe as it is one of her favorites. Not really what I consider a "winter" dessert, but she loves it, and loves to make it herself. (Bless her 10 year-old-ness!) A note: to make this Gluten Free, substitute finely ground G.F. Pecan Shortbread cookies for the crust. Works perfect!

Lemon Pie

Crust: 1/2 cup (chopped fine) oven toasted Pecans

2/3 cup (about 5 whole) graham crackers (well crushed to fine crumbs)*may substitute Gluten Free shortbread cookies for the graham crackers.

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons melted butter

Combine all together and press into a pie plate to make the crust, covering the bottom and sides. Bake until lightly browned (watch closely!) Approx. 8 min. in a 350* oven. let sit and cool a bit on counter while preparing the filling.

Filling: 2 yolks from large eggs (no whites)

1/2 cup fresh squeezed Lemon Juice (yep, use a real fresh lemon!)

1 can (14oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk (Not Evaporated!)

Whisk the yolks with the milk until well blended, then add lemon juice, whisk again. Pour into prepared crust and bake until filling is set- approx. 15 minutes at 350* Let cool on the counter and then refrigerate at least 2 hours. If you are using the large Pyrex glass pie plates, double this recipe! You can serve this with homemade whipped cream, you can cover the top of the pie just before serving, making gorgeous swirls and peaks. A hit at every function I've brought it too and it couldn't be easier to make!

Since it is school vacation week, Dear Husband has decided it is time to beat feet and get out of town for a few days. So I have been assigned the task of planning a trip to...yep, you guessed it, Boston. He was stunned when I gave him the cost of the hotel rooms, tickets for the Museum of Science, dinner reservations at Legal Seafood, etc. He said we could fly to Paris for lunch and it would be cheaper! I agreed quickly and said "let's do that instead!" a long pause with a raised eyebrow (his) "Nice try honey" said Dear husband.

If we could go someplace without SNOW would be nice, but it is not to be. We all love Boston, and Andrew (dear son) is studying early American history, so this can be very beneficial for him. I just hope it's not howling wind and 10 below 0 while we're walking around town. I lived in Boston briefly in my (way back) past and knew the city pretty much inside and out. It has been under construction (The Big Dig) and I am so confused now! Some streets are gone, you can't get there from here (but you can darn well see it!) and traffic is as bad as ever. We are taking the subway as much as possible. Maybe I can convince Dear Husband to take us to France next year- the south of France, where it's warm and sunny and all beautiful oldness, the croissants are buttery lightness and melty and the cafe au lait is just potent enough and the, oh I could go on and on, but I will spare you! ......I can dream at least! I will provide an update when we return from our trip to Boston. Maybe even pictures!

Meat Loaf (Great Grandmother's)

Tonight we're having an easy old fashioned dinner...Meatloaf and mashed sweet potatoes, side of corn niblets. Here's the recipe for my Great Grandmother's fail safe delicious meatloaf:

MEATLOAF

2 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 1/4 lb. ground pork
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup oatmeal (uncooked and not instant, "quick cook" is OK)
4 eggs
1 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1/2 c. ketchup 
1  package lipton onion soup mix (she used to add minced onions before the soup mixes became available-back in the day- but quickly adapted to using the soup mix and preferred it)
5 oz. evaporated milk (you can use regular milk, but the flavor just isn't the same!)
few hearty dashes of black pepper
few hearty dashes of Worchestershire sauce
Mix together. Pat into loaf. Brush top of loaf thickly with ketchup mixed w/ a dash of worchestershire sauce. Bake 1 hour at 400 degrees. You can make a brown gravy or tomato sauce style gravy to go with this, but we like to eat this with mashed sweet potatoes, no gray.

The above pic? Yep, of course that's me cooking, not my great grandmother. She wouldn't have approved. (she was raised in the Victorian Era) My mother would, but she hates to cook. (And no Mom, I promise I won't blog about your past attempts at cooking- although now that I think about it, it could be a fun blog entry! xo)

Mission Statement

My personal mission statement,  it suits me to a "T" and I just had to share.

"Dust if you must"  By Rose Milligan 

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better To paint a picture or write a letter, Bake a cake or plant a seed. Ponder the difference between want and need. Dust if you must, but there's not much time, With rivers to swim and mountains to climb, Music to hear and books to read, Friends to cherish and life to lead. Dust if you must, but the world's out there With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, A flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come around again. Dust if you must, but bear in mind, Old age will come and it's not kind. And when you go and go you must, You, yourself, will make more dust.