A Home Altar

Home is sacred. And because it is a sacred place, I believe that we create altars all over inside and out of it--sometimes without even being consciously aware of it.

The objects on the bookcase in our living room all have meaning to us. The vintage print on the wall epitomizes our view of the simple blessings of family. Dave and I were certainly not in a good financial place when we bought this piece, but we counted out the change we had accumulated in jars--we wanted it that badly. The Korean bell and the Buddhist monk figurine are souvenirs from my husband's world travels. I adore stones in any form...I believe that they give a sense of being solid and safe. And the photo on the far left is one of our son's marrying his lovely bride.

Even the bookcase has significance. I bought it as my graduation present from college, one of the few things I've ever purchased on payments. I wanted it desperately, because although I am a book fanatic, there is just something about books behind glass, that not only makes them look tidy, it also makes them look classy. This bookcase has been moved a handful of times and even jostled around the back of a semi across the country TWICE, and--knock on wood!-- the glass is still perfect.

Here is another photo, that shows just a minute fraction of our books. Most of our books are still in storage. Some people look for houses with guest rooms for visitors; we are looking for a house with guest rooms for books! We fantasize about having a formal library with hunting scenes in gilded frames and deep wing chairs. And considering my husband devours classics and political science, a library with busts of the founding fathers would be more than appropriate.

We are certainly not where we would have dreamed at this place in our life. Life has thrown us a few curve-balls, and my husband nearly died a few years ago of a dreaded MRSA infection. That infection devoured our savings and really forced us to pare down to the basics. I look at the painting on the wall, and I never fail to get a warm feeling, noticing that the living room in the piece is also spare and uncluttered and cozy, like ours. I know that we are not living big, like so many Americans, but we are living well. And I know that the family in the painting is close and warm, like ours. And I have just enough.

Sunshine and Chocolate

Today, I've got homemade spaghetti/zucchini sauce in the kettle on the stove that will go over penne pasta.

Just finished making a "Chocolate Mousse" cake, which I think is essentially a minor souffle. This cake is made of egg whites, folded with dark chocolate, and it is supposed to rise high in the oven (which it did) and fall rather quickly (which it also did.) It is served chilled.

I learned today that you don't need cream of tartar to whip up fluffy, heavenly meringue. Instead, lemon juice substituted in the amount of cream of tartar the recipe calls for, makes even higher peaks, and it's something most cooks have on hand.







And speaking of eggs...here is my latest painting...a fun study of light, shadows and texture. Like my art professors used to say, there's really no such thing as "pure white" in nature, and upon close observation, one certainly can see all the reflected colors in an egg shell.
Here's to spring! I'm starting to scrub out all the dirt and crud out of our ancient windowsills--that is when I can pry the window open! Unfortunately, I think many of our windows were painted shut a few years ago, and combined with the settling of this quaint little cottage, many of our windows just may be sealed for life. I welcome any suggestions that are accessible even to such tool-impaired folks as myself.

And finally, finally, the rain and chilly weather has ceased enough that I've been able to put my container tomatoes, peppers and zucchini out for a sunshine bath. I could swear that I heard them let out a sigh of joy, as soon as I placed them in the grass...

Talk to you again soon.;)

(Image: "Nestled" Acrylic on Canvas, Cory Jaeger-Kenat, 2010.)

Just wishing...

A few things from the past that I really, really wish would come back into fashion:

1. Punch cups and crystal cake plates for parties. And place cards.

2. White gloves.

3. Hats with loads of fluffy tulle veiling.

4. "Hello dear, how was your day?" Accompanied with a peck on the cheek and the table set for dinner.

5. "Allow me, ma'am, to open that door for you."

6. Children told to go outside and play, and the children actually doing what they are told.

7. Fedoras--and suits that smell faintly of Old Spice, Camels, and hair oil.

8. Fathers raking leaves on the weekends, and washing their cars in the driveway.

9. Pot roasts, casseroles, dishes washed, and beds made every day--even on the weekends.

10. Dinner hour, getting dressed up to go to the grocery store, clothes hanging on the line.

(Image: "Reception Line #2, Acrylic on Canvas, Cory Jaeger-Kenat, 2010.)

Angel Biscuits

No matter how simple the meal, it just seems that homemade bread makes it something special. And is there anything more like a hug than the scent of baking bread? Here is a recipe that I discovered this past year and I probably make at least once a month. I just love this recipe because it makes a lovely, almost fool-proof dough that can be made ahead, popped in the refrigerator, and used over a three day span. (The recipe recommends that you discard the dough after three days.)

I use this dough for biscuits, but I have also had great success using it for Saturday morning cinnamon rolls, either frosted with a basic powdered sugar frosting or a citrus glaze. I have also used it for caramel rolls. Simply substitute this dough and follow your usual roll/bread recipe. For additional convenience, I like to bake cinnamon rolls during a weekday afternoon and freeze them for the weekend.

Most of the time, I divide this recipe in half, because there's just two of us at home these days. But if you make the full recipe, you'll have a generous amount of bread to either freeze or feed a large family.

Angel Biscuits (from Betty Crocker's Cookbook 1986 version)

1 package regular or quick-acting active dry yeast
2 T. warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 c. shortening
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
3 t. baking powder
2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
2 c. buttermilk (I don't use buttermilk because I never have it on hand. A good substitute is to take 2 cups of milk and add 2 T. of lemon juice OR vinegar. The milk will sour and work perfectly. )

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Cut shortening into flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda with pastry blender in 4-quart bowl until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in buttermilk and yeast mixture until dough leaves side of bowl (dough will be soft and sticky.)

Turn dough onto generously floured surface. Gently roll in flour to coat; shape into ball. Knead lightly 25 to 30 times, sprinkling with flour if dough is too sticky. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate no longer than 3 days.

To make biscuits right away: Right after you've kneaded the bread, roll or pat dough 1/2 in. thick. Cut with 2 1/2 -in round cutter. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise in warm place until double, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Heat over to 400 degrees. Bake until golden brown, 12 - 14 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Makes 2 1/2 dozen biscuits.

Odds and Ends

I'm just too tired to do anything too structured with this blog today. Hubby has been home for several days with kidney stones, and, I ask you, is there anything more exhausting that taking care of a sick man? Florence Nightingale has my complete and total admiration...

Here is a photo of the "chop suey" dish that I made the other night, using a bit of leftover pork, half a head of cabbage, a can of bean sprouts, and a few dashes of garlic and soy sauce. Delish--especially served over Japanese rice. Thrifty, and it cleared some leftovers out of the fridge at the same time.

There's nothing more fun than watching seedlings make their debut. The zucchini sprouts are going crazy, and I think that the peppers aren't far behind. Wish I'd labeled these.... all I know is that I'm expecting zucchini, green onions, tomatoes, and peppers. Does anyone know if it's okay to leave these (covered) outside during the day? We're in Montana, and I think the danger of frost is over. I'm really ready to have my laundry room give up moonlighting as a greenhouse....


The promise of spring...I think that these tulips have been blooming every spring at the back gate for decades...Well, I think that's probably all for now. Hopefully things will be back to their normal craziness in the next few days!

Girl's Gone Wild

Sweet hubby-man is off for 48 hours on a business trip. Gleefully, this ultra-hip housewife is embracing two whole days where she will not be doing the following:
1. picking up dirty Hanes tidy-whities on the floor by the bed.

2. putting the TV remote in the place it's supposed to be for the 15th time in the course of the day.

3. making anything for dinner that resembles meat and potatoes.

4. making anything for dinner at all, unless it's peppermint ice cream and Capn' Crunch cereal.

4. putting books back on the bookshelf, putting dirty clothes in the hamper, putting anything away that's man-related.

5. even having to think about putting the toilet seat down.

6. watching "Chuck" (endlessly fascinating to Hubby, big yawn for wife), kick-boxing fights, (eew) and Harry Potter movies (when will that little wizard graduate, anyway??)

 

These are some of the things she is going to dive into:
1. Painting.

2. Painting.

3. Painting.

4. Napping and eating cherry cheesecake, eating cherry cheesecake and napping.

5. Web-surfing.

6. Polishing fingernails.

7. Watching every chick flick that can be found that involves brooding heroes with top hats and riding crops, girls in hoopskirts and bonnets, and lots of soaring violin music playing in the background.

It all comes down to this.
Sometimes, people that are madly in love need a chance to miss each other.

(Image: "Tea for Two #2" Acrylic on Canvas, Cory Jaeger-Kenat, 2005.)

Making Do

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."

I heard this saying recently, and was shocked that I hadn't heard it earlier, since I have lived my entire life this way. Making do, especially, is not only how we get by...it is how my family thrives.
Here are some of the miscellaneous ways we run our thrifty household. This will probably be a review for some of you ultra-hip housewives, but hopefully, you might have some tightwad tips of your own to share.

1. We enjoy a great "Hamburger Helper" around here by simply browning some ground beef, adding cooked macaroni, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Frozen corn is also great in this dish.

2. I make my own brown sugar, mixing 1 tablespoon of dark molasses into a cup of granulated sugar, then mashing and stirring it with a fork. I also make my own pancake syrup, using brown sugar, water, and vanilla. It's superb!

3. I don't use buttermilk in recipes. Instead I use a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar for each cup of milk. This sours the milk, creating a very worthwhile substitute.

4. I use powdered milk for any recipe that calls for milk, either in cooking or baking. Hubby hates the taste of powdered milk straight, so we drink acidolphilus milk if we want something in a glass. It's a bit more expensive, but I figure the health benefits are worth it. We also drink a heck of a lot of water, straight from the tap. We seldom, if ever, buy soda.

5. I buy potatoes in large bags, and am always doing KP duty, peeling spuds. Potatoes are high in vitamin C, and they are perfect for rounding out meals. We also like to make impromptu skillet dishes with fried potatoes, tossing in any kind of leftover vegetables or meats we might have on hand.

6. We don't eat boxed cereals because it's just too painful on the wallet. Instead, I make oatmeal, scramble eggs, or pop toast in the toaster. Once in a great while, I get indulgent and make my own granola.

7. Making your own pudding is almost as fast as making the "instant" variety.

8. We buy vegetables when in season, but also rely a great deal on those that are frozen.

9. I buy a great deal of apples and cabbage, because they keep for a long time and are great in so many dishes.

10. I freeze leftovers while they're still good, if I know that we won't eat them before they spoil. They make excellent mini-lunches for me. I also like to search the refrigerator, looking for leftover noodles/rice, vegetables, and meat. Combine them with a cream soup, and often you've got a unique, yummy casserole.

Well, that's ten that I can think of right now. I'm sure there will be more to come.

(Image: "OakTree Beauty" Acrylic on Canvas, Cory Jaeger-Kenat, 2000.)