RETIREMENT ANNIVERSARY...

 It's now been thirteen years of retirement (8/8/08 at 4:00 p.m.) and I do celebrate every day in one way or another.  This comic was in the paper today - how timely!

AS YOU LIKE IT - BREAKFAST STRATA

 For our Easter Brunch, I made a Strata from a "Bon Appetit" magazine dated December, 1997.  Over time I have so significantly changed the recipe that now I just call it the "As You Like It Breakfast Strata".   Here's how it looked coming out of the oven.  I should have taken a side shot to show how much this puffed up.  The finished dish was very light and flavorful.

Here's the revised recipe.

AS YOU LIKE IT BREAKFAST STRATA

*  2 cups whole milk

*  1/4 cup olive oil

*  6 cups sourdough bread, cut into 1" cubes

*  1-1/2 cups whipping cream

*  8 large eggs

*  1 tablespoon chopped garlic

*  1-1/2 teaspoons salt

*  3/4 teaspoon black pepper

*  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

*  6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1-1/2 cups)

*  1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 3/4 tablespoon dried)

*  1-1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence (dried)

*  6 cups AS YOU LIKE IT OPTIONS**.  Mix and match to your preference:

    -  mushrooms (shitake, crimini), sauteed in butter or olive oil, cooled

    -  cherry tomatoes, sauteed or roasted with olive oil, cooled

    -  sun-dried tomatoes, cut into pieces

    -  ham, chopped

    -  spinach, fresh chopped

    -  Italian sausage, cooked and cooled

    -  leek, sliced into 1" pieces, sauteed in olive oil, and cooled

    -  artichoke hearts marinated in oil, drained and halved lengthwise

*  1 cup Fontina cheese, grated, packed

*  1-1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated, packed

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Butter a 9x13x2" glass baking dish.  Prepare your "As You Like It Options."  Whisk milk and oil in large bowl.  Stir in bread.  Let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.  Whisk cream, eggs, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl to blend.  Add goat cheese.  Mix herbs in small bowl to blend.  

Place half of bread mixture in prepared dish.  Top with half of the "As You Like It Options", half of the herbs, and half of the cheeses.  Pour half of the cream mixture over all.  Repeat layering with remaining bread, Options, herbs and cheeses, and finish with remaining cream mixture.

Bake uncovered until firm in center and brown around edges, about 1 hour.

** The options I used in my strata were shitake and crimini mushrooms, roasted cherry tomatoes, and about 2-1/2 cups of artichokes.   So good!!

HAM AND SPINACH ROLLS for Breakfast or Brunch

Today I was thinking about what to have for our Easter Brunch and came across this recipe which I've made a number of times for guests. What makes this a good dish for entertaining is that it can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until it's time to be baked.  It is rather elegant and it always turns out great.

HAM AND SPINACH ROLLS.  Serves 8 to 10.
*  20 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
*  2 cups sour cream
*  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
*  1-1/2 cups packaged cornbread stuffing mix
*  20 thin slices ham (about 1-1/4 #)
*  Cheese sauce (recipe follows)
*  1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1.  Drain spinach in a colander, pressing out moisture.  In a large bowl stir together spinach, sour cream and nutmeg.  Blend in stuffing mix.
2.  Place about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture on each ham slice, rolling them up and placing side-by-side in a buttered shallow 3-quart baking dish (about 9"x13")
3.  Pour cheese sauce evenly over the ham rolls.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  If making ahead, cover and refrigerate.
4.  Bake, covered, in a 350ºF oven for 15 minutes.  Uncover and bake until sauce is bubbly and lightly browned (15 to 20 minutes; add 5 to 10 minutes to baking time if made ahead).

CHEESE SAUCE.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over moderate heat.  Stir in 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and light 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper;  cook until bubbly.  Remove from heat and gradually blend in 1-1/2 cups milk.  Return to heat and cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbling.  Stir in 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese until melted, then mix in 1 tablespoon dry sherry.  Makes about 2 cups.

HAPPY EASTER, HAPPY SPRING ... Vintage Postcards

 After our long and relatively somber pandemic winter we are enthusiastically welcoming Spring!  Here are my greetings to you for a Happy Easter and a Joyful Spring ... via vintage postcards.  To get a close up view of the images, just click on them.

Embossed and airbrushed

Hand-colored real photo postcard

French, hand-colored real photo postcard

Also French, hand-colored real photo postcard

French, hand-colored real photo postcard, but what does "Roomsaid Ulestousmise Puhl" mean?

Happy Easter "silhouette" postcard by the German artist Georg Plischke

Time to get out into the garden!  Another "silhouette" postcard.

A tea party in the garden.  Real photo postcard

Time for the tulips to bloom!  Advertising postcard by the Henry Field Seed Co., Shenandoah, Iowa

"Glad Pingst"-"Swedish for Happy Pentecost"

Pentecost is a Christian festival celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension, held on the seventh Sunday after Easter.  I had to look that up!

Adina Sand is the artist of this postcard.

CELEBRATE!

MY FIRST COOKBOOK & "Toad in the Hole" Recipe

 One of the prized possessions of my childhood was my very first cookbook, "Let's Cook With Gail".  There is a bookplate inside the front cover wherein I wrote my name, pre-cursive, in pencil; and since we learned cursive in the second grade, I would have been six or seven when I got this treasured cookbook.

The recipe book was first issued in 1952 by The Farmer, Saint Paul, Minnesota.  The red booklet above was issued at that time.  The beige book with red binding was issued in 1954.  The 1954 version is my first cookbook.

 The Farmer was a newspaper focused on agriculture which began in the late 1800's and has continued following many mergers over the years, to the point that it is no longer recognized by the name.   In 1952, The Farmer began a monthly series of cooking lessons "for boys and girls."  Children received the "Let's Cook With Gail" booklet, and were instructed to cut out the lessons in the newspaper and paste them into their booklet.  Gail was an actual person - the eleven-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Palmby, who lived on a general farm in Blue Earth County, Minnesota.

Most of the recipes in the booklet are basic and suitable for all ages.  For fun, I decided to make one of the recipes, "Toad in the Hole."  

Here's the final result.

I liked it!!!   

MERRY CHRISTMAS - Menu, Vintage Postcard & Comics!

 

How wonderful to have a distraction during the pandemic!  CHRISTMAS!   For many, this will not be a wonderful Christmas, for far too many reasons.  But, as in everything, we do the best we can with what we have.  So, here are a few Christmas distractions for you.  First, a laugh or two.

Since many/most of us are staying home for our Christmas meal, you may want some ideas for the menu.  Here is a menu, dated December 25, 1944 for dinner at the U.S. Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois.  H. G. Kruithoff mailed this postcard to Miss Opal Kruithoff in Sioux City, Iowa on December 26.  He checked off the items he ate on the postcard.  Notice his little checks in the first image below.  On the back of the card, in the second image below, the message states:  "Well Opal this what I had.  I took every thing and I'm so ful that I'll bust if I eat any more.  Some how the meal didn't taste has good has Moms.  What did you have?"  This is exactly as written.  

Perhaps your meal will include JELLO.  The Minneapolis StarTribune had a little snippet about Jello, copied here.  

"The base ingredient of this well-known product has been part of dessert dishes as far back as the late Middle Ages, but it was a cough syrup maker in 1897 who made it into what we know today.  Pearle Bixby Wait started mixing powdered gelatin with fruit flavors and sugar.  The result was sold to the Genesee Pure Food Co. in 1899, and within a few years, advertisements in the Ladies Home Journal and the distribution of Jell-O cookbooks as a marketing tactic set the product on its way.  The gelatinous dessert has an entire museum devoted to it in Leroy, New York, where it was created."

Following is one of the early booklets, dated 1930.  Inside it notes that Jell-O won  awards at 1) the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Mo in 1904, 2) the Lewis and Clark Exposition in Portland, OR in 1905, 3) the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle, WA in 1906, 4) the Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition in Norfolk, VA in 1907, 5) the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, CA in 1915,  6) the Panama Pacific Exposition in San Diego, CA in 1915, and 7) the Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia, PA in 1926.  Impressive!

More recently, in 1973, "The New Joys of Jell-O" was published.  

I hope you enjoyed this mish mash for your Christmas diversion.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL.  

TAKE CARE AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN THE NEW YEAR!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, MY FRIENDS!

 So many of us are staying home this year due to Covid-19, and a number of friends aren't excited about fixing a big turkey dinner - for two people.  Not a problem here - even when we've gone elsewhere in the past, I still return home to make a turkey dinner for the two of us.  We love the leftovers! 

Following are two vintage postcards.  The first is a menu of a "Grand Dinner In Honor of Thanksgiving" featuring oyster stew, fish, turkey, sweet potatoes, crisp celery (glad to hear it wasn't wilted celery!) and for dessert, apples and pumpkin pie with coffee.   I like that the menu also includes the "Toast" - "Let Thanksgiving pleasure Be memories best treasure."  Good thought!

This card would have been published in about 1910.

Because of Covid-19, air travel is NOT advised.  Thus, the following postcard is particularly fun.  It was given to United Airlines passengers on Thanksgiving Day 1964.  Printed on the back:  "Thanksgiving Greetings from aloft...aboard a United Air Lines Mainliner, Thanksgiving Day, 1964."  It is also noted that United Air Lines was "The Airline of Sports Champions."  Who knew?!?  

For the flight, passengers were treated to shrimp cocktail, wafers, roast Vermont turkey, cornbread stuffing, giblet gravy, glazed sweet potatoes, buttered green peas, crisp roll, cranberry sauce, mayonnaise dressing, pumpkin tartelette and tea.  What a meal!  

Here is a random cartoon to follow these big meals.

Despite the many, many problems we're facing now, Thanksgiving is a good time to remember the good things we have in our lives - big and small.  A few thoughts for you to reflect on this particular Thanksgiving Day:

*  Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

*  Life is a continuous process of getting used to things we haven't expected.

*  When life gives you 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1,000 reasons to smile.

*  A positive attitude is a magnet for positive results.

*  Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.

*  The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.

*  The grass isn't greener over there.  It's greener where you water it.

*   Life is a bumpy road, and laughter is your best shock absorber.

HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING DAY EVERYONE.  ENJOY THE VARIETY LIFE HAS TO OFFER.   LOVE, ADINA

VINTAGE, ENTERTAINING & THE NATION

 It is now snowy and cold outside, and a good time to go through things and get rid of them.  Of course, when you go through things there is no telling what the result will be.

Over the years I've collected vintage cookbooks, and other books on entertaining.  Yesterday I came across this book:

The book was published in 1898 by the United Society of Christian Endeavor and the eighty ideas for entertaining include everything from a "Temperance Talking Party" to an "Evening With the Fairies" to a "Bean Social."   

In our current political scene much is being made of the concept of "Nation," and one of the "pleasant evenings" in the book is for "An International Social."  A contest was suggested called "A Tour of Nations" whereby each player gets a clue as to the meaning of the correct word to which the word "nation" is the end of the word.  Here are the clues and the answers.  Perhaps you'll have an election night party for our next election and will be able to use these to keep your guests entertained during the long watch for voter results.

1.  Nation from which we start:  GERMINATION

2.  Actors' nation:  IMPERSONATION

3.  Nation for criminals:  CONDEMNATION

4.  Murderers' nation:  ASSASSINATION

5.  Nation for astonished people:  CONSTERNATION

6.  Nation for rulers:  DOMINATION

7.  Nation for pests:  EXTERMINATION

8.  Nation for their subjects:  SUBORDINATION

9.  Nation provoking disapproval:  ABOMINATION

10.  Teachers' nation:  EXPLANATION

11.  Their pupils nation:  EXAMINATION

12.  The rebels nation:  ALIENATION

13.  Nation for labor unions:  COMBINATION

14.  Nation for unwilling people:  DECLINATION

15.  Nation for Covid-19 patients:  VACCINATION

16.  Soothsayers' nation:  DIVINATION

17.  A floral nation:  CARNATION

18.  A politicians' nation:  NOMINATION

19.  Nation for contagious disease:  CONTAMINATION

20.  Nation for seed-sowers:  DISSEMINATION

21.  Nation for deer:  STAGNATION

22.  Nation for the resolute:  DETERMINATION

23.  Nation for choir boys:  INTONATION

24.  Nation for a new king:  CORONATION

25.  Nation for the deluded:  HALLUCINATION

26.  The poets nation:  IMAGINATION

27.  Nation for travelers:  DESTINATION

28.  Nation for those whose official usefulness is ended:  RESIGNATION

29.  Nation for benevolent people:  DONATION

30.  A Charming nation:  FASCINATION

31.  A nation of sects:  DENOMINATION

32.  The critics' nation:  DISCRIMINATION

33.  The nation at the climax:  CULMINATION

34.  The nation we have now reached:  TERMINATION

Are you glad of that last one?  hehe!!

Enjoy your day, Everyone!

  

STARBUCKS EGG BITES

I really love the Costco egg bites but I wanted to see if I could find a good alternative to make for myself.   An online recipe search brought up the "Keto Starbucks Egg Bites" which they report "...are an easy DIY version of Starbucks, except they are much better and cheaper."  I've never had a Starbucks egg bite so I can't compare; however, if you make these, and you've had Starbucks, please comment below so all readers will know.    They certainly are easy!  FYI, the recipe below was modified from the original.

STARBUCKS EGG BITES - Makes 12.

*  10 eggs

*  1 cup cheese of your choice, shredded

*  1/2 cup full fat cottage cheese

*  1/2 teaspoon salt

*  Black pepper to taste

*  Herbs of your choice

*  Veggie/Proteins of your choice (pre-cooked and cooled)

Preheat oven to 300º and place a baking dish that is filled with 1 inch of water (a "bain marie") on the bottom rack.  This will create a humid environment and help the eggs cook evenly.  Your muffin tin will be placed in this baking dish.  For example, see the above photo where I used my broiler pan.   Spray a muffin tin with oil.  Cut and pre-cook the veggie/protein of your choice.  Ideas for add-ins include sausage, ham, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, green onion, bell peppers, asparagus or anything that you like and have on hand.  You won't need much, perhaps a cup or so.  

To a blender add the eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, salt, pepper and herbs.  Blend on high for about 20 seconds.  Pour evenly into the muffin cups.  Then add the veggie/protein ingredients.

Place the muffin pan into the bain marie and bake for 30 minutes or until the center of the egg bites are just set.  Remove from the oven and the bain marie, and let cool 5 minutes.  Gently remove the bites from the muffin tin.

The egg bites can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days, or freeze them for up to 2 months.  Reheat in microwave or a warm oven.

***  Please let me know what you think! ***

HALLOWEEN and CURRENT AFFAIRS

 This morning I was digging through old postcards in preparation for a Thanksgiving blog post and came across a few postcards that seem to fit into our current times.  See if you agree.

The first two postcards are ideas for your holiday entertaining (even if only for you and your immediate family).  The first is the "Turtle Trivet" which, according to the printing on the back, has many uses - it can hang on the wall as a decoration, it can be used as a trivet, and it can be used with toothpicks for finger foods.  

The next postcard shows the "Snack-A-Roo" which is made of seeds.  "He's a cunning, decorative centerpiece that quickly becomes the most unusual snack server imaginable.  Really something to crow about... ."  

Aren't these hilarious?!?  Imagine buying these?!?  Imagine using them?!?

Amazon has really benefited from Covid-19.  But buying things to be delivered to your home has been going on...forever!  See the many listed products that you could get just by checking the little boxes and mailing the postcard.  How about pie fillings (flavor?), Eau de Cologne (scent?), or greeting cards (Christmas?).  

Speaking of greeting cards, pretty soon we'll need to get busy making, buying, addressing and mailing them.  See this sampling of Christmas cards that you could order.

The following two postcards show movies playing at the time the postcards were printed.  The first was issued by Durand Theatre, in Durand, Wisconsin.  The movie, "Stranger At My Door" could be a good movie for tonight, Halloween.  Of course, it won't be showing at the theatre, but perhaps we could find it on AMC, Hulu, Peacock, or Netflix.  

This next postcard was issued by Rivoli Theatre, Cedarburg, Wisconsin.  The movie I'd like to see is "Are Husbands Necessary?" starring Ray Milland and Betty Field!  

On a serious note, we have a critical election in process.  This next postcard speaks to one of the issues.  It was postmarked April 24, 1989 - 31 years ago.  Still controversial today.

I think I love old postcards because they are so interesting - historical, funny, beautiful, and topical.  Check back soon for another round!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.  STAY SAFE.  FIND BEAUTY IN THE EVERYDAY.

LEMON CHIVE PEPPER MUFFINS

 In Minnesota it's important that we get outside and enjoy the weather since, in no time at all, summer will be over and the snow will begin to fall.  Once that happens, many of the fun things we've been able to do will be eliminated.  These activities have already been restricted because of the pandemic.  So, get outside friends!  Consider going on a picnic - and taking along some Lemon Chive Pepper Muffins.  They go with so many other things.  Options could be a chilled soup or chicken salad. 

LEMON CHIVE PEPPER MUFFINS  Makes 10.

* 2 cups flour

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 3 teaspoons baking powder

* 1/2-1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

* 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

* 3/4 cup milk

* 1/3 cup oil

* 1 egg, slightly beaten

Heat oven to 400ºF.  Grease bottoms only of 10 muffin cups or line with paper baking cups.  Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off.  In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, pepper, salt, lemon peel and chives; mix well.  Add milk, oil and egg; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake at 400ºF for 15 - 20 minutes or until light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 1 minute; remove from muffin pan.

FOODIE FUNNIES! YIPPEE!

It's a good time to find reasons to laugh.  In keeping with the themes of cooking, gardening and collecting (or just cooking/food), here are a few comics out of our local newspaper.  Enjoy!  And all best wishes to all of you.

ARLO 'n' JANIS by JIMMY JOHNSON

W U M O MIKAEL WULFF AND ANDERS MORGENTHALE

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by CHRIS BROWNE

ARGYLE SWEATER by SCOTT HILBURN 

RHYMES WITH ORANGE

ZITS BY JERRY SCOTT AND JIM BORGMAN

 

PICKLES by BRIAN CRANE

ARGYLE SWEATER by SCOTT HILBURN

F MINUS by Tony Carrillo