Some Like it Hot

Well I am tired. I baked and baked for the last three days before Christmas Eve. I am tired. There were several things that I wanted to make before Christmas Eve so I could give them as gifts this year. I have been strapped for cash, and figured what could be better than getting baked goods from a loved one.

First up were several cookie recipes I have tried before, and had success with, and a couple of new recipes. Let just say, that my cookies either burned or took forever to bake and then became very dry. I was not having a good day of baking. I figured I would move onto some loaf breads.

I made gingerbread recipe given to me by a friend. So everything was going good I mixed the batter and the scent was luscious although the batter was quite light. I placed it in the loaf pan, placed candied gingers on the top for decorations, and off it went into the oven. Now the recipe calls for baking it for an hour and then testing for doneness, and cool. So everything goes great, and a hour passes and I check the loaf for doneness. Hmm the pick comes out clean. I poke it some more…Clean. Okay time to cool it for 10 minutes in the pan and then to take it out of the loaf pan. 10 minutes pass and I am struggling to get the loaf out of the pan. I tip the pan and rap it hard on the bottom of the loaf pan.

“Thack” “Tak tak” a piece of candied ginger skitters across my stovetop. Hmm ok…I look back to my loaf and realize hot oozing batter is leaking out of the hole the candied ginger left in the loaf. I right the loaf pan and watch in horror as the loaf starts to collapse. I open the oven and shove the loaf pan back in the cook. Suffice it to say the gingerbread came out a little dry. I shook my head and decide to use another gingerbread recipe. This one came out fine except it burned on the top. By now I had asked Santos for her recipe for gingerbread because it looked like the texture I was looking for in a gingerbread. I did not want to have another gingerbread baking disaster and decided to wait awhile before I made this recipe. I was getting suspicious about all my failures in baking, I do have failures, but this was getting ridiculous!

Well I figured I would make my pies and then try the gingerbread recipe from Santos, of The Scent of Green Bananas. So, I made the piecrust, and made my pumpkin pie. I figured since most of my things were burning I would decrease the temperature for the oven by 25 degrees. Well lets just say the slow cooking did not help the fluted edges of my pie, which fell off. I just decided to keep going with the cooking. Lets just say that after 2 hours the pie was not set, and by this time DH was wondering of the temperature in the oven was fluctuating.

You see I had problems awhile back with my oven and stove. They came and fixed my stovetop and checked my oven. You see I complained that the oven would fluctuate, and they had a thermometer and measured it, and guess what it behaved itself, so I did not get a new stove. ARGH. Same problem again fluctuating oven and the large burner on the stovetop doesn’t work again.

So, to make a long rambling story come to a conclusion no one received baked goods for Christmas, except for some cookies made with browned butter, which should have specified more butter than in the recipe. Lets not get into that one suffice it to say it was crumbly and when placed in the fridge I needed a steak knife to break it up…Oh and the other 1/2 thing that came out was a blueberry tart that exploded all over my cookie sheet…DH and I have just finished eating the last exploded bits today. Well okay it did not explode more like oozed and burned on corner.

Oh Christmas was really nice…Let just say on the 24th Prime Rib cooked by my father, and 25th DH and I cooked a 18 lb Dittmers ham, and had it at JoTruly Thankful‘s house, and the ham was so big and delicious we had enough for my parents, Jo, and myself to take a lot of leftovers home. More on this later or go to Truly Thankful, and you can find the post and read about what Jo is up to with the leftovers .

Merry Christmas everyone! I haven’t too much time to type, but so far this Christmas is very memorable. I have been spending time thanking my Savior for his birth and his death, and ressurection, and his grace that saves me. This is the time that we get to celebrate with family and friends, and hear my DH sing at the top of his lungs, “Happy birthday Jesus”, which is funny and endearing.

I have been spending the time exnjoying my family and friends company. Laughed my head silly at the conversations that I will have to think and ask permission to reprint here on the blog. Played Yoot, a Korean game, which my husband said it is more vicious game than Sorry ™. DH and I came in 3rd in a four team game. it was a blast. Passed out presents, and over ate, and now comptempating eating again.

The bad I have baked, and baked for three days straight and all were a failure…suffice it to say that I will elaborate on the this later, but it wasn’t my fault nor was it the recipes! I do have to say my house smelled better than all the houses on my street! ;P

I am hoping everyone is having a great Christmas!!! I am hoping that all of you have such an abundance of Love and Joy in your life now, next year and forever!

HUGZ, JOY, Love, and
God Bless!

Milgwimper, DH and Family

Well the Hachiyas are here and ripening fast. I will try to post a recipe soon, because there is no way I can eat all of these and they are ripening faster and faster. I haven’t even finished the fuyus yet! *sigh* I can’t let them rot! So as I scamble to find some recipes I am really hoping you are all having a really nice Pre-Holiday!

I love persimmons, but my craving for them depends on the year. Some years I eat them by the boxful and other years I may indulge in one or two pieces of fruit. These beautiful wonderful sweet fruit are delicious, and usually can stave off most of the cravings for cookies and cakes and sometimes it can stave off a chocolate attack. Scary thought that, but it does happen.

As you know I have been sick, and during the first week of my sickness my Dear Mother took pity on me, and sent me some foods to eat. A gallon jar of Kimchi, bean sprouts for making soup, and then she asked me what I was craving. You know you have to eat when you are sick, and what better food to eat then what your whole body is screaming for loudly. I told her in my weak voice. Persimmons! Now I was expecting a small bag of either Fuyu or Hachiyas, but she came staggering into the house with TWO LARGE produce boxes, filled with Hachiyas and Fuyus.

“Wow, that can’t be all for me!” My Mother looks at me like I am crazy.
“You better eat this all and don’t let it rot!” You see my Mother was sacrificing for me because she is a bigger fan of persimmons than I. She can and will eat boxes and boxes of persimmons every winter.
“Sure you don’t want to take some home with you?” I had visions of my Mother’s wrath if any of the persimmons rotted, and sometimes I can’t eat things fast enough for them not to rot. My Mother just shook her head and kissed me on the cheek and told me to get better and whisked out of my house.

So now I have been eating Fuyus for a month. The Hachiyas have not ripened except for one, which started to rot, and not to get an angry visit from my Mother I ate the thing down. Ahhhh…Burp. My DH cannot stand the Fuyus, and I doubt he will like the Hachiyas, but who knows. All I can say is that I am in love with every bit of the persimmon madness, and can’t wait for the Hachiyas to ripen.

One of my favourite ways of eating Hachiyas is to peel the skin and place in the freezer until half frozen. Then dig in with a spoon to eat their icy goodness. This usually works for people who hate the “snotty” texture of the Hachiyas. Don’t look at me ‘snotty” is how my Father perceives their silky goodness. The Milgwimper’s father hates the texture of the things and he won’t go near them, which is fine it just leaves more for me!

Possibly if I can get off eating the things fresh I will post some recipes, but at this time I am more than 1/2 way through the box of Fuyus, and I enjoy them peeled, and eaten just are they are, fresh.

Hopefully I can get through the Fuyus before the Hachiyas all ripen, but then again maybe it would be better for cooking…We’ll see I am not tired of the persimmons yet.

The birds were chirping and the trees swayed in the soft breeze that played through the leaves and branches. Kids were laughing, and running with their cheeks red from the exertion and the cold kiss of the wind. The dogs barked as they ran and gamboled in the weeds. Such a nice scene, but unfortunately this story is about a miserable sick woman, and her meal.

On such a bright wonderful sun shiny day there lived a miserable sick woman living with a wonderful helpful husband in a small city of Nowhere Ville. Now this woman had been sick for a while and her ever-helpful husband had been taking up the slack in the housework and making of the comestibles. This day however the ever-helpful husband was at his whits end and had caught a cold. Normally the couple may have called for a veggie delivery pie maker to magically bring forth a veggie pie in 30 minutes or less, for a fee, but this day she had decreed, “I want something better than a veggie pie, and cheaper to boot!”.

But you see the sick woman was very lazy, and had to contemplate making a meal that took less energy than she was willing to expend. AHA! Here is the culmination of her work.

The fish was very tender, and mild which was a nice foil to the sauce, which was salty and spicy. The peas and rice soaked up the spices and I had buttered the rice just to make sure the sauce on the fish wouldn’t be too overwhelming, but it wasn’t really needed (but once in a while I crave buttered rice). It is definitely something we will be eating more of, and hopefully Jo will join the tilapia eating world… ;P

This recipe is Approximate, and may have many flaws.

4 tablespoons of kochujang (Korean hot bean paste)
1/2 C-1 C of a good Teriyaki sauce
2 defrosted tilapia filets
1/2 large onion sliced
1 red bell pepper sliced about 1 in long strips
Olive oil
1 clove of garlic

Mix the kochujang, and the teriyaki sauce together until it is smooth. It should be a little thick. Sauté, on medium heat, the garlic for 30 sec (don’t let it get brown) and add the onions and red peppers sauté for 3-4 minutes until the onions are almost translucent. Add the fish to top of the pepper and onion sauté, and pour about 1/2 cup of the sauce or more to taste on top of the fish and pepper/onion mix. The fish should rest on top of the onions and peppers. (I only used about 2/3 of a cup or barely a cup of sauce) Place a lid on the whole enchilada, and steam until the fish starts to flake. About 10-15 minutes you will have to judge yourself. Lift out the fish and place on dinner plates, serve with hot rice, and a vegetable side. If the sauce left in the pan is very thin, you can simmer it down, or add cornstarch to thicken it a little. Pour the sauce on top of the fish, and/or rice.

This is the time of year that I spend with friends and family. To celebrate and remember friends and family past and present. To give Thanks to God and celebrate his birth. The kids await the arrival of Santa, and all the gifts. The baked goodies call you to blow your diet, and you willingly comply.

Unfortunately this is also the time of year that people frantically zip from one shop to another to find that perfect gift. Forgetting the part that family and friends should be cherished and not the amount of gifts given and received. The stress of the season can be daunting, but I just wanted to put out a reminder to all you wonderful people out there to take the time to spend with s friend or a family member, and relax. The world isn’t going to fall over if you take some time off. Better yet try to make a game of the shopping experience, and then when all is done go home and soak in the tub!

The reason I have written this little blurb is that I went out shopping this weekend. Yes, it was insane, but what was sad was the holiday mad rush has set in and no one seemed happy to do their shopping. Maybe I am preaching to the choir or just talking to an empty field,(cue the crickets please) but people it is the holiday make the month as enjoyable as possible. Make shopping and dodging people a game to play while shopping, and treat yourself when you are out in the trenches, and above all else take someone with you that you like, and can make you laugh. Spend as much time as possible with the ones you love, and enjoy the Holiday! Merry Christmas, and Channuka, and well HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

(stepping off the soapbox)

Oh yeah now I have to find some time to bake some Christmas Cookies…:)

I hope that this years Thanksgiving was rewarding with good food and company. I am still sick, but it is slowly dissipating. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at the Milgwimper Parental Unit’s house. Although this year we somehow became behind in the cooking, so the food came out one at a time…Except for dessert that was made my Moi and I will never make pies again when I have bronchitis.

The pies came out pretty good even though I had to ditch making the mincemeat pies. We still had plenty of pies; peach cobbler (Sorry no pictures), blueberry cranberry pie

(The pie was sweet but tart, and did not last very long. The cut out on top of the pie crust is an amish wagon.)
, and two pumpkin pies.

Sorry I thought you already knew what one pumpkin pie looked like, so I only took a picture of one of the pies. Fresh ground cloves really made this pie delicious.
The pies went so fast, but not as fast as the peach cobbler. The recipe for the crust was from the Cooks Illustrated Best recipes, and I have to agree that half butter and 1/2 shortening (or lard or leaf lard if you are so inclined and lucky I used non transfat shortening.) is the best route for a flakey, tasty, and tender crust.

We also did a wonderful ham that did not last 10 minutes. The ham came out so well that I am thinking about doing this again. We soaked the ham in several changes of clean water to rid of some of the excess salt. Then we soaked it in a mixture of coke and water, and we added cloves and cinnamon sticks to the coke soak. We baked the ham for 2 1/2 hrs and then glazed the ham with a reduced coke soak and a jar of peach syrup I made in the summer. The ham was outstanding! Alas I did not even get to photograph it for soon as I opened the foil at the dinner table the vultures had already cut the poor hapless ham.

Oh and homemade cranberry sauce that was eaten so fast that there was none left for the turkey! It went quite well with the ham, and potato chips!

1 12oz bag of fresh cranberries
1 med orange zested and peeled off all pith and sliced ‘n diced
2 tablespoons or more to taste of candied ginger sliced ‘n diced (I used Trader Joes non-crystallized ginger)
1 cup of sugar ( I used 1/2 splenda and 1/2 sugar)

Mix all ingredients and heat until most of the berries have popped and the mixture starts to become thick. Cool and serve. I think with the amount of people present I needed to double or triple to batch. The cranberry sauce was so well received that people were taking huge dollops of the stuff.

The turkey was sublime; it was brined and stuffed with onions, rosemary, sage and cinnamon. Every part of the meat was moist and delicious. Unfortunately with the ham and the tri tip steaks I could not eat much of the turkey, but I am in love with the leftovers.

Dad decided to try out a new veggie side dish, with zucchini, tomatoes, caramelized onions and potatoes covered in Gruyere, but the potatoes decided not to cook, therefore we had to wait forever before it came out of the oven. It was worth it! The cheese and the veggies were so good together. I think we will add it to the Christmas dinner but the potatoes need to be precooked or cut into smaller pieces.

We always have a lot of people over for Thanksgiving and this Thanksgiving was no exception. But I think this year that my parents are feeling the pressure to cook and they are looking forward to next year with only family…Well we will see; they have been saying that for years. It has not happened yet, although I do believe this Christmas will be only a family affair.

Dh and I left early because both of us were sick, and couldn’t stand to be social. For Dh and I, doing anything required us to take a half hour nap, and we were overdue for a nap therefore we wanted to go home. We’re still sick and slowly recovering and hopefully we will be up and causing trouble soon. ;P

It was an awesome party and I am really grateful for all the wonderful family and friends that are in my life. Even the ones that I only get to type to on the computer. I hope you all have wonderful Holidays!

P.S.

I added some pictures, and some comments to the last post on the Jelly belly Factory and Air Museum.