Christmas plans . . . and Ginger Shortbread Cookies

Three weeks before Christmas

My packing was done,

So I went to Laredo

To see my grandson.

Kepler’s his name;

He’s two and a half.

He’s zany and lively,

And makes Grandma laugh.

This year Grandma missed out

On Kepler’s Halloween,

But Christmas we’ve planned on

And we’re all really keen.

We went to Roatan

Before Kepler was one.

Last year to the Caicos,

And that too was fun.

This year the Bahamas;

Nassau and Freeport.

We’ll dig in the sand;

Maybe visit a fort.

For sure we’ll enjoy

All the things that we see,

But best of all it's Christmas

With my family.

*******

James made Ginger Shortbread Cookies

                                    based on a recipe in Food and Wine, December 2011

TOPPING

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 ¼ cups icing sugar

1 ½ tbsp. milk

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cinnamon

COOKIES

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup cornstarch

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

3 egg yolks

2 tsp molasses

MAKE THE FILLING

·        Beat cream cheese with icing sugar, milk, nutmeg, and cinnamon.   Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

MAKE THE COOKIES

·        Grease two baking sheets.

·        In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cornstarch, ginger, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

·        In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar. 

·        Beat in egg yolks and molasses.

·        Beat in dry ingredients.

·        Make dough into 24 balls and refrigerate until slightly firm (about 30 minutes).

·        Preheat oven to 325.

·        With floured hands, press a deep hollow into each ball and spoon in a level teaspoon of cream cheese filling.  Pinch tops closed.

·        Refrigerate until cookies are firm, about 15 minutes.

·        Bake cookies for 20 to 30 minutes until they are golden.

If you plan on serving these on Christmas Day, don’t make them too far ahead.  There won’t be any left! 

Index for Mom's letters

I have not kept up the index for the blog but here's at least a partial 
index for Mom's letters:

                                                  1961

MARY STADNYK’S LETTERS:

Sept 6, 1978: http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2014/09/september-1978-on-farm-and-garlic-steak.html

Jan 17, 1981: http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2016/01/mary-stadnyks-method-of-prepping-fresh.html

Jun 21, 1982: http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2014/06/sharing-letter-from-mom-and-recipe-from.html

August 11, 1982: http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2014/08/30-years-ago-mary-stadnyk.html

Nov 8, 1982: http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.com/2014/11/from-mary-stadnyk-on-nov-8-1982-and.html

Dec 8, 1982:  http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2014/12/dec-8-1982-moms-letter-and-easy.html

Dec 31, 1982:  http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2014/12/moms-work-worry-and-wear-down-so-eggs.html

Jan. 11, 1983:  http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2014/01/mary-stadnyk-wrote-and-pineapple.html

Jan. 24, 1983: http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2014/01/chinese-treasure-soup-inspired-by.html

Jan. 31, 1983: http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2014/01/a-legacy-of-letters-contd-and-best-fish.html

 Feb. 4, 1983:  http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2014/02/marilyn-sent-picture-and-scrumptious.html

Feb. 19, 1983:  http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2014/02/mom-taking-break-and-peanut-butter-cake.html

Mar. 17, 1983: http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2013/03/ballymaloe-coleslaw-and-mary-stadnyks.html

Mar. 17, 1983, part 2:  http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2014/03/cabbage-soup-and-part-2-of-moms-letter.html

April 9, 1990:  http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2014/04/april-9-1990-moms-letter-and-raisin.html

Sept 7, 1990:  http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2014/07/cousin-maria-from-ukraine-too-soon.html

Dec 4, 1989: http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.ca/2015/12/dec-4-1989-and-tuna-pizza-2015.html

Nov 23, 1996:  http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.com/2014/11/a-letter-from-mary-stadnyk-to-diana-and.html

Dec 4, 1989 . . . and TUNA Pizza 2015

 Mom wrote to Diana from Saskatoon

Dec 4^th 1989

        I was to Zellers today Eleanor took me I bought every thing except for the girls I was going to buy night gowns but Eleanor said they have enough Night wear she said to buy petticoats but there wast any the kind Eleanor thought they would like so she said we will go to some othere store I wasn’t going to be buying presents but time comes and I do.

        Eleanor going to have her children from School on Wed for pyrogies.  Eleanor said that some lady ask if I would sell pyrogies but I don’t want to.  I get tired doing them when I do that I don’t want to do much after for a while.

        Dec 10^th

Yesterday Sat 9^th Bryan took me shopping in the morning and after Lunch Eleanor and me went to Bays hardwear I bought myself 2 night gowns at have price so both of them cost me $15.00 

and I bought for Annettas birthday a sweat suit it was only 25% of but kids cloths go fast so they don’t have much discount.  

And bought Aline a cotton house coat.  There was a nice green dress but it was to big for me.  I don’t need dress but I liked it so I tried

        Eleanor baked today a Christmas cake and shes making something else its called mushroom turnovers but I got a goose in the oven so she only has the filling.

       

Lorne was home so brought us 2 wild geese we had one already and today we will have the othere as they don’t keep well in the freezer as they are soak a lot he brought two large chickens and steaks they are good.

        

        If you come for Christmas I will go back with you home stay at home a while till I get my things done then go to your place.

        I have a lot to take back as I didn’t send the Christmas present but take them with me.

        Keep cheerful as you allways do and keep happy by being yourself.  I did so can you I had children which demended a lot of help but I didn’t seem to have any time to myself.  Now I have but no dad so life is like that

        May I see you both soon

                Love Mother

                                              ********

TERRIFIC TUNA PIZZA,  our very own recipe 2015

INGREDIENTS FOR TOPPING

1 can tomato soup: 284 ml (or 10 ounces) :  No substitutes!

2 cans solid Albacore tuna in water : 170 g each (or 7 ounces each) : {Clover Leaf or President’s Choice)

½ cup chopped parsley

1 cup celery cut in one inch slivers (about 2 stalks of celery)

½ cup carrot cut in one inch slivers (about one small carrot)

1 tsp butter

¼ tsp hot Asian chili-garlic sauce

Salt

7 to 10 mushrooms (depending on size)

8 ounces white Cheddar cheese (grate it coarsely)

12 or more marinated Kalamata olives (not those dreadful dull black olives out of a can)

INGREDIENTS FOR PIZZA DOUGH

2 ½ tsp yeast (or one envelope)

1 tsp sugar

1 ¼ cup lukewarm water

2 tsp olive oil

2 ½ cups flour

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp marjoram

·         Set oven to Preheat to 350 for one minute only.  Then turn it off.

·         Stir sugar into lukewarm water.

·         Sprinkle yeast on top.  Let stand 5 minutes.

·         Put 2 cups flour into large mixing bowl. 

·         Stir in salt and marjoram.

·         Add oil to the yeast and water.

·         Stir into the flour.

·         Turn out onto floured surface and knead in remaining ½ cup flour.

·         Put dough into greased or oiled bowl.  Cover with tea towel.  Put in oven.  Let rise 1 hour.

·         Prepare the celery and carrot topping:  Melt butter in frying pan over medium heat and add chili-garlic sauce.  Then add celery and carrots.  Stir for about 3 minutes until they are tender crisp.  Sprinkle with salt to taste.  Set aside.

·         Slice the mushrooms thickly.  Set aside.

·         Grate the cheese coarsely.  Set aside.

·         Pit and slice olives in rounds.  Set aside.

·         Lightly oil a round, perforated pizza pan.

·         Turn risen dough out onto pizza pan and sprinkle lightly with flour so that you can spread dough with fingers to fill the pan.

·         Cover with tea towel.  Let rise in oven 30 min.

·         Take out pizza dough.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

·         Cook pizza dough 7 minutes.

·         Reduce oven temp to 450 when you take out dough.

·         Now  cover with toppings:

·         First spread lightly with tomato soup right to the edges.  (I don’t like bare pizza dough!)  It will take about half the can.

·         Drain the tuna.  Distribute chunks of it all over the pizza (right to the edge).

·         Sprinkle parsley all over.

·         Distribute cooked celery and carrot all over.

·         Distribute mushrooms all over.

·         Sprinkle cheese all over RIGHT TO THE EDGE!  Yes.

·         Sprinkle with olives.

·         Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.  Prepare to be amazed!

P.S.  Don’t substitute tomato sauce for the tomato soup!  You can have tomato sauce on a pizza any time.  This one is special.

Memories of DONALD

August, 2015

I always looked forward to visits with Donald.   No one else will ever greet me with that twinkle and a little jab, “You’ve put on a pound or two.”

 And he always had so much going on.

Once when we arrived, Donald was heading out with a little pail in his hand to gather the eggs.  He was disappointed to find that one of the eggs was cracked.  A hen had laid an egg onto some others.

Another time, Donald was out checking his traps; he came in with a coyote.  Buzzards lent him a hand that winter;  he’d hang up a skinned coyote where his traps are and when other coyotes saw buzzards congregating, they headed for the same spot . . .  

He loved gardening.  Karen said he used to be out at 6 am working in his huge garden.  (Once, he had trouble finding carrot seeds but finally came up with some in Russell.   “It’s too late to put those in,” the guy said, but Karen & Donald had a laugh because they said the carrots would be just perfect in late fall – take them out just before the ground freezes.)  Donald even put in some of those new Haskap bushes – a cross between raspberries & blueberries that’s being developed in Saskatoon.

Bees were his latest interest.  He was going to buy bees at an auction for about $150.00 but “The government will pay half,” he chuckled, “because they’re paying me to trap nuisance beavers.”  I asked if he ever tried cooking the beaver tails (which I’d read were considered a delicacy by native people) but the tails had to be sent off in order to collect the bounty.  

Donald’s dog, Butch, got to eat the rest of the beavers.  

Every time we went, we’d go to Birtle for a Chinese dinner.  Donald’s favourite dish was sweet and sour shrimp, very lightly breaded.

Then we'd go home; our car loaded up with vegetables and honey and the pickles Donald made.  

Manitoba has lost so much colour now that my brother Donald is gone.   

Donald, July 21, 1936 - November 27, 2015

After I broke my foot in the spring, Donald scolded me for not being more careful.  He was concerned  because I have osteoporosis.   

He had just been diagnosed with cancer.

We are all so sad.

DEMING, Washington . . . and Christmas COOKIES

The Automobile Association Guide (CAA) informed me that Deming Homestead Eagle Park “is a good vantage point for watching bald eagles feeding on spawned-out salmon from December into February”. 

Nov. 21: close enough and a beautiful, if frosty, day so off we went.  Well, the park has picnic tables and a pretty, if very short, trail that’s a good place to let your dog stretch his legs.  

We even went down a muddy bank to get to a creek, but there were no salmon.

“Okay,” we said, preparing to leave, “at least we saw one eagle.” 

 Luckily, just then a group of young locals addressed us and suggested we drive a little further on SR 542 to get to a bridge.  

Then, at the bridge where a bunch of people were fishing in the fast-flowing muddy waters, another friendly local helped us out.

“Oh yes, there are chum salmon in the river.  Just walk down to that gate (Private Property) and you’ll see them leaping and flopping around.”

And we did . . . and it was great!

Then it was time for lunch.  The CAA guide recommended The North Fork Brewery & Pizzeria and a “choice of one of their 10 crafted beers brewed at the on-site brewery”.

We got there just before 12 and it was closed.  We would have pulled out but a bunch of young locals were hanging out in front with a couple of dogs and they assured us that the grills were already fired up and the doors would be opening shortly.

We chose the Rambo because one of the ingredients was Kielbasa 

                                     and it was excellent.

I also liked the rustic décor and the Mysteriam Pale Ale.

********

Frosty weather means it’s time to start thinking about Christmas baking, right?  

Here’s a wonderful cooky from Betty Crocker:

COOKY-CANDIES  (an oatmeal shortbread)

1 cup butter

¾ cup icing sugar

1 tbsp vanilla (yes, that one tablespoon; not teaspoon)

2 cups flour

¾ tsp salt

½ cup oatmeal

¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp water

1/8 cup milk (that’s one tbsp. and 2 teaspoons)

Shredded coconut

Rainbow sprinkles

·        Grease baking sheet.

·        Cream butter in a large mixing bowl. 

·        Blend in icing sugar, salt, and vanilla.

·        Blend in oatmeal.

·        Stir in flour.

·        Start oven preheating to 325.

·        Make small balls and put on baking sheet.

·        Bake 20 minutes until just golden around edges.  Don’t overbake.

·        Let cool on rack.

·        Turn them all upside down.

·        Melt chocolate chips with water in a small bowl in microwave.

·        Stir in milk until smooth.

·        Dip rounded top of cookie into chocolate.  Then sprinkle with coconut or sprinkles.

I like to serve cookies at the end of a company dinner now.  It’s nice to have a small dessert and these are soooo good!