Chanukah

This is my boy helping to mix up the batter for our Hanukah jelly donuts. It was the first time I made them and it was a good experience.

Next year I will know to roll the dough even thinner. Althought the doughnuts tasted good they got a little over cooked simply becasue the dough was too thick and it took too long for the insdie to cook properly. Oh well, I'll try again next year.

A lovely latke image. Home made with local potaoes, eggs and onions. These are topped with applesauce and greek yogurt. Ususally I would have used sour cream but I find that the Fage brand 0% fat yogurt is a fantastic replacement and I even like the taste better than sour cream. Of course traditionally edamame are not eaten with latkes but I figured they were what I had avaialble and they were a protein to add to the meal.

Here's our menorah. We got a lot of enjoyment out of lighting it this year.

Flicker Holiday Market

Flicker Holiday Market


Date: Saturday, December 19, 2009

Time: 11:00am - 5:00pm

Location: Flicker Theatre and Bar

Description
hello all. flicker is holding its annual holiday market extravaganza with arts/crafts/foods! come get your last minute shopping on with locally- crafted goodies!some of our talented vendors include: thebeadtanicalgarden, purcell toys, mikulka polish foods, avid bookstore, jim wilson with pies, will eskridge, stephanie blair, don chambers with pies and fortune- telling bleigiessen, amy west, ryan admas, emily pitts with scarves, mary beths and emilys mommy, shes made well, chris creech and some new talents never seen before...

drink specials all day and hope for agoldensummer later in the evening!

Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein gutes neues Jahr!

Athens Locally Crafted

I just updated my membership and listings on the Athens Locally Crafted website. If you know about the Locally Grown movement, well this is pretty much the same idea. You can browse hand crafted items made in your local area (well in the Athens, GA area) but you dont have to live here to order. This is just another way to promote the local economy and get folks sharing their work with others. Check us out at

http://www.athens.locallycrafted.net/

You can find a great sampling of jewelery, holiday cards, soaps and candles, knitwear and a plethora of other items. Happy shopping.

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins (11/2009)

Ingredients:

2C unbleached white flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
Pinch of nutmeg

1/3 C canola oil
2/3 C maple syrup
1 egg
1T vanilla extract
1C cooked pumpkin
½ C Edensoy edenblend

Preheat the oven to 375

In a large bowl sift together dry ingredients.

In a blender add all the liquid ingredients and process until smooth.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix with a whisk just until all liquid is absorbed.

Lightly oil a muffin tin and fill each place about halfway.

Bake approximately 35 minutes or until just golden.

Getting ready for the holiday markets this past weekend. I soent many hours emersed in tiny Czech glass beads and wire. I loved it, staying up way too late, looking at all of the colors, imagining how they would all look when finished.


here's my work table as I begin to gather various items together.

my clips in drying mode

flowers and butterflies flow forth, bright vibrant colors, warm, inviting. I took part in two markets this weekend. Friday night at the Railroad Arts District and that was a total blast. Music, fires and a lot of folks. Of course at the end of the night I ran over a hidden railroad tie and blew a tire, exactly the kind of thing that would happen to me. I was glad that my mom was there and sne dout a big thanks to Will and Dan who changed the tire for me. Hoestly, I could have done it myslef, but since they offered...

Then on Saturday and Sunday I wa in the Athens Indie Craftstravaganza. It was downtown in and we had toms of folks on Saturday and yesterday was busy too. There were a lot of crafters there peddling their wares. Little man had a great time and is working on honing his bartering skills when seeing something he wants. I have now repeatedly heard him using the phrase, "My mom makes jewelery, would be interested in a trade?"

Thanksgiving Stuffing

Thanksgiving stuffing 2009

1 stick butter

2 shallots
1 medium onion
2c diced celery
1 bulb garlic minced
3c sliced mushrooms
¼ t ground black pepper

1T tarragon soaked in 1/2c riesling

15c bread cubes ( ½“ x ½”)
8c stock of choice
¼ c riesling

1 ½ c roasted chopped pecans


In a very large skillet or pot melt 2T butter and add shallot and onion, cook stirring gently until onions are translucent. Add 1T butter and celery and cook 3 minutes. Add 1T butter, mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms are tender. Add 1T butter and pour in the tarragon and wine. Allow to bubble and simmer a few minutes.

Add the rest of the butter and all of the bread cubes. Stir well to coat the bread with vegetables and spices already cooking. Add the stock 2c at a time and mix until absorbed and then add the rielsing. When the stuffing is thoroughly moist remove from heat and fold in pecans.

Thankful

At this point in my life there is no place that feels so much like home to me as the South Toe Valley in Western, NC. The ridgeline of the Black Mountains gently curving like a warm embrace from a beloved relative. My whole spirit sings when I am there, as if I am a part of that place. I guess that could be becasue I developed so much of myself while living there, falling in love, getting married, conceiving a child, creating deep lasting friendships. As my life moves along on it's path I know I have influence, but yet I am also open to the natural flow as it comes to me. Celo will always be in my heart. I am thankful to have had the chance to know it deeply and share it with my son.

Here is a view of the ridgeline as seen from the home we stayed in over the Thanksgiving holiday. Again, thankful, it's folks like Ben and Cedar (along with others) who offered us their place so we could share Thanksgiving with our close friends. They have a magnificent view, a warm home, and lovely gardens.

Here is my comtemplative husband on the banks of the Toe River. A beautiful day, we went walking to Green Toe Ground Farm. I caught Jim as he looked out into the water, scanned the rocky mountainside across the water, and breathed in the crisp mountain air.

On a gnarled tree root Nicole and I share a refelctive moment. The truth as I've noticed it, is that the older I get the more difficult it is to create deep lasting friendships. I feel thankful to have that with her. She accepts me as I am and in turn I her. We've seen each other grow into strong women, get married, have children, and chase dreams.

Two pals walk together down the road laughing, singing, running after the puppy. I notice there is a freedom my boy shows when we're there in Celo, it's different than when we're elsewhere. Almost as if he too is infused with the magic I feel in that valley, I hope he always feels it.

We give thanks for the turkey who gave it's life so we could feast and feel full. Gaelan rubbed this one down with a butter and spice mixture and cooked it just right. It was the most delicious and moist turkey I have ever eaten. I made the stuffing fresh with mushrooms and pecans (recipe to be posted later), yum!

Oh the plentiful feast, before us on the table, our mouths water with anticipation on this one of the few days during the year eat with such ferocity. We savor the flavors of perfect turkey, fresh stuffing, squash gratin, mashed potatoes with parsnips, fresh cranberry sauce, stewed greens with a hint of apple, sweet potatoes topped with pecans, and mixed green salad. Having Thanksgiving with farmers is truly a reason to celebrate the harvest and give thanks to the land and the spirit for blessing us all with nature's bounty.

At the proverbial kids table, ours too enjoy this feast. The girls, whose hands contributed to the meal by working the land with their parents helped to bring forth this glorious meal. Ah, to be a grown up and finally appreciate how special the kid's table actually is.

And of course, to finish off the meal, we must have pie and pie we had a plenty. I made what I am considering now as a part of my Thanksgiving a chocolate pecan pie, Gaelan created for us two kinds of pumpkin pie: one traditional and one with a layer of chocolate spread over the crust which adds a devilishly decadent kick, and Pat made a wonderful apple pie with hints of cinnamon and spices coating every bit. We added fresh whipped cream and had a marvelous treat for our taste buds.

Ah, the joys of celebrating, feasting and fellowship.