Portuguese Bean Soup

1/2 lb. dry kidney beans
1 lb. ham hocks or a meaty ham bone
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 can (16 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
1 lb. Portuguese sausage* sliced
1/2 head cabbage, cubed

Soak beans overnight in cold water. The next day, drain beans and put into a large pot. Cover with fresh water and cook until tender (1-1/2 to 2 hours). Meanwhile, place ham hocks or ham bone in a pot and cover with water to 2" above bones. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender. Remove hocks and cut meat from the bones. Add back to ham stock along with cooked and drained beans, portugese sausage, tomatoes and all vegetables except the cabbage. Break up tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently. If soup becomes too thick, add a little hot water or chicken stock. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Add cabbage during the last 10 minutes.

Add a dash of Tabasco to your soup bowl if you like it spicy!

*If portuguese sausage is unavailable, you may substitute chorizo, kielbasa or your favorite sausage.

Christmas Countdown

Review Holiday Planner.
Review list of ministries for gift-giving and/or service projects.
Plan a special family outing.

Have Holiday photos taken.
Write Holiday newsletter.
Buy Christmas stamps.
Address and send out cards.

Take out Christmas decorations from attic.
Take out Christmas books, music and videos.

Review gift list and purchase all gifts before end of November.
Wrap and deliver gifts (mail gifts to out of town relatives by end of November if possible).

Set up our Nativity scene.
Buy and set up Christmas tree.
Hang wreaths on door.
Hang stockings on bannister.
Put gifts in stockings for St. Nicholas day--Dec. 6th.
(Thanks for this idea, Cathy!)

Decide on menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day--we usually have a pot of soup (Seafood Chowder or Sparerib Soup) on the Eve and Prime Rib and the fixings on the Day.
Shop, cook, freeze and bake as much as possible in advance.

Drive around the neighborhood admiring the Christmas lights.

Read aloud the Christmas story in Luke Chapter 2.
Read aloud all our favorite Christmas books.

Go to church on Christmas Eve.
Come home and have dinner.
Put excited kids to bed.

On Christmas Day:
Have our Bible time, then breakfast and gift-opening.
Sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.

World Famous Cookies

This favorite recipe comes from my friend Traci who is a fabulous baker. We love these crispy, crunchy cookies!

2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup bran flakes (cereal)
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts
3-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees*. Cream together butter and sugars in a large bowl. Add egg, vanilla and oil, and mix thoroughly. Add in oatmeal, bran flakes, chocolate chips, coconut and nuts, mixing well after each addition.

Mix dry ingredients together, then add to the above mixture.

Drop dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool cookies on a rack. Store in an airtight container. Yields 7-8 dozen.

*Note: for Cushionaire cookie sheets, bake at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes.

Gingerbread Cookies

These gingerbread cookies are so yummy that they don't last very long at our home. They are thin and crispy, with just the right amount of spices. I've included the recipe for the optional Royal Icing for decorating, but we enjoy ours without any embellishments.

3 cups (dip and sweep method) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ cup (firmly packed) dark brown sugar
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup unsulfured molasses (preferably Grandma's brand)
1 large egg
optional: raisins, currants, decorative candies and Royal Icing

TIP: To measure molasses, use a greased liquid measuring cup.

TO MAKE DOUGH:

Soften the butter. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices, then whisk together to mix evenly. In a mixing bowl, cream together the brown sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the molasses and egg and beat until blended. On low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture until incorporated.

Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and use the wrap, not your fingers, to press the dough together to form a thick flat disc. Wrap it well and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours.

TO MAKE COOKIES:

Place 2 oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare nonstick or greased or buttered cookie sheets. On a floured pastry cloth, roll out the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Use gingerbread cutters to cut out the dough. With a small, angled metal spatula or pancake turner, lift the cut dough onto the cookie sheets, placing the cutouts about 1 inch apart. If desired, make holes for hanging, either at the tops or hands, using the blunt edge of a wooden skewer.

Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes for small cookies, and up to about 10 to 12 minutes for the larger ones, or until firm to the touch and just beginning to color around the edges. For even baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking period.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for about 1 minute. When they are firm enough to lift, use a small, angled metal spatula or pancake turner to transfer the cookie to wire racks to cool completely.

OPTIONAL DECORATING:

While the cookies are still hot and slightly soft, if desired, press raisins, currants, cinnamon red-hots or other candy into the dough (for eyes and buttons). They can also be attached using dots of Royal Icing as glue, after the cookies have been cooled. Royal Icing, either white or tinted with food coloring, can be used to pipe details or frilly borders. The icing can be thinned slightly with a few drops of water and used to paint decorative motifs on the baked cookies.

Cookies will store in an airtight container at room temperature for several months.

ROYAL ICING:

3 large egg whites
4 cups powdered sugar
OR
3 Tablespoons meringue powder mixed with 6 Tablespoons warm water
4 cups powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, place the egg whites and sugar (or meringue powder mixture and sugar) and beat, preferably with the whisk beater, at low speed, until the sugar is moistened. Beat at high speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form when the beater is lifted (5 to 7 minutes). The tips of the peaks should curve slightly. If necessary, more powdered sugar may be added. Keeps 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Rebeat lightly.

Note: Do not make Royal Icing on a humid day.

~ From Rose's Christmas Cookies by Rose Levy Berenbaum.

Spam Musubi

Local friends will wonder why I am bothering to write up a recipe for Spam Musubi. Who needs a recipe, right? Well, this is for those who have never tried a Spam Musubi before in their life. I know, I feel sorry for them too. ;-)

5 cups of cooked white rice
1 can Spam*, cut into 9-10 slices
5 sheets of sushi nori, cut in half
6 T soy sauce
4 T sugar
2 T mirin (optional)
Salt
Spam Musubi Mold
(or an empty Spam can)

In a large skillet, heat a pan over medium-high heat. Spray with oil, then fry Spam until light golden brown. In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, sugar and mirin. Add to pan, bring to a boil, then simmer Spam in sauce until coated well. Turn off heat and remove Spam from pan.

On a flat surface such as a large cutting board, lay a piece of nori. Place musubi mold on nori. Fill mold halfway with rice, then press down with flattener until rice is compressed. Lightly sprinkle salt on rice. Place one slice of Spam on top of the rice, then fill the rest of the mold to the top with more rice. Flatten again. Sprinkle salt again. Remove mold.

Holding the spam and rice block steady, wrap the nori around the entire thing. Set on plate, seam side down. Repeat steps with the rest of the ingredients. If desired, cut into halves and serve. Makes 9-10 Spam Musubi.

Crockpot Apple Butter

I usually start a batch of this before going to bed. When I wake up, the entire house smells like an apple orchard. Apple butter is great on toast, pancakes, waffles, ice cream, anything!

5-6 lbs. Cooking Apples (Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Braeburn, Rome, etc. are good varieties)--approx. 15-18 apples
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
4 pint jars

Peel, core and finely chop apples. Place in crockpot. Mix other ingredients together and toss well with the apples. Cook on HIGH for 1 hour.

Reduce heat to LOW and cook 10-11 hours, stirring occasionally. (If you have to go to bed, don't worry about the stirring!)

Uncover and stir with a whisk until apple butter is smoother. Leaving cover off, cook on LOW for 1 additional hour.

Spoon hot mixture into sterile** glass jars. When cooled, refrigerate or freeze. Makes 4 pints.

**To sterilize mason jars and lids, wash well in hot water/soap or run through your dishwasher's hottest setting. Boil in a large pot with water completely covering the jars and lids for 15-20 minutes. Turn off heat and let them sit in the hot water until you're ready to pour the apple butter in.

Gift-giving: Apple butter also makes a nice homemade gift. To decorate, cut a large square piece of fabric and tie it over the lid. Be sure to let the recipient know the apple butter needs refrigeration.

Shortbread Pumpkin Pie

My friend Janet shared this pumpkin pie recipe with me a few years back, and it has since become a family favorite. Not only does it produce a yummy crust that's not soggy , it's also easier to make than the traditional recipe because you don't have to roll out the dough. You simply press the crust into the pan and bake. It is generously sized--equal to two regular pies--and will serve at least 12-16 people depending on how the size of the slices. The pie can be made a day or two before the big day, allowing you to save the oven for the turkey.

Shortbread Crust:
1-1/2 cup flour
3 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients, mix and press into a 9" x 13" glass baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool, then fill with pumpkin filling.

Pumpkin Filling:
1 large can (29 oz) pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1-1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 large cans (12 oz) evaporated milk

Mix all ingredients well and pour into baked and cooled crust. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until filling is set (use the toothpick test). Let cool. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Leftovers make excellent breakfast fare! :-)

Autumn Ratatouille

We had this for dinner tonight as an accompaniment to grilled chicken, brocolli and rice. Alan and Jonathan ate multiple servings. :-)

1 medium eggplant, cut into chunks
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
1 zucchini, cut into chunks
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1 can (16 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 T freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, saute vegetables with Italian dressing until tender. Add diced tomatoes and simmer for about 15 minutes to reduce liquid. In the meantime, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove skillet from stove and top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Serves 6-8 as a hot side dish.

My Holiday Notebook

One November, I was in a dither looking for our favorite Thanksgiving recipes. During the move to our new home, I had filed them away in some "safe place" only to forget exactly where that was! After much searching, I finally found the recipes and breathed a sigh of relief. After that episode, I decided it was time to put together a Holiday Notebook so that it would never happen again.

I simply placed all of my holiday planning notes, lists and recipes into a 3-ring binder with page protectors and dividers. Whenever I find a neat holiday idea from a magazine, I tear it out and add it to my folder.

Sections include:
1. Favorite Family Recipes
2. Menus
3. Grocery Shopping List
4. To Do List
5. Christmas Card List
6. Gift Ideas and List
7. Decorating Ideas
8. Kids' Activities and Crafts
9. Favorite Holiday Books, Videos and Music
10. Places to visit
11. Special Family Memories (newsletters, special things we've done, etc.)
12. Ministry opportunities (such as Operation Christmas Child, etc.)

One of the most helpful things has been the master grocery shopping list. Since I make basically the same menu every year, this saves me time so I don't have to recreate the same list over and over again.

I plan to eventually create four notebooks, one for each season—Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall--which will contain recipes and activities for holidays around the year. Some day I hope our children will look through these notebooks and remember our special holiday memories with fondness.

Thanksgiving Countdown

Menu~

Roast Turkey with Gravy
Grilled Ham
Mashed Potatoes
Chestnut Stuffing
Steamed Rice
Stir Fried Green Beans
Sauteed Portabella Mushrooms with Garlic
Roasted Corn Salad
Tossed Green Salad
Sashimi if available
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
Sparkling cider, coffee, tea

Schedule~

1-2 weeks before Thanksgiving

Make and freeze apple pies
Make chicken stock and freeze
Deep clean kitchen
Clean refrigerator and freezer
Take inventory of all ingredients
Test thermometer
Make grocery shopping list
Decide on any decorations
Send out Thanksgiving cards
Order turkey

Week of Thanksgiving
Read aloud our favorite Thanksgiving books.

Monday:
Check shopping list and market ads

Tuesday:
Grocery shopping
Review cooking schedule
Make a list of all dishes to be served and post on fridge

Day before Thanksgiving:

Morning:
Bake Pumpkin Pie
Prepare Cranberry Chutney
Defrost Chicken Stock
Take out all serving dishes and utensils to wash
Take out roasting pan

Evening:
Chop bread into cubes, chop onions and measure herbs for Chestnut Stuffing
Prepare Roasted Corn Salad
Prepare dough for Rolls
Lay out tablecloth
Clean sink

Thanksgiving Day:

In the morning:
Bible: Thanksgiving devotions & hymns
Read aloud: Squanto, the Miracle of Thanksgiving
Family tradition: Five kernels of corn

11:30 am: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, chill salad plates
11:45 am: Put apple pie in oven (1 hr. 15 min.)
Noon: Eat a light lunch.
12:45 pm: Remove foil shield
1:00 pm:Take apple pie out, turn oven to 325 degrees
Prepare turkey--herbs inside, butter/salt/pepper outside
1:30 pm: Put turkey in oven (3-3.5 hours total)--baste every 30 min.
Prepare stuffing and put in crockpot, HIGH for 1 hour
2:30 pm: Turn crockpot to LOW
4:00 pm: Take foil off turkey
4:15 pm: Preheat grill
4:30 pm: Put ham on grill, make salad, add chestnuts to stuffing
4:45 pm: Cook potatoes, turn rice cooker on, prepare sashimi.
5:00 pm: Test if turkey is done. Remove from oven.
Strain drippings, make gravy
5:10 pm: Stir fry green beans, saute mushrooms
Take ham off grill
Mash potatoes
Set table with side dishes
5:20 pm: Carve turkey and ham
Toss salad, serve on chilled plates
5:30 pm: Pray and eat!

Turkey Roasting Times

Oven Temperature: Preheated to 325 degrees

Important: the following are guidelines. Be sure to roast the turkey until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 180 to 185 degrees.

Estimated Roasting Times~

Unstuffed Turkey:
8 to12 pounds – 2-3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds—3 to 3 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds—3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds – 4 1/4 to 4-1/2 pounds
20 to 24 pounds—4 ½ to 5 hours

Stuffed Turkey:
8 to 12 pounds—3 to 3 ½ hours
12 to 14 pounds—3 ½ to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds—4 to 4 ¼ hours
18 to 20 pounds—4 ¼ to 4 ¾ hours
20 to 24 pounds—4 ¾ to 5 ¼ hours

~From the cookbook Thanksgiving 101 by Rick Rodgers (wonderful cookbook!)

Also, for more turkey info, you can visit http://www.butterball.com/

Thankful Pumpkin Bread

16 oz. canned pumpkin puree
4 eggs
2/3 cup coconut oil or shortening, melted
2-2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
3-1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 large 9"x5", 3 medium 8"x4" or 6 mini loaf pans and set aside.

Combine pumpkin, eggs, melted oil or shortening, sugar and water and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine all other dry ingredients EXCEPT walnuts and raisins. Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and blend.

In a little bowl, toss walnuts and raisins with a pinch of flour. (This will enable them to stay "afloat" in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom.) Add walnuts and raisins to batter, then divide into loaf pans. Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour. Makes 2 large, 3 medium or 6 mini loaves.

~Adapted from the wonderful out-of-print cookbook, "Food Talk" by Melinda Lee.

Turkish Delight for Narnia fans

Don't eat too much or something might happen! ;-)

5 Tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup hot water
2 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon rosewater (or lemon juice)
2 cup pistacios (or other nuts, if you like)
Powdered confectioner's sugar

Mix corn starch with cold water and set aside. In a medium-sized pot, bring hot water, sugar and orange juice to a boil. Add corn starch and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.

Remove from heat, add rosewater or lemon juice. Stir in nuts and pour into a buttered pan. Allow to cool and thicken.

With a knife dipped into hot water, cut into one-inch cubes with knife. Roll in powdered sugar and serve.

Recipe from Into the Wardrobe website.