>Pumpkin Bread for the Bread Machine

>Bread Machine, Breadmaker, Breadmaker, Bread Machine. You know what I mean. It’s the appliance that allows us busy cooks to have fresh bread with a minimum of fuss.

Here’s a special variety of bread for the upcoming holidays. I’m tempted to add raisins or nuts to it: maybe next time.
Ingredients:
Add to bread machine in this order.
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter, cut up
3 cups bread flour
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
Select basic white bread cycle. Enjoy!
Adding nuts can happen at the “add more goodies” beep mid-cycle or at the beginning. Readers, any preference as to timing?
Enjoy the bread, and have a great holiday full of good food and family fun.

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>Banana Bread with Crumble Topping

>Recipe from Bakesale Betty: Oakland, CA. This was part of our Eating the Opponent challenge as the Packers prepared to play the Oakland Raiders.


Ingredients: banana bread batter
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed rip bananas – 2 to 3 medium
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil or olive oil
1/4 cup honey (local, of course)
Crumble ingredients:
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
Directions:
Butter and flour 9″ by 5″ by 3″ bread pan or alternative
Whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.
Whisk bananas, eggs, oil, and honey. add dry ingredients; stir to blend. Transfer batter to pan(s). Mix crumble ingredients; sprinkle over batter.
Bake bread at 350 for 1 hour – less if splitting it into smaller pans. Cool bread in pan for 30 minutes (if you can wait that long). Turn pan on its side; slide out bread, being gentle with topping. Turn bread right side up and cool completely.
This might just become my Christmas morning standard. It can bake and then cool while we’re opening presents. By the time we’ve left the wrappings as playthings for the rabbit, we’re hungry enough to enjoy a special treat. This banana bread with more could be just the right treat.

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The Fabled Fairies of Thanksgiving – Reprise

What are you doing reading blogs on Thanksgiving Day? Go spend time with friends and family!

But if you must, here’s my classic Thanksgiving post, The Fabled Fairies of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Dinner? No problem! I’ll call in the fairies. They’ll do everything.

The laundry fairy washes, dries, and presses the table linens, including the cloth napkins. If she’s feeling generous, the sheets and towels might get folded, too.
The turkey fairy will practice her specialty and make sure the bird is cooked and carved just in time for dinner. White meat and dark, it’ll all be moist and savory and leave just enough leftovers for sandwiches and a turkey noodle soup.
The baker fairy will take care of pies, pumpkin and otherwise. He’s an expert on flaky crust, selected spices, and the perfect portion of whipped cream. Don’t let that Simple Simon guy get in the way; the kitchen’s too small for anyone who begs to taste the wares.
The brownie — the cunning little house elf — will clean the home thoroughly, put the leaf in the big table, and get the extra chairs out of the basement.
I wouldn’t dream of neglecting the wine fairy: the sommelier so tiny she only recommends, never lifts, a bottle. Her taste is impeccable. Now if we could stop her before she over-imbibes and falls asleep on top of the piano…
Did I mention the decorator fairy? She’ll fix the fireplace mantel with something tasteful and seasonal before she makes sure the couch and rocker are properly arranged for the annual holiday gladiator contests known as NFL football.
The ambiance fairy keeps the wood fire crackling in the fireplace, the aromas wafting deliciously through the home, and the family discussions neutral and unpolitical.
The kitchen fairies: really, there must be a whole crew of these talented sprites. One to do the shopping early and avoid the crowds, another to make sure the cranberries are perfect (and local, of course), and a magical maestro with the potato masher. Then we’ll need a feisty fairy, one with attitude — yes, you, Tinkerbell, you can make the coffees.

Mom, you can send the fairies over to my house now that we’re hosting the annual family Thanksgiving dinner. Let them know that I’ll have their room ready and their favorite cookies baked. If they arrive on Sunday there should be enough time to get everything done.

Wait. What do you mean…they’re…not….real?

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>Hint, hint…

>Dear family;

‘Tis the season — the season for wracking our brains, thinking about birthdays and Christmas and birthdays (in that order). ‘Tis the season for stimulating the economy a little bit. This year, our family economic stimulus will be limited, I know. And that’s why, dear family, I’m dropping hints about practical gifts. You’re all creative people; you can make them special.
A new shredder. Mine (okay, our) gave up after many faithful years of use. If you replace our home shredder, you could address the gift tag not just to me, but also to Chuck. We’ll both use it.
Winter boots suitable for walking. I might beat you to the punch on this purchase. I really, really enjoy walking to work, and I don’t intend to stop when the snowflakes fall. My current boots are suitable for shoveling, driving, and everyday winter wear, but not for walking the 3/4 mile to my workplace. Since size is always an issue with footwear, keep the receipt.
Coffees, of course. I have a decent coffee grinder now, so beans are fine. In fact, grinding coffee is an activity that makes the kitchen smell wonderful. Well, it smells great to me, that is.
I’ve been told my workplace offices are cold, colder, and coldest in the winter. It’s an old building, drafty, with unpredictable heat. Family, something warm for the cubicle would be a thoughtful gift. A poncho/cape, the thicker the better. I already have my fingerless gloves, but I’ve been advised to bring a blanket. A Snuggie (did I really just suggest a Snuggie?) would probably fit the bill.
Canning supplies and tools. Always. You know I’ll use them! I might even gift you with the resulting goodies.
On a similar note, gardening tools and supplies are always welcome. They’re not exactly in season, though, so I’ll understand if you wait until spring and Mothers’ Day for those.
I know, I know, I won’t get what I really want. I’ll dream, though. What type of gift is this? I’ll tell you. If money were no object, and all things were possible, if wishing on a star really made a dream come true, I’d ask for: Green Bay Packers stock.

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>I love a parade!

>

Every year we start Memorial Day by throwing our lawn chairs in Amigo’s bike basket and hitting the road for half a block to stake our claim on a good place to watch the parade. Seriously, it’s half a block from our home. We watch from the front yard, and when the police are putting the traffic barriers up, we head over and park ourselves in the road under our favorite shade tree. Here’s Amigo and MIL cheering on the municipal city band. Chuck? He was relaxing.

Amigo didn’t look excited to see my alma mater march past. Well, at least he applauded.
I tried to get my neighbor’s son in this shot with his baritone – instead, it looks like part of the seventy-six trombone section from Music Man.
And then we went home. Home, to help out our “real live veteran in our front yard,” as Amigo put it. FIL didn’t want to struggle all the way down the street with his walker, so he settled under our mock cherry tree and read a book. We gave him a little flag next to his lawn chair so he could be part of the festivities.
Happy Memorial Day, everyone. May your family members in the services stay safe and return to you soon.

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>A Mother’s Garden

>

My garden is only just started. I’ve put in the bean and pea seed and a few shallots and onions. Mine isn’t nearly as well fenced in as this one.

Of course, I’m only fending off bunnies, squirrels, and woodchucks.

Since I don’t have to worry about monkeys, I think I’ll sit back and have a cup of coffee and relax. Weather permitting, I’ll see if I can get a few more seeds in. To me, that’s a renewing and relaxing Mothers’ Day.

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Bunny Wisdom

This one has been traveling the Interwebs all day, and I couldn’t resist sharing. It’s not a Daisy original, but it’s good.

Everything I Needed to Know I learned from the Easter Bunny

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Walk softly and carry a big carrot.

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.

There’s no such thing as too much candy.

All work and no play can make you a basket case.

A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention.

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

Some body parts should be floppy.

Keep your paws off other people’s jellybeans.

Good things come in small-sugar coated packages.

The grass is greener in someone else’s basket.

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.

An Easter bonnet can cover the wildest hare.

“Shake?”

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>Home Made Ice Cream!

>

QUICK VANILLA ICE CREAM
I’ve used this simple vanilla ice cream as a base with other fun add-ins. I use egg substitute to reduce the risk of using uncooked eggs; when using real eggs, 1/4 cup egg substitute = 1 egg.
Makes: Ten 1/2 -cup senings
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup egg substitute
2 cups heavy cream
1-3/4 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Place sugar and egg substitute in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed with an electric
hand miser until light and fluffy, about 2 – 3 minutes. Add cream, milk and vanilla. Mix on
medium speed until combined, about 1 – 2 minutes.
Pour into freezer bowl of ice cream maker and turn the machine ON. Let mix until mixture thickens, about 20 – 25 minutes. If desired, transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer until firm, about 2 hours.
Variations:
Add hard pieces 5 minutes before ice cream is done mixing in ice cream maker. I added green, yellow, and brown mini-m&ms as a lead-up to the Super Bowl. Why brown? For the footballs, of course.
In general, add a total of 1/2 cup of solid add-ins. If you’re using two, such as chocolate and nuts, use 1/4 cup of each.
The vanilla extract can be replaced by a more appropriate flavor if desired, such as peppermint or almond extract. Be creative! This recipe is a basic vanilla; I start with the basics and then make changes.
Other add-ins:
crushed candy canes (use peppermint extract in place of vanilla)
chocolate chips
nuts (consider almond extract)
As my family says, “Good stuff, Mom.” Enjoy!

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>Zippy Turkey Hash

>Hash by nature is a mix of leftovers.

Turkey, in our United States Thanksgiving culture, is a leftover in the making.
Sunday morning, I pulled out the last container of leftover turkey from the freezer, and Chuck and I created a turkey hash. I got the idea from Big Black Dog, and then we ran with it, adding our own special touches. Typical of my kitchen, it was a mish-mash of available ingredients, and it turned out delicious.
Turkey Hash
Potatoes: 1 per person, washed and diced (I left the peelings on)
Onion: 1 medium white onion, diced
Leftover turkey: about 3 cups
1 cup chicken or turkey stock
Saute onions in olive oil or butter. Add stock and potatoes. While the potatoes are cooking (about 20 minutes), add other available ingredients. We added –
2 small jalapeno peppers from the freezer, diced (provide the zip!)
1 clove garlic, minced
Dash of each: black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, any other preferred and favorite spices
When the potatoes are done, the rest will be cooked through. Serve with eggs, coffee, and juice for a fabulous weekend brunch.

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>Dreams

>In the wake of the Tragedy in Tucson, and in recognition of Dr. King’s Dream, below is a re-post from times past.

I dream that differences will be valued, not disdained.
Eye color, hair color, body shapes, and skin shades will be appreciated for their beauty and variety.
Cultural traditions will not disappear, but will thrive and grow together into a rich and fascinating sharing of knowledge and beliefs.
I dream that blindness will be merely a different way of seeing, and deafness impair only the quantity, not the quality of the language ‘heard’.
Children will matter because they own the future. Their education, academic and social, will become and remain of utmost importance.
The mediators and the peacemakers will be recognized as the strongest leaders.
Questions will come from curiosity, not ignorance, and the answers will breed respect.
Knowing each other, knowing ourselves, will lead to knowing that fights and conflicts, wars of all kinds, will cease to be of value.

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