Happy, Happy Birthday Baby

Today my youngest child turns eleven. He is in his last year of elementary school. Sam is a voracious reader, a good student, and an expert at video games of all kinds. He is a sweet, good-natured boy and quite sensitive. This is a hard age for kids in many ways, and one of the hardest for me to deal with as a parent. The little boy is still there, but he is beginning to grow up. Sometimes I baby him too much, and he lets me know. Other times, he needs that little bit of extra attention from his Mom. He is pulling away and coming back, advancing and retreating, in that familiar childhood dance. This is not the first time I've been a partner, but the long promenade changes with every child. I wouldn't miss a beat.

Happy birthday, sweet Samuel.

Simple Weekend Brunch

Last weekend all of my children were home for a Sunday morning meal. I wanted to whip up something a bit special without leaving home, and I hadn't planned anything at all. I opened the freezer to a box of puff pastry I'd purchased for I-don't-know-what and my menu was set. Everything else in these recipes are pantry and refrigerator staples in my house.

These recipes are simple and nearly foolproof. I've made them half a dozen times each. With no more than twenty minutes of effort and the addition of a green salad, you have the makings of a home cooked brunch that appeals to everyone.

Ham and Cheese Stromboli
(adapted from Pepperidge Farm website)

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 pound sliced cooked deli ham
1/2 pound sliced cooked deli turkey breast
1 cup shredded Vermont White Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 tsp herbs de provence
salt
pepper

Directions

Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk.Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 16x12-inch rectangle. With the short side facing you, layer the ham and turkey on the bottom half of the pastry to within 1 inch of the edge. Sprinkle with the cheese. Season to taste with herbs, salt and pepper. Starting at the short side, roll up like a jelly roll. Place seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Tuck the ends under to seal. Brush with the egg mixture.Bake for 25 minutes or until the stromboli is golden brown. Remove the stromboli from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Apple Pecan Pastries

(adapted from Pepperidge Farm website)

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

2 cups peeled, diced Jonagold apples

1 cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces

Confectioners' sugar

Directions

Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.Stir the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add the apples, pecans and butter and toss to coat.Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle. Brush the pastry sheet with water. With the long side facing you, spoon the apple mixture on the pastry to within 2 inches of the long sides and to the edge of the short sides. Starting at a long side, roll up like a jelly roll. Tuck ends under to seal. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Slice into serving portions. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Tip: You can substitute chopped walnuts for the pecans if you like.

Pictures from Pepperidge Farm website. These were devoured before it occurred to me to snap a photo.

the art of surrender

I have been thinking about relinquishing control. A favorite blog sparked my contemplation this morning, with a post exploring the natural ebbs and flows of life and the ways one can interrupt the organic progression of life by clutching and grasping at a place in time.

I have been struggling. Life fools us into believing we are settled by falling into distinct patterns but life is simply change incarnate. The departure of our lovely daughter dramatically altered my daily ebb and flow. I talk with her, I communicate with her in writing, and I see her somewhat frequently. I know if my heart aches at her absence, I can be at her side in under an hour. Mother and daughter relationships embody complexity; her physical and emotional absence is not my struggle. I miss the challenges she added to my daily existence, the very challenges I thought would be last on my list of cherished moments.

Family time has never been orchestrated. We have always preferred a spontaneous togetherness. I began searching for reasons to draw the entire family together, whether it is a weekend meal or some type of event. Before this school year, if I prepared a simple meal, set the table, and called to everyone in the evening, family fellowship happened instantaneously. Now I find myself purchasing tickets to see Bob Dylan at the Brady as much for the 90 minute drive as for the concert.

This morning my thoughts ambled along until they lit on Countee Cullen (pictured).

If You Should Go

Love, leave me like the light,

The gently passing day,

We would not know but for the night

When it has slipped away.

Go quietly; a dream

When done should leave no trace

That it has lived, except a gleam

Across the dreamer's face.

Learning to let go, to release that emotional grip, comes naturally through parenting, sometimes leaping, sometimes retreating, sometimes limping along. Slowly, oh so slowly, I am clutching less and yielding more, aiming to walk rather than crawl toward finding peace.

October in Oklahoma

Yesterday dawned bright and beautiful, with mostly clear skies and a light, cool breeze. It was the perfect day for a drive. On Old Route 66 driving from Edmond to Arcadia, you can escape from suburbia into the rural countryside of Oklahoma County. Ten minutes after leaving the city limits, there is scant evidence of the urban center mere miles away. The public perception of the land here tends toward flat, but the truth is that the hills in central Oklahoma roll and undulate over the landscape in quite a lovely, respectable manner.




Wildflowers are still blooming in the pastures and alongside the roads. The wild sunflowers, standing six or seven feet tall with flowers the size of softballs, are just beginning to go to seed.

The cedar trees you see here aren't native to Oklahoma, they are invasive due to the favorable climate and considered a nuisance. The large yellow splashes of prairie goldentop and the prairie grasses (I think the one pictured is little bluestem) grow wild. When they grow in fields like this, farmers and ranchers sometimes bale them into prairie hay.

Rural roads, even the blacktops, are lined with little shrubby sumac trees. The grasses, the larger trees, and the flowers still look like summer, but those little crooked sumac trees are beginning to blush red.

Coffee Creek runs through Arcadia under State Highway 66 (old Route 66) in a northwest direction up toward the old state capital of Guthrie. Coffee Creek doesn't make it quite to Guthrie, ending about two miles south of the Oklahoma/Logan county division, which happens to be a couple of blocks from where our house sits.

Baled, dried prairie hay sits in the sun next to a little pond in someone's pasture. Because the large, round bales were used, the hay can sit in the elements unharmed for months, no hay barn required. Barbed wire fences are quite common in rural Oklahoma. I grew up with them and can't count the number of times the back of my shirt got hooked by a barb as I scrambled through a fence.

Below you can just get a glimpse of the largest attraction of the town of Arcadia through the trees. Arcadia is an old town for Oklahoma. The post office predates statehood, and although a large fire took out a good portion of the town in the late 1920s, many lovely historical buildings still remain. Nowadays, there are about 250 residents.

Arcadia Lake is quite beautiful, located near gentle, rolling hills and the Deep Fork River. Hiking, boating, swimming, fishing and camping are all offered in the Arcadia Lake parks. The lake itself is over 1,800 acres with about 25 miles of shoreline. The lake, like most (if not all) of the state lakes, is man-made. The lake opened in 1987 and in addition to the recreational aspect, it is a part of the water supply system for the city of Edmond.

The round barn in Arcadia dates to about 1898. It housed livestock, hay and supplies and was a meeting place for townspeople. In the 1980s the roof of the barn collapsed. Since that time, a group of retirees worked to restore it to its original condition. Upkeep is ongoing; you can see a man working on the roof in the picture I took yesterday. Today the loft of the barn can be rented for special events. It's such a popular tourist attraction among travelers on old Route 66 that the town constructed a little area beside the road to pull onto for picture taking. When Paul McCartney drove The Mother Road to celebrate his birthday in 2008, it's said he took pictures there.

The area around Arcadia still boasts acres of pasture land, but there are recent additions, too. A local businessman recently built a roadside store just up a piece from the round barn that sells 500 varieties of bottled soda pop and boasts a retro diner serving old fashioned milkshakes, burgers, sandwiches, and chicken fried steak. Outside the front of the establishment, he erected a 66-foot pop bottle just so you won't miss the turn. In between the round barn and the store, you'll find a large tree farm owned by that same businessman (who happens to own the company that provides my husband's livelihood). You might have heard of this guy. His name is Aubrey McClendon and he had a hand in Oklahoma City's new NBA franchise team.

Just turn your head the other way, and you'll see we Okies haven't gotten far from our roots.

This part of the state is still a bit unfamiliar to me, but I am exploring and learning the area around my new house. I may never get used to the red dirt, but this place is starting to feel like home. If you ever visit, October is a beautiful time to see all the beauty central Oklahoma offers.

the only way beer ever passes through my lips

On Thursday night the kids asked me for something quick and simple. I hadn't felt well on Thursday, nothing terrible, just tired, cranky and headachy. "Make something you don't have to think about, Mom, but I'd like something warm," said my sixteen-year old boy. This fits the bill perfectly.

Barbequed Meatloaf

(adapted from who knows how many recipes)

serves 4

1 pound ground beef, preferably ground chuck or my Daddy's if you can get it

1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 small onion, diced

1 large clove garlic, diced or pressed

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/3 cup barbeque sauce (we like Sweet Baby Ray's) plus extra for top

Mix all ingredients together except the extra sauce. Form into a loaf (I use a bread pan). Spread extra sauce over the top in a thin layer. Bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour. Be sure to pour off any fat before plating.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

(adapted from Southern Living's The Ultimate Cookbook)

serves 4 to 6

2 cups pasta, such as small shells

1/4 c butter

1/4 c flour

2 c cold milk

1/4 t dry mustard

salt to taste

pepper to taste (freshly ground is best)

4 ounces shredded Vermont Sharp White Cheddar

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Melt butter over low heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute. Slowly whisk in milk. (It is important to keep it cold to keep from forming lumps as you add the milk to the roux.) Season with dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Bring flame to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens. Stir in cheese until melted and well combined. Pour in cooked macaroni and mix well. Turn into buttered two quart casserole. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 35 minutes.

And now for the beer:

Blue Moon Beer Bread

(adapted from a friend's recipe)

Serves 4 at my house

3 c self-rising flour

1/2 c sugar

12 ounces Blue Moon Belgian White

Combine all ingredients until a soft dough forms. Turn into a buttered loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes.

Now, you can use any kind of beer you want, but the Blue Moon is wheat ale and I really prefer the flavor over anything else I've tried. I have no idea whether the beer is good for drinking, it just makes good bread. You can also stir in half a cup of your favorite cheese. Delicious.

This is a simple, satisfying meal, and very boy-friendly. The flavors work well together. I usually serve buttered corn or roasted baby carrots alongside for a complete meal (growing boys, you know).

This time, the picture is mine, but was taken on the following Saturday when hubby and I decided we wanted a repeat of the macaroni and cheese with the bread sans meatloaf.

Fall Comfort

Fall air started to creep into Oklahoma about two weeks into September. It was a gradual change, just the way Mother Nature meant. By Monday afternoon, our days were in the 70s followed by nights in the 50s. After all the infernal rain passed through, the sky shined periwinkle blue. Perfect fall weather put me in the mood for comfort food.

Honestly, some of my comfort food probably isn't what most people automatically turn to when seeking mental as well as physical nourishment. Over the past two weeks, I've prepared normal comfort food such as pot roast with potatoes and carrots, baked potato soup served with Blue Moon beer bread, and meatloaf with baked macaroni and cheese. Potage d'Oignon with Croque Monsieur -- better known as French Onion soup with ham and cheese sandwiches -- was my hands-down favorite, partially because it required a trip to La Baguette. On Tuesday night I made poulet en cocotte bonne femme or chicken with bacon, onions and potatoes roased in a casserole.

These meals have been so delicious I decided to share them with you. First up, soup and sandwiches.

Potage d'Oignon
(Onion Soup)

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I

The onions for an onion soup need a long, slow cooking in butter and oil, then a long, slow simmering in stock for them to develop the deep, rich flavor which characterizes a perfect brew. You should therefore count on 2 ½ hours at least from start to finish. Though the preliminary cooking in butter requires some watching, the actual simmering can proceed almost unattended.
Serves six to eight

1 ½ pounds or about 5 cups thinly sliced onions
3 T butter
1 T oil
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
3 T flour
2 quarts boiling brown stock or beef bouillon
½ cup dry white wine, such as chardonnay
Salt and pepper to taste
3 T brandy
Rounds of hard-toasted French bread
1 ½ c grated Swiss cheese

Cook the onions slowly with the butter and oil in covered pan for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to moderate, and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes stirring frequently, until the onions have turned an even, deep golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for three minutes. Off the heat, blend in the boiling liquid (I use broth made with Knorr bouillon). Add the wine and season to taste. Simmer partially covered for 30 to 40 minutes or more, skimming occasionally. Correct seasoning.

Just before serving, stir in the brandy. Pour into soup cups over rounds of bread. Top with grated cheese.


Now, I know wine and brandy in one dish may seem a bit over the top, but trust me, don't make this without them. It is more than worth that trip to the liquor store. I used a 2007 Dancing Bull chardonnay which is pretty cheap. The brandy, not as cheap. I bought an E & J V.S.O.P. which ran about $20, but it is a pretty big bottle. The brandy is stirred in right at the end, so quality is important. Never cook with something you wouldn't drink straight. Since neither my husband nor I actually drink brandy, it will last a long time at 3 tablespoons per use.

This is really a simple soup, it's just time consuming. At the end you can run the soup cups under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese if your soup cups are oven proof. I personally do not find this necessary.






Croque Monsieur
(literally, crunch mister)

From Bon Appétit


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 bay leaf
4 slices firm white sandwich bread
4 ounces thinly sliced Black Forest ham
4 ounces sliced Gruyère cheese
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

Preparation
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Add nutmeg and bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high and boil until sauce thickens, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat broiler. Place 2 bread slices on work surface. Top each with half of ham and sliced Gruyère. Top with remaining bread. Heat heavy large skillet over low heat. Brush sandwiches with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Add to skillet and cook until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to small baking sheet. Spoon sauce, then grated cheese over sandwiches. Broil until cheese begins to brown, about 2 minutes.


These sandwiches took me back to Montmartre, where my lovely daughter and I ate these for dinner our first night in Paris. Delicious. Don't skimp and leave off the sauce. It's worth the little bit of extra effort.

As Julia would say, bon appétit!

Pictures are bing images; I did not have the foresight to photograph my own food.

the end of summer

I don't know exactly how the entire summer got away from me, but I haven't posted a thing on my blog since May.

Our lovely daughter is installed in her dorm room at the University of Oklahoma. She was accepted into the school of drama and is delighted with her schedule. Unlike most majors, the dramaturgy program sprinkles drama courses through all four years. This semester, she is taking costume construction, intro to acting, logic, government, and make-up. Believe it or not, this is the recommended course of study for a first semester freshman. Needless to say, the girl is in tall cotton.

I am having a much easier time than expected with her departure. That might have something to do with the fact that, so far, she's slept at home at least one night of her weekends. It's hard to miss a kid who's here weekly. She calls every other day or so to tell me about her days. I find it quite amusing that she usually tells me more about what she's eaten that day than what's being discussed in classes. Last night she called me because she needed to do laundry, which required that I deposit money onto something called a "Sooner Card". She planned to do laundry and study for her first test, which is in logic. When I took logic, it was a philosophy course. In OU's dramaturgy program, logic satifies her math requirement. I would have killed to sub logic for college algebra!

Middle son is a sophomore in high school and the little guy is a fifth grader this year. The house is quieter with just the two of them here. Who knew an 18 year old girl could cause so much ruckus? The boys ask about their sister and are happy to talk to her on the phone but don't seem to miss her much. One of them made the comment that she wasn't here much more when she lived with us. I think that's an exaggeration. Maybe.

So, life goes on without much change. I admit to being surprised.

I'll leave you with photos of my front yard as it looks today with fall just around the corner. The shots of the roses are just for you, Laurie.

burgundy cotton crape myrtle and daylilies

yellow queen gallardia, barberry and grasses

another shot of the gallardia, with burning bush and blue boy roses

purple fountain grass, yellow lantana, tri-color sedum

lily, painted fern, and ginger caladium

spurred butterfly pea

mandevilla

blue butterfly pea with double blossoms

climbing rose

shrub rose

the blue boy rose again