Beef Stew

The holidays are over. The magical moments spent together with family and friends are memories now and we've turned the page to a new year. But while Christmas and New Years may be a thing of the past, the cold weather is not. There are at least a few more months of long, hard cold left before spring begins to turn her thoughts toward us. And after all the pies, puddings and cookies of the holiday season, I am ready for something hearty and warming to the bone. 

This stew is just that. A whole mess of onions is slow cooked with chunks of beef until the onions break down and melt into the velvety sauce, making it rich with color and flavor. Thick slices of carrots and hunks of red potato are thrown in at the end, cooked until just tender. Serve with a warm dinner roll slathered with butter, and you'll sit down to dinner and say, "Take that, Old Man Winter!"

Ribbon Salad

My mom, a young married woman with no children yet, sat guiltily in her seat at her in-law's kitchen table. It was lunch time and leftovers from the night before were being pulled out of the fridge for the noonday meal.

Her mother-in-law's voice rung out from the depths of the fridge in a distinct Maine accent, "Well, I was sure I put a whole ribbon salad away last night, but here there are two pieces missing!" 

My mom looked down at her plate and busied herself with the silverware as her sisters-in-law began trying to pinpoint the guilty party.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Some things just never seem to change, especially at Christmastime. Traditions passed down and revisited, season after season. Childhood memories turning into adult ones, as you teach your own children about the things you treasure.

Going to my grandparents in Maine for Christmas was rich in these traditions. The Fraser fir, wired to the wall and decorated with old glass balls, colored lights, and homemade ornaments bearing grandchildren's faces beaming among the branches. The vintage, light-up star, slightly battered, but cheerfully gracing the top of the tree. 

Jam Thumbprints

These cookies always remind me of my sister. She doesn't have much of a sweet tooth (I must have gotten the bulk of that gene) and doesn't care a whole lot for most cakes and cookies. But she loves these jam thumbprints, so called for the indentation you make with your thumb to create a spot for a bit of jam. She makes them every year at Christmas. 

They are dense little cookies, almost like shortbread, encrusted with chopped pecans and ornamented with a lovely spot of bright, red jam. The cookie itself isn't terribly sweet, but the jam gives it that little punch of sugar that balances everything out. 

Devil's Food Cake with Glossy Chocolate Icing

Monday was my little Jack's second birthday. I've decided that I love birthdays. How fun is it to spend a whole day remembering and celebrating the little life that follows you around all year? A year full of learning and growing, making messes and cleaning them up, butting heads and asking for forgiveness, some tears and many smiles. 

We spent the day simply. Blueberry pancakes for breakfast, cake and presents when Daddy got home.  My mom was here as well which made it extra special. 

Speaking of cake, while I love baking, I don't consider myself a crafty, decorate-cakes-to-look-like-elmo kind of person. BUT when I saw this cake on Facebook, I couldn't resist. 

My Jack loves trucks. We will be in the kitchen and the faint rumble of the garbage truck sounds in the background. Jack will perk up, say "Tuck" and go running for the front window. We will be in the car, passing semi's on the highway and I hear from the backseat, "Tuck! Tuck!" He will spend the bulk of his day pushing mini trucks and tractor trailers around the room, parking them just so. We spend our bedtime hours reading Construction Alphabet and Little Blue Truck. 

So there wasn't even a small hesitation. Construction cake was it.

Grammy's Crescent Rolls

I can't imagine a holiday meal in my family without these rolls. My mom bakes them off at the very last minute, usually finishing the second pan while everyone is eating their first bites of dinner. While there are many delicious things on the holiday table, everyone goes for a roll first. 

The basket, mounded high with crescents, is passed. Hot off the baking sheet, they melt in your mouth with buttery goodness. Layer upon soft layer, dripping with melted butter, the strong smell of yeast wafting upward with the steam. People "ooh" and "ahh" over the ham and the applesauce and the stuffing, but the refrain is heard over and over, "Please pass the rolls." 

Wendy's Cranberry Salad

I met my mother-in-law before I even met my husband. I like to tease him that he stood me up on a double date to the amusement park, but he swears it doesn't count. Anyway, I met his parents for lunch that day and instantly felt comfortable. Such gracious people. 

Wendy Jo is a spunky women that raised four energetic boys---each two years apart, sporting dark hair, brown eyes and no shirts in summer. She's a tomboy at heart, happiest when she's outdoors, enjoying nature and sunshine. She even had a pet squirrel in high school. She holds onto material things loosely and people tightly. I've never seen her be anything but warm and loving to the people who filter through her home. When anything disquieting happens, she simply says, "I'll pray about that" and you know she is. 

The entire family gathered together for thanksgiving this year. Twelve people, down to the littlest newborn, arranged at a long table down the center of the living room. There was turkey and stuffing and sweet potatoes, the normal delicious fare. And this cranberry salad. A vibrant, crunchy side, filled with fruits and veggies and nuts. I've never had it anywhere else and look forward to it every thanksgiving we spend with Brad's side of the family. It reminds me of her---bright, sweet and chock-full of good things. 

Corn Pudding

My parents came to visit last week. Since we were together (and won't be on Thanksgiving), we decided to do an early Thanksgiving feast. I'm not brave enough to tackle a turkey yet, so we did roast beef, complete with veggies and gravy. There was homemade applesauce and my Grammy's crescent rolls and dill pickles. Salad for my dad, pies for dessert and this corn pudding. 

It's a recipe my mom tweaked, using corn that we process and freeze ourselves. Many corn pudding recipes call for cornbread mix and cans of creamed corn. But this recipe uses simple, real ingredients that make all the difference in taste. Don't believe me? The proof is in the pudding. 

Pumpkin Pie

"Pie is part of the family."

This is what my husband said when I asked him to describe the role of pie in my family. 

We cracked up laughing because it's so true. It would not be Thanksgiving or Christmas without many assortments of pie. It would not be my birthday without a strawberry pie. It would not be a trip home without a showing of one or two pies. 

How-To: Pumpkin Puree

I grew up on pie that started with an actual pumpkin. I remember, as a girl, watching my mom cut up a pumpkin, steam the skin off, cook it down and process it through a food mill. And only then came the actual pie making.

It instilled in me a love for pie made truly from scratch. I love the texture and flavor of pie made from a real pumpkin. Of course, it's a lot to do in one day. So now I make the puree on one day and then the pie on another. Or I freeze the pumpkin puree and store it up for a surprise pie in the winter. 

As with a lot of food processing, it may seem a little daunting. But the thing I like about it is that you do it in steps and the steps can be completed while you do other things during your day. The pumpkin steams while you are doing dishes, or eating lunch. And then it cools while your chasing your kids around or running to the store for a forgotten ingredient. Real food made while doing real life.