Spritz

The holidays are filled with traditions. Religious traditions take on deep meaning for some people this time of year, but I am talking about the traditions we create in our own homes with our own immediate family. Some things get passed down and enjoyed by several generations like spritz cookies at NOLD.

I remember making them as a child and was delighted to find a cookie press at a garage sale long ago before my husband and I even had children. Not one of the new plastic cookie presses found in all the stores these days, but an aluminum cookie press from Mirro still in the original box. Then, I found another one after my second daughter was born; I want to pass one down to each of them.

My spritzer cookie recipe includes brown sugar and almond extract, although I have seen many different versions in print and online. And, I love coloring the dough to celebrate the season and enhance the visual presentation of the cookies.

I remember watching in amazement as a young child how the dough would come out of the mold in beautiful shapes. Once they filled the baking sheet, we could help decorate them with sprinkles of all sorts, usually heavily. As a child, more was certainly better.

Making spritz cookies at Christmas brings me great joy. I put on the carols and sing along. The kitchen gets toasty warm from the oven. The smell of butter and sugar baking waft into the air, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. What fun!

Really, I could be playing with blocks or toy soldiers, but I am playing with dough and a press instead. I have made all sorts of cookies already this year, but I am saving cut out cookies and spritz cookies to make with my girls now that school has ended. I can see how much they already appreciate and look forward to our traditions. The time together is priceless.

Christmas trees are my favorite whether filled with ornaments or as spritz cookies with milk. Beautiful, don't you agree?

Snag

I have run into plenty of snags lately like the new rye bread recipe that I had planned to gift but wasn't fit for human consumption after my first attempt. Or, the unrealistic number of projects I planned to complete in December for the holidays or as a foundation for resolutions in the coming year. Or, an extended snowfall that never reached the volume to cancel school but certainly curtailed plans and slowed carpool travel for this mom.

Still, the snowfall has been beautiful and lasting, because the wind hasn't picked up to knock it from the branches and the temperatures haven't spiked to melt it away. This is winter at its finest and just in time for decorating for the holidays. Here, I inadvertently encountered a snag of another sort and learned something new in the process, too.

The established English Yews on our property have seen better days. The deer nibble incessantly on them in the winter such that the bush closest to the front door had so little greenery left, it died last summer. Instead of allowing my husband to yank it from the ground immediately, I decided to string it with white lights linked by timer with the lantern nearby as a festive touch at nightfall, some ambiance of sorts in my book.

Then, I read about snags, or wildlife trees, on A Way to Garden, a horticulture blog by Margaret Roach that I follow and highly recommend. Margaret suggests cultivating dead and dying trees and bushes as habitat for living things. Remove what is necessary for safety and leave the rest as biomass to balance the ecosystem in your garden. What do you know? The English Yew Snag is not only beautifully lit but also an essential element to the health of our land. I can live with a snag like that.

Finally, I began my cookie baking this week which really brought the holiday spirit into the house along with the snow and some carols. For cookie aficionados throughout the year, I have to recommend a new book, European Cookies for Every Occasion by Krisztina Maksai. The directions are thorough and the recipes increase in difficulty with each successive chapter so that you can bake cookies that not only appeal to your palate but also insure success at your skill level in the kitchen. I am sure someone would reward you deliciously, if you gifted it this holiday season. Just an idea to ponder....

Landscape

In the last two weeks, I took two short trips, one east and one west of home, to get my big city fixes. Driving through the rural landscape that can be found in large parts of this country, I always feel a combination of melancholy at the widespread, rundown state of affairs and nostalgia for the beauty interspersed and the stories hidden beneath. 

I then found this short documentary video, Howard's Farm, by Ivan Cash on an 86-year old farmer in my home state that speaks directly to my feelings. Howard as well as farms and small towns and open spaces right off the interstate inspired this late autumn poem:

Rural Landscape

Turn the GPS off or
Drop the directions onto the passenger seat
Sip your coffee while it is hot
Crack the window and listen to the classics down low or
Belt it out with a favorite, evoking memories of youth

Allow the endless rows of telephone poles to hypnotize
Marvel at the labor that planted them like breadcrumbs
Count the birds on the wire that watch you pass
Remember how far you once stretched the telephone cord to
Reach the bathroom, shut the door, and plan adolescent escapades

Follow a wood fence or wall of stones that has seen better days
Drive back roads that meander without sign or marker
Curve around the bend and hug the hills, cross the tracks
Embrace the quilted fields and furrowed rows now fallow
Recall how mud and dirt were once your constant companions

Envy the heavy coats of sheep undeterred in the bone chilling cold
Appreciate the rusted Deeres, the forgotten bales of hay, the hens free to roam
Choose a favorite among the many dilapidated barns washed a dingy gray
Ache as if you were the weathered man in the rocker on the porch
Know he could have been your grandfather once, his memories your harvest

***

Finally, I want to share a quick Christmas craft I enjoy each year. I save last year's holiday cards and use them to make gift tags. So easy. I give sets of them as gifts and use them to wrap my own presents as well. I think this handmade, personal touch not only adds to my enjoyment of giving but also reflects who I am as the giver.

Guests

Guests are a large part of our life at NOLD due, in part, to the academic lifestyle which brings a wide variety of students and scholars through our door. This professional perk then extends to a worldwide web of colleagues, friends, and acquaintances who return as alums or supportive visitors. 

In addition, our families live halfway across the country, leading to extended visits, especially at the holidays. I have a fondness for the holidays throughout the academic year, beginning with Halloween, and enjoy hosting parties, which often bring people from these different parts of our lives together such that the network continues to grow.

The result is that NOLD gets plenty of use and, as anyone who owns an old house knows, our abode can also be uncooperative at times. A leak springs forth. An appliance dies. Plaster cracks. Masonry crumbles. Fortunately, at 85, NOLD's ailments have been minimal despite the fact that they seem to come in waves.

Sitting in my hovel (my small office at the top of the back stairwell) a few weeks ago, I began hearing scritches and scratches in the attic above. With the weather turning colder, I guessed that new neighbors were hoping to move in for the winter, but the freeloaders will have to go.

Nonetheless, they stimulated some reflection on guests, spurred my imagination, and inspired this poem, a lighthearted glimpse into the reality of homeownership at NOLD of late:

Uninvited Guests

Cobwebs drape the radiator

Mildew clings to the grout

Dust bunnies hop across the floor

Drips run down the spout

Spider spins webs in the corner

Ants march in the door

Red squirrel squats in the garage

Mice claim the third floor

The weeds have launched an invasion

Leaves block the entry

Mud wasps nest in between the bricks

Deer act as our sentry

Iron windows draught from all sides

Pipes knock and floors creak

Cracks appear daily on plaster

Strange smells rise and reek

This old house has welcomed many

To dance, dine, or rest

Too kind to ever exclude these

Uninvited guests

Freddy still fails to earn his keep in this regard. He cannot resist the need to inspect as soon as a door opens, even the dryer door. However, most of his conquests of uninvited guests remain imaginary -- he is a super hero only in his own mind.

I want to share one recipe that might come in handy over Thanksgiving and the weeks ahead as guests arrive at your house for the holidays. This simple dish bakes us beautifully for brunch or a light lunch and is sure to delight.

Asparagus, goat cheese, and eggs are favorites at our house, and this bread pudding includes all three.

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Bread Pudding

1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups 1-inch cubes of hearty bread
¼ cup minced fresh herbs such as Italian flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, or thyme
8 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 cups milk
3 eggs, beaten
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1. Lightly grease a 10-inch round baking dish.
2. Steam asparagus until just tender, or about 3 minutes
3. Combine bread, asparagus, and herbs in a large bowl. Spread mixture in baking dish.
4. Dot bread mixture with goat cheese.
5. Whisk together milk, eggs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour over bread and cheese.
6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 350°F, or until pudding has set and is puffed and golden brown.

Yield: 6 servings

Adapted from Prairie Home Cooking by Judith Fertig

Reexamination

Fortunately, life sometimes offers us the opportunity for a second look, the time to pause and reexamine, review, or rethink a few things. No need to get too set in one's ways or forgo the opportunity to learn or try something new. Here are a few of the second glances I have taken recently:

The vine climbing the old oak right in front of the house had the most beautiful fall foliage again this year.

When the leaves were well past their prime, browned and brittle, I noticed for the first time that the vine produces a berry in autumn, well hidden beneath the color until the leaves give way.

I took a closer look and realized I had never noticed them before even though they were right outside my front door for two years.

I love that nature never fails to surprise and teach and provide.

I am also rethinking Thanksgiving dinner. Our house will be quiet this year, a gift after an incredibly busy fall. I plan to pare down what we prepare to the essentials: a small, stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes, sides, rolls, and pumpkin pie. I am even thinking of buying the gravy at a local butcher. The goal will be to increase down time and fun with my immediate family by reducing the work load considerably. I have to recommend Thanksgiving by Sam Sifton to anyone reexamining their holiday cooking or anyone interested in a concise read with all the necessary information to prepare the meal successfully.

Finally, with a substantial amount of entertaining ahead at NOLD throughout October, I wanted to try a healthier version of the standard artichoke dip with a mayo base. You know the one. I love artichokes and wanted to find a savory dip more complex in flavor. I hit the jackpot and here it is -- out with the old standard and in with the new. This reexamination is worth a second look on your part, too. Enjoy it this holiday season.

Artichoke Fondue Dip

1 14-ounce can brined artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded aged Gouda Cheese
½ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Fine sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine ingredients.
2. Pour into a 9-inch, shallow baking dish.
3. Bake at 325°F for 35 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned on edges.
4. Serve with baguette slices or crackers of choice.

Yield: 2 cups dip

Adapted from The New Midwestern Table by Amy Thielen

Darkness

First snow and a November moon....

The Darkest Hour Beckons

I slam the front door behind me and step into the early hours of night,

The stone steps slick in the meager days just prior to the winter solstice.

I stop suddenly, dropping the scheduled meeting from my mind’s calendar,

My face turned upward into an unexpected sprinkle of gentle flurries.

The stillness is lit from above as the moon, nearly full, rises and floats, so

I turn round and round, breathing in deeply and releasing more than air.

The following morning, the door slams again as I retrace my steps and

See numerous tracks in fresh snow, evidence of a burst of activity.

Birds and white tail deer, squirrel and rabbit, even the neighbor’s cat

Out and about to hunt and forage, prowl and taunt in faintest light.

Yet, each seemed to pause in the exact same spot as if to hold a meeting

Or find respite from the cold or reprieve from a demanding schedule.

Did each creature lift face upward as well for even the briefest moment,

Snow falling and clinging to fur and feather just as it had to my skin?

Did each being give a nod of approval to the heavens for Luna’s assistance,

A luminescent sky to ease the burden of chores necessary for survival?

What remained were fresh tracks scattered among my own from heavy boots and
Knowledge that even as the darkest hour beckons, I will not stand alone.

Patience

Patience is a hopeful practice. It looks to the future and anticipates what might be and figures it is well worth the wait. Patience knows an outcome cannot be rushed and will be savored all the more with the passing of time.

Each autumn, I have to remind myself to be patient with the two ancient Japanese maples in front of NOLD. After a summer dressed in leaves of burgundy, the pair of trees undergoes a slow transformation. Their color evolves incrementally from crimson to brick to cardinal red or from eye catching to blazing to breathtaking.

When I think the Japanese maples could never surpass such beauty, one more day passes and proves me wrong. The morning comes, and the intensity of red in the sunlight cannot be matched anywhere else I look despite the ample color that dots the wooded hills all around our community in early November. I have learned to appreciate this process of coloration in our midst, a gift of evolution for the patient observer.

Yesterday, it rained, sleeted, snowed, and blew nearly every single red jewel from our grand dames. The trees let go of their vanity and gave in to the power of this planet's yearly elliptical revolution around the sun on tilted axis that shortens our days and will shortly bring winter to the northern hemisphere.

Baking has taught me patience as well. Beat and scrap. Beat and scrape. For pound cake or Bundt, the addition of air and the process of emulsion cannot be rushed anymore than a Japanese maple. So, I choose my largest mixing bowl and begin with butter, so soft and willing it surrenders to the will of the mixer. The cream which was churned into a solid block transforms again into something light and fluffy.

Add sugar first, then eggs one at a time, and finally vanilla, always beating and scraping and feeling the rhythm of the beaters. The ingredients get to know one another, to expand and snake up the sides of the bowl. When the raucous party seems like it is about to lose control and spill over the edge, I stop and immerse my forefinger deep into the batter. I lick and the heavenly combination melts in my mouth.

Really, I am practicing patience right now while I wait and plan for the holiday cookie baking season to begin, a yearly ritual I anticipate and enjoy to the fullest, In the meantime, I made a new Bundt cake that I wanted to share -- so dense and rich a small slice satisfies.

Mocha Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze

1 ⅔ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened

2 ½ cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon finely ground deep-roasted coffee

1 cup buttermilk

¼ cup water

1 cup mini chocolate chips, preferably bittersweet

1. Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Set aside.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla; beating until fluffy and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add cocoa and coffee and blend well.
4. Add dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk and water, until the batter is fully combined and smooth, scraping the bowl as needed. Fold in mini chocolate chips.
5. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan and smooth top.
6. Bake at 350°F until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or about 70 to 80 minutes
7. Transfer cake to wire rack to cool for 30 to 45 minutes, allowing cake to deflate a bit.
8. Invert cake onto a serving plate to cool completely.
9. Pour chocolate glaze over top of cake, if desired, and allow to set for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 12 to 16 slices of one 10-inch bundt cake

Chocolate Glaze

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 to 3 tablespoons hot milk

Melt butter and chocolate together. Whisk in confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make a smooth glaze – thick and pourable to stick and coat but not runny or it will run right off.

Welcome

In April what you see is your own intentions. In October you see their unexpected wreck and fulfillment. (171) The Rural Life by Verlyn Klinkenborg

One letter changes unseasonable to unreasonable. Somehow that thought entered my mind last week as I struggled to stay awake long enough to read five pages, just five simple pages. I guess what I am really trying to say is that it doesn't take much to throw me off of my routine and best intentions. Our family life is full on a regular basis. Add a few more things to our plate, and our hectic pace becomes frenetic. This has been the ongoing story for the last month, perhaps longer.

So many of the goals I set in April have simply not been met like the books I had hoped to read, the gardening and cooking I had hoped to accomplish, the words I had hoped to write. Of course, our family time has been great (including hosting an exchange student), the traveling was memorable and rejuvenating, and plenty of work of all sorts has been accomplished. Yet, October is perhaps my favorite month and this unseasonable busyness has felt unreasonable to the very core.

In the waning days of October, I returned home one evening as the sky turned luminescent, and I found myself looking forward to breathing in some cold air, the cold air that generally arrives along with November. I found myself thinking, "Welcome November." Before I knew it, the new month blew in yesterday with north wind and hints of snowfall. I breathed in deeply with gratitude for I actually see space on the calendar despite the upcoming holidays such that November looks promising, and a new set of intentions is already percolating.....

Of course, November must begin with comfort food, hearty meals that stick to the ribs and provide sustenance to brace the cold, head into the wind. So, here are a few dishes to put on the family dinner table or share with friends in front of the fire. Falling temperatures and shortening days require we nurture ourselves in the most basic of ways, so we can welcome the coming season with gusto. Enjoy!

Oat Bran and Zucchini Turkey Meatloaf

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 cups grated zucchini

1 medium yellow onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds ground turkey (or, 1 pound ground turkey and 1 pound ground beef)

¾ cup oat bran

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or rosemary

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Heat oil in skillet and cook zucchini and onion about 10 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic, and sauté for 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
2. Combine sautéed vegetables with remaining ingredients and place in a meatloaf-baking pan. Bake at 350ºF for 1 hour.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 to 10 slices

North African Beef Pot Roast

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

1 (3-pound) chuck roast, well trimmed of fat

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 large leeks, cleaned, trimmed, and chopped

6 carrots (about 1 pound), peeled, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch-long portions

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons ground paprika

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Leaves from one large sprig of tarragon

4 cups (32 ounces) beef or vegetable broth

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1 cup golden raisins

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup chopped fresh mint

1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-duty roaster or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast with sea salt and pepper. Sear roast in pan, about 4 minutes per side or until well browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add leeks, carrots, and garlic cloves to pan, and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Combine paprika, cinnamon, cumin, and tarragon leaves in a small bowl; add to vegetables, and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 more minutes. Add broth, and return roast to pan.
3. Cover and bake at 325˚F for 3 to 3 ½ hours or until fork-tender. Remove from oven.
4. Add chickpeas, apricots, raisins, cilantro, and mint. Stir gently to combine and return to oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until ingredients are fully heated and flavors combined.

Yield: 8 generous servings

Jack-o'-lantern

The fall holiday season which begins with Halloween has officially gotten underway as we hosted our annual pumpkin carving party last weekend. With orange rind as blank canvas, I thought you might like to take a peak at just a few of the jack-o'-lanterns that emerged from the creative minds and hands of our guests. Enjoy a sampling:

Since this is the season of harvest, I thought I might share two delicious pumpkin recipes you might like to try, if you cook up any of your pumpkins as I do. These sweet treats make a satisfying snack, coffee complement, or autumnal dessert.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

           

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

⅔ cup baking cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon table salt

1 cup pumpkin puree

½ cup buttermilk

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1. Place cupcake liners in standard cupcake tins. Set aside.
2. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
3. Combine pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla and set aside.
4. Beat butter and sugars together in large bowl, with an electric mixer set on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until mixture is smooth and light. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, blending well after each addition.
5. Fill cupcake liners with ¼ cup batter each or until about two thirds full. Bake at 375° F until wooden skewer inserted into middle comes out clean, or about 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan for 5 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack prior to frosting, if desired.

Yield: 24 standard cupcakes

Apple-Flavored Winter Squash Bundt Cake

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 ½ cups cooked, pureed winter squash

½ cup apple cider

1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Apple cider glaze, if desired:

1½ cups confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup apple cider

1.      Butter and flour a 9 or 10-inch tube or Bundt pan.

2.      In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Slowly beat in sugar until mixed until light and fluffy again.

3.      Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add squash and apple cider, and beat until well mixed.

4.      Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Add to batter in 3 batches, beating well after each addition.

5.      Pour into the pan and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

6.      If making glaze, sift confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl. Add cider and whisk until smooth. Pour immediately over cooled cake and allow to set for 15 minutes.

Yield: 12 to 16 slices

Adapted from Gardeners’ Community Cookbook by Victoria Wise

Praise

I have been thinking about the nurses and healthcare providers around the globe, who are rolling up their sleeves to care for those with ebola despite the present risks and fear. If you have ever found yourself unexpectedly very sick or in the hospital or in a long term care facility for any reason, I think you know as well as I do how hard these individuals work and the difference they make in the lives of their patients. 

As with most of our working class, these are people, who receive insufficient praise and reward for their tireless efforts. Yes, there is an intrinsic reward and they are human, making mistakes at times just like us, but words of appreciation can go a long way to bolster people at work, working hard and working well, especially those at minimum wage or thereabouts.

In recent months, I have been trying to tell individuals I come across in my daily life that I appreciate a job well done, for example a clerk, who is exceptionally friendly or helps me solve a problem efficiently and effectively. I find that the more I do it, the less reticent I am to vocalize my praise and the easier it becomes. I also walk away feeling really good for sharing my gratitude. (To be fair, I have to add that I am trying to verbalize my dissatisfaction on the flipside as well, although this seems far less frequent.)

Today, I just want to send out a message to the universe or, at a minimum, the blogosphere, to say thank you to those caring for our most vulnerable patients here and abroad. Your work is seen within its difficult context and deeply appreciated. You, good workers, humble me by your example, which I sometimes need, too.

Good Workers

Gary Johnson

Let us praise good workers (you know who you are)
Who come gladly to the job and do what you can
For as long as it takes to repair the car
Or clean the house – the woman or man
Who dives in and works steadily straight through,
Not lagging and letting others carry the freight,
Who joke around but do what you need to do,
Like the home caregiver who comes daily at eight
A.m. to wash and dress the man in the wheelchair
And bring him meals and put him to bed at night
For minimum wage and stroke his pale brown hair.
He needs you. "Are you all right?" "I'm, all right,"
      He says. He needs you to give him these good days,
      You good worker. God's own angels sing your
      praise.

Fall

When I write, I tend to utilize the word autumn more often than fall. Autumn reads with clarity, a noun specific to a season. Fall may be used as noun or verb, is more nuanced and less precise, and seems to tend toward negativity.

Yet, fall does imply movement and evolution as in to fall, falling, and fallen. The word does capture the seasonality of the moment exceptionally well: the changing of seasons, the harvesting of food, the storing and preparing, the slowing and gathering, the reflecting and planning.

I have been falling myself these days, I have been changing bedding, putting the summer quilts away and pulling out the down comforters. I am securing the storm windows and door frames at NOLD, which still has its original wrought iron windows and arched doorway and tends towards draftiness. I am wearing the rich colors of fallow soil in layers and natural fibers for the unpredictable weather that may bring brisk winds and warm sun in short order.

My reasoning may be fallacious these days as time flies by weeding and clearing beds in the garden, meaning the dust collects in the house and blog posts fall by the wayside. So much falls through the cracks as visitors arrive before the snow flies and the fresh air of cold north winds causes me to fall into bed at night in complete exhaustion.

Like so many, I have fallen in love with October, its colors and skies, the landscape, the rituals and happenings, the smells and flavors. Of course, I have been active in the kitchen and my cooking is one thing that hasn't fallen away but rather has been transformed with the season and, as a result, been reinvigorated.

Lest I fall into a stupor and forget my original intent here, let me share a few recipes before darkness falls and my play with language tries your patience such that you fall away. No, no, I say! Instead, let's cook with the flavors of autumn, whole grains and apples, and leave fall for another day.

Applesauce Mini Cake Donuts

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup milk

⅓ cup buttermilk

¼ cup applesauce

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1.           Coat mini-donut pan with oil or butter. Set aside.

2.           In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3.           In a large bowl, beat together milk, buttermilk, applesauce, and vanilla.

4.           Fold flour mixture into wet ingredients until just moistened; fold in egg white.

5.           Add 1 tablespoon batter per mold, leaving the center peg showing above the batter.

6.           Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, until dough springs back to the touch.

7.           Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes; loosen and remove donuts.

8.           While still warm, coat donuts in granulated sugar (which may be combined with cinnamon) or confectioners’ sugar.

Yield: 3 dozen

Granola

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

½ cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds

½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts or sliced/slivered almonds

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

⅔ cup honey or maple syrup or brown sugar

¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple juice or cider

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 pinch sea salt

½ cup dried fruit: chopped apricots, blueberries, sweet cherries, sweetened cranberries, currants, or raisins

1. Combine oats, seeds, nuts, and coconut in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together syrup or honey, juice or cider, olive oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Pour over dry ingredients in large bowl and toss until well combined.
3. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350˚for 10 minutes, stir, and bake 10 more minutes. Brown further, if desired. Remove from the oven and stir again.
4. Cool completely, stir in dried fruit, and store in an airtight container.

Yield: 1 quart

Millet Bread

5 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 cups warm water

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons molasses

2 ½ cups whole wheat bread flour

1 cup rye flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup millet

1 ½ to 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Mix yeast, water, honey, and molasses in the bowl of a standing mixer with a dough hook until well combined. Add whole-wheat bread flour, and stir until well combined. Add rye flour and salt, and stir until well combined. Add millet and mix well. Finally, add enough of the unbleached all-purpose flour (about 1 ½ cups) to make a fairly firm dough. Let dough rest for 15 minutes.
2. Knead dough with bread hook until elastic, about 5 minutes, adding more unbleached all-purpose flour as needed. Dough should feel slightly sticky and spring to the touch.
3. Place dough in bowl covered with a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
4. Oil two bread pans. Punch dough down, divide in half, and shape into two loaves. Place loaves into prepared bread pans, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise until doubled in size again, about 1 hour.
5. Slash tops of loaves with a sharp knife, if desired. Bake at 400°F until golden and sound hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and turn out onto wire racks to cool.

Yield: 2 loaves

Note: Millet gives this bread a wonderful forgiving crunch which toasts well. Millet Bread is adapted from a recipe of the same name in Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis.

***

Oh, and just one small poem from my fall brain....

A Single Cause

Yesterday, under brilliant sun and blue sky, the wind picked up and sent autumnal leaves into a frenzied dance of absolution.

I paused in the garden like the rodents that work alongside me, often at odds, with senses on high alert, when hawk circles the neighborhood, hungry.

I turned my face upward into the circling chaos raining down from above as yellow whisked past my cheeks and caught in my hair.

Faith has never been my cause despite the best efforts of my youth, but joy, simple and complete such as this fuels faith in a single cause:

To live in relation to other by letting go completely and seeing what might possibly grow as unimaginable as the outcome might be.