Legacy

Lately, I have been thinking about my legacy. What has been passed down to me by my parents' extended families that I may want to cherish or, conversely, want to let go? Specifically, I am thinking about those things that reside in my core and make me who I am, what things I hold onto dearly that might inspire me or might hold me back, and the sources of values and passions which might direct my future choices and possibly the future of my girls, too.

Without getting too deep or going too far today, A Measured Word certainly hints at my passions for education, the written word, nature, gardening, and food. So much of this is rooted in my German heritage and was passed down to me as a quiet and shy child at the kitchen and dining room tables as I observed the activity that swirled around me and processed the conversations I heard.

I was never permitted to be a picky eater, had to eat what was prepared and placed on my plate, and liked most foods as a result. I eat more broadly now and with great interest, but I recall some simple foods of my youth with such great fondness that they can only be called comfort foods at their very best.

Today, I thought I would share one simple recipe, one simple comfort food of my youth eaten with butter and apple sauce or cinnamon sugar or hazelnut spread or hot cherry soup. I love pancakes of all sorts and like to eat breakfast for dinner sometimes as an unexpected treat. German Pancakes satisfy at breakfast, at dinner, for a snack, or as a treat. From Where the Sidewalk Ends, I know that Shel Silverstein would know exactly what I mean, too.

German Pancakes

Mix in blender:

2 cups milk

6 eggs

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Heat a greased skillet to piping hot:

Reduce heat and pour a thin, crepe-like layer of batter to cover the entire bottom of the pan -- the bigger the pan, the bigger the pancake. When bubbles form and bottom begins to brown, flip and brown other side. Top as desired. Best when eaten immediately but can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated.

Yield: 8 to 12 pancakes

Crime

No blizzard in our area as a large portion of New England experiences blizzard conditions.

Yet, NOLD is covered in a few inches of light, fresh snow.

I am working with a canvas of white as my backdrop today as I look up from my work and gaze out the window from my desk or the kitchen sink or the back patio doors.

I thought it would be shame, if not a crime, not to share a bit of color today.

So, I dug out images from my archives of all the bulbs I have forced indoors during the winter months over the last few years.

I include tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, and amaryllis in yellow, pink, red, and purple.

Forcing bulbs is a hopeful act of kinship across the blogosphere as you can find many gardeners and nature lovers doing the same.

Still, I have to admit that the last set of bulbs from the holidays were as white as the outdoors today.

Nonetheless, I know Freddy is as sad as I am to see them go as they lost their petals and toppled to the floor just last weekend.

I will be on the lookout for new plantings and opportunities to bring nature close to home. In the meantime, you might want to enjoy a bit of fun. My younger daughter shared this video with me and knew that Word Crimes would be something close to my heart.

Techniques

I have so much to learn about baking and cooking, so many techniques to master, everything from drying herbs to beating egg whites. Sometimes, I just need a refresher or confirmation that my instincts in the kitchen are correct. Sometimes I need an introduction to something completely new as I expand my repertoire of recipes and dive into new dishes. And sometimes, I realize that I never really learned a technique appropriately and would benefit greatly from the lesson.

I wanted to share two new sources of information on techniques that I have really enjoyed lately. First, the New York Times has a series of videos on Cooking Techniques. Each video is brief but thorough and teaches a specific technique such as dicing, reducing stock, or rolling pie dough. I am working my way through the library, watching several at a time as I take a five minute break in the afternoon.

Second, I stumbled across The Great British Baking Show on PBS. I love the low key nature of the hourlong show as amateur bakers compete week to week to become Britain's best baker. Not only does each challenge focus on a different skill, but the show also introduces the viewer to the depth and breadth of British baking with plenty insight into the making of puddings, for example.

If you are used to the American style Top Chef or Cake Boss, The Great British Baking Show will offer a stark contrast in tone and approach which seems to suit me better. For example, in line with this program, I am not fond of fondant but am more inclined to wrestle with a creamy butter frosting that may lack the polish but win out on taste in my book.

Winter is the perfect time to curl up and watch either one of these technique building venues. I encourage you to take a look and learn with me while we enjoy the mediums, sip an afternoon cup of tea, and nibble on a biscuit. Enjoy!

Bread

I have been immersed in thinking about baking lately. When it comes to the craft, I consider it one of my strengths, one of my passions. However, when it comes to baking bread, I would have to say I often strike out. In fact, with yeasted breads, my batting average is 50/50.

Yet, I keep at it, especially in the winter. I simply have too many great memories of German rye bread slathered in butter and jam from my childhood, both a dietary staple and a treat. And, I have dreams of making one day a week my bread baking day as a routine to stock the larder.

I am just not there yet, and I certainly haven't had great success with my own starter, but I am finding a handful of recipes that I can successfully prepare on a consistent basis. These recipes include commercial yeast and whole grains or vegetables for added nutrition in the form of loaves and rolls.

Today, I thought I would share a recipe from Cooking Light that follows on the theme of Shepherd's Pie as you can use extra mashed potatoes from the holidays to prepare them. My family thinks they are delicious as an accompaniment to a turkey or ham dinner as well as for sandwiches the next day to use up the leftover meat.

Potato Rolls

2 cups cubed peeled baking potato

4 teaspoons sugar, divided

1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

4 1/4 cups bread flour, divided

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 large egg

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons bread flour

1.   Place potato in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Mash potatoes with a fork.

2.   Cool reserved cooking liquid to 105° to 115°. Stir in 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.

3.   Lightly spoon 4 1/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine mashed potato, yeast mixture, 1 tablespoon sugar, 4 cups flour, butter, salt, and egg in a large bowl, stirring until well blended.

4.   Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add up to 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

5.   Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 10 minutes.

6.   Divide dough in half; divide each half into 12 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), shape portion into a 2-inch-long oval on a floured surface. Roll up tightly, starting with a long edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam and ends to seal. Place roll, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

7.   Repeat procedure with remaining dough portions, placing 12 rolls on each of 2 baking sheets. Sift 2 tablespoons flour over rolls to lightly coat. Cover rolls and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

8.   Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes with 1 baking sheet on the bottom rack and 1 baking sheet on the second rack from the top. Rotate baking sheets; bake an additional 10 minutes or until rolls are browned on bottom, lightly browned on top, and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pan; cool on wire racks.

Note: Bake these rolls up to 1 month ahead. Cool completely, wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil, and freeze. Thaw completely, and reheat (still wrapped in foil) at 375ºF for 12 minutes or until warm.

Bread

M.S. Merwin

for Wendell Berry

Each face in the street is a slice of bread   

wandering on

searching

somewhere in the light the true hunger   

appears to be passing them by   

they clutch

have they forgotten the pale caves

they dreamed of hiding in

their own caves

full of the waiting of their footprints

hung with the hollow marks of their groping   

full of their sleep and their hiding

have they forgotten the ragged tunnels

they dreamed of following in out of the light   

to hear step after step

the heart of bread

to be sustained by its dark breath   

and emerge

to find themselves alone   

before a wheat field

raising its radiance to the moon

Feeder

I am down to one feeder in our back yard. It is large, "squirrel-proof" and filled with nyjer and black sunflower seeds which interests the songbirds while keeping the house sparrows at bay.

I recently watched Margaret Roach of A Way to Garden on Growing a Greener World. The podcast focused on gardening for birds.

Margaret really got me thinking differently about how I landscape and plant on my little acre at NOLD, keeping the health and needs of wildlife in mind.

The fundamental concept is simple: Why place feeders out when your landscape may feed and care for birds all year round, if you plan appropriately and choose foliage carefully?

In large part, this philosophy rests on learning from nature and returning our landscape to a more balanced natural setting.

I will proceed from this starting point when I plan for the garden in the spring -- small steps in the right direction with the long term in mind.

On my walk last week as we saw a brief winter thaw, I could see food for wildlife all around me along the roadside.

The neighborhood is littered with plants and bushes that provide berries and seeds for the taking throughout the winter.

Some were planted purposely; some were not. Some were cultivated plantings; others were "weeds" spread naturally -- one must contain their chokehold, but they provide food for wildlife nonetheless.

Over the next few months, I will be contemplating steps I can take to fill nature's feeder more than the actual bird feeder I set up under the cedar grove in the back yard. I have much to learn, but I can't wait to get started.

Compass

After the events in Paris this week, I have been thinking about my personal compass. How do we orient ourselves in a world which, at times, is so unpredictable, so violent, so incomprehensible?

I remember when my husband and I first began dating he once gave me a small plastic compass with words he composed on finding one's true north in life. I remember how romantic the gesture was and am reminded how true his words ring even today. Just last week, I read the following in a caption below a photo in the book Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton which my older daughter gave me for Christmas and I absolutely LOVE:

To the world you may be one person but to one person you may be the world.

My compass always points me first and foremost to my husband and girls, to love and its power to transform. I am fortunate to know deep intimacy that provides security when life seems uncertain and confounding. I can return home and find comfort at NOLD as the world keeps spinning. I can grapple with news and knowledge with others in a way that evokes empathy and leads to deeper understanding rather than fear and insularity. Could anything be more necessary this century in challenging times?

Of course, a good meal always nurtures good relationships and fosters good conversation. So, I return to the kitchen, to comfort food. Let me share a recipe that may use up any leftover mashed potatoes (which you can freeze in two cup portions) from the holidays and warm not only the body but also the soul on a cold January evening. You can prepare it ahead of time, cover tightly, and refrigerate until ready to bake -- just be sure to bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes until heated through.

Shepherd's Pie

2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (or 2 cups reserved mashed potatoes)

1 pound ground beef

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Sea salt and ground black pepper

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and minced

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

2 cups shredded zucchini

¼ cup water

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

⅔ cup milk

½ cup shredded sharp cheddar

⅓ cup heavy cream

1. If not using reserved mashed potatoes, boil Russet potatoes in salted water until soft, about 15 to 20 minutes; then, drain. Set aside.
2. Place ground beef in a large heavy skillet at medium heat. Season with allspice and salt and pepper, to taste. Brown, stirring frequently, until just cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a bowl.
3. Add onions to the same skillet. Sprinkle with sugar and cook on medium-low heat until golden brown and caramelized, about 15 minutes.
4. Add zucchini and water and saute on medium heat, scraping any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Cook until zucchini is translucent and soft, having released its water.
5. Add ground beef and corn, combining thoroughly. Season to taste and heat through. Press mixture into a 9-inch pie plate
6. Transfer choice of potatoes to a large bowl. Mash or whisk the potatoes until completely smooth, adding milk, cheddar, and cream and seasoning to taste as you mash them. They will have a soft consistency. Spread potatoes evenly over meat mixture
7. Bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes, until heated through. Then, broil 3 to 5 minutes to brown top. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Thaw

Today's frigid temperatures make it hard to believe, but the stream that runs along our property next to NOLD was flowing freely on Sunday as temperatures rose to 52 degrees Fahrenheit. You can take a very brief listen above.

Winter Color: Green Moss

I took a walk on the loop right around my neighborhood, stopping to listen to the streams and falls and snapping dozens of photos. I often think the world seems completely frozen in winter when our days are short and dark and below freezing with all manner of precipitation, turning the world and one's mood to shades of grey. 

Winter Color: Red Branches

When a substantial thaw descends for a day or two, I am reminded that nature is not sleeping but preparing to burst forth as soon as it receives ample sunlight. I simply need to take the time to look for nature's signs that all is well and progressing, sometimes a bit too quickly in fact. 

Winter Color: Blue Skies

On Sunday, I took the time to stop and stare, to uncover the beauty in the landscape, and to note instances of startling color. Let me share a few small finds as testament to the day and to the fact that second by second the days are getting longer.

Magnolia Bud

I was so appreciative of the experience and leisurely pace that I still feel renewed a few days later as the temperatures dip below zero. William Henry Davies understood well that the best antidote to feeling overwhelmed and oppressed, especially in winter, may be the greatest gift of nature, if one only takes the time to see it.

Red Bud

Leisure 

William Henry Davies

What is this life if, full of care
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

Automagically

William Shakespeare added thousands of words and phrases to the English language such as "too much of a good thing" from As You Like It. I think we can all relate to that phrase after coming off of the food frenzy of the holidays.

I appreciate that language is a living thing that evolves over time in response to its changing context and the humans that shape it for better or worse. And, I can't think of a greater human legacy than adding to our English lexicon with phrases as poetic as to "wear one's heart on one's sleeve" from Othello.

The ESPN sportscaster Stuart Scott died on Sunday at 49 after three bouts with cancer. I have come to appreciate the barriers he broke with his work of exceptional quality not only as a black man but also as a contributor to our expanding lexicon. "Booyah!" was his signature expression. I may not use the exclamation, but I do appreciate his poetic turn of phrase, including "Cool as the other side of the pillow." You know exactly what he means literally and figuratively, don't you?

Scott reached the viewer with words that provoked a visual image in common vernacular which seems to me to be the most worthy of achievements. Every day, we string together letters to make words, and string words together to make phrases, and string our thoughts together to move others toward some greater or deeper understanding.

I certainly attempt to do this very thing here with every post on A Measured Word. And, I try to pay close attention to words as I read and go about my daily life. I may notice a word new to me that completely hits the nail on the head in a given situation or words that speak truth and beauty to me or a turn of phrase that touches the heart and stays in the mind. Each returns to me repeatedly afterward even as I move on with my day.

Three words I have come to love recently and have added to my personal lexicon are automagically, confuzzlement, and parkma. Perhaps, I will one day add a word or phrase to our native tongue, too. Until then, I can keep playing with the nuts and bolts of language right here, word by measured word, and just appreciate where language leads in these most fleeting and precious days.

"We open our mouths and out flow words whose ancestries we do not even know. We are walking lexicons. In a single sentence of idle chatter we preserve Latin, Anglo-Saxon, Norse: we carry a museum inside our heads, each day we commemorate peoples of whom we have never heard." ~ Penelope Lively in Moon Tiger

Action

Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it. ~ Goethe

Action is my word for 2015. Days are passing, life is evolving, and I am blessed. Isn't it time to stop dreaming and rather put hand to labor? My hope is to align my love of writing, my faith in the creative process, and my personal interests to produce work of highest quality for the coming 12 months.

So, I plan to finally open that Etsy shop and produce more products from the incubator here at A Measured Word to sell. I hope to blog frequently with greater focus and to send a bit more inspiration out to you, dear reader.

If Goethe is right, and I hold to my end of the bargain, 2015 will be a powerful year full of magic and grace. The thought humbles me, but I plan to bow my head in action and get to work. Stick with me and keep me posted on how I am doing, okay?