Dont Let the Lights Go Out

The words from the holiday song “Dont Let the Lights Go Out by Peter, Paul and Mary, were echoing through my head. I searched in vain throughout Butte today apres ride on Alle to secure some Channukah candles. The tour included Albertson’s who’s manager informed me that even in Helena and Billings, not a one. Apparently, no shipments to the state she knew of. Even Walmart came up a goose egg.

Since Channukah starts sundown Tuesday, December 4 , I enlisted the assistance of our great friend and business associate in California, Al who’s fed-exing a few boxes post haste. Yay Al, since I was hoping I wouldnt have to rely on memories of Channukah-past. He has family in Billings as well, so he just laughed when I called him about my quandry. If anyone in the Montana blogosphere knows where I can put my mitts on these, do post a a montana musing.

Channukah means “dedication” because it marks the re-dedication of the Temple after its desecration under Antiochus IV. Spiritually, Hanukkah commemorates the Miracle of the Oil. According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days - which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate new oil.

I made up my own Jeff Foxworthy-ism while I was driving around.

If you cant find Channukah candles, you might live in Montana.

and then one that he actually did say

If there are 7 empty cars running in the parking lot at Wal-Mart at any given time,
you might live in Montana.

I laughed since I know I witness that regularly.

Yesterday’s ride had us at Patrick’s arena so Dan could work bison. It was however an awesome breakthrough for me, more mentally. We were working Picken at a lope in small and large circles mostly for my balance and her softness. I found that some of the tips he was giving me, just clicked real well. Patrick and I decided that since Picken and I’ve been riding out alot, to stay in his large arena and play/practice while the boys worked the bison.

They went out to gather the bison for their “snack” prior to working them and of course Picken was more interested in being with the other horses and critters so everytime I loped her and then loped her straight across the arena, I could feel her pushing ever so slightly! towards the round pen where the boys were. So I’d take her up there and lope her harder, and then give her the opportunity to soften when I took her back down the arena and continue. I was going to call it good when she softened nicely and watch them, but I figured if we stood up by the gate , that’d negate everything I just did. So I took her out at the far end of the arena; she even helped me with the gate and off we rode. So it was a great combination of arena work and outside work.

When I returned as Patrick and Dan were finishing, what Patrick pointed out was “you came up with a plan all on your own”… And that really what I’m working towards; to have these tools (magic bag of tricks) that Patrick’s drilled into me, be automatic so when we’re out there and she’s in OTTB mode, I’m not thinking “oh no, now what do I do, but rather dip into my toolkit. When we ride out, and I feel her motor revving.. my mantra becomes “I have tools”.. and it oddly relaxes me.

I had a similar experience later that day with some programming I’m working on; two months ago, it totally eluded me and this day, it clicked. But fear not, whether it’s running a b&B, having horses, whatever you have passion for and keep wanting to get better at, you get to the next level, and once again, are eluded. Then the light goes on

But that’s part of the journey… gotta enjoy the ride.(literally and figuratively). Trot on friends, trot on.

Our Great Green Journey

We’ve often been asked by guests how recently our bed and breakfast was built. Truth to tell , the core was there, but we knew were in for some serious renovation Actually gutting and virtually starting over would be a better description. Our thoughts, along, with advice of John Benedict Builder, “build once, build right”… That meant for us … going green. If you’re considering constructing a new home, consider going green. Some cut to the chase (or wood) gleanings we’ll pass on from our journey.
A lot of green construction initiatives are out there, which advocate building everything from pre- measured, pre-fabricated parts.The savings for this are two fold – the first savings is in ease of construction. By building everything from pre-measured parts, you save on labor and assembly. You also save on garbage hauling fees, not a small amount for an inn far outside of town.

The second place where you save is avoiding building waste in your local landfill. Most homes are constructed by bringing raw lumber on site and cutting it to fit over the course of construction.

Good green construction techniques use the mantra of “measure twice, cut once” to its logical extreme, and can eliminate construction waste by as much as 80%. I’m there.

Green construction ties into how it uses energy… and those energy bills… trust me a big deal here in Montana A more recent trend in green construction is photovoltaic cells as an integral component of construction, rather than as an unsightly add on to the home.

These can reduce utility bills (through net-metering) and will, over the course of 20 years or more, pay off the cost of their investment.

Green construction, done right, solves this problem, and a well insulated home is less expensive to heat in the winter, and cool in the summer.

Ultimately, doing a green home means doing a completely green home – you can’t do it part way. It doesn’t mean you have to “give up” the life style – but it does mean an initial investment in planning and a commitment to hold on to the home for a while to recoup your investment.Whilst still a newbie to the blogosphere, what an awesome list of green blogs to guide us on the path.

A great green journey and labour of love that took many different turns …. all of which have brought us home … to Montana and being able to share it.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

- Winston Churchill

Riding Lessons

They say, when the student is ready, the teacher appears. Or how my horses can teach me about innkeeping

As a novice rider and horse owner I’m afraid I have no innovations to impart, maybe someday…but I can share the things that I have learned not only from the horses but from the act of taking on the role of equestrienne. For anyone who rides none of these will be news, but perhaps it’s good to reiterate them anyway. Looking back at the list it looks like lessons we should have learned in kindergarten. We are always in school.

Leave your troubles at the gate. If you’re anxious or sad or (especially) angry, then maybe put off riding until you can get your emotions in check. When I first started I was treating the horse like the elliptical at the gym, a place where I could let my mind wander – boy was that a wrong idea!

Be prepared. There’s a lot of stuff to haul around and take care of with riding. Not just your tack, but all the little things that you need to have at hand when you need them. More than once I’ve put a horse in the cross ties only to realize I didn’t have the right brush or a towel, so I had to leave the horse to retrieve the item.
A little goes a long way. This goes for almost everything from shampoo to your aids. You can always add more, but you can’t take back. Can you say ” Arabs are sensitive”?

Be careful. If you’re lucky like I am you are around horses that are well-trained and love people, but they are large animals and it’s up to us to keep ourselves out of harm’s way – I’ve been stepped on a few times and it puts a real damper on your day.

If you fall, get up. Get up, but take your time. Take a minute to pull yourself together and make sure you aren’t injured, but if it’s at all possible, get back on your horse (assuming they are also OK). Note to self and you: never leave home without your helmet!

Be respectful. At my barn there isn’t a lot of security and trust plays a huge part in our community. Never borrow someone else’s stuff without asking, even if you’ve done it in the past with their blessing. Keep your tack and other equipment clean and clean up after yourself and your horse. Get to know what’s appropriate for each horse that’s around you with regard to contact. Some owners don’t like others just coming up and putting their hands on their horse, and its always a good idea to get to know a horse a little bit before you make contact.

Be aware of changes in your horse’s body and demeanor. I’m still getting to know my horse, and I rely on my trainer to let me know if something happened while I wasn’t there, but you should be the alpha caretaker for your horse, body and mind.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. As I’ve said before, sometimes it feels like the learning curve I’m on is so steep I’m bound to lose my balance. Nobody ever learns everything there is to know, that’s impossible. There’s no such thing as a dumb question. trust me, I’m known to walk into the barn, say the perfunctory “hi how ya doing”.. immediately followed by “I have a question “.

Get to know your neighbors. Both my human and equine neighbors at the barn are an integral part of my experience and I make a point to introduce myself and keep the communication alive. My horse is around these other horses every day and I should be comfortable with them if I expect her to be, ditto for their people.

Trot on friends, trot on.

Fueling the Fire of Passion

Catchy title eh? I cannot stress this enough to anyone, whether you are just starting out in your career or in the middle of it - do what you love and eventually the money will come in one form or another…

“One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy.”
~ Elisabeth Elliott ~” -

Making a life is as important as making a living. It’s not an either-or decision. values and purpose - not great products - defined successful businesses. The same holds true for taking the plunge to start a business , take up a new passion (can you say horses) and your life in general . As I get ready to head out to the barn where our Alle has returned aka “Joaniland“, I can feel that fire of passion to being rekindled as Joani and I train us for showing… I am so stoked. I am also so blessed (thank you G_d amen,) that I have been led to two “been there done that horses”, Alle for showing, Billy-Meister for endurance.

Courage
Of course, embracing change requires a certain mindset. It takes courage and a tolerance for risk and rejection to embark on - and to stay the course of - your quest. A life of disruptive individuality isn’t easy, but neither is living a life of quiet desperation (and which do you think has the greater potential for achievement and joy?).

The question is this: Do you believe having a sense of purpose and passion about your work is realistic and attainable? What’s required from a mindset standpoint is both courage and commitment. We achieve our upside potential through conscious choice and determined action, not by default or deferring to others.

A few thoughts to fuel you for the journey

Vision & Purpose
The quote I use to illustrate the vision-purpose concept is Gandhi’s “Be the change you want to see in this world,” where the change is your vision, and your purpose is the role you play in achieving that vision.

Values

Although th priorities may change, values tend to be constant . The challenge actually moving from what you express as your values to actually living them. What’s your comitment? It’s easy to hedge, using phrases likee “kind of,” “sort of,” “well, not that this could ever happen, but…” Then I found this quote from explorer W.H. Murray –

Until one is committed there is the chance to draw back; always ineffectiveness.

Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:

That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would not otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man would have dreamed would come his way.

I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it! Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it.”

Nuff said

Persistence . No such thing as “giving up” in a successful person’s mind. Just like the Energizer Bunny, they keep going and going. As they say, success is 98% showing up, 2% talent. I’ve experienced this so many times with running goals, horse show goals and of course opening up our inn

Flexibility

The only constant is change. Simply said, successful people go with the flow. Ride the wave. Rigidity is the kiss of death in creating anything you want.Trust me this is a work in progress; I’ve found that most of the seeming problems that cropped up were opportunities in work clothes.

But enough food for thought for a monday… Now for some food for the stomach! Speaking of values , though methinks my late German Oma must be communicating her values to me from the great beyond, since I hate throwing away food. It literally makes me sick to my stomach, that in this land of excess, how easy it is to pitch old eggs, milk days before its inevitable demise, fruit and vegetables we always forget about,

As an innkeeper what do you do with all those pumpkins, but of course, pumpkin waffles.

Pumpkin Waffles
Adapted from Epicurious
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted

Vegetable oil for brushing waffle iron or cooking spray

Preheat oven to 250°F and preheat waffle iron.

Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices.

Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl with buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until smooth.

In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks Polk them gently into the waffle batter, until just combined.

Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter (about 2 cups for four 4-inch Belgian waffles) into waffle iron, spreading quickly. Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp.

Trot on friends, trot on.

The Apple of My Eye

Stocking up for winter? Maybe on apples too?

Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie. Keeping with our previously declared 10 Commandments of Holiday eating,

Seeing as there are still ample amounts of apples dive-bombing from trees ( you can almost hear them calling “geronimo!” ) and a distinct shortage of apple type pastries in these parts, voila… apple concoctions. Whether they are rosy-skinned and small, flecked with mottled shades of yellow and pink, or deep red and brooding, apples of all shapes, shades, and sizes are filling baskets and boxes at farmer’s markets this time of year. But before you dive in read what fruit detective David Karp had to say in an interview 10 years back about an apple tasting in which he sampled 44 varieties. That’s alota apples. The most popular apple varieties are Cortland, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Ida Red, Macoun, McIntosh, Northern Spy, and Winesap.

Obviously, if you plan well enough, you always have everything leftover, since leftovers might actually be the real reason we have Thanksgiving dinner, right?!? Especially the leftover desserts. When I was a kid, the morning after Thanksgiving and Christmas we’d be allowed to have a slice of sweet potato pie or a scoop of apple crisp for breakfast.

So while everyone’s thinking about how many ways can you make leftover turkey sandwiches, your intrepid innkeeper has “breakfast on the brain”., I love to ladle out a big scoop of apple crisp into a soup bowl for breakfast after Thanksgiving. I’ll nuke it for a minute, just to take the refrigerator chill away, and top it with a spoonful of plain yogurt. It’s the very best version of fruit, granola and yogurt you’ve ever had and it makes it possible to eat leftovers for every single meal of the day.

INGREDIENTS Adapted from Allrecipes

* 10 cups thinly sliced apples
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup water
* 1 cup quick-cooking oats
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).
2. Place the sliced apples in a 9×13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.
3. Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes.

And anything remotely having to do with sweet potatoes.. has always gotten my attention.

I’ve used sweet potato and matched it to it’s favourite herb, sage. I’ve then introduced a bit of sharpness in the form of a hard Goat cheese. This combination providing a great mix of sweet and sharp in one small package.

Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Muffins
Makes 6 large muffins]

1 large red onion, sliced
1 thick rasher bacon, sliced into batons (optional)
4 sage leaves, shredded
150 grams sweet potato, peeled and shredded
50 grams hard Goat cheese, shredded
300 grams plain flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
1 egg
3 teaspoons olive oil

Using a fry-pan, sauté the onion, bacon and shredded sage leaves in a little oil until the onion has softened and the bacon has browned. Add the shredded sweet potato along with a good grinding of black pepper and toss through for about 30 seconds - remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Sift the plain flour with the baking powder and place into a large bowl. Add the cooked mixture and stir through, breaking up any lumps that may form. Sprinkle over the shredded goat cheese and mix it through so it’s evenly distributed.

Whisk the egg with the milk, then add the oil before pouring this into the dry ingredients. Stir through until just combined - be careful not to overmix.

Spoon into your large muffin moulds and bake in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven until golden brown and cook through - this should take around 20-30 minutes.

Let the muffins cool slightly on a wire rack before eating To die for.

The 10 Commandments of Holiday Eating

Thou Shalt Not Skim Flavor From the Holidays

This is a tough time of year. Inundated with commercialism and forced laughter, but because it’s the season when the food police come out with their wagging fingers alas.. how to get through the holidays without gaining 10 pounds. You can’t pick up a magazine without finding a list of holiday eating do’s and don’ts. Eliminate second helpings, high-calorie sauces and cookies made with butter, they say. Fill up on vegetable sticks, they say. Good grief. Is your favorite childhood memory of Christmas a carrot stick? I didn’t think so. Isn’t mine, either. A carrot was something you left for Rudolph.

Here[’s your intrepid inkeeper’s 10 commandments for holiday eating. I assure you, if you follow them, you’ll be fat and happy. So what if you don’t make it to New Year’s? Your pants won’t fit anymore, anyway.

1. About those carrot sticks. Thou shalt avoid them. them. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

2. Thou shalt drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it’s rare. In fact, it’s even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can’t find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an egg-nogaholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

3. Thou shalt have gravy. That’s the whole point of gravy. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat . Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a a Maserati with an automatic transmission.

5. Thou shalt not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Remember college?

6. Thou shalt not do extra bouts of exercise under any circumstance between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention.Trust me, if you dont… someone else will and if you snooze you lose.
8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards,.

10. And one final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Reread tips. Start over. But hurry! A cold and cookieless January is just around the corner.

Thanksgiving Joy

Numbers 6:22-27:

The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

May the blessings you enjoy; the gits you’re thankful for be many times repeated through the coming year. Happy Thanksgiving from us at the Fish Creek House

Time will Tell

When you’re racing with the clock When you’re racing with the clockAnd the second hand doesn’t understand That your back may break and your fingers ache And your constitution isn’t made of rock It’s a losing race when you’re racing with the Racing racing racing with the clock

- The Pajama Game

Wasting time doing something you hate when so much else needs doing Staying awake at night worrying about all your unfinished tasks…

There are no positive images associated with a ticking clock. Time is the enemy. We struggle to get more done in less time Friends and family working in the corporate world regularly work more than the once standard nine-to-five workday. And new small business owners often do fifty to sixty hours just to survive.

The holidays and Thanksgiving in particular often seem too short on time - not enough time to cook everything fast enough! Shelterrific tested Domino’s one-hour Thanksgiving meal again already and it worked just as well. Dinner for eight in 1 hour 15 minutes!  But I digress.

Yet, no one gets enough done.

Trust me I know this and it’sfor the most part a labour of love. And while I’ve long since given up wearing a watch, when a dentist appointment takes way longer than I thought just before guests are scheduled to arrive; the anxiety meter starts revving up

Sounds pretty hopeless, eh?

We need to adopt a new time attitude, create positive images of a ticking clock. Instead of trying to be more productive in less time, we need to focus on taking enough time to do things well.

• Stop fighting the clock. It’s always going to win.

In my case I so can’t see that happening… You? For me when in doubt When your day seems out of balance and so many things go wrong… When people fight around you and the day drags on so long When parents act like children, guests spilling wine on the new carpet…

Go out into your pasture… and wrap your arms around your horse. Her gentle breath enfolds you, and he watches with those eyes. She may not have a PhD, but he is, oh so wise! Her head rests on your shoulder. You embrace her and kiss her nose. Se puts your world in balance, and makes it seem all right. The tension is now eased. The garbage has been lifted, and you’re quiet and at peace. …… Horses are a great lesson in changing your perspective about time… they dont know from clocks, watches and appointments.

So when you need the balance from circumstances in your day… The best therapy that yI can seek… is out there eating hay!!

Of Sweet Potatoes and Pecans

Manker is most awesome “cowdog” as he moves em ‘ off the road for us paving the way for a run by. Sigh… when will t this “annual rite of passage” be over and they head for their winter pasture and gates can be again opened? Nothin’ like being stared down by one of these guys to jar you back to “now.” I ‘d run by the horses telling them I’d be back to bring ‘em on in and they had the expression now where is my human going? She’s supposed to be letting us in for the morning breakfast.”I’d been thinking alot about my ride yesterday on Billy- Meister , that while she’s a great horse and teacher, we’re not yet a “team”. I know most of it is “pilot” error and getting stronger and learning her cues, which when I time right, she’s there. She does however have the constitution of “less is more” when she can! So I was a bit frustrated. But this morning as I ran past Great Picken, I thought back to Thanksgiving two years ago when we were miles apart . Between my experience (aka lack thereof) and her “thoroughbred -mareness” in large part made her for me at the time almost unrideable. Now look at us…

Lots to be thankful for this Thanksgiving methinks! We’re riding later with Patrick at his arena where Dan can work bison, and then we’ll resume taking the Picken out for some trail rides Monday.

Back to Thanksgiving, the lessons of G-d, His creatures, I am once again reminded of a “bonnie blessing ” from an email today

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
~ Robert Frost (The Road Not Taken), Mountain Interval

But i’s also time to talk turkey or rather sweet potatoes These have always been one of my favorite side dishes for the Thanksgiving feast. The possibilities are endless.

Sweet Potato Biscuits
Sweet potato makes these biscuits dense, sweet and moist. Delicious with roasted or grilled meats or simply slathered with butter and honey, they’re a must for holiday tables. from Allrecipes

Ingredients

* 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
* 1 sweet potato (10 ounces)–baked, peeled and pureed
* 1/4 cup cold half-and-half
* 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 3/4 cup of the pureed sweet potato and the half-and-half and mix just until the dough comes together.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently 6 to 8 times, just until the dough holds together. Roll or pat the dough into a 9-by-7-inch rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Sprinkle the dough with the sesame seeds and pat them in. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 squares. Arrange the biscuits 1/2 inch apart on the prepared sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot.

And of course, what would Thanksgiving be without…

Sweet Potato Pie
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and roast them on a shallow baking pan in the middle of the oven until very tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Cool to room temperature.

Raise the oven temperature to 400°F, and place a shallow baking pan on the bottom rack.

Scoop the flesh from potatoes into a bowl and discard the skins. Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork until smooth. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar. Add the melted butter mixture to the sweet potatoes with the milk and the eggs and beat with a whisk until smooth. Whisk in the remaining ingredients (the filling will be quite liquid). Pour the filling into the pie shell.

Carefully transfer the pie to the heated shallow baking pan on the bottom rack of the oven and bake until the filling is just set, about 40 minutes. Transfer the pie to a rack to cool.

Makes 8 servings.

And on the flip side of the culinary coin for me at least is pecan pie. ecan pie is way, way down on my list of desserts that I like. In fact, I might even go so far as to say that I dislike them. When I ask people who love pecan pie what draws them to it, the two main reasons are (1) it is easy to make with a bottle of corn syrup and (2) they like pecans. Unfortunately for me, pecan pies are a staple at Thanksgiving time and all through the holiday season and they’re hard to avoid.

But I really do like pecans, so this year I decided to come up with a pecan pie alternative that is just as easy to make as the pie is and still has plenty of nuts. This pecan cake fit the bill on both counts and is definitely going on my Thanksgiving table.

This pecan cake was gleaned from a similar recipe I found at Better Homes and Gardens

Pecan Pie
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
5 large eggs, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in flour, salt and pecans at low speed until completely incorporated. Mix in vanilla and nutmeg.
With the mixer on low, add in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated to add the next. Turn mixer up to high speed and beat for 5 minutes.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then slide a knife around the edge to loosen the cake and turn it out onto a wire rack (reinvert so the crunchy top stays on top) to cool completely before slicing.

Serves 16.
Happy trails

Giving Thanks for Turkey

Or how holy is your bird? Many of us are in high gear with Thanksigving preparations. Thanksgiving is definitely a good thing. Eat, and thank G-d. Even non-believers seem to appreciate the spiritual nature of the day. The delicious food and drink remind us that G-d wants us to enjoy and experience pleasure. That’s what life is supposed to be about.

In the biblical Creation story, Mankind was originally placed in what is usually translated as the “Garden of Eden”. Did you know that “Eden” is Hebrew for pleasure? Mankind was originally placed in a Garden of Pleasure. The implication of the story of creation should be obvious, mankind was designed for pleasure.

Take time today to feed your body and your spirit.

The body and spirit are similar to a horse and rider. The rider can use the horse to go farther and faster than he could on foot. But he needs to give the animal food and water. He needs to give it proper rest and exercise, and even companionship from other horses. When we allow the body to experience pleasure at a time of spiritual elevation, we give the horse a treat so it will celebrate along with us. Then the body and soul can work together.

Life is filled with opposites.Many things in life contain an element of its opposite. Within each tragedy in life there is a piece of hope and a positive aspect. If you have a loved one pass away, the fact that you are upset proves that they had someone in the world who cared about them. A bigger tragedy would be if you couldn’t care less that they died.

The trick of life is to find the spark of goodness inside every difficult event; to find the spark of goodness inside every person you meet; and to find something good,a piece of Godliness, in every nook and cranny of the universe. To quote from one of my favorite movies, Death on the Nile, Peter Ustinov (Hercule Poirot) to the scorned mistress (Mia Farrow)

I know how you feel. We all feel like that at times. However, I must warn you, mademoiselle: Do not allow evil into your heart, it will make a home there.

And now for some “hands on advice” I have three golden rules of making sure that the turkey comes out right each and every time:
1 Buy a kosher turkey - the bird comes pre-brined, which means you don’t have to do the dirty work
2 Basting is evil
3 Stuffing is evil

The rest, is fairly easy stuff.

1. Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with herbed, salted and peppered butter. What herbs you use, is up to you, but I’m a fan of dill and rosemary. Now, make sure the put some of that butter where you might feel embarrassed to: under the skin of the bird as far down as you can reach. Tie the legs together with some twine.

2. Pour a cup of orange juice in the pan, add to it a sliced apple, quartered lemon, sliced onion, and chopped shallots.

3. Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15-30 minutes before carving.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

So as we rise to the occasion, so too were these muffins .

Banana Pumpkin Spice Muffins from VegWeb

2 Ripe Bananas
1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Canola Oil
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2/3 Cup Pumpkin Butter
Rolled Oats
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and either line a muffin tin with papers or coat it with cooking spray.

Mash your bananas thoroughly and add in the sugar and oil, stirring to combine. Toss in the cinnamon, salt, both flours, baking powder and soda all at once, and mix just enough to moisten all of the dry ingredients . Last, add in the pumpkin butter and stir that well, being careful not to over-mix. The resulting batter should be rather thick.

Spoon the batter into your prepared tins, mounding it up generously in the centers. Sprinkle oats and cinnamon on top as desired, and bake for 15 - 25 minutes until golden brown, and a tooth pick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack and enjoy , but dont spoil your appetite.

Happy Thanksgiving
The purpose of Christianity is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes. It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life.”
~ James L. Christensen