The glorious Cathedral of the Madeleine--the exterior, . . and a Gargoyle Story

I think the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City is a stunner. If you want to see more of the Cathedral check out their website here. I went with my daughter for her A.P. Art History extra-credit photo tour. It was a particularly gray day which I thought made the pictures extra dramatic. It looks as if the photos are black and white but they are in color.

It is made out of Utah sandstone from Carbon County. The sandstone used for the Presbyterian Church that I blogged about previously was mined from Red Butte Canyon. The difference in the colors of the two churches is amazing. This almost colorless sandstone is austere and dramatic. (I have to admit I really LOVE the warm red sandstone on the Presbyterian Church.)

I am particularly fond of the gargoyles! I think every building should have some gnarly gargoyle looking down on the little humans below. Look at this one watch you!

Here he is getting closer.

Another gargoyle friend on the other side.

 He seems to be laughing at us.

Here is little history of these particular gargoyles from the Cathedral of the Madeleine Website.

"Eight gargoyles look down from the 185-feet-high east and west towers. The gargoyles are primarily decorative, and do not serve as water spouts as do those on many of the cathedrals of Europe. The original gargoyles placed on the Cathedral in 1917 weathered and eroded to the extent that hey were nonexistent by 1930. In the 1975 restoration, eight new steel-reinforced gargoyles, weighing 1,200 pounds each, were placed on the Cathedral. Each gargoyle, made by University of Utah art student Peter Cole, represents a petrified combination of a bird, a dog and a cat."   Go Peter Cole!

I am going to leave you with the spire over the alter in all its winter glory.

Utah State Capitol Roaring

My daughter had an extra credit assignment that involved locating various architectural styles around town. I saw the assignment on my desk and made her promise to take me with her. So, when we had a little time after Christmas we went around town taking pictures. It was so fun and I got a little carried away. I thought I would start with Utah's State Capitol Building which I think is beautiful.

This is a bronze sculpture of Massasoit. It was made by Cyrus E. Dallin a notable Utah sculptor. Dallin was born in Springville and is famous for this sculpture of Massasoit as well as the Angel Moroni on top of the Salt Lake City Temple.  I found this out when I became very curious as to why Massasoit was greeting visitors to the Utah State Capitol.

Massasoit was the leader of several Wampanoag groups located around where the Mayflower landed and where Plymouth Colony was founded at the time of the arrival of the Mayflower. He probably helped save the pilgrims from starvation and has a very interesting history. While the history didn't match up with Utah at least the artist did.

After we paid our respects to Massasoit I spent a little time with the lions. As you can see I especially liked the lions!

















Majestic,

















Timeless,

















Different light, different color,

Great down to the detail of paw and fur!

I had to include the mural of seagulls as well. What is a the Utah State Capitol for if not to immortalize Utah's great stories.

Vegas Valley Book Festival Paranormal Ball--Where we were all winners!

We had the best weekend! The Las Vegas Book Festival was amazing and the Paranormal Ball, well, who could resist that!  Even though the Paranormal Ball was the last thing we did at the festival--I just had to start this blog post there.

You cannot really read the sign they kneeling before, but daughter S and L are both pointing to where it says, "The Paranormal Ball, Hosted by Brodi Ashton, with other authors attending." There were many other authors there and I thought it was incredibly generous of them. There was probably about 60 people at the ball and about15 of those were authors--we were able to sit and chat with many and it was quite amazing. For a list of the authors attending and some of their books read on--they are listed below where I mention the panels we attended.

Here we are in costume--so, I have to explain the costumes because they are from Brodi's Book that doesn't come out until January. Daughter S is the main character from Everneath, Nikki. She is dressed to attend a rock concert of the Dead Elveses--a band in the book. Daughter L and I are band members of that evil band! Don't we just look like rockers! It was really silly--but fun! Daughter S drew our wonderful Dead Elveses t-shirts in our hotel room. (Sorry, daughter S that I chose the picture with your eyes closed--but it is the best picture of me and the blogger chooses!)

I have to admit that I felt like an over-the-hill cougar on the prowl in Vegas. Not exactly my favorite look.

Daughter L was very paranormal, she could play the guitar and hula hoop at the same time!

Here are my girls with the talented Brodi Ashton who was taking a break from her hosting duties.

Here is Brodi hosting and handing out books. They gave many books away and we won two!!!

Brodi may just kill me, but I had to put a picture of her dancing the Electric Slide. Now that is a host that takes her duties seriously!!! There was no way you could stand on the side--we all had to dance!

I thought our Utah authors--Bree Despain, Brodi Ashton and Emily Wing Smith looked incredible. They were angels, but I don't think I knew why their wings were black. It's a mystery.

Daughter S was recruited to help hand out books!

While the Paranormal Ball was decidedly fun the Vegas Valley Book Festival was quite amazing! They had several different things going at once. First of all it was just a great book festival--there were panels, book signings, poetry readings, face painting, singing and yummy food carts. Then there was a special Children's Book Festival with a fun play area and authors--and finally this year the Vegas Valley Book Festival added a YA section to the festivities.

The Young Adult section is where we spent most of our time. We went to a couple of panels that were amazing and we were able to ask questions and listen to distinguished authors.

Here's a taste of what we saw:

1st Panel: What's hot for teens in fantasy and paranormal fiction.

Rachel Caine (the Morganville Vampire series), James Dashner (the Maze Runner trilogy and 13th Reality series), Becca Fitzpatrick (the Hush, Hush trilogy), Sophie Jordan (the Firelight series) and Bree Despain (The Dark Divine). Veronica Wolff (The Watchers series), Tera Lynn Childs (Oh. My. Gods) and Rachel Hawkins (the Hex Hall series).

In this picture: A side view of Becca Fitzpatrick, Rachel Caine, Bree Despain, the very funny James Dashner, Sophie Jordan and Tera Lynn Childs.


I wish I had taken a picture that included the moderator Rachel Hawkins because she was quite hilarious and also Veronica Wolf because she was thoughtful and interesting and she just shot the breeze with us at the ball.


2nd Panel: Contemporary teen fiction: the dark and the light.

Jay Asher (Thirteen Reasons Why), Daisy Whitney (The Mockingbirds), Liz Gallagher (The Opposite of Invisible), Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss), Emily Wing Smith (The Way He Lived) and Lisa Schroeder (The Day After).

Pictured here: Lindsey Leavitt, Emily Wing Smith, and Daisy Whitney

3rd Panel: Blending Realistic Fiction With Fantasy.

Jay Asher (The Future of Us), Heather Davis (The Clearing), Cat Patrick (Forgotten), Lindsey Leavitt (the Princess for Hire series) and Suzanne Young (A Need So Beautiful). Daisy Whitney moderates. 


Sorry I didn't get a picture of that.


The amazing thing was there weren't a ton of people, so we could actually talk to the authors. We stood in line and received a free ARC of Bree Despain's next book The Savage Grace that doesn't come out until March 13. Then we were able to have her sign it too!

Thanks Bree!

Here is daughter L with Sophie Jordan getting her book signed.

I am not usually a embarrassing raving fan--but this was just too fun!

What's for lunch and Sunday dinner? & 2 days left to win an Everneath ARC!

To all you Everneath ARC hopefuls just today and tomorrow until midnight to enter!  The clock is tick, tick, ticking away.

Now on to Grandma Florence's cookbook!.

September begins in my grandmother's cookbook with a discussion of the school year looming in front of all those homemakers and what to make for those pesky lunch boxes.

"Nine months of lunches lie ahead--lunches to be carried to school! These lunches must contain all the nourishment of a good home 'sit down at the table' lunch.'" 

My sit down at the table lunches this summer have been mac and cheese, hot pockets and noodles prepared by my own dear children--so I am actually hoping school lunch is a bit more nutritious. In my defense I do supply fruit for them to snack on too--will that save me in the motherhood department!?  Will I still have nutrition services knocking at my door?

I love her suggestions--but if you are going make these sandwiches make sure you buy a meat grinder--because it is used alarmingly often:

Big Boy Sandwich:  Rye bread, butter, Swiss cheese, chopped mustard pickle.
Mock Ham Sandwich: Ground bologna, mixed with sweet relish and mayonnaise.
Meat Loaf Sandwich: Hamburger roll, meat loaf, sliced dill pickle, lettuce
Peppy Sandwich: (Don't you just love that name!) Whole wheat bread. Add 1/3 cup evaporated milk to 2/3 cup soft yellow cheese, cream well.  Add 1 cup shredded dried beef, 2 tablespoons drained horseradish. Makes 6 large sandwiches. (Where do I buy dried beef? Is it just beef jerky? Oh the mystery.)
Salad Sandwich: Whole wheat bread, grind 1/2 pound of bologna or cooked ham and 3 hard-cooked eggs, mix with 2 T chopped pimento, 1/2 cup drained sweet relish, 1/2 cup salad dressing. Makes 6 sandwiches.
Irish Sandwich: Put through meat grinder 1 1/2 cup corned beef, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 slice day old bread, 5 sweet pickles and mix with 2/3 cup salad dressing and 1/4 cup dry mustard, pepper, 1/4 cup shopped ripe olives, and about 1/4 cup salad dressing (I think that is Miracle Whip).
Deviled egg sandwich:  Whole wheat bread. Mix together 6 chopped hard-cooked eggs, 1 teaspoon grated onion, salt, pepper and about 1/4 cup salad dressing.
Ham and Peanut sandwich: Grind 1/2 pound of ham or bologna, add 1/4 cup finely chopped salted peanuts, 3 T drained sweet relish, about 1/2 cup salad dressing. (Ham and peanut, who would have thunk it.)
Beanie Sandwich:  Whole wheat bread, try mixing drained cooked navy beans, ground ham, grated raw carrots and salad dressing.

Although I find these recipes intriguing and kind of want to try them, (the same way I want to try nachos at the movie theater--did that sound snobby and rude?) the one thing the sandwich creations have in common is--my kids would not eat a single one of them! (Well, maybe my older kids would eat the Deviled Egg Sandwich, maybe.)

Later in the same chapter grandma moves onto safer ground--event meals, but most specifically, Sunday Dinners.  I found the recipe below old fashiony yummy!

Pork Chops on Rice

6 loin or rib pork chops cut 1 inch think (I just used the Costco boneless pork chops--I just love them!)
1 T fat
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 cup rice (okay so I did 2 because my family loves rice)
1/2 cup raisins (I used dried cherries--family still inexplicably hates raisins)
3 cups water (6 if you double the rice)
3 bouillon cubes (I did 5 for doubling --in the future I would only do half of the bouillon, it was too salty)
Dash of nutmeg
1 1/2 cups milk (3 if you double the rice)


Brown the chops in the fat, seasoning with salt and pepper.

The meat would have been prettier if I had just browned it a bit longer!

I wanted to make this a one pot meal so I used a pan I could put in the oven and wiped it out after browning the chops to prepare for the rice.

Add the rice to the water and bouillon cubes.

Bring to boil and stir, cover tightly, and simmer about 15 minutes or until rice is tender and water is absorbed.

Add nutmeg and raisins (dried cherries)

Add milk, and season to taste.  

Pour into baking dish--In my case I just kept using the same pan.  Place seasoned chops on rice mixture.

Cover tightly and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  Uncover and continue baking for about 15 minutes.

I let the meat rest for a minute and then sliced the pork to serve. You could serve the pork chops whole--they were very tender. This was an old fashioned dinner, but quite yummy. It was also definitely a guilty pleasure meal because the rice was creamy and trending towards mushy--but good mushy (if you can imagine that).

I loved the dried cherries, but I think the raisins would have been better. The sweetness of the fruit added a nice counterpoint to the salty rice (a little too salty--I will take out one of the bouillon cubes when I cook this int the future).  I paired it with broccoli and butter braised figs. Everyone loved the dinner.

By the way what was your favorite lunch to lug to school?

Who knew Hickory Burgers would give me a feminist crisis!

Cooking these burgers sent me into a feminist crisis. I grew up a no holds barred feminist--a product of the Seventies. My father actually gave me Gloria Steinem books to read. I went to college fully intending to mix family and work, but I turned out to have a very conventional mother/housewife life. For almost 2 decades I turned out to be a feminist in thought more than deed.

My grandmother as I have said was quite amazing, she taught at the University of Utah, wrote articles and wrote a book. She was on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Young Women General Board for decades. She traveled with the church extensively throughout the world, so I asked my mom how she did it. My mom told me that all their dinners were prepared ahead of time and frozen and that Grandma did most of the housework. On Saturday mornings everyone worked, but they did different things. I say she was pretty liberated in deeds, but I am not sure about thoughts. Her book is full of advice for women taking care of families and the importance of that role.

I went to work several years ago, when my youngest was 9. I kind-of always knew I would be the kind that would want to work outside the home. The only way I can describe myself when I am home all day is lethargic--I stretch out the most mundane tasks to take all day and end up feeling like I never get anything done. I don't like housework and I wasn't disciplined enough to get it done and then go on to other things. Don't get me wrong, I love being a mother and I am really grateful that I was able to stay home with my kids while they were toddlers. I am also grateful that most days I am off by three and can be home when my kids get home from school.

When I went to work my husband got everyone to do their own laundry, but other than that I am still mostly in charge of the house and cooking. We all clean up after dinner and everyone helps clean the house on Saturday, but if I want the bed made or our bedroom cleaned, I do it. I work 30 hours a week and my husband works 40-50 hours a week--it makes sense that I do most of the housework. Is it a gender role?--probably. Although I have no problem asking for help and I make my children do all the same chores regardless of gender.

I am going to take you back in time (insert wavy lines here emphasizing time travel) where men are men and women are there to prepare things for men--yes, back to the 1960's. This time travel brought to you by a section in my grandmother's cookbook labeled "Barbecuing--A Man's Delight:," note the italics added by me:

"A man loves an informal party, especially an outside barbecue, calling for no tie, sport shirt, slacks, and soft shoes.  It isn't just the comfortable clothes that sell the barbecue idea to him, but outdoor cooking is man's cooking.  He is king, and the food has a zest. It's fun, as a guest, to watch dinner in preparation,and as an added dividend here is the wonderful fragrance of tangy sauces, of charcoal, and of sputtering meat.  The following are recipes he will enjoy preparing. As a wife, see that all ingredients are handy and that there is a big apron to cover the expanse of him, and then stop hovering, walk away, and be the happy hostess."

I totally love that big apron line to cover the "expanse of him!"

In today's world, where many of the lines are blurred between gender roles, I find it really interesting that not that long ago there was such certainty in who does what and why. Grandma makes statements that are quite funny to read today and she said them without a hint of irony. There was no hedging--this is what he does and this is what she does. In some ways in a world where we don't really have to accept any limits or roles this certainty seems confining, but also just a little comforting to know exactly what is expected. I don't know--I think it's better to negotiate in a family and come to a conclusion that is fair to everyone.

Anyway, all I really wanted to write about was burgers!

Hickory Burgers

1/3 c catsup
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
4 soda crackers, finely crumbled (I put mine in a sandwhich bag and rolled over it with a rolling pin.)
8 slices Cheddar cheese
Hickory Salt (I couldn't find a hickory salt so I used McCormick Grill Mates Mesquite)

2  pounds ground beef

2  eggs

Combine all ingredients except cheese. Mix well. (Isn't all that raw hamburger appetizing?)  I ended up having to use my mega spoon and then fingers!

Form 16 thin patties.  Place the cheese slices on half the patties; completely cover with the second pattie.  Seal edges well. Sprinkle with hickory salt (Mesquite), grill. (I had to broil mine due to weather issues.)

Serve on toasted buns with sliced tomatoes and sliced dill pickles.

This is a really flavorful hamburger and putting cheese in the middle made it quite moist. The only problem was I couldn't really taste the cheese--which I like to do on a cheeseburger.  I think because of the mesquite salt, it ended tasting a bit like a sausage burger, which was really quite yummy.  The hickory salt added a smoked flavor that I liked, but I think I would like this better as meatloaf rather than a hamburger.

The kids and husband gave it a thumbs up though and would eat it again.

Hearing Voices

I've been thinking about voices. I am the type of reader that once I find an author I enjoy I will read everything they've written just because I love the voice of the writer (without regard to quality). I am  like that with blog authors as well. The voice of some bloggers just resonate and I miss that when they don't post.

I've been nostalgic lately which is not really in my basic personality. I don't have many regrets and am always ready for the next thing in my life, but lately I've been looking back.

I went to the wedding of the daughter of a great friend. I used be a neighbor too and many of the wedding guests were dear friends. I saw parents of another great friend whom I had known since 7th grade. I went over to talk to them--the dad had been my Bishop as well as my Stake President and the mom had always been a lovely person in my life and I suddenly got really and embarrassingly teary! When I saw them I realized I just plain missed them.  I thought of how much they and their daughter had been a big part of my formative years and I felt lucky, but also sad that their voices were heard so little in my life.

In our house their are many sounds. My husband learning a new guitar song, my daughter playing hymns, my youngest daughter and son playing and fighting together. I love to hear my children practice their instruments, no matter how bad or good they sound. My daughter who is a flutist would practice for hours and I loved her warm-up scales and TOFU as much as concertos. (I am still not sure why we called it TOFU.)  There is a real beauty to learning music.

I also love the voices of my children; one of my most driven and focused daughters has a laugh filled voice, while another's voice is musical and gentle, one is a person of few words--but each word is either hilarious or insightful and often both. I have one daughter who often speaks in a monotone, but she has the most original thoughts of anyone I've ever known. My son's voice is energetic, negotiating and love filled. Anyway, I love their voices and when they are out of the house there is a real void.

This is the first summer I've spent without my twin daughters. One decided to serve a mission and is in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and the other decided that she would like stay and work in NYC where she spends the rest of the year. (By the way, doesn't New York get enough of her--NY is very selfish!) When they are around they are non stop talkers so their voices are sorely missed.

The traveling twins.

Then their are other voices I miss. Those of people that have passed on. Every extended family gathering I really miss my grandmother and she's been gone for 22 years. She had a strong, true voice. I never met my husband's father, but I miss him too.

I've moved around a bit and had the opportunity to meet some really lovely people and some stay in my life and some just naturally drift away. Each one with their distinct personalities. Some friends were toxic and it was better to just let time and space create distance, but I miss them too.

The Shamrock Plant

My sisters (both by birth and marriage) are remarkable. It has been a huge blessing in my life. They alway seem to know when to call and they also give thoughtful gifts on special occasions. I have to share one particular example--sister E gave me these purple Shamrocks on my birthday. I just had to take pictures of them with my new Mother's Day camera (thanks hubby).

This particular plant changes throughout the day as the light changes. I rotate it each day because it bends towards the light like sunbathers at the beach. I have it at work so I can stare at it all day. It is even forgiving--one weekend I forgot to water it before I left and all the stems were completely wilted--but after a good dousing and a couple of days it was back to its present glory!

I've put a photo stream of this plant on the blog, just so I can enjoy it wherever I go.

Notice the fluorescent light reflection
in the window!

What to make after 18 inches of snow? Chili Con Carne!

Yesterday I woke up to 18 inches of snow. Winter obviously does not want to release its icy grip and so I needed some comfort food. I decided it was time to share with you the recipe I cook the very most from my grandma's cookbook.  It is "Best Ever Chili." I love it because it is easy, yummy and just a little different than other chili recipes.
But first, earlier in the cookbook she gives a recipe for chili con carne. Here is exactly what the recipe title looks like--Chile Con Carne (with corn bread--serves 6). There is a great recipe for the corn bread that is cooked using "corn-stick" pans. (I had to look this up -- see the picture to the left.) But this is not the funny thing--then she just says open a can of chili and spoon it over the corn sticks. Homemade bread--canned chili! That is the contradiction of this book -- some of the recipes are quite difficult and extra yummy and they sit side by side all sorts of convenience recipes. Nice to know that we may all have our little inconsistencies and so we should just celebrate them. Go canned chili!

Below is her great and from scratch recipe for chili.


Best Ever Chili

3 c chili beans (These are the dried variety set to soak overnight. You may of course use canned chili beans they are certainly easier and often have better texture. I went to the internet for this conversion--3 cups of dry chili beans = 9 cups of beans after soaking and boiling. There are 1.5 cups beans per 15 ounce can. So you would need 6--15 ounce cans. Is that clear or just more cloudy? I have a link on how to hydrate beans below in the directions.)
2 bay leaves
2 pounds ground beef
4 onions, chopped
1 bud garlic, minced (I use at least 4)
1 quart canned tomatoes
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
1 T salt
***1/2 t curry powder (You may think this is weird, but it makes the chili. Although when I make this I usually only use 1/4 t curry powder and I think it is just enough of the flavor without saying --oh my heck this chili has curry powder in it!)
Cayenne pepper to taste


Wash chili beans, put in kettle (isn't that just cute "kettle!") with 6 cups water and the bay leaves. Boil until tender.  (Here is a link on the process if you need a little help like I do: "Preparing Dried Beans" The link says to use 3 times the water, so it would be 9 cups of water not 6.)

Boiled beans and the rest before mixing.

Fry meat, onions, and garlic until brown. Add to drained beans with remaining ingredients. Simmer for about an hour.

All mixed and after an hour of simmering -- Yum.

With all the fixings and ready to eat. Nothing better on a cold and snowy day.

In a culinary rut? Try salad burgers!

My grandma's cookbook, Of Food and Thought, begins with January. The sub-headings are "Think Up New Project," "Wheat for Man," "Fun to Get Up in the Morning," "Let's Turn Over a New Leaf," "There is a Silver Lining," and "Quicker by the Dozen."

I've thought up a new project (borrowing heavily from grandma). Check! I made wheat for man--which I will share with you another day. Check!   I never find it fun to get up. No Check!  I've turned over a new leaf and found dirt below (I guess I need to start digging).  Check!  I'm looking for the silver lining but let's just leave it at that--after all nothing really is shiny in an inversion. No Check!  I am looking and I have yet to crack the code of quicker by the dozen.  Maybe in February. No Check!   This paragraph is a little depressing--sorry--I find the cookbook inspiring, tender, and most of all, intimidating.

Here's a sample of how I feel inadequate from January's chapter:

"Fun and nourishing lunch bag ideas:

1.  Chopped meat turn-overs in place of sandwiches
2.  Chopped peanuts added to ground ham and salad dressing for a nourishing sandwich filling.
3.  Dates stuffed with creamed cheese.
4.  Graham crackers put together with creamed cheese.
5.  Dried fruit, dampened and rolled in powdered sugar.
6.  Corned beef sandwich. Break the corned beef into pieces and combine with pickle relish, prepared mustard, and mayonnaise.  Season to taste and spread on rye bread.
7.  Spiced apple cider or apple juice--good with ham on rye.
8.  Thinly slice the top of hamburger buns.  Scoop out the center, butter, toast lightly.  Fill with egg salad and sprinkle with minced chives. Cover with top of bun.
9.  Sandwich made with three parts salted peanuts and 1 part carrot put through the grinder. Spread on graham bread. (What is graham bread?)
10. Scoop out the core of an apple and fill with chopped raisins."

Did I mention this cookbook came out in 1965? Before the feminist revolution!  Lunch at my house is make your own or eat at school.

For January grandma has 36 recipes.  This does not include the 40 or so mini recipes she throws in like the ones above or a fun new idea for supper--"Pancakes can be used for dinner as well as for breakfast.  Try them some night with creamed salmon over them and a crisp salad on the side." Somethings are better left untried! She has lists to liven up breakfast and after school snacks. I have to admit she is a little bit daunting. Breakfast at my house (similar to my lunch philosophy) is peanut butter toast or cereal, period--where my motto is everyone fends for themselves. 

 I remember thinking when my twins were about two and poked their darling heads up next to my bed at 6AM every single morning saying, "I want to eat," that I could not wait to teach them how to pour milk. Which I did as soon as they were strong enough to hold a one gallon milk jug. I am often, a do the simplest thing kind of woman, not the make anything extra type. So, reading my grandma's book is good for me! Right? 

So I studied the recipes to find one outside my comfort zone, as well as my family's, and had a brilliant idea, Salad Burgers!

Grandma said, "High protein salads contain eggs, meat, fish, cheese, or gelatin and may become the piece de resistance of the meal."

Salad Burgers

Makes 10 rolls

1/4 lb grated cheese

3 sliced hard-cooked eggs

1 can tuna

2 T chopped green pepper

2 T chopped onion

2 T chopped stuffed olives

2 T chopped sweet pickles (my family would have revolted at this so I used dill)

1/2 c mayonnaise

(I love ingredient pictures, I just think each individual food is so beautiful, just by itself!)

Mix all the ingredients.

Cut 10 wiener rolls (hot dog buns for those of us who don't like saying the word wiener).

Spread salad on rolls.

 Wrap each roll in aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes in a 250 degree F oven.

That's a lot of foil. 

Unwrap and eat.

Now for my turn--I think this could actually be good, but no one in my family  liked them because the buns got soggy! Yuck! Even I, who can for all intents and purposes eat anything--seriously anything (except cow liver), did not like this. I got about 3/4th the way through one. I made my son try it and he gagged--yes it's true, but he also gags on yummy food so I'm not sure it's a definitive judgement. 


Honestly, forget the tin foil. Toast the buns, put on the spread, then broil. It would make a yummy and festive tuna melt--If you like that sort of thing.

Poor Man's Fruit Cake - The fruit cake that brought me to tears (actually to weeping)!

I saved "Poor Man's Fruit Cake" for January with two reasons in mind. First, how fitting is that a fruit cake for January is called Poor Man's. Second, by the end of December I was really tired!!! So, I thought I'll do it the first week of January, then the second and so on and so on. Here we are the last day of January and I finally finished my fruit cake odyssey.

Everything was going really well. It was an easy recipe and since it had no candied fruit in it I thought it had a good chance of being my favorite. So yesterday, Sunday afternoon, my family wanted to go for a little ride to get out of the gloomy inversion, but I had to stay home because the recipe calls for 1 1/2 hours of baking. I put two loaves in the oven--one was a little over full so I knew to watch them because they would finish at different times. I was being extra careful because I wanted to give one to my Dad for his birthday that day--he just loves fruit cake. The first loaf finishes--and I thought--c'est magnifique! I had created a beautiful, golden brown, shiny fruit cake. It had little scalloped edges from the pan it was baked in--it was a cutie patootie!  I knew the second one would not be as beautiful--it was a little bloated on top and wouldn't have that perfect curve that is so important in quick breads. I also thought it might get a little too brown before it finished baking inside. Not to worry I at least had one perfect loaf to give!

I take it out of the pan to cool and go into my bedroom to rest for 10 minutes (who wouldn't need to rest after plumping raisins etc!). My family arrives home and I hear them talking happily in the kitchen. I ignore my exhaustion and go to greet them.  They were huddled around the carcass of my beautiful fruit cake as they ate and hacked at it. Not a slice or plate in sight, just eating where they stood. They looked at me and said something like, "slurp, slurp, gobble, gobble, yum, smack, lick."

My baby--they were eating my baby. They looked like dingos eating my baby! I exploded and started to weep. This is not an exaggeration--I was weeping over my little perfect cake--for about a half an hour. I tried to explain to myself and them why, I stuttered, "I stayed home to make this, It was for my aged father, Didn't you see how perfect it was? I take pictures of my food now before we eat it you know! Who eats like this--what are you savages?" They looked at me like I was from outer space and vacated the kitchen. I then took the carcass and was able to slice up half of it and take a picture for the blog. Alas, my father had to make due with the slightly bloated, a little too brown, excuse for a fruit cake that then emerged from the oven.

Once you weep over a fruit cake you really have had the complete fruit cake experience and probably shouldn't make any more for at least another 11 months.

Here's what my grandmother says about "Poor Man's Fruit Cake." "When you make such a rich cake, it is always good to make a poor man's cake for the children to enjoy during the holidays."

This cake is much healthier than the others - with less fat and sugar. It has a ton of raisins and currants and some nuts. It is yummy though and also a much easier recipe.

It has one funny ingredient 2 teaspoons of cocoa, and I honestly think it is just to give it a darker color so it looks richer than it is! Although I do think the cocoa does add a bit to the flavor profile.

Poor Man's Fruit Cake

1 cup seedless raising
1 package currants (still don't know exact amount, I found a box at the supermarket and used that.)
3 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (grandma calls for shortening, but I hate shortening and only use it if I'm scared butter won't give the right texture after baking.  Butter just tastes so much better to me and it worked great in this recipe.)

Put all ingredients in a sauce pan and cook for 15 minutes.  Cool to lukewarm.
This was really yummy smelling! Can't you just smell it -- buttery, sugary, plumpy raisins.

4 c sifted flour (remember I never sift)
1 t salt
2 t cinnamon
2 t nutmeg
2 t cocoa
1 1/2 t soda
1 t boiling water
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup broken walnuts

(A lot less ingredients than the previous cakes) 

Beat the eggs well, add the soda that has been dissolved in the 1 teaspoon boiling water. (Still don't know why we put the soda in boiling water.) Fold in the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the cooked fruit and liquid.  (I just poured the dry ingredients over the wet and folded away).  Fold in the walnuts.

Line the pans with waxed paper and grease them well. (I just greased my pans and it came out fine--it was a risk though.) Bake in 300 degrees F. oven for about an hour and a half. Place pan of a water on lower shelf of oven while baking the cake.  This amount will make 2 regular sized loaf pans and one small one. (For some reason I totally missed putting water on lower shelf and the part about it making a 3rd smaller loaf. I better start reading through the recipes better. No wonder my second loaf was bloated!)


Here are the 4 and 1/2 slices I had left after the vultures vacated the kitchen. If you like raisins it is very YUM!