Happy Thanksgiving and Cranberry Salad

This is very late obviously, but I am still trying to catch up from the semester.  My husband and I hosted Thanksgiving this year for his family and our extended family.  He made the turkey (isn't it beautiful) and I made mashed potatoes, wild rice stuffing, green beans, sauteed carrots, cheesecake and pumpkin bread with marscapone.  I also made the cranberry gelatin mold, but since it is my own creation I will share more on that later.

We have a lot of food allergies/needs so it is always a bit of a challenge to meet all of those.  My goal was to try to make as many items available to as many people as possible.  I managed to allow everyone to get all but one or two items.  The only place I didn't succeed was the cranberry gelatin as vegetarian gelatin is not consistent, and I ran out of time to troubleshoot.  Things turned out well though; we had a good variety as well as leftovers but not so many that I felt like people didn't like what was made.   The stuffing was a big hit, gluten-free, and vegetarian when I changed it to vegetable stock.  It also worked pretty well in the crockpot as long as I kept it on low and added extra liquid.  This was good as I had run out of stove/oven space. 

I think I may have found my Thanksgiving menu finally.  I like tradition, and so I wanted to find a menu that I could really master over the years.  I thought it should be interesting though.

 For our family, pie is always a losing battle. I have to make 4 pies for 8 people in order to ensure that everyone has something they like and are not allergic too.  Cheesecake works for everyone and pumpkin bread helped make it feel more festive.  They are pretty heavy desserts, but it is the least amount of work.

My family never really did the whole "cranberry" thing with thanksgiving.  I think at most we had the canned stuff.  I really love molded gelatins but find most of them unpalatable, so this was my big challenge to myself.  I did some reading online and combined elements from a couple different recipes.  What I came up with worked pretty well and I am overall pleased. 

 
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you have much to be thankful for.  I know I do.

Spiced Orange Cranberry Gelatin

1 bag  (12 oz.) cranberries

½ cup  sugar

1 navel orange, peeled, sectioned and chopped (zest the orange first)

1-1/2 cups  boiling water

2 pkg.  (3 oz each) JELL-O Cranberry Flavor Gelatin, or any red flavor (I used cranberry and raspberry -they only had one cranberry left at the store)

1 tsp.  or 1 packet of mulling spice

1-1/2 cups  cold water

1 Tbsp.  lemon juice

 

PLACE cranberries in food processor container; cover. Process until finely chopped; place in medium bowl. Add sugar, chopped orange segments and zest; mix well.

PREP a 6-cup mold with cooking spray.  Add fruit mixture.

BRING water with the mulling spice to a boil. Strain out the spices and stir boiling water into dry gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in cold water and lemon juice.

ADD gelatin to mold.  Stir gently so the fruit is distributed throughout the gelatin.  Alternately, you can allow the gelatin to set for an hour and then add the fruit, but I wanted to go to bed so I did them all at once.

REFRIGERATE 6 hours or until firm. Unmold. Garnish as desired. Store leftover salad in refrigerator.  If the mold does not release, place in a dish of warm water to allow the mold to expand slightly and the gelatin to release from the sides.

Yellow Cake Mix Expermients or Uranium Pancakes

I have a confession to make.  I don’t like pancakes.  I really, really want to like pancakes.  It is cake you can have for breakfast.  It is portable cake that you can cover in all sorts of other goo.  How can I not like pancakes?

But the thing is that pancakes aren’t really cake.  The ratios of fat to starch and dry to liquid as well as the variance in leavening really make this an entirely different animal.  But, I order pancakes expecting them to taste like yellow cake and they never do.  I have tried all sorts of variations and recipes, and while I have made some fairly tasty pancakes, they don’t ever taste like what I want them to taste like…yellow cake.

My husband and I were discussing this, and he asked me the question that has been staring me in the face all this time…Why don’t I just make pancakes out of cake batter?  He has a point.  I mean really what is the worst that can happen.  If it doesn’t work, I can just pour the rest of the batter in a cake pan and throw it in the oven.  I would still have cake, and I may even discover a pancake I would actually like.

I decided I would do this with a cake mix because I wasn’t certain I wanted to invest the time it takes to make the cake batter from scratch.  As mentioned above, I am also aware of the differences between cake and pancake batter.   For one thing, cake batter is significantly thinner than pancake batter.  I really didn’t want to have cake batter running all over my griddle and the counter and the floor, etc when I poured into the pan.  

I opted to do a little research into the differences and see if there is a way that I could balance the batter without losing the yellow cake essence.  I started looking at recipes in my trusted sources (Alton Brown and Joy of Cooking)*.    Pancakes require a starch (all-purpose flour or a blend of flours  or what have you), some sort of fat, some sort of liquid, a leavening agent, and a binder (well and a flavoring agent but that really isn’t all that necessary with pancakes).  Cakes have similar requirements.  In the end though, the method by which heat is applied to each to create the chemical reactions necessary for either to turn out as intended is drastically different.  So the ratios and types of ingredients is going to change.

Cakes rise because of the leavener (generally some combination of baking soda and baking powder) ; however because of the slower cooking time, they don’t need as much as the pancakes do.  This is because the other thing that makes them rise is the steam that builds up inside the cakes.  The starch helps hold these pockets of steam until the protein in the eggs heats and binds together forming a spongy network that holds it shape even after the steam evaporates (I couldn’t find my chem paper for college a few years ago so I am probably not explaining that entirely correct).

Pancakes heat much faster.  It is the reason pancakes don’t use butter.  Butter is where the water to create the steam often comes from in cake recipes.  Butter melts too fast in pancakes so you end up with fat and no water (it already evaporated) before the pockets have formed.  Essentially it’s a great big mess, and pancakes really need to hold their own shape while heating.   The steam thing happens differently so more chemical leavening is required to get the necessary rise in the shorter-hotter cooking time.  Many of the ingredients also need to do a little double duty.  For instance many pancake recipes call for buttermilk as it adds fat and moisture at the same time and also helps with the leavening process.

While I understand the process, neither my chemistry or my algebra skills are really strong enough to determine what exactly I needed to do to give this experiment its best possible hope for success.  And, then I remembered that most ideas have been probably already been thought by someone else before you.  In the age of almost ubiquitous internet, someone has also probably blogged about it.

And it’s true.  The sites I had read confirmed my suspicions from above and provided some handy ratios.  I wasn’t willing to invest in a grocery store run for experimental breakfast, so I took their ratios and combined them with what I had in my pantry to come up with the following:

1 yellow cake mix

1-1.5 cups flour

Almost 1 tsp more of baking soda, about a tablespoon of sugar, and some extra salt (maybe a pinch or two)

2 cups vanilla almond milk

½ cup sour cream (I had some I wanted to use up)

2 eggs

A splash of vanilla

Cake mix is really clumpy and I ended up needing to use a hand mixer to get this to break down.  I worried this would over process the batter a bit, but it needed to be done.  Sifting might be a better option.

It actually worked pretty well.  I ended up with pancakes that tasted like yellow cake.   

These are a little too sweet to really be a breakfast food but they aren’t a bad snack.  It makes A LOT of batter so I ended up pouring the rest in a bundt pan with some chocolate chips and popping it in the oven.  I am not sure that these have converted me to a pancake eater, but I certainly had an enjoyable scientific experiment this morning.

*Yes, it is bad science to add too many variables.  I am however not looking for publication in a scientific journal or a prize for innovations in cake making, so I am not really troubled by this

Yes, Virginia, relationships are hard.

A friend recently shared this article, and it provoked some thought.  I don’t claim to be an expert on any of this so please take this for what it is worth. However, this article does talk about the impact of what not talking about all the facets of relationships has on our society in terms of creating realistic expectations. As someone in a relationship, I wanted to share my impressions.
  I absolutely agree with the premise of this article that our culture is bad at teaching others that relationships are hard.  They are hard or at very least take work.  And, I understand why the author chose to focus on that and not talk about the good that comes from relationships.  We hear it a lot, so it is not a new discussion.  However, I think it hurts the argument somewhat to not elaborate more on the positive outcomes of that hard work that comes with relationships.

 In the article, the author discusses a couple who had every outward appearance of a strong, happy relationship that was actually inwardly falling apart, and from there started a discussion of how our public perceptions of a "good" relationship can hurt us.  I don't disagree with any of this.  However, I also don't disagree with the couple that tried to hide their issues. 

 I have had arguments with my husband and perhaps some of those would have taken our relationship in a different direction had we not worked it out.  Disagreements don't necessarily mean a relationship is heading in the wrong direction (though I realize media and public opinion differs there as well).  Often times, disagreements can make things stronger even if it doesn’t feel that way at the time.  I don't share that piece of my relationship publicly because at their core the arguments are about the two of us learning to understand the others needs and figure out if we can meet them.  In my opinion that is a private discussion, and I think involving others would change its outcome and not necessarily for the better.  I am not saying that couples shouldn’t ask for help if they need it.  People should always be able to ask for help.  I am only saying that the fact that a couple doesn’t publicly air their dirty laundry doesn’t mean they are setting other couples up for failure.

I am not certain that keeping this part of our relationship private hurts other couples.  Perhaps there are couples who look at my relationship and find theirs lacking.  Perhaps this is because they don't see the struggle that comes with the "good" things.  At the same time, I think you build the relationship you need.  My partner and I brought to the table what we needed and what we were willing to give.  We each had areas we were and were not willing to compromise on.  Someone from the outside may see something they respect in what we have, but if they and their partner are not willing to build that it won't work for them.  Just as there are things I see in other couples that wouldn't work for me, I know that my needs are different.  There have also been a number of times that I have seen a successful relationship and thought I don't know how they do it because for me that relationship would not meet my needs. I assume that others looking at mine probably say the same thing.  It isn't about the "right" way and the "wrong" way to have a relationship; it is not a contest. 

 I also agree that as a culture we are not very good at showing that love isn't all you need to make a relationship successful.  There are couples that can make a marriage work even if they don’t love each other.  I also know a couple that was madly in love but couldn’t ever get the details right.  They couldn’t figure out how to be in love and also live together or work together.  I think love is important.  It gives a couple something to hold onto when they reach a rocky point in the relationship.  However, love is not the only thing that can make a relationship successful.  The work that goes into a relationship never stops.  There is never a moment when a couple is done building that bond.  It is an evolution.  Both people are changing which means their needs are changing. 

And, let's be realistic, the relationship itself is changing.  The author also mentions the concept of limerance.  It is what is exciting in the newness of a relationship.  However, it is also the time when you start to build the foundation for what comes next.  When limerance starts to fade, it changes the interactions between the partners a little bit.  Some relationships don't survive this.  Some relationships get better.  Some relationships miss opportunities at this phase which can hurt things down the road.  It varies for every couple.  However, that euphoria doesn't necessarily go away; it just changes and the couple decides what that means.  I see couples who have been together for 50 years still grinning at each other like love struck teenagers.  For other couples, it isn't the PDA but just being their when the other needs them that maintains that initial bond.

I admit that I did grow up watching romantic Cinderella movies.  I grew up believing in the fairy tale.  I also had the good fortunate to grow up watching a marriage that works.  My parents still hold hands; they also still have arguments.  It doesn't matter how many decades you get through with another person, disagreements are going to happen.  As much as I wanted to fall in love, I also knew that relationships don't stop there.  And, honestly, a comfortable settled relationship doesn't generally make for good entertainment.  The only times it really seems to be successful in media is when we see a couple already established who has gone through all the different phases of falling in love already off camera.  And I have to admit that as much as enjoy my relationship, I wouldn't want to watch a TV show about us.

 We are all so different and respond to our own individual needs in different ways.  Bringing another person into that part of our lives is both rewarding and frustrating.  Having someone to support you and be there when it looks like there is no light at the end of the tunnel feels like magic sometimes.   However, the other person has needs too and those don't go away just because they are helping you with yours.  Sometimes we meet the person whose needs balance with our own, and we build a relationship with that person.  Sometimes they don't and both people look for other options.

There is no perfect formula for a happy marriage because no two people are the same nor do they interact the same.  I believe research has shown that there are some basic core components that make a relationship successful, but how each couple meets those components varies with what each partner brings to the table.  I think the only thing that really seems to be consistent to having a successful relationship is that both partners are committed to making that relationship a success.  This commitment can mean the difference between an argument that creates a positive change in a relationship and an argument that destroys it.  If both partners want to work it out, they are much more likely to be successful in doing so (though admittedly not always).

I agree with the author that relationships are hard.  Relationships are hard but for good reason.  It is always hard work to build something meant to last.  It doesn't mean that the difficulty of the task is unrewarding.  Have my husband and I argued? Yes. Have we hurt each other?  Yes. Do we make each other crazy sometimes? Yes.  Have we grown stronger because of it? Yes.  Would I change that?  No.  Relationships are worth it when you get it right.  I still have those moments when I am struck by how much I love what we have, and I lean over and tell my husband exactly that.  Sometimes other people witness this.  I am not doing this to flaunt my happiness at others.  I don't do this because I am saying "look at how effortless love is."  I do this because I never want to miss an opportunity to let him know how much I appreciate him.  It creates good karma for the difficult times ahead… and there always are.

What I think would be of benefit to our culture is not just explaining that relationships are hard, but helping others understand how to get through the difficult times.  I worry that just saying that relationships are hard might encourage a culture that just accepts it without putting the work into making sure that relationships aren't always hard.  I don't think it is just the awareness that is lacking.  I think that there is also a lack of understanding of the different kinds of relationships, the different stages of relationships, and some of the techniques to help get people through.  

Wooten Standard Desk

I almost forgot to mention the beautifully restored Wooten Standard Desk at the Morris-Butler house...it held all these little drawers and cubbies for sorting things.  It was a thing of beauty.

GenCon 45

We just got back from GenCon 45 in Indianapolis.  There were a lot of ups and downs but in general I had a really great time.

Wednesday night when everyone arrives, the usual gang meets up at Buca di Beppo.  It is a family style Italian restaurant.  It is loud and crazy and at the same time has this strange way of making everyone family.  It is a little intense for me, but this year I got to enjoy its jois de vivre as well.  It is a nice way to start the week.

It being GenCon there was of course a lot of games.  I played a couple of games of Brass and Steel and decided to pick up some of their materials.  I am debating whether or not I am up for running my own LARP using one of their quick starts.  I also played a couple of LARPs that involved some wacky hijinks.  They were both playtests so there were some details to iron out, but I had a good time.

This year I decided to do some costuming.  I made a steampunk-esque costume for Friday (skirt and apron with an exterior corset-the first one that I made was too large so I steampunked it).  Saturday I wore my Victorian polonaise.  I have been working on this for about a year and made all the foundation garments and exterior garments myself.  One of the LARPs for Saturday was set in the Morris-Butler house which is a restored Victorian home.  The LARP itself was supposed to be Edwardian themed but all the participants had a variety of costumes from Victorian to 1920s.  This was one of the best LARP experiences I have had.  Aside from the unbelievable setting, it felt like all of the players were committed to creating an atmosphere.  I have had some of the best in-game conversations in my brief game experience.

The house was unbelievable.  I want to go back and take a regular tour so  that I can learn more about it.  The restoration group did such an amazing job creating an atmosphere of "home".  The details were incredible and included a pair of handmade knit socks and some tatting in process on one chair.  The remade kitchen was just magic.  I loved every moment.


There were some incredible costumes this year.  I have noticed that there are some interesting levels of costume at GenCon.  For some people it is a chance to wear all the wacky things they don't get to wear in everyday life.  Then there are the pre-made costumes that no one ever seems comfortable in, but they offer a good start.  Then there are the costumes that are made like clothes.  In the end, I think the best clothes are the ones that the wearer owns the look.  Some costumes wear the person.  Some costumes are worn.  One of the Darth Vader's was so well-played that people cleared a path for them. 

GenCon provides a good opportunity for geeks to be awesome.  It is fun to be apart of that.

Thank you...

Earlier this summer, someone sent me an anonymous book...I finally had the chance to read it.  I enjoyed it.  Thank you for the interesting read and for thinking of me.

A bit of noir

This was for my detective fiction class this semester. We were supposed to write in the voice of Raymond Chandler:

"The chimes rang in the chipper sing-song of a battered old parakeet, and the heavy oak door creaked as it admitted the occupants with a blast of October rain. The smell of damp earth mixed with the heady aroma of strong coffee, and the chill made me wrap my fingers around my mug tighter. The couple clung to each other and laughed at the grand adventure of their own love story. I hunkered back into my seat. Not my client then. The room was busy for the middle of the afternoon; I wondered what it was about Wednesdays that attracted rain and misfortune. The chimes struck again but stopped abruptly like everything else in the room. A tall drink of a woman walked into the coffee shop desperate and fierce and bracing herself for trouble as she casually withdrew a gun from her handbag. It was a good thing I was thirsty."

A beautiful suit...

I love this suit. I love it because it is so classically beautifully simple. It is a suit for a woman and not just a woman pretending to dress like a man (which is how most women's suits are tailored). It is understated. The woman who wore this, wore it at that crucial interview, the first big presentation she had to give, her husband's inauguration (it was the 60s lets be realistic), or may be even someone's funeral. It has spent most of its life carefully protected in the closet so that it could be brought out precisely when its own particular magic was needed. It never detracted from the fearsome power of the woman that wore it. Its elegance is easily underestimated so that the real woman who wore it could shine through. It is just as relevant 50 years later as it was in the 60s. It is a solemn statement but such a powerful one. I want to pretend that the woman who wore this dress passed it on to her granddaughter to wear to her first interview and maybe even her own inauguration. This is why I love beautiful clothes - because the truly well-designed pieces will live lives of their own and allow the wearer find the truth of their own story.

Guilty Pleasures...

I have a bit of confession to make. I am sort of obsessed with cosmetics. I love looking at beauty magazines, trolling the makeup aisle at stores, watching makeup how to videos, and I desperately adore Sephora. I am sort of rubbish at applying it so I think I purchase more then I actually consume, but it remains a guilty pleasure.

I did have some thoughts on some popular products that I have tried and my experiences with them. Now, please remember these are my experiences (for better or worse) and your mileage may vary. Also, I know rubbish all about what I am doing. I thought though that might be why it is helpful information

MAKE UP FOR EVER 5 Camouflage Cream Palette - No. 1
I have generally very very fair skin and a lot of problem areas including somewhat impressive dark under-eye circles. In fact even though purple eyeshadow is highly recommended for my hazel eyes, I never where it for fear of looking like I lost a fist fight. I heard good things about this palette and decided to give it a try. The nice thing about this palette is that it gives you a green and a peachy tone for hiding redness and some common skin coloration issues. There is a also a variety of shades of concealer which can be blended for a multitude of skin types and skin problems. The problem is that these are very thick creams. And, you really need to let them warm up to cover well. I found that they drag across my skin a bit. They are good concealers, but if you have problems with blending (like I do) this may not be the best choice.

Revlon Color Stay Foundation – This was recommended for its coverage which is okay but it feels sticky/tacky on the skin and I thought that it smelled like paint. It definitely felt like makeup which rather than making me feel beautiful made me feel more aware of my imperfections. I am really not a fan of this product. I tried giving it a second chance but I just do not like the way it wears.

Revlon Photo Ready Compact – I actually really love the coverage of this cream to powder foundation. It really softens and smooths out skin’s imperfections. I find it a bit messy and I am often heavy handed with makeup so I have to be super careful when applying this. However, I have to say this is probably the best coverage foundation that I have found.

Mary Kay Eye Make-Up Remover – Probably the best eye make-up remover on the market hands down. Or at least I should say that for $15 this is the best product I have found and is good enough that I don’t feel the need to try more expensive versions out there. It is admittedly more expensive then the box store brands out there. However, it does an incredible job of removing your eye makeup and leaves your skin feeling soft and nourished afterwards. Worth every penny.

Tarte Smooth Operator – This tinted moisturizer is a recent find for me. I have really oily skin but it is also incredibly sensitive and so the products that deal with oil are too harsh for my face and the products that are for sensitive skin just get absorbed by the oil. This moisturizer seems to get along with my skin and it has pretty good coverage. It is not as good as the Photo Ready but it is a little more forgiving to apply for my non-skilled-ness and I can apply it with my fingers which gives me more control.

Eye Primers – I have tried Urban Decay’s Primer Portion and while I love the packaging I just don’t think that it delivers. Everyone speaks very highly of it and I realize that it is a generally well regarded product. I just don’t think it does its job as well as e.l.f.’s Eye Concealer. Granted I have thin and highly veined skin over my eyes so I like that e.l.f.’s Eye Concelear provides me some coverage, but I also think it does a better job of priming the lids for my shadows than Urban Decay. I haven’t had a chance yet to try e.l.f.’s eye primer product but I would like to after my positive experience with their concealer.

Girl Meets Pearl – I really want to like this product. It smells of raspberry’s, it provides a soft pinky glow to the skin, it is generally lovely. I just can’t figure out a way to work it into my beauty routine and have it do what my face needs. I keep playing with it though. It is one of the prettiest and subtlest illuminizing products that I have found which I also like.

L’Oreal HiP Eyeliner – I picked up a metallic silver in this pencil liner, and it is really creamy and really pigmented. It went on very smooth, and I am really interested to try some of their other HiP liners.

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Concealer – I love this stuff. Really great coverage. It blends into the skin. It seems almost fool proof. Love love love…which means they are probably discontinuing it.

Mascara - I have a mascara curse. I have long dark eyelashes which I would love to highlight with mascara. However, I always get dark fallout under my eyes which extenuates the circles and tiredness around my eyes. I have tried waterproof and smudge proof and smudgy waterproof of every brand I can afford and I have little to no success. Mary Kay had one years ago that was great and while their Ultimate is close I still get the fall out. I am crushed.

Thoughts on mysteries

I just started my detective fiction course for school and I thought that his assignment might help better expound upon some of the things I have been trying to convey through this blog for some time.

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There is something comforting about a murder mystery or at least certain murder mysteries for me. I am speaking particularly of the ones where one finds oneself in a small hamlet, with an over large cemetery. These are the ones where every time you meet a new character they are either a victim or a murderer. Stir in a lead character with some pluck and let the mayhem ensue. It is a little certainty in an uncertain world for me as a reader. I particularly like mysteries where the lead sleuth is an amateur. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be Jessica Fletcher when I grew up, and I am still drawn to that kind of mystery novel protagonist.

I didn’t cut my teeth on Sherlock Holmes like most people do. I always thought there was something pretentious about Sherlock Holmes that made me less interested in reading those stories. It wasn’t until the recent BBC production of Sherlock Holmes that I saw a version of him that I was drawn to, and having heard the portrayal is generally accurate to the novels, I have been excited to read the books. Doyle has been in my reading queue for a bit, so the fact that I get to read them for this class is an added bonus.

Anyway, my first real eye-opening introduction to mysteries came when I was about 10 with “Angie’s First Case” by Donald Sobol (of Encyclopedia Brown fame). It was the first chapter book I had really been engaged in, and the first time I was so enthralled by a book that I curled up and read it cover to cover on a Saturday afternoon. I loved the experience so much I have been afraid to re-read it for fear that it would no longer be what I imagined it to be. For this reason, I have lost most of the story line and couldn’t offer much comment.

My favorite mystery/thriller novel though is probably “Cranes of Ibycus” by Mary Craig. This was a book my mom picked up at a library book sale when I was a teenager which I promptly borrowed. It was so much more then I expected to be, and the story was so driving that I couldn’t put it down. A couple of years ago, my mom gave me the book when I asked if I could borrow it again. As much as I was afraid of the disappointed nostalgia, I fell in love with it all over again. I tend to prefer the type of mystery where an amateur gets caught up in a complex problem (murder or otherwise) they can’t solve, and the story becomes a journey through all of the clues and processes that lead them to a resolution. Many times, and “Cranes of Ibycus” is not an exception, the character grows through this experience and there is nothing more important to me in a story of any genre of fiction then character development.

This book is not a murder mystery per se and it certainly isn’t detective fiction. But it is does feel so thrilling while one is reading it. The characters are ones that you can care about which is actually a fairly important factor in a novel for me because it means that you start to care about the same things they do and one can get caught up in those near-death or near-awesome experiences. It is an out-dated and out-of-print book but one of the most enjoyable reads I have ever had.

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Actually writing this I found that there is another out-of-print book by Mary Craig and I purchased it on Amazon. I may have to wait until June to read it but I wanted to find some of that same reading experience again.