Kate Sanner

I am sitting and writing in a room that has several windows that let the light pour in and give me a view of the hay farm that adjoins our property about ten feet from the windows.  Our propertyis separated from the farm by a chest-high barbed wire fence that is left over from the days when the hay farm was a dairy farm and part of our property was on the path the cows took to migrate to the pasture across the road.

It is the time of year that marks the first mowing of hay. This year, there was a delay in getting the first cutting done; the frequent heavy rainfall left the fields too wet to cut. As soon as there were a couple dry days predicted, both hay farmers sprung into action.

As I write, I hear the familiar rumbling and clanking of farm machinery coming on to the property behind my house. Sunday, the mower arrived to cut the entire field of hay into neat rows. Monday, the machinery arrived to do the spreading out of the hay. This morning, the same piece of equipment came to “mix up” the hay to prepare for baling. In the early afternoon, several high sided wagons arrived along with the equipment that puts the hay back into rows and the baler that bundles it into neat rectangular packages. By early evening, the workers operating the machinery were done.  

Year after year, I see this routine repeated several times during the summer and I still delight in watching it being done. The baler now comes by the window…chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, clank, “thunk”…as the baler collects enough hay to make a bale and jettisons it into the wagon. As soon as the bales from the first pass are done and the wagon is full, the other piece of machinery comes in to make more rows while a new wagon is attached to the baler readying it for the process to begin again. There is a rhythm to this work just as there is a rhythm to all life in the country.

Here in the country, the spring brings the parade of color that starts with the tulips and daffodils all the way through to the blooming of the crepe myrtle. Summer brings the greeness of the crops in nearby farms from seedlings all the way to harvest. Fall brings a blaze of color of darker hues. Winter brings a starkness and sometimes a blanket of white - signs that nature is at rest and waiting to be reborn. Every season yields to the next and each brings its own beauty. And each season also brings its challenges. Spring is punctuated by thunderstorms that often cause power outages. Summer drones on with heat and humidity and the perpetual mowing of lawns. Autumn brings drier weather, shortnening days and mounds of leaves to rake. Winter brings the threat of life coming to a standstill if there is any appreciable snowfall. Nature is orderly and predictable.

And though life in the human world isn’t always orderly and predictable, it too has its rhythm. Childhood has its joyfulness and its steep learning curve. Adolescence brings the discovery of one’s identity and the thrill of first love but also the intense experience of rejection. Young adulthood brings work, family and friends but also many responsibilities and much striving. Midlife brings the satisfaction of looking on what we have created and seeing that it is good but also a sense that life is flying by. Old age brings a feeling of wholeness and completeness but also the experience of many losses.

This is the tenth summer I have lived in the country and I am amazed at how quickly the years have flown by. I am mindful of the passing of time and the challenges I face but appreciative of the opportunities that the years have brought. And I am grateful - in the midst of challenge and change - for the small rituals of life like the mowing of hay.

The Recipe

This is a wonderful dish that is earthy and rich.  The contrast of color reminds me of the fields of hay and straw that I see here in the country.

Paglia e Fieno

Straw and Hay Pasta

1/4 cup Butter (I use Organic Valley)

1 pound fresh Mushrooms, chopped (I use crimini or baby portabella)

1/4 cup minced Onion

1/2 cup Whipping Cream

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons  freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground Black Pepper

Spinach Fettucine (8 oz.)

Fettucine (8 oz.)

Optional:  Cooked peas - about 3/4 cup (I use Cascadian Farms Premium Organic Frozen Garden Peas).  You can also add slivers of prosciutto.  If you use either or both of these, fold them in right before you serve the dish and let them warm through.

Melt butter in a large skillet; add mushrooms and onion. Saute until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, add the whipping cream and cheese to the cooked mushrooms and onion. Cook over low heat until warm, stirring well.  Drain pasta. Add pasta immediately to the mushroom sauce.  Mix gently. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired.  Serve at once.

8 servings

Enjoy the pasta!

Thanks for reading.

Kate Sanner

(c) 2009

Growing up in Buffalo, New York, my memories of Easter tend to cluster around church, food and family.

Church was always a huge part of my childhood…it being the center of life in Polonia - the Polish community of Buffalo (and most large cities).  The many church services of Lent led to Palm Sunday and the intensity of Holy Week.  My most favorite service of this time of the liturgical year took place on Holy Thursday evening.

The children of my parochial elementary school would march in procession around the church carrying potted lilies and hyacinths that would be placed by the Communion rail.

The church was arrayed beautifully in gold and white as we commemorated the Last Supper. Then after the end of the Mass, the priests would begin the process of stripping the altars of their finery, the tabernacles were left opened, emptied of chalices and Communion hosts, all to portray the the transition from the beauty of the Last Supper to the betrayal by Judas, the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus’ arrest and appearance before Pilate, the mockery and scourging. Jesus had been taken away and was no longer among us.

After our sanctuary was laid bare, parishioners would then go on foot or by car to visit several other parishes - each of their sanctuaries laid equally bare - to pay homage.  This yearly pilgrimage remains burned in my memory as one of the most reverent times I have ever experienced.  Despite the crowds in each of the churches, there was silence.  And in the starkness of each of the churches, one could feel the anticipation of the suffering of Good Friday.  There was a holiness in that silence and lack of grandeur.

Back on the sidewalk, walking to other parishes, we would often run in to old family friends and neighbors and this memory brings a smile to my face as I remember myself as a young girl watching the adults and listening attentively to their conversations.  Parishioners and neighbors were close back then; and for better or worse, people knew each others business.

Good Friday was filled with services all day long.  The hours between 12-3 PM were the most solemn as these were  believed to be the hours during which Jesus hung on the cross.  No work was to be done during this time and many times we were in church.

 From the evening of Good Friday through Easter morning, there was a guard by the cave-like tomb of Jesus that was placed at the base of a side altar.  There lay the body/statue of the crucified Jesus, covered with a linen cloth. The lights of the church were dim, candles were lit and at each side of the tomb stood boys in their Scout uniforms, or men in their Knights of Columbus uniforms, or men from the Holy Name society…all silent sentinels engaged in a task they considered an honor.  At any time during this period, one could enter the church and kneel and pray in the pews in front of that altar.  Once again, this is one of my most reverent memories from this time.

On Holy Saturday, in the afternoons,  we would assemble our Swienconka basket (Swienconka is the traditional Polish meal eaten for brunch or lunch on Easter).  We would then go to church where there would be a service during which the priest would bless the baskets.  Once back home, everything was stored & refrigerated to eat the next day after Easter Mass. (Seehttp://www.polamjournal.com/Library/Holidays/Easter/easter.html#Beginners for more information on Swienconka and other Polish Easter traditions. Be sure to also read about “Dyngus Day” which occurs on Easter Monday.  There are still many celebrations & parties on this day. My memories of Dyngus Day aren’t of being chased by boys with pussy willow branches as was the custom during my mother’s youth, but I always enjoyed her telling me the stories about it.)

On Easter morning, we attended the 9 AM Mass as a family….always arrayed at that service in our Easter finest. For weeks prior to Easter,  my Mother would take us girls shopping to buy new hats, gloves, shoes, purses, dresses and sometimes a coat - whatever we might have needed that year.  Those were the days when dressing for church was expected and wearing a hat (or some head covering) was mandatory for women.  Getting a new hat was my favorite part of Easter shopping, though all the rest seemed pretty tedious to me.  I’m still not much of a shopper but do get excited when I find a hat department in a department store and usually spend time trying some on.

Then there are, of course, all the wonderful memories related to food which is always an integral part of Polish culture, but especially true at holiday time.

I remember that my rectangular willow Easter basket made in Poland would be filled with chocolates in an incredible variety of shapes and figures from places like Mike’s Homemade Candies (http://mikescandies.com/index.html),Wahl’s Candies (http://wahlscandies.com/)  or one of the stalls at the Broadway Market (http://broadwaymarket.org/), the 120 year old market famed for its ethnic old world shopping atmosphere.

After Easter Mass, we would come home to enjoy Swienconka  It was part of every Easter when I was growing up and is still done by my family and others of Polish heritage.  Our family always includes the same items - hard boiled eggs, ham, kielbasa, farmers cheese, a round loaf of rye bread with a cross cut into the top before baking, a butter lamb, horseradish usually a cake in the shape of a lamb and always placek. Placek is a Polish Coffee Cake .  This buttery, yeast-based, crumb-topped baked good is considered a staple for the holidays but it was available in most Polish bakeries year round.

The Recipe

Here is the recipe from a family friend, Sophie, who had the reputation of being a great baker. Though Sophie would have done it all by hand, feel free to use a mixer.

Sophie’s Placek

2 1/2 sticks of butter

2 1/4 Cups of Milk

1 1/2 Cups of Sugar

12 Egg Yolks

1 scant Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon of Brandy

2 small Cakes of Yeast or 2 packages of Dry Yeast

1 Cup Raisins (we always used golden)

 6 cups Flour

Heat buter and 2 cups milk almost to boil.  Beat egg yolks until thick, add sugar and beat well.  THen ad the hot butter and milk.  Beat until lukewarm, add salt and brandy.

Dissolve yeast with 2 Teaspoons sugar and 1/4 cup lukewarm milk.  Add to egg mixture.

Add raisins and flour and beat until smooth.

Let rise one hour, punch down and let rise for another hour.  Grease loaf pans (2 small or one large).

Pour in batter and top with crumbs.

Crumb Topping

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

Mix together with your fingers and keep working until you have medium sized crumbs.  DO NOT use a mixer on this one.

Bake at 375 degrees.  30-45 minutes, depending on the size of pan used.

Test with a toothpick…if it comes out dry, then the placek is baked thoruhg.  If any dough clings to the toothpick, it needs more baking time.

Happy Easter!  Wesolego Alleluja!

Enjoy the Placek.

Thanks for reading.

Kate

(c) 2009

Last year brought a lot of good things…some after a great deal of effort, some after a last minute push.

The new website for my company Vivacity (http://vivacitynow.com) was one example of a good thing coming after a great  deal of effort.  After many revisions, last minute changes, delays and lots of anxious moments, it finally was done and I was thrilled with the result.

Our vegetable garden, on the other hand, started off well (producing a bumper crop of fresh asparagus)…but then a series of events conspired to delay much of the planting.  Many of the vegetables never even made it out of the seed state…never reached their vegetable potential.  And though it took a little push, we finally did get the tomato plants in - albeit rather late - so that in August when everyone was enjoying juicy tomatoes of all varieties, all we had were plants that were finally beginning to mature.  I have to admit that we had our doubts about whether we would ever have a tomato to enjoy before the frost set in.  Then, sometime in October, my husband began harvesting tomatoes and before I knew it, I had eighteen pounds of Roma tomatoes ready to be transformed into homemade pasta sauce.  The late tomatoes were magnificent…ripe, delicious and perfect for making into sauce.

I know the value of being a “late tomato”…I myself am one and I know many others personally.  We are Baby Boomer women, some of us well into midlife, who finally have hit our stride and have finally come into our own magnificence.  And though some of us may have missed becoming all we could be when we were younger, we are experiencing a real satisfaction in and enjoyment of the accomplishments we are now achieving. ..and that’s  incredibly delicious.

The Recipe

Homemade Marinara Sauce

Though there are many great pasta sauces available, there’s nothing better than homemade Marinara Sauce.  The scent of it cooking is a joy and the flavor is superior to anything you buy prepared. And though I prefer using fresh Roma tomatoes when I make sauce, this is a fast, easy and delicious version that I like to make when I have a little more time to prepare dinner rather than just opening a jar and heating up the contents.  With very little effort, you can have a full-bodied pasta sauce that takes a fraction of the time it takes to cook from scratch with fresh tomatoes.  You can also “accessorize” it well.

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Medium size Organic Onion, chopped

2 cloves (or more if you prefer) of fresh Organic Garlic , finely chopped

1 - 28 ounce can chopped Organic Tomatoes (Trader Joe’s brand is great, as is Safeway’s O Organics (TM) brand and Muir Glen Organic Canned Tomatoes)

1- 6 ounce can Organic Tomato Paste  (same brands listed above)

16 ounces Red Wine or Spring Water (or more depending on how thick you like your sauce)

1/2 to 1 Teaspoon of salt (use at your discretion)

Coarsely Ground Black Pepper (use as much or as little as you like)

1 teaspoon dried Organic Thymes Leaves (Once again, Trader Joe’s is a resource as is Safeway)

1 teaspoon Organic Basil

1/2 teaspoon Organic Oregano

Heat olive oil in large deep skillet over low-medium heat.  Add chopped onions and chopped garlic.  Saute over low-medium heat for 7-10 minutes or until soft.  DO NOT brown as this will make them bitter.

Add in the canned tomatoes and tomato paste, mix; then add red wine or spring water .  (You may add more wine or water later after the sauce has been cooking if you like a thinner sauce.)  Add the salt, ground black pepper and seasonings.  Mix thoroughly.

Raise heat to medium and bring sauce to a boil. Then lower the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 1/2 hour.

If you want to “accessorize” the sauce, you can saute any of the following ingredients separately in a little olive oil and add them to the sauce once it has reached a boil and the heat has been lowered:

1 pound ground turkey 

1 pound turkey sausage

Mushrooms - porcini, portabella, cremini or button or a combination

Roasted zuchinni, red peppers and/or eggplant and/or Steamed Broccoli - BUT add these into the sauce right before serving NOT during the cooking time.

Enjoy the sauce!  Thanks for reading.

 Kate Sanner

(c) 2009

Happy New Year Everyone!

It’s New Year’s Day and I’m reviewing 2008 and planning my goals for 2009.  One of my goals is to write more…including blogging…and finally getting my book done.

I haven’t blogged here in a long time…April to be exact. Spring was just beginning and I was anticipating the annual parade of color on our property.  Then, as if someone hit the Fast Forward button, it’s now winter and things are quite stark…except for the occasional evergreen.  This year just flew by!

I can pinpoint many of the reasons for the year passing so quickly:  My business Vivacity happily took up a lot of my time starting in late Spring.  The website redo and then the subsequent marketing push kept me hopping.  I still work in my psychotherapy practice though I am not as busy there as I have been in the past. On the home front, my husband had more health challenges which kept us both busy.

But the truth about the year flying by is much simpler…the older we get, the faster time goes.  And you know that old saying “time flies, when you’re having fun”?  Well, it seems to do so even when you’re not!.

So, in reviewing 2008 and setting my intentions for 2009, here are my New Year’s Realizations and Resolutions:

I keep my nose to the grindstone way too much… so I am going to step away from the grindstone more frequently

I live almost exclusively in the here and now (not entirely a bad quality)…so I am going to make sure I do more dreaming and planning for the future and more learning from the past.

I take life for granted a little too frequently…so I’m going to make every day count and live in gratitude more

I tend to think I can do everything myself…so I’m going to ask for help a lot more

I take on too much and then lapse into resentment…so I’m going to say no more often

I tend to work, work, work to the exclusion of everything else…so I am going to have more fun

If you have any realizations and resolutions to share, I would love to hear them!  Thank you for reading my blog.  I wish you much happiness, good health and success in the New Year!

The Recipe

 Punch

Here’s a vintage recipe from my archives to help you toast the New Year and any happy occasion  This is an old family recipe that I remember enjoying as a girl (the non-alcoholic version, of course!) in the ’50’s and ’60’s. It came from a good friend of my maternal great-Aunt Clara. This is the original recipe from the 1950’s, when most juices came canned…use cartons or bottles with equivalent amounts.

1 large can (about 32 oz.) pineapple juice

I large can (about 32 oz.)  tangerine juice (a hard one to find today.  I get a great tangerine and orange juice blend at Trader Joe’s, my home away from home)

1 large can frozen orange juice

1 large can fruit punch

1 quart ginger ale

1 pint whiskey (optional) When I was growing up, if hard liquor was drunk by the adults, it was almost always whiskey. You can use vodka or rum in this instead.

Maraschino cherries (optional if making ice mold - see below)

Blend juices the morning of the event or the night before.  Shake several times during the course of the day. Keep chilled.

Pour into punch bowl and add ginger ale just before ready to serve to give sparkle.  Add whiskey if desired at this point.

An ice mold can be added to the punch at this point, if desired.  Make the ice mold the day before.  Put about 10 maraschino cherries (always a staple in our refrigerator when I was growing up) in a ring mold that can be put in the freezer.  Add water and freeze. Unmold and add to punch when the festivities begin.

Thanks for reading! Enjoy the punch!

Kate Sanner

(c) 2009

Happy Spring!  As some of you know, I live in the country in Carroll County, Maryland.  I love country living for so many reasons and in every season of the year, but in early Spring, it’s all about the promise of the beautiful things that are to come.  The local family-owned orchard has hung out their “Opening Soon” sign and the jonquil and daffodil shoots have made an appearance all around our property…everything is right on the verge of coming to life.  Fresh asparagus from our garden is not far off!

And very soon, I will be witnessing the annual explosion of color as every bulb, rhizome, shrub, bush and tree that was planted over the years on this property will get its show time over the next couple months.  The progression from daffodils to tulips, to forsythia, to peonies, to lilacs, to dogwood blossoms, to azaleas, to iris, to the three fifteen foot rhododendron bushes all bursting forth at once with fuchsia flowers (to name but a few) goes on and on and on up until the last to appear crape-myrtle.  It is as magical as it is predictable.  And though we’ve added to this parade over the years we have lived here, I have my in-laws (who had owned and lived on this property) to thank for most of it.  And though God/Spirit/Nature is the source, none of this beauty happened by accident.  It took my husband’s family’s planning and hard work to craft it into this beautifully choreographed display.

Which reminds me of the wonderful story about “The Farmer and the Preacher” that Earl Nightingale recounted in Lead the Field.  Here is a short version:  A preacher was driving by a beautiful farm.  When he spotted the farmer near the road, the preacher stopped his car, called to him and said, “God has blessed you with a beautiful farm.” The farmer stopped and thought a moment.  Then he replied, “Yes, He has, and I’m grateful.  But you should have seen this place when He had it all to Himself.”

What a month! Mercury went into retrograde on January 28 and all heck broke loose! I’m not a big astrology follower but this is one phenomenon I buy into. Supposedly this is a time of a lot of personal misunderstandings, botched communications, breakdowns with communication and transportation devices, missed appointments and documents going missing. And I seem to have encountered all of the above as have several other people I know. As each new snafu occurrs, we commiserate and say “Well, after all, Mercury is in retrograde” and we all groan in agreement. It’s comical.

My Internet went down for 5 days and when one is running a business that is fairly dependent on the Internet, this is not a good thing. Though the main PC also went down, the hard drive survived…good news after the modem, router and a few USB ports got fried.

I was amazed at how disconnected I felt during these 5 days…and how utterly dependent I have become on technology. Having been born in 1950, I remember when computers took up entire rooms which had to be climate controlled. I remember keypunch cards back in college. What a difference almost 40 years makes.  And despite being a newbie to technology, I am completely fascinated by it and find myself wanting to learn more.

Since returning from cyber-exile, I have been playing a lot of catch up. I have website revisions to write copy for, an eBook to finish, online audio and written coursework to download and work on, podcasts to record and edit.  Since this Mercury retrograde thing won’t finally straighten out until March 10, I’m trying to work as fast as I can before another crisis erupts.

I’ve been very busy since the “Mercury in retrograde induced Internet meltdown” and my cooking has been given short shrift.  I’ve been resorting to lots of broiling and steaming vegetables to keep up our healthy eating but I did get to make my “world’s fastest chicken soup” on the days that the weather has been cold and blustery .  This is a great recipe that takes no more than 45 minutes from prep to sitting down to eat it.  And it’s especially good when you need the comfort of chicken soup when you’re coming down with a cold.

The Recipe

World’s Fastest Chicken Soup

3-4 boneless, skinless organic or all-natural chicken breast halves

2 quarts organic chicken broth (Wolfgang Puck, Trader Joe’s or Nature’s Promise Brands in waxed boxes)

3 large carrots

Salt and Ground Pepper

Thyme leaves , a good size pinch

4 ounces dried pasta (try Spelt, Kamut, Quinoa  or Brown Rice Pasts for a change)

Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.  Put into heavy sided small stockpot or medium saucepan.  Pour chicken broth over the meat.  Heat over medium high heat until it comes to a boil, then lower temperature to maintain a good simmer.  Skim off foam that develops.   Cook for 20 minutes.

While cooking, prep your carrots by peeling and trimming off tops and root end.  Slice very thin.  Thin slicing will significantly reduce cooking time.  I like to slice the carrots paper thin using my Pampered Chef slicer.  I own every expensive piece of kitchen equipment you can name including a professional “mandoline”, but this is one piece of moderately priced equipment I really like and use a lot.  This, along with their food chopper, make food prep easy and fast.

After cooking the chicken in the broth, add the carrots and the seasonings.  The carrots, if sliced thinly, will be done within 10 minutes.  Allow more time for slightly thicker cuts.

Add in pasta when carrots are starting to get tender.  Cook until pasta is al dente.

Ladle into bowls and serve with grated Pecorino Romano on top if desired.

Enjoy the soup!  Thanks for reading.

Kate Sanner

(c) 2008

I read this well-worn saying again the other day “With age comes wisdom”.  It was written by a very lovely person who was attempting to put a very nice spin on the fact that, for many of us in this age group, we are now in “the youth of our old age” and there’s gotta be some goodies that come along with that. 

When I read it, my immediate thought was “If only it were true.”  You can blame my skepticism on several things:  a) I’m 57 and I still, on occasion, do some unwise things, b) I have a boatload of friends, colleagues and acquaintances who would say the same thing about themselves, c) I know from my professional training and experience that it’s really not age that makes us wiser but our willingness to recognize our mistakes and learn from them.

Not long after reading this saying, a quote from Abigail Van Buren  (Dear Abby) came up on one of those “Sayings of the Day for Women Who Are Way Too Busy to Even Have Time to Read Them” calendars I seem to get every Christmas (I think my friends are trying to tell me something).  It read:

“Wisdom doesn’t automatically come with old age.  Nothing does - except wrinkles.  It’s true, some wines improve with age.  But only if the grapes were good in the first place.” 

And I thought, “God I love that woman!”  Nothing could have described it better.  Aging really is about the “more so” theory…whatever we were in our youth, we will be come more so as we age.  (I wish I knew the name of the person who came up with that so that I could give him/her the proper attribution.)  If we were content, joyful people in our youth, we will probably attract experiences and relationships that will enhance our contentment and keep bringing us evidence that life is good.  If we were discontented, grumpy, complaining people in our youth, we will more than likely find experiences and relationships that reinforce that belief and continuously bring us evidence that life is a struggle.  And unless something major intervenes to change that, this is how maturation will go.  

The work of Erik Erikson gives an excellent theory on this.  If you read his Stages of Psycho-Social Development, you see that every stage of life presents its own “crisis”; how well each stage is resolved impacts on the next stage.  His theory is far too rich and insightful to distill down into a blog entry, so when you have time, Google his work and you will  ususally find a table of the stages that gives you a clear picture of how one develops socially and emotionally. 

So that by old age, if all previous stages have gone reasonably well, you would be looking back contentedly on a lifetime of satisfying relationships and accomplishments and feel a sense of wholeness and peace (Integrity).  Your view of the world by this time would have become global, i.e., you have a sincere wish to leave the world a better place for your having been in it.

From this you can get the picture of what the opposite would be.  Erikson labeled this negative resolution of the crisis “Despair” - lots of regrets, lots of blaming of circumstances, lots of focus on what you didn’t get and what was taken from you.  Opposite to the global view, the person in Despair has reduced life to a microscopic view.

As I am an idealist and not a cynic, I like to believe that there are always opportunities for growth throughout our lives.  But I am also enough of a realist to know that it requires our making an effort to reach out, grab the opportunities and get the most out of them that we possibly can.  Age can bring wisdom if we really work for it.

The Recipe

Here’s a recipe for a chili that improves wonderfully with age…it requires a little effort, but it’s well worth it.  You will let this sit overnight before you enjoy it, so plan ahead.

Chili con Pollo y con Frijoles

Chicken Chili with Black and White Beans

3 pounds of organic or all-natural chicken breast meat, cut into 1-inch cubes (When I have time, I buy split, skin on, bone in breasts which I de-bone and de-skin myself. I then make stock out of the bones and skin.  In my more hurried times, I use skinless, boneless breasts)

2-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

3 Cloves of Garlic, chopped fine (we grow our own, but I buy organic when I run out)

4 to 6 Tablespoons of Chili Powder (I use Frontier Seasoning Blends from the health food store…they are all natural)

2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin

3 Tablespoons of Flour (Try Whole Grain Organic Quinoa or Spelt for a change)

1 Tablespoon Mexican Oregano

1 Quart of Chicken Stock (I make homemade or I prefer Wolfgang Puck’s Organic stocks or the organic stocks I find at Trader Joe’s - my “home away from home”.  They come in tall, waxed boxes not cans.)

1 Teaspoon Salt but this is pretty much to your taste

Several Grinds of the Peppermill - use black or a mix of peppercorns (at least 1/4 teaspoon)

1 15-oz. Can Organic Black Beans, drained

1 15-oz. Can Organic White Kidney Beans or Cannelini, drained

In a small bowl, combine the flour, the chili powder, the cumin and the oregano; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large kettle or heavy sided stock pot over medium heat.

Add the chicken and stir it around frequently.  Let it turn color but don’t let it brown.  We want the meat to absorb the chili and if the pieces get seared, it will prevent that from happening.  This will take about 10 minutes of patient watching over and stirring. 

Lower the heat a little and add in the garlic.  Garlic turns bitter if it its cooked at too high of a heat, so let it cook with the meat for about 5-7 minutes and let the flavor develop slowly.  Patience and stirring required.

Now sprinkle on the flour and seasoning mixture you had set aside.  Stir until the meat is evenly coated.  Pour the stock in slowly, mixing as you go.  Add in the salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, stirring from time to time.  Then reduce the heat, simmer with a lid partially on, for about an hour.  During that time, revisit your chili frequently and stir gently.

Now add in your two kinds of beans (if you prefer dark kidney or pinto beans you can use these instead…or if you prefer no beans at all, leave them out and enjoy just a Chili con Pollo.  You can leave a 1/4 cup of liquid out is this is the case.).

Let simmer gently from 15-30 minutes.  The meat will have started falling apart by now…this is a good thing!

Now for the part that requires more patience.  Let the chili cool and then refrigerate it overnight or at least 8 hours.  This will bring all the flavors together beautifully.  When you want to heat up some for dinner, it is recommended that you do so in the top of a double boiler so that you will not scortch it  But if you don’t own one, then once again, patience will be required.  Take out as much as you need, put it in a heavy sided pot and cook very slowly over low heat, stirring frequently…this will probably take 20-30 minutes to get it heated through.

Enjoy the Chili!  Thanks for reading!

Kate Sanner

(c) 2008

In the tradition in which I grew up, Christmas was considered a season…one that extended from the first Sunday of Advent through the feast of Candlemas on February 2. There were many lovely rituals to mark this holy season.

The celebration of Christmas proper in my childhood started on Christmas Eve and lasted through the 12 Days of Christmas…Twelfth Night being January 5.. and ending on the Epiphany (Feast of the Three Kings) celebrated on January 6. Every day of these 15 days was filled with church related activities and family gatherings. We visited the homes of relatives to see their trees and decorations and eat what seemed to be endless wonderful foods and baked goods. These same relatives would in return come to our home. My memories of childhood Christmas seasons are plentiful and joyful. I maintain many of the traditions as they are so wonderfully ingrained in my psyche; it is almost painful to not celebrate them.

I attribute most of these happy childhood memories to the magical world my parents, grandparents and extended family created around Christmas. And though over the years of my childhood there were the inevitable illnesses that usually manifested on Christmas night (dutifully tended to by my parents who by then were themselves worn out from all the activity) and the usual amount of holiday stress, my memories of Christmas Past are happy and cherished. And they can still make me smile, laugh, and also get teary-eyed.

My favorite part of Christmas was and remains Christmas Eve day. The excitement of these hours is palpable…the anticipation of something wonderful to come. This is probably due to the fact that in my ethnic heritage (Polish), Christmas Eve was the highlight of the celebration. We always observed the lovely custom of Christmas Eve vigil dinner Wigilia (for a good description of it, search for it in Wikipedia). The dinner always began with my father standing, holding an “oplatek” wafer (the same as Communion hosts-see picture above) in his hand, wishing each of us a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.  Each of us in turn, starting with my mother, would break off a small piece and consume it; then each of us would make the same wishes.  Part of the custom was also to exchange presents after Wigilia. Later that night, we often went to Midnight Mass. Our parish was made up of primarily Polish expatriates and Polish-Americans, so carols were sung in Polish before the Mass. I still prepare the Wigilia dinner every Christmas Eve…I couldn’t imagine Christmas being complete without it.

Another childhood tradition of which I have fond memories is baking cookies for the holidays. As we would have to have enough to last through January 6th, I can remember baking being done for weeks prior to Christmas. I come from a long line of bakers so I have many recipes from talented aunts, one uncle, family friends, the hometown newspapers, the Weckerle Dairy (a now-defunct local dairy) and the Millers, local TV personalities in the 1950’s who had a daily show “Meet the Millers. And as I am an avid recipe collector, I probably have hundreds of Christmas cookie recipes but my favorite recipes are still those that I helped make as a child. The following recipe comes from my Aunt Clara Dembinski, the sister of my maternal grandfather (my maternal grandmother’s sister Clara was also a fabulous baker - I’ll share her recipe for Placek - another Polish favorite - around Easter time). For those of you who celebrate it, I hope you will have the merriest of Christmases and enjoy recreating old traditions and beginning new ones.

The Recipe

Coral Island Cookies

2/3 cup margarine (I use butter and prefer Organic Valley Unsalted Cultured Butter - this award-winning butter produces fantastic results)

1/3 cup sifted brown sugar (To sift, put through your fine wire mesh strainer - not a good idea to put through a flour sifter)

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg yolk, unbeaten

1 1/3 cup sifted flour

Red Jam or Jelly (I use raspberry preserves)

1 egg white, slightly beaten

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

(I use all organic ingredients and buy all of them at the health food store or Trader Joe’s)

Let margarine or butter soften in mixing bowl. Add brown sugar and almond extract and cream thoroughly (at least 2 minutes). Add yolk and beat well at lower speed. Add flour and blend, adding more flour if necessary (dough should not stick to your hands when you roll it into balls).

Shape into 1″ balls. The original recipe says to do the following: Place on greased cookie sheets . Press thumb into each ball, making wide imprint. Fill imprint with jelly, jam or preserves, brush cookie with egg white, sprinkle with chopped nuts. I think I must have lost patience with this process, because I always roll the one inch ball in the egg white, then in the pecans, then I put on Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet, then make the imprint, then fill. As a result, you may have to use more egg white and nuts than called for but I think they are better this way. You can multiply the recipe as much as you would like. If I remember correctly, the recipe above makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes approximately. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire racks.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the cookies!

Kate Sanner

(c) 2007

Back in February 2006, after an enjoyable Networking Breakfast for Women sponsored by my company Vivacity and a productive meeting with a colleague, I happily headed home in a Winter Wonderland of falling snow. I had not scheduled any clients at my practice that afternoon and looked forward to getting home early and having the late afternoon and evening to spend with my husband.

At the same time I was just about ready to turn left off the busy main road onto the narrower road that leads to my home in the country, someone else was turning right from the lane next to me onto the road opposite mine. The simultaneous turns distracted the driver of the pick-up truck in back of me who was traveling at a fairly good rate of speed given the road conditions. By the time he realized I had slowed down to turn, stopping in time on the snowy road was no longer an option and his truck rammed my car pretty hard. Hard enough to blow out all the rear windows of my much-liked Saturn station wagon as I skidded across the midway point of the road. Hard enough so that the back of my head hit the head rest so hard that the resulting pain was all I could focus on for many minutes afterward…until the pain in my neck and back started in earnest.

I was a minute from my home where my husband had just arrived thinking I’d be right behind him. After being taken to the ER via ambulance where I spent 5 hours - mostly waiting - I was discharged with instructions to rest, stay off of work for several days and see my physician at the earliest convenience. So ended the nice evening at home. But I was grateful for many things that day…that there was no oncoming traffic where I surely would have been hit again with who knows what result, that I was not terribly injured, that headrests had been invented, that there had been people kind enough to stay with me (without my asking) until my husband - called from my cell phone - arrived back, that there were people who checked on me asking if I was ok…one telling me “I have to leave to get to my job, but I saw that whole thing and I wrote all my contact information down and gave it to the EMT”, that my husband was right there a few minutes afterwards to handle my upset and the aftermath, like the towing of my car. I was thankful for the volunteer EMT unit of the Pleasant Valley Fire Company who were superbly expert and professional.

I had much to be thankful for that day and as today is Thanksgiving Day, I like to count the blessing of not being seriously hurt and being surrounded by caring people among all my blessings, which are abundant.

As I said before, I love living in the country and had dreamed of it for many years. But having grown up in city and suburban settings, it meant that I had to make some accommodations in my way of thinking and doing things. There are some downsides to living here: poor cell phone reception being one. People speeding down the roads with the result of way too many accidents occurring being another. Then there is the conservatism that I wasn’t used to and had to learn to navigate (e.g., note to self: never ever discuss politics). And there was also the differences in eating habits. I always joke that before coming to live here I thought that gelatin molds were only for dessert (and on rare occasion). Little did I know that they were a staple and considered a main course in country life. Several years ago at a large event at a church, gelatin molds of all kinds and colors lined the center of the long dining tables. It was amazing to behold.

Now after almost 10 years of living in the country, I’ve adjusted quite well. I no longer ask my husband why perfect strangers are waving to us. I wave back and now am often the first to wave. I know that people will sometimes just show up without calling first. I have learned to accept that though my beliefs are frequently radically different from those of my fellow country dwellers, we all really want the same things…love, caring, respect, loyalty. And though I never have learned to like most of the gelatin salads, I learned to like one and will be making it today.

Happy Thanksgiving.

The Recipe

Orange Carrot Gelatin Mold

2 small boxes or 1 large box of Orange Dessert Gelatin (I use a vegan one made by Natural Desserts, available at the health food store)

3 large carrots, finely shredded (I use organic)

14 - 15 ounce can of Crushed Pineapple, drained well (I get an organic variety made by Native Forest),

11 ounce can of Mandarin Orange, drained.(I also get these in my local health food store)

Boil the amount of water directed on the package of gelatin dessert, but as this is a mold, only use the boiled water and not the additional cold water. If using the natural variety, it only calls for boiled water, so only use half the amount stated.

Mix the water into the gelatin making sure it is all well-dissolved (use a fork or a whisk to mix). Put in the well-drained fruits and the carrots and pour into you favorite gelatin mold or into a Bundt pan. Refrigerate until set. The natural gelatin sets more quickly than the traditional kind.

To unmold: Dip mold into warm water for a few seconds. Remove from water. Loosen edges with a pointed knife dipped in warm water, place serving plate over mold, turn upside down, shake gently once or twice, then lift off mold.

Enjoy the recipe and thanks for reading!

Kate

(c) 2007

I live in the country…it’s something that I’ve wanted to do ever since I was in college.  And my fantasy of living in the country always included raising chickens.  Thirty-seven years later, I sit looking out at our chickenyard and chickenhouse from the home office of my company Vivacity, which also houses my Internet Radio Station, Viva Radio…Internet Talk Radio for Women and I feel a sense of happiness and satisfaction (I admit…I’m easily pleased and amused).  By the way, the chicken house, built by my husband, is no ordinary one…it’s modeled after Martha Stewart’s Palais de Poulets and it is quite palatial.  If I look out the other window of my office, I look out onto my neighbor’s hayfield .  I like these views.  The country is peaceful and beautiful and when I have the opportunity to work from home, I seem to be the happiest.

I look out at the chickens we’ve had for over five years and I smile at their antics.  We have babied and spoiled them  and they know they are our pets.  They in turn provide us with incredibly delicious fresh eggs.  The chickens like our attention, “talking ” back to us when we talk to them.  They follow us around the yard and will “work” alongside us in the garden.  They can move around mounds of dirt with incredible intensity and speed.  Problem is, we usually never want those mounds rearranged.  They’ve eaten plant tops down to the dirt (thereby ending that plant’s ambitions of making it to a vegetable) and have dug up an entire crop of shallots that were not yet ready to be dug up.  We finally learned that fencing was our only recourse if we wanted to harvest any produce.  We shake our heads and smile ruefully but we enjoy them, their destructiveness not withstanding.

Then I look at the new small flock that we started a few months back.  Sadly, we lost three of the six we started with, but the remaining ones are plump, beautifully feathered and lively.  These three have made it to “henhood” and have just begun laying, but they seem like adolescents because of their frenetic antics.  For example, all three will suddenly take off at breakneck speed running in unison from under one shrub or tree as if on a mission only to abruptly stop under another and stand and do nothing .  They are definitely attached to us, follow us around, seek our attention, “talk” to us (even more than the older flock) and will let us pet them.   In a very short time, they have made it to pethood.

It’s alongside the older flock that I see the upside and downside of maturation.  The difference in girth is the most prominent - the older chickens look scrawny in comparison to the new fat hens.  Their feathers are not quite as luminous and they don’t run with the same wild abandon as the new hens.  That’s where the downside ends.  We have yet to incorporate the new flock in with the old.  There is a good reason why we haven’t put them in the chickenyard and house that the older chickens and rooster live in (they have temporary separate smaller quarters within the chickenyard).  In chickendom, they are on the bottom rung of the pecking order.  The older chickens would not be kind to them.  The older chickens don’t take any guff from the newer ones and remind them frequently when they are all out in our yard just who is really in charge.  The older chickens will chase the younger ones away from the food when they decide it is time for them to eat.  They will harrass the younger ones away from choice nesting spots in the soft dirt (where they also take their dirt baths).  The advanced years in chickendom seem to mean something.

Now as a Baby Boomer Woman who just turned fifty-seven several days ago, I kind of like this arrangement.  I have heard that society tries to make women who are beginning to age invisible.  And yes, our culture does place a high premium on youth.  That’s the downside of getting older.  The upside, as I was just discussing today with a colleague of mine, is that once you do reach maturity, you begin to not care so much what others think.  Others perceptions no longer shape whether we will or won’t do something.  It’s the process of self-actualization…one of the tenets of it being that “one is independent of the good opinion of others.”  The other great upside I am seeing is that so many women in their fifities, sixities and older are reinventing themselves…starting a new career, starting to write, starting to paint, starting new businesses, taking old businesses to higher levels of success, and much more…it’s breathtaking to witness.  I feel in good company with these women and deeply appreciate their accomplishments as well as my own.

The recipe:

This is a recipe that I have made for most of my networking breakfast events.  It has always been well-received.  I have to warn you that it is not a low calorie, low fat, low cholesterol or low anything dish.  But it is over the top delicious and great when you want gourmet comfort food once in a great while.

Cheese Quiche a la The Frizzellburg Hens

(Frizellburg is the name of our town)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2 defrosted frozen deepdish pie shells (there are good whole grain versions at the health food store too)

Prick pie shells sparingly with a fork (just a few along bottom and side) and place in hot oven for 10 minutes.  This is called blind-baking.  If you don’t do this, the crust on the bottom will not bake through once you have added the egg mixture.  Take out of oven and place on cooling rack.  Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

In the meantime, combine in a medium-to-largebowl:

3 whole eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch white pepper (you can use black or mixed peppercorns instead)

Pinch grated nutmeg

Whisk together.  Then add:

2 cups half and half

Whisk together well.

Place in each of the pie shells:

1/2 cup shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese (1 cup total for recipe which is about 4-6 ounces)

Pour the egg/half and half mixture into the pie shells, evenly dividing between the two.

Place the 2 quiches in the 375 degree oven and bake for 3o - 40 minutes or until set.  Baking times may vary so if after 30 minutes you are not sure if the quiches are done, check to see if they are puffed up and browned on top.  If so, they are done.  Once they cool, they will deflate and be level.  Let sit for 10 minutes and serve hot.

I have also made these quiches using a combination of different cheeses and added ingredients.  For example, you can use goat cheese instead of the Swiss and sun-dried tomatoes.  I like to rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes by putting them in a small bowl and pouring a little boiling water over them, letting them sit for 10 minutes, then draining off the water.  Cut them up and place them on top of the cheese.  Then pour on the egg mixture.  You could also use cheddar cheese instead and slightly steamed broccoli (make sure it’s well drained & patted dry as it can throw off water and make the quiche not set well).  You can also add sauteed mushrooms (not fresh as they will not cook well in the egg mixture) in addition to the cheese you use. 

Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

Kate Sanner

(c) 2007