Honey Bread and Beef Stew

When everyone is sick, I like to act domestic and do make-from-scratch meals. I don't do this often, because if the kids are well, I'd rather be out with them than home in front of the stove. Fortunately, it was rainy-ish and cold today, so we stayed inside and I cooked. 

First, we made this no-knead honey loaf. 

Yes, I know this is the second no-knead bread I've made this week - what can I say? They're less work than the kneading kind. The recipe is from here. But I didn't have enough honey, and didn't know the conversion factor between kosher and sea salt, so I er.. modified the recipe slightly. 

I have learned three things about breadmaking, in all my years of fumbling through recipes:

1. I like it.
2. Stop saving old yeast packets, for goodness' sake, ye stingy old bat!
3. "Room temperature" does not mean room temperature. Especially in Minnesota. A workable room temperature for our house means the dough rising next to the space heater going on "high".

This was a lovely bread - not as crunchy in the crust as the 24-hour one, but soft and slightly sweet.

While the dough was rising, I made beef stew. 

This is mum's recipe. It has no tomato anything in it, like many of the stew recipes I've found in these parts. Here it is:

Ingredients:

• 1++ lb stew beef (or sirloin, cubed)
• 2.5 Tbsp soy sauce
• Pepper
• About 1-2 tsp red wine
• About 4-5 potatoes, skinned and cubed
• About 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1.5" lengths
• 3-4 large carrots, skinned and cubed
• 2 large onions, diced finely
• 4 small cloves of garlic, chopped
• 5 cloves
• 4 cardamom pods
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• Flour
• Beef stock/bouillon
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Marinate beef in soy sauce, wine and pepper. 
2. Coat beef in flour, shake off excess.
3. Heat oil and fry garlic, then cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and then onions.
4. Remove cloves, cardamom and cinnamon, and put them in a spice bag.
5. Add in beef and sear to seal.
6. Dump everything into crock pot, including the spice bag.
7. Add in vegetables.
8. Add in enough liquid to cover everything. I prefer to add water and bouillon to taste, but liquid beef stock is also good.
9. Stew for several hours (remove spice bag after 2 hours), till everything is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: The stew is particularly delectable heated up on Day #2 after the night in the fridge.

Plasters Are Magic

So the kids are still sick. That slow-acting virus Jenna caught two weeks ago has finally begun its colourful manifestation among the family members. I alone escaped, which is a small mercy, since someone has to stay awake with the smalls whose noses will not let them breathe.


Last night Kate and I wandered around the house after midnight, trying out all the conventional sleeping places in an effort to find something that worked. Eventually we conked out on the downstairs sofa after 3 am. Poor Kate had earache - probably the result of the congestion building up in her sinus passages. She asked for "fever" (i.e. the thermometer), for a warm washcloth and, finally, band-aids. The first one didn't work, because I applied it under her earlobe, to avoid getting stuck on her hair. The second one - right over her ear itself, worked wonders. Immediately, she said it was good and drifted off to sleep.


Must remember this trick next time someone has a stomachache.

Enjoying The Outdoors

We're back home after spending the Easter weekend with family in Moorhead. Saturday and Sunday turned out to be gorgeous and we spent most of those two days outdoors hunting eggs, playing catch, digging in the sandbox and jumping on the trampoline. Photos later. Monday back home was again lovely, so we re-enacted the easter egg hunt in our own yard after lunch. No candy - just tokens to exchange for prizes - and really, it was just an excuse to be out in the sunshine.

Back indoors to take stock of the loot -

and indoors we stayed all day today - 

it's been raining since last night. Ah well. 

Anyway, since it was so rainy, we baked bread:

This is the 24-hour no-knead bread we sometimes make when we have the foresight to plan a whole day ahead. It sat overnight on the counter, getting puffy and fat. It goes into the oven for dinner tonight.

Oh, and the kids are sick again. All have strange noses, one has a possible ear infection and another has an encrusted eye. But they've all still been sleeping well at night, so we're not complaining. Except about the rain, of course. 

Ancient Artform

A craft from when I was a very little girl. 

Pencil shaving flowers and butterflies. 

Dad, remember how you used to do these with me?

The girls were sick yesterday and wanted to do ambitious crafts, specifically, a life-size cardboard surfboard. Crazy. Persuaded them to do this sedate alternative instead. 

Happy Easter!

We are in Moorhead, celebrating Easter with family, feasting and fun. Easter is possibly my favourite 'religious' holiday, even more so than Christmas. It's hardly because it's less commercial than Christmas - the stores are full of chocolate (no complaints) and bunnies and easter hampers like you wouldn't believe. I rather think it's because it is the climax and happy ending to the glorious drama that is the life of Christ on earth. What a story! How life-transforming! How it makes a person want to belt out that old hymn, "Amazing love! How can it be? That Thou my God shouldst die for me?"!

Realized something interesting while I was getting all sentimental about music and hymns - there aren't as many popular Easter songs as there are Christmas ones. Perhaps because there is so much ambience to the Christmas season- chestnuts, snow (for those of us who are particularly lucky), presents and getting all cosy around the fire/indoor heating vent. What might people sing about the ambience of Easter? I'm postulating things like spring allergies, snow (for those of us who are particularly unlucky), personified rabbits and eggs playing hide-and-seek. Hmmmm.

So I went and found some very old Easter songs I used to sing in youth group/church/bathroom in years past. Be mentally prepared for some of the outfits and hairdos in these videos - if you don't already know how old I am, it will become clear before long. Here are three of my favourites:

Keith Green's Easter Song.

Sandi Patty's Morning Like This.

Ron Kenoly's Jesus Is Alive.

And, to reassure you that I also listen to slightly moderner music occasionally, here are two newer ones (i.e. from the last decade)

Jeremy Riddle's Sweetly Broken.

Keith and Kristyn Getty's The Power of the Cross.

Enjoy!

Rainbow Kringler

Since we were having indoor weather today, 

we stayed home and baked something rainbowy.

This is Easter Kringler aka Rainbow Kringler 

aka Oslo Kringler-Jenna-style.

The recipe is from Karen and Arne, the girls' grandparents. There is Norwegian blood on that side of the family, and we have benefitted culinarily from that happy association in the form of this kringler, krumkake, krensekake and other delightful foods not necessarily beginning with the letter "k".

Here is the recipe:

Crust:

• 1 cup flour
• Half cup butter (1 stick)
• Enough cold water to bind the pastry

Rub the fat into the flour and bind with cold water. Divide into two portions and roll each portion out to about 1/4" and 3" wide. Lay on ungreased baking sheet/parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Pastry:

• 1 cup water
• Half cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup flour
• 3 eggs
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp almond essence or 1/2 tsp concentrated almond extract

Heat water and butter till boiling or until butter has melted. Remove from heat. Stir/whisk in flour and salt till smooth. Mix in one egg at a time, mixing well. Add in almond flavor. Spread over the crust.

Bake at 350F for 45-60 mins.

Frosting:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp almond essence or 1/2 tsp concentrated almond extract

Mix together and spread over cooled pastry/crust.

We opted to tint ours in prismatic colors, which thrilled the girls. There was much spoon-licking, which I chose to overlook because of the awful weather outside. Baking is such a balm when the weather is unpleasant, isn't it? A much better coping activity than vacuuming, which I (unfortunately) need to do in the next half an hour.

Speaking of baking, Jenna finally got her belated Christmas present yesterday. It's 4 months late - tra la la la. Isn't it wonderful that I finished it before next Christmas? I feel very efficient. More photos here.

.....aaaand We Are Now Doing Indoor Things

7:50 am - Kate runs into our room and, in a voice full of horror, dismay and alarm, cried, "I woke up this mornin' and looked outside and there was SNOW on our deck!!!!!!!!!!!"


Yes, Kate. We aren't too thrilled, either.

We Are Now Doing Outdoor Things

Yesterday we had our first outdoor picnic. Emily is missing from this happy occasion only because she retreated into the shade of the kitchen after less than five minutes. Claimed it was too cold. Jenna and Kate stayed on, wearing the unlikely (and somewhat desperate) combination of hoodies and flipflops. Jenna also kept her sunglasses on throughout the meal. We also incorporated summer fare in our meal: corn-on-the-cob, hot dogs and strawberries. 


Today was even nicer - we had a high of 69 F (20 C) so we went to a park. We kept saying to each other, "I can't believe we're at a park!" and "Look at the ice on the lake!" and "It's so weird that there's still snow on the grass!" We kept our sweaters on, but were otherwise reckless and daring: we went sockless, and wore capris, and 'forgot' to zip up our hoodies.


I hope all these weather-centered posts and temperature updates aren't boring you all - when we've spent the last half a year in hibernation, every degree in the upwards direction is a big deal. It can only get better from now on!

Shapes by Kate

Kate had her annual checkup today at the clinic. Three years old being when vision screening is first introduced, Kate was led to an eye chart on a wall. 


We picked the chart with shapes since Kate's recognition of letters is still somewhat erratic. And there she stood, tiny and plaintive, speaking softer than I'd ever heard her in my life.


"Heart....... circle......... house..........square........ " she whispered.


Then, as her shapes vocabulary began to fail her, she muttered, "Oval..... oval...... oval....."


and suddenly, "Octagon."


Hehehe! 


The nurse was very pleased and the doctor was quite impressed when she reviewed the results later. She told us that such cooperation during vision tests was extremely rare in three-year-olds (then why do they even insist on administering it at this age??? was my unspoken question). But then, most three-year-olds aren't forcibly homeschooled by their six-year-old sisters in a fully-operational classroom, are they?


I didn't think so.

First Day of Spring

Meteorologically, the first day of spring was about two weeks ago. But the warmth and thaw weren't quite as consistent as we'd liked, especially since we were still shovelling snow, dressed in our parkas. But this last weekend was the start of some 50+ degree (12 C) days, so we felt it was finally safe enough to rejoice.

I wore shorts at home all day. 


The kids were out on the driveway drawing chalk hearts. 

We baked about 150 chocolate chip cookies and delivered them to the neighbors, to celebrate spring and to thank them for helping us out with the snow removal in the winter. The girls were very excited to skip around the block, handing out bags of cookies.


And yes, it was very sunny.

And there was a lot more grass than snow beneath our feet.

And we went for a walk.

Notice how there is snow on one side of the street and no snow on the other? It's how the sun shine on us and our neighbours. Our backyards are less snowy than theirs.

And after our walk, I got to run. Yes, after 4 years, I finally went on a run. Creaky and stiff in the beginning, but oh, it felt so good to move in open spaces and see the world race (well, crawl) by. 2 miles - a good start. And in 50-degree weather, with the sun shining, it was hard to beat. I almost didn't make it out the door, though - the children objected to it.

"How long will you be gone?"

"Can I come? I can keep up!"

"Can't you just run in the driveway?"

Disentangled myself from them and fled. When I got home, I was greeted by more of the same.

"You weren't gone long!"

"Where did you go?"

"You look like you ran a long way!"

Nothing like having a cheering squad, eh?

The day after, though, I could hardly walk. Everything hurt everywhere. Can't wait to do it again.

A Forgotten Walk

Eeek! We went for a walk last November and forgot to share photos till now!

We went to the Lebanon Hills Regional Park* and walked the trails.

Although some of us also rode

and danced.

Beautiful blue autumn sky

 and pretty late-season wildflowers. 

Winter has a strange way of erasing summer memories. 

It's hard to imagine now, that the land was once green, living and bright.

Sunsets

and wonderful company.

The good news is knowing that in less than a month, 

we can start doing this again!

* Mum and Dad, this is the same park we walked in where you found the butterfly net and, later, we ended up on a small cold beach, feeding ducks.

Kate is 3 years old!

Where has the time gone?

What a delight you are, Katydid!

We celebrated your birthday all through the week. Three days before, we took Grandma Karen and Grandpa Arne out to the Megamall for lunch and rides at Camp Snoopy whatever it's called now. Grandpa bought everyone ice cream, and everyone pretended it was summer. And you ate your ice cream cone as grownuply as your sisters! Three cheers for Kate!

Then we came home for pizza and cake.

A princess cake, you asked for.

Along with princess tableware.

And then you attacked your presents.

You let your sisters help.

You love this princess board game Emily made you.

Then suddenly your sisters remembered that you needed a crown, so you paused for a nanosecond to have that installed.

You got lots of clothes

and toys (princess, again)

And we made a great fuss of you in the days following.

On your actual birthday, we went out for a fancy breakfast and you had pancakes with sprinkles. 

So now you are three! And what those three years have turned you into! 

You hardly sleep.

You dance all day.

You want to be just like your sisters.

You say the funniest things.

Like "prettyrella", "bubble and toot", and 

"Fee Fi Fu, I smell like an Englishman".

Whenever a song is stuck in your head, 

everyone else knows it.

You love snacks, some of which you have code names for, 

like "Cubby Dones" (Scooby Doo graham crackers).

And you always ask for "wuzzert" after supper.

You adore movies, even the ones that are "lil' bit scary".

You like eating out, and are happy to let everyone 

share "the family ketchup" (which, just a year ago, 

you were adamant was only yours).

You outdo yourself at arts and crafts, 

and can cut with scissors like a pro. 

You've even cut your own hair, 

but we don't like to boast about that. 

You have collections of everything imaginable - 

marbles, bookmarks, prettyrellas, tiny ceramic teasets - 

and of everything unimaginable.

Like pencil tips, which you call "nibs"

 which you save in their own special container

and whose name you now extend to everything tip-py, like "scissor nibs".


You live in your two favourite outfits: Brownah (which you wore to your birthday party) and your "blue leotard and cute little grey skuhrt". And Mum had to sew you a duplicate skirt just so she could wash the grey one.

But mostly you are one princess or another.

and sometimes other people from the books you love.

So we made you a collection of yourself dressed as all these ladies you wish you could be. 

They could never hold a candle to the real you, though.

Happy birthday, Katydid!

P.S. Baby photo slideshow of Kate here, for those of us who are as sentimental as the Mother.