'Twas the Days of Christmas

'Twas the days before Christmas, when all round the house, the white stuff fell to be dug by Himself;


The cousins all posed by the chimney with care,
we finally got a good shot without a single glare;


Daelyn and Mia snuggled together while we sang,
"Happy Birthday!" to our small precious, princess gang;


And Ma in her apron, and I in mine too,
made the ravioli, we had plenty to do;


While she mixed the filling and I rolled the dough,
we got the task done in a graceful, smooth flow.


Christmas Salad
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a salad to make, and eight ingredients so dear,
With Ma as my helper, so lively and quick,
we baked up some ricotta a little kitchen trick.
More rapid than eagles our toppings they came,
And we whisked, and chopped, and called them by name;
"Now, Shallots! now, Pecans! now, Craisens and Ricotta!
On, Spinach! on Romaine! on, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Fried Pancetta!
To the top of the platter! a vinaigrette to it all!
Now toss away! toss away! toss away all!"


As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Himself covered Zuzu's face, he's such a clown;


Then is was my turn to join the pranks,
I poked Dryden's nose and tickled his flanks;


Finally in the end we got a nice family photo,
along with Deven's sweater he's worn three years in a row.


We spoke not a word, but went straight to our work,
Making Christmas brunch; and put the coffee to perk.
I made the Eggs Benedict, Ma the Hot Fruit Salad,
I promise to soon end this silly, little ballad.


More so than gifts from the kitchen and food,
it is our friends and family that makes life so good;


So during this season while we remember the birth of Christ,
"Happy Christmas and New Year to all, and to all a good-night."

Big Red Kitchen with see you all back in 2010!

Robin Sue

"Sugar Glider" Chocolate Chip Cookies

When it came time for Zuzu to chose his Christmas treat, he did not hesitate in blurting out, "Chocolate Chip Cookies!" I was a bit disappointed, they are not very festive, delicious yes, but festive, no. "Are you sure Deven?" I asked. "Yes," he said. Well thankfully on Michelle's site One Ordinary Day I had spotted her Reindeer Cookies and knew her clever design would jazz up Zuzu's cookies.


This is Deven from Heaven. That name was given to him from my parent's Pastor, Dave, after he saw Deven for the first time and prayed with us knowing the devastation and trials we had endured while waiting on Deven's arrival. In August 1998 we had lost a baby 20 weeks into the pregnancy. At 16 weeks I had suffered from severe food poisoning and tore my membranes. The baby held on for 4 weeks but died in utero. Devastation. Several months later we became pregnant with Deven. Things were going well and the morning sickness was a welcomed treat. Those of you who have lost a baby understand the feeling of gratitude when morning sickness arrives and even stays. At 31 weeks Deven decided to come. Trials. I was rushed to Ramstein Army Medical Center in Germany where the doctors were successful at stopping his premature birth. We stayed at that hospital for 4 weeks, received multiple tests, false labored many times, and waited. Appropriately, Deven was born healthy and strong on All Saint's Day. We were charmed by his wide, alert eyes and quiet whimper. He was our gift from heaven.


Deven is a sweet little boy with an easy disposition. He is a great baseball player and goes through life without fear. I have been in the back of an ambulance twice with that little guy for serious injuries and several ER visits for his other misadventures. One would think he would be more careful since it was so hard to get him here in the first place. Everyone who meets Deven falls in love with his gentleness and big green eyes. He liked the idea of making Sugar Glider Cookies in honor of our pets, Necco and Snickers.


Deven's Christmas Sugar Glider Cookies- adapted from Michelle and Penny
1 3/4 cups unbleached AP flour
1/2 t. baking soda
14 T. unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 t. table salt
2 t. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

When Cooking with children I find it is best to go the mise en place route. This means everything in place before you begin.
Bowl 1:
Whisk together flour and baking soda.

Bowl 2:
Mix together both sugars, salt, and vanilla.

Bowl 3:
Whisk together the egg and egg yolk.

Bowl 4: This will be your mixing bowl.
Place 4 tablespoons butter.

In a small saucepan, cook 10 tablespoons of butter until browned. Watch closely as this burns quickly. You will notice a nice caramel brown color and brown bits at the bottom of the pan. It will also smell toasty and nutty. Add the browned butter to your mixing bowl and blend with the unmelted butter until smooth. Add the sugar bowl mix and blend for about 2 minutes until smooth, creamy and the sugars have melted. Add the eggs and mix for 30 seconds. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Stir in chips. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out about 20 cookies onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 14 minutes in a 375 degree oven or until golden brown. Makes about 20 cookies.

When the cookies are just out of the oven and still piping hot, decorate with broken pieces of pretzels for the ears. Red m&m's for the nose and Green for the eyes.

PS- Deven wants everyone to know that Snickers is pregnant and from what we can tell she has two joey's growing in her pouch and they are each about the size of an almond right now. We will let you all know when the joey's are OOP (out of pocket). The children are beyond excited while Himself and I are perplexed as to what to do with the little things once they arrive.

To all my readers a very Merry Christmas!

Robin Sue

Cookie Press Short Bread Cookies

This year each family member picked a treat they wanted for Christmas, Littleness chose Cookie Press Cookies. She got to choose their shapes, colors, decorations, and even flavor. Above is Daelyn and I modeling our matching aprons made for us by our neighbor Theresa who is a magnificent seamstress. She even stitched our names on our aprons, mine saying "Robin Sue's Big Red Kitchen!"


Let me tell you about our little Daelyn. Dae Dae is the youngest of our three children. She will be seven on Christmas Eve. In March, 2003, our adoption agency called and said, "How about a Christmas Eve baby?" The very next day Himself and I were in Ginny's office looking at a photo of this adorable, little stranger exclaiming, "Yes!" Three months later, I and my friend Lori travelled to South Korea to meet and take Daelyn home, while Himself stayed home with the boys. Daelyn was 6 months old at the time and halfway through the airport, she realized something was terribly wrong; I was not her Foster Mother, whom she had been raised since birth. ...her brothers, who were three and six, were most interested in her eyes and kept trying to open them wider.She threw her head back and wailed and did not stop. On the short flight from Korea to Japan she screamed and when I stood holding her at the end of that flight, I turned to apologize to the entire plane of passengers behind me. Instead of an angry mob, each passenger bowed to us in gratitude- they understood. From that point on to keep her calm, Daelyn was passed to Korean businessmen, missionaries, and grandmothers, all who had the language and touch familiar to her. When we got to the airport here at home, we were greeted by seventy of our closest friends and family holding signs and balloons of welcome. There her Daddy held her for the first time. When we got her home, her brothers, who were three and six, were most interested in her eyes and kept trying to open them wider. Our adoption journey has been quite adventurous and we are thankful for our little Blessing.


This is Daelyn's Christmas Wish List. I think from this list you can see that Daelyn is the sweetest little girl under the sun. What child asks for mouthwash, tic tacs, and toothpaste? And do you see number 10- LOVE? This one made me a little nervous (and a little choked up too) thinking she felt that she does not get enough, but she said she gets plenty and always likes more. When I asked her how I would wrap love she said, "Wrap your arms around me and squeeze."


Daelyn's Cookies
1 cup butter, cut in small pieces
1 1/2 cups AP unbleached flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 drops Fiori di Sicilia, optional

In a stand mixer blend all ingredients until a dough is formed. At this time split and color dough using food coloring. Using your cookie press according to manufacturer's instructions press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheets. Decorate with sprinkles, colored sugar, or candies. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Let cool completely on cookie sheet before removing. Store in an airtight container. These are extremely delicate, handle with care. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies depending on press.

Fiori di Sicilia from King Arthur's is the best I have tasted. It is a taste like no other- oranges, vanilla, and flowers. It is very strong and a subtle use is better than overdoing it with this flavor. I lasts forever in the refrigerator. Try it.

These cookies have a delicate flavor and immediately melt in your mouth, I think they are one of my favorite Christmas Cookies. Thank you Michelle, you reminded me to make Cookie Press Cookies again after seeing your post about them!

Robin Sue

Pineapple Squares

This year I did things a little differently. I asked each family member what treat they would like me to make for Christmas. Thinking I knew my husband like a book, I thought for sure he would choose Buckeyes or Ting-a-lings but no, he chose a recipe his mother made when he was a boy, one of which I had never heard of before: Pineapple Squares.


Himself and I met in 1992 at Fort Dix, New Jersey while he was stationed there. I worked in an ICU at a local hospital where a nurse friend of mine had been hounding me to attend her church's singles group when I finally caved and went. Himself was there, I was not interested in him or any other guy at the time but things changed quickly when he left a note on my truck asking me to call him sometime. Thankfully my roommate encouraged me to call him, "Call him, he is a lonely GI trying to make a friend." That's what I was worried about. I did call, thought he was boring but went out with him anyway. Our first date was at a New Jersey diner and our second date was bowling, third was playing poker with a bunch of his Army buddies, and our fourth was square dancing. Somewhere in there we said, "I love you," and 14 months later we were married. Nothing is boring about our lives. We have lived in wonderful places, met amazing people, have had unbelievable opportunities, and most importantly, we have three incredible children. Yup, Himself is the best.


I gladly made Himself his Pineapple Squares. After searching the web and having friends on twitter hunt down the recipe for me, his mom finally found the recipe from her sister. Although the recipes sent to me by Mary on twitter looked fantastic, I KNEW that I had better make the one Himself remembered to avoid hearing, "These don't taste like my mother's," which would send me from the kitchen screaming, "fine, go back to your mother's then!"

Pineapple Squares
Crust:
2 1/2 cups AP flour
1 1/4 cups butter, chilled and cubed
2 T. sugar
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Filling:
20 ounce can crushed pineapple- do not drain!
1 egg beaten
2 T. cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
4 ounce container green candied or glazed cherries
4 ounce container red candied or glazed cherries

In your stand or hand mixer blend the crust ingredients until a fine crumb is formed. Set aside 3/4 cup crumb mix and with the rest press into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile in a double boiler stir the filling ingredients, except the cherries, until thickened. Stir in cherries. Pour over baked crust. Sprinkle with remaining crust mixture and bake for another 25 minutes. Cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into 24 squares wiping the knife between cuts. Makes 24 pieces.

These are not only beautifully festive, they are very tasty too.

Have a happy weekend. Fingers are crossed for snow but only if it falls on the lawn and not the streets, sidewalks, and driveway.

Robin Sue

Super Fast: Pofosen

I have spoken here before about Sunday Night Suppers and today I found a recipe that often made the rotation into our SNS. I discovered Pofosen in my Von Trapp Family Cookbook years ago while living in Germany. I would say that Maria von Trapp is one of the few people I truly admire. If you have not read her story- "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers", may I suggest that you do. We have adopted many of their Christmas traditions including celebrating St. Nicholas Day on December 6 th. So when your pantry is lean and your time is short, prepare a platter of these satisfying pastries, they just may become a favorite thing.

Pofosen
8 slices bread
your favorite jam
3 eggs
3 T. milk
panko bread crumbs, about 1 1/2 cups- you may use any plain bread crumb
powdered sugar

Oil for frying, about 1/2 inch deep in pan

Over medium heat, heat oil in a skillet. Spread jam on one side of 4 slices of bread. Place the other slices of bread over top of the jam slices making a jam sandwich. Whip eggs with milk. Dip jam sandwiches in egg mixture and then into the plate of bread crumbs, coating both sides and edges. When oil is hot, fry one sandwich at a time until golden brown on each side. Remove to paper towel-lined platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into four triangles. Serve immediately. Makes 16 pieces, serves 4-8.

Other great Sunday Night Suppers:
Kielbasa Sauerkraut Buns
Mini Ham and Cheese Rolls
Bar-B-Cups

Robin Sue

Apple Pie Enchiladas

We have been talking about dreams a lot around here lately. Not the kind we get while sleeping, but life dreams. Himself being a Financial Life Planner has taken some of his clients through the Life Planning Process in order to help them achieve their dreams. Having gone through the process myself, I noticed that certain daily tasks bring me closer to my dreams, while others keep me from them. In this process I took a Kolbe test and was told flat out that I should not be doing our laundry. Hot dog! No more laundry for me. Sadly Himself was told the same thing. This entire Life Planning process has helped me see that the things I am good at are the things I should be focusing on and everything else, well, I need to avoid spending too much energy on them or find someone else to do them for me. I am good at mothering, being a wife, teaching, and cooking. I am not good at house-keeping, paying bills, or putting things back where they belong.

I have identified my dreams and now I am in the process of overcoming obstacles that keep me from achieving them and trying to figure out ways to delegate the tasks that hinder me. So what is the point of all this? I am going to stick with what I am good at and give you this double-d-licious recipe in hopes that you will do my laundry.

Apple Pie Enchiladas
1 can apple pie filling
cinnamon for sprinkling
6 eight inch flour tortillas, the freshest possible
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

In a sauce pan over medium heat, bring butter, water, and sugars to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. In the meantime, open the can of apples and run a knife through them to cut that apples into smaller chunks. Spread 1/3 cup filling down the center of each tortilla and sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Roll each tortilla and press seam side down in an 11x7 inch baking dish. Once the caramel mixture has boiled for 5 minutes, pour over enchiladas and let sit for about 20 minutes- this helps soften the tortillas. Bake enchiladas in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serve topped with vanilla ice cream and that delicious caramel sauce. Serves 6.

Note- Your tortillas must be fresh or they will be too tough for this recipe.

Speaking of dreams, on the advice of a dear friend, I purchased Susan Boyle's CD, "I Dreamed a Dream." It is a beautiful CD and watching Miss Boyle acheive her dream is even more beautiful.

Just out of curiosity, what are some things that hinder you from living your dreams? Or if you are living your dreams, how did you get there?

Robin Sue

Acorn Squash Pasta Bowls

Now this is a proper pasta bowl. Not like those bready bowls filled with mushy pasta from the famous pizza chain- I should not judge, I have never had one but I still think they are over the top, don't you? Too much starchy carbs. Ma was here a few weeks ago and was telling me about the best squash dish she had ever had. But there was one problem, the lady who made the dish would not give Ma the recipe, even after Ma had asked on a few occasions. I hate when people don't share their recipes. Well Ma and I figured out how to make that squash dish on our own and it was delicious. With a few more tweaks, I made the dish even better, I think, by adding pasta and toasted hazelnuts.

Here is a tutorial the recipe will follow:


Lay the squash in a stable position on the counter top, it must not wobble. Make a cut at the top of the squash parallel to your counter top. I microwaved my squash about 5 minutes to soften it so that it could be cut. Scoop out the seeds.


Drizzle the insides with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper. You will have to turn the squash in your hands to get all of the insides covered.


Roast the squash in a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes or until fork tender. In the last 20 minutes of roasting the squash, boil your fettuccine pasta until al dente and start your sauce. To a large skillet over med-low heat melt butter, add garlic and saute for one minute then add cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and 1 cup cheese. Stir until mixture is hot through and cheese is melted. Do not let this bubble at all or the sauce will "break."


Add your drained pasta to the sauce and stir until the noodles are all covered in sauce. Using a large fork spin large amounts of pasta into "nests" and stuff down into each squash evenly.


See how nicely that is done. So nice and neat. Pour any remaining sauce over the pasta then top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and return to the oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.


To Serve- Place the squash on a pretty platter. At the table, in front of your guests- because it is all about presentation- cut each squash in half evenly and plate, I used shallow bowls. Sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts and fresh parsley.

I found this to be a sophisticated and elegant dish that could be served as the pasta course at a fancy dinner party or family style with a huge salad and crusty bread. Personally, the best part was the toasted hazelnuts, they really made this dish pop.

Acorn Squash Pasta Bowls
2 acorn squash
1/2 pound fettuccine
2 T. butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
4 grinds black pepper
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese, plus 1/2 cup for later
3 T. toasted chopped hazelnuts
2 T. fresh parsley, minced

Lay the squash in a stable position on the counter top. Make a cut at the top of the squash parallel to your counter top. Scoop out seeds. Drizzle the insides with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper. You will have to turn the squash in your hands to get all of the insides covered. Roast squash in a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes or until fork tender. In the last 20 minutes of roasting, boil your fettuccine pasta until al dente and start your sauce. To a large skillet over med-low heat melt butter, add garlic and saute for one minute then add cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and 1 cup cheese. Stir until mixture is hot through and cheese is melted. Do not let this bubble at all or the sauce will "break." Add your drained pasta to the sauce and stir until the noodles are coated. Using a large fork spin large amounts of pasta into "nests" and stuff down into each squash evenly. Pour any remaining sauce over the pasta then top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and return to the oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. To serve, cut each squash in half evenly and place on a pretty platter. Sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts and fresh parsley. Serves 4.


To toast hazelnuts, toss a handful of rough chopped hazelnuts in a dry and hot skillet. I do mine on med-high heat. Occasionally swirl the nuts in the pan and toast for about 5 minutes or until fragrant and golden. Do not turn your back on this, they can burn fast. I did not skin my hazelnuts, too much of a pain. Most of the skins came off during roasting anyway.

Robin Sue

Ham Biscuits

With plenty of ham leftover from Thanksgiving, it was time to have Ham Biscuits. My family and my brother's family try to get together on most Sunday nights to catch up and let the cousins play together. Ham Biscuits proved to be a perfect meal for our gathering. I made a big pan of biscuits, placed the ham on a platter, and placed out various toppings such as red plum jam, honey butter, and mustard. Everyone made their own biscuit according to their likings and with the leftover biscuits we mopped up more of that yummy honey butter.


Ham Biscuits are great companions to soup, tailgating, and Sunday Night Suppers. Try some when you have leftover ham, it's the Southern thing to do.

Cheddar Biscuits and Bunny Hutter
Lime Honey Butter
Rosemary Browned Butter
Yeast Biscuits

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Robin Sue