Doings

 It's busy times this time of year. Our calendar is exhausted. It's all good stuff, all keeping in touch with friends and family and baking and wrapping (though I've gone to bags - much easier) and hoping it doesn't snow...much. 

Here are the books from this week's read to the first graders:

This one is an oldie.  First printed in 1963 it keeps on giving its charms.  Mr. Willowby has a huge tree installed in his house but the top bent at the ceiling so Mr. Butler cuts it off and delivers the cut piece to the upstairs maid for her room.  But it's still too big, the top gets cut and Bear takes it home. It's too big for their space so the top gets cut and on it goes, the journey of that tippy top of the tree.  It is a charmer.

I always ask the kids, "Have you ever heard someone say 'be careful what you wish for, you just might get it?' and 'do you really, really want everything you ask for?' "  Well, of course they do. They always look at me like I'm crazy for asking that.  After a couple of years of disappointments in not getting exactly what he wants, Joe finally does. So, yes, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

We've been doing our annual meeting with Friends Richard and Marilyn at the most holidayish place we know

We start with the pretzel and move on to the biggest burrito and tallest burgers around. There is no supper cooked after a lunch like this. 

We all have a rosy glow because every single inch of this place is decorated and lit and making some sort of noise.  The tables are all lined with dancing whatevers making noise, the televisions are playing Christmas movies - not the same ones at the same time, the animated characters are animated, there are swags, garlands, baubles, signs, lights, and one waitress for the whole place.  But we tell her we don't care, we are there to have fun so when she gets to us, she gets to us. Reservations start in September.  We go between the lunch service and dinner service so we can always get a seat and are ok to stay as long as we are gone by 6.  Not a problem. 

The next day we met Friends Marge and Harry at the Christkindl Market, new to Grand Rapids and in its second year.  PH and I went last year and thought it interesting and fun and different so this year asked M & H to meet up with us.  It was cold this year.  A storm was moving in later that day so we went early with all the other old people.  Last year it was a huge success so they expanded the vendors by double this year.  That kind of works in some ways but not others.  More vendors means sales are spread out more and one vendor said last year was busier because it was a new thing and people were interested but now they know.  It is expensive, too.  We had fun strolling and had a really good waffle sandwich for lunch.  PH chose a sausage sandwich.  

Today's lunch was postponed because that storm came through bringing high winds and very cold temperatures meaning icy roads. We didn't get but an inch of snow here but it's icy and every single school in West Michigan is closed.  

I finished Elizabeth's BA quilt top, I will layer and pin it today.  I can't believe I was able to keep to the schedule I had.  It's beautiful and makes me smile when I look at it.  I'm pretty sure she doesn't see this blog but I really can't take any chances.  I think I will maybe post for one day a photo of it and take it down just to be sure.  But not today.

"That's how my mother always did it"

    This fall I discovered a Facebook group called For the Love of Pie.  It's been quite interesting to learn from this group that there are about 897 million ways to make a pie crust, an obsession with this group during apple pie season in knowing how to get a flaky crust. And, of course, everyone had an opinion and the veteran bakers all decreed theirs was the best.  Foolproof.   Novice bakers were panic stricken. It was kind of fun to watch. 

     As apple season morphed into pumpkin pie season the advice changed remarkably.  Most everyone, and I mean MOST, use the recipe from the can of Libby's pumpkin but NOT the can of "easy" pumpkin pie mix.  Just the can of straight up pumpkin and their recipe on the label. 

    The one constant refrain, the one thing 99% of the people said, the one bit repeated over and over and over:  "that's how my mother always did it."

    My mother never made a pie.  She had opinions and decreed making a pie was more trouble than it was worth.  She enjoyed EATING pie but would not make one. So when it was time to learn how to make a pie I watched my grandma.  

     I volunteered to make the pumpkin and pecan pies for Thanksgiving this year but I've only ever made one of each in my whole long life.  I didn't have to go far for advice, that FB site was full of it. But I did call Friend Marge for her take on pumpkin pie because she makes them for HER family.  She went through the check list, it matched the thousands of people on the FB site and even said a few times, " that's how my mother always did it."  

      

I volunteered to make the pies but really, it was going to be the girls learning to make a pie. They are with us for the two days before Thanksgiving every year so I put them to the learning task.  

One thing one of the women on the FB site said made ALL the difference to her Libby label pies was to add an extra egg. That meant for one pie cutting one egg in half.  Hmmm.  Elizabeth came up with the solution.  Scramble the egg and then using the kitchen scale, weigh it and measure out half of it.  Voila! 

It. Was. Perfect.  

 

So was the pecan!  Even though I told the girls "Thanksgiving is not the time to experiment.  Thanksgiving wants tradition"  I didn't have dark corn syrup, just light. I didn't have dark brown sugar, just light.  We used what I had and I added some pure maple syrup.  Maple syrup can't hurt anything! 

Thanksgiving reads

 This week's books are Thanksgiving dinner books.  It is in two days, so they are timely.

The Tappletons are gathered for Thanksgiving dinner and each element of the meal meets a ghastly beginning or end.  Mom drops the turkey and it slides out the door and into the pond, dad is responsible for the pies, Kenny the salad, Jenny the potatoes.  But by the time everyone is gathered around the table they all have to confess. Grandma has been waiting to say grace and as everyone is feeling quite sad she saves the day with her message.

We all know the old lady who swallowed the fly...and myriad take offs on that rhyme.  This is another one.  This is also one you have to watch the pictures very closely.  For that reason it's better as a lap book. But after today I realized kids don't watch the Thanksgiving Day parades on TV anymore.  When I was a kid that was mandatory.  We had to get out of our mother's way so she could cook and we'd watch the parades on TV because it was the only thing available.  Now I guess with so many streaming options kids just don't.  I think next year I'll choose another book.  But this one is such fun!  Sigh.

Update on the BA quilt.  I have all four borders done, two are attached, two waiting.  In a few minutes the girls are coming for two days and then it's Thanksgiving so I won't get back to it for a few days.  But I am SO on schedule all angst is gone and I can feel good about leaving it for a couple of days.  Gives my hands a rest.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

The cookie

 When we were kids we always called this cookie butterballs.  That's what we were told they were. But when I grew up and started reading cookbooks I have since seen them called snowballs or Italian wedding cookies. I even had one once that had crunched up potato chips as an ingredient! 

As far as tradition goes these cookies are on the same level as the turkey for Thanksgiving.  I can't remember ever a Thanksgiving or Christmas when these were not part of the offering.  

I double the recipe so I only have to do them once.  The freezer is my best friend. We like them just this side of underdone, we don't like them over cooked so they are watched very carefully. 

Roll them in powdered sugar almost immediately from the oven and the sugar will melt and they will get a little gummy coating. Then when completely cooled I roll them again. 

The real problem for me now is PH and I are the only ones who like them with the chopped walnuts and he barely eats cookies.  The kids, in-laws and grands don't like the nuts.  I can't eat these without the nuts so I add them to the very last of the recipe and make just a few for us. I use walnuts for subtle flavor. 

Pasta day

 In our family, for Thanksgiving we stick very close to tradition.  Some families move things around a bit or a lot and sometimes that's very necessary.  We, however, hold tradition sacred and don't veer very far from it.   The biggest veer was when daughter took over the cooking and hosting when she got married.  I certainly had my share of cooking and organizing a meal with one oven and one refrigerator for twenty people in my time so I gave the holiday meal to her gift wrapped.  

And she does the day proud.  For us, it's food cooked from scratch if at all possible.  There are certain things that have never been off the table, it's not a time to try something new.  For me, it's a cookie.  I know the turkey and all sides will be there, but since I was born there has been one particular cookie one of my grandmas made for EVERY Thanksgiving and Christmas and so I do, too. That, tomorrow.

Yesterday was noodle day.  Or pasta if you prefer.  

PH's family is the noodle family and he grew up with these at every gathering of any kind.  Our daughter took up the baton and taught her girls .  We have a photo somewhere of six month old Elizabeth in a high chair pulled up to the table while our daughter made them.  So, it's part of her.

It's a big job, they make enough for Thanksgiving, Christmas, a bag for PH to bring home uncooked, and ugh, the girls like eating them uncooked.  They don't eat them cooked.  Ugh. 

It was pointed out that this is Elizabeth's last year before going off to college.  If she gets in to the school she wants, she won't be around for this next year.  This is a year of "this is the last time...." and while we are supposed to celebrate and encourage their life's journey, it's a change I'm not excited about.  I will miss all of them as they go off.

Hint: don't wear black when working with this much flour.  

New reads

 Tuesday's reads this week.  

I chose two that are over 30 years old but endure.  I tell the kids if a book is really good people will keep buying it and if they keep buying it the people who make the books will keep making more of them.  Some things really do keep on keeping on.

These two deserve it.

David Small is almost a household name in Michigan if you are in the children's book world. His illustrations are classic.   Imogene wakes up one morning with a huge rack of antlers on her head.  This doesn't seem to bother her in the least but it sure sets her mother off!  I mean, really, what would YOU do if your child came down for breakfast sporting a rack like this?  

I love, love, love this one.  Brigid wants markers.  Mom says no because she has heard that markers only mean trouble.  Coloring on walls, floors, themselves, they are a mess so "NO!" Brigid makes some good arguments in favor, makes some promises and keeps them so she manages to convince mom to get more.  And more.  And then temptation sets in.  With the kids there is ALWAYS a laugh and an "oh no!" moment at the end.

I am coming along very quickly on the border design for the BA quilt.  I chose to do a swag. The two long sides are swagged, I'm putting a sort of flower at the ends, which I like a lot, and when those flowers are done tonight I'll attach the long sides, measure for the short sides and keep on keeping on. It's coming and I'm on target to get it finished and layered for quilting by Christmas. But December is becoming very busy so I have to keep plugging on.  This year with only 3 weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas is very stressful. 

New stuff

 I know I said I haven't done anything other than the Baltimore Album for months but I did get some pillowcases done for the kids for St. Nick's Day.  I have made pillowcases for the kids for years and Mike asked for some new ones for Christmas.  I have some but not many Christmas fabrics in my stash and only had to shop for a few.  The two cookie baking are for Adelaide and Ceci, the bakers in the families.  The middle one is Elizabeth.  It has a carol in tiny print and she is in the choir and writes like a No-See-Um crawling on the page so this fits her.  Mike chose the red snowman and Charlie, now a college student gets the manly plaid.  I use the French seam method when I make these for the kids and they love getting new ones.  Our DIL said the kids always want "grandma's pillowcases" on bedding changing day and in their Halloween photo Mike was taking his Halloween case trick or treating to fill with candy.  

Last week I couldn't breathe much less speak and things are not going to be better anytime soon. But I have to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

These are the two books from last week

This one the teacher always appreciates me bringing in.  Playground behavior many times dictates apologizing and this one gives good insight in how to do that. Correctly so it means something. 

Now, don't get excited.  But I have to say this title is always a way to stop the fidgets.  This is the story of a dung beetle who is torn between wanting to be with the popular bugs and his love of his food.  No one wants to sit with him at lunch for good reason.  But when it's time to show what he's made of - so to speak - he comes through and with that the other bugs admit to THEIR idiosyncrasies which can be just as gross or weird, proving we are all a little weird in our own ways.  The teacher liked this one so much after I read it last year she bought a copy for her grandchildren.

And these are from today

As much as I hate to use our new political situation in comparison to a great storybook this one does ring a few bells.  The river was there but it didn't know it was a river UNTIL (- a refrain throughout the book so soon your audience will say it at every page - )  bear comes along.  It's a cumulative story and very good.

You must know by now how I feel about Ryan T. Higgins.  Wilfred is one of his earlier books but no less wonderful.  Wilfred is a very large hairy monster who finds himself near a village of very little people who are ALL bald, even the children.  Because he is very large and very hairy he has a hard time making friends until one bald little boy befriends him.  Big "Awww" factor here.