Mother's Steamed Christmas Pudding

During my teen years, mother decided that she wanted to start a Christmas tradition that was unique to her heritage. After much time spent going through food magazines and cookbooks, she used her skills in recipe adaptation to create a recipe for steamed Christmas pudding that the entire family could eat. Dairy-free, egg-free, and gluten-free; it met everyone's dietary needs. Not only that, but it was delicious! As grandchildren joined her family they enjoyed helping her make the pudding and prepare it on the stovetop, as it was steamed instead of baked. At serving time, sugar cubes were soaked in almond extract and brought to the dinner table in high flame. The children loved watching the flames slowly die as the extract was burned off. And how fun it was to eat something that had been presented with so much charm! Here is mother's recipe for you to enjoy as well.

Steamed Christmas Pudding

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup amaranth flour*

1/4 cup sweet rice flour*

1/4 cup garbanzo flour*

1/4 cup tapioca starch*

3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cup grated raw carrots
1 cup grated raw potatoes

1/4 cup raw grated apple
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts, walnuts

1/2 tsp. fresh lemon zest

1/2 tsp. black walnut extract

Mix all ingredients together until moist. Place mixture in a prepared Pyrex bowl and cover with foil until secured. Put in a kettle of gently boiling water and cover with lid. Water should be 3/4 of the way up the side of the bowl. Steam for four hours, adding more water as necessary. Additional steaming is okay, but will result in an even darker pudding.

Serve with apple gravy (thickened apple juice concentrate with cinnamon added). To flame: soak sugar or sugar cubes in pure almond extract. Working quickly, place on top of pudding and light with a match. Take to table while flaming for a beautiful presentation.

*All-purpose flour may be substituted for the gluten-free flours given.

E A S T E R

"For I remember it is Easter morn,
And life and love and peace are all new born."  

~ Alice Freeman Palmer ~

"'Twas Easter-Sunday. The full-blossomed trees 
Filled all the air with fragrance and with joy."

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~

Spanish Student

 "Ye sleeping buds, break 
Open your green cerements, and wake 
To fragrant blossoming for His sweet sake." 

~ Margaret French Patton ~

 "Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time." 

~ Martin Luther ~

 "Well pleaseth me the sweet time of Easter 
That maketh the leaf and the flower come out."  

~ Bertran de Born ~

"The joyful news that He is risen does not change the contemporary world. Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice. But the fact of Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice.

~ Henry Knox Sherril ~

The tea today is Adagio Darjeeling Sungma Summer. 

The teacup and saucer are Noritake Blossom Mist.

Moments Held Dear

Time.

Moments with someone

you hold dear.

An luncheon tea.

Delicious and wholesome.

Beatrix Potter china

fills our heads with visions

of Peter Rabbit's adventures.

Time spent in conversation.

Old letters, cookbooks, family treasures.

Mugs of hot tea.

Choosing cups from a collection

of many. Oatcakes and

Hedgehog Tipsy Cake.

A Marmalady tea cozy

keeps the tea in the pot

at just the right temperature.

Floating leaves.

Perfection!

A cherished time

with someone so dear.

A blessing!

Afternoon tea.

Home Treasures

It is fashionable to streamline home decor. Simple lines, few objects, and not much to dust has its advantage. I would love a home like that! It would be a bit like living in a fancy hotel. But, I know I would miss the little treasures that surround me now. Yesterday I spent time reading through a journal handwritten by my great-grandfather many, many years ago. And my husband, while cleaning out his desk drawer, came across a button that he found when he was a child. Its markings indicate that it was once part of the Civil War era uniform of a soldier. Not only does this little button take him back in history, but it also connects to an excursion he took with his family when he found the button in a farm field in Pennsylvania. There must be a balance, as it is our past, our heritage, and experiences that help us connect in a healthy way to our future.

Emilie Barnes, an author who balances the beauty and meaning of home decor with a super organized home, talks about the charm and romance of treasured memories. According to Emilie, treasures can be found in your home, or your mother's, or even your grandmother's home. Sometimes they are stashed away and simply need to be looked for. Over the years, my mother was good about saving and stashing treasures. The simple treasures from our family have been passed along to me. They are probably things that others would not see now value in; items like my grandmother's astronomy book, great-grandfather's journals, dad's  LaCrosse sticks from his teen-age years, and mother's high school class ring. Each has a meaning attached to it. And each meaning deserves to be cherished and held because of their connection to our roots and heritage. Those who came before us are who make us into who we are today.

So, take a look around. What treasures do you have stuck in a drawer, a box, or on an upper shelf?

~ recipes ~ antique utensils ~ aprons ~ dish towels ~ grandmother's china ~ napkin rings ~ tea sets ~ photo albums ~ family photos ~ musical instruments ~ buttons ~ books ~ knick-knacks ~ salt & pepper shakers ~ oil lamps ~ quilts ~ trunks ~ love letters ~ sachets ~ costume jewelry ~ wooden toys ~ dolls ~ games ~ teddy bears ~ sun hats ~ watering cans ~ sea shells ~ first-edition books ~ children's books ~ paintings ~ framed art ~ buttons ~ boxes ~ thimbles ~ needle covers ~ sewing machines ~ needlework ~ samplers ~ lace tablecloths ~ heirloom dresses ~ lingerie ~ hats ~ bonnets & booties ~ hatpins ~ shoes ~ boots ~ gloves ~ tools ~ farm implements ~ enamelware ~ embroidered pillowcases ~

Managing Collections

Sometimes it is challenging to know what to do with collections. After all, we don't live in museums, but homes instead. Collections sometimes take over and there is no comfortable place left to live. A friend once took me to her mother-in-laws home where I enjoyed a tour that I will never forget! It was a beautiful Queen Anne home, filled to the gills with appropriate period antiques. Elegance, beauty, and style were melded together in such a way that it took a few minutes for me to register that I was in the home of a "hoarder". Everything was neat and tidy, but there were only pathways of open space that led from room to room. I really had a hard time determining where the family actually lived. I remember a space at the breakfast nook where I believe the mister of the home resided. I wonder, did he have a man cave in the garage as well? So, how does one go about collecting and keeping balance in their lives? I can hear a couple of my friends giving a friendly snicker as they read this. I love my collections and how objects connect me to my heritage. Let's just say I work hard at not becoming the hoarder of elegance, beauty, and style that my friend's mother-in-law became.

How do you store or display your collections? Here are a few ideas that can help us figure new ways to store the things we love and enjoy.

~ a small wall display case for thimbles

~ china closets and hutches for china, teacups, and teapots

~ old farm implements hung on exterior walls of a barn or shed

~ antique yardsticks hung on the walls of a workshop

~ T-shirts with logos that feature the growing up years of a son that are made into a quilt

~ a bookmark collection stored in a shoebox

~ old books in a bookcase

~ photos and stamp collections in albums

~ silver teaspoons in a glass pitcher that's displayed on a counter top

~ old postcards in a wooden case

It's easy to get carried away when collecting and gathering. There are times that a collection needs to be sifted through and refined. An object that was valuable to you 10 years ago may now be superseded by a more recent find. It's an opportunity to sell some of the items you no longer cherish, or use them to give to another who is just starting a collection. Occasionally it is difficult to let something go, so finding a technique or tactic that helps you release an object is helpful. Photographing objects and placing pictures of them in an album can be helpful in this case. A picture and a short description can go a long ways in helping you pass along a collectible treasure.

What techniques do you use to help you keep your collections under control?

A Collection

"One teacup is simply...

a teacup. 

Two teacups is service for two. 

But if you take those two teacups, 

arrange them on a glass shelf with a lace scarf, 

and perhaps add a third to keep them company, 

you have something more than the sum of three teacups. 

You have something that can brighten 

your living space and embellish your memories. 

With a teacup or three and an idea for the future, 

you have a collection --- or the beginnings of one. 

And a collection doesn't have 

to be teacups,  of course. 

In fact, if an object exists on this earth 

in quantities more than one, 

the odds are that someone, 

somewhere 

has 

collected 

it."

Emilie Barnes

Heirlooms & Memories

"You can create new heirlooms, and the memories that make them special, just by owning them."

Elaine Markoutsas

Wheat Sticks & Memories

Foods can be connected to memories. And certain foods become a part of a family heritage. Sometimes we carry on these traditional foods or recipes when we leave the our childhood and teen years to start our own home. Even if we develop our own traditional family recipes, the old ones always elicit a warm response. Today I've been looking through the recipe book I created when I was barely 20. In it are many of the traditional recipes of my early years. Here's one that my mother, or my sister, or I would enjoy making on a Friday afternoon. It's easy, nutty, and a nice alternative for bread with soup, salad, or breakfast.

Mom's Wheat Sticks

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 1/3 Tbsp. vegetable shortening*
1/2 cup nuts, chopped OR unsweetened macaroon coconut
5 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients, using only enough milk to make a stiff dough. Knead thoroughly. Then, roll out to a uniform thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut into strips of 1 x 3 inches. Bake on a cookie sheet or baking stone at 300 degrees F. for 35 - 40 minutes.

Makes 20 - 25 wheat sticks.

For variety, add cinnamon or cardamon. Or leave out the coconut and add dried herbs, garlic powder, or onion powder instead. Adding tomato juice instead of milk will give a "cheesy" flavor.

*Olive oil can be substituted for vegetable shortening. I always use this alternative.

This is a delicious cracker to enjoy with tea!

Linking today to Rose Chintz Cottage. Thanks, Sandi!

Swedish Fruit Soup

Naturally sweet and absolutely delicious! This fruit soup is especially delicious during the chilly winter months. It uses dried fruits and a stick of cinnamon to spice things up a bit. If you don't have all the ingredients, substitutions can be made quite successfully.

Swedish Fruit Soup

2 cups dried fruit (apples, pears, peaches, apricots, and prunes)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cinnamon stick
4 cups water
3 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 cup apricot All Fruit spread (sweetened with fruit juices)
1 1/2 tsp. sweet herb stevia (or to taste)
3 Tbsp. tapioca
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup mandarin orange pieces

In a medium sized kettle, bring water to a boil. Add dried fruit,raisins, and pineapple juice. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes until fruit is soft. Add fruit spread, stevia, tapioca, and salt. Stir gently. Add cinnamon stick and simmer mixture for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mandarin orange pieces. Remove from heat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Place into individual bowls or goblets. Garnish with mint springs, cinnamon sticks, and a dollop of tofu whipped topping. Enjoy!

*Also delicious served slightly warm.

Fresh Cranberry Relish

Grandmother's Cranberry Relish

4 cups cranberries
1 apple
2 oranges
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 tsp salt

1/4 cup chopped walnuts


Chop cranberries. Section oranges and cut into small pieces. Grate apple with peelings on (for color). Blend well and sweeten with maple syrup (add more if desired). Add salt and walnuts. Stir. Chill over night. 

Makes 4 cups.

Aunt Mabel's Potato Pancakes

My Aunt Mabel is a fantastic cook! Recently I prepared a recipe that she has always been famous for ~ Potato Pancakes! They are delicious served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Recently we prepared them as 'cabin fare' and served ours with catsup and a dairy-free ranch dressing, but Aunt Mabel always served hers with creamy cucumber dressing (also very tasty) or Rogers Golden Syrup. Here's a recipe for her famous pancakes.

Aunt Mabel's Potato Pancakes

8 medium potatoes, raw and grated

1 1/2 medium onions

1 package silken tofu, firm and 2 Tbsp. flour*

[or 3 eggs *see note below]

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

oil

Heat oil in a large skillet to fry the pancakes.

Shred raw, peeled potatoes using a carrot grater. Put in a large bowl. Mince the onions. Add to the potatoes. Next add the tofu, flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix well.

Use a large spoon and spatula to add the potato mixture to the oil. Brown on one side, flip over, brown the other side. Repeat if necessary (so the potatoes are cooked through) then remove to a plate covered with paper towels to drain. Serve with your favorite dressing or maple syrup.

*Flour is used with the tofu to act as a binder. You can use regular all-purpose flour or a gluten free flour such as soy flour, fava bean flour, or a gluten-free flour blend. It works nicely. For a non-vegan version, add eggs and omit tofu.

Happy Mother's Day

A Mother's Love


There are times when only a mother's love 
Can understand our tears, 
Can soothe our disappoints 
And calm all of our fears.

There are times when only a mother's love
Can share the joy we feel
When something we've dreamed about
Quite suddenly is real.

There are times when only a mother's faith
Can help us on life's way
And inspire in us the confidence
We need from day to day.

For a mother's heart and a mother's faith
And a mother's steadfast love
Were fashioned by the angels
And sent from God above.

--Author Unknown