Family Favorites · Gluten Free · New Traditions · Vegan · Vegetarian

Spiced Pecans…favorite of the Holidays

cathysmaha2 Comments

Spiced Pecans are a family and gift tradition started a few years ago. I do not remember where the recipe came from, but it is an all-time favorite. It makes a great gift for friends and family and a nice change from the traditional sweets of the holidays. Spiced Pecans can be made early in December and given throughout the holidays. I typically triple the recipe and make several batches.  Enjoy!

IMG_3676 IMG_3682

SPICED PECANS

2 cups pecans

SPICE MIX:
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

GLAZE:
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast pecans on a baking sheet for 6 minutes.
  • Stir together the spice mix in a small bowl.
  • In a saucepan, combine the glaze ingredients. Bring glaze to boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Stir in toasted nuts and continue to stir until all the nuts are shiny and the liquid is gone (1-2 minutes).
  • Place glazed nuts in a bowl, sprinkle on the spice mix, and toss well to coat. Spread the coated nuts on a cookie sheet and return them to the oven for another 4 minutes.
  • Remove and cool.

Yield: 2 cups

Family · Holidays · Home · Humor

Aunts and Uncles…storytelling…treasures of the family

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Aunts and Uncles are a bit like Grandparents.  They get to spoil the nieces and nephews, shower them with affection and love, and leave when they are amped up on sugar and fun.  It’s a good gig! I was an Aunt at age 7 and grew up with my niece and two nephews. It was wonderful having playmates and helping out my older sister and brother. A highlight of every year was when they came to stay with us and go to Bible School at the rural Carlton Brethren Church, a half mile from our house. There were sticker charts, ice cream, indoor picnics, dress-up (sorry Jeff and Duane), and so many stories!

Aunt Cathy and Sherri
Aunt Cathy and Sherri

sherri duane and jeff christmas about 1969

After college I moved out-of-state and was always sad not to be closer to my family but treasured each of the visits back to see everyone. I was very fortunate to have wonderful Aunts and Uncles as well.  Not all of them lived close but my siblings and I always knew we were loved with the hugs/kisses that went with their visits.

At this state of my life, I have 3 Aunts and 1 Uncle.  Uncle Jack will be 90 this month and planning a big celebration.  Aunt Joyce (Jack’s wife) turned 86 in February. Aunt Lora (also my Mother’s BFF in school) turned 94 this year. Aunt Wilma will turn 100 next June.  From these wonderful people I learned the importance of family/loyalty, laughter, music, traditional dishes prepared for holidays and family gatherings.

Several years ago, when camcorders were new to the market, we traveled to Iowa with our newborn daughter to celebrate Christmas.  Christmas Eve day several of my family members were visiting at my Mother’s House.

Cathy and Uncle Jack
Cathy and Uncle Jack

We turned on the camcorder asked our family members ‘what is your favorite Christmas memory?’  I tear up just thinking about it.  The heart-warming, loving, funny, and sarcastic stories were great at the time but are true treasures now.

Stories
Stories (Photo credit: Enokson)

This holiday season let’s spend our time BEING PRESENT and sharing stories for our children and grandchildren to treasure.   Break out the smart phone and make a video, perhaps the best PRESENT of the season!

What’s your story?

Family · Holidays · Humor

How to cook a turkey…with a smile!

cathysmaha2 Comments
English: Oven roasted turkey, common fare for ...
English: Oven roasted turkey, common fare for Christmas and Thanksgiving celebrations. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m back but you may see more humor, sarcasm and random topics above and beyond food. Understand, food is one of my passions, but so is laughter. When I saw this post on Facebook, it brought a smile to my face. While I don’t cook with a glass(es) of wine, typically, the humor of it all just got to me.

Credit:  Paleo Cupboard/Facebook

Don’t stress out about the holidays and cooking. It’s truly a time to be grateful for every precious moment we have on this earth. Look for the humor and blessings in every moment.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Family Favorites · My Roots

Thanksgiving Turkey and Dressing

cathysmaha2 Comments

Turkey and Dressing baking the morning of Thanksgiving is such a sensory experience, bringing back fond memories of Thanksgivings past while creating new memories.

This photo of my Uncle George carving our Thanksgiving turkey in the 1960s while my Dad and Aunt Wilma watched (or snitched pieces of turkey) transported me back to the Smaha farmhouse and large family gatherings.

Uncle George carves Christmas turkey while Aunt Wilma and Archie watch 1961

Traditionally, my family made the dressing from only white bread. When I married, Karl introduced me to cornbread dressing and I’ve become a big fan. The texture and flavor of the cornbread are a great addition.

Roast Turkey and Dressing
Roast Turkey and Dressing

ROAST TURKEY AND DRESSING

1 bag dried bread cubes
1 pan cornbread, crumbled
Chicken or turkey broth
Chopped onion
1 egg, beaten
Sprinkle of sage & poultry seasoning
Celery leaves
salt & pepper

  • Put bread cubes and crumbled cornbread in large bowl and saturate with broth.
  • Add onion, egg, salt & pepper, sage & poultry seasoning. Season to taste. Add chopped celery leaves.
Turkey Dressing ready for the oven
Turkey Dressing ready for the oven
  • Make sure stuffing is moist!
  • Stuff mixture in and around the turkey or chicken.
Stuffed Turkey ready for the oven
Stuffed Turkey ready for the oven
  • Cover with aluminum foil tent until last 2-3 hours of roasting.  (Note for stuffing as a side dish, cook a minimum of 1-1.5 hours at 350 degrees.)
Family · Health

Getting the Boot!

cathysmaha4 Comments

Getting the boot is the pits! This time, the boot is the result of a stupid little stumble on the back porch. Another one of my klutzy moves! Another silly spill on the steps at home seven years resulted in a fractured fibula and ‘the boot’. So glad I kept this stylish gray fall footwear.

2013-11-21 10.44.35
Getting the Boot

When the incident occurred yesterday I toughed it out thinking it would get better. I climbed ladders, trimmed trees, raked and realized it wasn’t improving.  So much for listening to my body per Tuesday’s post!

After encouragement from friends on Wednesday night, I saw the Dr. and the x-rays spoke the truth I didn’t want to hear, a fractured 5th metatarsal.

English: A fracture of the fifth metatarsal of...
English: A fracture of the fifth metatarsal of the foot, commonly known as a en:Jones fracture (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

During my last episode with the boot I went to Europe and had a great time being pushed around Barcelona and Prague in a wheelchair and ‘hoofin’ it’ in Amsterdam with crutches. Another BIG thanks to daughter Megan for pushing me around on those beautiful (and bumpy) cobblestone streets. I made that work so how bad can this be?

DSCN1144

While I know I am totally blessed, these little ‘hitches in our giddy-ups’ are just annoying! Couldn’t be a better time of year to 1) go Christmas shopping, 2) shovel snow on my north facing driveway, 3) tell the Golden, Retriever, Joe, that it will now be another few weeks before we can go for a walk.

Joe

Seriously, it’s no big deal, just a hiccup.  This time of year, it’s a good reminder to slow down, be careful (on snow and ice), relax and enjoy the holidays.

Happy Friday!

Health

I’m back but what in the world have I been up to?

cathysmaha3 Comments

Sometimes, you just need a break. For example, not being motivated to do something whether it’s cooking dinner, calling your cable provider to lower your bill or update your blog.  I’ve learned to ‘go with my gut’ and this time it was my gut (or gall bladder to be most accurate) who got to me.

I Love Your Guts Anatomy Embroidery Hoop Art

I’d had a nagging pain under my right shoulder-blade for months.  I blamed the pain on bending backwards, painting the ceiling of my front and back porches. While I am certain that did not help, it was not the problem.  I tried more yoga and stretching, longer deep tissue massage, chiropractic and acupuncture with no relief. Finally, my Chiro/Acupuncturist suggested it was gall bladder.  Crazy, right…not so!

http://training.seer.cancer.gov/module_anatomy...

The ultrasound confirmed what they thought was a polyp but post surgery it was a gall stone. I saw the surgeon and he strongly suggested we go with Robotic Surgery (Single Site) vs. Laparoscopy.  Knowing the recovery from the surgery would be better, we went with the Robotic plan.

The procedure went very well and I literally had no abdominal pain post surgery. Abdominal tenderness and some swelling were the only symptoms.  Anesthesia recovery, was another story and after 10 days, the fog finally lifted.

Little did I know that little pain in my back was an indicator that something else was going on.  My ‘gut’ told me there was something more and I’m glad I went in for the testing.

Things that I’ve learned or confirmed as a result of this experience:

1) Listen to your gut
2) When something doesn’t seem right, get it checked out…pronto!
3) If you need to cut back on commitments to take care of your physical or mental health, just do it!

Listen, Understand, Act
Listen, Understand, Act (Photo credit: highersights)

I’m back, and feeling stronger every single day.  Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Rheumatoid Arthritis · Yoga

Yoga, health and a mental health break!

cathysmaha3 Comments

2008 was one of those years…after a diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sleep Apnea, it was time to take action over my health.  A friend of mine had just finished yoga training and was putting together a group to meet weekly to practice yoga. All of my life, I’ve wanted to try yoga, but the thought of trying it alone was too overwhelming. This intimate setting offered a safe place to begin and it has been a life-saver.

In the beginning I had no flexibility and that darn muffin-top of mine was always in the way.  Five years later, my flexibility has DRAMATICALLY improved and I look forward to our weekly class together.  We share a love for each other as well as a love of yoga (despite the occasional moaning and groaning).  None of us take it too seriously, complimenting our practice with a good hearty laugh or two each week. Thank God for our teacher Diane and for alternate teacher and host, Chris.  And who doesn’t love wearing yoga pants!

yoga flexibility cartoon

In a few days our ‘hot flash yoga’ team (never to be confused with HOT Yoga) will head to Shoshoni, in Nederland, Colorado for a yoga retreat.  The fresh air, mountain views on top of two days of yoga and meditation is just what I need!

bird yoga cartoon

After almost two years of posting faithfully 2x a week, I’ve decided to take a break from posting but will be back soon, so stay tuned.

English: Prônam Mudrá Português: Prônam Mudrá

Namaste!

 

 

Desserts · New Favorite · New Traditions · Vegan · Vegetarian

Cherry Crisp (Gluten and Dairy Free)

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Sour cherry desserts are a big favorite. While trying to avoid gluten, I was craving a cherry something, crisp…pie…cobbler. I decided to try a Cherry Crisp with almond (instead of wheat) flour using applesauce instead of butter. The result is a gluten and dairy free dessert. The girls likened the Cherry Crisp to a really good cherry granola bar.

If you prefer to skip the whole gluten and dairy free scene, substitute all-purpose flour for almond flour and margarine instead of applesauce.

Cherry
Cherry (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

CHERRY CRISP

2 cups cherry pie filling (gluten-free)
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Spray 8×8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread the cherry filling in the bottom of the baking dish.
  • Combine the oats, almond flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and applesauce together.
  • Crumble evenly over the cherry mixture.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.

 

Garden · Gluten Free · New Favorite · New Traditions · Vegetarian

Almond Flour Zucchini Bread…Gluten Free!

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Almond Flour is a new experience for me and I love it.  I am truly a ‘nut’ job, loving nuts and often acting like one. Using Almond Flour in place of wheat flour was right up my alley. Oldest daughter, Megan, shared this recipe with me since she is also trying to be gluten-free.

I can’t wait to experiment using almond flour in other recipes!

ALMOND FLOUR ZUCCHINI BREAD

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup honey
1 ripe banana
1 cup shredded, unpeeled zucchini (squeeze some of the moisture out)

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Place the wet ingredients in the bowl and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until frothy and fully combined.  Add the zucchini and beat again just enough to incorporate.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients with the mixer running, until all of the flour mixture has been incorporated.
  • Spoon the batter into 2 mini loaf pans (or use to make muffins).

  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out clean.

Garden · New Favorite

Bacon Swiss Chard Frittata

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Gardening is an adventure.  This year, I planted several greens including Radicchio. Turns out the Radicchio was really Swiss Chard.  Bonus! Growing up our neighbor, Lucille, always made a Swiss Chard and egg dish and I so wish I had the recipe.  As a substitute I found this recipe and have enjoyed several breakfasts, warming a piece in the microwave each morning.

I quickly realized that I started with too large of a pan for the frittata so transferred the cooked ingredients to my Mother’s favorite pie pan where I added the Parmesan and then broiled the frittata.

BACON SWISS CHARD FRITTATA

6 strips bacon, sliced
1 bunch Swiss chard, wash thoroughly, stems removed, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 pound russet potatoes, cooked, cut in chunks
salt and black pepper to taste
8 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • Cook the bacon in a large skillet, over medium heat until crisp. Remove and drain all but 1 tbsp. of the bacon fat. Reduce the heat to med-low, and add the Swiss chard. Don’t worry about crowding the pan, as the chard will quickly wilt down.
  • Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the greens are completely wilted. Add the garlic and pepper flakes; sauté for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, and mix into the greens.
  • Pour in the eggs, and cook stirring for about 5 minutes, or until the eggs begin to set. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and finish cooking the frittata under a preheated broiler, about 8 inches from the heat, for 4-5 minutes, or until the top is browned and the eggs are set. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving in wedges.
Recipe from: