On Power Outages

In days of old, maybe over a decade ago, when the power went off in the middle of the night, I would sleep through it all and perhaps not wake up in time because the clock would have the wrong time.

Nowadays, things are different. At 12:30 a.m. today I woke up to some beeping. Disoriented, I wondered what it was until Hal told me that it was the power surge protector we have the computer plugged into. It goes off to warn us to turn off the computer. So, I stumbled into my study in the next room and turned off my computer and then tried to figure out how to turn off the power surge protector which was still beeping. By the time I figured it out (with the flashlight I did manage to find), the power came back on. That meant that not only did things start humming again, but the overhead bedroom light came on, blinding us. Huh?

At least the clock has an internal battery and maintained its time. But, it's Saturday, and it doesn't matter what time I wake up.

Fuddy Duddy

Today I was chatting with my beginning string students. I mentioned one of our new teachers whom they may not know. Turns out some of them do know who she is and they said, "Oh, she's the one who looks like Katy Perry." Thinking that Katy might be a student at Vista, I asked who she was. They were incredulous that I didn't know who Katy Perry was. I asked if I could find out if I googled her, and they said I would definitely find out who she is. Well, here's her picture, and our teacher does look a little like her, but mostly for the color of the hair. I am getting old....

Sweet Potato Quest

By googling sweet potato main dish, I ran across this vegetarian website with lots of recipes. About 1/3 of the way down the page, I clicked on this recipe for Kale, Sweet Potato and Chick Peas. It says it feeds 12, so I just made half of the recipe and it filled up my dutch oven most of the way. It's filling, but I think it needs more flavoring. If I make it again, I will use curry powder instead of, or in addition to the other spices. (My daughter would approve that I didn't put in the raisins....) Maybe I could use chipotle chilis....

Fall

Our fruit cocktail tree (nectarine, apricot, and two kinds of peaches), has shed almost all of its leaves.

December Book Club

This month our book club will be discussing Hygiene and the Assassin by Amelie Nothomb (translated from the French by Alison Anderson). Bill, who chose this title, likes books to be under 200 pages, but not necessarily easy. While I found that the reading was easy, the understanding is not so much. I did understand the plot - a bald, obese, reclusive old man who has won the Nobel Prize in literature is about to die, and he has granted several journalists interviews with him. The first four get nowhere with the curmudgeon, but the fifth, a woman, stands her own against him and eventually earns his respect by revealing how much she knows about him and his work. As usual, I will be interesting in hearing what others have to say about this book.

More about Peppernuts

All this blogging about peppernuts has started some conversations. Here is a photo of my great grandmother making the spice cookies. My paternal grandmother created her own recipe by combining two recipes, and I always thought they were The Original kind. When I saw the bigger ones covered in powdered sugar in the store, I just couldn't believe they stuck the name pfeffernusse on them.

Anyway, Gramma would always send us about a gallon of them at Christmas (along with her knit "booties" (slippers) which we loved). That was always a special package. There must have been Christmas gifts, as well, but I don't recall as many of those. Her homemade presents were the best. (One year we got crocheted ponchos!)

Here is the official Gramma peppernuts recipe. This is for a single batch, but I always make two.

2 C sugar

1 C dark Karo syrup

1 C butter

1 C sour cream (some in my family use soured cream)

3 eggs, beaten

7 C flour

1 t salt

1 t cardamom

1 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t cloves

1/2 t ginger

1/2 t nutmeg

1 t lemon extract

1/4-1/2 t anise oil (not extract - you must buy this at a pharmacy)

Heat the syrup. Add the butter and sugar. When warm, pour into large mixing bowl. Add remaining dry ingredients which have been sifted together. (I add them a few cups at a time, and about halfway through the dry ingredients I add the next wet step, otherwise I would never get it mixed together.) Combine lemon extract and anise oil to cream and eggs.

Knead till well blended. (This takes some arm strength! Or a Kitchenaid mixer works, too.) Chill dough overnight or lonter in tightly covered container. Roll dough into thin ropes. (This is where I put them in the freezer, covered by wax paper.) Slice into pieces about the size of a hazelnut.

Bake at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes (longer for mine - closer to 12-14). Makes about 1 1/2 gallons.

Sculptures at Pomona College

Holiday Promenade

Every year Claremont has a Holiday Promenade in the Village. Santa comes to City Hall, the big tree in front of the Train Depot is lit, carolers roam the streets, merchants are open, people wander. Have I ever been before this year? No. I don't know why.

This year I was invited to play with the Village Pipers, a recorder group associated with the Claremont Community School of Music. We played on front porch of Sonja Stump Photography, and we were grateful it was warmer than last week. Sonja and her husband, Bob, had cookies and cider inside for those who came by to listen.

After we finished playing, we wandered through the bustling streets and even saw the mini "ice" skating rink for kids on Indian Hill and 2nd St. It was some sort of thick plastic on the ground, and you could rent skates and use the rink for $5 for 20 minutes.

Peppernuts - Final Stage 2010

Three hours in the kitchen this afternoon yielded over 1,000 peppernuts. I always make a double batch which Gramma said would make 3 gallons. Last week I rolled the dough into snakes and put them in the freezer.

Today I took out the snakes, two-by-two, and cut them into little buttons.
I put about 90-100 peppernuts onto a cookie sheet and baked for 12-14 minutes. The first batches take longer than the following ones. I only put one cookie sheet at a time into the oven. That somehow works better for me.
Here's a sheet full of peppernuts just out of the oven. In order for all the spices and flavors to completely blend, the little cookies must age for at least a few days, if not longer. That's why I start this process in November. I have also discovered, though, that if you find peppernuts a year later, they have gone waaaay beyond a good aging.

I don't know how many batches Gramma made each year, but my dad remembers helping her bake them. For awhile my uncle made these to sell on the internet, and the year we lived in Chicago I ordered some from him.

A Passion for Reading

Here is one of our third graders during his lunch break yesterday. Nothing could distract him from his book. He was near the end of it and it must have been exciting!