Staying Warm

Watching my husband get ready for the first day of buck season got me to thinking.  Hard to believe this mind starts thinking, all it takes is a thought and a memory.  It was the night before and I gave him a kind hint, are you going to get your "stuff" around for morning.  That meant, do not wake me up searching for "stuff"!  He took the hint and off he went for the gathering.  Here, there and everywhere he has his treasures stashed.  There are the special thin, wicking, dry proof, scent proof long johns.  Next the special hunting pants, shirts, gloves, jacket, fluorescent vest, special light weight waterproof boots and a hat or two.  Then the backpack, fill it with, pencil, flash light, binoculars, hot packs, seat, candy, apple, water, ammunition, walkie talkie  and whatever else is needed or not.  What I was thinking about was the hunting attire of the 1960s through 1980s when we put on some rubber boots, pair of blue jeans, a heavy coat, gloves, hat and rifle, away we went.  I remember one time telling Dick how cold my feet were waiting on a stand for deer.  His advice, come on let's get moving they will warm up.  They usually did. Ha, I have seen him write out his deer tag with the end of a bullet and tie it on from a piece of shoestring cut from his boot lace!   Now, do you see where I am going with this?  The older we got and not so poor for $$ the more comfort items we buy.  It's nice to have them to use a few times a year but seriously?  We did just fine, got a deer or two and carried a lot less hunting "stuff"with us in the lean years.  I mean that in body and $.   Maybe that is why we would walk the hills and valleys all day making sure everyone in the family had a chance to get a deer, we were lean and young!

The temperatures at Cook'n by the Creek have been very mild during the days with hard frosts at night.  Rain and wind has moved in the last couple days so I guess the swamps are filled and winter can soon arrive with snow.  My favorite week as passed and on to Christmas.  Then we will be surviving the two dreaded months, January and February.  Snow and cold is fine until Christmas is over, spring is the next big happening on our mind.  We will spend the two months searching seed catalogs, making want lists and hoping the garden will have a better growing season next year.  Knitting and painting will be my main entertainment while Dick works on insulating the walls of the cabin.  When warmer weather hits we will get the ceiling, walls and floors in.  Maybe even on cold days if it heats up quickly with the little electric heater.  Have to keep busy, especially with dark moving in so early.  But.......in 21 days on December 21, Winter Solstice will take us the other way and daylight will increase a little each day. 

One of our favorite desserts is the Boston Cream Pie.  No, the recipe is not in my cookbook and it should have been since this was one of Della's favorites and made it often on the farm.  I have no idea how I missed adding it to the book. 

The Boston Cream Pie really did originate in Boston, MA in the early 1800s.  On December 12, 1996 the Boston Cream Pie was named the official dessert of MA. 

This is an easy recipe but a time consuming and also worth the effort of not using a boxed cake mix and boxed pudding.  Enjoy

Boston Cream Pie:
2 cups flour, I suggest King Arthur Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk

* It is important that you sift the flour before measuring.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter and flour a 9-inch round springform pan.  You may use 2 (8-inch cake pans instead, but it is a lot easier to use a springform pan. I use 2-8 inch pans. Adjust oven rack to the center position of your oven.

In a medium-size bowl, sift cake flour again with baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a bowl of your electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the sifted flour mixture to the butter mixture in three (3) batches alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched; remove from oven. It will take less time if using 2 cake pans.  Let the cake cool in the springform pan on a wire rack for 10 minute.  After 10 minutes, remove sides of springform pan and let cake cool completely.

 Using a serrated knife, cut the cake in half horizontally, and arrange the bottom half, cut side up, on a plate.

3.1

Custard Filling Recipe:
1 1/2 cups warm whole milk
1 tsp. real vanilla
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 large egg yolks beaten
In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, place sugar, flour, and egg yolks; stir until mixture is smooth.  Add warm milk   Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken.  Remove from heat add vanilla and stir. Let mixture cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache (Icing) Recipe:
1/3 cup heavy or whipping cream.
7 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
In a small, heavy saucepan, add the cream and bring just to a boil; immediately remove from the heat.  Add the chopped chocolate, stirring with a whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is completely smooth.
Use the Chocolate Ganache while still warm.c If your Chocolate Ganache has cooled, gently re-warm before using.

The Boston Cream Pie, which is more like a cake.

A beautiful deep golden color to the cake
and pudding when you use farm fresh eggs.

 

 

 

 

 

The Christmas Stollen

Saturday we went to Aldis for a "few" groceries.  $91.00 later I am pretty sure we only forgot 2 items.  Of course I had a list but you have to put it on the list to remember it, which I didn't.  All is more than ok,  Aldis has their Christmas foods and candies from Germany all stocked in one beautiful area.  We each picked out our favorite things.  Mine was the German Christmas Stollen which is a dense sweet bread (not very sweet) with raisins and almonds.  This is the kind of bread to eat and drink a good cup of hot coffee with.  My dad and mom would dip bites of it in their coffee.  I think I shall give it a try.  On the way home we decided supper would be Stollen and coffee.  My favorite kind of Saturday night, relax, no cooking and knit.  We had another late lunch, early supper at Red and Trudy's.  Yum.  If you know what I mean and live far away about now you are wishing I never mentioned that famous place for hamburgers, fries and a very thick milkshake.  The place was packed but lucky for us we walked in a booth just got vacated.   

Sunday's supper for the hunters has come and gone.  Only 5 guys and 3 gals to enjoy the food and conversation.  Years have a way of making the numbers dwindle.  It was still a great time and quite a few laughs.  The young buck Costello guys like to big on the "old bucks" and each other for that matter.  It is all in good fun and typical to get a few digs into one another.  There was Cajun roast turkey, roast beef (pressure cooked) pickled deer heart, sopressata salami, cheeses and a few other foods plus those German candies and goodies.  There was a specialty sandwich I made.  When at my nephews for Thanksgiving dinner he came out with one of his hunting magazines and said, "Aunt Cheryl, doesn't this look good?"  It really did and Dana never asks for favors so I thought, I'm making it for him.  I took a picture with my phone, begged a couple deer steaks from my grandson Kent and made the sandwich.  It takes 12 hours or more from start to finish and it is worth every minute.  Once you get the sandwich fixings made and put together it has to set overnight in the refrigerator.  I dare to say, if I didn't tell you, you would not know it wasn't beef.  You can use beef  but it called for venison and that is the whole idea, use what you kill.  I am going to make it again with beef for one of our friends.  It is that good.  I imagine pork or chicken would be good too.

This was mine before I put the top on.  I pressed this one
like a Panini sandwich and refrigerated overnight. Then
before serving I sliced it in 2" slices.  So good!

Thanks to everyone that ordered a cookbook.  I just placed an order for 100 more bringing the grand total to 252.  I never dreamed so many would be interested.  Love and best wishes to all.