A Flight of Faeries

Yep, that time of year again--pizza and faerie houses!  The theme this year was around-the-world.

Danish paper cutting--with tiny scissors hidden in the spider web.

Little doors are my favorite.

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Japanese temple, complete with tiny singing bowl.

Ireland, one of my favorites

Also Ireland.

My favorite location, along the now-dried creek bed.  This year the houses were embedded in the roots.

Can't remember--this might be Norway.

Pisa

A hidden butterfly

Mesa Verde

In the here-and-now section, where visitors made their own houses.

OUR FAVORITE!  

With a Harry Potter door

And Sherlock Holmes

And of course Doctor Who!!

A Walk in the Woods

Last week, our Girl Scouts had a field trip to a local mountain, so-called in CT because it's a tall hill.  And I think, of all of us, I had the best time!  The tour focused on the natural history and human habitation of the area that could be read in the trees, reaching back to Native Americans and colonists and up through the agricultural use of the area, all of which I found fascinating--and I love rock walls!  I was proud that I made it through the hike, since parts of it had rocks and roots covered in leaves and unstable-for-me inclines and declines.

I'm becoming a much better hiker, a term I use loosely when applied to myself.  See, I don't think I realized what hiking was, seeing it as walking on paths through nature--not the arduous and sometimes treacherous climbing over rocks and trees and slopes that it is.  I first realized this in Vermont last weekend, when I was shocked to see what the Appalachian Trail looked like--not so much a path as a slightly-cleared thin line snaking through trees and rocks.  I'm now much more impressed with hikers than I ever was, particularly those who hike for months, sleeping on the way.

What we learned on our hike:

• cedars grow where once there were agricultural fields
• "wolf tree"--a tree with many protruding branches which was once probably the lone tree in a field.
• charcoal kiln--where farmers would gather and stack timber, cover it with leaves etc to burn it into charcoal for sale
• quarry--the holes and cuts of star drills, etc., were visible on cuts stones of an outcropping
• "three-sisters tree":  when trunks are cut during timbering and then another trunk grows out of the roots, then there are trees with 2-3 trunks, a sign of timbering
• how to roll a log--towards you to protect yourself from what might be lurking.  And always put it back!
• walnut, chestnut, hickory, and oak--local trees that produce edibles
• quartz--if you see a pile of quartz chips, it could indicate Native American tool-making.
• deer rub--an abrasion on a tree where deer mark their territories.
• rock walls--Second and third-generation European settlers (around mid-18th century) found that erosion caused by tree cutting and agriculture started to reveal all the boulders below the soil.  It was a curse on farmers!  They tried to clear fields, piling rocks as the iconic New England rock wall (most dating to late 18th and then 19th centuries), but agriculture in Connecticut ceased for the most part by the beginning of the 20th century, being too difficult and not profitable enough (hence the switch to manufacturing in much of the Northeast, as well as the move of settlers to better farmlands in Ohio, etc.)  In fact, the state is more forested now than since the settlers arrived; most trees are under 100 years old.  I love those rock walls and have been reading a history of them.

Between the hikes in Vermont and this hike, I'm of a mind to do more nature walks--as long as they are very easy access!

Rock walls

Wolf Tree to the right of center

More walls

Quarry holes

Fall Fun: I Love VT

A quick list of free associations and memories of my first foray into Vermont:

• a beautiful welcome center with homemade baked goods to raise money for a food pantry--oh, the cider doughnuts and blueberry cobbler!
• mountains, mountains, and more mountains
• foliage--the mix of greens, yellows, oranges, reds, and deep red-purple always make me want to quilt
• Vermont Country Store--I never knew it was real, thought it was just a catalog company for years.  But it's a big, real, quirky, nostalgic tourist draw (not quite a trap because the goods are mostly quality.)  Got a Shoot the Moon toy for the kids.  
• Bryant House Restaurant--an old soda fountain, Johnnycakes that looked like corn muffins, Sis said they were the best fries ever
• Maple Creemee--it's a maple soft serve with some chew, kinda like frozen custard
• Mt Equinox--oh, my gosh, I went up a mountain.  Sure, we were in a car, but I didn't panic.  And I even sat sorta near the edge, contemplating time, life, and beauty.  Beautiful views, including a hawk soaring below us.  3,848 feet high.  The scent of balsam.
• Inn at Long Trail--Lincoln logs come to life, with an Irish twist.  
• Pop hiked Deer Leap Trail before we arrived, all the way to the ledge--scary!
• Pop made the kids western juniper walking sticks! (And we only sword-played with them once.)
• Quechee Gorge--we hiked about a mile, up and down beside the deep gorge.  I was impressed with myself (again.)  Thanks to Pop's loaner walking stick, I didn't eat dirt or sprain anything when I tripped on a rock.
• VINS (Vermont Institute of Natural Studies)--raptors, including Snowy Owl!  Also Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Kestrels, Peregrine, Red Tail Hawk, Broad wing Hawk, Ferruginuous hawk, Great Grey Owl, Barred Owl,  Great Horned Owl, small Eastern Screech Owls, and two beak-locked ravens. Nice rehab center and tour of the enclosures.
• Worthy Kitchen--introduced Gommie and Pop to poutine!
• Sugarbush Farms--maple, cheese, and condiments tastings!  Mmmmmmmmm.   Sis loved the huge horses and the bunny
• KING ARTHUR FLOUR--Bake for Good Month and tasty wheat bread, Sis got some mixes, just delightful, except they were out of the 13" Pullman Loaf pan I wanted and I never got through to order from customer service (we got there late in the day so there weren't many choices in the bakery, sad to say, but the chocolate chip cookies were good and the chai latte was excellent.)
• Checkers, chess, pinball-like baseball game, more chess, more checkers--loved the game room at the Inn
• meals at the restaurant--loved the Irish brown soda bread with raisins, Guinness stew, and the pancakes in the morning.  Sis liked the hot chocolate.
• Maple syrup, creemee, ice cream, hard candies, lollipop, candle, bacon, fudge, butter . . . . 
• live Irish music--I think my Aunt Sis would have loved this place (and its rustic charm)
• beautiful morning sunrise--Bud very thoughtful ("Can you imagine living like this?  With the mountains and sunrise everyday??")
• that lovely Vermont lake (Kent pond?) surrounded by mountains and foliage and dramatic clouds
• Thundering Brook falls--an accessible hike to the waterfall and more reflections on science and geological time by Bud, plus a few steps on the Appalachian Trail
• We see a Bald Eagle in a tree by the road!
• Billings Farm Museum--new calf, huge draft horses, sheep, maple and pumpkin and caramel apple ice creams, a farm house with modern conveniences and a dairy.  Bud square dances with Gommie.
• Lunchtime sandwiches from Woodstock Market, which we eat back in the Inn
• I think I'd like Woodstock, not sure about Manchester, for our next visit
• three covered bridges in the area, though I don't know what their names are.  We drove across a red one to get to Sugarbush.
• Mama goes to VINS photography class--she got great pics!--and Vermont Flannel Store
• I get the restaurant's soda bread recipe!
• Oregon Trail game with everyone (Mama died by snake bite, Bud and I by dysentry, Gommie because she didn't have a coat, and Sis by typhoid fever.  Pop lived, even though he kept breaking the wagon.)
• We don't watch the debate.
• chilly night near freezing, felt good
• more hiking on Long Trail/AT for Gommie, Pop and kids, on the bit across from the inn
• how many games of chess and checkers did the kids play with the grandfolks?  It was a highlight.  Pop said it was no-holds-barred--and he did manage to beat them a few times.  I lost a lot.
• another beautiful Vermont lake (Echo Lake), glittering and clear
• a chainsaw art festival!  We got some owls
• and lunch nibbles from the other Vermont Country Store on our way home--cheeses, Vermont common crackers, summer sausage, and maple nuggets (a whole lot like Buc-ee nuggets!)

What a wonderful weekend!

View from Mt Equinox

A tree at VCS

Inside the Inn at Long Trail

See, Lincoln Logs

Thundering Brook Fals

On Thundering Brook Falls Trail

More of the accessible trail

A lovely lake--Kent Pond, we think

Billings Farm Museum

Quechee Gorge

Echo Lake

Chainsaw art

Stepping Out

Going to be offline until about Tuesday--more fun with Gommie and Pop!

My Dragons

As I've told you, the kids got me hooked on the computer game Dragonvale this summer, which consists of building a zoo or amusement park-like world and populating it with a variety of dragons. It's calming, fun, without much game strategy, and a way for us to all bond over a computer game, which they like so much.  I've actually gotten into it--growing food, feeding my dragons, breeding new dragon types, decorating my world with flowers and statues, playing the games to earn more coins or "treats" for feeding.  I even go one step further and name my dragons.

When I started naming my dragons, I had no idea how hooked I'd become.  My first dragons were named after women in my favorite fandoms--Star Wars, LOTR, Star Trek, Marvel, Harry Potter.  But then I ran low on names, so I did favorite book characters, inspiring historical figures, ancestors, etc.  I stuck with female names, so I guess it's a gynocentric dragon world.  Indeed, it's hard not to repeat a name and to think of new ones.  Looking at the list, I see I am much better at choosing fictional characters than historical people as my heroes and inspirations.  I should think on that.  Though, if I were to do historical names, there are a lot of Janes, Elizabeths, and the like.

I even interrupted my post to check my dragons.  I have a Double XP boost right now, helping me to level up.  Don't I sound like I know what I'm talking about?  That's part of the point, to give me some common computer game ground.  Helps that it's fun, too.

My Dragons

1. Abby, Swamp--Ghostbusters
2. Abigail, Cave--Adams
3. Agent May, Poison--"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
4. Alex, Plains--"Supergirl"
5. Alice P, Smolder--Paul
6. Angela, Thicket--Lansbury
7. Anne, Salamander--of Green Gables
8. Arleene, Spark--family
9. Artemisia, Inferno--artist
10. Arwen, Sulfur--LOTR
11. Audra, Root--Macdonald
12. Beatrice, Magnetic--Shakespeare
13. Berthe, Promethium--artist
14. Blackwell, Bone--Dr. Elizabeth
15. Bobbi, Blazing--"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
16. Buffy, Evergreen--"the Vampire Slayer"
17. Caddy, Quicksilver
18. Cagney, Fungus--"Cagney and Lacey"
19. Catherine, Rust
20. Charlotte, Scorch--Cushman, artist
21. Claire, Forest--Outlander
22. Daisy, Rain--"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
23. Demeter, Copper--Greek god
24. DrCrusher, Storm--ST:TNG
25. Dolly, Trench--Parton
26. Donna, Thunder--"Doctor Who"
27. Dory, River Dragon--Finding Dory
28. Dot, Scoria--"Miss Fisher's Mysteries"
29. Eliza, Fog--Hamilton
30. Elphaba, Willow--Wicked
31. Emily, Luminous--Indigo Girls
32. Eowyn, Blazing Gale--LOTR
33. Eponine, Chrome--Les Miz
34. Fanett, Mirage--teacher
35. Felicity, Feast--"Arrow"
36. Fidelma, Hypnotic--mystery books
37. Frances, Seaweed--aunt
38. Frida, Pollen--Kahlo
39. Frigga, Quake--Marvel movies
40. George E, Glacier--Eliot, author
41. Georgia, Sandstorm--O'Keefe
42. Glinda, Air--Wicked
43. Gwen, Crystal--"Merlin"
44. Harriet J, Bubble--"Doctor Who"
45. Harriet T, Ruin--Tubman
46. Helen K, Lightning--Keller
47. Hermione, Flower--Harry Potter
48. Hestia, Miasma--Greek Gods
49. Hildegard, Ivy--saint
50. Hillary, Ash--Clinton
51. Holtzman, Iron--Ghostbusters
52. Idgie, Ice--Fried Green Tomatoes
53. Idina, Shimmer--Menzel
54. Inara, Tree--"Firefly"
55. Irene A, Crypt--Sherlock Holmes
56. Janeway, Plant--ST:Voyager
57. Jax, Ortreat--"Robin Hood"
58. Jyn Erso, Nightshade--Rogue One
59. Juliette, Molten--Gordon Low, Girl Scouts
60. Judi D, Phantom--Dench
61. Kara, Iron Blossom--"Supergirl"
62. Kate L-S, Water--"Doctor Who"
63. Katherine, Halo--Hepburn
64. Katniss, Smoke--Hunger Games
65. Kaylee, Orchid--"Firefly"
66. Kepchar, Glare--teacher
67. Lady Jane, Sonic--history
68. Lady Mary, Coral--"Downton Abbey"
69. Lady Sif, Icy Torrent--Marvel movies
70. Lagertha, Lava--"Vikings"
71. Laura I W, Tempest--Ingalls Wilder
72. Lily, Steel--Tomlin
73. Lisa R, Trick--professor
74. Lizzie, Nectar--Pride and Prejudice
75. Louisa MA, Blizzard--May Alcott
76. Lucretia, Gamma--Borgia
77. Luna, Meteor--Harry Potter
78. Lysistrat, Earth--Greek play
79. Mac, Lodestone--"Miss Fisher's Mysteries"
80. McGonagal, Cold--Harry Potter
81. Maggie S, Glass--Smith, actress
82. Manie, Meadow--grandmother
83. Maria H, Geode--Marvel movies
84. Marian, Cactus--Music Man
85. Marmee, Palladium--Little Women
86. Martha, Lotus--"Doctor Who"
87. MaryS, Dungeon--Shelley
88. MaryC, Malachite--Cassatt
89. Mathma, Ooze--Star Wars
90. Maya, Radiant--Angelou
91. Me, Metal--"Doctor Who"
92. Meg, Brass--Little Women
93. Meryl, Wind--Streep
94. Mildred, Frostfire--grandmother
95. Minerva, Light--Greek goddess
96. Molly, Obsidian--Harry Potter
97. Nyssa, Harest--"Arrow"
98. Paisan, Glass--comic
99. Patricia, Plasma--professor
100. Paula, Conch--aunt
101. Pema, Ember--Chodron
102. Petrella, Bubble--teacher
103. Phryne, Howl--"Miss Fisher's Mysteries"
104. Prudence, Hail--"Miss Fisher's Mysteries"
105. RiverSong, Pepper--"Doctor Who"
106. Ro, Dark--ST:TNG
107. Rose, Heat--"Doctor Who"
108. Roslin, Snow--"Battlestar Galactica"
109. Ruth, Iceberg--Fried Green Tomatoes
110. Sam, Mirror--"Foyle's War"
111. Sarah J, Arctic--"Doctor Who"
112. Scarlett, Mud--GWTW
113. Schackett, Mine--teacher
114. Scully, Fire--"X-Files"
115. Shane, Forge--"L Word"
116. Sharon, Lagoon--Salzberg, Buddhist teacher
117. Sigourney, Firefly--Weaver
118. Simmons, Vortex--"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
119. Sojourner, Glacier--Truth
120. Starbuck, Mountain--"Battlestar Galactica"
121. Stoner, Flash--mysteries
122. Sukie, Dark--"Gilmore Girls"
123. Susan B, Watch--Anthony
124. Thyme, Acid--"Rosemary & Thyme"
125. Trelawney, Moss--Harry Potter
126. Vita, Garden--Sackville-West
127. Willow, Lichen--"Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
128. Wilma, Nosferatu--Deering of "Buck Rogers"
129. Zoe, Sand--"Firefly"
130. Agent 13, Delight--Marvel Movies
131. Alice, Double Rainbow--Austen
132. Amy, Bronze--Indigo Girls
133. Angelica, Snowy Bronze--Hamilton
134. Antigone, Omen--Greek tragedy
135. Arietty, Summer--The Borrowers
136. Ashildr, Bizurian--"Doctor Who"
137. Athena, Thunderbolt--Greek goddess
138. Belle, Serenity--Beauty and the Beast
139. Bette, Rainbow--Middler
140. Billie Jean, Double Rainbow--King
141. Carolyn V, Ironwood--professor
142. Clara, Sun--"Doctor Who"
143. Clara B, Moon--Barton
144. Cordelia, Nightbloom--Shakespeare
145. Eleanor, Gold--Roosevelt
146. Elizabeth, Solar Eclipse--queen
147. Ellen, Rainbow--Degeneres
148. Elsa, Snowflake--Frozen
149. Emmeline, Sanguinite--Pankhurst
150. Fantine, Bizurian--Les Miz
151. Florence, Autumn--Nightingale
152. Francile, Sapphire--relative
153. Frevisse, Snowy Bronze--mysteries
154. Gabrielle, Rainbow--"Xena, Warrior Princess"
155. Galadriel, Opal--LOTR
156. Geena, Prism--Davis
157. Gertrude, Rainbow--Stein
158. Guinan, Electrum--ST:TNG
159. Hartley, Snowy Silver--"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
160. Helen M, Snowflake--Mirren
161. Helena, Dawnbringer--Bonham Carter
162. Jo, Silver--Little Women
163. Joan B, Bronze--professor
164. Lacey, Moon--"Cagney and Lacey"
165. Leia, Nebula--Star Wars
166. Martina, Moon--Navratilova
167. Maz, Nebula--Star Wars
168. Melanie, Melancholy--GWTW
169. Merida, Lacewing--Brave
170. Moana, Silver Olympus--Disney
171. Morgana, Amber--"Merlin"
172. Mulan, Bismuth
173. Nan, Bronze--Tipping the Velvet
174. Nat, Snowy Silver--Marvel movies
175. Osgood, Snowflake--"Doctor Who"
176. Peggy C, Chrysalis--Marvel movies
177. Portia, Nightmare--Shakespeare
178. Prim, Ornamental--Hunger Games
179. Radclyffe, Rainbow--Hall
180. Rey, Nebula--Star Wars
181. Rosemary, Valor--"Rosemary and Thyme"
182. Sappho, Prism--poet
183. Skye, Polarian--"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
184. Tasha Yar, Flicker--ST:TNG
185. Tauriel, Gold--LOTR
186. Whoopi, Seasonal--Goldberg
187. Victoria, Bronze--queen
188. Xena, Double Rainbow--"Xena, Warrior Princess"
189. Zelda, Seasonal--video game (Bud's request)

Names to Consider

• Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Sonia Sottmayor
• Elena Kagan
• Sandra Day O'Connor
• Carrie Chapman Catt
• Alva Vanderbilt
• Dorothea D (or Middlemarch)
• Jane A
• Emma Goldman
• Emily Dickinson
• Amy Lowell

• Grisabella, Cats
• Lady Violet
• Anne B
• Jane Seymour
• Catherine
• Elizabeth
• Anne Cleves
• Troi
• Eva WS
• Sylvia
• Vigee Lebrun
• Sylvia Boorstein
• Jane Eyre

Fall Fun: The First Fall Family Weekend

I wasn't posting, but, oh, were we having fun!

Gommie and Pop arrived here on Friday, just before the kids got home early from school.  They were all so excited to see each other, as I had been a bit earlier.

As usual, there was some show-and-tell when my parents arrived, this time in the form of watching the school musical on DVD, pointing out the kids in each scene, commenting on the whole experience.  Almost as good as being there in person!

Then we went out to dinner at a local place, with artichoke dip, fresh bread, steak, chicken, mussels, meatloaf, hamburgers, profiteroles, bread pudding, creme brulee.  A nice feast!

I think they even squeezed in a couple of games of checkers, with Sis roundly beating Gommie a few times--Pop managed to win against her, finally.

Saturday brought our usual round of kung fu, followed by a special performance at a local festival.  The festival was very small and local, but Gommie and Pop were so glad to get to see Bud perform.  He did his tong bei (first form), spear, and 9-chain routines as part of the larger team performance.  I just love watching him fly through the air!  We did a few of the activities--Gommie got a red flower painted on her cheek; I watched a calligrapher at work.  We all made "snow skin" Singapore mooncakes, which are bright white.  They are made of a pre-cooked dough of glutinous rice flower, coconut milk, with sweet bean paste in the middle--you make a ball and then stamp it with a symbolic decoration.  (See here for a similar recipe.)  It's a lot like mochi, though the woman in charge of the activity balked at the suggestion, saying, "The Chinese invented mochi, not the Japanese."  We walked the beach for a bit and then had a quick lunch of dumplings, shumai, scallion pancakes, and egg rolls.


Then we went out for ice cream!  Not your usual ice cream but the popular new nitrogen-frozen one that's all the rage around here.  Pop and I got the bourbon breakfast one, which is quite boozy.

For dinner, Mama made a delicious pork shoulder in her pressure cooker.  Yes, hers.  I am a bit wary of the steaming, squeaking thing.  But the dinner, with sides of roasted sweet potatoes and also broccoli, was delicious--and the first homecooked meal Gommie and Pop had eaten in 2+ weeks!

Sunday was church, a discussion and celebration of "accounting" of Rosh Hashanah.  I don't remember the exact context, but my favorite part was about those who yell loudly because they feel as if they aren't heard, literally and figuratively.  How true is that!  I see it here at home, in online discussions of local issues, on the national stage from both politicians and their supporters.  It seems like we have a rash of many people trying to communicate without many feeling heard.

And then it was time for Applepalooza!!  I was so excited that my folks could be here for our usually annual party for the first time.   And also for the first time, none of my usual playgroup friends could come; they were missed.  Still, we had our great neighbors and bus route friends, plus more from the community and church.  It was a great group, with lots of good conversation and delicious food, as usual:  apple rosettes, honey apple quiche, apple pie, caramel apples, old-fashioned apple cake with brown sugar frosting, cupcakes, doughnuts, mulled cider, and some fall beers.  Plus Pop's spicy homemade salsa!  The adults chatted around the fire pit, while the kids played--the younger ones in the dirt or on the swingset, the older ones running around playing zombie tag and climbing trees.  It was all going so well, until, simultaneously, a child was smacked in the head by the seesaw and the low dogwood branch the kids were sitting on it the tree cracked.  We confirmed the tree kids were fine while fetching an ice pack for the crying little one.  Soon, all was right again, though Pop later cut the branch off the tree.  The dogwood has some rot, so it's not surprising, but it was a lovely branch.  Still, I'm so glad no one was hurt.


Sis rushed off to speed skating after the party, with Gommie and Pop watching her race around the ice in her impressive "skin suit," made of kevlar for her protection.  She's still a beginner, of course, trying to learn the crossover and such, but she loves it and tried very hard.  We had Italian for dinner, with Sis inhaling a whole entree after her three-hour workout.



Monday was a school holiday and our rest time, though Mama had to go to work.  We sat at home, playing games like checkers and MarioKart.  Pop tried his had a few times at it, finally mastering the controls so that he didn't come in last.  Gommie and I tangled tiles. We watched "Speechless," which Gommie enjoyed.  Pop cut down the branch.   They all went swimming at the hotel. We even practiced flipping bottles, which apparently is the new craze; I didn't even know about it til I read a Boston Globe article, but the kids say it had already been banned at school.  Gommie got down on the floor and was flipping water bottles with the best of them.  Bud had piano and Sis had horseback riding; Pop and Gommie went to the horses, happy to see Sis riding Pooh, as well as grooming him and taking care of the tack.   We nibbled on Applepalooza leftovers until we made our own pizzas for dinner.  (And had some grumpiness with the kids, Mama, and me--if Gommie and Pop wanted a taste of our schedule--with all of our activities and such, they got it and a few of some of our breakdowns when we're tired.)  It was also Gommie and Pop's 54th wedding anniversary!  And as Gommie told the kids, without their marriage, the kids wouldn't be here.  True enough.  We cheered their long marriage.  

Today, Mama is at work, the kids are at school, Gommie and Pop are headed to the Adirondacks or somewhere, and I am at home still fighting this cold.  It wasn't goodbye--we'll see them in Vermont for another wonderful, long weekend.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

King Arthur's Old-Fashioned Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting--it was fantastic!

Cake

• 2 1/3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger and ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups peeled, cored, chopped apple, about 1 1/3 pounds whole apples 
• 1 cup diced toasted walnuts or pecans (we skipped these and added more apples)

Frosting

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 9" x 13" pan.
To make the cake: Mix all of the ingredients except the apples and nuts in a large bowl.
Beat until well combined; the mixture will be very stiff, and may even be crumbly.
Add the apples and nuts, and mix until the apples release some of their juice and the stiff mixture becomes a thick batter, somewhere between cookie dough and brownie batter in consistency.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan, smoothing it with your wet fingers.
Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few wet crumbs clinging to it.
Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a rack to cool completely; don't remove the cake from the pan.
To make the frosting: Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and salt and cook, stirring, until the sugar melts.
Add the milk, bring to a boil, and pour into a mixing bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat well; if the mixture appears too thin, add more confectioners' sugar. Spread on the cake while frosting is still warm.
Yield: about 2 dozen servings.

Tips from our bakers

• To toast nuts, place them in a single layer in a cake pan. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 6 to 9 minutes, until they're golden brown and smell "toasty."
• To guarantee lump-free frosting, sift confectioners' sugar before adding to the butter mixture. Usually all the lumps disappear as you beat the frosting; but to guarantee no lumps at all, sift the sugar first.

1. Apple Rosettes
2. • 1-2 sheets puff pastry
   • 1/4 cup cream cheese
   • 3 tbsp sugar
   • cinnamon
   • 1 apple
   • 1 tbsp lemon juice
   • 3 tbsp water
     
     
   • Take out the core and thinly slice the apple.
   • Combine the apple slices with lemon juice and water in a bowl and microwave 3 minutes. Cool the bowl in some ice water. Pat dry the apple slices of excess moisture and set aside.
   • Roll out the puff pastry and cut into 4 even strips. 
   • Spread cream cheese and sprinkle on sugar onto the puff pastry strips. 
   • Arrange the apple slices and sprinkle cinnamon on top.
   • Fold the pastry puff in half lengthwise and roll them up. Place in greased muffin tins.

Bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Miss CA

Homemade Caramel Apples--made by a friend's daughter, via Land of Lakes

1 cup finely chopped peanuts, optional
1/2 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup corn syrup

dash salt

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

10 tart apples, washed and dried

Butter waxed paper; set aside. 
Place peanuts into bowl. Set aside.
Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan; add brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 10-12 minutes or until mixture comes to a full boil. Stir in sweetened condensed milk. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 20-25 minutes or until small amount of mixture dropped into ice water forms a firm ball or candy thermometer reaches 245°F.  Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
Dip apples into caramel mixture. Dip 1 end of each apple into peanuts. Place onto prepared waxed paper.

Pop's Spicy Salsa

can of diced tomatoes

onion

cilantro

jalapenos (without seeds)

black pepper

In blender, mix tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and jalapenos. Pour into dish and cover top with black pepper.  Stir.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Pop

Pizza Dough--this is Mark Bittman's recipe, essentially the same as the one the girls did at their overnight

• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, or more as needed, plus more for kneading
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as necessary

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1. Put the 3 cups flour, yeast, 2 teaspoons salt and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 1 cup water through the feed tube. Process until the mixture forms a slightly sticky ball, about 30 seconds. If the mixture is too dry, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time and process for 5 to 10 seconds after each addition. If the mixture refuses to come together, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time and process until it does.
2. Rub a little olive oil or sprinkle a little flour onto your hands and shape the dough into a ball; wrap in plastic. Let rest at room temperature until the dough doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours. Or, if time is tight, let it rest at least 20 minutes before proceeding. Or refrigerate for several hours, deflating if necessary if it threatens to burst the plastic. (Or divide in half, wrap each ball in plastic, slip into a plastic bag and freeze.) Let it return to room temperature before proceeding.
3. Reshape the dough into a ball and cut in half, forming 2 balls. (From here on, use olive oil if you're cooking on baking sheets, flour if on a pizza stone.) Put them on a lightly floured surface (a pizza peel is ideal), sprinkle with flour and cover with plastic wrap; or brush then with a bit of oil and place on a lightly oiled sheet. Let rest for about 20 minutes, while you heat the oven to 500 degrees.
4. Press a dough ball into a 1/2-inch-thick flat round, adding flour or oil to the work surface as necessary. Press or roll the dough until it's as thin as you can make it; let it rest a bit if it becomes too elastic. (Patience is your friend here.) You can do two baking sheets at once, or one after another, as you'll have to if using a peel. If doing the latter, slide the dough from the peel onto the stone.
5. Sprinkle the pizzas with olive oil (just a little), salt and rosemary. Bake for at least 10 minutes, perhaps rotating once, until the crust is crisp. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

The Starfish

A glass starfish we found serendipitously at the fair after church on Sunday

There was a man--or it could have been a woman, in this case it doesn't matter-- walking on a long, empty, and beautiful beach one morning.  Before him, he saw a child dancing on the sand, swinging her arms (or "his" arms, if you like) back and forth.  As the man approached the girl, he saw that she was not dancing but bending down to pick up a starfish and throw it into the water.  There were thousands of starfish beached on the sand, as far as the man could see.  The man said to the girl, "What are you doing?" and she replied, "If they stay too long in the sun, they will die.  So I'm sending them back out to sea."  He said, "But there are so many.  You can't save them all.  You won't make any difference."  And the girl looked at the man and looked at the starfish in her hand, thought for a moment with her face all scrunched up.  Then she threw the starfish into the sea.

"Made a difference to that one!" she replied.

Soon, others heard of the girl's efforts and many people came to the beach to help.  And thousands of starfish were saved.

This was the lesson told at church on Sunday, a popular tale in Unitarian Universalist services that I had heard before.  But the timing couldn't have been better.  There is unrest in our nation, and our wold, anger, sadness, despair even.  The murder of black men by police officers, terrorist bombings in Chelsea, and, since Sunday, yet another school shooting.  The water is not clean in many cities, particularly Flint; the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe attempts to protect its water supply from a pipeline but is opposed by Big Business.  There is war, murder, rape, torture.  65 million displaced persons in the world.  100,000 children being bombed in Aleppo.  And there is a man running for president of our country who prides himself on his racism, homophobia, isolationism, sexism, who quotes Mussolini and befriends Putin, all the while lying and obfuscating to drum up support for his walls and deportations and "law and order."

What can I do?  What in the world can I do?  I'm tired of the "thoughts and prayers" that are posted--that I post--after shootings and bombings.  I'm tired of the "we'll love better" mentality that says if we only love stronger and broader that we can overcome all; we can outlove the haters.  Better yet, we should love the haters.  Okay, yes, sure.  Thoughts, prayers, love.

But action, too. Except, what can I possibly do?  I've often heard that everyone can't do everything so pick a cause and work on it--pick up that starfish--the environment, gun control, education, Black Lives Matter, Habitat for Humanity.  All of those are good.  Which one is for me?  For my family?  How do we introduce children to social action without scaring or worrying them to much?  How do we avoid compassion fatigue?  No one likes to think too long of extinct panda bears; sixty-five million people are so many to save.  

Breathe.

One starfish at a time.

Hospice, Girl Scouts, lay ministry, money for Hillary, cans of food for the food drive, donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, lemonade stand for autism awareness.  Keep going, spread the word, pick up just one more starfish.

We can each make a difference.  Even if it really all seems impossible.  Sometimes, you're tired of bending over; sometimes the number of starfish is too overwhelming.  So don't look just at the entire beach of starfish despairingly; look at the one you send sailing back out to sea, rejoice that it will live, and enjoy the morning on the beach.  Sometimes, it helps if you dance a little.  

Stuck at Home

As it seems to happen, I have come down with a nasty cold during a busy week.  I've canceled a routine doctor's appointment, lunch with a hospice colleague, my hospice visit, two historic house tours, and my piano lesson.  It sucks.  The cold came on quite suddenly Sunday evening--typical sore throat, coughing, stuffy nose, painful ears, headache, blah.  I've not slept more than a couple of hours at a time.

I'm resting--"Tudors" and crochet, plus liquids, neti pot, etc etc etc.  I think I like to watch "Tudors" when I'm sick because I know it so well and can snooze--to those dulcet English accents!--without falling behind.  Plus, the costumes and settings are lovely.

Anyway, it's clearly not the end of the world, despite my complaining.  I only hope I'm better for this weekend, when Gommie and Pop arrive (they're wandering Maine right now) and we host Applepalooza!

Reviews

Here are some of our current favorites:


Timeline American History game:  It's not exactly fair of us to play this game of sorting historical dates in order with the kids, given that they haven't really had much American history and only lived 11 years.  Actually, they do quite well (especially having played once, they remember the dates better than we do) and we have fun playing.


Rock Me Archimedes game:  This game is like Jenga with marbles; steady hands are needed.  And strategy like checkers or chess to block your opponent.  Fun!


kazoo magazine:  A new magazine for girls that isn't "girly."  We all like it.


"Speechless":  The new ABC show starring Minnie Driver about a family getting along, including their son with cerebral palsy, played by an actor with CP!  It's witty, humorous, insightful.  Just don't call it inspirational.


"Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell":  Mama and I are enjoying this BBC miniseries based on the award-winning novel about an alternate history of Regency England involving practical magicians.


"Crimson Fields":  A BBC WWI centenary show, following nurses in a Red Cross hospital in France; only 6 episodes but delightful.


"Home Fires":  This is a BBC WWII who, following women of the Women's Institute during the war, based on the book Jambusters.  More episodes than "Crimson Fields," but not quite as good, I think.


Roasted Carrots:  I made these the way I make sweet potatoes or butternut squash, meaning 1/4 cup brown sugar, some olive oil, and some salt, baked at 425F for 30+ minutes.


Chicken and Peas pasta:   A mozzarella cheese sauce (2 T butter, 2 T flour, 1 cup milk, 2 cups mozz) with cooked chicken and green peas over rotini or penne.


Meatballs:  I use my Wildtree meatloaf mix and roll it into small balls, baking at 375F for 15-30 minutes, depending on size.

Let the Fall Fun Begin

Yesterday, we attended one of our favorite events, fall or otherwise:  our old church's annual harvest festival.  And we had a wonderful time.  There were dozens of vendors--so many fabulous crocheters, some lovely crafters, and great food.  We got a large embroidered cat cushion for the couch, a lovely dried flower arrangement for the front door, a stained glass starfish for our upstairs window, and some cute screen-printed cat shirts.  For lunch, we had empanadas, chicken fingers, plantains, and chocolate cheesecake.

And we saw so many church friends!  The kids said several people they didn't know came up and said, "You've gotten so big!"  It was 11 years ago at this event that we debuted the twins, over-dressed for the fall day, and introduced them to the church that had supported us so.  How time flies!  Our friends, who just had a baby about 2 months ago, similarly brought their newborn to the fair--also overdressed in a fleece bunny suit for the 69F day.  I think it must just be new parenthood.  But she was very sweet looking, just like ours were.

Good memories, good times.

There will be a whole bunch of fall fun in the coming weeks--and Gommie and Pop arrive this weekend!

Fall Fun Possibilities

1. Applepalooza (our family fall open house, with apple desserts)
2. Apple picking
3. Decorate a pumpkin
4. Make apple or pumpkin butter
5. Church in-gathering celebration--this was last weekend
6. Florence Griswold Museum Wee Faerie Village (the month of October)
7. Make faerie houses
8. School Open House
9. Gommie and Pop visit
10. Vermont vacation
11. Make a leaf pile
12. Make leaf roses
13. historic house fall tours
14. Go to Fantastic Beasts movie (November)
15. Trick or treat
16. Backyard fire with foil dinners and s'mores
17. Tent in the backyard
18. Prepare Halloween costumes
19. Boo gifts for friends
20. Amish Friendship bread
21. Brandied fruit--it's fermenting on the counter
22. Nature walk or bike ride
23. Kiddos go to Nature's Classroom
24. Mama goes to Celestial Navigation course
25. Girl Scout "mountain" hike and tree study
26. Kellogg's Olympic Gymnasts' tour
27. Installation of the new minister
28. Paint pinecones
29. Yarn!
30. Explore sourdough bread recipes
31. Vote
32. Make pies
33. Church Harvest festival--lovely time yesterday!
34. Get out mittens, hats, scarves, sweaters, etc.
35. Pull out quilts and blankets
36. Change fire alarm batteries

Where is Fall?

It's late September--and 85F outside.  Sure, that was okay when I lived in Texas, but it is unusual here in CT.  I don't think we've ever run the AC this late.

Even more unexpectedly, the trees are already clearing changing color--I think this is because they are distressed in the drought and heat, not because nights are much cooler.  So, it looks like the beginning of fall outside but the temperatures are at least 10-15F higher than usual.

But meterological rumor has it that cooler air is on the way tomorrow.    This is good because I've started work on a huge crocheted, rainbow Granny Square afghan for our king-sized bed and it's getting too warm to keep on my lap!  And I'm out of iced coffee and ready to switch to hot tea.  And use the oven and light a fire in the firepit.  And write my Fall Fun list.

Come on, fall!

Parents on the Move

My folks left home yesterday to wind their way to us.  They'll go from Houston to visit a childhood friend of my father's who is dying of cancer.  Then they'll take a lazy, circuitous route to arrive in Connecticut by October 1.  We'll spend that weekend together, with a kung fu performance and Applepalooza!  They'll wander New England and meet us in Vermont later for a few days there.  Then they'll mosey around in Canada, Acadia, who knows where, until they return to Texas in time for my sister's birthday and the election.

We're looking forward to seeing them and hearing all about their escapades.  Safe travels!