Lakehouse Buttery Flaky Pie Crust

It's late autumn, and soon the days will become cold, windy, rainy, just begging for a warm kitchen filled with the smells of baking fruit pastry. Here are links to a recipe for buttery, flaky crust. Fill with fruit filling.

According to Elise, on Simply Recipes,

"One of the secrets to a flaky pie crust is to work with very cold butter. Cut the butter into cubes and freeze, at least 15 minutes, best over an hour or even overnight."

Carol, on Allrecipes.com, gives a simple recipe for rhubarb pie, with about 4 cups of diced rhubarb, 1 cup of sugar, and 6 tablespoons of flour.

Here are the resources and links to the recipes:

Simply Recipes. Perfect Pie Crust. Posted by Elise. June 01, 2005.
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_pie_crust/

All Recipes. Fresh Rhubarb Pie. Posted by Carol.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fresh-rhubarb-pie/

Make Your Own Potpourri

With the autumn weather bringing cooler nights, especially in the Pacific Northwest, this is a nice time to collect and dry herbs and flowers for potpourri. Here's a reciepe:

How to Make Your Own Potpourri
http://wiccanmoonsong.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-make-your-own-potpourri.html

Cakes and Wine Cakes

Wine cakes offer a sweet dessert. They accompany wines, teas, or coffees.

Traditionally, wine cakes require a basic recipe of one cup creamed butter, 2 cups sugar, 4 beaten eggs, and 3 cups of flour, before adding a cup of red wine to the batter.

Additional ingredients can include, but are not limited to, 3 cups of chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts, or a jar of maraschino cherries or raisins. The batter is usually cooked at 300 degrees for an hour and half, with a half hour cooling in the pan.



If you are short on ingredients, you can make a modified wine cake in a shorter time.
This recipe divides the batter into non-wine for a base.
Then the wined batter is poured on top in the center.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat a 1/2 cup of butter in a pan on the stove top over medium heat.
As the butter is melting, stir in 1/2 cup brown sugar.
Then stir in 1/2 cup white sugar.
When the butter is melted, turn off the heat.
As the butter cools, continue to stir the sugar for a creamy, blended texture.
(It may look like carmel, but not sticky.)
Then, add one egg and stir it in quickly before it cooks in the warm batter.
Add one or two teaspoons of vanilla. (Bourbon vanilla adds a nice flavor.)
Then add 2 cups of flour.
Stir the mixture together.
Add more flour for a stiffer cake if you like.
In a greased cake pan, pour 2/3 of the batter.
With the remaining batter, stir in 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of red wine.
Pour the wined batter into the middle of the regular batter.
Place the cake pan into the oven to cook for about 1/2 hour.
Then, carefully check the wine cake for doneness by pressing down on the center.

It's often better to take this cake out sooner rather than later.
You can tinker with this recipe, and add oatmeal, nuts, or fruit.
Then, slice the cake, and place it on pretty plates.
Brew some tea or coffee, or pour a small glass of red wine.
Enjoy the wine cake and the time.

Additional Notes:

While wine cakes, wines, coffees, and caffine teas are delicious, they are best taken in small quantities. And yes, this advice is easier to give than to follow. The European custom is to follow dinners and desserts with herb teas that aid digestion and provide a calming influence.
Try chamomile or peppermint teas after the wine cakes.

Dandelions Can Help US Be Healthy

While a dandilion-filled yard may bring neighbors offering to spray Round-up on your lawn, a look at the health benefits of dandelions gives a new reason to keep some of these herbs around.

Dandilion contains vitamins, including A, B complex, C, and D. The leaves can increase appetite, settle stomachs, and act as a diuretic. Yet, as always, check with your health care provider, especially if other medications or physical symptoms are present.

Dandilion. University of Maryland Medical Center.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/dandelion-000236.htm

Dandilion. "How to Use Dandilion for Cooking and Health." By Erin Froehlich. April 21, 2010. Hello Life. net
http://www.hellolife.net/living-healthy/b/dandelion-for-cooking-and-health/

Care 2 Offers Tips for Healthy Lifestyles: Vegetarian Guidelines

Many websites are focused on healthy living and eating. Care 2 provides a range of articles, from vegetarian to hunting. In the article "6 Nutrients Every Vegetarian Needs," writer Delia Quigley reviews the essential ingredients to a complete diet for vegetarians.

Care 2 also includes a spectrum of topics, including calls to action.

Green Frugal Website

Many websites are devoted to sustainable, green living. One of the many is the Green Frugal.
This site presents articles on gardening, food, and family. Additional opportunities exist for writing.

Chinese New Year Traditions and Superstitions Are Similar to Christmas Events

Chinese New Year in Seattle, January 2009 Photo by Joe Mabel via Wikimedia Commons

The film Christmas Cottage tells the story of painter Thomas Kindade. Known as the "Painter of Light," Kinkade co-produced the 2008 film as a way of sharing the trials and troubles that he and his family met with hope and faith.

In the film, Kinkade's mother struggles with unemployment and the inability to make her mortgage payments. At the same time, inspired by an older painter, Kinkade begins a mural to honor the little town and neighbors of his childhood.

As the neighbors pitch in to help the family's cottage home, one of the neighbors, who is Chinese, ensures that any dust or dirt is not swept out of the front door, as it will sweep out good luck.

This ritual is just one of many superstitions and traditions associated with Chinese New Year, which begins on a new moon. With the Chinese New Year of January 23, 2012 being the Year of the Dragon, anyone can join in the Chinese cultural and family celebrations by observing some of these ancient practices, which often resemble European Christmas traditions, such as those in Poland or Scotland.

Cleaning and Sweeping

Ancient Christmas traditions require that the home and hearth are clean and shining by Christmas Eve.

As noted on the Cathay Cafe website, the Chinese take special care of the method of cleaning and sweeping. They advise cleaning before New Year's Eve, then put away the brooms and dustpans to keep good fortune in the home.

After the New Year, it's advised to sweep dust and dirt to the middle of the living room, and then to the corners of the room and let it sit for five days. During this time, avoid stepping in the corners. On the fifth day, throw out the dust and dirt by taking it out the back door.

Never sweep dust and dirt out the front door, which will sweep out good luck or even a family member!

Holiday Feasts for Ancestors and Family

Like the ancient Christmas times, the Chinese believe that their ancestors' spirits may visit. During Christmas time, old traditions required that people leave food out overnight for their ancestors' spirits. This practice may be related to the tradition of children leaving cookies and milk as a snack for Santa Claus. The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner includes enough food for the living and their ancestors' spirits.

Wearing Red and Giving Money

Another shared tradition of Christmas and the Chinese New Year is the wearing of red. This color symbolizes good fortune and happiness. During Chinese New Year, children often receive new money in a red envelope. In a similar way, children during Christmas often receive new money in an envelope.

However, both the Chinese New Year and Christmas superstitions advised against lending money during this time, as it would set the stage for losing money all year.

Both holidays honor families and homes.