Nancy on the Home Front

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Do you still have cranberry cravings? These Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies will be sure to satisfy them. These pretty, ruby speckled oatmeal cookies are not only delicious, but make a wonderful addition to you holiday table. Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies also make a wonderful hostess gift. Tie them up with a ribbon or gift them in a pretty box, they are sure to be enjoyed!

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of butter
1 ¾ cups brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt
2 cups flour
18 ounces old-fashioned oats
12 ounces fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
½ cup raisins
Finely chopped zest of 1 orange
1 ¼ cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add the eggs, honey, vanilla and salt and beat until smooth and creamy. Using a large wooden spoon or your hands, work in the flour and oats until well combined. Add the cranberries, raisins, orange zest and walnuts; mix until every thing is combined.

I used my Kitchen Aid mixer which did the job of mixing everything up really well.

With your hands, form the dough into patties that are ½ inch thick and 2 ½ inches in diameter. Bake the cookies until lightly browned but still a little soft at the center, 15-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 25-30 cookies.

These cookies are almost more like a soft granola bar and are not overly sweet. I’m trying to convince myself that they would be a wonderful addition to my breakfast. I did have to put some in the freezer or they would have been gone in a few days!

These cookies freeze well so you can make them ahead of the holidays.

Mulled Cider

Good New England apple cider from a local apple orchard is one of my very favorite beverages. Nothing says fall to me than a glass of apple cider. Mulled cider is even better. Mulling cider with a select mixture of spices perfumes the house with wonderful aromas and makes for the most comforting warm winter drink. Children love the cider warm from the pot “as is”, while adults often enjoy the added kick of a jigger of rum, brandy or Calvados. We’ve often taken a thermos of mulled cider with us when we’re snow shoeing in the winter. Nothing warms you up more than a mug of mulled cider!

Whether you enjoy mulled cider as is or with an added kick I think you will enjoy this recipe. You can make it ahead of time and keep it warm in your crock pot. Your house will be filled with the wonderful aromas as your company arrives.

I’ve often ordered mulled cider when we go out to eat, but it is so easy to make at home!

Mulled Cider

Ingredients:

2 quarts fresh apple cider

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 bay leaves

2 cinnamon sticks (about two inches each)

½ tsp. whole cloves

½ tsp. ground cardamom

½ tsp. grated nutmeg

Zest of one orange, peeled in a continuous spiral if possible.

1 ounce per serving of rum, brandy or Calvados (optional)

Directions:

Combine the cider, brown sugar, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and orange zest in a large pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain the spices from the mulled cider mixture and discard. Return the cider to the pan and keep warm. You can also transfer the mulled cider to a crock pot to keep warm. The cider is ready to be served as is. If spiking it, pour 1 ounce of the preferred liquor into each serving mug and fill with the hot cider.

Makes about 8 servings

6 Tips To Eat Healthy During the Holidays

It can be quite a challenge to eat healthy during the holidays. There are so many delicious foods available at every gathering you attend. It can be hard to resist your favorite cookies or sweets. Here are six tips to help you approach the season and eat healthy during the holidays. It is possible to enjoy the season and not put on extra pounds.

Be realistic as you approach the holidays and understand that now is not the time to try and loose weight, instead try to maintain your current weight.

Don’t skip meals. This may result in over eating! Instead include lots of fiber in your diet by eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains. This will help satisfy your hunger. If you have errands to run or plan to be gone all day pack some healthy snacks to take along with you.

When you attend your next party use a small plate and fill it with vegetables and fruit before going to the entrees and desserts. Leave spaces between the items you put on your plate so you can actually see your plate and not have it piled high with food. It is possible to eat healthy during the holidays.

Plan time for exercise during the holidays. Exercise not only helps relieve stress but also helps you to prevent weight gain. If you aren’t going to the gym regularly plan other ways to get exercise in during the day. Park a little further away from the store for example so you get a few more steps in when running errands. Even a short twenty-minute walk each day will help you feel better.

Do you usually spend time baking during the holidays, making cookies and other goodies to gift? Try to take the focus off food and take time to make non-edible gifts such as decorations or treats for your furry friends. Friends with dogs would love getting treats for their pets!

Practice healthy holiday cooking. Prepare your favorite dishes using less fat and calories. There are many recipes online to help you cook healthier holiday favorites.

Enjoy the holidays and follow these simple tips to help you eat healthy during this season. Remember the reason for the season, and enjoy the company of your friend’s and family.

Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

Looking for a quick weekday dinner? I’ve made this meal often. Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry is one of those stir-fry recipes that is not only delicious but can come together in under ½ hour. There is about ten minutes of prep work and ten minutes of cooking. This Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry comes together so quickly you better start the rice before you do anything else!

Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

¾ cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. dry sherry
3 Tbsp. Soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Plus 2 tsp. Cornstarch
2 tsp. – 1 Tbsp. chili garlic paste (depending on how spicy you want it)
3 Tbsp. Peanut oil
1 pound chicken tenders
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. Peeled, chopped ginger
3 cups Broccoli, cut into florets (Can also use any other vegetable you have on hand.)
¼ cup water
¼ cup cashews, chopped

Directions:

Whisk together the chicken broth, sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch and chili garlic sauce in a bowl. Set aside

Heat a large non-stick pan or wok over medium high heat. Add 2 tsp. Of the oil then add the chicken. Stir-fry the chicken until iit is cooked through. This should take 4-5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Heat the remaining 1 tsp. oil in the same skillet. Add the onion and ginger and stir fry about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli or other vegetables and stir-fry until crisp tender, about two minutes. Add the broth mixture and the water and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens, about one minute. Add the chicken and cook until heated through. Serve over rice and garnish with cashews.

This spicy cashew chicken stir-fry serves four. If you don’t eat it in one meal the leftovers are delicious for lunch!

Satisfy Those Cranberry Cravings

Fall is the time of year that you can find cranberries in your local market. Cranberries may be tart but there are all sorts of ways to use cranberries in cooking to satisfy those cranberry cravings. Here are my top five recipes for using cranberries.

Cranberry Vanilla Muffins
What better way to celebrate a special day than with a delicious muffin? In this recipe half a vanilla bean is ground right into the sugar to dominate the flavor of the muffin. Use fresh cranberries or those frozen cranberries in the freezer or even try dried cranberries to whip up a batch of these delicious Cranberry Vanilla Muffins.

Cranberry Orange Scones
Still celebrating? What better way to celebrate than with these feathery light scones. Enjoy the wonderful tart contrast of cranberries and orange zest. I cut the scones into heart shapes for a Valentine’s Day treat! Plus I got to use up some of the frozen cranberries in my freezer!

Cranberry Apple Pie
I will forever be grateful for my (ex) brother-in-law for introducing me to this delicious pie. Whenever we spend Thanksgiving with family I make this pie. After all these years when I think of Thanksgiving I think of a Cranberry Apple Pie.

Cranberry Orange Marmalade
This is a wonderful recipe to make when cranberries are at their peak between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The scarlet cranberry lends a tartness to compliment the orange of this marmalade. Beside satisfying your cranberry cravings this marmalade makes an excellent gift in your next gift basket!

Cranberry Apple Pear Relish
My supply of apples and pears seems to be endless this year! I was looking for something different to make and found this recipe. Not only did it use apples and pears but I was even able to use up some frozen cranberries I had. This relish is perfect to serve with poultry or to serve as an appetizer with crackers and cheese.

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Visiting Mystic Seaport, Connecticut

Recently my son and his wife were visiting from the Pacific Northwest. Since we were going to be in Connecticut visiting family over Thanksgiving we decided to plan a day trip and visit Mystic Seaport.

Mystic Seaport has so many things to see. After checking out their website they mentioned the following highlights that you wouldn’t want to miss. There are boats to visit, the seafaring village and many exhibits to look at when visiting Mystic Seaport.

The first stop was the visitor reception center. Here we would find everything we would need to make the most of our day. They have maps and schedules and details of the daily events, performances and demonstrations.

The Seaport exhibits are open from 10-4 and there are various activities going on all day. Since my husband’s family has a strong whaling background we didn’t want to miss the whaleboat presentation.

The Henry B. DuPont Preservation Shipyard gives you an awe-inspiring opportunity to watch skilled craftspeople perform skills made nearly extinct by steel and fiberglass.

Wondering what the Mystic River area looked like in 1870? There is a spectacular Mystic River scale Model which is over 50 feet long and features more than 250 detailed dwellings, shops, barns and lofts as well as five local shipyards.

James Driggs Shipsmith Shop, this shipsmith shop was built in New Bedford, Mass, by James D. Driggs in 1885. It is the only manufactory of ironwork for the whaling industry know to have survived from the 29^th century.

The highlight of the Mystic Seaport is the Charles W. Morgan whaleship. The Morgan has outlived all others of her kind. Built in 1841 in New Bedford, MA, the Morgan is America’s last surviving wooden whaleship and a precious piece of maritime history.

These are just a few of the highlights of Mystic Seaport but there are many other building and exhibits to view. If you ever find yourself in Connecticut take time to visit this wonderful museum of America and the Sea.

Broccoli Leek Quiche

One of my favorite cookbooks is The Enchanted Broccoli Forest; this cookbook was published in 1982, just a few years after we were married! It’s well loved and well used. One of my favorite recipes is their quiche recipe. They actually call it a quiche formula as it gives you the freedom to make a quiche using whatever ingredients you have on hand. The other day I had some broccoli and a few leeks on hand and decided to use their formula to make a broccoli leek quiche. It was so good.

The quiche formula has four components, the crust, the cheese, the filling and the custard.

After you’ve prepared your chosen crust there are just three more steps before you bake it. As you might imagine my broccoli leek crust came together in no time.

The cheese is put directly on the crust. When it melts it creates a moisture resistant barrier between the filling and the crust, which helps the crust from getting soggy. The recommended types of cheese are Swiss types and medium or sharp cheddar. Recommended amount is ¼ to 1/3 of a pound depending on whether it is cubed or grated. Grated cheese takes up less space.

The filling is basically anything you like! A few suggestions are steamed spinach with sautéed onions or perhaps mushrooms sautéed with some frozen red pepper, scallions, oregano and thyme. For my quiche I used two leeks, which were chopped, and sautéed for a few minutes. I placed the cheese on the crust, topped it with the sautéed leeks and then sprinkled a frozen box of thawed chopped broccoli on top of the leeks.

The custard is the last step. Beat together 3 eggs and 1 cup of milk (or 4 eggs and 1 ½ cups milk for a larger pie pan). Pour the custard over the fillings. Dust the top with paprika and bake for 35-45 minutes at 375. Bake until the custard is done and a knife inserted in the filling comes out clean.

I’ve used this quiche formula for many successful quiches. What is your favorite quiche filling?

Broccoli Leek Quiche

Crust:

Ingredients:

¼ cup cold butter cut into pieces
1 cup flour
Dash of salt
Up to 3 Tbsp. cold water, milk or buttermilk.

Directions:

Cut together the butter and the flour and salt until it resembles coarse meal. Add the liquid one tablespoon at a time until the dough sticks together nicely. Chill or roll out immediately. Chill the formed crust while you get the filling ingredients together.

Filling:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup grated Swiss cheese
2 leeks, chopped thinly
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 box of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
4 eggs
1 ½ cups milk

Directions:

Spread the grated Swiss cheese over the chilled piecrust.

Sauté the leeks and the red pepper in one tablespoon of butter until softened. Let cool slightly and spread over the cheese. Squeeze any water out of the broccoli and spread over the leeks. Beat the eggs and the milk together and pour over the fillings. Bake the quiche in a preheated 375 oven for 35-45 minutes or until done. Let sit for a few minutes and serve!

A Walking Tour of Guilford, Connecticut

I love staying with my mother-in-law any time of year. Her house is located on the Guilford Green and there is nothing I enjoy more than taking a walking tour of Guilford, Connecticut when we are visiting.

Guilford’s Green is one of the largest in New England. In the beginning it was even larger, sixteen acres and about one mile around. What happened? In 1670 the town was in desperate need of a blacksmith. They persuaded Nicholas Huges to come to Guilford, and since all the home lots around the Green has already been assigned, the town gave him a piece of the actual green! The Green is now down to about eight acres.

My favorite walking tour of Guilford, Connecticut is walking around the Green. The walk is a distance of about a half a mile. You follow Whitfield to Boston Street, Boston Street to Park Street. Park Street to Broad Street, ending with 88 Broad Street on your right. The Green will always be on your left.

A Walking Tour of Guilford, Connecticut

In that short half-mile walk you will numerous beautiful old buildings and homes. I will only feature a few of my favorites. If you have further interest in learning more about the beautiful homes in Guilford and taking your own walking tour of Guilford I would suggest purchasing the book Guilford: A Walking Guide.

Lydia Chittenden, 1 Whitfield Street, built in 1886.

This house was originally built after tearing down the original tavern which had been built in 1750. I will always remember this house as Elizabeth Adams house. Dr. Adams practiced medicine here for many years, it is still a private home.

William Eliot’s Store, 21 Boston Street, built around 1880.

William Eliot built his dry goods store on the site of an earlier store owned by his uncle, Andrew Eliot. Both structures had both Greek Revival and Italianate features, but the charming canopy is Queen Anne. In the 30’s this building was an automotive business where cars were sold for 52 years.

Heli Hoadley-Aaron Dutton, 37 Park Street, built in 1805.

This is my favorite house, now owned by my mother-in-law. This simple Federal house is distinguished by light touches of ornament-carved cornice, window heads and the doorway with fanlight. The great kitchen chimney has been removed but the house retains its picket fence. The house was first owned by Hoadley and his wife Ann Seward but is better known buy its next owner, the Reverend Aaron Dutton, distinguished pastor of the First Congregational Church from 1802-1842, where he was dismissed for his anti-slavery views. The church council believed slavery was a political, not a religious issue. Charles Hubbard, writer, teacher and artist also lived here, working in a third floor studio which he called Hobgoblin Hall.

First Congregational Church, 110 Broad Street, built in 1829-30.

This was the church my family attended, my husband and I were married here, and our oldest daughter was also married here. The church sits at the head of the Green and was the most splendid meeting house of its day on the shoreline. The builder was already well known for Yale’s chapel and other major buildings in New Haven. The church has had additions since it was built but the exterior, dedicated in 1830, remains the same.

These are just a few of the wonderful structures found in Guilford, Connecticut. There are five structures open to the public, which are well worth a visit. Take your own walking tour of Guilford, Connecticut and see all the beautiful homes for yourself.

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Leftover Turkey? Make Turkey Curry!

Hopefully you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with family and friends. Are you wondering what to do with that leftover turkey? I love having leftover turkey, which is one of the benefits of hosting a Thanksgiving. I love to make turkey soup and turkey sandwiches. Another favorite recipe to use up that leftover turkey is this wonderful turkey curry. This has got to be one of the best recipes for using up leftover turkey or chicken. It is so flavorful, serve it with rice and garnish with yogurt, raisins and cashews. It is the ost delicious way to use up leftover turkey!

Turkey Curry

Ingredients:

4 generous servings

1 large onion, cut into chunks
1 red pepper, cored, seeded and cut into chunks
2 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and quartered
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup coconut milk
1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced
2 cups cooked turkey or chicken meat, cut into ½ inch dice
1 cup peas
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 ½ Tbsp fresh lime juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

Place the onions and red pepper in a food processor and pulse until just chopped. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion pepper mixture and cook stirring, until soft, about 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile drop the garlic, ginger and jalapeño into the food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the garlic mixture to the onions along with the curry powder and coriander; cook, stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk and banana.

Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cover. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the bananas are very soft, about 10 minutes.

Mash the bananas to incorporate hem into the sauce. Add the turkey, peas, cilantro and lime juice and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Don’t be alarmed over the length of this recipe it comes together very quickly and in no time at all you will be enjoying this delicious turkey curry.

Fall Check List – Getting Ready For Winter

We were away for a couple of weeks in October and as a result we have been scrambling to get the gardens ready for winter. We’ve had some very cold nights, which makes doing that last minute weeding nearly impossible with the frozen ground. Luckily we had a few sunny days and we were able to get the blueberries fertilized and the straw spread out on the rhubarb, strawberries and raspberry bushes. It is such a good feeling to have finally completed all the fall check list and we are now ready for the snow!

All the gardens are weeded and cleaned up for the winter.

The compost has been emptied into the garden beds where it will further compost this winter. I like to put leaves and grass clippings from the last mowing into the garden beds as well. By the spring it will have all composted down.

Our lawn tractor has been used one last time and the gas tank is empty and the tractor is stowed away for the winter.

The hoses have been stored away and the outdoor water faucet has been turned off.

Our firewood is stacked and covered for the winter. We’re hoping we have two years of firewood cut and stacked,. We’ll see how cold the winter is.

If we had gutters now would be the time to make sure they are cleaned out. Clogged gutters during rainstorms can cause water to pool and damage your roof or siding. My husband recently cleaned out the gutters for an elderly neighbor; I don’t think they had been cleaned in years! There were actually plants growing in the composted matter in the gutters!

The shovels and snow blower are ready to the winter. The ice scrapers have been placed in the car.

Our windows have been cleaned and the screens removed and stored for the winter.

A professional has cleaned our chimney and we are ready for the constant woodstove use.

The outdoor furniture has been cleaned and put away for the season.

With all the fall check list completed we are now ready for the snow to fall. Do you have a fall check list to complete your chores? Are you ready for the colder winter weather?

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