Friday Sock Fairy Adventures

Pay Attention: Leave Room in Your Garden for the Fairies to Dance

Vocabulary: Mortals-humans
Distracted-not paying attention
Gossamer-a very fine, light delicate material that is made from cobwebs spun by small spiders
Elderberry-berries and blossoms from this plant are used to make fairy wine 
Last week we left off in the story with Will and Melinda at the fairy ring. The Queen Fairy was having a meeting with all the flower and woodland fairies. Will had been warned not to step inside the fairy ring. He could be lost to other mortals for 7 years. 
Will is hoping the Fairy Queen will help him. He wants to go back to Sock Bank to find more matching socks for the bag of mismatched socks he got at the Sock Mart. He tells the Fairy Queen if he gets gold coins he will give half to her for the Fairy Pot. But he knows the Sock Bank Security will try to capture him. The Queen Fairy gives Will a bottle of pixie dust. Will is distracted by the music, the moon coming up and fairies who begin the dance around the tree inside the fairy ring.  He does not hear the Queen Fairy's directions on how to use the pixie dust. And we as the reader hope that Will will remember... 
Legends might warn you that those who join the Fairy dance within the circle under the moon are sometimes lost to time and place and may even disappear forever..."

A Feast and A Dance Under the Moonlight
Will stuffs the small bottle of pixie dust into his pocket.  

Just looking at the huge feast laid out underneath a gossamer canopy made Will hungry. He saw twigs, dew drops, an elderberry punch, cakes baked in the shape of toadstools, tomato toadstools, sweet acorns and berries.

The table was decorated with some of the fairies favorite flowers; Bluebells, Forget-Me-Nots, Primroses and Violets. Even mossy greens were used as decorations around the toadstool cake.  
But the sweet sounds of the elves on their violins and the pixies playing their flutes made him forget his hunger. As the music got louder Will began to spin and twirl about to the music getting closer and closer to the fairy ring. He watched the fairies circling round and round the tree going faster and faster as the music picked up speed. Will twirled and spun even faster keeping time to the music.

"Will, slow down, shouted Melinda. Did you make sure your pixie dust top is on tight? Didn't you hear what the Queen Fairy told you what will happen if you spill the dust on yourself?"  
Will did not seem to care what she was shouting. He was having such a good time dancing and enjoying the music. Several pixies who were nearby dancing grabbed his hand and led him toward the circle of toadstools or the fairy ring. Will whirled and whirled about joining hands with the dancing fairies, laughing and singing. Suddenly Will disappeared from sight.  
  
 Friday Sock Fairy Adventure August 28th Inside the Fairy Ring

Cranberry Orange Zucchini Muffins

• Zucchini (‘courgette’ in French) is a summer squash. They are tender and tasty when young, but most varieties are tasteless when large and overgrown. When buying zucchini, look for ones that are firm and heavy for its size. Do not wash until ready to use.
• One zucchini is a 'zucchina.'
• The largest zucchini weighed 65 pounds and was 7 feet 10 inches long.
• There are 37 people in the U.S. listed on whitepages.com with the last name 'Zucchini' and an additional 47 with the last name 'Zucchino'

Fettucune with Zucchini and Toasted Pecans 

This time of the year gardens are bursting with zucchini. Southern Living has posted 30 zucchini recipes as a savory side dish or as part of a main course. http://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/zucchini-recipes

Cranberry Orange Zucchini Muffins

Cook's notes: Cranberry Orange Zucchini Muffins are a great way to use up zucchini surplus. You can bake these muffins and freeze extras for another time. I would hold off on adding the glaze if you freeze them though. Once muffins are thawed you can make the glaze. The orange juice in the glaze brings out the orange flavor in the muffins. Recipe makes 16- 18 medium sized muffins. 

Recipe adapted from shugarysweets.com

Ingredients:

For the muffins

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 2/3 cup buttermilk 
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• zest of one orange
• 1 cup frozen cranberries

For the glaze 

• 1- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 orange, juiced (about 3 TB.) 

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Spray muffin cup pan with baking spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon,nutmeg and salt together. Add zucchini, buttermilk, melted butter, orange zest and egg. Fold in cranberries.
• Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 17-19 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool on wire rack 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.
• For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. Dip tops of cooled muffins in glaze, and allow to set. 

ENJOY.

Copycat Recipe PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps

LETTUCE INTRODUCE YOU TO A  COPYCAT RECIPE
Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Living Butter Lettuce

Cook's notes: If anyone has ever been to P.F. Chang’s, you know that Chicken Lettuce Wraps are one of their signature meals. So when I found a copycat recipe to make my own version at home it was too good to pass up plus it's a fraction of the price from the restaurant and no doubt healthier.
It was a first for me buying what was advertised living butter lettuce. The living part was a bit scary at first read. Usually the restaurant serves chicken filling in iceberg lettuce but I liked the texture of this lettuce better and it was easier to roll taco style.  
I consulted with my son who was the chief taste tester on the hotness level. I started out with one teaspoon and worked my way up to almost 2 teaspoons.
Not only did the recipe taste quite close to PF Changs but it was put together using one pan and completed in under 30 minutes!  Recipe serves 4 and came from damndelicious.net

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients:

• 1 TB. olive oil
• 1 lb. ground chicken 
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup sweet onions, diced
• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 TB. soy sauce
• 1 TB. rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 TB.grated fresh ginger
• 1-2 tsp. Sriracha
• 1 (8 0z. can) diced water chestnuts, drained
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 head butter lettuce
• 1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Directions:

• In a large fry pan heat oil over medium heat.  Add ground chicken, sweet onions and garlic. Cook until browned 5-8 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Wipe pan clean of excess fat with paper towels, moving chicken from side to side in the pan until it is cleaned.
• Stir in hoisin sauce, soy sauce, wine vinegar, ginger, Sriracha and water chestnuts. Cook on medium low for 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
• To serve place 1/2 cup cup chicken filling on one butter leaf lettuce, top with green onions and chopped peanuts. 

Bon Appetit!

Go Asian

Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing

You can serve this salad as a light lunch or pair it with grilled chicken for a more substantial meal.  If you use cucumbers, be sure to remove the seeds, as they can make the salad watery.

Salad serves 4 and comes from onceuponachef 
Ingredients
For the Thai Peanut Dressing

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 TB. unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 TB. fresh lime juice, from one lime
• 3 TB. vegetable oil
• 1 TB. soy sauce
• 2 TB. honey
• 2-1/2 TB. sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1-TB. fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 TB. fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

For the Salad

• 4 cups chopped Napa cabbage or shredded coleslaw mix (I like to toss in a little shredded red cabbage for color)
• 1 cup prepared shredded carrots
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 cup cooked and shelled edamame or coarsley chopped radishes
• 2 medium scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

• For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients except for the cilantro in a blender and process until completely smooth. Add the cilantro and blend for a few seconds until the cilantro is finely chopped. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• For the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. If serving right away, drizzle the peanut dressing over top and toss; otherwise, serve the dressing on the side so the salad doesn't get soggy.

Garden Slaw with Asian Dressing

This side-dish salad tastes great with burgers or pulled pork sandwiches. Or you can toss the slaw with shredded chicken or chopped cooked ham for a main-dish salad.

Recipe from Midwest Living
Ingredients:

Dressing:

• 3 TB. rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 3 TB. canola oil or vegetable oil
• 2- 1/2 TB. sugar
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil 
• 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

Salad

• 4 cups shredded green and/or red cabbage
• 1 cup julienned or coarsely shredded carrot
• 3/4 cup bite-size strips green, red, yellow and/or orange sweet pepper
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped radish or endamame
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion

Directions
For dressing: In a screw-top jar, combine vinegar, canola oil, sugar, toasted sesame oil (if using), ginger, dry mustard, salt and crushed red pepper. Cover and shake well.
For Salad:In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrot, sweet pepper, radish, cilantro and green onion. Pour dressing over vegetables. Toss to coat. Chill, covered, for 2 to 24 hours, then toss before serving.
Variation:Easy Garden Slaw: Prepare the slaw as directed above, except substitute 5 cups packaged shredded cabbage with carrots (coleslaw mix) for the cabbage and carrot.

Helpful Hint if you forgot to plan ahead for eggs and butter to be at room temperature
Cover eggs in a bowl with warm tap water. Add in a wrapped stick of butter. The waxed paper wrapping keeps the butter dry in the water. Warm for 5 minutes and you should have room-temperature eggs and butter. 

Northwoods Book and Art Festival and Poetry Recognition Event

Colored

I’m writing in a different color.

Bursting to fill in the outline she left when she died.

Like a piece of the puzzle, 

the only one left to finish the scene, 

her presence still holds space that no one—but she—can fill. 

I’m careful not to substitute poor replicas of the original.

I’ve learned it is better to let the space remain empty.

Certainly I can dismantle the puzzle,

throw the puzzle pieces in the garbage, 

but even if the box were burned,

that one piece would still remain missing for me,

like a stain that refuses to let go

of the fabric it now possesses. 

I am her fabric, colored by the stain of her leaving.

Charmaine Pappas Donovan

Brainerd poet submission

Poets were honored this past weekend at the Annual Northwoods Art and Book Festival in Hackensack. There were an impressive number of artists and regional authors who also participated in the festival. 

I chaired the annual Poetry Recognition and Display Event. Each poet who submitted had one of their poems on display. Those who attended the festival had an opportunity to vote for their favorite poems during the day. 

Five poets were recognized in the category Popular Choice. A committee selected five winners in the category Works of Merit.

I facilitated the poetry reading and the announcement of winners. 

Poets in attendance shared their poems with guests and their reflections on why poetry matters. 

"Poetry Matters" by Ralph Fletcher is a small, concise book on writing poetry. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has taken up writing poetry and wants to improve their writing skills. The book is written as a tool for both children and adults. It is clearly-written with many wonderful stories by poets who share their experiences and frustrations throughout the writing process. The author encourages those who want to write poetry by showing a variety of poems, both good and bad with instructive ideas on how to improve. 

The concise title Poetry Matters inspired me to ask submitting poets why poetry matters to them. The following are some of their responses 
The rhythm and texture of words can relay profound thoughts, images and emotions in small spaces.
It explores and exploits language and helps keep language strong and deep.
To me, poetry matters for the deep and musical ways it is able to speak of both the joy and the pain that are part of all our lives. 
Poetry especially matters because I have found that it often illuminates the deeper (and sometimes darker) aspects of life. It is the lifeblood of literature. 

In the Book Arts section regional authors were eager to share their work, sign books and chat with attendees.

Outside there was something for everyone to enjoy, browse and even buy!

It was an enjoyable way to spend the day. I was inspired by the works of authors, poets and artists.

A Pillsbury Bake Off Recipe

The Pillsbury Bake-Off is a cooking contest and the first one was held in 1949 as the Grand National Recipe and Baking Contest. It was hosted in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Until 1994, the grand prize was $50,000 but since 1996, the grand prize has been $1,000,000. 
I got caught up in the Bake-Off in the 70's as I eagerly awaited each year their signature cookbook with winning recipes. The two books pictured above are from 1970-1971. At one point in time I owned both. 

As a result of the Bake-Off winning recipes, crescent rolls became a star. Surely you must have gotten swept up in what I term the crescent craze. Remember there were recipes in every category imaginable using the crescent roll. In the 70's and 80's and into the early 90's the crescent roll was often the star recipe at gatherings as we exchanged our innovative ways to use the crescent roll. I made rings, twists, rolls, bundles, braids, roll ups and the list goes on and on. 
The only required ingredient in the early contests was Pillsbury's BEST Flour. But as time passed over the decades my interest waned in the Bake-Off cookbooks. For me the winning recipes became too product specific, fewer ingredients and overall seemed lacking in creativity and flavor. 
Fast forward to 2015. When I'm thinking comfort food recipes I still rely on some good stand by ones from the early Bake-Off cookbooks.  Sour Cream Coffee Cake is one of those no fail trusty recipes. 

Cook's Notes: Recipe can be baked in a 13 x 9 pan or a 10 inch tube pan. Serves 14-16.
Coffee Cake:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. each baking powder and baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 cup lite sour cream 

Filling and Topping

• 1-1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped walnuts 
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 TB. melted butter
• 2 heaping tablespoons flour

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 pan of tube pan.
• In a large bowl beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
• Add vanilla and eggs mix well. 
• In a bowl sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture and sour cream alternately to sugar mixture beginning and ending with flour. 
• In a small bowl combine filling/topping ingredients. Mix well.
• Spread half of the batter in pan. Sprinkle batter with half of the filling/topping ingredients.  Repeat with batter and brown sugar mixture. 
• Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool upright pan on a wire rack. 

Weekend Round-Up

Some of the week's best

Southern Living has posted 67 Summer Peach recipes. Just in time for your crate delivery from Colorado.  Summer Peach Recipes

Carolina Peach Sangria

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/carolineach-sangriaa-p

Sweet Chicken and Bacon Bites

Cook's notes: You only need 4 ingredients to make this yummy appetizer.  What's not to like with chicken wrapped in bacon and sprinkled with brown sugar.  

Sweet Chicken and Bacon Bites

Cook's notes: Great article from the Star Tribune paper http://www.startribune.com/roast-those-cherry-tomatoes-for-intense-flavor/321580431/ on ways to make good use of a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes. Roasting the tomatoes intensifies their flavor. The article includes a recipe for Roasted Cherry Tomato Salad.  
Last but not least, a whimsical poem called The Fairy Ring