The Ingredients:

Crust

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon of Cisco shortening
1 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2-3 tablespoons of cold water

Pie

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons of flour
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of salt
5 cups thinly sliced tart apples (about five medium)
1 tablespoon of butter

Instructions:

Crust

Cut shortening into flour and salt until particles are the size of small peas.  Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans the side of the bowl.

Split in half and gather pastry into a ball and shape onto a flattened, flour covered board.  Roll pastry 2 inches larger than pan with flour covered rolling pin

Pie

Heat oven to 425.

Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.

Stir in apples

Turn into pie crust and dot with butter.

Cover with top crust and slit to vent. 

Crimp edges and cover edges with 3 inch foil strip to prevent burning. Remove foil for last 15 minutes.

Bake about 40 to 50 minutes until crust is brown and juices begin to bubble thru slits in crust.

The Ingredients:

1 cup of butter (softened)
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cup all purpoe flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla)
(about 5 dozen cookies)

Instructions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix butter and sugar. Mix in remaining ingredients.

Place dough in cookie press; form desired shapes on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake until set but not brown, 6 to 9 minutes. 

Remove from cookie sheet and cool on rack.

Decorate before baking with raisins, nuts, candies, or candied fruits, or after baking with colored sugars, nonpareils, red cinnamon candies or finely chopped nuts.

(for chocolate Spritz, stir in 2 oz melted unsweetened chocolate into butter mixture.)

The Ingredients:

2 cups Cranberries
2 cups Mini Marshmellows
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup chopped apples
1/2 pint whipped cream

Instructions:

Soak cranberries, marshmellows, and sugar overnight.  Add apples and whipped cream. Goes great with turkey dinners!

Google maps has a new feature that lets people put snapshots of their hometowns on the map.  Here’s some snapshots of where I live on Long Island… Click the pic for more!

I hear in color.  I learned from a neurologist that isn’t as bizarre as it seems, it’s a form of sensory cross-over.  Sound simulates the part of my brain that stores visual memory.

Music. Ah. My first passion, my truest love.  I’ll share with you my all time favs here as well as whatever’s got my foot tapping at the moment.  Along the way, I’ll share some personal insights and things I’ve learned on my life journey.  Turn up the volume!

Celtic ~

Wiccan Dance – Loreena McKennitt
Theme from Braveheart – Clannad
The Moon and St. Christopher – Mary Black
No Frontiers – Mary Black

 Bang Your Head ~

We Want Fun – Andrew W.K.
Birdland – Maynard Furgeson

 Doesn’t get any more fun than this ~

My Christmas List – Simple Plan
School of Rock – Jack Black
Hanky Panky – Madonna

Reflections ~

Am I Crazy – Rebecca Lavelle
Last Train Home – Pat Metheny
100 years to Live – Five for Fighting
Perfect – Simple Plan

Love ~

Come What May – Moulin Rouge
Into the West – Lord of the Rings
I Would do anything for Love – MeatLoaf
Women of Ireland – Bob James
This Kiss – Faith Hill
Why can’t this be Love? – Van Halen

Heat ~

Heat – Rebecca Lavelle
Little Red Corvette – Prince
Hanky Panky – Madonna
I can’t get no Satisfaction – Britney Spears
Red Light Special – TLC

The Ingredients: 

6 oz Linguine
4 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 – 14 1/2oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 tsp cruched red pepper
2 lbs mussels
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, wine, and cruched red pepper, brin to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer about 2 minutes.

Add the mussels, spooning sauce over them.  Cover the Dutch Oven and simmer until mussels open, about 5 minutes.  Discard unopened mussels.  Stir in the basil and parsley.

Drain the pasta and toss with about 1/2 cup of sauce from the dutch oven and turn onto a heated platter.  Top with remaining sauce and mussels and serve at once.

The Ingredients:

6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried herbes de Provence
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
4 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp salt
4 – 1/2 lb lamb chops
2 cups sugar snap peas
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbl chopped fresh dill

Instructions:

Combine the garlic, herbes de Provence, pepper, 2 tsp of the oil, and 1/4 tsp of the salt in a small bowl.  Rub the mixture over the lamb chops; refrigerate the chops covered, 2hours up to 1 day.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the lamb chops and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the side of each chop registers 145 degrees, 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chops to a plate and keep warm.

Meanwhile, put the peas in a steamer basket set over 1 inch of boiling water.  Cover tightly and steam until the peas are bright green and tender, about 4 minutes.  Immediately transfer to a bowl and toss with the lemon zest, dill, and the remaining 2 tsp oil and 1/4 tsp salt. Serve with the chops.

The Ingredients:

4 tsp canola oil
4 cups of coleslaw mix
1 bunch sliced scallions
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups chopped, cooked, skinless chicken breast
1 Tbs chopped dry roasted peanuts
4 tsp line juice
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 burrito size whole wheat tortillas

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the coleslaw mix, scallions, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until the cabbage begins to wilt, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the chicken, peanuts, lime juice, and soy sauce.  Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the basil.

Spoon onto tortillas. Roll up tortillas and cut in half diagonally.

The Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs + 1 tsp sugar
2 Tbs canola oil
1/4 cup + 1 tsp low-fat milk
3 Tbs fat-free egg substitute
1 1/2 tsp finely grated orange
1/3 cup dried tart cherries

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 450F, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a medium bowl.  Stir in the oil with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Combine 1/4 of the milk, the egg substitute, and orange zest in a small bowl.  Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture just until blended.  Stir in the cherries.

Gather the dough into a ball and knead on a lightly floured surface until fairly smooth, about 30 seconds.  Pat the dough into a 1/2 inch thick circle.  Brsh with remaining milk and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Cut into 6 wedges and transfer to a baking sheet.  Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool slightly and serve warm.

“Each moment, only once.”

Each Moment, Only Once in Japanese is ichigo ichie and is written in kanji as

Ichigo ichie is composed of the words ichigo meaning “once in a lifetime” and the kanji ichi meaning “One” and e meaning “Meeting”. Literally “One Lifetime, One Meeting”.

ichigo ichie reminds us that each moment, each meeting will happen only once. This is a popular calligraphy work for display in the Japanese Tea ceremony and it reminds the guests of the importance of this opportunity as it will never come again. In this way, Ichigo ichie reminds us to value each and every moment.

Thanks to Jimi Tatu for passing this on…