Small Bites … Adventures in Downsizing

Jan Kinzel

Size does matter after all. At least in downsizing! Moving from 3600 sq. feet to 1300 sq. feet is a feat in itself! The trick to living in a small space is to make every inch count without the place seeming crowded or cluttered. There are definitely some tricks to it.

Make a décor plan. I had an overarching theme for our new place and as I selected the furniture and décor, they all had to fit the theme. Our condo development has a Tuscan design – it’s called Sorrento. The outside is landscaped with pointed Italian cypress, olive trees, lighted statuary and the architecture is quite ornate. There are columns and beautiful iron railings. It’s quite pleasant when the outside gives a certain ambiance and the interior complements and continues the theme. I chose colors and accessories that repeated the exterior design.

To address the size issue, we scaled down the furnishings. The new furniture is scaled to the smaller space. Scale is a very important design element. While it’s been difficult to let go of the pieces we have used and enjoyed for years, if they were in our new place I wouldn’t enjoy them any longer because our home would be too crowded. Many of the pieces went to our children and are available to us when visiting them.

In cooking, there is a technique called mise en place (‘meeze a plas’ – literally means “putting in place”) in which all of the ingredients for a recipe are prepared and measured and placed in containers, usually small glass bowls, sitting ready to construct the dish; equipment and utensils are placed for use; oven is preheated. The counter top is cleared of everything except what is needed for the recipe at hand. When the cooking process begins each ingredient is added as called for and the containers are stacked neatly in the sink or out of sight in the dishwasher. The kitchen looks as though it wasn’t even disturbed! It is a greatly organized way to cook and quite impressive if guests are over. Preparing the mise en place ahead of time allows cooking to proceed without having to stop and assemble items. It’s a fun and professional way to cook – even at home! Try it out on this yummy recipe.

OXTAIL SOUP

2 large yellow onions, chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds oxtails, cut in lengths
2 cups dry red wine
14 ounces beef broth
6 ounces tomato paste
4 medium size carrots, in medium dice
4 stalks celery, in medium dice
2 small turnips, in medium dice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Review recipe and prepare and measure all of the ingredients using the mise en place technique.

In a 4 quart dutch oven, sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until the onions are tender. With a slotted spoon remove the onions to a plate and set aside. Add remaining olive oil to the pan. Season the oxtails with the salt and pepper on both sides. Brown in batches, a few at a time. As the pieces of meat brown, remove them to the plate. When all the meat is browned and removed from pan, stir in the red wine and bring to boiling, scraping free any bits on the bottom of the pan – this is called deglazing the pan. Return the meat and onions to the pan along with the beef broth, tomato paste, sugar and all of the vegetables. Cover and simmer over low heat for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until meat falls from bones and broth is very thick.

This is a perfect dish for a cold rainy night.  Serve with crusty french bread and a waldorf salad of apples, walnuts and golden raisins.

TIP:  Have a place for everything and keep or return everything to its place.

TIP 2: Kitchen stores carry the mise en place glass dishes.

II Colossians 2:5 …and I delight to see how orderly you are….

Small Bites … Adventures in Downsizing

Jan Kinzel

Where does the rubber actually meet the road?  Apparently in my new narrow gauge garage, that’s where! I’m nearing the end of my sixties and in all of that time I never learned how to back up straight, but now I know how…necessity! Our new condo came with a two car garage and what is known as ‘tandem parking’. Tandem, like on a bicycle built for two…um hum. (I didn’t even realize this style of garage existed, but am learning that it is not unusual.) There is space for two cars alright, it’s just that one of them must park behind the other.

My new neighbor, Tim, taught me how to navigate my garage entry and exit. He noticed the difficulty I was having, and probably the dents, too. The solution is to line the car up with the entry, drive into the space straight and don’t turn the steering wheel. Ninety per cent of the time, I am the one who must drive to the front of the garage and that’s pretty far to keep the wheels straight. However, if the car enters straight and the wheels are straight, when it comes time to back out and the steering wheel remains in the same position, my egress is successful! There is an L on the middle of my steering wheel and if I keep that in its proper L position, I have it made! It must be somewhat like the bubble in the instruments on an airplane that helps the pilot keep the plane level.

Now that I’ve learned how to do this, with only 3 inches of clearance on either side, and only 4 dents later, it’s not so bad. I believe that it’s safe to have all of the dents repaired and put that in ‘a newly acquired skills’ list. I must say that my husband was unable to instruct me in this endeavor. He mostly covered his eyes and yelled for me to stop!

After all of that, ‘comfort food’ is in order!  This Southwest chili won first place in a neighborhood chili cook-off.

SOUTHWESTERN STYLE BLACK BEAN CHILI

½ pound each, Italian mild and Italian hot sausage or 1 pound chorizo sausage
1 large yellow onion, diced
2  15 oz. cans fire roasted tomatoes with juice
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans ranch style beans, rinsed and drained
1  4 o z. can tomato paste
2 cans diced green chilies
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
6 tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon salt

Fresh cilantro for garnish

Remove any casings from sausages and crumble into a heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven. Cook sausages and onions over medium-high heat until onions are tender and meat is lightly browned. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve up in deep bowls with a few sprigs of cilantro for garnish.

Some other condiments for the chili can be put out for people to help themselves: sliced green onions, extra grated cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, tomatillo salsa, corn chips.

CORNY CHEESE STRAWS

1 package puff pastry sheets, thawed overnight in refrigerator
4 tablespoons polenta corn meal
2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus 2 shakes of hot sauce
1 package shredded Mexican 4 cheese blend

Carefully separate the pastry sheets. Use 2 tablespoons of the corn meal per sheet. Spread the corn meal on a surface to roll the pastry. With a rolling pin lightly roll the sheet in the corn meal so that the bottom of it is embedded with the corn meal. Lightly brush top with melted butter/hot sauce mixture. Cut into inch wide strips long-wise. Sprinkle with shredded cheese about 2 teaspoons per strip. Fold each strip into a U shape and twist to make a ‘cheese straw’. Line a sheet pan with non-stick foil. Lay each pastry on the baking sheet favoring the side with the most corn meal. Repeat with the second pastry sheet.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with the chili.

TIP:  Almost anything in life is easier to get into than out of!

I Corinthians 10:13  …He will also provide a way out…

Small Bites … Adventures in Downsizing

Jan Kinzel

A windy day. As we are still ‘hotel-dwellers’ awaiting the construction completion of our condo, our automobile seems to find its way to our new place fairly frequently. We like to check out the progress and enjoy each element as it is added. A few days ago we encountered what felt like hurricane force winds on our soon to be front porch! I groused about it, even though I knew in advance it would be a somewhat windy spot. There is a huge open field across the street and the valley tends to have windy spots anyway. I comforted myself with the thought that Maui has the trade winds and I like it there. We went on in and checked things over. As we were leaving we drove around the club house and looked up into the bright blue and exceptionally clear sky (the wind had swept the air clean) and saw a beautiful rainbow kite with long tails. On the expansive green lawn in front of the club house there was a person flying the kite – a perfect day for such a thing. Changed my whole outlook and brought to mind the over-used but nonetheless true axiom of making lemonade from lemons.

I have a delightful friend, Charlotte, who is ten years older than I. That puts her in her very late seventies. Every April in a park near her house, she and her husband, Earl, host a kite party. Each year they choose a different theme and everyone brings a dish to share accordingly. Charlotte runs a contest and has prizes for the winners. She keeps adding friends, and sometimes over sixty people attend. Many of their friendships go back several decades. I’ve known her for only about five years or so. It’s a cool party!

Since Charlotte’s party is near Easter-time, I thought I’d share my Easter menu. It’s a big church day, so all of the food can be made in advance. The ham is served at room temperature. Only the beans are heated. All of the rest is served chilled.

Spiral Glazed Ham
My Mother’s Potato Salad
Piquant Baked Beans
Purple Eggs and Beets
Asparagus with Garlic Mayonnaise
Fresh Strawberry Pie with Whipped Cream

Foolproof Asparagus

2 to 4 bunches of asparagus, any thickness preferred
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Boiling water

Place trimmed and cleaned asparagus spears in a glass dish that has a lid, such as Corningware. Sprinkle spears with salt. Pour boiling water over the spears to cover and immediately cover with the lid. Do not put on the burner. Let the asparagus sit in the boiling water until the water is no longer hot. The asparagus will be perfectly cooked with just a slight amount of crunch. If you want it less crunchy, drain the water and give it another bath of boiling water. Drain the water. These can be served hot or cold.  If serving hot sprinkle some freshly grated Parmigianino Reggiano cheese on top.  If serving cold, make garlic mayonnaise as a dip. Just mince at least 3 cloves of garlic into a cup of mayo and let sit at least a couple of hours before serving. All of this can be done the day ahead and kept chilled.

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Whipped Cream

This is a clever way to make a truly fresh strawberry pie! No cooked strawberries.

1 pie crust, baked and ready to fill
1 pint whole, large, very red strawberries, cleaned and cored
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 ½ cups cold water
1 regular package strawberry Jell-o gelatin

In a sauce pan, dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water. Slowly bring to a boil. As the mixture becomes thick and clear, stir in the gelatin. Bring back to boil and remove from heat immediately. This creates a glaze for the berries. Place the prepared strawberries in the pie shell with the points up and in a single layer. Pour the glaze over the berries, allowing the tips of the berries to show.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve with dollops of sweetened whipped cream and a garnish of mint leaf.

TIP:  Make new friends, but keep the old; some are silver, and the others are gold.

Isaiah 40:31 …those who hope in the Lord … will soar on wings like eagles…

Small Bites … Adventures in Downsizing

Jan Kinzel

Raising children and downsizing. Can you guess what these two have in common? Well, neither comes with an instruction manual! It’s pretty much on-the-job training. While shopping for some fancy built-in cabinetry, I met a young craftsman named Anthony. With an artful eye for detail, he will install our beautiful custom-made china cabinets in the two niches in our kitchen/dining area. Anthony needs specific tools in order to do this project: hammers, saws, screwdrivers, drills, and the like.

What tools would be useful for downsizing? Courage, decisiveness, creativity, patience, organizational skills, diligence, attention to details, the ability to face a reality check, humility in some cases, and a supportive group of family and friends are some handy ones to have in the old tool belt. Because God created us with individuality and personality, we have the freedom to develop our own style, setting the course for a unique downsizing experience and results; mine will be different than anyone else’s. There is great satisfaction when all of the planning begins to come together, no matter what style is expressed.

In the past few years some new tools have made their way into my kitchen. I find them not only interesting and fun to use but quite helpful as well. Some of them cause the finished dishes to have a more uniform and ‘professional’ appearance. These are some of my new faves!

Rasp  Microplane ® is the brand I recommend. These are hand held zester/graters and they come in extra-fine to coarse and even one that makes ribbons. One of the biggest advantages is the ease of use. Grating parmesan and other hard cheeses makes the presentation of pasta dishes extra-special. Zesting citrus fruit is a breeze with these. Grating chocolate over desserts or lattes is easy!

Mandolin  I think this tool is aptly named because running the food over the blade is somewhat like strumming a mandolin. You can’t beat this for thin slices. There are settings for paper thin to a quarter of an inch. I have trouble making uniform thin slices. The blade is very sharp so there is a food holder device to protect your fingers.

Emersion Blender  Replacing the old method of blending hot sauces and soups by batches in the blender, the emersion or stick blender is used right in the cooking vessel. This is much less messy and much safer than the blender batches.

Spider  The Asian design for the ultimate slotted spoon, use this for removing solid items from liquid. It looks like a small, shallow, metal-mesh basket on a long wooden handle. It can be used in hot oil or boiling water and because it is so open the liquid drains easily back into the pot.

Grill Pan  Pretty much anything that can be grilled on the outdoor grill can be grilled in the grill pan indoors on the range. In some cases, with even better results. The important thing is to allow the pan to get very hot before placing any food on it.

Perfectly Grilled Salmon

To prepare salmon fillets that are crispy & caramelized on the outside and moist & juicy on the inside, pat the fish dry with a paper towel, rub the fillets with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the grill pan so that a drop of water will sizzle on it. Place the fillets skin side up. Grill until flesh side has grill marks – about 4 or 5 minutes. Turn to skin side down and grill about 3 minutes longer. Leave the grill on the burner but turn off the heat. Cover the pan with foil and let sit for 10 minutes. If desired, place a drizzle of olive oil, a small pat of butter and a squeeze of lemon for flavor. Garnish with flat leaf parsley leaves.

Vidalia Chop Wizard  An ‘As Seen on TV’ device, this is my most favorite recent find. I do all sorts of things with this. It is a dicer with two sizes of grids. There is an oblong receptacle with a lever top. The items to be chopped need to be sliced to about half an inch before placing on the grid and the flesh side needs to be face down as chopping through the skin first will ‘squish’ the food. I also use this to make egg salad. Salsas – vegetable and fruit – work great in it.

Perfect Fresh Guacamole

Place the small mincing grid on the Vidalia Chop Wizard and push through the following:

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced lengthwise
1 Roma tomato, cut into ¼ inch slices
1 large clove garlic, sliced thinly
1 small shallot, sliced thinly
Several leaves of cilantro

Replace the small grid with the larger one and push through 2 ripe avocados. Add 2 teaspoons salt and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice.

Mix thoroughly and transfer to serving bowl set in center of a variety of tortilla chips.  I like to use different colors such as blue, red and white corn chips.

TIP:  Use the right tools for the job.

Romans 5:4 …perseverance produces character and character hope…

Small Bites … Adventures in Downsizing

Jan Kinzel

Ever been ‘in a pickle’?  I must confess that this article is the only one I have written with the main purpose being to deliver certain recipes. But, I have some fabulous recipes involving pickling!  Those will come later; however I did get into a pickle with a wrong tile selection. We chose a seemingly beautiful tile for part of our master bathroom. When an approximately 2 x 3 feet section was up, what we thought was a random design took on a very unattractive pattern. The sample tile looked beautiful, but when more were put beside it the pattern became Zs that made our eyes go all googlie. And in a small space – it flat out didn’t work! To fix it cost us a bit of money and probably a week longer in the hotel. I would say that was somewhat of a pickle. It got replaced with a much calmer tile and we moved on.

Maybe the best thing about being in a pickle is figuring a way out of it!

Purple Eggs & Beets

I have had these every Easter!  They are delicious and beautiful, the whites turn magenta and the yolks stay bright yellow. Cut into halves and placed on an egg platter along with some of the beets and some green parsley sprigs, and they look ready for The Food Network! And did I say they are delicious?

1 ½ dozen hardboiled eggs, medium size works best
4 cans baby or medium whole beets, not pickled
1 cup white vinegar
½ cup granulated sugar

Drain the juice from the beets into a 4 quart saucepan and place on medium heat stirring in sugar and vinegar. (Adjust these to your taste – more sugar for sweeter or more vinegar for a piquant flavor.) After all of the sugar is dissolved, set aside to cool.

Peel the eggs. In a glass canister, place layers of beets and eggs, beginning with beets on the bottom. Pour the beet juice mixture over the beets and eggs.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 days. These are ready to serve on the third day and last for over a week covered in the refrigerator.

Pickled Shrimp

Friends of ours served this to us about 5 years ago and it is one of the best things I have ever eaten!  My friend says it makes an appearance at every family get-together. I made this for another friend and her husband’s Navy ship retired officers’ reunion. We received requests for this recipe from all over the USA!

Boil 3 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon salt.
Add ½ cup coarsely chopped celery tops with leaves.
Add ¼ cup pickling spices (find these with the spices).
Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes to develop the spice flavors.

Drop in 2 pounds raw, cleaned, deveined shrimp, fresh or frozen, leave tails on. Use 20 – 25 per lb. size shrimp or 16 – 20 per lb. depending on how many you want to serve.

Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Immediately drain in colander and remove most of the spices and set aside.

In a glass bowl, mix together the following:

1 ¼ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small jar capers with juice
2 ½ teaspoons celery seed
1 ½ teaspoons salt
Several dashes of Tobasco sauce  (Adjust this to taste – I like quite a lot.)

Set brine aside

For the next step you’ll need:

2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
10 – 12 bay leaves

In a glass dish, layer onions, 3 bay leaves and shrimp. Repeat layers. Pour brine over the shrimp. Push shrimp around to make sure they are completely covered. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To serve: drain off excess brine and serve with toothpicks. Baguette slices make a nice accompaniment.

Pickled Cucumbers & Red Onions

This is just a little somethin’ somethin’ to make as a relish on a summer day when the ‘cukes’ are plentiful. I like it with fish as a garnish or on a sandwich.

1 or 2 English cucumbers
1 medium red onion
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup granulated sugar

Thinly slice the cucumbers and onion. It’s best to use a mandolin, but be careful, they are sharp! This also tastes great with just the cucumbers.

Place the sliced vegetables in canning jars – a size of your choosing (no canning required; it’s just a good place to put them). Heat sugar and vinegar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Let cool, and pour into the jars with the vegetables. Refrigerate. The ‘pickles’ are ready in just a couple of hours. They store and last for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.

TIP:  Whenever possible, avoid ‘getting into a pickle’!  Or, as in the case of golf, stay out of the rough.

I Corinthians 10:13….God is faithful…and will make a way of escape for you….

Small Bites … Adventures in Downsizing

Jan Kinzel

Cleverness…..…Did you ever see anything so clever that it made you wish you had invented it? I did. Our quest to purchase a dining table that suits the size of a smaller living space led us to a locally owned store that carries only dining tables, chairs, and bar stools. It was there that I saw this clever thing! I think a picture is worth a thousand words, but I will try to describe it.

The function of this thing is to help the customer construct a facsimile of a finished table. It stands about three feet high and measures about two feet square. There are three rotating sections. It looks somewhat like a little carousel. The top rotating section holds twelve table legs of different styles. The middle section has eight table top styles and the bottom section has a selection of eight aprons.

To begin, I chose the farmhouse style of table leg. Rob, the young man who was helping us, slipped the leg out of its holder at the top and into a slot at the bottom of the ‘little carousel’. My husband spun the middle section to select the table top he thought looked the best; then together, including Rob, we selected the apron. When all three sections were spun to the choices we wanted – voila! – there was a model of our table! I tell you, it was the coolest thing! We ordered our ‘custom-made’ table in the perfect size for our condo and in a great creamy white finish sanded here and there so some wood shows through the paint. We will see it in 4 to 6 weeks.

At the end of that day I found myself still marveling at the cleverness of that thing and thinking whoever invented it must feel pretty smug. I wished it had been me.

Walk-about Food

Last year a friend and I worked together on an event for 150 people.  We thought and thought about what to serve and hit on this (dare I say?) clever idea. It was very well received so I’m just going to put it out there for you along with some variations. We called ours ‘Walk-about Salads’.  We had two distinct types: Italian & Thai.

The idea is to serve layered combinations of classic ingredients in individual clear containers. For the large group, we used plastic, short, wide-rimmed, 9 ounce glasses from the party store. To dress it up, or for smaller groups, martini glasses are perfect. Keep the elements bite-sized so it is easy to eat – no knife needed. For added pizzazz, moisten the rim and dip in an appropriate seasoning – such as a mixture of coarse salt and celery seed for a tomato salad or raw sugar for desserts. I like to use heavy-weight plastic spoons or forks of colors that enhance the dish. Here, then, are a few of the ideas.

Walk-about Toy Box Tomato Salad

Fill glass a third of the way with large cherry tomatoes cut in half.  Next place cubed feta cheese and top with a chiffonaude of fresh basil leaves. To make the chiffonaude, remove the leaves from the stem and stack, then roll them up like a cigar and slice across the short end with a sharp knife.  In a canning jar, place the same amounts of balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. Add a tablespoon of sugar and 4 cloves of garlic, minced, a pinch of salt and a grind or 2 of black pepper. Place the top and turn the ring tightly to seal the jar. Shake to emulsify the dressing. Drizzle a tablespoon or two over the salad. Serve with a bright green plastic fork.

Marie’s Lettuce Wrap Walk-about Thai Salad

Fill the glass to 1/3 with shredded iceberg lettuce. Spoon meat mixture in next (see recipe below). Next comes scallions, cut finely on the diagonal, using white and green parts. Top with coarsely chopped cashew nuts, a lime wedge and a few cilantro leaves. Garnish with a little Asian paper umbrella and add a black plastic fork.

Meat Mixture:  In a skillet, lightly brown 1½ lbs. ground turkey in 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add 1 diced small yellow onion and cook until onion is soft. Add 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons each of freshly minced garlic and ginger. If desired, add a little red chili paste for heat. Cook 3 minutes longer. Stir in 1/3 cup Yoshida’s marinade and 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar. Remove from heat and mix in ½ each of a red and a green bell pepper, finely chopped. Let cool. Layer in glasses as directed.

Walk-about Shrimp & Avocado Salad

Place medium-sized peeled, deveined, tails on shrimp on a baking sheet in single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 400⁰for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Layer in glass with 4 shrimp on the bottom, ½ an avocado in the middle, and top with several ruby red grapefruit sections. Tuck a butter lettuce leaf on one side of the salad and partly under the shrimp. Have the ruffle edge of the lettuce stick up a little from the glass rim. Drizzle with 1 or 2tablespoons of your favorite raspberry dressing. Top with a shrimp and a parsley sprig. Use a bright red plastic fork to set off color of the shrimp.

There’s so much more you can do: Walk-about Caprese Salad; Walk-about Caesar Salad; Walk-about Tira Misu; Walk-about Strawberry Short Cake; Walk-about Vanilla Wafer Banana Pudding; Walk-about Cherry Pie; Walk-about S’mores; Walk-about English Trifle.

These are just a few possibilities. I heard of one fancy party where mashed potatoes with gravy was served in martini glasses and in the September 2010 Food Network magazine, it showed layers of pulled pork with barbeque sauce and mashed potatoes topped off with a cherry tomato!

TIP:  Life is just a bowl of cherries!

Psalm 104:14 …bring forth food from the earth…

Read the whole chapter!

Small Bites … Adventures in Downsizing

Jan Kinzel

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times… This opening sentence of “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens has become the most famous paradoxical statement of all time. Remember, a paradox is a literary tool that causes the reader to say, “Wait a minute. How can that be?!”

In this volatile housing market, it was the best time to sell our house and downsize. It’s a buyers’ market; it’s a sellers’ market. How can that be? It’s true that housing prices are down and that profit on the sale won’t be as much as hoped, but it also means a lower price on the other end. The interest rates are at an historic low. The builders are anxious to have their inventory reduced and occupied so they offer many incentives to ‘sweeten the deal’ to the buyer. Resale homes are priced to sell – and if they aren’t they remain on the market and the price eventually gets lowered to true market value. All of these things work in the buyer’s favor and you get lots more for the money than two years ago. It’s a good time for the seller because lots of folks are out looking for a traditional home to purchase. This really benefits us ‘downsizers’!

Looking at the Old Testament story of Joseph, one wonders how this could be good, but Joseph’s gracious response to his brothers, who left him for dead in a ditch, is a wonderful example of God’s care for us and Joseph’s great character.  Joseph told his brothers, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”

Sweet and Sour (How can that be?) Meatballs

This is a fabulous dish to serve at the holidays. It fits well into a buffet or can be used as an appetizer. Whichever way you choose to use it, the aroma makes mouths water! I am also passing along a tip I saw on the Giada DeLaurentiis cooking show.

Turkey Meatballs

Special equipment – an electric fondue pot or a small crock-pot, a couple of 24 tin mini-muffin pans and a mini-ice cream scoop

2 ½ pounds ground turkey
1 pound Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage
1 small yellow onion, diced very small
¾ cup Italian seasoned Panko bread crumbs
½ cup heated evaporated milk
½ cup Eggbeaters
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Crumble the meats together with your fingers into a large bowl. Moisten the breadcrumbs with the warm milk and along with all other ingredients mix into the meat. Do this with your fingers being careful not to over-mix as that will cause the meat to be mushy. There will be plenty of seasoning from the sage sausage and the Italian flavored breadcrumbs.

OR: Use your favorite meatball or meatloaf recipe.

Giada’s tip: Spray mini-muffin pans with a vegetable spray such as Pam.  With the mini-ice cream scoop, place 1 ball in each muffin tin. (Don’t over-fill the ice cream scoop as these are to be party size.) This makes evenly sized meatballs and thus they cook evenly. Bake in a preheated oven at 400⁰ until well browned and cooked through.

OR: Skip all of that and purchase tasty frozen meatballs from Trader Joe’s.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Combine and heat for 2 minutes in microwave:

12 oz. jar of Heinz chili sauce
18 oz. jar of apricot-pineapple preserves

Cut the following into 1 inch pieces:

1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 ½ cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Maui (pull layers apart)

Layer the meatballs with the peppers, pineapple chunks and onion in the fondue pot or crock-pot. Pour heated sweet and sour sauce over the mixture making sure it gets all the way to the bottom so everything is coated. Keep at a simmer. To serve, have a supply of cocktail napkins and long skewers nearby. This recipe makes 60 meatballs.

TIP:  When one door closes many more plus a few windows open.

Malachi 3:10 …and I will open the windows of Heaven and pour out for you such blessings..

Small Bites … Adventures in Downsizing

Jan Kinzel

Yes!  We bought cans of spray paint for our five grandchildren! There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this aberrant behavior of perfectly dignified, law-biding, gray-haired grandparents.

The condominium we purchased, and soon will be moving into, had no model for us to sit in and visualize how we might plan our new living space. The model of ours is the sales office and is not configured the same as ours. The wonderful saleswomen guided us to Linda, a woman who has the same style of unit that we will have, and made arrangements for us to meet her. She invited us to come to her home to see the layout and take measurements and the like. Of course, we had the blueprints, but seeing the build-out was invaluable to us. Linda has become a great friend. We decided to begin our friendship early. We go to lunch and movies and sometimes I walk Sonny, her dog, with her.

One day when I was at Linda’s, she showed me some pictures of graffiti on concrete. And then she shared a very fun activity that she and her grandchildren had done. Before any of the decorative flooring was installed, she had her grandchildren spray messages on the slab of her home. I loved the idea and asked permission from Linda and the builder to do the same in our unit. When all of our family were together a month or so ago, we went to Wal-Mart, purchased the paint with trigger tops and went to our condo which was at the perfect stage to do this. My husband sprayed several large frames on the floors throughout the rooms – this gave the kids some boundaries. They donned hard hats, received the cans of paint and went for it!  We all had so much fun. My husband took pictures of their artwork. Once the floors are installed the artwork will no longer be visible, but as we walk through the rooms we can imagine the pictures under our feet and revisit the fond memories of that day.

STAINED GLASS DESSERT

This dessert/salad looks like a work of art! It’s a holiday favorite for our family, we use it as a salad with turkey dinner.

Jell-o Squares

1 large pkg. each – lime, cherry, orange Jell-o
1½ cups boiling water for each package

Dissolve each Jell-o in separate containers keeping colors separate.  Glass pie plates or square disposable plastic containers with seals work well.  Lightly spray containers with Pam before adding Jell-o.  This helps with removal and keeps the edges neat.  Chill overnight.

Cream Mixture

1 cup pineapple juice
1 large package of lemon Jell-o

In a saucepan, heat lemon Jell-o in pineapple juice until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add 12 ice cubes. Stir until mixture is syrupy and chilled. Remove any un-melted ice.

Whip 1 pint of heavy cream and add ¼ cup sugar. Whip until peaks hold. Fold whipped cream mixture into pineapple mixture, being careful not to deflate the whipped cream.

Cut the colored firm Jell-o into 1 inch cubes.  Carefully fold the colored cubes into the whipped cream mixture.

Crust

24 crushed graham crackers (do this in a food processor, or purchase the crumbs in a box)
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 stick butter, melted

Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar then stir in melted butter, coating all of the crumb mixture. Line a spring form pan or an English trifle bowl with 2/3 of the crust mixture. Bring the sides of the crust up only about an inch or so.  This way the colors of the Jell-o squares will show. I like to use the clear trifle bowl because it shows off the colors but is much less messy to serve. Turn the cream & Jell-o onto the crust. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 6 – 12 hours.

Tip:  Sometimes you have to think ‘inside the box’.

John 8:8 ……Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground…….

 Small Bites… Adventures in Downsizing

 Jan Kinzel

Oh, what a beautiful morning…..sitting by the serene sun-drenched hotel pool, enjoying a cool and very gentle breeze. The birds take their perches on the pitches of the Spanish-tiled roofs telegraphing to each other their plans for the day. It’s the first day of August and we have a move-in date of September 12!  Six more weeks to moving time and six more weeks of biding my time at the hotel. It’s vibrant here. The last couple of weeks the hotel has been filled with traveling teams of young people playing in various sports tournaments. The parents and coaches come along, too, making it a fun and interesting mix. Many different areas of the USA are represented, and represented well. The kids are pleasant, cheerful and excited about what each day will bring. Joeux d’ vie!

Morning is aging and soon they will stir, go to breakfast the hotel provides, and break the serenity I have been enjoying while I lounge at the pool. Now the space will be filled with exuberance, texting, giggling, rough-housing and the like. Am I disturbed by all of this? No! I feel privileged to be here among it all, and for a few moments, remember the days when my children were in their growing-up years! It’s time for me to get moving anyway to get ready for the day. We have a wedding to attend and other activities. But it’s great to take the time to enjoy the early moments of a beautiful morning in the sunshine with the birds chirping away on the rooftops.

Breakfast!  A great way to greet a new day and express love to family and friends!

The Menu: 
Baked Eggs with Fresh Herbs and Cream
Croutons
Little Smokie Links
Broiled Grapefruit
Toasted English Muffins with Sliced Strawberries
Freshly Squeezed Orange juice
Steaming Coffee

Baked Eggs with Fresh Herbs and Cream

Use two extra large eggs per person. With vegetable spray, coat a ramekin for each person. Place a small pat of butter in each dish and carefully add two eggs per dish. Season the eggs with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle a mix of finely chopped fresh herbs on and around the eggs. I like to use a little sage, thyme and basil. Add a teaspoon of crème sherry wine and 1/3 cup of half and half cream.  Bake in a 375⁰ oven until whites are set and yolks are cooked to desired doneness. Remove from the oven, garnish with a couple of basil or sage leaves. Place two of the croutons in one side to finish the presentation.

Croutons

Slice a sour dough French baguette on the diagonal making thin large pieces. Lightly butter the slices and toast them on a baking sheet until very crisp. Rub a clove of garlic over the toasted bread.

Little Smokies

Place Hillshire Lil’ Smokies on a baking sheet lined with release aluminum foil. Bake at 400⁰ until they are lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl and serve family style.

Broiled Grapefruit

Use tart grapefruits and cut into halves. To make them easy to eat, cut between the membranes and around the rim loosening the sections. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of brown sugar and place a maraschino cherry with a stem in the center of each grapefruit.  Place under the broiler until the sugar bubbles and begins to caramelize. Serve each in a bowl.

Toasted English Muffins with Sliced Strawberries

Toast English muffin halves in a toaster or on a baking sheet in the oven. After toasting, spread with butter or your favorite spread.  Sprinkle the buttered side with ½ teaspoon of granulated sugar. Top each one with sliced strawberries. Place on a platter and serve family style.

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

Serve the juice in a special way of some sort.  I like to serve it in a pitcher with matching juice glasses that are hand painted in a rooster motif. (I also use rooster and chicken printed paper napkins and color coordinate the rest of the table.) I tell my grandchildren that we are “having breakfast with the chickens!” Another serving suggestion is to pre-pour the juice in flutes or martini glasses and garnish with a thin orange slice and sprig of mint.

Steaming coffee in French press pots is a fun touch!

Tip: Look for the rare soulful opportunities and appreciate the gift.
This is the day the Lord has made…be glad… Psalm 118:24.

Small Bites…Adventures in Downsizing

Jan Kinzel

Over the years, I have observed that everything is composed of elements.  A sculpture, a building, a painting, an outfit to wear, a meal – all of them have necessary elements that complete the undertaking.  And, each finished project is held together by a theme.  Years ago, I attended a show in San Francisco called “Beach Blanket Babylon.”  The playbill had a list of thirty or so musical numbers.  I looked at the first and the last, and wondered how they related to each other—and to all the others in between.  The show began and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz stepped on stage to announce that she was looking for a “rich doctor.”  Then I understood that she was the thread that held all the musical numbers together.

A strand of pearls is held together by the silk thread on which they are strung, but snip the thread and the pearls go all over the place. As my husband and I are choosing the ‘pearls’ that comprise the décor of our new condo, we are stringing them on the silk thread of Rustic Tuscan Elegance, a décor style that compliments the architecture and landscape of the whole complex. Warm and vibrant Tuscan gold wall color set off by creamy white ceilings, crown moldings and window trim with plantation shutters create a great backdrop for the other elements. Nutmeg stain on cherry wood gives a cheery feel to the cabinetry.  Anchoring the main living areas with dark plank hardwood flooring brings just a touch of formality to the rustic style.  Soft gold sculptured carpets in the two bedrooms add some softness and a Persian area rug in the living room highlights the furniture that sits on it.  The accent colors are cinnabar red and creamy white.

Because texture is a very important design component, both hard surfaces and soft textiles are needed.  Natural stone is added in various places. One whole wall in the living room has calm, creamy white ledge stone surrounding the fireplace.  Granite, with big swirls for the counters, Travertine tiles, and polished marble complete the stone element.  For the soft textures we have chosen a ‘mushroomy’ white velvet couch and cinnabar Italian leather chairs for the living room.

Decorating a small space for comfy living takes lots of research and planning! With downsizing, keeping every element to scale influences all other considerations. Every inch counts.

Deconstructed as a food term means the elements of the dish stay separated. Cobb Salad is an iconic example. Deconstructed – good! Decomposed – not so good.

DECONSTRUCTED CHOPPED SALAD

4 cups gently packed baby arugula washed and dried

2 cups tomatoes cored and seeded, diced to ½ inch

1 medium English cucumber seeded, diced to ½ inch

1 cup Kalamata olives pitted and quartered

8 ounces firm feta diced to ½ inch

3 cups garlic croutons

Garlic croutons

3 cups sturdy bread (such as ciabatta), cut into ½ inch cubes

1/3 cup garlic flavored extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fined grated lemon zest

Toss bread in olive oil

Bake in 375 degree oven on cookie sheet for 12 minutes until golden. Return them to large bowl toss with zest and salt and pepper to taste.

Dressing

¾ cup good extra virgin olive oil

½ cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon chopped oregano

½  – 1 teaspoon anchovy paste

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix in a bowl and let stand for at least 10 minutes for flavors to blend.

Lay arugula on a large platter and artfully arrange, in strips, all the chopped ingredients atop the arugula, sprinkle the croutons. Whisk the dressing together and drizzle lightly over the entire salad. Allow guests to spoon elements of the salad on their plates and drizzle some dressing.

DECONSTRUCTED PESTO PASTA

Large pot with 4 – 6 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. dried corkscrew pasta

½ cup toasted pine nuts

4 oz. coarsely grated Pecorino Romano cheese

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves cut into ¼ inch-wide strips

(Keeping the pesto ingredients intact is the reason this dish is considered deconstructed.)

Bring water to a boil.  In a large skillet, gently heat the olive oil and slices of garlic over low heat stirring frequently, until the garlic starts to turn golden. Remove from heat and stir in about ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook the pasta until al dente, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water, drain the rest from the pasta. Pour the garlic and olive oil over the hot pasta and toss. Deglaze the skillet with the reserved pasta water and add that to pasta and toss well. Add the pine nuts and cheese to pasta and toss again until thoroughly mixed. Transfer to a serving bowl. Just before serving, toss in the basil. Pass extra cheese with a grater for those who want more.

Tip: The theme (thread) and elements (pearls) principle can be applied to many life situations.

Genesis 1:1-31 & 2:1-4 … God designed everything! He is in each element.

                   Blessings from JAN KINZEL