Day 286: Lorelie

17 Jan

My sister Nancy had her first child when she was only nineteen.  Maybe she knew that her time on this planet was limited and so she did what she could while she was here.  Or perhaps she wanted to leave a legacy because she saw so many of her peers leave too soon.  Whatever the reason, Nancy had two boys that she saw to young adulthood before she died.

After we lost Nancy, my sister Janice and I tried to fill up the space that she left for the boys.  Janice lived nearby and did quite a bit for them.  I lived 3,000 miles away and did what I could.  Eventually my nephew Jimmy moved out to the west coast.  After that I was able to see him more often and when his daughters were born I was only a few hours drive away.

Yesterday, Jimmy and his girlfriend Pearl came to visit me and they brought along his daughter Lorelie.  This child has the beauty of her mother and the impish energy her father had at her age.  But what’s most amazing to me is how much she looks like her grandmother, Nancy.

This morning Lorelie and I made a Chocolate Pecan Pie to take back home with them.  She helped stir and taste the batter and she licked the bowl when we were done.  She absolutely wore me out in just a few hours…but I wouldn’t miss a visit from her for the world.  And one of my life’s goals is to be the best Great Aunt I can be… for my nephews, for their children,  and especially for Nancy.

To live in hearts we leave behind
Is not to die.
Thomas Campbell


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Day 285: A Friend

16 Jan

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

Yesterday I ran into a friend of mine at the grocery store and stopped to say hello.  We chatted for a few minutes and I noticed something was different; his usual happy-go-lucky persona was missing.  When I asked him what was wrong, he told me that he was going through a pretty difficult time.

I know that it was not easy for him to share his story with me and I felt good that he trusted me enough to do so. I also found myself wishing that I could take a magic wand and wave it over him and grant him three wishes.   And knowing him as I do, I know that he wouldn’t use any of his wishes for himself.  Instead he would use them to help and benefit those that he loves most.

This morning I found myself thinking of this friend and decided to make him a quiche to share with his family.  It is my gentle reminder that he has friends that care about him and that we are here should he need us.

It is not so much our friends’ help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us.  Epicurus

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Day 284: Rachel and Mike

15 Jan

A few months ago I wrote about a young man from our small town who was the victim of a violent homicide.   His name was David and he was only twenty-three years old. As a parent of two young adults I felt deeply moved by this tragedy and my heart ached for David’s parents.   As a small gesture I sent a quiche to his Mother and offered my condolences on the loss of her son.

At this point in time, the killer has not yet been found.  And somehow the residents of Ashland try to go about doing what they have always done while living with the knowledge that they aren’t as safe as they had once thought.  And, of course, for David’s parents, life will never be the same.

Recently I was told about a couple who are friends of David’s Mother.  For the past few months they have been helping her get through the most difficult time of her life.   I am very grateful that she was able to count on them for the help and support that she needed and hope they realize what a comfort they have been to her.   Today I brought them a Dutch Apple Pie to thank them for the gift of their friendship.    My hope is that we will all have friends like this when we most need them.

“The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing… not healing, not curing… that is a friend who cares.”  Henri Nouwen

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Day 283: A Chocolate Chess Pie for JoAnn

15 Jan

About a week ago I mentioned that I was looking for new pies to make and had found a recipe for Chess Pie.  It’s a custard-like pie that has one unusual ingredient: cornmeal.  There are many stories about where this name might have come from that you can read here.

When I mentioned Chess Pie on my blog, I asked if anyone could vouch for it.  A man named David Lowe wrote back and endorsed the idea and then sent me a recipe for a Chocolate Chess Pie.  Here is that recipe:

Fancy Chocolate Chess Pie (from Ken Hadrich’s book “Pie”)

9″ partially pre-baked crust
1/2 cup butter
4oz bittersweet chocolate
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 Tbsp fine cornmeal
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup half & half
1 tsp vanilla

Melt the butter & chocolate gently.
Combine dry ingredients. Whisk in eggs, egg yolk, cream & vanilla. Whisk in the chocolate mixture. Pour into cooled pie crust. Bake 55-65 minutes at 325F, turning in the middle to bake evenly. It’s done when it’s formed a thin, crisp top crust and barely jiggles when shaken. Cool at least 90 minutes.

Today I made this recipe and it is incredibly easy to make and this is what it looked like when it came from the oven.

It sort of looks like a Brownie Pie doesn’t it?  It has the same kind of texture on top – which sounds like a slight crunch when you touch it… and it smelled divine.  But I couldn’t leave it alone… I wanted to spruce it up a bit more.

So, I made whipped cream and piped it around the edge because I still wanted to show off the top of the pie.

Then I decided it needed one more touch…. shaved chocolate….

… there!  Now it was ready for delivery!

Yesterday afternoon my daughter Alexandra suggested a name for a pie. The lady that she suggested is the mother of one of my daughter’s best friends and her name is JoAnn.  We’ve known each other for about ten years and while I haven’t seen her in a while, I always think of her fondly.   Each time I see her I am impressed by her gracefulness and her sense of humor.

Tonight Alex and I called upon JoAnn and presented her with this Chocolate Chess Pie.  She thanked me for the pie and invited us in for a visit.  We spent an hour or two catching up and before we knew it, it was time to leave.  Then we gave hugs all around and we were on our way. And it occurs to me now that I did not share these thoughts with JoAnn – and I should do that now.

I want to recognize JoAnn for being a remarkable mother to two fine sons and for being a friend and confidante to Alexandra.  I would also like to thank JoAnn (and Facebook) for helping our kids stay connected, even though they live 3,000 miles apart.   Our lives our fuller (and funnier) because of their friendship.

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Day 282: Beverly and CASA

13 Jan

For those of you who might not know what the word CASA represents, it is this: Court Appointed Special Advocate.  The Jackson County CASA website states, “CASA volunteers are well-trained, everyday citizens appointed by judges to advocate for the safety and well-being of children who have come under the care of Child Welfare due to parental abuse and/or neglect. CASA volunteers speak up for these children and work hard to better their lives. Children helped through CASA and the court system are far less likely to experience re-abuse, spend less time in foster care, and receive needed services more often. CASA volunteers have helped more than two million children nationwide find safe, permanent homes.” (http://www.jacksoncountycasa.org/)

I’d been thinking about CASA and how I wanted to recognize that agency for what they do to support and protect children but I didn’t know who to give a pie to. About a week ago I sent an email to a colleague who is a CASA volunteer to ask him to suggest someone as a pie recipient.  I thought that he might bring me the name of someone in administration or perhaps a child in the system.  Instead he wrote back and told me that his wife, Beverly, was the best CASA he knew.  Then he told me that she had been advocating for a very young child and spent many hours working on behalf of that child.  I thought, “Who better to receive a pie?”

This afternoon, I called Beverly at work to make sure that she would be in, and luckily she was.  A short time later I arrived at her business and walked in with a Marionberry Lattice Topped Pie.   The first thing she said was that her daughter would be so excited when she found out about the pie.   Isn’t that interesting?  I had brought her a pie and  immediately she was thinking about sharing it with her daughter.  I think that one sentence speaks volumes about why Beverly is a great CASA.

Before I left Beverly today, she shared this good news about the child that she watches over – the adoption process has been set in motion for that child to stay with his foster parents.   This is the happy ending that we want for every child… and I am grateful to all the CASA volunteers who work to make it happen.

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Day 281: Mark and Betty

12 Jan

Marionberry Cream Cheese Tart

Many years ago my husband and I worked together at Geppetto’s restaurant to help pay our way through Southern Oregon University.   Emile was an experienced line cook and I worked a variety of positions including host, prep cook and baker.  One of the people that we worked with there was Mark.  He was a line cook but he also waited tables occasionally.

One of my fondest memories from that time occurred during the period when I was pregnant with my daughter.  During my second trimester I always seemed to be hungry.  But not for just anything – I craved protein.  At school each day I ate a tuna salad sandwich and drank a quart of milk for lunch.  After school I would walk to Geppetto’s (on the days that I worked) and by the time I got there I was ravenous. When Mark was cooking on the line, he would make me a breakfast sandwich almost as soon as he saw me come in. I really appreciated that. It was amazing how much food I consumed!

Yet even though Mark helped to keep me fed, he also teased me mercilessly about my expanding belly.  Finally one day I brought in a tape measure to compare our waist sizes.  Lo and behold, when we put the tape around our waists, they measured within an inch of each other… and Mark was not expecting.  He quit teasing me after that.

I knew that surprising Mark would be difficult and so I called him to tell him that I wanted to bring him a pie.  It was then that he told me that his Mom, Betty, might be a better pie recipient because she would enjoy sharing it with her friends.  And so today I brought a Cream Cheese Tart topped with Marionberries for Betty… but once Mark saw it, he said that he just might want to taste it before she took it home.    And that my dear is a compliment…  from my good friend Mark (aka Badger).

The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you’ve had.  ~Author Unknown

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Day 280: Happy Birthday Christian!

11 Jan

Apple Blueberry Crumb Crust Pie

It seems to me that much of my day revolves around food.  Of course for the last nine months I have been making a pie each day, but that is only one of the many ways that I find myself focused in the kitchen.  There are days when I am busy making a pot of soup or a casserole for a friend in need, while other times I find myself testing gluten-free recipes for my neighbor.  If it has to do with food, I seem to lose myself in it.  With all that focus on cooking and baking, that means that I also spend a lot of time shopping – and one of my favorite stores in Ashland is Shop ‘n Kart.

Here is one reason for my loyalty: A few years ago I was on the board of the Ashland Schools Foundation.  One of my tasks was to secure donations from restaurants and grocery stores and then prepare meals for the volunteers that helped on fundraising calling nights.  The very first person I approached was Eric, the manager at Shop ‘n Kart and he generously donated $100 in store credit to the cause.  That was such a help for us and I have never forgotten it.

Another reason for my loyalty has to do with the employees that work there.  Maybe it’s because they see me often, but I enjoy the nod of recognition and their willingness to help me when I need assistance.   I am grateful that they don’t seem put out or avoid eye contact when my “questioning” face appears.

Christian is one of the employees that I have really come to appreciate.  He has helped me with special requests a few times,  he has a calmness about him that is admirable even when the store is slammed,  but more than anything I like that he takes the time to speak with each customer and look them in the eye.  That’s so very important in a world that gets busier every day.

Today I brought Christian the Apple Blueberry Pie that you see above.  When I gave it to him he seemed genuinely pleased.  As I told him about the pie project he said he was happy to be a part of this year of pies.  Then he told me that yesterday was his birthday…  and so of course I wished him a Happy Birthday.  And now I would like to offer this quote from Jonathan Swift,  “May you live all the days of your life.”

And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.   Abraham Lincoln

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Day 279: Second Chances

10 Jan

Today I saw a friend who we have not seen in years.  When she was younger she made some mistakes and was sent to prison.  She has now served her time and is home again.  We are so happy for her and wanted to extend a warm welcome  to her and so we stopped by to see her with flowers and a Chocolate Cream Pie (suggested by her Dad).

This evening she spoke of her time away and told me that she really used her time wisely.   With the help of several sponsors, she has been through a twelve step program and now has become a sponsor for others that are going through the program.   She is more grounded than ever before, has realigned her priorities and is thrilled to be back with her family.

We are very grateful that she is home again and offer our love and support as she adjusts to her new life.

If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you.  What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down.     Mary Pickford

 

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Day 278: Dietary Dave

9 Jan

Chocolate Cream Pie

Several years ago my husband and I were asked by Ashland Community Hospital (ACH)   to help them change the way that they delivered  food to their patients.  It was part of the administration’s goal to move to more patient-centered care, one aspect of which is giving patients choices in what and when they eat.   We worked with the staff to create a menu that offered healthy meal choices and was also  practical.

During that time, we had the opportunity to work closely with Dave – who is known as Dietary Dave around the halls of ACH.  Dave has worked in the kitchen at the hospital for a long time, holding various titles.  Currently, he manages the catering for all of the meetings at the hospital in addition to filling in wherever he is needed in the kitchen.

Dave brings more  to the hospital than his cooking skills, and that is his ability to work well with people.  Dave always has a ready smile and is quick to make a joke.  In an environment as charged as a hospital can be at times, Dave provides comic relief.  That is a very valuable gift.

Since I have spent time working with Dave I knew he would love a Chocolate Cream Pie… and the chocolate covered coffee beans on top were just a bonus.  It is my way of thanking Dave for his support when we worked together, and for the positive attitude that he brings to work each and every day.

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.  ~Winston Churchill

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Day 277: Scattered thoughts

8 Jan

Several times this week I found myself thinking about a lady named Esther from church, and that seemed enough of a reason to select her as today’s pie recipient. As I wasn’t sure what type of pie was her favorite, I decided to make a simple Apple Pie and used a heart shaped cookie cutter to decorate the top crust. That little touch made such a difference to me… and Esther seemed to appreciate the added touch as well.

***

In yesterday’s post I mentioned that I had found a recipe for Chess Pie and I asked if anyone had ever made it… and what they thought of it. This afternoon I received several emails about this pie, and a man named David sent me a recipe for Chocolate Chess Pie. I’ll share the recipe when I make it… because I will definitely be making this pie this week.

***

Tonight we are happy that our daughter has arrived home safely from her vacation to Copenhagen. She is exhausted from a trip that took about 24 hours, but she had a wonderful time and is looking forward to starting her next to last term at Southern Oregon University tomorrow.

***

Tonight as I make my way to bed I thought I would leave you with a short clip of my favorite comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy, dancing and synched to the music of Santana.  Click on the link below and enjoy.  Sweet dreams.

Laurel and Hardy

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