spring splendor

Well... we didn't get the ten inches of snow that were predicted... but the ice sure is pretty! Enjoy a few images from *the morning after*...
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thing #10

It really is remarkable that there is so much available at our very fingertips... that we just don't have the time... or make the time to enjoy. Re thing #10: attend the symphony...

Last evening, we attended a performance of the Kansas City Symphony - under the baton of Michael Stern (acclaimed son of the legendary violinist Isaac Stern). The program was Griffes (a relative unknown to me... but lovely just the same); Tavener - a U.S. premier of a concerto written for and played by violinist Nicola Benedetti (very challenging to listen to); and Schumann (Symphony #2... you just can't go wrong!).

This orchestra has come a long way in the few years that Maestro Stern has been in residence. I watched and listened - enthralled - last evening as he conducted the entire Schumann score from memory. Absolutely amazing.

A good friend of ours is a violinist in the symphony... so we had also made plans to walk across the street to the Marriott to enjoy a glass of wine and catch up with her and her husband following the performance. It was a wonderful evening!

just maybe...

thing #58

re thing #58 ... make poppy kuchen... A big YUMMY on this *thing*... and bonus points because I got to do it with mom, AND... I have enough poppy seed in the freezer for another batch...

Poppy Kuchen is one of those things that has been in my family (mom's side) for generations. Yes... generations. It was always on the table when we would visit my grandmother in Minnesota. PK is a very (very) poppy seed-intense pastry... the recipe we use comes from Poland.

If one is to to bake PK, it is best to plan to make a day of it, because the entire process takes about five hours...

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...cooking the poppy seed filling...

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... allowing the dough to rise...

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...working the dough...

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...spreading the first layer of filling...

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...spreading the second layer of filling...

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...closing the pastry...

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...brushing the pastry with butter...

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...topping with crumbles...

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...fresh from the oven...

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...the finished pastry...

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Yum!!!

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Random relevant thoughts...

1. Always share with a friend... a *teeth check* is imperative!
2. Its best to freeze as much of the pastry as possible as quickly as you can... ergo, pacing the movement from plate to hips.
3. My father and my husband have never been big PK fans... which means - MORE for mom and me!!! :-)

an irish feast

Last weekend, my folks were in town for a visit... and as always, we packed a lot into a few short days. Saturday evening, we celebrated our Irish heritage from familes Dunn, Connelly, and McNamee with an Irish feast. On the menu were potatoes (of course), short ribs, and soda bread.

Our festive table, below, was unfortunately decorated with Rollos instead of gold coins. Mom and I made several stops while out and about on Saturday afternoon, but couldn't find the chocolate gold coins that I so fondly remember from childhood. Sooooo... Rollos, it was... think gold chunks instead of gold coins.
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Braised Guinness Stout Short Ribs

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5 – 6 pounds beef short ribs
Flour
3 – 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 carrots, cut in 2-inch chunks
2 stalks celery, cut in 2-inch chunks
1 large white onion, chopped roughly

4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bottles Guinness Stout
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley, for garnish

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Dredge the short ribs in flour, coating lightly. Remove any excess flour from ribs.
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat on the stove. In batches, brown the short ribs, a few minutes per side, making sure not to crowd them too closely in the pan. This allows the ribs to develop a nice crust.
• Remove the cooked ribs and all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme and stir, making sure you scrape any residue off the bottom of the pot. Cook for several minutes, until vegetables start to get tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add Guinness and tomato paste to the pot and stir mixture until incorporated. Add ribs back into the pot, cover, and place in oven.
• Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is fork tender. Add parsley as garnish.

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Irish Soda Bread

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3 T. butter or margarine, softened
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¾ C. buttermilk

• Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease cookie sheet.
• Cut butter into flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in raisins and just enough buttermilk so dough leaves side of bowl.
• Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth. Shape into round loaf, about 6 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on cookie sheet. Cut an X shape about 1/2 inch deep through loaf with floured knife.
• Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with butter or margarine, softened, if desired.

thing #55

re thing #55: make and decorate sugar cookies...

It seems that my Sweetie has a sweet tooth... and he loves sugar cookies! Earlier in the week, I took a day off and made him a batch of cookies. I really don't know why I don't do this more often, because the whole process only took a bit over 90 minutes. Oh... hmmmm... maybe its that I don't have 90 minutes to do this sort of thing very often.

My mom's mom was a master sugar cookie baker. She loved making and decorating them and made cookies for all special days and holidays. Grandma also LOVED St. Patrick's Day, as her birthday was the day after. Stay tuned to a blog near you... and you just might see some shamrock cookies!

Below... the process of my labors... rolling... baking...
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Yummy!

reconnecting

On the theme of reconnection... I made a trip to Minnesota earlier this week for my Aunt Lucille's funeral. Lucille is my mom's sister. It is ironically sad that at this point in life, it is often something such as a funeral that reconnects us to family. I say let's put the FUN back in funeral!
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Fortunately, Lucille's illness was short... but she will be greatly missed. Below is a photo of me and Lucille's five (yes, FIVE!) sons... a few of whom I haven't seen in many many years. We had such great times as kids whenever my family would make the trek from Nebraska to Minnesota. I am just enough younger than them that they mostly found me a nuisance back then.
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The "bonus" of this trip was being able to spend lots of "quality car time" with Jenn on the way up and back... through miles and miles of Iowa nothing-ness. Unfortunately, an intestinal bug got the best of her during our stay in Minneapolis with our friends Alison and Brett... and their adorable little daughter Saoirse (pronounced "sear-sha" - its an Irish name).
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It was great to reconnect with Alison and Brett... whom I hadn't seen in person in about five years. BTW, lest I claim credit for a photo which I did not take... Al sent the photo above in an email this morning...

thing #40

re thing #40: look up a 'lost' friend or acquaintance...

Much like my resistance to cell phones over the years, I resisted the Facebook craze until having been *shamed into it* by a few folks that I never would have guessed were part of the mania.

Facebook is a connector’s playground! Hearken to Malcolm Gladwell who introduced us to salesmen, mavens, and connectors in his book The Tipping Point.

It is truly amazing how many folks I’ve managed to reconnect with… from many sectors of my life. If somebody had told me in 1980 that we’d all go our separate ways and about our own lives for thirty years, and then reconvene in a fantastical place called cyberspace… I never would have believed them.

habit

hab⋅it – an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary

Generally speaking, some say that it takes about twenty-one days of doing something in order for it to become a habit. I'm hoping that my daily exercise is becoming just that... a habit!

I do seem to be at the point where I miss it if I am take a day off, or am not able to squeeze it in for some reason. The basement is set up and ready to go with an erg and the contraption discussed in my 1/27 post. I've been alternating days of *rowing* and *riding.*

Incidentally... today was a *riding* day and was the first day that I actually locked into my clips. I was a bit apprehensive... and with good reason. And... the inevitable did actually come to pass. I lost my concentration and took a tumble as I slid right off the edge - bike still attached to my feet. There I lay on the basement floor not knowing whether to laugh or cry... and really glad that thee was no one there to see me!

the basement contraption

When it comes to exercise, I must admit that I have always been more of a weekend warrior than a daily exerciser. Not that I'm averse to it or anything... I'm happy to take on a good physical challenge. BUT... now that I'm 40-something (and have been for awhile)... I'm trying to change my ways in an attempt to stay a step ahead of gravity and other unsavory forces of nature.

We've had an erg (rowing machine) in the basement for quite awhile and I took on the 200,000 meter C2 holiday challenge again this year. At Jenn's suggestion (chastisement), I thought I'd try to stick with it after the holidays had passed. Somewhere along the way, however, I became bored with everyday erging.

I've contemplated on and off over the past five years or so about getting a set of inertial rollers. Think of the contraption as a treadmill for a bicycle. I talked with my bike guy about it, and he just happened to have a used set for sale. Sooooo... I made the purchase, and have since been alternating mornings of erging and riding.

The learning curve was not as steep as I thought it would be... I've really enjoyed it so far... and talk about working up a sweat! Next time you're in the neighborhood, I'll take you to the basement so that you, too, can give it a spin. It's really nifty!

Oh... and as a cycling side note... the Tour of Missouri route was announced today. The tour will depart St. Louis on Monday 9/7 and arrive in Kansas City on Sunday, 9/13. This is the third year for this professional cycling stage race, and its always a lot of fun to be a part of the excitement. Put it on your calendar!