A Canine Christmas

          

             Christmas of 2007 was one to remember! Since I have 6 siblings, and 4 of them have spouses and children, Christmas gets pretty big! We always draw names to see who has who for presents. This year, my older brother Allyn and his wife, Emily, had my sister Kristen and me. Every Christmas morning we wake up early and run down to the tree to open gifts, and this year was no exception. On Christmas morning, Kristen and I went down to the tree to find a wrapping paper star cut out and put on the tree with a string tied to it. Obviously, we were a little confused. Allyn and Emily said to follow the string to find our gift, so we did. It led us outside and inside, then upstairs and downstairs and around and finally to the basement in the corner room...and there it was. A little golden retriever puppy. We were overjoyed! He was a little scared of us but we ran and picked him up. We already had a dog, Ginger, but she was getting old and we knew we’d need another dog soon. The funny thing about this present was my brother didn't even ask my parents before he got it. They were as surprised as we were! The whole family was happy (or surprised) and we spent most the rest of the day playing with the dog. After debating on a name, we named him Lars. It is a very Swedish name that no one really liked, but we named him that anyways! I didn’t like it at first, but it grew on me. The two dogs got along well. At first, Lars was scared of anyone and anything, but after Ginger died a couple years later, he stepped up to the plate and became a good watch dog. I love dogs and was so happy to get another dog that year. It is one of my favorite Christmas memories. 

Christmas Cravings---Favorite Christmas Recipes

      As Christmastime gets closer, the baking begins! I have always loved to bake and especially around Christmas. There are so many fun recipes to try and experiment with, and I usually have more time over Christmas break. My family is Swedish and so there is a tradition to follow. Usually, my grandparents host a Christmas dinner consisting of Potato sausage, pickled herring, rye bread, turkey, corn pudding, rice pudding, ostkaka (Swedish cheesecake) and of course, Swedish Lutefisk. Lutefisk is a type of fish that is soaked in lye for several days or until it reaches a jelly consistency and then cooked in a pot of water over the stove. Obviously, not many people actually like lutefisk, but it is a Swedish tradition and practically everybody eats it! I don’t.  The traditional Swedish Christmas dinner is not always my favorite but I appreciate the tradition it is to our extended family. 

      I have already started baking cookies for this year’s Christmas. One of my favorite kinds of cookie is Spritz. Yes, it is Swedish too. Spritz" is German for "spritzen" meaning "to squirt", which is exactly what is done with this cookie dough. It is put in a tube with a tip on the end, and as you turn the handle, the dough comes out in a decorative shape. These are great for freezing and pulling out when you have company! Here is the recipe---Enjoy!

                                      

Spritz Cookies: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. You will need two ungreased baking sheets.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. On low speed, gradually add the flour and salt and mix until incorporated.

To Press Cookies: Scrape some of the dough into your cookie press that has been fitted with a decorative plate (follow manufacturer's instructions). Hold the cookie press perpendicular to the ungreased baking sheet, with the tip almost touching the sheet, and squeeze the trigger. (If you find the dough is too soft, because the shape of the cookies is not clearly defined, then chill the dough.) Continue to press out the cookies, spacing about 1 inch apart. If desired, decorate the cookies with pieces of candied cherries, nuts, colored sprinkles or colored sugars.

To Pipe Cookies: Have ready a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch diameter open star tip. Fill the pastry bag about half full, twist the end of the bag to close, and pipe 1 1/2 inch (3.5 cm) rosettes or stars by holding the pastry bag perpendicular to the ungreased baking sheet, with the tip almost touching the sheet. Squeeze the pastry bag firmly and evenly without moving it until the shape is the desired size. Stop squeezing and push the pastry bag down a little and then lift the pastry bag straight up. Continue to pipe cookies, spacing about 1 inch apart. If desired, decorate the cookies with pieces of candied cherries, nuts, colored sprinkles or colored sugars.

Bake cookies for about 6 - 9 minutes or just until the edges of the cookies are barely tinged with brown. Remove from oven and gently transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

 These cookies will keep at room temperature for about one week or they can be frozen for several months. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

With Thanksgiving this past week, i thought it would be a good idea to write about some of the things i am thankful for.

I am so blessed to grow up in a Christian home with wonderful, god-fearing parents. Of course, at times it is a struggle to be obedient but i am constantly reminded of what great parents they are. More and more, as i get to know people outside of the Christian group that i have grown up with, i see how rare it is to have 2 parents who truly love and invest time in their kids. 

One of the most recent struggles in my life has been an injury. Several years ago, i fell off of a horse when i was training for a competition. I landed on my neck and head, and got a bad concussion. I was very thankful it wasn't as bad as i could have been but unfortunately, i have had a bad back since then. With my love for sports, music, and cooking, all of which require me to be on my feet a lot, it can be inconvenient. I have been to many chiropractors, doctors, and physical therapists, but none have seemed to completely fix my back. Just recently, someone told my dad about a guy in Boulder, CO that has helped many athletes with their injuries. He completely saved the career of a golfer by fixing his injured back. We went to the office in Boulder, had an appointment, and since then, i have been having appointments via Skype. I am so very grateful for wise people who care about me and are able to make my future better and allow me to participate in the things that i love.

This Thanksgiving was one to treasure. All of my 3 sisters and I live in 4 different Cities, from Manhattan to Columbia, SC! We were able to all be home for Thanksgiving and valued that time together. I love Thanksgiving for so many different reasons. I get to see family, nieces, nephews, siblings, i get a break from my life and school, and i get to bake!

One thing i made this year was a turtle cheesecake. (Recipe below) 

Maybe it's not too Thanksgiving-y, but i like it. :)

Enjoy!  

 

Turtle Cheesecake~

Original recipe makes 1 -9 inch round cheesecake

2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter 

14 ounces individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped 

1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk

1 cup chopped pecans

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter one 9 inch springform pan.
2. Toast the pecans at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 6 minutes. Remove pecans and set aside. Leave oven at 350 degrees C (175 degrees C). In a small saucepan, melt the unsalted butter.
3. Combine vanilla wafer crumbs with the melted butter then press into the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Place the pan onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove and allow to cool.
4. In a double boiler, or a bowl set over barely simmering water, melt the caramels in the evaporated milk. Stir until smooth. Pour this over the cooled crust. Sprinkle the nuts over the top.
5. In a bowl, combine the cheese, sugar, and vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping down the bowl several times. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until smooth. Melt the chocolate chips in the double boiler and mix into the cheese mixture. Pour the batter over the caramel layer.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes or until barely set. Chill over night in the refrigerator before serving.

Beginnings of Baking

I have loved cooking my whole life but just lately have started to try new recipes and experimenting with them. I have loved cooking in every form, from crème brulee to cooking dinner for a large group! Because of my 6 older siblings, I didn't cook a whole lot growing up. I have one sister in particular that did most of the cooking. After almost all of them left home, I have begun to cook more often.

I enjoy baking more than cooking, and most of all, baking desserts! Probably because I like to eat dessert. Some of my favorite things to make include: Chocolate mousse, crème brulee, pastries, cakes, ect.

I was in 4-H for many years, and always looked forward to the county fair! My favorite things to enter were food. When I was 13, I entered a light lemon bundt cake and won reserve champion! I got to have my picture in the newspaper and I also got to make the cake again and auction it off at the livestock auction where a lot of business owners and doctors and some other people will buy the animals (and usually give them back) to support the 4-H members. I sold my cake for $50! The next year, I entered crescent rolls and won again. This time I got to auction my rolls off and they went for $100. Just this last year, I made an apricot almond braid that won a yeast award. Sadly, we had to leave the next day for vacation so I didn’t get to auction it off. 4-H was such a good experience for me. I learned many things from years of being judged and helping out judges. I am so very grateful for the 4-H experience i had. Because of that, I have a great love for baking.