Cranberry Salsa

This is a Missy Taylor recipe. It is delicious with turkey sandwiches. A good appetizer is a mini bagel spread with cream cheese, and topped with turkey and the salsa.

Ingredients:

1/2 c chopped onion

1/3 c chopped green pepper

1/3 c chopped Anaheim chiili

1/2 c dried cranberries (Craisins)

1/3 c red cherry jam

1 1/2 T cider vinegar

1 1/2/ T cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Combine an chop all ingredients together in blender of food processor. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Al's Favorite Chili

This may not be our Uncle Al's favorite chili, but Senator Alan J. Dixon of Illinois apparently liked it. This hearkens back to our days on The Hill. Slightly adapted from the Congressional Cookbook of years past. A food processor is a lifesaver on this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 lb. ground beef (organic, if possible)

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 T. fresh garlic, minced

1/2 green (or other bell) pepper, chopped

1 lg. stalk celery, chopped

2 lg. tomatoes or canned equivalent

1/2 lb. mushrooms, chopped

1 sm. can tomato paste

1-2 T chili powder, or to taste

salt and pepper

1-2 t molasses

1 lg. can (16 oz.) tomato sauce

1 lg. can water

1 t. celery salt

3 16 oz. cans kidney beans, drained

Directions:

Brown ground beef. Add chopped onion and garlic and cook until just tender. Drain, leaving some juices for moisture. Add chopped celery and green pepper. Saute some more ;) Add remaining ingredients and let simmer very slowly about 1/2 hour. Add kidney beans and simmer another 30 minutes. Correct seasonings.

Until this moment, I had known nothing about Senator Dixon. But thanks to wikipedia, I have found another Utah connection with him:

“In the fall of 1970, Karl Rove, a future White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the George W. Bush Administration, used a false identity to enter the campaign office of Alan J. Dixon, who was running for Illinois State Treasurer, and stole 1000 sheets of paper with campaign letterhead. Rove then printed fake campaign rally fliers promising "free beer, free food, girls and a good time for nothing," and distributed them at rock concerts and homeless shelters, with the effect of disrupting Dixon's rally. Dixon eventually won the election. Rove's role would not become publicly known until August 1973. Rove told the Dallas Morning News in 1999, "It was a youthful prank at the age of 19 and I regret it."[1]”

Next time I'm going to try a different kind of chili.

Take Five

It's a busy time of year, soon to be very busy for most of us, with finals, travels, moving, babies, Thanksgiving and Christmas. We need to learn to take five! This is something some of us are better at than others. I'm still learning. The "Mo Times," as it is affectionately called at 1246, printed an article on this subject today.

To me "take five" means to grab just five minutes once in a while from whatever is demanding our attention, and doing something small that matters. Taking five helps to recharge our batteries, bring us back to a little joy, and get a few of the smaller never-get-to-it things done. Then faster than two shakes of a lamb's tail we can get back on the Big Task.

Here are some of my favorite take ideas with a few from the Mo Times:

• Walk to the end of the block and back
• Water your plants
• Read a poem
• Listen to a favorite piece of music or song
• Match socks
• Make a quick blog post!
• Walk up and down the stairs to get the blood going
  
• Start the laundry
• Call your Dearie
• Watch a youtube video
• Delete photos from your camera or computer
• Have a snack
• Watch the sunset
• Read a story
  
• Clear off the top of your dresser
• Or file cabinet
• Or bedroom floor
• Write a note
• Work on a creative project
  
• Say a prayer
• Sit and count your blessings

I love this way of celebrating moments, even under pressure. Think of it as a coffee break without the coffee. I know that sometimes we feel we are just too busy even for a five minute break, but most times they add more than they distract, and recharge us for going the distance with a bigger focus. What do you think? What are you favorite take five ideas?

Christmas Books Again

Fambly,

The thought with the book exchange is that we could give one of our favorite books to our brother or sister, so that at the end of a few years, we'll have a favorite book of everyone's!

I'm having lots of fun planning for our family Christmas. Love you all so much!

xo Mom

Apple and Walnut Whole-Wheat Bread Pudding

I've made this twice now, and just love it. It might even be too sweet; I think next time I might not put in quite so much honey. Same goes with the honey whipped cream. But that was tasty too. I also doubled (tripled, actually) the apples, which I would recommend.

Ingredients

• · 12 slices honey whole-wheat bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• · 1 cup honey
• · 6 large eggs
• · 3 egg yolks
• · 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• · 2 1/4 cups whole milk
• · 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• · 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• · 1 large green apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• · 1 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and grease a 9- by 12-inch baking pan.

2. On a large cookie sheet, spread the bread cubes in an even layer. Bake until lightly toasted, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, eggs, yolks, and vanilla.

4. In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a simmer. Remove from heat immediately. Whisking constantly, slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture. Let the custard cool slightly.

5. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, apple, and walnuts. Gently stir in the custard, coating the bread mixture thoroughly with the liquid. Let stand, tossing once or twice to distribute, until the custard is mostly absorbed, about 10 minutes.

6. Spread the pudding evenly into the baking pan. Bake until it is brown and the edges are bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool, then slice and serve warm, topped with vanilla ice cream.

Honey Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Christmas Book Exchange

Hi Girlsies and Guygols,

Here are assignments for this years brothers and sisters Christmas book exchange:

• Rachel to Ariel
• Micah to Hannah
• Andrew to Laurel
• Ariel to Rachel
• Hannah to Micah
• Laurel to Andrew

It's pretty symmetrical, as it turns out. Happy book hunting!

Please remember to keep Grandma Vella in your prayers. Her legs need a lot of help recovering.

Love, Mama

Our Fist Photo

This is probably the first photo of Dad and me together, taken 28 years ago this very weekend at the Amish self-serve treat stand. We remembered the name of the Mennonite guide for so many years. Maybe it will come to us. I'm going to call him "Willie Malikee." Dad says his name is Daniel, but how do you like "Willie"?

Pumpbello

Twenty-eight years ago Dad and I enjoyed our first Halloween weekend together. We traveled with my roommates (one guy and four girls--the sort of ratio he's become accustomed to!) to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to enjoy some delicious Amish food, the autumn countryside, and a break from the DC metropolis. The following Sunday was November 1st, as it is today. I felt a strong urge to fast for the handsome intern from Nevada. That proved to be inspired. I'm so grateful for the Spirit. That was 1981.

Now we have a beautiful, growing family (Welcome, Little Bun-bun!), though not all the kinks have been worked out (per ghoulish Galli gate-guard Pumpbello--no relation to Bun-bun, we trust!) Pumpbello's creators are the infamous Drs. Frankenstein, Hannah and Mike, who no sooner finished that transformation than they morphed into Ms. Right and Mr. Left Brain for the institute Halloween party. It's been delightful having them over lately. Maybe Grandma and Grandpa will keep their internet off indefinitely! ;) Here are a couple of other favorite October images. One glimpse of the stunning view Dad and I enjoyed from the top of the world on the Upper Muley Twist Trail in Capitol Reef, and another of our first Sunday meal in the Marshall Wymount apartment. Dad has made some marinated eggplant, potatoes and salmon for dinner tonight. They will be delicious! Happy November! xo Mom