Friday, November 1, 2013

In My Kitchen ~ November 2013

Hello, November! Today seems like the perfect day to build a fire and cozy up with a book. But errands are calling. I have groceries to buy for an egg dish to make for my new granddaughter's christening brunch on Sunday morning. And I volunteered to iron the christening gown, handmade by my Great-Aunt over 66 years ago. It's made of fine cotton batiste, with hundreds of tiny stitches. There's a matching slip to go under the dress, all excruciatingly difficult to iron, but so lovely.

AND now, I'm excited to share more of the things in my kitchen. Be sure to check out the other bloggers who have joined with Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial to give us a peek into their kitchens and their worlds!

In my kitchen ...
I have an enormous collection of recipes; handwritten on cards, torn from magazines, stuffed in a wooden box, crammed in drawers. And then there are my cookbooks! This recipe was given to me by my uncle, probably back in the 1970's. It's a link to him and to the past, and I treasure it.



In my kitchen ...
Trader Joe's Sun Dried Tomatoes. I love to add them to cheese stuffed ravioli. See recipe here.



In my kitchen ...
Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper Soup, perfect with grilled cheese sandwiches for a fast supper on a cold autumn night.



In my kitchen ...
Gun Flint Trail Wild Raspberry Jalapeno Jam, made right here in Minnesota and sold at The Bibelot Shops. This jam goes great in a turkey sandwich: toast sourdough bread, add sliced turkey from the deli (or even better, leftover Thanksgiving turkey) and melted swiss cheese, along with a dollop of this sweet, spicy jam for an amazing sandwich treat.



In my kitchen ...
Homemade Hot Chocolate, silky and rich and satisfying.


In my kitchen ... 
An apple cranberry crisp (recipe here).



Finally ...
Back in 2008, Saint Paul artist-in-residence Marcus Young started an annual sidewalk poetry contest for city residents. I was one of the winners in 2009, for my poem November. You gotta love a city where poetry is that important! Below is a photo of the poem being installed on the sidewalk in front of my daughters house. My young granddaughter is adding her tiny hand print to the wet cement. In honor of the month, I am sharing my poem here with all of you:

November
Autumn winds drag leaves from trees,
streets clog in a dreary finale.
Bare branches crisscross heavy skies.
Icy rain spatters, ink-blots pavement.
I settle at the window, stare
into thick black flannel, search
the woolly lining of the night for winter.



16 comments:

  1. Your kitchen looks very yummy and productive.
    I love homemade hot chocolate - especially with homemade marshmallows!
    Thanks for sharing your poem and congrats on winning!

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  2. Thanks for sharing your kitchen.

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  3. What a great collection in your November kitchen! That raspberry jalapeƱo jam sounds divine!!

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    Replies
    1. I love the sweet with the spicy. It's a great combination.

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  4. What a gorgeous old recipe - your stash must be a treasure! I'm not so sure about bacon wrapped chestnuts though!!!

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    1. Everything (almost) is better with bacon. :)

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  5. Marianne, how wonderful for your children and grandchildren to have your poem etched in concrete outside their house - I think that's just fabulous! Congratulations on your justly deserved win! Your uncle's recipe intrigues me - water chestnuts and microwaves in the 1970s must have been quite cutting edge! And your toasted sandwich sounds divine, I'd love that for breakfast right now.. :)

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  6. Hi Marianne, I love old recipes. Do you still make them?
    I think a poem you have written edged in concrete is absolutely fabulous. Congratulations.

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  7. G'day Marianne and thank you with a tear in my eye (of joy) today, true!
    LOVE handwritten recipe cards (like my mum used to do) and love the poem and love the sidewalk poetry...very innovative!
    Cheers! Joanne
    http://www.whatsonthelist.net
    Viewed as part of Celia's IMK

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  8. Oh, I love the sound of your home made hot chocolate! It's chilly here today, I could use a cup of that!

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  9. Thoroughly enjoyed your IMK post, Marianne! Congratulations on your poetry -- that described November to a "T." By the way, my folks honeymooned along the Gunflint Trail back in the 1950's -- sweet memories made even sweeter by the jam you shared!

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  10. I love the sound of that jam with jalapenos... I will have some cherries drained from vinegar for my shrub that I need to use soon - this sounds like a perfect jam to adapt. Thannks!

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  11. I could drink that hot chocolate right now. Raspberry Jalopena jam sounds intriguing - I guess you could use it as a sauce too. Thanks for sharing.

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