Owls

Barred Owl

http://flickriver.com/places/United+States/Maryland/Southern+Md+Facility/in-Prince+George's/

It is the end of February and spring is around the corner. It seems like winter never really arrived this year. We had only a trace amount of snow, no ice storms, and unfortunately for my kids, no snow day! Don't get me wrong, I love when I say goodbye to my sometimes surly teenagers in the morning and can enjoy my second (or third) cup of coffee in peace and quiet. But there is something about a snow day. Our daily routine is suspended, everything outside is transformed into a snowy wonderland, and bird-watching takes on a whole new level of enjoyment for me!

I have given up on a good snowstorm this winter and am looking forward to the birds returning. Lately, it seems that some are already here, setting up their territory. I hear cardinals, robins, and yesterday I spotted a bluebird!

Eastern Bluebird

A few years ago, I bought a book for my daughter. Wesley the Owl, by Stacey O'Brien, seemed a perfect choice for her since she is interested in animals. After she finished it, she strongly encouraged me to read it. To tell you the truth,  I was reading something else, was busy and put her off. Eventually, when I needed a book to read, I picked it up. Before reading about Wesley, I didn't know much about owls.

excellent book!

This book taught me so much about owls.  Did you know that owls have excellent hearing as well as eyesight? They are silent hunters since they make almost no sound when flying, because of the way their feathers are designed. Their diet consists of mice, voles, small birds, rabbits etc. So when I read that the Wild Bird Lovers store nearby was having Mike Callahan, the current president of the Southern MD Audubon society give a talk about owls, I signed up.

I used to buy my birdseed, suet etc at the Wild Bird Center in Waldorf. A couple years ago, I noticed it was closed, and I read in our local paper that there was some sort of conflict between the owner and the corporation. I missed going there to buy my birdseed as well as chat with the Lee and his wife Dee. I loved that they had their German Shepherd roaming throughout the store. I never just went in and out quickly, but stayed to browse, chat and talk about birds.

Imagine my surprise yesterday when arriving at the store for the owl talk, that this "new" store, Dee's Wild Bird Lovers, was owned by the same couple that owned the Wild Bird Center Store. And it not new, but has been open for 2 years, as Lee Duer promptly corrected me.

I learned a lot about the 4 types of owls common in southern Md. Mike Callahan was able to make each of the sounds the Eastern Screech , Barred, Barn and Great Horned owls make. ( and it wasn't "hoot-hoot!") Many of the people attending the talk were knowledgeable birders, and listening to their questions was also a learning experience. I can't wait for March 9 when Mike Callahan is hosting an owl prowl! It begins at 7pm, location near LaPlata, Md, and to sign up click on the link below and look for the section on SMAS Field Trips 2011-2012.

 Click here for more information on the Southern Maryland Audubon Society.

Super Easy Homemade Applesauce

I grew up watching my mother and grandmother turning the handle of a food mill transforming fresh cooked apples into a soothing, sweet and comforting sauce. We would traditionally eat it cold for breakfast, especially in the winter months, when fresh fruit was not as available. Occasionally, when eating lunch in the cafeteria at school, the applesauce served to me tasted completely different. After being disappointed a couple times, I would never eat store bought applesauce. I mean, how do they change the taste of cooked apples that much???

Food Mill

I use a food mill to make my applesauce, but it can also be made with a potato masher.

My family loves applesauce when it is still warm, slathered over potato pancakes. We also eat it for breakfast.

This recipe is very simple. You can substitute Macintosh apples for another type and add more or less sugar, cinnamon or nutmeg.

I do not measure any of the ingredients. Just taste it and adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:

• 8 medium Macintosh apples
• 1 cup sugar
•  dash or two of cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• water

Directions:


Wash apples.
Fill medium saucepan with enough water to just cover bottom of pan.
Core apples with apple corer. Do not peel.
Place all cored apples in saucepan.
Cook on medium heat, uncovered until apples are mushy.
Put food mill on top of bowl.
Pour cooked apples and liquid into food mill.
Process apples by turning food mill handle until all that is left in mill is apples peels.
Remove food mill from bowl and let sauce cool a bit.
Add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.

 cooked apples

cooked apples in food mill

Food mill on bowl ( you may want to use a bigger bowl!)

Food mill after processing apples

Applesauce!

Cheeseburger Soup

Cheeseburger Soup

It has been a pretty mild winter here in the DC area. We have yet to have a snowstorm, or the more common, ice event! I really look forward to a good old fashioned, get out the snow shovels, snowsuits and boots kinda snow. I love watching the news waiting for the school closings, sitting by the fire, and drinking my second (or third cup!) of coffee.

I also love bird watching during and after a snowfall. The birds stand out so beautifully against the pure white background, and their determined search for birdseed can keep my attention for quite awhile.

But, I digress. We do not have any snow. But it is cold, so it is the perfect day to get the slow cooker out and make cheeseburger soup! This recipe came from Better Homes and Garden, and I have adapted it to my gluten free requirements. My kids love it, it makes the whole house smell so good, and it is super easy!

( I added a few handfuls of cheddar cheese to thicken it but my gf adaptations does not allow for the cheddar cheese soup ingredient)

Cheeseburger Soup 

ingredients

• 1
  pound ground beef
• 1/2
  cup chopped onion (1 medium)
• 2
  cloves garlic, minced
• 2
  medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2
  cup sliced carrot (1 medium)
• 1/4
  cup ketchup
• 2
  tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1
  fresh serrano chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/4
  teaspoon salt
• 1/4
  teaspoon black pepper
• 2
  14 ounce cans beef broth ( gluten free)
• 1
  10 3/4 ounce can condensed cheddar cheese soup (I substituted gluten free tomato soup)
• 1/2
  cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
• 
  

Dill pickle spears (optional)

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook meat, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is brown and onion tender. Drain off fat.

In a 4-5 qt slow cooker, combine meat mixture, potatoes, carrot, ketchup, mustard, chili pepper, salt and black pepper. Stir in broth and soup.

Cover and cook on low for 10-11 hours or on high for 5-5 1/2 hours. Top each serving with cheese.

Enjoy!

"Spritz" cookies, traditional and gluten-free

Spritzgebacken cookies

I have been baking Christmas cookies the past few days. Growing up, one of my favorite memories was coming home to the the aroma of freshly baked spritzgebacken cookies. My mother baked many varieties of cookies during the holidays, all beautifully decorated. 

My father is originally from Germany and he introduced us to a few traditional German recipes as well. One of my favorites was stollen. This distant cousin to fruitcake was labor intensive, requiring an enormous bowl, as well as a lot of vigorous kneading. We were only allowed to indulge in these once a year treats beginning on Christmas Eve, making them taste even more special.

Unfortunately, I can no longer enjoy these gluten filled goodies and this is especially difficult for me at this time of year. Nothing could beat a slice (or two) of stollen with a cup of coffee in the morning! 

I also love to bake during the Christmas season, but I only bake 3-4 of my favorite cookies. This recipe for "spritz" cookies is simple and delicious. I use a cookie gun to create different shapes. My sister, Karen, gave me the below adaptation for the best gluten-free spritz!

Spritzgebackens (traditional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Use parchment paper on a cookie sheet

3/4 lb butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

3 3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 T vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolks, flour, salt and vanilla.

Mix thoroughly.

Bake 7-10 minutes until lightly browned.

Cool on wire rack.

Gluten Free Spritzgebackens

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Use parchment paper on cookie sheet.

1 3/4 cup white rice flour

1/4 cup sweet rice flour

1/4 cup potato starch

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk dry ingredients; set aside.

Combine butter, sugar, egg, vanilla.

Cream until fluffy.

Add dry ingredients. Mix.

Bake at 375 degrees until lightly golden brown.

Enjoy!

Lasagna Florentine

 The cross-country season at the kid's high school is coming to a close. To celebrate, we had  lunch at a local Italian restaurant. They had a buffet with pasta, salad, bread and desserts. (I decided not to risk eating the salad since in a restaurant where pizza is being made, flour is likely to be everywhere, and I was worried about cross-contamination.) I ate my lunch before leaving for the party and didn't really mind sitting there sipping a Starbucks until I spotted a long lost friend, LASAGNA!

Smothered with cheese, piping hot, the lasagna on the buffet smelled and looked delicious! I can't remember when I last ate lasagna. Until finding the brand Tinkanyada, cooking with gluten free pasta was always frustrating. The noodles would turn out chewy or too mushy. No one in my family would touch it.

I  really miss lasagna....especially the day after you bake it when it is at it's best.

 Before I knew how to cook well, I made lasagna a lot. The kids were small and it was convenient to make a one-dish meal while they were napping. I also liked serving it when I had company since I could make it a day ahead of time.

Seeing the lasagna at the restaurant inspired me to give it another try. I really didn't use a recipe, but went by the standard lasagna recipe you can find on the back of a package of lasagna noodles. I sauteed 1/2 lb of ground beef along with some chopped onion and added that to a jar of spaghetti sauce. I also added some chopped fresh spinach to the ricotta, egg, and parmesan cheese mixture both for color and nutritional value. I like the taste of fresh mozzerella and used it instead of the shredded variety.

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, my family is highly skeptical of any food I try and serve that has been modified to be gluten free. Texture is the big giveaway with pasta, so I was more than thrilled when my husband really liked this lasagna. He went back for seconds and also brought it to work for his lunch! My daughter, who is a vegetarian, did not eat it and my son is not a lasagna lover, so did not try it. That's okay! More for me!

Rosie's Perfect Pumpkin Bread (gluten-free, of course!)

Fall seems to have finally settled upon us with cooler temperatures and shorter days. I love all that comes with this time of year....the beautiful foliage, a crockpot full of hearty chili, and the aroma of pumpkin bread baking in the oven!

Elizabeth Barbone, author of Easy-Gluten Free Baking has a recipe for  gf pumpkin bread that rivals the traditional one made with wheat flour. The recipe makes 2 loaves, so freeze one to enjoy later.

Dry Ingredients:
 2 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Wet Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
3 cups granulated sugar
1  15 oz can pure pumpkin( not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup dried cranberries( optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together eggs, oil and orange juice. Add sugar and pumpkin. Blend until thoroughly combined.
4. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. (Use medium speed on a handheld mixer or medium- low on stand mixer.) Scrape bowl down once or twice while mixing ingredients. Stir in dried cranberries, if using.
5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
6. Remove pans from oven and place on wire rack. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pans and allow to cool completely on wire rack.

* I substitute fresh cranberries for dried and add approximately 1 cup. I also add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

So long, farewell....

Fall arrived exactly one day after summer said goodbye. In our home, I turned the air conditioning off and reluctantly switched the thermostat to HEAT! This inspired me to tackle the vegetable garden. It was looking very overgrown, and not in a good way. The morning glories were thriving, to say the least, but the tomato plants were tired and the zucchini plant gave up it's fight long ago against the stinkbugs.

After a long day of pulling out spent plants and cutting down vines, the garden plots looked clean and tidy. My husband hoed in some shredded paper to aerate the soil as well as compost to enrich it for next year.  I did leave one tomato plant, a jalapeno plant, and the Thai and regular basil. I am not quite ready to say goodbye to homemade pesto, so potted up a few basil plants to (hopefully) winter over in our garage. (Have you ever been in an Italian restaurant that has huge basil plants growing year round?)

It has been a few weeks since I have seen a hummingbird, so I also took down the feeders and cleaned them with hot water, mild soap and a splash of bleach. I soaked the feeders in my laundry room sink and after a few hours, the black mildew was gone. Sadly, I stored the feeders away until next spring. I am always a bit melancholy when I realize those little guys have migrated. (It is a myth that the hummingbirds will not migrate if the feeders are still up, and the stragglers will benefit from the feeders.)

I did put in 2 types of lettuce seeds hoping we will have some for our hungry guinea pigs before a hard frost.

For fall color, I planted yellow and purple pansies in my containers after discarding the annuals that had seen better days. Pansies do well in the cooler weather and will even make it through the winter! (I remember when I moved down here from the Northeast and could not believe pansies were growing in January!)

So yes, we bid the summer farewell....but say hello to pumpkin farms, apple cider, and cozy evenings by the fireplace!