kitchen wedding shower

 

This is my friend Martha. Martha's getting married!

Martha and I worked together for several years, but we started hanging out after working a conference together in Montana. I flew into Billings at 2:00 a.m. after Chicago flubbed up a flight. I had no baggage, which meant no clothes, no toothbrush, no nothing. You'd think it couldn't get worse, BUT THEN IT DID.

They gave me a Prius.

With California plates.

While in Montana.

For the girl who flew in in cowboy boots and now had no luggage, this was just too much.

(Actually, the real "too much" was wandering around Walmart at 3:00 in the morning with sticky contacts trying to figure out what I needed to survive until my suitcase arrived.)

But actually actually, the legit "too much" was when Martha showed up in HER rental vehicle . . . a beautiful, shiny, chocolatey brown . . . F-150.

 

My Prius could have fit in the bed of her truck. I died a little inside.

So when Martha asked if I wanted to head to a rodeo after we were done with work that evening, I said, "That would be great! . . . But you're driving. We are not going to be seen in Montana in a car that is basically a glorified bicycle."

And we've been friends ever since!

 

Now she's about to get married and because Martha is the queen of gift giving, taking care of other people, making complete strangers feel special, and just generally filling up people's cups, it was obvious we needed to make her feel even just a tiny bit as loved as she makes the rest of us feel.

 

She loves to bake. Hand pies, cakes, cookies . . . you name it, and I've agreed to taste test it.

We made an apple pie together once. And by "made" I mean, she made an apple pie and I ate it and it was delicious.

We also made dozens of cookies for the guys at the dairy during silage . . . and I think I ate at least half of those. Let's just say there's no one better suited for kitchen gadgets and new pie plates than her!

 

Keeping in the kitchen vein, we ate muffins, oohed and aahed over Kel's Cookie Jar's kitchen-themed cookies, and indulged in peanut butter granola parfaits with cranberry spritzers to wash it all down.

And we all decided we needed new Tupperware and griddles and cookbooks too.

Or Martha could just use hers and make us all something delicious to eat while we sit around and chat. We're really pretty flexible.

But perhaps that's just the point: Salad bowls and salt and pepper shakers break and shatter.

And yet, as my pastor noted in our wedding sermon, "There is a promise for Holy Marriage that makes Christians bold and confident. Five virgins were shut out, but the other five, who also fell asleep, who also failed in their duties, who were no better than those shut out and were in no way perfect, went in. They went in by grace. This is not a vain hope – either for marriage or for eternity. The undeserved mercy won by Christ’s death gives power for Christians to live Christian lives. That includes living together as husband and wife – a most Christian way to live."

So here's to you, Martha and Dan, to a life of forgiveness, grace, love, cookies, pancakes and God's unending mercy.

And as long as we're at it, thanks for traipsing around in a small hurricane with me so that I could snap an engagement picture or two. And then, when you are 20 and 30 and 50 years down the road, remembering God's goodness to you and your marriage, you can look back and see how He has preserved you, blessed you . . . and how awesome pie birds and KitchenAid mixers really are.

simmering winter potpourri

I love wintery smells: wood burning in fireplaces, sugar cookies fresh from the oven, gingerbread houses, chestnuts roasting on an open fire . . . 

Ok, actually I've never smelled those.

     

When winter arrived, our house always smelled delicious. Between my mom's cooking and the fresh smell of winter and snow that practically burns your lungs, it was a clear indicator that wintertime in Iowa was officially open for business. 

Consequently, this was also the time of year that I spent half the day chipping ice out of my rabbits' water dish, breaking icicles off the side of the chicken house just because I could and begging my sisters to play outside with me while they took every opportunity to slip away and hide while I was wailing and pleading. 

Come to think of it, what's so great about wintertime again? 

It's also the time of year that Mom would turn the back burner on the stove on low, toss together some orange slices and cinnamon sticks, and let the fragrance fill the house with a delightful smell that made you feel warm, even when you were peeling six layers of snow pants off in the back porch. 

As gifts for friends or for use in your home, this wintery potpourri is easy to make, wonderful to sniff and just may fill you with happy memories: like the time your big sister landed a snowball right in your face or your dad made you scream with fake terror doing donuts on the ice in the driveway. 

You know, the happy memories. 

Here's to winter! 

Winter Potpourri 

1 orange, sliced

4 cinnamon sticks 

1/2 cup cranberries

1 T. whole cloves

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan. Add a cup or two of water. Turn on low. Add water as needed. 

Make-It-Yourself Instant Oatmeal

Missouri can't make up its mind if it's July or October. One day it's 50 degrees. The next day it's 86. One night the air conditioning is running. The next the heat kicks on. 

One day we're breaking out the flannel. The next day we're pulling our short-sleeved shirts back out. Heck, we don't even know which end is up anymore. 

Here's what we do know: Regardless of the weather, it's a truth universally acknowledged that harvest will actually wrap up at some point, and before we know it, it'll be Thanksgiving. Or maybe Christmas. See? We don't even know anymore. 

But when the bean dust settles down and the combine is cleaned and put away, when the corn is stored and the dryer fans are shut off, it will be cold. And farmers will head outside regardless, layering up, pulling hats out of the closet, and filling thermoses with coffee to keep their insides warm while working outdoors. 

One way to help? Homemade oatmeal. 

It's genius really. I love brown sugar oatmeal, but let's be honest: There's not nearly enough brown sugar in it. As in, I want to see a tightly packed CUP of brown sugar sitting on top of my eight flecks of oatmeal. 

So if I make it, instead of buy it, I can keep my farmer warm AND I can get a sugar high before 7:30 a.m. Totally worth it. 

Cold this fall? Need a quick Christmas gift? DIY oatmeal. It may be 90 degrees tomorrow, but hey,  the good news is: It'll keep!

Make-It-Yourself Instant Oatmeal 

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350. Scatter the oats on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then pulse in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Stir in sugar, salt and cinnamon; the dry mix will keep in an airtight container for several weeks. 

To serve, spoon 1/2 cup of the mix into boiling water. Top with your favorite mix-ins and enjoy! 

black raspberry jam

Have you seen the uber antique reality show "Pioneer Quest"? It was filmed in Canada in the early 2000s (See? It's practically vintage.), and the two couples chosen to participate had to live in the  middle of the Canadian prairie for a year, using only the tools and animals and clothes that would have been available in the mid-1800s. 

They built log cabins and learned how to plow a field with the help of two draft horses and canned venison and survived the coldest winter in 120 years by burning wood they split pretty much non-stop with their own two hands. 

Chris immediately decided we should re-up the show and started mentally rehearsing how he'd build a barn and where the chickens would stay and what to feed the cow and why hay wasn't enough to keep the horses from losing weight over the winter. 

I was just enthused he thought I could make it for a year living like a pioneer. Personally, the insane amount of mosquitoes, the poison ivy and the unending rain would have done me in about 30 seconds. I'd have been like those women you read about who went nuts living in their little shanties on the prairie and wandered off into blizzards with no coat, only to be found frozen to death months later. 

Yeah. I'm that girl. 

Since -- Lord willing -- we'll never star in a reality show that apparently didn't take off, canning is as close a second as I'll get. 

The ladies on Pioneer Quest canned meat and beans. I'm over here with blackberry jam -- blackberries courtesy of the neighbors -- and feeling pretty good about it. No one's asking me to stick diced partridge in a jar, and I'm not complaining about that. I didn't even have to split the neighbor's firewood for a winter in return for the berries. Winning!

Thanks to my mom's recipe, air conditioning, electricity to keep the stove nice and hot, and the Internet to remind me about headspace, our pantry is now filled with jam to sustain us during the long, hard winter. 

Or the winter where we'll sit in our warm house drinking hot coffee, not worrying a bit if the pig will survive the freezing weather or when the outhouse seat will thaw. 

We've got it pretty good after all, haven't we? 

Agreed. 

Black Raspberry Jam

5 cups prepared fruit (buy about 2 quarts fully ripe black raspberries)

1 box fruit pectin

1/2 tsp. butter

6 1/2 cups sugar

Bring canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready for use. 

Crush black raspberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. Strain half of pulp to remove some of the seeds, if desired. Measure 5 cups prepared fruit into 6-8 quart sauce pot. 

Stir pectin into prepared fruit in sauce pot. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with a metal spoon. 

Ladle into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with lids. Screw bands tightly and place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner so that water covers jars by 1-2 inches. Cover. Bring water to a gentle boil. Process 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool. After jars have cooled, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary. 

zucchini relish - ball canning

There was one day every summer, when my mom was canning pickles, that the entire kitchen would reek of vinegar. 

Some people might use the verb "smell." But not me. No, I would definitely say it "reeked." 

As in, do you remember the green fog of death in the Ten Commandments movie? That was basically the smell of vinegar in the kitchen. 

I would even go so far as to forego meals for 24 hours not to have to enter the kitchen and smell that smell. And I love to eat. 

Obviously this had an impact on me, since I'm reliving it 25 years later. I can let things go. For real. Just apparently not that. Not that smell!

So when our garden exploded with zucchini, and I realized in the midst of canning Summer Bounty Zucchini Relish from the All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving that MY kitchen now smelled like vinegar, I had a little mom moment. It was like I'd finally arrived. Some day, my children, too, will hate the smell of a vinegary kitchen in the summertime. 

Sniffle. 

In the meantime, I burned a candle to counteract the smell (Hey, I never said I've grown to like it.) and made six times the size of a normal batch of relish and then stayed up until I heard the last jar lid ping.

(Is there a more beautiful sound? I say not.)

So, what have I learned during this smelly process? Don't let canning intimidate you. Find a way to use up that zucchini. Have tasty, homemade gifts to share with friends and family.

Oh. And wear a nose plug.

Summer Bounty Zucchini Relish

3 cups grated zucchini
1 1/2 cups diced red, orange and yellow bell peppers
1/2 cup grated onion
2 T. Ball Salt for Pickling and Preserving
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar
2 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. mustard seeds

Combine first 3 ingredients. Sprinkle with salt; cover with cold water. Let stand for 2 hours. Drain. Rinse. Drain again, pressing slightly to remove excess water.

Bring sugar and next 3 ingredients to a boil. Add drained veggies, and return to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered 10 minutes.

Sadly hot relish into hot jar, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar rim. Center lid and apply band, adjusting to fingertip-tight. Place jar in boiling water bath, processing 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Remove lid, and let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool. 

winter babies

Good things about being pregnant in the winter: 

(1) You have no desire to be outside in the cold, so hunkering down is not a problem.

 

(2) A few extra pounds help keep you warm. No need for sweaters!

(3) When your husband brings you donuts, I mean, you HAVE to eat one because he went out in the snow to get them for crying outloud! It's basically your wifely duty. 

On the flip side, it also means that: 

(1) You act on your ultimate language: eating carbs. Maybe a little too much. 

Ahem. 

(2) It gets dark out early . . . because it's winter. And when baby needs to get up to eat every couple of hours, the night seems awfully long.

(3) You have no desire to leave the house. Who needs milk or fruit anyway? 

On the other hand (does this mean we're back to the first side of the hand? I'm confused.): 

(1) Babies are little heaters. And it doesn't matter how awesome Walmart or Amazon are. They don't sell snuggly, sweet-smelling little heat generators. 

(2) Heating up the kitchen by baking bread is virtually a necessity. A happy mama -- because who doesn't perk up when there's warm, fresh bread on the counter? -- means a happy baby. Get that flour and yeast out!

(3) Spring is on its way. And just when baby is starting to notice what's going on in the world, you can head outside for long walks, fresh air and sunshine!

At least, that's what we're telling ourselves. 

Bake the bread. Get out the jam. Tickle the baby. Don't fret too much if you pack on an extra carb or two. 

Winter won't last forever . . . and neither will those baby snuggles!

Easy Artisan Bread 

3 cups warm water

1 T. instant yeast

2 1/2 tsp. salt

3 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

3 c. flour

Mix yeast and salt. Add water. 

Add flour and mix well. 

Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit someplace warm (or at least room temperature) for 1 1/2 hours. 

Store in the refrigerator for a week or bake immediately. 

If baking, head enamel dutch oven and lid in oven at 450 degrees. 

Lightly dust dough with flour. Cut off amount of dough you desire to bake and shape into a ball. Place on parchment paper-covered cookie sheet and let sit for 30 minutes. 

Cut the top of the dough with serrated knife and transfer dough to dutch oven, including parchment paper. 

Bake for 15-17 minutes covered. 

Remove lid and bake for another 15-17 minutes until loaf is golden brown. 

homemade granola bars

Breakfast is a struggle in our household, namely in that I struggle to get out of bed, so my husband has to find his own breakfast. 

So basically the struggle is just mine. 

But it is real. 

Thus, the hashtag. 

#thestruggleisreal

pioneer woman's chicken pot pie

I can't function in chaos. I can't leave dirty dishes in the sink at night. I can't leave laundry unfolded before going to bed. The counter has to be cleaned off. The coffee maker has to be set to go on the next morning at 5:30 a.m. I have to clean my desk off at the end of the day, even if it's just to stack papers in a pile. I just reeeeeeally can't handle chaos . . . or disorder . . . at all. 

So when it was getting close for Baby Heins to arrive, I decided to do myself a favor and eliminate the chaos before it started by putting some meals in the freezer. Double a meal. Freeze one in a disposable pan. Voila. Disorder averted. Or at least reduced.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie was just the ticket. 

Upside: I cooked one of our chickens for this recipe and got to feel all Ma Ingalls-ish.

Downside: We actually ate one of the pot pies before it made it to the freezer. 

Oops. 

Thus the part where you have to double the meal in order to have some to eat later. 

Chris grilled hamburgers to freeze. I made soup and some fettucini and a couple of casseroles and taco meat, some bread, even a pound cake because who doesn't need some dessert now and then after they've just spent all day smooching baby cheeks?

The pot pie, however, has been the big hit. A half a stick of butter. White wine. Heavy cream. I think you understand. Heck, you can even buy yourself a pie crust from the grocery store if you don't want to make your own. 

{Don't worry. Making pie crusts terrifies me too.}

So if you're like me and can't stand chaos, or if you're just hungry for chicken and veggies, or if you like cream and wine, or if you just want to whip up a meal and freeze that thing like nobody's business, this is your recipe. 

No disorder necessary!   

bring on the sprinkles: cake donuts

Merry fifth day of Christmas! While Wal-Mart is busy setting up its Valentine's Day displays, we're still Christmasing over here . . . all the way to Epiphany on January 6. 

But seriously. Wal-Mart employees were putting out Valentine's Day candy ON CHRISTMAS EVE. What the what? 

We're celebrating Christmas with donuts . . . delicious, carby donuts . . . which are at the very core of all my family holds dear.  Every now and then, on the way home from church, my dad would stop at Casey's, give one of us girls money and send us inside to get everyone a donut.

The only hitch was that we had to count the leftover change back to my dad before we could eat our delicious, sprinkled, glazed, cakey donuts. And for someone who stunk at math, that could mean the difference between the amount of seconds it took to shove a piece of a donut in my mouth and minutes. 

  

It was usually minutes. 

Sigh. 

You know me and math. 

Thanks to the kind Christmas gift of a donut pan from my mom, however, I can now eat donuts any time of the day or night. I don't have to wait until Sunday. Or even share with my sisters!

Unless it's National Donut Day. Then maybe. For old times' sake. 

While donuts from Casey's on Sundays after church will always taste special for a reason, these glazed cake donuts come pretty darn close.

No change counting required! 

Cake Donuts

2 cups flour

3/4 cup white sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

3/4 c. milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 T. shortening

Icing 

1 c. powdered sugar

2 T. hot water

1/2 tsp. almond extract 

1. Set oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a donut pan. 

2. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Stir in milk, eggs, vanilla and shortening, and beat until well blended. 

3. Fill your donuts cups 3/4 of the way with batter. Bake donuts for 8-10 minutes or until the donuts spring back when touched. 

4. Allow donuts to cool before removing from the pan. 

5. To make the icing/glaze, blend together powdered sugar, almond extract and hot water. Dip donuts into glaze, and serve. 

** I'd recommend using 1/4 tsp. almond extract. Using 1/2 tsp. was almost a little overpowering!