The tree has got to go

Did you have a nice Christmas? Are you sick of people asking that? We had a fabulous Christmas. Christmas Eve we went to church (candlelight service - love it!) and came home for a pull-out -all -the-stops meal. We had rib roast, yorkshire pudding (like popovers), mashed potatoes, spinach salad and jello (for Nick). We popped english "crackers" (tubes with a small popping sound and a paper hat, jokes and a toy inside). It was Lucy-dog's 13th birthday, and she was once again hiding from the crackers. She didn't like the little cowbell that was Nick's cracker-prize any better. Nor did anyone else! He kept yelling "More cowbell!" and ringing it until Nate confiscated it.

We gave the kids an x-box. We haven't seen them since. Not really, we all went to Paul's mom's house on x-mas day. Paul led a rousing discussion on the uselessness of car GPS devices. Guess what his mom gave us? Awkward! On the way home we had to stop at one of Paul's customers. The bakery computer was messed up and baguettes were not being made. Quelle domage! (yeah, I know, my french stinks. It gets better the more I drink.)

Yesterday, Paul began work on remodeling the basement closet. The previous owner of our house apparently thought of himself as quite a handyman. Not so much! Paul has had to re-do lots of stuff that has fallen apart or is a flagrant violation of building code. We almost lost the dog when she was a puppy after she chewed on an improperly wired, um, wire. Good thing we had a lifeguard in the house who knew how to do mouth-to-snout! She lost half her tongue from that. Anyway Paul spent most of the day yelling "Idiots of the world, unite!" and some rant about "Standard acceptable building practices". We relaxed by watching a movie.

Movie review: Hancock - loved it! Better than we thought it would be. (You've probably already seen it, we are behind the times). Other than an unfortunate sex scene at the beginning and the repetition of the word "a**hole", it was pretty good for the whole family. Paul is quite taken with Charlize Theron. He says she's the second prettiest blond in the world, after me. (Isn't he sweet?)

We watched "In Bruges" earlier this week. This is not a family friendly movie. It is rated R for bloody violence, drug use and "pervasive language", whatever that is. I think it was how the two main characters, hitmen, kept talking about killing people as if it were any other job. It was also VERY bloody. I liked it anyway. Collin Farrell has a nice Irish accent. The town of Bruge (pronounced brooj) is beautiful. I like movies with good scenery.

I'm trying to resist packing up all the Christmas stuff. I'm sick of it though. My house is cluttered enough without adding a tree and elves and candles and snowglobes and that dang tree! It has to go.

So here are 2 recipes for playdough. Send the kids outside, get some work done. Give them some playdough (it feels great on cold hands while it is still warm) and get more work done. The first recipe is from my boss, Maryann. She knows her stuff! The second is from ECFE. I like it because it smells fun. For both, the water really has to be boiling.

Best Playdough Ever
3 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
1 Tbl alum (spice area of the grocery store)
3 Tbl cooking oil
2 cups BOILING water
food coloring

Mix dry ingredients, set aside. Mix oil, boiling water and food color. mix at once with dry stuff. Knead until it is nice and soft and smooth. If it is sticky, add a little more flour.


Kool-aid Playdough
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
2 pkgs dry unsweetened kool-aid
mix then add:
2 cups BOILING water
2 Tbls oil

Mix, knead, cool. Store in refrigerator.

I wish you a merry Christmas

I forgot to mention on yesterday's blog that after playing the canned goods game, they are taken to the food shelf (which is the whole point of the game).

Today I went to put a bag of used clothes (gathered from his room by one of my kids) in the charity box when I noticed what seemed to be 6 perfectly good (but thoroughly filthy) sweat socks in the bag. This was suspicious on a couple of levels. They only have white sweat socks, all the same size, so as to make laundry easy for the momma. Therefore, there cannot be any that are too small. If the socks are ratty, they are discarded, not given to charities all stinky! When I asked the kid what was up, he said it must have been an accident that his laundry ended up in the bag. I think somebody cleaned their room in a hurry! (Also in the bag - 6 shirts suitable for rags and 1 (brand-new) shirt he meant to keep.

Here is my favorite Christmas morning coffee cake. It is like a "Butter Braid" with cranberries and cream cheese. The recipe makes 2.


Cranberry Cream Coffee Cake

1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 envelopes dry yeast
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour, divided
Cream cheese filling (recipe follows)
Cranberry filling (recipe follows)
Glaze (recipe follows)

(I dump all the ingredients in the bread machine, but I'm lazy) Pour water into bowl, sprinkle yeast on top, stir and let rehydrate for 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar, salt, sour cream, butter, eggs and 2 cups of flour. Mix at low speed until blended then on medium speed for 2 minutes. Mix in 2 more cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time.
Dump onto lightly floured board and knead for 5 minutes, adding up to 1/2 cup of flour until smooth and elastic. Put into large oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about an hour.
Punch dough down, knead briefly. Divide dough in half. Roll one half into 12X10 inch rectangle. Spread half the cream cheese filling in a 3 inch wide strip lengthwise down center. Spread 1/2 cranberry filling over cheese filling.
Cut 3 inch long strips towards center at 1 inch intervals on each of the long sides. Twist strip twice; bring strips over filling, alternately from one side to the other; seal tightly. (now it looks like a mummy). Place on greased cookie sheet. Repeat with rest of dough and fillings.(Do ahead and freeze or refrigerate. Thaw from frozen overnight or take out of refrigerator 1 1/2 hours before baking) Cover and let rise in warm area until doubled (45 minutes?).
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. cool slightly, then glaze. 2 coffee cakes, 12 slices each.

Cream Cheese filling
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar

mix until blended


Cranberry Filling

1 (16 oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce
2 tbls cornstarch
1/4 tsp almond extract
Combine cranberry sauce and cornstarch in small saucepan. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in extract. Cool to room temp.


Powdered Sugar Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp soft butter
1/4 tsp Almond extract
1-2 Tbsp milk

Combine sugar, butter and extract until blended, stir in enough milk to make good glazing consistency.


Merry Christmas!

Christmas with my side

We had Christmas with my side of the family at my sister's house on Saturday. We had a great time except we missed my brother Erik (still in Iraq) and his family.







Ben, Sarah (Ben and Sam's mom) Sam and Sawyer open gifts. We decided years ago to only give gifts to the kids, and it has really reduced the stress on the adults.









This is Kristine Kellet. Yep, named after me! She couldn't be sweeter. She is a big fan of "My Little Pony". Auntie Sarah and Auntie Kellet (both blessed only with boys) were tickled to buy girl stuff. Funny thing is, with a whole aisle of Ponies to choose from, we both bought "Pinkie Pie"! Kristine didn't mind having twins. They have little pony shoes.














My mom Marie and her honey, Roger.











Hubby Paul is a big Gophers fan and was (fiercely) glad that they won!
















My Mom had a good idea this year for a game. Each family wrapped a food shelf item in wrapping paper for each family member. We ended up with 14 items. These were numbered 1-14. We numbered a list from 1-14 and tried to guess what was in each one. You know what you brought, but is this sloshy one a fruit or a vegetable? We let the kids unwrap them and counted up how many we had right. We had a tie, so the tie breaker was wrapping something else from Sarah's pantry. The kids enjoyed this so much, they kept wrapping up Sarah's pantry items! Christopher won and my mom supplied a new fleece banket as a prize. Hmm.... I should have tried harder.

After feasting all day, we watched The Mummy 3. Movie review? Not so good as the first 2. The new Evie is not as endearing as the last one, the villain is not as scary as Imhotep, and there is no Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for eye candy. sigh. When does HE have a new movie?

Went shopping with my boys today. We went to Fleet Farm. First place I've been shopping that was actually crowded. The guys wanted me to buy a birdseed cake shaped like Santa for the Chickadees. I thought that was sweet until I found out they only wanted to watch birds peck Santa's eyes out! It is going to be a long 2 weeks.

Social Butterfly?

This is video of the Choir/band/orchestra concert at Nick's school. Nick (my 13 year old) plays viola. It is great to see how much this group has improved in the last 3 years. Sixth grade orchestra concerts are excruciating, and yet I was so proud! Now, the 8th grade concert was actually enjoyable. The "learning-to-use-my-computer" self assignment for the week was uploading video, so you can hear the music!















That cute face in the center, there, is Nick. (Below the girl in the hat)

But I am jumping ahead in the week of a thousand social engagements...... (okay, 5, but that is huge for me.)

Saturday I went to a swanky party. Stacy (preschool board member extraordinaire) invited us to a "Wines around the world" party at her house. She and her husband, Mike, had 5 tables set up in their (absolutely gorgeous) home. Each table represented an area (Down under, USA, South America, Italy, France), and had a red and a white wine. Each wine had a coordinating appetizer, and not tortilla chips like I would have served, I'm talking lamb chop lollipops and scallop ceviche prepared by the chef from the Canyon Grill. My favorite was the little cones made of wonton skins with raw tuna and mandarin oranges inside, yummo! We enjoyed ourselves and met lots of nice people.

Sunday it snowed, so the Preschool board meeting was rescheduled for Tuesday, (when I already had the concert). Monday was the meeting to which I brought the regrettably liquid rice pudding.
















This is the board meeting, also at Stacy's house, where we were happily eating the leftover appetizers (and drinking the leftover wine). Strangely, we did no business. My favorite wine was Starborough Savignon Blanc from New Zealand. I bought some today (only $12, I love that Stacy, she is never a snob).

Wednesday was bookclub, see the Nordquist family blog (listed under blogs I follow) for a photo of us.

Thursday and Friday were the Preschool Christmas programs, there is nothing cuter than a 3 year old singing "Away in a manger". The little girls wore taffeta party dresses, some of the boys wore ties...adorable. I wore my favorite red sweater with the black rabbit fur collar. My little friend Liza liked it too. She stroked the fur and said "It's so soft, is it cat?" Yes, dear, I'm wearing a dead cat on my neck. But really, to a 3 year old, cat is no better or worse than rabbit. Didn't make me feel any prettier, though.

So, somebody asked me for a Christmas dinner vegetable. I have 2 for you. One is a nice green salad and the other is a recipe from one of the Sweet Potato Queen books. Have you read these? Here is one of my favorite quotes (from the Sweet Potato Queen's Field Guide to Men) "Foreplay.....should not include anything that resembles a woodpecker after a pine beetle, starting a siphon, or stuffing bank notes up a chimney.."


Apples 'N Greens

1/2 cup apple juice 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbls Lemon juice dash of nutmeg
2 Tbls cidar vinegar 1 medium red apple
2 Tbls vegetable oil 1 medium green apple
1 1/2 Tbls b. sugar 1 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste 8 cups red and green (or all green) lettuce

Combine all ingredients except apples and greens. WHisk to blend. Core and cut apples into bite sized pieces (leave peels on) Toss apples with dressing, put in bottom of serving bowl. put lettuce on top. Transport to party or refrigerate. toss just before serving. 8 servings




Cutest Boy in the World's Mama's Broccoli Casserole

Cook and drain 2 (10 oz) pkgs of frozen broccoli. Saute 1 big chopped onion in about a half a stick of butter. Add a can of cream of mushroom soup (please note this is a SOUTHERN recipe, not north country) and some shredded cheddar cheese (the queen does not specify, a cup or two?) a 4 ounce can of sliced mushrooms, a can of water chestnuts and 1/2 cup of toasted sliced almonds. Stir it all up and top with Ritz cracker crumbs and a little butter. Cook at 350 until bubbly (30 minutes?)

Octopus Hotdogs

Hmmm.... That plate of octopus hot dogs looks vaguely obscene. We had my nephews overnight on Saturday and made mac&cheese with octopus hot dogs. It was fun because my boys are too old for fun food such as this. (You know how to make these, right? Slice up 8 legs, hot tub treatment in the macaroni water?) They used to like lots of "fun food". Nate's favorite was lunch in a cupcake pan. I used a 6 muffin pan and filled 5 holes with cut up food like cheese, grapes, pretzels, lunchmeat, baby carrots, an oreo. The last hole was for a cup of milk. He loved it! Nick liked little pb&j pies made with that pampered chef tool that seals the bread of sandwiches together. Very wasteful on bread, though.

Last night I went to a potluck meeting. We were all to bring our favorite Christmas foods. To me, it's not Christmas eve without rice pudding. So I made some. Unfortunately, I had to leave to get to the meeting (I couldn't be late, I was co-hostess) before it was done cooking. Have you ever tried to transport boiling milk? In a casserole dish without a lid? "Hi, it's Kellet, please open the door, I'm dripping milk on your porch. Because it's 20 below the milk will be here until spring!" Very nice. I wonder why I don't get invited out much?

The rice pudding finished cooking there and was almost all gobbled up, so it must not have been too bad. I'm the only one who eats it in my house. I think only one of my siblings will eat it. Brother Gene says it is a sick thing to do to nice rice. He doesn't like cheese either. (more for me!)

Rice Pudding

1/2 cup rice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Betty Crocker says to cook this for an hour in a double boiler, but I just bake it in the oven at 350. Should be done in an hour or so. Serve with butter, cream and cinnamon sugar. Serves 6-8.

Brit Things

I have a clarification: my little friend Brit had a BRATZ cake for her birthday, not a RAT cake. (but if you put a wig and lotsa makeup on a rat, who could tell the difference?).

I'm happy because today is Aloha Friday. (KQRS radio thing) Friday means "Eastenders"! This is a British soap opera that channel 2 shows every Friday night from 10:30 to midnight. The accents are very thick, the stories are tame compared to US soaps, and these are episodes that ran in England in 2001, but I really enjoy them. My guys all declare this the most boring show on TV (Iron Chef runs a close second) and leave me alone to watch (yet another reason to like it!).

I like all the British comedies channel 2 shows, actually. They have a small collection and rerun it all year. I've seen every episode of "Fawlty Towers" (John Cleese- Hysterical), Keeping up Appearances, Good Neighbors, As Time Goes By, and Are you Being Served? that they have. Most of these are very old. I don't know why I like them, but I always have.

Last Brit Thing: It seems the Britney Spears comeback includes perfume. Does it smell like Lithium or an anti-psychotic drug? Not that I can tell, it's doing a great job on my socks, though. I put all those free magazine and newspaper perfume samples in my underwear drawer. Free lingerie sachets! My grandma Elly would be proud.

Rat Cake and Banana Muffins

One of my little preschool friends told me today that her mom makes good "rat cake". Hmmm.....Rat Cake. "With real rats?" I asked. "Yep" she says. Her mom denies any knowledge of this recipe. Sure, don't share the recipe for using up excess rats.

I, however will share a good recipe for using excess bananas. When they turn a little brown, only one of my boys will eat them, and then only during a short window of opportunity. I just throw them in the freezer, peel and all, and worry about them later. I like the following recipe because it uses 5 bananas. They are indeed very moist.

Nuke those frozen bananas enough to make them squishy, break open one end of the peel, and squeeze them out into the mixing bowl. Put the peels into the compost bucket or worm bin. You don't have a worm bin? We'll talk.

If the nanas sit on the counter too long, fruit flies magically appear. My brother says they come into the house on the bananas. He sealed the (freshly purchased) bananas in a bag and some days later, there the little pests were. It explains a lot. Anyway, they gotta go. I make a fruit fly trap with a plastic bag. A tall skinny one like a bread bag works well. Put it inside a pitcher or vase or something if it keeps collapsing. It must stay open. Put something tempting (to fruit flies) inside, like banana peels or icky stuff from the crisper. Vinegar works in a pinch. Leave it on the counter overnight. Make sure there isn't any competition from other fruit on the counter. In the morning, SNEAK UP on the bag and grab the top shut. This must immediately leave the house. Repeat with new bags as needed.


Kona Inn Banana Muffins

1/2 cup shortening or margarine
5 very ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 cup sugar (white or brown)
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
optional: 1/2 cup walnuts

Grease and flour muffin tins or spray with non-stick spray or use those paper liners (my choice). Beat shortening or margarine with bananas until bananas are liquid and margarine is in little pieces. Mix in sugar and eggs. Mix in dry ingrdients. Fill muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees about 15 minutes. Makes 12-18 muffins.