MJs Table Talk

The Place To Be In Portland Tonight! Pink Martini and Mayor Sam Adams!

2009-12-31T23:49:00.000-08:00

That's right, if you weren't at the Snitz tonight, then you were missing the best party in Portland! Pink Martini swayed the house with their Cuban, Big Band, Jazz, Pop, classical, choral, quartet tonight! The biggest challenge when I surprised my hubby with tickets to attend was explaining what kind of music they play. Pink Martini is a band that must be experienced in person! Their CDs are great, but the genius of Thomas and China is in the collage of music that comes to life with their bantering on stage and fluid motion as a performing piece of art work; fitting pieces of melodies together that work magic and boggle the mind!

Thomas harnesses all his efforts to stay in front of the key board as his hips, legs and arms sway to the melodic voice of China and the amazing sounds of the band. Can I call them a band? His fingers glide across the keys with a force of their own, as if one with his fellow musicians and the piano. China is sultry, charming, and engaged my senses like rich melted chocolate; smooth and full of layers of subtle surprises. These two are the artists that bring the rest of the stage to life. The "band" was actually the string section of the Oregon Symphony, including 10 violins, the harp, cello, and base, with an electric guitar along side. On the opposite side were the 6 horn musicians who played at least 3 different horns each and a separate pianist behind them! In the middle was Thomas on his grand piano and China at the microphone. Next to the piano was a quartet and behind China was a drummer, 2 bongo players and a percussionist...no I am not done yet! Then behind all of them was the choral section where the Pacific Choir, Grant high school Choir, and Mayor Sam Adams and his staff all sang at different points in the evening! A collage of amazing quality and beauty came out of all these elements! There was even a visit from the Sesame Street master voice of Ernie who sang several beautiful pieces! Did I mention the Brazilian dancers and carnival?

Well, you get the idea...a CD does not measure up when seeing in person our local talent who have made it big! It was beautiful how they wove their rich Portland/Eugene roots into the evening. I left feeling like I got a special and private performance that invited me to be on stage and participate as if watching a band perform in my neighbors garage, but with all the elegance and glamor only Pink Martini can deliver! After 2 hours of never once knowing where I was going next, we counted down the seconds to the NYC midnight and celebrated! Here is a poor snap from my phone of those final moments! Click on it and you may be able to see Thomas, China, and even Mayor Sam in the middle of the Choir!

The hubs and I finished our evening spontaneously with Fondue at the Melting Pot. Some how we walked right in to nab the last two seats at the bar. When we finished their was waiting room only!

Ahhh, I head off to slumber, say goodbye to 2009 and hope I don't kick the poor guy next to me as I drift off to the big band sounds and latin salsa in my dreams as I join Pink Martini on stage...hahaha...a girl can dream!

Happy New Year everyone!
~Come Gather Around The Table!

A Return To Sunday Dinner #22, Sparkle and Peppermint Fudge!

2009-12-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

A week of beautiful celebrations, twinkle lights, and all that sparkles of new memory making moments! As December comes to a close and we begin to pack away the lovely adornments of the season, don't pack everything away... carry the light and blessings of the season with you into the New Year!

Peppermint Fudge

Compliments of Kay Miller

1 1/2 cups crushed peppermint candies, divided in two portions

1 cup marshmallow creme

4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

1/3 cup corn syrup

6 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine 1 cup of the crushed peppermint candies and marshmallow creme in a medium sauce pan. Stir constantly over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.

Butter sides of a large sauce pan or dutch oven. Combine sugar, milk, corn syrup, butter, honey, and salt. Stir constantly cooking over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved. Use a pastry brush dipped in hot water to brush down sugar crystals on the side of the pan. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil. DO NOT stir while mixture is boiling. Using a candy thermometer, boil to soft boil stage (234-240 degrees). Test by putting 1/2 tsp of syrup in ice water. It should form a ball and can be flattened in your hand.

Stir in marshmallow mixture. Place pan in 2 inches of cold water in the sink (do not get any water in mixture!) cool to approx. 120 degrees. Use electric mixer on medium speed to beat the fudge until thick and it looses its gloss. Stir in remaining crushed peppermint candy. Pour into 8x11 pan and cool.

Cut into 1 inch squares and store in an airtight container for 1 week or 2 weeks in refrigerator! Makes 5 dozen pieces!

Enjoy!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Photos: A field Journal, mos fudge factor

Christmas Memories and the Allison Inn and Spa!

2009-12-26T07:05:00.000-08:00

Time to pull all the pictures off the camera, recycle the wrapping, and send out those thank you notes! What a beautiful day full of wonderful memories! After a day of family and friends in Tacoma, the hubs and I headed home and stopped off at the stunning Allison Inn and Spa in Newberg, Oregon to check it out. Moments after walking through the door we found ourselves snuggled up in the dining room enjoying a lovely dessert plate! This Inn is a jewel in the wine country here in Oregon. I am told it is a sign of what is to come to our uniquely Oregonian wine area! Wow is all I can say! It is on my list for a dream weekend getaway!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

We Wish You a Merry♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Christmas♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪We Wish You a Merry ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪Christmas ♥ ♥ ♥We Wish You A Merry ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪Christmas ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪...And A Happy New Year!♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪...

Wishing you peace and joy in 2010!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

A Return To Sunday Dinner #21, Glass Blown Ornaments!

2009-12-21T11:19:00.000-08:00

What a truly unique experience to blow glass ball ornaments! Now through Dec 23 Elements Glass here in Portland will allow you to come into the studio and be guided through the process of making your own ornament. The family and I made two, one to keep and one as a gift! What a fun process! My friend Kym recommended the adventure after making one for our annual ornament exchange. When she made hers for the party she chose an intentional word to blow into the ornament. I loved that idea so much that I also blew a blessing into my ornament... I loved the process!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

raising Happiness, One Child at a Time!

2009-12-21T15:11:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest support for the family table! Check out Dr. Christine Carter's website for the latest information in raising healthy children. She will also be releasing a new book soon chock full of great tips and information for families! Below is one of her 10 tips for raising Happiness!

Pre-order your copy of Raising Happiness by Dr. Christine Carter!

Step 10: Eat Dinner Together

The benefits of family mealtimes for kids are remarkable. Studies show that kids who eat dinner with their families on a regular basis are more emotionally stable and less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. They get better grades. They have fewer depressive symptoms, particularly among adolescent girls. And they are less likely to become obese or have an eating disorder.
Family dinners even trump reading to your kids in terms of preparing them for school.

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Entrepreneurial Minute: Idea Paint...LOVE this idea!

2009-12-20T07:14:00.000-08:00

Whether in your home, office, or school, this paint is amazing! As an entrepreneur I love brainstorming with visual brain mapping on big surfaces. This product can be applied to anything to create a "Dry Board" surface like the old fashioned hanging boards at the office.

Invented in a college dorm, this product is now found in hospitals, schools, even manicans for medical teaching. Most appealing for home is the applications for young kids, painting the wall is allowed! You can paint a table and let the doodling begin! Check out the site and let your imagination create! Click Here!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Santa is buried in Ireland?

2009-12-19T17:13:00.000-08:00

Found this article today and had to share! Being Irish, I can only hope it is true as St. Nick is one of my favorite Saints!

Is Santa's Famous Forebear Buried in Ireland?

Theis Bates Contributor

(Dec. 18) -- Just about now, the Santa Claus loved by children everywhere is busy wrapping up presents at his home in the North Pole. But if some historians are correct, the figure who inspired everyone's favorite portly gift-giver lies buried in a moss-covered Irish graveyard.

At issue isn't the white-bearded reindeer fan, but St. Nicholas of Myra, the philanthropic fourth-century Bishop of Lycia, now part of modern-day Turkey. According to Philip Lynch, chairman of a historical society in the Irish town of Callan, the original St. Nick's remains are interred under the ruins of Jerpoint Abbey in County Kilkenny. "It is an amazing story and yet very few people know about [his] connection to this country," Lynch told the Daily Mirror newspaper. "Every year now we get visitors to the site, but still not that many."

Like his more famous successor, the true St. Nicholas was renowned for his generosity. Born into a wealthy merchant family in the Mediterranean city of Myra, he dedicated his life to serving God and following Jesus' instruction to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor." He left anonymous gifts for the sick and destitute – bags of gold were a favorite – and later earned a reputation as a miracle worker with the ability to resurrect murdered children. Following his death in A.D. 346, his tomb at Myra cathedral became a site of pilgrimage for early Christians, who believed it possessed mystical healing powers.

Tom Kumpf, ZUMA Press

Some historians say this slab of rock in Kilkenny, Ireland, marks the grave of St. Nicholas of Myra.

So how did a Turkish saint end up on the Emerald Isle? It's long been known that St. Nick didn't stay in his initial tomb for long. In the 11th century, the city of Myra – part of the Byzantine Empire – was besieged by Seljuk Turks. Worried that they might lose the saint to the invading Muslims, a crew of enterprising Italian sailors snatched his remains and spirited them across the Mediterranean to their home port of Bari. Today, Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians flock to that city on the Adriatic to pray at the grand Basilica di San Nicola, where his relics are rumored to be kept.

However, Irish historian Lynch tells a different tale. He claims that the rescue of old St. Nicholas was actually carried out by a family of French crusaders, who were known to be major collectors of relics. "The de Frainets, who are now known as the Freaneys, had land near Thomastown in Kilkenny," said Lynch, referring to a county in the south of Ireland. "They also had lands in France. They went on the Crusades to the Holy Land to take on the Saracens." Lynch said the crusaders grabbed the bones as they were retreating from a Saracen army and took them to Bari in southern Italy, which was then part of the French Norman empire.

As Lynch tells it, the odyssey of the holy remains wasn't over yet. After the Normans were forced out of Bari by the Genoese, the de Frainets shifted the relics to their home in Nice. But soon the balance of power turned against the Normans in France as well, so the family packed up St. Nick's bones and headed to Ireland. Lynch said his remains were finally buried at Kilkenny's Jerpoint Abbey in 1200. The abbey now lies in ruins, but Lynch said one impressive tomb still stands out: a slab of rock into which the image of a bishop and two other heads have been chiseled. The heads are believed to be the two Crusaders who brought Nicholas to Ireland. And the bishop, surrounded by three gold bags, is St. Nicholas.

Of course the story could all be blarney. But there is another bizarre connection between this region of Ireland and Mr. Claus. Coca-Cola, the company that popularized the red-suited, black-booted modern Santa, was founded by the American entrepreneur Asa Candler. His family originally hailed from Jerpoint in County Kilkenny.

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Entrepreneurial Minute: Tim Miller and Greenlite Motors!

2009-12-19T10:14:00.000-08:00

Tim Miller and his team over at GreenLite Motors show cased their innovative green vehicle last month in San Francisco.

"Winning the NW Clean Tech Open gave us the opportunity to present to nearly 2,000 attendees at the CTO Gala in San Francisco last month. An online news source captured our talk – including pictures and our prototype video – in a tight 3-minute clip. Have a look" ~ Tim Miller

http://essinova.com/video/show/236-GreenLite-Motors

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Christmas Present, Past and Future! Tea at The Heathman!

2009-12-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

Today MJ's family celebrated Christmas early! We broke all the traditions and made what time we have work for us. We slept in, Alex and I went and got Mani/Pedis together and then we swooped back home to get the man of the house and go to an elegant tea at the Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland. Arriving right on the dot, we were ushered into the beautiful salon where the gorgeous Christmas tree stands in the corner by the staircase. All ages of women and girls filled the room with a few brave men sprinkled in the mix. Christmas Present is filled with all things grown up as we order our champagne before tea!

As we settled in and unfurled our crisp white linen napkins, small girls with beautiful Christmas dresses that rustled as they passed our table, giggled and looked around with great anticipation as they tried to be OH SO grown up! All those red wool coats and layers of lace brought back memories of Christmas Past and our own sweet girl's giggles! Soft music played and the hummmm of the conversations around us made for a relaxing conversation. As you can see from our beautiful tiered serving plates, we did not want for a thing!

All to soon our party came to an end and it was home to open gifts and share moments under the twinkle lights on the tree. Santa had come early and left some nice surprises for each of us, but none more precious then being together. As Alex prepares to head south to Peru to see her grandparents and cousins for Christmas and New Years, the hubs and I will be heading north to share Christmas with my mom and siblings. As we go off in different directions I am feeling a glimpse of Christmas future when Alex is truly out in the world on her own, and the vision is bittersweet.

I am making the most of the moments we have, which is not always easy when you feel them slipping away. Sweet and cherished, I want more and there is the rub!

Thank you St. Nick for a week of blessings and family!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Mortenson Rocks My World In Portland, One Rock at a Time!

2009-12-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

It was a wet and stormy night on Monday evening as my husband, daughter, and I dashed into see Greg Mortenson lecture on his new book, Stones into Schools! We were fortunate to sit up front and see the passion that is behind his words and his work. Clearly versed in his own lecture after many deliveries, Mr. Mortenson still managed to convey a freshness and intimacy with his audience that vested us in his story and mission. His gentleness, and at times awkwardness did not interrupt his passion and commitment for delivering his message. His daughter, who appears in a video he shows, was the icing on the lecture. Destined to be a true humanitarian leader or some world influence, she charmed the audience in her interview with Tom Brokaw.

When I bought the tickets to see Mr. Mortenson, I was hoping to inspire my husband and daughter, who are humanitarians in their own right. After reading his first book, Three Cups of Tea, I thrusted it into their hands and said "You must read it, now!" I was hoping to seal the inspiration with a close up experience through this lecture. Well, like every good instigator, it was me who walked away inspired and ready to conquer the world. Don't get me wrong, they were both inspired and enjoyed seeing his path of change first hand, but it was me up to the wee hours of the night penning plans and making lists. Struggling with the fact that I HAVE everything I need to accomplish my goal and maybe, just maybe, I should step into that reality and stop gathering tools for the tool box. I was inspired to grab my toolbox and get to work.

For me that means stream lining my school goals and making them more flexible, writing my business plan, and getting on the road to make my own change in the arena of inter-generational living in America. Greg grabbed my attention when he opened his lecture with: "only 10% of American kids know anything about the elders lives in their own family, and in Pakistan 90% can tell you about the elders lives in their whole community." From Greg's mouth to my ears!

My passion has been to help validate and motivate the teenage generation at the same time addressing the loneliness, boredom, and purposefulness of the senior generation. It is time to put the ideas out there! It is time to do my own rocking :)

Thanks Greg, the good you do will ripple for eternity!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Mt. Hood Hiker Dead and I Shutter As They Call Off The Search For Other Two!

2009-12-16T15:13:00.001-08:00

It was hard to get to sleep last night at the lodge after seeing all the media coverage about the lost hikers. We had arrived yesterday not knowing anything about the event. One hiker dead and the other two, a man and woman, still not found. We were told they were experienced hikers, but the bad weather had moved in and several avalanches had already occurred in the last days.

This morning I rose to a flurry of white outside and my heart sank. Not able to see more then a few feet I headed down to breakfast. Having rustled up the family to get out on the slopes, I set out for a quiet walk with my camera, away from the lodge and the chatter of voices on the ski runs. The snow was wet and stung my face as it swirled around my head. As I got further from the lodge all I could hear was the familiar crunching of snow under my boots with each heavy step. I prayed for the lost hikers out there in the quiet. Hopping they may have had time to make a snow cave or some other beneficial miracle! I walked through many trees where no one had been since the fresh snow of last evening, barely 50 feet of visibility all around me. How easy it would be to get lost in such conditions. As I walked into the ski hut for lunch a group of rescue searchers were huddled at one table, roped off from the general public, looking rather depressed and tired. I sat down next to my family and across from me was a friendly gentleman who offered us a cup of coffee. He was one of the many news casters camped out waiting for good news to break. As I asked him what the status of the hikers were, his face had a fleeting pain slide across it... "they are calling off the search and holding a press conference at 2:30pm". None of us were very hungry as we simply sat together in silence.

My husband went to bed last night saying he could not understand how, is this age of technology, we could still loose people on the mountain every year. Yet, that is exactly what happens. The hikers are not required to take a GPS. Many hikers complained that they did not want them because it gives them a false sense of security. Really? Is this the reason we allow hikers up our mountain every year without one? Not sure who I have to write to, but I am sure the parents of these hikers would appreciate all of us finding out who is in charge and putting our outrage where it will do some good. Whatever the deficiencies or fears are in this system, it is time for them to be over come by innovative and caring people.

I send my Peace out into the universe for these hikers; for their dear loved ones who heard the news today that the search is off; for the tireless rescue workers who have had to be held back due to bad weather as they instinctively want to be out searching; for policy makers; and for all the future hikers who wish to follow this path.

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Happy Hanukkah From Timberline Lodge!

2009-12-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

Sending this wish from Timberline lodge out to all our Jewish buddies and wishing everyone peace this beautiful season of celebrations!

We arrived at the lodge as a storm was moving in. Snuggled inside we have enjoyed our first day settling in our room, relaxing in the pub, and finally reading by the fire. As we relaxed a beautiful choir broke out from two families next to us who were singing the songs of Hanukkah while lighting their candles; beautiful and so lovely to observe!

The snow is piled high on the windows and the crackling of the fire pulls me back to wonderful memories of the fires in my childhood. My dad had a fresh fire everyday in the winter; truthfully, he built a fire any day the temp dipped below 70! I grew up in California, so below 70 was cool for us :) My dog Smokey would crawl as close as he could to the fire and go to sleep. Many times we had to pat off an ember from his back, only to have him crawl back in again! Fireside chats and reminiscing makes for the most relaxing holidays!

~ Peace be with you, and Come Gather Around The Table!

A Return To Sunday Dinner #20, A Week of Comfort and Joy! Spritz Anyone?

2009-12-13T09:20:00.000-08:00

This week was filled with seeing dear friends, enjoying a few celebrations and finishing my last final of my first term in my Masters degree, all while hoping the snows didn't hit to throw a monkey wrench into the mix! Today the new week starts on the best note ever as my daughter returns from school for a break. I plan on making Spritz cookies today to surprise her. These little butter filled cookies are her favorite and melt in your mouth, so I am sharing a very old and guarded recipe from a past baking mentor of mine:

Spritz Cookies

1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg or 3 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups flour (not quite)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine well and load into cookie press. Shoot onto cookie sheets with 1/2 inch space and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. They are done when there is a slight brown edge coming from bottom...you do not want these brown, so don't over cook. This make a few dozen, but they disappear very quickly!

Here are two modern versions with a twist that I found on Andrea Meyers' site Cooking, Gardening, and Four Hungry Guys...love that name!

Ingredients

CITRUS COOKIES
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
colored sugars and nonpareils for decorating

CHOCOLATE COOKIES
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
colored sugars and nonpareils for decorating

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar (and chocolate). Beat in egg yolk and vanilla (and orange zest). Continue beating until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in the flour, salt, and cinnamon.

3. Roll the dough into a log just a little narrower than the barrel of the cookie press. Put the dough in and assemble according to the manufacturer’s directions. Form the cookies on ungreased cookie sheets and sprinkle with colored sugars or nonpareils.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for another 60 seconds. Cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Friday I attended my Make and Take Club's annual Tea Zone Party. We celebrated with our traditional tea-cup exchange. Each of us brings a tea-cup filled with a surprise and roll dice to see who gets what. We have a $10 spending limit, so it is really fun to see how creative we each get. Amazingly enough, each year we each seem to get the perfect one for us! As you can see by the tea plate, it was a wonderful celebration!

We were also celebrating Jean's year of success and surprised her with this beautiful quilt made by a quilting friend, Mary Campbell. It is such a beautiful and fun design to behold, just like Jean! Pam then spoiled each of us with a home baked scrumptious dessert to take home.

On Saturday after my all day class, it was about to snow and I was tired. However, my gal pal Kim and her family were holding their annual Christmas open house. It is a wonderful time to connect with friends that I have not seen all year. I am so happy I stopped and got the cherished hugs of all the St. Pius X Women's Club gals who were there. Kim was glowing and her and her mom performed magic with their annual full spread meal and this beautiful cookie table. I also met a new friend who I found staring at the cookie table with no clue of where to start. Explaining that there were small bags to take a sampling home, and that this was advised over trying each type there as you might find yourself on a couch for an over night stay, moaning and sick if you attempted the feat! We laughed and enjoyed picking a few favorites to eat over the holiday at home.

Kim and her mom Betsy start baking and freezing in October to create this beautiful array of amazing cookies! Santa would envy them! Thank you Kim and Brent for sharing your home and your holiday cheer for another year of joy!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

A Cold Day In Portland, Last One In Is A Rotten Egg!

2009-12-10T14:17:00.000-08:00

Today it is chilly in the great Northwest...in the teens at night! It has been several days of cold and dry, and my skin is beginning to detach from my body! So as I was feeling sorry for myself while running errands in my comfortable car with bun warmers, I realized there are so many that don't have shelter right here in my little town of Portland. I have no room to complain! As I turned the corner this beautiful fountain came into view and the flock of birds playing in the cold stuff was really a delightful sight! They were happy, playing, and drinking their way through what water was left flowing.

Its all in our perspective as to what we do with these little surprises from weather and nature!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Underground Make and Take ~ Snowman Hot Chocolate!

2009-12-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

Working on last minute clever ideas with the gals before the Christmas boxes go out on to Santa's Sleigh! These darling snowmen are Hot Chocolate Mixes. We layered our favorite hot coco mix, mini-choco chips, and mini-marshmallows in test tubes with lids. Then Poh made hats and scarves out of fleece and Pam added puff paint for our snowman eyes and nose. Each little fellow has a label Jean put together, on the back, telling how to mix up the hot chocolate!

With temps dropping to 17 here in Portland tonight, these will not last the night! CHEERS!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

A Return To Sunday Dinner #19, Oh Christmas Tree and Carls Jr!

2009-12-06T21:48:00.000-08:00

What a crisp and beautiful weekend. Today it plummeted to 31 degrees at our house and there were dozens of cars we passed on the road with their trees tied on top! I just can't imagine slogging around in these temps looking for the perfect tree, let alone my fingers working well enough to cut it down! Love American traditions!

Another tradition I love this time of year is decorating the tree. It is a stroll down memory lane. Each bobble and figurine representing some point in our family life. Laugh and cry, the memories are sweet! Here is an ornament a dear friend made for me. Carole gave this to me at our 20th Carl's Jr reunion, yes I have a group of friends from working at Carl's Jr. many moons ago when we were kids. We still get together and catch up and 2 years ago we celebrated our 30th reunion! Anyway, this little gem allows me so many sweet memories of friends this time of year. So, where ever my Carl's Jr. hommies are this Christmas, I am sending a shout out of blessing and warm holiday wishes!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Cookie Exchange 2009!

2009-12-05T10:21:00.001-08:00

Yes, 18 gals and 9 dozen cookies each! It was a very sweet party!

Our annual cookie exchange has morphed over the years from being about the cookies and packaging to now bonding with friends and catching up on all the news. It was our 15 year anniversary last Thursday night, and we had a ball! The ornament exchange allowed our aggressive side of stealing and hunting to come out and play, the food table is where all the catching up unfolded, and the evening ended with the exchanging of cookies!

This year we each contributed to the P:ear cookie basket and everyone brought sweatshirts and scarves for the kids at P:ear. We are heading downtown on Monday to drop off the goodies and say hi to Beth and the gals. To learn more about P:ear and how you can help, check out their website at P:ear!

My home made treat this year was one of my classic recipes for Christmas:

Nutcracker Sweets

Melt one 12oz package of dark chocolate chips, add 3 tablespoons of cinnamon, pour over one cup oyster crackers and one cup cashews combined. Spoon on to wax paper and allow to set.

One is never enough, so makes lots!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful...

2009-12-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

Come take a peak at what it is like to live on a Christmas Tree farm in Portland! Featured in this months Wisdom Quilts' Threads of Wisdom Newsletter, Peggy Kessinger shares her families experiences out on the farm. A must read for holiday family traditions and inspiration!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Fridged Temperatures in Portland and Peppermint Pound Cake!

2009-12-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

What do you do at home when it is 29 degrees outside and if you take your 90 year old mom out in the elements she will turn into a Popsicle? Well, we bake! Christmas music playing, fireplace crackling, and hands are busy in the kitchen! That's what we did yesterday morning, baking up a storm for my cookie exchange party this week. Also, I owed a dear friend her birthday dessert. I like to make a dessert that is named after the birthday gal and have the recipe reflect their tastes.

Premiering Pam's Peppermint Pound Cake, and it is a keeper! I whipped up several loaves of this tasty treat that surprises your taste buds on the first bite. Refreshing and invigorating, can a pound cake do all that? This one can!

Peppermint Pound Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

3 cups sugar
3 sticks butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
5 eggs
1 cup milk
3 cups of flour
Crushed candy canes
Frosting optional

Mix all the ingredients (except the candy canes) until well blended. Pour into one tube pan or several small loaf pans. Bake 80 min if in one pan. 5 minutes before done baking lay a whole candy cane across the top and sprinkle with crushed candy. Serve warm and watch it disappear! Next time I will add white chocolate chips! You can also frost with white frosting or chocolate :)

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Chocolate Dipped-Pomegranate Pistachio Shortbread Recipe!

2009-12-01T03:37:00.000-08:00

Dec. 1 and Advent has begun. Today is World AIDs day and I am remembering a friend lost to this terrible disease. Blessings on all those who are suffering.

I was checking out a favorite blog of mine this am over at Sugar Plum and Emily had posted a very inventive shortbread cookie recipe! Just in time for my cookie exchange! Go by and see all the other delicious recipes she has and tell her MJ sent you!

Chocolate Dipped-Pomegranate Pistachio Shortbread (Recipe by Emily)

1 cup Wonderful pistachios, toasted
1/2 cup quick oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1 cup POM Wonderful pomegranate arils
2/3 cup POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
2 cups dark chocolate chips

Process the pistachios in a food processor until finely ground, and add to a medium bowl. Process oats until finely ground, and add to bowl. Whisk in flour and baking powder until combined.

In a large bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in milk and flour mixture until combined, about 1-2 minutes. Form dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for forty minutes or until cold.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.

On a lightly floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll each disc into a 11x8-inch rectangle. Slice rectangles into rows 5x4, and transfer squares to cookie sheets. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from oven; press an even amount of pomegranate arils into cookies. Continue to bake an additional 10-12 minutes or until cookie edges are golden brown. Cool for 1 minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Bring pomegranate juice to a simmer, in a small saucepan, over medium low heat; turn heat off and whisk in chocolate until melted and smooth. Dip shortbread into chocolate, and place on wire racks to dry.

Makes 40 shortbread

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

Celebrate Your Way Home! December Calendar!

2009-11-29T21:54:00.000-08:00

December
[Universal Human Rights Month, Bingo's Birthday Month, Safe Toys and Gifts Month, National Write a Business Plan Month]

1 World Aids Day
2 International Day for the Abolition of
Slavery
Rockefeller Square Christmas Tree Lighting
6 St. Nicholas Day
7 Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
10 Human Rights Day/Nobel Prize Day
12 Poinsettia Day
15 Bill of Rights Day
16 National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
17 Clean Air Day/Wright Brothers Day
20 Sacagawea Day
21 World Peace Day/Winter Solstice
12 - 19 Hanukkah
25 Christmas
26 – Jan 1 Kwanzaa

26 National Candy Cane Day

18 Islamic New Year
31 New Years Eve/World Peace Meditation
Day/Make Up Your Mind Day

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

A Return To Sunday Dinner #19, Family, Leftovers, and Twinkle Lights!

2009-11-29T03:24:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful week of family and celebrating a day of Thanksgiving! Such a perfect American holiday to take time to be thankful for all that is good and well in our life! My daughter surprised us with a visit home and my mom is here visiting for two weeks...does not get better than this for me! My two favorite gals all to myself :) Plus, we celebrated my brother's birthday!

I know I should post a photo of my spectacular turkey, or at least the amazing Lemon Tart Poh made me as a gift, but instead I must share my amazing discovery of a yummy scone recipe I made with the blueberries I picked this summer. Of course I added white chocolate chips to bump them up a notch! I have searched high and low for the perfect scone recipe. So, I am thankful for finding it this year! Most are too salty or dry for me. Well, my Irish luck came across one in a bag...a Harry and David mix for a plain scone that is simply perfect. I change it up with different add ins every time I bake them. Yes, I will continue to crack the code to make from scratch, but in the meantime, let us give thanks for yummy things that come to us in pretty bags!

My family breaks out the twinkle lights this weekend to start decorating for Christmas, these little gems will be on the breakfast table as we begin hauling out the boxes and put up the tree! The smell of the cedar boughs and cinnamon pine cones will once again fill the air in my living room, and for a while I can imagine peace on earth as Bing Crosby and David Bowie sing the little Drummer Boy from my iPod and we snuggle by the fire with twinkle lights creating a content mood of joy!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

A Return to Sunday Dinner #18, Keeping the Holidays Rightside Up!

2009-11-22T06:29:00.000-08:00

Every year about this time I find myself saying: Gee they are starting the Christmas decorations early this year! Well here I am again, watching the Radio City Music Hall Rockets in their Santa Suits on the Today show, and walking past Christmas displays in the shop windows, only to come home and shove my Thanksgiving turkey into the refrig to defrost! It seems this year we all need a little celebrating, early or not. It has been a rough year for everyone and continues to get worse for so many. The retailers I know are hoping for a better season than last year, and I hope to make a small contribution to the holiday retail support, but frankly our lists of gift giving have gotten a lot simpler and more spiritually focused, and isn't that what is all about! It seems the silver lining is a true course correction in our daily lives about what the real meaning of living is all about; not the stuff, but the people, the stories, the relationships, and our fellow neighbors in need. This economical mess has us all acting with good will and kindness, all year, not just at Christmas.

Today I am going to pickup my mom to come stay with us for a couple weeks while my sister is traveling for Thanksgiving. It's great to have her all to myself and enjoy the holiday hustle and bustle with her. I have cleared my calendar and plan to enjoy every moment simply being together! We have plans to have a tea, address cards to family and friends, and bake! I love to bake and have little time for it these days. My friend Beth posted this yummy recipe on Facebook and I think it is a great contender for Thanksgiving day! So pop in your favorite holiday movie or CD of holiday hits and join me in the kitchen! Find in your day a list of blessings to be grateful for.

Pumpkin Upside-Down Cake
with Cranberry Pecan Topping

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Creating desserts with pumpkin is always a challenge. Pumpkin purée is so strong and thick that practically everything you make with it ends up tasting like pumpkin pie. And although pumpkin pie will always be a favorite dessert, especially for Thanksgiving, it is nice to be able to offer an alternative. The recipe for this cake comes from a very good home cook, Bea Petcavich. I transformed it into an upsidedown cake with cranberries and pecans in a brown sugar topping. It's a festive cake for autumn—don't wait until November to try it!

8 ounces (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups cranberries
4 ounces (1 cup) coarsely chopped pecans, toasted (see page 26 of book)
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin purée
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Chantilly Cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk until smooth. Pour the brown sugar mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the cranberries and pecans. Place them in the pan over the brown sugar mixture.

In a large bowl, whisk togetherthe eggs, pumpkin purée, and oil. In another bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Carefully spread the batter over the cranberry pecan topping.

Bake the cake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Place a large plate or platter on top of the cake. Invert the cake and plate together, then remove the pan. Carefully peel off the parchment paper.

Let cool completely before serving. Serve with Chantilly Cream.

Planning Ahead: The cake can be made a day in advance; wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

November Make and Take is Sweet and Savory!

2009-11-22T06:06:00.000-08:00

Make and Take was at Poh's this month and preparation for holiday entertaining was on the menu! Four recipes for finger foods to pop in the freezer and pop out for serving at the last minute...LOVE THAT! Poh started with a relaxing tea she served in her favorite tea set, and delicious pastries from St. Honre Bakery. We thumbed through her beautiful picture books that her girls made on MYPUBLISHER.COM. These were really a wonderful way to preserve photos from a couple of her special trips this past year.

Then we got down to the business of assembling the appetizers while Christmas music played in the back-ground. The menu: Candied Pecans, Spinach/Cheese Pinwheels, Sweet Potato Triangles with a kick, and a Brie circle with Cranberries, Almonds, and Preserves piled on before wrapping in Puff Pastry. Yummers!

Poh wrapped up the holiday Make and Take with a beautiful and delicious lunch of Mirabella Chicken, Mashed Agratin Potatoes, and Pomegranate Salad!

What a great way to kick off the holiday mood!

~ Come Gather Around The Table!

MJs Table Talk

The Place To Be In Portland Tonight! Pink Martini and Mayor Sam Adams!

A Return To Sunday Dinner #22, Sparkle and Peppermint Fudge!

Christmas Memories and the Allison Inn and Spa!

Merry Christmas 2009!

A Return To Sunday Dinner #21, Glass Blown Ornaments!

raising Happiness, One Child at a Time!

Entrepreneurial Minute: Idea Paint...LOVE this idea!

Santa is buried in Ireland?

Entrepreneurial Minute: Tim Miller and Greenlite Motors!

Christmas Present, Past and Future! Tea at The Heathman!

Mortenson Rocks My World In Portland, One Rock at a Time!

Mt. Hood Hiker Dead and I Shutter As They Call Off The Search For Other Two!

Happy Hanukkah From Timberline Lodge!

A Return To Sunday Dinner #20, A Week of Comfort and Joy! Spritz Anyone?

A Cold Day In Portland, Last One In Is A Rotten Egg!

Underground Make and Take ~ Snowman Hot Chocolate!

A Return To Sunday Dinner #19, Oh Christmas Tree and Carls Jr!

Cookie Exchange 2009!

Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful...

Fridged Temperatures in Portland and Peppermint Pound Cake!

Chocolate Dipped-Pomegranate Pistachio Shortbread Recipe!

Celebrate Your Way Home! December Calendar!

A Return To Sunday Dinner #19, Family, Leftovers, and Twinkle Lights!

A Return to Sunday Dinner #18, Keeping the Holidays Rightside Up!

Pumpkin Upside-Down Cakewith Cranberry Pecan Topping

November Make and Take is Sweet and Savory!

Pumpkin Upside-Down Cake
with Cranberry Pecan Topping