Class-Cooking

My friend Kim's "Class Cooking" classes definitely teach you to cook with class!  I love all the of cooking techniques I've learned and my whole family loves the variety of recipes.

It all began during our years of living in Barcelona. As 'trailing spouses' of our Hewlett Packard husbands, we enjoyed any excuse to get together.  Kim combined her teaching experience with her culinary expertise and came up with a great plan; a group of women spending the morning cooking together under her direction, using her fabulous recipes, and then enjoying a feast for lunch!  Now home in Vancouver, Kim has expanded on this idea to create "Class-Cooking".

The first class I attended was on Indian Cooking.  The Tika Masala recipe is one of my family's favorites.  In fact every Indian restaurant since then has been judged by 'Is their Tika masala as good as Mom's?"  I'm delighted to say that the answer to that question is frequently, "NO!"  Thanks Kim!

A recent favorite was the tamale class.  I wowed my lunch book club with two flavors of homemade tamales, two salsas,  salad and even dessert tamales! Another delicious class was the Aebleskiver class!  Aebleskiver Eggs Benedict!  Fantastic!  I love the easy Hollandaise sauce so much I have to restrain myself from drinking it right out of the blender!  I've had classes on gourmet salads and sandwiches, Thai cooking, soups and this week I learned to cook Moroccan!  Now I want to go buy a tagine.

So I can make....."Tagine of Chicken, Preserved Lemons and Olives"

                                           "Spice Lentil and Butternut Squash Tagine" 

And "Romaine, Orange and Date Salad with Cinnamon Orange Dressing"

Kim's classes are professionally done yet she explains and demonstrates everything so well that I always leave knowing I CAN do what she has taught us.  The classes are 'hands on'....if you want to eat you have to help!  She teaches all kinds of easy shortcuts and has many recommendations for buying ingredients that might not be available at your local grocery store.  Anyone who has an interest in cooking and wants a fun morning out, should check out http://class-cooking.com.

Spring has sprung????

We lost an hour of sleep last night and I'll be going to seminary in the dark so does that mean that it is spring in Portland?

I doubt it.  These last few sunny mild days are just teases!  But I have enjoyed them and the flowers are beautiful!

I know Spring is coming and hopefully before July!

Happy Birthday Aunt Clarice!

Today is my mother's sister's birthday.  She is 90 years old today.  My mother adored her little sister.  She always said that Clarice was a beautiful little girl with blonde curls who loved to play with dolls.  Momma was much more of a tom boy who loved to play cars in the dirt with her boy cousins.  My mother always teased that whenever it was time to do dishes Clarice had to go to the bathroom and was finished about when the dishes were!

Because their father died when they were young they spent most of their growing up years living with their maternal grandparents.  Evidently their grandfather was a strict disciplinarian who believed that children should be seen and not heard.  Any teasing or playing around at the table and you had to leave the table immediately.  Their brother Edward loved to get them in trouble by walking behind Grandfather Webster and making the little girls laugh!  Discipline yes, but Momma was also quick to say that they were surrounded by love as they grew up.  Love but not much money!

One of their proudest days was when she and her siblings were all working and could finally afford to rent an apartment so that they had their own home.  But the proudest day of all was when they were able to buy their mother a hearing aid.  I suppose she had needed one for a long time.  That must have been a joyous day.  I believe this picture was taken on the doorsteps of the house where they lived after they moved out of the Webster home.  My mother is the one in the white sweater and Clarice in the dark sweater.

Momma and Clarice raised their families in the same town and both worked in offices downtown.  For many years they met once a week for coffee at a local restaurant where they discussed everything under the sun and could have solved many of the world's problems if given a chance.

My mother admired so much about her sister. Family was what was most important to both of these women.  Clarice lives in the country in a little community where she was active in everything from the church to the senior citizens meetings.  She was always taking food to someone who needed it.  In her church she worked hard at whatever job needed to be done.  She and Momma were alike in that.  My mother admired all Clarice did for others.

Happy birthday Aunt Clarice!  I read an Email someone sent once about Clarice that said, "I want to be just like you when I grow up because you just 'keep on keeping on.'  I hope I have some of those strong, kind, involved Boyle female genes and that I'll be like both of these wonderful women when I 'grow up'!

A few things that make me smile.....

The new pillow....

 And how great it looks with our new bedspread! Thanks Pottery Barn!

These iced shortbread cookies from Beaverton Bakery.  I only buy them when I need to take cookies somewhere because I love them so much that I can actually eat a dozen of them.  No self control!  They taste even better than they look!

Our new foster dog, Cloud.  She is seriously the easiest and sweetest dog ever!  I often find her just hanging out in her kennel.....

chewing on her bone!

 I'm not the only one that she makes smile!

I just reread Cry, the Beloved Country.  What a beautiful book!  I'll steal a review I found on line - 

http://papertrailbooks.blogspot.com

This novel is beautiful in so many ways: the lush landscapes, the intimate conversations, the biblical arc of the story, the cumulative power of so many voices. The writing is sparing and lyrical, its rhythms building and breaking into poetry. But perhaps what is most indelible about this novel is the way Paton lays bare the tragedies of apartheid--the poisonous fear; the gross disparities of education and wealth; the destruction of family, tribe, and land--through the development of characters who are unforgettable in their humanness: their struggles, sorrows and triumphs have the clear ring of truth.  This novel is both devastating and hopeful in a way that tends to steal one's breath.

If like me, you read it years ago, read it again.  If you have never read it, then please do!

And last, this movie billed as a 'fairy tale for the geriatric set' was completely delightful.  The acting is superb, the scenery is gorgeous, and the story is predictable but sweet.  And best of all the music is beautiful! 

Hope your week is filled with things that make you smile!

Homemade Tamales

Book club lunch was at our house today and I tried making homemade tamales. A few weeks ago I went with some friends to a class and got some great recipes which I tried today. Shrimp tamales, chicken mushroom tamales, a dessert tamale, two great salsas, and a delicious salad! It was a feast! I am so happy to have been asked to join this book club for the food and for the friendships.


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Perfect Valentine's Day Flowers

Could George have found a more perfect flower arrangement for his dog loving wife? I don't think so!



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Naughty Boy!

Normally the only problem we have had with any of our foster guide dogs is that they like to get up before the sun even thinks of making an appearance.  Ace has been wonderful in that department because he will sleep as late as we sleep.  But yesterday I came home to find this in the hallway.  The boy had been busy while we were away!

I think he was sowing his last wild oats as today he started training to be a certified Guide Dog.  I have loved all our foster dogs but I'm especially attached to this big guy. It was hard to take him back, even if he did make a mess like this and chew the corners off three remote controls!  But how could you be mad at this face for long?  Does he look remorseful to you?