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My NewsDECEMBER Here we are again in the last month of the year and the holiday season is in full swing. It is really cold but sunny here in Colorado and we have plenty of snow already. Tonight I am going to Mesa Verde for the Hoilday Open House. Spruce Tree Pueblo is illuminated with luminarias, music flows from everywhere and refreshments are served. It is a magical time and it is free. The most special moments and treats for me during the holidays are free--sharing meaningful time with family and friends and volunteering. My wish forr 2012 is that we have the tools to build a peaceful and caring world and the kind hearts to use these tools. Happy Holidays and New Year!!! CRAB QUICHE (Low Fat)
1 can (6oz) crabmeat (I used the lump crab) 1 ½ cups low fat shredded cheddar cheese 1/3 cup chopped green onions 1 ½ cups egg substitute 1 can fat-free evaporated can milk ¾ teaspoon ground mustard ½ teaspoon salt (I did not add) ¼ teaspoon salt-free lemon pepper Dash of paprika
In a bowl combine the crab, cheese, zucchini and onions. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9” pie plate coated with nonstick cooking spray. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and lemon pepper. Mix well. Pour into the crust. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
NOVEMBER Next week is Thanksgiving and as always it startles me how soon it gets here each year. Unlike so many in our world including friends, my husband and I have a great deal for which we are thankful and we are delighted to be sharing our home and food with friends. We not only wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving filled with the laughter of friends and family but we also hope you think of ways to help others in need emotionally, physically and financially at this time of year. Date Nut Bread--a family favorite 3/4 cup choped walnuts ot pecans 1 cup chopped dates 11/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons shortening 3/4 cup boiling water 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup granulated sugar 11/2 sifted all-purpose flour With fork, mix nuts, dates, soda and salt. Add shortening and boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes. Start heating oven to 350 degees. Grease loaf pan. Beat eggs.Beat in vanilla, sugar and flour. Mix in the date mixture until just blended. Turn into pan and bake for about 1 hour or until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely. Serve with cream chees if desired.
OCTOBER The first week in October in Durango where I live means the Cowboy Poetry Gathering. It is a weekend affair filled with many wonderful events including a chuck wagon breakfast, a parade with no motorized vehicles only horse drawn and of course horseback riders of all sorts, poetry readings, dance and music. No matter how much fun this event is, this particular weekend is special to me for another reason. We filmed the last scene for the video our community is submitting along with an application to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on behalf of Ann and Bill Anderson and Annie’s Orphans, a no-kill shelter for dogs. Anna and Bill have rescued dogs for 30 years and give loving homes to them until they are adopted. If they are not adopted they live their lives out at Annie’s. Anna and Bill put the dogs (usually at their capacity of 70) before themselves. They have not taken a vacation in all the years running the shelter and they have let needed repairs go for their home that is nearly falling down and has a leaking roof. Anna and Bill need a new home and we hope Extreme Makeover agrees. Go to www.anniesk9orphans.org for more information about the shelter. My husband, dogs (both adopted from Annie’s) and I are going on our last camping trip for this year. It is a beautiful autumn as always for us in Colorado and we plan to see the colors at their peak. Enjoy your autumn days and take a few moments to relax before the busy holiday season arrives. The october recipe is a favorite and featured in my novel Life Sentences. Enjoy!
Celeste’s Raisin Scones
2 Cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cup up 1 cup raisins 2 tablespoons granulated sugar Yolk of one large egg 3/4 cup buttermilk White of 1 large egg Additional sugar for sprinkling
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Put flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and salt into a large bowl; mix well. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingers, until the mixture looks like fine granules. Add raisins and sugar; toss to distribute evenly.
Add egg yolk to the buttermilk in a measuring cup and whisk to blend. Pour over flour mixture and stir in until a soft dough forms.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and give 10 to 12 kneads. Cut dough in half. Knead each half briefly into a ball; turn smooth side up and pat into a 6-inch circle. Cut into 6 wedges, but do not separate wedges.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg white. Brush the top of each scone with the egg white and sprinkle lightly with sugar. With a pancake turner, carefully transfer the 2 cut circles to an ungreased cookie sheet. If necessary, reshape circles so that the 6 wedges in each are touching (this will keep the raisins from burning).
Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until medium brown. Cool on a wire rack; after 5 minutes pull the wedges apart and cover loosely with a dish towel until completely cooled.
NOTE: Egg white and sugar can be added before freezing the unbaked scones.
Also the entire mixing process can be done in a food processor. A FEW OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS: Too Close to the Falls by Catherine Gildiner Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott The Color of Water by James McBride Surviving a Writers Life by Suzanne Lipsett Brakfast with Buddha by Roland Murello The Elegance of the Hedghog by Muriel Barbery The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich
JULY Medallion Press, one of my publishers asks authors a question each month. Their answers are posted on the publisher’s web site. In honor of July 4th this month’s question is declaring our independence from something. My submission is below. Enjoy!
INDEPENCE DAY After years of attempting to compete with many of my friends’ extraordinary and intimidating gardening abilities and listening to their nonstop harassment about my lack of interest, I have declared my independence from ever growing another flower or vegetable. I have lived in the shadows of the gardens produced by my master gardener friends who spend hours and days producing award-winning chard, beans, peppers, tomatoes, tulips, roses, irises—you name it. I found that those hours were wasted on what I could produce—potted geraniums, rocks and yard art. Although it has taken me years to finally give up my gardening gloves, mulch and spades, I find respite in this decision when I recall that I am probably the only person who couldn’t grow day lilies in Michigan, a plant considered almost a weed in that state. Now living in the mountains of southwest Colorado I find joy in purchasing vegetables and flowers at the weekly farmers’ market. My trek from booth to booth brings me no disappointment, and I don’t have to slave hours weeding only to have an early or late frost murder the innocent plants. Now I celebrate the natural and wild beauty of my yard and thank every weed for my freedom. This is truly independence.
My husband, 2 dogs and I will be traveling to Michigan during July. We are visiting a friend to celebrate her 70th birthday. Then we head to Suttons Bay to see our grandchildren, daughter-in-law and 2 sons. Hadley our 13 year old granddaughter is going to run in a 10K race. She is a talented runner who has won many races. But she also is an award winning gymnast, an excellent student, a voracious reader, and plays the cello. Needless to say she is a role model for other young girls.
Spencer our oldest grandson will be a senior in high school next year. He is a gifted student and trying to decide on a college. He is also a goalie on the hockey team that won the state championship. The Novi Wildcats, his team are featured in a Chrysler add. In his spare time he earns money by washing windows.
Griffin the middle grandchild is also gifted. Nearly every spare minute he has is spent either fishing or preparing to fish. He is now tying his own flies. He has the patience and the calm to be a world class fisherman.
I, like most grandparents are proud of all 3 children and their accomplishments. But I am also fully aware that they would not have been such high achievers and well-rounded youth if it weren’t for the positive parenting they receive. They are fortunate to be in a family unit that is supportive, nurturing and encouraging. Too many children and youth in our world will never know such a sustaining environment.
I wish you a wonderful summer filled with adventure and harmony. Happy Independence Day!
MAY Thankfully tax season is over. Many of you may not know that I work for my sister’s tax firm—Bonura, Savage and Associates, Sherman Oaks, California. I schedule all the appointments for the nearly 2000 clients most of whom are in the entertainment business. I also monitor 2 e-mail sites and supply and track documents. So I work 6 to 8 hours a day 7 days a week starting in mid January through April 15. Needless to say my writing suffered. Happily I have returned to writing a novel that I started last fall. After the grueling tax season I fled with 4 other women friends to Costa Rica on an eco tour. We stayed in lodges off the beaten tourist track that were scored by leafs rather than stars. The number of leafs given were based on how responsible the lodge and its grounds are to the environment. As you might guess we stayed in remarkable settings. Over all, Costa Rica is a clean country bent on sustainability and protecting its lush wilderness. It also abolished its army in 1948 so is a peaceful country. Along with hiking, nature walks and boat rides (on one ride in under 2 hours we saw 30 species of birds), we paddled an outrigger canoe in the Pacific to a remote cove for a picnic. We rode horses to a wilderness hot springs for sauna, mud bath and then a leisurely swim in the revitalizing waters. We zip lined through the forest canopy and kayaked through the remote waters in the Tortuguero Area on the Caribbean coast. All five of us are over 67 so this tour was an affirmation of our determination to do all we can while we can. A wish I have for each of you. May you have a happy, safe and adventurous summer.
APRIL In March Solace in So Many Words an anthology edited by Ellen Beals was released. I have an essay in it titled “A Caring Place.” After reading the anthology I am truly honored to be among such gifted writers. The collection is diverse, captivating and comforting. I know I will reread it when I need encouragement during difficult times. Please check out the web site www.solaceinabook.com to learn more.
JANUARY 2011 Recently I have been asked to participate as an advisory board member for My Sisters, Inc www.sistersinc.org . I am honored to be able to help in two areas about which I am passionate—women prisoners and domestic violence. Below is some information taken from My Sisters, Inc. web site:
For more about these women, My Sisters, Inc. or how you can help please go to the web site.
Shortly after joining My Sisters, Inc., I was asked be a panel member for a discussion of the movie Me Facing Life: Cyntoias Story on Wednesday February 9 at 7pm. The movie is part of the Durango Library’s Independent Film Program shown in conjunction with Rocky Mountain PBS.
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