Mother’s Day 2014 – Advice Mom Gave Me

Rebecca and her dear mom, on the day.

Rebecca and her dear mom, June 1994.

I recently flipped through some old journals and I found a list I had made of my mother’s advice through the years.   She was a good mom, friend, and confidante and had given me lots of good advice.

Some I took, some I saved for later, and some I just flat-out ignored and was very sorry for it. Oy, those terrible and stupid mistakes.  I should have listened to you, Mom!

Photo:  John Penovich

Photo: John Penovich

Here, for posterity, and to remind myself, I share with you (in no particular order):

Norma’s Rules for a Happy Life

  • Don’t lie to the IRS, the police, or your mother.
  • Don’t marry someone if you think you will change him.  The things that bug you NOW are going to bug you MUCH more later.
  • Don’t say anything that you would be embarrassed or ashamed to hear repeated.
  • Treat the boys you like like the boys you don’t like, and you will have the boys you like.
  • Sex is not love.
I love tulips more than roses for Valentine's Day. Photo credit: Rebecca Penovich


Photo: Rebecca Penovich

  • Treat your employees with respect, but let them know who’s boss.
  • Clean as you go. (Ha. She NEVER did this herself.)
  • When in doubt, throw it out. (Can apply to milk, food, boyfriends, miscellaneous mail.)
  • Use good quality ingredients in your cooking and don’t substitute.
IMG_1634

Photo: Rebecca Penovich

  • Buy life insurance.
  • You will always love your family even if you don’t always like them.
  • True friends reveal themselves in times of hardship.
  • Don’t marry someone who doesn’t make you laugh.
  • Clean your room, you never know what you might find.
IMG_1091

Photo: Rebecca Penovich

  • Lay your outfit out the night before.
  • You will never know until you try.
  • Don’t spend money you don’t have.
  • Leave your house (and desk and drawers) organized in case something happens to you but then you recover. (Meaning, so you won’t die of shame.)
Tiger lilies abound in the summer

Photo: Rebecca Penovich

 

  • Treat everyone as you wish to be treated.
  • Be welcoming if you want to be welcomed.
  • Laugh often, but not at other’s expense.
IMG_0233

Photo: Rebecca Penovich

 

  • Don’t overfill your washer.
  • Write thank you notes.
  • Call your mother!

Happy Mother’s Day to all you hard-working, advice-giving moms out there and if you are able to, CALL YOUR MOTHER!

Cheers!

R.

Peonies from the garden.

Peonies from the garden.

Easter Eggs to Deviled Eggs

Deviled-Eggs

Photo credit: Rebecca Penovich

 

This Easter was a bit divergent for us.  Joe’s spring break was very short (making up snow days) and we didn’t go to see my family in Florida.  Even though we were home, we didn’t host the neighborhood Easter egg hunt and picnic lunch (which we have done in years past).

We did do something new, though.  We went to the circus!

Circus

A shower of confetti at the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus show.
Photo: John Penovich

 

I still remember the first time my dad took me to the ‘big’ circus in St. Paul at the convention center.  The thrill of it all:  the crowd, the tightrope walkers, the clowns, the smell of popcorn and elephant poop!

Oh maybe not that.

The circus in 2014 was an exciting and updated show with live pop music, dancers, basketball-playing unicyclers, and death-defying daredevils flying through the air but the spectacle was tempered by our feelings for the elephants and the tigers knowing what we know as responsible adults and citizens of the planet.

Plus, the Ringling Brothers shot John’s wallet out of a cannon.

Jelly-Beans-Easter

This is not a photo of what John’s wallet would look like if it exploded.  But close.
Photo credit: Rebecca Penovich

 

After the circus outing, we received an impromptu invitation from our next-door neighbors to join them for dinner and we ambled on over.

Now that Joe is almost 12 and has grown out of ‘baby-ish’ egg hunts and decorating eggs, I was missing some of the Easter traditions.  Much to my delight our host and hostess (who are both fine artists) broke out the dye, crayons, brushes, wax, and hard-boiled eggs and we went to town at their dining room table while drinking Pimm’s Cups and wine.

John's rendition of the Mona Lisa on his Easter egg.

John’s rendition of the Mona Lisa on his Easter egg.

 

Easter-Eggs

Photo: Rebecca Penovich

 

Quite fun even without children!

Some things never go out of style (like the circus and Easter eggs), so here is a classic deviled egg recipe for you (with a spicy twist).

 

Ingredients

  • 1 dozen large eggs (hard boiled and peeled)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (Hellman’s  preferred)
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon sriracha sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon bottled horseradish
  • 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt (to your taste)
  • Couple of grinds of fresh black pepper (optional)
  • Sweet paprika and/or small capers for garnish

Directions

This is the Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) method:

  • In a medium saucepan, cover the eggs with cold water and bring to a rolling boil. Cover, remove from the heat and let stand for exactly 12 minutes. (NOTE:  Set a timer!  If you use less than the dozen eggs and thus, a smaller pan you will need to adjust the time accordingly.)
  • Immediately drain the warm water and  cover the eggs in the pan with cold water. Let stand until the eggs are cool.
  • Drain and peel the eggs; pat dry. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise.
  • Scoop out the yolks and transfer to a bowl.  Smash the yolks with a fork.
  • Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sriracha, horseradish and blend together until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.
  • Using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip or a teaspoon, fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture.  (NOTE:  In lieu of a pastry bag I use a plastic sandwich bag and cut a small slit in one corner.)
  • Arrange the eggs on a platter, sprinkle with paprika and place a small caper on each egg half.

 

Classic deviled eggs (with a kick of horseradish and sriracha.)

Classic deviled eggs (with a kick of horseradish and sriracha)
Plate by Wedgwood, a reproduction of a Queensware service designed by Josiah Wedgwood in 1770.

 

Happy Easter! Carrot Layer Cake with Crushed Pineapple

Carrot-cake-with-crushed-pineapple

Photo credit: Dawn Ballenger

 

From Corks &  Cake contributor, Dawn Ballenger:

This is an unusually moist and delicious cake I made recently.    A friend asked me to make a carrot cake for her husband’s birthday dinner.  I think I’ve made 1 or 2 carrot cakes in my life because it is not one of my favorites.

I searched my books for a recipe that seemed interesting and found it in one of John Folse’s cookbooks, The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine.    This is a four layer cake with a zippy pineapple filling between the layers. I dyed coconut shavings for the garnish on the top.  Enjoy!

From John Folse, The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine 

Ingredients for Cake:

  • 3 cups grated carrots
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1½ cups vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 3 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 T. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour 4 (9-inch) cake pans.  Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and oil until well blended.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking after each addition.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Add dry ingredients to egg mixture, a little at a time, blending well.  Fold in carrots, vanilla, and pecans.  Once blended, pour batter evenly into pans.  Bake 30-40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Ingredients for Filling:

  • 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2½ T. cornstarch

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients.  Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly — 5 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Remove cakes from baking pans and spread pineapple filling between layers.

Ingredients for Icing:

  • 3½ cups powdered sugar
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.   Cover cake with cream cheese icing and serve.

Optional:  add a drop of food coloring of your choice to unsweetened coconut flakes for garnish.

Happy  Easter!

Jelly-Beans-Easter

Photo credit: Rebecca Penovich