I am a list writer. I carry a steno pad with me most of the time. It sets on the table next to my evening recliner. I place it on my night stand next to my bed. I carry it in my tote bag to and from work. and it sets on my shop counter with my favorite writing pen.
My steno pad gets tossed onto the passenger seat of my van, sets on the counter while I work in the kitchen, and is within note-taking reach during meals. And when its pages are full, I keep them. Sometimes, I will purchase a three-pack of steno pads, but most often I will buy a single pad, because of a pretty cover design or a different color. A beautiful cover and clean white pages equals inspiration in my book.
The steno pad is the perfect list-writing and note-taking tool for me. I like the narrower pages over a standard college-ruled notebook, not too small, as I need many lines and something not too big to carry in my purse. The top spiral is a plus: I do tend to flip up pages to refer to information written on a previous day. A rubber band keeps the notebook closed during all the transporting and abuse my daily planner suffers.
The normal everyday list is the grocery needs list. A dry-erase board on the fridge is our first place for listing, the easiest way for family members to add their wants, needs, or suggestions. But lately many personal notes and doodling have been filling this particular message center. encouraged by the availability of several magnetic, colorful markers. Post-it notes are now stuck to a note station cupboard door in the kitchen. I grab and go, adding it to the daily list in my steno pad.
My mother called the other day. I need Christmas lists for your family, she said. I have yet to start writing things down, but my mental list is quickly getting long, longer. I will put my thoughts to paper as soon as my thoughts to laptop are complete for this column. So, a couple more items have just been added to my steno list.
The paper calendar that hangs from my laundry room door just off my kitchen is a kind of list. only there are little squares in which to write down all the details of a familys schedule. My calendar squares dont fill up like they used too; most notes on the calendars are for payments and bills due dates. But, during the next couple months, more events are penciled into those little squares, fun stuff at the top of the day, bills at the bottom.
Inspiration notes are constantly jotted on my daily write down, doodle ideas, design sketches, recipe concoctions: its my daily record of what to do next, what to remember, and my map to where did I put that?
Now, where is my steno pad?
Why do some recipes taste better when served at someone elses table? Send your favorite recipes to Country Cupboard, 5973 Blachleyville Road, Wooster, OH, 44691. Emails are always welcome; thewritecook@sssnqt.com.
Lemon Pasta
2 pounds (17 to 21 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound angel hair pasta
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 lemons, zest and juice
Place the shrimp on a sheet pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss well, spread them in 1 layer, and roast at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes, just until theyre pink and cooked through. Meanwhile, drizzle some olive oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add the angel hair, and oook about 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Toss the angel hair with the melted butter, 1/4 cup olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and about 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Add the shrimp and serve hot.
Maple Frosted Sweet Potato Doughnuts
3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (about 1 medium potato)
Vegetable oil, for frying
1cup finely chopped pecans
In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, and sweet potato. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring to combine. Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface, Knead in flour with hands as needed (dough will be sticky). Roll out dough to 1/2·inch thickness. Cut out dough with a 2 inch round cutter. Cut out center of doughnuts with a 3/4 inch round cutter. Reroll dough as needed. In a Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over medium heat to 360 degrees. Cook doughnuts, In batChes, in hot oil, 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Ice top of doughnuts with Maple Icing, and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
Maple Icing:
2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon maple extract
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons milk; stir well. Add additional milk to reach desired consistency. Stir in maple extract.
Butterscotch Carrots
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound baby carrots, halved lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
In a medium skillet, heat the butter, sugar, and salt over medium-high heat, stirring until smooth. Add the carrots and toss to coat. Cover and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender and glaled. Top with pepper. Serve hot or warm.
Strawberry Pineapple Pretzel Salad
2 cups crushed pretlels
3/4 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar, plus
3/4 cup sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) container whipped topping
2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen strawberries
1 (8 ounce) cans crushed pineapple
Extra tub Cool Whip
For the crust, mix the pretlels, butter, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Press this mixture into a 9 x 13 inch pan and bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes. Set aside; allow to cool. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar. Fold in the whipped topping, and spread over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until well chilled. In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, and allow to cool slightly. Add the strawberries and pineapple, and pour over the cream cheese mixture. Spread Cool Whip over top. Refrigerate.
Grandmas Scalloped Potatoes
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Unsalted butter
2 pounds peeled potatoes cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
In a saucepan, heat the cream with the bay leaves, thyme, garlic, nutmeg and some salt and pepper, While the cream is heating up, grease a casserole dish. Remove bay leaves and thyme. Pour heated cream into a large bowl with potato slices. Mix gently to coat. Dust grated Parmesan over potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Mix gently; spoon a little cream into the bottom of the casserole dish. Spoon the potatoes in. Level out the potatoes. Pour remaining cream over the top. Top with Parmesan. Cover with aluminum foil; pull back one corner for the steam to escape. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.
Chinese Broccoli Salad (Donna Lortcher, New London)
1 head of broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
2 bunches green onion, diced
2 bunches romaine lettuce, torn into bit size pieces
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
2 packages Ramen noodles (oriental flavor), crushed
1/2 cup oleo or butter
3/4 cup slivered almonds
Saute sunflower kernels, almonds and crushed noodles in oleo or butter until lightly browned.
Dressing;
1 package seasoning from noodles
1 cup salad oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple elder vinegar
3 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a bowl combine broccoli, onions, and lettuce. Just before serving, add almonds mixture and dressing.
Cabbage and Noodles (Donna Lortcher, New London)
1 head cabbage, shredded
2 yellow onions cut into thin strips
1/3 cup butter, for multiple uses
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 pound egg or whole wheat noodles
1 pound bacon fried crisp
Salt and pepper
Cook noodles in pot of boiling water, salted to taste. Meanwhile, saute cabbage in 1 tablespoon butter and 1/4 cup water. In a separate pan, saute onions in olive oil and butter until tender. Fry bacon until crisp and crumble in pan. Drain noodles and then add with sauteed cabbage and onions to a bowl and mix, Add salt and pepper to taste.
Banana Honey Cake
2 cups water
1/4 cup mashed bananas
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup diced banana
1 egg
2 tablespoons honey
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
Mix wet ingredients thoroughly. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl, mix thoroughly. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well. Pour into an a-inch non-stick cake pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out dry.
Cider Pumpkin Bread
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup apple cider
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts
Combine brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, and cider. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix until moistened. Add raisins and walnuts and mix thoroughly. Divide the batter into 2 portions and pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Place in oven and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pans on a rack until room temperature.
