The Latest From The Back Porch

Beverly is still in the hospital, so she asked me to fill you all in.  There's no more chemo planned for the immediate future, and no PEG tube, either.  Her hospitalist, oncologist, and palliative care doctor are working together to improve her nutritional status and make her more comfortable so that she can come home to these two adorable pups:

Thanksgiving day, after visiting Beverly, we took Annie and Mazzie down to their Mama's house for a short visit and a photo shoot.  They weren't particularly cooperative, but at least you can see how adorable they are!  Hopefully this is the view Beverly will soon be seeing as she heads home:

She is exhausted, and has asked to limit her hospital visitors to family only for right now, and her immunosupressed status keeps her from receiving flowers, but she has loved the cards so many of you have sent, and the blog comments I have passed along.  Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.  Angie

An Update From the Back Porch

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

~Isaiah 41:10

This is Angie, Beverly’s niece, posted on her behalf.  I know many of her faithful followers have been wondering why they haven’t seen any new recipes for a while.

Beverly is quite ill.  She has non-small-cell lung cancer, which is treatable, but not curable.  She is exhausted, and the road ahead is hard.  Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

She has touched the lives of many, and if you’d like to leave her a comment wishing her well we’ll make sure she gets all your messages.  Hopefully she’ll be strong enough soon to be posting on her own, but until then, think of her when you prepare one of her recipes, and say a little prayer.

White Turnip Soup With Rice

This is a wonderful soup that I found in one of the books Joyce sent, Italian Soup Cook Book.  I made a few changes because of available ingredients.  Nothing major.  And as I've mentioned before the turnips are marvelous this year.

I need to mention I may be missing in action for a few days.  There is lots to do before our church auction on Saturday. 

servings 6-8
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3 large white turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 4 cups
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounce pancetta or bacon, finely chopped
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
8 cups basic homemade beef broth or canned low-sodium beef broth
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salt (optional)
1 1/4 cups rice, preferably Arborio
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1.  Cook the turnips in a large saucepan in salted boiling water to cover just until tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

2.  Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat.  Add the turnips and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 7 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

3.  Saute the pancetta in a large soup pot over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the broth and black pepper.  Taste and season with salt, if needed.  Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.

4.  Add the rice and reduce the heat to a very slow but steady simmer.  Cover and cook until the rice is al dente, about 15 minutes.  Stir in the turnips and parsley and remove from the heat.  Lade the soup into warmed bowls and serve, passing the grated cheese alongside. 

Pumpkin Pancakes

What is it about fall and cooler weather that makes me think of pancakes?  These are sooo much better than regular pancakes, thicker and denser, and lighter on the spicing to highlight the pumpkin flavor.  You can use any winter squash to make these.  It really is fine to have pancakes for supper. 

Serves 4 or more
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1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
one 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
Vegetable oil for frying
Unsalted butter, softened
Sorghum syrup or real maple syrup, warmed

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk and vanilla until frothy.  Whisk in the pumpkin until combined.  Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until combined, with a few streaks remaining.  The batter will be fairly thick.  Add tablespoons of water as necessary to make it spoonable but short of runny.

Warm a griddle or large heavy skillet over medium heat.  Pour a thin film of oil onto the griddle.  Pour or spoon out the batter onto the hot griddle, where it should sizzle and hiss.  A generous 1/4 cup of batter will make a 4-inch pancake.  Make as many cakes as you can fit without crowding.

Cook the pancakes until their top surface is pocked with little bubbles but before all the bubbles pop, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.  This batter forms fewer bubbles than many pancakes, so also watch for the edges to look just a bit firm and dry before turning.  Flip the pancakes and cook until the second side is golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer.  Repeat with the remaining batter, adding a bit more oil to the griddle as needed.

Serve immediately with butter and syrup.

Sausage-Apple Loaf

Like it or not, it is October.  Fall is just time for real comfort food.  Canning and freezing are basically finished, now it's time for soups and stews and anything else that'swarm and soothing.Like this wonderful breakfast meatloaf.  I use Jimmy Dean Sage (1 pound), and Jimmy Dean Hot (1/2 pound).  The important thing is that it have sage and a little heat.  You will love this I promise.  Any leftovers can be reheated and served the next day on a big fluffy biscuit.

Serves 6
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1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, minced
2 tablespoons real maple syrup, divided
1 1/2 pounds well-seasoned bulk breakfast sausage
1 cup grated apple
2/3 cup dried bread crumbs
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Warm the butter in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute' until very soft, about 5 minutes.  Scrape the onion into a large mixing bowl and let it cool briefly.  Add 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup and the remaining ingredients.  Mix well.

Pack the mixture into a loaf pan, mounding it a bit in the center.  Brush the remaining maple syrup over it.

Bake until the loaf is well browned with an internal temperature of 165 F to 170 F.  at the center, about 1 hour.  Pour off the accumulated grease and let the loaf sit for about 10 minutes before cutting into slices and serving.

Saint and Scriptures Sunday

Normally I choose a mediation from one I've enjoyed during the week.  Not so today.  This is one that I needed to read and meditate on, because I haven't really enjoyed some of the people in my life this week.  Nor did I feel loving and attentive.

When people bother you in any way, it is because their souls are trying it get your divine attention and your blessing. - Catherine Ponder

We are in constant communication with one another and with God in the spiritual realm.  No matter how singular our particular course may appear, our path is running parallel to many paths.  And all paths will intersect when the need is present.  The point of intersection is the moment when another should seeks our attention.  We can be attentive and loving to the people seeking our attention.  Their growth and ours is at stake.

We can be grateful for our involvement with other lives.  We can be mindful that our particular blessing is like no one else's and that we all need input from the many significant persons in our lives.  There is no insignificant encounter in our passage through life.  Each juncture with someone else is part of the destiny of both participants.

I will look carefully and lovingly at the people around me today and bless them, one and all.   They are in my life because they need to be.  I, likewise, need them. 

AMANA HOPPELPOPPEL

Don't you love saying the name of this dish!  Of Germany heritage this hearty, chunky hodgepodge is perfect for weekend breakfast or brunch.  This reminds me so much of a dish my grandfather made when I was a child.  He made his with sausage.  More about that at the bottom of the post.

Serves 4
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adapted from A Real American Breakfast

4 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium to large onion, cut into large dice
3/4 pound small waxy red potatoes, boiled until tender, then cut into 1/4-inch slices

Crack the eggs into a bowl and add the milk, parsley, salt, and pepper.  Whisk just long enough to combine; you should still see large bubbles.  Set aside.

Fry the bacon until brown and crisp in an 8-10-inch skillet.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve it.  Add the onion and saute' until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the potatoes and continue cooking until they are golden with some brown edges.  Stir in the bacon, then pour in the egg mixture.  With a spatula, turn the mixture over a couple of times to combine, scraping up from the bottom, then pat the mixture back down into a thick layer.  Cover and reduce the heat to low, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the eggs are lightly set but still very moist.  Don't overcook.  Spoon out and serve immediately.

Amana Hoppelpoppel with German Sausage:   Substitute cooked bratwurst or other wurst for the bacon.  Start with 4 to 6 ounces sausage sliced into very thin half-moons, friend to crisp the edges.  Depending on the sausage's fat content, you may need to use a tablespoon of oil or butter for the frying.  You want enough fat left in the skillet to saute' the onion and flavor the eggs.