Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 104

National Butter Day

Popover

I love butter. No substitutes, please. (In fact, if you read the ingredients on substitutes, you will not likely let them cross the lips of anyone you love.)

Real butter on hot popcorn beats movie theatre “buttery topping” every time. Butter melting into the nooks and crannies of a toasted English muffin makes me smile… just before I take a large, crunching chomp! And when I am even thinking about steamers or chunks of hot lobster or king crab legs, I know I will be dipping them in freshly melted butter… and I do NOT mean clarified butter. I want all the solids and saltiness. (Just go with clarified butter when you need a higher smoke point for some cooking.)

Now, I could go on and on about yummy foods with butter, but I will not torment you any further today. Instead, I will share a recipe that simply sings out for butter. Even as a child, I went wild for fresh, hot popovers, served with plenty of softened, salty butter. So, try these Lemon Popovers if you have a hankering. If you rather have traditional popovers, simply leave out the pecans, zest, lemon juice, and honey from this recipe. My other suggestion is that you plan on only serving 4 or 5 of these, which lets you consume 1 or 2 immediately by yourself. (Just to be certain that they are okay for everyone else, of course.) LOL

Lemon Popovers

Rarely do I state in a recipe to preheat the oven. For popovers, I state it clearly… and with the popover pan in the oven. You will LOVE how this helps popovers rise more fully and get perfectly crisped edges.

2 lg eggs, at room temp

1 c milk

1 c flour

½ tsp salt

6 T finely chopped toasted pecans, divided

2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

8 T butter, softened to room temp

8 T honey

Preheat oven with 6-cup popover pan inside to 450°F. Meanwhile, whisk eggs and milk till well blended. Then whisk in flour and salt just until smooth, but no more than that. Stir in half the pecans, along with the lemon zest and juice. Then spray your hot popover pan with cooking spray right to the tops of the cups. Fill the cups half full with batter & bake 15 minutes. Without opening the oven door, then reduce heat to 350°F. Let bake 10-15 more minutes. Meanwhile, combine the butter, honey, and remaining pecans. When you remove the popover pan from the oven, immediately remove popovers to a wire rack and pierce the side of each one with a sharp knife to let the steam escape. Serve them piping hot with the pecan honey butter. Makes 6.

(Photo by BD McIntosh)

Sing Your Song!

“I feel like a tiny bird with a big song.”

— Helen Keller (1880 – 1968)

American author & disability rights activist

 

Whatever your song may be, and however your voice may sound, sing it loud. Let your life take flight!

(Photo by Joshua J. Cotton)

Our Good Earth

“If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology.  We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.”

— President Lyndon B. Johnson (1908 – 1973)

36th U.S. President

Upon signing of the Wilderness Act, 1964

(Photo by Hendrik Cornelissen)

National Nut Day

I am a nut. If we are what we eat, then I am truly nutty. I like them all… pecans, walnuts, cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts, pistachios, pepitas, macadamias, hazelnuts, and even the ones, like peanuts, that aren’t really in the “nut” category.

Nutcracker Museum reports that nuts were a regular part of the human diet from as far back as almost 800,000 years ago. Nuts have a long history. Pecan remains from 6100 BC were found in a cave in Texas. Greeks and Romans touted walnuts as a gift from the gods. Macadamia nuts have long been associated with Hawaii, but they were originally grown in Queensland, Australia and were eventually brought to Hawaii.

Because Mom’s Pink Cake was such a hit on National Angel Food Cake Day, I want to share another of her superb recipes. This gem is from 1985. Mom (Glenna Burnham) repeatedly earned her “Best Cook in Town” reputation.

Glenna Burnham’s Macadamia Nut Cream Pie

Make and bake a 9” or 10” pastry shell with high, fluted edge.

Filling:

1 T gelatin (1 envelope)

¼ c cold water

½ c sugar (or favorite substitute)

½ tsp salt

1 ¼ c milk

3 slightly beaten egg yolks

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

½ c heavy (whipping) cream

½ c chopped macadamia nuts

3 egg whites

¼ tsp cream of tartar

½ c sugar (or favorite substitute)

Sweetened whipped cream

Macadamia nut shavings (or chopped)

Soften gelatin in the cold water. Meanwhile, mix ½ c sugar, salt & milk in saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly until scalded. Remove from heat. Slowly stir half the mixture into the egg yolks; then blend back into hot mixture in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring until it begins to boil. Immediately remove from heat. Stir in softened gelatin. Cool. When mixture is partially set, beat with rotary beater till smooth. Blend in vanilla. Then gently fold in the whipping cream, whipped until stiff, and the ½ c chopped macadamia nuts. Make a meringue of the egg white, cream of tartar, and ½ c sugar. Carefully fold the egg yolk/whipped cream mixture into the meringue. Pile into the cooled baked pie shell. Chill in the refrigerator until set (about 2 hours). Remove from refrigerator 20 minutes before serving time. Top thickly with the sweetened whipped cream and sprinkle macadamia nuts shavings over the top. Serve cold.

(Photo by Whitney Wright)

All Hands On Deck

Looking back at my photos taken for Granddaughter Ada’s 2nd birthday celebration on October 8th, I realize how many busy hands the celebration took. Everyone helped out. Adam and Caiti were constantly in motion, from last-minute touches for the special birthday cupcakes to prepping the chicken kebabs for the grill.

Even Birthday Girl, Ada, helped out…. I mean, someone had to test the new cornhole board.

And the 8 grandparents helped out, too.

From Melanie tending to Ada, plus Mel and Julian supplying the much-needed extra tables and chairs… to Joe and Odette, teaching Ada to ride the shiny new bicycle they’d brought her, and Odette skillfully creating the fancy pepperoni and salami roses for the meat & cheese platter.

http://goodliving123.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/10-20-22-12-Chris-and-Balloons-20221007_190950.mp4

Steve and Chris delighted everyone with his amazing smoked ribs and macaroni and cheese and her ease blowing up the balloons for the arch and helping Odette, Caiti, and Adam assemble Ada’s beautiful new dollhouse. Sir Ronald and I also helped with set up, decorating, and clean-up. So, it may “take a community,” but a big family can also help make light work of big projects. We all loved it!!! May we enjoy many more such loving family gatherings together. And next year, we will be adding Adaline’s brand new baby sister, Ayla to the festivities!!!! Multiple blessings!

Counting Down to Book 2 Release!!

I feel mightily blessed by all the marvelous early review comments I have been receiving for my upcoming book “Destiny of Determination: Faith and Family.” Author Anthony Avina just posted an interview he did with me on his blog. The book comes out on November 2nd. (If you read books digitally, you can still save a couple of bucks on Amazon with a pre-order through November 1st.)

When bloggers and reviewers take time out of their lives to read an author’s book and write a review, it is an amazing blessing. When they go even further and request an interview, the honor is most humbling indeed.

He just posted it this week on his blog: AuthorAnthonyAvinaBlog.com.

Interview with Author Cathy Burnham Martin1) Tell about yourself. How did you get into writing?

I am a person who loves people and helping others be their personal best. My husband and I enjoy art, music, traveling, and great food.

As a child in elementary school, I loved Show & Tell, and I often found myself making up stories to tell the class. I was also among a little group of classmates honored when our poems were published in the newspaper. I ended up writing a lot of poetry straight through college. As a marketing major, poetry took a backseat to business writing through most of my jobs. Eventually, I became a broadcast journalist, news anchor, and documentary host/producer at an ABC affiliate in New Hampshire. As I looked toward retirement, I embraced writing as my next career.

2) What inspired you to write your book?

This historical fiction trilogy tells the story of the Armenian side of my family. Initially, I was inspired to write it to capture the heritage for future generations. Once the first book “Destiny of Dreams: Time Is Dear” came out, I quickly learned that the story brought a great deal of information and inspiration to a far wider audience.

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Themes in the trilogy focus on family, faith, love, and perseverance. With so much divisiveness and war and seemingly ceaseless examples of man’s inhumanity to man, bigotry, and intolerance continuing all around the world, I hope readers will appreciate the message that we can and must do better. We need to forgive our human weaknesses, but we also live far better lives, when we make calm decisions and learn to respond, rather than react to the bitter challenges that may be thrown in our paths.

4) What drew you into this particular genre?

I’ve written several non-fiction works in a sort of “life lessons” genre, as well as 9 cookbooks, because I am a dedicated foodie. I have also written a couple of light comedy books, told from a dog’s perspective. Well, I guess I should say that the dogs wrote their stories. I merely held the pen because they don’t have thumbs. So, I should not classify them as fiction, as the dogs swore every word was true.

Writing facts… nothing but the facts… is what journalism taught me. On the other hand, living life and performing in musical theatre taught me the importance of celebrating creativity, drama, and comedy. Historical fiction shines as a happy combination for me. I love researching to be sure the facts, settings, and historic reflections are accurate. I learned that I truly enjoy fictionalizing, which lets me use characters to bring slices of history to life.

5) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

Facebook is definitely my social media site of preference. While I write articles for my GoodLiving123.com website, I can repost them on sites like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. However, I found a particular hunger… a need… for positive thoughts and comments on Facebook. Friends and Followers… whether they hail from childhood or various stages in my career or from reading my books… have been most generous in their comments and support of my endeavors. I have also started reaching out on Facebook to encourage readership of my books and audiobooks, particularly when someone has expressed a specific need that I believe a particular publication can help meet.

6) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

I am very enthusiastic about encouraging aspiring authors to follow their hearts, even when they must be their own cheerleaders. Naysayers often come in the form of those closest to us. It’s the old put-downs, like, “You’ll never make money as an author.” So, what?!!? I like to remind writers to keep on sharing… keep on writing. When people ask why I write, I love honestly saying that I write because the words and stories simply must come out!

7) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books / projects on the horizon?

While none of us truly knows what our futures hold, I continually add to my “To Do” lists as if I had a million tomorrows to get all the projects done. I have absolutely no idea how to be bored, as I am regularly working on 2-3 books at a time. The next book will be the Destiny trilogy’s conclusion, which will be released in 2023. I also have a few more food-oriented projects in the works as well as a couple of mysteries. I keep hoping for that elusive 48-hour day!

About the Author

Born in Goffstown, New Hampshire, Cathy Burnham Martin’s eclectic career path wove through recruiting, communications, television broadcasting, management, and bank organizing. An active board member and community volunteer, she received Easter Seals’ David P. Goodwin Lifetime Commitment Award. This professional voiceover artist, journalist, corporate communications geek, and dedicated foodie earned numerous broadcasting awards as a television news anchor. She wrote, produced, and hosted dozens of groundbreaking documentaries, TV specials, and news reports, ranging from the Moscow Superpower Summit and the opening of the Berlin Wall to extensive coverage of New Hampshire’s First-in-the-Nation Presidential Primaries.

Some of her most challenging work includes news stories behind the Iron Curtain under the scrutiny of foreign military personnel touting loaded AK-47s. While she met and interviewed Presidents and candidates, other interviews ranged from inventor Dean Kamen, best-selling authors Og Mandino and Richard Lederer, and Star Trek originator Gene Roddenberry to Popcorn icon Orville Redenbacher, Boston Pops conductor Arthur Fiedler, superstar New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme, and filmmaker Ken Burns.

Among little-known facts about Cathy? She once sang with The Beach Boys and with the marvelous Marvelettes, shared a dressing room with Ella Fitzgerald, and emceed for Tony Bennett. She also performed on stage with comedian Adam Sandler, actor Dan Lauria, and director Alek Keshishian.

Dubbed The Morale Booster, this 20-year professional member of the National Speakers Association remains a business speaker, media coach, and member of the Actors Equity Association. Proud of her Eurasian heritage, Cathy Burnham Martin narrates her own books and those of other authors. Audiobooks appear on such sites as Audible.com as well as Amazon and iTunes. Author of 20+ fiction, nonfiction, and cookbooks, Cathy writes articles for her  http://www.GoodLiving123.com website. When not writing or in full production mode, Cathy and her husband enjoy traveling, boating, music and visual arts, and great food.

National Seafood Bisque Day

Even the word “bisque” sounds fancy. Chefs make bisques out of all sorts of ingredients, including fruits, squash, carrots, and tomatoes. However, the original bisque was always seafood based. This is a rich soup and pricy, too.

In truth, the shells of shrimp and lobster make a marvelous seafood stock, but to make it easier, we can always use a purchased seafood or fish stock with or without some added brininess from bottled clam juice.

If you want to make your own Super Simple Seafood Stock, try this:

Melt 2 T butter on med-high heat; add shrimp shells, lobster shells, and lobster legs. (Or just shrimp shells, of course). Stir for 3 minutes. Add 4 ½ c warm water in which you have dissolved 2 seafood bouillon cubes AND a mahhhhhvelous “secret” ingredient: 1 T Better Than Bouillon Lobster Base. Add 2 Bay leaves, 1 diced onion, 1 diced carrot, and 2 diced celery stalks. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and let simmer 15 minutes. Strain out and discard all the shells and solids. You should have 4 cups. If you need more liquid, simply add a bit more stock, bottled clam juice, or water. (Note: No, I have no affiliate status to make money promoting Better Than Bouillon’s product. It is simply a super product, and they have many other varieties, from beef and vegetable to ham and onion.)

To make a seafood bisque, you simply add your stock to a roux, followed by cream and your seasonings. Then garnish with lump crabmeat and sautéed shrimp.

That said, I can’t leave without also giving you my Sensational Seafood Bisque recipe. Use a packaged stock or one you made, as you prefer. This recipe makes enough for 8 appetizer servings or 4 entrée servings.

4 T butter

2 c chopped sweet onion

2 T tomato paste

4 T flour

4 c seafood stock

1 celery rib, diced

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp each: Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, sweet paprika, Old Bay seasoning, & dried thyme (not ground)

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (or ½ tsp, to suit your taste)

1/4 c each: brandy and dry sherry (or white wine)

8 oz canned claw crabmeat & the juices

8 large shrimp, peeled & deveined & coarsely chopped

½ c diced lobster meat

2 c heavy (whipping) cream

Salt & ground white pepper (to suit your taste)

8 large shrimp, sprinkle with salt & pepper; then sautéed in butter

4-8 lobster claws or 4 lobster tails, halved lengthwise once, then crosswise twice, warmed

½ lb lump or jumbo lump crabmeat, warmed

Garnishes of your choice, such as: chopped cooked bacon, croutons, chopped fresh parsley or chives, chunks of avocado, dollop of sour cream

Melt butter in Dutch oven or large soup pot over med heat; sauté onion for 3 min, stirring once. Remove from heat and stir in tomato paste, followed by flour. Slowly stir in 1 c of your stock, followed by the remaining stock, stirring till smooth. Return to med-high heat and stir in seasonings and alcohol, followed by the claw crabmeat, chopped shrimp, and diced lobster. Bring to a boil and let cook 5 minutes. (The alcohol cooks off during this, leaving its lovely flavor.) Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree the bisque base. Return pan to med-low heat and stir in the cream. Heat it through, but do not let it boil. Taste your bisque and season with salt & white pepper to suit your taste. Ladle into warmed serving bowls and shrimp, lobster, and lump crabmeat on top along with other garnishes you have selected. Serve to your grateful guests, along with a salad and crusty bread, if desired.

KISS Tips: 1. Warm the seafood toppings very briefly in a small skillet in a bit of butter while warming the cream in your bisque.

If using a traditional blender container, puree your bisque in 3 batches to prevent splattering.If you want your bisque thicker, whisk together 1 T cornstarch with 2 T cold water; then whisk into your soup, simmering (but NOT boiling) till thickened.If your like, after tasting your bisque, you can also stir in a T of sherry for extra flavor.This is also nice with just shrimp and crabmeat. I have also added a sautéed scallop or 2 to the seafood on top, only halving them if using large sea scallops.

A New Grandbaby Blessing

At 5:03 this morning, Ayla Wren was born to Caiti and Adam, making us happy Grandparents again. (Her name is pronounced with the long “I” sound for the Ay.) And making Mom a proud Great-Grandmother for the 3rd time! Ayla is 20” long and weighs in at 6 lbs, 14 oz. Little Adaline has a beautiful baby sister. How very wonderful to watch the fabulous family growing. And how very blessed we feel to have everyone healthy. Welcome, Ayla!

National Pasta Day

Caboodles of noodles! Pasta comes in all shapes and sizes. Virtually every culture has its own variations.

The first recorded mention of pasta is credited to Sicily back in 1154. While we can find pasta and noodles all over the world, it truly is associated most strongly with Italian cuisine.

Whether you make it yourself or buy it fresh or dried… or you enjoy it at someone else’s table or in a restaurant, don’t count the calories today. Enjoy it hot or cold… in an appetizer or dessert… as a side dish or entrée. Indulge in just a few bites or a big bowl.

Sure, you could go for zero carb types, such as those made from the Konjac root vegetable… or go low-carb by diving straight into zucchini zoodles. Or you could indulge in a cheese-filled pasta topped with a favorite sauce, cheese, and herbs. Pasta lovers celebrate! Anyway YOU want it!

Fall Cleaning

Spring Cleaning is a standard for many of us. I also do Fall Cleaning. In all the packing and unpacking from season changes and travel adventures, I find I have… yet again… too much collected “stuff.” Fall Cleaning comes with the delightful distraction of fabulous foliage. We greatly enjoyed a brief visit to New Hampshire this Autumn, and we brought back marvelous memories, including the trees preparing to let go of their lavish leaves. I do not know who first said this, but I love it!

“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.”