Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 31

Ah, Trust

Photo by Marek Studzinski

 

 

“To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.”

— George MacDonald (1824 – 1905)
Scottish author

Mulled Wassail Time

Photo by Jill Wellington

 

For National Apple Cider Day I offer my Mulled Wassail recipe. Though initially styled for the holiday season in 1980, when standard coffee percolators were still standard, this hot cider punch is also easy to make in a slow cooker.

 

 

Cathy’s Mulled Wassail

2-3 qts fresh or frozen apple cider (NOT apple juice)
1 qt cranberry juice
½ tsp whole allspice
1 T whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
1 orange, cut in wedges, with peel
Cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Pour cider & cranberry juice in bottom of electric coffee percolator and put all spices and orange slices in the “basket.” Cover and perk. Or steep in a covered slow cooker on low for 2 hours, with spices and orange slices wrapped in cheesecloth. Serve hot with a cinnamon stick in each mug. Makes 2-3 quarts.

KISS Tip: This is a Family Friendly rendition, but you can easily add a favorite brandy. Let the singing begin.

Silence Is Not Always Golden

 

“Silence will save me from being wrong (and foolish), but it will also deprive me of the possibility of being right.”

— Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971)
Russian composer & conductor

International Day for Tolerance

Image by John Hain

As people and nations hold grudges and wage wars, but I think it’s important to remember what we need in the long term.

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”

— Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955)
German-born theoretical physicist; developed theory of relativity

Worthy All the While

Image by John Hain

 

“True empathy is rooted in humility and the understanding that there are many people with as much to contribute in life as you.”

— Anand Mahindra (1955 – )
Indian billionaire businessman

Holy Guacamole!

Celebrate National Spicy Guacamole Day with your favorite level of spiciness… mild, medium, hot, or crazy-off-the-charts.

A Second Helping , book 2 in my Dockside Dining trio of recipes that are easy to prepare with very little effort or kitchen equipment, is perfect for backyard, tailgate, or dockside cooking.

One recipe that I offer is Gulf Coast Guacamole. It just doesn’t get more Super Simple than this. Of course, I am a great believer in sassing things up, so I offer a bit of that, too. You can cook up Super Simple recipes to your heart’s content with the whole Dockside Dining series, available in paperback and digital formats.

Gulf Coast Guacamole
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted & mashed to the chunkiness or smoothness level you prefer
¼ – ½ c chunky salsa, mild to hot, as you prefer
2 T freshly squeezed lime (or lemon) juice
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to suit your taste.

Mix together and serve with tortilla chips and raw vegetables.

KISS Tip: If you are not serving guacamole right away, save one of the avocado pits. Put the pit in the bowl with the guacamole to prevent the typical “browning” from oxidation. Discard the pit before serving. Or, do not mix in the lime juice. Simply drizzle it over the top of your guacamole before covering with plastic wrap, and pressing it down onto the surface before chilling till serving time. Another idea is to very finely chop and add 2 T sweet onion to your guac. I prefer sweet onion to red as it does not need caramelization to prevent it from taking over and predominating the blend of flavors. And if you want extra spice, go ahead and add 1 T (or more) of finely diced jalapeño pepper… or ghost pepper, if you must. I prefer to place various “add-ins” on the side, for guests to choose as they prefer. These can range from extra tomato, salt & pepper, hot peppers, and even diced, cooked shrimp.

No Termites, Please

 

“Assumptions are the termites of relationships.”

— Henry Winkler (1945 – )
American actor

True Friend

Photo by Melissa Askew

 

“A true friend accepts who you are, but also helps you become who you should be.”

— Unknown

Veterans Day Salute!

(Photo by Brian Penny)

“For the veterans, thank you for bravely doing what you’re called to do so we can safely do what we’re free to do.”

— Unknown

Freedom is never free.

National Civic Pride Day

Chimney Rock, NC photo by Peter Hansen

For National Civic Pride Day, I take this moment to say an enormous THANK YOU to everyone who is out there helping others. We see it en mass here in western North Carolina, where workers and volunteers go above and beyond day after day. This is true of neighbors, local churches, various clubs and organizations, and some amazing small businesses and community-involved larger businesses. Thank you, thank you, thank you… to one and all.