Aunt Ginger's Salsa

We were at Aunt Ginger's recently for Uncle Mel's funeral. It was a bittersweet occasion. His passing was such a shock, but as everyone looks back a few weeks, we see that it was his time. It doesn't make it any easier that he's gone however.

Whenever we are there or even when they visit, Aunt Ginger makes her famous salsa and this was no exception.  I asked her for it because I've had a hankering for it --partly missing them plus I love Mexican.  

Here is her response to me. I can just hear her saying it this way and you can get a feel for her personality too as you read it. I want to thank her for sharing it. 

About the salsa: I pretty much made this recipe up----when we lived in El Centro, there were two men from the main office of the company I worked for that came to our plant to do some work and decided to go to Yuma one evening after closing time. They went to a Mexican Restaurant there and when they came back the next day, they had a quart of salsa they had purchased the night before. I didn't even taste it, I just looked at the jar and decided I could make it myself----these guys were taking it back to Fresno to share with their co-workers there. So here goes-------

1 can petite diced tomatoes (28 oz can)
2 cans diced green chilis (2-4oz cans or 1-8 oz can) )
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz can)
1 bunch cilantro (use as much of it as you like--Burke doesn't like cilantro, so I would take some out before I added the cilantro--I do it to taste and I cut it up with scissors--just hold it tightly at the top of the bunch and start giving it a "haircut!")
1 onion, chopped fairly fine (Mel liked it finely chopped but when I was in a hurry it wound up in bigger chunks--do it the way you like it. You can also use green onions if you like them better--I have used them both--depends on how well you like onions!)
1/2 tsp black pepper (again, if you like it a little bit zingyer, use more--add pepper to taste)
1 tsp garlic powder, or I have granules, so that's what I use.
Add salt after it has had time to sit about 30 mins to 1 hour---just salt it to what you like--I have ruined a batch or so by using too much salt.

I think that's it. It's a "guess and by golly science."

Sweet "Good and Plenty" and Salted "Planters" Peanuts Combine

My good friend came to visit and I realized I didn't cook anything for her, but instead we ate cold cereal, pizza, went out for our traditional Mexican lunch, etc. and thoroughly enjoyed our time spent not cooking!! When I mentioned to her that I hadn't made her anything special, she said, "Yes, you have! You introduced me to "Good and Plenty and Peanuts". Good and Plenty is the candy coated black licorice pieces and they taste great mixed with salted planters peanuts. 

I used to eat this sweet and salty combination while "at the movies" in Finland, since I couldn't get popcorn to eat at the Movie Theaters. While she and I were out looking for shoelace black licorice for the eyelashes for a Sponge Bob Cake for her son, we found these, so I introduced her to them. We bought them at KMart and they were stale. We'd found a generic Western Family brand of them which were fresh at my local grocer's and they tasted much better.  Any salted peanut will do. 

My brother likes to eat raw peanuts and raisins together, something he learned to eat in Finland. I prefer my combination better. I also like to eat plain M&Ms mixed together with peanut M&Ms.

The A-K Christmas Cookies are Here!

Each year our dear friends, whom we no longer live near, still UPS us a plate of their Christmas cookies. I just counted 15 varieties on the plate!!! They have been baking one type a night since early December. Then they freeze them and finally arrange them nicely on a plate and deliver them. Our family always anxiously awaits their arrival and love this tradition.

A good Finnish Hostess offers 7 varieties

We had our Home Teacher and his family over for dessert this week. He is such a great home teacher who always come prepared to teach our children and offer them a new physical challenge, which he ties into teaching the gospel, they love and we appreciate as parents.

We served cookies and hot chocolate. An "Old World" Finnish hostess must serve 7 varieties at her "hot chocolate" table. My Mother always had quite a spread. The 7 varieties we ended up serving include:

1. The traditional American Butter Spritz Cookies
My Mother said she just used the recipe included with her Spritzer, so since I don't know what it is, I googled Spritz, read several and chose this one found at
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1910,157180-228196,00.html
Yield approximately 4 dozen.

Cream 1 cup butter. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in 1 egg and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract. Blend in 2 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour. Divide dough into thirds.Add a few drops red food coloring to one third. Green coloring to one third.

Leave one third plain. Fill cookie press with each color or combine colors for rainbow effect. Form into desired shapes and decorate. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Finnish Joulu Torttuja -- you'll find my Mother's recipe posted here under December
2006
3. Six Layer Cookie Bars -- my sister-in-law's version you'll find posted as FHE Baked Bars here November 2007. My husband likes her version better because it's not so gooey!
4. Belgian Speculaas Cookies -- Sunset magazine's recipe is posted December 2006. My husband's family and our guests each have special ties there.
5. Pull aparts -- bread dough rolled in melted butter, then dipped in brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. They are then arranged in a bundt pan and baked at 350 degrees. I also remember these from my childhood, but hadn't had them in years.
6. I ran out of time to make Finnish gingerbread, so so I served Anna's from IKEA.)
I was just sending this recipe to another Mom who is making them for me for our kids' School Christmas party, so here's My Mother's recipe.

Title: Piparkakut (Finnish Christmas Gingerbread Cookies)

Description:
My Mother says, "The aroma of these cookies baking takes me back to my childhood in Finland." We make various large to small sizes of these in heart shape and hang them in the kitchen window during Christmas. Heart is the symbol of Christmas in Finland. We also had plenty of other shapes to eat as well.

Ingredients:
3/4 c margarine or butter
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
2 T dark Karo syrup
1 t cinnamon
1 t cloves
1 t ground cardamom
1/2 t baking soda
2 1/2 c flour

Directions:
Cream margarine and sugar. Add egg, spices and syrup. Then add flour and soda sifted together. Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough overnight in the refrigerator. Roll out on floured surface very thin and cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake on a very lightly greased cookie sheet about 5 min at 375 degrees. Do not overbake! Store in an airtight tin and they will keep "forever".

7. And our guests brought Oreo cookies dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with crushed peppermint candy -- her trademark for dressing up any cookie! She says she just melts chocolate chips in the microwave, dips any cookie halfway and either adds sprinkles or drizzles chocolate on it.

Thanksgiving Blessings Mix

Last year my visiting teachers brought me this treat when they visited near Thanksgiving. I thought it was yummy and a thoughtful idea. If you are looking for a thoughtful Thanksgiving treat to give a neighbor, friend or family member, try this.

Title: Thanksgiving Blessings Mix

Description:
Edible gift idea for Thanksgiving time.

Ingredients:
BUGLES: Shaped like a cornucopia or Horn of Plenty, a symbol of our nation's abundance.

PRETZELS: Arms folded in prayer, a freedom sought by those who founded our country.

CANDY CORN: The sacrifices of the Pilgrims' first winter. Food was so scarce that settlers survived on just a few kernels of corn a day.

NUTS or SEEDS: Promise of a future harvest one will reap only if seeds are planted and tended with diligence.

M&Ms: Memories of those who came before us to lead us into a blessed future.

KISSABLES: The love of a family and friends that sweetens our lives.

Directions:
Mix altogether in a bag or container. Print out the message explaining the meaning and attach it.