Christmas Cards

[altivo]

OK, this year's greetings are all printed, cut, and bound. I regret that I just can't afford to send physical copies to all my friends here. A few of you that I've met in person will receive a printed copy, but for everyone else, I've prepared a PDF. If you're interested, feel free to download and print. These are meant to be printed on US letter size paper, landscape, 2 up, and then cut apart and spiral bound. I couldn't make the PDF file come out that way, so if you want to print it, just put it on A4 or letter size and put the pages into a binder or staple them.

'Tivo's and Gary's 2007 Holiday Recipes and Photos

Photos are from various events we attended through the year, except for the special star who appears on the front cover. The recipes are some of our favorites. We've been doing this most years since 1990, but this is the first time I've thought of doing a PDF version. The file is a couple of megabytes, so I can't leave it available forever, but if anyone asks at some point in the future, I'll try to get them a copy. one way or another.

Comments

[kamo2paws.livejournal.com]

Thats pretty neat! ^..^

I can send you one of our cards if you shoot me your address

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Address e-mailed, you're welcome to have it. No need to worry about the card, though, unless you really want to. Most of the recipes are pretty easy and simple to do. If you have any questions about them, just ask.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Oooh, sweet, thank you! ^.^ *downloads* MMmm, lovely photos, and I'll have to try some of the recipes some time. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome. I'm sure you can convert the American measurements to metric, but I know there are sometimes questions about the names of ingredients going from language to language, so by all means ask if you need something described or explained. I particularly recommend the butternut squash soup and the rock cakes. :D

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Thanks... I'll do so. ^.^ Mmm, yes, those two recipes do sound interesting; I haven't got a crockpot, though, and I don't think I've ever seen butternut squash for sale anywhere (although I could be wrong). The rock cakes should be no problem, though. :)

(And measurements aren't generally a problem for me anymore, either - what got me in the past was the fact that a "cup" is a specific unit of measurement, for example, whereas in German recipes, if it says "a cup of XYZ", it literally means a cupful - both less and much less precise than the US unit of measure. But I'm aware of those differences now, for the most part, and Wikipedia and Google's calculator are invaluable tools for converting these things etc., too. :))

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'll bet the butternut squash is available in Europe, but has a different name. It's a smooth skinned, hard winter squash. The skin is beige or cream colored to yellow-orange, and the shape is like a large pear. The flesh inside is deep orange in color and very dense, with just a few seeds in a little pocket at the center of the fat end. Steamed or boiled it is sweet and starchy, like a lighter version of yams or sweet potatoes. Other winter squash can be substituted, but you do want the hard winter type of squash rather than the soft summer squashes. The latter are very good but entirely different in consistency and flavor. Even the American pumpkin, if you can get it, could be substituted though it is less sweet in flavor.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, it's definitely got a different name... according to Wikipedia, it's "Moschuskürbis" (lit.: "musk pumpkin"), but I had to look that up, of course, and it's not a name I've ever heard before, either.

I'll keep an eye open for them, though. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The crock pot is not essential, by the way. Just follow the directions otherwise and when you get to the slow cooker part, you can either keep the soup pot on over your lowest possible heat, stirring regularly, or transfer to an ovenproof dish with a cover and bake in a slow oven for several hours.

I do recommend that soup, it is just delicious. (And of course suits my vegetarian tendencies well.) The cream cheese can be omitted, or replaced by some sour cream swirled into the bowl at serving time or shredded or grated cheese sprinkled over the top.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

I'll give it a try. :) *tailwaves* Mmm, let's see, what do I need to buy - onions, butternut squash, majoram and cream cheese for the soup; and allspice, coarse sugar and dried fruit (hmm, I wonder what kinds will be best - shouldn't be too large) for the rock cakes.

Given that I've still got a car borrowed from my parents until this evening, I think I'll go and buy these things right away. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I like dried apricots, just dice them up into small bits. Currants or golden raisins are fine too.

If you do find a real butternut squash, be careful when peeling and cutting it up. They are VERY hard, and you don't want the knife to slip. Don't worry, it cooks down just like potato and will mash up easily when cooked.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tips. :) I did get a real butternut squash, yes; the first supermarket I went to only had "regular" pumpkins (something I more or less expected), but another one in the area that's a bit bigger had four different kinds, including butternut squashes. I got one that weighs about 1,132 kg - after peeling and de-seeding it, I hope there'll be about 2 pounds left. :)

As for dried fruits, I bought a bag of mixed ones - apricots, dates, plums, bananas and apples (pieces thereof, that is). I thought about using raisins, since they're much less expensive (for some reason, a 200 g bag of mixed dried fruits cost 2,29 EUR (!) - and that's the cheapest brand I found), but I wasn't sure, and I wanted to stay true to the recipe, too. Ah well; I'll probably use raisins next time. :)

(On a side note, BTW, the butternut squash I got is surprisingly phallic in shape... I think I feel a silly photo coming. ^^)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Heh heh. A "funny vegetable" in the manner of Terry Pratchett, eh? (See his novel, The Truth, for the reference.)

Most of the butternuts around here are "painfully" large in diameter for that comparison, I'm afraid, but I can see the similarity in the shape now that you mention it. I really hope you enjoy the soup. You'll find that peeling the squash leaves your hands covered with a sort of astringent resin. Just wash it off and don't worry about it, that's normal for this kind of squash. You won't notice anything once it's cooked.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

*giggles* Oh, yes, quite so! Mr. Wintler would be delighted to have found it, and would probably have taken it to William DeWorde right away... ^.^

That being said... if you'd actually, well, use it, then yes, it'd be quite painful; it's not quite Thor size, but still rather thick, and there's a knot at the bottom that's quite large, too. Definitely something for the canines among us. :) *wags*

Thanks for the tip, too. ^^ BTW, what I've been meaning to ask - will a potato peeler work for peeling these, or do I need to use a regular knife?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I use a potato peeler for peeling them, yes. You may need two passes in some areas, as the skin is quite thick and woody. Try to remove most of the greenish layer that is right under the skin, as I think it is rather bitter. The yellow or orange flesh is what you want. Depending on the size and shape of the squash and the size of your hands, you may find it easier to peel sections that have already been cut from the whole, rather than peeling the entire squash before cutting it up.

Definitely take a funny vegetable photo if you haven't already castrated the poor thing. ;p

[schnee.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't. ^_^ *giggles* I'm thinking about maybe doing the soup tomorrow - since it'll need some time to finish, I suppose it'll be a good idea to start in the early afternoon or so at the latest.

Mmm, I'll try taking a picture now, though. ^.^

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

THanks for sharing that. I will have to try some of those.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome. Hope you have a good holiday coming up.

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

I need to find somewhere that sells corn syrup though. ;)

Thank you. The same to you.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You can substitute for the corn syrup. I'm having the same problem with a gingerbread recipe from bonnie_tiler that calls for Swedish syrup. Try treacle or golden syrup, a cane sugar syrup should work just as well as the corn syrup.

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

Oh..thanks.. :)

Those Pecan things look too tasty not to try.

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Dear rider.

You are one of the coolest horseys I have ever known. You and Gary, who is what, another horsey? I forget. Anyway...

Love ya and all about I have to offer is my broad back for a ride any time.

Imperator your flying mount.

Merry Christmas

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hee! Gary would never call himself a furry even though he's fuzzy. Not a horse, certainly. A bear (think teddy bear) or else some kind of doggie (most likely a retriever, I think.)

You two are getting a print copy, of course. They're going in the mail today or tomorrow.

[bonnie-tiler.livejournal.com]

Glad you got the package!
I saw the discussion on butternut squash, in Sweden it's called "Winter pumpkin" or "Musk Pumpkin"
I have never tried it, but I will now...
I found out by googling butternut squash to get the latin name "Cucurbita moschata"
Then google that with the search engine set to "your own language only results"
Internet is good!
We are really impressed with all work you've put in to that cook book
I like cook books and collect them, brilliant!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'm sending you the printed copy, along with a copy of last year's cookbook too. Don't know how long it will take to get there, but it will go out today.

[bonnie-tiler.livejournal.com]

Thank you and thank you again, I'll tell you more about my loom project later. Going to bed now, a big project has to be seen to before Christmas and it's late already.. 65 square meters of bathroom walls is waiting for me!! Now that's what I call a proper bathroom!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

That's not a bathroom, it's an edifice. ;p

[ducktapeddonkey.livejournal.com]

Neat idea for a Christmas card. I love the pictures.

We'll have to try one of your recipes at one of our BBQs. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hope you won't have to wait for warm weather, that's a long ways off just now.

[jairus-greywolf.livejournal.com]

I made the mistake of reading this before I had eaten dinner. Had to wipe up the drool from the keyboard ;-) I must confess I am one of those who takes the easy way out when it comes to food preparation. It is difficult when it's just me and I come home late from work but I must say a lot in your cookbook makes me want to dust off the pots and pans. Thanks for sharing.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you found it interesting and perhaps a little inspiring, though I certainly intended no harm to your keyboard. :)

I lived enough years as a single person alone in a studio or one bedroom unit to know just what you are saying here, but the truth is, I always managed to cook anyway. Sometimes you eat leftovers of course, but that's what the refrigerator is for. Tools that can be used to great advantage by the single cook who works full time include the crockpot or slow cooker and the microwave. I hasten to add that I refer to the microwave as an adjunct in preparing food from whole ingredients rather than heating up processed packaged dinners.

I have strong opinions on the significance of this, as I do about the importance of literacy and reading. You may grow tired of revisiting them eventually, but I'm glad you took time to look. If you find even one or two things in there that inspire you to experiment, I've succeeded.

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Well done!

Poor vixen!

This will keep me busy for awhile too.

^_^

Merry Christmas sirs!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

And the same to you and your family. Mr. Bun and Mama kitty included. ;p

[saythename.livejournal.com]

*Bun pawpaws at you and kitty asks if you'd get
him to turn off the laser pointer but then pants
and runs in circles*

^_^

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

What a fantastic thing to send out :)

*looks through the receipes and stars drooling*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Try them. None are difficult. ;p

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

*eats the printout* Murfffle Tathtes pathery.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Silly cat.