I LOVE Utah!

Yesterday I posted about the cookbook arrival. Today as I left my tract this is the sight the greeted my eyes! I turned right around and got my camera!

This could only happen in Utah!! And I LOVE IT! I love the fact that we have a close knit neighborhood.

It reminds me of growing up in Greenville. We knew everyone and they knew us.




What a wonderful place to be!

They're Here!!

I got a call earlier this week from Deb telling me that the cookbooks would be arriving on Friday!! How exciting! It took a semi to deliver them (and I'm told a $1700 shipping fee) to get them from their origin to Debra's garage down the street from me. Now comes the fun part... (really it is the fun part) Debra and Diane get to pass them out to everyone who's ordered them.



Since they live so close I just took my garden cart down to their house and loaded it up! I was going to drag it home but Stuart fortuitously arrived so I whistled him down there to drag for me. Such a good boy!

I don't know if I ever mentioned before that I'd ordered 20 and by the time the order was placed each one of them had a place where it was going... what no extras? As it turns out, there are a few extras so maybe I will end up getting a couple more so I will have them on hand for gifts.



It is very satisfying to see my design, in print, on the cover. Hard to describe, but very satisfying.

Why do we do such thing?

This seems to be the question... why do we do the things we do? I certainly don't have an answer for that question! But before I digress in to some the the things I DO, I need to talk about what WE have done...

It appears that the cookbook is nearing completion. But not without a few more bumps in the road. We never dreamed that so many recipes would be turned in. We had close to 1100 (Morris Press only shows pricing for up to 1050. And, no, we didn't win the prize, some other crack-head ladies did one with 1800 recipes!). Somewhere along the way we got the idea of combining recipes. I even called the folks at Morris Press to ask if this was ok, we didn't want to do all that work for nothing. I was assured that this was ok to do. So we started combining with a vengeance, and not without some interesting results (see the aforementioned link).

So here we are, right down to the wire, June 30th is the deadline for all the money-saving offers we want to take advantage of. We are firming up how the order needs to go in, how many we need, what style tabbed dividers we want, etc. So on Wed 6/25 (yeah, 5 days to deadline!) Debra called Morris Press again with all of our last minute questions. The more questions she asked the less the people on the other end of the phone knew. Finally they connected her with some who really did know!

When I got home from my day at the Temple on Wednesday evening Debra broke the bad news (I just knew it was going to be that they didn't want my cover!) Nope, perhaps worse... all the combining... welp, the system, computer, whatever; wouldn't recognize that many "variation/parts" and would throw out the offending recipe, thereby losing all of them!

Nobly we started uncombining again, and let me tell you, this is no easy feat! The Type'nSave program is a database of sorts with each portion of the recipe going into its own cell. So, for example, 1 / (10oz) / can / mandarin oranges, took 4 separate cells and thus for each ingredient. Fortunately, the directions could be cut and pasted. But can you say "Time-Consuming"? Yeah, me too.

While we were all working down at Diane and Debra's house we started taking about, "Never AGAIN!"- things we have done and wondering "how on earth did I ever get myself into this" situations.

I felt pretty certain that I had the winner- Camille's first year of cheer leading back in 1994 (she was only in 4th grade). We found out the the cheer uniforms were going to be so expensive, about $200 per girl. But how could that be, it was ridiculous! I could make them for so much less! So I did (said the Little Red Hen). THIRTY-SIX darling little uniforms; 36 cute little (and, not so little) gold leotards and 37 cute little purple skirts with gold pleats and a darling bib top! (One had to be remade because one of the cheerleaders gained 10 # in the 6-weeks it took from fitting to delivery!)




But then Diane told me about her adventure in bears... 500 BEARS! (500 bears for a Stake Relief Society day eons ago and she just unloaded the last 40 in a garage sale!!!) Yeah, she won, hands down.

What makes us do such things? Do we think we are Super-Woman, Shera-Warrior Princess? I have no idea!

If you have any thoughts on the matter, get back to me. Or better yet see if you can top Diane's 500 RS bears

Light at the End of the Tunnel...

All of the recipes are in and now we are just down to the editing! YEAH! I morphed from cover-design to one of the editors. I'm really enjoying the process although some days have gotten a bit long. As stated, all the recipes are in and we are proofing and combining similar recipes. We stand at 991 today. This company doesn't even have pricing for over 1000 recipes! I wonder if they will be talking about these crazy ladies from Utah for years to come?

This is the final... (ha...ha... the updated final, probably, maybe, could be, 6/28/08)



One of the perks of being in on the input and editing process is that I have gotten to look at all the recipes. Wow, are there a lot of good ones! It is a definite plus for my family. I've gotten so burned out on cooking and this is like an infusion of inspiration. I've made some lovely meals. But my favorite by far was MY adaptation of, you guessed it... Spinach Salad. So for all of you- here it goes...

Joanie's Spinach Salad sans the Drama

1 bag baby spinach (on sale at Ream's for $.89 for 13 oz this week but I got it early 'cuz the produce guy is nice!!)
6-7 huge fresh mushrooms, sliced
4-5 green onions, sliced
1/3 c. crumbled bacon
fresh raspberries for garnish
carmelized almonds
fresh, from scratch, raspberry vinaigrette dressing

So have you ever carmelized almonds (or anything else for that matter?) Me neither. Ann and Wayne were here so she did it (she'd never done it either) and I watched.

Carmelized Almonds

1 c sliced or diced almonds
3/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt

In a large skillet over med. heat cook sugar until it turns to liquid (it is so cool to watch!!) Add the nuts and salt and continue to cook, stirring constantly until nuts are toasted and sugar is carmelized. Turn onto a butter cookie sheet to cool. Break up and serve. (or just enjoy them as is!)

Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette

1 c olive oil
3/4 c sugar
2/3 c red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 box, about 1 c, fresh raspberries

Place all ingredients in a blender an process until thick and well combined. (This is the first dressing that I've seen that doesn't separate.) YUMMY

So now, no drama, just good eats. Hope you enjoy this recipe.

Spinach Salad Drama

This post may very well end up being a vent more than anything else, but, hey, that's what you all read this for, right? Real life with some comic relief thrown in on the side.

I've been working on the ward cookbook editing recipes, combining recipes (hence, the drama) and working on the cover. And all of this is mixed in with the everyday trials of what my brother-in-law calls "the school of earth life" (or something like that!)

So, why spinach salad drama? I have 7 (count them SEVEN) spinach salad recipes all called (you guessed it) Spinach Salad (well, two are Strawberry & Spinach salad). Why drama? I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings because I've combined her recipe with some other sister's recipe that only has a couple of different ingredients. BUT I also don't want to have 7 recipes all called Spinach Salad.

Isn't it funny/interesting how we sometimes become so over-protective of things like a recipe. Why do you suppose that is? I've come to the conclusion that it really isn't the recipe at all... it's something else that we think defines who we are or perhaps is a facade to hide one of our scabs that we wish other people would leave alone.

I've had a couple of those LEAVE-MY-SCABS-ALONE weeks. You know the little things that jump out of the dark (or in my case out of the water) and threaten my tender scabby-spot created by having two of my children drown almost 27 years ago. I think I have gotten stronger, that the scab has healed more this time but then someone starts picking at my scab (LEAVE IT ALONE! I want to scream.) Telling me about drownings (he DROWNED AND DIED, well, they revived him and he's perfectly fine now. Or... my friend's baby drowned and, yes, really is dead and buried) I always think, yes, I can listen and be objective... but alas, I can't. At some point, usually after I've started weeping, I have to say, "You'll have to talk to someone else about this. It is just too close to home for me. (When it is the actual person that has had this tragedy, I can listen empathetically and do just fine. It is the 2nd, 3rd, 4th hand drama that hits home at my little scabby-spot) Then I get to deal with the grief all over again. Do I lack faith? No, I have complete faith in a glorious resurrection and the fact that I will be with my Tony and Amanda again. But that faith doesn't negate the fact that I miss them.

So back to the Spinach Salad (or the cake or pie or cinnamon rolls). I just don't think it is about that recipe (or whatever). It is the "I am upset about all of the adversity I have in my life right now that most people have no idea I deal with on a daily basis" that is the crux of the matter. But most of us guard that little tender scabby-spot... it's just too hard to even look at it. So we will be upset about that recipe instead. I've learned that I just don't react to those things any more (truly, it isn't all about me!!), but I say. "I know she has something going on and I can just love her anyway" and let her have her way. Wouldn't it be a happier place if we could all remember this?

So now for the comic relief (must... have... comic... relief). I think (hope) that most of my friends and family will want to have one of these dandy cookbooks loaded with wonderful (and sometimes closely guarded) recipes and, well, that fact that I have designed the cover is just an extra bonus!~

So I said to my bestest-friend, Pauline (who does NOT cook). "I was going to get you a cookbook but I don't think you would use it."

P queried, "How much will the cost?" I told her $10-11 a piece.

Without even missing a beat she replied, "Then just send me the money!!"

Joanie's Little Explore

One of the things that I love best about being here in Springville, UT, at the mouth of Hobble Creek canyon, is that I am so close to nature. I love the feeling that I have come back home, even though I've never lived here before. When I look out my bedroom window I am able to see Maple Mountain, in all her glory, presiding over the south end of Utah Valley. I've heard it said that she is one of the most symmetrical mountains,greatly enhancing her beauty.


I posted earlier about my quest to find the right photo for the cover of the upcoming 8th ward cookbook. That is what precipitated my little explore! I love to walk the paths that are near my house. It makes such a lovely activity.


I love the fact that there are portions of trail that skirt right along the creek. I love the smells and the feeling of the air. It takes me back to those Greenville-days when I would play with abandon at Wolf Creek for hours on end. It makes me remember with horror how I used to ride up creek on my horse, Blue, to the bridge and then we would run back full-tilt, me whoopin' like an Indian, to the swimmin' hole where a gigantic wave would frequently wash me right off. (I'd say, "What was I thinking?" But obviously, I wasn't!!)


I love the sound of the creek rushing on its way to who knows where.


I'm love the look of a downy dandelion in full seed ready for a breath of wind to spread its seeds for another crop of happy yellow flowers.


I love the evidence that other creatures that call this their home as well. It makes me wonder where the beaver is that chewed this tree down and who it was that knocked down his dam.

I love the skeleton trees reaching towards the azure sky remembering better days when it was in full bloom like its healthy neighbor.

In all of these serendipitous occurrences I feel the tender mercies of a loving Heavenly Father who knows that this would be a very happy place for me to be.

I'm so excited...

... I could wet myself! That is how I started a phone call to Rebekah earlier this week! Our ward is putting together a ward cookbook. I've been part of this sort of thing before, but never on such a wonderful scale. This is going to be on a par with the Betty Crocker loose-leaf binder cookbook. So when I was asked if I would design the front cover of this book I was SO EXCITED!

I haven't done much scrapbooking (try any) since I finished my Digi: In Deep class in April. I've been totally wrapped up in the Family Search Indexing - Freedman Letters Project. (hmm, fodder for another post). I went to the web page giving the requirements for a custom cover for the cookbook and all I could see was LAYERED TEMPLATE! I was really excited then! I took a little time off from my computer work (entering recipes and FSI) and, well, did more computer work (computers are our friends!). I put together a layered template that was the basis for my final design.

But I was so excited about the possibilities I wondered if I could incorporate a photo of the actual Hobble Creek for the Hobble Creek Eighth Ward cookbook. I only live about a mile from it. So camera in hand I went on a little explore. I can never be around a creek that it doesn't take me back to may days in Greenville and all the happy times I spent down at Wolf Creek (Woff Crik) (hmm, more fodder). I got some lovely photos of the creek in its spring run-off state. The water was quite muddy and moving very fast. I didn't even want to put my tootsies in that icy cold water, so I didn't. I stayed happily on the bank and clicked away.

When I got back I went to work on a cover using a photo I taken and Ortonized for the cover, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted. Nice, but no cigar...

The next day as I was letting the idea percolate in my little brain while I was messing around with some design possibilities I was struck with THE IDEA! I wanted to incorporate that thing that typified recipes to me... my much loved and protected copy of my Mommy's favorite recipe: Tamale Loaf. The funny part about all of this is,as a child, I didn't even like this stuff! But it represents everything about how recipes effect me. I love to look at those recipes that are in my Mom's familiar handwriting and know how much love and time and effort went into preparing those special dishes. I can still see my Mom at our old white enamel gas stove cooking the cornmeal in a double boiler so it would burn (she used that same technique when she made her wonderful pumpkin chiffon pie).



I have included the recipe for said Tamale Loaf (aka Tamale Pie) in our upcoming HC8th ward cookbook, but I will also include it here for those who don't want to wait for the book.

TAMALE LOAF
Joanie's mom- Elsie Munce

1 lb. hamburger
1 lg. onion, diced

Fry until done. Drain.

1 c. salad oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can tomatoes
2 T. butter
2 c. cornmeal

Cook 15 minutes. Stir so it won't burn. Take from fire and add:

2 eggs, beaten
1 c. milk
1 can corn
1 can olives
2 T. Grandma's Pepper **
salt to taste

**(Grandma's Pepper is no longer available, but it is similar to a blend of chili powder and cumin with some black pepper mixed in. Experiment to get the taste you like) Bake 1/2 hour at 350°. Serves 11.

Elsie's notes on back of recipe card: Served on Dec 29, 1936. for 22 people-Double recipe for Tamale Loaf- serve with lime jello salad (4 pkgs. jello, pineapple, apple, carrot, celery) on lettuce leaf and hot rolls.

Note: My mom always used to make this dish when we were going to a potluck supper and there were never any leftovers! It is fun to share this with all of you. The original recipe card is used as part of the cover design.