Recent Read - A Thousand Sisters

A Thousand Sisters - Lisa Shannon

In 2004, Lisa Shannon watched an episode of Oprah featuring a segment on the plight of women in The Democratic Republic of Congo.  Reporter Lisa Ling and Women for Women International founder Zainab Salbi both spoke about when they had seen in the Congo and how little the rest of the world was doing to change things.  Would anyone step up to the plate?

Lisa, haunted by what she had heard, took on the challenge.  She started Run for Congo Women, a solo endeavor in the first years, to raise money for sponsorships.  She studied the causes of the conflict.  She met with politicians and the leaders of non-governmental-organizations to learn what she could do.  And one day, she decided she must visit Congo to see for herself the “worst place on earth to be a woman”.

A Thousand Sisters is the story of her visit:  Her interviews with sisters that were sponsored with money she had raised.  Her journeys to villages where massacres had taken place.  Her interactions with  soldiers on all sides of the conflict.  Her encounters with Congolese of varying experiences and outlooks.

A person could not help but be changed by such an experience.  Lisa’s journey strengthened her resolve to work tirelessly toward making life better for women of the Congo.  Her retelling of it can serve to inspire us to take part in the struggle as well.

www.runforcongowomen.org

Recipe - Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars

This recipe comes from www.Annies-Eats.com.  Thank you, Annie!  Please visit her website to follow her adventures in the kitchen.
I've made these several times, to rave reviews.  You have to plan ahead, as each layer needs to cool before you add the next, but the time is well worth it!

Shortbread Layer:
1 c soft butter
1/2 c sugar
2 c flour
2 t baking powder
   Cream butter and sugar, then stir in flour and baking powder.
   Press into a well-greased 13x9 pan.
   Bake at 350 for about 16 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Caramel Layer:
1 c butter
1 c sugar
1/4 c light corn syrup
2 can sweetened condensed milk
   Combine in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until a deep caramel color.
   Stir continuously!!
   (a commenter on Annie's blog recommends cooking to soft ball stage)
   Pour over shortbread layer and chill thoroughly.

Chocolate Layer:
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 T light corn syrup
1/2 c butter
   Combine in a double boiler over simmering water, stirring, until smooth.
   Pour over caramel and spread smooth.
   Let cool about 5 minutes.
flaked sea salt
   Sprinkle over chocolate layer and chill until ready to serve.
 
   Cut with a thin knife - dip in hot water between cuts.
 

Good Works - Women for Women International

Women for Women International is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities to women in war-torn areas of the world.  Women are often the forgotten victims of war; they are usually not active participants, but their lives are disrupted in significant ways.  Their husbands are often killed or away fighting.  They become refugees when their villages and homes are destroyed.  They are brutalized by that most terrible of war tactics, rape.

Most of these women are responsible for the care of one or more children; usually their own, but often those of extended family or neighbors.  With war disrupting the local economy – and many of these regions already in dire economic straits – the usual means of supporting one’s family are gone.

Women for Women helps women in these areas through and sponsorships.  Sponsoring a woman gives her a little money each month to support herself and her children: to purchase food, to pay school tuition and hospital bills.  Another portion of the monthly sponsorship is set aside in a savings account that she receives at the end of the one-year program.  The remainder is used to provide educational programs in healthcare, basic rights, reading and math, and small business skills.  The goal is for the woman to have a more solid footing in life and a means of supporting herself and her family.

I have been sponsoring one woman each year for the past three years.  Women for Women works in Nigeria, Kosovo, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and I chose the Congo.  My current Congolese sister is Pascasie Shakuru Ntaganda.  I have just been matched with her and don’t know too much about her yet, other than she is married and is caring for three children.  Besides monthly monetary support, sponsors are encouraged to write to their sisters.  It is awkward at first, because you feel it is bragging to describe your vastly more comfortable life to a person who has so little, but W for W assures us that the women enjoy hearing about us and seeing photos.  Mostly, they want to know that someone out there is thinking about them and cares about them.

Please visit their website and consider sponsoring a woman in need.

Women for Women International

Recipe - Applesauce

Applesauce

Recently, Mom and I made applesauce. Homemade applesauce beats the store stuff hands down, as far as I’m concerned.    Making applesauce is incredibly easy, but I will outline the steps here for anyone who has not tried it before.

The Apples:

Start with the right apples.  You want an apple that will “cook down”; that is, will effectively disintegrate over heat.  If you buy your apples from a farm stand, ask the proprietor for suggestions.  We used MacIntosh, out of nostalgia – we made our applesauce from Macs for decades when we lived in New York, so to us it has the “right” flavor.  If you don’t mind a little extra work, you can certainly use seconds or drops for applesauce – you’ll just need to spend a little extra time trimming off any blemishes.

Prepping the Apples:

Pare and core the apples, cut into chunks and fill up a large soup pot.  Cutting the apples smaller means less cooking time for them to cook down, resulting in a “fresher” flavor.  Our pot held about 10 lbs of apples (weighed while they were still whole).

Cooking:

Add a little water to prevent scorching.  For our batch, I added about one cup.  Turn the heat to medium low and put the cover on.  Stir every 5 minutes or so, to move the top apple pieces down to the bottom.  Continue to cook until the applesauce reaches the consistency you like.  This year, we decided to make ours a little chunky, so we stopped cooking while there were still some visible pieces in the sauce.  I then used a potato masher to get the chunks to a more uniform size.

The Question of Additives:

Here is where personal taste comes in to play.  Some people like their applesauce a little sweet, so you can add sugar (white or brown) at any time in the cooking process.  Just be sure to put it in early enough so it has time to dissolve completely.  And some people like some spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves are good choices.  If you are using whole spices, tie them in a cheesecloth bag and put in the pot at the start of cooking; if you are using ground spices, stir them in at the end.  I am an applesauce purist, so I don’t add anything.

Then what?

If you’ve made a small batch, just put in containers and keep in the fridge.  If you’ve made a lot, you probably want to can it.  See my post on canning for how this works.  Process applesauce for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.  

Our 10 pounds of apples resulted in about 7 pints of applesauce.

Lifestyle - Canning

Canning

The canning process can seem intimidating at first, but once you’ve gone through it once or twice, it becomes pretty simple.  I have my friend Sherry to thank for walking me through it the first time.  Putting up jars of fruits, vegetables, jams, and sauces is a really satisfying endeavor, and it’s easy to get hooked!  They make great gifts and, depending on where you source your raw materials, can save you money as well.

Equipment

really big pot:        this is what you’ll boil the jars in; look for the speckled enamel ones    

canning funnel:     helps you get stuff into the jars without making a huge mess

jar lifter:               a specialized device for putting jars into boiling water and getting them out

Keep an eye out for kits that contain the above items – they can be a good deal.  Or you can find these things at garage sales or thrift shops.

small pot:               this is what you’ll sterilize the lids and rings in

small tongs:           to get the lids and rings out of the hot water and onto the jars

ladle/slotted spoon:       for getting the goods into the jars

jars:                         regular- or wide-mouth;  you can buy new or find at garage sales or thrift shops

lids and rings:        you can re-use the rings, but you’ll need new lids each time you can

Process

Prepare the yummy thing you are canning.  You’ll need to gauge at what point to start the next steps based on how long your yummy thing will take to be ready.  But the next three things can be kept “on hold” if they are ready before your yummy thing is, so I would start them earlier rather than later.

Fill the big pot with water, deep enough to cover your jars.  Keep in mind that the jars will displace some of the water, so you don’t have to go overboard.  Start the pot heating, as this can take quite a while.

Put your jars in the dishwasher and run a hot rinse/dry cycle to sterilize them.  Leave them in there till you’re ready to fill them.

Put the rings and lids into the small pot and cover with water.  Put on low heat and bring them to not quite a simmer.  Keep warm over a low flame.

Retrieve jars from the dishwasher, being careful not to touch the inside surfaces. I put them on a folded towel, both to catch drips and protect my countertop from hot jars.

Using the funnel and ladle/slotted spoon, fill the jars with your yummy thing, leaving about 1/2” room at the top.  Wipe off any drips that get on the top edge.

Using the small tongs, place a lid on each jar.  Then a ring.  Tighten the ring, but don’t crank down on it.

Using the jar lifter, place the jars into the big pot at a full boil. Set a timer for the required processing time. How long you need to process depends on what you are canning.  Your recipe should tell you, or you can find lots of resources online.

When the timer goes off, pull the jars out.  I place them on another folded towel to cool.  You’ll likely hear many of the lids “pop” as they seal.  Give them about 10 minutes or so, and check that they have sealed: if the top does not depress when you press on it, you have a good seal.

Label and place in the larder.  Congratulations!

 

Recipe - Garlic Shrimp

Garlic Shrimp

Jim is out of town, and those of you who know me know what that means: Garlic Shrimp! Since this is a solo event, I'll be describing the recipe for one.  Two, if you're feeling generous.

1/4 - 1/3 lb fresh shrimp
   Use whatever size you prefer.  Peel the shrimp and toss with a little olive oil and red pepper flakes.  Set aside.

5 - 6 cloves garlic, peeled
   Place in a foil packet with a little olive oil.  Seal the packet, poke a hole in the top, and roast in the oven at 325 for about 45 minutes  The garlic should be lightly browned and soft.  Mash with a fork.

1/4 cup dried tomatoes
1/2 a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped coarsely, together with 1/2 the marinade
   Let sit in a small bowl until ready to use.

Cook the shrimp quickly in olive oil until done and slightly browned.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add garlic, dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts to pan and heat through.

Medium-sweet white wine (like a moscato or pinot grigio)
   Deglaze the pan with the wine. 

Plain dry bread crumbs.
   (This is where it gets weird, but stick with me)
   Add bread crumbs and white wine to the pan alternately, stirring well, until you have the amount of sauce you want.
 
   Add the shrimp back into the sauce.

Cooked pasta
Shredded parmesan cheese
Toasted pine nuts
   Put pasta in a serving dish.  Top with sauce and shrimp. 
   Garnish with parmesan and pine nuts.

   Enjoy with what's left of the wine!

Lifestyle - grocery shopping

Cooking is one of my favorite activities, and I will spend hours in the kitchen putting dishes and meal together. Some of the more mundane tasks that lead up to cooking, however, simply beg to be simplified and streamlined. Here is how I tackle one of them:

The Grocery List

I am not one to scour the ads and run to several stores all over town. I have figured out which store in my area has the lowest prices overall and go there every week. Since I am familiar with the layout of the aisles, it is easy for me to write my grocery list in order of how I walk through the store. This eliminates doubling-back to get things, or missing something altogether. Most weeks I do walk through all the aisles, doing a quick check for specials; but if I’m in a hurry, my list tells me exactly which aisles I need to hit and which ones I can skip.

A few years ago I inherited a hand-held electronic device from my husband. There was a “Notes” app on there and it turned out to be the perfect thing for my grocery list. Because it is electronic, I can insert items as I add them, keeping my list in store-aisle order. Saves paper, too!

Of course, the application of Murphy’s Law has resulted in my grocery store undergoing a remodel, and they are in the process of moving everything . . . LOL!