Monthly Archives: November 2011

The Light Ekphrastic

Posted by Jackie in personal goals, poetry, writing and tagged with , , , , ,

Discovering my voice as a poet is an ongoing evolution for me, but in recent years, one aspect of my poetic practice that has become more and more clear is that I am often and fruitfully inspired by the works of other literary and visual artists. I’ve so enjoyed ekphrastic work and have felt such pride in the results of my work in this genre, and I’ve continued to mine this vein; one of the poems in my notebook uses The World According to Garp as jumping-off point, and another speaks of a three-cornered hat.  Someday, I’d love to try writing in response to music.

Higher Ground: A Century of the Visual Arts in...

Image by Knoxville Museum of Art via Flickr

This fall, a friend said I should check out the light ekphrastic, an online journal that pairs visual artists and poets, each creating a piece inspired by the work of the other, publishing the results in each edition. What a fantastic idea, right? So, I dug out three poems, had the same friend give me some helpful feedback, polished them up and sent them to the editor, Jenny O’Grady, a poet and book artist here in Baltimore.

Reader, she accepted them. Right now I’ve got several digital images of paintings from a talented artist and will be writing a piece inspired by one of them, while that artist works on a painting inspired by one of my pieces. The entire enterprise is so stimulating and exciting to me; what will I see in her work, and what will she see in mine? The potential is so rich, and I can’t wait to see the final pieces.

The issue with my work in it goes live in February–watch this space!

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Composing the Cookie List

Posted by Jackie in all about me, cooking and tagged with , , , , ,
A chocolate-chip cookie.

Image via Wikipedia

The time has come, the blogger said, to talk of many….cookies. Christmas cookies, to be specific, and which types I’ll be making this year.

Sure, there’s the pounds and pounds of butter and eggs and flour to buy and the hands-on work of making the cookies themselves, but before all that, you have to make some choices and decide which cookies you’ll be making and how many of each type. Variety is important, and in my mind, there are some key flavors that need to be represented: peanut butter, peppermint, chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, berries and or/cherries, citrus, and pecans or walnuts. You see how quickly the list starts to grow.

The amount of recipes that are available now are truly intimidating to me. You can find collections everywhere, from 25 days of Christmas cookies from time-tested groups, slideshows on holiday cookie suggestions and traditional, Martha-style. Even the classics get tweaked, like in this much-discussed brief history of the chocolate-chip cookie, complete with what is touted as the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever.

For the past few years, my girls and I have spent a day baking dozens and dozens of cookies–or to be most accurate, I spend the whole day and my kids come in and out as they please. These cookies then get distributed far and wide: neighbors, friends, teachers and co-workers all get their share, and the rest adorn our traditional family Christmas brunch. This is a tradition I inherited from my stepmother, who initiated me when I was younger than my girls are now and who did cookie swaps for years with her sisters. I’ve never taken part in a cookie swap, but I really love bringing this tradition to our family and handing out bundles of goodies each holiday season.

While I do use some recipes that are family ones, like my stepmother’s snickerdoodles and my grandma’s fudge, I also like to throw in new recipes each year to keep it fun and creative. Last year I debuted these almond shortbread with guava cookies, which were a huge hit, so they’re joining the rotation. I have two cookbooks dedicated specifically to cookies, so I’m going to look through those for inspiration, and I’ve got at least one holiday issue of a magazine to go through as well. Between these and some of my favorite food blogs, my challenge will be narrowing down.

Look for the final list in the next two weeks!

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Cooking with Pioneer Woman: Pizza Crust

Posted by Jackie in blogging, cooking and tagged with , ,
Pizza 1 bg

Image via Wikipedia (not my hands)

This weekend, we tackled our first recipe from my self-imposed Cooking with Pioneer Woman challenge. I say “we” because it ended up being a team effort, with my husband and Lucy both pitching in with me to make dinner for us all the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

For this first leap, I chose PW’s recipe for plain pizza crust, which is indeed a simple recipe, but includes something of which I am still very wary: yeast. I’ve had great luck with a focaccia recipe recently, but yeast is still intimidating, with the temperature, the foaming, the rising and doubling. Scary. We teamed the crust recipe with this easy pizza sauce from one of my favorite new websites, Foodie Parent. My husband stepped in to simmer and season the sauce and grate the cheese for the pizza; we ended up making a three-cheese and pepperoni version, with extra sharp cheddar, fresh mozzarella and parmesan. Lucy was a big help with the crust and also helped taste the sauce.

So, how did it go? Well, I think I messed it up a little; possibly my water was not warm enough so the yeast didn’t totally activate, or I cooled it at the wrong period (the recipe recommends leaving it in the fridge to “age”). Also, I left it thicker, because Lucy begged me, and the recipe is supposed to make two thin, chewy crusts; however, since I don’t think mine rose properly, I don’t think we could have gotten two crusts out of it. The end result was breadier that I think it’s designed to be.

Luckily, I was the only one who cared–everyone LOVED this pizza, and I will definitely be trying it again. I’m excited to try a BBQ chicken version, and maybe even PW’s favorite potato-leek. It’s fairly typical for PW recipes also; it doesn’t need fancy equipment and is not adventurous as far as taste. Instead, it’s relatively simple and versatile, with a fairly short prep time, which is helpful for someone feeding more than one palate in a limited amount of time.

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Holiday Cooking

Posted by Jackie in cooking and tagged with ,
Thanksgiving oven

Image via Wikipedia

As I post and blog a lot about cooking and baking and bring in treats to my school from time to time, people sometimes ask me what I’ll be making for Thanksgiving. The truth is that by the time you read this, I will have had a delicious gourmet Thanksgiving buffet and concert at the Garth Newel Music Center during our traditional trip to Bath County, Virginia and probably be back in Baltimore already.

Sometimes when I flip through the many magazines devoted to the Thanksgiving feasts, or see delicious menus with mouth-watering desserts I’d love to try, I get a little wistful. It seems like such a feat to pull off a feast for so many; I guess I think that I haven’t really earned my cook’s stripes if I haven’t sweated over a turkey and made buckets of mashed potatoes and green bean casserole.

But then I remember that I do cook for Christmas, which is quite a feast on its own. And then I remember the rolling hills, the warm springs, the crisp sheets I didn’t have to clean and the caramel French toast I didn’t have to make.  I remember the gorgeous music and incredible food in dishes I won’t have to clean, and I listen to my girls talk excitedly about the trip and how much they love it, how special it is as a family tradition.

And I realize I’m being silly, and how much I’m looking forward to the restful atmosphere, and how perfect it can be sometimes to experience the results without all the work beforehand.

Hope you had a restful holiday too.

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Thanks

Posted by Jackie in writing

Thanks
by W. S. Merwin

Listen
with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railings
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you
we are standing by the water thanking it
smiling by the windows looking out
in our directions

back from a series of hospitals back from a mugging
after funerals we are saying thank you
after the news of the dead
whether or not we knew them we are saying thank you

over telephones we are saying thank you
in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators
remembering wars and the police at the door
and the beatings on stairs we are saying thank you
in the banks we are saying thank you
in the faces of the officials and the rich
and of all who will never change
we go on saying thank you thank you

with the animals dying around us
our lost feelings we are saying thank you
with the forests falling faster than the minutes
of our lives we are saying thank you
with the words going out like cells of a brain
with the cities growing over us
we are saying thank you faster and faster
with nobody listening we are saying thank you
we are saying thank you and waving
dark though it is

A Little Princess

Posted by Jackie in book reviews, family life and tagged with , , , ,

I still have about twenty essays to grade, but I haven’t let that get in the way of planning a day of fun activities for my girls and I, and I won’t let it get in the way of knocking out a quick Sunday-morning post either.

Recently, Sophie came home from school talking about a book they were reading in class, about a princess named Sara Crewe, and I experienced a jolt of instant recognition. “You’re reading A Little Princess,” I said, “I loved that book!”

But the more we talked about it, the more dismayed I got. Turns out, what they are reading is a severely abridged version in their reading textbook, one that not only eliminates piles of minor characters (Lavinia, Becky, Lottie, Miss Amelia) but that also sanitizes the names of the characters that are left. Ermengarde becomes Erma, and Melchisedec becomes Melvin. We talked more about it, and they have learned a fair amount of vocabulary and report back some of the major events in the book and what they meant.  “Sara’s father dies when she is still really young,” Sophie said, “and that’s so sad.”

“It is,” I answered, “but when they told you the news, did you even care that much about Sara or what happened to her?”

They both shrugged, and I shuddered.

So we got out my old copy–which I had actually tried to read to them a few years ago, and they had rejected as “too sad”–and began to read it at nights.  They are totally hooked–hanging on every word, begging for more pages, asking questions and comparing impressions.  We have really been enjoying reading it together, in a way that we haven’t since we read the Harry Potter books together, I think. Next I think we’ll tackle The Secret Garden (Tasha Tudor illustrations), which I think they will also enjoy.

I understand the idea behind reading excerpts and not entire books in the lower grades (grudgingly), but truncating such a wonderful book so ruthlessly? Disappointing, to say the least.

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Essay Grading Jail

Posted by Jackie in teaching, writing and tagged with , , ,
Sentences v2

Image by L D M via Flickr

I am in the midst of grading the first major essays my ninth graders have written this year, and each time, I am reminded (and discouraged) by how complex grading is in writing.  There’s sentence-level errors in grammar and typing to detect, as well as sophistication of syntax to note.  A teacher must examine the argument developed and the overall execution of this argument, including global organization as well as organization at the paragraph level, including transitions from one idea to the next and one sentence to the next.  Next, that teacher must identify and evaluate the evidence a student has used in support of that argument, including proper selection, usage and citation of that evidence, which must be correctly and smoothly integrated into the student’s sentences.  Are the points made in clear and specific language? Does the student understand how to craft a correct sentence? Does the argument address the task at hand and show the student’s comprehension of the material?  Finally, does the writer actual construct an argument, or does she rely too heavily on summary and facts?

I don’t mind saying that it’s mentally demanding, as well as exhausting, to comprehensively assess each of these elements in comments that both illuminate and advise the student on these issues in ways that are rigorous yet supportive.

Simply put: I’m in grading jail, and it’s sapping my energy.

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HP 7: The End

Posted by Jackie in all about me

Because we are obsessed, we pre-ordered our very own copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 , which arrived in the mail this afternoon.

We hunkered down with blankets and grilled-cheese-and-bacon sandwiches and entered the magical world of Harry Potter again, swooping down on Hogwarts and experiencing every thrill again. We watched an epic battle about good and evil, love and courage. We snuggled together in the dark and relived it all together.

These are the times I cherish, and hope they will too.

Cooking with PW: Step One

Posted by Jackie in blogging, cooking, personal goals and tagged with , ,
Making The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

Image by CC Chapman via Flickr

So I went through the Pioneer Woman cookbook last night, getting ready to plan my challenge and made a three-column list: recipes I’ve made before, recipes I won’t want to eat, and recipes I will want to eat. I figure the recipes I’ve made before don’t NEED to be made again unless I feel like it, and the recipes I don’t want to eat will be good for either having a party, bringing to a party, or making for my husband (like the breakfast burritos, which I think he will love).

The totals are as follows:

Recipes I’ve made before: nine

Recipes I won’t want to eat: nineteen

Recipes I want to eat: twenty-eight

I think that at some point during this challenge, we’ll have a Tex-Mex night and invite some friends over, because that would take care of migas, sangria, pico de gallo, guacamole, Huevos de Hyacinth, chili and enchiladas (I might sub in these white chicken enchiladas, depending). Just to be clear, it’s not that I don’t like Tex-Mex food, it’s just that it’s often spicier than I can really handle, so I can’t have lots of leftovers hanging around. I think the perfect dessert for that party will be sopapilla cheesecake pie, which was a big hit at the tamale party.

I think also I might have a drinks-and-bites party, because that would take care of hot artichoke dip, olive bread, BBQ Jalapeno poppers, and burgundy mushrooms. That would be a good football menu too, so if you’re in the Baltimore area, invite us over to watch a game and I’ll bring some of these treats!  There’s also The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever, which seems perfect for a party, along with the prune cake, which has fascinated me since I first saw the recipe posted.

The more I think about this challenge, the more excited I am about it. The inspiration for parties is always welcome, and at least one of those menus would be a fun addition to the winter holiday season. Having new inspiration for main dishes is also exciting; I have no shortage of recipes, but with so many choices, I often default to the easiest or most familiar option. I think the focus of this challenge will help me find some new favorites and stretch my cooking skills; my chopping skills will certainly be stronger by the end of it.  I’ll also finally tackle the legendary Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls, which are somewhat intimidating but will be very satisfying to cross off the list.

Next step: figuring out what I want to cook first!

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Cooking With Pioneer Woman

Posted by Jackie in authors, blogging, book reviews, cooking, personal goals and tagged with , , ,
Cover of "The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipe...

Cover via Amazon

I’ve been a huge fan of The Pioneer Woman for years, and one of the biggest appeals for me has always been her cooking section, the source of many of my favorite recipes, from Twice-Baked Potatoes to French Breakfast Puffs. I like the hearty American style of most of her recipes, but even more importantly, I LOVE the amount of clear and detailed pictures she includes with each recipes, and her general “You can do it!” tone.  So when I first bought The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl, I had grand intentions of trying every single recipe in the book, and while I have tried a good handful, I have not made it through the whole book.

So when I realized that her next cookbook comes out in March, I knew that the time had come.

My mission: to cook every recipe in the first PW cookbook before the second PW cookbook comes out.

Now, this is no Julia and Julia style adventure, because PW’s book is not nearly that large and I’m not a disgruntled secretary looking for my life’s purpose. But I am a blogger looking for inspiration and more food-related posts, who also has to make dinner every day and is trying to cook more meals as opposed to “assembling” or re-heating them, and so I think this will perfectly fit the bill. I also think this is easily accomplish-able in the next four months or so, especially given that I’ll be able to knock out some of these recipes over the holiday break and already like the idea of having a Pioneer Woman Cooks party, where the menu features the recipes I need to make but probably won’t love (like her Olive Cheese Bread or Penne a la Betsy).

I feel the need to say here also that if you’re looking for a more gourmet-style cook-a-long, you might be better off with Tuesdays with Dorie or French Fridays with Dorie or even the International Incident Party. You could also follow Tasty Trix, one of my favorite food bloggers who has participated in all three, as well as many other tasty challenges.

However, if you’re a PW fan or even just a comfort-food fan, feel free to follow along!

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