DEER FAMILY FEEDING - FIRST FIRE - VINTAGE CARVING KNIFE SET - DORA'S KITCHEN AND RECIPES (1) - JIBBER JABBER

 

Early morning mist and a family of 9 deer grazing on new grass. There are 9 but somehow one has escaped this photo. Noticeably cooler now, long pants, sweat shirts and warm socks and shoes. Fingers remembering the cold and the time back in a warm house before all the cold numbness goes away. No complaints though as the heat from this past summer still in the memory banks. Cats are eating often and starting to put on weight. Blankets have been added to their "cat houses" and they are back to snuggling for naps and night-time sleeping.

Dusted the burning ring orifices in the propane fire place this morning using a small air compressor and then fired it up for the first time. We will soon be using this daily now to take the morning chill out of the house and warming when temperatures start to become winter-like. The bride tells me to keep it on for awhile as it is noticeably cooler in the front room. Talk of some homemade soup for dinner.

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Vintage meat carving/serving fork, knife and sharpening stone.

These three kitchen tools were used by my grandparents on the mother's side and then at home by my mother and father since the 1940's. We found them cleaning out a few of the kitchen drawers and my plan is to clean and sharpen. Seems fitting they should be used this coming Thanksgiving on the turkey, on the Christmas prime rib and ham. The carving knife is noticeably thin and I am hoping I can bring back a good edge on it. 

I still have vivid memories of these kitchen tools in the hands of my mother and father slicing and delivering good eats to the dinner tables. You will see these again here over the holidays.

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DORA'S KITCHEN (1)

Considering a new weekly blog entry called "Dora's Kitchen."

Several hundred recipes stored at random in a large shoe box to choose from along with old cook books also filled with handwritten recipes. These are in her own hand writing from the 1940s forward. Some from the "Old Country" of her parents (Russian immigrants) and my father's parents (Oslo Norway immigrants).

Fati' Man (pronounced) from Fattigmann (poor man's cookies), the Norwegian spelling and cookie recipe.  FATTIGMANN can be googled for recipes, but this one below is handed down from my father's mother to my mother and now to me. I believe this recipe was brought from Norway when they immigrated. My mother adapted the basic recipe to her and dad. I bet it was my father that doubled the amount of whiskey called for in the original recipe. 

I have vowed for years and years to make these Christmas cookies and finally, with my wife's help we will soon test this recipe along with applying memories of my parents making these. It was a team effort by my mother and father and instructions to me then were to stay out of the way.  

There are two reasons why I/we am/are going to put in the time to try making these cookies. First is to keep some family history alive and share it. Second is for that finished cookie flavor. These cookies never ever lasted more than two days between my mother, father and me eating them. No matter how big a batch. There was never any left over to share with anyone else. They were seasonal Norwegian Christmas cookies and an integral part of the Christmas spirit in our home. 

Making these cookies is no small undertaking. After quick frying these cookies in a cast iron skillet, they were set out to dry on paper towels and the lightest coating of powdered sugar spread over the tops. Mom also rolled the dough out thinner than those I have seen on the net. 

I will elaborate more on this recipe during our first attempt making these cookies in the weeks ahead. 

 

JIBBER JABBER

What to believe anymore is getting more difficult for me. Europe is burning. I have no clue as to what the truth is about the oil crisis, but dribbling gas into the Ford truck is a couple weeks of groceries for us.  We are going to vote this morning and I am numb yet hopeful.

Google says that AI is not sentient.  If I was a betting man, I would hold off on betting that it still is not. If you are looking for an hours entertainment that opens some doors to all of this via a television program, check out episode 2 of CUPERTINO now streaming on Paramount +. Take the time to watch that episode.

First world problems still come to visit here at night in the form of armadillos and every morning the build-up of pine needles poke harder at my chest.

The sun is up, the family of deer are out feeding across the road and yard work beckons in all quadrants. Three things I understand!

Appreciate the visit this week.