My holiday season starts off in an amazing way every
Thanksgiving when so many generous readers respond to the
Pledge-a-Pie plea.
I am always surprised at how many people will put the time and
effort into baking or buying pies for someone they do not even
know.
My holiday season starts off in an amazing way every Thanksgiving when so many generous readers respond to the Pledge-a-Pie plea.
I am always surprised at how many people will put the time and effort into baking or buying pies for someone they do not even know.
Put it this way: pies are not easy. They’re a lot more work than a salad or a casserole. More ingredients, more time.
Nevertheless, every November, our wonderful readers pledge pies for the free dinner held at The Lord’s Table on First Street.
This year, Mariah Derry and Alex Marshall, seventh graders at Solorsano Middle School, helped me collect a record number of pies.
And what a bounty it was! All told, we received 181 pies of all kinds: berry, apple, mincemeat, peach, and, of course, pumpkin. Some were homemade and some were purchased.
All were appreciated. Everyone at the dinner got as much pie as they wanted and then whole pies were sent home with the families.
I wanted to share with you a few brief fun and touching moments that were associated with this year’s pie drive.
• Our youngest pie baker was Carlos, age 4. He marched into The Lord’s Table carrying his chocolate chip pie in both arms. He would not let anyone help him with it and proudly carried it up the stairs and placed it on one of the collection tables. Val Filice, who was busy cooking turkeys, came out to see how the pies were going. Val looked down at the boy, no taller than his knee, and asked in his booming voice if Carlos would like to see the turkeys. After viewing the 27 turkeys in the kitchen, he emerged with eyes big as saucers. “Mom, you should see it. The whole refrigerator is full of ’em.”
• The third grade classes at Antonio Del Buono are amazing! I only wish I had known about this story sooner because I would have been there. I think there are about six third-grade classrooms at ADB. The teachers and parent volunteers turned one of those classrooms into the pie baking center and routed all the third graders through. With help from Brenda Large in food services, the ovens at ADB were fired up to bake all of the pies. They baked enough so that every third grader got to eat a slice of their own pie – and they still had 27 left for the Lord’s Table. Thank you to the teachers for their bright idea and great coordination, the parents for donating the ingredients and their time, and the students who received more than a cooking lesson and gave more than pies.
• I appreciated the many e-mails that said things like this: “It wouldn’t feel like Thanksgiving if I didn’t bake a pie for The Lord’s Table.” “This is the start of our holidays and everyone in our family participates – even the teenagers.” “I am teaching my girls about giving and this is a perfect way for them to understand.” And, “I enjoy my Thanksgiving more after I drop off my Lord’s Table pie.” Many, many of the donors have brought pies for years in a row. Thank you again for helping.
I especially want to recognize the generous bakers and purchasers who brought the 181 beautiful pies: Jennifer Diego, Chris Bevilacqua, Carlos, the Ortiz family, Norma Heinrichs, Mary Britow, Ken & Sherry Hawks, Joyce Kuwada, Ransom Family, Judy Midrut, Heather Wales, Emily Castillo, Lucy Ruiz, the Wright family, Sammy Stone, Karle Smith, Debbie Mercado, Andrea Castro and children, Joanne Huff, Suzanne Barrett, Cindy Morsilli, the Dorn family, Nancy Fohner, Jeannie Chavez, Zachary Vaiana, Austin Vaiana, Trish McRae, Kelly Ramirez, Sherri Laveroni, Jan Paterson, Eva Rasmussen, Janice Filice, Patricia Midtgaard, anonymous, LeeAnn Blean, Juanita Lujan, Carla Mar, Diana Dragt, Sophie Gluhaich, the Peoples family, Karemar family, Patty McGill, Jessica Zappe, the Guinn family, Clemintine Regalado, Erwin & Barbara Boggs, Lynn Santos, Joan Buchanan, Michael Dowd, Jackie Stevens, Chris Maciel, Bernadette Simmonds, Dotty Stewart, Nan Fissel, Gene & Kathy Sakahara, Susanna Sotelo, Connie Rogers, Nancy Wagner, Jean Lance, Emelie & Stephanie Castille, Judy Mikrut, Dawn & Jerry Hanselka, Fran Hagenbuch, Heidi Gonzales, Pete & Lynn Kovach, Shelby Collinge, Judy Lazarus, the Bress family, Kathleen Tatro, Amanda & Molly Goldsmith, Jenna & Diane Stuenkel, Mary Lou Ramos, Camille Bagood, Rebecca & Alyssa Dickson, Phyllis Armenta & Bob Dillon, Alice Dufrayne Reyes, Rita Saso and Barbara Orth.
You are all wonderful and I thank you from the bottom of my heart forsharing your goodness with others.
And now for some recipes:
• Green beans: Tuck some beans next to your entrée to liven up the plate a bit. These are tangy with lemon and olive oil – simple, fresh and wonderful.
Green Bean Medley
1 lb. green beans
4-5 carrots, sliced
6 potatoes, medium-sized
1 medium onion
Juice of 1 lemon
4-5 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley
Step 1: Cut fresh vegetables, add enough water for cooking and cover.
Step 2: Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, until tender but not mushy.
Step 3: Drain vegetables from water and gently toss with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Step 4: Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
• Simple dessert: Please save this recipe. Use it for your family or for a time when someone special’s coming over, like one of those friends who enjoys simple pleasures, just like you. That’s what these are: a delightful, deceptively simple, delicious treat. Serve them cold, the colder, the better (but don’t freeze them). This recipe is from Susan Branch’s “Christmas from the Heart of the Home.”
Sweet Sliced Oranges
10 navel oranges
Grated rind of 1 lime and 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime and 1 lemon
2 T. sugar
Step 1: Peel 9 oranges as gently as possible and remove all the white pith – cut it off with a sharp knife.
Step 2: Grate the rinds of lemon and lime into a small bowl – again, no white pith.
Step 3: Add the juice of the remaining orange, and the juice from the lime and lemon. Blend in sugar.
Step 4: Thinly slice the oranges and arrange on a platter. Pour juice mixture over the oranges. Cover and refrigerate – baste every so often with accumulated juices.
• Steaks for good wine: Dana Sturdant of Morgan Hill tried this peppery steak recipe from Williams-Sonoma. She recommends serving it with a great Cabernet or a Bordeaux. Serve with mashed potatoes and a simple salad, such as sliced tomatoes and red onions.
Grilled Peppery Rib-Eye Steaks with Roquefort Butter
For the Roquefort butter:
2 oz. Roquefort, Gorgonzola or other blue-veined cheese
4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 T. cognac (optional)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
For the steaks:
2 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
2 T. olive oil
4 well-marbled rib-eye, porterhouse or New York
Strip steaks, each 8 to 10 oz. and 1 inch thick
Step 1: To make the Roquefort butter, in a small food processor, combine the cheese, butter, cognac and ground pepper. Process to combine thoroughly. (You can also do this by hand in a bowl.)
Step 2: Remove the butter mixture from the processor, shape into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Step: 3 To cook the steaks, in a small bowl, stir together the garlic, coarsely ground pepper and enough olive oil to form a thick paste.
Step 4: Place the steaks in a nonaluminum container and rub the paste evenly into both sides of the steaks. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour or refrigerate for up to 6 hours. If refrigerated, bring steaks to room temperature before grilling.
Step 5: Preheat your broiler, or prepare a fire in your outdoor grill. Place the steaks on the grill and cook, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until done to your liking. Transfer the steaks to plates.
Step 6: Cut the Roquefort butter into 4 equal pieces and place a piece on each steak. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Don’t use ipecac syrup for poisoning
Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics changed its recommendations regarding the use of ipecac syrup for poisonings. The Academy now recommends that ipecac syrup not be used in cases of accidental poisoning. This is an about-face from advice that has been handed down for years. I hope you will post the Poison Control Center phone number on your refrigerator or near the phone. The Academy recommends:
• Disposing of ipecac syrup by flushing it down the toilet.
• Preventing accidental poisonings by keeping household chemicals out of the reach of children and discarding old medications.
• If an accidental poisoning occurs, call the Poison Control Center immediately for instructions. The toll-free number is: (800) 222-1222. If your child is having convulsions, stops breathing or loses consciousness, dial 911.
• For further information, go to www.calpoison.org.
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
