French Chocolate Bark

On Sunday afternoon, I made a batch of Ina Garten's recipe for French Chocolate Bark 

for neighbor Christmas gifts.  So easy and so good!

8 oz. good semisweet chocolate chips or bar

8 oz. good bittersweet chocolate chips or bar

1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries

1/4 cup golden raisins

1.  Melt the 2 chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

2.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and draw a 9 by 10-inch rectangle on the paper.

3.  Pour the melted chocolate over the paper and spread to form a rectangle, using the outline. Sprinkle the cashews, apricots, cranberries, and raisins over the chocolate. Set aside for 2 hours until firm. Cut the bark in 1" by 3" pieces.  Store in a cool place and serve at room temperature.

First Dusting of Snow

We woke up to the season's first dusting of snow on Muskhog Peak.  Beautiful! 

Low Clouds

Much of the ranch was covered in low clouds today.  We got .30" of rain over several hours.  Papa let the horses into the house yard.  We love rare low clouds and rainy days on our desert ranch.

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

I've made these cookies every year at Christmas time for as long as I can remember, 

well over 30 years!  They are always good and easy to make.

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
makes 2 to 3 dozen

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar
3 dozen chocolate kisses

1.  Beat butter, peanut butter, 1/2 cup sugar and brown sugar until creamy.  Beat in egg and vanilla.
2.  Stir in flour, baking soda and salt; gradually adding to creamed mixture. 
3.  Place the 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.  Roll dough into 1" balls, then roll in sugar to coat.
4.  Place balls 2" apart on greased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
5.  While cookies are baking, take wrappers off chocolate kisses.  Remove cookies from oven and quickly top each with a chocolate kiss, pressing down a bit.
6.  Bake for 2 to 3 more minutes or until lightly browned.  Transfer to racks and let cool completely.  Store in airtight containers.

Twelve Days of Christmas

Over the past few years, I've prepared 12 Days of Christmas bags for our grandchildren.  This year's 12 Days crafts and activities include:

• pipe cleaner stars
• decorating napkins using holiday stamps
• jingle bell ponytail holders or doorbells
• sugar cookies with M and M trees
• gumdrop snowmen
• coloring Christmas scenes to use as wrapping paper
• singing Christmas carols with the family
• reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas with the family
• making Christmas cards for friends, using holiday stamps
• pipe cleaner icicle ornaments
• button ornaments

The bags also include 12 pairs of socks for each grandchild.  I wrapped 96 pairs of socks!  I hope Emily, Sarah, Toby, Greta, Emerson, Colby, Lauren, and Taylor enjoy their 12 Days of Christmas!

Cottonwood in Fall

We have a few cottonwood trees on the ranch, one in the canyon closest to the house.  Its leaves are yellow to green, with some of the leaves already falling.  It is providing beautiful fall color!

Company while Hiking Today

Colter came by midmorning, to ask Papa to go with him to check on boundary fence.  While they were out, I went on my daily hike.  I hiked down into the Buck Knob pasture.  Along the way, I felt as if I was being watched.  I looked up the hill, and a herd of deer was standing still, watching me.

I continued on my hike and turned around at the Buck Knob drinker.  Soon I heard voices, and Colter Lee and Traven appeared.  We hiked together, and they had foot races, back up the road toward home, until Colter came along to pick them up.  It was a treat for me!

As I got closer to home, a military helicopter was buzzing about.  It had done several circles and landings on Bald Ridge, then flew over our house before making a sharp turn toward the mountains.

Blanquette de Veau (Veal in Cream Sauce)

While traveling in France a few weeks ago, we ate at La Table Cathare, in Fanjeaux.  We ordered the plat du jour, Blanquette de Veau.  It was delicious!  After we got home, I searched online for the recipe.  Yesterday, I made this version, which is quite delicious!

Blanquette de Veau

Ingredients
3 pounds boneless veal or lean beef, cut into 1" chunks
1 bouquet garni (1 tsp. coriander seeds, 5 black peppercorns, 3 sprigs thyme, 2 whole cloves, 2 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, and 1/4 bunch parsley stems, wrapped in cheesecloth, tied with kitchen twine)
2 cups chicken broth
2 or 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices or julienned
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound mushrooms, rinsed, trimmed, and sliced
10 ounces pearl onions, peeled
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
cooked white rice, for serving
2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley, for serving

1.  Rinse meat and place in a 5 to 6 quart pan.  Add broth, carrots, and bouquet garni.  Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, then turn down heat to simmer gently until meat is tender when pierced, 1 - 1 1/2 hours.  Transfer meat and seasonings with a slotted spoon to another pan.  Discard bouquet garni.  Bring broth to boil, uncovered, over high heat until reduced to 3 cups.  (I prepared to this point then refrigerated broth with meat.  When ready to finish, I proceeded as follows.)

2.  Rinse and prepare mushrooms and onions.  In a 10" to 12" frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter, add mushrooms and onions, and cook, shaking pan often, until mushroom juices have evaporated and vegetables are beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.

3.  I placed meat and broth in a crock pot.  I turned crockpot to high for about 30 minutes to get meat hot.  Add mushrooms and onions to meat when hot.

4.  In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons water with flour until smooth, stir into boiling meat juices.  Add whipping cream.  Stir gently.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Turn down crockpot to low and leave for 3 to 4 hours.  Add lemon juice and stir before ladling stew into bowls.  Serve over white rice. 

December Sunrise

Happy Holidays 2014

Happy Holidays 2014!

We began January 2014 with Winter Roundup on the ranch.  The calves were weaned in January and sold in March.  Beef prices were at an all time high, so we are happy ranchers!  We had fence and water projects throughout the year.  Papa enjoys his horses; riding, shoeing, and giving them treats.  We hike daily and feel close to the seasons, the flora and fauna of Winchester Ranch.

Whitney visited the ranch in February with Toby and Greta.  We flew kites, rode horses, hunted rocks, and played in the creek.  In April, our whole family, 18 of us, gathered in Normandy, France, for an amazing week at a chateau.  We went to markets, visited cathedrals, went to the beach, and enjoyed long dinners together every evening.  We loved every minute!  Papa and I took the train to Paris for Easter weekend with my Mom, seeing the sights.  The next day, we flew to Vienna.  We took a train through Slovenia to Croatia.  We spent a week in Croatia, driving along the coast from the Istrian peninsula to Dubrovnik.  We flew on to the Netherlands for three days to see Keukenhof Gardens, while over 7 million tulips were at their peak.  It was an amazing trip!

The day after we returned from our trip, Colter broke his leg in a ranch rodeo.  Papa spent much of May and June, checking water across the ranch daily.  Our summer ranch roundup and branding went as planned the third week of July.  44 cowboys and cowgirls gathered close to 500 animals and branded over 200 calves on Branding Day.  I took lots of photos.

In early September we flew to Chicago for a few days with Audrey and her family, then to Dallas for a few days with Brian and his family.  Lulu spent the first week of October in Kentucky visiting her parents, then flew to NYC to spend time with Whitney and her family in NJ, and to attend Lulu's friend, Linda's daughter’s wedding.  Papa’s 50th High School reunion was in mid October and he enjoyed reconnecting with old friends.  We left the following day on a month long trip to Europe.  We flew to Rome, went to the Sistine Chapel in the morning, then boarded a two week cruise, with stops in Sicily, Malta, Crete, Santorini, Athens, Ephesus, and ending in Istanbul.  After a couple days in Istanbul, we flew to Tbilisi, Georgia to spend a week with Claire and her family, and to see the sights.  We flew back to the south of France for a week, staying in three B and B’s; on the Canal du Midi, in a castle, and on a farm we had been to before.  We returned to the ranch the week before Thanksgiving.

We stay busy when we’re not traveling.  We volunteer at the Boys and Girls Clubs on Tuesdays, so we spend a couple days each week in Tucson.  We have attended several guitar concerts through the year at UA.  We enjoyed the Tucson Book Festival in March.  We went to the Sonoita Rodeo over Labor Day Weekend and we went to Phoenix in August, staying a few days at The Boulders.  We try to stay fit, and that seems to take more time as we get older!  We are fortunate Colter continues to manage the ranch, and we enjoy dinners and time with him, 
Carly, Madilyn, Colter Lee, and Traven.  

Whitney and her family are joining us for Christmas at the ranch.  2014 has been a good year for us!  We hope it has been a good year for you too!  

Love,
Lulu and Papa