Why I Love Father Tim and the Folks from Mitford

When life seems crazy and when I feel tired, discontent or a little bit ornery, I like to curl up on the couch for a few hours and go to Mitford.  I know Mitford isn't a real town, but I want it to be and I want to live there!   Visiting this mountain town and it's residents is like a breath of fresh air to me. I get completely caught up in the lives of Father Tim, Cynthia, Dooley and Puny.  Then there's Miss Sadie, Uncle Billy and Rose Watson, Emma and Esther.  I love them all!  This book just makes me smile...

That's why I suggested it for a recent book club meeting.  I wanted to read it again and I wanted all my friends to get to know these characters for themselves.  I knew we would have a great time discussing the book and there would be so many options for refreshments.  There's a lot of good eating that goes on in this town!  In fact, there's even a cookbook that has recipes for all the delectable Mitford fare.  I thought purchasing this would help me decide what to  prepare and since I have a slight weakness for cookbooks, it was amazing how quickly I talked myself into it.   It is a great cookbook though and it's almost as much fun to read as the novel.

 After this latest reading, I've been trying to decide what it is I love so much about this series.  Oh, did I mention there's nine books in the series?  (Yes, and I've read them all. )  Here's what I've come up with.

*First of all, Father Tim is adorable.  I love his sweet, kind manner, his desire to serve his friends in Mitford (those who belong to his parish and everyone else too), his humility and graciousness.  The first  page finds him arriving at his office, uttering the prayer that he's offered at it's door every morning for twelve years, "Father, make me a blessing to someone today, through Christ our Lord, Amen."  Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all said that same prayer each day?  This book is full of people showing love to one another and meeting each other's needs.  

*This make believe town is small enough that people can walk to their destinations.  In fact, Father Tim gave up his car for Lent and for seven years, walked everywhere he needed to go.  I once lived in a small town in Vermont and because we were young marrieds and poor, found myself in a similar situation.  We only had one car and Mark drove to work most days.  If I wanted to go somewhere, I put Travis in the stroller and we walked.  Our quaint little town had a village green and the longest covered bridge in Vermont.   It was really wonderful.  Gosh, I could go back and live that time over again.  

*People correspond with each other through letters.  With life moving at a hectic pace, to receive a handwritten letter is truly a gift.  Father Tim's Bishop sends him hand written letters and the joy with which they are received is touching.  I feel excitement when I pull a card or letter from my mailbox.  I know someone has sacrificed time on my behalf, when it's so much easier to send an email or text.  Those forms of communication have their place, but a thoughtful hand written letter can be enjoyed over and over.

* Friends in Mitford entertain each other around the dinner table.  Having a dinner party is another simple pleasure that seems to have gone by the wayside in our busy lives.  Taking the time to plan and prepare a meal and sit down with friends to eat is one of life's greatest pleasures.  A pot of homemade soup and a loaf of bread can be a feast with the right company.  I want to do more of this.

*Time in nature is seen as necessary and restorative to the soul.  When Father Tim needs a much needed break, he takes a walk in the woods or visits his friend's farm where he can be outside and enjoy nature.  We miss so much when we don't step out of our doors and breathe in fresh air and turn our faces to the sun.  

* Faith in God is central in the lives of the folks of Mitford.  Even though some might find this story too sweet and idyllic, there are a number of difficult and real life issues that some of the people are struggling to overcome.  A child and his siblings who have to be placed in separate homes because their alcoholic mother can no longer care for them, a woman dying of cancer, a lonely widow and a thief who is running from the law are just a few of the situations in which Father Tim finds himself involved.  He seeks inspiration on behalf of each of them and helps them turn their problems to the Lord.  I love the constant reminder that God is in control.

*People make time for each other.  Whether it's lunch at the local diner or a visit on the front porch, people take the time to talk with one another.  Today's "friends" are becoming names and pictures on a Facebook page, while real friends are genuinely interested in each other's lives and having face to face conversations.  Again, I think busyness is the enemy to relationships.  It takes intentional effort to step outside of our agendas and spend real time with someone else. 

*Reading is valued.   Father Tim loves C.S. Lewis, Oswald Chambers and poetry by Wordsworth. He likes to hang out in the local bookstore and discuss great books. He keeps a commonplace book where he records his favorite quotes and thoughts from others.  I don't think there's one mention of anyone watching tv in this series, although I'm sure they do.  These folks are into living life, not watching others live life on the screen.  

*Hard work is considered a virtue.  People in Mitford don't expect a handout, they work for what they get.  From Father Tim's hard working housekeeper to the young Dooley who works after school to earn money for a much desired bicycle, everyone is hard at work on something.  

*The folks in Mitford take care of their own.  One of my favorite parts of the book is when every church is represented at Homeless Hobbs shack for Thanksgiving, bearing gifts of food for the poorest in Mitford.  The sick are visited in the hospital and the elderly are ensured comfortable homes.  The folks look out for one another, just as they should.  

I don't know about you, but I would love to live in a place like this.  I guess I enjoy life a little on the old fashioned side.  I know, I know, this is just make believe, but couldn't we try harder to make our own towns a little more like Mitford?   This is what we talked about at our book club meeting and I for one plan to work on each one of these areas.  After discussing the book, we sat around my dining room table and indulged in Esther Bolick's famous Orange Marmalade Cake.  As I spent the afternoon making the cake, I thought it couldn't really be good enough to be worth all the trouble- three "from scratch" layers, soaked in orange syrup, layered with orange marmalade, with a whipped cream frosting.  But the first bite proved me wrong.  It was definitely a delicious cake worthy of Mitford fame.

Spring Blessings

First week counting...
                                    when I share entries from my Gratitude Journal

2041- pumpkin bread spread with cream cheese

2042-watching ducks swim on our pond

2043- thunder

2044- the first daffodils

2045- the clean scent of freshly mopped floors

2046- my husband walking through the door, loaded down with fresh flowers

2047- knitting with Kenzie

2048-soaking up the sun on the first day of spring

2049-waking up to a blanket of snow

2050- reminiscing about shared adventures with Carol

2051- a cup of chamomile tea in the afternoon

2052-puffy, down jacket with furry hood to warm my ears!

2053- the tingle of rosemary mint shampoo

2054- three layer cake on wedding china

2055- followed promptings from the spirit

2056- pickles and bread- gifts for the hostess

2057- sweet memories

2058- colored eggs

2059- hot cross buns

2060- Easter table

2061-double chocolate milanos

2062- tulips

2063- celebrating Carol's life with family and friends

2064- a thoughtful card from Cindy

2065- hands in the dirt

"Wherever you are, be all there".

Elizabeth Elliot

Banana Pudding Love

For the past four months I've been eating citrus fruits and enjoying them thoroughly.  Winter is citrus season and I try really hard to eat food "in season" and as "local" (meaning at least from this side of the country!) as possible.  With the exception of that Texas red grapefruit (that really is soooo delicious), I've done a pretty good job with this endeavor.  Along with the oranges and grapefruits, I can still find Henderson County apples in the stores and I have bags of berries that I grew, coming out of my freezer.  I've  carefully rationed those SC peaches (that I canned in the summer) and I think it's possible that I might make them last until it's time to pick peaches again.  Let me tell you, this has been an exercise in discipline.  Now that spring's here, the thoughts of local strawberries, followed by every other berry and melon is weighing heavily on my mind.  I'm so ready for them! 

Now, let's talk bananas.  One would think bananas have no special season, because they are always available. They seem about as american as apples and oranges, so we might forget  that they've had to do some hard traveling before they appear in our stores.  Don't get me wrong, I like bananas just fine.  But when I start to reach for them, I think twice about how far they've had to come and usually put them back.  I'd rather support farmers a little closer to home. Thank you Florida for being on my side of the country!  But this bag of organic bananas marked downed to $1.50 crumbled my resolve, because I'm also a sucker for a really good deal.  By the time I was at the checkout counter, I had already developed my plan for how I was going to use all those bananas.  Top of the list was to make a banana pudding.  So now I'm ready to step off my "locavore" soapbox and show you how to make a dreamy dessert.

Banana pudding is a southern speciality.  I grew up eating it in my home and had it at my Nana's more times than I could count.  Every potluck seems to have at least one pudding among the spread and because it's such a comfort food, it is graciously offered to those who are on the receiving end of compassionate service.  Admittedly, it won't take away your problems, but it might just help you to forget them for a few minutes. 

There are a couple of different methods for making this delicacy.  Some involve jello pudding, a can of sweetened condensed milk and cool whip.   I've tried them all.  But believe me when I tell you, there is no substitute for the real thing, made with home made vanilla custard.  You might question how a dessert that has three main components, namely bananas, cookies and custard, could make a grown woman swoon, but I'm telling you, it's that home made custard!  It's amazing!  And, it's not hard at all to make.

In a medium pot over low heat, I mixed sugar with cornstarch and slowly added milk.  I think whole milk works best, but we only drink skim milk, so since I had some half and half that needed to be used...   You know where this is going, don't you?  

Directions also call for this to be made in a double boiler, but I don't have one of those either, so I just kept a close eye and stirring hand nearby and it worked fine for me.

I separated four of my lovely eggs (thank you little red hens),

reserving the whites for the meringue.

When the milk began to thicken, I took a small amount and added it to the egg yolks to heat them a bit before adding to the milk.  This is called tempering and prevents the yolks from scrambling in the hot milk.  Don't skip this step, because scrambled eggs are not what we're going for here.  At this point, pour the eggs into the milk, stir and cook a couple more minutes.   

Off of the heat, I added a half a stick of butter

and a teaspoon of vanilla,  stirring until the butter had melted.

Then of course, you must taste test, just to make sure it turned out the way it's supposed to.

Holy moly is this stuff good!  Now quickly, before you are tempted to just pour it in a bowl and go at it with a spoon, begin to layer the ingredients.

  Start with a little custard on the bottom,

add bananas next,

and top with Nilla wafers.  Yes, use Nilla's, 'cause they are the best!  I like to go heavy on the wafers, because that's Mark's favorite part.  It doesn't matter how many I put in the pudding, he still pulls the box from the cabinet and adds more to his bowl.

Then just keep on layering until you run out of custard.

Sometimes people stop at this point and call it a done deal.  But I think the top looks a little naked and I like meringue on my pudding.  I'm sorry to say, there are those individuals who don't like meringue and even go so far as to call it "cow slobber", (can you imagine?), but I'm of the opinion that if you don't like it, it's easy enough to push to the side.  This cook likes it! 

I whipped up the egg whites with cream of tartar and a little sugar, until I had some nice peaks.

I slathered it all over the top, trying to seal the edges as best I could.  In a 350 degree oven I baked it for about ten minutes, until it looked

like this.  Now, tell me, isn't that just lovely?

It almost looked too pretty to eat, and even though it's not nearly as photogenic spooned into a bowl, oh my gosh, does it taste good!  You might even be tempted to lick the bowl if no one's looking.  I prefer my pudding a little on the warm to room temperature side, although if I'm lucky enough to have any left over, I wouldn't object to a few bites from the refrigerator as a late night snack.

Banana Pudding

3/4 cup sugar

2 T. cornstarch

3 cups milk

4 egg yolks

1 t. vanilla

1/2 stick butter

sliced bananas

Nilla wafers

Mix together sugar and cornstarch.  Slowly add milk and cook over medium low heat,

stirring constantly, until it thickens.  (This takes a little while)  Slightly beat the egg

yolks and temper with a small amount of the hot milk.  Add egg mixture to milk and 

cook for about two minutes.  Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.  Stir.  Let

cool slightly before layering.  Layer custard, bananas, and wafers in at least two layers.  

Top with meringue.

Meringue

3 egg whites

1/4 t. cream of tartar

1/4 cup sugar

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar.  Slowly add sugar and beat until peaks form.

Spread onto pudding and bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until meringue is browned.

February's Preparedness Goals

Check out the preparedness tab at the top of the page to see what I accomplished in February and what I'm working on this month.  I'm loving these spring days that lure me out to begin working the soil.  Planting begins soon!

How To Make Beef Stock and A Killer Beef and Barley Soup

Making your own beef or chicken stock is really easy.  All it takes is a few basic ingredients and time.  I keep bags with onion peels, carrot and celery scraps in my freezer.  Whenever I'm cooking dinner and use any of these items, I just add the scrap pieces to the bag.  Over time, I have enough to make stock.  

When I order my local beef, I always have a few packages of soup bones.  Today, that's what I used to make my stock, but you can use any leftover beef bones, from steaks or roasts that you've cooked.  Just keep them in the freezer in a bag, just like the vegetables, until you're ready to use them.

Raw meat does not a pretty picture make, but I wanted you to see the whole process.  I started out with cold water and added the soup bones to the pot.  Some proteins only dissolve in cold water and albumin is one of them.  Albumin helps clarify the stock, and that means it looks nicer when you're finished.  Just a little stock trivia for you.

I added the rest of the contents of my vegetable crisper to the veggies in the freezer bags. Carrots, celery and onion are the makings of mirepoix, which are the flavorings for stocks and lots of other wonderful foods.  Here's a more detailed article about mirepoix (in case your interested).   Real, honest to goodness, chef people, would use exact proportions of these three depending on the type of stock they were making.  Frugal homemakers like me just use what they've got.

Now you pretty much forget about it and just let it cook for a long time.  The flavors blend and the liquid will concentrate and after a few hours (or more) on a low temperature it will be done.  I was running short on time today and wasn't able to cook this as long as I would've liked, but this is what I ended up with after straining all the meat and vegetables - almost three quarts of stock.  I put it in the refrigerator overnight and used it the next day to make soup.  You can see the layer of fat that accumulates on the top.  Just take that right off before using.

The next day:  I cut up a piece of sirloin into chunks.  Again, sorry about the raw meat picture, but this is actually some really pretty meat (as meat goes).

I browned it in a little oil in my dutch oven.

Then I added my beef stock

and barley, along with some water and let it cook for about an hour.  

Next I chopped up celery,

carrots and onions (aka, mirepoix) and added them to the pot.

After another forty-five minutes of cooking time, the veggies and meat were fork tender and I stirred in some frozen green peas.  I loved this soup!  It was hearty and absolutely perfect for dinner on a cold evening. With a rustic loaf of bread, you've got a meal that sticks to your ribs.  You can get the recipe here if you'd like to try it yourself.  

The leftovers were even better the next day...

Seeking to See Him Every Day

First week counting...

                       when I share entries from my Gratitude Journal

2011-new lights for the kitchen

2012- a poinsettia that's still blooming

2013- a surprise gift in the mail

2014- lavender scented soap

2015- listening to him sleep

2016- red flannel pajamas

2017- snuggling puppies

2018- butter pecan milkshakes with dad

2019- Birthday celebrations

2020- Valentine's candy in a heart shaped box

2021- pruned fruit trees

2022- thank you cards

2023- bracelets with silver hearts

2024- snow flurries

2025- a hot shower

2026- walking with the dogs down to the pond to feed the fish

2027- baby's breath in blue pottery

2028- love notes on heart shaped post-its

2029- pink sunrise

2030- a single red rose in a bud vase

2031- help from Kenzie at my training meeting

2032- lunch at PF Changs

2033- having Dad and Yvonne as house guests

2034- a "sister call" for pimento cheese recipe

2035- sharing ideas with a room full of primary teachers

2036-a clean desk

2037- warming my hands over the toaster

2038- a taste of summer on bread (strawberry jam)

2039- being tucked into bed when you're sick

2040- an "accident free" day for the puppies

"Life is this simple:We are living in a world  that is absolutely transparent, and God is

shining through it all the time. This is not just a fable or a nice story.  It is true.  If we 

abandon ourselves to God and forget ourselves, we see it sometimes, and we see

it maybe frequently.  God shows Himself everywhere, in everything - in people

and in things and in nature and in events... we cannot be without Him.  It's impossible.

The only thing is, we don't  see it."

Thomas Merton