Vintage Bun:

December 2008

NOTICE to all those unsuspecting cooks that tried the Walnut Christmas Toffee recipe in my Nov. blog. My sister reports she had a terrible time trying to make it. The toffee part burned the first time and the second time it sugared. She used a heavier pot the second time but used margarine both times. Be forewarned. Sorry, Norma and anyone else who had problems with the recipe.

CHRISTMAS AT THE CABIN
Pat and I along with Vern Schulze built our cabin over several years. It started out to be a cabin on an island in the Clark Fork River in north Idaho. But then Vern suggested that since we had four kids we might want to add a second story for more bedrooms. Then he suggested that we reverse the house plan and add an attached two-car garage and while we’re at it why not make it two stories with a sleeping loft upstairs to match up with the rest of the cabin. And if we offset the garage we could add a nice-sized deck. Did I mention Vern was doing most of the building with us contributing the money?

After that another garage was built to house a pickup we needed now to haul the boat and trailer and a canoe to use on the slow moving waters around our delta island. Then a barn was built to house the camper we needed to use on camping trips away from the cabin, and snow plow if we wanted to use the cabin in the winter. Also, the barn was needed to house the snowmobiles, ice skates, bikes, toboggan, snowshoes, cross country skis and trail bike. Don’t forget the firewood for the fireplace and pellets for the pellet stove, everything that you must have for a cabin in the woods. Oh, don’t forget the riding lawn mower, pump for pumping water out of the river to irrigate the lawns and fruit trees, and a generator for when the power went out…

One winter we decided we were going to spend the winter at the cabin. It was glorious. We saw animals and birds we had never seen during the summer months. The snow was up to the window sill beside Pat’s rocking chair when he looked up and saw a raccoon passing by on his way to the bird feeder. They both did double takes. Deer and elk looked in the windows often. The eagles and ospreys were always scooping up fish from the river out front. We were warm and cozy inside with the fireplace and pellet stove going full blast. It should be a good time to catch up on that reading. But no, it snowed day and night. Pat would go out and plow the road, bridge and driveway every day, all day, and I would help with the shoveling. It snowed and snowed. Finally Pat came in one day and said we would have to move into town. He didn’t have anywhere else to put the snow!

But I wanted to write about a Christmas at the cabin. Being in north Idaho it goes without saying we had the snow. Pat and our youngest daughter mounted the snowmobiles and sped across the center of the island to a promising stand of trees. They looked for just the right tree. Not too tall (although we had a two-story ceiling in the living area) and with every side perfect. They picked out one about 10 feet tall and pulled it home. I don’t know if the trip home thinned one side of the tree or they had settled for less than perfect. We decorated it with strings of popcorn and cranberries and lights. It was beautiful.

Our other kids started arriving bringing presents and sleeping bags and their little kids. There was a lot to keep the children and their parents entertained. Everything was brought out of the barn and garage. There was much laughter, a few narrow escapes like the time driver, passenger and snowmobile went into the south fork of the river. Luckily they decided it would be wiser to hike home and tell Dad than to wait until everyone was asleep.

When I asked our kids what they remember about Christmas the oldest said the time they got stuck in the snow and had to hike in. Pat told them not to worry and he would get them out the next day. By the next day the car was not visible except for the bump in the snow. Pat had to call his very best buddy to get the car pulled out with a bulldozer.

The best memory I have is of excited grandchildren coming down the stairs to this huge tree with five families’ presents piled up under it and all the laughter and a few disappointments when something wasn’t exactly like they had anticipated. Let’s not even think about one of the son-in-law’s major snoring. Everyone had a place to sleep, but not all of us slept!

Some of the best memories are of the food. Daughter Peggy would always make her quiche the night before so all we had to do was pop it into the oven Christmas morning. Of course there were oranges and tangerines from the stockings, mimosas and what we called “sticky buns.” When I looked up the bun recipe, I see it was actually called Marge’s Caramel Rolls from BEST OF FRIENDS, ETC. cookbook by Darlene Glantz Skees, 1986. I tried to contact her publisher to get permission to reprint but no reply yet. If it does come, I will post later.

PEGGY’S SECRET QUICHE RECIPE (I hope there is no ingredient she is holding back on. Pat’s sister, Patricia was known to do that.)

This recipe can be made the night before and refrigerated so it is ready to put in the oven first thing.

2 thawed deep dish pie crusts (Peggy uses Marie Callenders)

Fry a tube of Jim Dean regular sausage and 1 pound bacon, crisp (drain and break up bacon)

Egg Mixture
4 eggs, beaten

1 ½ cups half and half cream

Salt and pepper

Dash of cayenne (optional)

Chop bunch of green onions

Shred cheese, 1 ½ cups medium cheddar

Into each pie crust, layer mixed meats on bottom, next sprinkle of onions, a layer of cheese. Repeat. Pour egg mixture over top of each. Bake 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn down oven to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. Check to see if toothpick comes out fairly clean (remember there is melted cheese in there so it won’t come out completely clean). Eggs will be firm though. Cool on rack. Feeds 10-12 depending on appetites.

Mimosas are made by mixing champagne and orange juice with more or less champagne to your taste.

I remember writing to one of our girls who was away at college about the time we started to build the deck that I thought this cabin would be a place to relax. Boy was I wrong! Another time I will write about summer time at the cabin and things got out of hand.

All the best to you and best wishes for a most happy Christmas! Bun