winter gardening

phalaeonopsis orchid

we have just passed through the shortest day of the year. in the northeast and in central new york and the syracuse area in particular, we have had very little sunshine in the last 2 months. it is not at all uncommon for this area but it is really rough on the indoor plants.  the holidays are past and hopefully the decorations are stored away.  it is a good time to check over your plants, remove the dead leaves and debris and inspect for insects and pests.

all fertilizer should be with held between november and march. the exception is the short day bloomers such as cacti, poinsettias, etc.

give your plants a thorough examination. look at the stems and the underside of the leaves.
anything sticky or fuzzy is not a good sign. mealybugs are the fuzzy ones and scales leaves a sticky substance on the leaves and sometimes the floor!!  if the infestation is light, a q tip and alcohol will keep the little 'buggers' at bay. i use an ice pick to get into the areas that a cotton swab will not. do not even consider keeping a seasonal plant that might be infected. throw it out. it is not worth infesting your other house plants. i know this because...i just threw out 65 orchids in the fall. i had been fighting mealybugs on them for a long time. the orchids (all phals) had been collected over the years and i had some wonderful varieties. it made me sadbut i should have done it several years ago.

if your plants are small enough ,give them a shower. wash large leaves with a soft cloth dipped in water and a very small amount of dish detergent. your plants will love it.

western exposure

i should have taken a close up of the plant in the upper right corner. it is a meyers lemon tree that i have had for 40 years. i root prune it and it is in the same pot and the same height as it was 35 years ago. it is in bloom and the scent is heavenly at this time of year. this is the first year that it has not had ripe lemons along with the green ones and the blossoms. there is not much color now behind the couch. even the geraniums are taking a rest but they are filled with tight buds. i do miss the orchids.



merry christmas, happy holidays, happy chanukah

chess pies

these tarts are my favorite holiday goodies. i got this recipe when i was in high school from my best friend's mother, dode knepp.(some 50+ years ago)  i think that she had to make an extra recipe just for me. i have made them every year. they can be made ahead of time as they keep well in a tight container and in a cool place.

ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 cup melted butter

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cup raisins, cooked and drained

1 cup black walnuts, chopped

3 cups english walnuts, chopped

nutmeg

mix first 4 ingredients together. cook and drain raisins and add to the mixture. add all the walnuts. line muffin tins with your favorite pie crust recipe. ( i cheated and bought it this year. it took three packages of the prepared dough for this recipe)

molly the dolly is a big help



i use medium and small muffin tins. they also can be made in regular size muffin tins. i just find them too large.

this recipe made 6 dozen chess pies.

fill the pie crust  3/4 full and sprinkle with a bit of nutmeg. bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until crusts and tops are lightly browned.



enjoy!!!



crab meat spread/ an appetizer

today i was going to a party and needed to take a 'dish to pass'. i had a pound of crab meat in the refrigerator and decided to revamp an old recipe that my friend linda gave me some 40 years ago. it has always been a popular recipe. alert everyone that it contains crab meat for those that are allergic.

ingredients
 8 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces sour cream
1 cube vegetable bouillon, pulverized ( i use my mortar and pestle)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cajun spice

12 ounces crab meat, picked and drained,(i squeeze it with my hands to get out the excess moisture)
1 cup cocktail sauce
1/2 cup chopped arugula
crackers

place first five ingredients in bowl and mix till it is blended and smooth. i use my mixer.

spread mixture in an 8 or 9 inch pie plate or similar serving piece

spread cocktail sauce on top of cheese mixture.

sprinkle with chopped arugula ( parsley can be substituted but i like the little bite of arugula)

refrigerate till ready to serve.



enjoy!

crock pot/ pot roast

this is a good recipe for this busy time of year. 20 minutes of preparation at the beginning and 15minutes at the end.today i was finishing my Christmas card as it slowly simmered away. i should say i spent the day fighting with photo shop( no lessons). i finally gave up and called the young man across the street as soon as he got home from school. all i wanted to do was print the inside of the card...yikes ! and a big thank you to Adam!! back to the pot roast...

ingredients
3-4 pound boneless chuck roast
2 onions, cut is 8ths
3 carrots , washed and cut in pieces( i do not peel them)
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup of dry red wine
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

adjust crock pot to 6 hour setting. sear the meat on both sides in either olive oil or bacon fat. cut up onion and place half on bottom of crock pot. add meat and place onion, carrots, tomatoes and wine on top. throw in bay leaves and cover.

go do your chores for 5 1/2 hours. at this point i turn the potatoes on high, i am making mashed for this dish. mix about 4 tablespoons of cornstarch in a little water.  in twenty minutes, mash the potatoes. remove meat and veggies from the crock pot and stir in the cornstarch. it makes a nice gravy for the potatoes.

enjoy!!!

pumpkin cheesecake

i will admit it, i have never met a cheesecake that i did not like but this one is a favorite. four stars from me. i have made it for at least 20 years and it has never failed me.

crust:

1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

butter bottom and sides of a 9 inch spring form pan. pour in cookie crumbs and rotate so they adhere to bottom of pan. set aside

crumb crust

filling: all ingredients should be at room temperature

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
6 eggs
1 16-ounce can pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup heavy cream

preheat oven to 325 degrees. in an electric mixer beat together cream cheese and sugars. Add one egg at a time. add pumpkin, cream and spices. mix for 3 minutes and pour into prepared crust very gently.

 bake for approximately 1 hour and 35 minutes or until the filling is set. remove from oven and sprinkle with the pecan topping. return cake to oven and turn oven off ,leaving the cake in the oven until it cools, at least 45 minutes

pecan topping:
1 cup toasted,chopped pecans
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar

saute pecans in a tiny bit of butter till they are lightly browned

chop pecans and add to sugar and butter

 stir ingredients and sprinkle on top of cheesecake. topping is thick but be sure to cover entire surface of the cheesecake. the topping will melt and then harden when it is cool.


the baked and cooled cheesecake



enjoy!!!!

easy pulled pork

sometimes i am lucky enough to get my son to smoke a couple of pork butts for me. it really makes great pulled pork. this is my easy way to make it . it really tastes pretty good. this meal was for 15 people and we had plenty left over. as you can see in the picture below, the meat filled the crock pot.

cut up a pork loin to fit in the pot. pour 1 beer, 1/2 bottle of barbecue sauce, 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon adobo seasoning. cover and cook 8-10 hours in the crock pot. sometimes i start it at bedtime and deal with it in the morning.

pork loin, beer, barbecue sauce and seasonings

remove the meat and strain the juices and reserve. discard any fat that remains and either pull the pork apart with your hands or use 2 forks to shred it.

pork shredded with 2 forks

 place the pork back in the crock pot on warm. add 2 cups of the reserved liquid. i always skim off the fat. add additional barbecue sauce. the amount will depend on the amount of meat and taste. i added the rest of the bottle to this batch. it was not heavy with sauce. i always serve the sauce on the side for the sandwiches.

cole slaw

whats a pulled pork sandwich with out slaw. i like mine right on the top. this slaw was made with ready shredded cabbage that i bought in the store. i make my own dressing out of hellman's light mayo, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. this time i cheated. i used the saved juice from my homemade bread and butter pickles and the light mayo. i don't like a heavy mayo on slaw so it was about half  juice and half mayo.



read to eat?

the pork was moist and tender. the slow cooking and added juices do make a difference. try it and enjoy!