Mama R is my surrogate ‘work Mother’ who always reminded me of my real mother( in looks and attitude). She was a great support to me the past few years as I nursed two terminally ill divorced parents ( I was a only child). She’s the not only a a great colleague but a confidant and mentor. Mama R has been with our company since its inception and the stories she tells. You’ll never find anyone more loyal, working or dedicated than her. She’s the den mother I use as example to all these new young people entering the cosmetics world. In her early years she lead a glamorous life in the African American celebrity world as model. Her scrap books are filled with photos of her and her friends in New York City mingling with the likes of Sidney Poitier, and Harry Belafonte. She always told me ” She had fun, but she was one of the good girls!”. She took her time and found her man, a doctor, who she settled down with and had two great accomplished , professional kids. The past few years have been rocky for her health wise,but she was a trooper and worked hard . If Mama R took off, if was only because she had no choice. It seems our lives are always linked. When my father died on the hospice floor, she was just a few floors down below, in the hospital, recovering from her surgery.She immediately sent her daughter up to sit with me while we awaited my family to come. I was never alone. Mama R fretted and worried over me and my love life, career choices and work issues like my own mother and aunts would. She still does. She’s been out of work for some time, and I really don’t know if she will come back or retire for good. So much is going on. Mama R loves sweets and always was eager to try my food and share a recipe or so.I spoke to her on the phone yesterday and decided that she needs to fatten up.So I chose two types of cookies to give her. As I write this I realize this would be perfect for Apples and Thyme .
I have always wanted to enter this event , but even 8 years after her death, its still to painful to write a full entry about my own mother.Mama R is alive and I pray she gets well soon.I hope she likes these cookies. Both came from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook with some slight variation one one. For the Oatmeal Raisin cookies,I used unsweetened coconut and Lyle’s golden syrup rather than the maple syrup called for. I love these cookies and will make them again. I stuck to the original recipe for the Black and White cookie. These cookies turned out like puffy cakes( which they are supposed to). I pressed them down and iced the browned backs. They taste really good the day after. These should get Mama R fattened up and energized.
Sausage Making…WhenThe Going Gets Tough, The Tough Make Sausage
Lets just say I had a crap day at work. One that makes me shake my head in wonder at people,their schemes, and motives.Enough said about that. To relieve my stress in a healthy way I decided to get out my new Baby Kitchen Aid,and tackle making sausages. I had ordered some collagen casings a while back and had boneless chicken thighs defrosting. I was nervous using the food grinder attachment , stuffer tube , and casings. I took out some onion, sun dried tomato, herbs, and spices to add to my dark chicken meat. I figured the thigh would be a little fatty and juicy to make a good sausage without adding anything.I tossed everything into the grinder tray and let it rip.Pretty fun! The casings gave me a bit of a problem, but I figured it out. Air pockets were another problem. No amount of smoothing helped. I read afterwards to poke a hole in the casings afterwards. I tried to twist my links and they wouldn’t stay. This part I have to finesse. I should have tested a piece of the force meat in a skillet to test the flavors, but I didn’t. The meat started expanding out of the non tied off casings as I cooked it.I ended up with a highly spiced sausage , that may have been to strong for some tastes( hello garlic and onion!). I found the casings a little chewy, and perhaps would like to try natural casings next time.However I can throw my always throw it a batch of sauce.All in all I’m pretty pleased with my overly ambitious self, and I had a few stress relieving moments.Now I’m just waiting for Certain Someone to fly home and give his critique. This will not be the last of my sausage making.
Note: I used perhaps a quarter of my collagen casings for a 3 large ground chicken thighs.I made about 7 generous links. I ordered my 34mm collagen casings from here. They have all sorts of sausage making supplies.
The Brews Now Ready
In late October I posted about some spirits I was making for event. It takes three months to ‘take’. Well today I strained them and bottled them(I still had technically had about 10 more days ).I made two brews. One Prickly Pear and one Plum.I opened the Prickly Pear first, I had cut the skins to release the rich fuchsia color. The liquid was bright and syrupy. And the taste fantastic! I loved it. Sweet and fruity. I can envision many a martini made with this as a base.I then opened the plum, which was lighter in color and not as syrupy. For some reason there was a fizziness which surprised me. The flavor was lighter and less intense, but still good. 
I can’t decide which was my favorite( OK maybe the Prickly Pear). I even mixed the remnants of both in a larger bottle to even flavors out. I love making my own liquors. Next is a Cream Limoncello for my good friend. I came about this from a suggestion from a fellow blogger about my Meyer lemon syrup. In talking to my friend she mentioned she loved Cream Limoncello. So stay tuned.
I can’t decide which was my favorite( OK maybe the Prickly Pear). I even mixed the remnants of both in a larger bottle to even flavors out. I love making my own liquors. Next is a Cream Limoncello for my good friend. I came about this from a suggestion from a fellow blogger about my Meyer lemon syrup. In talking to my friend she mentioned she loved Cream Limoncello. So stay tuned.HHDD #17 Pizza… Apple Ham Red Onion Pizza on Whole Wheat Sage Flecked Crust
Joey at 80 Breakfasts chose Pizza as the theme of Hay Hay Its Donna Day.I’m admitting now that I borrowed this pizza from a local restaurant called Medici in Hyde Park. They have a sour apple,ham,red onion pizza with sun dried tomatoes. Unusual but good.I decided to try a whole wheat crust with cut up fresh sage instead of traditional dough.
I also utilised a smoked Provolleta I couldn’t resit that was shaped as pig , along with regular mozzarella. 
The sauce was some leftover tomato sauce in the refrigerator. I thinly sliced a golden delicious apple, red onion, and ham. The sun dried tomatoes were cut into thin strips.I topped the final product with additional sage leaves. This pizza is unusual but the components work. I feel the flavors develop more as it sits.
Here is my recipe for the Whole Wheat Pizza Crust Flecked with Sage:
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour and some for dusting and rolling out.
Fresh sage leaves cut thinly
Mix sugar and water. Sprinkle yeast on top and let stand until foamy for 10 minutes.Gently stir in oil and salt. Add both whole wheat and all purpose flours to mix.Add sage bits. Knead until dough holds shape into a ball. Place in a oiled bowl and cover for 1 hour until doubled in volume.Take out and lightly knead , divide in to 2 balls. Let stand and rise a additional 30 min or until double in volume.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out dough to your desired thinness.Spread sauce lightly over dough. Sprinkle some olive oil. Add some cheese, and the rest of ingredients. Top with more cheese. Rub fresh sage leaves in oil so they wont brown. Bake until cheese bubbles and browns. Approx 15-20 min.
