Preparations Christ Church MS: Every Year, This Poem...

.... comes to mind. Perhaps it is my favorite Old English poem of Yuletide

Preparations Christ Church MS

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.

Yet if His Majesty, our Sovereign Lord

Should of his own accord
Friendly himself invite,
And say, “I’ll be your guest tomorrow night.”
How we should stir ourselves, call and command
All hands to work “Let no one idle stand!”

“Set me fine Spanish tables in the hall,
See they are fitted all.
Let there be room to eat
And orders taken that there want no meat.
See ev'ry sconce and candlestick made bright,
That without tapers they may give a light!”

Look to the presence: are the carpets spread,
The dazie o’er the head,
The cushions in the chairs,
And all the candles lighted on the stairs?
Perfume the chambers, and in any case
Let each man give attendance in his place!’



Thus, if a king were coming, would we do;
And ’twere good reason too;
For ’tis a duteous thing
To show all honour to an earthly king,
And after all our travail and our cost,
So he be pleased, to think no labour lost.

But at the coming of the King of Heaven,
All’s set at six and seven;
We wallow in our sin.
Christ cannot find a chamber at the inn.
We entertain him always like a stranger,
And as at first still lodge him in the manger.




https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/the-oxford-book-of-english-verse/60-preparations-christ-church-ms
Set to music by Joseph W. Clokey, under the title 'Two Kings.’


St Olaf Choral Ensembles Two Kings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhq_vsaf0HQ&t=42s

One Hour Roast Whole Chicken

Weeknight Roast Chicken

adapted from Weeknight Roast Chicken: Your New Go-To Recipe! (nomnompaleo.com)

Serves 4

We prefer to use a 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken for this recipe. If roasting a larger bird, increase the time when the oven is on in step 2 to 35 to 40 minutes. Cooking the chicken in a preheated skillet will ensure that the breast and thigh meat finish cooking at the same time.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 recipe pan sauce (optional) (see related recipes)

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position, place 12-inch ovensafe skillet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine salt and pepper in bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rub entire surface with oil. Sprinkle evenly all over with salt mixture and rub in mixture with hands to coat evenly. Tie legs together with twine and tuck wing tips behind back.

2. Transfer chicken, breast side up, to preheated skillet in oven. Roast chicken until breasts register 120 degrees and thighs register 135 degrees, 25 to 35 minutes. Turn off oven and leave chicken in oven until breasts register 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 25 to 35 minutes.

3. Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest, uncovered, for 20 minutes. While chicken rests, prepare pan sauce, if using. Carve chicken and serve.

GF Mac and Cheese Sauce for a Crowd

adapted from https://fountainavenuekitchen.com/gluten-free-macaroni-and-cheese/ 

• 1 cup butter
• 4 tablespoon corn starch (arrowroot powder) mix with 2 T of water/gf broth
• (skipped) 1 level teaspoon Dijon mustard (resist the urge to use a heaping spoonful…a little goes a long way)
• 8 cups milk 
• 8 cups (32 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
• 1 teaspoon each kosher salt, or to taste
• freshly ground pepper
• (nutmeg/cayenne to taste)

Make the roux, adding cornstarch when butter is just melted but not very hot.  Add milk, and stir til boiling. Simmer for one minute. Off heat, add cheese and seasonings.

Serves about 18.

Citrus Butter Chews

 Adapted from Orange Milano Cookies - Saving Room for Dessert (savingdessert.com)

• 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 4 whole eggs
• 2 egg white
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 20 ounces dark chocolate chips
• zest of two lemons or oranges placed on a paper towel lined plate

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a medium bowl combine the flour and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar and beat with a mixer until light and creamy. Add the whole eggs, egg white and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat on low until combined.
• Prepare two sheets of parchment paper marked on the back with 3 rows of lines 2 inches wide, and 1 inch apart, then turn the paper over and place it on a baking sheet. Scoop the batter into a pastry bag or large Ziploc bag with a ½-inch hole cut at the end. Pipe the batter into 2-inch long strips about ¾ inch wide and 1 inch apart.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and rest the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
• Match up the cookie halves in pairs of similar shape and size.
• Place the dark chocolate chips over a double boiler until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and cool for about 10 minutes.
• Spoon the melted chocolate onto one cookie half and sprinkle with a pinch of orange zest. Gently press the other half on top and set on a rack until the chocolate is set. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container.

Egg White Only Chocolate Chip Cookies - Large Batch

 Ending up with 10 egg whites from making:

English Chocolate Trifle with Apricots and Raspberries Recipe | Epicurious

from Bon Apetit

and now craving chocolate chip cookies... so here we go!

adapted from Chewy Egg White Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe (sweetlycakes.com)

Increased butter, decreased soda and salt for next try.

• 3 1/2 cup unsalted butter - softened
• 1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 2/3 cup packed) brown sugar -
• 10  Egg whites - room temperature - about 60 g
• 5 teaspoon vanilla extract
• (8 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 3  teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2  teaspoon salt
• 3 ¾ cup dark chocolate chips
• Raisins/nuts?

Corn Bread (Cake, actually)

Sweet Cornbread Recipe | Food Network Kitchen 

adapted: 

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for buttering the pan

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan (see Cook's Note)

1 cup stone-ground cornmeal

1 1/2 cup sugar (accidentally only put 1/3c. sugar and 1/4 c. honey in an attempt to substitute; was good!)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons honey

350 degrees F. Butter and lightly flour a 9-inch cake pan.

bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Pound Cake

 

- Preppy Kitchen

• 2 9x5 inch loaf pans

Ingredients

• 8 eggs
• 2 cup unsalted butter (226g) room temperature
• 2 cup sugar (200g)
• 3 cup all-purpose flour (180g)
• 1 cup sour cream (120mL)
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9x5 inch baking tin.

.... and from here, I take the easy slap method: 

cream the butter. Add sugar in and mix until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl down and beat a few more seconds.
Add the eggs in one at a time....
Bake about 40 minutes - until the center is set and a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Eggnog

Serves 12-16

If it does begin to curdle, remove from heat immediately and pour into a bowl set over a larger bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, and proceed with recipe. Omit the brandy to make a non-alcoholic eggnog, but also decrease the cream to 1/4 cup. Add 1/4 c. with another 1/2 cup brandy.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons sugar (
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 cups whole milk
• ½ cup brandy, bourbon, or dark rum
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg, plus extra for garnish (used 1/4, was quite mild)
• ½ cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Off heat, whisk eggs, yolks, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in heavy 3- or 4-quart saucepan. Stir in milk, one-half cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Heat slowly over lowest possible flame, stirring constantly, until custard registers 160 degrees on instant read thermometer, thickens, and coats the back of a spoon, 25 to 30 minutes. Pour custard through sieve into large bowl in case of curdles; stir in liquor, vanilla and grated nutmeg. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least three hours and up to three days.

2. Just before serving, whip cream in medium bowl to very soft peaks and gently fold into custard mixture until incorporated. Serve in chilled punch bowl or cups, garnishing with optional grated nutmeg.

America's Test Kitchen Holiday Eggnog (Ep 2001) (wskg.org)

Almond Biscuits

I wish I could find the original source of this recipe, but I rewrote it, and now am copying it here for safe keeping.

Triple recipe makes 16:

Mix:

4 1/2 T melted butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 T honey
3/4 t. salt
4 1/2 T buttermilk (4 1/2 T milk +1/2 t. cream of tartar)

3 3/4 c. Almond flour
3/4 t. baking soda
heaped 1/4 t. baking powder

Form biscuits in hands. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread

• 6 cups blanched almond flour 224g, or unblanched super fine almond flour
• 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 sticks butter or coconut oil at room temperature
• 1 cup honey 113g
• 6 large eggs lightly beaten
• 2 1/4 cup pumpkin puree 183g, not pumpkin pie filling
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans about 1 ounce
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins, about 1 ounce

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350˚F.
• Butter the ends and corners of 3 1-pound loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inches). Line the bottom and long edges of the pan with a strip of parchment paper trimmed so the paper overhangs to form handles for removing the loaf.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat honey and butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs; mix just until combined, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add dry ingredients and pumpkin puree; mix just until combined. Add pecans and dried cranberries; mix just until combined, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.
• With a rubber spatula, scrape batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake 55-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out moist but clean (no wet crumbs). Tent with foil at 45-50 minutes to keep edges from getting too brown.
• Remove bread from oven and let cool in the pan on cooling rack for 15 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and place back on cooling rack to cool completely. Slice and serve or for best results, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before slicing.

 

My Resources for Pregnancy and Birth

Many of these resources are awesome for postpartum/ breastfeeding as well:

EvidenceBasedBirth.com  - wonderful youtube features to debunk and answer most important questions

Dr. Aviva Romm: A Midwife's Approach to Getting Labor Started - Aviva Romm, MD

Ina Mae Gaskin at TEDx, and also her book, Guide to Childbirth book or ebook on amazon.com:

Reducing fear of birth in U.S. culture: Ina May Gaskin at TEDxSacramento - YouTube


The following I would fact check against the above information, especially for outdated research:

A Thinking Woman's Guide to Childbirth

Shonda Parker's Naturally Healthy Pregnancy 

Considering circumcising:

Mayo Clinic: “The risks of not being circumcised, however, are not only rare, but avoidable with proper care ...”

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/circumcision/about/pac-20393550

Evidenced Based Birth:

Circumcision is also known as the world’s most controversial surgery.

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-and-ethics-on-circumcision/

Instant Pot Southern Cheesy Grits

Skip the stirring!

serves 6

• 2 tablespoons
  Butter (unsalted)
• 1 cup
  Stone-Ground Grits
• 4 cups
  Water
• ½ cup
  Heavy Cream
• 1 teaspoon
  Salt
• ½ teaspoon
  Black Pepper
• ¼ cup
  Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
• 1 teaspoon
  Butter (for serving)

1. In your Instant Pot bowl, add the stone-ground grits and butter.

2. Press the saute button and saute the grits, with the butter, (mixing constantly) for about 2-3 minutes, until the grits are slightly toasted.

3. Then mix in the water, heavy cream salt, and pepper. Add the lid, making sure that the vent is in the sealing position.

4. Set the manual high pressure for 10 minutes. When the time is up, do a natural release.

5. When the pin has dropped, and the pressure has been completely released, open the lid, and then stir.

6. Mix in the shredded cheddar cheese.

 from  Instant Pot Southern Cheesy Grits - Fork To Spoon

Simple Stovetop Rice Pudding

from America's Test Kitchen
http://joyfulbaker.blogspot.com/2011/09/simple-stovetop-rice-pudding.html

2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup medium-grain rice
2 1/2 cups whole milk 
2 1/2 cups half-and-half 
2/3 c sugar
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan (at least 3 quarts). Stir in the salt and rice; cover and simmer over low heat, stirring once or twice, until the water is almost fully absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the milk, half-and-half, and sugar. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, uncovered and stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken, about 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring every couple of minutes to prevent sticking and scorching, until a spoon is just able to stand up in the pudding, about 15 minutes longer.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, 1/2 cup raisins, and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Cool and serve at room temperature or chilled. (To store, press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding and refrigerate for up to 2 days.)

http://joyfulbaker.blogspot.com/2011/09/simple-stovetop-rice-pudding.html

adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Basque Burnt Cheesecake (San Sebastian)

1 lb cream cheese
10 oz sour cream  8

7 oz. mascarpone  8
14 oz heavy whipping cream  15
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (You can decrease the sugar by 1/2 cup for a less sweet version!)
4 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 410F.
Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan, and layer it with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk the corn starch and flour. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add room temperature cream cheese, mascarpone, and sour cream. Mix until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the heavy whipping cream and vanilla and mix well. Then, sift in the flour mixture and gently fold it into the batter until combined.
Using an electric or hand mixer, beat the sugar and eggs until fluffy, for about 4 min. Add the egg mixture into the cheesecake mixture and stir well.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 27-30 min.
After that, broil the cheesecake in the oven until the top has darkened, only for 20-30 sec. (Note: If the cheesecake still seems too jiggly, you can bake it for another 6-7 minutes at 420F but keep in mind that it should be more creamy and jiggly in consistency than regular cheesecake. For the best results, check your cheesecake at 1-2 minute intervals after the 27th minute.)

Remove from the oven and cool. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 6-7 hours,

No Hot Oven Summer Cheesecake

 Lemon Icebox Cheesecake

https://www.kcet.org/food-discovery/food/weekend-recipe-lemon-icebox-cheesecake 

(Cook's Country)

Serves 12 to 16

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
10 lemon sandwich cookies, broken into pieces (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Curd:
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Filling:
1 envelope (2 3/4 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup lemon juice from 2 lemons
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces and softened
3/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, room temperature

INSTRUCTIONS

Let the dissolved gelatin mixture cool down for a few minutes, or the gelatin will seize when combined with the filling. We tested our cheesecake with several store brands of lemon sandwich cookies; all worked well.

1. MAKE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Process cookies in food processor until finely ground. Add butter and zest and pulse until combined. Press mixture into bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake until lightly browned and set, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack, at least 30 minutes.

2. MAKE CURD: While crust is cooling, whisk egg, egg yolk, sugar, and salt together in small saucepan. Add lemon juice and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick and puddinglike, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cream. Press through fine-mesh strainer into small bowl and refrigerate until needed.

3. SOFTEN GELATIN: Combine lemon juice and gelatin in small bowl and let stand until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Microwave until mixture is bubbling around edges and gelatin dissolves, about 30 seconds. Set aside.

4. MAKE FILLING: With electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, sugar, and salt until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Slowly add cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add gelatin mixture and ¼ cup curd, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until smooth and airy, about 3 minutes.

5. CHILL CHEESECAKE: Pour filling into cooled crust and smooth top. Following photos, pour thin lines of remaining curd on top of cake and lightly drag paring knife or skewer through lines to create marbled appearance. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours. Remove sides of pan. Serve. (Cheesecake can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Sweet Quick Cornbread

from: Sweet and Cakey Northern Cornbread (America's Test Kitchen)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cup yellow cornmeal

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (try 1/4 c. honey, 1/4 sugar)

4 large eggs

Two sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled

DIRECTIONS:

1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 2. Generously coat an 8-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil spray. (plus loaf pan, muffins) 3. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl. 4  400° Process the buttermilk, corn, brown sugar, and eggs in a food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. 5. Gently fold the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture, then fold in the melted butter until just combined. 6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. 7. Bake until deep golden brown and a pick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. 8. Let the cornbread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding onto a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.