A Sweeter New Year

Happy New Year Everyone!  It is 2020 and jokes about our vision are bandied about.  At the time I am writing this article, it is still 2019.  Unease has not only hit our vast corner of Utah, but the entire United States is facing chaos.  Impeachment looms on the horizon, maybe, for our current President, Donald Trump.  Politicians in Washington, DC, are against term limits, so it seems the ones making a mockery of our rights; well we are kind of stuck with them for now.  In our county, taxes are going up, economic development is being kept at bay, and everyone notices the underlying racial tension.

Took one of those silly Facebook tests, one on focus for 2020.  The three words that I noticed immediately were: Happiness, Energy and Powerful.  Wow…wow!  At a time when happiness is a minor commodity, grabbing, and holding, onto it makes perfect sense.  Energy, depression saps energy, and who is not depressed over our current state of affairs!?!  Again, grab, and hold, onto your inner energy; make yourself shine with it!  Powerful, how can anyone feel empowered when every Tom, Dick and Harry seems to want to own, and run, your life!?  Stand up straight and tall, and say, “No way!  I refuse to give my power to anyone.  I refuse to have anyone dominate me with their power.”  Seems easier to say than do, but not if you believe in yourself, and you surround yourself with others of a positive attitude.  Personal empowerment can be achieved by acknowledging a fear, then conquering it.  Fear, indeed, is the mind killer.  Once again, Happy New Year Everyone!

To start off the New Year, I will entertain you with a recipe that I have, myself, feared.  Cinnamon rolls are an exquisite example of comfort food.  The yeast smell from the dough assails the nostrils.  Cold winter nights outside, but cuddly warm inside wrapped in flannel blankets while a fire snap, crackles and pops in the fireplace.  Kneading the dough moves the arm and hand muscles, yet soothes them at the same time.  The soothing is due to a satisfaction of accomplishment; the yeast lived, proofed, and rose the dough.  Rolling it out, brushing sweetened, melted butter and then a savory scented layer of brown sugar and cinnamon.  Roll out the barrels…oops, Octoberfest just popped into my mind.  Rolling the dough, cutting slices that are place into buttered pans, a little more rising and then the baking begins.  Within minutes, the scent of yeasty, sweet bread is mixing with the sweet brown sugar and savory cinnamon.  The scent wafts throughout the entire home, even the noses of the pets are twitching, and they sigh in their sleep.

Picture it, the Happiness of warm memories.  The Energy which accomplishment brings overall to mind and body.  The Powerful knowledge that a fear has been conquered.  Yes, I did fear making cinnamon rolls from scratch.  I thought it would be frustrating and difficult, and I feared the failure.  Now I know better, and am so much happier for it.

I do not know what this New Year, of 2020 Vision, will bring to myself, friends, and family, to anyone really.  While I would love to see a coming together of all, for the good of all, well, human nature is unpredictable.  Personally, I believe that letting a small handful of individuals, make all the major decisions for a community, is not a working concept any longer.  It is time that all groups concerned, put on their big boy/big girl panties, and begin doing what is best for the majority.  Perhaps others will finally understand this message too, and greater, more positive changes, will develop.

Until then, make some cinnamon rolls and share them; sit down together and have calm conversations.  It is amazing, how something so small, can bring people together.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

Dough:

2 packages active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105-115F)

2/3 cup sugar plus 1 tsp

1 cup warm milk

2/3 cup butter, softened

2 tsp salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten

7 cups flour

Filling:

1 cup melted butter, divided in half

2 cups brown sugar, divided in half

3 ½ Tbsp. cinnamon

Glaze:

2/3 cup melted butter

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

6 Tbsp. hot water

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 cup butter, softened

3 tsp vanilla

6 cups confectioner's sugar

2 Tbsp. warm milk

Preparation:

For the Dough:

In a small bowl, mix together yeast, warm water and one teaspoon sugar; set aside. Yeast will be ready when bubbles begin forming.

In a large bowl, beat together thoroughly 2/3 cup sugar, milk, butter, salt and eggs; mix yeast mixture. Add 4 cups of flour, beat until smooth; add in remaining flour one cup at a time, until dough is slightly stiff, but still sticky. Turn out onto a well-floured board; knead 5-10 minutes. Place in well-buttered glass or plastic bowl, cover with a clean linen towel and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. When doubled, punch down dough and let rest 5 minutes; roll out on floured board into a 15x20" rectangle.

For the Filling:

Spread dough with 1/2 cup melted butter. Mix together 1-1/2 cups brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over buttered dough. Roll up jellyroll style, pinching edge together to seal. Cut into 16-18 slices.

Brush bottom and sides of a 13x9 inch baking pan and a 9 inch square or round pan (6 slices per pan) with remaining melted butter; sprinkle with remaining brown sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in pans. Let rise in warm place until dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F; 25-30 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown. Allow rolls to cool slightly before glazing or frosting.

For the Glaze:

In medium bowl, mix melted butter, powdered sugar and vanilla; add hot water one tablespoon at a time until glaze reaches desired thickness.  Add more water if necessary.

For the Frosting:

In a large bowl, beat together all ingredients on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

Makes 16-18 rolls.

Mary Cokenour 

Ending 2018 with Flour Power.

Well smack me upside the head with a bag of Blue Bird flour, I should have looked first!  With all the talk of gluten free, less carbs, more protein in flours made from coconuts and almonds, I experimented with less than edible results.  So why smack me upside the head?  I assumed…oh yes I did…that using the exact amount of other flours to all-purpose flour was the correct usage.  Talk about being a dumb bunny during a rabbit hunt!  Before I decided to make another attempt at substitution, this time I made sure to do a bit more research first and surely was surprised at the numbers.

First, some details about all-purpose, almond and coconut flours based on a ¼ cup measurement.  All-Purpose Flour: 114 calories, .3 grams fat, .3 grams protein, 4 grams carbs, and 2.5 grams fiber; not gluten free.  Needs to be sifted before usage as well to keep it from forming clumps in the batter.

Almond flour: 160 calories, 14 grams fat, 6 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, and 3 grams of fiber; gluten free; people with nut allergies need to avoid!  Tends to be grainy and sifting will not alleviate this.

Coconut flour: 120 calories, 4 grams fat, 4 grams protein, 16 grams carbs, and 10 grams fiber; gluten free.  Sifting not necessary as the flour is especially fine in grain.

When it comes to the necessity of having gluten free and high protein products, almond and coconut flours are the best choices; however they’re not lower in fat and carbohydrates.

Now comes the fun of figuring out how to substitute for all-purpose flour and how the batter and fully baked product comes out.  Almond Flour is heavier in texture, so do not press it down inside a measuring cup.  While it can be substituted measure to measure against regular flour, it is a moister flour, but still needs an extra egg to help with the binding process.  If a recipe call for 2 eggs, now you’ll have to use 3; if egg size is not specified, always use large eggs.   The batter is very thin, takes the same amount of time to fully bake as with all-purpose flour.  The texture is too moist to hold up on its own, almond flavor is very strong, but makes a nice bread pudding.

Coconut flour is extremely fine and absorbent; a ¼ cup is equal to one cup of regular flour!  It needs 2 eggs, plus what is called for in a recipe, for proper binding.  The batter is in-between, not thin like almond flour, but not thick if using regular flour.  Again it bakes the same amount of time as both almond and all-purpose; very moist, yet firm in texture.  The flavor though tends to be bitter, so add a half more portion of sugar than what the recipe calls for and use sweetened coconut milk.  Cakes/Quick Breads will also be a darker color due to the dark shade of the flour and coconut sugar; not over baked which the toothpick test affirms.

Is your head spinning yet?  Remember, you’re just reading about all this; try being me and figuring all this out!  Now you know I was looking stylish wearing three types of flour.  Basically it all comes down to trial and error when attempting to make substitutions in tried and true recipes.  While deciphering the measurements was a bit of a headache, in the long run, I had fun playing with food.

All this experimentation makes quite a mess for cleanup!

To save space, there will be the original recipe with the substitutions listed in parentheses.  Try out all three versions, or simply choose what suits your taste or medical need; just remember to have fun!  Now I’m off to stock up on Blue Bird, I’ve got holiday baking to do!

Vanilla Yogurt Quick Bread

Ingredients:

For the Quick Bread:

1 and ¾ cups all-purpose flour (Almond uses same amount, Coconut = ¼ cup plus 3 Tbsp.)

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ cup white sugar (Almond uses same, Coconut = ¾ cup coconut sugar)

2 eggs (Almond = 3 eggs, Coconut = 5 eggs)

2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

2/3 cups Greek vanilla yogurt

¼ cup canola oil

¼ cup 2% milk (use unsweetened Almond milk w/Almond flour, sweetened Coconut milk w/Coconut flour)

For the Glaze:

¼ cup powdered sugar

1/8 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. water (or use milk product associated with the quick bread)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F and spray 1 and ½ quart loaf pan with nonstick baking spray.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add sugar and mix until combined.  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla extract, yogurt, oil and milk until fully combined; do not let wet ingredients sit or they will begin to separate.  Slowly add wet ingredients to dry continually mixing until fully combined.

Pour mixture into loaf pan; bake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Place pan on cooling rack, use tip of sharp knife around edges of quick bread to allow it to release from pan’s sides.

Aluminum Foil under the pans just in case of overflow while baking.

After quick bread is fully cooled, remove from pan to plate; prepare glaze and drizzle over loaf.

Makes 12 servings.

By the way, the original recipe quick bread had a firm texture, an overall vanilla flavor with just a slight tartness from the yogurt; a most excellent combination.

Happy New Year!!!

Mary Cokenour

Cold Enough for Soup, but Not Snow.

For San Juan and Grand Counties, snowpack on the Abajo and La Sal Mountains is extremely important during the winter months.  There is much concern that the 2017-2018 season is seeing abnormally dry conditions; drought is a high probability at this point in time.  At the same time, the temperatures are not being helpful, being just above or below the optimum point of producing snowfall.

At the same time, illnesses such as pneumonia and influenza are rearing their angry heads. Roy almost lost his own mother recently when she was hit by a double whammy, both illnesses at the same time!  Thankfully she was taken to the hospital in time and is making a full recovery, but it was touch and go for over a week. 

Ending and beginning the years with news items that are detrimental to our communities is not pleasant, but this is where strength of spirit comes in.  It’s a pulling together of all residents to take care of, not just immediate family, but friends, neighbors and, yes, even strangers just moving into the area.  It’s a testament to the pioneer character; stand strong together in the face of adversity.  So, to create a self-fulfilling prophecy, focus on the positive and watch the miracles appear!

…and on that note, let’s talk soup and the comfort it can bring.  Oh come now, I don’t know of anyone who, no matter how down he/she may feel, doesn’t get a soothing smile on the face after diving (not literally please) into a bowl of soup.  Every family has their own special recipe, a soup they swear by as the perfect fix for “whatever ails you”.  That soup for the Cokenour clan is Potato Leek, a creamy concoction of leeks and potatoes pureed into luscious goodness.  While we enjoy the version that has butter and cream added for a rich, silky texture; it can be made without these two decadent ingredients.  Great news for those who do not do well with dairy products, but still want that creamy comfort.

While leeks are primarily used in soups, this relative to the onion, and asparagus, is more versatile than one might think. Due to its mild onion flavor, a leek can be substituted for a regular onion; cutting it will not irritate the eyes either.  Leeks have a small bulb end; and the tastiest part is the white part which grows deep in the ground, and away from the sun's rays. The green upper part is very fibrous, and used for making stock; or thrown into the compost pile. Growing in the ground has the disadvantage of having dirt caked in between the many layers of the leek, so it needs to be thoroughly washed before use. The best way to do this is to cut the white part either into circular sections, or cutting it up into pieces, placing it all in a colander and washing under cool water.  The pieces can then be used in soups, quiches, casseroles, side dishes; anything an onion can be used for, but without the tears!  Sautéed in butter or olive oil, they turn translucent and release a pleasant onion scent that is easy on the nose, and most especially, the eyes.

Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients:

 

2 Tbsp. butter

4 leeks, white part only,

1 lb. potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet), peeled and cubed

1 qt. chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup cold water

½ tsp. ground black pepper

2 cups heavy cream

Optional: favorite herb for garnish

Preparation:

Cut leeks into ½ inch pieces, put into a colander, wash thoroughly with cold water to remove grit.  In a large stock/soup pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Sauté leeks until tender, approx. 10-15 minutes.  Add potatoes, stock, water, black pepper; bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low.

Cover pot and let soup simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  If using a hand-held blender, puree the soup in the pot until smooth.  Otherwise, transfer the mixture, in batches, to a standard blender; puree until smooth.  Return soup to the pot.

On low heat, stir the cream into the soup mixture.  Let the soup come up to a hot temperature, but do NOT bring to a boil.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with favorite herb (thyme, parsley, chives, etc.) if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

As promised, here is a recipe for Potato Leek Soup, but dairy free.  I got this Weight Watchers recipe from my niece, Donna, who is a RN and resides on Long Island in New York State.  After printing out a copy of the Weight Watchers recipe, I compared it to my Potato Leek Soup recipe; pretty similar in nature. I cooked up a pot of this recipe, but added crushed, dried thyme instead of using the chives as they suggested. Wow, was pretty amazed at how good it came out; not as creamy, but it was still thick and rich tasting; the thyme added a pleasant savory flavor. Serving it to my hubby, he too was amazed at how good this non-dairy version was; he equated the texture to cream of wheat, but still enjoyed it...two bowls worth in one sitting.  Donna suggested that I mix in a little low fat or fat free sour cream if we missed the dairy; tried it and didn't care for it at all.

Weight Watchers Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients:

64 oz. canned chicken broth, reduced-sodium

8 medium uncooked potatoes, peeled 

3 medium uncooked leeks, cleaned 

1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

2 Tbsp. chives, minced (optional)

Preparation:

To clean the leeks, slice them lengthwise and then cut into one inch pieces. Put the pieces into a large colander, rinse with cold water until you can no longer see any dirt; separate the pieces as you rinse them.  Let them stand a few minutes to allow excess water to drain out.

Peel the potatoes and cut them one inch in size; they will cook together more uniformly with the leeks.  Yukon Gold potatoes are yellow in coloring and have a buttery taste; perfect for a soup that usually has butter in it, but is now being cooked without it.

Combine the broth, potatoes, leeks, pepper and herb, if using any, in a large stock pot or Dutch oven; bring to a boil on high heat.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the vegetables are very soft, about 30 to 40 minutes. Uncover and let cool slightly.

Puree at least 2 cups or up to all of the potatoes and leeks (depending on the texture you want), with 1–2 cups of the broth in a food processor, blender or with an immersion blender; pour the mixture back into the remaining soup, stir, and reheat. Serve hot, or cover and refrigerate to serve cold; hot or cold, garnish with the minced chives, if using.

Yields 1 and 1/2 cups per serving.

This soup can be completely or partially pureed and served hot or cold. It can be refrigerated for up to three days, but not frozen.

Try out both recipes and see which you enjoy the best, but most of all, have a positive and happy new year!

Mary Cokenour

Finding Your Connection in 2018.

“Mary, you are one of the most honest people I’ve ever met, and I admire that about you; but honest to a fault.  Living in San Juan County, especially Monticello, that part of your personality will earn you hardships, many you do not deserve.  However, I don’t want you to change, you are not the one that needs to change; the others need to change, start listening and doing.” This was said to me by a man who only lived in Monticello a short time, but was happy as a pig in a mud hole to move away to a more populated area of Utah.

With that I looked back at my life, not just in 2017, but in general and realized that I have changed many times, mainly to make others happy.  From an early age, I relished the thought of visiting museums, discovering the scientific worlds of archaeology, anthropology and paleontology.  In college, I took several of these courses and was at the New York Museum of Natural History (yes, the one from the Ben Stiller movies) so much, all the guards knew me by name.  However, I ended up putting these loves on the shelf, listening to advisors that said there was no money in these careers, no real future for a woman.  I dragged myself through jobs I hated, stayed in an abusive marriage as others kept telling me, “You’ll never do better.”  I figured, if everyone I knew was telling me this, then it must be true, right?

It wasn’t until I was in my 40s that I developed friendships with people who supported me mentally and emotionally.  I divorced the s.o.b., met my current husband, Roy, and even he too kept telling me, “Be who and what you want to be; don’t do things to make me, or anyone else happy.”  With our move to Utah, our adventuring around the 4 Corners region of the four states, I was able to enjoy those lost loves from my younger years.  That crazy woman jumping up and down on slickrock, off State Highway 95, near White Canyon?  Yeah, that was me as I just found dinosaur prints, put my foot next to one and imagined what creature, from millions of years ago, I was communing with.

In essence, what I am trying to communicate to everyone is, have hopes and dreams, hold onto them tightly, and get them done!  Don’t listen to naysayers and simply do as they say, put them on the spot and ask them “Why?  Why don’t you want me to pursue what will make me happy?  Why does it have to be only your way when I know you’ve never tried to do it yourself?”

Need a little inspiration?  Watch the original Muppet Movie (1979), about a little frog that had big dreams and pursued them no matter what.  Listen to the words he sings in “Rainbow Connection” and realize,

“Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what's on the other side?

Rainbows are visions, but only illusions, and rainbows have nothing to hide.

So we've been told and some choose to believe it.

I know they're wrong wait and see.

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.

The lovers, the dreamers and me.”

Oh, I know I usually have a recipe for you, but I remember when a rainbow went over a particular ridge.  I want to climb that ridge and see “what’s on the other side?”  However, if you really need a recipe, go into the San Juan Record archives and reread my article on “Frog Eye Salad”, sort of fits the theme, doesn’t it?  Otherwise, you can find the link for the recipe right here on this food blog: http://www.comfortcookadventures.com/2016/02/dessert-salad-saga-part-two.html  In 2018, find your rainbow connection and from the Cokenour family, Happy New Year!

Mary Cokenour

Happy New Year 2017....We Can Only Hope.

For the New Year, my husband and I have one resolution to keep; to maintain hope.

2016 has been one of the most horrendous years that either of us has ever experienced. 

With not being able to get decent health insurance through an employer, we were forced into "Obamacare".  Necessary prescriptions for our diabetes care were kept out of reach due to high, high prices healthcare refused to cover.  Even the pharmaceutical companies gave us difficulty in getting a cheaper price on prescriptions; or said "NO!" because Obamacare should cover it all, but it didn't.

Tax time, we were slammed with outrageous fines for not staying within the poverty level.  Even though we made monthly payments; we were told "Not Enough, we want more!!!"  We were punished for getting healthcare through the government, when we should have had private insurance from the beginning.  Can't pay...too bad, now we'll take the money anyway!

We both had to dip into our existing IRAs to make ends meet; thereby being fined even more.  By the time either of us finally reaches an age we can get into the IRAs without being fined; we might be dead by then.  The age requirement keeps getting raised higher and higher; as we walk forward, the long hallway gets longer and longer.

It simply was, no matter how we attempted to get out of a hole, we were punished for even trying.

Finding full time employment has been one rejection after another; primarily due to the main facts of #1 - not being born and raised in the area; #2 - not following the "correct" religion;  #3 - not being descendants of a particular group.  It is a well known fact that this occurs again and again to others as well; it is a sick cycle that needs to be completely repaired.  We still have hope for changes in where we live; we still have hope that finally someone will stand up and say "Enough is enough; we welcome everyone completely, and not with restrictions to life here!"

There are a few people who care for us just because.  They don't care about those three reasons above; they care because we are good, kind, caring, loving people.  It's so wonderful to know that some do have their eyes, ears, hearts open to us.

While we have been struggling hard not to file for bankruptcy; unless there are serious financial changes for us in 2017; there will finally be no choice.

I am 58 years old now; I have worked since I was 16 years old; 42 years and within one year, I have lost almost all my savings.  Roy is 44 years old, he has worked since 16 years old also; 28 years of employment and wondering where has it all gone.  Retirement?  Not for me, not anytime soon at all; perhaps never at the rate we're going.

Many will read this and say, "We're in the same boat; we understand and feel your pain."  Others will say, "We wish we could help you, but not right now".  Many others will say, "We have ours, you can't get yours; we certainly wouldn't help you for any reason."  It is what it is.

So, Happy New Year from the Cokenours.  May the coming of a new President bring prosperity back to all the American people, not the chosen few.  May Karma punish those who revel in the pain and suffering happening to others.  May Karma punish those who have caused the pain and suffering.  May Karma bless those who have helped us, whether we know them, or they were anonymous; they cared and that was all that mattered...the caring.

Roy and I will rise up again; it may take some time and doing, but we will prevail!!!  Currently I'm filled with despair and anger tied together like the double helix of DNA.  I would love to see that change to happiness and relaxation.

Mary Cokenour