April Lake? Nope, an amazingly warm January thaw. Time for a grill full of burgers

The Outlet. Lake level is still high on January 15, 2019

It has hardly seemed like winter these past three weeks.  Daytime temperatures up into the high 30s and even low 40s with overnight lows just into the teens and 20s. Seems more like March. The lake, which had the second earliest ice-in back in November now has open water over vast stretches.

Flocks of geese have stopped by on what appear to be trips north.

Geese at City Beach

View from City Beach over toward North Shore January 13, 2019

So with all this warm weather, what's a person to do?

Get out the grill!

Especially when I've looked ahead at the forecast to see winter returning next week. Temperatures with highs in the teens and lows below zero.  Time to stock the freezer with cooked burgers read to warm up for summer once it snows ... predicted for Friday!

A fringe of cheese oozes out from the center of the Juicy Lucy burger.
Deviled egg and pickles put up last summer from the bumper crop of cucumbers
complete springtime on a plate.

Juicy  Lucy -- a Twin Cities Treat 

Makes 30 slider-sized burgers. This is enough to fill my 24-inch grill.  Of course you can cut the quantity down, but it is just as easy to make the whole batch, wrap cooled burgers airtight, and freeze. Then you can have nearly "fresh off the grill" when it is ten below outside.

8 to 10 ounces cheese -- cheddar, jack, mozzarella
3 pounds ground beef
3 pounds ground round
1 12-ounce jar chunky salsa -- your favorite variety

Cut the cheese into squares about 3/4 by 3/4 inch and about 1/8-inch thick. You will need 60 of these squares for about a 1/4-inch thick chunk of cheese in the middle of your Lucy.

In the biggest bowl you can find combine the meats and salsa and squish together with your hands until just mixed.  Start your assembly line -- I make 15 burgers at a time, requiring 30 patties. Spread out a large sheet of plastic wrap on your counter and start making the burgers. Scoop up about 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture -- palm-sized in my small hands. Form into THIN patties, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.  Put 2 cheese squares in the middle of half the patties. Cover with second patty. Seal the cheese into the middle by pressing around the edges and then gently forming into a nicely rounded burger. Make up all the patties and put in the refrigerator to chill for an hour or so while you heat up your grill.  Grill as usual.   NOTE: you might want to put more cheese in the middle but too much will just ooze out and fall down onto the coals.

A Holiday Lake -- Eggnog Cookies

An fisherman stakes out his spot off the island in the middle of December.

Ice came early to Clear Lake this year. Official ice in was declared on November 13. The second earliest on record.  The earliest was November 4, 1981.  It firmed up quickly. Snowmobiles scurried around near the shore by the second week in December.  Ice shacks appeared right before Christmas.

But how long will it last?  We've had a couple of light snowstorms and lately the highs have been above 32!  Have not seen any cars or truck out.  The aerators are working.  Winter is here and it will be interesting to see how long it lasts.

It is also Eggnog Season. For those who can't get enough, here's a recipe for a tasty cookie. Make up the dough in rolls to slice-and-bake when you want a nice touch of holiday spirit.

A simple cookie with a taste that improves with time.

Frosted Eggnog Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 cup commercial eggnog
1teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 1/2 cups flour

Note: there are no eggs in this recipe.

Cream butter and sugar, blend in eggnog. Stir in baking soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg, and two cups of flour. Blend in the rest of the flour. Form into 4 logs, about 10-inches long.Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to three days. Dough rolls can be put in freezer plastic bags and frozen for months. When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap and slice into 1/8-inch slices. Place an inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until set and lightly browned around the edges. Remove to wire rack and cool. Frost

Frosting--enough for entire batch--cut down if you only bake off part of the recipe.

1/4 cup melted butter
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup eggnog

Combine the butter and sugar, stir in eggnog.

new post to come

new post to come

new post to come

A Cucumber the Size of a Boxcar

This morning's sunrise over the was amazing.  The perfectly still water reflected the sun and -- at that point -- not threatening clouds. An hour later we had wind, waves, and a fair amount of rain just under an inch in 45 minutes. We were fortunate to have missed the high winds and hail that have caused damage around us during much of this week. Near the airport hail the size of ping-pong balls with very jagged edges fell the other evening. Two night's ago strong winds toppled 15 power poles outside Sheffield. We've been lucky with these late summer storms.

Ok, not really the size of a regular train box car
but it would fill the flat car on an HO model railroad.

The garden continues to do well.  The tomatoes are slowing down. The pole beans are still producing. I planted a couple of rows of bush beans last week. They're up and my fingers crossed that I might get some beans before freeze takes the garden.  But I might need to rig up some frost shields. 

Then there are the sneaky cucumbers.  I should have known better than to rely on my eyes to find the ones just right to pick. I should have remembered my grandfather's practice of shaking the trellised vines to find the cucumbers hiding among the leaves. I hadn't and so the other day here was this beauty. Now I usually try to follow my mother-in-law's practice of only using the nice, skinny, and thin skinned cucumbers for Bread & Butter Pickles.  But then I remembered the philosophy behind my niece's  food cart in Madison, WI -- The Ugly Apple -- which also fits with my father's family-famous celebration of his Scottish heritage.  In short -- Use everything to its best advantage.  Now we could have just eaten this monster. Instead, I peeled half the thick skin off in lengthwise stripes. Then cut it in half and scooped out the seeds. Finally sliced it like its handsomer cousins for the pickles below.

Once the jars were filled you couldn't tell that some of the pickles weren't "State Fair Perfect."  They sure tasted great.

Classic Bread & Butter Pickles
Recipe below is adapted from the 1960s edition of the
Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
So many pages were torn out by helpful two year olds that I've
lost the copyright page. But I didn't lose the recipe!

Classic Bread & Butter Pickles 

4 quarts sliced cucumbers
1-3 cups sliced sweet peppers -- I like the small red ones
1/3 cup pickling salt
about 3 cups small ice cubes or crushed ice
5 cups white sugar
3 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
2 tablespoons mustard seeds

Go to the USDA website to read about safe canning practices if you don't already know how to safely put food up in jars. https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html

To Make the Pickles:
Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds. Cut the peppers into small pieces, or rings. Mix with salt and ice and set aside in a cool place for at least 3 hours. Drain the mixture.

Combine the sugar, vinegar, and spices in a large kettle. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Add the well-drained cucumbers and bring to a boil. Fill the jars with the sliced vegetables and top with extra liquid if needed.  Process according the USDA guidelines.

Makes about 8 pints.

NOTE: If you only have a few extra cucumbers you can make a smaller batch and store in sterilized jars without processing in the refrigerator for a couple of months.


Copyright 2018 Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved 

And the Tomatoes are Here!

Oh YUM!  Our six tomato plants have come into their own.  I'm rather pleased with the varieties we planted this year. Some came early, some are best for putting up, and some-- the Brandywine and Purple Cherokee are perfect for BLTs, or just plain eating out of hand while they are still warm and extra juicy from the afternoon sun.

We have cucumbers, beans, summer squash, and some chard and beets coming as well. So all in all, between the garden and the Clear Lake Farmer's Market held at the Surf parking lot every Saturday morning we'll be in good shape come October with packages of vegetables in the freezer and jars of pickles and my favorite tomato chili sauce relish on the shelf.

This Tomato Chili Sauce adds a fabulous spicy accent to all kinds of dishes.
Mix it into ground beef for a superior meatloaf.
Combine with honey for a great chicken bbq glaze.
Or just use to top a tasty hot dog. 

1860s Tomato Chili Sauce 

2 quarts ripe tomatoes
1 large onion
6 small green peppers
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups vinegar, white or cider
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon EACH ground allspice, ground cloves, cinnamon, ginger, mace, and nutmeg

Peel and seed the tomatoes, peel and chop the onion, seed the peppers. Use a food processor, blender, or food grinder to chop the vegetables into very small pieces, about 1/4 of an inch. Do not over process. You want recognizable pieces, not mush. Combine the vegetables with the remaining ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the onions look transparent and the mixture has thickened. Stir frequently as it has a tendency to scorch as it nears the end of the cooking time. Put into hot sterilized canning jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Or you may process following USDA guidelines.



Copyright 2018  Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved.