My grandparents, on their wedding day, with Glen and Jerry Jackman. Sunday, June 9, 1940

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Gingrich, 1940

Intentions to wed, Robert P. Gingrich, 23 and Myrtle D. Berg, 22

Cherry Almond Biscotti

 

Cherry Almond Biscotti

A friend and coworker gave me some ingredients, She knows I love to bake and then bring the treats into work, This time, she gave me whole roasted almonds and a small container of Paradise Red Cherries. This recipe was included, on the lid. Since I had all of the ingredients on hand, I decided to give it a go, I've never attempted to make biscotti before, so I was eager to try. I love almond flavoring in baked goods, it's one of my favorite additions. This recipe was fairly easy to complete. Somehow, I thought biscotti would be trickier. It sure tastes good! I'm taking them to work with me later this afternoon. 

Cherry Almond Biscotti

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

31/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup chopped almonds, toasted

8 oz Paradise Red cherry halves, chopped

Glaze: 

2 Tbs water

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In mixing bowl, add sugar, butter, almond extract, vanilla extract, and eggs. Beat uniformly. Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well. Add almonds and chopped candied cherries. Knead 2-3 minutes. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 10x3 inch rectangle with rounded corners. Bake 25 minutes, until center of dough is firm to touch. Cool 15 minutes. Bias-cut with a serrated knife into 1/2 inch slices. Bake 15 minutes until crisp. Cool completely, Top with glaze.

 

As I sit at my desk, looking at my vision board, my gaze is set on two photos of the front of my grandparents’ house. I keep it there to bring back memories and to provide inspiration. The olive tree looms large in the front yard, the rose garden, set next to the driveway, is filled with beautiful roses in shades of pink, red and coral. The enormous orange tree stands tall and proud at the corner of the yard. It was one of the largest trees on the street. I don’t know if it was already present when they moved in in 1955 or if they planted it, I just know that it was taller than the roof of the house! That orange tree provided us a constant supply of fresh orange juice. I know that the trees’ flowers attracted bees but I do not recall them ever stinging me or bothering me, even when I played near the tree. In fact, most of the plants and trees in our yard attracted bees. Our plants, trees and grass were always lush and beautiful. Grandma and grandpa made sure of that. They spent countless hours doing yardwork. Many Saturday mornings were spent pulling weeds and tending to the vegetable garden in the back yard, behind the garage. Grandpa grew the best tasting beefsteak tomatoes! Grandma loved her spinach and strawberries. I remember her being proud of the fact that she never had to purchase either from the store. I remember having zucchini, pumpkins, and green beans also. Grandma had a love of flowers and they were in many locations in both the front yard and back yard. I think my favorites were the camelias that were planted in front of the large living room window. The bushes were tall enough to touch the roof of the house, and there were so many flowers. Sometimes, she would pick a few and float them in a glass bowl on the dining room table. She would also pick a few roses and put them in a small vase and set them on our breakfast table in the kitchen. I remember her saying that she wanted to be surrounded by fresh flowers while she was alive and not to waste money of bouquets and wreaths after she passed away someday. Such a sensible thing to say, don’t you think?

I went barefoot a lot in that wonderful yard. My feet must have been constantly dirty. The feel of the cool blades of grass, the brick walkway that led from the driveway to the front door, the indoor/outdoor carpet that was on the landing right in front of the door is a vivid memory for me. Grandma and grandpa had a gold screen door with designs of two peacocks on the lower half. I loved that screen door. I do not remember ever seeing another one like it. On the right side of the house, grandpa built a small brick pathway with a herringbone pattern, he added a brick wall and a wooden gate that was rounded at the top and had a black metal handle and latch. The gate led to the pathway to the backyard. We had to rake leaves in that area in the fall. There was a stout, healthy tree located on the property line. It shed many leaves and raking was not my favorite job. Until, that is, that grandpa bought me a kid-sized rake and boy, did I ever love to rake after that. I’d make big piles and grandpa would come behind me with a dented, old metal garbage can and put the piles inside. I can see beads of sweat on his forehead, his work clothes, dirty from working hard. He would wear old white undershirts for yardwork. And he always wore jeans and tennis shoes. Grandma liked to wear her sun hat out in the yard, she said it protected her from getting a sunburn in the bright Southern California sunshine. She always wore her gardening gloves; her nails were naturally long and beautiful so she liked to keep them protected. She had the most beautiful hands; I remember wishing that my hands looked like hers. Grandma also wore work clothes when out in the yard. Looking back, I think that their yard clothes were old camping clothes that were worn out enough to be relegated to clothes to be worn only for the messy work in the yard.

I spent an exorbitant amount of time out in that yard, the front, and the back. I loved climbing the olive tree. I had no fear as I climbed to the highest branches and played. I had a vivid imagination, I’d picture myself in the jungle with friends that were monkeys that preferred to climb olive trees over all the other trees. I’d imagine being a circus performer on my homemade swing in the backyard, and I would take my upside down frisbee and arrange leaves, pods, flowers and grass on it, as if it were a tray that a waitress would carry. Playing restaurant was fun, even if I was the only one participating. I’d put my roller skates on and go around and around our travel trailer that was always parked in front of the garage door. I would skate to the end of the driveway and back to the garage door, racing invisible competitors. Of course, I always won. I must have been a sight, covered in dirt, mussed up hair, barefoot. What a fabulous childhood I had! I remember playing outside like it was yesterday but I don’t remember taking a shower or bath afterwards. I know for a fact, I did because grandma would not have me walking about looking like a bum or hobo. I had to look presentable. It’s funny, the things that you remember and the things that just escape your memory. I remember taking bubble baths with AVON Bubble Bath when I went to visit my other grandparents, grandma Ann and grandpa Bing. She sold AVON and always had wonderful products that smelled incredible. I do remember grandpa Zim and I using the hose in the backyard to wash our hands and on hot days, we’d wash our faces too. I can still see him splashing water over his face, and using his hands to slick back his white hair, he’d then pull out a small cream colored comb from his pocket and use it to get his hair back into place. Sometimes, he wore an old fishing hat if the sun was beating down. He looked so nice in hats, even a fishing hat! I loved that grandpa could get dirty and look handsome and rugged, then clean up and wear a suit on Sundays. He always looked nice for work as well, he was a draftsman at the O.K. Earl Corporation in South Pasadena. He was the only professional person I knew that had rugged “man hands” as grandma would say. She loved his hands. She used to tell me to find a rugged man, not a man with office hands. She didn’t care for men with soft and supple hands. Grandma sure was opinionated. I miss hearing her words of wisdom and her stories. Growing up, grandma and grandpa were my favorite people. They were the ones I bonded with. I loved them, I loved our house, and I loved our yard.

Zim proposes....

 

My Grandmother's beautiful handwriting. I never tire of reading things that she has written.

I love this look back in time. When I look at these photos, I try to imagine myself there with them on this special day. I wonder what words my Grandpa chose to say. Did he rehearse how he planned to propose? Was he nervous? Did my Grandma suspect that date would be the day they became engaged? I continually hope that as I stare at these pictures, answers will come, that I will remember more details of the engagement stories that they told me.

My handsome Grandpa...Laguna Beach, California 1939

 I do know that my Grandma knew she would say yes if he ever did propose. She told me that it took him a while to have enough money to be able to support a wife, purchase a home and be independent. She was patient for the most part. I think they both knew fairly quickly after going on a few dates that their personalities meshed well, that there was a definite attraction between them. It is never difficult to imagine them being young and in love. Possibly because I've seen so many photos from their lives together, and listened to so many stories about their adventures. The word "adventurous," truly does describe the way they lived. Since they lived in Southern California, there were many places to visit and explore. And Grandma wasn't one to sit back and let the world go by. It's really no surprise that they became engaged at Laguna Beach and then spent the afternoon at Mission San Juan Capistrano. Any chance they had to see new things, experience something fun, or go for a drive, they were taking advantage of  it. Grandma often said, "Let's go on an adventure!" Sometimes, we would jump in the big gold Suburban that they had in the 70's and take a drive, with no specific destination in mind. We would end up in the desert, or pack a lunch and picnic in the local mountains, we might even find ourselves at the beach, and of course we'd have to put our feet in. It seemed that anytime we found ourselves near a body of water, Grandma would take of her shoes, roll up her pants and dip her feet in. She had an affinity for water.  I'm sure they also took spur of the moment trips when they were a young couple. Grandpa said that taking spontaneous little drives was how they saw many of the popular tourist destinations in California.

Young and beautiful...

 

Mission San Juan Capistrano

 I love the clothing from this time period. I think my Grandma did as well. She saved quite a few blouses and skirts for many years, even after they were out of style. Grandpa told me, on more than one occasion, that he loved her figure. She was gorgeous...about 5'2", barely 100 pounds when they got married, beautiful shoulder length brown hair, olive complexion, hazel eyes. He felt that he was a lucky man. Not only did she have outward beauty, she also had a fun personality. A perfect match for my handsome Grandpa, tall and slender, auburn hair, fair skin, piercing blue eyes and a stunning smile. Quite the catch! This photo of him with the birds brings to mind of one of his best qualities; his love of animals. Throughout his entire life, he had such a compassion and kindness for all animals. It was a great thing to witness. Cats, dogs, rabbits, even horses. He was always so gentle with any animal he came into contact with.

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Seeing my grandma laugh in this photo brings a smile to my face. I miss her laughter. She had such a silly streak. She could be serious one minute, then find something funny and the seriousness would be gone instantly. I love the fountain and palm trees behind her, the birds, her smile. Everything about this photo makes me happy. I wish I could hear her tell me about this day again. 

Still enjoying life and having fun after more than fifty years together.

They never did lose their desire for adventure. Even well into their eighties, they were still driving 40 miles once a week to go to dinner and play cards with friends. They still enjoyed evening walks around their neighborhood. They even went to Disneyland by themselves for their anniversary one year. Knowing them as well as I do, I'm not sure why I was surprised when they told me about their trip to Disneyland. It wasn't out of character for them. They would also go to Palm Springs twice a year to stay in a friends' time share condo. I can only hope to be as active as they were.
I'm not sure where this last photo was taken but I do know that wherever there was a body of water....Grandma was sure to have her shoes off and her feet wet!

Courting in the 1930's

Courting: on a date at Balboa Island, late 1930's

 Growing up in their home I remember looking at this photograph and thinking it was sweet but I don't think I understood it completely. I knew the two people pictured where my grandparents but when you see them as parental figures, both in their 50's, it's difficult to imagine them as a young couple, kissing on the boardwalk. This was the beginning of my grandparents relationship. These are the days that they fell in love. Zim and Myrtle had their whole lives ahead of them. Possibility. Wonder. Excitement.

Myrtle and Zim, the beginning....

The time period was the late 1930's. They had both graduated from High School. And as fate would have it, they both worked at Kresses', a small department store in Alhambra, California. My grandpa worked in the back of the store, in the stockroom. He also made deliveries. Grandma worked at the glass counters in the front. She told me that her job was to sell gloves, hats, jewelry and other small items. There are no photos of the inside of that store but because I've heard stories and seen photos of similar stores from that time, I see it as if I'm watching a movie. I hear my grandparents voices while their are having conversations with customers. I can clearly picture my Grandpa lifting heavy boxes in the back of the delivery truck, my Grandma modeling a watch or a pair of gloves for a customer. As I've mentioned before, employees at Kresses were not allowed to date one another. It was strictly forbidden. Mrs. Dunn would not allow fraternizing among her workers. When Grandpa was in his 90's, I asked him to once again,  tell me the story of how they met...and he talked about "Old Lady Dunn" with the same disdain after all those years. She was quite a character. A bit rotund, as Grandpa would say. She apparently ran the store like a Navy ship. You either did things her way or you were told to leave. I don't even need a photo of Mrs. Dunn, after all of the stories I've heard, I can clearly picture her in my mind. Yes, my sweet grandparents broke the rules and hid their relationship. They dated in secret. My Grandma often said, "I wasn't going to let anyone tell me what to do!" She was feisty. She had spunk and I guess you can even say she had "attitude." Definitely not the same type of attitude as the young girls of today. She still had excellent manners. She just had her own way of doing things and was determined to do them. I really think that I learned this from her. Although, I could use a refresher course on the manners portion at times. Grandpa was a sweet, kind soul. He was gentle, somewhat soft spoken but still opinionated. I only saw him angry a handful of times in my whole life.  I see why she was attracted to him. I imagine their innocent flirting, their smiles to one another. The first time they held hands, their very first kiss.

"Brought me home from Kresses' in his dad's new Ford. Fooled me, I thought it was his."

 

When my Grandma was in her 70's, she decided to make an album of their lives. She organized all of the photos and then used a small felt marker to write notes and descriptions on the pages. I lost count of how many times I looked through that album. When she first showed it to me, we must have sat in the living room for hours while she told me the stories behind the photos. This was one of my favorites. Grandma had dated a man before she met my Grandpa. He did not own a car, so all of their dates were either walking to their destination or riding their bicycles. She said she wasn't going to do that again. She wanted to date a man with a car! Then, along came Zim. Handsome, young, strong, and he was nice! What a catch, she said. She was even more excited when he drove her home one evening, in a new Ford. Of course, after several dates, it was revealed that the car belonged to his father. Grandma said, "So much for that!" Yet, she continued to date him. She told me, "At that point, I was sunk. I already liked him."

Myrtle and Zim. I guess they were meant to be together. Grandpa also dated someone else before Grandma. He told me that she was beautiful but they didn't have that something special that he had with my Grandma. They just seemed made for one another. Of course, their relationship wasn't perfect. None are. But they were married for 67 years. No huge arguments, no separations, just a solid marriage. Every marriage begins somewhere...this was their beginning.

Indian Spiced Curry Turkey Soup

Indian Spiced Curry Turkey Soup

New recipes make me happy. When I'm trying a new recipe for the very first time, I get a feeling similar to the feelings one has while opening a birthday present. Excitement. A bit of anxiety, because I'm not sure how it will turn out. And joy. Who doesn't love a gift of something new? Just like a birthday present, a new recipe brings excitement. And the possibility of adding a new meal to our repertoire. Wisdom from my Grandma: always be willing to try new foods. Even if it is just once. Even if you don't like the look of it. Even if it is an exotic, rare food. I would say that is very good advice. Our meals should be an adventure. We all have our favorite stand by meals that we can put together quickly, meals that we know our families enjoy. But every now and then, we should add something different to the mix. A meal, an ingredient, a spice or herb. A guaranteed way to get stuck in a food rut is to prepare the same things continuously.
Growing up, I knew my Grandpa didn't care for curry or anything with a curry flavor. I knew this because we never had any meals with curry included. I remember trying Indian food as a teenager and really being intrigued by the intensity and complexity of the flavors. My husband actually found this recipe in an old issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine. He brought the opened magazine to me and suggested we try this recipe. With our current weather of single digit temperatures at night, soup is always a good choice. We both agreed that this recipe is a keeper. I could easily make this once a month. I hope you'll give it a try. And if you do, please let me know what you think. I'd love to have some feedback.
Happy Cooking!

Indian Spiced Curry Turkey Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped ginger
1/4 tsp chili flakes (I used 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp mustard seed
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 small tomato, chopped (I used grape tomatoes, cut in half)
2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken
1 cup plain low fat yogurt, divided
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped (I used a bit extra, simply because I love cilantro)
1 jalepeno, chopped (optional)

1. Heat a medium or large stockpot to medium heat. Add olive oil and onion, and cook until light golden brown.

2. Add ginger and all spices. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Then add tomato, turkey, most of yogurt and chicken stock and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

4 Garnish with remaining yogurt, cilantro and jalepeno.

Serves 4
365 calories per serving

Cookies and Friendship

Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chip and Macadamia Cookies

 Once in a while, I get this funny intuition sort of thing that says "Bake some cookies for your friends." It usually happens when I'm busy cleaning or occupied with another household chore. Sometimes, I am sure it comes from knowing my friends and the things they are going through. Other times, I get that feeling because I like to make people smile. I love to bake. And I love to give. The two go together so well. I can bake an entire batch of cookies and share them with others, rather than keep them all in my kitchen. If I did that, I know for a fact they would get eaten. My husband and I certainly do not need 5 dozen cookies sitting on the counter calling to us as we walk by. We truly lack will power when it comes to sweets. By sharing, I can enjoy one or two cookies and send the rest to those that need some cheer or just a little reminder that someone is thinking of them.

Cookies really are simple to bake. I've never understood the pre-made dough at the grocery store. It just does not taste good. I guess I enjoy the process of baking so much that I don't mind the time it takes. I'd rather pass on having  the convenience of store-bought cookie dough. Plus, when you don't make them from scratch, there is no dough to lick off of the beaters! That has always been my favorite part. According to friends, I have pretty much mastered chocolate chip cookies so I thought I would try a variation of that. Walking down the aisle at the store, this package of Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips practically jumped off the shelf and into my basket. I just had to buy them. Macadamia nuts seem to go really well with white chocolate so my decision was made. There is nothing better than the aroma of cookies baking in the oven. When you're trying to watch your calorie intake, it can prove to be excruciating torture though. Not something I recommend. Hence, one of the many reasons to give the cookies away. Package them up quickly and declare the containers off limits. Of course, that does not always work. Especially when one lives with a man with a horrible sweet tooth. I did offer him two fresh from the oven and I think that satiated him for the moment.

The next day was cookie delivery day. This is the best part! I am friends with a couple that are a little older than me, okay...maybe 20 years older than me. Don and I used to take a watercolor class together. And Sally is just as adorable as can be. Don's had some health issues recently and Sally's been taking care of her mother. I knew they desperately needed cookies. When life gets rough, eat cookies, right? I knocked on the door, handed Sally a container of freshly baked cookies and for a moment, all was right with the world. She invited me in and had me deliver the container to Don, who was in the den watching football. It was a Sunday, I think all men must watch football on Sundays. I wish I had a photo of the expression on his face. Truly priceless. I love the element of surprise. I had previously mentioned to Sally that I might bake them a batch of cookies some time, but I didn't say when. But Don had no idea. His entire face lit up, he got out of his chair to give me the best bear hug any girl could ask for. Cookies really aren't a fancy, expensive gift. They aren't difficult to make and they don't require an enormous commitment of your time. While I'm sure the cookies tasted good (because I sampled them...quality control, you know) I believe that it's the thoughtful gesture that says so much. I treasure my friendship with them. I enjoy their company and I've learned so much from both of them. I think a batch of cookies was the perfect gift on a cold winter day.

This recipe made 5 dozen cookies. That is a lot of cookies. I was able to make a smaller container for two other couples. I headed over to Holly and Menzie's house. They had no idea I was coming, which made it even more fun. They were also watching the football game. And enjoying a nice afternoon drink. Holly loves cookies but doesn't bake often. So, I came to the rescue. We chatted for a few minutes, they invited me to stay for a drink. If it hadn't been a work day for us, I would have loved to stay and visit a while. Holly and Menzie are also a bit older than me. And I absolutely love talking to them. I could spend an entire day with the two of them, asking questions, sharing stories, and listening. I would do a lot of listening. I have such fascinating friends. I checked back a few days later and the cookies did not last long. Not with Holly around. Knowing that my cookies made them both smile really was the highlight of my day.

I had one last container of cookies to deliver to my dear friend Tami. I've known her for about five years. We met at a Highland Games. She is incredibly talented and creative. She had a booth there with all handmade items. She's currently working on getting her PhD. It may seem rude to some, but I never call before stopping by at her house. I don't think she minds. In fact, it's more fun for both of us when there is that added element of surprise. As soon as she came to the door and saw a container of cookies in my hand, she asked me how I knew she needed them? There goes my intuition again. I can't explain it, I just felt it. I've delivered many goodies to her before, and each time, it just seems right. We hugged and I handed her the cookies. I didn't stay long. Again, I wish I could have but work was waiting. She knows how much I care for her and think of her. Even without the cookies, she knows.

One of the many things that my Grandma taught me was how important it is to have friends. And not just a few friends that you have everything in common with. She encouraged me to have many friends, to search out diversity, to listen to their stories. I learned to volunteer and be of service from realizing that everyone benefits from it. The giver, the receiver and those that are witness to the experience. You can never go wrong when you share.

Ghirardelli Macadamia White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened ( I always use real butter when baking. Margarine just doesn't cut it.)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups unsifted flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups (one 11 oz bag) Ghirardelli Classic White Chips
1 1/2 cups Macadamia nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Blend in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in white chips and nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. (I always use Parchment Paper) Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Makes 5 dozen cookies

Winter sunset at Rock Creek