Groundhog...Smoundhog, but the little critters are kinda cute...

I've never thought of Groundhog Day as a holiday for celebrating, however this year my twin daughters have mentioned February 2 more than once a day.  Not because it's Groundhog Day, but because it's their half birthday.  That means, tomorrow, they will be 12.5 years old.  At 12, that's a big deal, I guess.  Their father refused to celebrate their half birthday, but he will join in on an "Ode to the Groundhog" dinner. 

So, the Groundhog sees his shadow and retreats into his burrow for 6 more weeks until spring emerges.  I think that tradition is just crazy.  This winter has been  mild here in Texas.  Yesterday and today, the high temperature was 75 with lots of sunshine, and tomorrow it will be 70 and mostly cloudy.  A year ago, during the Superbowl, we were in the middle of an ice/snow storm.  The old adage-If you don't like the weather in Texas, wait about five minutes, it'll change-is true.  You never know from hour to hour just what you are gonna get around here.  If memory serves me, it has been cloudy here on Groundhog day the last 5 years.  According to folklore, spring should be immediate every year.  Last year, we had 2 very long weeks of temps in the teens and lots of ice and snow dumped on us after Groundhog Day.  The groundhog is busted!  We usually have very mild winters, and spring and winter tend to meld into Sprinter or Wing, but by March we are sticking to the 60's most of the time.  So, I guess the groundhog is correct in that most winters can be chilly until the end of March, when spring actually shows up.  Nevertheless, Groundhog Day is tomorrow, and like I said, the critter is cute.  The idea of an entire day devoted to a groundhog is kind of cute, too.  So, to acknowledge the groundhog, we are having a special dinner and watching the Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day tomorrow night.

The most famous groundhog is Punxsutawney Phill of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.  Most people never give much thought the groundhog, but there are other notable groundhogs: Murray the Groundhog of New Jersey, General Beauregard Lee of Snellville, Georgia, Staten Island Chuck of New York City, and Sir Walter Wally of Norh Carolina.  The famous Canadian version is Wiarton Willie of Wiarton, Ontario.  Groundhog Day stems from a pegan/Christianity holiday of Candlemas Day with the Scottish couplet: "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year."  I always find it interesting to find the roots of a holiday or minor celebration tracable back to the growth of the Christian church.

My dinner menu for tomrorow night is very kid friendly.  I will have Groundhog Pecans to much on before dinner.  I am taking pecan halves and tossing them in maple syrup, butter, mace, cardamom, and nutmeg, and backed for 20 minutes at 350.  We will have Whistle Dogs in honor of Wiarton Willie.  These are hot dogs with bacon and american cheese, pickle relish and onions, and whatever condiment you prefer.  We will have three sides to accompany the dogs.  We will macaroni and cheese in honor of General Beauregard Lee.  I would have Dutch Baked Beans in honor of Punxsutawney Phil, but no one in my family likes sweet beans.  So, we will southwest pinto beans instead.  Last, we will have Palisades Park French Fries in honor of Murray the Groundhog.  Palisades Fries are soaked in vinegar water for a little while and then fried in very hot oil.  They are served with Malt Vinegar, if desired.

For dessert, I am making Groundhog Cupcakes in honor of Sir Walter Wally.  They looked too cute not to try making them.  I haven't decided whether I will make carrot cake cupcakes or red velvet, mainly because I already have those cake mixes.  Whatever I decide, I will decorate them with candy bars, jelly beans, and brown M&M's to make a groundhog sitting in the middle of the cupcake.

So, I hope that I have helped you to see that the groundhog is worth checking out.  There's history, there's pretty tasty food options to recognize each famous groundhog, and well, just look at him...he's just so cute!

Bountiful Baskets-Oh Yeah!

My neighbor across the street turned me onto Bountiful Baskets.  She's been purchasing for a few weeks now.  Bountiful Baskets have a national organization of coop produce growers and wholesalers that contribute to a weekly and (some areas) bi-weekly contribution of produce, based on pre-order sales.  Locally, we have the opportunity to purchase regular produce for $15 and organic for $25.  In return, we receive a basket (or box) of fruits and vegetables, and a large amount of each.  I have done it once, and I am completely sold!  In my basket last Saturday, I received pears, apples, bananas, oranges, kiwis, pomegranates, broccoli, cauliflower, red leaf lettuce, corn cobs, tomatoes, and brussel sprouts.  Truly, we got a lot of food to each this week.  In our area, we only get to purchase every other week.  I was completely sold on the price compared to the amount of food I received, easily worth $40.

Over the course of the past two weeks, I have been busier than usual.  One daughter developed a sinus infection last week, and she had 6 teeth pulled this week to go back into braces, resulting in stitches.  Our dog developed a blatter infection.  Both of them were on antibiotics that needed to be given with food.  Of course, the dog was much easier to plan.  With the extractions, softer food was important. The fruit managed to get eaten over the afternoons as after school snacks. Another daughter of mine cut up the fruit on two different days to make her own fruit salad with yogurt.   For the dental girl, one night I made mashed cauliflower, with cream cheese and Parmesan cheese, mashed using a submersible blender.  Surprisingly, they had a mashed potato feel and taste.  Another night, I made broccoli-cheese soup, and it was so tasty.  Last night, my daughter was able to eat more foods that are "chewable."  I made a salsa salad, with grilled corn, avocado, tomato, red onion, cucumber, and a homemade vinaigrette dressing with cilantro.  I baked chicken, then I sliced it and marinaded it with Italian dressing.  My final touch for dinner was the brussel spouts.  I cut them in half, and tossed them in olive oil, placed them on a cookie sheet cut side up, and seasoned them with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. 

I baked them at 350 degree for 25 minutes. They were wonderful. Healthier than french fries, and just as salty and tasty. I think they would go well with almost any main entree.  A little crispy, and soft, all at the same time.  Everyone loved these little gems.

The only things I have left from my Bountiful Basket are the fruits, and tomatoes, which are technically fruit.  I need to research ways to use the pomegranate.  I have seeded them and I'm ready to make some magic.  I still have all five pears, so I think I might poach them tomorrow night.  I've never done that, so I'm looking forward to that, too.

If you have a local Bountiful Basket location, or perhaps another type of service that is similar to this one, I recommend you check it out.  Lots of food, very low price, and an education in new and exciting ways to use the food.  I've had a blast this week trying new things, and savoring old recipes.

Bon Appetit!