Hug O' War

I will not play at tug o' war.
I'd rather play at hug o' war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.

—Shel Silverstein

Natilla (pronounced Nah-tee-yah)

Here's the recipe for my Cuban Vanilla Custard. Thank you to my co-workers for all your kind words, but you will see how easy it is to make:

Ingredients:

5 C. milk (I use whole milk, but if you prefer, you can use 2%)
1 C. sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 T. vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
5 egg yolks
½ C. corn starch

1. In a saucepan combine 4 C. of milk, sugar, cinnamon stick, vanilla extract and salt. Cook on medium heat until it simmers, making sure the sugar is completely dissolved in the milk.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining cup of milk, egg yolks and corn starch. A small whisk is most effective for mixing the corn starch into the milk and egg mixture.
3. When the milk on the stove is simmering, add the milk/egg yolk mixture to the pot, straining it through a fine sieve to catch any undissolved corn starch.
4. Continue to cook on medium heat until the pudding thickens, usually no more than 3-4 minutes. The whisk will come in handy again to make sure that no lumps are formed.
5. Remove from heat and ladle into ramekins while still hot, as the mixture cools it gets harder to pour. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and chill.
6. Call the kids and/or husband to the kitchen and dispense spoons so they can scrape the pot clean.

Two tips:

1. Separate the egg yolks before you put the milk on the stove. You don't want to get distracted by the eggs when you should be keeping a close watch so the milk doesn't scorch.
2. Use a non-stick saucepan if possible. I use a Calphalon dutch oven and a silicone whisk so it doesn't scratch the pot.

These squash-shaped ramekins, a gift from my friend Susan, make a timeless comfort food seem a bit more seasonal. Let me know how it turns out.

This week's reading

Three very quick and uncomplicated reads:

And three very quick and uncomplicated reviews: No, yes, and YES!

Weird Mother Nature

Here are the trees in front of the house, no leaves . . .

. . . but still full of apples.

I wish they were good apples, but, unfortunately, even the squirrels turn up their noses at them. We just gather them up when they fall off and put them straight in the garbage. One of these days we want to cut down these trees and put something less messy in their place.

The Elephant in the Room

I got an e-mail at work today: "Congrats, I heard you made the cut." No, I didn't get a promotion, what I did was manage to avoid getting cut - cut out of a job, that is. This has been a horrible, sad two weeks at work. It's actually been longer. For months, there have been hints that a "Reduction in Force" was coming and we've lived with Damocles sword hanging over our heads because what else was there to do but wait? That has been the Elephant in the Room of my life for the last few months. I've talked of so many trivial things on this blog, always avoiding mention of the one thing most likely to affect my immediate life.

Well, the time finally arrived and that sword came down and did some bloody damage. Long time employees, sometimes with twenty years or more with the company, have been packaged along with employees that were hired six months ago. People have not been slotted for jobs at the same time that their positions, or very similar ones have been left open. Alternatively, people have been slotted into positions in which they have no interest, thus keeping them from being able to receive a termination package. It's been awful, and no one really knows what criteria was used to decide who goes and who stays.

I've been kept awake at night thinking of a co-worker currently undergoing radiation, who is hoping that her package will last at least as long as her remaining treatment, because that is also the length of time that she will be covered by insurance. I think about another co-worker who has an enormous tumor in her stomach and was waiting for her overall health to stabilize before scheduling further surgery, and whose husband of 13 years just walked out on her. What is she going to do now? There are so many other stories.

Yes, I survived the cut. My job is changing completely, although I'm keeping the same salary and benefits. But it saddens me that when they slotted me they showed so little understanding of where my strengths lie (It's nothing personal, Maria. I know, I know . . . ). I'll do the best I can with the job, it's not in me to give less than my best. And, who knows, maybe it'll be better than I think right now.

I keep telling myself that this job does not define me, that maybe God or the universe has another plan for me and I should go with the flow and let the plan reveal itself. And I'm trying very hard to be grateful that in this economy I have a job.

But right now, it's painful going to work and seeing the living dead: Those that have been told that they will no longer have a job as of next Monday. I think of John Donne's lines:

"Each man's death diminishes me
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
for whom the bell tolls
It tolls for thee."

May God watch over us all.

In the eye of the beholder . . .

This copper plumbing is a thing of beauty. It represents the successful piping for the new tub, all done by my dear husband, who despises plumbing work above all things. And this was no ordinary plumbing, no PVC pipes to make things easier. This was copper piping that needed precise measurements and soldering with a blow torch.

The black burn marks on the studs were made when the original piping was installed. But my DH wasn't taking any chances: He placed a fire resistant cloth behind the pipes to protect the studs and the walls on the other side while he had the blow torch going. The things I've learned just by watching him!

Afterwards, we just threw the cloth in the washer and now it's squeaky clean and ready for the next blow torch project!

Next step: The electrical work.

The things you learn through Facebook . . .

My second cousin, Sonia, who, as it happens was a junior bridesmaid at my wedding, mentioned on Facebook that for a Sunday family dinner she had made "pastelitos."

"Pastelitos" is Cuban shorthand for delicate, flaky pastries, filled with "guayaba" (guava) or "carne" (beef). They are also made with other fillings: Coconut, pineapple, mango and cheese, among other choices. But when someone offers you a pastelito you will most likely be presented with a white bakery box where you will find guava and beef-filled pastries.

I could go on and on about pastelitos. They are such a part of Cuban life. Sunday mornings at our house began with my father making a trip to the Cuban bakery and picking up a box of pastelitos. We read the paper and ate them and got sticky flakes all over the table, our shirts and our fingers. There's never a party without pastelitos, and the interesting thing is that no one bakes them. They are always bought at bakeries.  In a way, it's like donuts. I mean, who ever makes donuts?

Unfortunately, we don't have a Cuban bakery nearby (neither does my cousin Sonia) so if we are going to satisfy the craving, we are going to have to make them ourselves. I immediately e-mailed Sonia and asked her for the recipe. She responded quickly, and . . . voilà!

My husband, who's had them many times, said that they were even better than the ones from the bakery (smart man!). They did taste pretty good to me, and the kitchen smelled heavenly while they were baking. Now I'm keeping a closer eye on Sonia's Facebook Wall and hope that she figures out a way to make "Guarapo" at home - sugar cane juice.