Reviews

An intriguing, well-written account of the author’s struggles to connect with loved ones (or sometimes not-so-loved ones) “who either couldn’t or wouldn’t connect with us.” Jane Ellen shares with her readers how years of psychotherapy, the trees in a forest around her childhood home, a loving husband, and a few good friends helped her finally to see the truth of her past, and know that it was okay to “turn the discord” of her life into something better, something she could pass on to her own children. Though rather bleak at times, in the end, it’s a story of healing and redemption. 
        - Eric Olsen, former executive editor for special projects at Time Inc. Health; author, We Wanted to be Writers: Live, Love, and Literature at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop


Psychotherapy is an art. You were fortunate to have a competent therapist, one who really listened and who possessed a good amount of empathy. Your account too is a work of art.
        - Dr. Paul Kiell, psychiatrist; author of The Complete Guide to Physical Fitness

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You captured the agony of re-awakening "lost" emotions and parts of oneself so vividly. You make a very cogent point about the wound of isolation, which can sometimes get less attention in a field where trauma is currently center stage. The loss of early life attention and clear mirroring is as harmful as any act of violence. 
         - Anne Allanketner, MA, LPC


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MY favorite Recipes

  
Jerry’s Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
Ingredients:
6-8 potatoes, sliced, thin
3-4 Tbsp. butter
1 ½ cups milk, scalded
3-4 thin sliced baked ham, cubed (optional)
Salt, pepper, celery salt
Grated cheddar cheese
⅓ cup flour
1-2 Tbsp minced onion

Instructions:
Butter a 2-quart casserole and layer ⅓ of potatoes over the bottom. Sprinkle salt, pepper and celery salt, onion, flour, and small bits of ham over the layer. Repeat all this once and then end with a full layer of potatoes. Sprinkle it with butter and cheese, salt and pepper. Pour hot scalded milk over the potatoes. Bake at 375 degrees covered, for 45 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes. 


Cole Slaw from the kitchen of Jerry Paffenbarger  (see photo below)
Ingredients:
½ head cabbage
¼ - ½ cup sugar
1 small red onion
1-2 stalks celery
1 carrot
¼ green paper
½ TT pickle juice
2 large T sweet relish
2 T apple cider vinegar
½ - 1 cup mayonnaise

Instructions:
Chop cabbage finely, add diced onion, celery, carrot, pepper, and relish. Mix mayonnaise, vinegar, pickle juice and sugar into a dressing and pour over slaw. Mix well. Season with salt, pepper, celery seed to taste. Chill.


Peter Reinhart's Ciabatta Bread by Leona Konkel  (see photo below)
Ingredients:
Poolish
  • 11.25 ounces flour (should be bread flour; I used all-purpose)
  • 12 ounces water
  • 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Final Dough
  • 13.5 ounces flour
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
  • 3-6 ounces water

Instructions:
Poolish
  1. Combine ingredients for poolish. Cover with plastic wrap and let ferment at room temperature for 3-4 hours, until bubbly. Refrigerate overnight.

Final Dough
  1. Remove poolish from fridge 1 hour before using, to take off the chill.
  2. Combine poolish, flour, salt, yeast, and lesser amount of water in the stand mixer. Mix with paddle attachment on low until dough comes together, then beat for 5 minutes on medium speed. Switch to dough hook, then beat for another 2 minutes. Dough should be smooth and sticky. It should clear the sides of the bowl, but stick to the bottom; add water at low speed until the dough sticks to the bottom if it doesn't already. I used the full amount of water called for.
  3. Scrape the dough onto a very well-floured surface, about 8 inches in diameter. Transfer dough to surface. Stretch the dough until it's twice the original length, then fold upon itself. Repeat in the opposite direction. Wet or flour your hands as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to you. Spray dough with oil, then cover with plastic wrap.
  4. Let dough rest for 30 minutes, then repeat. Let dough rest on counter for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Dough will nearly double in size, so be sure you have lots of flour surrounding the dough.
  5. Divide dough into 2 or 3 rectangles. Don't degas the dough, although I ended up doing so. Sprinkle dough with flour, lift each piece with help of a dough scraper, and gently roll each piece of dough in flour. The recipe recommends placing the dough on a couche (flour-lined cloth, with ridges between each loaf to keep the dough from spreading as it rises). I wouldn't do this again because I degassed my dough big time as I transferred it to the baking sheet. I would lay each loaf directly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and shape it into a 6-inch loaf. I might put flour-lined cloths or parchment between the loaves so that they didn't grow into each other.
  6. Cover and proof for 45-60 minutes.
  7. Place an empty metal pan on the lowest rack of your oven, then preheat the oven to 500F. Remove cloth and paper from around the dough. Tug each piece of dough out to a length of 9-12 inches. Place pan of dough on the center rack of the oven, then pour 1 cup hot water into the heated metal pan to create steam in the oven. Shut the door, wait 30 seconds, then mist water into the oven. Repeat 2 more times, then reduce oven temperature to 450F. Bake bread for 15-20 minutes total, rotating bread halfway through baking time if necessary.
  8. Cool bread for at least 45 minutes before cutting and serving.



Gingerbread Men      (see photo below of gingerbread men dressed as our Christmas party guests)
Ingredients:
3 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt 
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses

Sugar icing ingredients:
1 package confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup water

Instructions:
Beat butter, sugar, egg, and molasses until light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours. Roll out 1/3 dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut out and place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 8 minutes. Cool before removing from pan. Use pastry brush to ice cookies. Use decorator's icing for details.