Why cookies

Today is Crazy Mountain Christmas in Big Timber, an open house for most businesses, who are trying to get people to stay in town instead of going to the big after-Thanksgiving sales in Bozeman and Billings. I took this opportunity to walk around asking people why there are so many cookies in town this time of year . . . homemade ones at that.

The most common answer was: the Norwegians. Apparently, Norwegians love their cookies. And who wouldnt: many are fried puffs of stuff sprinkled with powdered sugar. You can eat a whole lot without really knowing youve swallowed anything. The rosettes you see here were for sale to raise money for Rad Grad, a big graduation party for high school seniors.

The seniors were also selling other types of cookies, wrapped nicely for giving as gifts, or to treat yourself as a special person.

Another thought as to why cookies are popular was: they are easy to make to serve to big crowds. Cake might be nice, but it can get messy, said my informant, who was overseeing the cookie table in Gusts department store. Space is always at a premium in Gusts, but today lucky shoppers were able to squeeze in to taste many delicious cookies made by the employees.

Across the street at Cinnabar Creek, a shop overflowing with ceramic ware, jewelry, fancy socks and gloves, and lots of books, they were a bit slow in getting cookies out. On my first visit, I stared forlornly at an empty tray. "When are the cookies coming?" I asked. "Soon," was the answer, but not the one I wanted to hear.

Later, after hearing a rumor the cookies had arrived, I checked in again. Yes! Lovely treats! "Why are cookies so popular in Big Timber?" I asked once more. "I dont know," said the barista steaming lattes. "Maybe because they go good with a cup of coffee?"

Next door, at an improvised bazaar in the Old Firehouse, Tumbleweed Teas had an enticing display of shortbread along with many tea blends to sample. Tea was the focus, and it was obvious that the cookies were an excellent accompaniment. In fact, they are used to cleanse the palate between sips.

Some businesses did not have any cookies. I remember big plates of amazing goodies at the drug store last year, but today no one there knew anything special was going on in town. They thought they might have some cookies to hand out during the lighted Christmas parade on December 11, but that is too far away for me to get excited about right now.

I was told the 3 banks in town will soon have open houses with treats, so I may get some answers there. I know these banks have employees whom I consider smart cookies indeed.

For my last visit, I returned to Gusts to make sure I had sampled the very best they had to offer. A small boy shyly took a cookie and then handed one to his brother in a stroller.

"Why do you think cookies are so popular?" I asked him.

"Because they taste good," he said.

"Because they taste good," echoed his little brother.

Well, duh. Why didnt I think of that?

Continue reading

So much more at the Livingston market

The Livingston farmers market opened today, and I am trying to think how to describe it. You can look at the photos I took, and I can tell you I walked through a light rain to look at spring vegetables, jewelry, pottery, heirloom plant starts, breads, and cookies.

But you wont be able to share the friendly handshake Lyle gave me before he described the farmers market special of naturally raised pork products offered by Miller Farm, where he is a ranch hand.

You wont catch the proud look of Leah as she describes the gourmet crackers she wrapped with pretty bows for her very first market. She used to be a chef she tells me, but . . . and her glance at the sweet-faced baby in her arms explains how some things are more important than a mere job.

Theres a whole story behind the Dancing Kettle Korn sign that I could sum up in a few words to fit onto this blog, but those words could not capture the proud spirit of the couple who run their own business that gives them an income and freedom to travel and the joy of feeding others something truly sweet.

You just have to get out and visit your own area farmers markets -- to discover for yourself who those people are who grow and produce and create the food that nourishes you.

Livingston Farmers Market

Sacajawea Park bandshell

June 2 - September 29

Wednesday, 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm (music 6:30 pm - 9 pm)

Continue reading

So much to be thankful for

This was my third Thanksgiving in Montana, and I have much to be thankful for. Today I shared dinner with good friends, generous, warm-hearted people I admire and enjoy being with.

My contribution was dessert, a pumpkin cheesecake that might have been made with some pumpkin I grew myself (I certainly have enough of it), but I had a can of organic pumpkin puree about to expire, so I opted to use that.

I woke up early to make it as fresh as possible. The sun was rising, lighting up the fields and trees and distant hills. A beautiful day for a holiday!

One minute I was pressing down a gingersnap-crumb/chopped-pecan/melted-butter crust into the pan, half looking out at my car in the parking area and at the pasture beyond. The next minute, after putting the pan in the oven and turning around to look out the window again, I was watching in amazement as a herd of about 50 sheep grazed around my car.

I forgot to close the gate last night! It is a messy contraption of barbed wire wrapped around a few posts; with the slippery ice on the ground that makes it difficult to get a solid grasp of the parts to secure them, perhaps I should say here that I didnt really want to close the gate last night.

There was no one to take a photo of me, marching out in my jacket covering an apron covering my pyjamas, but there I was. I flapped my arms, but it doesnt take much to get a herd of sheep moving. One gal stood her ground, however, and glared at me fiercely, which startled me for a moment because Ive never heard of sheep acting violently. (Now Angus cows are an entirely different story: do not get between an Angus mother and her calf!)

But then I saw two lambs who had wandered onto the lawn near my house. After I shooed them in the right direction, mother and twins left happily.

And then . . . I finished making the cheesecake. I dont know how delicious it looks in my photo, but it was good in person. That blob of orange on the side was a last-minute attempt to make something that tasted like pumpkin pie since I couldnt taste the cheesecake before I took it to dinner (I thought the others might notice a piece missing), and I wondered if it was "pumpkiny" enough.

So I whipped up a bit of cream I had in the fridge (about 2 tablespoons), then stirred in the leftover canned pumpkin (about 1/2 cup) and added brown sugar (about a tablespoon) and a big dash of homemade pumpkin spice (maybe a teaspoon of the cinnamon-nutmeg-cloves mixture). It was pretty good, too.

But best of all were the loving hands that prepared the rest of the meal, which included the traditional turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce (a canned mixture called "cowboy cranberries," but we didnt know why, and here we live in Montana), along with fruit salad, garden-grown beans and carrots, homemade rolls, and homemade apricot jam.

The local women often say they cant cook, and then they outdo anything Ive ever tasted. I love potlucks here.

I hope you are as stuffed and happy as I am tonight!

Continue reading