webbie's world

How Do You Say Caramel?

2011-10-14T21:12:00.000-05:00

Do you pronounce it kar-uh-mel or kahr-muhl?

Well, any way you say it, you'll love this little delight.

Nick Malgieri's Caramel Crumb Bars
Makes 24 two-inch squares

Ingredients:
For the dough
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour (spoon flour into a dry-measure cup and level off)

For the filling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Position a rack on the lowest level of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, then use a little butter to lightly grease the paper.

For the dough: Combine the 16 tablespoons of butter, the sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is soft and light. Add the vanilla extract and mix to incorporate.

Reduce the speed to low, then gradually add 2 1/4 cups of the flour and beat until well incorporated to form a smooth dough. Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl and paddle.

Remove the bowl from the mixer; transfer three-quarters of the dough into the prepared pan. Use the palm of your hand to press the dough down lightly and evenly. Chill the dough-lined pan while you make the topping: Work the remaining 1/4 cup flour into the remaining dough with your fingertips so that it forms small crumbs. Set aside at room temperature.

For the filling: Combine the butter, corn syrup, brown sugar and condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Allow the mixture to boil gently, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, until the mixture starts to thicken and darken slightly. Pour into a stainless-steel bowl to cool for 5 minutes.

To assemble: Pour the cooled filling on top of the chilled dough, then scatter the crumb mixture evenly over the top. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the filling bubbles gently and is a deep caramel color and the dough and crumb topping are baked through.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes, until lukewarm. Use the parchment paper to lift the slab of baked dough out of the pan and onto a cutting board before it has cooled completely. Cut the slab into roughly 2-inch squares

For the record, I only had light brown sugar on hand, so I used it. And...I misread the recipe and used all of the flour for the batter. I added a little more to make the crumb, but I don't think my "crumb topping" was as crumby (?!) as it should have been.

These bars are rich and surprisingly light. Those not photographed and taste-tested are currently residing in my freezer in the tenuouos hope that out of sight is out of mind.

A Tongue Tantalizing Treat

2011-09-27T11:18:00.000-05:00

This is not your momma's shortbread cookie!

This is a surprising and sophisticated twist on an old favorite that combines the smokiness of cumin, the richness of butter, the brightness of lemon, and the unexpectedness of black pepper.

But do not be confused. This is a cookie, not a cracker. It disolves on your tongue while the ghosts of flavors are still haunting your surprised palate. It makes you think. It makes you wonder. It makes you want more.

Would I take these cookies to the church bake sale? No. Would I serve these cookies to my rather "set in their ways" parents. Definitely not! However, would I set out a plate of these while entertaining my foodie friends? You betcha!

Imagine a table full of appetizers, savory and salty, cruchy and tart. And then, these cookies An excellent addition, I think.

The recipe is by Molly O'Neill of the NYT and is on page 695 of The Essential New York Times Cookbook.

Pepper-Cumin Cookies

2 c all purpose flour
6 Tbs sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp black peppercorns, cracked
1 tsp cumin seeds, cracked
2 sticks unsalter butter, cut into pieces and softened slightly
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Put the flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest, peppercorns and cumin in the food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and vanilla and pulse until the mixture forms a dough.

2. Transfer the dough to a work surface. Shape into 1" balls and place 2" apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand to 1/4" thick.

3. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from pans and place on racks to cool.

The cookbook says approximately 30 cookies, but I got 3 dozen.

Celebrating A Life in Recipes

2011-08-29T02:24:00.001-05:00

On July 29th, I posted a farewell to my online buddy Becky. Today, her birthday, I will share with you some of my favorites of the recipes she had shared with me over the years.

I invited some friends for lunch to enjoy Red Beans and Rice, a salad of spinach, sweet potato, goat cheese, and bacon, and a dessert of chocolate meringue pie while I told them the wonderful things I knew about Becky. Her roots in Louisiana, her two daughters and wonderful husband. Her farm in Tennessee and her residence in Alabama. Her dedication to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens and her passion for art deco, Fiestaware, and vintage linens.

Red Beans and Rice

2 cups dry red beans
6 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon thyme leaves
6 grates nutmeg
1½ teaspoons salt
1 lb. smoked sausage, Optional
2 cups uncooked rice

About noon on Sunday wash the beans and put in crockpot with water, onion and garlic. Turn heat to LOW, cover and cook.
Sunday night before you go to bed add the Tabasco, Worcestershire, cayenne, oregano, thyme, nutmeg and salt. Add more water, if needed. Cover and continue cooking.
On Monday morning slice and steam the sausage if you are going to use it; add to crockpot. Again, add water, if needed. Cover and cook till suppertime. Cook rice according to package directions. Place cooked rice in soup plates and ladle the beans on top.
Serves 6

Here is the link to Becky's blog and her recipe for Chocolate Pie.

I have only recently tried Becky's recipe for Pound Cake, and it is truly delicious. Here is the recipe and her history with it.

Pound Cake
In my birth family I was known for never being able to get a cake out of a pan in one piece. However, when we got married, Mike's aunt gave me Southern Sideboards (Jackson Jr. League cookbook). In it was a recipe for Selma's VA Pound Cake. He had requested pound cake for dessert and being a newlywed, I wanted to try to make it. Well, I made it and it turned out of the pan perfectly! No more jinx. I tinkered with the recipe a little, and this is my version of that cake. It's been a success for 27 years now.

1½ cups butter
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups unbleached flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pinch salt
½ teaspoon baking powder

Grease and flour a large tube pan.

Cream butter and sugar till smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add flour a little at a time. Slowly add milk, flavouring and salt. Put in the baking powder last. Pour batter into pan and place in cold oven. Turn temperature to 325ºF and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from pan.

The Best Part of Late Summer

2011-08-28T09:14:00.001-05:00

School children wimper and wail as Summer winds down and slowly eases into Fall, but those of us past the age of romping barefoot in fields of clover, chasing firelies and sucking honeysuckle have reasons to celebrate. While temperatures still dance in the low nineties, late summer fruits are in full harvest.

Great grapes! It's time for grapes. Not the grapes available year round in the supermarket...those marevelously thick hulled grapes grown on arbors in back-yards and wild grapes with vines climbing sturdy old trees in secret places. Forget the ragweed, pick up your buckets and baskets and head out for Scuppernongs and Muscadines!

If you've never experienced it, you should give it a try. Take a grape and look for the point where it grew from the vine. Place it half-way between your lips and gently bite down until the juicy flesh pops into your mouth. Chew softly, separating the pulp from the seed. Your tastebuds will dance, your nostrils will flare, your eyes will light up.

These delights are native to the southern United States and make marvelous jelly and wine. But truly, they are best enjoyed with your feet propped on the porch rail, popping them in your mouth and discarding seeds and skins into a piece of newspaper while watching the sun set on another late summer day.

If you aren't fortunate enough to have a neighbor or friend with a vine, certain supermarkets will carry them for a short time. I've found them at the Piggly Wiggly, Publix, and even Walmart. Life is an adventure..try something new!

Goodbye, Dear Friend

2011-07-29T17:00:00.001-05:00

A woman that I never met, but considered to be a dear friend passed away today. We "met" through an online community that started on the Food Network website as fans of Ina Garten. When the Food Network discontinued the discussion boards, we migrated to a new, ProBoards forum entitled "Contessa's Kitchen".

Beck Turner was a dedicated wife, mother, daughter, and sister. She was an adventurous and creative cook, and an expert at long forgotten food arts like canning and preserving and taught me a great deal. She collected FiestaWare and loved to create "tablescapes" with her beautiful dishes.

If you are reading this, please take a moment to look to the right at some of my favorite sites. There is a link there to her blog, Random Musings of a Decolady. Please visit it to truly appreciate how much she will be missed.

What To Do With All of These Tomatoes?

2011-07-24T15:29:00.000-05:00

I've been quite busy, lately, canning and pickling. I made two batches of pickles and a batch of salsa in the last couple of weeks. Then I received a call from my dad stating that his tomatoes were coming in fast and furious and to come get some soon before they were all gone.

I loaded up the cats and headed south to find his garage over-run with tomatoes and many still on the vines. First I made another batch of salsa. Then sat and calculated the amount left. His neighbors and friends have reached the saturation point and are refusing to take his calls.

Today I decided to try my hand and canning tomato sauce and found this recipe.

Tomato Sauce with Fresh Herbs

15 lbs tomatos
2 lbs onions
1/3 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic
2 cups chopped fresh basil
3 TBS salt
1 TBS pepper
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 bottle red wine (optional)

I know the color is wild, but that is 15 pound of tomatoes, pealed and chopped.

Peel and chop tomatoes and set aside. Dice onions and saute in olive oil. Add chopped garlic just before onions become translucent. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, basil and wine (if using).

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until reduced by 1/3, about 2 hours. Add lemon juice and cook an additional 5 minutes. Fill jars and place immediately into boiling water bath for 30 to 35 minutes (30 minutes for pints, 35 for quarts). Makes 8 qts if using wine, 6 if not.

My sister contributed the basil from her garden and the smell is divine. I can hardley wait to cook up some pasta and try it! Imagine garden fresh goodness in the middle of winter!

Pie, Pie, Me Oh My!

2011-07-05T09:04:00.001-05:00

Say the word pie, and two things immediately come to mind...Andie McDowell's song about pie in the movie Michael and an obscure skit from Saturday Night Live in which Alec Baldwin reproaches diner waitress Jan Hooks for giving away pie with a meal because it made her look cheap.

I am a pop culture junkie.

A pop culture junkie that looooves me some pie!

I was invited to participate in an online event in which over a thousand of us baked pie and posted the photos on Facebook or Twitter and it threw me into a tizzy (for those of you not from the South, I was terribly excited.) What kind to make? Fruit, cream, or custard? One crust, two crust, or lattice top? Which pastry recipe to use? Cold water pastry? Hot water pastry? Pate brisee?

A quick inventory of my pantry and fridge and I decided on Lemon Meringue, a personal favorite.

First, the pastry. This recipe came from Suzie in the Contessa's Kitchen discussion board and was quite lovely.

Perfect Pie Crust
1/2 cup water
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vinegar

Mix together with a fork and set aside.

In a large bowl put
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 & 3/4 cup of Crisco (no substitutions)

Cut the Crisco into the flour mixture (I just use my hands) When it is well blended add the liquid. You don't have to worry about toughening the dough, mix it in. Don't worry if the dough seems wet, divide into 2 or 3 equal discs and wrap in plastic wrap and chill for approximately 2 hours. Roll on a floured board to 1/8" thick and about 12" round.

Place in 9" pie pan and trim pastry so that it is 1/2" larger than the rimmed edge of the dish. Fold under and crimp. Poke the bottom of the crust with a fork 4 to 6 times. Place a piece of foil (I like the non-stick) in the bottom and add pie weights (I use dried beans). Place in a 375 degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove foil and weights and reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake until golden brown, about another 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

And then, the filling.

The original recipe is a bit spotty. It is from the Calling All Cooks cookbook by the Alabama Telephone Pioneers. The submitter, Evelyn Gullett, must make this filling by rote and tried to write it by memory. A few things were not very clear, so I've tried to clean it up a bit.

1 1/2 c sugar
3 T salted butter
1 1/2 c water
1/3 cornstarch
juice of three lemons
3 egg yolks, beaten well

Cream together butter and sugar. Dissolve cornstarch in water and add lemon juice. Add sugar mixture and egg yolks and mix well. Place in medium sauce pan and cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and cook approximately 10 minutes. Place in prepared shell.

For the meringue.

3 egg whites
6 Tbs sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Beat until stiff and spread over the filling, making sure meringue meets crusts to seal the pie. Bake at 350 degrees until peaks begin to brown, about 10 minutes.

The finished product.

Now then, everybody sing along...

Pie
Pie
Me oh my
Nothing tastes sweet, wet, salty and dry
all at once o well it's pie
Apple!
Pumpkin!
Minced
an' wet bottom.
Come to your place everyday if you've got em'
Pie
Me o my
I love pie!

More Southern Delights

2011-05-27T18:44:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, while watching Good Morning America, I saw Martha Hall Foose prepare a few dishes. Martha Hall Foose is the head chef for Viking stoves and specializes in Southern cooking. Two of the on air personalities are from the South and were terribly excited to see a particular dish on the table. It made George a bit curious..."What's the deal with the carrots?"

Robin told him it was a "Southern thing" and MHF explained it was old fashioned Copper Pennies.

This reminded me of how much I adored this dish and how long it had been since I tasted it. So here is my version:

Copper Pennies

2 lbs carrots peeled and sliced a uniform width
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp Worcester Sauce

Mix soup, oil, vinegar, sugar, and Worcester Sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to blend. Remove from heat for 10-15 minutes.

Place carrots in a 4 qt pan of boiling water and cook until al dente, approximately 10 minutes. Drain.

Place in bowl with onion and bell pepper. Cover with marinade and refrigerate overnite.

Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day for me, and I needed something to take to movie nite with my friends. Of course, it's not like there will be any shortage of food...but I like to cook for my friends. I plan on taking the Copper Pennies and a pound cake, but I wanted to make some pimento cheese.

First, I made my mayonnaise. Then I grated cheese and onions, and mixed everything together and let the flavors meld overnite.

Savory Pimento Cheese

1 lb mild cheddar
4 oz chopped pimentos, drained
1 tsp grated onion
2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
Celery salt to taste
Mayo to bind

Mix together.

Taste. Season as needed. Refrigerate

For the record, the mayo has cayenne pepper to add a little interest to the pimento cheese.

Great on sandwiches, crackers, or celery.

Fresh Strawberry Scones

2011-05-21T21:34:00.003-05:00

I have many failings as a cook. Many of the recipes I try never make it to this blog. I'm too cheap to toss the failures, so I usually wind up eating them. Most taste okay, but a few have not. And I'm lazy. I love recipes that only mess up a single bowl or dish or that don't dirty every dish, pan and surface in my kitchen. I tend to rush through processes because I don't pay as much attention as I should to the recipe. I am impatient.

I am an inexperienced baker. I have little skill but boldly go forward with ill-advised confidence. Oh, I'm good at cookies because I've made plenty. I'm okay at some cakes. I am terrified of bread. All bread. I am Southern born and bred but do not know how to make biscuits. I hope to one day correct this.

But a few things happened today that led me to baking scones...a visit to the farmers market for some lovely, locally grown strawberries and the fact that I spent hours cleaning my oven.

What, you say? You don't want to sully a freshly cleaned oven? Not me...I could hardly wait to toss something inside. So I found a recipe online for scones using fresh strawberries.

Believe me, this recipe was very close to not making this digital record. The dough was very wet and far more a mess than I wanted. The instructions failed me. I will post the recipe as written by Annie Y on Allrecipes.com and then add my notes below.

Fresh Strawberry Scones

1 cup ripe strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and diced
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup light cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
6 Tbs cold unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place diced strawberries on paper towels to absorb liquid. Combine the cream and vanilla extract in a small pitcher and set aside.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and zest together in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter into chunks and cut into flour until mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Gently toss strawberries in flour mixture. Create a well in the flour mixture and fill with the cream mixture. Quickly stir dough together until just blended. Allow dough to rest 2 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and satiny, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet and pat into an 8-inch round. Use a serrated knife to cut the round into 8 wedge shaped pieces. Separate wedges on the baking sheet, leaving at least 1/2" space between.

Bake in preheated oven until the tops are light brown and crusty, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool 20 minutes before serving.

So, here is what I found. This is a very, very wet dough. Do not skimp on the flour for kneading. I kept adding flour, using at least 1/2 cup, maybe more. The dough was so wet, that I never achieved "smooth and satiny" but did place it on the prepared baking sheet and formed an approximately 9" round. I used my bench scraper to cut the round into wedges and did not separate them. (You can call me a rebel, but my hands were goopy and I was tired of messing with it.)

Also, a small disclaimer...I used heavy cream because that was what I had in the fridge.

Anywho, "all's well that ends well" and this ended very well. The scones are tender and not as dry as scones I've purchased. I really like them, but wish I had used more strawberries. I love the brightness that the lemon zest adds and the subtle hint of the nutmeg. With a little schmere of butter and a cup of tea, they are lovely.

Bishop Bread

2011-05-11T22:30:00.003-05:00

I love dates. My first encounter with dates was canned date bread spread with cream cheese...my mom's "fancy" snack for bridal teas and showers. A former missionary to China once served a group of 13 year old girls dates stuffed with cheese. And one of my favorite cookies is a date nut cookie my family refers to as Justine's.

It was only natural, then, while perusing a beloved old cookbook* I discovered a recipe for a date and nut bread, I should jump right on it. A quick scan of the ingredients and I knew I had everything I needed. It was meant to be.

Bishop Bread

3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs peach brandy**
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 335 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan.

Toss dates and pecans with 1/4 cup of the flour. Set aside.
Add brandy and vanilla to eggs and whisk. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to egg mixture and mix until wet. Add dates and pecans and stir. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Cool on rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan to rack and continue to cool. Slice and serve with cream cheese.

*The original recipe came from Calling All Cooks, published by the Alabama service organization of Bell South.
**The original recipe states the brandy is optional, but, to me, it adds an interesting depth of flavor.

Don't expect a big, fluffy loaf. It is, however, packed with the sweetness of dates and the nuttiness of the pecans and is, to me, perfect.

Fried Chicken

2011-05-11T17:55:00.000-05:00

My Aunt Rachel makes the best fried chicken! It is always crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. But health problems have kept her from cooking for several years now.

I recently asked her how to cook fried chicken and took my own form of shorthand while she outlined the process. I then set about recreating this dish and clarifying for my own sake her instructions.

This is the best I could come up with.

Rachel Fisher’s Fried Chicken

6 to 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 c White Lily Self-rising Flour (more if needed)
Salt
Lemon pepper
Vegetable oil

Cut chicken breasts in halves or thirds, depending on size. Trim any loose pieces. Rinse in ice water and pat dry with paper towels. Dredge in flour. Dip into clean ice water, season liberally with salt and lemon pepper, and dredge in flour again.

Place oil approximately 3” deep in dutch oven and heat oil to 350 degrees. Place a few pieces of chicken into hot oil, but do not crowd. (I can cook 4 halves comfortably). Cook until you can see browning on the sides of each piece, 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat, turn chicken and cover pot. Cook until chicken has internal temperature of 175 to 180 degrees. (about 5 minutes). Place on paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining chicken.

And the finished product...

Now all I need is potato salad and sliced tomato!

The Path of Destruction

2011-04-28T17:26:00.002-05:00

Over the last 24 1/2 years, I've driven I65 between Nashville and Birmingham an average of once a month. That is 300 trips in each direction. And the drive from my door to my parents' usually takes a little over 2 1/2 hours.

Today it took 4 1/2 hours.

You see, there were tornados in Alabama and throughout the south east yesterday. And while there was so much devastation in Tuscaloosa, there was quite a bit in the north central part of the state, in towns along I65.

The extent of the damage began to be apparent just south of Hanceville. Old trees had been snapped in two. Younger trees were completely uprooted. And beyond, homes were destroyed.

At the exit to highway 278 in Cullman, signs were uprooted, trees gone. And less than five miles off of the interstate, the downtown of Cullman law in pieces in the streets.

Traffic came to a screeching halt at the junction of I65 and I565 near Huntsville. For 90 minutes I read, played Sudoku on my phone, and chatted with my fellow travellers. And the traffic stayed heavy all the way home. People with no power were looking for gas, groceries, and generators and were willing to drive to Kentucky for it.

My immediate family is safe and sound, but so many others are not. Please keep the families of missing students at the University of Alabama, the injured, those who lost homes, and those who lost family in your prayers. When I woke this morning, there were 128 confirmed deaths in Alabama. At last count, there were over 190. In one state.

If you are out there, please consider contributing to local charities in these hard hit areas.

A Tribute to My Heritage

2011-04-02T20:15:00.004-05:00

I worked for a man from Philadelphia once, briefly. He laughingly told me that when you asked someone from the northeast "what are you?" the response was something along the lines of German-Irish, Polish, Jewish-Italian. However the same question asked in the south resulted in in responses like Baptist, Methodist, Democrat.

Me, well, I am a true flower of the South. Born in south Florida, I grew up a Baptist in Alabama. And while we lack the diversity of cuisine, we do certain things extremely well. We barbecue. We fry. We bake. And some of these things are legendary. Southern fried chicken. Fried catfish. Hush puppies. And cakes...pound cake, Hummingbird cake, and the much ballyhooed Lane cake.

Lane cake first emerged in an 1898 cook-book by Emma Rylander Lane and the very mention of the name can inspire awe. This is not a cake to be whipped up. It is complicated and time consuming and, therefore, reserved for special occasions. It is layers of white sponge cake with a boozy fruit and nut filling. Some recipes call for using the filling for frosting, also, but I grew up with a frothy white boiled icing that dresses the cake up in a frilly party dress.

Alabama Lane Cake

1 cup room temperature butter
2 cups sugar
3 1/2 c sifted all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 3 9" cake pans. (I also lined bottoms with parchment that I greased and floured.)

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift flour with baking powder and add to creamed mixture, alternating with milk; start and end with flour mixture. Add vanilla. Beat eggs to stiff peaks and fold into batter. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and bake 20 to 30 minutes or until they test done.

Filling

8 egg yolks
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped raisins
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup coconut
1 cup wine or bourbon*

Lightly beat eggs and place over double boiler with sugar and butter; cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add fruit and nuts and wine and continue to cook until thick. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cool and place between cake layers.

Fluffy Boiled Frosting

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
4 room temperature egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine sugar, cream of tartar, salt and water in heavy sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is clear. Bring to a boil and cook until soft boil stage on candy thermometer (238 degrees).

Beat egg whites to soft peaks. With mixer running, pour sugar mixture in a thin stream into egg whites without getting on beaters. (I used the whisk attachment on my KitchenAid and there was no problem.) Add vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form and frosting is desired consistency.

Frost top and sides of cake.

This cake is better the next day.
I used a full cup of bourbon (the original recipe calls for a wine glass full of wine or bourbon) which was very, very strong. I am reminded of the line in To Kill A Mockingbird in which Scout comments on the Lane cake made by a neighbor.

"Miss Maudy Atkinson baked a Lane cake so loaded with shinny it made me tight."

Let's just say that I had a slight buzz after sampling the filling. The next time I make this cake, I will use wine or less bourbon.

I think, for now, I will revel in my Southern heritage and have a lovely piece of cake.

Ahhhh, Almond!

2011-03-27T20:23:00.004-05:00

While I am only so-so on the taste of almonds whole, I adore the fragrance and richness imparted by almond extract. The substitution of almond extract for vanilla extract can add a richness and intense sweetness to your baked goods. My sister likes it so much, she uses almond extract in almost everything. But my sister is not inclined to do a lot of baking that does not start with a box.

My cyber buddy Paula (aka Milehighbaker) posted this recipe that seemed to be calling my name. And Saturday night being completely devoid of worthwhile TV programming, I opted to do a little baking.

Almond Scented Tea Cake
Makes 2 loaves

2 cups sugar
1.5 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1.5 teaspoons almond extract
3 cups flour
0.5 teaspoons salt
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1.5 cups milk
Glaze (recipe below)

Cream together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla and almond extracts in a large bowl. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture alternately with the milk, ending with the dry ingredients. Stir just until ingredients are combined. Do not over mix. Bake in two greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pans at 350F for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. While the bread is still warm and in the pan, drizzle the glaze over the top of the loaves. Place on a wire rack until almost cool. Run a knife around the edges of the pans and remove the loaves. Finish cooling on wire rack.

One small note, because my loaf pans are non-stick, I reduced the heat to 325 and they were done in 58 minutes.

Glaze
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Combine the ingredients and mix well. Drizzle over the warm loaves of bread.

Unfortunately, I did not have any orange juice, so I went with the basic, good for everything, powdered sugar/milk glaze. I used about 1/4 cup of milk with 1 lb of confectioners sugar and 1/2 tsp of almond extract. Also, I waited until the loaves were almost completely cool before pouring the glaze over them.

And then I sprinkled it with toasted sliced almonds because, well, why not?

Let me just say that this smelled amazing while cooking. I had just finished cleaning up after my dinner but I was drooling by the time I took the loaves from the oven. And for the record, it tasted pretty darn good, too!

My mother used to make old fashioned tea cakes and, as I explained to MHB, they were large, soft, buttery cookies that sometimes had raisins or a sprinkling of sugar. This was not my mother's tea cake, but something marvelously new to me, instead.

There are currently 1 1/2 loaves tucked away in my freezer, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, for a later day. I highly recommend giving this a try.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T17:59:00.004-05:00

I had an aunt and uncle who would give us for Christmas each year a gift from Swiss Colony or Hickory Farms filled with assorted meats, cheeses, and condiments. I have always loved cheeses of various flavors, even as a child, and my particular favorite in this selection was the wedge of Havarti or Swiss with caraway seeds. It was mine alone to enjoy.

What, you may ask, does this have to do with an Irish holiday?

When I decided to cook something Irish for the day, I was stumped. Corned beef and cabbage is not really appropriate for one. I thought of stew, but wasn't in the mood. It was far to warm out for Shepherd's Pie.

I decided to try Irish Soda Bread and started combing the internet and my cookbooks. There are so many recipes that I was put off, a bit. There are those that argue that sweet bread with fruit is not truly Irish, but is an Irish-American twist.

I settled for a recipe from Epicurious which did include the fruit. But it also called for caraway seeds. I believe I mentioned how much I like caraway seeds?

Irish Soda Bread with Raisins and Caraway

5 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, room temperature
2 1/2 cups raisins
3 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter heavy ovenproof 10- to 12-inch-diameter skillet with 2- to 2 1/2-inch-high sides. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Add butter; using fingertips, rub in until coarse crumbs form. Stir in raisins and caraway seeds. Whisk buttermilk and egg in medium bowl to blend. Add to dough; using wooden spoon, stir just until well incorporated (dough will be very sticky).

Transfer dough to prepared skillet; smooth top, mounding slightly in center. Using small sharp knife dipped into flour, cut 1-inch-deep X in top center of dough. Bake until bread is cooked through and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool bread in skillet 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in foil; store at room temperature.)

Now, I thought I had plenty of raisins, but it seems I only had 1 cup; so I also added some currants.

You will note that this is not pretty. I apologize. It is, however, quite tasty.

For the original recipe and story behind it, click here.

Tea Time

2011-03-10T16:44:00.003-06:00

I love tea. Hot tea. Iced tea. Sweet tea (house wine of the South). Red tea. Black tea. Green tea. Fruit tea. Spiced tea. Mint tea. I love tea!

I will make a mug of Bigelow Mint Medley before bed time. Midmorning calls for something spicy. A glass of peach iced tea on a hot day is divine. But civilization requires Earl Gray to be served in a proper cup and saucer on a napkin lined tray with a little snack.

It's the law...you can look it up.

This afternoon, I felt like a cup of Earl Gray with milk, so I had to have something with which to serve it. I don't keep that kind of stuff around the house, so I had to bake something.

I love shortbread, but really didn't want to spend as much time on my feet as cookies require. Chocolate was calling to me, but I didn't want anything too sweet. And, thus, the Chocolate Fruit Loaf was born.

Chocolate Fruit Loaf

1/4 cup softened unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp instant coffee granules
1 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup chopped dated
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Grease 9 x 5 loaf pan and preheat oven to 350.*
Cream together butter and sugar; add egg. Sift together flour, cocoa, soda, and salt. Starting and ending with dry mix, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk. Add vanilla and coffee granules. By hand, stir in nuts, fruit, and chocolate chips. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes.

Remove from oven when toothpick inserted into loaf comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

*I used a nonstick pan, so I set the temp for 325.

This is not a sweet loaf and is lovely when served warm with butter.

Greek Week!

2011-03-09T17:23:00.002-06:00

Basking in the success of my baklava, I decided to go Greek again. I love stuffed grape leaves and found a recipe that appealed to me. Of course, I adapted it somewhat--different rice, more onion, more herbs--to suit me. I also found a recipe for tzatziki that worked. So I made Dolmades and Tzatziki and please don't ask me how to pronounce it.

A Lebanese friend used to come to my parents for leaves from my dad's grape vines, but it's February in Tennessee, so I used a jar I purchased at Publix.

Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

1 C Arborio rice
1 small onion dice fine
¼ c fresh chopped mint
¼ c fresh chopped dill
¼ c fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ c extra virgin olive oil
2 c chicken stock
30-35 grape leaves
¼ c fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ c extra virgin olive oil
2 c chicken stock

Rinse, drain, and separate grape leaves. Place on layered paper towels to dry.
In a medium saucepan, place ¼ c olive oil, onion, rice, mint, and dill and saute until onion becomes transparent. Add 2 c chicken stock and cook approximately 15 minutes, until stock is absorbed by rice. Add ¼ c lemon juice and remove from heat to cool.

Place approximately 1 tsp of rice mixture into center of leaf and roll to resemble small cigar.

Place in bottom of a Dutch oven, seams down. Drizzle with remaining lemon juice and olive oil. Add remaining chicken stock and cover. Cook on low heat for 1 hour. Remove to paper towel to drain.

Serve warm or cold.

In truth, I really don't know how many I made. I just kept rolling until I had filled the bottom of my 6qt Dutch oven.

They are not pretty. My rolling ability is certainly lacking. I keep thinking of my Aunt Alma, one of the most amazing home-makers I have ever known. But in 1963, she and my Uncle Fred decided they needed a new car, so she went to work in a cigar factory. Her checks went directly into savings until, one year later, they paid cash for a brand new 1964 Impala. And Uncle Fred drove that car until the day he died. But, back to food, I don't have Aunt Alma's skill at cigar rolling. So while they may not be beautiful, my dolmades are extremely good.

You can find the tzatziki recipe and lovely photos here.

Baklava

2011-03-04T15:00:00.003-06:00

I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama which, surprisingly, has a large Mediterranean population. The Greek Festival is amazing.

And I love Mediterranean food. Falafel, gyros, stuffed grape leaves, seafood, and most of all, balkava.

I have not, however, tried to make it. Filo dough scares me. It is fragile and, I assumed, difficult to work with. But a few weeks ago, my niece made some excellent baklava and, in doing so, gave me courage.

I scoured the internet for a perfect recipe, but wound up bastardizing three to find one that suited me. Here is what I came up with:

2 cups finely chopped nuts (I used pistachios, walnuts, and pecans)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup melted butter
1 package (16 oz) Filo dough
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup honey
1 Tbs lemon juice

Thaw dough per package instructions and trim to fit 13 x 9 pan. Mix together chopped nuts, cinnamon, cloves, and 1/2 cup sugar. Set aside.

Prepare baking dish with butter flavored cooking spray or coat with butter. Place one sheet dough in bottom and brush with melted butter. Repeat 10 times. Cover dough with damp kitchen towel when not using. Sprinkle 10th layer lightly with nut mixture. Repeat dough layering until first pack of dough is done. Generously spread with nut mixture.

Repeat dough layering ten times. Sprinkle with remaining nut mixture and complete layering dough and butter until complete. Cut to form triangles or diamonds.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown (30 to 35 minutes). Remove and set aside. While pastry is baking, bring water, honey, lemon juice and 3/4 cup sugar to a boil and continue to boil approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat to cool.

Pour cooled syrup over pastry. Once syrup has been absorbed by pastry, place in cupcake papers to serve.

Immediately start giving this to friends and neighbors! Do not leave this unattended! It is very, very dangerous.

Oscar, Party of One!

2011-02-27T21:37:00.003-06:00

I love the Academy Awards. I always have. I was watching the night of the streaker and the amazing David Niven's cool response. I was watching as Sally Field exclaimed "You like me! You really like me!" I've seen Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, and David Letterman host, and prefer Billy Crystal, but that's just me.

I used to have a big party every year to watch the Academy Awards but I moved about an hour's drive from my friends and that drive, late, on a workday seems a bit much to ask. But I love giving the party and creating a theme menu based on the various movies nominated.

This year I decided to throw a little party for little ol' me and I created a theme menu.

Polenta (grits) Bites with sour cream and pepper jelly--True Grit

Potato heads (new potatoes boiled in salty water with black olive hats, tomato lips, smoked gouda nose--Toy Story

Blackened Chicken Wings--Black Swan

Baby greens with fresh herbs, green onions, and grape tomatoes with a lemon vinegairette--The Kids Are All Right

Mini Hot Pockets with peperoni, cheese, black olives, and tomato sauce--Social Network

Not shown--Blueberry Almond (heart-shaped) Tart--Blue Valentine

Ah! The flavor that is the movies!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T21:50:00.003-06:00

Every holiday has it's own flavor. Thanksgiving tastes of nutmeg, pumpkin, and sage. Christmas of peppermint, cinnamon, and cloves. Independence Day has the sweet, wet flavor of watermelon and home grown tomatoes. Memorial Day has the charcoal rich hamburgers and hot dogs. Easter tastes of ham and devilled eggs.

And while chocolate has it's place in each of these holidays, one holiday is defined by chocolate. Dark or milk. Hershey's or Godiva. Chocolate reigns supreme on February 14th.

When we were children and teens, my father would give my sister and I a card and a Whitman's Sampler each year for Valentine's Day. I still feel nostalgic at the sight of that yellow box.

I am a follower if Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, and have her cookbooks and watch her show whenever I can. One of Ina's favorite, quick treats is chocolate bark. I've seen her make it a couple of times and noted how easy it seemed.

I've also seen a lot of buzz regarding custom made chocolate bark at Chocomize.

So, with a full pantry and time on my hands, I decided to give it a try.

I began by scouring my pantry and freezer. I found lots of nuts (lots) and lots of dried fruit. I toasted the raw nuts in an iron skillet on the stove top.

Dark Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bark

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 cup chopped orange slice candy
1/2 cup toasted cashews
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high (my ancient microwave took 3 1/2 minutes) stirring every 30 seconds or so, until melted. Pour onto Silpat or parchment lined pan and spread approximately 1/4" thick. Sprinkle toppings as evenly as possible. You can see that I didn't do a great job of it.

Refrigerate approximately 30 minutes or until firm. Break apart. I placed mine in cello treat bags and tied them with a red ribbon.

Now then, what shall I do with these bags of "home-made sin"?

**Rejected toppings to be considered at another time--shaved coconut, pistachios, walnuts, dried apricots, toffee bits.

Pizza Party!

2011-01-17T21:29:00.003-06:00

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that I love to play with my food. I try things. I experiment. I have fun!

And tonight, I played.

I may have expressed in the past my fear of yeast, so I bought a crust at the supermarket. It was fine. And maybe, one day, I'll try my own crust. But for now, the pros can handle it for me.

Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and Fig Pizza

1 pizza crust
4 Tbs unsalted butter
2 large onions, halved and sliced thin
1/2 cup dried Mission figs
1/2 c red wine
4 oz goat cheese
1 Tbs fresh chopped rosemary
olive oil
salt & pepper
Balsamic vinegar

Slice figs and place in wine to rehydrate.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Roll out crust to fit and brush with olive oil.

Melt butter in a saute pan; add onions and cook until they begin to brown. Add 1/2 the rosemary and continue to cook until caramelized.

Drain figs. Crumble goat cheese over crust and cover with onions and figs. Sprinkle with remaining rosemary, salt and pepper. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven until crust is golden brown--about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle with Balsamic vinegar.

You can cut this into small slices for appetizers or in dinner sized portions and serve with a salad.

Note: Whenever I have left-over wine, I freeze it and use it at times like this. I think I used a Shiraz, but I could be wrong.

Black Forest Pie

2011-01-14T21:46:00.002-06:00

I've entered a cooking contest at Mixingbowl.com for an original dessert using a Kellogg's product. So I converted one of my favorite desserts, Black Forest Cake, into an easy pie. Basically, I hit all of the key ingredients--chocolate, cherries, whipped cream, and Kirsch--just without the layers of cake!

So, if you're out there and feel like it, please vote for me here.

If you feel like giving it a try, please do.

Black Forest Pie
by Moi!

1 chocolate Ready-Crust
1 can sweet dark cherries in heavy syrup
1 slice orange
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tbs Kirsch
2 c whipping cream
3 Tbs sugar

Drain cherries and set aside. In a small saucepan, add orange slice to cherry syrup and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1 Tbs Kirsch.

Place chocolate and 3 Tbs syrup in top of double boiler to melt chocolate. Remove from heat.

Place whipping cream in cold bowl and add sugar; whip to firm peaks. Mix half of whipped cream with chocolate mixture.

Pat cherries dry with paper towel and place in pie crust. Cover with chocolate mixture. Add remaining 1 Tbs Kirsch to whipped cream and cover chocolate mixture.
Shave chocolate on top and place cherry in center. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Serves 6-8.

Not a very pretty picture, but a tasty pie.

Note: I have cherries in a syrup of vodka and honey tucked under my sink that I put up myself. I think that pitting these and using this syrup would be great and would not require the Kirsch. But then it wouldn't be a Black Forest Pie, would it?

When I Get Bored

2011-01-10T17:50:00.004-06:00

I get into trouble. We had about 6" of snow and I stayed in today. This is not totally unusual. I don't like driving in the snow and ice; I will when necessary, but it hasn't been necessary.

So, I got bored. And I made a chocolate cake. As a matter of fact, I made Hershey's Perfect Chocolate cake. I didn't make layers, I made it in a 9 x13 pan. And I iced it with the Hershey's Chocolate Frosting.

It seems to be calling out for a tall, cold glass of milk, huh?

The thing is, I don't want it and I really don't need it. But I have it. And I'm trapped here with it. Thinking about it. Smelling it. Dreaming about it.

This is not good!

Soup Weather

2011-01-09T21:15:00.004-06:00

According to the meteorologists, we are in for some serious weather. They are predicting 3 to 6 inches of snow in my area. Yes, I know there are those out there that laugh, but this is truly incapacitating here in the south. There is no sign of snow yet, but schools are already closed, and some businesses.

My friend Susan calls this "french toast weather" because everyone runs to the store for milk, bread, and eggs. Me, I went for kitten chow and cat litter. I also pulled together the ingredients for a soup I'd been wanting to try, and I am sooo glad I did. It is fabulous!

Sweet Potato, Chicken, and Barley Soup
The New England Soup Factory Cookbook
p 114

3 tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Spanish onion, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 parsnips, peeled and grated
1 1/4 cups pearl barley
10 c chicken stock
2 bay leaves
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and gut into chunks
3 c cooked, chopped chicken
1/2 bunch fresh dill
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat a stockpot over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, celery and carrot. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the parsnips, barley, stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 25 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes and chicken and simmer for 20 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Remove from the heat and stir in the dill, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Makes 12 services.

*Note: I could not find pearl barley, so I used quick cooking and added it with the chicken and potatoes.

This soups is hearty and bright and sweet. The dill adds something indescribable and this is perfect for a snowy day.

Surprising Use of a Hostess Gift

2011-01-07T07:12:00.002-06:00

I woke up this morning with a huge eruption on my forehead...big, red, and sore. And I remembered hearing that you can make a paste of ground nutmeg and milk and it will reduce the swelling and pain.

My problem? I have whole nutmeg in my spice cabinet and the thought of grating enough to create a paste was daunting. Then I remembered that my friend Ginny had given me a box of spices from Penzey's as a hostess gift on New Year's Eve. Viola! I now have a crusty brown poltice covering the massive zit on my forehead.

Which is better? Well, the pain is gone. I'll have to let you know about the rest. But if it works, this little trick will join the olive oil and brown sugar body scrub, and the orange juice and salt exfoliant and the oatmeal mask in kitchen skin care.

Holiday Review

2011-01-03T10:26:00.002-06:00

I can finally reveal the home-made goodies I gave to friends and family this year.

First, I made marshmallows and gave them with a lovely peppermint mocha hot cocoa mix. I used the Martha Stewart recipe for the marshmallows and I can honestly say, the flavor was well worth the effort!

I also made bottles of limoncello. I actually adapted a recipe by combining the many I found online.

1 1.75 liter bottle vodka
the peel of 22 lemons
4 cups sugar
5 cups water

Peel the lemons with a vegetable peeler, being careful to not get the white. Place in a sealable container and add vodka. Cover and place in a cool, dark place for 3-4 weeks. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Strain the vodka into another sealable container and add cooled simple syrup. Store in cool, dark place another 21 days. Pour into sterilized bottles and keep refrigerated.

I headed into the deep south with my girls for Christmas with my family and had my first, ever, WHITE CHRISTMAS!

It was perfect! The roads never really got bad but we had 2" of snow.

For those of you who are used to this sort of thing, please accept my apologies for my exuberance.

I hope that you all had a peaceful, joyous holiday!

The Divine White Stuff

2010-12-19T13:50:00.003-06:00

I am not talking about snow!

The Holy Grail of candy making to a southerner is Divinity (pun intended). It requires patience, strength of character, and good weather. Most of us will try to cultivate friendships with those who can and do make divinity in the hopes of a tiny portion presented wrapped in a bright bow at Christmas.

I have a recipe by a gentleman who went to the church in which I grew up. Curtis Williams was an old man when I was a teen. He always seemed gruff and a bit stern, but he had a great fondness for my mother, the church secretary. He made the most amazing divinity and he gave my mom the recipe. He died more than twenty years ago, but the memory of his candy lives on.

I can remember the many failures and few successes Mom had with this, in particular, eating it with a spoon. And I remember her frustration.

Divinity has a texture all it's own and I cannot think of a single thing with which to compare it. Perhaps a nougat, but not quite.

This morning, the sun was out and a quick check of the internet showed the humidity to be only 84% so I decided to give it a try. It turned out beautifully. If you are brave, strong, and true you may want to give it a whirl. (But I would send up a prayer first.)

Divinity by Curtis Williams

3 cups sugar
1/4 c water
3/4 c light corn syrup
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 egg whites
1 c pecans

In a medium boiler, bring sugar, water, syrup and salt to a boil and cook to 250 degrees. Remove from heat and let stand 1 minute.

Add vanilla. Whip egg whites to firm peaks and add syrup mixture in a slow stream. Continue whipping until texture begins to look solid (20 - 25 minutes).

Add pecans and drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.

Now, to clean the incredible mess...

Sugar Coma

2010-12-16T19:11:00.001-06:00

I've been very nostalgic lately, beginning in the summer when I bought Fuzzy Navel wine coolers. Very 80s of me. Then, a couple of weeks ago I really wanted ham rolls, so I made them for movie night. There was never a bridal shower, baby shower, brunch or cocktail party in the 80's with out these things. (Little ham and Swiss sandwiches with a mustard, onion, and poppy seed topping.)

And for some reason, I decided to revisit my youth again while making Christmas candy.

I plan on making Buck-eyes, later, but today I made Martha Washington Balls. I remember my mom making these when I was a tween. Once made, she would have to hide them to keep my sister and I out of them long enough for her to give them to friends and neighbors. (I have no idea of the origin of the name. Sorry!)

Martha Washington Balls

2 lbs confectioners sugar
2 stick butter, melted
2 c finely chopped pecans
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/4 block paraffin

Mix together the sugar, butter, pecans and milk. Roll into balls and refrigerate.

In a double boiler, melt paraffin and chocolate. Dip balls in chocolate and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper (or a Silpat) and refrigerate to cool.

This batch made 8 dozen.

Candy

2010-12-16T19:01:00.003-06:00

My countdown to Christmas has begun and I've been a very busy girl today. I made some things I can't really mention before I get together with my friends and I made some candy.

First, I made peanut brittle using the recipe of a very old friend of my parents.

Wow! This stuff is easy! The weather doesn't effect the process at all!

If you would like to give it a try, here is the recipe by Robert Bolzle and adapted by me.

Peanut Brittle

3 c white sugar
1 c light corn syrup
1/2 c water
3 c raw peanuts
3 Tbs butter
1 tsp salt
2 tsp soda

Mix together sugar, syrup, and water in a large saucepan. Boil to 250 degrees. Add peanuts and stir well, continuing to stir until candy reaches 280 degrees. Remove from heat and add butter, salt, and soda. Pour onto a buttered board to cool. Break into pieces once cool.

O Christmas Tree

2010-12-06T22:39:00.002-06:00

I'm being very brave this year. I put up a Christmas tree.

My beloved Prissy was never phased by the presence of the Christmas tree. This cannot be said of ZsaZsa and Eva.

I was very careful to put my most expensive, beloved, and fragile ornaments up high but they have managed in the last few hours to knock loose and roll around the house a couple of glass balls.

I like the candlelight setting on my camera, but you can't really tell much about the ornaments.

With the flash on, the ornaments are clear but you really can't tell how beautiful it looks with the lights on.

But you can tell, if you look carefully, that the tree skirt is a great place for a nap.

Now I just have to finish the decorating, put up the rubber totes, bake cookies, make candy, wrap presents,

and

try to keep the tree upright and the decorations in tact.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2010-12-05T13:09:00.003-06:00

Brrrrr! I woke up this morning to snow flurries. No accumulation, but I fixed myself a cup of coffee, grabbed my Snuggie, turned on some Christmas music and watched it snow. It was a perfect cold December morning.

Of course, it was short lived. The snow stopped and the kittens woke up. Mayhem ensued!

I've got a ceramic heater running in my bathroom right now, with the plan being to read in the tub before getting ready to go out.

I'm going with some friends to The Mad Platter this evening. I hope that it lives up to it's reputation.

Karen and Ginny came over last nite and we watched The Man Who Came to Dinner and It Happened on 5th Avenue...two vintage Christmas movies. We ate too much, drank pomegranate margaritas, and had a lovely visit.

Stay warm!

Pomegranites, Persimmons, and Pears...OH MY!

2010-12-03T07:50:00.003-06:00

I have a hard time walking through the produce department this time of year. Things call out to me.

Beautiful, lush pink grapefruit.

Butternut squash.

Pears.

Pomegranates.

And persimmons.

I come home with them and try to eat them all at once. I've roast the butternut squash. I've made salads with it. Risotto. Soup.

I've ruined many tops from the pomegranate juice. I've added the seeds to salads. But mostly, I peel it and eat it.

I've gotten sores in my mouth from eating too much grapefruit. I peel and eat it. I add it to coconut and pineapple. I french it for salads.

I've had peanut butter and pear sandwiches. Pear and blue cheese salads. Pears with cottage cheese. Pears! Pears! Pears!

But the persimmons! The sweetness! The perfection! The joy! I don't cook with them. I don't eat them with other things. I just slurp the juice and chew the flesh and wish I could enjoy this flavor all year long.

I love the bounty of Autumn.

Cornbread Dressing

2010-12-01T18:16:00.003-06:00

I love cornbread dressing! It is the second best thing about the holidays as far as I am concerned. I could make it more often than I do, but I really associate it with the holidays...Thanksgiving, Christmas, and sometimes Easter.

I prepared a Thanksgiving preview meal for my book group in early November that included chicken and dressing, squash casserole, and a lovely pear, blue cheese and walnut salad with a cranberry vinaigrette. Dessert was a store bought pecan pie (there is a long story about my planned dessert and I won't bore you with it...suffice it to say that Martha Stewart and I are currently on the outs!)

I had planned on posting this last week for the Thanksgiving holidays, but things got a little crazy and, well, life got in the way.

You start with a pan of cornbread. Cornbread must be made in an iron skillet. It's the law. Crumble the cornbread into a bowl. Add any crackers or bread you have handy. (AS a side note, my mom always made us a big breakfast for holidays and used left-over biscuits in the dressing.)

Cut a medium onion and six stalks of celery and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a simmer until veggies are soft. Drain and add to bread.

Add chicken stock, four to six cups.

This next part gets a little tricky. Pull out several spoons. Now add sage. Lots of sage. Salt & pepper. Taste. Does it taste salty enough? Can you feel the sage on the back of the tongue? Adjust as needed.

In this particular case, I roasted a chicken and added the meat to my bread and veggies.

Now add two to three eggs.

Prepare an 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray and add the dressing. I like to do all of this a day ahead.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until golden brown and firm.

In case you are interested, here is the squash casserole.

This is the table, including the salads.

So, though it's late, I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving filled with comfort food and family joy!

Festival of Furry Fun

2010-11-12T10:12:00.004-06:00

I adopted two kittens last week. Littermates, I named them ZsaZsa and Eva. They are hard to photgraph, but here are my attempts.

How, you may ask, do I tell them apart? Well, ZsaZsa's necklace (white spot at her throat) is bigger and Eva has a crook in her tail.

Eva is at the front of this little train.

They don't sit still. They run and play and then fall down asleep in a ball of black fur.

But I went out and bought an assortment of kitty toys to keep them entertained. Allow me a moment to describe kitten responses to various toys.

Balls filled with bells? Bleh
Feathers on a stick? Yikes!
Catnip mouse? .........crickets.
Berries off fall wreath? Zowie!
Consumer warning label on comfortor? Yeah!
Q-tips? Ecstacy!
Brightly painted red toenails? THE. BEST. EVER!

They are curtain climbing, table hopping, knick knack destroying bundles of fun that like to sleep on me and look for me when I leave the room.

How could I be happier?

Thanksgiving Traditions

2010-11-06T13:08:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday. I love to cook the traditional favorites. I adore having everyone over, sitting at the table hours after the meal is done, just talking. I even love the left-overs.

Each family has it's own traditions and stories about how they got started. For my family, each Thanksgiving dinner must include ham and turkey, cornbread dressing, sweet-potato casserole, green beans, and a Jello salad. Also present will be cranberry sauce, potato salad, Waldorf salad, squash casserole, and Bird's Nest slaw. Noticeably missing? Pumpkin anything. We are not pumpkin people. Apple dumplings? Yes! Pecan pie? Yes! Chocolate? Well, DUH! But there will be no pumpkin.

And, there will be spiced peaches.

You see, my Aunt Ruth hated to cook so she never really excelled at it. She was in charge of potato salad and green beans for each holiday meal. At Christmas, she would make a fresh apple cake. These were her strong suits.

But she would always bring a jar of Osage Spiced Peaches to the Thanksgiving dinner.

She has been dead for almost twenty years now, but it just doesn't seem right to set the Thanksgiving table without them. Every year, a jar is opened and the peaches are plated near the cranberry sauce and pickle tray.

This year there will be a slight variation. I made the spiced peaches myself.

I found this recipe in the BH&G cookbook.

5 lbs peaches
5 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar
2 cups water
2 tsp whole cloves
12 cinnamon sticks

Cut an x in the end of each peach and place in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove to an ice bath.

Place sugar, vinegar, water, and spices in a large pot and bring to a boil. Peel peaches and place in syrup as peeling to prevent browning.

Simmer for five minutes and place in sterilized jars. Place in BWB for 20 minutes.

* I made sure that each jar had cinnamon sticks and cloves floating in them. I also halved and pitted the peaches. My peaches were rather large, so I would up with six pints containing 4 peach halves each.

Other recipes use far less cinnamon, but I really liked the punch of the vinegar and cinnamon together. And since I used flaming fury peaches, the color is fabulous!

I plan on serving these to my book group on Monday evening, with a few other Thanksgiving favorites.

Is there some mysterious item that always winds up on your holiday table?

Guess What We Serve?

2010-11-05T14:30:00.003-05:00

I went to Captain D's today to pick up lunch for my boss and myself. While waiting on my order, a couple came in and, having walked past the window sized signs outside advertising this month's special and past a white board announcing $5.00 deals, to the counter below a 20 foot menu and asked "Do you have any specials?"

The young lady patiently explained that the current special was two dozen shrimp with two sides and hush puppies for $3.99.

Next question? "Do you have any fish?"

The young lady briefly explained and priced each menu item; they were still trying to decide if they wanted to eat there or not when I left.

Because, when I think of subtle and understated, I think of Captain D's.

Family Birthday, Gossip, and UPdates

2010-10-26T09:31:00.004-05:00

My father and my sister had birthdays yesterday. Dad turned 75, Sis turned 39 (again!). My brother-in-law has a birthday this Friday. So, I offered to cook a meal for the birthday celebration on Sunday. My only request was a menu. Picky eaters and such. The response was..."Anything is fine with me" three times.

But I know that my BIL doesn't eat cheese, my sister doesn't eat fish, and my dad wants comfort food.

I decided on something easy for me, and generally well received. I made a Five Hour Stew, a salad of leafy greens, mandarin oranges, green onions and sugared almonds. I know that one of my nieces and my mom love a raspberry vinaigrette, so I used it on the salad. I also made cornbread and served a marble cake with white butter-cream frosting from Publix.

This meal was very well received.

We had very good news regarding my cousin's husband. He spent three weeks in intensive care at the university hospital and was then moved to another hospital with pressurized rooms to assist in his lung function. He was moved to a rehab center for a couple of weeks before going home. He has been driving himself to work for a few hours a day. Talk about miracles!

Sis called Sunday evening as I was preparing to go to my safe place due to tornadoes in the area. She had some really good, happy gossip to share.

There was a childless couple who worked with the youth at church when I was in my early teens. They later had children of their own and changed churches but remained close. Jimmy died unexpectedly several years ago.

When I was in my mid-twenties, I became friends with a lovely lady from church who was married with a teen son. She was the life of the party everywhere she went. She died after a long bout with cancer a couple of years ago.

The widowed spouses found each other recently and have married. I'm so happy to hear this. It just seems right.

Saturday Morning In A Small City

2010-10-16T12:21:00.004-05:00

I live in a city of about 30,000. Too big to be a town, rural enough to retain the small town feel. And while fighting the same fights as the bigger cities, it still retains a certain charm.

Like today, when I rose early and headed to the farmer's market on the town square for some honey and butternut squash. Then I stopped by Walmart, where I spotted the Amish out shopping. The Amish around here really love Walmart. The men were outside chatting amongst themselves beside the buggies, the women and children inside shopping. It is a beautiful autumn day and the men in those straw hats, dark blue shirts, black slacks and suspenders were somehow brighter than the colors would lead you to suspect.

I headed over to the local mall which, like so many malls these days, was quite dead. The few stores still open were not particularly busy, but it was early yet. I stopped at a yard sale or two, then headed to the local coffee house.

Buckhead Coffee is in a mid-century house on a fairly busy street and is almost impossible to get into on a Saturday. Today was no exception. I arrived at a little before eleven and the line was out the door. But, Oh My! The vanilla ice cream coffee was amazing! And, when compared to the cost of, you know, The Big Guys, it was a happy little treat.

So, after a stop at the supermarket and the drugstore, I'm back home for a while. I need to make some cookies and do some laundry. It's just so hard to motivate myself to stay inside on such a lovely day. Maybe I'll walk to the library and back.

Is It So Wrong?

2010-10-14T09:39:00.003-05:00

To admit that my heart skipped a beat when I read that McDonalds is bringing back the McRib?

Sweet, spicy sauce, tangy dill pickles, tender pork, crisp onion and crusty roll.

Please, don't get me wrong, I don't eat fast food often, but I will have to have at least one McRib.

And no comments about my heart skipping a beat due to the fat laden, cholesterol raising qualities of McDonalds...I know, I know. But everyone needs a vice to make them interesting.

Reader's Delight

2010-10-03T13:47:00.002-05:00

I am a reader. I have always been a reader. I treasure books like others treasure jewelry,exotic stamps, rare coins. I grew up in a home of readers and cut my teeth on James Michener, Irving Wallace and even Harold Robbins. I was taught to think of a library as reverently as a church.

I love good fiction but am not opposed to really well written non-fiction. I don't care for Sci-fi, but am open to almost anything else. My current leanings are mystery (from the essential comfort of a cozy to the gritty darkness of crime novels), fantasy (from faeries to vampires), and chick lit. But most of all, I love a well written novel.

Because I am a reader, I tend to skim; to read fast and skip extraneous narrative. I sometimes feel guilty for doing this, thinking of the time and effort the author must have put into the work, but there are other things to do, other books to read, and so I skim.

And then, once in a blue moon, I encounter a book so beautifully crafted that I find myself devouring each word and phrase and going back to re-read favorite paragraphs. Cry, the Beloved Country was one such book. All Over But the Shoutin' was another. And I currently find myself mid-way through yet another.

Words--ordinary words--organized and composed so as to create emotion and experience. Words we ourselves use on a daily basis suddenly so elegantly presented as to make us feel smarter and better for having read them. One must savor these experiences; take them to heart. These books...these gems...are rare and lovely and worthy of esteem and must be shared.

I offer to you today The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.

I encourage you to pick it up and read the first fifty pages. I believe you will be as impressed as I.

Everybody Needs a Nemesis!

2010-09-28T12:27:00.003-05:00

I sent this email to three friends who all turn fifty this year. I will not, however, give their names.

Having hit the big 5-0 a couple of years before you, I feel a bit like an older sister and therefore capable of sharing some wisdom.

Michelle Pfeiffer and I are the same age. I discovered this upon becoming fifty. I hate her. It has nothing at all to do wither her marriage to a Hollywood legend, her beautiful family, or her fabulous career. No...my hatred has to do with the fact that she still, at the advanced age of fifty, looks like a Breck girl and could still pose as the epitome of All American beauty. So this woman that I have never met and who has no knowledge of my existence is my nemesis.

Why do I feel the need to share this information with you, my sisters? Well, everyone needs a nemesis. If you haven't yet found that special someone to hate, I would like to present to you the fifty year old Jennifer Grey dancing the Jive on DWTS.

Do you hate her yet?

Rainy Days and Mondays

2010-09-27T13:35:00.002-05:00

I am somewhat embarrassed to write this, considering my last entry was on my annual case of birthday blues, but a friend posted this clip on Facebook and it made me remember what an amazing talent Karen Carpenter was.

The mellow tone, the soulful lyrics. I can't think of anyone who could have ever done it better.

(And at least it's not "We've Only Just Begun".

Birthday Blues

2010-09-09T08:47:00.002-05:00

For years now, I've experienced an overwhelming sense of depression in the two weeks leading up to my birthday. It fizzles out sometime after, I've never clocked it.

I don't know if it's brought on by the fact that I am getting older and am no longer the young chick my psyche says that I am or perhaps related to the end of summer seasonal changes. Whatever the cause, it started early this year, precipitated by the death of my beloved Prissy. (I am at this very moment trying to not cry.)

Whatever the cause, I soldier on, man up, walk it off! I get by. I cry, I wallow in self-pity, I eat bad foods, and then I'm over it.

So if I seem moody, irritable, and a little sad, don't worry. I'll be back to normal soon enough. Unless this year it is all a cruel joke of menopause; if so, turn up the A/C and get used to it...GROWL!

The County Fair

2010-08-23T08:50:00.002-05:00

I entered a jar of these in the local county fair.

Saturday, some friends and I went to the fair to check it out. It was a rinky dinky hot mess. But, in the exhibition hall we found the pickles. Ten jars were entered. Nine jars had ribbons. Any guesses on the jar without a ribbon?

I love these pickles, so I'm okay without the recognition. But it started a whole week-end of self-doubt, which brought on a serious case of the blues. I cried a lot.

I feel better now and am laughing about the pickles. Maybe not so much about the other stuff.

What A Week!

2010-08-15T07:27:00.002-05:00

My friend Patty had to put her cat down last week. My sister had to put her 17 year old beloved dog down Friday. Of course, I am still morning the loss of Prissy.

But the really bad stuff happend yesterday.

My cousin Pat and her husband James own several business, one of which is a used car lot. A man came into the office of the car lot yesterday and shot James three times. James is in intensive care at the University hospital.

Please pray for Pat & James.

Goodbye

2010-08-13T19:27:00.005-05:00

I'm fighting the tears as I type this. Today, I said goodbye to my pretty Prissy, my companion and comfort. I loved her dearly and truly know that she loved me. My father laughed about her dedication to me, her constant need to be touching me.

This was our first Christmas together. Look at that face!

Festive, huh?

How many cats do you know that love a bath?

She never liked to play. I remember once I spent about $12.00 on a clockwork mouse. I called her into the room, wound it up and set it on a table. She looked at the mouse, looked at me, back to the mouse, back to me. Then, while looking at me, she casually reached over, knocked the mouse off the table, and walked away.

I was going to publish the slideshow of a day in the life of Prissy, but instead, click here.

You know, remembering all of this has made me smile. I hope you don't mind.

I Really Hate To Do This...

2010-08-04T12:58:00.002-05:00

But I need a moment to vent.

I have an infections inside my nose. It is red and swollen and hurts a bit. I look like Rudolph.

Yesterday while drying my hair, I noticed something dark, went to get a closer look, a clump of hair came off in my hand.

The cat bit me on my knuckle and my entire hand hurts.

The button popped off of the slacks I was planning to wear to work.

And I spilled cat food all over the floor.

I'm just not happy right now.

Movie Nite

2010-08-02T07:48:00.002-05:00

My friends and I get together every other month to watch old movies. We've been doing it for a few years now and we've seen some really great movies.

We also bring food.

Lots of food.

So we got together last Saturday night to watch Bell, Book, and Candle with Jimmy Stewart, Kim Novak, and Jack Lemmon. We also watched The Big Sleep with Bogart and Bacall.

Our hostess made a lovely baked ziti, a Greek salad, and some caramel cupcakes. I made a blackberry cobbler and picked up some Publix fried chicken. And we had meatball subs, Caprese salad, and watermelon.

I also made watermelon margaritas. I love watermelon and I, unfortunately, love margaritas. To quote Ina Garten, how bad can that be?

So we had good food, good drink, good conversation, and good movies. All in all, a great night.

I'm Tired

2010-07-28T09:04:00.003-05:00

I'm tired of Mel Gibson.

I'm tired of Chelsea Clinton's wedding.

Though I love her, I'm tired of Sandra Bullock's marital woes.

I'm tired of commercials for personal injury attorneys.

I'm tired of political campaigns, and we're just approaching the primary!

I'm tired of the heat.

I'm tired of the humidity.

And, like everyone else in the world, I'm tired of the gulf oil spill.

In other words, I can't watch television, listen to the radio, go outside or look at the internet without being more tired. Good thing I've got a big pile of books to be read.

The Taste of Summer Sunshine

2010-07-12T12:30:00.002-05:00

I brought home an assortment of tomatoes from my dad's garden last week. This year is not the bountiful harvest of the past, but I came home with enough to keep me in tomato sandwiches for a while.

And I've had a few.

I gave in to one of my dark desires over the week-end, however, and had my favorite breakfast. Toast and tomato.

I know, it sounds simple. But let me explain a couple of things. I only use real butter and I don't use a toaster to make toast. I either melt butter in a frying pan and toss bread into the melted butter or I spread butter on the bread and place it on a baking sheet under the broiler. Whichever way I choose, the bread is infused with real butter.

I top all of this buttery goodness with vine ripened sliced tomatoes and sea salt. It is divine!

Years ago, a baby sitter sliced open left-over biscuits and slathered them with butter. She then toasted them in the oven and placed a slice of tomato on each half as it came from the oven. I have loved it since but never have biscuits in the house. Thus, the toast.

The acidic sweetness of ripe tomato, the yeasty goodness of the bread, and the creaminess of the butter combine to remind me of what I love about summer.

Disoriented or Blonde?

2010-07-07T07:42:00.003-05:00

I haven't been feeling well; I have all the symptoms of a sinus infection. Headache, earache, head and chest congestion, fever. I left work yesterday and headed straight home, walked in the door, petted the cat, put on my gown and crawled into bed. By 4:30.

I woke up feeling a bit out of sorts and looked at the clock. 6:35! I was in a panic, convinced I was going to be late to work. I ran into the bathroom and took the world's fastest shower. I honestly don't think I got wet all over. I hurriedly dried off and ran to the closet to decide what to wear. Then I looked at the clock again and saw the little light indicating p.m.

I put my gown back on and went back to bed.

Banana Pudding

2010-07-06T07:16:00.003-05:00

I have never made an old fashioned banana pudding. My mother never made an old fashioned banana pudding. So yesterday, we had what my sister likes to call occupational therapy for my mom, and gave it a whirl. I scoured the Internet, the box of vanilla wafers, and old cook-books looking for a recipe we could work with, and finally came up with a hybrid of several different recipes.

New/Old Fashioned Banana Pudding

1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1 c milk (I used 2%)
4 egg yolks lightly beaten
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c Splenda
6 to 8 ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
vanilla wafers

Place milks in top of double boiler to warm but do not boil. Slowly add to egg yolks and then place back into the double boiler. Add sugar and stir often, cooking for 10-15 minutes. Puree' 4 bananas and add to custard when it is almost set. Set aside to cool. Add vanilla.

Line a casserole dish on bottom and sides with vanilla wafers. Pour a layer of custard and top with a layer of sliced banana. Repeat.

Meringue

4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar

Whip egg whites and cream of tartar until they start to foam. Add sugar and ship until soft peaks form. Place on top of pudding and place under broiler until top starts to brown.

Adding the pureed bananas to the custard intensified the flavor and made this a very rich dessert.

Happy Anniversary!

2010-07-02T12:42:00.002-05:00

Thirty years ago today, the movie Airplane! opened in theaters. Bravo TV named it as #6 in their list of funiest movies of all time. Quite frankly, I can't think of a single more quotable movie.

I love Lloyd Bridges addictions...

"Guess I picked a bad week to give up sniffing glue."

Peter Graves

"Do you like Gladiator movies?"

Barbara Billingsley

"I speak jive."

Possibly the most famous two lines in movie history...

"Surely you can't be serious!"
"I am serious, and don't call me Shirley!".

And my personal favorite...

"What do you make of this?"
"I can make a hat. I can make a brooch. I can make a pterydactyl!"

So, if you're reading this, take a moment to contemplate selling Tupperware in third world countries, drinking problems, and slapping someone hysterical. And then remember how bad your sides hurt from laughing the first time you saw it.

Sunday Pot Roast

2010-06-21T06:45:00.003-05:00

When I ask my parents what they want me to cook for them, pot roast is always the first request. Since Dad is responsible for the meals these days, he goes the easy route with jarred pasta sauce, frozen dinners, and grilled meats. He loves a good roast, but has no desire to cook one.

So I cooked a roast for Father's Day dinner, like every Sunday of my childhood, and it was extremely good. This is something I learned from my mom and it is always a winner.

I'm sorry to say that the only photo I was able to take was prior to going into the oven because I was busy frying squash when it came out.

Here is the way I cook a Sunday Pot Roast

1 2 1/2 to 3 lb boneless chuck roast
1/2 cup Dale's Steak Sauce
3 Tbs Worchestershire Sauce
1 cup Coke
1 extra large or 2 medium onions
6 small or 4 large carrots
6 medium potatoes*
2 Tbs vegetable oil
Salt
Pepper
Flour

Salt & pepper roast and dredge in flour. Pour oil in bottom of cast iron dutch oven and heat to medium high. Brown sides of roast and add vegetables and liquids. Place in 300 degree oven for 2 hours. (We like our roast beef well done, cook it for less if you like it pink).

Serves 6

*If I use red potatoes, I use 2 - 3 per person.

And I would like to share some of the beauty from my Dad's back yard. He has a green thumb, a gene that somehow didn't make it to my sister and I.

I love the hydrangeas that border the deck.

And the gardenias (far enough away so as to not give one a headache).

And these, which thanks to my online buddy Becky (DecoLady), it turns out is Aphrodite Rose of Sharon.

Not shown is the tree that fell during a storm on Saturday.

It's All In The Name

2010-06-01T15:01:00.003-05:00

The incumbent candidate for State Representative of the 64th district of Tennesse is Ty Cobb. His full name is John Tyler Cobb, but he has chosen to associate himself with a mean, racist, jerk who was a great baseball player. His campaign workers wear baseball jerseys and his campaign signs have baseballs on them.

I cannot make myself vote for him. He may be a wonderful human being, and well respected by his constituents and fellow representatives, but I JUST. CAN'T. DO. IT.
It grates upon me like chalk on a blackboard.

The Alabama primaries are today, and, having spent the week-end there, I am fully caught up on the festival of mud-slinging and name calling. There are at least 1000 Republican candidates (I exagerate, some), and 2 Democrat candidates.

The Republicans seem to not be running against each other, but against the Dems. The Dems are fighting it out between themselves and it is not pretty.

But, there in the midst of it all, one candidate truly shines. Not for his ads or his stance on any particular subject. Nor for his animosity with his competition.

Nope, he is segregated from the pack by one thing only, his name. Why? Well, Young Boozer is running for Treasurer. One must ask oneself, do you want a young boozer handling your money?

Truly, I don't have a dog in this hunt, but I can't help myself...I find it funny.

ETA: Breaking News! Young Boozer won the Republican Primary, beating George Wallace, Jr. Dang! What a name fest that election was!

Who?????

2010-05-27T07:24:00.004-05:00

Granted, I stopped watching American Idol a couple of years ago, but I've followed it thru the TV entertainment shows and the internet. And this season, it seems there has only been a single contestant, Crystal Bowersox.

I've read about her bouts of depression.
I've seen stories of her ups and downs during this year's competition.
I've heard about her near coronation as this year's Idol and by all reports, I naturally assumed she would win.

So what the heck happened last night? And who is Lee DeWyze?

I hadn't even heard of him until Tuesday. How did he become the American Idol? Seriously, did America beat the media? And who got it right?

The New Man In My Life

2010-05-21T06:52:00.003-05:00

He showed up one day in January, cold, frightened, and alone. I couldn't stand it. I fed him. The neighbors also fed him.

I call him Morris, like the iconic cat with the descriminating taste. Doesn't really suit him, though. Picky, he ain't! I also call him Honeyboy.

This is my front door mat, the spot he has chosen as his.

Can you tell?

He is very loving, to the point where he is hard to photograph, he wants to be petted.

He is also a bit playful.

The pictures don't quite do him justice. He is, like so many of us, ummm...fat. Picture, if you will, a football covered in orange fur. Add four legs and a head. Now mentally fill that football with lead. That should do it. He is short and full, the complete oposite of Prissy, who is runway model long and thin. Perhaps I should call him Garfield.

He really wants to come live inside, but Prissy has put her foot down! So he will sleep on my door mat, or on my car, or under my bedroom window. I think we having a grand love affair.

The Fabulocity of Frivolous Footwear

2010-05-14T09:17:00.003-05:00

While not yet officially summer, the temperatures have been dancing dangerously close to 90 degrees, enough to pull out the summer sandals. I love summer shoes. Flip-flops, sandals, little bits of leather attached together to create some semblance of form.

When the weather first starts to warm, I begin to pamper my feet with scrubs and lotions, soaks and dips, buffing and filing. I search out new polishes for my toes and experiment with the colors.

And then I shop. I stopped at my favorite little hole in the wall that always sells cute little styles ins flip-flops--I bought a pair of black with sequinned straps and an identical pair in gold. I bought a pair of pink argyle.

Next, I found a pair of CL by Laundry in pewter with two small straps, one across the top of the foot and another across the toe. These have two inch heels and the strap around the toe is jeweled. Sexy!

I found two pairs yesterday I had to have. A pair of black thongs by Madeline Stuart with 3" wedge heels and a big, flashy, multi-faceted plastic diamond on the toe. Sparkly! I also found a pair of Steve Madden T-strap sandals in silver with silver roses on the straps. Shiny!

This morning, I slid my pampered and pink feet with bright pink toes into the black Madeline Stuarts. I keep stopping to admire them.

Forget Chicken Soup for the Soul, pretty shoes can do as much for a woman as chocolate. A flirty pair of sandals can make a woman fill sassy and special. A sexy, strappy mule can make a woman feel daring and alluring. Even fat girls feel pretty and desirable in the right shoes. And we don't have to face the harsh reality of a three way, badly lit, dressing room mirror to try them on. We can sit at our desks at work and look down at the beauty that is our feet! Or we can casually cross our legs while conversing with friends and feel a surge of confidence.

The thinner the straps, the higher the heels, the brighter the color, the better. Summertime footwear gives us back what trying on swimsuits takes away. I thank each and every designer and manufacturer that gives me this gift...it is priceless.

And to the great god women's footwear, Stuart Weitzman, I make this promise...I WILL ONE DAY POSSESS A PAIR OF YOUR SHOES...otherwise known as the Holy Grail.

The Beauty Shop

2010-05-11T07:30:00.004-05:00

I took my mom to have her hair done on Saturday. There is nothing quite like a "beauty shop". Movie mags and gossip rags are everywhere. Brightly colored rollers lay atop tables and carts. The air is redolent with the smell of permanent solution.

This is not a "salon". The customers have done the same thing every Saturday morning for 40 years. There are an assortment of walkers along one wall and the staff takes exceedingly tender care with clientele. God bless these women who pamper women like my mother with a gentle wash and set while gossiping about shared acquaintances before gently placing them under the dryer to read about Brad and Angelina and shout at one another.

It was so very reminiscent of my childhood! It made me long for a cold grape soda in a glass bottle. Back then, the stories in the magazines were about Liz and Richard and the ladies' hair was much darker. The gossip was whispered and far juicier. A Saturday morning spent at the beauty shop was an inside look at womanhood. There were glamorous women there who had their hair colored and their nails done. There were women like my mom, hoping to look good for most of the week. (I never remember my mom painting her nails or having them done, but there was always Cutex nail polish around the house, so she must have done them herself.) There were the hair dressers (not stylists)with curlers in their own hair, waiting on a moment when another could comb them out. They wore make-up and smoked and laughed about going out on Saturday night, things I knew nothing of.

My mom knew little of make-up and styling of hair. She had my hair cut short when I was small to keep from having to deal with rolling it, braiding it, and all of the other things you do to little girls' hair. No bows or ribbons for me...a pixie cut was my destiny. My parents would occasionally step out on a Saturday night when I was the only child. My aunt and uncle and some friends would join them and share the baby sitting services of my older cousins. But some couples moved away, some marriages crumbled, and my sister came along and Saturday night became family night.

But Saturday was the day that Mom ran errands and did a little something for herself. And sometimes I got to come along.

Mother's Day

2010-05-06T19:34:00.000-05:00

This is a very difficult holiday for me. Should I buy my mother something she neither needs or wants and will never use? Yet another pair of pajamas? More clothes for her overflowing closets? Jewelry that will collect dust in a box on her dresser? Perfume for the few times she goes out? Flowers? Plants that my father will have to tend?

Hmmm.

This year, I pledge my time. I will take my mother shopping. I will call her (not Dad). I will of myself to her. And I will make a donation to flood relief in her honor.

Plus, a nice card.

After the Flood

2010-05-06T11:39:00.002-05:00

Tragic tales are emerging daily, and this one broke my heart.

Calling Julia Sugarbaker...

2010-05-05T07:42:00.003-05:00

When Dixie Carter died, my friends and I ran through our favorite Julia Sugarbaker rants. There was, of course, the Ray Don speech from the very first episode that lingers still today as one of the funniest speeches ever. Then there was the diatribe on the New York Times article about Southerners eating dirt. It is a classic.

So I must now try to channel Julia Sugarbaker after reading the New York Times article about the flooding in Middle Tennessee. This is the photo they chose to show.

Because the picture of a hick in overalls walking through an inch of water is so much more defining of a flood in Nashville Tennessee than say, these images.

You see, emergency crews were on the spot, shelters were established. People were told to stay off the roads and most listened. Though there have been 18 deaths reported, it could have been far greater. The television news crews were everywhere. Law enforcement, fire and rescue teams, friends, neighbors, and even power company employees got involved in helping. Shelters opened quickly and have been flooded with supplies. Over 7000 people have volunteered to assist in the clean-up in Nashville alone. The animal shelter put out a plea yesterday morning for supplies because they were being inundated with survivor pets; they received mounds and mounds of food, litter, blankets and towels by 5 p.m., including a donation by pop star Ke$ha who cleaned out the pet department at Sam's Club.

In one instance, a call went out for volunteers to help reinforce the levy at the MetroCenter on Monday afternoon and within an hour there were hundreds of people placing sand bags filled by prisoners at the local jail.

Looting has begun and it shames me that it has. The police departments and other law enforcement have gone on extended shifts to help curtail the bad behavior.

There are heart-breaking stories of loss and inspirational stories of survival. But, for those reading the New York Times, let's remember the important things like the fact that the Opryland Hotel had to evacuate and LP Field had four feet of water.

I know that I can not delivery a rant as well written as one written by Linda Bloodworth, but I hope I did my fellow Tennesseans justice.

You can read the story here.

Safe and Dry

2010-05-03T11:40:00.003-05:00

My little corner of the world is dry today, and though we had some very heavy rains, there was no flooding in my area. A co-worker had to walk through waist deep water while out yesterday, but she lives farther west.

My friend Elaine had to evacuate her home and I've not heard if she has returned and the extent of the damage.

They are currently evacuating parts of downtown Nashville as the Cumberland River continues to rise.

On the news this morning, they spoke of vehicles that had been on I-40 for 20 hours with no place to go.

I must break my channel 2 addiction. Seems it was the only channel I watched over the week-end. I will never get the image of the building from Lighthouse Christian School floating down I-24 and breaking apart out of my head.

So, how is your day going?

Shells and Cheese

2010-04-29T08:16:00.002-05:00

I have never liked box mac & cheese. Ever. Not even as a kid. I came to have a small appreciation for Velveeta Shells & Cheese, but not enough to actually buy it and make it for myself more than once every few years.

But home-made is something else. My mom always made a custard based mac & cheese using evaporated milk. I've made it Mom's way and I've made it with a cheese sauce. I prefer the custard.

Last night, I wanted mac & cheese and I was in a mood to experiment. I didn't have any elbow macaroni in the pantry, but I did have whole-grain shells. I always have a variety of cheese. I came up with something pretty fabulous, between my fridge and my pantry.

Ramped Up Shells & Cheese

6 oz whole grain medium shells
4 eggs
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 c shredded sharp cheddar
1 c Sargento,s shredded Six Cheese Italian Blend
2 oz crumbled blue cheese
6 slices bacon, crumbled
4 Tbs salted butter, divided
1/2 c Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta per package instructions. Prepare a 3 qt casserole by spraying with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together eggs, milk, and spices.

Place a layer of pasta in the bottom of the casserole. Dot with 1 Tbs butter, sprinkle with 1 oz crumbled blue cheese. Add 1/2 of the bacon and top with 1/2 cup each of the shredded cheeses. Repeat. Cover with egg mixture.

Mix together 2 TBS melted butter, bread crumbs, and Parmesan and spread over the top. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Sorry I can't post pictures. I was so hungry when I finished, I didn't take time to find my camera.

The Big Bag

2010-04-20T06:52:00.006-05:00

I have never been a fan of a big handbag. Never. I tend to keep the contents of my handbag to a minimum and just how much room do you need for a wallet, notebook, pen, cell phone, breath mints, and lip gloss? Those few items in a big, unstructured bag leave the bag looking deflated.

My sister, on the other hand, carries a bag roughly the size of my mid-sized suitcase filled with great and mysterious things. I really have no idea what's in there, but it's heavy. But I digress.

A couple of months ago, I fell in love with a Liz Claiborne black patten leather bag I found a clearance rack. It is far bigger than anything I've owned since my Cowgirl bag. This bag has solid, semi-rigid sides to hold it's form so that my measly belongings do not collect in one corner of the bottom. I adore this bag, but let's face it, there's a lot of unused real estate in there.

Until today.

This morning, I left the house with a 13 x 9 Pyrex covered cake pan containing Lemon Crumble Squares, two DVDs to return to the video store, a LaraBar, and a quart of sugar free French Vanilla creamer for my coffee at work. I tucked the creamer, the DVDs and the LaraBar into the bag, threw it over my shoulder, picked up the cake pan and still had a hand free to lock the door!

So now my love for this bag has grown exponentially.

The Lemon Crumble Squares were made for a pot-luck at work today. The recipe is one of my all-time favorites and something for which I always have the ingredients. My mom found this recipe in Southern Living some time in the mid to late 70s and was her "company" dessert at that time.

Lemon Crumble Squares

2/3 c room temperature butter
1 c light brown sugar, packed
1 c old fashioned oats
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest*
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together butter and brown sugar; add oats, flour, baking powder, and salt. Place half the mixture into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish and set aside.

Mix together egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sweetened condensed milk. Let set for 1 minute. Pour over crust.

Crumble the remaining crust mixture of the top and bake for 20 minutes. Chill to set.

*I like a very intense lemon flavor and use the zest of two lemons.

You can take a look here at far better pictures from the Pioneer Woman.

Of Birthdays and Baking and Other Things...

2010-04-12T13:23:00.005-05:00

I went to my friend Elaine's birthday party on Saturday evening. I won't tell her age, but I will say that she is a year and a half younger than me. And it was birthday that ends in zero. That's it. That's all I'm sayin'. Besides happy birthday, of course! I bought giant strawberries (as big as my fist) and dipped them in chocolate as a little something for her. And I found I cute card with Lucy and Ethel on the front that played the two of them singing "Friendship".

I spent Friday evening baking "soldier cookies" as I call them. This month I sent cookies to members of the Tennessee National Guard. I made Ina Garten's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk cookies from the Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1/2 pound unsalted butter -- at room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar -- packed
3/4 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs -- at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla and peanut butter, and mix. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the batter, mixing only until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using either a 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands, flatten the dough lightly, then press the tines of a wet fork in both directions. Bake for exactly 17 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

You can also make the dough ahead and refrigerate, covered.

*I couldn't find semi-sweet chocolate chunks at Kroger, so I used 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chunks and 1 1/2 cups of giant semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Before cooking.

After baking.

I also made a recipe for Chewy Granola Bars, a King Arthur recipe that was shared with me from my web buddy, Mile High Baker. It seems some members of this group are a bit health conscious. We'll just pretend that the butter is not in this recipe.

This is the recipe from MHB--

Thick, Chewy Granola Bars
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

This is probably the most flexible recipe I’ve posted. When it comes to granola, what you’re looking for is a basic proportion of chunky (nuts, dried fruit) to sticky (syrups, sugar, butter or oils) and from there, you can really go to town. The vanilla is optional. The cinnamon is optional. You can use no dried fruit or you can use all dried fruit in your 2 to 3 cup mix. You can toss in things like puffed rice cereal or flax seeds. In the comments, I’d love to hear what mix you came up with and how you liked it. I can only imagine the possibilities.

Of note: The original recipe calls for something called “sticky bun sugar” which can be made at home with sugar, butter and corn syrup. It is for this reason that corn syrup is listed within one ingredient but also separately, and I used all butter rather than two different fats. Whether the corn syrup can be entirely replaced with honey or maple syrup or the butter can be entirely replaced with a healthier oil is worth auditioning, I just didn’t. Yet. I can tell you this: as is, this is the best granola bar I’ve ever eaten.

1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats (if gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free oats)
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (use more for a sweetness akin to most purchased bars; use less for a mildly sweet bar)
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts (total of 10 to 15 ounces)*
1/3 cup peanut butter or another nut butter (I used almond butter) (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, namely because I was not convinced that the flavor came through)
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or corn syrup
2 tablespoons light corn syrup (see Note above)
1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ pan in one direction with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposing sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan, or coat with a non-stick spray.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter or oil, liquid sweeteners and water. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry (and peanut butter, if you’re using it) until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan. (A piece of plastic wrap can help with this, as you press down on the back of it.)

Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges — don’t be afraid to get a little color on the tops too. They’ll still seem soft and almost underbaked when you press into the center of the pan but do not worry, they’ll set completely once completely cool.

Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack. (Alternately, after about 20 minutes you can use your parchment “sling” to lift and remove the bars, and place them in their paper on the rack to cool the rest of the way. This can speed the process up.)

Once cool, a serrated knife (or bench knife) to cut the bars into squares. [Updating to note, as many had crumbling issues:] If bars seem crumbly, chill the pan of them further in the fridge for 30 minutes which will fully set the “glue”, then cut them cold. To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic or stack them in an airtight container. In humid weather, it’s best to store bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.

*Suggestions: Dried cranberries, apricots, pecans, sunflower seeds, coconut, walnuts, sesame seeds, pepitas, dried apples or even chocolate chips. My mix: 1/2 cup wheat germ, 1 cup dried cherries, 1 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup pecans and 1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes. Because my pieces were all pretty coarse, I pulsed them in the food processor a few times to break it up a little, though this isn’t necessary if you don’t mind yours chunkier.

I used 2/3 cup each of walnuts, chopped dates, dried cranberries, and a mixture of dried cherries with golden raisins. I used almond butter and almond extract, the lesser amount of sugar, and maple syrup.

The photo is of my quality control sample (you cannot send inferior baked goods to noble soldiers, defenders of freedom and THE AMERICAN WAY!) and I will be making this recipe again.

It was a beautiful Spring week-end and the Red buds are as beautiful as I've ever seen. The dogwoods are in full bloom. The Bradford pears are leafing out. Allergy season is here! Here is a shot from the car as I was on my way home....

And here is a little something for fun...

It's The Little Things

2010-04-06T12:20:00.004-05:00

You can call them "pet peeves", grievances, or personal vexations, but we all have at least one. The older I get, the more I have. However, one that has never been source of frustration for me is toilet paper. I prefer under, but it really doesn't matter to me if it rolls over the top or down from the bottom. I don't even care if it's setting on the counter. As long as it's there, I'm okay.

And I'm not particularly brand loyal. Northern, Charmin, White Cloud...I'm good. What ever happened to Arora?

My current list of personal vexations include the people who drive 45 in the left lane when the speed limit is 55, endless previews on DVDs, and the lack of open check-out lanes at the supermarket. This list is subject to change at any point.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2010-03-23T09:08:00.002-05:00

I was card shopping yesterday and was both happy and disheartened to see that there are new categories of greeting cards.

There were cards for people suffering from depression. Cards for stressed out new mommies. Cards for break-ups (encouragement, not breaking up because that would be as bad as by text message). And cards for cancer patients.

The good news is, there is a card for the difficult moments when you, yourself, are at a loss for words. Someone wrote the perfect thing for you. Some with humor, some with encouragement, some with prayer.

The bad news is, there is a great need for these cards, especially the cancer and depression. There were pink cancer cards for breast cancer. There were cute cards for hair loss due to chemo therapy. There were sweet cards for those struggling through daily darkness.

But the ugly news is that I could not find the right card for the situation...an acquaintance facing life's final battle. How do you say "I'm so sorry you are dying, hope hospice is fun?" There are so many great hardships in life...job loss, illness, depression, heartbreak...but this, well this leaves me speechless. I know that any sentiments I can express are not enough for her or her family.

I know that prayer is the greatest comfort, and one I offer willingly and eagerly. I pray for her, I pray for her husband and her daughter. I pray for her care givers.
But how do I put into words that my heart is breaking for her and that I wish her peace on her final journey?

Where are you now, Hallmark?

My Shrinking Vocabulary

2010-03-17T06:43:00.002-05:00

More and more, I find myself mentally scrambling for the right word, or re-using the same word several times in a conversation. It's annoying, because I know I have a broader, more expansive vocabulary that I can't seem to access any more. It seems to have atrophied from lack of use.

There are words that get into my head and refuse to leave. I will misuse them, mispronounce them, and generally annoy my friends until one day I realize I haven't used them in a while.

And then there are words I never use. Today I saw a sign with the word destiny. I don't believe that, outside of the title of a book or movie, I've used the word destiny in a sentence in the last 25 years. Or ever. I cannot ever remember saying "It's my destiny!" or "It was destined to happen". I must wonder why. The life-long Baptist in me certainly knows the meaning and all the theological debates surrounding the word.

But am I just not ethereal enough to use words like destiny? Fate? Kismet? Am I weighted in practicalities and immured in the vocabulary of the commonplace?

I read, constantly. Unfortunately, I think my choices in reading are less than intellectual. Should I switch from Charlaine Harris and Jennifer Weiner to Tom Wolfe and Sinclair Lewis? Maybe I could work one in from time to time, but life is too short to read books you don't enjoy.

So lies the end of my vocabulary, wrapped in Southern middle class mediocrity and trashy vampire novels.

Random Thoughts and Some Photos

2010-03-15T06:33:00.003-05:00

This is my "To Do" list from Saturday morning, compiled while drinking coffee, eating breakfast, making my bed, brushing my teeth, and applying my make-up.

You will note the top includes places to go, things to do, etc and to bottom is a shopping list. I will state that everything was purchased but the pepper mill (which made it on the list twice???) and the buttermilk and all tasks accomplished.

At the video store, I returned Eagle Eye and picked up Valkyrie (the most boring movie ever made). Seems I had seen Eagle Eye before, only it was called the Eschelon Conspiracy and starred Shane West and Edward Burns instead of Shia LeBouef and Billy Bob Thornton.

I woke up during the wee hours Saturday morning and had a sudden thought. At that moment, 3:27 a.m., I wished I smoked. I have never smoked nor had the desire to smoke, but at that moment I did. I just felt it would be far more interesting to be sitting alone in the dark thinking and smoking a cigarette than lying in bed watching re-runs of Rosanne.

I have to pull Prissy out from under the covers, near my feet, every morning before making my bed. She is such a slug.

And finally, a little bit of sunshine. Enjoy!

How To Tell You're Watching A Really Bad Movie

2010-03-01T14:46:00.004-06:00

Bypassed theater release to go straight to DVD? check
Bad acting? check
Bad accents? check
Blood and gore? check
Based on a video game? check

Starring Ben Kingsley? ch....what??????

I wasn't paying attention at the video store yesterday, and wound up with Bloodrayne. Starring Michael Madsen, Billy Zane, and Michelle Rodriguez.

And Ben Kingsley!

Sir Ben Kingsley!

Oscar winner, Sir Ben Kingsley!

Must've really needed a pay check!

Bras and Brakes

2010-02-18T07:53:00.003-06:00

My income tax refund has arrived and I have to take care of some maintainence problems. The ache in my upper back is unbearable so I'll be heading up to Rebecka Vauhgn this week-end.

And there is a grinding noise in my trusty Buick when I apply the brakes. This is not good. It just started but I know from previous experience this means new drums.

My nest egg will have to wait, because I'm not forgoing new bras!

The Test of Time

2010-02-11T06:52:00.003-06:00

There are movies that I remember with great fondness from my youth and a few, when seen in my adult years, fall terribly short. Oh, Billy Jack (head bowed, fist in the air)you were my hero then, today...not so much. And the tears I cried watching Love Story, today I laugh at the corny dialog.

Is Animal House still funny? Yes! Is What's Up Doc? Maybe?

I went to Target after work yesterday with a list that included a yoga DVD. I've done yoga before and enjoyed the benefits, so I decided I needed to put it back into my routine. Of course, I made the mistake of looking in the DVD section, but there were none. They were with the exercise equipment.

But in the DVDs was a section labeled "Girls Night" and the movies were wrapped in pink. Lots of romantic comedies. But there, by it's lonesome, was one of those movies from my youth that I had truly loved. I stood there humming the theme song just looking at it, and I swear it's been 25 years since I last saw it.

Ice Castles.

It immediately went into my basket. And with the Olympics beginning tomorrow, what better time to watch it? I curled up on the couch, cat in my lap, wrapped in a warm throw, and watched Robbie Benson in all of his blue eyed beauty. And Tom Skerritt, full beard and all, looked amazing! Colleen Dewhurst!

I've never liked Jennifer Warren, and I can't help but wonder if it is because of her role in Ice Castles. Or is it just because she always played a cold hearted witch?

The only part that I found different now was the love affair between Lexie and the reporter. It creeped me out. I don't remember feeling that in my teens, but he had to be at least 30 to her 16! Yuck! And I couldn't help but wonder why her dad didn't plow him? I guess this movie was meant to appeal to teen-aged girls and they don't think about things like statuatory rape.

Am I glad I bought it? To quote Sarah Palin, "You betcha!"

Please, don't let this feeling end...

Ina, You Let Me Down

2010-02-09T07:38:00.002-06:00

Saturday night was movie night and, as always, we were standing around ogling the massive amounts of food we seemed to have for a few people. My friend Karen mentioned that she had made Ina Garten's Coconut Cake that day for her mother's birthday.

It planted a seed, mainly because I had purchased way too much coconut for a cookie recipe, so I pulled out my copy of Barefoot Contessa At Home and read through the recipe. I had everything I needed...5 sticks of butter and 1 lb of cream cheese. Oh, Ina, you are my hero.

I mixed up the batter and placed my two 9" pans in the oven at 350 as per the recipe. The recipe said to bake for 45 to 50 minutes, so I set the timer for 45 minutes. About 23 minutes into the baking, I began to smell the cake. And while it smelled wonderful, I've always followed the rule of thumb that if you smell it, it's done. I did not trust my instincts, however, and let it continue to bake.

I finally gave up and checked at the 30 minute mark and sure enough, the cake was no longer that lovely golden brown one likes to see on a cake, it was brown. The color of a vanilla wafer. I let it cool and iced it and took it to work yesterday. It was eaten but the small sample I tasted was very dry. Delicious, but dry.

Research of other coconut cake recipes show a baking time of 25 to 30 minutes. Oops! I suppose everyone is entitled to a mistake, but Ina, your pedestal is beginning to look a little shaky.

New Year's Resolution

2010-02-05T11:20:00.001-06:00

Yes, we are already into the second month of the year, but I hate to announce that I'm going to do something and then fail the first week. The year 2010 is, for me, the year I accessorize.

This may seem small, but for someone who barely uses make-up, it's huge. I've pulled out my old jewelry and been through it, pulling out pieces I should be wearing. I've pulled out scarves, but put them back...my neck is too short and fat.

I bought a watch. I'm wearing it today. I haven't looked at it, but I'm wearing it. I'm also wearing a bracelet on my right wrist.

How and why did I decide to post this now? Well, let me explain the process. I was reading something on http://www.emailsfromcrazypeople.com by a graduate of the University of Alabama. This made me think of my brother-in-law's sister, Sonja (she's not crazy, but she is a UofA grad).

Sonja is one of those women that I think of when I think of "women in sales". Perfectly coiffed hair, perfect make-up, deep tan, fabulous wardrobe. And always great accessories.

I'd like to be more like her, but concealer, base, and powder is about as far as I go these days unless for make-up. I haven't had a tan in 30 years. My hair doesn't muss, I have that going for me. But I always look like a slept in my clothes. I iron them, steam them, whatever, then put them on...and they rumple. It's a family trait, my sister has the same problem.

But I decided that I could look more put together. I'm working on it. I'm trying. Ask me in a few months how it's going.

Snow, Ice, and Really Weird Dreams

2010-02-01T08:28:00.002-06:00

It started snowing about 10:45 Friday morning and my usual 15 minute drive took 90 minutes Friday afternoon. The highway was littered with vehicles, including a mail truck. We had 6" by the time I got home and was up to the undercarriage of my car by about seven that evening. Then came the sleet. Then more snow. Then more sleet. Then a little more snow. You could, in some places, not leave any footprints, just stand atop the frozen, icy snow.

Yesterday, the sun came out and melted a bit of the snow and ice, but not all. Then the temps dropped back into the teens last night, making the short trip onto the main highway and adventure. I skated through two stop signs, luckily there was no traffic.

My small city, population 30,000 has three snow plows. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SOUTH! It amazed me that the larger cities don't have plows, but we do. Snow piled on the side of the road so high you can't tell if someone is coming.

I made a pecan pie. Not so good. I made chili. Excellent. I ate PB&J sandwiches and drank chocolate milk. I read a couple of books, watched a couple of movies. I had a great week-end.

And then last night I had a truly weird dream. I was trying to get to work and the roads were flooded. I was stuck in some sub-division and could not move, so I parked my car and grabbed my cat and the dog that was with us (still wondering why I was taking my cat and a strange dog to work with me) and began walking. I passed a house with huge, beautiful watermelons on the car port. I picked up empty water bottles that were strown around the street. I wound up at Martha Stewart's house. She was napping on the couch when I came in, but woke up in time to chastise me for the water bottles when I asked to put them in her recycling bin. I tried to explain that they weren't mine, but she didn't seem to want to hear. Then her daughter Alexis came in with a broom. I left soon after and made my way back to my car.

Is there anyone out there who can interperate dreams? I would love to know the meaning of that one.

Weather Alert!

2010-01-28T14:51:00.003-06:00

After a stormy week with temperatures in the 50s & 60s, Old Man Winter has decided to re-assert himself in a big way. It seems that most weather forecasters are predicting an icy mix tonight with temps in the 20s and snow tomorrow with the high around 30.

I. AM. NOT. HAPPY.

I'm supposed to have book group tomorrow night, but I live a good hour from my friends and I hate the thought of the drive for their sake. I've been unable to concentrate on a menu because of this impending storm.

Do I plan for guests? Do I shop for groceries? What if they can't come? What do I do with all of that food? I need a nap!

My plan is to clean tonight. If the weather people fail in their predictions, I will get dinner ingredients tomorrow after work and go to it then. Otherwise, I will drop back 10 and punt.

Southern Fried Comfort

2010-01-26T07:12:00.003-06:00

After polishing off a breakfast of eggs, bacon, biscuits, and gravy on Sunday morning, my mother turned to me and said "What are you going to cook us for lunch?"

My dad has been forced to become the family cook and doesn't particularly care for the job. So there is a lot of Boston Market dinners and DiGiorno's pizza in the freezer. Also, hot dogs, corn dogs, etc. Anything easy. He can, when he wants to, prepare a simple protein and some veggies or a pot of soup. And he has perfected his cornbread.

But the simple truth is, these meals are rare. I always cook for them when I'm there and try to leave enough left-overs for another couple of meals.

I checked the freezer and pantry to see what was available. I made squash casserole, black-eyed peas, fried apples, and fried pork chops. It was a very silent meal...we too busy eating to talk. And there were no left-overs. None. Nope. All gone. I have to pat myself on the back on that one...it was as good as it gets.

I dredged the salted and peppered the chops before dredging them in flour. I dipped them in egg and then dredged them in Italian bread crumbs. Fried them to a golden brown. Oh my! The peas were cooked with pieces of Christmas ham I found in the freezer.

The squash was boiled with chopped onion and drained. I added about 1/2 a cup of mayo, and egg, 1/2 c of grated cheese and 1/2 c toasted pecans. Topped with crushed Ritz crackers and baked for 30 minutes @ 350. Yummy!

The apples were peeled and sliced and sauteed in butter for about 10 minutes. Then I added about 1-2 tsp cinnamon and about 1/4 cup of brown sugar and let the cook for about another 10 minutes. This meal, while a heart stopper, was perfect for a rainy, messy day.

Mary Tyler Moore

2010-01-25T07:36:00.003-06:00

I was a pre-teen when the Mary Tyler Moore show first came on and I adored her. I wanted to live in Mary Richards' apartment. I wanted her clothes. The single career "gal" was my hero.

And we had our very own Mary Richards in our family. My mother's cousin Carolyn was so glamorous! She was always in full make-up with her hair done. She lived in a funky basement apartment near the hospital where she worked. She wore bolero pants and flashy scarves. My mom, who made her own clothes, never looked as dowdy as she did standing next to her cousin.

Carolyn had a huge personality...loud, boisterous, and energetic. She was devout but certainly not pious. She was forty when she married, and rejoiced in now having a child (even though a teen) to love.

Several years ago, the hospital in which she worked got a new piece of lab equipment and she took a sample of her own blood with which to test the machine. It revealed that she had leukemia. She fought the desease with the vigor and determination everyone expected from her, but last week her fight ended.

Her funeral was not a sad occassion, but a celebration of her life and a rejoicing in the fact that she was in a new home in heaven, surrounded by her loving parents and husband.

My mom will miss her very much, but I will always remember the 70's version with great admiration and affection.

Decisions, Decisions...

2010-01-20T09:58:00.002-06:00

I don't know if I've mentioned it before or not, but I am the social committee/activities director/planner/organizer at my office. A committee of one.

The temperatures were soooo cold two weeks ago that I sent out an email announcing our Soup Day would be this Friday, January 22. Little did I know that this Friday will be sunny and 60 degrees.

I prepared a sign up sheet that has been passed around the office and it is absolutely hilarious! One fellow signed up to bring croutons (his sole contribution). I'm not sure what he feels will go well with croutons, but I really don't expect to see them, anyway. He is a "forgetter".

So the soups that have been committed are chili with beans, Taco soup, Southwestern Chicken soup, Wild Rice soup, and Corn Chowder. I must decide what to bring. I'm torn between a fabulous looking, untried recipe for Buffalo Chicken soup which includes both blue cheese and mozzarella or a Southern Living recipe I'm fond of for Brunswick stew.

What to do? What to do?

A Reader Without A Book

2010-01-14T09:05:00.005-06:00

When I was a kid in school, every year they would show the old movie A Man Without A Country in Social Studies. Does the fact that I still remember it some 40 years later mean it made an impact? I would have to say so!

Yesterday I was stranded at the Buick dealership for eight hours without a book. I was desolate! I was ungrounded! I was miserable! There was a small mountain of old magazines...Progressive Farmer, Garden and Gun, etc...but I have never been a reader of magazines. I subscribe to a single publications, Martha Stewart Living.

There was TV, but just how much daytime TV can one person take? I discovered a corner, behind a rack of literature, with a barely started jigsaw puzzle. Suffice it to say that when I left yesterday, it was 2/3 complete. The staff was amazed at my puzzle prowess.

I had forgotten how much I enjoy jigsaw puzzles. Any cat owner can tell you there is a specific challenge to working puzzles...pieces disappear. Or a flying ball of fur will suddenly hurl past your face, landing on and skidding across your work surface, destroying all progress and dispersing puzzle pieces throughout the house.

When I got home, I finished a book.

Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding

2010-01-11T12:33:00.003-06:00

I have book group on the 29th and I'm trying to set the menu. Since the book is set in Victorian London, I thought a traditional Victorian meal might be interesting. I combed cookbooks and the web and the most traditional thing I found was Roast beef & Yorkshire pudding.

I've never had Yorkshire pudding. I have no idea of how it should look or taste. But I gave it a whirl. The results were sketchy. It puffed up and browned like it should. It tasted like a rather bland pancake. The texture was much like a souffle. A bland souffle. And like a souffle...it fell. But this much I knew to expect.

Because I needed the drippings, I didn't do my usual roast beef (Coke, Dale's, garlic & Worcestershire)but instead applied a rub after letting it marinate for several hours. It, too, seemed bland.

And at some point during the day I decided to bake a cake. It's been so cold lately that I've had trouble staying warm. In my head, I know that it is 72 degrees in my home, but my feet and arms have trouble believing it. So I've turned to baking to a)warm up the kitchen, b) keep myself busy thus keeping warm, and c) bribing my co-workers.

I made a Maraschino Chocolate Cake. The recipe called for maraschino cherry juice and chopped cherries. It also called for melted chocolate. As I've said, my home feels cold to me, but I was honestly surprised that the chocolate hardened when added to the batter. Maybe my thermostat is the liar, not my feet!

I took pictures, but since I am neither proud of nor happy with the results of my experiments yesterday, I refuse to publish photos.

And by the way, I didn't make my bed yesterday because I just didn't have the heart to remove the cat from between the covers.

I'll try the Yorkshire Pudding one more time, but then I may move on to a working class Victorian tea...meat pies. We shall see.

French Toast Weather

2010-01-06T09:13:00.002-06:00

My friend Susan coined my new favorite phrase for describing our current weather conditions. Depending on which station you turn in to, we will either have 1-3", 2-4", or 4-6" of snow tomorrow. This had created the mad dash to the supermarket where, as Susan put it, "everyone scrambles for milk, bread, and eggs". Thus, French Toast Weather. I love it!

I assessed my situation last night to see if I needed anything, should I be unable to leave my home. I've got the ingredients for Black-eyed Pea Cornbread, I've got a pork roast and chicken breasts, bacon and eggs, canned tuna and crackers. No milk, but really, I don't drink the stuff. No bread, because I never buy it.

I've got fruit--strawberries and cherries that Kim brought to my NYE party left, grapes, and tangerines.

I've got toilet paper and cat litter and dry cat food. I only have one can, but she can live off dry food if needed. Or I could share my tuna. All in all, I'm in good shape.

Although, all this talk about french toast has made me want some. Do I dare try to find a loaf of bread?

Christmas, New Years, and Stuff...

2010-01-04T10:07:00.003-06:00

I took my Mom to Kmart on the evening of 12/23 so that she could do some shopping. We picked up a few things she needed and wanted, and were heading to the cash registers ( a straight shot up the aisle we were on, less than 50 feet away) when Mom told me to go ahead and check out and she would meet me at the front door. When I checked out, there was no Mom. I went back to where I had last seen her and searched. Nope. I spent the next 20 minutes frantically running from the front door to various parts of the store in which she might have wandered. As I was giving up, ready to ask a young employee for assistance, I spotted her in the very back of the store, in front of the storage area doors amidst the strollers. When asked what she was doing there, she responded with "Waiting for you! Where have you been?"

I got a Swiffer Wet Jet for Christmas. Sad to say, I was very excited to get a mop. I've used it twice already. I also got a lot of gift cards and a set of sheets.

I had friends over for fondue again this New Year's Eve and my friend Virginia took some pictures for me. I made a Gruyere fondue that I served with bread cubes, new potatoes, sliced apples, mushrooms and cauliflower. For a main course, we had chicken and pork marinated in a soy/ginger sauce that was really, really good. This we cooked in peanut oil. Ron and Virginia brought some shrimp which we cooked in beef broth.

Throughout the evening there was a wonderful Cheater Sangria, white wine, and assorted sodas.

And then came the reason for owning a fondue pot...chocolate.

Served with orange slice candy, bananas, strawberries, cherries, and marshmallows.

We popped the cork on some Yellow Tail Sparkling White at midnight, which we followed with coffee. We also played The Game of Things which I lost badly...it seems I'm very predictable.

I slept most of New Years Day and then took down my Christmas decorations on Saturday.

If you are interested, here are a couple of recipes from Thursday's Fondue Redo.

Cheater Sangria

1 bottle Shiraz
1 bottle White Cranberry Peach juice
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced

Mix together wine and juice, add fruit, serve over ice.

Gruyere Fondue

16 oz Gruyere
2 Tbs corn starch
1 clove garlic
3/4 c dry white wine
pinch grated nutmeg

Remove rind from cheese and grate; toss with corn starch. Place wine and garlic in fondue pot and bring to boil. Add cheese and nutmeg. Stir until cheese melts.

Chocolate Fondue

8 oz semisweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli's)
8 oz bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli's)
3/4 c heavy cream
3-4 Tbs Grand Marinier
2 Tbs honey

Warm cream in fondue pot until bubbles form around the edge. Add chocolate, honey,and liqueur. Stir until chocolate melts.

Sometimes I Amaze Myself

2009-12-22T06:37:00.004-06:00

I have a rather checkered past when it comes to driving. I've been ticketed for rolling through a stop sign and for speeding (twice). And I've had more than my share of accidents. The first six months I lived in Nashville, I had three.

I have not, however, had an accident in about 19 years.

And this morning I was once again amazed at what I good driver I have become. I was driving to work in the dark, freezing fog at about 55 mph when a silver mini van turned left across traffic. I stepped on the brakes and spun the wheel to the right, easing the car onto the shoulder and narrowly missing both the mini van and the sedan sitting in the driveway of the gas station where the woman driving the mini van had turned in blissful ignorance of my plight.

The gentleman in the sedan looked at me wide-eyed and then smiled and gave me a thumbs up. Something tells me that if I had gotten out of the car, he would have high fived me.

A quiet prayer of thanks for safety and skills, and I was back on the road.

By the way, I've not had a speeding ticket in 15 years, but only due to good luck, not any weight loss in my right foot.

Holiday Baking

2009-12-16T09:59:00.004-06:00

I had every intention of getting it all done over the week-end. I really did. I woke up feeling sluggish on Saturday, but soldiered on. I made the dough for Rugelach and tossed it in the fridge to set up. A couple of hours later, my nose began doing it's impression of Niagra Falls while I was trying to assemble the cookies. I lost all sense of smell later that evening.

Last night I decided to make cranberry pistachio biscotti. I pulled out all of the ingredients and realized I didn't have orange oil. Okay, I'll use orange extract. I don't have that either. Why did I think I did? What to do? Well, I did have a bottle of Grand Marinier extract, so I decided to use it. And instead of regular dried cranberries, I upped the orange a little with orange flavored Craisins.

Since I haven't been able to taste anything since Saturday, I have no idea how they taste or if my substitutions worked. Oh, well. I'll find out Friday when I make a cookie tray for work.

Soldier Cookies and My New Obsession

2009-12-11T14:05:00.002-06:00

Last Sunday I baked cookies for Operation Baking Gals and mailed them off on Tuesday. The day we had torrential rain. It was the most fun, ever! I love OBG because it gives me the opportunity to try new recipes. I love to bake cookies, but certainly don't need them hanging around where I could eat them. So I bake, sample a couple, and send the rest off to foreign lands. In this case, to Afghanistan.

This month I baked for David King, my old friend Mary Kay's hubby, who is currently on his second tour in Afghanistan. Here is a picture of David & Mary Kay and their two sons, Zach and David.

First I made Black Forrest Crinkle cookies, but they did not crinkle up as well as I thought. They did taste good, so I made a second batch of those.

And then I made Koulourakia (Greek Butter Cookies)

I'll give you three guesses on the first ingredient.

3/4 pound butter softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, plus 2 eggs, for glaze on top
2 tablespoons orange juice with no pulp
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
5 1/4 cups flour

All ingredients should be at room temp. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter for 5 minutes. Add sugar to the mixture and beat another 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs and beat until blended.

Add the orange juice and the vanilla extract.

In a large bowl combine the baking powder and baking soda with about 1 cup of flour and stir in the egg mixture slowly. Add the remaining cups of flour gradually. The dough is ready when it leaves the sides of your mixing bowl completely. The dough is soft and pliable.

Pinch off a piece of dough and roll out the dough into long rope like portions, fold over in half and twist.

Place the cookies on a greased baking pan.
Beat the 2 eggs in a small bowl to make the glaze. Brush the cookies on the pan with the glaze and bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Voila! Cookies. Enough to feed a unit of the National Guard.

Now, about my new obsession...If you haven't checked out this site, your really should. Start at the very beginning and read forward because there are a couple of entries from the same people regarding lawn chairs that are truly side splitting.

Christmas Decorations

2009-12-07T06:45:00.002-06:00

Karen, Ruth, and I went on the Holiday Home tour Saturday, in which we toured several homes built in the 19th Century decked out in their holiday finest. Among them was Elm Springs which houses the offices of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (and if you think that doesn't make me uncomfortable, think again)and the Polk home.

They were all lovely and very Victorian and I was inspired to go home and pull out my Christmas "stuff".

While Alabama romped Florida (it is, after all, the season of miracles), I put up my tree.

My main decor theme, if you can call it that, is angels and I am happy to say that I have plenty. And I dearly love the Mary's Angels from Hallmark. I receive one each year for my birthday.

Aren't they just too precious?

It's a long list....

2009-12-02T07:23:00.002-06:00

The list of things that I don't care about.

I don't care about the state of Brad & Angelina's relationship.
I don't care about what Lady GaGa wore or didn't.
I don't care about where Brett Farve plays football.
I don't care about misbehaving royals.
I don't care about child custody agreements of celebrities.
I don't care about what Michelle Obama wears.

But mostly...I don't care about Tiger Woods and his wife. Really. It's none of my business. I wish the news media would believe me.

In High Gear

2009-11-30T12:47:00.003-06:00

I left work around 2:30 Wednesday, headed for my parents' house. I arrived around 5:15 and immediately began cooking, making a dessert, a cranberry salad, and some cornbread for dressing.

Thursday morning began early when I baked a ham. Then breakfast of eggs, biscuits and...wait for it...ham! Cleaned the kitchen and moved on to make the dressing. Next, I cooked the squash and onions to make a squash casserole. While the squash was cooking, I assembled a mixed veggie casserole, then whipped up the squash casserole.

After I showered, I changed the table linens and set up the buffet area. Mom set the table.

Guests began arriving a little after one and dinner was ready by two. Done by 2:30. No one ate dessert. I cleaned the kitchen and was in stretch pants by five. A lazy evening watching Miracle on 34th Street.

Friday I put up the Thanksgiving "stuff" and did three loads of laundry. Dad brought in the Christmas tree and ornaments and we set a card table in front of Mom with the hooks and let her put hooks on everything that needed it. I decorated the tree.

Following a lunch, Dad settled in to watch the Alabama vs Auburn game and Mom & I decided to bake cookies. We baked a batch of Justines' (5 1/2 dozen) and Jam Thumbprint cookies (4 1/2 dozen.) Cleaned the kitchen. Sis and the nieces came over for left-overs.

Saturday I began bringing the rest of the Christmas decorations down from the attic. I was able to get quite a bit done. Mom and I set the dining room table with her Christmas china. Uncle Bill came over to watch Florida vs FSU game and Mom and I headed to KMart where we met Sis. Back by six with lots of treasures, I made a pot of chili for dinner and we settled in to watch Criminal Minds. (BTW--did anyone see the episode Wednesday nite? Wow. Not a happy little holiday episode.)

Sunday I stripped the bed and did three loads of laundry. Dad helped me flip the mattress. I finished decorating the house and wrapped some gifts. I was able to catch a little Barefoot Contessa and Paula Deen on the Food Network. Then I made a quick meat sauce and spaghetti, prepared a salad and warmed some garlic bread for lunch. Cleaned the kitchen and Sis and her hubby came by just as I finished. We chatted for a while before they left, then I loaded my car and hit the road around 3:30.

I was home by 6:15 or so, and, after unloading the car, cleaned a mess left by a very unhappy cat. Everywhere. I mopped, scrubbed, and vacuum. Then had to sit for cuddle time. It's not very exciting, sitting there, holding a cat, so I assembled some Christmas baskets. I finally made it to bed around ten.

Quite frankly, I'm exhausted. But I feel very good about everything I accomplished.

It's Time to get A Bakin'

2009-11-20T07:47:00.002-06:00

I'm a team leader for the next round of Operation Baking Gals and this round I'll be sponsoring David King, the husband of my friend Mary Kay. This is second tour in Afghanistan and I want to inundate him with goodies. If you are out there and ready to bake, please check out the Baking Gals website and consider "Giving A Little Support".

Oh! I Wish...

2009-11-12T10:01:00.003-06:00

I wish I were a gifted photographer or painter. I wish I were a writer of great talent. I wish these so that I could convey the incredible beauty of middle Tennessee on a clear November morn.

My commute this week has been exceptional; from the drive downhill on a street lined with maples in red and gold adding glory to pastel Victorians to point on the hill where I see the courthouse dome rising over the deep red oaks that surround it. Out the highway past the little white Missionary Baptist church nestled at the foot of the rolling green hills, past the 60's brick ranch sitting atop the rise, with it's bright red barn and freshly painted white fence. To the left there are two old white columned houses built in the day of functional beauty, farmhouses shaded by more golden maples set apart from the more modern brick homes build a century later.

And now the antebellums, resplendent in the morning sun, one guarded by the old slave built stone fence and tall, century old hickories and oaks; the other in sturdy brick, with tall hollies standing sentry in the drive.

Then past the old, faded red barn with it's once white silo and peeling white fence in the foreground as the hills rise behind in various muted shades of autumn.

All this beauty and rural charm and in my head I hear the great George Beverly Shea singing...Oh Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all thy hands have made...

Oh! I wish I had a better vocabulary with which to describe this, but let it suffice to say, I arrive at work mellow with a smile on my face.

Sunday Gravy

2009-11-10T14:57:00.002-06:00

My Italian friends int he NY/NJ area refer to this quite often. A slow-cooked tomato sauce that is thick and rich. I've made it myself twice, the second being this past Sunday (how timely!)

I made meatballs of ground beef and pork, oregano, salt, pepper, Italian bread crumbs, Parmesan, and an egg and browned them. I took them out and browned a couple of country ribs. I placed the meatballs and ribs in the fridge for later.

Then I sauteed chopped onions, green pepper, and porcini mushrooms in the pan before adding garlic. Then I added tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and seasonings and turned the temp down to low. I would stir occasionally, but not often. Around 4I added the meats back into the sauce and let them finish cooking.

I spooned the sauce over whole wheat penne with fresh grated Parmesan. I'm still eating it and I have frozen left-over sauce for another day.

Thanks to the ladies who helped me in the instructions (no real recipe). Excellent!

How To Dress

2009-11-06T07:24:00.003-06:00

While other parts of the country have clearly defined seasons and know exactly when to pull out the sweaters, and other parts of the country have almost no seasonal change at all, I seem to live in the amorphous part of the states.

It was 32 degrees this morning with hard frost on my windshield. The predicted high for today of 66 degrees. How to dress? Well, I wound up with a 3/4 sleeve light weight cotton blouse, jeans (because it is casual day), a cardigan, and a denim trench coat. The office was 69 degrees when I arrived. It will reach 82 by 2 p.m. when the air conditioning will be turned on.

So here is the way my day will go. Take off trench coat upon arrival. Take off cardigan around 9 a.m. Turn on desk fan around 11 a.m. Turn off desk fan around 2 p.m. Put on cardigan around 3 p.m. Take off cardigan for drive home.

Each day, I try to calculate what to wear to work and predict the comfort level in the office. It has become a challenge. I love beautiful fall sweaters but do not see them in my immediate future.

On the other hand, a beautiful 66 degree autumn day is a thing to be treasured. I'm thinking of heading to the Amish community south of here tomorrow, the drive there will be so spectacular!

Halloween Recap and Stuff...

2009-11-05T11:39:00.004-06:00

I won the Spooky Foods contest with my Finger Sandwiches.

The competition was tough. We had Mummy Dogs

and Barbecue Worms

Strawberry Ghosts

There was more, but these were the contenders.

Then Saturday, I went to party at a friend's. Can you guess who I was?

And Sunday I made Easy Brunswick Stew in my crock-pot. It was a Southern Living recipe and those are always good, but it made way too much! I am really tired of Brunswick stew. I see Chinese in my immediate future.

I've been reading lots of supernatural/werewolves/vampire stuff lately and it's all been really good. I loved Soulless by Gail Carriger. It is a Victorian romance with werewolves and vampires and ghosts. Too cute by far.

And finally...

I was shopping for life's little necessities the other day. Standing in the deodarant aisle at Target, I was struck by the realization that I've been using Secret for over 30 years. My mom bought my my first stick when I was in high school!
Is that brand loyalty, or what?

I Just Had This Conversation

2009-10-23T15:06:00.003-05:00

I was trying to find the roof for an SUV that seems to have gone on walk-about and no one seems to know where it is. So I made a rather snarky remark about the fact that the transport company had lost a 10' x 5' 35 lb box.

The woman responded with, "It's not lost, we just don't know where it is!"

I've got her name and address to send her a copy of the dictionary.

Halloween Finger Food

2009-10-21T13:47:00.003-05:00

We are having a Spooky foods contest at work on the 30th, and I've been diligently working on prototypes for my entry. I adapted a favorite George Stella recipe to make Smoky Fingers.

You'll need this.

Deli sliced smoked turkey
3 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 mayo (light is fine)
2 T chopped dill
pickled green beans
cocktail onions
red food coloring

Mix the cream cheese, mayo, and dill. Halve some cocktail onions and place in a bowl with brine and food coloring (not too much).

Spread with cream cheese mixture and place a green bean in center.

Roll it up and tuck under one end.

Pull off one layer of cocktail onion and trim to resemble fingernail. Place on folded end of "finger".

I'm looking for the right bread to place these on for "finger sandwiches".

Ciao!

2009-10-19T06:35:00.004-05:00

I've joined a soup cook-along and if there was ever a perfect day for soup, it was today! Gray and cold. So this week we made Zuppa Toscana, a creamy sausage soup that was quite tasty and perfect with some crusty bread. I found a nice rosemary bread at the super market.

Zuppa Toscana

Makes: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale
Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.

In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic for approxiamtly 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.

Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.

Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.

Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated.

Stir in the sausage.

Add kale just before serving. Delicious!

Buon appetito!

2009-10-12T06:44:00.003-05:00

My friend Carolea from the Contessa's Kitchen board posted this recipe from Land 'o Lakes on Friday. So, of course, I had to make it over the week-end.

Chocolate Lava Drops

1/2 cup butter
3 (1 oz.) squares bittersweet baking chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
32 dark chocolate kiss-shaped candies, unwrapped
1/2 cup sparkling sanding sugar - or sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place butter and bittersweet chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high (100 percent power), stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth (1 to 2 minutes). Cool 10 minutes.

Add 3/4 cup sugar and egg to melted cooled chocolate mixture; beat at medium speed until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder and salt. Continue beating until well mixed.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Press 1 chocolate candy into each ball; form dough around candy to completely cover.

Place 1/2 cup sugar in small bowl; roll balls in sugar.

Place 1 inch apart onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet. Serve warm.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Shape cookies; roll in sugar. Place in container with tight-fitting lid. Store at room temperature up to 2 hours or refrigerate until ready to bake.

REHEATING TIP: Place 2 cookies onto microwave-safe plate. Microwave on HIGH (100 percent power) until centers are melted (15 to 30 seconds). Do not over-heat

Yield: 32 cookies

Okay. I thought I was getting dark chocolate kisses, but got milk chocolate. Some woman was parked in front of them at Kroger and I had to reach across her shopping cart and grab a bag. I can only imagine how good they are with semi-sweet kisses. They are pretty darn good with milk chocolate.

Yummy goodness! Warm chocolate! Excellent! Please excuse the messy kitchen (hanging my head in shame).

Movie Night Munchies

2009-10-05T09:31:00.003-05:00

We had movie night at Ginny's Saturday and, as usual, it was fab! She picked two great westerns with Jimmy Steward, directed by Anthony Mann...Winchester '73 and The Naked Spur.

And of course, we had plenty to eat. Ginny baked a ham and some sweet potatoes and whipped up some absolutely delish baked beans. Karen made a sweet potato and black bean salad and fig and caramelized onion tart. I made savory thumbprints with my Apricot Pepper jelly.

And I made this:

One-Dish Black-eyed Pea Cornbread
Souther Living

This uniquely Southern recipe works as a tasty appetizer when cut into small squares or as a main dish when paired with a tossed green salad.

1 pound spicy ground pork sausage
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup white cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup cream-style corn
1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeño peppers
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles

Cook sausage and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain.

Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking soda.

Stir together eggs, buttermilk, and oil until combined. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. (Batter will not be smooth.) Add sausage mixture, peas, and remaining ingredients to batter, stirring well.

Pour into a greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until golden and set.

This is a great cool weather dish. It can be lighted by using less oil (as little as 2 T, but I use 1/4 cup), fat free buttermilk, and light cheese. I use mild or sage sausage because the peppers back enough punch for me. It can be made ahead and frozen before baking. And it is easily halved. I like to serve it with a green salad. That pretty much makes a meal.

Forgot to add that we had a beautiful birthday cake in the shape of a hat from the Publix bakery (always excellent) in honor of Ginny's birthday tomorrow.