Of Food and Fat

Oh, Honey.

2011-10-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

Back on my days on the farm a la Laura Ingalls, Farmer Brown got buzzy. Since we parted on good terms, he showed up a few weeks ago with two jars of his labor. Look at how beautiful it is. I am proud of his work.

I wanted to make sure that I made something worthy of the honey. I searched and looked for days and found this recipe in an old church cookbook. I thought it would be perfect. It was good but didn't really showcase the flavor of the honey like I had hoped.

Honeycomb Coffee Cake

1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 Tb. lemon juice
10 oz. can refrigerated flaky biscuits
1/4 c. finely chopped nuts (I chose pecans)
Honey

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9" round cake pan. In a small baggie, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and graham cracker crumbs. In another small bowl, combine melted butter and lemon juice. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Drop biscuit pieces a few at time into the baggie, and shake to cover biscuit pieces completely. Do this until all biscuit pieces are covered. Arrange coated pieces evenly in the prepared pan. With a small wooden spoon handle, poke a deep hole in each piece. Drizzle with the butter mixtures. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake for 12 -18 minutes or until golden brown. Turn immediately onto a wire rack and invert to a serving plate. Fill the holes with honey before serving.

I used the wrong kind of biscuits and my honey holes filled in.

I'm still looking for ways to use the rest of the honey. Any good ideas?

When I Am in the Kitchen

2011-10-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

My Grandma Gussie's recipe in her own handwriting.

When I Am in the Kitchen
by Jeanne Marie Beaumont

I think about the past. I empty the ice-cube trays
crack crack cracking like bones, and I think
of decades of ice cubes and of John Cheever,
of Anne Sexton making cocktails, of decades
of cocktail parties, and it feels suddenly far
too lonely at my counter. Although I have on hooks
nearby the embroidered apron of my friend's
grandmother and one my mother made for me
for Christmas 30 years ago with gingham I had
coveted through my childhood. In my kitchen
I wield my great aunt's sturdy black-handled
soup ladle and spatula, and when I pull out
the drawer, like one in a morgue, I visit
the silverware of my husband's grandparents.
We never met, but I place this in my mouth
every day and keep it polished out of duty.
In the cabinets I find my godmother's
teapot, my mother's Cambridge glass goblets,
my mother-in-law's Franciscan plates, and here
is the cutting board my first husband parqueted
and two potholders I wove in grade school.
Oh the past is too much with me in the kitchen,
where I open the vintage metal recipe box,
robin's egg blue in its interior, to uncover
the card for Waffles, writ in my father's hand
reaching out from the grave to guide me
from the beginning, "sift and mix dry ingredients"
with his note that this makes "3 waffles in our
large pan" and around that our an unbearable
round stain—of egg yolk or melted butter?—
that once defined a world.

What a Crock.

2011-10-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

Because when school starts and I barely shuffle through the days, I rely on my crock pot to cook many of our meals. It requires a little morning prep, but it is so worth it to come home and have dinner ready.

Unless.....you are wrestling with a too large turkey breast.

Position One - Breast up. Lid doesn't fit.

Position Two - On its side. Lid doesn't fit.

Position Three - Breast Down. Lid doesn't fit.

Position Five - Carving knife taken to horrid turkey breast by irate housewife. Lid fits.

Everyday I'm Shuffling

2011-10-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

A whole month since the last post? Probably. But you see, that first month of teaching is hard work. I get in there and give it a good go because those first harried weeks of establishing expectations will carry me through to May if I do it right. It is worth doing right. By the end of that month, I'm pooped. Pooped to the point that I get sick. This year, the end of this first month, I got strep.

I got knocked down.

But I got up again. (If you just sang that song and aren't asking, "What song?", kudos to you for following my muddled mind. Same thing for the title of the post.)

After I've been down and gotten back up, here is how I spend a good, quality Saturday.

If you happen to live in America's Smallest Cool Town, like I do, you go to the Farmer's Market first. Buying local and supporting small business makes me feel less guilty about buying all the cheap, lead-tainted crap I'll throw into my cart later at the Mart.

Look what I found at the Market.

One of my favorite vendors, Spangler's Farm sells his popcorn. All summer I tell him how much I admire that he shells out his peas into containers because people will buy them better that way. (And in what world have we become so lazy that we can't shell peas? I love the feel of running your thumb up between the hulls.) I got all excited talking with him about taking the kernels off the cob. He has a little gadget. Next year, put it on the list, I'm growing my own popcorn.

Some Saturday mornings, the thought of what B. sweet confectionery will have made is the only thing that gets me up and out to the market. She didn't disappoint on Saturday with her Pancake and Bacon Cupcake with Sweet Maple Frosting. That was the best cupcake ever. Not even worth trying to copy. She nailed those flavors. She has the sweetest booth full of color at the earthy market. This was her last Saturday at the market. I will think fondly of pumpkin donuts and orange cranberry scones until next year. She does do custom orders if the wait gets too long for me.

This is me in the parking lot, sitting in the Nugget Wagon, gearing up for the trial of the Mart. Can you see that butter on the blueberry scone? Shut the front door, those scones are the best morning smile. Pair it with Sophie's gourmet hot chocolate and there isn't one squeaky wheel cart in that whole store that could get you down.

This is me, waiting in traffic in the Nugget Wagon. Traffic is bad in our town. Truth is, you get all excited and vote for your town to be the Coolest, the people will come. Every person that comes, though, spends money in our town. I may have to wait a few more minutes some days in traffic, but isn't it worth it to see this pretty town bustling?

Once I made it home and put the groceries away, this is where I made it. Those are papers to be graded in front of the TV. The TV was showing "Legends of the Fall". It called my named and chained me to the couch. I had other things to do, but that trip out drained the rest of the energy out of my sickly body. To quote Anthony Hopkins here, "Screw 'em." I didn't get back up.

I'm sorry to say that the television choices just went downhill from there. The pile of papers seemed to grow larger and the "Rachel Zoe Project" just went on forever. I had to stay with it to see what Jennifer Garner wore to the Oscars and whether or not Brad would quit or get fired. It was bananas.

Even though I didn't get it all done, even though I didn't move far from the couch, even though Brad stayed to work with Rachel and Jennifer Garner looked stunning at the Oscars in black even though it doesn't play well on the television screen, it was a good day. I shuffled through. The next few weeks require a little more shuffling, but hopefully, I'm back for awhile.

On Crack.

2011-08-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been thinking of taking up smoking. You see, I'm a stress eater. Been a little stressed on and off the past couple of weeks, months, years. When I get stressed, I put something in my pie hole. So, I was thinking, if instead of putting food in the pie hole, what if I just smoked a cigarette?

I know, I know...there are all those health precautions about smoking, but isn't there just as many health precautions about being overweight?

The benefits of smoking for me would be calmed nerves and weight loss. There would be less eating on my part. And at one time, smoking was considered glamorous and classy. Or, it made you appear more of a bad ass. I'm thinking that either of those would be good for my image.

Of course, there are the downfalls. I fight hard not to look older already. I don't need more yellow teeth; it would be heck on the false teeth I have. I don't want to smell like an ashtray. Plus, I just can't afford it or the fancy cigarette holder that Aubrey Hepburn is rocking because that would be the way I would roll.

I guess considering all that, I'll stick with eating, starting with these brownies. They are as addicting as smoking or crack. They are too rich to eat in large quantities, but I guarantee, you won't stop thinking about them.

Hardest part of recipe - opening the miniatures. They're all I had.

Better-Than-Crack-Brownies

Stolen/borrowed recipe from How Sweet It Is

1 box brownie mix, made according to package directions

1/2 cup salted peanuts

1 cup chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups

1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

Mix brownies according to directions, and bake for 20-25 minutes in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Remove and top with peanuts and peanut butter cups, and bake for 4-6 minutes more.

While they are finishing baking, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Stir in cereal. Remove brownies from oven and evenly pour chocolate mixture over top.

Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Baggies of crack brownies to take to work and distribute.

Disaster!

2011-08-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's earthquake, I started thinking about disasters. I spent a lot of time when I was young with my grandma. Either she watched bad tv movies about disasters and let me watch them with her or she let me watch them unsupervised. I'm not sure. All I know is that I was traumatized by the bad overacting in those movies. This awesome video ripped open many doors to repressed disaster memories. Watch it. It is well-done with a rockin' soundtrack. For fun, you should count how many times Ernest Borgnine makes an appearance.

I'm no stranger to disasters. Look at these.

Bad hair disaster, circa 1991.

Royal icing disaster. Never again.

Underestimating the size of the pan disaster.

And again....

14-Layer cake kitchen explosion disaster.

Bad photography disaster.

Bad parenting decision disaster. You don't want to see the "afters".

Burnt toast disaster. Yes, toast.

What minor disasters have you had recently?

Puff Daddy

2011-08-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

Sean Combs. Sean John. P.Diddy. Puff Daddy. Puffy. Diddy. King Combs. Diddy Dirty-Money.

No matter what you call him, he is a winner.

German pancake. Dutch baby. Dutch puff. Bismark. Oven pancake. Poofy pancakes. Puff Daddy.

No matter what you call it, it is a winner. At my house, we call it a Puff Daddy in honor of my love of P. Diddy.

I know it isn't pretty, but this quick little pancake can be made quickly and put in the oven to bake while you are in the shower getting ready for work. When you get out, you have this poofy pancake that is best served with fresh fruit and syrup. This recipe makes two poofy pancakes, great for eating one and heating one up the next morning.

Puff Daddy

4 eggs
1 c. milk
1 c. flour
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter (1/2 stick)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Divide butter between two 9-inch cast iron skillets or two 9-inch cake pans. Place in oven until butter melts. Swirl the melted butter around, coating the pans. Divide the batter between the two pans. Place pans on the center rack and bake until golden brown and the sides rise about the edge of the pans, 12 -15 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with fresh fruit and syrup.

An Update

2011-08-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

When we left last our blogger, she had a lump in her boob, a cranky oven, and an imminent divorce. In the time since the last post, the lump is nothing but "reactive growth". It isn't cancerous, it isn't a cyst that can be aspirated. It is a solid , growing lump. The doctor doesn't seem to be concerned because it isn't life threatening. Maybe if it was the doctor's boob, she might feel more inclined to follow-up or offer reassurance. Unfortunately, the blogger has had to continuously call the clinic for the update of the additional tests that they ran on the extracted tissue.

The oven of the food blogger is operating erratically, still burning things, still keeping things raw. It has its own whims and acts on them accordingly. The food blogger has taken to leaving sacrifices of food in the oven to no avail. A sage burning to purify the oven of unclean spirits will be held later this month. All are welcome to attend. Don't expect cake - it will be burnt or raw.

And in less time than it took to get through the security at the family court, the blogger was officially divorced. It was a big wadded up mess of emotions. It was not a celebratory divorce nor was it a bitter divorce. It just was a divorce that was unfortunate. To rejuvenate herself, the blogger is taking the weekend before the official return to school to escape to the big city for a healthy dose of retail therapy and Krispy Kremes. I'm sure my doctor would recommend that, but she doesn't return calls.

What remedies do you recommend for lumpy boobs, bad ovens, and unfortunate ends?

Division of Assets

2011-08-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

With divorce, there is a separation of assets. I thought that dividing the furniture was hard. I was wrong.  Other divisions have been much harder.

There has been a separation of church and me. I have imagined what people will say if I go back. They probably wouldn't; they probably haven't. They are good people, but I haven't heard from many of them.   This is a time when you don't reach out. Emotionally there is nothing left for you to reach out with.

There has been a separation of my cat and me. My cat was a first anniversary present from Farmer Brown, a self-proclaimed cat-hater.  She is a tough ol' feline, surviving many trials on the farm. She recovered from being wallowed by the dogs as a kitten and from losing most of her tail after a cow stepped on it. Her meow box is broken. She can barely squeak out a meow. She loves the barn and being outside. We would go for days and not see her. Then, she would show up and rejuvenate herself by sleeping for several nights on top of my covers. Now a 13-year old, her trips to the barn are getting fewer, her nights in the house more. I miss her company but a non-refundable pet fee and lack of a barn would not suit her at the town house.

There has been a separation of our mutual friends and me. It is a small town and people when they don't know what to say, avoid you in the store. You see them and watch them hurry down a different aisle.  Hopefully, time and distance will take away some of the uncomfortableness we all are feeling.

There has been a separation of my home and me. This was the home we started with dreams together. This was the home where I planted fruit trees and flowers that are now bearing fruit and blooming. This was the home that I brought both my babies home to. This was the home I never thought that I would leave.

Once Upon a Time

2011-08-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I had a garden. It was overgrown. It was weedy. It was mine.

At this time, I have no garden. I do have a few pots of herbs and strawberries. That just isn't enough dirt for me, though.

Next year, I vow to have a garden again.

In the meantime, I'm having to rely on the farmer's market and friends for my fix of summer tomatoes. (The basil is all mine, though.) This is Paula Deen's fancy party version of a simple tomato sandwich. I served them for a brunch a few weeks ago.

Tomato Sandwiches with Basil

Paula Deen and Friends: Living It Up, Southern Style by Paula Deen

4 slices of whole wheat bread

4 slices of white bread

1 onion, grated

1 cup mayonnaise
freshly ground black pepper

2 vine-ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced into about 8 slices (I didn't peel mine.)

Seasoned salt

1 bunch basil

Place the tomato slices on cookie sheets lined with paper towels. Allow to drain. Cut bread rounds with a biscuit cutter the size of the largest tomato slices. Stir together onion, mayo, and black pepper. An hour before serving, sprinkle seasoned salt on the tomatoes; spread the mayo mixture on each bread circle;top each wheat bread circle with a tomato slice; place basil leaves on top; top with white bread circles. Cover with damp towels and place in fridge until ready to serve.

*This made a large amount of mayo mixture. Not a big fan of mayo, so I only put a small amount of mayo on each bread circle. I doubled the amount of sandwiches and still had mayo left over.

How To Read a Poem

2011-07-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

I love reading a good poem. I love teaching seventh graders how to love reading. I'm still working on a way to get seventh graders to love reading a good poem. I believe a key component of teaching is modeling, so this is how I devour a poem.

I read the poem, listening to the words that swim off my tongue.
I go wash dishes.
I think about the poem while I wash the dishes.
I go back to the poem and read it again.
I fold laundry and think about the poem.
Sometimes, I listen to someone else read the poem.
Then, I think about each line and how the lines tie together. I think about the precise word choice by the poet.
I make an imprint on my brain of my connection to the poem.

Or sometimes, I just read a poem and makes an imprint on my heart, as did this lovely verse today.

Drugstore*

by Carl Dennis

Don't be ashamed that your parents

Didn't happen to meet at an art exhibit

Or at a protest against a foreign policy

Based on fear of negotiation,

But in an aisle of a discount drugstore,

Near the antihistamine section,

Seeking relief from the common cold.

You ought to be proud that even there,

Amid coughs and sneezes,

They were able to peer beneath

The veil of pointless happenstance.

Here is someone, each thought,

Able to laugh at the indignities

That flesh is heir to. Here

Is a person one might care about.

Not love at first sight, but the will

To be ready to endorse the feeling

Should it arise. Had they waited

For settings more promising,

You wouldn't be here,

Wishing things were different.

Why not delight at how young they were

When they made the most of their chances,

How young still, a little later,

When they bought a double plot

At the cemetery. Look at you,

Twice as old now as they were

When they made arrangements,

And still you're thinking of moving on,

Of finding a town with a climate

Friendlier to your many talents.

Don't be ashamed of the homely thought

That whatever you might do elsewhere,

In the time remaining, you might do here

If you can resolve, at last, to pay attention.

*Source: The Writer's Almanac

A Few Things on My Mind

2011-07-28T05:27:00.000-07:00

I've had a few things on my mind lately. It just can't seem to escape my notice.

I wasn't even aware of it when I made these Baby Bundts by Nigella Lawson. I just had some leftover lemons that I needed to do something with and a mini-bundt pan that never gets used often. Nigella recommends using a mini-Bundt pan with 6 molds, which I have, made by Pampered Chef. The dimensions of the Pampered Chef pan must be bigger then the one she used because I only had enough batter to make four. Four is not enough to justify me making icing. We had one devoured as soon as we popped it out of the pan. Three, definitely is not enough to justify me making icing.

Baby Bundts

How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson

1/2 c. plain yogurt

6 Tb. melted butter

2 large eggs

zest of 1 lemon

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

7 Tb. sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In a smaller bowl, combine the yogurt, melted butter, eggs, and lemon zest. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fill the mini-Bundt pan with the mixture. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Leave them to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes and then remove to a wire rack, flat-side down to cool. Top with the icing.

Icing:
1 1/3 c. confectioners' sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl, and add enough lemon juice to make an icing thick enough to ice the tops and drizzle down the sides.

Ms. Left

2011-07-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

Remember Miss Photogenic from last week? Well, that was Ms. Right. Ms. Left, however, was not as photogenic. In fact, she was so ugly she scared the shit out of me. I couldn't even bear to take the picture.

Ms. Left had a lump the size of a grape tomato. Since I was chatting up the tech, she was letting me watch what was going on and the image flashed on the screen. I gasped. I didn't need a radiology degree to see that something sinister was brewing.

In today's fast technology, they make you wait. I saw it. I knew it was there. I knew something else would need to happen. Mammogram on Friday, results on Tuesday. Ms. Left was going to need some additional glamor shots.

Entourage, including Tiger and Big Baby.

I geared myself up with a pedicure and the entourage. Additional, precise shots were taken. The doctor was consulted and ultrasounds were ordered. It felt strange entering the happy room where so many women get to see their baby's face for the first time. The place where I saw both my baby's faces. How could a room so full of positive energy now be full of my tension?

Ultrasound room. I fretted that sheet all to pieces.

I did the usual - cracked self-depreciating cracks about my boob needing to be lifted up out of my armpit to get a good view. The ultrasound lady was so young and perky, she didn't get my joke. I had to explain it. Actually, I just showed her. She still didn't laugh.

The actual size of the lump scared me as she placed measuring lines across the images. I wanted to cry. I wished I had brought someone with me. I wish I had been strong enough to say to someone, "Don't let me go in there alone." I wish I could have said, "Thanks for the offer. You're right. I need you there." There were two empty chairs beside the table to remind me that no one can do this alone.

At some point, taking pictures of this here blog left my mind. It was filled with so many questions that wouldn't get answered until a doctor's appointment four days away. Again? What is up with the slow response time? It only takes two hours to get a driver's license picture, shouldn't a boob get a little quicker response? I am now firmly convinced that all mammograms should be read by men. They would have been all over that boob picture.

At this point, an ultrasound biopsy is scheduled for later this week. I don't have a history of breast cancer in my family. I don't have any other symptoms, such as discharge from my nipple (eeeww). Chances are, it is just a mean ol' cyst. It still doesn't keep me from worrying.

It still doesn't keep me from earning money. For a quarter, I will let you touch it. So far this week, I have made $14.25.

Heat Wave

2011-07-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you've noticed or not, but it's been a little hot lately. My house didn't come with central air. I would like to say that we are meeting this new challenge with no whimpering and brave smiles, but it isn't happening. We are miserable and cranky with each other, fighting to see who gets to be in front of the one window unit we are running. We run errands just so we can be in the car and stores where it is a bearable temperature. We frequent Dairy Queen and Burger King for icees.

So, if a friend calls and says that we are going to crash a mutual friend's pool, we are there. The underground pool was just installed this summer, and it is still a work in progress. All I need to know is that it has cold water and at least three hours of escape from the heat in the house.

Brave smiles

When we return home, we are wore out. The last thing I want to do is cook dinner. My new dinner routine usually involves wraps of some kind. I can make them in the morning, put them in the fridge, and whip them out for dinner. Frick and Frack like being able to customize what I put on the tortilla - peanut butter and chocolate chips, turkey and cheese, hummus and lettuce. They are easy to make a few and have them ready to throw in the bag to take to the pool for snacks as well.

No whimpering

This roast beef roll-up is one of my favorites; Frick and Frack, not so much. If you wanted, you could adjust the amount of horseradish, but I like mine with the kick.

Roast Beef Roll-Ups

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

3-4 tsp. horseradish

6 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
green lettuce
8 flour or wheat tortillas
1/2 lb. thinly sliced roast beef

Combine the horseradish and cream cheese. Spread mixture on each tortilla, then layer the rest of ingredients. Roll up and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

The Dirge

2011-07-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

"Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway."

~Emory Austin

There song in my heart today was a dirge. It woke me up at 4 am for several nights this week and wouldn't allow me to go back to sleep. When I did fall back asleep this morning, I didn't want to get out of bed. It was going to be one of those mean red days.

I had company coming. Company pulling into my driveway woke me up from the slump. Company makes you at least get up and give them the courtesy of brushing your teeth and putting on a bra.

My company seemed genuinely pleased that we were having a hearty breakfast of blueberry Eggo's with Aunt Jemimah. She joined us and even drank straight-up cranberry juice with them without complaining. She listened to me talk even though we were supposed to be working. She didn't judge that I didn't shower.

The dirge skipped a few beats and got slightly off rhythm.

This afternoon for a treat, the kids and I went to Burger King for Coke Icees. I think the medicinal qualities of Coke should be reexamined.

The dirge was continuing, but it had lost some of its harmony and was breaking into discord.

This evening I needed love. The caretaker in me finds it very difficult to put into words and ask for what I need. I went and actively sought it out. My friends took care of my kids while I floated in the pool. They cooked me filets on their grill. They made me and the kids laugh. They brought out their best for me without me having to explain what I needed. They just knew. They just gave.

For tonight, the dirge is silenced. I feel a new song underneath that is fighting its way to being heard. It's singing there, waiting for me to join in.

Boobie Trap

2011-07-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

I hesitated talking about this. Some things may be too personal for this here blog. However, I'm running with a group of friends who are about my age. I thought I would take the plunge and get that first mammogram. I wanted to reassure my friends that this was a necessary milestone to go through. Myself, I about fell off the table at my yearly exam last summer, when my woman doctor told me it was time for my first mammogram this summer. It made me feel old.

Some hospitals offer an incentive, like a limo ride for your trip to your mammogram. Not my hospital. I rolled up classy in the Nugget Wagon with my entourage. Frick was still dressed in her pajamas and bathrobe and refused to have her picture taken. Sometimes, you pick the battles, and pjs and robe were fine, just GET IN THE CAR.

If you know me, you know that I can be very quiet. Unless, I'm nervous. Then I chitter-chatter non-stop, asking dumb questions and saying ignorant, rambling things. I must have been more nervous than I realized. Before I know it, I had broken the ice with the tech, and I was taking pictures of my first boob smashing. I'm not really sure there is ice to break because you can't help but talk to the person manhandling your girls onto a cold plate.

The boobie trap.

The tech walked me through the entire process, gave me a stylish pink paper vest, and started the festivities. I was a little timid about letting everything hang out, but since the tech is a professional, she didn't have time for shyness. She placed, stretched, rolled, positioned me in a blink of an eye. It was uncomfortable but it didn't last long. She was kind enough to let me see the screen and explain what was being seen. We had to repeat the process on the other side, and then in a slanted position for each side again.

Miss Photogenic, right side. (Impressive, isn't it?)

It took a total of twenty minutes which included me taking pictures and asking questions. Afterwards, I did ask for a sticker. I feel it is important to make it rewarding in some manner. There isn't any intrinsic value to be had for smooshing your boobies with a total stranger. You need something tangible. Even a picture of Daniel Craig to look at would be some kind of reward. Instead of peaceful sheep in a meadow, you could at least imagine a scene where you are saying, "Oh, Daniel, you are being too rough. I'm a gentle flower." At least, that is how my thoughts run.

Peaceful scene to focus on.

What we need to focus on.
(Is he tall? I hope not. I really prefer shortness.)

Have you had your mammogram, yet? I don't have a limo, but I will roll you up in the Nugget Wagon if you want to schedule an appointment.

Food for the Soul

2011-07-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

Fridays are now Food for the Soul. Today's song is brought to you by Tracy Chapman.

Tinkerbell at a Rave

2011-07-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

I took a small break from exercising. Okay, a long break from exercising. You know I have fads and DVDs that I love and then get bored with, so I'm always trying new ones. I found Tracy Anderson from reading Gwyneth Paltrow's blog Goop. Gwyneth was also on Oprah touting her workout. I was a little skeptical because Tracy's methods aren't your usual workouts.

She encourages you to workout four to six times a week, for an hour doing the mat exercises. In addition, she wants you to do at least a half-hour of cardio, preferably something that does not use repetition of your large muscles, such as running. She is a big fan of dance cardio. Also, she doesn't think women should use weights over three pounds, because it increases bulk and more skin sagging.

If you know me, you know I love to dance. The cardio would be easy. You know that I am also a weakling. Three pound weights made me happy.

The problem was the time. Researchers encourage twenty minutes a day to maintain your weight. If you want to lose weight, you need to do 60 - 90 minutes a day. I used to struggle with that twenty minutes, and she wants me to find time for an hour and a half?

I thought I would give it a try. I turned to my number one source of exercise DVDs - QVC. (QVC is my favorite source for everything. You don't have to watch. You can order online at any time. Plus, 30-day money back guarantee. No questions asked. They don't pay me, but they should.) After reading the reviews, I ordered the the Mat Workout, the Post-Pregnancy Workout (yes, it's been five years, just shush it), and Beginner Dance Cardio.

I started with the Dance Cardio. I couldn't follow it or keep up. I tried. I retried. I was doing my own moves. Or standing there watching her dance. I need structure and I felt at times, she was dancing to her own internal beat. She is beautiful and graceful. Her dancing was like watching a cute Tinkerbell at her own personal rave. I scrapped it. I figured I could send it back. (I didn't - if you want to try it, I will loan it to you.)

Next, I tried the Post-Pregnancy Workout. I have a belly that resembles bread dough. Two c-sections in two years can wreck havoc on your abdomen. I have done crunches, sit-ups, plank holds - that belly wasn't shrinking. My sister always tells me that I "should just cut it off." This was the first exercise that I've done in five years where I felt my stomach muscles truly working. It hurt. This isn't your typical sit-ups. You move in combinations that your body has never used. I was aware of stomach muscles that I hadn't seen in years. At work, I was stapling papers and had to stop. Did you know you use your stomach when you staple? I discovered them from this video.

The Mat Workout had the same results. It made me body-aware. There is a lot of repetition of basic floor and standing movements. Your entire body is engaged at all times. The first couple of times, I was unable to do all the repetitions. I spent a lot of the time sitting on the floor, watching. Every day, though I set a goal of doing 10 reps, then 12 reps, then 15 reps. I did this tape for ten days throughout two weeks. I saw results. The arm reps will kill you. You notice your arms, though. You notice your tush. You notice your abs. You notice your posture. She keeps saying in the tapes, "You're going to see AMAZING results." I believe her. I still am struggling working it into my schedule. When I do, I hate her and love her.

She's not overly chatty which bothered me at first. I kept thinking, "What am I supposed to be doing?" Now, I find it peaceful. It is just repetition. Keep watching her. Her body is lean, long, and beautiful. I don't need her insincere encouragement. Her body structure motivates you.

Overall, it reminded me of a combination of calisthenics, yoga, and Pilate's. Don't be fooled. I sweated like a hog. I was drenched. I felt good afterwards. Enough to make me want to do it the next day. These tapes are keepers.

The abs and arms that I envy.

Beans Don't Burn on the Grill

2011-07-12T17:53:00.000-07:00

I never got the lyrics to that song. Who cooks beans on a grill anyway? If you're from West Virginia, you cook the green beans on the stove for hours, swimming in bacon grease and butter. That is the only way I knew how to eat green beans for most of my life.

Until I met I Ina. I know. I should rename this blog "The Site Where She Just Makes Ina Garten Recipes and Posts Bad Pictures of Them".

Actually, I've been buying the steamer vegetables in the freezer section. My kids enjoyed the steamed green beans - add a little brown sugar and butter. I wanted to fix fresh green beans that had that same fresh taste with out cooking them to a pulp.

On a side note - a thing that I think is wrong with the world, not stringing beans together on a front porch. I have great memories of picking green beans and then sitting together as a family, mom, grandma, cousins, stringing and snapping baskets of beans to be canned. I'm sure I complained of the work at the time, but it is something I miss now. Your hands were busy and your talk was casual. I think it created a shared bond. We now longer provide as many of these opportunities for ourselves or for our children. It is a sad loss.

String Beans with Shallots
Barefoot Contessa Parties! by Ina Garten (My notes in bold).

1 lb. French string beans, ends removed ( I used stringless green beans from the farmer's market.)

Candy Apple Red Onion - awesomely pretty

Kosher salt

2 Tb. butter

1 Tb. olive oil

3 large shallots, largely diced (I used a candy apple red onion from the farmer's market)

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Blanch the string beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain immediately and place in a bowl of ice water. Heat the butter and oil in a very large saute pan or large pot and saute the shallots on medium heat for 5 -10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned. Drain the string beans and add to the shallots with 1/2 tsp. salt and the pepper, tossing well. Heat only until the beans are hot.

Do you have any slave labor memories associated with garden vegetables?

Shake It

2011-07-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

Mama said there would be days like these, just didn't know there would be so many in a row. So, how do I deal?

Do I drink? I wish. At least I would smile and forget for awhile until the next morning.

Do I smoke? I wish. At least I would be skinny.

Do I exercise? I wish. At least I try. But then everything starts jiggling and bouncing, and my self-esteem plummets and I give up.

Do I eat? I wish I didn't. Truth is, on days like these, I eat a bowl of cereal just to be eating something. Preferably, Frosted Mini-Wheats with fruit. That seems to be the cereal of choice this week.

But do I dance? Oh, yes, I do. My playlist on the iPod is called "Shake It". I long for bass speakers to thump through the floor and cover me up, vibrating through my whole being. I don't have them yet, so I just turn up the music as loud as I dare since moving into a neighborhood, and I shake it. I shimmy. I jump. I belt it out. I can do this for hours on end. I wouldn't say it is exercise because I love it too much.

And this song, oh my word, this song makes me want to put it on repeat and dance, dance, dance. Turn it up, you won't regret it.

That song requires salsa dancing or other assorted dances learned from Zumba. If you are going to salsa dance, you need chips and Pico de Gallo. Try this recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Her step-by-step instructions make it so easy to make. It needs to be devoured on the same day that it is made. I highly recommend that you buy the Tostitos with Hint of Lime. My stars, it will put a spring in your dance.

What song makes you dance? Let me know. I'll add it to my playlist.

Summer Sunshine in a Bowl

2011-07-05T05:27:00.000-07:00

Any cookbook by Ina Garten is one of my favorites. Her recipes are simple, straight-forward with amazing taste results. I love how simple this salad is. We have a tendency to overcook many fresh vegetables, losing out on their incredible flavors.

I could eat this every day in the summer. I have eaten it on tortilla chips. I have eaten it on top of grilled chicken in a flour tortilla. I have eaten it on salad. When corn is plentiful and cheap, you should double the recipe.

Plus, it is just a pretty bowl of yellow on the table.

Fresh Corn Salad

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

5 ears corn, shucked

1/2 c. small-diced red onion

3 Tb. cider vinegar

3 Tb. olive oil

1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 c. chiffonade fresh basil leaves

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

*If you would like an easy way to cut corn of the cob, use a Bundt pan. Stand the ear up in the center, cutting down the cob. Makes an easy way to hold the cob and catch the goodness. I, however, did not want to clean another dish so I just cut it into my bowl, raking my knuckles against the rim of the bowl every time.

Summer Berries

2011-07-02T23:05:00.000-07:00

It is turning out to be a lovely year for berries. My mama's black raspberries are churning out gallons of berries. I'm so fortunate that she shares them with me.

She also shared this recipe. She usually makes a chocolate glaze out of melted Hershey's bars and drizzles it over the top. I prefer mine plain.

Black Raspberry Cake

1 yellow cake mix (or french vanilla or white), plus ingredients called for on package, cutting water in half
2 c. fresh black raspberries

Blend all ingredients together as directed on the package, including the black raspberries. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake according to the directions on the back of the cake mix box.

I also used this recipe from Joy the Baker for black raspberry muffins. These muffins were easy to make. They were just a good solid muffin, espescially warm from the oven.

What's your favorite summer berry?

Road Rules

2011-06-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

I am a road tripper. I will get in the car and go anywhere, with anyone, at anytime. I love going and exploring new places I've never been. Some of my best friendships were formed over road trips.

Brindi's Ten Road Trip Rules

Trip must be fairly impromptu without much planning. Road trips and vacations are different.
The driver gets to choose the music. No exceptions.
If the weather is agreeable, the windows are down.
There is no crying on road trips.
If you have children that cry, your children will stay home.
There is no importance of time. If you have to be back at a certain time, you have killed the road trip.
No chain restaurants allowed.
I make all decisions about bathrooms for myself. If I say we need to find a different bathroom, we need to find another bathroom.
If something looks interesting, we stop and look.
If I am driving and you tell me I am driving too slow, I will drive even slower.

If we can follow those rules, I'm a fairly good road tripper. Even those that have traveled with me, know that I can curl up anywhere and sleep in any position in a car, bus, or plane. But that is vacation. Road tripping is for being awake and aware.

Road trips lead you to Vivace in Charlottesville, VA. Even though we got off on the wrong exit, our trusty GPS led us to this charming restaurant. The atmosphere inside was delightful, but the patio outside was heavenly. It felt as if we were in a charming Italian village.

Insalata di Caprese
Spinach, pears, walnuts, Gorgonzola with a white balsamic vinaigrette

Pasta Pesto
Pasta with light cream pesto, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts

It was worth the trip.

And one more rule.
11. I will take pictures of my food for this here blog. Be prepared for me to whip out the camera.

(My traveling companion was not aware of this rule. She had already started on her pasta before I could get a picture.)

So, where have your road trips led you?

Change Happens

2011-06-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

Change happens.

What I really wanted to say and how I think the phrase really goes is "shit happens." When people ask, that's what I want to say, "Shit happens, and it is shit that is none of your business." But because I live in a small town and I'm generally a polite person, I just smile and shrug and say, "Change happens." That usually suffices.

Because of change, I needed a rental house. We won't talk about the houses, holes-in-the-wall, that people were trying to rent in my town that I could afford. I found this, though.

I fell in love with

the glass door knobs

the funky, old light fixtures

the built-in cabinets

the curved doorways

It had character. It was cute. It whispered my name.

My eyes glittered. My eyes shone.

I was blinded and didn't see

the heebie-jeebie shower tiles

or my stars, the miniature kitchen

I am working it out though. I don't touch the walls when I shower. A linen closet down the hallway is now an extra kitchen cabinet. Part of the built-in china cabinet is now a pantry. Everything has found a home, including us.

Note To Self

2011-06-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

Have you been to visit this blog yet? I love it.

Today's Letters

I felt it was time in light of being half-way through the year to write my own letter.

Dear Self,

What a year last year was. It was rough. Still is rough. Not sure what is going to happen in the rest of this year. One of my coworkers keeps sending me this quote and it always seems to come when I need it the most:

"Everything will be okay in the end. If it is not okay, it isn't the end."

This year has found you be more accepting of our body, no matter what size it is. True, it would be great to be that size 8, but we aren't there yet. So instead of hiding in the clothes, not going places, I'm proud to see you heading out and enjoying life around you.

This year has found you not caring so much about what people think. When we were younger, we used to think that we didn't care what people thought, but really, we did care. This year, I don't know if it finally set in as a mid-life thing or what, but I found if you worry about what other people think it will keep you from your happiness. So, Self, proud of you.

This year, you found your backbone. There have been words, thoughts, opinions that have jumped out in defense of yourself. Sometimes, I wish the fitler on my mouth was a little stronger, but in most cases, I haven't regretted not holding back. Could go back to that not caring about other people think thing.

So this year, Self, I would like to encourage you to continue on this path. Keep up the positive self-image. Enjoy the true freedom of being free from those concerns you used to have about what others were thinking. Work on that back-bone building. Surround yourself with people who are positive. Life is soaring past so quickly, you don't have to time to deal with trivial, petty issues from people who work to bring you down.

So take hold of the rest of this year. Continue on this path of happiness that is flooding your soul. The sunshine is back.

Love you muchly,

Me

Give It a Swirl

2011-03-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

The sunshine this weekend was bananas here. It made me long for full-blown spring. Can't wait to be able to start eating outdoors on the patio again.

This cake was featured on the front cover of March's issue of Southern Living. It is a beautiful cake when you cut into it. A lovely cake to impress and wow people. Even though I don't make pound cakes often, this was not my favorite. The strawberry glaze is a little artificial tasting. I would like to tinker with the recipe a little and make a fresh strawberry sauce of some kind. It will be a pretty cake to make and serve with fresh strawberries after a dinner outside on the patio.

Isn't it pretty?

Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Southern Living, March 2011

1 1/2 c. butter, softened
3 c. sugar

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

6 large eggs

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. almond extract

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 c. strawberry glaze, like Marzetti Glaze for Strawberries

In a big stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each additon. Gradually add flour to butter mixture. Beat at low speed, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts. Pour 1/3 of batter into a greased and floured 10-in tube pan. Dollop 8 rounded teaspoonfuls strawberry glaze over batter, and swirl with a long, wooden skewer. Reapeat procedure once, and top with remaining third of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from pan to cool on rack.

I still am struggling with how long to bake the pound cakes. They are starting to brown on the top, but it is not completely done inside. Sigh...guess I will have to keep making them.

Make Your Own Whoopie

2011-03-10T19:47:00.000-08:00

Seeing as I had some overripe bananas and an eager banana masher, I decided to try a new recipe for banana whoopie pies.

Eager banana masher.

There were mixed reviews at the house about the peanut butter filling. I didn't like it. As a back-up, I made a cream cheese filling. Since there was no consensus at the house, I took them to work and let my fellow teachers make their own whoopie pie, assessing which filling was better. The results were no different. There were votes for both types of filling. Some very creative people even mixed the fillings with even better results. No matter what filling you choose, the banana cookies alone were awesome.

The Whoopie Pie Assembling and Assessment Center

Go Bananas Whoopie Pies

Taste of Home, March 2011

1/2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. mashed ripe bananas
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Cream butter and sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine banana and buttermilk. Combing the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture, alternating with banana mixture.Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes or until set. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.

Peanut Butter Filling (option 1)

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 c. creamy peanut butter

3 Tbs. butter, softened

1 c. confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, and butter until fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Sandwich filling between two cookies. Store in refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Filling (option 2)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Sandwich filling between two cookies. Store in refrigerator.

Groovy

2011-03-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

Sometimes an idea does come together, like an impromptu 70's-themed birthday party.

Get some "throwback" pop.

Make some Tang.

Make some deviled eggs.

Stew up some Swedish meatballs.

Get out the Fry Daddy.

Happy Birthday to one of the grooviest people born in the 70's.

The Death of the Easy-Bake

2011-02-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Easy-Bake. I always wanted an Easy-Bake Oven. But when you live in a house with a woman who finds it just as easy to turn on the big oven and whip up a cake, you don't get an Easy-Bake.

And unfortunately, the Easy-Bake Oven will no longer be the same. Check out the latest news in this article.

Don't despair. There are plenty of junk kitchen toys you can still buy, like the Dipping Dots machine.

Now I understand why my momma never bought me an Easy-Bake Oven.

Makin' the Dough

2011-02-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Frick and I went to visit my momma (a.k.a. Mammy) who was keeping little Gertie. It was a quick visit of girl time. Frick and Gertie were able to play dolls and tea peacefully while Mammy allowed me quite time to read magazines, clip coupons, and sleep. It is always a mini-reprieve for me. It's nice to have some time to relax.

Mammy doesn't relax while we are there, though. She is always bustling around, doing something. Funny, how that trait skipped me.

While we there, she made pepperoni rolls for us. Frack had asked for them last time we there. Since he didn't come with us, she wanted to send some home to him. Here is the recipe that she uses.

Bread for Pepperoni Rolls

1/2 c. warm water

2 pkgs. yeast

1/2 c. sugar

1/3 c. Crisco

2 c. lukewarm milk

2 eggs

1 Tb. salt

2 c. flour + 4 c. flour + 1 c. flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Combine with the rest of the ingredients, beating with a mixer. Add 4 cups of additional flour. Add 1 more cup of flour until dough doesn't stick to hands. Take out of bowl and knead on a floured board. Grease bowl and let rise 1 hour and 15 minutes in a warm place.

The only warm place in Mammy's house - next to the gas fireplace.

Roll out into a large rectangle. Sprinkle with chopped pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.

Roll up and seal edges.

Place on baking pan and let rise for 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the edges turn brown.

Let's Get Crack-a-lackin'

2011-02-21T16:27:00.000-08:00

I wanted to whip up a snack for a group of teachers today. I needed a lot, it needed to be easy, and it needed to be made out of stuff I already had in the house.

These homemade Cracker Jacks were perfect. The hardest part of this is separating the popped corn from the unpopped kernels. But with a little bribing, you can talk cute, little girls into helping.

Cracker Jacks

10 cups of popped popcorn (1 3.5 oz. bag of microwave popcorn yields about 10 cups)
(I used PopSecret HomeStyle popcorn - touch of salt, touch of butter - yum)
1 1 /2 c. dry roasted salted peanuts
1/4 c. corn syrup
1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking soda

In a nonstick sauce pan, bring the corn syrup, butter, brown sugar, and salt to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and soda. Pour over popcorn and peanuts. Mix well. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake 250 degrees for 45 minutes.

How my mistakes can help you:

I once tried this with pecans. The pecans became too toasty and burned slightly.

I left out the corn syrup yesterday in a batch, and it still came out okay.

Use parchment paper on the cookie sheet for easier clean-up if you are using an old, cruddy pan. The caramel will slide off rather well on good cookie sheets.

Food for the Soul

2011-02-18T16:26:00.000-08:00

The World is Not a Pleasant Place to Be
by Nikki Giovanni

the world is not a pleasant place
to be without
someone to hold and be held by

a river would stop
its flow if only
a stream were there
to receive it

an ocean would never laugh
if clouds weren’t there
to kiss her tears

the world is not
a pleasant place to be without
someone

Spend some time with those friends this weekend who make your world pleasant.

Bert's in the Kitchen

2011-02-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

There is something about a man who knows his way around a kitchen. Now, I'm not talking about knowing how to crack open a can or pop something in the microwave. Most men can do that. I'm talking about a man who can separate an egg yolk from an egg white. A man who can chop an onion so swiftly he doesn't have time to cry. A man who can make a roux with one hand behind his back. Or how about a man who just knows what a roux is?

Now, I don't think I personally know any of these type of men. I'm sure they are out there, I just haven't met them, yet.

But my mom has met Bert. I'm not sure who Bert is. I only know that I found this recipe in my mom's recipe box. When I asked her about Bert, she rattled off his family tree and other assorted trivia, and then said this was his favorite cake recipe to make.

I don't know Bert. Don't know if this is his own recipe or if he ripped it off the Internet somewhere. Really, I don't care, because I'm just glad Bert's in the kitchen making and sharing cakes.

Bert's Coconut Pound Cake

5 extra-large eggs

1 c. milk

1 1/2 c. oil

3 c. sugar

1 tsp. lemon flavoring

1 tsp. vanilla flavoring

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

7 oz. flaked, sweetened coconut

Beat the eggs, milk, oil, sugar, and flavorings together in large bowl. Stir in the flour, salt, and baking powder, stirring well. Stir in the coconut. Put in greased and floured Bundt pan in a cold oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.

Jaded Love and Oreo Balls

2011-02-13T16:57:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a sweet tribute to love and hearts this Valentine's Day, you had better look somewhere else. I'm feeling a little jaded about love this year, maybe even a little bitter, maybe even a little hurt. And because I'm feeling this way, I can't help but think back to loves that were sweet but short,loves that were not meant to be, loves that broke my heart, loves that healed my heart, and loves that never left.

So, sigh.....

Here is one of my favorite lost-love poems to share with you.

What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why (Sonnet XLIII)
Edna St. Vincent Millay

What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why,
I have forgotten, and what arms have lain
Under my head till morning; but the rain
Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh
Upon the glass and listen for reply,
And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain
For unremembered lads that not again
Will turn to me at midnight with a cry.
Thus in winter stands the lonely tree,
Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one,
Yet knows its boughs more silent than before:
I cannot say what loves have come and gone,
I only know that summer sang in me
A little while, that in me sings no more.

But alas, if you are feeling like sharing some love with those you love, might I suggest these easy to make, last-minute treats.

Oreo Balls

1 (16 ounce) package Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, crushed
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Dipping Chocolate (I prefer Ghiradelli)

Crush cookies to fine crumbs in food processor. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) In a medium bowl, add cream cheese to the crushed cookies; mix until well blended. Do it with your hands. It is smooshy. It will feel great. If you are making it for people you don't really like, don't wash your hands first. Heck, lick your hands and roll out some more. Only you will know. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter; I have a small cookie scoop that I use. Place in refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes. Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with sprinkles, chopped nuts, or drizzle with white chocolate. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store covered in refrigerator.

On a side note, if you received these from me, I did wash my hands.

Krispy Kreme Challenge

2011-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Uhmm....why have I not heard about this? I'm not into running but this would have some incentive for me. To raise money for the NC Children's Hospital, participants run two miles to the Krispy Kreme, eat a dozen donuts, then run the two miles back to the start.

Hello? I so could eat a dozen Krispy Kremes. And Hello? I so could run two miles if I knew I was going to get a dozen Krispy Kremes.

Maybe this is a new goal for 2012. Get in some exercise, support a good cause, and nosh on a dozen donuts. Sounds like a good plan to me. Who's with me?

What food would you be willing to run two-miles for?

The Power Juicer

2011-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

I was sad to hear of Jack LaLanne's passing this past month. Many nights when I was up with hungry babies, I only had Jack LaLanne's infomercials to keep me company until the babies were asleep again. Even though I was intrigued, I never had an interest in buying Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer until Farmer Brown brought home some oranges. Three huge bags of oranges.

On the Sunkist website, I found some great orange recipes to try and got out my old-fashioned juicer. It was just me and my arm power. It was a lot of work to get the dribble of juice that you needed.

By the way, Jack LaLanne was not a big fan of sugar or processed foods. He would not approve of this recipe. Of course, that was his body. We won't post a picture of mine.

Orange-Almond Cake

Sunkist.com

1 cup whole natural almonds
14 ½ oz. angel food cake mix, plus any ingredients it calls for
2 Tbsp. Sunkist® orange grated peel
1 1/3 cups freshly squeezed Sunkist® orange juice
½ tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 350º F. Spread almonds in single layer on baking sheet. Toast 12 to 15 minutes in warm oven, until lightly browned. Gently shake pan from time to time. Cool and chop toasted almonds. Grate and juice oranges. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, substituting orange juice for water called for. Fold in grated orange peel, almond extract and 1/2 cup chopped almonds. Spoon batter into ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Sprinkle with remaining nuts. Bake and cool according to package directions.

The Coolest Small Town

2011-02-05T14:53:00.000-08:00

Lewisburg, WV

My little town Lewisburg, WV is currently in first place in Budget Travel's contest for America's Coolest Small Town. I agree it is the coolest town to live in, raise kids in, and visit. If you have a few minutes, click on the site and add Lewisburg to your ballot and vote. It's that easy. You can vote every five hours. We only have six more days to secure our title as America's Coolest Small Town.

When we win the title, all of you are welcome to come and visit. Our town is full of amazing, locally-owned eateries, great shops, and beautiful scenery. Start planning your visit now.

Also on the ballot is the town of Wiscasset, Maine. This fall, I attended an internship at The Center for Teaching and Learning in Edgecomb, Maine. I spent a fabulous week learning from Nancie Atwell. Ms. Atwell is to reading/writing instruction as Paula Deen is to butter.

Nancie Atwell's classroom

Soaking in all the information at the school was exhilarating and tiring. In the evenings, I only wanted to crash into bed, but how many times was I going to be in Maine? Each evening, I went out and explored the small towns along the coast. I stayed at Sheepscot Harbour Village and Resort which was centrally located to Boothbay Harbor, Darmiscotta, Rockland, and of course, Wiscasset which was just on the other side of the river.

One of my favorite desserts was had at Sarah's Cafe. I had eaten dinner that evening at Le Garage, which was stupendous but still needed something for my sweet tooth. This Apple Pecan Upside-Down Pie was scrumptious. When I came home, I knew I had to make one in my kitchen. I found this recipe in my recipe folder, and it was pretty darn close to Sarah's pie.

Apple Upside-Down Pie
Southern Living, September 2009

1 c. chopped pecans,
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 (15 oz.) package refrigerated pie crusts, divided
4 medium-size Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
2 large Jonagold apples, peeled and cut into 1" chunks (I used Golden Delicious)
1/4 c. sugar
2 Tb. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir together first three ingredients, and spread onto bottom of a 9" pie plate. Fit one crust over pecan mixture in pie plate, allowing excess crust to hang over sides. Stir together the apples and the next four ingredients. Spoon mixture into crust, packing tightly and mounding in center. Place remaining pie crust over filling; press both crusts together, fold edges under, and crimp. Place pie on an aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan. Cut 4 to 5 slits in top of pie for steam to escape.

Bake in oven on lower rack 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until juices are thick and bubbly, crust is golden brown, and apples are tender when pierced with a long wooden pick through slits in crust. Shield pie with aluminum foil after 50 minutes, if necessary, to prevent excessive browning. Cool on wire rack 10 minute.

Place a serving plate over top of pie; invert pie onto serving plate. Remove pie plate, and replace any remaining pecans in pie plate on top of pie. Let cool completely.

Let There Be Peace on Earth

2010-12-25T05:30:00.000-08:00

Love and blessings to you all on Christmas.

We've Got Scurvy?

2010-12-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Not sure if we've got scurvy, but Farmer Brown seems to think that we might be in imminent danger.

Two of three half-pound bags of oranges. Good to know we are supporting the local band. What's a girl to do with all these oranges? Any suggestions?

Christmas Crackers

2010-12-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Don't you love it when relatives visit? My kids are a little partial to the Cousins, in particular to Bootsy and her husband. It has become a tradition when Bootsy and her husband come to visit, they bring my children firecrackers.

When my son, Frack was outside in the eight inches of snow this weekend and saw Bootsy pull up, he immediately asked if she had brought fireworks with her. She didn't bring fireworks, but she brought something better - Christmas crackers.

How have we not included these fun little treats as part of our Christmas traditions?

Every cracker was filled with a paper crown, joke, and small trinket. Did I mention that you have to pull them apart? Did I mention that there is a tiny pop and puff of smoke? That is as close to indoor fireworks as you can get. (However, Bootsy did have to show her license to be able to purchase the crackers at Target.)

If you don't have any Christmas crackers this Christmas, you can make this tasty cracker recipe from Paula Dean to share with your friends.

Herbed Cheese-and Cracker Bits

Paula Dean, The Lady and Sons, Too!

Two 10 1/2-ounce boxes Ritz Cheese Bits (not peanut butter flavor)

1/2 c. vegetable oil

One 1-ounce package Hidden Valley Ranch Original Recipe salad dressing mix

1 heaping Tb. dried dill

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. celery salt

Place the crackers in a large sealable freezer container. In a bowl, mix the oil, salad dressing mix, dill, garlic powder, and celery salt. Pour this mixture over the crackers, cover the container, and invert it to coat the crackers with seasoning. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, turning the container every so often to keep the crackers coated. Let the mixture come to room temperature before serving. Sore in the covered container in the refrigerator.

The Pioneer Woman Did Me In

2010-12-18T08:36:00.000-08:00

So. Did you see this post?

Decorated Christmas Cookies

For years, I have wanted to make pretty sugar cookies featuring royal icing. The Pioneer Woman's step-by-step instructions and photos inspired me. I knew I could do it.

And I did. I made the sugar cookies (way crumbly dough), mixed the royal icing (what a royal pain), and selected colors.

But alas, here are my results.

It was a kitchen disaster of epic proportions.

Lessons were learned:

Be prepared and have everything laid out ahead of time.
Keep it simple. Stick with one or two designs, two or three colors.
Make the cookies ahead of time, so that it is not an overwhelming day.
Don't promise two little pesky kids that they can help. They make a mess and lose interest quickly.
I'll stick with the cinnamon rolls, Ree.

Help Me.

2010-09-12T14:14:00.001-07:00

This is how many of my kitchen concoctions have been turning out lately. If you can't recognize it, that is a pan of cinnamon toast and cheese toast. I managed to burn to a blackened mound a tray of toast.

I did make an apple pie that wasn't such a disaster. Maybe I'll share that tomorrow.

Farmer Brown Getting Buzzy

2010-06-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

Look! It's Farmer Brown in the kitchen with a big bag of sugar. Is he cooking? Is he baking?

A girl can only dream. He's just boiling up a big old mess of sugar water crud for his bees.

This is his new hobby - bees. They are his new love.

Here is Farmer Brown checking on the bees.

Here is Farmer Brown deciding to put on his bee protection.

Here is Farmer Brown turing the bee hive into a duplex.

Keep your fingers crossed that his love for the bees transforms into honey for the kitchen. Maybe then we can get him to do some cooking.

Summer.

2010-06-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

The road: Nowhere in particular

The kids: Thrilled

The horizon: Endless

Summer must be here.

Drawing the Line

2010-04-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

I love cake. I can't stop eating cake. I love cake without icing. I love cake warm from the over. I love the squooshy soft texture of cake. I love dense pound cakes. I love moist chocolate cakes with chunks of chocolate in the batter. I love dry yellow cakes with chocolate icing. I love cake.

This is how we, I mean me, eat cake at the house. Get a fork. Draw a line in the icing of the piece of cake you intend to eat. Eat to your line. Notice that the line is uneven and will look like you ate from the pan. Work hard at evening it up.

Think that you need just a little more and draw a bigger line. Forget all propriety. Just leave the fork in the pan. No sense in dirtying up more forks. It will be there for later.

Who says you can't have your cake and eat it, too?

Hope

2010-04-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

"Hope is not about proving anything. It's about choosing to believe this one thing, that love is bigger than any grim, bleak shit anyone can throw at us."

— Anne Lamott Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith

I’ve been in a funk. Deep funk. Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch Funk. I don’t know if it was a different job this year, the long, hibernating winter we had, or if it was just the mean reds, but it settled in and made itself at home.

Been swimming in this funky fog for several months.

Then, a few weeks ago, the sun began to peep through. Not a big sunshiney day blast. Just a peep. Enough to make me feel like I might be able to breathe again.

Yesterday, it exploded in sunshine with the full rays you could see one by one.

Shedding that funk off and finding myself. Sloughing off that dead weight and finding some happiness again. And finding underneath, me, with a tougher, newer skin. Going to enjoy this metamorphosis that I’ve been going through.

Spring is here, and summer ain’t far behind.

Comfort Cake

2010-02-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

I have trouble expressing how I feel in words, especially in person. I’m not good at most social situations, unless I know people and feel comfortable. People have said to me that I act snobbish, but I’m actually dying inside, trying to be sociable. I struggle.

One of the biggest problems for me is a funeral or wake. There are no words that you can ever say that can anyone feel better. Yet, decorum expects you to mumble something of comfort. I will usually choose the funeral over the wake because there is less interaction.

I do bake cakes, though. It’s my way of saying, “Here’s the comfort I want to give you.”

My mom always made this cake for grieving families. I do, as well. It is a simple cake to make, I usually have the ingredients on hand, and it will sit on counters laden with food and not require refrigeration. Also, it freezes well.

The actually name of the cake is “Holiday Cheer Coffee Cake”. We have renamed this cake “Comfort Cake” here at our house. Farmer Brown usually does the delivering, and he felt weird about saying, “Here’s a cheery cake for you.” I told him to just say that it was a coffee cake.

Here was Farmer Brown, going out the door to deliver a cake to our neighbors that we didn’t know well. Their dad passed away unexpectedly. When I wanted to take a picture, Farmer Brown said, “It’s just a cake.”

It’s not just a cake though. It’s all the comforting words and love that I want to give, baked up inside.

Comfort Cake
In a small bowl, mix together
¼ c. brown sugar
½ c. chopped pecans
1 tsp. cinnamon

In large bowl, combine
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
½ c. white wine or water
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour ½ into greased and floured Bundt pan. Sprinkle ½ nut mixture over batter. Top with the rest of the batter. Finish with the other ½ of nut mixture. Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2010-01-03T21:32:00.000-08:00

Brrrr.....it is cold. Nothing like being inside on a cold day, simmering some soup on the stove. The aroma alone just makes you feel warmer.

This soup recipe was given to me by Farmer Brown’s uncle. Not sure where he got the recipe, but we always refer to it as “Teddy Soup.” His uncle is the ultimate host. He cooks, and then insists on serving you, making your plate for you. While you eat, he hovers, checking that you have everything you need. And the best part, he cleans it all up, refusing help. Love a man in the kitchen, especially one that cleans it up.

This soup makes enough to feed an army. I usually make this and share with neighbors. It also freezes well, making it perfect to take to new mommas, in several small bowls to freeze and take out when they need it.

Teddy’s Soup (Vegetable Beef Soup)

¼ head of cabbage
3 large carrots, sliced
1 large pepper
3 sticks of celery
5 small potatoes
3 small onions
2 cans of lima beans, undrained
2 cans of corn, undrained
1 can of peas, undrained
1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg. sirloin beef tips
1 stick of butter
½ gallon of tomato juice
2 small cans of tomato paste

In a large stockpot,

combine the first nine ingredients, chopped and diced to your liking.

Fill the pot with water until the vegetables are floating. Then, pinch the raw hamburger into pot. Then, add the sirloin tips cut into bite-sized pieces and the stick of butter. Cook for 1 ½ hours. Then, add the tomato juice and the tomato paste. Simmer for 1 hour.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T11:18:00.001-08:00

I'm back. I want to be back. This makes me happy. This is a year for finding happiness everywhere.

My grandma always tells us to be careful what we do on New Year's Day because that is what we will spend the year doing. Today, I took my kids to the Shanghai Parade downtown so that every day will be a celebration in 2010.

Baby New Year

*Reason #287 why I love our town: Shanghai Parade

Empty

2009-11-25T06:25:00.001-08:00

This is my fridge. Just like my blog, it is empty.

But I’m going to the store. I hope to be inspired.

A New Carsickness Cure?

2009-08-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

I love field trips. The other teachers on my team don't always share my love. My favorite field trip partner gets carsick (bus sick?) every time. Someone suggested that she eat ginger cookies. Each of us showed up the morning of the field trip with a large bag of hard ginger cookies. We ripped open a bag within the first three miles, and they were hard and gingery. I came home with a whole unopened bag. We couldn't even get middle school students to eat them. The cookies have been lounging in the back of the cabinet. Then, as I was looking for a peach recipe, I came across this recipe that used peaches and gingersnap cookies.

Even better, it's a Weight Watchers recipe. 3 points a slice.

Didn't mind the ginger cookies so much when they were ground up and mixed with butter.

Gingersnap Peach Pie

Recipe courtesy of WW online.

2 pounds peaches, yellow or white (I used 3 large peaches)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp butter, melted
4 oz gingersnaps, about 18 cookies

Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Cut peaches in half and remove pits. Cut each peach half into four slices. Combine peaches, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and cornstarch in a medium bowl; set aside.
Crush gingersnaps into crumbs; place in a small bowl. Pour melted butter into crumbs and combine thoroughly.
Pat crumb mixture into bottom of a 9-inch pie plate; make sure crumbs are evenly distributed.
Starting at edge of pie plate, arrange peach slices in concentric circles so that they cover entire surface of pie and form a petal-like pattern. To form center of flower, arrange several peach slices in a small circle. Pour any remaining liquid from peach mixture over top of pie so it is evenly distributed.
Bake pie in bottom 1/3 of oven for 20 minutes; reduce heat to 325ºF and bake for 40 minutes more.
Remove from oven and cool completely in pie plate on a wire rack. Slice into 8 pieces just before serving.

A Box of Souvenirs

2009-08-08T04:35:00.000-07:00

So what does a girl bring home to remind her of her time in the South?

The possibilities are endless. Any suggestions?

Cabana Girl Hits the Road

2009-07-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

Heading out for a few day of fun and sun! (And crab legs and Krispy Kremes and Frozen Alligators and frozen grapes and......)

Noggin - Moose A. Moose "Are We There Yet?" Song - video powered by Metacafe

Why Kroger's Loves Me

2009-07-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

I like to grocery shop. No, wait, I love to grocery shop IF I'm by myself and IF I have money and IF I have time to leisurely look around.

I am a sucker for new products and will throw them in my cart. Kroger's loves to see me coming, and I'm fairly certain they turn up the 80's music when I pull in. I bee-bop around, singing to myself, throwing everything in the cart.

Personally, I think the Kroger card (and all shopping cards) are a scam. I spend the same amount of money each time I go. I think they store an average of what I spend in their Big Brother computer and work the numbers out slightly to get the same amount each time. I can go in with a list and a stack of coupons and spend X amount. I can go in and randomly toss items in - still spend X amount of dollars. It's a scam, I tell you.

They sucker me every way I go. This is what I bought last week:

Ken's Steakhouse Healthy Options Sweet Vidalia Onion. I love the full fat version of this dressing, so I won't buy it. But lookee here, Ken made me a low fat version with only 2 g. of fat. I have trouble eating salad all the time. Those little Wish-Bone Salad Spritzer things are great, but sometimes, I just need a little fat on that salad. Can you tell by the picture how much is gone already? It's not me. Farmer Brown loved it, too and was eating it on french fries and chicken.

Love Morning Star Farms sausage patties and now they make them with maple-flavor. Mmmmm.....these were durn good on some whole wheat English muffins and a scrambled egg.

While I was foraging away in the organic section looking for hulled pumpkin seeds to make this granola, I saw this granola calling my name - already made. Seeing as I couldn't find the pumpkin seeds this week, I quickly grabbed this. Fabulous choice. I don't think that it is new, but I have heard Big Mama raving about it. I eat it for breakfast with yogurt and fruit. I eat it for a snack, plain out of the bag. I eat it for dessert with sugar-free strawberry gel and Cool Whip lite. Just can't go wrong with it.

So what about you? Anything new you've been purchasing that you just love? You know I'll throw it in my cart next time I'm at Kroger's.

Kicked Out of the Chubby Club

2009-07-23T05:16:00.000-07:00

So, I got kicked out of the chubby club.

I know. That’s kind of embarrassing to admit. I would like to tell you that they kicked me out of the chubby club because I lost so much weight. Sadly, I was kicked out for not adhering to the guidelines of the program. Was I keeping a food log? Yes. Did anyone want to see it? No. Did I meet with the nutritionist? Yes. Was I using her advice? Yes. Was I meeting with my personal trainer? Uhhh….no.

I met with him FOUR times, and we worked out once. Once. As in he put me on a machine, set the timer for 20 minutes and walked away. When I was done, he told me that our session was finished. (*The other three meetings consisted of him talking about his diet and the website he created for the gym. He eats Burger King but burns it off playing Dodge Ball.)

Instead of wasting my time arranging my schedule to meet with him, I became a free agent, doing my own thing at the gym. But I was intimidated by it all. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing and I fumbled around and ended up hiding out in the W.O.W. room (Women Only Workout Room – knock off of Curves.) It was great, but I didn’t feel like it was doing me any favors. I quit that, too.

I got my official letter in the mail, informing me that I was no longer a part of the club. Then, I got a bill.

Now, I’m working out at home. I would like to call the suckers up at the gym and say, “You see these Hip Hop Abs?”

I’ve lost six inches off my waist. I’ve lost three inches around my bust (sigh!). I’m nowhere where I need to be, but I want to say that a gym has no more than what you can get at home.

Without a bill.

When Does a Muffin Cross the Line?

2009-07-22T06:07:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe over at The Finer Things. What drew me to this recipe was that it had zucchini and whole wheat four. If you ignore the oil, sugar, and LARGE box of instant pudding mix, this is rather healthy.

I figured these would be a little dry or heavy. But, I was wrong. So wrong. These tasted like little chocolate cupcakes.

So, when does a muffin cross the line and become a cupcake? And is it a cupcake if it doesn't have icing?

Chocolate Pudding Zucchini Muffins
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. cooking oil
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 large package chocolate instant pudding
2 c. grated zucchini
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. unbleached flour
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Beat eggs, oil, sugar, pudding mix, vanilla and zucchini together.
Blend dry ingredients and add to zucchini mixture; mix well.
Scoop into greased muffin tins. Bake 17-20 minutes at 350°.

*Amy at The Finer Things said that she got 2 1/2 dozen. I got 1 1/2 dozen regular muffins and 2 dozen mini-muffins. She also suggested that it could be made into 2 loaves.

Very unappetizing picture of the muffins. Here's proof that they're good:

The Zucchinis are Here and are Multiplying

2009-07-18T10:17:00.001-07:00

I was so excited last week because I found this

It has only taken me a whole week to get tired of finding it.

I have made three turns of Pineapple Zucchini Bread. I have steamed it, sauteed it, and crisped it. I always start getting a little desperate, wanting to save the environment and eat locally and all that jazz, so I feel I need to use the zucchini up. Every summer, I pull out this recipe, look at the ingredients, and my stomach heaves a little. Then, I make it.

Trust me - it is not a waste of pizza dough.

This is a super-duper way to use the zucchini differently.

(Warning: Yes, even though you know I always take bad pictures, the pizza still looks this disgusting.)

Zucchini Pie

1 pizza crust (I used a Martha White mix)

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tsp. mustard

4 c. grated zucchini

1 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. butter

2 Tb. parsley

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Place the crust in your pizza pan. Spread with the mustard (I used a little more mustard to lightly cover the crust.) Sprinkle with 1 c. of shredded mozzarella cheese. Saute the zucchini, onion and butter in a large skillet, 3-5 minutes until tender. Then add the spices. (I did use fresh oregano, parsley, and basil from the garden.) Spread the mixture over the cheese on the crust. Then, beat the two eggs and stir in the remaining cup of cheese. Spoon and spread this over the zucchini. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Mini Monday Field Trip

2009-07-17T05:56:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Pretending to Be Domestic

2009-07-15T04:36:00.001-07:00

When we were young during summer vacations, our mom would trek us out to the local farmer's unplowed hay fields where we would squat for hours and pick wild strawberries. Back at home, we would cap those tiny berries. Sometimes the berries were so small that after they were capped, there was nothing left.

My mom would mash the strawberries by hand and add in Certo, lemon juice, and sugar. She would ladle out the mix into old butter bowls to put into the freezer.

Aaaahhh....those were the days. That jam in January was the best.

Who has the time to pick wild strawberries?

When your grocery store or farmer's market has strawberries on the cheap, bring them home, wash them up, and remove the big caps.

Buy these little lovely packages made by Ball. They also make nice little freezer containers if you haven't saved up every empty butter bowl.

Lay out everything you need. I lay out my berries, my mixing bowl, my blender, a ladle, a funnel, and the washed freezer containers. This makes it easier when you are making jam. I also lay down a towel so that the mess is not so bad.

Get out your blender that belonged to your Grandmother. She bought it in the 70's. It is a lovely shade of avocado green. It still works perfectly until I try to pulverize my berries. Then, pull out your food processor and transfer the half-mashed berries to it. I'm so glad I laid down that towel.

After you smash the berries, mix the packages with sugar. Use the lovely funnel that Ball also makes that fits perfectly in your freezer containers. Realize that even though Ball said that the jam will fit perfectly in the five freezer containers, you have extra jam. Scrounge through the cabinet to find more containers. Consider briefly using an old butter bowl your mom sent home leftovers in. Scrounge around more when you realize that the lids don't fit on your containers.

Proudly display your finished products in your kitchen. Then, spend the rest of the morning reading through your favorite blogs. Or getting a pedicure. Or taking a nap. Whatever it is that you like to do. When your husband comes home or your mother-in-law drops by, act worn out and tired and point to your display. They will be impressed with how productive your day was. Fail to mention that even with the blender mess and the search for more bowls that it only took you a half an hour.

Store this your freezer for deep winter or give to your neighbors to impress them with your domesticity.

Do You Wait Until the Last Minute?

2009-06-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

I'm notorious for being a procrastinator. I wait until the last minute to get things started. I think I work better under pressure. So, if you are like me and need to throw a fabulous dessert together for that picnic you were invited to eight weeks ago, you can whip this up quickly.

You could make this in a pie pan if you don't have a tart pan, but I think the filling would be too much if you made it thick. Also, we decided, my sister and I, that the jello is totally unnecessary, especially if you are using all that wonderful fresh fruit.

Triple-Berry Cheesecake Tart
by Kraft Foods

45 vanilla wafers, finely crushed (about 1-1/4 cups)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup thawed cool whip
2 cups mixed berries (raspberries, sliced strawberries and blueberries)
3/4 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (3 oz.) lemon flavored jello
1 cup ice cubes

Mix wafer crumbs and butter until well blended; press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch tart pan. Freeze while preparing filling. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Gently stir in cool whip; spoon into crust. Top with berries. Refrigerate.
Add boiling water to jello in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add ice; stir until melted. Refrigerate 15 min. or until slightly thickened; spoon over fruit in pan. Refrigerate 3 hours or until set.

Black Raspberry Cobbler

2009-06-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

Love black raspberries. My mom planted a few little sprigs a few summers ago, and now she has an abundance of berries. This past weekend when we were visiting, the berries were just beginning to turn. I picked two handfuls of ripe berries but ate them all before I shared them with the kids.

Before we left today, my mom went down and picked me a large bowl to bring home. This cobbler from Southern Living is super easy and quick if you have fresh berries.

Easy Blackberry Cobbler

4 cups fresh blackberries (or black raspberries)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (use fresh if you have it)
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375°. Place blackberries in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish; sprinkle with lemon juice. Stir together egg, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit. Drizzle melted butter over topping. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired. Garnish with fresh mint sprig, if desired.

A Bag of Brownie Crusts

2009-06-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

When I was struggling through college, I hated those people who just took classes because they could take classes in their spare time. You know the ones, the ones who came to class right on time. The ones who had outlined the assigned reading. The ones who had a list of prepared questions to ask during discussion. The ones who kept asking questions fifteen minutes after class ended. The ones who would walk with the professors to their offices to continue the discussion.

Because I was an English major, we got lots of these people. Bored housewives, retired professionals who wanted to sit around and discuss Milton.

Except this one time - her name was Michelle. I was enamored with Michelle. She and her husband were from Maine. He was transferred here because of his job with some big lumber company. Since West Virginia is not the hub of industry, Michelle couldn't find a job in her degree, so she took some classes, just because.

She was cool. Her family's dogs were pictured in the L.L. Bean catalogs. She took cooking classes to learn how to make meals for her husband.

Her husband loved brownies but didn't like the crusts. She would show up for class with little baggies of warm brownie crusts for us. (This is probably the main reason that I loved her.) I always thought that was the picture of love for her husband - making brownies and cutting off the crusts.

I made Chocolate Peanut Butter Covered Brownie Bites from Jenny at Picky Palate today. I'm taking them to my mom's. Because my husband likes any part of the brownies, I left him little bags of crust. He may not truly appreciate how I associate brownie crusts with devotion but he will still eat them all with big glasses of milk.

*These were super cute, but I'm not sure they were worth the effort. The idea was simple but the dipping is too time consuming for me. From one 9 X 13 pan, I had about 45 brownie balls.

Ina is Somewhere Trying to Get Me Banned from the Internet

2009-06-18T19:20:00.001-07:00

Ina and I are real tight friends. Or we were. Until, limes were on sale, and I decided to make her Tequila Lime Chicken with a few substitutions. Ina states in her recipe that she uses Cuervo Gold tequila. I'm cheap and will also not use the whole bottle of tequila, so I bought the El Toro brand in the plastic bottle. I still thought the $9.00 price tag was a little high.

Also, forgot to buy the fresh oranges. We always have Juicy Juice and we were lucky enough to have Orange Tangerine. Didn't want to outdo the cheap tequila, so it was a perfect pairing.

I seriously doubt that Ina has ever used this ingredients in her recipe. I seriously doubt that El Toro has ever been on her pantry shelf.

This was a fabulous spark to grilled chicken.

Tequila Lime Chicken
1/2 c. gold tequila (or El Tora Tequila)

1 c. freshly squeezed lime juice (5 -6 limes)

1/2 c. freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges) or (Juicy Juice Orange Tangerine)

1 Tb. chili powder

1 Tb. minced fresh jalapeno pepper (1 pepper seeded)

1 Tb. minced fresh garlic (3 cloves)

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, skin on (or whatever chicken you have)

Combine the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, jalapeno pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts and refrigerate overnight.

Grill chicken until juices run clear.

Orange Raspberry Garden Salad

2009-06-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

We've made it to the farmer's market a couple of times this year. Our market is small but full of nice, friendly people. Like the man who keeps trying to talk to my kids, even though they are painfully shy like their mama. He always finds a little something for Frick to pick out so that he'll have something small to carry. Because he is so nice, I always buy something from him. This week it was a bag of mixed salad greens. I'm not a lettuce connoisseur so what the heck is all of this?

The kids and I have been weeding the flower bed. When I fixed a salad with this mix the other night, Frick wanted to know why we were eating weeds.

This is a salad I made with some of the weeds.

Orange Raspberry Garden Salad
From Just a Matter of Thyme from Among Friends

1 bunch fresh spinach
1 head of Boston Bib lettuce or Romaine
(or one big bag of mixed greens from the farmer’s market)
1 small can of Mandarin oranges, drained or 2 fresh oranges, peeled and diced
½ c. sliced almonds

Toss above ingredients together and add dressing just before serving,

Dressing
Whisk together or shake in a jar.

1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. fresh orange juice
3 Tb. Raspberry vinegar (or Red Wine Vinegar)
1 Tb. sugar (I added more)
Freshly ground pepper and salt
1 clove garlic, crushed

A Connection

2009-06-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

This is my dad. He passed away when I was 13 years old. That's not enough years for a girl to spend getting to know her dad.

Like I never knew he was a cook in the army.

These photos came up after my grandparents passed. Here was his picture with his handwriting on the back.

I always thought that my time in the kitchen was influenced by my mom, but now this makes me have this small connection with my dad.

My dad was never in the kitchen - I do remember him making burgers under the broiler and cinnamon toast. On several occasions, he did pack my lunch - RC in a can and HoHo snack cakes. (More than likely, there were baseball cards to be had on the bottom of the snack cake box - he was an avid baseball card collector.)

There's so much I never learned about him, but there are so many small connections he still makes in my life.

Update on the Garden

2009-06-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

Just a sneak peak at how the garden is doing:

It's been a lot of hard work, but the results are stunning.

It would be even more stunning, if this was my yard.

These are the gardens at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home in Charlottesville, Virginia. The man was avid about his gardens (although I'm not sure how much he actually dug in the dirt.) Did you know that his favorite vegetable was the pea so he planted twenty-three different varieties?

The gardens were not the focus of our field trip, but that didn't stop me from sneaking off to snap a few pictures. Don't even get me started on the flowers!

By far, this is one of my favorite field trip destinations. If you ever get the opportunity to visit, pay extra for the grounds tour in addition to the house tour. As an education group, we always get the four hour tour, and we still don't see it all.

By the way, here is the actual garden in the yard. It is full of potential and only one variety of peas.

Saturday Errands

2009-06-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is a few days past Saturday, but I'm a little overwhelmed with the ending of the school year. Usually, on Saturdays, I am doing laundry and cleaning house. With the new vow of not cleaning house until after school is out, I had the freedom to run errands. Look at the loot picked up at the farmer's market:

Butterfly bush, green onions, strawberries, rosemary, Green Zebra tomato plants...aaahhhh.

Frick has quite the taste. She picked out a loaf of bread from The Crazy Baker - Rhubarb Walnut Bread. I have established that I am not a fan of rhubarb, but this bread made me change my mind. Unfortunately, Frick did not like her selection which meant there was more for me.

The Crazy Baker is one of those transfers into West Virginia who decided to stay. His brownies are addictive. This bread was addictive. I'm already thinking about the loaf I will buy this Saturday.

How Many Krispy Kremes Could You Cram?

2009-05-26T15:40:00.001-07:00

Nothing sweeter in the world than pulling in the Krispy Kreme parking lot and seeing the "Hot" sign lit up.

My sister treated me out to a weekend in civilization without the kids. The joy - dinner on the waterfront, shopping in Pittsburgh, snacks at Sheetz, and hot Krispy Kremes.

But look at the marketing ploy this particular Krispy Kreme uses:

All you can eat for $1.99. I feel certain that I could very well eat a dozen. That's a bargain for that price. How many do you think you could eat?

*As a side note, that would be a dozen, hot, glazed doughnuts. People I work with were skeptical of my claims that I could probably eat a dozen. And I replied that when they are hot, they melt in your mouth. Then, because the closest Krispy Kreme to us is a two-hour drive, someone said they had never had a hot Krispy Kreme doughnut. Did you hear me gasp? Our next field trip will be to a Krispy Kreme.

Strawberry Cake without a Picture

2009-05-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

I have these cool neighbors that grow organic produce and wildflowers. I would like to take you on a visit, but I haven't got up the nerve to go over and ask to take pictures. One day....I promise.

Every Saturday, you can find these neighbors at our local Farmer's Market, which I would like to take you on a visit to but haven't for the same reason above.

Anyway, Farmer Brown and these people are good farm neighbors, borrowing equipment, assisting when livestock gets out - just general farm stuff.

Sometimes on the way home from the farmer's market, they will drop off stuff they didn't sell which isn't often because they have good stuff and sell out. This week they dropped off their organic strawberries. They were lovely.

We stuffed ourselves full of them. We had so many left though that were starting to get mushy, so I tried this recipe with them. It reminded my of the Jell-o poke cake my momma makes at Christmas.

Do you see the picture of the cake? Neither do I. I didn't have enough powdered sugar to make the frosting, and a big rat got into the cake. A big rat that looked exactly like Farmer Brown.

Simply Delicious Strawberry Cake
by Paula Deen and the Food Network
1 box white cake mix
1 small box strawberry-flavored instant jell-o
1 (15-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed (just pureed my mushy strawberries)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract (I would have not used this - maybe almond or vanilla extract?)
7 cups confectioners' sugar
Freshly sliced strawberries, for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. (I used a 9 x 13 pan - bake for about 35 minutes.) In a large bowl, combine cake mix and jell-o. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat at medium speed with mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

For the frosting:
In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree and the vanilla extract. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth. Spread frosting in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries.

Coming Home

2009-05-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

The school year is winding down. I feel as though my job is just tap dancing and singing to entertain the students until the last day. Even though I don't have as much work to bring home, I come through the door exhausted.

Then,

because the sun is shining until later,

because Frick and Frack want to be outside,

because the cats sense my need for furry affection,

because the puppies have learned not to dig in the beds,

because the house is dirty and won't be cleaned until summer break,

I can go outside and spend some time with this

and thisand this

and this

Coming home never felt so good.

Where's the Beef?

2009-05-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

To be healthier, I'm trying to eat less meat. (Please don't let Farmer Brown know that I'm cutting back on beef consumption.) This is not something that bothers me. I can take meat or leave it.

I do love a good cheeseburger, though. You know the big, greasy hand-formed patties with toasted buns and enough condiments that it drips down to your elbow while you eat it? The best ones are found at the little dives where they seldom clean the grill, just turn the heat up and burn off the residue. If you ever want one of these burgers and you are in my area, you need to stop by Jim's Drive In. Ahhhhh.......

But enough about real hamburgers because we are talking healthy here. To replace my passion for hamburgers, I have turned to veggie burgers. If they make a veggie burger, I have bought it. I will not say that I have eaten them, because some are inedible.

Right now, my favorite is the Spicy Black Bean Burger by Morningstar Farms. This is the least one to taste like a burger. But it is spicy and full of black beans. (I'm not sure what else you need to know - it's just good.) It is fabulous on Arnold's Sandwich Thins, toasted, topped with a little salsa, pickles, and lettuce.

I'm also a little partial to the Morningstar Farms Original Griller. This one comes close to a burger. Just don't look at when you eat it. These do really well cooked in a pan on the stove. Four minutes - it is ready to go.

One more plug for Morningstar Farms. Their Grillers Recipe Crumbles aren't too bad. I mixed some regular ground beef with some of these in chili and Farmer Brown, the big beef man, didn't notice.

Okay, this one isn't a burger either. The Boca Chick'n Patties, the Originals are good. Once again, don't look at it while you eat it and you will think that it is a deep-fried chicken patty. They do need to be fixed in the oven or on the stove. I don't recommend the microwave for any of these. That makes them taste a little smooshy.

Amy. Amy. Amy. I have tried to like you. Your company is remarkable, selling organic, natural foods. I am sure that there are edible products that you produce, but I've been burned so badly on your $5 4-pack of burgers that I've been reluctant to buy anything else. Currently, I have the Texas Burger package in my freezer. I have eaten one and a half. I ate the first one because I was going to choke it down because it was too late to make something else. The half was this weekend because I thought maybe a fresh tomato and good bread would make a difference. It didn't. If you love whole foods, you'll love the Amy burgers because there are large grains of oats, bean, and barley (actually, not really sure what is in there - I try not to think of it too much). Some are crunchy. Some are so crunchy, you will wonder if maybe it is a contaminated batch full of real bugs.

Nothing replaces a real burger, but in the meantime, there are some good choices available out there.

Maybe what we all need is some "spicy mustard or something" on all our burgers.

Discouragement.

2009-05-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

I have been slowly working on losing weight. I am not doing any drastic program, just taking what I've learned from all of them and using what works for me. I've been uping my exercise each week - which was easy, because I wasn't doing any. I've still been enjoying foods I love just in smaller portions. It's worked - I've lost twenty pounds in four months. But don't wave the banner yet, because, have you seen this?

What happened? And it's not just Kirstie were talking about. There sits Oprah with her poundage packed back on.

Is this not discouraging?

These ladies have personal trainers, personal chefs, personal gyms. Not to mention that one had the backing of a weight loss company. They have all of this and THEY STILL GAINED IT BACK.
These were two honest women I could relate to in all their food battles. I was cheering them on. They were exciting, they were encouraging, they were doing it all in front of everyone. Didn't you get thrilled for them? Didn't you watch Ms. Alley strut across the stage in her bathing suit for all to see? Didn't you buy the issue of O Magazine with the skinny Oprah on the front?

So, I'm scared. Scared this will happen to me.

For today though, I am going to concentrate on the success of these twenty pounds. I'm going to focus on the next goal. Someone has to be successful in this.

Spring Tonic

2009-05-03T05:53:00.000-07:00

Years ago when people preserved their own food, the early spring months would be the time that the supply of fresh food would be low and everyone would be tired of eating dried beans again. Here in West Virginia, one of the first signs that spring is on its way is the appearance of these little green shoots in the woods.

These are ramps or wild onions. Many people feel strongly that these little foul weeds act as a spring tonic to cure whatever has been ailing you the last few months of winter. My theory is that if you hadn't been eating anything green for months and you finally shocked your body with some, you would have to feel better.

You can find them growing wild in small hollers up in the mountains. This patch is a closely guarded secret near our house. I would tell you where it is, but even I haven't been allowed to visit. Farmer Brown's Uncle took these pictures for me - Thanks, Delmas!

They look like onions, taste better, but smell like old sweaty-socks. Their smell is pungent. Beware that if you eat them, the smell will reek out of your pores for at least a day. You don't even want to know what it does to your breath. I put some in the fridge in an airtight container and the taste seeped into everything, including the milk.

I fully intended to use some ramps in some new, interesting recipes involving a pizza and one involving Gruyere cheese, but I misplaced them. Then the smell of them in the fridge was so revolting, that I just couldn't imagine what cooking them would make my kitchen smell like.

Most people like to fry ramps in bacon grease and eat them with eggs. My grandmother likes them raw. Throughout West Virginia in April and early May you can find Ramp Dinners at schools and Ruritan Clubs. The most well-known dinner is the Feast of the Ramson in Richwood, WV. For over 71 years, people have been flocking to my small high school town to eat these "little stinkers".

You can also now buy ramp products. This place also sells ramp seeds so you can plant your own crop for next spring.

So if you've been feeling poorly this winter, try and scrounge you up some ramps. I don't know if they would cure Swine Flu, but I'm pretty sure it will keep people away from you for several days.

As Your BFF, I Must Ask, What is that Smell?

2009-04-30T16:22:00.000-07:00

Blog Farts – noun. Def: Crappy ideas that are too short to make a real blog post, but when combined, join forces to make one unified, albeit half assed, post. see also: memes, surveys.

How is it that I have only posted one BFF with Jaci at Ravings of a Mad Housewife on Blog Fart Fridays, and I already feel like I have nothing to say?

1. I have terrible eyesight. Without my contacts, can't see jack squat. To compensate though, I can hear like a bat and smell like a bloodhound. To me music and smells are powerful memory joggers.

2. This week, I was in Kroger's, sniffing the body washes that were on sale, and came upon one that smelled exactly like someone I used to know. It was so powerful, taking me back, that I started crying in the aisle. I had to compose myself by looking at the hemorrhoid creams. The scent still stuck with me (I think I got the soap up my nose.) and I couldn't shake the memory. Had the remaining breakdown in the car on the way home.

3. I didn't make it to be weighed this week. My gym intimidates me. My personal trainer, The Meatball, doesn't appear to like chubby girls and avoids me at all costs. Plus, the last time I was weighed, I smelled like Old Spice Sport scent deodorant and patchouli (long, strange story - I hate patchouli). He probably remembers that smell and is intimidated by me.

4. This week I had ramps and rhubarb in my fridge at one point. I don't even think I can describe for you what my house smelt like.

5. I couldn't pin what I thought rhubarb tasted like - I now feel it tastes like patchouli.

6. Every year, I grow this beautiful herb garden that smells incredible. But I am now going to officially admit, I hate the taste of rosemary. So if you are in the area, and you like rosemary in your food, feel free to stop by and harvest your own.

Rhubarb Crunch

2009-04-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

Please tell me you know something about rhubarb. It is consumed in great quantities by people in my area. I've always been put off by the smell and the tart taste. It is currently in season. My mom had two bags from two different people. I have a theory it most grow like zucchini - an overabundance when it comes. She sent some home with me. It looks like celery and has strings. My mom also sent me with this recipe. Since I'm getting weighed and measured this week, I was able to refrain from eating all but a small bite, warm from the oven. Not bad.

Oatmeal Rhubarb Crunch
1 c. flour
3/4 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. melted butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 c. cubed rhubarb
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
2 Tb. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon
Use half of mixture to cover bottom of 9" square baking pan. Arrange rhubarb evenly over bottom layer. Boil sugar, water and cornstarch and vanilla in saucepan until thick. Pour sugar mixture over rhubarb. Top with remaining half of oat mixture. Bake for 1 hour. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Blog Fart Fridays

2009-04-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

I'm joining Jaci at Ravings of a Mad Housewife in Blog Fart Fridays.

Blog Farts – noun. Def: Crappy ideas that are too short to make a real blog post, but when combined, join forces to make one unified, albeit half assed, post. see also: memes, surveys.

1. So in honor of my first BFF post, please know that this first one goes with the theme, kind of. I ate taco soup all week and was unable to go to the gym because of this.

(That would be me, the pig.)

2. Like Jaci, I have been exercising. I, too, thought I could run after work on the track beside the school. (Please see number 1 on why I wasn't at the gym.) I tried running the straights and walking the curves. I only ran two straights and walked the rest. Then, realized the entire middle school track team saw me gasping with my big-pop eyes bugging out after only running those two measly sprints.

3. It snowed here on Wednesday. It will be in the 70's tomorrow. This is killing my sinuses. (That's what I said to the track team when they asked about my heavy breathing.)

4. My grandma will be 89 this weekend. We will be having a big shin-dig West Virginia style at my mom's house. Party on the porch!

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

2009-04-21T14:10:00.001-07:00

I have a thing for whoopie pies. These Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies are some of my favorites. But this past weekend, I tried these Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies, lifted from a recipe from Martha from somewhere. If I find the link, I'll post it. These might take the number one spot in my heart for Whoopie Pies.

Here's the thing - I often buy the baby carrots because they are ready to eat. Great to grab from the fridge. But I wasn't grabbing them from the fridge. After eating one, they would start to taste like mildew to me. I always ended up throwing out the little midget carrots to the cows who would try and lick them up with those big tongues.

So, to save money, I bought whole carrots one week. Peeling carrots is a soothing kitchen action. I find it therapeutic to peel away that outer dirty cover and be rewarded with that bright happy orange.

And they taste so much better. There's that dirt smell you don't get with the already peeled carrots. That helps to take away the mildew taste. The cows haven't been getting any carrots lately.
After cleaning the carrots, be sure to grate them by hand for this recipe. It will make you feel like sunshine with the smell of dirt, the sight of the happy orange, and the feel of the scraped knuckles.

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

1 c. light brown sugar

1 c. sugar

2 sticks of butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

2 c. old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 c. grated carrots

1 c. raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In large bowl, combine the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Gradually, add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix in oats, carrots, and raisins. Chill in fridge for at least an hour.

Use a small ice-cream scoop to scoop dough on baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Bake until browned and crisp - 12 - 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Once cooled, put cookies together with frosting. Keep in airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

8 Tb. butter, cut into pieces, room temperature

1 c. confectioners' sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Combine butter and cream cheese in small bowl. Beat until well-blended. Stir in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Get out the Grape Kool-Aid

2009-04-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

When I was in college, I lived my last semester off-campus. As poor college students, my roommates and I would take turns cooking. One of our favorite dinners to make was Manwiches, tater tots, and grape Kool-aid. We live in West Virginia so we were/are allowed to call it our "trailer trash" dinner.

Nothing beats the combination. I'm not sure how nutritional it is, but it was filling and comforting and cheap. This isn't a post about Manwiches (I could write a whole love sonnet about Manwiches if required, though.) This is a post about a similar meal, another "trailer trash" dinner that is one of Farmer Brown's favorites.

Serve this up with some corn niblets from the freezer (you know, the little ears of corn) and some grape Kool-aid and it will be filling and comforting and cheap. Live a little if you dare - my son loves white bread with butter on it with this.

BBQ Kielbasa

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 medium pepper, thinly sliced

1 Tb. butter

1 lb. polish sausage

1 c. ketchup

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 Tb. Worcestershire sauce

In large skillet, brown the onion and pepper in the butter until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 3 minutes, until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Among Friends

2009-04-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

Do you have these cookbooks?

They are my absolute favorites. They make beautiful gifts, even for non cooks. Not only are they beautifully illustrated, I've never had a bad recipe from any of the books. Never.

You can find out more about them here.

Out of the Keeping Good Company book, I made the Chocolate Chip Banana Bread with the other bananas. Would you believe I still ended up throwing out two of them?

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Beat first six ingredients together until blended

1/2 c. butter, room temperature

1 1/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c. sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. mashed ripe bananas

Stir in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips until moistened

1 3/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Put batter into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for about 40 - 50 minutes. Cool in pans for 15 minutes and them remove to rack to cool. Drizzle with chocolate glaze when completely cool.

Chocolate Glaze

1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

3 Tb. butter

In a heavy zip-top bag, heat chocolate chips and butter together in microwave for 35 - 40 seconds. Knead bag until ingredients are well blended. Snip off bottom corner and drizzle over each loaf.

(Sad, little, lonely piece was the only thing left from the two loaves. Didn't even get a glaze.)

Bananarama

2009-04-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

Do you remember Bananarama? I had this song on a 45. Maybe it was my sister's. I was always stealing her stuff. Anyway, loved this song when it was out back in the day.

Different kind of bananarama today. You recall that the nutritionist recommended that I drink Kefir for breakfast, so I've been blending it up with fruit, a little milk, and some ice cubes. Pretty good. Bananas were on sale last week, so I stocked up, then went to visit my mom. I returned home to a bowlful of these:

This recipe came from a regional cook-off contestant. Great way to use bananas.

Banana Crunch Cake

Crumb Mixture:

1/2 c. flour

1 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1 c. coconut

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. butter

Cake:

2 large, very ripe bananas

4 eggs

1/2 c. sour cream

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10" tube pan (I used my Bundt pan.) In medium bowl, mix together the flour, coconut, oats, brown sugar, and pecans. Cut in butter with a fork. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine bananas, sour cream, bananas, and eggs. Blend until smooth. Add cake mix. Beat two minutes at high speed. Spread 1/3 batter into prepared pan, sprinkle 1/3 of crumb mixture. Repeat twice, ending with the crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees fro 50-60 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove from pan. Place on serving platter crumb mixture side up.

Homesick

2009-04-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

Another poem that makes me feel warm all the time. Makes me want to go home.

Knoxville Tennessee

I always like summer
Best
you can eat fresh corn
From daddy's garden
And okra
And greens
And cabbage
And lots of
Barbeque
And buttermilk
And homemade ice-cream
At the church picnic
And listen to
Gospel music
Outside
At the church
Homecoming
And go to the mountains with
Your grandmother
And go barefooted
And be warm
All the time
Not only when you go to bed
And sleep

Nikki Giovanni

National Poetry Month

2009-04-05T06:02:00.000-07:00

In honor of April being National Poetry Month, I give you

Animal Crackers

Animal crackers and cocoa to drink,

That is the finest of suppers I think;

When I'm grown up and can have what I please

I think I shall always insist upon these.

What do YOU choose when you're offered a treat?

When Mother says, "What would you like best to eat?"

Is it waffles and syrup, or cinnamon toast?

It's cocoa and animals that I love most!

The kitchen's the cosiest place that I know;

The kettle is singing, the stove is aglow,

And there in the twilight, how jolly to see

The cocoa and animals waiting for me.

Christopher Morley (1890-1957)

Chocolate animal crackers! What is your favorite treat to eat?

A Lesson in Patience

2009-03-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

With Easter getting close, I was thinking about my mom's coconut pie that she always makes. My sister and I always ask for it. What makes this pie different is the addition of a small layer of chocolate in the bottom of the pie crust. It makes it taste like a chocolate-covered coconut egg. When I got home before the kids this evening, I decided it would be easy to just whip this pie up for you.

First, the crust has to be rolled out. I didn't have time to roll out the crust, so I called my mom who gave me a different crust that you could just pat into the pan and bake. I forgot to turn up the temperature, so it didn't brown. Then, I cranked up the heat and forgot about the crust. It got a little brown.

Then, I couldn't wait for the filling to set in the fridge, and I cut the pie way before it was ready. This is what happened:

It still tasted great, but please, take a little time and make this pie up right.

Chocolate-Ribbon Coconut Pie

Crust: 1 1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. shortening

2 Tb. milk

Combine. Roll out and place in a 9" pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Chocolate Layer: 2/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/3 c. milk

Combine over low heat and pour into cooled crust.

Coconut Filling:

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

3 c. milk

3 egg yolks

1 1/2 c. coconut

Combine in pan over medium heat, stirring frequently until thick. Remove from heat and add

2 Tb. butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring. Pour over set chocolate layer. Top with Cool Whip and toasted coconut.

*This made enough filling and chocolate that I think that you could divide this between two pie crusts. If you don't have time to make your own crust, I think that a freezer crust would work as well.

Yogurt Substitute? The Nutritionist Would be Proud.

2009-03-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

Did I tell you how much I loved the nutritionist? She never once told me how awful my eating habits were. She simply praised the good things and gently suggested other items to add. And she said - love this part -

I WASN'T EATING ENOUGH!

You gotta love someone telling you to eat more. For breakfast she suggested that I eat protein and recommended this yogurt smoothie from Lifeway.

This evening I was making a cake for a friend and the recipe called for plain yogurt, so I used my blueberry Kefir in the recipe. I wasn't able to try the baked cake, but the batter was really good and blueberryish. (Don't tell the nutritionist that I licked the beaters. She gently suggested that I chew sugar-free gum to discourage myself from licking the beaters. I did try it, but it was easy just to take the gum out, lick the beaters, and then put the gum back in.)

Last summer, I lovingly measured, labeled, and stored fresh-picked blueberries in the freezer. I forgot that Frick had helped me label the bags. (I'm guessing it said "July 2008, 2 cups" - because that what all the other bags said that I labeled.)

This recipe came from my most beat up cookbook - The Cake Mix Doctor. I always have cake mixes stored in the pantry and this has a hundred ways to make the ordinary cake mix spectacular.

Blueberry Muffin Cake

1 pkg. yellow or white cake mix (I used yellow)

1 pkg. small instant vanilla pudding

1 c. vanilla yogurt (I used my Lifeway)

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/4 c. water

1 tsp. cinnamon

4 large eggs

1 c. fresh blueberries (I used frozen blueberries, but left out the water, according to the Cake Doctor's suggestions)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10" tube pan with spray and dust with flour. Measure out 2 Tb. of the cake mix and set aside. Mix the remaining cake mix, pudding mix, yogurt, oil, water, cinnamon, and eggs in large mixing bowl. Toss the blueberries with the reserved cake mix. Fold in the blueberries. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake 45 - 50 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and beginning to pull away from the sides. Cool in the pan for twenty minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Store at room temperature covered in plastic wrap.

The Lifeway Kefir stuff wasn't that bad. I mixed in the leftover blueberries, a banana, and some Splenda and made me a smoothie for breakfast. Not bad. Even Farmer Brown drank some of it.

Little Debbie Does Snowballs

2009-03-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

Not a big fan of Snowball cakes. The artificial pink throws me off a little. Plus, I really am not a big fan of marshmallows.

Little Debbie brought them out in 100-Calorie Packs, though. I crave cake. I can eat rather healthy when I put my mind to it, but every now and then, I need cake. When I saw these at the store, I was craving cake.

It did not disappoint. That chocolate cake on the bottom is so moist. The marshmallow stuff - not so marshmallow-y - just sweet. It was just right.

I would have taken better pictures, but they were all gone. Does that count as better for you if you eat the whole box?

Meet the Nutritionist...

2009-03-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

Good grief. When I joined this Wellness Program, it was for the cheap gym membership. But now, there are all these conditions to the program, like they really want me to lose weight or something.

Go to meet the nutritionist this evening so we can discuss my diet. I will be lying. I won't mention that I spent the weekend at my sister's house. I won't mention that she had Doritos and Cherry Coke in her fridge. I won't mention the trip to Red Lobster. I won't mention the breakfast at Cracker Barrel (Seriously, how do you turn down Sourdough bread and hash brown casserole?) I won't mention the snack of Lo Mien noodles.

I will mention that I nibbled on these cheeks all weekend:

Meet the Trainer...

2009-03-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

My trainer's nickname is "Sarge".

Things are not looking good for me.

*Image courtesy of http://www.kingfeatures.com/

Luck of the Irish

2009-03-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

Did I say that I would post the winners on Wednesday? I must have really meant to say Sunday. Sometimes I just get distracted (like painting the dining room and sanding the furniture).

Anyway, very scientific method of selecting homes for the cookbooks. I hated the thought of having only three winners, so I scrounged around and came up with two more prizes.

I wrote everyone's name down in order of your comment on a piece of paper, laid out the prizes, and had the kids point to a prize, and I wrote them down in order next to your names.

Ella - Cupcake Potholders/Notepad

Emily - Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson

Tiffany - Everyday Pasta by Giada DeLaurentiis

Julie - The Young Man and the Sea by David Pasternack and Ed Levine

AngC828 - Just in Time by Rachel Ray

Please email me your contact information as soon as possible so I can send them out!

And because some people didn't want a used cookbook, how about a recipe for St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes? This has been hanging out in my recipe book for years. Hard to tell where I got it. I love that the green comes from:

Instant pistachio pudding! I love pistachios. Blue Bunny makes a pistachio ice cream that is unreal!

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes
1 3/4 c. flour

1 pkg. instant pistachio pudding

3/4 c. mini-chocolate chips
2/3 c. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 1/4 c. milk

1/2 c. oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract

Beat eggs, milk, oil, and flavorings. Add dry ingredients and combine well. Fill lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 18 -20 minutes. Cool. Frost with cream cheese frosting and top with green sprinkles.

*I did add a touch of green food gel to the batter for a richer green.

Who Doesn't Love a Doughnut?

2009-03-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite blogs to read is Emily's blog Sugar Plum. She creates the yummiest recipes. Her creations are so fabulous that she has been featured on the Food Network's show Ultimate Recipe Showdown.

But now, it is even better. Two great things are together - Emily and Top Chef. Her recipe for Oatmeal Banana Bread Drop Doughnuts with Peanut Butter Glaze is in the running for the Quaker Oats / Top Chef Viewer Quickfire Challenge. Take just a moment and go vote for her recipe. Check out the other recipes, but I'm going to tell you already that you will be voting for those doughnuts.

**Just another picture of Tom. If we are going to talk about Top Chef, we have to have a picture of Tom. Just a rule around here.

I Like 'Em Chunky

2009-03-05T20:01:00.000-08:00

Since this blog is of food and fat but it is a little skinny on the fat part, here is my new theme song.

And don't forget about leaving a comment on this post if you would like to receive a slightly-loved cookbook.

A Giveaway, Kind of, Sort of

2009-03-03T20:10:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for something free. I love books. So if there is something that gives you free books, I get excited. A few years ago, I joined one of those book clubs because you got so many cookbooks for a $1 a piece plus shipping. Great deal - just buy so many more at the regular price then enjoy all these great benefits.

And it was nice. I did pick out some great cookbooks I had wanted. Then, every month they sent out those little reply cards. It's a scam I tell you. I always replied as soon as I got the little card, but somehow, these little packages would arrive on my doorstep. I would mail them back, but every now and then, I would forget. And it wouldn't always be something I would really like. I got stuck with a classic like

and this

Lovely books, but I'm running out of room, though. I had these three in the box for the thrift store, but then thought that someone out here might like one. If you have room for a slightly used book, leave me a comment by next Tuesday telling me about your favorite cookbook. If you have a preference for a certain one, let me know, but I won't make any guarantees. I'll mail out these lovely free books to three people. Winners will be posted next Wednesday.

*I'll be out of town for a few days. I'm going to a Reading Research Symposium. The speaker is Dr. Janet Allen - this is huge for me. Dr. Allen is to middle school reading what Paula Deen is to butter. I plan on sitting up front, I plan on asking for a picture together, and I plan on giggling the whole time!

And the Winner is....

2009-03-01T06:14:00.000-08:00

Back in November, a friend told me about our insurance's Wellness Program. Because I do want to be well, I called the Wellness Program. The nice lady and I had a short conversation and she click-clacked some answers into her computer. Then she announced, (Please listen for the sunshine in her voice)

"Since your BMI is (mumble, mumble), you are OBESE. That's so great! Because you are OBESE, you qualify for our Weight Management Program. If you are OBESE, you get access to a nutritionist, personal trainer, and a gym membership! This is fabulous!"

She was excited that I was OBESE, but needless to say, I was not. It made me feel like eating some raw batter.

Now, four months later, I finally made the decision to follow through the paperwork. I now hold the number to call for my gym membership. Here's the good news, though - I've been losing weight on my own. Granted I didn't start until the first of January, but I am six pounds away from being - get this - not OBESE, but OVERWEIGHT.

I'm hoping my personal trainer looks something like this:

Now that would be motivation.

And speaking of motivation - a blog award. I'm terrible at this. I have received awards in the past that I didn't pass on. So this time, I'm following through. Apparently, you are to share honest things about yourself and then pass it on.

Eat at Home Sending the love right back to you, Tiffany. She manages TWO blogs. She has a great writing blog that inspires me to write more.

The Sporadic Cook If Julie lived near me, I'm pretty sure we would swap recipes and dishes. She gives me great ideas all the time.

Betty Beguiles Betty's posts always inspire me. She has devoted herself to living modestly. She has all the places to find the best vintage inspired dresses. Her site brings out the inner June Cleaver in me.

Real Mom Kitchen This is still one of my favorites. Laura cranks out new posts five days a week. This is my go-to site for recipes when I need a quick dinner.

The Adventures of Heather Heather has the best luck - within the past couple of months, she has won two giveaways. I visit just so her good juju rubs off on me, but then I stay to read her adventures as a newlywed.

Little Bit Funky Please just go look at her new baby boy! Plus, her etsy shop has the cutest stuff. She also has Ray Lamontagne on her Playlist which makes me so happy every time I visit.

Jam Jar Boogie She teaches art, puts on plays, raises chickens, raises children, writes a blog. She is new to me but I like her style.

My Tasty Treasures This one is new to me, but her posts make me crack up.

My Honest Things

1. I have mixed up a box of brownie mix and ended up not having enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan.

2. I cannot cook eggs. Fried, scrambled, boiled - you name it - they end up awful. Even tried egg beater omelets -dry as popcorn farts.

3. I loathe exercising, but put on some old-school hip hop and I turn into a dancing maniac. However, my style is similar to Napoleon Dynamite.

4. I love going to the movies. When the Lewis Theater goes up for sale in my town, I want to buy it, rip up the theater seats, install funky couches and coffee tables, and serve cafe-type food.

5. My sister and I once met Stone Cold Steve Austin in an airport in Texas. She was unafraid to approach him and talk to him and charm him, but I giggled uncontrollably the whole time. That's why I love my sister. She's who I want to be.

6. I am already my mother.

7. My children truly are the sunshines of my life.

The Cake that Brindi Built

2009-02-25T16:33:00.001-08:00

This is the site

that pictured the cake

that inspired the nut

to make the cake

that took up the counters

that caused the mess (bubbling witch's cauldron)

that drove the nut

to chug a little of this

that made the nut

decide to make

a back-up cake

that bubbled over the pan

that made the house

smell like charred feet.

This is the mess

that produced the mini-b-day cake (Happy Birthday Cheryl!)

and the messy, sliding layers.

These are the freaky babies that adorned the cake

the fit so perfectly in the new Lock and Lock cake carrier.

Juice and Graham Crackers

2009-02-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

"Our preacher Veronica said recently that this is life's nature: that lives and hearts get broken -- those of people we love, those of people we'll never meet. She said that the world sometimes feels like the waiting room of the emergency room and that we who are more or less OK for now need to take the tenderest possible care of the more wounded people in the waiting room, until the healer comes. You sit with people, she said, you bring them juice and graham crackers."

Anne Lamott Traveling Mercies

You can read a portion of this chapter here. Anne Lamott is one of my favorite writers. I would recommend that you read the entire book, though.

There are so many people in my life right now who have hurts. They have those hurts that leave you without anything to say. They have those hurts that leave you feeling helpless.

But I can bake. I can sit and eat cake.

Maybe those people don't need deep, life-changing wisdom. Maybe they just need some juice and graham crackers. Maybe they just need someone to sit with them.

I challenge you today to make something warm from the oven.

Share with someone who needs it. There's always someone who needs it.

And if you don't know someone who needs it, just surprise someone with it. Go with your heart. First person you think of, take it to them.

There will be a blessing.

What's for Breakfast?

2009-02-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

Farmer Brown got up before dawn and took Frack for the day to North Carolina to look at a bull. Even as romantic as that seems, I didn't want to go. Because I didn't go, I had to take over some of the morning chores.

I was in charge of making breakfast. Thankfully, the farm hand was there to help.

Country Living in West Virginia

2009-02-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

Today was the last day to enter the HGTV Home of the Year. I don't really have a desire to live in California, but I wouldn't complain if I won the house.

Another Home of the Year that wasn't as publicized was the Country Living Home of the Year.
The magazine finally published in their January issue photos of their 2009 Home of the Year. This beautiful house is located in Snowshoe, West Virginia.

Because the house is built on mountain slope, it is tall, four stories high, not wide like most houses. The house is eco-friendly.

The house was open for tours during the months of August, September, and October. I made it up to look at the outside of the house, but it was closed. I think that it stinks that the home is now closed for tours and then they publish the pictures. The house's furnishings have been removed, and it is set up for nightly and weekly rentals. If you have $1000 a night, you can rent the house. Of course, it is for sale for $1, 575,000. You can also custom-build your own house after you buy your own lot for $400,000 in Sawmill Village.

One of the downfalls of this article is that it doesn't show how remarkable the views are. Nor does it talk about how fabulous the entire Snowshoe Resort now is. I remember going to Snowshoe when there were some funky octagon rental houses and one hotel. Snowshoe has developed to be more of a four-season resort, offering mountain biking, hiking, and golfing. They also have fabulous festivals throughout the year.

If you live on the eastern coast, Snowshoe is a destination worth checking out. The prices are reasonable at any time of the year. It showcases the best of the West Virginia mountains.

Send me a note and I'll meet you there!

If you do decide to visit, you need to swing through Greenbrier County to get there.

Some Days

2009-02-17T18:27:00.000-08:00

First, I love my job. Love those kids. Really, I love middle school kids.

But some days....sigh....I come home exhausted. Some days I never get a chance to sit down. Some days the lesson requires high energy. Some days I have paperwork due right NOW. Some days I have back-to-back meetings with parents during my entire planning time. Some days I can't find my desk at the end of the day. Some days I get cornered in my room by a parent who wants to make another excuse for her child. Some days I don't leave school until two hours after the kids have left. Some days I bring home at least two hours of work still to do.

Today was that day.

But some days I get in the car and turn up the music. Some days I take the long way home so that I can be by myself just for a few minutes more. Some days the DJ on the radio knows exactly what I need to hear (a little Biggie - old school style - hypnotize me, baby.) Some days there are no bills in the mail. Some days the children at home are well-rested.

Some days require a meal on the grill with minimum clean-up.

Bless the creator of foil-packets.

This recipe has been hanging out in my recipe binder for a few years. It makes gravy in the packet. Gravy with no whisking.

Some days you need easy gravy.

Easy Pork Chop Packets
4 sheets of aluminum foil
1 small onion, sliced thin
4 boneless pork chops
salt and pepper
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup (I used reduced-fat)
2 Tb. soy sauce (I used low sodium)
1 medium green pepper, thin strips

Preheat grill to med-high. Center onion rings in center of each piece of foil. Top with pork chop. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine soup and soy sauce. Spoon over pork chops. Top with green pepper slices. Fold up foil packets to make a little pouch. (Mine just get wadded up nicely.) Grill 10 - 12 minutes in covered grill.

Because it does make a lovely little gravy, it is good over rice. My kids don't eat rice, so they eat theirs over egg noodles. I fixed Farmer Brown and myself some brown rice. Farmer Brown ate the egg noodles.

Doesn't look very appetizing, but those pork chops are like butter.

*This recipe apparently can be found on this site here. All props to them for the foil and the recipes.

New Love

2009-02-15T09:15:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't like looking at beautifully decorated cakes?

Well, this site doesn't let you do that - except on Sundays. Check out this wonderfully funny site that now has me spending time in the bakery section of my grocery store, looking for the latest Cake Wreck. I haven't been brave enough to photograph anything, but I have found a few at our locals.

Barbecue with a Side of Coleslaw Love

2009-02-13T20:10:00.000-08:00

So, is coleslaw a Southern thing?

I love coleslaw. I'm not sure if it is all the veggie burgers, brown rice, or Kashi cereal, but I am thinking all about coleslaw.

I used to eat coleslaw on my pizza. My mom would buy those cheap pizzas in the dairy case (Do they still sell those?) and make coleslaw for them. My sister and I used to refuse to eat pizza if it didn't have coleslaw on top. I remember getting coleslaw off of the salad bar at Pizza Hut to put on my pizza. I haven't done that for awhile, but it sure sounds good, right about now.

True story - four months pregnant with Frick. On a trip to visit relatives in central Pennsylvania, I made Farmer Brown stop at the Boyds Bear Barn in Gettysburg. (Farmer Brown was ecstatic the entire time. I just told him it was a barn, but I forgot to mention that it was stuffed with bears.)

I needed lunch, too. Willie B. Bacon's Feed Trough was selling those big, 3/4 inch hot dogs. I ordered mine with chili and slaw. It came served with chili and sauerkraut. It wasn't the same, but I ate it and Farmer Brown's too. Remember, I was pregnant. (Farmer Brown also ordered sausage gravy that was served over potatoes, not biscuits. What is with you people in Pennsylvania?)

Anyway, I prefer my barbecue with coleslaw. And as much as I like coleslaw, I can't make it to taste like anything but watery cabbage. So when I make barbecue, I buy a tub of coleslaw from Bob Evans - now that's Ohio people, and they know how to serve it.

I made barbecue last week, but forgot to stop and buy the required tub of slaw. So here's the recipe for barbecue, but you will need to get your own slaw. If you live in Pennsylvania, you're probably just out of luck.

Barbecue Beef

2 onions, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

1/2 c. butter

1/4 c. vinegar

1/4 c. sugar

4 tsp. mustard

1 Tb. lemon juice

1 c. ketchup

3 tsp. wortershire sauce

4 c. cooked, chopped beef (I use leftovers from Babe the Big, Blue Ox)

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion and celery in butter in large skillet. Add the rest of ingredients except the beef and simmer for 20 minutes. Add beef. Cook 15 - 20 minutes more. Can be eaten with coleslaw or not, but for Pete's sake, please toast those buns, especially the seeded ones.

Or if you are trying to cut back like me, toast your two pieces of cardboard.

If you haven't been digging on the Arnold's Sandwich Thins, they are really good. I prefer the multi-grain. The whole wheat is a little dry. They are a healthy replacement to the white, sesame-seeded buns I so desperately wanted. But if I am going to eat coleslaw, I have to cut back somewhere.