House sorting is like a flea market~

                                            

Sorting out the house(s) here at Many Branches is like visiting the flea markets in Paris or London.  Things long forgotten and once thought fabulous can be a puzzle now.  Why on earth did I bring that home on a plane from Europe? Who would spend money on that?  But, at the time, it was all important or Andy and I would have left it lay, hopefully. Collecting has almost come to a full stop it seems.  I heard news from England from a long time friend last evening and we have started to  reconnect  and catch up.  Unfortunately, she has lost her dear and devoted husband to cancer two years ago and she is still devastated.  June and Alan were an English couple that took us around the country side of England searching for antiques.  We loaded their car more than once and had a good time doing it.  June and Alan also had shops here and there in London and now she is trying out stalls in malls out in the country side on her own.  June has great taste and a good eye and I wish her the best.  When we traveled with them they would arrange for us all to stay in some of the estates that needed to let rooms for the night to pay for the big expense of keeping a grand family home.  It isn't cheap , that's for sure.  But the current home owners didn't really want us there in most cases.  They had to do it, but they resented it, some more than others. I remember one in particular.  The 'gentleman' let us in, seeming reluctant to do so, and once in the hall I spotted a table of flow blue.  Instead of minding my manners and acting as though the mother lode was not in front of me, I asked (a bit later) if he sold?  Horrified he said of course not and promptly locked up every room in the mansion except for the two bedrooms we had paid for for the night.  The next morning at breakfast, which was included and grudgingly served, there was an entire table of people who had been treated just as badly as we had for one reason or another. Nevertheless, we had fun on every single trip with Alan and June and we dined-out on the stories after each trip for years. 

This recipe should help the sorting process and the workers who are doing the sorting:

Guacamole 

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp red pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp pickled banana peppers, chopped fine
• 2 tbsp pickle juice from the jar of banana peppers
• juice from one fresh lime
• 1 tsp course salt

Method:

1. Cut avocado in half and remove the stone. (save stone) Score each half section of avocado and scoop the flesh into a glass mixing bowl. (do not use metal as it will react with the lime juice leaving a metal taste) Using a small masher or fork, mash avocados, leaving them slightly chunky.
2. Cut onion, red pepper and banana peppers into small pieces. (for this recipe I like to cut those small)
3. Add banana pepper juice, freshly squeezed lime juice and salt.
4. Stir everything together well.
5. If you make your guacamole earlier in the day, to keep guacamole from turning brown in color put the stone back into the mixture. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve. Guacamole is best served fresh the same day it's made. (picture and recipe from Mennonite Girls Can Cook)