July 4th 2013

Never knowing how many more wonderful get- togethers we can all have together, we are going all out today starting with some of the dishes I uncovered to show you what is in store for the Lechlers today. There is also a taco bowl station and a 3 crock pot station I have yet to shoot.

 

 

Pam's pies ...delicious 

           

                     

Ooops, forgot to uncover this cheese tray.

Ohio grown tomatoes and Andy's herbs with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Broccoli, cauliflower salad.

My new invention of baked beans,

Glenda's cheesy potatoes/bacon.

 

I'll be back with more. Stay tuned. Happy 4th.

 

                             

Mike harvesting.

Meatballs

Taco bowl station

Lots of beans for some reason today

 

 

Crock pot station--2 bean soups and mac& cheese pepperoni

 

Pam is bringing good German meats: cold cuts, brats and metts (don't know them so can't spell them).  Tonight is the grill portion and the Cincinnati contributions to the day.

 

July 5th

 

Summer's Bounty

Somebody help me!  I have never seen the produce on this property that I have seen in two days.  We got home Saturday and Andy went out and got loads of cucumbers, peppers and even two ripe tomatoes to send home with Joe and Glenda..  Little did we know that hiding away was another half bushel of cucumbers. The kale and Swiss chard are taking over and we even have five egg plants. So, I will be making my first attempt at egg plant Parmesan. Our egg plants are small so I am going to slice them thinly ,salt them, dip them in egg and bread crumbs and bake them in the oven turning them once when one side is lightly browned.  Then I'll layer the slices in a buttered baking dish and put some cheese and Carfagna's tomato sauce and then a good helping of mozzarella on top and bake it to the bubble.  I hope this is correct.  I've read several recipes and they seem to be alike. We will see.

 

For crispier eggplant, dip in beaten eggs and coat with seasoned bread crumbs before frying

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, about 2 pounds (mine are small and young--pretty)
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups cups canned tomato sauce( I use Carfagna's sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (fresh basil and thyme)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Peel eggplant and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Fry on both sides in skillet in hot oil until browned. Drain well on paper towels. Place a layer of eggplant slices in a shallow baking dish; cover with some tomato sauce, a sprinkling of basil and garlic powder, a little Parmesan cheese, and a little of Mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with Mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6.

This is next for my ice cream machine!

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

(cheesecake ice cream recipe adapted from Tartelette)

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk

3 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 egg yolks

8 oz. cream cheese

6 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (thawed)

Directions:

1. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. In a saucepan set on medium heat, bring the milk and the cream to boiling point, slowly pour a small amount on the egg yolks to temper. Pour the remaining over the yolks and sugar. 
2. Stir well then pour back in the saucepan and cook over medium low heat until the cream thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. 
3. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until completely melted and incorporated. Cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate until cold. 
4. Process in an ice cream maker until it has reached soft-serve stage and almost doubled in size. 
5. Mash blueberries lightly, then mix in with ice cream and place in the freezer to harden, which will take about 2 hours. Serve in bowls or ice cream cones and enjoy.

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WARNING:

Sorry to put this near a food recipe, but this is rather shocking.

I have the plumber on speed dial.  Last night in the middle of the night a stool was flushed and then what sounded like the shower going on. In checking, the entire bathroom was flooded and even dripping (clean) water down THE DOWNSTAIRS  hall chandelier fixture--that quick. The plumber showed me a note from the manufacture on the flexible coil near the shut off valve: "No harsh chemicals should be used near this coil"
 and I am a bleacher--I bleach around every stool on this property and when he showed me the coil and note there was a hole in the wire and flex material.  So be careful. WHO KNEW BEING TOO CLEAN  could cost you $90.?There are 7 stools in this house--I may go broke.

Hilton Head 2013

A couple of these were taken at home before the HH trip. And, I am having trouble controlling these computers--they've taken over. (Taylor, Brooks, Nate)

 

 

Hilton Head home. Glenda, Pam, Chee, Mary to the left and Joe.

 

Our home.

Home

 

George getting ready to catch his shark.

 

 

 

Chee and Pam.

 

Well, the computers have had their way while I was gone and they won't behave even now. Nevertheless, I got a few pictures on here, out of the 39 that I took.  The Lechlers are shutterbugs and I am the least of that group, so 39 is a lot for me to take at any one location.
We arrived last Saturday and had great weather all week.  The crowds were not bad and Glenda and I got a head start on the food shopping before anyone arrived.  We had dinner ready by the time the all-day-drivers got to Painted Bunting at Sea Pines. This is a very cohesive and appreciative group of people...all relatives who really get along and always have. The house was great, we've had it before, the beach was lovely, the drinks were yummy and the food was plentiful.  Joe, the pie man, brought me a latte every morning, I think to keep me making home made ice cream, so I was well treated.

I am however always glad to be home.  Joe and Glenda spent the night and drove home from Columbus early today. We had one last card game and a pizza to end the trip.  I came home to a wonderfully clean house and nicely trimmed yard, so that is the way to end a week's vacation.  Andy and I will see them all again on Thursday for an all day party the 4th of July. By the way, Andy has almost retired AGAIN...for the fourth time.  He has a new contract, so here we go again.  Keeps him young and on his toes and keeps me in pots and pans.

 

She's Cooked Her Goose

It is easy to do.  One little slip of the tongue to a touchy person looking for a big pay out and Food Network TV runs like the devil is after them. Hamming it up on three TV shows making them millions was evidently not enough for Smithfield either and they ran.  No amount of 'I'm sorry' is ever enough now days. We build people up and tear them down even faster. It happens time after time.  Luckily she can go away and lick her wounds with plenty of money to live on for the rest of her life.  She over came one obstacle after another and worked as hard as she could and earned her money the hard way. Now allow me to say I could not watch her because the y'alls (or however it's said) and the over acting drove me crazy, but she could cook and she was a worker and she was a happy woman.  If the manager of her restaurant was unhappy, then, as Judge Judy says: MOVE, don't eat the steak and then say I didn't like it, so I'm not paying for it. This is not the first time Food Network TV has run and not backed its people. They are getting too big for their britches. Now that nearly every recipe can be found on the Internet, I think their time is limited any way.

Why is it these disgusting songs about women and what needs to be done to them to keep them in line isn't an issue?  Why can some say certain words and others (with money usually) can't? We have become so thin-skinned it's a wonder anyone gets on TV or gives an interview any more.  My advice to her is to take her money, keep her mouth shut, move, and enjoy the rest of her short life.  She's no spring chicken...oops, am I allowed to say that?

My many machines~

Hilton Head is a few days away and we are loading the car with many machines: the pie machine which Joe F. will hopefully man again, the ice cream machine which will be a new experience for the crew and the good old crock pot. I also have a whole ham (which cannot be bought in Hilton Head for some reason--they look as us like we are aliens when we ask for an entire ham...so we are taking our own.) Also, three rack of baby back ribs, ham and bean soup, and several rolls of zesty Bob Evans sausage. Joe and Glenda come on Thursday and we leave Friday.  The dogs are already hating the suitcases and walk around them growling. I am actually considering taking the quesadilla machine which makes fast and delicious starters...somebody stop me.

For twenty-eight years we have been trying to name this home.  It was important to get just the right name, not too ostentatious, not too common, not at all fussy. Nothing seemed quite right until this morning. I was reading Cook's Corner, which also has nothing to do with the name, when welcome to Many Branches popped into my mind and I thought, that's it! Where it came from is way beyond me, but there it was and now here it is.  We have many trees and many branches of family members living in this multi-generational home and it just seemed right. Now I am a happy woman.

Andy's favorite...Stromboli

The men in this family are wild about Stromboli and I am determined to conquer this simple dish that costs a lot of money from some of the Columbus restaurants. Today is Father's Day, so I am on the hunt for good Stromboli recipes and find that actually you can put anything in this roll of dough (even beans) and suddenly it becomes Stromboli.  My first attempt today was very good, but ugly.  I used thin crust pizza dough and now I am about to try it again with thick crust pizza dough--no need to make your own.  I use what comes in a tube. Simply spread the dough on parchment or what ever you use so it does not stick and slather on: sauce, a variety of meat, fresh herbs, mushrooms(not for Andy), loads of cheese, roll it up brush it with whipped egg, and stick it in the oven on high--400 or so degrees. It's really pizza in a roll. It's getting the roll to look professional that is the problem for me. Maybe I'll try individual ones.  Maybe I'll be less generous with the filling; mine was way too full.

Father's Day evening eight of us went to a speciality ice cream shop for a treat.  Poor Andy, the father, paid the bill. Have you been to one of those stingy shops? I tried not to look at the price, but I THINK my one tiny dip in a plain cone cost $4.50. I'll check, but I think we've been held up and fleeced. I didn't ask what the bill was, but I am pretty sure I could have served a nice dinner to all eight for the price he paid. The ice cream was delicious, what there was of it, but do you all remember the 5 cent a dip cones that slopped over the sides and had to be licked quickly to catch all of the goodness? Two dips sent one into a sugar coma due to its generous size. Well, those days are over, let me tell you.

I am going to break out my ice cream machine when we get back from Hilton Head.  I'll gather recipes on the Internet and we will have an ice cream social on the 4th of July.

I saw David Lebovitz's Carmel candy recipe from Paris. The salty sweet Carmels will be on my agenda too, as soon as I buy a candy thermometer.(This picture and the recipe belong to David Lebovitz)

Salted Butter Caramels
40-50 candies
Because many people are leery of corn syrup, you can use Golden or rice syrup in this recipe in its place. (For those into agave nectar, I haven’t tried it, but suspect it may not have the right sugar density for candy making.) If using one of these darker syrups, you’ll need to be a bit vigilant and stir it as it’s cooking, since it can cook quickly in certain spots of the pan. Your finished caramels will also be darker, too.
I use salted butter. Traditional wisdom was to only use unsalted butter in baking so you could control the amount of salt. But I like the slightly funky taste of salted butter, and if you can find one that’s cultured, the flavor is incomparable. If you only have unsalted butter, just add a few extra flecks of salt to the cream.

• 3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, bean paste, or powder
• rounded 1/2 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, preferably fleur de sel
• 1/2 cup (160 g) light corn syrup, golden syrup (such as Lyle's) or rice syrup*
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 4 tablespoons (60 g), total, salted butter, cubed, at room temperature

1. Line a 9-inch (23 cm) loaf pan with foil and spray the inside with cooking spray.
2. Heat the cream with 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan with the vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt until the mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm while you cook the syrup.
3. In a medium, heavy duty saucepan (4 quarts, 4l), fitted with a candy thermometer, heat the corn syrup, golden, or rice syrup with the sugar, and cook, stirring gently, to make sure the sugar melts smoothly. Once the mixture is melted together and the sugar is evenly moistened, only stir is as necessary to keep it from getting any hot spots.
4. Cook until the syrup reaches 310ºF (155ºC).
To get an accurate reading while the syrup is cooking, tilt the saucepan to make sure the bulb of the thermometer is fully submerged in the syrup, tilting the pan if necessary.
4. Turn off the heat and stir in the warm cream mixture, until smooth.
5. Turn the heat back on and cook the mixture to 260F (127C).
6. Remove the pan from the heat, lift out the thermometer, and stir in the cubes of butter, until it’s melted and the mixture smooth.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and wait ten minutes, then sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the sea salt over the top. Set on a cool rack and let cool completely. Once cool, lift out the foil with the caramel, peel away the foil, and slice the bar of caramel with a long, sharp knife into squares or rectangles.
Storage: These caramels can be individually-wrapped in cellophane or waxed paper. Once cut, they may stick together if not wrapped. Store in an air-tight container, and they’ll keep for about one month.
*The rice syrup I use is from the Asian market I shop at, found in the Korean foods aisle. I don’t know how it compares to rice syrup sold in natural food’s stores, but if anyone knows, you are welcome to leave that information in the comments.

 

 

Baby Shower from the family~

Jimmy Lechler, Andy's brother, and his wife, Sally, put on a very nice family shower to honor BJ and Andrea who are expecting identical twins in a few months.  Jimmy will be grandfather to two sets of identical twins.  Andy and I drove down to Cincinnati early this morning and stayed all day visiting first with Joe and Glenda and then on to Jim's.  Sally had prepared lovely dishes for everyone to enjoy and I put down a fork often enough to get these pictures of the festivities.  Andrea and BJ leave for home, in California, tomorrow.  They looked fine and seemed very happy together.

I know the family will enjoy these shots seeing Andrea for the first time. (Other readers, please excuse us.)

The mother to be (of twins.)

Kathy and BJ

Joe, Andy and George.

BJ the father to be.

The proud grandfather.

Frozen Grapes

Victoria Beckham eats frozen grapes for a quick hunger fix.  I could not imagine frozen grapes until a son came home with a load of grapes and no idea what to do with that many.  I remember reading about the frozen fruit and plucked every grape from the many stems and placed them on a shallow baking sheet and frozen them.  Now it is a favorite thing.  Use them in drinks instead of ice cubes, pop them when you are on a diet, or just for a cool refreshing no trouble snack. Also, pop them in a glass of wine to keep the chill on.

                            

Dip the berry in yogurt and freeze for a lovely snack.

 

 

Frozen grapes, a delightful snack.

 

I freeze them in a single layer and then pop them in a plastic bag.  We love them.

 

 

                                                   

Miss Manners

I like Miss Manners, Judith Martin, very much.  I don't know her personally, but her wit and advice every Saturday (Columbus Dispatch) in papers across America is spot on. She'll cut you down to size so if you write to her for advice you had better be prepared.  I bought her book, Guide to Rearing Perfect Children, several years ago and even with her expert written advice I fell way short in that category.  She has put out at least ten other books, according to Amazon.  I'd like to buy them to entertain myself.  The sage wit that she instills in her writing is refreshing. (Living with it day to day might get a tad annoying, however.)

The new trend in real estate, at least for Columbus, is downtown (expensive) condos and multi-generational homes. Luckily we are in the latter category.  I think this is a wonderful new-old concept and it is really cost effective. There is always something going on,  there is privacy when it's desired, company when it's wanted, helpers to keep the place nice, family to help the aged, sage advice for the young (lol), and family stability in these trying times. We have been on the cutting edge of this concept for some time and we find it works.

We have forsaken the traditional taco shell for the bowl.  Tuesday's Kids got a taste of this concept this week and it was voted most delicious. Actually the Fritos impart much more flavor than the fragile shells and it is a treat to layer what ever suits you in this flavorful mix.  Today tree trimmers are all over the property like monkeys--yes, the same company that once drove into our septic tank with their cherry picker.  But, we are still friends and loyal to a great company, Davey Tree.  They have been back several times since the great event. Anyway, it is a good day for tacos and that is what we are having.

Monday (again)

This day is a perfect day for me.  There is a gentle, steady rain falling, yet the back door is open and the dogs are resting in the open area.  It is very quiet and it is a perfect day for the last beef stew of the season. I could enjoy beef stew (with lots of wine within) any day of any season, but other people don't feel the same way.  They will have to suffer through it today, however. (It is Andy's least favorite meal for some strange reason.) Speaking of Andy, he is retiring (or semi-retiring...again.)They are having a retirement party for him and want me to come. I have been to many retirement parties for Andy and  believe me he has had more than his share of send- offs to retirement oblivion. However, they keep luring him back and he keeps going back. This time he says he is going to sign up to go to classes at The Ohio State, taking what ever he wishes which costs seniors nothing, not a cent. He will still do some work for the Regents and that is how it starts. LOL

We have a couple of events to look forward to in a week and a half.  We are going to Hilton Head with the Cincinnati Lechlers to the beach house.  Joe and Glenda will come here and ride with us.  We take our time getting there and back with lots of stops along the way. No hurry, after all, every one is retired in that car or so they say. Hmmmm. Then, of course, there is July 4th just four days after we get back. Never a dull moment, unless you count today.  So far it has been coffee, Sudoku, feed the dogs, work on the next table puzzle, make beef stew, bake a honey bun cake, clean three shelves of the refrigerator and here it is only 9:30. Life is good.

Guest dog/cousin, Fergie and Winston.

Everything moved out to catch the gentle rain.

This is actually a fresh apple cake rather than a honey bun cake.

 

 

 

The Grill. The Grill.

Oh, sure, now we laugh. It's 90 degrees.
 

 These are easy grill or oven ideas for the heat wave that is coming our way.  This next one would be good for the guys to do at Hilton Head while the ladies DO NOTHING !

 

MUSHROOM SKEWER RECIPE

Yield: 4 SERVINGS

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon harissa (definition:Harissa is a Tunisian hot chilli sauce)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
8 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, halved lengthwise

Directions:

Whisk the harissa, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and oregano together in a medium bowl.
Add the halved mushrooms and toss well to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or Preheat the grill, if grilling.
Thread the mushrooms onto pre-soaked bamboo skewers. Roast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or grill them, 5 minutes per side.
                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This could be marinating while we are on the beach and the guys are getting the coals ready. LOL

 

yield: Makes 6 servings

active time: 45 minutes

total time: 1 hour 50 minutes

 

Bon Appétit

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons tomato paste (from a 6-ounce can)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup minced onion (about 1 medium)
• 1/3 cup minced serrano or jalapeño chiles with seeds
• 1/4 cup minced garlic (about 9 large cloves)

Chicken:

• 6 large chicken drumsticks (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 6 large chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), trimmed of any excess fat and skin
• Lime wedges for serving

• Special equipment: Instant-read thermometer

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My family loves tacos, but stuff falls out,  the shells crack and crumble, and not enough good stuff stays put.  I found this recipe for oven tacos and think this might solve a lot of problems. (My real answer to this is to use Fritos scoops or regular Fritos and make it all in individual bowls with all the trimmings...no mess and it is delicious.  Also I used Bob Evans zesty sausage and any left over steak or roasts cut up and added to the meat mixture.) This is what the Tuesday kids will be getting tomorrow, Lechler tacos.)

    

Oven Tacosadapted from Blog Chef

2 lbs ground beef (or turkey/chicken)
1 small onion diced
1 small can diced green chilies
1 recipe for Homemade taco seasoning (below)
1 (8 ounce) can low sodium tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) can fat free refried beans
2 cups shredded reduced fat Colby-jack cheese
18-20 hard taco shells {if gluten free, be sure they are}

Optional Condiments-
Lettuce (shredded)
Tomato (diced)
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Olives, sliced 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

In a large skillet brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess liquid. Return to pan, add chilies, refried beans, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning. Mix well and cook for a few minutes if mixture seems runny.

Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish (OR check out The Taco Rack), standing up. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell. Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through.
Remove from the oven and top with any optional condiments for serving.

Taco Seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

In a small bowl, mix all together. Store in an airtight container.
I used all of this on 2 lbs of ground meat with a little water mixed in.Hi

Hilton Head ideas from Mennonite Girls Can Cook:

• 6 eggs, hard boiled and diced
• 1/4 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons pesto
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and chopped
• baby spinach leaves
• tomato slices
• 4 sandwich rolls (ciabatta, kaiser, or submarine rolls)

Combine eggs, dressing, pesto and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.
Stir in avocado pieces gently.
Serve egg salad on sandwich rolls together with spinach leaves and tomato slices.

 

Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus (good idea)