Spring Cleaning

This is the time of year to get in those storage areas and edit.  We've started on the apartment storage area and Mike has taken two loads to the dump and one load Beth took to Good Will.  I would love to have a yard sale, but I am afraid of causing an accident on Cooke.  People are so litigious now days that it takes all the fun out of everything. Next we start on the basement.  Beth doesn't know what she's in for there. One good thing is we uncovered my memory box of Andy's love letters to me from Otterbein, and pictures of my high school and college friends, many of whom have died. Varsity letters for Andy, Cheer leading letters for me, what on earth do you do with those? I am sure some clever 'crafter' could give me hints, but we have now arranged everything in two silver trunks, empty  from the many antiques they carried from London and Paris over the years.  We are redoing the apartment adding a bit, doing the floors and another closet. That is only part of the building that we are considering...I can't seem to let Mayo Construction retire.  Ray has done all the building here on Cooke and we have always been pleased with the results.

I have been making one- dish meals for us since we are running around here like ants.  Today it was beef stew.  Yesterday  red beans and rice since it was crock pot Tuesday for the kids.  Mike says Skyline Cincinnati chili is their favorite followed closely by the meal from yesterday, red beans and rice with ham.

Here is the secret to perfect sweet tea for a respite from cleaning.


              Perfect Sweet Tea. (makes 1 gallon)
(Adapted from the Lone Star Steak House)


Ingredients -
5 - 8  Family size Tea Bags. (or 12 regular Tea Bags) 
                    ( I prefer  #1 Luzianne or  #2 Liptons Brand Teas.)
1 Quart  (4 Cups) - Boiling Water
3 Quarts (12 cups) - Cool Water
1 1/2 - 2 (one & a half) - Cups Sugar. 
1/4 teaspoon - Baking Soda (this IS the SECRET Ingredient!!)


Today, Friday, the one dish meal is Rachel Ray's cheeseburger casserole. It is really delicious.  I will have to fix it for the Tuesday kids. It is not beautiful, but the taste is right on target. Actually I changed it so much you can't even call it
Rachel's.

Cheeseburger Casserole:

1 box cavatappi pasta cooked about 4 minutes in boiling water with salt (it will finish cooking in the oven, so don't over do it.)

Ingredients

• 1 box macaroni Cavatappi
• 1 pound pound ground beef and 1 roll of Bob Evans zesty sausage or two pounds ground chuck ; brown with leeks or onions of choice,
• 1 onion, chopped (I used 3 leeks)
• Salt and pepper to taste as you go
• 1 cup sour cream; 1 cup small curd cottage cheese or ricotta
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• 1 green pepper diced
• parsley
• other peppers of choice which is an option
• Put it all together in a baking dish and cover in oven at 325 for about 45 minutes or until the pasta is where you want it to be.

  



I am off to do more stimulating editing.  Good Will is making out like bandits today.

For years I wanted a chocolate babka recipe.  I even wrote to Cook's Corner request.  A woman called me after seeing my request and said for heavens sake don't try to make this.  It is soooo time consuming and difficult.  Go to this Jewish grocer on the east side and he has frozen chocolate babka that is delicious.  I forget which friend went with me, but over we went and sure enough there was frozen chocolate babka.  I bought a couple of them for a really big party I was having.  I had so  many dishes it took several tables to accommodate the spread.  The one item I heard the most comments about was the chocolate babka that I didn't even make. Go figure.  So today, I found this on my new favorite site, Pinerest.  It is called Cinnamon chocolate babka.  I don't think I will use the cinnamon, however.  Here is the recipe that I intend to try as soon as spring cleaning is behind  me.

 

1. The dough before its first rise.
2. The risen dough.
3. The dough rolls out easily, with no sticking or snapping back. A sheet of parchment underneath dusted with flour is helpful.
4. Scatter the chocolate-cinnamon-butter mixture on top, and get ready to roll!

1. Roll up the dough, then use your hands to elongate it.
2. Give the log a bit of a twist.
3. Coil the log into a snail shape.
4. Stand the coil up on its end, then press down to compact into a loaf shape.
5. Move the dough to a loaf pan, then wrap it up for its second rise.
6. The dough after its second rise. Ready to bake!

Chocolate Cinnamon Babka
From Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day

"Note: Whoa!!  That's one heck of a long recipe.  Please don't get scared off.  I can say with all honesty that it was harder to type up the whole darn thing than to bake it.  A mixer makes the work easy, and it's just a few steps here and there.

Also: There are variations to this recipe including an optional streusel topping, and shaping it into a beautiful braid with the filling exposed. I didn't use those, and I'm too lazy to type them up. Search out the book if you're interested."

2 tbs (0.66 oz/19g) instant yeast
¾ cup (6 oz/170 g) lukewarm milk (any kind, at about 95°)
6 tbs (3 oz/85 g) unsalted butter, melted or at room temperature
6 tbs (3 oz/85 g) sugar
2 tbs (1 oz/28g) vegetable oil
1 tsp (0.25 oz/7 g) vanilla extract
4 egg yolks (3 oz/85 g)
3⅓ cups (15 oz/425 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp (0.25 oz/7 g) salt, or 1½ tsp coarse kosher salt

For the Filling
1½ cups (9 oz/255 g) frozen semisweet dark chocolate chips or chunks
1 tsp (0.25 oz/7 g) ground cinnamon
¼ cup (2 oz/56.5 g) cold unsalted butter

Whisk the yeast into the lukewarm milk until dissolved, then set it aside for about 5 minutes before mixing it into the dough.

Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.  If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.  If mixing by hand, use a large wooden spoon and beat vigorously for about 2 minutes.  Add the oil and vanilla to the egg yolks and whisk lightly to break up the yolks, then add the yolks to the sugar mixture in four portions, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next.  Increase the mixer speed to medium-high or continue mixing by hand for another 2 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple times during the process.

Stop mixing and add the flour and salt, then pour in the milk mixture.  Resume mixing at low speed, or continue to stir by hand, for 2 to 3 minutes, to make a soft, supple, tacky dough.  If using a mixer and the mixer begins to struggle, switch to the dough hook; if mixing by hand, use a very sturdy spoon or your hands.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead by hand for 2 minutes more, adding more flour as need to make the dough pliable.  The dough should be a beautiful golden color and feel soft and supple.  Form the dough into a ball.

Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature for about 2½ hours. It will rise somewhat, but won't double in size. If it rises significantly in less time, you can move to the shaping step or place it in the refrigerator overnight to be rolled out the next day.

Filling and Baking

Prepare the filling while the dough is rising. Grind the chocolate in a food processor until it's nearly powdered; if you don't have a food processor, chop the chocolate as fine as possible with a knife or metal pastry scraper. Add the cinnamon and pulse or stir a time or two to incorporate. Cut the butter into 8 to 10 pieces, add it to the fod processor, and pulse until the butter is evenly dispersed into the chocolate mixture; or cut the butter into the chocolate mixture with a metal pastry scraper to make a streusel-like chocolate crumble.

Once the dough has risen, roll it into a 15-by-15-inch square on a lightly floured surface. It should be between ¼ and ⅛ inch thick. As you roll, frequently lift the dough with a metal pastry scraper or bowl scraper and dust with more flour underneath to prevent sticking. Sprinkle the chocolate mixture over the dough, breaking up any clumps, so the filling covers the surface of the dough evenly, leaving a ¼-inch border.

Roll up the dough like a jelly roll and place it seam side down on the work surface. With firm but gentle pressure, rock the log back and forth to extend its length until it is 18 to 24 inches long.

For a loaf shape, grease a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan.  Carefully twist the log from both ends without tearing it, just enough to accentuate the chocolate spiral.  Coil the log into a circular snail shape, then stand the coil on its end so it's perpendicular to the counter rather than lying flat.  Press down on the coil to compress it into a loaf shape.  Place it in the greased loaf pan or on a parchment-lined sheet pan with the smoothest, domed side up.  For a coffee cake style of babka, grease a tube pan such as a Bundt pan or a kugelhopf mold with butter, vegetable oil, or spray oil, making sure to grease the tube.  Wrap the log around the tube and press the dough into the pan to connect the ends of the log.

Cover the tube or loaf pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, until the babka fills the pan or has increased to about 1½ times its original size.  At this point, you can proceed directly to baking or refrigerate the babka overnight.  If holding it overnight, remove the dough from the refrigerator about 2 hours before you plan to bake it.

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Use a toothpick to poke a few holes in the top of the babka to eliminate possible air pockets between the layers of chocolate and dough.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake until the top is a rich dark brown, the sides are a rich golden brown, the loaf sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, and the internal temperature is about 185° in the center. The babka will begin to brown quickly because of the sugar, but it won't burn. The total baking time is 50 to 60 inutes for a loaf, and just 35 to 45 minutes for a tube pan. The sides may feel soft because of air pockets in the spirals. The babka will soften as it cools.

Cool for at least 90 minutes before serving. The babka is best served at room temperature after the chocolate has had time to set. 

 

Hmmm. Maybe I'll go back to the Jewish grocer and get the frozen Babka...or I will make it on a day I intend to punish myself. 

The Beach, The Beach

                                                  

 

 

 

Ahhh, yes, the time is near for another 'day' at the beach. This  with the Cincinnati Lechlers at Hilton Head.  Glenda made out the menu on our trip in January and said that the guys want to do the cooking. (I hope she is not counting on Andy and Joe in that mix.) So I'll hang up my apron and make my plans: reading, sunning, cocktails, visiting, games and cards.  Sounds like a winner.

 

Crock pot Tuesday for my little friends has been on my mind since I spotted two bags of New Orleans dried red beans that I brought back from the last trip.  I've started them soaking and some cooking.  I've also perfected (in my mind) a fried rice recipe after many years of trying.  It tastes as good as a restaurant's with flaky cold rice added to scrambled egg (s) with many other additions like shrimp, peas, green onions,soy sauce etc.  I was wondering how red beans might fit in that mix not that I have ever seen this done. Red beans and rice is a New Orleans winner. So  not to shock any one I may just stick to that. Any way, the inner city kids will be eating beans and rice with ham tomorrow.

 

It's time to drag out the outdoor furniture for a good scrubbing.  They are opening our pool this week.  There is so much activity going on here that my head is a whirl. No time to atrophy around this place. The guys have planted 100 kale and Swiss chard (if anyone told me Mike would be eating those vegetables, I would have called them crazy.) Nate has started planting fruit trees in the south forty for his orchard.  He has a garden going and will be putting in potatoes too very soon, if not today. We may be starting another building project too. Yikes.!

Pinterest has such great ideas and illustrations. How about this for a crowd at breakfast time?

 

 

Married 54 years to the same man ~

April 4th, yesterday, Andy and I will have been married fifty-four years. The sunny day yesterday was an exact copy of the day we were married.  Andy's work sent us to California for a year and we used that seven day cross country trip, in my spiffy 57 Chevy hard top, as the honeymoon.  Andy was sent there to work on the Minute Man missiles which are, by the way, still in ground today...as I understand it. To this day I hold California in my heart as the one place where I would love to live.  We lived beach front with not a care in the world and that is what I miss most. I remember smog, however, and never having heard the word or its meaning it nearly cost me an accident.  I was driving to pick up Andy after work when my eyes started watering and burning and being in mid traffic I could not pull over nor did I know what has accosted me.  I thought I was losing my sight, so real tears were added to the fray.  I finally arrived at his work a sobbing sight, and he informed me I had encountered smog and to get used to it because it was not going away any time soon.

This has nothing to do with the next picture or recipe.  Andy is not a brussels sprouts man, but Nate and I eat them like popped corn.  When I saw this picture and recipe on Pinterest today, I wished I'd had it for the Easter starters. (Oh, by the way. We've improved. We only forgot one (Easter) dish in the oven this year.  Usually it is at least three.)


Use any dip you like.  This is a garlic dip. I would use somethinbg else because garlic hates me even though I adore it.



These Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts are packed full of flavor with only a few ingredients. I don’t think I’ll have brussels sprouts any other way from now on.

Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Serves: 6 – 8
Ingredients:
20 Brussels Sprouts (rinsed clean)
4 TBLs Butter (melted)
3 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 dash Salt
1 dash Pepper

Prep & Cooking Directions -

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut all of the brussels sprouts in half.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine the brussels sprouts, melted butter, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
4. Stir the brussels sprouts to get an even coat of everything and pour out onto a cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Stir them mid way through.

Another way to enjoy them:



Brussel Sprout Gratin with Dijon Mornay Sauce
about 1.5 pounds of Brussels sprouts, halved with stems cut off
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1.5 cups milk
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup aged white cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup cream cheese
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
panko breadcrumbs
black pepper to taste
1.Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. boil a pot of water and blanche brussel sprouts until they turn bright green for about 2 minutes and set aside
3. Melt butter over medium heat and incorporate flour with a whisk, then whisk in milk and bring to a boil then turn down heat until sauce thickens
4. Stir in cheese, salt cream cheese and dijon until fully mixed
5. Add brussel sprouts to mornay sauce, then entire mixture to baking dish
6. Toss brussel sprouts in panko breadcrumbs in dish to coat them
7. Bake in oven for 40 minutes – you can add more cheese if you want 10 minutes before they are done for extra crust

Pinterest~ More goodness, but not brussel sprouts:

Organic Spinach
Organic Sour Cream
Brie (Of course..)
Parmesan
Artichoke Hearts
Sea Salt
Chili Flakes
*You notice there are no measurements along with the ingredients because it was truly…
Directions:
…A little bit of this, a little bit of that, a pinch of this and a pinch of that! Put it in the oven 350 for 25-30 minutes and Whaa la!


Deliciousness!

Taste of Home

 

I needed some shopping therapy this afternoon so I went to Sam's Club alone. Now this is dangerous because I take my time and everything looks so good...but, reality hits when  the paying, the packing up, the car packing, the unloading, the putting away and by then I need other kinds of therapy.(An ice capp from Tim Hortons solves a lot of problems.) Sam's was not too crowded and they had flowers and plants all over the store. It was a happy setting with cakes and pies and sample ladies in abundance and so I started loading my cart. My first stop was the book and magazine section where I could spend a good long time. Luckily I spotted two Taste of Home magazines featuring spring's best recipes in one and 100 most requested recipes in the other. There are, in fact, so many recipes that I want to make that I just had to write to tell you about these two issues. If you are into cooking, you'll want to pick up these magazines. They are thrilling.

 

Instead of buying the antipasto salad from Carfagna's, I am going to make it just like the picture because I have all of the components. Beth gets the left overs because this is her favorite.

The grape salad is not all that popular, but I like it and it is the last recipe a high school friend gave to me and now she has just died, so I will be thinking of her as I make this yet another time.

 

The hash brown broccoli bake I have not made before, so I will give you the recipe .

 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 cups milk

1 pack cream cheese (8 ounces)

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, cubed ( sorry to the French...but it needs to be cubed)

6 cups shredded thawed hash brown potatoes

1 pack frozen chopped broccoli, thawed...but I use fresh

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

 

In a large sauce pan melt 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper until smooth; gradually add milk.  Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, stir until melted, stir in potatoes.

 

Spoon half of the potato mix into a greased 2-qt. baking dish.  Top with broccoli and remaining potato mixture.  Cover and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

 

Melt the remaining butter; toss with bread crumbs.  Sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until heated through and topping is golden.

 

We have two meals on Easter, hence the large amount of food.  Here are some other things we will be having at noon and then late in the evening.

Ham and rib roast for the dinner portion.

 Two of the many starters.

 Corn pudding every year.

 Beef stew over noodles rather than over potatoes this year.







And Glenda's eggs ~




   

Happy Easter to all of you where ever you are.

Crock Pot Tuesdays~

Every Tuesday I prepare my biggest crock pot for the inner city teens that Mike and Beth work with and together we provide them with a good meal.  The snow has finally melted, but it is still cool so tonight it will be scalloped potatoes (and other vegetables) with ham and bacon. Tuesday nights started off with just a few teens and now we are up to fifteen or more. (Actually 21 showed up this time.) The first Tuesday of the month had very few kids attending, but now they are coming every Tuesday with gusto.

My sister-in-law turned me on to the plastic crock pot liners which makes clean up so much easier for the workers to handle.  I dragged my heels a little because plastic bags in a slow cooker just didn't seem like a good idea. I'll have to practice with this concept a little more before I am into it fully.  It does not, however, make the tastiest looking picture, but there you have it.

                                                                        

 

 

 

Since I am also getting ready for Easter, I had a ham/bone that I turned into ham and bean soup for Sunday with some left over chunks of ham to be used in this dish.  I sauteed sweet onions and the diced ham into almost a jam consistency and that was sprinkled in between layers of potatoes, cauliflower, cheese, bacon, and peppers. (I made a small casserole for three of us as well.)

 

Always like to experiment with the relatives--how about this new idea for cornbread to go with the ham and beans and or beef stew?

 

Boston Market Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 1 box Jiffy Mix Cornbread Mix
• 1 box Jiffy Mix Yellow Cake Mix
  OR
• 2 boxes Jiffy Mix Cornbread Mix
• 1 box regular yellow cake mix

Directions: Mix both boxes according to directions, and combine the batter. You can use a large mixing bowl and combine both boxes of mix together and add the other ingredients all at once. If you have only boxes of Jiffy Mix, use a brownie sized baking pan, 8x8", if you are using a box of regular cake mix, use a 9x13" pan. Spray pan with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees until done, approx. 30 minutes. Test for doneness: insert a toothpick, it should come out clean.

Edited to add: Please note from the comments: "If you can't find the Jiffy yellow cake mix, only use Duncan Hines, Butter Golden cake mix...It's the only one WITHOUT pudding in the mix." I have made it with regular yellow cake mix and I liked it, but it may be too 'cakey' for some...if so...try the Duncan Hines, Butter Golden cake mix.

 

Freezing Herbs in Olive Oil~

Do you use your freezer to preserve herbs, vegetables, or fruit? The freezer can be a powerful, overlooked method of preserving. I wrote an article for Vegetarian Times that appears this month in the July/August issue, all about preserving the good foods of summer by using the freezer. Pesto, peach puree, tomato soup — stash them away now for the winter! One of my favorite ingredients, a handful of fresh herbs from the garden, is one of the simplest things to preserve in the freezer, and I just learned a new, better way to freeze herbs: In oil! http://www.thekitchn.com/freeze-herbs-in-olive-oil-173648

I noticed a post at The Gardener's Eden (read it here) recommending that you freeze some herbs in oil. Why? Preserving herbs in oil reduces some of the browning and freezer burn that herbs can get in the freezer.
It's also a great way to have herbs ready immediately for winter stews, roasts, soups, and potato dishes. These dishes usually call for oil to start with, and so you can take a cube of frozen oil, herbs inside, out of the freezer and use this as the base of your dish. Cook the onions and garlic in this herb-infused oil and let the taste of herbs spread through your whole dish.
Given this use, the oil-and-freezer method of preservation works best with the tougher hard herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and oregano. These are all herbs that would probably be cooked when added to a dish.
Soft herbs such as mint, basil, lemon verbena, and dill are usually added raw to a dish, and they don't respond as well to this kind of preserving. Their fresh taste is changed in the freezer, and honestly, I don't usually choose to freeze these delicate sorts of herbs at all, with the exception of homemade basil pesto. (Although I have been meaning to try this parsley freezing method from master gardener Margaret Roach!) Some folks do freeze soft herbs in bags without any water or oil, which essentially preserves them by drying them out. I don't prefer the taste of dried mint and other herbs, so I just never do this.

• Read more on hard vs. soft herbs: Technique of the Week: FAQ about Herbs at Beyond Salmon (via Kalyn's excellent tutorial on dry-freezing herbs)

For me, the best use of the freezer when it comes to herbs is preserving hard herbs in oil or broth, although now I prefer oil. The aroma of the herbs really infuses the oil in the freezer, which is a bonus!
Here are some tips on preserving herbs in oil.

8 Steps for Freezing Herbs in Oil

1. Choose firm, fresh herbs, ideally from the market or your own garden.
2. If you wish, you can chop them fine. Or leave them in larger sprigs and leaves. Here I froze a combination of finely-chopped and whole herbs such as rosemary, fennel stalk, sage, and oregano.
3. Pack the wells of ice cube trays about 2/3 full of herbs.
4. You can mix up the herbs, too; think about freezing a bouquet garni of sage, thyme, and rosemary to add to winter roast chickens and potatoes!
5. Pour extra-virgin olive oil or melted, unsalted butter over the herbs.
6. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
7. Remove the frozen cubes and store in freezer containers or small bags.
8. Don't forget to label each container or bag with the type of herb (and oil) inside!

Blueberry Buckle~ remember that?

I was going through my file of recipes to find my thirty year old (at least)  recipe for blueberry buckle. I am still sorting, but as I surf the net I find that most of the recipes are much the same, so I am printing this one along with the picture that was with it.  I remember, however, when I made it I made it in a very large iron skillet; it was the right utensil for this rustic berry dish. As soon as my butter softens and the other ingredients come to room temperature, I'm turning this out once again for old times sake.

Print

Blueberry Buckle Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

 

Ingredients

Cake ingredients:

• 2 cups and 1-2 Tbsp of sifted, all purpose flour separated
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pint blueberries

Topping ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup sifted all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8-inch spring form pan. Set aside.
2 Sift together the 2 cups of flour, the baking powder and the salt. Set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk. Toss the berries with the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour (to separate and scatter evenly throughout the batter) and fold in. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.
3 Combine ingredients for topping with a fork to make crumbly mixture. Sprinkle this over the batter.
4 Bake for one hour, then test for doneness by gently inserting a fork. If it does not come out clean, give the cake another 5 to 10 minutes to bake.
5 When the cake has cooled, run a knife around the edges and lift the cake out of the pan. Serve with whipped cream.

                                      

I got the recipe and pictures from Simply Recipes but he says he thinks the original that he has came from Lee Bailey .

Okay, my recipe came from Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers printed in 1963.  I bet I tried 30 recipes in this well worn cookbook and marked them accordingly.  Most of them have the same face as this coffee cake recipe--a happy face indeed.

 

An Ode to Cherries

                                               

                                                                     

Tell me, is there anything prettier than a cherry? Plump, juicy, versatile, deliciously adaptable...and, coming to a table near you soon.  It is raining here today, but this week end Nate cleaned the windows inside and out and that is saying something! I don't know how many we have, but it is substantial and daunting. He also did all of the wood floors.  It is spring cleaning time and in less than two weeks it will be here along with Easter. So it is time to start thinking about the menu for around fifteen people, far fewer than usual, but a fun group to be sure. I am going to assemble some of my really good cherry recipes today, but this is one fruit that needs no company; it is perfect standing alone.

It was always hot when the Cincinnati Lechlers came to visit us at the Spook House in McConnelsville.  The old house was across the road from the river and dam.  In bed at night it roared like the ocean and once the old place was fixed up, it was a great retreat from the city. Each cherry season and corn season we met there to take care of the summer bounty.  Our children were young, but certainly old enough to be tied to the picnic table with 60 pounds of sour cherries in front of them and the command to PIT issued from the mouth of the boss.  It was child labor at its best. Those children are all grown up now and no worse for wear having eaten nearly as much as they pitted. The corn was also needing shucking and that command was  issued and shuck they did.  Big pots of boiling water were set up in the yard and the ears popped in and out of the water and the kernels removed from the cob and bagged in servings fit for each families' needs.  We would grill our dinner accompanied by as much corn on the cob as they wished to butter and consume. The meal was topped off with my dear mother's cinnamon rolls, each one the size of a pillbox hat. It would be dark then and ghost stories about Edna and Pearl (the spooks sisters that once lived and died there) were reheard while lightening bugs were jarred and discussed to no end. Now these children have children and are they are getting ready to have children and so on and so on. It's cyclical and never ending.  Once we started the ball rolling, the kids just keep on coming, but they, unfortunately, will never get to enjoy the Spook house and those stunning summer rituals.

Individual pies baked in cupcake pans.

Hints from the English Kitchen to make your food special

                                      When it comes to flowers, ask the English.




SECRET TIPS FOR ADDING EXTRA FLAVOR TO YOUR RECIPESHere are some other SPRUCE UP ideas! Next time you are cooking and you want to add that little touch of something extra try adding these . . .

BALSAMIC VINEGAR - add to your spaghetti sauce. It will taste like your sauce has been simmering all day long.

CELERY SEED - to barbecue sauce. This is a trick I learned from my mom. It adds a fresh green note, even to sauces which have been stored for weeks.

CINNAMON - Add to your chili. The sweetness of cinnamon is a perfect counterpoint to hot chili spices.

COCOA POWDER - add it to  bread dough the next time you are making a rye bread. This is the secret that bakers use to make their pumpernickel so dark. Try adding about 2 TBS of unsweetened cocoa powder to each loaf. IN addition to a rich colour, it also adds a nice bite. I also add some cocoa powder to my ginger breads to give them that nice dark colour that is so desired in a gingerbread. Start by adding 1 tsp.

COFFEE - add to chocolate bakes. Coffee amplifies the taste of chocolate goodies. Add a splash to cakes, brownies, hot fudge sauce, and the stronger the better. Try using espresso if you have it.

HOT SAUCE - add it to your cheese sauces. Just a few shakes of Tabasco sauce can make all the difference between a cheese sauce that is just humdrum and a cheese sauce that sparkles with flavour! This is a trick that also works to add flavour when you are making creamy and rich Guacamole!  

LEMON JUICE - add to creamy spreads and dips. A squirt of lemon juice helps to brighten the flavours in sour cream and cream cheese spreads, no matter how good they may taste without it. Try it, and you will see I am right.

LEMON ESSENCE - I always add a half tsp of lemon essence to my baked goods along with the vanilla. I'm not sure why it happens but they always taste even better with just that little pinch of lemon essence. Trust me on this!

HORSERADISH - try adding a tablespoon of horseradish or mustard to your beef stew the next time you make one. It makes a beautiful difference!

NUTMEG - try adding a subtle grating of fresh nutmeg to your muffins batters and bechamel sauces. Just a tiny pinch will have people wondering what your secret touch is that makes your muffins and sauces taste so much better!

OIL - a bit of oil added to your pasta cooking water helps to keep your pasta from clumping together and from sticking to the bottom of the pot. I also think it helps to keep the pot from boiling over, but that could just be my imagination.

PAPRIKA - when flouring pieces of meat, fish or chicken in preparation for frying add a generous dash of sweet paprika to the flour along with the salt and pepper. It helps to give colour without altering the flavour. I also like to add a bit of garlic and onion powder and sometimes celery salt.

SALT - always add a healthy pinch of salt to the cooking water when you are cooking potatoes. They actually absorb more salt from the cooking water than they do when you add it later on, so you may actually reduce your overall sodium intake by adding it while cooking rather than later.

From the English Kitchen

Favorite Things

It is another snowy day today and I am getting weary of it even though we escaped the conditions for
a month early on...but it won't give up. So maybe it's a good time to pull out the Anne of Green Gables books.  I read this series each year at one point or another. I am only sorry I had not discovered this wonderful set of 'reads' before I quit teaching.  When I taught I took an inordinate amount of time after lunch each day for reading to my class. They remember it still and I don't regret one word. But, Anne of Green Gables was not a part of that calming period in our lives. My husband and I liked these stories so much that we bought the series on tape read by an English woman with a wonderful voice for the Canadian setting on Prince Edward Island.  Andy and I would listen to the entire series driving to antique shows all over the United States. We knew what was coming and could practically say the lines with the reader, but it had  a peaceful, cozy, calming rhythm to the script which we both enjoyed to no end. If you haven't read these book, no matter your age, get them from the library and then I am sure you will buy the set for yourselves.

                                                                                                      
 Coming soon to a table near you.                                                                              



Lucy Maud Montgomery author of Ann of Green Gables 

                         

Chicken pot pie. Yum.

                   

This has nothing to do with Anne, I just liked this little cottage.

I am also liking The Following (TV series) with Kevin Bacon on Monday nights at 9:00.  It is exciting, almost as good as 24 was.

I like the following blogs, so far:
Recipe Girl
Country Cook
The English Kitchen
Pinterest
I like a couple of the cooking shows--not as many as I once did because they are making them all in to competition and reality type shows with judges etc. I still like Barefoot Contessa, but not as much as I once did. Pioneer Woman is easy to view. Nigella from the UK.  I like her easy but kind of elegant ways...plus she is always hungry! Giada de Laurentiis, now that they have calmed her down.  She is simply a good cook who knows what she is doing.

I enjoy Facebook Scrabble with friends and random people and time management games on the computer. I am into Patterson (when he writes alone); David Baldacci if he isn't writing about the Camel Club, Karen White when I need soft fluff. Lisa Gardner when I need scaring, and Iris Johansen when she isn't looking for Bonnie's bones.

And my backyard~

 

 

 

Coming to a field near you...soon.

St James Park the UK.


I am enjoying the book Blackbirds
Baked in a Pie by Eugene Barter. It
is about a 60 year old who moved to a house in the foothills of the Pyrenees to start an auberge. There are stories about her guests, living in a foreign country, and recipes.