Pursuit of happiness~

   I just discovered Susan Branch this morning
and she reminds me so much of Tasha Tudor
whom you all remember I am sure.  Susan has
a really interesting and cozy blog, and, she has
several books one of which is about to come out
in a few days.
    I thought to share of few ideas of what makes
me happy in the pursuit of pleasure and happiness...
just for fun.  (This will be on going due to the trouble of getting so many pictures on this blog at one time.)

Our home makes us very happy.

                       
Many Branches


                      

A French baker's rack and wire servers...

Twin pantry cupboards with hand painted still life art
                                             



                                                                             
          
We liked spending the last four Januarys at the beach house with Joe (Andy's brother and his wife, Glenda.  A full month together without a spat.






                                   Having Mike and Beth and Nate with us makes us happy.

Loving vintage glass ware and china for entertaining~

                 

      I place these little felt baskets on the adult Easter tables so guest can select an after dinner drink from the basket choices.                                                                          

An early Haviland fresh strawberry server with a sugar basket for dipping.  Each person would get their own little handled scoop filled with beautiful spring berries.  They knew how to entertain back then.Below that, in an awkward posting, is a collection of trios, all different which consists of a tea cup and saucer and a matching cookie plate.

An early server for fresh strawberries; note the sugar basket for dipping.                                    

Antique tea cups, saucers and matching dessert plate. Everyone gets a different trio.

A place setting of beautiful dishes that Monet used from the book Monet's Table. Haviland makes them available now.                                                        

Each person gets a different dessert trio: cup, saucer and dessert plate. Also pictured, cake plates and other serving pieces.     The yellow is Monet's table ware shown in Monet's Tabl


                                                                 

                                                   
                                                               

                                                                          

Antique trios: tea cup, saucer and dessert plate.  Everyone gets a different set.

I'm in 'the corner'

Cook's Corner will celebrate its 60th birthday Tuesday, marking six decades as a recipe exchange for home cooks throughout central Ohio.

The forum, published weekly in the Food &Life section of the Dispatch regularly features recipes for reader favorites and advice about all things food such as how to cook bear.  I bet that one isn't used very often, but a request appeared and Lisa Abraham answered.  She is the food editor now and is bringing the section back to greatness.  Sue Dawson served as Dispatch food editor from 1979 to 2000.  She supervised the column in its heyday, but cook's corner was first presented February 16, 1956 and was well received from the beginning.   It had a bumpy time a few years ago because on- line recipes are an easy find, but to me nothing beats a cup of coffee and a sit down with Wednesday's inspiration from the Cook's Corner.  May she thrive for another 60 years.



Spiced bacon pecans
makes 2 1/2 cups
4 strips bacon, diced
2 cups pecan halves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until almost crispy. Add the pecans and toss to coat thoroughly, then cook, stirring frequently, until evenly toasted 2-3 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, cayenne, salt, pepper, and brown sugar.  Toss with the bacon and pecans and cook for another minute. Spread out on the prepared baking sheet and allow to cool fully. Store, if there are any left, in an airtight container at room temperature.

If you do not get the Dispatch, you can get on line and read Cook's Corner ever Wednesday and view the recipes from the past as well as today's.

Lechler kennel and B&B

I had forgotten how much work a new puppy is, but oh the joy.  Alyssa flew in from New Orleans and she and Beth drove four hours (there and back) to pick up this little jewel who is peeking out the plane window checking out Southwest safety features. Bella and Fergie do not miss her at all, but Winston and Posy thought she was the berries.

These Lechler ladies and Pam Taylor will be going to Paris and Italy in June. What an adventure they will have. Kathy isn't pictured but she and her daughter Alex are going making a total of six. So it is: Our Beth, Kathy, Alex, Pam Taylor, Pam, and Mary Susan.  Mary Alice is in the picture, but she is not going.

Nate has selected Hawaii for his yearly trip.  He will go to his brother in Colorado to ski and snowboard at the beginning of his trip, then fly to Hawaii and return to Colorado for another stay.  All in twenty days of adventure.

What a week end.  I feel like I am running a kennel and a B&B.  It was so much fun having Alyssa and her new puppy to visit.  She and Beth had to drive four hours (there and back) to pick her up, but she was worth it,  I had forgotten how much work a new puppy is, see, that is forgotten too.  Bella and Fergie (dogs) wanted nothing to do with this interloper, but Winston and Posy were very good hosts. Alyssa will be a good dog owner and a thoughtful, caring mother to her new puppy.  She is one lucky dog.  

Chicken soup with rice~it's nice

                                 

           
The most popular and easiest dishes at the beach house this January were the crockpot soups.  Today I have a couple of rotisserie chickens and a bag of basmati rice and loads of vegetables, so chicken soup with rice will be the dinner tonight. I have taken the meat from the bones and now the bones, vegetables, seasoning and water are bubbling away making a delicious broth for the finished product.  If it does not taste right I will add an envelop of Gourmet Crockpot seasoning that I buy by the dozen to keep on hand to enhance different broths. It is spring like here in Columbus, but soups are still on the minds of the family because it is February.

Alyssa is coming home Saturday.  Her graduation puppy is waiting to be picked up and she is totally ready for her to be carried on the plane to New Orleans where Alyssa has a darling apartment which has all the accouterments for a special dog. I don't know what our four dogs are going to think of the little ball of all white fur, but...someone is going to have to adjust.  I have a nice Falter's ham ready for the Sunday table and plans for the juicy bone to make different kinds of bean soup.  Easter is near at hand and the freezers have the room, so why not?

I have been making chicken meatballs with a touch of red pepper flakes from Carfagna's chicken meatball mix.  The meatballs are delicious and I put them in any number of soups.I cannot stand those frozen meatballs that can be bought by the bag in the markets. They taste strange, so I make my own from the meat counter at the Italian speciality store named Carfagna's.

Making broth for chicken soup/rice.

Chicken meatballs for the soup.
                                  
                         

Egg roll stir fry

                                                 

Trying this today!! (And, it was delicious.)

1 pound ground beef or pork (crumple and fry with 1 large diced onion in a very large skillet.)

1 small head of cabbage sliced in julienne form.  Add to meat mixture

3 diced carrots add to meat and cabbage mixture

Stir the following together in a bowl: 4-5 cloves of garlic minced, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

Add the bowl contents to the skillet and mix, stir over medium to high heat for 4 minutes.

Reduce to medium and cook until cabbage is tender as you would any stir fry.

I am using this minced chicken, carrot, onion,celery mix instead of pork or beef because I had a nice rotisserie chicken on hand.

4 to 6 servings   

Snickerdoodle Bread

             

I have been on a loaf pan frenzy for the last two months...don't know why, but if it fit in a loaf pan, then that was the food's vehicle for the day.  This is my second post after being away for a month and not writing for Sundays with the Lechlers, so as I was searching for inspiration  snickerdoodle bread showed up everywhere I looked all of a sudden.  I could post several recipes, but what is the point when you can google snickerdoodle bread and take your choice of dozens of recipes.  I am going to select one and if it is really good, I will tell you where to find it. If you find one, please let me know what you've tried.  The snickerdoodle cookies are so good and so old fashion, I just don't know why I never heard of snickerdoodle bread until today.  (Maybe it was the loaf pan that caught my attention.)

Mennonite Girls Can Cook's (blog) featured individual beef wellington today.  I have always wanted to try that, but if you don't get it right, think of the cost of that mistake.  Beef is so expensive now and we are paying steak prices for ground chuck now days unless it happens to be on sale, so the cut that costs in the puff pastry wrap is a treasure to be uncovered for sure if it is done right.    

  Another thing I didn't realize until this Florida trip, stores' prices are not fixed and depend on the area in which you are shopping at the time.  I thought if Kroger had a price for ground chuck, one could get that price in any Kroger store no matter which one you happened to drive to. Not so, if you are in a high toned area, those prices will reflect that.  Publix is a really nice grocery store in Florida but you can pay one price and then drive 20 miles and find a different price.  (Andy does a lot of our shopping, so I am constantly surprised and always interested in the way things play out.)

Home again with great pleasure

                                         


         

This to this~
                                                         

It is always lovely to spend January away from the snow and cold weather but coming home today to 60 degrees isn't bad either.  Home is where my heart stays.  I don't know what it is about this place but being able to buy his property was one of the happiest days of my life and driving into the driveway always thrills me because it feels like a part of me rests here and will be here forever...even though I will be pushing up daisies one day. .. hopefully a long time off because I have so much to do and things to see and of course promises to make good.

Beth picked me up at the airport and she is such a doll and so cheerful and helpful and filled with a loving spirit.  The house could have been pictured for a magazine with all of the flowers, clean and healthy dogs, and everything in its place.  It just sparkled. She is a blessing for sure.  Mike flew down to Florida to drive the old folks home.  (Glad I am not included in that description.)  Glenda did pretty well this year even with a very bad knee.  There are five levels to that beach house so we all got in our exercise every day for a month.  It was hardest on her, but she is a trooper.  It rained pretty much but on the sunny days we managed to bake our bones and I came home with a really good tan which always looks nice with a yellow cashmere sweater set and pearls.  It will soon fade, but I am going to make the most of it.

I always say I will never cook again after a month of non-stop cooking, but already I am putting together a grocery list in my mind for my very clean and organized frig. But Beth and I had Chinese carry out tonight and it was so delicious.  Andy and Mike won't be back until very late tomorrow night, so maybe we can work in another carry in meal or two. Steak would be nice since we feasted on seafood for a month.
 (Here is a good idea from Pinterest.)
   iwashyoudry.com

 from I Wash You Dry

Shrimp Taco Bites

Shrimp Taco Bites. Seasoned shrimp in scoop tortilla chip with sour cream, cilantro, and avocado. Great appetizers

I didn't create anything new on the trip, nor did I find inspiration when we ate out, but I have been watching Netflex and several really good cooking events are on there along with Doc Martin, House of Cards, Nurse Jackie (which I cannot watch the last of the series as she continues to shoot herself in the foot.) I got Joe on Netflex and he is so hooked that it was difficult to get him into the card games.  We played over sixty GAMES , not hands, games of Euchre...now I can't stand the name or the game.  We were so far ahead, but those Lechler men are made for cards; they passed us by and so I quit! And tore up the running score. Nice lesson for the young, right?

I will try to get on track and give you some good recipes.  Ina Garten had a great wild rice salad that I want to make for Easter.  Do you realize we are into Lent and Easter is March 27th and everyone is coming?  I had better get my head and menu together.  Talk to you so.  Glad to be back and sorry to have left you hanging for a month.

P.S. I did have one new thing to try while in Florida, well, new to me. Our son David made skillet lasagna one evening to relieve me cooking for once.  It was delicious and eaten in one sitting because you simply select the size skillet that fits the needs of those having dinner with you at that time.  We had seven that evening so a large deep skillet fit with a lid did the trick.  An iron skillet is really great as well. 
Buy the no cook sheet noodles which is a wonderful invention I must say and time efficient, or any kind of pasta that you like. Put a layer of your favorite sauce in the bottom of the skillet. Put a layer of chopped ground chuck (cook before but just slightly), then a layer of sauce, then noodles, then cheese cheese...you get the idea just as you would the tedious lasagna recipe but scaled down.  End with cheese, put on the lid and set the skillet on a baking sheet to catch the spill, and slide it into the oven for around 40 minutes or until it has a good bubble going. It is special.  I found Prego spicy sausage (jar) made it more delicious and I also sprinkled a packet of dried onion soup over each layer of the meat for extra flavor.  Then you don't need salt. Pinterest has dozens of recipes for this and you can't go wrong.  

Once more before I go~

                                    
Happy New Year ~

I thought I was done posting until we get back from the beach, but Cook's Corner arrived this morning after everyone left to go skiing for a week.  There were so many great recipes and interest in this issue that I had to post a few of the recipes I am going to try until Andy and I depart to pick up Joe and Glenda for our adventure.

Spiced popcorn with pecans and raisins:
5 cups popped popcorn
2 cups pecans
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or virgin coconut oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 cup golden raisins
Heat your oven to 300 degrees
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil
Toss popcorn with pecans.  Set aside. Melt butter in a small skillet over low heat and add the seasonings and spices, stirring 30 minutes. Stir in syrup. Pour over popcorn mixture and mix to coat.
Spread popcorn on the prepared baking sheet and bake, tossing every 10 minutes until dry and the nuts are toasted. About 30 minutes. Let cool and stir in the raisins. (Don't put the raisins in during the oven bake or they will turn dry and hard.)

Veal piccata

8 veal scaloppine, less than 1/4 inch thick
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Sprinkle veal with salt and peer then dredge the veal lightly in the flour, shaking off excess.  In large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat.  add half of the veal cutlets and cook JUST until brown, about 3 minutes per side.  Using tongs, transfer the scaloppine to a plate and repeat with the other veal, remove from pan.  In the same saute pan, add the broth, lemon juice and capers and bring mix to a boil over medium heat scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Simmer 2 minutes and whisk the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into the sauce.  Return the veal to the pan just to heat through. Don't over do the heat or you will have shoe leather to chew. Arrange veal on platter and pour over the sauce. YUM.

A good cookbook...read it like a novel

                        


I will miss your company.  I will post on
Facebook but not on this blog until early 
February.  Off to the beach to bake my bones.

Sunday night dinner: lamb chops and prime rib

Roasted Lamb Chops tonight (Sunday)

                                                                             
Her bread recipe right out of my oven. It works.
                                                                               

Although sad, Ruth writes well and produced a good cookbook.  As the novel like cookbook moves along Ruth comes out of it and sprinkles the pages with doable recipes.  As you can see, I have places marked to try.  This book does move along nicely, yet allows for contemplation and places to pause where a good recipe catches the fancy of the reader.  I am doing the bread recipe that gets punched down to size three or four times.  Ruth did this when the electricity was out for three days and states it was the best baked bread with intense flavor from the extra risings.  The recipe is so short with only like three ingredients and I will be putting it in the oven this evening, so I will let you know.  There are several recipes I am thinking of trying after I have had plenty of sun at the beach in January because there is always company coming.  It is like running a bed and breakfast.
NOTE;
THE FAMILY IS WILD ABOUT THIS BREAD. It was gone in an hour as people wandered in from their daily activities. I am off to make another batch.

A quiet Christmas week~

                                                  
This Christmas
will be a quiet one for Andy and me.  Beth, Mike, and Nate are going to visit Adam out west for a ski week during Christmas week.  As they get back Andy, Joe, Glenda and I leave for Florida for a little over a month.  Ahhh, the beach.  So I am free of cooking and planning and rushing.

I am doing some baking to take to David, JD, and Johnna in Florida.  They miss the Christmas hub-bub and sweet treats.

I will keep adding to this post as things progress, but for now it is short and sweet.  Merry Christmas.    


                                            

Christmas breakfast for Santa and all.

From La table de Nana


I'll likely never forget the first time I ate cream cheese brownies.  I taught school (for thirty years) and we had bake sales.  As I was searching the table one sale for something delicious I spotted cream cheese brownies--a half dozen of them which I ate on the way home from school while driving.

Cheesecake Brownies
One 9-inch (23cm) or 8-inch (20cm) square pan

Adapted from Ready for Dessert (Ten Speed)

For those of you who like higher brownies, use an 8-inch pan.

• 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 4 ounces (115g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2/3 cup (130g) sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (70g) flour
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (80g) chocolate chips
• 8 ounces (200g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 5 tablespoons (75g) sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Line a 9-inch (23cm) or 8-inch (20cm) square pan with foil, making sure it goes up all four sides. Use two sheets if necessary. Mist with non-stick spray or grease lightly.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180C).

3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and beat in the 2/3 cup (130g) sugar, then the eggs.

4. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and salt, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

5. In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese, the yolk, 5 tablespoons (75g) of sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

6. Distribute the cream cheese mixture in eight dollops across the top of the brownie mixture, then take a dull knife or spatula and swirl the cream cheese mixture with the chocolate batter.

7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the batter in the center of the pan feels just set.

Let cool, then lift out the foil and peel it away. Cut the brownies into squares.

Storage: These will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days. They also freeze well, too.

From the blog of David Lebovitz