Weed whacking Saturday

It's Christmas, is it?  Having a man come to whack weeds and get the yard back in order today is a gift.  I like things neat and the weeds with all the rain are running the show at this point.  I like feeding the workers to keep them happy and today it is pepperoni mac and cheese with pepper bacon accents and peach cobbler.  I am counting the minutes until he (they) get here.  I never know how many are coming. (Ahhh, I heard the whine of the weed whacker...thank you, thank you.)

It is cloudy today and not too warm, so outside work should not be too bad.  We still have a table full of plants to get in their places.  We have lost all reason this summer buying flowers and vegetables to grace the land.   It is such a lovely time of year.

Do you watch the Saturday cooking shows on the Food Network?  That's the only time I watch and I also get into public television cooking on Saturdays.  I like Lidia and also Martha for sure.  I like it better when they do the shows alone and only cook and not try to entertain.  The Food Network has become totally silly with competition, and games, and nonsense, but early Saturday mornings it seems to be totally about food and not about the hosts.  I am tired to death of Guy F. who is on nearly all of the time! They have Ina Garten on at an odd time, so I miss her every time she is on.  I like the Pioneer Woman--isn't it strange how these people are built up and then you start seeing their demise as people either become jealous or just plain nasty in the comments they leave.  There is no retribution for their rancor, so they spew their wrath in illogical rhetoric. The same of course with the news.  The comments they leave are debilitating. Why do these celebrities put themselves out there...must be the rewards are greater than what they have to put up with.  They are now 'on' Pioneer Woman but she may be dimpling it all the way to the bank. Good for her!


Mac and cheese ready for the oven. Peach cobbler actually in the oven...

Peach cobbler with the last of last year's peaches.

Ode to okra

This must be a first.  Who on earth besides me is obsessed with pickled okra? I saw a jar in the market and it ticked a box in my memory and I stuck a jar in my cart and off I went on a new adventure.  I tasted a lot of pickled products as a child.  My mother was a great pickler, but she was not southern so it might have been in another home that I first had okra. When I opened the bottle and pulled out a spear I thought I hope I live long enough to buy another bottle of pickled okra because this one is not going to last.  I have put it in everything including Nate's breakfast take away that I fix for him every morning--first, the dogs are outed and fed, then Nate's breakfast is prepared, then coffee is made, then we sit out by the pool and think about the good life.  For the last few mornings Nate has discovered okra in his eggs, on the side, with the bacon...no complaints so far.  I have also, writing about take out, discovered on Amazon that you can buy paper Chinese take out cartons and so today is a new era, no more plastic bags or plastic containers--paper is the key.  I worry about the planet and all that plastic that we are stacking up and which lasts a thousand years. You can buy 50 cardboard Chinese containers for around $13. and save the earth at the same time. (I bought the ones with no wire grips so they can go in the microwave although I don't have one of those, but someone could stick the carton without the wire in to reheat if they wanted to.)

Anderson's is no more:

Andy and I saw an ad this morning that lured us to Anderson's for the last time.  Two weeks and it is over forever. We walked into a stark view of what once was.  No meats, vegetables, or editable products of any kind.  The wine shelves were empty except for $300. bottles of wine for 30% off.  We escaped to the garden center and it was like paradise.  ALL of the plants, and there were many, were fresh and beautiful begging to be taken home.  We got two carts and became busy.  We filled both.  On the way to check out there was a bin of white duvets for twin beds, $6. a piece, perfect for the mother-in-law suite.  We should have explored more, but the car was full so we came home to an afternoon of planting.

Gifts and such

One of my nice Mother's Day present was the largest bottle of Kiehl body moisturizer.  The large size lasts several months, maybe even a year.  It is thick as clotted cream and the color of custard.  It's the best I have ever had.  Beth and Mike kindly gave me a big jug of it and I was thrilled.  The last bottle I bought on sale for $50. from Nordstrom, but they have not had a sale since and besides, I am not happy with Nordstroms. It is a $75. purchase and it is worth it, just hard to part with that much money to smear on one's body. Got to keep the body going, however, so I was so pleased to be blessed with this lotion.

Matt and Stacy got me a lovely yellow lily plant.  I have several long lasting lilies near the conservatory and I hope to plant this and have it come up with the others next season.  These lilies really are long lasting cut flowers and if you clip the center stamens of the lily it saves you from having stains where ever the stamens fall.

The pork dinner went over well last night.  There was enough to send to Matt and Stacy when Beth and Mike went to visit with Madeleine.  That baby is advancing so quickly; she's a winner.

Our flower search continues today.  The purge of blooms this year was amazing and I am sure the stores and nurseries are rolling in money.  Good for them. We have just returned from Dill's with a car load of blossoms.  Sadly not enough red geraniums to fit the bill, so we are using pink ones with purple petunias for the pots on the apartment steps.

I have been reading a lot lately.  My little Kindle is good outside or in and it is small and fits in my purse when I go to the hair salon or the pedicure shop or any place I might have a chance to get a few passages in. If I see a book on Amazon and want to buy it, it is one click and done. It appears a few minutes later on my Kindle and I don't have to worry about shelf space when I have finished.  I have been reading light books by Mariah Stewart.  Her work has kept my interest lately.

We have always been fans of Donato's pizza since David first turned us on to it years ago.  I have to say the last two we have had have been a great disappointment.  The once large pizza is now the size of the old medium, but costing the same as the old large, the crust is wobbly and the pepperoni is scant. The mushrooms are shriveled. We did a first by throwing some of it away. We don't get pizza often, so I am not going to give them another chance.  We are looking for a new place.

Writing about food; I have no idea what will be simmering in my kitchen today. One thing is working in my kitchen right now ... the Smart Clean Bissell robot sweeper.  That was such a good buy at Ollie's and it works so well.  We bought one for Beth for Mother's Day.

Have a great day in the sun.

Settle into summer~

It's the day after a very lovely Mother's Day here at Many Branches.  The sun is shining, the dogs are at the spa (groomer), and it is a quiet and peaceful time to enjoy coffee under the pergola by the pool.  A little tanning would not be amiss. What makes it especially nice is Johnny Contrell has a man who is coming once a week to do some work around here.   Andy does the pool and he and I can mow but the weed whacking and surface blowing and power washing...well you know the routine if you own a home.

Something needs doing ALL the time.

Andy and I are going to Oakland Park Nursery and also to an out of town nursery called Dills.  We are finishing up the containers running up the guest apartment steps  Geraniums are what we usually plant; vivid red ones leaving a lovely trail leading to one entrance to the apartment. The selection, however, as we found out yesterday leaves a lot to be desired.  Customers ravaged the flower sections of the stores and nurseries this year. Columbus is going to be pretty as the blooms strut their stuff this season.

Before we leave I am going to put a rolled pork shoulder roast in the slow cooker with potatoes, carrots, celery, and carrots, and green beans.  I'll use this roast in many ways and it is so delicious at the end of the day.  I look forward to a drink before dinner while smelling the contents of the slow cooker wafting through the house. Life is good.

Playing with my food

Today is just one of those days when one feels like experimenting with food.  It is cool and cloudy outside and Andy is off to his first summer course at OSU.  So I look in the fridge for inspiration and see all of these raw vegetables that beg to be used so I start a southern trinity of bell pepper, celery, and onions in butter and lemon oil on the stove.  I see carrots and so I add a northern carrot touch to the mix and slowly saute them all as I think about the other things I see such as a head of cabbage that I bought as a treat for Beth.  I cut a wedge up in fine little pieces and added that to the pot along with two diced potatoes.  Next, I opened a pouch of dry Ranch dressing mix and added that to the good smelling mixture burbling away on the stove.  I tasted and then thought of a can of Rotel tomatoes/green chilis and in that went. Next, I added several fillets of tilapia because it was, after all going to be a seafood dish and I wanted the taste to develop. Salt and pepper to taste and so I left it to simmer while a plate of small sea scallops waited to dive in.Tasted again and added a cube of chicken bouillon and a bit more water. Now when Andy comes up the driveway in go the scallops and more tilapia and Bob's your uncle lunch is served.

Creole white bean/ham and shrimp

Karen asked for the recipe for Creole white bean and ham with shrimp recipe.  Ann made it while she was here and this is how (we) did it.  You can adjust it all to your taste and needs, Karen, so this is how I would do it after watching Ann.  She wanted to make it to take to a party that was going on in Pittsburg this week end.  We just kept a bit to taste. Karen if you have a good recipe for ham and bean soup use that and cook until not soupy, then add the Creole seasoning and garlic powder, chopped ham and shrimp along with the New Orleans trinity of green pepper, onion and celery.

I started the whole thing off in two crock pots with left over ham bones from the freezer.  If I were doing it I would use a Rose shoulder butt ham as shown on my facebook.  (Ann
and, I would use the big electric turkey roaster that I have if we were doing it for a crowd and we were.)  In the pot you are using fill the pot to cover the ham bone or ham butt with some fresh herbs and a whole onion cut in half thrown in.  Soak your great northern beans overnight.  We actually soaked four pounds, but normal people don't need that many. lol Let this go for hours until you have a nice broth. Don't season.  Remove the Rose ham and set it aside to chop up to add at the last minute.  But if you are using ham bones, leave them in if you have room when the beans are added.  Next get some butter and olive oil going in a big skillet and add 4 big chopped onions, 4-6 stalks of celery chopped, and one large diced, finely diced, green pepper--the New Orleans trinity, in other words. When the trinity has some good color, add it to the ham broth and use some chicken broth or more water if you think there is not enough to cover the beans that have soaked overnight.  So, add the beans,  3 sprigs of thyme, some parsley chopped, some hot pepper flakes or hot sauce, 2 tablespoons Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning,  some fresh oregano, a big amount of garlic powder to your taste,  but NO SALT UNTIL THE BEANS ARE COOKED TO DONENESS. Add two or three cans of Rotel tomato and green chilis.
For several hours stir and taste, stir and taste.  When the beans are tender season with salt and black pepper.  Keep picking out the spent fresh herbs and adding fresh ones.  (If I were doing it I would stir in a tablespoon of dijon mustard, but Ann would not.)  At this point just add what you think it needs, you can't hurt it.  When it is to the stage you want it, put in the chopped ham and the 2 pounds of shrimp.  (Cook some white rice or curly buttered noodles and top them off with your Creole beans.)
Actually, it is like a thick ham and bean soup with Creole seasoning and then at the last you add the shrimp.

Rose hams and their virtues

The virtues of Rose shoulder hams are many, but finding them is no small matter.  They used to be in our markets at holiday time, but then they disappeared altogether.  I found the official site online but it was $48. to ship four little hams...you could buy three more hams for that cost, so Giant Eagle ordered them for us and they were here in a day or two.  These gems are delicious anywhere you put them.  They can be in long cooking green beans with potatoes and corn, in various soups, with noodles and ham, in potato soup.  The list is long and seemingly endless.  Matt even likes them sliced and eaten as is.

Actually, I think the loaf I sent to Pittsburg is better than what I bought today.  I am not sure it is the same recipe because the other was much moister and full of nuts, cranberries, and raisins.  This one seems sparse.

Another thing we found at Giant Eagle in the bakery was walnut, cranberry, raisin bread; oh my gosh, it is so moist and delicious. We ate some of it but I sent the rest to bread girl in Pittsburg because Ann is heading back there for weekend activities and bread girl only eats bread. (She has now added a few other things to the mix, but when I knew her bread was the main meal for her.)

I just found this in the fridge. Ann Bettencourt left me this Creole white bean, ham, and shrimp dish to serve with rice or buttered noodles; it looks delicious she made it a whole coffin of it. This is what she left for me, thank you, Ann.

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I'll miss you, Ann

Mother's Day  

Tomorrow Ann leaves and I must say we have packed in some good times.  Yesterday we made a coffin of Creole white beans with ham and shrimp, sat in the sun, and then Beth took us to dinner and the movie The Zookeeper's Wife.  If you haven't seen the movie, don't miss it, it is wonderful.

Today Ann and I went for a manicure and pedicure and lunch at a Japanese restaurant, Tensuke, and then to the restaurant' market where  I stocked up on Sriracha hot chili sauce, got some brown rice salmon sushi Bentos for Beth and Nate and some frozen shrimp tempura and bay scallops.

We finally heard from Brooks who started Army Ranger school after Easter and this is the first we have heard from him.  One hundred twenty-six men started the Ranger course and four days later only 60 remained, and Brooks remained.  He is hungry and tired and  longs for homemade food and a clean bed but is determined to not let it beat him  Ann and I have co-written a letter a day because that is the only communication he is allowed...no Internet or cell phones.

Ann leaves tomorrow and she will be missed but will try to get back for Matt's wedding week-end which is proving to be bigger as the days grow longer. lol

I had a picture of Ann with the turkey roaster full of white beans, ham, and shrimp, but it was too dark a picture so you will just have to imagine four pounds of dried white beans that soaked up gallons of water and filled the  roaster with the white beans, the New Orleans trinity of vegetables, and a mixture of Creole spices.

Ann's coming

                                          

Beth, Ann, and one of her two sisters, Kristen; a pretty grouping.

It is always a pleasure seeing Ann, Beth's mother, and we are fortunate to have her for two or three days up here from New Orleans.  Ann is a very talented woman who is a designer and a very good cook. Beth, Ann, and I are having an afternoon and evening out on Monday which will include dinner and a movie...maybe The Zookeeper's Wife.  Plans are still in the making, so I have started several dishes in case a crowd appears by magic or that we want to spend some time dining alfresco now that it has started warming up again. Ann likes my beef bourgeon, so that is one dish in the making and since it tastes even better the next day or two it will hold well.

Monday morning I will do a big frittata because I always send Nate off with a carryout breakfast for his day of hard labor and if I catch Mike in time he will have a slice and there will be plenty for Ann and Andy, and Beth (if she is eating.) I am not a breakfast person.  In fact, I used to miss both breakfast and lunch because I moved so fast and was so busy.  I never missed these meals but I was good and ready for dinner when the time came.

There is a lot going on with Matt's wedding the 2nd of September and then if the Cincy family stays over we will have a Labor Day celebration the Sunday after the wedding.  There may be another wedding in the future too, so a busy time is ahead for those planners and executors, brides, and grooms.  Life is good.  I am also happy to report that JD Lechler got a 4.0 for his freshman year in college and Adam Lechler got his first 4.0 this semester. Thank you, God.

All white mac and cheese

Why don't you just relax like I do?

It usually takes me about a week to get my ducks back in a row after an event like Easter.  I have noticed it is taking a bit longer each time but it is not arduous because I have so much help; I just move slower. Except this time.  I had the help and it was great but all of a sudden allergies galore appeared to shock me.  The cars were all yellow, the outside tables were yellow, the driveway, the tennis court...every tree on the property showed off this year and it left me gasping.I thought it's a cold, no, it's the pollen, no definitely a cold...whatever it is it is going to kill me by coughing.  I know, I know, I am not the only one.  We will survive.  Needless to say, the kitchen suffered.  The only thing I made during the entire week was an all white mac and cheese using up the cheese board left over pieces, the chicken meatballs, and the wonderful sturdy pasta that I like for mac and cheese.  It was a Fontina white beauty with pepperoni roses poked into the goodness crisping and peeking out all around the dish. I've discovered mac and cheese can be enhanced with leftovers.  The dish was so pretty I wanted to picture it, but it just took too much effort. Hopefully, I am on the mend because I have sent Andy to the store so there will be plenty to cook in a few minutes.

I have been trying to write a letter a day (by email) to my sister-in-law who has really had a year and a half of woe.  She keeps breaking bones and has had several operations and casts on her legs and because of this I try to entertain her with letters. I managed to accomplish that this week and hope to continue until she and Joe can come to stay here a few days for fun. Things should be quiet here until July 4th but then and after that, several things will be going on that will need celebrating and attention. I'll be ready.

Have a great sneeze free week.

Bon Appetit...Now We May Eat

The weather report called for 90% chance of rain Easter Day and we had 25 guests coming and every bed in the house and apartment was full.  But, you don't fool with the weather goddess when it comes to events and the weather.  When we had David's wedding reception outside with dancing on the tennis court and tents galore, it rained every place in Columbus except Cooke Road.  People were amazed, but not a drop fell on this stretch of road the entire night.  Easter Day was no exception and it was so pleasant to be outside.  When Pam and George arrived a day early to help, Pam gave me an amazing addition to my cookbook library from George's Aunt Karen Agnor.  This was her second cookbook and I cannot wait to delve into those recipes.  I do love a clean house and a good cookbook.  I read them like novels. As I cook through the book I will share some favorites.  Thank you, Karen.  Thanks, too, to George for repairing my 58- year- old spring form pan by riveting it back together.  I bought it on our honeymoon/work trip in California (for six months) for $8. at May & Co.

We had the best boneless prime rib and instead of regular potatoes and gravy, I fixed funeral potatoes.  That was one empty dish at the end of the meal and an easy one to put together although in our case Pam did the work on that special addition.  The recipe was from Pioneer Woman (on TV)  but I noticed another version in Karen's book this morning.  I will have to try the many combinations for funeral potatoes called that for obvious reasons--well, maybe not.  It was carried to memorials and buffets for after a funeral when everyone used to carry in a dish for the grieving family. (It didn't actually cause the death. lol)