Life goes on...luckily

I need not have worried about too many tomatoes this year.  They have finished already.  They were also very small.  I heard several people say how small the tomatoes were this season. This is the first year in the 34 years we have lived here that we did not have a big garden.  The containers were good, but we think, too, that it was the dryness of the last few weeks that did them in. (It could be too that we had more BLTs this year than any other year.  That's got to stop and this is nature's way of saying so.)

Life without Winston has stabilized.  I only cry once a day now when I see something that tugs at my heart.  He was such a joy.

On a happy note, we have booked our rooms at Claiborne Mansion in New Orleans for Thanksgiving. Cloe, who has been very quiet of late, came to when I wrote that we were thinking of coming down for the holiday. 

Our Italy tour and wedding plans have firmed up to the point of no return and life is moving along too fast but in the right direction.

It's seafood today at Many Branches.  I have a concoction that will please everyone except Mike.  He is not a fan. Mashed potatoes with salmon and shrimp.  The mash is the star of this dish with no recipe, as usual.

We are getting a bit of rain today.  The plants are saying thank you as they bid summer farewell.
Our good boy, Winston.

Winston

We thought we were way out of the woods after a coyote mauled Winston late last fall, but this week has been hard for the little dog.  He has been in Ohio State's vet hospital for three days and we just now picked him up with directions and a shopping bag full of supplies for a feeding tube and bags of pills.  It was way over our heads so we took him directly to Beechwold vet hospital and worked out a solution with them to have him come to them at 7:30 in the mornings to spend the day getting fed through a feeding tube every four hours (plus the pills and shots), then we pick him up at 6:00 in the evening to spend the night at home where he feels so safe. It is amazing the trouble these vet doctors go to to make our animals whole again.  I don't have much in the way of encouragement for Winston, however.  He's sad and frightened and I am too.

I found an exciting, easy, delicious looking recipe to try but I am too sad to make it right now.  I will save it when there is better news.

Crispy hash brown's base in an iron skillet

What a day!!!!

We got up at seven this morning and looked out back and discovered our golf cart had been stolen. Turns out it was the get-away car for much-stolen goods from cars in the Marland neighborhood north of us.  It ended up over by the Clinton Township Police Department near a run-down housing complex.  How on earth could that golf cart hold a charge going many miles and still was able to have been driven to the police station by a policeman for our pick up.

I knew when I woke up it was going to be fresh hell day:  Winston was sick and had not eaten for two days and Andy announced he had called the plumber--three things and it was barely light out.  Ever have one of those days? Luckily, the Dispatcher at the police department was wonderful.  (I've had some who were NOT.) She got on the trail right away sending Officer Bales to our house in a few minutes to write up a report.  By noon the golf cart was sitting in our driveway being charged up thanks to the fast police work. It had been driven many miles. At the same time, Winston started eating, so he was well again, and the plumber only had to replace that flap thing in the tank. 

Needless to say there is no cooking going on at Many Branches today.  I hope your day is peaceful and happy. 

Thanksgiving is sorted out

Beth and I ran around Sunday afternoon and came to the conclusion that we should spend Thanksgiving in New Orleans again. We have done this a couple of times before and had a great time.  We want to sort things out so Beth's mom does not have so much to do, but I am sure that can be taken care of.  We get to see Adam again, he's flying in too.  We may even try for a little reception to celebrate Josh and Alyssa's marriage for those who could not get to Italy for the wedding and reception. Oh, we had big plans going Sunday afternoon.  

Has anyone noticed that the corn on the cob is very sad so far this summer?  Andy bought corn and peaches Saturday at the market and I must say the corn was disappointing.  Hope for improvement before fall sets in.

The tomatoes are rolling in and I started stressing until I got out the big tomato pot and put the herbs and spices combinations together along with every ripe tomato we had so far.  It made a nice big base for soups and sauces. Andy would like BLTs every day and so would I, but we have to put a limit on that...bacon every day?  Don't think that is wise.

Have a great week.

Combo of mac and cheese and chili

There are still people out there.  I thought I was alone.  Everyone is so quiet, but this dish woke them up on my Facebook. This is two dishes combined: mac and cheese and spicy chili with additions from the garden like green onions and peppers etc.  Pepperoni is in the mix and this can be used as a chat and grab with store bought scoops or as a main dish and it is good! I saw Tricia Yearwood make this sort of rendition on Food Network.  This is my take on it but you can use your spin.  If you are in a rush, use Stouffer's frozen mac and cheese and jarred chili.  (Our Carfagna's store makes the best spicy chili otherwise I make it from scratch.  Slap it together and add whatever makes you happy.)

soupcon

I had long thought of having a food truck until they became so prevalent.  I would have called it Soupcon (sounds like soups on) meaning a little bit (of soup).  I would serve only soups and bread items to go in or with the soups. I could actually make soup every day especially when I open the pantries and refrigerators and see all the wealth of ingredients.  Like today: I had Yukon Gold potatoes that needed using.  The day was cool like the beginning of fall, so potato soup came to mind because it can be eaten hot or cold...vichyssoise. Then I spotted, after starting the potato soup, a bag of shredded cabbage with carrots.   I looked out the window and there was Andy's celery begging to be a part of this delicious concoction. I cooked the soup and at the end added the shredded cabbage.  The contrast of the soft potatoes and the crunchy cabbage was delicious.  THAT would be one of my go- to soups.  I know the cabbage will not stay crispy, but it will still add a dimension to the finished product.

Andy is off to his last class of the summer and has already begun the search for OSU classes for fall.  He is a life long learner. The situation affords exercise for the mind and body.  He takes the bus and walks the rest of the way to classes.  If it is a walking class he is the last to arrive at the appointed spot, but he gets there.  Currently, in the class description paragraphs, it states that one must be able to keep up with the (walking) group.  Andy laughed believing that sentence was meant especially for him. When it comes to minds, however, he can match his with the best of them.  Andy is really impressed with the minds of his classmates.  They know what they are talking about and have a clear vision of where they are going in life.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.  Enjoy it.

Gateau di patate

Yes, I am going all Italian on you as of now.  I rarely, if ever, order Italian food when eating out, but this recipe for mashed potato pie that Giada De Laurentiis' grandfather wrangled out of a restauranteur after 3 years, took my eye as she prepared it on Food Network  Saturday morning. It is prepared in a springform pan and comes out looking a bit like cheesecake and you slice it as such. I hope I run into this wonderful concoction in my long stay in Italy.  But I am going to try it at home first.  It had me at potato; I can eat a potato in any form at any time and am pleased to do it. My favorite was in England at Bermondsey standing outside a flea market in the cold ordering a jacket potato as big as my shoe with several odd toppings that Americans do not usually apply to a baked potato.  Have you had baked beans on a baked potato or coleslaw or cottage cheese?

Yesterday it was 90 degrees and we had the pleasure of Matt and Madeleine's company for the afternoon.  We all were in the pool for most of the afternoon.  Even the dogs liked being cooled off by Madeleine's small buckets of water.  She watered the plants and the dogs in turn. I finally got out and made BLTs and they left the table in a hurry.  Our tomatoes are coming on and somebody help me...Every summer it is the same.  There is an outside table right now laden with tomatoes and bounty from the container gardens.  I felt guilty so I made a great gazpacho that can be turned into tomato soup with a splash of cream. It can be eaten hot or cold but so far three people have eaten it hot.  I also made strawberry shortcake today with glorious red through and through strawberries.

If you can't find the recipe for gateau di patate on Food network tv, I will print it out for you on this blog.  But, it is easy to find and I bet she has the same show on  right now on Monday or Tuesday.  They usually repeat the weekend shows during the early part of the week.  The show honors her grandfather's 100th birthday. He was a person who was a very creative and busy man who also loved food and ways to cook it.

 Well, I have also been reading.  I found a new author who has lured me into reading three of her seven novels so far. Shalinir Boland is her name.  I've read The Best Friend, Marriage Betrayal, and Millionaire's Wife so far. So I go to the kitchen and make a dish and then read for about a half an hour and clean a drawer or cupboard then read another half an hour.  It's like a treat...a child at heart I am. The cooking keeps Andy busy unloading the dishwashers and carrying out the trash--then he reads or treats himself to a show on his lap top or picking tomatoes; a sight I was looking forward to but now it is out of hand and we are just beginning.  Okay, no one leaves Many Branches without a load of produce, especially tomatoes!  That's the rule.

Sunny July

What a glorious summer. I don't want it to end.  Yet 'they' are selling Christmas already on TV. The Hallmark channel has all Christmas programming.  It's insane. Why do they have to rush everything?  After the 4th of July they start in about school supplies and clothes turn winterfied while the temperatures hit 90 degrees. It's like children who instead of enjoying the moment they start asking what's next. That's my soapbox for today.

Having written that I look back with a red face because I  just received my Italy itinerary today and it is something. Angela, and Johnna (my daughter-in-law) and I meet up in Rome and tour for a week then end up in Florence for Alyssa's wedding for four days then have a private tour of Tuscany. We are going to learn to make pasta by hand.  Yiiikes.  We are tasting wine seemingly all day every day.  They may find us laying by the side of a country road before it is over. We will be gone from October 3rd to the 17th. One thing we won't be doing is touring Tuscany by bike.  Beth and the Cincinnati kin did that and it nearly killed them, I hear it is very hilly.

Tonight's menu will include lobster and shrimp stuffed ravioli fresh but not made by me.  Sam's have lovely fresh ravioli and it is fast and easy. Andy is eager for BLTs to start because our tomatoes have begun and there are four or five now every morning greeting me on the outside table making me feel guilty if I can't use them fast enough.  Well, it's a good problem to have. I love summer.

Ham and belly buttons

That is a Saturday menu, ham (Rose ham) and belly buttons which are five cheese tortellini pasta made with ricotta, aged parmesan, mozzarella, mascarpone, and aged Romano cheese. Beth invited her two little boy (friends) for the afternoon and I made them rice Krispy treats and I thought to give them a jolt with belly buttons as well.  We will see if they ask for that again!

July is lovely here at Many Branches.  Slow-moving and stress free.  I refuse to think of anything unpleasant with such beauty and peace resting here.

Our Italy plans are to be firmed up this week, although they were pretty much firmed up with the payments; but, I need to know what I am doing for two weeks every day and every way.  I used to whisk off every other month to Paris for antiques, but that stopped in 2005.  My travels have been in America since then, so an international trip, alone, and at my age is something to really think about and one really has to want to go in order to actually do it. I am, however, meeting up with one of my daughters-in-law and her sister in Rome at the airport, so hopefully, I won't be left in luggage pick up riding the carousel for hours on end clutching my wedding attire.

Have a beautiful weekend, my friends. Oh, you might want to start watching Years and Years on HBO.  You can catch up on the first three episodes at on Demand, HBO series.  It will wake you up for sure.

Some good finds

I am always looking for new things to try and over the holiday I found several delicious things. I was afraid to open the refrigerator on the 5th of July since I did not do any clean up or package any of the left-overs.  When I did get up the nerve to take a peek the first thing I saw was a big bottle of Turkey Hill Blackberry sweet tea.  Who knew you could buy iced tea in a ready-made jug. I was thirsty and in the mood to try the tea and to get it out of the fridge to make room for current cooking items. I found it delicious.

For the party, I noticed in my pantry a jar of Amish Jake and Amos baby beets. Now I knew they were good so I put them in the fridge and planned to serve them with the cheese platter sprinkling blue cheese crumbled on the beets.  That turned out well--not for the men though who were busy beating their chests over Sams ribs and my chicken and noodles.

On the 6th, today, I am still afraid of the fridge so I started watching the Food Network in my night clothes and saw Trisha Yearwood making something scrumptious which I wish I had seen before the party.  She made a recipe of mac&cheese and a recipe of firm chili (not soupy) and mixed the two together and served it with a bag of Scoops.  Her guests went wild.

David, our son, was here for several days and had me get out the Instant Pot pressure cooker thing that I had been avoiding using because it is a pressure cooker thing.  We made the best beef stew in thirty minutes.  We cut the chuck roasts into chunks cooked that in about 20 minutes, let it cool down and added the carrots and potatoes and in a few minutes it was completely delicious.  I will be using that much more now that he explained the workings of this new machine.  I learned a lot this 4th of July holiday weekend, not all good, but mostly good, like life itself.

Oh well, another day, another party...but not for a while. We were so lucky to have a lovely sunny, hot day and that put the pool to good use. And now, it is time to get into the pool and cool off. I love to float around, pure joy.

salad days

It's 10:45 and I have finished four large salads for the party.  I have three more salads to make closer to the 4th.  So far there is a corn tex-mex style salad with a couscous base, a pasta salad with vegetables, a seven layer salad to be tossed at the very last moment, and a broccoli salad with sour cherries and pumpkin seeds. I still have a spinach and mandarin orange salad with slivered almonds, a chicken salad for sliders, and a platter of sliced tomatoes with basil and mozzarella. It's to be 90 degrees, what can I say.  Salads are in order.

David and his dog, Leo, are on the way from Florida for a week of fun.  He's already in Tennessee, so he is making good time.  There will be 20-25 people here to swim and visit.  We all need a break with fun included so drinks and cards and games and swimming will be on the agenda.

I need to get on the 25 pounds of peaches ripening on the porch.  Everything at once, you know how that goes.