Hand pies

 Today it is pear and apple hand pies. David had sent a Harry and David treat box and it had the ripe pears and some apples in it.  We have a lot of food to take care of from Christmas, so puff pastry hand pies is one solution. Maybe I can get a good picture of them with y new phone which is a bit scary.  That phone does a lot of things.

Life is leveling out here at Many Branches and we are debating what to do with the tennis court.  I have had it redone and or fixed three times and it needs it now, but I am dragging my feet..  That tennis court is much worse to deal with than a pool I can tell you that.  It looks pretty for a while and suddenly it is a problem again.  All around this city there are tennis clubs; Mike has joined a good one with good rates, so, we are considering having it taken away which is no small feat. We will debate that to death and one day they will come home  and it will be done.

I have pear and apples simmering on the stove and I am still in my night wear, so I will leave you now.

Happy New Year

 Santa knows Trader Joe.  He dropped off a food basket for us via Matt and Stacy and they delivered it last night. There was a bag of Omega Trek Mix that looks so tasty.  Not dried out like a lot of mixes.  It looks freshly packaged.  I will tell you how good it is once we break open the bag.  Andy has opened the Lebkchen cookies and given his approval...but then he never saw a cookie that he did not like (that's a double negative.) The one that might make me bake again is the Chocolate Mochi cake mix with peanut butter frosting mix. The presentation bag was held up by Santa and enclosed in his suit was a bottle of wine.  It was a cute presentation. Thank you Stacy and Matt. Their little girls are little mothers to new baby Mason.

It's peaceful here at Many Branches.

Note: We have started testing the Trader Joe's items and found that the Lebkuchen cookies in the packaging had paper in between the cookies and the paper became one with the rather strange icing Andy, who never turned away from a sweet ate a whole cookie while thinking what the heck is the matter with these cookies--they were tossed!  While the base was not bad the base was not worthy of a buy.

Note: Patty, thank you for your helpful posts.  I do not know how to respond under your posts to talk with you about them.  The Minor thing: I am already using the product you mention but it is not as good in my estimation. I can't put a finger on why the Minor product appeals to me more. I will try to find how to respond to comments and even publish them on the blog, and I have blogged over a thousand times without knowing how to comment back to readers.  Well, DUH...

Minor's folly

 I first bought Minor's beef base and also chicken base at Carfagna's for $6. each.  It is a great product for enhancing soups and stews.  Just a teaspoon or even half that can make all the difference. The next time I found it on line and paid eight dollars and ninety nine cents for the same size and same product. Yesterday I went on Amazon to buy the beef again and it was twenty six dollars for (one) the exact same thing, same size etc. I call that unreasonable. We are being taken for a ride.  The good thing is there are a lot of beef based products on the market and even if this is best, I will never buy it. Saying no is the beauty of the situation. (I also have the chicken base, the mushroom base and the vegetable base still on hand. I just checked on line again and Walmart has it, 16 oz. for $31.00. I don't want it from another store on line. Amazon has all my information and it's free delivery and a click away. Boo humbug

I am still using the gargantuan pork shoulder roast.  It's soup today, yesterday it was pork stir fry...there's more. Luckily I am cooking for Adam and his girl because they are so busy getting settled. He stops by each evening for the goodies. So soup with pasta stirrings tonight. (little tiny tiny egg noodles which taste good and helps to thicken the soup)

I don't want to waste any part of a year but I tell you I am looking forward to January 1. I will be jubilant.

Pork roast

 I have a mother of a pork roast, potatoes and carrots roasted with it in the oven.  It is so heavy in that enameled pot that I literally can't lift it. But, I did get a sliver of the pork and it is wonderful. I have to call the troops to come and get some. I should have asked the butcher to cut it in half, but forgot to do that while shopping.

The new version of the book Rebecca is on Netflix.  You might want to see that. I told you about the Imposters, but, Double Jeopardy is really good too. I also liked Reign. At 3:30 on Mondays channel 7 shows Escape to the Chateau it is on for an hour if we are lucky. They are stingy with that one and only put it on if they can't find something else like cartoons.

Well, heave ho the pot roast and Happy New Year.

It's over for another year

 Yesterday I learned I am not too good, anymore, at organizing for company. It was a good thing it was family, or soon to be family, because it was certainly casual in a setting meant to be elegant. First Andy and I could not get the cranberry bites out of the three miniature cupcake pans which, we finally had to throw away because there was no getting the drippings off those pans. Andy still thought they tasted great and the guest sort of liked them. Oh well. The two roasts got good reviews and left over take homes positive.  (But, I forgot to take the salad out of the fridge to serve it.)

What we really enjoyed was being together, having too much wine on my part, and laughing and telling stories some embellished to be sure. Some repeated, for sure. We got to meet Adam's choice to marry and we liked her. I was all set to be calm but she was delightful and grounded and Adam was the same. One always worries about new additions to the family especially if things are relatively going well at the time...like don't rock the boat adding a new element to the mix, but, life goes on and choices are made and then everyone connected must live with the current choice. All in all, for a quiet Christmas it was so much fun at the table. Andy stepped up to do clean up. I went to bed. That's a first leaving a mess behind but Andy had it under control and it was good for him to get involved with the kitchen. Thank you husband of more than sixty years.

Oooops, I am cooking after all

 Well now, it turns out that we will have Christmas lunch with Adam, his girl, Mike, Andy and the cook. I have a nice rib roast at the ready, also a pork roast . I am having scalloped potatoes, a salad or two and for starters cranberry bites in puff pastry with cranberry sauce on the brie bites. Hot from the oven, they were a hit when someone and I made them a long time ago.  I can't remember who it was but we were very proud of ourselves. This is done in a mini cupcake pan or two. Oh, I think it was Alyssa who, by the way. gave birth to a fine boy. The boys were popping out all over the place in December. All healthy and adorable.

Andy and I went to a little market (Weiland's) near us to get a few things. I can't believe the line of people standing like cattle to get in the market to shop. It was a surprise and too cold to stand in line. So, Andy ordered Kroger and he is to pick it up at 5:00 this afternoon. I like to grocery shop, taking my time, but waiting in line is a none starter for me. I still have not been to Carfagna's new store at Polaris.  waaaaa, sigh. When I go, I know I will be in there an hour at least; the store is supposed to be really big.

Merry Christmas...or make the best of it which is what I am doing. Next year we are going to tear it up!

 

Humbug

 What are you doing today? There does not seem to be the rush and feeling of excitement that this date usually brings. I can think of all the things I had to do in past years and what did I do today? I made pizza for lunch and while it looked very good, it wasn't preparing the standing rib roast and ten or so sides plus the starters that I once concentrated on for the pleasure of several guests at different times all around the date of importance. We drove down our road yesterday and there were no decorations to be seen.  Our red-bow wreaths tried their best to encourage, but to no avail.  We did not put up the usual porch light decoration that many people liked, but I will do it next year if I am still around because I miss it so this year. I wonder if my neighbor who never took her Christmas tree down is still enjoying it year round?

I got my booster yesterday thanks to Andy's nagging.  We made a deal and so I had to keep up my end of it.

Well, the pizza is out of the oven and looking mighty fine, so, Merry Christmas and here's hoping you are having more fun than we are.

A visit from the future

 We had a very important visitor last early evening.  Big Boy, and why do I keep calling him that? Mason came to say hello.  He did not find us too important because he slept through the entire visit except for a brief moment when I held him and spoke to him he opened his eyes, thought it wasn't worth the effort, and went back to sleep.  I, however, took that moment as proof that he knew me, that he knew my voice. I could wax on and on, but, just to say, he is the most perfectly formed baby I have ever seen.

It does not seem like Christmas to me.  It came so soon after the last one. Time is speeding up. I miss the slow meandering days of old, but then I am old. Even the seasonal decorations at night seem like they are trying hard to make up for those homes that have given up for the year. Well, I am looking forward to the new year...what else can one do?  Make the most of it and appreciate every gasp of breath that we still have.

Merry Christmas and may the new year be good to you. 

Oh no, my eyes, my eyes...

What do you think of women 50 and beyond wearing long blond wigs pulled in all directions, braided scooped or fluffed? I know some will say it's their right. But, when they are on television they are everywhere and there is no place else to land. (Back to books.) Never mind the fighting, screaming, and hatred spewing from their over served  lips, when the scene is done, they lunch together or dine together when ever time or lip space allows. I saw The Real Housewives of Orange County last night and was horrified...the hair, the hair, it was so over the top I could not stop watching, she says with a bowed head. It is no wonder their ratings are in and they are not up lifting.

My niece and her husband stopped by yesterday with some goodies.  We were in to the orange cake by the time the providers drove away.  Today, it is the taco soup.  (She and he brought all the fixings too.) Thanks Nancy and Danny.

I guess I told you our third great grandson arrived in good shape. That Stacy does this so easily, spends one night in the hospital, and then comes home to chaos. She is great.  Matt is lucky to have found her. We have not be introduced yet, but it will happen.

 It is a warm, windy day here in Columbus. We have been searching for a place for me to get the booster shot.  Andy has non stop requested that I get it. We tried walk in at CVS and Kroger...no walk ins. Kroger will do it on Tuesday which is walk-in day. I never thought I could get health care and groceries at the same time.  This world is changing.

WOW

 Please don't tell me you are one of the people buying The Barefoot Contessa's frozen desserts where you will find 12 cookies for $100. This announcement was in my newsfeed yesterday and I can't find the exact article now, but know you will be astounded and disgusted by the audacity. Prices range for a bite or two of brownies or cookies from $59 to $100. or near enough to make you gasp.

Several years ago in The Hamptons one woman was selling crab salad for $100. a pound.  I can only imagine what it sells for now.

Ina's coconut cake is $89. and that may be worth it.  It may be a large cake with several layers and it looks generous in size but it may be illusional photography.  (I can see my relatives flopping around in their graves over these prices.)

Have you watched The Imposters on Netflix?  You might enjoy it, I know I did. I am debating about the new best seller called The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Flynn.

I bet you all are cooking and baking up a storm. I'll let you get back to that.  Maybe you could join Goldbelly and Ina and sell your (9) brownies at a bargain price of $59. Good luck.

Our good news is that Stacy, Matt's wife, has delivered our third Great Grand Child this morning. He's a big boy!

Empty talent pool

 I just finished watching the series The Imposters on Netflix and it was really good. Better than anything on TV right now.  Is their talent pool empty? Where are the new shows when we need them. We are staying home more, why can't they release their new shows if they have any? The current new shows are unwatchable yelling, fighting, back stabbing, crude, vulgar...to name a few TV sins. (Some real life criminals thrown in.) They over act and think screaming is the path to fame.

Now I've done it.  Once I started baking there is no end in sight. Nate has gone on his travels so he won't be here to help eat the goodies...some problem huh? I found Trader Joe's Brownie Truffle Baking Mix. It is on the agenda, I mean the box looks good enough to eat so how can the brownie truffle go wrong?

We are still on Baby Boy watch. We want to welcome the latest Lechler with lots of love. Speaking of the kids: Madeleine is 5 going on 18. Mike and Matt where watching the girls one evening and they were playing beauty salon (if you can imagine those two men going through what they have to do). They made a miss step in the process and Madeleine became angry and express this verbally.  The men said they did not want her to be mad at them...they are putty in those tiny hands, and she said she was still mad and they would just have to deal with it!!!

Shrimp salad on toast with Baby Gem lettuce for tonight.  It is just the two of us now, like old times.