Drinks, Dips and Sanibel

Just as the bad weather hits Ohio, we are off to Sanibel for two weeks in the sun with Joe and Glenda. Even though I said I was not dragging a bunch of supplies with us this time, the car is packed.  We are stopping first to see David and Johnna and JD.  David has a new place to show us and a new favorite restaurant for us to try.  Then on we go to the island.  The dogs have begun to sense trouble ahead, but once this is over we are home for the long winter...which I don't mind at all.  I've traveled so much in the past that home calls me and it is where I am happiest. I am pleased, too, that Nate and Matt will be here with the dogs because the guys need to work and attend classes and the dogs need their attention. I am not boarding the dogs at the vet's again because they were not well taken care of over Christmas.  I believe the doctors will see to it that the boarding policies are changed there, but now I don't trust the situation, so it is home for the dogs from now on.

The condo on the beach will be a fun experience and several people we know may be visiting.  I don't want to entertain too much, but I have some good ideas for dips,  new decks of cards, a puzzle, and the Sequence game.  I have a traveling library for beach reading for everyone.   The camera is charged and I will have pictures for you.
Note: Speaking of thoughtful gestures and trips, Pam, Kathy and Mary Susan put together one of those Shuttterfly picture books, bound and lovely, to say thanks for the Thanksgiving trip to Hilton Head. It is something to keep to remind us of the fun we had. (I am showing two examples of these on line books)  If you have not seen these books that YOU can produce on line with family pictures etc.  look into it, it is fun to do and easy as well. http://www.shutterfly.com

I hope your New Year is fantastic and I'll leave you with some dips in case you are have a Super Bowl Party--what ever that is.( LOL) I have never in my life had one, but many people are crazy about  Super Bowl parties and dips are perfect for them, so I hear.

Lima Bean Guacamole:
Cook 10 ounces frozen lima beans in salted water until tender, drain and rinse.  Pulse in processor with 1 avocado, 1/2 chopped small onion, the juice of 2 limes, 1 serrano chile. 1/2 cup torn cilantro, and salt to taste (pepper too). Fold in 1 chopped tomato.

Garlic-Herb Dip:
3 heads garlic cut crosswise.  Drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil and roast at 400 for 40 minutes.  Squeeze out the pulp, mix with 1 cup mayo, 1 tsp. each lemon zest and juice, chopped sage and parsley to taste, salt and pepper to taste.

Hot Crab Dip:
Mix 3 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup mayo, 2 tsps. lemon juice, hot sauce and chopped parsley to taste; fold in 1/2 pound crab meat.  Spread in a baking dish, top with breadcrumbs (I use panko) and bake at 425. until golden, about 15 minutes.

Blue Cheese Dip:
Mix 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese, 1/2 cup each mayo and sour cream, 1/4 cups buttermilk and some minced chives.
To make it Buffalo Dip use the above and add hot sauce to taste, 1/2 cup finely chopped celery, and replace the chives with minced celery leaves.

Christmas in the Who Dat Nation

Well, it was wonderful.  Every minute packed with memorable events. We left Christmas Day, EARLY, and had the entire day and evening in New Orleans with Beth's family.  That little house was rocking with good food and good humor.  People kept stopping in, eating, chatting and enjoying the season.  Monday night was the Saints game and what a game for Andy, Matt and Larry (Beth's dad.) It could not have been more exciting.  Beth and I shopped with her aunt Toni at Saks and then five of us went to a movie while the guys were at the game. Tuesday was afternoon tea at the Windsor Court Hotel where we stayed.  It is always decorated in the best taste and the champagne and tea flowed gracefully down our throats.  Little girls were schooled in the art of tea and they were dressed to the nines. But Wednesday night was the best.  We went to the Rock N' Bowl palace.  They had a live band that played all the hits from the fifties and sixties and everyone danced, ate and bowled...if you can imagine.  The place is an institution there and it was packed with good cheer. The band was tireless and well known.  We had the best Christmas vacation ever in the five- fun- packed days. Thank you to Beth and her entire family.

The dogs will be glad to see me tomorrow morning early!  They've been boarded at their Vet's and I suppose very sad.  We saw the most darling dogs at Windsor Court.  They were welcome at the elite Windsor Court and they behaved very well.  Mine would have been wild and unwelcome, I'm sure.

I have some good recipes from New Orleans to put on here, but I want to get the pictures out to our Cincinnati relatives, so I am staying up to get these on.  In five days we leave, again, for two weeks in Sanibel.  Matt, however, will be here going to class and being with the dogs.  Beth will come often as well to check on things.

Note: Hertz Hurts.  Even if you have booked in advance Hertz can leave you high and dry without a car because they overbook. Five families that we know of were left without cars and had to go to another agency after flying into New Orleans.  We had long standing reservations and they simply had no cars left, so they had their shuttle drive us to Budget car rental and Budget accommodated us with gracious ease.

Happy New Year from the 'Who Dat Nation'.

Best Recipes, Starting with Homemade Egg Nog

In 1977 Marcia Richards (Pepke) and I traveled  together to antique, to eat, and to simply get
 away.  She had been one of my best room mothers, I had taught her children, and Andy and I bought this house from her in 1986.  On the July trip we stopped in Williamsburg.  It is where we each bought Virginia Hospitality which is my all time favorite cookbook. In among its pages I have squirreled away secret recipes and really good examples of delicious dishes.  My niece, Linda Klies, gave me the egg nog recipe and every time I have a holiday open house, I serve this ...

Holiday Egg Nog:
6 eggs separated
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
2 cups brandy or whiskey
1 ounce rum
grated nutmeg
Beat yolks along with 1/2 cup of the sugar until thick and lemon colored.
In another bowl beat the egg whites to a very stiff peak while adding 1/4 cup of the sugar.
Fold the beaten egg yolks into the whites carefully then add the cream and milk and then the brandy and rum. Stir completely and serve this brew cold with grated nutmeg.  Serves 30-35 depending on how drunk you want your guests to get.


The Steak and Ale restaurant was one of my favorites in Columbus. I loved the taste of their steak or chicken that had their secret marinade.  I knew someone who worked there and was able to secure this wonderful recipe before they closed all of their establishments. The recipe makes 3 1/2 gallons and will marinade 128 chicken breasts for 36 hours.  You can always cut the recipe down to size, but I will give you the restaurant directions... By the way it is fabulous used on chicken wings as well as steak. This is one of the recipes I used for David's wedding reception, and believe me, I needed the 3 1/2 gallons for the 250 hungry guests.


Steak and Ale's Recipe:
2 quarts soy sauce
2 1/2 quarts sherry wine
5  # 5 cans unsweetened pineapple juice
3 1/2 quarts red wine vinegar
3 cups sugar
4 1/2 tsps. granulated garlic
Stir it all together and put the chicken or the beef in and leave it for 36 hours in a frig.  I turned the items more than once when ever I thought of it.  Then grill, bake or fry the results.  Throw the marinade away--don't try to reuse it for anything.


Champagne Punch is the easiest way to serve big crowds, but look out, this sneaks up on you and you are speaking gibberish before you know it.  It is yummy.  I want to try this with (Italian)Prosecco, Champagne's sexy Italian cousin at the next party.


Golden Champagne Punch
46 ounces pineapple juice
6 ounces frozen orange juice
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 fifth Sauterne
2 fifths champagne
1 cup apricot brandy (or brandy of your choice)

Have you heard of milk punch?  It is so good.  I served this at the last Christmas open house and it went quickly.

1 gallon whole milk
1 gallon vanilla ice cream (or coffee ice cream )
2 fifths bourbon
1 fifth rum, medium dark
1 cup creme de cacao
1 quart vanilla ice cream (or coffee ice cream)

One day prior to serving mix first 5 ingredients and refrigerate.  At serving time, place the remaining ice cream in punch bowl.  Pour punch mixture over quart of ice cream and sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.

 LaVonn Rogers  was a collector (too) and  a frequent visitor here and she once brought delicious cookies for me to try.  I went nuts over these delicate, soft dessert cookies, and I thank here to this day.  (Watch out, if you add too much flour, the essence is lost and they become hockey pucks.) I try to make them once a year and I love them still.

Butterscotch Dessert Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted flour (be careful here, you can use 3 but probably not more)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. double acting baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup nuts (optional)
Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.  Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Add dry ingredients with sour cream to butter and sugar mixture.  Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.  Stir in nuts. Chill.  drop by tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet about 2 inches a part.  flatten slightly with back of spoon.  bake in a hot 375 oven 10-12 minutes depending on your oven.  Cool and frost with brown butter frosting. THESE COOKIES ARE BETTER THE NEXT DAY.

Brown butter frosting:
6 tablespoons butter
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup hot water
Brown butter over low heat.  Add remaining ingredients and beat together.  frost the butterscotch cookies and then eat them the next day and the next and next...

One of my favorite blogs, and I change favorites often, is David Lebovitz's  snarky essays and recipes.  He is American but lives in Paris and usually sees the city the way I did. Any way, he has this recipe for persimmon bread which is most like the one I tried and liked very much.  It may not be one of the best recipes in my drawer, but it is appropriate for this time of year when you can get those squishy (when ripe) orange globes of goodness.  He has adapted this recipe as mentioned and I have given it to you in case you want to try this unusual bread during the busiest times of the year--or later.

Persimmon Bread
Two 9-inch Loaves

Adapted from Beard on Bread by James Beard.
3½ cups sifted flour
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 to 2½ cups sugar
1 cup melted unsalted butter and cooled to room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2/3 cup Cognac, bourbon or whiskey
2 cups persimmon puree (from about 4 squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons)
2 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
2 cups raisins, or diced dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, or dates)
1. Butter 2 loaf pans. Line the bottoms with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Sift the first 5 dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
4. Make a well in the center then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree then the nuts and raisins.
5. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Storage: Will keep for about a week, if well-wrapped, at room temperature. The Persimmon Breads take well to being frozen, too.

Christmas in New Orleans

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year!
Pictures from New Orleans will be featured next time on this blog.

A few days from now I look forward to a Christmas dinner that I don't have to cook. Beth's mother, Ann, and her sisters are hosting this event in New Orleans and those women can cook! I hope they serve that onion pie that we had one Thanksgiving down there. Also, Beth and I will be on the look out for the dark debris gravy recipe that a place called Mia's serves. I know the debris is from the roast but the gravy--ahhh, it's ambrosia. Without having to think about menus I am working on closing the house up tighter than Silas Marner's coin purse. The poor dogs will be at the Vet's and they will not be happy! I, on the other hand, plan to be. The guys have tickets to the Saints football game and I am hosting tea at our posh hotel for the ladies. There's a bit of shopping, lots of movies, plus the night activities of New Orleans. I love the night ride with the horse and carriage and the spiel from the driver while the music pours from the swinging doors of the jazz clubs.

A week later Andy, Joe, Glenda and I will be on our way to visit David and then on to Sanibel for two weeks on the beach. This time the dogs and Matt will be here to look after things. Mike and Beth will help out too. I do not want to spend the two weeks in the kitchen, so my mind does linger on dinners and ways to make them snappy. I don't care about breakfasts and lunches, it's every man for himself, but dinners need an anchor dish, but one that is easy to throw together yet with a delicious result. I also don't want to haul a bunch of stuff down there as we did to Hilton Head. (That was fun and necessary, but not this time.) It's like taking watermelon to Georgia (an inside joke)...they do have stores down there. Andy says he could eat sadwiches every day for the rest of his life and he'd be happy. Maybe we should just test that. Or we could have pork roast with sweet potatoes, pears and rosemary THEN have cold pork sandwiches for lunches. We could have a beef roasted with poatoes and then sandwiches for a few days. Both roasts take care of themselves while in the oven as does these potluck solutions found in the latest Food and Family magazine from Kraft Foods as seen above.

Unfortunately, Joe and Glenda are not seafood fans, but I am sure to get my fill one way or the other. I think about the lobster salads and the lobster rolls when we were in Boca last year. They were so delicious, so I'll be looking for that when we do eat out. When we stop at David's we will go to the tasty Mexican restaurant that we found a couple of years ago. But, when we are in the Sanibel condo we will be playing cards on the balcony overlooking the gulf. We are all looking forward to it. I have only four more Lee Child's books (I've read around 16 so far.) and so I am hoping he does not have writer's block and gets busy writing more. He is so good. He snags me on the first page and does not let go until the end. It is amazing. His book ONE SHOT is being made into a movie and Tom Cruise is playing the main man role. Amazon.com will have to fend for itself for a while. I seem to place an order every week, but now I am stocked up for the long haul. Paris Was Ours is another title I intend to take along for beach reading, with some James Patterson and Lisa Gardner--not heavy reading but most of their titles keep the mind alert while trying to out smart the author; it's part of the game for me.

Having written the word shopping, I am reminded of something I read this week. I read that a Birkin bag sold for over $200,000. One purse: not a condo, not a fleet of cars, nor a house, just a purse for one lady's arm. I'm just sayin... In contrast:

O the way home from Bucca (for my birthday) Andy was telling everyone about the cars he and his brother and parents had when he was growing up. The conversation stemmed from the fact that several grandchildren are saving money for cars, but finding the going slow. One family car that Andy and Joe drove had so many problems that Henry, their father, along with a neighbor, spent every week end fixing it, just to get it to go for the next work- week. Joe, Andy's brother, was in the college of pharmacy and worked in the Greenhills drug store. One night the transmission went out as he was leaving the store and he had to drive backwards all the way home. A friend of Andy's had an old car, but the floorboards were nearly gone and the fumes caused the riders to hang their heads out the windows where ever they were going no matter the weather. The driver, of course, was nearly asphyxiated each time, so they made short trips. Another friend's car had a driver's seat that wouldn't stay put. As he was driving along it would shoot him into the back seat at odd times which caused some problems. He finally secured the seat with a ball bat, but now and then it would slip out of place and he'd be unexpectedly catapulted to the rear.

Finally, when I married Andy in 1959 his father had this old but well maintained Buick with a back seat area about the size of a Hollywood closet. That's the car I selected for our wedding day because I could get my gown and the groom in the backseat at the same time.

Onion Pie recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4

cups finely crushed saltine crackers (36 squares) (I use Ritz crackers, they are more buttery.)

1/4

cup butter or margarine, melted

2

tablespoons butter or margarine

2

large onions, chopped (2 cups)

1 1/2

cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (6 oz)

1

cup milk

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon pepper

3

eggs

Chopped chives and or seeded tomato and sliced green onion, if desired

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat oven to 325°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup melted butter; press evenly in bottom and up side of pie plate. 2 In 10-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Cook onions in butter 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until light brown. Spread onions in crust. Sprinkle with cheese. 3 In medium bowl, beat milk, salt, pepper and eggs with fork or wire whisk until blended; pour over cheese. 4 Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Garnish with tomato and onion. Serve immediately.

Quickly and easily crush crackers into crumbs by sealing them in a plastic food-storage bag and pounding with your hand

Rife with Holiday Recipes

Note: Andy's staff Christmas potluck is tomorrow.  Last year he brought home the recipes which were well received by you readers.  I hope he brings home the goodies tomorrow too, so stay in touch.

One thing about the holidays, all the recipes that have been( and hope to be) appear or reappear.  They may be twisted and redressed with a little something- something added to make a tad of difference, but here they are again. The Ebooks have not totally taken over and lush offerings appear on Amazon.com. and the remaining bookstores.  A blog that I follow by David Lebovitz reviews a list of cook books he wants but also shows stacks and stacks of cookbooks that he owns.  Like the rest of us, he can't resist a cookbook, especially one that has stories that go along and read like a novel in many cases. And, like the rest of us he can never really do them justice because he could not possibly cook through them all. It's the thrill (and then at times, the let down) one gets curling up to read a new cookbook from cover t o cover. You can follow his blog or visit his list of cookbooks at http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/12/best-favorite-cookbooks-of-2011/.  David lives in Paris and seems to know his way around and is usually realistic about Paris and its people.There's a lot of things that don't make sense in Paris... for instance: The waiter who tells you they are out of something when it is sitting in plain view for sale (which means they have the item, but you can' have it); a bank teller who tells you they have no change that day (unless you have a tip for her); or why, on the Metro, it is perfectly okay to stick  your finger up your nose but it is not okay to stick a sandwich in your mouth. I agree, there is  more to  Paris than learning to tie a pretty scarf, but there is no place like home as far as I'm concerned.

David Lebovitz has a pizza recipe that looks to be out of this world.  I have made a pizza or two with potatoes and I have made them with blue cheese, but not in combination.  His picture which I hope to show is from his blog and so is the following recipe.

For the pizza dough:
4 cups (560g) bread flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (see Notes)

1 1/2 cup (375ml) water, at room temperature
OR BUY THE DOUGH or the bare crust

For the topping:
2 medium onions, peeled
1 pound (450g) small, firm potatoes, such as Yukon golds or fingerling
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, plus a handful of thyme branches
6 to 8 ounces (170g-225g) blue cheese

Garlic oil:
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil

Additional ingredients you’ll need:
Olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To make the dough:
1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and yeast.
2. Stir in the water until well-blended, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dishtowel and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.

To make the pizza toppings:
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
2. Sauté the onions in a large skillet, stirring frequently over moderate heat, seasoned with salt and pepper, until soft and translucent. They will take about eight minutes. During the last few minutes of cooking, add the fresh thyme leaves. Let stand at room temperature until ready to use.
3. Slice the potatoes in a little larger than 1/8-inch (.30cm) slices and toss them with a just enough olive oil to lightly cover them, a few teaspoons, along with salt and pepper and sprigs of fresh thyme.
4. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.

To bake the pizzas:
1. Heat the broiler in the oven and set the oven rack so it’s 5-inches (12cm) from the heating element.
2. Set a cast iron skillet on the stove top over high heat and let it get very hot.
3. Shape the dough into 8-inch (20cm) rounds on a lightly floured surface, then working one-by-one, overturn the cast-iron skillet and carefully put a round of dough on the upturned bottom of the skillet, using your fingers to nudge the dough to the edges and being careful to avoid touching the very hot skillet.
4. Bake each round of dough individually under the broiler until each is lightly browned and “set” – they will only take a minute or two, so watch them carefully. As they come out of the oven, pry the dough off the pan (you may need to use a spatula if they stick a bit) and set each one on a wire cooling rack.
(You can also put the toppings on the raw dough, right before step #4, and bake the pizzas off to finish them.)
5. Brush each round of dough in the center with garlic oil, making sure to get some of the minced garlic on each round. Divide the onions over each round of dough, leaving a border, then top with potatoes and crumble blue cheese in large pieces over each pizza.
6. Run each pizza one-by-one under the broiler, on the overturned cast-iron skillet, then serve immediately.

There are close to 8,000 hits on this blog.  Along side the graph that shows the blog's progress is a set of pictures of your favorite entries.  Andy's (staff ) Christmas potluck with its recipes was one of your favorites who ever you are. LOL  The 13th is the next staff potluck and I plan to send fresh fruit with the three product dip.  The recipe is on the blog a bite before the concert. Three ingredients: small package of vanilla or lemon instant pudding, 1 can of crushed pineapple including all the juice, 1 cup of sour cream OR one cup of Cool Whip whisk together and chilled then let the dipping begin.

Dorie Greenspan has a show of Paris Christmas yule logs that are so beautiful it is difficult to believe someone could create these items.  Stunning. Play if you're hungry. LOL
http://doriegreenspan.com/2011/12/video-buche-it.html

A Bite Before the Concert

Andy and I went to the concert of Andrea Bocelli Thursday night. Although the large arena was not completely filled, due to prices of tickets I'm sure, his voice took care of that.  His magnificent pipes filled the air with a variety of offerings, each one moving in one way or another. One of the ladies that traveled with him gave the most lilting rendition of Over the Rainbow that I have ever heard.  Amazing Grace was sung like I had never experienced  it before and Andy was thrilled with the opera selections. Ave Maria made the hairs on my arms stand and salute. We brought him back five times and had we, on the second level, dared to stand (because the seats were vertical and I was afraid of tipping over) perhaps he would have come back once again.  Last night he was in DC with six other opportunities for him to be seen in America, three of which will be in various spots in Florida. He was here eleven years ago and I hope he comes again very soon. Thank you Mike and Beth for the gift of tickets.  I hope we can all go together next time, our treat.

The soup pots are on today.  I have decided to venture into the kitchen after all. Bean and ham soup in one and chili in another.  An army isn't on its way, but Sunday is tomorrow and I hope to see some Lechlers here to have a lovely ham.  Since I did not get enough sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving, those yummy items will be on the menu too.  And, a BIG salad.  Don't you crave that after all of the sweets and starches served during the holidays? The Christmas wreaths are in every window, but we are not putting up the porch lights with their special holiday welcoming glow.  Christmas has popped up too fast and there are too many trips on the agenda.  We usually get them up early in November, but that just didn't happen this year.

We have had well over 7,000 hits on this blog and I have only a few people that I know who read it.  Family for sure but who else is reading this? I'd like to know. You are most welcome and I hope you leave some comments and suggestions...be kind. LOL

I hope your holiday is a special treat for you this year, as always. You might want to try this EASY luscious fruit dip for the Christmas office potlucks and parties in general.  They loved it in Hilton Head and it is made in minutes with three or so products:

1 pkg. Jell-o vanilla or lemon flavored instant pudding (small package will do)
1 can crushed pineapple in the juice, undrained
1 cup thawed Cool Whip or sour cream
Whisk it together about two minutes and put it in the frig. to chill.  Surround it with what ever suits you. YUM. EASY.

Another easy dip or salad. Shrimp salad bites:

1/4 cup Kraft sandwich shop hot and spicy flavored mayo (I made my own with Salty Dog hot sauce and Hellmans. I did not know they made spicy mayo in a jar.)

1/2 tsp. zest and 1 tbsp. juice from 1 lemon. (I use a lot of lemon...so to taste.) 1/2 lb. cooked shrimp--I used the tiny salad shrimp. 1/4 cup chopped red peppers, three green onions, crackers of choice. I used broccoli instead of red peppers--really it is a throw together of 'likes'.

These two recipes are from Food and Family magazine and I have made them both. These are Pat and Gina Neely's recipes and though I do not like to watch them on the Food network, they have some good, simple recipes to offer and I am sure they are good cooks too.

Holiday Fun

Note: Brooks has been accepted to the Citadel.  He is waiting to hear from West Point to make a decision--nice choices! Way to go Brooks.  We are proud of you.

The dogs are very worried. First they were alone with Matt over Thanksgiving week, next it will be several days in New Orleans but for them ( boarding at the Vet) over Christmas. Then a week later we will be in Sanibel for a bit over two weeks.  Once we are home, they will sit on us to keep us in place. Posy worries and shivers all the time we are gone, according to Matt.


What can I say about Hilton Head at Thanksgiving...other than it was perfect and that I do not want to see a kitchen again for a week or so. Magazines try to tempt me to cook, but I stand firm ignoring their bright colors and delectable recipes.  Cook's Corner from the Dispatch came today with pages of enticing cookies along with their equally time consuming recipes--wonderful, but no! NO baking. Instead I curl up with a Lee Child book and look forward to Andrea Bocelli's Christmas concert here in Columbus tonight. The tickets from Mike and Beth were for our birthdays.


Twenty-one people traveled to Hilton Head for Thanksgiving.  The trip there was easy, coming home, not so much.  Poor Andy drove over twelve hours in pouring rain. It was worth it and we hope to do it again, the trip not the rain, but only with the people who really want to be there. The house was wonderful with all but two of the six bedrooms leading  to the pool.  The beach was steps away where George caught a large shark and Kathy and Joe (and George) stood in the ocean fishing for hours on end. We went to a dock fish house for five pounds of shrimp which disappeared in two or three minutes; everything food wise disappeared in a few minutes time. My little pie baking machine delighted Joe Firetag for hours.  He turned out scrumptious miniature pies that went as fast as he could bake them.


Ahhh---the games, the puzzles, the competition, the drinks, the bike rides, the family; people will keep that week in their memory bank to pull out and admire for the rest of their days. I hope David, Johnna and JD can be a part of it next time. JD's pic line is out and though he is thin and pale, he is coming around., but the beach is a no go for him for a while.


The Little Sisters of Pain (Pam, Kathy, Chee) lived up to their title.  They were happily competitive every single day and Glenda could not get enough of cards, so we willingly complied with the games' groups. I love playing with the Cincinnati Lechlers. What a group of fine people they are.


Beth's family is hosting Christmas in New Orleans.  We are flying down this time.  Andy has had it with driving and I have had it with the kitchen.

Collector Books who published my first three books wrote to me.  They are no longer publishing books but want to put the books that they published on the Internet.  So, someday I will have E books on line.  Go figure.

Note: Since I have not found out how to add titles to pictures here, I will give you the run down of  family in the pictures to follow:

1. George Isfort carving two turkeys and a ham with his new set of carving equipment--it's his birthday after all, so get to work.
2.  Andy, my husband, and Nate, one grandson who is starting Columbus State
3.  Mary Susan on the left and one of her sisters, Pam (daughters of Andy's brother Joe and his wife, Glenda.)
4.  The family on Thanksgiving day in Hilton Head
5.  Beth Lechler on the beach
6.  My sister-in-law, Glenda Lechler
7. Glenda again with George her son-in-law and Mary Susan and Pam--where's Kathy??? There are many people missing from these close ups.

I hope your holidays will be filled with great joy and peace...is there ANY peace?

Here Be Dragons~

A week to go and the car is nearly packed with goodies for the wonderful week ahead~ Thanksgiving week in Hilton Head in a beach house not our own.  Sadly, David, Johnna and JD cannot come because JD still has his 'pic' insert and the doctors won't release him to go. The leaving hour gets earlier and earlier, according to Andy's clock. We leave at 7:00, no, we'd better leave at 6:00 (that's AM) No matter what time we leave, Joe and Glenda will be ready to haul their booty into the car for the eleven hour trip to Hilton Head. I am sure we will actually leave around 4:00 or 5:00 because who can sleep with Andy pacing the house going into every room making sure it is unplugged and heat free. The dogs will start to worry once they see the suitcases.  Posy will begin pacing and whining.  Winston will get close and sit on my feet to keep me in place and Bella, who has never been left for even a week will be stunned as we pull away from the house. It's sad, but happy at the same time.  We leave Matt behind with the three dogs, the freezer and the grill, to fend for themselves as best they can. He can jabber Japanese nothings in their ears until we reappear only to leave again in December and January. (We've decided to make the most of life while we are still on foot and healthy.)

The pantries have been stripped and we are taking enough wine to blunt any unpleasantness that might crop up like no place to buy pumpkin pies and dinner rolls...never mind I have my electric pie maker and potato roll recipe at the ready with several packages of yeast and five pound of flour for a week's stay. The gin bottle is the biggest and heaviest item to be placed gently in the boot of the Escalade. I have Glenda's library from the beauty parlor for her beach reading. I have many Lee Child's books to keep me happy and Andy and Joe have several books that I have read to choose from.  The bike's have been rented and will be waiting for the riders at the house. (That won't be me, thank you very much.) Mike and Beth will be herding two cars loaded with kids (adult kids) and goodies for the trip.  They leave on Wednesday for a continuous trip to the land of food and off time. More than twenty people will convene with cards and games and drinks in hand.  The grill will be fired up, the pool heated up, and the dragons of every day life will be left behind for a gathering of more than Sunday with the Lechlers, more like A Week with the Lechlers. Pictures to follow...if we can still focus.

Our Friends from Japan

Facebook is a wonderful tool when it is carefully used with honesty and discretion.  This week I became 'friends' again with a Japanese family who once lived in America and became collecting friends and visiting guests on many occasions.  At the time Yumiko (the mother), Shinji (the father), Akiko (the daughter), and Toshi (the son) had lived in Atlanta and then Pennsylvania for several years. Yumiko and I became friends because we collected the same things.  One thing led to another and the entire family became involved.  The son was around three or four years old at the time and now teaches middle school in Japan.  The beautiful daughter who was around twelve is now a mother and a free lance translator.  Shinji is back in Pittsburgh and Yumiko is coming to America this month to visit him. Shinji was partial to grits having spent a long time in the south.  I once asked what he'd like to eat while staying here and he said grits. A turkey wrapped in puff pastry I could do--a grit is another matter, but try it I did.  Strangely, Shinji never asked for grits again while dining here.  Akiko, however, repeatedly liked my stinging hot gazpacho--tears would run freely down her face, but the bowl would be empty and the task done each and every time. I am so happy they are in our lives again.

Twelve days and we will be on our way to Hilton Head, turkeys and hams in tow with wine and gin and Stolichnaya (iced Russian vodka)--we are planning on having a very good time. The dogs have no idea we are leaving them here with Matt, but they are forgiving creatures and they must keep Matt company while he studies.  Matt is a Japanese (studies major) and there is no down time when it comes to that field of endeavor.

I will take many pictures of our time together and share them right away.  I hope your Thanksgiving is one blessed with family and friends and good food.

Martha Made Me Do It

I see Martha Stewart has published her 75th book. Normally I am not intrigued by famous or hoping to be famous people, but for some reason when Martha first got started trying to be significant, I became interested in her for a time period. (I am way over that now.) I bought into all of her ideas because she seemed to be a hard worker and one who pulled herself up to make something of herself. At the time I was deep into collecting antiques, writing about them, and buying and selling. Many collectors came here to visit and Andy and I enjoyed week ends with these friends.  I would plot and plan many meals and our home decor based on Martha's influence and the preferences of the guests.  One Thanksgiving frequent visitors from Illinois and Michigan came to spend several days. It was during Martha's period of wrapping the turkey in puff pastry--if you can imagine. AND WHY? We had that damn turkey all over the kitchen but wrapped she became and beautifully she baked, but what was the point?  When you sliced it, the crust fell off and only the meat remained (any way) as if it had never been done--so like Martha, it was all show with no added flavor. NOTE: As I remember it, the turkey is prebaked, cooled, then wrapped quickly with cold puff pastry (Lordy I hope I did not make that from scratch) then popped quickly into a high heat oven to bake to a golden glory--this is in case you want to be silly and try it for your own Thanksgiving table.  Pretty presentation, like an attractive Christmas box with nothing in it.

This Thanksgiving, in Hilton Head we will serve two turkeys, sans the puff pastry, and a ham.  Our menu is planned and revised and planned and revised, but turkeys and ham remain the stars of the occasion. I am also taking my mini pie baker so that everyone can make his or her own little pies when ever they want--even for breakfast.  It is a slick little machine that bakes four individual pies in ten minutes...any kind of pie, savory or sweet.  I need to get some good out of that purchase and this may be just the time to do it.  We have started loading the car with gadgets, machines, and tasty treats for the eleven hour trip.  Joe, Glenda, Andy and I leave on Monday and spend the night breaking up the trip, but everyone else will make it in one long journey.  They will arrive a little testy, but we will greet them with a good dinner, lots of love, and all will forgotten and forgiven for a week.

Tiramisu Bread

If that title doesn't intrigue you, nothing will.  Today I received my first issue of  Cuisine at Home.  True to advertised, not one ad appeared in the pages of this slick fifty-one page offering. I love it even more since one recipe caught my attention right away~ tiramisu bread.  I like making tiramisu since I first tasted it in Paris and thought then that was the best thing I had eaten during my many trips to France. My home rendition was spiked with more liquor than usual because I believe in being generous.  I am trying this bread recipe this week and will let you know how it is --or if you make it, let me know what you think.  Beth's birthday is Sunday, maybe I'll have it then.

Joe and Glenda Lechler spent the week end here with us.  I am always sad to see them go.  We made many plans for travel, however, the new one being two week on Sanibel Island in February.  In three and a half weeks there will be Thanksgiving in Hilton Head.  Matt is staying here with the dogs because he has intensive school obligations, but the rest of the Lechlers, all 26, are heading out of here and meeting us there. Then there is Christmas in New Orleans...life is good.

Glenda and I watched the entire OSU football game Saturday, a rarity for me, but she is a football fan for sure.  Andy and Joe and Matt carried on about the game for days.  It was such an up set and so much fun to watch.  The quarterback was stunned speechless with all of the attention since he is a mere freshman an unused to the limelight.  On Saturday Beth, Glenda and I went to Plain City, an Amish community, to shop for cheese and bulk food and then we had dinner at Der Dutchmen. My meal was not good, but that was unusual for that wonderful place which is always crowded and now I know especially on Saturday.

The blog pages have new additions and I find them less than usable.  I can no longer add or edit on the spur of the moment after the post has been published, so I will give you the tiramisu bread recipe before I try it.

Whisk:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. table salt
Beat:
1 pkg. mascarpone, room temperature (8oz)
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Combine:
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. espresso powder
1 tbsp. water
Alternately add:
1/2 cup buttermilk
Pour:1/4 cup sweet Marsala

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a loaf pan
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside
Beat mascarpone and sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
Combine cocoa and espresso powder in a bowl; stir in water to dissolve.
Alternately add flour mix and buttermilk to creamed mix starting and ending with flour until combined. Divide batter in half, transferring half to a separate bowl. Stir in cocoa mixture into half of batter until combined. Alternately spoon batters into prepared pan, light mixture, dark mixture and then swirl together with a skewer or knife to marble it.

Bake until toothpick comes clean about 50-55 minutes. Use a fork and poke small holes all over and pour Marsala over top of bread.  Let bread cool 15 minutes and turn out onto rack to cool.