It's a wedding!

The big day for our first grandson is a week from today.  He is also the first grandchild to be married. While the bride and groom won't be here for the after party over Labor Day Week end, we plan to have a crowd of twenty-five or so mostly from out of town: New Orleans, Georgia, Cincinnati AND we get to meet Brooks' new, serious, girl friend. She will be here for the week end festivities along with Alyssa, Brooks, and Laurie, Beth's sister, from New Orleans. Since they are all coming in around midnight, I thought an outdoor midnight light buffet would be fun with candles under the stars. It would be a great start for a full fun week-end.

I have started cooking, as you might have guessed.  Brooks lost a lot of weight during Army Ranger School, so I am looking forward to putting some weight on him. For him, so far, I have sweetcorn tex- mex chowder.  Also, in general I have chili, ham and beans soup, and a regular corn chowder with smoked sausage.
Tomatoes will be the toast of the time especially sliced and on a brat patty from Carfagna's.  Peach cobblers with peach ice cream from United Dairy fits the bill for afters.

We are ordering in some of the items because there is a time crunch. The party is the day after the wedding which is on Saturday.  They will leave full as usual, so not to worry.  Food is always party ready here.  I have three salads in mind and unusual mac&cheese.  There will be simple starters like a cheese platter, meatballs, and some other goodies that I can do on the rush. The unusual mac & cheese has a package of cheese ends that the Amish package to sell.  They waste nothing.  So it is a variety of cheese, maybe eight kinds, as well as cauliflower, and broccoli.  I've made two dishes and Andy is busy with one of them, the other is ready for the party.

It's wedding week at the Lechlers.

What time?

Who can believe summer has gone and fall is around the corner? I find more and more people asking that question; so evidently time is moving fast for all of us. I also realize I am getting to the end of my blogging days when all I can find to write about is time, the weather, and company.  These next few months are going to be very busy for this family, as it probably will be for all of you.  I know when Nate starts planning his three month journey, Andy starts back to OSU, JD starts his  his second year of college, the plants start to bolt, the yard gets crunchy, and Matt gets married (our first grandson) that times are-a-changing yet again.

We have a big crop this year and I am dicing up butternut squash...one a day.  That is all I can handle.  Those things are delicious but mean to work with.  I don't know how many times today I nearly sliced something off that will be needed at a later date.

The tomatoes are abundant as usual and is there anything that says summer like big slices of fresh picked tomatoes on toast with Hellman's? Well, with bacon but hey, we have to get into our wedding clothes in a couple of weeks, so no bacon!

I hate to see the summer pass on but I do love cooking in the fall and winter.  Andy has his season tickets to OSU football games and all of the tickets are shared with family so that means company is coming to all home games.  That will be nice.

Company's coming

Now that everything is back in working order we have invited Joe and Glenda Lechler to spend several days here at Many Branches.  We so enjoy their company. This picture was taken a few years ago in the spring before the blooms were out. So, we will be playing cards without jackets under the pergola where all the flowers are blooming on the trellises.  I am busy cooking and preparing the simple supper for tomorrow night--steaks on the grill, crack potatoes, and a big platter of sliced tomatoes along with corn on (or maybe off) the cob. Sliced peaches over United Dairy's peach ice cream will be on the menu several nights running.

Fate of Cook's Corner

Everything changes and much of the time we are unaware when it will happen and why. After three and a half years Lisa Abraham managed to bring Cook's Corner back to glory and now she is leaving.  This will be a perfect time for The Dispatch to drop Food and Life sections in the daily paper.  Especially the Cook's Corner section.  When Lisa started they slipped Cook's Corner in with the puzzles, cartoons, crosswords, and TV schedules.  Lisa managed to worm her way back into several of the pages, claiming them for the fans of Cook's Corner.  I know you can find any recipe on the Internet, but on Wednesday mornings after things quiet down I like to take my coffee and Cook's Corner and go out by the pool and enjoy living. Lisa is going to Kent State to write, but not about food.   She does not know who will take over, which is strange in itself.  Well, hopefully Wednesday morning will continue to come for me with or without Cook's Corner, but I would miss its comfort.

That section along with the news of her leaving carried the blue-ribbon winners from the fair. Dulce de leche bar cookies won best of show and they did look tasty.  But I am getting to be a lazy baker, so I probably won't make those.  The pineapple coconut sweet rolls read to be tasty, but yeast--lazy girl has definitely moved into Many Branches.  I think I will bake another of my new inventions: yellow coconut apricot cake.  It looks great and tastes even better. We have about a fourth of it left, but Joe and Glenda are coming on Thursday and staying until Monday.  I know they will enjoy the cake. So off to the kitchen to start preparing for company.

Is it bath day?

Into three weeks without a hot bath or shower.  Today is supposed to be the day, but it is 4:00 and they are not here yet.  I am beginning to get cranky.  The computer man, the pest control man, have all been here today, but where is Columbia Gas?

There was a nice gentle rain today and that is when baking lures me away from trouble into the kitchen.  I took a yellow cake mix, dried apricots diced, and a 1/2 bag of coconut, along with the regular things on the box plus a large spoon of sour cream.  It created a beautiful loaf cake or maybe a sweet bread, whatever...it was great.  Andy has had two pieces so far.

Bubba on the roof

You cannot imagine the month of July and early August at Many Branches.  We have been without Gas for three weeks therefore we have been without baths, showers, hot water of any kind and men running in and out of the house like ants to a picnic.  Yesterday, after 10 hours (in one day) the Water 'Works guy, Jimmy, declared that we were cleared to have Columbia Gas turn on the gas, but, it was Friday, after 5:00 with the week end ahead soooo we are still without gas, but at least it is fixed without them tearing up the front yard. The first inkling of 'condo' had registered in my mind and palm trees waved hello in the background. Owning a home is expensive as you all know and rarely without something needing doing. But, this is the first time the condo vision appeared on my horizon.  Now when I think of Bubba on the roof, refusing to come down, the vision becomes more clear.  Columbia Gas insisted we put a cap on the last of three chimneys so I called a 'specialist' who works on restoring chimneys and brick work etc.  Bubba said he would come out to look at it for $89. First red flag.  He came and gave us a price but RUN  Doris RUN, kept coming to mind.  Nevertheless, I ignored it and hired him to come on Wednesday. He came in a regular truck and I wondered where the tall ladder might have been carried, but let him proceed. (Run Doris Run) He got a ladder out of his truck that did not look like it would do the job, (and it didn't) but he was a professional, maybe even magical.  The next thing I knew he was on the roof but when I looked out the ladder was a one and a half story ladder leaning against a three story house with a slate roof.  How was he to get down?  He didn't get down.  He put the cap on and told Andy, my husband, to call 911 to get the firemen to come and get him off the roof--he was not going to get down.  A few minutes later four men and hook and ladder truck and a police car came to Cooke Road to get this guy off the roof while shutting down a lane of Cooke Road to accomplish this. Bubba was not, however, too scared to pick up his check which he insisted on having the check in his name rather than the company name.  So, I surmised that he was moonlighting with the company's truck, name, and equipment and therefore the company never actually got the money.  I called the company the next day...guess who answered, yep, it was Bubba. I was going to report him to the owners, but he was smart enough to by-pass this call.  I may get to it yet, after the other crisis is taken care of.

Needless to say we have been eating garden gifts for three weeks--corn on the cob and every way else one can think of to use corn; peaches from the outdoor markets, sliced tomatoes and squash from our garden...not so bad when you think about it.  We will be okay and I am trying to beat down the condo picture and the vision of a on-call handy man.

Cook's Corner if filled today

 I look forward to Wednesdays because it is the day The Columbus Dispatch has the Cook's Corner section for our pleasure.  Today is one of the best and I will give you some of the recipes that look enticing.  A series of pea salad recipes are given.  I first tasted pea salad very late in life when my husband's sister, Mary Alice, brought it to an event here at Many Branches.  I begged for the remains like a dog begs for kibble. I have found, also late in life, that some family members hate peas.  Can you imagine?  I remember my mother and aunt sitting on the porch shelling peas and sharing gossip.  It was a comforting sight because I knew a delicious dinner was approaching.  Mother made the best-creamed peas and new potatoes every spring. Followed by creamy stewed tomatoes and corn on the cob.  Many times there was not a piece of meat or fish in sight and neither was missed. I take comfort in these thoughts today as I have been fighting Columbia Gas Co. for over a week.  It is exhausting and it spoils the summer for me.  Oh well, stuff happens.

Pea salad
1 10-ounce package frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup diced celery
1 cup prepared ranch salad dressing
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1/4 cup diced green onions
1 cup chopped cashews
1French's crispy fried onions, for garnish which is optional
Combine all ingredients. Chill. Garnish before serving.

Creamy pea salad
2 cups frozen or fresh peas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 cup salted peanuts
 8 ounces crisp fried and chopped bacon
Blanch the peas and drain.  If frozen, rinse peas and drain.  In large mixing bowl combine the cheese, red onion, mayo, salt pepper, peanuts, and bacon. Top with peas and stir until combined.  Chill.

Pea salad

2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup unsalted redskin peanuts
1/2 cup Marzetti original slaw dressing.  Combine and chill.

There was also a recipe for Unforgettable Buffalo Chicken Casserole which I need to try.  If it turns out, I will give it here.

Have a great Wednesday.

Boo Columbia Gas of Ohio

I have no cooking or family news at this point because I am fighting with Columbia Gas of Ohio, except they are not fighting, they are silent.  So I have written a detailed letter to: Customer Service at Columbia Gas of Ohio, no response at all;  Clinton Township Trustees one of whom acknowledged he was passing the letter on to the members; The Columbus Dispatch editor whose Business Editor contacted me within thirty minutes; and the Public Utilities Commission just an hour ago.  I waited a couple of days in between letter sending to allow Columbia Gas to respond (we have had no gas for over a week; physically, one might consider that a good thing  but in this case...not so much.) Phone calls are not even picked up and the few that are causes us to be in a loop being sent here, then back, then to another and no one has any paper work for this address or any answers to the problem.  It is just as bad as dealing with the city. The TV channels are next, 10 and 6.  They always like a good fight even if it is one sided. Thank God it is summer and we don't need the heat.  There is always a silver lining.
I hope your week is better than ours.

Cabbage

When ever I want to lure Beth home I say cabbage.  She and I like it anyway it is presented.  A new favorite is pepper bacon, peppers, and vegetables from the garden.  Sliced tomatoes, corn on the cob and yippie dinner is served to the two of us but not the other three. (This picture is from the English Kitchen, with thanks.)  She does such a good job with her recipes and pictures.

 Then there is peach cobbler for dessert.  Every Saturday during the summer Andy comes home with a basket of peaches.  We have them every way except in cabbage.  There we draw the line.There is also two dozen ears of corn in the bag and this time it is white.  Little sweet pearls march up and down the cob and when tasted squirts of deliciousness pop and drip.  Not a pretty sight, but there you go; it's summer.

Can you believe it is the 23rd of July?  It seems the summer has just begun and now on TV they are selling Christmas.  Makes me uncomfortable.  Why can't we just enjoy one event at a time instead of looking ahead while missing every essence of the here and now? Well, I for one will not be putting up a tree anytime soon.

Fish, corn on the cob, sliced tomato salad, and peach cobbler...that's today's menu. Have a great week ahead.  Hopefully, our lawn will be torn up by Columbia Gas this week.  We have had it with the cold showers although they have been refreshing (don't tell them that or we will never get the job done.)

Pickled okra...yum

I love potato chips but a close second is now pickled okra.  I can eat it straight from the jar, chopped up in eggs and bacon, on a starter tray,  in corn off the cob, there is no place in savory food where pickled okra would not be welcome as far as I am concerned.

I am off to fight Columbis Gas today.  I thought my battles were over, but noooooo.  When you own property you own trouble. Even pickled okra won't make me happy right now.

Another summer favorite:

Shades of Paris markets

  Black berry cobbler.           

                   
We have two really good outdoor markets that I know about.  The one in Worthington is very large and diverse and very well attended.+  The one in Clintonville will find Andy standing in the peach line because he is a peach to do it and because the peach man grows really good peaches.  Good enough for a line which is the envy of all the other stall holders.  However, while Andy stood in the peach line the picture shows what I was doing...I really went to town on the fresh produce and fruit that was offered on this spectacular Saturday.  I won't do it in the muggy heat, but the breeze and the sun made the crowded affair worth every step.  I took my Paris red cart and shopped while Andy waited for his turn at the peaches.  He will be there every Saturday until they are gone. I will be there when the weather is just right, like today.  The blackberries were thimble sized and they are now in a cobbler in the oven.  The sweet corn was perfect and there a dozen ears ready for the taker.  We have used four dozen ears so far this season and all have been tasty.

I thought of the outdoor markets in Paris as soon as I stepped from the shaded car into the fray.  Carts, and dogs, and babies, and hand holders--it's an event as the couples stroll with their coffees through the crowded market. The cut flowers were glorious and the sunflowers were as big as luncheon plates...had to have a bouquet to mix with my mop head hydrangeas.

This place won't let me put a picture on now...But there is one in the post before this one. Just scroll down after this post.