My eyes My eyes

Well, Andy and I are back in business.  As of today we both have 20/20 vision in both eyes. We had the most incrediable doctor who operates on Thursdays and does 29 operations in one day.  His staff, of course, is fabulous and so is he.  I take back everything bad I have said about OSU in the past.  Our two doctors there keep us happily on foot and active.

I am off to Trader Joe's today looking for inspiration and new things to try now that I can read the recipes with ease.  I will send pictures of new products and also their flower display is pleasing to see in the winter.  I had great success with their waxed Amaryllis this year. The bulb is housed in wax with moisture and feed inside a wax outer layer.  You never water it or feed it, just set it in the sun and it blooms like crazy.  It is February and my two are on the third blooming.  It may be the last, but with those you never know.  Joe has great orchids as well.

Paris under snow

After one hundred trips to Paris this picture from my French friend was a surprise.  I had never seen more than a few flakes of snow in all the times I had been there in any month---I tried them all. This  picture was taken this morning by one of the workers that I grew to appreciate and like at the Lux Hotel where I spend many many nights.  It is still there and she shot this picture on her way from her apartment to work at the hotel this morning.  I knew its location immediately and she confirmed it. The hotel is NOT fancy, but clean and family owned, so pride is taken and care is given. Nation is its location and it is usually a very busy street, but I guess the French have not mastered the art of driving in the snow. Still a lovely shot of Paris.


I sent her the picture of our backyard and she had to admit our snow was more formidable--but their wine is better. lol

 · What goes well with snow? Red lentil soup with fresh sage!

Doris Lechler

2 mins · 

Red lentil soup with fresh sage

Or have it with salmon or brown butter steak...it's winter, enjoy it.

Craving salad

Sometimes a person craves salad.  Winter is no exception and nothing else will do. That is what happened today.  I needed the crunch of cauliflower, the bite of broccoli, the saltiness of bacon, the sweetness of cranberries all bathed in the snap of Chuy's dressing...ahhhh. Shallots, diced finely, played a background role and it all came together in a harmonious display.
I first fixed this dish when Joe and Glenda, Andy and I rented a beach house for the month of January.  We did this four years straight.  I chopped up this salad for dinner one day and we barely had any for dinner because everyone kept picking at it all day long.  It is irresistible and so simple to throw together. It is perfect for a buffet because it can be eaten at room temperature or chilled.  It is very forgiving.

Comfort chairs and food

Beth and I ran around yesterday and we found adorable club chairs in leather that we can actually touch our feet flat to the floor and not feel like Edith Ann on Laugh In. I bought one, but I am going to get a second then get rid of the enormous cloth couch in the library and make a little vignette with the two club chairs and a table with a reading lamp. The shop was attached to Fortin Iron Works where they make wonderful iron works gates, fences, planters etc.  Attached to this works is an antiques shop where old and new is sold.  I don't usually like the mix, but I liked this one very much. Fortin has done work on our property before and we are having them do a bit more.

Today I am getting ready for Monica to come tomorrow.  She missed last week because of Andy and my operations, so there is plenty to do tomorrow and the refrigerator is on top of the list.  I found a lovely package of dried beef from my favorite Cincinnati meat shop and turned it into debris gravy to go over lovely, flaky basmati rice. The gravy would have been especially fine with some mushrooms, but I have none, so there it is.  Andy will be glad for that missing ingredient, he hates them so. This dish will suit him when he gets home from class.

Tots

I enjoy eating tater tots.  There, I've said it.  I think they are a great invention and this week's Cook's Corner proves it.  I have been getting less and less excited about Wednesday mornings and Cook's Corner.  Since Lisa left it is still well formatted but a bit flat for my taste.  They take recipes and ideas from all over the country instead of having a full-time food editor.  At least that is the way I see it.  Nonetheless, this morning got my cooking juices flowing again with all the ways to use tater tots. I don't know how many ways I can get into this post, but I'll write about the ones that interest me and then you can Google Cook's Corner at The Columbus Dispatch and discover other ways to enjoy serving tater tots.

You will have to haul out your waffle iron for this one.  Yes, just think about those crispy rafts of potatoes smashed into waffle form and then topped with several different offerings from the potato bar. I understand you have to make a tight single layer of tots in a greased , hot waffle iron and force the lid down and put an iron skillet on top of the waffle iron to ensure the results are crisp and flattened. Consider topping your waffle with Buffalo chicken and blue cheese. How about a classic baked potato topping?  Or, Marinara, mozzarella, pepperoni and other pizza toppings.  Just place the toppings on the waffle and put it in the oven to melt the cheese.  Then there is guacamole and crumbled pork rinds avocado toast. Pulled pork, slaw, cheddar in a two-waffle pork sandwich.  Frankly, I can't wait to lift the lid on my first set of little waffle rafts waiting for the topping of choice.
First: thaw tots in the refrigerator for an hour or more. Then heat the oven to 200 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.  Brush the waffle iron, lightly with vegetable oil.  Working in batches, fill waffle iron with a single layer of tots in a tightly packed grid, lined up like little soldiers. Squeeze the lid down tightly and put something heavy on the lid to ensure crispness.  Cook until brown about 8 to 18 minutes depending on your waffle iron; you want an extra crispy waffle. Put the batch on the greased parchment and put it in the oven while the next batch is cooking.  Good luck.

There is a new version of tater tots that Andy bought the other day...mini tater tots.  I will enjoy finding ways to use these which will include our favorite breakfast of bacon, tater tots, and eggs all in one skillet.

Cook's corner is filled with recipes using this product, so have fun in your search for ways to use the tots.

Big and little meatball soup

Cooking from the freezer is an adventure.  Today I found a bag of Italian, medium- sized meatballs in the depths of the freezer and I had some zesty Bob Evans sausage which I then made into miniature meatballs. I plied the conconction with Rotel and diced tomatoes, a bit of corn, and some shaved broccoli and a handful of rice.  The result is simmering away on the stove as I write. It is colorful, new, and hopefully tasty. Andy will be home from class in a little while and I will be eager to interest him in this fuddy-duddy soup.

The latest picture of Nate in Austrilia with his new girl pal may be more that a pal situation.  He is looking smitten.  I wonder how they will work that out. 

Crabs and crab balls

These oven-baked crab balls look enticing to me today. There is a good site that posts every day interesting pictures and recipes, but be prepared for the begging of likes and shares and threats if you don't. THAT is annoying and several of us have posted to her about this very thing, but she whines on.
There must be a contest of some sort that I know nothing about. (Recipes and Cooking is the site.)

Yesterday was spring in Ohio and today the gentle snow is falling once again.  This is the time of year when property gets the "out our way" look. It is an expression of despair at the way some people take care of their property. Usually, we do not fall into that category, but this year the leaves got the best of us and it is sad to see. Just wait until the first day that feels like spring in March and watch us come alive again for another glorious season.

On a very different blog manger blog Medoc  (Life in Medoc: Manger) written by Mimi Thorisson about her life and cooking in France.  I love her books though I am not inspired to use her recipes and I enjoy her blog just for the pure, simple comfort of it.

Quick, sweet bread

I decided to use up the homemade applesauce, the cranberry sauce, and the candied orange peel into this quick bread.  It is my banana, no fault, bread that is the base for this load of goodies.  I have given you this recipe before, but if you need it, let me know.  This one has no bananas in it, it was not necessary for this fail-proof bread. It is dense with walnuts and the things in my refrigerator that need using.  I need the space.
Remember Kroger has the best oranges this week and I like to use even the peel.  It is easy to candy those remains and leave the results on the counter to grab when the urge hits.

It is rainy today and spring-like in temperature. But you can't fool an Ohioan into thinking all is well.  We still have February with which to deal.

Nate is enjoying Australia right now; even more so now that he has rekindled a friendship with a girl he met last winter while in the Galapagos Islands. I am glad Nate got to visit the islands last year, I read the residents are going to limit the number of tourists to preserve the nature of the area.

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What's for dinner?

Andy and I went to Kroger yesterday and as you can see, they had great items.  One thing that is special this week are the bags of oranges.  They are sweet and juicy and just right.  I keep one sliced on the counter for family to pick up a slice and run. (They always come back for more.)  The green beans were wonderful in a nice full bag.  So firm, plump and crisp.  I put in the last of the pancetta, some potatoes, a little pepper bacon and they are burbling away as I write. The chuck roast is one of buy one get one free from a couple of weeks ago.  They are the nicest I have ever had.  I have red wine in the bottom of the slow cooker, some Lipton's dry onion mix also in the bottom as well as on top, garlic, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms (I will add more later as things cook down.) This will do the family for the rest of the week as Andy and I have eye operations to deal with this week and again in two weeks.

House journals

I've started my 2018 house journal.  When I get old, I will enjoy reading all of the journals and scheduled calendars of events that I kept.  All the trips, all the antiquing, all the gatherings of family and friends through out the years.  It's a good thing to do.  Also, it helps get out any aggression that that one might harbor.  The journals are fat with cards and letters and dates of events and observations, it's cathodic to say the least. I also have put together nine enormous albums of pictures and family histories, one being all the weddings that branched from the Lechler's unions. It takes time, but I do it when the mood hits I get in the groove and lose track of time in the tracing and arranging.  My niece, Nancy, came for the week end one time and we did our Anderson side of the family going way back in history.  She's better at getting it straight than I am but I remember one interesting relative that I would like to have known, Georgia Belle.

Every day I have a big pot of soup burbling on the stove ready at a moments notice.  I start it in the morning and it solves worrying about what to fix for dinner.  Everyone has such busy schedules, but the soup disappears and thoughts of the next take its place.

Along with the rest of the country, we are in a deep freeze here in Columbus,  The sun is shining, but it is deceivingly cheerful. Nonetheless, we know spring always appears and that is something to look forward to.  Next week we must get out of this warm cocoon and prepare for busy several days.  Then we have to deal with February and then spring will be on the doorstep. (I don't want to rush time, but can't help looking forward to the next season because I am cold!)

This is a sample of my trip and show and entertaining journals from 1979 to 2006. How did I do it?

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Chanel and Dr. Shoe

I want to tell you about a shop in Columbus that you might need one day.  It is Dr. Shoe in Worthington run by two Russians, one grumpy, and one fairly pleasant.  If you are looking for warm and cozy, then don't go in to put yourself through it; but in the end you will wish you had.  I am not showing you the two Chanel purses to brag, I am showing you the work these two men can do with two frazzled, workhorse purses.  I have made over one hundred trips to London and Paris to collect and to buy antiques to sell...for a long time just for my pleasure and collections and for the research material for my books.  All of these trips were stressful, fun, disappointing, exhilararting, tiring, eventful, uneventful, stimulating, anxious, calming, dangerous,  and profitable.  But, these trips were not larks and they sound more glamours than they were. Still a lot of people would have dropped everything to be able to make these trips and make them work for them once they got home safely.

I like nice purses and I don't just keep them on the shelf.  They have to pay their way just as the antiques had to pay for their ride to America.  I found in these two purses just exactly what I needed for those trips and for the antiques shows that Andy and I did for years after I retired. These purses hung around my neck mail pouch style for several hours every day that I was away from home. The chains were still good but the leather was completely worn through the layers of black.  The zippers needed repair, one seam was slightly torn, they had lost their luster and after twenty years of use I just could not use them any more.  I went back to Chanel in Paris and they did not carry that style any more, or so they said at the time.  Fast forward to today, I got on line at a vintage store and saw one of my purses, slightly used cost $2700. I had not paid that much for the purse originally, but it was still costly and to think I can get my money back and then some; that's a good investment.  (It was the rectangular one, the one I used the most.) I decided it was worth a shot to try to get them restored and workable...the little pouch one was not as worn and needed only zipper grips and leather luster regained.

Beth found the shoe shop and we went over.  She warned me about the guys but I was desperate and put on my best smile.  The nicer man shook his head and tsked tsked and sighed and finally said he could do the work but it was going to cost me.  Now how did I know in advance that that was going to happen? It would take two weeks and stringing the leather was going to be so hard and on and on and on.  I did not care.  I did not want to have to send the purses to a place in New York (which would have cost three times as much.) I wanted it done here at home and so it was done and beautifully so.  I am now carrying my favorite and both of them look fabulous. Thank you Dr. Shoes.