The elegant egg

You can turn almost any ingredient into a frittata, it is the most elegant and forgiving dish there is in my repertoire. Yesterday I showed you crack bread and today the left overs were toasted in butter in the skillet with hash browns, prosciutto, herbs, eggs and cheese and flipped as a glorious, delicious frittata. A dish perfect for any time of day or evening that can be prepared in minutes and slipped into a preheated oven for the most glorious results.  I have never had the exact same ingredients in one frittata that I have made except for eggs--you really need those. lol

Andy and I are quietly seeing the new year in as usual.  We really don't care for New Year's Eve parties any more.  Everyone seems to try too hard to have a good time, and maybe they do and I just don't realize it.  I don't, however, think in all the parties I have hosted that I have ever had a really successful New Year's Eve party. But parties we will have and enjoy in 2019.  Andy and I will be married sixty years in April and Joe and Glenda were married one month later than we were, so we will have some kind of celebration I bet. Then the weddings start and we are off...

Have a lovely 2019.

 

Crack bread

When I have a big dinner or party I usually forget to serve several dishes.  Christmas Day was no exception.  I was in rib roast mode and forgot the bread.  I had a nice oval loaf from Trader Joe's which I should have cut diamond slits in the surface and filled in between with cheese, butter, and herbs for pull-apart bread which is wrapped in foil and put in an oven for it to absorb the cheese which melts to perfection.  Oh well, Matt and Madeleine are coming over today, so I will fix this for them. These pictures are from Recipe Tin which is a good food blog to check out every once in a while.  Hopefully, the pictures will stay on, but you never know on this blog what you can or cannot have. Try it, you will be a fan.

Pictures from Recipe Tin

Beef and noodles

I have been brave today and I dealt with the hunk of prime rib in the fridge.  Andy will be happy with beef and noodles today.  Beth and I will enjoy them as well.  Everyone, however, is going on a diet January 2nd so we must get the goodies out to skinny people so they can enjoy the fruits of Christmas Day.  I have a large pot of roast's bones with vegetables making a lovely stock that can be frozen if there is too much to use in the next couple of days.  It is a scrumptious pot and it is full of trimmings, bones, herbs, onions, and vegetables that need using. The lovely rare pieces are snug in the fridge for sandwiches and stir-fry and other assorted delicate goodies. I feel relieved that that business is taken care of--now to the sweets. What to do, what to do.  If only we had a sweet loving family.  What?  We do? (Me?  Not so much.)

We have a warm day coming tomorrow and I am thinking of getting someone to deal with the last of the leaves.  They are driving me wild. Then there are the decorations to be taken down and carefully put away.  That's a sad thing to me. I love the lighted porch and the trees in different rooms.  Oh well, hopefully, there is 2019.  We surely have a lot going on during that new year.

Mike comes home tomorrow.  We missed him during our festivities.  Nate is...where? Not a word.

Rich beef broth with Amish noodles, waiting for the prime rib slices.  That's lunch.

Passports

I am renewing my passport today in anticipation of Italy in October.  Many changes have gone on in the realm of passport pictures.  You can now go to CVS or Walgreen and they will take the picture for you but, YOU CAN'T SMILE. It's more like a mug shot now: mouth closed and not smiling, eyes looking straight ahead, eyes open, eye glasses glare not to be present, horizontal/vertical face position...11 factors to be considered before the machine will print the picture.  Then you take all matter of paperwork to the post office and I bet there will be something forgotten.  Oh well, it will get done and Beth and I are going to have lunch out so I don't have to open the fridge and see this giant roast shaming me into doing something else with it.  I will get it done, but not today.  I have lovely bones from this roast and they are more interesting to me; I'd rather consider what to do with those than that hunk of succulent meat.

We woke up to an ethereal sight this morning, the trees were all covered with frost and the air held fog.  I love the look of the backyard when it looks that way.  But, the sun has shone and now it is just another December day.  Do you know this December is the first time in 823 years that there are 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays in a month? (The Chinese call it A Bag Full Of Money) Here's hoping the money comes our way.  Happy New Year.

Note:  The postmistress told me the reason you can't smile for a passport is they can't get a good read on the eyes and they need the eyes for identification recognition.

What a lovely time we had

We had a great Christmas even though some of our kin had other things to do.  Last night we went to 6:00 church and sang our hearts out.  It was so inspirational.  Then we had a nice dinner out and finished up about 11:00. We were bushed, but happy. Today the family elf  (Beth dressed the part) was busy as we cooked and ate, and opened packages and cooked some more.  I had a 9 1/2 pound standing rib roast and I thought it would never get done.  Seems as though my thermometers banging around in the drawer might have caused a misread.  I think from now on we will order in Chinese. (The roast was fine and really good, but...)  Beth and Alyssa are such great help Alyssa printed out pictures for our albums from the phone, helped me renew my passport on line, and firmed up some details about her wedding in Italy. Andy got three new hats to add to his mounting collection, so he was a happy man. Everyone seemed happy with their gifts and now it is done, thank you, for the season.

Nate has started his wandering and it is always a surprise to see where he ends up.  Mike is still with Adam in Colorado and they are skiing today, Christmas day.  Brooks is about to fly home to prepare for his deployment. Beth is going to see him off early in January.

Winston is doing well, but he is cranky.  He and Posy get into it pretty often and it is disheartening. They are getting old, but look young and spry so their set-to(s) are serious. Oh well, if that is my only problem, then I have no problems.

It's time to wish all of you a Happy New Year.  I am so glad 2018 is coming to an end.

Chili

The gang is gathering sans a few people off on their own.  Last night Beth and Alyssa baked cookies and Heather, a friend, and I drank Prosecco and watched. Well, to tell the truth four of us, Andy only had one glass, polished off four bottles.   We also made those delightful brie/cranberry bites and we ate them all.  Beth had a beautiful charcuterie platter and we made a big dent in that too. Oink oink.

Today I have a big pot of chili going because I have no idea who will be hungry.  Alyssa and her maid of honor, Taylor, are doing their thing, Beth is off doing her thing, Carly and Brooks are due to arrive any minute, so the food is bound to be eaten.

Last night Heather brought me a large box of See's candies.  Andy's boss used to give us this treat every Christmas and I must say I have not had See's since then until last night.  I have it out for public consumption, but, I hope no one eats any.  It will take me a while, but I can polish off this delight during the new year, which I am looking forward to.  I will be glad to put 2018 behind me. (Maybe I should hide the See's, Brooks has a big appetite and since he is about to be deployed for nine months he is stocking up on goodies.)  I pray the President brings our troops home from that hell hole too.

David and Johnna sent me a day spa certificate for Woodhouse Spas, Beth and I were there once. It is very nice, but it will take maybe 12 people to work on my body; there are several areas of need. I fear the ticket will run out before all my needs are soothed.

Two more days and it will be over and the next day people will carry back to the store and exchange items for what they really want.  lol  Have a good time.

Three of our guys we won't be seeing Christmas Day. (They are probably not having a good time. lol)

Brie/cranberry sauce bites

English roasted potatoes

On my many antiquing trips to England, the dish I enjoyed most was their roasted potatoes although the jacket potato I had at the Birmingham flea market is memorable as well. Let me wax poetic for a minute over the jacket potato: first, it was the biggest potato I have ever eaten standing up.  (The dealers don't want you to sit down they want you on foot and buying and I was happy to accommodate them but I needed fuel.) One had a wide choice of toppings, so I opted for most of them, excluding beans, I couldn't quite factor beans into it.  The potato was fluffy and generous and hot and buttery with a crispy skin that went down rather well too.  The next potato that I enjoyed was always on a trip out of town to Arundel where the little village sported many antique shops and the handsome Spencer.  Many women went to the village just to gaze upon Spencer as well as his antiques which were an after-thought. The Tudor Rose was a restaurant that sported the hottest food I have ever eaten.  The plate of food came hot and stayed so hot it was nearly impossible to eat. The potatoes were roasted to perfection. They were crisp on the outside and creamy tender on the inside.  I could have dined just on a plate of roasted potatoes.  If you go to Arundel and to the Tudor Rose don't get the roast beef.  Everything else is very good.

Today the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, had Mary Poppins on to cook with her.  Being English (Emily Blunt)  presented a very nice rendition of the English roasted potato.  It is not hard and they turned out perfectly.  The secret is to parboil the potatoes for around 10 minutes first, then dry them on a rack until all water is gone and then roast them in the oven with plenty of oil, salt and pepper.  I have a nice fry up in my oven right now: iron skillet with butter, sliced onions, mushrooms, and on top parboiled potatoes and I hear the timer, so I am off.  If it looks pretty I will take a shot for you.

Induction voodoo

Andy and I are intrigued by the cooking videos that show the magic of induction cooking.  We are not big on exchanging gifts at any time because we simply buy what we want when the time is right, but, this magic is special and I want to try it and he wants me to try it.  I did my homework but still do not understand the magic of magnetism and the workings that produces this wireless, plugless mechanism.  I ordered the best seller which was $50. on Amazon. But, they go up to $500. It takes special pots and skillets and they come in a set, so I got that too.  The Christmas sales are practically giveaways, so the entire package was not very expensive. Now I won't be making cooking videos but I will let you know how this works out.

DUXTOP 1800-Watt Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner 8100MC, gold

Pizza dough

Trader Joe's has another good product, fresh pizza dough ready for any toppings or uses.  I have ham and cheese swirls in the oven right now using this product which I have used before in pizza form.  To get it out of the bag easily, just turn it wrong side out and there you go.  It is so easy to work with and it comes with or without herbs.  I bought the without this time because I have a great supply of herbs which I sprinkled on the buttered pan before putting in the swirls.

Each time I go into Trader Joe's I try to buy a product that I have not used before and I am rarely disappointed. 

Note: There are over 500 old posts to the right of today's post.  I like to find the post that is close to today to see what we were doing way back when.  I found one of the ones in December where we are preparing to go to the beach house. There are good ideas and recipes there, so check it out when you have time.

The quiet before the storm

Merry Christmas

Andy and I are all set for the festivities.  Mike left for Colorado today for eight days to ski with Nate and Adam.  The house is clean and decorated and the first guest arrives the 22nd.  I think cookie baking is in order pretty shortly after that.  The next day Brooks and Carly arrive, that's the 23rd.  The twenty-fourth evening we go to church and then out to eat at Spagos (sp?) The 25th we have a large Christmas luncheon and then in the afternoon the guests scatter and go.  Brooks is deployed early in January for nine months so prayers will be welcomed.

Life changes so fast any more. It is difficult to keep up.  But the activities keep one young and active.

Winston is healing nicely and is off all medication.  He did not seem to mind going off all four pain killers and did not get the shakes or have any reaction at all.  He's a tough dog.  The only thing it did was increase his appetite.  He is skinny so he can handle the extra calories.

David has a new dog, Leo.  He lost his dog several months ago and finally got over it and found the puppy, Leo.  He is spoiling him as he did his other dogs. If you are a dog you would want to belong to David.

Andy has selected his classes at OSU for the next term.  He does love to learn. You would have to beat me with a big stick to do what he does at Ohio State.  He feels right at home there after all he did teach there a long time ago.

2019 is wedding year for us.  Good news about engagement just keeps on keeping on. Andy and I will also celebrate 60 years of marriage in April.

Have a lovely Christmas and may 2019 be exactly right for you.

Madeleine At the Franklin Conservatory

Cookies

It was a Christmas tradition of mine to make hundreds of cookies, usually with my nieces Nancy and Linda.  I would take a platter for each teacher to the school on Sunday afternoon and place one on each teacher's desk to greet them on Monday morning.  I would make big platters as Christmas gifts for the relatives until one of them said "Oh, just what we need, sigh." and then that was the end of that! I have not baked large amounts of cookies for years or even small amounts.  But for some reason yesterday I hankered for those dessert cookies; the recipe was published by the Dispatch in November.  I had submitted it three years ago, and for some reason, it popped up this year reminding me how good they are. So I doubled the recipe yesterday and it filled three tins, one of which disappeared last night.  They are better the next day, but still yummy right away. They are not beauties but simple cake-like cookies that everyone smacks their lips in delight when they taste them.

I had the kitchen in disarray like you would not believe and both dishwashers were full and running steadily.  All the counters were full and I just did not remember that cookies sound simple, but if you don't have someone else in the kitchen to take up some slack, not so simple. (The three dogs were NO help.) Nor was the husband.

The cookie recipe, dessert cookies, was in a little hand done recipe booklet that came to me from Lavonn Rogers someone  who antiqued with me sometimes.  Every recipe that I tried in that rag-tag booklet turned out to be delicious.  It is as though only the tried and true recipes made it into this little, now valuable, addition to my recipe drawers.

Alyssa and Beth are baking cookies Saturday.  I will try to get them to try some of the recipes from this booklet so that they too can pass on some of these gems.  As for me, I've done my cookies for the year (now that the kitchen is back in order) and now I am going to hide the rest of these treats on the sun porch where they will be cool and safe.

Happy baking...if that is what makes you happy.

See.  Rag-tag but good

Just now ·