I can’t remember exactly how I started blogging or which site I first visited, but Jeanie's blog, Cowgirl’s Country Life, was a major inspiration and she taught me how to get started. I posted 5 times on August 28, 2009, as I was trying to figure out how to make it work – I’m computer challenged. At this point I can still just do the basics but can’t make arrows point at things, or add emoticons, or bring in pictures from anywhere but my files, etc. I guess if I really wanted to do it, Wende, my tech support daughter, could teach me – she does this kind of computer stuff for a living.
Thanks in large part to being willing to post about anything, including simple meals and culinary screw-ups, I’ve only missed posting a very few days and just happened to end up with 365 posts for the year. During this time, you’ve met all of our immediate family and pets and gotten to know Bev and I a little. I see a blog as somewhat of a chat place with a purpose and I believe I’ve gotten to know some of you through your writing without actually meeting you. One of the highlights of this year was a blogger get together in June and actually meeting some of you.
So far, I’m not feeling burned out on blogging and I think the big motivations are getting your comments, which I really look forward to, and learning from you by reading your blogs. The only negative is that Bev complains I spend too much time doing it – she doesn’t realize that just because my computer is on my lap, I’m not usually blogging.
I may take a couple of days off now that I'm into year two with my sincere thanks to you for taking the time to stop by and read my ramblings.
Have a great day.
Larry
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Great Way To Start The Day & Grandkids
Let me get this straight, I have precooked bacon to warm up, homegrown tomatoes, Cabot Cheddar, and unrecalled eggs and you think I’m going to pass up the opportunity for a low kitchen mess BLT/egg sandwich for breakfast. Of course I am not - I didn't notice I had such an ugly piece of lettuce.
Eric and family came down for a Saturday visit to spend a little lake time before it gets too cold. It was a big day, the kids swam in the lake without being on a float or holding on to someone for the first time. This is Sophia, the daredevil in the family.
Matthew is much more conservative, so it took him a little while to get in the water alone.
But he did and he's finishing up his swim over to Mom.
We also pulled Ann and the kids on the innertube, but the rope broke and dumped them in the lake before I got a picture. Another first, both kids went under water and didn't bat an eye - Matthew was pretty pleased with himself, so a big step in the right direction. Since Eric's job is likely to keep them in the area and lake visits to Grandpop and Meme's will be a regular occurance, it's important we help them get comfortable with the water.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Eric and family came down for a Saturday visit to spend a little lake time before it gets too cold. It was a big day, the kids swam in the lake without being on a float or holding on to someone for the first time. This is Sophia, the daredevil in the family.
Matthew is much more conservative, so it took him a little while to get in the water alone.
But he did and he's finishing up his swim over to Mom.
We also pulled Ann and the kids on the innertube, but the rope broke and dumped them in the lake before I got a picture. Another first, both kids went under water and didn't bat an eye - Matthew was pretty pleased with himself, so a big step in the right direction. Since Eric's job is likely to keep them in the area and lake visits to Grandpop and Meme's will be a regular occurance, it's important we help them get comfortable with the water.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Bradford Pear Saga All But Ends
If you’re a regular reader, you know I’ve had an ongoing project to deal with a downed Bradford pear that first fell on August 3. This was the first part to fall.
Then the second.
Then the third, leaving three stems which I cut down.
After spending about ten 1-3 hour mornings, the tree has been removed, except for the main trunk, and I’m sure glad as it about whipped me. Compared to many folks in this situation I’m pretty fortunate because I have a fireplace in which to use the wood, a wooded area with a steep ravine in which to dump the debris, and a good chainsaw.
I’d mentioned in an earlier post that if I’m gonna do work, I want good tools (same way in the kitchen) and if I’m cutting wood I want a wood eating machine which is just what my Stihl Farmboss is. I’ll admit to wishing I had a lighter 10” Poulan when I was cutting the small branches above my head. All that is left is splitting the bigger logs and stacking them. And perhaps the best part of all is that I’m way out of shape and overweight and want to change that – this has forced me in the right direction. It took about 9 hours to get to this point.
I knew the Bradford Pear had lots of branches, but now that I’ve touched them all, I’m not surprised it fell from it’s own weight. Not only does it seem to have a hundred big limbs, it must have a bizillion small branches. If I were in the tree cutting business, I’d charge the same for a big Bradford Pear as for a 75’ oak that I had to climb and bring down a piece at a time.
Here it is down to just the main trunk.
It took about 8 hours to cut up the logs, put on the woodpile, and clean up the mess. Here's the wood on the wood pile and each area is 6'x8' - I'll get about half again this much from the big pieces yet to be split.
I left the trunk to use as an anchor to tie off and pull some of the crepe myrtle stems back toward it. Like all trees, it had been growing toward the sun and away from the Bradford pear. When I’m sure they will stay put on their own, I’ll cut down the trunk and split it for firewood - perhaps next spring.
The one nice thing about the final morning was that it was only about 70* with a nice breeze with a hint of fall crispness, making the job a little easier. Finally, this is the last Bradford pear post unless lighting strikes the remaining trunk.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Then the second.
Then the third, leaving three stems which I cut down.
After spending about ten 1-3 hour mornings, the tree has been removed, except for the main trunk, and I’m sure glad as it about whipped me. Compared to many folks in this situation I’m pretty fortunate because I have a fireplace in which to use the wood, a wooded area with a steep ravine in which to dump the debris, and a good chainsaw.
I’d mentioned in an earlier post that if I’m gonna do work, I want good tools (same way in the kitchen) and if I’m cutting wood I want a wood eating machine which is just what my Stihl Farmboss is. I’ll admit to wishing I had a lighter 10” Poulan when I was cutting the small branches above my head. All that is left is splitting the bigger logs and stacking them. And perhaps the best part of all is that I’m way out of shape and overweight and want to change that – this has forced me in the right direction. It took about 9 hours to get to this point.
I knew the Bradford Pear had lots of branches, but now that I’ve touched them all, I’m not surprised it fell from it’s own weight. Not only does it seem to have a hundred big limbs, it must have a bizillion small branches. If I were in the tree cutting business, I’d charge the same for a big Bradford Pear as for a 75’ oak that I had to climb and bring down a piece at a time.
Here it is down to just the main trunk.
It took about 8 hours to cut up the logs, put on the woodpile, and clean up the mess. Here's the wood on the wood pile and each area is 6'x8' - I'll get about half again this much from the big pieces yet to be split.
I left the trunk to use as an anchor to tie off and pull some of the crepe myrtle stems back toward it. Like all trees, it had been growing toward the sun and away from the Bradford pear. When I’m sure they will stay put on their own, I’ll cut down the trunk and split it for firewood - perhaps next spring.
The one nice thing about the final morning was that it was only about 70* with a nice breeze with a hint of fall crispness, making the job a little easier. Finally, this is the last Bradford pear post unless lighting strikes the remaining trunk.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Pasta Carrabba Ala Steph Ala Larry
When we bought our whole country ham the other day, we had them cut about a dozen slices as thin procuitto and we've been looking for ways to use it. After seeing Steph’s Pasta Carrabba recipe over at Plain Chicken, I decided I could go for another pasta in cream sauce dish and I thought this might be an opportunity to get creative and use some of the ham. I followed her recipe with three changes – I stuffed the chicken with procuitto and cheese, and I had a extra piece of procuitto which I diced and put into the sauce. As much as I enjoy making the recipes you post, I must start paying better attention. This is the third chicken dish I’ve made recently where I noticed the “marinate overnight” instruction about late morning on cook day, so once again this only got marinated about 6 hours – change number three.
I laid out a slice of the procuitto, added a mix of mozzerella and parmesan and rolled it up. I then cut a pocket into the chicken and inserted the roll with the hope the meat would keep the cheese from running out and then secured the cut with a toothpick. I guess this was a grilled version of Chicken Cordon Bleu.
This is the final recipe, which is pretty much a tripled version of Steph's.
Kicked Up Pasta Carrabba
Adapted from Steph at Plain Chicken
Makes 6 servings
Chicken
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
9 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 Tbsp fresh basil leaves (or 2 tsp dried)
6 Slices procuitto
Sliced or grated mozzerella cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste (I went easy on the salt due to the ham)
Sauce
6 tablespoons butter
3 medium shallots
1 tbsp minced garlic
¾ cup fresh grated parmesan
3 cup half & half or heavy cream (I used cream)
8 oz fresh mushrooms (I used cremini)
1 ½ cup frozen English peas
Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
Pasta
1 lb package fettuccine
Fresh grated parmesan cheese
Combine vinegar, oil and basil. Pour over chicken in a ziplock bag and marinate overnight (or less if you can't follow directions) in the refrigerator. Grill the breasts (or bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes). Set aside. I grilled them over medium heat to an internal temp of 165*. The finished plate of chicken - the cheese stayed in fine.
Peel and finely chop shallots. Saute in butter 1 minute (I added the pieces of ham here). Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add cream, salt and pepper to taste. Boil to reduce slightly to the consistency of a light sauce, just thick enough to coat a spoon. Add mushrooms, peas, and parmesan cheese and cook another 2 minutes.
Since I was the cook tonight, I made the sauce on the grill side burner while I grilled the chicken and Bev cooked the pasta on the stove.
Cook pasta, drain and shake out excess water. Add to sauce and gently toss.
Put a serving of pasta on each plate, add a little grated parmesan, place chicken on pasta and add a little more grated parmesan. Garnish with basil.
My plate - I remembered the garnish today.
I hate this is blurry, but it gives you an idea of the inside.
Since we were cooking a Steph dish, we decided to start the meal with another of her dishes – Carrabbas Bread Dip, check out her blog for more photos and the recipe. We just made up per her recipe and dipped in some warmed French bread. Since some of my herbs were pretty big pieces, before adding the garlic, I gave them about a 15 second whirl in the coffee grinder that I use for spices. I thought this was as good as any I've ever had in a restaurant.
The bread dip, chicken and pasta were big hits with everyone and I thought they were super good. I've eaten good thanks to Steph's trip to Carrabba's and I have to believe this was better than what they serve. Her blog may be titled Plain Chicken but the dishes she posts are anything but plain - thanks for another great meal.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
I laid out a slice of the procuitto, added a mix of mozzerella and parmesan and rolled it up. I then cut a pocket into the chicken and inserted the roll with the hope the meat would keep the cheese from running out and then secured the cut with a toothpick. I guess this was a grilled version of Chicken Cordon Bleu.
This is the final recipe, which is pretty much a tripled version of Steph's.
Kicked Up Pasta Carrabba
Adapted from Steph at Plain Chicken
Makes 6 servings
Chicken
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
9 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 Tbsp fresh basil leaves (or 2 tsp dried)
6 Slices procuitto
Sliced or grated mozzerella cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste (I went easy on the salt due to the ham)
Sauce
6 tablespoons butter
3 medium shallots
1 tbsp minced garlic
¾ cup fresh grated parmesan
3 cup half & half or heavy cream (I used cream)
8 oz fresh mushrooms (I used cremini)
1 ½ cup frozen English peas
Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
Pasta
1 lb package fettuccine
Fresh grated parmesan cheese
Combine vinegar, oil and basil. Pour over chicken in a ziplock bag and marinate overnight (or less if you can't follow directions) in the refrigerator. Grill the breasts (or bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes). Set aside. I grilled them over medium heat to an internal temp of 165*. The finished plate of chicken - the cheese stayed in fine.
Peel and finely chop shallots. Saute in butter 1 minute (I added the pieces of ham here). Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add cream, salt and pepper to taste. Boil to reduce slightly to the consistency of a light sauce, just thick enough to coat a spoon. Add mushrooms, peas, and parmesan cheese and cook another 2 minutes.
Since I was the cook tonight, I made the sauce on the grill side burner while I grilled the chicken and Bev cooked the pasta on the stove.
Cook pasta, drain and shake out excess water. Add to sauce and gently toss.
Put a serving of pasta on each plate, add a little grated parmesan, place chicken on pasta and add a little more grated parmesan. Garnish with basil.
My plate - I remembered the garnish today.
I hate this is blurry, but it gives you an idea of the inside.
Since we were cooking a Steph dish, we decided to start the meal with another of her dishes – Carrabbas Bread Dip, check out her blog for more photos and the recipe. We just made up per her recipe and dipped in some warmed French bread. Since some of my herbs were pretty big pieces, before adding the garlic, I gave them about a 15 second whirl in the coffee grinder that I use for spices. I thought this was as good as any I've ever had in a restaurant.
The bread dip, chicken and pasta were big hits with everyone and I thought they were super good. I've eaten good thanks to Steph's trip to Carrabba's and I have to believe this was better than what they serve. Her blog may be titled Plain Chicken but the dishes she posts are anything but plain - thanks for another great meal.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Monday, August 23, 2010
Stuffed Bison Burgers
I posted recently about our day trip to Cumberland Gap with a side trip to Dutch Treats in Rose Hill, Va. While we were there, my son, Eric, ran into a member of his congregation (he’s a Methodist minister – a circuit rider with 3 churches) and later as we talked, he mentioned they owned a gas station/ convenience store that also sold frozen bison meat – their small herd was across the road. So we stopped on the return trip and bought a package of bison short ribs and a few packages of bison burger.
I’d never made stuffed hamburgers and had been planning to use the last of the chipolte pimento cheese (yep, it’s still good) for this purpose, but since I had the bison, I used it rather than beef. For my burger, I made two 3oz patties, spread one with the pimento cheese, some chopped onion, and some crumbled crispy fried bacon, then topped with the other patty and sealed the edges. I seasoned the outside with a little salt, pepper, and Tiger seasoning. For Bev and her sister to share, I made an oblong burger from the remaining 11 oz of meat and stuffed and seasoned it the same way – we had hoagie rolls but no burger buns. I tried to make it so the cheese wouldn’t run out when we cut it.
I grilled them to about 130* internal temperature and ate mine open faced on a piece of Naan bread – needed something to absorb the juices – and put theirs on the hoagie roll which they then split.
We sided it with some reheated leftover cheesy potatoes, also with a little crumbled bacon sprinkled on top. I cooked up about 3 pounds of bacon, using the grill as an oven, this afternoon, so we’d have it for a variety of uses without having to cook a few pieces at time of need – a BLT for example. We store it in the fridge in plastic bags, then just nuke it for a minute or so when needed and it’s just like fresh fried, and only one mess to clean up.
I loved every part of my meal but with so much stuff on/in the burger, I don't think I could tell it was bison - I could tell it was a delicious stuffed burger though. Next time it will be just the basics to see if we can tell the difference between beef and bison, but at $4+ per pound, it'll probably be just an occasional novelty dish. I think I'll call my beef raising neighbor and suggest he consider a switch from cattle to bison.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
I’d never made stuffed hamburgers and had been planning to use the last of the chipolte pimento cheese (yep, it’s still good) for this purpose, but since I had the bison, I used it rather than beef. For my burger, I made two 3oz patties, spread one with the pimento cheese, some chopped onion, and some crumbled crispy fried bacon, then topped with the other patty and sealed the edges. I seasoned the outside with a little salt, pepper, and Tiger seasoning. For Bev and her sister to share, I made an oblong burger from the remaining 11 oz of meat and stuffed and seasoned it the same way – we had hoagie rolls but no burger buns. I tried to make it so the cheese wouldn’t run out when we cut it.
I grilled them to about 130* internal temperature and ate mine open faced on a piece of Naan bread – needed something to absorb the juices – and put theirs on the hoagie roll which they then split.
We sided it with some reheated leftover cheesy potatoes, also with a little crumbled bacon sprinkled on top. I cooked up about 3 pounds of bacon, using the grill as an oven, this afternoon, so we’d have it for a variety of uses without having to cook a few pieces at time of need – a BLT for example. We store it in the fridge in plastic bags, then just nuke it for a minute or so when needed and it’s just like fresh fried, and only one mess to clean up.
I loved every part of my meal but with so much stuff on/in the burger, I don't think I could tell it was bison - I could tell it was a delicious stuffed burger though. Next time it will be just the basics to see if we can tell the difference between beef and bison, but at $4+ per pound, it'll probably be just an occasional novelty dish. I think I'll call my beef raising neighbor and suggest he consider a switch from cattle to bison.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Creamy Pasta Puttanesca
I couldn't pass up posting the cat humor (check it out below), but here is my real post for today.
Sometimes I can’t believe the things I do. When I made the Pasta Puttanesca the other day I made extra for lunches and tripled the sauce recipe to match the pasta I was cooking and I’ve learned not to do the conversion in my head as I make the dish, but rather to convert and write it down. As we were eating the dish, in spite of my loving it, I thought it was a little too hot and Bev thought it could use a little more sauce. As I was re-reading my blog post about it the next morning, I realized that I had tripled everything but the tomatoes – duh.
So we needed to do something to get the leftoves back on track. I estimated how much pasta was left over and decided how much more sauce was needed, but Bev suggested we go a step further and make it a cream sauce. To accomplish this, I added three ladles of extra tomato sauce, 2 ladles of cream, and a ladle of grated romano cheese to a skillet and cooked until the cheese was melted then adjusted the salt and pepper.
While this was cooking, I reheated the pasta leftovers in the microwave then tossed the two together in the pan.
I considered siding it with bread or salad, but I was so sure it would be good, I wanted to eat the pasta until full – and I was right.
It was delicious and as much as I liked the regular Puttanesca, I think I liked this better - I really like cream sauces. Next time it will be the regular dish for the first meal with a good bit of extra sauce then a seasoned cream and cheese addition for the leftovers.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Sometimes I can’t believe the things I do. When I made the Pasta Puttanesca the other day I made extra for lunches and tripled the sauce recipe to match the pasta I was cooking and I’ve learned not to do the conversion in my head as I make the dish, but rather to convert and write it down. As we were eating the dish, in spite of my loving it, I thought it was a little too hot and Bev thought it could use a little more sauce. As I was re-reading my blog post about it the next morning, I realized that I had tripled everything but the tomatoes – duh.
So we needed to do something to get the leftoves back on track. I estimated how much pasta was left over and decided how much more sauce was needed, but Bev suggested we go a step further and make it a cream sauce. To accomplish this, I added three ladles of extra tomato sauce, 2 ladles of cream, and a ladle of grated romano cheese to a skillet and cooked until the cheese was melted then adjusted the salt and pepper.
While this was cooking, I reheated the pasta leftovers in the microwave then tossed the two together in the pan.
I considered siding it with bread or salad, but I was so sure it would be good, I wanted to eat the pasta until full – and I was right.
It was delicious and as much as I liked the regular Puttanesca, I think I liked this better - I really like cream sauces. Next time it will be the regular dish for the first meal with a good bit of extra sauce then a seasoned cream and cheese addition for the leftovers.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Giving The Cat A Bath
A couple of you commented yesterday about giving the cat a bath and I know some of you have seen this, but I suspect giving her a bath might be similar to, if not worse than giving her a pill as described below. This gave me a big laugh.
HOW TO GIVE THE CAT A PILL
1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby.
Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth.
Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa.
Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand.
Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.
5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe.
Call spouse in from the garden.
6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws.
Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail.
Get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit.
Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans and drink one beer to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed.
Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard, and close door onto neck, to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of scotch. Pour shot, drink.
Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12. Call fire department to retrieve the dang cat from the top of the tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat.
Take last pill from foil wrap.
13. Using heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed, tie the little *&#%^'s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour two pints of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Consume remainder of scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room. Sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.
15. Arrange for RSPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.
HOW TO GIVE THE DOG A PILL
1. Wrap it in bacon.
2. Toss it in the air.
I have this in my email complete with appropriate pictures - email me if you'd like to have it (I'll keep your address private).
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
HOW TO GIVE THE CAT A PILL
1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby.
Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth.
Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa.
Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand.
Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.
5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe.
Call spouse in from the garden.
6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws.
Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail.
Get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit.
Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans and drink one beer to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed.
Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard, and close door onto neck, to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of scotch. Pour shot, drink.
Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12. Call fire department to retrieve the dang cat from the top of the tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat.
Take last pill from foil wrap.
13. Using heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed, tie the little *&#%^'s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour two pints of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Consume remainder of scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room. Sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.
15. Arrange for RSPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.
HOW TO GIVE THE DOG A PILL
1. Wrap it in bacon.
2. Toss it in the air.
I have this in my email complete with appropriate pictures - email me if you'd like to have it (I'll keep your address private).
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Saturday, August 21, 2010
It’s Dog Bath Day
Late last year Alex’s (granddaughter who was living with us) little dog Bella was killed by a car and we decided to get her a replacement. She and Bev searched the sources and found a Yorkie/ Chihuahua mix that Alex liked and she named her Coco. As you know, Alex has moved back with her parents now that they are home from Korea and last weekend they came in with the plan to take their two dogs (Coco and Joker) home with them. As it turned out, Coco ended up staying with us, which was fine as we had grown attached to her and had mixed feelings about her leaving - so we still have three dogs and a cat.
Now for bath day – I get such a kick out of their post bath performance. After washing and towel drying, Bev let them in the house to prevent them from rolling in the dirt. They came bounding in and commenced to slide their ears along the carpet and towel we’d laid down. The odd part is they will do this when only their back is wet. Sweetie Pie has had many baths and hers only lasted a short while, but Coco, who has had just a couple of baths, rolled, flipped, slid, and scooted for a good five minutes. Here are some pics of them in action – a video would have been really funny. Coco beginning a roll - unfortunately for the pics, she chose the black rug.
Doing the ear sliding thing.
Another roll.
Sweetie was done before I got the camera.
She's down to a little tongue drying.
They sure bring a lot of fun and happiness to our lives and I don't regret for a minute the things we have to do to accomodate having them.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Now for bath day – I get such a kick out of their post bath performance. After washing and towel drying, Bev let them in the house to prevent them from rolling in the dirt. They came bounding in and commenced to slide their ears along the carpet and towel we’d laid down. The odd part is they will do this when only their back is wet. Sweetie Pie has had many baths and hers only lasted a short while, but Coco, who has had just a couple of baths, rolled, flipped, slid, and scooted for a good five minutes. Here are some pics of them in action – a video would have been really funny. Coco beginning a roll - unfortunately for the pics, she chose the black rug.
Doing the ear sliding thing.
Another roll.
Sweetie was done before I got the camera.
She's down to a little tongue drying.
They sure bring a lot of fun and happiness to our lives and I don't regret for a minute the things we have to do to accomodate having them.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Friday, August 20, 2010
Tuscan Steak And Beans
I had a steak in the fridge that needed to be used and found this recipe for Tuscan Steak and Beans at Food.com, and since there were three of us I added the second steak and made it just like the recipe.
Tuscan Steak And Beans
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
· 1 teaspoon olive oil
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 2 -10 ounces boneless beef top loin steaks
· 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
· 1 medium onion, sliced
· 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
· 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
· 1 pint grape tomatoes
· 16 ounces white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
· fresh rosemary leaf
Directions
1. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over med-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Add steaks to skillet and cook 8-10 min, turning once for med-rare or desired doneness. Transfer steaks to cutting board; keep warm.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to drippings in skillet and cook, stirring until browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar, chopped rosemary, and 2 tbsp water, stirring until browned bits are loosened from bottom of skillet. Stir in tomatoes and beans; cook, stirring occasionally until heated through - about 2 minute.
3. Thinly slice steaks and serve with tomato and bean mixture. Garnish with rosemary leaves.
Here’s a shot of my plate and we sided it with a piece of cheese toast the recipe for which we picked up from Steph over at “Plain Chicken.”
I don’t normally cook steak in a skillet and I wound up getting them a little more done than I wanted. I wouldn’t make this again without adding a lot more flavors, especially to the bean mix. The bread was the highlight of the meal and the worst part was I had a nice little piece of rosemary for garnish and forgot it until my meal was about gone. I'll never make it as a restaurant chef because eating a hot meal is more important to me than presentation - and luckily, I have no plans to become one :-).
I notice I have some new followers - welcome and thanks for reading my ramblings.
Have a nice day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Tuscan Steak And Beans
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
· 1 teaspoon olive oil
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 2 -10 ounces boneless beef top loin steaks
· 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
· 1 medium onion, sliced
· 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
· 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
· 1 pint grape tomatoes
· 16 ounces white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
· fresh rosemary leaf
Directions
1. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over med-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Add steaks to skillet and cook 8-10 min, turning once for med-rare or desired doneness. Transfer steaks to cutting board; keep warm.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to drippings in skillet and cook, stirring until browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar, chopped rosemary, and 2 tbsp water, stirring until browned bits are loosened from bottom of skillet. Stir in tomatoes and beans; cook, stirring occasionally until heated through - about 2 minute.
3. Thinly slice steaks and serve with tomato and bean mixture. Garnish with rosemary leaves.
Here’s a shot of my plate and we sided it with a piece of cheese toast the recipe for which we picked up from Steph over at “Plain Chicken.”
I don’t normally cook steak in a skillet and I wound up getting them a little more done than I wanted. I wouldn’t make this again without adding a lot more flavors, especially to the bean mix. The bread was the highlight of the meal and the worst part was I had a nice little piece of rosemary for garnish and forgot it until my meal was about gone. I'll never make it as a restaurant chef because eating a hot meal is more important to me than presentation - and luckily, I have no plans to become one :-).
I notice I have some new followers - welcome and thanks for reading my ramblings.
Have a nice day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Thursday, August 19, 2010
A Day Trip And Delicious Sandwich
We made a little day trip to Cumberland Gap, Tn the other day, with some friends, for lunch at Webb’s County Kitchen (our second visit) and our son, Eric, daughter-in-law, Ann and granddaughter, Sophia, who live nearby, joined us as well. While there, we walked around town and I took this picture of the still turning water wheel for the old gristmill that is now a B&B. The owner is trying to find someone to help her turn the functioning wheel into electricity - I would think some green industry company or college professor would be all over this. The stream comes right down from the mountain just yards away so I assume it’s spring fed. It must be cold as the little pool in front of it is full of Rainbow Trout, a couple of which I wouldn’t have minded having for dinner.
We also went out to Rose Hill, Va., population 714, to a little Mennonite store and bakery, called Dutch Treats, for some sweet baked goodies, cheddar cheese, and we got a loaf of jalapeno bread, which I‘ve commented on in a previous posts. The bread had a mix of cheese and peppers rolled up inside as well as some peppers on the outside, giving it a nice heat level. They have an assortment of Amish/Mennonite goods (mostly from Pa. & Ohio Dutch country), but they do all of the baking on site.
We’ve been eating on the bread the past few days and since I was on my own for lunch, I decided to turn a couple of slices into a grilled cheese sandwich, which I’d been wanting for over a week. I stuck with a pretty basic sandwich – their bread and cheese, a little thin sliced red onion, and some Dukes mayo. I put butter on both sides and grilled with a lid on to make sure the cheese would melt. It was outstanding and satisfied my craving - it’s amazing how much enjoyment such a simple lunch can provide. I thought it also looked delicious, but unfortunately neither of the pictures turned out.
Finally, I had saved the drippings and some biscuits from a country ham and biscuit breakfast, over the weekend, for use as biscuits and red eye gravy. The last time I made the gravy, Bev complained that she didn't get to sample it. So yesterday morning I fried up the last couple of pieces of ham in the saved drippings, added 3/4 cup of coffee, and put it over the re-heated biscuits. Bev's chance for a taste resulted in the following: "the stuff looks awful and it tastes awful too, I can make better ham gravy than that." I guess it's not for everyone.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
We also went out to Rose Hill, Va., population 714, to a little Mennonite store and bakery, called Dutch Treats, for some sweet baked goodies, cheddar cheese, and we got a loaf of jalapeno bread, which I‘ve commented on in a previous posts. The bread had a mix of cheese and peppers rolled up inside as well as some peppers on the outside, giving it a nice heat level. They have an assortment of Amish/Mennonite goods (mostly from Pa. & Ohio Dutch country), but they do all of the baking on site.
We’ve been eating on the bread the past few days and since I was on my own for lunch, I decided to turn a couple of slices into a grilled cheese sandwich, which I’d been wanting for over a week. I stuck with a pretty basic sandwich – their bread and cheese, a little thin sliced red onion, and some Dukes mayo. I put butter on both sides and grilled with a lid on to make sure the cheese would melt. It was outstanding and satisfied my craving - it’s amazing how much enjoyment such a simple lunch can provide. I thought it also looked delicious, but unfortunately neither of the pictures turned out.
Finally, I had saved the drippings and some biscuits from a country ham and biscuit breakfast, over the weekend, for use as biscuits and red eye gravy. The last time I made the gravy, Bev complained that she didn't get to sample it. So yesterday morning I fried up the last couple of pieces of ham in the saved drippings, added 3/4 cup of coffee, and put it over the re-heated biscuits. Bev's chance for a taste resulted in the following: "the stuff looks awful and it tastes awful too, I can make better ham gravy than that." I guess it's not for everyone.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Pancakes For The Grandkids
One of the Walker kid's (our Fort Knox family) favorite breakfasts when they come to Grandpop and Meme’s house is chocolate chip pancakes. Since they are not particular about the cakes, I used a mix – Pioneer Brand Buttermilk Biscuit and Baking Mix, and it made a pretty decent pancake. I assume it’s similar to Bisquick.
So for them it was the cakes with some mini chocolate chips sprinkled around the top side.
I hate I missed getting a pic of theirs, as they topped them with a mix of pancake syrup, Hersey’s chocolate syrup, and some more chocolate chips – since they’re all skinny as a rail, I don’t worry about an occasional calorie laden meal.
About the only time I eat pancakes is when I fix them for the kids, but when I do, I eat them like this – just like my dad.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
So for them it was the cakes with some mini chocolate chips sprinkled around the top side.
I hate I missed getting a pic of theirs, as they topped them with a mix of pancake syrup, Hersey’s chocolate syrup, and some more chocolate chips – since they’re all skinny as a rail, I don’t worry about an occasional calorie laden meal.
About the only time I eat pancakes is when I fix them for the kids, but when I do, I eat them like this – just like my dad.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Pasta Puttanesca
Our tomatoes are still coming in a few at a time and the blight about has then done in, so we’re still not getting enough to can – I’ll have to get serious about disease control next year. They nearly all have a problem when picked or develop one soon after picking. As soon as they’re ripe enough, we cut them up and put in the fridge and today we decided we’d best do something with them.
Bev’s suggestion was Puttanesca sauce, which sounded good to me. Since many of the tomatoes weren’t easily peelable, we decided to cook and juice them, then cook down into a sauce. I ended up with 5 ½# of juice, which I cooked down for about 3 hours and 1 ½# of peeled and seeded tomatoes. Since the dish is really made with a fairly quick cooked chunky marinara, our sauce is a hybrid. I decided to use a Wolfgang Puck recipe as I thought I had the best chance of getting the proportions right since he started with fresh tomatoes. Here’s his original recipe from the Food Network:
Pasta Puttanesca
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
· 1 ounce olive oil
· 1 tablespoon minced garlic
· 3 anchovy fillets, chopped
· 2 pounds tomatoes, concassed (peeled, seeded, and cut into strips)
· ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
· 6 ounces dry pasta, cooked al dente
· 1 tablespoon capers
· 2 tablespoons Nicoise olives, pitted
· ½ teaspoon fresh minced oregano
· 8 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
· 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· Freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Add the anchovy fillets, 1½ pounds of the tomatoes, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta, remaining 1/2 pound of tomatoes, capers, olives and oregano. Toss to mix and coat pasta with sauce. Turn off heat. Add the basil and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide onto 2 pasta plates and grate fresh Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
I used our cooked sauce, at half the recipe amount, for the first tomato addition and concassed tomatoes at the recipe amount for the second tomato addition. Here are the ingredients mixed for each addition to the dish – the oil and garlic are in the pan.
Everything still in the pan.
Here’s my plate after adding some fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano. I actually added more after taking the picture.
We considered adding some grilled shrimp or chicken to the top, or a side salad but decided on just some garlic cheese toast made in the toaster oven with some jalapeno cheese bread we got from the Mennonite bakery the other day – more about this in a future post. This was my first time for this dish and did I say it was delicious – I ate all of mine and about a third each of Bev’s and Pat’s – for my dessert and salad.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Bev’s suggestion was Puttanesca sauce, which sounded good to me. Since many of the tomatoes weren’t easily peelable, we decided to cook and juice them, then cook down into a sauce. I ended up with 5 ½# of juice, which I cooked down for about 3 hours and 1 ½# of peeled and seeded tomatoes. Since the dish is really made with a fairly quick cooked chunky marinara, our sauce is a hybrid. I decided to use a Wolfgang Puck recipe as I thought I had the best chance of getting the proportions right since he started with fresh tomatoes. Here’s his original recipe from the Food Network:
Pasta Puttanesca
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
· 1 ounce olive oil
· 1 tablespoon minced garlic
· 3 anchovy fillets, chopped
· 2 pounds tomatoes, concassed (peeled, seeded, and cut into strips)
· ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
· 6 ounces dry pasta, cooked al dente
· 1 tablespoon capers
· 2 tablespoons Nicoise olives, pitted
· ½ teaspoon fresh minced oregano
· 8 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
· 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· Freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Add the anchovy fillets, 1½ pounds of the tomatoes, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta, remaining 1/2 pound of tomatoes, capers, olives and oregano. Toss to mix and coat pasta with sauce. Turn off heat. Add the basil and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide onto 2 pasta plates and grate fresh Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
I used our cooked sauce, at half the recipe amount, for the first tomato addition and concassed tomatoes at the recipe amount for the second tomato addition. Here are the ingredients mixed for each addition to the dish – the oil and garlic are in the pan.
Everything still in the pan.
Here’s my plate after adding some fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano. I actually added more after taking the picture.
We considered adding some grilled shrimp or chicken to the top, or a side salad but decided on just some garlic cheese toast made in the toaster oven with some jalapeno cheese bread we got from the Mennonite bakery the other day – more about this in a future post. This was my first time for this dish and did I say it was delicious – I ate all of mine and about a third each of Bev’s and Pat’s – for my dessert and salad.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Monday, August 16, 2010
Basic Steak And Taters
Our Fort Knox family came in for Saturday and Sunday so that Alex could attend a modeling school function and Bev’s plan really appealed to me – let’s cook something simple for supper. My solution was to throw some steaks and potatoes on the grill. She decided it should be potatoes and cheese in a foil pouch and add a salad.
To prep the steaks, I just went with S & P, garlic powder and Montreal Steak Seasoning. For the potatoes, I’ve not been thrilled with how the cheese has turned out the last couple of times, using shredded cheese and canned milk, so I decided to start with a fondue. I adapted an Emeril Fondue recipe using more cornstarch and less white wine to make a thicker fondue to offset the liquid in the onions and potatoes. So my recipe was:
8oz Cheddar cheese
8 oz Jack cheese
3 tbsp Cornstarch
½ cup White wine
1 tbsp Minced garlic
6 Medium potatoes, diced
2 Medium large onions, halved and sliced
· Peel and slice potatoes and onions. Shred the cheese and toss with the cornstarch.
· In a saucepan, bring the garlic and wine to a simmer.
· Stir in the cheese a little at a time until melted.
· Spray a piece of heavy-duty foil with Pam. (we used a foil bag this time)
· In a bowl, mix together the veggies and the fondue and salt and pepper to taste. Do it fast as the cold potatoes quickly cools the fondue.
· Pour the mix onto the foil, seal the edges, and toss on the grill over direct heat and flip every 5 minutes until the foil pack fills with steam – like a Jiffy Pop popcorn, then move to indirect heat and cook the steaks.
The amount of cheese can be altered to suit your taste.
I decided these good looking steaks deserved to be cooked on the charcoal grill, so I built a hot fire on one side with no fire on the other. When it was ready, I cooked the steaks for a couple of minutes per side (depending upon desired doneness) to get a nice crust, then moved them to indirect to finish cooking.
Sorry, but we were running real late I was too busy cooking and serving to take any pictures, but the meal was great and making the cheese sauce for the potatoes worked very well – it’s my new go to way to do this.
I did manage to get a shot of the potatoes the next time I ate them though,
The darker color is where the cheese stuck to the foil and it’s my favorite part.
I mixed some country ham into some potatoes, nuked, and topped with a fried egg for breakfast this morning.
They worked great for this.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
To prep the steaks, I just went with S & P, garlic powder and Montreal Steak Seasoning. For the potatoes, I’ve not been thrilled with how the cheese has turned out the last couple of times, using shredded cheese and canned milk, so I decided to start with a fondue. I adapted an Emeril Fondue recipe using more cornstarch and less white wine to make a thicker fondue to offset the liquid in the onions and potatoes. So my recipe was:
8oz Cheddar cheese
8 oz Jack cheese
3 tbsp Cornstarch
½ cup White wine
1 tbsp Minced garlic
6 Medium potatoes, diced
2 Medium large onions, halved and sliced
· Peel and slice potatoes and onions. Shred the cheese and toss with the cornstarch.
· In a saucepan, bring the garlic and wine to a simmer.
· Stir in the cheese a little at a time until melted.
· Spray a piece of heavy-duty foil with Pam. (we used a foil bag this time)
· In a bowl, mix together the veggies and the fondue and salt and pepper to taste. Do it fast as the cold potatoes quickly cools the fondue.
· Pour the mix onto the foil, seal the edges, and toss on the grill over direct heat and flip every 5 minutes until the foil pack fills with steam – like a Jiffy Pop popcorn, then move to indirect heat and cook the steaks.
The amount of cheese can be altered to suit your taste.
I decided these good looking steaks deserved to be cooked on the charcoal grill, so I built a hot fire on one side with no fire on the other. When it was ready, I cooked the steaks for a couple of minutes per side (depending upon desired doneness) to get a nice crust, then moved them to indirect to finish cooking.
Sorry, but we were running real late I was too busy cooking and serving to take any pictures, but the meal was great and making the cheese sauce for the potatoes worked very well – it’s my new go to way to do this.
I did manage to get a shot of the potatoes the next time I ate them though,
The darker color is where the cheese stuck to the foil and it’s my favorite part.
I mixed some country ham into some potatoes, nuked, and topped with a fried egg for breakfast this morning.
They worked great for this.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Deer Sausage Sandwich
I’ve often considered trying to come up with clever titles for my posts, but then I believe it would make it more difficult to search, so I try and make them descriptive. I’ve been diligently working to clean out our freezer and I discovered a package of hot deer sausage given to me by my cousin. Since dinner was a fend for yourself kind of affair, I decided on a sausage sandwich.
The sausage comes from my cousin or his son in West Virginia and I don’t know if it’s pure venison or a blend, but I do know it had a good flavor and a nice heat. They live in an area where hunting deer can almost be accomplished by sitting on your patio and harvesting one when it wanders by. I’m the lucky recipient of a few packages or assorted product regularly.
So when I found this, I decided to just make a simple sandwich. I sautéed some onions and peppers then removed them from the pan and fryed the sausage. When it was close to done, I added a couple of slices of cheddar cheese and the veggies. When the cheese was melted I put it between two slices of bread with some mayo and it was delicious. After the fact, I thought I should I have considered some type of aioli, but.
I don’t hunt or fish, cause I don't like turning animals into meat, but I’m glad I know people who do and are willing to give me some.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
The sausage comes from my cousin or his son in West Virginia and I don’t know if it’s pure venison or a blend, but I do know it had a good flavor and a nice heat. They live in an area where hunting deer can almost be accomplished by sitting on your patio and harvesting one when it wanders by. I’m the lucky recipient of a few packages or assorted product regularly.
So when I found this, I decided to just make a simple sandwich. I sautéed some onions and peppers then removed them from the pan and fryed the sausage. When it was close to done, I added a couple of slices of cheddar cheese and the veggies. When the cheese was melted I put it between two slices of bread with some mayo and it was delicious. After the fact, I thought I should I have considered some type of aioli, but.
I don’t hunt or fish, cause I don't like turning animals into meat, but I’m glad I know people who do and are willing to give me some.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Steak And Chicken Quesadillas
We had a couple of chuck steaks and some smoked chicken in the fridge, so Bev suggested something simple for dinner - quesadillas. This was appealing since all we had to do was make up some pico de gallo, grill the steaks, reheat the chicken and assemble. Since we planned to use the homemade pimento cheese with chipotle in adobo for the cheese, I put some Tones Chipotle Seasoning on the beef. I put the beef over the hot part of the grill and the chicken on the cooler part.
and we had a couple of ears of corn, which we also grilled for adding to the mix.
So the quesadillas were pimento cheese, fresh chopped jalapenos, corn and meat on the inside, then on the grill for toasting.
Then topped with the pico de gallo and sour cream (which I forgot for mine) on the outside – I had one each chicken and beef.
They were absolutely delicious and we may have to keep this kicked up pimento cheese in the fridge full time - we're getting lots of use out of it.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
and we had a couple of ears of corn, which we also grilled for adding to the mix.
So the quesadillas were pimento cheese, fresh chopped jalapenos, corn and meat on the inside, then on the grill for toasting.
Then topped with the pico de gallo and sour cream (which I forgot for mine) on the outside – I had one each chicken and beef.
They were absolutely delicious and we may have to keep this kicked up pimento cheese in the fridge full time - we're getting lots of use out of it.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry