Monthly Archives: November 2008

Reading

is essential.  I read my news online, changing sources to find different angles on stories and hopefully find a shred of truth.  In the old days we had our local paper and if we were lucky, Walter Cronkite at six.

When one writes more than one knows from reading or other inspiration, that spells trouble.  When one writes stories without inspiration, that does not make a story.

When it comes to food, tasting is everything.  One “chef-testant” on Top Chef recently said that she didn’t need to drive to nearby NYC to taste real ethnic food, she could read her books.  Wrong.

Town library, every Saturday.  Books, knowledge, plays, all dusty and unused.  No Shakespeare there, just dusty books donors gave many years ago.  We made the best of it.  I knew at age eight that library was useless except for reference books and one cook book.

It’s a pity to know that a college town’s only public library is toast at the tender age of eight.  So my life took a different direction….

Now that’s the beginning of a story of which the author knows not the ending but at least the beginning and the material it may contain.

Scrabble was a hit, especially with the newly six year-old, who chose his own letters to spell the initials of his school.  Wow.  What a Thanksgiving!

ps Thanksgiving was always my mother’s holiday.  It was never mine.  I thought of her a lot this weekend and told funny stories about our childhood as they pertained to whatever conversation was at hand.  Scrabble was her game.  Proper names and acronyms were not allowed. To see nephew Joseph play was a tribute to my mother.  If she was alive ten years from now he may have won.

Missed a photo

John and Joseph and the Boer goats…

With an added surprise of their Yorkie pup Coco.

Teacher

Perhaps I should await student and guest evaluations prior to posting.  Nah, I’ll be honest later.  All I can say is that I had a good time planning a cooking basics class for two of our teen-aged cousins.

Along with trussing, roasting and carving a chicken came braising carrots and making mashed potatoes.  The lesson also included sanitation, salmonella, rudimentary knife skills, and timing a meal.

I left them to finish the meal on their own, with adult supervision.  Not that they need it, except some help with done-ness and carving. Otherwise these are two very impressive young ladies who seemed to enjoy our class and learn from it.

As to rudimentary knife skills, they had rudimentary knives.  Luckily I brought two and they had a usable boning knife.  A cook’s tools include a chef’s knife and a paring knife at minimum.  I hope if their interest continues that they invest in both in time.  I know where to splurge and where “good” is OK and inexpensive.

Seems to me I’ve written something on A Cook’s Tools…

Congratulations ladies!  They made boursin for a Thanksgiving tasting and both thought it out well.  Textures were interesting and very different, some thinking out of the box which I like.  Once they get used to making this cream cheese spread “on the fly” they’ll use what they have and enjoy with judicious abandon.  Both were sparing on the herbs as they were playing with flavors.  That’s better than overloading and having a mess of flavors with no focus.

I’m very proud of you.  Dee

When to Call Your Parents

As one ages, one wonders when to call the folks upon safely arriving home.  We called Jim’s parents to let them know we arrived safely this afternoon, but would not call them if we had flown to Chicago or LA.  It’s strange to be a grown adult and call your parents to say “I got home OK.”

Of course if it was overseas that’s a reason, or working in the Congo.  It must be that parent-child bond that kicks in.  Jim’s mother gave me an antique green glass lemon reamer because she knows that mine was broken many years ago.  There’s more to the story, which makes her gesture even sweeter.

We had an activity-filled several days that was punctuated by quiet time and reading and sleep.  I’d give you the address but you can’t afford this B&B!

Zoe is nearly 40 lbs. and impeccably groomed for her visit.  She’s an Aussie shelter mutt.  Coco is a five pound, five month-old Yorkie.  They played, then slept, like crazy.  At one point yesterday Zoe had Coco’s head in her mouth, but only very lightly for a fraction of a second and to say “Gotcha!”  We had to give them a few “time outs” but they both slept through the night, which allowed us to do so as well.

It was wonderful to see Jim’s family and spend some time together on Thanksgiving.  We got to see Nanny and all sorts of relatives, older and younger.  The weather held up for us on turkey day, with a temperature of 74 degrees, so the kids could go out and play.  It rained all day Friday.

This morning as I was packing the car, it was about 48 degrees and I had to go to the car to get a jacket.  The nippy temperatures must have led to friskiness as within a moment two bulls and two billy goats (in separate pastures a few feet away from me) showed an amorous nature.  Gives farming a whole new meaning.

We saw some fall foliage upon the return but under cloudy skies the colors are harder to appreciate.  Back home, the sun came out and everything is unpacked.  We unloaded the car and I went to the closest store just to take care of dinner and breakfast, as I cleaned out the frig Wednesday morning before we left.

When I got home I started unpacking groceries and Jim asked if there was anything he could do.  I knew I had an hour of unpacking and other things to do, and said “yes, please call your mother and tell her we got home OK.”

Photo Tour

I just took these a few moments ago.  The sun obliged us with a visit, while it’s still cool enough to require a coat.

First photo is of b-i-l John and son Joseph getting ready to vaccinate and worm the 12 goats.  Next is the hay barn across the street from the house.  The modern farm has all the wood stacked for the wood stove, underneath the satellite dish.  Finally, dog prison, on the floor is a new tie-down so that she can’t escape to the driver’s seat again.

Enjoy your weekend.  Dee

Farm Life

I’m sitting here in the living room checking my email, Mumbai news and the blog.  Twenty feet from me are five black bulls eagerly awaiting their breakfast.  Zoe wouldn’t walk anywhere near them this morning!  A few feet  yards away are twelve Boer goats who aren’t getting their breakfast this morning because they’re recieving worming medication shortly.

All the kids are up so I awakened Jim.  There’s a new addition this year, a five month-old Yorkie named Coco.  She needs a bit of work in the training (potty and otherwise) departments but has a sweet personality.  She and Zoe are playing a bit rough (five lbs. vs. 40 lbs.) but are enjoying each other and Zoe slept without moving, except rolling over, for eleven hours last night.

It rained all day yesterday and is cloudy today and we may have a few showers.  Jim has to help with the goats, do some other farm work with his Dad, and we’ll make a visit to Nanny.  I’m teaching a cooking class to two teenaged cousins and have packed the car toward that end.

I haven’t taken the camera out yet, hoping for a few rays of sunshine.  It’s going to be a busy day, and we’re headed for home first thing tomorrow morning.

Oh, my cranberry-orange relish turned out ok, quite tart even when I heated it and added more sugar, orange juice and zest.  We heated up a portion of the spinach balls I brought last night.  Margie (Jim’s Mom) and I made three quiches yesterday, which we all ate for dinner.  They were a hit.  I thinly sliced potatoes, blanched them for two minutes and layered them in a circle on the bottom of all three blind-baked crusts.  Placed crumbled bacon on two, diced ham on the third.  I used a few sprigs of rosemary on the bacon quiches.  Then we added shredded Fontina, poured in the custard and baked until done.

We sat them aside to cool, then lightly warmed them for supper with a salad of romaine, carrots, celery and scallions.  It was a nice dinner.

As for Black Friday, I don’t know the numbers yet but it seems there was a shopping frenzy.  Not here in the country, where Jim and I spent an entire hour yesterday afternoon at three chic shops: TSC (Tractor Supply); Wal-Mart; and the local grocery picking up milk and a few staples for my class.

Thanksgiving day I placed Zoe in the back of our car with the windows down and “doggie prison” in place.  Five minutes later cousin Mary and I went out for ice and Zoe was sitting in the driver’s seat!  Yes, she scratched the leather console for the second time.  So we went to the horse section of TSC and found a tie-down that will give her full range of the back third of our SUV without jumping the barrier.

Off to make breakfast.  Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!  Cheers, Dee

A Woman of Valor

I just received a package from my Aunt with notes and names of all the people who contacted her about the passing of her sister, my mother, Barbara.

As we pack up and head off to grandmother’s house (Jim’s grandmother, who kindly agreed seven years ago to be mine as well) there is much to be thankful for.

From my piano teacher, school music teacher to the farm stand to the neighbors who had the first color TV and invited my sister and I over to see The Wizard of Oz, everyone wrote a note or sent a contribution to their favorite local cancer center.

It was written that the highest form of praise for a Judaic woman is to be called a woman of valor, and one writer told us that our mother was one.  Thank you all.

What a Thanksgiving this will be.  Dee

Sappy Holidays

This will be a year to remember.  There’s one day a year when I’m driving to the grocery store and a holiday song comes on the radio and I’m reduced to tears.  Before and after that I turn off anything that resembles someone’s grandmother being run over by a reindeer.

It’s not even Thanksgiving and I’m waiting for it.  Last year it came en route home from Thanksgiving at the folks.  It was that song about Mary and the bird and the nightengale singing its song.  Tears flowed.

We do sport a holiday wreath on the door but don’t really decorate.  There is no tree to be found, of course Jim’s allergic to anything cedar and I won’t have anything fake.

I wonder if expecting that moment will deny me the catharsis that it brings.  In essence, that is my Christmas epiphany, the moment I’m closest to one-ness with the universe.  It’s a brief moment and I’m lucky to have it every year.

May you have your moment this and every year, Dee

ps Never underestimate the power of music.  I didn’t sleep one night last weekend and was snippy with my husband and dog.  I went out on my own and heard “You Lift Me Up” sung by Josh Groban and went right home from the grocery store and apologized, then took a nap.

The floor is cold…

near the cooler with dry ice.  I can’t believe one can actually buy it in a store.  I sent Jim off to work this morning with his leather “moving” gloves and a cooler.

My opinion after five years in the nation, scratch that, State of Texas is that they pretend to be paternalistic with all their road signs (Obey All Signs, It’s The Law!) but they allow stupid people to handle dry ice.  Now Jim grew up on a dairy and knew about liquid nitrogen and went on to get a physics degree, but I’m a reasonably smart person and I’m scared about handling dry ice.

Oh, the cooler has four holes drilled through the top for the dry ice to vent.  Yes, we took the cooler on a plane, in cargo, to NY to bring TX brisket to the masses.  One is only allowed five pounds of dry ice unless it’s a medical emergency.  He’d bought seven pounds the night before but gave the airline ticket agent a lesson on how dry ice dissipates over time and the rate of … the guy stamped the sealed container with multiple hazard warnings Jim had printed and sealed with moving tape, approved for transport.

It was great brisket.  Dee

Happy Birthday Aunt Lorna

Potato salad

Piquant meatballs. We love you

Lorna, Buon Anno!

Happy birthday! D, J and Z