Daily Archives: December 7, 2008

Shiny and New

Last night I made Chicken Saltimbocca (see recipes). The first organic 1/2 chicken breast was so huge that I served in slices and it fed both of us, so I had one to photograph this morning. Yes, I’ve been up for hours walking dogs, making corn bread and taking photos.

It is in one of my favorite dishes, what was called a fish dish but is really a gratin dish. It was a gift from Joan and Jim, my surrogate parents. Jim wrote our wedding vows, became a Deputy Marriage Commissioner for a day and married us nearly six years ago.

I cooked the Saltimbocca in this Le Creuset dish that is also lovely for scalloped potatoes or mac and cheese. In front are our newly polished wedding rings. We think the new jeweler our friend Trish introduced me to is marvelous!

Next we have another favorite thing. Years ago I learned that a curry comb is wonderful for scaling large fish, so I bought one for $4 and had it in my catering kit until someone used it on our dog, then lent it to other dogs. It’s now on the dog shelf. This one is a different color, and I picked it up on my first-ever visit to TSC, where we bought the horse tie-down cable to keep the dog from escaping “doggie SUV prison.” Try it! Oh, now it’s nearing the $6 mark, that’s what 20 years will do!

Then there’s my dog, two hours after her long walk with Jasper, curled up at the feet of her sleeping master, Jim. I’m just the food wench.

It’s gorgeous here and people are running and biking and skateboarding and walking their dogs. I hear corn bread calling me. Only have one egg left so I should run to the store quickly before my guys awaken. I’ll take the clean car that needs gas. Dee

Infamy

No-one uses that word anymore. It’s not been defined as a reason for going to war since this day in 1941. Even 9/11 didn’t achieve it.

I hate to think we were better people back then, before personal computers, internet and blogs.

As we go about our daily routine, let’s think about FDR’s radio address on this day, perhaps years before we were even born. Peace. Dee

All I Want for Christmas…

How about 10,000 hits? Actually I’ve more practical matters in mind. There’s an event next weekend and I was thinking of bringing Trifle. Possibly lemon/blueberry, but orange/cranberry may win out. I’ll look up recipes this morning.

We went to a hardware/cooking store yesterday as Jim needed to find those removable “Command” hooks for several cubicles at work, as people have no place to hang their winter coats. Since this hardware store has many interesting cooking items, I looked for a trifle bowl, as mine broke, fell of the shelf while Maintenance was here and crashed. They sent me to a restaurant supply store, which was only open until 2:00 on Saturday, we missed it by 1/2 hour but I look forward to going again on Monday.

I thought of making mincemeat tarts but they won’t go over well in a Southern setting. If they’re not steeped in Sweet Tea, they certainly have a history with desserts, and this Yankee doesn’t do dessert. Too many women in my family are way to good at it for me to have a chance. Forget chocolate hazelnut panforte. Italian won’t cut it either. But a sweet pudding might. Question is, if I make orange/cranberry can I brush the slices with Grand Marnier or will that seal me and any taster’s fate in Satan’s lair?

If you know the answers, please advise. Thanks, Dee

In a Spot

Yes, his name is Spot. A Lhasa Apso. For over 40 years I’ve had and known and cared for dogs. Never have I been so thoroughly disliked.

Spot and his buddy Tony, a delightful creature, live downstairs. Their folks had to go away for the weekend and couldn’t find a place to take them at the last minute. Therefore it fell to Aunt Dee.

Aunt Dee is used to being greeted heartily at the door, possibly with leash in mouth and always with tail wagging. One of my favorites of all time, Woody, wasn’t the brightest but got an A+ for effort – he was so pleased so see me that he dragged me all the way to my house to call on … me. That’s a Golden Retriever for you.

Makai was a gorgeous tri-colored Collie who attacked my vacuum cleaner, and brought me all my dog Chani’s tennis balls from her toy basket and dumped them into the bathtub, one by one, while I was in it.

Gus taught me how dogs bisect an area to assure that Jim and I never left his sight, a good thing to know because Zoe does it now. Sunnegga was indeed her own little ray of sunshine who just brought love. When I was little, the neighbor’s elderly Beagle Tory would set out one day on our 1/4 mile dirt driveway and get to our house at the end of the day, stay the week (we fed her) then meander home.

On to Spot. I walk in the door. He goes and guards the food and water, growling and snapping at me. Yes, he wants to go out for a walk, but he doesn’t want me to touch his collar to add the leash. We’ve attempted to come to an understanding, which means get him out of the house asap and he’s fine on neutral territory, even friendly.

But in the mornings when we return from our walk I keep him on leash while I refill the water and food bowls, then he’s given full run of the place. I’m afraid he doesn’t let little Tony very near the food bowl either, but that’s something for the folks to work out.

I’m used to the Tony’s of the world who haven’t a care and would rather thump a tail and roll over for a belly rub. The Spots of the world are challenging, however, and deserve a place in a temporary dog-sitter’s heart. Dee