My purpose was PIES

This day my purpose was all about PIES... Yummy goodness of all types stuffed between flakey buttery pastry crust.  I really wanted chicken pie...with gravy.  My favorite friend was having it...I should too ...right?????  LOL

I was so excited to find in my recipe box my grandmothers recipe for pie crust.  It was always there I'm sure, but did I ever make it...nooooo (smacks head).   It was delicious!

Now I have to give credit to my mom, who still out piecrusts me anyday, but I have to practice sometime.

(Above...all baked and yummmy)

Authentic Homemade Moravian Chicken Pie

With or without Gravy??? Isn't the choice obvious?

Gravy of course :)

Now Pie day isn't complete without pie for dessert. For some reason my Rhubarb really decided to just keep on giving and giving....Remember the Rhubarb Meringue Pie?? Well this time I decided to use some of the delish pie crust and make a traditional rhubarb pie....Since I have a LARGE family...I had to add a couple of Cortland apples, so we have LOTs of filling ! So my new creation...Voila, Rhubarb Apple Pie

And yes it was soooo yummy!.. I was very excited, I have had a lot of trouble with pies in past ....this has become a LOOONG standing joke in my family. So I was acting like a total nerdy girl getting excited about a successful pie...hahahahaha

Now what to do what to do with the extra pie crust pastry????  This choice was EASY... Stickies! (also known as little canoes of sugar)...Now obviously since this isn't my own recipe, I cannot share the recipe, but they are a delightful treat...almost worth making the pastry just for them :)

Course you could also do the Cinnamon sugar crust tooo... you know where you spread the dough out and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Hope you enjoyed PIE DAY....I know I did!

Applesauce is supposed to be PINK!

 I LOVE fall. I may have said that before, but I can't help it...I do!!!  Fall means apples and pumpkins and fairs and HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE!!!  Now I have to admit, I am not an applesauce fan. You know the applesauce that is a yellow white color and comes in a jar....BLEH.  Now if we are talking about HOMEMADE applesauce, now that is a different story!  Look at those beautiful apples, all ready to cook, almost 20 pounds....BE YeW TEE FUL! 

Making applesauce is so very easy and fun!!!  Basically its three easy steps.  Cook the apples until soft... it doesn't take alot of water either.  Then hook this handy dandy (and very old food grinder) on the side of a big bowl and turn the handle.  Now if you told me to make this without that tool...I couldn't do it! It would just be Impossible!  Well just hang on and you'll see.  So start scooping those cooked apples and turn turn turn that handle.


So now add the secret incredient!  RED HOTS!  This has been a key ingredient in applesauce making for generations in my family.  (and yes it contributes to the lovely coloring :) )  These tasty little candies add cinnamony zip and sweetness and depending on the type of apple that you use ...keep you from adding too much sugar. ( I used the Cortlands for this round...they have a tartness, so yes that means a little more sugar.)  OH and KEEP GRINDING and Adding more Apples and grinding and grinding and grinding!


Now look below ........apple peelings for all twenty pounds of apples!...Great Grandma would be sooooo proud!!!! ( My sons helped me with this batch)

That is sooo important, squeezing the very last bit of apple pulp outta these babies! ...okay now dip into the big bowl with a spoon and taste.....maybe a little brown sugar (or white is okay too) and a few dashes of cinnamon....'

UMMMMMM ..warm thick and PINK

APPLESAUCE!...Enjoy...or freeze, it freezes great!

Perfect for Thanksgiving morning!

Construction of a Cake City!

Tis the season! Its time for our local fair! A homeschool family's greatest project event of the year. Every year we make a point of sharing our " talent" with the community, in anticipation of ribbons. This year once again, the fair is graced with several items, but the biggest project this year is the Cityscape made out of cake!

My oldest son enjoys creating decorated cake specatulars as much as I do. This creation was the most detailed one yet... We even had Blueprints! YES Blueprints!! Made literally out of 9 separate cakes cut to different heights. Pictured at left is the "raw" project. The assembling of the buildings each sculpted differently. I was so proud and behaved like a good mother should. I resisted the urge to help!!! Yes we all know that would be a challenge for me. I offered advise of course...hahahaha.

After many hours, (many many many hours) frosting colors and detailed piping ..we were finished! I must say I was impressed! Delivery to the fair was a bit "nerving" but the cake was safely delivered, registered and secured in the display case. Now to wait till tomorrow to see if there are any ribbons!!!

See this ....this is a cake scraping! Leftover pieces of moist cake pieces that filled up tupperware container!! This is a perk of cake making....or is it??? The kids in the house think so! For me it is a huge temptation that beckons cruelly.

Pictured below we have "Captain America" and "Wonder Woman". Both gracing the decorated pumpkin contest. Will they have ribbons??? We shall see...Great Job kids!

(Not pictured ...a pencil drawing of my oldest daughter's was also entered)

Fall Food!

Okay so now that the news says the weather is going to be cooler I am in the mood for fall foods!!! The menus seem to be so much easier to plan in the fall... Chili, Potato soup, Veggie soup, chicken pies, pumpkin everything, and APPLE FRITTERS (that is what is pictured here, though I was told the picture doesn't do it justice and it resembles something from a coroners table...hahahahahaha) and Pork steaks! Endless opportunities. Today I had BOTH... Pork steaks and Apple Fritters....YUMMMMM. .

The apple fritters were an afterthought, but since I still have in my possesion a certain deep fat fryer, Hey why not. I was searching for a recipe, for the type of apple fritter you find in Amish Country...like a big bear claw / doughnut type. I found the recipe for something that is almost the same, but even better with my own apple cider glaze. Butter, powdered sugar, Apple Cider....UMMMM . The only thing is they turn out a bit bumpier....hahahahaha. Maybe I should add this to my "options" for sale. (Pumpkin rolls have been a big seller the past two years). Needless to say I will be making these again along with many other apple recipes since in my quest for fall goodies I have a bushel of Macintosh apples headed my way....Apple sauce, apple jack, apple pie and of course more apple fritters!!

My other food inspiration was based on the current sale at our local Harris Teeter...PORK STEAKS!! They are cheap this week! My mother really makes the best pork steaks, they are a two day process but sooooo worth it, However I didn't plan ahead enough to follow her process...But I did come up with a shortcut version of my own... It got rave reviews from the kids and that says ALOT! What did I do??? Well if you really want to know...step 1...Rub meat with seasoning ( I cheated and used a pork blend already mixed from the store)...Step 2 ...dip in half and half and egg, then into breadcrumbs mixed with just a little flour. 3. Let sit for one hour...this keeps the breading from falling off in the next step. 4. Fry till each side is golden brown, but not cooked all the way, Step 5 ...finish off in the oven 350 deg. until registers 165 deg. (about 45 min)... Serve with the classic green bean casserole and sweet potatoes...Comfort FOOD!

Next up Krispy Kreme knock off doughnuts and at my youngest request...fried cheese sticks. Of course I am going to make a couple more rounds of apple fritters and put them in the freezer ! Now time to put my feet up and wait for my guys to get home from auditions at our community theatre ... what ?? Me audition?... I would love too, but I am taking a small season off to play in the kitchen...hahahaha.

Time to make the doughnuts!

Sometimes the urge to create something hits me HARD! This season is doughnuts!!! (2 years ago it was sourdough EVERYTHING...It took a gallon glass jar to hold all my starter) I found a recipe in a recipe club that I am in that sounded like it just had to be made! It was a recipe from 1957 Robin Hood Flour cookbook. The story with it was so sweet, I just had to give the recipe a go. The lady who posted it was the daughter of woman who would do up to 100 dozen a week of these tasty treats for friends and neighbors. They would bring her bags of flour on doughnut making day. OOOO OOO this sounds like something I want to do!!! First thing, acquire a deep fryer, I mean they are awesome in themselves. Exact temps, fryer baskets.... and I knew exactly where to find the best one!! The cadillac of deep fryers! My very dear friend who is as much of a kitchen quest nut as I am owns one of these babies for frying catfish . After promising delightful treats and signing a contract in blood promising her my bowl lift Kitchen aid if I failed to take care of it (hahahahaha...just kidding) I loaded the "sweet" machine into my van and hurried home to begin!

Following the multi step directions, made so much easier with my dough hook ( I had yet to use) I let the dough rise to double and rolled it out. My biscuit cutter worked perfectly for the circle and an old prescription bottle makes great doughnut holes. Let them raise again, 45 minutes (see photo above) and then let the fun begin.

This is the fun part!!! Carefully lifting the raised doughnut into the basket and submerge into the hot oil... Now I know I know...You can't make good doughnuts without lard or solid shortening you say... Well I beg to differ after a little research I discovered Canola oil is another good choice. (Plus if I wanted to use the fryer I had to follow the rules :) ) ...they took such a short time and VIOLA...

GOLDEN BROWN!!! and ready to be dipped while warm in the fresh glaze, full of vanilla and powdered sugar!!!! I had the perfect glazer too, My teenager daughter, who got this part down to a science! She was good at using the flyswatter to swat away the eager fingers that couldn't wait for them to be ready. (BACK OFF GRAMMY...hahahaha)

SEE!!! Aren't they pretty. Now I will admit, they were much better fresh, but this recipe was a little bit "tough". It could be something I did wrong...who knows, but now my quest is not finished until I achieve semi perfection. However tough or not...the three dozen doughnuts disappeared quickly in this zoo and were voted by my seven year old as the best doughnuts ever!! Did my friend who loaned me the equipment get her doughnuts....OOOPS!, Guess I gotta make some more. Next attempt the Krispy Kreme knock off recipe!!! It has HIGH ratings...we shall see!!

Now I had all this oil to use up.... Saturday dinner was healthy?..... fresh french fries and onion rings! (NOW those were AWESOME!!!!) ...still thinking Funnel cakes too...woo hoo!

EmBee

A Purple Tooth?

There is an air of expectancy around our house as we daily watch the loose upper two front teeth of my 7 year old son. Volunteers to help him remove them are not scarce around here either. So this morning when I hear his little feet padding up the stairs and that little boy voice calling "LOOK MOM" I fully expected this was the day! His older sister, grandmother and I look up to see him holding what looks like his tooth in his hand. "Mommy its purple!" Thinking it was just the "bottom of the tooth" that needs to be rinsed out... I start to encourage him, UNTIL...I look and see IT IS BRIGHT PURPLE. WHAT!!!!... it wasn't a tooth at all, but the little item below.

Do you recognize it??? After I realized it wasn't his tooth at all, I burst out laughing. Cat lovers will recognize this right away... Kitty Caps! His major concern was the cat had left it in his bed. Another funny moment in our crazy casa de Amore' .

A great way to start off our homeschooling day. That and a battle over some sour dough bread, given to us by a friend. It is inevitable that the battle over the last of the bread will ensue, it is THAT good. Good enough for me to think 3 times about resurrecting my starter. Can you imagine how much starter you have to keep on hand to feed an army of nine? Sourdough is wonderful stuff, with endless baking opportunities, Pizza crust, rolls, bread , danish and A HUGE....commitment, Okay that idea goes back on the shelf for a while again :).

While that idea was put back on the shelf (FOR NOW) I did manage to resurrect on of our family favorites....SO EASY, In fact that is their name Easy Granola Bars, renamed by youngest ..aka Chocolate Sweetness! The desire to make these outweighed the fact that my oven is quite cranky. So cranky it messed up one of my cake orders, that I ended up borrowing a dear friends kitchen so I would be able to fulfill the order. Anyway surprisingly this yummy treat made it through the unreliable baking process! I am not even sure where I got this recipe, which I assure you is probably nothing like the original...hahahahaha

The recipe? Sure I'll share ...the basics, remember that this one screams for creativity and variation

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Mix together in large bowl (yes you might even have to mix with your hands)

3 cups Quick oats (5 min Oatmeal)

1 cup coconut

1 cup nuts (tonight I used a mix of peanuts and macadamia since that is what I had)

1 generous cup chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup dried cranberries

1 can sweetened condensed milk (15oz)

4 Tablespoons melted butter

Press into a GREASED 9x 13 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes ...till lightly golden ... I find these are easier to removed out of the pan carefully while still warm!

Experiement and play with this one....ALWAYS use a little chocolate... I have used sunflower seeds, pecans, peanut butter chips, white chocolate....catch my drift, the options are ENDLESS and delish in any variation! See what I mean, oooo I bet dried blueberries and white chocolate would be good :). Okay well until we meet again! Cya soon!

My Cutting board was where????

If you know me or when you get to know me, You will realize I love to laugh and smile. I somehow can see the humor in the little things. Okay except when it comes to attitudes...OH DEAR! Today there were several things that made my cheeks scrunch up into one of those grins. The buy two get three free sales at the store, The fact that there was a "little" grocery cart available and I got a text that probably wasn't really meant for me but it still made me smile anyway. Even yesterday as we were the recipient of shaking due to the earthquake in Virginia, I still managed to think the fish being shaken up were funny. The funniest mystery this week ended up being my missing cutting board. Not the big one that stays on the counter for the heavy duty chopping, but my little acrylic one for those "little thing" I want to dump into the pan. After several days of looking and questioning and questioning some more (you would have thought I was missing several chunks of gold...hahahaha) the disappearing board was found in the strangest place...Okay are you ready??? My parents bedroom on a shelf....BIG GRIN. Still no one claims to have put it there. Another unsolved mystery ! But still it is quite funny don't you think? I cannot even begin to imagine the circumstances that caused it to travel there! Hahahhahahaha

Off with their Heads!

See it! Isn't it beautiful? It is my basket full of assorted Sunflower heads. Why sunflowers you ask? I know! Well dear sweet "Ellie " our Yellow Crested Cockatu loves to eat sunflower seeds, so in an attempt to grow our noisy girl some treats I planted them (Well actually my daughter and her friend did ). I have to admit that normally I wouldn't plant such a tall flower, but these came in assorted sizes and colors, so I thought "why not?" I was rewarded with an abudant supply of sunflowers. All bright and yellow with their heads shining in the sun intermingled with some bunches of burgundy mini sunflowers. The effect was quite pretty.

Well last Wednesday I decided it was "time" ...So early in the morning, I hiked on out to the garden to tear our old rebellious tomato plants AND to decapitate the flowers so I could figure out the drying process... After a quite stressful week before I found myself enjoying the process, Wacking off each of the sunflower heads and pulling up the drying plants. I will let you know if it works, but for now I leave you saying....OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

Not your Nachos and Noodles!

The last few weeks have been such a whirlwind in my home. I have just finished helping at my daughters Youth Summer Drama camp on top of trying to balance regular household duties, keep up with committees, church events, homeschool planning....well you catch my drift I am sure. Then to top off all the fun, I ended up getting the S word (okay behave, I mean SICK...blah!). Usually as you know my kitchen is a place that I love to be, but when I am overly stressed out or super super tired, the last place I want to visit is the room that requires me to put forth some effort. So this week two of our favorite super fast, super simple meals came in to play. Weds we made the above super easy Nachos...it literally takes 15 minutes to assemble and broil up enough for the army that lives here. I came across the recipe some years ago and of course have put my own EmBee spin on it ..hahaha... . So I will share with you, it DOES contain a few processed foods and is not skimpy on calories, I'm just saying. Cover a cookie sheet or baking pan with foil (option, but hey who wants to wash those dishes!) Spread out a layer of your favorite tortilla chip, Spread on Chili no beans and Refried beans (mixed together) Top off with Sharp Cheddar Cheese and broil till the cheese is melted and bubbly! Now some people would stop right there and you know that would be perfectly fine, but in my honest opinion, adding sour cream and fresh tomatoes and shredded lettuce helps make it complete meal. (We can't have any guilty feelings lingering because we didn't give the kids veggies...no no no) See what I mean SUPER FAST!

Now fast forward, past camp, past a VERY difficult weekend and onto the "sick" part. I stood in front of my cupboard staring...Hmmmm what can I make to feed this family out of Alfredo sauce, pickles and Cereal??? EWWWW...hahahaha. I did remember a few green peppers were in the fridge from my very rebellious garden and Kielbasa in the freezer...HEY now! Another super fast meal!!! I learned this one from my older cousin many years ago. Cabbage and noodles!!! What?? does it have an EmBee spin? ...Of COURSE! Stir fry Kielbasa (the added EmBee flair) and onion and pepper together ...added cabbage cut in long strips, steam till tender!!...meanwhile boil up a bag of egg noodles...toss all together with LOTS (let me stress this LOTS ) of butter and pepper!!

See, It does look tasty...Okay maybe not look tasty but, it is so good! (if you like cabbage) Now it is time to slow down, do a reality check and set a few things down for a while, so my family doesn't find me bouncing off walls or weeping uncontrollably over styrofoam peanuts in the living room (yes that has happened, just not today...hahahaa) I'll save that story for another blog someday, maybe even tonight.

>Crispy Cookie Heaven or Not??

>

There are days you just HAVE to have something sweet. Well really that is everyday isn't it?? The day I made these beautiful looking cookies there were absolutely no (okay very few ) groceries in my house. Open cupboard...Look...Oatmeal, hmmmm. Butter?? yes I have a little of that...sugar, eggs and no flour. What can I make??? OOOOH I know, lets look in our handy dandy, OLD cookbook from the 50's . The one that gave us the awesome Rhubarb pie recipe a few weeks ago. They knew how to cook with very little back then, stretch the budget! Lifts the heavy textbook of cookbook off the shelf. Flips to the "dessert" section. Oatmeal Crisp cookies!!! Awesome and no flour necessary! Its a very simple recipe actually and so crispy and delicious!!! It all went so smoothly ... preheat oven, mix up ingredients in the trusty Kitchen aid, Grease the cookie sheets...Whaa??? Grease the cookie sheet should have been my first clue, hahahahaha. Well the first batch came out and half of them stuck to the pan despite my efforts to keep them intact. While these cookies are quite scrumtious they are very tricky ! It took me until halfway through before I remember that I was the proud owner of something called wax / parchment paper. From that point on everything went..OK? hahahahaha. Even with the parchment half the cookies still stuck...Well I ended up with a good tray full of cookies and a BIG dish of Ice cream topping !! Epic Fail? ...not really, but I will not tackle this one again unprepared....I will use the forbidden item....parchment paper and PAM!

Yes see....Several trays of this !! Needless to say, it all did disappear!

Crispy Cookie Heaven or Not??

There are days you just HAVE to have something sweet. Well really that is everyday isn't it?? The day I made these beautiful looking cookies there were absolutely no (okay very few ) groceries in my house. Open cupboard...Look...Oatmeal, hmmmm. Butter?? yes I have a little of that...sugar, eggs and no flour. What can I make??? OOOOH I know, lets look in our handy dandy, OLD cookbook from the 50's . The one that gave us the awesome Rhubarb pie recipe a few weeks ago. They knew how to cook with very little back then, stretch the budget! Lifts the heavy textbook of cookbook off the shelf. Flips to the "dessert" section. Oatmeal Crisp cookies!!! Awesome and no flour necessary! Its a very simple recipe actually and so crispy and delicious!!! It all went so smoothly ... preheat oven, mix up ingredients in the trusty Kitchen aid, Grease the cookie sheets...Whaa??? Grease the cookie sheet should have been my first clue, hahahahaha. Well the first batch came out and half of them stuck to the pan despite my efforts to keep them intact. While these cookies are quite scrumtious they are very tricky ! It took me until halfway through before I remember that I was the proud owner of something called wax / parchment paper. From that point on everything went..OK? hahahahaha. Even with the parchment half the cookies still stuck...Well I ended up with a good tray full of cookies and a BIG dish of Ice cream topping !! Epic Fail? ...not really, but I will not tackle this one again unprepared....I will use the forbidden item....parchment paper and PAM!

Yes see....Several trays of this !! Needless to say, it all did disappear!

>Its the Rhubarbs Fault!

>

Do I get distracted?? Why never (nodding head...YES ). Today is a fine example. Upon waking this morning I full expected to tackle all those chores that are still lurking. Clothes that should be put away, bills to be paid, vacuuming to be done....the non ending list of housewifely duties. Distraction 1 : A beautiful morning to sit on the deck with my mom enjoying a pancake breakfast and just chatting. I mean really we haven't talked all week..Hahahahahaha (18 hours of constant driving together just doesn't count...REALLY).

I did start on my list with an intent to accomplish it, Okay well at least part of it. I was well on my way until I ran out to the garden to gather the produce that was waiting for my attention. It was then and there I decided the rhubarb needed to be picked TODAY. (enter in Distraction 2) Of course you can not take a pile of rhubarb into a newly cleaned up kitchen without cleaning it up and chopping it to get it ready for the moment when the inspiration to bake a pie would hit me. Which happened to be within moments of chopping up those stems of tart vegetable. (Who am I kidding? I felt it creeping up as soon as I spied the rhubarb that should be picked..LOL).

Well what a PERFECT moment to pull out my 1955 cookbook I found on my trip to Ohio. ( I have been anxious to dive into the old fashion recipes that lurk in those pages.) Checking my cupboards to see what ingredients I had on hand, knowing a homemade crust was waiting to be filled I flipped to the index, excited to see a long list of recipes for rhubarb. Why of course there would be, rhubarb was popular back then!!! I came across a fairly simple but delectable sounding dessert.....Rhubarb Meringue Pie.

I was a bit anxious as I started the preparation, I mean this was ALL of my yummy rhubarb I was subjecting to this untried recipe...A recipe that hadn't been used in well over 50 years (smile). Rhubarb, sugar, lemon, flour, eggs and a 4 step process that was topped off with meringue (perfectly fluffed by the best kitchen assistant EVER..my stand mixer)...FAIL proof (I hoped). Then it had to be subjected to my ever faithful but quite quirky 1980 ish JennAir range and oven. The oven that drives one of my very dear friends to insanity as it can make a peach cobbler with a raw center and crusty edges . (hahahaha) Not to mention the cookies that come out and satisfy both the cookie dough lovers and crispy cookie lovers in our household. Well I popped the pie into the oven, to brown up the meringue, while I licked the pan ....OH YUMMMMY! The pie survive the experience and browned just as it should.

If the chilled product turns out as yummy as the remnants left in the pan I would call this an EPIC SUCCESS. Pencil note (not ink in my new collectible book) tried 7/15/2011 DELICIOUS!

Now I am curious as to what the next experiment will be. All I can say is that today...Its the Rhubarbs fault!

Its the Rhubarbs Fault!

Do I get distracted?? Why never (nodding head...YES ). Today is a fine example. Upon waking this morning I full expected to tackle all those chores that are still lurking. Clothes that should be put away, bills to be paid, vacuuming to be done....the non ending list of housewifely duties. Distraction 1 : A beautiful morning to sit on the deck with my mom enjoying a pancake breakfast and just chatting. I mean really we haven't talked all week..Hahahahahaha (18 hours of constant driving together just doesn't count...REALLY).

I did start on my list with an intent to accomplish it, Okay well at least part of it. I was well on my way until I ran out to the garden to gather the produce that was waiting for my attention. It was then and there I decided the rhubarb needed to be picked TODAY. (enter in Distraction 2) Of course you can not take a pile of rhubarb into a newly cleaned up kitchen without cleaning it up and chopping it to get it ready for the moment when the inspiration to bake a pie would hit me. Which happened to be within moments of chopping up those stems of tart vegetable. (Who am I kidding? I felt it creeping up as soon as I spied the rhubarb that should be picked..LOL).

Well what a PERFECT moment to pull out my 1955 cookbook I found on my trip to Ohio. ( I have been anxious to dive into the old fashion recipes that lurk in those pages.) Checking my cupboards to see what ingredients I had on hand, knowing a homemade crust was waiting to be filled I flipped to the index, excited to see a long list of recipes for rhubarb. Why of course there would be, rhubarb was popular back then!!! I came across a fairly simple but delectable sounding dessert.....Rhubarb Meringue Pie.

I was a bit anxious as I started the preparation, I mean this was ALL of my yummy rhubarb I was subjecting to this untried recipe...A recipe that hadn't been used in well over 50 years (smile). Rhubarb, sugar, lemon, flour, eggs and a 4 step process that was topped off with meringue (perfectly fluffed by the best kitchen assistant EVER..my stand mixer)...FAIL proof (I hoped). Then it had to be subjected to my ever faithful but quite quirky 1980 ish JennAir range and oven. The oven that drives one of my very dear friends to insanity as it can make a peach cobbler with a raw center and crusty edges . (hahahaha) Not to mention the cookies that come out and satisfy both the cookie dough lovers and crispy cookie lovers in our household. Well I popped the pie into the oven, to brown up the meringue, while I licked the pan ....OH YUMMMMY! The pie survive the experience and browned just as it should.

If the chilled product turns out as yummy as the remnants left in the pan I would call this an EPIC SUCCESS. Pencil note (not ink in my new collectible book) tried 7/15/2011 DELICIOUS!

Now I am curious as to what the next experiment will be. All I can say is that today...Its the Rhubarbs fault!

>The Home Companion Cookbook

>

Well I am back home from a super fast trip to Ohio again. My hometown brings back so many memories everytime I visit. I just hate visiting for sad occasions. I had just a teeny bit of time to call my own on this trip, so I spent it in one of my favorite little (BIG) Antique Collectible shops "Milan Inn-tiques". This shop is full of so many goodies it takes HOURS to see everything. The photo I posted is one of the displays of pure kitchen genius, the STAND MIXER. While browsing in this super full but fun place, I also came across a gem of a cookbook. If you don't know this about me, you are about to become very aware of the fact that I LOVE to play in the kitchen, creating all sorts of masterpieces (or not...lol). The cookbook caught my eye..."The Woman's Home Companion Cookbook". The book looks nothing like you would expect a cookbook now a days to look. It is a hardcover super thick textbook FULL of a plethora of information all relevant to the 1950's. From table settings to cake cutting, old fashioned recipes and instructions for cooking chicken that read something like this...Cut off the head and feet of the chicken..hahahahaha. I can see many hours of distraction and experimentation ahead and I step back into the 50's era. Like I need any of those . Now what should my first test recipe be...squash pudding, Baked applesauce, Mush or Cinnamon Streusal coffee cake??? I'll let you know!

The Home Companion Cookbook

Well I am back home from a super fast trip to Ohio again. My hometown brings back so many memories everytime I visit. I just hate visiting for sad occasions. I had just a teeny bit of time to call my own on this trip, so I spent it in one of my favorite little (BIG) Antique Collectible shops "Milan Inn-tiques". This shop is full of so many goodies it takes HOURS to see everything. The photo I posted is one of the displays of pure kitchen genius, the STAND MIXER. While browsing in this super full but fun place, I also came across a gem of a cookbook. If you don't know this about me, you are about to become very aware of the fact that I LOVE to play in the kitchen, creating all sorts of masterpieces (or not...lol). The cookbook caught my eye..."The Woman's Home Companion Cookbook". The book looks nothing like you would expect a cookbook now a days to look. It is a hardcover super thick textbook FULL of a plethora of information all relevant to the 1950's. From table settings to cake cutting, old fashioned recipes and instructions for cooking chicken that read something like this...Cut off the head and feet of the chicken..hahahahaha. I can see many hours of distraction and experimentation ahead and I step back into the 50's era. Like I need any of those . Now what should my first test recipe be...squash pudding, Baked applesauce, Mush or Cinnamon Streusal coffee cake??? I'll let you know!

>How LONG!

>This blog seems to be alot like my journal...hahahaha GIANT gaps for the time frames. Right now as I type I have just finished shopping, baking two casseroles and packing my suitcase for my second out of state trip in 3 weeks for a funeral. This last year and a HALF has been a whirlwind of activity that I should have blogged about, but somehow neglected to share. I apologize for not allowing you to share in all the zaniness that has occurred and promise that somehow I will do better. Of course it won't be this week as I journey once again to a land with no wifi and limited cell phone service :) To quote one of my favorite movie lines "Why there wouldn't be today"...(Groundhog Day)

Pizza Combos here I come.

How LONG!

This blog seems to be alot like my journal...hahahaha GIANT gaps for the time frames. Right now as I type I have just finished shopping, baking two casseroles and packing my suitcase for my second out of state trip in 3 weeks for a funeral. This last year and a HALF has been a whirlwind of activity that I should have blogged about, but somehow neglected to share. I apologize for not allowing you to share in all the zaniness that has occurred and promise that somehow I will do better. Of course it won't be this week as I journey once again to a land with no wifi and limited cell phone service :) To quote one of my favorite movie lines "Why there wouldn't be today"...(Groundhog Day)

Pizza Combos here I come.