Cooking Entertaining and Whatever Else

Gifts for a friend's baby shower

2009-11-24T22:05:00.000-08:00

I went hog wild this time. I usually do. All of you ladies with kids have one up on those of us who don't. We only get to shop for baby stuff when YOU get pregnant! So I pretty much spent what probably amounts to the same as is in my 401k right now on BABY STUFF!

But that's not what I'm here to talk about at all. I am here to post pictures of my sweet gift wrapping macguyver job!

There were absolutely NO interesting or unique baby gift wrapping paper rolls to buy. I could have opted for a bag, and it is more sensible, but bleeeeeeeh.

So I dug around in the garage and presto! Here we have my newest creations and I fell in love with them. Now mind you, I am not a professional, so those of you who ARE talented, feel free to improve on my idea, but for crying out loud give credit for the idea where it's due.

Numero UNO: Paper tablecloth might be a Holly Hobby knock-off, but look at those bright oranges! sweeeeet. Not a stickler for detail, I didn't bother to use at least one layer of tissue paper so nobody could tell I was re-using a USPS priority mail box but whateeeeev.

Next is a bright couple of pages from a 1945 or so issue of Woman's Home Companion. I used pages that had momma/baby subject matter.

Vintage O'Keefe and Merritt all mine!

2009-08-31T20:20:00.000-07:00

This beauty is the product of a marriage gone bad.

I have to say, I don't blame the woman for leaving him because he is clearly in the closet. But he isn't the type of gay I appreciate. He's stainless steel Bosch all the way. So he needed to get rid of this lovely and boy did I steal it!

I won't even say how much I paid because everyone will simply die of envy.

Suffice it to say that I need to get the clock, and I guess the enamel could use some work- but otherwise it was restored a few years ago and is ready for business.

Get out my way, I got some cookin' to do, as we used to say in Georgia

Mexican Pinwheels

2009-08-29T14:02:00.001-07:00

This is a great summer treat!
Combine:
2 8oz packages cream cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp chives or the green part of spring onions
4 oz black olives, minced
4 oz green chili, minced
4 oz roasted red pepper, minced

mix it all up and slather it on a flour tortilla. Roll tightly. Cover with cellophane plastic and chill for 2 hours. Slice thinly and admire your handiwork!

Food for a lonely weekend

2009-08-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

I am going to be pretty much alone all weekend long. When I know I won't see anyone, I tend to watch too many old movies and eat way too much! At Trader Joe's I found the perfect summer meal for me.

Wine- CS of course, three-layer hummus, pita chips and yogurt. This will be good for at least a couple of movies.

This is perfect because I am still without a stove. It isn't easy to find a stove around here for a decent price. If it's vintage. People really do think they are worth their weight in gold. But they present problems for desert usage. They emit heat constantly and when it is 100+ degrees outside, it tends to drain energy if one has and A/C central air unit. I have just a swamp cooler, which right now is a real pain in the butt. Today as I type, it is 108 degrees. It is expected to get up to 115 later on in the afternoon. A well-maintained swamp cooler lowers the temp by 30-40 degrees, maximum, and that's if the air is extremely dry. I have to admit that I don't do the greatest job taking care of mine, so it probably lowers the temp by more like 20 degrees.

Phoenix is SO hot this year! At TJ's the cashier said, "So what do you guys have planned today?" I replied that we were mostly concerned about keeping cool. She agreed but said, "It could be much worse." I repeated the morning news report I'd heard that indicated this July was the hottest on record. "Don't believe it," said the cashier. "Nope nope nope. No way is this the hottest summer. I've been through much worse, I'll tell you."

We had to laugh. Oh, nevermind what those experts say, I'm telling you this isn't the hottest summer and that's final!

Pink Ribbon Kitchen -- Comin' right up

2009-07-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

Sigh. Yesterday I said goodbye to my pink dream. Rosie, I called her. She is a 1950s pink stove. Okay enough referring to inanimate objects as "she." General Electric range, creeeeamy pink. Dreeeeamy fluorescent light, right below the clock and buttons and such. Oh what a masterpiece. Why didn't I keep it?

Because. I don't have $3,000 to spend on a fridge to match. Getting a fridge to match it would have been a nightmare so I decided to donate Rosie to Habitat for Humanity. It is in their showroom right now. Please check it out! If you want a pink ribbon kitchen and something sweeeet to go with your pink kitchenaid, consider Rosie!

Currently I do not have a stove. I don't even have a microwave. I went to Trader Joe's yesterday because I realized that I hadn't any food either, and loaded up on all sorts of good stuff, so I thought. At checkout, the outgoing young man said, "Getting-ready-for-a-meeting food?"

"No." I said. "I have no stove food." His teeth, my teeth, lady behind me, all our teeth flashed. Nobody knew what to say.

"Thanks!" I said.

Ok. So. I have a cleeeeeean slate. I want to have a pinky kitchen but I am too poor for a pink fridge. Here are some options that are BETTER than the same old WilliamsSonoma crap. This stuff endures. Like ME. And YOU!

to be continued, as I have to work at 4 tomorrow!

Kitty and Minchie

2009-07-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

Kitty is turning 18 this year. I don't know how old that is in cat years, but judging from her looks and her behavior, she is a crabby old girl. She never liked dogs, nor did she like any cats other than her little companion Cleo, who passed away a few years ago.

So when Kitty found that she was decidedly alone, she seemed more content. I decided that since she probably has few years left, I would hold off on getting a dog. Then Christmas rolled around and Herc did what a person should NEVER, EVER do: he gave me a pet!

Oh yes, little Minchie. She is a frisky little Bichon, whose capacity for excitement seems limitless. She likes to jump around like a kangaroo. She particularly likes to use human legs as springboards during one of her spastic episodes.

Kitty was openly disappointed at first, and still can't stand the sight of little Minchy. But if it had to be a dog, thank goodness it had to be this dog, who would never hurt a fly. Unless the fly happened to land on my leg just before a power-spring off.

Fun with secondhand bookcases

2009-07-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

I procured these old bookcases for free, soon before the demolition of a downtown building. They were both originally over 7 ft tall, but Herc cut the top shelves off in order for them to fit through my doors. They were used to store huge binders for construction projects. They had greenish laminate shelves, and the rest is plain old cheap plywood. We did our best to cover up all of the noticeable cosmetic problems like dings and ill-placed screws, and I spent three days sanding, priming and gel-staining to match the stain of my floor. Herc was the hero of this project. It would not have been completed had it not been for him, because I didn't know the first thing about sawing and nailing. These bookcases spent three months' time providing rich habitat for several black widows and their broods before Herc got busy. Now half of my books have a nice place to sit.

These tomatoes are safe! Chow down.

2008-06-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

An elderly neighbor across the alley has been growing tomatoes for 20 years and he is not about to stop just because he has been ordered by his doctor to steer clear of them. That means I've been the lucky recipient of many handfuls like this specimen here.

All of a sudden, I'm thinking of dishes that I could make with fresh tomatoes, like:

SAFFRON RICE WITH TOMATOES AND FRESH OREGANO
Pinch of saffron
2 Tbsp. salt, plus more for seasoning
1 1/2 c. jasmine rice
2 large or 3 regular-sized roma tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4 -in. dice
(about 1 cup)
Freshly ground pepper
6 sprigs fresh oregano, leaved piced from stem

1. Fill a med. saucepan w/cold water. Add saffron and 2 Tbsp. salt. Bring water to a boil. Stir in rice, ad cook until rice is tender, 12-14 minutes. Remove from heat, and drain well.
2. Place rice in serving bowl. add butter and tomatoes, and toss very gently. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh oregano. Serves 4

Of course, the Roma tomatoes would be substituted. The recipe is from a Martha Stewart Magazine years ago and
it has been posted earlier in this blog...

Wow, I never knew how much I take tomatoes for granted until this salmonella outbreak occurred.

Zucchini is ripe in AZ - Zucchini Bars

2008-06-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

Link to recipe for Zucchini Bars from needfoodfast

Attention-seeking gestures

2008-06-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'm babysitting little S for a friend who is deployed. Clearly, Kitty could do without the new pooch, but who can resist such a little bundle of affection?

We live at the dog park. Look us up there. If you are a beagle, please be sure you are wearing your tags because people tend to walk out with the wrong beagle sometimes! Last week I was busy chatting with a little cocker spaniel's owner when all of a sudden, I had that SINKING feeling. I looked around and did not see S anywhere. I started to walk aimlessly, thinking there must be some mistake. One of these little dogs must be S! Then a lady came running down the hill with a little dog in the lead whose ears were flopping impossibly in front of her eyes. She had S. She was so upset. I felt better once little S was secure on my leash and walking back to the car.

My Grammy's Sunbeam Mixmaster

2008-05-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

My Grammy passed away recently. I am extremely thankful that I was able to spend a few weeks with her over the past year at different times. She was such a wonderful woman, and I don't know how life will be without her charm and love.

My uncle gave me her old Mixmaster after the funeral. Of course, it would have been the only material item that I would have liked to take home with me, had I thought of it. He also gave me one of her old straw sun hats and each of the granddaughters took some of her perfume to remember her by. She was a Chanel No. 5 girl forever.

I miss her so.
Maybe I'll dig out her famous brownie recipe and get Niece over here for a photo-op with the old Sunbeam.

Moving is hell on earth, they say.

2007-11-20T22:43:00.000-08:00

Every time I think I can't do another thing, I think to myself, "Don't worry, you won't ever have to do this again if you don't want to!" It gives me the strength to go on for another half hour or so. This move is dragging on all month long. I don't know why. Probably because I refuse to take any vacation time for it. Plus I'm not a skilled packer because I hate to organize things but I know I have to, so I procrastinate since that's what I do best. I paid rent on my apt for November so I've put myself in this position. But now I am afraid to look at my bank account for fear that I won't have enough to rent a truck for my second-hand furniture. But I ought to start from the beginning instead of the end.

I found out that the roof needs fixed, the wiring needs updated before I can even put a dryer in or use a microwave and coffee maker at the same time, the carpet had a big hole in it and the lawn needed mowed but I don't know how to turn on a lawn mower!

Last week, I sensed anxiety lurking beneath my typically cocksure exterior when I found myself calling X whining, "Are you going to get out here and help me or not." Thankfully, I recovered from that fit of delusion within 24 hours. On my day off, I arrived at the house early. All by myself, just me. I had made an impulse purchase of some laminate wood flooring because I **thought** it was cheap. And now I had no idea how I'd get the carpet out and the flooring in. I felt lost. I fumbled around with the carpet where there was a big hole, and found that it came up easily. I got a hammer and a flat head screwdriver out of my little tool box and found that, while difficult, these items made it possible to rip out the trim and the pieces of wood nailed to the concrete that have little nails sticking up to somehow hold the carpet in place. I suffered some setbacks. I could not get some of it up and wanted to give up. I rifled around the workshop for something else to use. I cursed the former owner's family, who moved all of her things and took all of the tools out of the workshop. Yeah, I wanted to use Elizabeth's late husband Jack's tools, I'll admit it. But I was also pissed off that they would remove those tools from a place they'd been for 60 years. Jack had painted each tool turquoise and outlined a spot on the wall for each, so anyone would know where to return it. Now there are just outlines.

But I still rifled around. Then something caught my eye. An oddly shaped tool was hanging off one of the workbenches. Obviously they missed one. It was turquoise, after all. I pulled it out and thought, "hey this would work!" It looked like an iron snake, about 1 ft long. In minutes I had all the nasty wood strips with nails in them up and in a box, ready for the alley. I cut the carpet and padding up, rolled it all up neatly into small bundles and tied them with string. Then I called my brother and told him I needed him to help me with something.

He was worried. He knew what I wanted. I wanted him to get over there and take the carpet out for me. But when he got there, he was surprised to find that I had already done it! He helped carry the junk to the alley. Next day, I knew I had to paint at least the living room and dining room because I don't like dusty pink in EVERY room! I got my supplies and even bought a paint sprayer that ultimately didn't do much but waste my time and expensive paint.
And splatter the ceiling. By 2 pm the next day, the painting was complete. Good thing, because I had to be back working by around 2 a.m. The day after that, I checked my personal cell phone on my way home from work. Two missed calls from Brother. I called him back. "Where you at?" he questioned.

"On my way home."
"Which home?"
"A. P. T."
"Well come over to your new house. I want you to see something."
"What, what's the matter."
"Nothing, just come over."
"What are you doing over there?"
"Just get over here."

Lo and behold, Brother had spent all day laying my flooring. It looked incredible. And it helped make the paint color look not so much like a circa 1987 Golden Girls episode. I was SO grateful.

Finally, I wanted to thank Jack for having that tool in the first place and then hiding it so the evil family members couldn't steal it from us! I was grateful to Elizabeth for taking such meticulous care of the house for all those years. I was grateful to Brother for being such a good, kind guy. How'd he ever finally grow up to be this wonderful man? Finally, I was grateful to X for being SUCH A jerk on the phone that I decided I'd rather sleep on a floor with no electricity at ALL then to seriously consider begging him for his unskilled, grudging assistance.

Because you know what? I don't need him! All I need is to accept that I can take care of it myself.
I'm going to get a part time job at Home Depot if they give discounts. I have LOTS of stuff to do.

Yummy Pumpkin Dip

2007-11-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

In the process of moving, I found a recipe I must have copied from somewhere. Sounds like something to try, perhaps.

Yummy Pumpkin Dip

2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 lg can pumpkin
2 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger

Whip together and serve in hollowed out small pumpkin. Serve on a plate covered with black licorice "worms" or any halloweenish candy such as candy corn. On the side, place ginger snaps for dipping....

Cranberry Pumpkin Upside Down cake with Niece

2007-11-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

Niece and I made the most wonderful cake. It was SO easy. Niece wanted to stay at my apt all day, and our habits are simple: we either go to a museum or make something yummy. I had to make something anyway for a potluck the following day, so it worked out perfectly. She wore a brand new apron that I WAS going to give her for Christmas. I found the recipe in a friend's current Sunset magazine (Nov 07)

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, + more for pans
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon dark or light rum (used dark)
1 1/3 cups cranberries , thawed or fresh (used fresh)
2/3 cup toasted coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil (used safflower, all I had)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Whipped cream (eh, used cool whip because it was for a potluck)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9-in. square pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in brown sugar until blended. Remove from heat and whisk in rum. Pour mixture into prepared pan, evenly covering the bottom.

3. In a small bowl, combine cranberries and walnuts; arrange evenly over brown sugar mixture.

4. In a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed, beat eggs, pumpkin, oil, and granulated sugar until smooth. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture. Spread batter evenly over cranberries and walnuts.

5. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes in pan. Run a thin-bladed knife between cake and sides of pan, then invert cake onto a serving platter. Remove pan and parchment, and let cool at least 20 minutes. Serve slightly warm or cool, with whipped cream.

Holiday Dos and Don'ts

2007-10-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

From our good friends who gave us the Woman's Home Companion and its wonderful "Cook Book."

In light of my tentative plans to bully every relation into coming to my (soon - to - be - I - hope) new home for Thanksgiving, I've been flipping through old magazines and cookbooks like a crazed fiend.

But of course, the plain sensibility of these tips in the small excerpt below have brought me back to reality. Somewhat.

Don't do more than your household is equipped to do with ease and distinction. The secret of good service is not to attempt too much.

Don't have more guests than you can take care of easily. People remember a restful well-served little dinner. No one has a good time at a crowded badly managed party.

Don't attempt dishes beyond your culinary skill. Try the fancy ones on your family before springing them on your friends.

Don't try to be grand. Everyone sees through it and nothing is so forlorn as a pretentious party. The most distinguished entertaining is simple, done with ease and naturalness.

Don't leave everything until the last minute. A tired flustered hostess is no good to herself or friends.

Do let the menu, service, decorations, etc., have the stamp of your personality. The talked-of party is the one reflecting the taste and individuality of the hostess. Mere correctness and routine are dull.

Do keep your table decorations low and the candles high. Your guests might like to see one another; mounds of flowers never furthered good table talk.

My new kitchen

2007-10-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

I never knew how much time and money getting a freaking mortgage costs, but will it ever be worth it!

There have been few opportunities like this in my life, and I am ever so grateful that someone is willing to loan me money to buy a house that someone is willing to sell to me for the amount I can pay. It's worth much more. And I think it's the best house in the whole world.

Yes, that's a pink stove. I move in two weeks!

Belated vacation thoughts

2007-10-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

I spent a week up North taking care of my elderly grandmother.
Couple cute things Grammy says:
"Swell"
"I don't give a rat's nose..."
"MH, would you be kind enough to..."

I mentioned that I enjoyed hearing some of those and she commented that my grandpa (who died while my mother was still a child) used to say, "I'll be go to hell" about everything, even when they were in public. She claims that it embarrassed her for years but talking about it to me produced a giggle. She told me again the famous War Story. He was on Iwo Jima. It's pretty much the exact story of Flags of our Fathers, except for a few small details. He wasn't one of the guys raising the flag, but he did endure some terrible things. What I love is how this has been talked about in our family for years, and we thought it was OUR story. I guess it wasn't!

Although I can't stand the sight or smell of any meat, I knew that Grammy would not be happy without her regular meat-centered meals.

For breakfast, I usually made for her eggs and bacon or sausage. Good thing she likes her bacon crispy. I tried making a dish fondly referred to as potato-egg-cheese-stuff (pictured before I threw everything in a skillet). She loves that. It's a mixture of omelette ingredients plus whatever meat and cheese is sitting around.

One morning we had french toast. Another morning, we made cinnamon rolls and Grammy "made" a heavenly cream cheese frosting for them. I measured and mixed, but she told me exactly what she wanted done! She used to make cinnamon toast for my brother and I when we would spend the night at her house.

For dinner, I was on my own in deciding what to make. She naps during the day, so I couldn't very well wake her up to ask what she'd prefer to eat in a couple hours.

I dug out a few of her old cookbooks and used the local fundraiser ones. I found recipes that she had submitted and used them! I made a salmon loaf, fried chicken and beef stroganoff. Chicken salad (pictured) for lunch once. I found it curious that she didn't have there any of her Irish recipes. She said, "Now why would I give my best recipes to people I don't even know?"

We drank coffee all day long, but went without the whiskey, thankfully. Although, I did see a stockpile of Irish and Scotch whiskey in one of the pantries. I wondered why she didn't ask for it. Her chief duty was to think up things for me to get for her at the store. One trip was to satisfy her sweet tooth. Although there were already countless sugar-packed goodies scattered about in little dishes or shut away in cupboards, I ended up with a list for the following:
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (the small ones)
Small Hershey's Candy Bars
3 Kinds of chocolate, small sized in a big bag
Pepperridge Farm Milanos
Pepperridge Farm Sugar Cookies
Pepperridge Farm cookie of your choice

But I made sure that she had lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. It was Peach season so they were a staple.

A couple of days, Grammy was tired and crabby. She sometimes had trouble walking. It was a pleasure to wait on her and take care of every small need.

She now lives in a house that my uncle bought for her to live in. It has extra bedrooms for family members to visit for extended periods. It is a beautiful house. The kitchen is amazing. I can't remember ever having so much fun just cleaning a space. Her bedroom looks like a young girl's dream room. The bed linens are pink and white, and the bedroom set is from her old house, except it was from one of the girl's rooms. Funny that she is now using her children's furniture. It works very well for her needs.

We did indeed spend many hours playing Scrabble. I won maybe two or three games out of the dozens we played. I think she has the whole Scrabble Dictionary memorized.

Home Stuff: Tile Ideas

2007-09-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

More likely than not, any kitchen I own will need to be gutted. I'm thinking of incorporating decorative tiles.

Here is a beautiful medallion from Terrapin Tile. I used to collect an old china pattern from the '60s by Noritake called Cielito Lindo. I still have it and have considered bringing it out again. This might go well with it, if I could get blue. Green is nice too.

Today I seem to be leaning towards greenish bluish tiles for some reason. I don't know why. This Morning Glory tile from Earth Song Tiles is another possibility.

I love the designs at Ravenstone Tiles. This one is called Windswept Tree. I think it comes is different sizes.

TilesandTiles.com offers free samples! Must investigate them more.

Vacation. What will I do?

2007-09-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

I think this time, I'll have plenty of opportunity for quiet reflection, since I'll be spending a week Up North taking care of my Grammy. She likes Scrabble, coffee with Irish whiskey and a DROP of heavy cream, and Cobb salad with Roquefort dressing. I like Scrabble and coffee. And I don't mind a drop of Irish whiskey, so I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time.

Last time I was there, I was able to get her to give me some of her old recipes. I treasure them! I think this time, I'm going to borrow a camcorder from one of my aunts so I can record her telling some of her favorite old stories. She loves to tell stories with no real point. That must be where I get it from. But still, I love them all. There is one she likes to tell every time anyone brings up the subject of donuts.

"Ooooooh JesusMaryandJoseph child, how blessed we were when Momma found an extra few pennies for us, before we lost her bless her soul I miss her like the dickens what a good woman she was and my lovely granddaughter reminds me of her every time I see her beautiful smile she does.... where was I? Anyhow darling, Mamma would give us a penny, and I would take the twins over to the bakery, you don't know what a luxury it was back then to live near a bakery where you could get the freshest bread for nothing. And Lord forgive me for it but oh how I did love to eat the donuts and the cake that you could buy for just a penny! Bless her soul, she had such a good heart, much like my beautiful granddaughter before me today, and oh! She gave me the best gift a mother could give a daughter, my dear. My child-like faith in God, MH. I have always had a child-like faith, I'm sure you know, and it was herself who gave it to me, yes it was. Anyhow my dear, by and by there was no more coffee and not a penny for that, not to mention bread. And it was oh such torture living near such a thing as a bakery then. But when we did have that extra penny again, why do you think we relished such a thing as a donut? Because we were lucky to have our lives. The Lord rewards gratitude and punishes arrogance, MH, and that is why there but for the Grace of Him goes me. "

Can't wait!

Couches!

2007-09-08T01:33:00.000-07:00

I need to buy a couch for the new house. Or whatever it will be. I already know sort-of what I want, and it probably won't match my old stuff. Oh well. I've learned that comfort is important. As previously complained about, I have lived without a couch for YEARS, and I'm getting quite sick of sitting on the floor every time I want to watch a DVD.

The ad I have tacked to my fridge with a pizza hut magnet is this one from Pruitt's. They have it listed at the furniture company's website as being on sale for $798 but my ad is from the big "7-7-7" sale, in which it was only $777. I'll try to get that price if I choose to go over there. I don't like pillows for backs of couches, but hey. It's cheap. er than the other sectionals out there. I've saved this same couch ad I don't know how many times over the past year or so. It's always a different price.

I would go to Ashley Furniture, but they are notorious on complaints.com so I'll just go on to the next big retailer.

Thomasville offers what they call the MetroSectional but I don't know what the price is. I like it because it seems just the right size for little old MH who won't need much room at all!

Wow! JCPenney has furniture! Who knew? Their prices aren't half bad, either.

This one is called the Kelsey and it's on sale for $899. If you want the ottoman, it will be an extra $199 though.

Murphy Bed, Wall Bed for office / guest / sewing rm

2007-09-08T00:32:00.000-07:00

First thing's first. I received a quote from the Murphy Bed Company. Very pricey for what I wanted, which was a wall unit with book shelves and just a couple of little drawers. I guess when your NAME is Murphy bed, you can do that. But it did cause me to consider doing a bit more research. Not saying the pricing is BAD, because it isn't that bad. I guess.

FlyingBeds.com has some wonderful options and from the website, a bigger selection. I'm considering the SmartBeds because I want to use a spare bedroom for additional things besides being a guest room. I have not been able to tell which beds are absolutely *not* standard mattress sized though. Looks like some of the mattresses pictured are too thin. They have a link to the Twirly Bed, which is definitely something I'd like to have. But dang, the prices!

I checked out the specials page of Wilding Wall Beds. Eh. Nice beds but can't they do any better when the stuff is damaged? Sheesh! I have to admit that these prices are generally better than the rest from what I've seen so far. And it isn't much.

I can only find one place in AZ that claims to have them. Classy Closets in Scottsdale or Chandler. No price lists.

I'll add to this post as time goes on because I want to keep the info organized!

A new home for MH? Could it be?

2007-09-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

I'm VERY happy: copied from my other blog...

So I've moved on to what I want. I want a house of my own!

I called a mortgage place yesterday to see how many decades it will be before I will actually be able to buy a home on a FIXED rate. And surprise! When they called me back I was tentatively approved for over TWICE what I thought I would ever be able to spend. This is thanks to all the raises I've been getting lately I guess. Plus my credit hasn't been completely wrecked by the divorce. Wow. Do I deserve a stroke of good luck? Crap, I know I just jinxed myself with that last sentence.

So now the search is on for a new home. I took some time while not being able to sleep last night to write down my must-haves:

AT LEAST washer/dryer hook-ups. No more coin-op or take-out laundry for MH! Yay!
Area for a dog to run and play. Grassy area. So I can have a dog. Plus I need at least a container garden.
BIG kitchen (or at least room to enlarge kitchen) because I have three awesome metal cabinets from the forties that NEED to stay in the kitchen.

IF it's a condo or townhouse:

Lots of storage
Two bedroom w/ at least 1.75 baths
Private outside area for my morning coffee
LOW HOA
Nice neighborhood to preserve my morning run.

IF it's a house:

It CANNOT be newer than 1960 (unless I just go with brand new, which I doubt)
Fence
Two baths or room to grow
Original kitchen and maybe baths
Must not add up to more than I can afford INCLUDING extras

What I will need to buy: I need a couch. I have not had a couch for three years.

I want to buy a Murphy bed for the guest room/space so I can also use it as a sewing room and office. There is an awesome Murphy bed that has a desk top on the outside, which gently floats down when you pull the bed down. It probably costs around $3 grand though. I could frickin' make my own for that kind of money! But that's what I want.

I NEED to get a new bed. The last time I had a brand new bed, it was when my parents bought me a daybed when I moved out. That was, let's see, 17 years ago! I slept on the daybed for 10 years. Then I bought an old full-sized bed from craigslist for $40. It is from the fifties. I don't recommend sleeping on a mattress from the fifties, even if it is from SEARS. When my sister came to visit, I broke out the air mattress for her. It's a queen size! She raved about how comfortable it is "for an air mattress." After she left, I thought it would be fun to try it out and I have been sleeping on it ever since. It's SO much nicer than that crappy old thing. So I need a new bed. I might upgrade to a queen size too. Not sure.

That's really all. Except for appliances if the "new" place doesn't have them. But I sincerely hope it does. I want AUTHENTIC appliances. I want the counter-top RANGE and the WALL oven.

I think I'll copy most of this post to my other blog and try to keep all of this boring house crap over there.

Another niece, another birthday...

2007-08-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

One of my nieces just turned thirteen.

To celebrate, we lunched at her favorite Italian restaurant, then headed - where else- to the mall. I haven't been this tired since her birthday last year, which definitely took its toll. Thankfully, we didn't have to relive the "make-over" experience, which turned out to be not entirely a success. No, this time I played it safe. I bought a B&N gift card. That is always sure to win the approval of her overprotective dad.

I also resisted suggesting that she try on the darling spaghetti strapped dresses that are so popular this year and still selling like hotcakes here in the valley. We perused just about every store in the mall, I think. My most memorable visit: Williams Sonoma. They had the CUTEST choo choo train cake forms and cookie cutters. Also the sweetest octopus bundt cake pan and apron. I'll be back when my nephew turns seven in a few weeks. He is beginning to think of himself as quite the chef lately.

The clothing at the mall was largely forgettable. Too much Three's Company, not enough Donna Reed. The sales were hardly sales. Maybe I'm a cheapskate.

Although we were still completely stuffed from lunch, Niece wasn't going to leave the premises until we hit The Cheesecake Factory. I ordered the Godiva Chocolate cheesecake and a cup of coffee while she ordered the new White Chocolate Macadamia Nut. After my second cup, I had sufficiently re energized my poor old bones enough to make a second trip to Sephora so Niece could finagle a couple of Bare Minerals purchases to the tune of over $120! Gracious. These kids are getting more expensive by the year.

All in all, it was a great day, and I don't regret one penny I spent.

Stay awake during a road trip

2007-07-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

The older I get, the harder it is for me to stay awake at the wheel during a long road trip. Here are some great tips from Justin Glow at my favorite travel blog, Gadling.

Six Tips to Stay Awake on Road Trips

I am in the early stages of planning for my next vacation. It was easy to rule out international travel this year, due to the horrible value of the US dollar. I am still not sure where I will go or how I will get there. I have ideas, but I think I will save them for my next post.

And the benefits keep on coming; wine and its antibacterial agents

2007-07-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

According to a news release by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, wine has been found to "combat oral bacteria."

"Overall, our findings seem to indicate that wine can act as an effective antimicrobial agent against the tested pathogenic oral streptococci and might be active in caries and upper respiratory tract pathologies prevention"

Soon we'll read about the wonders of wine's stain-fighting action. I would pay big bucks for a good merlot guaranteed not to stain white cotton capris.

Olive oil outside of the salad bowl and skillet

2007-06-15T23:21:00.000-07:00

Found this excellent blog, Curbly; and 25 uses for olive oil.

Spice Racks

2007-05-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

In my other blog, I discussed at some length what I gave my niece for graduation. When she does finally get her own place, she will be well taken care-of with housewares. My mom and I have stored just about everything she would need, and Niece has been given veto power. If she doesn't like something, it just goes to the Salvation Army.

Today, it occurred to me that one thing Niece will need is a spice rack. It was one of the first things I bought when I moved out. I felt like such an adult as I proudly placed it on the counter next to the stove! So I've been looking around. Here are some of my favorites:

From abodecookware, Define 6. I LOVE teak, and the metal containers are nice, since it's always a good idea to keep spices in darkness. I just wish that for the price, £31.95 plus shipping, we could get more than 6 at a time!

iKitchen has many great choices, and I see that they are having a Memorial Day sale right now. I'm going to record the regular prices, since I don't plan on buying today or tomorrow. First up, the Magnetic Canister set by Pfatlzgraff. I like the idea, but I also think it's important for each spice to be labeled, and that the cook doesn't have to search for the label. It is priced at $41.99. My personal favorite is the KitchenArt Carousel. It is compact, and stackable. There are pre-printed labels to stick on the outside, and it can even measure in 1/4 tsp increments. Ouchie! $49.99 is a bit steep, but a quick eBay drive-by calmed my shocked nerves. I found one listed at $9.99 plus shipping. Before moving on, I have one last favorite from iKitchen. It's also by Pfaltzgraff; a 24-Jar Revolving, with cute little jars and clearly labeled tops. It is pricey at $55.99.

TheTubularSpiceCo is another wonderful site. They have a few outstanding gift sets, one of which comes with a set of measuring spoons, a funnel, and a unique mortar & pestle made of stainless steel. Hm. I don't know if I would use a metal mortar & pestle. Another gift set comes with measuring cups and the tubes are set in a wood block, which is pretty cool. The only problem with the tubes (which I think are groove-o-matic, don't get me wrong) is the cork tops. Cork doesn't last as long as glass. Eventually, the cork will dry out or will get damaged after being used, and what do you do then? The pictured gift set is on sale for $89.99. Check out what they have over there! They also sell organic spices. Yes!

Again, I realize that these are pricey, but I am swooning over this beautiful work of art from Williams-Sonoma. If I had this set, I would probably end up turning the jars inward and using my own personal labeler. It costs a whopping $115.

StacksAndStacks has a few reasonably prices options, and a great selection. I like their square stainless lidded jars with mini-grinders. It can be stored on the counter or on the wall. Great for young people! It has nine jars and comes with labels! Great! I think it's a steal at only $32.99. For small spaces, this stacking spice rack has three drawers, and you can just throw your spices in there as soon as you get home from the store. Also a smart option for young adults. $39.99.

I would love to find some product reviews on some of these items. If anyone has experience or opinions about them, they are welcome to post a comment.

Old Recipes

2007-05-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

I have a vast collection of old recipes. The hand-written recipes on 3x5 cards are my favorite. My grandmother gave me many of hers, which contained some of her mother's; who died when my grandmother was only a girl of 15. Wow! That's a long time ago! It's wonderful to have something of my great-grandmother's, written by her own hand, and was valued greatly by her.

My appreciation for these old recipes began when I was in junior high. I was extremely shy as a child. My mom had a unique idea. On Saturdays, we would rise early, stop at Dunkin' Donuts, and head straight for an estate auction somewhere nearby. She would give me $20 and encourage me to bid on whatever I wanted.

I made some great buys. Once I bought an old army trunk full of antique hats and purses. When we got home, I pulled everything out and matched the hats and purses together. My bed was completely covered. I tried on my favorite hat. I grabbed the "matching" purse, and put my Bonne Bell lip gloss in, and pranced around the house for awhile. Soon, I reached in to retrieve the lip gloss. I couldn't feel it. I opened the purse wide, and saw that there was a hole in the lining at the bottom corner.

I fished out the gloss, thereby making the hole even bigger. But I could also feel something else. I fished it out. It was an old $5 bill. I was so excited, I started checking all the purses. From them, I found over $200 in old bills. It was a wonderful lesson, and the people behind their old belongings became fodder for my imagination and appreciation. I spent hours thinking about the previous owners of my finds.

One time, we attended an auction at a beautiful old home. Everything was so fancy, I could not bid, having only $20. One of the last things to be auctioned was an old box full of newspaper clippings, stationary and - that's right - 3x5 cards. I bid on it just because I didn't want to leave empty handed. I got the whole box for $1, as nobody else wanted it.

When I got home, I emptied the box on my bed, as usual. I organized the papers. The recipes stood out to me. Firstly, some of the dishes seemed tasty. Secondly, I thought it an awful large amount of work for a person to print out each of these cards, dozens, maybe over 100 of them. I gathered them up and ran down to the kitchen, where my mom was preparing some Saturday sloppy joes. I showed her the cards with amazement. She laughed, and pulled out her own box. "Here are my favorite recipes. Someday you will have your own box. It makes life easier."

I saw my mother's familiar, neat cursive, patiently instructing the reader how to prepare some of my personal favorite things to eat, such as "Special Occasion Chili Dip" and "Roast Beef Stew." I asked her if I could have her recipes when she dies. "Of course, you can have them any time you want them." I went back to my room to put everything back in the box.

I thought about the lady who had loved those recipes. I wondered how in the world someone could forget about their mother's prized recipes, which were prepared for the health and enjoyment of her family.

Ever since that day, I have never passed up an opportunity to get my hands on hand-written recipes. Somehow, I believe that someone should appreciate them, and I do. I have probably fifty recipes for chocolate cake, but it's not only the recipe that endears it to me. It is the handwriting, the stains from use, the comments added later like "good!" and especially the love that went into the preparation of the food each and every time the card was used.

Summer entertaining and the perfect gift - Bedside Pitcher

2007-05-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

I call this the perfect gift, but of course it isn't for everyone. Just MOST people. It is an excellent housewarming gift. I like to give this to anyone who has a guest room whenever the occasion calls for a gift.

Where can you find one of these? They aren't as common as you would think. I have purchased at least a dozen from Pier1, and at only $7.00, it is a KILLER deal, especially when you have to nurture your inner sucker if you fall for Crate & Barrel's pricing for what appears to be the same exact thing at $14.95.

Wrapables offers a slightly different design, which I do not have. Looks cute. I like the handle. But I'm not paying the advertised $21.95 and that's final.

The sad loser is Restoration Hardware. What a disappointment! Nice design, but is it WORTH $25? Do not think so, dear. They do redeem themselves slightly with looks to me to be the most attractive design out of them all, with a price which unfortunately is not as bad as some. They call it their Bottle Carafe.

One might suspect that I am a cheapskate. But it's not the case. As I always say: When you are poor, you are either responsible with what little you have or you are an idiot. The idea of being cheap is not a factor. Anyway.

I may be persuaded to spend a bit extra just because I love VivaTerra. Their version of the above is recycled and seems to have a slight blue-green tint. $24.

The wonderful thing about these little sets is that you do not have to use it for just water. You like mojitos but your friend wants a margarita on the rocks? No problem! Make a small pitcher of each. Great, it's only 10 a.m. and I'm already wishing I had a mojito.

Summer entertaining - 3-in1 Server Set

2007-05-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

I could kick myself for not having bought this server over the holidays when I spotted it at a Kirkland's outlet for less than $20. Seems that it is only available online for an arm and a leg plus tax.

A quick comparison search yielded astonishing results:

Highest price was Freshfinds at $39.95. Can't they do any better than that?

Then came Wrapables who advertises it on "sale" for 34.99.

But you can always just get it from Amazon, who you can order it through from Wrapables for the same price.

Vintage Cookbooks continued

2007-04-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

CANNING! I used to can like crazy when I had a huge garden and a nice large cellar. Sigh. My favorites were the Kerr and Ball booklets from the 40s and 50s.
Another good one is HB called Stocking Up. I don't think I have a picture of that.

I only have one Frugal Gourmet cookbook because X took the rest of them when he left! He didn't notice that he left the very best one, and I believe, Jeff Smith's first one too! Lucky me.

Vintage cookbook obsession

2007-04-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I have too many cookbooks. When X and I were married, he was commissioned a few times to build more shelving in the kitchen. I still had several boxes of cookbooks lined up in the garage, waiting for room inside. I have been known to resort to eBay for one here or there, but usually I enjoy the excitement of coming face-to-face with one in a thrift shop or tag sale, (and sometimes paying a quarter).

Some of my favorites include:
Pillsbury Annual Bake-Off /s
I have most of them, but have not been able to get my hands on the 1st annual. From what hear, it has some scrumptious bar recipes!

Sunbeam Mixmaster Product Booklets
The Sunbeam product booklets always have easy and tasty recipes. Of course, most of these vintage cookbooks do not have much to offer in the way of vegan fare, but I collect vintage cookbooks for reasons other than just finding a recipe. If I want a recipe, all I really have to do is check the internet. Another brand of product mixer booklet that has great recipes, even better than Sunbeam IMO, is Dormeyer. Beautifully illustrated as well.

Betty Crocker's Cooky Cookbooks
Always doable recipes; illustrations are nice too. These are small booklets, but of course there are also hardback books, and later I may have a picture of some of the BC binders..
Pictured here are also a Swan's Down flour booklet and a Church's Baking Powder booklet.
Such wonderful recipes!

Speaking of binder cookbooks...
The Big Two are Betty Crocker's and Better Homes and Gardens.
everyone has a different one...I have dozens of these, as they came out with new additions all the time. I can't decide which once I like more. They are both pretty much the same, except - and this is just my opinion,

In general, BHG had better technique directions, and I really do like their pictures. The pages seem to have held up better, and were of a higher quality- in older ones.

Betty Crocker's seem to have more recipes total, and there are better instructions and ideas for, say, a young bride. There are wonderful table setting and etiquette hints.

I love them both. I also like McCall's cookbooks. I think I used to have a McCall's binder much like the others, but I can't seem to find it.

Mary Mead's Osterizer cookbook
(also helps to have an Osterizer) Jam-packed with just the greatest, most unique recipes ever! You can pretty much make anything with an Osterizer, apparently. That's why they last forever.

This is one of my favorite because many of the recipes are vegan, even the baked desserts. Due to rationing, I guess. From Country Gentleman

Asparagus Risotto & Sangria

2007-03-27T09:33:00.001-07:00

Asparagus risotto

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 c onions, finely diced
1/2c carrots, finely diced
1 c arborio rice
1/2 c dry white wine
4 to 4 1/2 c vegetable stock, heated in a separate pot
1 bunch of asparagus, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

Using a heavy, wide saute pan, melt the butter and soften the onion and carrots for several minutes. Add rice and stir until thoroughly coated with butter. Add the wine and cook until the rice absorbs it.
Over medium-low heat, add the hot stock, 1/2 at a time, stirring between each addition. When the rice has absorbed the stock, add more, 1/2 at a time. This should take 20-30 minutes. When adding the last portion of stock, add the asparagus so it can cook along with the rice, about 5 minutes. Taste the rice. It should be creamy on the outside yet slightly firm in the center. Stir in the Parmesan and serve immediately.

from pp91-97

Sassy Sangria for 20

2 oranges, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 limes, thinly sliced
Fresh fruits (seedless grapes, strawberries, apple and pear slices
1 lb frozen peaches or bluberries
1 1/2 to 2 c Grand Marnier
1 2/2 c brandy
2 very large bunches fresh herbs (lemon verbena, lemon balm, mint, or pineapple sage)
1 gallon dry white wine
Sparkling mineral water or champagne

At least two days before serving, mix all ingredients (except frozen fruit and sparkling mineral water or champagne) in a large glass container, twisting the stems of the herbs to release flavor.
Just before serving, transfer mixture to a clear glass pitcher or bowl with a fresh bouquet of herbs and the frozen fruit (edible flowers may be used as well). Serve in glases with herbal ice cubes and a splash of champagne or mineral water and a fresh herb sprig

Cabbage Bean Soup and Baked Brie

2007-03-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

from Cooks.com

BAKED BRIE IN PHYLLO

1/4 c. apricot preserves; optional
1/2 lb. wheel Brie or Camembert cheese
1/2 lb frozen phyllo dough, 10-12 sheets, thawed
1/2 c. butter, melted
Fresh dill weed; optional
Red and green grapes; optional
Apples, sliced; optional
Pears, sliced; optional

1. Spread preserves on top of the Brie.

2. Wrap the Brie in thawed phyllo dough one sheet at a time, brushing each sheet with melted butter. (Keep unused phyllo covered with damp cloth while wrapping Brie.)

3. Turn cheese over after applying each sheet of phyllo for even distribution.

4. Brush phyllo-wrapped Brie with butter.

5. Cover; refrigerate.

6. Before serving, place the phyllo-wrapped cheese in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 425 degree oven 8-12 minutes or until golden. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with optional dill weed and fruit if desired. Serve with crackers.

Baby Brie in Phyllo: Prepare Baked Brie in Phyllo as directed above except use 2 tablespoons apricot preserves, substitute two 4 1/2 ounce packages Brie or Camembert cheese for the 2 pound wheel; use 1/4 pound phyllo dough (six sheets) and 1/4 cup melted butter.

Combine as above, dividing preserved, phyllo, and butter between the cheese rounds. Makes 2 rounds, 8-10 servings each.

MINTED CUCUMBER SALAD

FOR 4 SERVINGS YOU WILL NEED:

2 med. cucumbers, pared, halved lengthwise, seeded & diced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 sm. green pepper, diced 1/4 inch
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 c. plain yogurt
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. olive or salad oil
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 tbsp. chopped fresh mint or 1/2 tsp. crushed dried mint leaves
Fresh mint leaves for garnish
Crisp lettuce leaves (opt.)

1. Sprinkle cucumbers with salt. Let stand 15 minutes on paper toweling. Rinse and drain well. Blot off excess liquid.

2. Mix cucumbers with green pepper, onion, yogurt, lemon juice, oil, garlic and chopped mint. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to blend flavors.

3. To serve, place into pretty bowl and garnish with fresh mint leaves. For individual servings, line 4 salad plates with crisp lettuce leaves and top with cucumber mixture. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.
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Cabbage Bean Soup

3 tbs olive oil
3 leeks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 clove garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 lb green beans
3 cups Italian plum tomatoes, chopped
1 lb green cabbage, shredded
3 cups cooked cannellini beans
1 cup water
Salt and pepper
1 Loaf dry French bread, sliced
Olive oil
Parmesan

In hot oil, cook leeks, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Add broth. Simmer 10-15 mins. Add green beans, tomatoes, cabbage. Heat. Add beans, water, salt and pepper. Cover, simmer until cooked (test by tasting). Place a slice of bread in individual bowls; drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with Parmesan and ladle soup on top.

vivaterra Glass Popcorn Maker

2007-03-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

[URL=http://www.vivaterra.com/pls/enetrixp/!stmenu_template.main]viva terra[/URL]

Some of my favorite items

Glass Popcorn Maker Set
Popcorn au naturel--no oil, no butter, no mess. Place a handful of kernels in the popperbowl, cover, put it in the microwave, and a few minutes later simply lift the lid and serve. There's no healthier or more flavorful way to pop up a batch. Our glass marvel delivers greaseless, delicious popcorn that is much lighter than any microwave-bag variety.

Magnetic Stainless Steel Spice Racks
This ingenious rack with magnetized spice containers surpasses the design of all others. The clear-topped containers beautifully display their contents, and have tops that turn for sprinkling or pouring. The magnetized bottoms sit securely on the stainless steel panel. Add and subtract strips at will to the handy modular version.

Slate Cheese Board Set
Our tapered-edge slate cheese board provides a natural, safe and secure cutting surface, perfect for writing cheese names with chalk, while its padded feet protect tabletops. Simply wipe clean with a damp cloth to maintain its natural appearance for years. Two knives included. 12"L x 16"W

Recycled Glass Carafe
Designed to hold an ample supply of water yet take up little space on your night table, the recycled carafe comes with drinking glass top to prevent spills. 6"D x 8.5"H

Roasted Red Pepper Dip & Layered Broccoli Salad

2007-03-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

from [URL=http://my.webmd.com/content/pages/21/106169]webMD[/URL]

ROASTED RED PEPPER YOGURT DIP
Recipe created by 3-A-Day™ of Dairy.
print recipe
email recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 (12 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, drained
2 (8 oz.) containers lowfat plain yogurt
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies, drained
1 garlic clove, minced
Preparation:
1.

Purée red peppers in food processor or blender; drain again.
2.

Add remaining ingredients; mix until blended and refrigerate.
3.

Serve with assorted cut vegetables or pita wedges.
Yields: 5 servings

LAYERED BROCCOLI SALAD
Recipe created by Cabot Creamery® on behalf of 3-A-Day™ of Dairy.
print recipe
email recipe
Prep time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
6 cups chopped broccoli flowerets
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded 50% light
Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup dried, sweetened cranberries or raisins
1/2 cup plain fat free yogurt
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup unsalted, dry roasted, hulled sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) 50% less fat bacon pieces
Preparation:
1.

In a large, glass serving bowl, layer broccoli, onion and cranberries.
2.

In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, honey, mayonnaise and vinegar.
3.

Drizzle the yogurt dressing over the layered salad.
4.

Layer cheese on top.
5.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
6.

Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and bacon pieces just before serving.
Yields: 6 servings

Antipasto Pasta Salad, Gingered Fruit Salad, Picnic Checklist

2007-03-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

ANTIPASTO PASTA SALAD
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

1 pound rotini or fusilli (corkscrew-shaped pastas)
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 ounce (1/2 cup) sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), soaked in hot water for 5 minutes and drained well
1/2 pound smoked mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
a 1-pound can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 1/2 ounces sliced hard salami, cut into julienne strips
10 to 20 bottled small peperoncini (pickled Tuscan peppers)
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves, minced
In a kettle of boiling salted water cook the rotini until it is tender and drain it. Refresh the pasta under cold water and drain it well. In a blender blend the garlic, the mustard, the vinegars, the water, the oil, and salt to taste until the dressing is emulsified. In a very large bowl toss the pasta well with the dressing and stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, the mozzarella, the garbanzos, the salami, the Tuscan peppers, the red pepper flakes, and the parsley. Chill the salad, covered, for 1 hour. The salad may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.

GINGERED FRUIT SALAD
2 fresh peaches
3 md plums
1 whole cantaloupe
1/2 whole honeydew melon
1/2 lb green and red grapes
1/2 c fresh lime juice
1 ts lime rind -- grated
1/4 c honey
1/2 c candied ginger root --
: chopped finely

Prepare all fruit by washing, peeling if desired,
removing pits and slicing into bite-size pieces.
Melons may be scooped out with a melon baller, if
desired. Combine all fruit in a large ceramic bowl.
Mix lime juice, rind, honey, and ginger together. Pour
over fruit, toss, and marinate for at least six hours.
Serve chilled or at room temperature

A Picnic Checklist

* A large blanket or tablecloth. For damp lawns, bring a tarp.
* Napkins. (Cloth napkins make a nice impression).
* Paper towels and/or a few hand towels for cleanup.
* Forks, knives and spoons.
* Serving utensils.
* Plates. (Bowls, if necessary).
* Wine and water glasses. Sturdy, reuseable plastic works well.
* A corkscrew and bottle opener, if necessary.
* A can opener, if necessary.
* A small cutting board or cheese board.
* Portable food favorites. See our picnic feature for more ideas.
* Lots of fluids (including non-alcoholic beverages for rehydrating).
* One cooler for beverages and another for perishable foods. If your cooler doesn't have wheels, consider a wagon.
* Garbage bags.
* Sunscreen.
* Insect repellent.
* Candles. Citronella varieties can help fight mosquitos. Look for enclosed holders with a sturdy base. Tall tapers are difficult to manage safely outdoors, and exposed wicks are easily extinguished by wind.
* A flashlight.
* Family and friends!

4/8/05 Kick Ass Asparagus Recipes

2007-03-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

almost forgot! It's getting to be asparagus season. I love asparagus drenched in butter. I think one of our favorite things to do last year was hop on the old scooter and putter along the country roads looking for asparagus. Then we'd take it all over to MIL's and have a feast. So much you can do with asparagus.

from foodnetwork.com

Spring Asparagus with Mimosa-Style Dressing
Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

1 pound asparagus, washed and trimmed
3 hard-boiled eggs
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large deep saute pan of salted boiling water blanch the asparagus, 6 to 8 stalks at a time, until barely tender and brilliant green, about 1 to 2 minutes depending on thickness of asparagus. Remove asparagus from simmering water and plunge into an ice-water bath. Repeat process for remaining asparagus. When asparagus is completely chilled, drain, pat dry and arrange on a serving platter. Cut each hard-boiled egg in half and separate the whites from the yolks. Pass the egg whites through a coarse sieve into a small bowl. Pass the yolks through a coarse sieve into a second small bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together the lemon juice, mustard and zest. Add the olive oil in a stream whisking constantly until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle dressing over asparagus. Sprinkle the sieved egg whites and yolks over the asparagus in a decorative pattern (i.e. stripes of white and yellow). Serve immediately.

good directions for simple grilled asparagus below:

Grilled Asparagus Spears
Recipe courtesy Bob Blumer
Show: The Surreal Gourmet
Episode: Thrilling Grilling

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and peeled, see Cook's Note
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat a grill.

Place asparagus on a plate. Drizzle oil over the asparagus and turn spears until they are coated. Sprinkle with salt and turn again.

Grill asparagus for 5 minutes over a hot grill. Each minute or so, roll each spear 1/4 turn. Asparagus should begin to brown in spots (indicating that the natural sugars are caramelizing) but should it not be allowed to char. Dripping oil may cause flare-ups. Keep a glass, or spray bottle of water handy to spritz on coals, if necessary.

Remove from grill and serve immediately (eating spears with your fingers enhances the experience).

Cook's Note: Look for firm asparagus stalks with firm deep green or purplish tips. Also check the bottom of the spears. If they are dried up, chances are they have been sitting around for too long. Trim off the tough bottom of the spear by grasping each end and bending it gently until it snaps at its natural point of tenderness, usually 2/3 of the way down the spear. If the spear is less than 6 inches long, chances are it has already been trimmed for you. Then take a vegetable peeler and peel off the outer skin of the lower half of the remaining stalk.

Ok, I've actually eaten this AT The Lady and Sons- it's good, but if you are going to go there, skip the menu and eat from the buffet. The best dishes are served from there, trust me!

Lady and Sons Asparagus Sandwich

8 to 10 fresh asparagus spears, washed and trimmed
2 tablespoons butter, divided
Salt and pepper or lemon pepper
2 slices pumpernickel bread
2 slices Jack cheese
1 or 2 tablespoons Thousand Island Dressing, recipe follows
3 slices red onion, cut into rings
Pickle slices or fresh parsley, for garnish, optional

Blanch asparagus spears in boiling, salted water for 1 minute. Remove immediately to a bowl of ice water.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and lightly saute. Season with salt and pepper, or lemon pepper. Remove asparagus from pan and set aside. Butter 2 pieces of bread with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Place bread in the same skillet, buttered side down, and grill on 1 side. Flip bread and lay 1 piece of cheese on each slice of bread. Grill until cheese is melted and then remove from pan. Spread desired amount of dressing on top of each slice of bread. Arrange asparagus on top of cheese, rotating the spears. Place onion rings on top of asparagus. Cut sandwich in half. Garnish with pickle slices or parsley, if desired.

Thousand Island Dressing:
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 hard-boiled egg, crushed finely
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup dill relish
Salt and pepper
Lemon pepper

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon pepper, to taste. Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Herbed Olive Spirals bhg

2007-03-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Herbed Olive Spirals from bhg.com

ngredients
1 16-ounce package hot roll mix
1/3 cup oil-pack dried tomatoes
2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup finely chopped pitted ripe olives and/or green olives
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme, crushed (optional)
1 slightly beaten egg
1 tablespoon water

Directions
Prepare the hot roll mix according to package directions. After kneading, divide the dough into two portions; cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Grease a large baking sheet; set aside.
For filling, drain tomatoes, reserving oil. Chop the tomatoes. Combine tomatoes, cream cheese, olives, green onions, egg yolk, pepper, and, if desired, oregano or thyme in a mixing bowl. Stir in about 1 tablespoon reserved tomato oil, if necessary, to make a filling that is easy to spread.
Turn dough portions out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll each portion to a 14x11-inch rectangle. Spread half of the filling atop each rectangle to within 1/2 inch of edges (filling amount will seem generous). Roll up dough tightly from long sides. Seal seams. Place loaves on the prepared baking sheet with seams down. Cover and let dough rise till nearly double (about 30 to 40 minutes).
Make three or four diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep in loaf tops, using a sharp knife. Combine the egg and water; brush onto loaves. Bake in a 375ý oven about 25 minutes or till golden. Carefully remove loaves from baking sheet and cool on wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature. Slice with a serrated knife.

Layered Salads & Foodie Quotes

2007-03-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

For layered salads, I like to use darker lettuce or spinach, because it produces a more dramatic effect. Also, if you are going to make it ahead of time, add smaller sized uncooked pasta to the bottom layer. It will absorb some of the excess moisture and by the morning it will be soft. I like to line the walls of the bottom layer (containing the pasta) first with sliced cucumbers. I think it looks cute.

Here are some neat quotes regarding food and meals from [URL=http://www.foodreference.com/html/qtable.html]FoodReference.com[/URL]

"The table is the only place where one is never bored during the first hour."
Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)
The Physiology of Taste (1825)

"The dinner table is the center for the teaching and practicing not just of table manners but of conversation, consideration, tolerance, family feeling, and just about all the other accomplishments of polite society except the minuet."
Judith Martin

“In our opinion food should be sniffed lustily at table, both as a matter of precaution and as a matter of enjoyment, the sniffing of it to be regarded in the same light as the tasting of it.”
E.B. White (1899-1985) American essayist

“A host at a table where a guest is obliged to ask, is a host dishonored.”
La Petite Cuisine du baron Brisse (1870)

“A man is in general better pleased when he has a good dinner upon the table than when his wife talks Greek.”
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

“A man who can dominate a London dinner table can dominate the world.”
Oscar Wilde

“Be not angry or sour at table; whatever may happen put on the cheerful mien, for good humor makes one dish a feast.”
From a Shaker manual, 'Gentle Manners'

“Being set at the table, scratch not thyself, and take thou heed as much as thou canst not to spit, cough and blow at thy nose; but if it be needful, do it dexterously, without much noise, turning thy face sidelong.”
Francis Hawkins, Youth's Behaviour (1663)

“I sat at a table where were rich food and wine in abundance, and obsequious attendance, but sincerity and truth were not; and I went away hungry from the inhospitable board.”
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

“I went to this restaurant last night that was set up like a big buffet in the shape of an Ouija board. You'd think about what kind of food you want, and the table would move across the floor to it.”
Steven Wright

Easter '05- Deviled Eggs & Breakfast Hash

2007-03-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

Easter stuff~ trying to get some recipes together for tomorrow. M gets to leave the hosp for ONE day. We thought it would be the whole weekend, but oh well. I might let everyone come over for dinner or something.

I'm also looking for things to make for the nurses at the rehap unit.

Classic Deviled Eggs
Serve for any occasion, whether it be a wedding feast, a picnic in the park, or for lunch or dinner!

Items Needed: (for 12 Deviled Eggs)

# 6 hard boiled Eggs (large)
# 3 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing
# 1 tablespoon sugar
# 1 teaspoon mustard (honey mustard is great!)
# 1 teaspoon vinegar
# salt & pepper to taste
# paprika (optional)

To boil eggs, place eggs in enough cold water to cover completely, bring to a rolling boil over high heat.

Reduce heat to a lower MEDIUM BOIL and cook an additional 12 minutes.
Promptly chill eggs so yolks stay bright yellow.

Remove shells from eggs, and halve lengthwise with a knife.

Carefully remove the yolks, and place in a medium bowl.

Mash yolks with a fork, and add remaining ingredients.

Very carefully spoon mixture back into the egg white halves. Garnish with a light sprinkling of paprika (optional).

from [URL=http://www.goodegg.com/recipe/deviledegg.html]goodegg.com[/URL]

Breakfast Hash
2 lbs small white potatoes (unpeeled and 1-in diced)
2Tbs olive oil
1 med yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers 1 1/2 Tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary
8 small soy sausages, thinly sliced
4 oz fresh baby spinach, chopped
chitpole powder

1. Boil potatoes and simmer 10-12 minutes. Drain and cool.

2. In very large skillet, heat oil over med-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until begining to soften, 5min. Add potatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally until crispy and brown about 10 min. Stir in spinach-cook until spinach wilts.

3. Break eggs over has and cook until eggs are set. Quickly flip eggs over to briefly cook on other side- 1 min- add salt and pepper and chitpole to taste

from Vegetarian Times.

I wish I had all of my cookbooks with me.

Pesto Olive Pinwheels & Artichoke Canapes

2007-03-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

Flaky Pesto Olive Pinwheels
Makes about 100.

12 oz. cream cheese -- softened
1 c. grated parmesan
2 green onions with tops -- minced
1/3 c. your favorite pesto sauce
1 pkg. frozen puff pastry sheets -- thawed until cold enough to roll but still chilled
1 1/2 c. whole pitted ripe olives -- wedged or coarsely -- chopped

Beat together cream cheese, parmesan, green onions and pesto until well blended.

On lightly floured surface roll half of puff pastry (1 sheet) into 10x6 inch rectangle.

Spread half the cheese mixture over pastry, covering completely. Scatter half the olives over filling. Roll lengthwise like jelly roll, starting at long side to make a log. Repeat with remaining pastry, filling and olives.

Freeze logs until solid (or up to 2 months).

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove logs from freezer 10-15 min. before baking. Slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Place 1 1/2 in. apart on non-stick baking sheets. Bake 10-12 min. or until lightly browned.

Hot Artichoke Canapes
Makes 32 puffs

1 can (12 oz) artichoke hearts, drained well & chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 pkg (17.25 oz) frozen puff pastry, thawed
Egg Wash (1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water)

In medium bowl, combine artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, garlic, parmesan cheese and parsley; set aside.

On floured surface, unfold sheet of puff pastry. Crimp seams with fingertips. Roll sheet to 12-inch square. Brush with egg wash.

Cut pastry sheet into 16 (3-inch) squares. Place small amount of artichoke filling in center of each 3-inch square. Fold 2 side corners up to encase filling.

Place canapes on parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each with egg wash mixture.

Cover and refrigerate at least 15 minutes and up to 3 hours. Repeat with puff pastry sheet and remaining filling. (can be frozen and cooked frozen later).

Bake in 400 degree F oven for 12-13 minutes or until browned and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

[URL=http://www.molsol.com/Cooking/appetizers2.html]From molsol[/URL]

1 8 oz. package refrigerated crescent rolls
1 Portabella mushroom
8 oz small white mushrooms
2 TBS butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Wash mushrooms and chop in food processor. Place butter in a small skillet and cook mushrooms over medium heat until all liquid is evaporated.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 dozen 1 3/4" muffin tins. Separate each roll of dough into six equal pieces. Cut each piece in half (to form a square) and press into muffin tins. Divide mushroom mixture evenly among shells. Beat together egg, cream, salt and cayenne. Pour egg mixture over mushrooms (approximately 2 tsp. each). Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until center is set. To serve warm, cool 5 minutes before removing. To freeze, cool on rack and freeze in air tight container or bag. To reheat, place frozen quiches on cookie sheet and bake 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes 24. Freezes extremely well.

[URL=http://busycooks.about.com/od/appetizerrecipe1/r/jalapopp.htm]busy cooks at about[/URL]

Jalapeno Poppers

* 12 oz. cream cheese, softened
* 2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese
* 25 jalapeno peppers, seeded, cut in half
* 1 cup milk
* 1 cup flour
* 1-1/2 cups dried packaged breadcrumbs
* Oil for deep frying

PREPARATION:
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and pepper jack cheese; blend well.

In a pot of barely simmering water, blanch the pepper halves for 2 minutes, drain and dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Spoon the cream cheese mixture into jalapeno pepper halves.
Place milk and flour into two separate shallow bowls. Dip the stuffed jalapenos first into the milk then into the flour, making sure they are thoroughly coated. Place the coated jalapenos on wire racks and let dry for about 10 minutes.

Dip the jalapenos in milk again and then roll them in breadcrumbs to coat. Let coated peppers dry, repeating the dipping in milk and rolling in breadcrumbs if necessary.

In large skillet, heat the oil to 365 degrees F. Deep fry the filled and coated jalapeno peppers 2 to 3 minutes each, until golden brown. Remove and let drain on a paper towel.

To freeze, DO NOT FRY PEPPERS. Place on cookie sheet and freeze until hard, then package in single layer in plastic freezer containers. To eat, place on cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes until hot all the way through, golden brown, and crisp. Makes 25 appetizers

How to be a good houseguest

2007-03-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

How to be a good houseguest.....

Rules each houseguest should know and follow if they expect to be invited back for another visit.

Come visit us again!

Who doesn’t want to hear that phrase after they’ve just visited family or friends? Ideally, it should be uttered with a smile. Not the tight, controlled smile that tells you someone is being polite. No, I’m talking about the loose, genuine smile that says they really had fun and want you to return...anytime.

Unfortunately, for the most part, everyone overstays their welcome.

It’s hard to keep both the host and guests happy for more than a day, but, with a little prior thought and creativity, both can be accommodated very nicely. Follow these guidelines to become the perfect houseguest.

The number one rule: don’t arrive early–or late. If you’re arrival time is on Saturday morning, don’t show up Friday night. Unless the possibility of your arrival time moving up is part of the arrangements, do not pop in unexpectedly. And for heaven’s sake, don’t be late. For every minute that you’re tardy, your host will be envisioning a horrible crash or some equally disastrous problem. Call if you think there’s a possibility that you won’t arrive on time.

No matter how short your stay, always bring a gift. Always. There are no exceptions to this rule. Though it may be difficult to chose the right gift, any gift is better than nothing at all. When in doubt, liquor is always acceptable, unless you already know the host or hostess is dead set against liquor: then it would be the worst gift you could possibly show up with. Do your homework.

Food can be an iffy gift, depending on your host. Whatever you do, don’t show up with a teeny-tiny little cheesecake that can’t possibly feed you and your family as well as the host’s family. Your host may feel slighted. After all, he’s giving you full overnight accommodations. Think in terms of quantity as well as quality before you buy. Do ask ahead. Bake or purchase something the host prefers, not something you prefer. And, finally, even if it’s your favorite recipe and your husband’s mouth is watering for a piece of it, do not suggest when it’s a good time for the host to serve it. What he does with the gift is entirely up to him. You did bring it for him, didn’t you? If he doesn’t suggest it be cut into, he may not like that particular goodie. Whatever you do, don’t make him admit it. That makes the gift useless, and forces the host to feel less than gracious.

A plant makes a nice gift, so does a set of plush bathroom towels. Do not purchase anything cute, like a stature of a little boy peeing on the grass, or a talking fish plaque for the den. You may think it’s great; your host may hate it.

Remember your host has gone through a lot of trouble to have you over, despite what he says, so always be polite. Eat a little bit of what is served, and bring favorite snacks for children, who may be picky eaters. Offer to help with the cooking and clean-up and be prepared to do so.

If you’ll be using the host’s swimming pool, it wouldn’t hurt to bring your own towels. After a day or two, your host will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Don’t bring Sparky along. If you do, and your host is good enough to allow your pet access to his home, keep a close eye on Sparky. No matter what your host says, keep Sparky in a kennel–preferably in the garage. Your host is probably just being kind, and one night in the garage won’t kill Sparky. Dogs will be dogs, and let’s face it...they have accidents, they smell, and sometimes they scratch holes in carpets and jump on furniture. Believe me, that’s enough to kill your chances of ever being asked back.

The same goes for children. If you’ve been invited, your host already knows you have children. That doesn’t mean you can let them run wild. That means keep a closer eye on them than you do at home. You and your child already know all the rules at home. Children don’t necessarily know it applies to other houses, and your rules may not be as strict as your host’s rules are. Don’t let baby run through the house with a cracker, cookie, or other snack. In fact, don’t let baby run through the house, period.

Pick up after yourself. Be a neat freak. Your hostess will adore you for that. Make the bed when you get up, put your toothbrush away after using it, don’t leave your suitcases in the living room, even if you’re sleeping on the couch. Ask if there is a closet you can use. Would you want your house looking like a hotel lobby?

No matter how long your stay, find time to retreat to your room for several hours each day. Give your hostess some breathing space. They have a routine that you probably have just screwed up royally. Trust me on this one, you’ll both need a breather from time to time.

Make it clear to your host, long before you arrive, what you intent to get out of this vacation. For instance, let your host know that you plan on doing some family things alone with the kids–if that’s what you want. Or that you would like your host’s family to join you when you go to Disney Land. Whatever your plans, make sure no one is surprised. An itinerary makes things a lot easier on everyone. There’s nothing more depressing than promising your kids a fun-filled day at the zoo and finding out your host has already purchased tickets for the ballet and is insisting the entire family really must go.

If you are staying more than one day, you have a responsibility to the host to invite them to dinner. You may ask what restaurants are good in the area, but ultimately you make the decision on how much you would like to pay for dinner. Your hostess will be glad to get out of the kitchen, and so will you.

9/7/04 Tomato Vinaigrette - M update

2007-03-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

Tomato Vinaigrette (for bruchetta, served cold)

12 roma tomatoes, blanched, skinned, seeded, and chopped
3 large, pitted black olives, chopped
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. fresh oregano
3 tsp. fresh mint
salt to taste
1 baguette, sliced

Combine all ingredients and cool in the refridgerator for at least 1 hour before enjoying. Serve in individual bowls with slices of bread on the side.

recipe for warm bruschetta
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 med. spanish onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 1/2 chopped tomatoes ( I prefer roma)
1/2 tsp basil
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 c. grated Gruyere cheese
pinch of thyme and pinch of mint
dash paprika
salt/pepper to taste
1 baguette

Saute green pepper, onion and garlic over med. heat for 3-4 minutes. Add wine, heat high for another 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes and all seasoning and cook 15 min. med-high, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, slice bread into 2 pieces lengthwise and cut each half into four equal pieces. Toast on both sides in oven. Add tomato paste to items that are cooking turning heat to medium for 3-4 more minutes. Stir in cheese, season to taste, and spread over toasted bread with a spoon. Broil 1 min. or so in oven. Serve hot.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

4 medium red peppers (broiled or roasted, skinned and sliced)
4 medium tomatoes (blanched, skinned and seeded, and chopped)
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. mild curry paste (optional)
1 medium spanish onion, sliced
1 medium leek, sliced (white part)
1 cup cabbage, chopped
2 cups water
sweet chili sauce to taste
salt/pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pan. Add herbs, garlic, and curry paste. Stir over low heat for 1 minute, or until aromas mix, and add onion and leek. Cook 3 minutes or until onion is golden. Add cabbage, tomatoes, red peppers and water. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Place the soup in small batches in the food processor or in a blender and blend until smooth. Return the soup to a clean pan, stir in chili sauce and season with salt and pepper. reheat gently and serve hot.

BTW, M is doing well. He gets slight tremors at times, but his seizure medication seems to be working. We've been getting the levels in his blood checked and the doctor was pleased with them. I just want to hurry and start this job before too long! I've been paying these hospital bills and I can't stand how outrageous they are. I told my MIL how much M's MRI was, and the next day she brought over her papers from when she had an MRI done only a few months ago. We were charged THREE TIMES what her insurance company was charged. I'm annoyed that just because we don't have insurance we get charged more?! How does THAT make sense?

7/24.. T-minus 4 days

2007-03-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I've been SO pressed for time is that I've gotten into raw foods big time. I had no idea how time-consuming it is, but it has been fun. A friend of mine has lost over 75 lbs since October and she doesn't even exercise, unless you call chasing after kids all day (she's a teacher and she has three little kids herself) exercise. I don't talk to her much, so when I found out that she went from being a meat eater to a vegan all at once and then, several months later, she was mostly eating raw, I was astonished.

I started getting into it around the time of my wedding because my mom was going to have the author of a raw "cookbook" cater something, either my reception or my brunch or the rehearsal dinner. Now I'm going pretty strong. I sprout, dehydrate, juice, process, and generally make a huge mess out of my small kitchen. The weird thing is that I've accidentally let my garden almost bite the dust because I've been concentrating on preparation! Sad. Anyhow, of course I have not lost any weight. I think that it's because I still go out to eat with friends and there are times when I'm tired so I'll make one of my old fattening standbys. It is really a very different way of life.

Poor M, I used to make him a different cake about every week. Now I don't even make cake at all. Oh well! He's healthier, right?

The big thing that is coming up in my life is that I'm going to be donating my kidney to my aunt. Her kidneys failed about five years ago, and since then she has been through h e l l. Her twin donated one kidney (it was rejected within two years), and although I was a 3 match, she accepted a kidney from my uncle. It was rejected a couple of months ago. We have all been devastated. I wish her life were back to the way it used to be. She is very talented and she's also a newlywed. She has to do peritoneal dialysis, which has its pros, but the biggest drawback is that she must sleep in her own room without her DH. Dialysis is a very difficult way to live. She has done every other kind, and she can no longer go to the center and do it via her blood because all of her veins are too weak from collapsing so much. On top of that, she feels so awful about herself. She is such a productive person usually, but her health is taking its toll on what she can accomplish. I truly hate it.

Anyhow, so that will be coming up within the next few months, I hope. It will depend on the transplant team and her own health, I guess.

New Neighbors Idea

2007-03-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

For a new neighbor...
Actually, our old neighbors recently sold their house to a wonderful couple from Chicago. I wish that I'd remembered about this issue when the new neighbors moved in. I made a basket which contained Fantastik wipes, dog treats for their dog (I heard him barking through the fence), choco-covered macadamia nuts, some other fattening snacks, and I forgot what else. Inside the "welcome" card, I included a little card with the address/phone of our favorite pizza place, closest pharmacy, favorite grocery store, our vet and of course our name/number. We took the basket over to them after they had been there for a few days. Wow! I couldn't believe how nervous we were! But it was a great way to let them know that we were happy to meet them and ready to help them get used to Rockford however we could.

6/23/03- anniversary recap

2007-03-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Well, things are alright over here. My mom has been having heart problems, and I was in AZ for a long time. These last couple weeks have been pretty weird. My aunt (mom's sis) died, and my mom went to UT for her funeral, but in the process, my mom had another heart attack. We have had so many financial issues lately, with my sister's problems and other family needing things from us, I simply did not have the money to be there. My mom did have surgery in UT, and was able to attend the funeral.

She is home in AZ now, recovering.

Meanwhile, our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY came and went!!! How cool is that?! Here was my spread:

I ordered these for our wedding as well. It is from an old MS Entertaining book. It is very easy to prepare. Take cream cheese and a little bit of Roquefort and a little bit of whipping cream and beat it with the old Kitchen Aid. Roll DRY seedless grapes in the mixture. Then roll it all in toasted, chopped pistachio nuts. YUM.

and we also toasted with some St. Francis 1997 Reserve Merlot that we had saved for the occasion. I did get a wonderful gift from M, but I don't feel right posting what it was.

I have been taking summer classes this year. I am going to take my last final on Friday. After that, I will have two free months. Only four more months til I finally graduate! I'm pretty excited about that. I had a job offer a couple months ago (in Arizona) already, but I turned it down because I need more time to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. WOW, things change quickly. Just one year ago, I was worrying about FMIL/MIL and petty little wedding crap. sigh.

I made eggplant parmesan (one of the menu choices at our reception)... I did something different. I skinned the eggplant, cut them into little circles with cookie cutters, and then made them- fried, then baked in muffin pans. It was awesome! Next time I have a get-together, I will use them as a topping for bruschetta. I layered in the muffin tins as follows: eggplant, parmesan, marinara, mozzerella....

... then I had some endive with herb cheeses

here we are toasting

oh! here is a shot of my grape-thingies...

may 1, '04 Ryan Recap

2007-03-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

thanks for posting in here. I have stopped in at times to grab a recipe or an idea, but never posted. I miss you and the ladies over in the group journal very much, but I've been so busy lately.

I finally came over to the WC the other day b/c I wanted to get someone to save my old journal on a cd but I couldn't find the darned thing!

Anyhow, let's see. Here is what has been going on with me:

my sister's husband got sent out to war, so she has been an absolute mess. they just got married in sept... she called me and begged me to go out to utah and stay with her for a while. i jumped in my car and headed out there, but on a sunday, my NEW lemon of a car actually BROKE down on me! i had to rent a car to get to utah while the dealership nursed it back to "life." when i finally got there, i received a phone call from my best friend Ryan's brother letting me knowthat Ryan had died. it was a shock, but a weird coincidence that i was already in utah. I hadn't told Ryan that I was coming because I was planning on surprising him.

I stayed a little over two weeks. I still had to take care of my sister, who was very depressed. I was glad to get home, but the day after I got home, i got a call from my mom. She had been taken to the hospital with some major heart problems. I flew to Arizona immediately, and two weeks later, here i am still. I stayed at my brother's house last night, and while waiting for him to take his shower, i decided to jump on here to see if I could find my journal again. I'm glad I looked over on the cooking board today and saw your post. It makes me feel closer to home, somehow.

Right now, I am in the position of "strong" one. I have not had the chance to mourn Ryan properly, nor have I had a chance to deal with my mom's health problems (other than to make the necessary practical decisions regarding her care, etc.). I am utterly exhausted. I miss M so much! and Shaggy and kitty. and my garden, which I stared in friggin' january but will not get a chance to plant... I even miss that d a m n car of mine! :rolleyes:

Hopefully I'll be home in a couple of weeks. Please do stop by my house if you are in Rockford! I'd love to see you, I'm sure you know that. M has put one of the buildings up for sale, and has also been in contact with some realtors in a few states, looking around for property, but I'm sure that we will be living on Prospect for at least until Sept.

Irish Glory and Cucumber Delights

2007-03-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

So here are a couple that I got from a great old Cookbook all about hors d'oeuvres:

Cucumber Delights

Simply Slice one large cucumber, drain 1 hour (I sprinkle with a little salt to draw the water out) and heap on this mixture:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 stuffed green olives (I did two recipes; one with onion stuffed and one with garlic stuffed... both great!)
1 Tbsp. white wine
1/2 tsp. salt

Blend well!

There are many variations of this cucumber recipe. there is one with dried beef, cream cheese and bleu cheese, which would sound good to me if I ate meat!

I'm thinking that I need to put less of the mixture on the cucumber, and maybe cut the cucumber in half. I had some melba toasts, and tried the cucumber on it. I liked it, M didn't. I guess that I don't like the idea of people having to pick something moist up with their fingers.... but it tasted great!

next...

Irish Glory

Mix...
1 c mashed potatoes
1/4 lb soft butter
1 c. sifted flour
1/2 Tbsp. caraway seeds
1/5 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
- - -
1 beaten egg

crushed cereal corn flakes

Form into balls, roll in beaten egg and then in crushed cereal flakes. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a greased cooky sheet and bake at 400 until brown.

I made them too big, and I didn't have cereal, so I crushed up tortilla chips. It still tasted alright. Except I will use less caraway next time. Otherwise they would make a great appetizer. They are easy to handle, tasty, and if you don't make them too big, will only be one bite.

Thanksgiving '03 recap

2007-03-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

I hope that you all had a beautiful, safe Thanksgiving.

We had a nice, quiet day. It should be a crime for women like me to get such joy out of doing all of that WORK! Without fail, every relative who called had the same things going on, according to their sex; men were either on the couch or picking at food, and women were working. Well, good thing some of us like the work!

Hits:
Artichoke Soup.... AMAZING!!!
Horseradish Cream Cheese.... Good!
Saffron Rice.... BAR-NONE the best recipe for rice that I have
Cardamom Carrots... Very good; would have been enjoyed more if we didn't have so much of everything else. Shaggy liked them the best, though!
Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie... It's a rare pie that STILL turns out, even when the chef puts too much milk in it! YUMMY!

Misses

Cheese Biscuits... Still don't know what I did wrong, there. I made the Onion Mini Quiches to make up for it.
Stuffed Acorn Squash... At the last minute, we decided not to bother!

We had a wonderful meal, gave Shaggy a special little T-day surprise, and a friend who was in town for the weekend stopped by. We played Scrabble and a little pitch. We got up early this morning and went to Stokholm Inn for breakfast.

I am so thankful this year! My very First Married Thanksgiving! And M indulged me by taking pictures for me of my First Married Thanksgiving fare, and I'm so grateful that he didn't tell me what he REALLY thinks about my craziness.

Shaggy was crazy too! He obviously expected SOMETHING..

OK! That was my FMT.... I hope to read all about your Thanksgivings!

SNG's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

2007-03-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake (or Pie is you like!)

Ingredients
Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the cake: Combine all of the ingredients and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare filling.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix
well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Variations: For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

Thanksgiving '03 Menu

2007-03-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

MY THANKSGIVING MENU
Early in the day, we are going to drop by (not eat) M's brother's house. Our SIL's mother just died, and SIL is too depressed to do much cooking. I'm dropping off some food because we are going to have Thanksgiving just M and me this year.
so! Here goes....

Also, I'm not sure if everyone who posts here knows that we are vegetarian. This will account for the lack of a turkey or ham (or other meat) recipe. But if anyone is looking for good meat recipes, I have tons of great vintage recipes and will be happy to email them to you if you are looking for something specific.

First of all, I'm making a simple layered salad, mashed potatoes with my special mushroom gravy, and corn. These were M's only demands, and I won't bother posting these 'duh' recipes.....

Now for the rest..

ARTICHOKE SOUP

1 c. sliced green onions
1/4 c. chopped onion
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 (14 1/2 oz) can vegetable broth
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, undrained and shopped
1/4 tsp. white pepper
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
Saute onions in butter in a large saucepan until tender. Add flour, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in broth, and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in artichoke hearts with liquid and white pepper. Cook until thouroughly heated. Spoon into serving bowls; sprinkle with fresh parsley. Can be made ahead. Makes 3 cups.

CELERY STICKS WITH HORSERADISH CREAM CHEESE

(not pictured but pretty good)

1 bunch celery
1 8-oz package cream cheese, room temp.
2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish, or more to taste
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1. Separate the celery stalks. Rinse them free of grit, and peel to remove strings if desired. Cut the stalks into 3- to 4-inch pieces, leaving the tender inner stalks whole. Wrap celery sticks in a damp cloth, and shill for 1 hour before serving.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, horseradish, and Tabasco. Season with the salt and pepper. Serve the cream cheese mixture with celery.

SAFFRON RICE WITH TOMATOES AND FRESH OREGANO

Pinch of saffron
2 Tbsp. salt, plus more for seasoning
1 1/2 c. jasmine rice
2 large or 3 regular-sized roma tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4 -in. dice
(about 1 cup)
Freshly ground pepper
6 sprigs fresh oregano, leaved piced from stem

1. Fill a med. saucepan w/cold water. Add saffron and 2 Tbsp. salt. Bring water to a boil. Stir in rice, ad cook until rice is tender, 12-14 minutes. Remove from heat, and drain well.
2. Place rice in serving bowl. add butter and tomatoes, and toss very gently. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh oregano. Serves 4

CARDAMOM CARROTS

1 1/2 lbs carrots, scraped and cut into julienne strips
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. honey
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. orange juice
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/3 c. dry vermouth
3/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1. Cook carrots in a small amount of boiling water 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain carrots, and plunge into cold water; drain again.
2. Melt buter in a large skillet over low heat; add honey and next 3 ingredients, stirring until blended.
3. Combine cornstarch and vermouth; stir into sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Add carrots, cardamom, salt, and pepper to sauce. Cook over low heat until carrots are thoroughly heated. Stir in fresh parsley. Serves 6.

STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

deciced not to bother!!

4 c. whole grain bread, dried and cubed
1 c. onion, diced
1/2 c. celery diced
1 Tbsp. rubbed sage
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 1/2 c. vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. parsley, minced
1/8 tsp. minced garlic
2 eggs
sea salt
1 large acorn squash

Heat stock, adding butter, onion, celery, parsley and seasoning. Simmer together for 5 minutes. Add dry bread. Mix in eggs. Season with sea salt and pepper. Cut squash into quarters and remove seeds. Place squash into the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with stuffing. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours, covered. Serves 4

CHEESE BISCUITS (very old recipe)

did not turn out!!!!

1 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter (unless you want to use lard, which is what it calls for!)
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. grated cheese.
Mix flour, baking powder, cheese, and salt, working in butter until finely powdered, adding milk; bake in hot (425) oven for 15 minutes.

APPLE BUTTER PUMPKIN PIE

Unbaked 9" pie shell
1 c. apple butter
1 c. cooked or canned pumpkin
1/2 c. brouwn sugar, firmly packed
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ginger
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 c. evaporated milk
1. Combine aple butter, pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices. Add eggs; mix well. Add milk gradually; mix.
2. Pour into pie shell. Bake in hot oven (425) about 40 minutes

As a side note, I have come up with an idea that I think will work very well for me. I typed out all of my Thanksgiving 2003 items, recipes and all, and printed it out. That way, I don't have to have a bunch of cookbooks and scattered recipe cards all over the place. I put it in a mylar sleeve that fits into a binder. I plan on doing this for all future holidays. If something new is extra good, it will be easy to go back and find it in years to come. Next up, M's birthday cake

Hot Olive Cheese Balls

2007-03-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hot Olive Cheese Balls

1 can refrigerated biscuits
40 stuffed green olives (i'm going to use garlic stuffed b/c i can't stand the pimento stuffed)
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

OVEN 450 --- makes 40 balls
Cut biscuits into quarters. wrap each piece around an olive; roll in parmesan cheese; bake at 450 for 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.

You can make this up to 2 hours ahead of time, keep refrigerated, and put in the oven when you are almost ready to serve.

Speedy Orange Coffee Cake

2007-03-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

Speedy Orange Coffeecake

1 package refrigerated biscuits
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. finely chopped walnuts
2 tsp. grated orange peel

Dip biscuits in butter, then in mixture of sugar, nuts, and peel. Overlap biscuits in circle in 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until done. Serve hot.

Pioneer Corn Bread

2007-03-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

These recipes were cut from Family Circle magazine in the '30s. They were intended to be put in a binder, and indeed they were.

My mom is a Dutch Oven maniac. I must admit that i, myself, have never tried it out, but for anyone out there who has one, here is a delicious-sounding recipe...

Pioneer Corn Bread
(Baked on top of stove)

1 c. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. yellow corn meal
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1 tbsp. melted shortening (aw, can't i just use butter??)

Sift flour; measure; and sift again with baking powder, sugar, and salt. Combine with corn meal. Beat egg; add milk and shortening. *** dry ingredients; stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour into well greaded Dutch oven; cover. Bake slowly on top of stove 25 minutes, or until done. serves 6. here is a pic!

Sovereign Spice Cake

2007-03-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

"The Latest Cake Secrets" copyright 1934 that was soooooooo goooooooooood! -and just perfect for this season.

Sovereign Spice Cake

2 c. sifted cake flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. mace

1/2 tsp. allspice

1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs, well beaten

1/4 c. milk

1 c. heavy cream

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, salt, and spices, and sift together three times. Sift sugar and add gradually to eggs, beating well. Add flour, alternately with milk and cream, a small amount at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Bake in greased pan, 8x8x2 inches, in moderate oven (350) 50 minutes. Spriad Raisin Nut Filling on top and Sea Foam Frosting.

Raisin Nut Filling

3/4 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. water
3/4 c. broken walnut meats, toasted
3/4 c. cut seeded raisins
2 Tbsp. cream or rich milk

Heat sugar, butter, and water in skillet, and cook until a small amount of mixture forms a soft ball in cold water. Remove from fire; add nuts and raisins. Add cream until of right consistency to spread.

Sea Foam Frosting

2 egg whites, unbeaten
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp. vanilla
Dash of salt
5 Tbsp. water

Combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and water in a double boiler, beating with a rotary egg beater until thouroughly mixed. Place over rapidly boiling water, beating constantly, and cook for 7 minutes, or until frosting will stand in peaks. Add vanilla before spreading on cake.

Scallion Tartlets

2007-03-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

Nov. 2003, p. 196

Scallion Tartlets

"Baked tartlets can be frozen up to three weeks. Without tawing, reheat them in a 350 degree oven for about ten minutes. INstead of tartlets, you can make two large tarts: cut pastry into two 8-inch squares; bake for about 30 min."

-all purpose flour, for work surface

1 standard package frozen puff pastry, thawed

8 bunches scallions (2 1/4 lbs.) trimmed and cut into matchsticks

1 garlic glove, minced

1 red Thai chile, ribs and seeds removed, minced

1/2 c. (2 oz.) walnuts, finely chopped

1/2 c. Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 Large egg yolk

1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1- Preheat oven to 400. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out pastry sheets just to smooth creases, and trim edges slightly to make even.

2- Cut each sheet into four squares; place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Freeze 20 min.

3- Place scallions, garlic, chile, walnuts, olives, and oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper; toss. Set aside.

4- In a small bowl, whisk togeher egg yolk and 1 tsp. water. Brush a 1/2 in. border around edges of dough squares with egg wash. Divide scallion mixture maong squares, leaving a 1/4 in. border; spronkle square with cheese.

5- Bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temp.

**** M can't stand walnuts in his dinner, so i omitted them. I added some fresh, cooked spinach to the mixture. It was wonderful! I took a picture of it but I can't find it! ****

Pumpkin Martini

2007-03-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Chronicle’s wine section:

“The Pumpkin Martini
Recipe adapted from Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant.

INGREDIENTS:
3 ounces Bols Pumpkin Smash liqueur
1 ounce Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
1 dash half-and-half
Ground cinnamon, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS: Shake the ingredients over ice, and strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle a little more cinnamon on top. Serves 1

Gary Regan is co-author of "New Classic Cocktails" and other books. E-mail him at [email]wine@sfchronicle.com[/email].”

Easter Bird's nest Cookies

2007-03-27T08:54:00.002-07:00

Bird's Nest Cookies
makes two dozen

1 c. unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
2 c. sweetened shredded coconut
6 dozen candy-coated chocolate eggs

1. heat oven to 350; line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar.
2. in a large bowl, combine four, salt, and cocoa powder. add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix on low speed just until a stiff dough forms, about 2 minutes. transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly, and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. place the chocolate, heavy cream, and espresso powder in a medium heat-proof bowl. place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted. remove bowl from heat, and set the chocolate ganache aside to cool, stirring occasionally
4. on a lightly foured surface, roll out chilled dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. using a 2 1/4 inch-round cookie cutter, cut out 24 cookies; place them on lined baking sheets. chill cookies until firm, about 20 minutes.
5. bake cookies until set, about 14 minutes. transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. ((( for colored coconut, combine a few drops of food coloring with 3 Tbsp. water in a medium bowl. stir in coconut; mix until evenly colored. spread on an ungreased baking sheet; bake just until dry, about 12 minutes, being careful not to brown. let coconut cool; transfer to a small bowl. ))) optional!
7. when the ganache has cooled to room temp, whisk until it becomes stiff enought to pipe. transfer ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8 inch round tip, and pipe around perimeters of cookies. dip each cookie, ganache-side down, into plain or colored coconut. fill the "nests" with candy-coated chocolate egge, 2 or 3 eggs per nest. store cookies in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 3 days.

Mini Onion Quiches

2007-03-27T08:54:00.001-07:00

from The Lady and Sons cookbook.
Mini Onion Quiches

3/4 c. cracker crumbs
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 c. green onion with tops
2 Tbsp. butter, room temp.
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. grated Swiss cheese

preheat oven to 300. combine and stir cracker crumbs and melted butter until crumbs have completely absorbed butter. divide among 12 mini muffin tins that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray (i used olive oil)... saute onion for 10 minutes in 2 Tbsp. butter. cool, and divide on top of crumbs. beat eggs. add milk, s&p, and cheese, stirring gently. spoon on top of onion. don't fill to top. bake 15-20 minutes until set. serve immediately or may be stored in the fridge and warmed just before serving.[/COLOR]

YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!!!!!!!

#76 Feb '00 & #68 Apr '99

2007-03-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

76 Feb 2000
IDEAS

the mudroom p 116

potted citrus p154

-glues p106

COOKING

sweet pancakes p74

Valentine's Day Linzer Pie p186
-risotto 101 p78
-tasting peppercorns p84
-low-fat hummus p176
-caramelized garlic and shallot pasta p178
-pink heart tuiles p188
-rich chocolate heart cakes p190

68 April 1999
IDEAS
-caring for azaleas and rhododendrons p74
-making birth announcements p187
-how to play the card game Spite and Malice p192

ranunculus arrangement p90

COOKING
easter bird's nest cookies p108 & 251
i made these at the very first family get-together that i attended at the IL's house, and they were a major hit. the ganache icing calls for espresso to liven things up, and these taste amazing. they look cute too!

-sauteed mushrooms in phyllo crisps p261
-spring-greens soup p262

#90 Feb '02 & #111 Feb '03

2007-03-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

90 February 2002

IDEAS COOKING

cute breakfast nook p150

paperwhites... arrangement how-to p45

make guests feel at home with a basket of slippers p60

creating a dining nook p151
patios p177

-home-lighting tips p114
-tableclotch lengths p34
COOKING

roasted-garlic hummus p190

spoon catcher p56

chocolate curls p64

sweet messages p64

bonbon-filled hearts p64

-romantic wines p78
-chocolate desserts p164

111 Feb.2003
IDEAS

p39

table set p52

color palettes
kitchen p116

-knitting p127

[COLOR=crimson]MSL no.66 Feb. 1999[/COLOR]

IDEAS

-organizing books p86
-making valentines p94
-orchids p120

COOKING

-salt p128
-macaroni and cheese 101 p66

#110 Jan '03 & #86 Jan '01

2007-03-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

IDEAS

Envelope Funnel p37

Tidy Cords p39

not sure where this came from!

-Desk Organization p100
-garden arrangements p121

COOKING

Warm Olive Buffet p37

-Hot Drinks (mmmmm. coffee with cognac and cardamom p44
-make-your-own sandwich buffet p50, 135
-cheeses p107
-Tiramisu Sundaes p132
-hummus p135
-white beanand roasted red-pepper spread p144

86 January 2001

IDEAS

Smoothing a Tablecloth p.54

Bent-Wood Fencing p56

Removing Price Tags p.56

Medicinal Shower p.60

Blooming Bow p.66

Painting Neatly p.68

Window Prop p70
Dishwashing Liquid p.76

-more stem treatments p98
-neat colors p148

COOKING

Hors Doeuvres by the Dozen p.42

Floss Knife p54

Opening a Jar p.60

-French Onion Soup p118
-Tuscan Tomato Soup p136
-Cake Decorating p166

#64 Nov '98 & #65 Dec98/Jan99

2007-03-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

64 November 1998
IDEAS

Paper-Bag Popcorn p86

Mulled Cider p86

-Using candles architecturally p216

COOKING

-Caramel p227
-Spiked Caramel Apples with Caramel Whipped Cream p264 (M's favorite)

#65 Dec98/Jan99

Candy-Cane Stirrer p94

Holiday Inspiration Book p94

-neat gift wrapping tips p137

COOKING

-Icebox Cookies p110
-Vanilla p122
-Tamales p130
-Spicy Tomato Juice p242
-Royal Icing p250
-Twice Baked Potaoes Stuffed with Spinach and parsnip Souffles p256
-Chocolate Straws p265
-Assorted Petis Fours p266

Another WCer's Recipes

2007-03-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

Cheese and Artichoke Fondue

1 ½ cups diced American cheese
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, drained and diced

Mix American cheese, milk, Worcestershire sauce, flour
and mustard in a 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-low
heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Stir in Cheddar cheese until melted. Stir in artichoke hearts and bell peppers. Transfer cheese mixture to fondue pot. Keep warm over low flame. Serve with dippers. Enjoy!

CHOCO-CARMEL DELIGHTS
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
2/3 Cup Sugar
1 Egg, Seperated
2 Tblsp. Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Flour
1/3 Cup Powdered Cocoa
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 Cup Pecans, finely chopped
1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 tsp. Shortening
30 Light Caramels (the wrapped kind...like Worthers Chewy Caramels)
1/3 Cup Whipping Cream

In medium bowl beat Butter and Sugar until well combined. One at a time, stir in Egg Yolk, Milk and Vanilla until blended. In a seperate bowl stir together Flour, Cocoa and and Salt. Slowly incorporate this mixture into Butter. Refrigerate dough at least 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.

Heat oven to 350*. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Beat Egg White slightly. Shape dough into 1" balls. Dip each ball into egg white; roll in Pecans to coat. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Press thumb gently in center of each ball. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. While cookies are baking, prepare Caramel Filling.

In small saucepan, combine the unwrapped Caramels and Whipping Cream. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth.

Remove cookies from oven' press center of each cookie again with thumb to make indentation. Immediately spoon about 1/2 tsp of Caramel Filling in center of each cookie. Carefully remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, place Chocolate Chips and Shortening and microwave 1 minute or until softened; stir. Allow to stand several minutes to finish melting; stir until smooth. Place wax paper under wire rack with cookies. Drizzle chocolate mixture over top of cookies.

Makes about 2 dozen.

#84 Nov '00 & #96 Nov '01

2007-03-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

84 November 2000
IDEAS
cute buffet set p122

hanging for easy access p208

table set p259

table set p260

COOKING

pumpkin pie 101 p98
creamy mushroom soup p314

November 2001 no.96

Easy Paint Storage p86 (i've actually been doing this lately, but i'm too cheap to buy them, so i'm using things like cool whip containers. i also put a layer of plastic wrap over the paint.

Quick Blender Clean-up p86
"blender jars can be difficult to wash if left standing to olong after use. to loosen debris for easier cleaning, pour in 1/2 c. water and 1/2 c. baking soda, and run the blender brieflyl before disassembling and washing."

-making your own starch p52
-european style butter p52
-protecting plaster walls p53
-basic home bar essentials p162
-chinese export porcelain p196

COOKING

-various biscuits p94
-tomato tart p166
-rocky road brownies p167
-corn, tomato and avocado salad p169
-jalepeno cornbread p178
-chestnut mushroom soup p207
-pan fried fennel p.239
-pumpkin dip p244
-vegetarian pate p244
-flam grilled eggplant dip p244
-vegetarian mushroom gravy p248

#108 Nov '02 & Bon Appetit Aug '03

2007-03-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

108 November 2002
IDEAS

Fall Drink Tags p76

Fall Drink Tags

"here's a charming way to help guests at a large party kep track of their wine glasses: give each a name tag. you can make them out of construction paper with leaf-shaped punches (available in craft stores); or cut your own with scissors. write nams on tages, and use a 1/8 inch hold punch to make small holes. thread waxed twine through holes; knot around glass stems."

...just an idea from me.. you can get wine charm kits at Michaels or any craft store. that's what i did with my wine charms. good luck! i'd love to see the finished product!

Compact Wine Rack p76

Window Frame Bird Buffet p152

Thanksgiving Place Cards p62

COOKING

green salad with toasted walnuts, walnut oil, and green beans p246

potato cakes with cilantro p174

roasted red pepper and walnut dip p246

harvest vegetable tian p173

scalloped mushrooms p258

pumpkin-pecan pie p265

chicksinger's recipe!

Spicy Roasted Eggplant Spread with Crispy Pita Triangles
(Bon Appetit, August 2003), Makes about 4 cups.

Nonstick cooking spray
½ cup olive oil
2 T minced garlic
1 T coarse kosher salt
1 t ground black pepper
1 1-lb eggplants, peeled, cut into ¾ - inch cubes
4 red bell peppers, seeded, cut into ½ - inch pieces
2 large red onions, cut into ¾ -inch cubes

salt
pepper
3 T chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 450° F. Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray. Whisk oil and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add eggplant, peppers, onions, and toss to coat. Divide mixture between sheets. Roast until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, turning occasionally, about 35 minutes. Cool 15 minutes on sheets.

Transfer ½ of veggie mixture to food processor. Using on/off turns, process until a coarse puree forms. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining veggies. Season all with salt and pepper, and mix in parsley. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill, Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

Crispy Pita Triangles

Makes 48

6 7- to 8-inch-diameter pita breads, each cut into 8 triangles
3 T olive oil

salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 450° F. Place pita triangles on large baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Toss to coat; arrange in single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. [Note: when I make these, I also sprinkle on some dried rosemary, sage, or thyme. I love a little extra flavor.] Bake until crisp and golden, about 7 minutes per side. Cool completely. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

#95 Oct '01 & #107 Oct '02

2007-03-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

#95 Oct '01
IDEAS

-Home Sale Preparations p52 "Put out a new, fluffy set of towels in the bathroom. Place logs in the fireplace to conjure images of a cozy evening. clear away clutter-take out stacks of recyclables, stow children's towys in chests, organize closets and pantries, change cat littler, and clean dog dishes. finally, impress visitors by appealing to their senses. set out an arrangement of cut flowers or a centerpiece of bright, fresh fruit; open the cutains in rooms with views, and warmly light comfortable living spaces. place a vanilla bean on aluminum foil in a warm oven; the heat will release the bean's aroma, making the room smell as wonderful as it looks."

#107 Oct '02

IDEAS

-baking pan organizer p80

-flying place cards p84

COOKING

-pumpkin shake p86
-different kinds of soy p90
-best way to roast different vegetables p248
-chai tea with soy milk p284

#82 Sept '98 & #106 Sept '02

2007-03-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

#82 September 1998
Healthy Plant Tray p92

cool garden bench p225

-fun facts about salt cellars p64

COOKING

Tomato Paste Saver p92

-spaghetti 101 p104
-carrots p130
-chunky avocado salad p263
-cuban black beans p264

106 September 2002

IDEAS

slip-proofing rugs (apply caulk every six inches or so)p82

bedside water glass for guests.. "you don't need carafes and matching tumblers to porvide overnight guests with water. simply fill a tall, narrow glass, and cover it with a shorter, wider tumbler to keep out dust. set the glasses on a small tray on the nightstand to catch any drips. houseguests can flip over the top glass and pour themselves water or sip directly from teh taller glass." p82

tack-free message board p86

-chair rails and moldings... painting techniques p104
-caring for household fabric p150
-list of harvest and craft festivals coast to coast p209
-how much space to leave between furniture, walls, etc. p126
-neat house numbers p264
-upholstery details p272

COOKING

bowl holder.. a damp kitchen towel will help you keep your hands free. twist it securely around the base of the bowl to keep it in place... p90

-yummy chocolate brownies p298

#92 July '01 & #116 July '03

2007-03-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

#92 July 2001
IDEAS

Bucket Hose Storage p68 "A standard galvanized paint bucket makes a practical and inexpensive garden-hose caddy. Drill three holes in a triangular pattern in the bottom of the bucket. Depending on your wall surface, bolt or screw the bucket to the wall; use washers to strengthen the cut edges of the holes. A sprinkler will fit nicely inside the bucket."
COOKING

p128

-coconut peanut sauce p177

116 July 2003
Rubber Band I.D. p48

-collecting swizzle sticks p90

COOKING
Making Mexican-Style Corn p71

Grilled toasted bread with chives and garlic p124

-BBQ Sauce p70
-Tomato and Cucumber salad p79
-vanilla whipped cream (yum!)p118
-summer cocktails p130
-chickpea fritters p166
-zucchini fritters p167

Avocado with Lemon and Olive Oil
2 ripe Hass avocados
2 T extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
halve avocados lengthwise. twist halves to separate them, and remove pits. run a large spoon between the flesh and skin, scooping out the fresh in one piece; discard skins. slice into wedges, and place avocados on a serving platter. drizzle with oil and lemon juice. season with salt and pepper. serve at room temperature.

#81 Jul/Aug '00 & 71 Jul/Aug '99

2007-03-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

no81 Jul/Aug 2000
IDEAS
-watermarks on wooden floors p56
-liqueurs and cordials p56
-perennials from seed p134

COOKING

-caprese wheel p165 and 218

-corn (shopping for, cotc, roasting) p90
-spring vidalia and potato tortilla p152
-roasted red pepper sauce p214
-open-faced corn quesadillas with tomatillo salsa p216
-crisp vegetable tea sandwiches

IDEAS

-wands and bubbles p68

COOKING
-maragritas (various) p44
-mixed tomato salsa p44

no61 July/August 1998

"crickets can tell the temperature. Just count a crickte's chirps for fifteen seconds, then add forty to that number."

"for each kernel in an ear of corn there is an individual corn silk. Each hollow silk draws pollen to the ear, where it germinates into a kernel."

IDEAS

stargazing p80

table set p148

-cleaning rusty outdoor furniture p48
-repairing a wobbly chair p104
-building a tripod trellis p150

COOKING

birthday cupcakes p52

grapevine skewers p60

watermelon ice cream cake p130

-traditional Italian Tomato Sauce p36
-Mexican Tortilla Soup p39
-dicing a plum tomato p66

#80 June '00 & #60 June '98

2007-03-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

IDEAS
table set p194

COOKING

-potato salad p98, 232
-ricotta salata with roasted red peppers and marinated baby artichokes p240

#60 June '98
flowers p52

table set

-Conditioning flowers (all types) p90

COOKING
Satay Peanut Sauce

Orange Butter p36
is a tasty addition to your favorite breakfast baked goods. Just reduce 2 cups Orange Juice in a saucepan over medium heat to 1/4 cup. Cool completely. Blend with 1 stick of butter (room temperature). Chill butter mixture before serving.

#90 May '01 & #103 June '02

2007-03-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

DEAS

using planters for tea

window seat, built-in bookcase seat, hallway bench, daybed chest p146

-healthy tomato plants p50
-maintaining polished granite p54
-fondue etiquette p58
-summer-izing the house p150
-making flower cones p156
-making a maypole p158

RECIPES
maypole cake

-hollandaise sauce 101 p98
-eggless rhubarb and strawberry ice cream p240
-mini coconut cupcakes p240
-cream cheese icing p240

#103 June '02
IDEAS
plant platform

bamboo trellis p88

table set

-caring for outdoor furniture p128
-ideas for storing wine p132

COOKING
-custom lemonade p64 "provide separate containers of ingredients-let everyone mix a glass to his own taste"

steadying kabobs p64 "spear them on two skewers for flipping and to ensure that the veggies don't fall into the coals."

-coconut milk horchata p73
-mashed potatoes and peas p226
-risotto and peas p228
-cucumber salad p234
-garden tomato salad p234
-sorbet p238
-vegetable stock p144

#89 April '01 & #102 May '02

2007-03-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

IDEAS
maintaining stainless steel p52

towel bar hardware p77

table set-up p182

RECIPES
cake p211

spinach dill pie p224
Spinach Dill Pie

serve warm or at room temperature..
10 oz. spinach, well washed, tough stems removed
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 onion, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. low-fat ricotta cheese
2 large whole eggs
2 large egg whites
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 c. chopped fresh dill
1 c. grated parmesan cheese (about 2 oz.)
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
8 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
cooking spray

1. preheat oven to 375. roughly chop spinach leaves; set aside. heat butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. add onion and garlic; cook until tender, about 3 minutes. add spinach; cook until wilted and bright green, about 2 minutes. transfer mixture to a colander to cool and drain. when mixture is cool enough to handle, press lightly with paper towels to remove excess moisture; set aside to cool.

2. in a medium bowl, combine ricotta, eggs and egg whites, parsley, dill, parmesan, cumin, salt, and pepper. stir in cooled spinach mixture; set aside.

3. dampen a large kitchen towel with water; squeeze dry. unroll phyllo; place on work surface. cover with plastic wrap and then the kitchen towel. lightly coat a 9-inch pyrex pie plate with cooking spray. remove 1 sheet of phyllo, keeping remaining phyllo covered; place in prepared baking dish. coat lightly with cookig spray. repeat with 7 more sheets of phyllo, spraying between each layer. trim edges with scissors, leaving a slight overhang.

4. spoon filling into the dish, spreading it evenly. bake until golden brown and filling is set, about 1 hour. cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into wedges.

-fondue (chocolate, cheese, mushroom, tomato) p162
-jalepeno poppers p167
-spinach salad p226
-creamed spinach p226
-banana nut french toast p236
-warm mustard and olive oil sauce (for asparagus) p248
-grilled cheese with grainy mustard p248

#102 May '02

IDEAS

cookbook helper p84
"bookmark, pencil holder, and evnelope to collect notes and recipes.."

garden p202

table set

-hibiscus info p56

RECIPES
Mexican Fiesta Soup with Roasted Tomatillo and Cilantro Pesto p250

-cheese straws p265
-eggplant parmigiana p178

#100 March 2002

2007-03-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

IDEAS

RECIPES
Ladyfingers p162
Homemade Curry Powder p172

#88 March 2001

2007-03-27T08:15:00.002-07:00

IDEAS

Forcing Branches p.64

Chalkboard Pots p.74

Putting Baking Stones to Use p.44

Rake Tool Rack p.73

Peeling Tomatoes p.76
"The familliar, time-consuming method for peeling tomatoes is to submerge them in boiling water. But when only a small quantity is needed, grip the tomato in metal tongs and rotate it over a low flame for 2 to 3 seconds, until the skin pops and splits. Set tomato aside briefly to cool, then peel with your fingers."

Ready Bread Crumbs p.80

"Keep this flavorful bread-crumb mixture on hand to coat chicken and fish, or to shake over vegetables before they go under the broiler. Mix 3 cups of fresh bread crumbs with 1 cup grated Parmesean cheese, 3 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 tablespoons dried basil, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months."

RECIPES

Eggplant Caviar p102

Squash Blossom Risotto p.224
Zucchini Bruschetta p.227

#57 March 1998

2007-03-27T08:15:00.001-07:00

IDEAS

succulents p165

using old cabinetry as a potting shed p58

potting soil recipes p94

RECIPES

apple-rhubarb brown betty p195
roasted eggplant and red pepper soup p210

#77 March 2000

2007-03-27T08:14:00.001-07:00

IDEAS
building a pergola p178

pruning roses p154

Herb Corn Baster p94

making a bamboo sunshade p96

RECIPES

Green Goddess Soup and Spring Onion Soup p260

#112 March 2003

2007-03-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

IDEAS
how to make a hanging basket p120

RECIPES

Bruschetta with Fontina and Asparagus p171

Black Bean and Tomato Chili p30

clotheskeeping (special issue)

protecting and preserving p70-- wrap clothes in acid-free tissue, and affix a photo of the contents using polyvinyl acetate adhesive, which won't attract insects. cedar discourages insects, but it must be kept fresh.

2007-03-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

the recipe from MSL Feb 2000) instructs you to get a round or heart-shaped tart pan with a removable bottom... but i made mine in a regular pie pan and it was fine....also, you will need valentine's heart-shaped cookie cutters!

VALENTINE'S DAY LINZER PIE
All purpose flour, for work surface
1 recipe Pate Brisee (recipe follows)
1 large egg yolk or egg substitute
2 T. heavy cream
1 recipe Almond Filling (recipe follows)
1 recipe Linzer Pie Filling (recipe follows)

1. on a lightly floured surface, roll two-thirds of pate brisse 1/8 inch thick. Press into tart pan. Roll rolling pin over top of pan to trim crust flush with edge. Prick bottom with fork. Freeze for 30 minutes.

2. On lightly floured surface, roll remaining dough 1/16 inch thick. Cut out with 3/4 to 2 1/2 inch heart cookie cutters. Transfer to baking sheet; refrigerate for 30 minutes. whisk together egg yolk and cream for an egg wash.

3. Heat oven to 400 deg. with rack in center. Line crust in pan with parchment paper;fill with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer to a baking sheet;bake for 10 minutes. As soon as it has cooled enough to touch, carefully remove beans and paper.

4. Spread almond filling evenly in bottom of tart. Bake for 10 minute, just until set and slightly golden. Reduce oven to 350. Spread linzer fillingover almond filling. Arranged chilled hearts of dough over filling. Place pan on baking sheet. Bake for 20 mintues. Brush crust and hearts with egg wash. continue to bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes more. serve at room temp.

ALMOND FILLING
inspired by traditional frangipane filling, which is usually made with egg yolks, this light filling is the perfect complement to the linzer filling.

4 ounces (2/3) cup whole blanched almonds
1/2 cup plus 2 T. sugar
2 large egg whites
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1 T. all-purpose flour

1. Place almonds and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process until almond mixture is a very fine powder. Transfer mixture to a large saucepan. Set aside.

2. In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy;increase speed to medium, and beat until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar, and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Place the pan with reserved almond mixture over very low heat, and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in the egg whites. When dissolved, stir in four, and cook 1 minute. Transfer filling to a clean bowl, and set aside to cool. Mixture may be made 1 day ahead and kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

PATE BRISEE

this can be made ahead and kept up to three days in the refrigerator, securely wrapped in plastic film, or up to one monthe in the freezer.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces

1. Combine four, salt, and butter in food processor. Process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 8 seconds. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube with machine running, just until dough holds together.

2. Turn out the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Press the dough down into a disk with your hands. Wrap tightly in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.

LINZER PIE FILLING

1 ten-ounce package frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
8 ounces (3/4 cup) raspberry preserves
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Place the frozen raspberries and sugar in a medium, heavy saucepan, and cook over low heat until the sugar begins to dissolve and the berries release their liquid, stirring often. Increase heat, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, and simmer mixture to thicken, stirring occasinally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Do not let the mixture scorch.

2. Transfer mixture to a large glass measuring cup. Add enough raspberry perserves to bring mixture to 1 1/3 cups of filling. Stir in the lemon juice. Set aside to cool. May be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.

THIS RECIPE IS SURE TO PLEASE!!!!!!!
MY LIST OF GUEST ROOM MUST-HAVES

here are a few things i like to do when expecting a guest... everyone who has ever visited me has noticed at least a couple of these things.

* always, always, ALWAYS clean, fresh bedding! i was utterly sick to my stomach one time when i visited my friend and the pillow case smelled dirty! also, the bedding must not have a "busy" print. i like one solid color.

* take out the lightbulb in the ceiling light! blick. that kind of light is too depressing and when a person is in a strange place, they need warm light. i have four lamps in the guest bedroom, and when the guest arrives, i have candles burning.

* flowers. i go to the supermarket or the farmers market and get some pretty fresh flowers. it's so cheap, but it looks like you really want them to enjoy themselves. they smell nice and they look nice. i usually like to get some carnations and put a couple of small buds on the bedside table. speaking of bedside table.....

* the bedside table is very important. the alarm clock and lamp need to be there, but i also like to find some books (i have a TON of books on just about every subject) that i think the guest will enjoy thumbing through. If the person is not much of a reader, i usually choose books with short chapters and alot of fluff. For example, my brother doesn't read, but i placed a Chicken Soup for the Soul and a big photo coffee table book about the Titanic. he loved them.

for readers, one good book that is perfect for any occasion is A YEAR IN PROVENCE. i even give that book to people who are in the hospital b/c it's just a nice read by a guy who decided to move to france for a year! it's cool. but i also try to find out what type of subject matter they prefer, whether it's fiction, biographies, etc. here's a pic of the cover of AYIP. great book!!!!

if the guest is close to me, i place a framed picture of us together on the bedside table too. UR and i met in Atlanta a couple years ago and spent the weekend having fun. we went to some very nice restaurants and spent a good part of the time at an irish bar called fado's. i kept a matchbook. when we were leaving fado's, a guy came up and asked if we wanted our picture taken. UR paid him 5 bucks and i got the polaroid... this was the picture i placed on the bedside table this time. and the matchbook!

how did i keep all this stuff? well, here is my other secret. i have little plastic storage boxes in the basement, each with the name of a close friend or family member. when i get cards from them, or little mementos, i store them in their boxes! it's a great system, and it really meant alot to UR to see the picture and the matchbook.

* on the dresser, i have two baskets. in one basket, i have two towels and a wash cloth, along with an eye mask, shower toiletries, and lotion. in the other basket, i have more sample-sized toiletries like deodorant, new toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion, hand wipes, disposable razors, etc. - things people like ME tend to forget! btw, when my sister came to visit, the girl TOOK all the stuff! sheesh, amie, you are supposed to USE them, not STEAL them! but it was funny.

oh no, i think i've lost track of everything, so i will post this and edit as i remember more things.

POST ANY AND ALL GUEST ROOM IDEAS AND I WILL MOVE THEM OVER TO THIS POST FOR FUTURE REFERENCE