The Barefoot Contessa

I have long been a fan of Ina Garten and own some of her wonderful cookbooks.  Recently I read her newly published memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens.  This woman is phenomenal!

From what little I knew about her, I assumed she lived a charmed life.  Wrong!  She grew up in a home with strict, authoritarian parents.  She was in a dead end job in the government in Washington, DC that brought her no joy.  But she had the tenacity to go after what she wanted in life, despite any risks along the way.  By chance, she saw an ad for a small bakery for sale in Long Island, the Barefoot Contessa.  In a leap of faith, she bought the business and overcame multiple obstacles to grow it into a big success.

You don't have to be a passionate cook and baker to appreciate this book.  It is a story that speaks to all of us.  Early in their life together, she and her husband, Jeffrey, traveled to Europe "on five dollars a day!"  They dreamed of someday coming back to Paris and that someday came years later when they bought an apartment there.  

If you are looking for a feel good, inspiring book to read, this is the one!

Look what I saw in the Home Depot parking lot!

 

Cheap entertainment!

It doesn't take a lot to entertain me!  Last week I was aimlessly scrolling through ebay while watching TV and the dogs at my side.

"Lot of 29 community and church vintage cookbooks" caught my attention.  My finger stopped scrolling.  I had to know more.  After all, if you know me, you know I am a "cookbookaholic."  One of my cousins has already laid claim to all my cookbooks when I die!

When you buy books in lot on ebay, you don't get to choose specific titles.  I find it exciting to see what you get.  The package arrived today.  I felt sorry for the mail lady walking up my long driveway with this big box!  I eagerly cut the box open to see my treasure trove.  With each cookbook that I pulled out of the box, I got more and more excited.  There is a 1934 Hershey's Cookbook updated for today's kitchens, several Southern cookbooks, Amish cookbooks, many church cookbooks.  Oh! And a firefighters' cookbook.  Now those guys know how to cook.  These are from all over the country.

The Keiffer Family Cookbook is a collection of recipes handed down from multiple generations of Keiffers.

I was particularly drawn to the soup and stew recipes as this time of year I build up my inventory of soups and stews to freeze.  Avocado Soup!  Never heard of it but you can bet I'm going to try that one!

Cooking and baking are among my passions.  I thrill at the chance to try a new recipe.

Some of these have handwritten notes that are fun to read.  There may be one or two that are really tattered and worn, but scotch tape will remedy that!

Now I really must get back to my To Do list that I was vigorously attacking before this package distracted me!

The drawer underneath your oven

I didn't know this!  That drawer underneath your oven is not meant to store pots and pans.  In fact, storing plastics or other flammable materials can be dangerous.

It actually is intended to keep food warm until everything else is ready to serve.

Another reason for not storing pots and pans there is crumbs or tiny food particles left on them can attract pests.

Some newer range models place the broiler down there.  That would not be desirable to me having to get down on my knees to take a platter of food out!

My current stove does not have a bottom drawer and I was disappointed with that.  For my needs, I can't see the value of the warming drawer!   

The joy of smoking meat

Smoking meat is my passion.  For many years I wanted to try it but was put off by the unreasonable belief that it was difficult.  Ten years ago I decided I was going to learn how to do it, no matter how many pieces of meat I ruined in the process.   Poking around on the internet, I decided the Weber Smokey Mountain smoker was probably best for me.

I amazed myself that I could actually assemble it all by myself!  I started out with all the pieces spread out on my living room floor.  It was much easier than I expected.  With the dogs looking on, I took it one step at a time and soon it was standing - fully assembled - in my living room.

After ten years of smoking all kinds of meat - whole chickens, a roast, baby back ribs, even briskets - I am proud to say I have never ruined any meat!

There is nothing finer than sitting beside my smoker, enjoying the warm, sunny weather and watching the puffy white cumulus clouds above in the blue sky with a glass of wine and the dogs running around the backyard.  Oh, and the aroma coming from the smoker is divine.  I buy my wood chunks online from a very reputable company.  They store their wood indoors, away from the bugs and other undesirables that can infiltrate the wood.

Whenever anyone asks me about getting into smoking meat, I am more than happy to oblige!  Meat coming out of the smoker not only tastes delicious, it is so very tender.

There are all kinds of smokers on the market.  I am a strong - very strong! - advocate of the Weber Smokey Mountain.  It has worked well for me.  Many smokers on the professional circuit choose the WSM.  I now have two, my original one is the 18 inch (diameter) and a few years back I got the 22 inch.  I believe a charcoal type is the very best for flavor and wouldn't have an electric or pellet for any reason!  Admittedly, those types do have their proponents.

Retail has changed over the years

I'm old enough to remember when you put on your best clothes to go downtown shopping.  You could even find street parking close to the stores you wanted to go to.  Stores had high quality merchandise and knowledgeable sales people.   For children, like me, there were street vendors selling all sorts of wind up toys that I still remember playing with hours on end.

Then downtown entered a decline and the malls, out in the suburbs, became the go to place to shop.  From one parking lot, you could shop a multitude of shops.  One such mall opened in my hometown of Pensacola, Florida.  As part of the grand opening, three Shetland ponies were given away in a drawing.  I was 10 years old and dreamed of owning my very own horse!  Every time we went to the mall for weeks, I would fill out a card with my name and address and drop it in the large wire basket in each of the stores. The day of the first drawing, I had a strong feeling, that to this day, I cannot explain.  I just KNEW my name was going to be drawn.  It was!!!

For decades, the malls became bigger, more glitzy, and THE place to shop.  Why would we ever want another alternative?

Enter the internet.  I remember struggling to learn to use it, wondering what is the big deal?  How is this going to make my life better???  What does online shopping mean?  What are blogs?  What does facebook mean?  What is an e-mail?  What does "point and click" mean?  Pay bills online?  How do you do that???

Today we find many vacant malls, totally abandoned, or headed in that direction.  They are being repurposed.  In my city, Marketplace Mall, once a thriving, bustling place, has many empty store fronts.  What used to be Sears, is now the Orthopedic Center for the University of Rochester Medical Center.  At the other end of the mall, once stood Sibley's, then it was Kaufmann's and then Macy's.  All of those are history.

Like many of us, I prefer online shopping.  I can sit in the comfort and privacy of my home and browse dozens of sites, any time of the day or night.  Online retail has become very convenient.  Quick delivery times and easy returns if need be.  Who among us has never shopped dozens of times from Amazon, L. L. Bean, and all the small businesses that have popped up?  

Kind of makes you wonder what is next on the horizon!

I'm on a Greek food kick!

I love to cook and try new cuisines.  Somehow I never got around to trying Greek food.  Man!  What an exciting array of dishes.

I discovered Diane Kochiles' "My Greek Table" cookbook, filled with 400 pages of truly wonderful recipes.

Suddenly, my once favorite Spinach omelet has become boring after her zucchini omelet filled with fresh dill, lemon zest, feta cheese and yogurt.  And her Spanakopita Grilled Cheese is a taste delight.  There are dozens of recipes that I am anxious to try.

I'm in heaven!

Look how far we've come!

It's funny how a simple thing can bring back a flood of memories.  A long time friend's birthday is today and it was on facebook.  Wow!  How many years ago did I meet her???  Oh, gosh!  We were young teens.

There were a dozen or more of us. . . going to beach parties, pajama parties, dreaming of meeting our Knight in Shining Armor. . .  We were "good little girls" and life was always going to be wonderful.  Along the way there were good times and bad. . . graduation from high school and for some, college. . . weddings, breakups, children, grandchildren.

It brings tears to my eyes.  Tears of great joy and tears of deep hurt.  But isn't that what life is all about, really?  Would we all be the same person we are today without our share of heartache?  Heartache that eventually made us the strong person we are today?

There's an old saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going and when you walk through a storm, keep walking, one step at a time, till the sun comes out again."

Clearing out the shed

My son and two of my grandkids (well, they aren't "kids" anymore, but whatever) were over one day this week to help out around the house.  We tackled the storage shed out back.  

I've lived here 27 years and admittedly, some of the things in the shed have been sitting there for that long or almost.

"Mom, you need to get rid of a lot of this stuff, either sell what you can and toss the rest."  

Okay, I don't need to be on a pair of rollerblades anymore and they looked kind of "worn" to put it lightly.  And my downhill skis and cross country skis.  Yep, I probably couldn't get down a slope without ending up on a stretcher.  I think one of the boys took them, not sure. My ski boots had seen better days.  They got tossed.

My high school and college yearbooks and multiple photo albums were in plastic totes and they stay!

I thought I had gotten rid of all my camping/backpacking stuff but these three managed to find things up in the top level of the storage shed that I had forgotten about.  They took what was still usable that they wanted.  There was an old electric drill and tool box that belonged to my father, who died over 20 years ago.  John took that.

There were some funny moments in all this upheaval.  I had a nice pair of Sorrel boots that are for heavy duty walking in snow.  Although I got a lot of use out of them in the Adirondacks back in the day, they still looked brand new.  One of the boys texted someone who might want them and wears the same size shoe as me to ask if she wanted them.  He got an immediate text back:  "HELL, YEAH!"

There was a big box of old tents and river bags.  I don't think we found everything - we were getting hungry so stopped to go up the street for lunch!

We ended up with three piles of things in front of the shed.  One was to toss, one was things they wanted, and a few things that went back in the shed.

"MOM, what are you doing with all these gas cans?"

There was a time when New York State outlawed the old fashioned but easy to use red plastic gas cans.  Several new versions came on the market and it took me awhile to find one that was idiot proof that would work for me.  It wasn't like I went out and bought a handful at one time!

I can just imagine when I die and all the kids converge on the house to go through my belongings.  Wish I could be a fly on the wall that day!!!

On Tupperware

Okay, so I'm showing my age. . . that's okay.  At one time, Tupperware was a prized possession in every kitchen.  I still have - and use - several pieces from "way back", okay, I'll be honest. . . in the early 1970's.

Then I noticed some years back that the price of Tupperware had risen substantially.  Without realizing it, I went from buying Tupperware to Rubbermaid and then silicone. . . much cheaper and good quality, long lasting products.  I once thought nothing would ever replace metal collanders.  I now have a great set of three silicone collanders in varying sizes that I use all the time.  They collapse for storing.

Today I noticed on a news website that Tupperware is closing its last US production plant and moving everything to Mexico.  That, alone, would stop me from buying Tupperware.  But then I went on the Tupperware website, something I haven't done in quite a few years.  Have you looked at the current array of products???  The few items I might consider were way overpriced.

It's sad, really. Tupperware was the Gold Standard at one time.

A kickstart to meal planning

It's a sad state of affairs when I claim to have the largest cookbook collection in the world - well into three figures - and I get in a rut with eating.  I have a handful of recipes that I like and are healthy eating and sometimes I tend to make those my go-to choices.  Nothing wrong with that except that the need for variety in my life has gotten trampled on!

So before going to Wegmans today, I sat down to go through cookbooks and recipe binders to look for other recipes to make this week! Now I am excited about lunch and dinner time this coming week!

There are the Quesadillas from one of my binders.  Tortillas, mozzarella, sliced avocado, kalamata olives, and hot sauce.  That's a recipe I wrote down some time ago but never made.

Then there is a pasta salad recipe I haven't made in awhile.  Cooked pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, Italian seasoning, combined with Italian salad dressing. 

I also grabbed sliced ham and American cheese to make grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.

Like most everyone else, I believe in healthy eating that tastes great too.

From times past

I rarely mail letters these days.  I pay most bills online and for property taxes, which can't be paid online, I go in person to pay.  A debit card works wonders for saving time.  And with texting and e-mail, nobody sends letters anymore.  Until this morning, I could not tell you the current cost of a postage stamp.

So I walked into the post office, handed the clerk two envelopes, each weighing less than an ounce.  "That will be $1.36."

That took me by surprise.  "How much is a stamp these days?" I asked.

"Sixty-eight cents"  Then she added, "They will soon be 73 cents"

I can remember when it cost three cents to mail a letter. . . and there was one style to choose from.

When I was in college, gas was 25 cents a gallon.  Even years later, when I was married with twin toddlers, I could buy a week's worth of groceries for less than $50.

The first house my husband and I bought back in the 70's - a nice suburban home in a nice neighborhood - was $48,000.  That kind of money wouldn't buy a run down house in a bad neighborhood today.

And I was fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom during my sons' childhood.  How many stay-at-home moms are out there today???

Something to think about. . .

With all the political upheaval and unrest in the country today, it is easy to get depressed and overwhelmed.  But something has reminded me lately that there is a lot of good in the world.

I enjoy going to my grandsons' games.  Right now Ben is on a lacrosse team.  I had never seen a lacrosse game before and knew very little about it.  So I googled "idiots guide to lacrosse" and learned about it.  Jack is in track and is a distance runner.

As I sat in the bleachers recently watching the game, it hit me. . . here is a crowd of parents and grandparents showing up to support the team and enjoying watching.  These are everyday people, family oriented folks doing their best to raise their children in a proper way.  For my part, it is a respite from thinking about all the crap going on in the country.

Quote for the Day

Be the kind of person your dog thinks you are. 

A gratitude journal - they really work

Oprah Winfrey has long preached the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal.  My thoughts on that were - I know what I'm grateful for, why bother to write it down?

I'm currently reading a book, "Build the Life You Want" by Arthur Brooks and none other than Oprah Winfrey.  It's not another feel good book, but based on scientific facts, it points out how even when times are tough, you can find things to be happy (grateful) for.

So I tried it.  Yes, I know what I am grateful for.  But when you write everything down, day by day, you will be amazed at just how much you have in your life that is good.  Or another way of putting it, if you concentrate on the positives, rather than the negatives, your perspective changes and you are in better shape to deal with what needs fixin'! 

Kabobs on the grill

First time cooking outside this year!  I especially love the kabob baskets.  It was always hard for me to use skewers.  When I try to turn the skewer over, to cook all sides evenly, the food spins back around.

Most of you know, I love all kinds of cooking and the warm weather brings out the smokers and the grills.  There are few things more enjoyable than sitting with a glass of wine, the smoker slowly cooking a piece of meat to perfection, and leaning back in my chair to gaze at the white puffy clouds against a blue sky.

I've been smoking meat for ten years or more.  It just came naturally to me.  I read books, watched You Tube videos, talked to other, more experienced smokers and I am proud to say I have never ruined a piece of meat.

 

A possible new venture. . .

 When you think of it, many times when life seems unfair and doors keep getting slammed in your face, that is a good thing.  It's God's way of pointing you in the right direction.

I retired some years ago.  The office politics and extreme mindset of the leadership wore me down, probably more than I realized.  A handful of jobs since just didn't go right.  Not only the jobs themselves, but I went to many interviews and didn't get the job.  Although I present myself well and, in some cases, even overqualified for the job, time after time I was not selected.  Age discrimination is alive and well folks, believe it.

Recently I was at home, my mind wandering about any number of things, certainly not about finding the right job.  One of my dogs walked over to me, put her head on my knee and looked at me with "those eyes"!  I've often said my dogs control me with their eyes!

That's the first I remember of a new idea going through my head.  I love dogs. . . if I see a dog, I just have to get my hands on it and talk to it.  Then I thought of a trip coming up and the need to board my two.  When I called my usual kennel, they were booked solid.  In a state of panic, I began calling different kennels.  In my opinion, there are only a few quality boarding kennels in my area.  The prices are sky high.  I don't even want to think about what I am paying for the kennel that I chose for this trip.

Still staring at Morgan's eyes looking up at me, it hit me!  Why not open an in-home dog boarding and dog day care business?  I stumbled onto a website online that features in-home day care right here in my town.  It's kind of like the Etsy for dog boarding!

Of course, I would have to limit the number of dogs I take in at one time. . . right now I'm thinking no more than two customers at a time, but I would not have the overhead that the commercial boarding kennels have.

There is much thought and planning that needs to go into this before I go live, but it does seem encouraging.  I posted on our neighborhood facebook page to judge interest.  With only a little over 200 people on the page, I was pleased with the response I got.  Almost all of them spoke of the extreme prices they pay to board their dogs.  I believe I can charge less and still make a reasonable profit.

Let's see where this goes.  One step at a time.  Laugh if you want, but I truly believe God had a hand at that moment in Morgan coming to me, resting her head on my knee and looking at me with those eyes!

The Ice Storm of the Century - 1991

People who were in Rochester, New York on this date 33 years ago will never forget the Ice Storm of the Century.  There are ice storms and there are ice storms!  

Being a sound sleeper, the crashing trees and tumbling power lines went on overnight unbeknownst to me.  Just before dawn, the phone rang.  When I answered, a friend asked, "Are you all right?"  

"I think so" was my answer.  "Is something wrong?"

Hundreds of thousands of people were without power, many for weeks.  Even though many mutual aid power companies made their way here to help, there was just monumental damage.  My home had no power or heat for over a week.  We slept with thermal underwear and all the blankets we could gather. We cooked on a Coleman camp stove.  If you went to the store for food or supplies, they were working with flashlights and could only accept cash.

Schools were closed for over a week.  My sons were in high school.  The school organized a large group of kids to go around removing debris from neighbors' yards.

Letting my dogs out caused ice to stick to their paws and they tracked blood into the house.

Yes, those were bad times.  But we persevered and survived.  I don't remember any deaths being reported due to the storm.  When the going gets tough, the tough get going!

Lost in books

It's no secret I love to read.  Give me a stack of good books and I'm happy.  I keep lists of books I want to read.

That's the problem!  Not long ago I began reading a series of Detective Quinn novels, by Lisa Regan - she has written 18 to date.  I made it through book 5 and discovered another book I wanted to read, and another!  Never turn me loose in a library or on Amazon's book section!  I find books on Amazon, then go get them from the library.

I ran across a novel from the Gilded Age, An American Beauty.  Wow!  That one captured me, page after page.  And that author has another one I must read - The Second Mrs. Astor.

This morning I made a quick trip to the library to return two books.  I decided to check their small cabinet of books outside, a sort of community library where you take whatever you like and add books that you no longer want to keep.  The Great Alone. . . that title caught my eye.  Kristin Hannah - the author - who is she?  Never heard of her.  Checked her out on Amazon.  How is it I never heard of her?  She's written quite a few books I simply must add to my list, stories from World War II, the Great Depression, and a young idealistic nurse who chooses to join the military and finds herself in the jungles of Viet Nam.

I like too many genres and time frames from history.  I like the simple stuff - Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele - and things with more substance - John Jakes, historical romance, thrillers, biographies, and the list goes on.   I probably shouldn't classify Danielle Steele as "the simple stuff."  Over the years, she has increasingly written more books with substance.  

When my twin sons were little, I insisted they read books.  I didn't specify which books, only a book that interested them.  Michael was okay with that. . . then there was John.  I finally gave up on him.  But I am proud to say, today, much older, even with hints of gray in his hair. . . he reads a lot!  On occasion, I have passed on books to him that I owned that he actually enjoyed reading!

Now back to my latest book, Hidden Riches by Nora Roberts!

                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                             

Juicing

If you aren't into juicing, you should be!  Juicing is a way to get more vitamins and nutrients and it is pure nutrition.  No preservatives, no additives, just good healthy juice.

This serving above is made from beets, apples, carrots, cucumber, and ginger.  Sometimes you may look at the list of ingredients in a juicing recipe and not be excited.  But all the flavors come together to make a refreshing drink.

There are dozens of good quality juicers on the market.  The masticating ones are the best.  They extract more nutrients.  I've been happy with my Tribest Green Star Elite.  Had it for quite a few years now.
 

The Winter Blahs

There was a time when I enjoyed winter in the North Country. . . I was an avid downhill and cross country skier.  Over a number of years, back in the 80's and 90's and early 2000's, I spent a week in the Adirondacks, snowshoeing, skiing, just having a wonderful time with friends.

These days, I'd rather curl up on the couch with a good book, with the dogs cuddling next to me.

I saw an electronic sign today while running errands, "Spring is 40 days, x number minutes, and x seconds away."  That got my heart beating!

Looking around my house, I realized I'm down to just one house plant.  Little by little over months, the few others I had died.  So I made a trip out to the Garden Factory on the west side of town.  I bought 3 house plants.  I planned to buy a Wandering Jew and a Purple Passion, two of my favorites.  They were out of those but expect to get a new shipment early next week.  The three plants I bought were small.  I like to buy them small and watch them grow.    One plant, in the picture above, is in my living room.  The Spider plant is hanging in the kitchen.  The third one I haven't decided where it will go yet.

Just a small thing as going shopping for new house plants went a long way to boost my spirits.  And tomorrow is one day closer to Spring!

 

A Gem from Betty White

Butterflies are like women.  We may look pretty and delicate, but baby, we can fly through a hurricane!

Sourdough Mindset

Okay, let me start at the beginning.  Thirty years ago, I wanted to learn to make sourdough bread.  I researched everything about making the starter.  Just when I thought everything was going great, we had an ice storm and were without power for over a week.  Needless to say, the starter died.

I am otherwise an exceptional cook and baker.

Several other times over the years, I tried again.  Somehow the Sourdough Gods were against me.  My ego was crushed.

Now I've got the urge to try again and THIS TIME, come hell or high water, I will succeed!

I found a good sourdough support page on facebook and I've scoured YouTube videos.  I'm going to try to make my own starter from scratch.  I will give it two chances.  If neither works, I will swallow my pride and buy a dehydrated starter from King Arthur Flour.  I think one reason I may have failed, I've learned recently you should use filtered water and not tap water, since most of us have chlorine water in our towns.

I've always loved to cook and bake.  But it's more than that for me.  Have you seen the price of a quality loaf of bread in the grocery store?  And so often a loaf has already started to go stale by the time I open it up.  I yearn for that soft, fresh taste of bread right out of the oven.  And who doesn't just love the "tang" of sourdough?