Super Bowl Day

We aren't big football fans, but will be watching the game this weekend. And while we haven't anything against the Colts, we do hope the Saints win. Just 'cause.

I pulled a small piece of cooked pork loin out of the freezer last night and put it in the refrigerator to thaw. While the cabbage was frying, I sliced mushrooms for the second side. One day while in a kitchen gadget store, I noticed a mushroom slicer. I picked it up and looked at it. Put it back on the shelf. What did I need another slicer with a different shape in the plastic? I use my boiled egg slicer. Through trial and error I have found that you need to put the mushroom cap down, then slice. Jerry Lancon's Sauteed Mushrooms
(Jerry was the Cajun I worked with a few years back)

1/4 pound butter (I don't generally use this much)
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 pounds fresh mushrooms, sliced
4-5 tablespoons wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
dash of whatever else you want to put in it...;o)

Saute onion and garlic in butter. Add sliced (or whole if small) mushrooms. Add wine, soy sauce, and seasonings. Saute on low heat up to four hours. (I never saute it that long...generally just until the onions are translucent and the moisture has pretty much cooked out.) Plated and served with a homemade biscuit left over from breakfast.Biscuits

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lard
3/4 cup buttermilk

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Cut in lard. Stir in buttermilk. Pat out on lightly floured board. Fold in half, pat out again to 1/2" thickness. Cut with biscuit cutters. Place in greased baking pan. Bake at 450 degrees F for 12 minutes.

** If you have no buttermilk, change the baking soda to 3 teaspoons baking powder and the buttermilk to plain drinking milk...what was once called 'sweet' milk.

How to fry cabbage...you don't really fry it...it's more like steamed. Cook 2 or more slices of bacon. When it is crispy, remove from pan. Add 1/2 head of chopped cabbage; stir to coat. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a lid. Cook over low heat until done to your desired crispness. Crumbled reserved bacon over top.

This is another inherited cookbook. I don't know where it came from, but it is interesting. The cover states "suggestions by Mennonites on how to eat better and consume less of the world's limited food resources." I don't know where they got the idea that we have limited food resources here. But I do know that certain areas of the world do have food shortages. I just thank God for the corner of the world where I live.

I was going to make some peanut brittle this afternoon. While pulling ingredients from the pantry I discovered that I had no corn syrup. It's on the grocery list and the ingredients for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are laid out ready to be used as soon as the butter softens. Sam will be happy...;o)

Enjoy the game!

He's Back

Sam has been gone for a whole week! John, his son, borrowed a bulldozer from Elton, his uncle/Sam's brother. The only stipulation Elton made was that Sam or his younger brother, Terry, run the dozer. Terry works in John's office, so that left Sam up for the job. He has the bulldozing complete, but has to go back in a few days to finish the clean-up.


(Thought I would include a photo of Sam's family. The oldest and youngest are sitting on the couch, Terry and Sam - you should be able to tell the age difference of 22 years! That leaves #2 Steve, #4 Linda, and #3 Elton.This was taken back in 2004. Sam's mother is now 94. Physically she is doing great. Unfortunately she has Alzheimers and is now in a nursing home.)

This has been a mixed blessing time. I enjoyed doing what I wanted to do when I wanted to do...I ate what I wanted when I wanted if I wanted. You know, ice cream with chocolate syrup on top at 4:30 so wasn't hungry at supper time. Had a salad. Oh! Ate Brussel sprouts which Sam doesn't care for! But let me tell you how I cooked them:

Chop up 2 slices bacon and cook until nearly crisp. Toss in 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 diced small onion. Saute until the onions are translucent. If you have small Brussel sprouts, leave them whole, if larger (you decide what is large - for me anything larger than a quarter), cut in half. Oh? How many? I used a package of frozen Brussel sprouts. Toss them in the skillet and toss with the rest of the stuff already in there. Pour over 1/2 can of chicken broth. Cover with a lid and let simmer and steam until most of the liquid is gone. Don't forget your salt and pepper to taste. Cooked this way, they are not the least bit crunchy. If you wanted crunch, you could forget the broth...they have enough moisture that they will steam without any added liquid. Shame I didn't think to take a picture...next time.

This makes me think about Fried Cabbage which is cooked pretty much the same. I use 2 slices of bacon for half a head of cabbage...4 slices for a whole head of cabbage. Because Mama didn't, I don't use the garlic or onion, but I bet it would be good. And, I don't pour in chicken broth - but it couldn't do anything except enhance the flavor.



Here we are (2002). Jonathan, my son, Brook and John, Sam's two...me and Sam.