Morning after...

We had rain Wednesday evening. Sam and I were in Gladewater at the Longview H.O.G. meeting. After already deciding to not ride the bikes, Sam checked the weather on the internet and saw that rain was heading our way. It didn't rain in Gladewater, but the return trip home...the closer we got, the more water we saw in puddles.

The rain gauge at home had only 3/10". But...that beats nothing. I was on my way to Mama's to raid the garden the next morning at 7:30. I almost always carry my little camera in my purse. So I whipped it out and took these. Shooting into the sun...these were the best I could get.

Crinum lilies blooming...

As soon as the reds multiply enough, I'll replace the few pink lilies. They were gifted to me and were all supposed to be reds.

Then my poor Confederate Rose. It is perky first thing in the morning, but the heat is getting to it.Another gift...Carol gave me the ginger which needs to go in a bed. But I need another bed...and I know just where I'll go to work on it in the fall. Sssh. Sam doesn't know. ;o)

What Happened Monday

I forgot to tell on myself!

I went out Monday afternoon to help Sam put up plywood around the inside of his shop. He's putting it up to keep from snagging the insulation and eventually making a mess of the walls in his shop. I held two or three sheets while he screwed them in place. Since he'd been out most of the afternoon, he called it quits and I came on in the house, cleaned up and changed clothes. I looked at my watch. 5 o'clock and remembered the Friends of the Library meeting at 5:30. So I called Sam (aren't cell phones great?!) to let him know where I was going.

I ran by McDonald's for one of their large $1 diet Dr. Peppers. As I approached the library...there's not a single car. I pulled up and the lights are off inside. After checking my date calendar and my cell phone, I called the librarian. (Earlene and I have known each other since fifth grade. I consider her my best friend.)

At the last meeting, the president announced that she'd be out-of-town. Everyone voted to put the meeting off for a week since nothing was scheduled.

Okay. I had my DDP so it wasn't a dry run to town. BUT...did I sleep during that part of the meeting?

After I got home and Sam made it in the house, he looked at me quizically since I'd been gone only 30 minutes. I told him...and also mentioned that I didn't have a clue as to why I forgot. In a bit, he asked when the last meeting was. DUH...a month ago. Sam looked at me...WHAT DATE? When I told him, he smiled. I wasn't at that meeting. We had returned from Mt. View late that afternoon. HALLELUJAH! You can't forget something you don't know! Onset of Alzheimer's postponed for another 24 hours.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

Remember the movie? I love everything Jessica Tandy starred in. She was a fantastic actress. I also enjoyed the movies she made with her husband Hume Cronyn. They don't make actresses like that any more. Hmmm...Sandra Bullock. I like her. I like Julia Roberts' movies too.

I just listened to the audiobook. Quite a few differences between the movie and the book.

But, that's not where I intend to go today. This is where I'm going...to last night's supper...

Surprise! Fried green tomatoes!! First, you slice 'em. Not too thick. Not too thin. If you get them too thick, they take longer to cook. If you get them too thin, they cook too quick. So. what's just right? About 1/4". Not over 3/8" thick.

After you slice 'em, drop them in some buttermilk. You've got to have something for the cornmeal to stick to.

From there, you coat them with seasoned cornmeal. I just use salt and pepper. But if you want to get fancy, you can add some other seasonings. What? Beats me. I like salt and pepper. I NEVER season enough cornmeal to start with...it's that frugality thing.

Let them rest giving the buttermilk time to soak up the cornmeal. You might have to turn them another time to make certain all the wet areas are covered with cornmeal.

While they were resting, I worked on the chicken. I filetted (is that spelled correctly?) filleted/filletted...you get the idea...two chicken breasts. Actually, I should've left these alone. They weren't that thick. Salt, pepper, and a bit of a seasoning mix that Sam's sister Linda fixes.

After they go in the skillet, I sprinkle with Lea & Perrin's White Wine Worcestershire sauce. Only now they call it by the highly distinguished term "Rooster Booster." Sheesh! Brown on one side. Turn. The key to good chicken is not to overcook it. Unfortunately, these were overcooked and not fork tender. Like I said, I shouldn't've filet-ed...well, I shouldn't've cut them in half.

As soon as the chicken went in the saute pan, I placed the tomatoes in the hot oil (medium heat). About 1/2" of oil in the skillet.

After they brown on one side, flip them. Brown on the second side. If they seem to be cooking too fast, turn the heat down.

When they are done, place on paper toweling to drain the oil away. (Photos end here...Sam walked into the kitchen.) Sam eats his straight. I eat some straight, some with ketchup.

Yep. That's all we had. Sam had been working outside in the heat and was hungry, but not too hungry. When he came in and I told him the intended menu, he stopped me at chicken and fried green tomatoes. That was enough.

If you've never had fried green tomatoes, they may be an acquired taste. They can be just a tiny bit bitter. I guess that's why I like the ketcup on mine. But the main thing is I DO like them!

Bon appetit. Or as we say here in the south...Dgeet yet?

Baking and Sewing

A bread machine is a wondrous thing. Or a curse. Depending on how much of the finished product you eat. The first thing I do...as soon as the bread is out of the pan, I go against the 'rules.' Yep. I'm a rule breaker. I take a serrated knife and slowly slice off the top of the loaf. I butter it. And share with Sam. Alas. Sam was running an errand. Before he left I told him (I remember explicitly telling him) that the bread would be ready in 10 minutes. Poor dear. Lucky ME! I didn't have to share this time. ;o)

I followed along with the Minnesota quilters/designers' blog hop. The very first blog had a pattern for quilt as you go placemats. "Anyday Placemats" from Gudrun's World - http://www.gudrun.typepad.com/ . I changed one element (rule breaker yet again) and came up with these.

I've had the fabric for two or three years. Back then, I received the tablerunner in a swap. I already had the matching blue so trotted back to the store for more blue, the same fabric in tan with white, and a blue and white to coordinate.

Total, I made eight placemats.

Thanks Michele in Brazoria Texas for the tablerunner!

Sunset

After the rain yesterday, we kept a cloud cover. Later that evening, Sam walked outside. When he tapped on the living room window, I immediately jumped up and grabbed the camera. As I walked outside, he said, "Looks like a water color."



And you're just going to have to take my word for it, but there's a bat in this photo.

I haven't mentioned the building lately. It is just about finished. The overhead doors have been installed. Electricity has been run to the building. Sam and Elton have got the wiring just about completed. Sam will enlist me to cover the lower half with plywood. That will give something to connect the electrical boxes to and also keep the insulation from being torn.

I don't know when he'll start moving his tools and stuff from the container to the building. IF it were me...I'd wait until first frost. ;o)

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday: Carol and Elton joined us for the day. We furnished the meat and dessert. Carol and Elton brought the sides. (Meaning...I picked out, seasoned, and smoked the meat and made the ice cream. Carol picked out and cooked the sides, sliced the tomatoes, and peeled the peaches. Everyone knows what part Sam and Elton had in this...they ate!)

Can you guess what we had for supper?

Pork ribs. I started the fire (charcoal with dry live oak soaked in water for the smoke) about 10:30 a.m., and the ribs were seasoned. While waiting for the charcoal to whiten, I was watching a guy on television prepping a pork loin for the grill. He laid strips of bacon all around it before tying with kitchen twine. Hmmmm...sounded like a good idea to me. I can smell them right now! And the taste!!! Oh! So good it would make a possum hug a hound. Trust me! The ribs were on the grill at 200-250 degrees for six hours.

For dessert we had homemade vanilla ice cream topped with the fresh Euford peaches Carol brought.

She also brought potato salad, corn on the cob, and a yellow squash casserole. She sliced some of Mama's red ripe tomatoes and a cucumber. We had more food than we knew what to do with.

We had to take a break between eating supper and dessert, so we floated in the pool (more like sunk straight to the bottom). It was hot! 97 degrees or so. We looked real cute out there on the floats with our floppy brimmed hats and sunglasses on trying to keep the sun off our faces and out of our eyes.

Today: RAIN! Beautiful glorious wet rain!

When we got up this morning, I noticed the dark sky to the north. After fixin' Sam some Malto-Meal for breakfast (that's what he asked for), I took a glass of iced tea out to the front porch. After he ate, he joined me. We watched the hummingbirds - FOUR of them now - fighting over the feeder. A cardinal rooster flew in for a few seeds.

Then the rain started.

It didn't rain long, but we got about 7/8" of rain.

The clouds have stayed and it's cooler than yesterday. Temps are only up to 83 degrees now and it's mid-afternoon.

We've had a high depression sitting on top of us (not literally us, but a good portion of Texas). It is really causing some unseasonably hot and dry weather. I noticed that we've been hotter than Arizona! That is sooo different for June.

Praying for more rain later today and the next two days!

Fourth of July

The Star-Spangled Banner
—Francis Scott Key, 1814

O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever when free-men shall stand
Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Fly your flag today!

To listen to this, you'll probably have to go to the bottom and turn off the 'jukebox.'

Scrubs

Here's that too short scrub top Jonathan didn't want a 'skirt' sewn onto the bottom to make it longer. It doesn't look bad to me. I'll get it in the mail today or Monday with the matching shorts. I didn't have enough fabric for pants. He said he could wear the longer shorts to work.

I sat out on the front porch early one morning. A female cardinal was munching away at the feeder. I could hear her pop the seeds. I didn't move until she flew off. As soon as she was gone, I went in the house for the camera. She never returned.

So...I took the fern down. The baby birds had already flown the nest.

But the hummingbirds were fluttering around and fighting over the feeder. EVERY TIME they landed, they were on the back side. Can you see the flutter of a wing just to the left?...

Blah Day.

Yesterday. Blech. And I think it was due to reading James Patterson's new book, Swimsuit. Very well written of course, but gory. I would read part of it. Put it down. Pick it up later. Normally I can absorb a novel in a day or so. This one took almost three days to finish. I wanted to know how it ended. So. Anyway. I didn't do much of anything yesterday.


The day before I made yet another scrub top. Yesterday afternoon I did crank up the machine and made a pair of bottoms. Both out of camouflage fabrics. Jonathan brought some scrub tops that are just too short. I mentioned putting a coordinating band of fabric along the bottom. He didn't think it was a very good idea...thought it would look like a skirt. One of the tops is orange. I'm going to take some of the camo fabric and put that 1 1/2"-2" band along the bottom and sew some of it on top of the v-neck. If it weren't so much trouble, I'd take the pocket off and replace it with camo...but I'm not going to go to that trouble...just in case he still thinks the band on the bottom looks like a skirt. When I finish that...I'll get them in the mail in a couple of days.


OH! I didn't mention that Jonathan and his girlfriend came for a weekend visit. We had a short, but good visit. He took her around to visit some of the relatives. She didn't call the bus station for a quick ticket outta here either! ;o) They also went to the State Park and walked the nature trail around the lake...in this heat. Argghhh! I'm so glad I let them site-see without me.

If you camp, swim, canoe, etc., you've GOT to visit the Daingerfield State Park! This park of one of Texas' best kept secrets. Tell 'em "Sherry sent ya!" http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/daingerfield/ And be sure to let me know that you're there!


Late afternoon yesterday, Mama called me and asked if I wanted to raid the garden tomorrow (today now) or Saturday. I opted for today. Soooo glad that I did...it was only 73 degrees when I got up at 6:15. While she had me on the phone, she told me what to bring - a couple of buckets. And to put the squash and cucumbers on the bottom. To be sure not to put the tomatoes on the bottom. THEN she called me back and told me to bring a pair of gloves. AH-HA! She forgot to tell me to bring a knife! Being the good daughter that I am, I didn't mention it.

Not a big garden, but it's got a good yield...squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers. They (Mama, brother and his wife Marilyn) have already harvested cabbages, onions and more onions, and turnip greens. Joey (baby brother) has been pumping water out of a pond and flooding the garden. Squash blooms are so pretty!

Baby squash in the making. My goodies... Yep. I know that I got some green tomatoes. Fried green tomatoes tonight for supper!

Cannoli Pie

I told you that I was going to tie on my apron and make a Cannoli Pie. I did! Don't freak out about the lard. It makes the best flakiest pie crust ever! Scroll down and look on the right side for the Food tag. Click on it, scroll down and you'll find my pie crust recipe.

After you bake the crust and it has had a chance to cool, assemble your ingredients.

Beat 1 1/4 cups whipping cream until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat 2 cups ricotta, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Fold in whipped cream, 1 cup sliced toasted almonds, and a generous 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips.

Spoon into your cooled baked pie shell. Refrigerate. To serve, slice and serve on dessert plates.

You can top this with sweetened whipped cream...
Beat 1 1/2 cups whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add 3 tablespoons powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well. Spoon or pipe a generous serving on top of your pie slice. Dust with powdered sugar.

That being said. I don't top with the whipped cream. A light dusting of powdered sugar is decadent enough.


What do YOU do with your leftover pie pastry dough? I blob it all together and reroll it into something resembling a rectangle. Spread it good with some softened butter - the real stuff please! I mean, if we're gonna die from it, why die from hydrogenated fake stuff?! Then I sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll it up lengthwise like a jelly roll and slice into 1" slices. Bake at about 450 degrees for 8 minutes or so. Yummy!

I probably tell you how to do this every time I bake a pie. ;o)