Vintage Salt And Pepper Shakers

It was so fun reading Teresa's blog (bottom of post) yesterday and enjoy with her the recent Vintage Jadeite acquisitions she has made.  In my kitchen cupboard I have Vintage Anchor Hocking rippled glass shakers with tulip lids similar to her Jadeite shakers with the same lids . I have used my shakers continually since 1959 when I married !!! 

This photo is from my blog in 2014 .  See the shakers on the right ? And , they are still in good condition .

I was getting ready to make Tomato and Bean Soup .

I have no idea why I have continually used these shakers through the years . It just may be because it has been easy to remove the lids if I wanted to use a measuring spoon to measure because the opening is nice and large .  And , the shakers are rather large and don't have to be refilled often .

Thanks Teresa for nudging me down memory lane .

Mary

Rainy Day Soup

A Fabulous Hearty Soup

Some browned beef ,  some chop - chop and start opening some cans , boil some pasta and you're rounding the last curve !

I have really been enjoying my home made soups from the freezer during these cloudy and chilly days .  That Squash Soup from my home grown squash was excellent and fun to make.

Didn't plan on making soup today but yesterday I had to go to the grocery store for a non-food item and started thinking about the ingredients for this great sounding recipe that I had recently read .  I am starting to cook with ingredients soon after I purchase the ingredient so I don't find something in the refrigerator that I have overlooked .

Now - what was the non-food item ?   

When I found some broccoli in the refrigerator that was beyond "use by date" (meaning - I forgot about it) I decided to cut it up and put it in the garbage disposal .  I will preface by saying that I knew better . Because I didn't do it slowly like I should have I clogged the drain and there I was with water sitting in the sink that wasn't going anywhere with my attempts . So , I had to call in "the big guns".  Off to the store for some Drano !  Success came after about 20 minutes and I learned my lesson .

And now , I have some more yummy soup in the freezer !!! And , a nice bowl of soup and Rustic Sunflower Seed bread for lunch . 

Hope You are feeling Warm and Cozy .

Mary

Some More Cooking

It is a perfect cool cloudy day for some homestyle cooking .  And , I think some Sausage and Cabbage fits the bill .

This turned out tasting just as I remembered from making it many times in the past . And , I have a long past !  😊

Another nice dinner for the freezer for when I will not be able to cook for awhile when I have my right knee replaced .

Our weather certainly has taken a turn and snow is expected at the higher elevations , much higher .  Yes , it's that time of the year .  And , it looks like the predicted temperatures in the future are much lower than recently .  I have my living room gas fireplace on and it is nice and cozy in here . And , Ivy is snuggled even closer than usual !

 

I only have to leave the house for one thing today .  And , that is going to the post office to mail some packages to my Great Grandchildren .  No special occasion , just "I Love You" packages .

Will the Election be called tonight ?  Time to work toward unification!

Mary

Baby Back

That is - RIBS .  Something again that I never have prepared . Again , oh , so easy .  On sale at the grocery store the same day I saw an easy recipe on a blog . I thought , why not ?  You know there are so many foods that I have not prepared .  I am sure if I had been married longer or had someone to cook for on a regular basis other than myself and children and then adult children for a few years I would have prepared a broader variety of foods . Because, I really like to cook for others .

Sharon's recipe https://www.gritsandpinecones.com/best-oven-baked-baby-back-ribs-and-rub/ taught me something I never would have known .  And that is how to remove the membrane from the back of the slab of ribs .  I didn't even know there was a membrane to remove .

Now , here is the rub that she used on the front and back before letting them sit awhile for the flavors to blend .

Brown sugar and lots of spices .

Pop into a 300 degree oven for one and a half hours and then cover with a generous amount of Barbecue Sauce .  Back into the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes .  And that is all there is to it .

Absolutely Delicious.

Add some Jiffy Corn Casserole https://easyfamilyrecipes.com/jiffy-corn-casserole/

and some green beans and it is another dinner or two or three dinners for the freezer .

I think it took me longer to post this with the new format than it took me to cook the food !!!

I am not sure if my patience are going to hang around much longer with this "new stuff" .  I've just spent two hours on the Internet trying to learn more about the troublesome issues many of us are having with the new format . Not much help . But , lots of frustration by commenters on google sites .

Be Sure To Vote. 

Mary

From Squash To Soup

Finally ready to harvest .  Does the word - harvest - make me sound like a big time vegetable gardener ?  I think not .

 

From This to This - - - - - - - -   

Look at the size of this squash . It was too large to weigh on my kitchen scale so I weighed it on the bathroom scale !!  That's a lot 'a squash !  Acorn Squash usually weighs 2 to 3 pounds .

Because I was concerned about trying to safely cut it because of the size and hard surface I put it into the microwave for 5 minutes to soften it a little bit and taste it to see if I thought it tasted like it would make a good soup .  And , it was a GO .

It cut easily and after covering with olive oil and some course sea salt I baked it for one hour .

It came out nicely roasted .

And , ready to scoop and blend with the other ingredients.

I found it to be a lot of fun cooking with something from my own garden .  I think Acorn Squash has a rather mild taste and a slightly nutty flavor . So it can use a lot of added seasoning . Along with onion , carrots , garlic , chicken stock and of course the squash , I added half and half , salt , cinnamon , nutmeg and cayenne pepper . Tasting as you go helps to get the end result you like !  The use of an emersion blender is a great help in giving the soup a nice finished texture .

A small salad and some crusty rustic bread would round out a nice meal .

A few red pepper flakes make a nice garnish .

I am so glad my home grown squash was something I could cook with .  And , now I have some good servings in my freezer .  I don't usually freeze food that I prepare that has cheese or milk products but the small amount of half and half should work well .

Tomorrow is my appointment with the Orthopedic Specialist and I am looking forward to it .  I started thinking more about my leg symptoms and my nursing background and I came up with a  new thought about the diagnosis . Because the symptoms are primarily with my right knee and there is significant swelling behind the knee cap I am wondering if it may be a Baker's Cyst . Yes , my knees are bad but this intense localized pain may have a different cause than just "old knees" !

I am so tuckered out with the severity of pain and I am so hopeful for some type of relief .  And , I am certainly going to push for some pain pills .

Until next time .

Mary

Another Goodie

First off - - - the pain in my right knee and leg and foot is almost unbearable .  I don't see a pattern . Sometimes it is not bad but most of the time SO painful and debilitating.  The ice packs help and small periods of activity interspersed with rest and elevation of my legs makes life bearable . Finally , went and got the ordered x-rays and it was tortuous besides having to wait a long time !  Well, got that off my thoughts so now let's get on with  life .

Hobbling around the kitchen when I can ! 

I don't think I have ever prepared Hungarian Stew . So , a  couple days ago I did this .

This is Porkolt (a flavorful stew) Made With Pork .  I had intended to go out a little further and made Galuska (Hungarian Dumplings) to serve with it . But , I had too much pain . Galuska sounds so exotic . But , when I read the recipe I was surprised it sounded so simple .

The stew is so easy , just a lot of chopping and cutting . Sour cream can be stirred in just before serving . But , I like it served on top .  And , of course the stew can be served on top of wide noodles or rice instead of Galuska .

I forgot that I have this nice mandolin vegetable chopper , slicer , dicer , julienner.

It made quick work of dicing 2 large onions .  That's a lot of onions and could mean a lot of stinging in my eyes . But , no tears with dicing this way .  And , it literally only took seconds to dice after readying the onions .  It looks like there are "a zillion different" slicers on the market and opinions .  This is the only one I have and it works great for my needs .  

How could I forget about this very useful and fun gadget ?  I guess because I haven't used it since I bought it quite a while ago .  Maybe,  I am starting to have an 😉 "old memory" !

Hungarian Paprika is a featured spice for this dish .  It is a sweet paprika which differs from regular paprika which is hot . You need tablespoons of sweet paprika verses teaspoons of hot paprika . 

It is so nice to have yummy homemade food in the freezer . And , it is much healthier and flavorful .

I have been having a great time in the kitchen .  It challenges me some and posting on the blog gives me some creative time .

Still , a little color in the garden . Not much but there are some beautiful Autumn colors here and there .  Even though I am hobbling around I have still been going out into the garden to do a few things to keep it presentable  and watered so the plants don't die .

UNFORTUNEATELY , "The Workers" did not work out in helping me with my home maintenance and garden upkeep !  They are not the least bit detail oriented .  Because of my knee/leg pain ,  I did not walk around the house after the debris was blown off the roof last week .  Later when I was able and walked around the house I could hardly believe my eyes with the amount of mess at ground  level . And , I had been specific about ground level cleanup .  And , the surrounding flower beds were a mess with leaves , pine needles and the shedding short needles from the cedar trees .  There are ways of blowing the roof off without this undesired result . There are other reasons for my cancelling further work but I won't go into detail . Back to "square one" .

It is so difficult to find help and as a senior single woman living alone I have to be cautious about anyone entering my home to do inside repair . I must call references (and more than one) in the future .  The few people that I know well enough in the neighborhood to ask , don't have any suggestions .  I'll keep working on it .

 I still do not have my generator connected so I can "just flip a switch" .  I have purchased a 20 lb. propane tank that weighs 37 lb. when filled .  Which means I could not lift it from the trunk . I asked someone who was walking by if he could remove it from my trunk and he and his wife were very helpful .  My area is a desirable area for people taking daily walks . They drive and park in parking lots and then take their daily walks around the neighborhood .

Planning to be back soon .  My garden grown Acorn Squash is ripe !

Mary

Some More Really Good Food And A Lot More

In the kitchen again a few days ago .  This time another new recipe called Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Pesto and Tomatoes.

The sauce that bathes these ingredients really is the star of this delightful entrée .  Garlic cloves , red pepper flakes , white wine , half and half cream and basil pesto comes together as a creamy delight .

A nice Surprise from my Granddaughter.

It's Perfect !

And , it looks lovely at my front door where I can see it every time I use the front door . It sure warms my heart !

I am so excited that I may have found help with the care of my garden and home maintenance . Yesterday, all of the 16 barrels full of yard waste (weeds, leaves and pruning) from my garden work were taken to the Yard Waste Dump . And , my roof was cleaned off of lots of leaves and branches with a leaf blower and all the debris was hauled to the Dump .  Up until about three years ago I was able to get up on the roof and use the leaf blower . I rather enjoyed it and it saved money .  Those days are in the past and never to return .  

Tomorrow "The Workers" are going to bring a large portable propane tank (much larger than the barbeque size tank) and prepare my generator so that all I need to do is turn off the main electricity and turn on the switch when the power goes off .  Our last warning regarding loss of power did not effect me but did affect many in nearby locations .  I think my power stayed on because I am less than one block away from Main Street of the historical town that I live in. But , I did lose Internet connection for two days . It is my understanding that there will be a large rolling outage in California and I have no way of knowing if my location will be off .  But , it is great that I will be prepared if it is .  

We are making a list and prioritizing the other jobs that needs to be done to maintain my home the way I wish it to be . All of this is such a blessing !

What a Crazy and Frightening Federal Government with far reaching tentacles all the way to cities and little towns .

Stay Well and we must Stay Hopeful .

Mary

Deliciously Beautiful Looking

Gardening Time is becoming Cooking Time

           Something so simple and So Good .

 

Lately , the recipes that I have been selecting to make seem to be recipes that have a lot more seasoning , like using "rubs" that present the opportunity to experiment with a lot of different flavors .  It's giving me a chance to ensure that my spices are fresh and not expired .  If they are , sometimes I use the " smell test" and if there is still good aroma I will use it and make sure I purchase a new one next time I shop .  Of course , the quite standard flavors of minced garlic , lemon juice and butter are pretty fail-safe and rich .  I paired it with some of the Royal Blend Rice that I had prepared a couple days earlier .  Some red pepper flakes gave the dish a nice extra little kick !

I recently talked about my sweet Ivy spending time with me in the kitchen and simply observing .  Well , once I brought out the shrimp to peel and devein , I heard a little pounce sound .  Ivy was off the stool standing next to me with her paws reaching high on the front of the kitchen cabinets below the sink !  And , Meowing - "I want some" .  It was so cute and really surprised me .  

Do cats really prefer fish ?  Allegedly , "although their sense of taste is not as distinct as ours , cats do have a superior sense of smell , and the strong smell of fish might be what attracts cats to it" .  I wasn't quite sure how I was going to appease her as she was quite insistent , so I just gave her whatever flavor kitty treats that I had . And , that seemed to be ok with her .  Back to her stool - she went .  She really is "good entertainment" !

See ya soon .

Mary

Where Are The Females

 Look at all of these handsome Male Blossoms on my Acorn Squash!

They are falling off the the vine by the way side left and right just waiting for some ladies to pollinate with . I'm learning that it is not unusual for the first blossoms which are male to drop off .  Squash plants have both male and female blossoms growing on the same plant . The squash plant will produce more blossoms and supposedly will be a mix of female and male blossoms . The male guys will still drop off and the gals will grow into squash !

Another reason for no squash (which I think is the culprit) is lack of pollinating insects such as honeybees . I haven't seen any bees in my garden for months ! Nor have I seen any bumble bees since spring time .This has been becoming a problem in the US for quite some time now . I guess it's a tossup as to what the results will be with my squash .

The Zucchini Squash continues to slowly produce one squash after another giving me just enough time to cook or bake with , when it gives me another squash .  So well behaved !

A little Friday night cooking for ME.

Cheesy Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast

That's Ooey Gooey Mozzarella cheese and a delightful seasoned rub on the Chicken . Along with Royal Blend Rice that is Texmati, White, Brown, Wild and Red Rice . Texmati is a hybrid between basmati and regular long grain rice .  

Oh , and the Parsley is from my garden . 😀

Wish you could join me for dinner .  We will have Wine too !

Hope your weekend goes well .

Mary