Anticipation

When are they going to get here? I've been waiting for over an hour. I don't see anyone yet but I know someone is coming because the table is set for four (and you thought I couldn't count). Lots of chopping and dicing going on. I wish they would hurry up and get here...my legs are getting tired!

Last Waltz

There’s a video on Yahoo about a 94 year old woman who has been told by her doctor she has congestive heart failure and maybe 6 months to live. She lives in a nursing home and one of the caregivers asked her what her final wish was. Here’s the link...

What would be on your bucket list? As for me, I’m still looking for the damn bucket.

Covered in Ash?

One could think the picture had been taken somewhere in Europe depicting how bad the Iceland volcano eruption has been. However, this is not the case. I took this picture in Shanghai a number of years ago. The life size figures were on a corner across from the hotel where we were staying and were erie looking. Don't know the story behind the statues or the artist. Did, however, make a great picture.

Old #7 Flank Steak was more like a #3. Didn't really care for the marinade. Made lemon chicken in the crockpot yesterday using frozen lemonade and it turned out pretty good.

Giving Jack Daniels another try. Bread pudding is in the oven and I will be making JD Whiskey Sauce to go with it.

I'm not a baker

I've probably ruined my cast iron dutch oven. It will have to soak for days. I wonder if Oxiclean would help?

This was my attempt at making "one pot bread".

Tim says I should have used Pam.

We're not talking.

What would you make?

The Jack Daniel’s cookbook offers up these tasty morsels:  Catfish Cocktail, Frisky Whiskey, Wash Day Casserole, Soused Onions, Dog Bread, Baked Dove, Possum and Sweet ‘Taters (will take 12 hours or more to soak your possum), Hen Fruit Casserole, Snockerdoodles and Tennessee Holler-Puff.  I won’t be making any of the aforementioned.  Just don’t have any doves or possum in my pantry. Dang!  Had I had doves on hand I would have removed the wings, put them in a freezer bag and served them up in the crockpot with a little Jack Daniel’s sauce for appetizers next time we have a get together.  Oh well. 

I did find a recipe I will be making this weekend…Old No. 7 Flank Steak.  Marinate (overnight) the flank steak in garlic, dry mustard, and Jack.  Bread Pudding with Tennessee Whiskey Sauce looks promising, too.  I know Tim’s going to hide his Jack from me.  Anyone have a coupon for Jack Daniels?  I’m going to need it.

I’m not Julia Child or Julie Powell

Not even close.  Not even somewhere in-between.  I have no desire to make every recipe in Julia’s book – “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” - http://www.randomhouse.com/knopf/authors/child/making.html

No de-boning a duck for me.  I don’t like duck.  The only good duck(s) are the ones I can keep in a straight line and lately there seems to be only bad ducks.  And, I don’t care for lobster so I don’t have to worry about hearing its’ squeal as it’s plunged into boiling water.  I found this site:  http://juliachildrecipes.tumblr.com/ and there are a couple of recipes that have interested me...her “Boeuf Bourguignon” and “Mashed Potatoes”.  Did you know meat (as in steaks, chops, etc) won’t brown (properly) unless they are dry of any moisture? 

I’m not Julie Powell (who blogged her way into a book which became the movie “Julia/Julie”) either.  Her tenacity to make all the recipes and blog about it every day for a year isn’t in my genes.  I consider myself on a roll if I post on this blog 3 days in a row!  But I can identify with her when she posted “Hello?  Anybody out there?  Does anyone read this?  Hello??”  I found her last post on her blog the day after Julia Child died -  

http://blogs.salon.com/0001399/

I’m not sure what but watching Julie/Julia had an effect on me.  In the meantime, while I’m figuring out what the effect is, Tim wants me to fix all the recipes in this book:

Red Pepper

I bought this red pepper at the IGA in Snowflake, AZ. Red peppers were $1.99 each. They were piled on top of one another so I went digging toward the bottom to find the largest. I wanted my money's worth. The checkout gal was even shocked to see such a large pepper. The picture doesn't really do it justice. I thought by putting it on the dashboard of the truck one could see how large it was. You'll just have to take my word for it...this puppy was huge.

I've thought for some time I should include a recipe now and then in this blog since I do like to cook. I don't think I would call my cooking a hobby...rather it's a means to eat decent food rather than living on fast food, processed food or eating out. You can't go out to a restaurant for under $50 for 2 meals and wine (Jack for Tim) and I swear I could have made it better. Too many times it's just mediocre. I actually get giddy when I make something for us that ended up costing $5-10 including wine! I made my first trip to the 99 cent store last week. Do you know they have fresh produce as in organic packaged lettuces for 99 cents? It was fresher than what I paid $3.00 for at a local chain! I also got a package of romaine hearts for 99 cents. Yesterday, I bought a 5 lb bag of russet potatoes for 99 cents. We don't eat a lot of potatoes but I will bake 5 or 6 and then put them in the refer to take out later and make potato skins or fried potatoes for Sunday breakfast. I watched Julie and Julia yesterday and it must be the reason for this post. If you haven't seen the movie, rent the DVD. Tim even liked it. I like Sandra Bullock but Meryl Streep should have gotten the Academy Award for her portrayal of Julia Child. Forgot to add a recipe...maybe next time...something with a red pepper in it.

Cabin Fever

Cabin fever in a 2200 square foot house is one thing.  Cabin fever in less than 300 square feet is quite different.  The weather has kept all three of us inside.  It’s either raining, snowing or blowing.  Feels like it’s been this way for months.  I can only read so much, surf so much, cook so much, clean, dust and vacuum, had my fill of Wal-Mart and Tim’s never had so much clean laundry at one time. Tim can be buried in a book for days without looking up.  Lucy goes from her bed, to our bed to the sofa to her food bowl and then starts over.  I, on the other hand, am starting to climb the walls.  The weather needs to shape up.  Anybody seen Al Gore?  I could use some global warming right now.