[Editor's Post]
Mrs B's Family Stories for 2009 is now available for download in a PDF format. All of the stories for 2009 are included.
Other PDF files available to download include the blog stories for each year as well as the two cookbooks!
Please feel free to download and share them with your family.
Click on the link in the download panel to get a copy.
Kim
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Frog Legs Story [story 3] by Esther
[Editor's note: This story was written by my Aunt Esther]
When Vernon came home from serving in the Navy after the WWII, we were married and we made the trip to his home in Baton Rouge. The difference in foods was a big change for me. He never once asked for a special dish and he would eat everything I cook. He may not of wanted it again, but was always ready to try a new dish. His Mother was one to teach me some if his favorite dishes. I did love her Jambalaya and her corn soup.
One thing Vernon did was to hunt game. In California, he loved to hunt deer. We lived on the mountain top and in the Red Wood trees. He went hunting when he wanted some deer. My brother Abby and him would take several sandwiches and a thermal bottle of hot coffee and off they would go to satisfy their desire for venison. If they came back with good luck, Mom would call every one to come and eat with us. I only wish I had known how to make Jambalaya with the left over venison then!
Back in Baton Rouge, I learned rice was the first thing on the plate. Then the meat and most often the beans were on top and I can tell you it was very good to eat. The only thing I ever added to the plate was corn bread, hot out of the oven. The only vegetable served was fresh tomatoes and sliced cucumbers.
Vernon also like to eat frog legs. Since I had never eaten any before, I was not too eager to try them, but you can’t be in the kitchen, smelling them frying and then not try a bite, as they are so very good. Served with French Fries and Hush Puppies, it's a meal you won’t forget.
I can’t say I wanted to go out to catch them with Vernon. He went in the night time with a head light and a battery and a gig to grab the frog with and put them in the gunny sack, till he had enough to have a good meal.
It so happened that my Mom and Dad and brother Abby came by from Florida on their way back to California. I had just started to fry the frog legs and I told Mom the supper would be ready soon. Vernon told her the meat was chicken and I got worried, as Mom did not like to be told one thing and then find out it was something else.
All went well and Mom asked if she could make some Hush Puppies, and that sounded good to me but I wasn't sure what they were. Mom said they are like corn bread. To this day, I have loved her Hush Puppies and added them to any fish fry we served since. And Mom did not get too upset when she found out they were frog legs instead of chicken legs.
To prepare the frog legs to fry I would mix fish fry, which is corn ground to a fine flour like meal. I found this to be better than just cornmeal as it picks up less oil while frying and it would seal to the meat faster then just plain cornmeal. I then added salt, pepper and onion powder with some hot red pepper. Then you start heating the oil and when it’s ready, add the frog legs and cook till nicely brown. Next do batches of French Fry potatoes and batches of Hush Puppies 'till you have enough to start eating.
We did not have too many frog leg dinners. But we sure did enjoy the ones we had. They were not something we could freeze. They were better when they were fresh.
I also love to eat fresh filet of fish. When I cooked it myself, I only used boneless filets from fish that Vernon caught. Boneless filets are also better for young children. If Vernon didn't catch it, we would eat it at a restaurant.
Wash and dry the fish. Rub a little dill mustard over both sides of the fish. Season to taste. Dip in to Butter milk. Roll in fish fry and pecans, chopped fine. Fry in hot oil and serve with French Fries and Hush Puppies, along with corn cooked with strips of bell peppers. To increase the flavor of the Hush Puppies, add some finely chopped onions to the batter.
Another variation is to bake the fish. Prepare the fish as above, and spray Pam on a pan and with the oven heated to 375 bake the fish till it is nicely browned , turn over and brown the other side. The fish will almost have a good crunchy crust like it was fried.
A baked potato is great, plus a good salad will make a great meal but if French Fried potatoes are what you really want, the frozen ones will be good in the oven also.
Thinking about how good the fish was, I am ready to go find a good restaurant to eat some good fried fish and French Fries with some Hush Puppies. If I ever get back to Houston, I know my Sister Marion will tell her son, we want to go to a sea food house and off we will go to enjoy the best the house can offer.
When Vernon came home from serving in the Navy after the WWII, we were married and we made the trip to his home in Baton Rouge. The difference in foods was a big change for me. He never once asked for a special dish and he would eat everything I cook. He may not of wanted it again, but was always ready to try a new dish. His Mother was one to teach me some if his favorite dishes. I did love her Jambalaya and her corn soup.
One thing Vernon did was to hunt game. In California, he loved to hunt deer. We lived on the mountain top and in the Red Wood trees. He went hunting when he wanted some deer. My brother Abby and him would take several sandwiches and a thermal bottle of hot coffee and off they would go to satisfy their desire for venison. If they came back with good luck, Mom would call every one to come and eat with us. I only wish I had known how to make Jambalaya with the left over venison then!
Back in Baton Rouge, I learned rice was the first thing on the plate. Then the meat and most often the beans were on top and I can tell you it was very good to eat. The only thing I ever added to the plate was corn bread, hot out of the oven. The only vegetable served was fresh tomatoes and sliced cucumbers.
Vernon also like to eat frog legs. Since I had never eaten any before, I was not too eager to try them, but you can’t be in the kitchen, smelling them frying and then not try a bite, as they are so very good. Served with French Fries and Hush Puppies, it's a meal you won’t forget.
I can’t say I wanted to go out to catch them with Vernon. He went in the night time with a head light and a battery and a gig to grab the frog with and put them in the gunny sack, till he had enough to have a good meal.
It so happened that my Mom and Dad and brother Abby came by from Florida on their way back to California. I had just started to fry the frog legs and I told Mom the supper would be ready soon. Vernon told her the meat was chicken and I got worried, as Mom did not like to be told one thing and then find out it was something else.
All went well and Mom asked if she could make some Hush Puppies, and that sounded good to me but I wasn't sure what they were. Mom said they are like corn bread. To this day, I have loved her Hush Puppies and added them to any fish fry we served since. And Mom did not get too upset when she found out they were frog legs instead of chicken legs.
To prepare the frog legs to fry I would mix fish fry, which is corn ground to a fine flour like meal. I found this to be better than just cornmeal as it picks up less oil while frying and it would seal to the meat faster then just plain cornmeal. I then added salt, pepper and onion powder with some hot red pepper. Then you start heating the oil and when it’s ready, add the frog legs and cook till nicely brown. Next do batches of French Fry potatoes and batches of Hush Puppies 'till you have enough to start eating.
We did not have too many frog leg dinners. But we sure did enjoy the ones we had. They were not something we could freeze. They were better when they were fresh.
I also love to eat fresh filet of fish. When I cooked it myself, I only used boneless filets from fish that Vernon caught. Boneless filets are also better for young children. If Vernon didn't catch it, we would eat it at a restaurant.
Wash and dry the fish. Rub a little dill mustard over both sides of the fish. Season to taste. Dip in to Butter milk. Roll in fish fry and pecans, chopped fine. Fry in hot oil and serve with French Fries and Hush Puppies, along with corn cooked with strips of bell peppers. To increase the flavor of the Hush Puppies, add some finely chopped onions to the batter.
Another variation is to bake the fish. Prepare the fish as above, and spray Pam on a pan and with the oven heated to 375 bake the fish till it is nicely browned , turn over and brown the other side. The fish will almost have a good crunchy crust like it was fried.
A baked potato is great, plus a good salad will make a great meal but if French Fried potatoes are what you really want, the frozen ones will be good in the oven also.
Thinking about how good the fish was, I am ready to go find a good restaurant to eat some good fried fish and French Fries with some Hush Puppies. If I ever get back to Houston, I know my Sister Marion will tell her son, we want to go to a sea food house and off we will go to enjoy the best the house can offer.
My Nana's Cookbook [Esther's Surprise]
[Editor's post]
Last winter (2009) my Aunt Esther created a cookbook of her own favorite recipes for her family. She called it "My Nana's Cookbook" and gave it to selected family members as a Christmas present.
Esther did it all herself (of course with some help from her son and daughters) – she printed out each recipe on the printer and hand collated it and then took it to the print shop to have it put into binders. She created 20 books to give away. It was a tremendous work!
I was fortunate enough to receive one these hard copy books and I was totally astonished at the extensive listing of recipes. It was completely different from my mother's cookbook. This was a no-nonsense-get-in-there-and-make-it cook book.
A bit of negotiating with my Aunt took place and I convinced her to let me convert the hard copy to an electronic copy to share with everyone on the blog. My Aunt was exhausted from all the hard work on the original book but she readily agreed to the project.
I explained that a hard-copy book is not the same as an electronic copy and that I would do all the work to make the electronic copy but she would have to do the proof-reading as the project progressed. I explained it would take a lot of work and it would take a lot of time to do. However, in the end I felt we would both be happy with the out come.
Esther sent me copies of her original recipe documents and away we went. First, I converted her MS-Works documents to OpenOffice documents where I would have more control over the format. Next I created a Master Document and began to add the recipes to it. After every few entries I sent her a copy to proof-read and she sent back corrections. We exchanged copies several times a week. I want to give my Aunt Esther a BIG HUG AND A LUG for hanging in there when it seemed like we would never get to the end.
After we got all the original recipes into the electronic copy, I prevailed on my Aunt to add some new ones. Special recipes that I remember her making when I first met her as a teenager visiting her and Uncle Vernon in Baton Rouge. We call these Vernon's Recipes and I am so grateful that she included them!
Next I asked my Aunt to send some photos to add to the book. Color hard-copy is expensive but color in an electronic book is not – so after a bit of gentle pushing on my side, Esther got her daughter Cindy to take a bunch of photos. Esther selected the ones she liked best and her family were champs at figuring out how to email me the photos! The photos where the final touch needed to complete the book.
Well it's time to unveil Aunt Esther's Surprise!
On the left panel there is a download link to My Nana's Cookbook!
Kim
Last winter (2009) my Aunt Esther created a cookbook of her own favorite recipes for her family. She called it "My Nana's Cookbook" and gave it to selected family members as a Christmas present.
Esther did it all herself (of course with some help from her son and daughters) – she printed out each recipe on the printer and hand collated it and then took it to the print shop to have it put into binders. She created 20 books to give away. It was a tremendous work!
I was fortunate enough to receive one these hard copy books and I was totally astonished at the extensive listing of recipes. It was completely different from my mother's cookbook. This was a no-nonsense-get-in-there-and-make-it cook book.
A bit of negotiating with my Aunt took place and I convinced her to let me convert the hard copy to an electronic copy to share with everyone on the blog. My Aunt was exhausted from all the hard work on the original book but she readily agreed to the project.
I explained that a hard-copy book is not the same as an electronic copy and that I would do all the work to make the electronic copy but she would have to do the proof-reading as the project progressed. I explained it would take a lot of work and it would take a lot of time to do. However, in the end I felt we would both be happy with the out come.
Esther sent me copies of her original recipe documents and away we went. First, I converted her MS-Works documents to OpenOffice documents where I would have more control over the format. Next I created a Master Document and began to add the recipes to it. After every few entries I sent her a copy to proof-read and she sent back corrections. We exchanged copies several times a week. I want to give my Aunt Esther a BIG HUG AND A LUG for hanging in there when it seemed like we would never get to the end.
After we got all the original recipes into the electronic copy, I prevailed on my Aunt to add some new ones. Special recipes that I remember her making when I first met her as a teenager visiting her and Uncle Vernon in Baton Rouge. We call these Vernon's Recipes and I am so grateful that she included them!
Next I asked my Aunt to send some photos to add to the book. Color hard-copy is expensive but color in an electronic book is not – so after a bit of gentle pushing on my side, Esther got her daughter Cindy to take a bunch of photos. Esther selected the ones she liked best and her family were champs at figuring out how to email me the photos! The photos where the final touch needed to complete the book.
Well it's time to unveil Aunt Esther's Surprise!
On the left panel there is a download link to My Nana's Cookbook!
Kim
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Oven Baked fish Story [story 2] by Esther
[Editor's note: This story was written by Aunt Esther]
Some times, Vernon would go fishing and come home with a big fish that was too large to filet and fry. Then I would bake it and serve it with rice. A garden salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce would be just the thing to make the meal perfect.
A four to eight pound bass would be what we needed to have. Vernon would remove the fins and cut off the ribs which had all the tiny bones. I would rub salt and pepper and other seasoning on the out side and inside of the fish. Then add chopped onions, celery, bell peppers and add some hot peppers under and over the fish in a roasting pan. Add one can of Rotel, which is tomatoes and hot peppers, and one can of tomatoes sauce over everything. Add any other seasoning you might like. Cover with the lid and bake at 350 degree oven till fish is done. When done the fish should flake apart easy. Do not over cook, or the meat will be too dry.
It was good to have friends over to enjoy eating with us. There would be lots of fish left over for any one who wanted to take some home with them.
I never did much fishing after we moved to Baton Rouge. In California, we went to the ocean and surf fished as often as we could. Some times we spent the weekend at the beach. Taffy was one to keep us laughing, as she would run as fast as her little feet could take her to catch the crabs, as they would scoot to get back to the water when the roller waves had brought them onto the beach. She was never fast enough to catch them.
I remember another time that we went to Half Moon Bay and rented a boat and motor to go out about a mile out to fish for Flounders. We had our surf rods and reels and the line had multiple fish hooks and it was so nice to reel in several fish at a time. We spent the whole day out and I know we gave away quite a few fish. There was no way we could keep that many.
I did not do much fishing when we came to Baton Rouge. It was OK to keep an eye on one child but when there were two, I knew I would stay home and let the children play so I would not worry if they fell in the water or if Taffy would actually catch a crab! That did not change until we moved to The Lake.
When Vernon retired, we moved to the town of Many at Toledo Bend Lake. Vernon found the place and we bought several acres and it was a lovely place to live. I fell in love with the lovely Dog Wood Trees among the pine forest, and we were at the end of the road. It did not take long to find the mobile home we thought we could make do with. It was as good as any camp any where. And it was home to us for the seventeen good years we lived there.
Vernon had his rig set up for comfort and it was so nice to sit in the back seat and cast if I wanted to or to read or just day dream. Going out in the early morning and seeing the sun rise was one pleasure I loved. The sun was so brilliant. Like satin and shinning so brightly, it really made me want to be there the next morning to see it all over again. It became my world just to see it. And each time I saw it was a gift.
I learn to cast and reel in and it was nice to be able to reel in a fish. There were times when we caught fish and then there were times we did not get a single one. But it was still nice to get out and say “hi” to other people on the lake that like us, loved to fish. Vernon spent good times with my brothers, and my Dad, and the other kin folk who came and went with him out on the lake. He loved to send them home with loads of fish so they could have their own fish fry. Even Mom went out on the lake to fish with Vernon and she caught her share of fish.
Those were great days and I have some great memories that are pleasant to think back to. I do want to say how good it is I still have a sister, Marion Elizabeth and we chat every week day if we can. That is one good habit I don’t want to lose. Together we keep working on our beading and she has her needle point to work on and I have my counted cross stitch and she has her knitting and I have my embroidery quilt blocks to sew. And now she is learning to read Latin!
Marion Elizabeth has Dad’s genes. He was always into books learning new crafts and he was learning Spanish when he first moved to Orange, Texas. Between him and Mom, they both learned to make a weaving loom and then to weave a lovely rug on it. Then Mom got him to build her a spinning wheel so she could spin her own thread. I remember that, as Vernon got the oak lumber for him to use, and helped him to build it.
Some times, Vernon would go fishing and come home with a big fish that was too large to filet and fry. Then I would bake it and serve it with rice. A garden salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce would be just the thing to make the meal perfect.
A four to eight pound bass would be what we needed to have. Vernon would remove the fins and cut off the ribs which had all the tiny bones. I would rub salt and pepper and other seasoning on the out side and inside of the fish. Then add chopped onions, celery, bell peppers and add some hot peppers under and over the fish in a roasting pan. Add one can of Rotel, which is tomatoes and hot peppers, and one can of tomatoes sauce over everything. Add any other seasoning you might like. Cover with the lid and bake at 350 degree oven till fish is done. When done the fish should flake apart easy. Do not over cook, or the meat will be too dry.
It was good to have friends over to enjoy eating with us. There would be lots of fish left over for any one who wanted to take some home with them.
I never did much fishing after we moved to Baton Rouge. In California, we went to the ocean and surf fished as often as we could. Some times we spent the weekend at the beach. Taffy was one to keep us laughing, as she would run as fast as her little feet could take her to catch the crabs, as they would scoot to get back to the water when the roller waves had brought them onto the beach. She was never fast enough to catch them.
I remember another time that we went to Half Moon Bay and rented a boat and motor to go out about a mile out to fish for Flounders. We had our surf rods and reels and the line had multiple fish hooks and it was so nice to reel in several fish at a time. We spent the whole day out and I know we gave away quite a few fish. There was no way we could keep that many.
I did not do much fishing when we came to Baton Rouge. It was OK to keep an eye on one child but when there were two, I knew I would stay home and let the children play so I would not worry if they fell in the water or if Taffy would actually catch a crab! That did not change until we moved to The Lake.
When Vernon retired, we moved to the town of Many at Toledo Bend Lake. Vernon found the place and we bought several acres and it was a lovely place to live. I fell in love with the lovely Dog Wood Trees among the pine forest, and we were at the end of the road. It did not take long to find the mobile home we thought we could make do with. It was as good as any camp any where. And it was home to us for the seventeen good years we lived there.
Vernon had his rig set up for comfort and it was so nice to sit in the back seat and cast if I wanted to or to read or just day dream. Going out in the early morning and seeing the sun rise was one pleasure I loved. The sun was so brilliant. Like satin and shinning so brightly, it really made me want to be there the next morning to see it all over again. It became my world just to see it. And each time I saw it was a gift.
I learn to cast and reel in and it was nice to be able to reel in a fish. There were times when we caught fish and then there were times we did not get a single one. But it was still nice to get out and say “hi” to other people on the lake that like us, loved to fish. Vernon spent good times with my brothers, and my Dad, and the other kin folk who came and went with him out on the lake. He loved to send them home with loads of fish so they could have their own fish fry. Even Mom went out on the lake to fish with Vernon and she caught her share of fish.
Those were great days and I have some great memories that are pleasant to think back to. I do want to say how good it is I still have a sister, Marion Elizabeth and we chat every week day if we can. That is one good habit I don’t want to lose. Together we keep working on our beading and she has her needle point to work on and I have my counted cross stitch and she has her knitting and I have my embroidery quilt blocks to sew. And now she is learning to read Latin!
Marion Elizabeth has Dad’s genes. He was always into books learning new crafts and he was learning Spanish when he first moved to Orange, Texas. Between him and Mom, they both learned to make a weaving loom and then to weave a lovely rug on it. Then Mom got him to build her a spinning wheel so she could spin her own thread. I remember that, as Vernon got the oak lumber for him to use, and helped him to build it.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The Big Garden Story [story 1] by Esther
[Editor's Note: This story was written by Aunt Esther]
Spring time was just around the corner and we wanted to start a large garden. I wanted lots of tomato plants, along with some cucumbers and green bell peppers. We lived on salads in the summer time when the temperatures went up into the 90’s. Vernon wanted some purple hull peas and some crook neck yellow squash. He even talked me into some okra.
Vernon hired a man to come and till the ground for us and it was so nice to see him work his machine. He made the ground into ready to plant rows, after I told him how far apart I wanted.
Vernon made some wire fence into tubes, about five feet in a circle, and we would put down black plastic on the row and set the wire tubes on it. Then we planted four to six tomato plants around it. When the plants grew, we would put the feelers in and out of the holes of the wire fence, That way we did not have to tie them. In the same way we planted the cucumbers. It sure made picking them when they were ripe so easy. And it saved my back from aching.
When we planted the squash, we had to make a mound and we planted it with two sets of seeds. This squash has huge leaves on a thick stalk, and grow up to four or five feet tall. So we had to make a lot of room for them. Next the bell peppers were set in and then we worked to plant the purple hull peas into four long rows.
One of my fears was snakes. I did not want to ever think of them in the garden. So I did what my Mother told me she did years ago. She took a pole and use it to stomp it on the ground as she walked. She said it worked for her as it made the snake go the other way when she did it. If it worked for her, I knew it would work for me too!
Our garden was so really looking great. We were getting HUGE tomatoes and the cucumbers were so nice and tender and there was so many, I thought I would load up and take some to Mom and Dad. It had been a while since they were up, and Vernon was doing fine, Our neighbor would keep an eye out on Vernon to make sure he was OK by going fishing with him while I was gone. So off to Orange I went with some great salad makings .
It was a nice day to go and I always enjoyed driving down to see Mom and Dad on 97 fm road. [ That’s farm to market road ] it’s pine trees all the way down to Orange, Texas. A very scenic route and perfect to relax and enjoy. Some of the towns and places along the way have a history connection and are great to browse through when you have time.
When I got to Mom’s house I was so pleased to see Marion and her son Bob. He came to spend some time with his Mother and it had been while since I last saw him. I had a nice visit and we all had a cup of coffee and then I got Bob to help me bring the veggies in to the house. Marion took some home with her and Mom said we have to make some of her new recipe for refrigerator pickles. It was just the perfect thing to do with the cucumbers and it was a big winner for me. I had a garden full of them and this recipe is a great one to have any summer. Vernon and I lived on this recipe as long as I had fresh cucumbers.
It was not more than a minute after getting Mom’s pickles into the refrigerator when Marion and Bob came back and asked me if I would want to make some of Bob’s salsa. And I said yes! And it was “One Good Recipe!!” I have to tell you, it was the one we lived on in during hot weather times.
When Vernon and I were married in California, we lived across from a night spot called Bella Vista, on Sky Line Blvd. It was a restaurant and motel with some one arm bandits, plus some pinball machines. Sometimes we ate there and on the menu they had a “whop salad” which we loved. It was cold canned veggies on a plate: corn, shoe string beets, green beans, green peas, egg wedges, grated cheddar cheese on a bed of lettuce. We would make that and then add Bob’s Salsa as the dressing which made it all so nice to eat! I want Bob to know, if he offered me a million dollars, I would still rather have “The Recipe”!
These two recipes were the best ones and I've fixed them for many of our lunches. Both can be made by the gallon and they keep well in the refrigerator. Both of these recipes are in Marion's Cook Book if you would like to try them, I can tell you how much you will like them. They are so fresh and both are so easy to make.
We had tomatoes and bell peppers and cucumbers and we gave as much away as I put up in the freezer; I loved to send family home with a nice basket full of everything. I remember when Mom would send me home with a load of goodies or have some delivered to me by someone coming our way. And I learned it was a joy to know they loved my sending them some of our good work too.
We loved making a garden and we took so much pride to have made a good job out of our hard work. Not only the garden, but Vernon's purple peas and the squash and not to forget the fish we sent to every one. As my Mother use to say, “Take this dish and when you return it, fill it with some goodies we love to get!”
Makes me want to get out and start a garden this spring time. Wouldn’t that be great!!!!
Spring time was just around the corner and we wanted to start a large garden. I wanted lots of tomato plants, along with some cucumbers and green bell peppers. We lived on salads in the summer time when the temperatures went up into the 90’s. Vernon wanted some purple hull peas and some crook neck yellow squash. He even talked me into some okra.
Vernon hired a man to come and till the ground for us and it was so nice to see him work his machine. He made the ground into ready to plant rows, after I told him how far apart I wanted.
Vernon made some wire fence into tubes, about five feet in a circle, and we would put down black plastic on the row and set the wire tubes on it. Then we planted four to six tomato plants around it. When the plants grew, we would put the feelers in and out of the holes of the wire fence, That way we did not have to tie them. In the same way we planted the cucumbers. It sure made picking them when they were ripe so easy. And it saved my back from aching.
When we planted the squash, we had to make a mound and we planted it with two sets of seeds. This squash has huge leaves on a thick stalk, and grow up to four or five feet tall. So we had to make a lot of room for them. Next the bell peppers were set in and then we worked to plant the purple hull peas into four long rows.
One of my fears was snakes. I did not want to ever think of them in the garden. So I did what my Mother told me she did years ago. She took a pole and use it to stomp it on the ground as she walked. She said it worked for her as it made the snake go the other way when she did it. If it worked for her, I knew it would work for me too!
Our garden was so really looking great. We were getting HUGE tomatoes and the cucumbers were so nice and tender and there was so many, I thought I would load up and take some to Mom and Dad. It had been a while since they were up, and Vernon was doing fine, Our neighbor would keep an eye out on Vernon to make sure he was OK by going fishing with him while I was gone. So off to Orange I went with some great salad makings .
It was a nice day to go and I always enjoyed driving down to see Mom and Dad on 97 fm road. [ That’s farm to market road ] it’s pine trees all the way down to Orange, Texas. A very scenic route and perfect to relax and enjoy. Some of the towns and places along the way have a history connection and are great to browse through when you have time.
When I got to Mom’s house I was so pleased to see Marion and her son Bob. He came to spend some time with his Mother and it had been while since I last saw him. I had a nice visit and we all had a cup of coffee and then I got Bob to help me bring the veggies in to the house. Marion took some home with her and Mom said we have to make some of her new recipe for refrigerator pickles. It was just the perfect thing to do with the cucumbers and it was a big winner for me. I had a garden full of them and this recipe is a great one to have any summer. Vernon and I lived on this recipe as long as I had fresh cucumbers.
It was not more than a minute after getting Mom’s pickles into the refrigerator when Marion and Bob came back and asked me if I would want to make some of Bob’s salsa. And I said yes! And it was “One Good Recipe!!” I have to tell you, it was the one we lived on in during hot weather times.
When Vernon and I were married in California, we lived across from a night spot called Bella Vista, on Sky Line Blvd. It was a restaurant and motel with some one arm bandits, plus some pinball machines. Sometimes we ate there and on the menu they had a “whop salad” which we loved. It was cold canned veggies on a plate: corn, shoe string beets, green beans, green peas, egg wedges, grated cheddar cheese on a bed of lettuce. We would make that and then add Bob’s Salsa as the dressing which made it all so nice to eat! I want Bob to know, if he offered me a million dollars, I would still rather have “The Recipe”!
These two recipes were the best ones and I've fixed them for many of our lunches. Both can be made by the gallon and they keep well in the refrigerator. Both of these recipes are in Marion's Cook Book if you would like to try them, I can tell you how much you will like them. They are so fresh and both are so easy to make.
We had tomatoes and bell peppers and cucumbers and we gave as much away as I put up in the freezer; I loved to send family home with a nice basket full of everything. I remember when Mom would send me home with a load of goodies or have some delivered to me by someone coming our way. And I learned it was a joy to know they loved my sending them some of our good work too.
We loved making a garden and we took so much pride to have made a good job out of our hard work. Not only the garden, but Vernon's purple peas and the squash and not to forget the fish we sent to every one. As my Mother use to say, “Take this dish and when you return it, fill it with some goodies we love to get!”
Makes me want to get out and start a garden this spring time. Wouldn’t that be great!!!!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
A Tasty Bit
[Editor's post]
For the past several months, I have been working with my Aunt Esther on a Very Special Project. One I know that everyone who reads this blog will enjoy!
There will be a set of 3 stories by Esther and then the SURPRISE will be revealed!
So, don't miss out on any of the tasty bits to come!
Kim
For the past several months, I have been working with my Aunt Esther on a Very Special Project. One I know that everyone who reads this blog will enjoy!
There will be a set of 3 stories by Esther and then the SURPRISE will be revealed!
So, don't miss out on any of the tasty bits to come!
Kim
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Languages
I have taken up Latin...
Not the song and dance, but the Latin language; Classic Latin to be precise, and I am busy learning conjugations, declensions and case endings.
Several years ago, when I was visiting my daughter and her husband in California, we enjoyed afternoon tea in the local book store while leafing thru books we wanted to buy. One particular day, my daughter and I were browsing books on French grammar and spied Peter Jones’ book, Learn Latin. We each bought a copy.
The book, originally written as a series of articles in London’s Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph over a period of twenty weeks, comprises twenty anxiety-free chapters with enough grammar and vocabulary to permit reading poems of Catullus.
I approach learning foreign languages like I do all my hobbies, with lots of enthusiasm, and devote a lot time to it until another of my hobbies begins to encroach on the study time. Then one of the projects gets short shrift, gradually fading away like old soldiers. I don’t bail out of the chosen activity, only postponed it because sometimes I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
I’m having more fun learning Latin than I have had with other languages, and plan to get thru all twenty chapters. There are wonderful YouTube lessons and RSS feeds on the internet that I also follow. I can’t figure out why Latin was so distasteful and difficult when I took it in high school!
The other day I googled for something Latin and found an interesting web site. I started reading a paragraph and was pleasantly surprised to find that I could understand most of it and thought to myself that my concentrated studying was paying off. Then I did a double take. It was not Latin I was reading, but Spanish.
Not the song and dance, but the Latin language; Classic Latin to be precise, and I am busy learning conjugations, declensions and case endings.
Several years ago, when I was visiting my daughter and her husband in California, we enjoyed afternoon tea in the local book store while leafing thru books we wanted to buy. One particular day, my daughter and I were browsing books on French grammar and spied Peter Jones’ book, Learn Latin. We each bought a copy.
The book, originally written as a series of articles in London’s Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph over a period of twenty weeks, comprises twenty anxiety-free chapters with enough grammar and vocabulary to permit reading poems of Catullus.
I approach learning foreign languages like I do all my hobbies, with lots of enthusiasm, and devote a lot time to it until another of my hobbies begins to encroach on the study time. Then one of the projects gets short shrift, gradually fading away like old soldiers. I don’t bail out of the chosen activity, only postponed it because sometimes I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
I’m having more fun learning Latin than I have had with other languages, and plan to get thru all twenty chapters. There are wonderful YouTube lessons and RSS feeds on the internet that I also follow. I can’t figure out why Latin was so distasteful and difficult when I took it in high school!
The other day I googled for something Latin and found an interesting web site. I started reading a paragraph and was pleasantly surprised to find that I could understand most of it and thought to myself that my concentrated studying was paying off. Then I did a double take. It was not Latin I was reading, but Spanish.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Of Cooking Embarrassments
In one of our IM chats, my sister and I got on the subject of embarrassing situations. We had some good laughs at each other’s expense describing sundry situations, various faux pas and a myriad of blunders making us blush and wishing the earth had opened and swallowed us.
As we exchanged stories we mentioned incidents in our children’s lives that occurred when they first learned to cook and bake. When my daughter was about 14, she liked to bake cookies and on occasion, a cake. We lived in California at the time, and the folks lived with us. During summer evenings, family members Margret and Chester, Maxine and Paul, and Lester would come by to chat and catch up on family news. Counting Mom and Dad, my self and my daughter, there would be at least 9 people and occasionally other friends.
On this particular day, my daughter baked a cake to be served during the evening, taking special care to have the frosting just right. The cake looked like a magazine photo. As the servings were passed around, lots of comments were made on how beautiful the cake looked and I was very proud of my daughter for having baked such a terrific cake!
The first person to take a bite let out a loud yell which grabbed everyone’s attention. The cake was SALTY! It turned out that my daughter had mistakenly measured salt rather than sugar, being unaware that Mom had put the contents of the salt box in a glass jar similar to the one we used for sugar. My daughter was mortified but we all had a good laugh and ate ice cream instead of cake.
My own most embarrassing cooking moment came when I planned to take two pumpkin pies to Adeline’s thanksgiving dinner. As I prepared the crusts and mixed the ingredients, I thought to myself how easy it was to make pumpkin pies in contrast to apple pies where lots of peeling and slicing was called for. I enjoyed the simple stirring process and when I poured the mixture into the crusts, took a few extra minutes to make interesting designs in each pie.
When it was time to leave the house to go to Adeline’s I carefully put the pies in food carriers and placed them in the car trunk so they would not get jumbled or upset. While driving to Adeline’s house, I suddenly realized that I had not baked the pies! I turned the car around and went back home, phoned Adeline and told her that I would be coming without them.
On this particular day, my daughter baked a cake to be served during the evening, taking special care to have the frosting just right. The cake looked like a magazine photo. As the servings were passed around, lots of comments were made on how beautiful the cake looked and I was very proud of my daughter for having baked such a terrific cake!
My own most embarrassing cooking moment came when I planned to take two pumpkin pies to Adeline’s thanksgiving dinner. As I prepared the crusts and mixed the ingredients, I thought to myself how easy it was to make pumpkin pies in contrast to apple pies where lots of peeling and slicing was called for. I enjoyed the simple stirring process and when I poured the mixture into the crusts, took a few extra minutes to make interesting designs in each pie.
When it was time to leave the house to go to Adeline’s I carefully put the pies in food carriers and placed them in the car trunk so they would not get jumbled or upset. While driving to Adeline’s house, I suddenly realized that I had not baked the pies! I turned the car around and went back home, phoned Adeline and told her that I would be coming without them.
??? Is it Salt or Sugar ???
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