My New Favorites

The other day a friend and I were comparing our food favorites when I realized that I had a lot of new ones. Surprisingly, one is sauerkraut.

Years ago, when I was growing up, home made sauerkraut was on the dinner menu every night. We usually had two huge crocks of kraut stored in the cellar where other canned and preserved foods were kept. During the winter months, at dinner time, Mom would send me to the cellar to get kraut for dinner. As we used up the kraut I'd let her know how much remained, but before the crocks were empty, I got weary of eating kraut every night and complained, “Not again!” Recently I ate a deli sandwich with kraut and rediscovered how tasty kraut could be.

Another new favorite is cucumber-lemon water.

It's served at one of the local restaurants and since I found out how to make it, I keep some in the fridge. Just put large chunks of cucumber and lemon slices in water and chill. Just replace the water after drinking some. As the flavor diminishes, add a fresh cucumber and lemon.

My latest new favorite is an open face cream cheese sandwich, generously covered with raw pecan pieces pressed onto the cheese.

Crystallized ginger, a forgotten favorite, is on my list again. I remembered it when I noticed that a piece of ginger root had sprouted.

Foods are not my only favorites.

My latest TV favorite is America's Got Talent.

If I hadn't seen some of the performances with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe them possible. Some athletic feats are beyond description with phenomenal strength and flexibility. Musical talents of participants are often amazing. Performances of many unusual abilities are shown, and acts combining the latest virtual technology with movement are elegant to watch.

My favorite late night comedian was Jay Leno, but since he retired, I haven't yet decided on one.

My favorite games are chess, mahjong solitaire, and Spite and Malice, a card game.

My sister Adeline had learned the card game many years ago and it became a family favorite. During any lengthy visit of family members, there will always be a Spite and Malice tournament.

I have favorite books but too numerous to mention. History books are top of the list with biography and autobiographical books a close second.

Over the years I've had many pets, favoring dogs over cats, however, Mimi, my cat that ran off with a river boat gambler during the hurricane Ike, was special.

I'll obviously continue choosing favorites as the current ones are replaced. Who knows what the next ones will be.



German Sauerkraut

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

MrsB

My Water Glass Garden

Water Glass Garlic

After cousin Loretta told me about her water glass garden, I graduated from just rooting avocado seeds in glasses of water to growing vegetables that will re-grow themselves. I knew that leaves would grow from the tops of carrots if put in water. Years ago I kept several containers of water growing carrot leaves on a kitchen shelf, but I didn't know that celery, garlic, ginger, basil, onions, pineapple, lettuce, scallions or bok choy and sweet potatoes would re-grow themselves from scraps if put in water.

Immediately after my phone chat with Loretta, I went to the kitchen and cut off the bottom two inches of a bunch of celery and placed it glass with water. I did the same with a garlic clove. I was astonished that within three days, the garlic had sprouted and the center of the celery base was showing green shoots.

I picked several sprigs of basil from the plants growing in out door containers, and following instructions found on the internet, I placed them in a glass of water. I expect them to root soon. I'm debating about growing sweet potato vines in water since I don't plan to grow sweet potatoes in soil, but I may grow the vines just for the beauty of a potted plant. Scallions, pineapple and bok choy are on my 'to do' list. My son gave me some pieces of ginger root from his container garden and I'll see what luck I have with that.

Re-discovering these gardening tips that our ancestors practiced eliminates the need for pesticides besides creating a re-occurring supply of veggies. Its a small effort balanced against the gain to be achieved. The images are from web sites describing how to grow various fruits and vegetables.



Water Glass Celery

Stop the World, I Want To Get off

It seems to me that things are moving too fast! I long for quiet hum-drum, monotonous days where daily routines never vary. The same old chores, the same old job, the same old hobbies, the same old meals and the same old friends sharing the same old gossip.

I don't really want to return to the 'old' days, but catastrophes of varying degrees are publicized in all social media outlets 24/7 with non-stop speculation over the least event exaggerating its importance in the public mind.

These occurrences are brought to the public mind so rapidly we hardly have time to digest the meaning of one event before another replaces it. There's a never ending report of wars between countries, climactic devastation, crimes of robbery and murder, corruption and malfeasance of public office and deadly power struggles between religious beliefs.

No wonder we find relief from these harrowing events by watching late night comedians on television. They teach us how to take these events in stride by poking fun at the perpetrators.



Laughing it Up
April 18 2014