More of my Nanny’s garden…
I love to read! I almost always have a book that I am reading, although I am not like some bookworms that I know that have 2 or 3 going at one time. I have to concentrate on just one.
I finished a book Sunday that was very good and interesting. It is The Postmistress by Sarah Blake and I highly recommend it. I was in our local town library looking for something new to read when the cover of this book caught my eye. I guess it is the old letters and dried flower on the front that really did it.
It is set during World War II right before the United States joined the fight. There are 3 female main characters who are very different from each other, but their lives eventually come together in a small New England town close to Cape Cod. One is a young woman married to the local doctor, one is a middle-age single postmistress in this small town, and the third is a young reporter covering the war in Europe for radio.
If you enjoy strong emotional writing and interesting story lines, I think you would enjoy this book. I know I learned a few things about World War II that I had not heard much about before such as the female radio reporters of the time.
Posted in Books |
This is one of those recipes that kind-of sort-of fell in my lap. When my mom passed away a few weeks ago, a wonderful cousin of ours brought food to my nanny. She had baked a country ham, made a cake, and also made this delicious pasta salad. The salad was tangy but not sour, and was loaded with different vegetables.
Later on, I thanked her for the food and also asked if she minded giving up her pasta recipe. She did not mind a bit and I was surprised as to how easy it is! You can tailor it to your own tastes and to whatever you happen to have in the fridge which is great.
1 box pasta (Cuz used penne. I used rotini because that is what I had.)
1 bottle Italian dressing
pinch of sugar
assorted chopped vegetables of your choice (I had carrots and celery in the fridge. Cuz used cucumbers, sweet peppers and green olives.)
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the pasta. Cook for 10 minutes and drain.
Rinse the cooked pasta in cold water to stop the cooking process. Pour the Italian dressing over the pasta and stir gently to coat. Add the pinch of sugar and stir gently. Chill in the fridge overnight or for several hours to allow the dressing to soak into the pasta.
Chop the veggies a couple of hours before serving. Notice my handy-dandy little chopper from Rada. I may have to do a post just on it later. Add the veggies to the salad.
Posted in Cooking | 3 Comments »
I am in therapy…garden therapy, that is. We have been blessed with beautiful weather the last couple of days, and I have been outside after work to enjoy it. Last night, C helped me put flower pots on the front porch and deck, and I planted those. This evening we mowed and trimmed the yard, worked on the raised garden bed and even noticed a few ripening strawberries. Yum!
Life always seems a little brighter when I am outside amongst growing things. I guess it is the hope that comes from seeing a little plant sprout from a seed you put in the ground.
My family loves potatoes cooked just about any way. I can bake, fry, mash, roast, grill, or boil and usually everyone likes them. I have had this recipe for quite a while and just had not had the time to try it, but now I have. I fixed these for Sunday dinner at my Nanny’s last week and the response was great. The original recipe called for ranch dressing, but I used Italian and it gave it a little extra kick. Of course, bacon and cheese go great with potatoes.
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup bacon bits
2 lb. small red potatoes, quartered (The package I bought had 1.5 pounds so I added 1 Yukon Gold potato that I had.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 13×9” baking dish with non-stick spray. Mix dressing, cheese, and bacon bits in a large bowl. Add potatoes and toss lightly to coat.
Spoon the potatoes into the baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. (I like my potatoes crispy on the outside, so if you are a soft potato fan, leave the heat at 350.)
Remove from oven and enjoy!
Posted in Cooking | 2 Comments »
Some things are just better when they are homemade. Biscuits, fruit preserves, and salad dressings are a few things that come to mind. Angel food cake may rate at the top of this list for me. I have been using this recipe since 1998 with great success.
My grandparents used to raise organic free range chickens for a company that sold organic eggs. I made this cake many times for the company owner to use as a demonstration to show the difference between “store” eggs and his. Let me tell you, it is no trick. My grandmother still has chickens and I will only use the freshest eggs possible. If they are a few days old and are room temperature, the cake will still be good. That is what I used for these photos, but the best thing to do is gather the eggs from the henhouse and use them before they are ever refrigerated. It can make a huge difference in the rise and texture of this dessert. I know that is not possible for many, but if you can do it, I highly recommend it! You will never eat a “bought” angel food cake again!
1 cup + 2 tbsp cake flour (sift before measuring)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
12 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp vanilla
1 additional cup granulated sugar, sifted
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift flour and 3/4 cup granulated sugar together 4 times. I use 2 paper plates and sift back and forth between them.
Beat egg whites, salt, cream of tarter, and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Sprinkle in 1 cup of sifted sugar. Beat on medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and sprinkle in flour/sugar mixture. Pour batter into an UNGREASED angel food cake pan. Mine has a removable bottom which makes it a lot easier to remove the cake.
Before putting the cake into the oven, cut through the batter with the tip of a knife to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake for 35-38 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely.
One of my favorite ways to serve angel food cake is simply to cover a slice with sweetened strawberries. I had a few packages of frozen strawberries from last year that I put to good use with this! Also, a little frozen whipped topping never hurt either!
Posted in Cooking | 3 Comments »
I must apologize for my lack of posts lately. Sure, I have my weekly recipe, but most of these were pre-written and scheduled months ago thanks to Windows Live Writer “set publish date”. My middle of the week updates and menu planning have be neglected the last couple of months because my life has turned upside down.
My mom, my best friend, B, passed away two weeks ago today, and this has been the hardest thing with which I have ever dealt. Mom was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in February, 2007. She went through surgery, multiple kinds of chemo, and 25 radiation treatments in two years time. Last spring, everything was great. Her CA-125 was very low which was very good. (This is a specific cancer antigen the doctors test for when someone has ovarian cancer.)
We had the best spring and summer together. Mom ran a small garden center, and on my days off from my job I would go with her to the wholesale nurseries. It was so much fun! We laughed and talked and just enjoyed each other! This past November, Mom caught H1N1 flu and it knocked her for a loop. In December, her blood numbers had risen, but it was still below normal which was good. She began having severe back pain and everyone thought she had just hurt her back. X-rays showed she had three compression vertebrae fractures and they were causing her pain. We found out later that these fractures were caused from the radiation she had had two years ago.
When she went for a checkup at her oncologist’s office in February, he immediately admitted her into the hospital for pain control and to find out exactly what was wrong. There was a lot wrong. Her kidneys were not functioning normally and she had multiple tumors. The cancer had also spread to her bones. When the doctor said that treatment was not an option, I felt like the world had stopped. I knew there was a good chance that the cancer would return, but I thought we would have more time than this.
She went home under hospice care (which is wonderful, by the way) for five weeks. On Sunday, March 28th, her pain and breathing were so bad that we called the ambulance and had her taken to the local hospital. She was there for exactly a week with me, my wonderful husband C, and my Dad, R, by her side. The pain had gotten so bad that she had to be on such strong medicine. She couldn’t speak and was sedated most of the time. I remember sitting in her room at three o’clock in the morning and just wishing she could talk to me just one more time! I miss her voice so badly!
We are all dealing with this loss as best we can. I did not have a big immediate family to begin with, and Mom was the center of it. I miss you so much, Mom!!
Posted in Family |
Mmm, mmm! This cake is so rich and good. I have had this basic recipe since 1999 and it is still a favorite. This cake recipe was a runner-up in the December 2000/January 2001 issue of Taste of Home magazine! That’s right…I was published!
For cake:
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 large jar marshmallow crème
For frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar
6-9 tsp milk
1 cup pecans, chopped
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13×9” baking pan with nonstick spray. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Add eggs one at a time and then add vanilla. Mix in the cocoa and flour. Stir in the nuts and pour the batter into the prepared pan. The batter is more like brownie batter than cake. It is a little thick.
Bake for 30 minutes or until tester in the center comes out with a few crumbs. My oven took a little longer than 30 minutes, but start checking it then. While the cake is still hot, spread the marshmallow crème over the cake, then let it cool.
For the frosting: Cream together the butter and powdered sugar. This mixture will be dry. Add the vanilla and cocoa. Add the milk by starting with the 6 teaspoon amount. My frosting was still too dry so I just add one teaspoon at a time until the consistency was right. It took 9 teaspoons total for mine. Mix in the chopped pecans and spread the frosting over the cake. Enjoy!!
Posted in Cooking | 2 Comments »
Picture Perfect Cooking 