After Christmas lull

Wow, Christmas is over and my youngest has moved back into the nest. I am liking this having her here again. I wish the grandchildren would come visit more.
We went out today and had a nice lunch and were going to go to the movies. The snow is almost all melted away, and I didn't take pictures. I can't get used to having a digital camera in the house now! We ended up coming home after a cruise through BB&B, but we will go to the movies tomorrow.
This year was the first white Christmas since 1975. I remember that one! We drove from Ft.Smith to Clarksville to my grandmother's on I-40...one lane down the middle. I wouldn't do that today...It was a pretty snow, and it melted off the streets by afternoon, so we went to a movie, Sherlock Holmes - along with a lot of other people! It was a nice relaxing Christmas, and ended it with a pot of chili.

I am already dreading going to work on Monday!

Love and Happy New Year,
SG

Friday...

It's finally Friday, and I am looking forward to it! When I left this morning the cable guy was there to install the cable, so now I will have cable tv and internet at the house...hooray!
Shaun fixed the wall in the bedroom and the one in the ceiling in the living room, so I can paint them on Sunday. I am so glad to get that done!
My spider bite/staph thing is getting better, it must be healing because it is itching like crazy!

This weekend I will start putting up Christmas decorations, maybe even post some pics on here.

Happy Fabulous Friday to everyone!

Love,
SG

Moving Day is over....

Well, moving day has been accomplished. I couldn't have done it without all the help from my sister, my daughters and my cleaning wizard. They are all such a blessing in my life.
Now we live with boxes, but today we had to have the rotor-rooter man out, having only the low-flow toilet flushed for a month, no showers or such, created a slow-down in the sewer line, but now its flushed, and Shaun is fixing the wall. I'll probable be able to paint it on Sunday.

I'm glad to be back home and that the house is all clean again.

SG

Veteran's Day

This is my Dad in WWII. He was 18 when he went to Italy with the 10th Mountain Division, US Army. Thanks to all the Veterans and active military for what you did and continue to do.

Work goes on...

Work continues at the house, maybe I can get some pictures this weekend. I finally got Racheal over there and I think she actually enjoyed herself. I think if I am there with her and we make it a together thing, she will be more cooperative.

And I have found someone to clean...so that will be great. We are going to do some work before he moves his things in, so I am really happy about that!

The weather is beautiful here, and its a football weekend, I love those. Of course I'll be working at the house, but its always a fun time in town, everything is so busy and upbeat and so much going on!

Have a happy weekend...
SG

Time goes by

Wow, I haven't written here in so long...lots has been happening. Wedding plans, cleaning out the house to get it worked on. We are staying in his apartment for another month so I have more time to work on it. He keeps offering to hire me help, I may have to let him.
The wedding was Saturday, and it went off pretty well. Pictures later.
I took 2 small truck loads to the dump today, and then I had to take a shower and wash my hair, I couldn't get the smell off me! But I got rid of an old couch, 2 mattress sets and a barbeque grill, plus a few assorted things. This helps.
I have a lot to do...and I guess I'll hit it again on Saturday.

More later....
SG

Fabulous Friday

Yeah, it's Friday. Tomorrow the Hogs take on Auburn in Razorback Stadium. Last week they whupped up on the Aggies, hope they are on a roll!

I gave away my tickets to stay home and get some work done at the house. The wedding is in 2 weeks and I have a lot of stuff to get rid of to make room for his stuff....wow, I just feel like buying another house and moving off and leaving it!

At least he is hiring movers, so I dont have to hide to avoid the moving in stuff...I hate moving!

The 40th reunion was a blast. And the FHS Dogs beat the SHS Dogs, which was a stellar thing!

Happy weekend.

SG

Thursday

This weekend is my 40th high school reunion. I am going to the Saturday night dinner, to see some old friends.
I'm worried the list is not so long, and that the list of those no longer with us is too long. That's one reason I am going.
My wedding is 3 weeks away, yikes!

SG

Saturday

Well, it's Saturdy and in the South, well, the whole country, it's football day...and the Hogs took a bad beating in Alabama...dang it. Nuff said

I took the grandson to bowl...his first time, and he beat me. I wanted him to win, but not that much! He had a good time, so it was worth it.

SG

Thursday

Wow, its Thursday already. This time last week I was happily ensconced in the Doubletree in Little Rock, enjoying that free cookie. And thanking the powers that be (you know who you are) that I made it down I-40 in one piece.


Tomorrow I leave at noon to go pick up my grandson from Kindergarten and spend the afternoon with him. He is out for parent teacher conferences, and his mommy (my daughter) has to DO parent teacher conferences, because that's what they pay her for. So we get to spend the afternoon together. I have no idea what we will do. Probably something that involves spending my money.





Oh well, what else are they for but to love and spoil, right?


Enjoy the weekend ahead and the unusually cool temperatures.


SG

Outdoor Wednesday

Go to: http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ for more Outdoor Wednesday...

I just dont have anything for Outdoor Wednesday. I do have some shot I made last weekend, but they are in my phone and I can't get them out. So I will resort to professional ones.

I visited the William Clinton Library in Little Rock. The last time I was there was not long after it opened, and the grounds are now just lovely and mostly green...

Photo Credit - A.C. Haralson

It's worth the visit, and no, it does NOT look like a trailer! It is a beautiful, clean lined space.
Enjoy and Happy Wednesday...

Outdoor Wednesday

Go to: http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ for more Outdoor Wednesday...

Here is my contribution to Outdoor Wednesday. Sunday we went for a drive/let me out at the flea market outing. One of the times I got to get out of the car was at Thorncrown Chapel. It's a wonderful chapel in the woods outside Eureka Springs. We were lucky, no weddings at the time. It's a popular place for that...and it was designed by Fay Jones, who is a local, was on the faculty here at the U of A, and a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright.

It has a lot of trees around it, and when you sit inside, its a wonder....it looks like it is floating in the sky!

It's hard to get a really good shot of it with a small digital, So this is a professional shot. It's worth a trip and a popular wedding place!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Gooseberry Patch

Gooseberry Patch has a new blog and they are on Facebook and Twitter! I love this site. They are putting out a new cookbook and I haved a recipe in it. This is the second time I have gotten a recipe in one of their books. They sell them online, and in Cracker Barrels. Check them out!

You'll love them.

SG

Today's Giveaway

I found this great site that hosts give-aways every day! Go check it out....
(Click on the title of this post for the link)
SG

On cooking....

I went to see "Julie and Julia" the other day and it was such a sweet and funny movie. I may have to buy the DVD on this one!

What fun it would be to do that, although I dont think I am up to Julia Child...anyway, its been done. However, I do have a LOT of cookbooks. So here is what I decided to do. My younger daughter and her friends want to cook. They want to, they just dont know how. So we are going to have cooking school at my house once or twice a month, and I am going to document it and post it to this blog.

Stranger things have probably never happened....stay tuned!

Outdoor Wednesday

Here is my contribution to Outdoor Wednesday. Link here for others:

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

We went on a little drive this weekend, checking out the place where we are planning our wedding, and stopped at this little country cemetery, because it is so pretty and interesting. It is called Crosses Creek Cemetery, and I think one of my friend's family is buried here.

It has a small, neat chapel....

A lot of the graves are marked with rocks, no names.

It has tables I think they use for decoration day most likely,

And an outhouse.

Did I mention it is in Madison County?

Nice gestures

On Monday I received a nice surprise from one of our graduate students - flowers! In appreciation for helping her. Sometimes they mention me in their dedications, but I think these are the first flowers I have gotten. Really brightened up my day....

It has some lovely full size roses

Some tea size roses and some Zinnias.
And it came in a mug with seashells on it...love that beach stuff! What a great girl, and her husband picked it out. While he was at it, he sent her roses. He is very well trained for an engineer....

Outdoor Wednesday

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

This is not a new picture, but it is interesting. Its a spring built by my Great-grandmother's Grandfather, James Hudson. It's called Hudson Spring and its in Johnson County, Arkansas. It looks rusty because the water has a lot of iron in it. This spring has survived for over a hundred years. I love it...

Harvest

Well, I finally harvested from my wading pool garden...2 tomatoes! They are not really ripe yet, but I put them in the kitchen window. I had to throw away one that had been eaten on..probably a bird.

Then I put the soaker hose in them and gave them a really good watering, I think it will work better than me with the hose..and I gave them a dose of Miracle grow.

There are lots of tomatoes on them right now, and I have a few peppers coming on.

I feel so in touch with my farm roots right now....

SG

Time for the weekend

Thank goodness its finally Friday! I'm looking forward to a weekend.
Here is a new recipe posting for this weekend. Speaking of which, I ordered a cookbook off Amazon that I had checked out of the library. I really like it, it has some great southern cooking, some history and they are traditional recipes..check it out if you can. I posted its picture under what I'm reading.
This is a cookie recipe I got from my neighbor who lived across the street from me for many years. I really miss her!

Marion’s Unbelievably Good Sugar Cookies

This recipe came from my neighbor across the street who was a well renowned baker in her circle of friends. It is a very light melt-in-your-mouth version.

1 c Sugar

1 c Confectioner's sugar

1 c Butter or margarine; soft

1 c Oil

2 Eggs

1 tsp Baking soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cream of tartar

1 tsp Vanilla

4 1/2 C. Flour

Combine the sugars, butter oil and eggs, beat well. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well. Refrigerate dough until well chilled (2 hours)Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll dough into balls and dip into granulated sugar. Place on a cookie sheet and flatten with the bottom of a glass which has been dipped into the sugar-- it keeps the dough from sticking. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges.

These are incredibly good and light - a perfect cookie for tea in the afternoon, or with fresh fruit.

enjoy...love,

SG

Back to Work...ughhhh

Well, I did accomplish one thing during the time off...I cleaned 2 rugs and the couch. And did some laundry.

I have a lot to accomplish this week at work, so I probably won't do much at home. However, I do have lots of tomatoes on the vines, and the roma's have a few that turned red too soon..and they are suffering from blossom end rot. So today I have to go get some bone meal and work into the soil. Then I am going to put the soaker hose in the pools to water them. I dont think the hose is getting the job done.

My week at home

My week at home is almost over..and I didn't accomplish a blessed thing...The Salvation Army didn't benefit...I didn't cook, I didn't clean.
I did however make a custard pie, spent a day with the grandkids going to the library and lunch...I think I got the red jell-o out of my white pants...and did some great reading. So it's been a nice time off. Frankly its too hot to go to the flea markets or hang out by a pool!
Today I came over to Alex's house for breakfast and then we are going to go out exploring. Maybe hit a flea market....

A week at home

This week I am spending at home. Hopefully to get some things done and spend time with the grandchildren. And Little Rock this weekend.

Maybe even do some cooking!

Salvation Army will benefit from this....

Later.

SG

Happy Birthday America!

Happy Birthday America. This is the greatest country ever to exist on this earth. I'm proud to be an American.

What more can we say about that?
Have a safe and happy holiday!

SG

July 4th and a salad recipe

July 4th is my birthday. I did get some nice diamond earrings from Underwood's, which I am very proud of!


Here is a wonderful salad I made last July 4th:

Broccoli Salad

1 bunch of broccoli (separated)
3 stalks of green onion (chopped)
1 cup celery (chopped)
1 cup raisins
2 cups green or red grapes (sliced)
1 cup roasted sunflower seeds

Mix together the following and pour over salad:

1 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar

It's really good and different!

July 4th will be a good time to go back and read the Declaration of Independence again. If you haven't read it as an adult you should, it might just be an eye-opener. Heck, while you are at it, read the Constitution!

Go here if you dont have a copy:

http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/document/index.htm

It's good after all the fireworks and burgers, to think about how gutsy this document is, and what it took to make this country.

Sooooo....Happy Birthday America!

SG

Today's recipe

Since the lettuce is ready to pick in my garden, I thought I would share how to make good wilted lettuce. I learned this from my mother in law when I was in my 20's.

One big bowl of freshly picked leaf lettuce, washed and dried. If you don't grow it in the backyard, get a head of leaf lettuce at the store.
I like to roll several leaves up and slice them across, but you can also tear it into bite sized pieces.
Add in about 6 green onions sliced medium thin, include some of the tops. Toss it togther with about 2 tablespoons of vinegar.

Then heat about 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease until it is just about to start smoking. Pour it immediately over the lettuce in the bowl, and toss it. Serve immediatley, don't let this get cold.

This is great with any summer meal.

Enjoy!

SG

Gardening thoughts

So many people commented on my garden pools, that I thought I should post some of the instructions here. You can't just dump in dirt and plant, so here is what I did:

First, I drilled drainage holes about 6 to 8 inches apart all around the sides, not the bottom, about an inch up. This will let some water stay in the bottom, but not a lot of it.
Then I put in a good layer of straw that I had. Pack it down good.
Then I put in topsoil, and mixed in some garden soil and peat moss.
After I planted I put in a layer of straw on top for mulch. You can also use mulch in place of the straw, but I had the straw already and needed to use it. I have added a layer of straw once since the original planting.

I hope this helps and I will certainly be updating on the progress!

Love
SG

Outdoor Wednesday

This is my Outdoor Wednesday picture. See others at:

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

This is my wading pool garden I am trying this year. Last night when I was watering, I found 2 tomatoes on one of the plants! They are about the size of a grape tomato so far.

So far so good!

SG

How My Garden Grows!

With all the rain, then sunny days, then no rain and heat, my garden is really growing. The pepper plants are not as big as I would like, and have started blooming. The tomato plants are blooming, and the lettuce is ready to harvest.






Tomato plants are starting to bloom, I may have them a little crowded, time will tell.

These are Better Boys, with one Roma in the center.








This is the squash and cucumber. They haven't started to bloom yet, but I need to watch them closely and do the pollinating, so I won't get strange crossbreeds. I forgot and put the cukes and squash in the same pool.

Also, the marigolds I planted don't seem to be coming up very well.




These are the pepper plants, with lettuce and spinach sowed about them.







All in all, so far this experiment is going pretty well. I just hope I get some produce out of this! The pools should last 2 or 3 years, then I'll transfer it all to a raised bed.

Today's recipe, Pink Stuff

Every family has funny stories that revolve arouind food, we have one that involves this salad we all just call Pink Stuff. And years after it happened, I saw a sitcom episode with this very thing in it! I wont go into the whole thing, but it involved a big disaster at a family dinner, and the only thing that survived was the Pink Stuff.

Pink stuff is a staple of pot luck all over the south. Its easy to make and will keep in the refrigerator a long time.

Pink Stuff

1 Large carton small curd cottage cheese

1 large carton whipped topping, thawed

1 small pkg. strawberry gelatin

1 small can crushed pineapple (partially drained)

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate. Keeps for 2 weeks.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my Dad, he isn't here to enjoy it with his granddaughters and his great-grandchildren, but he is still missed and in our hearts.

Here he is in his WWII uniform.

Lemon Pasta on Monday

I made this last night, and it was really good. Take it literally about drying out if you cook it a minute too long though! I think I'll add a little cream to it leftover. I also didn't have any fresh parsley or basil, and didn't want to go to the store, so I used dried parsley and put it on the stuff before I baked it. It would be sensational with fresh herbs!

I can't wait for my herb garden to grow.

Here is the link to Pioneer Woman's Baked Lemon Pasta:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/05/baked-lemon-pasta/

Try it!

Love,
SG

Thoughts for a Friday

It's Friday and a weekend looms ahead. Hopefully I can get some yard work done on Saturday, although I still can't start that mower!
I have been so excited with my wading pool gardens that I bought some seeds to turn part of the beds (neglected so many years) around my patio into an herb garden and plant some flowers and other plants I got for it. Hope to get that done on Saturday!

My wading pools have plants thriving, and the seedlings coming up. I have little bitty lettuce and spinach. And the squash and cucumbers are growing daily. Tomorrow I will fertilize a little and see how they like it.

Wish me luck!

Summer eats - Low Country Shrimp Boil

A Shrimp Boil is the easiest thing, and it's soooo good! I learned this from friends in Louisiana, but it's actually a Low Country food. It works the same, however for Crawfish. I had this one published in a cookbook.

Louisiana Shrimp Boil(Low Country Boil)

Fresh Shrimp with the shells on and the heads off, washed.
About ½ to 1 lb per person (depending on how much they like shrimp!)
2 lemons
2 white onions
Small red potatoes ( about 4 to 5 per person, depending on the size)
Corn on the cob(break the ears in half and cook a couple for each person)
One package Crab Boil( this is a small bag of mixed spices you can buy in the grocery)
Hot sauce or liquid Crab Boil ( if you like it spicy)

Use a big pot for this, and preferable out of doors.
Fill about ⅔ full of water, slice up the onions and lemons and add to the water, along with the bag of Crab Boil. Bring the water to a boil, add the potatoes, cook a few minutes, then add the corn, let this boil about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and let this boil until the shrimp turn pink and are floating.
Use a big strainer and dip the whole thing out on a big platter or a pad of fresh newspaper and paper towels on a picnic table. You have to allow for some water drainage, so pad this with the paper. If you want it hotter, add the hot sauce or liquid Crab Boil to the water. You might want to cook one batch, then take it out and throw in another batch with the hot sauce. Be sure to leave the bag of spices and as much of the lemon and onion in as you can for the second batch. Serve this with hot french bread and a salad. And of course, iced tea and beer!

Me and flea markets

I have been having some amazing luck lately at flea markets. I have looked for at least 15 years for a McCoy wall pocket, the fruit kind. I wanted one with a pear or bananas on it, because they are yellow. They cost so much I needed to find one that was imperfect..and I finally did. On a return run from my 4 times yearly one day trips to Little Rock, I stopped off at the Three Sisters Antique Mall in Alma, and there was a whole booth of McCoy, and 2 wall pockets! One was a pear, that had been repaired, so it was priced at $25. The other was in perfect shape and was grapes, and it was priced at $125, which is still a good price. So I snapped up the Pear one...now I need to decide where in my kitchen to hang it!

Then Memorial Day weekend, I visited one of my favorites, the All My Treasures flea market on Hwy 16 East in Fayetteville. There I found a booth with a blue McCoy Shoe, it was only $5! I think it has been re-glazed, but I don't really care. And there was a yellow vase matching one I already had in blue, for $8 and a bamboo pot that looks perfect to me, for $8. Is this stuff coming down in price? or am I a fool? Who knows...

Oh and I also found some great stuff for my best friend's birthday. I wont say what...in case she reads this...


Happy Weekend!

Amazing food facts you find out about people you thought you knew...

I asked the guy in my life some food questions and found out some disturbing things about him. He is a very good cook, and I let him feed me all the time. I love it.
But, I found out, number one, he does not like wilted lettuce. And he has never eaten a baked sweet potato, one of life's good things. And I asked him if he had ever crumbled up leftover cornbread in a glass, poured buttermilk over it, and eaten it with a spoon. He then looked at me like I was crazy. I thought he came from a good Southern family....
Hmmmm....

Time for a new recipe

This will use up that hambone you have left from Easter . I always put mine in the freezer so we can get over the original ham first.

A Tribute To White Beans
“I ate four bowls, if that ain’t a tribute to white beans, I don’t know what is!”...Andy Taylor

One ham bone with a good amount of meat left on it

One to two pounds dried white beans (Great Northerns)

Salt and pepper to taste

½ C. of each chopped fine:

Onion

Celery

Carrots

Place beans in a big pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and let set for an hour, then drain. Cover with water again, add the ham bone, salt and pepper and bring to a boil, then turn it down to a fast simmer. When the beans are about halfway cooked, take out the bone and let it cool. Add the onion celery and carrots. When the ham bone cools, pull all the meat off and chop coarsely. Add to the pot, and simmer until the beans are soft and the broth is thick.

Serve with cornbread. This will serve about 3 hearty appetites per pound of beans.

A new garden

Sunday I made a garden for the first time in many years. I tried to grow a garden before, but got good plants, and no fruit!
Now I made a garden in 3 plastic swimming pools. The large one has many tomato plants, mostly Bigger Boys, and one Roma. I also planted green peppers, spinach, lettuce, yellow squash, zuchinni, cucumbers and some marigolds. I think marigolds keep out squash bugs.

I hope this works, I'll have to water this week, because it is not supposed to rain at all, for a change!

Stay tuned for results!

Strawberry Pie

It's that time of year, so I'll just post my recipe for fresh strawberry pie, without using that nasty premade glaze they have in the store. Still no pics because I don't have a digital camera...

Fresh Strawberry Pie
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Water
2 T. White Karo Syrup
3 T. Cornstarch
Cook, Stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

Add:
3 T. strawberry Jell-od
ash salt
½ t. red food coloring

Fill a baked and cooled piecrust with whole strawberries. (If the strawberries are those huge honkers they have in the store these days, cut or quarter them. You dont want a big thing to have to try to cut.) Pour cooled glaze over berries. Refrigerate until chilled. Top with whipped cream or cool-whip. Keep refrigerated.


For fresh peach pie:Use peach or orange-pineapple jell-o, yellow food color and fresh sliced peaches.

What do I have to do?

to get a pepperoni pizza in this town?

Last night I left work, tired, blood sugar down, needed food. Craving pepperoini pizza, which Eureka Pizza advertises and fast and fresh, ready now or little wait. So I stop by, its on my way home...go in...ask for one. I am told by the girl behind the counter, it will be 30 minutes. I could go home and order it delivered from there in less time! No apologies, she was too busy being un-helpful and rude. So I left, went out to the Grill, one of my favorite places, who make very good pizza. Order one, few minutes later, they tell me they are out of pepperoni. Who runs out of pepperoni? This seems to be a problem at this place lately...

So I go back to town, and stop at Dominos...fast place, right? Ask the girl, how long to get a pepperoni pizza, and she says about 6 or 7 minutes. So I order one, and 5 minutes later, she still can't get this order into the computer. So she asks for help, and 3 minutes later, I tell them never mind and leave. By now it has been 30 minutes, so I go back over to Eureka. order a fast and fresh...and the guy (who is no better that the girl earlier) tells me they dont have any, and it will be 10 minutes. No apology, no offer to put my name on one like he did the young thing who ordered before me. So I went home and made myself some cheese nachos.

What do you have to do to get a pizza? I guess the answer is , go home, order it delivered!

Easter Dinner

Easter dinner was fun...I cooked for 2 days and when they all left, I took a 3 hour nap.
Here's the menu:
While I was finishing up what I couldnt do before church, we had

Sharla's Cheese Ball
Sausage Balls

Then for dinner we had

Ham
Mashed potatoes
Green Beans
Fruit Salad
Layered Salad
Deviled Eggs
Olives

And for dessert

Sour Cream Pound Cake with strawberries and whipped cream
Karo-nut Pie (what we call Pecan Pie)
Easter cookies

A good time was had by all. The kids got baskets full of toys and candy, and had some yogurt drinks. Then they went home and I took a nap. It was the best nap I have ever had!

Love,
SG

New Blog - New Posts

Welcome to my food blog. This blog will zip to Foodbuzz.
I'll be posting recipes no Southern Girl should be without...or those who like to channel Southern Girls.

As soon as I get the camera problem solved that is.

So stay tuned!