Let The Show Begin!

How Can That Be???

Saturday night last I attended my 50th high school reunion. How on earth did those 50 years go by so darn fast??? It was so good to see so many of my former classmates but so sad to learn of how many had passed on and how many were facing serious health difficulties. Our class had 358 graduating seniors but only about 100 attended plus spouses. Many could not be located, many just could not attend. But of the ones who were able to make it, boy did we have a good time!!! So much reminiscing, so much catching up, so much story-telling! What is interesting about a 50th reunion is that the petty things of the 20th have faded away. No more "clique-ness" or who can outskinny whom. Grudges seem to have disappeared. Just good conversation with folks you spent a very important part of your life with. One teacher even attended. I found that pretty remarkable. Of course, the slide show of our high school days made for some pretty good chuckles!

Here's a good celebratory pie and boy, will it keep you awake long enough to party!

My Really Really Chocolate Pie

Purchased Oreo crust (OR homemade: 1 1/2 c. Oreos--about 20--crushed in food

processor. Add 3T melted butter. Mix well and press into a greased 9” pie plate.

Bake at 350 degrees 10-15 minutes. Cool.)

Filling Mix 1 c. sugar, 1/3 c. cornstarch, pinch of salt and 1 t. instant espresso powder.

Gradually whisk in 3 slightly beaten egg yolks. Put on medium heat and gradually stir

in 1 c. cream and 2 c. milk. Bring to boil, whisking constantly. Cook and whisk until

mixture thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in 6 oz. semisweet chocolate mini

chips and 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped. Whisk until smooth. Pour into crust.

Topping Top with whipped cream OR a meringue: 3 egg whites and 1/4 t. cream of

tartar beaten to stiff peaks. Gradually add 6 T sugar and beat till stiff and glossy.

Spread over hot filling, sealing meringue to crust. Place on a baking sheet and bake at

350 degrees till golden. Rotate sheet and bake about 2 more minutes.

Cool at room temperature. Refrigerate after a few hours.

Yum!

Survey Says....FALL!

Ahhhh, that sweet time of year has just arrived. Tinges of orange popping into the trees, smoky smells in the air, pumpkins landing on front porches, socks and sweaters pulled out of hiding, football games on the teevee, weekend festivals abounding, baking bread aromas wafting from the oven and...soups, stews and bean pots bubbling away on top of the stove.

Cannellini Beans With Kielbasa

Fell in love with cannellini beans a few years ago on a trip to Italy after

tasting them in an incredible soup. Since then I have used them in all

kinds of recipes from tuna salad to lettuce salad to mashed in dips! Hereʼs

a recipe I have been working on for a while to get just like we like it!

Drain and rinse 2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans. (Great Northern white

beans can be substituted. Not all grocery stores stock cannellinis.) Set

aside.

In a large skillet heat about 2 T bacon drippings. In this, saute 1 package

of Kielbasa (that has been sliced into 3/4” pieces diagonally) till lightly

browned. Remove and set aside.

In same skillet add more bacon drippings if needed and saute 1 chopped

yellow onion till soft. Add 3 cloves garlic that have been pressed.

Cook about a minute longer. Add back in the Kielbasa and 1 cup organic

chicken stock. Season with house seasoning (mine is Kosher salt,

coarsely ground black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder) to taste.

Splash in some Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for about 15 minutes or

until some of the liquid has reduced down to desired thickness. Great with

a crusty bread or cornbread!

Chunky Carrot-Tomato Soup

Roast about 4 pounds tomatoes (peeled, cored and sliced in half) OR

2 28oz cans tomatoes on a baking sheet that have been tossed with olive

oil, salt and pepper in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile

melt some butter with a little more olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add 1 chopped

yellow onion, 4 or 5 medium carrots that have been peeled and diced, 2

stalks diced celery and 3” garlic paste. Cook over low heat till veggies are

soft. Add roasted tomatoes and 2 cups organic chicken stock. Simmer on

low for about 20-30 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender. Add 3/4

cup buttermilk (or cream) that has been tempered in a small amount of hot

soup. Taste and add more S&P if needed. Great with grilled cheese

sandwiches!

Fun With A Vintage Bread Box

I have been shopping for a while for a bread box--the kind that opens easily and doesn't require both hands to do it, the kind that has ventilation holes to prevent condensation build up, the kind that just looks cute and not too industrial. Well, turns out I have had one right here on the premises the whole time! I was in my basement looking for who-knows-what when my eye landed on this thing! I have had it for probably 25 years and used it for decoration at my previous home. Hmmmm....could this be cleaned up and re-purposed as an actual bread box?

Found this spray paint which matches my KitchenAid blender and mixer at Hobby Lobby. No way! So after much scrubbing and sanitizing, I began to prime the box. Drop cloth in place on the patio table, it was spray, spray, spray!

Here it is, almost finished. I'm thinking I'll leave the star off and maybe stencil the word BREAD across the front with white paint. DH says, no, leave it plain. Gonna have to ponder that one for awhile. In the meantime, my bread has a place to live!

HELP! In my lower righthand sidebar is a list of archived posts. The titles are there but won't show up unless highlighted. I have tried everything I can think of in the Design section of my blog but nothing is working. Anyone have a suggestion? Also Facebook, why did you change things just as I had gotten used to navigating you?????

Gratuitous Cat Photo

Nothing like a warm stream of sunlight!