Bean Salad

This was always a holiday standard with my dad's family. His father cooked two things: BBQ chicken, and bean salad.

Bean Salad

1 can (15 oz.) red beans
1 jar (10 oz.) olives, sliced
3 T. sweet pickle relish –OR- 6 to 8 sweet pickles, diced
1/2 a small onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1/4 c. mayo (NOT Miracle Whip)
1/4 c. milk
Optional: 1 small green pepper, diced

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl; chill for an hour.

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Flapophobia

Hi, my name is Goldie, and I have a fear of licking envelopes.

I just sent a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation (NOTE: this is not a political statement) and as I raised the envelope towards my mouth...I *freaked*...and then spit on my finger to rub and seal the flap.

Not sure what the problem is. Just can't bring myself to put my tongue on that flap. EVER.

LOL...maybe it's Seinfeld's fault?!



References:
Arbor Day Foundation
Seinfeld episode: The Invitations

Thumper's story

The Story of the Doodle Cat

When I was a kid, my favorite book was "The Velveteen Rabbit." The idea that if you loved something enough, it would become real was well within my capacity for love, as far as I was concerned. (If you're not familiar with this story, you need to go look it up or buy the book!)

I guess it was when I was in about 4th grade, I had a spiral notebook that I used to sketch in; I'd had it for years. I showed it to a teacher at school who wasn't very enthusiastic about my drawings, and I remember feeling crushed by the lack of interest. (Note: I was *never* in trouble in school, so it's not like I was neglecting my studies to draw in this notebook.) Not long after that, I had left my notebook on the kitchen table, and my dad accidentally spilled coffee on it, ruining it. And that was the end of my drawing career.

There was a picture I had drawn of a fuzzy cat, and I really liked it…I don't have the original sketch anymore, but here is a fairly accurate recreation, as I remember it:
Eventually, my doodle cat became real…

Thumper was a stray cat who was living in my parents' garage for a while. My mom had told me about this shabby-looking long-haired tabby cat who she had been feeding, because he appeared so skinny. My dad had been calling him "Thump" because he would rummage around in the back of the garage, making a lot of noise. This soon turned into "Thumper." Having lived alone in my house in Highland for a while, and being unable to successfully transfer my original kitties—Garfield and Samantha—to the new house, I thought perhaps this new little guy could keep me company.
At first sight, he wasn't the beautiful cat you've seen on today. Way too skinny, full of fleas, and shy around people unless you were sitting down, it broke my heart just to look at him. I sat down on the driveway, and he walked right up to me and said, "meooow." As I put out my hand to pet his head, he reared up on his hind legs a little to rub his face on my palm. Then he flopped down on his side—thump!—and stretched out, purring. Like he'd been waiting for me.
I couldn't leave him. I knew I had to keep him. That day I called and made an appointment to take him to the vet for a checkup, shots, and to be fixed. I brought him home on Saturday, August 27th.

At first, I thought maybe I should keep him in the basement for a period of adjustment, because he had been an unaltered male, and I wasn't sure if he would still be inclined to "mark" his new territory. I let him out of the cat carrier, gave him food & water, and showed him where the litter box would be. He immediately ran and hid under an old end table, by a stack of cardboard boxes. Thinking he'd be less frightened if he had some time alone, I went outside to do yardwork.

Checking on him later, I found him still hidden under the table. I had to crawl on my belly to get back to the corner where he was huddled up. As I began to pet him, he seemed to snap out of it, and came out from his hiding place. Repeating his name, I offered him some food on the tip of my finger, and he began to eat. I told him I had more weeds to pull, but that I'd be back in later to check on him again. Also, I left open the basement door, so that he could explore the house while I was outside.

A short while later, I came back in and went downstairs to see if he had eaten any more food. The plate was empty, and he was nowhere to be found. I searched the whole basement, but didn't see him anywhere. Slowly, so as not to startle him, I went up the stairs to the kitchen. No kitty. I walked down the hall as quietly as possible on the squeaky floor, and there he was…..curled up in the middle of my bed, sleeping.

Thumper was home.

For 13 years, I have kept my promise: that I'd always take care of him. As you can see from the photos, his left eye is cloudy-looking—the vet says the lens in that eye is detached, and he probably can see out of it, but blurry. His top right canine tooth had been chipped as well, and the vet suggested it was from a fall, a blow to the head, or possibly even being clipped and sent tumbling by a car in the road. I'm not sure, and Thumper never wants to talk about it. I've stopped asking.

Imagine treating a cat you don't know very well with ear drops. Thumper had ear mites when he first came home, and he never gave me any problems when I needed to put the drops in. He didn't like it, but he never got mad, or said anything. Most of the time, I caught him while he was napping on the couch, and he didn't even jump down to run away after the drops were in.

Another issue have both dealt with over the years is his sensitive stomach. Thumper has what the vet refers to as "cat colitis." Which means he has bad poo problems with foods that are too rich, or don't contain enough fiber. But we've never had any litter box issues, in spite of what must be uncomfortable for him at times. So, he has been on different types of prescription canned cat food over the years, and they had just discontinued his Hill's brand w/d food. All this time, we thought it was his stomach, but now that he has had his teeth out, I'm wondering if it was chronic gum disease and dental infections which caused his digestive troubles. He is on another form of the Hill's w/d, and, apparently, he loves it, cause we feed him all hours of the day, and he cleans his plate. No poo problems, so far. *crosses fingers*

NOM-NOM-NOM!

One other thing I want to mention… I found Thumper about 3 weeks before my grandfather passed away. I was devastated by that loss. Those of you who know me, you know how much my grandparents shaped my life. Grandma left us in January of 1996, and Grandpa made it to September without her, but it was too much for his heart to take. He died on September 18th, 1996. As I had said, I lived alone at the time, and Thumper was my main source of comfort. I cried on that cat for a week straight. And although we were new friends, he would just sit there and let me hold him while I cried into his fuzzy fur. I'm not much of a crier, but this was one of the worst times of my life.
People who don't own pets cannot understand the power of the unconditional love they provide. Nor the meaning of the history you share with them. And the promises you make to them.

Maybe now you can sort of see what Thumper means to me.

Chocolate Glazed Chocolate Tart

This is the tart before the glaze...I'm probably not going to serve it tonight, so I won't put the glaze on top until tomorrow. Plus, I didn't like the original glaze recipe, so I had to call Brenda for ganache advice.

Chocolate Glazed Chocolate Tart

crust:
28 Oreos, crushed
1 stick butter, melted

filling:
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate (not more than 65% cacao if marked), chopped
3 large eggs
2 t. pure vanilla extract
1/4 t. salt

glaze:
1/4 c. heavy cream (or half & half)
1 c. chocolate chips -OR- 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate

Equipment:
10-inch round fluted tart pan (1 inch deep) with removable bottom

1. Preheat oven to 350° with rack in middle.
2. Stir together crust ingredients and press evenly onto bottom and up side of tart pan. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack 15 to 20 minutes.
3. In a sauce pan, bring cream to a boil, then pour over chocolate in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth.
   
4. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, and salt in a separate bowl; then stir into melted chocolate. Pour filling into cooled crust.
   
5. Bake until filling is set about 3 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as tart cools.)
   
6. Cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour.
7. Microwave cream with chocolate and stir at regular intervals, until chocolate is smooth.
   
8. Pour glaze onto tart, then tilt and rotate tart so glaze coats top evenly. Let stand until glaze is set, about 1 hour.
9. Refrigerate any leftovers. (yeah, like there'll be any left! HA!)
   

Cooks’ note: Tart is best the day it is made but can be made, without glaze, 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before glazing.

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I'm torturing myself right now because A) I have a chocolate-glazed chocolate tart in the oven as I type this, and it smells HEAVENLY; and, B) somewhere, I have a recipe for these little appetizer tarts with goat cheese and apricot jam, and I can't find it for the life of me. I've looked everywhere...well, okay, I've looked in a lot of places and I still cannot locate it. Damn it. Timer is going off...got to run...



UPDATE 8/24:
The apricot-goat-cheese appetizer recipe is already on this site!!!!
Boy, don't I feel like a complete jackass...

Apricot & Goat Cheese Bites

Tomato Bisque Tinkering

For lunch today, I wanted something more than just boring tomato bisque, so I looked through the pantry to see what else I could add to it...

Tomato Bisque with Crab & Rice

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's tomato bisque soup
1 soup can of milk
1 can (6 oz.) crab meat
1/2 c. cooked Minute Rice
Parmesan for garnish

1. In large glass or microwave-safe bowl, whisk soup and milk until smooth.
2. Drain crab meat and whisk into soup.
3. Cook rice separately, then add to soup.
4. Microwave on medium for 3 to 4 minutes, or until soup is hot.
5. Serve with crackers and top with grated Parmesan cheese as garnish.

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Men & Pancakes

I love men—men love to eat. And I love to feed them. Especially pancakes. For whatever reason, there is something magical about setting down a plate of pancakes in front of a man. Their eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning, and they dig in with such vigorous delight…

Things you can do to enhance your pancakes are simple batter add-ins, such as:
(choose one or two items from the list below, and add them into your pancake batter)

• 2 T. mini chocolate chips
• 1/4 c. blueberries
• 1/4 c. chopped strawberries
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract
• 1/4 t. almond extract
• 1/2 t. rum (or rum extract)
• 1 T. blackberry jam
• 1 T. frozen OJ concentrate
• 1/4 c. chopped nuts
• 2 T. chopped dried fruit
• 1 t. brown sugar
• 1 t. cocoa
• 1/4 t. instant coffee (only use Maxwell House!)
• 2 T. shredded coconut
• replace 1/2 of the water in the recipe with pineapple juice

I hope some of these ideas spark your imagination and you make pancakes. Mark my words—watch the faces of the men you feed. They LOVE pancakes!

Gripe Of The Day

People who drive diagonally across parking lots

If you are so stupid that you cannot read arrows, then perhaps you should not be driving a car.
Seriously, what's wrong with you? Are you stupid, reckless, inconsiderate, or all three?

You are a danger to yourself and others. Forfeit your license now, and swear to never get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle ever again. The world will be a better place.

Plus, think of all the time you'll have to: eat fast food, talk on your cell phone*, listen to music, beat your children, pick your nose (or whatever), change your clothes, put on makeup and light your cigarette. All without people honking their horns and flipping you off! Yay!

Have a nice day.


* "texting" was not on this list because, let's face it, if you are unable to read arrows, then text is just another bunch of squiggly lines to you, anyway.

Baked Truffle Pie

I topped this with cherry pie filling (Claire's idea) and Cool Whip...it was fantastic!

Baked Truffle Pie

10 squares (10 oz.) Baker's bittersweet chocolate
1/2 c. whipping cream
4 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Microwave chocolate and cream in microwaveable bowl on high 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until completely melted. Cool.
3. Whisk in eggs, sugar and flour.
4. Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate.
5. Bake 30 minutes or until edge of pie is puffed but center is still slightly soft; cool.
6. Top with fresh berries, your favorite pie filling, and/or Cool Whip.
   

NOTE: This could also be baked in a fluted tart pan for a more formal presentation. It is a very dense and chocolaty pie; very much like a brownie.

Thumper

Thumper in the "meatloaf" posture.

Last Wednesday, Thumper went to the vet to have another extraction, and he seemed okay when he came home--crabbed at us a little and then ate a whole late of food. But yesterday and today, he's not eating much. As a direct result, neither am I.

This has happened before, where after a dental visit to the vet, he acts a little weird and we end up taking him back for a check-up. I think maybe the injection of antibiotic they gave him while he was there didn't protect his mouth enough, and he needs more time to recover. Poor kitty!

So, now I'm worried and my stomach is upset and if Casey had not fed me Ramen noodles just now, I probably would not have eaten at all today. Some people eat when they are upset, but I'm the exact opposite.

Thumper isn't really acting sick, per se, but he walks past his food dish and then pauses, like he's thinking about it, and then walks away. To me, it seems like he wants to eat, but his mouth hurts.

I'll check back in with you guys tomorrow after he gets home from the vet.

Thumper watching me through the screen door as I water the flowers.

I know there are people dealing with far bigger problems right now, but to me, in my own small world, this is an important issue.

Crab Rangoon Dip with Won Ton Crackers

My good friend Tracee helped me make this to go along with our Asian-themed dinner last night, and it turned out fabulous!

Crab Rangoon Dip with Won Ton Crackers

20 won-ton wrappers
2 T. butter, melted
Parmesan cheese, grated
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
2 T. milk
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 can (6 or 7 oz.) crab meat
1 T. green onions, chopped
1 jar sweet and sour sauce (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375˚.
2. Lightly brush a cookie sheet with melted butter.
3. Cut won ton squares in half (to make rectangles). Arrange rectangles in prepared pan.
4. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown—KEEP AN EYE ON THEM OR THEY CAN QUICKLY BURN! Cool on paper towels. Repeat with remaining won ton rectangles.
5. Place cream cheese in glass bowl and soften in microwave oven on high power 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Stir in milk and garlic powder. When well blended, stir in crabmeat and onion. Heat 1 to 3 minutes longer until thoroughly heated.
7. Spread mixture in shallow serving dish. Serve heated spread with won ton crackers.

Option: Serve with sweet and sour sauce on the side, if desired.

Cannoli Poundcake

Ever since I first saw this recipe, I've always had my friend Emma in mind when considering trying to make this cake. She loved it! (of course!)

Cannoli Poundcake

1 bakery-made pound cake
1 pkg. (4 serving size) instant pudding mix, cheesecake flavor*
1 c. milk
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 t. orange extract
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. whipping cream –OR- half & half (whichever is handy)

1. If cream cheese is still cold and solid, microwave it to soften. Beat with mixer in deep mixing bowl until it is creamy and lumps are gone.
2. Add milk to cream cheese and mix to incorporate.
3. Add pudding mix and orange extract; mix well.
4. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Set aside.
5. Slice pound cake horizontally into 4 layers.
6. Place bottom layer on serving plate, spread 1/3 of pudding mixture on cake. Top with next layer of cake and repeat, using all of the filling…or leaving some for your "assistant" to "clean up" bowl. (ha, ha!)
7. Put cake in fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
   
8. Melt chocolate and cream, and spread on top of cake. You can drizzle it down the sides, too, if you like.
   

* or you can use vanilla, or French vanilla flavored pudding mix.

Raspberry Ganache Pie

This recipe is, obviously, part of Chocolate Pie Month. It sounded really good, and I've been going nuts sorting through so many chocolate recipes. I officially have "chocolate on the brain!"

Raspberry Ganache Pie

1 pkg. (8 squares = 8 oz.) Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 c. whipping cream
6 T. seedless raspberry jam, divided
1 graham cracker pie crust
2 c. fresh raspberries
1 T. water
1 t. dark chocolate cocoa for dusting

1. In medium saucepan, heat cream with chocolate until chocolate is almost melted, stirring constantly.
   
2. Remove from heat. Beat with whisk until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Stir in 2 tablespoons of jam.
   
3. Pour into crust. Dust with sifted cocoa.
4. Refrigerate 4 hours.
5. Arrange berries on top of pie.
   
6. Microwave remaining jam and water in glass measuring cup on high for 20 seconds; stir until well blended. Brush/spoon onto berries.
   
7. Keep pie refrigerated!!!
   

Option:
Thaw frozen raspberries to top pie.



...and this is what happens when I play with frozen raspberries that thaw out and get really juicy:

Raspberry Eeeek!!!!!

(a special thanks to Tracee for taking the picture!)

Mom Falone's Hummus

Thanks to our friend for allowing us to have his mom's fantastic hummus recipe!

Mom Falone's Hummus (with roasted garlic)

3 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 T. Tahini (sesame paste)
3 T. water
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 c. olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, crushed/pressed*

In food processor (or blender) start with chickpeas, then add remaining ingredients. Pour onto serving platter and drizzle with more olive oil. Serve with pita bread.

* I substituted several cloves of roasted garlic


Roasted Garlic

1. Break up 1 full head of garlic into separate cloves. Do not peel them.
   
2. In baking pan, drizzle cloves with olive oil and salt, if desired.
   
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, check to make sure they're not getting too browned, continue baking for 5 minutes if they are not soft.
   
4. Once garlic is softened, allow to cool. Press with your fingers and the roasted garlic paste will kinda ooze out. Looks a little gross, but tastes heavenly! The flavor will be a milder, sweeter garlic.

Pita Bread (Easy!)

1 box Jiffy pizza crust mix
1/2 c. hot water
1 T. olive oil
extra flour for rolling dough

1. Mix Jiffy and hot water with olive oil in mixing bowl. Allow to stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 8 equal sections; roll each into a ball.
   
3. Roll each ball flat with a rolling pin into a round mini-pizza-like shape. Thickness of dough will depend on your preference; thinner will result in a crispier pita and thick will be more tender/chewy.
   
4. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool on rack. Cut into wedges and serve with hummus.
   

Homemade Schnapps

This was Casey's Saturday project. I think he had fun doing this, and it has been a long time coming. Uncle Keith lives back in Casey's home town in Iowa, and we don't see him & Aunt Diann (a.k.a. "Sarge") very often. Thanks to cousin LeAnn for sending us the recipe again!

Uncle Keith's Homemade Schnapps

1/2 gallon water
3 1/2 c. sugar
Bring to boil—stir until clear.
Let cool for approximately 5 minutes.

Add a pint of Everclear and 1 oz. pure peppermint extract.
Add 1 cup of top-shelf vodka.

Peppermint

Options: Substitute the peppermint with either vanilla (to taste) or cinnamon.

Vanilla

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This is the patio set that we ended up getting. Of course, it was at the last place we shopped. I'm very happy with our selections and the price.

Patio Furniture Shopping

We went everywhere. And I do mean everywhere! But we found this set and considered it to be the best quality and for just the right price. The chaise lounge you see below isn't the one from our set, but it's very similar. We'll pick it all up from the store this week...

Yeah, I know those cushions don't match!
They don't come with the set, so we still need to go shopping for ones that we like.

List of where we shopped:

1. K-Mart
2. Meijer
3. Sears
4. Target
5. Home Depot
6. Walmart
7. Sam's Club
8. Lowe's
9. Costco
10. American Sales
11. Great Escape

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Patio Progression...












Many thanks to Craig and Matt for a job well done.