Early morning gift, another batch and pure bliss

The rain stopped just as I got to work, one early morning, a few days ago.  And this lovely rainbow appeared, like a gift.

At home, lovely vegetables waiting to be put in another batch of Alice Water's Ratatouille, which was so delicious and made my home smell so good, that I had to make another batch.  The avocados were just hanging out here waiting to be put on toast or in salad.  :)

And at the park, friend Janice's dog, Chili, enjoying a blissful roll in a puddle. 

'Maters, summer beauty, and stumped

In the south, we jokingly refer to home-grown tomatoes as "'maters".  :)  These beauties came from coworker Bobby's garden.  He's been bringing in a small basket every couple of days.  Those of us without gardens pounce on them as if they are gold.  My favorite is a 'mater sandwich, but these are probably going into some ratatouille.  I'm going to try Alice Waters's recipe.  

I love the little purple petunia that popped out among the Dragon Wing Begonias next to my front door.  I am leaving for work way earlier than I used to in the morning, and find that I love the time on the front porch, in the 5am hour, watering everything so they'll be good for the day, since it's been so hot.

I've posted a pic of this guy before - the "chair" carved from a stump at Mountain Park Park.  Now it's sporting mushrooms - spotted on a gloomy sky walk last Saturday.

It's been a very busy couple of weeks work-wise, so I've been a little tired from it.  I'll be around for blog visits though.  I missed you guys!

Bananas for you, just a white building now and beautiful broth

- My great nephew Sawyer's contribution to the preschool Valentine party snacks.  The teacher asked for "healthy" snacks from everyone - so niece Abby came up with a creative idea, I think.

 - Late Friday afternoon - a lone building painter worked on this building.  My boss was in over the weekend and said the painter worked all day Saturday to finish up.  Someone wanted the graffiti covered up, I think.  Street artists had painted these two sides when they were hidden by trees (click to enlarge.)  Someone took down the trees and all was revealed.  On Monday morning, the whole building was white.  We admire the effort that took from one man, a ladder and a brush.

 - When my sisters were visiting several days ago - my sister Jo was talking about Southern Living magazine's Peanut Chicken Stew that I made for her last February when she was visiting.  She said she daydreams about how good it was, so I was inspired to make it this weekend.  Click on the red link above for the stew recipe.  The base of it - sweet potato broth - is pictured here.  It's so beautiful that I snapped a photo of it.  Last time I made it, I had some broth left over and froze it; later using it for a vegetable soup base.  It was the most delicious soup I ever made.  Let me know if you make the stew.  I used rotisserie chicken from the grocery store instead of cooking it myself.

Border beauty, shovel art and not your typical Greek salad

- I am revisiting the mountains and the gardens beside the river this morning.  The neighbors next door grew weary of all the rain during July 4th weekend and packed up and left on Saturday.  So that Sunday morning, in a break from rain, I walked the garden.  It borders my sister and brother-in-law's property, so I didn't feel as I was intruding too much.  Love the happy profusion of plants and flowers along this border.

- And the shovel art!  Click to enlarge to see the insect-like creature someone made that started with a shovel.  The neighbor is a master gardener and as much as we were unhappy that someone built a house on that corner property, we do love seeing all the flowers.

- I am certain I've posted this salad before, but here it is again, before being topped with feta cheese.  It's Greek Salad with Lemon and Oregano from the Smitten Kitchen.  I adore making this salad and will make it again this weekend - I bought the stuff last night.  And I used Vidalia onion instead of purple onion, because I like it.  If you click on the red Smitten Kitchen link above, you can read her happy news.  It made me smile this morning.

Happy Friday, y'all!  Hope you have a great weekend!

Using up stuff, happy birthday to him and folk school

- The basil continues to multiply - that's more of it in the red pitcher found recently at a thrift store.  (I love it so much.)  I am also on a mission to clear out the freezer of things that have been there too long.  This week - uncured pancetta, that I bought too much of for some recipe.  So I Googled recipes using pancetta and came up with this Italian-style salad with Crisp Pancetta via a BBC network cooking show (click on the red link for the recipe) - and bonus, I had all of the ingredients already.  It's for lunch today.

-  Having a happy birthday cupcake to celebrate coworker Bobby's special day.  He and I talk about our age and wonder where the years went.  The cupcake was a perfect early morning snack to go with coffee from home.

- This post, from the John C. Campbell Folk School blog about how they made pizza.  The post is so charming I just have to share it.  The opening lines grabbed me:  "A potter, a dulcimer player, a painter, a poet and a berry farmer build a barrel-vaulted brick oven."  Someday when I win the lottery, I'm going to take all the classes they have.  :)

Just a trifle, sending out the scouts and must go there

- This was fun to make, just because of the chocolate curls on top.  My sister calls this recipe "Black Forest Trifle."  I had forgotten that it was my turn to bring goodies to my women's circle group that meets once a month on Thursday night.  So needing something quick and wanting to make something that looked homemade, I stopped by the Publix near my office Thursday morning at 7am, bought the ingredients for this and made it in the kitchenette at work at lunchtime.  I loaded it in an insulated bag for the drive to Stone Mountain and it was a hit!  Here's how you do it - so easy:

Black Forest Trifle

1-(15 oz) Angel Food Cake, cubed

1-(20 oz) can Cherry Pie Filling

4-(3.5 oz) cups Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding

1-(8 oz) carton frozen lite Cool Whip, thawed

1/4 cup chocolate curls

Place half of cake cubes in a 2 quart trifle bowl (or salad bowl as seen above); spoon half of cherry pie filling over cake.  Spread 2 pudding cups over cherry pie filling and top with half of Cool Whip.  Repeat layers.  Top with chocolate curls.  Chill.  Yield:  12 one cup servings. 

- Neighbor Rhonda told me that I need to go ahead and put my hummingbird feeder on the back porch, because the hummingbirds have scouts out and about right now, scoping out the action.  :)  I guess they go back to some hummingbird colony somewhere and list all the places where free nectar is available.  So there it is - come on gang!  (And look how new and green the foliage is right now in this through-the-window late afternoon shot.  Color has not been altered at all.)

- And ending on a chuckle - Mr C's proclaims to be "The Reason for a Neighborhood Watch."  :)  I really must go in there sometime.

I hope you enjoy your weekend - thanks for coming by! 

Blue Daze, sounds like summer and organization

- I spotted this plant at the Kroger (grocery store) near my office a few weeks ago and brought it home because of its gorgeous blue blossoms.  It's Blue Daze Evolvulus, but I just call it Blue Daze.  :)  It is a cousin to the Morning Glory. 

- Its blossoms are closed in the evening when I get home from work, so my only chance to see it in all its glory are on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  Blue Daze...just sounds like summer, doesn't it?

- And for something entirely unrelated:  I spotted this recipe for Nutella Brownies on someone's facebook post this morning and am adding it to Pepperplate.  You can see the last few recipes I added - mostly summertime dishes.  I love Pepperplate because I can open the app on my phone at the grocery store and view ingredients.  My sisters got me started - it's a good tip to pass on, I think. 

Carrying around books, sweet Cali and this month's dish

- This sculpture, called "Adventure Mountain" at Lilburn Park, where I walk with friends on weekend mornings.  When I stopped to snap the photo with my phone - friend Janice shared that the sculpture bothers her because the dominant children are three boys climbing, while a girl holds a doll at the bottom.  (Click to enlarge.)  What makes this a good thing?  I liked the discussion that ensued in which we all had in common that we were more likely to carry around books when we were children (and as adults, too).  (Although we all had dolls, none of us were that attached to them.)

- When I got home from the walk, sweet neighbor Cali was sitting in a chair, enjoying the morning sunshine.

- And here, she has seriously settled in, looking as if she could use some sun goggles!

- This was fun - I had a telephone conversation with a staffer from Cooking Light magazine on Friday afternoon.  I have their Simmer and Boil blog linked to the right there and noticed one day they were looking for readers to interview about their use of the magazine.  My comments will be shared at the staff meeting this morning.  And deciding to live up to what I said about choosing one of two recipes per issue to make, this Sunday evening dish was good:  Grape Tomato, Olive, and Spinach Pasta - recipe found here.  It's for lunch today, too.  So good.  (Although the pasta was slightly too al dente for my taste.)

Body double, comfort food and the sweet life

Click to enlarge

- This tapestry was part of the exhibit I visited at The High Museum of Art last weekend.  It depicts French monarchs smiling benignly at servants and pets in the month of October.  :)  Friend Barb thought the monarch on the upper right looked a little like the late comedian Redd Foxx and he kind of does!  Compare photo below.

- Having so many ingredients left over from the lasagna from the weekend that I decided to re-purpose some of them.  So Googling "recipes using half and half" yielded this recipe for Creamy Polenta.  I made it Wednesday night - it's good and made great comfort food in this cold weather.  I had never made polenta before, so it was a fun thing to make and it went well with the never ending sauteed kale.  :)

- Reading an obituary in the online version of the newspaper from my hometown of Milledgeville, Georgia.  I have taken over the role of reading obituaries from my dad, who perused them every day.  Since my sisters and I have little connection there anymore, I find this is the only way I have of knowing if any of my parents' friends have passed away.  There was one that caught my eye, simply because of the woman's maiden name, that I associate with a family owned shoe store there (long closed.)  I didn't know her, but she had a great obituary.  After she passed away, her family found a post-it note in her handwriting above her desk at home and included it in her obituary; a quote from Emily Dickinson that read, "That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet."

 Life is indeed sweet - a good thing to remember, I think.  I hope you have sweet things in store for you this weekend, my friends!

written in her elderly handwriting is a quote from Emily Dickenson, “That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.” - See more at: http://www.unionrecorder.com/obituaries/x1767985599/Emily-Annette-Trapnell-Manning#sthash.hpUas8AT.dpuf

written in her elderly handwriting is a quote from Emily Dickenson, “That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.” - See more at: http://www.unionrecorder.com/obituaries/x1767985599/Emily-Annette-Trapnell-Manning#sthash.hpUas8AT.dpuf

Proprietary, Sunday dinner and the first sip

- Whiskers, the shop cat at the antique shop I like to stop in at on Saturday mornings after my walk in Lilburn, Georgia.  He ran to greet me when I walked in the bell tinkling front door, and accompanied me to the counter, where I chatted with the owner.  He looks downright proprietary in this photo.

- It mostly rained this weekend, so I got in the kitchen a little.  I mention this salad all the time, but I don't think I ever photographed it.  I love the vibrant colors of this Chopped Greek Salad and love to make it.  It's as good as it looks, especially topped with feta cheese.  I like to substitute a yellow or orange bell pepper for the green one suggested in the recipe - for more color.

- And it's still raining.  My favorite good thing of the morning so far - that first sip of coffee.

Good mood food, stacked perfectly and in they go

- The July edition of Cooking Light magazine has a "Healthy Living / Good Mood Food" feature called "Don't Worry, Eat Happy."  I liked this suggestion for a fast and easy lunch salad:  Baby spinach, drained and rinsed canned chickpeas, onions (I used sweet Vidalia), red peppers, and feta cheese, tossed with my favorite vinaigrette.  "Low levels of Folate and other B vitamins have been linked to depression, and greens and beans are top sources.  This simple combination supplies more than your daily 400mcg recommendation for folate."  And it was tasty.

- While I was out one day, a coworker (also a good friend) subbed for me.  And when I came back, my desk was beyond tidy, with even the postit notes stacked perfectly.

- This has no other significance other than that it has been hanging out on my desktop for weeks (so long I don't remember where it came from.)  But it's a great use for shipping boxes and all those who love, or have loved cats, can relate.  :)

Lemon Orzo salad recipe, lovely surprise and paying it forward

- I've blogged about the Lemon Orzo salad from Fresh Market at least two times.  It's that good.  And with the help of the internet (what did we do without you?), I figured out how to make it at home.  There it is - adapted from a recipe I found from a blog named Blonde Appetit (hers had butter in it - I used olive oil.)  Recipe is at the bottom.* Let me know if you make it.  It's so good.

- Coming home on Monday evening to a package on the doorstep.  It was a surprise from Leonora, who writes the blog "A Journal of Days" and started off the new year by throwing out a Pay It Forward challenge:

"2013 creative Pay-it-Forward:  The first 5 people to comment will receive from me, sometime in the next calendar year, a gift.  Perhaps a book, a baked good, a candle, music, a surprise!  There will likely be no warning and it will happen whenever the mood strikes me.  These 5 people may wish to make the same offer on either their facebook status or via their blog."

It was definitely a surprise and I loved the note, "Everyone needs a little lilac in their life."  Leonora blogged about the scent of lilacs one day and I commented I didn't know what they smell like.  Now I do.  :)  Thanks again, Lee!  A delightful surprise.

- So I throw out the same challenge - the first 5 people to comment today will receive something good in the mail, when you least expect it.  You just have to supply your address in an email.

* Lemon Orzo with Pine Nuts

1/2 lb. orzo (about 1 generous cup)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, whole
1 large handful baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 lemon, reserve the other half in case you need it
Olive oil (about 1/3 cup)
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Boil orzo in 3 quarts of salted water for 10 minutes until firm.  Drain.  In a large bowl, combine spinach, pine nuts, and tomatoes.  Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over pasta.  Give it a good stir.  Drizzle a good amount of olive oil in a circle over the bowl.  Keep in mind not to use too much, as it marinates, the pasta will absorb the oil and you can always add more.  Add a small palmful of Kosher salt.  Add a few shakes of pepper.  Stir.  Taste.  If you prefer more lemon, add the juice of the second half.  Again, remember with salt, etc., you can never take away, but always add more.  Let marinate.  Then enjoy.

I ended up using the whole lemon, adding the second half later, as suggested.  

So good, reminder of home and thinking of them

- I suppose food bloggers would put this in a bowl to photograph it, or at least wipe the sides of the soup pot.  :)  This delicious recipe came from the smitten kitchen blog and I loved making it.  Crushed tomatoes, lentils, carrots, celery, onion, Italian sausage, garlic, spices, greens.  So good!  Click the Smitten Kitchen link above to get the recipe.  It could easily be made vegetarian by omitting the sausage.  It's for lunch today - topped with some grated romano cheese.  Yum.

- Switching to Gain laundry detergent just because of this story:  my sister Jo and her husband own a small business and one of their employees was deployed to Afghanistan several months ago.  They keep in touch and he told Jo in an email that what he misses most is fresh sheets on the bed.  His always seem to feel sandy.  So she bought some sheets in the correct size, washed them with Gain and packed them in a zipped plastic bag and sent them off to him.  He told her that he hasn't wanted to put them on his cot - he just likes to unzip the bag and breathe in the smell of the detergent every now and then.  It reminds him of home.

- The delightful smell of that detergent when I walk by clothes that I hung to dry in the doorway.  They also make me think of my sister and the young man in a faraway land.

It's the weekend!  I am looking forward to my two days off and hope you are, too.  Have a great one!

Bowl of deliciousness, new mama and a good thing

- This bowl of deliciousness was my dinner.  My sister asked if I had any special requests for Thanksgiving and I said, "brussel sprouts."  She replied, "But then you would be the only one eating them."  Sigh.  They don't know what they are missing.  I roasted them in my grandfather's cast iron skillet per the Simply Recipes blog.  Click here for the recipe.  I roasted them about five minutes longer than the recipe says to get that extra brown color.

- More from the weekend:  I ask my niece, Monroe's mother, what he will call her.  She says she actually hadn't thought about that and went over the possible choices.  She settles on "Mama" - "yes, that feels right."

- After a not so good day at work, a coworker reminds me to watch "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" as I am leaving.  I reply, "that's a Good Thing" automatically.  :)

Slow cooker lasagna, signs of fall and dancing

- This is slow cooker lasagna, after being cooked for four hours in the slow cooker and then a final six minutes under the broiler to give it that golden look.  I found the recipe on the Williams-Sonoma website - you can find it here.  It makes A LOT - so my freezer is full of portions for future lunches and such.  This was a practice run for making it for guests.  It's very good, but a little salty tasting to me, probably because of the Italian sausage.  I might do half as much sausage next time or even leave it out and go vegetarian.

- Leaves crunching underfoot and the need to throw a wrap on when I leave on these brisk mornings here in the South.

- Watching the delightfully silly Dancing with the Stars.  I loved that guy's "Bollywood" style dance.  I am a passable dancer, and that rarely comes up anymore - usually just at wedding receptions - so I admire great dancing skills.  :)

Pretty salad, French tunes and a rainy night in Georgia

- Mediterranean couscous salad, before mixing.  So pretty with the flat leaf parsley and feta cheese on top.  I made this for a church luncheon last week and had enough ingredients to make it for myself yesterday morning.  Recipe is here. - I always want to blog about this salad.  :)

- Listening to the soundtrack to the film "French Kiss" while puttering around in the kitchen.  It makes me feel as if I'm at a French cafe.

- A steady, drippy rain, that lasts into the evening.  Perfect for a Sunday afternoon and evening.

E is for Easter Lilies, Easter Eggs and Egyptian Edamame Stew

- This beauty opened up right on schedule and now graces the graves of my parents at the veterans' cemetery in my home town - placed Tuesday morning while I was there for family business.

- A favorite Easter treat - Cadbury creme eggs.  I get nothing from Cadbury for promoting their eggs - I just love them and it's a good E thing.  :)

Egyptian Edamame Stew

This is so good and your home will smell wonderful for hours.

1 1/2 10-ounce packages frozen shelled edamame (about 3 cups), thawed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 large zucchini, cut into half moons
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add edamame and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes or according to package directions. Drain. (Or you can steam them.)
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, covered, until the onions are starting to brown, about 3 minutes more. Add garlic, cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the edamame and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro and lemon juice.

Makes 4 servings, about 2 cups each. Per serving: 258 calories.

I serve this with saffron rice. Yum.

Day 5 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge, featuring the letter E.   Three things that give me pleasure.

Springtime salad, local honey and special music

- Even though it's still winter, spring is definitely in the air, and so I made a favorite springtime dish on Sunday afternoon - Vegetable Couscous Salad.  I had all the ingredients except for parsley, which seems expendable.  The recipe is at the bottom - let me know if you make it.

- Someone once shared with me that she consumes a tablespoon of locally grown honey every day and that keeps her from suffering from seasonal allergies.  I've never forgotten that tip, but never see honey that is exactly from my area, until Saturday, when I spotted this Purple Wildflower Honey at the natural food market.  I'm going to put it in my morning oatmeal and see if it works.  Here's a link to an article I found about the tip. 

- The music director at my church has been there for 20 years and the choir celebrated on Sunday by performing a piece of music composed just for this occasion.  They had been practicing in secret every Monday night since September off site, so that it would be a surprise.  I've never seen anyone more overwhelmed by anything as Ed was by this.  It was a lovely morning.

.

.

.

.

.

Vegetable Couscous Salad

Dressing:
1/3 cup water
1/4 sherry or balsamic vinegar (I used seasoned rice vinegar yesterday)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (.6 ounce) envelope Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix

Salad:
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked couscous
2 cups chopped red bell pepper
2 cups chopped tomato
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a jar. Cover tightly, and shake vigorously.

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Combine couscous, bell pepper, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add the dressing mixture. Toss couscous mixture gently to coat.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Best when made the night before. I hope you enjoy! Cheers!

Beautiful and delicate, reading and it's all good

- Spotting a recipe for this Tomato-Cheddar Strata with Broccoli in the February 2012 issue of Country Living (left behind at the hospital* last weekend by my sister.)  I made it yesterday (halving it since it was for one.)  After describing it to friend Kim on an email, she said that it sounded "beautiful and delicate" and that fits perfectly.

- Standing in the coffee shop waiting and spotting a man reading a book at a cafe table on the other side of the window.  I am always interested in what other people are reading, and move a little closer to see.  "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck.  Good choice.

- Calling the department of motor vehicles in my county to inquire about my annual tag fee going up instead of down, as it usually does.  She explains.  I sigh and proclaim my sadness with a little drama.  She chuckles and is appropriately sympathetic.  Neither of us ruins the other's day.  It's all good. 

I hope you have nothing but good things happen to you this weekend, my friends!  Happy Friday!

* My mom is doing much better and was moved to a rehabilitation hospital yesterday.  Thank you for all your prayers.

Lovely lunch, literate cat and a rescued rescuer

- An invitation for lunch to a lovely home on Sunday for lasagna and great conversation with a table full of friends.  Susan and Rick have a lot, but they give a lot - an awful lot.  And it was lovely to have something Italian and spicy for lunch rather than the usual holiday fare.



 - Their cat Allie is 20 years old.  That's pretty old in cat years, but she still loves to read.  :)

- Dakota was banished to the back porch that day for too much exuberant barking.  He came to their family as an adult rescue pet, but fit right in.  A few days ago he was outdoors again, but urgently barking at this door.  Susan went to check and Allie (who goes outside sometimes) was standing underneath Dakota.  Every time Allie tried to move away, he herded her back and stood over her.  The reason turned out to be a hawk squawking at them from a nearby tree.  The hawk probably would have captured the frail Allie if Dakota had not been so persistent in protecting her.  You know I loved that story.

*** Bonus today.  Another friend, Mary Ann, brought a dense chocolate cake with a fluffy icing laced with crushed peppermint sticks.  Yum!  I asked for the recipe and here it is:

Peppermint Cream Brownie Torte—Serves 10-12 full slices

1 large box ( 1lb. 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker Original Supreme Brownie Mix w/syrup pouch

or 2 Ghirardelli Brownie Mixes.     Bake in 9x13x2 pan

Heat oven to 350°    Line 9x13 pan with 17x12 aluminum foil.

Grease bottom of foil w/shortening.  Make brownies using water, oil and eggs.

Bake as directed.  Cool in pan 1 hour on wire rack.

Make peppermint cream & dark chocolate  ganache.  [ below ]

Remove brownies from pan using foil to lift. Cut into 3 equal rectangles.

Trim sides.

Place 1 brownie rectangle on platter.  Spread with 2/3 cup peppermint cream. 

Top w/2^nd brownie rectangle and spread w/dark chocolate ganache.

Top w/ 3^rd brownie rectangle.  Spread w/ remaining cream.  Refrigerate uncovered.

Just before serving, sprinkle w/crushed hard peppermint candies.

 Peppermint cream-

½ c heavy whipping cream  ½ pkg (8oz) cream cheese softened

¼ c powdered sugar            ½ tsp peppermint extract.

Beat whipping cream in medium bowl w/electric mixer until soft peaks form.

Set aside.

Beat remaining ingredients in medium bowl on low speed until blended;

beat on medium speed until smooth.

Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.

Dark Chocolate ganache

¼ cup whipping (heavy) cream.  ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips.

Heat whipping cream until hot, but not boiling, in 1 qt sauce pan over low heat. 

Remove from heat.  Stir in chocolate chips until melted.  Let stand at room temp 1 hr or until thickened.