Busy as I can be!

I love the end of summer and beginning of fall. Especially around these parts as there are so many wonderful farm stands in our little area. I have my choice of 4 produce stands that are direct from the farm within 5 miles of home. And there are 2 wonderful orchards within 6 miles.

I have been busy with my canner. I've done my wax beans - at total of 18 pint and a half jars. And I have done strawberry freezer jam. I have done roasted tomato marinara sauce and I have frozen it in zip locks bags, done quart jars in my pressure canner and frozen even more in freezer jars by the quart. I am also dehydrating tomatoes and have one last batch in the oven roasting as I sit and type. 

I have 2 more projects to do... making raspberry peach jam and also canning homemade pork and beans. I hear that they are much better home canned than what we can buy in the store. I am willing to give it a try as my DH loves beans. I hope that when the time comes, he will enjoy the efforts I am making! He's not home much these days as the plant he works at is very busy finishing up their Christmas candies to be shipped across the country. Long 12 hour days and with a few shifts that only have 8 hours in between are the norm for this time of year.

DH also tells me that they are short handed and a few people were suspended indefinitely last week due to an issue with getting date codes changed properly. Someone was suppose to change it... thought someone else was doing it, a supervisor didn't check soon enough, product had to be pulled from shipping to be reworked. It sounds like a big mess, and they are trying to get it all figured out and place the blame on the proper person. It's all stuff that makes me feel glad I don't work there. I know those things are important, but it also affects so many people when someone doesn't do their job correctly... from other employees and their families, all the way to the consumer if things aren't caught soon enough.

I am feeling very blessed to be able to be home and do my canning projects. I am also working on doing laundry today and trying to get some weekend housework done. It seems that I am always working on cleaning the house in the midst of what ever I am trying to do. I do know that I need to get my closet sorted out and get rid of some clothing. I have way too much, and I need to let go of some of my older pieces that I no longer wear. (I always think I will wear again soon, and then I don't.) I have a huge pile of things that either need to be thrown away or have a yard sale and then donate the rest to Goodwill or Sals. What a quandary to find myself in. It takes it's toll on me both mentally and physically... more physically than anything, my hands hurt and so does my back and my knees. Time to soldier on!

Thanks for reading... have a blessed day!
~Suzanne

A Fast Update...

Because I am suppose to be on my way to bed right now! My back is killing me... because I managed to get a huge burst of energy tonight! I stopped at the store on my way home for a couple of ingredients and then came home to get busy. Along with cooking dinner... I whipped up some peppermint bark (thanks to DH for getting the peppermint crushed!) and made chili cheese dip for work tomorrow. I bagged up the bark for gifts for a few of my coworkers (friends!) and baked some toll house cookies without chocolate chipd for another coworker that sits right next to me.

I've cleaned and loaded the dishwasher, and washed the rest of the stuff that won't fit into it.... and I'm more than a little tired. I also managed to write a few more Christmas cards. Whew..... that's enough for tonite... as I still need to lay out what I am wearing tomorrow. We do have an early release... but haven't been told what time we will be done. It makes for a long day... because I am pretty much done with my work for the week. I did have my weekly one on one with my regional manager... and she is very happy with my work. She loves that I have answers and have already been through my book twice since getting it on Friday. (I have lots and lots of issues... but I look forward to dealing with all those challenges and seeing good results.)

It's still bitter cold here and I just heard the wind rattling the windows facing the south. We're looking forward to some time off and just being home. We don't have any big Christmas surprises for each other... we decided that we want to do some electrical work in the kitchen so I can move a few things around and then add a small flat screen tv to one wall. That's my present and one I really wanted! lol

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

He Bakes!

I just have to share with you that DH baked gingerbread cookies for me today to take to work tomorrow. We are having a cookie swap... and he knew that I wouldn't have to endurance to roll and cut out cookies. He did it for me... and they turned out perfect and yummy! I sat and frosted and decorated them. And I can't wait to take them in tomorrow!

He's been taking very good care of me... making sure that I don't over do things and being sure that I sit and rest when I feel dizzy and winded. We've had a great weekend, which included taking me to the eye doctor to get my eyes dilated and also pick up my new glasses, we did a little Christmas shopping, and had lunch out. We came home and worked on a few things around here and then went to the little pizza shop down on the highway... it was deserted for a Saturday night, but we had a fabulous pie! And I think I became a fan for life... they sprinkle the entire pie with fresh oregano... and it has such good flavor! Yummmmmmm! I think I gained 2 pounds from all the good food we had this weekend.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Saturday Morning Special

I woke up super early... I do that when things weigh on my mind and heart. DH had a tough evening with pain... and I worked hard to get his pain level down. We did ice packs for awhile, then later, I switched to moist heat with the heating pad. I rubbed his shoulder and arm down with Biofreeze. I stayed on a tight schedule of meds and added a muscle relaxer at bedtime. He said that he only woke up twice during the night and was able to go back to sleep. He woke up feeling much better today. He decided to immobilize his arm today to rest his shoulder. That should go a long way in helping to manage his pain.

I did lay back down for a little while this morning... and got about 2 more hours of rest. Then I went out with the dogs, got the paper and had a quiet time, reading and enjoying the cool morning air. (It went down to the mid 50's last night!) When DH finally woke up for the day... I set to making some breakfast... fresh Amish eggs, scrambled with Amish made colby cheese, toast spread with Amish butter, orange juice and good coffee. Good, wholesome flavor... and I loved that as I used Jumbo eggs, most were double yolkers.

Later today, we'll be headed out to one of the local farms to get fresh picked corn for dinner. We've tried several farm stands, and Burgers Farm has the best... and they do pick it fresh everyday. I'm sure I get some tomatoes and hopefully they'll have green beans too... All good stuff to have while it lasts. I love summer time  and how good such fresh produce makes meal planning so easy and delightful!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

A Rainy, Dreary Day...

It's a cold and dreary day here in N.E. PA. The rain arrived about 9 this morning... my flowers are loving the free water. They are going crazy already with the warm and humid weather we've had during the first week of the month. I have a hanging petunia that seems to have all the neighbors talking because it's so full and round and has tons of new blossoms. I've done lots of petunias, hot pink geraniums, lots of lobelia and johnny jump-ups everywhere. It's very lovely and I can't wait to see how it looks at mid-summer.

I went to see the chiropractor yesterday. My back was very stiff... but once he started working on me, my back did go back into place with only a little pain. He put me on ice for yesterday... and for today, I am very happy to be able to use warm heat on my back. I woke up very early this morning... just after DH left for work. I tried to get some stuff done, but it was soooo cold. I could only do a little bit because my feet were freezing. (And my hands, my nose, my core!)

I ended up going back to bed to get warm... I actually did that twice. The first time, I slept until 8:30... and then I ended going back once more to get warm and snoozed far longer than I thought I would. I must have needed it, because I woke up feeling better than I have in several days! I haven't been sleeping all through the night because of my back. It hurts so bad sometimes, it wakes me up even with Ambien!

I've tried to work out on the porch and also going through cupboards in the kitchen, but it only takes a short while and my back hurts! (No surprise there!) I will continue to work in small "sessions" until I get it done. I'm sure that DH will help me when he gets home from work and sees that I've been working on it.

I need to get busy... I'm making spaghetti sauce today... it sounds good for a cold, rainy Wednesday. Oh... And GLEE! I so enjoyed the finale... and I'm so glad that they'll be showing the first season again through the summer. Yay!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

I Knew It Was Gonna Big!

I just came from the post office.... I've been avoiding going for the last couple of days. My medical bills are due... and Boy, did they ever show up! My little 3 days and 2 nights in the hospital was EXPENSIVE! (Just under $25000 for my little stay!) And it's not the total bill... I still have to be billed for the doctors visits and for doctor who did my 4 minute nuclear stress test. (That should be ridiculously expensive!) All I can say is... Thank you, Lord... for our health insurance! And Thank you, CHC...(hub's company) for covering the $2400 deductible. (Now if only Flex-America would get it together and actually pay it!) I don't ever want to go through that again... but, since the deductible has been met for the fiscal year... I should go and see what else I can have done... like my knees!

Tonight's dinner is one I haven't made in a long time... Beefy Meatballs... with onion gravy and rice. I was going to grill hamburgers... but DH decided he wanted meatballs instead. They're in the oven right now... and it will be an easy dinner again! Rice is done in the microwave... all I need is either a veggie or a salad... hmmm... lemon-basil dressing sounds really good tonight! I guess I'd better go whip some of that up as well.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Sweet Sunday Love

I remembered to take my Ambien last night... I slept so good... 8 1/2 hours! We went to bed early, so I woke up early. I puttered and read and let DH sleep. I got cold and went back to bed... and DH said he was hungry and was going to go have a bowl of cereal. I feel back to sleep... and 30 minutes later, he woke me up to pankcakes! Yummmm! That is Sweet Sunday Love!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

An Early Start

I went to bed rather early last night... I was out cold at just after 10pm! I didn't take any ambien... I was sleepy without it and off to bed I went... I didn't even know when DH came to bed! I slept soundly until 4am... not exactly what I was hoping for! My back was hurting... I had spent too much time lying flat on my back and it was angry with me for doing that! I got around 5 am... puttered a little bit... and got cold so I went back to bed.

I got warm and cozy, started to drift back off and then heard the sound of DH's work phone going off. He had an emergency night call to a new facility about an hour away. I jumped out of bed as he was answering the phone... because I knew that I needed to finish packing his lunch and help him get out the door as quickly as he could. We had him on his way within 15 minutes, including taking the trash out to the curb. Nolli was impatient the entire time... he wanted out if we were getting up... and I made him wait until after I got the cooler all packed. (Silly dog!)

I puttered around for about an hour and then went back to bed. I slept for 3 more hours... it felt soooo good! I am still in pain, but I am moving slowly... determined to get something done today. Around 11-ish... I heard noise in the driveway... I was thinking that it was Miss Joanie from the flower shop... bringing flowers to the shop. Then I heard the front door open... and it was my DH! He had stopped by on his way to another emergency repair call to get some parts and to give me a kiss! He's so sweet! He is working just down the road... so I know he will be home at a decent time, unless he gets called to go somewhere else!

I made some pasta salad for dinner... one of my favorites... with golden raisins and broccoli and bacon stirred into farfalle pasta and some red onion and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle in some sunflower seeds... and make a vinaigrette... yummmm! It's suppose to be in the 80's today... so I wanted something that wouldn't heat up the kitchen. Don't know yet what I will be throwing on the grill for dinner... but I'm thinking maybe some good hot dogs or sausages. I don't feel like having anything that is heavy and I know that would be a quick dinner that DH would love. I know that some people don't eat hotdogs... but, we do eat good kosher dogs... either Nathan's or good ones from the deli. What's your take? Do you ever eat hot dogs?

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Sandy Asked for this one...

Here's my recipe for Cold-pack Coleslaw... this is one of the things that is going to get me through the next couple of weeks!

Small Recipe... makes enough for 8 servings

1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
2 large carrots, shredded (I use both the slicer and large shred for texture)
1/2 C green pepper, diced
1/4 C fine diced red onion... you can use yellow or even spring onion
1/3 C sugar
2 T. vegetable oil
1 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp parsley flakes

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, green pepper, and onion. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine dressing ingredients: shake well. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss. Cover and chill for 4 hours before serving.

Thanks Sandy... I hope you enjoy this recipe... and thank you for your good wishes!

Cooking Adventures... tinted with some Brain Fog!

Yesterday was as super busy day for me... filled with shopping and cooking... and more shopping and even more cooking. I started my day up in town... went to one particular store that carries a few items that I cannot get anywhere else. (Like Chore Boy Golden Fleece scrubbing pads... I <3>

Anyway... I stopped off at the Wal-Mart SuperCenter and dropped even more $$ on this diet. And I did pick up a few things for DH... a couple of pair of "cheap jeans" to wear while he works around the house and down in the basement. (His old work jeans... have huge holes in the knees... so bad, that I noticed he had used duck tape to hold one side together! That's a sad thing!) Then I came home, unloaded everything and put it all away... and got busy! I made myself some cold-pack coleslaw that is sooo yummy! It's what I had for lunch along side my no-salt Matzo crackers. It wasn't a bad lunch at all!

Then I set about doing some chicken drumsticks. The grocery store was having a huge "Get Grillin" sale... and had a large package of 12 drumsticks for $3.25. I figured it was an easy way for me to get protein in the middle of the day. (Usually, I have grilled cheese or egg salad... or sometimes, ham... all things I can't have right now!) I coated those drumsticks with a mixture of my own design and baked them up... these babies are yummmmmy!

So... here's my recipe for the chicken coating:

2T. Olive Oil

1 tsp of kosher salt

1 tsp Mrs. Dash Onion and herb blend

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp Oregano leaves

1/4 tsp Thyme

Several grinds of pepper

Mix together to form a loose paste, coat chicken and bake 375* for 1 hour... can lightly coat baking dish with oil as well.

And then... last night... I proceeded to grill chicken for dinner and extra ahead... and I put 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts on the grill... and then proceeded to coat them in SEASON SALT! I realized what I had done... after about 5 minutes! What an brain fog idiot I am! So... I had to finish cooking all that chicken... which DH will get to eat, now coated with bbq sauce, clean off the grill and restart with the 4 pieces I had just wrapped up in put in the freezer! I beat myself up mentally over that for most of the evening... stupid brain fog!

Oh... if you want the coleslaw recipe... I will post it later on... just leave me a comment!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Just a quick update!

First... thank you to everyone for the good wishes on my doctor's appointment! I spent several hours on the phone yesterday and I am now scheduled for my pre-scan appointment on May 5th...(that's when they will give me that special cocktail of "8" RAI-123 pills...) and then I will have the actual scan on the 6th! Let's all keep our fingers crossed that nothing is cooking inside me... If they find anything, I will have to do RAI-131. That would mean that DH and the dog would both have to move out for a week as I would have to be isolated for 7 days.

I went shopping yesterday... got what felt like a ton of groceries, but I know that I will more than likely have to go and get more produce as I need it. I am now on the low-iodine diet, meaning that I cannot have anything that may have iodine in it... like eggs, dairy, cheese, any soy products, no bread, no potatoes and really nothing that is prepared. So... today, I will be baking bread, making white beans for a homemade version of refried beans, pico do gallo, and homemade breakfast sausage...oh, and grilling chicken... lots and lots of chicken. I will also be making more salad dressings. The goal is to get as low iodine as I can get to make cocktail work in the body scan. I was so not prepared to do this... I didn't get to have pizza or a good salty sandwich from the deli! But, I can guarantee that as soon as I get the okay... I will have some of that yummy salty goodness from somewhere! (I can have table salt... just not iodized or sea salt)

So... I'm off to the kitchen to get busy... Oh, yesterday while I was shopping, I was looking for kosher margarine. I asked the dairy clerk, because they do have a kosher case, he asked me to wait for a moment... and he brought back a lady from another department. She was explaining "kosher packaging" to me and I asked about "Mother's"... she looked at me with a surprised look and said, "How Do YOU know about Mother's???" I told her that was what is accepted on this diet and I used it the first time I did it... and a dear friend and coworker had brought it to me. The lady clerk told me she keeps a kosher home and that her store didn't carry what I wanted but that another retailer across the river did! I knew just where she was talking about... and went the extra 10 miles across the river to go there. That store had the most wonderful kosher section and I found exactly what I needed there!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

PS... don't forget to sign-up for my give away... it ends tomorrow!

Yeah, I forgot... but I have a reason!

Ummm... I just woke up! yeah, it's 2:45... I was sitting on the sofa this morning around 10:30 while DH started to do his paperwork. I started to sneeze and sneeze and sneeze... it wasn't going to stop. I started to get choked up and my nose started to run! I haven't done that in a long time... and realized that I had been in the flower shop 2 days in a row with Easter Lillies... and I am sensitive to those. My DH, realizing I am sneezing my head off, went and gave me not 1, but 2 Benadryl! I quickly made myself something to eat... eggs and toast, and then fell into bed... out cold!

I said I'd share my recipe for Sunday Potatoes... so here it is! (No pictures, cuz I'm going to make it tomorrow!)

1 2lb package for Southern style hash brown potatoes

1 onion, diced up

1 pint of sour cream... can be adjusted to 1 cup if you want

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 stick of melted butter

2 cups of grated cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

paprika

Place frozen hashbrowns in large mixing bowl... break them up

Add all the other ingredients (except for paprika) and stir together...

Place in 9x13 casserole and sprinkle with paprika

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour

Great with ham, bbq chicken, pork chops or any pot luck!

Hope you like this one... and No, J... it's not heart healthy! =)

Baked Ragu with Cippolini Onions

We love good italian food around here. And anytime I can come up with something that is filling and easy... I'm all for it. Pioneer Woman has a post this week that is similar... but I didn't do the whole photo tutorial like she does... I'm not that talented, nor do I have the space to do it justice, and I always leave out a step or a picture won't turn out. (I don't have a fancy camera either!)

Oh... DH talked to the landlord about our stove issue... The landlord said he didn't have the money to replace the stove... but offered to go halves with us if we wanted to buy a new one!!!! (Ummmm... he's the landlord, we shouldn't have to buy him a new appliance for his rental property!) So.... he's going to send someone to repair our stove. We shall see if he can get parts, since DH wasn't able to find them on the internet! (In case you can't tell... this really TICKS ME OFF!)

Okay... back to the recipe!

2 lbs. ground beef

1 T. olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 large carrot, minced

1 large stalk of celery, minced

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp italian seasoning

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

2 14 oz cans of petite diced tomatoes

1/2 C Parmesan Cheese (canned will do just fine.)

salt and pepper

1/2 lb of cippolini onions, peeled and trimmed

1 T. Olive Oil

Any pasta... I used whole wheat Penne Pasta cooked according to pkg.

In a dutch oven or medium stock pot... warm pan and add olive oil, saute onion, carrot and celery, (the holy trinity) until a little translucent, about 4 minutes...

Add ground beef and brown it... drain off most all of the drippings... add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Add all seasonings, canned tomatoes and cheese. Pour into a oven safe casserole if you are using something other than a dutch oven...

Heat olive oil and add onions to oil to coat them, slightly brown them for just 1 minute. Add to top of meat mixture... cover and place in hot oven for 45 minutes.

Cook pasta... and then drain well... Spoon hot ragu over pasta and additional parmesan cheese... serve onions on the side.

I served this with some sauteed zucchini and some asiago cheese bread with my favorite garlic cheese spread....

It makes enough to feed a small army of about 8... and you can always add additional cippolini onions to the ragu... they take about 40 minutes to be tender without being mushy... and they are sooo sweet.

Thanks for reading... I hope you enjoy this recipe! Be blessed!

~Suzanne

Unwanted Excitement!

We have been in "Spring Cleaning" mode for several days... and today, I decided that while I did dishes and cleaned in the kitchen, that I would utilize the self-cleaning mode on my oven. Our kitchen has the original double oven kitchen stove by HotPoint... in a lovely shade of brown, that was installed when this little place was built 40 years ago. The timer for cleaning... never went off... and I went to make a pot of tea... and within 2 minutes... the burner exploded and fused the teapot to the burner.

Lucky for me... DH was home at the time, (the tea was for him.) He raced to shut the breaker off... and then came with the fire extinguisher. (It was not needed.) Needless to say... I cried! I don't do well sometimes in a crisis... or if I think I did something wrong. DH assured me that I didn't do anything wrong. He is currently in the process of tearing the whole top apart and testing everything to see if we need a whole new stove or just some parts. (He is a smart man... and can fix almost anything and the landlord loves him! and has no idea of all the things that he fixes around here.)

So... we are not having French Onion Soup for dinner... (at least, not mine!) Nor are we going to be having the pasta dish I had planned to make for later on this week. I do think that at least tonight and tomorrow, we will be having take out. And I don't want to leave the house... because of the wind chill coming in the next couple of days. On the upside... there was no fire... the only real casualty is my tea kettle and the burner. (So far!) Oh... and my burned thumb as I tried to undo the latch on the stove door. These things do happen... and God made sure John was home to be able to protect us and our belongings.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Refreshing!

We love salad at our dinner table... and we eat them on a regular basis. DH likes all the extra stuff I throw in... and it makes for a filling salad. But... DH has a food allergy... and it's to Soy. Most salad dressings have soy oil in them... go ahead and read the label... there is soy in it! (Mayo also has soy in it as well.)

We do eat bottled dressings... but DH does have to take an allergy tablet when doing so. I even have a little vial of them on my key ring for when we go out for dinner. So... I pulled this recipe out of my memory... it's one that I love and it's very tasty and fragrant! Lemon Basil Vinagrette!

Here are the ingredients... very simple to make:

Juice of 1 Large fresh Lemon

1/4 C sugar or 2 or 3 sweetener packets

1 tsp dry basil leaves
1 tsp miced garlic (You can use the minced stuff in the jar!)

pinch of salt

cracked black pepper

1/3-1/2 C olive oil

(If it's tart... add a little more sugar)

Place all ingredients into a small jar, cover and shake to emulsify.

Chill for about 1 hour before using to bring out flavors and pour over salad greens!

It's great on chilled romaine and a little Parmesan cheese!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

One of My Favorites

I love good comfort food... but then, who doesn't! I am a huge (let's not go to the weight thing) fan of things like homemade macaroni and cheese with a ton of bacon. I also love french onion soup... which I have posted here before. And I do like a good dessert... and bread pudding is one of my favorites, because it's so easy to do!

Here's the ingredients you'll need to make this... Sugar, 3 eggs, 1 pt of 1/2 & 1/2, 1 loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, 1/2 a stick of butter, cinnamon and vanilla. Additional 1/2 cup of milk is not shown.

Start by slicing bread into a thick dice... I like it rustic... so I usually do it in a 3 x 3 dice...

Place your bread into a casserole dish.

Next break your eggs into a mixing bowl and begin to beat them until they are nice and thick and creamy... then add your sugar... beating it in a little at a time.

Melt butter... I do it in the microwave, and let it cool slightly...

Add 1/2 and 1/2, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and butter... beating to combine.

Pour into casserole over the bread. Let is stand for about 10 minutes.

Place casserole in to another baking dish... 9x13 or 11x15... and pour hot water into the other dish to create a ht water bath...

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Bread Pudding

1 loaf cinnamon raisin bread

2 C. 1/2 and 1/2

3 eggs

1 C. sugar

1/2 stick melted butter

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

Cube bread into rustic cubes... place in casserole dish

In mixing bowl... beat eggs, add sugar in small additions to make sure it's incorporated,

add milk, 1/2 and 1/2, vanilla, cinnamon and melted butter... beating well to form creamy custard base.

Pour over bread...let stand for 10 minutes... Place in hot water bath and bake for 1 hour.

Sorry, that this isn't a tutorial... I tried, but blogger didn't want to download some of my photos. That was very frustrating! But at least I can show you a finished product. It was so good... that we had dessert first last night! =)

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Kitchen Show and Tell

I love to use old things in my kitchen... and I love to have new stuff too! Hubs has started to cook with me in the evenings... and it's always a teaching time and also a story time. He wants to learn techniques and recipes in the event that I cannot or am unable to cook for some reason. I am going to share some of my "equipment" in all of it's not so wonderful glory!


This is most of my little workspace. It's not very big... but I have years of training in working in tight spaces. (I wouldn't know how to act with more counter space! Oh... Heck, Yes I would!




This is a mix of old and new... vintage biscuit cutters, antique salt grabber, vintage salt shaker... new measuring cups for *Pampered Chef, along with their spoon rest, my maple pepper grinder that I've had for many years and some new measuring spoons!







This is a close up of my salt grabber and biscuit cutters... and my rolling pin... handed down from my mother. (They don't make them like that anymore!)





Here's my salt shaker... found at a lovely old barn antique shop... I use lots of antique ball canning jars for storage... and I love my little juicer. I also have a larger one that was passed on by my Mom.

The items here are all things that were passed down to me.... the small roaster is from my Nana. It's a savory roaster perfect for 2... (This had a small 3 pound pork loin, rubbed in Herbs de Provence and surrounded by quartered onions in it for dinner last night.) Also, an old vintage galvanized colander and just a couple of the cast iron skillets my Mom handed down to me. All used with love... it's a joy to have such kitchen treasures.




I love this old enamel pitcher... it's from an old grange hall. I don't use it much except to water plants these days. My favorite cutting board is underneath it... a Target find... and I am wanting to go and get a few more of them. Also my 2 favorite knives... the front one is a kitchen aid santuko knife, the back one is a 6" chefs knife from Gerber... I bought it at Macy's Cellar, way back in 1982. It's traveled to many places with me... I even took it to the Dominican Republic when I was a team chef. Behind it are 2 new items... a new wire whisk and a small hand grater.



I adore small bowls... I love to use them for food prep and for simple garnishes to add on the side. I have more... somewhere... packed in a box or lost!




This is my prized possession... my kitchen aid mixer... it's an older model. I would love to have a newer one... the bigger artisan model with the bowl on the stand. But this does what I need it to do... which is to make great cakes, breads and awesome mashed potatoes!

That's my show and tell for today... I would love to see what y'all like to use in your kitchens. I have a ton of other stuff... but I didn't want to get carried away. (And I didn't show you my pots and pans... they aren't "calph" but they are good stainless steel and I've had them for almost 10 years. Maybe on another post!



Thanks for reading... and letting me show you some of my fun stuff! Be blessed!

~Suzanne

Sweet Sunday Love...

We had a fabulous day yesterday... making Pepperoni Rolls. DH helped me with some of the kneading as I doubled the recipe and it was a heavy, stiff dough. (It also ended up kicking my tail, my spine was very sore after I was done with everything.)

I ended up taking a nap around 4ish... I climbed on to the bed with my NASA pillow and tried to get comfortable. Once I did, I went out like a light! My DH quietly went into the kitchen and made dinner for us. He did really well.... he did Kielbasa and rice and vegetables. It was wonderful. Later, he went out and got dessert... Louisiana Crunch cake and French Vanilla Ice Cream.

This morning... because he knows that if I wake up early, I stay up. So, when he got up... he took his pillow and his book and went on the couch to let me sleep longer. Once I woke up... he started breakfast and made bacon, eggs and toast. Later, we decided that since it was such a gorgeous day... we needed to be out in it. We took a little road trip up a mountain... and I will tell you all about that at a later time. We then came back home, grabbed Nolli and took him to the dog park. I took my camera, but my batteries died before I could get very many shots... and I forgot to pick some up before we came home.

And tonight... DH decided to make dinner for me again. It was simple and nice... and I feel very loved. I've had the weekend off, as it were... from cooking dinner! That is very "Sweet, Sunday Love!"

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

These are Amazing!

I have been reading a certain blog for quite awhile... and this week, the writer of that blog posted a recipe for Pepperoni Rolls. She had written about making them and selling a few weeks back. That piqued my interest... I'm always looking for good recipes that are good enough to sell. (Not that I would sell them... but they have to be pretty good, right?)

So, this morning... I got up and made them... and they ARE AMAZING! DH is very happy with them. I took some over to my neighbor who helped us move our couch as a thank you gift. (They were still warm... I just ate one... yuuuummmm!)

Pepperoni Rolls

Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water

1 teaspoon yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 egg

1/3 cup oil

1 cup chopped pepperoni

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

3 cups flour

Filling
pepperoni slices (approx. 64 slices)

pepper rings (approx. 1 1/2 cups)**

mozzarella (approx. 2 cups)

(We don't like pepperoncini, so I omitted them... **)

In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, salt, sugar, minced garlic, egg, oil, chopped pepperoni, and the 1/2 cup of cheese. Let sit five minutes. Stir in the first cup and a half of flour with a heavy spoon. Add the next cup of flour a little at a time as needed, stirring until dough becomes too stiff to continue stirring easily. Add a little more flour and begin kneading. The amount of flour is approximate–your mileage may vary! Continue adding flour and kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let dough rise in a greased, covered bowl until doubled. (Usually, about an hour.) Uncover bowl; sprinkle in a little more flour and knead again before dividing in half into two balls.

Working with one half of the dough at a time, roll each ball of dough out onto a floured surface into a rectangle (approximately 8×12 inches). Sprinkle flour over the dough to keep from sticking as you roll. Make one slice lengthwise down the dough.

Slicing from the other direction, make a slice down the middle, then again, until you have eight pieces. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Place four slices of pepperoni on each piece.

Roll up, pinching seam to seal.

Let rise approximately 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Bake for 20-30 minutes. (Watch carefully–the size of your rolls will vary the baking time–they’re done when they’ve browned.)

Makes 16 rolls.

If you want to see the tutorial of how these are made go to her blog:

It's called Chickens in the Road by http://suzannemcminn/blog/

I only did a few things differently than her recipe.... I used butter at room temperature instead of oil, and I used more sugar than called for... about a scant 1/3 cup. I used an artisan cheese blend with Asiago, Romano and Mozzarella cheese. I think I will use whole milk Mozz the next time I do these. They were still off the charts good!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

One of my favorites

A few days ago, I showed a picture of a sampler platter of snack foods. On the platter were mozzarella sticks, onion rings and homemade zucchini sticks. Zucchini sticks are my favorite thing to order when we go to a certain rib place. They run about 6.99 for a serving of 5 sticks. I decided that I was going to satisfy my craving and do it a little more economically.

Zucchini is running about $1.88 per pound at the local Wal Marts... so I picked up 2 smaller ones. They weighed just over 1 pound all together.

When I was ready, I washed them, cut both ends off, and then sliced them in half lengthwise. I then cut those into 3 sections (or 4, depending on how thick they are) lengthwise again, making long thin sticks.

I dusted them with flour, dipped them in a simple egg wash, and then into Italian bread crumbs. I did all of them and place them on a cookie sheet to rest while I waited for the oil to get hot.

I placed them in hot oil (350*) and cooked them until they were nice and crisp and floated in the oil... about 2 1/2- 3 minutes.

Zucchini Sticks

2 medium to small zucchini
1 egg

1/3 cup milk

mix egg and milk together to make egg wash

1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs to roll zucchini in

oil for deep frying at least 3 cups in a 4 qt stock pot (I don't own a deep fryer)

I served them with some parmesan peppercorn salad dressing on the side.

Thanks for reading... be blessed.

~Suzanne