Jun 1, 2013 Posted on Jun 1, 2013 | 0 comments

Coleslaw

There’s no real need for a million recipes when you get the one just right. My coleslaw recipe is from the Meat Cookbook. A classic in the Barbequing World I discovered when a mid-west BBQ judge discovered it on my shelf. There is exactly one recipe for vegetables in there and this is it. And it’s perfection.

COLESLAW

For best results, prepare the coleslaw several hours ahead and refrigerate it or, better still, make it a day ahead.

4 Cups shredded green cabbage

2 cups red cabbage

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions

DRESSING

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place all the vegetables in a large bowl.

To make the Dressing: Whisk together all ingredients in another bowl or food processor.

Toss the vegetables with the dressing and taste for salt and pepper.

Enough Said.

 

May 10, 2013 Posted on May 10, 2013 | 0 comments

Fiona’s Coming Out Party

We celebrated Fiona’s arrival last weekend with a few close friends.
An opportunity to share her and entertain. I’d forgotten how much we enjoy throwing a party. And I wanted to prove that I still have it. Even with the wee Fi hanging off me, I managed to make most of the food ahead of time. And decorate enough to make myself happy.

  Terry, Fiona, and Me

Mark and his Aunt Barbara

Aunt Annette and Uncle Paul

Eamon got some presents too while Fiona was a hot potato

Fiona was the Belle of this Party

Eamon read to little Carolina from Super Diaper Baby

Pegeen and Caitlin

Shelly with her daughter Ginny and Gayle. Red headed babies!!

Lamb chop puppet from Lisa. Eamon grabbed her up and eventually made her annoying.

Daisies, Stock, Solidago, and Waxflowers were the base for my arrangements.I made the ceiling treatment from the darling paper lantern I got at Bella Luna in Rehoboth and the vintage lanterns which hung in a tree for our wedding.

So Many beautiful pink cards to add to the decorating. They are everywhere.

And Miss Pegeen got THE outfit. So now I have to stage the photo shoot.

And the perfect Christmas ornament from Miss Amanda.

Stolen idea from Decor8, ribbons on the light fixture.

And a last swag of this thrifted fabric that screams girl

We are so grateful to the powers that be to have given us both a beautiful daughter and a charming handsome son. And that we have so many to count us as dear friends and we them. And happy to have our house looking so dapper. Because there’s no surer way to get to all those tasks done than have a party. And to get some leftovers. And your kid clothed. And a fence built. And… Mark’s 50th is in October! Party Girl is back and she’s got a protegé.

Apr 25, 2013 Posted on Apr 25, 2013 | 4 comments

Over the Bridge

 

Here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, when we say we’re going over the bridge, it usually means a 45 minute drive west over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge into Annapolis, MD and destinations beyond. A grand adventure since the big cities beyond, Baltimore or Wash DC, are way more exciting than out little rural town of Denton.

But when I said to my husband, “I’m going over the bridge for lunch” last Thursday, I meant I was strolling over our town’s bridge over the Choptank River to the West side to lunch with the lovely Christina.

She works for the Caroline County Office of Tourism which is on the water on River Landing Road in a restored waterfront warehouse called the Choptank River Heritage Center. That darkness above me is the bridge.

And so over the river I strolled with Fiona on a lovely spring day.

We sat inside the center at a table clad in a happy blue tablecloth that Christina had set for our lunch of grilled chicken, a green salad with Gorgonzola cheese, and a orzo salad. And we enjoyed the view of the boats going by.

  I was so lucky to have my special waterside picnic lunch prepared by this beautiful lady who held my baby and spoke to her so sweetly.

And then we rolled back over the bridge and I marveled at all the little spring weed flowers, flowering trees, and finale-ing forsythia.

I send my utmost gratitude to Ms. Christina who is soon enough to be a Mrs..

Congratulations!!

PS. And I’ve got my eyes on that Heritage Center to use for some special events. I know a guy who can fabulously light an evening cocktail soiree on the water.

Apr 11, 2013 Posted on Apr 11, 2013 | 0 comments

“Economy” Beef Stroganoff

 

 

 

This is the recipe for one of the many fabulous meals I received from my friends while I was baby befuddled. And let me tell you, if you remember this old school favorite, you won’t be disappointed. It’s creamy and chunky and fab. Thank Nancy Sawyer for this.

 

 

Economy Beef Stroganoff from the Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1980

1 1/2 lb stew beef, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

1 1/2 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons catsup

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup sour cream

3 or 4 cups hot cooked egg noodles

1 tablespoon margarine or butter

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Cook and stir beef in 2 T margarine or butter in 10 inch skillet over low heat until brown.  Reserve 1/3 cup of beef broth.  Stir remaining broth, catsup, garlic and salt into the skillet.  Heat to boiling then reduce heat.  Cover and simmer until beef is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Stir in mushrooms and onion.  Cover and simmer until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  Shake reserved broth and the flour in tightly covered container, stir gradually into the beef mixture.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute then reduce heat.  Stir in sour cream, heat through.

Toss noodles with 1 T margarine or butter and poppy seeds.  Serve beef mixture over the hot noodles.

Notes:  Use more beef or more mushrooms depending on how you’re feeling and what you have.  Reduced fat sour cream may produce a flavor difference.  I don’t usually butter and poppy seed the noodles, but that’s the original recipe.

Apr 10, 2013 Posted on Apr 10, 2013 | 2 comments

Mealbaby

The lovely Mrs. Emily Cranwell had her baby Linden a year ago. When I got pregnant, someone suggested  that I do what she’d done and enlist the support of fellow church members, family, and friends to bring my family some meals throughout the delivery weeks until I was back on my feet. The site is called Mealbaby. Here’s the Facebook page.

What the heck is that all about? Well I’ll tell you. It’s a website where you register and create a calender for your needed meals to help you through a time when help is necessary. Times like having a baby, recovering from surgery, or the loss of a loved one.

You then send the link out to your people asking for their support and for them to sign up on an online calendar. Sending out the request was the hardest part. I agonized over that cover letter. And I agonized over whether anyone cared enough to sign up. Turns out, they do. And we were treated three times a week, starting with my guesstimated due date, with lovely meals from lovely people.

I was so thrilled that I’d allowed this to happen. And I looked forward to seeing all of my people show up on my doorstep. Many of them hoped and gambled that they would see a baby when they got here. Some were lucky enough to even hold her. Some just saw still pregnant me.

There’s a few of these meal recipes I’m still in need of having. Emily’s scrumptious minestrone soup for one as that was the last meal I enjoyed before I went in to the hospital to have them coax a baby out of me. I am reminded again, remember, it’s a gift to others to allow them to help you. Thanks to each and every one of my food fairies. You were all so sweet and fabulous.

Here’s the link for Mealbaby.