one day the basement will be done

vintage freestanding fireplace corner
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

but not today. We are loading the furniture in down there today and over the next week or so I guess.

The floor is 2/3 done- the 1/3 left isn't in the seating sections so it's time we remove all the displaced furniture back to where it lives.

this is the vintage freestanding fireplace my Mr. bought me this summer-all cleaned and ready to go. The chairs that didn't seel- well, they didn't sell for a reason- they were needed for this seating group! Funny how things work out...

new project chair- icky shell chair by Herman Miller

new project chair- icky shell chair by Herman Miller
Originally uploaded by thefarmersdaughter

I got me a new project! It's a Herman Miller shell chair, it's gross. Needs more than a little TLC, but I have all winter to figure this thing out...

Coke and Ketchup Chicken. Yes, it's an acquired taste

In the Heart section of Culinary Therapy Decade 4, we are to "reach back into your memory for a dish that has sentimental ties. Well, if I reach all the way back, then what I remember was pretty awful. Sorry Mom.

My Mom is not a great cook. Also, she doesn't care. That makes it better I think. I don't actually know what she did all day when we were at school. She was a nurse, but gave that up when my brother was born sick. She never went back and was a stay at home Mom. We lived in a small town, so there was none of that drive and dash Mom stuff back then. She wasn't in the PTO, she didn't volunteer at our school. She didn't garden or sew. I think she had a lot of coffee with the neighbors and watched a lot of tv. Oh, and garage sales. Don't let me forget the garage sales. Whatever she did- it wasn't look at cookbooks or recipes. The one recipe she did manage to find was Coke and Ketchup chicken.

I think it was supposed to be like a bbq chicken. I don't know. It was a sauce of some kind-obviously made from Coke and ketchup, and the chicken was baked in it. It was AWFUL. To this day though, my Mom defends this abomination when I make fun of it. Says it "wasn't that bad". It was. Even the dog wouldn't eat it.

Her dishes were all pretty simple, meat, potatoes, veggie. No real seasonings. I think my Mom rebelled against the way HER mom cooked. My Grandmother was the original Paula Deen. In her mind, there wasn't anything that couldn't be improved upon if you just added enough butter. Or margarine. Or drank enough pink champagne to cloud your judgement. Grandma was one of those women who made a great t bone steak,cooked it until it was quite black, then added a huge dollop of butter on top. Served it with a salad that had a wedge of iceberg, a quarter tomato and a cup of blue cheese dressing. Macaroni and cheese with a pound of Velveeta served 4.

When I moved to Texas I was stunned. Flavor! Color! Different levels of done-ness! Meat not swimming in butter. Meals that didn't even have meat in them! It was amazing.

Listen, my Mom did her best. This was the 70's and she watched the "Galloping Gourmet" so I'm just thankful I didn't return home to find her passed out drunk with a pot of butter and cream on the stove boiling over!

Dinner

There aren't any pictures. I want to get that out there first.

I decided to make something different. Sort of goulash. So, I cooked a chuck steak, and when I say cooked, I mean cooked. 4 hours in a lidded dish at 350 degrees, 1 hour un-lidded. It was a bit over 1lb when it started. I cooked it with onions and garlic, salt, pepper and some red chili flakes. It fell apart when it was done. Then I made a red tomato sauce- crushed toms, garlic, Italian seasoning from Mrs. Dash, onions, red pepper flakes, the onion and garlic and pan drippings from the meat. I served it with gnocchi. Parmesan cheese too. It was yummy. Better for lunch today (there was just a single serving left) The Mr. had never had gnocci before and he liked it! Yea.

Dinner

Fettuccine with pesto/Alfredo sauce with sun dried tomatoes. Yes, all made by little old me-low fat 1/2 1/2, butter, Romano/parm cheese with basil pesto.
I love this-and it's so easy to make for just one or two.
Tonight it's ham steak, hash brown, and veggies. Tomorrow I'm making a pizza. YUM. Then I'm off for vacation by myself. YEA~!

Daydreaming in August.

Since the economy is so poor this is as close to this type of house as I will get right now. From Here- an apparently fantastic architectural firm that believes in sustainable building and growth. All I can say is I want...

I am loving all the simple, clean lines and the wood! Not all wood is good, but this certainly is!

lunch.

Hot dog, cheese, onions and home made pico de gallo on a 9 inch flour tortilla.

Foods I know how to prepare-and menu planning.

Last night I made pulled pork sandwiches and home made potato salad. Yes, it doesn't sound like much, but I haven't made either in over a year. They were excellent. SO excellent, there are no pics. No leftovers. YEA!

As for menu planning. Here is goes. I plan on Sundays for the week. What I make is determined by what is one sale and what is fresh and looks good.
Sunday- we all went out for Pizza (reunion things)
Monday- see above, pulled pork and potato salad
Tues. Ham steaks, potatoes and eggs
Wed. going into town, the Mr. has a softball tourny
Thurs. Something with chicken.
Friday shrimp and veggies with linguine
Sat. Going on vacation- the boy and the Mr. are on their own....

84 parties more!

Listen, I drank half a bottle of gin that night, so don't expect too much!

my reunion

My 25th high school reunion is this weekend. It's the first one that I have gone to-usually I lived to far away to be able to make it. Plus, I couldn't think of anyone I really wanted to see that I wasn't already in contact with. This year it's a little different. We had some unforeseen deaths to classmates, I'm married to a former classmate, and well, some new faces might be nice. Plus, the excuse that we used last reunion, my cancer, doesn't work so well anymore since I'm still alive.

Also, I'm going to be drinking to deal with this epic event. Adult beverage. Gin beverage.

Have a good weekend.

artery cloggers on a plate-green chili cheese fries

It's appetizer week at my house. My dinner two nights ago was this....


that's french fries, Monterrey jack cheese and home made green chili sauce.

What I am dreaming about right now....cars, jeeps and rv's!

If I were to win the lottery today (and please God- let that happen) here is what I would be going out to get tomorrow...

A wonderful Airstream Bambi to get me to my new vacation location...

a big chunk of land in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan on the lake and a little modern wood house over looking the water.

A fabulous vw dunebuggy to drive around in...

No, not an advertisement. A vintage 1970's Ford pick up truck to haul stuff in and go to the store in. Great for yard sales too....

I would love an actual Haida totem pole....

This is about the coolest concept car ever... I would force Jeep to make me one...


and a replacement Jeep. This is exactly the jeep that I rolled, over and over, down a hill. Even the color is the same- Amber Fire. Of course, mine was destroyed. But I came out of it ok, so I want to get another one. That Jeep saved my life, and that of the boy childs, so they will always be ok with me!

Why I can't watch the news anymore.

Political discourse is going down the tubes. These fake "teabaggers" crowding town halls and shouting down our elected leaders, crazy "birthers"-(did you hear one of the major lawyers involved in that was actually disbarred in 2004?)-Republicans who would rather have their health care rationed by Large multi national for-profit insurance companies than the government-they are all getting me down. SO- I decided to get my news only from the Internet. That lasted one day. I should have known better after listening to these right wing half wits that they couldn't use the internet "tubes"right either. Because this is what I found.

I hope their "conference" went ok.....

I'm not a "maverick" at all...(but I bet Palin is a Mavrik-don'tchaknow?)

He should go back to his job holding up going out of business signs.

At least he remembered there was an N-just a little late though...

How bout we make spelling an official subject in school- in any language?

Nice doo rag-Moron.....




I was "stunned" too when he picked Palin......




I knew some people questions where he was born-but that is father was a bolt of fabric?

This is just wrong on so many levels....

I'm going to have to wait until he finishes his thought... maybe his knickers are too tight?

The "solider" son of that woman is just hanging his head in shame right now...

We all know that FOX is for school vouchers- I think they want them for their own employees...

There is just so much hate out there, that it's blocking their ability to spell. Or maybe it's genetic. We must "Regect" some childrens lit due to...owls?....
Then there is the more normal kind of hate-"pervesion"

Mexicans....

and the "lanaguage" I think they hate the "lanaguage" more than anything...

Except for the Mexicans. They hate them more....

My favorite- the official uniform of the Right wing teabagging party-

The underware tank top!

It's going to be a long, hot summer....

Missing foods-the top 10 ish...

Really, I am having trouble with this. When I lived in Austin, I would cook for my friends, but Austin is a going-out-to-eat town. 4 or 5 nights a week I would either eat out or just eat take out. When I moved up here, that stopped, but I cooked what I liked and I still do that.

If I had to come up with a few things-
1. steak soup. Basically, it's steak, potato's, carrots, onions, corn etc... in a beef stock. It's more a winter thing, but I don't think that I made it last winter.
2. pizza with goat cheese, artichokes, pesto and mushrooms. The Mr. likes non of these items. I don't make it anymore. I love it though, and might need to break it out.
3. corn bread. Now, here is something that I will bring out soon. I love my cornbread.
4. I don't bake much anymore. cakes, pies etc.... I should do that more.
5. Chicken parmigiana.
6. homemade dips. I am trying to give up potato chips though, so this probably won't be happening.
7. portobello sandwiches. The Mr. likes meat, and he hates mushrooms. I love these, so maybe I can eat these when he eats meat?
8.Pots De Creme. I love these. I haven't made them in 6 years. I think I know what I am going to try next!
9. orange chicken. Usually I make green onion and garlic sauce for my Chinese food.

10. Spinach casserole from quackenbushe's. That was good.

11. fried chicken. Actual, fried in fat chicken.

12. spring rolls and egg rolls.

Here is my personal cook book. These are all things I have cooked and liked. I don't think I have brought this out in a year or two. Light reading it's not. Tonight I am going to look through it and find one recipe to try this week. I promise.

How I cook fish.

I would explain, but just go here. There are pictures and everything.
After the initial 2 minutes of cooking (for a fish 1 in. thick) I throw in some fresh dill and a tablespoon of lemon juice. When the next 10 minutes of cooking is done, I add more lemon juice and bit of butter. It's easy and good.


http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/fabulous-no-fail-fish/aa2066457bb10210VgnVCM10000013281eac____/news.voices/in.the.magazine/may.2009.issue/