MeMe .. for Me from Kim at Hiraeth ...

I finally was able to set down and write these out.
This was fun!
Thanks Kim for including me...

1. What is your favorite OUTDOOR memory, before Kindergarten

We had a cottage at the Raystown Dam near Huntingdon, PA. I loved the bugs, the water, the outdoors, everything! My brother, who is four years younger than I, HATED (feared) the bugs, the water, the outdoors, everything! That changed after a while … he wouldn’t touch the water, not with one little piggy! One time I pushed him in and he bawled and spit and sputtered around. Yep, I got in trouble but that ended his fear … he lived. (We had life-jackets on – remember those big orange things that made the back of your neck sore and was always up around your cheeks in or out of the water?) UPDATE: I found THE Pictures!!! There is now over 100 ft of water in depth at the place where our cottage once was. Seven Points Marina is directly across from the mountain side of the old Dam. You can tell where our cottage once was by the powerline up the side of the mountain. We were 3 cottages on the right side of the Old Fink's Bridge that once crossed the river. What sweet memories that place holds ... here is a pic of my brother, now a real river rat, going swimming. Notice we graduated to the waist type life jackets! That was a big deal back then! The boat we had was called the Sheila II. It had a huge Chrysler engine in it and we used to go skiing. Dad had made us a 'surfboard' out of plywood with rope handles and he would run us up and down the river. When the waves would come it would slap hard and almost bounced us off. Oh to go back ...

2. Do you find history fascinating and if so, which historical period are you most likely to explore?

I was born in the wrong time … I would have loved to live during the Civil War era and the Colonial Williamsburg time period. Gettysburg, Colonial Williamsburg, touring the battlefields, are a love of mine. The Blue and The Gray is a favorite read/watch of mine. The cooking/home-making fascinates me. The high culture was so different from the lower culture in their ways of life. I’m not talking about the slavery but the living style. I would have been a log cabin gal for sure. Shoot my own food, walk the Appalachian Trail, live by your teeth so to speak. Or I probably would have been a good side-kick to a Trapper in the Klondike … or to have been with Lewis and Clark wondering what was around the next bend.

3. What period of art do you prefer and who is your favorite artist?

The Little Soldier by Eastman Johnson

I do not know much about art periods but I will share with you who I like …

I like Eastman Johnson, he was an artist known as America's Rembrandt. He lived from 1824 – 1906. He was most known for his painting of everyday life. His later paintings has some influence from 17th century Dutch and Flemish artists. When you look at the pictures he created they just draw you into them, you can see, hear and smell what they are about … I just love this above pic …

I also enjoy today’s artist’s like Jack Paluh. He is an Outdoor painter. Again he just draws me into his works. www.jackpaluh.com.

This is titled "Close Encounter" ...

And then Terry Redlin ... amazing artist ... this is titled "God Shed His Grace on Thee"

4. What kind of vacuum cleaner to you own and would you recommend it to someone who is looking for a vacuum cleaner that is strong enough to pick up little red Vizsla hairs without locking itself to the expensive oriental rugs in the process. (not that I know anyone looking for a new vacuum cleaner solution. . .)

I have a Sears vac, nothing great but it does clean up the dog hair well for me. It is the canister type with the beater-bar brush on the end. This is my second one.

5. Tell me about your favorite pan, if you have one. Speaking of pans, have you ever made crepes? If so, what is your favorite filling?

I do not make creps so can’t share with you there. BUT my pan – why cast iron of course! The one’s that I have, have been in my family for four generations. I have one that my great-great-grandmother used. I have all sizes. I even have a round pancake pan, fish shaped pans for cornbread, dutch ovens, square pan for grilling, an old, old griddle that I bought at a public auction sale. I have a set of Thermo-Sentinal Stainless Steel waterless pans that I had bought before we were married that are as nice as the day I bought them. Cast iron is not hard to take care of. If cared for properly it lasts forever and is just like a Teflon pan. You can’t beat cast iron pans.

Recipe Roundup: Salads ...

(Click on the Icon above to go to home of the Roundup!)

SPAGHETTI SALAD

1 lb. cooked spaghetti al dente
1/2 jar of McCormick Salad Supreme
1 16 oz. bottle of your favorite Italian Salad Dressing
1 large cucumber cut up in large dice
1 large green pepper diced
1 red pepper diced (optional)
1 onion diced
1 large tomato diced
1 can large black olives sliced thick
1 small block (1/2 lb.) mozzarella cheese chunked
1/2 stick of Pepperoni chunked
(or you can use the already sliced)

Toss all ingredients, cover and put in fridge.
Best made the night before but if you do I
use 1/2 of the 1/2 jar of Salad Supreme
and add the other 1/2 before serving.
I have also used fancy pasta's instead
of the long spaghetti noodles.
I also break the noodles in half
before cooking.

and also:

BROCCOLI & CAULIFLOWER SALAD

2 bunches of Broccoli
cleaned & cut into bite size pieces
1 head Cauliflower
cleaned & cut into pieces
1 lb. Bacon
fried & crumbled
8 oz. shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbs. Vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine: vegetables, bacon and cheese.
In separate bowl make dressing by combining
mayo, sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar and beat very well.
Pour dressing over other mix of ingredients.
Chill well.
(I have also added frozen peas and it was really good, too)

Tuesday Ironing Day ~~

Monday's was Wash Day ...

and

Tuesday's was Ironing Day at Gram's home ...

When I was small I had my own wooden ironing board and iron.
I remember standing beside Gram's ironing board
and doing what she did. We even wore aprons!
I still have mine. I have some that my Great-Grand-
Mother made for me. I should get them out and
take some pictures and share them with you.
I started out with hankies, aprons and pillowcases.
Then graduated to T-shirts, work shirts and cotton petticoats.
BUT some of the clothes came off the wash line,
then they were sprinkled with a special pop bottle
with a sprinkling lid that made them damp,
rolled up and put in a plastic bag
which was then put into the refrigerator.
Then on Ironing day these were removed
one at a time, sprinkled a little more,
then ironed out beautifully.
I can still remember the fresh smell
when the iron did its work of pressing.
No need for starches, nor sprays.
I can still see her pinning out her doillies she
hand crocheted, and ironing them dry.
Oh what memories ...

Garden Goodies ~~

Our garden is flourishing with the recent rains we have had. It has been dry here in PA. Cabbage Creek is flowing a little low with the drought.

These past few days have been wonderful! Light breezes, misty rain showers, cool temps and fresh smell permeating the house. The curtains have been billowing in the breezes during the nighttime. At twilight this evening I heard a chirp of a cricket and watched the lightning bugs start their dance. We like to lie in bed and listen to the crickets sing their songs thru the night. I am a light sleeper so often in the early hours of the night I set on the porch and listen to their sing-song while sharing my heart with my Lord and Savior.

Our zucchini are producing well this year. I had not checked on them for a few days and when I went down to the garden today - WOW - I was surprised! We had fried zucchini to eat today. (And probably tomorrow and the next few weeks!) There are a lot of recipes around but here is a family favorite of ours ~~

fried zucchini blossoms

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup club soda or beer (not dark)
1/4 teaspoon salt
About 4 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying
18 zucchini blossoms
a deep-fat thermometer

Whisk together flour, club soda or beer, and salt in a bowl until smooth.
Heat 1 inch oil in a 3-quart wide heavy saucepan over moderate heat until it registers 375°F on thermometer. Working in batches of 3, dip blossoms in batter to coat, brushing them against side of bowl to remove excess batter, and fry, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain and sprinkle lightly with salt. (Return oil to 375°F between batches.) Serve warm.

( Batter can be made up to 2 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature and whisk again before using.)

First batches of fried blossoms can be kept warm on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until all of blossoms are fried.

Blossoms can also be panfried, but they will not be as crisp. Instead of making batter, stir together 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss blossoms in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Heat 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until the foam subsides. Add blossoms in batches and cook, stirring, until they just begin to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes.

They can also be stuffed with a mixture of ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg, dash of nutmeg, s & p, and parsley flakes. Tie the stuffed flower with a long piece of sliced green onion top. Also can be stuffed with an anchovy & cream cheese mixture.

For those of you who have zucchini, give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!