snowangel

Let's not foget there's nothing wrong with ice cream right out of the carton, spoon in hand, with the freezer open

Cigarettes. I permit myself 4 per day. When I asked for them in California, I was directed to the chip section of the superette.

Jackal10, I'm looking forward to another blog from you. You mention that the Allington Pippin apple is your favorite. Why? Another question. Are your newer trees older or newer varieties? In Minnesota, the University has been very active in developing new apples, so we aren't seeing as many of the older varieties.

Although I really hate to see the end of the local sweet corn and Colorado peach season end, I am getting the yen to use the oven. Zuni Cafe Mock Porchetta, braised anything, soup, soup and more soup. Fill the house with "perfume" for hours.

Hackenmeuller's meat market in Robbinsdale. It's my bacon of choice. Noticed that their bacon has been cheaper than supermarket bacon, too.

Just in after a final Old Gold before bed, I thank you Kim, hillvalley, and TP(M'sia) for your kind words. Kim, the only obstacles I face are in the winter, just after the snow plow has come through, and I have to shovel (yet again) that mound of stuff and the end of the driveway to get milk or Old Golds (interesting that some of you haven't asked about them, as they seem to be a regional thing) or groceries. TP, including Heidi into our diet is not difficult. She let us know, somehow, what she wants and what she needs. I have learned all of the tricks of the trade, via her indications or our observations. "Just because she can't speak doesn't mean she has nothing to say." But, oh, right now, for another one of those peaches... So, instead, I head for another tomato.

Since it's not yet tomorrow, I will report on my late night snack. As I do every night before my final snack, I check to make sure each of the kids are asleep (they look so sweet and innocent when sleeping Outside of dinner, I may not eat much at any one time, but I eat often. Who knows if it is healthy. Outside. The last peach of the lug. Halved, eaten with juice running down my arms. It is raining gently, there is some thunder and lightening, but not too much. Enough of that gentle rain that it washed my arms clean and has left my hair damp. A perfect gentle rain during which to enjoy an absolutely perfect peach. The summer is fleeting. Seize the day, as they say. The coffee pot is full of water. The grinder full of beans. Then to sleep I shall go, perchance to dream...

If you freeze any one thing, make chicken stock. DOn't know where you live, but soup is great. With one of my kids, I did a boatload of cooking and freezing, but problem was, that post child-birth, you just may be like me "can't make change." LIterally. Couldn't make change, couldn't remember to take anything out of the freezer. So, Paul would get home, I'd hand baby over (welcomly at that point ), and cook something quick. Frittata. Pasta with garlic and oil. A salad. None of this took very long. A pot roast. Quick to get in the oven when baby is asleep and still have time to nap. While in the hospital, have someone stock you up on good cheese, bread and sliced deli meat. Other thing is that you don't know now what you will want to eat then! Better yet, if anyone at all says "if there is anything I can do to help," repond with "why yes, could you please come over and do a load of laundry and bring dinner with you?" I quite frankly found cooking less of a chore than the Other Stuff -- laundry, cleaning, etc. The real time to fill the freezer is before you go back to work (if you are going back to work). But, if you do want to cook ahead, stock (as I mentioned before). Chili. Baked pasta dishes (if you like them). Posole (as mentioned above; it's much better later than the day made). Pie crust (I often make a huge batch, roll and freeze between waxed or parchment paper) for quiche. Tomato sauce. If you make stock, save the worthwhile chicken and cover it with the fat that comes to the top of the stock after fridging and it will be OK; thaw, drain/blot fat and add to soup. Not great, but OK for adding to stuff. Keep tortillas, prepared salsa and cheese on hand for nuked "quesadillas." Assuming that Dad will be working outside the home, more important is stuff that you can grab and eat while nursing and taking care of baby. Good luck! Hope you are feeling OK and not too huge.

With a nod to a former blog writer I end with iambic pentameter It’s been a week of summer’s best bounty Most of it grown in this very county Those ears, those bicolored kernels…sweet corn To me, piled up, there’s no better food porn Tomatoes, ripe, sliced, juicy, and luscious Western peaches, a fruit most sensuous Tender green beans, meat hot off of the grill The thrill of the season gives me a chill Bacon, sausages, liverwurst and cheese Prik Khing, stir fry, larb…more of this please! Tomorrow, the blog moves across the sea Thank you for letting me share about me. Tonight, I hand the blog over. I'm sure there is yet another peach (almost gone) to go. Meantime, I'll check this later this evening and report if I do eat anything else. I'd like to offer special thanks to Soba, JLuhrie and Jason for promptly answering any questions I had (or remove photos I posted in error), and to the other site managers who fielded questions forwarded by the former. Most of all, I want to thank those who participate in EG for enriching all of our lives, regardless of where we come from, who we are, what we do, or what we eat. As I pondered my iambic pentameter, I realized just how different the contents would be in the middle of January here in Minnesota, at that time when we braise and roast, in part to fuel our bodies to withstand the cold, in part to heat the house. The lack of sweet corn and peaches. But there is ice fishing, and the dazzling brilliance of sun hitting ice covered trees. The season is changing here, and will soon change rapidly. One of the beauties of living here. To die for sweet corn, and great ice fishing. It is a good life. Edited to add: Now if I could just quit trying to put everything (even the grocery list) into iambic pentameter. Our poet laureate was right...it is addictive.

Should have mentioned that the bacon was from Hack's. I had them slice this a bit thinner. When we have bacon for breakfast, we like it thicker. We all like it thinner on a BLT. BLT's are one of my very favorite foods. Anything with bacon is a favorite. Probably even more appealing than larb.

Today seemed more like a mid-August day. Hot and sultry, windy...that "there must be a thunderstorm coming." (and there is one coming) So, in honor of this kind of day, I had a meal we often repeat in August BLT's, sweet corn and peaches. I ended up cutting the heirloom into wedges. It seemed a pity to "waste" the few I have had on a sandwich because they are so good on their own (had I had more, I certainly would have put the on a sandwich). I ended up slicing two more tomatoes. What you can't see is the Hellman's mayo or the two slices of Acme sourdough toast I had (my last two slices ). My family prefers then on squisy white bread, toasted. I cut these peaches up because Heidi can't eat halves or wedges. I also cut a bunch more peaches in half as we finished dinner. They were wonderful. I only have 2 out of that whole lug yet. I'm pleased that we ate them all when they were at their prime. I did pick up, about two weeks ago, a lug on sale that was almost past it's prime and I put up a bunch of frozen peach pie filling. The kids drank milk, Paul beer, and I had vodka with more of my limeade. It's getting dark. We are alternatively having high winds and still air. Oh, think I just saw some lightening! We're way overdue for a boomer.

As soon as recipeGullet is back up and running (when?), be sure and check for recipes for larb. Mine is wonderful, and there are also, as I recall, a couple of other versions.

When my sister was here (she hails from Berkeley), her first food request was sweet corn. She said it's never as good there, and she thinks it's never as fresh. The stuff Paul is brining home has been picked just a couple of hours before he buys it . It's on the menu tonight (yes, again).

Peter and I are getting ready to have a snack -- sundaes. Yogurt topped with sliced peaches and granola for a garnish and some crunch.

It is almost hot here today! So glad we can soak up some heat before fall (I love hot weather). Working hard outside today, so I'm eating lunch right now -- two hardboiled eggs with salt and pepper, one of the tomatoes I got last night. And, I'm sure I'll have a peach. And, a glass of limeade. I realized last night that my fridge is full of limes, so I made a simple syrup and squeezed a mess of these mid-morning. Very, very good.

Toast, coffee and two peaches again this morning. It's another beautiful day, and I found another ripe tomato this morning. This mid-September blast of above 80 degree (f) weather is doing it's trick.

On this sultry night, we have decided that we will return to The Cabin this coming weekend. We have always gone two weeks after Labor Day and two weeks later. The woods are drying out, the leaves falling, and things will be different. We will not swim (except perhaps me, The Brave One), but we will walk the road, and hopefully spot some grouse which will be waiting for us two weeks hence. So, we pray for a weather forcast late this week that will bode a trip to the cabin. Fires in the soapstone stove to warm the nights. Perhaps a chuck roast or some short ribs for a braise? It will be a short trip. Leave Friday late afternoon, drive 250 miles, pack it up Sunday, drive 250 miles, to get home in time to get the kids in bed in time enough to be alert for school. The beauty of high summer is no school and light late. Who cares, in those carefree days what time the kids go to bed? As the leaves fall, the days shorten, the the cabin beckons as much as it does during those days of long days and late night swims. OK, so I'm an addict.

Do my two feet of recipes on recipe cards count? Many of them are from my great grandmother, written in that spidery handwriting, with a fountain pen (keep them dry!), on yellowing cards...

I think one of the telling things was as I loaded my plate with tomatoes and romaine, swiped a lemon wedge that was a garnish for the shrimp, and cracked some black pepper over my plate of the Best of Summer's Bounty (all home grown, except for the lemon and pepper), the number of people that said "is that all you are eating?" Why, at this time of year, would I eat anything else? BTW, RSincere, at the Farmer's Market last week, red bells were going for $2.00/small bushel (is that a peck?). A trip to the farmer's market just may be in order tomorrow morning. I just found a box of jars, and pickles may be in my future. The hostess of the party did have quite the tomato bounty, and they were wonderful. When she asked if I would like to pick some, I did. BLT's just may be on the menu tomorrow night, along with sweet corn. I also pilfered some coneflower, rubekea, and other assorted seed heads (with permission) for my new fledgling garden. She also had a boatload of basil (as do I) and we have a date next Wednesday for her to come here with her shrubs and I will teach her how to make pesto. She's bringing the pine nuts and a bunch of little containers. I freeze it, successfully. Just cover the pesto with a thin layer of EVOO before putting the lid on.

No, these were not "swedish." My MIL makes those every Xmas Eve (along with lutefisk, which I will actually eat and sort of like as long as it is with smashed potatoes and lots and lots and lots of butter and cracked black pepper) and they are in more of a creamy sauce. The DIL who made these described them as "teryaki." Peter said that the bite of one he had was "yucky, sort of sweet and sour and goopy" (he had exactly one bite and no more, which he swallowed like a true gent, even thought I knew he didn't like it ). What exactly is this "teryaki" sauce? Does whatever sort of sauce she bought in a bottle remotely resemble what is "teryaki"? Other than hot sauces and a few Asian sauces, I've never purchased any of those "sauces" that one sees in the market like "Asian Stir Fry Sauce," "Thai Pad Thai Sauce," etc. Hoisan, nam pla, etc. are within my vocab, but the rest just aren't.

Snack update. Diana just rode up to the superette and picked up a pint of Hagan Daz vanilla, which was slightly melted when she got home (this is the warmest, most sultry night I think we've had all summer). We sliced some peaches and used the melty ice cream as dip. Life is wonderful. Lest you think I'm keeping them up too late, both had very long naps this afternoon. Summer is short. The peach season is short. The sultry nights are few and far between. Butterfat and juicy, ultra-ripe, dripping peaches. This is starting to sound pornographic.

Paul commented after we left that this seemed like a "typically Midwestern cold buffet." I do believe that people in all areas of the country see meals like this. Am I wrong?

If you can stand to drink cold (or room temp) coffee, which I can, have you thought about a Toddy? I keep one at home and at The Cabin, just in case we run out of gas in the big LP tank. (We can only get LP refills late summer/fall when the road is not wet and not snowcovered). While I much prefer freshly ground beans, I always keep a couple of packets of vaccuum packed grounds up there just in case. This mother, without her am cuppa, is not a mother, she's a witch, as my kids have informed me .

So we are home from this birthday party -- a 60th birthday celebration for a couple we know. They both turn 60 this month, within a week of each other. The setting was spectacular. They have built a huge house (bed and breakfast with 5 rooms up, personal space down) on 50+ acres of land in eastern Wisconsin between Houlton and Hudson. The view from the back yard and kitchen are spectacular. You can't see the rivers (St. Croix and Mississippi), but can see the valleys. It was yet another glorious day (we have waited for these since early May) and the sunset was beyond divine. There was an interesting crowd of fellow church members (that's how we know them), colleagues and friends, and I was surprised to find people I knew from other walks of life. The food was very average. They had some appetizers of shrimp (frozen peel and eat), standard cut up veggies and packaged dip, some meatball things in glop (which I didn't try) and olives (black and green with pimentos, from cans and jars), and buffalo wings, which although not fried, were surprisingingly way hot. For dinner, we had Very deli. Meat and cheese tray containing roast beef (very poor looking); ham; smoked turkey; non-descript swiss, yellow (cheddar or colby?) and some other white cheese with those zig-zag edges) with some sort of chard garnish in the middle of the black tray that had one of those big plastic lids on it. Why, for a flat meat and cheese tray should there be a big, high plastic lid? WOuldn't you want to keep the air out? Oh, well. Average supermarket white and wheat buns. Pickle wedges. Potato salad (better than average for deli). Some cole slaw thing with crushed ramen noodles that for some reason is popular in this area. The bonus, which I stocked up on were wonderful homegrown tomatoes and romaine lettuce. I forewent the large, supermarket bakery sheet cake and ice cream. I saved that room for peaches, which I had on the deck when we arrived home. They also offered pop (white, dark, caffinated, decaf, diet and full sugar), bottles of water, beer (Leinies and Mic light) and white and red wine (forgot to check labels, tasted like middle of the shelf stuff). But, we had a wonderful time, in large part due to the company and setting. After all, that is a big part of the meal, isn't it? Diana and Heidi fared well at home, and Diana earned a quick $20.00. She made egg salad for dinner (a favorite of Heidi's) and had peaches. It is still beautifully warm and sulty outside, so it's time to grab another one of those peaches and head to the deck. Oh. The b-day people requested no gifts. However, nothing could keep me from taking them a few of those oh, so, juicy treats. The hostess said that she thought that tonight, after the guests were gone, she thought that sharing peaches on the deck, watching the night sky with her honey, peaches would be appropriate . Edited to add that there was also fruit salad with decent melons and supermarket strawberries, and Old Dutch Ripple Chips. Plus usual condiments. French's and Grey poupon (sp?) mustard, mayo and miracle whip. I don't think most people here know about other dijon mustards, and Miracle Whip on a table is de rigeur in these parts, as well. Old Dutch is, I believe, a local brand. The brand I buy because they put two or three bags in a box and they don't get crushed on a trip to the cabin (the only time I ever buy chips). Their ripples are really, really wonderful.

New Ulm and vicinity has some real gems. Lenny's meat market is outstanding. At our last Blue Fin Bay gathering, Lenny's bacon (we had a bacon taste testing) was a real winner. Anything from the Nicollet Meat Market in Nicollet is outstanding. (we decided that when we do our next bacon taste testing, everything needs to be sliced to the same thick/thinness. We seemed to get more of a sense of the taste from thinner sliced bacon). The Nicollet Meat Market garlic or beer summer sausage takes first place every year at the State Fair. Last time we stopped there, it was a Saturday morning. In a town of about 800, we had to park about 3 blocks away. They had 20 or 30 people working there. Local reputation, I dare say. We bought summer sausage and took it and some other stuff for a picnic at the Schell's Beer Place. They have a lovely park there. OK. Back on topic. For a snack, I eschewed a sandwich (something I can have any time) for three peaches. Eaten on the deck. I'm going to have to hose the peach juice off the deck. My diet this week has not been about variety. It's been what great at this most fabulous, bountious of seasons.