snowangel

I love my crocs. I am also a birkie fan, but the crocs wash up so nicely in the summer when gardening... I'm thinking that a pair of the holeless ones in black would be a good addition to my wardrobe.

Steve, I do know that they ship. Every Thanksgiving weekend, I head to Blule Fin Bay with the Ladies of the Lake. We are four that have known each other since we were freshmen (freshwomen?) in college in 1975 and on our way home on Sunday, we always stop and get fish. Russ's place is an odd place. We stop at the one that's on the west side of the scenic highway, and there's a bar area on the right hand side, which has some booths, and the tables in these booths are piled high with boxes and labels, and there's usually someone sitting and busily packaging up smoked fish. It is really an odd place. But, the smoked fish is good, and they also sell hand parched wild rice. The best thing on the door this past November was the sign listing the hours: "open from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm (or later if we feel like it)." (sic)

Today did not start out as expected. A friend of Diana's spent the night (usually a no-no, but the friend is in the midst of a move, and the girls did spend most of last evening studying together), and this morning, the friend's car didn't start, so I am carless today. And, I was planning to get out and get seafood for cioppino. But I do have a freezer and pantry full of food. But, not exactly what I was hoping to find. I'd thought I could do posole, but the roasted poblanos that were in the freezer are not to be found. Hmmm. Must have used them... Which brings me to my cookbooks. Two shelves of them (we're not going to talk about the plethora of them that are probably laying on the floor by my bed -- or under them). Plus, I did pull out so you could see the most well-used books in my collection. I have just about loved these books to death, and the Tropp one is so splattered one... oh, and Maida's cookies. I'm not a sweet eater, but I could devour her books. And, Molly. I love the way that book is organized. What's missing from the collection is Thai Food by David Thompson, which is resting nicely at the bottom of the lake at the cabin and hasn't been replaced. But, the cookbook I have the hardest time wrapping my head around: Which brings me around to dinner. There is a recipe in this one for a corn soup with chiles, lime and cilantro cream. I have tons of frozen corn in the freezer. I don't have serranos or jalapenos, but do have bird chiles. I don't have lean smoky ham, but I do have bacon and bacon ends. Nor do I have buttermilk or sour cream, but I do have creme fraiche (homemade!). Nor do I have fresh chives or scalions, but I do have limes. Diana will not be home tonight, and I'd like to heat and serve the khao soi when she's here, but, the pot was big, and I would have enough leftovers for that. Like Scarlett, I think I'll put the dinner decision off a bit longer, unless anyone else has some good suggestions. Any ideas for soup with white anchovies? (edited to replace a photo)

I've had a busy morning. I hate it when the kids put half glasses of stuff in the fridge because it inevitably spills. So, the fridge -- before and after. But, when I cleaned the fridge out last night, I espied something that I remembered this morning, and it hit my fancy for breakfast today. Smoked fish. I love all sorts of smoked meat/seafood. I had the opportunity to get up to the North Shore of Lake Superior last week, and had enough time to make a run up to Russ Kendall's. So, any guesses as to what I got?

Well, if you want the best possible use of oxtails, look no further than RecipeGullet, where you will find the recipe for Paula Wolfert's Oxtail Daube. This is a rich and silky dish, worthy of royalty!

So, to dinner last night! Please bear with me, because photoiing the actual finished dinners, along with getting everyone to the table, cleaning up the spilled milk, etc. is work! But, since the troops were showing signs of rebellion over only soup and bread for dinner, I grilled sandwiches last night, and made two kinds of soup, as reported earlier. Inspired by the Cheap Cheese topic, I formulated dinner as I was out yesterday. Bongard's is good American cheese. Well, at least it's not plasticy, and each slice is NOT wrapped in individual plastic sleeves (how much packaging waste is that?). Along slide, Cub's finest sliced deli swiss and corned beef. I also had a bottle of Kraft Thousand Island rolling around in my pantry (stay tuned for that horror) and had some kraut (Frank's canned stuff) in the fridge. So, the rest of dinner preps: As to the homemade cream of tomato soup. It is another type of "one of each soup" and I will get the recipe into RecipeGullet in the next couple of days. But, as it was cooking, wow, does cooking celery smell nasty. I think I can add celery to the list of foods I really don't like. And, I don't really understand the purpose of celery, or where it fits in the food chain. The food mill is new, a gift from a friend who realized that she had two of them! The homemade version, after a trip through the food mill, had 1/2 and 1/2 added. It was not creamy like Campbells, and Campbell's was the clear favorite. And, I'd have to agree with what the family said. It was weird how the soup l looked, the creaam looked more like suspended particles of sand. WHat's up with that? And, no, it didn't come to a boil afterwards. The sandwiches. I'd forgotten how much I love grilled sandwiches, and how much I love my cast iron two burner griddle. It replaced an electric one which was a nightmare to store. Plus, no cord to keep track of!

I have still not had breakfast, but it's not unusual for me to not eat until 10:00 am! But, to the walleye! Yes, it is good, but can be a lot of work to fish for. Most of all, I love fishing for perch and sunnies, although bass is the most fun to catch (and which I won't eat). Crappies are over-rated; I think they taste muddy, although deep-fried whole with a spicy Thai sauce as a topper; oh, that's good. But, the talk of fishing makes me think back to two of my fondest memories. Many years ago, Paul's dad was interiming at a church in St. Peter, MN, and we spent Xmas Eve there at the parsonage. Paul and I decided to make a day of it, and spent the day sitting on buckets on a local lake on a spectacularly sunny, warm (well, relatively warm) calm day. The next day, I discovered I was pregnant with Diana. Fast forward a few months, and Paul and I had our last child-free (well, he was child-free; I was a bit "big")weekend at The Cabin. It must have been early August, because he and I went blueberry picking on Saturday and Sunday morning, after coffee, waffles and bacon, we decided to fish before packing it up and heading home. So, out came the cane poles. It had been a wet summer, so we pulled up the conveyor belts that formed the paths to the shed and outhouse and found some worms. Then, off into the bin boat, and we went pan fishing in the shallows. Some 90 sunnies later, we returned to the cabin, where we stood on the ground, using the deck as a fish-cleaning space (newspaper down first!). We scaled and cleaned, and left for home much later than we anticipated. When home, we froze most of them, and had fish all winter long. Come to think of it, I have fishing memories associated with all three pregnancies! I've found some dinner photos from last night, and have fridge shots which I will sort out in a couple of minutes.

Good morning from the Twin Cities, where it is 6 below zero (F), but it doesn't feel that cold since there is no wind. Change of dinner plans! Stay tuned!

I have just talked to Judith, and she sounds better! And, yes, the washable nature of my shoes is most appealing. Crocs do make ultimate gardening shoes. Oh, and the long hair, right as rain this morning. Those youth recup quickly. My Friday list: The drywalling is going to keep reappearing on the list until the weather warms. Drywall and really cold exterior walls is a lot of work, and I think I need to get an offset pastry/icing spreader becuse it would mke it easier. The list was a problem tonight because I couldn't find today's list (this happens about every other week), and it is COLD. The wind is well, breathtaking, and as happens when it is this cold, the show is really crunchy.

Well, with some help from one of the kids (let's just say the long hair), my dinner photos disappeared. Suffice it to say that homemade cream of tomato soup vs. Campbells was a no brainer. There's something about the familiar about the can that just flat wins out. I lost the battle, thinking that the homemade version, while not as homogenized, was the better bet. But, grilled sandwiches! Reminder to self to include them on the menu more often. I don't really like melted cheese, but you get the combo going of oozy and crispy, and Oh! OK, so, the good, the bad and the ugly: FIrst, the bad: Try as I might, I could not take a better photo of this can, but Winter Hands. What a pain. I keep getting these little knicks, and splits. This stuff saves my life. Available at most quilting shops. Paul says it stinks, but he still loves me. Then, the ugly: Probably the ugliest ktichen floor in the world. The picture doesn't really properly represent the harvest gold hue that the floor has. As I've mentioned uptopic, this is fairly new house to us, and it is the second house that in about 18 months I have denuded of harvest gold appliances. When we moved into this house, it did not have granite countertops. It had harvest gold "leatherette" (read, heavily textured and clean with a toothbrush countertops, which lasted all of two weeks). But, we have had many other things to take care of, like plumbing, gas main fused to electrical, mould, etc., so we have not yet ridded the house of the Floor. The main reason is that there is beautiful oak hardwood under the carpet, and we've decided to replace the HG floor when we rip up and refinish the hardwood. On the good side, my yellow Crocs. I also have a pair in lime green. I love my crocs, and we've not had so much snow that I've had to totally closet them. Then, the best thing that happens with dining in our house is The Table: I love my table, and have for many decades. I grew up with this table. My folks bought it from friends in Thailand when I was about 12. For some ridiculous sum of $100.00. I grew up eating, arguing, loving around this table, and when we moved to MN, my folks brought it with them. But, when they moved to their new house, there was no space for The Table. So, it went on loan to some friends, and as we started moving the boxes into this house with the Ugly Floor, we realized that The Table would fit, so we called the caretakers, who immediately brought it over (with tears in their eyes). The center thing is a Lazy Susan, which means that you have to be careful as you lay the placemats, place the flatwear, dishes and glasses. This table has seen a lot of living and loving, and more pots of soup than you can imagine!

My dinner photos are weak, and since one of the kids played with the camera, it's going to take some work to get them. Take it from me, it was a success. Reubens for Paul and I, grilled cheese for the kids, and two kinds of cream of tomato soup (one came in a familiar can). Dinner is just flat a busy time around here, and anyone with three kids, who come with homework, needs for yearbook checks, and catchup on the day will understand. It's easier on the weekends!

Yep. Ice fishing. And, on a nice winter day that is freezing or just above freezziong and the day is sunny, and there is no wind, it can be one of the greatest activities. We used to date and ice fish, and come home with food! Let's just see how hardy we feel this weekend, there is a trout pound not too far away.

So, let's continue the guessing game. How many types of artisnal bacon do I have in my fridge right now? And, just what kind of sandwhich was made with the bread in one of my earlier photos?

Yep, Bait. We have a winner. Depending on weather, you may see it in action. What action?

Um, grubs in wood shavings? ← LOL! I was just getting ready to type that ! ← Getting close. Use?

fried rice, or All Bran, it's hard to tell, Susan, the picture is a little blurry ← Here's a better pictures, and the container is sitting on a regular 3.5 x 5 recipe card: You might see this item tomorrow or this weekend!

I just cleaned out the fridge (trust me, you'll see before and after photo). But, I found not one, not two, not three, but FOUR containers of these (this?) in the fridge. Time for you folks to do some guessing!

So, we're having grilled sandwiches tonight (I think they are now called pannini!). Paul and I had a discussion about this during our non-dinner last night, and his mom always used Crisco to "butter" (his word) the bread. Now, while I have Crisco on hand for pie crust in case I don't have lard, Crisco on a gilled sandwich? Comments?

Pam, parts of that lunch look just horrid, but when a working woman's got to do what she's got to do, you eat stuff (or pretend to eat the stuff). I have a Hudson's Bay Blanket, thanks to a gift from my great aunt Laura. She and one of her husbands got it in Canada in the 30's. I've been told it's valuable. Judith! Posole! Add some hot sauce or peppers, and it will help clean out the sinuses. May it provide healing powers. And, hopefully, you're using canned hominy because it is so much less work.

I had not intended to leave the house today (hubby offering to get to the hardware place for me), but a call from a friend with an emergency... But, before I left, I realized that the two bites of pear and half-grapefruit were not going to hold me, so I grabbed a favorite... I'm not big on junk food, but I do have a weakness for fritos, so when I opt for them, I opt for those little "school lunch" sized versions, which is just right, and prevents me from sitting down with a big bag, devouring it and feeling sick afterwards. So, while I was out, I stopped at the strange grocery store -- Mike's Discount Foods. The lady who was attending the store did not want me to take any photos because she didn't have the boss's permission. But, this is a store that carries scratch and dent, and almost expired foods. They also usually have a great selection of very ripe produce (I averted my eyes from the bananas ). My take today: While I am not big on salad kits, we often use them, just for the produce. These expire in three days, and were 3 kits for $1.50. The taco toss is a favorite of the kids and they just might have one of these for an after-school snack. Diana eats lunch very early at school (like 10:45), so she walks in the house hungry. The pineapple smells like a ripe pineapple; the proof will come when I cut it open. I hate cutting up a pineapple. Any hints? The half-loaf of bread is for dinner. Anyone want to guess what's on the menu? So, after my adventures, although I was hungry, I had a hot date with the two newest members of the family: We've named the treadmill Chester, and he's very popular. The book on the rack is Diana's AP History textbook. She has such a heavy load of courses this quarter than she's loving the treadmill. She passes at least an hour everynight walking/jogging and reading. Me, don't read when I'm on the treadmill. I reserve my treadmill for a weakness of mine, which brings us to the second new member of the household. The new member seems to simply be called the Big Ass Plasma TV. It was a gift to Paul from his boss this Xmas. And, my weakness is old detective shows. McGarrett has replaced my all time fav -- Jim Rockford. Sadly, Rockford is no longer being rerun. Then, lunch. One of my favorites. In fact, this is a long time favorite. I ate these almost every day when I got home from school when I was growing up in Thailand. I think it's the little packet of grease (which is on the top of the two-fold packeg -- one part with hot peppers, the other with some sort of powdered stock/flavour packet). I have tried all sorts of other brands of ramen noodles, and none compare to Mama brand. Today, I added fish balls and some bean sprouts (they give little bags of bean sprouts when you check out at my local Asian market). Yum! But, missing something, so I added some cilantro and vinegar. Little jars of sliced birds and vinegar is a common condiment at Thai noodle wagons/shops. This could perhaps have also used a wedge of lime... Filling and sinus clearing. And, now I have a powerful thirst, so I have an afternoon-long date with lots of water. I checked the nutrition labels, and the noddles had 42% of the RDA, and the four fishballs 18%. Yikes! Oh, and are those fish balls odd. They come frozen, really tightly shrinkwrapped, so they are more geometrical than round, and they have an odd bouncy quality, but I love them. I have never dared to find my reading glasses to read the ingredient list.

In our former house, I also found mummified "things," some cheap dime store novels, and a boatload of State Fair yardsticks nailed together used a "framing" materials. Oh, but the best find was an old (circa '50's?) newspaper clipping that showed the proposed interstate system.

Susan, do you think you can elaborate? My mom's stock always has carrots, and well, the soups she cooks are largely Chinese. I'm loving this blog. I had watercress soup and rice for dinner today. ← I think what I don't like about carrots in stock is that it adds a sweetness that I don't like. That's probably why I don't like root crops in general. And, don't get me going on how much I dislike parsnips!

Good morning all! The kids are gone, and it is a balmy 0 outside, but there's no wind. Now, when I cut into this pear, it looked so promising -- there was juice! But, looks can be deceiving and this was one nasty pear. It was mealier than it looked, and it tasted really, really odd. So I pitched it and went for the 1/2 grapefruit in the fridge (Diana had a half this morning). I know I'll be hungry again soon...This is such a hard time of year for fruit. I'm so often disappointed with the stone fruit, and I really only like locally grown apples (I've go a weakness of a crispy tart Haralson. Peter mentioned the other day that I should get a pineapple. How do you tell if a pineapple is ripe? And, I just opened a roll of paper towels. We don't use very many of them, but they can be handy. I'm picky about my paper towels and only buy Viva. I'll often buy store or generic brand things, but not with paper products!

Realizing that this list didn't photo well: 4' of 4" round duct sheet metal screws? disposable paint brush(es) Drywall PLASTIC! (waffle maker?) Foley quilt shop (yes, this will be food related!) Yarn? Trifold for Peter BARM! Also a note about eggs/fishy stuff from Costco or Asian market And, my notes for soups this week: the kao soi, 1 of each and cioppini. As a note, dinner for tomorrow night has been decided!

Tomorrow's list. Since Heidi's home message today came via e-mail, I don't have one of those nice colored papers that photos so well, and used an envelope from a renewal notice for Paul's subscription to Outdoor News.