Tag Archives: anniversaries

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Concord Grape

Posted on August 24, 2017 | Leave a comment

It probably will not be out until late September/early October, depending upon the weather. They can be eaten and my first and most popular blog is “How To Eat a Concord Grape.” Just follow the instructions from a hobby farm gal surrounded by Concord vineyards and dairy farms.

You must eat it fresh, else you’ll end up with Welch’s jam and juice. I don’t live there anymore, but if you can’t get to western NY the Welch’s white grape juice is the closest thing I  can get.

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Husbands. Mine sharpened a favorite knife of mine, a 4″ paring knife he uses to shave off slices of what kind of apple he likes that day. I was cutting two jalapeno peppers for chimichurri sauce for grilled skirt steak and sliced my thumb, deeply. He has been threatening to re-bandage me for a few days. The thumb opened up two days ago and I needed more time.

This afternoon it looked really good and he re-bandaged it, I washed my hands, placed hydrogen peroxide on the cut, let it dry, added Bacitracin, and he put on a nearly invisible NexCare bandage. I’m good to go.

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Today would be Mom and Dad’s 60th wedding anniversary. They’re both in a better place now and hopefully have had some time to chat, in heaven.

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Jewelry. I made my mother commit to letting me pierce my ears on my 16th birthday. She did. They were infected for two years. For the past ten I’ve only been able to wear 18K gold tiny hoops and they gave me trouble. I took them out for good a couple of years ago.

On my left arm I wear my 18K wedding ring (no engagement ring per my request), a copper hand-made bracelet from the farmers’ market and a magnetized “golf bracelet” that helps with my arthritis.

On my right, I’ve a silver Claddagh ring on my ring finger, an Italian red/white/green bracelet, a stronger golf bracelet which keeps arthritis at bay, and a Turkish “evil eye” bracelet to keep me safe, from Islamabad, a gift from Dad.

Other than really cool eyeglasses a la Edith Head/Edna Mode every day I wear a black, wooden guitar pick on a leather chain, with the Celtic, never-ending knot engraved inside it, in memory of Dad. Sometimes I add another handmade piece but the wood one is always with me. Dad was very talented, as a musician and director of many artistic endeavors.

Oh, I do have my great-aunt’s pearls from her wedding in the 1940’s. I wore them to mine. They’re not really appropriate for taking out the dog. Cheers! Dee

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“Thanks, Dee,

Posted on January 26, 2015 | Leave a comment

you’re the best.” That’s what I like to hear.

Dog Zoe and I have guests coming Wednesday. Oh, no, I have to clean! Every day, again, dog fur. Luckily they’re used to dogs. I have to clean out the pantry and have good stuff for one last trifle, which they love. We’ll pair it with heavy appetizers and a bit of vino.

Tonight I had an experiment. Cornbread bread pudding with smoked sausage. It could have used a spicier sausage, and more pudding and Gruyere cheese, plus an undercurrent of shallots and garlic. It was a last minute thing, placing this mixture in a bit of bacon fat in the oven in a cast iron skillet. It could have really used some hash brown potatoes, then it would be a perfect tasty and not really pretty brunch dish, or dinner for a busy couple.

But it’s not often I’m told “Thanks, Dee, you’re the best.” And it was from my recipe taster. My husband didn’t even say that on our 12th anniversary yesterday. He didn’t remember the date even though he had me inscribe it into his wedding ring. Here’s to new recipe creations, Dee

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The Big Picture

Posted on January 22, 2013 | Leave a comment

I always love this film directed by Christopher Guest starring Kevin Bacon and a lot of upcoming stars. btw, Director Guest, I loved you as the six-fingered swordsman, and all your films.

It tells you how to be true to your self and see the big picture, not dwell on popularity, self-involvement, details or money.

Forget about television, the more channels there are the less there is to see. What I read is all about crazy things like “reality” shows and “news.” They dish dirt.

Most who write (for those few that still read) do so about small things because we tweet and have very short attention spans. While I must do small things like paying bills and cooking, I like to see the big picture.

It’s a comprehensive picture where people have food and jobs and we have equality between people. There are serious issues that our elected representatives need to address. To do so, they must first talk to one another.

Let us all hope that today’s reconciliation Inauguration is not in vain. These senators and members of congress attend as a public duty. It is the people in this representative democracy that will make things happen.

Do you need a crosswalk in your neighborhood? You have a computer. Look it up and if the municipality will not help, find out who to call and do it. Your child’s life may be at stake.

Most of all, VOTE! I don’t care what party you vote for, just register, do your public duty and privilege, and vote. If you saw the inauguration today, you must know that living in a democracy is a privilege. Yes, we also have rights that are guaranteed and protected by a Constitution.

We’re embroiled in unnecessary wars and no matter what people say, we’re still in a recession. We need jobs and that is not a government function unless you work for the government. Companies need to re-train employees and plan for the future.

What happens in an economic crisis? We taxpayers bail out companies who then hold that money and pay themselves bonuses while we lose our jobs and homes.

Think about the big picture, where we all get involved in whatever matters to us and make a difference. Cheers to the future, Dee

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My Fajitas

Posted on January 21, 2013 | 1 comment

I’ve never looked up a recipe for fajitas so please do not expect this to be truly authentic. Yesterday, I changed it up a bit and it was a hit with my husband. No, the dog didn’t get any of it! She’s spoiled enough as it is.

As it was a Sunday, I had some time. I always like to prepare all the veggies first then cut up the meat and marinate it, in order to prevent cross-contamination.

Cooking for two, I started with an orange and a yellow sweet bell pepper, rinsed and sliced, also one red onion, thinly sliced. Then I sliced up two boneless, skinless chicken breast halves and tossed them with the juice of two limes, about 1/2 to 1 tsp. Ancho chili powder and the same amount of ground cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix, cover and set aside for an hour.

I use large flour tortillas and dry-toast them in a large skillet, moving each to a plate then covering to keep warm. Heat oil in the same pan, and add all the vegetables and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes, season with salt and pepper along the way. Then add the chicken, draining it from the lime juice and cook until just done.

Serve with condiments like guacamole (mine is with avocados, lime juice, salt and pepper and a bit of salsa), salsa, perhaps cheese, sour cream, lime wedges.

I usually just put a pinch of cayenne pepper in my chicken marinade but this time used freshly purchased (penzeys.com) dried Ancho and cumin powders that made for a difference in flavor and, hours later, our home smells like dirty socks (the cumin) and it’s about six degrees outside so cannot open the windows!

There were a couple of tablespoons of vegetables left over which I saved for an omelet. Disclosure: tomatoes didn’t look that good so I sometimes get a fresh pico de gallo. Not wishing to go to another grocery for that, I opted for bottled salsa which was OK but it is the middle of winter so forgive me.

I like to just set up the fixings on the counter and we make a plate for ourselves. It may not be traditional but the smokiness and flavors are there and I haven’t made this in a year so hubby was happy to enjoy the dish once again.

Many of us get into food ruts where we make the same dishes regularly. I really miss the farmers market that delivered to my door a large box of whatever was fresh that week. That was a challenge for me to work through, especially in long cold winters with only hard squashes and onions and carrots. All very fresh.

For now, changing up spices or ingredients sometimes makes a routine meal more special. My husband loves meat loaf and hates leftovers, but that cold meat loaf sandwich for lunch the next day is the best thing he’s ever had!

This week marks our tenth wedding anniversary and I found the menu from our reception luncheon that the restaurant personalized with our names, hearts and rings, and had it framed for us. No meat loaf or fajitas, just good Italian food. Cheers, Dee

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Joining Families

Posted on January 15, 2013 | 1 comment

As we celebrate our tenth year of marriage, and our dog turns nine, I wanted to share a few things that are very important to me about the family I married into.

Cooking and spending time with my mother-in-law is important. We’ve developed a rhythm that works to get things done. We have spent so much time together when the guys are out with the cattle that I don’t really have quotes. I just know that she spent so much time and effort “vetting” me for her eldest son that when he spends four months gathering woodworking tools for our nephew, age 10 now, and I tell her it’s driving me crazy, all she says is “I warned you.”

My father-in-law has done a few special things over these ten years. He: showed up at the airport to meet us with two dozen roses (not his idea, I’m sure); told my husband 12 hours in that if he wanted to ask me to marry him, it’s OK; drove a truck up that weekend and told me to get in, early in the morning in my pj’s, to see a 14 point buck and didn’t want to shoot him only let me see the grandeur; and this past year at Nanny’s he said he said he had to try this one dish because he knew who made it.

Then there’s Nanny. She interviewed me privately in her dining room for nearly an hour. My grandmothers died before I was a year old. Seeing as we got along so well, I asked her to be my Nanny, too. She agreed and for ten years we’ve had family events and I’ve held cooking classes for The Grands (her great-grandkids) and it has been a joy to know this loving and wonderful person.

Of course there’s an uncle who is very special to my heart. He brings qualities into our shared relationships that are so open and honest they make us question what we are doing with our lives and correct our mis-steps.

Permit me to let you know about my brother and his family in another post.

Learning, living, compromise, I don’t know that young couples expect that. That’s what marriage is all about, loving someone so much that work, kids, dogs, living conditions can be dealt with. Speaking of dogs I must add Val to my joining family list. She took out our dog’s hips as a pup and Zoe still loves her. She, P, Z and her parents are terrific, loving family members.

I wouldn’t have known any of these folks had I not met my husband over 11 years ago. Thank you for being in our lives. Cheers! Dee

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