Okie Sister

Mmm Minty!

Today’s entry is to clear up one of Hubby’s face book posts and to answer a recipe request.

Thursday I discovered some lovely mint growing in one of my flowerbeds. Well, the first thing I thought of when I saw it was Mint Juleps. Don’t know why that is, since I’ve never drank a Mint Julep before in my life. I do know that this drink is very popular in the South, especially at the Kentucky Derby. So, I start thinking that I need to make me a Mint Julep.

First, I consult my Old Mr. Boston De Luxe Official Bartender’s Guide for the recipe. Searching under the letter M, I find it right away.

Next, I consult the internet to find out what the term “muddle” means. I know that when my mind is muddled, I’m rather mixed up. Exactly what you do with your mint. There is even a wooden tool, or a muddler, you can use to squish your mint and sugar together.

I’m sure that when my mother shared mint with me from her flowerbed, she thought I would use it to flavor my Southern Sweet Tea, not my whiskey.

Then, I search in my cabinet for the mortar and pestle that my mother in-law gave me for grinding spices. I’m thinking this will work great to muddle the mint.

Next I get out the blender and make some shaved ice. I complete the recipe with the whiskey du jour, WL Weller's Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Then I complete my creation by garnishing with a sprig of mint.

About this time, Hubby arrives home from work and joins me in kitchen. Finally, I’m about to taste my first Mint Julep. Wow… it tastes like straight bourbon whiskey right out of the bottle.  Or for someone like me that doesn’t normally drink hard liquor, it tastes like mouth wash. At the same time, I’m thinking that it is not bad, but it would be better as a shot with a beer chaser. Hubby reminds me that on TV we have seen folks dropping a shot glass down into a mug of beer, so fine bourbon whiskey and beer must be good together.

I reach into the fridge for a Bud Light Lime. Hubby grabs it and pours half of it directly into the Mint Julep glass. Thus the Bud Light Lime Mint Julep is created. Or as I have now renamed it, the “Southern Belle Bombshell.”

I Ate The Cactus

Guadalajara Taqueria is a fairly new Mexican Restaurant here in Lawton. There food is unique and authentic. It's not like any other place in town. If you crave something familiar, their tacos and enchiladas are excellent. If you want something different, try a Torta. That's a sandwich with your choice of meat.

One of my favorites dishes is the Carne Guisada. I can't even describe how delicious it is. Let's just say that it's a good thing it comes with flour tortillas to sop up all the gravy. Otherwise, I would probably have to lick the plate.

I've barely begun to sample all the items on the menu. Heck, they even serve breakfast. I do feel like I'm cheating on Julio's when I eat at the Guadalajara.

Yesterday, I went out on a limb and tried the Carne Azada Plate.

It consists of: beef skirt steak topped with grilled cactus and green onions, lettuce, tomato, and sliced fresh avocado, rice, a bacon wrapped cheese filled jalapeno pepper, Charro beans, and tortillas. The pepper was too hot for me, so it got passed off to Hubby. Their salsa that comes with chips is pretty hot for my tastes too. The Charro beans are fantastic and I will be special ordering them in place of refried from now on. The grilled green onions were as sweet as a Vidalia. I'll be making these at home. Never thought of grilling them before. I was most anxious to experience the cactus, as I had never tried it. And guess what? I ate the cactus and I like it!

Fruitylicious

Did anyone notice a fruity theme running through my posts the past few months?
That’s because my oldest brother sent me a fruit of the month club gift for Christmas. How exciting to find a box of delicious fruit waiting on the porch each month.

First there were the pears. They arrived in December and were a chilly 30°. I had to immediately bite into one. Crisp and juicy. Hubby made me a pear pie just like his mother used to make. I almost cried.

When my recent surgery was delayed for a week, I started to feel like I was catching a cold. What a perfect time for a box of Vitamin C enriched oranges to appear. Those, along with lots of rest, kept me healthy.

I just wrote about the wonderful grapefruit. I ate those for breakfast.

Now, what to do with this beauty?

My first thought was to launch into a Carmen Miranda routine, “Chica Chica Boom Chic.”

 

Actually, I’ll probably whip up my daughter’s favorite pie.

Pineapple Ice Box Pie

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 small container Cool Whip
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1 (9-inch) baked pie shell

Blend all ingredients together in mixing bowl and turn into baked pie shell. Chill for at least 4 hours in refrigerator before serving.

Note: You can also use a graham cracker crust.
From The David Wade Show which aired on the ACTS Network. I watched it when I lived in Arlington TX in the 80’s.

Broiled Breakfast

When I was growing up, I used to enjoy broiled grapefruit for breakfast. Of course, this was before anyone realized that grapefruit interferes with so many medications. Not that I was on any medication as a child (that I know of). Although I have jokingly said that I must have been drugged, because I can’t really remember anything before the first grade.
Oh, the first grade! Waking up and watching Captain Kangaroo while I ate my breakfast of cereal, oatmeal, or cinnamon toast. I would sit on the carpeted floor in front of the old black and while television, using the footstool as a table for my morning meal. Occasionally, I would have the following:

Broiled Grapefruit
Begin by slicing the grapefruit in half horizontally.

 

 

Take a sharp knife and cut around and loosen each section of the fruit. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar. Brown sugar Splenda also works.

 

I like to make a little foil bowl to cook in. It keeps the grapefruit upright and catches any juice. Place grapefruit under the broiler until browned and sugar is hot and bubbly. About 10 minutes. Enjoy!

These days I can eat mine with one of these fancy serrated spoons that I picked up at a garage sale a few years back. Don't you love having the correct utensil?

 

Since I had the oven on, I decided to make some Cinnamon Toast too. Spread butter or margarine on two pieces of bread.

 

 

Sprinkle with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. I keep this mixture handy in an extra salt shaker.

 

Place under the broiler to brown.

 

Note: Do not walk away and eat your grapefruit. If you do, then when you hear the smoke alarm, your toast will be burnt like mine is on the edges. If this happens, tear off the crust and eat the middle.


Now, somebody explain to me why this is called a grape.

 

And this is called a grapefruit.

 

 

Five Weeks

Tomorrow marks five weeks since my hip replacement surgery. I’m posting this today because I will be out of town Wednesday.

This past week has been a difficult one for me emotionally. I was so tired. I finally took some medication and slept most of Friday night and well into Saturday morning. Then I didn’t get dressed or do anything all weekend. Plus, I drank a chocolate milkshake one day and ate apple pie the next. I know, dreadful... I must have been hormonal.

Hubby and I finally got caught up on about two years worth of Heroes episodes. I’m convinced shows like this are better when watched in a shorter period of time. Wish, I would have done this with Battlestar Galactica and Lost.

I’m wanting to just get up and walk already. It’s been so long since I’ve walked correctly that I’m having to practice now by chanting “heel, toe, heel, toe.” It’s easier when performed the proper way. I’m still using the cane for support. I’m just so anxious to have my life back. Slowly but surely. I’m sure this will all be a distant memory very soon. At least I’m driving now.

I need some new tennis shoes; ones that don’t have to be tied. I didn’t even think about this before surgery.

Went to a birthday lunch for a friend of ours at El Chico. Hubby and I rarely frequent the eateries in the mall, which is weird since it’s right by our work. I think it has to do with parking. We had a good time with these folks; shared lots of laughs. They brought the honoree a sopapilla after dinner, minus honey. Where was the honey, you ask? They were out of it. I never have understood this at restaurants. Don’t you know where a grocery store is? Last week Hubby went to Subway and they were out of ham. Out of ham, can you believe it! Why were they even still open. Luckily, I had ordered chicken.

Yesterday afternoon, I ventured out into the back yard. I missed the blooming of my hyacinths this year. They were spent and sad looking. Rain or watering might have helped their journey. I was pleased to see that my rose bushes and the clematis both had new leaves. (Although, I had to look up a past blog post to remember the name Clematis. All I could remember was what Hubby calls it, Chlamydia. Not exactly the same thing.)

 

Clematis - 2008

There is so much work to do out there. Inside too, as everything is covered in a layer of dust. Dusting has not been a priority; too many other things to tend to. Hubby and I discussed what we were going to do about flooring in the family room this spring. I’m so wanting to get to all my unfinished projects. At least that four foot stack of magazines I had saved for my recovery has diminished. Anytime I can clear a stack of junk around here, it’s good news.

Muffaletta Supper

I saw that several bloggers were celebrating Fat Tuesday today. One, Alamo North, even mentioned eating a Muffaletta while in New Orleans. This got me thinking about a favorite recipe.
I mentioned before that the first cookbooks I collected were the Southern Living Annuals starting with the 1983 edition. What I like about the Southern Living books is that they have complete meal plans made specifically for each month of the year. As a new homemaker, this helped me learn what dishes went together.
In October of the 1983 Southern Living Annual, you will find “Muffalettas Make Supper Easy.” This meal consists of Tomato Juice Cocktail, Cheese ‘N’ Beef Ball, Assorted Crackers, Muffaletta-Style Po-Boys, Ambrosia Salad, and Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake. This meal should be made ahead of time, except for the sandwiches. I don’t recall ever preparing this salad, but I can’t count all the times I made this cake. It’s very delicious. I'm so making it as soon as possible. (Sorry, no pictures today.)

Tomato Juice Cocktail

• 1 (46-ounce) can tomato juice
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Combine all ingredients; cover and chill at least 4 hours. To serve, pour mixture into a Dutch oven, and place over low heat until thoroughly heated.
Yield: 1 1 /2 quarts. From Rachel Youree, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Cheese ‘N’ Beef Ball

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (2 1/2-ounce) package dried beef, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Combine all ingredients except pecans. Shape into a ball and coat with pecans. Chill well. Serve with crackers.
Yield: 1 cheese ball. From Mrs. Charles DeHaven, Owensboro, Kentucky

Muffaletta-Style Po-Boys

• 2 (10-ounce) packages French rolls
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salad olive juice
• 4 (1-ounce) slices fully cooked ham
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped salad olives
• 4 (1-ounce) slices salami
• 2 tablespoons chopped ripe olives
• 8 (1-ounce) slices Mozzarella cheese

Split French rolls; place cut-side up on baking sheet. Combine mayonnaise and olive juice; spread on each roll half. Place one slice ham on bottom half of each roll; top with 1 1 /2 tablespoons salad olives. Place one slice salami on top of olives; top with 1 /2 tablespoon ripe olives. Place 2 slices Mozzarella cheese on each remaining roll half.
Set all roll halves under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly. Place cheese halves on top of meat halves, and slice to serve.
Yield: 4 to 8 servings. From Sarah M. Pulling, Pineville, Louisiana.

Ambrosia Salad

• 1 1/2 cups chopped orange sections
• 1 cup seedless grapes
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 bananas, sliced
• Lettuce leaves
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• Red Fruit Salad Dressing (optional)

Combine first 4 ingredients, tossing lightly; chill. Just before serving, stir in bananas; spoon into a lettuce-lined bowl, and sprinkle with coconut. Serve with Red Fruit Salad Dressing, if desired.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Red Fruit Salad Dressing:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup jellied cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

Combine mayonnaise and cranberry sauce; fold in whipped cream. Chill.
Yield: about 1 3 /4 cups. From Kay Castleman Cooper, Burke, Virginia.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
• 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cream butter; then gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon half of batter into a greased and floured 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan.
Combine chocolate morsels, brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle 1 1 /2 cups of chocolate morsel mixture over batter. Top with remaining batter. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate morsel mixture. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 15 to 18 servings. From Ann Elsie Schmetzer, Madisonville, Kentucky.

Chocolate Pudding Cake

I was reading a recipe on the Pioneer Woman’s blog this morning for Delicious Baked Fudge. It reminded me a lot of the famous Molten Lava Cake recipe. Below is the diabetic substitute for that chocolaty goodness. It’s from the cookbook Diabetic Cooking printed in 2003 by Publications International. (Another good recipe in this book is the Lasagna that’s pictured on the cover.) Eat this cake as soon as it comes out of the oven, while it’s all gooey and hot.

Chocolate Pudding Cake

Cake

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 10 packets sugar substitute or equivalent of 20 teaspoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup warm fat-free (skim) milk
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Sauce

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 10 packets sugar substitute or equivalent of 20 teaspoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 3/4 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all cake ingredients in large bowl; mix well. Pour into ungreased 9-inch square baking pan.
2. To prepare sauce, sprinkle dry ingredients over batter in pan. Pour boiling water over top. Do not stir.
3. Bake 40 minutes or until cake portion has risen to top of pan and sauce is bubbling underneath. Serve immediately. Makes 9 servings.

Per serving: Calories 150, Fat 3g, Saturated Fat <1g, Cholesterol <1mg, Sodium 246mg, Carbohydrate 26g, Fiber <1g, Protein 4g. Dietary exchanges: 1 ½ Starch, 1 /2 Fat

 

While we are on the subject of cake, look what the sweet gals from Today in Idabel made for me in horor honor of my Blog Birthday yesterday. Thank you again ladies. You Rock!

Starbucks Knockoff

Do you love these Starbucks Frappuccino drinks as much as I do? I can down one of these babies in about ten seconds flat. Only problem is, they ain’t cheap. Here’s how you can make them at home.

• 1/2 cup fresh espresso
• 2 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry pectin (optional, but it makes the drink thicken)

Combine all the above and stir until sugar is dissolved (or shake in covered container). Chill and serve cold. Makes 24 ounces.
For the mocha flavored drink, add 1/16 teaspoon of cocoa powder to the mix.

Next time I make this, I'm going to experiment and use Splenda instead of sugar. Dry pectin can be found near the canning supplies in the grocery store. I grind Starbucks Espresso Beans to make the espresso for the true authentic flavor.

Have Flour, Will Bake

My cookies almost didn’t happen yesterday. Somebody around here crowned himself King of the Pies recently and used up almost all of the flour in the house. I had to tweak the recipe below to make it work with the two cups I had remaining. I’m not complaining about it though, because anyone who bakes me a pie is a friend for life.

This recipe is from another Oxmoor House book published in 2003, Delicious Ways to Control Diabetes, Down Home Diabetic Recipes. This short-titled book has several great recipes I use.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup calorie-free sweetener (I used Splenda)
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate minichips

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and baking soda in a large bowl; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Beat brown sugar, margarine, and sweetener with a mixer at a medium speed until blended. Add egg substitute and vanilla, beating well. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating well. Stir in chocolate minichips.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies from baking sheets, and cool completely on wire racks. Yield: 4 dozen cookies.

Per cookie: Calories 88, Fat 3.9 (sat 1.2g), Protein 0.9g, Carbohydrate 13.8g, Fiber 0.2g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 47mg. Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 /2 Fat

Okie Sister says, “Start Cooking!”

Ice Day

What is it about being stuck at home that makes you want to snack all day? So far I’ve had my morning coffee and French toast for breakfast. Several minutes later I was back in the kitchen nosing around the cabinets and sticking my head in the fridge. I came out of the kitchen with a banana. Several minutes later, back in the kitchen for a repeat performance. This time I have a bite of peach cobbler. It’s only 10:30. Am I really hungry or just bored? Why do I keep picking up that package of chocolate chips and dreaming of hot cookies appearing from the oven?

The oven... the warm oven on a very cold day. Hubby talked of cleaning it last night. I never smelled anything burning, so he probably ran out of time. If I turned on the self cleaning feature now, my house would stay toasty warm for the next three hours. Too bad it will stink like heck.

Speaking of stink... today is the first day I've thought about making a fire in the fireplace. If it weren’t for the smell of smoke and the burning ashes to clean up later, I would want to light one. Oh yeah, and the trip into the cold for firewood is a turn off too. It is raining ice outside. Looks like snow, sounds like rain, but it is ice. I would love to have one of those electrical fireplace inserts in this brick wall instead of this wood burning fireplace. Just press a button and you have a warm smoke-free fire. Sounds romantic too, doesn’t it?

You know what else sounds romantic? Baking your Sweetie chocolate chip cookies. I’m just saying...

 

A Sunday Treat

Kaiser's famous chocolate milk shake...with a cherry on top.

Passing The Test

Yesterday Hubby and I ventured into the big city of OKC. I was scheduled for pre-op tests for my upcoming hip replacement surgery. (Back story here and here.) I’ve never been a fan of tests and this day was no exception, as I was quite anxious. Mostly because I didn’t know exactly what they were doing to me.

First stop Circle K here in Lawton to fill up on tasty diet beverages for the road. I asked Hubby to pick up a package of my favorite breath mints for me. He also came back with a bag of chips and a Tijuana Mama Pickled Sausage for himself. Why, I’m not sure. We’ve been down this path before with him eating this particular snack. Usually with the window rolled down because the smell of the Tijuana Mama turns my stomach. Later when he tore open the package I immediately felt nauseated and covered my nose. Luckily I had just rubbed lemon scented cuticle cream onto my hands, so that cut the odor immensely. "That’s offending my olfactory," I said. I think he might have smiled. Don’t know if it was because he thought he was getting away with something or because of my use of an adjective as a noun.

After running a couple of errands, we stopped for lunch at the historical landmark Kaiser’s Ice Cream, home of the Grateful Bean Café, in downtown Oklahoma City. We ordered the Buffalo Burger with oven baked fries and split a chocolate milk shake. Hey, it’s an ice cream parlor. I think there is a rule you have to order a creamy confection. A chocolate milk shake is one of my "go to" comfort foods. Just what my nerves needed. The restaurant is charming with its vintage décor and the staff are friendly. The food was delicious. What more could you ask for?

I decide to drown out my onion breath with one of those mints Hubby bought earlier. Wait, what the heck is this? Instead of my Eclipse Winterfrost Mints, he had picked up peppermint flavor. The Monk in me did note the new banner on the package, Now With Natural Germ Killing. I try one and couldn’t spit it out the window fast enough. It tasted just like one of those round red and white peppermint hard candies that I hate. Yuck.

We arrived at the clinic and checked in at the front desk. "Will one of the tests require a cup," I asked. Reception lady didn’t know, "Sign in here." Hubby disappeared behind me to make a pit stop. She sent me down a long hallway to my doctor’s check-in desk. "Hello," the girl said. "Sign in here." "What tests am I going to have done?" I ask. "You will speak with the PA, then have lab work and x-rays." Lab, that sounds like the place. We sit awhile in the most uncomfortable chairs in the world before I’m called back to the exam room.

Nurse girl takes my vitals. After two attempts, she comments that my blood pressure is slightly elevated. "Yeah that happens at the doctor’s office," I say. She leaves and we sit there awhile in more uncomfortable chairs. Mine is facing a gigantic mirror on the back of the door. I'm not happy with the reflection. My hair looks great, but I sure wish I wouldn't have regained those extra pounds I lost last year. Laying around recuperating sure won't help either.

PA guy comes in and didn’t really have much to say... blah... blah... blah... titanium... blah... blah... blah. My mind wanders, "I’m going to be like the bionic woman after this." Nurse girl comes back in with a handful of paperwork and directs me to other parts of the building. "Is peeing in a cup one of the tests," I ask. By this time I’m about to burst. I’m thinking doctor’s offices should be required to tell you in advance. On more than one occasion, I’ve relived myself while waiting at the doctor’s office only to be handed the dreaded plastic cup five minutes later. Nurse girl replies, "Yes, and if you would like to go to the lab first and then to x-ray, that would be fine." Hallelujah, I’m thinking, as I bolt out the door and down one floor to the lab.

"Sign in here," the lady says. Gheez, how many times. She starts filling out paperwork, copying my insurance card, and labeling things. "May I do the cup test first?" I ask. "Absolutely," she says as she hands me the much sought after receptacle and points the way to freedom. My cup runneth over.

Next the Lab Girl prepares to take my blood. "I have small veins but getting a couple of tubes is usually no problem," I warn. "Two, I need four!" she exclaims. After searching in vain for a suitable vein on one arm, she quickly fills her ginourmous plunger from the other. Then over to a table for an EKG. Good, I’m thinking. Now I will know if the pain I’ve been experiencing in my left shoulder and chest area the last two days was a heart attack or just anxiety. I guess I passed this test; she didn’t say. Next, she hands me a plastic cup! "Been there, done that," I announce proudly.

Back up a floor to the uncomfortable chairs as we sit in the x-ray waiting room. There’s a big crowd gathered here, but at least there is coffee. After several minutes Hubby gets up to get me a cup. The second he goes to hand it to me, they call my name. A couple of chest x-rays and a wait in another uncomfortable chair while the gal check them. I start thinking about my oldest brother while I wait. He’s an x-ray tech in a big hospital in Houston. I wonder if he is working at this same moment in time.

Last stop is back down the long hallway to speak with the hospital pre-admin nurse. "Sign in here," I’m told for the last time. All the boxes are now checked on the top sheet of that big stack of paperwork I‘ve been carrying around. The Hospital Nurse was training another woman to fill out the forms and conduct the pre-administration interview. Do you have a living will? Do you understand the risks of anesthesia? Trainee Woman points to three long rows of possibilities, "starting with nausea and ending with 'more serious ones'" she says. "You mean like death?" I state bluntly, because one I’m straight forward like that, two because it’s right there in black and white under the word stroke and right next to her finger, and three because she seemed so nervous about saying the word. Hubby picked up on it too. He offered, "Maybe you could say Premature Life Exit." Thank you Shecky.

More questions: Who will be taking care of you at home? Do you have any allergies? Are you an organ donor? Do you want to donate your bone marrow? "From the part they cut off," I ask. "Yes," she says, "they do research." I’m thinking that I won’t be bringing it home in a jar, so why not, if it might help somebody else.

The Hospital Nurse tell Trainee Woman to tell me about the shots. What shots? For ten days after the surgery, I will need to be on a blood thinner. After I’m released from the hospital (about 3 days), they will send the remainder of the injections home with me to self administer. "You just pinch the skin on your belly," Hospital Nurse says matter-of-factly. Say what? You want me to do what? Hubby pipes up, "I’ll do it." Immediately my mind races to that scene in Pulp Fiction... you know the one. "That’s okay, I can handle it," I assure everyone.

Next I ask Hospital Nurse, "How close is the nearest heart doctor to the orthopedic hospital?" My mind worries about things like this, since there is a history of heart disease in my family. She assures me that they have a wonderful cardiologist on call, Dr. Hope.

Dr. Hope? Shut up! My mind races. I smiled at the thought. Surely this had to be a sign. Remember never lose Hope!

I’m ready for surgery now. Trainee Woman has me sign and date the form and then she hands me a DVD that shows how to get around after surgery.

On the way out of town, I suggest that we stop by a grocery store. I blogged recently about my beloved Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper that has disappeared from the shelves of the Lawton stores. After which, Brenda from A View from the Pines went out to her local store in Texas and got her some. So now I’m thinking we should check the availability of it here in OKC. We spotted a Homeland and Hubby went inside. He returned with five packs of soda, the location of another Homeland up the road and another package of not-my-breath-mints. "They didn’t have yours," he explained. So, I popped a Tic Tac Bold! Mint into my mouth and about gagged. It also quickly found its way out the window. "That tastes like mouthwash," I said. "It’s even worse than the last one." He’s laughing his head off over this now. "What? No thank you, honey, for buying me some mints?" he jokes.

Next, we head up May to the second Homeland Grocery Store. Hubby returns without sodas and hands me another package of not-my-breath-mints, Wrigley's Doublemint Twins. Well, at least these are wintergreen flavor I’m thinking. At first, not bad, then I bit into the center. Gag. Horrendous. Out the window it goes. He can barely contain himself at this point, as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out two packages of the correct Eclipse mints. "Thanks, b*#ch," is all I can manage to say.

 

PS: Natural Germ Killing = doesn't taste as good anymore.

Cold Beer

I notice that "Cold Beer" stays near the top of my Lijit search wijit over there on the right side of the page. I use this search tool a lot when I'm trying to refer back to an item I've already told you about. It searches through all my previous posts.

 

This particular "Cold Beer" reference is actually a line from a country song sung by Miss Ashton Shepherd. "I've got a cold beer in my right hand. In my left I got my weddin' band."

 

It did get me thinking about... you guessed it... cold beer. Nothing is finer on a hot Oklahoma day than an ice cold brew-skie. Which is what I'm sure people are actually searching for over there. So, if it's cold beer you want, it's cold beer you shall have.

This is my personal favorite brew: Leinenkugel's or Leinies for short. This domestic beer comes in many flavors, but I prefer the Creamy Dark Lager.

 

The Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin was founded in 1867 based on the family's German recipe.

 

Excellent in the Texas Chili recipe.

Chili Today, Warm Tomorrow

Here is one of my favorite chili recipes. It comes from an old Imperial Sugar cookbook from Sugar Land, Texas, "Texas Recipes from Texas Places" Volume III. I’d show you the cover, but unfortunately it was lost from this well worn paper booklet years ago. Sugar Land is located 20 miles southwest of Houston. The state’s only cane sugar refinery closed its doors in 2003, which is very sad considering this is the town’s namesake. Sugar Land was actually named by Benjamin Terry, sugar plantation owner and organizer of a band of the Texas Rangers. Okie Sister has an ancestor that was a Ranger. Anyway, back to the chili.

Fiery Pot Texas Chili

• 2 lbs chili meat
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1 1/2 cup water (or beer)
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Imperial Granulated Sugar
• Cayenne pepper
• 4-5 medium jalapeno peppers, chopped

In large skillet, braise meat in 1/4 cup oil until brown. Transfer meat to large kettle or electric slow-cooker, leaving liquid in skillet. Add water and tomato sauce to meat, cook over low heat. Saute onion, green pepper and garlic in remaining 1/4 cup oil and liquid in skillet. Add remaining dry ingredient and chopped jalapeno peppers with seeds removed. Simmer about 2 hours. Dip off grease that settles on top. Serves 8. (Cayenne and jalapeno peppers are the "zingers" in this recipe. Add both with caution.)

Notes: First of all, I make this in one large pot on top of the stove. I often use ground chuck instead of chili meat or a combination of the two. I don’t use the oil, I just spray the pan with cooking spray. After browning the meat and onions, add the garlic. I don’t add green peppers because Hubby doesn’t like those. Next, add all the other ingredients. Big tip here: wear gloves to chop jalapenos and do not touch face.

 

The updated healthier version comes from Taste of Home’s Diabetic Cookbook 2004.The latest edition of this cookbook is available online at Reiman Publications’ Country Store.

I make this recipe all the time. I especially like the cumin flavor and the fresh cilantro.

Texas-Style Chili

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 pound lean boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 /2-inch pieces
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 2 1/2 cups fat-free reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 cup prepared mild salsa or picante sauce
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto or red beans (or one of each), rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cram
• 1 cup chopped ripe tomatoes

Spray Dutch oven or large saucepan with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef, onions and garlic; cook and stir until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle mixture with chili powder, cumin, coriander and oregano; mix well. Add beef broth and salsa; bring to a boil. Cover, simmer 45 minues.
Stir in beans; continue to simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until beef is tender and chili has thickened, stirring occasionally.
Stir in cilantro. Ladle into 8 bowls; top evenly with sour cream and tomatoes. Garnish with pickled jalapeno peppers, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Calories 268, Fat 7g (sat 2g), Protein 25g, Carbohydrate 31g, Fiber 2g, Cholesterol 37mg, Sodium 725mg. Exchange 1 1 /2 starch, 1 1 /2 vegetable, 2 1 /2 lean meat.

Okie Sister says, "Start Cooking!"

Get Grossed Out?

I received an email the other day from LifeScript.com, "Weird Weight-Loss Tips That Work." Here’s their advice.

1. Try the Toothpaste Diet. Brush immediately after eating and you won’t want to nibble more food because it will taste bad.
   Fire Horse taught us why recently.
2. Get Grossed Out. Make the food left on your plate look unappetizing or lay your utensils or wadded up napkin over it.
   You have food left on your plate? At home I make smaller portions to begin with. When eating out, I usually bring half of it home for another meal.
   It goes on to suggest that you put a picture of your fat self on the refrigerator.
   Nice. That would bum me out and make me crave pie. A picture of me looking my best however, might motivate me to acheive it again.
3. Purge to Avoid the Binge. Clear your house of foods that are bad for you.
   Been there, done that.
4. Eat Cake. Just bake smarter with egg whites and applesauce.
   How about you don’t eat cake because of all the sugar, but I get the gist.
5. Squeeze into Skinny Jeans. Wear uncomfortable clothes.
   I’m already doing this, but unfortunately not on purpose.
6. Tell a Joke for Better Abs. Laughing contracts the abs.
   I’m not buying it. Have you seen Ralphie May? (Sorry, love you Ralphie...appearing at the Houston Improv March 12-15.)
7. Fidget Yourself Thin. Moving around burns more calories that sitting still.
   No duh.
   It went on to say that the Mayo Clinic placed motion-sensing devices in the underwear of participants and found that the obese folks sit an average of two more hours per day than the normal-weight folks who burn 350 more calories per day.
   Motion-sensing underwear devices? That’s hysterical…I’m contracting my abs all over the place on that one.
8. Buy New Dishware. Downsize your plate.
   I already eat on a salad plate at home.
9. The Couch Potato Workout. Healthy adults watch no more than one or two hours of TV a day. Complete 10 pushups and 20 sit-ups during every commercial break, or jump rope.
   Who watches commercials anymore? That’s what a DVR is for. And two hours...I can't even dignify that with a response.
10. Drink Cheap. More water. You will save money when you eat out too.
    I’ve been saying this for a long time now.

So, how many are you going to try?

But I Wanna Be A Pepper Too

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

No, Dr Pepper Company, you can not stop making Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. NO NO NO

Everyone I know enjoys this beverage. We are addicted. This is our fix of choice. That’s because Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper tastes like candy. If candy were a delicious old fashioned fountain drink with no fat or calories.

Seriously, Dr. Pepper, do you really want a bunch of pissed off overweight consumers to rain down their collective wrath upon your sorry arse. This is completely unacceptable.

Join me in trying to stop the madness. Go to the Dr Pepper website and fill out the Customer Feedback Form. May our combined voice be heard.

Start Cooking

I've not been completely honest.

I've been keeping a dark secret.

Some might even call it an obsession.

I've collected a few cookbooks.

It started with the Southern Living Annuals and grew from there. Betty Crocker, Martha Stewart, Pillsbury, Hershey, Taste of Home; they are all accounted for. A lot of these were purchased at garage sales over the years. I've thinned down my collection three times in the past (down to my favorite 300 or so) and I plan on purging some more to my own garage sale pile in the near future. It's not like I cook a lot of big meals anymore anyway. It's just the two of us now and we both work all day. 30 Minutes Meals are more my style these days.

When Hubby was diagnosed with diabetes a couple of years ago, I completely changed the way I thought about food. I had to relearn how to cook. Of course this also meant that I immediately started collecting more cookbooks, but this time they were diabetic ones. Ebay and their Half.com site are a good source for these.

The result of this new way of thinking and cooking was that I lost 30 lbs. Hubby lost some weight too... but not as much as me. I have to brag about this because this was the first time that ever happened. Ladies, you’ve been there haven't you? You both go on a diet and the weight falls off the man while you struggle to lose every pound.

Diabetic cooking is more than cutting out the sugar. It's low fat, healthy food that's good for everyone. Especially people that have high cholesterol, a family history of heart disease, those needing to watch their sodium intake, and evidently those looking to lose weight. Forget diets for the new year, they never last anyway. I say, start cooking!

I'll be sharing some of my favorite cookbook titles with you in the months to come and I'll include a recipe or two from each one. I'll also be sharing some updated healthy ways to prepare some of the classics. Starting with the Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese Cookbook by Kraft from 1988. Because who doesn't love cream cheese? This is actually Hubby's cookbook, given to him by his mother on Father's Day 1989. Mom was an avid collector of cookbooks and other kitchen paraphernalia. She passed this love on to many around her. This book has many tasty treats. Our favorite is Marble Squares, which are brownies topped with cream cheese.

Marble Squares

• 1/2 cup Parkay Margarine
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 8-ounce package Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 6-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate pieces

Combine margarine, water and chocolate in saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in combined flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add eggs and sour cream; mix well. Pour into greased and floured 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pan.

Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing until well blended. Blend in egg. Spoon over chocolate batter. Cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect. Sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Bake at 375°, 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Approximately 2 dozen.

The updated version comes from Delicious Ways To Control Diabetes Cookbook. See their Fudgy Cream Cheese Brownies pictured on the cover. Again, one of many great recipes from this 2001 Oxmoor House cookbook.

Fudgy Cream Cheese Brownies

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons reduced-calorie stick margarine, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• Cooking spray
• 1 (8-ounce) block 1/3 less fat cream cheese
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar substitute
• 3 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk

Beat sugar and margarine at medium speed of a mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, egg white, and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour and cocoa, beating well. Pour into a 8-inch square pan coated with cooking spray; set aside.

Beat cream cheese and sugar substitute at high speed of mixer until smooth. Add milk; beat well. Pour cream cheese mixture over chocolate mixture; swirl together using the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until done. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares. Yield 16 brownies.

Per brownie: Calories 127, Fat 6.7g (sat.2.8g), Carbohydrate 14.1g, Cholesterol 25mg, Sodium 107mg, Exchanges 1 Starch, 1 Fat.

If you are a skinny young person who get lots of exercise or are otherwise perfectly fit, try the first recipe. If you are a middle-aged overweight person whose only exercise is running your fingers over a keyboard, or you are just someone who wants to eat healthier this new year, then try the second recipe. Me, I'm in the process of trying to get back into my smaller sized jeans, but not at the cost of great tasting food. That's the point... it still has to taste delicious. In the recipe above, you can see that it uses lower fat items not fat-free. This really helped me lose the first time, so I'm going to try it again; 2% milk and cheese, cooking with Splenda, and buying all the reduced fat items I can find. So, start cooking!

Something To Sing About

It took a lot to get me to crawl out from under my warm covers this morning. It was frigidly cold outside, 17° I think. But duty calls. Duty being “work” that pays my mortgage. So I stumbled out of bed, down the hall, paused to turn up the heat, and head for the kitchen.

You remember that dog treat commercial where you hear the dog chanting, “Bacon, bacon, bacon.” Well that is me in the morning, only I’m chanting, “Coffee, coffee, coffee.”

Then when I poured my first cup, I suddenly started channeling the Halleluiah Choir and sang out, “Oh Glorious Hot Cup of Coffee. I Love Thee.” “In Excelsis deo” “Day-O, Day-ay-ay-o, Daylight come and me wanna go home. Daylight come and me wanna go home.”

What the heck was that? And yes, people have commented that I’m a little different. Why do you ask?

Have I ever showed you a picture of my favorite coffee mug? I bought it at a garage sale. It says a lot about me.

Lights, Camera, Action

Today’s Election Day again at our house. If you live in Ward 6 or Ward 8 of Lawton, you need to get out and Rock The Vote. I suspect about 300 people might turn out in each ward. That will be about 10% of those who voted last month. Unless it snows today as predicted, then it will be considerably lower. Somehow city elections are not very important to people. Don’t understand this because the city representatives and the actions they take effect the citizens more closely than anything else.

Hey, you know the old saying, "If you don’t vote, then you can’t complain." If only that were true. I’ll leave the politics to other members of the family, because it involves public speaking. Okie Sister doesn’t speak in front of groups. It’s called stage fright and involves nausea. This is why I attempt to write; it’s my outlet of expression.

I’ve told you before that I’m also self diagnosed borderline agoraphobic. It’s not that I don’t enjoy getting out of my house; it just takes too much effort to get ready and out the door. And I’m low maintenance! I don’t spend hours in front of the mirror primping. It’s a mental preparedness that takes so long for me. I think I’m part bear too, because it’s turning colder and I’m wanting to go into hibernation mode until Spring. I hate being cold.

Sunday, I did venture out and attend a photography exhibit at the Museum of the Great Plains, "Santa Fe, Through the Lens of Friends." Three local women are displaying photos they shot while traveling together. It was very nice work; they really captured the colors of the region. Hubby disappeared after I stood and admired one picture a little too long. I had commented that it was my favorite. He had slipped off to buy it for me. Later while speaking with the photographer, she mentioned that it was her favorite shot. Can’t show it to you yet, as it will be on display through January. But it looks something like the first one on the Museum’s website. The one with the dark clouds.

After the opening, we drove out to Medicine Park and ate at the Winery of the Wichitas, or WOW for short. Hubby’s upset that someone is using this acronym because he’s dreamed of using it one day for his hotdog restaurant, World of Wieners. Wow!

Anyway, A Broad Abroad just wrote about this restaurant on her blog and I was anxious to check it out. No pictures from there either because it was evening and the lights were very dim. I’ll go back in the daytime and report again. The food was worth the drive.

Our evening ended with a drive through Elmer Thomas Park to look at the Christmas lights. They have horse drawn carriage rides through there. And no, I don’t have picture of the lights either because it was dark and we were in motion which made them look like this.

The Ghost of Thanksgiving Past

Evidently we were too busy cooking and cleaning to ever actually take any pictures at Thanksgiving. Looked through my photo albums and they seem to jump from fall birthdays right into Christmas.

 

With extra guests come extra dogs at my house. Turkey for all.

 

Remembering those far away from their loved ones today. With much Thanks.

 

Tortellini Soup

Okie Sister likes to enjoy a big bowl of soup on a cool winter day. Here’s one of my favorites. It’s quick and easy to make. Plus it’s healthy.

Tortellini Soup

• Cooking spray
• 2 cups reduced-fat or lean Italian turkey sausage, crumbled
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 15-ounce can no salt added diced tomatoes with juice
• 3 14.5-ounce cans fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
• 2 1/2 cups uncooked three cheese tortellini
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Coat a large soup pot with cooking spray. Add sausage and onion and cook over medium high heat for seven minutes or until sausage begins to brown.

Add wine to deglaze pan. Cook for two minutes or until wine is almost completely evaporated.

Add basil and oregano and cook for one minute more. Add tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.

Add tortellini and pepper. Cook for another ten minutes.
Makes 7 (1 cup) servings.

 

 

Diabetic exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 lean meat. Calories: 216. Cholesterol: 43mg. Sodium: 858mg. Carbohydrate: 23g. Sugar: 5g.

Notes: I usually add more tortellini than called for. I serve my soup with a piece of Parmesan Toast. That's a slice of french bread with butter or margarine and a little Parmesan cheese on top. Heat in oven until cheese melts and toast begins to brown. 

A Tale of Two Apples

A grew up enjoying my mom’s recipe for Apple Crisp Ozark Pudding. This quick little apple dessert is easy to throw together when you are craving something sweet.

Ozark Pudding

• 1 egg
• 3 /4 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoon flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans)
• 1/2 cup raw chopped apple (I add a little more)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg and sugar together until smooth. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into egg and sugar mixture. Add apples, nuts and vanilla. Bake in buttered pan at 350° for about 35 minutes. Do not double recipe.

Makes 2-3 servings. Extra delicious served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The egg, sugar, and pecans blend together into a gooey pecan pie taste. I bake this in a 1 liter dish.

 

This past year I discovered a recipe for Apple Nut Bars in a Taste of Home diabetic cookbook. The end result tastes similar to my mom’s apple dessert. This one called for egg whites and less sugar. So try them both, and compare.

Apple Nut Bars
Karen Nelson, Sullivan, Wisconsin

• 2 egg whites
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups chopped unpeeled tart apples (I peel mine)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (I add more)

In a bowl, whisk egg whites, sugar and vanilla for about 1 1 /2 minutes. Add flour and baking power; whisk for 1 minute. Fold in the apples and pecans. Pour into an 8 inch square baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25-35 minutes or until the bars test done. Cool. Yield: 1 dozen

Now the trick here is to not eat the whole pan, because then it’s no longer diabetic.

Exchange: 1 starch Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 92 Sodium 29 mg Cholesterol: 0 mg Carbohydrate: 19 gm Protein: 1 gm Fat: 2 gm Fiber: 1 gm

Is It Just Me?

Are you able to grasp and remove the plastic piece stuck onto the top of a new deodorant, or do you pull it out with your teeth?
Not that I would ever do that, I’m just asking.
And why is it called a stick?

I was headed out the door this morning and almost didn’t catch the fact that I was still wearing my comfortable Isotoner slippers.
Yes! One day closer to retirement.

My friend went to Wasilla, Alaska and all I got was... delicious smoked salmon from Copper River Seafoods ...it’s like “a party in my mouth.”

Is it just me…
or is the large bin at the post office that you drop priority mail packages in... the best idea they’ve had in years... that and buying postage online. Both keep you from having to stand in long lines.

RIP: Diet Pepsi Jazz Carmel Cream.
Goodbye, My Friend. I hardly knew you.
If anyone knows where I can buy this on the black market…..

What's For Lunch?

My two favorite lunch restaurants have closed their doors.

Cinders in the Ramada Inn has been closed for some time now. I wonder where "Ms Pearl" is? She cooked wonderful homemade soups for Cinders. Just what Okie Sister craves on a cool fall day. Annie Pearl Hill cooked at this hotel for 35 years.

And now the Back Porch is closed. Hubby and I ate there the last day they were open, not knowing of their impending closure. The sign on the door says “closed for two weeks.” That was three weeks ago, so things are not looking good. I hope all the sweets gals that worked there have found other employment. I’m sad that I didn’t get to say goodbye but hopefully our paths will meet again one day.

I had a dream last week that we were back at the Back Porch eating lunch. In it, I let the owners know of my displeasure that we were not consulted about this hiatus. Talk about working out your subconscious feelings in your sleep.

All I can say is, "This would be a good town to start a restaurant in." Don't forget the golden rule of real estate though, Location - Location - Location. The Back Porch was perfectly situated near down town. They had people standing in line for a table at lunch, so lack of business was not the reason they closed their doors. I wish they would have left me a parting gift, like the recipe for their tarter sauce or their heavenly buttermilk pie.

So now, we have been venturing out in search of new lunch stops.

This week I had a fabulous bowl of soup at Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant. It was a Creamy Tortellini Soup. Hubby said, “I could make that. It’s tomato soup, cream and tortellini.” Close, but I think it is actually their special marinara sauce that makes the soup so good.
Besides, he doesn’t make bread rolls like these babies.

Look at them, aren’t they a thing of beauty. They tasted fantastic too.

I finished my meal with a green salad and a chicken dish that had eggplant and mushrooms in a buttery garlic sauce over spaghetti. Yes, I know…real low-cal stuff here.

Hubby had a big sausage roll. (That's what she said.)
I didn’t get a picture.

 

Trick Or Treat

"I believe in reincarnation," Okie Reba McEntire said Friday. "I believe I've gone both ways - that I have been here before as a man."
"I will get flak from Christians who will say I can't be a Christian if I believe this. That's true, and I'm sorry, but this is how I live my life, this is what I believe.”
“I believe I have spent time with other people in my life before.”

I wanted to write about these comments, but I didn’t want to get into a heavy religious or theological discussion. Just some random thoughts that popped into my noggin.

Many people believe as Reba does; that they’ve experienced this worldly life before. Several religions and cultures throughout history believe in reincarnation.
Let me just say that in America we are free to believe whatever we want to.
I try to keep an open mind about such matters and let people live their lives however they choose as long as they are not harming others.

Have you ever had déjà vu? What exactly is it, if not reliving an experience you‘ve had before? And why has Okie Sister always felt like she drown once? And yes, this was before the unfortunate canoeing experience in my youth. Now, that was déjà vu!

I think a lot people wonder about what comes next after this earthly life, or if there is something else out there. Christians believe in an afterlife, angels, and miracles. Is it so far removed to think that some individuals are more in touch with the spiritual signs around them?
Are psychics real or are they just performing “cold readings”? I’ve quoted psychic Sylvia Brown in this blog before. I always enjoyed watching her on the Montel Williams show. Sylvia and some other mediums are known for working with police to help solve crimes. Doesn’t that make their special intuition a gift? Since Montel is no longer on TV, I find myself occasionally tuning into John Edwards Crossing Over…for entertainment, of course. If he makes people feel better or able to move on with their lives after losing someone they love, is that a bad thing?

Okay, I know the argument….it’s of the devil like seances and Ouija board stuff. Must we vilify everything? Can’t Halloween just be about dressing up like a pirate and getting candy?
Oh, and yummy candy apples.

And speaking of pirates…I couldn’t resist buying this Halloween Eggnog at the grocery store this week. What a great way to promote your seasonal product for other times of the year. Why should I have to wait until Christmas to dust off the bottle of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum for my delicious eggnog? This is not unlike the ghost and pumpkin Peeps I saw in the store. What’s next Valentine Eggnog?

See, I told you this was random “Noggin” stuff….get it?

Anyway, next week…we will discuss Reba saying she’s gone both ways.

No...not really!

A Day At The Park

Saturday afternoon was spent at scenic Medicine Park. We ate lunch at the Old Plantation. It was pretty good, but a little pricey for lunch. However, I think our waitress was on Quaaludes. I’ve heard mixed reviews for this restaurant, about the food and the service.

 

Music in the courtyard was provided by local blues band Blueprint. These guys are always entertaining.

   

 

The town was celebrating its birthday. The local medicine show provided performances and there was a blacksmith pounding iron over a hot fire.

  

Tickets were being sold for the plastic duck race happening later in the day on Medicine Creek.

As always, several families were enjoying a dip in Bath Lake.

Truer Words Were Never Spoken

 

For a minute this morning, I thought I was having a stroke. Then I realized that this billboard was supposed to be blurry and that our local convenience store had thought up another clever marketing campaign. From the folks who previously gave us Icy Hot Monkey Love.

Music, Hotdogs, and Fireworks

In honor of Memorial Day weekend, I want to share more about last Saturday’s Armed Forces Day events. After the parade marched through Elmer Thomas Park, my husband and I walked around looking at the various booths and displays. The largest one was the Go Army "Strength In Action." They were making dog tags for the kids, they had a rock climbing wall with motovational words on each level, and a video game simulator that blows up tanks. What could be more fun that all that?

 

   

Of course somebody I know was on a search for the perfect hotdog. There were Nathan dogs on a grill, one of my personal favorites, but the local restaurant booth serving them only brought little squeeze packet of condiments. Not too exciting or very green of them.

The winner had to be the Chicago dogs. This booth loaded them up with your choice of the following: catsup, mustard, tomatoes, dill pickles, relish, assorted peppers, onions, and sauerkraut. They also served sausages on a stick or bun.

Several musical groups performed including the 77th Army Band. The kids lined up for the bouncing houses and the parents lined up for roasted corn, funnel cakes, and snow cones. Some folks just sat on the grass and enjoyed the exceptional weather.

On the other side of the park several beer tents were busy with afternoon customers. The local police were keeping a watchful eye over all. I saw no troublemakers the entire day. The police were seen on foot, bikes, and carts. They even stopped to sample the food from time to time.

On the main amphitheatre stage, The Army Volunteers Band keep the growing audience entertained with familiar oldies. When they switched to patriotic music, the entire hillside of people stood and sang along to God Bless America and I’m Proud To Be An American. It was quite moving.

Then the crowd was entertained by magician and illusionist Kevin Ridgeway and his wife Kristen Johnson, who is an awarding winning escape artist. She was buckled into a straightjacket and hoisted up in the air by an enormous crane. And of course, she escaped and was able to lower herself safely back down to earth. Later she performed the "full view water torture cell" escape. She’s pretty awesome. (Click here if would like to see a video of her.)

   

Next, country singer Michael Peterson took to the stage for an enjoyable concert. He has to be the nicest celebrity I have ever seen. People were able to walk right up to him before the show and talk to him or get his autograph. Peterson is traveling across the country right now on the "My Real Life, Strong For America Tour." It is supported by the US Army and it’s purpose is to build community support, promote youth mentoring and encourage volunteerism at a grass roots level. Peterson had been in town all week giving motivational presentations to local groups. Along with Ridgeway & Johnson, he had performed and spoke at each city high school.

This whole presentation and concert at the park was free of charge to the public. After the concert, the night sky lit up with an impressive fireworks display over Lake Helen.

 

 

Remember all our brave service men and women this weekend. Honor all those past and present who fought for our freedoms. 
Then get out and enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of the perfect dog.

Chocolate Squares

Here’s an oldie, but a goodie. I got this recipe from a co-worker way back in 1982 or '83. I don’t remember exactly, nor do I remember the sweet lady’s name. We worked at a CR Anthony’s clothing store together. She was the person that decorated the store and did all the window displays. She was very good at dressing the mannequins and making the clothing look appealing. Plus, she was good at making delicious baked goods.

Evidently, I hadn’t made this recipe in a very long time. I went to find it in ba ba bum..."The Box" and then searched through Box #2. I knew I was looking for a half sheet of yellow paper with a hand written recipe, but it was nowhere to be found. Next, as if guided by an unseen force, I walked right out into the garage and started looking in a storage box where I had placed some old cookbooks. In the box with those books were several of my favorite recipes on various papers and index cards. Plus there was some junk like old coupons and receipts dating back to the late 90’s. That’s just wrong; but out of sight, out of mind. At least I found my recipe.

 

Chocolate Squares

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine flour, sugar, and baking soda in large mixing bowl. In a saucepan, melt together butter, shortening, cocoa, and water. Bring to a boil and pour over dry ingredients. Mix well. Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla; mixing after each one. Pour batter into jelly roll pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Top with icing (recipe below).

      

      

 

Icing

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 box powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup pecans

In large saucepan, mix together margarine, milk, and cocoa. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in vanilla and nuts. Pour over warm cake.

     

Note: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute 1/2 cup of milk mixed with 1/2 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes.

I don’t know if you can tell from the picture, but my cake looked like a downhill ski slope; thick on one end and extremely thin on the other. This may have happened because I cooked it in an aluminum pan. I did that because I was baking this dessert to give away. I was not pleased with the look of the final product. However, I couldn’t keep this sugary dish in my house to tempt my diabetic husband, so I went ahead and gave it away. I’m sure it tasted just fine, it just looked lopsided. Now, just so you know that I’m not cruel. I didn’t fill my house with the smell of baked chocolate and then not share any with my spouse. I baked him a couple of little cupcake size servings of it, too. Aw!

I Need A Hero

There was an Oprah episode last week that caught my attention; it was about sandwiches. Oprah’s best friend Gayle King had read Esquire’s list of The Best Sandwiches in America and she decided to try out all the top entries for herself. So Gayle went on a road trip and ranked the sandwiches one through five; five being the best. She tried Catfish Sloppy Joes, BBQ, Tuna Melt, Chicken Parmesan, among others. There was even a fancy Grilled Cheese that consisted of three cheeses, basil, honey and tomato that I think I will try to recreate. Gayle gave it a five.

Café Muse’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich
(from Royal Oak, Michigan)

• 1 slice Havarti cheese
• 1 slice mozzarella cheese
• 1 slice Danish fontina cheese
• 1/2 Tbsp butter, softened (for best results, use high-quality butter)
• Honey from a squeeze bear bottle
• 1 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
• 2 slices tomato
• 2 slices bread (organic multigrain bread works best)
• Sauté pan large enough for 2 slices of bread

Butter bread on one side with melted butter. Place in pan, butter side down, over medium-low heat. Place mozzarella on one half of the bread and fontina and Havarti on the other. Cook until golden on bottom and cheese begins to melt. Place tomato on mozzarella side and honey on fotina/Havarti side. Place under broiler for a few minutes to heat up tomato. Sprinkle basil and assemble sandwich.

I make a really fantastic hero sandwich or Dagwood, if you followed the Blondie cartoon. (I often have to poke tooth picks in my sandwiches to hold all the delicious layer in place.) I feel the secret to any great sandwich starts with the bread and builds from there, using only the freshest of ingredients. I enjoy a variety of sauces and condiments to flavor my creations like: flavored mustards, chipotle sauce, olive salad, pestos, Italian dressing, etc. I think you can make any sandwich taste instantly better by putting some Justin Wilson Wicked Cajun Pickles on it. "I Garontee! "

And there is nary a cheese I’ve met, that I haven’t liked from smoked gouda to muenster to pepper jack, etc. Bring it on! Our local German deli sells a creamy cheese called Butter Cheese that is out of this world. They also have a Mortadella that has pistachios in it. I know that sounds strange, but it tastes wonderful. I also enjoy delicious hams, especially spicy capicolla, and I just recently discovered a healthy and flavorful turkey salami.

Wow, I’m getting pretty wordy here. Food does that to me. To sum it up, I think the best sandwich in the country is my own. I have, however, challenged the good citizens of my locality to name the best restaurant sandwich in the area. You can read about one of my top picks over at this site. I give that sandwich at least a four.

Now to me, BBQ, burgers and breakfast sandwiches should be in separate categories. I need a Hero! I’m holding out for a hero...