Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.
Marcus Aurelius
I learned this through living it and I know this to be very true. The way you think will direct your life and very little is needed to make you happy.
10-10-2010 - Addendum
My devotional this morning was about a group of men who were martyred during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. I googled Marcus Aurelius and found out that he was one of the better emperors in Rome but his reign was tainted by his persections of Christians.
While I like his quote and I believe it's true I don't admire or think he was a great man. I felt like I needed to clarify this for anyone who might know who Marcus Aurelius was.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Coming Home to the Country
We moved to the country 15 years ago. My husband and I were both raised in the city and when we considered moving to the country neither of us knew for sure if we would like it. The convenience of shopping malls, specialty stores and family and friends living near were some of the things we knew we would miss. But we decided to try it because there were so many things about living in the country that appealed to us. We looked for several years for the right property and we looked north, south, east and west of OKC not really sure where we wanted to be. I had envisioned an old 2 story clapboard farm house with a wrap around porch and a big old red barn sitting on a hill over looking a meadow........hahaha, was I ever snapped into reality when we pulled up in the drive way to look at our soon to be "home in the country." I told my husband, "you can forget it, I'm not even getting out of the car." He coaxed me out, "come on be open minded you really don't know what it's like yet." I thought, from what I see looking at the front of the house I don't know that I want to see anymore. The house was built out of cinder blocks and had burglar bars over the windows. No landscaping, white rocks in the flower beds, not one flower, bush, nothing. The house was 50 years old and had been the home place of a dear family of 5. The wife had died and the husband remarried and the children didn't want their father living in their home with another women so he had been renting the house for the last 5 years. In the last 30 years, nothing had been done to the house. It needed to be totally up dated. The washing machine was in the kitchen! We walked through the house and went outside and walked around the property and we could see that it had a lot of potential and we both felt this was the house we were to buy.
After we moved in and friends and family came to visit, I know they were wondering what in the world have they done. At times I wondered the same thing until I was overcome by the peacefulness and quiet of the country, or the beautiful sunrise that I could see from my kitchen window or the beautiful sunset that I would watch from the orchard. Yes, there is an orchard. Two huge pecan trees, 3 huge pear trees, an apricot tree, cherry and apple (these last three had bores) and were replaced with 3 peach trees. We have a barn, which I love, it's not red but it's a barn. We also have a cellar and a greenhouse which I hope to get functional soon. It didn't take me long to realize that I was going to love living in the country and the thing that really surprised me, I was totally content with the house as it was. It was ugly on the outside but it had a wonderful feeling on the inside despite all the things that needed to be done to it.
We lived in the house for five years before we started to remodel it. We decided to gut the kitchen, turn the garage into a den and we had a little sun room that had been part of a covered patio that we decided to open up into the kitchen and turn into a breakfast room. We started all of this in February thinking that we should be finished by May, yeah right, in August I was wondering if we would ever get our project complete. We finally finished in mid October and moved our new furniture into the den. The kitchen was beautiful. We put knotty pine hard wood floors in the kitchen and breakfast room. It all turned out just the way I wanted it. We also put siding on the outside of the house and painted it a butter yellow with white trim. Yeah!!! it was finally starting to look like a country home not the 2 story clapboard but something even better than that.
After we moved in and friends and family came to visit, I know they were wondering what in the world have they done. At times I wondered the same thing until I was overcome by the peacefulness and quiet of the country, or the beautiful sunrise that I could see from my kitchen window or the beautiful sunset that I would watch from the orchard. Yes, there is an orchard. Two huge pecan trees, 3 huge pear trees, an apricot tree, cherry and apple (these last three had bores) and were replaced with 3 peach trees. We have a barn, which I love, it's not red but it's a barn. We also have a cellar and a greenhouse which I hope to get functional soon. It didn't take me long to realize that I was going to love living in the country and the thing that really surprised me, I was totally content with the house as it was. It was ugly on the outside but it had a wonderful feeling on the inside despite all the things that needed to be done to it.
We lived in the house for five years before we started to remodel it. We decided to gut the kitchen, turn the garage into a den and we had a little sun room that had been part of a covered patio that we decided to open up into the kitchen and turn into a breakfast room. We started all of this in February thinking that we should be finished by May, yeah right, in August I was wondering if we would ever get our project complete. We finally finished in mid October and moved our new furniture into the den. The kitchen was beautiful. We put knotty pine hard wood floors in the kitchen and breakfast room. It all turned out just the way I wanted it. We also put siding on the outside of the house and painted it a butter yellow with white trim. Yeah!!! it was finally starting to look like a country home not the 2 story clapboard but something even better than that.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Pies, Pies and More Pies
Just finished making 4 pies. Two cherry and two raisin. A client that I cook for occasionally called me last night and wanted to know if I had ever made a raisin pie? I told her I had. My dad loved raisin pie and my grandmother always made him a special raisin pie for the holidays and his birthday and many times in between. My client was wanting a raisin pie for her elderly aunt and she loves cherry pie too, so she ended up ordering 4 pies.
I never hear much about raisin pies anymore so I thought I would mention it today. Personally, I like raisin pie hot or warm. I don't care much for it after it is cold. If anyone is interested this is my recipe for raisin pie.
1-9 inch pie crust
1-24 ounce container of raisins
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 stick of butter
water
Place raisins in a large sauce pan and cover with water. Have the water about an inch over the raisins. Pour in sugar and mix well. Cook over medium heat about 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally. Add butter and stir occasionally until butter is melted. Take a small bowl and put corn starch in the bowl with about one cup of water and stir well until corn starch is mix well then slowly add to hot raisin mixture. Stir until thickened and pour into pie shell. Add your top crust and bake for 35 minutes at 400 degrees.
I never hear much about raisin pies anymore so I thought I would mention it today. Personally, I like raisin pie hot or warm. I don't care much for it after it is cold. If anyone is interested this is my recipe for raisin pie.
1-9 inch pie crust
1-24 ounce container of raisins
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 stick of butter
water
Place raisins in a large sauce pan and cover with water. Have the water about an inch over the raisins. Pour in sugar and mix well. Cook over medium heat about 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally. Add butter and stir occasionally until butter is melted. Take a small bowl and put corn starch in the bowl with about one cup of water and stir well until corn starch is mix well then slowly add to hot raisin mixture. Stir until thickened and pour into pie shell. Add your top crust and bake for 35 minutes at 400 degrees.
A Return to Sunday Dinner
The last recipe I want to share for Sunday Dinners is Garlic String Beans. Just about everyone likes green beans. My mother and grandmother always seasoned fresh green beans and canned green beans with a little bacon and onion. Of course, that's what I did. In fact, I rarely cooked fresh green beans because I really didn't care for the taste. Then, about 10 years ago I found this wonderful recipe for fresh green beans and I hardly ever fix canned green beans anymore.
Garlic String Beans
3 tablespoons of olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2-2 pounds of fresh green beans
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 vegetable bouillon squares
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups of water (don't cover the beans with water)
In a large pan, heat oil. Add garlic and beans, and saute' over high heat and sear beans, stirring frequently so they don't burn. Add thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the beans then add water and vegetable bouillon. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, and reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until beans are tender.
Coming Home! Those words warm my heart with memories. Although my parents have been gone now for 30 years I still feel and remember the fun times and wonderful food we shared on those wonderul Sunday afternoons.
Even when some of our children ventured off to college, using their weekends home to run around and see their friends, we knew they'd be at our house for Sunday dinner. Now our children are grown and have embarked on lives of their own. God willing,(and I know He is) we will live to see our family of four grow to include many grandchildren. Then like my parents and grandparents we will gladly be expanding our table, making new memories and passing on traditions that hopefully will be carried on when we are gone.
I hope in some small way I have inspired you to open your home for friends and family to share in the warmth of your friendship and the bounty of your table.
Garlic String Beans
3 tablespoons of olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2-2 pounds of fresh green beans
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 vegetable bouillon squares
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups of water (don't cover the beans with water)
In a large pan, heat oil. Add garlic and beans, and saute' over high heat and sear beans, stirring frequently so they don't burn. Add thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the beans then add water and vegetable bouillon. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, and reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until beans are tender.
Coming Home! Those words warm my heart with memories. Although my parents have been gone now for 30 years I still feel and remember the fun times and wonderful food we shared on those wonderul Sunday afternoons.
Even when some of our children ventured off to college, using their weekends home to run around and see their friends, we knew they'd be at our house for Sunday dinner. Now our children are grown and have embarked on lives of their own. God willing,(and I know He is) we will live to see our family of four grow to include many grandchildren. Then like my parents and grandparents we will gladly be expanding our table, making new memories and passing on traditions that hopefully will be carried on when we are gone.
I hope in some small way I have inspired you to open your home for friends and family to share in the warmth of your friendship and the bounty of your table.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Continuing on with A Return to Sunday Dinner
One of my favorite statesmen in history is Thomas Jefferson as well as his good friend John Adams, but I like Thomas Jefferson probably because he was such a gardener. :) He was not only famous for his gardens but his fine hams and his hospitality. He grew more than 250 kinds of vegetables at Monticello. His table was often filled with the good company of friends and family. The hours spent attending to his farm and enjoying his loved ones and guests were among his happiest. Shouldn't that be true for us all?
The tradition of an open door is not simply a sign of Southern hospitality but an American habit that has somewhat been lost in our hectic life styles. When we open our homes we open our hearts and we offer our best and welcome our guests to the bounty of our table. The best Sunday dinners are those where visitors become part of the family.
This recipe, Cauliflower Salad, has been served for many Sunday dinners at our home and has been a family favorite for almost 20 years. It can be made on Saturday and is actually a lot better if it is made a day ahead. It's wonderful with roast, baked chicken or turkey.
Cauliflower Salad
1 head cauliflower, cut and sliced in bite size pieces
1 head of Romaine or red leaf lettuce (I double the lettuce with a large crowd)
several handfuls of baby spinach
1 pound of bacon, fried crispy and crumbled
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 Parmesan cheese
In a large bowl, cut up cauliflower, lettuce and add spinach. Toss all of this well. Then spread mayo over the top of the greens. You may need a little more mayo or less depending on the size of the bowl. Lightly cover greens and seal around edge of bowl with mayo. Then sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top of mayo, again you may need a little more or less depending on the size of your bowl. You want the mayo covered with the Parmesan cheese. Then crumble the bacon over the top of the cheese. Seal the bowl with Saran wrap and let it set over night or make it at least 3 hours before you plan on serving it. When ready to serve, toss well.
The tradition of an open door is not simply a sign of Southern hospitality but an American habit that has somewhat been lost in our hectic life styles. When we open our homes we open our hearts and we offer our best and welcome our guests to the bounty of our table. The best Sunday dinners are those where visitors become part of the family.
This recipe, Cauliflower Salad, has been served for many Sunday dinners at our home and has been a family favorite for almost 20 years. It can be made on Saturday and is actually a lot better if it is made a day ahead. It's wonderful with roast, baked chicken or turkey.
Cauliflower Salad
1 head cauliflower, cut and sliced in bite size pieces
1 head of Romaine or red leaf lettuce (I double the lettuce with a large crowd)
several handfuls of baby spinach
1 pound of bacon, fried crispy and crumbled
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 Parmesan cheese
In a large bowl, cut up cauliflower, lettuce and add spinach. Toss all of this well. Then spread mayo over the top of the greens. You may need a little more mayo or less depending on the size of the bowl. Lightly cover greens and seal around edge of bowl with mayo. Then sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top of mayo, again you may need a little more or less depending on the size of your bowl. You want the mayo covered with the Parmesan cheese. Then crumble the bacon over the top of the cheese. Seal the bowl with Saran wrap and let it set over night or make it at least 3 hours before you plan on serving it. When ready to serve, toss well.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Return to Sunday Dinner (continued)
The following is a favorite passage from a book I really like. It's about a young girl who has moved to a small Texas town and has been invited by her new first grade friend to her house for Sunday dinner. The new girl in town doesn't have the social status of her new friend and her mother warns her that they might have fancier dishes than they have. The young girl accepts her invitation and this was her experience.
"I loved that Sunday dinner experience at my friend's house. Stephanie refused to eat her green beans, stuck her tongue out at her mother, splashed her potatoes with a fork.....and still got dessert! Here was a world where children, not parents, could be the source of drama. I hadn't seen such sport since the dish ran away with the spoon.
During the next twelve years, I accepted every invitation to Sunday dinner and cherished in my heart what I saw: siblings squabbling, dads talking, lots of laughing, frozen peas, Monopoly, and quiet afternoons. The food wasn't the most important thing to me because nobody made fried chicken as well as my mom. But the families in that small Texas town gave me a gift that became a birthright for our five now-grown children: nurturing, fun and family dinners.......Sunday or otherwise."
Invite someone to dinner on Sunday you never know what it might mean to them!
The next recipe I want to share with you is fresh corn on the cob with spicy cilantro butter.
After I clean the corn I steam it in a steamer for about 10 minutes. Then top it with this wonderful butter.
Spicy Cilantro Butter
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 generous tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 to 2 jalapenos or 1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon of lime zest
2-3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Salt to taste
Crushed dried red chile flakes to taste
1/4 pound unsalted butter (l stick) softened
Put everything and a bowl and mix together well.
This butter is also good on grilled fish or shrimp and fresh squash.
"I loved that Sunday dinner experience at my friend's house. Stephanie refused to eat her green beans, stuck her tongue out at her mother, splashed her potatoes with a fork.....and still got dessert! Here was a world where children, not parents, could be the source of drama. I hadn't seen such sport since the dish ran away with the spoon.
During the next twelve years, I accepted every invitation to Sunday dinner and cherished in my heart what I saw: siblings squabbling, dads talking, lots of laughing, frozen peas, Monopoly, and quiet afternoons. The food wasn't the most important thing to me because nobody made fried chicken as well as my mom. But the families in that small Texas town gave me a gift that became a birthright for our five now-grown children: nurturing, fun and family dinners.......Sunday or otherwise."
Invite someone to dinner on Sunday you never know what it might mean to them!
The next recipe I want to share with you is fresh corn on the cob with spicy cilantro butter.
After I clean the corn I steam it in a steamer for about 10 minutes. Then top it with this wonderful butter.
Spicy Cilantro Butter
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 generous tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 to 2 jalapenos or 1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon of lime zest
2-3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Salt to taste
Crushed dried red chile flakes to taste
1/4 pound unsalted butter (l stick) softened
Put everything and a bowl and mix together well.
This butter is also good on grilled fish or shrimp and fresh squash.
Monday, August 9, 2010
A Return to Sunday Dinner
When I was growing up, Sunday was a day of rest but also a day of celebration ..... a time to delight in the company of loved ones and to enjoy a bounty of wonderful wholesome food. When I was really young we would go to my great grandparents home for Sunday dinners. It was always fun to see aunts and uncles and cousins. My great grandparents always had the main course ready, a big roast, ham, or fried chicken and everyone else brought the side dishes, vegetables, salads and desserts. After the passing of my great grandparents, my mother picked up the tradition and our home was always open to relatives and friends.
Since our children are grown now. Sundays once again have become a time to gather together and see each other after a busy week. A time to share, reflect, relax and enjoy each other's company. It's nice to have a day set aside from the everyday hustle.....a day for family and close friends.
In the future, I will be sharing with you some of our Sunday dinners and the recipes. This past Sunday I baked a turkey. We had mashed potatoes, corn on the cob with herb butter, tomato basil tart, and cauliflower salad and a wonderful peach cobbler from the delicious peaches harvested from our peach trees. I will share one of these recipes everyday this week.
I'm going to start with my favorite today.... " The Tomato-Basil Tart." I started making this tart about 5 years ago and it is a favorite with my family. I have served this at several wedding receptions that I have catered and it is always a big hit. It is very rich and delicious and with fresh tomatoes and basil this time of the year it's even better, if that's possible.
1 - pie crust
8 ounces mozzarella cheese(grated)
5 Roma or 4 medium tomatoes
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
pepper to taste
You can make a pie crust or a frozen one works great. Bake until golden brown and remove from oven and sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on warm pie crust and let cool. Cut tomatoes into slices and let them drain on a paper towel while pie crust is cooling. In a food processor combine basil and garlic and processor until coarsely chopped. When pie crust is cool arrange tomatoes on top of melted mozzarella and then sprinkle chopped basil and garlic over the tomatoes. In a medium mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese and the remaining mozzarella and pepper. Mix ingredients well. This mixture goes over the basil and garlic. The mixture does spread well so the best way to do this is with your hands. It's messy but the only way I have found. I take the mixture and pat it out in my hand and lay it onto the basil. When the basil is covered with the mixture. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until golden brown. When the tart is baking, after about 20 minutes you will need to cover the crust with foil so it won't get to brown. Let it cool slightly before serving. It is good served a room temperature also.
Since our children are grown now. Sundays once again have become a time to gather together and see each other after a busy week. A time to share, reflect, relax and enjoy each other's company. It's nice to have a day set aside from the everyday hustle.....a day for family and close friends.
In the future, I will be sharing with you some of our Sunday dinners and the recipes. This past Sunday I baked a turkey. We had mashed potatoes, corn on the cob with herb butter, tomato basil tart, and cauliflower salad and a wonderful peach cobbler from the delicious peaches harvested from our peach trees. I will share one of these recipes everyday this week.
I'm going to start with my favorite today.... " The Tomato-Basil Tart." I started making this tart about 5 years ago and it is a favorite with my family. I have served this at several wedding receptions that I have catered and it is always a big hit. It is very rich and delicious and with fresh tomatoes and basil this time of the year it's even better, if that's possible.
1 - pie crust
8 ounces mozzarella cheese(grated)
5 Roma or 4 medium tomatoes
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
pepper to taste
You can make a pie crust or a frozen one works great. Bake until golden brown and remove from oven and sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on warm pie crust and let cool. Cut tomatoes into slices and let them drain on a paper towel while pie crust is cooling. In a food processor combine basil and garlic and processor until coarsely chopped. When pie crust is cool arrange tomatoes on top of melted mozzarella and then sprinkle chopped basil and garlic over the tomatoes. In a medium mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese and the remaining mozzarella and pepper. Mix ingredients well. This mixture goes over the basil and garlic. The mixture does spread well so the best way to do this is with your hands. It's messy but the only way I have found. I take the mixture and pat it out in my hand and lay it onto the basil. When the basil is covered with the mixture. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until golden brown. When the tart is baking, after about 20 minutes you will need to cover the crust with foil so it won't get to brown. Let it cool slightly before serving. It is good served a room temperature also.
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