barb

Bottoms up! Let's all drink a Happy Birthday toast to my best friend, Barb, who just happens to share the same birthday as my mom's best friend, Bert. What a co-winky-dink! As you can see I airbrushed these photos so as not to reveal her true age. Just kidding.... she looks great. I think the photographer was trying for some unposed, candid shots and her subject was just too vivacious. That's Steph, her daughter, in the picture with her. Barb and I always have a great time whenever we are together.


Cheers, Barb. Happy Birthday....and many more.

bert

Happy Birthday to Bert! Bert is my mom's forever friend. She and her husband, Ken, take my mother with them nearly everywhere they go. I remember visiting Bert from the time I was just a toddler. I remember cranking the handle of the ice cream churn to make the most delicious homemade ice cream at her house. Fried squashed blossoms and rhubarb pie. Priming the pump for water, the revolving locomotive lamp that sat atop the TV. Once I stayed at her house to play with her niece, Marcy, and we completely coated ourselves in mud. Bert had to give us a bath in the washtub with the hose before she would let us inside again. She was my boss at my first job in our tiny hometown grocery store. She was also my sister, Debbie's, first boss at the same grocery store and my sister, Melissa's, first boss at K-mart. She is the best friend anyone could ever have and I am so grateful that my mother has her in her life. I am saddened that this photo of her holding my son is the only digital photo that I have of her. Best wishes for many, many more happy birthdays, Bert.

put that on your blog

As I was preparing to serve dinner at the kitchen counter, B was folding clean laundry at the kitchen table. He was watching me take picture after picture of the dinner that I had prepared. He leaned over and teased me to take a picture of that. So I did. It instantly reminded both of us of a much used line in our household. It comes from Curly, the cowboy played by Jack Palance, in the movie "City Slickers". They are gathered around the campfire and Billy Crystal's character is talking about the book that he is writing and trying to decide what experiences from his ranching trip to put in it. Curly passes gas, it gets quiet, and then Curly says "Put that in your book". B and I both said "Put that on your blog" at the very same instant, so that is exactly what I did.

culinary disappointment

Jiffy corn muffins

First of all.....what didn't disappoint....Jiffy corn muffins. Why ever bother making corn muffins from scratch when Jiffy ones are the best ever? The recipe on the box for corn meal pancakes is super also.


Fruit salad with Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing

And any kind of salad that contains fruit is always delicious when dressed in this. This salad is strawberries, oranges, celery and pecans. Another favorite salad with Brianna's is greens, chopped apple, celery, onion, pecans and a bit of shredded cheddar.


the disappointment

I thought this sounded good and I think it could have been but I used too much liquid in the crockpot and it turned out bland. The flavors got diluted. I think I'd try it again but maybe bake it in the oven and use less liquid. I threw into the crockpot... a chicken, peach beer, a can of peaches (this was the problem as I didn't drain the liquid off), onion powder, a couple bay leaves and a good dose of mace and cinnamon. I think maybe a should have added a touch of sweetness also...maybe maple sugar or syrup. I was introduced to this beer by my sister several years ago. I am not a beer drinker at all but this beer, which also comes in green apple and raspberry, won my heart. I've been looking for it in Buffalo ever since that time and finally Wegman's started carrying it when they expanded their beer section to include a larger variety of beers from other countries. This chicken will make an appearance on our plates again tonight but I will make sure that tonight it will not disappoint.

tender shoots

snowdrops

Spring takes it's time coming to Buffalo. We are still in the snow drops and crocus stage. At least there is a hint of fresh spring smell and warmth in the air, but who knows when we will be hit with a late spring snow storm. I took a little walk when I got home from work tonight. You have to look closely for signs of spring. The robins have arrived and I encountered these signs of life beginning anew.


purple crocus


tulips


day lilies


rhododendran

something's fishy

Halibut with Green Salsa

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup coarsely chopped tomatillos
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 fresh poblano chiles (6 oz. total), stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup packed, coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus about 2 tbsp. whole leaves
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup sour cream, divided
Kosher salt
1 to 2 tbsp. lime juice
1 or 2 boned and skinned halibut or salmon fillets (1 3/4 lbs. total; about 1 in. thick)



Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large frying pan, melt butter over high heat. Stir in flour, remove from heat, and mix to form a smooth paste.

2. Scrape flour paste into a blender. Add tomatillos, onion, chiles, chopped cilantro, chicken broth, and 1/2 cup sour cream. Whirl until smoothly puréed. Pour green sauce back into frying pan; add salt and lime juice to taste.

3. Rinse fish, pat dry with paper towels, cut into 6 equal pieces, and season with salt. Set pieces slightly apart in an 8- by 12-in. baking dish.

4. Bring green sauce to a boil over high heat, stirring. Pour evenly over fish.

5. Bake fish until it flakes but still looks moist in the center of the thickest part (cut to test), 15 to 20 minutes.

6. With a wide spatula, transfer fish to plates. Spoon sauce over portions, top with small spoonfuls of remaining sour cream, and sprinkle with cilantro leaves.


Beets and beet greens

this is us

This is us down at the Mardi Gras
This is us in your daddy's car
You and the missing link
Yeah, I'd had a little too much to drink now


Too long in the sun
Having too much fun
You and me and our memories
This is us


Rocking at the barbecue
Yeah, when we said I do
Hand jiving on the ballroom floor
You in that wedding coat you wore
And you in that amazing dress
I was stoned on love I guess


You and me we were meant to be
This is us


This is us on our honeymoon
in our hotel room
Sitting by the wishing well
Checking out of the Love Motel


Making plans for the sunshine state
Waiting at the terminal gate
You and me making history
This is us


And our baby boy
with our pride and joy


You at the Sunday game
standing next to what's his name


On our anniversary
with the family
You and me and our memories
This us

33 years but who's counting
My apologies to Mark Knopfler and Emmy Lou Harris for stealing their lyrics which don't quite match up to my photos but I love the song and the thoughts it conveys.

handbags and gladrags

Leather Fish Purse

For a couple years now I've been buying books and patterns on how to make various purses and handbags. One of these days, maybe when I free up my Fridays again, I'm going to attempt to make some. In the meantime on my thrift store visits, I've been buying up various gladrags for handbag construction. It's no secret that a good portion of my clothing is gladrags from thrift stores, but now I'm buying old velvet, suede and leather skirts with handbag construction in mind. That doesn't stop me from buying an interesting looking already constructed bag when I see one. Like how could I pass up the fish purse? Even if I never carry it, I still like owning it.


And this patterned leather bag. OK, I don't think it is real leather but it's a good imitation and I just saw a real patterned leather bag in Marshall's that was priced well over $100 and Marshall's is a discount store.


This is one of my favorite kind of handbags - crocheted black cotton with little beads sewn all over and bead fringe. Love those beads. This one will get some use.


I actually went shopping in a real store with brand new things for this one. I needed an everyday handbag in a lighter color for spring and summer. I've been carrying this soft naked leather beauty for a week now and I love, love, love it. It cost more than I should have spent but I love, love, love it.


And while I was shopping in Marshall's for the above handbag, I saw this one that had been marked way down. It's a fun handbag that I couldn't pass up. And why do I need so many handbags you may ask? I don't, so don't ask.

leprechaun visit

A leprechaun came by and scattered gold coins and shamrocks around my pot of gold and white flowers. So I went ahead and celebrated early by cooking a traditional St. Patrick's Day dinner today.


Golden carrot ginger scones . I finally found a use for the sugar I bought a couple years ago at Ikea. It's sprinkled atop.


Boiled dinner platter


My plate


Whiskey raisin bread pudding with caramel whiskey sauce

flood warnings

Melting snow and lots of rain.....flood warnings in the news. I cross Ellicott Creek on my way home from work everyday just to the south of my house. Tonight it looked like it could spill over it's banks. Just several blocks from us the creek passes through the back yards of the houses on Lehn Springs, but our house is on top of a little hill and we have never had a drop of water in our basement. I took this photo of an angry, rushing Ellicott Creek from Main Street on Sunday when I went for my walk. It is the exact same view of the creek in an October post. That photo shows a very different personality of the creek - tranquil and calm, reflecting a crystal blue sky.

worry

I carry a page from an old Mary Engelbreit desk calendar in my wallet. It says......Worry does not rob tomorrow of it's sorrow, it saps today of it's strength. When tax season is wearing on me and my faith in humanity is shaken, I read it over again and try to follow the advise. I draw energy from it, so instead of laying on the couch for a nap, I exercise or straighten the house. Or indulge in my favorite calming pastime - thrift store browsing. Today on my way home from work, I stopped at Amvets and found these shoes waiting for me on the rack. Who could feel unhappy with these happy shoes in their closet? They are a European size 40 but I can't find anything on the Internet about this brand name. Never mind, whether they are $6 shoes or $60 shoes, I think they are worth every penny of the $4 that I paid for them.

thinking of dad

Today would have been my dad's 90th birthday. This cameo shot shows him as I remember him best. I'm sure there is a book in his lap and he is just pausing for a minute to gaze out the window before returning to it.

spring awakening