Not a food snob

Never let it be said that I am a food snob. I am not. Here is a barbecued turkey joe and macaroni salad. I didn't even make that bun! I made the macaroni salad and the turkey joe filling. It's good. Actually, I got the recipe from Weight Watchers forever ago. We had an indoor picnic since it was like blazing hot outside in Maryland. It was too hot even for the birds this past weekend. I did not see any finches out on the farm. I really enjoy seeing the little yellow finches. They are such a bright spot of yellow. I did see 2 fawns with their mother. The fawns are so darling with the white spots. I also saw the tiniest little bunny. I see a lot of rabbits on the farm but this one was so tiny I really took note of him.

We ate well this weekend, I think. We had poached eggs Florentine for breakfast on Saturday which really started out as a simple breakfast but then I realized I had everything to make eggs Benedict and then the idea of hollandaise was too eggy for me so I decided on a mornay sauce which necessitated making the eggs Florentine. Trust me, if you are me, it necessitated it. I took some pictures but they turned out pretty terrible since the food was on a blue and white plate and the place mats and napkins were also blue and white. What was I thinking? I mean, I LOVE blue and white china but I think I need yellow place mats for summer. Or perhaps this darling fabric with hand drawn gold birds from Repro Depot. So cute. It should be for $9.50 a half yard. Once I finish all the rag dolls I am working on, I think I am going to make some place mats.




The recipe is basically very lean ground turkey, a diced red pepper, half a diced onion all browned up and then a good smokey barbecue sauce reduced down with it. I like homemade or Stubbs is good in a pinch. I obviously like pickle and cheddar cheese on mine. I have heard these sandwiches called sloppy sue but I like turkey joe. It's fun to say. Turkey joe.

Mr. Huckleberry Finn asked in his fine southern drawl, "May I have a turkey joe? Hold the bun, please?"

Sorry, sweetheart. It's kibble in a bowl for you!

home alone with corn chowder

My hubby has been gone every night this week. I really miss him when he is not home but it does give me an opportunity to get a lot of stuff done. I made 2 ragdolls... well, 1 and 1/2 ragdolls... well, not really since I have no brown thread, I cannot put the hair on. So, that's 1 ragdoll with no hair or face since the placement of the hair determines where the face goes. Then the other doll is made but has no clothing... so that's ummm... well, altogether I guess it equals 3/4 of a doll!

Last night, I was going to finish the ragdoll clothing but I opened the refrigerator to make dinner and was appalled at how gross it was inside there. It has glass shelves and this nice clear drawers but it is was all finger printy and there was a small maple syrup spill at some point but no clean up so I got to work. I tool everything out and washed it all down. It looks so pretty. I then proceeded to clean all the cabinets, counter tops and the floor. The kitchen rugs went into the washer (amazing how much cooler my basement is than the kitchen!).

Anyway, I did manage to make dinner! Chicken corn chowder as promised. I also had to make the beagles some chicken and rice since my Miss Prissy Pants girl beagle was little sick to her tummy last night. So, it was a busy night.

Chicken and corn chowder
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts - grilled or seared and baked. Cooked some way you like.
1 medium red pepper, large diced
1 medium onion, large diced
2 stalks of celery, you guessed it, large diced
2 strip of bacon, cut into strips
2 russet potatoes, washed and large diced
2 cups of corn
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock or broth
1 cup of half and half
1 teaspoon of olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over high heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook until they are crispy and brown. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add the onion, pepper and celery to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes and add the corn. Cook for 2 minutes more. Add the potatoes and stock and bring to a boil cooking until the potatoes are tender. Add the half and half and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until thickened, about 6 minutes more. I do not like to use flour in this chowder. I use an immersion blender to blend up a bit of the soup which purees some of the corn and potatoes which makes the soup thick and creamy without adding cream or any flour. I have made this with reduced fat evaporated milk but did not have any of the on hand last night. I am trying to cut back on the fat and what not. Anyway, I serve the soup with the bacon and chicken on top and some thin slices of green onion.

where have all the bonnets gone?

I was talking to a friend about rag dolls and I casually mentioned that I might like to make a bonnet for the dolls. I said, "but I fear she would look like Holly Hobby" (I am trying very hard to avoid copy write infringement at all costs). Anyway, my friend who is obviously younger than I am, was not familiar with Holly Hobby. So, I Goggled Holly Hobby and found that she has been transformed from the lovely, sweet, flower picking profile above into a "Bratz" type character who no longer wears a bonnet but rather a jaunty, floppy hat and ugly pants. Sigh.

I guess this is Holly's great-grand daughter and not Holly herself? Can't Grandma Holly make the young Holly a cute patch work pinafore and bonnet? MUST she wear hideous bell bottoms and have an outrageously disproportional head size to appeal to young girls today? Sorry if people out there think she is really super now. I think it is a travesty. Or in the words of Anne of Green Gables, it is tragical! Just tragical!

Regardless, I think bonnets for ragdolls would prove difficult since the ragdolls are flat dolls with flat heads but I might be able to pull something off and make a bonnet for a flat headed doll. I really don't know.


On a happy note I found this vintage Holly Hobby characters bracelet! I know, right? It is darling.

I feel pretty good today so I am planning some chicken and corn chowder for dinner tonight! Yumm yumm. Recipes tomorrow.

farewell fat foods

Fried chicken.


Fried dough.

The fried chicken was actually a little over 2 months ago and the fried dough about 3 weeks ago. So good and disgusting. It is no surprise that my husband's doctor wants him to cut back on fatty, salty, carby foods. So, there will be more healthy foods cooked in my little farm house kitchen starting now. I just wanted wish fried chicken and fried dough (and other fried monsters) a proper farewell.

Okay, so Culinary Camp starts 2 weeks from Monday and I have not yet written the curriculum! It will be something if 12 teenage girls are looking to me to help them learn to cook in a week and I have nothing to offer, huh? Here's what I am thinking for this year - "Around the World in 5 Days: A Culinary Adventure" We will cook a different style of cuisine each day from Mexican to French. My trouble is what to make for the capstone dinner. I am not yet sure how I can incorporate all of the styles into one meal. I am NOT a fusion chef. Not a fusion chef at all. Maybe Ming Tsai will do a guest spot at Culinary Camp this year? Eh, probably not.

potato salad

I was 17 when I got my first job. I worked in a sandwich shop called Tidbits in my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. The owner there makes what is generally known by all who eat it to be the best potato salad in the world. I made some last night to go with barbecued pork. I cannot share the recipe. It's top secret. I promised many years ago to not give away Clara's secret and I intend to keep that promise.

Instead, here is a picture of some darling little napkin holders with birds on them that I got at my church's May Fair for $1. What a bargain, huh? I love them. That is my living room in the back there. It must have been a hot day when I took this picture since the drapes are closed. They are insulated drapes and keep the hot and cold out. Well worth the money in an old house with old windows.


I bought this precious silhouette on Ebay a couple of months ago. It is dated 1931 and signed by an artist whose name I cannot make out. I love it, too. I love her delicate little eyelashes and the way the hairs at the nape of her neck curl just so.

Speaking of curls, I am scheduled for a much needed hair cut tomorrow morning. My plan is to go to the farmer's market before the hair cut since both are in town. Not too long ago, I realized that I indeed live in the country because I told my husband that I was going into town. Anyway, I have curly hair that tends to get that very dated Drew Barrymore in the 80's look when it gets too long. I can't have that. I generally get the Caprica 6 (from Battlestar Galactica) haircut. Unfortunately, I do not have the Caprica 6 body. Oh well.

Speaking of Battlestar Galactica, I must say that I am totally hooked on that show. I don't watch a lot of tv. I don't mean that in that "I'm better than people who do watch TV" kind of way. We all have our hobbies that relax us and I do not think that mine are any better than anyone else's. It's just that there isn't much for me to watch on tv. Not much that is appealing at all. I watch baseball but I can do things with my hands or clean house while watching baseball. Regardless, I am a little peeved that the powers that be behind Battlestar Galactica have decided to split up the final season. Therefore, I must wait until February of 2009 to find out the fate that awaits these characters. Boo.

Ok, enough random ramblings. Happy Friday!

new shoes!

I just ordered a bunch of new stuff this past week. I always feel guilty when I buy new clothing for myself. I am not sure when I started to think of new clothes as a luxury and not a necessity. I do need clothing to wear to work, church and the grocery store. I managed to get everything on sale, which is awesome, right? Of all the items I ordered, I am most excited about these new shoes from Kenneth Cole Reaction. They are bronze and are mildly reminiscent of a band-aid with the little perforations and all. According to my husband, I have almost always lacked a good summer wardrobe since we have gotten married. He said he could only remember one summer in 8 years of marriage that I had good things to wear in the summer. It is really my own fault since my weight changes so much so often and I never keep clothing once my size changes. Oh well, I guess a good summer wardrobe is in the mail to me from J.Jill and such places.

On a completely unrelated note, I am considering seeing an acupuncturist. I have such a needle phobia, so I can't imagine actually doing it but I am considering it. I am not by any means into alternative medicine in that I not against traditional medicine at all. Actually, acupuncture has been around for a very long time, I am not sure why it is considered to be "new age." Regardless, I have heard from people that it can help with pain and I am willing to try it.

so good

Culinary Camp is coming up next month. I am very excited about doing this again this year since last year was so much fun. I plan to teach the girls who are returning from last year how to make "take out at home." Like common foods that come from take out places - burgers, pizza and Chinese-American favorites. So, that means we have been eating a lot of burgers, pizza, and Chinese-American favorites at my house. I made sweet and sour pork one night and then last night we had cashew chicken, which is one of my favorites. The husband loves it too. So, it's win-win-win!

cashew chicken, makes 4 servings

4 chicken thighs, deboned and skin discarded, cut into 1 inch cubes or you can buy boneless, skinless chicken thighs but those weren't on sale. Since I know how to debone most anything, I choose to save the cash. I use the bones to make stock. It's win-win-win again!
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
2 stalks of celery, washed and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons of hoisin sauce
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 cup of lightly salted cashew halves - toasted - I do this in a small saute' pan over medium heat. Be careful, the oil in the cashews will burn quickly. Keep stirring the cashews. This should take about 3 minutes.

Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin and garlic together. Add the chicken and let marinade for about 30 minutes. Heat the oil over high heat and add the chicken, reserving the marinade. Saute' the chicken about 5 minutes or until nicely colored on the outside. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add all the vegetables to the pan and saute' about 5 minutes or until the carrots are crisp tender. Add the sauce back in to the pan and reduce until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken back in, discarding any accumulated juices and toss to combine in sauce. Add about half of the cashews and green onions and toss to combine again. I like to serve this with white rice topped with the reserved cashews and green onion slices. It' very pretty, too!

We had egg rolls and wonton soup with this last night from a local Chinese restaurant, so it was partially take out made at home. I called ahead for the soup and egg rolls but when I arrived at the restaurant, they seemed very confused. While I was waiting, I noticed the phone number for the place on the menu and realized, I had called a different Chinese restaurant! I guess I didn't know that Chestertown was big enough for two Chinese places.