Goodbye Summer

The last of my summer tomatoes. Only canned from now on. It's just not the same. I mourn my frost-killed garden. Store bought winter tomatoes and other vegetables taste so different that I'd almost rather avoid them completely, but that's not a very balanced diet. Oh, to suffer for the next 8 months.
But enough of that pathos, let me tell you about this awesome lunch I whipped up!
I sauteed onions and garlic in olive oil, added chopped plum tomatoes (*sniff*) and dried oregano and cooked that down over medium heat until the tomatoes had mostly broken down, then I added a bit of dry sherry, simmered that down and then added sundried tomatoes and let those flavors combine over a low simmer. Meanwhile I cooked up the fresh spaghetti I had made from the leftover ravioli dough from last night. Once that was done, I pulled the noodles from the pot and added a bit of the pasta water to the tomato pan to make a sauce. (Only about a quarter cup) The resulting dish was yummy. Fresh noodles blow packaged noodles out of the water and the sauce was sweet and flavorful. Add a little fresh grated parmesan cheese on top and viola!

In other news, we're packing for our trip. It's a chaos day today because we're also going to the Prairie Home Delights event with Michael's mother tonight.
We'll be leaving tomorrow morning to drive 17 hours to PA. We'll be hanging around the area until we leave early on October 7th. So on that note, I gotta go!

Dinner was a little late tonight

Mainly dinner was late because I had no concept of how incredibly difficult it is to make 2 colored pasta. Ugh! This took hours of prep. I made the dough from scratch, divided it in half, added turmeric (poor man's saffron) to half, divided the dough again, and started rolling and cutting. Rolling and cutting. ...Rolling and cutting. Meanwhile I was also working on the filling and the butternut squash bisque.
The raviolis turned out very tasty but the sauce was a huge disappointment. I have on idea what got into my head when I decided to make a garlic cream sauce. That was just soooo wrong. I'll also try some different cutting techniques next time. Maybe I'll do triangles or diamond shapes.
I used the scrap pasta to make angel hair noodles. I have three different shades now: orange, pale yellow and whitish.
So, in a nutshell (what I call my head) I think I'd make this again but use a different sauce and I'd make a simpler side dish, something I throw in a pot and forget about, like steamed broccoli.

Chilly, cloudy, ...that's about right

It never fails. Every time I make a big peanut butter sandwich, that darned Alexander Hamilton commercial runs through my head.
I took Patch to the vet today to get his vaccinations up to date. He started by jumping up on the receptionists counter to see her eye-to-eye. He didn't sit still for a second and he practically pulled me out of my chair a few times. The vet was really nice though and he said we have a happy healthy dog. I like this vet a lot better than Patch's old vet who labeled him as having, "Behavior problems." He's just rambunctious and that's his nature. Right now his paws are driving him mad because they itch so bad due to his allergies. The only thing that keeps him from licking them until they bleed is the e-collar.This picture is old but it's so cute because he's holding a blue tennis ball that matches the collar. Awww...

A Sunday for relaxing

Last night was the birthday dinner for Michael's mother. We had the immediate family over so there were 11 of us for dinner. We had a brined turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, seasoned carrots, rolls and my SIL brought over a chocolate bundt cake. Everything was really delicious. (We served turkey because we never host Thanksgiving here, so we never have an opportunity to cook turkey. We always host Christmas because a few years ago Michael set the traditon for serving prime rib at Christmas and the family now always votes to have Christmas dinner here. ) We followed a recipe in Fine Cooking for a brined turkey with herbed butter stuffed under the skin. The only downside was the gravy turned out very very salty. All the preparations were exhausting not only because it was time consuming, but neither one of us had much sleep. Mike had to respond to a traffic incident Friday night at 11pm, so I made cookies while he was gone. I'm glad I did because we had something to snack on while he tried to unwind from a very difficult call. We went to bed at 2am and 2 hours later Patch was whining that he needed to go out. He never usually does this, so I got up, donned my sneakers and bathrobe and took him out. Then at 6am, Michael had another medical call to go to. He was very nice to me and took the dogs out to the dog park as soon as he got back so I could get more sleep. When they got back we got to work cooking and baking and cleaning.
Today we slept in.
Michael mowed the lawn while I brushed Spinner. We're still cleaning and straightening up. I think we'll take it easy today because next Sunday will be a blur because we'll be in PA. I'm blogging while the dishwasher is running and I just heard Michael yell at the TV downstairs. He's watching the Vikings game. The dogs are all crashed out and relaxed.

Happier'n a tornado in a trailor park!!

I got my computer back!! It feels so good to be maneuvering through familiar icons and programs.
The keyboard even feels perfect. Ahhhh.
I downloaded Firefox and Trillian in the hopes of avoiding another pop-up virus fiasco. I gotta say, I'm liking Firefox. It really is easier than IE.

New news: We're planning another trip east. We're arriving on September 29 and staying for about a week. We're bringing all 4 dogs, so be warned. This is a freebie vacation from Mike's employers for a job well done on completing a very difficult project. I call it the, "get out of here before you go postal" vacation. I can't wait!!

Lazy hazy dazy

Very overcast today. Reminds me of being back east. That's what I told the guy at the garage sale I stopped at this morning. We chatted for a bit. He was quite familiar with the east coast as he is a truck driver and often goes into Philly and Harrisburg. We discussed the similarities and differences between this area and PA. He summed it up as being basically the same, only we have lakes and they have mountains. I agreed, and added that although these winters here are colder, there are no icy roads to worry about sliding around on with steep grades like there are out east. Everything here is flat and winter driving is considerably safer. (You do have to take the occasional speeding idiot into account, but that happens no matter where you go.) I mentioned that my Mom worked at a station along interstate 86 (used to be 17) along the NY-PA border. He asked, "Near Erie?" I replied, "No, between Elmira and Binghamton." He responded, "Oh, there's nothing out there." I exclaimed, "You know the area!" I got such a kick out of that and it was nice to chat with someone about my old neck of the woods. There's an amazing amount of people out here who have not been anywhere near the east coast.
Mirada accompanied me as I ran some errands this morning. I stopped at the Caribou Coffee drive thru for a latte and she got a dog biscuit from the window attendant. We went to the library to return some books, pay a late fine, and get some new books. I hated to return the Bread bible. I may have to buy that one. We stopped at the garage sale and I picked up a 12qt stock pot and the entire Little House on the Prarie book collection. We came home and I took Spinner out for a jog around the park. Right now he's lying on the rug in the parlor with Blayze bathing his ears. Patch is still licking his paws raw. His season allergies are in full swing. We've been either having him wear the e-collar or booties to keep him from licking his paws till they bleed like he did last year.
Last night I made a pecan crusted chicken breast over salad with honey mustard dressing. Very nummy. I cheated and used a mixed baby greens bagged salad and a bottled dressing. I didn't feel like throwing a huge effort into dinner last night. I got the recipe from a free trial magazine subscription I got in the mail. It's called "Cuisine" and it's not too shabby, although I already know most of the stuff it's trying to teach.
Michael and I went to the Y and he swam laps while I worked on cardio equipment. They have some absolutely wild equipment at the Y. There's TV's on the treadmills and eliptical machines and there's 4 stationary bikes with virtual bike competition software. You can compete against the person riding next to you if you want. I rode a plain stationary bike and watched Last Comic Standing with subtitles while listening to my MP3 player. I don't recommend watching standup comedy that way, so much is lost on humor without timing.

Snoozing Cutie

Blayze is a shoe-in for most adorable pet on the planet. Right now she's curled up in Patch's kennel. Patch has a new pet bed we bought at Sam's Club and it's made of memory foam. We thought it was an extremely good price for a normally luxury product but the size was too big for Miranda's kennel. Now both Spinner and Blayze, both being accustomed to a higher degree of pampering, have taken to stealing Patch's kennel while he is away. I thought their beds were good quality, they're both overstuffed with some cedar added for freshness. Maybe it's because Patch's kennel is in the dining room and their kennels are in the spare bedroom. Everybody hangs out in the dining room or parlor and Patch is usually staked out by the window waiting to tell off anyone who gets too close to his turf. I'm sure they tell him they're just keeping it warm for him.
Food stuffs: The other night I grilled up one of those preseasoned Hormel pork tenderloins. While that was grilling I put a cast iron skillet on the side burner and threw in a big pat of butter and a julienned onion and sliced peeled apple. As they were cooking down I thought it could use something else, and since I was already outside, I snuck over to my potted herb garden and swiped some sage leaves that I tore up and added to the apples and onions. Once the onions were soft and almost translucent and the apples were nice and soft, I poured in 1/4 cup of dry sherry and let that reduce. Another case where the side dish was better than the main course.

Hope you have a minute...

This could take a while.
I've been offline since Thursday or Friday with a nasty virus on my laptop. Right now I've hijacked my brother-in-law's back-up laptop. It's one of his several computers and I have to type on a USB keyboard because the laptop keyboard doesn't work. I've been using it occasionally to log in and check for messages, but using an on screen keyboard application with a touchpad is only a task for the criminally insane. Luckily Mike dug up this USB keyboard and now I am type-happy!
...Hang on, I have to upload photos to this computer and I only have one USB port.

There we go. I caught this little guy mid-flight as he was eating. I almost kicked him as I was coming around the corner as he was hovering at shin level. Thankfully I had my camera on me. (Please don't mind the wad of Spinner hair on the right side of the photo. It's impossible to pick it all up when you brush him on a windy day, and I don't have access to the photo editing software on my laptop to crop it out.)

I'll start filling you in on what's been going on since my computer went down on Thursday. Friday night was Michael's father's 70th birthday party. We started smoking a brisket on Thursday for the 2 day process. It's a long smoke cycle over low heat. We kept a pan filled with wet hickory chunks and checked it every hour. At night you remove the meat to chill and then start over again in the morning. I like to think the dogs' thought processes during the photo are from left to right: "Mmmm, meat", "Mmmm, meat", "Mmmm, meat", and "Hey, a camera". Spinner is not nearly as food motivated as the other three.
Thursday I made this batch of bread. It's a wheat hearth bread. It was very good, if not a smidge bit dense. I just love the slash pattern and the flour sprinkled on top. It looks much more inviting than an egg wash.

I also made 2 apple pies and thawed out the extra apple pie left over from the family reunion for a total of three apple pies for the party.

Friday morning started out normal. I got up, let the dogs out of the bedroom, went to the bathroom and when I came out, this is what I found:

All three pies had been broken into and partially consumed. Miranda was cowering in her kennel and the other dogs had scattered. All four dogs spent the rest of the morning in their kennels. I only let them out one by one for a potty break. I had to run to Target for more apples and lard. Notice how one pie was dragged off the cooling rack to one side of the table and the entire center was consumed? That was either Patch or a pair who work in unison. There are three distinct points of pie consumption, so all dogs were accused. I got the three new pies made and the brisket cooked and off we went.

Saturday we went to the Marine on St. Croix Artsfest. There were over a hundred vendors and exhibitors. The one that impressed me the most was http://www.tjkwoodwright.com/ . After the artsfest we stopped at a garage sale and picked up a cut glass vase for 3 bucks and souffle dish. I also grabbed a pair of dollar hardcover books. One was "A Cook's Tour" by Anthony Bourdain. The book itself isn't so important but when we stopped at the barber shop for Mike to get a haircut and I grabbed a chair to start reading my book I had to giddily inform Mike and the barber that my new book was a signed copy! Score! It makes me wish I had checked some of the other books there.

Sunday we went to see the Minnesota Orchestra perform at the bandshell on Lake Harriet. (Sean, this was the weekend you should have been there) It was such a beautiful day with clear skies and a light breeze pushing the sailboats along in the water behind the bandshell. It was a free concert and the attendance was abundant. The people watching was so much fun and lots of folks brought their dogs. We were not so brave. We brought a picnic lunch of apples and cheese and a small loaf of multigrain artisan bread from the Target Bakery. (I didn't have time to whip up a loaf of my own) The folks on the lawn in front of us brought hummus. Good idea, maybe next picnic in the park...

Monday I went to visit my Mother-in-law so we could tour a few neighborhood gardens. We stopped at a neighbor's about a block away and had a cup of coffee with probably the most strikingly gorgeous woman over 65 I had ever seen. Her hair and her house both looked perfect. She was a spry widow who poured herself into home decorating and gardening. I hope to have half her energy when I'm her age. Then the three of us walked over to another widow's garden. She was more artsy and spunky, with her short reddish spiky hair and gardens filled with exotic plants, statues and a full suit of armor. Conversation amongst this group was lively and entertaining and I didn't have to contribute much to take a lot away from the experience. I hope they see me as a shy newbie to this group of funky strong women.

Where to, Mr. Wooly Bear?

Daily tour of the gardens yielded this herald of colder times to come. I forget how to read these guys. Is it: the front black means the length of the approaching winter or is that the rear black section? I had picked the little gourd and Miranda and I were walking back to the front yard to add it to our fall decorations, when I spied this little "too cute to be an insect" caterpillar. I remember seeing these all over the farm as a kid. These too. (Creepier cousin if you ask me)



On to more appetizing subjects now, last night I made Chicken Kiev with Steamed Asparagus and hollandaise. It was ever so yummy, but very heavy. I used the leftover chicken for quesadillas for lunch today. I had never made quesadillas before and I found a great method for cooking them quickly. Take a pair of cast iron skillets, one slightly larger than the other, and heat both of them. Cut back the heat on the larger skillet and melt a pat of butter and place a soft tortilla flat in the larger, sprinkle liberally with cut up chicken, diced jalapeno and tons of cheese. Top with another tortilla and place a layer of aluminum foil over top. Now place that smaller cast iron skillet over the foil to press down and cook from the top as well. This melts the cheese quickly and crisps both tortillas. The result is quick and delicious.

Patch has a boo-boo

We told him that if he didn't quit licking it, it would get infected and sure enough, he just couldn't leave it alone. He was very patient with me as I cleaned it up and shaved the area around it and put on a band-aid with Porter's Salve. We're not sure if he got the scratch during a tussle with another dog or if he jumped on something sharp at the dog park. He's got such sensitive skin anyways so a small nick looks like a gouge.

Mmmmmm.... Focaccia

We felt inspired to try a new bread for dinner. At lunch Michael was flipping through the Bread Bible I currently have on loan from the library and he was intrigued by the focaccia recipe. This bread dough contains more water than flour, which seems ridiculous, so we had to see how it worked. I started the dough just after he went to work and had a finished product just in time for dinner at 7pm. I marinated flattened chicken breasts in white wine vinegar with fresh rosemary and thyme with a smidgen of olive oil. I made the focaccia with fresh rosemary and olive oil. The sandwiches were hearty and delicious. I sprinkled some shredded mozzarella and romano cheese on the grilled chicken and topped with lettuce and garden fresh tomatoes. Everything was so juicy and tasty it didn't require any dressing. Our opinion was, "We'll definitely make this again."

Also, I was trying some different things with the photo upload tool on my last blog entry, and the results look very different from the preview pane I was working in. Give me time and I might change the entry in the near future.

First visitor to MN!

This weekend my friend Sean from Corning NY ventured out to MN to visit us and do some sightseeing. I was so glad he came, not only because it was good to see an old friend, but because it forced Michael and I out to explore what the twin cities has to offer. We started with a trip to St. Paul on Friday.We visited the Schubert Club in the Landmark Center. Here's the write-up I found of the landmark Center: Opened in 1902 as a federal court building, this lavish Victorian architectural masterpiece sits facing St. Paul's Rice Park. Constructed of pink granite and red tile roofs, it boasts multiple turrets and gables along with other fanciful details. The richness continues inside with a five-story courtyard lit by a massive skylight and extravagantly appointed rooms with 20-foot ceilings, marble fireplaces and carved mahogany. Besides office space for numerous arts organizations, the Landmark Center is home to the prestigious Minnesota Museum of American Art, the Ramsey County Historical Society and the Schubert Club. We toured the Museum of Musical instruments. I received a lesson in the history of the evolution of the piano. The person attending to the exhibit gave us a personal concert on a double harpsichord. From St. Paul we traveled to White Bear Lake. Sean is an avid sailor and this was an opportunity to see where his boat was built (White Bear Boat Works, formerly Johnson Boat Company). He chatted with the owner and even picked up a few supplies. (How could one resist?)

We had dinner in White Bear Lake at the Washington Square Bar and Grill, an old favorite of Michael's.

Saturday was spent in downtown Minneapolis. We started out at the Foshay Tower, which is the Minneapolis equivalent of the Empire State Building, but it was closed due to construction. We toured Nicollet Ave, crossed through a construction zone to get to the park which leads to the Sculpture garden and the Basilica, both of which we toured.

From there, we went back to Nicollet Ave to have a beer and a quick bite at The Local. I grabbed a coffee next door and then we went to Lake Calhoun to visit the Rose Garden and the Marina.

Saturday turned out to be a long day so Sunday got off to a slow start. We went to the dog park by Otter Lake with all four dogs. It was a beautiful day and the dogs had such fun running around all ten acres of the park and playing with the other dogs there. We brought the dogs back home, got cleaned up and drove into downtown St. Paul to tour the capitol building.

While there I just couldn't resist - each former Minnesota Governor had a portrait hanging in the building. So, having grown up a child in the 80's, I had to find the portrait of Jesse "The Body" Ventura. It did not disappoint. All the other portraits of Governors were stately and reserved. Not Mr. Hollywood. The horizon is below his shoulder, he's leaning on Rodin's "the Thinker" and the Capitol is behind him in the background. One could not possibly get more pretentious if they tried!

Second Bread

Pretty.
Same recipe but this time i gave it an egg wash and did a different slash pattern.

First bread

Look what we just made! Isn't it gorgeous? I know it's not quite like what you see in the bakery, but it's not far off. The kitchen smells so good right now because not only do we have the aroma of fresh baked bread, I'm also making another batch of tomato sauce to can for the winter. The tomatoes and fresh herbs from my gardens smell so good, it's going to be tough to not steal a pint for spaghetti tonight!

Pooch profiles

Patch- Adopted March 4th, 2006 from Second Chance Animal Rescue at age 18 months. A constant stream of energy. Possible ancestry is either Dalmatian, or Lab-Dalmatian, or Lab-English Setter. He is the devil in disguise. He came from a home with four kids who did not discipline him or give him the attention or exercise he required. He came to us with many bad habits. Liked to jump on people, counters and furniture. Liked to shred everything. Did not listen to commands. Source of much frustration. The only of our dogs to go to obedience classes. Now obeys simple commands when not distracted. Cannot be outside untethered. Likes rope toys. Very loyal. Capable of performing complex commands for entertainment. Hair sticks to everything. No undercoat. Anal gland problems and seasonal allergies. Likes to cuddle. Loves to rough-house and wrestle. Constant source of antics. Sticks head out of window on car rides and sneezes on you continually. Very housebroken. Meticulously clean. Low odor. Ears feel like velvet. Hates water. Cannot swim. Eats anything and everything. Proud of his own farts. Very independent. Loves everyone. Will win over your heart with his panache.



Miranda- Adopted October 2006 from Second Chance Animal Rescue, age unknown. Insecure guard dog. Possible ancestry Lab-Shepard or other. Previous name was Socks. She came from a home where her previous owner was sent to prison. Renamed as Miranda as a nod to her past. Had extensive medical work performed before she was able to be adopted out. She was spayed, had several front teeth and right side canine tooth extracted. She had scarring on her muzzle. Unknown origin of injuries. Terrified of nighttime. Curls up in a ball and growls at everything after dark. Loves hiking and camping. Loves vacations and car rides. Bad habit of rolling in offensive smells. Favorite toy is a squeaky ball. Will often wile away the hours squeaking on a ball. Able to be out in the yard without a leash. Loves to taunt the neighbor Beagles. Obeys voice commands unless she feels threatened. Very loyal. Sits up to beg for attention and treats. Sleeps at your feet when on the computer. Seasonal shedding. Wiry top coat. Often seen sporting brightly painted toe nails. Goes into defensive barking every single time she sees James. Tried every method to acclimate her to James, and she will take treats from him and follow him around after mandatory 5 to 10 minutes of spastic barking. Established alpha status over Patch within 2 days. Accepts almost all treats. Nicknamed "Junkyard Dog" or "Psycho B****". Very protective and defensive. Great with kids.



Spinner and Blayze- Members of household from July 29, 2007 to June 19th 2008. We were boarding them for my brother's family while they were getting settled in Japan.

Spinner- Adopted from Border Collie rescue organization in Arkansas in 2002(?) Purebred Border Collie. History unknown. Some physical trauma from previous life found in the form of another dog's tooth in his leg. Sensitive to change. Uses passive resistance techniques such as not eating to convey disapproval. (think Gandhi) Massive undercoat requires weekly raking. Flouncy bouncy topcoat. Calm demeanor. Loves belly rubs. Nicknamed "The Old Man". Will only accept treats when handed to him calmly and cut into bite size pieces. Very patient with other dogs and people, but has his limits. Likes to roll on his back on the carpet. Follows you from room to room. High endurance levels at the dog park. Very calm on car rides. Able to be out in the yard without a leash. Sweet disposition. Suffers from halitosis. Demands little of your time and attention. Likes toilet water. Loves ice cream.
Blayze-Adopted from Border Collie rescue organization in Arkansas in 2003(?) Purebred Border Collie with papers. Original home was a puppy mill where she was bred at an early age which stunted her growth. Neighbors reported her squalid living conditions to animal control and she was turned over to the rescue group. She was emaciated and almost totally shaved to remove the hundreds of ticks covering her body. She has since then thrived and can melt hearts with her charm and good looks. Silky, curly topcoat. Minimal undercoat. Needy. Licks frantically for attention. Loves belly rubs. Habit of flopping down on the floor with a thud to lay down. Will accept treats when handed to her calmly and cut into bite size pieces. Gets along with all other dogs. Likes to groom Spinner. Able to be out in the yard without a leash. Sweet disposition. Terrified of thunderstorms and loud noises. Likes car rides. Loves attention. Spins in circles when she needs to go out. Terrified by change but adapts quickly. Very independent and adventuresome at the dog park. Absolutely, undeniably adorable.

Dog park, rotten pumpkin, beer can chicken and root beer floats

This picture reminds me of a herd of holsteins on a cow path. We took the dogs to the dog park today because the weather was gorgeous and we wanted them to have a chance to run around and burn off some energy. We weren't there 30 seconds and Spinner ran off into the brush and returned with a crown of burdocks right on the top of his head. Patch peed on a french bulldog. They all burned out of energy before the first lap of the park was finished and where they usually romp through the tall grass for 20 minutes, they were resting in the shade after 5.
We call this picture, "Lazy Blayzey".
When we got home from the dog park we gave each dog a small scoop of vanilla ice cream with a dollop of peanut butter on top as their reward treat. After chasing his ice cream around his bowl for a while Spinner finally swallowed his ice cream in one gulp. We thought for sure he'd have a brain freeze.

We had a pumpkin ripen early in our hillside pumpkin patch by the compost pile. We cut it open today to cook and puree it only to find that a grub had already been calling it dinner and the insides were rotten. We got our revenge by finding the grub and exterminating it in a very heinous and medieval way. It was such a pretty pumpkin too....
Dinner was beer can chicken with braised kohlrabi. I put a few sprigs of Rosemary and some crushed red pepper in the beer and I put a rub on the skin of the chicken. It turned out very flavorful and juicy. We put a few scraps of meat and skin in with the dog's dinner. I've never seen Spinner clean his bowl so quickly.
Mike just got back from the store with root beer and we're enjoying floats as our dessert. He's waiting for me to finish this blog so we can go downstairs to watch Iron Chef America on the Food Network. We TiVo that program. It's so much fun and we're big Alton Brown and Bobby Flay fans.
So I'll leave you with a few pictures from the dog park for a chuckle:




And you really should click on this one for a full size view of how hilarious Patch looks at a full gallop:

First day of September

I took this photo about a week ago, so amazingly, the cannas are even taller today. The tall ones in the back are finally putting up orange blossoms. I took a few beans off the castor bean plant. I've been collecting seeds as much as possible this year. The hope is to not purchase quite so many annuals next year. We'll see if I actually put in the effort to follow through on these plans.

Today we're making ribs to take over to Michael's friends, H&D. He's over there currently helping cut up a tree while I've been making coleslaw and cornbread to go with the ribs which are currently slow cooking on the grill.