Contentment

Old recipes and old recipe boxes fill me with happiness and contentment. The red plaid one was my mothers. And I am lucky to have it. I remember it sitting on the drainboard in our kitchen when I was a little girl. Every afternoon my mom would start going through it wondering what to make for supper.I treasure her handwriting on those recipes. My mom passed away 3 years ago this August from cancer. But having those old recipes is like having a piece of her here with me still. The meatball recipe was from my Aunt in Santa Cruz. I love to serve those with boiled white rice and gravy. We are still in bbq mode around here, but I am sensing a shift. I am growing tired of bbqed burgers and chicken right about now. I want those meatballs and some gravy and corn that is no longer on a cob, but in a can. I know. Canned corn? But it reminds me of my childhood. And how can that be a bad thing?

So, once again, tonight we will sit outside and bbq those burgers and eat that corn off the cob. And I better enjoy every second of it, because, before long, I will look out to that garden and watch the rain pour down and remember those late August bbqed suppers. And I will smile.

Aftermath

Just A Taste

I couldn't help myself..it was cool here this morning..and I was pretty sure the Halloween Police weren't stopping by today..so what the heck...I did it. And I LOVE it. It just makes me HAPPY...Oh, it is my kitchen window..and the recipe is for taco casserole..anybody gettin' a fall off of that?

Pizza Night

Well, we were tired after the birthday party, but we did manage to make a pizza.John likes sausage and I like plain cheese..so we split it. I always wonder how much of that sausage grease runs onto my side, but I never say anything. But it was good. And it makes us happy to make it.

Two More Of My Beloved

I'm spending the weekend with Jamie....I Know....Lucky me ! (the book version..I can only wish of the real life version)

Any Excuse

As you will soon see...we use any excuse we can around here to make pizza. I have been making pizza dough for 30+ years..I started making it in high school. And I have never stopped. I sometimes wonder to myself..is this the one millionth time and I don't even know it. ( I think about that when I buy cat food too..is it the 10 millionth can and I don't even know it) ! Pizza is my favorite food, my "last meal" "the ship is sinking", "stranded on a desert island and can only have one food" food. So tonight, in honor of the last quarter of the August moon..we will be having pizza. Last night at the party my sister-in-law brought a basil plant for my brother, and as they are gone camping for a while, I am "babysitting". Which means..lucky for me...fresh basil on the pizza..with some of the leftover fresh mozzarella(bought too much..Oh, darn) and some fontina I got at a fancy cheese shop that I have been sandbagging until the moment was right. And tonight...the moment is right.

Birthday Night

Well, we had the 4oth birthday party...and we had a lot of fun.

We sat outside under the arbor..it was 90 degrees here yesterday..but by 5:30 it was just perfect. We drank cold beer and had almonds, olives, gouda and crackers.

The days are getting shorter, so as it started to get dark we moved indoors and started with a mozzarella and tomato salad..the tomtoes were from our garden and they are so good. After the salad I had John start the bbq and for dinner we had bbqed wild Alaskan salmon. I served the fish on top of mashed potatoes that were finished off with olive oil then topped the fish with an herb sauce that I got out of Alfred Portale. And for dessert, birthday cake . Devil's food with a seven minute frosting. It was a fun family evening...just wish we did it more often.