Old Fashion Easter Egg Hunt

I went with my family today to breakfast across the street at The Del Monte Cafe. After the breakfast we all loaded up and headed over to Meadow Park here in San Luis Obispo for an old fashion Easter Egg Hunt. They had popcorn and cupcakes and bbq hot dogs and face painting and balloons...and an Easter Egg Hunt..along with getting your picture taken with the Easter Bunny. The Easter Bunny scared me to death as a kid...but nobody was crying here today. Seemed like they all loved it.

John and I are having a quiet Easter here at home alone this year. After the past few weeks, I just wasn't in the mood for a big deal kind of Easter. I told John this morning that I have planned an old fashion dinner. Nothing "Martha" here this year. Not one thing. I have a Farmer John ham...it even has a little package on the side that has a brown sugar sauce to put on it. And I am doing it. Making scalloped potatoes and some asparagus. I got rolls..Oh yes I did..the kind that comes in the round blue tube. You know the ones. The Pillsbury cresent rolls. I am opening a can of mandarin oranges and dessert is strawberry shortcake. I'll make the shortcakes with Bisquick. I love Bisquick. Especially when I am in one of those "comfort me" kinda moods like I am this year. Actually, I am pretending I am in a Farmhouse in Vermont. Wood floors, bouquets of sweet peas from the garden, a small fire smoldering in the woodstove,cats sleeping curled up in wing back chairs,the smell of ham coming from the Wedgewood stove, strawberries sliced and sprinkled with sugar,shortcakes cooling on the windowsill,mandarin oranges in pretty sprigware cups....the only thing missing is.....Teddy !

Happy Easter, my friends

Stuffed Shells For Supper

I put away the pet loss books this morning and went to the grocery store. We have been living on junk food and I was getting tired of it. Needless to say John must have been too, although he never said a word. It is cold here on the Central Coast of California for April, so I decided to make some stuffed shells for supper tonight. Super simple. I just made a light marinara sauce adding in some turkey sausage and herbs. I cooked some pasta shells and filled them with s stuffing of ricotta, eggs, grated parmesan, parsley from my garden, a little nutmeg, and some salt and pepper. That was it. I stuffed the shells, covered them with sauce and popped them in the fridge. Come suppertime I will top them off with some grated mozarella and pop them in the oven to bake for about an hour. Serve with a salad and some toasted bread. A nice change for tonight. To be sure.

Getting Ready For Teddy

Today is one month since I lost Buddy. And I don't even remember March. One whole month. Gone in a haze. But I am trying to move forward and in doing so have started to get ready for little Teddy. Right before Buddy died I had started taking knitting classes. And I loved it. I was working on a pair of fingerless gloves. But needless to say, after he died, I lost interest in everything. Even eating. So the other day I walked into town and picked up this organic cotton yarn. I turned on You Tube and took a knitting lesson right here on the couch. I wanted to learn the seed stitch. And all it is is knit and purl. So I am knitting Teddy a little blanket to put in his basket for the ride home. So as I pass the time waiting to bring home the new baby lamb of love, I will knit. And dream of happier days to come.

Teddy

First of all I have to say I have been overwhelmed by your kindness, support and sympathy over the GREATEST LOSS OF MY LIFE....MY BUDDY.

This has shaken me right to my very core. It has turned my world upsidedown . At times I really wondered if I could carry on. Would I be better off with Buddy? Maybe. I didn't know a human could be that sad. And lonely. I didn't know a human could cry that much. You can. Right after Buddy died, someone told me you won't be able to breathe for a month. They were right. I couldn't. But I will tell you this. Having all you wonderful, wonderful friends in this place we call a BLOG has saved me. I don't know what I would have done without you. This is a great community of the greatest people I have ever been lucky enough to meet.

There will be a new little red toy poodle coming into my life around the 20th of April. And I can hardly wait for him. I know I just can not live my life without a dog. No way.John and I will be driving down to Southern California to pick him up. And we are naming him Teddy.After a very, very special friend. Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement during the darkest days of my life. I love you all and can't wait to share Teddy with you. Kary.

Eight Days Of Sad

The Greatest Loss Of My Life

In Loving Memory of Buddy..... the light of my life. Gone but never forgotten and always loved

November 2, 1995

March 3, 2010

The Auberge of the Flowering Hearth

One of my favorite cookbooks is "The Auberge of the Flowering Hearth" by Roy Andries de Groot. I heard it was one of Alice Waters favorites...so I had to check it out. On the front cover it reads " This cookbook is a whole way of life. What care, love and work have gone into it. I find it fascinating. I think people would just love it, as it is not like anything else around." - Julia Child

Inside in Chapter 3 it reads" On the floor of the valley,in the ring of the arena, rich green pastures surrounded the now-quiet river, with miniature herds of cattle and sheep. And, in the very center of the ring, with wisps of bluish wood smoke rising from its cottage chimneys, was the tiny village of Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse.From the wooden gate, the flagstone path led through the roadside front garden, with lilac and rose bushes, geraniuims and hydrangea. We were met at the front door by two ladies who own and run the auberge. There was a small hand lettered sign above the door: Auberge De L'Atre Fleuri."

In the book there is a chapter called "The Glory of the Potato."

Tonight for supper I am going to cook a piece of ham and I am serving these potatoes.

Casserole Of Potatoes In Cream
(Gratin Dauphinois)

New potatoes, boiled with the skins left on and sliced about 1/2 inch thick
Sweet Butter
Cream
Sea Salt
Black cracked pepper
Gruyere Cheese

Layer the potatoes in a buttered casserole dish
Add a splash of cream, a dollop of butter,some salt and pepper and the Gruyere cheese
Make one more layer and top it off with grated Gruyere
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes or till hot and bubbly

I am serving these with the sauteed ham, pocketbook rolls and mandarin oranges