Huh?

Looks like somebody beat me. Halloween. Already.

Morro Bay

We had pretty much had it with the heat wave around here so we headed out to Morro Bay. I'm gonna let ya in on a little secret. I don't really like Morro Bay. And I don't even have a good reason why. I should like it. It has all the things I do like. Small, quaint, it really is charming, fishing boats, family run fish and chips dives, otters in the bay, seals, seagulls, now that I think about it, I guess I do like Morro Bay. Since moving from Cambria 2 years ago, which is about 20 minutes north on Highway One, I have not been to Morro Bay. Maybe that's what it is. I was on M.B. overload. Did all my grocery shopping there for nearly 30 years. Ya know, it was good to go back. We loaded up the car with some bottles of water and Buddy. John has been having the worst craving for some decent Hass avocados. The ones from Scolaris have been bad. We knew of a little roadside stand out on Highway 41 that was "the spot" for really good avocados. The ride was nice and we did see leaves starting to turn color along the creek. We got a sack of avocados and headed back into the village. John LOVES clam chowder. I have to be in the "mood" for it. And most of the time, I am NOT in the "mood" for it. So we went to Giovannis and he got the soup and we headed to "The Rock" as it is called to eat and watch the waves. It was cool and windy, but we had a good time.It felt good to get out of the heat, but this morning we woke to cold and foggy. So it looks like the heat wave is over. I am headed to The Avila Barn this morning to get raspberries to make a pie. We are invited to some friends for a Labor Day bbq and I am dessert. I'll let ya know how the pie making goes.

Heat Wave, Hurricane and .....Ativan

We're still here, but it has been rough sailing. First off, we were hit with a heat wave. Yeah, I know, it gets hot end of August, but this dear ones, goes BEYOND hot. I am talking in the 115 degree+ range.It's the garden is all fried up and gone kinda hot. Plants crackle in the sun hot. Dirt steams hot. Birds are panting hot. (I have NEVER seen a bird pant like a dog). Poor thing, raced to give it a plate of water. He just looked at me, cocked his head, and made a break for the open skies.

And to top the whole lovely mess off, I have dental trouble and being the big baby I am insisted on being medicated for a dental procedure. So they put me on Ativan. And needless to say, I pretty much don't remember the last 3 days. I'm wondering if I should have gone Ativan-less. I might have been better off. Feeling like you're under water in a 110 degree heat wave is way too weird for me. Somebody please help me.

But, was feeling more like myself today, and between you and me I don't think I could take another Stouffer frozen dinner. And I'm bored here alone. I knew the fall magazines would be out so I headed for Borders. I got the September "Bon Appetit". The one with the flattened out chicken on the cover. About a hundred years ago my girlfriend, Molly and I spent an entire afternoon doing this to game hens. It was in the new Martha Stewart Entertaining Book. While most kids in high school were"hanging out at the mall" we boned game hens. So I did it to the chicken. It's little chubby legs look kinda sad, but...what are ya gonna do? So she is marinating in the fridge in lemon and olive oil..Is it too hot to go out and get the herbs? Or I am just lazy? Or do I still have Ativan residue?

The End

Well, the garden is pretty much over here for the most part. Squash is all dried up, to tell you the truth, the squash was the worst season I have ever had. Really had nothing to speak of. Not ONE squash. The pumpkins died weeks ago. Have a few tomatoes left, not many. Had some early on, but it is really dwindling down. We did have a ton of peppers, I think we had every variety ever invented this year. That was thanks to my husband, John. I don't like peppers. I think they are a waste of time and take up too much room. Why on earth would you plant so many different kinds of peppers. What can you do with them? Seems to me, beyond salsa, there really isn't much else. And how much salsa can you make in one summer? I had a few zinfandel grapes, got pretty excited about that. Was going to save them to have on a nice cheese and cracker plate one night under the arbor with our wine. By the time I got to them, they had already turned to raisins. HUH?

Had a few herbs, but even that was pretty grim. All in all, the garden this year was a loser. Now that I think about it, I think I am going to go a different way next year. I am thinking...an orchard. I love fruit trees. And I am really tired of looking at dry dirt. All the time I wasted this summer watering that garden, and if I am perfectly honest with myself, it really was just a big old dry patch of...well, nothing.

Being that the garden looks so "lifeless" I put this scarecrow out. And over the years, I have taken alot of heat over this guy. First of all, he has been called "tacky". I admit it, I did get him at Michaels years ago..because he made me HAPPY. But, no, he wasn't made by me, he wasn't something out of the Martha Halloween magazine,he isn't even something decent from some fancy "decorator" shop. And he's old. Which I kinda like. Some folks ask why I just don't get a new one if I have to have a "Michaels" scarecrow. Nope, he is what he is. And that's just fine by me. He might be tired too, but he makes me happy.

Dande-Girl

Original Recipe circa 1969

Dilly Casserole Bread

When we were little kids we lived in Santa Barbara and we had a lady who came to the house to help my mom with my little brother. The lady's name was Bessie..and she looked exactly like Mrs. Doubtfire. Exactly. Every afternoon we would sit down and pick out something to make for supper. Bessie is the one who introduced me to Vincent Price's " A Treasury of Great Recipes". But she had lots of her own recipes a well. One of our very favorite was the Dilly Casserole Bread. I made it last night to go with my swiss steak and mashed potatoes. It smelled of days gone by. I love dill in summer, so as the late afternoon sun sank over Mission Mountain, I flipped on the kitchen light, turned on the stove and slid in the cast iron skillet filled with the promise of warm bread for supper.

Dilly Casserole Bread from Bessie

1 package yeast
1/4 warm water
1 cup large curd cottage cheese
2 T. sugar
1 T. minced dry onion
1 T. soft butter
2 t. dill seeds
1 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1 egg
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour.

Sprinkle yeast over warm water and dissolve.
Heat cottage cheese till warm.
Combine in a bowl with sugar,onion,butter,dill seeds,salt,baking soda, egg and yeast and water. Add flour to make a stiff dough. Knead into a ball. Cover and let rise 60 minutes till doubled.Stir down and put in a well greased 1 1/2 quart round 8" casserole. ( I use a cast iron skillet). Cover and let rise about 40 minutes.
Bake 350 degress for 35 minutes. Remove bread from oven and brush with butter and salt. Maldon or a fleur de sel is nice. Cover with foil, return to oven and bake 15 minutes more.