A farm girl from the beautiful countryside of Iowa. Addicted to life and shoes. Pour yourself a glass of wine, settle in, and let me tell you a story. I'll wait - you may want to bring the bottle.....
If I was asked what one memory stands out of Grandma Becker I would reply her baking. To narrow it down further, it would be her molasses cookies. She always kept a few dozen in the freezer chest. The older one. The "newer" freezer was where the corn was kept we froze every summer.
I decided to make a batch today for Bryce, Brooklyn and Briley. I'm not sure if they have ever had Grandma Becker's molasses cookies. Shame on me.
Briley, Brooklyn and Bryce
It's past time!
It's times like this memory that makes me wish I lived closer to them so they could reach into this Grandma's freezer for a cookie. Or three. It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day! Melody xoxo
Grandma Becker's entry from October 29, 1990 "Windy again but warm and sunny. Good wash day after I could get them on the line. Gerald burnt leaves again. Helen and Ruth both called. Went to Aldies and Kmart. Got a few groceries at Aldi, not much at Kmart. Talked to Eva-Pat still very miserable. Going to W'loo tomorrow to a specialist. Alberta home from Georgia ok".
Thinking about Grandma Perin tonight. Her first name was Elizabeth, which is my middle name. She lived about a mile and half from us on an acreage by herself. In her later years she moved to Cedar Falls and lived with Grandpa and Grandma Becker. My mom and dad used to drive her to all of her appointments, all of her shopping, and looked in after her for many years. Connie, DeAnn and I were there quite often. We used to help feed all of her cats, which was dry cat food mixed with bread crumbs, milk and one egg. We used to play in the horse barn with the really cool hayloft. We used to drink out of the hydrant on hot summer days, which was the coldest, best water ever. We used to mow her lawn, which sometimes could be intimidating when we saw her looking out the back door watching us. We used to help pick weeds in the garden and pick up sticks when storms blew through. A teacher by trade, she used to tutor me in math. I used to look forward to those afternoons - once the session was done I went in the pantry to make us a snack. It was usually her homemade jelly or jam on a piece of white bread. It was so delicious.
She didn't have air conditioning, nor indoor plumbing. You know what that means. Outhouse time. Or the commode. I don't remember ever seeing her in slacks or with her hair not in a bun.
I'm thinking of her tonight, and every other time I make homemade popcorn. Mine doesn't even compare to hers. She used to make us popcorn on Sunday nights. Her stove was located in the porch and she had the ultimate popcorn pan. I used to watch her stir the kernels with her index finger. It's weird what we remember.
An old popcorn pan like Grandma Perin's
Afterwards we used to gather around her small kitchen. Her radio was usually on and we would talk or us girls would watch The Waltons which was her favorite show. Her television set was very, very small. With the antenna.
Every time I make homemade popcorn I think of those wonderful Sunday nights and Grandma Perin.
I still wonder to this day why I put popcorn in a glass and added milk and salt. Maybe that's why I don't drink milk to this day.
But I do eat popcorn. And I still hate math.
Love you and miss you Grandma Perin.
It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day!
Melody
xoxo
Grandma Becker's entry for October 17, 1990
"Cloudy and windy most of day. Fixed barbecued ribs for dinner and baked potatoes. Legs hurt today - Gerald went to Dr. Basu. Stopped at Ohrts - they and Jim's got home about five. Got us a bag of apples at Gay Mills $5. Gerald watched ball game Cinci Reds and Oakland. I won the Scrabble game - at 10 it has been raining. Wind and very chilly".
Pizza. Happy Joe's. Shakey's. Zeno's. The good old days. Sure, there are good pizza joints now, but nothing like back then. Zeno's was the place that used to cut their pizza into little squares. Shakey's was the place where you could watch movies - no pizza place today shows black and white films while you sit at long picnic-like tables. Together. Like one long extended Walton family, plus your second and third cousins. And the cousins you don't really even know. You get it. Happy Joe's had the ice cream parlor and taco pizza.
Everyone has their own favorite. Last night we decided to make homemade pizza on the grill.
It turned out really pretty good. I made the pizza crust while Harley Man created the sauce. The crust didn't turn out too bad, although next time I'll add more garlic and basil. We didn't have fresh garlic, and used what was in the pantry - which was garlic powder. I think it would taste better with the real deal. The sauce was tangy but sweet and we added hamburger, onions, and fresh mozzarella.
Grandma Becker's entry for October 15, 1990 "Cloudy morning. Washing. Gerald went to Jeff Buss' - Denver to look at cows. Home all day. Gerald slow and draggy - head hurts."
After seeing a recipe for Lemon Pound Cake I knew it was mine. I had to try it. This cake is amazing and refreshing. I make lemon bars that are dreamy but after trying this cake it's like dreaming in color. The recipe is from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contess http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-cake-recipe.html. It feels like she and I have grown closer from this recipe. She has no idea - why be a spoil sport. The only difference in the recipe was I used large eggs instead of extra large. I figured she didn't know so it would be ok.
It was. It is divine.
Thank you Barefoot Contessa! Melody xoxo It's a great day to be alive, make it a great day!
Grandma Becker's entry for October 6, 1990 "Went to Richardson's Funeral Home. Loren Clabough's son. Warm again. Worked outside some. Cleaned up Phlox (they've been so pretty) Big aster plant by the fence and flowers down the driveway. Lunch at home. Gerald at Reggie's. Kenny putting in a new front door-we washed living room, den and our bed room windows. Went to see Helen at 3. Bacon tomato sandwiches for supper."
This isn't your momma's apple pie. This is jacked up.
"Make Ya' Holla Apple Pie"
1 gallon Apple Cider
1 gallon Apple Juice
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Brown Sugar
1 Bottle (750 milliliter) Everclear
1 Bottle (750 milliliter) Vodka
Hot Damn to taste
Cinnamon Sticks
Combine apple juice, apple cider, sugars and cinnamon sticks in a large pot, bringing almost to a boil. Cover pot with a lid, reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Remove pot from heat and cool completely.
After it's cooled, strain (I used a cheesecloth). Stir the Everclear and vodka into the syrup and add Hot Damn to your taste. Pour into glass jars or bottles. I put a cinnamon stick and apple slices in each jar as well. The longer it sits the better it tastes.
Cheers!
Happy tailgating!
Melody
xoxo
It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day!
Grandma Becker's entry for October 5, 1990
"Bring sunny morning and windy. Washed sheets, dusted a bit clean sheets on bed. Went to UPS & HyVee-Chelsie here 5:00 - 9:45 -Connie had to work. Quite a warm day-85".
No matter how much I love our family recipe for Pumpkin Bars, I couldn't get myself to open a can of pumpkin yesterday. With the cooler weather (and a little dreary) I was ready for fall baking. I'm just a little tired of E V E R Y T H I N G pumpkin.
Let's see. There is pumpkin...
Coffee
Lattes
Coffee Creamers
Kahlua
Vodka
Last count 590 different kinds of beer
Frozen Waffles
Instant Oatmeal
Toaster Pastries
Soda
Seltzer
Peanut Butter
Margarine
Coconut Milk
Almonds
Gum
M&Ms
Marshmallows
Oreos
Milanos
Last count 892 different candies. This should include caramels too.
Ice Creams. I haven't counted yet.
Yogurt
Pasta
Cookie Mix
Cake Mix
Bagels. Probably English Muffins too.
Pudding
Gross Energy Bars
And of course Pie. This doesn't count as it may have been the original delight.
Oh yes. Don't forget the...
Candles
Oils/Diffusers
This is taking up way to much time. But I think the market is pumpkin-saturated. Time to expand our horizons.
So.....hello apple! If you are ready to try something different, and like apples you should try this recipe.
Salted Caramel Apple Cake
Ingredients:
For the Cake: 4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1½ cups unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, at room temperature 2½ cups granulated sugar 2 eggs 4 cups unsweetened applesauce
For the Salted Caramel Buttercream: 1½ cups granulated sugar ⅓ cup all-purpose flour 1½ cups whole milk ⅓ cup heavy cream 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into small pieces 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ⅓ cup salted caramel sauce
To Garnish: Salted caramel sauce Chopped peanuts Directions:
1. Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until combined.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl in three parts, alternating with the applesauce, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix on low for an additional 30 seconds to combine.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the rack, remove the parchment, and allow to cool completely.
6. Make the Salted Caramel Buttercream: In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixtures comes to a boil and has thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter and vanilla; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add the salted caramel sauce and continue mixing until combined and fluffy.
8. Assemble the Cake: If any of the cake layers have domed on top, trim the top off to create flat surfaces. Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Spread 1¼ cups of the frosting on top. Add the next layer and top with 1¼ cups of the frosting. Add the third layer on top and spread a very thin layer of frosting over the sides and top of the cake. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, until firm. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Drizzle some additional salted caramel sauce on top and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Return to the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes prior to serving.
I've saved a piece for you. Here's a hint...pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy. Or a cup of coffee. Just not pumpkin flavored.
Don't worry pumpkin, I will be back.
Melody xoxo It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day!
Grandma Becker's entry for October 2, 1990 "A windy day and quite warm..Baked choc chip and oatmeal cookies this A.M. By the time the dishes were washed it was towards noon & Gerald went to Waverly. Helen called. Lola went to the hospital this A.M. Eva called. Pat hasn't been feeling too well, in hospital overnight. Gerald had bit of trouble with old car. Jason went to get him at Beaver Valley. Rain starting at 10".
October 1st. Fall is my favorite season, but today has chosen to be a little dreary, drippy, somewhat chilly day. Guess it really didn't disappoint, just got me movin'. I've been wanting to try a new recipe and it was the perfect ingredients for a day to get in the kitchen, turn the music up and have a little fun. While in the middle of frosting and putting the final touches on the cake, I decided to once again try a different approach to making these adorable dinosaur-plastic glasses for Bryce, Brooklyn and Briley. This has been a work in progress for at least amonth. Every glue product I've tried hasn't wanted to play nice with the plastic. This is the third set of glasses I've purchased. Finally. Fingers crossed. Nail glue is the bomb.
Keeping my glued fingers crossed this glue holds and the Salted Carmel Apple Cake turns out. I'll be making Apple Pie Moonshine this weekend. I think I'll need it after today. Recipe to follow for the cake. If it turns out. I'm still in the final stages of that masterpiece.
Grandma Becker's entry for October 1, 1990 "Another nice morning. Washing. Charles combining beans at Laymasters. Beautiful wash day. Fixed Pot Roast dinner, it was good and had beef sandwiches for supper. Helen called. Lola is very bad, it's hard on Helen too. Gerald to bank. Picked quite a few cucumbers again.
It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day! Melody xoxo
On Saturday, September 20, 2014 my Uncle Sonny passed away. He liked NASCAR, restoring tractors, camping, and country music just to name a few things. Most of all he enjoyed spending time with family and friends. I'll also remember him with having some of the cleanest vehicles for living on a gravel road. Uncle Sonny was quiet, but maybe it just seems that way because when the whole family (really speaking of all five of my Grandma Pollock's daughters) got together and started laughing no one could be heard.
DeAnn and Connie filled me in on what a beautiful service it was in remembering Uncle Sonny. And the music.
Talking with DeAnn on the phone, she sang a couple of the verses from two of the four songs. One of those songs he requested gave me a jolt. I had just popped in a cd in my car and it was the first song I listened too. It's been a very, very long time since a cd has played in little Spud.
That song - is "I Can Only Imagine". One of my very favorites, and the artist I was listening to was Wynonna Judd. There is a part before the song that she talks of tough times.
From her album "Wynonna Her Story: Scenes From a Lifetime".
This is not verbatim, sorry. You'll just have to listen for yourself.
"The road has been long the journey has been like a roller coaster ride. My heart has been broken so many times but mom recently said "Honey, let them see the brokenness let them see the cracks in your armorer that's how the light gets out"....So..this next song saved me through a time in a time you know music does that how you walk through a time, you know how music does that.....there's always a song there......You know how to work, you know how to get up in the morning but when the quiet stillness of the night comes..and you kind of sit there and wonder well, is this what's all about..... and in a flash I realized.....I will meet my Heavenly Father".
This is one of the songs I would like sung at my funeral. Or I'd rather have it called my Life Celebration.
One of the other music selections Uncle Sonny requested was by Johnny Cash. "I'll Fly Away".
Music never fails.
May You Rest in Peace, Uncle Sonny.
Grandma Becker's entry for September 30, 1990 "Beautiful morning-went to church had been a long time. Very good sermon-good crowd. Birthday Sunday-Home for lunch. At 3 went to Western Home. Dorothy looked a bit better today. Went to Mary Sisils' with Charles and Alberta-a delicious supper - and a nice visit. Marie loos a bit older. Home at 10:45pm".
It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day.
Melody
xoxo
P.S. DeAnn may be ready for "The Voice".
I have Jessica, my coworker to thank. A few weeks ago she posted a banana bread recipe on facebook. Of course this recipe had a scrumptious looking picture. And interesting. It had a layer of cream cheese. Yes. Cream cheese. I love cream cheese. I love cream cheese frosting, cream cheese mints, cheese cake (especially if it's snickers cheesecake) all dips that have cream cheese, cream cheese in my hashbrowns, cream cheese in my scrambled eggs, my husbands enchiladas that he makes with cream cheese, and those little dill pickles wrapped in dried beef wouldn't be the same without cream cheese. Right? Oh yes, I can't forget cream cheese potato casserole. Pretty much every recipe that has cream cheese, count me in. I've never heard of it in banana bread until Jessica. It gets better. A friend of hers made some. And she shared. With me. I decided I had to try the recipe. Harley Man was pretty happy I shared with him. <smiles> If you love cream cheese, try this recipe. http://www.averiecooks.com/2014/07/cream-cheese-filled-banana-bread.html And if you have ripe bananas. The only difference is that I added a streusel topping which consisted of melted butter, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. It is so delicious. You will end up sharing with somebody.
Thank you Jessica.
Grandma Becker's entry for August 12, 1990 "A beautiful day. Church-Rev. Don Carver (urban renewal Minister W'loo) spoke. Wonderful Sermon. Home for dinner (scalloped potato, smoked chops, green beans, cucs and pudding). Home all P.M. at 6 we went to McDonald's. Brought 4 beautiful roses in".
It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day! xoxo Melody
There are those Sundays that just beg the smoker to be rolling that will produce tender, finger-licking, good-to-the-bone barbecue. We gather 'round the patio table and have a deck day which includes laughter, long talks, listening to music, and a few cocktails. Yard work is also incorporated but only if necessary. Once in a while poker is brought up....I'm not good at poker though which makes me not want to play. We haven't played cards for quite a while.
This is my poker face. Not a good one.
I know, so disappointing. Maybe we should play a few games of "horse" instead of cards. Anyway. Back to bbq. This is when I step out of the kitchen and let Harley Man do all of the work. He makes his own bbq sauce which no one is allowed to know the ingredients or measurements. Well, I know a some of what makes it so lip smacking tasty and finger licking good. But not all. He babies those ribs all day long, with lots of love that will make your taste buds dance through out the day. It's really like torture. It's probably worse for the neighborhood. I love summertime Sundays.
Let the countdown begin.
I know, right? That sauce is amazeballs.
I know, another Pronghorn Antelope picture. I like them and they were taking a stroll on the golf course. How can you not love the babies?
Grandma Becker's entry for August 4, 1990. "Gerald vacuumed and I dusted. Gerald got drivers' license renewed. Stopped to see Helen. She looked real good. Went Pals' in PM to a buffet luncheon for Teresa's graduation from U.N.I. Delicious! Cool north breeze in PM. Bert and girls freezing corn - (girls didn't help much). Al, Naomi, Linda helped. Still working at 10pm. Cool night for sleeping".
It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day! xoxo Melody P.S. I can't believe Connie, DeAnn and I "didn't help much". Maybe helped eating it! HA! I miss those days.
Saturday late afternoon we left a little early for Casper. Around 4:30pm. Elizabeth was flying in from Iowa and due to land at 7:40pm. I've always wanted to explore some of the winding gravel roads you can see from the Interstate or highways winding their way into Wyoming history. Being a country girl at heart, I miss the feeling of driving down a gravel road, with the dust rolling behind you and the music cranked up. Growing up Dad had a little run around two-seater red truck. I thought it was a Chevy but it might have been foreign made (gasp!). It had a stick shift with a musical horn installed in it. The three of us girls named it Red Bird. We flew down those gravel roads on our way to town for a bottle of pop or a gallon of milk. Of course we would also cruise main street playing the musical horn. Ha!
The gravel roads we took yesterday the speed limit is 30, which was plenty fast. Some turn into a skinny one lane, and you can meet a semi with water or oil tanks. There is also the cattle to watch out for as they roam free on the rancher's land. Wyoming is a fence out state for cattle, meaning that landowners who prefer not to have livestock on their property are responsible for fencing them out. New to me since moving here. I'm used to barbed wire fencing and square fields. Although those square fields I grew up with are now larger squares.
We made our way by the Pumpkin Buttes which have a rich, deep history. From "The Wonders of Wyoming"- The Indians called the buttes “wagamu paha”, meaning gourd hills. The Sioux used the site for tribal ceremonies, and put Pumpkin Buttes to good use as a perfect lookout during battles with settlers along the Bozeman Trail. There are hundreds of tipi rings on and around the buttes that prove that Native Americans lived and worshipped here for centuries. Pumpkin Buttes not only served as a welcome landmark along the Bloody Bozeman Trail, but it also became a hideout for famed outlaw “Big Nose” George Parrott. In the 1950′s, uranium was discovered near Pumpkin Buttes, which would generate alot of ill will between prospectors and stockmen. There were only a few small mines that worked the area. It was a very interesting, beautiful drive. We wound our way back to the highway and journeyed on to Casper. The flight from Denver with Elizabeth arrived and soon headed back to Gillette. It was one of those summer nights when the deer were out-a huge buck was standing alongside the road. Glad he stayed there and said a quick prayer for those traveling around us were safe as well. We had an impromptu greeting of a little fox in the middle of the highway as well. He scampered back to the side of the road and we made it back to Gillette by 10:30pm. Had a little deck time hearing stories of when Harley Man was a mischievous little boy and had some good laughs.
Lights out at midnight for me. Elizabeth and her Dad stayed up for a while longer talking.
It was a good Saturday night.
One of the Pumpkin Buttes
Pumpkin Buttes in the distance
Add caption
Taking his time.
This old guy seemed to welcome us. Wish I had his long eyelashes.
The
Indians called the buttes “wagamu paha”, meaning gourd hills. The Sioux
used the site for tribal ceremonies, and put Pumpkin Buttes to good use
as a perfect lookout during battles with settlers along the Bozeman
Trail. There are hundreds of tipi rings on and around the buttes that
prove that Native Americans lived and worshipped here for centuries.
Pumpkin Buttes not only served as a welcome landmark along the Bloody
Bozeman Trail, but it also became a hideout for famed outlaw “Big Nose”
George Parrott. In the 1950′s, uranium was discovered near Pumpkin
Buttes, which would generate alot of ill will between prospectors and
stockmen. There were only a few small mines that worked the area.
The
Indians called the buttes “wagamu paha”, meaning gourd hills. The Sioux
used the site for tribal ceremonies, and put Pumpkin Buttes to good use
as a perfect lookout during battles with settlers along the Bozeman
Trail. There are hundreds of tipi rings on and around the buttes that
prove that Native Americans lived and worshipped here for centuries.
Pumpkin Buttes not only served as a welcome landmark along the Bloody
Bozeman Trail, but it also became a hideout for famed outlaw “Big Nose”
George Parrott. In the 1950′s, uranium was discovered near Pumpkin
Buttes, which would generate alot of ill will between prospectors and
stockmen. There were only a few small mines that worked the area.
The
Indians called the buttes “wagamu paha”, meaning gourd hills. The Sioux
used the site for tribal ceremonies, and put Pumpkin Buttes to good use
as a perfect lookout during battles with settlers along the Bozeman
Trail. There are hundreds of tipi rings on and around the buttes that
prove that Native Americans lived and worshipped here for centuries.
Pumpkin Buttes not only served as a welcome landmark along the Bloody
Bozeman Trail, but it also became a hideout for famed outlaw “Big Nose”
George Parrott. In the 1950′s, uranium was discovered near Pumpkin
Buttes, which would generate alot of ill will between prospectors and
stockmen. There were only a few small mines that worked the area.
Grandma Becker's entry for August 3, 1990 "Nice morning-no rain. Washed a couple loads. Book work! Gerald on errands. Minute steak, cucs, green and yellow beans for dinner. Good too! A very humid, muggy day. Went to Jim and Helen's for a while in PM. Took liver and minute steaks to them. Home in eve".
Chicken Salad just sounded refreshing for dinner. Harley Man was in Denver one day last week and I thought it might taste good after a long day. It was also the hottest day of the year so far and I was in the mood for something "summery". I don't know what I was thinking but decided to make a peach pie as well. Deciding this was the way to go I searched for a chicken salad recipe with a little spice. It sounded so good but did not make the "usual" mayo based recipe. Winner winner, chicken salad dinner I found one. Boy, I thought it would be a recipe that would be fairly quick to make - I planned on using a store bought rotisserie chicken. It wasn't "meant to be" fairly quick. The grocery store's rotisserie oven wasn't working earlier that morning and the chicks wouldn't be ready for another hour or so. Forget that idea. I was on a mission and picked up a nice little whole chicken. Starting from scratch.
Don't chickens have the "gizzards" any more? This one had none. It was a heartless chicken.
The kitchen was so hot. Holy hotness. Boiling water.And the oven was on since it would be so lovely to make a peach pie. (I cheated though and bought the pie crust. No waiting on that item).
I hated those peaches. They looked like apples. Not that apples are bad. They're good. It's just peaches are peaches and shouldn't resemble apples.
I did mention it was the hottest day of the year so far, right? Outside it reached 101 and inside it seemed just as hot. Even though all that hotness was going on it was a fun afternoon. Cranked up the stereo and had fun in the kitchen.
Spicy Chicken Salad
Spicy Chicken Salad:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups diced cooked chicken...The rotisserie chicken at the grocery store would be so handy :)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno, diced...I added the seeds as well.
Whisk the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in the chick, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and chili powder. Of course salt and pepper to taste as well. I had sea salt on hand so that went in the party. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
I made our sandwiches with a flour tortilla, lettuce, taco sauce and a dab of sour cream. Probably more than a dab. I was wishing the grocery store had the garden tortillas, but I was out of luck. They were still yummo.
There was some of the chicken salad leftover a couple of days later - and Harley Man added a can of Rotel, plus a can of white Mexican cheese sauce and it turned into a great dip.
The peach pie was pretty :) but the pickins' were slim for peach produce at the grocery store. It kind of tasted like a rhubarb pie. Harley Man still thought it was good. That's all that counts.
Grandma Becker's entry for July 29, 1990 "Beautiful A.M. 3/4 inch rain last night more in other places. Baked a pie. Deviled eggs, cleaned, vegetables etc. too. Get ready for supper sure enjoyed having Dorothy, Robert and Jeanie here. Church at 9:30am. Home for dinner. Rested pretty much in PM. Fixed ham sandwiches etc. They left at 8. Gerald & I did up the dishes and read before we had our Scrabble game. Bed at 10:30".
It's a great day to be alive, make it a great day! xoxo Melody
Woke up this morning, did the critter chores and sat down with a cup of coffee out of my favorite coffee cup of the month. Then decided to catch up on the news along with Facebook and Twitter. Easy peasy lemon squeezy kind of morning.
Then it happened.
On Facebook. A friend -thank you Amy Page- posted a picture perfect plate of breakfast. Eggs Benedict. The Hollandaise sauce looked expertly made. I've always been scared of making hollandaise sauce, as it seems just kind of crabby and touchy. Plus I don't want to kill anybody with undercooked egg yolks. I don't think it's ever killed anybody since people order runny eggs all the time. Still, I just didn't want to be responsible for killing by yolks. Or any killing, obviously.
But I decided to try this morning, thanks to the Page's. Wonderful people, by the way.
Now the picture posted on fb had a beautiful side of asparagus and a side of potatoes. I was just willing to go as as far as the main character. Eggs Benedict.
We didn't have Canadian Bacon but we did have ham that I was planning on making scalloped potatoes and ham with. Or just ham sandwiches. Either way, it's now in the crock-pot. Then it was time to get busy. Cranked up the music and put my fears aside of making hollandaise sauce.
Tried not to break the yolks but darn it-two didn't cooperate this morning.
I'm thinking my hollandaise sauce was looking pretty good!
Layering.
Finished Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce.
I was a little disappointed in the sauce, as I think it thickened up a bit too much. But Harley Man told me it was perfect and thought it was delish. Must have been pretty good - and filling - because he is now taking a breakfast nap. Thanks to the Page's for a little breakfast inspiration!
Kind of makes a mess.
Whenever I think of Eggs Benedict it makes me think of Benedict Arnold. Weird, I know. So I decided to Google Eggs Benedict to see where the recipe originated.
From Wikipedia:
"There are conflicting accounts as to the origin of eggs Benedict,
including: In an interview recorded in the "Talk of the Town" column of The New Yorker in 1942, the year before his death,[1] Lemuel Benedict, a retired Wall Street stock broker, claimed that he had wandered into the Waldorf Hotel in 1894 and, hoping to find a cure for his morning hangover, ordered "buttered toast, poached eggs, crisp bacon, and a hooker of Hollandaise." Oscar Tschirky, the famed maître d'hôtel,
was so impressed with the dish that he put it on the breakfast and
luncheon menus but substituted ham for the bacon and a toasted English muffin for the toast.
In refute to the Oscar Tschirky/Lemuel
Benedict claim, prior to serving as Maitre d’hotel (1893 to 1943) at
the Waldorf, Tschirky was "on the staff of the old and famous
Delmonico’s,"[3] along with the renowned Chef Charles Ranhofer. This reflects an earlier claim to eggs Benedict as evidenced in Chef Ranhofer's 1894 cookbook, The Epicurean[4]
which includes "a selection of interesting bills of fare of Delmonico's
from 1862-1894", in particular a recipe for eggs Benedict (Eggs a'
la—Benedick / Eufa a' la Benedick):
Cut some muffins in halves crosswise, toast them without allowing to
brown, then place a round of cooked ham an eighth of an inch thick and
of the same diameter as the muffins on each half. Heat in a moderate
oven and put a poached egg on each toast. Cover the whole with
Hollandaise sauce.
During Chef Ranhofer's Delmonico years (1862-1899), Captain and Mrs.
Le Grand Benedict (born 1843, Emma Frances Gardner) were frequent
diners. Five generations of Benedict family history, including Mabel C.
Butler (descended through Mrs. LeGrand Benedict's daughter Florence),
author of a 1967 letter[5]
(more below) to the NY Times, and great-great-granddaughter Emily
Benedict (born 1962, descended through Mrs. LeGrand Benedict's son
Harold) independently cite similar stories from the late 1860s, that
frequent patron Mrs. Benedict became uninterested in the usual Delmonico
menu offerings and inquired for the Chef to create "something new". He
replied asking if she had any ideas, to which she suggested what is now
known as eggs Benedict (although her original version included a truffle
on top.) Thereafter the creation made its way into Chef Ranhofer’s The Epicurean. Oscar Tschirky
quite possibly learned of eggs Benedict from Chef Ranhofer during their
crossover Delmonico years together. While Lemuel Benedict may indeed
have requested the egg concoction from Tschirky at the Waldorf in 1894
as a hangover cure, in that same year, the recipe was already printed in
Chef Ranhofer's The Epicurean."
Grandma Becker's entry for March 30, 1990: Alberta's Birthday "49". Cloudy but no rain. 38, washed load of sheets and put clean ones on the bed-dusting and watering plants. Talked to Ruth-she came home from Texas yesterday. Gerald did all the wood work in utility and kitchen-sure looks nice. I waited on him etc and now we're both tired".
Today is my Mom's birthday and wishing her a wonderful day.
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