A storm is coming and I don’t like to be on the computer when lightning strikes.
Archive for August, 2008
Thunder and Lightning
August 10, 2008Sanquhar Scottish Gloves
August 10, 2008
All I can say is, “These gloves had better last forever because I intend to be buried in them.” Will I finish these? Yes. Will I wear them? You better believe it! This one has my initials on it. That part wasn’t that hard. I’ve started the thumb gusset. Now, that is a pain. It has two increases on every row with those 0000 needles. It’s a wonder that my fingers aren’t bloody. If I can get the first row of blocks done tomorrow, I’ll have another picture for you. If the weather holds out and I don’t have to go anywhere, it’s possible.
Breakfast with Zip
I was Going to Talk about Knitting. Honest!
August 9, 2008
This was hanging on a pot holder on my deck in the morning. I wish that I had seen it emerge. We spend a lot of time on the deck, but it probably happened during the night anyway. I love the way the sunlight comes right through it. I wonder how long it will be before Zip or Maude discover it.
My portulaca are coming along nicely.
I’ll show you my knitting tomorrow. Honest.
Cornbread
August 8, 2008I tried a few different cornbread recipes before I came up with this. I don’t use a cast iron skillet, just an ordinary cake pan and I cut it in wedges.
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten
- 2 tbsp bacon fat
Set out a stick of butter to soften. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in the milk and egg. Melt the bacon fat and blend it in well. Oven should be 425 degrees. Grease or Pam the pan and pour the mixture in. It will be thick. Cook for 20 minutes or more.
Don’t wait for it to cool before cutting. I usually set out the butter a few hours before I start the cornbread. I start about 45 minutes before supper so it’s still warm when it goes to the table.
That’s all for tonight, folks. This antibiotic is making feel weird.
No Cornbread
August 7, 2008This has not been a good day. Yesterday, my doctor called and said that my blood work indicates that my thyroid has improved and he is lowering my dosage. That’s good news. This morning, I went to the dentist. They played with my lower denture and it feels much better. That’s good news. This afternoon, my doctor called and said my urine indicates that I have a bladder infection. That’s bad news. He said to drink plenty of water and eat two yogurts a day while I am on the antibiotic. In other words, I won’t be needing a laxative for a while and I best not roam too far from the toilet. That’s bad news. When I got the prescription, it said to stay out of the sun. For crying out loud! It’s Summer!
Crape Myrtle on our street
And Again with the 15 Bean Soup
August 5, 2008About 30 years ago, I was standing at the spices at my local supermarket. I picked up this bottle of Smoked Hickory. Well, I used the last of it in the soup and when I went to the supermarket today, there wasn’t anything like it. I did pick up something called Smokey Mesquite, but it will probably not be right. I am very sad. I’ll have to see what I can find on line. I don’t think I forgot anything else, except water, of course.
Get out your big Dutch Oven. Do they still call them that? It has to be big enough to throw all this crap into and about three quarts of water. Open the bag of beans and dump it in the pot. Cover the beans with water plus an inch extra. Put it on the burner and turn it on high. When it starts to boil, turn it off after a minute or two. Go away for one hour. This is known as cheating. You are supposed to soak them overnight in cold water. But, what if you got up the next morning feeling like hammered out snake sh*t and you’ve got all these soggy beans? What are you going to do then? Huh? Mainly, I have to be in the right mood to do this.
Dump the beans in a colinder and rinse them off and rinse the pot, too. Put the beans and the hambone into the pot with two quarts of water. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for at least 2 hours, probably 3 hours. You may have to add more water. The meat should come easily off the bone.
About half an hour before, start chopping the onion and garlic. Sometimes I cheat with the garlic and use those little jars of chopped garlic. It depends on the time of year and how much cooking I am doing. Get out the rest of the ingredients and open the cans.
When all 15 varieties of beans are done, it is time to take out the ham bone and all the meat and fat. You can let it cool for a bit. Who wants to handle hot meat just out of a boiling pot? Throw out the fat or give it to the dog. I used to have a German Shepard/Husky that could eat anything, but Gus is only 50 lbs so I have to be careful. Chop up the meat into bite size pieces and put it back in the pot. Throw in all those other ingredients I mentioned yesterday. Let it boil up for a few minutes, then turn it down and let it simmer for half an hour or so.
At this point, a normal person would put a little in a bowl and taste it. That way you know if you should add anything. Not me. I put the cover on the pot and have something else for supper or even better. Go out to eat.
Before anyone asks. Yes. I have dumped out the beans and counted 15 varieties.
Tomorrow, it’s cornbread.
- Doug and Gus on the track
See. Gus isn’t very big. He’s looking at the geese.
15 Bean Soup Revisited
August 5, 2008I was asked for the recipe so here goes:
Buy a ham. Doug likes the honey glased spiral sliced ones. Cook it. Eat or give away as much as you can. When it’s down to the bone and some meat that is impossible to cut off, put it in a freezer bag and put it in the freezer or refrigerator. This depends on if ham still sounds good or the thought of it makes you loose lunch. This is what I buy if I don’t all ready have it laying around:
- Bag of 15 beans(1lb?)
- Meaty hambone or a hamsteak.
- Large white onion, chopped. I’m not one to measure too much.
- About 4 cloves of garlic, chopped.
- Thyne, the powdery stuff, a good sprinkle?
- 1 or 2 can diced tomatoes. I get ones that have various spices and such in them. I keep several on my shelf and have been known to close my eyes and pick one or two. There is also Rotel. Try picking something that you have never heard of. Food Lion has fresh salsa that is really good.
- A can of tomato sauce.
- Chili powder, a tablespoon.
- A tablespoon lemon juice.
- Baby carrots. Cut the fatter ones length-wise.
- Pepper.
I’ve got to go. Continued tomorrow.
15 Bean Soup
August 4, 2008I remembered to take my camera on this morning’s walk so pictures will be appearing from time to time. This one does so much more than my old and it weighs less. Will wonders ever cease? I still haven’t figured out what 2/3s of it does, but I’m getting there. Come to think of it, I have that same problem with most of my stuff. I don’t bother to read instructions until I want to do something specific with whatever it is I am doing. I ‘ve always been this way. Even when I was a kid and learning to sew, I would look at the pictures on the pattern and only read it when I couldn’t figure it out on my own.
Gus and Doug
It was one of those perfect days. The sky was clear, there was a little breeze and it was only 80 degrees.
I made bean soup yesterday afternoon, but we didn’t eat any. I can never eat it the same day I make it. The whole house smells of it. I don’t want it. The next day, I am ready for it. I called Paul and Linda and invited them over for supper. It was perfect which always amazes me. I throw whatever in the pot and hope for the best. I never taste it myself. When everybody was there, I put some in a little bowl and gave them spoons. I figure someone else is a better judge than me. I made cornbread to go with it. I tried several different recipes before finally coming up with my own. Doug says it is better than his Mother’s. Everybody likes it. I could never make again and be perfectly happy. I prefer saltines. I like doing impromptu get togethers like this. It’s like saying, “Don’t bother to get cleaned up. We’ll rummage in the kitchen and see what we can find.” We put the soup pot and pan of cornbread right on the dining room table along with bottles of salsa, hot sauce and ketchup. Then I like to get out the silver individual butter knives with little bread and butter plates.
Sanquhar Gloves
I had knitting group this afternoon. This constitutes about four hours of knitting. I don’t like the cast on, but I have decided that it is artistic preference and will not be ripped out. These gloves are going to take longer than most sweaters.
Bill’s Birthday
August 3, 2008Yesterday was my brother’s birthday. How did it get to be August? Wednesday evening I realized that I needed a card. I really did not want to run out again to get a card. I had had a bad day so I looked at my card stash and picked one. It would have to do. It wasn’t at all what I had in mind, but it was cute. I had an 8AM doctor’s appointment the next morning, so I dropped it off at the post office on the way back. I felt bad, but what do you do?
Even Zip was embarrassed.
TA DA!!
August 2, 2008
The blue socks are done!
One looks bigger than the other, I know. Believe me. They are the same size. I can’t knit straight so how do you expect me to take a straight picture? And just wait until you see what I am getting in return.
So I started swatching for my Sanquhar gloves.
Purple and lilac swatchRed and blue swatch
Purple and lilac seemed a bit hairy for such tight work so I went digging again. I found the red and blue. It’s much smoother and is a lot easier to work so I am thinking about using it. I have to make a bigger swatch before I am certain. I should probably take a better picture, too.
Up a Creek in Lower Slower Delaware 