Well, our new year has started, and I wonder how many of you are having the same experience I am having. Opening your mail and exclaiming, “Wow, I didn't realize I bought that many things in December.”
I guess that's OK since it was money spent for the season to benefit family and friends. Now don't you feel better about it? I do.
I'm glad the heavy snow stopped for a while even though we're starting to get more. Once I gave up ice skating and skiing, lots of snow doesn't interest me anymore. At least I enjoyed it when I was able to entertain myself and my children with the help of the snow. Teaching my kids to skate and them teaching me how to ski was a fun time. Now, sunshine and warm weather is my greatest interest.
How many of you agree? I thought so.
My friend from California keeps inviting me to go there. My two friends from Florida keep inviting me to go there. One day I'm going to surprise myself and go.
I have a project for the winter months that should be very interesting. Packed away for many, many years, I've had a box filled with pictures. When I opened it, I was amazed to find pictures from the '50s when we lived in Cortland for three years. The house we lived in, the basement got flooded from one huge rainstorm and I had some albums in the basement so I figured they got soaked. I took them, dried them out and then packed them in a box. There are baby pictures of my children, pictures of my friends, some pictures of weddings we went to. Some of them are curled up, but I'm going to save what I can and put them in the new small album they have now. I always plan to put pictures I've taken in albums, but something always seems to come up. I have several bags full of great pictures. Let's hope this time I do it so my children and grandchildren can look at the interesting places I've been and the good looking ancestors they had. The greatest ones are of my mom, dad, two aunts and grandmother when they were young. I have found the pictures of my two trips to Greece and Italy and they are beautiful. I'm going to enjoy doing it. I'll probably laugh at some and have tears at others.
The other thing I hope to do this winter is attend as many plays and shows in Auburn as I can. I like that so much more than going to the movies they have now. I don't like sad or violent movies just musicals and comedies - and there are not a lot of those around.
I read an article the other day that said they are going to repair some things in the Pavilion. They have the funding for it. That is good to hear because it's a beautiful spot for weddings, banquets and special events.
Speaking about that, I saw Sam Giangreco, and he said the Blue Lights are scheduled to play a concert again the day after Labor Day, which will be on Sunday, Aug. 31. Hooray! Hooray!
My ethnic recipe this week is for Bavarian pork casserole, and my other recipe is for cabbage soup.
Today's blooper
My blooper for today is from a friend of mine who has given me many.
She prepared eggplant - slicing it, salting it and placing the slices on trays to leave on her kitchen counter overnight so the water would drain out of it - something her mother had taught her to do years ago.
A friend of hers stopped by to see her. My friend had to leave the room for a minute and her friend went into the kitchen to get a drink of water, when she came back, she said to my friend, “Your cookies look beautiful.” My friend was surprised and puzzled, “What cookies?” “Those on the trays in the kitchen.” She laughed so hard. “They are not cookies; they are slices of eggplant.”
The two of them had a good laugh over that. Next morning my friends called her friend up. “Hi, guess what I'd doing? Baking eggplant cookies.”
Diana Sobus, of Auburn, specializes in making ethnic foods.
Bavarian Pork Casserole
Makes 4 servings
2 cups cooked and cubed pork (about 10 ounces)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup beer
4 cups pumpernickel bread, cubed
Saute celery and onion in butter until soft. Stir in all seasonings; add beer. Place pork cubes and bread cubes in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Add vegetable/beer mixture, stirring lightly until well mixed. Cover casserole and bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Serve.
Cabbage Soup
Makes 8 servings
5 slices bacon, diced
1 pound cabbage, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 potatoes, diced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 1/2 quart water
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoons butter or margarine, room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste. Fry bacon until golden, but not crisp in a 3-quart pan. Add vegetables and water. simmer 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Blend flour into butter, stirring into a soup. Bring soup to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
I'm glad the heavy snow stopped for a while even though we're starting to get more. Once I gave up ice skating and skiing, lots of snow doesn't interest me anymore. At least I enjoyed it when I was able to entertain myself and my children with the help of the snow. Teaching my kids to skate and them teaching me how to ski was a fun time. Now, sunshine and warm weather is my greatest interest.
How many of you agree? I thought so.
My friend from California keeps inviting me to go there. My two friends from Florida keep inviting me to go there. One day I'm going to surprise myself and go.
I have a project for the winter months that should be very interesting. Packed away for many, many years, I've had a box filled with pictures. When I opened it, I was amazed to find pictures from the '50s when we lived in Cortland for three years. The house we lived in, the basement got flooded from one huge rainstorm and I had some albums in the basement so I figured they got soaked. I took them, dried them out and then packed them in a box. There are baby pictures of my children, pictures of my friends, some pictures of weddings we went to. Some of them are curled up, but I'm going to save what I can and put them in the new small album they have now. I always plan to put pictures I've taken in albums, but something always seems to come up. I have several bags full of great pictures. Let's hope this time I do it so my children and grandchildren can look at the interesting places I've been and the good looking ancestors they had. The greatest ones are of my mom, dad, two aunts and grandmother when they were young. I have found the pictures of my two trips to Greece and Italy and they are beautiful. I'm going to enjoy doing it. I'll probably laugh at some and have tears at others.
The other thing I hope to do this winter is attend as many plays and shows in Auburn as I can. I like that so much more than going to the movies they have now. I don't like sad or violent movies just musicals and comedies - and there are not a lot of those around.
I read an article the other day that said they are going to repair some things in the Pavilion. They have the funding for it. That is good to hear because it's a beautiful spot for weddings, banquets and special events.
Speaking about that, I saw Sam Giangreco, and he said the Blue Lights are scheduled to play a concert again the day after Labor Day, which will be on Sunday, Aug. 31. Hooray! Hooray!
My ethnic recipe this week is for Bavarian pork casserole, and my other recipe is for cabbage soup.
Today's blooper
My blooper for today is from a friend of mine who has given me many.
She prepared eggplant - slicing it, salting it and placing the slices on trays to leave on her kitchen counter overnight so the water would drain out of it - something her mother had taught her to do years ago.
A friend of hers stopped by to see her. My friend had to leave the room for a minute and her friend went into the kitchen to get a drink of water, when she came back, she said to my friend, “Your cookies look beautiful.” My friend was surprised and puzzled, “What cookies?” “Those on the trays in the kitchen.” She laughed so hard. “They are not cookies; they are slices of eggplant.”
The two of them had a good laugh over that. Next morning my friends called her friend up. “Hi, guess what I'd doing? Baking eggplant cookies.”
Diana Sobus, of Auburn, specializes in making ethnic foods.
Bavarian Pork Casserole
Makes 4 servings
2 cups cooked and cubed pork (about 10 ounces)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup beer
4 cups pumpernickel bread, cubed
Saute celery and onion in butter until soft. Stir in all seasonings; add beer. Place pork cubes and bread cubes in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Add vegetable/beer mixture, stirring lightly until well mixed. Cover casserole and bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Serve.
Cabbage Soup
Makes 8 servings
5 slices bacon, diced
1 pound cabbage, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 potatoes, diced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 1/2 quart water
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoons butter or margarine, room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste. Fry bacon until golden, but not crisp in a 3-quart pan. Add vegetables and water. simmer 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Blend flour into butter, stirring into a soup. Bring soup to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
