KAYE , THAT IS VERY DEFINITELY A STARLING-------THAY ARE TACKY BIRDS , THAT WERE INTRODUCED BY THE BRITISH MANY , MANY MOONS AGO-----THE MALE IN MATING SEASON HAS A VERY NICE , MELODIUS SONG ---SOMETIMES, PEOPLE KEPT THE MALE IN A CAGE FOR HIS SONG ! -TROUBLE IS THEY ARE PESTS-----THEY FLY IN HUGE FLOCKS OF SEVERAL HUNDRED SOMETIMES , IN THE SPRING AND FALL -------ONE BAD WAY THEY ARE A PEST IS, AS YOU SEE, THEY INVADE OTHER NESTING BIRDS HOUSES , GOURDS , OR TREE HOLES-------AFTERTHE GOOD BIRDS RAISE THEIR YOUNG AND LEAVE , THEN THE STARLINGS MOVE IN
.----SOMETIMES THO , THEY WILL ENTER THE NEST , OR HOLE , AND THROW THE BABIES OUT !! BIG CITIES WITH PARKS OR EVEN BUILDING LEDGES , HATE THEM AND DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO DISCOURAGE THEM AWAY-----LIKE LOUD NOISES , GUNSHOTS , ETC !!
THASS ALL !!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
An Explaination, A Mission, A Passion and a Question 11/4/10
This is from an earlier post in August. My daughter Tricia just read it yesterday and thanked me for posting it. So here it is a second time.
August 25, 2010 Trautman Family Farms in Stoughton, Wisconsin hit the note today!
I woke up this morning and started working on the family tree some more. Actually I should say TREES. I have over 200 names listed now. Mianly in the Lott and Peacock and the Holland and Sims Families. I actually have a lot more work to do on the Hollands. So by the end of the day I may be around 300 strong! It's amazing to me and I love all the stories I am hearing.
I have been thinking about the coming fall season and I get quite excited because this is my favorite time of year. It's been so hot this summer I promise to never complain about being cold this winter! I am planning to spend some time up in Rabun Co., Ga. this fall. I have been mapping out some farms, vineyards, and wellness centers to visit with Lee Ann. I am most excited because Lee Ann, my daughter, is back in school at Auburn to complete here studies in Horticulture. I think she has a very bright future ahead of her in horticulture, organic farming or green house management what ever she chooses. I have long told her to choose a career that pertains to something you love. If you don't love what you do every day you are not happy. Momma's love to see their babies happy! That's why we live and breath everyday.
I have been trying to get up everyday and name all of the things that I am grateful for and I have been feeling much better and life has been going a little smoother. 2008 proved to be the worst year of my life and I am still trying to pull myself up by my shoe laces. At least now I am in a squat position! I'm up off the floor and out from under the bed! The latter stages of grief maybe.
Well this morning as I was searching for farms in Rabun Co. I found http://www.localharvest.org/ ....Organic farms within 500 mile radius of New Orleans were listed. Well I started clicking on farms guessing where they might be based on mileage listed as distance from NOLA. I hit upon a farm site in Wisconsin. I want to share todays blog from Trautman Family Farms with you all. Mr. Trautman, or Mrs. not sure, summed up my thoughts and feelings completely for me today. He tied it all up in nice neat little package for us. If you read this and you agree please go to his website and comment to him.
www.localharvest.org/blog/15556/entry/an_explaination_a_mission_a
Trautman Family Farm (stoughton, Wisconsin)
The Grass-Organic Life in Wisconsin!
25 Aug · Wed 2010
An Explaination, A Mission, A Passion and a Question
I have, over the past few days, specifically, made it a point to be grateful. To look around me, and reflect, how beautiful life is, and how many gifts I truly receive each day. A friend of mine, Tim Williams, told me this, he learned it somewhere, that if you start your day by being thankful for five things, you will have a great day. I read quite a bit of Dr. Wayne Dyer, and he is big on gratitude, too. And I have seen, in people I respect, and desire to be more like, that they, too, spend more time in gratitude than 'the norm'. The opposite of gratitude - is complaining - about - everything.
Because the world around us, the culture we've built, is one to bitch about everything. Nothing is right. If an alien - a spaceman - came down and secreted himself amoungst us, it would be easy to see how he might report back, "these people are miserable, what a terrible place this planet earth is". By how we talk - how we talk about the problems, endlessly; I look at it anymore that people actually entertain themselves bitching about the world around them. But somewhere along the way, I moved from being just like that, to desperately wanting to ask, at the end of a good long scather about - oh - healthcare, the economy, the housing market, jobs, Iraq, Afghanistan, pollution, the government - I desperately want to ask - "so what are you DOING about it?". I don't ask - because I know the dumb stare I'll get - and I'm fearful then that I'm making them uncomfortable. No one wants to feel uncomfortable now, do they? So then I'm marked - I won't play nice and join in the fun; bitch about it all, nod my head in agreement, and be confident that the problem lies completely outside present company. We, ourselves, are blameless. "Nothing I could do!". It's the rich. It's the corporations. The government. Not our decisions - the ones we make every day - but someone else, somewhere else, out of reach of us.
Somewhere along the way I accepted in myself that I am changing the world. As I sit here now and breath in and out, I am changing the world. By such a tiny amount - but how do I know - that perhaps I was given gifts - that I have been ignoring the signs, the encouragements of those gifts for a lifetime - that God - has been so gently, so persistently been trying to convince me to use, when instead, I deny them. And I bitch. A significant amount of time in a life. And by accepting that as my culture, our culture, I look at the world in a different way - I fill it with bad, because that's all I talk about, hear, see - I invite it every day through the news, the conversations I have with people. I make - I - Make - the world a little worse place.
Or, I choose to make the world a better place. To reject the idea that the world is a bad place at all. That somehow it fits someone elses agenda - manipulation of me - to buy something, to not do something, to do something - to live in fear, and make stunted ill informed choices - including doing nothing - in fact, that being the most often - doing nothing - feeling slighted if one second of my oh-so-earned leisure time is infringed on - becoming so incredibly self involved in the trinkets, the baubles, the nothing of a lifetime. A new car, a vacation, a new electronic device, a new amusement; advertising tells us daily how we cannot be happy unless we do THIS. Buy THAT. And we are on the treadwheel for life - never quite getting there - to contentment - to satisfaction, because then we lose the will to buy, we might find the energy to do something that helps one another, rather then the one another purchasing a service for that, buying a device for that, supporting a candidate that says he will provide that for free.
Somewhere along the way this beautiful farm of ours changed me, as much as I changed it. Perhaps the faith I had in nurturing it, putting all my good intentions, all my hope into what I absolutely convinced myself could be a better future - and did the same with my children; that I would not accept 'that's how kids are today', that 'the education system has failed us' and on and on and on - I took responsibility, I took consistent action, considerable sacrifice over time, and I have done so long enough to see that it does work, it doesn't have to be 'that' way one tiny bit.
It's so easy to say, I'm just one person. I can't do anything. But now I train myself to think about all that I do - I ask myself this question: "So what if everyone thought that same way, would it be a better or worse world?". I can talk myself into thinking - boy what a monkey's uncle I am - everyone else is 'doing it' - and here I am denying myself that thinking I'm changing the world - and I can convince myself very easily if I let me - that the smart play is to go along, get what I can while I can, it's a dog eat dog world out there, no one's going to look out for me if I don't - but it's not true at all.
As my mind has changed, I have attracted into my life, beautiful, giving people. The rate of change has increased; my appreciation and belief in the wonderment of it all - and the radical humility that I didn't do this - but my creator - God to me, perhaps it's Buddah or Allah or even Nature - just something so powerful beyond yourself that defies explanation.
If I allow myself to be happy then I am; if I insist on being unhappy I am, if I decide there is nothing I can do there isn't, if I do, there is, if I choose to make my life about service to others I will, if I decide that it's all about me and my needs then that is what it will be.
I have been thinking about the coming fall season and I get quite excited because this is my favorite time of year. It's been so hot this summer I promise to never complain about being cold this winter! I am planning to spend some time up in Rabun Co., Ga. this fall. I have been mapping out some farms, vineyards, and wellness centers to visit with Lee Ann. I am most excited because Lee Ann, my daughter, is back in school at Auburn to complete here studies in Horticulture. I think she has a very bright future ahead of her in horticulture, organic farming or green house management what ever she chooses. I have long told her to choose a career that pertains to something you love. If you don't love what you do every day you are not happy. Momma's love to see their babies happy! That's why we live and breath everyday.
I have been trying to get up everyday and name all of the things that I am grateful for and I have been feeling much better and life has been going a little smoother. 2008 proved to be the worst year of my life and I am still trying to pull myself up by my shoe laces. At least now I am in a squat position! I'm up off the floor and out from under the bed! The latter stages of grief maybe.
Well this morning as I was searching for farms in Rabun Co. I found http://www.localharvest.org/ ....Organic farms within 500 mile radius of New Orleans were listed. Well I started clicking on farms guessing where they might be based on mileage listed as distance from NOLA. I hit upon a farm site in Wisconsin. I want to share todays blog from Trautman Family Farms with you all. Mr. Trautman, or Mrs. not sure, summed up my thoughts and feelings completely for me today. He tied it all up in nice neat little package for us. If you read this and you agree please go to his website and comment to him.
www.localharvest.org/blog/15556/entry/an_explaination_a_mission_a
Trautman Family Farm (stoughton, Wisconsin)
The Grass-Organic Life in Wisconsin!
25 Aug · Wed 2010
An Explaination, A Mission, A Passion and a Question
I have, over the past few days, specifically, made it a point to be grateful. To look around me, and reflect, how beautiful life is, and how many gifts I truly receive each day. A friend of mine, Tim Williams, told me this, he learned it somewhere, that if you start your day by being thankful for five things, you will have a great day. I read quite a bit of Dr. Wayne Dyer, and he is big on gratitude, too. And I have seen, in people I respect, and desire to be more like, that they, too, spend more time in gratitude than 'the norm'. The opposite of gratitude - is complaining - about - everything.
Because the world around us, the culture we've built, is one to bitch about everything. Nothing is right. If an alien - a spaceman - came down and secreted himself amoungst us, it would be easy to see how he might report back, "these people are miserable, what a terrible place this planet earth is". By how we talk - how we talk about the problems, endlessly; I look at it anymore that people actually entertain themselves bitching about the world around them. But somewhere along the way, I moved from being just like that, to desperately wanting to ask, at the end of a good long scather about - oh - healthcare, the economy, the housing market, jobs, Iraq, Afghanistan, pollution, the government - I desperately want to ask - "so what are you DOING about it?". I don't ask - because I know the dumb stare I'll get - and I'm fearful then that I'm making them uncomfortable. No one wants to feel uncomfortable now, do they? So then I'm marked - I won't play nice and join in the fun; bitch about it all, nod my head in agreement, and be confident that the problem lies completely outside present company. We, ourselves, are blameless. "Nothing I could do!". It's the rich. It's the corporations. The government. Not our decisions - the ones we make every day - but someone else, somewhere else, out of reach of us.
Somewhere along the way I accepted in myself that I am changing the world. As I sit here now and breath in and out, I am changing the world. By such a tiny amount - but how do I know - that perhaps I was given gifts - that I have been ignoring the signs, the encouragements of those gifts for a lifetime - that God - has been so gently, so persistently been trying to convince me to use, when instead, I deny them. And I bitch. A significant amount of time in a life. And by accepting that as my culture, our culture, I look at the world in a different way - I fill it with bad, because that's all I talk about, hear, see - I invite it every day through the news, the conversations I have with people. I make - I - Make - the world a little worse place.
Or, I choose to make the world a better place. To reject the idea that the world is a bad place at all. That somehow it fits someone elses agenda - manipulation of me - to buy something, to not do something, to do something - to live in fear, and make stunted ill informed choices - including doing nothing - in fact, that being the most often - doing nothing - feeling slighted if one second of my oh-so-earned leisure time is infringed on - becoming so incredibly self involved in the trinkets, the baubles, the nothing of a lifetime. A new car, a vacation, a new electronic device, a new amusement; advertising tells us daily how we cannot be happy unless we do THIS. Buy THAT. And we are on the treadwheel for life - never quite getting there - to contentment - to satisfaction, because then we lose the will to buy, we might find the energy to do something that helps one another, rather then the one another purchasing a service for that, buying a device for that, supporting a candidate that says he will provide that for free.
Somewhere along the way this beautiful farm of ours changed me, as much as I changed it. Perhaps the faith I had in nurturing it, putting all my good intentions, all my hope into what I absolutely convinced myself could be a better future - and did the same with my children; that I would not accept 'that's how kids are today', that 'the education system has failed us' and on and on and on - I took responsibility, I took consistent action, considerable sacrifice over time, and I have done so long enough to see that it does work, it doesn't have to be 'that' way one tiny bit.
It's so easy to say, I'm just one person. I can't do anything. But now I train myself to think about all that I do - I ask myself this question: "So what if everyone thought that same way, would it be a better or worse world?". I can talk myself into thinking - boy what a monkey's uncle I am - everyone else is 'doing it' - and here I am denying myself that thinking I'm changing the world - and I can convince myself very easily if I let me - that the smart play is to go along, get what I can while I can, it's a dog eat dog world out there, no one's going to look out for me if I don't - but it's not true at all.
As my mind has changed, I have attracted into my life, beautiful, giving people. The rate of change has increased; my appreciation and belief in the wonderment of it all - and the radical humility that I didn't do this - but my creator - God to me, perhaps it's Buddah or Allah or even Nature - just something so powerful beyond yourself that defies explanation.
If I allow myself to be happy then I am; if I insist on being unhappy I am, if I decide there is nothing I can do there isn't, if I do, there is, if I choose to make my life about service to others I will, if I decide that it's all about me and my needs then that is what it will be.
I choose love.
I choose service.
I choose to surround myself with people that want more than anything to make a better world for their children - for your children - for everyone's children, and I will not be convinced otherwise by any one or any thing. I will stumble, I will fall, I will cry more than I ever thought I would, but I will also feel joy I never knew I could. I will give even when I know the receiver will show no gratitude. I will give a thousand times - if only to know the chance exists that it will help - I will be smart - and know that I want to do the most good in this life - and so I've got to learn, adapt, and grow, and be more efficient - choose my words better, feel humility deeper, speak from the heart more often.
I choose love.
Who will join me?
"I say yes! How about you? Let Mr. Trautman know if you will join him."
I choose service.
I choose to surround myself with people that want more than anything to make a better world for their children - for your children - for everyone's children, and I will not be convinced otherwise by any one or any thing. I will stumble, I will fall, I will cry more than I ever thought I would, but I will also feel joy I never knew I could. I will give even when I know the receiver will show no gratitude. I will give a thousand times - if only to know the chance exists that it will help - I will be smart - and know that I want to do the most good in this life - and so I've got to learn, adapt, and grow, and be more efficient - choose my words better, feel humility deeper, speak from the heart more often.
I choose love.
Who will join me?
"I say yes! How about you? Let Mr. Trautman know if you will join him."
Thursday Nov. 4, 2010... Granny's Vegtable Soup
This morning I am posting some pictures of the birds that live in the palm tree house I posted earlier this week. My father in law "Big Wade", thinks that this may be a type of woodpecker. I have no idea. My Wade, Wade "Hammond", thinks it is not a woodpecker....but he doesn't know what it is. So Big Wade, or anyone who knows what kind of bird this is let me know. There are several different holes and birds living in the palm tree house. My picture only shows one bird. The others flew out when I came up to the tree. But one brave guy hung in there!
I walked down to the Destin Community Center to vote, after I took the picture of the bird and of course the nice lady at the door told me I could not take pictures inside. I thanked her and told her that I walked with my camera trying to get a picture of a woodpecker for my father in law. She thought that was funny:) I left my camera with her. I voted and walked back and didn't see any of the birds on my way back. I was really surprised I could catch the one I did!
What do you think Big Wade?
It's turning cold! We can build fires and wear our fuzzy slippers and sweat shirts! Momma has a good method for cooking vegtable soup that I will tell you about. All of my girls, Tricia, Lee Ann, Marcee and Amber grew up loving this soup. Now Isabelle and Brooke are the new biggest fans! Tonight and tomorrow night we will have perfect weather for a big pot of soup. Lee Ann you can do this in Auburn...hint hint:) You can reduce the amount just cook 1/2 as much ground beef and add vegtables accordingly and use frozen mixed vegtables. You can use canned vegtables, which is always the faster method, but be sure to drain them first and cook just until tender. And if you don't have chicken broth just use water.
"Granny's" Vegtable Soup
3 tablespoons of oilve oil
1 small onion chopped and sauteed in oil
Add 1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck beef
Add 2 cups of chicken broth
1 large #2 can of tomatoes peeled whole or chopped
Assorted vegtables if you don't have fresh vegtables in the middle of winter buy a bag of frozen mixed vegtables and use those.
Some of our favorites are:
carrots chopped in rounds about 1/4 to 1/2" thick,
corn niblets fresh or frozen,
green beans, fresh or frozen
red potatoes, 5 -7 small red cut in 1/4's, or Uncle Ben's white rice about 1 cup
salt and pepper to taste
Sautee the onions, add the beef and brown, remove from heat and drain excess fat. Chuck is more lean so you may not need to drain. You want a little of the oil and beef drippings for flavor:)
Add vegtables and tomatoes. Add the vegtables that require longer cook time first, like carrots and potatoes. Seson with salt and pepper. Fill pot with water as needed to cover. Cook on med high until they reach a boil then reduce to medium low. Cook the first vegtables about 20 min. Then add the quicker cooking vegtables like beans and corn. If needed add more water,enough to cover, and cook until they are tender on medium low heat. Let stand for about 10 min. before serving.
Serve with fried corn bread or saltine crackers or "sodie crackers" as my daddy and my granny referred to them......
Fried Corn Bread is my favorite! Or the baked Pepper Corn Bread I posted in an earlier post is delicious too. I will have to make some fried corn bread in order to tell you how to measure for it. I learned from Momma, she is one of those great cooks who doesn't measure any thing! Next week I am also going to post about making granny's cornbread dressing. I made Momma let me measure and write it down several years ago. Then the next year I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for in laws, Wade and Sally and made everything on my own for the first time! I made it through! Planning and preperation is the key to a good Thanksgiving dinner. My Wade said he doesn't understand why he has to wait for Thanksgiving to have cornbread dressing! Poor guy:)
I walked down to the Destin Community Center to vote, after I took the picture of the bird and of course the nice lady at the door told me I could not take pictures inside. I thanked her and told her that I walked with my camera trying to get a picture of a woodpecker for my father in law. She thought that was funny:) I left my camera with her. I voted and walked back and didn't see any of the birds on my way back. I was really surprised I could catch the one I did!
What do you think Big Wade?It's turning cold! We can build fires and wear our fuzzy slippers and sweat shirts! Momma has a good method for cooking vegtable soup that I will tell you about. All of my girls, Tricia, Lee Ann, Marcee and Amber grew up loving this soup. Now Isabelle and Brooke are the new biggest fans! Tonight and tomorrow night we will have perfect weather for a big pot of soup. Lee Ann you can do this in Auburn...hint hint:) You can reduce the amount just cook 1/2 as much ground beef and add vegtables accordingly and use frozen mixed vegtables. You can use canned vegtables, which is always the faster method, but be sure to drain them first and cook just until tender. And if you don't have chicken broth just use water.
"Granny's" Vegtable Soup
3 tablespoons of oilve oil
1 small onion chopped and sauteed in oil
Add 1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck beef
Add 2 cups of chicken broth
1 large #2 can of tomatoes peeled whole or chopped
Assorted vegtables if you don't have fresh vegtables in the middle of winter buy a bag of frozen mixed vegtables and use those.
Some of our favorites are:
carrots chopped in rounds about 1/4 to 1/2" thick,
corn niblets fresh or frozen,
green beans, fresh or frozen
red potatoes, 5 -7 small red cut in 1/4's, or Uncle Ben's white rice about 1 cup
salt and pepper to taste
Sautee the onions, add the beef and brown, remove from heat and drain excess fat. Chuck is more lean so you may not need to drain. You want a little of the oil and beef drippings for flavor:)
Add vegtables and tomatoes. Add the vegtables that require longer cook time first, like carrots and potatoes. Seson with salt and pepper. Fill pot with water as needed to cover. Cook on med high until they reach a boil then reduce to medium low. Cook the first vegtables about 20 min. Then add the quicker cooking vegtables like beans and corn. If needed add more water,enough to cover, and cook until they are tender on medium low heat. Let stand for about 10 min. before serving.
Serve with fried corn bread or saltine crackers or "sodie crackers" as my daddy and my granny referred to them......
Fried Corn Bread is my favorite! Or the baked Pepper Corn Bread I posted in an earlier post is delicious too. I will have to make some fried corn bread in order to tell you how to measure for it. I learned from Momma, she is one of those great cooks who doesn't measure any thing! Next week I am also going to post about making granny's cornbread dressing. I made Momma let me measure and write it down several years ago. Then the next year I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for in laws, Wade and Sally and made everything on my own for the first time! I made it through! Planning and preperation is the key to a good Thanksgiving dinner. My Wade said he doesn't understand why he has to wait for Thanksgiving to have cornbread dressing! Poor guy:)
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Family pictures Christmas 2009
I found this picture from last Christmas a few minuetes ago! O.K. I will list everybody left to right by row.
Back Row left to right:
Syndi White, my brother Greg and Kim's daughter
Danielle Williams, our adopted niece! Danielle is Amber, Greg's daughters', half sister!
Marcee Holland, my neice, my brother Keith's daughter
Amber Holland Smith, my niece, brother Greg's daughter
Patricia Roberts, my daughter
Front Row left to right:
Isabelle Kennedy Holland, Greg and Kim's daughter
Patricia Holland, my Mother
Brooke Holland, my niece, brother Steve's daughter
Lee Ann Roberts, my daughter
Gracie Holland, my niece, brother Steve's daughter
Holland was our Christmas present in 2009! He came home from Children's Hospital in Birmingham, on Christmas Eve. That was a very good day.:)
Brooke's first time to hold him!
Amber put the Glad wrap next to him so you can see what a big boy he was!
Holland and Colton
This is Micheal, Keith's grandson, and Gracie, Steve's daughter. He is telling her a secret I think!
That's all the time I have right now. There are two more great nephews, Hudson Smith, Amber's second son and Marcee's second son Clayton.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
November 2, 2010 Birds in Destin
This is a Palm tree trunk on my street that some birds have made a home in. 
Destin Bridge Sunset. This was taken Summer of 2004.....Before Emerald Grand.
Boat coming into harbor.....
Remember to vote today!Thursday, October 28, 2010
COOKIES!!!
Walnut Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
3/4 cup Crisco shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Heat Oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil cookie sheets.
Beat shortening, sugar, and brown sugar with electric mixer until creamy.
Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Beat into the shortening
mixture until well blended. Stir in oats, raisins and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfulls onto cookie sheet space about 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 min. Place on rack to cool completely.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies: Same recipe as above with two changes.
In place of raisins I add 1 cup milk chocolate pieces. In place of walnuts or pecans, add 1 cup of chopped pistachios. These are Wade's favorite!
Chocolate Chip Cookies......taste good and easy to make!
3/4 cup crisco
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
2 tbsps milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Do Not grease cookie sheet.
Beat shortening and brown sugar in large boal with electric mixer. Beat in milk, vanilla and egg. Stir in flour, salt and baking soda. Blend in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoonful 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 min. Remove from oven. Cool on baking sheet for 5 min and then transfer to rack to cool completely.
White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookies
Use the same recipe as above. Substitute 1 cup white chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts. I made these once and didn't chop the nuts and they fell apart. So best results with chopped nuts:)
3/4 cup Crisco shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Heat Oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil cookie sheets.
Beat shortening, sugar, and brown sugar with electric mixer until creamy.
Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Beat into the shortening
mixture until well blended. Stir in oats, raisins and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfulls onto cookie sheet space about 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 min. Place on rack to cool completely.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies: Same recipe as above with two changes.
In place of raisins I add 1 cup milk chocolate pieces. In place of walnuts or pecans, add 1 cup of chopped pistachios. These are Wade's favorite!
Chocolate Chip Cookies......taste good and easy to make!
3/4 cup crisco
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
2 tbsps milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Do Not grease cookie sheet.
Beat shortening and brown sugar in large boal with electric mixer. Beat in milk, vanilla and egg. Stir in flour, salt and baking soda. Blend in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoonful 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 min. Remove from oven. Cool on baking sheet for 5 min and then transfer to rack to cool completely.
White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookies
Use the same recipe as above. Substitute 1 cup white chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts. I made these once and didn't chop the nuts and they fell apart. So best results with chopped nuts:)
I am posting some pictures of Momma's Loofa Gourds she is growing. They are really neat. They grow on the vine green and then they turn yellow and then dry out and turn brown. The vine has to be up off of the ground or they will rot. To get to the loofah you break the outside layer and shake out the seeds. Then trim the ends and cut into pieces small enough to bathe with. I didn't know that loofahs grew like that. I really thought they were a sponge from the ocean!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday Oct. 24, 2010 Squash and Miss. Mud Cake
This is a picture of some squash, green beans and onions I cooked in the oven last night. I sliced the squash, snapped ends of beans off, sliced onions and sprinkled all of them with salt, pepper, nature's seasons, and olive oil. I rolled them around a little to coat all of them and then roasted in the oven at 350 for about 20 min. After 10 min. I took them out and gently stirred them, then returned to the oven until done. We had these along side the crab cakes.
I usually cook squash and beans on top of the stove in water or chicken stock so I thought I would try something new for me. The oven method works great all three were tender and the flavor was very good.
Today is Sunday, Wade wanted me to bake some chocolate brownies so I went to Granny's recipes for Mississippi Mud Cake. I remember this as a real treat when Granny would make this. I have always wondered why it was called Mississippi Mud Cake......... Until today when I poured the chocolate frosting on top of the melted marshmallows and I realized it has that mahogany color the rich red earth in Mississippi has. The marshmallows peeping out resemble cotton on the ground in the mud.
When we went through the Memphis airport last week I pointed out posters of John Deere cotton pickers to Wade......Cotton in the Mississippi Delta, you can't get more southern than that!
I am including a copy of Granny's recipe. I couldn't use it exactly as written because I only had plain flour not self rising flour so I found another recipe that I have used many times with plain flour and buttermilk, and soda etc. I will include both for you.
When my girls were little I usually made this cake because it was easy and fast to make. No mixer just a big wooden spoon needed! Another reason I made it often is that it is easy to transport in the 11 x 16 pan. I have one with a removable plastic top with handles.....that I never trust! Kids love it! And big boys like Wade!!! : -)
Brownie:
2 cups plain flour
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
½ cup shortening
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
1 tsp baking soda dissolved in buttermilk
½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup walnuts
approx. 15 large Marshmallows cut in half
Preheat oven 400 degrees
Lightly grease 11 x 16 pan
Sift sugar and flour in large mixing bowl.
Melt butter, shortening, with cocoa and water bring to a boil. Remove from heat, stir into sugar and flour, stir in other ingredients until well blended. Pour into grease 11 x 16 inch pan. Bake 20 minuetes at 400.
Slice 15 large marshmallows in half. About 5 min before brownie is done make frosting.
Frosting:
1 stick butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons milk
1 box confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
After 20 min take brownie out of oven and lay sliced marshmallows on top about ½ inch apart. Return to oven until marshmallows melt and begin to toast about 2 min. Watch it closely…..
When marshmallows are melted remove brownie from oven and pour the frosting on top of the marshmallows. Allow to cool completely on wire rack Store covered.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Shrimp Cakes with Corn and Avocado Salsa
Pumpkins, and gourds from Rabun Gap.
Our Boys Gizmo and Louie!Tonight we are having some old friends over and I am making shrimp cakes with salsa for dinner and our favorite Remoulade Sauce! This is a really simple dish for me to make and it is very delicious. We are so blessed to live here with these beautiful Gulf Waters! Hope you try this recipe soon. If you don't have access to fresh shrimp try can shrimp instead. Be sure to drain them first!
Shrimp Cakes with Corn and Avocado Salsa
Shrimp Cakes
1 lb. shrimp peeled and deveined
Olive oil
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 garlic clove minced
¼ cup thinly sliced green onion about 3 green onions include green tops
3 Tablespoons Kraft Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 ½ teaspoon hot sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
Corn Avocado Salsa
1 cup white frozen corn thawed
¾ cup diced ripe avocado
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped and seeded poblano pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Cakes:
Clean shrimp and place in bowl and chop fine…….in food processor about 10 pulses
Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat and coat pan with olive oil. Add bell pepper and sauté 3 min. Add garlic and sauté 1 more min. Place sautéed pepper mixture in a large bowl. Add chopped shrimp, green onions, mayonnaise, lime juice, hot sauce, sugar, salt and egg. Stir until blended well. Stir in cilantro and panko.
Divide into 10 equal portions shape into a ½ inch thick patty. Dredge both sides in remaining panko. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Heat pan over medium high heat. Coat pan with olive oil. Add 5 cakes to skillet and heat on each side 4 min. Remove from pan keep warm and add last 5 cakes cook 4 min each side.
Salsa:
Thaw corn in mixing bowl.
While cakes are chilling make salsa.
Chop avocado, onion, pepper, cilantro, combine with corn, sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Cover and chill until crab cakes are ready to serve.
This is the shrimp peel/devien tool I told you about in an earlier blog. It makes the job of cleaning shrimp go really fast. I usually get heads on shrimp. Wash the shrimp in a collander. Pull the head off and insert the tip of the tool under the back of the shrimp and push back towards the tail and fin of the shrimp. This will cause the shell to pull away from the meat. Pull away any loose shell and tail fin. By placing the tool on the top back side of the shrimp the vien will come out with the tool. Rinse this away and place in bowl to drain.Remoulade Sauce
Blend all of the following ingredients and chill.
1 cup Mayonaise
1/4 cup creole mustard
2 1/4 tablespoon horseradish
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Note the specified horseradish is not prepared horseradish. You want horseradish.....check in the grocery seafood section. Most stores will have it on ice or in the cooler.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Fresh Pear Cake, Carrot Cake and Italian Cream Cheese Cake
This picture was taken during a Holland family reunion in the 70's. I think it is in Granny's back yard on the Cottonwood Highway. Pictured L to R Lena Mae Pitts, Bertha Holland and Naomi Avery. Three Sisters happy to be together.
Aunt Ruby and Bertha had a huge pear tree in their yard and Uncles Elmire and Ernest had pear trees too. There were always lots of pears going around. :) Personally I love them.
I am sure there is a recipe for pear preserves in Granny's recipes. I will search for it and pass it on to you soon. I am guessing that golden raisins might taste good in this recipe. I thought I might try it with those and soak them in a little rum before I mix them in. I am also going to glaze it and add a little rum or rum extract to the glaze of confectioners sugar. I will let you know how it turns out. Wade likes rum cake, but isn't big on fruit cooked. I am always looking for ways to tempt him to eat fruit!
This is a copy of Granny's Carrot Cake recipe. Great recipe. Wesson oil is a brand of vegtable oil.
Italian Cream Cheese Cake
These recipes were passed through the family. We could always count on at least 1 or 2 for a big get together.
The Italian Cream Cheese recipe calls for oleo and solid vegetable shortening. Oleo is the same thing as margarine. I think best results and flavor will probably come from using room temperature unsalted butter.
Crisco brand Solid vegetable shortening was always Granny's choice.
Lane Cake For the Holidays......
I am going to try to get the favorite holiday recipes posted for you guys. I know that Niki and Robin would like to have these.
I am guessing this was clipped in the 40s or 50s...."Modern Day Cooks" love it! Use parchment paper to line your pans with.
She would hate this picture and would not want me to put it out there for everyone to see but this is her sweet face in the morning before her coffee!
Here she is with Greg on his Yamaha motorcycle! This was probably about 1974. She wouldn't like this one either!
I am guessing this was clipped in the 40s or 50s...."Modern Day Cooks" love it! Use parchment paper to line your pans with.One of my favorite memories is helping Granny make this Lane Layer Cake. She used a cast iron meat grinder that clamped to the edge of her counter top to grind the pecans, raisins and coconut. I was the lucky girl who was allowed to put the pecans and raisins in. The modern day equivalent to Granny's meat grinder is the food processor. Just add 1 cup of pecans, 1 cup raisins and 1 cup coconut together and pulse until well chopped. The meat grinder was more fun!
The next recipe is for a loaf pan Whiskey Cake. This cake uses 1 cup bourbon!!! Guess this was before Modern Day Cooks! I haven't made this one yet. I have a regular loaf pan and I think this recipe may be too much for it. There probably are larger loaf pans than mine...... Oh well I will fill some small individual ones with the extra. But if you are buying one for this purpose choose a large one.
OLD-FASHION WHISKEY NUT CAKE
2 CUPS BUTTER
2 ½ CUPS SUGAR
6 EGGS SEPERATED
4 TABLESPOONS VANILLA
3 CUPS FLOUR SIFTED AND DIVIDED
1 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER
1 TEASPOON NUTMEG
1 CUP BOURBON WHISKEY
2 POUNDS CHOPPED PECANS
1 POUND WHITE RAISINS
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Separate the eggs, setting the whites aside. Add the yolks one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
Sift 2 ½ cups flour with the baking powder and nutmeg and fold into the batter. Add the bourbon.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Mix the pecans, raisins and the remaining ½ cup of flour and stir gently into the mixture.
Pour into a large loaf pan and bake at 250 degrees for two hours. Remove from oven and allow it to cool completely on wire rack. When completely cool cover with let it stand at least two days before serving.
GRANNY STORED HER FRUIT AND NUT CAKES IN A LARGE TIN AND CUT APPLES AND LAYED THEM IN THE CAN AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAKE PAN. THE APPLE AROMA MELLOWS THE WHISKEY FLAVOR…..THIS WAS ALWAYS A TRADITIONAL HOLIDAY CAKE FOR OUR FAMILY. SHE WOULD MAKE THIS CAKE AT LEAST 2-4 DAYS BEFORE SERVING IT. ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A TIN OR PLASTIC CONTAINER FOR THE CAKE TO REST IN, JUST WRAP IT IN PLASTIC WRAP AND LET IT STAND IN A COOL PLACE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
She would hate this picture and would not want me to put it out there for everyone to see but this is her sweet face in the morning before her coffee!
Here she is with Greg on his Yamaha motorcycle! This was probably about 1974. She wouldn't like this one either!Topsy Turvy Week
Sun setting behind the Emerald Grand....this was Tuesday 19th of Oct. The sunset gradually moves to left and we have a great view of it for the next 4 months until it finally makes it's way back to the West. Changes with seasons due to the earths distance from the sun........will document today's sunset and compare. I was surprised that it moved as far towards our Eastern side as it did this month. The first of Oct. it was sinking to the right of the "Massive Over Built Emerald Grand." Sorry but I feel that it was a bad decision to build so large on that spot.....I'm not a fan of the improvements there. But that's just my personal opinion. We walk there from home and our friends and family visiting always enjoy it. But I remember things the way they were before and silently grieve for them. Tricia and Lee Ann Halloween, 1987, Lee Ann 3 and Tricia 5. Tricia wanted me to paint her face and I did then she started crying because she said she was too ugly!!! So we took the paint off except for a little and she became a gypsy instead of a witch! The Jack O Lantern wore the witches hat :) Lee Ann had a minnie mouse mask...you can see it's gone to the table in exchange for a big piece of candy!
Oldie of Tricia and niece Amber on the beach....fall of 86. Amber is as brown as a beaver.
My precious angels!
When I see Amber with Holland and Hudson, her boys, I am amazed how fast time went by! 
There are also some old WW II planes that fly on Thursday evenings and most Saturdays and Sundays, around the harbor and the Emerald Grand, they are very loud and right in our front door. Frankly I am a little scared by them because two have crashed since March doing stunts. They crashed East of us about 3 miles down the beach over the Gulf in the Miramar Beach area. Not so sure it's a good idea for them to fly the Harbor Walk.....but I'm just one little person up here on the mountain shaking in my boots! Wade loves it and so does nephew Colton, and all of the other air enthusiast that live in the area. :)
There are alot of things happening here in Destin this weekend. The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation "Arts Festival" is going on this weekend in Henderson Park on the beach. There is also a very large Harley Davidson gathering here this weekend. Not sure about the details on that, probably gathering at the Boardwalk in Fort Walton. The church in front of our house has a sign up that says "HOG WASH this weekend ALL HOGS WELCOME!" Not sure if they are washing motorcycles or souls! Probably Both!!!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Cheesecake Recipe from Janis and Minnesota pictures
October 19, 2010
Edwin and Hammond, had lots to talk about and Becky and I had alot of fun catching up and shopping. Everyone in Wade's family calls him Hammond, his middle name..... but when I met him he was introduced as Wade so I end up using both, Wade and Hammond! Becky took me to Pottery Barn and Renovation Hardware in Saint Paul Saturday. That was a treat for me!! Saturday night we all went to the Fitzgerald Theatre for Garrison Keillor's Prarie Home Companion. Everyone really enjoyed it even Dylan and Joey. Joey especially liked the sound affects guy! Dylan liked the music and Zac, like the rest of us, enjoyed everything. One of my favorite authors Alexander McCall Smith was a guest on the show. He is the author of the series of books The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I loved those stories and the HBO series based on the books was very good also.
The following pictures are of Gale Woods Farm, outside of Minneapolis. We were there
Thursday for a tract meet that nephew Zac was running in.
Thursday for a tract meet that nephew Zac was running in.
Edwin, Wade, Dylan, Becky and Joey waiting for the run to start. Yes Dylan and Joey are almost as tall as their Mom. Sweet Boys!!
This view is of the left side of the barn complex. This section has a dinning hall/conference room, book store, showers and lockers. Metal screened structure on the side is the chicken pen. Doors on the side of the main barn allow the chickens to go into for their roost and to get out of the cold weather in winter.
Giant pumpkin and gourd display in front entrance.
The sheep were housed on the right side of the center section, where the cattle are housed. Very nice barn. This farm is part of the park system, and is used for educational and recreational purposes by the community. Beautiful setting.
Picture of the Track teams lined up to start the 5K run. Zac did great and came in with the top 10 percent of the group. Not sure of the exact time but we were surprised they ran it so fast. They started coming in around 17 min. which I thought was really good. :)
Zac was on the far side in solid blue tank.Cheesecake Recipe From Janis
This cheesecake recipe was given to me by my dear friend and college room mate, Janis Vines. She passed away with cancer just before Tricia was born in 1982. I think of her often and especially during fall, her favorite time of year.
This cake has 3 layers. The crust or first layer has the consistency of a chocolate brownie, then the strawberry pie filling, and last the chocolate cream cheese layer. Oh my goodness it is sooo good. Great to make ahead and serve for dessert at a family get together or party during the holidays.
Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake
1/2 cup butter room temperature
4 1ounce squares of unsweetened baking chocolate
1 1/2 cup sugar for 1st layer
3/4 cup sugar for 2nd layer
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract divided
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sour cream
2 1 oz. semisweet choco. baking squares melted
1 cup canned strawberry pie filling
First Layer:
Preheat oven to 325.
Lightly grease 9" springform pan.
Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate squares in a 3 qt. heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool 5 min.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups sugar.
Add 2 eggs, 1 each time, stirring to blend well after each addition.
Add milk and 1 tsp vanilla
Add flour and salt, stirring until well blended. Spread mixture evenly into a lightly greased springform pan. Bake for 25 min. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on wire rack.
Second Layer:
Set oven to 300 degrees.
Melt semi sweet chocolate, stirring constantly, set aside.
Beat room temperature cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar, using mixer medium speed, until well blended. Add 1 tsp of vanilla, beating just until blended.
Add 3 eggs, 1 each time, beating just until blended after each egg.....(when the yellow blends add another)
Add sour cream and melted semi sweet chocolate, beating just until blended.
Now you are ready to assemble the cheesecake.
Spoon strawberry filling over chocolate cake layer and then layer chocolate and cream cheese mixture over pie filling.
Bake at 300 for 65 to 70 min. or until edges of cheesecake are set, (the center will not appear set)
Turn off the oven and let cheesecake stand in oven for 15 min. After 15 min. in the cooling oven, take the cheesecake out, run a knife around edge to loosen sides. Important to Cool completly on wire rack. Then cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 8 hours.....Serve with a dollop of whipped cream with a fresh strawberry on top or a teaspoon of pie filling.
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