Nancy Thayer

       

I found Nancy Thayer a year or so ago.  And by found, I mean I saw her go across my desk at the library enough times and then checked out one of her books.  That is something I really miss about not working regularly.  I don't "find" new authors.  Or at least, new to me.

I loved the book and just checked out two more.  It was raining all day yesterday, so I just vegged out and read.  In reality, it was important to finish these two books, for several reasons.  They are hardback and therefore hurt my hand to hold and will not fit in my purse for travel.  Plus, I currently have 24, yes, 24 books on hold for me at the library.  So gotta get 'em done so I can go check out more.  They will lose patience with me soon and send them back!

Nancy Thayer writes what I call women's fiction.  They are stories about family relationships.  They frequently are messy and hurtful and funny and touching.  Just like real families.  Or at least MY family. 

In Summer House, the 90 year old grandmother is getting help with her dressing.  "There her heavy breast were, pooling into their cups like a pair of vanilla puddings.  What pleasure they had given her all her life!  She patted them gratefully.  'Good girls,' she said"  Love it.

Later in the book  a new character is introduced as the new wife of the youngest, ne'er do well son.  She is a young, obviously pregnant girl with wildly colored hair and multiple piercings. 

" 'My dear.'  She studied the pregnant woman's face.  'You are having Teddy's child.'

Staring at the floor, Suzette said, 'Well, maybe.' "

Love it!  Family drama!  Then comes the part about acceptance and love and family dynamics. 

Her stories take place on Nantucket, a place I've never been.  After reading a few of her books, it is a place I will put on my "bucket list."

Here is a quote from Dorothy Benton Frank.  She is another author I adore and is a go-to read for me whenever she writes a new book.  Even if it is in hardback.  "Thayer's sense of place is powerful, and her words are hung together the way my grandmother used to tat lace."  And that is why I will go to Nantucket.  And Dorothy Benton Frank is why I will go to the Low Country off the coast of South Carolina.  Someday.

 

 

   

I also read Beachcombers and loved that, too.  Now I have to do some research and see what books I missed and request them.  But not until I finish the ones waiting for me at the library already.  But what if I forget to look and order them after that?  OK. Order one and then when it comes you will remember to order more.  Good idea.  Is there a twelve step program for this???

Tha Last Of The Christmas Cards

I made a few more cards for the class I am going to be giving in the Fincastle Library.  I have some simple and basic cards I did early and posted online.  I wanted to do a few more to make them a little more elaborate.  My theory is that there may be a few people that do a lot of crafts and will be faster than others.  They may want the choice to use a few embellishments to make their cards a bit different from all the others.  This way, each card can be different from the others and there won't be a bunch of the same thing.

I have a lot of craft scissors and corner punches that make the card interesting.  Especially if there is a bit of color underneath to show through.

   

I have a love of colored ribbon for fun and interest without a lot of work.  Glue is a big help.  Here is a hint.  Glue on more than you need.  Then turn it over and trim after the glue is dry.  This way you don't have to cut the exact length and it will fit perfectly.

 

   

 

I wrapped some scrap card stock with scrap Christmas paper and ribbons.  I wanted to be more 3D, but worried it would get smashed in the card and would be unable to be mailed.

So, now I have the ideas for the class.  Now I need to book a time and get the word out.  Then I have to figure out all the supplies for each participant and then add extra for the inevitable  mistakes.  I need an assistant!

Mountain Magic in Fall 2012

   

 

    

Well, it's that time again.  Once again, Buchanan is hosting a Fall celebration right through the center of downtown.  Granted there is not much more to the town than right through the center, but they do a pretty good job for a small town. 

   

The main street is blocked off and all the merchants have something going. 

   

Each year we have more and more vendors and more visitors, based on my perusal of the parking situation.

   

There is a car show for a couple of blocks.  From classic cars to muscle cars to hot rods.  Oh, and an old fire truck.

   

There is a lot of jewelry and wooden crafts.  The antique stores put out a few things, but you really need to go inside to see all that is for sale.

   

They have Bluegrass music with different bands throughout the day.  And these aren't garage bands, but real bands with good music.

   

But, if you are like me, then it is the totally forbidden junk food that is the biggest attraction.  You guessed it FUNNEL CAKES.  These were the best I've had.  I am a purist.  Gotta be just out of the fryer.  They have to have a light dusting of powdered sugar so they are crispy, not smothered and soggy.  Yum.

   

Of course we had some lemonade for our fruit....and kettle corn for our vegetable.

We both had a hot dog, but didn't slow down long enough for a picture. That was the healthy entree.  Hey!  Mine had pickle relish (veg) and coleslaw (more veg).  I would have had onions (veg) but they were out.  Thereby making a hot dog merely a vessel for lots of delicious veggies.

Then we walked up and down the WHOLE street.  That was at least 3 or 4 blocks.  Up and back.  So that was our exercise.  All in all, a great day.

   

 

As long as you don't count the fact that I am feeling a little queasy.  Can't even finish my half of the funnel cake...Better go lie down...the other part of our healthy day...plenty of rest.

   

 

And we left our vicious attack cat to watch over our kitchen while we were gone.  How he got his fat self up there is anyone's guess.

     

Kipling House Quiche

   

This summer we all went to Lee's hometown of Escanaba, Michigan.  He hadn't been back since his college days. He met cousins that he had last seen when they were children and now they are grandparents!  Lee found a really great Bed and Breakfast in the nearby town of Kipling on the Internet and we all stayed there.  It was the Kipling House

The breakfasts were wonderful and I particularly liked the quiche we had there.  It was taller and silkier than any quiche I have ever had.  Meghan, the innkeeper  ( www.kiplinghouse.com ), was gracious enough to share her recipe.  Mine didn't turn out as fabulous as hers, even though it was wonderful.  The top got a little too brown.  Next time I make it I will lower the temperature a bit.  My oven is kind of wonky, that is a technical term, and the temperature can vary by a LOT.  So I will suggest 335 for the temperature, particularly if you have a wonky oven..

Kipling House Quiche

1 Pre-made Pie Crust
8 to 10 pieces pre-cooked bacon
5 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
10 eggs
4 - 5 cups of half and half  It seems like a lot, but this serves a lot!
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

You will need a spring form pan.  This CANNOT fit in a regular pie pan!!!

 

    

 

Take the pie crust out of the box and let it rest and warm up a bit on the counter while you get out all the ingredients.  Pre-heat the oven to 335.  Spray the tightly closed pan with Pam.  Set aside.

Put the pre-cooked bacon on a plate and microwave for about 2 minutes to get it crispy.  Drain on a paper towel.

I used a rolling pin to make the crust a wee bit bigger.  Don't go crazy or it will tear.  I folded mine into fourths and then placed it with the point in the center.  Or you can just take the crust from the package and center it in the pan.  Use your fingers to smooth the wrinkles and make the whole thing fit tight to the inside of the pan.

   

Place the bacon strips to cover the bottom of the pan and cover them with the Swiss cheese.

   

I used a blender to mix the rest of the ingredients.

   

 Here is a hint for you.  I sometimes lose track of how many eggs I have put in things...phone ringing, cats bothering....  So I suggest putting the egg shells in the sink.  You can always come back and count them.  It is easier than trying to figure how many broken yolks make one egg!

   

I could only fit in 4 cups of half and half in my blender. 

   
   
After blending I poured a bit more half and half into the blender and then poured the whole thing, carefully, over the Swiss cheese.
   
   

Bake for 1 hour in the oven.  I put mine in at 350 but the top got a little too cooked so that is why I am telling you 335 for the temperature.  Don't blame Meghan, she suggested 335 to 350 and I should have gone with the lower temperature.  After 1 hour, turn off the oven and open the door for about 10 minutes.  Then put the quiche on the counter to cool for about 20 more minutes.  It needs time to set up.

   

Use a plastic knife or spatula to loosen the edges from the pan.  Gently release the spring and lift it off.  I cut the quiche right on the bottom of the pan and lifted the generous slices to the plates.

I made this for a dinner so it was served with a salad.  It was creamy and delicious, but Meghan's was better!

 

 

   

 

Pub Grub

   

I have one more recipe from our pub crawl.  OK.  Two pubs in Nottingham and one pub in London.  That is a crawl for US.  The brew pub is Nottingham had a recipe book that espoused the opinion that if a recipe called for liquid, you could pretty much always replace it with beer.  I'd hate to see that done in a custard, but it worked for the Hefeweizen Beer Bread so I thought to try it with, wait for it...

Beer Braised Sausages and Garlic Mashed with Peas and Carrots

Sausages
Onions
Olive Oil
Pilsner

First of all, I didn't know what a pilsner is, so I used my trusty cell phone to search while at the store.  I was informed it was a pale lager.  We were at the Fresh market to get some fresh made sausages so we made up our own six pack and got the brew for two different meals.

   

We bought 3 sausages because I couldn't decide between them.  Two were chicken with Granny Smith apples. The other one was turkey with wine and garlic.  See?  We couldn't decide either!  They were very soft and fragile so if you get fresh ones handle them gently.

   

Heat some OO in a cast iron pan.  Brown the sausages on all sides and set them aside.

   

Cut up a half of an onion for every person, so we used a whole one.  I cut it in half and then thinly sliced it. The onions went in the hot pan and cooked until they were caramelized. Start heating the oven just before the onions are done.  It needs to be at 315 degrees.

   

Return the sausage to the pan with the onions and cover them with beer.  It took about 1 and 1/2 bottles, but if I had more sausages, I probably could have gotten away with 1 bottle.  But then I wouldn't have had an open bottle that must be consumed or wasted, so that all worked out for me.  I popped it in the fridge until everything was cooked and made a shandy with some Sprite Zero.  A shandy with pub grub sounded good to me.

Put the sausages in the heated oven for 2 hours.  Go take a rest. 

Garlic Mashed with Peas and Carrots

Potatoes  We used 3 medium sized Yukon Gold, but Russets would also do.
Garlic
sour cream
butter
milk
s & p

carrots
peas

   

After one hour come back and make up the garlic for the mashed potatoes. Take a whole garlic and peel off all the loose "paper". Cut off the top and place it in the middle of enough foil to cover the whole thing. Drizzle olive oil over the top and season with s & p. Seal the foil and pop it in the oven with the sausages for the last hour. Go take another rest. This is hard work.

When there is only 30 minutes left for the sausages, start the potatoes.  Peel and cut them into cubes for faster cooking.  Cover them with water and bring to a slow boil.  Keep an eye on them so they don't boil over and also so they don't get over cooked.  Every once in awhile, pick one up with a spoon and cut it with a sharp knife.  When it cuts easily, you are done.  Drain and place in a large bowl.

   

After you start the potatoes, start the carrots.  I just used a steamer over a bit of water and heated it to a boil.  Put a handful of baby carrots in the steamer and cover with a lid.  When they are mostly done, add another handful of frozen peas. When done remove the strainer and dump everything in a serving dish.  Add a bit of butter.

Remove the garlic from the oven.  Let it cool a bit.  Then peel back the foil and squeeze all the garlic on top of your potatoes and start mashing.  A ricer will give you mashed potatoes with no lumps, but it is a pain to clean, so I just mashed away and decided to embrace the lumps.  I put in a hunk of butter and a dollop of sour cream.  Add s & p and mash some more.  Then add a bit of milk and keep mashing.  Keep adding SMALL amounts of milk until the proper consistency.  Don't go crazy with the milk or it will get soupy.

   

To serve, place a circle of mashed potatoes in the middle of the plate.  Put a serving of the peas and carrots on top of the mashed potatoes.  Then top everything with the sausages and spoon some of the onions with a bit of the reduced beer/sauce.  Because there were two of us and three sausages, I cut them in half before serving.  That way be both got to taste each type of sausage.

   

I somehow managed to make some really excellent Pub Grub.  Perhaps I will start a Pub instead of a B&B!

I decided to use the Hefeweizen banana bread for a dessert.  One slice covered in sliced strawberries with a dollop of Cool Whip may not be traditional Pub Grub, but it was delicious.

 

 

  

 

Hefeweizen Banana Bread

       
When we are in England we like to try out different pubs. At one of them there were books and games to entertain you while you consumed adult beverages.  I found a couple of recipes that looked worth trying.  I copied them down and I am going try them out.  The first one was for banana bread made with Hefeweizen, or wheat beer.

Hefeweizen Banana Bread

2 ripe bananas
1/2 stick butter
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 white flour
3/4 cup Hefeweizen

1 teaspoon salt*

Topping

sliced almonds
brown sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350.  Spray a bread pan with Pam.

   

Mash the bananas in a large bowl with a fork. 


   
Stir in the melted butter and the sour cream.  Add the eggs and mix well.

   

I used some whole wheat flour to increase the healthy aspect, but it made the bread rather more dense than I am used to.  Feel free to use all white flour and embrace the less healthy!  Add in both flours, or 2 1/2 cups of all white flour.

Add the beer and mix until incorporated.  Drink the left over!

*The recipe I copied did not use salt.  After tasting it I think it needs some salt so I put it at the end of the recipe.  Next time I would add the salt.  If salt is an issue for you leave it out, if not, put it in. 

   

Scrape the batter into the bread pan.  Sprinkle the top with sliced almonds and brown sugar.  Pat it down.  This makes for a nice crusty top and adds an extra touch of sweetness.

Just before you put the bread in the oven, turn it down to 325 and cook for 40 minutes.  Turn the pan and lower the oven again to 315 for 45 minutes.

   

Cool for 10 minutes.  Using a plastic tool, loosen the edges and then turn out onto a cooling rack.  Some of the top will be lost, but that is why you patted it down!

 

It is great after cooling another 30 minutes.  I love the first warm slice with a bit of melty butter!

 

 

 

    

Easy Peasy (Lee Is Sneezy) Chicken Soup

   

Actually Lee is past the sneezy part of his cold.  I wanted to make him some soup, but life interfered so I made it last night in the hopes that it will finish off the cold that has been lingering since our trip to England.

This soup is fast and easy and has just salt and pepper for seasoning.  You don't want fancy when you have a cold!  If you keep chicken broth in the pantry and some frozen chicken breasts you can make this at a drop of the hat...or at the first sneeze!

Easy Peasy Chicken Soup 

(I'm leaving out the Lee part because you may wish to make this for someone other than my husband.)

Olive Oil
1/2 cup diced onions
1/3 cup brown rice
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
salt and pepper
2 cans 14.5 oz. chicken broth (about 4 cups)
1 cup chopped, cooked chicken breasts, approximately
1 or 2 stalks celery
10-15 mini carrots, or 2 whole carrots
1/2 cup frozen peas

Heat the OO over medium heat in a large sauce pan.  add the chopped onions and the rice.  Cook until the onions soften and add the garlic.

   

Season with the salt and pepper. Remember the broth is salty, so be careful. Add the broth and bring to a boil.

   

While you are waiting for the soup to boil,  get the frozen chicken strips from the freezer and take out a handful.  I like to put them on a plate and run them through the microwave for about 40 seconds.  This makes them easier to chop.  Chop them breasts into bite sizes and drop them into the broth.  Stir.  When it boils reduce it to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  I used this time to clean the board and cut up some fruit.

   

Slice the celery and chop the carrots on the now clean cutting board.  Put them in the soup, stir and cook for 15 minutes more.  Add the frozen peas, stir and cook for 5 minutes.

   

The part that takes the longest in this soup is the rice.  Crunchy rice is not good. So before you serve the soup take a spoon and taste the rice.  As soon as it is the consistency you like, the soup is done.  If you want a super fast soup, leave out the rice and just cook until the carrots are soft enough to suit you, about 15 minutes.