The birthday girl at Halloween!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
Chichic's bored with her food
Chichi loves to sit in any water that she can find....a pool, a sink or a wheelbarrow. When she was little she ran right into a golf course pond when I called her to come to me. I thought she would run down the cart path but she took off and ran right into the pond. That was the first bath we ever gave her. She must have been 10 weeks old then. But that didn't scare her from getting in the water.
Here she is after getting out of the pool this week. She gets in a strange trance. She usually wants to get right back in the water.
This is Chichi on the evening of the chicken and dumplings.
Lately, Chichi has been turning her nose up at her regular food. I thought maybe she was feeling sickly and didn't want to eat and I would hold her bowl for her in case she didn't want to have to reach down into the bowl. Then I thought maybe she can't see too well and I put her food in a white bowl. Then I resorted to hand feeding her food to her!
One day I bought a rotissere chicken at the grocery store and chopped some up and put on the pugs dinner. Well, she RAN to her bowl in it's regular spot and never even thought about having me feed it to her.
Then on the evening of chicken and dumplings, she barked and barked and barked the whole time I was making them. I put some on the pugs' food and she RAN to her bowl to eat. So I am thinking that it's all an act and she is bored with her regular food.
I am working all weekend to meet some deadlines. The house cleaning lady is off for a few weeks and the house is yucky...I need to clean. I am about out of pictures, so I need to go somewhere soon so I'll have something to report.
Here she is after getting out of the pool this week. She gets in a strange trance. She usually wants to get right back in the water.
This is Chichi on the evening of the chicken and dumplings.
Lately, Chichi has been turning her nose up at her regular food. I thought maybe she was feeling sickly and didn't want to eat and I would hold her bowl for her in case she didn't want to have to reach down into the bowl. Then I thought maybe she can't see too well and I put her food in a white bowl. Then I resorted to hand feeding her food to her!
One day I bought a rotissere chicken at the grocery store and chopped some up and put on the pugs dinner. Well, she RAN to her bowl in it's regular spot and never even thought about having me feed it to her.
Then on the evening of chicken and dumplings, she barked and barked and barked the whole time I was making them. I put some on the pugs' food and she RAN to her bowl to eat. So I am thinking that it's all an act and she is bored with her regular food.
I am working all weekend to meet some deadlines. The house cleaning lady is off for a few weeks and the house is yucky...I need to clean. I am about out of pictures, so I need to go somewhere soon so I'll have something to report.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
chicken and dumplings
I made a BIG batch of chicken and dumplings today so that I would have some leftovers. It took me several times over the past year to get the recipe right. It was just letting the dumplings cook long enough. I wanted them to be ready in a shorter amount of time and it really takes about an hour or longer for them to simmer/slow boil to get thicker.
I start off with the big package of chicken thighs. I like the dark meat. I pull the skin off before I put them in the pot of boiling water. I let the water come back to a boil after I put them in and then turn the heat down to about medium and let the chicken boil for 20 minutes or so and then turn off the stove and let them sit for 10 minutes. Then I take out the chicken and put it on a plate to let it cool off. I dump out the the dirty chicken water. I know some people make their chicken and dumplings using this chicken stock or whatever, but it grosses me out to see the junk floating in it. Chicken and Dumplings will be referred to C&D from here on in this presentation.
I then put fresh water in the big pot about half way up or a little more for a big batch of C&D. I put in two big tablespoons and maybe a little more of this chicken paste stuff. I let the water come to a boil again and boil for five minutes.
These are the dumplings that I use. I use two packages when I make a BIG pot. They are made locally but are sold throughout the southeast, I think. You can find dumplings in the frozen department at the grocery store. I think you can also use refrigerated biscuit dough by cutting the biscuits into smaller pieces and dropping them into the boiling water. I have not made C&D using biscuits but it sounds good.
Here I am showing you the address where the dumplings are made. In Bagdad, Fl. When I had to do some work in Milton, Fl, I would drive through Bagdad to get there. It's one of those little towns that is so southern and the old houses and the moss in the trees...so very pretty and small. I remember seeing the little storefront and the picture of the pot boiling and something about dumplings and I remember thinking what a nice job that would be to make dumplings all day long.
These dumplings are flat and they need to stay frozen solid until you are about to put them in the pot, so don't take them out and let them defrost for any amount of time. If they start to thaw, they will stick together and then you have a MESS, a big mess. I take one strip at a time and break it into three or four pieces. They expand as they cook so they get bigger.
This is what they look like as they cook. I let them cook for about an hour and keep an eye on them because they will stick to the bottom if left alone too long. I turn the heat down and let them simmer for the last 30 minutes. It takes a while for them to expand and to make the broth thick.
While I'm cooking the dumplings, I pull the chicken off the bone and take the fat and veins out of the meat. Then I cut or pull the meat apart in to smaller pieces. I add it to the dumplings about 10 minutes before ready to eat. I usually turn the heat all the way off and let the C&D sit for a while to cool off.
This is the finished product. I don't use salt or pepper in mine but I'm sure it would be fine. The husband LOVES these. There are different versions and some have vegetables in them and he will not eat those. He will only eat these that have no color to them. I then put the leftovers in plastic bags and freeze them or give away to the parents if I'm going their way.
Be sure to tune in tomorrow as I tell y'all how bad Chichi acted today while the C&D was cooking and the rest of the evening as she could not get the chicken out of her head!
I start off with the big package of chicken thighs. I like the dark meat. I pull the skin off before I put them in the pot of boiling water. I let the water come back to a boil after I put them in and then turn the heat down to about medium and let the chicken boil for 20 minutes or so and then turn off the stove and let them sit for 10 minutes. Then I take out the chicken and put it on a plate to let it cool off. I dump out the the dirty chicken water. I know some people make their chicken and dumplings using this chicken stock or whatever, but it grosses me out to see the junk floating in it. Chicken and Dumplings will be referred to C&D from here on in this presentation.
I then put fresh water in the big pot about half way up or a little more for a big batch of C&D. I put in two big tablespoons and maybe a little more of this chicken paste stuff. I let the water come to a boil again and boil for five minutes.
These are the dumplings that I use. I use two packages when I make a BIG pot. They are made locally but are sold throughout the southeast, I think. You can find dumplings in the frozen department at the grocery store. I think you can also use refrigerated biscuit dough by cutting the biscuits into smaller pieces and dropping them into the boiling water. I have not made C&D using biscuits but it sounds good.
Here I am showing you the address where the dumplings are made. In Bagdad, Fl. When I had to do some work in Milton, Fl, I would drive through Bagdad to get there. It's one of those little towns that is so southern and the old houses and the moss in the trees...so very pretty and small. I remember seeing the little storefront and the picture of the pot boiling and something about dumplings and I remember thinking what a nice job that would be to make dumplings all day long.
These dumplings are flat and they need to stay frozen solid until you are about to put them in the pot, so don't take them out and let them defrost for any amount of time. If they start to thaw, they will stick together and then you have a MESS, a big mess. I take one strip at a time and break it into three or four pieces. They expand as they cook so they get bigger.
This is what they look like as they cook. I let them cook for about an hour and keep an eye on them because they will stick to the bottom if left alone too long. I turn the heat down and let them simmer for the last 30 minutes. It takes a while for them to expand and to make the broth thick.
While I'm cooking the dumplings, I pull the chicken off the bone and take the fat and veins out of the meat. Then I cut or pull the meat apart in to smaller pieces. I add it to the dumplings about 10 minutes before ready to eat. I usually turn the heat all the way off and let the C&D sit for a while to cool off.
This is the finished product. I don't use salt or pepper in mine but I'm sure it would be fine. The husband LOVES these. There are different versions and some have vegetables in them and he will not eat those. He will only eat these that have no color to them. I then put the leftovers in plastic bags and freeze them or give away to the parents if I'm going their way.
Be sure to tune in tomorrow as I tell y'all how bad Chichi acted today while the C&D was cooking and the rest of the evening as she could not get the chicken out of her head!
blueberry pastry
I was going to show you my new stove, but first I have to show you what I made the day I got the stove.
Mama and daddy have been going early mornings to a farm and picking blueberries. So there are plenty of blueberries to use. I saw a recipe for a blueberry pastry somewhere and I could not find it anywhere...don't know if I saw it in a magazine or on TV or on someone blogs, but I remembered that it was made with some kind of refrigerated bread dough and cream cheese and blueberries. So I made this up.
First I had to break-in the new oven by turning it on 400 degrees for 30 minutes to burn off the new smell or whatever it does....it smelled bad.
This I took a can of crescent roll dough and flattened it out and pinch the seams together. I cut down each side of the pastry dough horizontally to make little "tabs" on each side. (I forgot to get a picture of this). Then mixed up one 8 oz package of softened cream cheese and half a cup of sugar and three little drops of vanilla extract with a mixer. Then spoon the cream cheese mixter down the center of the pastry dough avoiding the cut tabs. Then place blueberries on the top of the pastry dough. I used a lot of blueberries.
Then fold the tabs across the middle kind of making them go downward and touch each other. But it's not necessary that they touch each other.
I then melted some butter and brushed over the top.
I baked it at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. You can tell when it's done.
It was so good. The husband ate more than I did (for once.)
Would y'all like to see how I make chicken and dumplings? Let me know...it won't hurt my feelings if you don't. But I'm making them today and can take pictures if you'd like.
Also, does anyone have headaches that when you move your jaw, it makes cracking sounds in your head? I get these sometimes and Advil usually makes them go away. But I had it bad yesterday. Is is tention or sinus or something else?
Mama and daddy have been going early mornings to a farm and picking blueberries. So there are plenty of blueberries to use. I saw a recipe for a blueberry pastry somewhere and I could not find it anywhere...don't know if I saw it in a magazine or on TV or on someone blogs, but I remembered that it was made with some kind of refrigerated bread dough and cream cheese and blueberries. So I made this up.
First I had to break-in the new oven by turning it on 400 degrees for 30 minutes to burn off the new smell or whatever it does....it smelled bad.
This I took a can of crescent roll dough and flattened it out and pinch the seams together. I cut down each side of the pastry dough horizontally to make little "tabs" on each side. (I forgot to get a picture of this). Then mixed up one 8 oz package of softened cream cheese and half a cup of sugar and three little drops of vanilla extract with a mixer. Then spoon the cream cheese mixter down the center of the pastry dough avoiding the cut tabs. Then place blueberries on the top of the pastry dough. I used a lot of blueberries.
Then fold the tabs across the middle kind of making them go downward and touch each other. But it's not necessary that they touch each other.
I then melted some butter and brushed over the top.
I baked it at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. You can tell when it's done.
It was so good. The husband ate more than I did (for once.)
Would y'all like to see how I make chicken and dumplings? Let me know...it won't hurt my feelings if you don't. But I'm making them today and can take pictures if you'd like.
Also, does anyone have headaches that when you move your jaw, it makes cracking sounds in your head? I get these sometimes and Advil usually makes them go away. But I had it bad yesterday. Is is tention or sinus or something else?
Monday, June 18, 2007
eight good old memories
Sandi at Whistlestop Cafe Cooking tagged me to list eight weird things about myself but I have modified it to be eight memories of when I was little.
1. I remember when traveling between Alabama and Florida when we were little kids, we would stop at the rest area on the Florida side, they would give you a paper cup with orange juice. We thought that was the best thing ever.
2. When I was little our grandmother would go on vacation with us to the beach in the summertime. I remember going to Panama City Beach when I was real young and there was a snowcone hut and my grandmother would always want to get one and she would get tutti fruiti flavor.
3. When were were in the junior high school time frame, we would go to the beach at Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Perdido Key area and stay in a cabin on the beach. This was back in the 70s and the houses were far apart and not many condos at all back then. Maybe one or two on the whole stretch of beach. The fun thing to do was go to Genie's convenience store at the corner of Highway 59 and the beach road in Gulf Shores. We couldn't wait for the day that mama and daddy took us there to get boiled peanuts and penny candy and comic books. We could catch crabs and make friends along the beach with other kids on vacation and dig in the sand. There were no video games and cell phones or cable tv or outlet malls. It was the good old days.
4. When we were little and would go see our grandparents in Atlanta, the first thing we would do is rush out to the garage and look in the refrigerator they had out there to see what kind of drinks they had in it. They always had chocolate milk and we loved it. Our grandmother in Atlanta would get a chocolate cake at Rich's department store bakery and the box would be sitting on the counter. Always a treat.
5. I do believe that my parents sometimes kept the Little Debbies in the trunk of the car because I would eat them all real quick. Sometimes I still dream about the cabinet in the kitchen where they were kept when I was growing up. Did I ever mention that Little Debbie is not my friend? My grandmother usually kept Little Debbie Nutty bars at her house.
6. When we were real little and would go visit our grandparents in Atlanta, there was a portrait of our granddaddy hanging in the room where we would sleep. It would constantly be looking at you no matter where you went in that room.
7. There was a tv room in the grandparents house and granddaddy always kept little peanut butter old fashioned candy in a drawer in there. I wonder if he was amazed that there was none there after our visit was over?
8. Our grandmother did not have central air in her house. She had three wall air conditioners. We would be so hot outside playing, we'd come in and stand in front of the air conditioner and it was so cold. I miss her old house.
1. I remember when traveling between Alabama and Florida when we were little kids, we would stop at the rest area on the Florida side, they would give you a paper cup with orange juice. We thought that was the best thing ever.
2. When I was little our grandmother would go on vacation with us to the beach in the summertime. I remember going to Panama City Beach when I was real young and there was a snowcone hut and my grandmother would always want to get one and she would get tutti fruiti flavor.
3. When were were in the junior high school time frame, we would go to the beach at Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Perdido Key area and stay in a cabin on the beach. This was back in the 70s and the houses were far apart and not many condos at all back then. Maybe one or two on the whole stretch of beach. The fun thing to do was go to Genie's convenience store at the corner of Highway 59 and the beach road in Gulf Shores. We couldn't wait for the day that mama and daddy took us there to get boiled peanuts and penny candy and comic books. We could catch crabs and make friends along the beach with other kids on vacation and dig in the sand. There were no video games and cell phones or cable tv or outlet malls. It was the good old days.
4. When we were little and would go see our grandparents in Atlanta, the first thing we would do is rush out to the garage and look in the refrigerator they had out there to see what kind of drinks they had in it. They always had chocolate milk and we loved it. Our grandmother in Atlanta would get a chocolate cake at Rich's department store bakery and the box would be sitting on the counter. Always a treat.
5. I do believe that my parents sometimes kept the Little Debbies in the trunk of the car because I would eat them all real quick. Sometimes I still dream about the cabinet in the kitchen where they were kept when I was growing up. Did I ever mention that Little Debbie is not my friend? My grandmother usually kept Little Debbie Nutty bars at her house.
6. When we were real little and would go visit our grandparents in Atlanta, there was a portrait of our granddaddy hanging in the room where we would sleep. It would constantly be looking at you no matter where you went in that room.
7. There was a tv room in the grandparents house and granddaddy always kept little peanut butter old fashioned candy in a drawer in there. I wonder if he was amazed that there was none there after our visit was over?
8. Our grandmother did not have central air in her house. She had three wall air conditioners. We would be so hot outside playing, we'd come in and stand in front of the air conditioner and it was so cold. I miss her old house.
Aunt Sue and I went to the parents' on Saturday to see daddy for father's day. We took them to Wolf Bay Lodge for lunch. I forgot to take a picture of the food. They have THE BEST seafood here. This place sits back off the beaten path on a waterway. It looks like an old club for a campsite. We've been going here since I was in high school when we would come down here on vacation. I think the prices have doubled in 20 years.
Here is the handbag and jewelry warehouse. We stopped here after lunch but didn't buy anything. It's just rows and rows of jewelry and handbags!
Here's daddy at Wolf Bay on the way out.
The waterway beside the restaurant.
Delivery this morning from Lowe's of the new stove. Almost the cheapest one they had and probably the ugliest new stove I've ever seen! Why do ugly and cheap go together? Husband and I moved the old stove away from the wall last night to clean out any devils that might have died back there but I'm happy to report there were no devils under there....just several doggy treats and dusty dirt.
Here is the handbag and jewelry warehouse. We stopped here after lunch but didn't buy anything. It's just rows and rows of jewelry and handbags!
Here's daddy at Wolf Bay on the way out.
The waterway beside the restaurant.
Delivery this morning from Lowe's of the new stove. Almost the cheapest one they had and probably the ugliest new stove I've ever seen! Why do ugly and cheap go together? Husband and I moved the old stove away from the wall last night to clean out any devils that might have died back there but I'm happy to report there were no devils under there....just several doggy treats and dusty dirt.
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