This moment: A red sky, blue muffins kinda mornin'

Whoppin' Big Wild Blueberry Muffins with streusel topping AND icing. Breakfast anyone? I had a banana peach smoothie myself, but no worries, I'll be having a blueberry muffin mañana! My recipe was found in Martha Stewart Living Annual Recipes 2003, but here it is online. (I used wild blueberries for the fruit; regular all purpose flour, and 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in the batter. Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Recipe makes 12 regular or 6 whoppin' big muffins.)

Thought it was "Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning!"?
So far so good today...it's GORGEOUS here in western Kentucky!

Thanks to Soulemama for this Friday photo sharing concept. Would love for you to leave a link to your moment!

On my mind: Doing vs. wish I were doing

Wish I were out bike riding, like this quintessential bike guy I captured a shot of the day we were coming home from the fair and our trip to Ohio. 

Making pizza is what I've been doing instead. Cool enough inside the house that my pizza dough didn't rise, so it ended up being a thin crust pizza. Forgot to buy any mozzarella, so I used Asiago and Parmesan cheeses instead.

This is what I wished I were eating at lunch. Mushrooms, red onions and pepperoni on three quarters of the pizza; plain pepperoni (for DD) on the rest. Olive oil drizzled on top.

   Tomato, cottage cheese and watermelon are what I ended up eating instead.  Hubby and DD must've liked the crust...only two pieces left. Cheat day is Saturday--can't wait!
   I'll go see now if the other half of that pizza dough has risen. Hope so, I'd like to try making some hot dog buns out of it. Guess the bike riding will have to wait for another gorgeous, breezy day. What's your doing vs. wish you were doing?
   Thanks, Rhonda at down-to-earth, for sharing this On My Mind concept. What's on your mind today? Share your link here or on down-to-earth. 

Gotta love a quick pasta salad

Hellman's Macaroni Salad: my go-to when I really want potato salad but there aren't any potatoes on hand!

Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Vegetable Frittata

Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Vegetable Frittata, adapted slightly. I modified the olive oil usage only 'cause I failed to read the recipe before roasting the veggies! Still turned out great, tho' I used less oil than the original recipe called for. For the Contessa's original recipe, check out Sidewalk Shoes' blog.

Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Vegetable Frittata was my lazy day choice. Taken from her book I love, love, LOVE: "How Easy Is That?," her frittata was as advertised...soo easy. Her original recipe using 12 extra-large eggs halved easily...soo yummy.
   I have yet to make a recipe of Ina Garten's that wasn't easily adapted to what's on hand yet still better than anything I usually come up with myself to use up "what's on hand."

Roasted Vegetable Frittata
1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch slices--halved (aiming for bite-sized pieces)
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and 1 1/2 inch dice
1/2 red onion, 1 1/2 inch dice
good olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 tsp. Goya Adobo All Purpose Saffron Seasoning (I'm just trying to use up the seasoned salts I have on hand. Contessa uses kosher salt)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
6 large eggs
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1 green onion, diced (note that I didn't roast these)
1/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese
--To use less energy, I roasted the veggies in the toaster oven @ 425°F for 15 minutes; added the garlic and baked for 10 more minutes.
--Then I preheated the big oven to 350°F.
--In a medium bowl, whisked the eggs, half-and-half, Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
--Popped my 10-inch iron skillet into the heating oven with the butter in it. Once the butter melted, I added the roasted veggies and the green onions to the skillet, drizzled it with olive oil then popped it back into the oven for a couple of minutes. Pulled it out just long enough to pour the egg mixture over the veggie mixture, then popped it right back into the oven for 20 minutes, until the frittata was nice and puffed up. Then added the Gruyère to the top, drizzled with a bit more olive oil and baked for another 3 minutes until the cheese was melted. Serve hot.

   Because I didn't have to cook yesterday, being at Mom & Dad's, I had to make today my Meatless Monday. So, this frittata was my meatless supper. Had a green salad for lunch. Baked a loaf of banana bread today too. Thought I'd already shared my favorite banana bread recipe, so I didn't bother to take a pic, but I couldn't find that recipe on this blog just now when I searched. Must share it one of these days, 'cause we love it!
    REALLY need to come up with some easy recipes that don't involve eggs for Meatless Mondays. Any ideas for me??

Longstanding love affair with Lincoln Boyhood Park

Lincoln Boyhood Living Historical Farm. This recreated log cabin is only one square foot larger than the one President Lincoln lived in as a boy in Indiana. The pegs jutting out of the wall to the left of the fireplace are steps up to the attic. Abe and his brothers climbed such steps to their beds each night.

Having visited many times since I was a little kid, I'd always called this place Lincoln State Park, but evidently the Lincoln Boyhood Living Historical Farm is a National Park.

This seasonal ranger said the shoes were made to be worn on either the right or left foot and that, back in the day, shoes were rotated from foot to foot, so that if something happened to one, a single shoe could be bought to replace it. Now, how frugal is that!?

LOVE these pegged shutters! Having finished installing my folks' new replacement windows, Hubby priced vinyl window shutters for them yesterday @ around $45 to $55 per pair. For some reason I couldn't convince him that he should make some pegged shutters instead. ;)

Lawn darts anyone? I managed to land only one of these corncob/turkey feather darts in the hoop lying on the ground by the tree.

How's that for a sturdy chicken yard fence? One of the rangers said that the eggs are the ONLY thing produced on the farm that they are able to share and take home at the end of the day, but I got the impression that eggs get wasted, because the workers can only use so many. *sigh*

Located in the memorial center, this may well be the largest braided rug I'll ever see.

Recent purchases of the truck and dishwasher really dipped in the till, so "brown bagging" lunch was the money-saving choice on this day's excursion. I keep forgetting to put some picnic flatware in our day cooler. We keep some plastic utensils in the cooler's side pocket and have washed and re-used them for ages.

"Labor is the great source from which nearly all if not all human comforts and necessities are drawn." Abe Lincoln

   On that note, time for me to go labor a little...laundry and ripe bananas are awaitin'! What labors await you today? Necessities or comforts?

Ten on Ten: Around and about on September 10

Thanks to A Bit of Sunshine for this Ten on Ten Photo Project. This September 10, 2011, I will attempt to capture some element of our lives at the top of every hour. I will add photos throughout the day...might need to refresh the page if you visit again to see all ten photos.

Six O'Clockish: My first view of the day, taken out the master bathroom window. See me?

Seven O'Clock-ish: After having drunk my banana breakfast smoothie and read the morning paper, it's time to "put on my face." Back in the master bath, I notice this plant might need water.

Eight O'Clockish: Came out back to let the dog out of her pen for the day. Love it that the wisteria is still in bloom. I'm on the computer now...looking forward to checking out any comments left on yesterday's post.

Nine O'Clock-ish: Time to stir my Amish Friendship Bread starter. Found the recipe in a library book I'm reading: The Amish cook: Recollections and Recipes from an Old Order Amish Family.

Ten O'Clock-ish: Okay, I confess to taking this pic just 'cause I like taking pictures of food! Made my Aunt S's Chocolate Raspberry Brownies--a recipe out of the family cookbook--for the first time yesterday. Essentially just a brownie with layers of raspberry jam and chocolate glaze spread on top. Hope I can make myself wait 'til lunch to eat this!

Eleven O'Clock-ish: I almost let eleven slide by without taking a photo. Here's our first pumpkin from garden 2011!

Twelve O'Clock-ish: DD came over for lunch. (Hubby's in town.) Thought it funny that the two phones were on the table. Mine's usually in the other room, but DD always has hers near to her. As it's cheat day, I'm finally having a slice of that Yeast Corn Bread Loaf. Will definitely be making that again! My favorite chicken salad's on the bread: add 1 cup Miracle Whip, 1/2 cup Marzetti Slaw Dressing and roasted pecans to 2-3 cups leftover chicken. Yum!

One O'Clock-ish: See, I haven't killed the new plants yet...these at least. The ones planted in the dirt haven't fared quite so well. About this front yard view: just out of the frame is a neighbor's new garage going up across the street. Our backyard view is pretty much the same in that it looks very rural straight out, but there's a neighbor's yard just out of the frame of the pic taken at six o'clock.

Three O'Clock-ish: Feels like I just sat down yet here it is time to take another pic! So, here's my view from the couch...always a ton of library books sitting around just waiting for me to get off the durned computer! ;)

Four O'Clock-ish: Mark's post on encroaching water over on Our Simple Lives has me thinking "preparedness" yet again. As DD does not have room to store much water at their place, I need to rethink the amount of water we keep on hand here. This pic was taken out in the attached garage. Though I see it all the time, this is the first time in a long time that I've actually noticed this old tabletop. Always meant to do something with it! Wish everyone a safe and happy 10 on 10!!

   Please feel free to leave a link to your own Ten on Ten...or to whatever else you'd care to share!

On my mind: Family recipes, yard sales and homemade yogurt

Reading a book about stories of family recipes reminded me that I have a cookbook compiled by folks on my dad's side. Seemed the perfect time to recreate my beloved Aunt K's yummy eggplant casserole. Full of buttery goodness (recipe below), this casserole takes me back to the Thanksgiving spent at my aunt and uncle's...the one where someone passing the roll basket let the napkin under the rolls get a bit too close to the candle. My uncle doused the flames with his beer!

This Taste of Home recipe for Yeast Corn Bread Loaf makes a lovely textured loaf that tastes like cornbread but with a soft-bread bite.

This is my "Doing vs. Should Be Doing" pic. Here's me making a pie, instead of dealing with the tomatoes. But since I needed to bake bread, might as well get another use out of the stand mixer bowl before washing, eh? (Ended up making tomato juice to use up the tomatoes.) Incidentally, these tea towels were once a charity sale-bought tablecloth. The tablecloth had a stain but seemed the perfect weight for towels, so I bought it and the mumsy sewed it into four towels for me.

Gotta love it when a plan comes together.

Yesterday, Mom and I hit a yard sale at a senior citizens' housing tower. Mostly a bunch of junk but I found something I'd been putting off buying retail!

I've been wanting more canisters! By the time I took this pic, I'd already emptied the flour into the compost bin. As it's of unknown origins, can't bring myself to eat the sugar either, so I'll use it to make a sugar body scrub. Please let me know if you have a tried and true recipe that seems better than the one I just found!

By jove, I think I've got it...my own homemade yogurt! Love, love, LOVE my new yogurt maker! (Just 42 ounces of room temperature organic whole milk mixed thoroughly with 6 ounces of room temperature plain whole milk yogurt...no cooking involved for the thickness suitable for smoothies!)

Hubby teased that the yogurt probably just had a skim on top and was watery underneath, but this stuff is THICK! Perfect for my morning smoothies! (Made my smoothie in a jar using the immersion blender this morn.) I'd been paying $3.50 per 32 ounce container of Stonyfield Farms plain organic yogurt, and I use around 6 ounces every day. Though I did manage to get free magazine subscriptions to Organic Gardening and Martha Stewart Living with the Stonyfield reward points, seems more cost effective to make my own yogurt, buying the stuff only as needed to jumpstart my own.

Aunt K's Eggplant Casserole (my version)
1 medium to large eggplant, sliced and pan-roasted 'til cooked through
Combine:
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese--divided
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed--divided
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted--divided
Starting with the eggplant and ending with the mixture, layer cooked eggplant with the egg/milk/cheese/cracker mixture in the baking dish. Top with 1/2 cup of crumbs tossed with a couple of tablespoons of the melted butter. Then sprinkle top of casserole with 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Bake in a covered casserole at 350F for 30 minutes.

   I think I'll bake a cake today so something fresh will be on the table for tomorrow's cheat day! I'm thinking chocolate. ?? Maybe I'll head over to Foodgawker to get some ideas. What kind of cake sounds good to you today?

   Thanks, Rhonda at down-to-earth, for sharing this On My Mind concept. What's on your mind today? Share your link here or on down-to-earth. 

Kentucky State Fair award-winning handicrafts

Had great fun capturing this gal licking her lips over this sweet little Best of Show dollhouse!

Okay, here's another of my "finally got around to its"...almost forgot to share some of the handicrafts we saw at the Kentucky State Fair. These were just too brilliant to keep to myself!

Dunno if double clicking will enlarge this sufficiently for you to see, but this quilt was an AMAZING piece of work!

In his retirement, my dad has taken up woodcrafting. Who'd have thought a folk artist was living inside him all those years? These canes remind me of some of Dad's creations.

I am crazy over hooked rugs. Found this one every bit as impressive as the rug that won at the Ohio State Fair.

Had fun capturing this gal too. We shared our awe of the HOURS that must have gone into the making of all the quilts at the Kentucky State Fair!!

   Working on a "something new" today...hope to make my first ever batch of yogurt. The 42 ounces of whole milk and 6 ounces of plain yogurt (the starter) are sitting out on the counter now, as they must be at room temp before I can get on with the yogurt making. Wish me luck!
   Anything new happenin' over at your place today? If you have any pics of handicrafts you'd like to share, please feel free to leave a link in your comment. 
   P.S.: Here in western Kentucky, we've gone from temps just a couple of days ago that hovered around a sweltering 100F to cool, breezy 70 degree temps for the daily highs. What is with that?!!

Meatless Monday: Bittman on good reasons to eat LESS meat

Hubby's gone to the farm for the day, so guess what I'm doing? Watching TED Talks and cooking, that's what. Something really hopeful about watching bright people from across the globe share BIG IDEAS. See for yourself, maybe your favorite subject is covered on TED Talks' tag page.
   Just finished watching a talk titled "Dan Buettner: How to live to be 100+," in which he relates what National Geographic and the National Institute on Aging discovered when they studied the longest-lived peoples. Guess what those 100+ folks had in common? A largely plant-based diet--a diet that slanted more towards veggies and fruits than meats.
   Not sure I want to live to be 100, but I'll eat a plant-based diet today for sure. After all, it is Meatless Monday. I'll be eating leftover cannelini/garbanzo/tomato salad for lunch and some leftover veggie soup for supper. With some air-popped popcorn and dates along the way!
   What's on the table for you today? Do you want to live to be 100?

Planting, cooking, not putting things off because I want to be like Sue!

Finally got around to buying plants for my front step planters. Tired of mums, I bought asters, which will go into the yard after they finish blooming. Read one time that "yellow" is the first color to draw the eye, so I often shoot for some type of yellow blooms.

Though I hate, hate, HATE to waste food, I am guilty of letting produce hang out in the fridge until it screams, "COOK ME!" When I asked how everyone else deals with their garden produce, Sue, of Sue's Garden Journal, somewhat apologetically commented "I hate to admit it.....I'm one of THOSE people. I pick every day at sunrise and usually have everything processed/frozen within the hour. I've just gotten into such a routine, I don't even have to think about it." Sheer genius! I want to be like that!
   Sue's comment reminded me of publishing queen Helen Gurley Brown's motto: "Get up and do it if it needs to be done...even if you hate it." I'd read this some time back and wanted to incorporate it into my thinking--into my life--but it's oh, so hard for this lazy leopard to change her spots!
   So, this finally got around to it post is dedicated to Sue and all of you who continue to inspire me. Thank you!!

Finally got around to adding some cuttings to this houseplant and topping it off with some more potting mix.

Hubby was kind enough to trim the pork loin for me...grosses me out!

"If you succeed in everything you're doing, you're attempting things that are too easy"

~ Warren Buffett

"If you persuade yourself that you can do a certain thing, provided this thing is possible, you will do it, however difficult it may be. If, on the contrary, you imagine that you cannot do the simplest thing in the world, it is impossible for you to do it, and molehills become for you unscalable." 

~ Emile Coue'

Finally got around to making Slow Cooker Mexican Pork and Sweet Potato Stew from Once a Month Mom, modified slightly by using a can of Ro-tel in place of the roasted tomatoes and I did brown the pork first. (Sorry no "after" pic!) I haven't tried this yet, but Hubby liked it!

Finally got around to making Yummy Little Cooks' Marmite Pork. Even though I didn't thicken the sauce as much as I'd have liked ('cause folks were waiting on me!), we all really liked the taste of this dish. DD was over for lunch; this is her plate. 

   Sure feels GOOD to have a fridge full of leftovers, as opposed to a fridge full of foods screaming to be cooked. Anything over at your place that needs doing or cooking? If you have a "finally got around to it" post to share, hope you'll leave a link.