Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY . . . March 01, 2010

Outside my window... gray skies, nothin' but gray skies - quite cool here this week

I am thinking... of how glad I am that spring is coming!

I am thankful for...a day off to do as I please

From the learning rooms...beginning piano lessons

From the kitchen... chocolate chip cinnamon rolls, marmelade rolls, 15-bean soup and cornbread

I am wearing... black knit skirt, socks and tennies, t-shirt and gray hoodie

I am creating... a clean storage room

I am going... to Ladies' Retreat in April

I am reading...Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters

I am hoping... to get everything done today!

I am hearing...the fan on my little ceramic heater givin' me some love!

Around the house...clean bathroom, sweep and mop kitchen

One of my favorite things... is my new hours at work - 7 AM to 3:30 PM!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Not a lot as I will be working and training - it really drains me

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...



Homemade candied rose petals - I can't wait for my roses to start blooming again!

Hot Turkey and Mushroom Subs

These are a quick fix and my guys just love them. They are patterned after a "Dive" sub.

Turkey lunchmeat - I prefer the oven-roasted variety for this
Sub buns - I use uncut ones
Fresh mushrooms
Butter
Seasoning to taste - I use Morton's Nature's Seasoning
Sharp Cheddar cheese
Heavy cream

Cut a v in the top of the sub buns, then pinch insides out, leaving about a 1/2 inch shell. Lay turkey in bun. Saute mushrooms in butter - however many you want - and season to taste. Spoon on top of turkey. In a small saucepan, cube about 3 oz. of cheese and then pour over top about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of cream. Heat gently and stir until cheese is melted. Pour cheese sauce over mushrooms. Put "lids" back on top of buns and wrap in foil. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!

You can add whatever else you like, but my guys prefer these as is. In place of cheese sauce, I suppose you could use turkey gravy - mmmmmm!

Cheese Please!

I love cheese. Except limburger, can't handle that one! But I do like most cheeses. Here in America, it can be hard to get good cheese. However, I have a secret weapon!

Osceola Cheese is about 60 miles or so south of us. They sell about 120 varieties of cheese and they are good! (Albiet very different from what you would find in Great Britain, sorry!) They have samples of everything out that you can try. Their cheeses run the gamut from blueberry white cheddar to habanero montery Jack. They also sell a wide variety of salsas, dips, mustards and jams and jellies. I like their party rye chips! They also have soda and candy, trinkets and sell T-shirts, etc.

We were down south last weekend and stopped in. We didn't buy a lot, but what we did buy is very good. I got some Edam, some green onion cheese and some cherry white cheddar. The green onion is a processed cheese, so it is very soft and mellow. The Edam is always good. The cherry white cheddar is very good. We did try a blueberry white cheddar that was lightly smoked and I thought it was fantastic! However, no one else shared my enthusiasm.

Usually around Christmas, we make a trip down and get some of our favorite cheeses to have on hand for snacking during the holiday season.

Today I am going to share not a recipe with you, but more of an idea.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Everyone likes grilled cheese, right? Well here is how I make my grilled cheese.

First pick your cheeses - cheddar, parmesan, edam, gouda, swiss, muenster, mozzarella, provolone, blue, gorgonzola, whatever you have handy, but try to get a good mix. You don't need a lot of each, just a bit. Mozzarella is always good for the melty-stretchy-stringie factor!

Then get out some bacon - how much is up to you. Fry it slowly on top of the stove, but first snip it into little pieces with a pair of kitchen shears. Drain well on paper towels.

Onions - or shallots, spring onions, whatever you like. Saute them in a bit of the bacon drippings until they caramelize a bit.

While your bacon or onions are cooking, shred your cheeses, large shred. For some reason, shredded cheese seems to melt better than slabs.

Then get out your bread. Mix this up too - rye, pumpernickle, sourdough, whole wheat, oat, whatever you like.

Mayonnaise. Not butter, mayonnaise. For some reason, it browns better and you absolutely cannot taste it. DS hates mayo and I always use it on grilled cheese - he loves my grilled cheese. But use real mayo, not miracle whip.

Keep your heat low. Spread one piece of bread with mayo and put in your preheated skillet. Now pile on the shredded cheese, bacon bits and onions. Top with the other piece of bread, mayo up. Stick your head in the fridge and find the pickles. Pour you a glass of whatever tickles your fancy. Flip your sandwich. Oooh, it is nice and toasty! Try to control the drool as you wait for the other side to brown.

There, all done. Devour your sandwich while waiting for the next one to cook.

Crabby

Crabby. Cranky. Irritable. Grouchy. Cantakerous. Disagreeable. Petulant. Querulous. Having or showing a bad temper.

I try to keep a sweet disposition at all times. It usually takes a lot to make me snap. I used to have a hair-trigger temper, but not any more. I usually try to go with the flow, grit my teeth, grin and bear it. Because in the heat of the moment, words can get said that will be regretted later. And words don't come with a money-back guarantee. Once they are spent, that is it, you can't take them back.

I have known a few people who have spent their life being crabby and cranky. I think they made it their life's work to be that way. I do not know what circumstances made them to be like that, but I do know how to deal with them. You be nice to them. Just as nice as possible, always smile at them, buy them a Coke randomly. Give them flowers for their birthday. Luke 6:28. Matthew 5:44. Proverbs 25:21-23. God knew what he was talking about! Pray for them. And let God take care of it!

These open face sandwiches I am going to give you the recipe for should not make anyone crabby or cranky or grouchy or petulant or . . .

Crabbie Melts

Serves 8

4 crossiants, split lengthwise
1 cup mayonnaise
1-1/2 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup crabmeat, flaked
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/3 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
4 green onions, chopped



Crumb crust
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoons finely chopped parsely
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the crossiant halves on a large rimmed baking sheet. Mix the next 6 ingredients in a bowl and spread mixture on top of the crossiant halves.

Melt the butter in a small pan and cook the garlic in it over low heat until translucent. Mixt the rest of the ingredients for the crumb crust, then mix in the garlic and melted butter. Top each croissant with the crumb mixture.

Bake the crossiants for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.



As you can plainly see, I did not use crossiants. I used brioche rolls, halved. You could use English muffins, crumpets, toast . . . I also was out of green onions, so I subbed some purple onion.

I adapted this recipe from Double Shot by Diane Mott Davidson. If you have not read any of her books, her protagonist is a caterer in Colorado who gets tangled up in murder mysteries. She gives several delicious recipes each book. My kind of book!

A Lazy Saturday Afternoon

Hello there readers! I know I am rather late getting this out today, but I have had a lazy Saturday today. I slept in this morning a bit and then after making some pulled pork and broccoli salad, I took a walk with my Mom.

Living in an extended family situation can sometimes be frustrating, but it can also be very rewarding. I was the youngest of 4 children and the only girl. I was pretty spoiled, I'll admit. I had some pretty rocky teenage and young adult years. But since living with my parents, I have come to appreciate them much more. (I still pay my own bills and I help out with expenses) We have a much closer relationship than ever before. Mom and I have some good conversations about different things and Dad and I get along quite well.

I know that an extended family arrangement is not for everyone. I often feel the need to have my own house. If things work out, by the end of the year, I may do just that. But I will treasure the times that I have spent here with Mom and Dad.

It also helps them out, as I do a big portion of the inside housework and the cooking. Mom is then free to do her gardening outside. So it works all the way around.

Alas, dear readers, I have no pictures for you today. I do, however, have a recipe for you.

Pulled Pork
Serves a bunch of people

2 approximately 3-4 lb. pork shoulder roasts, bone in
Worchestershire sauce
Garlic powder
Liquid smoke
Fresh ground black pepper
Seasoning salt - We use Morton's All Seasons
1 cup water

Use a big crock-pot. I use my oval 6-quart. Throw the roasts in and liberally sprinkle with next 5 ingredients. Pour over 1 cup of water. Let it cook on low for at least 12 hours. Take the meat out and let it cool. Dump the juices out and wash the crock-pot out.

Now comes the icky part. Take your hands and shred the roasts, discarding all of the fat, gristle and bones. Put the meat, which should be very tender, back in the crock pot.

The meat is pretty flavorful on its own, but you can do many things with it. We usually dress it with Bulls-Eye Barbecue Sauce and throw a little Tabasco Chipotle in there for spice and serve it on hamburger buns. Or you can dress it with an au jus or gravy and serve it on a bun or over mashed potatoes or noodles. Or spice it up with taco seasoning and use it for burritos. You can spice it asian style with some peanut or stir-fry sauce and make asian tacos.

In other words, there are probably about 101 uses for this recipe and it is dead easy. The only icky part is shredding the meat and if you must, I suppose you can do it with a couple of forks.

This meat is also great to freeze and then reheat later. I usually freeze it before putting any sauce with it. Just throw it in a quart-sized freezer bag and flatten it out before freezing.

I shall be seeing you again on Monday, as I will not be posting here on Sundays. Sundays are usually a very busy day around here and so, even though it was hard, that is my decision. I promise I will be on here bright and early Monday, though!

Have a great weekend everyone!