It's August!

 What have I been doing since June 24 when I last posted?

WHEW!

Christmas Time Is Near

Hamburger Soup

I'm back! Finally here with a new recipe that is good enough to share. Yes, I do try ones from time to time that are okay, but not good enough to make again—or share with you. To be honest most of what I cook are recipes that are already on this blog. Like most of us we have our favorites. It was fun to try something new.

Since I posted last month I had a birthday (and today is Daddy-O's birthday), a terrible cold, a house full of family for Thanksgiving, and too many doctor appointments. (We're okay.) It's been busy. Yesterday was the first "stay home all day" kind of day I've had in ages. The weatherman had promised cold temps and heavy rain. So I was prepared. A soup day! Turns out it we missed the rain, only got the cold. I made the soup anyway. This is nearly a stew. A bowl full of meat and vegetables. It's a soup that a Daddy-O could enjoy. (Not going as far as "love it.")

We had it for lunch. And we had it again for supper. It was better at supper time. The flavor is more complex than basic vegetable soup. The Italian seasoning, the olive oil, the Worcestershire. It's "more." But not they're not crazy flavors. Keep this recipe in mind if you need a make ahead dish. Would also be good if you want to take soup to a neighbor. It's a meal in a bowl. 

HAMBURGER SOUP

                   serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil'

1 lb ground beef (preferably 10% lean)

1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 large celery stalks, diced

3 large cloves minced garlic (I used jarred)

3 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes with juice

3 cups low-sodium beef broth

1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1-1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

12 oz. gold potatoes, cubed (I used tiny potatoes and didn't peel)

12-oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (2-12 to 3 cups)

1 to 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add ground beef, onion and celery. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Stir in garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to coat everything. Cook 1 minute.

Add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Stir in potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 10 minutes. Add frozen vegetables and continue to simmer until everything is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

This looks like a long list of ingredients. But it was quick to put together. Gather all your ingredients before you start. I didn't measure everything exactly. Poured in some olive oil. Used up the celery left from Thanksgiving.  Then it was a matter of opening a box of broth, a can of tomatoes, and a bag of frozen vegetables. See? It's really easy. 

We enjoyed having some extra time with family during Thanksgiving week. These grandchildren are growing up quickly. I'm happy they still like to come visit. One of the best things we did was to spend an evening by a bonfire. It was 28 degrees but we went outside anyway. It was so cold that the toasted marshmallow would not melt the frozen Hershey bar on the graham crackers! Our son-in-law even found chestnuts so he roasted those. We all tasted and decided that singing about roasting chestnuts was better than actually roasting and eating them. Now we know.

We have reached the age where the younger folks want to help us get ready for Christmas. We glad take the extra help. So the girls decorated our tree and set up the nativity scene. And took the boxes back to the basement. Now if they would just come back and help wrap gifts!

And mixed in with all the cooking and decorating and general business of life, I'm continuing on with my jazz journey. So hard but what a blast I'm having! This is the ultimate brain exercise. 

The Real Us

What a few weeks we've had. Babysitting there. Covid there. (Daddy-O) Little people here. Covid's first cousin here. (Mimi) Those three weeks are mostly a blur for me. But this morning the sun is shining and I feel better. 

The older girls skipped coming here for their spring break. Decided we didn't need a germ swap.  But the following week Jessica and the littles came anyway. She rightly said, "We've already had everything. Plus, you probably caught your germs from Little Man while babysitting!" And it all worked out. Jessica kept groceries in the kitchen and everyone fed while I was just an observer. The littles mostly played outside. Two doctors told me to stay indoors. We live in an area of the country with an extremely high pollen count. Then toward the end of the week as I started to feel better we had a good rain that washed the air. So I got to join them outside for a couple of days and sit in the sun and watch them play.

It certainly wasn't the week we had planned. But we made good memories all the same. And I learned a thing or two. Uncle Todd (we need a better blog name for him now) had invited a friend from London to spend the night here before they went to the Masters. He was very careful to ask if it was still okay since I wasn't feeling up to par. (Doctor assured me I wasn't contagious.) And I told him sure. As long as he and the friend were okay with our house in an "as is" condition. Toys everywhere. No extra straightening up. No doing the fluffing up I usually do before visitors arrive. No special meal served at a well set table.  

I planted myself in the rocking chair in the kitchen and watched. I watched his friend sit in the floor and play Candyland with the kids. And I watched the young men enjoying our glorious outdoors, driving the vintage Jeep and 4-wheeler through the pasture, shooting clays. Things he couldn't do in London. How glad I was that a son-in-law wanted to bring a friend here. 

And I thought about how many times I've worn myself out getting ready for visitors. Haven't we all? This time it was "Take us like we are." And the real us seemed to be good enough. No magazine worthy house. Not that I ever achieve that but I try. That usually would bother me. But this time these bookshelves where books are mixed with all the things set up high out of harms way look perfect to me. This is real life. This is our life.

All Things Pumpkin

My friends and I needed some post-hurricane time to visit, to compare notes of our damage which ranged from "none" to "significant." So I invited everyone here for lunch. I promised it would be "all things pumpkin" since it's nearly Halloween. And I told them it would all be very simple. We just needed to be together.

Turns out it was a good thing simple was my original plan. I had two extra kitchen helpers yesterday while I was getting ready. These two plus their mom are here for the week. That's always fun.

And it's always interesting to see how they view the world. I told a friend yesterday if I were ever in need of an album cover for my music, this photo would be my choice. My own piano practice will resume next week.

And now here is my complete "all things pumpkin" menu. 

I think it's a good sign that we all had such a pleasant time that I never ever thought about making photos of any of the food. But I'll share the recipes. We enjoyed appetizers on the porch while everyone gathered. I had grand visions of making the pumpkin shaped brie I made last fall, or even a pumpkin dip. But then I needed something even easier.

Boar's Head makes a great pumpkin pie dessert hummus. I put it on a platter with cinnamon pita chips and pretzel squares. And on another platter I made my new favorite appetizer. It's also the quickest one I know to make.

EASY APPETIZER

Take Boursin or Alouette cheese (any flavor) and let it soften a bit. 

Then use the back of a spoon to spread it thin on a platter. 

Sprinkle with crushed pistachios (the roasted, salted kind)

Drizzle with honey. 

Serve with Wheat Thins or other sturdy crackers on the side.

ORANGE JUICE SPRITZER

1 (12-oz) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

2 cups cold water

Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp)

2 (12-oz) cans cold Seven-Up (or other lemon lime soda)

orange and lime slices for garnish

Mix concentrate and cold water. Add lemon juice. Gently stir in soda just before serving. Serve over ice  in glasses. Garnish with slices of orange and lime.

Makes 12 half-cup servings

When I invited everyone it was chilly weather and chili sounded perfect. Yesterday turned out to be a warm but I stuck with my plan. This is quick to make, I made a double batch on the stovetop the morning of the lunch. I did measure my spices out the day before to simplify things. This chili was Mommy's standard slow cooker meal for after trick-or-treating with her children. I first posted it here in 2011 when Little Sister was a baby. She's a teenager now. And we are still using this recipe.

TURKEY, WHITE BEAN, PUMPKIN CHILI

2 lb. ground turkey 

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (I use the jar kind)

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder (more or less, to taste)

1 teaspoon oregano

2 bay leaves

1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree (not the pie filling kind)

2 (15-oz) can great northern beans, rinsed & drained

1 (4-1/2 oz) can chopped green chiles

2 cups chicken broth (sometimes I add a little more)

Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, minced cilantro, etc.

Heat large skillet over high heat. Add turkey and cook, breaking it apart, until done, about 5 minutes. Add to Crockpot. Add oil to skillet, then onions and garlic. Saute about 3-4 minutes. Add cumin and saute another minute. Add to Crockpot.

Add beans, pumpkin puree, green chiles, chili powder, oregano, salt and bay leaves. Stir to mix. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.  Remove bay leaves before serving.

If you want to skip the Crockpot, make it in a large pot on the stovetop. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for about an hour or so, stirring occasionally.

And this dessert is a favorite that friends of mine made years ago when they hosted a bridal luncheon for my older daughter. We loved it and have been making it for nearly 20 years now. It's another "make the day before" recipe.

PUMPKIN CRUNCH

15-oz. can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
12-oz. can evaporated milk cup sugar

3/4
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 box yellow cake mix
1 and 1/2 sticks butter, melted
1 to 1-1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, and cinnamon thoroughly and pour into a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
Sprinkle dry cake mix (straight out of the box) over pumpkin mixture. Pour melted butter over cake mix. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake 1 hour at 350º. Let cool completely

Topping:
1 8-oz block cream cheese, softened
1 box powdered sugar
1 8-oz container Cool Whip

Using a hand mixer, blend cream cheese until fluffy. Mix in powdered sugar. Then mix in whipped topping. Spread over cooled pumpkin cake. Refrigerate. Cut into squares to serve. Can sprinkle lightly with cinnamon or chopped pecans to garnish. (I never do this part.) 

And there you have it—an entire menu of pumpkin foods. Appetizer, entree and dessert. 🎃

Yesterday was a reminder for me that hospitality is about the time spent together. Even if you are stepping over toys on the floor and eating on paper plates. I had to keep it easy yesterday. I was making grilled cheese sandwiches for the little people while my friends were chatting on the porch. But it was all just as it should be. A relaxed time to get together. 

And one last pumpkin themed food. Jecca made these fun quesadillas for little people's dinner one night. It's too cute not to share.

Odds are I won't post next week, so it's time to say....

Lake, Family, Food

Tomato Corn Avocado Salad

Finally a new (to me) recipe. It tastes like summer.

  I often have all the ingredients on hand.

It only takes minutes to put together.

We paired the salad I made with Boars Head snack packs 

of meat and cheese and wedges of pita for 

the easiest porch dinner for two before we headed to the lake.

TOMATO, CORN, AVOCADO SALAD

1 large ear of corn--cook and cut off kernels

1 medium avocado, diced

1-1/2 cups diced cucumber

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

2 tablespoons diced onion, red or white

2 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I used lime)

salt and pepper to taste

Let corn cool. Then toss with remaining ingredients. 

Serve immediately. 

Want a peek at our lake time? Keep reading...

Notice anything new? Lots and lots of green grass. 

We had to replace the lake wall and pier over the winter. 

When that was finisbed, we had to redo the yard!

There was more food on the way for our annual July 4th gathering.

There were cousins everywhere. 

This was only one side of the porch.

It's good to see each other at least once a year.

Our family stayed longer.

Little Lady got to touch her first fish!

And she saw her very first rainbow. 

She had a very special week.

There was lots of lake time.

Thank goodness for the lake. The temps were scorching all week.

Little Brother had the most fun walking by himself between the cabins. 

We can see from porch to porch.

"Goin' to Daddy-O's house. Be right back!"

Storms and rain cooled us off a couple of nights. 

Another family lake stay is in the books.

 

Jazz Journey

 Because reader Chloe asked about my jazz journey....

I have spent countless hours in the last three years learning a new way to play piano. For most of my life when I heard a jazz pianist or a cocktail style pianist I wondered how they did it. How did they get that tinkly sound that I love? I have played piano for decades, but always from printed music. And these musicians that I heard—whether in person or on television or on a recording—sounded different. It really didn't occur to me that maybe I could learn a little of this. 

But like many of us who tried new things during the pandemic shut down, (how many of you learned to bake sourdough?) I used that time to explore jazz piano. I am far from accomplished but I'm making progress.

When you watch this snippet of my video, understand that I am not reading music off the page. I didn't have any! I'm watching the timing on a backing track app. This recording was done as a final project for an online class and we had to maintain the assigned tempo. 

Why am I doing this? It keeps my brain cells and my fingers active. I've learned a lot of music history. I've learned to be a better music listener. And it's proof that it's never too late to learn new skills. It might take longer, but it's never too late. My goal is to be the best mediocre jazz pianist I can be. It's only for fun!

Yes, there has been a lot of grandmothering happening also. So many funny stories. So many aching muscles. So many good memories. But in the thick of things, I didn't get many photos to share. 

There have not been many new recipes happening in my kitchen. I am thankful for the good ones that I use over and over. This week I made one of our favorites—Carol's Marinated Veggies. It's delicious and it keeps for days in the refrigerator. I'll share it again because maybe it's new to you.

The last time I made this salad, I remember thinking maybe I could use less sugar in the marinade. I know I love how Carol makes it, so I texted her to ask if she used the 3/4 cup of sugar in the marinade. That's what the recipe called for. I told her that I think hers is always better than mine. Here is her reply:

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. I don’t stick to recipes very well. I do drain and rinse all canned veggies. Use dark red kidney beans. Have been using small butter beans lately instead of edamame beans. Sometimes use canned corn.  I’m sure yours is just as good, though.

CAROL'S MARINATED VEGGIES

1 (15.5 oz.) can light red kidney beans

1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans

1 (6.5 oz.) can mushroom stems & pieces

1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts (I cut into smaller pieces)

1 (2 oz. ) jar diced pimento

frozen white corn (amount about equal to the kidney beans)

frozen green peas (amount about equal to the kidney beans)

1 bag frozen shelled edamame beans, cooked according to package directions

1 rib celery, finely chopped, optional (I used this)

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2  to 3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Drain and rinse canned vegetables. Cook and cool edamame beans. In a large bowl, mix drained beans, pimento, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. 

Combine oil, vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. When cool, pour over vegetables and refrigerate. Vegetables will keep in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Yes, you add the corn and peas frozen. No cooking. I did cut the slices of water chestnuts into smaller pieces. I'm sure if there is something that you don't like here, you can leave it out.