Cooler evenings, warm food . . .

After a week of warmer than usual weather, it is cooling down, again. My thoughts are turning to pots of something simmering on the stove! Today, it is either chicken and dumplings or ham and bean soup. That's the best part of being the Mom - I usually get to decide the meal.

When I was growing up, we were living on a military airman's income which meant lots of budgeting and lots of beans. We never realized, however, that we were poor as my mother would make a great pot of navy bean soup with ham. The ham hock was merely flavor and we were thrilled when we got more than a few threads of meat. There were plenty of beans and our favorite way of eating it was simple and good. We would spread mustard on a slice of bread and place it in the bottom of the bowl. My mother would ladle hot soup over that and the combination was positively gourment to me at that age!

My ham and bean soup of today has a bit more meat in it because we are blessed. I still like to add some mustard to my helping of soup as it brings back memories. Have to admit that I prefer Dijon to the old yellow mustard these days!

What I like about soups is that it is hard to go wrong with them. Thought I'd share my basic ham and bean soup recipe so you can, perhaps, start your own memories.

Ham and Bean Soup
Two or three smoked ham hocks
2 chopped onions
1 pound of white navy bean
3 bay leaves
About eight cups of water

There are two ways to deal with the beans. My method of today is to bring just the beans to a boil in a pot of water. When the water boils, turn it off, cover, and let sit for an hour. When I'm ready to make the soup, I drain off the water and put the beans back in the pot. Another method is to cover the bean with water and let them soak overnight in the refrigerator.

Ready to make the soup, add the rest of the ingredients and the eight cups or so of water. Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer slowly for two or more hours or until the beans are very tender. Pull out the ham hocks, shred off the meat, and add the meat back to the soup. Salt and pepper to taste.

Some people like chopped green onion added to their helping of soup.
There is always the mustard and bread theory!
I've known people to add some shredded cheddar.
Chili flakes work if you are in the mood for more spice and heat.

Chick and the Chip Mobile . . .

One day, Chick, discovered the door of the car was opened and happily jumped in, hoping for a ride. Instead, she found a bag of tortilla chips and was happily munching on her find until we discovered her whereabouts. She immediately tore from the car and raced into the backyard, plastic bag of tortilla chips firmly held in mouth. It was a good day for Chick and not one she has forgotten.

These days, we are very careful about making sure all the car doors are closed. Every time Chick gets to wander into the garage, however, she makes at least three rounds of the perimeter of the car in hopes of finding an open door and, subsequently, another bag of tasty chips. She has been unsuccessful to date. The initial bag of chips was discovered almost two years ago but she still heads hopefully into the garage any chance she gets . . . just in case a door is open because she knows there are probably undiscovered bags of chips all over that car!

Sunday morning smiles . . .

"The graveyards are full of indispensable men."
-- Charles de Gaulle

"Everything in the world may be endured except continued prosperity."
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age."
-- Lucille Ball

"From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it."
-- Groucho Marx

Some of those funny but sort of not funny quotes!

"If I only had a little humility, I'd be perfect."
-- Ted Turner

"Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more."
-- Mark Twain

"I have discovered that all human evil comes from this, man's being unable to sit still in a room."
-- Blaise Pascal

"Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it."
-- Stephen Leacock

Home remedies . . .?

I'm all for trying and using home remedies for minor things. We all take our vitamins and calcium and I make sure the meals are tasty and nutritious. You can't get good food eaten if it doesn't taste good, too. If you can save a trip to the doctor's with good sense and healthy eating, I'm all for it.

I, inadvertantly, had a home bone density test, yesterday.  I can see the wrinkled forheads as you try to figure out how one could accomplish that at home. At the doctor's, it is an x-ray of your hand to determine the state of your bones. Well, at home, mine turned out to be a trip and bad fall. Since I didn't break anything . . . and the weight of that fall could and should have done that, I'm thinking my bones are still holding up!

Since my daughter came home from college, she has lined our rather narrow hallway with boxes and books. I have transversed this part of the hallway on numerous occasions and have gotten the layout of the boxes memorized . . . someone moved one out of place . . . my foot caught on the edge and I was in flight. It was interesting as I realized quite suddenly that I literally had about two seconds to decide how I wanted to land. I decided on my side to avoid arms, hands, and head. I got the side of my knee.

The swelling was fantastic. For awhile, I had what looked like two kneecaps. The pain wasn't too bad but that might be due to the aspirin my husband immediately made me swallow and the ice pack I kept on it for over an hour. I was blessed as it sure could have been worse. I have a slight limp, not too much pain, and orders from my husband to do nothing more strenuous than quilt today. Being such an obedient wife, I will follow his orders! Ah, the sacrifices I make for my health!

By the way, I do not recommend this home bone density test!

Search for the snowball maker . . .

I spent an hour surfing on the Internet, yesterday, in search of the snowball maker! Oh, you would like some clarification? Earlier in the week, I posted my attempt at replicating the wonder Schneeballen (snowballs in German) pastries my son and I enjoyed in Rothenburg, Germany.  Schneeballen are thinly rolled out pieces of dough cut into strips and then formed into a ball and deep fried. Although the taste was quite comparable, they didn't hold together as well in the deep fryer. How did those bakers in Rothenburg get them so round and perfect? My research revealed there is such a tool called a Schneeballen tongs. Great! I now knew what to look for specifically in my searches. I even found a picture of one. I did not, however, find anyone or any place that sold one. The closest I could find was a meat ball tongs but it was less than two inches in diameter and not nearly big enough for the fist-sized pastries.

My family did enjoy my rendition of the Schneesballen even if they were far from round. My daughter did let slip when she said, "Mom, can I have another of those Schneeballen brains?"

I told my husband that there was nothing for me to do but go back to Rothenburg to narrow down my search. For some obscure reason, he didn't seem to think this made sense! He ate my Schneeballen 'brains' yet he didn't want to eat them 'properly' as in a round pastry as they were devised to be? The quality of life in him has certainly faded in this area.

Meanwhile, if anyone knows where to get one, let me know. Given that a search on the Internet didn't discover one, I'm feeling rather hopeless on the subject. And, I could have started a Schneeballen craze here in California, too! :-)

Something we tend to forget . . .

When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil.

- Max Lerner