Zuppa Toscana Style

Cabin work just took a turn for the better.  The ceiling is complete, lights are installed along with a bathroom fan.  That means no more step ladders, scaffolding  or working with our hands above our heads and head tipped back so far it darn near touches our back.  When that last board went up we just looked at each other and grinned.  We actually do that sometimes....grin I mean.  No bruises, stitches or gun shots.  We shall live to see another job done.  Which actually was today.  We put up old barn boards on the hallway wall and it looks better than in my middle of the night idea.  Run a steel brush over the wall and a little Satin Polyurethane and it will be ready for a shelf and picture.  Here I go getting ahead of the game, I can't do any fine tuning until the walls and floor are done and that means lots of middle of the night ideas coming to me.  Once the walls are done the cabin work will take a turn for the worse again..........crawling on hands and knees installing the wood floor.  Best not mention that for a few weeks!  Tough to decide which is worse, up and down a ladder or up and down from the floor.

Before we head to the cabin I try to make something for supper.  Nothing worse than working over there, coming home at 5:30 and no idea or desire to fix supper.  Yesterday was soup day and it is an easy delicious one.  We both like Olive Garden soups with our favorite the one with sausage, potatoes, onions, kale, chicken broth and the put it over the top ingredient............cream.  I had spinach and no kale but the spinach was great in it.  Instead of hot sausage I used smoked beef kielbasa, just because I never follow directions!  I also used spring onions or green onions what ever you call them.  How did I know how to make the soup........I googled of course and up the Olive Garden recipes popped.  I just needed a little idea on the recipe.  Tomorrow I am going to make their salad dressing!  Another favorite from Olive Garden. 

My take on the recipe:   2 cups of sliced smoked kielbasa
                                       6 green onions sliced in 1 inch pieces, green too!
                                       2 large russet potatoes peeled and sliced to the size you like.
                                       3 cups of spinach
                                       1 quart of water chicken stock
                                       1 clove of garlic minced fine
                                       pepper to taste
                                       4 Tablespoons butter
                                       1 cup of heavy cream

In a pot melt the butter and add kielbasa and onions.  Simmer until onions start to wilt.  Add chicken stock, garlic and potatoes, cook until potatoes are fork tender.  Add spinach and cream.  Simmer until spinach is done.  Pepper to taste.  There are many takes on the recipe with a little twist to each one.  You can google and pick a different one.

Add a couple slices of fresh homemade bread and it's a meal!

The weather has taken a turn for the better.  Fifties and rain showers will make the flowers, leeks and asparagus grow.  The stores are just starting to get some good looking asparagus in and it is tough to walk by and not buy...............when the garden starts producing it we will be eating and pickling it until we just can't look at it another meal.  Last year was the third year of the new asparagus bed and in gave more than we ever expected.  That means this year it should about double the harvest from last year.  I only pickled 3 pints last year since we didn't know if we would like it.  We did, so this year we hope to put up twelve pints or more.  Yes, it is that good.   Last years green bean crop was not so good, I have enough canned for another month and then we will have to wait and hope this summer's crop is back to normal.   Freezer corn should last until around July which is about normal.  Tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, peaches, pears and chipotle sauce should last until canning season. 

Can you tell the old mind is going a little wild?  Cabin, garden, soon lawn mowing, leek digging and what ever else comes along with spring.  Once season at a time Cheryl, slow down your mind moves way too fast.  Not to mention, "The Book".  Remember any great memories or stories you can write them down, email them to me and you will be a writer.  Come on you can do it!  "Pass it On"  for all to learn about our little town of Shinglehouse from years past.  My email address is cherylbryant49@gmail.com.   Life is what we make it.


                                    
                                      

I Ain't Working Here No More!

Just like the song, Take This Job and Shove It..........that was how day kazillion went at the cabin this morning.  About an hour into the bedroom ceiling it started getting nasty.  At that point I should have turned, walked away, kept quiet and went back to do my wifey things at the house.  Being stubborn I thought we could get passed the guy trying to boss way too much with too much verbal not so nice instructions.  Let's see how did it go,  you have to push the board up and keep it there, hit the board square on, I will hold the board you nail it...............here you hold the nail, I will push up on the board and hit the nail...............Oh hell NO, I say.  I will not hit your finger, just hold the nail.  No, I say again and he said, you  don't believe I would hit your finger do you.  bursting out with a nasty laugh I said, why yes I do.....after all you hit your own thumb that has a black nail and ready to fall off.  That is when the thunder rolled and the earth started to move.  Thunder was us cutting loose on each other and the earthquake when I stomped off to the house.  Done, done, done.  I cleaned house just a fuming and scared to death he would try to work on the ceiling alone and screw it up!  Once I had calmed down to the point I could return to the cabin it was with great relief he had put the ceiling fan and light up.  Whew!  I had visions of boards laying all over the place that he threw when they wouldn't go into place.   We actually got the rest of the ceiling up without another burst of barking orders and my "Gross" temper staying low keyed.  Like we always say when we reach the boiling point, it's a damn good thing we did not have our pistols strapped on or someone would not have lived to see the morning dawn.  Another day in the life at Cook'n by the Creek.

Living room and bedroom, wall will be sheet rocked.

Kitchen area with recessed lights.

Tomorrow morning will be mostly the Mr.'s work at the cabin while I do a little sweeping and stacking wood.  The bathroom fan and light has to be installed along with the insulation put in the bathroom. ceiling  That should take about two hours and then we will be back at putting the tongue and groove up.  My prediction barring no unseen thunder storms or earthquakes, all of the ceiling will be done by 4 pm.  Then we have a couple walls to put tongue and groove on.  After that off to buy and haul the dry wall home.  Things will be moving along quickly from that point on. 

The reason I decided to write this blog was to let some know marriage is not always a "box of chocolates" and to let everyone know we do have our not so good days working together.  Sometimes it is down right bitter tasting but along with the bitter comes the chocolate or a glass of wine.  There have been many times in the last 49 years that it would have been easy to say "let's call it quits"  but the hard part would have been saying good bye and moving on.  At the end of the day or the end of a week (sometimes I give the silent treatment for days) staying was worth all the thunder storms.  Until the next storm it shall be a lot of laughs, chocolate and wine for me.  If ya can't enjoy the storms how would ya ever enjoy the sunshine. 

A well deserved night out with family at the 4 Mile Brewery in Olean.  I checked out the menu and it looks like my kinda food.  Beer not my pick so let there be wine.

Kuksa On My Mind

I know, you are by now tired of my love of a good snow storm.  It really was a perfect day for me relaxing, going through a book, knitting and every few minutes looking at the computer screen to watch Liberty and her faithful husband taking turns setting on the two eggs.  The first egg is due to hatch on St. Patrick's Day and the other a few days later.  I wonder if the Game Commission will name them something to do with the winter storm or to the holiday of green.  It is so interesting to watch them, when I hear their calls it means they are ready to change guard.  This morning Liberty was covered in snow, she eventually shook it off, rolled the eggs and shortly after Daddy game to take her place.

Another pair of socks will soon be done.  A book about Shinglehouse is in the making.  My friend Ron is working on it with me.  Hopefully we can gather a few or more good stories or memories from others that grew up in the Shinglehouse area during the 50s, 60s and 70s.  So if you did and have something you would like to contribute we would greatly appreciate it.  So far we have had a great time remembering things that had long ago been forgotten.  The more we remember, the more we remember, it just keeps going on and on.  My husband has some great stories of fishing and hunting frogs on the Oswayo Creek.  He was great on ice skates.  When I was 15 and we had just started "going steady" he asked me to go ice skating down by the bank.  My mom bought me beautiful white ice skates, mittens and a hat to match.  Off I went thinking I would be skimming up and down on that ice looking mighty good.  Dick took off and I set off to follow him.....down I went and it was all down hill from that first fall.  I couldn't keep my ankles from tipping over and when I did it was a slip, slide and down I would go.  That was the first time and last time I ever put those skates on.  You can say I know when I am not good at something and get out while the getting is good.  It probably relates to the fact I never was athletic and had no desire to be.  Just as I never caught on to clay throwing.  For 6 weeks I attended the class and for 6 weeks the instructor kept telling me, don't give up you will catch on.  HAHAHA, no I won't and no I didn't.

The UPS guy was out and about today.  He delivered a package, wood carving knives.  Yep, another crazy thing I want to try.  Watching a youtube on winter camping (yep, I want to) in a tent, the guy was using a beautiful wooden cup/bowl with a handle called a kuksa.  Pine because it is a soft wood will be my first try, then hopefully on to Birch, Maple and Cherry.He mentioned it and said his next video would give a demonstration on how to carve one.  I was hooked at that moment.  There probably is not too many youtube videos I haven't watched on the art of carving.  Off to Amazon and order two knives suggested for beginners.  Tomorrow off to the basement to practice holding the knives, suggested by my husband!  Pine because it is a soft wood will be my first try, then hopefully on to Birch, Maple and Cherry.   #imacrazygal

A kuksa, there are many styles, all so beautiful!

The knives, made in Sweden.

Something I haven't made in a long time, Texas Hot Sauce.  It is in my cookbook and was the recipe my mom used at the Biergarten back in the 1960s.  We had them for supper and each bite we were both saying,  I forgot how good this sauce is.  We did for sure!  I think it has been 15 or more years.  Why I have no idea.  I googled Texas Hot Sauce and did not find a recipe like moms.  Most added so many seasonings it would be over kill.  Hers is simply cinnamon, cloves, paprika, salt and pepper.  The recipe is easy to make and so darn good.  It will make you think of the Wellsville Texas Hot Sauce. 
I use all beef skinless hotdogs.  Nathans brand, it doesn't matter what kind you use as long as you like them.  Chop the onions very, very fine to be put on top and of course a yellow mustard too.  Remember to steam the rolls or you can do them in the microwave.  I haven't been this excited over something I make for quite a while! 

Della's Texas Hot Sauce on a hot dog and steamed bun. 
Friendship Cottage Cheese and Baked Beans, what is
not to love on that plate?

Once you stir in the flour cook until the desired
thickness.  We like ours thin and pourable from a spoon.
Mild mustard is dry mustard in a can.  You can use
yellow bottled mustard in its place.

Texas Hot Sauce, make sure you break the ground beef
in small pieces as it cooks in the water.  Nothing
worse than big chunks of burger in the sauce.

Wanna Ride Around or Drive to the Poor House?

March weather has turned to February weather the last few days.  Work on the cabin has taken a break until next Friday when it looks like a little warm up.  Off to the basement we go, sorting, organizing and throwing.  What doesn't get tossed will go to the thrift store in Coudersport.  We woke to 7 degrees and beautiful huge snowflakes tumbling down this morning.  Light the oven and get to baking for a couple hours was a good way to feel cozy in the kitchen.  Dick requested a Hershey Cake and Peach Cobbler,  so it will be, just give me a reason to get in that kitchen!  I have a beautiful view of the barn and fields that I never tire of.  While having our morning coffee Quincy started barking and it was one of his barks that something shouldn't be here.  It was ol'foxy him or herself mousing along in the back field near the barn.  If he had happened upon a hen that would have been Sunday dinner at the fox den.  They have had their babies already and mama needs lots of nourishment to make milk for the little ones.  Dick got the rifle and shot a couple warnings at it until it ran back in the woods.  Just a little reminder, stay away from our hens! 

 

Because one of us loves "real" whipped cream.  Yes, the
skinny guy!

This is the Hershey cake with white frosting.
Recipe in Della's Daughter Cookbook.

With all the baking Sunday dinner was simple and small,
steak quesadillas.  Steak left over from Saturday worked
great.

 

 

I have no idea how many times I have said or heard, Wanna ride around town?  Back in the 60s, wow, I am in my 60s as of age now.  Ok, back in the 60s riding around town was the main entertainment for the evenings.  Let's see, usually the ride around town started at Mom's Kitchen, Freeborns or Chat and Chew.  If you went towards Stevens St. you could turn right or left and the same if you went the opposite direction towards Oswayo St.  Whatever way you went that first left or right turn determined they would be all left turns or right turns.  That would take you all around the perimeter of Shinglehouse.  Then we would mix it up by going through town again and going the opposite way.  No matter the choice that ride around town never changed!  Ya might stop for a short visit with someone else "riding around town", pick up or let off a rider.  From the time I was about 15 until 18 that ride was the Friday and Saturday night happening. 

How did I get to thinking about riding around town????  Well, let me tell ya it was one of those memory flash backs last Wednesday.  We went out for Buckwheat pancakes near Angelica at Cartwrights.  They are only open for all you can eat pancakes during Maple season. They also sell all their Maple products.  We couldn't leave without bringing home a bag of Buckwheat Pancake mix.  The pancakes were delicious and the first time I had been there.   We went with 3 of our friends, they are old friends as in....we have known them all of our lives.  Didn't want anyone to think we have old aged friends :)   After we ate Ron asked if I had ever seen the barn Marcia took a picture of and I painted a water color from the picture.  No, I hadn't.  We rode to the barn and I must say it was  beautiful not as beautiful as the picture only the picture because only my friend could capture the right angle and lighting.  Then Ron showed us the "Poor House" that sets near the barn, that totally amazed me.  He told about how it had come to be and some history of it.  Of course I wanted to know more about it and came home to google the "Poor House".  I found pictures of it inside and out.  The inside is what I really wanted to see but they have no trespassing signs all over.  If I thought for a minute I could have broke free from the husband I would have been in that place!  I probably would have had 3 guys pretty darn upset had I tried to get in.  I am not going to get into great detail on the "Poor House" but will put a couple links below if you are interested in it.  Even at a distance it was quite emotional to look at thinking of  "if walls could talk".  I'm sure there are good stories along with some very sad stories in those walls.  Remember back then there was no assistance or welfare.  If you couldn't take care of your family, the Poor House was where some went if there was room.

The barn at the County Home/Poor House.

The amazing "Poor House" that I would love to get into!  We could see an old couch in the window but we were just too
far away for detail.  Just a little closer would have been great!  Like in it.

Not only did riding around bring back a memory or two the "Poor House" did too!   I was not much more than 5-8 years old when I heard the words, poor house.  We lived on the farm and my dad said, this farm is going to drive us to the "Poor House".  I remember crying myself to sleep that night wondering where the poor house was and would it be awful.  It sure sounded awful.  Finally my mom asked me what was the matter the next day and again I burst in tears and told her because we were going to the "Poor House".  Good God, she said.  Why do you think we are going to the poor house.  Because, dad said so.  Then she told me we will not be moving that dad said that because of the price of milk dropping and he was mad.  Apparently there were many Poor Houses in the country back then.   That is as close to the "Poor House" as I ever got or want to. 

Speaking of driving us to the Poor House how about "drive me to North Warren?"  I knew that was a joke or not.  My mom would say that when she didn't like how I was behaving, especially in the early teen years.  I will admit for a long time I really didn't know what she meant. In fact it wasn't till I was in my 40s that I learned what North Warren was.  Mental Hospital!   Lucky I never drove her to North Warren, my kids didn't me and we all living happily ever after.



The Poor House:   http://louisqphotography.com/2013/09/27/allegany-county-home/
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyallega/poorhouse.html

The Bar Press vs. the Ceiling Press

Well winter is back this cold 4 degree Saturday morning.  The girls (hens) have been working overtime to give us some beautiful deep orange colored yolks. That happens when they can get out in the barnyard and peck around for food.   For some reason the farm eggs have the ability to fluff up for an omelet that those pale store eggs could never do.  This is a 3 egg, bacon and a little blend of 3 cheese that made its way to the breakfast table.  An easy way to make an omelet is...... beat 3 eggs, 3 TBSP of half and half or cream together.  You can use milk but half and half or cream just gives that wow look and taste.   Then add any ingredients you want.  Pour in a hot medium sized skillet that has a TBSP of butter or your favorite oil added.  I use butter or grape seed oil.  Grape Seed oil takes high heat without burning.  Then I pour the egg mixture in and cook on low until the bottom has started to set.  Next it goes into the broiler on high until the top is set.  That's it, no turning.  Quick, easy and little mess.

Off to Home Depot and make a decision on the flooring and pick up some paint samples for the cabin.  Not sure what we will do once the cabin is done but I did hear........we should build another one. 

One thing I have learned many times in many years.......the real deal is the hardest.  I would walk, jog and run on our treadmill only to find out climbing a hill brought out more sweat, fast heart rate and heavy breathing  ending with more sore muscles the next day that the treadmill could ever do.  Again, the real thing wins.  I am an on again off again person.  Like a routine workout I tend to go strong for months and then stop for months.  Like knitting, painting, quilting and all the other things that occupy this mind..........each has its time and place with me.  Never predictable, just when the mood hits away I run with it.  Maybe that is what keeps me going, variety.  I am thinking I truly don't want to master any one thing because that would be the end, my interest would fade with nothing more to learn and practice.

A few weeks ago I woke up knowing it was back to the basement and start weight lifting again.  I am lucky to have a son that showed me the right way to squat, deadlift and press.  Then there is youtube with Mark Rippetoe and his beginning videos.  I spent a few hours that morning going over each one even though I have watched them each around a 100 times.  For about 3 months prior to starting back to lifting I felt the lower back reversing and not quite the pep in my step and always thinking stand up straight.  As we get older we tend to lean forward, that causes lower back pain and weakness for me.  When doing a regular barbell routine it goes away within 3-5 days.  Happy to say it has been 3 weeks lifting 2-3 times a week and always giving a 2-3 day rest period. 

Now,  back to the real deal.  I am up to 60 pounds with my presses of 3 sets of 5, 80 pound dead lift and 75 pound squat.  That should get these arms and shoulders ready.  Once we started putting up the tongue and groove I figured, piece of cake the boards don't weight much more than 2 pounds and we put 10-14 up a day.  Well............let me tell ya,  my shoulders and upper arms feel like those boards weigh a hundred pounds each.  The ceiling press is quite different from the bar press even though I tried to position my hands on that board so I had a correct stand as the bar lift.  There is something about pushing on that board so the groove will slip into the tongue for 12 ft.  I hold, Dick nails, joint effort.  I have never been good with a hammer and hitting a little tiny head of a finishing nail would more than likely ruin the board.  So, we have about 90 more boards to go.  I have a feeling the arms and shoulders could possibly be "baby Balboas" when finished.  If you are in the need for an upper body work out, give a call and I will give you the "proper" training to hold that board and work with a 6' guy that can bark orders. 

Not the proper press stance.  At some point ya have
to watch if the board is in the right position.

One thing about me and wood.  I love imperfections as the husband found out today.  He picked up a board and said, you don't want this one.  Well, yes I do.  So what if it has a variety of colors rather than plain with a few knots....I want character and design in a piece of wood.  I'm sure many don't but that is ok, we all have our different tastes and desires.

My imperfect board.  It was milled from our white pines.
How could I ignore and cast it aside?  It is what it is.

Every six boards and we get a break.


 

Joint Effort

There was a little pie dough left from an apple pie I made the other day.  Dick's mom would take left over pie dough, roll it out thin, put some butter, sugar and cinnamon on, roll it up, slice and bake.  I put a little powdered sugar glaze over when right out of the oven.  It came in handy today for a midday snack from cabin work.  A little food, a little rest, good to go.  Sorta!

Just enough fuel for another few hours of work.

Day ? of the cabin.  I have no idea the total days we have been working on the cabin.  Heck, some days we even have to ask each other what day it is or what the date is.  I do know one thing the last two days of arms above the head, climbing up the ladder to get on the scaffolding has made for 2 Tylenols and early to bed.  Tonight while I was fixing supper Dick was doing the chores and taking down the bedding.  It's Monday and today is the day to do bedding.  I have never been able to break some habits and Monday bedding is one of them.  The weather was nice enough to hang them outside.  Nothing better than fresh smelling, cool, crisp sheets, especially when we will fall in bed tonight.  A good days work and a good rest, I'll take it.  After supper Dick said, wait until I get out of the shower and I will help you make the bed.  I must look pretty darn whipped because he hates helping make the bed and I hate it just as much for him.  He has no idea how to put a fitted sheet on without pulling, tugging and saying a few choice words.  So after dishes I hurried in to make the bed.  I had no desire to sit down and wait for him to help.  I knew if I sat down there would be a good chance I wouldn't want to get up.  Exactly how I would have felt because as I am here relaxing and writing there is no way making a bed would be possible.

So, there are the joint efforts for the day.  Putting up tongue and groove together, I fix supper, do the dishes, make the bed and he hangs up bedding and takes it down.  Without the joint effort nothing would be possible around here.  Tomorrow it will be a rerun minus the laundry.  We are very fortunate that Mother Nature has been providing temperatures to work with.

37 at 9:17, time to get to the cabin.

Joint effort.  I wash it, he hangs it.

Sometimes I wonder "what the hell am I doing"?  There is a warm sunny beach or desert adventure just waiting for us.  I don't know why, for some reason staying busy by working and torturing this old body seems the best choice for me.  I love this valley, all we do and all we plan on doing.  I can't imagine life any other way.  I like vacations but I like getting back to Clara.  There is not one window in our house or cabin that doesn't provide a view that makes me think, wow, how lucky we are.  Walking down the sidewalk today that was hidden for so many years at the camp almost made me cry.  It is like walking back in time.  I looked at our back field remembering Dr. Stevens and her daughter Elizabeth, thinking they looked at the same view I was looking at.  That was in the early 1900s for them.  Gone, never to know what their feelings for their land and Clara.  Even when I work my mind wanders frequently.  A couple times today I drifted into deep thoughts only to be brought back by...........hey, you with me?  Maybe, sometimes, but give me a few seconds and away I go.