Country goes to the city

Today I rode into the center of Baltimore to Johns Hopkins University.  It was very easy to find, parking was more difficult but we lucked out on level 2 of the parking garage.  Just a 1/2 block walk to our destination.  The gentleman working the reception desk was a great guy and with his welcome grin just made the shoulders drop and the breathing relax.  Country girl needed that.  So wonderful to see when they hired this man they knew he would be a good one!  He said sign in and I will walk you to the building you need to be at.  Dang this just got better.

On the way out and one more thank you and telling him how nice he had been I said, one more thing............tell us how to get to I-83 and I will even tell you your handsome!  That's the ticket, kindness.  Of course this man shined kindness.  Right on too, we found our way out..........no problem!

It was exciting to see exit signs for Camden Yards, Inner Harbour, the zoo and aquarium.  Hopefully I can convince someone to go back to Baltimore for some adventures.  Great place to visit but my thoughts leaving the city were back in Clara and Cook'n by the Creek.  My safe place where making a wrong turn will not be in an area filled with danger.  Of course in all fairness city folks would probably fear our woods, animals and low population with neighbors too far away for security.  Like the saying "it takes all kinds" and that is what makes up our beautiful USA.

The only cooking I have done since Tuesday morning has been my 3 little boys supper tonight.  No cooking tomorrow, Richard is going to try Lentil soup all by himself for our supper tomorrow night!  His kitchen skills are little to none but he has been trying lately and I have been trying too ;)  You see I have that personality that NOBODY can do it as good as me..........not just cooking but everything!  If I have to watch someone doing something it is best for me to turn away, I get all nervous and usually have an out burst of "HERE LET ME DO IT"  Even if they can do it better.   Not fun and I really am trying to STOP!

PARKING GARAGE AT J.H.U.

TRAFFIC AND ONE WAY STREETS!

GOODBYE BALTIMORE 

On the Road Again

It doesn't take much for me to hit the road.  Like the old game show, I can name that tune in 10 sec. :)  I can be packed and out of here in 10 minutes!  We pack light which makes for few bags to take.  In fact one time we packed so light for a trip to NC we didn't take any bags.  We stopped at a camp ground in VA, set up the tent and  yes, I said tent.  I asked Dick, where is our bag..........his answer was not what I wanted to hear...........didn't you put it in the car.   That was a panic moment.  Off to the store for tooth brush, paste and a hair brush.  After the shock wore off I had to grin, I'm getting some new clothes and make-up in NC.

Back to the tent thing.  We love tent camping. Give me a queen air mattress, electric coffee pot and fry pan and it is the Ritz Hotel  :)  We have camped with the motorcycle and that can be quite an experience but I still like going.  With the bike the tent is down sized to a 2 man, no air mattress or coffee pot. Wake up, roll the tent and sleeping bags, jump on the bike to the first restaurant or quick fill for coffee.  Lots of coffee for me please, it keeps me in line, sorta.  We have camped by bike in southern PA and WV.  All experiences have some pretty amazing stories, that might be another post or two someday.

Four years ago we camped in a tent around the perimeter of the USA.  It was by far the best vacation ever, 21 days and never stayed in the same campground two nights in a row.  It was back to the 1960's in our 60's vacation.  Honestly we could have camp set up in 5 minutes.   We always stayed at KOA Campgrounds and would stop each day by 3 pm, set up tent and head out to explore the area.  Before we we came back to the campground we would stop and buy what looked good for supper and breakfast in the morning.  Now California was heaven for fresh fruits and vegetables.

One thing I noticed, in a tent we attract lots of people interested in our travels. A PA plate was probably the bait for them to start the conversation since we were in a tent way out west.  We met a lot of great people that had their own amazing stories to tell.  I even found a gal working the KOA office that loved Jamacian Me Crazy Coffee and had her own K-cup stash of it that she was more than happy to share.  I ran out of my JMC in southern California.  21 days and 7,800 miles

Then there is the Auto Train that runs nonstop from Lorton, VA to Sanford, Fl.  We have taken it twice, once with the bike in June a few years ago and this past December with the car.  Cheaper than flying and renting a car, no hauling bags because once your car is packed it stays in the car or on the bike until you get to the station the next morning.  There is a great evening meal with wine, a continental breakfast in the morning before departing the train and complimentary coffee, tea, water, fruit, nuts, muffins, cookies etc. during the overnight trip.  Leave Lorton at 4 pm, arrive Sanford the next morning at 8:30 am.  The unloading of the car takes no more than 30 minutes and you are on your way.  Both times we went on to the Florida Keys (maybe another story).

Other adventures are 1, 2 or 3 hours from home, which is usually by bike in the summer with friends or just us.  There is so much to do and see around here and some pretty amazing little specialty cafes.  Ok the mind is spinning, yep another story.

It doesn't matter where we go or how far we both love to travel, meet interesting and sometimes some really weird people.  Even though I'm sure some say, wow those two are weird.  Life is what you make it <3

I am now in Union Bridge, Md ;)  My granddaughter called yesterday and asked me ride along with her.  Of course, this is where my three little grandboys live.  We left in quite a storm this morning but by the time we reached Wellsboro all was good for road conditions.  Dry and a little sun all the way.  Bacon and eggs the only food  cooked at Cook'n by the Creek today for breakfast ;)  My favorite spot for a salad along Rt 15 is Panera in Shomokin Dam for a late lunch today.  This is the half way mark for the trip so a grande cup of coffee to go and I'm good for the last 2 1/2 hours.   Thursday morning breakfast at school with Cooper then head North to Clara and start cook'n.

The mighty Susquehanna River along Rt. 15

                                    Coming down off the mountain to Williamsport.

                                         Mediterranean Shrimp Salad from Panera

Winter Blue, not blues :)

No winter blues for me just winter blue that the sky had to offer today.  Although the temperature  bounced from 13 to 16 on our little trip the sun was "hot".  I can just see my southern friends and family doing the eye roll over that comment.  It truly was, no heater going in the car today.  This is a winter day to make me smile.  So off to Ulysses for a few things from the Amish.  Kinda like the old song we use to sing in elementary school, over the river and through the woods, with a couple hills.  On the way we went through Oswayo which makes me think of the kids I went to school with and the friends that still live there.  I said to one guy that lived in Oswayo when we were in high school, how can you stand living so far out?  His reply, don't know what it would be like not to..good come back!

Some people don't like to do business with the Amish, for us it is enjoyable and saves us money.  We buy horse, dog and chicken feed from one family. Heck Dick even talked the young boy into selling his puppy to him.  Apparently Dick has a thing for black horses and black dogs that are well, juvenile delinquents.   I wanted to name him Yoder but Dick chose Quincy.  We took Quincy with us today and the young kid was happy to see the dog he named Nole.  We never told him we changed the name.  The young boys of the family that have already finished school work at the feed store.  They look so young and I'm not sure but heard they are 15 when they graduate.     

A few miles up Hickox Rd is the Amish family that sells bulk food and furniture.  They have the best Amish butter in 2# rolls.  All of their seasonings are very cheap compared to a grocery store.  Plus they have the cutest young girls working the store.  I love to hear them talk and Dick seems to get a conversation going where they even ask questions.  Today was the subject of spring and seeing robins.  She seemed very excited to hear Dick had seen a flock last week.  Even the Amish are ready for warm weather even if it means working the fields and gardens.  Women and girls do the garden work.   It is at this home we watched the men cutting ice blocks from the pond.  Perfect squares that were quite big.  They slid them up a rail to the wagon hooked to a beautiful team of draft horses.  The woman at the store told us they haul the ice to an ice house that will keep it for summer use  for all the families to share.  That amazed me.

This pond is near the Amish school.  Several times during the winter we have watched them play hockey. They are pretty good on the ice and have the biggest smiles even as cold as it is.  I can imagine play is not something they do much of considering we always see kids on the farms working at various jobs.  Not easy jobs, splitting wood, working in the fields, saw mills and building.   It doesn't matter how small they all have a job.  I wonder, do they complain about all the hard work they do by hand with little help from modern equipment?  Not sure, I can't imagine they do but maybe.

Young Amish boys playing hockey at recess.

This is at the top of a hill coming down into Eleven Mile.

This is the one of the farms on Eleven Mile no longer farmed.

A small Sugar Shack on the Eleven Mile that will soon be boiling sap.

Top of the world, nothing but blue sky and pure white snow.

No recipe today, it is bean soup and corn bread for supper.   Once when visiting our grandson I said, suppers ready and he said what's supper ;) I explained supper is what we eat at night and he said we call it dinner.   I was brought up to eat supper and if we did go out to eat which was probably no more than 5 times on the farm, that is what we called dinner.

LIQUID GOLD IN THE TREES

It will soon be time to tap the Maple Trees and I couldn't be happier.  Maple syrup by the gallons at our house.  No, we don't tap but have some local friends that produce thick, tasty syrup for a few $.  Maybe not a few dollars but worth every dollar.  A gallon cost anywhere from $48.00 and up.  The small local producers usually charge $48, the big producers more.  The small producers have the best syrup it seems to be thicker .  We use maple syrup for cooking, pancakes, cereal, if it needs sweet it's maple syrup here. 

Late spring they will have a Maple Trail Weekend to visit local producers and watch how maple syrup is made.  It is worth the day to visit them, plus they offer special tasting treats and products for sale :)

One of the farms I grew up on had a Maple Bush and Sugar Shack.  Oh if anything was worth being alone on that farm it was tapping time.  The season varies on when it starts and how long it lasts. No weather channel back then just good old farmers that were pretty darn good at predicting the upcoming weather.  Possibly better than the Weather Channel that has ruined many a good bike trips for us because of predicting storms that never happened!  

I understand how the price is well deserved.  When tapping started my dad was at the Sugar Shack nonstop.  Mom did the milking, feeding and cleaning the barn plus always having a clean house and great food.  I never heard her complain, life was what it was.  After the chores were done, which was well past dark we would go to the Sugar Shack.  The smell was something you never forget, hot steam rising from the cooking sap fired by wood that had been cut and stacked the year before.  Off to the side was a little pan with syrup in it cooking down to a thick not quite spin a hair consistency.  That was "the bomb" in modern terms :)  Mom would take it outside and pour the syrup over some fresh packed snow.  It would turn into a clear taffy type treat.  We would wind some on a fork to eat.  I can not tell you how wonderful it is and some how makes all that sugar intake ok since it is not processed refined white sugar.  At least my theory for my "sugar tooth" 

Some of you may know Lynn Kemp, from Eleven Mile.  Lynn and my parents were friends and his kids went to school with me.  Back when I grew up all the farmers knew and helped another in need, no matter what valley or Run they lived on.  He also worked in the oil fields with my dad.  Farmers usually had a second job.  Lynn still at 90 some years old is a great asset to our area.  His wife Gwen was too. Lynn called the maple taffy "Jack's Wax" pertaining to the giant from Jack in the Bean Stalk story I believe.  That is a neat thought considering it is the color of wax when poured on the snow.

So as the days get longer, the sun warms and shines bright and the nights stay below 32 the sap will be running.  Another spring favorite, leeks will start to do their thing but that will be a whole new blah, blah, blah on one of my future posts.

My 17 yr old grandson came over this morning, YES he wanted to boil some syrup and Dick filled a big bowl with snow for us.  Once Kent had enough taffy we boiled the remaining syrup down to the hard crack stage and made maple sugar ♥  My 3 kids loved it but 3 little hands reaching in became quite a challenge to make enough at one time.  Nothing like the years our house was filled with noise ♥

This maple syrup came from J, M,& S. Maple Products.  Again some wiil remember Mike Simons, we grew up as neighbors on the Horse Run Rd where Mike still lives.  Mike and his family do a great job with the syrup!  Unfortunately one memory when I think of the Simons family farm is their big mean dog named George.  I had to call to tell them I was riding by on my bike so they could tie George up.. One day one of the boys didn't do their job.  I still have the scar on my right calf from George, he was quick coming out of that bush by their garage.

Here is the link to the hamburger roll recipe I made yesterday, they are delicious and yes easy to make. 
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-hamburger-buns/

Season the Cast Iron :)

Three skillets that I have cooked food from in my 50 years of cooking.  No I'm not 50, that would be nice but that age is long gone.  I was 14 when I started to take interest in the kitchen.  My mom had these skillets and used them everyday.  I can not remember her using anything else.  This is what they looked like this morning before "seasoning" them.  How wonderful cast iron is, it stays usable and very rarely is ruined.  I have seem cast iron go through a house fire that was a total loss and be usable with proper refurbishing.   I have had other types of cookware but they went to the lawn sales of  long ago, nothing out shines the dull black set.

If you have some and they need seasoned let me tell you how I do it :)  I know one gal that has her mom's set and had asked me about 2 years ago how to season them.  I wonder...........did she do it ?

Set your oven on low or around 320 degrees.  Clean your cast iron and dry.  Rub canola oil in the bottom and sides of the inside of the pan, this is a very thin coat so it won't have little "puddles" of oil while seasoning.  It usually takes 3 applications of the oil to complete. Every 30 minutes take the pan out and rub the oil around so it doesn't "puddle". You may have to add a little more oil  it doesn't cover well. When it's done the bottom of the pan will be smooth with a nice shine to it.  Once you have put a good season finish in the cast iron it should be good to go for another year or so.  What will take the seasoning off is putting spaghetti sauce or any acidic type food in it.  You will be seasoning more often if you do.  Good luck if you are going to try and restore some old cast iron and if you already use it I don't have to tell you how great it is!

Another tip, if your cast iron skillets have rust on them.   Just wipe it with a damp cloth and then take a very fine steel wool either 00 or 000 and buff the inside with it.  Wipe with a dry cloth and start the seasoning process.

I have read articles recently about the dangers of cast iron for cooking, supposedly it gives off too much iron and your system absorbs it.  I will ignore the warning as  I have no records of any family members with too much iron in their system ;)  It's like years ago when they said butter was not good for you so eat margarine and oleo instead.  Now we see articles of the dangers of those nasty substitutes.  I believe nothing is better than the real deal..

     The picture below is the skillets after being seasoned today. It took about three hours at 320 degrees.  Well worth the time because they actually work like those nasty teflon pans when you first buy them.  You know the ones, even the expensive ones that eventually start flaking.

So much for a promise!  Another recipe for tommorow ;)  I have to share what I found today it is just to delicious not to "pass it on"

From the Hoffman Farm

I promise this blog will not always be about food.  That will be a tough one to keep since it is one of my loves ♡  This is probably the most demanded cake in my recipe box.  Carol Hoffman and I met through our kids being friends. Carol and her husband bought a farm off the Eleven Mile Rd when their kids were little.  The farm has flourished through their families love and dedication.  It makes us proud to know them.
Well it is kinda a funny store on how our families got together.  Bart would come home from school and ask if Brad Hoffman could spend the night and I would tell him know because we don't know the family!  Finally we went to a Little League meeting for parents and they announced the player and parents.  I was giving Carol the "stink eye" as they say now and she was doing the same to me.  We have laughed about this because she would tell Brad the same as I did when he wanted Bart to stay with them.  Approval was met from both families and wonderful times and memories were made.  Don't think the boys didn't give us a run for our nerves ;)  together Carol and I tried to keep stride with them.  Little Leaguers turn into teens with a driver's license.  We all survived!
Here is the Tandycake recipe Carol passed on at Bart's request :) I promise it is easy to make and if you have chocolate and peanut butter lovers it will not last long!

The finished Tandycake with dark and white chocolate for my Valentine loves!

passing it on is one of the most rewarding things you can do,  whatever it is!

Bill & Eleanor Stavisky

My favorite sugar cookie recipe is from Eleanor Stavisky.  She was a great lady that taught me a few kitchen skills not to mention the fact she was my elementary music teacher.   Her husband Bill was the superintendent at Oswayo Valley.  In his early years he was the boys basketball coach and a damn good one from the stories told through the years.   My brother played for Mr. Stavisky.

Well as time passed, they retired, and we became friends.  It's funny because I was scared to death of them in school.  Not that they were mean, I was always afraid of getting in trouble ;)  Bill always had a beautiful garden across from our home in Shinglehouse.  Dick would go over to  visit and Bill would give him the ins and outs of gardening.  He would also leave bags of veggies with us.  He would pick up hickory nuts in the fall, crack them and give us a quart of perfect halves.  That was talent and patience, that was Bill

.

Eleanor would send cookies to us quite often.  I tried a couple times to make them with her recipe but not as good as hers.  When I told her she said, come on down we are going to make them together.  It worked and we had a great chat.  What she told me always comes back when I think of her.  She said, you know I never thought I would get this old, she was 72 at the time.  There was sadness in her eyes but she added that she has had a good life and good children.  So Eleanor this post is for you, a good teacher, friend and wonderful lady ♥

I'm pretty sure, well 95% sure the cookies meet Eleanor's quality and 100% sure the grand kids will eat them without  complaining they don't taste good.

Happy Valentine's Day.  It's not the flowers or gift on this day that matters as much as the love everyday ♥

Bread recipes

Today I hand quilted to keep busy with a little baking in between.  Warm bread for supper which I held to 1 1/2 slices.  It amazes me the tall thin guy  can eat as much as he wants anytime he wants to and the short not thin gal has to keep tabs and limit the intake.. DARN FOR ME.

Well the bread is easy and delicious so why not pass it on ;)

This makes two loaves of white bread:  2 cups of milk scalded, add 1 TBS salt, 2 TBS sugar and 3 TBS of butter, let it cool in large bowl.  In  a small bowl add 2 pkg. dry yeast and 1/4 cup warm water. stir til dissolved.  Add 2 cups of flour to milk mixture and mix by hand.  Add water and yeast and 2 more cups flour, mix together.  Now 1 more cup of flour and turn out on floured board to knead and work in enough flour to make a dough, knead for 5 minutes and place in well greased bowl to raise. It should double in size, (about an hour).  Punch down, let raise 30 minutes. Punch down, shape into 2 loaves, put in bread pans, let it raize till double, bake at 375, it will be done when golden brown and sound hollow when you tap on the top of it.  butter the top while warm.

I also made two loaves of date and nut bread today.  It is so moist and I love putting it in the freezer for emergencies, like when company stops and I want to razzle dazzle them ;)  with something besides my JAMACIAN ME CRAZY COFFEE ! It defrosts so nice in the microwave.  Geez how did I manage without a microwave when the kids were little?  That would have saved time and dishes!

ok, here is the date bread recipe:  2 1/4 cups of boiling water, add 3 tsp. baking soda and 1 1/2 cups of chopped dates, cool for 30 minutes. Add 2 cups sugar, 3 TBS of melted butter, 2 beaten eggs,1 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla, 4 1/2 cups flour and 1 cup of
walnuts. stir all together, pour into 2 loaf pans and bakefor 60 minutes at 350.

Mr. Roo

For the past two mornings I have done the barn chores bright and early which is way to early for me.  Especially when yesterday it was -9 and today -17 !  I will say it wakes ya up and clears the head ;)  The added bonus, 2 horses and 20 chickens/roosters are so happy to see me.  It takes 30-45 minutes tops.  I don't muck, that would double the chore time.  Besides why take the mucking fun from Dick. lol

Ok I got off track, this is about Mr. Roo.  He has been crowing like a real man while 
I'm getting their food and water ready (they have a heated water dish because they live like kings and queens).  Dick came back from night chores and said Mr. Roo is not acting himself  so he put him in the tack room for the night.  Now I am hoping Mr. Roo is just tired from all his strutting and taking care of the girls all day long.  He has 17 of them to keep an eye or whatever on!  We shall see if he just needed a peaceful, quiet night by himself.

I am amazed at the life I live!

         This book is where my mother lives for me, she died suddenly when I was 17.  It is worn and falling apart but it is beautiful with sweet memories of my mom, Della. Opening it and finding the recipe I want is beyond wonderful for me and is used often. I sat on the counter while she followed recipes out of it and as you can see she let me write in it as she cooked, baked or did the canning.  I always pretended I was writing recipes and mom would dictate them me.  If you look close you can see recipes that mom's friends had given her.  Elenor Dingman, Pauline Eastman, M.E. Harris, Genevive Maxson and many others.  I have also added recipes from Pam, Cookie and Grandma Angeline Bryant to the book.  
        I have a set of mom's knitting needles, size 6 that get used frequently, another skill she taught me.  This is why I love the garden, lawn work and yes my chickens, everything she loved and enjoyed doing.  You see living on a farm most of my life and like an only child that was entertainment ♥  I had three brothers, 16, 17, and 25 years old when I was born ;)  that is why I felt like an only child.

       I'm sure you all have a memory or memories that take you back to that carefree, loving and safe place.  If you do I hope you find peace as I do going back if only for a minute.

The Recipe Book

This is what -8 degrees looks like today.  No skin showing when it gets this cold!  My chickens love the stale bread we buy them at the local discount bakery.  In return they give us beautiful brown or white eggs.  This week they have started laying more which means a few dozen for our faithful customers.
Cream puffs on the baking list today.  The farm fresh and free range eggs make them so light and fluffy :)
The standard cream puff recipe I use:   In a sauce pan melt 1 stick of butter with 1 cup of water and an 1/8 tsp. of salt.  Bring to boil and then stir in 1 cup of flour stirring until mixture leaves the side of the pan.  Remove from heat, put in mixing bowl, cool slightly.  Add 4 eggs one at a time and beat til incorporated.  Drop by spoonfuls on baking sheet (I use parchment paper) and bake for 30 minutes in a 400 degree preheated oven.  Then poke a whole in the puff and return to oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  cool and fill with your choice of filling or my filling recipe.  dust tops with confectionary sugar or chocolate frosting.
My filling recipe:  In saucepan combine 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, stir in 1 1/2 cups milk, cook over medium heat stirring constantly til thick. In small bowl beat 6 egg yolks, beat a small amount of cooked mixture into eggs, then add back into the cooked mixture and cook another 8-10 minutes until thick. This is called tempering the eggs so you don't cook them into lumps ;) Remove from heat stir in 2 tsp. vanilla and 2 TBSP of butter. cool and fill puffs.  Or add coconut or bananas and fill a baked pie shell, top with meringue made from the egg whites ;)  Put in oven at 400 degrees til meringue peaks are lightly brown.

This is not Sochi 2014 but it is Clara 2014.  At 64 we can still get out for a little fun and plenty of exercise.  The only way to enjoy life is to do anything and everything, as long as it's legal ;)

Swedish meatballs, Cheryl's version ;)

This is my version 1 lb ground veal, 1 lbground chuck, 3/4 cup fine bread crumbs ( I used boughten seasoned), 3 eggs, 3 TBSP wor hester sauce, basil, black pepper, marjorim, garlic powder in a large bowl. thenin a small bowl 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup chopped onion and 2 cloves of garlic chopped, micro wave 1 min. add to meat mixture. I also add a TBSP of beef soup base. mix, make small balls, fry in butter (everything is betta /butta Put these in crockpot. then add a couple cups of water to fry pan with 2 TBSP of flour, tsp of soup base and pepper. simmer til bubbly and pour over meatballs. I keep it on low for a bit and then on warm til ready to eat...