Rummy, what a game!

After my mother arrived I dug out the cards so we could play rummy, a game that she dearly loves...and I don't. There was a time when I thought I must have some sort of deficiency, because I just really don't like rummy. It irritates me most of the time; I feel like a praying mantis sitting there waiting for the right card, drawing one at a time, looking all over the table to see if I can play a card on something, hoping that the queen of diamonds will show up, because I have the king and the ace. Then Mom eases THREE QUEENS (including the queen of diamonds) onto the table, and there goes my plan. I am sitting there with a fifteen cent ace and a worthless king, so then I have to hope the 2 of diamonds will show. Of course, it doesn't, and I have to come up with another plan with a 6 of spades, 4 of hearts, 9 of clubs, 8 of hearts, jack of clubs, and so on. This is just way too SLOW for me; it reminds me of shelling black-eyed peas--the world is spinning off without me, leaving me sitting there doing one pea at a time. I like action--spades, hearts, something fast. Today I decided not loving rummy has something to do with personality types--maybe there isn't something terribly wrong with me after all. Even though I can't find anything about personality and card games, it makes sense that there is something to it. This is a good project for the government to use some of their stimulus money for, and why hasn't that illustrious bunch of bureaucrats we have in Washington thought of it? On a more sensible note, I do think rummy is for the high green and gold personalities, and that is not me. Happy New Year, and may the effects of the blue moon on students have waned by Monday.

Christmas happenings.

Merry Christmas, ya'll! I really love Christmas, and feel a little sad when it is over. My tree, with all sorts of ornaments, will stay up for a while. This tree would never be found in the pages of "one of those magazines;" it's a hodge-podge of everything. Here is a decoration that son Roberto made when he was in the third grade, and a little memento that the Farmer's Wife sent for Valentine's Day one year. Memories are what are hanging on my tree.

Mom got a new pair of fleece lined slippers. She was surprised, so apparently she didn't peek. I don't remember how old I was--probably about a fifth grader, when I slipped out of bed undetected, and opened every present under the tree. Somehow I managed to get them all wrapped up again, taped back together well enough so no one suspected a thing the next morning. It must have taken great skill in stealth and small motor skills, because we lived in a small house with squeaky floors making it hard to slip anything past my folks, who seemed to be awake 24/7, with eyes in the back of their heads. The next morning wasn't any fun for me, and I have never peeked in another present since that day.

My tree skirt will be ready for next year. It was a mess up that I just didn't want to tackle until I had time. I saw something similar in a pricey catalog, and decided, "I can do that!" Just remember the points have to have the curve cut inward so it will fit the circle.

I tried my hand at a new Mexican dish called, "asado." One of my students wrote a recipe for me several years ago, and then I got another one from somewhere, so between Jacoby and the other recipe, I got it done. You start with about a 3 pound pork roast, and cube it.

One recipe called for 10 cloves of garlic. Jacoby says you need a sack of peppers, and the other recipe called for ancho peppers, but I just used the long red ones that are in nearly every grocery store. Rehydrate the peppers by soaking them in boiling water, then blend the devil out of them with a cup of hot water (or more, depending on how many pepper you use). Here is how the pepper paste looked.

You brown the meat with the crushed garlic, and other spices, then simmer the meat with the pepper paste for a couple of hours until the meat is tender. Make some tortillas, salad, and if you put the beans on early you should have a nice, interesting, early supper ready to enjoy! These peppers are spicy, but not hot. If you want to heat the dish up, add the chipped red pepper or just eat some jalapeno with the dish.

So here you can see how supper looked--gringo style!

ASADO

16 dried ancho chilies

10 cloves of garlic, crushed

3 pounds of pork roast cubed

3 T lard or olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/2 C cilantro

2 tsp. Mexican oregano (or regular)

salt and pepper

METHOD OF PREPARATION

1. Take the chilies and remove stems and seeds (can reserve seeds to spice up the asado later). Place chilies in a large bowl, pour warm water over them, and then add two crushed cloves of garlic, and 1 tsp. salt. Soak for 8 hours or overnight.

2. Throw the soaking water away (it will be bitter), and blend with 1/2 C water. Puree until a thick paste is formed. It should be about 4 C thick paste.

3. In a saucepan, saute on medium heat the diced onion until they start to almost brown. Add the remaining 8 cloves of crushed garlic, and cook for one more minute. Add the chili paste, 1 C of water, the cilantro, oregano, salt and pepper.

4. Cook chili sauce on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not be upset if it heaves and bubbles violently.

5. Generously salt and pepper the pork, and brown in olive oil on all sides. You may have to do it in batches.

6. Add the chili sauce, and cook on low heat (covered) for about 2 hours, adding water if necessary.

Choosing dried chilies. They should be pliable like raisins. If they are brittle and crumbly, they are old and not worth anything. Happy cooking!

My exercise program has gone out the window. Would you believe that in the past three or four days I have averaged about 3 miles a day, even though I have worked like I was fighting fire to get all the cooking done. Just goes to show that doing dishes and stirring pots doesn't take many steps!

La Esparanza and more

Last week I took my shopping day in Odessa. That's right, a shopping day on Monday--a school day. Our superintendent, bless her heart, understands how crowded the stores are on the weekends, and that is the only time school people have to shop, since we live a "fer piece" from Midland or Odessa, so she came up with the idea of a "shopping day." We trade days with someone who is not in the classroom. I traded with the librarian, and my kids just went to the library to work on their assignments. I had lunch with my son, Roberto, and of course, we ate at a Mexican cafe he has discovered--La Esparanza. It has some really good hot sauce, just the left side of painful with really good flavor. Odessa has some real good Tex-Mex, and they don't cut the heat!

My mother arrived yesterday (Saturday), in fine shape, no worse for wear. In fact she enjoyed her flight, and talked to some interesting people on the way. One young man was going home to McCamey, Texas from his job with wind turbines. He said he was ready for some good Mexican food. After church today, we decided we would try a little McCamey Mexican fare. Everything starts with chips and hot sauce. The cook must not have been very mad today, because it was rather mild. The madder the cook, the hotter the sauce!
Mom ordered enchiladas with red sauce, and said they were good, but it was more than she could eat! That cafe is used to feeding men, and men want lots of food for their money. It is Christmas break, and I am looking forward to reading, cooking some healthy low-calorie food, and throwing in a few new recipes, which I will be sure to blog. So, tune in again. Maybe you will see something unusual. I hope your week before Christmas is filled with joy, and lots of friends and family.

Helen Corbitt and Fit or Fat?

It has been a week of losing ground. I have now successfully gained another pound after starting a conservative jogging program, and completing The New Fit or Fat book! It has also been a week of sitting on my rump doing lots of school work. I have a student who is taking biology via Odyssey Ware, and the counselor informed me that he had to been done with it by the end of the semester, because he has to take speech in the classroom. This is good news and bad news! Pushing a special ed. kid through a year's course in one semester requires lots of work on my part, but next semester he will be in the speech teacher's room having fun giving speeches about whatever he likes, and they won't be about biology! I have about a ream of paper sitting over on the counter waiting for me to read, highlight and write the page where the answers can be found, but instead I am telling you about the fun I am having. I ordered a new cookbook--The Best from Helen Corbitt's Kitchens, and did manage to read a little in it last night. I have three of her cookbooks now, and love to read the recipes--in fact she is my cooking hero. I have even bought the brandy for some of the recipes, so when Grandma gets here, occasionally I will try out a special dish, or maybe we will just drink the brandy. Helen Corbitt, a red headed Irish girl, was born in New York in 1906, graduated Skidmore College, B.S. Home Economics and worked as a hospital dietitian. She quit the job eventually and started looking for a more creative outlet. This was during the depression; jobs were scarce, and the only thing she could find was teaching quantity cooking and tea room management in Austin, Texas! Helen said,"Who the hell wants to go to Texas? 'Only I didn't say hell in those day. I learned to swear in Texas, and to tell a cockroach from a scorpion.'" As soon as I get this biology over with I am going to try some of her recipes, and tell you more. It's time for breakfast. I am starving.

Desert Snow

I got up at 4:45 a.m. to jog. That's right, Rosie is planning to start a new fat burning program. I am re-reading Covert Bailey's book called The New Fit or Fat, and have decided that all my fat burning enzymes have gone to sleep or have shrunk to the point that I will continue to gain even by looking at a pie (of course, I rarely just look), so I am going to follow Mr. Bailey's advice to get 12 minutes of aerobic exercise, which is supposed to enhance the development of fat burning enzymes in my bloated cells. He says you have to have at least 12 minutes of exercise at the target heart rate in order to stimulate the growth of these enzymes. Here is how to calculate the target--220 minus your age multiplied by .65 to .8. When I went out at 5:00, I was so surprised to see about 1 1/2 inches of fresh snow on the ground. About 6:15 the recorded call from the superintendent came through--no school! Yes, I know, you Montana people are stunned, but this district will not take a chance on running a bus on snow pack. If the bus kids aren't here our average daily attendance is hurt terribly, money is lost, so we just don't have school. Anyway, I have walked three times today, and am going to get the Christmas tree up as soon as I get off the computer. It is amazing how fast time evaporates--and I thought I had "all day" to get everything done! Actually, it's time for coffee now, and do the tree later. Wish you were all here so we could have a cup together. Have a blessed day!

Thanksgiving Cookin'

I usually end up making some cream pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so here's my stuff all ready to go. It's really easy.

In the oven you go!

About 30 minutes later out you come.

I learned the cream pie technique from Eurena Koonce, my little neighbor across the street in Jayton, Texas. She cooked for cowboys, probably on some of the big ranches in Kent and maybe Garza County, where her husband worked during her early marriage, and at the same time she took care of babies, washed diapers, and hung the laundry on the line to dry, and maintained the home. She was a wonderful, Christian lady, and one of the best cooks I have ever known. She taught me things that Texas Tech didn’t. One summer I made pies for the Jayton Cafe, and used her recipes for the coconut and chocolate versions--they were a big hit. Men love the coconut pie for some reason, and the ladies went for the chocolate.

Coconut Pie

3 T flour

1/2 C (rounded) sugar

1 C milk

1 C evaporated milk

3 egg yolks (I use jumbos)

1/4 C butter

1 tsp. vanilla (I'm using Mexican vanilla)

3/4 C coconut

Method of Preparation

1. Mix the flour and sugar in a heavy sauce pan. The heavier the better.

2. Separate the eggs, being very careful not to break a yolk in the white.

3. Whisk the egg yolks with the milk, and add to the flour and sugar.

4. Cook over medium heat until the mixture gets hot, and reduce the heat to avoid scorching. After this mixture gets hot, whisk constantly and don't ever let it boil.

5. Cook until thickened, but not too thick (nothing worse than a stiff filling--my opinion only).

6. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and the butter.

7. Stir until the butter is melted; stir in the coconut, and quickly pour into a baked 9" crust.

8. Put the already prepared meringue on as quickly as possible. Sprinkle with coconut.

9. Bake in a 300 to 325 degree oven for about 25 or 30 minutes.

Meringue

3 egg whites

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/4 C sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 C coconut for the top

Method of Preparation

1. Make the meringue while the filling is heating up. This is easy if you have a Kitchen Aide mixer. If you have a hand held mixer, which I did when I cooked for the cafe, start the filling at a lower temperature so you have time to get the meringue done first.

2. Beat the egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar until stiff.

3. Gradually add the sugar 1 T at a time and beat the devil out of the meringue.

Mrs. Koonce said it is important to get that meringue on while the filling is hot so it will start cooking from the underside. That is why I make the meringue first, and then bake the meringue in a slow oven so it will heat through and through and get cooked. This keeps the meringue from weeping or shrinking after it cools. Just forget the 400 degree oven advice! I make over 300 pies for the cafe and people that summer, and this worked for me every time. I have mixed feeling about Mexican vanilla--love the flavor, but am a little scared of it. Someone said they heard the scientist guy on Good Eats say that some of these vanillas are made from tonka beans, which are a carcinogen. I guess after I use this quart I'll figure out how to make my own--darn, I sure do like the taste of Mexican vanilla. Well, the pie turned out good; I am still miserable from dinner, and I can hear the din of the Aggie/UT game, so I guess I will waddle into the living room and see how they are doing. Hope you had a great Turkey Day.

Christmas Shopping

Guess what? I went shopping down town Rankin, a small West Texas town in Upton County, and found these darling Frankoma boot bookends. Are they so cute, or what? I know you have seen this pottery back in the day. It was usually green, and had this frosty look. You may have had a baking dish or a flower vase shaped like wagon wheels. The business was founded in 1933 (at the beginning of the depression) near Norman, Oklahoma by a man named John Frank. He designed functional pieces of Western art from the red clay found in Oklahoma. The business is still alive, and is one of the oldest U.S. potteries in operation today. I hope the new owner can make Frankoma thrive. After all, the U.S. needs to produce something, and this is really old West Americana, a real treasure . Back to businesses--I hope that cute little shop, called Teddy J's Emporium, in down town Rankin will get a website, and open her doors to the world, because it is a shopping oasis in the desert with antiques, and unusual finds!

November 17, 2009...

will always be a special day for us--our first grandbaby arrived that morning in Odessa. He is just amazing, and even though he was big (8' 2"), he is so small! We finally had to tear ourselves away and go eat. China-Mex is good! Odessa has some really good places to eat, and if you are hungry for Mexican food, go to Odessa. It was a beautiful fall day. I took this from the 7th floor of the hospital as we were leaving.

Here I am with the baby when he got to his home. Isn't he little?

This is me and our Baby Robert when he was about two weeks old. Mom took this picture the first part of July in 1980 in Jayton when she and my dad were down to see their new grandson. We have come a full circle--our son is now a dad!

Friends will have to go to my Face Book page to see the rest of the pictures. We are very blessed to have a healthy grandchild with healthy, loving parents, and that is what I am most thankful for this year (along with about a million other things). I am off the entire week, and loving every second of it. Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Summer is Over...

but wasn't it good while it lasted? Today, I pulled up all the grass burrs I could find, mowed the last of the green grass, and ran the weed eater. It's time to put away the garden tools for this year, and make plans for another spring. I painted these handles this summer, just for fun, and to keep them from weathering. My two favorites aren't shown--Roundup and two-four-d! What would we do without them--organic is not all it's cracked up to be. I am just about done with a book called The Help, and it is so funny. I hope you can read it. Gotta get back to the game.

Pink Giraffe, Purple Leopard, and Zebra Stripes.....

Here is the quilt that Cowboy's Sweetheart gave me several years ago, perfectly stitched, corners that match, and beautiful colors of violet, red-violets, greens, blue-greens, and different whites. I will treasure it always, and it's on the bed winter and summer. I don't have any other color in the room, other than brown, so I decided to add some color, and here it is all complete--inside and out.

There are a few other colors besides what is in the quilt, but I think the violets, pinks and greens stand out, so it should fit right in with the quilt. I put the final coat of clear acrylic on it this morning, and was nearly late to Sunday School because of putting the old, original 1950s hardware on the drawers. I can't believe I am really finished with it--not that I have been toiling over it every day (there were many days I was uninspired, and didn't dare work on it). Then, when I decided to finish it there was always something else that needed to be added, fixed, or done to it, and it seemed that I would never get done. I got pretty detailed in places, which takes a lot more time, but details are fun, and I am happy with the way it turned out. I wanted you to see it before I move it to the bedroom where I will fill each drawer with "stuff." Sewing is the next thing on my list, and it needs to be--the machine has a stack sitting there waiting for me. When I was in the extension service, one of the agents told me that a person can sew for themselves if they average 15 minutes a day. Sounds easy doesn't it? That's what I thought, and vowed, that come rain or shine, I would do just that. So far this fall, I haven't averaged 15 minutes a week. My excuse? I didn't want to start anything until the dresser was done. No more excuses. Maybe I can show you some sewing in the next blog. Thanks for the inspiration Sweetheart!

P.S. I kind of regret not tying in some blue-green, but I am already thinking about the pine bench in the bedroom that my friend Jackie rescued from the Big Lake Elementary. Maybe it ought to be blue-green! I have to think about it.

This and That....

I just love fall! The cotton is ready and the gins are running. Most of the cotton I see is loaded from top to bottom. It takes a long time to get a killing frost around here, so just about everyone defoliates to kill the leaves, then they can strip, and get it to the gin as early as possible. This is just one of the pretty fields south of Midland.

Last night was the last football game for us. We played our rival, Garden City (Glasscock County), and they beat us pretty badly. I left at the half because I couldn't stand it any more.

I had some tomatillas in the refrigerator, and a couple of long chilis that needed to be used, so I decided to make some "experimental" hotsauce. I cut the tomatillas in half, placed cut side down on a broiler pan, and roasted them. You can see they squished when I started to peel them, but I think it was necessary to take that peeling off. Their little peelings are tougher than tomato peelings.

I learned from the carne guisada experiment that chilis need to be peeled, because their skin is tough. This is a roasted and a peeled chili. Peel from the bottom up--it's a lot easier. I blended the chilis, tomatillos, about 5 cloves of garlic, onion, 3 jalapenos, and tomatoes, a tsp. of salt and cooked it just a little. Nice, but not hot enough for that kid of mine. If you want it hotter, add more jalapenos (or habaneros).

Tailgating, Beer, Short Skirts, and Pirates....

I just couldn't get all the pictures in with the last post, so here is the rest of the story! Mike Leach is fascinated with pirates, and now the pirate has emerged as a symbol for Tech fans, along with the Matador, and double T. This skull is painted on the street by the southeast stadium entrance. Someone said that one time Leach lectured the team for about an hour (after losing a game). The lecture had nothing to do with football, but was all about pirates! After that set to, the boys went out and won the next game, because they didn't want any more pirate lectures. I have no idea if this is true; it may be a legend.

Here are some of the students waiting to go in to the stadium.

Tailgaters are all around the stadium and down on the campus too. They drag their cookers and coolers in, and have a party. There is some good food turned out in these spots.

Here I am, ready to go to my first Tech homecoming game in the fall of 1966. No, I was not overdressed--maybe a little underdressed for that time. Some of the girls with money really dressed to the nines with heels and clothes from Neiman's. Me? A country girl fresh from Montana just settled for a suit I made--not even red or black, and my little leather gloves.

This was taken in West Hall, the first dorm I lived in at Tech. Actually, during the first week or so I lived with Dr. Sheldon, who was head of the Home Ec. Dept, because all the dorms were "full." After about a week of classes, the dorms figured out all the cancelations, and shuffled kids here and there, and I got to move into West. I don't remember who I went to the game with, but I did get a mum to wear--a real one, white with a black and red double T on it made out of pipe cleaners. That's how the Lubbock florist did the mums, and they had plenty of business.

Well, hello ladies! Times have changed haven't they? These two graciously posed for me as we were about to cross the skywalk.

Here is an Aggie....

and here is her Raider counterpart. The little strapless dresses are in.

Short skirts--they got this short back in the 60's--there really is nothing new under the sun.

The beer and mixed drinks (see the red Solo cups) are all over the place, but not in the stadium. Bobby was enjoying a beer, when he noticed a cop. His heart turned flips, and he put the beer on someones tailgate hoping he hadn't been caught. It's legal if you are 21 and behaving yourself. Robert added good comments about about the horse, and I want to add one more thing.

Tech Beauty, a mare that was foaled on the Tech farm, was the horse the Masked Rider was using in 1963. She was stolen just before the Tech -A&M game, and wasn't found for three days. She had been hobbled and left in a shed near Idalou without feed and water for the three days. Someone had sprayed AMC (maybe A&M College--A&M Corp)on her with aluminum paint. It's hard to believe that anyone would be so stupid and cruel as to take their hatred out on an animal that just happens to be a mascot. I have other words for people who do things like this, but I won't put them here.

There is a lot more I could say about Tech, but I will leave that for another time (I hope Cactus adds a few comments). Maybe Bob and I will get back to another game within the next ten years, and that is when I'll tell more stories. Until then--Guns Up!

Texas Tech Football...

I haven't been in Jones Stadium since June 2003 when the Farmer's Wife, Jennifer, and myself found a gate open, and slipped in for a few pictures. Well, let me tell you, things have changed since that last visit! I felt like Rudy's mother when she finally got to go to the Notre Dame stadium in that famous movie. The "Goin' Band from Raiderland" is still flashy, and the best in the Southwest (if not the whole USA). That hasn't changed. The Masked Rider doesn't turn the black horse loose anymore. Back "in the day" that horse galloped around the field as fast as he dared go. Now, there is so much stuff on the side line there is no room to run, but the black horse and Masked Rider are still our pride.Here is the tunnel where the Tech players enter the field.

There were over 57,000 fans in the stadium (and no telling how many outside sitting by their coolers).

Lots of cheer leading going on.

The big screen on the north end shows the re-plays, announcements, advertisements, and yell leaders giving the crowd the cue for noise.

GUNS UP!

This is the south end of the stadium where the band sits, the Double T scoreboard, and the dome of the athletic complex is in the background.

Here is the west end of the stadium, and the sky walk over Marsha Sharp Freeway. Parking for the games is a big deal, now; we parked on the north side of the freeway for $25, and took the walk way to get to the stadium. Other people parked and walked 45 minutes, or if they could, took a bus to the stadium. Tech has had a major rebuilding project going since we were there in 2003, and they are still not done with the stadium. The east end is under construction, and if the Farmer's Wife, and Jennifer could see it now, they would swear it looks like the United Spirit Arena on the inside-- TV monitors everywhere in the covered area beside the stadium. Tech played terrible, and let the Aggies beat us (a terrible let down because the Aggies haven't beat us in years). I am not going to make excuses--A&M showed up to play and Tech didn't! Next, I will give you a glimpse of the tail gating that goes on everywhere outside, so get ready.

Meeting the Lord....

Cactus sent me this one, and I just had to post it for everyone! The e-mail said it was from Nye, Montana. I am winding down after the ball game--56 to 8, us, by half-time. In six-man football, the game is over if one of the teams has a 45 point lead, but you can't quit before half-time, no matter how many points you are ahead. Hope you can be in church on Sunday, and have a blessed weekend.

Carne Guisada..

It was in the 50's all day Sunday, and this cool weather really does make me want to cook and eat! So long diet! I used about a pound and a half of rump roast for this Tex-Mex dish. It really is good, and I hope all of you will try it. Here are the main players in the whole recipe. Beef broth, I used Knorr Caldo bullion, and

improvised by using chipped pepper, because the chilis weren't hot at all. Cumin, black pepper, salt and chili powder. I was being lazy, and didn't feel like processing those, long, dried red peppers.

Here are the peppers. I asked the lady at the Iraan grocery store if they were hot, and she said some of them had been, so I didn't bother to pick up any jalapenos. Actually, I think the chipped, red chili is really good. It has a pleasant flavor, and a comforting heat, that doesn't just kill your mouth.

Then I cubed the roast, and floured the meat with just enough flour to coat the cubes. Don't add any salt at this time, because it draws the moisture out, and the meat won't brown.

Next, brown the meat in some olive oil. You can see that this old Le Creuset has had plenty of experience cooking! It is funny how I don't notice how beat up, and used my utensils look until I see the picture. Oh well, they cook better than that new stuff!

When the meat was browned, I removed it from the Dutch oven, put it in the crock pot, then added the broth to the drippings, simmered it on low so all that browned flour that had stuck would loosen, and add to the flavor of the gravy.
This meat was nice and tender after cooking iall afternoon, the gravy was juicy, but thickened, and the flavor was worth the wait. You can see I still have flour on my fingers from mixing up the tortillas! I think this would be good on rice, or just eat it!

One thing I did learn--roast the peppers and peel them first. Here is the recipe, as best I remember.

Carne Guisada

1 1/2 lb. roast, cubed

2 long chilies (roasted and peeled) and enough jalapenoes to warm you up, or

use chipped red chili like I did.

1 onion chopped

1-1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 -2 tsp. chili powder

about 6 to 7 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 to 1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. chopped tomatoes, canned work well

1 1/2 C beef broth

2 T flour

1. Roast the peppers and peel, then chop.

2. Chop the onion.

3. Flour the meat, and let it set just long enough to stick.

4. Add a couple of T. of olive oil to the Duth oven, and brown the meat. When you add the meat to the hot oil, let it stick a little so you can have that nice, crusty stuff on the bottom of the pan for the gravy.

5. Take the meat out of the pot, and add the broth. Let it simmer to loosen the browned flour.

6. Put the meat, tomatoes, seasonings, onions and peppers along with the broth to the crock pot, and cook all afternoon. Enjoy!