Pumpkin dunkin'.....

We had a brisk little storm roll through last night. It went from quiet, still and a very bright half moon to very windy and cloudy within minutes. Then the rain came. It rained for only about 20 minutes, but it brought change. It was a cold front moving in so once the rain pushed through the temperatures dropped about 20 degrees and I gotta say, it got cold last night. I think the low went down to 52 last night. Now I know I sound like a weenie and that that is not very cold to most, but you have to understand I've spent the last five years in San Diego and 52 in San Diego is downright frigid. I guess my blood has yet to switch back to east coast livin'. So this morning I am sitting here writing this in shorts, a long sleeve sweatshirt and big, thick, fuzzy socks. I gotta say, the socks are not doin' their job 'cause my toes are freeeeezin'. Might have to get a 2nd pair. Yep....attractive.

In addition to leaves turning and cooler temperatures, another sign that Fall has arrived is when my daughter requests that I make Pumpkin Dunkin' Sticks. She loves having them for breakfast with a big glass of milk. They are softer than a doughnut with somewhat of a shortbread consistency. They are very pumpkin-y and spicy and kinda delicate, while not being overly sweet. Here's the recipe if you wanna make 'em. I've had the recipe for years and can't remember where I found it. I think it was Better Homes and Gardens, so thanks to them for this great little stick of tender deliciousness!

Spiced Pumpkin Dunkin' Sticks

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Glaze (below)
freshly grated nutmeg for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, groundnutmeg, ginger, salt and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.

Place dough in a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (I use a ziptop bag with a corner snipped off). Pipe dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet into 4-inch long strips. Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes or just until firm to the touch but not browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

Drizzle Cream Cheese Glaze over half of each cookie. If desired, sprinkle with grated nutmeg. Let stand about 2 hours or until glaze is set.

Makes about 30 sticks.

Cream Cheese Glaze: In a medium bowl, combine 2oz softened cream cheese and 1 Tbls softened butter. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add 1/4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1/4 tsp finely shredded orange peel; beat until combined. Beat in 3/4 cup powdered sugar. Beat in enough milk (2-3 tsp) to make a glaze of drizzling consistency.

To store: Layer sticks between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Coffee smoffee.....

Sundays are our family lazy day. We attend church on Saturday nights, so Sunday mornings are for sleeping in, or waking early on purpose 'cause you know you'll have the whole house to yourself for a few hours. Sometimes if we feel real spunky and special, we'll go out for brunch somewhere, but mainly it's coffee and grab whatever you can find in the fridge.

This morning though, I was up at 5:30 baking biscuits. I had a catering job to provide breakfast at my church. Hope Community Church is opening two new satellite churches in the next month. One very close to where we live and the other on the 'north side of town'. The one close to us had it's first service this morning! It was a grand opening of Hope--The Sequel, as I call it, in a new part of the county and in a new community. We need these satellite churches because our current church attendance is over 4000 and grows every weekend! There are currently four services--2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday and there is still not enough room to seat everyone who wants to come. Pastor Mike should be proud! It truly is amazing the draw this church has.

I was bleary eyed driving to the new location this morning at 6:45. I needed coffee in a bad way. But I was wrong. I didn't need coffee at all. All I needed was to walk in the front doors of that high school as Hope worker bees were transforming it into our church for its first Sunday service. There were familiar faces and those I'd never seen before. Each one greeted me with not tired eyes and grumpy attitudes, but with big, bright smiles and 'good morning'! From the auditorium I heard the band warming up with a rap song. There was lots of laughter and many excited nerves that everything would go off without a hitch. But most important, there was the feeling of all the possibilities that bringing our church to another community and a whole new group of people would bring. It took about 5 seconds of being in that tornado of infectious energy to wake me up.

So this is what I'll be doing every Sunday from here on out. No more sleeping in, but I am more than ok with that. I am honored that I've been asked to bake for these amazing volunteers, but I am more excited about yet another day every week that I can feed my soul with my wonderful church. If you live in or near Holly Springs and want to attend, click here for the info. You'll love Hope!

the right 1/2 of our sanctuary at Hope--yeah, it's big!

Fall flavors.....

Things have been rather slow these past few months in my catering and baking department. Certainly slower than what I want them to be. A friend had to remind me that God blesses us on His time-table, not ours. I forget that waaaaay too often and get waaaaay too impatient for my own good. Sometimes I need a little reminder. The very next day........I was asked to provide a massive amount of baked goods for a church event on Sunday and it looks like this will be a weekly event to cook for. So I not only get to provide for my church, but for 200 very deserving people who help out the church every single week. From a business standpoint, that's 200 new potential clients! YAY! God is gooooood!

With the Fall season ever present, my menu includes quite a few of those wonderful Fall flavors like pumpkin, apples & pears, cherries, cinnamon & nutty ingredients. It is a brunch for a group who will be on the go throughout the morning, so the food needs to be portable. Scones, muffins, breads--sweet and savory and tarts are on the menu so far. This is one of the sweets I'll be making. It's a Pumpkin-Chocolate Marble Bundt. Let the baking begin!

For the LORD your God will bless you
in all your harvest
and in all the work of your hands, and your
joy will be complete.

~Deuteronomy 16:15

Feeding the feelings.....

If you scan the archives of this blog, you will read about my 140 lb weight loss from a couple of years ago. I now know that keeping the weight off is just as much work as taking it off. I am an emotional eater and I have had to learn to actually feel my feelings, not eat through them. That's a lot tougher than you think if you've never really felt things before. You eat instead of cry or instead of getting mad or instead of feeling blue. Add to that that as a society, we associate food with happy things and celebrations too, so for any emotion, whether it was happy or sad, food was always involved.

The toughest thing I had to deal with while losing my weight was the mental and emotional baggage that kept me overeating. I went back to that first moment in my life when I went to food for comfort. It was when I was 7 years old and my best friend who lived across the street moved to Arkansas. We were tighter than sisters and we were always together, so when she left, I was alone....and lonely. I didn't have any other friends around the neighborhood, so where did I go? To food. (Let me make this clear--this is not about finding people to blame for your weight gain. My weight gain had nothing to do with anyone specifically, it is just how I dealt with the emotions involving others.) Anyway....the comfort that food gave me during that first emotionally traumatic event in my life was fulfilling enough apparently to lead me right back to it the next time I needed an emotional band-aid and continued for 30 years. And let me tell you, being overweight is not easy, as a kid or adult. It's not just kids who are unkind. Adults, too, even family members made jokes and comments about my weight. How did I deal with that hurt? Of course, food. There is a sad irony there....

With my 140lbs to lose, it was more than just weight that I had to get rid of. There's a lot of anger and damage there and the repairing continues. All this stuff I had to recall from my past-- I had to feel it, forgive it and then let it go--finally. It's not easy, but it had to be done. This is why a lot of people who lose weight, gain it back. They don't fix the mental along with the physical. And the fixing doesn't stop with the day you hit goal. Every single day, when trouble or stress strikes, I have to feel it, forgive it, breathe deep and release it instead of the way it used to be--don't feel it, bury it and pile a bunch of food on top of it. Some days are easier than others. The past couple of weeks actually have been rather taxing for me and I slipped back to my old habits. Lucky for me it was my husband who noticed I was not being as careful with my food choices and said something. He caught me with my trigger food--peanut butter. It's something I have to stay away from, so he knew something was up. And he was right. So I had to stop, re-center myself, ask for some extra strength from God, feel the feelings, breathe deep and make the conscious decision to plow through the emotions. Stupid jar of Jif. See? I'm feeling that emotion! = )

Whether you have weight to lose or not, if you have emotional baggage that you need to deal with, (and who doesn't?) there is a book that was a lifesaver for me during this process. It is called Beauty for Ashes: Receiving Emotional Healing by Joyce Meyer. She suffered abuse as a child and had major emotional baggage that she's dealt with, forgiven and moved on and shares how to do the same. Believe me, it will be the best $10 you'll ever spend. It'll change your life. It did mine. And if you are losing weight, whether it is 14 lbs or 240 lbs--ROCK ON!

Migrations.....

I had just come back home from somewhere and was about to go into the house when I heard that undeniable 'honk' in the distance. My head snapped to attention skyward. "Honk, honk" I heard it again and jumped up and down on my tippy-toes a little too excited for my daughters taste and said "Where are they? I hear them!". A few more 'honk-honks' came and were louder and then, there they were. Twelve Canadian Geese came flying over in their usual 'V' formation. They flew beautifully, perfectly, silently and effortlessly. A couple of honk, honks back and forth to each other and they continued to fly over the trees and out of sight.

I absolutely love Canadian Geese. Always have. Many a time I've had to stop my car on a back road to let some of these cautious geese and their babies cross the road to get to the other side. I sit patiently behind the steering wheel grinning ear to ear giggling like a school girl as they waddle in front of me. I remember one time as many as 30 crossing a 6 lane road one morning. The guy next to me started honking his car horn at them. I guess the 3 minutes they took out his incredibly busy morning was just toooo much. I wanted to thump him on the head so bad.

Physically, these geese are so strong, gorgeous and regal looking. Their coloring and markings are so perfect they look painted. I love that they mate for life and that they both share in the duties of sitting on the nest 'til their babies are hatched and take care of their goslings together....til death do them part. And I love that 'honk'. There is something rough and sore-throaty sounding about it and I can recognize it from the furthest distance. Then there's that 'V'. Again...perfectly in formation and no one gets out of line. It is just awe-inspiring to watch and has always amazed me that they can keep it together and so letter perfect, so to speak, every time. Do you know why they fly in the 'V'? Now this is only what I read on-line, so I hope it's accurate because it sure is interesting. Canadian Geese are migratory birds and have to fly thousands of miles sometimes to get to that warm or cold place depending on the time of year. In order for them to fly longer distances, they fly in a V to cut down on wind resistance so they don't tire out so fast. It's like the cars in Nascar....they're draggin' off the goose in front of them! LOL. The lead goose, at the point of the V, meets the most wind resistance so when he tires, he falls back to the middle of the pack--the easiest spot to fly with the least amount of wind resistance--and one of the middle geese comes forward and leads for a while. The same happens for the two geese that are at the back of the V. They get the 2nd most amount of wind resistance, so when they tire, they move up and a middle guy moves back. If by chance a goose ends up lame or sick, falls out of formation and to the ground, at least two other geese--no less-- will descend with the lame goose and wait til he is better or dies before they continue on to join up with their group again. And did I mention that they always fly as a family?

They are another great example of how God got it right when He created them, didn't He? We could learn so much from nature if we took the time to look and study it some time. Just look at all we could learn from Canadian Geese---mate for life, share not only in the conception of, but in the raising and nurturing of your babies, protect your family, you'll fly stronger and further as a family, give the leaders a break every once in a while, let every family member take the lead from time to time. And when one of your family members goes down or is hurting, stick with 'em and comfort them til they're better or have passed on........

......and if some impatient guy in a fancy, black BMW repeatedly honks his horn at you while your trying to cross the street, poop many times on his favorite golf course! lol....

Quiet......

We have houses being built all around us right now and will for the next year probably. During the week it is a constant buzz, thump, drill, hammer, slam, beep, ker-chunk of construction noises....all day long. This is x3 right now as houses are being built on both sides of us and right across the street. By the end of the day and the end of the week I am craving quiet sooooo badly. This evening before dinner, I went outside and sat at the table on the screened porch waiting for the family to join. It took me 2 seconds to recognize the something I had been missing....hearing nothing. No construction noises, no neighbors chatting, no dogs barking, no cars driving by. I should say there was one sound. Crickets. As the sun starts to go down in our backyard, the chorus of crickets begins and the darker it gets, the louder they get. There must be a dozen different ones out there because of the variety of 'chirps' going on. I sat there tonight in absolute silence, closed my eyes and just listened. God wrote the most beautiful symphony with the making of His creatures. It's too bad we don't get the chance to hear these wonderful songs as much because of all the noise we surround ourselves from day to day. It's a pity too, that we don't carve out the time to go somewhere purposefully devoid of man's noise to enjoy, in my humble opinion, the perfect sounds of silence.

Dusk from my backyard...better known as
cricket time!

Blue ribbons.....

There's an ad in todays' paper about the special cooking contests that are being held at next months North Carolina State Fair. I think I may enter something this year. My mom used to enter foods in the fair every year and every year that woman would bring home blue ribbons! I don't think she won anything less than 1st place no matter what she entered. Her apple butter and peanut brittle were hands down the biggest winners.

There are numerous categories that have obvious sponsors like cornmeal, read-made pie crusts, corn syrup, etc. I gravitate toward the whole food categories like apples, pecans, peanuts and eggs. The apple category is interesting because they are not allowing any desserts entries this year. What will every apple pie, apple cake, apple fritter entry do?! I like the idea of a savory apple entry though. The egg competition this year is kinda cool, too. It is all egg sandwiches. Doesn't matter what you sandwich it in between, the egg just has to sandwiched by something. I'm thinkin' about something like a huevos rancheros type sandwich--my favorite way to eat eggs. I'm sure it can be turned into a delicious sandwich somehow. The pecan division is wide open. From appetizer to dessert and I have an interesting idea rolling around in my head for that. I haven't decided which I'll do....maybe all three!

The only thing I'm not crazy about is that if you win, the 'sponsors' of these contests get to take your recipe and use it as their own. I'm kinda protective of my recipes and just handing over the one that possibly was so slammin' good that it won first place in a cook-off? Can I do that? hmmmmm, if I want that ribbon, I will have to get over that protective thing I have toward my creations, I guess!

Has rude become acceptable?

With all the hub-bub this week with Kayne vs. Taylor, Rep. Wilson vs. Pres. Obama, Serena vs the line-judge, there has been a lot written about rudeness and civility, or lack thereof, in our world. I thought this was so well written, whether you agree with his theories or not. Thanks to Robert Lawrence, President & CEO of Pinnacle Media Worldwide for penning it.

Has RUDE Become Acceptable?
By Robert Lawrence, President/CEO http://www.p-m-w.com

"What do we do when someone like Kanye West creates such a stir like he did Sunday at the MTV Video Music Awards? Do we rush to judgment and ridicule the outburst and disrespectful display, or do we reach down into the souls of our own humanity and search for a deeper meaning and cause?

Is it really about what West did? Yes, he humiliated a young woman of obvious character and strength. Yes, it was reprehensible. Indeed, it was disgraceful but it doesn’t seem to all be about what he did as much as why? Was anyone else shocked recently, to see Miley Cyrus “pole dancing” on stage, as well? I know she is trying to shed the Hannah Montana image but pole dancing? That’s my 11 year old daughter’s hero. What about the Serena Williams outburst at a line judge this weekend? Has being rude and disrespectful to others, in order to get your way or make some sort of statement, become acceptable and normal?

Are we all not responsible in some way, for what took place on stage? Young people seem to talk to parents and adults in general, with such disdain and disrespect. Ever stand in a crowd, or walk past a group of teens or young adults only to be splattered with an array of foul language; oblivious to the adults and young children around them?

Who’s issue is this really? My fear is that Kanye West represents where the values of our youth have gone! We as parents bring home the R rated movies, let them buy video games with T or M ratings, let them talk to people they don’t know on the Internet, and have nothing to say when they sit in front of the TV watching endless episodes of South Park and Family Guy.

Please don’t misunderstand me, Kanye West’s behavior was despicable and Taylor Swift and Beyonce both responded with incredible dignity. My only concern is that many have rushed to judge West; calling him racist and myriad of other names.

The Bible says, “Judge not lest you be judged” and “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” Society certainly has some issues that need to be addressed; exhibited by not only Kanye West but by the values of young people in general. Let’s work on removing the stone from our own eye before worrying so much about the pebble in another’s. I’m just saying!"

Everything IS better with bacon.....

I watch alot of cooking shows--Food Network, PBS, Fine Living Network--all of 'em. But I really am enjoying Top Chef on the Bravo Network these days. I like everything about the show from top to bottom. I like the host Padma Lakshmi. She is the perfect combination of beauty, class and seems to know her food. She's not there just to 'pretty things up', like most female hosts. She does wear some stunning outfits though! Her co-host and fellow-judge, Tom Colicchio is a very well known chef himself and is a quite the intimidator, I think. He doesn't take any guff, that's for sure.

This season on Top Chef: Las Vegas, Kevin Gillespie is my favorite contestant so far because his cooking style and mine are somewhat similar. Southern, but refined. Kevin cooked his way into immunity last week with a snail dish that included a 'bacon jam' on the side. All of the chefs were cooking for judge Tom Colicchio and this big fancy, schmancy French chef extraordinaire & restauranteur--hence the snails. While every one else tried to impress these two with their take on French dishes, Kevin stayed with what he knows best--southern food. I loved watching the French chef and Tom rave about Kevins' Bacon Jam. And bacon won!!!! And why not?? We alllllll know---even the fancy, schmancy French guy knows---everything IS better with bacon! Even snails.

I have to say I've made lots of jams--fruit and veggie based, but not a bacon jam. Until now! I found the recipe for Kevin's Bacon Jam on-line. If you make it before I get the chance, let me know how you like it. I translated a couple of the french cooking terms for us commoners. = )

Bacon Jam
(Kevin Gillespie from Top Chef: Las Vegas)

• 1 cup bacon, cut into 2” X 1” X 1/2” pieces
• ¼ cup yellow onions, julienned
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted

1. Render bacon in a heavy sauté pan in hot 500-degree F oven until bacon is crispy.
2. Pull from oven and remove bacon. Cook julienned onions in the remaining bacon fat, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan until onions are dark golden.
3. Add brown sugar and stir to coat.
4. Add a third of the chicken stock and place pan back in the oven to simmer. Reduce mixture until thick, almost au sec (almost dry) (approx 5-15 minutes). Watch carefully that it doesn’t burn.
5. Add half of the remaining stock and reduce again until thick.
6. Add all of the remaining stock and remove pan from the oven. Season with salt, pepper, and espelette (hot paprika) to taste.
7. Pour contents into a blender and puree until fairly smooth.
8. Pour contents back into sauté pan and stir in honey to combine.
9. Put pan back into oven and cook stirring frequently until deep brick red color is reached.
10. Re-season and mount with butter (add small chunks of unsalted butter and whisk in). Allow to cool to warm temperature. Reserve.

Candy is dandy.....

The father of all things good and chocolaty, Milton Hershey, was born on this date back in 1857. He is the man behind Hershey chocolate. As a chocolate lover, that makes him a legend in my book. If you know anything about the Hershey Corporation, you know that there are many reasons why Mr. Hershey was, and still is, a legend. One of the most notable is the fact that Mr. Hershey always put the quality of his chocolate products and the well-being of his employees above his profits. He established schools, scholarships and lots of opportunities for growth and prosperity for his employees and those who lived in Hershey, Pennsylvania. These are things the company strives to uphold today. Some years ago I approached a few candy companies about making donations so that I could delivery candy at a nearby children's hospital on Halloween to the kids who weren't able to go trick-or-treating that night. Hershey Corporation was the only company to respond and they sent cases of Hershey chocolate bars. They made many kids happy that day. Milton was a good man and started a good company with a good heart. Happy birthday, Mr. Hershey!

Don't we all have candy memories? I remember as a kid walking to the 7-11 a few streets over to buy a handful of candy. It was cheap at that time so a couple of bucks would buy quite a few pieces. Not much would be left by the time I got back home! Or that 5lb box of Russell Stovers candy that my Dad would always buy my Mom on their wedding anniversary. She would have maybe a piece or two and the rest of us would polish off what was left. I do remember getting in trouble in Mrs. Starritts' 6th grade class because she caught me with Now and Laters in her class. She confiscated 'em and I didn't much like her after that! lol....

Last year when Cassie and I went to visit the grandparents in Florida, we went to the Disney Marketplace and into Goofy's Candy Company. It is candy heaven where you grab a bag and open the bottom of those massive clear canisters and let the candy fall into your bag. Cassie got gummy worms and I picked out taffy and some sugarfree chocolate covered raisins. We don't eat candy that much anymore, so doing this felt totally bad and good all at the same time. We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the marketplace snacking on candy and getting all hopped up on sugar.....it was such fun afternoon that we talk about still. Sweet, sweet memories....so to speak.

9-11

"Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.
You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety."

~Psalm 4: 6-10~

Bucket of crabs.....

A few years ago, I was under the tutelage of an LA acting/voice-acting coach in preparation of launching my voiceover business national. Not only did she change my entire approach to voice work (thank God!), she taught me a big life lesson too, one that I still carry with me to this day.

During one of our sessions, she stopped me and asked what was going on. She knew that my mojo was not working, so to speak and I knew it too. I had told her that I had been telling friends and family about launching my business nationwide and was getting less than enthusiastic support from everyone. "Really? Are you sure you wanna do that?", "How do you know that's gonna work", "You're getting a little big for your britches, now aren't ya?" Kid you not. "Let me tell you about a bucket of crabs," she said. "If you've ever seen a bucket of crabs, there are always those 1 or 2 at the very top who are climbing with all their might to get out of the bucket. And what are the ones beneath them doing? They are reaching up with their claws, grabbing ahold and pulling them back down." She continued, "when you are trying to get 'out of the bucket' there'll always be those trying to pull you back down. Remember than when you move up and on, you are leaving others behind and that makes some uncomfortable. You can either let them keep you in the bucket or climb out."

Since that day, whenever someone says to me "well, that's just not gonna work" or "you can't do that", I quietly say to myself "bucket of crabs". There are always going to be negative people in this world and there will always be those who will try to tell you that you can't
achieve....whatever it is you want. You can either believe them or not.
So in your life, in your bucket of crabs, are you on the bottom pulling others down? Or are you climbing out? I'm always climbing up and out.

Fall nestles in....

My weekly Farmer's Market visit Saturday morning is for the fruits and veggies I need for the week. But this weekend, I walked away with something money could not buy. That soul-satisfying feeling I get when I see and feel the Fall season approaching. It is my favorite season. The time when my big, chunky sweaters come out of storage, my fireplace comes out of hybernation, the leaves start to turn and that chill lingers in the air. At the N.C. State Farmer's Market, the earliest fall Mum's are now for sale....the last of the summer tomatoes are being clearanced....and the apples are taking over. I've feasted on so much watermelon these summer months and now that they have seasoned out, I anticipate the switch over to my favorite fall time fruit--apples. There are so many varieties with all the different flavors that they offer. From sweet to tart to tangy to mild and all tastes in between. The farmers are starting to roll out their first harvests and this weekend I bought a half-peck of Jonagold apples, which is a cross between a Jonathan apple and a Golden Delicious. It is a great eating apple, which is my intention this week, but it's also a great baking and cooking apple, too.

The Blue Ridge restaurant inside and down in the belly of the North Carolina Museum of Art served it's last meal Sunday. It is moving into the new museum buildings that will open next spring and I was there to bid it farewell. Over the years, my Mom, brother and I along with friends and other family members have enjoyed many a meal there, so it seemed only right that we close it down, too. I had what they call the "Southern Falafel". It is a veggie patty made of Black-Eyed Peas, rice, parsley and many savory spices. It is served on focaccia bread with a cucumber-yogurt sauce. I got their Quinoa Salad on the side, too. Both were amazingly fantastic. We sat there for about 3 hours and ate and chatted. It was wonderful. The new restaurant will open next April and we have already made the date to be there on it's opening weekend.

Being one never to pass up a sale, I had to stop in the museum's gift shop on the way out as they had everything 65% off. I found a cookbook called "An Appetite for Art: Recipes from the North Carolina Museum of Art" by Elizabeth K. Norfleet. It is a gorgeous cookbook. There are 225 pages of yummy recipes like Smoked Trout, Asparagus Chicken Penne Salad, Sweet Potato Pudding, Baked Sausage and Wild Rice and something called a Southern Comfort Cake that makes me wanna bake it and get some Southern Comfort right now! Interspersed with all those recipes are some of the most beautiful pictures of still-lifes that you can find at the museum, most involving food in some form or fashion. It is one of the more visually stunning cookbooks I own...and I bought it for $5.98. It felt like I was stealing it for that price, but I am soooooo happy I own this one! A new cookbook for a cook is truly like putting a kid in a candy store. It is wonderful to try new dishes and recipes, but it's more about the new inspirations, flavors and ideas for your own recipes that will be born from these.

Bye-bye Blue Ridge....

The 3-day Labor Day weekend is here and there are too many open spaces on my schedule! I have a whole day tomorrow and Monday with nothing to do and I feel the need to get out and go somewhere. The weather is just too gorgeous to spend it indoors. I've searched on-line for any festivals or activities going on in the Triangle area and have found nothing. I have always wanted to go to the Seagrove Pottery district, but that is a little more than a day trip. Maybe the Smithfield Outlet Mall? Maybe....we'll see what the weekend brings.

Did you know that tomorrow is International Bacon Day? Oh, there'll be celebrating of that in some form or fashion this weekend!

Sunday, I'm having lunch with my Mom and brother at the Blue Ridge, the lovely restaurant at the North Carolina Museum of Art. After this weekend, it is closing in it's current location for many months and will re-open in a brand new building that is being built right now. The family and I have eaten many a Sunday lunch at the Blue Ridge--lots of birthdays, anniversarys and lunches for no reason at all have been there. This 'last lunch', so to speak, is our way of closing the book on this version of the Blue Ridge with anticipation of trying what I'm sure will be equally delicious dining and family time at the new restaurant. I do love the view of the 'back yard' of the Art Museum from the current Blue Ridge, so I hope the view from the new building will be just as gorgeous!

Sunday evening back at the homestead, we have friends coming over for a little cookout. We are doing hamburgers and sausages on the grill with the some 'amped' up sides--like Potato and Macaroni Salad, my deeeelicious 3-bean Baked Beans with bacon and a tomato and cucumber salad. Our friends are bringing the dessert, so that will be a surprise! Yum! The weather is suppose to be spectacular Sunday eve, so we'll be dining out on the screened porch.

Monday, Labor Day, again my schedule is wide open, so I'll see what spontaneous fun I can find. I hope whatever you are doing this holiday weekend, that you have a blast! Be safe!!!

AHHHHHH....Football season

North Carolina State University Wolfpack begin their football season tonight. My dad was a professor at State during the golden years of Lou Holtz being the head coach. Every season we got tickets on the 'staff' side of Carter Finley Stadium. I remember looking across the stadium where the students, visitors and marching bands sat. They certainly looked like they were having a lot more fun over there than I ever did over on the stuffy staff side of the stadium....I realized later when I went to college myself that I didn't wanna be on the side with all the drunk college students either! I do remember those sitting on the grassy hill on the righthand side of Carter Finley were the most fun to watch. They would roll down the hill to chase down the extra point and field goal balls. When fights ensued for the gameball, that's when the nets behind the uprights went up. Bummer. Now the remodel of CF has bleachers over there, so 'the hill' no longer exists.

Getting ready for gameday was a process at our house. Mom would start popping popcorn several hours before--she was a popcorn freak growing up. She ate it allllll the time. The kernels she popped for the game would go into a big plastic wrap lined brown grocery bag. Yes, we would eat some of it, but most of the folks around us knew her as 'the popcorn lady' so it became the community bag of popcorn! I don't think they let you bring stuff in like that anymore. The tailgating that went on hours before the game in the parking fields were amazing. I was always so blown away with the 'living room' set ups some tailgaters had--nice chairs, massive grills and food that went waaaay beyond just hotdogs and hamburgers! We would bring blankets to the games to either sit on or wrap around us when it got chilly. Those metal bleacher benches were brutal on a butt after one hour. After six hours, you were numb and frozen!

As every game day passed and fall released more of her bite, it was more and more fun and chilly. Wolfpack football and Fall went hand in hand in my childhood....
So as NC State hosts South Carolina tonight at (the completely remodeled) Carter Finley, all those wonderful memories have come flooding back and they take me to a really warm place in my soul.

Oh yeah..... GO PACK!!

Buzzin' about honey.....

September is National Honey Month. I love honey...I mean I reaaaaaallly love honey. I love how it tastes, I love how it looks, I love how it pours, I love to cook with it, I love the little bees that make it and how it looks in the comb. It is one of the most natural, gorgeous-looking foods that is soooo good for you, as is. Honey is a natural builder for your immune system as well as a natural, home remedy for lots of ailments! And let's be totally honest--it was honey that made the 9 1/2 weeks movie famous--everyone remembers the honey!

Honey is a natural sugar that absorbs super-fast into your bloodstream, unlike processed sugars. It is also a great natural sweetener in your tea or coffee or yogurt. If you work out, a spoonful of honey before you head out will give you enormous energy to go that extra mile. If you lose your energy at the end of the day, instead of having one of those processed sugar-filled energy drinks, spread a little honey on a piece of wheat toast and you will get that same boost, but naturally. If your kids have a particularly long day at school coming up or big tests in their future, make sure for lunch that day you pack a peanut butter and honey sandwich. That little boost of 'honey-love' will give them that little extra punch to get through the day with lots of energy!

You've probably heard a lot about our honeybee population dying out and the dangers that could cause. My daughter, my little nature lover and protector of the world, was explaining this to me some time ago, so I looked it up. According to the Dept. of Agriculture, "honeybees pollinate 80% of our flowering crops which constitute 1/3 of everything we eat. Their loss could effect not only dietary staples such as apples, broccoli, strawberries, nuts, asparagus, blueberries and cucumbers, but may threaten our beef and dairy industries if alfalfa is not available for feed." So protect those little honeybees!

Love your honey--the human one in your life and the one that is the golden elixir that is soooo good for you....

...isn't that gorgeous?