OK OK!

OK I'm back! I'm OK!

You're OK!

No reason for the long break, really; just lost interest for a little while.

So, October 19th was my one year anniversary on this blog. In that time I had over 11,000 page views, from 10 different countries. My posts prompted 254 comments this year. Thanks y'all!

I wrote 123 posts this year. That's almost one every three days.

By far my most popular post was, Flying Purple People Eater (FPPE). It was viewed 366  times.

I have a theory about that, which was suggested by a bit of spam that came through. In the spam comment there was a hint that FPPE may have been some sort of communication code involved in the "Arab Spring." Really! It was not the usual spam, which is full of advertising links. Instead, it was a message about prison and being captured, etc.

I hope the guy got away, at least I think I do....! The Internet is a fascinating place!

My second most popular post was Still Life, With Potatoes - a recipe post, of course. My recipe for hash browns prompted several comments and 2 recipe contributions (french fries in the oven and sweet potatoes in the crock pot). Thanks, Jude and Paul!

I have 4 followers, and thank you for your extra support. Folks who read me regularly, would you like to become a follower? It's relatively easy, I think.

You don't get a prize for becoming a follower - just my thanks, praise, gratitude, prayers for a good life, etc.

The folks who have found me by accident have "googled" some interesting phrases, such as:

• dali
• eggs and hashbrowns
• purple people eater
• sad momma pictures
• purple people
• tupperware cat
• a mopping refrigerator               (now, there's an idea!)
• dish pan purple

In the meantime, I've been busy with projects and so on. Here are some pictures for you. Art Basal is in town:



This shoe thing has gone too far!




Look carefully - at the visitor's hand!

 

Art Basel is in Miami but not literally on the beach - and neither are these ladies!

What is it!

Sorry - no drawings from me this time. I have some, but my scanner is giving me problems....!

Hope you're having a wonderful day. I am!

What the Heck is Turmeric?

For me, it's the wonder drug!

Here's the thing: I've known for a long time that when I eat curried chicken at our favorite Chinese restaurant, well, I just feel so - - -

Satisfied?

Comforted?

Satiated?

At Peace? ....Yes, that's it - at Peace!

I never knew why until Dr. Oz mentioned turmeric on his show. Turmeric is the thing that makes curry yellow and contributes to it's unique flavor. It comes from the root of a plant native to India, and is used frequently in cooking and medicine in that area of the world.

"Turmeric is recognized for its medical ant-inflammatory properties," says Dr. Oz, "Researchers are evaluating its use to treat high cholesterol, rheumatoid arthritis, scabies and irritable bowel syndrome."

Well - no wonder my gut feels good!

Turmeric is listed among the best antioxidants, per Dr. Oz and the Mayo Clinic. It is said to be good for fighting infections, reducing inflammation, possibly helping prevent Alzheimer's and cancer, and is a great fabric dye also!

You can add turmeric to rice or couscous.

You can add it to the bread crumbs, flour or cereal coating you use to make baked "fried" chicken.

Or you can try one of these:

Corn Relish:

1. In a large saucepan, mix corn, cabbage, onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, white sugar, ground dry mustard, celery seed, mustard seed, salt, turmeric, apple cider vinegar and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
2. Transfer the mixture to sterile containers. Seal and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Southwestern Rice:

1. In a large nonstick skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and garlic in oil for 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, rice, cumin and turmeric; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Add beans, tomatoes and corn; heat through.

The exact ingredients for these and other great recipes can be found at http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/main.aspx

Of course, I like to do my own thing, so the other day I cooked half a bag of frozen cauliflower (in the microwave - about 12 minutes in plenty of water), drained it and mashed with a potato masher, and flavored it with salt and pepper and a tablespoon of turmeric. The result looked like rice, so I stirred it up in a skillet with an egg and a few more vegetables. It was delicious "fried rice" without the rice.

Any time I can substitute a vegetable for a carb is a good time for me!

So I hope you give turmeric a try, because it's good for you.

If you've told yourself,  "I would never eat that stuff!" here's some news: Turmeric is a major ingredient in mustard. Guess that's one positive for hot dogs!

If it's still really not your thing - well - brew it up like tea and dye some fabric! Or make a paste and rub it on your face; they say it removes facial hair!

Am I......

the only one......

with facial hair????

 

By the way....

Benny was released from the animal hospital and is recuperating nicely at home. We're relieved and grateful for his return to health. (See my post dated September 21.)

Love Those One Dish Meals!

I came up with this, inspired by one of my Mother's 1940's recipes. Not being a professional food photographer, I didn't do so well with the picture, but this will give you the idea of it anyway:

Five ingredients:  Chicken, broccoli, rice, cream of mushroom soup, french fried onion rings

Cook the rice. I use whole grain rice, which takes about half an hour. I also like to flavor it with turmeric, which makes it yellow, but flavor yours however you like.

Brown the chicken. I used boneless thighs.

Layer the ingredients as I have listed them, with chicken on the bottom, then raw broccoli, cooked rice, one can of soup diluted with about 1/2 cup water, and then the onion rings.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. If the onion rings start to get too dark, cover with foil.

We had this for dinner last night - yum!

And the best part was almost no dishes to wash after because I washed all the prep pans while it was baking!


"I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate." -- Julia Child, celebrity chef and cookbook author

What's With the Weather, Right?

I can't believe how damp everything is!

It's so wet that we have toadstools in the front yard:

In true Florida fashion, even the toadstools here are fancy, with scalloped edges like petals. I outlined their shape with pen and added a fairy:

The stepping-stone tile in the picture is covered with moss. And so is my front sidewalk:

Think I'll have to go to Home Depot and see what they have for moss, because it's slippery.

This is a serious problem: I'm concerned that the Chinese Food delivery man might fall - or the Pizza guy - causing long term negative consequences for our happy home, if you know what I mean....!

As for my gardening project, well, due to the rain I haven't done much. But I was able to get everything stacked in the back yard, thanks to Tyler, who mows our lawn. So, heavy lifting done, all I need to do is set up the fame and cut open the bags of dirt!

On a totally different subject, but because I just couldn't wait to show you this picture, look at this neat idea for a snack:

It's a waffle ice cream cone filled with grapes.

Well, yeah, I'd rather have ice cream too (sigh).

Anyhow, time to say bye for now. Go eat something tasty!

I've been playing with my blog design a bit. Something I've been trying to include is a little game, like "Bubbles" that I had before. I'm not totally thrilled with what I've found so far (see right ----> ).

If you wish to try it and comment, please do. I only know what it does on my computer.

When I was recently on vacation, I went to Boston to visit with my sons. I stayed at the best bed & breakfast in town (thank you Andy) and ate at some really nice restaurants.

But the very best part was hangin' with two of the finest young men in the world! Also, my wonderful daughter-in-law, and another young lady who would be a great daughter-in-law also and - always the star of the show - Penny the pug!

I'm looking for interesting blogs about Boston so I can feature them here. It's a wonderful city.

On the home front, I can't wait to tell you about the terrific coleslaw I made recently:

Wedding Bouquet

Oops, that's not it! My mind wanders.

Let's try it again:

The ingredients: Cabbage (1/2), carrots(4) and apples(2).

The equipment: Tupperware Quick Chef

I chopped everything in small batches and mixed it up with a bit of purchased coleslaw dressing and there I had it - a super simple, very easy salad.

It was so much fun I went ahead and chopped up a couple of raw potatoes, skins and all, for hash browns. The hash browns were good, but next time I'll add an onion - yum!

That's it for now, except I have to say this, to our representatives in Washington: "Why can't we all just get along?" (Thank you, Rodney King).

Memorial Day - Part 2 (Picnic)

One week later, and I finally get around to this:

We had the best picnic on Memorial Day. It was an ordinary menu - ribs, dogs, burgers, 'tato salad, beans, grilled veggies, etc.

Thing is, Caroline wasn't feeling well, and I am not into this grilling business, especially things like - ribs?

But lookee:

Here's my marinade recipe. Easy to make. Do not measure (I didn't):

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons minced onion
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I'm not rich, so I used 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Marinate as long as you like - 2 to 24 hours - and take out of the fridge about an hour before you cook it.

That's it!

Oh, and the veggies - yellow squash, onion, green beans, and a few spices "grilled" in a pan in a little olive oil:

More drawings. Believe me, I never know what's going to happen when I put pen to paper!!

Hearts and Flowers

Great Outdoors



Hearts & Flowers Number 2




In the Garden



One Can Never Have Too Many Chairs.

We found that out when we had ten people at Caroline's birthday party.

Well, now we have two more. Aren't they nice?

Navy Chairs

Caroline got them from Overstock.com and they were on sale (of course). We had no choice on the color, but the color is perfect - lucky us!

They go perfectly in our little grey/white/blue kitchen:

You've seen this picture before, but I keep putting it on the blog to convince you that my kitchen is always clean. Hah!

Now, back to the chairs: And Faith: They (the chairs) arrived packed together in one big box. I took the first one out and removed the padding around the legs, etc. As I was doing that, I heard noises from inside the box.

For a brief moment I wondered if the Overstock people had sent me something extra - something alive.

Then I heard Faith's bell. She had squeezed herself into that box even before I got the second chair out!

So, I decided to make her a playhouse. Tomorrow.

Because, today I was busy cooking. I made black bean soup and cornbread:

I had some left over ham in the fridge, so that's what got me started on this. And of course I didn't use a recipe, so this is just an approximation of what I did. Let's see:

• One small bag of black beans
• About half a pound of sliced spiral ham
• Two small potatoes
• Half an onion
• About half a cup of leftover spaghetti sauce (a great addition to many recipes)
• Salt, pepper, chili powder

I cooked the beans according to the directions on the bag, which took about an hour to soak and about 3 hours to cook until the beans were very soft. I simmered the ham in a different pan to make broth, and that's what I cooked the beans in. I cut the ham into small pieces and kept it in the fridge until the beans were cooked.

When the beans were pretty soft I peeled the potatoes and cut them up and cooked them with the beans for the last 20 minutes or so.

Then I got out my trusty blender. After the beans cooled a bit I whipped them up (potatoes too) in batches, all but about a cupful of beans, to give the soup a little texture.

Then I put it all back in the pan and added the ham, chopped onion, spaghetti sauce, salt, pepper and chili powder. I simmered it for about 15 minutes, to cook the onion and blend the flavorings.

Caroline doesn't eat bean soup, so I had only myself to please on this one. I ate it with a dollop of sour cream and a square of corn bread (made from a Jiffy mix).

Nutritionally speaking, I guess bean soup is kind of old school - high in carbs - but you can't say it lacks fiber, at least. And it's soooo good!

Meanwhile, Faith is waiting for me to get going on her playhouse!

So Many Projects, So Little Time

In addition to the Recipe Book I'm working on, here's a little more of what's keeping my Meadville visit varied and busy:

The newest member of the family is little Paige. I got to hold her today. She didn't like me much, or maybe I've just lost my touch with babies.

I whispered in her ear. Told her to give me a call when she's 15 - heh, heh!

Now, on to another project. Meadville has a wonder ful JoAnn's fabric store, and you know I just can't go in there without buying something. This time, some cute molds caught my eye. I got the idea to make some sort of doll item. Here are my supplies:

I made four faces from the mold, out of Sculpey clay. And now I'm sewing and decorating. More on that later.

And, finally, I turned my little smart fish on his side and he became a pelican. What do you think?

Mother made a cozy fire in the fireplace so I'm going to go enjoy it with her now.

Bye bye - and count your blessings, every one - for there are many less fortunate than you!

Gratitude

I think I'm the luckiest person in the world, to be in the company of my (almost) 93 year old Mom, who spoils me with attention and great food.

Tonight we had chicken for dinner. It was so wonderfully moist that I must share the recipe with you. It's not my recipe, or an old family recipe either - it was on the back of a Land O Lakes butter package.

So, in case you buy the store brand of butter, here's the recipe:

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh garlic
6 (4 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, pepper and salt in a shallow bowl.
2. Combine butter and garlic in a shallow pan.
3. Dip the chicken in the butter mixture first and then coat with the breadcrumb mixture.
4. Place in a shallow baking pan or tray and bake at 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes.

Now, Mother doesn't like garlic, but she does love sage, so we made an adjustment there.

And because I love mashed potatoes, well, I made lots of mashed potatoes. I don't know why, but I swear mashed potatoes in Pennsylvania taste a whole lot better than in the South. Are they fresher potatoes? Different varieties?

Good thing Mother and I both like V8, 'cause that was the vegetable....!

Sorry, no pictures of the dinner, but I have a little doodle for you that I made after dinner, while Mom and I watched TV and talked politics.

Not Bitin'

Whatever your life is like today, remember to count your blessings. Gratitude nourishes life.

And, thanks for reading this!

A Change of Scenery

Sometimes I'm very contrary:

When everyone else goes left, I go right.

When the rest are going up I'm going down.

And when folks are heading South, I'm on my way North!

So - I got into Meadville yesterday and found - surprise! - SNOW!

Oooh, so cold! This Florida Girl was freezing!

But my nephew-in-law brought his wife's winter coat when he picked me up, and when we got to my Mother's house he cleared a path in the snow so I wouldn't get my sneaker-clad feet wet. Now, that's a gentleman!

So now that I'm here, we'll see what transpires - artistically and otherwise. I've already designed a cookbook cover for Mom:

There will be more about this wonderful cookbook later.

Hope you're having a wonderful day!

Love and Food

I made valentine pancakes for breakfast:

Red food coloring and a hot griddle, that's all it is.

And we all know food equals love, right?

Is there any holiday that doesn't have food attached to it? I suppose the custom goes back to hunter gatherer societies who had a big party whenever the men came back with the caribou. Sarah Palin's still holding those parties, and who can blame her.

Gets pretty boring living on nuts and berries all the time.

So it's an innate human trait to mix food and celebration. Why, just the other night we had Chinese and I celebrated with a picture:

There's no accounting for how my brain works....!

Easy, Cheap, Nutritious - And Delicious!

Outa time? Outa money? Wanta eat healthy?

Try this:

2 large onions
1 head cabbage
1/4 cup butter (or half & half butter and olive oil)
2-3 cups cooked  whole wheat pasta (I used the colorful vegetable pasta.)

skirt steak
marinade (purchased, or oil & vinegar, or salad dressing, or stewed tomatoes, or whatever you like!)

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Cut up the onions and cabbage and saute together on medium-low heat.

While the cabbage is cooking prepare the pasta. Cook it "al dente" so it doesn't fall apart in the final dish.

While the cabbage is still firm, add the pasta. Salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat way down and keep it warm until the steak is done.

Cook the steak on a grill or in a pan and serve with the cabbage mixture. And that's dinner; how simple!

Cabbage is cheap, onions are cheap, pasta is cheap and can be used to stretch the meal for a crowd, or limited if you want to lesson the carbs and calories. Or leave it out altogether and add a few carrots instead. It goes without saying that every cook is going to add the spices they prefer. Myself, I like to use a lot of pepper!

Skirt steak is cheap, often on sale and quick to cook. You should always marinate it, though. And I know it isn't the prettiest cut of meat but it's very tasty!

By the way, the cabbage dish is not my recipe. Caroline got it from a co-worker when she was a young teacher just starting out and on a tight budget. Caroline's co-worker advised making the cabbage dish with Italian sausage. Hey, you could also use hamburger, hot dogs, ham, whatever you like!

I gotta tell you, I so wish washing dishes was even a tenth as much fun as cooking!

Still Life, With Potatoes

....because they were on sale, buy one bag get another one free....

BOGO gets me every time!

So - what to do with all these potatoes. In some households, not a big deal, but there's just two of us here, and one of us much prefers rice as a "staple."

OK - we had pot roast the other night, which included potatoes and was delicious, and I have another piece of that meat (it was buy one get one free also).

And, I splurged on fresh parsley, the curly kind. Now, for flavor, they say to use the flat parsley, but that stuff costs three times as much as curly. I'll settle for curly and make parsley potatoes with .... something....

And here's something Caroline taught me. She's very good at quick meals, as opposed to my sometimes over planned, over prepared and over cooked (she says) way of doing things.

Grate a raw potato, skin and all (wash it first), or chop it finely in a chopper or food processor. I use our handy cheese grater, which is metal and has four sides, each with a different kind of grating surface.

Now, squeeze out the excess moisture, using your hands or a dish towel, whatever. Make a patty out of the raw potato and toss it  into a frying pan on a little bit of oil (even if it's no-stick) and, voila, you have restaurant style hash browns with your morning eggs! Or Sunday night omelet. Or, whatever!

Thanks to recipematcher.com for this picture. I haven't used the site before, but it seems to have a lot of simple recipes, presented in an organized format. I intend to check it out more thoroughly in the future.


By the way, if you're someone who limits your egg consumption because of cholesterol, here's my take on that:

• eggs are cheap and easy to cook, high in protein, iron, and certain vitamins
• there are lots of high fat foods which have little nutritional value and raise people's cholesterol levels. I do limit them somewhat, like baked goods, etc.
• our bodies make cholesterol anyway, and how much they make is affected in large part by genetics
• God gave us scientists who have created these wonderful little anti-cholesterol pills, and
• life's too short. I'll be damned if I'm going to make it miserable too by worrying about every little thing that goes into my mouth.

So relax and have eggs and hash browns once in awhile! Love ya!

Sticky Buns!

I know, I shouldn't ever eat them, but it was a special occasion. It was Martin Luther King Day.

I also make them on Christmas, Valentine's, Grandparents Day, Bad Hair Days and Clean Your Closets Day. So what!

We had bought some frozen whole wheat pizza dough. I made a pizza out of one of these dough balls, but Caroline wasn't impressed at all. I thought it was OK, but definitely not as good as Domino's.

So....What to do with the other 2 balls of dough? This is what I did with one of them:




Thaw the dough completely in the refrigerator.

Roll out into a 10 x 16 inch rectangle.

Melt 1/4 cup butter. Brush the rectangle with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins.

Roll up the rectangle, starting on the long side, so you end up with a roll about 16 inches long.

Cut the roll in half. Then cut each half into 8 equal pieces. You can do this with a sharp knife, or try the string method: You slide a 6" length of string under the roll, cross it on the top and then pull until the string cuts through. It works quite well, cutting clean and not squashing the dough.

Divide the remainder of the butter between two round 9" pans. Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Put 8 cinnamon buns in each pan, cut side down.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 20 minutes at room temperature, or in the refrigerator over night. If you use the over night method, it'll need 10 or 15 minutes in the morning to finish rising at room temperature.

Bake at 400 degrees about 12 to 15 minutes.

And, this is very important: After you take the buns out of the oven, let it set for only one or two minutes, then turn out onto a plate. The buns will have a nice shiny sugary coating.

This I believe: There's no way to make sticky buns "diet," so you might as well just enjoy them!



Sunday Morning Paper & Sticky Buns

 By the way, my idea of Heaven is a place where I can eat whatever I want and not gain weight. My Chubby Angel agrees with me. Do you like her? I can draw conventional, you see:

Jazz Up the Vegetables

My preferred way to eat vegetables:

Carrot Cake

But I recognize that what Baby wants isn't always what Baby needs.

I got this recipe for carrots from Web MD. Those people are always telling me to eat my vegetables! They call this farmhouse carrots:

About 15 carrots
1 cup thinly sliced spring onion
Thyme (3 tablespoons fresh, or 3 teaspoons dried)
Rosemary (1 tablespoon fresh, or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2  tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
salt & pepper
Fresh chives, for garnish

Warm the honey, butter and vinegar or lemon juice. Add the onion and spices and set aside to marinate. If you like, do this ahead and keep in the fridge for  few days. You can also substitute flavorings according to your taste (or what's in the cupboard)!

Oven method: Preheat to 400. Clean the carrots and dry with a dish towel. Put on a baking sheet in a single layer, drizzle with the butter honey mixture and gently toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast on the upper rack for about 20 minutes. Garnish with the fresh chives. Cooked this way, the carrots will be very crispy.

Stove top or microwave method: Steam the carrots 5 or 10 minutes to soften them. Remove from water, add the butter honey mixture and saute a few more minutes. Garnish with the fresh chives. This is the method I prefer.

It really doesn't take much to jazz up a vegetable, but it's definitely worth the trouble. I usually do it myself, rather than buying those flavored in the pouch things you get in the grocery store freezer. I don't use the canned or packaged sauces much, either. A lot of those things are high in salt and sugar.

Don't get me wrong. I like salt and sugar. I probably eat too much. But at least if I'm putting it in myself I'm aware of it. One of my favorite ways with carrots (already a starchy vegetable) is to slice them thin and saute until tender in butter, adding a bit of brown sugar near the end.

As for clever ways with no-cal lettuce: Sorry, I'm all out!

By the way, it you've ever wondered how to convert the fresh herbs in a recipe to dried, maybe this will help. I found it on O Chef:

"In general, you can substitute one teaspoon of dried herbs for one tablespoon of fresh herbs and vice-versa (which is a one-to-three ratio, by the way). But let taste be your guide. Packaged dried herbs start out with a stronger taste than fresh herbs, but lose their pungency as they age. So if you've recently purchased the container, you might want to use a light hand, or add a bit more if the herb is older. When possible, use fresh ingredients to gain the most flavor."

Of course, but I'm not that well organized yet!

All I want is for vegetables to taste as beautiful as they look:

If people didn't have to eat their vegetables, God wouldn't have created V8. The Original, please; none of that low salt stuff!

An Experiment in Candy Making

There are a few things I like best: Marshmallows, chocolate, peppermint and walnuts. Soooo....how to put them together...hmmm.....

I used, roughly:

• One bag of large marshmallows
• One package of walnuts
• About 12 oz. Hershey's Milk Chocolate
• Six peppermint candies

As you can see, I chopped the walnuts. I used a chopper made for the purpose and chopped them quite fine.

Then I pounded the candies in a plastic bag until they were in very small pieces.

Next step was to melt the chocolate in what we used to call a "double boiler." Basically, that's:  Chocolate in a pan, first pan in a second pan of simmering water on the stove, and then stir.

When the chocolate was melted I stirred in the peppermint candy. I thought it would melt, but it stayed lumpy ..... hmmm.

Now for the fun part: I pierced each marshmallow with a toothpick and dipped it into the chocolate and then rolled it in the nuts. I put the candies on a cookie sheet and let them set in the refrigerator overnight. This morning I tasted one and experienced a nice combination of chewy, crunchy and peppermint chocolate.

I named them DIRTY SNOWBALLS:

So, they taste good today. The final test is to see how well they keep. I wrapped each candy in foil and put them in an air tight Tupperware (of course) bowl. Now I'll have to eat one every day for a few days to see how well they keep. Tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.

If my taste test is good tomorrow, I'm sending some off in the mail. Will the "lucky" recipients please send me a review after they are received?

This was a fun experiment, and I think I've invented a new candy! Don't tell Mars, Inc., OK?

Empanadas!

Got my empanada makers a while back and gave 'em a try. Empanadas can be sweet or savory. You can fill them with just about anything: meat fillings, cheese fillings, lunch meat, vegetables, fruits, etc. I, of course, decided to use apple pie filling first time around.

You can also use just about any kind of dough: Pizza dough, pie crust, croissant, crescent, puff pastry or phyllo dough. I intend to try all of these, but this time I just used my own pie crust recipe.

My filling was a little of this and a little of that, so I can't give you the recipe. The crust, however, is old, tried and true. I got this recipe from a home economics teacher, when I was a newlywed, and a first year teacher. Probably in the teachers' lounge I said something about my bad cooking, so this nice lady invited me to audit her 8th grade cooking classes. It was fun and I got some great recipes.

BASIC PIE CRUST

2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup solid shortening (Crisco or butter)

¼ cup shortening 4-6 tablespoons water

Combine flour and salt in a small bowl. Add ½ cup shortening and mix thoroughly with an electric mixer until mixture looks like corn meal.

Add ¼ cup shortening and cut in with your hands, a pastry blender, two knives, or whatever. The result will be a mixture with larger bits of shortening, not like corn meal anymore.

Add water gradually and stir with a fork or your hands. Stop adding water when the dough sticks together and forms a soft ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 20 minutes.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, trying not to overwork it. For regular pies: If you are making empty pie shells, let the prepared shells rest for 20 minutes before baking. This will prevent them from shrinking. Also, place dry beans in the shells before baking, to keep the bottom flat. Bake empty pie shells at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

For regular pies: Bake 2-crust pie at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Bake pumpkin pie at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake another 40 minutes or so, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

The empanada makers come with instructions. Basically, you use one side to cut the circle of dough, then turn it over and lay the dough on the side with the "teeth." Then put 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the circle, brush a little water around the outside edge, and fold the form over and press the edges together.

I made the beginner's mistake of over filling my empanadas, but they stayed closed and baked beautifully anyway. I baked them at 400 for about 15 minutes.


Pie and Coffee, Anyone?