Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts

Saturday, October 29, 2011

SURPRISE, SURPRISE!! COME AND SEE!!

IF I HAD TOLD YOU I WAS SHARING MY FRUITCAKE RECIPE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE COME OVER.

SO!!
I HAD TO TRICK YOU!

Most of you know I have just recently gotten home from a wonderful cruise with my oldest daughter, Kim.
Since I got home I have been doing laundry (I will tell you about the lost luggage later), planting tulip bulbs, dividing and transplanting other bulbs and plants and cleaning house.  
I have made a futile attempt to catch up with blogging.  I love you guys so but you are a prolific bunch. I think I will just start now and try to keep up instead of catching up. 

 When Miss Goosey puts on her fall apparel it is time to make the annual FRUITCAKE, around here.

I know, I know!! Fruitcake is a time honored joke this time of year. I know we have all heard that there is only one FRUITCAKE on earth. It just gets mailed around the globe each year.  
WELL, let me tell you, those people have never eaten my FRUITCAKE!
The recipe states that you must use only "Bargain Corner's" especially prepared fruit cake material.
Bob sold the same thing to all his customers. Bargain Corner purchased in bulk and made a large annual display of the product with Mrs. Oglesby in pioneer dress.
This wrinkled and stained recipe is as least forty years old. Bob was a food broker and sold the glace` fruit to this large grocery market each year. Back then the art of making FRUITCAKE was a big deal. 
I had never really liked the store bought FRUITCAKE that I eaten as a youngster. Sorry Claxton, Georgia. Since Bob sold the main ingredients, we got ours free,  we tried Mrs. Susie Oglesby's recipe. Afterward we were hooked and the annual FRUITCAKE became a tradition.
The ritual starts at the end of October. Bargain Corner no longer exists. That is not the location of the Days Inn on Bay Street in Savannah. So,  Bob goes out and purchases the FRUITCAKE material - glace` fruits of pineapple and cherries. We don't use mixed fruits. that has citron in it and is a no no here. Of course we have  the new season's pecans.  Fresh moist coconut rounds out the extras for the recipe.
Isn't he just too cute. Another pic was clearer but I liked his smile here.
Sweet Ole Bob chops the cherries and pineapple into smaller pieces and breaks the pecans. It is less expensive if you can find the broken nuts. 
I gather the remaining ingredients and prepare the tube pan.

A major ingredient for now and later as you will see!


Miss Goosey watches over the process.

While Bob is chopping I prepare the batter.

While I am doing this I thought I would show you a little about how my kitchen works for me. This is the area I use for most recipe preparation. I can move easily back and forth to the island.
 My dishwasher is here so that I can easily place dishes straight into the dishwasher as I am finished with them.
My trash receptacle is just below me, for discarding butter wrappers, egg shells and etc. Handy, right? I know I did not invent anything but this works well for me.


The ingredients make a stiff cake batter that is then transferred to the fruit, coconut and nut mixture. 

 Back at the island.





This was a subsequent dose of Brandy.

Open and add additional Brandy about once a week until Thanksgiving and then enjoy. Just Remember ~ After one slice you shouldn't operate machinery.

If you are interested, Mrs. Susie Oglesby's recipe will be on my recipe page, with my minor adjustments.

Even if you don't like FRUITCAKE I hope you enjoyed joining us for the ritual. I pray that you and your loved ones have a great holiday season.

My daughter, Kim, and I will have a surprise announcement soon. Please stay tuned! 
NO! Neither of us is pregnant!



 One last picture of Sweet Ole Bob. Just cuz I think he is cute!
Join me for the following fun parties:


Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Granny's "Giveaway"

Thank You For All Your 
Support
and 
Kindness
While Bob and I were on our recent road trip, my wonderful friends in blogland pushed my blog over
300 
followers. 
This is something I NEVER expected. I never expected to reach 25 followers.  Some very kind friends from Rate My Space started an all out campaign to ease the way. Linda and her daughter Debbie of Debbiedoos Blogging and Blabbing sent friends over to visit and follow. Linda sent her facebook friends and soon I was bitten by the bug. 
A huge THANK YOU to all of you who have stuck with me through my on again off again posting routine.
Some of you know that I deal with congestive heart failure. Some weeks I am a posting fool other weeks I am quiet. 

I think of myself in the race of "The Tortoise and the Hare" but in my case I play both characters. When I do get a post together, you still come to visit and to chat. For that I am eternally grateful and I want to give back to my awesome blogger friends. 

Now for the Giveaway!
First I would like to share
a little of my lovely city
Savannah.

From Byrd's Cookie Company, a Savannah institution, 
Byrd's famous "Key Lime Coolers" cookies packed in a
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"souvenir tin. A package of Plantation Herb Rice and Savannah Red Rice. A Savannah lollipop to sweeten the deal.

For all my sweet "Frenchy" friends


This adorable set of cocktail napkins with a black and white patterned tray.

For all you wonderful cooks and entertainers!


Sheila Lukins "Celebration" cookbook
and to celebrate this cute little "cupcake"salt and pepper shaker I found on my road trip.

You are already WINNER'S in my book!
Good luck on winning these little goodies!

Giveaway begins Thursday August 4th
Ends Thursday August 11th at midnight.
Winner announced Friday August 12th.

Six ways to win!
Current followers comment here
Follow me, comment here to let me know
Promote the giveaway on your sidebar, comment here to let me know
Follow me on facebook HERE
Promote the giveaway on your facebook, comment here to let me know
Follow me on Networked Blogs, comment here to let me know
GOOD LUCK!

I am joining the following blogger parties in order to give my many friends an opportunity to win. Please link back to them for amazing inspirational posts.




Monday, July 25, 2011

Yes, We are "real" people!!

Meet Debbie!
of
Debbie, I tried to steal your photo on your blog. Smart lady, it wouldn't copy.

Debbie is a beautiful and talented lady and I treasure her friendship. Debbie is the first of my wonderful blogger friends with whom I have met. She has so many skills and talents I only hope I can do justice.
So that I won't sound like her agent or biographer I will scatter her many ventures and adventures throughout.

During our conversations we discovered that she lived within fifteen miles of my daughter Kim. With that a plan was hatched. We would meet this July when I visited my daughter. She was sweet enough to drive to Kim's small town. We met at a little sandwich shop on the square called the BUZZ. My daughter Kim came along with me and Debbie's daughter Nicki was with her. We had a great time and felt like old friends.
Nicki, Debbie, me and Kim

Please excuse the quality of the photos. I didn't seem to have any good ones. I was passing the camera to anyone who walked by. Debbie, hopefully you got some good ones and can share them with us. I, however, am going to show you some of the goofy ones!
We couldn't get the open eyes thing going. On the previous shot my eyes were closed and Kim said "Mom open your eyes"
Debbie still has that beautiful smile and I am impersonating a prune. Did a pretty good job, huh!

Debbie opening some "Savannah" gifts!


This awesome lady is the Executive Director of Carbondale, Illinois Convention and Tourism Bureau.
She has been active in this industry for over thirty years.
Such a lovely pair
Would you believe this lady has more than, much more than, sixty-six set of dishes.  I am fainting about this time. Of course there are accessories and serving pieces that compliment each set. I am still on the floor. We won't discuss where she stores it all.
I love this lady. Being in her presence makes you smile.
Debbie has written numerous cookbooks. You can see
and purchase these on her blog. Here

She gifted these to me. I can't wait to try some of the recipes.
This book has some of the best local lore and history you would ever find about a region.
It is like reading a history book but eating between each chapter.
These are great seasonal books.


Debbie has owned and operated a restaurant and catering business. She is an event planner and has hosted many theme dinner parties. One featured "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" and another on "The Titanic".  I would have loved to be at either one of those galas.

The four of us enjoyed visiting and getting to know one another over iced tea.  All being southerners, we had a major discussion regarding "Iced Tea". The conclusion? In the south, there are only two types of iced tea. "Iced Tea" and "Unsweetened Iced Tea". The recent use of the term is NOT old south. "Sweet Iced Tea" is superfluous as "Iced Tea" is "Sweet Iced Tea " in the south. I am so glad I got that out. 

This discussion is and was absolutely a non event for anyone but us. However, we were in agreement, just saying!

I can't wait for our next visit. I hope we can have more time to discover her beloved Southern Illinois. I may even have a personal docent on the "Shawnee Hills Wine Tour".


Please hop over and visit this talented lady and browse her fun blog. I can guarantee, you will be inspired Here.

Debbie, I am so glad I got to meet and get "REAL" hugs from you and Nicki. I can't wait until next time!


I am linking to the following parties. Thanks for hosting.
Blue Monday
Metamorphosis Monday

Brag Monday

Motivate Me Monday

Masterpiece Monday

Amaze Me Monday
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