Decluttering

I'm lamenting a recent urge to declutter. You've heard of "buyer's remorse" I'm sure, but this is more like tosser's remorse. I got rid of a box full of cookbooks, including one from my mother, her Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. You know, the one with the red and black checked cover? I think this edition dated to the '60s, maybe ten years after she married my dad. I don't have a lot of sentimental value to many things related to my mother (a long story for another post. Maybe another blog.), but there were some recipes in this cookbook I'm realizing I miss. I saved the page with the apple pie recipe. Funny, since this one I know by heart, but why didn't I save the page with the banana nut bread recipe? Everybody has their favorite recipes for banana bread, and this was mine. I'm sure I'll find it online, but it would be comforting, right about now, to be able to pull that old dinosaur cookbook off the shelf and consult its wisdom. Yes, the pages were stained and illegible in places. Yes, the tabs were crumbling away so the book had no real organization anymore. But I knew where the tuna noodle casserole recipe was by feel! Well, o.k., the "feel" was the crustiness from leaving the cookbook out too close to the mixing bowl, but you know what I mean. Three-quarters of the way through the book was the "casseroles" (or was "one dish meals"?) Whatever. I'm sorry now I put it in that box. I can replicate the recipes, but not the "feel."

Gone to the Dogs

So here are the spots. Aren't they cute? Notice the spot on the carpet. Thanks Molly. Molly is the group of spots on the right. Mosby is the forlorn beast on the left. I do love them, though I do not love the spots they leave behind, if you know what I mean.

New Recipe

Since we seem to be talking about recipes lately, here's one I tried tonight and loved. I've had too much wine, so if you see a typo or three, that's wy. (thanks kethleen!)

Anyway, this turned out great, and easy. I worried about the rosemary (with shrimp?) and arugula (in general), but it was all good. Good, good, good. Chop up the rosemary really good and double the bean part of the recipe. yummmm.
http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1707662

Hydrangeas

It's worth leaving most of the blossoms on the hydrangeas to see how pretty they are now. These are a very old fashioned variety.

Full Disclosure

Here's the rest of the Halloween picture. Me helping with the pumpkin, and our front yard display. The cat is a wrought iron number I bought out in Lucketts a couple of years ago.

Halloween

So here's how the costume turned out. Isn't he cute? We Googled Clark Gable so Troy could see the look I had in mind. He agreed. Can you see the mustache and the dirt from around the goggles? I've called dibs on the silk scarf now that he's done with it. I have a couple of other pictures, but when I reminded him of the Clark Gable pictures, this is the pose I got.