Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Cool Autumn

by Suzanne

Warning, I'm just letting my mind and fingers wander over some cool stuff about my favorite season today.

Yesterday morning I walked out of the hospital in the morning, the weather was beautiful and cool! After five months of greater than 90 degrees, AETHER, the primal god of shining blue sky was in his element and decided to give me a beautiful 55 degree morning to drive home in. I'd finished my fourth 12 hour night shift, feet dragging, eyes drooping, and I got to drive home with the windows down, the air conditioner off and the radio up LOUD!

Dark sunglasses, wind whipping through my hair, me singing slightly off key harmonies to ZZ Top...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah! The people in the cars next to me were just getting their days started. One man looked at me from the seat of his Mercedes SUV and smiled, (I think he had his window down and caught some off key singing;) Dressed in suits and business clothes, sipping their cups of over priced coffees and lattes, I felt so sorry for them. They had to spend this beautiful morning trapped inside, working.

Me?

Yeah, cruising down the road... Cool!!

And when I got home, Rocky-the-wonder-dog and I sat out on the back porch watching the birds and squirrels. Blue sky and crisp air, me drinking a cup of warm tea. Days like this make all those months of heat and air conditioning worth it! I love the contrast of the seasons, but mostly the relief from the oppressive sun and heat that cooler weather brings.

I adore autumn. In October or early November I usually travel to Ohio to see my family. Not just to see my parents, but to enjoy the cool weather, the color changes of the trees, the rainy drizzle days that invariably fill autumn in the Ohio valley. Alas, this year I am not going to get home. Work and life are keeping me home, but I can close my eyes and imagine I'm there.

After sleeping like the dead...(I did mention that we're having a massive baby-boom at my hospital and I'm working HARD each night, right?), I opened every window in the house and turned on the attic fan to suck out the stale air and pull in some glorious cool autumn air. mmmmmmmm




So, besides cool weather and colorful trees, you know what else is cool about autumn? Chili and baking! Yep, we spend all summer grilling. It keeps the heat in the house down and we have a great built-in gas grill, so why not? Actually, we grill all year round, but way more in the summer than the rest of the year. So, when the weather turns cooler I get the bug to bake. And make big pots of soup or chili.




Now, I make a mean pot of chili. I must, the girls at work beg me to bring in some every time I make it. My son-in-law snatches a bowl when he picks the grandbabies up on the day I babysit, and my dh and son gobble up bowls every day until the pot is empty. We're not purists in our chili eating, we add things like cheese, sour cream to it, and some even mash up buttered Ritz crackers. But we do love our chili. As for baking, Ginger snaps are always a must...as are apple pies and crisps, cakes...and oh yeah the last blackberry cobbler of the season!

Another thing that happens in autumn in our house is cleaning out the pantry and closets. Clothing gets donated to the local Good Will, while cans of food that are outdated or boxes of food that are past their expiration have to be tossed out. There is something just therapeutic about cleaning out the pantry and closet.

Another great thing about autumn is walking in the mornings. This lets my brain fix any problems in my MIP (Mess In Progress) or sparks new ideas for more stories. This is probably a trained reaction to autumn because of the beginning of school always coincides with it... a Pavlovian reaction which triggers the desire to create.

Soooooooooo...do you find Autumn cool? What is your favorite part? Do you have a favorite food to cook or bake this time of year? What songs do you like to sing to with the windows down?

***Check throughout the day for some of my favorite fall recipes!***

62 comments:

Dianna Love said...

I love this time of year.

Helen said...

Well done Dianna have fun with him

Suz

Love the post and love the pictures those trees are beautiful, and I am so envious it is starting to warm up over here and you are entering my favourite time of the year I am already in shorts and t shirts and summer PJs and am missing the cooler days although the nights are still cool enough to sleep easy.

In the cooler months I make big pots of vegie soup and nice stews with lots of vegies yummy. And I will sing to any song that is on the radio LOL and not very well either.

Have Fun
Helen

Dianna Love said...

Really? I never get here first. :) Hi Helen (waves at you) The GR can have a ride on the back of my motorcycle today. Great weather to take my baby out.

Loved the post, Suzanne, and it's perfect today because it's finally cool this morning in GA. I love to read and write during the winter. I'm not much for spring cleaning, but I've been looking forward to cooler weather (was around 100 last week) to dig into the attic and clear out some things. The only down side is the bazillion leaves that will have to be raked. A friend of mine once said all the leaves are done falling by Dec 15th. She's pretty much right.

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

This is my favorite time of year, I am not a heat kind of person, but winter is too, too cold so autumn and spring are my favs. If I can keep my wits I will take picures of the WV fall for you Suzanne, I am close enough to Ohio that it will remind you of home.

Soups and chili and stew are my favs when the air is a little more chill.

Unknown said...

Congrats Dianna enjoy GR... hope he doesn't fall off the bike.

Hi Suz
As Helen said we are going into the warmer weather now and into the salads.... loved the pictures as we don't see many trees that lose their leaves as all Aussie trees are not deciduous.... there are some introduced ones up in the colder parts of the country... I love the slow cooker in the cooler months and I love to sing along with ABBA.... could drive for miles with that on the radio

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Good morning, Dianna and congrats on the GR. Perhaps you can make him rake some leaves while he's there?

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Helen, it's always odd to me how y'all are the opposite of us in the seasons.

I will probably wear summer PJs for a few more months until it is cold enough to necessitate my flannel nightgown! Mostly because my PJ's are so comfortable to sit in my office and write in. :)

Suzanne Ferrell said...

So, when I was posting the blog I was on my hubby's computer and didn't have access to the recipe files in mine. Here's my Chili recipe.

CHILI

My mother's motto is, "If the weather's cold or a storm is coming, make soup." This is her recipe with my tweaking of how to add the spices, one of the most critical properties of a good chili. I like my chili spicy, but not so bad my ulcer sends me to the ER.

2 lbs. ground beef
½ medium onion, chopped
2 large cans crushed tomatoes
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 small cans tomato paste
1 lg. box beef stock
8 cups of water, divided
2 beef bullion cubes
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

Spices: No real measurement here and you'll see why.
Chili powder
Cumin
Black pepper
½ - 1 tsp. salt

1. Brown beef and onions. Drain any fat. Sprinkle two passes over pan covering meat with chili powder and one of cumin.
2. In large 10-quart soup pot empty contents of all canned items. Add stock and half the water, beef cubes and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Shake the chili powder over the top of the soup pot coating the soup mixture with the chili powder. Repeat. Do the same with the cumin and black pepper.
4. Add spiced beef/onion mixture to the pot. Taste. If needs more salt, add it at this time.
5. Bring to a boil and cook 1 hour, stirring the bottom of the pot to keep anything from sticking.
6. Reduce heat. Taste. Repeat step 3 with the chili powder and cumin only, and simmer 3 hours, adding more water as needed.

*** The longer this chili cooks the thicker it gets and the better the flavor is.**

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Diana Love: The GR can have a ride on the back of my motorcycle today. Great weather to take my baby out.

This was the exact words my son said when he climbed on his Harley to head to work!

I think fall would be an excellent time to ride a motorcycle.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Dianna!

If I can keep my wits I will take picures of the WV fall for you Suzanne, I am close enough to Ohio that it will remind you of home.

Thanks for the offer! I do miss the large burst of color in Ohio. Here in Texas, long about mid-October I start to see some color changes, which is more than I had in Central Florida!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Barb!

I didn't know there weren't many deciduous trees in Australia! You should come to America once for autumn. There is a wonderful drive you can take from Vermont south to Tennessee and North Carolina through the Appalacia mountains to see the color changes.

I love the slow cooker in the cooler months What do you like to make in the slow cooker?

Suzanne Ferrell said...

OKay, here is my friend Ouida's Ginger Snap recipe:

OUIDA'S GINGER SNAPS

This recipe was given to me by my friend Ouida the fall before she moved to England. The spices so remind me of my favorite time of year, autumn. Every year I make these for my own enjoyment. It always makes me think of Ouida!

¾ cup butter flavored Crisco® or butter
1 cup sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
¼ tsp. salt
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add molasses. Beat in egg. Sift together, flour, salt, soda, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Add to sugar mixture.

Roll spoonfuls of mixture into granulated sugar. Drop onto parchment lined baking pan.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Let cool.

If you like your gingersnaps to be crispy enough to snap, let sit in open air for an hour or two. If you're like me and like them a little chewy, remove to plastic storage bag within 30 minutes after coming from oven!

Christie Kelley said...

I love Fall. It's my favorite season. I'm just hoping it will start to feel like fall soon. We've only had a taste of it.While it was only 74 yesterday it was so humid we put the AC back on. Everything felt damp. Yuck! But once this rain leaves us at the end of the week we're supposed to have lovely temperatures in the 60s on the weekend!!

I can't wait for the weather to cool down so I can make some pumpkin bread.

pjpuppymom said...

Great blog, Suz! I adore autumn! It's my favorite season of the year. We made our temperature switch Saturday night. The high temp Saturday was 94 and Sunday's high was 66. It's warmed up a bit since then but still much cooler than our summer weather. Today should be high 70's which means all windows are open! Yippee!!

I love autumn for many of the same reasons you mentioned but especially for the cooler weather, colorful leaves and FOOTBALL! We take lots of walks and visit the dog park more often. The windows are all opened at every opportunity. I bake like crazy. Last week my brother and sil were here visiting and I took them to local apple orchards so I have an abundance of apples at the moment. Today, I'm making my favorite apple slices. I'll be taking them to the hospital to share tomorrow on my volunteer day.

Your chili recipe is almost identical to the one I use. My late dh taught me how to make it. I make a lot of soups and stews when the weather turns cool. Favs are potato, veggie, lentil and chicken noodle and, of course, beef stew. Yummy!

I have XM radio in the car so you'll often find me singing along with the 60's and 70's stations. I'm sure I cause more than a few second looks among the other drivers on the road! LOL!

pjpuppymom said...

Congrats, Dianna! Better keep an eye on the wily wooster today. Cooler temps bring out the feisty!

Rebekah E. said...

I love all of the colors fall brings. Colorado doesn't get much of a fall but treasure what little bit we get.

Nancy said...

Dianna, you got the rooster! Have fun with him.

Suz, it's cooler here today, too, in the mid-sixties and without the horrible, exhausting humidity we've had for so long.

The dh loves fall and spring. He grew up in Colorado Front Range, where the transitions between summer and winter are short.

We don't have any particular rituals for the season. The dh cooks out more because standing by a grill isn't such a repugnant thought when the weather's cooler and the humidity drops.

When I was growing up, we raked and burned leaves, but there are so many restrictions now on open fires that we've given that up. We toy with getting a brazier for our patio and may do that.

Laurie Logan said...

It's been raining here for the past few days and there is flooding and tornado warnings in the eastern part of the state, but it's been cooling down! And the leaves are starting to change colors. Soon it'll be sweatshirt weather and I can take long walks along the river.

Colorfest is coming up in a few weeks. I love crafting season. Hot spiced almonds, apple cider, homemade soup, roasted pumpkin seeds, and being able to sleep at night without a fan!

I love autumn! Why is it that the two best seasons, fall and spring, are also the shortest?

Loved your post today!

Hellie Sinclair said...

Season-wise, I'm more a Spring person, but Halloween is my favorite holiday and I wouldn't have it without Fall. And after the nasty heat waves this summer, the nice cool days we've had so far, I'm not complaining. The fall has been awesome!

I just made chili Sunday; and my dad and brother were very excited about it. Mainly because they didn't have to cook it and they were pretty chilled at the time and the chili warmed them up.

I do get some baking bugs...I like to make cupcakes. I think cupcakes are so happy.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Christie!

I'm just hoping it will start to feel like fall soon. We've only had a taste of it.While it was only 74 yesterday it was so humid we put the AC back on. Everything felt damp.

I think you're 2 days behind us in weather changes. We had a huge rainy day Saturday, followed by a busy Saturday night then a muggy Sunday...but Monday and today...perfection! Hang in there, the cool weather is coming soon.

Pumpkin bread? Yummo! What's your recipe?

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey PJ! I love being able to open the windows. DH installed an attic fan back a few years and there is nothing like sucking the stale, stagnant air out of the house and pull in fresh cool air!

FOOTBALL!!!

Yep, another thing to love about fall. And of course, my Buckeyes are doing fabulous. Alas, my Browns are not. :(

I make tons of soups,too, mostly by experiment! hehehe

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Here's my favorite experiment!

Cheesy Corn Chowder

4 TBS of butter
½ large red onion diced
½ large red bell pepper diced
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off and
the starch scraped from the cobs
3 TBS of all purpose flour
2 small containers of chicken stock
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated smoked Gouda cheese
2 cans whole white corn, drained


1. Melt 2 TBS of butter in soup pot.
2. Add onions and peppers. Add corn and starch scraped from cobs. Salt and Pepper. Cook till tender.
3. Add remaining 2 TBS butter. Add flour and cook several minutes to remove starchy taste from flour. Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil.
4. Pour in heavy cream then add mixture to blender or food processor until creamy.
5. Return to pot. Add canned corn and cheeses.
6. Stir then taste. Add more salt and pepper to your desired taste.
7. Simmer until ready to serve.

**May add 2cups cubed cooked chicken, shrimp or crab**

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Rebekah!
I love all of the colors fall brings. Colorado doesn't get much of a fall but treasure what little bit we get.

I didn't realize this. You sound a lot like Texas. I do treasure the little color change we get though.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Nancy!

When I was growing up, we raked and burned leaves, but there are so many restrictions now on open fires that we've given that up. We toy with getting a brazier for our patio and may do that.

I remember doing this as a child, but we didn't burn them too often, mostly because we were in the city. Now out at my grandparents farm in Tennessee if we were lucky enough to be there in the fall, we'd burn corn stalks in a bonfire and have a weiner and marshmallow roast! That was such fun on a cold autumn night with all the cousins running amok!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Laurie!

Colorfest is coming up in a few weeks. I love crafting season. Hot spiced almonds, apple cider, homemade soup, roasted pumpkin seeds, and being able to sleep at night without a fan!

Fall is crafting season, isn't it? Probably because Christmas is nipping at the heals of Autumn. I did get my house decorated for fall last week and have several craft projects for Christmas underway.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Ms. Hellion!

I just made chili Sunday; and my dad and brother were very excited about it. Mainly because they didn't have to cook it and they were pretty chilled at the time and the chili warmed them up.

There is just something about a steaming bowl of chili, isn't there? Warms you up, makes you feel all cozy and content!

And cupcakes? You are very much in vogue then. Designer cupcakes are all the rage down here in big D!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

This is on the agenda for later today!

ERIC'S GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

This was a recipe from my mother. My son ate it every day when we visited her one autumn and asked me to make it for his birthday cake that year and many years afterward.

1 box German chocolate cake mix
1 cup buttermilk
4 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 can coconut-pecan frosting
1 jar caramel ice cream topping (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour inside of Bundt® pan.
3. Mix cake mix, buttermilk, eggs and oil together.
4. Add coconut-pecan frosting to the batter and mix.
5. Pour batter into pan, lightly tapping pan on counter top to remove any bubbles from mix.
6. Bake 1 hour.
7. Cool 1 hour on wire rack then run a knife around the edges of the pan, both the outside and around the inner tube. Invert over plate to remove cake. (It should "plop" out.)


***This is a very moist cake. You can serve it plain or for extra decadence, dribble caramel ice cream sauce over each slice.***

pjpuppymom said...

Suz, thanks for the cake recipe! German Chocolate is my very favorite kind of cake!

p226 said...

I'm not a big fan of cool weather. I'm a misplaced desert rat, I think. I do like that fall means hunting season. I enjoy hunting. Sometimes. I didn't get to do any last year.

I don't know if I'll get to do any this year either. My weekends seem to keep getting filled in with teaching rifle or pistol classes. It's actually eating into my shooting time, too. I'm probably at about half the round-count I was at for this time last year.

Though, I must say, it's tough to beat WV for fall scenery. It truly is a beautiful state in the fall. Mountains and colorful hardwoods turning everything into a giant oil painting.

I just don't like being cold and wet. I got my fill of that years ago. Give me blazing, oppressive heat over cold and wet any day.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

PJ...You're welcome! This is one of those cakes I take to work and it disappears in minutes! Try the Caramel sauce drizzled over a warm slice...OMG! Too sinful by far!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey P226! Haven't seen you in a while.

I do like that fall means hunting season. I enjoy hunting. Sometimes. I didn't get to do any last year. Do they have bow hunting season in WV, as well as rifle? I have a BIL in Ohio who always does both. They cure the meat and eat it all winter.

Kim in Baltimore said...

It's hard to relate to autumn as we experience year round summer! I arrived in Hawaii one year ago today and I can honestly say that I have worn shorts everyday except for a once a month spouses' social.

Visitors to the volcanoes on Maui and the Big Island need a sweater in the winter months as it does get cold up there. Otherwise, it's back to the bikini!

jo robertson said...

Ooooh, Suzanne, my favorite topic! Can't wait for some of your fabuloso recipes.

Congrats, Dianna. Is the rooster going to bake with you today LOL?

I love fall too, Suz! I like the signaling of that season so I can bake and use my oven again.

We have had an unseasonably cool summer this year, but the fall has hit record highs. Yesterday was 100 degrees here in northern California and today is supposed to be 103! No fair! Mother Nature is really getting things mixed up!

jo robertson said...

Wow, Suz, your chili recipe is almost exactly like mine, except I don't add cumin, but do add some parsley and basil, along with a bit of brown sugar. My men like their tomato-ey dishes a tad on the sweet side.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Kim! I think I could trade in autumn for prepetual summer in paradise, at least there the foliage is lush and the temperatures NOT 100 and dry!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Jo!

Sounds like Mother Nature IS a bit confused over there in Cali! Hopefully it will all right itself soon. I'm just happy we've broken the 95-105 routine we've had here for months!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Jo:Wow, Suz, your chili recipe is almost exactly like mine, except I don't add cumin, but do add some parsley and basil, along with a bit of brown sugar.

So my question is, do you measure exactly on the spices? Or are you like me an "eye-baller"?

p226 said...

Yep, they have a bow season here. I never hunt with a bow though, as I'd be lucky to hit the broad side of a barn from inside with one.

I've never in my life missed a deer with a rifle. But then, rifles are kind of my thing.

Bows? Yikes. I'd be better off with a spear.

Laurie Logan said...

p226 said...
[i]Though, I must say, it's tough to beat WV for fall scenery. It truly is a beautiful state in the fall. Mountains and colorful hardwoods turning everything into a giant oil painting.[/i]

p226, West Virginia has to be the most gorgeous state in the autumn. I love the view driving Rt. 340 over the Potomac into WV. It's breathtaking.

I use to do some camping in places like Elkins and Blackwater Falls many years ago. I wonder if it's changed much.

Laurie Logan said...

Whoops - I messed up the italics. :D

p226 said...

Elkins and Blackwater are essentially unchanged. Both are kind of like the place time forgot.

Susan Sey said...

I love autumn, Suz! I was/am such a geek that new notebooks and fresh pencils are practically an aphrodisiac. I'm all about fall.

I baked personal-pan-sized apple crisps for my kiddoes the other night.

I made chili, too. Cornbread. Roasted root veggies...

Excuse me, I'm going to go plan dinner now. :-)

catslady said...

I love the colors and the cool nights. Not having to rake the leaves though lol. I'm still grilling but soon the chili and stews will be simmering.

Donna MacMeans said...

Suz -

I love the fall as well, especially the riotous colors of the foliage. However, today is dreary, dark, and rainy - and COLD! The weather man says it won't last. We'll be back in more seasonal temps in a few days, but today feels more like November than September. All this to say it's soup weather! Nice thick brothy soup with thick hunks of crusty bread. My favorite soup - Italian Sausage Soup - Yum.

Pissenlit said...

I love Autumn! The pretty colours, the crisp air...and I get to unpack the light jackets, sweaters, knitted skinny scarves and hand socks! The only thing that's a bit of a downer during this time of year is how there's less sun and it gets darker earlier.

I don't know that I have a favourite food for this time of year but I'm just about to go bake an apple cake with some leftover apples I picked about two weeks ago(the rest went into a pie I baked last week).

What songs DON'T I like to sing with the windows down?? Heh heh heh!

Helen said...

Loving these receipes I will have to note them down so as next year I will be able to try them LOL

Have Fun
Helen

Dianna Love said...

I'm not sure I can afford to keep the GR. We stopped by a bike shop. He has expensive leather tastes...but he does look tough in his new biker gear.

I'm copying recipes - for my husband, the cook in the family. He cooks all the time, but I think this is his favorite time of year to tackle new recipes since we're inside so much.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

P226: I never hunt with a bow though, as I'd be lucky to hit the broad side of a barn from inside with one.

Wow, for some reason I had it in my head you'd be an expert with that as well as guns and rifles.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Susan!

I was/am such a geek that new notebooks and fresh pencils are practically an aphrodisiac. I'm all about fall.

Me too! I had the biggest urge to buy school supplies at WalMart the other day...and I no longer have school-age kids!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Catslady!
I love the colors and the cool nights. Not having to rake the leaves though lol.

EVery season has its good and bad points, doesn't it? But when we lived in Ohio, I used to rake the leaves into a HUGE pile and my kids would spend the afternoon jumping into and hiding inside it. Made it worth the effort!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Donna!

love the fall as well, especially the riotous colors of the foliage. However, today is dreary, dark, and rainy - and COLD!

Donna, that makes me soooooooooo homesick! I actually pray for at least one of those days when I'm home to visit. Alas, I won't get one this year.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Pissenlit!

The only thing that's a bit of a downer during this time of year is how there's less sun and it gets darker earlier. This is a problem for a lot of people, including my dh. Now me? I'm part vampire. Longer nights are heaven on my eyes when I drive to and from work!

Apple pie...yep, gotta plan that for this weekend's menu!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Helen and Diane, you are welcome to copy and use all the recipes. Here's one I love. If you can't find the bag of Hursts' HamBeen® Pasta Fagioli beans and pasta, substitute a bag of pinto/navy beans mix and a bag of small pasta rings.

PASTA FAGIOLI AND MEATBALL SOUP

My husband loves homemade soups so I took one of his order-out favorites and added meatballs. Don't ask me how many servings this makes, as Jim tends to eat really, really big bowls Manga!

1 pkg. Hursts' HamBeen® Pasta Fagioli dried bean soup mix
2 boxes Kitchen Basics® Original Beef Stock (red box)
4 cups water
1 & ½ onions, chopped
3- 4 celery stocks with leaves, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic sliced thin
¼ cup of butter
1 tsp salt
12-24 miniature meatballs (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven
2. Prepare meatballs and bake in oven for approximately 20 minutes, turning once.
3. Clean beans per package directions.
4. In large soup pot, heat beef stock and water, adding beans and pasta. Bring to a boil.
5. In skillet, melt butter then add onions, celery and carrots. Heat until onions turn opaque. Add garlic and cook another minute or so.
6. Add vegetables and meatballs to bean/pasta/broth mixture. Add flavor packet to mix. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for another 30 minutes to an hour.
7. Taste to be sure beans are cooked soft. Add more salt or pepper to taste.

MINIATURE MEATBALLS

1 pound ground beef
1 egg
2 TBS. ketchup
1 TBS. prepared mustard
1-2 cups bread crumbs

Mix beef, egg, ketchup and mustard. Add breadcrumbs until meat mixture is no longer "wet". Pull off portions to make meatballs, 1 inch in diameter.

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Dianna, good on you with the chook!

Suz, swinging by late! Just wanted to say I loved those in between seasons too. Autumn and spring. We're having a really wet spring here so far - even had a thunderstorm yesterday afternoon which is quite unseasonal for around here (the storm season usually starts in November). Tested the pool yesterday - yay, swimming season has started!

jo robertson said...

Totally an eyeballer, Suz! I go a lot by smell which seems to be more accurate than taste for me, go figure.

Hmmm, love the sound of that Fagioli and Meatball soup!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey Anna!

Tested the pool yesterday - yay, swimming season has started!

Rocky and I are mourning the end of our swimming season. But we did get in the pool last week, so we swam from May to September.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Jo:Totally an eyeballer, Suz! I go a lot by smell which seems to be more accurate than taste for me, go figure.

That's one of the ways I convinced my daughters to take up cooking as young adults...cooking is like art, it takes all five senses, while baking is more like chemistry...you must follow the recipe or oops disaster!

Pissenlit said...

I've one of those oops-disasters on my hands at the moment. Both my mum and I prefer to have the kitchen to ourselves when working in it so she tried to hurry me along by helping to set the oven for my cake so that I would get out of her hair quicker. I just went to go check on the cake 'cause I couldn't figure out why I couldn't smell it yet. There's a HUGE difference between degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit. *headdesk*

Pissenlit said...

Ha! I take it back. It's not as awesome as it's supposed to be but I saved the apple cake!

Sheree said...

Considering how hot it has been where I live, I'm not thinking about fall yet. Plus, there are only two seasons here, wet and dry, and it's not wet season yet. Got to love the left coast.

Anna Campbell said...

Suz, I'll swim from September to May ;-)

Pat Cochran said...

Thanks for the recipes!(Sung to
"Thanks For The Memories")

Houston is enjoying some of the
cool weather you described, too.
It only lasts until mid-day but
even that much is heavenly! We
are looking for more of the same
for the coming weekend for our grandson Tristan's b-day party.
Pinatas and rain don't go well
together! LOL.

Pat Cochran