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| Where the Heart Is. |
Today, Karen wrote out a list from which we each could choose two jobs. What a joy! Just kidding because cooking together is one of the greatest joys of all. The only job we shirked was raking pin oak leaves. (Rod discouraged us). The morning started off with fresh Costa Rican style coffee accompanied by basted eggs, thinly sliced ham, and sharp cheddar cheese over a piece of homemade whole wheat toast. We needed our strength if we were to begin preparing for Thanksgiving. After breakfast, the sisters made home made mustard (Some of which we get to take with us, and all of which is to die for!). Karen had already made four gallons of her famous sweet/hot mustard, which she sold at the church's fund raiser last weekend. This new batch covered her back orders. After that, Judy made corn bread for one of the Thanksgiving day stuffings, and Karen whipped up four dozen rolls as well as a another batch of Peppernut dough.. While they did that, I drove to Dillon's grocery store to retrieve the very few supplies we hadn't already purchased, and the final ingredients I needed for the baked sausage pasta we will enjoy tomorrow night for supper. I circled the grocery store three times before I realized that grocery stores in Kansas don't sell wine , and what's more, they're allowed to sell only low alcohol (pretend) beer. I needed some red wine for the meat sauce for my pasta dish, so I had to find a liquor store. When I got back, I proceeded to make the pasta dish with my Hunny Bunny offering "How To" advice all along the way. After I had enjoyed about as much of that as I could stand (and the dish was put together), we lit out on the quest for "pumpkins", which is a euphemism for corn syrup candies shaped for the season. For Halloweeen, Brachs markets corn syrup pumpkins (which I love even though they are disgusting). I was hoping for cute little green corn syrup Christmas trees, a few pink and white corn syrup angels, and maybe even a couple of Ho! Ho! Hos! (the sugary kind). No luck! We went to HiCo, Menard's, Orschland's Farm Store, where Rod's picture was in full view holding the 66 lb. pumpkin he won. We even stopped at a Walgreen's and a specialty grocery store called Aldi's. The search was futile. The only Christmas candy to be had was seasonal colored M & Ms, lots of chocolate kisses, but no "pumpkins". Finally, we dropped the sisters off at home so they could clean out the refrigerator, and Rod and I set off to wash the car. On the way home, we got a call to bring home ONE cucumber, so Rod stopped at a local grocery chain called Ray's Apple Market. With cucumber in hand, Rod (a former football official), was being harassed at the checkout stand by a former assistant coach at Manhattan High, so I sauntered over to the candy isle. Eureka! The store still had six bags of Halloween Pumpkins on the clearance table. I squished one to see how dry they were, and when it crumbled between my fingers, my eyes nearly rolled back in ecstasy. I bought all six bags. It seems fairly mundane to recount our day, but even the daily stuff is fun, and besides, if we don't we won't remember any of this when we get home. These little things are where the stories begin to make life good, especially today.
Not really great drinking wine (Though a step up from Old Smiley), but good enough to enrich the pasta sauce.
Carefully removing the casing (This is a G rated blog); sauce simmering; white sauce warming; tomorrow we will "roux" the day because the pasta will be gone.
Miss Mustard in the cocina.
Good to the last spat, and the jars have custom painted lids.
Fresh rolls: patted, rolled, twisted, and ready for rising.
Fear not, Jana: Dad (Rod) still gets in a little ESPN time.
Judy described this as a s**t eating grin; I likened it to….pure joy.
Friesen girls are notoriously famous (another traditional hand me down) for full refrigerators. Nothing is wasted, little is discarded (until the fuzz appears), but always there are treats to be found..
Happy they are with a job well done. Now there's room for restocking!
Four happy cats after dinner out at the Coco Bolo, a popular spot in Aggie Town. Life is good, especially today!
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