Sunday, July 28, 2013

Frankfort's Annual Street Sale

 Olsen-Sayles was the place to be yesterday if you wanted to have a little home-town fun!!!
 The weather was not ideal for a street sale, unless however you enjoy a cold, drizzly rainy day! 
The Olsen-Sayles gals put a smile on and had a good time as the above video shows...
There is a little story behind the video...we were setting up our tables out on the street and trying to keep them dry by using kitchen towels and ringing them out...when along came two kind gentlemen and asked where our squeegee was and our reply was we don't have one.  They purchased an item from us and then went on down the street.  A few minutes later they were back with a new squeegee from Frankfort Hardware for us.  We had never seen them before but we shall never forget their kindness and generosity.
Tina got right to work with her new favorite tool on a rainy day!!!  
What a great day we had and we thank not only the two men but also everyone that braved the inclement weather and supported the Frankfort Businesses!

Friday, July 26, 2013

Pesky Mole

 We have had the largest mole hills the last couple of weeks that we have ever seen.  So action had to be taken and of course that would rest on Ben's shoulders!!!

He set the trap in the afternoon one day and the following morning a rather large mole was the victim.

Thankfully the mole problem is history for now and hopefully forever!

Interested in the trap???  Nugent's Ace Hardware has a supply!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Summer Confetti Linguine

 This pasta dish goes together quickly and makes for a nice Sunday Lunch!
 As you can see, summer vegetables abound and you could certainly add more if desired.  I thought about adding some meat but something light won out this time!
 My inspiration came from the magazine, Real Simple.

1 pound linguine
1/2 cup roasted, chopped pecans
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups fresh corn or frozen if you like
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 pints of yellow/red grape tomatoes, halved (combination of the two)
2 medium zucchini cut into thin ribbons
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
4 oz. package of cranberry goat cheese, crumbled

Cook the linguine, as per package instructions, reserve one cup of cooking water and set aside.
Drain the linguine and return to the pot.
Toast the pecans (or nuts of your choice)

Heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat.  Add the corn, garlic, salt and pepper, toss about and cook until tender.
Add the corn, tomatoes, zucchini, and 1/2 cup water to the pasta.  Continue to cook over medium heat, tossing mixture gently until the liquid is slightly thickened (you can add more water if you wish).

Place the linguine mixture on a large platter and immediately sprinkle with toasted pecans, cranberry goat cheese and oregano leaves.

Enjoy~

Thursday, July 18, 2013

A Fish Story

 I have mentioned before that Ben goes fishing but often doesn't bring home any fish...now as you can see there was a big catch recently.
 Ben and his friend John went fishing on a local lake and brought home a nice selection of Walleye!  You just can't beat fresh walleye for dinner, teamed with salad and garden fresh zucchini!
 I simply coated the fish fillets with Panko and fried in a little olive oil and what a taste treat!!! I am hoping Ben and John continue to bring home fish for the frying pan!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Baking Powder Biscuits

 My Grandma Bessie was the Biscuit Lady in our community for years...she made biscuits by the dozens for local Church's!  I have her original recipe and watched her make them many times and felt like I had perfected her technique!

 Recently I made a batch of biscuits, for strawberry shortcake, and they just were not right...I checked the date on the baking powder and it was good until December but I was convinced it wasn't fresh.  I went on a hunt to find a baking powder with a better seal and I stumbled upon Bakewell and as you can see the can has an old-fashioned metal sealed lid.
I am a believer of the Bakewell Baking Powder and the biscuits were light and fluffy!!!
I would guess that Grandma Bessie used baking powder in a similar styled can with metal lid that actually seals well!
Wish I could serve Grandma Bessie one of these biscuits...she would love a strawberry shortcake with fresh cream from the milkman...not whipped, of course.
Thanks for all the memories Grandma Bessie and I love you and we will meet up again one day!!!

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Creamy Lemon Pie

 The month of June has a few special birthday's...Ben and Caribe celebrate their birthday's just one day apart!  Due to travel and work, they were celebrated together this year!
 Our family likes lemon so it was decided to have a refreshing lemon pie for celebrating!

Lemon Pie:

Make you favorite graham cracker crust or use this recipe:

2  1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
4-6 tablespoons sugar, your choice of sweetness
1/2 cup melted butter
Crumble your graham crackers in food processor.  Stir in the sugar and finally the melted butter.  After thoroughly mixing place crumbs in two 8" pie pans (I used glass).  Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Lemon Cream:

2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup fresh lemon juice
6 egg yolks
Mis together the milk, lemon juice and egg yolks until smooth.
Pour into prepared crusts and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

At this point you can place in fridge overnight.

Before serving, whip 2 cups whipping cream with 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar, depending on sweetness desired.

Cut pie into nice sized pieces and place on serving plates, top with whipped cream, and garnish with fresh fruits, lemon zest, and mint leaves!  

Be creative and enjoy~