Spring sprung and the clock wasn't the only thing that seemed to fast forward. I know it's not just me. Most everybody I have talked with lately says things seem to have sped up a notch.
The spring flowers are so colorful and lively that it makes everything seem brighter, louder and more active. Yellow forsythia fingers stretched up in my neighbors yard. They have not been pruned back in a couple of years and they have a wild and free look about them that I love.
In Lattimore there is a forsythia near the garden that has been pruned. Abel must have channeled Edward Scissorhands because he pruned the forsythia into the shape of a basket. It is really cute and made all of us smile.
The tulip tree in our backyard was especially pretty this year and so was Mrs. Sarazen's snowy white spirea.
But it wasn't just the flowers that seemed to wake things up. Spring breaks and birthdays broke out all over and we broke out a little bit ourselves with all kinds of gatherings to celebrate life.
Wofford held their annual football banquet and it was great to see all the Wofford players, coaches, and the tailgate crowd. We walked to the banquet with Arsenio, Preston, and David and took a picture of them as we remembered how long they have played on teams together. Actually they started out playing against each other in fourth grade. But in middle school, high school and college they were together. And they have four championship rings to prove it.
It was especially sweet when Coach Ayers noted how much he would miss the seniors on the team for their leadership and for their work ethic. They had gone from last year's season of many defeats and troubles to this year's season of SoCon championship rings. That is no small feat and it takes everybody working together to make something like that happen. We were so proud when David and several others were honored with the Unsung Hero Award. Coach Ayers wasn't the only one in the room who was emotional as he talked about what it means to have unselfish leadership and dedication on any team. And how those qualities lead to a successful life after college.
Another fun gathering was at the cabin when Uncle Frank brought several of his big band folks out on the first day of Spring for some food, fun, fellowship and frivolity. The weather was warm and so were the memories that the big band music brought to mind. "Sentimental Journey", "Fly me to the Moon", "In the Mood", "All of Me" and of course Daddy's rendition of "Shanty Town" were among my favorites. It is great music to listen to and great music to dance to. And it's interesting to watch the interaction of the musicians as they go from orchestrated music to free flowing jazz solos and back.
Everyone pitched in to make it a fun Sunday afternoon. We had homemade pimiento cheese sandwiches, cream cheese and olives, pineapple raisin sandwiches, fried squash, beautiful fruit and vegetable trays, deviled eggs, shrimp with Daddy's homemade cocktail sauce, and some good desserts. And David had pork and beef tenderloin on the charcoal grill. You know it was good.
Even the cows co-operated with the plan as they followed Gary to the fence so everyone could watch them frolic around and munch on their hay. It was a very special gathering for all of us.
So we have been really busy and have had some amazing experiences lately. But something had been in the back of my mind and this morning Tommy Tomlinson expressed it for me. I will insert a link to his column if I ever learn how. In the meantime, it is his March 24, 2011 column on www.charlotteobserver.com.
The column says better than I can what I have been thinking. With the horrible earthquake in Japan, revolution and war all over the Middle East, debt everywhere, worldwide poverty and starvation what difference does music, sports, and gatherings make? I do hope you will read the entire piece. It is worth it from start to finish.
He hit the nail on the head with this, "Music and books and art and sports detach us from the daily plight of people. And they connect us even deeper with humanity. That's why monks chant and prisoners write poems and poor kids play soccer in the street. Those things too make the world better in some small way....There's no shame in diversion. It keeps us sane. It keeps us going, And it helps us believe we still have a shot at building the world we dream of."
I think it goes further than that. Gatherings and diversions create a reason for people to get together, to work together, to play together, to build relationships together. To learn how to live happily together.
That's how we build the world that I dream of.
David's Whole Beef Tenderloin
David has two methods of cooking whole beef tenderloin. One is over charcoal and the other is in the oven. Either way he prepares the meat basically the same way - a preparation that has evolved over time. I can't get a handle on the charcoal way because it varies from time to time so here is the oven method. He learned the timing of the oven method from Sister who learned it from Edith H who mostly likely learned it from someone else. It works every time. You won't have the charcoal flavor but I promise it will be delicious.
David says the most important thing about cooking whole beef tenderloin is trimming it properly. Years ago he learned from Jeanette how to trim tenderloin. You can google How to Trim Beef Tenderloin and watch how to do it. You have to trim off the 'chain', the fat and all of the silvery stuff. It's a good day for Dingo and Mr. Cat when David trims tenderloin.
After trimming the tenderloin, David rubs a thin coat of olive oil all over it. He coats it fairly heavily with Horseradish mustard, black pepper, lemon pepper, garlic powder and kosher salt. He says any spices work and he varies what he does.
You can do all of the preparation ahead of time and refrigerate until time to cook, but it is important to have the meat at room temperature before cooking.
Preheat oven to Broil. Broil 8 minutes on one side. David says to keep the oven door cracked a little to keep the broiler from turning off. Flip the meat and broil 10 minutes on the other side. The times need to be closely watched. Then turn oven to bake, set at 325 degrees, close the door and cook 20-25 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to get desired doneness. David cooks to an internal temperature of 120-125.
Take out and let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. He says, "It will cook a little more and the internal juices with set a little so you don't lose all that flavor."
Slicing depends on the type of meal you are having. For a sit down dinner, larger slices. For a cocktail gathering, smaller slices. David ALWAYS uses an electric knife to slice tenderloin.
I make horse sauce to go with the beef by mixing horseradish and mayo. We like the sauce pretty darn hot, but you can mix whatever portions you want.
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