Transformations - Tuscan Bean Soup

Easter has come and gone but the Transformations continue.

Each Easter I pull out my grandmother's old pitcher with the old rugged cross and I anticipate the colorful and life affirming transformation on Easter Sunday morning. Nanny's pitcher has a little crack in one side and I love it because I always think of how resilient and strong Nanny was. She lived for 101 years and to think of all the transformations she witnessed is mind boggling.

Nanny wrote her own life story when she was in her 90's. Writing our story must be something in the genes because Dad has written many of his own stories and I do enjoy blogging. I would love to have been a follower of Nanny's Blog!

Recently I was re-reading her story and it is fascinating to step back in time when she describes living in the early 1900s on a red dirt road that is now Highway 74 near Lattimore. "In the fall of the year, we would see covered wagons drawn by two oxen passing by. Sometimes they would stop. They had apples, cabbage, irish potatoes and chestnuts for sale." For a special treat her grandpa would buy chestnuts for the children. Her father worked in Latimore as a carpenter for one dollar per day and she wrote, "that was good pay back then". He rode his bicycle to work and Nanny would ride on the back to a Subscription School taught by Mrs. Mary Calton. She stayed in Lattimore from Monday till Friday for school and then her father would ride her back home on the bicycle.

I'm proud that they put such a high priority on educating their children, especially the females, at that time. Nanny said she enjoyed school, but she also writes about how much she loved family and babies and especially rocking her baby sisters. She writes about her father making furniture and building coffins. "The coffins were made of pine lumber and were covered in cloth, black on the outside and white on the inside for grown folks. And all white for children....Back then there was no funeral home. When anyone died, the neighbors would come...When my little sister died, Aunt Willow McSwain laid her out and dressed her. She was fourteen months old. Papa made the coffin, covered it in white cloth. That was the first death in our family. We were all very sad for we loved her very much...She was buried on Easter Sunday. There were no florists then. They just used what flowers they had in the yard and garden. In the winter time when there wasn't any flowers they would get cedar and holly from the woods and made wreaths and crosses for the graves."

Wow. Kind of brings things into perspective.

I love bringing out Nanny's pitcher at Easter and using flowers and greenery to remember her strength and love and her peace which passeth all understanding.

There is so much more to Nanny's story and I hope to intertwine her writing into this blog from time to time.

On Easter 2012 Nanny's pitcher and the old rugged cross once again transformed with a host of colors and textures because so many things were blooming at once. Geraniums, hydrangea, iris, azalea and all kinds of greenery brought life to the cross. And of course I added a few sprigs of Rosemary - for remembrance.

Transformations aren't limited to Easter Sunday. Pretty much everything transforms at one time or another. The trick is adapting, accepting - or better yet appreciating - change. You sure can't fight it.

David IV and KC arrived for Easter Saturday night at Lake Lure with Jay, Turner, Devin and Emily. Another transformation. Usually our house is full of boys and this time there were a lot of girls. All Sweet Georgia peaches. Someone asked how I liked that change and I loved it. After supper there was discussion about watching a shoot 'em up movie or the Blind Side. With help from the girls Blind Side won. It's nice to have backup.

All families and traditions change over the years and I appreciated the Easter Sunday picture that we took this year at Sister's house. After a great covered dish lunch, a mixture of Hunts, Roysters, Mabrys, Saleebys and Kohlers gathered on Sister's front porch for a combined family picture. It is a beautiful medley of family. Life affirming. Much like the flowers in Nanny's pitcher.

The garden is transforming as well and we have enjoyed lettuce, spinach, onions, garlic and many herbs. There are a few strawberries appearing.

Cooking is all about transformation and so our Easter ham transformed into several quiches and then soup. Carol had brought over some white beans, there was spinach in the garden and I had a tiny bit of Easter ham left. I love soup. You can call it anything. So to paraphrase Greasy Sae, When I put it in the soup I called it Tuscan Bean Soup.

Tuscan Bean Soup

32 oz Chicken Broth
About a quart of cooked white beans (if you use canned ones rinse and drain them)
However much leftover ham you have

It helps to have a garden full of the following, but I'm sure it works from the grocery store too:

Minced fresh garlic
Fresh Spinach leaves, torn
Spring Onion, Chopped
Oregano
Basil
Ground Black Pepper

Put it all together, simmer and serve with crackers, cornbread or just by itself.

Let's Party! - Susan's Roasted Asparagus

Robin Williams says, "Spring is nature's way of saying Let's Party!"

With everything blooming at one time right now I think Mother Nature must really mean it this year. So we are partying - our way - with food, family, friends, sports and animals. Far be it from us to disappoint Mother Nature.

We can make a party out of most anything. Even doctor appointments. It's that glass half full thing. Jay had an appointment to see his amazing endocrinologist in Chapel Hill. Trust me, having Type 1 Diabetes since age four has been no picnic for Jay but he has learned that it's better to control diabetes than let it control you. So instead of moaning about having a doctors appointment 3 hours from home, we looked at it as a great opportunity for a ROAD TRIP! Jay caught up with old friends from his year at NC State, with old friends from Shelby and with several cousins. I was in the mood for a Road Trip too so I tagged along and enjoyed some R&R at Judy's condo. Jay and I had dinner at the Red Dragon which is our favorite Asian restaurant in Raleigh. Dr. B gave Jay a good report but it was in a sort of "stroke and upgrade" manner. Meaning, he congratulated Jay for having good test results and then outlined ways for improvement. They communicate in a common language - basketball - so basically the advice boiled down to sticking with the fundamentals. Many basketball teams could have used that advice this year.

We made a party out of work when The Hunger Games was released. Having had the fun opportunity to be close to some of the filming of the movie was one of the highlights of last year. I am a total fanatic of all things Hunger Games and love the mockingjay pin that David surprised me with last Christmas. It was such a fun experience and also some really hard work. Turns out movie making is way tougher than it seems.

We were blown away when we learned that David III and David IV were listed in the movie credits. We were also blown away that it became one of the most successful movies of all time in the first week. With all the excitement, Judy called to say she wanted a bumper sticker that says, "I grew up in District 12".

Another party broke out when our friends Walter and Lucille Dalton dropped by for a reception at our house. They have been friends for many years and now Walter happens to be North Carolina's Lt. Governor. Hopefully he will be our next Governor and we were excited to support him in that quest. Susan had recently held a similar event and had advised me that she wasted some energy stressing over things that no one noticed. Boy was she right on that one. With alot of sweet helpers we worked and worked getting the house and yard in ship shape, planning menus and cooking for the reception. I laughed out loud when I received a kind thank you note from one of the attendees. She did mention the food and yard and then waxed poetic about how charming our dogs and cat are. Dingo, Simba and Mr. Cat always steal the show.

I had especially worried that late March is not one of the prettiest times of year for the yard. Typically camellias are blooming and that's about it. But this year, we have had the most unusual warm springtime which made everything in our yard bloom at once. Even things that typically bloom in May were blooming for the reception. Azalea, iris, dogwood, hydrangea, camellia and geramium blooms brought bright colors and a wild assortment of shapes and textures to the yard. This season's blooms are breathtaking. Mother Nature sure knows how to party.

Along about this time, Quinn arrived in town with Mary Katherine and Robert. It started with an adult party - The Heart Ball - which sweetly honored Kathie. Then it turned into a fun kids party for me because I had a couple of opportunities to keep the children. I enjoyed turning back the clock a little and remembering the joy and innocence of little tykes. MK loved picking flowers and playing with Simba and I found a Carolina - I mean Citadel - Blue basketball for Robert. Can't start 'em too early.

Lynn was in town for several days as well and we loved having her over for comfort food. She saw The Hunger Games with Quinn and Sister and then was moved when Tony used the story to illustrate hope and sacrifice during Sunday's church sermon. Growing up in District 12 requires alot of hope and strength. Lynn possesses both and she possesses a profound faith that gives others hope and strength. She is a steel magnolia and I bet she could shoot a bow and arrow if she wanted to.

Mother Nature took our breath another way with some pretty fierce weather in Dallas, Texas. Thank heavens for modern technology and being able to text with David IV who informed us he was 50 feet underground in the stadium tunnel. He and others rode the winds and hail out in about as safe as place as you can hope for. Susan and I were in South Carolina watching live television reports as huge transfer trucks were tossed around like Tonka toys. Thankfully most damages were to property and not humans so we were grateful for that.

Susan and I were in South Carolina on our annual Spring Break Mom Style to watch the Family Circle Women's Tennis Tournament. It's always fun to see tennis at the professional level and always gives me the bug to get out and play again. We didn't play any tennis this time but we did follow the picturesque path from the house out to the ocean for beachwalking.

While I was in Isle of Palms, Allie - who may be the most organized person I know - taught me a new trick for 'boiled' eggs. They are actually baked. She puts the eggs into a muffin pan, no water, and then bakes in the oven at about 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Then she cools and peels the eggs for egg salad or whatever. Allie learned this from Pinterest which I signed up to do several months ago. There are a good many folks following me on Pinterest and to all of you I apologize for not pinning anything but I just haven't gotten back to that yet. Allie tried bravely to help me organize my laptop, ipad, iphone and then synch it all to the cloud. Whatever. After learning that I have two iclouds and 3 email accounts Allie suggested that I need to go on an email diet. Dieting is not my strong suit but I promised to try.

When I returned home I had a request from Katie to blog an Easter Recipe. Here's an easy one that Susan taught me years ago. We were talking about it the other day and Susan pointed out that the best thing is that you can serve it room temperature so you can do ahead of time and then just put in a bowl until ready to serve.

Susan's Roasted Asparagus

Use tender baby asparagus and cut off any tough end pieces.

Layer asparagus in a baking pan in one layer. Use 2 parts olive oil and 1 part sesame oil or you could use all sesame oil. Susan is right - the sesame oil gives it a great flavor.

Brush oil onto asparagus very lightly. Sprinkle on a very small amount of kosher salt. Can't remember if Susan said to but I added a little fresh ground pepper.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. As Susan says, some people like it crunchier than others so you can adjust the time to your liking. Less time = more crunchy. Roasted Asparagus can be done ahead of time. Just put into a pretty bowl and set aside till ready to serve at room temperature. Happy Easter!

Full Swing Spring - Sally's Crabcakes

Spring is in full swing a little early this year. There are so many beautiful trees and flowers in early bloom that I don't have room to post them all.

I found some sweet, peaceful Lily of the Valley in the backyard and they brought a little spring into the kitchen one day. For some reason, Lily of the Valley always make me think of Tennessee Ernie Ford singing in his deep voice "there will be peace....peace in the valley for me". Love finding peace anywhere these days.

The pink, graceful blooms on the Weeping Cherry tree is something that I look forward to every year. This tree is down the street from our house and it takes your breath away when it seems to appear out of nowhere overnight.

The redbud is on the grounds of a local church and I literally jumped out of my car the other day to snap a picture. Mama sometimes calls the redbud "The Jesus Tree" so I guess it is really appropriate to have it on the church grounds. I googled and learned that the Eastern Redbud is sometimes called "the Judas Tree" because it is thought to be the type of tree mentioned in the Bible when Judas hung himself after betraying his friend, Jesus. It's ironic that two brilliant and lovely trees have such sadness in their names - Weeping Cherry and Judas. But then life is like that. Full of love and beauty and sometimes sadness.

We were sad to say goodbye to Steve this week. I have posted several times about the wonderful organic potatoes that Steve has kindly shared with us over the years. He loved digging around in the dirt and we loved him for it. We will miss those potatoes and will miss his kind and gentle spirit even more.

We dug around in the dirt ourselves and got our spring garden started. So far we have several types of lettuce, spinach, strawberries, onions and garlic in the ground. Hopefully the 80plus degree weather won't be too hard on these tender plants because I'm looking forward to Mama Crowder's Wilted Lettuce and Onions sometime soon. (recipe posted March 31, 2010)

March is birthday month for a bunch of us including Mama. Mama loves Red Lobster and I snapped a pic when Libby and I took her there for a birthday lunch. She turned 86 this year and who knew anybody could look that good at 86? But the more amazing thing about Mama is how her beauty is not just skin deep. I've heard Daddy say, "Ruby got the right name because she's a real jewel".

We didn't have crabcakes at the Red Lobster but I did fix some really good ones the other day. As usual I started out with several recipes and used parts that I liked from each one. Hats off to Chicken of the Sea, Fresh Market, and my friend, Beth for various ideas in this recipe. Oh, and hats off to Nishie, Dad and Mom for my experience with making Salmon Patties the Lattimore way. That experience helps alot when making crab cakes.(Salmon Patty recipe posted Jan 30, 2011).

We like crabcakes to mostly taste like crab so I didn't use a whole lot of bread for filler. I did use some seasonings but not very much of anything so you really taste the crab more than anything. The jalapeno is there for a little kick but is not overpowering. We served the crabcakes with a lemon slice and Nishie's Slaw. (recipe posted April 11, 2010)

Crabcakes with Nishie's Slaw turned out to be a satisfying, fairly light and easy early spring supper.

Sally's Crabcakes

Mix together the following:

1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp mayo
1 Tbsp fresh parley (less if using dried)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp horseradish mustard
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped
a shake or two of black pepper
2 pieces loaf bread, crust removed and bread finely crumbled

Without breaking up the crab too much gently fold in:

1 lb lump crab meat

Make 8 patties, place on cookie sheet, cover and put in fridge for at least an hour. You can leave in fridge for 5 or 6 hours if needed. This is great for making ahead of time and the chilling helps keep the patties together when frying.

When ready to fry:

Heat 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat. Fry four at a time for about 4 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels for a minute or two to remove excess oil. This is quicker and easier than it may seem and if you love crabcakes it's worth a try. As always, feel free to tweak to your own hearts desire.

In (and out) Like a Lion - Simple Southwestern Chicken Soup

February went out and March came in like a Lion.

The last week of February brought David, KC, Jay, Devin, Will, Turner, Rhett, Steve and Kathe, Dino and Kassie, Linda and Richard, Paul, Jackson and Marybeth....and others to our table for various get togethers. It was great having a house full of family and friends for some planned and some totally unplanned dinner parties.

Gardner Webb Runnin' Bulldogs ended their regular season at home with a crowd to say goodbye to the seniors. Seniors David Brown and Laron Buggs and families were honored prior to the game. Jay will be graduating with them a year early this May but, with eligibility left, his plans for next year are up in the air so he opted out of the senior ceremony. Mom, Dad, cousins and friends came out to the game anyway and we got a nice picture of everyone. We also got a picture of Jay with Molly, who has cheered him on through high school and college. Both will be graduating early which is pretty impressive with the time and energy that college athletics requires.

David and I followed the Bulldogs to their tournament game at High Point University and there the 2012 season ended. It was a tough season with many ups and downs but, as always, the lessons learned along the way and the many wonderful relationships that developed will always be remembered.

Leaving High Point we traveled on to Raleigh-Durham and among many things we got in a variety of visits with a lot of different folks - including our newest family member, Mary Eden. Lynn snapped of cute pic of Mary Eden with her new BlaBla doll but no doubt Mary Eden is the real doll there. Mary Eden's 2 year old sister, Maggie is very observant and must remember visiting in Shelby with our menagerie. When she saw David she immediately called him "Mr. Cat"! I'm not sure if David or Mr. Cat would be prouder.

We carved out some time in Raleigh to take a long walk in the park near Mom and Dad's condo and noticed pretty pink buds on the trees. It's always a joy to take time out to recognize the beauty of spring. Last year at this time, I wrote about a poem I learned in college which tells how just the sight of daffodils can lift your spirits and make your heart sing. (posted March 1, 2011)

So here's to spring flowers, lifted spirits and especially to singing hearts.

Simple Southwestern Chicken Soup

We needed a quick supper one night after all of the traveling and craziness so I made up an easy and Spicy Chicken Soup. I had cooked a lot of chicken breasts in my slow cooker (like Susan taught me to do!) and after I made several chicken pies, I had enough left over to make this soup. If you don't have time to cook chicken, you can always get a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Nothing wrong with a shortcut now and then.

Shred or chop cooked chicken (about 2 cups or so)
Add:

Garlic powder, Chili Powder, Black Pepper and Cumin and to taste
I didn't measure the spices, but I used more Chili Powder than the other spices. Just shake them over the chicken until it looks right! And remember - Mom says, "You can always add more but you can't add less!"

Then add:
1 jar of Salsa (I used chunky, medium hot salsa)
1 32 oz box of Chicken Broth
About 1 tablespoon of Lime Juice

Simmer till flavors blend and serve with grated Jalapeno Monterey Jack Cheese, sour cream and Tortilla Chips. That'll make your heart and your tongue sing. Enjoy.

Sticking Together - Lattimore Stickys

February has been full of friends. Many of those friends have been four legged and furry. We are really grateful for all of our friends - four legged and two legged - because friends stick by each other in tough times and enjoy each other in good times. As the saying goes, friendships double our joy and divide our grief and February has had it's share of both.

It's been fun to watch the four legged ones become friends with each other. Simba is still all puppy and we have loved watching how Dingo has settled in to her role as babysitter, playmate and big sister. Thank heavens for Dingo taking on these roles because without her, Simba's puppy energy would wear us out.

I love the picture on this post of David with Simba, Dingo AND Mr. Cat going for a ride on the golf cart. Carol said Simba's expression appeared to say, "I don't really know what's going on, but I am ALL IN!" Simba is a full time player.

It has taken Mr. Cat a little bit longer to warm up but he's caught on to the proper way to play with a puppy. Mr. Cat also knows the proper way to let a puppy know when playtime is over. Jay posted a video of such play on facebook and immediately friends weighed in on Mr. Cat's swagometer. Mr. Cat is well known for his swag.

Then it was Simba's turn to learn to play with a new friend when Scott came for a visit and brought Wilson - the 5 year old Greyhound. To Simba, Wilson probably looked about 10 feet tall. But they learned to play together too and Scott snapped the picture on this post during a morning walk. I laughed when Scott emailed the pic with the caption, "Simba going under the Wilson bridge."

It was great to have Scott back in Shelby for the first time since our 30th high school reunion. Time does fly but old friends easily pick up where they left off. Of course in this case that included lots of basketball, lots of visits and lots of meals. When you're only in town every eight years or so you have alot of catching up to do. Scott caught up with friends and relatives as well as livermush and bbq. We had a spontaneous dinner party of Cowboy Soup and Cornbread and it didn't feel like so many years had gone by. It felt like family. Old friends are like that.

We enjoyed more good friends with a trip in early February to High Point for basketball with the Staleys and a visit with Susan and Thomas for supper and the Super Bowl. As Thomas says, "we meet for a social event and a ballgame breaks out!" The first time I remember Thomas saying that was at a Charlotte Hornets game in 1991. Some things never change. Thank heavens.

On the other hand, when some things don't change it can be rather nerve wracking. Like Big South basketball games. The picture of the scoreboard on this post could be any number of games with the final score 57-56. Suffice to say that when attending a Big South Basketball game don't plan to leave early. These games can be rather sticky.

Yet another kind of sticky has been on my mind recently - the stickys that Nanny taught Nishie how to make.

Nishie and Nanny made Stickys with the leftover dough from homemade biscuits. The last bit of dough is rolled out flat and spread with butter, sugar and cinnamon and then rolled up jellyroll style and sliced. The slices are placed in a pan and baked until browned on top. There's a reason they are called stickys. When Nishie and Nanny made them, they were gooey with mass quantities of sugar, butter and cinnamon. When you picked up a sticky you knew how they got their name.

The other day I made two runs of Mama's Homemade Biscuits (recipe posted May 23, 2010) and decided to try my hand at Lattimore Stickys. It's been years since I made them and usually I don't make them because we do have to draw the calorie and sugar line somewhere. Sometimes I just draw the sugar line and make my own version of Stickys with butter, parmesan cheese and Italian spices.

But true Lattimore Stickys were on my mind so I gave it a shot. Just as I was taking the finished stickys out of the oven, Mama invited me out to Lattimore for a quick lunch. So I proudly took my stickys to Lattimore for a taste test by Dad, Mom, Libby and Penny - who quickly and unanimously critiqued that they did not have enough butter or sugar, they were not sticky enough, and they needed to be more brown on top. Somehow they were consumed despite these shortcomings.

Sticky ballgames, friends sticking together, and sticking my neck out with old family recipes. Can March madness be far behind?

Early Springtime - Sally's Vegetarian Chili

It's a beautiful early springtime in Western North Carolina and we're hoping that the groundhog up in Pennsylvania was wrong about six more weeks of winter. We've barely had one day of winter so far this year but we have often had snow in early March. It's wise not to make any bets on weather in NC.

Hopefully winter weather won't come in and damage all the buds on the dogwoods and camellias or the pretty daffodils that are springing up everywhere. Or bother the cute baby animals that are springing up in Lattimore.

On a ride around Lattimore this week, Mom and I noticed a lot calves in Dad's pasture. And in Tommy's pasture we saw lambs, baby goats and even a baby donkey. Tommy's pasture is always fascinating with classical music playing in the barns but even more so the day that Mom and I stopped by. Daffodil, the goat, had just delivered triplets and there were also three lambs delivered that day. It was so exciting that I took Jay and David back by the next day. Lattimore is just full of excitement.

Honestly, it was fun to slow down a little and just enjoy the sunshine, the daffodils and the beautiful animals.

We also enjoyed having the basketball team over for dinner one night to celebrate having some home games and also to celebrate Jay's 21st birthday. It's always fun to cook for a crowd of hungry boys and since some of their families were in town, we enjoyed cooking for them too. David brought out the big cooker for ribs and the charcoal grill for beef and pork tenderloins. I made mass quantities of mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn from the Lattimore garden and several other things. It was a fun and relaxing time together and they took no prisoners. I've discovered that it's pretty easy to clean up when there aren't any leftovers.

So, I don't know if it was the huge team meal or the zumba classes that I've enjoyed the last few weeks or the super bowl coming up or seeing all the cute baby animals, but I have been craving some healthy vegetarian chili recently.

Years ago when vegetarians were kind of rare in my world, I asked my one vegetarian friend how she made chili. She kind of grinned and said, "Well, I make it like you do. Except when you are putting in the meat, I am putting in chopped vegetables." How simple is that?

Last night I made vegetarian chili and she was right. Even David the meat lover liked it. I usually wing it when making chili, but I did try to pay attention this time. When it was time to put in ground beef, I added chopped squash and zucchini. This one's got a kick to it but we think it's a keeper.


Sally's Vegetarian Chili

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic (I use McCormick minced garlic in oil because it's easy)
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow squash, cubed
1 zucchini, cubed
1 or 2 tablespoons oil to saute vgetables

Saute garlic and onion until transparent, then add celery, peppers, squash and zucchini and saute a few minutes to soften a little. Then add:

1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes (I used no salt added), not drained
1 can rotel, not drained
a Cup or so of Water

Season with:

1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
A shake or two of celery salt
Crushed black pepper

Simmer all together and serve with Mama's Cornbread (recipe on previous post). You can afford the cornbread calories and you need a little grease since there is no meat in there! Enjoy.