Notes from Abigail
There are special cakes that bring back memories or help celebrate special holidays. For example, fruitcake is a classic Christmas cake.
My favorite cake of all time is a white layer cake with coconut frosting. But a close second in my favorite lineup is the red velvet cake. I love both of those!
My Aunt Evelyn is a wonderful cook. She is very “old school” about cooking. She does everything from scratch, almost never uses a microwave oven, and has most of her recipes stored in her head.
The last time we ate dinner at her house, she served the most delicious corn fritters. I asked her for the recipe and she said that she doesn’t have one. She just mixes stuff up in the bowl “until it looks right” and then drops big spoonfuls into her cast iron frying pan with hot bacon grease. Now, that’s good country cooking! But I sure do wish she had a recipe for the corn fritters – they are delish!
Do you have a favorite mac and cheese? My mom makes the best, and I’ve never tasted any as good as her, (Love you, MOM!)
But if I had to buy mac and cheese at the store, I would get the Stouffers brand frozen mac and cheese. It is delicious and it cooks up quickly. Very affordable and always ready in just a few minutes if you keep some in your freezer.
When summer rolls around it is time for the best dessert ever! This dessert though simple and kind of primitive because usually one cooks it outside, is delicious. S’mores of course, is what I am talking about. S’mores is the perfect treat after a grilled dinner on charcoal. If anyone is like me and my family, the grilling season is our favorite and we always use charcoal. Charcoal provides a nice smoky flavor to the food. I prefer it on meat rather than vegetables but it all tastes good either way.
Another way that s’mores make the perfect dessert is when I am camping with friends. There is nothing like sitting around a roaring campfire holding marshmallow sticks in one hand and a cold drink in the other while stargazing. I am pretty sure this is my favorite atmosphere for enjoying a nice gooey s’more! For anyone feeling adventurous I highly recommend using chocolate grahams and peanut butter cups in place of the honey grahams and milk chocolate!
Independence Day is my favorite summer holiday. I generally am not a great fan of the summer because it has a tendency to be too hot. Funny part is I do not like the winter either because of the snow. I guess there is no making me happy with the weather. However, the Fourth of July no matter the weather would still be my favorite day of the month!
People enjoy barbeques, festive desserts, outdoor activities, swimming, parades and fireworks. Fireworks are the highlight in my book. I love the multiple colors, whistles and final bang from the fireworks. There are certain areas that present the best fireworks. Usually in my state many of the fireworks are shot- off from riverbanks or old mill lots. Therefore many people tend to gather near there.
Tonight was no exception. The parking was atrocious. I have never seen so many people flock to the riverside. People parked their cars even in the streets, blocking traffic. I had to drive around for half of the show before finding parking. Despite all of this I did find a really sweet spot half- way through the show and parked. The presentation was worth the driving.
One of the best parts of the summertime is being able to enjoy a nice refreshing cup of ice cream before bed. Nothing is more satisfying than to be able to take one spoonful after the next of my favorite ice cream and not feel guilty. They have some excellent low fat andlow calorie ice creams on the market.
A favorite flavor of mine is mint chocolate chip. I just love the combination of mint and chocolate together. This ice cream reminds me so much of the candy, Andes mints. When the night is hot the refreshing coolness of the mint mixed with chocolate allows my body to be fooled into being cooler then it really is. Either way, all I know is that it works!
If I had to choose a second favorite flavor of ice cream then I would have to say peanut- butter and chocolate. These two flavors in any combination equal pure bliss. Tonight is kind of sticky and warm. Since I have the air conditioning on than I think eating a bowl of ice cream is in order. Now, to decide which flavor…
Last night I made this new pasta salad recipe I found. I was hesitant at first but one the dressing was added to the pasta and veggies it was in one word, amazing. The dressing was considerably involved with a ton of ingredients but once they were all blended it made for a creamy, yet zesty dressing. Again, it was amazing.
The name of the salad was actually what intrigued me because it was based off of a salad served at one of my favorite restaurants. The pasta salad is called “Hooter’s Pasta Salad.” For a chain restaurant I did not expect to have the salad be so elaborate in seasoning. The pasta used was also what made it special. The tri-colored vegetable pasta is what is called for. This kind of pasta absorbs the dressing well. I highly recommend this salad at the next family or friends BBQ. It is sure to be a huge hit!
Mother’s Day this year was so special. For once in a number of years I had a ton of plans. I love having plans on the holidays even if they are not major ones.
This year I will be attending to family BBQs. I really enjoy BBQs as well, especially with the family. For both events I have volunteered to bring a dish. When it comes to cooking for a BBQ, my talents really emerge. One of them will have a potato salad while the other will have a fruit torte. The fruit torte is truly going to be a masterpiece. This is an expensive treat to make but it is worth it when all is said and done.
Before I leave for these gatherings I also have to be sure that my gifts to the mother’s are wrapped and ready. This year’s shopping was easy because I spotted the perfect gift for both of them a month in advance. In one of my many gift catalogs I discovered a fairy toad house that I absolutely fell in love with. I almost bought one for myself but decided that the expense of the two I was buying was expensive enough. These Moms are going to fall in love with them too. I can’t wait to see their faces when they open them. The look
should match the look when they taste my dishes as well!
Summertime is quickly approaching and I have been dreaming about investing in a pool. Water is very therapeutic and the thought of owning my own is becoming increasingly more difficult from year to year. All of the catalogs advertise pools and pool supplies. They make the pools look very appetizing. The price on pools over the last few years has come down quite a bit. I particularly have noticed the price on above ground pools has been reduced.
If I have to invest in a pool this year I do believe I will invest in an above ground pool. They can be just as relaxing and enjoyable for all who come over to my place to BBQ. Many of my friends have above ground pools. I can especially make the pool more appealing by landscaping the surrounding pool with flowers and a patio set. I am very excited over the possibility that I might be floating in a nice turquoise blue pool with a cool drink in my hand and the sun providing me with an excellent tan.
While shopping the other day I saw the new honey bunches of oats “raisin medley” cereal. I thought it was about time this company came out with a variety with raisins in it. I love raisins in my cereal. They are very healthy for you.
I decided to pick up a couple of boxes and give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised! The raisins were actually soft and mixed with the bunches it was delicious. The only complaint I have that not only this cereal but others has a s well is the fact that they tend to get soggy after five minutes of sitting in milk. Now, I don’t know about you but I hate a soggy rice or corn flake! If there was only some way to fix this problem. Less milk?