Week 137, 8-5-2018

Thoughts and Quotes: There are two worlds; the one I live in and the one in my head, where my books are finished, I entertain weekly, my house is sparkling clean, my garden is full of veggies, my flower gardens are an explosion of colorful blooms, my Snooty Pantry is filled with homemade jams, jellies, chutneys, flavored vinegars and oils, my freezer is stocked with baked goodies just waiting for someone to drop by, I have a stock of handmade cards ready to go, and I weigh what I did when I was 25.     Me

And that brings me to Thousand Island dressing. When I was young, salads were totally unimaginative in our house. We might have Cole slaw, carrot-cabbage salad, an iceberg lettuce slice smeared with Miracle Whip, a pineapple slice with grated cheese on a lettuce leaf, wilted lettuce (leaf lettuce with a hot bacon grease dressing poured over, reducing it to a sodden mass), potato salad, kidney bean salad, or macaroni salad. The closest we got to a tossed salad was iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and a dressing made with mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and milk. 

Eating out was a root beer and coney at A & W, or a hamburger with French fries. After I was grown, married, and moved to California, a whole new world of salads came into my world. After all, the growing season there is almost year round, so fresh vegetables are readily available. Plus, we were all becoming more aware of the value of eating a variety of nutrious foods.

And sometimes I got to eat at a real restaurant. Foodie that I am, I was in heaven. And then I discovered Thousand Island dressing. My imagination went wild. Wow, a thousand islands. The dressing was surely made from exotic ingredients from the islands around the world. It became my favorite. I didn't really know much about cooking. I don't think I even owned a cookbook. And it never occured to me that I might be able to make it myself. 

Flash forward and I'm becoming interested in cooking. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that I could make Thousand Island dressing with the ingredients right in my own kitchen without visiting a single island.

Flash forward some more and I was on a trip to eastern Canada. We were going on a little half-day cruise on the St. Lawrence Seaway in an area called Thousand Islands. See images HERE. The area is between the US and Canada. They even have the shortest bridge in the world, right on the boundary. Click HERE. And the tour guide told me the real reason it's called Thousand Islands dressing. Now I find that there are two stories about its origin. You can read it HERE. Then last night I was reading a cookbook and there's even a third version. The bits of pepper, egg, pickle, etc. simply resemble lots of islands floating around in the sea of dressing. 

I had some dressing in the refrigerator which I purchased to make Reuben sandwiches, so I had a salad and poured it on. Somehow it tasted so much better when I could imagine  mysterious ingredients from tropical islands.

When I was young, my aunt gave me a book of Andersen's Fairy Tales, and inside she wrote, "Don't ever let anything kill the fairies for you". I don't believe I have.

Wow! I do tend to get blabby, don't I?

Tidbits: When shopping at Aldi, I saw this shirt and the young man was kind enough to let me photo the back. 

Travel: Not mine; my brother and sister-in-law are in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. I wanted to share their comments and photos in case you're looking for a bargain vacation.

"The resort is the "Luxury Bahia Principe Ambar Green" (for adults only).  I am still in shock that the entire trip for everything (airfare, lodging for 7 days in an all-inclusive resort with all meals and beverages covered) was just under $3,200. total for both of us.  I share this with you to let you know how reasonable the stay is here." 

You can find more information HERE. Be sure to click the triangle to watch the video.

Talented Youngsters: The Greene County libraries sponsor a bookmark contest each year and they post the winners in their newsletter. Here are this year's winners. I hope you can see the ages. In case you can't, they go left to right, top row first: Grades 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. Amazing kids!

Thankful: When I wrote my book on Everyday Afternoon Teas, I made notes as I prepared the teas so that I could write a plan for each. Then I had my cooking buddies sit with me and Bev was sweets, Mim was savories, and I was scones. We tested the plans by recreating the teas on paper, moving each item from the beginning to the table. I was confident that my plans would work, so I pushed the button which told the printer to create my order.

Later I wondered if perhaps I should actually prepare the teas according to the plans so that I could check for flaws. The tea I posted last week was the June tea with additions. I really don't want to recreate - I want to do new things. Now I can move on - take a look at the fortune I pullled from my cookie.

Tasting: Here's the Pineapple Cookies recipe I couldn't find last week. It's a rather soft cookie. I'd like them better frosted.

PINEAPPLE COOKIES

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 8-oz can crushed pineapple, drained (save juice if frosting)

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups flour

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)

Heat oven to 350°.

Cream butter and sugars, then add egg and pineapple. Mix well.

Mix together remaining dry ingredients and add to pineapple mixture.

Mix well, add vanilla, and fold in optional nuts.

Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes.

If frosting, mix powdered sugar with reserved pineapple juice.

Sorry I'm late. A bug got me, and I've been holding down the couch. Fever is gone. Don't send the paramedics.

SENDING LOVE TO EVERYONE I KNOW

AND EVERYONE I DON'T KNOW WHO IS READING THIS

TAKE A PICNIC TO THE PARK

OR GO VISIT PUNTA CANA

HAVE AN AFTERNOON TEA

SING IN THE SUNSHINE

DO SOMETHING FUN YOU'VE BEEN MEANING TO DO

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE