Cassie-b

Almost November

Applesauce

I have canned about 60-65 jars of applesauce in the past 3 weeks. It's quite a bit of work, and I’m really tired of doing it, but the applesauce is so very good.

I've made enough this year so I can give some away and not run short.

I’m not big into canning, but I have a few things I manaage to can each year – Applesauce, Vidalia onion relish, and blueberry jam. Pretty much that’s all.

I don’t know if the results are worth all the work, but I keep on doing it.

It’s hard to find the time for these things when you have a full-time job.

My recipe is simple: cook the cored and sliced apples till they are soft, run them through a food mill or seive to get rid of the skins (or cook them peeled, but then you lose that pretty rosy color), then freeze or can them. I don't add anything, but I do like to use at least 2 kinds of apples, at least one of them a tart cooking apple.

So Much Attention

Thanks Granny for all your attention.
Seven pages of email comments!
Gosh, I hope you didn’t strain your eyes.
And you’re such a fast reader.

Next time, please wait for an invitation

Posted by cassie-b at 07:38 PM | Comments (9)

Mini Vacation Day

Yesterday, Don and I took off to Lancaster, PA for our annual autumn visit. Rather than take the turnpike for the 2 hour trip, we meander along the back roads and do quite a bit of oohing and aahing at the beautiful autumn leaves and the wonderful farmland of that country.

We saw lots of Amish buggies and their drivers, and even managed to see some hot air balloons.

We bought enough fresh apples to complete my (also annual) applesauce canning project.

We ate good food, and had an all around good time.

If you live near enough for a trip, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
A trip to the Pennsylvania Dutch country is such fun.

Posted by cassie-b at 08:58 AM | Comments (15)

Almost everyone's favorite cookie

I made some chocolate chip cookies for the folks at work yesterday. They were good. One of my colleagues asked for my recipe.

Instead of typing, I went looking on the internet for the recipe I used, so I could copy and paste it (never type more than necessary) for her and send it to her via email.

Here's a great source of what look to be very good recipes Chocolate chip cookie page

I had success finding the recipe – and the website had dozens of other chocolate chip recipes. I kept on looking and found this site as well.

What a find!

They really were good.

Great weekend!

What a great Saturday. We had dinner at a local pub, and went to a concert at the local theater, and saw my favorite singer of all times.

And all this with my very best friend (and husband), Don.

And today, Sunday, has been kind of lazy. Excellent!

How was your weekend?
I'm hoping it was excellent, too.

Desks Harbor More Germs Than Toilets

A University of Arizona study shows the average desk harbors 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat.

Telephones came in as the top home for office germs, followed by desks, water fountain handles, microwave door handles and computer keyboards.

Surprisingly, toilet seats consistently had the lowest bacteria levels of the 12 surfaces tested in the study.

"To avoid the common cold in the work place, the best thing you can do is follow your mother's advice -- cover your mouth when you cough, use tissues and throw them away appropriately, and wash your hands," says Dr. Mark Roberts, a Fortune 500 medical director.

Well, I won't be eating lunch in my office ever again!

Posted by cassie-b at 08:29 PM | Comments (18)

Ovenight trip

I just got back from a seminar at a terrific hotel in downtown Philadelphia. Two of us from the company went, and we had a great time Sunday seeing the sights - we went on our own walking tour.

And the seminar was great! Who ever heard of that?

We had dinner last night at a fantastic Italian Restaurant, Buca de Beppo. Our meal was soooo good, but you had to love garlic!

Cooler weather = Soup

Now that the weather has cooled off, I’m back in soup making mode. I went to the freezer to see what could be used for a pot of soup, and found a package of fish filets. Here’s the recipe I came up with. It’s really easy, and kind of quick:

1 onion, sliced
2 cups potatoes
1 cup water
1 pound fish (I used whiting)
salt & pepper
1 1/2 cups whole milk 1/2 can evaporated milk

Saute onions in olive oil till yellow. In same kettle, add potatoes and enough water to cover potatoes. Place fish on top of potatoes, sprinkle with seasonings. Cover and boil. Slowly cook on low till potatoes are tender & fish flakes. Pour in milk and heat through. (I thickened mine just a little with mashed potato flakes)

Great news and Greater news

The great news today is that I did not hit that young deer who sauntered across the road just in front of me while I was driving to work this morning (in the dark). He just wasn’t in any hurry.

The even greater news is that the car behind me did not hit me.

Have a great weekend.

CHEERS

After a "rough day at the office", that sounds good to me.
And I qualify today.
Cheers

Posted by cassie-b at 04:08 PM | Comments (10)