Kitchen Talk #4; Really?

Looks like I picked up a counterfeit $10 bill.  Literally.   I was walking out of Target after shopping.  On the ground in front of me in the parking lot was a bill.  There was no one standing around close by and I didn't see where it came from so I put it in my pocket.  When I got back to the car, I took it out and was about to incorporate it into my wallet.  There was something not quite right about it.  It looked like a $10 bill but the feel of wasn't right.  I decided that it had been run through a clothes washer or something and put it in my wallet. 

But I started thinking about it.  I took it out and looked at it, again.  I had others look at it.  Some thought it was real.  Others were suspicious.  I wouldn't want to pass along fake money.  I decided to take it to the bank.  I bank at a small local bank which means everybody knows me and I know everyone there.  (There's another kitchen talk there.)  I asked my regular lady to look at it.  I told her it is probably fine, but what did she think?  She took it to other people and came back saying they thought it was fake and that she was required to take it.  She said they would send it to a place where people would make an actual determination.  If they decided it was real, I'd get it back.  If not, I'd get a receipt saying that it was confiscated. 

So here's what I think about that.  Here is someone who clearly has some skills.  There must be some technical skills to know how to make a passable bill.  Also, there are organizational skills.  This person can make a plan and put it into action, then follow through to completion.  This isn't a timid person.  It would take some guts to tender fake money.  This is a person who could use all those skills to do something actually good or helpful.  They could hold down a job, for pete's sake. 

But no, this thief uses all his talents to cheat business owners out of their hard earned money.  No excuse!  Shame!  That's all I have to say about that.

Homemade Noodles

My Mom made homemade noodles.  She stewed whole chicken from the market, which she called a stewing hen, for soup and added the noodles.  When she bought a whole chicken for frying, she called it a frying hen.  It was a young adult at the store buying a chicken one time before I realized they were the same thing.  Remember that everyone has things about them that make them unique and special and its a good thing.   

For years, I didn't make homemade noodles until I bought an old cookbook at an antique store and found a recipe for it.  Recipes and food brings back memories and happy feelings.  So why not indulge in this pleasure however you can. 

Homemade noodles

1 beaten egg

2 T. milk

1/2 t. salt

1 c. all purpose flour or whole wheat flour

1/2 t. dry thyme

Combine the ingredient until you get a smooth ball.  Knead with your hands a few times.  This is a sticky and firm dough.  Flour a board and place the ball the board, turning to cover with four.  

With rolling pin, begin to roll as with pie dough, adding any flour that is needed to keep the dough dry and not sticking to things. 

Every couple rolls, rub it with a floury hand and turn it over.  Rub that side also.  Continue roll it as thin you can. 

Cut it in half with a large knife or a pizza cutter. 

Lay one half over the other so that the cut edges line up. 

Cut it again so that there are now 4 pieces. 

Lay one side over the other so that cut edges line up.

Then start slicing and separating the slices.  Sprinkle with flour and cover with a clean kitchen towel.  They are much better if they dry like that for at least 24 hours, but 48 hours is fine or even longer.  Really, the drier the better.  Then add them to your soup when you are ready.

Remember to have family traditions.

Zana's Top of the Stove Cookies

First of all, if you come into my kitchen when I'm cooking, you may become part of my blog.  Just saying. 

This afternoon, I am making one of my favorite little stove top cookies.  Not fancy, but everyone loves them.  I got the recipe from a lovely lady named, Zana, who I worked with years ago.  We would make things to share at work.  Her's was always, and I mean always, the best. 

Zana's Stove Top Cookies

2 c. sugar

3 T. unsweetened powdered cocoa

1 stick butter

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. peanut butter

1 t. vanilla

3 c. quick oats

Put sugar and butter in a large saucepan.  Cut up the butter with a spoon and add it to the saucepan.  Add milk and cocoa.  Stir til sugar is wet and bring to medium high heat.  Stir every few minutes.  Bring to a full rolling boil.  Cook it at a full rolling boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Add peanut butter and stir until it is no longer in a lump in the pan and fully incorporates into the mixture.  Add vanilla and oats.  Stir briskly until it is combined well.  

Spread sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper on the counter.  Drop spoonfuls onto the paper.   It's ready to eat once cooled.

Those crazy Osbornes.  They are everywhere.

As I was saying, drop teaspoons onto paper and cool and eat. Work quickly.  It sets up as it cools and becomes more difficult to shape if it cools before you are done or if you are like interrupted by others like. 

By the way, a rolling boil means it is boiling across the full surface and can not be stirred down to make it stop boiling.

Once they are cool, store them in plastic or Tupperware.

Remember to put the Tupperware in the dishwasher first. 

Almost forgot:  This post was linked to the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.  Click this link to go there.
http://frugalcrunchychristy.blogspot.com/2010/12/hearth-and-soul-blog-hop-vol-26.html

And also Tasty Tuesdays Bloghop.
http://weloveiowa.blogspot.com/2010/12/tasty-tuesdays-bloghop-santa-fe-soup.html

And culinary bliss
http://culinarybliss.blogspot.com/2010/12/simple-lives-thursday-21.html

Day 4; Back on the Train

We slept a long night in the "roomette."  I woke to daylight which doesn't happen very often.  But then, I rarely stay up until midnight and we had walked miles and miles the day before. 

Husband was awake and sitting.  He said he had seen Mt. Shasta.  I found my glasses and looked out the window.  Drifting by was the most amazing sight.  I subsequently spent the next several hours looking in awe.  We had been through here in the dark the first trip.   

But first we made our way down the train, back to the dining car and was served a satisfactory breakfast.  Train food is not fantastic, but it was hot and tasty.  I enjoyed it even though I had been stuffing way too much food in me for days. 

If you've never travelled on a train, let me try to explain my experience.  Beyond the clickity vibrations and shudders, there is a sway back and forth.  Each car sways independently.  Occasionally, the sway is a lot. 

  

Traveling from car to car can be a bit exciting.  At either end of the car is a door like this.  There is a handle to press.  It is in the lower right corner of this picture.  If you press the handle, the door pops open.

 

Here you are looking at the space between the two cars.  You step across and press the corresponding button on the door to the next car. 

But remember that the cars are swaying back and forth.  The first half of the floor in this compartment is swaying one direction while the half beyond is swaying the other. 

 

Reminds me of some Fun House at a County Fair.  I'm not afraid of muggers, but this got me just a bit.  The floor moving back and forth below me and all that.  

Any ways, back to what I saw outside our window.  Snow covered everything, mountains, trees, rocks, as straight and pretty as you can imagine.  There must have been no wind because the trees were heavily laden.  We sat there and watched it go by for hours, one amazing scene like a post card after the next.  Surely, there were roads, towns, people, houses, even I-5, close by, but we saw none of it.  Only a peaceful and beautiful wonderland.  I found myself wishing that we weren't heading home quite yet. 

But the next day was Sunday.  Payday at our business had been Friday, but we were off for the holidays.  My assistant had put the payroll on my desk on Wednesday, but I always check it before we hand it out.  On Sunday, I would be working, but today I drank coffee and watched out window.  We happily shared our "roomette" in silence for hours until we started coming into Eugene and familiar territory.

We left the train at around 4 p.m. on Saturday.  The air had felt dry much of our trip.  Being a native Oregonian, dry cool air feels odd.  I had applied lotion the entire trip.  Truthfully, menopause has something to do with this.  But as I stepped off the train to cool moist air with mist hitting my face, I was happy to be home and grateful for my small vacation and all the adventures and bits of luxury and adventure that it had brought with it.  Step Son was there to whisk us back to our lives.  Just remember to go back to work.

Day 3, Part 2

When we were "mugged", we were on our way to dinner.  Earlier we had seen a McCormicks & Schmicks, which we recognized as a company is based out of Portland, Oregon.  We are quite familiar with it and decided we could use something familiar, so we headed there.

I had steamer clams and Husband had fish, I can't remember what kind.  Now I consider my self fairly schooled in a few foods and beverages.  Steamers is one of those foods.  I love them and have eaten them everywhere and every chance I get.  These weren't too hot.  Bland and too chewy.  Too long cooked, I think. Sorry, McCormick's.  Quality control people need to be sent to Sacramento.  We sat there as long as we could.  We decided to have a drink.  Better to sit in McCormicks & Schmicks than the train station.

We are nearing end of the story for this day.  We headed back to the train station to wait for our train at about 10 p.m.  I was only a little bit freaked out because of our last experiences.  But arrived unharmed we did.  

We had had a little fight about the the scheduling of the train.  How could I have possibly scheduled a midnight train?  The fight renewed with some tense words, but it didn't last long.  We are a pretty steady team in the clinches.  We get a long well during most tough times.  It's when things get to easy, that we sometimes have problems. 

I recovered our baggage from storage and we sat down to wait.  I nice older lady came and sat next to us.  She started talking and continued for most of the wait.  She was retired from working in the DMV.  She was from Sacramento but she lives in Klamath Falls.  Her family still lives here.  She had been visiting family here.  Husband went to buy coffee from the concession stand.  He returned for another 3 more times.  Well, I drank my share of it.  

The train was scheduled to arrive at 11:59 p.m.,  although it was 20 minutes later when they announced it's arrival so we are technically into Day 4, but I'll continue.  We had another little fight about whether we should stand in line or wait until the line got shorter (maybe it's time to go home, ya' think). But eventually we made our way onto the train and was greeted by our porter, Lorna, a big friendly black woman with a very kind smile.  I liked her immediately, but it was time to go to sleep.  We found our "roomette"  and settled in for another night like the first.  This one headed North.  Since we are into Day 4 now, I'll leave the rest to later.  

Our Trip; Day 3 part 1

Day three was a very long day, very long.  And yes, we are going to end up back in the "roomette." 

It started waking up at the Citizens and going out to breakfast at the Capitol Garage on 15th and K.   And no I didn't have reservations.  It was suggested from the lady at the front desk at the Citizens.  http://www.opentable.com/capitol-garage  And it was good.   


Then back to our room.  We would be homeless as soon as we needed to vacate our room and we planned to stay there until check out time.  We did a couple things that grown up married people do.  Then we watched a movie.  Somehow, we fell asleep and woke up just after check out time.  We jumped up and got ready to leave.  We hadn't intended to stay so long.  Out the door and down to turn in our door card lock keys.


We were walking down the street several blocks away when Husband says "where are my rings?"  Then, "I don't have my wallet."  We walked back to the Citizens and marched up to the front desk to tell the young man that we think we left some personal property in our room.  A steward was called and Husband went up to get his rings and wallet, as well as his reading glasses that he hadn't missed, yet.  And my toothpaste.


Again, we headed down the street pulling our bags behind us.  We made it all the way to the train station where we turned in our bags for storage.  We wouldn't be boarding for hours and we had other plans, so shedding the bags made sense.  But, in the process, I realized that I also didn't have our train tickets.


I racked my brain while Husband looked at me.  I thanked him for not yelling at me.  Then it occured to me that I had given the young man at the front desk at the Citizen the garbage from my purse, which he had put in the garbage can for me.  I had to have given the tickets to him.  Where else could they be?  I don't usually loose things and I was sure they had been in my purse.


So back we go to the Citizens.  The young may at the front desk may well have thought we had been drinking, but no.  We had just woke out of a sound sleep.  He fished our tickets from the garbage and handed them to me.


Our first stop was the Westfield Mall.  Right in downtown Sacramento, an easy walk.  There is a Westfield Mall in Vancouver.  The sign is the same, so they are obviously connected.  We shopped for a while until it was time for our movie.  We saw the Harry Potter movie.  Pretty cool if you haven't seen it.  It was dark when we came out.  We needed dinner then to get to the train station. 


As we headed down I street, we walked up on a man and woman who were kissing.  You know, kissing.  Just as we came level with them on the side walk, they parted and the woman stepped directly in front of me.  I mean touching me close to me. 


Neither Husband or I are timid or fearful people, really to a fault, and we know it.  My first reaction was lean into her and say "Excuse me?" in my sacastic voice.  Husband's first reaction was to go into his protection mode, grabbing my arm and pulling me back so that he could step between us.  Then, she stepped away and walked off.  I felt the man directly behind me step away and walk away, also.


We stood there for a few seconds looking around.  What had happened?  I think these people were going to mug us.  When they realized we would not go down easily and would fight back, they stopped.  I'm not suggesting that you try this at home, folks.  I'm not saying this was a good thing.  Just reporting what happened.  


We made our way to dinner and later got on the train - just after midnight.  I told you this was a long day.  More story to tell.  I'll continue soon.  

Mom's Sunday Cafe December Culinary Smackdown

I've entered Mom's Sunday Cafe December Culinary Smackdown.  The featured ingredient was raisins, so it had to be my Grandma Streckers Homemade Mincemeat.  I'm the first entry!  Wish me luck.  I don't exactly know what its all about but she has a very interesting blog.  You should definitely check it out.

http://momssundaycafe.blogspot.com/2010/12/december-culinary-smackdown.html