LIttle miss chef

I'm in a cooking/baking mood today, perhaps because of the recent run of cool, rainy weather. Fall-like temps make me want to cook like mad, warming up the house with rich, fragrant smells from bubbling pots and steaming pans of goodies.

Today I'm making a lovely Saturday-night special dinner for two of my favorite guys: Pete, and my dad. My dad is all by his lonesome tonight, due to my mom working and my little brother camping up north with my older brother. So I invited him over for dinner, and when I read the menu to him, he was more than happy to oblige.

Here's tonight's menu:

Smothered Pork Chops



Oven Roasted New Potatoes



Baby Peas



Tangy Buttermilk Cheese Bread



Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownies (yes, it's a mix, but who cares)



I'm hauling the bread machine we got for our bridal shower out of its box for the occasion (better late than never), and I figured I'd give it a whirl. (Note: all pix are from OTHER peoples' attempts to make this stuff.)

I'm off to buy some darn bread flour for the bread recipe...have a happy (and delicious) Saturday!

Composting

I'm thinking of starting up a composting bin for our household. We have lots of organic garbage including banana peels, egg shells, and watermelon rinds, so I figure they'd be put to better use as fertilizer rather than ending up in a garbage dump.

I saw this nice little bin at organize.com, which is handy for the immediate storage of compost and can be kept in the kitchen. I'll have to investigate a larger bin for outside though. Are you composting right now? What methods do you use, and what tips do you have? My dad has been composting for many, many years, long before it was the hip and "green" thing to do. He simply used a garbage can with a lid tied on it, and he kept it on the back porch near the kitchen door. I think it's still there....

Dinner at White Fence Farm

Pete, my dad, the dogs, and I all trekked out to White Fence Farm yesterday evening for dinner. My dad said he hadn't been there in over 40 years, even though he passes it from time to time during his travels. So we decided to stop by and have dinner. It was a very nice, relaxing time, and my dad and Pete had a great time running around, looking at all the antiques and curiosities afterward.

Here are some pix:


Dad and Pete checking out some motorcycles


Antique cars and assorted tchotchkes on display


Ironic chicken with chef hat emblem on carpeting


Pete in heaven, looking at all the goodies


The famous White Fence Farm chicken

Happy birthday, dad!

My dad is 65 today. I took him out for lunch, and before that, while he was at my house, he planted the ginkgo trees we used for our wedding ceremony (in place of our unity candles). Spanky and Adora frolicked in the yard while he looked around at our trees (he's a certified arborist) and I watched from the kitchen window while washing dishes. It was such a happy afternoon, and I was glad I had the opportunity to spend time with him.

He feels weird about being 65, but has such a rosy outlook on life that he's able to get past it. His upbeat spirit has been rubbing off on me lately, which has been a very good thing. At lunch we commiserated about previous horrid jobs (mine newly ended) and how life is too short to be miserable for so long and for so little. We parted ways soon after lunch, but I'm sure we'll meet up again for another meal.

So happy birthday to the most laid back, kind, and interesting guy in the world!

Matt's birthday, and brownie cake—yum!

I stopped by my parents' house today on my way to a dermatologist appointment to say happy birthday to my brother, Matt. My mom had made a lovely (and quite gooey) brownie cake for him, so after my appointment I came back to celebrate with him and my dad, Shannon, and of course, Otto (my mom had to work and Pete was at home).


Matt and the lighting of the infamous number candles, this time a rather fresh and unused looking "24"


Dad looking eager


Shannon taking pix


Otto barking and drooling on my lap as we sing "Happy Birthday"

Yes, my mom just had a birthday on Tuesday, and my other brother Steve had a birthday on the 10th. And guess what? There's ANOTHER birthday coming up on Saturday! Guess who? (No, not me, I'm a Virgo.)

I guess you'll have to wait to find out this weekend, hee hee...