Ode to a Dear Friend

My dear little kitty of 13 years passed away in November 2008 from cancer. All last summer I looked around for just the right think to remember her by. At the end of the season I found this adorable statuary with a kitty looking through spy glasses with a little birdie sitting on top. I waited until winter was over to set up my memorial.

Spookie just loved to sit and watch the birds. In fact that is why I started feeding them, to draw the birds closer so she could watch them from the patio doors. I can not help but look out into my garden and smile.

Yard Work has Begun

Dear Bloggers -- I am so excited to be back working on my blog. As Oprah would say...here we go.

I am in my glory now that I am able to start working in my gardens. I've been able to get out a few days during the last couple of weeks. We have had such rain during the spring, our yard was flooded. We have a good layer of clay just under the grass which causes water to stand and not drain off easily. We joke that Lake Palczewski appear off and on in our back yard under the crab apple tree. But for now it's dried out and I can get to work. We still are experiencing frost, so I am not able to start planting - but there is plenty of other work to be done.

In the back corner under the shelter of a pine tree and clumps of bushes of the yard there has been an area where it appears the past owners and to some extend us too have dumped branches and extra grass clippings over the years. It has really become an eye sore. I found out I had a lilac bush back there last year after it was done blooming. So all winter I have been spying that brush pile from my kitchen window, plotting my plan of attack. I've been able to clean out most of the tree branches. The smaller ones, I've filled up my yard waste container (actually I've filled it twice), and the larger branches we going to run through a chipper to make them into mulch. There is a thick layer of rich soil from all the grass clippings I will spread around my various gardens.

My herb garden did not fair well over the winter. I've lost all my lavender. But I have to say the mint has done very well...in fact it is trying hard to take over the entire garden -- I need to start pulling up some shoots very quickly (I worked on it some today...but there is much more to pull). Now to find a use for all this mint....hmmmm...I think I am seeing some Mojitos in my near future. Watch for recipes.

Now I need to find the extra strength Tylenol to work on these sore muscles.

Happy garening everyone!

The Spring Garden In Bloom

Enjoying a Meatless Favorite

We are right in the middle of Lent, and so on our menu this time of year includes meatless dishes. One of my most favorite meatless meals is Potato Pancakes. They are absolutely terrific - and we actually eat them not only during Lent - but all year long! My friend Ann taught me how to make them about 15 years ago. I've changed the recipe a little by adding more spices, onions and garlic to the mix. They are also great as a side dish to meat and a toss salad. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Potato Pancakes

4-5 potatoes - shredded - I leave the skins on, but if that freaks you out - go ahead and peel them.
1 onion - shredded (I run the onion through my food processor along with the potatoes)
1 egg - beaten
2-3 gloves of garlic minced
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg

Mix all together. Drop by spoon full into hot frying pan with oil. Flatten slightly. Fry until both sides are golden brown - this takes about 5-7 minutes depending on how hot you have your oil and how thick the pancake is. When done, move the pancake to a paper towel lined plate, sprinkle with a little more salt.

I like them with a dollop of sour cream, Bill adds ketchup instead. I've also heard of some adding applesauce - which would be great if you were serving them with a pork dish.

Enjoy!

Saturday with the Girls

We had a Saturday with the girls here in the Palczewski home, I hosted a Tupperware party on Saturday afternoon...about 10 ladies attended and we had a blast. Bill took off for the afternoon - not sure why he did not want to hang around with a house full of women...lol...or as he calls it...my hen party.

I tried my hand a pudding shots...I got the idea from my sister-in-law Kristin when she posted that she was making them for the Ohio State/U of M party last fall. I mixed 2 large chocolate pudding and French Vanilla Kahlua...the 2 puddings together called for 6 cups of milk, so I mixed 2 cups of Kahlua and 4 cups of milk -- they turned out a little soft (but tasty) -- so the next time I make them I think I will back off one of the cups of milk.

For a sweet treat I make these wonderful individual cheese cakes. I've had the recipe for I bet 20 years - always a crowd pleaser.

Cream Cheese Cakes
1 - 8 oz. soften cream cheese
6 Tablespoons sugar
1 egg

Cream together cheese, sugar and egg.

Put a vanilla wafer in the bottom of a cup cake pan - lined with cup cake papers. Spoon the cream cheese mixture in to cover the cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. When cooled, spoon a bit of fruit pie filling (I like to use cherry - and put 2 cherries per cake) on top.

Will make 12 cakes.

Enjoy!

Signs of Spring

Dear Blog Friends -

Sorry I have not posted in a while -- my new job is taking up a lot of my focus...lol. I come home just beat.

Well, I have good news...my tulips and daffodils are popping their heads up out of the cold earth. I noticed them as the snow has begun to melt away over the weekend. We have been experiencing some warmer weather...well, warmer by Michigan standards and a ton of sunshine. I swear every one's mood has lifted 100% from just a couple of weeks ago.

It will soon be possible for me to begin working in the yard! It's way too soft right now, plus we still have snow in the back yard. Bill is going to shovel off the deck so we can grill on Tuesday - it's forcasted to be over 55 degrees. Rain is schedule for the last part of the week - that should finish up the snow...until next week when it's forcasted to snows again...uggg.

Sides for the Porkchops

When I was typing up my pork chops recipe...I thought I should share with you the sides that I mentioned at the end:

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2 Sweet potatoes, cubed
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and seasoning. Transfer to a cookie sheet and spread out in a single layer. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring the potatoes about halve way.

Variation: I sometimes like to add garlic to the sweet potatoes as I mix them with the oil and seasoning. Another variation would be to also mix in regular potatoes - I like to use the fingerling potatoes or the gem potatoes - keep the cooking time the same.


Green Beans with Almonds

1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoon butter
1/4 sliced almonds

Steam the beans for 10 - 15 minutes (until tender, but still crispy). Melt butter in a skillet, add steamed beans and almonds - stir until beans begin to brown.

For a variation: you can also add onions to the butter, cook until translucent then add the beans and almonds.

Enjoy!!

My Secret Pork Chops

I can not believe we are almost to the end of February. Where has time flown to? Spring should be here any minute now...right? Yep....any minute....lol.

I have a few recipes that I have developed over time, and I've been wanting to share with you my secret pork chop recipe (which after I publish this...I guess I will need to changed that name...lol). I've made these juice chops for lots of company and everyone loves them. They are dressy enough for company, but easy enough for a family dinner.

Theresa's Honey Mustard Pork Chops (much better name....lol)

4 - thick cut (bone-in) pork chops

Honey/Mustard Mixture:

Mix together
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup stone-ground mustard.
If it's too thick, add a drop or two of water.

Breading:

Mix together
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 Tablespoons Bisquick
1/4 cup of chopped pecans
2 Tablespoons of parsley flakes
1 teaspoon of paprika (I like to use the smoked paprika - if you have the regular that will work too.)
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Dip pork chops in the honey/mustard (both sides) then into the breading. Being careful to maintain the breading, brown the chops on top of the stove in 2 tablespoons of butter (both sides). Transfer chops to a baking dish, cover. Place in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour - or until the internal temp of the chops is at 160 degrees. Remove from oven and allow the chops to sit for 10 - 15 minutes.

Transfer to your serving platter, try to not disturb breading.

Enjoy!

I like to serve these with oven roasted yams/sweet potatoes and fresh green beans.

Hope SPRINGS Eternal

We are in the middle of a snow storm...and what arrives today but my 2010 Burpee Seed Catalog! It just warmed my heart! :-)

I thought...what a perfect time to begin planning for my summer garden. I am so looking forward to having my hands in the dirt again. It is so exciting! It is so hard to explain in words how connected I feel when I am out in my garden.

For my vegetable garden I am planning on expanding the garden. We will be adding a large raised bed in the front and the back of the garden. I want to install a better fence with a gate so I do not have to crawl over it again (it was a little tall for me). I have two couple of cute items to put as decoration that I received as gifts for my birthday last year.

Now...what to plant.....

Definitely tomatoes, green beans (I think I am going to do both bush beans and pole beans), peppers (I like big green bell peppers - but I think I am going to try a few others so I can make salsa), onions, squash (both summer and winter), beets, cabbage, and egg plant. I think I will add some sunflowers too. I am going to skip the corn - it was so disappointing last year - they came up and looked great - but never developed full ears.

Girls Night Experienced

Oh what fun we had. My stew turned out great! I added a green salad (so we had some vegetable) and noodles. I was so surprised how easy proving a French dinner was - Julia's book provides fantastic step by step directions. I am looking forward to trying another recipe soon!

The one thing I did not thinks about is bread -- how could I not have thought of adding French Bread! I added it to my note so when I cook this meal again - I will not forget. My very best friend Vanessa gave me for Christmas a cooking journal so I can make notes from special dinners that I cook and host for family and friends...how fun!

We all laughed and enjoyed the movie too! Julie and Julia was definitely a hit in our home!