Freda day!

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The "Melting Pot" of my youth

This recipe is one from my childhood, and is one from the old neighborhood.  Looking back, I guess I was blessed by living in a large city, with all the different ethnic foods available to me.  It certainly broadened my culinary appetites and skills!   But, right now, I'm glad I don't live in a big city anymore! (Way too much stress associated with that!)

Farmer Boy Italian Meatball Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground round steak
• 1/4 Cup of finely chopped onion
• 3 Tablespoons of seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 Tablespoon of Italian flat parsley
• 2 Tablespoons of grated Romano Cheese
• 1 - 2 Tablespoons of water
• pinch of salt & pepper
• 1 egg
• Pasta sauce (or, as the local Italian Americans called it, Gravy!)
• 1 yellow onion, sliced or chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
• Sliced Provolone cheese
• shredded Mozzarella cheese
• Hard Rolls or Hoagie Rolls

Directions: In a skillet, over medium heat, saute your Red Pepper and yellow onions; set aside.   In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, chopped onions, bread crumbs, parsley, Romano cheese, and salt & pepper; adding a little water as you go, for the right consistency.

With olive-oiled hands, form into balls, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

In a medium hot skillet, braise the meatballs all around.

Slice open the roll.  Place the roll on a sheet pan, ready to go into the broiler.

Place a slice of Provolone cheese on each open face of the rolls.  Place in a hot broiler, only long enough to melt the cheese.

Take out of the broiler.  Place your meat balls on top of the cheese, then smother them with the gravy, followed by the Red Peppers & sliced onions.   Top this with some shredded Mozzarella.  Place the sandwich back into the broiler to melt the cheese.  Serve warm.  Makes about 4 sandwiches.

Finisci di mangiare! (Eat up!)

If you like this sandwich recipe, please leave a comment here. Thanks. The Old Man in the Bib Overalls

Laura Ingalls Wilder on Mother's Day

The relationship that children share with their mother is unique, to say the least.  Laura's relationship with her mother was no exception.  They spent countless hours together as they lived together with the rest of the family on the prairies of America.

Later in life, after she lost her mother, Laura reflected on that relationship as she wrote these words:
"Reading a message from my mother, I am a child again and longing unutterable fills my heart for Mother's counsel, for the safe haven of her protection and the relief from responsibility which trusting in her judgment always gave me."

"When to realms of boundless peace, I am waiting to depart
Then my mother's song at twilight
Will make music in my heart.
"Hush, my babe, lie still and slumber;
Holy angels guard thy bed."
And I'll fall asleep so sweetly, Mother's blessings on my head."

Happy Mother's Day to all!

May you be blessed with sweet memories of your mother.  The Old Man in the Bib Overalls

As Freda thinks, May 10, 2013

If you like reading these thoughts of Freda, please leave a comment here. Thanks. The Old Man in the Bib Overalls

Christmas in May?

Laura Ingalls Wilder's book, "The Long Winter" was first published in 1940.  This was nearly 60 years from the time that the actual event took place.  It was October 13, 1880 when the first blizzard hit the town of De Smet, in the Dakota territory.  Laura was about 12 years old at the time.  Her sister, Mary, had been blind just over a year and a half. 

Laura's father, Charles Ingalls, had the family move into his store front building in town for convenience and safety from the approaching winter.  But, little did they know that the winter would be so snow-covered and last into the month of May!

As they experienced blizzard after blizzard, the snow piled up all around them.  They were literally trapped in that small town.  The railroad train, that had been their life-line, servicing them with food and necessities, was not able to get through.  Soon the whole town was suffering and near starvation! 

Laura, wrote about that ordeal close to 60 years later.  Obviously it was a tramatic experience!

If you haven't read the book, I suggest you put it on your reading list.  I won't go into too many details here; I don't want to spoil it for you.  But, the ending of the story tells of how the first train finally came through on May 8, 1881.  It was a supply train for the railroad, with only a limited amount of food.  But the next day the train that they were waiting for arrived.  In it was all the items, stuffed in a barrel, which they had purchased for their Christmas celebration.  Since they didn't have the items in December, they decided to hold off the celebration till the train arrived.  So, once the train was in, they planned a big celebration for the next day!

Can you imagine, going through such an ordeal?  I wonder what Mary thought, not being able to see how deep the snow had become!  It was probably a bit of a blessing for her though; being shut in together just after she became blind, caused the family to become even closer knit.  It came at a good time to encourage her.

Here, at Laura's "Sweet Memories", we celebrate "Christmas in May" every year out of remembrance of the Ingalls family experience.  This year the celebration will take place on this Friday & Saturday.  There will be a Christmas tree and special sales in the shop.  If you have the opportunity, I hope you'll stop in to join in the celebration!

Today, because of our weakened economy, we also have some hard times.  But, being a bit of an optomist, I'd rather keep trusting the Lord, as Laura and her family did back then. Laura wrote that they had their Christmas in May and ended up singing a new song, accompanied by Pa's fiddle, "Then what is the use of repining, For where there's a will, there's a way, And tomorrow the sun may be shining, Although it is cloudy today." And she concluded saying, "And as they sang, the fear and suffering of the long winter seemed to rise like a dark cloud and float away on the music. Spring had come. The sun was shining warm, the winds were soft, and the green grass growing."

Merry Christmas!   The Old Man in the Bib Overalls

Cinco de Mayo

Here we are again, celebrating the Mexican culture with a taditional recipe.  I'm not sure where or when I got this recipe.  I think it may have come from a fellow worker, way back when.  That fellow gave me a number of recipes that he brought with him from his homeland of Mexico.  His recipes may have reflected the town where he grew up and not neccessarily the whole country.  He said that most of the home cooking did not have really hot, spicy dishes.  This recipe is like that; but if you want to make it hotter, you can add more chili powder or crushed red pepper flakes.

Farmer Boy Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken (cut into 1/2 inch strips)
• Marinade made of: 2 Tablespoons of Lime Juice, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon of Mexican Oregano, 1 teaspoon of celery salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of crushed Red Pepper flakes
• 1 Red Bell Pepper & 1 Yellow Bell Pepper (seeded & cut into 1/4 inch strips)
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• a small bunch of Cilantro leaves, minced
• 1 Tablespoon of minced Garlic
• Flour Tortillas
• 1/2 Cup of shredded Mexican Cheeses

Directions: Marinate the chicken in a bowl, placed in the refrigerator, for at least a half hour. (You may wish to sear the marinated chicken on a grill, to give it some extra flavor and those nice looking grill marks.)

Then, in a sauce pan, over medium heat, saute the meat in the oil, along with the onions and peppers, till they are limp and cooked through. (About 5 minutes)  Combine all this, with the Cilantro leaves, garlic, and shredded cheeses and place into the middle of a flour tortilla.  Roll the tortilla up.  Serve each, topped with a dollop of sour cream.  Side dishes of Black Beans, Salsa, Spanish Rice, and Guacamole with Tortilla chips make for a great meal!*  (If you wish, you may also toss the tortilla in the oil for a few seconds to saute it a little, before filling it.)  You should be able to make about 4 servings with this recipe, depending on how much you stuff into each tortilla, and what size torilla you use. 

*Hint: if you are going to make this whole meal, as suggested, you'll want to prepare the side dishes in advance to the fajitas.  It is easier and better tasting to keep those warm, rather than try to keep the fajitas warm while preparing the sides.

I hope you enjoy this meal on Cinco de Mayo!  If you make this recipe, please leave a comment here. Thanks. The Old Man in the Bib Overalls

Freda Friday

If you enjoy Freda's Thoughts, please leave a comment here. Thanks. The Old Man in the Bib Overalls

Spinach/Artichoke Hummus Grilled Cheese

Okay, so how does "The Old Man in the Bib Overalls" come up with a sandwich recipe like this?  That's a long story!  Here is the shortened version: My grandmother (on my mother's side), had a second marriage after having my mother.  The fellow she married was of unspecified ethnic origin.  He would never admit to any in particular, but what I could weasel out of the family was that he might have family in Turkey.

Now the second part of this story covers the fact that at one time he had a diner somewhere.  All this took place before I came on the scene, so details are all sketchy!

Growing up I had the opportunity to visit my Grandparent's home in another state a few times, during summer vacation times.  Grandpa always did the cooking (once a chef, always a chef, I guess!).  I always enjoyed the meals that he served.  Had I been older and wiser, I would have asked for his recipes!  As a result of all of this, I only have a few of his recipes, which were passed on to me through others in the family.

This is one of those. I have no idea if it was his invention or one of many recipes he collected and used while cooking in his diner.  But, with the use of Hummus, it seems likely that it was something that he might have had from his family.

Farmer Boy Spinach/Artichoke Hummus Grilled Cheese

Ingredients: (This makes enough Hummus for a number of sandwiches or for use in other dishes)

• 1 lb. of Chick Peas, soaked and prepared (or use canned, drained)
• 4 Cups of fresh Spinach, finely chopped, then gently cooked
• 1/2 Cup of Artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon of Red Bell Pepper, finely diced
• 2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
• 1/4 teaspoon of Sesame Paste (Tahini)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 2 - 4 Tablespoons of sharp Cheddar Cheese spread, or use shredded cheese (for each sandwich)
• 2 Slices of bread (any variety)
• melted butter

Directions: To prepare the Hummus: use a food processor.  Simply process the cooked peas.  Add the chopped spinach, artichokes, and peppers, along with the juice, garlic, oil and Tahini. (You can save the Hummus in a sealed container in the refrigerator to use in other dishes, if you'd like.)

Sandwich assembly: Lay out 2 slices of bread (I prefer using whole wheat bread), and spread both with cheese.  Next, place 2 - 4 Tablespoons of the Hummus on one of the slices of bread. Combine both slices to make a sandwich. Brush melted butter on top.  Place the sandwich onto a medium hot griddle or skillet.  Cook till lightly browned.  Brush the top with more butter and turn over to brown the other side.  Serve warm.

This is good served with a side of rice pilaf, made with raisins and nuts!  And a glass of apple juice, tops it off good too!

I occasionally  think back upon those times spent with my grandfather.  I remember how many schemes and dreams he talked about, that he either attempted or wanted to attempt in his lifetime.  Most of them were spurred on by his selfish ambitions.  And those were mostly unfulfilled or unsuccessful!  But I do believe it was his example of entreprneurship that most encouraged me to pursue my dreams.  But, being led by my relationship with the Lord, was what gave me the focus and not give in to selfish ambitions.

"Those who stop dreaming never accomplish anything."

"If we would not be satisfied until we had passed a share of happiness on to other people, what a world we could make!"  Laura Ingalls Wilder

I hope you'll try out this great recipe!  If you do, please come back here and leave a comment about it. Thanks.    And, if you wouldn't mind, share this blog site with some other folks too!

The Old Man in the Bib Overalls

Good dog, Jack!

Today we celebrate "Bulldogs are Beautiful Day"!

Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote, in her books, about the family dog, named Jack.  Jack was a Brindle Bulldog.  He was the family dog as long as Laura could remember.  She felt very close to Jack.  He protected her family and was a good, loyal companion, especially to her.  He walked under their covered wagon, mile after mile, as they moved from one place to another.  Laura wrote a story about the end of Jack's life, in "By the Shores of Silver Lake".  According to the story, Laura was leaving on a train and had to say goodbye to Jack.  She spent the afternoon caring for him and telling him, "Good dog, Jack."  It was to be the last time she would see him.  This was a very sad time for her and all her readers, as they followed along with this story!  In Jack's honor I am posting this recipe during "Grilled Cheese Month".

Farmer Boy "Good dog, Jack"

Ingredients: (for each sandwich)

• 1 large hot dog, cooked and split to fit the bread
• 2 slices of bread
• 2 slices of Pepper Jack Cheese
• melted butter

Directions: Place one slice of cheese on a slice of bread. Place the split hot dog on top of that.  Cover with the other slice of cheese and then the other slice of bread.  Brush the top with melted butter.  Place the sandwich upside down on a griddle or skillet, over medium heat.  As it cooks, brush the top with butter.  When lightly browned, turn it over and cook the second side.  Serve warm.

If you make this and enjoy it, please leave a comment here. Thanks.

The Old Man in the Bib Overalls

Freda's Friday



If you enjoy Freda's thoughts, please leave a comment here. Thanks. The Old Man in the Bib Overalls