Kakuro, Pear Butter & an attitude

I have a dirty little secret. 
I am obsessed with Kakuro.  For those of you who don't know, Kakuro is somewhat similar to Soduku, in that it is a Japanese logic puzzle involving numbers.  However it is much more math based, involving what combinations of numbers can be filled into a grid in order to make a complete puzzle.  I do Kakuro puzzles every night before I fall asleep.  I recently picked up a copy of The Little Book of Bathroom Kakuro: 200 Original Cross-Sums Puzzles for Brain-Sharpening Entertainment.  Kakuro puzzles are SO addictive.  Last night I was up until nearly 1:00am working on these little gems.

There are several websites devoted to the art of Kakuro, however I am a purist who much prefers to work with a pencil.  And an eraser; a BIG eraser.  If you like logic problems and enjoy making your brain do mental gymnastics in your down time, I highly recommend Kakuro.  Just don't blame me if you don't get enough sleep!








Remember the other day when I shared with you the bountiful harvest of pears that Miss Jural shared with us?  Well the pears have been well & truly buttered! And wow, is it amazing!!!


I cannot fathom that I MADE THIS.  And it was SO easy!!! Of course, in true Angela fashion I have no measurements, but I think this would actually be hard to screw up.  












SLOW COOKER PEAR BUTTER


Ingredients: 
Enough Juicy Pears to fill your slow cooker, cut into 1" chunks, with skin on. (If your pears aren't juicy, mix them with sugar in your slow cooker and allow to sit at room temp for 8-12 hours to bring out the juice)


approx. 2 cups sugar


approx. 1 T. ground ginger


approx. 1 T. ground cinnamon


Cooking:
Mix all ingredients together.  Cook on Low for 12-18 hours.
Allow to cool (this may not be necessary, but it's how I did it)
Puree in food processor or blender.


Serve & swoon!




And finally, we reach the "attitude" portion of this blog post.  And of course, it is in respect to the boo.  Boo had a fair morning this morning.  Not great, not bad, just average.  

And then we went outside to wait for the bus.

And some little boy decided that listening to mom was overrated.


And it would be much more fun to run around in the wet grass like a maniac.




And then roll around in the grass.





And get soaked.



As the van was pulling up.


Ah yes, Mother-Of-The-Year Award, here I come!

Rescue mission peek & a recipe: Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie

 Yesterday I ventured to my local rescue mission.  I love this building.  It's in a old church.  The upstairs is devoted to clothing & soft goods as well as all the crafty supplies; the ground level has furniture, housewares, cleaning supplies & pretty much everything else.

My mission, at the mission, was to get some scrap towels for cleaning walls, baseboards, etc. in preparation for selling my house.  Sadly, the towel selection was lacking.  I did get a few small hand towels/dish towels.  But I scored major when it occurred to me that baby receiving blankets could also be used just as effectively for the job.  I brought them home for the approval of Paige, my housekeeper/moving consultant and she immediately declared them perfect for the purpose.  Yay!

I took a few quick photos as I was waiting at the checkout counter.  The first photo shows the "fine china".  Check out that Pfaltzgraff Brown Drip!  Hard to believe I used to have the better part of an entire set of that stuff.  It is apparently quite collectible.  I think I gave most of mine away because I thought it was ugly.  I'm pretty sure my former mother-in-law still has an entire collection.  In the second photo I just love the dozen bowling balls.  How fun!  Wouldn't they make an awesome display piece in a courtyard or patio.  I have no idea what you could do with a dozen bowling balls, but I would love to incorporate them into my decorating scheme somehow.  Loads of kitschy fifties fun.  Speaking of that, I think my "thing" is going to be flamingos.  My bestie collects ladybugs.  I've always wanted to collect something, but have never found the thing that felt right.  I've flirted with dolphins, elephants, frogs, pigs, and even dragonflies.  None of them has ever felt right.  I've stayed away from flamingos because in general I don't like birds.  But what's not to like?  I will continue to ponder the merits of flamingos as a collectible.  I know for sure it would be a fun bathroom theme.

 Dinner last night was a smashing success.  My parents were visiting from out of town.  I only see my parents a few times a year, so I wanted to impress them with my cooking while they were here.  Growing up my dad was quite the cook & I've taken after him.  He says that I have even surpassed him -- high praise indeed.  For dinner I took the leftover zucchini stew and added it to a mixture of fresh tomatoes that were sautéed with fresh garlic in olive oil, balsamic vinegar & a touch of white wine.  I mixed the whole thing in with farfalle pasta & shredded fresh parm.  It was amazing!

The dessert I made was an homage to my dad.  When I was a kid growing up we went to Maine most summers.  There my mom & I would pick blueberries every morning and then we would feast on Lobster & blueberry everything for two weeks.  It was heaven.  My dad used to make a dessert with blueberries and vanilla pudding.  I stole bits and pieces from his recipe and created this one.  It would be MUCH prettier if I had sprinkled some fresh blueberries on top.  Presentation fail.  But taste -- omg good!



BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE PIE
16 oz. whipped cream cheese, softened
8 oz. cool whip, thawed
1 can blueberry pie filling
1 large package instant french vanilla pudding
1 premade shortbread crust (you may substitute graham cracker crust)
In a large bowl mix softened cream cheese with blueberry pie filling.  Add package of dry pudding mix.  Mix thoroughly.  Gently fold in cool whip.  Pour into pie shell and chill 2-4 hours or until set.




 And finally, today's photos of the boo.

Boo was NOT interested in waking up this morning!

 I drug him out of bed about 10 minutes before his van arrived.  Threw him into his clothes.  I even put his shoes on while he was still laying in bed.

He of course refused to eat breakfast. 

Really, I don't blame him.

Finally, Mr. Claire arrived and he grumpily climbed into the van for another exciting day of Second Grade.


update:  I got an email from his teacher saying that despite his unhappy start to his day he was doing okay.  Of course, the fire drill 10 minutes after the start of the school day didn't improve his mood, but otherwise he seemed tolerant.  Yay!

Slow Cooker Zucchini Stew, Book Review & more...

Wow, did yesterday's zucchini madness turn out yummy!  Recipe as follows:

SLOW COOKER ZUCCHINI STEW

1 large zucchini, cut into 1" cubes (approx 3 cups)
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables (I used peas, carrots, green beans)
3/4 cup yellow onion, diced
1 cup tomato sauce
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup (or cream of something else for vegetarian version)
fresh herbs OR 1 T. Italian blend seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
optional: butter, Parmesan cheese

Add all ingredients to slow cooker.  Cook over low for 6-8 hours.
Serve with butter & cheese as desired.

I don't even like zucchini and I LOVED this stew!  Would have been perfect with some small pasta added too, although I didn't have any on hand.  Wait, I did have elbows; oh well.  Maybe I will cook up elbows and fry some ground beef and mix it with the stew for leftovers.  Yum!  This also would have been better with fresh tomatoes, but again, I didn't have any on hand.  I think I will pick some up today to mix in with tonight's dinner.

My parents will be here for dinner tonight, so it will be nice to have a "real" homemade meal.

I only see my parents two or 3 times a year, so they deserve to be spoiled when they are here visiting.

I finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo last night.  Stayed up past midnight reading.  I really enjoyed this book and I now understand what all of the 'buzz' was about.  I am looking forward to watching the movie & have moved it to the top of my Netflix queue, although I may watching it streaming.  I love the fact that I can watch loads of movies online via Netflix. 



I've also devised a plan where I watch the movie then give it to Sparky who can watch it while his is in Virginia & return it via post.  Then we can discuss either via Skype or when we are actually in the same room on the weekends.

So, onto the book review.  I am a fan of the mystery genre and this book satisfied my desire for a slightly intricate plot with a rich variety of characters.  While the subject matter was occasionally uncomfortable (violence perpetuated against women) the staging was never glamorized or sensationalized.  While it was certainly the underlying theme of the book, the writing didn't become distracted with the subject.  I craved to learn more of Lisbeth, the title character, and was initially annoyed with the complex back story; I wanted to get into the meat of the matter a bit more quickly than the author.  But the patience was worth it and ultimately I was satisfied when we got to the interaction between the two main characters.

The family tree at the beginning of the book was helpful, but I would have been much happier if there had been a map included.  I was constantly getting confused between the island and the mainland.  And I also feel that the author could have spent much less time explaining whose house was next to what and it would have been much easier for me to conceptualize throughout the story.

I have not decided if I will read The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest or not.  I will probably wait until I finish A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror.  But most likely I will finish the series.  And then be annoyed that it is over, as I usually am when a good series comes to it's conclusion.

Of course, is it better to have a series end on a high note or slowly fizzle out?  I have been disappointed with Janet Evonovich, Piers Anthony, Charlaine Harris and many others who have pushed their series well, well past the time when the characters should be put to pasture.

What is your opinion?

Finally, today's waiting for the bus photos.  Another beautiful, sunny morning in SouthCentral PA!

Summer Harvest

I am so lucky to have so many generous people in my life.  However, did you ever notice the MOST generous ones seem to be the ones who grow zucchini?  What is it about these plants?  Has there ever been a summer where people don't have too much zucchini?

 I was gifted with a bounty of green and yellow zucchini this weekend from my dear friend Jural.  Now I don't want to hurt Jural's feelings, but I'm not that big of a zucchini fan.  But she asked if I wanted Cantelopes -- Nope.  Squash -- Nope.  How could I also say no to zucchini?  Of course, the easy thing to do would be to make zucchini bread.  But I don't have an oven.  I know, it's tragic.  Especially for someone who loves to cook as much as I do.  I will be getting a new oven soon, but until then I live with a microwave, slow cooker and stovetop burners.

So I did some research on slow cooker recipes.  And then I did what any self-respecting gourmand does and just said, "I think I'll wing it!"

The crock pot contains one green zucchini (a really big one!), one large bag of frozen veggies, a chopped onion and tomato sauce.  I would have added tomatoes too, but I was out.  I also added a good bit of herbs & some salt.  I think I will make some rice or pasta to go with the veggies.  Not sure yet.  But it smells good so far!

 In addition to the zucchini Miss Jural also gifted us with a huge amount of pears.  I think I am going to maybe try to make pear butter tomorrow.  Not sure how it will go, but it can't be much different from apple butter, can it?  I know you can do that in the slow cooker.

 For now I am just enjoying eating the pears right out of the bowl.  And looking at them.  Aren't they gorgeous with the late summer afternoon sun streaming in on them?  It makes me happy!

 Speaking of things that make me happy, I hit a score at The Christmas Tree Shops last time I stopped in for a quick visit.  The summer (spring?) Waverly dishtowels were on sale $1 for a two pack. So I did some serious stocking up.

I was thinking of sewing them into some sort of small knitting project bag, but I really, really like them.  I did get four of each, but I might keep them all for my new kitchen at my new house.  I am leaning towards a red toile theme, but I am not sure yet.  Guess I have to wait until I actually find a new house before I plan how I am going to decorate the kitchen!  

All I know for certain is that it is NOT going to be apples -- 14 years of that theme is enough!

And finally, the boo's picture of the day.  This is NOT the same outfit he wore on the first day of school, although it is similar.  This one has a Buddhist statue sitting on top of a boom box.

Don't ask me -- medium picked it out for him!  

Also I've included a bit of a self portrait.  Can you see me in the doorway?  Can you see me clutching my coffee as if my very existence depends on it?  Yes, that is how I look in the morning!

We've got balls!

I am oven-less. It is truly depressing to be without an oven at Christmas time, but a new one isn't in the budget until January, so there you have it. Meanwhile I had to get my fix of holiday sweets taken care of some how, so this has been deemed the year of the no-bake dessert.

First up, we have Rum Balls. These can be made with bourbon, but I'm more of a rum girl.

4 c. sifted confectioner's sugar
3 c. finely crushed nilla wafers
3 c. finely crushed walnuts
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/3 c. corn syrup
1/3 c. rum
1/3 c. water
extra confectioner's sugar

Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly. Add the wet ingredients and stir. I use a rubber spatula to scoop up about teaspoon size balls of the yummy. I drop the ball into the powdered sugar and then roll it between my hands into a ball. Put the balls in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers and refrigerate. Makes about 60 rum balls.

SOOOOO simple and SOOOOOO good. The rum makes your tongue tingle a little but it's in such tiny amounts it can't hurt anyone. You would get sick from all the sugar before you got drunk.