Vicki Lane's Blog, page 512

First Snow

Here it is . . . the first snow.
I blame those of you who've been putting up your Christmas trees already . . .
But I did toss out my decorative gourds and mini-pumpkins Tuesday morning. And then the sleet and rain turned to snow which meant . . . Time to take off the shoes and socks and walk in the first snow -- an old Appalachian charm to to ensure health in the coming year. 
Willa just wanted to eat it.

After Degas

After Autumn's grand ballet,A final flower lingers on the stage ... Her faded finery flutters . . .Pas de valse . . .  en l' air. . . adage . . .

Unconsidered Trifles

What Happens on the Bus ... Stays on the Bus

 Imagining voices of the past echoing through the abandoned school bus . . .  You sit here, Crissie, next to Tanya;  she's in Miz Roberts's first grade class too. No, I ain't gonna sit with you; I got my own friends . . .  Wonder will tomorrow be a snow day? . . .  Debbie told me Travis likes you . . .  Mack, Shane threw my shoes out the window! . . . 

We was up late last night handing baccer . . . I'm like to yawn my head off . . .It don't matter; you can sleep through Math like you always do -- I'm gonna sleep through Math . . .  That ol Shane he thinks he's something, him and them fancy shoes with the little lights on them. . . Loookit them big kids in the back-- he's got his hand up her shirt . . . You uns goin to the Christmas party?. . . 

This old bus stinks . . .  That's the third time this month it broke down  . . .  Mack says he reckons some of them transplanted hippies'll buy it . . . 

Far out!  The Big Blue Dream Machine . . .There's room in here for all of us --  put some bunks back there, leave the seats up here. . . Rainbow's got a trust fund -- she'll pay for new tires and Denver and George say they can get it running again . . . Fire up that doobie . . .So, San Francisco? Mexico? Canada . . .


No, the church bought it from some of those hippies that were living up in that old chicken house on the Brynum place. Those dudes spent most of a year trying to get it running and finally gave up -- most of them had moved on anyway and the feller that held the title was happy to get shed of it.  Travis got it going with no trouble all except the heater. We're taking the youth group to Carowinds this Saturday and cold as it is, we told 'em to bring blankets so 's they don't freeze . . .

Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer . . . Donnie's mother says we hadn't ought to be singing about no beer . . . She ought to have seen Donnie last week at the campout.  . . .  Amazing grace, how sweet the sound . . . I thought Tanya was one of them took that Wait Till Marriage pledge . . . And I thought she said she'd broke up with Shane . . . Look there in the back, under that blanket . . . 

Cheese Biscuit Recipe

Kath asked for this recipe ( my grandmother's.) Cheese biscuits were a popular Southern staple at parties when I was growing up back in the Fifties. They're really shortbread, not biscuits in the American sense of the word. These little bites are terrific served hot as an accompaniment to Bloody Marys. Ba's Cheese Biscuits
1 small glass Olde English Cheese (I don't know if this is still around. You could substitute 8 ounces of any sharp, spreadable cheese. I used Kaukauna  Port wine flavored spreadable cheddar. )1 stick butter (1/4 pound)1 cup flour (may add more if needed)½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper
Cream cheese and butter together. Add flour, salt, and cayenne and mix thoroughly. Make two long rolls, as for ice box cookies. Refrigerate overnight or till well chilled.
Slice and place on cookie sheet. You may top each slice with a pecan half, if you like.
Bake about 10 minutes at 400 or 450. Bottoms should brown. Cool on wire rack; store in air-tight tin. If they lose their crispness, reheat for a few minutes.

Notes from Thanksgiving Night

  1. I took one picture early on and then things got away from me. 
2. There was an immense amount of food -- but we really like this kind of leftovers.  3. Plus, we have friends coming Saturday for turkey sandwiches.
4. People outnumbered dogs -- seven to six.
5. Willa made sure to sit in every available lap.
6. The cats were put outside to avoid an Incident.
7. There is such a thing as too much andouille sausage in the dressing.
8. It's kind of cool to have the kind of friends who, during the break between dinner and dessert, take their truck down to the pasture to get a load of composted manure to take home.
9. 7:30 seems early to go to bed... but by the time I bathe it'll be 8, which is only an hour from 9 ... and it's either that or lapse into a tryptophan coma on the sofa.
10. Goodnight, my blog friends -- I'm thankful for the way you all have enlarged my world!

 

A Thanksgiving Wish

Thanksgiving Help (?)

What?
I was just looking. . . 

Justin's Smoked Pepper Hot Sauce

First wash a whole lot of jalapenos and habaneros . . . Wearing rubber gloves (or you'll be sorry), seed and de-rib them then smoke them till they're soft and roasted. (Justin and John used cherry wood but hickory or mesquite would work.) Whir up the smoked peppers in a blender or a food processor with just enough cider vinegar to make the mixture pourable.
Justin made about three gallons of this wonderful stuff and he brought us a half gallon. We decanted some into a soy sauce bottle, saved for the purpose. This will be kept in the refrigerator. The rest I put into zip bags to freeze for later use.

The flavor is smoky and intensely peppery and it is Hot. I like it in scrambled eggs, with ramen, and about anywhere I might use hot sauce.  I'm tempted to add it to the Thanksgiving gravy . . .

Wet Day

The view didn't change all day -- dark and misty with intermittent rain . . .

Though it wasn't cold (see the open windows,) it was a day to be thankful for shelter . . .
And rawhide chew-bones . . .