Week 4 Thursday (1/30/14)

Happy Birthday to Me!  Today I turned a whopping 58 years old.  I have to say that birthdays don't really mean a lot to me anymore.  I guess it is because it's all about how I feel - not  how old I am.  I am raising a Diet Coke to me!

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:  Swiss Sliders with Spicy Fry Sauce

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From my Frontier

                           Pages 100-103      Copyright:  2012  Harper Collins

I figured out that there are 480 calories per serving, if 12 servings are made. (Please note that the calorie counts vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients that you choose to use.)

         Whoa Baby, these mini burgers are amazing! The sliders have such a fabulous flavor that they would be perfect on a buffet table, or created bigger as a burger for dinner. Who would think to add heavy cream to beef??  As far as I know - only Ree.  She has the secret to making something that melts in your mouth, has a little zing and leaves you longing for more. The sauce is so easy to make and adds so much to the taste. I actually made a container of it and kept it in the refrigerator as a condiment for other meals.  Have you bought Food From My Frontier yet?  How many fabulous recipes do I need to show you before you buy this amazing cookbook???  I have already purchased 18 of them for friends and family and you need one, too.

There are days when I hate my photographer abilities or lack thereof.
These are so wonderful that you deserve a real photographer.

         I am changing my tastes so quickly that I think I am in shock.  My body does not know how to adjust and deal with this rich, filling, and decadent food. I now love spicy food.  I have always hated the food that made me panic and reach for the cold glass of water, but Ree is exposing me to so many new flavors and tastes that I can’t believe I am experiencing so many new things. This is so not the Dr. Rebecca Scent that is known as the horrible picky eater! I vowed to try everything I could, and am, holding to a vow I made to a woman I have never even met.  My admiration for Ree grows daily and I look to her as my absentee mentor.  Too bad she doesn't even know about me.

Today’s critics: 

         
         Nicole Serpico:  “The sliders were juicy and good.  I loved the sauce.”

         Brandy – “Loved, loved loved them. Why don't I make sliders more often?? The chipotle sauce, grilled onions, and cheese were great! I really, really enjoyed them!”

Random Reflections

         I am really not a tree person.  I have perennial flowers all throughout my yard but only one tree (except the city’s trees in the parkway).  This beautiful tree is an Autumn Blaze Pear.  It has beautiful color throughout the year.  In the spring it is white, while in the summer it is green. In the fall, it turns a breathtaking red.  It stands guard over my pond by my front door. This is not a messy tree as are other fruit trees. The pears are so small that the birds devour almost all of them. If you are interested in buying a new tree – consider buying an Autumn Blaze Pear.  You won’t be sorry!

The spring beauty!

Turning from summer green to fall red.

Bold, red, and beautiful in the fall.

Irksome Ideas and Images

         Kirk Rd. has always been referred to as “Killer Kirk.”  Now this is not a comforting thought for someone who drives down it every day on her way to work. I believe it got its name because even though Kirk is a busy highway, some genius put curbs on the sides like in a city.  The problems occur when someone hits the curb at a high rate of speed and literally ricochets off and into the other cars thus causing deaths.

         My thought yesterday as I was driving down this road, was a memory of a change in attitude.  Sept. 11^th shook up Americans pretty badly.  The greatest change I witnessed at the time was on Kirk Road. People actually began being thoughtful.  No one was weaving in and out and people actually let someone in a lane without a single selfish thought.  For quite a while, Kirk Rd. was a pleasure to drive down on my way to work.

         Unfortunately, we have short memories and now Kirk has returned to its pre-Sept. 11^th status.  Do we really need a crisis to remind us to be thoughtful of others and put ourselves second?  I would prefer that we all just do a little something nice for a fellow driver.  How hard could that be?