Happy New Year !

Vintage Graphic
from the
Library of Congress Digital Archives

We wish each of you a wonderful 2010.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I did not find the Prize Egg.

Or the golden egg.

I did find these eggs.

Or pieces of eggs.

I kept finding these in the Kudzu Jungle when we were trying to clean all the brush away.

As kids, we had to find all the eggs. There was no stopping the hunt until each and every egg was found.

I hope each of you had a wonderful Easter.

Luck-n-Money

Heaven knows we need them both.

Re:Cap New Years Day 2009

Here at ThirteenEleven, we need all the luck and folding money we can get. Thus, I drug my bright eyed self out of bed after getting home at.....cough....3:30 and washed the collard greens. (Remember the husband is a drummer in a band that had a gig New Years Eve.)



We had greens last year. Meaning....we should have had plenty of folding money if you are one to believe all the folklore. Maybe it was the poor economy in 2008, or maybe we did not eat enough greens, but folding money was short in 2008. Or maybe...it really, actually had absolutely nothing to do with the greens. Just in case.... I made myself get up to cook the greens. The consequences of not having the greens would keep me up at night.


Actually....with the state of the economy....why wasn't everyone eating greens? Where were the public service announcements blipping below the Rose Bowl parade reminding citizens, "Help the Economy....Eat your Greens." Instead of bailouts for the big three....send them turnip greens. When the banks come knocking at the federal door, cup in hand, fill it with collards. Worth a try? Maybe?


I digress...


We also had peas. Black Eye peas. For luck and/or pocket change. Some insist on dried peas. Me, I normally have plenty of formerly farm fresh peas in the freezer. I use those.





And for all the Pot-likker both of these dishes produce, I made cornbread. Cornbread for sopping up all the delicious juice. We also had pork roast, baked sweet potatoes, and corn.

I then took a nap during a football game.

____________________________________________

Do you have any New Years Day traditions? Things you feel like you just gotta do, or the whole year might be unlucky. Any special foods you eat?

Or maybe things NOT to do on the new year. Things like....Not washing clothes on New Years Day or you will have bad luck. ( I did not wash, and would NOT allow Chris to wash.)


Best of Luck to you in 2009.

Thank You Santa.

This year I ask Santa for 3 things......
and I GOT 'EM !

The first thing on my list was a stainless steel table to serve as a small island in the kitchen. I put it together yesterday when I was suppose to be cleaning house. It can be used with out the wheels or with...... and the wheels have little locks on them. I love the wheels and once we ever have company over and make use of the deck. The table can be rolled right on outside to the deck as a serving prep area near the grill.

But..........The wheels make the table really high. The box said 39". My tape measure says 41".

The standard kitchen counter is 36". The good thing about the height is Chris and I are both tall, and as Chris said....."The turkey would be out of Puppy's reach." (If we ever cooked turkey and all.)

My plan is to leave the wheels on a while. See how I like it. The box came with stationary self-leveling feet as well, so if I decide I don't like it I can bring it back down to a normal height with the self leveling feet.

Next.....

The fancy-dancy micro-plane grater thingy is the other item I ask Santa for. I know it can be used for 10,000 things, however I wanted it for ZEST.

I LOVE ZEST.

Making zest with the ol' normal small grater is not very fun, actually it is a pain, a chore, a task that I always dread even if I do LOVE ZEST.

Oh.....Those cookies......

They are Ginger Snaps.

I made them with my Aunt's Recipe using the Brer Rabbit Black Strap Molasses. On Christmas Eve we baked cookies and candy and more cookies and more candy. Maybe since I do not have the recipe she will post it in the comments. (Hint...You may have to beg.)

I thought the photo of the Molasses came out very weird-ish on the new table. The bunny (Brer Rabbit) was so cute on the packaging, I had to share. (By the way....If you have never used black strap molasses...it is darker than normal molasses and has the look and feel of old used motor oil. )

Also notice in the reflection.....um.....someone needs to put up door casings. I have them sanded painted and primed stacked up in the middle bedroom. We do not have the plinth blocks. I need to carry my sample to Atlanta one day to find them and buy them. ( I need 8) The only place in town that has them orders them from the source I always used in Atlanta. So, I just need to drop by there one day and eliminate the middle man. Oh and all you Georgia house bloggers, If you have never been to Randall Brothers...you must go.

Are you wondering what I am going to make first with the zester?

Cranberry Orange Scones using Marilyn's recipe for making scones.

I will replace the chocolate chips with cranberries. I made these before and I cann't find the picture to share with you.

Speaking of Marilyn...Make sure you go vote for her blog. Simmer Til Done was nominated for an Apartment Therapy Homie Award for the Best Home Cooking Blog of 2008. I am not sure where the link to vote is....Maybe someone can help in the comments.

I will also use this pastry scraper thingie that Santa wrapped and placed under the tree when I make the scones.

Santa also dropped down the chimney a pretty red bracelet, some PJ's, a shirt, a sweater, a mini-vac, a hand made candle holder, and several other nice things that I seem to be forgetting at the moment. Thanks Santa.

Gathering Greens...

A couple of weeks ago, I went out on an searching for some evergreen foliage to fill the old containers on the front porch.

One good think about living in an old house is all the old plants that someone else planted.

A good thing about living in the south is the Magnolia.

One good thing about winter is Dead Kudzu.

The vibrant red holly berries are oh so "Christmas."

And the coppery seed pods from the Golden Rain Tree are just so interesting.

The evergreen above the seed pod has these rose type pine cones. I collected those too.

Fragrant Cedar. With the little blue berries.

Boxwood.

Some sticks that I painted red. ( Back in the Summer)

I found the gloves, my husband gave me. ( he is romantic like that)

I just had to show you the coppery underside of the magnolia leaf. LOVE IT.

And I stuck them all in the old containers by the front door.

Nothing fancy. Nothing stuffy.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Lights. Camera. Action.

Feeling a bit of peer pressure from the neighbors I did put out some lights this year. ( We decided not to put up a tree. )

However being the person I am I just couldn't use white lights like everyone else, so I used green.

Not totally happy with the use of all green. It is just OK. I think I will shop some of the sales after Christmas for the multi color lights, maybe even the solar powered lights.

The day after I "lit" the trees, Chris pulled out the garden hose that I had neatly curled away at the side of the house. Somehow ...he got the garden hose tangled with the cord of the Christmas lights and pulled one of the little trees his mom gave us out of the ground. There is always drama around here. Thank goodness all survived; the tree, the lights, the hose and Chris.

Turkey, Pie, Fun, and Family

Lipstick was applied....

Barbie was styled in a vintage 70's sundress ....

Leaves were stomped...

Turkey giblets were removed.........

Hair was combed.......

Games were played......

and played......



The Turkey was sliced.....

The cranberry sauce too....



and lets not forget about the pies.....


We had a great whirlwind visit to Mississippi and back to visit my sister and her family.

Meaning......she did all the cooking..... Thanks Sis....we had a great time.

Candy Corn....

This waxy golden yellow, tangerine orange, white tipped triangular treat.......well......
It is not my calorie of choice, but.......every once in a while, like this time a year I just need a nibble of two of this seasonal flavor. Then that craving is over until next year.....




Am I the only one who has to eat each kernel like this?



Then this?





For as long as I remember eating candy corn...That is how I have had each kernel.



In other news..........

I couldn't post about Candy Corn with out sharing the packaging label. Would it be so bad to pay $3.00 for this package of Candy corn instead of the $1.50 if all of the Brach's Candy Corn manufacturing jobs were still in this country? I usually choose not to buy when I see something like this.....but I did not see it until I got home and had the package open.

Full Moons and Black Cats....

The full Harvest Moon from a couple of weeks ago lit up the Kudzu Jungle.

Which was about the same time our little house guest appeared for the first time on the front porch.

He/She now visits often.

Those amber eyes are about the same color as that Harvest Moon.......hummmmmm.....

Happy 4th !!

There will be a parade today with festivities focused around town square.
Quite fitting since there is a statue of this early French ally standing in the middle of town.

Major General Marquis de Lafayette.

or otherwise known as

Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roche Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette

his given name.



You can read more here.

Have a save and wonderful long holiday weekend.
(and Yes, they dyed the water tidy bowl blue????)

Take a Time Out..

From your painting, sawing, and BBQ-ing...

And remember the purpose of Memorial Day...

I do not know the identity of these men, or if they made it home or not. I think the men background of the first picture knew my grandfather because of the way they are looking into the camera. The second picture I think are of some of my grandmother's brother's friends. Her brothers were sailors.

Post no. Fifty

5-0 Wow that's a lot of picture looking and reading on what's been going on at ThirteenEleven.

Today was a nutty day at the house......

Take a look

I picked up a sack of pecans quite quickly this afternoon while I was out with Puppy. Now which box is the nut cracker in ?????

I have a busy day tomorrow with a trip to the big City so I hope ya'll have a HaPPy HaLLowEEN.

Yeah,The other pumpkin died over a week ago....but that big box retailer that I refer to as China Mart had pumpkins for $1.98 today. Wonder if that orange color is really lead paint???