Debbie Delozier :: A Casual Affair

While, officially, the term “Dog Days of Summer” refers to the period between July 3 and August 11 when the “dog star”, Sirius, rises and sets with the sun, we normally associate it with the hottest stretch of summer, when it seems unbearably hot and extra sultry.  But, here we are staring headlong into September and the approaching season of Autumn and we haven’t had to deal with many of those long, sizzling and steamy days.

Fortunate we have been to have, instead, days of cooler weather and refreshing rains.  My garden has loved the thirst-quenching rains and the still existing pepper and tomato plants are a lush, beautiful green and full of large green fruits (er, vegetables).  The downside of this cooler weather and these life-giving rains:  we haven’t had enough of the sunny, hot, hot weather to turn the green tomatoes and green bells a nice delicious, ripe, red color.

I’m sure cool summers such as this one have existed in Oklahoma’s past and that is the reason many prairie wives came up with dishes such as fried green tomatoes and green tomato relish.  I may be heading into the kitchen to whip up a few batches of these green tomato dishes myself as it doesn’t look like things are going to be changing anytime soon.

They are not, however, on today’s menu because today I’m baking up a batch of Kati’s favorite White Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies and a pan full of her fav’ Taco Past Shells as she is headed home for her first weekend since the 12 of August.  Can you tell, I’m just a wee bit excited?

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As requested; this is the recipe for Cherry Almond Mousse Pie.  As I’m a semi-homemade type of woman, the mousse is a semi-homemade type of mousse and not the traditional mousse in which you whip the egg whites, cook the egg yolks, etc., etc., etc..

We start with a baked pie crust.  If you want your mousse layer thick like mine you’ll want to use a smaller pie pan instead of a 9″ pan.  I used a Marie Callander’s pie pan that I had under the cabinet.  Yes, I’ve purchased Marie Callander pies, who can resist them, especially when they have their $5 pie sale (or is that $5.95 now?).

You will then need:

1 (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
¼ tsp almond extract
Begin by taking 1/2 a cup of the condensed milk and heating it in a small saucepan over low heat.  Add the unsweetened chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is thickened.  Remove your pan from the heat and add the almond extract.  Pour this chocolate into the baked pie crust.

Next we’ll need:

1 – 10 oz jar Maraschino cherries
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Reserving 8 or so cherries to garnish the top of the pie, chop the rest and set aside.

Next you’ll want to toast your sliced almonds;  heat a skillet and toss in your almonds. Stir or flip the almonds until they are nice and toasty.  I always like to try my hand at flipping them out the front of the skillet and letting them land back in the skillet.  Everything went well until about the 4th time I flipped them and half of them went into the kitchen floor and I had to start over.  It is fun though, give it a try.

You’ll need the following ingredients for the mousse layer:
1 – 8 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup cold water
remaining sweetened condensed milk
1 3.4 oz box instant Vanilla pudding
¼ tsp almond extract
1 cup whipped cream

Begin this layer by beating the softened cream cheese.  Once it is nice and smooth gradually beat in the water and the remainder of the condensed milk.

Once that is combined add the pudding mix and the almond extract.  When that is combined and thickened you’ll want to fold in the whipped cream.  Now you can make your own whipped cream or you can use that frozen tub, thawed of course.  When the whipped cream (whichever you choose) is completely folded in add the chopped cherries and the toasted almonds.

Spread the mousse over the chocolate layer in the pie crust.  Garnish with reserved cherries and some toasted almonds or chocolate curls.

Chill about 4 hours and then enjoy.

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I am reposting a recipe I originally did in December of ’07.  I made this for the Rotary Club’s lunch today, once again to rave reviews.  Hope you enjoy it too.

You’ll need:

1 – 2 ft loaf French bread
1 lb sausage
1 small red pepper, seeded & chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Salt & pepper to taste
1 ½ cups part skim ricotta cheese
½ cup parmesan, grated
½ stick pepperoni, chopped
10 oz mozzarella, shredded
10 oz provolone shredded
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425
Split bread lengthwise & hollow out; cut in half across, making 4 shells for the pizza filling.

Brown sausage in skillet, add red bell pepper, onion & garlic. Cook 3-5 minutes. Add spinach, remove from heat & season with salt & pepper.

Transfer to a bowl, combine sausage mixture with ricotta & parmesan, oregano, red pepper flakes & pepperoni.

Fill bread shells (mounding) & top with mozzarella & provolone cheeses.

Bake on cookie sheet until cheese is melted and bubbly and bread is crisp (10-12 minutes).

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All in all, I’m doing very well when it comes to missing the college student, Kati. Probably much better than I did when Cass first went away to school.  After all, I speak  or “see” both Cass and Kati almost daily with texting and Facebook, 2 things that weren’t available when Cass left for school.

I actually do very well during the day, after all, Kati and I both were usually busy doing “our own thing” during the daylight hours.  The lost feeling usually begins for me just about the time I’m starting to prepare dinner.  It’s when I think “I only have to fix 2 pieces of chicken this evening” or when I set the table, previously one of Kati’s jobs.

It is even harder at dinner time because dinner time has always been eaten around the family table*, every since both girls were small, and the time in each day when we come together.  Dinner time was always when we talked about our days, heard how school was for the girls, and did a lot (a whole lot) of laughing.

Monday evening, J and I sat down at the table and, as is our habit, bowed our heads and reached for hands to say our mealtime blessing.  J and I, after touching each other’s hands, both opened our teary eyes and looked at each other, as we each held our other, empty hand out in Kati’s direction.; Habit.

Then when bedtime comes I usually have another little spell when, on the way to my own room,  I pass her bedroom.  From the time she quit letting me give her bedtime kisses I have always just looked in and said “Night Baby, Love ya” to which she’d answer “Night Mom, Love you too”.

As I said, it’s the little things.

*There was a 4-5 month period when the girls were young that we used TV trays at dinnertime.  This is because, while I was having a garage sale, a lady told me she needed a heavy dining table.  It just so happened I had a heavy wood table (you know the big wooden tables that had the cushioned bench on one side and heavy wooden, cushioned chairs around the rest of the table) and was getting pretty tired of it.  The chairs were really, really heavy.  So, I showed the table to the lady, she liked it and I sold it to her.  The only problem was:  J and I had not talked about putting the table in the sale and selling it left us without a dinner table.  We went so long without a table because J and I couldn’t agree on a table we both liked (of course I usually tell that he wouldn’t let me buy a table since I’d sold the other one the way I did, when in all actuality, I’ve never waited for J to “let me” do anything.  We even had a discussion shortly after getting married when I informed him that he could ask me not to do something and we could discuss it, but the moment he TOLD me I couldn’t do something then this was a totally different story.  Anyway, I think J finally gave in and let me buy a table (whether he really liked it or not) because I think he was just really tired of eating at TV trays.

Enjoying today’s little things!

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God tells us He will give us what we ask for.  So, why are we (ME) so surprised when we receive exactly what we ask for?

Some will call the following  story “good luck”, a coincidence, catching a break, maybe even a fluke;  I call it an answered prayer, a blessing, or maybe even a little everyday miracle.

Kati texted last week and asked if we could bring her bike to Stillwater.  Having sprained her ankle just before she left and then re-injuring it while keeping up with the gang at school she thought it might help her get around a little better.  So, always wanting to make life easier on our children, J and I loaded the bike (along with other things we thought would make life a wee bit better) in the pickup and made our way to her on Saturday.

I think when I first put my arms around Kati, the pressure of her new situation, not being home for the last few weeks (having been on the mission trip with the church just prior to leaving for school), her painful ankle,  plus just all the little things in general, everything just hit her at once and a few tears came to her eyes and she said she was really homesick.  Don’t we all have those moments when our lives totally change in such a short period of time?

To add to all the chaos she couldn’t find her dorm key.  We helped her look all over her room, down the halls and even at the volleyball court where she had been watching (because of her ankle she couldn’t play) her new friends play the evening before.  We finally decided we couldn’t find it and she went to the desk to get a replacement.

Well, they couldn’t just give her a new key, they had to make a work order to replace the locks on the hall door, her bedroom door and her roommates’ bedroom door all at a total cost of $135 plus all the inconvenience of all 4 girls having to get new keys.  This just added discouragement to the heap of all the emotions she was dealing with at the time.

Daddy and I tried to do things to help her feel better (I think maybe just being with her helped a little bit), we took her to the grocery store and bought her some comfort foods to keep in the fridge, we took her for a yummy lunch; a place her sister had told her was good but inexpensive that she and Travis had found while they were in Stillwater.

When it came time to leave and head home she was still so upset about the whole key thing.  I told her to try to just let it go, the doors would be changed and Daddy would pay for the work, she didn’t have to worry about it anymore.  As J and I walked down the stairs, he suggested walking back out to the volleyball yard to just check once again.

As we opened the door to the yard and knowing what a relief it would be to Kati to have one less pressure I looked toward Heaven and said “Lord, please let us find the key”.  J and I walked over to the bench where Kati had been sitting and looked around in the grass, we walked across the sidewalk again, looking down as we walked all over the area we’d already spent 30 minutes checking before.  I then walked over to the pole which held the net, I looked down in the sand and YES, there it was.  A key was sticking straight up in the sand, just waiting for me to find it.  We phoned Kati and told her we found a key and headed back up to her room.  We tried it in the door and it fit.  Of course by this time I knew it would because I had asked God for it.

So, why were J and I so surprised when we found the key?  After asking God to help us find the key I should have known we would, I should have expected that we would.  He always answers prayers.

Kati went down to the front desk and asked them to cancel the work order and they said they would.  We hugged and kissed again;  all of us feeling a bit happier, and maybe just a little bit ahead of the game.  Our Lord reminded me through this little answered prayer that I don’t have to worry about her, she is in safe hands.  I know if He will take care of these little things He has everything else under control.  He also reminded Kati that she always has someone to turn to when all those emotions, earthly pressures, etc. build up.

Wishing all your little prayers are answered.

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We’re shakin’ it up and turning ourselves about around here so it sort of feels like we’re doin’ the Hokey Pokey sometimes.  We’re all getting used to changes in our lives, freedom and new opportunities.

Tuesday evening we left Nowata with 2 vehicles loaded down with Kati’s treasures.  We wanted to start moving her stuff into her dorm at 8 am on Wednesday;  little did we know it would take most of the day.  J stayed at the hotel as he had a business call first thing Wednesday morning, so Kati and I headed to the university to begin unloading.  To our amazement and good fortune, one of the campus church groups had volunteered to help movers that had signed up for early move-in.  They met us at our cars with grocery baskets and helped unload the cars, take everything to the rooms and even unload.  The sweetest young woman, Lauren, helped me with all of Kati’s stuff.

I say Lauren helped “me” because as our luck also had it, Kati sprained her ankle Sunday evening in our backyard game of croquet.  When we went to the doctor for x-rays, etc, she told Dr. Jeff that I tried to hit her with a croquet ball.  I swear I didn’t, but you know my girl, she loves a good story; just like her dad.  Actually both our girls love a good story, I suppose that is why both of them have such a talent for writing, great imaginations.

The last few days Kati has been getting used to her room, her roommate, her new surroundings and, more or less, being on her own (with a safety net).

  Unpacking

   Kati’s dad and Carlee’s dad in the living area

Kati’s roomie, Carlee

Yesterday was my first day on my own, no waiting around for anyone, no being at home at a certain time to meet up with someone, just foot-loose and fancy free for me.  In the morning I did a bit of catching up with a few friends, running and getting a few things for when we go back to Stillwater this weekend to take Kati her bicycle and such, lunch with my favorite fella and then a few hours at the glass shop working on my very first bevel design.

  It is one of my own designs, which, in this instance, isn’t saying much because you just have to work with the bevels which are already cut.  This one I will do with foil and solder as I didn’t get around to getting H channel lead.  Soon I will get the “lead-out” and go get some H channel then I will do another project I have waiting in the back of my mind.

A while back I think I mentioned that my blog had been getting more than it’s share of attention;  here is one of the articles written about me and my blog.  I know it sounds like I paid Suzan to write this, I swear I didn’t but I’m not guaranteeing that I didn’t slip a little something in her drink.  Haha, just teasing you Suzan.  Thanks for the write up and especially all the kind thoughts and words.  Here’s a link, hope it works:  Renaissance Women of Nowata County « Nowata, Oklahoma

And now, I better be getting on with my day.  See  y’all soon.

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I never thought this day (today) would come so fast?   I never thought of the day my 2 girls would both be gone and it would be just J and I again.  Sometimes (just sometimes) I wish we could go back to when my girls were little and both were still here at home thinking I was the best Mommy in the whole world.

But, here it is.  Now both my babies are grown women, they are building their own lives, fulfilling their own dreams and now, seeing me through their beautiful blue adult eyes not as that Super Mommy but just another woman, making mistakes just like everyone else.

Gone are the days of sleepless nights, bad dreams, earaches and chickenpox.  We traded those days for days of elementary school, PTA meetings, homework and slumber parties.  We then traded once again for days of parties, movies, hanging out with friends, cars, driver’s licenses and insurance, and once again sleepless nights.  Now we are trading once again for. . .

Kati is packing up things to take to college as she will be leaving here tomorrow evening to head to Stillwater.  J and I will be following her with our own car loaded down with the things she will need.  She informs us “I will most likely not be home until the 3rd weekend, I’ll let you know for sure later”.

I know all those around me think that because my eyes become flooded with tears at the slightest thought or mention of her leaving that I am sad about the whole thing.  But really, I’m not.  I’m really happy that she is taking this step out into the world.  I am thrilled that she has this opportunity to expand her life and her mind.

Of course J and I think she is a marvelous young woman now, but in the next 4 (or so) years she will grow and develop even more, continually getting closer to the woman she will become.

Kati’s life isn’t the only one changing.  J and I, having had a baby-toddler-child-teenager in the house for the last 27 years are seeing our lives change before our eyes too.  Thursday morning we will wake up to a house that is all our own once again, at least until they all return for a weekend.

This change has been a long time coming even if it seems we started down this road only yesterday, bringing Cass home in her little pink and white gingham outfit.  It seems only yesterday that Kati was  looking up at her sister with those adoring eyes;  actually it could have been yesterday, Kati still thinks Cass is the perfect big sister.  (Secretly, I think Cass is a great big sister too.  I know that there have been times and are going to be more times that Kati doesn’t necessarily want to talk to me about things, and I know that she can go to Cass and talk to her about those things.  And I know that because Cass has been through some rough times and because she loves Kati she is going to give her the best advice she can possibly give her.  But, you know, this is secretly and just between us.)

So, if you see me crying silently in the coming weeks they are not tears of sadness, they are tears of yesterday’s memories and tomorrow’s dreams;  they are Mommy tears.

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I normally do not fry foods.  It isn’t that I don’t like fried foods, it’s just that I hate to fry things.  I hate the high heat, the hot grease (maybe it has something to do with having hot grease spilled on my leg when I was young), I hate the hot grease splatters, I hate cleaning up the hot grease splatters.  I just hate frying.

But on very rare occasions when a certain very tasty food requires it or a certain young daughter who is getting ready to leave home for college requests a fried food “because it will be so very long before I get to eat your cooking Mom” I will break out the old frying pan and heat an inch or so of oil in said frying pan and fry up the special request.

Believe me, these zucchini and corn fritters are worth all the hot grease splatters that you have to clean up.

This recipe makes a very large batch of fritters, something like 24 large fritters;  as a side dish for the 3 of us I will usually only make a 1/4 of a recipe.  You might like to start with 1/2 a recipe to see how it goes for you.

Here is what you’ll need:

2 cups flour
1 tblsp baking powder
½ tsp cumin
½ cup sugar or Splenda
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
¼ cup butter, melted
2 cups grated zucchini
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen corn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup minced onion
Oil for frying

Step 1:  Stir all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Step 2:  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and melted butter together.
Step 3:  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Step 4:  Stir in the grated zucchini, corn, onion and cheese, mixing very well.
Step 5:  Heat oil over med-high heat.  Drop a large spoonful of the batter into the hot oil.
Step 6:  Fry until crisp & brown, turning once.
Step 7:  Remove to paper towels.

Serve with sour cream or ranch dip.

Hope you enjoy them.

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This is one of the special dinners I have made to welcome Kati back home from her week long mission trip in Indianapolis.   I also made a big triple batch for yesterday’s Rotary Club Meeting.  Many Rotary members told me how good it was; as a matter of fact it was almost completely gone, there was a little dish left that I sent home to J’s mom for her lunch.   Kati said the beef could have had a little more flavor and I agree, so I am thinking  next time I make it (and there will be a next time because it was tast-ee)  I will marinate the beef 30 minutes instead of the 15 I did last night.

These are the items you’ll need if you’d like to give it a try:

2 tblsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp Hoison sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tblsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger (I used fresh ginger and just grated it right over my bowl instead of mincing it)
¾ lb round steak or flank steak cut into thin strips
½ cup fat-free beef broth
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced or left whole
½ cup sliced green onions
1 lb broccoli, separated into florets

Stir the soy sauce, Hoison sauce, cornstarch, garlic and ginger in a shallow dish.  Place steak strips in the mixture and marinate 30 minutes.

Heat a wok or large skillet, add a little olive oil (just enough to keep the steak from sticking to the wok).   Remove beef from marinade and add to heated skillet, discard the marinade.

Cook the beef, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes or until it is mostly browned.
Stir in the beef broth, mushrooms and green onion;  reduce heat to med-low, cover and simmer 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and stir in the broccoli florets.  Cook until the broccoli is bright green and tender crisp.

I served this with steamed white rice and egg rolls.

For dessert I served 7-layer multi-flavor Jello:  this is 2 servings stacked together, so I guess it is really 14 layer Jello (ha)

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