In any case, this past weekend we celebrated my birthday with an “apple festival” which meant-we fed my mother, the prairie dogs, the dog and drove an hour away to pick a few apples and spend the night at the Holiday Inn. (Free–courtesy of the Priority Club points). We picked some apples. We bought a bag of windfall apples. Now I need to do something with them.

I told the kids I would make applesauce…crockpot applesauce and I probably will. Crockpot apple butter is more my thing. I wonder if we have enough apples for both. Likely. In any case, the house will smell good!

Of course, I likely won’t peel first and don’t have the exact apples-so it won’t be exactly like either–but you can’t go wrong with homemade applesauce.

You don’t know this, being on the other side of the world, but the news is all about the Blagojevich verdict tonight. Blagovech, governor of this state when we moved here, caused quite a scandal and FBI action after the last presidential election. The trial occured. the jury deliberated for two weeks, but they only managed to come to agreement on one count. A retrial is expected on the other counts charged. You might wonder why I mention this tidbit of national news, this your birthday post after all, not a “Today in history” but really a birthday post really contains today in history.

The most important historical event to happen on this day: your birth. But, I should have known that this would be the day Blagojevich dominated the news. The day you were born was dominated by another huge court case: Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton. Yes, Bill Clinton, not Hillary. Bill Clinton, president at the time had some questionable actions with an intern Monica Lewinsky. Blue dresses from the Gap were used as evidence. While in labor with you–that dominated television coverage. My labor with you didn’t allow me to stray far but the tv with its few channels all Lewinsky and Clinton all the time didn’t appeal.

On the other hand, as I write this post, I wonder if these two events don’t fittingly encapsulate something precious about you. You seem a born politician. Not necessarily in a bad way (and I do hope you never are the center of a messy scandalous trial) but in the way you approach life. You go through life playing by your rules and making them everyone else’s rules as well. You negotiate with the best of them. You plan your strategies, you work your play book, and you get what you seek. I think this vexes us all when we end up on the wrong side, but at the same time, we admire that streak.

This ability allowed you to sail into sixth grade and the waters of middle school with enviable ease. No not everyone fell in love with you on the first day. Some people in middle school are mean. Some people just obviously have no brain to not recognize you for the amazing creature in their presence.

I suspect the same will hold true for you throughout your life. You have the August woman potential to charm when it suits you. You shrug off the rest–also an August thing I have heard. So yes, your 11th year was filled with first bras, braces and blogs–but today I have to say it was all about politics.

I remember the recipe for Eggs Benedict with Holiday Sauce and share it with you and my children. My mother probably thinks she remembers but I am not sure. She probably does since it was woven into the years over and over. I know she can’t make it now.

But, I wanted to remind you to nominate a caregiver YOU know for a cruise and a chance for some R & R through the Home Instead Caregiver Hero cruise sweepstakes. The deadline is tomorrow–8/15. Those caregivers are all around us. You have to know someone. You may even be one or have been one. Odds are that most people will be one in their lifetime. Find a moment to comment on these posts and to nominate a caregiver. You’ll be glad you did.

What recipes are you a caretaker for in your family?

Last year, BlogHer totally revolved around my keynote, around THE DRESS, and around the overwhelming whirl and twirl. This year, everyone would come up to me and say one of three things:

“I love Denise. Do you know how fantastic she is?” Uh, yeah, that is why I pursued her with intention after wooing her with my incredible Internet Community skills.

“Your daughter! She’s so beautiful, incredible, fabulous, intelligent and poised.” There I am guilty of downplaying all of the above, it seems wrong to say “Why yes, yes, she is!, ” even though well, Rebecca truly does rock. I want to confess that as much as I love every inch of her, inside and out, she still has the human foibles peculiar to girls at her stage in life. Those foibles that can make me want to pull my hair out.

The third thing: “I loved your keynote (dress) last year.” I did too. It definitely goes on the list of most awesome experiences ever.

I missed meeting up with the food bloggers–but I will see bunches of them in October. I went to a number of the job track sessions.  I sat with the schedule and wished for a Hermione type time turner, so I could be in far more sessions at once. That would leave me with more of a hangover though.

The closing keynote rocked my world. Really. When the liveblog is ready-you need to read it, hear it, internalize it. Embrace your power, use it. Have fun with it.

Another recipe from “My Favorite Maryland Recipes”

2 cups corn, fresh or canned (of course, true Silver Queen fresh off the vine works best)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, well beaten
1 teaspoon melted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder for frying

Chop corn very fine, add salt, pepper, egg, butter, milk, flour and baking powder. Mix well. Fry in hot deep fat, 1 tablespoon batter for each fritter. Serve with strips of fried bacon or with brandy sauce. (I just dusted mine with powdered sugar.)

Crab Casserole

1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c. milk
2 hard boiled eggs-minced
1 lb crabmeat
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp parsley-minced
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 c. breadcrumbs
cracker crumbs

Melt butter–Add flour, stir to smooth. Add parsley, mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, milk and stir until browned. Add crab meat (shrimp, lobster) and eggs and stir until mixed. Remove from heat and when cool, place in casserole. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Dot with butter and paprika. Bake at 350 until warmed through.

This isn’t retro at all. I have seen these from the beginning of time, but this one came on the back of a pad from a local plumber last week–a grocery reminder list. Not a bad list, but not a soy product on there or even much of what we end up picking up at the grocery store. Baby supplies is a grocery. Wieners is deli, but hot dogs is meat.

I am also bemused by being able to pick up incontinents at the store. I already have one of those at our house–as you can read in my post Caregiving Surprise on my review blog. Go over and read it and enter a caregiver you know for a chance at a cruise. More importantly, read the rest of the great posts on the topic. All of them are really touching and wonderful.

I leave out the additional salt-the seasoned salt, Worcestershire sauce and celery all add enough saltiness for our house.

Famous Barbecued Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 small onion, minced
1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups diagonally sliced celery

Blend all ingredients, form into balls using 1 tablespoon of mixture per ball. Place in a greased shallow pan or cookie sheet with edges (to catch the grease). Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes. This is so much easier than browning in a skillet. Drain cooked meatballs carefully on paper towels before putting into sauce.

Sauce

1 onion minced
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup catsup
3/4 cup water (may need more later)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt

Saute onion in butter; add remaining ingredients and simmer 10 minutes. Place meatballs in sauce; simmer 15 minutes. Serve hot with toothpicks.

Baked Tomatoes

4 large tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon minced onion
2 tablespoons each fresh chopped basil and dill
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup bread crumbs
4 teaspoons butter

Remove stem ends from tomatoes without cutting flesh. Cut tomatoes in half horizontally. Set cut-side-up in a shallow baking dish or casserole. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion, herbs, toasted bread crumbs. Dot with butter. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Read more at Swissmiss.

There are issues. Tips? Recipes? How not to char everything?

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar because that is what we have.)
2 teaspoons minced onion
3/4 teaspoon salt (omitted that)

1 can green beans (I used cut)
3/4 cup croutons
3 tablespoons grated parmesan

Mince onion, mix with oil, vinegar and salt. Store covered in fridge. (ok, I didn’t do that part either-I made  it at dinner time.

Drain beans and place in saucepan. Pour oil, vinegar, onion mixture over beans. Add croutons. Stir well and cook until hot. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.

I had it once, the night the father of the aforementioned youngest was inducted into the Junior Honor Society in high school. Oh wait, I ate some gyros in high school and the gyro burger (with a veggie burger actually-which made it a weird dish but yummy) at the place with the pizza fondue we found by accident the first night of Passover.  Don’t look for a restaurant open on the spur of the moment on the first night of Passover in our area-they are closed. Yes. Really.

I intended to skip entirely over the lamb section. But then, there was an intriguing recipe: East meets East: Syrian meat balls with Indian Curry Sauce. I still wasn’t going to 1. Cook lamb or 2. Make meatballs. I hate touching meat. Really. Yuck.

What to do? I did exactly what I always do when faced with meatballs-bought a bag of frozen veggie meatballs. Clearly these suit the same purpose as the

1 1/2 lbs ground lamb–some supermarkets sell this as “lamb patties”
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1/2 cup pignolia (pine nuts)
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons olive oil

mentioned in the original recipe. Right? RIGHT!

I got to skip all the night before stuff. Who am I fooling? The night before I was sick, and even today I was trying to beg out of dinner making. Denise wasn’t having it. I grabbed the bag of meatballs-tossed them into the oven and commenced last night’s “curry sauce” preparation

6 Tablespoons butter or margarine (err no, I used about 2 tablespoons olive oil)
2 stalks celery sliced
1 large apple, cored and diced (unpeeled) I used 2 medium-ish apples
1 large onion, diced
2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder (I ended up adding more after the 3-probably ended up with 5)
2 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup tomato paste

While meatballs are browning, you are told to make this sauce. The meatballs were browning-in the oven. I cooked the onion, celery and apple over low heat until the onion was translucent and the celery softened. Stir in the curry powder-starting with 2 teaspoons and increasing according to taste;check! Cook gently for 5 min. Add tomato juice and cook over medium heat for 5 min. Stir in tomato sauce to thicken.

Pause to peer at rice steamer to figure out how long the rice will take. Oh-forgot to say that-start some rice. (or as the end of the recipe says “serve over boiled white rice.”

Add meat balls to sauce, cover and refrigerate. (Right-making this the same day, toss meatballs in sauce and heat through)

You are supposed to add a dollop of chutney-but I didn’t have any in the house and in my experience-I buy it for one recipe and then don’t need it for far longer than it takes to start looking sketchy or break falling out of our refrigerator.

Result: Denise and Mama both enjoyed their dinner-paired with the Caesar Green Beans which I will post tomorrow.

First up-Mike’s Cole Slaw. Named for one of the author’s children? husband? neighbors? I don’t know-I lost track of the men in the story. and told with a story of vanishing slaw. Not one of my children-they didn’t touch the slaw. If it isn’t L.A. Slaw-they aren’t interested.

Like the other recipes, I cheat. I didn’t want to shred the cabbage or the carrots-so I bought the preshredded stuff. I realized it wouldn’t be enough for the 2 lb cabbage and 2 carrots called for in the recipe-so I cut the recipe for the dressing into thirds. I, however, didn’t consider this when portioning the green pepper, so we had a whole, rather lovely green pepper addition to dinner.

The original recipe calls for

2 lb head green cabbage
2 carrots
1 green pepper
3 tablespoons vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip (a condiment never bought in this house and bought in the smallest jar they had-Miracle Whip is only appropriate for Maryland tomato sandwiches on Wonder Bread-nothing else-except maybe this recipe)

So, the night before, the good Working Wife should shred the cabbage and the carrots and chop the green pepper. Then combine the vinegar, sugar and Miracle Whip together and pour over and toss with the vegetables. We are warned it won’t look like enough dressing but by magic or science the dressing becomes exactly right-and not like that luncheonette version you may have had in the past.

Like I said, I cut the dressing ingredients by 2/3 s and there was more than enough.

How was it? Denise said “It tasted like cole slaw” (and indeed-it did taste very much like what you get if you buy the creamy cole slaw dressing at the store or you get cole slaw while out) I liked the green pepper in it very much.