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.

While they were gone, a doctor came to examine me, he gave me the creeps AND he wasn’t willing to wait for my parents to get back. They came back part way through the exam smelling of garlic and all sorts of mysterious stomach turning foods. After the doctor left I asked about that horrid smell and vowed never to eat gazpacho. I didn’t.

Then came the vitamix and its recipe book full of great stuff. Gazpacho was one such recipe. Wait! I love all the things in Gazpacho. Maybe I should give it a try. I did and I fell in love.

The ramble today is because I have a lot of tomatoes in the house this week. The best ones at the best price in the market came in 12 pound baskets. In order for that to really be the best price–I need to actually USE the tomatoes. Tomatoes have gone in dinner, in salsa, in sandwiches, in snacks all week. There are a lot of tomatoes though. So today, I will be making gazpacho for lunch. Alas I have no Vitamix anymore. (SNIFF! I miss my Vitamix) Fortunately one really isn’t required.

Tomato Overload Gazpacho

(or Blender Gazpacho for adults who like cold soups and easy meals)

4 large tomatoes, roughly chunked
1/2 to 1 medium yellow onion, chunked
1 cucumber, peeled and diced (though I have been known to leave the peel on if it is a fresh pickling cucumber)
1 jalapeno or a good shot of Tabasco or rooster sauce (about a teaspoon)
1 heaping tablespoon chopped jar garlic or about four cloves chopped
2 T lemon or lime juice
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 cup tomato juice, tomato sauce, water or other liquid
1 cup ice cubes

Put the liquids in the blender first. Add other ingredients. Blend 3-60 seconds depending on the power of your blender. Look for about a smoothie thickness.

Tweak the spice, garlic, and lemon juice/vinegar based on your taste and the produce you are using.

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.)

Of course, the thing about growing up is realizing why these were special to Beth and more why so many people love them. I have to admit, every so often I get a craving for beaten biscuits and wish Beth’s grandmother was around to make some.

This recipe is not quite the same of course. Grandmothers add love and magic to foods-and this is just a recipe from “My Favorite Maryland Recipes”, 1964. They work though. Of course, you do have to beat the love into them and it is more than a good workout to make them.

Maryland Beaten Biscuits

2 pounds flour
6 ozs lard
scant teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup cold water
pinch baking soda, size of pea (no larger)

Work all ingredients together well, have dough stiff. Beat 20 minutes with iron mallet. To shape biscuits, squeeze dough through hole made by thumb and forefinger, pinch off and pat down a little. Place on baking sheet and prick three times with fork. Bake in oven about 400 for 25 minutes.

This recipe makes 6 servings of salad. Best made fresh and served immediately. Do expand the image to read some interesting history of wilted salads. This came from The Evening Sun, but no idea what year.

Wilted Lettuce Salad

8 strips bacon
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 quarts torn leaf lettuce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

8 minutes cooking time. Cook bacon in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon and set aside. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons bacon drippings. Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt with the 3 tablespoons bacon drippings. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, about 2 minutes. Combine lettuce, onions, and bacon in large serving bowl. Add hot vinegar mixture and toss to coat lettuce. Garnish with hard-cooked eggs and serve at once.

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.

Everyone seems to serve angel food cake with strawberries. I am not a strawberry fan. There…I confessed it. I only like small, homegrown strawberries warm from the sun and very ripe.

I love the fact this version, found taped in the front of an old cookbook uses grapes or blueberries as the topping. The sour cream/brown sugar mixture is a nice change of pace from pudding or whipped cream.

Wash and chill about one pound of seedless green grapes (or blueberries). Mix 2 cups cold sour cream with 1 cup brown sugar. Stir until well dissolved; fold in chilled grapes. Put on top of cake, filling center completely and running down sides decoratively. Serve immediately; cake tastes better when topping is cold.

Read more at Swissmiss.

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