5/24/12

I still do not believe I really did it!  My oldest son asked me if I kept up my friendship with a couple that I knew before my marriage.  I worked with Pat in the Production Control Office of the Magnavox Co. for several years in the 1940’s. She was maid of honor at our wedding and soon after that moved to Chicago with her parents. She moved to Chicago, married a retired Navy Lieutenant,  then moved to Boston, New Jersey and they have now retired in Washington, North Carolina.  His next question was ”Why don’t you go visit them?”  With the enlargements of the airports, the diminishing number of flights,  my advanced age and the fact that I would be flying “standby” I quickly said that I would not go alone. When he said he would go with me, plans began to form and last Tuesday morning at five o’clock we were on our way to Ft. Wayne to the airport, going to Atlanta, then on to North Carolina.

We kept alive our friendship and we had visited them in all of these locations and they have been to our home several times, once since I lived in Edgerton.  Jim had not seen them since he was a kid and it had been at least 15 years since I had seen them.  It was almost as if we saw each other yearly as we spent a few days with them.  My friend was lamenting the fact that we were staying such a short time. I reminded her that I had heard her mother say that guests are like fish-----after three days they stink!  They were perfect hosts, so guess we left in time.

They live near the Outer Banks and there is an awful lot of water.  They had planned to spend the only full day that we would be there on their boat.  There is water everywhere, but when I asked about the ocean they informed me that this was all rivers, but they could have fooled me.  The weather forecast was threatening, but the sun was shining and it was a very pleasant experience until  a big black cloud appeared and a rumble of thunder, so we turned around and went back because they told us it was not nice to be out when it was storming. On Wednesday mornings they go to Mass at 8:30 then they have what they call “MOM’s and POP’s” at the church hall with coffee and each week someone brings rolls, cookies, etc.  A very nice custom and we got to meet a number of their friends who were all very gracious to us.


Again I got to experience the wonder of flying, all of that weight of the plane, hundreds of people aboard and all of it a mile high travelling at great speed, as peaceful as sitting in your living room.
The return trip brought some problems as the first flight we planned to make was over booked so they had to drive us 2 hours to Raleigh, which made us miss our planned flight back to Ft. Wayne. We arrived home about 6 hours later than we had planned but it was a great three days.
On Sunday my sister and I were asked to do one of our skits at St. Michael’s Church at Waterloo for their Mother / Daughter  Dinner. With me being gone the preceding days, we were quite busy on Saturday. We did not know that there was other entertainment, a young mother who writes her own music and sings.  So our shenanigans  made the program a bit long, but we were favorably received. There are a bunch of good cooks there because the food was way above average.
Now maybe that was a sneaky way to get to recipes, but it was a true statement.  Is your rhubarb a bit inadequate this year?  At first I thought I wasn’t going to have any because my peony bushes are fantastic and they dwarf the tiny showing of rhubarb.  The stalks are spindly but there might be enough for a pie.  I found this recipe for  a cake that I want to try so maybe there won’t be any pie.
           
RHUBARB STRAWBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
5 cups rhubarb, diced
¾ cup sugar
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 box white or yellow cake mix
1 box (3 oz.) strawberry Jello,  dry (can use raspberry)
Whipped topping
Mix rhubarb, sugar, Jello and marshmallows. Put in 9 x 13
cake pan. Mix cake according to box directions and
pour over rhubarb mixture. Bake at 350 for I hour and
15 minutes, or until done.  Cool. Flip over and serve with
whipped topping.

If you are looking for a different way to serve potatoes, perhaps this recipe will appeal to you.  It sounds different than any I have used.
                                   
SOUR CREAM HASHBROWNS
1 2# package of hash brown potatoes
1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream
1 (8 oz.) package shredded cheddar cheese
I can cream of mushroom  or chicken soup
½ cup chopped onions
Salt and pepper to taste
Bacon or bacon bits (optional)
Mix all ingredients together except cheese.
Put in 9 x 13 baking pan. Top with cheese.
Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350 degrees.