Dreaming of Spring

Oh my poor blog. I started you with great intentions, only to abandon you after two posts! With the way I cook, I was finding it hard to come up with actual recipes as I’m a bit of an ‘on the fly’ type of gal. However, after viewing another blog with just round about instructions for meal preparation. I’ve been re-inspired to share foodie type things here. But that’s not all.

I’m happy to announce that I have begun planning my kitchen/cutting flower garden with much enthusiasm. After spending a (on my budget) ridiculous amount of money on seeds, I am chomping at the bit to start sowing. However, I’ll have to wait until January. This will hopefully give me a little time to finish planning the actual garden layout. As well as make a few more improvements to the yard to ease my planting, growing and harvesting. For years I have been in love with the idea of starting a cut flower and herb farm. However, coming from a farming family I know the trials and tribulations of such an endeavor. So, to satisfy my need to sell what I grow, I’m thinking of offering bouquets at work for cheap. I may also have farm stand selling options, but I need to check out what kind of license I might need to do so.

If anyone is interested in lending a helping hand come spring, there will S.C.A. (Support Cate’s Agriculture) boxes in it for you! And all the tiny dog kisses you could possibly want, will be yours.

The Saga of the Sink

There are many things to be fixed, painted, removed, replaced, etc. after purchasing an older home. My parents are always ready to help when I need it, which I appreciate. The only problem is this-the two of them together are a tornado of activity as compared to my spring breeze of complacency. It can, at times, be overwhelming. Sometimes, I don’t always pay attention/get involved when they are helping with the house. One of these instances happened about a week after I moved into the house in early March. My father disabled two sinks leaving me with one sink-the bathroom. I knew I needed a new kitchen sink (as it is a single basin and there’s no dishwasher, I needed a two basin sink). I also knew the kitchen sink wasn’t draining. I figured a little Drano or something vile would probably clear it out. Not good enough for dad. He removed the garbage disposal and then said “Well if you’re going to replace the sink, might as well wait to hook it back up" He then proceeded to rip out my utility sink in the back porch.

So two months, one giant tamale pot for catching water and loads of dishes done in the bathroom (not easy as there’s no tub) later, I finally found the perfect sink. Not an easy task as my space is limited, and all cast iron single basin sinks seem to be 22”x33”. But, I researched my little heart out and found one. I measured and measured, found a plumber (to avoid hiring dad’s friend ‘Flakey Jeff’), ordered and picked up my beautiful Kohler two basin bisque sink (that matches my lovely appliances)on Friday. Hunky Ramon carried it into the dining room for me where I gazed at it fondly for three days in anticipation of doing loads and loads of dishes (that frankly are just not getting done).


Yesterday Larry the plumber came over to give me a bid on installation. This is where it gets sad. Get the Kleenex. Although it could potentially fit, because of the support system for the cabinets, it’s not feasible. Especially because it’s a 106 lb. sink and it needs all the support it can get. Frankly, I was a little disappointed in myself. I’m usually a little savvier when it comes to construction type stuff. I should have noticed the supports. Duh. I think I was blinded by visions of the lovely bisque sink. So back it will go and I’ll be ordering a single basin sink as the only double basin ones that will fit are stainless steel which will NOT match my appliances. On the bright side, this means I’ll be getting a dishwasher installed. Although I will be sacrificing precious cabinet space. And, Larry hooked up the old sink. He did note that my very well crafted shower curtain/masking tape drain pipe ‘Did not work at all’. But hey, I’m a crafty girl. Which is good because, after paying Larry for hooking up the old sink, I realized….I cannot afford to hire everything to be done.

A final note- being able to do dishes now means I can cook. Now that I can cook I can begin to post some recipes.

But the greatest of these is Love

Food is a huge deal in my family, as it is for many families. My mother was a stay at home mom. This meant homemade cookies and pies, lots of trips to the park and library and most of all dinner with the family every night. We didn’t go out to eat very often. Sometimes after church on Sunday we’d go to Rice Bowl (my mom swears I was weaned on their chow mein) and that was a huge treat. Largely, the food I consumed was homemade. No Oreos or Twinkies (much to my dismay), no soda or candy (except Halloween where we then had to store the candy and were doled out one piece a day til all that was left was the crappy candy no one, not even your dad, wanted to eat), no fast food except the illicit happy meal once in a while, when mom was feeling flush. As a youngster I really resented not having all the high fructose corn syrup crap that my friends got. Oh how jealous was I when they pulled HoHos out of their lunch bag? Really jealous.

Now as an adult, I can’t stand it. Twinkies make me nauseous, food coloring makes my brain spin out and processed food tastes largely like chemicals to me. And there is no way on God’s green earth I’m going to choke down a piece of grocery store pie (one of my mother’s specialties, pies delicious pies).As I get older and older, I find myself becoming more and more particular. Things must be delicious all the time. I really don’t have the patience (or waistline) to be eating junk. I do make the occasional exception for oh say…..cheese food or potato chips, weaknesses to be sure. But then we all have our culinary guilty pleasures.

I appreciate my food background. I understand that my mother made all the food that nourished my sister, father and I with love. When people ask me ‘What did you put in this’? I frequently will ad ‘Love’ to my list of ingredients. Cheesy? Yes, terribly. True? Absolutely! Sometimes when I make something and it doesn’t turn out well I think about my frame of mind when I made it. Was I happy? Was I sad? Was I irritated I forgot some ingredient? It all ties together. When I make food for a birthday party for a loved one I try to think about the person when I’m making it, how much they will enjoy the food I’ve made and how happy it makes me to make them happy. I find this food always turns out the best, always. As a matter of fact I think they should add ‘Love’ to the list of the tastes-
Sweet, bitter, sour, salty , savory and love.