A Little Something from Grandma

For most of my childhood, at least until sometime in junior high school, my maternal grandmother, Irene Nieschwietz, lived with us. (Mom had to put her into a nursing home the last year or so of Grandma's life and she died the fall I was a freshman in high school). I've always felt blessed by the gift of growing up in a multi-generational household. It was hard for Mom as she had no help from her siblings, but that's another story for another day.

Grandma had already been completely blind for more than a decade when I was born due to a hereditary condition, but in the kitchen at least, it didn't slow her down much. Among the things I remember with great fondness is her gravy. It was wonderful and after she stopped being able to cook and I was subjected to a variety of substances masquerading as gravy, I came to the conclusion that I would have to learn to make gravy myself. I did eventually succeed in that quest. And having learned to make gravy, I marvel that she did it so well without being able to see.

But the one recipe of Grandma's that has been handed down is the one for her fruit salad dressing. you can find a version of her fruit salad at any family gathering during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Each family of cousins has its own version of the fruit salad itself, the most basic of which is the one my siblings and I preferred: diced apples and bananas mixed with the dressing. Some of my aunts added pecans and/or marshmallows. But the key to the salad was the dressing. And I offer it to you here. I served it this past Thanksgiving with a salad consisting of raspberries, blackberries, pears, and bananas. And I served it on the side, not mixed in the salad as, much to my dismay, none of my children have taken to this particular delight. This dressing, more than any other family recipe, brings back memories of the holidays of my childhood.

Irene's Fruit Salad Dressing

3 whole eggs
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C white vinegar
1/2 dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
Evaporated milk
Butter

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs.

In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar, vinegar, mustard, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil. Take the pot off the stove and very slowly add the beaten eggs, stirring constantly with a whisk to keep the eggs from scrambling. Place the saucepan back on low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat. If needed, add a little butter and evaporated milk to thin slightly. (I rarely have to do this step.)

Let cool. You can serve on the side or toss into a fruit salad. Store in the refrigerator. Can be made ahead of time.

Thank You

Just a few of the things that I'm thankful for today.

My wonderful children. I am exceptionally blessed with my son, my daughter-in-law, and my two daughters. There were all here today and while they do like to give me a hard time, I know that they love me.

My husband. Yes, even though he's been driving me crazy today and scaring me over what he might buy tomorrow if he goes shopping on Black Friday (he was positively giddy over some of the electronics on sale tomorrow), I am glad that we are still together after all this time. Though I will admit it would be nice if he'd learn how to carve a turkey so I don't have to do it. But then, my daughter-in-law has promised to get a lesson from her dad at Christmas, so even his disinterest in doing the carving is okay tonight.

My neighbors. I love, love, love, the commune. If I need an egg or a hug, they are there for me. Everyone should have friends like these living next door and just down the street.

My choir friends. How cool is it to have friends who love to sing and are good at it. It's like living in Glee. (Only we don't burst into song randomly.)

My co-workers (you know who you are) who keep me sane. Not an easy task. But they are there for me on the rough days and always ready to laugh with me on the good days. I am truly blessed by knowing them.

My mother. Oh, my sweet mother. I am beyond blessed to still have her. She is truly the best mom in the world. I could tell you why, but I have a feeling there's a word limit on these posts.


Happy Thanksgiving y'all.

Acorns Keep Falling on My Head

We have been inundated with acorns this year. For the past month the two oak trees in our back yard have been covering the backyard and driveway with an excess of acorns. We hear the loud cracks as they hit the pavement. At our recent pumpkin carving party, we seriously considered having our guests sign a waver stating they would not sue us if injured by a falling acorn.

We keep thinking that at some point, they'll finally all be off the tree. But it hasn't happened yet and this has been going on for a good month now and shows no sign of stopping. We were just sitting outside by the firepit tonight and every few minutes we'd hear the 'crack' of a falling acorn hitting the patio.

What does this mean? Who knows? I did a tiny bit of research and the Farmer's Almanac says that our area of Texas will have a very wet and cold winter. So, it could be a forecast of a cold winter. Another thing I read said that this is a sign that the trees are going through a stage where they try to ensure the continuation of the species. All I know is I'm tired of the damn things littering up my patio and driveway.

It's All About the Shoes

Look at these.

Aren't they just too cute? I found them this morning on Grace Bonney's DesignSponge site. (Which I consider required reading for keeping up with all sorts of design trends, from home to clothing, to print and web.) The shoes will be available at Moschino in December. I personally can't decide between the pale pink or the bright pink. What I do know is that looking at these makes me want to go shoe shopping for cute little flats. The potential problem with owning a pair of these beauties is that my darling daughters would almost certainly steal them from my closet. And I wouldn't blame them for doing so. Stealing these shoes from someone's closet would be justified larceny.