A Tater Tot Tale

     Pawns of  modern potato cuisine, Tater Tots have never figured prominently in my pantry. Once in a great while, I will buy frozen french fries, but mostly we eat fresh potatoes either baked, mashed, scalloped or fried for breakfast. Originally invented by Ore-Ida to use up scraps after the fabrication of french fries, Tater Tots, (a patented name for a product that has been knocked off by other manufacturers and given similar names), feature a sort-of fluffy interior and a crunchy exterior. Corn flour, onions, dextrose and flavoring are also listed as components of the characterless filling.

     However, a recipe was recently given to me by a friend and I thought the easily-prepared casserole would appeal to Pop. (Tater Tots also happened to be on sale at the grocery.) Browned ground beef, onion, broccoli and mushroom soup form the first layer which is sprinkled with lots of cheddar cheese, and then topped with the Tots, artfully arranged, of course. Crispy and golden brown, the casserole was actually pretty tasty, a comfort food that both Pop and I enjoyed.

Nutella Cookie Bars

     I have never bought or even tasted Nutella, much to the amusement of my co-workers, who relish it. When I saw a jar on sale in the grocery store, it was because of those devotees that I picked it up. And when I needed to bake a dessert for a recent event, the hazelnut chocolate spread became the main ingredient. A quick Internet search revealed lots of recipes, but only one used simple ingredients that were already in my pantry. These cookie bars use a simple butter-sugar-flour-egg base that is patted onto the pan bottom and then spread again over the Nutella middle - easy-peasy! 

     Luckily I saved a few bars to share at work the next day (they didn't last long!)

A Nod to Grape Hyacinths

     I have under-appreciated a small crop of grape hyacinths (muscari) in my front garden. Yes they are heralds of  mid spring, filling in between the early showy daffodils and the later peonies and iris, but I always viewed them as somewhat insignificant. However, after I photographed them, viewed them on a PC monitor and zoomed in on the plants, I was intrigued by the flower spikes and the delicacy of each tiny blossom (which look like grapes at first bloom but open into a bell shape as the flower matures).

Easter Happy

     Because I love the colors and themes of Easter, it makes me sad to put my decor away for the season. These tiny ceramic candle holders are a case in point. They are new, picked up at a local antique shop where I had gone to browse with my sisters and no intent to buy. They are also an odd size and I did not have candles to fit. Not wanting to wait on another shopping trip, a candy egg atop each filled in nicely and I have actually grown to prefer this look, because they flank another candle. I think I will keep my tabletop display in place for another couple of weeks...

Happy Birthday, Scout!

     Today is not just April Fool's Day, it is also Scout's birthday. He is now twenty-six years old and if the stable wasn't so far away, we would go treat him with a few carrots. This photo was taken several years ago, when both Rissy and Scoutie were quite a bit younger. Rissy lived for the infrequent days when, in her pink cowgirl boots, she was allowed to groom or ride - then the stable yard became her utopia - looks like it might have been Scoutie's too!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

     Football Sundays have given way to basketball Sundays, and those come to end soon. While these games are not important to me, they certainly are to Pop. This winter, we have begun a new tradition of only two meals on Sunday - a substantial mid-morning breakfast and what we like to call lunner (late lunch/early dinner). Usually the latter is a sit-down, home-cooked affair, which I enjoy preparing because I have the time. Occasionally, however, Pop will request something like a hot dip served with chips, so he can munch throughout the afternoon. Spinach artichoke is a favorite - warm from the oven, gooey with cheese and fragrant from garlic. I admit to being a muncher too...

Simple Seedling Markers

     In a week or two, the unseasonably cold weather should moderate and my portable greenhouse will stand ready for plant transition. Dozens of seedlings in my windowsill starters (see post on 2/28/11) are crying for more space. Case in point are these Sweet Million and Rutger Tomatoes, which were transferred into cells this morning before getting too spindly. In order to identify them come planting time in early May, I have found a frugal way of making plant markers from a recycled milk jug.  Scissors are used to cut up the jug into rectangles, and plant names are written on them with a Sharpie pen. These labels are durable and even reusable. Ah the smell of tomato plants - truly a token of summer!