Spatter

Black & Blue Pie

For some reason the blackberry crop is very sparse this year.  Is it because of all the rain?  Is it because of the cooler than normal summer?  Whatever the reason, the bushes are almost barren.  I couldn't even get the four cups I needed to make a pie.  What to do with just two cups?  Well, I mixed in two cups of blueberries to make up the difference.  I'm calling it my black & blue pie!

Corn On The Cob

Just learned a new way to prepare corn on the cob.  I usually clean it and boil it...but have been known to grill it too.  But microwave it?  Never!  Well, our neighbor shared a way to do that and I'm here to tell you, it's mighty fine.  Here's what you do:

Leave the husk on.
Place in the microwave.
Cook 1 1/2 minutes for each ear you put in.
Let sit a few minutes after.
Remove husk...you'll be amazed at how easy it comes off.
Enjoy!

It's that easy...and it's good.

Talking Turkey

This was the first Thanksgiving that we chose to buy a fresh and organic turkey from a local farm:  Weathertop Farm.  It's one of several here in the Floyd area.

We bought a frozen breast from the supermarket too...just to have plenty of white meat for the clan to feast on throughout the weekend.   I put a little of each on my plate to compare side by side.  There was no comparison.  The fresh turkey was delicious and the other was tasteless, dry, and well...yukky.  I wonder if I'd have noticed had they not been  eaten together.  Incredible difference!   As you might expect, the fresh turkey got devoured and the other hardly got touched.  I think today it'll finally be used for sandwiches.

Show Me...My Kitchen

Robert's second subject in this Show Me photo project is about our kitchens.  It could be the entire kitchen or any part thereof...including utensils.  I decided to show something we keep on our island because, to me, it's where some of my favorite things are kept.

 

That's fresh basil on the left.  Not only does it make food taste deliciious, and have a wonderful aroma, but it helps keep flies away.  Next to it in the foreground is our latest bottle of dipping oil...love having some with good bread.  This particular one was bought at Balducci's in Alexandria.  It's awesome!  The tall bottle is some olive oil and the roundish bottle is some home-made sake that was given to us.  I haven't tried it yet.  Last, but not least, is our fruit bowl.  Apples and and a peach in it now, but it's held many different things through the course of the summer.  We eat a lot of fruit solo, but it's also good with some wine and cheese. 

So there you have it...my kitchen...or at least a part of it.



Post Note
This is too weird!  This morning we were going to town and when we got to the end of our road we saw this:

Our across the main road neighbor decided to go straighten out the mailboxes.  Just like that.  He lined them up and put a nice brace behind them.  It was incredible...I said to him "did you read my blog?"  I don't think he had a clue what I was talking about.  Here's the man of the hour:

More Show Me Posts found here

Wine Rack

bydamanti

I keep my wine rack stocked while here at Blackberry Ridge.  I like to sip on the "fruit of the gods" in the afternoons and savor being in our little corner of the world.  The second bottle down is the current selection.  I'm no conisseur, but I know what I like and it's a good one.  I usually don't pay more than $15 a bottle and  I confess I often choose my wines by what label appeals to me.  While some may scoff, I've had really good success with this formula! 

Once in a while I do partake of the local winery offerings.  Should you come to this part of the world and like wine, be sure to check them out.  You can literally make an entire vacation of traveling to Virginia wineries.  We have several right in our backyard.  

The most well known is Chateau Morrisette. It's big and bold in its timberframe architecture and offerings. Then there's Villa Appalachia...a quieter venue that makes you feel like you've just dropped into Tuscany.  Both of those are a stone's throw from Floyd on the Parkway. Also nearby is  Am Rhein Wine Cellars on Bent Mountain heading to  Roanoke...again right off the Parkway.  They specialize in whites.  

Cheers!

First Berries

The first blackberries of the year are in. I picked them today and have them washed and ready for eating...on my cereal, in a pie, or all by themselves.

From the looks of the vines, it's going to be a bumper crop.  The primary thicket is all along  our road, but now we have bushes popping up down our side fence line.  

  

We didn't call this place Blackberry Ridge for nothing!

It Was Bound To Happen

Well, given the state of the economy, it was bound to happen.  Starbucks announced today that it will close 600 of its lower performing stores in the U.S. and will open fewer than 200 new company operated stores in 2009.  It seems fewer people are willing and/or able to fork over $5 for a cup of joe these days.  Well, there were too many of them...literally only a block apart in some cities. 

I am a bit concerned that the store that opened in Christiansburg about a year ago will be one of the casualties.  Given its location, I'm guessing it's got to be one of the poorer performers. My consumption of Starbucks has decreased to almost nothing since retiring, but I still like knowing it's there for those occasions when I feel like treating myself to a shot while running errands.  I don't do it often, but I like knowing it's there. 



Post Note
Most of the time I  get my fix of expresso at Floyd's very own  Cafe del Sol.   It's a warm and welcoming part of our community.

Tea Is Served

Tea Is Served
bydamanti

This is how my tea was served at Chateau Morisette Winery when Judy took me there for my birthday last month.  We're going back there today with our weekend house guests and hoping for good weather so we can sit on the patio and look out at the mountains again.   Since the forecast is 70 percent chance of rain, I'm not counting on it.  Bad timing,  the rain...but I ain't complaining!

How I Eat Oreos

 

for the record...

when I eat Oreos
I eat them whole. 
no twisting, no licking, no deciding what to eat first.
I want it all and I want it all at the same time...
chocolate and creme
hard and soft.

and...for the record...
when I eat them, I dunk them.
oh, not sopping wet...
but just enough to let the milk caress  its form
without destroying its texture. 
It's an art form to do it properly. 

but...for the record...
I don't eat them much at all.