Recipe of the Week - Creamed Cabbage

 

I heard this dish mentioned somewhere but I can't remember where.  It was most likely on one of the food podcasts I listen to, but to be honest, I don't know.  Anway, wherever I heard it, they did not discuss the dish except that it's basically like creamed spinach only with cabbage.  The name stuck with me and I decided to come up with my own version.  I'm sure there are plenty of recipes out there for creamed cabbage, but since I'd made creamed spinach plenty of times I had the confidence to try this on my own.  And I was very happy with the results and I hope that you enjoy it!

Creamed Cabbage

1 medium head of cabbage, chopped or shredded

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Tbsp butter

8 oz cream cheese, cubed

1/2 cup heavy cream or half & half

salt & pepper

Shredded parmesan

Cook cabbage and onion over medium high heat in butter until soft.*  Reduce heat to medium and add cream cheese.  Stir until the cream cheese is melted.  Add cream, salt and pepper.  Stir until everything is well combined and heated through.  Transfer to serving dish and top with shredded parmesan.

*Cook the cabbage to your desired consistency. I tend to like mine on the softer side, so I cook it longer than some people might.  

"Small World" - Pat Suzuki

 I was listening to an album by Pat Suzuki earlier this week.  She is best known for being in the original cast of Flower Drum Song and introducing the classic "I Enjoy Being a Girl" to the world.  I have several of her records and absolutely love her voice.  Here's her version of "Small World" from Gypsy.  I hope you enjoy it!

Simple Gifts

 I heard this arrangement the other Sunday on With Heart and Voice and thought it was beautiful.  I love the message of simplicity that this song always brings.  It makes me really stop and appreciate everything that I have in life.

The Firsts of Grief

 Anytime you grieve the loss of someone or something, you always have to go through a series of firsts.  That's one of the things that I hate the most about grief because no matter how many times you've been through the grieving process, the firsts will always be there.  Losing Squirt has been very painful at times, but I know it was the right thing to do for him and for myself.  Still, those first firsts were really difficult.  And it's the small things that bring on the emotion.  The first time I had to leave the house for work was awful.  My morning used to be filled with getting things done for Squirt before work and all of a sudden I had this huge void in the morning.  I didn't have to do my checklist of things before leaving for work.  And I found that I missed having that routine.  Frankly, it sucked.

And other things as well.  The first time coming home from work and him not being there.  The first thunderstorm without him.  They used to scare the crap out of him, but in the last year not so much.  Still, those memories came to the forefront when the storm passed through.  The first time I sneezed was hard because it used to startle him and I would apologize.  Suddenly, there was no one to apologize to.  I know that there will be many more firsts over the next year.  I'm not looking forward to them but it's all part of the process.  I will get through it.

That is all.

Things That I Enjoy Doing

One of the things that I am focusing on right now is doing things that I enjoy doing.  Things that make me happy.  I am finding that the things that bring me joy are usually things that are right under my nose.  They most often do not cost me any money or if they do, it's very little.  It is important to have these things that you enjoy doing because everyone needs those things to make life better.  It may sound silly or simple but taking the time to treat yourself to something you like doing is an important part of self-care.  And I'm all about the self-care these days!  Here are some of mine (which most of you already know LOL):

Christmas Records

I love Christmas, but especially the music.  It was always such a large part of our holiday season when I was growing up and that still rings true for me today.  I love finding "new to me" Christmas records and my collection is ever growing.  I think I have close to 200 Christmas albums on vinyl so far.  And the great thing....and dangerous things... is that at the used bookstore where I get most of my records, most of the ones I find are for only a quarter and in near perfect condition.  I can spend less than $10 and walk out with a stack of holiday goodness.  I listen to them all the time.  I try not to subject anyone else to them outside of December, unless it's another enthusiast. But it's my happy music.  No matter what kind of mood I'm in, putting on a Christmas record will always lighten my mood.

Old Houses

I love old houses.  I love going in them when I can and exploring the architecture and the craftsmanship that went into their construction.  I love looking at the floor plan and seeing how everything is laid out.  Of course, I always love the decor as well, but I really like looking at the history behind the house.  Right now, I tend to watch videos on YouTube on old houses as sometimes tickets to these houses can be pricey.  But it's a fun way to pass the time and gives me something to dream about.  One day, I'll have an old house and I will add my history to it.  That's the dream, anyhow!

Sunday Lunch

I love to cook, and I love to set the table.  I have all of these dishes, so why not use them if for no other reason than I enjoy it.  Sunday lunch was always a part of my life when I was growing up.  Even though I didn't help with the food, I did help with getting the table ready.  After I started living on my own again, I decided that I wanted to treat myself each week to a good meal and a fun table.  I like selecting the menu and, at the same time, selecting the serving pieces the dishes will go in.  It's fun for me.  Right now, Sunday lunch is just for me but I'm hoping to open it up again one day to friends.  There's nothing like a table full of friends enjoying a meal together!

Letter Writing

I'm very old fashioned in this sense.  I love getting letters and cards in the mail.  That is, when the post office decides that I actually live in my house and haven't moved....but that's for another blog.  Anyway, in order to get letters I need to write letters.  And I try to write as many as I can.  I put it on my list to write one every day but that never works out, so I'm satisfied with getting several written each week.  Last month, I only got 13 letters out in the mail.  I need to work on it this month if I want to do better as there isn't much time left!!

Going Through Boxes

As strange as this may sound, I love going through boxes of stuff and seeing what's in there.  When my love of antiques kicked in as a young man, I went through every nook and cranny of Grandmother's house, discovering lots of treasures and lots of history.  That's one of the things I love is learning about the history of things...who they belonged to, where they came from, etc.  As I am slowly....very slowly...trying to organize my garage, I am going through boxes of stuff.   Some of it gets trashed because the condition it is in, but most of the things I find bring back wonderful memories of times gone by and the people associated with them.  I love that!  Of course, I can't unpack everything and have a place for it, but I can get them repacked and organized somewhat better.  That's a goal anyway.  But I have found lots of wonderful things that I'd forgotten I had.  And I have enjoyed sorting through all of them and still have many, many boxes to go!  

Auctions

 I've been going to some estate sales lately and having a wonderful time.  Some friends of mine in Burlington have been taking me to them over the past few weeks.  It's not only nice to get out of the house more, but it's nice to have people to do things like this with.  Also, it's a whole lot of fun to see inside some of these houses and how they are laid out.  In some ways it does feel like you're trespassing and rifling through people's personal belongings.  Well, that's pretty much what you're doing only it's legal.  Ah, well.

Anyway, going to these sales and the thrift stores and the antiques stores has made me really miss live auctions.  I haven't been to one in years.  I went to my first auction as a young teenager.  It was either the summer of 87 or 88, I can't remember which.  Some friends of ours, the Glenns, had opened up an auction house and invited us to one of their sales.  It turns out that the items being sold were from the estate of a cousin of ours, Isabel Wolfe.  Isabel's will and estate were shady deals and no one in the family was told about this auction.  We only found out because of the Glenns.  But we went and I was hooked.

I loved being able to peruse the items before the sale.  Pouring over the tables of collectibles, I found exactly what I wanted to bid on.  It was a silver Victorian butter dish.  It didn't have its insert anymore but I loved its shape and I became determined to have it.  And, when it came up, I bid and eventually won it for $30.  It was the first auction purchase I'd ever make...but certainly not the last.  Mom bought her great grandfather's walnut desk at that auction as well.  It was a good day for us.

We started going to auctions regularly, both at the Glenn's and at a place in Indian Trail called Lilly's Auction.  Lilly's was more upscale because they had a good following nationwide, but you could still find bargains if you knew what you were looking for.  I bought a brass banquet lamp there once for $18.  It's nothing fine, but I still love it and use it on my buffet these days.  Sometimes Grandmother went with us to these.  Sometimes our good friend Bobbie Yandle went with us.  It was always fun and I miss that.  You started seeing lots of the same people at these auctions and there was a sense of community about it.

While Ebay is nice, it's not the same.  But, both with online and real time auctions, I do give myself a limit and make sure that I stick to it.  Otherwise I'd max out my credit card.  But it would be fun to go to a real live auction again.  Any bidders?

Buying My First TV

 Buying things can sometimes be classified as a rite of passage.  Buying your first car (not necessarily the first car you drove, but the first one you purchased yourself).  Buying your first home (haven't gotten to that one yet).  Those are two examples of buying things that can be considered substantial purchases.  The older that I get, the less I am concerned about the size of a purchase and more about having the resources to guy it.  I am achieving financial goals at very small steps and I am proud of that.  Admittedly, my history with money has not been the best, but it taught me a great foundation to build upon...and it's NEVER too late to start building that.  

So, last week was Amazon Prime days.  If you shop on Amazon, you know there are good deals to be had.  But one can also get carried away because people will buy things they don't need simply because it is a good deal.  Well, I went into prime days with a definite game plan.  I was there looking for possible Christmas gifts....yes I start shopping early...and also a tv.  Michael has the tv that was in our den now and I wanted one to replace it.  My tv is hanging in the bedroom and while I like having it there, it's not good for having people over to watch something.  And sometimes when I eat dinner, I want to sit in front of the tv and it would be nice to sit on the sofa and eat and not in the bed and eat LOL

I found a great deal.  It was in my budget and was the size screen I wanted.  I put it in my cart and got it for myself.  Now, you may think it's just a tv....big deal.  Well, to me it was.  This was the first time in my 48 years of life that I bought a television for myself.  I have bought several in the past to give as gifts but never one for myself.  Most of my tv's have come from either friends who didn't need them anymore or from family members who passed away.  This was my first time buying one just for me.  I had the means to do it and it felt good to be able to provide something for myself that I wanted.  In the end I would have been fine if it had not worked out and I would have gone on with life.  But it's nice to know you can treat yourself and that you've earned that.

That is all.