Cowgirl Goods

Mama Mia

Yes I know I said I was not going to post any of my own food photos.  Well, when you can't wait to get out of work so you can have leftovers for dinner it justifies a photo.  My foodie pal Joe F is Italian and a damn good cook.  We go to his house for "gravy".  Now I have NEVER been able to pull off Italian food, it's either too sweet, too watery, too thick or tastes like crap.  It's never on my radar to cook because I totally SUCK at it.  I just go to Joe F's for Italian.  Well he posted his recipe for the simplist Marinara.  Oh....My...Holy...Dipped...In....Red....Sauce!  I finally tried it.  SO damn easy.  Here it is, I'm going to edit it a little.  He and I went to the same truck drivers school of potty mouth.

Marinara
28 ounces of good tomatoes (Strianese or Sclafani's typically)
2 garlic cloves sliced razor thin
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

If the tomatoes are whole crush them by hand in a bowl. Film a saute pan or a big skillet with the olive oil. Put the sliced garlic in and turn the heat up to medium. Slowly sweat the garlic until the oil is fragrant and the garlic is translucent. Big note, don't burn the f$#@$g garlic, it will taste shitty. Don't even brown it, if it browns or burns throw it out, wash the pan and start again.

Add the crushed pepper flakes, turn the heat up to medium high, and immediately add the tomatoes. Thin with hot water if necessary (usually when using the Sclafani's). When the sauce is bubbling, turn the heat down to a simmer. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes, that's all there is to it, no shit. Dress your favorite pasta with this sauce, simple.

I had a ton of fresh basil that I added to this.  NOW here is another slick trick.  Cook your pasta, drain it, put it in a bowl then toss it with just a little of this sauce.  It seems to coat it and absorbs just the right amount so when you put the sauce on top it's just like Mama's.  Oh and don't forget the cheese......the salad, the wine........relax and enjoy.

The Show Must Go On.......

.....kind of feeling that way these days.  This is my buddy Andy, he lives with my all time favorite Westie Tippy.  Love these dogs, love the owner, they rescue Westies.  I'm telling you if you are looking for a little rugged dog with a GIGANTIC heart get a Westie.  Call me and I'll hook you up with Kerri because RESCUE a Westie.  Love these little guys. 

I'm kind of in summer vacation mode, like not do anything mode, but I'm working on some new stories, maybe a face lift (for the blog not me...eeewww) not sure yet.  When I heard from Lisa L that she was, "missing me."  I thought...."yep the show must go on........"

 

Here's to a nice long weekend!

Take on whatever you want to this weekend.

~Marjorie~

Cypripedium reginae ~ Lady Slipper

Art At Your Feet

Now this is really cool and I'm sorry I missed it.  On Saturday was Art At Your Feet in Blissfield, Michigan, that's where my folks live.  Great little town with people who like to get things done and have fun.  Todays photo's are from my Mom's buddy and one of the founders of Blissfield's Art At Your Feet, Nancy Haefner.  People enter and each one is judged.  They close the street down for the day.  They had a beautiful day and Nancy said now it's fun to see cars driving over them.  The participants are young and old and the  theme this year was "Green".  I don't know about you but I think this is pretty darn cool.  THANKS NANCY!  I'm marking my calender for next year because I just love this!

 

Outside....A Lot

I'm reconsidering having our riding lawn mower fixed or inventing some kind of "stunt growth" spray.  Hmmmm that would probably be Round-up uh?  Damn grass.  It sure is "perdy" and so rewarding when it's done though.  Nothing like logging 10 miles in mowing this week. Maybe I need a "rent a kid".

Our little camp in the woods is open for the season!  YES!

Someone got their fleece cut, oh the drama of shearing day.

Then there is "project brick".  I LOVE bricks, weird I know.  I have plans to make a little brick patio area for the firepit.  There are a lot of bricks around here.  Well my buddy Mona at work lives in an ancient house.  She said to me one day, "Hey Marj I had the kids tear up the walk way and the chimney fell down years ago, so I have bricks for you."  I mentioned I was looking for bricks, she tears up her walkway.  Mona and I have very interesting conversations.  So I got some bricks from her.  We also have an old brick pile here in the woods.  It's the gift that keeps on giving along with poison ivy and ticks!  I dug up all kinds of bricks and I wish I knew where they came from because they are old.  Some of them were so well preserved because they had been buried, I bet some of them are way over 100 years old.  Cool.  I just need a few more.  Any one have a brick pile I can dig through?  I did want to be an archaeologist when I was a kid. 

So that's where I've been.  Outside.  Heading back out there today, LOVE IT! 

For your listening pleasure.

 

We are still all walking on the clouds about the benefit concert for Brett last Sat. night.  Some videos are popping up and this just went up.  It's the first and last song of the night.  Watch it to the end and you will see why there was not a dry eye in the place.  Priceless.

Now I'm going to share this next video but before you hit play you have to understand who you are listening too.  The singer is Daniel Johnston, Johnston has been diagnosed with manic depression and schizophrenia which has been a recurring problem throughout his life.  I'll admit the first time Joe played him for me I thought, "uh??"  Then I find out Brett tours the world with him.  They go way back.  Daniel flew up to do this show.  I know I keep mentioning to watch his documentary but it is really interesting The Devil In Daniel Johnston

So here is the video of a song that will stick in your head for at least a day!  Some of you are going to think I'm nuts, some of you won't like it, some of you will love it and some of you might get curious.  Actually I'm going to give you two videos.  You can form your own opinion. But there is a child like element about him that just breaks your heart. Remember the next two videos were probably done on someones phone.

 

 

I think the comment thingy has been changed again.  Can some of you try to post a comment and let me know.  Stupid thing.  Sorry about that. 

I mention my friend Carla on this blog a lot.  I use to work for Carla at her cafe.  It was a pretty popular place, we even made it into Gourmet magazine.  We have shared some crazy food preparation moments, intense and exhausting catering jobs, we both know and recognize way too many people and I'll never forget the Christmas we made 2,474 cookies.  Carla is one of the most adventurous people I know.  She still cooks like crazy at her house and she always has a project going.  She weaves and she just warped up her loom for a project.  Higher math if you ask me. 

Her husband Paul is a boat builder and builds boats like this

Photo by Surfer guy that I forgot his name...sorry Surfer Guy

That's Paul.  He always has a wicked cool boat project going on.  So you can see that stopping by their place there is always something to check out.  Follow Carla's blog, she is always posting great recipes, she experiments A LOT and she is funny.  If you are ever in York, Maine stop by her house, I'm sure she will serve you something.  I just love how she just "does stuff". 

 

Oh sorry to all of you that comment, you have to "sign in".  My blog keeps getting spam so I had to turn that sign in thingy on again.  Those freakin' spammers need to get a life. 

Eat some dough!

I just read today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day!  I think I know what I'm making for dinner!  Yep, stirrin' me up some dough.  When I baked for Carla's Cafe man did I eat some serious dough.  It showed too.  When I had neck surgery Carla didn't bring me flowers she brought me a huge container of chocolate chip cookie dough.  I kept it in the freezer and ate a spoonful everyday.  It cures just about anything.  Well thank you to Ruth Wakefield who accidently invented these cookies.  This recipe is in my head, don't need to read the package anymore.  I have to admit I do love the Ghiradelli 65% chips.  They work very well.  Enough already, I'm hungry! 

If you don't eat cake....EAT COOKIES!

Michigan Peeps

Photo by Jen Blake, Guardian Building

This is going to be a long post.  I mowed the lawn today, we have a large lawn and for some dumb reason I like to push mow it.  It was go to the gym or push mow the lawn.  Hubby being the geek that he is calculated out the distance for me, it's about 5 1/2 miles.  So I spend some serious time in my head but I do get creative with my paths.  ANYWAY..I didn't mention to you part of what made the concert for our buddy Brett AWESOME the other night, was all his musical friends from Ohio and Michigan showed up.  Several of them performed, one of them was Rachel Davis and her husband from the band Steppin In It.  Rachel and Brett use to tour together. The back stage was buzzin with that Michigan accent and I loved it!  If we only had some Vernor's;)

So then my Mom tells me this morning to check out some pictures on her Facebook page from another friends daughter.  You know how that goes.  Well I checked out Jen's photos and OMG!  Jen and her husband and friends took a Segway tour of Detroit.  NOW I'm eating a bit of crow because I just "poo-pooed" Detroit to someone.  Shame on me.  Sorry Detroit.  I sooooo want to do this Segway tour.  Lisa's are you girls up for this?!!  Bridget? I know my Dad would do this!

Tiger Stadium, Photo by Jen Blake

Guardian Building, Photo by Jen Blake

This photo blew me away!  Even if I don't get to Segway around I want to go to this building.  This could be in many places of the world, Mexico, Spain, India....Detroit. 

Photo by Jen Blake

If you get to that Segway tour before I do let me know.  If you want to watch a fun Segway documentary watch www.10mph.com  Jen thank you for sharing the photos with me.  Plan something fun to do this summer!  Check out art, music, farm stands, go some place you have never been that is close to home.  There are gems everywhere.