And yet another forum visitor...

annie1992

16 years ago

Right after Elery and I met Tami, Sherry called. She and Roger were on their way north for a short vacation and planned to stop in White Cloud, was I free? Oh boy, was I ever!!

We had just had the ducks slaughtered and Elery put a couple of them in the smoker, so I promptly asked Sherry and Roger to come to dinner

Sherry brought some Limoncello and some wine, including a bottle of cherry wine from Black Star Farms that no one liked except me because I'm the only one that drinks sweet wine. Ah well, more for me!

So, here's supper. I was at work all day so Elery cooked. We had smoked duck with dark cherry sauce, a potato gratin with red peppers and Dubliner cheese from Trader Joes, green beans with tomatoes and onions, maple oatmeal bread and Marilyn's lemon brownies.

The ducks were the ones we raised, the cherries had been picked at a local orchard. The potatoes were from the garden, as were the green beans, tomatoes and onions. The maple syrup in the bread was a gift from Tami_ohio. Since I haven't figured out how to grow lemons in Michigan, I had to stop at the grocery for the lemon in the brownies. As always, I doubled the lemon juice, Sherry and I both like a strong hit of lemon. It's a good recipe and I make it often.

After dinner we just stuck the dishes in the sink for later and sat and talked, with some wine and some Limoncello.

Isn't that a cute little glass with the Limoncello? It was a wedding gift from San and I finally got to use them! The wine glasses are less fancy, they were freebies from various wineries where we got samples, LOL.

Sherry didn't mind, I don't think:

As always, we had a wonderful visit, and made plans to get together again soon. She and Elery went through a couple of bottles of wine, though, so she might not remember. (grin) I'll remind her.....

I sent her back to the camper with a dozen fresh eggs and a loaf of the maple oatmeal bread.

Annie

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Comments (15)

lindac
16 years ago
AAH...What fun!!
doucanoe
16 years ago
Holy Moly, girl! You are one hot commodity lately! LOL

Your dinner looks superb. Those lemon brownies are fab, aren't they?

And Sherry looks like she didn't mind a bit! heehee.

Sounds you all had a great visit! Glad you got to spend a wonderful evening together.

Linda
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Annie and Elery were the perfect hosts - much better than my own family (except for Kevin). Annie and I did have endless talks every evening, and we got along famously. I really feel a deep and close connection to her, as if we actually were related. Anyway, I think of her as the sister I always wanted - maybe if my brother Mike had been born a girl. Mike is just one or two days older than Annie. We saw great sights in Michigan, and yes there are lots of photos - I took about 600 while I was in Michigan, and so it going to take a while for me to sort through them. From Michigan we went to Philadelphia so that Kevin could attend a World Ostomy Convention, which I think was very helpful for him. I did make a day trip to northern NJ to visit one of my members from the Del Shannon fan club. She had saved letters I had written to her when I was 15 plus bulletins that I published for the fan club. We had never met in person, but she found me on a Del Shannon web site and contacted me a few years ago - 50 years after we had been pen pals. It was very interesting meeting her, but that is another story altogether. After Philadelphia, we went straight back to Los Angeles (plenty of non-stop flights for that!) last Sunday, and the vacation ended immediately because I had a ton of things to do in California regarding the house we just bought in Cathedral City that we are renovating and an interview I had for a new furniture design project. Therefore I have had very little spare time or time to fully write about my trip to Michigan. I finally got around to sending Annie a thank you email, and I just got around to writing and mailing her a thank you note a couple of days ago - so sorry for the delay! We're in Cathedral City right now (Kevin plus sister and BIL), and so I am having to use my laptop, which is a bit awkward for me, but not as bad as a phone or even a tablet. I don't have the photos with me, and I won't have access to them until middle of next week. The trip to Traverse City was especially nice, and I wish I had taken Elery's advice and had dinner there, as it is an extremely charming little city. We especially liked climbing the small lighthouse at the end of the peninsula, and we got good photos there, as well as in town. I took an accidental selfie while photographing a store window that I liked. St. Ignace was very interesting as well, and we enjoyed our day on Mackinac Island. I'll write more about that later - we took some great photos there. From St. Ignace we went to Sault Ste. Marie, and that town was also extremely charming and picturesque. I think we took most of our photos at the locks, and we should have photographed the town more. It's extremely old - I think it was founded in 1672. We did not cross the bridge to the Canadian side because Kevin did not bring his passport. I always have mine with me, and so I could have gone. Annie fed us very well - mostly with food that she had grown or raised, and we also got fresh cherries from a roadside stand, as she mentioned. All of the meals were special, and every morning Annie made me a scrambled egg, using her own eggs, of course, which were extremely tasty. I ate them plain with no salt or pepper (except for an occasional addition of some hot sauce), and I found that they did not need salt or any other flavorings. Definitely the best eggs I have had since my childhood when I collected eggs on my parents' farm. Next week you can expect a barrage of photos and more stories. I am so glad we did not overstay our welcome with Annie - we were there nine days, I think, but that includes the two days we went to St. Ignace. All in all, it was a great trip, and I would love to go back some day, especially now that I know more of what to expect. And we would not be following GPS through seasonal roads requiring four wheel drive.
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mustangs81
16 years ago
Fantastic! I'm happy the four of you got together again. I'll say it again, Elory and Roger are two great guys!

Sherry made me drink 2 big glasses of Limoncello at her house! She's trying her best to make me a social drinker. LOL
pkramer60
16 years ago
It sounds like you had a great time...if Sherry remembers....yup, she will! And the food! YUM.

Cathy, limoncello with cranbery juice....I have to go pick up a bottle.

Lemon brownies...recipe please.
Tracey_OH
16 years ago
You are quite the entertainer Annie! Who would have thought White Cloud would become such a hotspot :)? Dinner looks great as usual. I need some desserts for tonight and those lemon brownies just may be it. They look awesome! Glad you guys had a fun visit.

Tracey
annie1992
Original Author
16 years ago
Oh yes, we always have a great time with Sherry and Roger. Sherry is nearly as intense as I am and Roger is just so laid back and mellow.

Cathy, TWO glasses of limoncello? Straight? Nope, you're a better woman than I am, I couldn't do that. Now, I should have mixed it with cranberry juice, maybe I could have drank that.

The lemon brownie recipe? OK, here it is. I double the lemon juice and I add a teaspoon of baking powder because I like them lighter than the original recipe, without it they are denser. I also do not wait for them to cool, I mix lemon juice, zest and powdered sugar to a glaze and pour it over the hot brownies. When they cool the glaze sets and gets kind of crunchy, if that makes sense.

Lemon Brownies
Marilyn-Cooking Forum

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter; room temperature
4 eggs
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Zest from 1 lemon
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Additional lemon zest for garnish

Preheat oven to 350Â°. Line the bottom only of a 9X13X2-inch baking dish with Parchment paper and spray with Pam. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt; add butter. Stir together eggs, juice from 1/2 lemon and zest from 1 lemon; stir into batter and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. When brownies are cool prepare glaze by stirring together powdered sugar and 2 tablespoon lemon juice; drizzle over brownies and sprinkle with additional lemon zest.

Oh, and I don't line the pan with parchment because it's hard to peel off the bottom when I cut the brownies. I grease and flour the pan and the brownies come right out!

Annie
lyndaluu2
16 years ago
What a wonderful visit...the food look delicious.
We had two old Air Force buddies of Lee's stop by for a few days.
We had smoked pheasant (Yum), Venison and antelope ragout, fresh green beans from the garden (Bob's). What a nice visit...
Linda
jessyf
16 years ago
Ack Sherry and a few others I'm sure could drink us under the table, Annie. I've tried to build up alcohol tolerances since we occasionally go out to dinner with wine people who really know their stuff but I still almost end up with my face in the plate, passed out.

Where is Dexter?!?
mustangs81
16 years ago
Yeah, where is Dexter?

Pep, I forgot that I mixed it with cranberry juice! And I forgot that it was going to be my go-to drink because it was good.
trixietx
16 years ago
Oh, what a great time you had. Thanks for the lemon brownie recipe, yours look so good in the picture.
wizardnm
16 years ago
Annie, looks like you had a great time and yes, Sherry remembers. She told me when I saw her and Roger today. They stopped to visit at the store, while I was working. So good to see them.

I met Tami_Ohio last weekend too. I need to download the pictures.....still in the camera. We had a nice visit.

Nancy
sheshebop
16 years ago
I may LOOK totally soused in that picture, but I remember everything (even that I think I drunk Elery under the table, hee hee).
Annie and Elery and Roger and I always have a great time. Thanks Annie for your last minute wonderful hospitality, and thank you Elery for your fabulous supper.
Annie, Roger wants that oatmeal maple bread recipe. I think it is his new favorite. We both loved it. I wished I had brought peanut butter, cause I knew it would be fabulous with peanut butter. Yummy. the lemon brownies you sent us with lasted until breakfast this morning. Yum.
And it was great to see Nancy, also. I don't know what that girl did, but she looked hot. Ten years younger. We had a wonderful visit with her at American Spoon Fruit, and she sent us on our way with pancake flour and marmalade.
And for those who asked, Dexter was napping in the camper.
Lake Michigan was beautiful and powerful as it always is. My love affiar with the lake and our beautiful (but poor) state is still intact. It was sad to come home. I could have used another week. Except 4 nights in a camper bed is about all my back can take.
Thank you Michigan friends for your hospitality and friendship. Especially considering that this trip was extremely last minute (like most of my trips).
Now next weekend I am going to Detroit to IKEA and Trader Joe's with a friend from work.
annie1992
Original Author
16 years ago
Yes, Sherry, you did indeed drink Elery "under the table". Or under the chair, maybe, but I think he may have had a headstart, sampling the wine as he cooked, LOL. And you weren't soused in that picture. Not yet. (grin)

I agree with Roger, that maple oatmeal is one of my favorite breads. The secret ingredient? Coffee is the liquid instead of milk or water. It adds a darker color and doesn't taste like coffee at all, it's yummy. Of course you know that I just toss everything in the bread machine, wet ingredients first, dry on top, yeast on the very top. Hit "dough" and when it's done I slap it into a pan, let it rise and bake it. Oh, and I always double it.

MAPLE OATMEAL BREAD

3 Â 3 1/4 cups flour
1 pkg dry yeast
3/4 cup prepared coffee
1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 (scant) cup maple syrup
2 tbls butter
1 tsp salt
1 egg

Combine a cup of flour and the yeast. Heat coffee, oats, syrup, butter and salt until just warm and butter is almost melted. Add to flour mixture along with egg. Beat with electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes kneading). Shape dough into a ball, place in lightly greased bowl, and turn over once to grease surface of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about an hour.

Punch down dough, cover and let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile lightly grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Shape dough into a loaf and place into prepared pan, cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (30 to 45 minutes). Bake at 350 F about 30 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.

Makes 1 loaf (14 slices)

Each slice contains 149 calories, 3 grams total fat, 2 grams sat. fat, 1 gr fiber, 26 gr. Carbs, 196 mg sodium, 4 gr protein. (Contains 8% of daily requirement of iron)
annie1992
Original Author
16 years ago
Oh, and Nancy's looking hot? Now I gotta go visit her too!

Annie
mustangs81
16 years ago
Sherry, I'm glad that you had a great spontaneous vacation. And to have friends who welcome you at short notice is indeed a sign of friendship.

Yea! I don't have to go to Orlando for IKEA, we got one here a few months ago. But the Trader Joe's has been put on hold until 2012. Have fun.

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