Family Time

My sister, Joan, and her husband, Red, came for a visit this week!  We hadn't seen each other in years and had a fantastic time catching up - it took a lot of talking which of course women do so well!

We also had fun showing them around the Charleston area.  We started with a carriage ride downtown which I think is the best way to get to know the city and find out what you want to see more of.

 Of course we had to have lunch at Tommy Condon's.

 We also had a great evening with my daughter, Christie, and her family.

 On their last day we were going to visit a plantation but the rain got in the way.  We visited the visitor's center at Fort Moultrie and then went on to Red's Ice House for lunch.

Kirby would NOT cooperate at all with getting his picture taken!

Strawberry Chapel

I was really needing an outing so today Kirby and I put Jake and our bug spray in the old van and headed out on highway 41.  We went in search of the Strawberry Chapel.  Is that a cool name or what?  Strawberry Chapel was the church for the small but thriving community of Childsbury which was founded in 1707.  Back in the early 1700's there was also a tavern and a ferry landing to cross the Cooper River.  My reading said that there was even a horse track and of course a general store, school, tanner, shoemaker and a doctor.

 I think this clearing was part of the old town.  Don't you just wish you could see the houses and people as they really were back then.

 Since this isn't really a church but a Heritage Preserve, we had no idea there would be services today and expected to pretty much have the place to ourselves.  Now we know that there are 3 services a year held in the little chapel and today was one of them!  Because of that, I was able to go inside and look around and to my delight I was allowed to take pictures!  (Before the services began of course)

Of course this isn't the way it looked in 1707 - especially the writing on the wall - but it was still cool to get to go in and look around.  Strawberry Chapel today is maintained by the Ball and Harrelson family descendents.  I saw many tombstones with those names.

This tombstone wasn't Ball or Harrelson but I always love the ones with the Confederate Flag on them....so southern.  You know the flags must be placed there for the men who fought during the war between the states.

 UPDATE - I have had a reader who did not like the fact that I have posted anything about Strawberry Chapel and I understand.  There has been a lot of vandalism in the past and the concern is that any more publicity about the chapel will cause more visits by uncaring individuals who will destroy something that is a part of our past and our heritage as Americans.  I apologize to this person but I feel we have a right to enjoy what little is left of these simple reminders of our past.  When I visited Strawberry Chapel, none of my research indicated that it was private property and that I was not welcome.  I am very respectful when I visit something so precious as this lovely spot.  I want only to share the beauty with others.  My pictures are NOT for sale and I have not given the location of this quaint chapel.  I have removed one of the pictures as requested.

Anonymous - who did not want to leave a real name wrote the following - 

It was interesting to read your blog and see the photos you took recently of Strawberry Chapel. Please remove the image showing guests standing in front of the chapel before service, and request any other persons, blogs or entities sharing your photo, to do the same.
 

Strawberry is a special place; worshiping there is a sacred and personal experience, and a time to share with family and friends in privacy. The gentleman that allowed you to enter the property to take photos did not speak for all.  

The chapel is in need of donations for continual repairs due to vandalism and time; Anyone selling photos of the chapel, grounds or graves should consider contributing to Strawberry's Restoration Fund.

Due to recent and continued vandalism, every effort is being made to inform the general public, ghosts hunters, and curiosity seekers that Strawberry Chapel, its grounds, and burial plots are private property. It may seem harsh but: Anyone entering the grounds for any reason is breaking-the-law so subject to possible arrest or a fine for trespassing. Strawberry is an active place of worship; It is not abandoned.

Hope our wishes are not misunderstood by those that may read this. Thank you very much. BHG

St. Paul Comes to Charleston

I am not even sure how to begin this post.  This is Kate Mura and me sitting at a table at Red's Ice House last night.  Kate is a blog friend from St Paul, Santa Fe and Mazatlan.  You can read her blog by clicking HERE or on my side bar.  I stumbled upon her blog some time ago and was intrigued by the fact that they had lived in Mazatlan at one time. (You know how I love Mexico)  I have continued to read her blog and this winter followed her to Santa Fe, New Mexico where they stayed for the winter.  When I read in her blog that they would be coming to Charleston for a visit I knew we had to get together!  Last night we did! What fun it was to meet these two wonderful people. 

Kirby was laughing at me as we waited at the table for them saying things like "I can't believe we are having dinner with people we have never met" and "Do you even know what they look like?".  He is used to me doing things like this though and is patient.  When they arrived, it was Kirby they recognized right away - you can't mistake my Kirby! 

We had a beer at Red's amid the crowds of Friday night warm weather partiers and then went on to Coleman Public House where it was quieter and we could talk easier.  It was a great evening and we only regret that Kate and Jim don't live here so we could repeat and repeat.  We really enjoyed their company.  Enjoy the rest of your stay in our fair lowcountry, guys and hurry back!

Easter

Ah, something other than food!!

What fun Easter is - even if your kids - and your grandkids are grown!  I love decorating Easter Eggs so we all gathered at the Shumbie's house with all the cups of dye and tools for the trade.  We aren't all that fancy with what we do; just eggs and dye and maybe a little of the wax crayon.  Some played with tape and that was pretty cool.

Even red-neck boys can have fun decorating the eggs!  He was very intent and I couldn't get his face...just that big hat!

The counter is all set up and ready for decorating the eggs.

This is Lacy and Jake - wanting their own basket of goodies.

Above you can see Casey, Brendan with his famous stare and Christie.


This last picture was taken Easter Day after our brunch.  Casey was about to leave to head back up to Clemson for another 4 weeks before he finishes up on his second year.

Lemon Cake

This is turning into a food blog.  I need to get a life!  But for now - It is what it is!  This is a wonderful simple cake that I just prepared for tomorrow - Easter.  I didn't want a rabbit cake but I also wanted something light for spring and lemon just seemed perfect.  I made it a bundt cake because I happen to like bundt cakes but you don't have to.

• 1 pkg yellow cake mix
• 1 small lemon jello
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 C. canola oil
• 3/4 C. water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 5 minutes, scrapping the sides of the bowl often.
3. Pour into your pan of choice - 9 x 13 or bundt (grease the pan or if it is non-stick, then spray with pam.
4. For the 9 x 13 inch pan, bake for 35 minutes.
5. If you use the bundt pan, bake for 45 minutes.

Make a glaze of the following -

• 2 Cups powdered sugar
• Juice of 2 large lemons

When the cake comes out of the oven (for the bundt pan method) while still in the pan use a large meat fork and poke holes in the cake.  Pour some of the glaze around on it.  Let it sit for another 5 minutes and then place on a cake plate.  Now use the fork on the top of the cake.  Slowly pour the glaze all over the top of the cake letting as much as possible soak into the cake.

Enjoy the rave reviews you will get!

Old Fashioned Meatloaf

Wonderful, simple, easy, comforting MEATLOAF!  Don't we all just love it?  I spent years and years trying to make a good meatloaf that didn't fall apart on me.  They always seemed to crumble on me! Finally I tried the recipe on the oatmeal box!  Yea!  It was great!  I have tweaked it a little through the years but it still is the basic recipe that I found 25 years ago.  My friend Arlene told me that I should post all of my recipes and I told her that sometimes what I cook is just simple home cookin' and nothing special.  But, for Arlene, I will post my meatloaf (although she told me she loves the recipe she uses and that she makes little meatloaves with cheese.  That sounds really good!)  Anyway, she gave me the idea of splitting my recipe into two loaves - because we were sitting outside enjoying a glass of wine and it was getting late to start a meatloaf.  Two small loaves cook faster than one!


And I just realizd that I have never written down the process - just the ingredients!  So here goes, folks!

Suzie's Meatloaf

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Line a shallow pan with aluminum foil (so you won't have to clean a pan!)

• 3/4 lb ground pork
• 3/4 lb ground beef (fat in the beef is bad for you but adds the flavor)
• 1/3 C. oatmeal - the quick cooking is the best
• 1/2 C. chopped onion
• 1/4 C. ketchup
• 1 egg
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• Barbeque Sauce

In a large mixing bowl mix all the ingredients together with your hands.  A spoon will not work.  Knead it well so that the beef and pork are combined.

Gather it all up into your hands and shape it into a loaf. ( I kind of toss and shape, toss and shape to pack it together nicely.)

At this point decide if you are going for one large loaf, two smaller or little individuals.

On the top press an indentation all along the length of the loaf.  Fill this with barbeque sauce.  Of course if you don't have barbeque sauce you can use ketchup.  We just like barbeque sauce better.

For one large loaf, bake at 375 degrees for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. Adjust cooking time for smaller loaves.

After 10 minutes remove the loaf to a serving plate and carefully slice.
Enjoy with mashed potatoes and a green veggie.

Brandied Chicken with Mushrooms and Apple

Saturday night dinner....I had made this a few years ago and liked it so decided to try it again because it really is pretty healthy - just a little olive oil.  Usually we think of apples with pork but it is really good with chicken also. Apples add such a new dimension to chicken and then with the onion too - excellent!!  This is not as spicy as Kirby and I prefer so for you folks with children - go for it!!

• 3-4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (I pound mine and then cut into 2 pieces)
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1/4 pound mushrooms, quartered
• 1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tart apples, peeled and sliced (granny smith or pippen)
• 1 C. apple juice
• 1/4 C. brandy
• 2 T. flour
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large skillet and brown chicken.
2. Add sliced onion and saute for 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and more oil if necessary.
3. Simmer for 5 minutes more and add the apples.
4. Pour the apple juice and brandy over the chicken and bring to a boil.
5. Cover and simmer for 30 - 35 minutes.
6. Adjust seasoning.
7. Transfer the chicken, mushrooms and apples to a serving dish leaving as much of the liquid in the pan as possible.
8. Mix the flour with enough water to make a smooth paste and stir it into the hot sauce.  Continue with medium heat, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
9. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Note: Goes well with rice.

Sun Room Update - Final, I think

I know, I keep telling you that the sun room is finished and then I add another picture and talk about it some more.  But I am having so much fun.  That is all it really is....it is all about the fun!  OK, so, we have added some stuff to the room as you can see.  We put a rug in front of the door, and more important, in front of the Doggie Door.  I put a plant in the corner that seems to be very happy and then today Kirby hung our new picture.

I took the picture last fall at Shem Creek from the new boardwalk. 

One of the things I love about this picture is the BIRDS!  They are everywhere.  Not sure they will all show up here on the blog but just check it out!

South Carolina Flag

I love it when I come home at the end of the day and see the South Carolina Flag flying at our house!  Thank you, Kirby!  Even if it is a little twisted from the breeze, it is a most beautiful flag!

And - from this website -

Dating back to 1765, the South Carolina State Flag reminds us of its role in the American Revolution and maintains its place in the annals of the Civil War with a design that was formulated as a National banner when the state seceded from the union on December 20, 1860.

Components of the current state flag were first seen in 1765, on a banner carried by South Carolina protesters of the Stamp Act. The banner that the protesters hoisted displayed three white crescents on a blue background. Ten years later in 1775, Colonel William Moultrie was asked by the South Carolina Revolutionary Council of Safety to design a banner for the use of South Carolina troops. Colonel Moultrie chose a simple and direct design that displayed a crescent on a blue field. The new flag was the same blue color of the soldier's uniforms and the crescent echoed the symbol that the soldiers wore on the front of their caps.

Almost 100 years later, South Carolina seceded from the Union it had fought to create. A new banner was needed to fly above the newly created nation. Many designs were reviewed but the General Assembly settled on one simple change to Moultrie's Revolutionary War design. A Palmetto tree was added and centered on the blue field. The Palmetto, the South Carolina State Tree, had been attributed as instrumental in Colonel Moultrie's defense of Sullivan's Island against an attack by British warships in June, 1776. Cannonballs fired at the fort from the British ships could not destroy the walls of the fort which were built of Palmetto logs. Instead, the cannonballs simply sank into the soft, tough Palmetto wood.

The flag that flies over the state of South Carolina today is of the same design that flew over the independent South Carolina during the Civil War.

Stuffed Pork Loin with Spinach, Mushrooms, Walnuts and Feta Cheese

REALLY, REALLY good!!  That is what this was.  A dinner for company.  Get all your chopping done ahead of time, putting everything in little dishes and ready to throw in.  The prep is the key.  Once I did all my chopping in leisure, it was a cinch to cook and assemble.  It passed the Kirby test too!

• ½  cup chopped red onion
• 2 T.  canola oil
• ½  cup chopped mushrooms
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic 
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• ¼  cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup parsley
• 1 T. Rosemary, finely chopped
• ¼ cup feta cheese crumbles
• 4 boneless pork loin chops (at least 1 inch thick) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a large skillet, sauté onion in canola oil until tender. Add chopped mushrooms and garlic, cook one or two minutes longer.  Add the spinach, parsley, rosemary and walnuts; cook and stir just until spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat; add feta cheese and set aside to cool
2. Cut a deep slit in each pork loin, forming a pocket. Stuff 1/4 cup spinach mixture into each chop; secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. In the same skillet, cook chops in oil for 4-8 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.  Remove chops and place in a shallow baking dish. 
3.  Bake 15 – 25 minutes, depending on how thick your pork chops are. Pork should no longer be pink inside, but don’t overcook, or it will be dry and tough. I take mine out when they have just turned from pink to very faint pink as they will continue to cook as they rest on the counter.

 PLEASE let me know if I appear to have left something out of this recipe.  It is really hard to remember everything when you are cooking.  I have gone over it and over it but I just cooked it so I am blind to it.