The Friday Dog Blog

It's shaping up to be a beautiful September Friday!!

Michelle's double-trouble Schnauzers Smokey and Shadow know the value of a good nap.  Looks like their grand-dad does, too!!

The Oprah Book Club Selection #6 - Paradise by Toni Morrison

For September's Oprah Book Club challenge, I have chosen Paradise, by Toni Morrison....


Paradise by Toni Morrison. 1997, Alfred A. Knopf. 318 pages.

“They kill the white girl first”. Another great first line, from a compelling book by one of the premier authors of our time, Toni Morrison. I listened to this book, and wished I had chosen the hard copy instead, because I often felt the need to go back and re-read pages. This book can be rather confusing, and not being able to page back makes it even more so.

This is the story of a small Oklahoma town called Ruby, formed in 1950 and inhabited by mostly-African Americans. The founders intended the town to be free of the prejudices and hatred encountered in other parts of the world, and the little town was, indeed paradise, at least for a time.

People being people, of course, Ruby could not be paradise forever. The base, animalistic tendencies of human beings eventually destroyed what the founding fathers of Ruby built, culminating in a bloody 1976 event that begins and ends the book.

As troubles begin to creep into Ruby, the good people of Ruby look for reasons. They focus on the people who are “different” from themselves – a group of down and out women of various colors and ages who, because of their circumstances, live together in an old convent at the edge of town. These women provide support and sustenance to each other, gently caring for the older women and bolstering those who have been beaten down by people and troubles.

This is a book about tolerance and intolerance. Even the African-Americans are intolerant of those not of the same blood (color) as themselves. The book is non-linear – it veers wildly – starting with the ending and moving back and forth through time. Again, I strongly recommend that you read, rather than listen to, the book for this very reason.

I found the ending rather ambiguous, probably by the author’s design. It’s not an easy book to read, but it will definitely keep your interest and make you think.

Out of 5 stars, I give Paradise…..

* * *

The Monday Recipe Blog

Hello, hope your Monday's going good.  Here's another recipe that goes great in cast-iron.  You can also use another type of cookware, but to make it taste its best, pull out the cast iron!

Rancher's Breakfast Skillet:

You will need:

5 strips of bacon
2 T. finely-stopped onion
3 medium potatoes, cooked and cubed
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 C. mild cheddar, shredded

In a large cast-iron skillet, cook the bacon until crisp, then place it on paper towels to drain. 

Into the drippings, place the onion and potato and cook.  Then pour the beaten eggs and cook, stirring gently, until the eggs are done.  rRemove from heat, sprinkle the cheese on top and let it stand until the cheese is melted.

Serves about 4 hungry people.

The Friday Dog Blog

Hello - Hope you are having a wonderful Friday!

Tery and Barb's Max is enjoying the dog days and dreaming of a snowy, beautiful Christmas with lots of bones....

Some Cast Iron Rules

Hello - How about some more on cast iron cookware?

Even though cast iron is tough, like with all types of cookware, there are some hard and fast rules that should always be followed when caring for your prized possessions.  There are only a few, and I will list them here.  They aren't hard, and you will find that cast iron is so wonderful that this little bit of care won't bother you a bit. 

Here's a cast iron rule: Once the pan is seasoned (or if it comes pre-seasoned), never use soap when cleaning the pan. Hot water and maybe a plastic (not metal), scrubby should do the trick, and with some things such as biscuits or cornbread, you shouldn't need to wash the pan at all. Just wipe with a paper towel.


Here's another cast iron rule: Never, ever wash cast iron in the dishwater. Along with removing the seasoning, it can ruin the finish and cause you a lot more work. If you have to wash it, hand wash with no soap.

Another cast iron rule: After using the pan, always coat the inside of the pan lightly with vegetable oil or mineral oil before storing.  You don't want rust to develop, do you?

Yet another cast iron rule: Always, always dry your piece immediately after washing.  Never let it air dry. (This is another reason it can't go in a dishwasher).  Dry it with a dry towel, not a damp one.  Ensure that your pan is absolutely dry, then rub a little oil on it, then store.

And one more cast iron rule:  Make sure you have a lot of good, heavy trivets and potholders.  Cast iron is very heavy, especially with food in it, and is unforgiving when it sits on a cabinet or when you pull it out of the oven with a thin potholder.  You can purchase a super-potholder just for cast iron, or double up if you need to.

See, these are pretty easy rules to follow!  If I think of more, I'll post them later.

The Monday Recipe Blog

Hello, hope you're having a beautiful Monday.  It's almost football season, so things are looking up!

Continuing on my quest to convince the world to cook in cast iron, here is another recipe that just tastes better when cooked in a cast iron skillet.  Of course, you can bake these in lesser cookware, but it's just not the same. 

For years I have tried to replicate my grandmother's biscuits.  Still not there, but this recipe comes fairly close.  My grandmother had a huge, deep flour bin built into her cabinets.  It held 2 things - flour and an empty red baking powder can.  The can served as the biscuit cutter.  The cast iron skillet was oiled up with bacon grease, and she would dip each biscuit in the bacon grease, then turn it over and place it in the skillet.  This way, both sides got the benefit of the grease.  Maybe not the healthiest food in the world, but she baked them every day at breakfast and dinner and lived to be 92.  My grandfather, who loved her cooking, died at 91.  Hmmmm.....

Ok, here comes the recipe - not her's, but it's pretty darn close....

Buttermilk Biscuits:

4 c. flour - all purpose
2 T. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
2/3 c. unsalted butter (I'll bet my grandmother used lard)
1 1/2 c. buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and blend.  If you have a food processer with a chopping blade, it will come in handy.  If not, no big deal. 

Cut the butter into chunks, then cut it into the flour mixture.  This is where you would use that chopping blade.  Don't worry about leaving a few little chunks of butter, you won't get rid of them all. 

Add the buttermilk and mix.  With your hands knead the dough some, not a lot.  Pat the dough out on floured wax paper until it's about 3/4 inch thick.  You can also use a rolling pin. 

Cut the biscuits and place them in an oiled 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet.  If they touch each other, their sides will be soft.  If they don't, all sides will be crunchy.  Your choice.

Bake about 25 or 30 minutes, until golden brown.

The Friday Dog Blog

Hello and a HOT TGIF!  Here is your weekly dog....

Sofi Schnauzer gets her hair done at home.  Through teeth-gritting and whining, sighing and glaring.  She gets a treat when it's done, but I'm not sure she thinks it's worth it....