Sunday, August 31, 2014

Kitchen Duty Helpful Tip


When you want to wipe the inside of a glass jar dry with a paper towel or cloth and the jar - or something else that is to narrow to fit your hand into to be able to reach well, use the handle of a spoon with a long handle as your hand. Works great!


Thursday, August 28, 2014

Building My Bucket List



  • Play at the Ryman
  • Play at the Grand Ole Opry
  • Hug a Redwood Tree
  • See the Grand Canyon
  • See the Niagara Falls
  • Visit Monument Valley
  • Dip my feet in the Pacific Ocean
  • Go on a trip to the Smoky Mountains
  • Play a Pigeon Forge Venue
  • Play a Branson, Missouri venue

What's on your Bucket List?

Thursday, August 21, 2014

My Favorite Fair Fares


What I love the most about fairs: the food of course :-)
American Fairs also have music entertainment, while the Swedish do not, but they have more vendors.
Descriptions in English for the Swedish Fair Fares and in Swedish for the American Fair Fares.

Branda Mandlar.
 (Swedish Fare. Roasted, salted almonds with a chewy almond paste coating)

Fried Pickles.
 (American Fare. Panerad, friterad inlagd gurka med vitlöksdressingsdip) 

Funnel Cake.
(American Fare. Krispig, söt, friterad kaksmet pudrad med florsocker)

Langos.
(Swedish Fare originating from Hungary. Fried bread with garlic butter, sour cream and grated cheese)




Could I have one of each, please?

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Kriz Rogers' Grahamsbullar (Whole Wheat Yeast Rolls)


Kriz Rogers’ Grahamsbullar (Whole Wheat Yeast Rolls)

Yields 16 rolls


            You will need: 

·  5 dl water  (2.1 cups)
·  50 g butter (1.8 oz)
·  1 pouch dry yeast
·  ½ tsp salt
·  1 tbsp maple syrup
·  6 dl Whole Wheat Flour (2.5 cups)
·  5 dl All Purpose Flour (2.1 cups)
·  2 tbsp olive oil

                             + All Purpose Flour for working the dough on the counter.


               Directions:

Heat the water to between 43 to 46 degrees Celsius (110 to 115 Fahrenheit) and pour it into a preparation bowl. Add the butter, salt and maple syrup and stir until the butter has melted. Add flour and yeast and stir until it forms a dough that is sticky and doesn’t cling to the bowl. Sprinkle olive oil over the dough. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel to let the dough rise for about 30 minutes.

Pour some All Purpose Flour onto the surface you’re going to be working on and scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the surface. Work in flour into the dough until it’s not sticky anymore. Cut the dough in half and cut each half into eight pieces. Roll the pieces between your hands until shaped as rolls. Place the rolls on greased baking pan or pan with parchment paper on it. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the rolls rise for 30 minutes.

While the rolls are rising, heat the oven to 225 degrees Celsius (440 degrees Fahrenheit).


Bake the rolls just below the middle rack for 12 minutes. Let them cool and put them in storage bags. Freeze the ones you're not going to eat within three days.


One roll only takes 20-30 seconds to thaw in a micro wave.

My favorite way to enjoy them is to spread butter on them when they're warm and sprinkle a little shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top.

Kriz Rogers' Grahamsbullar (Whole Wheat Yeast Rolls)

Friday, August 8, 2014

A Night At The Fair

Yaaay, I've been to my first fair! About time you might say since I've been living here for 5 1/2 years ... the fair was the Williamson County Fair. The weather was a little bit thundery-like, so they did not run the rides, but the BIG thing for me was that Bill Anderson was performing. Nadine (from Larry's Country Diner), Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius too, but we got there just in time to grab something to eat and then watch Bill Anderson's set. How much I enjoyed it ... I cried, I laughed and sang along. It felt like Christmas. More even so when Chase bought me the book "I hope you're living as high on the hog as the pig you turned out to be", that I had on my Christmas wish list last year, but didn't get, but I got it now :-) Chase remembered; he even kept my wish list until now, how sweet is that?!! So, even if it came a rain shower or two (the performances were inside though), my heart was full of sunshine.

A "frozen" Ferris Wheel.

Autographed  Bill Anderson picture and my "Christmas" gift.


PS. When I walked up to Mr. Anderson, I wanted to thank him for singing a favorite song of mine. But I got a little tongue tied, so I said "Thank you for singing Tear Drops", although I very well know the title of the song is "I Love You Drops" ... I guess he now has a new story to tell ...

A Diverce Album

  The songs on here are mostly downbeat. Is that the proper way of saying the opposite of upbeat? (musically speaking. the answer is no. Jus...