Betty Feezor

I truly meant to blog last night, but I managed to get side tracked in front of the computer. You know the drill, you find something that interests you and you follow one link to the other and the next thing you know it is midnight and you have no idea where the evening went.

I was home alone last night as SideStreet filled in for a band that had to cancel at the last minute at the marina. I thought about going down and at least having supper but by the time I got home I just wanted to stay in. On very rare occasions, I welcome the time alone.

So, with this time on my hands I started to plan for Lacy and Bashar's visit home in June. I always like to have a small gift for her that reminds her of home. I had thought about an old cookbook that epitomizes southern cooking. That is when the name Betty Feezor came to mind. Betty Feezor superseded the Food Network by at least 20 years. She was a true southern lady that hosted a live "homemaking" show on WBTV out of Charlotte every weekday at 1:00 pm. I used to stay with my grandmother some in the summers and we watched Betty Feezor everyday. Even on the rare occasions that my Mother was home from work, she made sure to catch Betty Feezor. Betty was real, when she burned something or made some other mistake she put it out there for all the world to see. I particularly loved the commercial for Harris Teeter where she is taking the turkey out of the oven and she is using an old beat up and bent pan just like everyone of us that really cook actually own.
Anyway, back to my search for the cookbook. I popped in the name Betty Feezor in my handy dandy google search and was shocked at what I found. It appears that my old adage "if you can't find it on Ebay or Amazon it just is not available", turns out to be true. Not to say there is not a market. Page after page revealed people with the same fond memories as mine that were on the hunt. The first one that I actually located (after an hour of searching) was $699.00, another half hour did reveal a stray copy available at $417.65!!! Now, I actually own both of these precious cookbooks, I am thinking I should make sure they are well taken care of. This is unreal.

My Mother made two recipes from Betty Feezor that I remember well. Apparently they were some of her best, as I easily found many references to both many times over during my lengthy research. I have added both to my list to make in the next few weeks. I have included these recipes for you as well.

Another surprise was some clips of her show on You Tube. There is apparently only one show that survives today. I guess with live TV they did not tape as often as we would have thought.
This show is divided into four clips and posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNGYb3PBwb8 by her son. Be sure to read his notes on the side.
After watching these clips over and over I find that my beloved Food Network now seems superficial.

Sadly, Betty passed away at 53 years old in February of 1978 from brain cancer, after 20 plus years of live television. If I believed in reincarnation (which I do not) I would want to come back as Betty Feezor. In her last show she said "live your life so that when you are gone, it will have mattered". I think she succeeded, I hope I will.

If you remember Betty I would be thrilled if you would share with us.

Betty Feezor Brownies

1 cup margarine (melted in a sauce pan)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
½ cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
nuts (optional at about ½ cup or to what you like)

Mix melted margarine and sugar with mixer. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in cocoa and then the flour. Use a spoon to mix in the nuts if you add those. Cook at 350 F for 13-20 minutes.


Betty Feezor Buttermilk Lemon Pound Cake

1 cup shortening
½ cup butter or margarine
2 ½ cups sugar
4 eggs
3 ½ cups plain flour (not self rising)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon lemon flavoring or extract


Put the margarine or butter out to soften a little before mixing up the cake, so it is easier to blend with the other ingredients.
Combine butter, shortening and sugar and cream until fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time and beat until well mixed with sugar/butter ingredients.
In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda.
Add the lemon flavoring to the cup of buttermilk.
Alternative small amounts of the flour mixture with the buttermilk and beat well after each addition. Pound cakes need a lot of mixing to get enough air in the batter so that the cake turns out high and with a good texture.
Grease and lightly flour a pound cake tube pan.
Bake in a preheated oven for around an hour and fifteen minutes. A toothpick should come out clean from the center when the cake is done.

So, until tomorrow........
S~~~

Just Another Rainy Wednesday

Today I sat I at my desk and couldn't help but stare out the window at the rain on the leaves of the trees. My window is high up in the trees and it looks so pretty in the spring and summer when the leaves shadow the window. Its not that a rainy day is unusual right now, we have had our share for sure, its just that the past few years have been so dry, this is such a blessing.

While there are only a few things that I miss about our old house, (mostly just 28 years of really good memories), the covered deck is definitely one thing I still long for. When we were building I loved the idea of having this huge wrap around deck, and thought it would ruin the look of the house if we covered even a part of it. While this may be true I sure miss sitting on the deck in the rain and reading. That, dear friends, is what I consider total relaxation.

No supper here tonight, Ronnie and the guys are practicing downstairs. I thought about making a cake that I have wanted to try for a while, Summertime Lemon Cake. I can't remember where I found the recipe but it sounds like it is worth a try.

Summertime Lemon Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 small package Lemon Jello
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup oil

Glaze
Juice and zested rind of 2 lemons
2 cups powdered sugar

Mix all cake ingredients well. Bake in greased and floured 9 x 13 pan according to directions on the box. While the cake bakes, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon zest and juice. When the cake comes out of the oven make holes all over top with a fork. Pour glaze over hot cake.

Sure sounds easy enough.

So, until tomorrow.............
S~~~

Monday on Tuesday

Today has been a Monday on a Tuesday. Need I say more?
I love having a long weekend, but the first day back is a killer every time.

Tonight brought a welcome surprise, the first lettuce and spring onions from the garden!!! I love having fresh vegetables.
This year we (I use that term loosely) planted carrots, green beans (greasy cut shorts), corn, red and yellow peppers, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, okra, radishes and cucumbers in addition to the lettuce and onions. Ronnie loves to play in the dirt, me not so much, but I do love to cook the treasures that all his hard work yields.

Supper tonight was fitting for a pseudo Monday, easy, but still really good.
I dressed the greens and sliced spring onions with a simple vinaigrette and sprinkled with some of Penzey's Florida Seasoned Pepper.

The baked pasta dish is very similar to a lasagna but much easier. The greatest part of the recipe is you don't have to pre-cook the pasta. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Baked Ziti

1 - 26 ounce can spaghetti sauce (I used Del Monte 4 Cheese)
1 - 16 ounce container sour cream
1 can beef consomme
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used a mozzarella and provolone blend)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese - fresh - not the green shaker can kind
16 ounces ziti or penne

Preheat the oven to 400* degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce with the sour cream.
Stir in consomme, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, pepper and sugar.
Add 1 cup of mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
Stir in the pasta and mix well. Pour into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour.
Remove the baking dish from the oven, uncover and sprinkle with the remaining cheeses.
Return the dish to the oven without a cover and bake for 10 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

This makes a lot, so I halved it and froze one for an even easier meal on a night when time is short.

So, until tomorrow...............
S~~~

Cagney Is Fine

Thanks so much for all your concern. Cagney is home and sleeping. When we picked her up she looked so sweet, the little pink bow was still in her hair. She had a 24 hour pain injection that will keep her drowsy for awhile. She isn't quite herself yet. Sissy went over to Cagney while Ronnie was petting her and she snapped at Sissy. This little dog has never snapped at anyone before. It must be the medication. I am just so happy this is behind her.

We had Nara Express for supper tonight. I had several errands to run and didn't get back in time to fix the chicken I planned. So I cooked it (pressure cooker)and put it in the freezer in the broth for next week. Back to Nara, I wonder what has changed there. It was basically tasteless. Disappointing too, because I always liked their teriyaki shrimp and chicken.

Tomorrow is a busy day, but I will try to pop in. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!!

So, until tomorrow......
S~~~

One More Stressful Day

Today, for a number of reasons, has been stress filled.

First, due to the economy we are most likely looking at a reduced work week. This is a tough time for all businesses that depend on corporate travel. While we hope this is a temporary slow down no one really knows. (I guess this is some of that change, I am still looking for the hope. )So, we are faced with the possibility of losing a position and a half or a voluntary reduction in hours to save these positions. With just 5 people in our office we are much like family. I know so many other offices are facing much more drastic cuts than this, so, truthfully we are thankful to be employed.

Secondly, tomorrow our baby Shih Tzu, Cagney, is being spayed. I feel so bad for her. She won't understand what is happening to her. Before we owned dogs I never understood that they are just like your children. Ronnie keeps reminding me that Sissy did fine when she was spayed, and she is much more fragile than Cagney. I posted a new picture of her tonight, so you could see how cute she looked with her new haircut. Maybe you could say a little prayer for her tomorrow.

So, comfort food was the order of the night here.


Chicken Fried Steak (Economical Version) w/ Milk Gravy*
Creamed Potatoes
Tiny English Peas
Sugar Glazed Carrots

Chicken Fried Steak With Milk Gravy

1 lb ground chuck
2 eggs - well beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. season salt
1 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 can beef consomme
1 1/2 cups milk

Mix 2 cups flour with season salt and pepper.
Shape ground beef into four thin patties.
Dip patties into flour, then beaten egg, then flour again. (Set the leftover flour aside for gravy)
Heat vegetable oil into a heavy skillet over medium high heat.
When your oil reaches frying temperature add patties.
Cook for about 6 minutes per side.
Remove and drain on paper towels.


Milk Gravy
4 tbsp. reserved flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Remove all but 4 tbsp. oil from skillet. Stir in 4 tbsp. of the reserved flour, salt and pepper.
Stir, scraping up browned bits, for about one minute or until it is browned.
Whisk in consomme and milk gradually.
Stir until thick and bubbly.
Remove from heat.
Stir well.

So, until tomorrow..............
S~~~

New Recipes and American Idol

My post is a bit short tonight. This is the final week of American Idol. Kris is my slight favorite but I really like both finalists. Ronnie leans toward Adam. Anyone else have a favorite?

I have been so slack lately when it comes to trying new recipes. So tonight I tried two.
One I liked better than the other, but I will post both and you can let me know what you think.



Paula Deen's Corn Salad Recipe

1 - 16 oz. bag frozen whole kernel sweet corn
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup green pepper - chopped
1/2 cup onion - chopped
1 - 10 1/2 ounce bag coarsely crushed Fritos Chili Cheese Corn Chips

Mix first 5 ingredients and chill. Stir in corn chips just before serving.

Chicken Pesto

1 - packet pesto sauce mix (I used Knorr)
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (thin sliced)
1 cup bread crumbs
6 slices provolone cheese
1 4 oz. can sliced mushrooms

Preheat oven to 375
Prepare pesto sauce according to package direction.

Spray rectangular dish (9 x 12 inch) with Pam

Moisten chicken with water, shake off excess, and coat with bread crumbs.
Place chicken in baking dish.
Spread pesto sauce evenly over chicken breasts.
Cover chicken with provolone cheese.
Spread mushrooms over cheese.

Bake in oven for 45- 50 minutes.


So, Until Tomorrow............
S~~~

Checking In

Another rainy day in Marion it appears.

I wanted to check in early today with the supper post, I have been lazy lately.

My plans today might change after grocery shopping but as it stands right now:

Grilled Portabello and Avocado Sandwiches on onion rolls with some type of aioli, probably roasted red pepper. I am unsure what my sides will be but possibly an old fashioned macaroni salad and baked beans.

I hope to be back later tonight.

So, Until Then................
S~~~

New Addition To The Blog Tonight

Check out the new addition on the right side. Things that make me smile.
I decided to list some of the things that make me smile in hopes that you would do the same.
Just hit the comment button and share your favorite simple things. It will be fun, trust me.
Until Tomorrow............
S~~~

Happy Mother's Day!!!

My first inclination was not to blog at all today. Then decided that I did not want to miss the opportunity to wish all the beautiful Mother's who read my blog a wonderful Mother's Day.

Being a Mother is the hardest yet most rewarding job on the planet.
While my relationship with my own Mother was very complicated I loved her dearly. She loved me too, in her own way. No two people could be more different than Mother and me, yet at times I find myself doing things just as she would. To use an old cliche "my Mother never understood me", but then I guess I never understood her either. In the end, we got past that and I learned to accept her as she was. What she was, was incredibly generous, very hard working, and talented beyond words. Mother's hand work was perfect. She knit, did needlepoint, crocheted, sewed, crafted and baked to perfection. I was always proud to wear the clothes she made for me.
Mother wasn't good at telling anyone that she loved them. Her way of showing love was to make sure we had everything our heart desired that was within her power to provide.

Our daughter is away in Pennsylvania now. Thankfully, through the use of cell phones and internet we stay in very close touch. We talk several times everyday, but still this Mother's arms long to hold her baby. Especially today. Circumstances will most likely bring them back to Raleigh in the next few months and that will make her Daddy and I very happy.

So, in honor of Mother's Day I am sharing my most treasured recipe. My Mother's chocolate fudge cake. It was my birthday cake every year for as long as I can remember, until 2002. I have had the recipe for years and never made the cake, I'm not sure I ever will. I'm afraid mine could never measure up to Mother's. I hope you make it and I know your family will enjoy it as much as our has over the years. It is without a doubt the very best cake I have ever had.

BETTY'S CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

Sift together into mixer bowl:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Crisco

Add:
2/3 cup buttermilk and beat 2 minutes at medium speed.

Then add:
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 squares unsweetened chocolate - melted
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat an additional 2 minutes

Pour into 2 - 8 or 9 inch cake pans which have been prepared with shortening and flour.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

FROSTING

3 squares unsweetened chocolate - melted
2 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
6 Tbsp. Crisco
3 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. white corn syrup (Karo)
1/4 tsp. salt

Add ingredients to a heavy saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil and boil 2 minutes, stirring.

Add:
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla and allow to cool to lukewarm.
Beat with a wooden spoon until the frosting is no longer glossy.

Spread between layers and over top and sides.

Note: Mother would never use anything but Red Band flour and Dixie Crystals sugar.
She also make sure all ingredients were room temperature before she started baking.

Saturday Ramblings

I am so excited about my new car. We just bought this Nissan Altima. My Explorer was racking up the miles driving to Asheville everyday so we decided Ronnie would drive it and we will sell the Escape that he has been driving. This Nissan reminds me of a Honda Accord that I had a few years ago and loved. We should save a ton in fuel cost too.

Last night Ronnie and I ate at the new Wild Moose Grill in downtown Old Fort. The food and service were very good. Ronnie and I both had the broiled trout. The desserts were also good. Ronnie had a very nice NY style cheesecake. Of course, I had to taste. I brought home the red velvet cake which was incredible. They also had a 6 layer carrot cake that looked wonderful, as well as what they called a chocolate train wreck that appeared to be positively decadent. The building was rustic interior brick and original woodwork. Nice contrast to the white linen and black napkins.

I treated myself to a lazy Saturday morning today. Ronnie had to errands to tend to early this morning, so I took advantage of it. My ideal Saturday morning goes like this.......
Wake up about 8:00 am, grab a glass of orange juice and take it back to bed. Snuggle in with my book and orange juice until around 9:00 am, then nap until about 10:00 am. Sissy and Cagney loved it as much as I did. Then all good things must come to an end as laundry and grocery shopping needed my attention.

Early this afternoon we decided to run to Aldi in Morganton in my quest to economize. (This was after our very first stop at Jack Frost this year, ice cream makes me smile). I like their laundry detergent, fabric softener, fresh produce and most of the other items I have tried so far. Still working on breaking that brand name habit.

Supper tonight was just so so, or at least that is my opinion. Ronnie liked it fine.

Tangy Baked Chicken
Asparagus Casserole
Corn on the Cob
Honey Wheat Bread with Roasted Garlic

I tried to improvise on an asparagus casserole that my Mother used to make. I obviously didn't remember what she did. I know she used canned asparagus (which I bought at Aldi and they were good), rice, cheese and some kind of "cream of" soup. Mother's was really good, mine was bland to say the least. I need to find out if Daddy knows what I left out and then try again.

Anyway, no recipe worth posting tonight.

So, Until Tomorrow..........
S~~~

Summertime Favorites

I have been so slack recently posting recipes that I wanted to make it up to you with some warm weather favorites. Hope you enjoy.

Picnic Cucumber Salad

5 small pickling cucumbers
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. seasoned rice wine vinegar (apple cider is ok)
1 small sweet onion- sliced into rings
3/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbls. olive oil
2 Tbsp. if lemon juice (fresh, if possible)
2 Tbls. fresh dill, chopped ( you may sub. 1 tsp. dried dill weed)
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Peel (if desired) and slice cucumbers. Place in a bowl and add kosher salt and rice wine vinegar. Let stand for 30 minutes and drain. Cucumbers should be crisp. Slice the onion into thin rings and add to the cucumbers. In a separate dish combine, sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice, dill kosher salt and pepper. Pour over cucumbers and combine. Refrigerate until supper.


Lemonade Chicken

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast ( or whatever kind of chicken you like)
1 – 12 oz can frozen lemonade – thawed
½ cup honey
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper

Marinate chicken 20-30 minutes and grill or bake (covered) as usual.

So, Until Tomorrow........
S~~

Happy Birthday Ragan

Yesterday, May 5th, was Ragan's birthday!!
We had such a good time when we met at Papa's and Beer ( http://www.mountainx.com/dining/2007/041807papas)
on Tunnel Road in Asheville to celebrate. We were there to party for Ragan's birthday, but the rest of Asheville (no kidding) was there to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The food was (and always is) incredible. That however, is totally beside the point.
It was Ragan's day and as it should be for a Cinco de Mayo baby, Mexican food is her very favorite.

To you Ragan..............
We are so proud of you. Your talent, your work ethic, your thoughtfulness, your beautiful smile, and so very much more.

We love you, Sweetheart, and hope you day was the very, very best!!!!!

So, until tomorrow...........
S~~~

Vacation Day #2 aka The Gluttony Tour

Friday April 24th

We headed out of Phoenixville around 10:45 a.m. bound for Philadelphia proper. Because we had seen the sights of the city (Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall, etc.) our main goal in the city was Philly Cheese Steaks. According to Lacy-Jay (and Rachel Ray among others) the very best Cheese Steaks are found at Jim’s on South Street, www.jimssteaks.com . Far be it from me to dispute that claim. They are nothing like what we know as Philly Cheese Steaks here. Bread that is crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, tender round steak, grilled onions and what is known simply as Whiz, never call it Cheese Whiz, even though that is what it really is. Ronnie added banana peppers to his and Lacy added mayonnaise and provolone, Bashar and I had the traditional. So very good, messy, but worth it. We even met one of the line cooks there that was originally from Columbia, S.C.. He immediately picked up on Lacy’s accent and wanted to know where we were from.

After a short walk down Philadelphia’s South Street, we were off to Penzey’s, www.penzeys.com,( great site, be sure to check out the recipe section). They have the absolute BEST herbs and spices available. I have ordered from Penzey’s many times but have never had the chance to visit a retail store before. I loved the chance to walk in and smell the herbs and spices. I bought Roasted Szechuan Pepper and Salt Blend, Vanilla Sugar, Florida Citrus Blend, Hot Chocolate Mix, French Thyme, Grey Salt, Sandwich Sprinkle, Smoky 4/S (Smoky Seasoned Sea Salt)
This store is a cook’s dream.

A quick stop at Starbucks for Passion Tea with Lemonade and we were on our way back to Phoenixville.

By this time the weather was nearing 90 and Lacy and I were loving every minute of it.

Back in Phoenixville we relaxed for a few minutes on the deck with pomegranate margaritas and peanuts in the shell, and then on to dinner and more food.

Lacy had make reservations at Majolica, www.majolicarestaurant.com in Phoenixville. This is a beautiful little restaurant situated in the heart of downtown. Our reservations were for 8:00 p.m. and we waited for about 20 minutes. By this time, we were starving. This eating frenzy began with a chef’s taste of salmon tartar served on a homemade potato chip with fennel. Lacy and I had the most wonderful cauliflower soup. They brought soup bowls to the table with at least a ½ cup of shredded Regianno Parmesan mounded in the center, then poured the hot soup around the cheese from a thermal pitcher. I cannot describe how good this was. I am researching recipes to duplicate this soup and I will share once I get it right. Bashar had the mussels in a Pernod sauce and Ronnie had a spinach salad with goat cheese and molasses vinaigrette. For the table we had a roasted beet salad that even Ronnie who says he doesn’t like beets enjoyed. There were yellow, pink, white and red beets roasted with freshly grated Parmesan, candied hazelnuts and basil. Then came what was Ronnie and Bashar’s favorite, the intermezzo, cucumber and lime sorbet with fresh fennel and course gray salt on top. It was a truly different taste. All this before we got to the entree. Lacy, Ronnie and Bashar all had the rib-eye with potato croquettes and grilled scallions. The potato croquettes were incredible. These were really creamy potatoes rolled into about 3 inch balls and then coated with panko breadcrumbs and deep fried. I had to taste Ronnie’s, they looked delicious and did not disappoint. I had the milk fed pork with new potatoes, cabbage and a mustard broth. It was amazing.

Now, comes time for dessert (hey, it was vacation after all), Lacy and Bashar shared the Earl Grey ice cream with shortbread and lemon curd. Ronnie had the pineapple sorbet with coconut tapioca and macadamia nut brittle. I had the fennel panna cotta without the strawberries but I did have the balsamic drizzle. I would comment on dessert but I have run out of adjectives. Just suffice it to say they were decadent.

So, Until Tomorrow...............
S~~~

Catching Up

So many things to blog about that I don't really know where to start.
I think I will just start with today's supper post and spend the next few days sharing the past couple of weeks.

Today Ronnie and I caught up on some errands, going to the WalMart, Lowes and the Ingles.
Bought a Brita pitcher at the WalMart, in an effort to cut back on the bottled water that I buy. Up until about 10 years ago I hated water. Drinking water was equivalent to taking horrible tasting medicine. Then I went to Weight Watchers. You absolutely cannot do Weight Watchers and not drink water. So, I learned to drink bottled water. We had city water at the time and while I am sure it was fine to drink, I preferred bottled water. Then we moved out of the city three years ago and I still kept my bottled water. Our well water is very good so I really should drink it. So, today we bought this Brita pitcher with a dispenser http://www.brita.com/us/products/water-dispensers/ultramax/

Supper tonight was a favorite of mine, Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza. There used to be a Pizza Inn in Morganton that served a great Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza. They closed a few years back so I had to get a bit creative and make my own. You can vary the toppings, using most anything you would like on your cheeseburger. Try it and let me know what you think.



BACON CHEESEBURGER PIZZA

1 - thin pizza crust (I like Boboli)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup prepared mustard
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 small sweet onion - chopped or sliced thin
6 slices bacon - cooked and crumbled

20-25 slices of hamburger dill pickles

Combine mayonnaise, mustard, chili powder and sugar. Mix well and let sit 10 minutes.
Brown ground beef and drain well. **I add 1/2 cup VERY COLD water to the ground beef before cooking. Stir well and cook until all water has evaporated and beef is nicely browned. This produces a very fine texture.** Add Worcestershire sauce, celery seed, salt and pepper.

Spread the mayonnaise and mustard sauce on pizza crust. Top with seasoned ground beef, sharp cheddar, onions, bacon, and pickles. ( Lay the pickles on paper towels and dry well before adding to pizza).

Bake at 450* 10 - 12 minutes.

___________________________________________________
Ronnie and I went to Philadelphia to visit Lacy and Bashar for a few days last week. It was perfect weather and we had a wonderful time. We had not seen them since the Christmas party so we were excited to make the road trip, even with two dogs in tow. The little doggies were so good for the long ride. They both have car seats that put them up even with the windows so they can see out and still be secured.
The only bad meal we had during the entire trip was at a McDonald's somewhere in Virginia. I am not a McDonald's fan but usually the food is consistent from location to location. Ronnie had the southern chicken sandwich and I had the fish fillet, they were both dripping with grease. I know, I know, this is fast food, but this was ridiculous. Even the fries, and McDonald's has the best fries as a rule, we soggy with grease. If we had not been in a hurry to get back on the road and eating in the car I would have complained. Trust me, it has to be really bad for someone not to meet my expectation for fast food.

After a thankfully uneventful trip we arrived in the Philadelphia borough of Phoenixville around 7:45 pm. After lots of hugs and kisses we got the dogs settled in and went to supper. We were tired and just wanted to visit with Lacy and Bashar so we decided to have pizza (is this a theme?) We went to a little local place called Valley Forge Pizza that had won best of Philadelphia for their pizza. Bashar and I shared a pineapple pizza while Lacy-Jay and Ronnie had feta cheese and mushrooms.

Stay tuned for vacation day # 2.

So, Until Tomorrow..............,
S~~~

Hello................, Remember Me ???

Just a quick post to let you know that I am amongst the living.

We just early this week returned from vacation in Philadelphia and I am still playing catch up, laundry, grocery shopping, unpacking, more laundry, and some other good things that I will be sharing soon. I promise!!

Thanks to everyone that noticed I was MIA. You are the greatest!!

S~~