I decided to have a happy Mother's day by making a big deal over the things that Mothers do. Like cooking, cleaning up the kitchen and straightening up. Accordingly I asked my Husband to take me out to dinner on Saturday evening, which he did. We went to Outback and ordered the small sirloin. It was delicious! It was only when the check came that we realized that we had been eating the Filet Mignon! They admitted they had made a mistake and only charged us for the little sirloins which was very satisfactory to us! So on Mother's day I made a lovely breakfast, omelettes full of cream cheese and mushrooms and the wicked and forbidden buttermilk biscuits. Note my lovely Mother's Day flowers on the table!
Then I made a cream sponge cake. I had saved up extra eggs. The recipe was in one of my favorite cookbooks. I carefully followed all the directions (not something I always do).
It is a cream sponge, one whips up the eggs, adds the flour and sugar, but just half as much as the other recipes. It ends with boiling water and is then so done that it only requires 15 minutes in the oven and consequently is not dry like most sponge cakes. The flavorings were ground nutmeg and lemon peel!
I had never used ungreased waxed paper before in the pan but I suppose that since it was only in the oven 15 minutes not too much wax ended up on our stomachs.
The paper peeled right off.
It was presented on a pretty little tray perfectly plain. At the table I spooned the vanilla flavored custard over each piece. It was absolutely delicious.
The supper was Martha Stewart's Mother's Day luncheon, Shrimp Stew with flower bedecked salad on the side and wine to drink. I am afraid however that after all that glorification of Mother's work, I left the dishes in the sink until Monday!
All day I chatted on the phone with my children and friends, received gifts of flowers, gift certificates, a lovely bowl for Mary Lincoln's what-not, Oh just a host of lovely things, Thank you all, It was a pleasure!
A beautiful horn bowl sits on top of Mary's what-not. Note that the plate is in a rack for better display.
Today I made a table-topper out of a sample I got in one of my gift boxes and picked the finally blooming iris in my yard. The Mother's Day flowers lasted a week and a half!
So often when I am trolling e-bay for treasures, NIB appears. It means "new in box". Everything is worth more if it's new in the box, the original box, mind you, not some Johnny-come-lately replacement box. Now I have been looking for furniture for Mary Lincoln's room for some time. She is taller than doll house dolls. 1/6, in fact, not 1/12. That's Barbie size however most Barbie items are not old fashioned enough to suit Mary's taste! But Bill has found something New-in-box!
As you can see by the label, "Wood Dresser with Mirror" Made in Japan, not occupied Japan so pre-World war II. About the 1930's. The style is just exactly Civil war era, called Jenny Lind, after the singer. I was so pleased and I confess, happy to spend the grocery money this week on it! We have installed the new window, the wall paper and the dresser but not the curtains and the scenery outside the window yet.
Note the tiny soap on a tiny doily. Hand-made lace decorates the mirror and lies under the bowl. Each drawer opens and I now lust after tiny gloves, hankies, a fan, and comb and hand-mirror to put in them. Some people are never satisfied!
Last week the most successful dinner menu was lamb stew. I wasn't sure Bill would like it. There was some ground lamb left in Rose's fridge when she moved. I carefully added garlic, finely minced red onion and smoked sea salt and pepper and made large meatballs of the mixture, then simmered them in beef broth, with carrots, celery and mushrooms and a couple of tablespoons of barley. It was a big hit and made enough for two meals for us, just with salad and toasted rye bread. Yum-o-la!
More about our diet next time.
