Misc. photos

Three-eyed devil jug

More Southern Pottery

Stump Vase by Tim Flinn

Powerful Reads

I've been having a bit of fun on Facebook this Saturday morning with a link to a story from BuzzFeed: 32 Books That Will Actually Change Your Life I agree with most of my friends who have commented that the list is a good one, but we're not sure they're really "life changing."  Which set me to wondering whether I'd claim that any book I've ever read (other than the Holy Bible) actually changed. my. life.

I honestly don't think so.

But some books have definitely influenced my view of life and/or the world.  Some by opening my eyes to new ideas and possibilities.  Some by confirming my already held philosophies and ideals.  Many by giving eloquent voice to my own thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Here is my list of:

Two Dozen Good Books I'm Glad I Read

1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
2. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll
3. All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren
4. All the President's Men, by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
5. Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt
6. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
7. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
8. Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
9. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, by Fannie Flagg
10. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
11. The Hawk and the Sun, by Byron Herbert Reece
12. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers
13. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
14. The Long Home, by William Gay
15. Night, by Elie Wiesel
16. Other Voices, Other Rooms, by Truman Capote
17. Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi
18. A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
19. The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien
20. The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell
21. To Dance with the White Dog, by Terry Kay
22. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
23. Why We Can't Wait, by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Oh, Hummingbird......

I finally made Southern Living's famous Hummingbird Cake.  Now we're off to visit a couple of our kids in Tennessee.  Hope this cake is as good as it's supposed to be!

Southern Living's Hummingbird Cake

Yes, It's Chicken Pot Pie Weather

Here's the recipe Edward loves.  I got it from Progressive Farmer, years & years & years ago.  It really is the best chicken pot pie recipe I've ever attempted.

1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-n-half
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
4 cups chopped, cooked chicken

Saute onion, celery & carrots in melted butter 10 minutes.  Add flour, stirring well.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Combine broth & half-n-half & gradually stir into veggie mixture.  Cook over medium heat until thick & bubbly.  Remove from heat & stir in salt, pepper & chicken.  Pour into shallow 2-quart casserole.  Top with pastry, cut slits in top to allow steam to escape.  Bake 400 degree Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.

Pastry
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 - 3 tablespoons cold water

Combine flour & salt, cut in shortening.  Sprinkle with cold water; stir with fork until all dry ingredients are moistened.  Chill.  Roll to fit casserole dish.

THE Chicken Pot Pie

Caveats/Suggestions:

• I use boxed or canned chicken broth, but I bet it would be even better with a carefully-wrought homemade broth.  Just the water from boiling the chicken isn't rich enough.
• You may need more broth & half-n-half than is called for in the recipe.
• I chop my veggies pretty small.
• I use a regular 9" X 13" glass/Pyrex casserole dish.
• Since I don't make pastry regularly, I'm no star at rolling it out, so I make 1 & 1/2 times the pastry recipe.  And it's always good.  I think the pastry is one of the secrets to this great pie.
• Yes, the pastry recipe calls for shortening & that's all I've ever used.  I don't make this so often that 1/3 cup of shortening a couple times a year is going to kill us.  Anyone figures out a suitable alternative, I'll be glad to hear about it.  (Hmmm, I think I did actually buy some LARD recently.......)
• The main trick is cooking until "thick & bubbly."  How do you know?  I approach my late, great mom on this one and only cooking trick.  I just know.  If you cook the sauce too long, the pie is a little dry.  Next time, you'll know too!