Cookbook and restaurant guide spotlights some of Kentucky's best dishes

One of the perks of being a newspaper editor is that you sometimes receive complimentary copies of books to review.
I jumped all over the chance to get a copy of "Kentucky Back Road Restaurant Recipes: A Cookbook and Restaurant Guide," because it features several things I'm pretty enthusiastic about: my home state, off the beaten path mom and pop restaurants, and plenty of tempting recipes.
The book is part travel guide, part cookbook.
It features a recipe from one of Irvine's own long-time favorite establishments, the little walk-up restaurant that we call "The Twin."
The book explains what each restaurant, cafe, deli, etc., serves, then it tells how to make for yourself one of that restaurant's specialties.
The recipe shared from The Twin was the cake they use in their hot fudge cakes.
There are other intriguing recipes.  One is for a simple chili that calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup.  I wouldn't expect that in chili at all, but it probably adds some flavor and creaminess.
There are recipes for country favorites, like old-timey green beans and chicken and dumplings made with eggs and lard.
There's a variation of a hot brown made on a hoecake instead of white bread, and there's peanut butter fudge cake (?!), and tomato bisque from scratch.
The book features lots of color photographs taken in and of eateries from across the state, but there are other non-food related attractions included too.
So, with this handy-dandy book in your possession, you can make some of the tried and true recipes yourself, or you can look up the places that made them famous and eat there.
Sounds like a good time either way.
Or a good Christmas present for someone on your list?

Long dark evenings make a lazy woman out of me

There were several things I could have done this evening, but because it's cold outside, and dark already, I've had little will to do them.
In the winter, even though it might only be, say, 6 p.m., my body tells me I should be inactive.
This evening, I did force myself to do some household chores, but the recliner kept calling my name. How about you?  Do you still have loads of energy and motivation when it's dark out, or do you choose a quiet pastime?
How do you while away the evening hours when it gets dark this early? Do you knit, crochet, paint or write?
Do you cook, watch television or read a book?
Or do you go out on the town? Get together with friends?  Shop?
Going out is usually the last thing I want to do once the sun sets.
Call me a hermit, I guess.

Finally Friday: I'm looking forward to...

Ah, weekend, here you come.  It's cold out, but that makes for good snuggling with these two dumplings who are coming to visit this afternoon.

This picture is on my desktop at work, and it makes me smile every time I look at it.

I sure do appreciate our photographer Dustin Stevenson for doing such a fine job of taking family pictures.

Giving thanks: Doesn't it require more than just words?

It's so cold out tonight-nothing extreme really, but it was 70 here in good ol' fickle-weather Kentucky just a couple of days ago, so the cold hurts.

I think the cold was good for a cause tonight though.  Several local folks gathered at the county courthouse to discuss the need for, and plans for, opening a homeless shelter in our county.

The biting cold certainly made me think about how miserable and frightening it would be to have to spend the night outside in some makeshift shelter.

I also thought about how self-indulgent, or selfish, I can be. Remember that post I wrote on Tuesday,
about my hard day, and how I came home and ate more than I needed, and crashed on the couch in my super-cozy fleece pajamas?

I was thankful for the comforts of home, but I'll admit I didn't once think of those who might not have a home, or many comforts.

But tonight, after that meeting, I'm thinking about it, and I'm feeling a little ashamed.

Someone there quoted the scripture that says, "To whom much is given, much is required."

That puts a different perspective on gratitude and suggests that true thankfulness is more than saying so.

It's about passing it on...

Just where does that childish greed for presents come from?

Christmas is going to be a lot of fun this year, I can tell.
When you ask Clay what he wants for Christmas, he'll say "a tree."
He's been excited about getting a Christmas tree since he saw one decorated with toy trains, cars, etc. in a store back  in...August, maybe?
When his momma explained that there might be toys under the tree at Christmas-time, his eyes got even bigger.
So today, when we were shopping in a big box store, Clay saw some things he wanted as we walked through aisles displaying toy train sets, giant stuffed animals and other items that looked pretty tantalizing to a three year old.
"Clay have that, take it to Nan and Papa's house," Clay politely suggested a couple of times.
I told him he'd have to add it to his wish list, and maybe Santa would get it for him.
And just like that, here I go perpetuating the whole materialistic Christmas paradigm.
A part of me resists the idea, yet another part of me gets as excited about it as...well, a kid at Christmas.
And to think that Clay probably would have been satisfied with just a tree.

Trying Tuesday: Production days are killer, so I'll be lazy now if I wanna

I'm trying really hard not to feel sorry for myself, because I had to sit at the computer all day long with barely a minute to glance up and notice that the sun was shining, and it was positively balmy outside for November.
Now the rain and the cold front and the dark have arrived, and it's supposed to feel like winter for the next week.
There are so many worse things that could happen, so I won't waste any more time feeling pitiful.
I figure I may as well go ahead and embrace hibernation mode enthusiastically.
Since I got home from putting the paper to bed, I took a short walk before the raindrops started to fall.
I warmed leftover homemade vegetable beef soup and I created myself an open-faced bbq pork on a hoecake sandwich (garnished with shredded cheese, green onions, and fresh greens).
I shoulda taken a picture of that thing.  It was purty.
Then I made myself a cup of vanilla chai and grabbed a chocolate chip cookie before hitting the couch.
How's that for comfort food? Is it any wonder I'm getting fat?
Now I've got my favorite fleecy cheetah print pajamas on, and I'm reclining on comfy cushions while browsing the internet.
Talk about comfort...or would laziness be a better word?
I refuse to feel guilty, though.  I've earned a break, and I'll do something productive tomorrow.
Mebe.

Does this picture inspire hibernation, or what?  It inspires me to curl up with a good book.

Soulful Sunday: Soaking up the sunshine

It's been one of those days that you wish you could duplicate for chasing away winter gloom later in the season.
The sun has been bright, and some of the leaves still are too.
Other bright spots in my day: A little tramp in the woods (see above).  A longer walk to Grandma and Grandpa's house with the grandbabies and the sisters.
A big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup.  Fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.
Sunshine.
More sunshine.
Snuggles with the grandbabies.
Who could ask for anything more?