My True Ghost Story

You'll be sorry if you install that shower door, Ms. Beverly ,and leave the louvered windows in the bathroom, Mr. Monty doesn't like to be closed in, Charlie said. Who in the hell is Mr. Monty, I ask. The haint that lives here, Ms. Beverly, was Charlie's reply.

So started the 4 year adventure with my very own resident ghost. First of all I didn't believe in ghost and second Charlie had been highly recommended for renovation work. Maybe he'd been drinking that day. Not.

The shower door was installed. The next day it was cracked top to bottom. Anyone can get a faulty shower door so another was installed, same thing. Okay, a shower curtain will be fine. Too much other work to be done to dwell on that.

This was a beautiful old farm house right in the middle of some of the finest thoroughbred horse farms in the area. It had long be neglected and we were restoring it top to bottom. Well, Charlie was if I could keep him away from the ghost stories or the bottle.

Poor Charlie got blamed for everything; windows not closed or boarded up, garage door left open, lights left on all over the house. All these things after he had locked up and gone home for the night. I would go by to see the progress for the day and find everything wide open.

Finally the remodeling was finished and I moved in, but not alone. At least one window upstairs and one down would be open at all times. The shower would turn on, the upstairs hallway carpet was ice cold to the touch all the time. Any ashtrays not emptied before going to bed would be dumped on the floor by morning.

Nothing mean or bad and I never felt afraid or alone. I would actually find myself talking to Montague, in a joking way. Sometimes small pieces of furniture would be moved or a lamp. Then, one day I came home to my entire dining room completely re-arranged, table, china cabinet and buffet server. I left it alone. Who was I to question Montague's decorating, plus, I liked it.

A few years after moving I did learn there had been a tragic death in the house. Where are the Ghost Whispers when you need them. Maybe they could have helped Montague pass over.

This is a very true story plus many more little adventures maybe for a later post.

Wishing you all a safe and Happy Halloween!

Saint and Scriptures Sunday - Faith

Faith is like the air in a balloon. If you've got it you're filled. If you don't you're empty.

Being faith filled takes effort, not unlike becoming a good writer, tennis player, or pianist. Faith grows within our hearts, but we must devote time to foster this growth. Daily discussions with God are required, frequent times to hear God's messages to us-just as practice on the court, hitting balls or sitting for extended periods at the piano are necessary to attainment of these goals.

Life's difficulties are eased when we have faith. The most frightening situation, a job interview, an evaluation with our boss, a showdown with a friend, can be handled confidently when we let our faith work for us. But, we must first work for it, work to attain it and work to keep it. Like any skill, it gets rusty with lack of use.

I will make sure to add to my reserves today. We never know when we may need to let our faith direct our every action. I will make God my best friend and that partnership will carry me over any troubled time.

Please visit Dianna at The Kennedy Adventures for more Saint and Scriptures Sunday. Have a wonderful week.

10 Minute Cream of Tomato Soup

Did everyone see the recipe on ButterYum? I call it the best thing that's happen to me today.

I'm setting here freezing my bottom off and up pops the recipe. I'm on it so fast I didn't realize I could still move that fast. Ten minutes and I'm back at the computer with a big cup of the best cup of cream of tomato soup I've had since I was a kid. I'm not kidding.

Patricia said something about a grilled cheese sandwich with it. I have no time for that. I'll do that next time.

Everyone has ten minutes to make soup. Try it you will love it!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Baked Apple Butter

I don't know about you, but a few years ago I decided I was not making apple butter ever again if I couldn't find a way to do it that didn't involve burns on my hands and totally cleaning the stove top after I finished. I don't care how long the spoon handle is or how deep the pot, I will get popped on and burned.

Why didn't I think of this before! The Joy of Cooking has the answer to everything. This is the easiest, and perhaps finest, apple butter of all time.

Mix at least two different varieties of apples, get the orchard people to make suggestions for the time of year you're making the butter. If you live in my area there is only one place to buy fruit and that's Reed Valley Orchard in Paris, Ky. I also buy my apple juice at the same orchard, because it's all natural.

You will be sending me flowers for this recipe.

Baked Apple Butter
about eight 1/2-pint jars
print recipe

Wash, stem, and quarter:
6 pounds unpeeled cooking apples
Combine in a large heavy saucepan with:
8 cups apple juice
Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft, about 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Pass the apples through a food mill or medium-mesh sieve. Return to the pan, and add:
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cups sugar (half may be packed brown sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Slowly bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stir in, if desires:
(1/2 cup port or dry red wine), sometimes I do, sometimes I don't

Pour three-quarters of the puree into a deep baking dish, (I pour it all in), reserving the rest. Bake, uncovered, until thick enough to mound on a spoon, about 10 hours, This is where I go to bed. As the mixture shrinks, stir in the reserved puree, and continue baking until entire mixture is very hot.
Pack the hot fruit butter into hot 1/2-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Process for 15 minutes in hot water bath.

No, this does not splatter all over your oven.

Green Tomato Cake

In my next life I'm coming back as a meteorologist. You make big bucks and never have to be right. I'm qualified!. The temperature never got below 45 degrees last night and I still have these damn tomatoes.

What! You thought I was kidding about all the green tomatoes I have? This is my favorite Green Tomato Cake recipe. It's spicy and moist....and a great way to use up (get rid of) all those extra green tomatoes. I chop and freeze bags of these so I can make this cake all winter. Frost with your favorite cream cheese or brown butter frosting, or simply dust it with confectioners' sugar.

This also makes great cupcakes.

Green Tomato Cake
12 servings
print recipe

4 cups chopped green tomatoes
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup butter
2 cups of white sugar, 1/2 cup can be brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, English or Black

1. Place chopped tomatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Place in a colander, rinse with cold water and drain.

2. preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan, or a 10-12 cup Bundt pan.

3. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until creamy.

4. Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add raisins and nuts to dry mixture; add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Dough will be very stiff. Mix well.

5. Add drained tomatoes and mix well. Pour into the prepared pan.

6. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Cook's Note: If using Bundt pan cool in pan for 15-20 minutes then turn out on rack to cool completely.

Feel Good Friday - I'm So Spoiled

Yesterday I'm thinking, what can I write about for Feel Good Friday? Then guess what comes in the mail! The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook. My sweet, wonderful niece Angie, The Jammie Girl has sent me a new cookbook. I'm so excited I don't know what to make first. Over 300 recipes. The book was written by Beth Hensperger, who also wrote The Bread Bible. If you own a bread maker or are thinking about owning one you need this book. Unbelievable! It even has recipes for making jams, preserves, and chutneys in the bread machine.

I know not everyone gets as excited as I do about a new recipe or cookbook, but that's just the way I am. If you had as many vegetables and fruits to preserve every year as I do you would be looking for new ideas too. I hate to see food wasted. Plus, my food never gets recalled.

I'm starting to feel bad now because my friend David still has green tomatoes and I have not one place left to store them, freeze them or can them, and thank you God we have a freeze warning tonight.

Life is good, enjoy it. See you tomorrow, probably for a green tomato recipe.

White Bean, Ham And Sausage Stew

Long gone are the days of the old smokehouse or meathouse. The smokehouse was where we'd store almost everything we needed for the winter, including sausages, hams, salt pork and even Mom's jars of preserves.

The meathouse is still here, even though it's leaning to the right and needs to be removed and the only thing inside is, I don't know because I don't have the nerve to open the door.

This stew reminds me of something Mom or my grandmother would have put on the stove on a busy day and let simmer all morning. Good Soul Food served with a big skillet of cornbread. The more you reheat the better it gets.

I'm linking to Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods with this wonderful stew. Check it out.

White Bean, Ham and Sausage Stew
4 servings
print recipe

1 cup dried white beans
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound smoked ham, diced
1/2 cup sliced smoked sausage
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
Two 14 1/2-ounce cans chicken broth
3 cups sliced mushrooms (use white and/or a combination of wild mushrooms)

1. Soak the beans overnight, covered with water; drain.

2. In a heavy 6-quart Dutch oven or cast-iron pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring continuously, until it becomes dark brown (like chocolate), for 20 to 25 minutes. (Do not rush the process and do not stop stirring or the roux will burn.)

3. Add the onions, bell pepper, celery, salt thyme, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Cook stirring for 5 minutes.

4. Add ham and sausage and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the ham and sausage begin to cook. Stir in the beans and garlic. Stir in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally. If the stew becomes too thick, stir in more broth (Water if you don't have broth).

5. Add the mushrooms. Cook for 30 minutes longer.