My Sister's Mullein Weed Poultice

My calendar says that August 4th is Sister's Day.  I'd like to honor this special day with the following account. 

When we were growing up we had a neighbor man who seemed older than dirt.  He lived in a big, two-story farm house down the road that was even older than he.  Everyone called him by a nickname of "Happy".  He seemed happy enough I guess.  Anyway, Happy had a grand-fatherly affection for my sister.  I think he thought she was just so cute with her little blond head.  He called her "Babe".  One day Babe twisted her ankle.  It turned purple and swelled up.  When Happy saw her limping around the yard, he headed out to the pasture to pick some mullein weed.  He promptly returned and made a nasty-smelling poultice of mullein weed and mustard.  Mom applied the poultice and although Babe wanted to take it off, she was made to wear it until Happy left that day.  Ha Ha Ha--that's what you get for being the cute little sister!

DAD'S SENSE OF HUMOR--Don't Fetch

Our dad had a fun sense of humor.  Let me present the following scenario as an illustration. 

Setting: Back porch step overlooking yard
Characters:  Dad, a seven year old Grandson, Max (a frisky little stick-fetching terrier, and Blackie (a lazy, but friendly old stray farm dog of unknown heritage)

Dad and the grandson are sitting on the step.  Blackie is sleeping in the yard and Max is fetching a stick being thrown repeatedly by the grandson.  Max is fanatic about his fetching, never failing to return the tossed stick. 
Dad: I bet Blackie can do a trick that Max can't do.
Grandson: (Glancing in Blackie's direction and thinking this is a safe bet) No sir grandpa. 
Dad: Watch this. Hey Blackie! (Blackie rouses momentarily and lifts his head.  Dad tosses a stick) DON'T FETCH!  (Blackie lays his head back down and closes his eyes). 

Dill Pickle Soup

Not long before Jay passed away we were playing cribbage with our friends the Hogans.  Jay was being affected by the large quantities of morphine that he was taking and not everything he said seemed connected to the situation at hand.  Out of the blue he said, "Dill pickle soup".  We all laughed, including him.  I said, "Jay there's no such thing as dill pickle soup".  However, I quickly checked it out on the Internet, and you know what? There is such a thing! 

A couple of weeks after Jay passed away, I was playing cribbage again with the Hogans.  The Food Network was on the TV in the background. The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives program began featuring a Polish café.  Guess what recipe they were reviewing?  Yep, dill pickle soup!  We burst into laughter again, feeling that we had just been 'visited' by Jay.  

I checked out the recipe that was used in that café and I didn't really like the sound of it.  While I used it as a reference, my own version shown here is substantially different. 

DILL PICKLE SOUP

 

1/3 c. celery minced                              1/2 c. onion chopped   

1/3 c. onion chopped                             2 c. water

1 clove garlic minced                             1 c. dill pickles chopped

2 T. olive oil                                            1/4 c. pickle juice

2 chicken bouillion cubes                       1 can evaporated milk

1 qt. chicken stock                                  1 c. sour cream

2 c. carrots chopped                                salt and pepper

6 c. potatoes cubed                                  dill slices to garnish

Saute celery and 1/3 cup onion in olive oil in a large pot until tender.  Add garlic and saute 2 minutes longer.  Add bouillion, stock, and carrots.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.  Add potatoes, 1/2 c. onion, and water to pot and return to boil then reduce to simmer 10 more minutes.  Add dill pickles, juice and milk.  Simmer until vegetables are done.  Remove from heat and add sour cream.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish bowls of soup with dill slices. 

The dill pickles and sour cream add a nice tang to this recipe.  I think now that I would probably add a litttle bit of fresh thyme at the point where the carrots go in the pot, and maybe a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg at the very end of cooking.  Oh well there is always a next time.  I know this much---I will never be able to look at a dill pickle the same way!

 







Cookbook Tribute to Jay

I haven't created a blog post since Jay passed away in February.  It's rather uncanny, but the last post I published was actually about us picking out our tombstone.  It's time for me to get back in the groove of sharing on 'My Everyday Stuff'.

With the help of the Hospice Program, we were able to keep Jay here at Bittersweet Place throughout his illness and passing.  If ever a funeral service could be considered perfect, then I think this is what Jay had despite the rainy weather. The words spoken truly captured his essence, and the video provided a good pictorial summary of the stages of his life. 

One thing that I have done to honor Jay's memory is publish our recipes and  accompanying notes in cookbook form.  He collected recipes for years and always wanted to publish a cookbook of our "favorites" but just never got around to it. The task not only filled many lonely hours for me, but has been immensely rewarding.  I am pleased with the finished product and have enjoyed sharing a copy with many people.  Included are individuals who contributed recipes over the years-- friends and family members. 

Jay's notes make the book uniquely his, although many of my recipes and words are included also.  While I did edit his work, I did not censor it.  So I think I can safely say you'll never see another cookbook with a recipe for "Orgasms"  (an alcoholic beverage) included, or one with phrases such as, 'a damned fine cook'.  People who have read the book have commented that it sounds as if Jay is speaking to them.  That is exactly what I was hoping could be achieved. 

One of the recipients of the cookbook suggested that we have a potluck with everyone making one of Jay's recipes.  I think this is a fabulous idea.  We decided to wait until cooler weather returns in the fall and October was Jay's favorite month anyway.  So we are going to have a Jay Fest at the local establishment then.  Boy would he feel honored!  For now all I have to say is, "Bon Appetit Jay!".