Post by Bobute on Oct 25, 2005 4:40:30 GMT -5
;D 
North wind has finally come to call in south La. I love him,
wildly. He moves through the tall Pines swaying them back and forth.
No other wind sounds like North wind to mE.
He has a powerful voice. Promising nothing, yet bringing a nip to
the air after a long, hot summer. I greet him with a sweater and a
big smile as he tosses my hair with his touch.
Teasing ladies skirts or men's hats is his favorite game. He will
toss sheets, flip blankets on a clothesline, twisting them while
adding his scent so fresh.
More pleasure I have not known than laying a tired body down on a
freshly scented bed he has touched. Babies always cuddle better after
a bath, dressed in sleepers dried on a winter line.
Along with North wind comes the urge to light the oven. Bake a
treat or cook warm comfort food. Homemade soups. Yankee pot roast.
Simmering spagetti sauce to dip fresh bread in from summer's red,
ripe, tomatoes
One favorite is cooked cabbage with seasonings, onion and
barley. Grandmother made "Pigs in the blanket" with stuffed cabbage
leaves. Cabbage with butter on top is a favorite of mine.
Thank you North wind for calling so early in this part of the
world. Yesterday, because of you, Golden Rod waved from tall grasses
when I passed. I smiled, waving back as I always do.
No one understands this but mE in my world. Thats ok, many do not
like cooked cabbage either. North wind is not always welcome. Neither
am I.
Somehow I feel we are related along with Lady Atlantic and the
Eastern seaboard. Grocery shopping was complete yestersday when I
discoverd a bit of grandmother's kitchen on a spice shelf. I could
not believe my eyes as I gazed upon an old familar friend from 60
years ago.
The container in now cardboard. I remembered tin. The label has
not changed. Thanksgiving always brought out a spice mixture called
Bell's seasoning. The aromas of rosemary, oregano, sage, ginger,
marjoram, thyme, and pepper were as familar as the holidays.
Yes, I found Bell's seasoning waiting for mE like an old lost
friend. Raising the box to my nose I closed my eyes. There we were
once more. Cooking, laughing, everyone busy around an old black coal
stove covered with steaming pots and pans.
At last I was home for the holidays. I have raised that old
familar box, with a turkey on it, several times while closing my eyes
to go home again. Simple, unexpected pleasures.
Gifts from the planet and memory. North wind, waving Golden Rod,
and Bell's seasoning to take mE home. Never could I ask for more on a
day in mid October when it was all so very good.
Scalloped cabbage
Ingredients
1 medium sized head cabbage
4 Tbsp. Margarine
4 Tbsp. Flour
1/2 cup cabbage liquid
1 cup milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/2 cup crushed cheese-flavored snack crackers*
Directions
Cut cabbage into quarters and remove core; slice into
approximately 1/2" strips. Cook cabbage in boiling water 10 min.
Do not overcook. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup liquid.
In saucepan, melt margarine. Add flour and stir (making a roux),
cook on low for about 3 minutes; stirring constantly. Add
reserved cabbage liquid, milk, onion, salt, and pepper. Stir to
mix. Add cheese and continue stirring constantly and cooking on
med-low heat until sauce thickens and cheese is melted. Remove
from heat.
Grease or oil a 2 to 3 quart casserole/baking dish. Place the
drained cabbage in the dish and pour sauce over; mix. Top with
crushed cheese crackers.
Bake at 350ยบ for 30 minutes.
Blessings
Bobute Marinochka
grandmother from the sea
xoxox
