Monday, July 6, 2009

Monday Morning Staff Meeting

Good Morning everyone. Thanks for being on time for the meeting.

This morning you will find freshly squeezed orange juice, toast, sweet butter and cherry jam. Yes, that's what I decided to do with the cherries. Please join me tomorrow morning when I show you how to make some for yourself.



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Wiiliams-Sonoma sent me an e-mail this week featuring some of their new products. You'll remember that they're the ones that sell the fancy $30 cake pans that tempt to me to part with my hard earned money.

This week they were featuring a metal contraption called a jalapeno roaster. The idea is to cut the top off the pepper, remove the seeds, stuff it with cheese and place it in the roaster and onto the grill. Basically it holds the jalapenos standing upright while they roast and the cheese melts.

Sounds terrific, but I could probably McGuyver something to do the same task and save myself $20.

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Those of you who live in the south - I'm envious of your opportunity to simply drive to the food store and buy Blue Plate Mayo. I'm dying for a fix. It is sold online but honestly it's much more fun to go on a road trip for the express purpose of buying mayonnaise.

It's simply a different formula than Hellman's and I love it. Duke's is good too, but Blue Plate is my first choice.

So, tell me, do you live in Blue Plate territory? What's your favorite thing (besides 'mater sandwiches) to make with it?

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There's another southern specialty that I just don't get........ boiled peanuts.

I come from a long line of southern peanut farmers but I've never met a boiled peanut that I could love. Perhaps it's like grits, if you don't like them it's simply because you haven't had them cooked right.

Any boiled peanut lovers out there? What's the secret? It can't be the freshness of the peanuts because I've had them right out of the ground with the dirt clods knocked off shortly before boiling. There must be another factor I'm missing.

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There's been a terrible development here "At Home......" .

The Farmer is reading the blog!!!!!

This is awful news because he's discovered where I hide the Jiminy Potato Chips.



Now I am forced to find a new hiding spot.

Drats.

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Let's get down to business.

The business of the drawing for the Cherry Picking Field Trip Giveaway.

How many cherries did I pit?



That many!

The winner of the Cherry Jam wallet,



with the closest guess of 468 is MGSTER! I will be contacting you via e-mail.

Thanks everyone for participating in the contest.

I'm worn out from making that Cherry Jam so I'm going to turn the meeting over to you. What's on your mind this week?

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13 comments:

Nancy H. said...

Boiled peanuts are the best! Until 7 years ago I lived in South Carolina and boiled peanuts were served at all sporting events. When I moved to the Outer Banks and went to the 1st football game there were no boiled peanuts. My life has never been the same since!

Molly said...

Funny, I guess I can take them or leave them. If someone has them, I like them, but I wouldn't think of making them myself. and I've had them straight from the field also...and I am going to have to look for the Blue Plate. I don't recall seeing it recently.

Anonymous said...

She guessed 468 and you pitted 462? WOW, I want her to buy my next lottery ticket!

Congrats to the winner. I find it simply the pits that I lost.

Di
The Blue Ridge Gal

Lisa said...

I do live in Blue Plate territory. Personally, I like mayo on a lot of things....But, one of my favorite sandwiches is bacon & cheddar cheese w/ mayo...so good! I grew up eating banana and peanut butter sandwiches with mayo on one piece of bread and the pb on the other piece. Sounds gross, I know, but it is really, really good. My dad was a mayo eater. He would mix some in his black eyed peas at dinner and even put some on his pizza! As a child, I did the same thing, but can't bring myself to anymore!

Vee said...

Well, having just read this, I'm thinking that I'm missing out on all the good stuff. Sorry that the Farmer is reading the blog. This could be a lot of trouble in the future...

On my mind? Not enough or too much, either way, my brain feels like mush.

Anonymous said...

I live in the South and have seen Blue Plate Mayo, but have not tried it. We like Duke's in my house. I like mayo a lot, but lately I have been a fan of pesto on a grilled turkey and spicey cheese sandwich. It is SO good!!!

Speaking of Pesto, I am up to my knees in basil as we have about 20 basil plants. I will be making batch after batch of pesto today to freeze for winter.

I don't have a taste for boiled peanuts, mostly it's the texture that does it to me. I am not a fan of soft and slimey. My husband insists that they are neither soft nor slimey, but they are for me.

Have a great day-

Susan Z

Kitty said...

Yummy looking jam! I made jam from sweet cherries this year--one of my favorites.

Not sure about the boiled peanuts. Haven't tried them. And, not sure I can find Blue Plate Mayo around here. Don't recall seeing it. The new Hellman's Olive Oil Mayo has become one of my preferences. I eat mayo on a hot dog but some people find that a sacrilege. I do put a little mustard on it, too.

Hi Mr. Farmer!! (Just in case he's reading!)

LDF said...

I'll pass on the boiled peanuts, thanks. Tried them once. No Blue Plate mayo up here, Kraft or Hellmans. I like lots of mayo on my toasted bacon & tomato sandwiches. What's on my mind today? Well, for a start, I'm hungry now ... your Monday morning staff meetings often have that effect on me! I guess I should eat a bigger breakfast before coming to work, eh? At least I showed up before noon!

BittersweetPunkin said...

Wow, that's a lot of cherries!

I never reveal my best hiding places...never...not even on my blog. You never know who's reading.

Hugs,
Robin

ellsworth said...

Suzanne,

I have been reading your blog for a while now and I just wanted to let you know how much I look forward to seeing what you have to say each day. Keep doing what you're doing. You are in inspiration.

Steph said...

I think boiled peanuts are like grits, you just have to have a taste for them! As for mayo, I love it on a good nanner sammich!

Louise said...

I've never heard of Blue Plate mayonnaise. But I like salad dressing better anyway. (Maybe it's because I haven't had Blue Plate?)

You'll need to come up with a code since The Farmer reads the blog!

Kate said...

Suzanne,
Your mention of To Kill a Mockingbird and Harper Lee has given me an idea. I wonder if you'd like to do one of your famous draws, for the following prize:

My only-once-read paperback copy of Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee.

I rarely purchase books because it's just not something my budget is big enough for, unless I am sure I'll read them twice. If I do buy one because I can't get it through the library, and I've read and enjoyed it but won't read it a second time, I give it away or donate it to the library.

It would be fun to ship it off to one of my fellow Farmer's Wife readers, if they and you are interested. If so, please email me privately because I never remember to come back and read responses to my comments.