Good Dinner Mrs. Mellen

I have a little problem. I was going to make this pie, take a picture and post it to show how delicious this peach pie is but I have only one person share the pie with, my husband! I do enjoy cooking but I love to bake. I could bake all day, cakes, pies, pastries, you name it, I'm there. My problem is unless I have company etc, I don't have enough people at my house to eat all these backed goods! So I just will share the recipe today but next time I will bake and take a picture! Maybe I can through a baking party and have everyone come and eat up all that I baked! This is a sinful pie so rich and delicious. I love peaches, fresh or cooked in pastry. Growing up my grandparents had peach trees and the fruit was wonderful. When we moved into the house that I grew up in we had a peach tree and I loved picking and eating the fruit that this tree produced. Outrageous Peach Pie Pastry 1 3/4 cup flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 2/3 cup butter 2-3 Tbsp apple ci...

I am always amazed when I go into a restaurant and see how much they charge for mussels. Right now mussels are so fresh and reasonable at the grocery store or fish market. And they are so easy to make, serve as an appetizer or over pasta as a meal. A wonderful summer meal that is ready in no time. I make mussels a few different ways depending on what I feel like. I do either mussels marinara or mussels in a white wine sauce both are delicious. Mussels Marinara 3 lbs of mussels 3 Tbs olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 shallots chopped 1 cup white wine 1 can(14.5 oz) petite cut tomatoes 1 Tbs fresh oregano 1 TBS fresh parsley 1 Tbs fresh basil pinch of crushed red Italian peppers(optional) 1/2 tsp pepper Rinse and clean mussels thoroughly. Cut the "beard" off, that dark string that is attached to some of the mussels. If the mussels are very dirty scrub with a brush. (You can also soak in a bowel with water just covering the mussels. Add 1/2 cup of flour and s...

Ah August,  time to start getting the garden ready for the coming fall season. I've been away from my garden for a few weeks, first it's been too hot to work outside and second I was busy with my son's wedding. Now it's the time to get rid of spent blooms and dead plants etc. I worked all morning cutting back my Shasta daisies and yarrow. I like the large yellow yarrow plants because they can be dried for fall arrangements and also they don't over take the garden like some yarrow. I also cut back my lavender plants to promote stronger plants next year. I love growing lavender not only does the plant make a wonderful garden edge but you can cut the lavender and use it in cooking or dry to scent your linens. All that I did today will make the plants stronger and help my plants get through the winter and reward me with wonderful blooms next year. If you want a beautiful garden you have to dead head, prune, fertilize all season long. It's not enough to just plant an...

I haven't posted in two weeks and I have a wonderful explanation, I was so busy with my son's wedding and I didn't really have that much to do. I don't know how the bride keep everything all together but she did a wonderful job. The wedding was picture perfect!! We just sailed through everything and the weather the day of the wedding was the best day of the year. We were able to go over to the public gardens and take beautiful pictures. I did have company at my house and I did a little entertaining. A wonderful causal dinner on our deck that everyone enjoyed on the Thursday night before the wedding. Now I am back on track and I have many wonderful ideas to share with you about cooking, gardening and just enjoying life. I did get some recipes from my Mother but I will have to cook them myself, working with my mother to get all the correct measurements and steps but I will be able to duplicate her dishes. As sad as I am that the summer is slowly coming to an end, I am ...