grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

It Is A Wonderful Life

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While staying with my mother at Plano Medical Center, I heard a few stanzas of Brahms Lullaby playing softly over the loudspeaker. The tune, like a music box, was played randomly throughout the day and night, offering a nice break from the hum of hospital equipment. 
“What’s the purpose of the music?” I asked Jessica, Momma’s dedicated day nurse.
“We play the music, each time a baby is born here.”
A sweet reminder, sometimes necessary in the hospital, that life is exceptionally good.

talya

Musical Pairing:

Lullaby, Johannes Brahms

“Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.” Zuzu Bailey- It’s A Wonderful Life

Mussels in White Wine Sauce

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mussels in white wine sauce

I always thought mussels would be an incredibly difficult dish to cook. This is not the case at all.  The following recipe is courtesy of Dallas Central Market Cooking School. I attended the class last summer and discovered how truly easy it is to cook mussels.

Ingredients (serves 6 as an appetizer, 2-3 as main course)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
2 cups roma tomatoes, diced 1/2 inch
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds of fresh black mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded (if you buy them at Whole Foods they come this way)
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Pinch of fresh thyme
Crusty French bread, to serve

Method

1. Heat the butter in a large stew pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallots. Sauté until golden, stirring constantly.

2. Add tomatoes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes give up their juice. Then add white wine, salt, paper. Cook until reduced by half.

3. Stir in the mussels, turning to coat them with the sauce. Cover the pot and turn heat to high.

4. Cook mussels, covered, 7 – 10 minutes. Turn off heat.

5. Add herbs and stir to incorporate.

6. Divide mussels among serving bowls, discarding any that did not open, and ladle the sauce over them.

7. Serve with bread to sop up the sauce.

mussels in white wine sauce

Bon Appétit!

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.



Musical Pairing:

Triumphant!

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My mother, the BAT (Barbara Ann Tate) got a total knee replacement for Valentine’s Day. Fancy, schmancy, it was made especially for her, crafted in Switzerland. 

Last night, I stayed with her in the hospital. As expected, there wasn’t much sleep. A shot of Benadryl straight into the blood stream provided incoherent rambling. She yammered non-stop about various friends (Minta, Jimmy Gann, Becky Sue, Bob and D’Lynn Irby), strawberries, Mexico, a gravel road, Jobber applications, playing marbles, and deleting ‘sloppy’ Facebook friends.
She explained to the young night nurse all about ChristianMingle.com. 
At one point she looked toward the side of her bed and said, “Gabby, are you ready to leave? I’m about ready to check out of here.” Gabby is her cat…

At midnight she said, “I think Dr. Taba is running late. Guess I’m not having surgery today.” 
By the end of her rant she declared, “I’m changing my name! I’m sick to death of being called Barbara Ann Creecy Tate.” 
At 1:30, she turned on the television to distract herself from the knee pain. Thankfully she slept.

My dreams were fitful, coated with television background noise about the stranded Carnival cruise ship. All night long. Ask me anything about it, and I can tell you.
Overall, we had a triumphant night. Momma and I survived to see the new day, and the cruise ship limped to shore. She hasn’t told me her new name yet, but I’ll keep everyone posted.

talya

Horse with No Name, America

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!