Category: SFH Journal

Persnickety Pierre, SFH Food Talk & Recipes, SFH Journal

French Cuisine & GRITS

My dear new friends, today, I Pierre LeChat, the official fine food connoisseur in residence at the soon-to-be-world-famous Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen, will amaze you with a most edifying discussion and review of a world-class French dinner prepared and served in the most unlikely of places. This review will shatter long-standing myths and, hopefully, transport you to a new level of confidence in your ability to take on any culinary challenge, no matter how difficult it may seem. – Before you embark on this journey, it would be considered wise for you to refer to “Persnickety Pierre’s Criteria of Excellence” as outlined in my last post: Julia’s Tartlets – Pierre’s Test Case

Let Us Set the Table – The Story Behind the Story

It is common knowledge that Mme. Blondie, my employer and culinary collaborator, was born and raised in the South, that beautiful and enchanting region of your United States, where women possess great charm and a strong attachment to traditional ways. While reading through past posts on this excellent blog, I came across a most interesting post, a post that showed me how Mme. Blondie has made it her task and her duty to pass on her traditions in the style of the South. That post was How to Host a Tea Party – SFH Style, a truly marvelous description of how a wise and knowledgeable grandmother can influence the future and enrich the lives of the ones she loves most. Mme. Blondie can proudly say that she and her daughters and her granddaughters are truly Girls Raised In The South (GRITS).

And that brings us to Mme. Blondie’s Daughter #2, a most remarkable woman of strong character and, I say this with firm conviction, a woman of great culinary courage. She currently lives in the majestic Shenandoah Valley, once known as the breadbasket of the South. In the Valley, food of all types surrounds you. Beef, poultry, dairy, and a vast assortment of crops – good food is plentiful and the folks there know how to make a great meal. But Daughter #2 is a woman made for culinary adventure; she’s a woman ready to step out of familiar everyday meals. Like her Momma, she possesses the gift of a mind open to new possibilities, a mind that does not fear to explore.

The Challenge: An Ina Garten French Dinner

Now that you know something of the character of Daughter #2, let us discuss the nature of the challenge. Recently, Daughter #2 has been studying French cuisine through the eyes of Ina Garten and her cookbook Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home. She knew well how strongly her Momma had been influenced by Julia Child and her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I and she thought it would be a grand idea for Mme. Blondie and her to bring what they had learned together in a semi-formal sit-down dinner party. The plans were made, the menu was decided, and the date was set – January 23, 2022, would be the day for French Cuisine & GRITS.

Both chefs started preparations early, actually days in advance. In the post Julia’s Tartlets – Pierre’s Test Case, you saw how Mme. Blondie prepared Julia’s Tartlets. At noon that day, I was chauffeured by Monsieur Fuzz Face to Daughter #2’s residence. Fortunately, I was able to sit in the back seat with Mme. Blondie and was not subjected to Fuzzy’s foolish prattle. When we arrived at Daughter #2’s home, just a short distance from the beautiful North Fork of the Shenandoah, I quietly walked into the kitchen. Daughter #2 was quite busy, and it took a moment or two for her to turn in my direction. When she saw me, dressed as I was in my usual dapper way, her mouth fell open and she uttered a most surprised yet sincere welcome. Recognizing me, perhaps the world’s most distinguished gourmet, she immediately dropped everything and hugged me lovingly, kissing each cheek in the customary French way. I was most flattered and I’m certain that I blushed with the attention she showered upon me.

I knew that my presence would increase the pressure on her to make the perfect meal. I did my best to let her know that she could continue without worry about me. I was here to enjoy the food and to make a new friend. – This is, after all, the way it should be in the world of fine food.

Le Menu

There are those that foolhardily say that a typical French dinner consists of this or that number of courses. Of course, they seldom take into account the customs in different regions, nor do they even consider that perhaps there is room for variation. In but a few minutes of searching, you can find any number of discordant answers to the question of “How many and what are the courses in a typical French Dinner?” I mock these so-called experts. Here, see for yourself how they never can agree:

The 7 Courses of a Formal French Meal
Formal Dinner Party Courses
What are the Courses in a French Dinner?

Here in a loose form is what Daughter #2 served her guests and yours truly, Persnickety Pierre, on this day of days in her culinary life:

  • L’Aperitif: Serendipity Cocktail – This drink was chosen for its name and significance to all associated with Serendipity Farmhouse. For the history of the drink and a recipe see: Serendipity, a Paris Cocktail from the World’s Greatest Bartender
  • L’Entree: Julia’s Tartlets – The background on this appetizer is described in the post Julia’s Tartlets – Pierre’s Test Case.
  • La Soupe: Winter Squash Soup – Taken from Ina Garten’s recipe. See: Winter Squash Soup (Recipe here; Barefoot in Parish (BIP), p. 81)
  • Le Plat Principal: Beef Bourguignon – Taken from Ina Garten’s recipe. See: Beef Bourguignon (Recipe here; BIP, p. 121)
  • Salad: Green Salad Vinaigrette – Taken from Ina Garten’s recipe. See: Green Salad Vinaigrette (Recipe here; BIP, p. 102)
  • Le Fromage: Cheese Plate – This plate featured an assortment of Spanish & French cheeses, from cow, goat, and sheep milk. An appropriate bread was used as the base for the Beef Bourguignon and eating separately.
  • Le Dessert: Mixed Fruit Tart – See: Wegmans Large Mixed Fruit Tart
  • Dinner Wine: Côtes du Rhône – A moderately priced red wine and an excellent pairing with Beef Bourguignon

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My Flawless Professional Review

Among my first impressions was the fact that at various points during meal preparation there were as many as six people in the kitchen. Daughter #2, of course, was the primary chef. She received some minor assistance from Son-in-Law #2 and Granddaughter #4, but, for the most part, Daughter #2 had to prepare the meal with a horde of bystanders in a very small kitchen. – To her very great credit, Daughter #2 maintained her composure throughout. Now, let us examine her meal from the perspective of Persnickety Pierre’s Criteria of Excellence:

  1. Level of the challenge: I am happily compelled to score Daughter #2 very highly on this criterion. In fact, there is not the slightest doubt in my mind that she has earned the coveted Persnickety Pierre’s Paw of Excellence (PPPE). Not only was her menu exceedingly ambitious, filled with many potential pitfalls, but each item was artfully chosen with the intent to please her dinner guests. Daughter #2 also had to deal with the totally unexpected arrival of Persnickety Pierre and remain calm and focused while under his intense scrutiny.  Oui, truly a remarkable performance worthy of a PPPE!
  2. Selection of good-quality ingredients: I have come to learn that Daughter #2 spent several days shopping for the ingredients to be served in her dinner. She carefully studied several cookbooks to enlighten herself concerning the right foods for an authentic French-style cuisine. She also sought advice from those whom she regards as knowledgeable. There were several calls to Mme. Blondie concerning selection of ingredients. She even called upon the assistance of M. Fuzz Face concerning selection of wines and European cheeses. Rather atypically, M. Fuzzy actually provided worthwhile advice.
  3. Use of cooking techniques: There are two reasons why I have chosen to award Daughter #2 an unprecedented second PPPE. As you can see from the featured image at the top of this post, when I first entered the kitchen, I was both amazed and delighted to see several courses in the midst of simultaneous preparation. My picture shows the blue pot containing the main course. Off to the left, preparation of the soup has begun. At the other side of the kitchen, Daughter was describing the history and ingredients of the aperitif to her guests. My picture also shows the second reason for awarding the PPPE. You will see in the foreground a very large pot containing a rendition of Ina Garten’s Homemade Chicken Stock (Recipe here; BIP, p. 84). Oui, Daughter #2 had elected to make her own chicken stock for use in the Winter Squash soup. Mon Dieu, what a great undertaking! Yet, Daughter #2 desired to make the extra effort.
  4. Development of superior taste and flavor: It goes without saying yet it is necessary that I say it. Daughter #2, due to her advance study, selection of fine ingredients, and diligent adherence to proper technique, was able to bring together in her masterpiece meal a symphony of tastes, flavors, and aromas. There were no sour notes. This music for the palate would render any audience breathless. The reason I have chosen not to award a PPPE is because I think it only right to allow this amazing amateur chef room to grow. I firmly believe that she should, when the time is right, depart from the recipe and explore her own native ability to experiment with herbs, spices, and techniques that will expand her repertoire.
  5. Presentation: Great care was taken to present the meal in a manner that was authentic but not overly formal. This was, after all, a meal for the family to enjoy. Interestingly, Daughter #2 called upon Granddaughter #4 to assist in setting the table. My earlier picture of the table setting shows that was done quite well. The attention to detail is evident. Daughter #2 personally served all guests. She did so with the charm, efficiency, and professional quality that would be worthy of a large tip, had this been a fine restaurant. I must point out that, in the future, Daughter #2 might be well-advised to consider portion size. This was a multi-course meal and use of a smaller bowl for the soup would have been more appropriate. That being said, I found myself happily pleased by the flavor of the soup and consumed all of it.

And there it is! Two amateur chefs, both Girls Raised in the South, a mother and daughter working together to prepare a memorable French dinner. The mother was awarded Persnickety Pierre’s first Paw of Excellence. The daughter won Pierre’s heart with her unusually challenging and most assuredly successful effort to bring fine French cuisine to the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, the breadbasket of the South. Indeed, it is without question that Daughter #2 deserves two PPPEs for her remarkable achievement of bringing together French Cuisine & GRITS!

Level of Challenge
Cooking Techniques

SFH Gardens – By the Numbers

  The following links will provide the latest ketchup on what has been planted, harvested, and preserved since our last Journal post:

SFH 2021 Plantings

SFH 2021 Harvest

SFH 2021 Preserving

Official SFH Weather Station Statistics

Likewise, the following links will provide the latest ketchup on what has been recorded by the Serendipity Farmhouse Weather Station – KVAFLETC4 since our last Journal post:

Report – Last Three Months

2021- December

2022- January

2022- February

Pray, Prepare, Preserve, SFH Journal, SFH Weather

Windfall/Rainfall Profit

Our newest contributor, the distinguished M. Pierre LeChat is currently emersed in piles of notes and pictures. He is preparing his first full-blown amateur chef review. It will be about a six-course meal prepared and served by our own lovely Daughter #2. We look forward to the review with great anticipation.

Likewise, Mr. Monte is engaged in anxious preparation for St. Valentine’s Day. His every waking moment has been focused on ensuring that his gifts and card for his dearly beloved Miss Fleur will be well received.

So, with our primary contributors set on much higher priority tasking, it falls to me to recount recent happenings here at Serendipity Farmhouse. Today, I will touch on how we can profit from the unexpected and convert unfortunate events into something of value.

Windfall Profit

Although now it is a financial term, “windfall profit” was originally associated with something of potential use (such as a tree or fruit from a branch) knocked down by the wind. The first winter storm of January paralyzed parts of Virginia. SFH was in the path of the storm and a great number of dead tree branches came down under the weight of the snow and ice. A large maple tree on the southeast side of SFH lost some deadwood and it also lost a relatively large live limb.

The fallen maple limb

Due to four fractured ribs, I was unable to go out and clear the debris from the storm. It wasn’t until this past Friday that I felt sufficiently healed and able to tackle this job.

Just some of our windfall profit

In years gone by, I might have hauled off all the debris. This year, however, we have been noting that, due to an unusually cold winter, our firewood supply was being depleted faster than we had expected. Additionally, we have been concerned by the steady rise in propane prices. With that in mind, I endeavored to ensure that all fallen debris that could be used to fuel the woodstove was cut and stacked near the woodshed to be used as firewood and kindling next winter.

The point is quite simple – January’s winter storm gave SFH a windfall profit.

Rainfall Profit

This last Thursday was the feast day of one of our patron saints, St. Scholastica, sister of St. Benedict. Accounts of one incident in her life make it clear that she well understood how to reap benefit from a seemingly unexpected natural event. Unlike, our winter storm, Scholastica also demonstrated the power of prayer.

Briefly stated, St. Benedict visited his sister on a day when there was good weather. He made it clear that he had to return to the abbey that evening. St. Scholastica felt it necessary to spend more time with her brother so she prayed so that somehow he would stay. Then unexpectedly the weather changed and heavy rain and high winds made it impossible for St. Benedict to depart. He stayed the night with his sister. The stay was most memorable, and St. Scholastica had benefitted from prayer and a rainfall profit.

Saints Benedict and Scholastica in conversation, Klosterkirche Elchingen, Public domain

Septuagesima Sunday

If you are viewing this post on your PC, you will note that we have a countdown to Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Here at SFH, Lent is a most important season. It provides us the opportunity to retreat from the world and spend time in penance, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. By so doing, we renew our spiritual strength. Septuagesima Sunday under the traditional calendar marks the first of three consecutive Sundays dedicated to preparation for Lent – a pre-Lent, so to speak.

This Sunday, we reflect on the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matthew 20: 1-16). This parable brings home the sobering thought: “So shall the last be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

SFH Gardens – By the Numbers

  The following links will provide the latest ketchup on what has been planted, harvested, and preserved since our last Journal post:

SFH 2021 Plantings

SFH 2021 Harvest

SFH 2021 Preserving

Official SFH Weather Station Statistics

Likewise, the following links will provide the latest ketchup on what has been recorded by the Serendipity Farmhouse Weather Station – KVAFLETC4 since our last Journal post:

Report – Last Three Months

2021- December

2022- January

2022- February

Persnickety Pierre, SFH Food Talk & Recipes, SFH Journal, SFH Weather

Julia’s Tartlets – Pierre’s Test Case

My dear new friends, as you learned in the recent post Gourmet Ketchup, I am Pierre LeChat, gourmand and expert on all that is food. As you can tell by my name, I am French, but my love of good food extends to all points on the globe.

It is not my way to attempt to impress you by resorting to food snobbery. After all, it goes without saying that the enjoyment of any food is a matter of personal taste. Yet now that I have said that which goes without saying, I will tell you that I have met food critics who would want you to think that all food must be judged by their own narrowly defined personal tastes. Critics like these have no place in my world and they will never be acknowledged by me so long as I am a staff member of the soon-to-be-world-famous Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen.

Nevertheless, there must be some standard criteria by which to judge the labors of an amateur chef or team of chefs. Throughout my career, I have pondered this most important question: What are the appropriate criteria for judgement? Although, my notes concerning this question fill multiple volumes, for the sake of simplicity, I have settled upon five criteria that are critical to the success for any amateur chef. Here they are.

Persnickety Pierre’s Criteria of Excellence

1. Level of the challenge
2. Selection of good-quality ingredients
3. Use of cooking techniques
4. Development of superior taste and flavor
5. Presentation

My Test Case – Julia’s Tartlets by SFH TK

Now that you know my general philosophy, criteria, and approach to evaluation, let us quickly observe how I will go about my task of revealing the talents of some of the world’s finest amateur chefs. The obvious best place to begin, of course, is right here at my new place of employment, the almost world-renowned Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen (SFH TK). My dear employer, Mme. Blondie graciously offered the services of SFH TK and a select cooking team to undergo the scrutiny of Persnickety Pierre. She knew that I would be brutally honest and that I would not withhold criticism – it would be her challenge and she willingly accepted. – Let us move on to the review.

  1. Level of the challenge: Although Mme. Blondie was only preparing an appetizer, barely a moderate technical challenge, she knew that the whole world would be watching. She knew the golden reputation of the SFH TK was at stake. She accepted this added pressure and managed to maintain her composure throughout this test case. – High marks here for Mme. Blondie
  2. Selection of good-quality ingredients: Both Mme. Blondie and her somewhat less capable assistant M. Fuzz Face seek to prepare high-quality meals on a tightly controlled budget. After all, SFH is not the house of their dreams; it is the house of their realities. I see this as an excellent objective. In our test, I was not displeased nor offended by any choice of individual ingredients. This chef team hit the mark on quality while remaining well within their allotted budget.
  3. Use of cooking techniques: This, most unfortunately, was where the SFH TK team stumbled. While Mme. Blondie displayed outstanding ability in cleanliness, selection of proper tools, and use of high-standard process and procedure, her junior partner was not so well disposed. It was my observation that M. Fuzz Face is clumsy, lazy, and lacking in proper respect for food and its preparation. His particularly disturbing blunder during this test was the way in which he clumsily employed the tart tamper, breaking the bottoms of the tartlet shells. His shaping of the shells in the cups was crude and uneven. And to add to those failures, he departed from proper procedure by stabbing the base of the tartlet shells multiple times, rather than lightly pricking the shell just once. Please view for yourself the slovenly work of M. Fuzz Face.
  4. Development of superior taste and flavor: Mme. Blondie is a most creative chef. She has an innate sense of what will lift the taste and flavor of a dish from the merely superb to the heavenly sublime. If you compare the original recipe to Mme. Blondie’s adaptation, you will find that she does not fear to experiment and innovate. Later in the day of this test case, the tartlets were presented at a family gathering. There were no leftovers! That is the highest form of praise.
  5. Presentation: I had to score Mme. Blondie a little lower on this criterion. But that was not due to any failure on her part. Her appetizer only made it to the kitchen at the family gathering – it was totally consumed before there was a chance for it to make it to the dinner table. In this test case, the aroma, taste, and flavor outweighed all other criteria; final presentation could not be judged due to the rush by all to engage Mme. Blondie’s tartlets in a first-hand taste test.

And after review of the pictures, reference to my notes, and, of course, my personal evaluation of taste and flavor, I can now inform the world that the SFH TK has won the first ever Persnickety Pierre’s Paw of Excellence. It would have been two paws, but the inept and bungling preparation of the tartlet cups by M. Fuzz Face made it impossible for me to award a highly coveted second paw.

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18-inch French Rolling Pin

With regard to the blunders made by M. Fuzz Face, Mme. Blondie was more than ready to provide some rather enthusiastic and dramatic remedial action. The French rolling pin you see in her hands was going to be the instrument used to deliver the remedial action. M. Fuzz Face, recognizing that his goose had been cooked, offered to administer penitential remedial action to himself using a 6-inch tart tamper. Mme. Blondie mercifully accepted his compromise and now the blundering chef wears the marks of his self-chastisement. – As M. Monte had informed me, M. Fuzzy definitely “is not the sharpest claw on the paw.”

6-inch Tart M. Fuzzy Tamper
This is the Serendipity Farmhouse adaptation of Jackie DeKnock's version of Julia Child’s Cheese Tartlets at Gourmet Safari and a Julia Child video that can be found here. Also, you can watch Chef Blondie prepare Creme Fraiche here.
 

SFH Gardens – By the Numbers

  The following links will provide the latest ketchup on what has been planted, harvested, and preserved since our last Journal post:

SFH 2021 Plantings

SFH 2021 Harvest

SFH 2021 Preserving

Official SFH Weather Station Statistics

Likewise, the following links will provide the latest ketchup on what has been recorded by the Serendipity Farmhouse Weather Station – KVAFLETC4 since our last Journal post:

Report – Last Three Months

2021- December

2022- January

2022- February

Mr. Monte, SFH Food Talk & Recipes, SFH Journal, SFH Weather

Gourmet Ketchup

To my 23,417 feline followers, especially my many cat cousins residing in Virginia and Ohio, absolutely nothing would get done at SFH if I weren’t here to do it. No, I don’t mean I do all the physical labor. That would be beneath my dignity. What it means is, I am the one with the real initiative and creativity in this multifaceted enterprise we call Serendipity Farmhouse. For example, here I am writing this post, when, by all rights, Ol’ Fuzz Face should be performing this task. But, as you can see, Fuzzy is absent without leave once again. – How he ever made it in this world, I’ll never understand.

Alas, there’s no need to continue in this vein of thought. After all, Fuzzy and Blondie are the humans they are, and I have to make the most of it. – – So, I’ll just have to continue on to the ‘meet’ of this post. So, here it is:

‘Meet’ SFH TK’s Distinguished New Staff Member

For years, the staff of the soon-to-be-world-famous SFH Test Kitchen has endeavored to prepare some of the finest meals imaginable. With my guidance and amazing sense of taste, I have conducted Fuzzy and Blondie through some of the most extraordinary adventures in the culinary arts. Yet, with all that we have accomplished, I knew deep down inside that the SFH TK is capable of so much more. That is why, in a recent staff meeting, I broached the idea of hiring a freelance gourmet and food critic. The new hire would bring the professional touch to our already high level of food writing. I let the staff know I had someone special in mind.

As usual, Fuzzy was a little slow on the intake and questioned the prospects of such a venture. Blondie, on the other hand, immediately fell in love with the idea. In fact, she had ideas of her own that would add color and interest to this type of food writing project. – Fuzzy, somewhat bewildered by the whole thing, finally agreed to the venture when he realized he was once again outnumbered.

As you might suspect, I keep myself abreast of all that is important in the world of food. In my extensive reading, some years back, I came across the mysterious food critic known as Pierre LeChat. Though his talent and experience were legendary, there were no pictures of Pierre to be had anywhere. – There were no pictures until this day, in this post, in this blog, authored by this cat.

For anyone else it would be difficult to make contact with such an elusive celebrity. But for me, it only took a few minutes online to make the acquaintance of Monsieur LeChat. Another few minutes were spent in minor chitchat, and in that short period, we recognized that we hold so very much in common. And the most important thing I learned from our chat was, true to his name, M. LeChat loves cats to an extent seldom seen among those of the unfortunate human persuasion. – So, without further ado, here’s our newest staff member, M. Pierre LeChat.

Bonjour to all of you! For nearly five decades, I have worked virtually unseen and unnoticed in my relentless pursuit of the exquisite meal, the artfully prepared dish that has no equal, the blending of taste and flavor that leaves one speechless. On rare occasions, I have found that meal. But more often I have found seemingly artificial concoctions, prepared by so-called chefs who possess great pride but no talent. – Those misbegotten chefs are only deserving of disdain and derision. And in my reviews, that is what I have given them – a meal of truth served on a bitter platter. That is why they have dubbed me ‘Persnickety Pierre.’ – I wear that title as a badge of honor.

Now, after all those years hiding my true identity, I come to the esteemed Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen. It is here that I will bring honor and tribute to the chefs who really matter, the amateur chefs who strive to do what many professional chefs will never learn, to prepare the exquisite meal for the ones they cherish most – their families and friends. I will seek out these gifted ones, the ones who take on great culinary challenges simply because they love to cook, and because they love those for whom they cook.

But of course, I will continue to be persnickety. After all, that is who I am. Yet, I will be truthful in gentle ways. I will always keep in mind the difficulty of the challenge undertaken and give recognition to the effort made to please. For those who meet their self-made goals, for those who reach a new level of excellence, there will be the soon-to-be-highly-coveted award known as ‘Persnickety Pierre’s Paw of Excellence’ (PPPE).

If you fail to see the symbolism in the PPPE, allow me to explain. The forepaw of a polydactyl cat, such as my new-found protégé, Monsieur Monte, has two extra toes, which some call thumbs. The PPPE is my way of saying that I give a particular dish or meal two thumbs up.

That is enough for now. I will present to you more of my persnickety personal views on the art of cooking in the future. Until then, if you would like to have your special meal judged by a real expert, give the SFH TK a call, and I will be there to join you for a most memorable tasting experience.   

SFH Journal: 2022-01 – Winter Ketchup

What need is there to ketchup on this January’s events? It’s been snowy and cold. Blondie makes that quite clear.

SFH Gardens – By the Numbers

  The following links will provide the latest ketchup on what has been planted, harvested, and preserved since our last Journal post:

SFH 2021 Plantings

SFH 2021 Harvest

SFH 2021 Preserving

Official SFH Weather Station Statistics

Likewise, the following links will provide the latest ketchup on what has been recorded by the Serendipity Farmhouse Weather Station – KVAFLETC4 since our last Journal post:

Last Week: 

SFH WX 2022-01-17 through 01-23

Report – Last Two Months

2021- December

2022- January

 

Mr. Monte, SFH Journal

SFH Christmas – 2021 BC!!

Attention!!!!

To all of Mr. Monte’s 23,417 feline followers, including his many cat cousins residing in Virginia and Ohio, do not, I repeat, do not expect to see any posts authored by Mr. Monte for a long, long, long, long, long time. As of this morning at 5:00 AM, I changed the passwords on every electronic device here are Serendipity Farmhouse, and Mr. Monte is hereby denied access to any communication device whatsoever until further notice. – – He, the once world-renowned SFH Chief of Security, has committed a severe breach of professional conduct. That is why, commencing now and extending far into the forseeable future, his communications privileges are hereby revoked.

Background: Due to an unfortunate incident three weeks ago, I sustained a somewhat severe injury – I fractured four ribs and two of those ribs have multiple fractures. As a consequence of the injury, I have been unable to sleep in bed and must sleep on a chair in the SFH living room. Although this has been a hardship, my spirits were lifted on December 23rd when my dear, sweet Wife and I were finally able to erect our humble but happy little Christmas tree. Of course, that little tree, with the baby Jesus nestled at its base, was the focal point for our quiet and prayerful Christmas Eve.

3:25 AM This Morning: As I was peacefully sleeping in the easy chair next to the Christmas tree early this morning, all feelings of blissful sleep, happiness, and joy came to a nerve shattering, traumatic end as our dear SFH Christmas tree crashed down on me in my chair. Through the branches laying near my face, I looked up with a start and saw a large, frightened, 21-pound Maine Coon cat hightailing it out through the kitchen and into the dining room. It was as if you could actually see “guilt” floating in the air behind him. – – I harshly uttered a word or two is some long-forgotten language known to be spoken by very salty sailors.

From the SFH master bedroom, my most wondrous and protective Spouse asked what had happened, but her voice clearly indicated that she really knew what it was without needing to be told. She quickly entered the living room and turned on the lights. Now that she could see, she first looked for broken glass ornaments or other dangerous debris. Next, she came over to the fallen tree and began the task of moving ornaments and Christmas tree parts in hopes of finding her husband somewhere underneath.

It took about 10-15 minutes before it was safe for me to move from my chair. Together, my beautiful Bride and I resumed the search for fallen ornaments. Then, we reassembled the tree and hastily returned it to the table where it had been placed so carefully on December 23rd. – – The only fact that made this matter less bad than it could have been, was that not a single ornament was broken.

December 23rd
December 27th

We put some of the fallen decorations back onto the tree and others we put into a bowl. Later today, we will try to restore our poor tree to its former glory.

Perhaps: Perhaps this was all just an accident. Perhaps the SFH Chief of Security was merely trying to make the placement of the ornaments more symmetrical or pleasing to the eye. Perhaps the tree was not positioned safely, and Mr. Monte was attempting to slide the tree to a safer position on the table. Perhaps …

Perhaps all of those perhapses are just a bunch of malarky, and Mr. Monte momentarily slipped into a feline fit of felonious, juvenile behavior. As I said before, “It was as if you could actually see “guilt” floating in the air behind him.”

Nevertheless, at this time, and until there is any hint of evidence to acquit him, we here at SFH will have to make the judgement that perhaps Mr. Monte was just being an SFH Christmas – 2021 BC!! and BC stands for ……

Faith, Family, & Country, Farmhouse History, SFH Journal

SFH Anniversary & Birthday

Eight years ago today, Serendipity Farmhouse became the house of our realities. That was when the papers that finalized the purchase were signed.

The day was sunny and clear just as you see in the picture of the title office, but there were no leaves on the trees then and the official temperature at Fanning Field in Idaho Falls (IF) only reached 21°F. Of course, that was a relative heat wave. Several days earlier, when we packed out our belongings, the temperature was below -20°F not counting the wind chill factor. In less than three hours after the signing, Blondie and Ol’ Fuzz Face would be on the road making the nearly three-day trek to Virginia through snow, ice, and dangerously high winds.

It was a trip well worth making. The risks were well worth taking. We were on our way to a rendezvous with Serendipity.

Since early in 2018, this blog has chronicled the important, the serious, the sad, and sometimes the hilarious events that have taken place at SFH. Today, there is one report to make that brings great joy to these two grandparents that reside here at SFH. Granddaughter #3 is celebrating a very important birthday. We pray that Our Lady of Guadalupe will intercede and have her Son make this a most happy day for her and her family.

Virgen_de_guadalupe1 - San Antonio Report

 

 

Faith, Family, & Country, SFH Food Talk & Recipes, SFH Journal

SFH Journal: 2021-11-22 through 28 – Thanksgiving

We here at Serendipity Farmhouse hold Thanksgiving Day to be most precious. It speaks to our hearts and souls of a lofty ideal, yet it resides with us in the realm of reality and common sense. Indeed, to celebrate Thanksgiving Day properly, one must answer two important questions:

For what are we thankful?

To whom are we thankful?

President Abraham Lincoln, in his 1863 Proclamation of Thanksgiving, spoke to both questions when he wrote:

“To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.”

Yes, even in the midst of the Civil War, he could say, “The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.” And he attributed all those “bounties” to “Almighty God”.

We here at SFH, like you and many whom we know, have been touched by the sickness and evils of these most uncertain times of pandemic and social upheaval. Nevertheless, we can also see the many gifts we have been given throughout this year and, without any doubt, we know to Whom we are to give our thanks. Along with Lincoln, we can affirm:

“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”

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At Serendipity Farmhouse, there is no thanks to be given for the great bounty we enjoy, if it is not thanksgiving to Almighty God.

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Sometimes, even though it might seem contrary to what one might think, five chefs in a small kitchen isn’t necessarily a pending catastrophe. Nope! Sometimes, five chefs in a small kitchen might be the harmonious prelude to a most memorable Thanksgiving dinner. And so it was on Thursday when we assembled in that unnamed, but soon-to-be-world-famous kitchen somewhere in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.

It would take far too much time to describe all that took place in that small kitchen. Nevertheless, I will attempt to summarize as follows, listing each chef and their particular specialties for the day.

Executive Chef – Daughter #2: This up-and-coming young chef extended her already expansive repertoire to include the following masterworks:

Asparagus & Prosciutto Bundles – Working with the basic recipe by Ina Garten, D#2 added her own variations and made this the centerpiece of the dinner plate.
Cranberry Sauce – It wasn’t from a can, it came from a creative hand, and it was oh so tasty.
Turkey Gravy – This was another first for D#2. Never again will she have to rely on some pre-made gravy from a jar or a bag.
Appetizer Tray – Here was an excellent assortment of cheeses and other flavorful morsels.
Sangria – This delightful punch consisted of rosé wine, chopped fruit, and other ingredients and spirits.

Deputy Executive Chef – Son-in-Law #2: Here is an unsung master, who quietly plied his craft and produced two flavorful staples for this traditional meal.

The Turkey – Even if everything else is superb, when the turkey is a failure, the entire Thanksgiving dinner falls flat. SIL#2 did not let us down. The turkey was completed on time and cooked to perfection.
Yeast Rolls – These were a must to accompany the meal. What can be better than to add a little butter, then clean the gravy off your plate with these wondrous little rolls?

SFH Test Kitchen Executive Chef – Dearest Wife: A great joy in the life of a mother is watching a daughter accept the challenge of the kitchen and to master the cooking skills. On this particular day, Dearest Wife assisted D#2 when needed. The day before, she did prepare something that would make the dinner complete.

The Pumpkin Pie – What would Thanksgiving Dinner be without this scrumptious dessert? All agreed that it was the very best they had ever tasted.

Rank Amateur – Yours Truly: Based on his amazing ability to break or damage just about anything, this guy was assigned the duty of mashing defenseless roots.

Mashed Potatoes – Despite his best efforts, this guy was unable to bring about any type of culinary disaster. There were actually some fairly good mashed potatoes on each plate, ready to soak up D#2’s good gravy.

Junior Chef – Granddaughter #4: The Deputy Executive Chef was aided and assisted in several tasks by able and willing Granddaughter #4. Her eagerness to help and apparent joy in joining in with the more senior chefs suggests she is at the beginning of a lifelong culinary adventure.

For this love-filled day, for this time in the kitchen, for this enjoyable meal, for this family we have been given, Dear Wife and I say, “Thank you, Lord!”

SFH Gardens – By the Numbers

  The following links will catch you up with what has been planted, harvested, and preserved since our last Journal post:

SFH 2021 Plantings

SFH 2021 Harvest

SFH 2021 Preserving

SFH WX Station Report – Weekly: 

SFH WX 2021-11-22 through 11-28

SFH WX Station Report – Monthly: 

SFH WX 2021-11-01 through 11-30

Faith, Family, & Country, Mr. Monte, RV Living, SFH Journal, SFH- Upkeep & Improvements

SFH Journal: 2021-11-01 through 11-21 – Deep Autumn
Le Chat – the Feline in Command
View from Monte’s Command Post

Hi! Mr. Monte here!

To my 23,417 feline followers, especially my many cat cousins residing in Virginia and Ohio, observe the pictures above. Everything in them conveys a most important point – this is Le Chat, this is a feline in command. And that is precisely the case – I am the Feline in Command. While conducting my command and control duties on RV trips in El Camino Del Monte, my Command Post is strategically located in the over cab loft. From there I can observer all, monitor each and every activity, and maintain close control of my humans as they conduct all their activities within ECDM. It’s a difficult job ‘herding humans’, but it’s what I do.

The same can be said of my most necessary work at Serendipity Farmhouse. It’s a daily ritual. I get Ol’ Fuzz Face and Blondie up at an appropriately early hour. I make sure that they waste no time doing their required chores, e.g. feeding me, cleaning my pan, making my bed, etc. Blondie’s pretty good at following all my instructions, but I have to confess Fuzz Face is not exactly the ‘sharpest claw on the paw’.

Yep, Fuzzy is a little slow on the intake and downright bad at time management. He was supposed get this post out on Sunday, yet he hasn’t written a single word. The SFH blog has to maintain its five-star reputation, and Fuzz Face really isn’t up to the job. That’s why I have to take matters into my own paws and let you know what’s been happening here at SFH. So, sit back, relax, catch up on your grooming, and be informed by this report on all the SFH local news.

10 -12 NOV – RV Trip 2021-06: This was the last trip of the year. Blondie and Fuzz Face had made some ridiculously bad scheduling errors for some of our mid-season trips. Of course, you remember my post RV Trip 2021-02: I Wanna Go Home!. My big cats couldn’t have picked a worse time to take our rig out camping. – Dang! I hate that air conditioner!

RV Trip 2021-06, however, couldn’t have been any better. The weather was perfect in the mid-60s. The Autumn foliage was at its peak, and I was a happy cat camper. If he ever gets his scat together, Fuzzy will write a post and provide some pictures.

Looking southwest at the Massanutten Mountain Range

11 NOV – Dinner with Julia: Now, I’m not much into people food, but Julia Child and I share a love of butter. You can be sure that when the smell of butter is in the air, you will accompanied by Le Chat Chef Extraordinaire. And so it was on the evening of November 11th. Blondie and Fuzzy, under the close scrutiny and guidance of yours truly, successfully executed Julia’s recipe for Coq au Vin. Once again, if Ol’ Fuzz Face ever gets his scat together, he will write a post and provide some pictures.

Coq au Vin a la El Camino Del Monte

17 NOV – River Cleanup: For several years now, we at SFH have watched as our lovely riverfront was slowly overgrown by small trees, invasive shrubs, and killer vines. The presence of established trees along the river bank is essential to prevent erosion, but many of the recent plant arrivals were hostile creatures, seeking to destroy all useful varieties of vegetation in their path. Enough was enough, Blondie commissioned a work crew to turn back the invasion. Although we know this is not the end of the war, and we will have to remain ever vigilant, the pictures below show that we are now winning.

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16-19 NOV – ECDM Winter Storage: Even for those of us who are somewhat reluctant to admit that RV life can be fun, it is always a sad time of the year when El Camino Del Monte has to be serviced, cleaned, and wrapped up in its protective cocoon for the winter.

As usual, Fuzzy provided examples of his all too frequent buffoonery. He stated to all of us here at SFH that gas prices were only going to go up. So, he rushed off to the nearby service station and pumped $102.92 worth of gasoline into ECDM at $3.29/gallon. Of course, the very next day, the gas price dropped by 10¢/gallon. — Fuzzy next showed off his ability to make simple jobs look hard, while at the same time taking foolish risks with his aging life and limb. I suspect Blondie was willing to take the pictures of him up atop ECDM so that it would support her claims for a maximum payoff from Fuzzy’s life insurance.

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20 NOV – First Woodstove Fire: So, we here at SFH have made the turn into the midst of what we call ‘Deep Autumn’. Finally, we’ve reached the time of year when the trusty old woodstove is used as our main source of heat. And for me, now that this post is complete, it’s time to curl up and take a long deserved nap, enjoying the warmth of the fire.

SFH Gardens – By the Numbers

  The following links will catch you up with what has been planted, harvested, and preserved since our last Journal post:

SFH 2021 Plantings

SFH 2021 Harvest

SFH 2021 Preserving

SFH WX Station Report – Weekly: 

SFH WX 2021-11-01 through 11-07

SFH WX 2021-11-08 through 11-14

SFH WX 2021-11-15 through 11-21

SFH WX Station Report – Monthly: 

SFH WX 2021-11-01 through 11-30

Pray, Prepare, Preserve, SFH Journal, SFH Weather, SFH- Upkeep & Improvements

SFH Journal: 2021-10-18 through 31 – Look Up!

My recent post Dark Autumn Reflections was, as its title stated, quite dark. I look back on that post and note my listing of worries and concerns. My words left no doubt that I was in the grips of depression. Yet, even with my recounting of problems, real and perceived, I was able to remember a most important fact:

“We here at SFH have hidden strength and resilience that enables us to weather any storm. We know that we will always come through the problems that beset us – there is always a sunny day after the storm.”

For us here at SFH, October 27th was the sunny day after the storm. The featured picture was taken immediately after attending Mass that morning. The sky was clear, the Autumn colors were vibrant, and the moon, a waning gibbous, was still high. To see this warm reflection of God’s might and splendor, all we had to do was to just “Look Up!”

RV Trip 2021-05: This storm in our life at SFH began to break when Grandson #3, Son-in-Law #1, and I made an excellent RV trip to Serendipity River Park.* It was during that trip that Blondie and I were first able to place our worries and concerns far in the background where they rightly belong.

* See The Guy’s Guide to Glamping – Section 1, Chapter 1. This was the first post in a series that will memorialize a truly epic adventure.

Water Leak: One of our ‘dark Autumn reflections’ centered on a serious water leak directly under our front walkway. We knew that the charge for repairing the leak could easily match or exceed the $3,800.00 we spent to repair a similar leak last December. We had mentally prepared ourselves for another massive expense. The day the plumbers came, we watched with dread and trepidation. Of course, the leak was directly under our brick walkway. Of course, the plumbers would announce that they were only plumbers and not landscapers. Of course, yours truly would have become a landscaper to repair the walkway once repairs had been completed. But, and this was a most important but, the entire line would not have to be replaced – the line could be fixed at the point of the leak.

Despite a large hole in the front yard and despite an upcoming day or two of bricklaying work on hand and knee, I was quite happy to pay the plumbers $458.00 for their day’s work.

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COVidiocy: COVidiocy knows no bounds. It manifests itself in many ways and none of those manifestations are rational. COVidiocy has caused pain and mental anguish for many, many good Americans. And my wife and I can count ourselves among that group.

Natural serendipity cannot ward off the harmful effects of COVidiocy. Only supernatural serendipity, i.e. the very Hand of God at work, can dispel the diabolical darkness of COVidiocy. And so it was on the morning of October 27th when I learned that my prayers had been answered and supernatural serendipity freed Serendipity Farmhouse from the grips of one manifestation of COVidiocy. – – But what of the many, many good Americans who have not been freed? What of the good Americans who are losing their jobs and being stripped of their freedoms? – – We here at SFH pray for them daily.

Birthday: What in life is better than having wonderful grandchildren? There is great peace and joy that comes from spending a Sunday afternoon sharing a birthday with these splendid little people. And this peace and joy only increases when a granddad can successfully assemble the “big present” and watch a growing granddaughter learn how it works. – – Yes, this was a most perfect day for Granny & Granddad!

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Firewood: Sweet, hardworking Wife and I hauled and stacked one cord of firewood in record time – three days at three loads per day.

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And surely, life can’t be quite so bad and the future can’t be quite so dark, when during the midst of the storm, a truck pulls up and delivers a cord of firewood. This wood will keep us warm during the cold of the coming Winter. – And so it is with God’s grace, it will always be there, even when we are lost in Dark Autumn Reflections. – There’s always a sunny day after the storm when you surrender to the realities of the life God gives you. All you have to do is just “Look Up!”

SFH Gardens – By the Numbers

  The following links will catch you up with what has been planted, harvested, and preserved since our last Journal post:

SFH 2021 Plantings

SFH 2021 Harvest

SFH 2021 Preserving

SFH WX Station Report – Weekly: 

SFH WX 2021-10-18 through 10-24

SFH WX 2021-10-25 through 10-31

SFH WX Station Report – Monthly: 

SFH WX 2021-10-01 through 10-31

 

Autumn, Farmhouse History, Seasons, SFH Journal

SFH Journal: 2021-10-11 through 10-17 – Dark Autumn Reflections

Professional and amateur photographers alike avoid publishing pictures that contain reflections of themselves. For them, the lens must capture what is meant to be seen, not the one who is behind the lens. It is a silent way to control perceived reality. On the other hand, painters often do self portraits to chronicle changes to themselves over the course of time, especially in the Autumn of their years. – It is a necessary surrender to reality.

The featured picture at the top of today’s post crosses the line separating the photographer and artist who reside within me. The reason is quite clear. I am a part of the picture. What is happening in the picture is happening to me and to Serendipity Farmhouse. – This is an unavoidable reality.

The Week Before Christmas

Older houses and older people deteriorate over time. SFH is an older house and it was bought “as is”. Blondie and I have done our best to restore SFH and conduct preventive maintenance, but we are well aware that new problems will emerge when and where least expected. If you recall, last December we spent $3,800.00 for plumbing repairs due to leaks in the water line from the pump house to the main house. (See SFH Journal: 2020-12-17 through 12-28 – Whew!.)

The picture above shows water bubbling up from under our front walkway. The sand around and beneath the bricks is being washed away. This has been going on for almost a week. Due to the nature of the current economy and supply chain problems, a plumber won’t be available to assess the problem until this coming Tuesday. Our guess is that the water is coming from the water line that runs from the well pump to the well house. We still have running water in the house to serve our needs, but the damage to the walkway mounts daily. – This is an unavoidable reality.

I must confess that this and a number of other “unavoidable realities” caused the author to have a relatively serious meltdown earlier this week. I have since collected myself, apologized to Blondie and Mr. Monte, and worked at restoring “peace” within myself.

It is poor form to blame one’s problems on others. For example, there is no way I can blame the SFH water leak on any one individual. This is an old farmhouse, it was bound to happen someday. There are some things, however, that we would like to blame on certain individuals, and perhaps rightly so. But I believe that there is really nothing to be gained by doing that. Nevertheless, these days we are experiencing a global pandemic of what I call “COVidiocy”. It is spreading rapidly and has many variants. One of its more serious variants manifested itself on September 9th. (See for yourself here.) Over the last month, I have developed several symptoms inflicted by that particular form of COVidiocy. If no treatment becomes available soon, it appears that I may suffer permanently from the effects of this disease.  – This is an unavoidable reality.

We here at SFH have hidden strength and resilience that enables us to weather any storm. We know that we will always come through the problems that beset us – there is always a sunny day after the storm. For example, it rained yesterday and the wind from the storm knocked down hundreds of black walnuts. They will have to be cleared away. But that’s no problem for Blondie and me. Isn’t that why we invented the game of Walnut Whacking?

As of this morning, there were twice as many black walnuts as seen here.

And surely, life can’t be quite so bad and the future can’t be quite so dark, when during the midst of the storm, a truck pulls up and delivers a cord of firewood. This wood will keep us warm during the cold of the coming Winter. – And so it is with God’s grace, it will always be there, even when we are lost in Dark Autumn Reflections. – There’s always a sunny day after the storm when you surrender to the realities of the life God gives you.

 

SFH Gardens – By the Numbers

  The following links will catch you up with what has been planted, harvested, and preserved since our last Journal post:

SFH 2021 Plantings

SFH 2021 Harvest

SFH 2021 Preserving

SFH WX Station Report – Weekly: 

SFH WX 2021-10-11 through 10-17