Monday, October 20, 2014

Linner or Dunch & Mary's Recipes & The Ruidosa Mystery!

Today has been great. This morning after Tony and I did our chores outside, I came inside The Cabin and punched Carlton's button, to make him stop flashing, on the breakfast bar and to hear the six messages. This one especially intrigued me.

"Nancy, this is Jon," Jon Wolfmueller said. "Pick up the phone." There was a ten second pause. "Okay, I bet that you're there watching another episode of Longmire and don't want to be disturbed." Then he chuckled. "If you and Tony are coming to town today, please drop by the bookstore, because this nice woman, from Georgia, left you some flowers and a sack with with some packages inside it, for you to pick up. Don't worry about the flowers. Sandy has put them in some water for you. Bye." Click.

After listening to the messages and returning a few phone calls I began cooking Cousin Nancy's Crab Alfredo for lunch, that Tony loves and is very easy to make. When it was ready I asked Tony, "Would you let Chet know that lunch is ready?"

When Chet came inside and I told him what I had cooked, he said, "Great. It is one of my favorite meals that you make." Then we served ourselves, buffet style and all sat down to eat. When I took my very first bite I noticed that it didn't taste as good as it usually does. So I took a sip of water.

Then Tony says, as I'm swallowing, "Nancy, this isn't right. I'm sorry, but I'm not eating this. I'm throwing it out." His words almost made me choke, even though I had to agree with his diagnosis.

After the three of us had shoveled my delicious-looking Cousin Nancy's Crab Alfredo, into the garbage can, we figured out that the Half & Half had gone bad, because Chet read us the "Use By Date" on the carton.

"Okay," I said, trying to be upbeat, because Tony was starving again, I said, "When we get back from town, I'll make it again. Chet we will be back in about an hour and a half...." Then Tony and I jumped into Trigger and took off for the big city, with our grocery shopping bags, on the backseat.

Before we went to the big H-E-B, on Main Street, to get groceries, we went to Wolfmueller's Books. After we greeted each other Sandy handed me the pretty sack, meant for Tony and me. I pulled out the card and read it and then I smiled. "Do you know her?" Sandy asked.

"No, but I would love to meet her," I said, as I handed the card to Tony. "She was here for a wedding and she wanted to come out and walk her dogs for us, but her time was limited. She discovered our rescue ranch when she read Kinky's novels and she follows my blog. She is from Georgia and her name is Mary Sanders. Aren't these flowers beautiful?"

"Yes, they are," Sandy remarked, as Tony unwrapped Mary's jars of homemade hot sauce, blueberry and blackberry preserves. We visited for a few more minutes before we adios-ed each other.

On our way home, Tony stopped at our mailbox and handed me our mail. "Hey, here's a pretty postcard of the Sierra Blanca Peaks, near Ruidosa!"

"Who's it from?" Tony asked, as I turned it over to read.

"I don't know. They forgot to sign it." Tony and I chuckled. "But I do know that whoever sent it to us must be at least our age, because it sounds like something that we would do."



As soon as we got home I cooked Cousin Nancy's Crab Alfredo, again. And this time, when it was ready, I said, "Tony would you let Chet know that Linner or Dunch is ready?" Tony did and the three of us thought it was delicious, as it should be.

After I cleaned up the Linner or Dunch dishes, pots and pans, for the second time today, I took this picture of Mary Sander's gifts. And I want to say, "Thank you, Mary! I want your recipes!"


So, as I finish writing this, the unsolved mysteries for tonight are: Will Mary send me her recipes, knowing full well that I will steal them and call them mine? Who sent us the lovely postcard and will they reveal themselves. And is it Linner or Dunch?

Y'all have a great evening!

9:00 Update: Tonight, after Tone read my blog, he told me, "I think you should have called it—Sunch (supper) or Sinner!" : ))  "I love you, Tone."

3 comments:

mary sanders said...

Nancy,
Jon Wolfmueller was so nice! I was thinking that he might think I was some kind of alien stalker!
I will retire next year, and think that making a road trip to Utopia to walk dogs is a perfect thing to do.
My recipe is so easy for the preserves:
8 cups of berries
two tablespoons of lemon juice
4 cups of sugar
put it all together in a large pot and cook till "soft ball stage". I don't do that. I just hold the spoon up till I see it's thick and the mixture has a silky look to it.
Ladle into sterile jars and seal.

Some of my friends add the blackberry jam to bar-b-q sauce for a tasty glaze.

I will dig out my hot sauce recipe for later. It's made with a carribean pepper called a datil pepper. I have made it with Jalapeno peppers and that is also very good.

So sorry I didn't get to meet you this trip. I did get Cowgirl Sisterhood I, and will be ordering the next.(you need to restock at the bookshop) I read it on the plane and had to do the Pee-pee dance all the way to the ladies room from laughing so hard.

Hopefully, I will see you next year and walk the dogs. I did go eat at El Sol, and had puffy tacos. Must find a recipe for that. There was no name on the restaurant!

Till we meet....Mary Sanders

Mary sanders said...

PS,
I think it's time you did a Cookbook so all your friends can see their (I mean your) wonderful recipes!
Especially the salsa spaghetti recipe!

cousin nancy said...

Hi Mary! Thank you for the recipes and a hilarious book review. That is great that you went to Wolfmueller's Books, got to meet Jon and ate at El Sol de Mexico, while visiting Kerrville.

Several people have suggested that I write a cookbook, but I don't have the time, because I'm too busy stealing my dear friend's recipes and running the rescue ranch.

I look forward to meeting you, after you retire.

P.S. My dear friend Eileen lived in Georgia for 14 years and she asked where you lived. Please make another comment, that I want publish for your privacy, so I can let Eileen know.