Rearranging continues

Cheese pie

This recipe was from a friend of my mom's. I use it every summer to keep the staff going! You can also make it in individual batches - I like to bake mini pies in my little custard pots sometimes.

Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (1 pack)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Make sure you crush the graham crackers very fine, then press the whole mess into the pie pan.

16 oz cream cheese (soften it first)
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

You can add these in order, but I don't think it makes any difference. Beat until it's smooth then pour into the crust. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, let stand about 15 minutes.

Topping
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Spread over the pie. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes (if you don't remember at this point to put a pan under the pie you will be sorry!)

Cool, then chill overnight.

Just out of the oven after the first baking

Topping added

Chilled - the next morning

Time to start moving the living room furniture

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I adapted this recipe from the Eating Better cookbooks. Generally, their recipes are pretty old-school healthy (read: gross) but this is a yummy one that I grew up eating. I use a LOT of broccoli and freeze the extra soup in small tupperwares. Great with some crusty bread.

Set aside a couple cups of chopped broccoli (I just use the florets)

7 cups chicken broth
roughly chopped broccoli (I think this is supposed to be four cups, but I just throw in LOTS)
small onion (sometimes I use one, sometimes I don't)
oregano (like, maybe a couple teaspoons?)

While this is boiling and softening the broccoli, make the sauce:

3 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons white flour
1 cup milk
2 cups grated cheese

If you don't know how to make a cheese sauce, look it up on the internet. The basic idea is to add everything in little bits and stir a lot until it's smooth and creamy. But if it's not, don't freak out.

Dump the cheese sauce into the boiled broccoli broth and whish it around a little.

Now you need a giant bowl in addition to your pot and a blender. Pour the hot soup into the blender a little at a time and BLEND. This is messy. Dump your florets into the bowl of hot, blended soup, as you blend it, then pour it all back into the pot and boil a little more to soften the florets.

Makes enough soup for me for about 8 servings.

Meatloaf

This recipe was adapted by my mom from the Eating Better cookbooks (note - in general, they encourage eating better by giving you food so blech that you won't want to eat anything, but some of the recipes aren't bad)

• 6 oz can tomato juice
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• sprinkle of garlic
• 1/2 cup oats
• small chopped onion
• 1 lb hamburger

Squish it all together with your hands. This is very therapeutic, if somewhat messy. Pat it into whatever shape you want - I favor large meatballs because they fit nicely in a tupperware for work and you can also slice them for sandwiches.

Bake at 350 for an hour to an hour + 15 minutes.

Progress in the cataloging and rearranging

Note that I have strategically NOT pictured the top of the cabinet, which is covered with stuff. The back rows of books are my galleys, review copies, and general bookishness that is waiting to be read. Front rows are library books and NFNT review copies, respectively. On the left the top shelf is my cookbooks (still cataloging) and the bottom shelf is my "stuff" shelf. Finished books to go back to the library, etc. The bottom shelves have my photo albums, letter albums, comic tubs, file boxes, and sewing work basket.

Zinnias and other blooms

When I lived in Champaign, IL, I loved to go to the farmer's market and one of the things I always bought was gladiolas. Just a couple stems each week. I finally got around to visiting the Lake Geneva farmer's market and while it's nowhere near as big and fancy as Urbana, it's still pretty nice. And they have flowers, including zinnias! So cheerful, they even brighten the massive piles of stuff on my desk. I paid $6 for a bunch and still had some left over after this to give a friend! They did wilt really fast and I think they do better if just the tip of the stem is in the water apparently.