MARATHON, Texas . . . and Chicken Braised with Balsamic Vinegar

If you blink you’ll drive right through and miss this little oasis.

Enjoy the clubhouse sandwich at the outdoor tables of the little café.  Kepler got lucky and a train rocketed past just across the street.

Then visit the GAGE GARDENS just across the tracks and a bit down the road from the Gage Hotel.   (We were a bit fuzzy on directions and ended up walking to the edge of town . . . sad-looking houses but nice people.)  Dogs are allowed in the gardens . . . nice!

The Gage Hotel has a lot to offer:

interesting décor,

a beautiful swimming pool,

and cosy robes,

chess,

lots of  space for "Run, run!"

an outdoor fireplace: perfect for a board game,

and incredible food:  especially the Texas quail on the barroom menu!

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We're not offering quail but this is still something special that Nicole made for us:

CHICKEN BRAISED with BALSAMIC VINEGAR

based on a recipe in THE DEAN & DELUCA COOKBOOK  by David Rosengarten, Joel Dean, and Giorgio DeLuca, c1996

1  ounce dried porcini mushrooms

6 chicken thighs, bone-in

5 garlic cloves

¼ cup flour

¼ lb thick-sliced bacon

1 tbsp olive oil

½ cup red wine

½ cup chicken stock

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp cold water

¾ cup drained, chopped canned tomatoes

fresh parsley for garnish

• Rinse porcini mushrooms well.  Pour 1 cup boiling water over them in a small bowl and let soak for 10 minutes. Drain well. Reserve liquid.
• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
• Chop 2 garlic cloves finely.  Mix with ¼ tsp salt.
• Cut a horizontal slit in each thigh, just above the bone.  Divide the garlic-salt mixture among the 6 thighs.
• Cut the bacon into pieces one inch wide.  In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon.  There should be about 2 tbsp bacon fat in the pan.  Add vegetable oil if necessary.
• Shake the chicken pieces in flour and put in skillet, skin down.  Cook for 15 minutes, until crisp and golden.  Transfer chicken to a plate.  Sprinkle again with salt.  Discard the fat in the pan.
• Finely chop 3 cloves garlic.
• Combine wine, broth, and balsamic vinegar.
• Heat one tbsp olive oil in skillet. Cook garlic for one minute.
• Add reserved mushroom liquid, wine, broth, and balsamic vinegar.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the cornstarch mixture.  Stir in tomatoes.  Add the chicken, coating both sides with sauce.
• Reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 30 minutes.
• Chop parsley and set on table beside your plate so you will remember to garnish the finished chicken.
• Ten minutes before serving, stir in the mushrooms and bacon and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Serve with a mild vegetable like carrots and a nice crusty bread.

Beet greens and fresh pasta also work!

ROCKET DAYS for a SPECIAL BOY!

2013 

   

 2015-2016

3 YEARS OLD:  Blast Off!

  to whatever's next . . .

Infinity and Beyond!

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Kay Foran's cake . . .

 It's a tradition!  

Grease and flour 9x9 pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Into large mixing bowl put:

1 ¾ cups flour

½ cup sugar

½ tsp. salt

3 tbsp cocoa

1 ¼ tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp baking powder

Stir all dry ingredients  to blend.

Now add:

1 cup cold water

½ cup salad oil

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

Use hand mixer to combine all ingredients .  Turn into pan.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Spread with Vanilla Butter Icing.

Kepler's great-grandmother, Kay Foran

Plan: LAREDO to MARFA with a 3-Year-Old . . . and a small ANGEL CAKE

 START:  FUN in LAREDO

Kepler was really excited when he saw a blowup of an alligator suspended from the ceiling in the Lamar Bruni Science Center.  Then, when we got to the three real ones, it seemed as though he would stay there forever yelling, “Alligator, wake up.”   Suddenly, a fourth one cruised in.  Perfect!

We finally got him away by telling him about the deer he could pet, but we never got there.  

Kepler wanted to climb into the huge pond area to get to the turtles and the turtles tried to climb up to see us.

A guy passing by asked if Kepler would like to feed the turtles!

It was hot outside but the canopy kept the whole area pleasant, and I loved sitting back and watching while Kepler got acquainted with some long-nosed fish.  One fish planted its nose against the glass right in front of Kepler’s face . . . uhhhhhhh . . .  okay, kiss time!

Day 2:  Laredo to Del Rio:  290 km: 3 hours

Day 3:  Del Rio to Marathon:  280 km: 2.75 hrs

Day 4:  Marathon to Chinati Hot Springs:  170 km: 3.25 hrs (mountain

road)

Day 5:  Chinati Hot Springs to Shafter to Fort Davis: 200 km: 3 hrs

Day 6:  Fort Davis to Marfa: 34 km: 20 min

Day 7:  Marfa

Day 8:  Marfa to Del Rio:  370 km:  3.6 hrs.

Day 9:  Del Rio to Laredo

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Small ANGEL CAKE

from JOY of COOKING

Preheat oven to 350.

Sift together ½ cup flour, ¼ tsp salt,  and ¼ cup sugar.

Whip until foamy 6 egg whites with 1 tbsp water.

Add ½ tsp cream of tartar.

Whip egg whites until stiff but not dry.

Gradually beat in ½ cup sugar (one tablespoon at a time).

Fold  in ¼ tsp vanilla and ¼ tsp almond extract.

Gently fold in some of the flour mixture.  Continue until all the flour is folded in.

Turn into a tube pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes.

Invert to cool for one and a half hours.

Serve with chopped strawberries and sweetened whipped cream.  

March 5, 1979 and UKRAINIAN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Tuesday we went to see your aunt Nellie Bewza

she is not to well tomorrow again she’s going to Brandon to see the Doctor she says if the Doctor says this time to stay in the hospital she will so far we don’t know what’s wrong.

Aline and me went Thursday to Oakburn to get pencils to do Easter Eggs Aline is going tomorrow to Foxwarren school to show the children how to do egg she says she may have to show three day in success

 I have already started the peacock on the cushion but I don’t think much of it perhaps when it be finished may look better its too much of one kind of color its devied to three but they look alike when finished.

Karen went today to Brandon to look at the couches she want to buy one

David will come here after school

Last Friday went to Winnipeg to sell the furs but he left at the auction they say that the furs are a good prise Dad caught a weasel in the henhouse after she kill 3 hens so no matter what prise she be will not cover the lose.

Last night I had a very bad dream dreamet that some body packed me up and domped in a empty house what a silly dream.

Aline is going to try and bake Easter Paska & Baba I told one of these days I will make some and ask her to come and I will show her how to do it the roads Aline said are good

She and Naomi were here yesterday Aline is embriodring in cross stitch a blouse for Naomi so she wanted to show me.

Some of my climbing tomatoes are up but I didn’t plant the othere only send for seeds.

When I was at Dianas I copped a lot Ukarian recipes out her Ukarian cook book but I haven’t tried them yet they are a lot what I do only I don’t measure

I washed the blouses from ukarian two washed nicely only one is badly rencaled perhaps after I iron I will make it look better I may give one to Aline she will be happy.

I will Close for now hope this will reach you in very best of health and happiness and very best of luck.

                                                Love Mother

                                             *********

Nicole always loved Mom’s KEISTO so she asked me to make some in Laredo and Kepler enjoyed helping.

1 egg

4-5 tsp water

¼ tsp salt

1 cup flour

• Beat together the egg, water, and salt.
• Then stir and knead in the flour.
• Roll out and cut finely.

• Boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Put in serving bowls and cover with hot chicken stock.

P.S. Mom didn't think it tasted good unless the surface of the soup was golden with chicken fat!