Sausage, Beans and Rice

With the relief of cooler temperatures and the change of season "comfort food" is in order.

Sausage, Beans and Rice is a hearty and satisfying dish for cooler weather.

Ingredients:
Canned red beans or chili beans
Bell pepper
Onion
Garlic
Sausage of your choice. I like smoked sausage.
Canned diced tomatoes (fire roasted are good) or tomato sauce
Season as desired -
   red pepper flakes
   Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (love this stuff)
   Whatever seasoning you would like to add.

For Serving:
Cooked rice of your choice. (I like Basmati.)
Grated cheddar cheese.

Method:
Heat olive oil in large skillet.
Rough chop bell pepper and onion and add to heated skillet. 
Slice sausage. Add to skillet.
After browning a few minutes add the garlic.
Add tomatoes and beans.
Add seasonings to taste.
Decrease heat, cover and simmer stirring occasionally.

Cook rice and grate cheese.

 

Soon it will look like this.

 



 

Plate with rice and grated cheese.

For a little "heat" add Tabasco.

 

 

 

Serve with a slice of cornbread. Enjoy.

 

♥andPeace,Myra

Fall Garden

Cigar or firecracker plant beginning to show fall color.

 

The periwinkle is the only flower left in this container.

The extreme heat and drought made survival difficult for some of my annuals.

 

The petunias and rose moss are long gone but the begonias are still blooming.

 

Despite problems with "pests",  the mandevilla is still very pretty.

 

The begonias on the fence  have survived the drought and more recently the wind!

 

 

I'm beginning to think succulents are the way to go!

They are my independent children.

 

Last year I bought this oleander when it was marked down and wasn't blooming.

I didn't know what color it was. It never bloomed last summer.

It survived the winter in the garage and bloomed this year - beautiful white flowers!

 

We are still harvesting eggplant and bell pepper.

 

Jim has planted turnips and potatoes in this bed.

 

The mums had a visitor. He was very patient while I took his picture.

 

♥andPeace, Myra



Down a Road Less Traveled

Sometimes (often) I need a change of scenery. Thursday I decided to drive to Little Rock and spend the night. We were experiencing beautiful fall weather and I couldn't wait to get on the road.

By the time I reached Bald Knob it was lunch time.

I like to try local restaurants when I am on the road.

The Market Cafe - Since 1946 did not disappoint.

 

For $6.10 hunger was no longer an issue.

The service was friendly and the food was hot and tasty.

 

"The Market" is just next door to the Market Cafe.

There are several buildings like the one above.

I believe they were first used for the strawberry market that was once big in the area.

 

I decided to travel on down the highway to Judsonia.

I have great-grandparents buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Judsonia.

They are buried under this beautiful magnolia.

 

Evergreen is a lovely, well maintained old cemetery.

 

I made it to Little Rock in time for the 16th annual Senator Jim Luker fish fry.

 

Come and get it!

 

Our son joined us for the fish fry.

It is always good to visit with him.

 

Friday I went shopping and decided to try Cantina Laredo for lunch.

I had the shrimp fajita special.  Delicious!

 

Yum.

 

♥andPeace, Myra

 



East Hamilton Avenue Historic District

Recently Rachel Silva with the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program conducted a tour of the East Hamilton Avenue Historic District in Wynne, Arkansas.

There are 63 properties in the district.

The East Hamilton Avenue Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. Thanks goes out to The Department of Arkansas Heritage and especially to Rachel Silva for the wonderful morning tour and for sharing her notes with me.

 

Giboney-Robertson-Stewart House - about 1895

Two Story Queen Anne

 

The J.C. Hilliard House - 1929

Craftsman

 

Moore-Stacy House - 1905

Colonial Revival

 

 

Herman and Clara Block House - 1912

American Foursquare with Craftsman-Style Details

We took a short water break here with a tour of the home.

 

A few umbrellas came out as we toured Eldridge Court.

The temperature was comfortable we never really got wet.

 

W. H. Heitt House - 1940

One of the homes on Eldridge Court - English Revival

 

The Thompson and Kathleen Murray House - 1938

Colonial Revival Style

We were invited into this home for a tour.

 

 

William Whitfield"Whit" Shaver House - 1924

Colonial Revival

 

James L. "Bex" Shaver  House - 1924

American Foursquare

 

H.K. Barwick House - 1921

Spanish Revival

 

 

Rachel gave a brief history of most of the homes and the occupants over the years. She shared stories she heard while doing interviews. A brother and sister who grew up in one of the homes during the 40's was in the group and shared stories from their childhood in the neighborhood.

 

I photographed most of the homes on the tour. I selected several of my favorites for this post.

I used Rachel's notes for reference and if I made any errors I apologize.

 

♥andPeace,Myra

 



When Life Gives You Eggplant - Make Pasta

Recently the Japanese eggplant and bell pepper in the garden have been overachieving! Every time I turn around Jim has another bucket full of produce.

 

For lunch I decided to make a dish I really enjoy with the ingredients I had on hand - Eggplant and Bell Peppers.

 

 

First turn on Pandora - I enjoy a little music while cooking.

 

Gather the Ingredients

 

Eggplant

Bell Pepper

Onion

Garlic

Diced Tomatoes

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt/Pepper

Italian Seasoning (oops I forgot it in the photograph)

I like fresh basil but mine is gone for the year.

Grated Parmesan Cheese

 

 

Give the vegetables a rough chop.

 

 

Heat EVOO in skillet and add vegetables.

Let them cook down a bit and add the garlic.

Salt and pepper to taste.

 

After about ten minutes the vegetables will look like this.

 

 

Add the diced tomatoes.

Season with Italian seasoning.

 

Simmer until vegetables are tender.

 

 

Prepare the pasta of your choice.

I prefer angel hair.

 

Drizzle the cooked pasta with a little EVOO.

Top with the vegetable mixture.

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy.

 

My mother joined us for lunch today.

 

♥andPeace,Myra

 

 



Creative Filters

At the end of my summer visit to Turkey my faithful Canon PowerShot SD 200 completely died. It had been banged on metal doors, stored unprotected in my purse and pocket and generally abused for years. It was my first digital camera and I loved the point and shoot ease and the small compact design.

I like the convenience of the small digital point and shoot cameras. My son suggested the Canon PowerShot S100. It has a great automatic setting as well as manual settings for more advanced options. It also has a little more zoom than my previous Canon.

Today I experimented with the Creative Filters.

 

 This pot is actually blue! How does it do that?

Look how it found the yellow chairs on the garage porch. 

 

Look at the little black outlines.

 



I really like this plant. It has been a performer this summer.

 



This is my favorite of the photographs from this afternoon.

 



This is interesting.

Succulents. These plants are becoming favorites of mine.

They are like very independent children.

 

 



I like the way it picked up just the color of the birdhouse in the fence.

 

 

 

We still have tomatoes in the garden.

 

I'm not sure how practical these settings are for my use. It was fun trying them out for future reference. I do rather like the one color setting.

 

♥andPeace, Myra