Gifts From A Friend's Garden

We have been having really COLD and wet days for the last several days.  As I walked into the kitchen this morning to start the day,  this was the view from the window.  I just had to go get the camera to try to capture some of this beautiful morning with the sunshine streaming in the windows.  What a nice change from the last couple of days.

You can see the fruit there on the kitchen table.

I was cooking greens and black-eyed-peas for the New Year when a friend of ours dropped in for a New Year's visit.  He was so thoughtful to bring this beautiful fruit right from his fruit orchid. 

He brought Satsuma Oranges and Meyer Lemons.  

The lemons were huge and so were the oranges.

Satsuma Oranges are sweet, seedless and very easy to peel.

 These sweet Satsuma Oranges are just as delicious as they look.

I was testing out the focus points on my camera.

This photo below focused on the orange.

This photo below focused on the orange peel.  

I love trying to get sharp photos and I am still trying to figure out the focus points on my camera.

Below is a photo of our friend who brought the delicious winter fruit.  He often stops by on his way down to the pond to do a little fishing,  and often leaves vegetables from his garden.  

We are proud to know this special person.   His name is James R. Ford and he has been an amazing leader in Tallahassee, Florida

James R. Ford

(photo from the Internet)

Mr. Ford is an American educator, politician, businessman and community leader.  He was elected Mayor of Tallahassee in 1976 and again in 1982.  He also served fourteen consecutive years as a Tallahassee city commissioner.  

He owned and managed six businesses.  He sat on numerous boards in Tallahassee including Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Meals on Wheels, March of Dimes, American Red Cross, Tallahassee Memorial Medical Center,  Lively Vocational School,  Peoples 1st Community Bank, etc.  He worked in the Tallahassee school system as a teacher and administrator.  James Ford and his wife Clinita have one son and two daughters.

(Photo from the Internet)

Not only does Mr. Ford have all of the accomplishments as noted above, but he is obviously a wonderful gardener as well!

On the day James stopped in for a visit and brought the fruit, we all sat around the kitchen table having the most interesting conversation.  He was born and raised in Tallahassee.  During his visits he will tell us stories about the history of earlier days in Tallahassee.  How blessed we are to know this special man,  and feel honored when he pays us a visit.

What a very nice way to begin the New Year by visiting with an inspiring and dear friend.  And, we have been enjoying the delicious fruit he brought.

It has been a very cold winter so far.  We sure do hope you have managed to keep warm and cozy,  and that you have a very nice weekend wherever you may be.

Yeast Rolls With Hot Turkey Soup

Have you been as busy as I have packing away all of the Christmas decorations?  I love looking at them as they remind me of Christmases past when the children were little.  But, then the New Year arrives and it is time to pack them away.

I have always loved the quiet and peacefulness of the month of January.  This year is no different, but I do think it has been a good bit colder this January than in the past.  Listening to the weather news I realize those of us living in the South are not near as cold as some of you living up above Atlanta.  But, it is still quite cold here with temperatures forecast to be 22 degrees here tonight and only 39 during the daytime hours.

I can only imagine how it will be in places like New York, Chicago, Michigan and all of the other northern states.  We do hope all of you keep warm and safe in those frigid temperatures.

On a cold January day we very much enjoy a nice hardy bowl of turkey soup.  I always freeze the left over Christmas turkey and when time permits defrost the turkey and make a big pot of hot turkey soup.  

I included the Turkey Soup recipe last year in a January blog post along with yummy home-made biscuits (yes, they were a little over-done as seen in the below photo) but, they were still so good.  This year I thought I would try some of those Parkerhouse Yeast Rolls to go with the soup.

Turkey Soup and Biscuits.

Soup recipe included below.

Biscuits recipe included in the below link.

 http://sweetsoutherndays.blogspot.com/2012/11/turkey-soup-with-biscuits-recipes.html 

Frozen Parkerhouse Yeast Rolls.

These Yeast Rolls  are available in the frozen-bread-section at the grocery store.

Prepare muffin-pan by spraying with Pam spray so the rolls do not stick.

Place two pieces of the frozen yeast dough in one muffin-cup 

and continue on until you have used the entire package.

One package will fill a 12 muffin-cup pan.

Do allow time for the rolls to defrost and rise.  Seems like it takes about 4 hours to rise nicely.

Rising a little more ...

 And a little more ...

I like to let them rise until they are really big and fat.  Our grandchildren like them like that!

Follow baking directions on the package.  And then, there they are, all baked and browned.

Yum!

Spread a little melted butter (I use Smart Balance) over the baked, warm rolls.

And there they are,  all ready to enjoy with the soup.

I did include this Turkey Soup recipe in a post last year, 

but will include it again this year just in case you would like to make this fast and easy recipe.

Ingredients for Turkey Soup

Turkey Soup Recipe 

•   2 1/2 quarts of chicken broth
•  1/4 cup chopped onion
•  1/2 teaspoon salt (you may need to add more later, according to your taste.)
•  pepper,  to your taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)
•  1 Tablespoon dried basil
•  1 Tablespoon poultry seasoning
•   2  (16. oz) packages frozen vegetables (included were peas, corn, green beans, lima beans, and carrots)
•  1 (6oz) package of Uncle Ben's Country Inn Chicken & Wild Rice (use seasoning packet)
•   3-4 stalks celery, diced
•  1 can condensed cream-of-chicken soup, undiluted. 
•   3 cups (cooked) turkey, diced

In a large soup pot, add all of the above ingredients, cover and simmer until the vegetables and rice are tender.

Note:  If you like your soup thickened a little as we do, you can add equal parts of water and Cornstarch mixed together (about 2 Tablespoons each of water and Cornstarch).  While stirring the soup,  slowly add the Cornstarch.

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That is it!  Just as simple as can be, and so delicious!  If you make this recipe I do hope you like it too.

I'm so glad you stopped in for a visit, and also hope your New Year has started off really well wherever you may be.

Keep safe and warm!