Tea Cakes

As of the past couple of years, my brother Rick and I have grown to watch after our centenarian + mother very closely.  So I come up to check on her every couple of weeks, do a few light chores, and pretty much just keep her company enough that I don't over-stay my welcome.

Rick and my sister-in-law, Debbie took a company trip to Greece, Egypt, and Italy for 3 weeks, so that was the perfect opportunity to bring her back to south Louisiana for a few days.   My wife, Darlene and I figured she'd get pretty bored rapidly so, we were always thinking of something to keep her occupied.  You can only enjoy so many episodes of The Andy Griffith Show and Gunsmoke...just sayin'.

After trying to put a couple of puzzles together, we abandoned them for some trips to visit grandkids and see one of them perform at a local hamburger joint.

After counting her meds, she realized that she was running low, so after 9 days, we made the decision to head back to her home, pick up some meds and check on the condition of her place.  As it was, we left just in time to avoid Hurricane Francine.  I had not checked the weather and had no idea it was imminent, so it was a good thing we left when we did.   

Settling back into life in the piney woods, it was good to see a few deer in the back yard, put up a new hummingbird feeder and re-pot some amaryllis bulbs I brought up from our place.

Somewhere along, we thought about tea cakes and began to look into recipes.  We found one that looked promising so I took it upon myself to whip up a batch.  My grandmother, Lizzie Reppond Pilgreen used to sometimes have some stashed away in her "safe", a screened cupboard in the dining room.

Anyway, I think they turned out pretty well.  Although the recipe said to cook them for 8 minutes at 350°. it took more like 15 to get them done.  

You have to be careful not to cook them too long because they're much better if they're not hard or crunchy. 

Mama wrote down the recipe for me, but I get in her way in her kitchen, so if I make them again, it likely will be at my place.

Oak Alley

Since leaving Michigan, I took a quick tour through Kaufman, Texas and another couple of weeks in Moss Bluff, Louisiana.  Feeling a tad under the weather through both assignments, I simply just did not feel like going out on photo excursions.

However, my mother had not seen our new digs since we bought the new house in August, so I rode up on Boudreaux (the Harley-Davidson) Tuesday and drove her down in her new car for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Oh, I mentioned "new car" didn't I?  Well..... It seems that Mama failed to negotiate a narrow corner near her home last week, nailed a metal gate post and managed to knock the bumper completely off her 13 year old Chevrolet Lumina.  Neither Mama or the fence post on the corner suffered any damage but the cost to repair her car was more than it was worth, so she and my brother went on a car shopping spree and came up with a Chevy Malibu to replace it.

Not that it was a burden but when you have your Mama down, there is this innate drive to do your best to entertain her.  So, today I chose to drive her down the river road to Oak Alley.  Oak Alley is a historic plantation site dating back to 1840.  The trees that gave the plantation it's name were actually planted 100 years earlier by an unknown French settler.

Mama and I took the paid tour which turned out to be a really nice half day trip.  She and I both truly enjoyed hearing the history from the guide.  The giant Live Oak trees were spectacular and with rows of Crepe Myrtles and beds of Flocks, I'm sure it's even more lovely in the spring.

Here's a few pictures.

 

 

She will be 91, January 12, 2013.