Month: October 2009

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a really yummy Pumpkin Custard Pie!

a REAL Pumpkin Custard Pie!
a REAL Pumpkin Custard Pie!

Few people try to improve on old standby recipes. They worry about failure or they believe that everything that has been tried has already happened!  They couldn’t be farther from the truth. Without question one of the greatest chefs that have ever lived was Marie-Antoine Carême. Chef Carême lived before refrigeration and one of his greatest contributions — in my humble opinion — was in his discovery of how to prepare elaborate meals without spoiling given all the inherent time intensive nature of things and the many perishable ingredients.

Chef Carême used what we would call reduced milk or ‘condensed milk’ as a cream substitute and we can find it in many recipes over the years. The original Key Lime pie was made with condensed milk since lack of refrigeration was a serious issue in many Florida kitchens.

However, I assume you have refrigeration and we can now consider going back to cream (manufacturers cream) as a major improvement for this pie! I also enjoy a topping of homemade glazed pecans and a blend of 7 or so spices. Once you make it this way you will never go back!

Here is our recipe for a great Pumpkin Custard Pie!

enjoy!

Roger

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taking Jenny Craig around the World!

taking Jenny Craig Around the World
taking Jenny Craig Around the World

My daughters Kristin and Karen along with my wife Laura and me have trucked around  Jenny Craig to some of the darnest places! Karen has brought JC to interesting locations like South Africa, China, the Netherlands, Germany… and they all took Jenny breakfasts to Greece … and Kristin actually got her ‘complete start’ cereal blessed at the Vatican! BTW. Kristin’s cereal is a highly fought over commodity!

Where will they go next? I hear it might be Rio!!

The pictures above are posted at our local San Luis Obispo Jenny Craig! I hope people find the over 230 lbs we have lost as a family inspiring!

Congratulations ladies, 3 years and going strong!

Roger/Dad

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Halloween is a time for generosity to children

Kristin and Karen in Halloween past
Kristin and Karen in Halloween past

Halloween is the only holiday I know that offers kindness to children we may not know. It is a time in which everyone gains something. We who have seen a number of Halloweens enjoy the costumes, the screaming and the excitement of young people running around from house to house praising or complaining about the latest offering.

I know there are those who darken their homes for the night and pull in the welcome mat. However, the true test of kindness is giving to someone who you don’t know… sharing some of your good fortune with others… even if but for one night.

Roger Freberg

special thanks to Karla for saving this old picture of her sisters!

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a fond tribute to Harris Ranch Beef & Cal Poly’s program

when only the best ingredients will do!
when only the best ingredients will do!

When I cook, which is always, I am aware that it is the choice of ingredients that can make all the difference in the outcome of the meal. Yes, there are ways you can salvage a poor cut of meat through exotic preparation, but in reality, it is so much better to start off with the best.

Three kinds of meat and poultry rank high on my scale: 1) those that you grow and oversee their development yourself, 2) buying from a ethical producer (like Cal Poly’s Meat market… read about their program) or 3) buying from a brand name you know for quality and integrity…. like Harris Ranch.

Obviously preparation is another key to the final product. I was once complimented on the cut of  rib eye we were barbecuing for a large group of friends…. and they asked where they also could get a cut like that. In this case, it was as simple as buying a standing 7 rib section, taking out the bone and making 2″ cuts yourself… sometimes, it can be all too simple. Plus, recently cut meat looks fresher….

In any event, if any meat is going to be one of the focal points of your special meal, then it is important to find the best.

Roger Freberg

oh yes, neither Cal Poly or Harris Ranch paid me for this plug… but I’ll accept donations!  😉

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what computer wallpaper choice is on your desktop?

00MyFavoriteWallpaper

I looked around the net to see if anyone was researching why people put certain things on their computer desktops and found very little… unless I was planning to download ( yeah, right!) a free or pay for a themed desktop wall paper! Maybe this is –as they say — an ‘under researched area’ – but it seems curious to me to see what folks put up on there computers. It must say something about the person?

However, there are some similarities in what people think others use their wall paper for… and her are some of the reasons stated:

1) to remember and celebrate an occasion

The fact that Laura and I appear in a photo together on Ronald Reagan’s Ranch seems to support the idea.

2) to create a restful state of mind

I don’t know if I would use a picture to ‘relax’… but I have seen others do so. I always thought a good Armagnac was useful to relax.

3) to state who you are, provide inspiration or reflect your particular interests

I agree with this. This is your chance to to customize that piece of electronic commodity.  A wallpaper should give folks a glimpse into who you are, what you do and a bit about how you think… that may be asking a lot of a wallpaper… but my  ‘Scallops Alfredo’ says it all to me! 😉

So, what’s on your computer?

Roger Freberg