Memorial Day Fun with the Family

Saturday morning we had resigned to the fact that our fencing project would not be completed before the holiday.  We left about 10:30 to go and watch my grandson, Jonas, at his swim lesson, and then we had a delightful breakfast with the Troudt family at The Egg and I ... drove back home and as we pulled into our driveway the fencing crew was just leaving.  They had put up the entire fence in just a few hours.  And it was AMAZING !!  Really made our weekend complete.

Monday we had the family over for a potluck.  Sterling cooked up some ribs and threw some dogs on the grill and everyone else brought some delicious side dishes to go with.

Here's a photo of my folks enjoying the gorgeous afternoon ... mother nature was so understanding and kept the rains and thunder boomers at bay until after everyone left.

Sterling made the kids each their own water gun shooting gallery.  He just used a piece of 2x4 and painted it, drilled some holes and inserted some golf tees, and then added some ping pong type lightweight balls. 

As you can see, the kids (Hailey and Jonas) had a BLAST and of course when they weren't shooting off the ping pong balls, they were running around getting all of us wet with their water guns ... I believe Jeremy had as much fun if not more than the kids playing with the water guns!

We also got a tether ball set for the backyard and everyone had a go at this fun sport.  It was a huge hit !

And last, but certainly not least, here's a pic of our dear Miss Paisley in her rockin' summer shades!

Full Page Spotlight

I am so excited to be featured on a FULL page in the Summer 2013 issues of Take Ten ... there are actually three of my card creations in this issue, but to have an entire page dedicated to my cards ... oh WOW!

Publication

Getting published NEVER gets old.  Here's a recent card of mine that was published in Stampington & Co.'s Stampers Sampler.



 

 

 

 

 

Building a deck addition!

We added a new deck this spring ... we cut out the center of the original deck, and now there is one step down onto the new 16x16 deck addition.  We LOVE to entertain and Sterling hates to mow lawn, so we hit two birds with one stone so to speak with this project.  Now we are just waiting to hear from our contractor on when they will begin the fencing project.  After that, we will be power raking, aerating and seeding the front and back ... so hopefully by July 4 we will have everything just the way we want it.  

 

Happy Mother's Day!

My son sent me this delightful sugar cookie arrangement for mother's day.  Needless to say there aren't manyleft.  Thanks, son!!!  My daughter is taking us to Kona Grill for brunch this morning.  Life is good.  Happy Mother's Day everyone!

 

I'll be back soon ... just taking a little hiatus ... is it spring yet?

My Aunt Lil

I don't have many photos of my aunts and uncles, but came across this set of pics and wanted to share just a few of my favorite memories of my Aunt Lil ... the aunt that I was named after.  The second and third photo here shows her with my mother, Pearl. 

My earliest memories of my aunt would have been when we lived in the old neighborhood and her house was just up the hill from where we lived.  I was only 4 or 5 at the time. After we moved, I remember taking the taxi over to their new house (my mother never learned how to drive) and sitting at the kitchen table listening to her and my mother talk about family matters and such. 

Out of the seven siblings, my Aunt Lil is what I would call "the feisty one". She was very strong, confident and held her own in any conversation.  She loved fishing and was a fabulous cook.  She also loved playing cards, as did most all of our family back in the day.  Later in years, my husband Sterling and I would go over to Lil & Paul's house and play pinoccle. She always made fresh popcorn on the stove and her apple pan pie is the stuff legends are made of. Here's her recipe.



We lost my Aunt Lil several years ago, but her memory remains in all of our hearts. 

Reality Check!

My son just called and asked why none of the previous post's photos were of where actually lived ... he said the photos really "romanticized" winter and were taken of beautiful settings ... like Colorado, where he and his lovely wife live.  So to appease my first born, here are some ACTUAL photos of Omaha, Nebraska in the wintertime ...

Where our "moutains" are made in the middle of streets ...




Where it takes DAYS to clear all the streets with the ONE plow in our city budget ...




Where kids have to be INVENTIVE to enjoy a "snow day" from school ...



Where when after a HUGE snowfall, and after several hours of shoveling your driveway, that one city plow comes down your street and buries the end of your driveway in snow ...




So maybe I was really was romanticizing the winter season ... but it was probably to disquise the fact that the next season ahead is TORNADO season ... run, Toto, run!

I simply adore photos that are stories in themselves ... no words are needed, but the images conjur up memories for all those who look.

One of my favorite blogs that I visit is The Rusted Chain.  Beki is an amazing photographer and her images always make me stop and smile.

You can check out her blog here:  http://www.blog.therustedchain.com/

Here's some recent images that I just love ...

Happy First Day of Spring!

Johnny Angel

I've had this little song running through my head all day ... I can actually remember when she sang this on t.v. so very many years ago ... hard to believe I can remember things from when I was a baby (grinning).

Pan Fried Cabbage

I'm not a huge fan of any "boiled" vegetable, but most St. Paddy's Day recipes call for boiling the corned beef, along with the cabbage, potatoes, carrots and onions. 


This year Sterling is making something outside the traditional recipe and is "frying" the cabbage instead of boiling it. 





Here's the recipe he's going to be trying out:

FRIED CABBAGE
6 slices bacon, chopped

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large head cabbage, cored and sliced

1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon paprika


Place the bacon in a large stockpot and cook over medium-high heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion caramelizes; about 10 minutes. Immediately stir in the cabbage and continue to cook and stir another 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes more.

Corned Beef !!

Several years ago, my son called asking for a quick recipe for anything containing corned beef ... he was entering a contest where he worked ... you can read the fun details in the scrapbook page I made below. You might have to click on the image and enlarge if you want a better reading of the actual recipe (which is VERY good and one I always use if we have leftover corned beef)!!



Terrarium

I have ONE plant in our house that has not met its fate from our two cats - and it is kept very high up so as not to attract their attention.  Cats LOVE plant life ... actually, they love to feast on plant life, which in turns destroys any chance of keeping a house plant from meeting its doom in our home.  Then I stumbled upon THIS great idea ... a terrarium to host living plants that will shatter any kitty's attempt at making it a Happy Hour appetizer!  One of those "why didn't I think of that" moments!






Now we can concentrate on our next issue ...

Chicken Curry

Growing up in the 50's and 60's, I can honestly say that the closest thing we ever got to spice was table salt and pepper.  I had no idea there was such a thing as "ethnic" food.  It wasn't until the late 60's when I had my first taco from Taco Bell - yep - thought I was experiencing a true international cullinary delight.  And since then it's only been in the last 10 years or so that I've really began to try things outside my mother's pot roast comfort zone.  I've discovered that I love the flavor of curry.  Here's a relatively quick and simply recipe that you can make at home without needing a bazzilion different spices.





India Chicken Curry

1/2 cup finely chopped onion (about one medium)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon (more or less) curry powder
1-1/2 cups chicen broth
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup tomato juice (I use V-8)
2 cups hot cooked rice
scallions

Cook onion and celery in butter until tender.  Stir in flour and curry powder and cook for one minute. Add chicken broth and worcestershire sauce.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in the cooked chicken and tomato juice.  Heat through.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over hot rice and add chopped scallions or green onion if desired.

Turning 60

What turning 60 really feels like ...

Swiss Steak ala Mom

My mom made Swiss Steak for dinner at least once a month when I was growing up.  She always served it over rice (or egg noodles) and always with canned peas on the side or sometimes just dumped over the top.  You can put this into the oven or use a crockpot.

1 pound (3/4" to 1" thick) boneless beef round steak
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 16-oz. can tomatoes (cut up)
1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
1/2 cup sliced celery (one stalk)
1/2 cup sliced carrots (1 medium)
1 tsp. dried thyme

Cut meat into large serving pieces.  Combine flour, salt, and pepper and cover meat pieces.  Using meat mallet, pound flour mixture into meat.

In large skillet, brown meat on all sides in hot oil.  Drain off fat.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Pour into casserole dish, cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 1-1/2 hours (or until tender).  Serve over  
2 cups hot cooked rice or noodles.

CROCKPOT METHOD:  After meat is brown, place in crockpot and add remaining ingredients.  Cook 10 to 12 hours.  Serve as above.

Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

 

I thought I had lost this recipe forever and BAM, I found it going through some old cookbooks today.  This recipe for Rice Pudding uses MINUTE RICE! 

4 cups cold milk
1 cup minute rice
1 package vanilla or coconut cream flavor pudding and pie filling (not instant)
1/4 (more or less) raisins (plump with hot water and drain)
1 egg, well beaten
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine milk, rice, pudding mix, raisins and eggs in medium saucepan.  Brint to full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.  Cool 5 minutes, stirring twice.  Pour into individual dessert dishes or serving bowl.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.  Makes 10 servings.  NOTE:  You can make this "fruited" rice, by adding one can of fruit cocktail after cooling process.

There's also a "baked" version of rice pudding recipe using Minute Rice that I used to make years ago ... a recipe I'm still searching for.

Old Fashioned Fudge

One of my fondest memories as a child is of standing in my Grandma Ollie's kitchen and making fudge together.  Waiting for the mixture to get to a "soft ball" stage and then beating the heck out it.  Not at all like today's recipes where you just melt some chips and add a few ingredients.  I'm talking about the MADE FROM SCRATCH kind of fudge!

Here's her recipe:

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup milk
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut up
   (or you can use 3 tablespoons cocoa powder)
1 tsp light-colored corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Line a loaf pan (9x5x3) with foil (extending over edges of pan).  Butter generously and set aside.

Butter the side of a heavy 2 quart saucepan. Combine sugar, milk, chocolate and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils.  Clip a cany thermometer to side of pan. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue boiling at a maderate and steady rate.  Stir frequently until thermometer registeres 234 degrees (or soft ball stage) ( about 20 to 25 minutes).

Remove pan from heat and add butter and vanill, but do not stir.  Cool, without stirring to 110 on the thermometer (about an hour).

Remove thermometer from saucepan.  Beat mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon until fudge just begins to thicken.*  If desired, add chopped nuts at this point.  Continue beating until the fudge becomes VERY thick and just starts to lose its gloss (about 10 minutes).

IMMEDIATELY spread fudge in the prepared pan.  Score into squarel while warm.  When fudge is firm, use foil to lift it out of pan.  Cut fudge into squares.  Store tightly covered. 

(NOTE:  you can also add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter here (*) but just be ready as doing so will cause fudge to harden quickly.

ENJOY!!

Say Cheese!

Today I've been going through a Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipe book published in 1989. There are several really good, basic recipes that I'll be sharing with you today.

Up first ... Hawaiian Coconut Spread.  It's as simple as comb ining 1 8 oz brick of cream cheese (softened) with 2 tablespoons of pineapple or beach preserves and 1/3 coconut.  Combine and chill and serve with banana bread!


Next up ... Creamy Deviled Eggs ... instead of mayo, add one 8 oz brick softened cream cheese to 8 hard cooked egg yolks, 2 tablespoons pickle relish, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, salt and pepper to taste.  Fill whites and sprinkle with paprika.

And I've always wanted to try this SIMPLE basic Fettucini Alfredo recipe ... Combine one 8 oz brick of cream cheese (cubed) with 3/4 cup kraft grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup milk.  Stir over low heat until smooth.  Add 8 oz. fettucini noodles (cooked, drained) and toss lightly. Add some fresh herbs if you have them.

Finally, here's a fresh spin on a Garden Macaroni Salad


1/4 c. mayonnaise

1 (8 oz.) softened cream cheese

1/4 c. sweet pickle relish, drained

1 tbsp. prepared mustard

2 c. elbow macaroni

1 c. chopped cucumber

1/2 c. chopped green onion

1/2 c. radish slices

2 tbsp. chopped onion

1/2 tsp. salt

Gradually add mayonnaise to cream cheese. Mix well until blended. Stir in relish and mustard. Add remaining ingredients, mix lightly. Spoon into lightly oiled 9 inch spring form pan with ring insert. Chill several hours or overnight. Unmold and serve.

Five Star Tuna Casserole

If you want to take your tuna casserole dish to the next level, try this recipe!



Tuna & Elbow Macaroni Bake

1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 can cream of celery soup
1-1/4 cups milk
7 oz. (or more) of canned tuna (in water), drained
1 tablespoon chopped pimento
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter

Boil 2 cups elbow macaroni or elbo-spaghetti in 3 quarts boiling water (adding salt and oil to the pot of water).  Cook 4 to 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse.

In skillet, cook celery and onion in margarine until translucent.  Blend in soup and milk.  Add tuna dnd pimento. Combine with macaronio and turn into a 2 quarter buttered casserole dish.  Combine bread crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle over tope.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Carrots Au Gratin

A really quick and easy vegetable side dish your family will enjoy!




INGREDIENTS:

3 cups sliced carrots, cooked
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup (more or less) shredde cheddar cheese

TOPPING:  Mix 1/2 cup panco bread crums with 2 tablespoons melted butter.


Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter 1 quart casserole dish.  Combine carrots, soup and cheese. Pour into prepared pan.  Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over carrots.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Leftover Cookies

I like making these cookies when I am trying to finish off the tail ends of baking goods.  They have a little bit of everything and once you have one, you'll want several more ... they are definitely addicting, so you may not want to wait to make these!

These are similar to what some call "ranger" cookies, but I have yet to find this recipe on the internet.  It was in a 1977 "simply from scratch" recipe book by Pillsbury.




CRISP 'N CRUNCHY COOKIES

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of targer
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
3-1/2 cups flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup coconut
1 cup rice krispies cereal
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In large bowl, combine first 9 ingredients; beat 2 minutes on medium speed until smooth.  Add flour; beat one minute on slow speed until smooth.  Stir in remaining ingredients.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto UNgreased cookie sheets.  Flatten slightly with bottom of glass dipped in sugar.

Bake 10-14 minutes until light golden brown.  Remove from cookie sheets to cool.

Pour a large glass of milk and ENJOY!

Blueberry Muffins

I've tried so many different muffin recipes over the years, but THIS recipe for blueberry muffins is NUMBER ONE in my collection.  And so darn easy too!





BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

1/2 cup quick cooking oats (quaker)
1/2 cup orange juice

1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup fresh or frozen, thawed blueberries

Topping:  Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line 12 muffin cups with baking cups (or grease pan - do not use oil).

In a large bowl, combine oats and juice and stir well.  Add remaining ingredients stirring well.  Carefully stir in blueberries.  Spoon into muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.  Sprinkle with topping mixture. 

Bake 18-22 minutes until golden brown.

My Grandma Elly's Doughnut Holes

My Grandma Elly always brought a brown bag of these donut holes to our family picnics when I was growing up. Every time I make them I think of her! 







CINNAMON SUGARED DOUGHNUT DROPS


Oil for deep frying

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 c. milk

2 tbsp. oil

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon



In large saucepan, heat 2 to 3 inches oil to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in milk, oil, vanilla and egg with a fork JUST until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop by teaspoonfuls into hot oil, 5 to 6 at a time.

Fry doughnut drops 1-1 1/2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; roll warm doughnut drops in mixture. 24-30 doughnut balls

Creamy Tuna Garden Wedges (Bisquick)

Here's a recipe right out of a 1980's Bisquick recipe book.  So refreshing for a summer evening dinner party.





CREAMY TUNA GARDEN WEDGES


2 c. Bisquick baking mix

1/2 c. cold water

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/2 c. sliced green onions

2 tsp. prepared horseradish

1/8 tsp. red pepper sauce

1 (6.5 oz.) can tuna, drained

2 med. celery stalks, cut diagonally into 1/4 in. slices

Assorted fresh vegetables (sliced mushrooms, cherry tomato halves, cucumber, chopped broccoli)

Shredded cheese



Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix baking mix and water until soft dough forms; beat vigorously 20 strokes. Pat dough in ungreased 12 inch pizza pan with floured hands, forming 1/2" rim. Bake until crust is light brown, about 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, onions, horseradish, pepper sauce, and tuna; spread evenly over crust. Divide dough into 6 wedges with celery slices. Top wedges with vegetables and cheese. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour