No Time For Dilly Dallying

Next week I am going on a road trip with my mom.  We will be driving to Texas to see my sister & her family.  Hopefully by then, she will have had the baby.  All of us are looking forward to meeting the the new baby!

Road trips were always interesting with my dad. He always had a time we were to leave by, but it was rare that left at that time.  He would be upset for a few hours.  But after a while he would get over it.  He was the kind of person who focused the destination, and he was on a mission to get there.  Time should not be wasted.  I remember when we would stop to get gas, he would pump the gas, we would go to the bathroom and get some food.  We would meet back at the car and go.  No time for dilly dallying.

My mom, on the other hand, is all about the journey, and then when we get to the destination, she enjoys that.  She would pack snacks for us.  She had things for us kids to do.  We played games to distract us from the trip being so long.  She tried to make the trip fun.

But because my dad's personality was so strong, we kids learned that trip wasn't supposed to be the fun part.  Until I was an adult, I didn't get that you can actually enjoy the trip.  The driving was about making good time and getting there.  I still want to make good time and just get there.  But I am trying to learn to enjoy the journey too.  I would love to take a trip that is just about the journey.  It doesn't really have a destination.  It would have to have a plan though.  I can't get too crazy now.

A great way to make a trip fun is to take games and snacks.  A game we always played was the license plate game.  Before you start the day, everyone guesses how many different state license plates you think will be seen.  Then you begin to call out the states as you see them.  Someone is in charge of writing them down.  At the end of the day, whoever is the closest wins.  We never played for prizes just the satisfaction of being the winner.   A great snack to take along on road trips are Southern Pecan Bars.

Southern Pecan Bars
Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Filling:
2 eggs
3/4 cup light corn syrup
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanila
1 - 2 tsp milk

Preheat oven to 350.   Grease a 9" square pan.  In small bowl stir together flour, powdered sugar.  Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in pecans.  Press evenly in bottom of pan.  Bake 15 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool completely on wire rack.

In medium bowl, whisk eggs until combined.  Whisk in the rest of the ingredients for the filling except for the pecans.  Pour over cooled crust.  Sprinkle with pecans.  Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.

In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, vanilla & milk.  Drizzle over bars.

Tip:  For easier removal and cutting, line pan with foil & grease foil.

It Was As Familiar To Me As My Own House

I was reminded this week that living in a small town is like living in a fish bowl.  For the last 15 years, I have lived in places that allowed me to be fairly anonymous.  I had gotten used to that.  I liked that.  But with everything, there is a good and bad side.  Living in a place that allows you to be anonymous also has traffic, lots of people, and crime.  I think I am ok with giving up my privacy to have no traffic, being able to get in and out of the grocery store in 5 minutes, and not hearing emergency vehicle sirens for months on end.

Fortunately, this go round of living in a fish bowl isn't near as bad it is was when I was a kid.  Being the pastor's daughter in a small church in a small town is far worse.  Not only do you have everyone knowing your business, you also have everyone criticizing everything you do.  Somehow you were supposed to be perfect.  I finally gave up on that idea.  Some pastor's kids give up on it early and just rebel.  I wasn't that kid.  I waited till my 20's to give up being perfect and by then knew better than to do stupid stuff.

Although I lived in the ultimate fish bowl, for the most part I enjoyed my church family.  We had children's choir, Christmas plays, youth conferences, and church camp.  We always had a great time with all the activities we did.

The church building became a second home.  We spent lots and lots of hours there.  When we first began meeting, we met in the basement of an old church building.  The neighbors to the building didn't like us meeting there so they would flood the basement weekly.  To prevent this, we would spend the night at the building on Saturday nights.  I am sure I slept at church many other times.  But of course not during the service! After we moved to the new building, it was as familiar to me as my own house.  I think Christians should be just as familiar with the throne room. 

Most everyone knows that church and pot lucks go hand in hand.  I attended so many.  One of my favorite things to take to a pot luck is Cornbread Casserole.

Cornbread Casserole
1 can corn, drained
1 can cream style corn
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sour cream
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
6 oz grated cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients together.  Grease a 2 quart baking dish.  Pour batter into dish and bake for 50 - 60 minutes.

No Matter How Old We Were She Wouldn't Let Us Win

My family has always been a game playing family.  I learned to play a watered down version of poker when I was 5.  Games were what we played when we got together with family.  Games were what we did when friends came over.  Games were what we did instead of going to the movies.  Games are great entertainment.

One of the games we play most often is called Bounce.  It is also called Nertz.  I don't remember when I learned to play.  I've just always played.  I do remember my little sister learning to play.  She was 3.  She played a watered down version of the game, but she played.  As she's gotten older, she has gotten a lot better at the game and a lot less competitive.  Or at least she handles losing better.

My grandma loved to play Gin.  She was good at it too.  No matter how old we were she wouldn't let us win.  It was a great feat to be able to beat her.  I remember sitting at her dining room table playing Gin with her.  I don't think I ever won.  After she moved to Idaho, we would play when I would visit.  I would win occasionally.  But I don't think it was that I was getting better; I think it was that she was loosing her sight.  Even after she could hardly see, we would play.  We used the cards that had the numbers really big. Occasionally she would ask what a card was.


While I lived in Texas, I spent time with a family who also liked to play games.  We didn't play often, but we sure had fun when we did.  I got a lot of recipes from them also.  One of those recipes was Chicken Spaghetti.  I had forgotten about it until the other day when someone asked me if I had it.  I did a little digging and found it.  It is oh so good!


Chicken Spaghetti
4 c. cooked chicken, shredded
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 tbsp. dried parsley
2 cans mushroom soup
2 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 (12 oz.) pkg. spaghetti, cooked
3/4 tbsp. salt
1/2 tbsp. pepper
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 sleeve saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 325.  Add all ingredients to medium pan, except chicken and cheese. Simmer about 15 to 20 minutes. Add cheese and simmer until it melts. Add chicken.  Put spaghetti noodles to a 9x13 baking dish. Pour cheese mixture over noodles.  Smash sleeve of saltines before opening.  Spread over the spaghetti.  Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Freezes great. Makes a large quantity.

I Love My Soldiers

Yesterday there was a horrific tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas.  13 people killed and 30 injured.  Because I lived 30 miles from Fort Hood for 7 years, I have many friends stationed there.  When you live that close to the largest military base in the world, you become very aware of what the soldiers sacrifice for us.  I am very thankful for those brave men and women.  Most don't like to be called heroes, but they are.  They do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.  Protect our freedom.

When you get to know me, you will find that I love my soldiers.  I use the word "my" meaning my friends.  And my soldiers include airmen as well.  Unless we have gone to Iraq or Afghanistan, we will never understand what they go through.  But the basic things of food, shower and sleep, what they experience in those things I would not like to put up with, especially the sleep part.  They deal with so much more beyond those basics.  I know I couldn't do it.  To get a small glimpse of what they do for us gives me great appreciation for them.

I strongly encourage you to find a way to show your appreciation to our troops.  There are many organizations that can help you with that.  You can adopt a soldier for his or her deployment.  You can just send a thank you card.  And there are many organizations you can donate to to help wounded soldiers.
Here are a few that are helping us to show our appreciation: Any Soldier  Wounded Warrior Project Tell Them Thanks Hero Box Yellow Ribbon Fund  There are so many more.  Just google "support our troops" and lots and lots pop up.

This summer, I had an unexpected trip to back to Texas.  While I was there I got to spend a day with 2 of "my" soldiers.  That day is one of my favorite recent memories.  Both guys are officers.  One is currently stationed at Ft. Hood and the other at Ft. Campbell.  The one at Ft. Hood is an excellent cook. He introduced me to crock pot cookies.  Just about anything he makes is excellent.  While I was there he made a sweet bread.  It was some of the best bread I've ever had.  I was able to get that recipe from him.  So I will share it with you.  It is a more difficult recipe.  But well worth it.

Portuguese Sweet Bread with Honey
Makes 2 Round Loaves

Sponge:
1 1/2 tablespoons (1 1/2 packages) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115oF)
1 cup warm milk (105 to 115oF)
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour

Dough:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature cut into small pieces
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3 1/2 to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour

1. To make the sponge: In a large bowl using a whisk or in the work bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast, water, milk, sugar, and flour and beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature until bubbly, about 1 hour.

2. To make the dough: Stir down the sponge and add the butter, honey, salt, eggs and 1 cup of the flour. Beat hard until creamy about 1 minute. Continue to add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough that just clears the sides of the bowl is formed. Switch to a wooden spoon when necessary if making by hand.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until a soft, smooth, and springy dough is formed, dusting with flour only 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to prevent sticking.
a. If kneading by machine, switch from the paddle to the dough hook and knead for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the dough is soft, smooth, and springy, and springs back when pressed. If desired, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead briefly by hand.

4. Place the dough in a greased deep container. Turn once to coat the top and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

5. Gently deflate the dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Grease or parchment0line a baking sheet. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Form each portion into a tight, round loaf and place on the baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic and let rise at room temperature until puffy, but not quite doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.

6. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375oF. Brush the loaves with the egg glaze. Place the baking sheet ona rack in the center of the oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped with your finger. Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack. Cool before slicing.

Thank you to all "my soldiers"  Kyle G, Mike, Adam, Nick, Vill, Chad, Jason K, Jason B,  Kyle J, Caleb, Brandon, Brad, Dax, Jon R, James R, Chris and anyone else I can't think of at this moment.  And also to my soldier's wives.

I Learned Quickly Not To Pick Dare

I do not like to exercise.  I am willing to admit that I avoid exercising at all cost.  I have a few friends that encourage me regularly to exercise, but despite their best efforts I don't.  I don't mind the kind of exercise that disguises itself as fun.  Like hiking, biking, swimming, and I recently discovered how much fun the Wii Fit is.

As a kid exercise wasn't really apart of our lives.  At one point one of my dad's doctors told him to walk to improve something.  But that's really the only time exercise was discussed.  Us kids played enough that we didn't need to actually exercise.  I played a lot of sports when I got older so still no extra exercise was needed.  In high school, we were taught the importance of exercise in P.E.  Now as I get older, I see I need some exercise, but just do not like it.

One of the ways I got exercise in high school was snow skiing.  The local ski resort allowed us to come each Friday of January, rent skis and get lessons for a nominal fee.  After a couple years I decided I didn't really like skiing, but I did enjoy the time we spent together on the trip up there and back.  I don't know  about any of my friends, but I liked getting to know them better.  We shared stories and played truth or dare, which really became a game of truth or truth.  We rarely picked dare.  I think I ended up kissing a boy when he picked dare.  I learned quickly not to pick dare.  Not only did we have those times on our way to skiing to get to know each other.  We had sleep overs and other trips.   I miss the times that we spent together.  Although recently, I've been able to spend some quality time with my friends.  I am very thankful for my friends in Idaho and in Texas.

One of my friends has asked for more soup recipes.  I was afraid that I was giving you too many, but the cold weather has made up want soup.  This recipe I got while I was in Colorado.  It has a few steps to it, but it is well worth it.  It is SO good.

Roasted Red Pepper Bisque

6 Roasted Red Peppers

To roast peppers – wash, rub with oil, salt & pepper. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 500º till skins are roasted. Place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam skin – this makes peeling them easier. Peel after 15 minutes.

1 onion (small dice)
3 stalks celery (thinly sliced)
2 carrots (thinly sliced)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup white wine
4 cups heavy cream
4 cups chicken stock
Salt & Pepper to taste

Sauté onion, celery, and carrots in oil for about 5 minutes or until soft and onions are translucent. Add wine and reduce liquid by half. Add chopped roasted red peppers, chicken stock and cream. Slow boil soup for at least ½ hour, longer is better. Put soup in a blender and puree, put it through a fine sieve. Adjust your seasonings. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

He Loved His Grandchildren

Today is the second day of Day of the Dead.  Another day of remembering loved ones gone on before us. It is good for us to remember people we love.  Especially, to remember the good things about the person.

My grandfather passed away when I was 5 or 6.  So I don't remember a whole lot about him.  I know what I've been told about him and have seen pictures of him.  My memories of him are very vague.  What I do remember is that he used to sing 2 songs to us.  Well maybe only part of those songs, or at least I only remember part of them.  The first was I Like Bananas.  The only lyrics I know are "I like bananas because they have no bones."  I googled the song and apparently it is a very long song.  One verse is

I don’t like your peaches
They are full of stones
But I like bananas
Because they have no bones

The other song he sang to us was Lazy Bones. The part that I know is "Lazy bones sleepin in the sun, how do you ever spect to get a day work done, sleepin in the noon day's sun."  Apparently Harry Connick Jr has redone the song. There's a lot more to that song also.

What I also know about my grandfather is that he loved to watch baseball. He would have 2 games on 2 different tv's and one on the radio. He would turn up the volume on the game that had something exciting happening. And he never turned the volume back down. So by the end of the games, it was pretty loud in the house. I also know he had an array of delivery jobs. Newspapers, milk and dry ice (for ice boxes). He loved his grand children.  I remember my grandpa being a good grandpa.

In thinking through writing this blog, I figured a banana recipe would be appropriate.  Except I don't really like bananas so much.  However, this summer I found a way to eat them that I like.  I call them Banana Pops.  I know it's a little on the cold side for frozen bananas, but they are still good.

Banana Pops
4 medium bananas
8 wooden popsicle sticks
16 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Candy sprinkles or nuts

With the peel still on, cut the bananas in half.  On the cut end, stick the popsicle stick in.  Peel the bananas place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.  Place in the freezer for an hour.  In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and vegetable oil together.  Once bananas are frozen, dip in chocolate until coated and sprinkle with candy sprinkles or nuts.  Place back on baking sheet  and put back into the freezer to harden the chocolate.  Once hardened serve.  Best served on the day made.

He Knew How To Flush Your Radiator

Going to a Christian school, we didn't celebrate Halloween, but we did celebrate All Saints Day.  Or at least we did one year.  It must have been 5th grade.  The building we had school in had an unfinished part of the basement.  Our teacher took us down there to teach us about All Saints Day.  I don't remember the significance of being in the dirt and dark, but we sat down there for her to tell us about the holiday.

I don't recall what she told us about the holiday.  What I do know is that I've learned a few things over the years about Day of the Dead.  Day of the Dead is actually 2 or 3 days depending on who you ask.  I'm gonna stick with 2 days for now.  November 1 & 2.  November 1st being All Saints Day and November 2nd All Souls Day.  Both days are meant to remember people we loved and have passed on.  Memorials are set up to remember those people and food is offered.  Some of the things they do seems a bit creepy, but I think the idea of the holiday is a good one.  To remember and honor people we love who have passed away.

Today I spent the day with friends I've had for a long long time.  And while my mind was not on All Saints Day all, I was brought back to remembering my dad.  And what an honor it was to him for a friend to say that she and her husband respected my dad and always appreciated his wisdom.  My dad was a quiet man, but he was wise.  My dad was the person I called when I had a question.  He knew where to find just about anything in the Bible.  He knew how to flush your radiator.  It was rare for him to not know the answer to one of my questions.

He was also a man with great faith.  We moved to Idaho to start a church.  That is not a high paying job.  Well monetarily speaking.  My dad always believe that God would provide for us.  And He always did.  We didn't live a life of luxury, but we had what we needed.  My dad also always trusted that God would guide him in leading a church.  Even though that's not something that's as easily measured, I think He did.

Not only was my dad wise, he was also funny and loved sports.  He was a meat and potatoes kind of guy.  I once made dinner that had no meat.  He acted like I was crazy.  I always made sure to serve some kind of meat after that.  Since the days of making dinner for my family, I have gone through phases of what I like to eat.  Actually, I have gone through phases my whole life.  I didn't eat much meat for a while.  Now I eat some but not a ton.  And because of that, I don't have a lot of recipes with meat in it.  I can cook a mean ribeye or burger.  But those don't really call for recipes.  So I had to dig deep for this recipe.

Easy Oven Lasagna
1 lb ground beef
2 - 15oz cans marinara sauce
1 - 10oz pkg lasagna noodles
1 cup ricotta or small curd cottage cheese
12 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced or grated
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup water
1 tsp salt

Brown ground beef, drain.  Add water, marinara sauce and salt, bring to a boil.  In 2 t. baking dish, layer hot cause, uncooked lasagna, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses.  Repeat layers, ending with sauce.  5 layers with 6 noodles each later.  Garnish with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.  Cover tightly with foil.  Bake at 375 for 1 hour.  Let stand 5 -10 minutes before cutting into squares.  Serves 8.  Decrease temperature 25 degrees last 1/2 hour in black pan.

I'm Sure They Have Fun Doing It Though

It's Halloween.  A holiday that has become a day for kids to dress up and get candy.  Whether they are trick or treating, going to a harvest party, or have a party of their own, it's all about the candy.  It is fun to get dressed up too.  You can dress as something you could become or something that you will never be except for this night.  The big thing lately to dress up as celebrities.  Yesterday I saw lots of people dressed as celebrities.  Miley Cyrus, Rachel Zoe, Bobby Bones, and so many others.

Here in American Falls, there aren't a lot of things for the teenagers to do on Halloween.  We have a spook alley, but once you've been through that what are you going to do?  Over the years, they have taken a liking to smashing pumpkins.  We've had display our pumpkins through the window, or we would find them in the street the next morning.  I'm sure they have fun doing it, though.

I did not do any pumpkin smashing.  For a couple reasons, one, if I was caught I would have been in so much trouble and secondly, I was volunteered to help at the nursing home.  Even though I was volunteered to help and didn't actually volunteer myself, I enjoyed helping out at the nursing home.  A friend of ours was the activities director at the nursing home.  She did a great job getting the residents involved and helped make you comfortable around them.

Volunteering at the nursing home and other places has helped me to see holidays aren't all about what we get, but also what we can give.  And Halloween isn't all about candy, it's about candy and desserts.  A great dessert and a better way to use pumpkin than smashing it in the street is Pumpkin Slices.  Enjoy!


Pumpkin Slices
1 yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp baking soda
1 - 30 oz can pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine all ingredients and pour into a jelly roll pan,  Bake for 30 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Frosting
1 cup butter
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp milk
4 cups powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients.  Spread on Pumpkin Slices when cool.  Cut into squares and serve.

I Think Back and Wonder Were They Crazy?

This morning I went upstairs to get coffee and it was 56 degrees! in the house!  Well, it might be a little warmer than that because the thermometer is on an exterior wall.  So my mom says it's a few degrees warmer than what it says.  Still that's cold for inside.  I like to keep my house between 70 and 72.  I've already told you how I loved to hang out in front of the space heater.

Yesterday, my mom and I ran to town.  As we walked out of Walmart, I was struck by the cold air.  I really should start wearing a coat.  The cold air reminded me of being a kid and walking to the bus stop in the cold.  It was uncool to wear a scarf back then, but I really should have.  Too many mornings, the inside of my nose would freeze.  When I was in elementary school, there wasn't a temperature too cold to go to school.  Now I believe the rule is -25 degrees and school is canceled.  Fortunately when I was a kid if it was below 0, we didn't go outside for recess.  We got to watch movies.  I remember watching Star Wars.  I think we had a week of below 0, so we would watch a part of it at each recess and at lunch.  I now wonder if Star Wars was appropriate for 1st - 4th graders.  What is that movie rated anyway?

In 5th grade, I started going to the Christian school in town.  Girls had to wear dresses every day. And we had to go outside for recess.  We would wear shorts under our dresses so we weren't so cold.  I think back and wonder were they crazy?  A few years later they started letting us wear slacks every day but Wednesday.  That helped a lot.

As I was preparing to write this blog, I googled "how cold is too cold to go to school."  One person said 7 degrees is too cold.  Other people responded to her saying 7 degrees is a walk in the park.  Some people were talking about school being let out at 30 below.  I would imagine kids in Alaska go to school with a temperature less than that.  Cold is relative to where you live.  After living in Texas for 7 years, it has taken me a little while to get used to the cold again.  I would much rather deal with cold than with heat.  You can always put on more clothes.

We tend to eat more when it's cold and we tend to eat soup.  Hot chocolate is a good warm up when you've been outside for a while.  I feel like I've given you enough soup recipes for now, and I don't have a good hot chocolate recipe.  So you are going to get my Apple Crisp recipe that I've had since I was in elementary school.  It is such a good comforting warm dessert.

Apple Crisp
4 cups apples* (any kind except red delicious)
1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375.  In a mixing bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, oatmeal & nutmeg.  Cut in butter with a pasty blender.  Core and slice apples, and place in 8" x 8" pan.  Pour mixture over apples.  Bake for 30 minutes.

*I use fried apples so the apples are more tender.

Fried Apples
3 medium apples
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp sugar
water to cover

Core and slice apples.  Place all ingredients in a sauce pan or a deep skillet.  Cover and simmer until apples are transparent.

To This Day When I Go To The Library, I Fear The Librarian

I have finally recovered from my migraine and am back to blogging.  Back to my childhood memories.  Back to sharing recipes.

The library was a big part of my childhood.  We went to the library on a regular basis long before I can remember.  I began reading fairly early and even before that picture books were great.  My mom would take us to the library nearly every week.  We would check out 3 or 4 books.  I became very familiar with the children's section.  As I got older, I learned about the preteen section and the section of books that were informative.  Like how to care for a dog or a bunny.  Or books I needed for school reports.  I learned to love specific authors.  Judy Blume, Anne M Martin, Beverly Cleary.  I also became very familiar with the card catalog.  I still have a hard time looking up books without one.  I am rather computer literate, but that catalog is familiar and comfortable.

I did have a problem with the librarians though.  I'm not sure why.  I was always polite and quiet.  I did often turn my books in late, but you would think they would like that because they were getting money from me for fines.  Maybe it wasn't only me that felt intimidated by them.  I would lay low until I had to check out my books.  To this day when I go to the library, I fear the librarian.  One of those librarians that was around when I was a kid is still there.

I did enjoy the library at school however.  The librarians weren't scary, and all the books were for kids.  There were lots and lots of books.  I almost always got my books back on time.  Except second grade.  Second grade was just a bad year.  But that's a whole other story.

No matter how I got along with the librarians, I developed a love for reading.  I still love to read specific authors.  I have broadened my authors though.  I still love fiction, but I read more non fiction now than I did back then.  C.S. Lewis, Nicholas Sparks, Jan Karon, Max Lucado, Donald Miller.  I also love to read cookbooks.  I have this long list of recipes I want to make.  I can't seem to make them fast enough.  A recipe I found while reading a cookbook that I love is German Chocolate Cheesecake. It's just so good.  Yet so fattening.

German Chocolate Cheesecake*
1 - 8 1/2 oz pkg chocolate wafers, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 - 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 - 4 oz pkg sweet baking chocolate, melted
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

Combine wafer crumbs and butter, mixing well.  Press into bottom and 1 3/4 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan, and set aside.
Beat cream cheese at medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Gradually add sugar, flour, and salt, mixing well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add chocolate, milk, and vanilla; mix well.  Spoon into prepared pan; bake at 325 for 1 hour.  Remove from oven; cool 15 minutes.  Loosen sides from pan with spatula.  Cool 30 minutes.  Tighten sides of pan.  Spread with topping.  Cover and chill for 8 hours.

Topping:
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1 tsp vanilla

Combine cornstarch and sugar in a saucepan.  Gradually add milk and butter.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil.  Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; stir in pecan, coconut, and vanilla.  Cool.

* German Chocolate Cheesecake, Southern Living 1987 Annual Recipes, pg 265

Lots of Friends and Big Parties

Birthdays around our house were a bit different.  My birthday is right before Christmas so it was hard to have parties.  Most of my friends were off at grandma's house or busy with Christmas stuff of their own.  So my birthday was either spent at my grandma's house or spent at home with just family.  When I was really little my mom would wait to put up the Christmas tree until after my birthday so I wouldn't be confused.  As I got older the tree went up long before my birthday, and my birthday presents went under the tree.

A couple years we celebrated my birthday in June so I could have friends over.  Those birthdays were fun.  Lots of friends and big parties.  As I got older, we just celebrated at Christmas time with family.  Not sure why, but I was able to spend a lot more time with my friends at other times so I didn't really care.

When we were little, before we really knew what foods were our favorites, mom would make us cakes for our birthdays.  We each got a Barbie doll cake.  But as we got older, my little sister and I realized that we don't really like cake.  So mom started making icecream cakes for us.  Those were great until both us starting having trouble eating icecream.  We have moved back to cakes for birthdays.  We decided cake was better than nothing. 

I've grown to like cake more and more.  I have collected a few cake recipes over the last few years.  And I got a new one this morning.  Today I'm going to share two recipes with you.  The one I got today, and one that is a great fall cake.

This recipe I found in Country Living Magazine.  They baked two different ways 1) in three round pans each one a little smaller than the other and then they tier it with icing between the layers and 2) in 2 small bundt pans and then put together to look like a pumpkin.  I of course did neither.  I bake it in a bundt pan or in 2 round pans.  If I layer the cake I use an icing (recipe below).  If I bake it as a bundt cake, I drizzle powdered sugar icing (recipe below).

Pumpkin Spice and Pecan Cake*
1 Devil's Food Cake mix
2 tsp pumpkin-pie spice
2/3 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup soften unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1 cup finely chopped pecans
3/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly butter and flour pan(s) you will be using.  Add all ingredients to mixing bowl and beat on medium until batter is smooth.  Fill pan(s).  Bake until skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean about 35 minutes for bundt pan or 30 minutes for round pans.  Cool completely on wire racks before icing.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Icing (used for layered cake)
1(8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Mix all ingredients together until smooth in mixer. Add more powdered sugar if needed.

Powdered Sugar Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (leave out if you want white frosting)

In mixer with whisk attachment, mix powdered sugar, milk & vanilla.  Add powdered sugar or milk to achieve the consistency you are looking for.

For the layered cake, frost between the two layers and on top.  For the bundt cake, drizzle icing over cake.

My second recipe I got today, is also a chocolate pumpkin cake, but it is far healthier.  I saw this recipe on Rachael Ray this morning.

Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
1 Devil's Food Cake
1 - 15 oz can pumpkin

Mix the two ingredients together and bake according to the instructions on the box.  You do not need to add the other ingredients.  Adding the pumpkin instead of the eggs, oil, & water decreases the calories and fat in the cake and adds fiber.  It tastes just like chocolate cake.

I have not made this recipe yet, however I have done something similar with a spice cake mix to make cookies.  I couldn't believe it would work but it does and is very good.

*Country Living October 2008 pg 160

Because I Would Be Quarantined

Most years of school, I had perfect attendance.  It wasn't because I was the perfect child who never got sick and never wanted to stay home.  It was because my mom ran a daycare in our house, and if we got sick, we were quarantined to the bedroom.  There was a tv in there, but we were alone.  I didn't like being alone when I was sick.  I guess I still don't like it.  I realize that's the best way to handle sickness, but misery loves company.  The bedroom was right next to the bathroom, if we needed it.  But those were the only two rooms we were allowed to go in.  Occasionally, I would stick my head out and ask one of the kids to go get my mom.  I would want toast or soup or just someone to talk to me.

Going to school was just better to me.  I was with people.  There were a few days that I had to go home sick, but for the most part I went to school.  One day I was sick and needed to go home, but I refused.  It was a half day, and I knew I could make it.  The teachers thought I wanted to stay because we were having some kind of party.  But really I just didn't want to go home because I would be quarantined.  There was also a rule if you stayed home sick then you couldn't go anywhere after school if you felt better.  There were a few days that I had something planned with a friend after school so I made sure to not miss school.  Now I know with the spread of the flu and H1N1, this is not the smart thing to do, but back then we didn't have such a problem with that.  I don't remember ever having the flu anyway. 

On the days that I did have to go home sick, mom would make me soup or toast depending on what was wrong.  Chicken Noodle Soup is always warm and comforting when you have a cold.  As an adult, I figured out that I like Toll House crackers in my soup.  They are sweeter, and I'm a sugar junkie.

Chicken Noodle Soup
1 whole chicken
3 qts water
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots or 20 baby carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery*, sliced
2 cloves garlic*, minced
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 chicken bullion cube
1/2 pkg (6 oz) fine egg noodles**
Salt & pepper to taste

Place chicken & water in large pot.  Bring to a boil & reduce heat.  Skim foam.  Once foam begins to subside add vegetables, garlic, parsley, bullion cube, and salt & pepper.  Cover & boil slowly for 1 hour.  Remove chicken and pull meat off the bones.  Add meat back to pot.  Cover and continue to cook for 1/2 hour.  5 minutes before finished add noodle to soup.  Cook til tender.  Makes 6 -8 servings.

*cloves & stalks are sometimes a confusing measurement.  I have been confused by this also.  You buy garlic in bulbs and each individual piece of garlic is called a clove.  You buy celery in bunches and each individual stick of celery is a stalk.

**I like wide thick noodles in my chicken noodle soup.  I use Country Pasta homemade style egg pasta.  They take longer to cook, so I add them to the pot when I put the chicken back in.

It Was A Bit Rough, But It Made Do

Snow, ice, and cold are what winters are about in Idaho.  As a kid you have to learn to use those things to your advantage.  With at least six months of winter, you really have no choice unless you want to stay indoors.  My sister and I did lots of things outside in the winter.  Igloos, snow forts, snowmen, sledding, ice skating, and snow angels to name a few.

One winter my sister, her best friend and her friend's brother made a snow fort.  They piled the snow up in the backyard to make big mounds.  Then hosed the mounds down so they would freeze solid.  Then the next day they started to dig out a cave.  They got pretty elaborate with the fort.  I can't remember how long they worked on it, but it kept them busy for quite some time.

I never got that fancy with my snow creations.  I had gotten a snow brick form and would build an igloo with the bricks.  It always had gaps and never was really completed.  I did make several snowmen though.  Sometimes I would use all the snow from the yard to make my enormous snowmen.  Some of my snowballs would end up bigger and heavier than me.

A few winters the fire dept. would make a skating rink in the parking lot of the golf course.  It was a bit rough, but it made do.  We had fun on it.  Falling is definitely a part of learning to ice skating.  Now I never got good enough to even think about going professional or competing, but it was fun.  One year they cleared a spot on the lake to ice skate. That wasn't much smoother than the rink by the golf course, but just as fun.  One time we went out to the lake rink, there was a chicken.  Well a man dressed as a chicken.  I have no idea why he was there, but there he was.  We skated with him for a while.

Whenever we went skating, we would come home cold and hungry.  Hot chocolate would be a quick fix, but hot food would be needed.  Chili always hit the spot.  My favorite chili is Santa Fe Chili (white chili)

Santa Fe Chili
1/4 cup butter
1/8 cup chicken base
3/4 cups flour
3 to 4 cups water
cans white northern beans to make 53 oz
2 sm cans diced green chilies
4 chicken breasts (cooked & shredded)
cumin to taste
white pepper to taste

In large sauce pan, melt butter and chicken base.  Add flour to make roux.  Add water and stir until smooth.  Add beans, chilies, chicken, cumin & white pepper.  Simmer on low heat until thickened (at least 1/2 hour)

One Year I Was a Cheerleader

Halloween was always a fun time in our house.  I usually had a party at my house.  Some of my friends didn't celebrate Halloween, so I would have my party on a different day.  That allowed for me to go trick or treat-ing on Halloween.  I am the world's worst about coming up with a costume.  Most years I would resort to being a clown because it was easy.  My mom could have made me any costume I wanted, but I could never come up with a good idea.  I did have a few years where I cam up with ideas - not always good ones.  One year I was a cheerleader, one year I was Psalty the singing songbook (bad costume because hardly anyone knew who I was and I kept hitting people with the back of me).

Halloween in Idaho is usually cold.  We always had to work our costumes so they fit over our coats.  I remember quite a few Halloween's with snow on the ground so our snow boots needed to fit into our costume too.  But it was always fun.  My mom always came up with great games for the parties.

As I got older, trick or treating wasn't looked upon so well.  A few years I volunteered at the nursing home to help the residents hand out candy.  That was always fun because the residents would dress up too.  Some of them really enjoyed it and some had no clue as to what was going on.  One year I took a friend's little brother out trick or treat-ing.  I got yelled at by an old lady for being too old to trick or treat.  She didn't understand I wasn't the one trick or treating.

Halloween treats are always so good: rice crispy treats, popcorn balls, carmel popcorn, candied apples.  One of my favorites is homemade snickers.  My grandma always made them for Christmas,  but they are good for Halloween too.

Homemade Snickers
1 -12 oz pkg milk chocolate chips
2 Tbsp oil
1 - 14 oz pkg carmels (50 pieces)
2 Tbsp water
5 Tbsp butter
1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts

Melt first 2 ingredients in double boiler.  Pour half of chocolate mixture in 8" pan.  Place in fridge 15 minutes. (It will not be set completely) Melt in double boiler the caramels, water & butter.  Add peanuts.  Pour over chocolate in pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Pour remaining chocolate over caramels mixture.  Refrigerate.  Cut into squares and serve.  Keep refrigerated when not eating.

Whatever It Was It Was Important

I think all of North America, if not the whole world knows that Idaho is potato country.  However, the residents of Northern Idaho hate when people say, "oh Idaho, the potato state" because potatoes are grown in Southern Idaho.  I live in Southern Idaho.  Potato fields surround our town and lake.  Potato harvest is a great way to make money in the fall.  Well great if you like long hours, getting really dirty, and being really tired.  Oh and getting up really early.

I worked potato harvest 2 harvests.  I hated it both times!  I don't like to get up early, I don't like getting dirty, and I don't like working allllll day.  But I did learn a few things in harvest.  Frito Lay contracts with a company here to do quality control on their potatoes.  It has been a few years since I have worked harvest so I don't remember all the tests being done for quality control.  What I do remember is potatoes must not be under a certain temperature when being dug up,  they can't be bruised too badly,  and they can't be too small.  There was some test I did on them where I weighed them in water.  I don't remember what that showed.  Whatever it was it was important.

Potatoes are an important part of our community.  They are also a big part of our diet.  If you aren't a farmer who can dig potatoes out of your own field, then you can go glean the fields after harvest.  Or you might be friends with farmers who will give you potatoes.  Or if all else fails you can go to your local potato processing plant and buy a box for pretty cheap.  Potatoes can be cooked so many different ways that it takes a while to get tired of them.

My mom came up with lots of ways to cook potatoes.  She cooked potatoes in a way she called Favy Taties.  We all liked it that way.

Favy Taties
1 medium sized potato for every 2 people
olive oil
season salt
butter
shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 400.  Grease a baking sheet with olive oil.  Cut potatoes length wise in half.   Sprinkle cut side of potato with season salt.  Place potato cut side down on baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Slice potato length wise on cut side to make a slit.  In slit add a little bit butter and cheese.  Serve.

Of Course Bears Can Turn Doorknobs

Tonight at dinner we had rootbeer floats.  It took me back to my first year at church camp.  I must have been 8. We had church camp in Ketchum.  If you don't know where that is, it's up near Sun Valley.  Up in the mountains.  Up where it snows until late June. Lots of wildlife.

My first year at church camp was lots of fun.  I had so much fun that I hardly slept.  And of course, when I don't sleep enough I get sick.  So I would spend a couple days in the nurses cabin.  I would get better and then spend the last day of camp out with friends.  There were a couple other girls that had the same problem.  I made friends with those girls, and we knew we would spend a couple days in the nurses cabin together every year.  In the nurses cabin they weren't as careful about what they talked about.  So we knew all the ins and outs of what was going on around camp.  We learned very quickly that there were bears roaming around camp.  They found a bear one night digging through the dumpster and had to remember to put the lid down and lock it each night.  They had caught glimpses of momma bear and her cub, but they hadn't been around camp much.    The adults were concerned that there were bears, but didn't want to scare us kids.  But then again they couldn't have us walking around alone.  So they told us that bears had been seen and for us to be careful.  But us girls in the nurses cabin were privy to all the information.

Friday, we were able to go back to doing activities with the other girls.  Saturday was the day we were going home, so we were going to have a party.  We joined another cabin for our party.  We had rootbeer floats and other desserts.  I don't really remember the other desserts.  Everyone had gotten their float except me.  I was trying to avoid getting one because I am not fond of them.  They made me one, however, and I said I don't want one, but thank you.   So the counselor opened the back door to the cabin and poured it out.  Us girls were having a good time laughing and giggling as 8 & 9 year olds do.  One of the girls pulled the curtains back and looked out the back window.  She starts screaming, "there is a bear out there."  The counselor who was standing closest to the back door laughed and said, "yeah right."  Her cabin had been joking all week about seeing a bear.  But the girl was rather convincing so the counselor moved the curtains to see momma bear and her cub eating my rootbeer float.  We all started screaming believing the bear would open the door and come in and eat us.

When they finally got us calmed down, we went back to our cabin.  Our counselor decided she needed a shower.  We however did not want to be left alone because of course bears can turn doorknobs and come right into our cabin.  One of the guy counselors had come by to see if we were alright and warn us to stay indoors.  Our counselor convinced him to stay with us while she went to shower.  We feared that she would be eaten alive on her way to the showers.  It was about time for us to get ready for bed.  We made the guy who was staying with us stand in the corner so we could change.  Our counselor made it back safely.  Praise Jesus!

We all made it home safely with no more encounters with the bears.  They were able to trap the bears and move them away from our camp grounds.  So the older kids didn't have to experience the man eating bears.

I still don't care for rootbeer floats, but I do like a punch float.  Not quite the same, but just as good.

Raspberry Punch Float
1 lg can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 lg can frozen pineapple juice concentrate
1 liter 7-UP
42 oz. can pineapple punch
1/2 gallon raspberry sherbet
1 pt. raspberries

Thaw lemonade and pineapple juice concentrates; combine in large punch bowl. Add 7-UP and  stir in pineapple punch. Cube raspberry sherbet in large cubes; crush half the raspberries. Stir in raspberries.  Drop sherbet cubes into punch mixture just before serving. Makes 1 gallon punch.

I'm Fixin' To Go To The Store

For the last week I have been craving Bush's Chicken.  I realize most of you have no idea what that is.  It is a chain restaurant that serves chicken strips that are amazing.  And their sweet tea is excellent as well.  Here in the Northwest, we don't have any restaurants that come close to Bush's.

Until I was 4 1/2, we lived in Tennessee.  This means my introduction to food was from a southern perspective.  I love nearly all foods southern.  Okra is the exception.  I don't have a lot of memories of those years spent in Tennessee, but it did impact my diet.  My speech was also impacted.  After moving to Idaho, I had a southern accent for a time.  It has since gone, but a few words still finding their way into my vocabulary like fixin' - as in I'm fixin' to go to the store.

One of my few memories of our time in Tennessee is of paying rent.  I know that's normally a strange memory for a kid, but our landlord was always really nice to me.  We would walk down the street to his house.  He had a carnival type popcorn popper and would give me a bag of popcorn.  He would also give me a half dollar.  I still have those coins.  My mom kept them for me with our important papers and now I keep them with my important papers.  I also remember walking across the street to get my haircut.  And anytime I smell honeysuckle, it takes me back to playing outside at the babysitter's house.

Because I can't get Bush's chicken until I visit Texas, I have learned to make my own chicken strips.  While they aren't as good as Bush's, they will suffice for my craving until I am in Texas again.

Chicken Strips
2 cups flour
1 tsp season salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
2 eggs
1 lb chicken tenders
Pan with grease heated to 350.

If you cannot find chicken tenders, you can get chicken breast and cut into stips.  Mix flour, garlic powder, & season salt in a shallow bowl.  Lightly beat egg in a separate shallow bowl.  Heat enough oil to cover strips - 3 inches deep.  You can tell oil is hot enough by sprinkling water into oil.  If it pops, it's ready.  Be sure to not heat oil too hot.  Keep heat at medium.  Dredge chicken strips in eggs, then in flour mixture, in egg again and then in flour mixture again.  Place strip in oil.  Once the flour coating is golden brown, remove from oil.  Repeat until all chicken is cooked.  I keep a pan in the oven to keep the chicken warm until it is all finished.  I set the oven at 200.  Do not cover because the crust on the chicken will no longer be crisp.

Gravy to dip chicken in
6 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp flour
3 cups milk
3 chicken bullion cubes
salt & pepper to taste

In a sauce pan,  melt butter and add flour.  Mix together to make a paste.  Add milk and whisk together until all the lumps are gone.  Add bullion cubes, mix until dissolved.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Stir constantly while gravy is on the heat to prevent burning.

We Would Add Hot Dogs To The Lure

I've always been an animal person.  When I was really little, we had cats.  My mom tells me I named my first cat Spike.  Not sure where I got that name but I guess I thought it was perfect for it.  While we still lived in Tennessee, I got a duck from someone at church.  I named it Peep.  It would follow us around the house and it would get into the bath tub with me.  Peep got too big and we gave him to some people who lived in the country.  After moving to Idaho, we got some more cats.  Simon and Rags.  Simon was a mischievous cat and later ran away.  Rags was an interesting cat.  She drank like a raccoon.  I don't remember what happened to her.  When I was 8, I got a dog.  She was the only black curly haired dog in the litter.  She was an adorable ball of fluff.  I named her Muffie.

Muffie was a great dog.  She was a mutt.  From what we could tell, she had cocker spaniel, terrier, & poodle in her.  In the summer time, we would shave her.  In the winter, we would let her hair grow out to keep her warm.  She would be a big ball of fluff in the winter.  After her running around in the backyard through the snow, she would come in the house with balls of snow stuck to the bottom of her.  In the summer time, when she was skinny without the hair, she could get through the fence.  Our solution was to attach a empty milk jug to a leash and attach it to her.  She could get through the fence but the milk jug couldn't.  Often we would have to go untangle her because she would go out one hole and back through another.  If she got out, she ran.  We would have to drive around the neighborhood looking for her.  She loved to ride in the car so we could con her into hopping in.  After a few times of that she caught on and wouldn't come.  So we would add hot dogs to the lure.  And then drive around town making her think we were actually taking her for a ride.

Muffe loved to eat people food.  While we didn't want her to do it, she found ways around that.  She would snatch things when left around.  Once in a while we would give her leftovers if there was just a little bit.  I learned the hard way to not give her beans.  Apparently, beans are not good for animals at all.  One of her favorite things to eat was cookie dough.  Maybe she ate it often because I also like to eat cookie dough.   I had a bad habit of leaving a bowl of cookie dough on the couch or bed while I went to do something else for a minute.  She would get into it.  One time she got the chocolate chip cookie dough.  We were so afraid she was going to die from the chocolate.  It never phased her and we were thankful.  I tried to be better about leaving cookie dough down after that.  Sugar cookie dough is much better for dogs but not as good to eat as chocolate chip cookie dough.  Although they are very good cooked with a little frosting.

World's Best Sugar Cookies
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
2 lightly beaten eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream together powdered sugar, butter, sugar.  Mix in oil, eggs, vanilla.  Add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.  Dough can be rolled out and cut with cookie cutters or rolled into small balls and press down to flatten.  Bake for 10 -12 minutes.   After baked you can either sprinkle with sugar or cool and frost.

Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp milk
food coloring
1/2 tsp vanilla (leave out if you want white frosting)

In mixer with whisk attachment, mix powdered sugar, milk & vanilla.  Add food coloring to achieve the color you want.  Add powdered sugar or milk to achieve the consistency you are looking for.

I Ate Things Like Burritos

I am not a morning person.  I've tried, and it just doesn't work.  I used to be worse.   I used to be a whole lot grumpier in the morning.  Waking me up wasn't a wise thing to do.  However, people would often risk their lives to wake me up.

My dad was usually the one waking me up.  My bedroom was in the basement, and my parents room was above mine.  My dad would wake me up for school by banging on the floor.  I would bang on the wall to tell him I was awake.  I would then go right back to sleep.  If I didn't get up after a few times of this routine, he would go to the top of the stairs and yell.  On the days I was really tired, I would stand up and yell, "I'm up," and then get back in bed.  I didn't want to lie to him.  I would eventually get out of bed.

My little sister also liked to wake me up.  She wasn't always nice about it.  Because my room was in the basement, it had one window, but we had put a piece of insulation in it, so no light came in.  So I couldn't tell the sun had come up and my room was always dark.  It made for great sleeping.  Because of that, my sister loved to turn the light on in my room.  It was quite a shock to the system.  I would be really grumpy when she did that.  One morning, I heard her coming down the stairs to wake me up, then heard her feel on the wall for the light switch.  Before she could get it on, I said loudly, "don't you dare turn that on."  I scared her.  I don't remember her doing that again to me.

My eating habits in the morning aren't any better than my ability to function.  I say my body just can't handle food until I've been up for about an hour.  As a kid, my mom forced me to eat breakfast.  I wouldn't eat normal breakfast foods.  I just didn't like them.  I ate things like burritos.  Not breakfast burritos.  Regular burritos that we had for dinner.  Mom would make extra burritos when she made them for dinner.  She would wrap them up and freeze them.  They worked for me. It was easy to pop them in the microwave.  I don't eat burritos for breakfast anymore, but I still don't eat breakfast like a normal person.  I am more of a brunch kind of girl. It just works better for me.

A few years back, I hosted a baby shower for my little sister.  She and I neither one like the games of a normal baby shower.  So we had a brunch and visited with friends.  In preparing for the shower, I found a great recipe.  It is a quiche.  However, my grandmother insisted she didn't like quiches, so we called it Brunch Casserole.  She loved it and never knew the difference.

Brunch Casserole
1 lb sausage, cooked
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup bisquick
3/4 cup sour cream (or greek plain yogurt)
3 eggs
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread sausage in a 2 quart baking dish.  Sprinkle onions and cheese on top of sausage.  In a blender, mix milk, bisquick, sour cream, and eggs.  Pour into baking dish.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until set in center.  Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
Makes 4 - 6 servings.

I Was Going To Save Her

Camping was a big part of my growing up.  I have many memories of roughing it.  Living near the Snake River gave us great places near us to go camping.  When I was little we would camp in a tent.  In high school, we had a motorhome.

Camping in a tent was fun as a kid.  Unlike most families, we did not camp at state park that had flushing toilets and showers.   We would find a place that had an outhouse and was along the river.  I don't remember much about the cooking part of camping.  Mom always took care of that.  Us kids would spend our time fishing and exploring.  My nephew was usually with us.  He liked to see what animals he could catch or if he couldn't get an animal (which I don't think he ever did), he would catch bugs.  It rained occasionally while we were camping.  As tents go, as long as you didn't touch the tent it wouldn't leak.  My nephew took that as a challenge to see if he could touch every part of the tent.

I remember one time of camping very clearly.  We had set the tent up.  Mom, dad, my sister and nephew had gone down to the river to fish.  I was at the campsite doing something when a strong wind came up.  It started to blow the tent away.  I thought I will get in the tent so it doesn't blow away.  The wind got stronger and I started screaming.  No one came to my rescue.  I was frustrated because no one seemed to care I was going to be blown away with the tent.  Finally someone came up to the car to get some fishing tackle.  I yelled at whoever it is that I had saved the day because the tent almost blew away.  They didn't seem to care. But later we decided a storm was blowing in, and we should just pack up and go home.

Another time of camping, we had gone with some friends who had a motorhome.  We slept in the tent and they slept in the motorhome.  We set up camp close to the river.  My littlest sister must have been 3, making me 10, and my nephew 9.  The adults had some misadventures of their own with losing fishing poles in the river.  But us kids didn't really care too much.  We were having fun and that's what mattered.  My nephew and I were jumping off the dock and swimming.  We would get tired and sit on the end of the dock.  My sister like most kids do wanted to do what we were doing.  Mom wouldn't let her jump off the dock because she couldn't swim, but she let her sit on the end of the dock with us.  We were kicking our feet in the water, so my sister kicked her feet too.  As most little kids are, she was a bit top heavy and fell over head first into the water.  My nephew jumped into action.  He hopped up and started to jump in the water to save her.  My mom in the mean time calmly walked to the end of the dock, grabbed my sister's leg and pulled her out.  She was fine and my nephew kept saying, "I was going to save her, I was going to save her."  And I'm sure he could have.

Later when we got the motorhome we took a few camping trips in it.  Always a bunch of fun.  But my best memories of the motorhome was playing in it while it was parked in the driveway.  It was the place to go to get away from the world as a teenager.  When I had friends spend the night, we would sleep out there.   For a while we had a tv with cable out there.  It felt like my own space until my dad would come tell me he wanted to hang out there a while.  One summer while a friend was spending the night, we created a recipe for lemonade.  I know it wasn't so fabulous, but if you added enough sugar, it was good.  Since then I have gotten a real recipe for lemonade.  It is far better than the lemonade we made way back then.

Lemonade

7 cups water

1 cup fresh squeezed lemonade

1 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients well until sugar is dissolved.  Chill and serve.

Apparently He Had An Itch

Growing up 3 hours from Yellowstone gave us a great cheap vacation in the summer.  We went nearly every summer.  Anytime anyone came to visit us in the summer, we would take them.  Over the years of going to Yellowstone, we saw it change.  The natural phenomenon moved and sprang up in new places.  It has been neat to see the changes over the years.

One summer, friends from Tennessee came to visit.  We went with them to Yellowstone.  I don't remember too many details of that trip but my mom tells me the plan was to stay one night.  However, we stayed several nights.  We camped out and I remember having a great time.  I'm sure my mom was freaking out because she had only brought food and packed for 1 night.  Our friends were introduced to many new things of the West including sage brush.  I remember hearing him talking to someone else in our campground saying, "Brother Ray, says them there things are called sagebrush" (with a very thick accent). It is always fun to show Yellowstone to people who haven't been there.

My mom's friend from California came one summer.  We headed to Yellowstone in her pickup.  She had a camper shell on the bed of her pickup.  If I remember correctly there was a mattress back there too.  My mom and I rode in the bed of the pickup, and our friend, my dad, and my 2 sisters rode in the cab.  I thought that was a great way to travel.  So much more room to move around.  I think I was 9.  We stayed in a cabin in Island Park or somewhere near there.  One night while we were there, our friend went out to her pickup to get something and came right back in looking a bit frightened.  She said there was a moose between the cabin and the pickup.  She decided it was much safer to just wait till it left.  We roasted marshmallows over a candle.  It didn't work so well, but we managed to get them roasted. The next day while we were in the park, we stopped to look at something.  Suddenly the pickup started to rock back and forth.  I looked out the window just in time to see a buffalo rubbing himself on the pickup.  Apparently he had an itch.

Those trips to Yellowstone as a kid were great memories and so much fun.  I wish I still saw things through the eyes of a child.  I also wish I could still sleep on the ground like a kid.  Camping would be so much more fun.  Now my camping consists of key cards, indoor swimming pools and comfortable mattresses.  Whether I'm camping or staying in a hotel, I pack food because eating in Yellowstone is expensive.  An easy take along breakfast food is muffins.  I found this recipe in a magazine and like most recipes I have made it my own. There are also a bunch of variations of it so you can pick what you like. Enjoy!

Muffins 
For all muffins combine the following, then add the ingredients for each variation:
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar

Cinnamon & Sugar Muffins
Add:
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Blueberry
Add:
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
2 cups frozen blueberries

Apple Cinnamon
Add:
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
1 apple, chopped
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Orange Cranberry
Add:
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups frozen cranberries
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Double Chocolate
Melt 3 oz semisweet chocolate squares & 1/2 cup of better
Add:
chocolate mixture
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
1/4 cup Nutella
Before baking drop an additional 1 tsp Nutella on each muffin

Chocolate Coconut Flake
Melt 3 oz semisweet chocolate & 1/2 cup butter
Add:
chocolate mixture
3/4 cup coconut flakes
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
Sprinkle 1/3 cup coconut on muffins before baking

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix all ingredients for each muffin.  Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.  Pour muffin batter in pan so cup is 3/4 full.  Bake for 25 minutes.

Christmas At Grandma's Was Alway Fun and Always Eventful

As a kid, we would go to my grandma's house for Christmas.  It was a long drive from Idaho to California.  We would pack up the car the night before we were to leave.  We would get up really early in the morning, hop in the car and be off.   We would drive until the sun came up.  Dad would stop so we could eat breakfast.  I always got biscuits and gravy.  I loved biscuits and gravy.  After breakfast, we would get back in the car and head down the road.  My sister and I would color, play games or sleep.  We would stop in Winnemucca for lunch.  The cheapest places to eat were in the casinos, so that's where we stopped.  We'd head back down the road after lunch.  We would drive past Battle Mountain and into Reno.  After Reno was Donner's Pass.  A few times, it was snowing over the pass and we would have to stay in Reno.  Once we ventured over the pass in the snow.  We had to put chains on the tires to make it.  I'm sure my dad was really nervous.  Most of the times we went, it didn't snow.  After Donner's pass, we were basically there.

Christmas at grandma's was alway fun and always eventful.  Like most families, not everyone got along. There were tiffs but for the most part us kids stayed out of the way.  My birthday is just before Christmas so we would celebrate it.  I felt lucky because I got to open presents before everyone else.  Our tradition for Christmas was to open all the presents from each other on Christmas Eve.  Then the kids would go to bed early so Santa could come.  Morning would come (well almost) and us kids would get up.  We would go climb in bed with Grandma and Grandpa.  They would tell us it was too early and make us lay on the floor and wait.  We, of course, would fall back asleep.  After a couple hours, we would be awake again.  This time we would be successful in getting the adults up.  We would spend the next few hours opening presents, eating breakfast and just enjoying the morning.

A couple Christmases it actually snowed.  That was so much fun.  We would get sleds and slide down the hill next to the house.  One year some of the cousins decided to go sledding on the road.  It wasn't a well travelled road so there really was no danger of getting hit.  I didn't go with them but they said they had a blast.  Later on, people in cars had a hard time getting up that hill in the road because they had made it slick by sledding on it.  I thought it was kinda funny.  Some others of us, went up in the hills to go sledding.  We had a blast.  It was different from the hills we sledded on at home.  This hill was really long.  You could slide forever.  It wasn't as steep as the hills at home either.  It was much easier to walk to the top.   I'm sure I was exhausted by the time we were done, but I had so much fun.

When I think back to Christmas at grandmas, I think of desserts, cousins, and lots of fun.  As an adult now, one of my favorite desserts at Christmas is ginger snap cookies.  However, I don't bake them long enough for them to be snaps.  So they are just ginger cookies.

Ginger Cookies
2 ¼ cups flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup butter

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup molasses

1 egg

1 t baking soda

1 t ginger

1 t ground cinnamon

½ t ground cloves

small bowl of granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375. In a large mixing bowl combine 1 ¼ cups flour and the rest of the ingredients.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed till combined.  Beat or stir in remaining flour.

Shape dough into balls.  Roll ball in granulated sugar to coat.  Bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until tops are crackled.  Do not over cook.  Cool and serve.

Maybe Because He Learned To Drive A Pickup at 7

I have said about myself for a long time that I have rancher blood running through my veins.  My grandfather was a foreman of a ranch, and my great grandfather was also a rancher.  Although my dad grew up on a ranch, he did not carry on the family trade.  But I believe he passed on in his DNA a love for ranching.  I am not sure that any of my sisters got this, but I sure did.  I love riding horses. I love hanging out with the cows.  I have from time to time had farm animals.  I'm sure there is a lot more work involved in ranching than I've experienced, but what I have experienced I enjoy.  I hope someday to have my own ranch. 

The first time I rode a horse was at my aunt's house in Colorado.  I was 8 or 9.  My aunt had 4 horses but only 2 saddles.  One of the horses was too wild or too old to be ridden (I can't remember which).  My cousin and one of my older sisters took the saddles and two of the horses and went riding.  I wanted to ride also, so they put the bridle on the 4th horse, and let me ride bare back.  I look back now and am not sure what my dad was thinking letting me ride alone for the first time.  Maybe because he learned to drive a pickup at 7, riding a horse was no big deal.  No matter, I went off riding alone.  The horse I was riding didn't like the small streams of water that were running across the property from the snow run off.  The horse would jump over them.  So at each stream I came to, I had to get off, lead the horse across the stream, and then get back on.  I'm not sure how I got back on, but I did it.  My sister and cousin didn't want me to ride with them.  They rode over in the hills, and I went the other direction into the woods.  I don't remember too much about the ride except that I rode quite a while and absolutely loved it.

I didn't ride a horse again until I moved to Colorado when I was 24.  And even though my backside hurt so terribly bad after the first few times of riding, I loved it again.  I rode every chance I had.  I even rode in the winter through the snow.  I think that was my favorite time to ride.  Dressing warmly was key, but I always had a blast.  I haven't ridden in quite some time but look forward to the next time I ride except for the sore backside. 

While I as at the ranch in Colorado, I found something else I throughly enjoyed.  We had a menu that repeated each week.  Us staffers had our meals that we looked forward to.  We knew which meals to show up for.  One of my favorite desserts that we served was Buttermilk Pie.  The recipe for that pie was given to the cook by a previous employee.  That employee had asked them to not give it out.  So I never got a copy of it.  However, after much hunting and baking,  I have found a recipe that I think is similar.  And since it didn't come from the ranch, I can share it.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Buttermilk Pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 pie crust
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 Tbsp flour
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400.  Place pie crust in pie plate.  Mix sugar and flour together in a large bowl.  Lightly beat egg and add to the bowl.  Mix well.  Add butter and buttermilk and mix.  Stir in lemon juice, vanilla, nutmeg and salt.  Pour into the unbaked pie shell.  Bake for 15 minutes at 400, then turn the oven down to 350.  Continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.  Place pie on a cooling rack and cool completely before serving.