Our Firstborn

Last week we celebrated our oldest daughter's birthday.  She was our first born and I can still vividly remember the day she was born.  She was three weeks late and my labor started late on a Saturday afternoon.  I was so excited my labor had started, I had begun to think she liked it a little too much in the womb and didn't want to come out. Finally, around 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning we went to the hospital.  This part is really funny, I was doing transition breathing on the way to the hospital thinking when I get there they will rush me immediately to delivery.  First child.....who knew, I sure didn't.  Got to the hospital and I was dilated to a one. Transition breathing is how you breath right before you start feeling the urge to push. Boy, did I have a way to go.  She arrived Sunday night at almost 10:00 p.m.

She really was beautiful.  Lots of dark curly hair, long fingers, cute little feet and she truly had rose bud lips, seriously!  I couldn't believe my husband and I had produced such a beautiful child. :)  By the time I got  to my room in was midnight, all the family and my husband had left and I was so excited I couldn't go to sleep.  I know, sounds crazy after that long labor but I was excited.  I remember lying in bed and watching lightning off to the south and I finally drifted off to sleep. 

Now fast forward thirty plus years.  She is a beautiful woman, not pretentious, loves simplicity, very giving, works very hard at everything she does, and  has a very caring heart for humanity and she is a hilarious impersonator.  She keeps family gatherings very lively.

Of our four children, she received the brunt of our selfishness, self centeredness and impatience.  She started the process of developing a great number of virtues in me and her dad.  She started the process of self-sacrifice, unconditional love (it took me a long time to learn this one) devotion and the art of education." Children uphold to parents, as if in mirrors, their own virtues and defects, they force them to reconsider their lives,to soften their criticisms and teach them how difficult it is to rule a human being. Through a first born child who ever suspects that a lighthearted maid will be changed into a mother who willingly makes supreme sacrifices with cheerful patience.  Becoming a family turns the selfish into servants, misers into heroes, coarse men into considerate fathers and tender mothers into courageous fighters." (contained in an Intimate Life)

To our first born, thank you for your love.

Not the Look I Wanted!

This is a picture of what I didn't want to happen.  Behind all that greenery is a head board that I rescued from the curb.  I posted it in a blog called "Treasures from the curb." This morning glory vine has totally taken over the headboard and you can't see it.  That is not the look I wanted.  I wanted something more delicate with smaller leaves and larger blossoms.  Next spring I will get a clematis and plant it there.  I am pretty sure that will achieve the look I want. The clematis is a perennial and so I won't have to decide every year what I want to plant there.

Mr. Sun does look cute with a flower coming out of his mouth.

Birthday Dinner

We celebrated our oldest daughter's birthday dinner on Sunday.  I tried a couple of new recipes. Chicken Kabobs with a white BBQ sauce and caramelized onion and Swiss popovers.  I have never tried popovers before but they were very easy and they were good.  The marinade for the chicken and vegetables was great. 

Chicken and Vegetable Kabobs

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
salt and pepper to taste
4 skinned and boned chicken breast
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium yellow squash, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
I also used purple onion cut into chunks (optional)

Preheat grill to 350-400.  Whisk together rosemary and next 6 ingredients in a bowl.  Add chicken and let this marinate over night or about 3 hours before cooking.  Make up an additional marinade and put vegetables in a separate zip lock bag with marinade for about 2-3 hours.  When ready to cook thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto skewers. Discard marinade.
Grill kabobs about 15 minutes or until chicken is done.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

White BBQ Sauce

Stir together 3.4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 clove garlic, minced, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard, 1 teaspoon of prepared horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon table salt.      Makes 1 cup

Caramelized Onion and Swiss Popovers

1 cup flour
1 cup milk, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1 oz.) freshly shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup Caramelized sweet onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
4 teaspoons canola oil (I used veggie oil)

Preheat oven to 425.  heat a 12 cup muffin pain in oven 10 minutes
Meanwhile process first 5 ingredients in a blender or food processor 20 to 30 seconds or until smooth.  Stir in cheese and the next 2 ingredients.  Remove pans from oven and pour 1/2 teaspoon oil into each of 8 cups, filling center 6 cups and middle cup on each end.  Heat in oven for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven divide batter among oiled muffin cups, return immediately to oven.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until puffed and lightly brown around edges then reduce heat to 350 and bake 10 minutes or until tops are golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack cool 3-4 minutes before serving.

A Theme of Hearts

I was at the home of a dear friend over the weekend and these are some pictures from her home.  For as long as I have know her, she has always loved hearts and that is the theme in her home.  She has very creatively arranged hearts in little vignettes all over her home.  I have posted a few of them but I always love looking at her new arrangements or just little hidden away places that she has cute little hearts of some kind.

Peanut Butter Cookies

This is the best peanut butter cookie recipe I have ever tasted.  This recipe belongs to my sister and these are just wonderful cookies.  Crisp around the edges and soft and chewy inside.  When I'm tired of chocolate chip cookies (did I actually say when I tired of chocolate chip) :) that doesn't happen very often, this is a recipe I always turn too.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup peanut butter, (I like chunky)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda

Put butter, white and brown sugar, salt, eggs, and peanut butter in mixing bowl and mix well.  Then add flour and soda and continue mixing until flour is well incorporated. Then roll into the size of walnut or bigger if you like and place on a greased cookie sheet. 
Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Scrumptious Cherry Tomatoes

I laughed at Mrs. Wheelbarrow's blog because she said at this time of the year you are making many visits to your neighbors delivering bags of tomatoes and zucchini the size of baseball bats. You almost become overrun in the garden.  So true!  All my tomato vines are huge and they are bended the tomato cages over.  I can barely keep all the cherry tomatoes picked.  What a great problem I know but my back doesn't think so.  I can bend all the way over and do great but bending just a the waist is hard.

I didn't know what to call this recipe but with all the seasonings the recipe is very scrumptious.  This is a combination of several recipes that I've seen and I changed a few things and made it my own.

I covered a large cookie sheet with cherry tomatoes.
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
4-5 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
7 green onions, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Cheese spread
4-6 ounces of feta cheese
2 ounces cream cheese
1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

After you put cherry tomatoes on cookie sheet drizzle with olive oil and add minced garlic and toss.  Put in oven on broil and cook for about 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and drizzle red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar over tomatoes and stir.  Add green onions and salt and pepper and mix well.

Toast several slices of sour dough bread or your bread of choice.  When is toasted remove and put a generous amount of the cheese spread on the bread then put several large servings of the tomato mixture on top of the cheese.   You want to use an artisan bread because a regular loaf of bread doesn't do well.

This also taste wonderful with basil pesto spread over the bread in place of the cheese mixture and then topped with the tomatoes.  Which ever spread you choose, it taste wonderful!

An Old Fashioned Dessert

This is a wonderful and easy dessert.  Let me underline wonderful.  With just three ingredients you won't believe how amazing this is. I was given this recipe years ago from my Sunday school director.  She had several women over to her home for lunch and this was dessert.  I loved it and asked if I could have the recipe.  She was gracious and gave it to me along with the story of how her mother always made this for company because it was so inexpensive and wonderful. When she told me it was made of only three ingredients, I was shocked.  Not only does it taste wonderful but I love the way it looks.  It looks like it was difficult to make, like you have stacked tiny layers of some sort of cake.

Ok, the three ingredients......Graham crackers, heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar.

1 box Graham crackers
1 quart heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of powdered sugar

First whip your heavy cream.  I add the cream to a large glass bowl and starting whipping the cream until it gets a little thick then add the powdered sugar and whip until stiff.  Don't over whip the cream or you will have butter.  There are three individual packages of Graham crackers in a box.  I used two packages to make this square.  Take the first two crackers and put a little whipped cream of the bottom of each to secure it to the plate.  Place the two crackers side by side.  Now spread some cream on top of the two crackers.  You want about 1/4 of an inch of whipping cream between the layers.  The Graham crackers will soak up some of the cream and they become soft.  Continue this process until you have used up both packages. Then cover the top and sides with the whipping cream and keep in frig until ready to serve.  It needs to set several hours before you serve it.  You can get about 7 slices from this size cake.  For a larger crowd you could make two cakes and arrange them on a large platter and garnish the edges with fresh mint and some blue berries or black berries. The cake itself makes a pretty presentation after it's sliced.

The first of summer Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) on Food Network said she asked the top caterer in the Hamptons what their most popular dessert was and it was similar to this.  It was very thin chocolate chip cookies put into a spring foam pan and then whipping cream was layered between the cookies.  I think that would be so rich you couldn't eat it.  It would have to be very thin slices.  To me the Graham crackers are rich.

I hope you try this.  Your family and friends will love it!  And it is sooooo easy.  :)

Decorating Ideas

I thought the idea of the pictures on the front of kitchen cabinets was unique.  I have never seen that before. As much as I love pictures of my children sitting around I don't know if I would like them on my kitchen cabinets.  I love the idea but I think I would prefer pictures of special places (if you are a world traveler), or for me living in the country maybe antique barns or farm implements.  Use your imagination, I think you could come up with some really great ideas.

I've always loved the built in booth.  It takes a special place but I love the look. 

Rearranging Wall Grouping

Whew!!  I finally finished getting the house cleaned late yesterday evening. Now, I can forget about that for another 6 months.  Just kidding. :)   This is a grouping of different things in our breakfast room.  The top picture is the old picture of the grouping for the last 10 years.  The bottom is the new grouping.  I'm really enjoying it!  The flowered plates belonged to my mother-in-law and I painted them for her.  They were one of the first gifts I ever gave her.  Well, just another example of changing things around and giving your home the feel of something new.

Made a new arrangement for the breakfast room.

Well, I'm off to the garden to enjoy this beautiful cool weather and to pull lots and lots of weeds.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend enjoying the things you love to do.

Making Do!

I spend so much time outside in the spring and summer that the inside of my house suffers.  The little spiders have a hay day because no one bothers them. Well, I couldn't stand it anymore, so for the last two days I have been doing some deep cleaning.  It feels and looks a lot better.  I will finish up today.  I was thinking last night how I used to clean our whole house in one day and take care of four children.  I don't know how I did it.  I sure don't have that energy anymore. 

I know that most women are not like this but I love changing things in the house.  It makes me feel like things are new and it gives me new things to look at that makes me feel good.  While I was cleaning our bedroom yesterday these are two little changes I made in our room that I love.  Just small things but they make a difference.  My aunt gave me a chaise lounge years ago and I love it but I have never liked the upholstery, it's pink.  Does not go with our bedroom but it has been in there.  I have found the perfect material to upholster it but haven't had the extra funds.  So, I picked up several old quilts at garage sales several years ago.  I went and got one of them out of my work shop and put the back side of the quilt over the chaise lounge and it looks somewhat like I have a slip cover and it covers up that horrible pink.  I loved it!  This is what I call "making do" or using what you have at hand.  The other little change I made was on a floor lamp in our room.  I took a pretty small grape vine wreath and wrapped a piece of rose vine that I had laying around and then attached it to the lamp shade.  I also love the way this looks too. Our bedspread is roses so this looks good.

These small changes really spruced up our bedroom and I loved it.  I sat in there last night and just enjoyed it.  I really enjoy our home and I am very thankful for it.  You wouldn't drive by our home and lust after it and think, "oh I want a home like that" but our home is filled with us and who we are and it has this wonderful feeling and your home can too.  Make it into who you are!

Some of the Beauty of Summer

This is beautiful to me and  I love all the colors.

Enjoy the last few days of summer!

My husband has been saying for several weeks he thinks we'll have an early fall.  He came in this morning and said the weather reminded him of when he had two a days (football practice) before school started. 

Who knows whether we will have an early fall, just enjoy today and the remaining days of summer.

A Busy Day

This morning I was up to my elbows in eggplant and tomatoes and that is a good problem.  I'm very thankful for the produce. The only down side to gardening is it all gets ripe at the same time and it seems like it takes days to get everything processed so it won't ruin. 

I made two large pots of eggplant spaghetti.  This is really great on whole wheat pasta with fresh Parmesan sprinkled on top.  This will also freeze very well.  So as you can see, I have quite a few bags to put in my freezer.  This is the recipe.

2 large or 3 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into cubes
2 medium onions, diced
4 to 5 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tablespoons of olive oil
3-4 medium carrots, sliced
1 1/2 green peppers, cut chunky
1 small container of mushrooms, cut in chunks
2 cans diced tomatoes, you can use the ones with Italian seasoning
4 cans tomato sauce or a couple of jars of Ragu (I like sauce the best)
salt and pepper to taste

Put olive oil, garlic, onions and eggplant in a large pot and sauté for about 4 minutes.  Then add diced tomatoes and continue to stir.  Let this cook for a couple of minutes then add green peppers, carrots, and mushrooms and salt and pepper.  Mix well and let cook a couple of minutes then add the tomato sauce.  Stir well and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes. 

This is Granny's salsa.  I posted the recipe several days ago. This is not canned.  I put it into canning jars because it is easier to keep fresh and transport.  This really is great but it takes so much time to cut it all up but it's worth it.  It's good putting it in the blender but the cut version is wonderful.  My husband will be delivering this to our kids tomorrow.  They love it!

Now, while I was doing all that cooking I was entertained by these hummingbirds.  I put fresh sweetener in their feeder this morning and they were loving it.  They couldn't get enough. I watched a PBS special on hummingbirds recently and they can be territorial but these two ending up sharing and they also said that hummingbirds will come back to the same places every year.  It was fun watching them.

Last but not least is a peach pie.  My sweet husband ask for one more peach pie.  We had one when our kids came down for dinner and it was really good.  The peaches were great.   Since we didn't have peaches on our trees this year this will probably be the last one. 

Well, one more day of cooking and I should have everything cooked and put where it needs to be. I'm ready for a piece of peach pie!  :)

Interesting thought

To be who you are, you must be willing to let go of who you think you are. 

I've been thinking about this one all day.  I think we all associate our identity with what we do, our interests, profession, where we live, what we know.......the list could go on and on.  Who are we when all of these things are removed?   Something to think about.

Great Summer Sunday

This is a little quail that has been around our home since spring.  He or she is so cute. While I was mowing today he came running out from behind the barn and ran all the way across the pasture never flying just running until he reached my garden area and then ran in behind the tomato plants.  He sits on the fence morning and evening and sings his little "bob white" song.  It really sounds like he is saying "bob white." 

It brings back some dear old memories for me. When I was a child and would go to the lake with my parents there was always a quail that stayed around our cabin and would do the "bob white." It's just such a sweet sound.  I haven't heard it in years.  He is really a pretty bird.  I wish I could have gotten closer to get a better picture.

My tomatoes are finally coming on.  I picked and picked and picked this evening.  It looked like tons of little oranges hanging on the vine.  My pictures don't really show how bountiful they looked.

Well, we got the lawn mowed so it can rain again.  Got the garden picked so if we have several days of rain, I really need to clean house.  :(

It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed being outside!  I don't think I'm ready for summer to be over yet.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake and Squash Casserole

I get tired of eating steamed squash and this recipe is one my sister came up with years ago and it is delicious. I made a little individual portion for me tonight.  My husband wanted steamed so I made this for me but you can make a big casserole dish of this. I will give you the portions for a casserole dish (9x13).

6 to 8 medium yellow squash, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/2 stick butter, sliced
1/2 cup to 1 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Lightly grease a casserole dish.  Place 3 to 4 thinly sliced yellow squash covering bottom of dish.  Then top with a layer of thinly sliced onions, then one thinly sliced tomato.  Place three to four slices of butter over the tomato, salt and pepper and sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over the tomatoes. Repeat layers once more topping with Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.
When tomatoes are not in season, I have used diced tomatoes (drained) in place of the fresh. Tonight I made mine with one layer.  I used one medium squash.  Also, one more tidbit - nutritional yeast is also a good alternative to Parmesan cheese and even taste a lot like Parmesan.

The zucchini chocolate cake is a favorite with our family and the recipe comes from a dear friend who is a wonderful cook.  This is a wonderful way to use up all that zucchini you are getting from the garden.  This recipe would be wonderful in small loaf pans as a special little gift for friends or family.  This cake is so moist and not to sweet, just right.  The topping for the cake is chocolate chips and walnuts.  You'll love it!

2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup coco powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup oil
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups grated zucchini, unpeeled
1-6 ounce pkg. chocolate chips
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Mix flour, coco powder, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.  Cream together butter, oil and sugar until it is light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Blend in vanilla and start to add dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk starting with flour. After this is mixed well stir in zucchini.  Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Sprinkle top with chocolate chips and walnuts. 
Bake at 325 for 50-55 minutes or until cake is done. 

I have never frozen this cake but it seems like it would be a good one to freeze.

Granny's Salsa

Years ago my mother-in-law would make this wonderful salsa out of fresh jalapenos, sweet onions, fresh garden tomatoes and fresh garlic. She would make some that was really hot and some that was a little milder.  She would spend hours cutting everything up and then she would put it in canning jars although it was not canned. We were lucky if it lasted two days around our house.  She would try to do it at least twice during the summer and our family absolutely loved it and couldn't wait for her to do it.  This was my attempt at making her salsa today and it sure wasn't as good as hers.  Don't get me wrong it was good but all I can say is she had the magic touch and this was her specialty.

Our family was all together today for lunch.  The first time in quite a while.  Everyone has been busy with summer classes and studying so we haven't gotten together much for a Sunday meal.   One of the meals we really enjoy in the summer is this salsa with what I call the Mexican brisket and guacamole.  I have posted the brisket before so I won't go into a lot of explanation.  It's an easy meal and somewhat light.  Just whole wheat tortillas, brisket, salsa and guacamole on the side or on the tortilla.

A week ago I tried freezing avocados.  I peeled them, left the seed in and put them in a freezer zip lock bag.  I unthawed them today and they were great.  Still green, the texture was a little different but still good. 

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu

The Tao Te Ching was written by a contemporary of Confucius, Lao Tsu.  He was the keeper of the royal archives at Loyang in the province of Honan in the sixth century B.C.  According to ancient legend, as he was riding off into the desert to die.....sick at heart at the ways of men, he was persuaded by a gatekeeper to write down his teaching for posterity. So we have the Tao. 

There are 81 short thought provoking "thoughts."  I don't know what else to call them.  Each one is something you would want to ponder.

This is one of my favorites because I used to be very unbending and it was my way or the highway.  This touched my heart and I love what it has to say.

Seventy-six

A  man is born gentle and weak.
At his death he is hard and stiff.
Green plants are tender and filled with sap.
At their death they are withered and dry.

Therefore the stiff and unbending is the disciple of death.
The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life.

Thus an army without flexibility never wins a battle.
A tree that is unbending is easily broken.

The hard and strong will fall.
The soft and weak will overcome.