Ancestors

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking with one of my cousins from Florida.  She and her husband have been doing research into our family and her husband's family.  They are retired and have spent a lot of time traveling and research family history.  Her dad and my dad were brothers.

Most of my dad's family is buried in and around Meeker, Oklahoma and I had just recently asked my sister if she knew where our great grandmother was buried.  It was my dad's grandmother from his maternal side.  She didn't know where she was buried and I was wanting to visit her grave.  So when my cousin called, I found out where she was buried and a lot more information about her. 

My great grandmother's name was Johanna Cahill and she was from Ireland.  I haven't found out the town she is from yet.  She arrived in the United States from Ireland in the midst of the Civil War.  My cousin told me a conversation she had with our grandmother and she said, "that all our great grandmother had to eat the last two weeks on the boat was molded cheese."  My great grandfather was already in the US and waiting for my great grandmother to get here.  They settled in Illinois.  Their children were born in Illinois.  After the death of my great grandfather, my great grandmother moved to Oklahoma with a son Will and lived by my grandmother until her death.  She was taken back to Illinois and buried next to her husband.  She had seven children and they are all buried with her and her husband except my grandmother and one son who is buried in Texas.

Now for my great grandmother on my dad's faternal side was English and Welsh. They settled in Kentucky.  When the railroad put land up for sale that it wasn't going to use, my great grandfather traveled to Illinois and bought land for $1.25 an acre.  He went back to get his wife and 9 children and became ill on the return trip and died. My grandmother got two covered wagons and brought all the children and their belongings and moved to Illinois alone and started their farm.  My dad's father was one of these nine children.

My grandfather and grandmother met and married in Illinois and then moved to Oklahoma where my grandfather secured land for them in the Oklahoma Land Run.

I really have not been into researching family history but after talking to my cousin and finding out this information. I felt a sense of deep gratitude for my ancestors and their pioneering spirit. I have thought a lot about them lately and what they must have endured and sacrificed  It made me want to leave more detailed information about my life for my decedents.

Sometimes life gets tough and tries to beat you to the ground but with ancestors like that,  how can I ever give up!

Feathering Our Nest

I  have spent the last week putting up fall decorations.  It does take some time to change out decorations but I so enjoy looking at the wonderful colors and the feeling that these fall decorations bring to our home.  Our home truly is a retreat, a sanctuary, a place of peace and comfort and it is well worth the effort and work.

If I can help you with your fall or christmas decorating, you can contact me at ggschwartz2@juno.com. 

Enjoy the beauty of this season!

Small Potting Bench

This is a belated house warming gift to a friend for her patio.  Used an old window for the back, some old picket fencing for the sides and a base.  The top back piece is some decorative iron work from a porch.  I have sold many of these and they are not only great as a potting bench but also as a small buffet.  Great for sitting food on when you are having a meal outside. 

My husband does a great job of putting it all together for me.

Strawberry Cake

Our daughter's birthday was last week and we had her birthday dinner on Sunday.  She almost always request strawberry cake for her birthday.  I have this precious memory of her when she turned 4 years old.  For her fourth birthday she wanted Strawberry Shortcake and for those of you who don't remember there was an adorable set of little dolls strawberry shortcake, blueberry muffin etc.  They were really cute and they were even scented.  We had all the little dolls plus the big strawberry house and her books also.  She loved playing with all this and reading about the adventures of strawberry shortcake and her friends.  So for this particular birthday, I had found strawberry shortcake material and made her a little sundress that she wore for her birthday. I'm still looking for the picture.  I wanted to post it with this entry. 

I said all that to say, it still makes me smile when she requests strawberry cake because my mind goes back to that strawberry shortcake birthday party so many years ago.

I wanted to share this cake recipe with you.  It is a wonderful cake and I took my mom's recipe and incorporated it into another recipe and it is wonderful.

2 3/4 cups cake flour (I have used unbleached when I didn't have cake and it turned out ok)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups sugar
1 small box strawberry jello
1 cup butter softened,
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 of a 16 ounce container of frozen sliced strawberries (sweetend), thaw and puree in blender
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of strawberry extract

Grease and flour 3-9inch cake pans.  Sift flour and baking powder together.  In a separate bowl, cream butter and slowly add sugar mixed with Jello and cream until fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time, then beat until fluffy.  At low speed, alternate flour mixture and milk beginning and ending with flour.  Add vanilla, strawberry extract and 1/2 of the pureed strawberries.  Mix well and pour into prepared cake pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Icing

1/2 (8 ounces) cream cheese
2 sticks butter
3-4 cups of powdered sugar
1/2 (l6 ounces of frozen sliced strawberries) pureed
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together cream cheese and butter.  When mixed well add in strawberry puree and vanilla. Mix well and start adding powdered sugar.  Add small batches at a time until all the powdered sugar is mixed in.

When the cakes have cooled you can begin to put the icing on the cake.  For a garnish on this cake I didn't have fresh berries which would have been best.  I used some frozen strawberries and fresh mint. With frozen berries, I unthawed them and let them sit on a paper towel for about 30 minutes to make sure all the water was out of them. Ideally, fresh berries are the best and I thought blackberries and blueberries with the strawberries and mint would have looked beautiful on this cake.

I let the cake set in the frig. over night took it out the next morning and garnished it a couple of hours before serving.

Forgiving

"The holiest of all spots on earth is where an ancient hatred has become a present love."

I'm not sure I totally understand all that happens when you forgive but it is a major player in all our lives. I am certain about one thing, you won't move forward spiritually until you do forgive. Whenever we are hurt or wronged it is our flesh nature to seek revenge. Instead lay down the offense and look past it and try to see the hurting person.  God really will open your eyes to this.

There is a lot of talk about people growing up in dysfunctional homes.  I think the world is dysfunctional.  Everything we have gone through or suffered can be used to make our lives more valuable. The flesh nature or the ego respects and glorifies the pain and hurt. Forgiveness is the enemy to the flesh.

Let go of the hurt and whatever wrong you have suffered and choose to love!

Two Great Spreads

These are two great spreads.  Wonderful on sandwiches, grilled chicken or sliced turkey.

Herbed Feta Spread

1 (8 ounce) package feta cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Stir together first 6 ingredients until smooth.  Cover and chill up to 7 days.  Stir in pine nuts just before serving.  Garnish with fresh basil sprigs.  This is perfect on pita bread filled with grilled vegetables or on BLT's.  This makes 2 1/2 cups.


Cucumber-Yogurt Spread

1 (16 ounce) container plain nonfat yogurt
2 small cucumbers, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 small mint leaves, minces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon peper

Line a mesh strainer with a paper coffee filter.  Spoon yogurt into filter and place strainer over a bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 24 hours.  Spoon yogurt into a bowl, discarding liquid (yogurt will have a very thick consistency).  Stir in chpped cucumber and next 4 ingredients.  Cover and chill up to 3 days.  Garnish with cucumber slices and fresh mint sprigs.  This is wonderful on soft rolls with grill chicken, sliced turkey and great on fresh sliced garden tomatoes.  Makes 2 cups.

Fresh Spinach Salads

I love spinach salads and these are three that I make a lot.  The first recipe is one from my mother that is quick and easy and I use poppy seed dressing from the store. Although, she made dressing from the bacon drippings.  She would add a little vinegar and sugar to the bacon drippings and let it simmer a little and then would  pour that over her spinach salad.

Fresh baby spinach
1/4 purple onion, sliced and ringed
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
2-3 pieces of bacon, crispy and then broken over salad
4 pickled beets, sliced
These are the ingredients for one large spinach salad.  I use  Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing.

These next two are wonderful spinach salads. I got the recipes for these probably 10 years ago.

Spinach Salad with Zesty Blue Cheese Dressing
 Makes 4-6 servings

1/2 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup olive oil
1 (4 ounce) package crumbled blue cheese
1/2 (8 ounces) sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly
Whisk together first 4 ingredients, gradually whisk in oil.  Add cheese and stir gently.  Combine the next 3 ingredients, drizzle with dressing and toss.


Spinach Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette
Makes 6 servings

1 (10 ounce) package fresh baby spinach
1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1 (4 ounce) package crumbled goat cheese
1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
1/2 to 1 cup of chopped pecans, toasted

Apricot Vinaigrette
 Makes 1/2 cup

1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons apricot jam
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

Whisk together in small bowl.