Nice Quote

Happy are they who take life day by day, complain very little, and are thankful for the little things in life.

Anonymous

Happy Weekend!

Peach or Raspberry Ice Tea

I started making this several years ago.  For years, I have put to much sugar in our ice tea.  I came up with this idea and most people like it and usually ask how I made it.  That's my ice tea pitcher and I guessing it's about half a gallon.  I put 6 cups of water in a sauce pan with 3 family size tea bags.  When the water boils I turn in off and put on the lid and let it sit for about 20 minutes.  I then add one can of either Welch's White Grape Raspberry or White Grape Peach.  I add two cans of water from the juice can into the pitcher and then add the tea.  It almost fills up my pitcher. 

I like both flavors but my favorite is the peach.  There is no sugar in the Welch's juice so you have a good refreshing drink that taste sweetened but it's not.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

One of my dear cousins passed from this life last week and my sister and I drove to Stilwell, Oklahoma on Friday to attend her funeral.  This cousin is on my dad's side of the family and it was wonderful seeing other family members that we don't get to see that often.  This cousin was particularly close to my sister and I.  She was a wonderful school teacher but a homemaker at heart.  We have wonderful memories of their farm and the strawberry festivals that we attended as children in Stilwell, Oklahoma. 

After attending the service and saying our goodbyes, I asked my sister if she would like to go home by way of the lake.  Of course she said, "yes."   Lake Tenkiller is about 30 miles west of Stilwell.  I grew up going to that lake.  When I was about 8 or 9 years old I have a vivid memory of the day we found this piece of property.  My dad purchased it that day for $300.00.  The first picture is the view from our cabin that we enjoyed for many years. 

Eastern Oklahoma is beautiful with rolling hills and lots of black jack and oak trees.  In the spring, there is always a beautiful display of red bud and dog wood trees.   It's been a long time since I've been to this part of the state and I had forgotten how beautiful it is.  They have had lots of rain this spring and the lake was up and the shades of green were breath taking.  I could feel the bitter sweetness of this place filling up my heart.  A large portion of my life is filled with such happy memories with dear family and friends at this place that to go back and see it all once again was harder than I realized.  We visited the places where we would dock our boat and swim and fish.  When we got to the cabin and I saw that view, I felt like Anne of Green Gables.  I just wanted to sit for a while and "drink in" all the memories.  My heart was so heavy as I smelled the woods, remembered all the laughter, the skiing, the cliff diving, getting up at dawn and going fishing with my dad, the summer lunches spread out over the rocks and devoured, nothing ever tasted that good we were so hungry.  These were my vacations!  I never traveled to other states with my parents but that was ok, I had a wonderful time doing this year after year.

My dad built our cabin.  It was nothing like the picture you see above.  After my dad passed, my mom sold the cabin.  It is owned now by a lawyer from Tulsa.  He left the foundation and the walls and rebuilt the inside and changed the windows on the front deck.  My mom's iris are still growing in the front yard in front of the brick retaining wall.

As I have gotten older, I have embrace change and realized that life is about change but as we drove away there was a space in my heart that was saying I wish things could always stay the same and that the people we love would never have to die.

His Last Dance

My daughter is doing her nurses training and is doing clinicals at a local hospital.  She has mentioned to me several times about how sad it is that there are so many people who do not have anyone.  Last night, she told me such a sweet story that I started crying. 

She has been taking care of a man in his mid to late eighties and he has no family, no children, no siblings only a close male friend and his son.   They occasional visit but not a lot. The patient told my daughter that he had been married several times but it never worked out.  This man is terminally ill and my daughter said she can tell that he gets anxious.  Wouldn't we all get anxious left alone with our thoughts and no one around who really cared.  He always welcomes company and he just enjoys the presence of a human being with him.  Yesterday, they found a radio for him and when she went in to check on him, there was an old Chet Atkins tune playing.  She was writing in his chart and they were talking and she started tapping her foot while writing.  He told her, "you know, I used to dance and I was a good dancer."  She said, "I bet you were."  The next thing she knew, he shot straight out of bed and took her hand and said, "let's do a little two step."  They danced around the room until the song stopped playing.  I was bawling as she told me the story.  It so surprised her, because he is so sick and weak.

After we talked, I thought about this man all evening.  My heart just went out to him.  Just stop a minute and think about being alone like that with no one.  I can hardly imagine that.  My daughter says the nursing staff doesn't have the time to spend with patients who need just a smiling face and a listening ear.

I have been asking for some time, "what's my purpose now?"  Going to a nursing home or hospital is not what I really had in mind but from the way I felt in my heart, I know my path seems to be leading in that direction. 

Basil Chile Garlic Vinegar

This is probably my favorite vinegar.  It's so good in a lot of things but it's wonderful on fresh sliced tomatoes from the garden.  I had to show you how beautiful the basil is, the colors are so vibrant.

Fill a jar 2/3 full of fresh basil and you can use various varieties of basil.  Peeled cloves of 2 to 3 heads of garlic.  I love garlic so I used 3.  Then about 6-15 dried red chiles.  I've got about 12 in my jar.  Cover with heat red wine vinegar and put the lid on.  I covered my lid with a plastic baggie because you don't want the vinegar to be touching any metal.

This vinegar is wonderful in salad dressings, beef or chicken marinade with the addition of olive oil.  Add a dash to a glass of tomato juice.  Delicious in beef stew, spaghetti sauce and tomato soup.  :)

I hungry right now.  I can't wait until it's done.

Herb Vinegars

I usually make three herb vinegars or I should say I try too make these every year but I don't always get all three made.  The three I make is Basil Chile Garlic Vinegar, Dilly Vinegar and Chive Vinegar.  The two above are on the left Dilly Vinegar and Chive Vinegar on the right.  These vinegars are really easy to make and they add wonderful flavor to steamed vegetables, salad dressings, marinades, fish, chicken, beef, spaghetti sauce, beef stew and many other things.

Always use enamel or stainless steel pans when heating vinegar.   Vinegar will react adversely to aluminum.  Also do not use metal lids or canning tops, funnels, spoons or strainers.  Sterilize jars and bottles by pouring boiling water into them letting them stand for 10 minutes.  Sterilize corks by boiling them and then dry them in a low oven. 

Twist or wring bunches of fresh herbs to release their volatile oils and cover them with vinegar that has been heated (but never boiled.)  Then I allow the jars of herb vinegars to steep for several weeks stirring occasionally.  Then strain the vinegar through a coffee filter. Now you can put the vinegar in a pretty sculptured bottle and add a dill seed head or the chive blossom.  These really  make wonderful gifts for people who enjoy cooking.  I usually attach a little tag around the neck of the bottle explaining how the herb vinegar can be used.  This will give you the most clarity.  For the best flavor store in a cool dark place and use within 6-8 months. 

To prevent clouding, make sure that the herbs are dry (free of moisture) before you pour the heated vinegar over them. 

Chive Vinegar
Fill a jar 1/2 full of chives; a combination of other herbs may be added as well but I usually just add chives.  Cover with heated white wine vinegar and remember to use the chive blossom, it will impart a delicate pinkish color.  You can use this over steamed vegetables, in salad dressing and marinades.

Dilly Vinegar
Fill jar 2/3 full of fresh dill, stems and you can use flower heads also.  A few teaspoons of dill seeds can be added. I usually add a spiral of lemon peel but that is optional.  I also add peeled garlic cloves from one head or several chopped shallots ( I like garlic the best.)  Cover with heated white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar.  After you have stained the vinegar, you'll see that the golden dill
flower head looks lovely in the bottle.  This vinegar is good in salad dressing or marinade but especially good with fish.  Enhances potato salad, cold slaw and cucumber salad.  Good drizzled over broccoli, cabbage, beets and carrots.  Also good in soups made with the vegetables.

Tomorrow I'll post the recipe for basil chile  garlic vinegar.  It's my favorite!  I didn't get it made today. 

My Daddy

This was life at the Mills' home years ago, wonderful memories to last me my lifetime.  As I have gotten older, I have realized what a wonderful childhood I had and what loving parents I was blessed to have.  Believe me, I don't take that for granted.  I have come to realize I was in the minority.

This is me with my mom and dad.  My dad passed from this life a little over 30 years ago and there are not many days that I don't think of him.  He was the most patient man I've ever known.

I love you dad!