...just 'ol holiday memories

ok, so I have some memories
- the year Pat and I received bucket purses
- the year my Dad supposedly gave me a huge bag of noodles (did mom help him?)
- the Thanksgivings when at Gram's and Pat & I would go to Osco or Walgreens to shop for Christmas gifts and usually purchase bath powder with a powder puff for ... someone
- the year I was so sick I just rested on the floor in front of my parent's Christmas tree to help our kids open....whatever
- that year I stayed home sick, my dad wasn't well either, and we missed Aunt Nancy throwing the dishes and breaking them for garbage
- the holidays we went to Mundelein and one or the other of the kids were sick and we had to go to the walk-in/urgent care clinics. But we were always still there for Christmas!
- the year after my mom passed away and we stayed in a hotel with a pool on Christmas Eve and the next day at home in Sheboygan we had drawn names and made a box lunch for whoevers name we had in our own family.
- the times we used to exchange gifts with the Kendrick family across the street, such fun! Even leftover Christmas cookies poolside at some hotel for a winter getaway.
- the time we were resting/dozing in Grandma Dort's den watching a movie and when the phone rang in the movie I popped up angry because no one was answering the real phone.
- all the new games we mastered on Christmas day when Grandpa Spike and Bob would nap.
- the year Bob gave me make up brushes and Raina was so worried that all he was giving me were paint brushes for Christmas.
- a sad year when I got a wonderful fun panda bear robe and the laughter led to tears of sadness. I still love and wear that robe to this day!
- the Schneider Christmas's with the funny gifts, great buffet meals, and Grandpa wondering who had his name.
- the Schneider Christmas when the California clan arrived to surprise us all!
- the amazing time that Santa seemed to have come to drop off his load at our house while we were in Illinois. "If you believe...."
- breaking in/initiating the new significant others to the amazing S.C. surprise gifts at the Illinois Christmas parties.
- when the kids were older, Santa brought gifts wrapped all in the same paper for each one, so they never knew which "pile" was theirs.
- wrapping, wrapping, and wrapping some more!
- the year Greg's head was bald (for swim team) and Emma rubbed it like a crystal ball.
- the walks in the neighborhood at night, beverages in hand.
- Santa left stockings for the kids upstairs in Sheboygan and after they opened them, then it was time to go downstairs to see what he left under the tree.
- the years we all got new CDs of music and each of us wanted to listen to ours right away.
- the year we drew names and exchanged alcohol gifts.
- the time we made a snowman in Roberts' front yard, in the dark, while it snowed.
- the years we all had to be patient and enjoy drinks and appetizers and mingling with the Illinois relatives, before getting to a "big rip".
- trying to get the 3 kids to smile for a Christmas card picture - having to use swear words to crack smiles one year.
- Seeing Santa; buying pumpkins; Thanksgiving feasts; Easter Bunny finding us all over the U.S.

Every holiday has been so special, no matter how we change it up!

S*N*O*W

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Got up to get ready for church, but nope - won't be heading out right now. Blizzard and our back inside porch is snow covered as well. Bob put up the bird feeder yesterday and we have constant visitors of all colors. We are glad we made the treks yesterday and both parties were great fun. Lots of driving, but worth it to see friends and family. Seeing a 1-year old wiggle in his high chair and attack his own birthday cake is awe inspiring. Watching friends open white elephant gifts later, with trepidation, smiles and fear, is extreme amusement! Had thoughts all day of our family up in Minnesota as they were snowed in by morning and it kept blowing all day. How in the world will the football players do today? I am so * curious * so * anxious as to how the games will look on TV. Can't wait! But now I just heard that the metro dome in Minnesota collapsed and Brett Favre won't have (get) to play today. Postponed Vikings game! Wrapping paper, something cooking on the stove, and Christmas cards to address. I'm smiling.

...what matters most

So that's what I've been thinking lately, "what matters most"? Not all of my blogs are going to be especially fun or funny to read. At times I just need to get things off my chest.

"I used to think (well, okay, sometimes I still do) that the less I showed up, the less it would hurt when I lost everything. When people I loved died. When things fell apart." from Women Food and God by Geneen Roth

"Nobody likes change except a baby in a wet diaper." Raina Roeder

So I sit back and wonder ... what in life matters most and is it in our reach and should we be there for it? For me, yes!

..it's the little things in life

October's "oh my gosh" moments~~~~

• Grand Lux Cafe, Riesling, Chicken Parmesan and warm beignets with 3 dipping sauces
  
• Planning a trip with friends, it's the anticipation...
  
• Trying to find out what he wants to do for his birthday
• The smell of burning leaves
• Frosty car windows in the morning
• Getting a compliment from my boss
• The flu shot didn't hurt at all
• Laughing lots about a U tube dancing video shared by Greg
• People watching in Chicago
• Watching a great movie on the bus ride home
• Reading Sarah's blog and treasuring stories about Hank and Chuck
• Having lunch with an old friend in Sheboygan
• Going to my favorite car wash, also in Sheboygan
• Being a grandma to Elijah and getting to babysit for him and bond
• Even better - Eli's parents let Grandpa Bob babysit and it was so special
  
• Reading a good book at home and listening to a good book in the car
• Enjoying the last of fresh sweet corn on the cob
• Survivor coming up every Wednesday night
• Amazon Wish Lists
• Going to an Estate Sale to a house on the lake with a friend
  

...and the month has just begun!

Larry takes B&B Shopping

It's Labor Day weekend and on Saturday we drove to Muskego by 8 am to head out on an exciting adventure with Larry. "Have coolers, will travel"! Larry had the whole day planned and it was very organized and stimulating and historical and FUN!

Slide show is right on target as the day went. Left Larry's house around 5 pm, after tasting some cheese pierogi that he fried for a taste test. Visions of zip lock bags were in the air as we drove home to safely freeze or refrigerate our precious purchases.

NOTE** X out of Super Poke Pets if it shows up on the bottom of each picture, so you can see our captions.

More notes on the day. On our way toward Chicago we drove through Franklin, Wisconsin where they were setting up for the Fair for Sunday & Monday of Labor Day weekend. The main street is closed and tons of booths are set up selling live animals, fresh produce, rummage etc. Passed Bill's duplex. Also heard the town has a farmer's market on this road the first Monday of every month - with mostly produce.

Talked about Lake Puckaway trip next week where we wish we could go but we can't be in two places at one time - Bob's class reunion is the same weekend. Will miss fishing, cards, prime rib, riding in Bill's car, being in the Heart of Amish Country: Kingston, Dalton, Marquette, Manchester and much laughter with friends.

A reminder to Barb to check out the Napanee Museum when she goes to Shipshewana in October - great museum, film and tour. Also email Larry few days beforehand to find out best route to take through Chicago - he'll ask a friend.

Along the way we got 2 pizza spots recommended - Maria's Pizza at 51st & Forest Home and Villa Roma on Oklahoma & 35th. Note to selves: TRY SOMETIME!!

We drove around Kenosha a bit, found the Metra Station and there was a large classic car show going on. Looks like downtown Kenosha could be a fun destination some day.

1) Alexandra Foods, 3304 N. Central Ave., Chicago - Clean and frozen pierogis at prices to die for.
2) Wally's Market, 3256 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago - Fresh breads at bargain pricing, bacon and sausages galore, (& blood sausage for Randy too). Everyone speaks Polish and it's so quiet in the store - amazing. Bob and I bought some sausage & cooked it last night - it tasted better than any we've ever eaten-honest!
3) Karowski's down the road just for a peek and it's next to a department store with clothing styles to make you smile. Karowski's was quiet too, Polish spoken inside, people lined deep for the meat counter, numbers called in Polish, variety of meats like we've never seen.
4) Next stop Tenuta's on Highway 158 in Kenosha. Great Italian food, fresh items and grocery too. Unbelievable cigar and liquor selection. Ate panini's outside where they were cooking sausage and hot dogs. Yes, we were smiling. Yes, flasks and candy and pastas and cheese and pizza dough and so much more!
5) O & H Danish Bakery on Highway 11 in Racine was our next stop - kringles, coffee cakes, 'eclairs and even some Fall decorations and good smelling coffee. I bought some silver dollar rolls while the men went for the sweeter items.
6) Tower Chicken on 6th Street in Milwaukee - funny little joint that has followers, smells a little like poultry inside (hmmmm).
7) C & R Market, right in the middle of a neighborhood and it's where Larry gets his polish sausage.
8) Rupena's Foods in West Allis. Great meats here and medium size grocery stop/shop. This is where the chickens at the State Fair come from. We bought some stuffed pork chops on Larry's recommendation.
9) Back to Larry's to unload and regroup all the food and then go inside for some tasting of coffee cake, 'eclair, and cheese pierogi fried in butter.

I have left lots out, like tasting an Italian balsamic vinegar and more. We learned a lot and had a new fabulous adventure. Thanks Larry from the bottom of our hearts and stomachs too.

Survivor #5

(I suggest you listen to the Survivor tune on my playlist while reading this.) In celebration of the 4 years past ... something special was taken from each of those years to somewhat re-experience. How meaningful is all of this? Extremely special! I was going to make a list. Then I thought I'd just ramble and push all my thoughts together into a big jumbled blurb. However, I don't want to take a single tidbit away from our annual adventure. We are promised a CD of this year's Survivor Challenge ... can't wait. Meanwhile, that keeps incriminating photos and videos off of my blog (where they don't belong anyway, because we each kick off our shoes and let it all hang out). Let the games begin~~~~~~~~~~~~~~in no particular order:

• Swimming pool/cold water/different colored golf balls.
• Pantyhose/baseball/empty can/water bottle knock over.
  
• Water toss from cup to cup/partners.
  
• 1. Bubble gum baseball bat tied to waist/swing to get baseball across street/curb to curb. 2. Run to back yard and using opposite dominate hand, re-stack plastic cups in order. 3. Put animal piece puzzle together.
• M & M game, uncover 3 colored candies and put in cups, using straw, suck up one color and put into another cup.
  
• Elimination round, using Nerf guns to knock over competitor's empty cans with their names on.
• Crepe paper twirl using different colored crepe paper rolls and swinging with both arms to undo 2 rolls each.
  
• Cone hat toss in teams of 3.
  
• Partner game, pantyhose tied around one player's eyes and a paper bag over head. Caller directs Paper bagged person to 4 piles of socks and directs them back to start line with correct sock (stripe/plain/argyle).
• Jelly belly taste test - booger, skunk, toothpaste, baby wipes, dirt, pencil shavings, barf, vinegar, moldy cheese, sour milk, etc. We had a list of 12 flavors but only 9 jelly beans.
• Church key relay, used with rope and a spoon, drinking beer at end.
• Tie game with two players - played spoons and Lisa won.

Hosted by Lori 3 pm til? 08/28/2010 Bonfire followed festivities
(Would you Rather?)

SURVIVOR 2010

Stay Tuned!! Details coming soon.

Pancakes...need I say more?

(**Note, you may want to listen to the BANANA PANCAKES song in my playlist as you read this. Enjoy**)

OK, everyone, pancakes 2010! We had some delicious pancakes made by Greg at his home in Flint! Tried to make them ourselves, but couldn't repeat the dish. Sarah has made us some yummy pancakes and I copied Grandma Charlie's recipe that was up on a stand in Sarah's kitchen, and we enjoyed making those. Then Greg and Liz made Bob pancakes on father's day - what a treat! But now.....drum roll please.......

There was a pancake eating contest up in the Northwoods and some of our friends who join us at the resort took part in the contest. Pancakes served with fruit of their choice or chocolate chips. They tried really really hard, tried to get on the Wall of Fame.................... so read on and enjoy the pictures!

First we have Jen - and it's her birthday week too. My money was on Jen - she could do it!

Then we have Corey - he chose chocolate chip pancakes - yum, and it proved to be very rich for his taste as he got further into the PILE, but he kept eating.



Calm, cool and collected Matt - now this just doesn't seem fair! Doesn't his pile look taller than the other two? Matt went at the challenge seriously and added syrup to his blueberry pancakes. And then he added more syrup. He was determined!



Did they forget Conor? Yes, we believe they did! Maybe they gave his pancakes to Matt for a double serving?? Anyway, Conor waits patiently.



And then Conor smiles - he can do it! He knows he can - youngest member of the family will show everyone up! Blueberries on top.



And this was so much more fun because of fellow photographer Colleen! She and I were buzzing around, trying to get the best shots of this exciting event, get it down in history, get the contestants to sit in a row properly, and meanwhile, laughing and commiserating on the inside - with each other. Ahhhhhhhh

Well you may ask who won? Who the heck won? Who got their name on the wall of fame? Who? Well, I think we have to wait for another year. All said and done, everyone agreed Matt did the best job, but no one finished. They'll get t-shirts and their pictures on the wall of shame instead. I didn't get photos of any of the onlookers, but this event was enjoyed by all of them. I predict that C.J. or Sammy will master this someday. I also predict that Corey and Jen may not eat pancakes for the rest of the year.

Please share this post with all the contestants - thanks!

Greg visited with Liz

...and I just wanted to share that Greg got some new shoes! Loved seeing you guys! Come anytime and we'll pick up where we left off, whether it be Sequence, Kirsch's or just looking at cars on the computer. I will never cease to be amazed:

Summer Stir-Fry Recipe - Tried & True

Hello Everyone!

Summer is here and so are yummy veggies, right off the vine. We made a stir fry tonight- a recipe shared by Sarah on her Facebook page and it's from the Pioneer Woman. We went to the Shrimp House here in Delavan and got the fresh jumbo shrimp required and our only substitution was fresh sliced mushrooms in place of the grape tomatoes. Bob and I loved it and we served it with Kathy K's recipe for Chinese Style Fried Rice - another of our favorites.




Summer Stir-Fry
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic, minced
12 whole jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left on
2 whole zucchini, sliced on a slight diagonal
2 ears corn, kernels sliced off
1/2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise (we substituted fresh sliced mushrooms)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh herbs, if desired

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic. When oil/butter is hot, add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Remove to a plate. Do not clean skillet.

Add the rest of the butter and oil and heat over medium heat. Add zucchini slices in a single layer and cook for one minute, tossing once. Scoot the zucchini to the edges of the pan, then add corn kernels to the middle the pan. Cook for one minute / add grape tomatoes, salt & pepper, and toss around, then add shrimp. Cook for an additional 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Serve on a big platter.

Recipe says serves 4, but sorry, Bob and I, only 2, ate the entire platter. YUM.

Another Recipe

For those who asked ..... Tracey! Sarah!! ..... here you go. I made a new recipe tonight, when I should have been packing for a camping trip. Bob and I both liked it and we made it our main dish by adding cooked chicken.

"Healthified" Crunchy Asian Salad

Dressing
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salad
1 package (3 oz) ramen noodle soup mix (any flavor)
1 bag (16 oz) coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup sliced almonds (2 oz)
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 x 1/8-inch strips
2 seedless oranges, peeled, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach leaves

1. In large bowl, beat dressing ingredients with wire whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture is well blended.
2. Break up ramen noodles in bag before opening. Discard seasoning packet from soup package. Add noodles and all remaining salad ingredients except oranges and spinach to dressing; toss to mix well. Stir in oranges and spinach. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 8 hours.

*Notes: I used a green pepper because I didn't have a red one. I only used one orange, but would use two if I'd had two. We added cooked chicken to make it a main dish. I would make this again.

Happy Mother's Day to YOU!

MOTHERS
(and my grandma comments are in green)
Real Mothers don't eat quiche;
They don't have time to make it.
(But I have a friend, Kathy, who made quiche and blew her friends away with a luncheon while we were all young moms. When you are a mom, you make amazing fun foods that you never thought you'd tackle!)
Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils
Are probably in the sand box.
(or in the bath tub!)
Real Mothers often have sticky floors
Filthy ovens and happy kids.
(and so do grandmas who have grandchildren visiting!)
Real Mothers know that dried play dough
Doesn't come out of carpets.
(Grandmas know this too and will deal with it tomorrow.)
Real Mothers don't want to know what
The vacuum just sucked up.
Real Mothers sometimes ask "Why me?"
And get their answer when a little
Voice says "Because I love you best."
(and grandma hears: Grandma, can you play with me now?
And we want to drop everything because the house will be so quiet and dull tomorrow when they all have gone home.)
Real Mothers know that a child's growth
Is not measured by height or years or grade...
It is marked by the progression of Mummy to Mum to
Mother...
The images of Mother
4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mummy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mum knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't know everything!
14 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother? She wouldn't have a clue.
16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's so five minutes ago.
18 YEARS OF AGE - The old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it.
35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mum's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mum would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mum.
(and we grandmas wait patiently for and love all of these years in different ways.)
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes.
Because that is the doorway to her heart,
The place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in her face,
But true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.
It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she
Shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!
Happy Mother's Day to all my family and friends, whether you are a mom or you have a mom!
You know who you are and you all inspire me.

Recipe (using leftover ham)

Recipe above from the cookbook: Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook

And here's a picture of ours:



We enjoy baking large ham shanks or butts and eating the leftovers.

I just talked to Greg who started me on this blogging of recipes, and I'm looking forward to seeing some of his latest concoctions, including those made with artichokes!

....another Recipe!

Black Cherry Jello

One 6 ounce cherry or black cherry jello (or one 3 oz. pkg of each)
2 cups boiling water
Stir together 3 minutes Add 1 cup cold water and 1 can cherry pie filling Pour into serving bowl - you can stir a few times as it cools to keep the cherries from sinking.

Simple but good and very refreshing. I got this recipe from my good buddy Barb Lems. (She served it at her daughter-in-law's baby shower.)

Recipe #5 - Falling Behind .... can I catch up?

Dairy Free Make Ahead Mashed Potato Casserole

• About 6 pounds of potatoes, peeled and boiled
• Mash with soy milk & non dairy butter spread (like Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks)
• Add 1 cup Tofutti Sour Supreme (instead of sour cream)
• Add 8 oz. Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese with Chives and Herbs (instead of regular cream cheese)
• Add S & P to taste

Mash or blend all together with mixer and put into greased round casserole. Dot with non dairy butter on top and sprinkle with paprika. Can be kept in fridge a day or two before baking. Bring to room temperature. Bake 40 minutes at 350, uncovered.

We had these Easter 2010 and everyone loved them!
Cut recipe in half for your own family.

Happy Birthday Greg

Hope you are having a great day! Here are a couple of fun 'little boy' photos of you below, and then....some big 'little boy' pictures follow.

Don't you love that curly hair!!!!

Uncle Greg & Henry

Uncle Greg and Charley

Uncle Greg & Elijah

Greg, it's so fun to listen to you play guitar, and watch you enjoy the playground. The weekend just went too fast but Wii still squeezed in lots of fun. Continue to enjoy life and may you stand on your head for years to come! Here you are with Liz and Elijah Happy 31st. Love, Mom

BEP

Some of you may not know what that stands for, but many of you do! It's Black, lively, colorful, metallic, loud, energetic, amazing; and Eyed, intense, face to face, visual, bright, globular; and Peas, small, larger, green confetti, appearing out of nowhere, healthy, an exhausting foursome who came to town on St. Pat's Parade Day in Chicago!! OK, so maybe we were the oldest in attendance, but no one looked at us funny and we fit right in. Saturday night we attended the Black Eyed Peas concert at the United Center in Chicago, with Sharon & Jim Gernady.

It was crazy fun--a challenge that we met head on and mastered to our hearts' content. So the United Center is similar to the Bradley Center, but more refined, and alcohol stands provided premium products, short lines, anything to please the palate. Great people watching was had by all, excitement was in the air and the place was filled. Our seats were good and binoculars did the trick when a close-up was needed. Opening rap acts left us with pounding heads and a fear that we wouldn't make it through the concert itself, but not a chance.

It's so hard to explain, just unbelievable, and we've been to many concerts. No other concert had as many special affects with lighting and costumes. They played all of our favorites except for one little song, my favorite, One Tribe. But that was ok. We were exhausted from singing along, clapping, cheering and taking it all in. ***And then we lost an hour that night when the time changed*** At times they came popping up right out of the floor; Taboo rode a motorcycle through the air over the crowd; Fergie sang solos that were really special and she had major moves and can kick high (just like me)! Gotta love 'em - see picture. Great EXERCISE music!!

Random Thoughts

I am so obsessed about trips sometimes and I prayed about it this morning. Note to self: I need to step back and let the chips fall where they may! I remember three times in my life where that happened to me and it was a relaxing adventure each time.
- The summer after my dad died, a parent of one of my kid's friends encouraged me to go along as a chaperone to Noah's Ark. I sideswiped a car on my way to the bus pick-up location. It turned out to be ok because it was a beater and the guy didn't care. I wasn't alert because of thoughts of sadness about my dad. But the day at Noah's Ark in the Dells was very relaxing and enjoyable! I took in all the joy around me, read my book, and realized life would be ok.
- When visiting my Mom in Arizona we planned to go to Laughlin. She knew a couple who would drive us but I wanted to go with just my mom, on a tour or something. She said "you will love Blanche and her husband". Turns out I did love them and it was a very enjoyable drive from Phoenix to Laughlin, lots of laughs, and once there my mom and I laughed until we cried and gambled and played roulette for hours. I'll never regret the trips I took to visit my mom in Arizona.
- I was invited spur of the moment by my friend Kathy to join her neighborhood friends on a trip to Vegas. I didn't know where we were staying or what any of the plans were, but it was great just to go along and let someone else plan everything. Wendy, Val, and others, floating in the lazy river, corned beef sandwiches at a deli, watching them all plunk coins into slot machines, and so much more. I didn't have to know a thing ahead of time to love it all!

So why can't I step back and let this Punta Cana trip come and go with a smile on my face? Why must I always research and find out as much as I can about the area? Why do I confirm our reservation and re-read the itinerary? So now that I've written this, I am taking a deep breath and promising myself to just relax and take each day one at a time, walk the beach, watch the waves, and laugh and smile with our friends.

A Soup for winter (#4)

I just loved this recipe! I know it doesn't look that appetizing in the photo, but it was absolutely delicious and the house smelled wonderful. If someone else had made it, I know Bob would have raved too. But caution was the word from the looks of it... This mildly spiced chili gets its flavor from a tasty combination of white beans, chicken, green chilies, and corn. You can make it in about 30 minutes with leftover chicken or a store-bought rotisserie bird. Enjoy~~

White Chili With Chicken
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion chopped (my new Pampered Chef chopper works great!)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15 - ounce) cans white kidney or navy beans, drained and rinsed
3 to 4 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chilies
2 cups chicken broth, plus more for thinning if desired
1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional (see below): 2 tablespoons butter, softened, 1 1/2 tablespoons flour, pepper, 3 to 4 tablespoons half and half or light cream, grated cheddar or Monterey Jack.

Warm the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring often, for 7 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano and garlic and saute for another minute. Stir in the white beans, chicken, corn, green chilies, chicken broth, and salt. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and allow it to continue simmering, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Serves 4.

Note: This time I used 8 small chicken thighs that I had simmered just until done and I added more broth to make it the consistency we liked.

Now for the "Optional": In a small bowl, blend the butter and flour. Add the mixture to the chili and stir until it thickens, about a minute. Add more s & p to taste. If you like, add more broth to thin the chili or 3 to 4 tablespoons of half & half or light cream to thicken it. Serve the chili hot, topped with cheese, if desired.

Recipe #3 - This is fun!

Something about the month of January and cooking, for me anyway... maybe because I have a little extra time - I love it! So last week we bought a large half ham and cooked it just for the two of us - yum, but lots left and I was excited. Carved it up for some new recipes and nice slices for sandwiches too.

I loved stuffed peppers and this new recipe is now my favorite! I used YELLOW peppers instead of green because they looked awesome and fresh in the store.


Ham Stuffed Peppers

• 1 1/2 cups cooked unsalted regular rice (1/2 cup uncooked)
• 1 cup (5 ounces) diced cooked ham
• 1 can (16 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 jar (15 1/2 ounces) spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 can (2.8 ounces) Durkee French Fried Onions
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 medium green peppers, cut into halves lengthwise and seeded
• 1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. To hot rice in saucepan, add ham, corn, 1 cup spaghetti sauce, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 can French Fried Onions and the seasonings; stir well. Spoon rice filling into green pepper halves. Arrange stuffed peppers in 8 x 12 inch baking dish. In small bowl, combine remaining spaghetti sauce and the water; pour over peppers. Bake, covered, at 350, for 30 minutes or until peppers are done. Top with remaining cheese and onions; bake, uncovered, 5 minutes or until onions are golden brown. Makes 4 servings.

I made two pans and froze one before baking, for later.




















I wouldn't change a single thing about this recipe. The peppers weren't soggy, the combination of ingredients was perfect, and onions on top a nice crunchy touch.

#2 of 52

Not all recipes are elaborate - some quick, just using what's on hand. I had leftover fresh blueberries, so....

Blueberry Smoothie
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
7 oz vanilla yogurt
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (I had a fresh lemon on hand)
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup ice

To make this quick free smoothie recipe, just simply place the blueberries into your blender, followed by the lemon juice, orange juice, vanilla extract, yogurt and finally the ice. Blend on full power for around 30 seconds. Serve at once. Serves 2. Perfect for a hot summer day. (We however, had it on a cold winter day, with brats, baked beans and a lettuce salad. Surprise-Bob liked it too!)

First Recipe 2009

OK, here's my first new recipe:
Blueberry Breakfast Bake
From Sarah's cookbook given to her by her college roommate, January.
8 slices white bread, cut into 1" pieces (about 6 cups)
1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese, chilled & cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cup fresh blueberries
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
Blueberry Syrup
Grease 11 x 7 baking dish. Spread half bread pieces in dish. Top with cream cheese. Sprinkle with blueberries. Spread remaining bread over blueberries. Beat eggs & milk in medium bowl until blended. Pour over bread.
For Later:
Refrigerate - Cover unabked mixture tightly with foil & refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
To cook from fridge: Heat oven to 350. Bake in covered baking dish 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25-30 minutes longer or til top is puffed and center is set. Serve with Blueberry Syrup.

Made this for my sleepover/visiting friends Sharon & Barb who are great taste-testers. Thanks for trying it and seeming to like it. Thanks to Bob for getting the cap off the syrup. We all agreed that the syrup is necessary and an important part when serving. *Note: try heating the syrup next time.

The Recipe Project

There's something new and exciting that I'll be experiencing soon. I'm going to try The Recipe Project with Greg's encouragement. So before each Monday I'm hoping to post a picture, recipe and comments. Here's Greg's first one (this is my first link in my blog, so I hope it worked). Stay tuned.

Happy New Year

I'm heading into the new year with thoughts, of course, to organization and other little goals. Thought if I wrote this down that I would actually remind myself of a couple of things...I'm trying to keep a glass of water right next to the computer area, a place that I often sit to dabble. I need to drink more water and a pretty glass helps too! It's really cold outside and probably going to get colder. Our heat bill will go up -- so how to keep that from happening besides dialing down another notch and adding a second sweatshirt or throw...I'm trying to keep closet and cupboard doors closed so that our furnace doesn't have to keep warming those areas unnecessarily. "More later" as Raina would say.