wordless wednesday

broken shell

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savory sundays

One of the things I loved best growing up - Mama's Lemon Cream Pie. It's got just the right sweet/slightly tart flavor mix going on. 


Most folks would call this one a Lemon Meringue, but Mama never has. A couple months ago, I finally asked her why. Apparently she's talking about the filling, not the topping. Yep, she's right, this is definitely a Lemon Cream Pie. Enjoy!

Mama’s Lemon Cream Pie

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1.5 cups milk

2 eggs separated (yolks will be used first, whites later)

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1 tblsp butter

baked 8 inch pie shell

1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Mix 1 cup sugar with flour and salt in saucepan.

Stir in milk gradulally until smooth.

Cook slowly over direct heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens.

Slowly stir a little of the hot mixture into beaten egg yolks and return yolks to pan.

Cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir inlemon juice and ring, gradually, in small portions, mixing well after each addition.

Stir in butter.

Pour into cooled pie shell, then cool.

After cooled:

Beat egg whites until stiff and then gradually beat in the 1/4 cup sugar. 

Beat until thick and smooth.

Pile lightly and quickly over pie, being sure to touch the edge of the crust all around.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes - until golden brown

Cool on a cake rack before serving

Notes:

Mama makes 4 of these at a time so she doesn't have to do it 2 days in a row because we always want another piece of this pie for breakfast the next day. Also, Mama never keeps this one in the fridge. She doesn’t like the little drops of condensation that form on the top of the meringue. Neither do I. Use your own judgment... I take no responsibility for your food handling skills!

For more recipes and great cooking stuff, check out the Weekend Cooking posts at Beth Fish Reads.

wordless wednesday

learning from elders

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savory sundays

During the summertime, I still love a good chocolate dessert, but don't want to heat up my house by baking... and I really don't like cake. Mama's recipe for these cookies is the best solution. Fast, easy, inexpensive, comfort food and yummy - not to mention no baking!


When I was a little girl, Mama used to make these cookies while I was getting ready for school. They are so fast and easy that she could put them in our lunches for that same day. She always says that these cookies are much more like a candy.  The recipe is written out exactly as she said it... and when I read it, I can hear her voice describing the process. It makes me smile.  Enjoy!


Top of the Stove Cookies

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1 cube butter

half cup milk

salt

• mix in a big heavy sauce pan or stock pot, making sure your pot is big enough to add lots of oatmeal later
• bring to rolling boil - must be rolling boil
• boil for 1 minute - do not stir at this time!

take off stove and add:

• 1/2 cup pbutter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups quick cooking oatmeal

plop onto foil quickly using double spoons

Notes:

if still little shiny, it's just right.

if you double the recipe, cook about 15 - 30 seconds extra

For more recipes and great cooking stuff, check out the Weekend Cooking posts at Beth Fish Reads. Pretty cool stuff there!

...may there be mercy at the breaking of bread at your table...

late wordless wednesday

native and city

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quilt therapy

Some days I just need to quilt. Really. Need. To. Quilt.


It's great therapy for me. Time spent thinking about the person - known or unknown - who will be the recipient of the quilt I'm making. Prayer time. Time to sing to whatever music is playing. Time to listen to an audio book.


Sometimes it's just time for me, doing something I totally enjoy, not taking care of anyone else.


I got a little of this time today. Not as much as I wanted, but it was really good for me. In the process, I realized that it's been almost 3 months since I've had time to quilt. Far too long! That will change.


...may there be mercy in creative therapy.

savory sundays

This is a quick and easy recipe that goes well with many main courses. A really nice change from rice or potato dishes. Not to mention it doesn't heat up the kitchen too much in summer. Enjoy!


Basil Parmesan Orzo


Ingredients:
2 T butter
1 cup uncooked orzo
1 can chicken broth/stock
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (don't use Kraft in the green can!! Get some from the deli section of your grocery or grate it fresh)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 T chopped fresh basil, plus 2-3 sprigs - for garnish,


Directions:
1.  Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.
2.  Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil.
3.  Cover and reduce heat. Simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.
4.  Mix in parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper.
5.  Transfer to shallow bowl and garnish with remaining chopped basil and sprigs.


...may there be mercy in the breaking of bread at your table...

wordless wednesday

st louis arch

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savory sundays

This is a recipe I found and doctored a bit until it was what we wanted. Whatever you do, do NOT drench the meat in bbq sauce! Just drizzle it to enhance the flavor... this meat turns out too yummy!

Barbecued Shredded Beef

Ingredients:
3 pounds beef roast
2 onions, chopped
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans or bottles beer - (we used killian's red)
6 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons liquid smoke flavoring
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
salt to taste
1 (18 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce
Good onion buns

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees (135 degrees C).
2. Place roast in a large roasting pan and scatter chopped onions over.
3. In a large bowl, combine Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour in beer, stir and add to roasting pan.
4. Cover and cook in oven at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) for 4 to 5 hours.
5. When meat is cooked, shred meat with 2 forks.
6. toast the onion buns and put a generous helping of meat on 'em.
7. drizzle with bbq sauce

(note: I have done this one in the crock pot and it comes out well)

...may there be mercy in the breaking of bread at your table...

wordless wednesday

fireworks

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in the mirror

It's been a week of looking into the mirror that reflects my heart and seeing just how much I am not the person I want to be - or thought I was.


... may there be mercy in the growth that's coming...

savory sundays

My friend, Jenna, over at A Light Inside has a cool blog. One of the fun things she does is called Tasty Tuesdays. Her recipes are yummy and simply reading them will always make me hungry. I've decided to take a page from her story, (pun intended since she is an author and I'm eagerly anticipating her publication date!), and begin with my own weekly recipe. 


Of course, add to that the fact that Mama and Daddy had a restaurant all my growing up years. I keep asking Mama how they made something. There are bits of paper with recipes scratched on 'em in so many places in this house! This will help me to transcribe those notes into a more useable format.


I hope you enjoy Savory Sundays. Let me know if you try any recipe - and your honest opinion. I really do want to know if your family liked it or not!

Pork Stroganoff

Ingredients:

4 (1 1/4 inch) thick pork chops (boneless will work nicely if you prefer)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chops until well browned on both sides. Remove chops and set aside.

2. Add onion and mushrooms to the skillet and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Return chops to skillet. Add water, mustard and salt. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

3. Remove chops to a warm platter. Into skillet add sour cream and heat through (do not boil). Pour sauce over pork chops. Garnish with parsley and serve.

...may there be mercy in the breaking of bread at your table...

wordless wednesday

our favorite train

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saturday ramblings

Saturday morning, waiting for the Man to finish his shower so we can go do fun stuff together. Thought I'd drop a few words here. Nothing important, just a few rambles to get me back on the blogging mode a little.

on turning 50:  way cool! I've been blessed to have friends and family who all wanted to celebrate this milestone with me. So much that my celebrations began the last weekend in March and ended with a trip to San Diego the first week of June. Yes, the entire point of the trip to San Diego was for me to be spoiled beyond belief by Mama. It works every time. In between were parties, lunches, weekend getaways, photography classes, dinners and more. It's been amazing fun!

on work:  economy still isn't good enough for us to get back to our normal 40-hour work week. Am hoping that this reduced hours thing only lasts this year.

on losses:  a dear friend lost her beloved husband last week. He was only 54 and a wonderful man. I've spent a lot of time talking with her as she deals with her grief and the overwhelming sense of the rest of her life. She told me the best advice given from anyone came from me:  "Don't look at the rest of your life. Don't look at the year, the month or the week. Don't even look at the hour ahead. Right now you only have to deal with the next 5 minutes. You can manage 5 minutes at a time. When that 5 minutes is up, deal with the next 5 minutes." She's dealing with life in this way for now. When she can, she will take on 10 minute increments.

on the Man:  am so thankful he is all healed up from his adventures in the medical world in May. Between a fall down a flight of stairs, hitting his head and a nasty bout with pneumonia, he scared me quite a bit. Thankfully the fall ended up with a minor whiplash that healed quickly. Thankfully the pneumonia cleared. Oh, and then there was the accident last week. Yep, he got rear-ended while driving our truck. Truck is still in the truck hospital, but is being fixed. The young man who hit him has great insurance and they are being extremely reasonable and kind to us. Again, no injury to the Man makes me happy.

on family:  it's hard to see Mama aging, but age she must. Despite that, she's doing very well for a 77year-old woman. My sister is doing spectacularly well, which makes me so very happy. She's finally learning how to be herself and that she's a beautiful person. My brothers... well, yeah, they are my brothers. Big brother is showing the ravages of his major illness that should have killed him. He still works, but his body shows many changes from the strong and healthy big brother in my head. Middle brother is still absolutely crazy, silly, and has learned next to nothing since his heart attack and bypass surgery. Youngest brother breaks my heart. Heroin. Nuff said.

on quilting:  haven't had enough time to do much since the weekend with Kim at the beach. But I've been planning and have some fun projects lined up. Not to mention new gorgeous fabrics!

on knitting:  a dear friend gave me a coupon for knitting lessons with her! I mentioned that I might like to learn to knit one evening while at her home. When my birthday rolled around, there was a gift of a knitting book, some yarn and her time. Can hardly wait to cash in that coupon!

on camera time:  definitely planning some serious camera time this summer. Between Mama and some friends, I was given the gift of a serious one-on-one class with an award winning photographer. Wow!!! Another item on my can hardly wait list!

...may there be mercy on my family, my friends, the Man and in my ramblings...

belated wordless wednesday

balance

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wordless wednesday

under the waterfall

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wordless wednesday

draped peacock tail

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wordless wednesday

driftwood on beach

photo ©auntie-c

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full size.
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time with friends

Sitting in a gorgeous mountain lodge with a nice glass of wine and a few good friends, lots of laughter and great conversation... lovely, lovely.

My precious friend from Florida, Melissa, and her delightful husband Tom, decided to come here to the PNW for their vacation. Juli, Carrie, Marla and I got to join them for a long weekend in this amazing cabin near Leavenworth. Since it is Carrie's anniversary weekend, not to mention it would be nice for Tom not to be the lone man here, her husband, Darren, joined in the party.

This a a great mix of folks with whom to have total fun.

We have enjoyed great food and wines, laughed until we cried, talked about more serious issues until we had moments of clarity and everything in between. And of course, 7 people, 6 laptops, 4 iPhones, 3 blackberries, 5 cameras. At times we have been all sitting in the same room, each with our respective feet up and each one on a laptop while conversation flies throughout the room.

It's been awesome fun!!

It's also been so very good for me personally.

These friends allow me to be exactly who I am without censoring myself in any way. We may not agree completely on religion, politics or other issues, but there is a level of love that surpasses those differences.

...may there be mercy in the joy my friends bring to my life.

joining the wordless wednesday fun

poster a museum of flight

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This is the learning post for how to do this... thanks SuziQOregon!!

almost there!

In just a shade over 2 hours, I will reach the half-century mark.

50. Years. Old.

AWESOME!!!

If I didn't have to get up so early, I'd stay up till midnight just for the fun of it.

...may there be mercy and joy in the celebrations as they continue!

fruits of our labors

The fruit of our labors indeed. After 3 days of quilting at the beach with my friend Kim, we had a ton of finished projects to show for all our work. The picture above is of the pool table covered with all the stuff we had done.

We each took several unfinished projects that were clogging up our creative process. It felt great to get 'em all do

ne!

Here are some other shots of the individual items:

Pillowcases that Kim made for her baseball loving son:

Placemats I made for a friend:

Pillows I made for my sofa:

More pictures will follow as I find 'em.

...may there be mercy on our creative processes...

embracing

Wow... it's been way too long since I've been here. All the usual reasons and issues apply - stress, work, health, family, blah, blah, blah. Really it's just life happening.

Since change is unavoidable, and life keeps happening, I'm deliberately choosing to embrace changes and life this year.

Some of the changes to be embraced:

-turning 50 in the most healthy way possible (actually really think this one is cool!)

-planning my week ahead each Sunday - in writing. (food, time, chores, time to quilt, etc)

-regular exercise (oh...mercy!)

-reduction in work hours and income (economic downturn strikes again, eh?)

-returning to a joyous outlook

-managing stress in positive ways

It will be interesting to see how these changes actually look in comparison to previous processes. Lots of room for learning since I didn't get zapped by perfection last night. Darn!

...may there be mercy in the lessons of embracing and change.

plans change, life happens

Life happens and plans change. We got word during the road trip that Mama has cancer. Trip has been cut short and we are heading home. Spent the last 2 days driving, driving, driving and are in Kennewick, WA tonight.

After today's long drive, during which we talked through our emotions, cried, and came to initial terms with this, our exhaustion level is too high. Mama said to stop for a day and go to a couple wineries since we are in the area. 

I've always been a good girl and done what Mama says.

...may there be mercy and healing for my precious Mama.

road trip

Am currently on a road trip with my sweet husband. We have already traveled almost 2000 miles!!

Most of this trip is in Colorado, chasing the wild steam train. But we've found a winery or two, not to mention the odd fabric store.

More after we get home!

...may there be traveling mercies...