charmainesgibblegabble

SHANGHAI GIRLS - BOOK REVIEW

2012-01-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See - Book Review

A friendthought she was reading Shanghai Diary when she happened on to this book and recommendedit. Because I enjoyed Shanghai Diary I decided to read this also. This is a historical novel which begins in1937 at the height of Shanghai’s glamor days. The beautiful Chinese sisters May and Pearl Chin are enjoying a carefreelife of fun and fashion. It all beginsto change when their father gambles away the family’s comfortable existence andarranges to have his daughters married off to two American Chinese boys. The girls see no escape so they go throughwith the wedding, knowing that the boys will leave and they say they will followlater, never really planning to do so.

When theJapanese invade Shanghai the girls and their mother try to escape to HongKong. This is a very harrowingexperience. The girls begin to realizethey have no choice but to try to get to America to the husbands they neverplanned to live with.

Thehistorical events are interesting, the Chinese culture, the political events inChina, the problems of immigrants when they arrive in America and living as animmigrant in the heart of China Town in Los Angeles. The sisters are very different but powerfullydedicated to each other, even though they have jealousies and rivalries.

I had a lotof respect for the way the girls accepted their lot and made the best of it. Of course it is just a novel, but I felt thatwe all have a choice when life sends us in a discouraging direction. We can becomebitter and angry or go forward with hope and hard work as they did. Ienjoyed the glimpse into the workings of the Chinese family as they strive to assimilateinto American life. The book ends veryabruptly with one of the characters heading back to China. I suspect there will be a sequel here. (I noticed in the Costco magazine today that indeed there is a book where this one leaves off.) This book is available on fetchbook for under adollar.

I liked thebook, probably 3 ½ stars. I would readit again. Another novel by Lisa See, “Snow Flower,” wasmade into a movie recently, a different look at Chinese Americans. I watched it via Red Box. It was enjoyable, if you can handle lots ofsubtitles.

Orange Chicken

2012-01-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

We like Orange Chicken. I have tried a few sauces but none of them had enough zing. This one is worked over to please us and it is quick and easy. And it has a lot of sauce to cover your rice.

ORANGE CHICKEN

Stirfry until Brown

1 T.sesame oil

2cloves grated garlic

Zestone orange until you have 1 packed T.

Squeezethe orange and add water to make 1 ½ C

Add:

⅓ CRice Vinegar

3 T.Soy Sauce

1 C.Brown Sugar

½ tsp.Ginger Root, grated –

(Bottledfresh ginger is OK but add 1 tsp.)

¼ tsp.Crushed Red Pepper (optional)

2 T.Green Onions, Chopped (optional)

3 T.Corn Starch

Mixeverything (except onions) together in asaucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for1-2 minutes.

Put ½ C.cornstarch in a plastic bag with ½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper. Cut 1 ½ lbs. chicken breast into bite sizedpieces. (about 3 large breasts) Pat dry before cutting if you rinsed thebreasts in water. Put the pieces in thecornstarch and shake until they are evenly coated.

Put ¼ C.oil in a large non-stick fry pan. Addthe chicken pieces and let brown on one side on a medium heat. After the chicken is nice and brown on oneside you can begin to stir fry until cooked through. Put the chicken in a serving dish and stirthe sauce into the fry pan if you have some nice brown pieces there. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinklewith the green onions if desired. Serve with rice.

NAPKIN ROSES Step by step how to make

2012-01-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

My table set with the napkin roses

Pinterest had a picture of roses made from napkins that I pinned. I am having a luncheon this week and wanted to make them for my dining room table with a Valentine theme. I couldn't find the directions with the picture so I worked out my own. My roses look different from the Pinterest ones but I like them.

This is a plate of roses made with different napkins. The fabric will change how you make them a bit and how they look in the end.

Fold into thirds as shown. Fold the bottom up and the top down to make thirds again.

Fold down an end to a right angle.

Start to roll the end to make a little bud for the middle. ( I just had age spots burned on my hands, I don't have leprosy. )

Pick it up and begin to roll and fold the loose end down in right angles as you roll and fold. Basically you are twisting as you roll, in a right angle fold down, over and over.

When you have a few inches left twist it and tuck in around the bottom to look like leaves. Some polyester fabric napkins are so buoyant they won't hold and you might have to tuck the ends in the beginning bud hole underneath.

Finished Rose

A row of them on the table

NUTELLA FRENCH TOAST

2012-01-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

This is "died and gone to heaven" good. I have made it twice for breakfast and it is so good we always feel guilty eating it. I wouldn't hessitate to make it for dessert when I needed something quick and easy.

Slice 4 slices of french bread 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Spread 2 slices generously with Nutella and make a sandwich. Whip up 2 eggs with 1 T. milk or cream. Dip each side of the Nutella sandwich in the egg until it is soaked. Set on a plate. Sprinkle each side with about 2 tsps. of coarse raw sugar, regular sugar also works. Melt a T of butter in a nonstick pan for each piece. Cook slowly until it is brown on both sides. Slice each piece in two and sprinkle with powdered sugar or whipped cream and lick your chops when you are finished. This serves 2.

CENTRAL PURPOSE OF ALL SCRIPTURE

2012-01-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

I am on my 5th year of reading my scriptures "every day no matter what." Last year I was able to read the Book of Mormon, The New Testament and the D&C. I am always amazed at how much I can read with just a little commitment every day, usually only 15-20 minutes except on Sunday when I try to read more. I have learned that there is a POWER BEYOND THE WORDS. My prayers are improved and more. My thinking has more peace and direction. I feel more love. I desire to serve better. I testify that nothing will changes us more than a commitment to daily scriptures.

I read about the life of Tyndale by Michael Wilcox this year and then watched the production of the English bible translation produced by the church. The fervor to read and have the written word was so powerful. So many sacrificed to give us this blessed opportunity. We take it for granted.

“In the end, the central purpose of allscripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son,Jesus Christ—faith that They exist; faith in the Father’s plan for ourimmortality and eternal life; faith in the Atonement and Resurrection of JesusChrist, which animates this plan of happiness; faith to make the gospel ofJesus Christ our way of life; and faith to come to know ‘the only true God, andJesus Christ, whom [He has] sent’ (John 17:3).”

D.Todd Christofferson, “TheBlessing of Scripture,” Ensign, May 2010, 34

Scripture Reading Chart If you like those things.

COCONUT CURRY CHICKEN SOUP

2012-01-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

I am on Pinterest now and have come across several Coconut Curry soups with a Thai flair that I have wanted to try but some of the ingredients I couldn't find in my local markets so I ventured out with my own creation made with rotisserie chicken. Oh bless Costco's wonderful, cheap roasted chickens and the the lovely broth they make when you boil the bones. This soup is quick and wonderful!

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup
Made with rotisserie chicken but you could start with fresh sauteed chicken if desired.

In a Dutch Oven size pan add:

1 T. Sesame oil (if youdon’t have it, no big deal, just add another T oil)

1 T. oil

1 clove of garlic grated

2-3 T. grated onion

Stir fry until it browns alittle add:

4 Cups water

2 Cups rich chicken broth (Ifyou are using rotisserie chicken and have boiled your bones uses all broth ifyou can.)

1 Can coconut milk

1 stalk celery chopped fine orgrated

1 large carrot chopped or grated

½ tsp. pepper and salt to taste.

¼ Cup of chopped basil orcilantro (I had some of my fresh dried basil and I used a heaping T. of it.)

1 cube of Golden Curry Paste (this can be found in mostgrocery stores in hot or mild and I love it.) or add 2-3 tsp. of your favoritedried curry spice.

1 T. grated ginger (The bottledginger works. You might want to add alittle more.)

Simmer for 15 minutes and add2-3 Cups cooked chicken. Simmer for 5 more minutes.

Then add: Cooked rice, pasta or raman noodles
4-6 servings

I used the small bow tie becauseI had it and I like it that it is a nice little spoon full. I often like to cook the pasta separate sothat it won’t affect the soup texture and flavor. Undercook pasta a minute or two before adding to the hot soup.

OUR 2011 AT A GLANCE

2012-01-03T17:57:00.001-07:00

I try to convince my writing classes to write a Christmas letter or a year end wrap up because it is a short history of your year and it may be all you write.

January – A glacier formed on my front yard and stayed thereuntil June. It snowed so much I startedto get weather obsessed. Maren went to market and left Douggy with me for a week. Yikes! I don't have time for a dog.

February – We made our annual pilgrimage to St. George forthe Parade of Homes and the Eccles Art Show. I biked to the top of Snow Canyon twice and Mike played a lot of golf.

March – We spent another week in St. George with John andLinda Hoffman. The guys golfed. The women biked Snow Canyon twice, visitedthe galleries and watched Emma.

April – Leif came for Spring Break with his girlfriendTasha. We had a nice visit with them. Mike retired, finally, throwing his own goingaway party. I went to Women’s Conferenceat BYU.

May - The Glacierbegins to melt but I didn’t think my tulips would ever bloom but they did. It is still cold and raining. I continue my weather obsession, checking the10 day forecast twice a day, at least.

June - We did a 2week road trip with Steve and Viki Whitmer to Arizona. We hiked Wire Canyon in Southern Utah, wentto Eager and Alpine to see my family ancestral home only to be driven out by agigantic forest fire. We spent a week inSedona. The guys golfed. Viki and I hiked every day—the best hikingever. We hit all the galleries we couldand had an all and all great time.

July – Mike had a High School golf tournament. We spent a week in Park City. The Hoffman’s came for part of the time. The guys golfed a lot. The girls perused some shopping and galleriesand hiked to the top of Park City Ski resort and around the Canyons skiresort. Mike and I saw two Deer Valleyconcerts and drove to Cascade Springs, this time finding the right road backthrough Midway. Beau moved in with usfor a couple of months as he changes jobs.

August - I threw abig back yard birthday party for Michael. He turned 10

September – Jennifer and Luke came for a visit. We had another big back yard picnic, includinga puppet show and homemade ice cream sandwiches. We met Mikes siblings in St. Georgeagain. We all went to “Grease” at Tuachan,the guys golfed and the women shopped and visited.

October - We went toCosta Mesa to visit Maren. Her TPT Homestore is awesome. She has a cute littlehouse that I can imagine her in now. Wewent to Cape Cod with Viki and Steve Whitmer. We visited Martha’s Vineyard on the ferry, ThePilgrim Village, drove to Rhode Island and spent a day in Boston. It was a wonderful trip with lots of great sightseeingand fabulous food.

November - I turned65, hurray for medicare! Leif and hisgirlfriend came for Thanksgiving. I madeTofurky for the vegetarians. We spentthe month looking for a car for Leif. One was purchased, still not sure if it was the right one. Leif is in Portland going to graduate school. Maren came for Thanksgiving. Her dog Douggy decides he is my dog. (No wonder I feed him chicken with his dogfood and I play tug-a-war and ball chase when he wants and I walk the hill withhim.)

December - Lots ofcooking and baking. We had a bingoparty with Dave, Colette and the kids. Imade Christmas presents with the kids for their mothers. I had two big dinner parties with the EmptyNesters and my book club. Maren, Douggy,Beau and Michael came for Christmas. Douggy wears me out. I am not hismother. Mike got me an SLR camera forChristmas. I am scared and excited aboutit. We have put in our missionpapers. Next year will be new andexciting.

HUGO - Movie Review

2011-12-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hugo is a feast for the eyes, ears and imagination. It has an old time feel with warm muted colors, but light with glowing magical images. You instantly fall in love with the orphan boy Hugo, living in Paris, continuing to wind a city clock after his drunken uncle dies. The movie takes place on one charming street filled with reoccurring characters you want to follow. There is mystery in Hugo's life that draws you in, bringing along the other characters as the resolution unfolds.

My 10 year. old grandson thought it was a little boring, but I was glad he was there. Children need more subtle magic, real people, nostalgia and dreamy longing moods in the movies they watch. There are too many fireworks in their movie diets.

Don't wast your money on the 3-D. Our 7 family members went together and we all wished we hadn't indulged in the 3D. One of our group got dizzy with it and left for awhile.

This is a lovely movie. 3 1/2 *

In Depth Hugo Review

MANSFIELD PARK - Book Review

2011-12-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

I havealways loved Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, so much that I have read itseveral times. So why haven’t I read anyof her other novels? I am not a prolificreader and since I have seen all the stories numerous times in movie productionI didn’t think I needed to. But there are times whenyou just need a little fix of Austen writing and instead of rereading P&P Idecided to delve into Mansfield Park.

MansfieldPark is the story of Fanny Price, the poor niece of the Baronet wife of SirThomas Bertram. Mansfield Park is the home and setting of thefamily adventures and misadventures. Fanny is brought to live with the Bertrams when she is 10 yearsold. The Bertrams have two sons and twodaughters. The girls and their AuntNorris never cease to remind Fanny that she is not of their class. Fanny manages to endure the ongoing mental abuse andit doesn’t canker her. LadyBertram is not well, whether in body or spirit we are not quite sure why. Fanny forms an alliance with Edward Bertram, theyounger son of the Family. He treats herkindly and with compassion. The hopelessunrequited love that Fanny has for Edmund dominates the story. The family dynamics form the contrasts thatare usually part of Austin’s stories; the rich and the poor, the nice and themean, the powerful and the weak, the righteous and the depraved. Fanny’s sweet nature keeps her balanced. She is mostly content to be near Edmund andmakes herself an asset to the weak and needy Mrs. Bertram. She blossoms in the eyes of many as her goodnature becomes a leveling force.

There arelots of interesting characters and twists and turns in the story. Fanny sees it all play out almost from thesidelines. She forms negative opinions fromher perceptions that keep her from accepting a happy situation. She has strength of character, even as thosearound her judge her as weak and vulnerable. I admired her ability to stand firm on her values. I saw her as a Christian ideal; one who is afriend even to those who abuse her, one who is firm in her convictions evenunder pressure, one who finds contentment in solitude, one who has a sense ofpeace in the turmoil of those around her.

I enjoyedthis book as much as P&P. Idefinitely plan to read other Austen Novels.

MasterpieceTheatre’s recent production of Mansfield Park (2007) with Billie Piper, wasvery disappointing. The one from 1999 with Frances O'Connormay have been in movie theaters. It ismuch better but has a very disturbing element that I can’t figure out why theywould put in. The older son spent timein Antigua with his father and in the movie came home with drawings he made of sexualencounters with black women, which Fanny sees (and we do too). It was notin the book. Was it all about getting aPG rating? And there was another littleovert sexual encounter that would have made Jane Austen very sad. Austen could insinuate immorality without itbeing in your face. Why can’t we stickwith the story? Mostly this stuff ruineda lovely movie.

FRESH HERB CHEX MIX

2011-12-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

I always make a batch of these at Christmas so we have something besides sugar to snack on.

3 cups each of Wheat, Corn, and RiceChex

1 1/2 cups small pretzels

1 1/2 cups sesame sticks, (you willfind these yummy things where they have bulk foods. Smiths and Walmart carry them)

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese crackers

½ tsp. Garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/4 cup fresh rosemary, no substitutes

1/4 cup fresh oregano, no substitutes(If you have fresh dry Oregano leaves they work fine use 2 generous T.)

1 to 1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground blackpepper

Cayenne pepper to taste ¼ tsp. minimum

1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup butter (can use all of one if desired.

1 lb. mixed nuts, preferably roasted

In a small chopper or by hand, chop the herbs until fine. Melt the butter and oil together in asaucepan and add the herbs, garlic and onion powder with 2 tsp. water to soften the dry stuff. Stir and cook for 1 minute to infuse the fatwith the herbs. Let sit to blend theflavors while you mix together Chex and crackers. Pour the herb mixture overthe Chex mixture and toss until well combined. Split chex mix up between two large cookiesheets and bake at 250 degrees for 40 minutes. Stir chex mix every 10 minutesand rotate on the oven shelves. Add nutsthe last 10 minutes.

Use your leftover Chex for a batch of Muddy Buddies

TOFFEE - SMALLER BATCH

2011-12-20T18:51:00.003-07:00

For Years I have made my mother's large batch toffee recipe that would often seize up somewhere in the cooking process. I think it would suddenly go to sugar. I made this recipe that I found on Pinterest and I am beginning to think the smaller batch might be more manageable and more to the size I really want and need, so here is my version. Toffee recipe I found.

Melt 1 Cup butter and add 1 Cup sugar and 3 T. water in a 2 quart saucepan. Boil with the lid on for one minute to dissolve the crystals on the side and then wipe down the sides with a wet paper towel. Cook stirring constantly until it turns the color of a paper sack. You will need to stir a little harder at the end as it will begin to brown quite quickly.

Pour into a well buttered cookie sheet or onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Spread out to the desired thickness. Let it set for about 1 minute and sprinkle on 6 oz. good Milk Chocolate Chips. When melted from the toffee heat spread around. At this point I cut it in two because I have anti nut kids. It might break up a little but cutting with a utility knife helps. I like toasted chopped almonds but you can use chopped pecans or walnuts. When cool turn over and add 6 more ounces of melted chocolate chips. Use a double boiler with hot not boiling water or a bowl over a bigger bowl of hot water. Melting in the microwave ruins real chocolate. Sprinkle with nuts or not on the second side.

When the chocolate is set up score with a sharp utility knife and break carefully. The second side tends to lose some of its chocolate because it doesn't adhere as well. Melt a little chocolate to glue these pieces back on.

PUMPKIN HOT CHOCOLATE LATTE

2011-12-15T15:23:00.002-07:00

The Quick Version:

Heat 2 T pumpkin puree and 1 Twhipping cream in a mug (Microwave 20 sec.) or if you are making a bunch warmit on the stove in a pan. Mix together1/3 C. cocoa mix (I like Stevens Dark Chocolate for this but a milk chocolatewould surely be good) and 1 rounded T. Ultra gel for thickening if using. (seebelow*) Add: ¼ tsp. Cinnamon, 1/8 tsp.Nutmeg and Allspice for each cup. Stireverything together in the cup or pan and top with whipped cream ormarshmallows in the mug.

I froze 2 T clumps of pumpkin so Ican get one or two out when I want to make this and not open a can of pumpkinevery time. (see photo)

If you want to make your own CocoaMix here is a recipe:

SPICED HOT COCOA MIX

Mix together in a large bowl:

6 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 ½ C Non Dairy Creamer

1 ½ C Instant nonfat milk

1 1/4 C. Cocoa powder

Scant 3/4 tsp salt

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Nutmeg

1 tsp Allspice

For every one cup of boilingwater add:

2 T. pumpkin puree

1/3 C of the dry cocoa mix

1 T. whipping cream (optional but it makes it more creamy. Or you can use 1 T. more of the nondairycreamer if desired.)

I traveled in Europe last year anddied for the thick hot chocolate we had everywhere. I have discovered that a product called * UltraGel works good for thickening hot chocolate. I add 1 slightly rounded T. percup. I also use Ultra Gel for makingfrozen jams thicker and to stabilize whipped cream. It thickens like instant pudding thickeners. I buy it locally at Kitchen Kneads in Ogden. (If you go there make sure you get the one that can be used in hot or cold liquids) Here is a place you can order it.

http://healthykitchens.com/ultra_gel_instant_thickener.html

Because I usually only make a cup ortwo of this hot chocolate and don’t want to open a can of pumpkin every time Ifroze a cookie sheet filled with 2 T. plops of pumpkin and then put them in aplastic bag to drop in the hot chocolate when I want it. Heat the pumpkin a little longer in your cup beforeadding the other ingredients.

MARY DANCES - A Christmas Memory

2011-12-14T09:20:00.002-07:00

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of Mary on that eventful night but this is her playing Mary again, in our kitchen, with some friends (Ian is Joseph with the beard) a couple of years later.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in herheart. (Luke 2:19) And I have too. I can play a sweet little movie in my heart about that Christmas in 1978 when we were a family of Mother, Father, two yearold, four year old and seven year old. But I was harried at the time and it didn’t seem so sweet. We were going to the Ward Christmas party andI had spent the day making a Mary costume for my four year old daughter Maren. She and her seven year old brother Beau were goingto play the Holy family, acting out their part of the nativity. It was an honor indeed. My little Mary was perfect with her dark hairand bright eyes. My handsome Josephwould stand beside her in the belted bathrobe and head scarf I had scrounged upthat day. Getting us all ready and inthe car on time for the dinner didn’t happen and we were late when we arrivedat the church. The ham and funeral potatodinner was already underway, with not enough food left for the latecomers. They were even setting up more tables for thebulging group. We managed to scrapeup some ham and rolls. The kids weremore interested in finding friends than eating anyway and this isn’t myfavorite meal, so all is well at this point. In the end there was plenty of frosted sugar cookies, what more couldyou want.

The call came for the Nativity and all the cute littleshepherds straggled onto the stage for the performance. Mary clutched her favorite doll, wrapped in asoft flannel blanket that I had stitched together to match the blue scarfdraped across her head. She and Josephsat at the front of the stage as the story went on and on and on. Who wrote this script? Didn’t they realize that little childrenwould be doing this? Four year old Marygot tired. I could see her eyes glazeover and before long she had let go of the baby Jesus and it rolled out of thelittle blanket and hung on her knees. Isat in motherly horror, wondering what I would do if the baby fell off her lapand on to the floor. I was finally ableto breath when the story ended, in time to rescue the baby. But Mary’s best performance was yet to come.

The nativity children didn’t return to our table. I wasn’t worried. We were a new Ward with a huge group ofchildren. The cultural hall was inbarely controlled noisy confusion, with children bouncing here there andeverywhere. I was tired and sat back toenjoy the next part of the program, a holiday variety show. There were some enjoyable musical numbersbut their effect was lost in the hall buzz. Again I wondered if this wasn’t a little too much. Then a teenage girl walked to the stage andproceeded to play a classical piece on the piano. Ho Hum. But then it got very exciting. Mylovely Mary with her blue head scarf clutched in her little fingers twirled onto the stage, swooping and pirouetting to the music. We gasped. What should we do? She wasupstaging the piano solo. Perhaps weshould have let her finish her adlib performance but embarrassment took overand Mike crouched through the crowd and onto the stage to remove thedancer. She came willingly, thankgoodness.

We lived in that Ward for 29 years and never again did theyhave a family party (not that anyone remembered the craziness after all thoseyears.) In the name of Peace on Earththe adults began a tradition of a nice progressive dinner every year after thatand the children had their own party sans the entire family.

As Mary of old pondered her experiences I imagine herfeelings changed in perspective as time moved on and so have mine. I would gladly go back and relive thatevening with a new appreciation of what it means to be a harried mother withsweet little, free spirited children.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE SWIRL BARK

2011-12-12T12:01:00.002-07:00

If you want a fast treat and peanut butter is your thing this is for you. Get one pound of vanilla or Almond Bark or vanilla drops. I don't know if white chocolate chips would work but I suspect they might. Melt in the microwave in a glass bowl on medium heat stir until smooth. Add 2/3 C. peanut butter. I used creamy but crunchy is probably good. Stir until well blended and pour into a square sided 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Tap a little on the counter to even out. Melt 6 oz. chocolate with 1 tsp. oil (this is a bag of chocolate chips- 1 cup) use milk or semisweet as desired. Drizzle across the top in large drizzles and gently swirl with a knife. Let set up. Cut with an exacto knife to make squares or break into irregular pieces. They cut better if they are barely set up.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from the Anderson Gang

2011-12-06T18:09:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas from Mike, Charmaine, Beau, Michael and Luke

ROLO PRETZEL TURTLES

2011-12-03T18:37:00.001-07:00

This Recipe was on the Rollo bag. I always like those salty pretzels dipped in caramel and chocolate but they always looked too hard to make. These are very easy and I am looking forward to doing them with my grandson. I didn't think he would like the pecans so I tried half with M&M peanut. They are good.

Buy a bag of small waffle pretzels. They come in square or round. Lay the amount you want to make on a cookie sheet lined with foil, wax paper or parchment. Top each with a Rolo. Put into a 350 degree oven for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Remove from oven and carefully press a pecan or an M&M in the middle. They are especially good warm. The salty pretzel with the sweet is yummy. Store in an airtight container.

TEMPLE SQUARE CHRISTMAS 2011

2011-11-29T21:00:00.001-07:00

Click on the picture for a full screen view.
(It might take a few clicks)

SALMON CHOWDER

2011-11-27T10:58:00.001-07:00

Traveling in New England this fall we had so many lovely fish chowders it inspired me to create this when I had a piece of leftover grilled salmon. It is a nice change from clams.

2 T Olive oil in a Dutch oven with

½ chopped onion

2 Cloves grated garlic

Stir fry until they start to brownfor good flavor

Add 4 Cups water and:

1 tsp Herbs de Provence

1 tsp basil leaves

1 tsp oregano leaves (no powder)

½ C chopped celery, leaves and all

1 large carrot chopped

1 bay leaf if desired

½ tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt

Simmer 10 minutes and add:

4 medium potatoes diced and simmer 20more minutes

With a potato masher squish up thevegetable until they are small chunks.

Mix together until smooth:

2 C. Milk

1 C. Cream

2/3 C flour

Add to the soup and simmer untilthick. Add 1 ½ -2 C flaked grilledsalmon

Correct salt. Sprinkle with bacon bits if desired.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2011-11-21T21:49:00.001-07:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

BIRTHDAY MUSINGS

2011-11-18T15:06:00.001-07:00

Sunlightcreeps into a new day. I open my eyesand my first thought on November 19 is, “Today is my birthday. Does anyone know? Does anyone care? Well, I do.” Birthdays are important becausethey celebrate our life for a day. Feelings about the day morph as life goes on but at some point, as anadult, we need to make peace with the existence of birthdays and decide how wewill live out the remainder of our life of birthdays. And for me I decided long ago that I woulddefine my own celebration. I gave myselfpermission to feel special on that day and that I wanted those in my life tofeel important on their birthday, if possible.

My motherwas there on that cold November day when I came. She alone remembered every detail of mybeginnings and they were vivid in her thoughts during each of my birthdays tofollow, I know. I am sure she recalledmy rosebud mouth (she said I had one), my wee, pink 5 pounds curled in herarms, smelling of baby lotion sweetness. There is no earthly joy quite like that day for a new mother. I believe that is why mothers instigatebirthday celebrations forever after.

When Octobercomes I know I will reminisce the births of my first 3 Children. My first boy arrived right on time, October3--a 9 ½ lb. breech, C-section after 22 hours of labor, when I thought I mightdie—then the wonder of the sweet little boy in my arms. I never expected to feel this much elation,especially after the difficult delivery. Three years later on October 6, a little girl was born at 5:52 AM. I still see 5:52 AM on my clock some morningsand think of that day. She was a healthy10 ½ lbs. but there was no labor this time—a scheduled caesarian. She was the most beautiful thing I had everseen with her big eyes and dark skull cap of hair. Oh yes, I should celebrate this day. And then 2 years later, on October 12,another little boy was born with clogged tear ducts and a little indentation inhis chest, but it made me want to love him even more. 8 lbs. 12 oz. made him my smallest baby, butnow he is the tallest at 6’6”. And then there was a gift for my mother, a beautiful10 lb. little boy born on June 19, her birthday. How delightful of him to come on thatday.

We didn’thave friend birthday parties when I was a child except once for me when I was10. I am still amazed my mother didit. Our house was an unfinished basementembarrassment. We lived 3 miles out oftown. I didn’t have friends come to playvery often. But my sweet mother waxedthe old linoleum, made the beds and tidied up the house. She baked her famous golden layer birthdaycake with mounds of fluffy 7 minute frosting and crowned it with 10 candles forme to blow out, while 7 little girls sang happy birthday to me. It was a surprise party. I left the bus and skipped down the lane tomy home after school anticipating that there would at least be a family partyand always the special cake and a present. But my heart leapt with joy when I opened the door to the shouts of “Surprise!” I can still feel every minute of that lovelyday. Thank you mother for that happymemory. Maybe that is why I agreed to abirthday party every year for each of mychildren. The first week of October wasalways a mad house of parties and baking, but I did it anyway. And it was always lots of fun.

When myfirst little boy, Beau, was a year old we were students at Stanford living in a4-plex facing another one with a courtyard in the middle. We invited everyone we knew. I made papier-mâché puppets of Goldilocks andthe 3 bears and put on a puppet show. Wecranked homemade ice cream to eat with the clown cake and had a fish pond forthe kids. When my grandson Michael wastwo I resurrected the puppets and rewrote the Goldilocks story for him. For the next 4 birthdays I wrote a new puppetshow and collected a rag-tag of assorted puppets for the stories. And I made whatever cake he wanted—a horse, anelephant, a cheetah and others. His momlets me make the cakes. Last year Lukecame for Michael’s 9th birthday and I wrote another show about the two ofthem. (All the stories and puppets are savedfor retelling.)

Lots ofyears I cook and invite friends to my house for my own birthday lunch. No one is allowed to bring presents. We just have a nice gab fest. I love doing it. I also give lots of birthday lunches forfriends or would be friends.

There havebeen years, after they left the nest, when some of my children have forgottenmy birthday. I don’t really care aboutpresents but I do want to be remembered with at least a phone call. I think they would be very hurt if I forgotthem. I usually call them late in theevening. Sometimes I sing, “happybirthday to me.” Now they never forget. Again,I believe we should define how we want our birthday to be and never feel sad orrejected because someone didn’t make us feel happy on our day. We can make our own happiness. It helps to communicate what you want.

Mike lovesthe birthday cake with the fluffy frosting. That’s all he cares about. But hewants fudge filling in the middle. Thatis my addition to make it special for him, chocolate lover that he is. One year Leif’s girlfriend called me fromSeattle wanting to know how to make a Snicker Pie so she could make it for hisbirthday. He always wanted a Snicker Pieinstead of a cake and I am glad I had something that he remembered withlonging. Beau always wants a Fresh PeachCream Pie. I feel happy that I had traditionsof something from my kitchen, to show my love, and not just a cake from Smiths. Maren likes the old family birthdaycake. Once I tried to mail her one whenshe was living in South Carolina. Something was wrong with the address and by the time it arrived it wasnot worth eating. (I did have thefrosting separate for her to frost but alas the plan failed, hopefully I got creditfor trying.)

The morningafter my birthday when the light strikes my eyes I think, “Whew, I am glad mybirthday is over and I can go back to feeling normal.” One day a year is more than enough of thatspecial birthday feeling.

BOOK REVIEW - ADAM BEDE by George Elliot

2011-11-16T09:13:00.001-07:00

ADAM BEDE by George Elliot

I don’t mind reading a bookwith a slow start like Adam Bede if I am enchanted by the writing, which I wasin this book. The first few pagesworried me as they had so much peasant dialect I thought it might take meforever to get through it all. But iteased off as the story moved along and popped up only occasionally and then Igot better at bumping through it. RecentlyI received an e-mail with these lines. It reminded me of some of the paragraphs with dialect that I struggledwith at the beginning.

0N 7H15 LIN3 Y0UR M1ND 1SR34D1NG 17 4U70M471C4LLY W17H 0U7 3V3N 7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 17, B3 PROUD! 0NLYC3R741N P30PL3 C4N R3AD 7H15.

This book was a delicious readfor me, but is not for the quick read, pulp fiction fan. I enjoyed the plodding character developmentof the beginning chapters. Elliot’sdescriptions of pastoral life were like viewing a classic painting, so rich anddetailed with light and colors.

“ The low westering sun shone right on the shoulders of the old Binton Hills,turning the unconscious sheep into bright spots of light; shone with a glorybeyond that of amber or amethyst. It wasenough to make Adam feel that he was in a great temple…” (P. 485)

Elliot’s Adam Bede is awell-liked man’s man with good looks, wisdom and honor. He is a carpenter, self-educated andbrilliant beyond his peers. He is fondly connected from childhood to Arthur Donithorne,grandson of the old squire, slated to be the next squire when the old mandies. Arthur prides himself in his generosityand dreams of being a better master to his tenants than his grandfather hasbeen when his time comes.

Both men (unbeknownst to theother) are besot with Hetty, the beautiful niece of the best tenant farmer,Martin Poysner. I knew someone like Hettyonce, a woman so beautiful that you can’t look away. I think beauty this stunning is rare. But Hetty had her character flaws, driven byher vanity, perhaps a common temptation to a woman of her brilliance.

“Adam was looking at Hetty, and saw the frown, and pout, and the darkeyes seeming to grow larger with pettish half-gathered tears. Quiet Mary Burge, who sat near enough to seeher, thought that so sensible a man as Adam must be reflecting on the smallvalue of beauty in a woman whose temper was bad. Mary was a good girl, not given to indulge inevil feelings, but she said to herself, that, since Hetty had bad temper, itwas better Adam should know it. And itwas quite true that if Hetty had been plain, she would have looked very uglyand unamiable at that moment, and no one’s moral judgment upon her would havebeen in the least beguiled. But reallythere was something quite charming in her pettishness: It looked so much more like innocent distressthan ill humor; and the severe Adam felt no movement of disapprobation; he onlyfelt a sort of amused pity, as if he had seen a kitten setting up its back, ora little bird with his feathers ruffled. He could not gather what was vexing her, but it was impossible to him tofeel otherwise than that she was the prettiest thing in the world, and that ifhe could have his way, nothing should ever vex her any more.” P. 255

But Arthur is the one who winsHetty’s favor with a hopeless liaison of different classes, sure to break herheart. Arthur knows he is doing wrongand plans to break it off after a little indulgent toying. He is not an evil cad, but a man caught in a weaknessof temptation that he cannot break from until he finally decides to leave withhis military regiment. By this timeArthur knows that Adam loves Hetty too and hopes that his going will open adoor for their relationship.

This is the plot set up. What is to happen to Hetty? Don’t read too many reviews of this story asthere are surprises that you don’t want to have spoiled.

The story has many poignantspiritual elements, mostly centered about the character Dinah, also a niece ofthe Poysners. She is beautiful in herown simple way but as different from Hetty as possible. Dinah is a Methodist preacher who has dedicatedher life to Christ. As a woman she is ananomaly, but the crowds are drawn to her words and countenance. Dinah has a spiritual gift forcomforting. As a motivated Christian Iwas inspired by her character:

“From her girlhood upwards she had had experience among the sick andthe mourning, among minds hardened and shriveled through poverty and ignorance,and had gained the subtlest perception of the mode in which they could best betouched and softened in willingness to receive words of spiritual consolationor warning. As Dinah expressed it, ‘shewas never left to herself; but it was always given her when to keep silence andwhen to speak.” And do we not all agreeto call rapid thought and noble impulse by the name of inspiration? After oursubtlest analysis of the mental process, we must still say, as Dinah did, thatour highest thoughts and our best deeds are all given to us.”

George Eliot narrates parts ofthe book as a godlike onlooker helping us understand characters, often with ofplea to hold judgment. I thought herinterludes were insightful and even fun. Her wisdom and understanding of human nature is profound. There are no evil characters, onlyinteresting, flawed and selfish humans as exists in all of us. There is so muchwit and wisdom in this book that I would like to give you a page or two ofquotes, but the best would be to read it.

This is my first George Eliot,but I have already purchased a book of her best novels. I am looking forward to more of her words.

Masterpiece Theater has a production of this that I rented on Net Flix. It was enjoyable after reading the book. It might seem shallow before. They did take some cinematic liberties with the story that I did not like, mostly exposing elements that should have waited for the last. And some that were never exposed in the book of a sexual encounter that didn't need to be played out.

Bernac France Doorway - Painting

2011-11-09T13:59:00.002-07:00

Bernac France Doorway

16X20

OREO CHEESECAKE BITES

2011-11-08T08:42:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite dessert find this year. I have a box of them in the freezer right now for any unexpected dinner needs or personal cravings. They will thaw in 5 minutes and are totally satisfying for a little sugar, chocolate fix. Plus they look like you bought them at an exclusive bakery.

OREO CHEESECAKE BITES

Crush 15 Oreo Cookies and mix with 2T. melted butter.

Use a 9 inch square pan or a 7x11 pan.(this size is important) Line with foiland wrap outside the pan. Spray with Pam

Press the Oreo mixture into thebottom

Beat 2- 8 oz. blocks of cream cheesewith

½ C. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

½ C. sour cream

When nice and smooth gently fold in10 more Oreo cookies, each broken into 4 or 5 pieces. Pour onto the crust and spread to thecorners. Bake at 325 for about 30-35 minutesor until the center is set. (It willstart to brown just a little on the top)

When cold pull out of the panin the foil and cut into squares about 1 inch wide. Line them up squarely on a cookie sheet anddrizzle with the chocolate as described below.

Melt 6-8 oz. each of white and milkor semisweet chocolate (separately) I like the milk for this. You can use chocolate chips or chopped bulkchocolate. (Guittard for chips) If you use white chocolate chips they are not really chocolate anddon’t melt as well so add 1 tsp oil and stir well after melting. (Bakers sells a White Chocolate cube at the grocer about the right size) The microwave has a way of ruiningchocolate. I wouldn’t use it for this. You can melt the chocolate in a double boiler orput the chocolate in a bowl over some very hot water and stir until melted. Chocolate is sensitive to high heat and will get grainy, so ifyou do it in the double boiler just get the water hot and remove from the heat. My favorite way to melt chocolate is in theoven overnight with the oven light on. It produces enough heat to melt the chocolate. It doesn’t even need chopped if you have ablock. So I like to make the cheesecakeone day, cool overnight, and that night put the chocolate in the oven to meltand drizzle the next morning.

Spoon the chocolate into a smallziplock bag and squeeze it all into a corner, twist the top a little. Snip a very small corner off theend. Drizzle stripes of the brownchocolate going one way and then stripes of the white chocolate going the otherway. They end up looking veryprofessional.

You can freeze these for a month ortwo if they last that long.

CAPE COD SLIDE SHOW

2011-11-02T16:18:00.001-06:00

Click on the pictures to get to the full screen slideshow.

CAPE COD WITH LOVE

2011-11-02T16:12:00.001-06:00

Flying toBoston

Arrive in tandemwith the Whitmers

Unexpectedgood luck

Falmouthcondo, roomy, smell of stale smoke

Should havecomplained

Dinner atLiam Maguires, so-so meal but

Good clamchowder

Sundaychurch at Cape Cod Branch

Small groupwith a great spirit

Impressivemissionary homecoming

Drive toWellfleet for Oyster Fest

Arrive forlast hour

Steve beginshis 6 day oyster gorge

Lovelyoyster stew, crab cakes, clam chowder, jolly crowd

Race Pointbeach for glowing sunset

Charming ProvinceTown

PilgrimsMonument rising in the evening light

On toBarnstable on Monday

Thrilled tosee John Lathrops home and Bible

Sandwichgristmill, a taste of New England history

Toad Museumwith antique red cars

Lunchoutside on the wharf at Hyannis Port

Gallons ofclam chowder consumed by us this week

CharmingChatham with lovely galleries and

Bags ofstale candy, half price

Tuesday, theferry to Martha’s Vinyard

I see why soloved by the rich and famous

A bus to VineyardHaven

Lunch at theclassy Atlantic overlooking the port

Lovely view,beautiful food!

Bus to OakBluffs to see

TheMethodist revival camps with

The giant tabernacleand

A hundredishquaint, colorful little gingerbread houses

Wednesday,pouring rain all day

Drive to Plymouthfor the Mayflower

A break inthe storm for a walk around the Pilgrim villages

Thanksgivingsandwiches and clam chowder at the village café

A drive inthe pouring rain to Jerimoth Rhode Island

So Steve canclimb the high point, 812 ft. above sea level

A 500 yard strollwith umbrellas

Beautifulleaves, the best yet

Dinner at theQuaterdeck in Falmouth

Moreoysters, sword fish and scallops to die for

Perhaps thebest food of all

Thursday,Hat shopping in Falmouth

A cute hatfor Viki

Back to Sandwichfor

Lunch at theFamous Daniel Webster restaurant

Ambiancebetter than the OK food

Perusingantique stores

Collectingseashells and rocks on the windy beach

Our lastfull day in Boston

Duck Boatsight seeing

Parts of theFreedom Path walk

The BostonCommons and fruit stands

TheBirthplace of Liberty, Faneuil Hall

Lunch at theHall markets with too many choices

Saturdaydrive to the Airport

The Whitmersfly off and

We head forthe lovely, tree of life, Boston temple

In time forsome sealings

Goodby CapeCod, love you!

Best friendon this trip? Steve's GPS

THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS - BOOK REVIEW

2011-10-31T21:14:00.000-06:00

On a beautiful October day we took the ferry from Cape Codto Martha’s Vineyard. We hopped a bus toVineyard Haven and strolled the streets of the quaint harbor village. We ate lunch at the lovely Atlantic restaurantwith a view of the bay. Then we boardedanother bus headed for Edgar Town to see the gingerbread houses. Three older ladies got on the bus ahead ofus. The bus had seats on the two sides and places to stand for overflow. Mike and I sat down beside the three ladiestoward the front of the bus. We weretuned into all the sights as the bus moved along. We stopped to pick up another passenger. Shewas an older black lady walking haltingly with a cane. As she hobbled onto the bus the woman sittingnext to Mike stood up and moved further down to a seat across the aisle. She said, “This lady needs to have a seat asclose to the front as possible.” Theblack woman sat down beside Mike and began to shuffle through her purse looking for her buspass. Her hands were bandaged with Velcrostays leaving her fingers free. She washaving a difficult time managing the purse with her ailing hands. The bus driver was huffing with disdain. I wanted to go slap him. Thewoman finally produced the pass and one of the ladies carried it up to thedriver to scan. She brought it back andMike helped her put it in a pocket and zip her purse back up. We moved on down the road. Because I was reading, “The Warmth of OtherSuns,” this event stuck to me.

“This is the way humans should treat each other,” I said to myself. It is wonderful that things have changed. 50years ago, in the Jim Crow south, the woman would not have been allowed to sit byus, let alone get any consideration forher needs. I bought the book in theairport as we were flying off to Cape Cod and have enjoyed every page. It is about the great migration of blacksfrom the South to the North from 1917 through 1970. I lived part of this history but mostly inthe Utah bubble where we rarely saw a black person. I really didn’t have an understanding of allthat was going on.

Isabel Wilkerson takes 3 people living in the South duringthis migration period and writes alternating parts of their stories from theirchildhood on to old age and death. Historicalevents are told as they relate to the lives of these people: a woman married to a sharecropper inMississippi, a fruit picker living in Florida and a black man educated to be aDoctor. All of them eventually migrate northwith millions of other black people during this time. The Doctor went to California, thesharecropper family to Chicago and the fruit picker to New York. The author wove a fascinating picture of whatwas going on in all of these areas of the migration through the eyes of people Ibegan to like and understand.

My favorite books are about real people, their joys andstruggles. This is a powerful book thattouched and educated me about a people and a time that I have not thought muchabout. 4 stars

PICTURES OF JOHN LATHROPS HOME AND BIBLE

2011-10-29T09:33:00.002-06:00

I visited Barnstable Massachusetts this month and took pictures of John Lathrop's home and bible. See them 2 posts below in the book review "Exiled."

APPLE GALETTE WITH FRANGIPANE & ROLOS

2011-10-23T21:41:00.000-06:00

I have been experimenting with Galette's, which are free formed pies. I love this dough. It is crisp and buttery when baked. I discovered Frangipane in a tart recipe. It is a filling made with ground almonds...a very nice addition to this dessert. This is a special recipe. The apple, chocolate combination is very nice.

Galette Dough

1 ½ C flour

1 stick cold butter

¼ C. Sour Cream

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

¼ C. ice water

Crumble the butter and flour togetheruntil blended. Mix the sour cream lemonjuice and ice water together. Stir intothe flour mixture and knead a little until a solid mass. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

Frangipane (Afilling made with almonds)

1 C. Roasted Whole Almonds

1/3 C. White Sugar

Put these together in a foodprocessor and chop until fine.

Add:

4 T. butter

2 egg yolks (Save at least one of thewhites)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Put in the refrigerator for an houror more.

Apple Mixture

3 T. butter

3 crisp apples, peeled and sliced into bite size pieces

¼ C. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Place the butter in a non-stick frypan to melt. Add the remainingingredients and stir on high heat to evaporate most of the liquid and cook the apples for about 5minutes.

Dust your counter with flour and rollout dough to a 12 inch circle. Place iton a piece of parchment and onto a cookie sheet or pizza pan right away. (The dough will soften quickly and you won’tbe able to move it if you wait too long) Pinch off pieces of the Frangipane and press onto the top of the doughto make a layer to cover up to 2 inches from the edge. Top with the apple mixture and 10 Rolo’s cutin two. Fold the two inches of dougharound the edge pleating as needed. Beat the egg white a little with a fork andbrush the pastry generously with a pastry brush dipped in the whites. Sprinkle with raw, coarse grain sugar (the best,but plain white sugar will work)

Bake 350 for 30-35 minutes. Makes 6- 8 pieces, serve with ice cream…heavenly!

With the Frangipane

Folded over ready to bake

MAREN'S STORE - TPT HOME

2011-10-12T20:14:00.001-06:00

TPT Home, in Costa Mesa California, is a credit to Maren's creative genius. Every display is a work of art. It was such a treat to see it all.Click on the pictures and enjoy the slideshow full screen.

BOOK REVIEW - EXILED The Story of John Lathrop by Helene Holt

2011-10-07T18:00:00.000-06:00

John Lathrops Home in Barnstable, Which is now a Library with an addition on the back

A window inside the house where they met for church.

I told myfriend Jolene Alphin about a planned trip to Cape Cod. She said, “Oh, you need go to Barnstable andsee John Lathrop’s home and bible.” Isaid, “I know about John Lathrop." I had listened to Susan Easton Black give alecture at Education Week and I have never forgotten it. John Lathrop was the 6^thgreat grandfather of Joseph Smith and a host of other religious and governmentleaders are related to him. Lathrop was exiled to Americaafter years of abuse and time in the infamously horrible Clink prison. He was a beloved leader of a group if separatists who wantedto follow their own religious dictates.

“Because of the Laudianpersecution (Laud, the bishop perpetuating the abuse), emigration to Americaincreased. It has been estimated thatbetween 1629 and 1640, twenty-one thousand people came to New England.” (p.236)

“With the…deposingof Laud, and the cessation of persecutions, immigration to America virtuallyceased. English hopes were once morecentered on the homeland. For the nextcentury and a half, immigration was minimal. The growth of the colonies is attributed almost entirely to the earlymigrations of 1629-1640. These were theformidable men and women of conscience, Puritans, who in the words of Samuel E.Morison, ‘hewed liberty, democracy, humanitarianism anduniversal education out of the black forest of feudal Europe and the Americanwilderness.” (p. 237)

Helene Holt fictionalized the life of John Lathrop up until thetime he came to America. She won firstprize from the Utah Arts Council with this story written in 1987. It is alwaystrue of historical fiction that you have a clearer picture of the events whenthey are humanized. There were partsthat bothered me. I didn’t like theromance element between Lathrop’s daughter Jane and a cell mate of Lathrop. It added some interest but it was done in aHarlequinish way. There were some other cultural things that Ithought could have been better researched. Some of the personal stories had too much of a modern twist, includingsome of the family interactions. Iwished that events could have had an indication of whether they were based onfact or fictionalized by the author in the way of end notes. But onthe whole I enjoyed getting a picture in my mind of the terrible persecution andabuse that was going on at this time in the name of Christ. Some of the dialogue between Lathrop andBishop Laud when Lathrop was defending his beliefs was excellent. I saw him as a man, like unto Stephen, whowas ready to die rather than recant. Theend of the book has some excellent historical information including an extensivelist of church leaders and dignitaries descended from Lathrop.

My good friend Jolene is a ninth greatgranddaughter and she let me read her book. Thank you Jolene.

The actual bible that John repaired.

There is a lovely story in the Appendix about how a hole wasburned in John’s bible either in prison or on the ship coming to America. Lathrop repaired the hole and filled in themissing words by heart. This bible is on display in his home inBarnstable. I can’t wait to see it.

ESCALLOPED MUSHROOMS

2011-10-02T18:54:00.000-06:00

My oldest learned to like mushrooms somewhere after he left my home. I made this for his birthday dinner hoping he would enjoy them and he did. Even my picky husband took a helping. This is a very nice side dish and I will make it again. I have always liked thyme with mushrooms so you could leave it out if you want to keep it plain. This is simple and the mushrooms shined without too many distractions.

Recipe
1lb. sliced mushrooms tossed with ¼ C white wine or chicken broth
3 cloves coarsely grated garlic or 3 T.grated onion
5 T olive oil

1 C crushed croutons(I like Costco’s) I chopped them in a food processor.
¾ C coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley (or 2 T. Dry)

1 T fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
¼ tsp Salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat theoven to 350 degrees

In a smallfrying pan put 1 T olive oil and fry the grated garlic or onion until it beginsto brown. Add the 4 T. of remaining oiland toss with the bread crumbs, parsley, Thyme , Parmesan cheese, salt andpepper. Toss the wine or chicken brothwith the mushrooms and half of the bread crumb mixture. Put into a 7x11 or similar size greased casserole(not 9x13) Sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture and bake for 20-25minutes. This makes 6-7 small helpings

MUSINGS ON CHANGE

2011-09-22T11:55:00.000-06:00

I stood before the mirror this morning and raised my saggingand wrinkled arms to comb my hair. Ithought my skin looked like a mini version of Rino hide. I took a close up at the Zoo when we wentthis week with the little boys. Beau wanted a picture to use in a game he is working on. When did this happen to me? Maybe I will have to start wearing longsleeves every day or perhaps I just need to accept the inevitable and know thatit will get worse. Accepting my deteriorating body is tough.

Change in my life hurts more as I age. I feel vulnerable. Fall was in the air when I walked the hills thismorning. The cool air felt good but I am not ready to let go of this sweetsummer with only one day of 100 degrees. My secret garden was at its prime 2 weeks ago. I sat in my swing with my eyes going incircles taking in the flourishing red inpatients and the bright yellow sunflowerswhose blooms have cheered me for 2 months.

The music of the waterfall has lulled me in peace as my eyesfeast on my little herb garden with the 3 metal chickens. I collected them because I like hens but notroosters. We raised chickens at homewhen I was a child. I recall the dozensof fuzzy little peeps in the coop under lights in the spring and watching them growduring the summer. The roosters wouldpeck the hens on the neck and make them bleed. That’s why I don’t like roosters. But the main reason I like hens is the scripture; “How oft would I havegathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens and ye would not.” I understand that pain all too well.

Puttering in my secret garden has been like playing housethis summer. I would dabble and dreamthere every summer morning and take a book in the afternoon to lay on thehammock and read and doze. Perhaps thisis the ideal life that Camelot is made of and of course it can never last but Iwanted just a little more. The Yellow flowersare fading and falling with the leaves on the flagstones as the wind has beenblowing the last few days. The morningair is crisp and I know that this sweet time will end before I am ready. Irecall too often that my mother died when she was 64. I have a sense of grasping every preciousmoment.

My little herb garden grew better than I expected becausethere isn’t a lot of sun on this spot. Iplanted lemon basil by mistake and it has excited me as I have looked for waysto use the bumper crop. Loaded in a tunasandwich, chopped in a pasta salad, lemon basil pesto rubbed on a grilled pieceof salmon—oh lovely lemon basil how I will miss you.

Yesterday my neighbors said they are going to put up afence. It depressed me all day. I think they don’t like it because we playbadminton when Michael is here. We hookthe net between our houses and one side is wrapped around their raingutter. We have only played 3 or 4 timesbut Michael loves it. Now there will benowhere to play. And then Maren’s dogtrots into their yard sometimes when he is here and I have to invade theirspace to retrieve him. But I have onlyhad Douggy 2 times this summer. Do theyreally need to put up a fence? I imagineI will get used to this change and it will stop depressing me. I have learned that time heals alldisappointment.

Two weeks ago in Sunday School the teacher asked forexamples of how we treat those who have different religious views from us. I wanted to tell about Mike and Gary Boningbut there wasn’t time. Joan Boning hasbeen Mike’s secretary for many years. She is a lovely woman and Mike has become good friends with Joan and herhusband Gary over the years. They areall golfers so they play together often. Mike needs someone to make the T times andGary is good at doing this and calling Mike. Mostly Mike has played with Gary and hisBaptist friends. They have invited himto Baptist golf functions and Mike goes gladly and has bonded with these goodpeople over the years. Mike knows golf so well that he sometimesgives them personal golf instruction. Weare aware of some rejection the Boning children felt from LDS kids when theywere in school. It is hard to be anonmember in Utah at times. But theBonings love Mike and he has loved them and the fact that he is LDS and theyare Baptist has never been an issue. Recently Gary discovered that he has some LDS relatives that served as amission president. Knowing that we areplanning a mission Gary had these people contact us to see if we wanted help oradvice. How considerate of him to do this.

Last Saturday morning Mike received a phone call fromJoan. Gary died unexpectedly from ananeurism the night before. Of courseMike would be one of the first people Joan would call. This death has been very upsetting tous. How are you vibrant and alive oneweek and gone the next? Life is so veryfragile. Because we are of a similar ageour mortality is a little too real right now. And knowing that losing a beloved mate has to be the most devastating change of all

At Gary’s funeral we learned that he loved the Savior andtried to be a disciple all of his life. Iknow there will come a time in Paradise when Gary will be taught the fullnessof the gospel and he will say, “I knew a good, honest, loving Mormon guy, Mike Anderson. He was an example of the believers.”

I am blessed that my life is sweet and I cling to its joysbut I need to learn that it is best not to cling to anything too much or to be toohappy or content because if I do and it all changes I will suffer more than Ishould. Can I learn this? Growing older is making it harder.

The Relaxing Corner

LEMON BASIL PASTA SALAD

2011-09-19T18:56:00.004-06:00

Lemon Basil has been my surprise joy this summer. I got a package of seeds and planted it not realizing it was Lemon Basil. Wow is it good! It is wonderful chopped in a tuna sandwich or a pile of it on a chicken sandwich or chopped in the following pasta salad. I will be sad when it is gone. I did dry some and also I made some lemon basil pesto for use this winter. Three cheers for Lemon Basil. If you don't have Lemon Basil this is still a good salad. The dressing is lovely with fish.

A pile of Lemon Basil

Lemon Basil Pasta Salad

DRESSING (This is good on grilled chicken, fish or on a sandwich)
1 C. mayo
3 T. lemon juice
1-2 cloves finely grated garlic fried until a little brown in 1 T olive oil (I love this flavor)
2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel
2 tsps. dijone mustard
1 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Boil a pound of pasta and cool in running water. Add a pound of cooked shrimp or chicken or salmon or whatever. 2-3 C. sliced Celery, 8-10 hard boiled eggs peeled and cut in fourths and chopped lemon basil to taste...start with 1/4 cup. This makes a gigantic salad so cut it in half if you want a smaller one.

This is the Lemon Basil Pesto. I just blended some basil, olive oil and garlic. Then I poured it in a 7X11 inch pan lined with plastic wrap, freeze it, cut it into squares and keep the squares in a zip lock bag in the freezer for later use to rub on grilled fish, chicken or whatever.

BOOK REVIEW - THE WORST HARD TIME - by Timothy Egan

2011-09-08T19:51:00.003-06:00

Reading this book was like watching a very long train wreck where you couldn’t look away. Nothing much happened good in the book except the personal human stories of strength and fortitude. I didn’t know very much about the dust bowl that occurred during the 1930’s. This is a book about suffering and hope. It is about a people who wouldn’t give up because they had a piece of land for the first time in their lives and they believed the disaster would end and that their life would return to some kind of normal. In many ways, those that stayed were trapped with few options other than to wait it out or die.

The American government encouraged settlement of the Midwest at the beginning of the century by offering land grants to immigrants. When the railroad reached the areas of the Texas Panhandle, Kansas and Oklahoma immigrants and others were easily enticed to come and get a slice of the prairie. And they came in droves, made dugout homes to live in and plowed millions of acres of prairie grass.

They planted wheat and it flourished. The farmers took their healthy earnings and built mortgaged homes, bought farm equipment on time and plowed more land. Before long there were silos bulging with the fruits of their labors. There was such a glut of wheat that the price fell, making it difficult for the farmers to make a profit. This was the beginning of farm subsidies, as the government attempted to prop up the price of crops by paying farmers not to plant. This left millions of acres of land laying fallow creating a perfect disaster when the drought hit and the winds came. And to compound the problem the stock market crashed and the economy imploded. Foreclosures destroyed all that was left.

“On September 14, 1930, a windstorm kicked up dust out of southwest Kansas and tumbled toward Oklahoma. By the time the storm cut a swath through the Texas Panhandle, it looked unlike anything ever seen before on the High Plains…The strange thing about it, the weather bureau observers said, was that it rolled, like a mobile hill of crud, and it was black. When it tumbled through, it carried static electricity, enough to short out a car. And it hurt, like a swipe of coarse-grained sandpaper on the face. The first black duster was a curiosity, nothing else.” (p. 88)

The drought brought colder winters and hotter summers. The wind blew furiously for days on end. “The shovel was a rescue tool…In a long day’s blow, the drifts could pile four feet or more against fences clogged with tumbleweeds, which created dunes, which then sent dust off in other directions.” ( P. 138) Some mornings the cars were completely covered. The wind blew the paint off houses. It filled the digestive systems of cattle. It filled their homes. Nothing they tried could keep it out. They contracted dust pneumonia and many died. There was no escape. They could not stay outside for fear of getting lost of choking on a blast of gritty air. When it rained it rained black globs of mud. During some months the dust storms were a daily occurrence for 40 days in a row.

“There was no color to the land…Some farmers had grown spindles of dwarfed wheat and corn, but it was not worth the effort to harvest it. The same Texas Panhandle that had produced six million bushels of wheat just two years ago now gave up just a few truckloads of grain. Chickens died; Milk cows went dry; Cattle starved or dropped dead from ‘dust fever.’ “ (p. 141)

In 1934 many cities on the eastern Seaboard got a taste of Midwest dust storms. “Now the storm was measured at 1,800 miles wide, a great rectangle of dust from the Great Plains to the Atlantic, weighing 350 tons.” (p.152) Someone told Congress that 51 million acres were so eroded they could no longer be cultivated. It would take a thousand years to rebuild an inch of topsoil.

Timothy Egan created a story around actual people who lived through this time. When there was nothing left the settlers escaped if they could, as many as 2/3 of them. I suspect, if I had a choice, I would have been one of them. I am not sure how anyone survived these 8 years of misery, watching everything around them, including many family members, die.

Journalist Ernie Pyle called it, “this withering land of misery.” He toured the plains in the summer of 1936. He wrote, “I saw not a solitary thing but bare earth and a few lonely, empty farmhouses…There was not a tree or a blade of grass, or a dog or a cow or a human being—nothing whatsoever, nothing at all but gray raw earth and a few farmhouses and barns, sticking up from the dark gray sea like white cattle skeletons on the desert…the saddest land I have ever seen.” P. 257

This may be one of the saddest stories I have ever read. The human spirit is amazing in its ability to adapt and go on through unspeakable suffering. Reading this book changed me but I am still trying to figure out why. But I do know it made me grateful for the pleasant circumstances in which I live.

BASIL HUMMUS

2011-08-26T16:51:00.005-06:00

I am still on a crusade to use a lot of my bumper crop basil. This is very good. It makes about 3 cups. It is good with raw vegetables, pita chips, corn chips, crackers and bread rounds.

BASIL HUMMUS

In a small frying pan put 3 T. olive oil and 2 cloves of grated garlic with 1/4 C pinenuts. Stir and fry until starting to brown a little. Add 1 tomato peeled and chopped. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. In a blender or food processor place 1 - 15 oz. can of drained garbanzo beans and one can of drained white beans, 1 cup of basil leaves lightly packed, 1/4 C Parmesan cheese (optional), 10 good grates of fresh pepper, a little cayenne or hot sauce if desired, and 2 T lemon juice. Add the garlic mixture and blend until smooth. Add salt if it needs it and a little water if it is too thick. ENJOY!

This recipe came from here But I changed it a lot.

CRAZY STUPID LOVE - Movie Review

2011-08-21T18:56:00.002-06:00

We read the rave reviews in the Friday paper. Josh Groban was in it. The paper had a story about his acting. It sounded fun, so we went. We actually don’t go to the movie very often. There are a few movies (mostly PG-13) that I consider the most destructive to the moral fiber of our society because they are clever, funny and the characters are warm and endearing. The last time I had such a strong negative feeling about such a movie was “Sleepless in Seattle.” (Mostly I avoid the romantic comedies now) I know immorality when I see it, but when it is wrapped so prettily in so much charm you want to overlook it. This movie was as raunchy as they get and it should have been R rated!

Dan in Real Life is one of my favorite romantic comedies. Steve Carell was great in this movie so I looked forward to seeing him in a similar role. What a disappointment. It started with Steve’s character Cal being told by his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) that she wanted a divorce because she was having an affair with an office mate. Cal moves out of the house and begins hanging out in a bar drinking to distraction. The alcohol flowing bar scenes are plentiful. Jacob (Ryan Gosling) hears Cal crying in his booze and takes Cal under his wing to teach him how to pick up women in the bar. Jacob is the king of one night stands with gorgeous women. Cal’s son is cute and endearing even as we see him discuss masturbation with the babysitter (also darling), whom he professes to love throughout the movie. But the babysitter is in love with Cal and takes nude pictures of herself to give to him. But it is all in fun, nothing serious. Jacob finally finds a girl he loves (I won’t give the plot away) and we know that he will be true to her even though he has been a serial womanizer for who knows how long. Cal ends up convincing 9 women, from the bar, to come home with him (not in the same night).

This is unbelievably raunchy! But in the end it affirms marriage. But here is the dangerous part: How can marriage or family ever work with this kind of irresponsible, immoral behavior? It is frightening that some 13 year old is sitting there thinking that it can. And everyone laughed because it all looked so fun.

BASIL PARMESAN MASHED POTATOES

2011-08-14T18:41:00.003-06:00

I planted a lot of Basil this year. Last year I dried it and loved having it during the winter, especially for fresh spaghetti sauce. It is so much better than anything you can buy dried. So I plan on doing that again, but in the meantime I am looking for basil recipes. This popped out as a good way to use a big bunch of basil. It was surprisingly delicious. I loved it! But then I love basil. I made it on a Sunday and served it with Chicken Opulence

which is an easy cook while you are at church. This chicken dish has a rich sauce that tasted lovely on the potatoes.

Basil Mashed Potatoes

Adapted from How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten

Serves 6

2 cups fresh basil leaves, lightly packed

2 pounds large Yukon Gold or white boiling potatoes

(about 6-7 medium potatoes)

1 cup half-and-half

3/4 cup coarse grated Parmesan cheese

1-2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Put 3 cups of water to boil in a 2 qt. saucepan. When boiling drop in your 2 cups of basil leaves and remove with a slotted spoon after 15 seconds. Put into a food processor or blender with your 1 cup of half and half. Blend until the basil is chopped fine. Boil the cut up potatoes in your basil water for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain off water and add the basil cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and blend with hand mixer until whipped. Add a little more water if they are too dry.

Garlic Drizzle: If you are a fan of garlic mashed potatoes do this: Grate 5-6 large garlic bulbs in 1/4 C. olive oil and stir fry until the garlic is golden and crisp. Pass to drizzle over the potatoes. It is heavenly! The little garlic crunch adds a nice touch.

THREAD - Things I Sewed

2011-08-07T10:48:00.006-06:00

Click on the pictures for larger images.

THREAD

Thread bound me to my mother. Thread was the excitement of creating in my childhood and on into my adult years. Thread allowed me to have clothes nicer than I might normally have worn. Thread oh colorful, magical thread with all its possibilities has stitched my life together and given me many joys.

I am an artist. The creative experience of making something with raw materials has motivated me as long as I can remember. I was a little girl longing to get my hands on my mother’s magical sewing machine so I could stitch together the little scraps of fabric left over from her sewing projects. And she let me—she turned me loose with a few instructions on threading the machine and bobbin. I was hooked.

I learned the basics of sewing techniques in 4-H with my mother as our teacher. We met together weekly to make little bags and aprons. It was all I needed to go forward with confidence. I learned to read a pattern with a little help from my mother. She made every stitch I wore up until high school and then I began making my own clothes. I whipped up a little blouse to wear on a field trip once, the night before.

Fabrics were reasonable compared to ready-made clothes then. It’s not quite the same now. I bought a cute little jacket for $7 at Ross recently. It would have cost me $15 or more for the fabric and buttons today. Economy might be a motivation to begin with but soon a seamstress loves the feel and smell of fabrics. Her mind races with visions of what she will make with a piece of fabric under her fingers. Her eyes roam the colors with relish as the bolt is unfurled on the cutting table. It is all a good healthy rush.

At one time, wandering around a fabric store was an adventure of joy for me. Rolls of colorful fabrics, stacked together in a store, could make my heart race. Today I am a painter but when I happen into a fabric store I can’t control the thoughts of wanting to create something. The addiction never really leaves. That is why women who sew end up collecting a lot more fabric than they actually stitch. Perhaps they believe the adage that “She who dies with the most fabric wins!” I was as guilty as anyone. Boxes and boxes of once cherished pieces left my basement for Deseret Industries when we moved from Farmington. I still have a few lengths—just in case I want to make a baby quilt, which is silly because If I ever did make a quilt I would most likely want one of the new designs.

In my day every department store had its fabric department including Penneys, Mervyns, Kmart, Woolworths and every local store in Price, Utah. Walmart was the last holdout in the department stores carrying fabric but I heard they are phasing it out everywhere except in Utah. Go figure.

I didn’t take home economics in High School. I had an idea that I was going to be a biologist. I liked biology but math and chemistry didn’t like me so by the time I finished the 12^th grade I knew I would be going a different direction. My love for sewing made me decide to be a Home Economics teacher. I had a full tuition scholarship to a state school so I spent my first two years living at home and going to the College of Eastern Utah in Price.

During these two years I worked as a teaching assistant to Mary Pizza. She was a wonderful petite little Italian lady who loved me and taught me how to tailor jackets and suits. Utah had a “Make it With Wool” contest every year and I entered with a short, navy blue, lined, double breasted, pea coat with bound button holes and welt pocket. I didn’t win but it was fun modeling it on the college runway for the judges. I wore the coat all through college. I thought it was very chic.

I didn’t really date much at CEU but I did invite a guy to a girl’s choice dance when I was a sophomore and I made a long, straight, teal blue velvet gown. I went to the beauty shop and had my hair piled on my head in Audrey Hepburn curls. It was a nice princess experience. I had so few that it is a pleasant memory.

After CEU I spent two years at Utah State in Logan finishing my degree. I had my own sewing machine by now. It sat on my dorm room desk and I found time to sew my own clothes during these years. I even made a go-go costume for a roommate who was a dancer at a local bar. That was a new creative experience with a little bit of sparkly fabric. She did look cute in it.

I met Mike in the spring of my senior year at Utah State, while I was doing my student teaching at Bountiful Jr. High. It would take me a couple of years to convince him that I was his girl. In the meantime I took a job teaching school in Grantsville, Utah. This was a new school—a Jr. High and High School combined. I taught everything including cooking, sewing, home management, child development and interior decorating—grades 7-12. It makes me dizzy today when I think about all those different lesson plans I had to come up with daily. Wo! How did I do it? Even then sewing was my favorite subject. I made $6500 that year—1969. I never taught school again but sewing continued to be an important part of my life.

When Mike and I married in 1970 I made my wedding dress and veil for $25. I sewed long red velveteen brides maid skirts with white puff sleeve blouses. We got married on December 18 so I stitched some red velvet roses for a flocked Christmas tree.

Motherhood brought all kinds of exciting sewing experiences including baby quilts, clothes and Halloween costumes. My beautiful Maren with her dark hair got the lions share of my sewing projects. It was always fun to sew for her.

When we moved to Farmington Utah in 1978 I met Cheryl Johnston, who was my sister in every way but blood. We both liked to sew. We discovered some little hole in the wall places in Salt Lake with very cheap fabrics and laces. The worst thing that can happen to an addict is to find someone who encourages you and turns your fabric hunting experiences into a social event. Knits and Sergers were big then and we made dozens of T-shirts for our combined 7 boys. We crafted beautiful dresses for our 3 girls. When the kids got a little older we started to make fabric crafts. We wanted to learn how to make some little puffed baskets we saw in a gift shop once and I dreamed how to put them together. Yes, a real nighttime dream. The church still had bazaars then and we made several wonderful baby quilts that I wish I had today.

I have guilt and regret about some of the time I spent sewing when my children were little. It took me away from things I should or could have been doing with them, especially at Christmas. Oh yes, there were many Christmas weeks when I was sewing 4 pair of matching pajamas late into the night. I missed all those Christmas specials on TV with a little one on my lap because I was sewing a Christmas gift for my mother or a dress for Maren. In perspective I wouldn’t do it again. Christmas crafts and sewing became my joyful nemesis.

When Leif was about 5 years old I got involved with a group of ladies in a co-op gift shop making homemade crafts. At first I sewed little things but soon moved into floral arranging and that became my next artistic adventure—almost as addictive as sewing. I arranged flowers for 15 years or more.

So, where is thread in my life today? I am in control now. I did make curtains, pillows and bed spreads for my new house with fabrics I bought for $1-$3 a yard at Walmart. I started to believe that some phantom decorator was planting things in the store because I found so many coordinating fabrics at the time.

Recently Maren expressed some interest in sewing and she stitched a quilt top with her Christmas sewing machine, a gift from me. She has lots of artistic genes. I wonder why she didn’t get the sewing bug as a child like I did? Maybe it’s not too late. She is beginning to like those pieces of fabric. Recently she told me she is finding some nice fabric lengths in DI—dropped off by ex-addicts like me, for sure.

So, is there a place for thread in my future? If anyone would get me a little granddaughter I would be tempted to make some lacy dresses and bunny Halloween costumes. If my daughter gets married I would make a wedding dress if she wanted. I am sure there will be other temptations. The desire is still there, especially when I walk through a fabric store and feast my eyes on all the goods. If I am careful and don’t touch anything I can make it out without a bag.

I was born an artist and a craftsman. I do regret some of the time I let these projects take from my life but I understand how it happened. The process of creating calmed me. And then nothing is more fulfilling and exhilarating than holding a beautiful well-crafted piece you made yourself. The joy is even greater when your project is turned inside out and you can see all your well-placed threads marching in well-behaved little rows along the seams. OK, some stitches are not so well behaved, but those wayward threads just point to my humanity. Such is life.

ORZO CAPRESE SALAD

2011-07-23T18:22:00.003-06:00

This is my new favorite pasta salad. It is so fresh and summary I can't leave it alone. I have a bumper crop of basil this year so I am making it a lot. I included a home made dressing but if you have a favorite commercial Italian dressing it will work.

ORZO CAPRESE SALAD

1 box of orzo pasta, cooked and rinsed in cold water

3 cups grape tomatoes cut in half

1 lb. soft mozzarella cheese cut into ½ inch cubes

¾ cup coarse grated Parmesan cheese

Bunch about 4 or 5 cluster tops of basil in your hand

and with kitchen scissors snip into slivers to make a

generous ½-1 cup of basil (The second time I wanted more basil)
1/2 C. Pine nuts is good but not necessafy

Dressing: Put 1 T. olive oil in a small frying pan and finely grate 2

Cloves of garlic into it and stir fry until it is a golden brown.

Remove to a blender. Add ½ C. olive oil, 3 T red wine vinegar,

1 small Roma tomato peeled (boiling water), seeded (seeds removed)
and chopped, ½ tsp dried basil or 4-5 fresh basil leaves, ¼ tsp. salt and pepper

Blend until smooth. Pour 6-8 T. on the pasta mixture and toss together.
Add some more salt and fresh grated pepper to taste. This makes a big salad
but it will stay fresh in the refrigerator 5 or 6 days.

INSPIRATION AND STEWARDSHIP

2011-07-18T16:29:00.000-06:00

The Carla and Perry Taylor Miracle

Attending a new Ward after 29 years in one is worrisome. And to make to make it worse our new Ward was not a Ward but a fledgling, 4 month old Branch in a new area of Fruit Heights that was expected to grow rapidly. There were times when as little as 10 women sat in Relief Society. I didn’t understand at the beginning, that having us all new was a plus. Our new Relief Society president sparkled with enthusiasm. She wanted to bring together all the new move-ins and make them feel comfortable. Her presidency came with dinner when we were packing in boxes; soup, bread, a salad with strawberries. It was nice but I thought, “Someone is moving in every week, can you keep this up?” They did. I learned they had a dozen dinners in their freezers ready to go. I was impressed. It did make me feel welcome. When it was my birthday a month later they all came again with a little gift and well wishes. “Wow, you all are amazing!”

After a year in the Ward I was called to be the compassionate service leader. My job would be to work with my lovely, ambitious Relief Society President, Cherise Cragun. And I hoped I could convince her that the sisters in the Ward needed to take a more active roll in her ideas for helping and serving one another. I could see that burnout might come if she continued to do so much herself. E-mail made my job easy and finding volunteers for help was as easy as a morning e-mail to all the sisters. I was impressed at how eager so many were to help.

Soon after my call Cherise advised me that we needed to find dinners for Carla Taylor’s family 3 days a week. Carla had 2 small children and a teenage son. Her husband had recently checked into rehab to deal with some addiction issues. Carla had gone back to work to support the family. She was not attending church at the time. Someone in the Ward volunteered to take dinner into the family every Monday. (How wonderful of you Jackie Giles). I needed to find two other days. (Plus the RS presidency often did another day here and there) Cherise said this assignment would be ongoing until further notice. I learned, in my new assignment, that there are some you can count on over and over. Mostly everyone wanted to help when asked personally. As the weeks turned into months I started to question the wisdom in so many dinners. Was it too much to ask of the sisters? Thankfully, I never expressed my reservations. It was not that anyone was complaining. Cherise met with Carla regularly. I had to believe that she had a pulse on the situation. Finally we were done. I never saw Carla Taylor during this time.

The little branch seemed to grow in spite of the downturn in the economy and I started to lose the ability to recognize everyone. This is a great little family neighborhood. One Sunday a tall, beautiful woman with long dark hair sat with Mike and I on the short benches. I introduced myself. She said, “I am Carla Taylor.” “Oh, Wow, I am so happy to meet you!” I said.” And I was happy. Of course, this woman would want to come and be with the generous people that had fed her family for months and helped her get through a difficult time. Surely she was confident of our love, concern and support. I began noticing Carla each Sunday in Relief Society with a sweet little girl who was not quite ready to leave her mom for Primary.

I didn’t make the connection at first, but at some point I started to see a big and tall man with dark curly hair, moving around church with his leg elevated on its own little scooter. I talked to him in the hall about his ongoing problem with a foot that split open and would not heal. He could not walk on it. His name: Perry Taylor, Carla’s husband. I noticed that their teenage son was actively involved with the boys in the Ward. Carla told me that his activity was influential in her decision to attend. It gave me a lot of joy to see this little family sit together in sacrament meeting. Perry was not a member but he began meeting with the missionaries and eventually agreed to baptism. I like to look for them on that bench close to the front, glowing in the newness of their spirit. I misjudged and it humbles me.

Several months ago Perry was assigned to be our home teacher with someone who is seasoned in the church to mentor him in the way to do it. I look forward to his visits. We compare our foot problems. We both had foot surgery in January. Perry is walking without his scooter now, sometimes with a walking cast, sometimes in a special shoe. He brings a lesson to teach us. We are impressed as he is working hard to learn the gospel. He feels inadequate to his new life. He read a quote about the Celestial Kingdom from the Ensign once. He said, “I will never go there. I spent too many years as a hard drinker.” Mike wisely brought up the parable of the “Workers in the Vineyard.” The Lord gave everyone a penny whether they came early or late. Yes Perry, you can aspire to the Celestial Kingdom. Isn’t the gospel wonderful!

It has been about 3 years since we began taking dinner into the Taylor family. When Perry came to visit this month he had an invitation for us. He and Carla will take out their endowments on July 12 and we are invited to attend with them. It has been such a beautiful thing for me to watch this story unfold and to learn that God knew Cherise would do the right thing in organizing us to love this family as long as they needed it. It is never hard to love those you serve. I hope I have learned not to question the inspiration that comes with stewardship.

Recently Little Joshua Taylor bore his testimony in church. He said that he was happy that, “a missionary was living with them.” Then the missionary got up. He taught the Taylor family the gospel while serving here. When he finished his mission he moved to Utah and is living with the miracle family he baptized.

The temple experience with the Taylors was sweet. About 35 Ward members attended the session to show their support. I have never seen that many members in the temple together. I sat there thinking about Carla and Perry hearing everything for the first time. I remembered my first time, knowing that it is so different from any other church experience that it can be daunting. But with a commitment to return it will soon be comfortable. There is nowhere on earth with this much peace.

I was surprised to see a fellow writer, Donna Jones, in the session. She and her husband Kent are leaders in the LDS addiction recovery program. She told me that Perry was “one of her boys.” She said when he first started attending the program he told them, “I don’t know why I am here because I don’t like the LDS church.” So, why did Perry come in the first place and why did he stay? Donna said that his teenage son convinced him it was the best place and came with him offering tender support. She said his progress has been a beautiful miracle. And I liked what Donna said about his wife. “Without Carla’s support and love it never would have happened, because, there was a point when she threatened to leave. “—so many beautiful pieces fitting together to make it all happen.

I felt honored to have a little reception in our home for Carla and Perry that evening after the Temple. Three years ago no one could have imagined this. I love miracles.

PARAPROSDOKIAN

2011-07-13T11:39:00.002-06:00

My summer has been busy and I am neglecting my blog. Someone e-mailed me this list of Paraprosdokians today (Thanks Alicia) and they made me think and chuckle so I thought you might need some minds expanding snickers today. Enjoy!

I had to look up "paraprosdokian". Here is the definition: "Figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation." "Where there's a will, I want to be in it," is a type of paraprosdokian.

Ok, so now enjoy!

1. Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.

3. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

8. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good Evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.

9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

10. A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.

11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.

12. Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR.'

13. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.

17. I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.

18. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

19. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

20. There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.

21. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

22. You're never too old to learn something stupid.

23. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

24. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

25. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

26. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

27. A diplomat is someone who tells you to go to hell in such a way that you look forward to the trip.

28. Hospitality is making your guests feel at home even when you wish they were.

290. When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.

Words of Wisdom

"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese."

CASTELNAUD ON THE DORDOGNE RIVER FRANCE

2011-07-06T12:58:00.002-06:00

Last fall we spent 5 days in a condo overlooking the Dordogne River in southern France. This is a view from a boat we took one afternoon with a view of a medieval fortress, Castelnaud, on the hill. It was a scene to take your breath away. 20x24 - Oil on Canvas board

BUTTER CHICKEN

2011-06-30T21:51:00.002-06:00

This is an Indian dish but so mild (if you don't add the heat) that picky eaters like my husband and brother-in-law like it. It does not have a strong spicy flavor. I can see children enjoying this lovely dish. I adapted this to make it easy and quick to prepare. I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs. 6 thighs makes about 4 cups of cooked chicken. I have also made it by boning a rotisserie chicken to make my 4 cups of chicken. Rotisserie chicken makes a very quick dish with no loss of flavor.

If you are using raw chicken toss 6 chicken thighs or 3 breasts cut into 3 pieces each in 1 T. oil and some garlic powder. Broil on a cookie sheet until lightly brown, turning to brown both sides. Remove from oven. Continue to broil the drippings in the pan for a minute or two to make some nice brown crusty drippings (but don't burn). Remove from the oven and add 1 cup of water to loosen the flavorful drippings and save to pour into the sauce. If you are using a rotisserie chicken boil the bones and skin and use 1 cup of the strained broth for the sauce. Cut up the cooked chicken into bite size pieces making 4 cups.

Grate 5 cloves of garlic into a large saucepan with 3 T butter. Add 1/2 chopped onion (about 1 scant cup) Cook and stir in the butter until the onions and garlic start to brown. Add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper and 1 - 14 oz can of petite diced tomatoes and 1 small can of tomato sauce. Use an immersion blender and crush the sauce until it is a bit smoother. Add your 1 cup of broth. Add:

1 tsp. ground Coriander

1 tsp. ground Cardamon

1 tsp ground Cumin

1/2 - 1 tsp. Garam Masala (optional, only if you like a little more spice)

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (most people can tolerate this much but could be eliminated)

Juice from one small lime

Add the chicken and simmer for 25 minutes - If using rotisserie chicken don't add until the last 10 minutes. Add 3/4 cup whipping cream and heat through Serve over white or basmati rice with chopped cilantro on top if desired. Makes 6 servings.

ARIZONA WITH LOVE

2011-06-22T20:32:00.004-06:00

(Click on the pictures to see larger size and eliminate the words over the pictures, should you have that problem. You can then watch it in a slide show)

ARIZONA WITH LOVE

A morning drive to St. George

Enjoying an afternoon in the temple

Four, packed for Arizona

Stopping for the Wire Canyon slot hike

Lovely slivers of golden light

Bouncing on the tunnel walls

And to our eyes

Route 66

Winslow Arizona

Elegant old Spanish hotel with

The hollyhock garden courtyard

Ornate iron gates and rusty metal animals

A little taste of lovely bread pudding

Painted desert, glowing in the sun

Petrified forest walk

Pressing forward in a stiff wind

Reading Addie Hamblin’s story on the road

Awed by her life of love and service

Anticipating Alpine

Grandmother Iris’s birthplace

Jacob Hamblin’s burial spot

Where it all began

Up the canyon through the tall pines to Alpine

Eerie red sky

Dull light and smoke

A fire in the forest

40,000 acres burn in 2 days

Evacuating Alpine

Find the cemetery, at least

A look at Jacob’s resting place

Clear skies encircle the little burial plot

Reading all the names amid fallen pine needles

Serenity there

Disappointment, I wanted more of Alpine

A peek at Eager

Cedar trees and Sage

Also once home to the Hamblin Clan

A giant, awesome explosion cloud over the forest fire

Wow!

On to Snowflake

And the precious little temple on a hill

A session with Viki

Peace and joy

Quaint little Jerome

Artsy city on a hillside

Earrings for Maren

Lunch at the old Palace Inn, Prescott

Old cars and Dog fair

Sedona at last

Surprise red bluff setting

A visit to the Frank Lloyd Wright hillside chapel

Happy to unload for a week

Hot tub, card games, cooking again

Pasta, chicken, grilled tomatoes and Lava cakes

Morning walk at Red Rock Crossing

Ahhhh’s abound

Millions of rocks for millions of cairns

Shallow broad stream

Flowing over rusty colored slickrock

Cathedral Rock

Rising in the clear blue like a giant castle

Climbing the sheer sandstone cliffs to a view of the world

Not too old to climb yet, but

Sore thighs are the price we pay

Dinner at the Elote Café

Recommended by friends

Arrive at 4:30, queue until 5:00 PM seating

Beautiful presentation, tasty food with a Southwest flare

Recipe book for me

Chef Smedstad coming to sign my book

Can’t wait to cook from it

Grasshopper point hike

Viki swims with phone and float away money ($15)

Lots of galleries but not to satisfy me

Call of the Canyon hike on a cool pristine morning

3 hours of glorious red rock vistas, numerous stream crossings and

Sparkling reflections of sky, stone and wildflowers

Might be the most beautiful hike ever

Afternoon at Slide Rock

Natures waterslide with all the spills and thrills

Mike and Steve mustering nerve to slide

Finally, zip off to screams and laughs

We women wade

A sweet day for families with children

Cathedral Rock on fire at sunset

Reflections shimmer in the stream below

Dual red images steal my heart

Desire for another sundown here

Last hike, climbing briskly to the Eagle overlook

Back across bridge covered waterways with

Firecracker green grasses in the Red Rock State Park

Windrush Gallery, my kind of art, finally

Paintings to inspire me

A straight shot home, 11 long hours

Finish reading the Hamblin story as the miles melt away

Humbled by this family’s amazing experiences

Wish I could turn it into a novel

Goodby, sweet Arizona

A BETTER HOT FUDGE PUDDING CAKE

2011-06-18T20:53:00.001-06:00

I have made a Hot Fudge Pudding Cake for years. Fresh out of the oven it is gooey and rich, with only 2 T. of fat. It is quick to make with stuff you already have. But ice cream is a must. The recipe makes only 6 servings. If you double the recipe it needs a bigger than 9x13 pan. You might want to bake it in 2 separate pans. The rich chocolate flavor is much improved with the addition of chocolate chips in the batter and some vanilla or coffee in the water.

IMPROVED HOT FUDGE PUDDING CAKE

1 C. flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 T. cocoa
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 C. milk
2 T vegetable oil or melted butter
1/2 t. vanilla

1/3 C. semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. baking cocoa
1 3/4 C. very hot water

1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix flour, sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, the baking powder and salt. Mix in milk, oil and ½ tsp vanilla until smooth. Add 1/3 C. chocolate chips. Spread in 9 inch square pan or a 7X11 caserole. Mix brown sugar and 1/4 c. cocoa together then sprinkle over batter. Mix 1 tsp. vanilla and (optional) 1 serving of instant coffee powder in the very hot water and pour over batter. (Since I don’t drink coffee I buy the little box that has 10 serving packets in it.) The mocha flavor makes it extra rich. Bake 30 minutes.

THE JOY OF THE SAINTS - TALK

2011-06-08T16:03:00.000-06:00

I was asked to talk in church a couple of weeks ago. This is my talk.

THE JOY OF THE SAINTS

Recently I sat in the Temple reading Enos in the Book of Mormon. It happened as it does sometimes, I read something I had never read before. Enos was in the forest praying and contemplating words that he had (quote), “often heard my father speak concerning eternal life,” but that’s not all. Then he wrote this beautiful phrase new to me but I will cherish it always now. Enos said he also remembered the words his father said about , “the joy of the saints.” --the Joy of the Saints—the two things he remembered from his father was, eternal life and the joy of the Saints. I like that a lot! What kind of things do you think Enos remembered about the “joy of the saints?” Maybe his father talked about Primary and what a great teacher he had and songs that they sang that he still remembered, or how wonderful it was to have home and visiting teachers who came every month that loved his family. Maybe he talked about how nice it is to be with good people like we have here every Sunday and how they inspire us to be better. Maybe he talked about how these good saints all fasted one Sunday when his child was sick or how they brought in food when his wife had a baby. There are so many good memories when you begin to contemplate the “joy of the Saints.” With inspiration from Elder Ballards recent Conference talk I would like to talk about how blessed we are to be here together as a Ward Family loving, serving and teaching one another.

Our 4 years here has been a joy. I am so impressed with the wisdom and goodness of you wonderful people. If I had time I could tell specifically how you have touched my life. When I was a child my family was not active. My stepfather was an alcoholic and there was domestic violence in my home. When I went to school I tagged along to Primary in the afternoon with the other children. I sat on the long wooden benches in the old Wellington church and sang “The Light Divine.” The sweet spirit enveloped me. That song still makes me cry. The “joy of the saints” touched me very young. My mother had a beautiful soprano voice and these good saints invited her to sing and she did and came back to church. The missionaries came weekly to teach my step-father for 10 years. I sat there and learned the gospel with him. He eventually joined but could never give up the alcohol but the “joy of the saints” in that community taught me and loved my dysfunctional family and I knew, when I was young, that I always wanted to be with good loving people like they were. And I can say that I have had great joy in my church associations, because I have been loved, served and taught in so many ways.

Boyd K. Packer: "In one sense, we ourselves may participate in an atonement, when we are willing to restore to others that which we have not taken, or heal wounds that we did not inflict, or pay a debt that we did not incur, we are emulating His part in the Atonement." (CR Oct. 1995)

As Saints in a church community we have numerous opportunities to “participate in an atonement” with our fellow Ward members because we know them and we organize to serve and teach each other. It is a beautiful thing.

Rabbi Harold Kushner in his book, “Who Needs God” has touched me with his words in support of a religious community.

“It makes an immense difference whether we see ourselves as isolated individuals at war with the rest of the world, or as links in a network of human beings working for each other’s happiness as well as our own and depending on other people to help us find what we cannot get for ourselves. On this question, the teaching of religion is clear: ‘It is not good that man should be alone’ (Genesis 1:4) P.99

“True religion offers to redeem us from loneliness… by teaching us to see our neighbors as ourselves, to be aware of their humanity, their fears and feelings, instead of only being aware of our own. True religion teaches us not how to win friends but how to be a friend, to be concerned with alleviating the loneliness of others, learning to hear their cry instead of wondering why no one hears ours…When we learn to see the people around us as needing love, as being entitled to love, every bit as much as we are, we discover that we cure our loneliness in the act of reaching out to them. And furthermore, true religion teaches us that, once we have met God, we may find ourselves widowed and unmarried, unemployed or unpopular, but even then, God’s closeness will protect us from a sense of abandonment and despair.

“What does religion offer that we lonely human souls need? In a word, it offers community. Our place of worship offers us a refuge, an island of caring in the midst of a hostile, competitive world. In a society that segregates the old from the young, the rich from the poor, the successful from the struggling, the house of worship represents one place where the barriers fall and we all stand equal before God. (P. 102-103)

“And that is why I feel there is something lacking in the life of a person who says, ‘I believe strongly in God; I don’t need a building or a formal service to find Him.” Religion is community. It is the way people learn to relate to each other and to belong to each other in truly human ways. (p. 105)

“In congregational worship, regularly scheduled services on a Saturday or Sunday morning, I have come to believe that the congregating is more important than the words we speak. Something miraculous happens when people come together seeking the presence of God. The miracle is that we so often find it. Somehow the whole becomes more than the sum of its parts. A spirit is created in our midst which none of us brought there. In fact, each of us came there looking for it because we did not have it when we were alone. But in our coming together, we create the mood and the moment in which God is present.” (P. 149) Harold Kushner

I love Moroni chapter 7. Mormon talks about the “peaceable followers of Christ” and how he knew they were because of their “peaceable walk with the children of men.” I know we all want to be “peaceable followers of Christ” as we move through our daily connections.

Of course we are not perfect and we are sometimes offended and offend. Mormon taught us about charity in this chapter. He gave us a list that we would do well to contemplate every day. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,

It is hard not to envy and we so often are puffed up and easily provoked. This list is not always easy but Mormon gave us the key to success at the end of the chapter. He said …”pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.”

I love this scripture! For me it is a key to being a joyful saint

What if the main focus of our prayers every day was not on what we need but on pleading with all of our energy to be “filled with love” -- asking to be guided as we try to become “peaceable followers of Christ.” Surely this is a prayer that God would answer as he helped us to suffer long and be kind. Surely many joyful things would happen as we grow to become more like Christ as the scripture promises.

I look forward to many more joys with you great Saints of the Fruit Heights 9^th Ward as we go forward together as “peaceable followers of Christ,” seeking to participate in an atonement daily as we are guided by the spirit of Christ. And hopefully our children will recall the “joy of the saints” as Enos did. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

NEW PAINTING - CHENONCEAU KITCHEN WINDOW

2011-05-28T11:03:00.001-06:00

I am painting again. I finished 3 commissions for my kids (I will show you the one I did for Colette soon, if I dare, it is an abstract symbolic painting--a little weird.) and now I am on to my photos from Europe last fall. Chenonceau is a wonderful Chateau in the Loire Valley of France. It was my favorite Chateau of all because it was designed by women. All the rooms had a fresh flower arrangement in it. If I live long enough I will paint other pictures from here. This Chateau had a kitchen with the most wonderful copper pots, kitchen tools and old jars. This is a scene from the kitchen window.

ROASTED SALSA

2011-05-26T10:05:00.001-06:00

This is a cooked salsa and lasts a little longer in the refrigerator. If you do it on the grill you will need one of those grill pans with holes. You can also broil it on high in the oven. The grill gives it a little bit of a smoky taste which is very nice.

4-5 Tomatoes boiled for a minute for easy removal of the skins.
2 cloves of garlic sliced thin or grated
1 small sweet onion or red onion sliced
1 T Cumin seeds crushed in a mortar and pistil
4 Jalapeno peppers with the seeds and white membrane removed to control heat, sliced.
1/2 tsp. salt

Toss it all with 1 T olive oil and place in a grilling pan on the barbecue or on a cookie sheet for the broiler. Cook until it starts to char a little - 7-10 minutes. If you are cooking it on the grill stir it every 30 seconds or so. If in the broiler stir a couple of time. Chop coarsely in a food processor. Add some cilantro if you are so inclined. (My husband doesn't like cilantro so I use 2-3 T chopped Greek Oregano if I think he might eat some.)

MERCY

2011-05-22T19:37:00.001-06:00

Mercy is a word with a spiritual connotation and I have always known what it meant on some level but recently our Sunday School teacher shared a definition with the class that she found in a Wall Street Journal article. (April 14, 2011, A Definitive American Life by Barton Swain) This definition came from an 1828 Webster Dictionary. It made me realize how much dictionaries have changed.

Mercy: “That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespass and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or justice will warrant. In this sense, there is perhaps no word in our language precisely synonymous with mercy. That which comes nearest to it is grace. It implies benevolence, tenderness, mildness, pity or compassion, and clemency, but exercised only towards offenders. Mercy is a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being.”

This is a beautiful concept. No wonder we plead for mercy from God in our undeserving state. And I am completely amazed that he is willing to give it so freely. I have a scripture that I say to myself after I have gone through the veil during my weekly temple visits.

Be merciful unto me O God
Be merciful unto me.
For My soul trusteth in thee
Yea in the shadow of thy Wings
Will I make my refuge,
Until these calamities be overpast. Psalms 57:1

There are 4 winged vases in the Celestial room of the Bountiful Temple and they have become a symbol of hope to me for my 4 children. “….in the shadow of thy Wings will I make my refuge…” (see Wings of Hope) I cherish this definition of Mercy because it paints a picture of all that I am pleading for as an offender. I want to be better than I am and I need more consideration than I can ever earn. I plead for the benevolence, tenderness, mildness, pity and clemency promised in this definition. But can I give Mercy as I beg for it. It is not easy. Only with God’s help can I learn to give Mercy when I am offended.

LEMON AIOLI - Multiple Use

2011-05-17T15:09:00.001-06:00

This is a delicious recipe and I have used it in a myriad of ways. I changed the recipe a little with exact measurements for the lemon juice and peel instead of juice and peel from one lemon. It is lovely with salmon and shrimp. Fish cakes are dressed up with the aioli. Below is a chicken recipe that is very good with it.

Lemon Aioli

Ingredients
1 egg
2 tsp. Dijon mustard (I used coarse grain)
1 clove garlic, grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 C olive oil

1/2 C vegetable oil
4 scant T fresh lemon juice

1 T finely grated lemon peel

Method: Blend the egg, 2 T lemon juice, mustard, garlic and seasoning until combined. While the blender motor is running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream until the mixture is thick and creamy. Finally, add the remaining lemon juice and the zest. Season to taste. Keep in a bottle and enjoy on fish, salad, chicken, pasta, veggies or simply dip your finger in it and enjoy!!

Tuna Cakes With Aioli

Serves 5 - makes about 10 fish cakes

Ingredients

3 tins of Albacore Tuna drained
3/4 cup of dry Oats or cracker crumbs
salt/ pepper
zest and juice of a big lemon
3 eggs
1-2 T chopped chives if desired

Method
Mix all the ingredients together and make 10 fish cakes using your hands to shape them. Heat a skillet on the stove and add the oil. Fry them until golden brown on both sides. Serve with the lemon aioli!

Salmon Cakes with Aioli

1 large can of Salmon with bones and skin removed

1/2 C. oats or cracker crumbs

Salt and Pepper

2 tsp. zest and 1 T. of fresh lemon juice

2 eggs

Mix everything together form into pattys and brown in a little oil. Serve with Lemon Aioli.

I have a favorite Chicken recipe Creamy Lemon Chicken It is served with salted whipped cream and lemon slices. Instead of this I folded 1/4 cup of the Lemon Aioli into the salted whipped cream and it was delicious. I also tossed spaghetti and asparagus with the lemon aioli and Parmesan cheese. It was so good I will do it again.

The chicken served with whipped cream and lemon aioli and the pasta tossed it the same.

The chicken ready to bake

MOVIE REVIEW - THE WILDEST DREAM

2011-05-13T11:58:00.000-06:00

After reading Jeffery Archer’s wonderful book Paths of Glory about George Malroy’s attempts to climb Everest, I couldn’t wait to see the documentary on the subject “The Wildest Dream.”

George Malroy lost his life on Everest on his 3^rd attempt at the top in 1924. In 1999 Conrad Anker found his body very close to the top. It was never known if he was on his way back from the top or still moving forward. Malroys body was very much intact after all these years because of the frigid conditions on Everest. The one thing they didn’t find on him was the picture of his wife he promised to leave at the top if he made it. Thus the answer to the mystery is forever in question. Malroy's climbing partner Sandy Irvine was also lost but his body has never been found.

In the movie Conrad Anker attempts to recreate Malroy's climb, including having the clothes he wore made to see how they functioned. The old pictures and film were stunning to me. I enjoyed so much seeing the pictures of Malroy and his family including many from the actual climb. I am not an Everest aficionado. For me this was a love story in conflict--the love of his wife and family and the love of the climb. 4 stars

STRAWBERRY MOUSSE PIE - For Mothers Day

2011-05-05T10:18:00.003-06:00

This is cool, creamy, and lovely beyond anything! Try Raspberries this summer.

COOKIE PIE CRUST: Melt 1/2 C. real butter in a saucepan and cook over med heat until it starts to brown (this is optional but I love the flavor it gives the crust) Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 C. sugar 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 1/2 C Flour. Crumble together and press into a 10 inch pie plate making the sides as even as possible around the top. Bake in a 350 oven for 10 minutes or until it starts to brown. This makes a generous 10 inch pie.

Strawberry Mousse:

1. Blend 1 lb. strawberries until liquified. (blender or food processor.) Press and stir through a sieve to remove as many seeds as possible. (The finer the sieve the more seeds you can capture.) You need 1 Cup of puree.

2. Whip 12 oz. cream cheese with the puree and 1 cup of sugar.

3. Whip 1 ½ C of cream to stiff . Add 1 T. Vanilla instant pudding. (I keep a box of instant pudding in a jar to use to stabilize cream when I whip it. It gives a nice flavor too.)

4. Fold the cream into the cream cheese mixture until well blended and pour into the cooled pie shell. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours. This pie stays good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. (If you can get it to last that long) It also freezes well. I made it early for an event and froze it. It was perfect after thawing in the refrigerator for a day.

Sauce: Crush ½ lb. strawberries. If you have any puree left over use it in the sauce. Add brown sugar to taste and 1 T. vanilla instant pudding to thicken a little. Spoon some over the pieces when serving. Makes 8 generous servings.

This is also wonderful with raspberries!

MOVIE REVIEW - THE NEW JANE EYRE

2011-05-01T09:45:00.002-06:00

The New Jane Eyre

I am a Jane Eyre Aficionado. I have loved the novel since I was a young girl. The story has so much merit to show us how character can be developed in spite of growing up in difficult circumstances. Jane Eyre does not compromise her standards and do the thing that feels good rather than that which is right. We need heroines today who stick to their values and moral beliefs.

There has been 18 versions of Jane Eyre on the screen. These are my favorites and a critique of the new Jane Eyre.

In 1983 my husband gave me a VCR copy of the Timothy Dalton version, which is 4 hours long. I have watched it dozens of times over the years. It is pure escapism for me. I never tire of it. No one has ever played Rochester quite like Dalton. He is too handsome for the part but his acting, brogue, and sheer sparkle is so captivating that your eyes are glued to him. He definitely steals the show from Jane in this version who is a little too understated and mousy. But she doesn’t ruin it for me.

In 2006 Masterpiece Theatre produced yet another 4 hour movie. The chemistry in this version between Jane and Rochester may be the best of all. This Jane is a little more antimated and pretty. Rochester is good but not Dalton caliber. I felt the romance and passion between the characters stronger in this adaptation and the ending is wonderfully delightful as they take the story a step further. It was a very satisfying conclusion.

The new Jane Eyre, made for the mass market, suffers from its two hours. I like Mia Wasikowska as Jane. She may be the best character image. Michael Fassbender was just OK as Rochester. He didn’t ruin it but didn’t sparkle in the part. The chemistry was somewhat lacking and because of the shortness of the movie it didn’t get time to develop. My husband remarked that the romance didn’t feel quite real. It didn’t bother me but then I have so much history in the story that it naturally flows for me.

Thornfield hall was perfect, feeling like the residence of Count Dracula. However the lighting was too dark through the entire movie. There was lots of natural candle light with shadows and candle glow on faces and places. It had its charm but more light in parts would have been a good contrast.

The movie wanted to have a unique twist so it began in the middle when Jane runs away. Then the story moves in flashbacks. It didn’t bother me, but I can see how it could get confusing to someone not familiar with the story.

When Jane is taken in by St. John Rivers and his sisters it is never revealed that she is related to them. I liked that. It always seemed a little to coincidental but then perhaps it was Providence.

For the shortness of the movie there was still some long contemplative scenes, beautifully thoughtful and emotional that surprised me were left in. The ending was rushed and did not satisfy. But still I liked it very much. A friend who saw it was very disappointed. Maybe it is hard to ruin Jane Eyre for me. 3 of 4 stars.

CHICKEN BURRITO CASSEROLE

2011-04-27T08:04:00.002-06:00

This is a recipe that I have made for many years in different ways. It is a great family dinner. Recently I worked up a real recipe, which it never had before. It makes a big hearty casserole that will feed 8 easily. The leftovers freeze well or heat up nicely.

1.In a medium sauce pan put 1 T. oil and grate in 2-3 cloves of garlic and 2 tsp. fresh ground cumin seeds (in a mortar and pistil) or use ground cumin. Sauté until the garlic starts to brown.

2. Add 3-4 large chopped jalapeno peppers (minus the seeds and white membrane to control the heat) or 1 can chopped green chiles.

3. Add 4 C. chicken broth. (I usually use a rotisserie chicken for this. After removing all the meat I boil the bones and skin and strain the broth for use here)

4. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir together ¾ C. flour and ¾ C. water to make a thickening paste and stir into the broth and cook for 1 minute siring and boiling gently.

5. Stir in 1 C. sour cream. Remove 1 ½ C. for the top. Add 4 cups cooked chicken to the remaining sauce.

6. Spray a 9X13 pan with non-stick cooking spray and put about ½ c. sauce in the bottom of the dish, spread to cover as much as possible. Lay 6 , 8-inch flour tortillas around the edge of the dish sticking half out. Tear one tortilla in half for the bottom.

7. Spread 1 Can of refried beans across the bottom of the tortillas and one can of drained and rinsed black beans on top.

8. Cover with 8 oz grated or sliced cheese--cheddar or Monterey jack. Pour the chicken and sauce over this and fold over the tortillas. Cover the hole with the other half you used in the bottom.

9. Pour the saved sauce over the top and top with more grated cheese. Cover and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 if you just made it. If you are baking it cold, pre-prepared it will take about and hour. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into squares or just scoop out and serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

I also make this with leftover roast beef and gravy. Hamburger also works with tomato sauce instead of thickened broth and 1 T. chile powder with the other spices.

THE GOSPEL OF LOVE - Religious Essay by Me

2011-04-22T17:00:00.002-06:00

The Gospel of Love

Last fall, as we traveled in Europe, we had an opportunity to attend church in the far flung reaches of the kingdom. The spirit was sweet in a small branch in Southern Hungary. A fresh faced young missionary from South Jordon, Utah sat with us and translated sacrament meeting. According to this elder Hungarian is one of the most difficult languages, but he created a spirit and a message for us after only a little over a year in the country. Most of the women were in slacks, perhaps the only wardrobe piece available. No one seemed to mind.

Later in Malaga Spain we attended an English speaking branch. Southern Spain has had an influx of Immigrants from England who have come to Malaga to get warm and experience sunshine. Malaga delivers both. During Sunday school a middle aged male investigator asked the question, “Does this church emphasize love? For me to be interested Love must be the driving force.” Do we, I wondered? Is it our main focus? Are we motivated in our service and devotion by love or do we press forward trying to be obedient without worrying about being loving. “To obey is better than sacrifice,” (1 Samual 15:22) but is it better than to love. Or is it that to love is the best obedience as we try to be like Christ?

Christ taught, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35)

Does that mean we love everyone? Love is not always easy. How do I judge my day to day loving? Is avoiding people I don’t feel loving toward OK. Temple service, church assignments, visiting teaching, prayer—I try to do them out of love, but sometimes I know it is about obedience. Will God judge me ill on these days of mere obedience? I cannot answer all of these questions but I have given them a lot of thought. I desire to be a valiant disciple of Christ and have sought some answers in the scriptures.

Matthew 5

43¶Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, love your enemies bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

I have joy in the teachings of John Lund concerning verse 48 ”…be ye therefore perfect.” It is taken out of context most of the time. It belongs to the message of the paragraph of which it is the ending. Verse 43 has a paragraph sign so we know this is where Christ meant the thought to begin as he teaches us about love. Then he ends it with “…be ye therefore perfect.” Surely he meant perfect in loving—perfect in the concepts he just taught. Oh how difficult it is to be perfect in loving our enemies. But if we believe the promise that he will help us it may be possible.

Corinthians 13

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never failith: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

This list, of the characteristics of love, means a lot to me. Each concept is clear and by them I can judge my loving behavior. Many of them are difficult and not natural to most of us. It is not easy to suffer and be kind and not envy and not be puffed up. Sometimes it is hard to believe all things and bear all things. Oh, and it is so difficult to not be easily provoked. But verse 2 says, “and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. What about all the fast offerings and tithing I paid and meetings I attended, don’t they mean anything? It is clear isn’t it? We must learn to do all those difficult things on the list. But how? The Book of Mormon has such a beautiful answer to the how in Moroni 7:48. I cherish this scripture above all others because it gives me hope to the possibilities that I can be better at loving and maybe in time approach perfection in one area. This is a beautiful principle with a promise.

Moroni 7:48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

“…be ye therefore perfect.” “…we shall be like him.”

For me these words helped me to see that I need to pray every day to be “filled with …love.” I have tried hard to say every day in my prayers “help me to be filled with love.” This prayer has changed me. I find it easier to not envy and not to be easily provoked. But when I fail I know I can begin again. I am far from where I need or want to be in the charity list but I see improvement. With Christ it is not so much as where we are but what direction we are going. I believe that as I continue to pray for love with “energy of heart” that He will be with me. This prayer will be answered.

Is seeing “through the glass darkly,” not understanding the precepts of the gospel of love? I wonder.

SPINACH AND MUSHROOM QUESADILLAS

2011-04-18T17:37:00.005-06:00

Spinach with Mushrooms is one of my favorite taste combinations, Spinach and Mushroom Crepes especially with cheese and a little thyme. The Pioneer Woman had this recipe Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas. I adapted it some. Here is my recipe. This is something I will make often, I know. It is easy and so yummy! This will make 4 Quesadillas or enough for 4-6 people.

12 Oz. sliced mushrooms
8 C. packed spinach leaves (I used my 4 cup measuring cup and packed it twice.)
6-8 T. butter.
1-2 cloves garlic
8 oz. grated Monterey Jack cheese
8- 8 inch flour tortillas

Melt 3 T. butter in a large frying pan. Add 1-2 cloves of grated garlic as per your taste and 1/2 tsp. dry thyme leaves. If you have fresh use a generous 1 tsp. Stir fry until the mushrooms are starting to brown. Remove from the pan and add the spinach with 4 T. water and 1 T butter. Stir until all wilted. Cover and simmer on low for 2-3 minutes. Cool slightly and chop a little.

Spread a little soft butter on the bottom of all the tortillas as you cook them. Sprinkle a tortilla with cheese, scatter some mushrooms and then some spinach over and more cheese and another tortilla. Grill until brown on both sides and the cheese is melted. Cut with a pizza cutter into 4 sections and enjoy. If you like to dip Marinara sauce is good.

Sometime I am going to try them with pepper jack cheese and omit the thyme leaves. This variety would be good dipped in salsa. Also a little chicken would be nice sprinkled in if you need meat.

WHAT MANNER OF MEN AND WOMEN OUGHT YE TO BE?

2011-04-12T19:39:00.004-06:00

I have thought a lot about Brother Lynn G Robbins talk from April Conference 2 weeks ago. Brother Robbins geared it to teaching children but I thought the principles were far reaching in evaluating our discipleship. Here are some of the thoughtful passages. To me this talk was unique and clever.

To become as He is, we must also do the things He did: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do” (3 Nephi 27:21; emphasis added).

To be and to do are inseparable. As interdependent doctrines they reinforce and promote each other. Faith inspires one to pray, for example, and prayer in turn strengthens one's faith.

The Savior often denounced those who did without being—calling them hypocrites: “This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mark 7:6). To do without to be is hypocrisy, or feigning to be what one is not—a pretender.

Conversely, to be without to do is void, as in “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17; emphasis added). Be without do really isn’t being—it is self-deception, believing oneself to be good merely because one’s intentions are good.

Do without be—hypocrisy—portrays a false image to others, while be without do portrays a false image to oneself.

Many of us create to do lists to remind us of things we want to accomplish. But people rarely have to be lists. Why? To do’s are activities or events that can be checked off the list when done. To be, however, is never done. You can’t earn checkmarks with to be’s. I can take my wife out for a lovely evening this Friday, which is a to do. But being a good husband is not an event; it needs to be part of my nature—my character, or who I am.

Or as a parent, when can I check a child off my list as done? We are never done being good parents. And to be good parents, one of the most important things we can teach our children is how to be more like the Savior.

Christlike to be’s cannot be seen, but they are the motivating force behind what we do, which can be seen. When parents help a child learn to walk, for example, we see parents doing things like steadying and praising their child. These do’s reveal the unseen love in their hearts and the unseen faith and hope in their child’s potential. Day after day their efforts continue—evidence of the unseen be’sof patience and diligence.

Because be begets do and is the motive behind do, teaching be will improve behavior more effectively than focusing on do will improve behavior.

What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to be - Lynn G Robbins

ROASTED PARMESAN ASPARAGUS

2011-04-09T19:08:00.000-06:00

Asparagus season always has me looking for new ways to eat it. This is simple and very good. Trim off the woody ends of a bunch or whatever you plan to eat. Put 1-3 T. of olive oil in the bottom of a cookie sheet or small baking pan. (depending on how much you are going to cook) Grate fine 1-2 cloves of garlic into the pan. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer in the pan and roll around in the oil until it is all covered nicely. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the bunch. Broil on high for 3 minutes and toss a little with a spatula to turn as best you can. Broil for 3 more minutes. Check for desired crispness. Some stalks are larger and need more time. Turn off the oven, remove to a plate and sprinkle generously with coarse grated Parmesan. Put back into the warm oven until melted and serve as soon as possible.

THE POWER OF WORDS

2011-04-07T19:40:00.000-06:00

THE LURE AND LORE OF SELF ESTEEM

2011-04-03T21:26:00.001-06:00

Wallace Goddard is a wise mentor and I love his gospel ideas. He teaches that God's ideas of self esteem differ from mans but are infinitely more useful. Here is the full article: The Lure and Lore of Self Esteem

God recommends self-forgetfulness and discipleship rather than self-celebration and self-improvement.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it (Matthew 16:24–25).

If we cultivate a Christ-like mind, we ultimately gain the “confidence [that waxes] strong in the presence of God” (D&C 121:45). That is very different from self-confidence. It is a serene peace that God is in charge and that He knows how to accomplish His perfect purposes.

Father’s plan for growth is different from the human plan for growth. Rather than enlarge our management, rally our genius, and exercise our strength ..... we focus our faith, submit our wills, and beseech heaven for divine power. That is the relentless message of the Book of Mormon.

STRAWBERRY, BANANA, ORANGE MUFFINS

2011-03-28T21:52:00.004-06:00

I knew I would like these muffins. Sometimes you just know when you read a recipe.. I fed them to my vegetarian young adult children one morning and they loved them. I made a few changes that I liked. They would be lovely for Easter brunch.

STRAWBERRY, BANANA, ORANGE MUFFINS

2 1/4 cup flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. orange zest

2 large ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs

½ C Brown sugar

½ C White Sugar

4 T. melted butter

4 T. vegetable oil

¼ c. fresh orange juice

2 C. strawberries, cubed smallish

2 tsp. orange zest

¼ C sugar (coarse raw sugar is best

but white granulated will work)

Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and 2 tsp. orange zest together in a small bowl.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the bananas, eggs, sugars, juice, oil and butter until well blended. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined then carefully add 1 cup cubed strawberries and gently mix together. Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin tins, well sprayed with Pam. (This will make about 16 regular muffins or 12 large) Sprinkle the remaining strawberries evenly over the tops of each muffin. Push them down a bit.

Combine the sugar and remaining 2 tsps. orange zest together and sprinkle evenly on top of each muffin. Bake 350 for 25-27 minutes or until solid in the center.

Ready to bake

BOOK REVIEW - SHANGHAI DIARY

2011-03-23T19:32:00.001-06:00

I decided while reading this book that I like books about real life experiences, especially if I don’t know much about the time period. I didn’t know that as many as 20,000 Jews escaped Hitler’s clutches by traveling to China during Hitler’s reign of terror. If you had a boat ticket to China it was even possible to get out of a Nazi prison.

Ursula Bacon is 10 years old when her family escaped to China in 1939. The story moves from their opulent home in Germany to the boat passage and on to the crowded ghettos of Shanghai. There was no sitting and sulking in this family. They immediately made friends, found jobs and worked hard to make life as good as possible in a forbidding exile.

The details of their struggles and joys were intriguing. Ursula’s parents were filled with patience and wisdom as they constantly encouraged Ursula to go on. They proved that enduring is all about attitude.

From her father: "This is not a paradise, but we don't have to worry about the Gestapo and the SS. Compared to Hitler's death camps, his butchers, his ovens, his gas chambers - we had merely been inconvenienced!"

Ursula lost the carefree teen years in the stress of it all. So many situations forced her to be and adult.   I was impressed with the social connections among the refugees. They seemed to advise, support and expound wise encouragement to each other. Even among the Chinese Ursula experienced friendships.

From her mother: “Memories are wonderful, and we all have them. They are part of us. But we need to treat them like a favorite picture book that we enjoy looking at, and when we close the book, the pictures stay on the pages. If you let the past live your life, my child, then the present has no value, and the future is doomed to failure. Look at what we once all had—those fine and generous gifts, be grateful for them, but recognize the new gifts coming your way. Live in the present, take what life has to offer, adjust, and if nothing else, make a memory of everything. In the depth of my heart I know that everything we are given now, we will be able to put to good use at another time.” (p. 77)
“Candles warmed the room—their flickering glow softening the ragged edges of our troubled times, and sent me straight into the pockets of my heart....” (such a lovely thought)

“I came to realize that life was not about events, life was about people. I have learned to treasure friendships and to recognize what it takes to be a good friend.” (Friends got them through it all)

Advice from a Mrs. Goldberg:   “Go out and make a miracle today, God’s busy, He can’t do it all...she sent me on my way, giving me a purpose for the day and meaning to my young life for as long as I shall live. She handed me wings to fly, opened my eyes to a world that needed miracles, and gave me the assurance I could do God’s work.”

It was a time of spiritual awakening and questioning for Urusla. Maybe we all do this in troubled times.

From Ursula :“I wanted the kind of assurance that there existed a plan, an orderliness of events, a reason, and a purpose. I wanted to believe in a continuation of life as it changed form and substance. I wanted to believe that I was part of it; I wanted to believe that I was not a mistake, I was not a joke. I needed that deep, inner knowing that I too, had a purpose. I wanted to trust that knowing.” (p. 228)

The family lived in China for 8 years, two of the years after the war had ended, as they worked on getting visas to come to the United States.

For me the book was about the importance of a community in our life.   Wherever or whatever we are dealing with, our associations can help us get through.

4 stars –an enjoyable read.

ASPARAGUS QUICHE

2011-03-18T15:22:00.000-06:00

I love asparagus. When spring comes I dream of picking fresh asparagus on the ditch banks in Green River, Utah. We would pick bushels of it when I was a kid. My mother made mashed potatoes with creamed asparagus on top. The best comfort food ever. This Quiche is lovely! Pie crust should be made with butter not shortening. This crust has a nice buttery flavor. The addition of vegetable oil keeps it flaky. You will want to use it for your fruit pies also.

ASPARAGUS QUICHE

1 10 Inch pie crust unbaked
3 ½ C. Asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces, steamed for 2 minutes and drained
8 oz. Shredded Swiss cheese
8-10 slices crisp cooked bacon cut up (optional)
5 eggs
2 C. half and half
3/4 tsp. salt (only 1/2 tsp. if using bacon)
¼ tsp. pepper

Put the Swiss cheese in the bottom of the pie shell. Sprinkle the bacon over the cheese and then the cooked asparagus. Beat the eggs, cream, salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) Pour this over all and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Lower the oven to 350 and bake for another 30-35 minutes. Cover with foil the last 10 minutes if the crust is getting too brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 good size pieces.

Pie Crust for a 10 inch pie

Mix together until crumbly:
6 T. butter
1 C flour
½ tsp. salt

Stir the following together until you have a smooth paste: 3 ½ T. water, ¼ C flour 2 T. vegetable oil and 1 tsp. vinegar. Pour over the butter mixture and roll together into a ball and knead 30 seconds or so. Roll out to a generous 1 inch bigger than the pie plate so that you can fold under 1 inch around the top to make a chunky edge.

WHY I BELIEVE

2011-03-10T12:21:00.002-07:00

I am teaching a "Writing Family Stories" class right now. We always do something called Anaphora which is repetition for emphasis and effect in a story or essay. This is one I wrote and may be the most important thing I have ever written. Here is another one. What I have learned in 62 years

WHY I BELIEVE
By Charmaine Anderson August 2003

My patriarchal blessing confirms that I have a gift of faith. I know this. It made it easy to be a social Mormon most of my life. I didn’t pray much. I rarely studied the scriptures. I thought I was doing fine because I attended church every Sunday and felt the spirit on occasion. When my mother died in 1989 I knelt and promised God that if he would keep her from suffering any more that I would pray daily and diligently—that I would be a better disciple. I realized the importance of such a promise and I have tried to fulfill it daily. I began to study the scriptures. I have attended the temple weekly. I have been blessed and buoyed up for my efforts. Now I have confidence in Why I Believe.

I BELIEVE because the scriptures have become a part of who I am. I memorized the entire chapter of Isaiah 53 and say it most every day. The 4 years I taught Gospel Doctrine in Sunday School I spent 1-3 hours each day studying. I learned to love the Word. Sometimes I feel like Jeremiah when he said: “…his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” (20:9)

I BELIEVE because I have felt the power of the Holy Ghost directing me and giving me “sudden strokes of ideas,” as Joseph Smith said it would.

I BELIEVE because I have been captivated and taught by the spirit of the Book of Mormon. I believe as someone has said that a bad man couldn’t have written it and a good man wouldn’t have tried.

I BELIEVE because the temple has become a wonderful weekly experience. I have gone fasting and praying many times over the years and when I look back I see answers to those prayers. There are 4 winged vases in the Celestial room of the Bountiful Temple. They have become a symbol of the hope I have for my 4 children. Each week when I enter the room I say this scripture from Psalms: “Be merciful unto me O God. Be merciful unto me. For my soul trusteth in thee. Yea in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge until these calamities be overpast.” (57:1)

I BELIEVE because I have learned the power to love comes from Christ and I want to have that power. In Moroni 7:48 it says: “…pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.” I try to include this heartfelt plea in my daily prayer.

I BELIEVE because I have learned that God has sent many good men to the earth to teach who don’t have the fullness of the gospel. I have enjoyed reading many Christian writings by C. S. Lewis. He was an atheist for many years of his life. He studied and read thousands of books in his conversion process. This is what he said about the day he realized he believed:

“ You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him who I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England. I did not then see what is the most shining and obvious thing: the Divine humility, which will accept a convert even on such terms. The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet. But who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape? The words…compel them to come in, have been so abused by wicked men that we shudder at them; but properly understood, they plumb the depth of the Divine mercy. The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation. (Surprised By Joy p.228)

Another favorite religion writer is Rabbi Harold Kushner. What he said about church services I can testify is true:
“In congregational worship, regularly scheduled services on a Saturday or Sunday morning, I have come to believe that the congregating is more important than the words we speak. Something miraculous happens when people come together seeking the presence of God. The miracle is that we so often find it. Somehow the whole becomes more than the sum of its parts. A spirit is created in our midst which none of us brought there. In fact, each of us came there looking for it because we did not have it when we were alone. But in our coming together, we create the mood and the moment in which God is present.” (Who Needs God, p. 149)

I BELIEVE because my heritage gave me a gift that was precious to them and I know I have an obligation to open it and see it’s beauty for myself. The first member of my family to join the church was Jacob Hamblin. He knew Joseph Smith. His reaction to the Prophets death touched me:

“We was often presented with public papers with different accounts of the death of the Prophet. We did not consider ourselves under any obligation to believe them. I know I felt very melancholy and my spirits depressed. July 14, I ascertained from a private letter the truth that the Prophet and Patriarch were martyred. My feelings I will not attempt to describe. For a moment all was lost. I was on my way to Bragore and was under no obligation to in as much as they had killed the man God had sent to restore all things. I could not refrain from weeping. I turned aside to give vent to my feelings. As I was about to leave the road I met two or three persons. One of them observed, ‘I wonder what will become of Elder Hamblin’s Mormon President?’ I could hardly restrain myself. I felt that if I could be annihilated it would be a great blessing to me. I thought it would crush me to death. At length, believing it must be the power of the devil and knowing that there was something wrong, I prayed to my Heavenly Father for the Holy Spirit. After a little all was right.” (From his journal)

Knowledge, prayer and the workings of the Holy Ghost are the basis of my belief. In Isaiah 53:11 it says of Christ: “By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many.” If knowledge is important to Christ it is so for us. I began by acquiring the knowledge of Christ in the scriptures the rest came along naturally. This is

Why I Believe.

BUTTERNUT SOUP WITH GARAM MASALA - From Spain

2011-03-06T11:33:00.003-07:00

Ron and Cheryl Miller and Me (not praying)

We spent a week in southern Spain last fall. The hills around Malaga are covered with white pueblo villages. We stayed in one and visited several other villages during our time there. We had a wonderful lunch in the village of Frigiliana overlooking the valley. We ate a butternut squash, tomato soup with garam masala, a spice I recognized. It is often used in Indian cooking. I have experimented twice changing the amount of tomato and spice the second time. I am pleased with the final product. I served it to guests both times and they liked both versions. Roasting the squash adds a nice flavor but it is still good just putting everything in a pot if you are pressed for time.

Toss together the following in a bowl and pour onto a cookie sheet. Broil on high for 10-12 minutes or until you have some browned edges:

5 Cups of cut up peeled butternut squash
1/2 chopped onion
3-5 cloves garlic grated
1 stalk of celery cut up
2 T. olive oil
(If you don't want to roast the squash, brown the garlic and onions in the oil in your soup pot before adding the other ingredients)

Cover everything with 5 cups of water and 2 tsps. of garam masala 1/4 tsp pepper and salt to taste (start with 1/2 tsp). Add 1 cup canned diced tomatoes. (You can buy garam masala spice but it is not easy to find. I made my own and have included the recipe I used. If you search the internet there are dozens of different recipes for garam masala.) Simmer covered for 40 minutes and blend until smooth with an immersion blender (the hand held kind. If you don't have one Walmart has one for about $10. I couldn't live without it.) Add 1/4-1/2 cups whipping cream. (the richer the better but you may be counting fat.)

Garam Masala spice mix :
1 tablespoon coriander; ground
1 tablespoon cumin; ground
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fennel seeds; ground (mortar and pistal)
1 tablespoon ginger; ground
1 tablespoon cardamom; ground
1 tablespoon nutmeg; ground
1 TEASPOON cloves; ground
Cayenne pepper to taste (I use about ½ tsp. You can always add more later)

MEMORIES OF NEW ZEALAND - For Leif

2011-03-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

Oil on Linen Board - 16X20

My son Leif is graduating from the University of Washington in Seattle this spring. Last fall he went to New Zealand to help a friend photograph a project studying some kind of rodent they have there. (that's all I know) I told him I would paint one of his photographs from the trip. These are hot pools where they were swimming. It was different from anything I have painted and enjoyed the challenge. This is Leif in the picture and yes, that is his hair.