Monday Gratitudes

The kids and I went to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum today and can't wait to go back again. There was so much to see that it warrants another trip or two. It definitely would be much easier without my youngest in tow. He was pretty bored with the whole thing except for Mrs. Lincoln's Attic which is a hands-on children's area.
We were able to see one of the original copies of the Gettysburg Address on display and a few other things that were owned by the Lincoln's.

I am GRATEFUL for those pioneers that changed and forged this great land into to what it is today. Going through the museum helped immerse me in Lincoln's world and time. I am in awe of what he and others like him went through - for my freedoms.

-for the beauty of the earth. As we drive around our neighborhood the kids and I are always so amazed at how the crops in this area grow about a foot each day.

-for peace and quiet. My children usually go to bed around 7:30pm on a school night and in the summer it's usually 8:30pm depending on what's going on in the week. Well last week we were so busy with the yard that my kids didn't get to bed until 10-ish. Needless to say I didn't get my little hour or two of peace and quiet - it was definitely missing.

Try-it Tuesdays Spätzle

My mother made homemade Spätzle all the time. For me this a wonderful comfort food. The dough is very forgiving and can be flavored with almost anything. It also goes great with any sauce that you want to serve with it. I usually serve it with a wonderful goulash but you can toss it with butter if your in a hurry.

Spätzle

2 beaten eggs
1/4 c. milk
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients until smooth (batter should be thick). Spoon batter into a ricer and press batter into boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes or until the Spätzle rise to the surface. I usually quadruple this recipe. If you don't have a ricer you can shape the the dough in a number of ways. I learned to cut them by hand on a board as my mother did. This can be a bit tricky, however, so I suggest using a potato ricer.

Monday Gratitudes

I am GRATEFUL for Dermatologists that can prescribe Poison Ivy itch medicine that works quickly. My kids all got infected this past week while working to help clear our yard. We all worked so hard. We had to cut down 4 big trees-they were all dead.

I'm even more grateful that my kids only had poison ivy itch and not spider bites. We have way too many spiders. I'm hoping that a few more toads might help do the job.

I am GRATEFUL for weekends. I think most of you probably feel the same way. We really needed a break from all the yard work.

for Turtles. Not the ones that crawl around on four legs, but the ones that you can eat. Yummy. I have a wonderful caramel recipe that I will have to share someday.
for this country! The good ole USA! I enjoy so many wonderful freedoms. I also really love all the patriotic songs that we sing around this time of year.

Monday Gratitudes-again I'm a day late

I am very THANKFUL
for big tools.
Let me explain...we've been trying to mow our huge lawn with your average everyday lawn mower and it has been a bear, so we had to buy a riding lawn mower. Wow it only took 5+ hours to finish the lawn (after 5 I stopped looking at the clock). With our average lawn mower it probably would have taken 100 hours and then we would just have to start all over again.
We have also been clearing out all the dead/semi-dead overgrown branches and trees. What a task this is considering we probably have over 150 trees that are probably 100+ years old and are soo big. So a chain saw is a welcome sight-it's definitely better than a small saw.

for wonderful neighbors -especially the ones that bring us sweet treats.

for trusty door locks. Being in a new house it makes me feel better to know the door locks work correctly to help keep my family safe.

for the TV. Yes you read that correctly. It's probably the one sure thing in life that helps keep my kiddos in one spot while I frantically paint.

Try-it Tuesdays

Okay! If I ever open a Bed & Breakfast, I would most definitely serve this in the morning. It's yummy, quick & easy, and very forgiving if you make substitutions.

Hash Brown Casserole

3 Tbls. olive oil
2 lb. frozen hash browns
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped red pepper
2 c. cubed ham
10 beaten eggs
Salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Heat oil in large skillet. Add hash browns, onion, and bell peppers. Cook until potatoes begin to brown. Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with Pam. Spread potato mixture in pan. Top with ham. Pour beaten eggs over mixture and season to taste with salt & pepper. Gently stir to coat all ingredients with eggs. Sprinkle with cheese. Refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

Try-it Tuesdays

This post is late due to house issues.
Here is a great recipe! This is such a great comfort soup and pretty low on calories. Try-it I know you'll like it.

Blumenkohlsuppe or Cauliflower Soup

1 large cauliflower
2 c. chicken stock
2 c. cold water
4 Tbls. butter
1/3 c. flour
1 c. milk or fat free half/half
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Separate the flowerets and wash them. Reserve 10 small flowerets and chop the rest coursely. Combine the stock and water; bring to a boil. Drop in the flowerets and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the flowerets and set them aside. Reserve the stock. Melt the butter over medium heat, then stir in the flour and cook over low heat stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the stock and milk slowly while beating constantly with a whisk until the mixture is smooth and somewhat thick; let simmer for about 2 minutes, then add the chopped cauliflower, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until cauliflower is tender and can be easily mashed. Mash the cauliflower and then add the reserved flowerets and cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
I always double this recipe-makes for yummy leftovers.
If your serving this to guests add a few chives and a sprinkle of pepper on top. Gives it just the right touch.

Fireflies

I almost forgot.
Another thing that I'm grateful for are the beautiful lights fireflies give off. I remember seeing a firefly for the first time while spending the summer in Germany with my Grandmother when I was 10 yrs. old. It was awesome. You just don't see fireflies in the good old western US.
Then I moved to Cleveland and was delighted again to see tons of fireflies every June/July. Well tonight our yard looks like we have those flashing Christmas lights-they're everywhere! It's so wonderful and peaceful.

Monday Gratitudes

I AM SO GRATEFUL for father's. My sweet hubby is such a good father to our children and I love that he always tries hard to be the best person he can be. Just like my father did when I was little, my sweet hubby always makes time to play with our kiddos. Right now he is in another state finishing up his work duties so we'll celebrate Father's Day this weekend. The kids each made something special and are so excited to show him when he finally gets here.

-for clean water. The sewer pipe in this old house started leaking on Friday and I just wanted to cry. I called roto-rooter and they were able to fix it. Tree roots had grown into the pipe and were making the water back up from the septic tank. I am thankful that I can now take a shower, run my dishwasher, and washing machine without a hitch-not to mention flush the toilets. Generally all those things shouldn't run through the septic tank-so when we do a much needed overhaul on this house we will definitely fix that! -please see the link from a friend of ours-.

-to sleep on my own bed. What a comfort it is to relax and let out the days tension on your own mattress.

-for cleaning supplies! Okay, I have to say that the people we bought this house from are Schweine. If there is a better word, I can't think of it now. You never know who people really are until you have to clean up after them. Yuck-I don't even want to think of what I've just had to clean.

-for good music. My parents had a major impact on the types of music I like. Mainly classical. I love music that is uplifting, peaceful, and magical. Right now I'm listening to Itzhak Perlman playing the violin on the Hero soundtrack -For the World. It's beautiful and he is one person that I would love to hear play in person.

-for our good friends that we leave behind each time we move. I truly mean it when I say you are welcome in our home anytime-even if we haven't seen or heard from you in a number of years! Just remember that our guest book is waiting for you to sign-in.

-for my computer and the internet. It's so nice to be able to blog again and see how each of you are doing!

Truck Finally Arrived!

Yeah! After waiting for over a week and a half our stuff finally arrived. It was supposed to be delivered in 3 days from when they packed us.
This was the first time we have ever used a moving company and we will never do it again. The movers broke several items and damaged a few pieces of furniture that can't be fixed. We don't really have a lot of furniture but the furniture we do have is solid wood and the gouges just can't be repaired. We'll see what happens with our claims.
I am so glad to finally be sleeping in my bed and not on a blow up mattress. Camping out in a house for over a week is not that fun.

Try-it Tuesdays

Fresh Strawberry PieI absolutely love this recipe. It's fresh, delicious, and so easy to make. And better yet, this is the perfect time to make this recipe because it's the strawberry season. Try-it I think you'll love it.
1 1/2 c crushed pecan shortbread cookies (Lorna Doone's are wonderful)
1/4 c blanched slivered almonds
1/3 c butter, softened
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl, stir together crust ingredients. Press on bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool completely.
6 c fresh strawberries, hulled
1 c white sugar
3 tbls cornstarch
1/3 c water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional but I love it)
Mash enough strawberries to equal 1 cup (Sometimes if I'm in a hurry, I'll quickly pulse them in a blender). In a 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in mashed berries and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a full boil (8 to 15 minutes). Boil 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in salt and almond extract; cool 10 minutes. Fill baked crust with remaining fresh strawberries; pour cooked mixture over fresh berries. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Garnish with whipped cream and walnuts if desired. Enjoy!