Girls Camp

Ever since before I was born my family has gone camping.

I love to sleep outside and cook over a fire.

Now I would not love to do this on a 24/7 routine, but for a week, once a year, I am in heaven.

I love the peace of no TV or telephone.

The smell of bacon in the morning sets the mood for a wonderful day.

I enjoy creating a delicious meal for my family using the fire and a few simple tools, it makes me feel content.

I like being able to sit under a tree with a good book and not feel the need to go anywhere.

I like that my children can run and yell and carry on all day long.

I enjoy stories and songs around the campfire in the evening.

It is true that camping is a bit of work to get ready, but over the years I have gathered plastic bins that stay packed with supplies.

It is true as well that cleaning up after is a chore, but I have a wonderful washing machine, and it is camping gear, it will wait on the deck while I get the job done.

This year I am camping with the girls from church, I am the cook.

My husband is worried about me, I am thrilled for the opportunity.

Yesterday I practiced baking brownies in a cardboard box with charcoal, they were yummy--totally amazing.

Today I make the last minute lists to be sure I don't forget anything--old brains need a little help.

Tomorrow we load it up and start a fun adventure.

I am so excited.

Food for the Soul

While we are visiting in different countries we like to eat the local food. I learned that I love cabbage when cooked the Czech way, and that polish dumplings are delicious. When we went to Italy a few years back we were treated to some of the most delicious home cooked meals, so much food to fill and over fill a hungry soul.

Germans are not famous for their delicious food, but while in Germany my husband cannot get enough currywurst with pommes frites covered in mayonnaise. We went to a gaust haus for a quick lunch last week and my mouth is still watering over the yummy mashed potatoes they served me.

When we visit my son Michael we enjoy the fresh doughnuts for breakfast. At Cara's we enjoy SAS cupcakes. The yogurt at Shawna's comes in a jar and is smooth and yummy.

Food is a great way to gather people and make a memory. Long after the experience is over you can recall the taste and smell, remembering people, places and conversations.

I love to cook for my family, gathering them around my grandmothers table, serving up a slow cooked roast dripping in gravy with creamy mashed potatoes on the side.

Shawna and I were talking about meal planning the other day and favorite foods that the children enjoy. Victoria declared that her favorite food is found in Grandma's kitchen (thank you for the ego boost my beautiful girl). I must agree with her because my memory of favorite childhood foods are those that came out of my grandmother's kitchen--including German Chocolate Cake.

Good food, good memories.

Wonder Oven Magic

I took a class at church a few months ago and was amazed.

It was a cooking class. The bread was moist and delicious.

The instructions spotty.

My desire to learn--high.

I came home with a pattern and a few website addresses.

I eventually gathered my tools:
left over fabric
a bean bag chair
locking top large plastic storage bin
large stock pot that would fit...
...3 metal juice cans

The pattern, though strange looking, sewed up surprisingly easy.

I laid out a sheet and filled up the two odd shaped pillows with the beans from the chair.

When they were just full enough I put them in the storage bin.

And then I started cooking.

Mix up the bread as usual, place dough in the cans and let rise a bit in the stock pot filled half way with warm water, cover and secure each can and turn up the heat. Put the lid on the stock pot and tie in place while letting it boil for 10 minutes. Transfer to Wonder Oven and let set for 2 or more hours.

Delicious hot, moist bread that will melt in your mouth, never overdone.

The same directions for soup or stew. Fill the pot with soup ingredients, boil for 10 minutes with lid on pot. Place in wonder oven and leave for 2 or more hours--hot dinner when you are ready.

Today I am painting, but I am not worried, dinner is in the Magic Wonder Oven doing it's thing waiting for dinnertime. I may be a dirty mess, but a hot delicious home cooked dinner will be ready when we are.

15 minutes on the stove and a roast, 3 loaves of bread or a large pot of stew is hot and ready to go when needed--from 2 to 6 hours later--no more fuel needed.

Perfect for camping.

Perfect for a busy day.

Perfect for a hot summer afternoon.

I am still learning, but I have experimented enough to know that magic comes from this wonderful box sitting in my kitchen.

I may live in the modern age but there is still quite a lot I can learn from my pioneer forebears. They got up in the morning and prepared for the day's travel by putting a hot pot in the hay box so dinner would be ready to eat when they stopped for the night.

I have a magic box and wonderful things appear when you open the lid.

White

I have a white pitcher that belonged to my husband's grandmother. It has graceful lines and sits on the shelf above my kitchen sink. It shares the shelf with an old white porcelain pitcher and another tall white pitcher that was made in Italy.

My kitchen cabinet is filled with assorted white serving bowls and platters, some are newer, some wear the marks of time. Some have straight lines, some are curvy. Each are unique in shape and size and do their job well in holding the various foods I choose to place on my dinner table.

I have a closet in my home that bears the weight of 200 dinner plates. When my oldest daughter got married she wanted a sit down dinner for her 200 guests. Purchasing the plates from the Pfaltzgraff outlet was less expensive than renting, and I have enjoyed and used the dishes for large get togethers and weddings for about 15 years now.

I have a drawer of lace doilies that my husband's grandmother crocheted and a drawer of white tablecloths in assorted sizes. I have tablecloths in cotton poly for everyday use and some linen ones I iron for special occasions. For Shawna's wedding we also made 200 lace edged napkins to wrap the silver in. Over the years I have collected some pretty embroidered napkins as well as some that are monogrammed that I use on special occasions.

Some of the dishes have a special meaning for me, like the ripple edged cake plate that was one of my mother and father's wedding gifts. I enjoy the fruit design on the stemmed white glasses that were my grandmothers. The gravy boat that Michael and Kendra gave me gets put on the table almost every Sunday. I like cutting bar cookies and placing them on the rectangular plate that Kevan picked out. I have bowls that were made in Portugal where Michael served his mission

There is something special about setting an all white table and letting the pretty colors of delicious food take center stage. One of these days I will need to disperse my 200 dinner plates amongst my six children, but for right now they are happy on the shelf awaiting the next call for a celebration.

In the mean time, mmmmmmm... what shall we fix for dinner tonight?

Pancakes

And the winner is......

the young man who can consume 9+ thick and flaky pancakes in one meal

When baby Caroline was in the hospital Dallin was 3 and Ella not quite 2. It was a difficult time for the whole family. They moved just before Caroline was born, and it was a 10 hour drive. The children came to stay with us a few times and I made many trips to their home during that one memorable year.

We ate a lot of pancakes together, it was a meal they enjoyed that would fill their tummies up. In the 6 years since that time, whenever we are together, Dallin and Ella always ask for pancakes.

I don't think Dallin realizes why he likes pancakes so much. I don't think I realized why until I started really thinking about it during this visit. It is his form of comfort food for the soul. To comfort his soul I have made pancakes every morning since I got here.

On Thursday we were running late so I had him buy lunch at school. Little did I know that the menu for the day was breakfast for lunch--pancakes.

On Friday I decided to take the children out for dinner to one of Dallin's favorite places--Bob Evans. It is convenient--just down the street and reasonably priced. I was thankful to have a choice besides mac and cheese, we were all happy. The two boys looked over the picture menu and both ordered.....pancakes.

This morning I fired up the grill and started flipping the pancakes. Dallin downed 6 large and fluffy ones with home made syrup so fast I had to blink twice. Yesterday he downed the first four off the grill and the second 5-- for a total of 9. It would have been 10 but I got sloppy and accidentally dropped one.

If I can keep a young boy happy while his parents are away by flipping pancakes, I'll flip as many pancakes as it takes to fill him up, both body and soul.

Dallin has been so tired while I have been here, I think he might be growing--but then maybe it is just a carbohydrate overload.

Off and Running

After 2 plus weeks in Europe we are home again.

The jet lag hits in the mid afternoon beckoning me to a little nap, but the schedule does not allow.

I am home for two and a half days before heading to Charlotte and Connor's baptism. He turned 8 while we were gone and I am excited to go see him and celebrate this milestone in his life.

We celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary the day we returned home. Too tired to celebrate big time, we decided to stay at home and revisited the first meal we cooked together as newly weds--Tacos. They were warm this time, not the ice cold offering I put before my new husband on a box we used as our makeshift table while we sat on the floor.

Mail to sort, laundry to wash, groceries needed and grandchildren to visit. I have next week to put things in order before heading out again--Indiana is the next destination.

I did not realize that this stage of life would be my travel opportunity. I never left the state of California from the time I arrived at age 3 months until I was 16 years old. While raising my children I did not travel too far without them. Now I am gone from home almost more often than I am here. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to do so, because I get to see my children and grandchildren--that is a blessing.

Today I am cooking. Baking bread and beans, making lots of salads for the family meal we will share tomorrow as we gather for Connor's special day.

The question is will we have enough energy to make the 3 hour drive tonight? After making dinner last night I collapsed on the couch at 7pm and fell fast asleep. I will see how we feel this afternoon. I was able to sleep until 6am today--better than the 3 and 4am awakenings of the last two mornings. Better to arrive for the party a little later than planned rather than not arrive at all.

We are coming and happy for the opportunity to see all of our grandchildren this week. They may live in many different time zones, but this week, traveling grandparents are up for the fun. Save a place at the table for me!!

Coupons

I have a daughter who is a whiz with money. I always knew she could stretch a dollar, but now she seems to be doubling and tripling them.

She is a full time mom with three little children. Her husband works hard to provide for his family. Teri works hard to make the most of what he earns.

She has started clipping coupons and is amazing with her notebook and knowledge of a good deal.

I took a class the other day to help me understand how it works and it is another one of those new tricks this old dog has trouble keeping up with. One phrase in the class that I understood was that you do not buy fruit out of season--you pay too much and it does not taste as good. Well, couponing is buying in season. If there is a sale and you have one or two coupons to 'stack', then that item is in season and ripe for the picking.

All of a sudden, Teri's pantry is full. Her excitement is contagious, and she is willing to help me and her sisters learn.

Yesterday, she helped me find a stack of coupons and wrote the grocery list for me. I went to the store and found the items in the appropriate numbers. I had to purchase a certain number to qualify for the $5 gift card. I do not retain in my brain (grand children burn brain cells at birth--or maybe the cells trashed by their parents during the teenage years just get dumped??) like I used to so I need to go over it a few times. Finally I reached check out and had the oh-oh moment I was expecting, it wasn't too difficult or embarrassing--I picked a wonderful store to shop at--and I was on my way home with my $150 worth of groceries for just $41.

Teri was excited for me. She asked if I felt energized by the experience and I told her NO! I felt overwhelmed and confused, but happy to have a freezer full of veggies for a fraction of what I usually pay. She encourages me with the same words I used to tell her when a task was difficult:

It will get easier with practice

She is right. I think her dad will get this job after he retires. He is worried about the finances in retirement and this is the full time job at home he can have.

One of the clerks at a store Teri shops at mentioned her expertise at couponing and asked why she took the time and effort? She replied that it was her full time job to stretch the dollars her husband provided.

Job well done.

Dinner

There seems to be a lot of interest lately for something that is as old as time and families on the earth--Dinner.

It is true that we all need to eat.

Sometimes our choice of food and the amounts add up to too much (large portions has turned into a large me)--that is my focus lately--how to get back to the portion of food that is appropriate for the portion of me I should be.

But there is a more important reason for family dinner.....We have been reminded that as a family eats together you build family bonds that will last throughout their lives. I agree with that.

When my children were living at home we ate together most every night--most families do not do that any more. I have fond memories of my children gathered around the table and the fun conversations that came up as we discussed our day.

I also have fond childhood memories of sitting together with my siblings and parents, enjoying the meal and each others company. My mom and dad still make dinner at home most every day.

There is a group of ladies in my area who have decided to get together and exchange recipes and ideas. We are planning on meeting often to encourage each other to keep up the work of family dinners that do not add to a mother's middle section.

I am excited for this opportunity.

My mother has met with a group of ladies that she calls her 'club' since I was a little girl. I always wanted to be part of a group like that--friends who come together for a common interest that meet often to share ideas. The last time I was visiting my mom she invited me to go with her to her 'club' meeting. I was thrilled for the opportunity. It is the first time in my life I was invited to go and I had a great time.

Well, I am off to my first 'club' meeting. I have a lo-cal recipe in hand and a lifetime of ideas in my head. I am committed to try to loose at least a pound of extra me a week until summer arrives and I am hoping this incentive will do the trick.

Dinner at home together will be the reward. What are you cooking tonight??

-Soup

On a cold winter day there is something about a hot bowl of soup.

I did not like soup when I was younger. To this day I prefer thick creamy soups, although I am starting to appreciate a bowl of steaming delight with a variety of tastes and treats swimming in a savory broth.

Tonight I am on my own for dinner. My sweetheart is at a business meeting and I have been busy organizing and cleaning my pantry. My tummy started to remind me it was meal time so I went to the fridge to find a left over or two that might do. I found some leftover veggies and a bit of soup--tossed it all together and warmed it up. Added a piece of homebaked whole wheat bread and a glass of milk--YUMMM. Comfort food for a cold winter night.

My mother gave me a cook book for Christmas--one of those books where everybody submits their favorite recipe. I have had fun reading it and earmarking new recipes to try. In the tips area there was a suggestion to pour vegetable cooking water and left over vegetable pieces into a freezer container. When the container is full add tomato juice and seasoning to make a cost free surprise soup for dinner.

It is just recently that I have started having left overs like that. Seems that I sometimes still cook for an army when there is just a couple eating. I guess I need to find myself a freezer container and start the makings for a pot of surprise soup. Tonight I found left over cabbage and lima beans--strange items for my fridge--but they were requested by my grand daughter--who knew a 9 year old would like lima beans??

After tonight's tastey delight I am excited to find out what the next suprise soup has to offer.

Don't know if I can top lima beans and cabbage.

-Quiet

Tonight while my sweetheart and I were enjoying a peaceful dinner at home I realized that it was quiet. No music, no TV, no kid noises or conversation, just simply quiet. A peaceful, quiet dinner at home.

It is not very quiet around here usually. For years it was the 6 kids running, jumping, laughing and shouting. Quite often now it is the grandchildren running, jumping, laughing and shouting.

I just spent almost two weeks in a hotel room. While my sweetheart went to work every day I was there by myself. Can I tell you, that hotel room was a noisy place to be. No, the TV was not on. Didn't hear a peep from the neighbors. It was all from my own head, a symphony of thoughts. Not a quiet moment in this head of mine.

For a few years now the children have been living in their own homes, yet there is still plenty of noise in my home--all self made.

Tonight my sweetheart and I enjoyed a peaceful dinner at home. The only noise was the clinking of our spoons against the bowls as we enjoyed our tortilla soup. We shared a comfortable, quiet, slow conversation.

No matter where it is,
it is always good to be home.



Tortilla Soup
3 frozen chicken breasts, semi thawed, cut into 1 inch pieces
6 cups water
2 chicken bullion cubes
2 beef bullion cubes
1 can tomatoes
1 cup corn kernels
1 can pinto or black beans (optional)
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Bring water with bullion and tomatoes to a boil. Add chicken and cook for 10 minutes. Add corn and beans then cook for another 10 minutes. Add taco seasoning and cilantro.

Serve with tortilla chips, grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream--enjoy