Saturday Drive

After our visit to the animal shelter today, Mr. Mamie and I decided to take the "picturesque" route home.  We live in the middle of some amazing scenery!

Reservoir and sagebrush - we're on the south side.

Another view.

Rocky ridge, big sky.

Desert, lake, mountains... where else but here?!

Red sand hill.

Real-life irony!

Red sand, blue sky.

Project 365: Day 3 (11/21/09)

Three little kittens, who may be needing mittens.... 11/21/09, Animal Shelter in The Village

Today Mr. Mamie and I had an important errand on our chore list: Visit the local animal shelter.  Our "in lieu of flowers" suggestions for Mom's memorial was the municipal animal shelter, and we needed to check to see if any donations had been received so that I could work on thank you cards this weekend.

Also, on a previous visit Mr. Mamie met a cat he really liked, and he wanted to visit the cat again.  Unfortunately, that particular cat was not there (he was at an adopt-a-thon); fortunately, the Mister found a new friend to play with.  Here's a bonus picture of Mr. Mamie talking to the cats:

Handsome man, cute kitties!

Project 365: Day 2 (11/20/09)

This is the building I work in.  It is 108 years old.  Fortunately, it's been restored/modernized inside!  It's beautiful, both the interior and exterior.  It is surrounded by huge, leafy trees, and there's even a white picket fence on one side. This was the only school building in the Big Town for decades.

Next month I'll be moving into the new technology building, which will have many wonderful features and amenities, including the fact that my expensive servers will no longer be residing in a leaky basement.

But I'll still miss the old place.

Happy Feet Friday! 11/20/09

I am totally stealing a cool weekly feature from Kate at New Life - Happy Feet Friday! I love shoes... and socks. So I think that I should be able to share them with the world (at least once per week).

These are my Merrell hiking boots that I got at a crazy store up north called Smith and Edwards, which sells everything from breakfast cereal to spare parts for helicopters. Mr. Mamie and I spent a very entertaining afternoon there a couple of years ago.

Here is a picture of Mr. Mamie sitting on a defunct missile, which you can purchase for yard decor if you are so inclined.   

I get to wear my comfy, sturdy, warm, supportive hiking boots to work today becasue we are all tricked out in our high school rah rah clothes - the Tigers play for the state 3A championship tonight, and there's a "tailgate party" in the board room at noon with yummy food and such.  So I figured I could get away with these happy boots, given the rest of my outfit (jeans, HS t-shirt, red-and-black paw print socks, paw print earrings... quite the fashion statement!).  My shirt is special though, because it has Nephew's football number (84) on the back in big, black print. That's been his number since 3rd grade, and will probably continue to be until he graduates.

Happy Friday!

Mom's Baked Mashed Potatoes

This is me and Mom and Molly, the Thanksgiving that GolfDad was in China on business (about 7 or so years ago).  

We had dinner at a friend's mom's house out in the California desert.  

It was a fun trip, even if we did sit in traffic on I-5 forever and later got a flat tire!

There are many recipes for make-ahead mashed potatoes, potato casseroles, etc., but the one Mom's been making for the last few years comes from Giada DeLaurenti's "Everyday Italian" and is WONDERFUL!  The key is the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in the potatoes, and the yummy crumb topping.

This recipe can be easily doubled (which is what we did for our Early Thanksgiving dinner of 19 people, which yielded just enough leftovers to make Shepherd's Pie later in the week), and can also be made a day or two in advance - just allow for a longer cooking time (get the casserole out of the fridge in plenty of time to start coming to room temperature).

 BAKED MASHED POTATOES

4 lbs. Potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 C Milk
½ C (1 stick) butter
1½ C grated mozzarella
1 C grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp plain dry bread crumbs

1.    Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are very tender, 15-20 minutes.  Drain; return potatoes to the same pot and mash well.

2.    While the potatoes are cooking, warm milk and butter over low heat until butter is melted and mixture is hot – do not boil.

3.    Mix milk/butter into mashed potatoes; season to taste with salt and pepper.

4.    Stir in the mozzarella and ¾ C of the Parmesan.  Transfer the potatoes to 13x9 inch casserole that has been sprayed with Pam.***

5.    Stir bread crumbs and remaining ¼ C Parmesan in a small bowl to blend.  Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over the mashed potatoes.

6.    Bake at 400, uncovered, until topping is golden brown – about 20 minutes.

***Recipe can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead; cover and chill.  Remove from refrigerator 1 ½ hours before serving; let sit on counter 30 minutes.  Bake covered for 25 minutes; remove cover; sprinkle with bread crumb mixture and bake about 20 more minutes.

Project 365: Day 1 (11/19/09)

I have read in a few different places on the Interwebz - ranging from hipster bloggers to mommy scrapbookers - about this idea of taking a photo a day for a month or a year to chronicle a life.  Kind of a photoblog/digital scrapbook of all the things that make up the fabric of our daily existence.  It sounds fun, if a little intimidating.  365 days/photos is a pretty long-term commitment!  But then, it wouldn't hurt me to have a little focus and motivation for paying attention to the world around me.  So I'll try it.

Here's my day 1 entry:

Every morning we make hot chocolate and hot tea to start the day with (in the summer it's lemonade bottles).  I love my red kettle!  I had to teach Mr. Mamie that although it is a pain, we get the water from the filtered supply in the fridge, NOT directly from the tap (it's a hassle becasue the kettle doesn't fit under the water dispenser in the door of the fridge, and you have to first fill up a glass measuring cup and then pour that into the kettle, usually multiple times).

My mug is on the far right.  It is the most awesome stainless mug that I got from Starbucks about 6 years ago.  The lid screws on tight, the drinking spout has a hatch that closes securely (so you don't spill stuff on yourself), and it keeps the drinks HOT for a LONG time.  The niftiest feature is that the handle is a little carabiner clip that can attach the mug to your bag/backpack.  Awesome!

Mr. Mamie's mug is in the middle.  It's not such a great mug; it was a promotional give-away item at a trade show he went to a couple of years ago.  We looked at Starbucks for a new one, and they cost almost $25!  Then we found the exact same model, clearly made by whomever made them for Starbucks, on Amazon for $19.99.  Just need to get around to actually ORDERING it...

On the far left is my stainless steel Eddie Bauer thermos.  Travellin'Dad got this a present for me something like 15 years ago.  It's still going strong!  It keeps stuff hot for a REALLY, REALLY looooooong time.  I fill it with hot tea (Tazo Wild Sweet orange is my favorite, followed by Stash Peppermint), and once I drink all the hot chocolate from my mug, I rinse it and start in on the hot tea.  Keeps me warm and happy all morning!

The bittersweet irony of this project is how much the SquattyWombat would have enjoyed it.  She would have loved seeing the little life details that make up the bulk of our existence.  In college/grad school/afterwards she always insisted that I take photos of new apartments, new classrooms, new friends, new adventures - just so she could picture what my life was like.  Living down the road from each other for the last five years meant that we got to BE a part of each others' daily lives, and that was just so wonderful.

So I'll try to carry through with this project faithfully, for the Wombat.

Sometimes, I'm just so clueless!

Do you ever get in an elevator, stand there waiting for it to go up or down, wonder why it's taking so long, and then... realize that you failed to poke the up/down button?

Yeah, I do that.  Kind of a lot.

Image credit

I heart Clara!

Have you seen Clara, the Depression-era cook?  She's 91 years old and has a series of videos on YouTube. Check her out!

Mom's Peaches and Cream Cake

Mom and her little brother (aka FavoriteUncle), Summer 2008

In recent years Mom had been serving a really yummy Peaches 'n Cream cake at summertime family dinners and get-togethers.  This has become a particular favorite of Mr. Mamie's, and he asks for it often.  I made and served it when FavoriteUncle and AuntAJ were here to visit with and help care for Mom in September - we had a family dinner with everyone but Mom, who was in the hospital at the time.  She questioned me about every detail prior to the dinner, and wanted a full report afterward.  It seemed appropriate to serve it at our family early Thanksgiving on November 10th, even if it's a summery dessert.  It was "Mom's," after all.

Peaches and Cream Cake

PEACHES AND CREAM CAKE

Oven – 350 degrees

¾ C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 (4 serving size) cheesecake or vanilla instant pudding mix
3 T softened BUTTER
1 egg
½ C milk

1 (28 oz) can sliced peaches, drained – RESERVE JUICE

3 T. peach juice
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
½ C sugar

¼ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp sugar


1.    Mix first 6 ingredients together.  Spread into 9” glass pie plate or casserole dish that has been sprayed with Pam.

2.    Arrange drained peaches over batter.

3.    Beat cream cheese, ½ C sugar and reserved 3 T of peach juice together for about 2 minutes.  Spread over peaches, leaving 1” border around outside edge.

4.    In small bowl, stir together ¼ tsp cinnamon and 1 ½ tsp sugar and sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture.

5.    Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350.  Cool , then refrigerate before serving.
 

Christmas Creep

A "Christmas special" featuring the above-pictured characters aired on network television last night.  I have also seen these creatures  on pajamas, as plush toys, etc. in my local Walmart (like, two weeks ago).  Talk about "Christmas Creep" - I REALLY don't want Christmas specials on TV before Thanksgiving, ya know?

Image credit

Dear Dogs and Cats...

This wanders around the interwebz, popping up in my inbox at least once a year. GolfDad just sent it on again, and becasue it continues to make me laugh, I'll share with you.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE PETS, THIS IS A TRUE STORY.
FOR THOSE THAT DON'T, IT IS A TRUE STORY.

                The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

                Dear Dogs and Cats:

               The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

               The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

                I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

                For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the =
knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

                The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

                Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

                TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN 

ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don't.
(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.               
(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
 (1) eat less,
 (2) don't ask for money all the time,
 (3) are easier to train,
 (4) normally come when called,
 (5) never ask to drive the car,
 (6) don't hang out with drug-using people;
 (7) don't smoke or drink,
 (8) don't want to wear your clothes,
 (9) don't have to buy the latest fashions,
 (10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and
 (11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children

Cook-a-Thon

I spent a lot of time this weekend cooking.  The idea is that I will save time later by having several things prepared in advance.  This is something I do once a month or so, and it really does help make it possible to get complete, home-cooked meals on the table most nights for Mr. Mami, GrandmaT, and I - and whomever else wanders in. The focus in this particular session was the 10 pounds of  fresh "ground beast" we got on sale for $1.79/lb. I didn't want to just portion it out and stick it in the freezer, but rather, wanted to turn it into USEFUL meal starters.  So here's what became of it:

1 pound went into last night's very delicious Shepherd's Pie.  Mr. Mamie LOVED this version of one of his traditional favorite dishes. This was easy to throw together in the middle of lots of other activity, becasue we had leftover mashed potatoes from earlier in the week.  This made enough for dinner for three and lunch for two the next day. 

1 pound went into a batch of CrockPot spaghetti sauce.  This is SOOOOO good when made with an additional 1/2 pound of hot Italian sausage and plenty of red pepper flakes!  We have lots of fresh herbs growing in the dining room, so I added fresh basil, oregano, and parsley as well.  The batch got divided into to large freezer Ziploc bags, which will make two meals plus leftovers for lunch.

1 pound was precooked and stashed in the fridge for tomorrow's Pan Burritos dinner.

1 pound was cooked and turned into sloppy joe mix (photo above)for the freezer - I like to add lots of corn!  I just use the McCormick seasoning packet for sloppy joes; it what I grew up on and I like the taste better than anything else.

1.5 pounds were cooked with onion and garlic and stashed in the freezer to be pulled put again on Wednesday morning for CrockPot beef and barley soup.

The remaining 4.5 pounds was turned into taco meet for the freezer (see photo above), and was divided into 4 large Ziploc bags.

But the fun didn't end there....

Today for breakfast we had Kris Kringle pancakes, except cooked as waffles.  I LOVE this recipe - so tasty, relatively healthy (given all the whole grain - well, I do kind of load on the butter and syrup!), and one waffle STAYS WITH YOU, unlike Bisquik pancakes/waffles which all-too-quickly dissipate into a sugar-crashing/hollow feeling.

I made this pumpkin swirl loaf this afternoon, which is very yummy and will make nice morning snacks at work.

And, as I write this, dinner is in the oven: Honey Roasted Pork Loin and Parmesan Potatoes.   After that... time for bed!

Menus 11/16/09 - 11/22/09

11/16 Mon: Pan Burritos

11/17 Tues: Crock-Pot Angel Chicken + green salad

11/18 Wed: Crock-Pot Classic Beef Barley Soup + Cheddar Cheese Bread

11/19 Thurs: Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup + Green Chili Corn Bread

11/20 Fri: Mr. Mamie is in charge of making Chicken-Fried Steak; I will do Garlicky Oven Fries

11/21 Sat: Beef and Bean Chimichangas

11/22 Sun: Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Sauce + Egg Noodles; green salad

Mrs. Igor's Cranberry Relish

 Mom and the Igor Family, with their Humpty Dumpty collection,  about 6 years ago (my Molly snuck into the photo, too)

Here's Mrs. Igor's cranberry relish, served at all recent family Thanksgiving dinners.  Mom LOVED this type of cranberry recipe, and we never had cans o' cranberries.  I just saw a bag of frozen whole cranberries she had stockpiled in her freezer... we'll have to do something with them; can't let them go to waste!

Fresh Whole-Cranberry Relish

Ingredients
•    4 cups (about 1 pound) fresh cranberries, picked over and rinsed
•    2 cups sugar
•    ½ cup cranberry juice
•    ½ fresh orange juice
•    1 tablespoon finely ground orange zest

1.    Combine all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan and stir well.  Place the pan over medium heat, and boil until the berries pop open, about 10 minutes.
2.    Skim the foam off the surface with a metal spoon, and let the relish cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered up to 2 months.

Mom's Cookies

Mom and peanut butter chip-boy at his high school graduation,  about 18 years ago!

My mom made excellent chocolate chip cookies.  I'm pretty sure the recipe is really just the standard Nestle Toll House  back-of-the-chocolate chip-package, but it was the care and love that she put in them that made the difference.  Oh, and she always said that you have to beat the sugar and butter until it was REALLY creamy, or they wouldn't turn out right.  As Igor got a little older and began expressing food preferences, he indicated a lack-of-love for chocolate (freak!), so Mom made peanut butter chip cookies for him.  So here's Mom's recipe:

Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

(For “Igor version” use peanut butter chips)

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (or peanut butter chips)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until REALLY creamy (do this right or they won’t be like Mom’s!).

Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the creamed mixture and gradually add flour, mixing WELL after each addition.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheets that have been sprayed with non-stick coating.

Bake 8 – 10 minutes.  Let cool 5 – 10 minutes before removing from cookie sheets.  Finish cooling on wire racks.