Having recently visited a tea room, I seem drawn to tea time photos. Visit Aiken House and Gardens to see some lovely photos.
Terribly hot here. Feel more like iced tea rather than hot tea. Reading the manual for the Telikin senior-friendly computer with the goal of setting it up in the retirement library within a week. Also perusing Microsoft Office 2010 Plain & Simple which will eventually go to the library for limited circulation.
Hope you have more energy than I do today.
Daily lifting life's empty bowl to see what God provides to sustain, nourish, and strengthen His child.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Around the Table
We have been really busy the past 10 days. My mom, sister, and brother-in-law from Southern California arrived June 7th. My mom has been staying with us in our guestroom in our condo while the other two have been in a guestroom in the independent living apartments. We’ve toured some museums, played the card game golf, but mostly we have been hosting or attending special events.
On June 10th, my twin sister and her daughter arrived for a late celebration of my niece’s June 6th birthday. Along with my niece’s fiancé, his two brothers, the fiancé’s mother, and the 7 of us we had a full house. Ate chicken crescent casserole, fruit salad, chocolate birthday cake and ice cream.
June 11th, my husband and I celebrated 35 years of marriage by dining at Cerulean Restaurant with my 3 family members and two of his sisters. It was an interesting and delicious lunch.
June 12th, my twin sister and her daughter drove from Marion to Winona Lake and ate lunch and dinner at our condo. It was an opportunity for my mother to visit with her daughter (who currently lives in Lyon, France) and her granddaughter (who will be moving next week to Charlotte, NC).
June 15th, my sister hosted a tea in honor of her daughter who was to marry the next day. We enjoyed Aunt Sue's Tea Room. The ladies of my family, the groom’s mother, a family friend, and the bridesmaids munched on finger sandwiches and scones and sweets.
June 16th was the wedding in the afternoon. We wish our niece and her new husband many happy years together.
While we were at Aunt Sue's, my husband and brother-in-law drove to Shipshewana to pick up our beautiful new quarter-sawn white oak dining table and chairs we had ordered about 6 weeks ago. It is the photo at the beginning of this post. Tomorrow night we will eat the burrito casserole I posted earlier along with some Indiana melon. We shall see how God provides future guests around our table.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Drought
My part of northern Indiana is officially in drought. We had lots of nice rain earlier this spring, but hardly anything in May. Unirrigated farm crops are becoming stressed. My patio plant is thriving, however. In Texas we called this plant portulaca and it was usually in hanging baskets. Here it is called moss rose.
When we moved in last summer, this plant was about the size of a dinner plate and had a few orange blossoms. It died back in the winter, but came back this spring with lots of “baby” plants around its perimeter. Now it is spreading and the seedling plants are merging with the parent to form a ground cover. There are lots of blossoms in orange, yellow, white, pink. I am enjoying them because if we have a hard winter in 2013 I don’t know if it will reappear or not. I don’t have any experience with moss rose.
We experienced a drought of mail, too. Since we subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, we should at least have found that in our box. Yesterday my husband called the post office. The substitute postal worker who delivers our mail thought it was to be forwarded. It has been sent who-knows-where and may or may not come back to us. The good news is that we did receive mail on Wednesday and an apology.
We also had failure of our Dish Network DVR and the loss of all of our recorded programs and movies. Bye-bye Downton Abbey, farewell special on Jackie Kennedy Onassis and wedding of Kate and Will, so-long the movies we recorded during our 3-month special of free Starz.
These are the prickly things in the bowl. Perhaps a lesson in what is really important, but kind of hard to give thanks. I know: my TV still works, the retirement village waters my lawn from a well so it is green, and my mail service has resumed. Life is still good; just a little hard to swallow.
When we moved in last summer, this plant was about the size of a dinner plate and had a few orange blossoms. It died back in the winter, but came back this spring with lots of “baby” plants around its perimeter. Now it is spreading and the seedling plants are merging with the parent to form a ground cover. There are lots of blossoms in orange, yellow, white, pink. I am enjoying them because if we have a hard winter in 2013 I don’t know if it will reappear or not. I don’t have any experience with moss rose.
We experienced a drought of mail, too. Since we subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, we should at least have found that in our box. Yesterday my husband called the post office. The substitute postal worker who delivers our mail thought it was to be forwarded. It has been sent who-knows-where and may or may not come back to us. The good news is that we did receive mail on Wednesday and an apology.
We also had failure of our Dish Network DVR and the loss of all of our recorded programs and movies. Bye-bye Downton Abbey, farewell special on Jackie Kennedy Onassis and wedding of Kate and Will, so-long the movies we recorded during our 3-month special of free Starz.
These are the prickly things in the bowl. Perhaps a lesson in what is really important, but kind of hard to give thanks. I know: my TV still works, the retirement village waters my lawn from a well so it is green, and my mail service has resumed. Life is still good; just a little hard to swallow.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Burrito Casserole
Busy getting ready for a 2-week stay by my California family. Already have this dish in the freezer for one of the suppers.
Makes 2 casseroles (6 servings each)
2 lbs ground turkey or beef
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans Ranch Beans (15 oz each) (pinto beans in seasoned tomato sauce)
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes & green chilies, undrained (I use Rotel)
1 16-oz jar taco sauce (I use salsa; doesn't need to be cooked as long to thicken)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained
1 can (3 or 4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
12 flour tortillas (8 inches) halved
4 cups (16 oz) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
In large skillet, cook turkey (beef), onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the beans, taco sauce, tomatoes, chilies, and olives. Bring to boil. Reduce heat.
Simmer uncovered, for 2O-25 min. or until slightly thickened.
Spread 1 cup meat mixture in each of two greased 11 in. x 7 in. baking dishes (or 9 x 9 in.
square).
Layer with 4 tortilla halves, l cup meat mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat twice. (I only repeated once)
*Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at
350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is
melted.
Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
*I have baked both casseroles at same time and froze a baked one to thaw and heat up in the future. I think a baked one holds together better if you are going to use a freezer bag rather than a casserole container for freezing.
Makes 2 casseroles (6 servings each)
2 lbs ground turkey or beef
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans Ranch Beans (15 oz each) (pinto beans in seasoned tomato sauce)
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes & green chilies, undrained (I use Rotel)
1 16-oz jar taco sauce (I use salsa; doesn't need to be cooked as long to thicken)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained
1 can (3 or 4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
12 flour tortillas (8 inches) halved
4 cups (16 oz) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
In large skillet, cook turkey (beef), onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the beans, taco sauce, tomatoes, chilies, and olives. Bring to boil. Reduce heat.
Simmer uncovered, for 2O-25 min. or until slightly thickened.
Spread 1 cup meat mixture in each of two greased 11 in. x 7 in. baking dishes (or 9 x 9 in.
square).
Layer with 4 tortilla halves, l cup meat mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat twice. (I only repeated once)
*Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at
350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is
melted.
Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
*I have baked both casseroles at same time and froze a baked one to thaw and heat up in the future. I think a baked one holds together better if you are going to use a freezer bag rather than a casserole container for freezing.
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