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From Texas Co-op Power, May 2009 issue. Thought I’d post it, because it gave some good ideas for using this summer staple and garden bounty!:
Anyone who has grown squash successfully knows there’s always too much. here are some easy ways to us it up.
If you’ve ever planted summer squash, you know that it can really take off and you end up with tons upon tons of extra! I know that’s what happens to us, so I love squash recipes so I can use them up while they are plentiful. Of course, we usually give a bunch away to family and friends and even donate to our local food pantry. BTW, food pantries are a great place to get rid of your excess produce. Check with them to make sure, but I know that ours accepts donations of garden fresh produce and it makes me feel like we’re helping our neighbors in need. In fact, I really want to plant a garden just for that purpose, to raise fresh veggies for the food pantry. Anyway, this recipe makes use of one of my family’s most favorite ingredients…cheese. We usually use pepper jack for this recipe. Well, on to the recipe!
Baked Pepper Jack Squash
2 lbs. yellow summer squash (can use zucchini)
8 slices bacon, fried until crisp & crumbles (we use turkey bacon)
1 large onion, sliced into rings
8 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
1/2 – 1 cup dried bread crumbs (I use my homemade NT bread to make crumbs)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Boil the squash until tender. Cook the onion in the bacon drippings. In a 9×9 inch baking pan, layer in half the ingredients in the following order, squash, bacon, onion, and cheese. Repeat layers and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve as is, or with a dollop of sour cream and chopped tomatoes. This makes a good side dish or a meatless meal!
I started to write a how-to on laundry, so that Marty or the kids would be able to do laundry if I’m not able to. I realized that while I was down during the time following Gabriel’s birth and death, that they didn’t know the first thing about doing laundry. I think it’s so important that even boys learn how to do simple household chores like laundry, washing dishes and cooking. So many men are staying single longer and honestly I don’t want to be doing my son’s laundry when he’s 30! LOL! Also, when Marty and I got married, he didn’t know how to do laundry. The first time he did laundry, I ended up with a pink load and a shrunk dress. He mixed in a red sock with the lights and washed a dry clean only dress…lol! So, I decided to write up the instructions and post them near the washing machine. Since I was doing this anyway, I thought I’d post it here on my blog as well.
Susan’s Laundry Instructions
This recipe turned out really well and is now going into regular circulation
1 large bunch broccoli
6 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup real butter
4 cups whole wheat spirals or macaroni (we also like rice & sunchoke pasta)
salt & pepper
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup dry bread crumbs
1-1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 lb. Ground turkey, browned
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add one tbsp. salt. Cut off broccoli florets into 1 inch pieces and peel stalks and chop into 1 inch pieces. Steam until tender. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until tender. While pasta cooks, melt butter in skillet and brown ground turkey and garlic. Drain the pasta and mix together the pasta, steamed broccoli, salt, pepper, ground turkey, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and grated cheddar. I serve this with homemade bread and a green salad.
Sorry I haven’t been around much this week, it’s just been busy around here. Monday, Marty was home, so we spent time working around the house/yard. I’ve also been researching homeschool curriculum. I think we’re going to go with A-Squared or Robinson, right now I’m more leaning towards A-Squared. I like that the are “trivium” curriculum. So, if any of my readers knows anything about either of them, I’d love to hear your thoughts! I’ve also spent a good portion of this week uploading a ton of digital scrapbook designs to one of my shops. I just never got around to getting them uploaded to that particular shop and so I’m WAY behind and working with slow internet. I’ve been uploading since Tuesday and I still have about 15 items to upload. I’m hoping to have that all done by this evening. Then I can go turn the items on in that shop. So between that and homeschool, I’ve purposely kept away from my blog, facebook and the internet….it’s too easy to get lost down that rabbit hole =)
Homeschool is going really well. Riley is still doing great learning to read. I REALLY LOVE “Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons”. I can’t believe how easy it is and how well he’s doing. Teaching Colt to read was a nightmare and was the reason we finally put him in public school when we moved here. If I had owned this book then, he would have been homeschooled from kindergarten until now. We homeschooled kindergarten – 1st grade and then he was public schooled from 2nd – 4th grade. He had so many problems in PS, even though his class size fluctuated between 10-12 students. We pulled him out towards the end of 4th grade and have been homeschooling again since then. Riley will probably never attend PS. Colt will be going into 11th grade this year and Riley will be doing kindergarten. I just love homeschooling! We’re trying to get finished up for the year, but we will be doing some homeschooling over the summer jut to make sure we get done in time for next school year. Our 2009-2010 school year will start on September 7th! So, I’ve got to start getting busy getting everything together. Start saving up now, so we can purchase everything we need.
Have any of you tried using one of those book readers? We love getting the old books from off Project Gutenberg, but printing them off is expensive. We were thinking of saving up to purchase one of those book readers to use for reading those books. If any of you have a recommendation, I’d love to hear them!
I’ve also been working on the baby sweater that I’ve been working on now for (what seems like) a million years! I’m actually almost done. I just have to finish one sleeve and then put it all together. I’m hoping to get the actual knitting finished up today. I will post a picture when it’s done. I sure hope it looks alright once I get it all put together. This is my first “real” knitting project. Before this, all I’d really done were wash cloths.
Well, I’d better go for now. Today is yet another busy one, but I wanted to pop in and say hello! I’ve got laundry calling my name, then lunch and then homeschooling! Have a wonderful and blessed day everyone!
Last week we did a bunch of fun things and I, of course, took pictures!
Sunday – 05-17-09 Colt shooting the bow fishing bow
Colt and Marty were out in the driveway shooting the bow fishing bow into the mud puddles…fun was had by all…lol!
Monday – 05-18-09 Riley’s Nature Walk
For science on Monday, Riley and I took a nature walk around our property checking out the wild flowers. We picked some and have them pressing between books right now. We also took some Queen Anne’s Lace and put them in water with food coloring. Riley was so excited when they changed colors!
Mondayjavascript:void(0) – 05-18-09 Moving the Chickens
We got them all moved over to one of the chicken tractors. Then Friday morning we woke up and discovered that all but 4 were gone. One of the dogs dug under the tractor and had himself a full dinner =(
Friday – 05-22-09 Wild Flowers
While out running errands on Friday, we saw this patch of wild flowers that we thought was really pretty, so we stopped and took some pictures.
Sunday – 05-24-09 Visit to Marty’s Dad’s house
Marty’s Dad lives in Glen Rose, right on the Brazos River. Marty’s brother, Justin, was there as well. Marty, his Dad (Ronnie), Justin and Colt helped clean out the barn. Riley and I visited with Marty’s step mother (Suz). We all had a good time visiting. While the guys worked, Riley, Suz and I went to Big Rocks Park in Glen Rose, it’s right on the Paluxy River. Riley had a great time. After that, we came home for lunch. And then Marty and Justin went canoeing down the Brazos and caught some fish.
Monday – 05-25-09 Sunbonnet
Friday, I found this cute sunbonnet at an estate sale, which I just had to snatch up before someone else got it. This will be so great to use in the garden!!
Well, I’m off to spend a wonderful Memorial Day with my boys! Have a great day everyone!!
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (grass-fed)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups cooked kidney beans (rinsed & drained; reserve about 1/2 cup liquid)
salt and pepper to taste
1 can tomato sauce
4 slices bacon (can use turkey bacon)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a medium baking dish. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and onion until the beef is evenly brown and the onion is tender. Remove from heat. Layer 1/2 the potatoes in the bottom of the prepared baking dish, and cover with 1/2 the beef and onion mixture. Spread 1/2 the kidney beans and 1/2 their liquid over the beef and onion, and season with salt and pepper. Repeat the layers, and cover with the tomato soup. Top with the bacon. Cover and bake 1 hour in the preheated oven. Remove cover and continue baking 1 hour, or until the bacon is crisp and the potatoes are tender.
Since I’m raising boys, I always enjoy reading articles and books about raising them to be Christian gentlemen. The other day I ran across a copy of “Amy Vanderbilt’s New Complete Book of Etiquette” and I thought I share some of it from a section entitled “Masculine Graces”. Some of these are out of date, but some are eternally just good manners. Unfortunately good manners are just not being taught any more =(
Sending Flowers
Too many men use little or no sense in the sending of flowers. Confused, they buy something expensive and therefore, they believe, impressive, but it may be quite unsuited to the occasion or to the costume the girl is wearing. A woman is much more impressed when her escort makes an effort to find out what kind of flowers she would prefer than if he just leaves it up to the florist. If a man can’t determine what sort of flowers a woman likes, he is safe in sending white flowers. Bouquets of flowers should always be sent with some thought of where and how they will be arranged. It is a very nice thing to send flowers for decoration to a woman who is giving a party. A man who is laying siege to a girl’s heart does well not to systematize his flower-sending.
Lateness
If one is meeting a lady at an appointed place, lateness of five to ten minutes is acceptable, but it is always better manners to be there slightly before a guest’s arrival. Greater lateness that this can be acutely embarrassing to a lady, and if some emergency has arisen an explanatory message should be sent, if possible.
Shaking Hands
A handshake is as much a part of personality as the way we walk, and although we may modify and improve a poor handshake if someone calls our attention to it, it will still usually be just like us, assured or timid, warm or cool.
Bad handshakes include the bone crusher–the grip that makes the other person, especially a woman wearing rings, wince. Or a limp, damp handshake that seems to say, “I am not really happy to meet you at all!” Or it many be the kind of straight-arm shake that seems to hold the other person off, or the octopus grip that draws you inexorably toward the shaker, who never seems to want to let go. Then there’s the pump handle, or country bumpkin shake, and the very Continental style–reserved for women–which, though not a hand kiss exactly, is cozy and overlong, ending in a intimate little squeeze.
A good handshake is elbow level, firm and brief. A man does not offer to shake hands with a woman unless she makes the move first. Whether he is shaking the hand of a man or a woman, the shaker must look the person he is greeting firmly in the eye and, at least, look pleasant, if he doesn’t actually smile.
A Man’s Hat
A man’s hat should sit more or less squarely on his head, not be pushed toward the back or tipped too jauntily to the side. It should never distort the natural position of his ears.
In the corridors and elevators of public buildings a man may keep his hat on his head. If a man accidentally jostles a woman in some crowded place, it is polite of him to touch his hat. He touches the crown of a soft hat or the brim of a stiff one. The hat need not be removed until he is actually entering the office.
In greeting a woman friend in the street or in some public place, once she has bowed first, a man actually lifts his hat from his head, turning his head slightly toward the woman and smiling, if he wishes, but not stopping unless she stops first. He may return his hat to his head without apology if they are in the open and the weather is bad.
Manners on the Street
In America it is customary for a man to walk on the curbside when accompanying a lady on the street, but the rule is not so hard and fast as it use to be. When a man is accompanying two ladies he may walk between them or, conservatively, on the outside, moving in the center position to assist both across the street. He does not offer his arm to a lady, except to an elderly or infirm one, in the daytime, although he does do so at night or in bad weather. He offers his arm to assist her across the street but does not propel her by the elbow. The only time he does touch her elbow is when he is helping her up into a conveyance. If he precedes her–for example, down a train step–he offers her his hand to steady her descent. He may never take her arm.
Kissing in Public
If it is usual for us to kiss our relatives or close friends, we do so, in greeting and farewell, in public or not, so long as the gesture is sufficiently brief so as not to attract the attention of passers-by. The senseless public kissing when women meet, particularly those who see each other frequently should be discouraged. But if you feel like kissing out of real affection and pleasure at seeing someone, go ahead, so long as you avoid too public a display of your emotions. Of course, if a man does greet a woman in public with a kiss, he must remove his hat entirely.
Making Apologies
In disturbing anyone by passing in front of him or her–if there is no other course–say, “Please excuse me,” or “I beg your pardon,” or “I’m sorry,” not the curt, imperative, “Excuse me,” “Pardon,” or “Sorry.” Where possible, ask permission to pass first–as in a theater row–don’t barge past people or over their feet without first giving them a chance to make way. In this country it is usual to pass in a theater row with your back to the people you are passing.
Opening Conversations
A gentleman does not open conversations with women he encounters in public places or conveyances unless there is some sound reason for doing so. If a woman leaves her seat in a hotel lobby and forgets her fur piece, a gentleman picks it up and goes after her with it. As he catches up with her, he touches her arm lightly, hands her the forgotten scarf, tips his hat, and turns away immediately, as she thanks him.
Careful about Names
Never call out a woman’s name in public places, or in conversations use the names of friends, clients, or employers where they may be overhead by strangers. Talking in public places should always be keyed low, though it must never seem too intimate, either, where a woman companion is concerned. A gentleman does nothing to make a lady conspicuous in a public place.
A Few Brief Reminders
Do not
4-1/4 to 4-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, margarine, or shortening
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
In a large mixing bowl stir together 2 cups of the flour and the yeast. In medium saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, butter, and salt just until warm (120 degree F to 130 degree F) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to dry mixture along with eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high-speed 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
Make-Ahead Tip: Cover shaped rolls loosely with plastic wrap, leaving room for rolls to rise. Chill 2 to 24 hours. Uncover; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape the dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour).
Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, depending on what shape of roll you wish to make, lightly grease baking sheets or muffin cups.
Shape the dough into desired rolls and place on prepared baking sheets or in muffin cups. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (about 30 minutes).
Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Immediately remove rolls from pans. Cool on wire racks. Makes 24 to 36 rolls.
Butterhorns: On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of the dough into a 12-inch circle. Brush with melted butter or margarine. Cut each circle into 12 wedges using a pizza cutter or sharp knife. To shape, begin at the wide end of a wedge and loosely roll toward the point. Place point side down, 2 to 3 inches apart, on prepared baking sheets.
Rosettes: Divide each dough portion into 16 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 12-inch-long rope. Tie in a loose knot, leaving 2 long ends. Tuck top end under roll. Bring bottom end up and tuck into center of roll. Place 2 to 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
Parker House Rolls: On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with a floured 2-1/2-inch-round cutter. Brush with melted butter or margarine. Using the dull edge of a table knife, make an off-center crease in each round. Fold each round along crease with large half on top. Press folded edge firmly. Place rolls 2 to 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
Cloverleaf Rolls: Divide each portion of dough into 36 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, pulling edges under to make a smooth top. Place 3 balls in each muffin cup, smooth sides up.
These are some tips from the “Amy Vanderbilt’s New Complete Book of Etiquette” originally published in the 1950′s. While some of these ideas are a bit outdated, most are still nice ways to show hospitality to your guests and make them feel at home.
The Extra Touches That Count
Wherever you tuck him or her, be sure your overnight guest has the following:
The Well-appointed Guest Room
If you can set yourself up a permanent guest room and are not reduced to tucking the poor guest into the pull-out couch in the library or on the sun porch, here are some additional desirable attractions:
