tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43008928144552200582024-02-19T04:10:18.458-08:00I'm Just SayingSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.comBlogger343125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-65926902775339377912015-10-04T09:02:00.000-07:002015-10-04T11:34:42.215-07:00NowilaymeWhen we were very young, our mother said our prayers with us each night. Imagine two little tow-headed children, on their knees, heads against their folded hands on the bedspread. Until we could remember the entire prayer, our mother would recite each line and we'd repeat it. We had two prayers; one was Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep and the other was The Lord's Prayer. Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-68419239013701497652015-04-08T11:00:00.002-07:002015-04-08T11:00:39.403-07:00Oh, When the Giants Come to Town
When I was a young Southern California girl in high school, I was dating a college guy from Northern California. He would go home every summer and, in those days, no one made long distance phone calls unless there was a special occasion or an emergency. And so we wrote letters. I think we often wrote daily. And I saved many of those letters because I'm a saver.
At someSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-36636428247109829282015-02-24T16:24:00.000-08:002015-02-24T18:27:50.398-08:00Sweet and Sour Onions: Inspired by Italy
When we were in Venice, Italy, where you are supposed to enjoy the seafood, we had a dish of Sweet and Sour Sardines which the recipe in the link identifies as one of the most typical Venice dishes. And it was delicious. It was one of the first I tried to recreate when I got home. The recipe I worked from was this one. Unfortunately for me, I had trouble findingSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-82079770342757214502015-02-21T14:14:00.000-08:002015-02-21T14:53:24.796-08:00Inside Outside Grilled Cheese
Following up on a couple of posts from Facebook friends (you know who you are). I decided to try this method of making a grilled cheese sandwich which results in a crispy cheese outside.
I didn't completely follow the advice though. First of all I used a nice grainy Rustique Miche loaf from Trader Joe's. I don't have white bread at home and I wasn't going to buy a whole loaf justSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-80038964860462510092015-01-04T14:28:00.000-08:002015-01-04T16:07:42.919-08:00Recreating the Food From Italy, Episode 1
We had some amazing, amazing food in Italy and now I'm trying to recreate some of it as best I can. Most things I enjoyed just require finding the right ingredients, some require looking up recipes, and some, like today's creation, are trial and error.
One of the best things we had was a mushroom dish served at a family restaurant in Montepulciano, a lovely small town in wine country. &Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-52031033952648201782014-12-03T09:43:00.000-08:002014-12-03T09:48:49.789-08:00I Got Paid To Lose WeightOne day last May I was cruising the internet and saw an ad about being paid to lose weight. "Right!", I thought but I clicked anyway. I ended at at the HealthyWage page and I read it pretty throughly. They have a few different programs but the one that interested me was the challenge to wager on my weight loss.
At that point, I was at least 75 pounds overweight. I'd Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-6168296159648622922014-11-06T15:19:00.001-08:002014-11-06T15:19:43.740-08:00Pear and Cranberry Compote
I found the Auntie Em's Cookbook at my local library and thought many of the recipes looked interesting. I also like it because the author's restaurant, Auntie Em's Kitchen, is located in my old college stomping grounds, Eagle Rock, California.
I kept the book out for a few weeks and copied a few recipes. Before taking it back to the library today, I skimmed through it againSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-86256529917738464582014-11-02T18:42:00.001-08:002014-11-03T14:32:20.518-08:00Roasted Tomatoes and Spaghetti Squash
I had half of a spaghetti squash left over from my spaghetti squash casserole dinner the other night. I decided to try and recreate a spaghetti squash dinner my daughter made me some time back that I've always remembered. She just made it up at the time so I had to do the same.
I sprayed the squash with olive oil and seasoned it with some salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. &Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-15436030723412429032014-10-28T17:16:00.002-07:002014-10-28T17:24:46.876-07:00Spaghetti Squash and Tomato CasseroleYet another Pinterest inspired dinner. This is a definite keeper. My version has a few changes even though I'm sure the original is also delicious.
I used one half of a spaghetti squash, sprayed it with olive oil, added salt, pepper and some Italian seasoning and then roasted it cut side down for 50 minutes at 400 degrees. After it cooled, I scraped out the squash and put it in a Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-43595755793780094032014-06-30T15:40:00.002-07:002014-06-30T16:26:42.427-07:00Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
Another Pinterest find. Orzo, feta, and cucumber drizzled with olive oil and tossed with parsley, mint, lemon zest, and lemon juice. It was refreshing and tasty but it needed something. Maybe just a dash of hot sauce.
I was only making enough to have lunch today and didn't want to have any left overs; just in case I didn't like it. I used 1/4 C dry pasta which ends upSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-25183797994839530842014-06-28T10:20:00.002-07:002014-06-28T10:24:42.391-07:00The One About Best FriendsA few months back, I learned that my mom's best friend had died and I posted about their life long friendship. Yesterday I heard from my dad that his best friend Dave Burnham recently died.
I only met my mom's friend Helen a few times so didn't know her well and I never met my dad's friend Dave. My dad mentioned Dave fairly often and therefore I know they attended Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-57755424799658052162014-05-20T11:16:00.001-07:002014-05-26T14:07:57.435-07:00Around the Calendar in Connecticut
Among the things at my Aunt Mary's were these slides that originally came from Great-Aunt Margaret, my grandfather's sister. The show of the seasons in Connecticut starts on New Year's and ends just after Christmas. There were two slide trays of pictures along with a written presentation which she gave to groups. I had to cut some of the slides and the show is still a bit long. Many Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-294217716898279962014-02-18T07:08:00.001-08:002014-02-18T07:08:57.270-08:00Cauli-flour
I found a recipe the other day for Jalapeño and Cheddar Cauliflower Muffins (the name is a bit of a misnomer since there isn't much Jalapeño in the recipe). Lots of cauliflower, a lot of cheese and a tiny bit of flour, along with eggs, chopped jalapeños and some spices. They don't rise much but they do come out of the oven cheesy and delicious. The recipe says to let themSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-3115173566376357122014-01-12T10:27:00.000-08:002014-01-12T20:36:13.830-08:00My Mom's Best Friend Died
My mom and Helen were best friends from the time they were 6. They lived around the corner from each other in Niagara Fall, NY until my mother moved away in her 20s. Mom moved around a bit, living in New York, then Germany and then New York again. Finally in 1950, she moved to Los Angeles where she resided (still moving around a lot) until she came to live with me in 1983. &Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-60761911729249662162014-01-06T08:50:00.001-08:002014-01-06T08:50:42.494-08:00Eggs in Clouds
I made this Eggs in Clouds recipe I found over on Pinterest. They were easy to make. Just separate the eggs, whip the whites until stiff and fold in some cheese, chives and bacon. I didn't have chives so I used some green onion. Make mounds on parchment paper and put a dip in the middle. Cook them about 3 minutes and then add the yolks before cooking them Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-80560111975639367712013-08-28T13:19:00.000-07:002013-08-28T13:22:17.530-07:00What the Kale
I'm enjoying a kale salad phase. I have made a kale salad 4 out of the last 5 days.
If you go pick up some kale and try a bite, you may think kale salad doesn't seem like a wonderful lunch but once you tenderize it, add some other ingredients and a great salad dressing, you have a perfect meal.
I bought the already chopped and bagged kale from Trader Joe's. It annoys me that it Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-17701647074486974182013-07-15T09:51:00.000-07:002013-07-15T09:54:48.339-07:00CATS Salad
I got the inspiration for my Cucumber, Avocado, Tomato and Shrimp (CATS) salad from this appetizer found on Pinterest. I made the appetizer and it was very good; yummy shrimp and avocado with a chilled slice of cucumber. The Sriracha made the dish.
I'm ultimately lazy though and so, after a few tastes, I cut up all the remaining items and made it into a salad. I added some Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-77676491075747345922013-06-17T10:49:00.000-07:002014-06-30T19:10:46.389-07:00Corny Egg Breakfast
I got the idea for this dish from a quiche recipe. I'm not a huge fan of the crust so I turned it into a frittata. This picture does not do justice to the yumminess. I knew I like tomatoes and eggs but wasn't sure about corn. It was amazing! And the carmelized onions just made it even better.
I used the ingredient list as a guideline but then made it my own. First, &Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-27900251217867299782013-04-05T15:50:00.000-07:002013-04-05T16:23:44.708-07:00Wine and a MovieToday I set off to experience the new Galaxy Theatres, Green Valley. I had high expectations because I want the theater to help revitalize our community. The strip mall the theater occupies used to be a wonderfully active area with several good places to eat and shop. Then came the recession and, one by one, places closed. Now I'm hopeful again.
First, the theater. It was Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-7123150989066638562013-01-25T18:03:00.000-08:002013-01-26T08:17:19.506-08:00The Alphas and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Night
Long story, not short. We arrived at our beach rental in Mission Beach on Tuesday. The condo wasn't exactly what we had imagined. The pictures made it look bigger and "sleeps 6" translates to sleeps 3 comfortably but person number 4 is stuck with the small not so comfortable futon. If 6 people stay there 4 of them better really, really like each other. The "bay viewSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-24039768025841604972012-12-19T09:29:00.000-08:002012-12-19T09:29:27.848-08:00Scalloped Potatoes
Here's another recipe for a dish I love but have never tried making for myself. Unlike the Eggplant Parmesan recipe that kind of scared me because of the frying and the veggie I don't know much about, this is just a simple recipe I'd never taken on.
I love potatoes in most forms and I've always wanted to make scalloped potatoes, just haven't taken that step. But I was reading a book by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-26008240421533896752012-12-17T07:02:00.001-08:002012-12-17T07:02:32.538-08:00My First Eggplant Parmesan
Last month I read a fun story titled "Last Bite" about a TV show executive chef. There was a lot about cooking in the book, especially about Italian cooking. Recipes were included and I decided to finally give Eggplant Parmesan a try. I've eaten it before, of course, but I've never tried cooking it.
The author Nancy Verde Barr, also a chef, wrote that the secret to good Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-1981365192395600942012-10-22T17:32:00.001-07:002012-10-22T18:08:50.328-07:00Soup's On
I'm so happy it is cooling down so I can make some yummy soups. I do have a couple cold soups in my repetroire but they just don't satisfy the way hot soup does.
Today I started with a recipe for Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup. I'll give you one guess where I found this recipe. Yep, Pinterest.com. I had to make a few adjustments. First, I only had one sweet Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-49215087350621103092012-10-05T17:37:00.001-07:002012-10-05T19:02:04.874-07:00Teaching Is Hard WorkThis blog has become mostly recipes but today I'm inserting a long note about teaching because I think it needs to be said.
Teaching is hard work. You may think you already know that. I thought I already knew that. But you just need to go teach for one day to understand that you probably have no clue just how really hard it is. And I'm not even a teacher. I'm a sub, or asSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300892814455220058.post-82171074213762573722012-08-21T08:06:00.002-07:002012-08-21T08:06:39.989-07:00Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna Yum Yum
One of my current favorite sushi items is spicy tuna served on crispy rice. I first had it at Koi in Las Vegas a few years back. It isn't served at my regular sushi bar and I haven't seen it too many other places. It appears it might be an L.A. trend - and Las Vegas lucks out because Koi has a restaurant here.
While we were in L.A. this past weekend we went to The Little Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282281859157284441noreply@blogger.com0