Lunch was served....

 It was another weekend that passed quickly for us!  What is it that seems to make the time speed along?

On Sunday, we enjoyed being able to “attend” our church service via online.  Unfortunately, there was a problem with Webinar, and our Sunday School class wasn’t able to “meet.”  

We are happy to have leftovers from this lunch that was served....

Oven-fried boneless pork chops with applesauce garnish, glazed carrots, and green pea salad!  Some of our favorites through the years! 

Dessert?  A Peach Pound Cake!  We enjoyed it plain, though a scoop of ice cream topped with caramel sauce sounds pretty good to me!

This is the last day of August!  Is it time for Pumpkin Spice at your house?

On the menu....

 The breakfast treat for this morning....

The first pan out of the oven, unglazed as yet, was Cinnamon Rolls.  The Husband was ready and waiting for one of these!  He’s not a fan of extra sweetness, so omitting the glaze suits him very well!

Using the same sweet roll dough recipe, these are Orange Rolls.  The dough was made last night and refrigerated until time for rolling out and shaping this morning.  

Half of each pan has been stored in the freezer for enjoyment at a later time.

The menu for Sunday Lunch is oven-fried boneless pork chops, glazed carrots, green pea salad, and rolls. Yes, there will be dessert!  

I’ll be back on Monday with pictures!

Another Friday....

 We have reached another Friday, and it’s time for that Friday list of things I love.

1)  I love walking on the beach.

This is from last year at Aquinnah on Martha’s Vineyard.  We had a wonderful family vacation to Cape Cod and took the ferry for Martha’s Vineyard for a day.

2)  I love pizza!

Of course, you knew that I’d make it to food, didn’t you?  When I went to college in the fall of 1958, I had never even had a taste of pizza!  I have a good recipe that uses the food processor to make the dough....enough for four pizzas.  It freezes very well in a freezer bag.  While I have been known to also make my own pizza sauce, Rao’s is an excellent choice at the grocery!

3)  I love reading in bed.  No picture for this one, though this time of day is one that I anticipate all day long!  I’m currently rereading Jan Karon’s series at bedtime.  They leave me with a feeling of comfort and calmness.

4)  I love the new hummingbird feeder that was a gift from family.

If you look closely, you’ll be able to see that first visitor!

5)  I love the sunsets that we have here.

Each evening brings a new view!

Sending you good wishes for the weekend ahead.  Be safe, and stay well!

There was dessert....

As The Husband says, “A good meal is not complete without dessert!”  Taking the lead from someone who has said, “Eat dessert first!”, this is what was ready....

“Hmm....”, you may be saying.  “This looks like last week’s dessert!”  Well, the unveiling will wait until the end of this post!  Once again, however, it was meringue-making during a rainy day with high humidity!

The weekend included a live-streaming District United Methodist Women Social Action event dealing with the problem of Human Trafficking.  I am missing the opportunities to gather with other United Methodist Women as we become more aware of issues of our times.  It was good to be able to watch this presentation via technology.

Sunday Lunch was this....

This was the first time I have tried roasting grapes, and they were delicious!  Also, I usually don’t have any kind of topping for salmon....except perhaps a lemon slice or two....and this was really good with a Dijon mustard/mayo blend, kosher salt and pepper added!

Now....under that meringue....

Using a ready-made walnut crust (already in the pantry), I made this chocolate filling which uses condensed milk (also, already in the pantry).  It made for a very tasty combination!  One of these days, I will be motivated to try meringue when it isn’t raining and see if that makes a difference in the weeping.

A new week is ahead....sending wishes for all good things to you!  

On the menu....

 Do you have a special Saturday morning breakfast routine you follow?  When the “children” were at home, it seems that everyone expected pancakes on Saturday.  I don’t remember if that was a regular Saturday morning breakfast, though I remember making them much more often than in recent years.

This morning, I added some homemade goodies to some purchased ones and had this offering for breakfast....

Here we have homemade buttermilk biscuits, gingerbread muffins, and blueberry breakfast cookies to go along with purchased mini-scones and croissants.  Of course, there were leftovers!  That’s considered a treat around here!  Oh, also homemade strawberry and blueberry preserves!

On the menu for Sunday Lunch is....Salmon with roasted grapes, rice pilaf, mixed vegetable casserole, roasted asparagus, cheese rolls, and dessert, of course!  Wonder what that will be?!?

I’ll let you see the finished product on Monday.  

Good wishes for the remainder of the weekend!

Friday’s list....

 How is your mood today?  Are you welcoming a weekend?  Do you have something different planned?Are you feeling a bit “low,” perhaps?  What do you do to lift yourself out of a low mood?

Thinking about this list of things I love has turned my focus on pleasant memories.  That may help us rise above the “blues.”

1)  I love “The Sound of Music!”  I must have seen the movie dozens of times!  I love the music, and Julie  Andrews is a favorite!  No picture for this one, though.

2)  I love “brown paper packages tied up with string!”  

  Doesn’t this just spread a festive mood?!?

3)  I love Mount Airy, North Carolina!  The Husband and I visited there in 2018 and have a return trip on our list!  

Sobota Manor was an amazing Bed and Breakfast!  If you were a fan of Andy Griffith’s television show, you will love visiting Mt. Airy!  

4)  I love to shop in antique stores!

This elegant chocolate set did not come home with me, however!

5)  I love that I’ve been able to be a Kids Hope, USA mentor!  Kids Hope is a mentoring program that has been sponsored in the local elementary school by a church in the community for more than ten years!  The spring usually includes a group activity; unfortunately, it had to be cancelled this year due to the virus.  The following pictures are from the previous year.

The Kids Hope children have a great time with the games, food (pizza, cookie, ice cream), and a photo booth!  This school year begins with an added awareness regarding the virus, and mentors will not be going into the school for sometime into the future.  What a difficult time for all of us, particularly the children!

How are you keeping your spirits from sagging?  Are you able to focus on the good that surrounds you?  Are you able to keep in touch with friends?  While you may not be able to be with them face-to-face, a text, an e-mail, a card in “snail mail,” or a telephone call are all good ways to stay connected.  

Take care of yourself!  Be safe!  Stay well!

Special times....

 August is a month that holds no special dates to celebrate already worked into the calendar.  Our family has made great progress in correcting that void!

This little Munchkin became fourteen on the 14th!  In a hurry to arrive, she came seven weeks early and spent three weeks in the NICU.  She has grown by leaps and bounds and has now passed her mother in height!  Happy birthday to Munchkin #2!

Earlier, in 1969, The Husband and I created our own special day in August when we became husband and wife on the 16th!  That was the motivation for preparing a special meal for Sunday Lunch.

And....yes, that pie survived intact until dessert time on Sunday!

You are probably able to see that the meringue did a bit of  “weeping.”  I have heard that it isn’t a good thing to make meringue on a rainy day.  Well, Saturday was sort of one big rainfall after the other!:-)  It was still a special treat for The Husband!

Someone has wondered what we do with “all that food!”  I’m a real believer in the “cook once, eat twice (or more)” policy.  For instance, the turkey breast from a couple of weeks ago reappeared in a pot pie along with the peas and carrots that were served for lunch that day, and the gravy helped create the sauce.  More of the turkey found its way atop a salad as well as in a sandwich.  

When we were dating, we sometimes ate at a place called The Roman Room.  The Husband liked to order a hot roast beef sandwich, so some of Sunday’s leftovers will reappear this week in that form for a memory reminder.  The roasted zucchini will find its way into a favorite vegetable soup!

Be sure to be diligent in following the recommendations for maintaining good health in this pandemic!  

On the menu....

 Did you know that today is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day?  I haven’t shared that information with The Husband, hoping he will be surprised with this....

Oops!  Almost too brown on the meringue where I tried to be fancy!  Anyway, The Husband is a fan of anything with meringue.  This may, however, wait until Sunday Lunch, which is a special kind of lunch this week.

On the menu for Sunday....roast beef, twice-baked potatoes (with help from my favorite market), roasted vegetables, and cheese rolls (also from my favorite market).  Even if this pie doesn’t remain uncut until tomorrow, some of it will still be around to make an appearance.

I’ll be back to let you know how everything goes from here.  

Take care, be safe, and stay well!

Five more things....

 I’ll begin this post by mentioning that today is Munchkin #2’s birthday!  We won’t be there to help her celebrate, though we did call to sing “Happy Birthday” to her.  Do you remember when you were 14?  

1)  I love holidays!  Of course, Christmas seems to be at the top of everyone’s list, although I love any of them!

2)  I love being part of the United Methodist Women!

The top two pictures are from the UMW Assembly held in Columbus, Ohio in 2018.  The third one is from our own Conference UMW Annual Meeting/Training honoring the 150 years of the UMW in 2019.

3)  I love a cozy reading corner!

It’s probably a good idea that the reading corner not be too comfy, or some spur-of-the moment napping might occur.

4)  I love breakfast!  I especially enjoy being able to assemble something tasty the night before for baking the next morning.  The picture below is one that has appeared on the blog at some point in the past.  It’s not one of those “do-ahead” marvels, though it includes lots of tasty ingredients!

This requires several steps....10 minutes to prebake the bacon; take off the pan and set aside; frozen hash browns in the pan next; bake 20 minutes; sprinkle with grated cheese; use spoon to indent space for the eggs; arrange bacon on top; bake 10 more minutes, or until eggs are cooked to desired doneness.  Oh, the bacon slices are halved first before initially placing them on the pan for baking at 350 degrees.  

5)  I love Massachusetts!  Granted, I’ve never been there in the cold of winter with deep snow, though I don’t think I’d even mind that as long as I was somewhere to keep warm and didn’t have to venture out in snowy conditions.  This time last year, we were returning from a family trip to Cape Cod in honor of our 50th wedding anniversary.  

We stayed on Cape Cod, and on a visit to Titcomb’s Bookshop, we were surprised to see they were celebrating 50 years, too!

How have you been the past several days?  Are you staying safe and well?  A mask is a necessary accessory when going out anywhere.  Is there a mask mandate where you are?

Have a pleasant evening!

The weekend....

 ....gave us a busy Saturday!  When the chore was completed, the Country Couple had assisted The Husband with burning an accumulation of brush.  We were left with this....

This pile of ashes kept enough heat....with more to spare....for baking potatoes on Sunday afternoon.  The Husband wrapped them in foil and buried them in the ashes, with great results!

There is the pot of baked potatoes!  They are delicious!  Of course, we usually cook more baked potatoes than we need at once, so we’re happy to have all these extra!

We had hoped the ashes might be hot enough to honor this day....National S’Mores Day....but the rainfall that has come our way today has sadly done away with that plan.  It’s not like we actually need another dessert option around here.:-)

Sunday lunch went as planned....

Some vinegar cole slaw, compliments of my favorite market, sneaked in to be part of the menu, and dessert?  Well, that’s a great use of zucchini!  Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake!  I’ve posted that recipe on the blog before, with a number of pictures to demonstrate the process.  It was part of a Picnic Game link that I joined.  It may be possible to do a search for it.  

As always, I hope you are doing what is needed to stay healthy, plus to encourage those who are near to you to stay healthy as well!  Be safe!  Remember to wear your mask!  Avoid large groups!  If we all do our part, we will be finished with this horrid time more quickly!  Remember to wash your hands often!

On the menu....

 This has been a busy Saturday here.  The Country Couple devoted some of their time to helping with a big project in the yard.  That called for a special Saturday breakfast....

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast was a great way to start the day!  

Now, I’m thinking about Sunday Lunch.  On the menu tomorrow?  Slow-cooker pork roast (I must remember to turn on that crock pot tonight!), baked beans, fresh applesauce, and a dessert using something that is in season now....either peaches or zucchini!  I’ll show you on Monday what our decision was.  

It has been a warm one here today!  Thankfully we’ve had some shade, and it wasn’t difficult to find something cool to drink.

Good wishes to you for your Saturday evening!

Five Things on Friday....

 Wishes for a good day to everyone on this Friday!  It’s time for that list of five things I love.  Since I experienced a bit of stress in the last post with inserting my pictures with text to follow, in this one....and posts to follow (until I figure it all out)....the pictures will follow all my text.  So....here we go with those five things!

1)  I love my family!  The picture shown is one that has been posted before on the blog.  It is of the time on July 12 that they were here for a backyard camp out, their idea.  Prior to that, it had been last December since we had all been together, and I honestly had wondered if we would be able to gather again.

2)  I love my church!  Of course, the church is not a building.  We are the church; however, the fellowship of believers is important to me.  The picture shown was taken sometime ago and before the service began on that Sunday.  Currently, our church is closed to in-person worship, and worship is online.  

3)  I love rainbows!  The picture shown was taken in early evening just this week!  I can remember from my past years how excited I was to see a rainbow!

4)  I love Emory and Henry College, my alma mater!  It was the fall of 1958 when I began my freshman year on a campus I had never seen before.  Times were different then, and there had been no campus visit prior to enrolling.  Our three daughters also chose to attend Emory and Henry, making it very possible to have family reunions during special events!  When they were students there, The Husband and I served on the Parents Council.  We return to campus several times during the year.  The picture is one of the marching band prior to Homecoming 2019.  This year, sadly, we will have “Homestaying.”

5)  I love birthdays, even mine!  The pictures that follow illustrate a couple of birthday celebrations, one when we were able to be with others, and one when we were home.

I have composed this part of this post; now it’s time to attempt those pictures!  I’m hopeful that all will work fine.  I’m not deleting this and starting all over!:-)

That much was successful!  Yay!!  And....I’ve begun typing text below the pictures!  Not sure what happened on that last post!

Time to wish you a good weekend!  I hope you have something that is relaxing planned!

Things to know....

There are a few things to know about this day, both serious and just for fun.

Growing up in the area not far from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, we were very aware of the impact Oak Ridge had on World War II.  This is a copy of the local newspaper on this day 75 years ago.  I am trying to post this with the new Blogger Interface, and I’m unable to insert pictures and text as I have done in the past.  The type automatically switched to blue underlining when I attempted to write underneath the picture.  Apparently one of the things I need to know is how to maneuver this “new and improved” thing!

Anyway, another thing to know is just for fun!  Today is National Root Beer Float Day, and we are ready for that here!

Also, it is National Wiggle Your Toes Day!  Did you ever wiggle your toes in the cool grass during the summer?  Today, my toes would get wet since we’ve had a shower of rain!

Now, I’m going to see if I’m able to post another picture underneath this one.  I’ve no idea why I’m unable to continue the black print below the picture!  This will take some investigating, and that involves time! 

Thank you for checking in today!

Success with the picture, but see what I mean?