Summer Friday Night

Mow the yard and smell the fresh cut grass.  Light the grill and let the aroma drift all over the neighborhood.  Watch the food finish cooking in the almost darkness.  Summer night at its finest!

Wednesday 06.18.2014

footbridge, - The University of the Incarnate Word

The Slow and Easy Way to Cook

I recently bought a second crock pot.  That sounds extravagant, but it made sense and I'm glad I did.  I originally had an avocado green crock pot (can you date it?) that was a wedding present.  It worked great and I cooked many wonderful meals in it.  When I began on my second life I bought a new crock pot, one that the crock lifted out and was easy to clean.  I've used it a lot, but it cooked way too fast, even on the low setting.  I think that had an effect on the food, too.  So my solution was to buy another crock pot.  Plus it made sense to have two so that I could use both at the same time to do a complete meal if I wanted to. When I went shopping I knew that I wanted one that would really cook on low and would turn itself onto a "warm" mode when the meal was done.  And, I got exactly what I wanted!

I made baked beans on my first use, and they were delicious! Today I put in a roast and it was perfect.  I didn't get a picture of it, since we were busy helping plates so we could commence to eating, so here is the empty pot waiting to be cleaned (yes, the crock and the top go in the dishwasher!).  I put in potatoes with the roast, made fresh green beans, coleslaw, rolls and we had some mighty fine eating! 

Following is the recipe I like to use for crock pot roast.  It is in Southern Sideboards published by the Junior League of Jackson, Mississippi.  The dear lady that submitted the recipe is Mrs. W.W. Westbrook, Jr. and I give her all the credit!

Slow and Easy Chuck Roast

3-4 pound lean boneless chuck roast, that has the fat trimmed off as much as possible
Sprinkle Cavender's Greek Seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, and one package of onion-mushroom dry soup mix over both sides of roast and place in crock pot.  Add 1/2 cup water and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  The gravy can be thickened, if needed, with flour or cornstarch.  Serves 6.

I added potatoes on top and you could also add carrots if desired.  The chuck roast is a cheaper (budget friendly) cut of meat, but cooks up nicely.  

Wednesday 06.11.2014

70 years ago today

Early on the morning of June 6, 1944 the Allied Forces invaded the beaches of Normandy in the largest seaborne invasion in history.  Of the 150,000 soldiers, half were American.  General Eisenhower told them before their departure, "We will accept nothing less than full victory"; D-day is regarded as the turning point of World War II.

It still isn't known exactly how many soldiers gave their lives that day. The Army estimates that there were 9,000 killed or wounded; there were many who would be listed as missing in action. It would be weeks before their families knew of their loss, something that is hard to understand in our world of instant communication.  The news reels would bring the story weeks later, too. Germany would surrender on May 8, 1945.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

 

(Francis Scott Key, The Star Spangled Banner,1814, 4th stanza)

Meeting Jelly

Why is this ten-year old smiling so happily?  Because his mother is filling out the adoption papers for a dog that he just had an incredible experience with.

This is going to be his dog!  Her foster mom named her Jelly and her litter mate Peanut (cute, right?)

We are all thrilled to welcome her into our family.  She'll come home to live with her forever family on Tuesday after she gets spayed.  This was a case of love at first sight and instant bonding between a boy and a dog!  Here's how it happened:

Saturday morning we headed down to the Farmer's Market that's held on the beautifully restored and repurposed historic San Antonio Brewing Association property (where they made Pearl Bear for many years).  It was already getting hot and we had had to park on a side street and walk across to the Farmer's Market.  However, before we got to the market there was a pet adoption event sponsored by SnipSA, a local rescue organization.  So, we slowed down! We looked at the dogs, some in cages and some on leashes being walked around.  We admired some beautiful calico kittens (if my house wasn't full I think two of them would have come home with me!) before walking on. 

We were headed to the market but passed a little grassy area where there were several dogs on leashes.  A young lady was holding two very similar dogs and as we walked by one of the dogs came toward us, of course we stopped. Jaydon knelt down and started to pet the dog (actually I think this was Peanut that came forward first).  A few words were exchanged, we laughed about the dogs' cute names and then it happened.  Jelly came toward Jaydon and he started petting her and within 30 seconds I could tell that they were bonding!  I've never seen anything like this, ever! The look on Jaydon's face was incredible!

His Mama told the foster mom that although they wanted to get a dog that she knew she couldn't take both.  The foster mom explained that although she had found the dogs together that they were not specially bonded and were easily separated.  A little more discussion and Stephanie went to get the adoption process started.  Jaydon and Jelly had made that special dog/human connection and Stephanie knew this was the right dog for them!

Peanut and Jelly together

Jelly is between six and nine months old, per the vet that checked them out.  She is very calm and I'm sure will train easily.  Jaydon took her and walked around and even without much training she was easy to walk. The foster mom was hoping that she would find homes with children for the dogs because of their easy personalities, so she was very pleased! She had found them at a local park and had agreed to foster them for the organization. I'm sure they had been dumped there as she said they were full of fleas and filthy dirty.  Even so, the foster mom said they were just very friendly and hopped right into her vehicle.

I'm super excited for them and will never forget the look on this boy's face as he bonded with his dog!

Hand Woven

One Sunday afternoon in early April Sawyer and I headed downtown to the Starving Artist Show.  (Click here to read about Sawyer's first trip downtown).  Each year it is held on the grounds of the beautiful La Villita Historic Arts Village and is an opportunity for local artisans to sell their works.  It is fun to wind around through the many vendor booths and look at all the different art and craft items.  There are many forms and styles of work in just about every medium imaginable. Of course, I always come home with a few things! 

This over-the-head-open sided  poncho came home in my bag this year.  My eye was caught by another poncho on display that featured "Fiesta" colors-pink, yellow, green, turquoise with a touch of orange.  But, ultimately it was the colors in this one that won me over.  Blue, purple, light green and a touch of orange-red.

The booth keeper walked up as I admired her products and started the conversation with the statement, "I'm a fiber artist and everything in this booth is hand woven."  At that point I was engaged! We spoke quite a while about fibers, spinning, weaving, and knitting.  Since the weather was lousy and attendance was low she was free to visit with me, and visit we did!  She was delightful and very willing to share her knowledge and her passion for her work. Her expertise was far reaching and she spoke of future projects as well as an upcoming show that the local fiber artist guild was presenting.

I'm not sure how old she was, but she looked very old.  Her face was lined and had the leathery look of a woman who had spent much time out of doors and not much time on her complexion.  Her eyes were those of an old person, a little watery and bleary, but judging by her beautiful weaving must have been very strong.  In the course of talking I noticed her hands were also very worn and her fingernails a mess, what nails she had.  Then she mentioned hand-dying fibers to knit with and I thought, a ha, that's why her hands are a mess!  But it didn't matter how she looked, she was a very informed artist.  She was also very tech-savy and pulled out her cell phone with the card reader attached when I handed her the plastic card to pay; her smart phone was loaded up with apps and she knew how to use them!

The poncho is woven of chenille and polyester "feather" (similar to satin ribbon with one selvage trimmed off) so it is very soft and warm without being overly heavy.  I was glad that I got to wear it several times in April due to our cooler than normal weather. I love the colors and the way it feels when I wear it; I will always remember the hands that wove it and my conversation with its maker.

Wednesday 05.28.2014

Sunday Shopping

After church it was time to do a little shopping.  Vegetable shopping at a Farmer's Market.  It wasn't a very big market, but the produce was still fresh and good.

 I've already sampled the spinach and it tastes nothing like the stuff in the bag from the grocery store!  The pasta is delicious, very nutritious, and only sold at markets and craft shows.  I also bought two fresh crab cakes that came home in a bag of ice; I can't wait to cook them tomorrow.  Can you guess what I'll have to go with them?

Do you really think that?

I work for a great man.  He's kind, decent, and has a good head on his shoulders.  But I don't know what he was thinking recently we were going over things in his office and were discussing a little project that our operations manager had me working on.  Due to other necessary tasks I had not had much time to devote to the project and the ops manager was getting impatient.  So here's what my boss suggested. "Why don't you just get all this together, put it in a box, and take it home with you.  Then in the evenings when you are just sitting around not doing anything you can work on it a little at a time.  Then you will get it done."

Yes, that is exactly what he said to me.  Does he really think that I go home everyday and just sit around doing nothing?  I was so stunned I didn't really know how to respond. I did get the project done, but on company time.  I have to think that he is really living in another world to think that I just go home and do nothing.  I can't imagine not having something to do when I get home; in fact, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Wordless Wednesday 05.21.2014

Choices

I had made this picture at one of the local parks, while walking the dogs (yes, that is Bentley in the immediate foreground).  As I stood there looking ahead I was reminded about the road of life. We can see ahead on the path, but usually only for a short distance.  Sometimes there is a curve, too. Or there is a choice when the path splits into two paths.

In a book that I've started reading (and intend to someday finish) the author makes the statement that our future is determined by the choices we make today.  While this is true, I also think this can be turned around to the past:  the choices we made in the past determine who we are now.

I often find myself thinking "what if I had..." or " I should have..." in regard to my past decisions, but then I remind myself that the way it was was the way it was and there is no going back to do things differently.  I know that those choices I made have made me the person I am today and that was/is the way my life was meant to be. With that realization I know that I need to remember that the choices I make today are the ones that determine the future.

 

A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.  Proverbs 16:9