Crockpot Crusade: I'm really feeling

like Suzy Homemaker the last few days.  It is much more fun to do household things when you have a plan.  Even though some of the crockpot meals preparation time, I do it in the mornings when my energy and desire are much higher.  Today I made:

Chicken Mushroom Stew

(We liked this one)

6 Servings Prep: 20 min. Cook: 4 hours

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cups diced zucchini
1 cup chopped green pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons each dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, and basil

Directions:
Cut chicken into 1-in. cubes; brown in 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker. In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion, zucchini and green pepper in remaining oil until crisp-tender; add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.  Place in slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, water and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until the meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Yield: 6 servings.

Slow Cooker Apple Crisp

(We loved this one)

Serving Size: 8

2 lbs Gala Apples peeled and sliced ; (about 6 med apples)
2/3 c old-fashioned oats
2/3 c flour
2/3 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter

Add sliced apples to slow cooker. Combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg in med. mixing bowl. Cut in softened margarine until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Cover cook on low 4 hrs.

I didn't take any pictures of the food, but I did learn something today.  I've had whipping cream in the fridge that was going to go bad, so I whipped it all.  I "googled" and found that you can freeze individual servings of whipped cream and just pull them out for individual servings.  You just spoon it or pipe it onto a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.


Then you flash freeze it.  (Flash Freeze: refers to laying food in a single layer on a cookie sheet, uncovered, and keeping it in the freezer for 4 hours or until each individual piece is frozen and can be handled. Flash freezing is always followed by storing the items in a fully wrapped container or a fully sealed ziplock to prevent freezer burn.)  So, I'm giving that a try.

Yummy Freshness

I made the Roasted Zucchini and Tomato Pasta yesterday.  It is so good and tastes so fresh.  The tomatoes and zucchini were both from my garden, so it is also satisfying that way.  I really can't boast about my garden, though, since zucchini and tomatoes are the only things I planted this year.

I got this recipe from the Martha Stewart show years ago. 

Here is the mixture before it is roasted.

Here it is after it's roasted.

Here is me eating it straight from the pan without pasta or anything.  It really does smell and taste so good that you can't resist.   Gary wasn't at home so I couldn't take a picture of  him eating, wo I took one of myself.   (Notice my latest flower and the war wound on my middle finger from cutting 100% polyester circles.)

 

And here is the finished product.

And here is the recipe.

Roasted Zucchini and Tomato Pasta

Serves 4 to 6; Prep time: 35 minutes; Total time: 35 minutes
Roasting the zucchini and tomatoes rather than sauteing them intensifies their flavor.
I don't worry about the amounts of zucchini or tomatoes.  I just use what I have.

2 1/2 pounds zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound long fusilli or linguine or penne pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1. Heat oven to 450°. On rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini, tomatoes, and garlic with 5 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread into single layer; roast until zucchini is lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain pasta,

3. Stir vegetables and juices into pasta. Add parsley and Parmesan; toss to combine. Serve with more Parmesan.

On Pride, and

denial, and bolting to avoid feeling.  I have a lot of pride.  I always have.  I have a perception of what I should be, and feel shame about those things I'm not.  I feel shame that I'm not what people think I am.  I feel shame that I have "bad" or negative feelings.  Rather than acknowledging  feelings that I don't want to feel or deal with, I "bolt" into obsessions.  Sometimes it is food.  Sometimes it is projects.  Sometimes it is shopping.  Sometimes it is feeling overwhelmed and tired.  It can be anything, as long as I'm not facing what I'm really feeling.  Facing is not actually the "right" word -- facing implies conflict (see, I'm judging a word as good or bad).  "Acknowledging" is a "good" word.  "Accepting" is an even "better" word.    

Why am I thinking about this right now?  A couple of reasons. 

ONE: I've been reading a book "Woman, Food, and God" by Geneen Roth.  Misty told me about it.  I've read her articles in Good Housekeeping for years, and she always makes so much sense.  Basically, her premise is that when we have obsessions, we are avoiding what we're really feeling.  We don't trust ourselves (and thus God) that we can handle whatever it is that is worrying us, or making us sad, or lonely, or angry, or not good enough.  Thus we use obsessions as a way of avoiding or diverting the issue.

TWO:  At the General Relief Society meeting, President Monson spoke about not judging.  He quoted Mother Theresa as saying, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them."   He also said,   "Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down; it is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others."  

Both of those quotes apply to

not only how we judge others,

but how we judge ourselves.  

I haven't finished  "Women, Food, and God" yet.  But I'm at the part where she suggests that instead of avoiding our feelings that we "inquire."    I like the word "inquire."  It is not threatening.  It feels non-judgemental.  To me it means looking into, seeking to understand.

As I was thinking of all this, a memory that Mom told me about comes to mind.  I was in the first grade and learning to read.  My teacher told Mom that I was not learning to read very well and that I was in the lower reading group.  She said that I would avoid reading time by saying that I needed to go to the bathroom.  Mom told the teacher that she didn't know what was going on, because I came home and read every book to her perfectly.   I'm not sure how it all evolved, but after that, the teacher put me in a higher level reading group, and that within a week I was in the highest reading group.   (My only memories of all this are little flashbacks of hiding out in the bathroom and sitting in a circle of people feeling good because I was reading with them.)

There was a pattern there very early.  Judgement (that I was dumb because I was in the lowest reading group - Shame (I cannot accept that I am in the lowest reading group) - Bolting (hiding out in the bathroom).  When I think of that little six year old girl (me in this case) and her feelings of inadequacy, I want to comfort her and tell her that what reading group she is in doesn't matter.  I want to take any little child that is hurting and tell them that it will all work out and that they are OK just the way they are.

Well, we are all little children.  And we are all OK just the way we are.  That's not to say we can't become better.  But we can't make positive changes if we don't understand what we are feeling and come to understand that we can deal with it regardless of what it is.   Going back to Mother Theresa's statement, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them."   That goes with judging ourselves, too.   If we are so wrapped up in judging, even when it is of ourselves, we have no time to love others.

Well, this has been a long discourse.  And very "self" oriented.  Which makes me feel exposed,  Which makes me wonder what people will think of me.  Which makes me want to not post it and pretend I don't feel this way.  But I'm not going to bolt.  I pushing "publish post" NOW!     

Fresh Peach Pie

I saw a fresh peach pie recipe demonstrated on "Studio 5" a few weeks ago.  I've wanted to try it.   On Friday, a neighbor brought us some peaches from their tree, so today was a perfect time to give it a shot.

Because the peaches are not cooked at all, it tastes really fresh.  However, I thought the lemon flavor was a little too strong and overpowered the peaches,  Next time I will use less lemon juice, or maybe leave the lemon juice out altogether and use this instead.

Fresh Peach Pie

¼ cup lemon juice (I would use much less or use "Fresh Fruit" instead)
3 cups fresh sliced peaches
1 cup sugar - divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons Butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon vanilla or almond flavoring (I prefer vanilla)

Method:
1. Toss the lemon juice and peaches with 1/2 cup sugar.
2. Allow the mix to macerate (set) for one hour in the refrigerator.
3. Drain fruit and save one cup of the juice. If there isn't 1 cup of juice, add enough water or juice to make 1 cup. (If I need to, can use peach nectar or apple juice.)
4. In a sauce pan melt butter and cornstarch to make a rough.
5. Add the juice, ½ cup sugar, salt, and flavoring.
6. With a wire whisk, blend until well mixed.
7. Bring to a boil stirring until thick.
8. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly; about 5-10 minutes.
9. Add the fruit and pour into a 10" cooked pie shell. Chill for 3 hours or overnight. 

My Dad

died 17 years ago today.  I looked at last year's blog entry where I posted his obituary.  Dad's obituary   I mentioned in that entry that it was such a sad day, but not without it's tender mercies. 

Dad had been in the hospital for 3 weeks before he died.  The first week we still had hope he would recover, but after two weeks the Dr. said his organs were shutting down and that we should call the family home.  Charlene, Richard, and I were already here, but  I'll always remember seeing Gary and Tom as they came into the hospital from California.  It was such a comfort.

For that last week, we spent most of the time at the hospital, and someone usually spent the night with him.  He was more or less comatose, but he would have moments when he would seem to be aware.  I will always be grateful that we had the week with the whole family together.  We each got time alone with Dad, but also relived many memories as we spent time with him.

On the day that he died, we had been there at the hospital all day.  At about 4:30, Natalie called and said she wanted me to come home.  I told Dad that I was going home to be with Natalie, but that I would be back. He probably did not hear or understand, but we talked with him anyway. 

I had only been home for a minute, when the mom of one of Natalie's friends called and asked if Natalie could come over to play.  This was a friend who she very seldom played with, so of course she wanted to go.  I told the mom later that she must have been following a prompting when she called, as it enabled me to have a very touching experience that I would not have had otherwise.

 As I sat here at home after Natalie left, I thought I might as well to up and see if I could fix Mom and Dad's vacuum.  Mom had been worried about it for several weeks because it wasn't working.  So, I went up to the house.  A year or so before that, I had gone down to the Kirby vacuum place with Dad.   As the repairman showed us how to dismantle the parts to fix it, Dad had told me to watch very carefully so I could do it if it happened again.  It didn't make any sense to me when he was showing us, and it didn't make any sense to me when I tried to fix it up at the house.

As I was trying to figure it out, the bottom part finally came apart.  But I didn't know how to put it together.  I thought I had really made a mess of it then.  I was saying in my mind, "Ok, Dad, you've got to help me with this."   As soon as I said that, my fingers just kind of put everything back into place.  I was actually kind of stunned, not really sure how it had happened.   I started vacuuming with it to make sure it worked, when the phone rang.  I answered it, and it was Charlene crying and saying that Dad had died a minute ago.    The first thought in my mind was, "He helped me with the vacuum."  I just knew that as his spirit left this earth, he made a little stop to help me as I had asked him to.  It softened the sadness at not being there for him when he died.   As I drove back to the hospital and my aunts were watching for me, the first words out of my mind were, "Dad helped me fix the vacuum."    It was truly a tender mercy to me.

I've even saved the bottom of the vacuum as a symbol of that memory for me.   I'll have to take a picture of it, but not now.  I'll do it tomorrow.

Insomnia

I have terrible memories of insomnia. Lying there for hours, fretting about not being able to go to sleep.  Worrying how I would cope the next day with a body and brain so tired.  Of course in the middle of the night,  anything I'm worried about suddenly becomes much larger and more difficult than it really is.

I don't know when insomnia issues first hit me.  But they were with me for years.  I think I may have started dealing with insomnia during the 3 year span of  losing our two stillborn daughters.  I don't remember any problems with insomnia as a youth or as a young married.  I think I would push my emotions back during that time, but the realities of it would manifest itself physically.

I'm thinking about it this morning because I had insomnia again last night.  At 3 am I was still awake.   For the last 5 years, I have been blessed with a little 10 mg pill that I take 1/2 of when I go to bed..  It relaxes me enough to get to sleep.  It is a miracle pill for me, actually.  I sing its praises in my mind every night.  The fact that I can actually lay down and drift off to sleep is a very miraculous thing for me.   But for whatever reason, last night it didn't do it's magic.  When I do have a night like that, it brings back all the old anxieties.

I'm headed off to zumba right now to wake myself up and clear my fuzzy mind.     And to any insomniacs out there, I'll be praying for you.

My fingers

can hardly type. 

I have a blister on my knobby middle finger. 

I'm going to have arm cramps tomorrow.

My shoulders are tight and stiff. 

I've just spent hours cutting up the last of my

100% polyester fabric into circles.

For, you know, those burned edge fabric flowers.

 

I'm going on record as saying that

I'm done cutting circles. 

I'm not buying another piece of

100% polyester

in my life.

If anyone sees me in a fabric store

hanging out anywhere near

100% polyester fabric,

forcibly pull me out of the store

and commit me to the psych ward.   

I still have a lot of burning to do with all of those 

100% polyester circles,

but I am not,

I repeat I am not

going to buy or cut any more. 

That is unless someone has a very special need

for very specific colors.

Then maybe I could be convinced to

buy and cut more

 100% polyester fabric.

But it would have to

be someone I love very much.

  

Crockpot Crusade #3

I made this Asian Beef recipe today, and we really liked it.  However, I did not have any bok choy, nor do I know what it is or what it looks like.  I'll have to do a little investigating to find what it is and get it before I make this recipe again. 

Asian Beef with Mandarin Oranges

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pound boneless beef chuck ; cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 small onion ; thinly sliced
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 small green bell pepper ; sliced
1 package ; (about 3 ounces) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 head bok choy ; cleaned and chopped
1 can (5 oz) Sliced water chestnuts
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 can ; (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained and syrup reserved
2 cups beef broth
6 cups steamed rice

Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add beef, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning to brown all sides. Transfer beef to 4 1/2-quart CROCK-POT® slow cooker as it is browned.

Add onion to same skillet. Stir over medium heat until softened. Add next soy sauce, salt, ginger, green pepper, mushrooms, bok choy and water chestnuts and cook until bok choy is wilted, about 5 minutes. Spoon mixture over beef.

Whisk together corn starch and reserved mandarin orange syrup in medium bowl. Stir in beef broth and pour over ingredients in CROCK-POT® slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 10 hours or on HIGH 5 to 6 hours or until beef is tender.

Stir in mandarin oranges. Spoon steamed rice into shallow serving bowl and spoon beef over rice.

Last week, two recipes we liked were these.

Green Chili Stew

I thickened with cornstarch 15 minutes before serving. Just take some of the broth out, stir in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and mix well. Then add back to the stew.  Serving Size: 8

2 pounds beef stew meat ; cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium onions ; chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 can ; (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can ; (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans ; (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
1 cup water
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 garlic clove ; minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt ; optional
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Shredded ; cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

•In a large skillet, brown beef and onions in oil; drain. Transfer to
slow cooker.
•Combine the beans, tomatoes, chilies, water, bouillon, garlic, sugar,
salt if desired and pepper; pour over beef. cover and cook on low
for 7-8 hours or until beef is tender. (I thickened with cornstarch 15 minutes before serving.)

No-Fuss Potato Soup

I will add the salt to taste at the end, as it was too salty (and I love salt). I also added cornstarch to thicken. Could also add velveeta and make it potato cheese soup.  It reminds me very much of my favorite non-slow cooked potato cheese soup that I've made for years.  Serving Size: 8

6 cups cubed peeled potatoes
5 cups water
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/4 cup butter ; cubed
4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules or 2 vegetable bouillon
Salt to taste (called for 2 t.)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can ; (12 ounces) evaporated milk
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Minced ; chives

•In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first nine ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 7-8 hours or until the vegetables are tender. •Add milk and parsley. (This is where I thickened with cornstarch).  Add cheese if desired.  Cover and cook 30-60 minutes longer or until heated through. Garnish with chives if desired. Yield: 8-10 servings (about 3 quarts).

My Regular Potato Cheese Soup

1/4 cups margarine or butter
1 onion chopped
1 cup chopped celery
4 to 5 mediums potatoes cut into 1/2" cubes (4 cups)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (or parsley flakes)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 quart chicken broth (or 4 chicken bouillon cubes + 1 qt. water)
1 quart half and half (I usually just use milk)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/4 to 1/2 pound velveeta cheese
In an 8 to 10 qt. kettle, melt the butter over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very limp, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, parsley, salt, pepper, and chicken broth; cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the milk and cook ( I usually heat the milk in the microwave before adding because it heats up faster with less chance of burning) until thoroughly hot. Blend the cornstarch with 1/4 c. water until smooth, and add to soup; continue cooking until soup boils and thickens, about 5 minutes. Add cheese and stir to melt. Season to taste.

Happy Birthday

to our second grandson, HYRUM!  

Hyrum turns 10 today.  

There are so many things about Hyrum to love,

but some of my favorite are:

His 100 Watt smile.

His kind heart.

This is a little harder to show a picture of,

but I often see him being aware of and helping others.

He loves Office Supplies, Organization stuff, and Paper 

as much as I do!

I wish I had taken a pictures of the very

organized office supplies in his room. 

This picture just shows him with his backpack

 that he keeps lots of his "stuff" in. 

We love you, Hyrum!

Just looking at these pictures of you

makes us miss you even more.

Happy Birthday!

I love

Autumn.

 

I love everything about Autumn. 

I love the crispness in the air. 

I love the changing of the leaves. 

I love it as it gets darker sooner

(so I can snuggle into my pajamas earlier).

   

The Autumn season brings out my nesting instincts.

I want to feather my nest with with comfort and warmth.

I want to bake, and cook, and eat comfort foods.

I love it when I can cuddle up in a throw to get warm

and wear jackets every day.

I suppose the only thing I don't love about

the change to fall is the need to  

wear socks and shoes instead of sandals.

But that is just a small inconvenience.

Today I put up the fall decorations on my

rotating shelf.

and on the hutch.

The hutch is something else that I also love.

Dad built it for me.

I guess I'm just feeling lots of love today
.

Which is not a bad thing at all.

I've had some fun breaks from

my de-junking the last few days.  I went to lunch with my friend, Dianne, for her birthday.  I went to a card  making class on Tuesday with my ward group.  Tonight we met at my house with my other creative card making friends.  Here is what we made tonight.

I've also made a few more crockpot meals, which I will post later.  I've tried a new Peanut Butter Cupcake Recipe, which I really like.  I'll post that recipe later, too.  "Later" seems to be a very active word in my vocabulary lately!

As I was sitting at the table making the cards, I realized I haven't shown pictures of my "rotating shelf" in a while.  Right now it is a generic style, with the theme being LIVE LOVE LAUGH.  (I keep looking at it as I dejunk and try to remember to LIVE (SIMPLY), LOVE (BARE SPACES), AND LAUGH (AS I TOSS THINGS NOW and not Later. 



De-junking

is exhausting.  So exhausting that I don't have energy to write anything else.

Grandma's Magic Bag

My friend, Barbara, made the most amazing bag.  She originally made it to be a travel bag, though it ended up being a little too heavy for travel.  But one day, one of her granddaughters asked her where her "Magic Bag" was.   Since then, that is what its been.  A "Grandma Magic Bag."   She has filled it with fun little trinkets and things that she can pull out of the many pockets and little hidden places.  She has charms and other meaningful things on it.  At Christmas time she fills it with little Christmas trinkets.  The pictures don't do it justice, but this gives you the idea of the detail that has gone into it.

As you can see, it is reversible, too.  She is amazingly creative in all areas, but especially in stitching.  The last time I got together with Barbara, I took a bunch of things with me that I thought I could use to make a bag.  We didn't really have time to look at my things, but that is when I snapped these pictures. 

Anyway, as I was cleaning out my "Deep" again today (probably for the 365th time in last 25 years), I found the bag with all the stuff for making my "Grandma Bag." Of course once I found it, I got side tracked from cleaning the "Deep."   I started plotting how I would make my "Grandma's Magic Bag."

I knew I wouldn't have the know-how (or desire) to make it from scratch and make it reversible. But I do have this very large bag that my friend, Eileen, gave me.  It is the perfect base to sew all my "stuff" to. So far I'm just pinning and experimenting with what to put on it.

But, it also ended up being a very profitable evening financially. I had included with my things the purse Mom was using when she died. I've kept it pretty much intact with the things she had in it:  Dad's wallet and car keys (even though Mom never drove), a sea shell, lifesavers, her wallet, etc.

We had taken out anything that was valuable or needed, but I kept it for sentimental reasons.   As I was looking through her wallet thinking about how I would incorporate it into my "Grandma Bag," I found this tucked deep into the empty checkbook slot.

 

Wow!  Thanks, Mom! 

Even fifteen years after you've gone,
you're still giving me money.
Mom's purse really is a magic bag!
  

(Please don't tell any of my siblings, as they'll think they should get some of it.)

I made A Couple

of new Cupcake recipes in honor of the harvest season.   Even though they are not chocolate, I like them both.  The top ones are peach and the bottom are zucchini.

 

Peach Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

My notes:  Because the muffin tins were almost full, I thought the cupcakes would overflow if I only made the 12 suggested,  So I filled 18 muffin tins.  However, they do not rise much, so I think next time I"ll  fill the cups to the top and make 15. I used 2 very ripe peaches. I would use less orange peel, as I thought it overpowered the peaches.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (If I don't have unsalted butter, I just use regular and add less salt than the recipe calls for)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp grated orange zest (or less)
3/4 cup milk
2 peaches or nectarines, pitted and thinly sliced and cut into thirds

1. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and orange zest, beating well. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of milk, beating until smooth. Fold in peaches or nectarines.
3. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated over for 23-28 minutes or until golden brown and tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.
Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting HERE

ZUCCHINI CUPCAKES WITH

BROWN SUGAR FROSTING

Makes 24

3 eggs

1 1/3 cups Sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cups shredded zucchini

BROWN SUGAR FROSTING

My notes:  I added more powdered sugar thinking that it would not set up.  I would add a little more than the called for 2 cups, but not much.  It sets up more when it is cool.

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 -1/2 to 2 cups confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice and extract. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to egg mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

For frosting, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to lukewarm.

Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes.

Skyblue

I am going through my files (again), and came across this picture.

It was taken by the car dealership on September 21, 1988, when we bought the car.  Gary loved this car and named it Skyblue.  It lost a little of its luster after Gary backed into a pole while leaving Merrill Lynch one day, but it served us well.  That is Natalie I'm holding in the picture, and we had it until she was 14.

Skyblue kind of reminded us of the GTO Gary had in high school.  The GTO was the only car we had for the first few years of our marriage.    I never did like the stick shift in either the GTO or Skyblue, so it was a pretty bumpy ride when I was driving.   Of course that is the only reason I have ever driven in an erratic fashion :)  After all, I've never gotten a speeding ticket in my whole life.  In fact, I've never gotten any kind of ticket.  (The few accidents I had in high school were always someone else's fault, of course.)  And I've never run into a pole.  And I've also never run into a house, like Natalie did when she had only had her license for 2 weeks.  But that is another story worthy of it's own blog entry.

On Sunday

Gary, Natalie, and I sat out in the back yard after dinner.

The plan was to work on better questions for the Book of Mormon table topics game.  After a not very productive hour, we finally decided that the questions just need to be simpler.  While we were looking at the original Table Topics game, one of the intriguing questions was,

"Would you rather meet your

great great grandparents

or your great great grandchildren?"

A very interesting question.  I really didn't have to think about it much.  I already know something about my great great grandparents.  I already know something about the times they lived in.  I would love to have a visual view and more insight into their lives.  I would love to talk with them about their joys and struggles.   But I also know that when I die, I will get to meet them face to face and and do just that.

But the great great grandchildren?  Well, I know nothing about them (obviously).  Actually, I may have met them in the preexistence.  But if I did, I don't remember it.  So, these things considered, my answer to the question would be that I would like to meet my great great grandchildren. 

I'm talking about my grandchildren's

grandchildren, here.

I can hardly imagine it. 

What will their lives be like?  

What will the world be like? 

I thought a lot about ancestors and descendants at the Anderson Reunion this summer.  It brought me such joy to see Mom and Dad's descendants (their great grandchildren) playing with and enjoying each other.

(just a few of the many pictures taken at the reunion)

It makes me wonder how much our parents and grandparents, all of whom have passed away, are able to know of what is happening in our lives.  I know that once I'm gone from this earth, I will be catching as many glimpses of what is going on here with my ancestors as is humanly (or should I say heavenly) possible.  I don't know all the details of how it all works.  But I know it works.  So if in some, oh maybe 50 years, my great great grandchildren are wondering about these same questions.  Let me go on record:  

I'm here (or there)

loving you and cheering you on.

If I was unbalanced

before, I'm even more so now. 

I'm not sure if I'm living a dream,

projecting the life I'm living,

or actually in reality. 

If you can't guess, we went to the movie "Inception" today.

I am totally confused.

Crockpot Crusade #2

I'm having so much fun with this challenge.It is making meal planning fun for me.  I find that I'm simplifying many of the recipes I'm trying, either because of preference or necessity (like I don't have the ingredients).  So the recipes I'm posting are the way I made them so I can remember what I did next time I make them.  I'm finding some recipes that I will definitely make again, others I definitely won't, and some that are a maybe.  These are the recipes (and pictures) of the ones I will make again.

Gone-All-Day Casserole

1 cup uncooked wild rice ; rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cans ; (4 ounces each) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 large onion ; chopped
1 garlic clove ; minced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 beef bouillon cubes
2 -1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
2 pounds boneless round steak ; cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups water

Place ingredients in order listed in a 3-qt. slow cooker (do not stir). Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until rice is tender. Stir before serving.   Serves 10-12   (From Taste of Home)

I left the mushrooms and meat out, so Natalie could enjoy it,

but with the meat it would be a complete meal.

Despite their somewhat glum expressions for

the picture, they really did like this dish.

Crockpot Cashew Chicken

2 lbs boneless ; skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 clove garlic ; minced
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews

Combine flour and pepper in resealable food storage bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Add cashews and stir. Server over rice.  (From 365 Days of Crockpot Cooking)

Crockpot Baked Beans

1 can (12 oz) Pinto beans
1 can (12 oz) Kidney beans
1 can (12 oz) Black beans
2/3 cup Barbecue sauce
2/3 cup Salsa
1/4 cup Brown sugar
2 drops Hot pepper sauce

Instructions:  Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high for 4 hours or 6 hours on low. Also good cold as a dip with tortilla chips (that's how we ate the leftovers during the BYU game)

Crockpot Chunky Applesauce

I used my apple peeler and slicer, which made preparation very easy.  I liked this just as well as a leftover.  It reminded me of home, when Mom would bottle chunky applesauce.  Dad and I would make toast, add butter and honey, and then put applesauce on top.  I thought of them as I did just that for lunch the next day.

8 large tart apples
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Water
1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Combine apples, sugar, water, and cinnamon in a slow cooker. Stir gently. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Serves 6.  (From Taste of Home)

Crockpot Glazed Carrots

1 1/2 lb baby carrots ; whole
1/4 c packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 c water
pinch of salt

Pour all ingredients into your crockpot and stir. Add lid and cook on high for 1 hour. Stir carrots and turn heat to low. Stir carrots once every hour and cook for a total time of 4 hours.  (I just cooked on low for the whole time, and it was fine.)

Crockpot Au Gratin Potatoes

Most recipes call for some type of cream soup, but I just made a white sauce and poured it over it.

6 Potatoes ; peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon Flour
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 cup Milk
Salt ; to taste

Peel and slice potatoes. Place in crockpot. Make white sauce by melting butter, mixing in flour, and then slowly adding milk. Stir until thickened. Pour over potatoes. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours.

Crockpot Beef  -- so far my favorite method for stew meat and round steak is to sprinkle it with a package of onion soup mix, pour in some water, and cook away.  On high for about 4 hours or low for about 6.

(Gary is a much better sport about allowing me to take pictures

of him eating than I would be)

Cruel and Kind

words, even from strangers, can stay with you for a long time.

I thought of that this morning as I parked my car to go into a Zumba class.  As I turned the car off, I realized that I had not parked the car so it was centered in the stall.  So I pulled it out a little and readjusted it.  It reminded me of something that happened a few years ago when I was at Costco (I could write a book about experiences at Costco--am I going too much?).

As I came out of Costco with my groceries, I noticed that I had not parked my car very straight and that it was making it difficult for the people in the car next to me to load their groceries.  I said, "I'm sorry, I didn't park this very well."  The woman just smiled and said it was fine.  Then I  noticed something on my windshield.  I picked it up and read it when I was in the car.   It said, "Only fat pigs park like this."  I was literally stunned.  I drove away and cried.  It felt very personal, though I know it probably wasn't.  I don't know if the person who wrote it even saw me or just saw the bad parking job.  What it was all about was the anger and hateful feelings of the person who wrote it   But even knowing that, it still hurt to think that there were people around me that could express such hateful words.

I compared that to the kind words of a woman who was in the Zumba class with me today.  The dance moves are so fast, and I'm just barely catching on to something when the instructor moves to another set of complicated steps.  During the class the woman smiled at me and said, "I've been doing this for a month and I'm just barely learning the steps."  We struck up a conversation in between the dances, and her kindness brought tears to my eyes.

Every time I park my beast of a suburban, and I don't do it very well, those hateful words on the note from a stranger still come into my mind.    Just as, from now on when I'm at Zumba and not keeping up very well, I'll remember the kind words of another stranger.

Words do wield great power.  Be it for good or bad.   It is amazing how some little words that are said, sometimes just in passing, can have such an effect on us.   It reminds me think twice about the words I use.

Confessions

of a recipe collector.  I rarely try any of them.  But I LOVE collecting them.  I have piles of recipes I've clipped out.  I have files of recipes I've pasted or written on cards and filed. I've spent hundreds of hours through the years trying to organize them. And through all of that, I still can't find my recipes when I need them.

This is one of the favorite places I keep my recipes.

It is a wall chest with picture collages of the family eating

My biggest dilemma, though, is planning meals ahead and having the ingredients I need.  When It comes time for Gary to be home, I don't know what we're doing for dinner.  As a result, we eat out way too much (I love eating out, but it is hard on the calorie intake and budget).

So, Saturday I told Gary I was going to make an investment that will make it easier for me to actually follow through and make dinner.   I love using crock pots because then dinner is not a last minute thing. But, I don't always like the results of everything mixed together because it can get mushy. So, that is why I made this investment ($69 at Costco).

I'm calling my new quest of using the

triple crock pot at least three times a week,

"The Triple Crock Crusade."

I have to make it official or I wont do it.  But, I've already used it three times. The first time I used it was on Sunday.  I made Cashew Chicken, wild rice, and carrots.  The chicken and carrots worked great, but the rice was a little clumpy.  On Tuesday I made Rosemary Chicken, Baked beans, and berry cobbler.

 We liked the baked beans a lot, and the berry cobbler was OK.  The chicken was very tender, but we didn't care for the flavor. 

So, this is going to be an ongoing experiment.  I just filled them for tonight's dinner with a stew meat mixture (stew meat, onion soup, water), applesauce (sliced apples, 1/2 c.water, 1/2 c. sugar), and au-gratin potatoes (sliced potatoes and a sauce made with 1 T. butter, 1 T. flour, 1/2 c. water).  I'll see how it works and post the recipes that we love.  Those I made today I just kind of made up, so I have no idea how they'll work. 

But, if they are not edible, well, I guess we'll have to go out for dinner!