Grandparents - 2, or Two Grandparents

Pam and I are doing that Grandparents thing again (see my previous Blog from March 9, 2008). We have the granddaughter, Kira, for the day since mom and dad are both at work. Although it is work tending to a young child (I'm not sure we can say she is a baby now - she is growing up so fast) it is one of those things you don't mind and one might say it is even enjoyable. This is the 'Second' Blog entry for this topic - thus the title 'Grandparents - 2' but, Pam and I usually do this together as 'Two Grandparents'. I never really thought much about what these kinds of days might be like before I actally became a Grandparent. Yes, there have been some trying and even painful times going through through that 'Parenting' process. Yet, it has all been memorable and the Grandparenting thing seems to be making it all worthwhile. My brother recently entered his Blog on "Re-Looking at Re-Cycling" and it occured to me that Grandparenting is 'kind'a like' Re-Cycling Parenting.

I will occasionally Re-visit this topic of Grandparenting to share some of my thoughts and experiences on the topic.

Now for the real reason for this particular blog post - an opportunity to share with you the joy of Grandparenting:

Nap Time, No Not Yet!

Recipe Wednesday #6

This week I’m going to give a recipe for another one of my all time favorites, a Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Rather than give the simple and quick version of this all time favorite, I decided to look at some of my recipe books and see what kind of recipes might be suggested for the plain and simple Grilled Cheese Sandwich. This recipe is taken from the following source: The Modern Family Cook Book, by Meta Given. The copyright date is 1953 and it was previously published in 1942. The recipe is for ‘Cheese Toasties’ on page 175. I believe we got this book from my wife’s mother after she passed away. As you can see by the date it is no longer so “modern” but I’m sure it was for my mother-in-law when she first got the cook book. I found the recipe to be an interesting variation on one of my own personal favorites, the grilled cheese. Here follows the recipe for “Cheese Toasties” which you may share with your family and friends for a delightful summer snack.

Cheese Toasties

½ pound American cheese, grated
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 to 4 tablespoons milk
Dash salt
6 hamburger buns
Butter

Mix grated cheese with mustard, milk and salt. Split buns in half, toast or not as desired, and spread cut surfaces with butter and cheese mixture. Place under the broiler and toast until cheese is puffy and golden brown. Serve hot. 5 or 6 servings.

Memorial Day

In memory of those who serve this country, especially those who gave their life in the protection of our Freedom.

Photo slideshow thanks to Picasa Web Albums

D. B. Cooper, Mystery I D

Who is this 'D. B. Cooper'? Where did he disappear to? Will he ever be found again? Does anyone know what happened to him? Not long ago I addressed a current "murder mystery" in one of my blog posts. Today I'll focus on a 'Mystery From Past History' (Nov. 24, 1971) which includes an airline hijacking, extortion, $200,000 in ransom, and a missing person who has yet to be found. This crime remains unsolved as of todays date. Will it ever be solved?

Please watch the following video of the CBS Evening News from November 25, 1971. This is only the beginning of the Mystery of D. B. Cooper, aka Dan Cooper (please note that Walter Cronkite initially refers to the hijacker as D. A. Cooper):





For more information you may link to:

http://www.fbi.gov/page2/dec07/dbcooper123107.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._B._Cooper

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17840873


Ian Punnet, the weekend host for Coast to Coast AM, is advertising a show addressing this topic for Saturday night May 24, 2008. He indicates he will have new information concerning this 'Mystery from Past History. You may link to their website through Coast to Coast AM.

Recipe Wednesday #5

This week I would like to share one of my favorite recipes with you. This recipe is found in one of my recipe books. The recipe book is America's Best Recipes: A 1994 Hometown Collection, published by Oxmoor House, Inc. Book Division of Southern Progress Corporation.

These recipes are submitted by different clubs, groups, and organization from across the country. This recipe is found in a section of the book entitled 'Quick and Easy Recipes' on page 13. I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Here is one of my favorite recipes for:

Breakfast

1 pound mild bulk pork sausage

1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
4 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper


Brown sausage in a skillet, stirring until it crumbles; drain. Place crescent roll dough in bottom of a greased 13- x 9- x 2-inch baking dish; press perforations and pinch seams to seal. Sprinkle reserved sausage and cheese over dough. Combine eggs and remaining ingredients; pour over mixture in dish. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

Roaring Springs Recipes & Memories

Roaring Springs Volunteer Organization

Roaring Springs, Texas

Generations

This weekend I was listening to Coast to Coast AM with Ian Punnett, the weekend host, interviewing Neil Howe. While most of the interview concerned the book, The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy by William Strauss and Neil Howe, one topic of discussion which arose was the topic of 'Generations'. At first I listened only in passing, as I had never really paid much attention to the topic of 'Generations'. Sure I had heard of the 'Boomers', 'Gen-X'ers, and more recently 'The Millennials'. I had never really paid much attention to the whole topic and it had never really caught my interest. I knew that it generally dealt with the history of the culture and events which were popularly associated with the groups of people who were born, raised, and came of age during an extended period of time in history. As a former History teacher this sounded fascinating and it aroused my interest. As I listened to some of the explanation about the different 'Generations' and the contrasts and comparisons between the different groups of people the whole topic began to become more intriguing. I determined I should do a little research, see if I could get more information, and try to ascertain if there was indeed anything to this 'Generations' thing. I found the topic to be very broad and there is a vast amount of information available. I also determined that there was more information than I could cover in one writing. I will try to break it down into a few interesting topics and give some explanation and insight into what I have learned about the topic of 'Generations'.

I will first focus on identifying three 'Generations' or distinct groups of people during the last century of U. S. History:

1. The Silent Generation: Members of this group were born between World War I and World War II and they were too young to have served during WW II, although many of them may have had fathers who served in WW I.
2. The Baby Boomers: This group is constituted of members who were born shortly after World War II. This period of time in U. S. History is distinguished by a general increase in the overall birthrate. This population explosion was also taking place in many countries around the world and there was generally a world wide "Baby Boom".
3. Generation X: This group consists of those who were born between about 1964 and 1981. Most members of this generation are the children of either the 'Baby Boomers' or the 'Silent Generation' and they came of age with such things as MTV, Cable TV, and Video Games.

One fact became immediately evident about the whole topic of 'Generations'. There is a variety of sub-groups within many of the groups and there is a bit of variation about the topics most influential and considered most important in determining the characteristics of each group. Sometimes popular culture and social trends seem most important while at other times politics and economic trends become more important in determining the specific period in history and the predominate characteristics of a particular 'Generation'. I will continue with this topic in a series of future Blog Posts and I will try to make some observations about some of our current affairs as affected by these 'Generations'.

Recipe Wednesday #4

Sometimes I find simple, easy recipes on the package or box for some food item I have bought at the local grocery store. The following recipe sounds like it would be very good and seems to be a simple as could be. This recipe was found on the side panel of a box of 'Kroger' brand 'Boil-in-Bag Rice'. With a little variation in ingredients and amounts the recipe could be easily changed to fit your own personal or family tastes or needs. I have not tried this recipe but I plan to soon make a:

"Quick Chicken Dinner"

1 bag Boil-in-Bag Rice

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 teaspoon thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 can (14 1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes

1 medium green pepper, cut into strips

1 cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Prepare rice while chicken is cooking. Sprinkle chicken with thyme, salt, and pepper.
In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil. Stir in all ingredients except rice. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, until chicken is done. Serve chicken mixture over hot cooked rice. Serves 4. Refrigerate any leftovers.

See below:

Recipe Sunday! Or is it Mothers Day Sunday?

Recipe Sunday? Wait a minute, I think I have something wrong here. Recipe day in this Blog is supposed to be Wednesday. Well this will be a variation on that weekly Blog Post to commemorate my sister, Michal, and Mothers Day Sunday. As previously mentioned Michal passed away after a brief battle with cancer. This was also after she gave birth to her first and only child, Meredith. As I explained earlier I am getting some of my recipes from the cookbook, "Creative Cooking" published for a young women's group from her church, West University Baptist Church. Instead of a recipe I have chosen to take an excerpt from a page entitled

"FOOD FOR THOUGHT"

"(Some of Michal's favorite scriptures)"

"You are the world's seasoning, to make it tolerable. If you lose your flavor, what will happen to the world? And you yourselves will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the world's light - a city set on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father."

Matthew 5:13-16

Please note the obvious reference to flavoring or seasoning - that is the recipe connection. What I noted was the positive message and thoughts of praise. That was my sister, Michal. Positive and thoughtful for all of those around her, even in her most trying of times.

You may see a picture of my sister, Michal, on my Second Recipe Wednesday.

Here is a picture of my daughters, Janna and Kari, with Michal's daughter, Meredith.

Here we have my wife, Pam, and my daughters, Kari and Janna.

Happy Mothers Day! (Pam, Kari, Meredith, and Michal)

and also to Britt, Thomas' mother (Kari's mother-in-law)

Recipe Wednesday #3

We need to get a main course meal for the weekly recipe.

The recipe this week came from a cook book we got from my wife's parents house after her mother passed away. The copyright date for this cook book is 1953. The recipe itself was not one of the recipes from the book. Instead, it was a recipe clipping from a newspaper or magazine which I found in the book with some other handwritten recipes and other papers. The date on one of these papers was May 11, 1965. I believe the following recipe was a clipping from the late fifties or early sixties which may have been found and cut out to be kept in the cook book for later use. I don't know if this recipe has ever been used by my wife or her mother. Pam did not remember the recipe either. Please try this recipe and see if it is right for you and your family. Enjoy!

Swiss Steak – Hunt Style

1 ½ lbs. round, chuck, or rump; Flour
1 medium sized onion, sliced; 3 tbsp. chopped green pepper
3 tbsp. fat; 1 can Hunt’s Tomato Sauce
1 cup water; 1 ½ tsp. salt; ¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Pour flour into steak and pound it in with edge of plate. Cook onion and green pepper in fat until tender. Brown meat on both sides in fat. Add delicious, spicy hunt’s Tomato Sauce, water, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Cover and simmer about 1 ½ hours or until meat is tender. Your family will rave . . . and you will save!

The following is a scan of that original newspaper or magazine clipping:

Murder Mystery Update!

Apparently there are others who are interested in the story of the "Smiley Faced Serial Killers". Charlie recently left his comment to my previous Murder Mystery Blog post and he directed me to his Sope-Bocks Blog. He has included some intersting details in his post which I did not include in my original post. Please see his post for even more information on this tragic mystery.

Sope-Bocks

Now and Then

How about some 'Now' and 'Then' photos. I'm going to try showing you some recent photos and then comparing them to some past photos. Well, well, well, this could be interesting!

Janna and Kari (with Kira) 'Now':

and

'Then' (notice what they had with them then):

Thomas, Kari, Kira, & don't forget Bruce 'Now':

and

'Then': (No, Bruce is not in this picture.)

Mom and Dad 'Now' (well, not exactly now but at least more recent than the next photo):

and

'Then':