I'm Baaack!

Well, what can I say. After a good, long while of inactivity, I have decided to make a comeback with another attempt at Blogging.

New Construction/Remodel!

Opps, this blog is due for a remake and redesign. Please be patient while the blog is evaluated for a new design and new posts. Sorry for the long absence from this site. I have been busy with other endeavors and I have finally decided to return an emphasis to updating this blog and exerting an effort to maintain it.

The purpose of the blog will remain as an effort to establish and maintain communications between family and friends. I will also attempt to post family information of general interest to all. Please comment or suggest items of interest and the blog may be able to expand into other areas of interest according to that information. Friends are welcome to view and react to the blog. Please be patient and positive and let's see where this blog can take us.

Christmas Traditions at Our Home

Nativity Scene:

  The Nativity Scene or Manger Scene is the traditional Christian representation of the birth of Jesus Christ. This scene is usually a set of models, statuary, or other art objects representing the infant Jesus, Joseph, Mary, and others as described in the Gospels of Mathew and Luke. In my picture of our family Nativity Scene you can see a shepherd with his sheep as well as other stable animals and the Angel and the three Wise Men. In some cases the Nativity Scene is depicted with live individuals and animals. The first live Nativity Scene was credited to Saint Francis of Assisi in 1223. He wanted to encourage the worship of Christ with a "living" Nativity Scene.

  Christmas is the annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and is derived from the term "Christ's Mass" from the Middle English form of "Cristemasse" and the Old English "Crīstesmæsse".

  Our family Nativity Scene is prominently displayed in our entry hallway upon entering our home. This Nativity Scene was originally purchased by Pam's parents at Sears when she was in elementary school, probably prior to 1964. It became part of our family tradition after our marriage in 1975 and she brought it into our home. She regularly sets this Nativity Scene up as part of our Christmas tradition. My contribution to this tradition has been the repair to the damaged camel figurine and the replacement of the disintegrating cardboard stable. I replaced the cardboard a number of years ago with a wooden craft style fence and roof for the stable scene on a wooden base.

I hope you will enjoy this part of our Christmas celebration.

Traditional Family Nativity Scene

 

The 'Reason for the Selfie' / The 'Reason for the Season'.
This may seem self explanatory, but more explanation will soon follow.
Merry Christmas!

Wow! It's been a while.

It's been a while . . !  But, here goes.  We're currently involved in extensive redecoration of the house, for Christmas!  At least it feels like extensive changes.  More to come soon in explanation of this exciting new story. . .

Impromptu Fairy Princess

Kira had an opportunity to go with her Aunt Janna to a Halloween Party.  Since her costume had been left at her house, Pam got one of  the dance costumes which Janna or Kari had worn at one of their dance recitals many years ago.  A set of 'Fairy Wings' and a 'Magic Wand' and we have an Impromptu Fairy Princess for Halloween.

Recipe Wednesday

Recipe #21 - Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Just in time for Haloween a seasonal recipe of unknown origin. What can you do with those seeds you scrape out of the pumpkin for your Jack-o-Lantern? Usually they get thrown out with the next trash. Some people may save them for planting to grow next years pumpkins. Here is a tasty and nutritious alternative. Make a batch of:

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Seeds of a pumpkin

Salt (to taste)

2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil

Rinse the seeds to remove strings and pulp and pat dry with a paper towel. Spread the seeds on a baking pan and let stand for several hours to dry. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the seeds with the oil and salt to taste. Toast the seeds in the oven stirring every 5 minutes or so, until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let them cool completely. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve the pumpkin seeds as a snack or use as a garnish.

I found this recipe in a flyer I picked up at a local Fall Festival Pumpkin Patch sponsored by the Clear Lake U.M.C. in 2008. Here are a few pictures to chronicle that event and our Grand-daughter's visits to the Pumpkin Patch in search of the "Great Pumpkin".

We didn't find the "Great Pumpkin" here, but we did get a few good pictures of Kira.

P.S.  Be sure to follow the link for the Great Pumpkin!

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Recipe Wednesday

Recipe #20

My wife found this chimichurri sauce recipe in the newspaper one fine summer day.  I don't remember exactly why she keeps searching for a Chimichurri Sauce recipe, but she mentioned this to me when she saw it.  I determined then that we should try the recipe and I could post it to my blog.  You may want to follow the link to see the original article in the Recipes column of the Flavor section of the Houston Chronicle Chron.com .

Summer Herb Chimichurri

3 cloves garlic, peeled
½ large shallot, peeled
1½ cups packed parsley leaves
1½ cups packed basil leaves
¾ cup packed mint leaves
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ small red onion, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper



Using the blade attachment of a food processor, chop the garlic, shallot, herbs, vinegar and lemon juice until well combined and slightly chunky. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil through the tube in a steady stream until the sauce is well blended and the herbs are finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the red onion, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Serve immediately, or transfer to a covered container and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week.



This recipe was printed in the Houston Chronicle of Wednesday, September 8, 2010 along with suggestions to try it on grilled and sliced flank or skirt steak.  Mixing with mayonnaise to spread on sandwiches or burgers was also offered as a suggestion.  Salmon might be rubbed and slow roasted in the oven.  It could also be whisked with a little extra olive oil and tossed with seasonal greens for a herb tinged salad.

Please try it.  You will like it!

Picture Girl

Pam set out to get a few 'candid' photos of the granddaughter.  Oops, I think she has seen the camera.

She was going to take a nap with her animals. Oh well, no nap now.

Kira with "Pink Bear".  Boy, what a smile! What a ham!

Flower Girl

Kira is making preparations for her Flower Girl responsibility at a recent wedding. Her mother's friend, Monica, may not have realized what she was starting when she asked for a 2 1/2 year old to act as flower girl in her recent wedding ceremony.

How do you keep a 2 1/2 year old flower girl busy during the wedding ceremony?

Holiday Decorations '09

Here are a few photos of our Home Christmas decorations for 2009.

Recipe Wednesday #19 (A Day Late on Thursday)

Sorry I missed my Wednesday deadline for my recipe. This week I chose not to give a specific recipe. Instead I will refer you to one of the ways I like get new recipes. I simply go to the computer and go to the "World Wide Web". One of my favorite sites is:
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You can view a number of recipes here. If you like you can even sign up for an e-mail service to have recipes and other information concerning their products and related recipes sent directly to your Inbox. Check it out and find your own recipes. Please comment if this information and the link is useful to you for finding your own recipes.

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Smile!

You're On Candid Camera.

This is a recent picture of our granddaughter, Kira, showing off one of her birthday presents. Look closely at the jewelry set she is wearing. This set includes the tiara on her head, the necklace around her neck, and the dangle clip on earrings on her ears. This beautiful heart shaped set includes all three heart shaped, pink plastic 'stone'. The set does include a ring with the pink plastic heart, but is not visible in this picture. This beautiful jewelry set was given to Kira by her cousins from Corpus Christi, Texas. They were in town visiting for the party. This was the social event of the day with a 2 year birthday party hosted by the grandparents, Lance and Pam, at a local eating establishment. Numerous friends and relatives enjoyed hamburgers, chicken nuggets, fries, and drinks accompanied by ice cream and cake. Happy Birthday Kira!

Recipe Wednesday #18

Do you ever brew a pot of coffee and have a bit of coffee left in the pot when all have had enough coffee to drink? It always seemed so wasteful to pour all that coffee down the drain. I recently decided I would start pouring that coffee up into a pitcher after cooling. I stored this excess coffee in the refrigerator and continued to add the excess coffee when I didn't finish the pot. After a few days I had enough cold coffee to start combining and experimenting with a few ingredients to concoct an iced coffee drink like you might get at one of those popular coffee shops. Here follows my resulting

Iced Cocoa Frappucinno

2/3 cup brewed coffee, cold
1/3 cup ice cubes (5 or 6 cubes)
1/3 cup non fat dry milk
1 tsp. instant hot cocoa mix
1 pkg. artificial sweetener 1 tsp. sugar

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend for 30 - 40 seconds or until the ice is completely crushed. Pour into a couple of tall glasses and enjoy with a friend some summer evening. You may try a variety of additions and/or substitutions to make this your own favorite iced coffee drink to enjoy with a friend. Try a shot (1 oz.) of hazelnut or caramel syrup in addition to/or in place of the cocoa mix. Try your own flavors to suit your own tastes. Enjoy!

Incidentally, there is also a story behind the use of the 'non fat dry milk' instead of cream or milk in this recipe. That is another item I found which was a 'leftover' item for which I was trying to find a use instead of throwing it away. Suffice it to say for now that it was another item I had in excess and I needed to find a use for it instead of throwing it out. I'll tell that story on another day in another blog post.

Spinning and Grinning!

Ain't it great to be the baby sitter. I recently took this video of the grandkid, Kira, while she was playing with one of her toys. Here she is on her 'Sit & Spin' doing what a kid is supposed to be doing on a 'Sit & Spin', she is spinning and grinning!

For more information on the "Sit and Spin" see:

http://www.hasbrotoyshop.com/

Recipe Wednesday #17

This week I am taking another recipe from Creative Cooking. Follow this link for the whole story concerning this Recipe Booklet:

First Recipe Wednesday for Wednesday, April 30, 2008

You may also find this page by going into the Blog Archives for 2008. Look for the Wednesday, April 30th Blog post.

Now for this weeks recipe:

Guacamole

Bobbie Horst

2 medium very ripe avocados
2 medium ripe tomatoes
1 small onion, finely grated
2 small Serrano or any hot chiles, chopped, or 2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. lime juice
2 tsp. lemon juice
Dash paprika
2 tsp. salt (more or less)
Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. coriander

Mash avocados with fork. Add the other ingredients and stir into paste that is not too smooth. Note: This dish is best if made immediately before serving, but if made ahead of time put avocado seed in the spread and cover tightly to prevent darkening.

This recipe was submitted to the recipe book by my mother, Bobbie Horst. Please see the Archive post for Wednesday April 30, 2008 for the story behind the cook book.

Recipe Wednesday #16

I found this recipe in one of those coupon inserts for the Sunday newspaper, you know, one of those things with all the coupons printed up. This recipe was printed with a popular, name brand steak sauce. As usual I do take some liberties with most of my recipes. In this one I don't necessarily use the name brand steak sauce. So here follows the recipe for this week . . .

Sauce Glazed Steak & Chicken

1 bottle(10 oz.) of your favorite steak sauce
1/4 cup honey
4 boneless beef strip steaks approximately 1 inch thickness
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

In a medium sized bowl mix thoroughly the sauce and honey

Grill steaks and chicken over medium heat for 4 - 6 minutes. Brush steaks and chicken on both sides with the sauce. be sure to be liberal with the sauce! Turn over and grill for 4 - 6 more minutes or until cooked to the doneness you require.

6 - 8 servings / 3 minutes preparation time / 8 - 12 minutes cooking time

This recipe is great for a family and friends get together or for a summertime grill fest. Enjoy!

Recipe Wednesday #15

I was looking through Pam's recipes for this week. I found an old loose leaf type notebook with pages for copying recipes, tabs for separating the meal types, and envelopes for cutting and inserting recipes from magazines or newspapers. Here follows one of the recipes I found copied in Pam's handwriting onto one of the loose leaf pages in the recipe book:


Cool Tuna Noodle Salad


Ingredients:

1 Can Cream of Celery Soup
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp. chopped pimento stuffed olives
2 Tbsp. grated onion
8 Oz. corkscrew macaroni, cooked
1 Can tuna (6 oz.)
1 Pkg. frozen mixed vegetables (10 oz.)

Directions:

Mix first 5 ingredients
Add macaroni
Add tuna and vegetables
Mix, cover, and refrigerate


She confirms that it is written in her handwriting, but she does not remember where she got the recipe. Try it out and enjoy! This sounds like a great spring or summer time salad or perhaps even a light dinner or supper meal.

Oops! Look What Floated Into My Yard

Yes, that is a 2006 Cadillac CTS. Some fool came driving down our street during our last major rain event. That was on Saturday, April 18, 2009. He was apparrently trying to avoid the flooded streets. As he came down the street the water continued to get deeper. He first jumped up onto the curb and then came up onto the sidewalk trying to avoid high water. The car sank down into the mud in the middle of our yard and his tires were simply spinning. He was going no further until a tow truck was able to get to him out.

I snapped a number of pictures to document this 'Stupity Event'. I also took all the pertinent information including name, address, and phone number and the insurance of the driver as well as VIN#, license#, and registration# of the vehicle. I have filed a claim for the damage to my yard with his insurance company.

This fool apparently thinks he can drive through yards in an attempt to avoid deep water. Well he is trying to avoid more than the high water. He never returned calls to the insurance adjuster working on the case. They first indicated that they could not settle unless they could get his side of the story. They were unable to verify a policy for this particular car. The insurance adjuster called me back for more information on the car. Since the car had a paper plate from a dealership in our neighborhood, she called them for more information. Well it turns out that the dealership is also looking for this guy. He had apparently made purchase from them for this vehicle only a few days prior to the flood. When he had the car towed from my yard he had it returned to the dealership. He was apparently going to try and back out of the deal on the car. The dealership was trying to make a claim on his insurance and he was avoiding calls not only from his own insurance company and from me. He was not returning calls from the dealership.

I am still waiting for a decision from the insurance company. I get call every few days to update me. They are now waiting for details of the sale from the dealership to their client. If they don't pay off I may file a police report and sue for damages in small claims court. Pam originally called the police. They never came to give a ticket or make a report. They do have a record of her call and I can go to a police substation to file a report and get a case number. Hopefully his insurance company will make some kind of settlement. Well, come back later for any future update on 'the fool and his Cadillac'!

Cleaning Up!

Kari used my computer last night. Look what I found on my computer desktop this morning as I was looking over it to clean up. Just look at all this stuff she left on my desktop:


This dragon appears to be hatching from a pumpkin in a Pumpkin Carving contest!




















Wait, who is that young lady and what is she looking at?

I think that is Witch Kira at Haloween last year and she may be watching over the Pumpkin Patch. This truly must be the Great Pumpkin to be hatching that dragon.