Archive for August 17th, 2009

Give Me Five Monday

Monday, August 17th, 2009

Give Me 5 Monday logo

Give Me Five memorable things you have done before.

  • I was blessed to be with my daughter during her labor and delivery of granddaughter Claire this past Saturday.
  • I did lots of hiking along the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon in the day.
  • I saved my daughter Rebecca’s life when she was little, using the Heimlich maneuver.
  • When in high school, our band was selected to march at Disneyland.
  • When I was in high school, I was on an overnight hike at Yosemite National Park. We strung up our pack of food, but bears got it anyway. The bear knew how to open the canned milk with its claws!

    Hostess Becca says this about the meme:

    The ‘Give Me Five’ Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here’s how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn’t have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
    Sign up for weekly reminder emails @ beccagirl@charter.net

Posted in Family, Give Me Five Monday, Memories | 9 Comments »

Simple Woman’s Daybook

Monday, August 17th, 2009

simple-woman-daybook-small1

Hosted by Peggy

For Today…August 17, 2009

Outside my Window…Today was one of those gorgeous, late summer days that are warm, but not uncomfortably so. Now, at 10pm, there’s an autumn chill and dampness to the air. I noticed wispy swirls of clouds when we took the old doggy for a walk this evening.

I am thinking…that this has been an eventful summer.

From the learning rooms…I’m continuing to learn more about health and nutrition.

I am thankful for…the safe birth of our granddaughter Claire Renee, born to daughter Sarah and her husband Justin just this past Saturday.

From the kitchen…I went all-out this evening and prepared a time-consuming but scrumptious entrée: Three Cheese Teaser.

I am wearing…an olive-green denim skirt and cream colored peasant blouse.

I am reading…Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon, www.newtrendspublishing.com. This fascinating book examines the original diets of populations which had/have good dental and overall health. It makes sense to me that we should glean wisdom from previous generations. I’ve noticed that the author uses current large-scale scientific studies to substantiate her points thus far.

I am hoping…to go visit my husband’s dad and mom in Inverness, CA this week. Look this locale up on Google Earth, and check out some of the sights, such as Drake’s Bay and the Pt. Reyes lighthouse. Folks have posted some great photos and videos of this beautiful area.

I am creating…this blog post.

I am hearing…one of the Google Earth videos of the wind blowing in Pt.Reyes. I was once told that this is the windiest place on the west coast of the U.S.

Around the house…My husband and youngest son did some major brush clean-up around the yard today. The bonfire embers are still glowing.

One of my favorite things…is having the time and energy to serve my family a special meal.


A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…We plan to leave on a jet plane on Wednesday. When we return, it will just be in time for the first day of school.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you…

Sarah and Claire

Our daughter Laura snapped this picture of her sister Sarah and Sarah’s brand new baby daughter, Claire.

happy family

Laura also took this picture of Sarah and her husband Justin with little Claire.

Hostess Peggy says this about The Simple Woman’s Daybook:

Are you content to linger on the simple things of life…then join me in taking a little look into the day plans and thoughts of those of us who are focusing on simplicity…the beauty of the everyday moments around us. That is my vision for this idea!

Posted in Books, Family, Favorite Photos, Health, Homemaking, Recipes, The Simple Woman's Daybook, Things for Which I am Thankful | 6 Comments »

Three Cheese Teaser

Monday, August 17th, 2009

THREE CHEESE TEASER (Recipe of Lynn Hersman, from The Lynden Tribune’s My Favorite Recipe Cookbook, 1988.)

Sauce Ingredients:

½ Tablespoon butter

½ cup finely chopped onions

1 clove minced garlic

14 ounces stewed tomatoes, undrained

3 ounces tomato paste

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

½ teaspoon dried basil leaves

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Sauté onions and garlic in butter in a large sauce pan. Add remaining ingredients and ¾ cup water. Crush tomatoes with a fork. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Keep covered and stir occasionally.

Pasta Ingredients:

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup water

½ cup plus 3 Tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour

dash of salt

Beat all ingredients in a medium bowl with an electric mixer just until smooth. Let mixture rest at least 30 minutes. Slowly heat an 8″ non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 3 Tablespoons batter and quickly rotate the pan to evenly coat the bottom. Keep heating just until the top appears dry, but not brown. Gently lift out of pan and cool on a wire rack. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. Now, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Filling Ingredients:

¾ pound low-fat cottage cheese

1 heaping cup low-fat mozzarella in small cubes

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

2 Tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Combine all ingredients. Mix to blend well. Spread a large ¼ cup of filling down the center of each pasta piece, and roll up.

Final assembly:

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 large mushrooms, sliced

Divide sauce into two equal portions. Pour ¾ cup of sauce into a 12″x8″x2″ baking dish. Arrange 8 rolled pasta pieces seam side down in the dish. Place remaining rolls on top of bottom layer (4 to 5 on top layer). Use remaining sauce to cover the rolls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, arrange mushrooms attractively on top. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 8-10.


This is what I made for a special dinner tonight. It was, admittedly, time-consuming to prepare, but SO delicious! I served this entrée with Chop Salad, which is a simple fresh salad of cubed cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions, seasoned with salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar. The only thing that could have made this dinner better would have been hot, crusty French bread.

Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments »