Mark Russell the comedian is FUNNY! And musings on anniversaries….

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Mark Russell is a political comedian and he can be very funny. One of his funniest lines is below:

The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage.”  By Mark Russell

Today is our 46th anniversary – married a lifetime for sure – amazing. When one makes the commitment to marry – the thought of so long is incomprehensible. And then the years fly by so fast  as one struggles to make a living, raise a family, impact a community and keep healthy. And  then all of a sudden you look back and it seems like a dream that your life in all its joy and pain is mostly behind you – at least two thirds of it! So I look forward to the next third being the most fun, and with the amount of exercise and healthy eating we are doing, hopefully the healthiest. We no longer participate in extreme sports, we are far more cautious about what we do physically, and have realized that there is a limit and that risk taking can be curtailed and life can still be fun. Also the child bearing years and , for me, the challenges and painful losses that accompanied those decades, are well behind us now and the joys of grandchildren is never ending. Happily it is a time to give back and pay it forward and there is enormous satisfaction in doing that. Overall – a blessed life, made so by our decision to immigrate to this incredible country of opportunity, peace and justice 41 years ago. How grateful we are! G-d Bless America.

Our Four Grandsons On A Tree – What Could Be Better Than That!

jack Jonah noah gabe on a tree

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Passion fruit pudding – extra yum!

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Another passion fruit recipe – pudding this time! Try it – its easy!

Passion Fruit Pudding

Ingredients:

  • 1 box (3 ounces) vanilla instant pudding
  • 2 cup of milk ( we use 2%)
  • 1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
  • Pulp of 10 passion fruit

Directions:

  1. Mix all the ingredients together until smooth and not gritty.
  2. Refrigerate for 2 hours
  3. ENJOY!

Passionfruit Pudding

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Passion fruit Pound Cake – YUM!

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We grow a lot of passion fruit and we love to cook with it. Dishes as simple as regular fresh fruit salad with lots of papaya and pineapple, mango and passion fruit and then desserts – oh my goodness. Just take a look ( and a taste) of these two!

Passion Fruit Pound Cake

Ingredients:

  • 4 ounces butter, melted
  • 2 cups self-raising flour, sifted ( see Tip below to make your own self rising flour)
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk (see Tip Below to make your own Buttermilk)
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 6 passionfruit, for frosting
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted, for frosting

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease a regular loaf pan. Place the butter, flour, buttermilk, egg, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Using hand beaters, mix until well combined.
  2. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. To serve, remove the pulp and juice from the passion fruit and place in a small bowl. Add the confectioners sugar and stir to combine until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Carefully poke a fork into the top of the cake at various points of the top. Then drizzle the passion fruit mixture over the cake. Cut into slices and serve.
    Passion Fruit Pound Cake

TIPS:

1. Make your own self rising flour – combine 1 cup of allpurpose flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. And you are right to worry about the shelf life of selfrising flour: the baking powder will lose its potency over time, which means your baked goods won’t rise as they should.

2. Make your own Buttermilk – combine 1 TBSP of white vinegar with 2 cups of milk  and stir – and presto! You have Buttermilk!

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Divine Strata – dessert or a fancy brunch dish – the kids LOVE it – you will too!

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Most strata are made with cheese and spinach – and are delicious. I tried this one as a dessert or brunch strata and it worked so well that I wanted to share it with you. The only downside is that it requires a little planning – but that is a positive for me – as I like making stuff in advance so that there is less to do when guests are already here. This requires a night in the refrigerator – you can plan for that can’t you? Not a biggie….

Strawberry Strata

Ingredients:

12 slices day-old french bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup fresh strawberries
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup
 1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon butter
DIRECTIONS:
1. Spray Pam butter spray into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup strawberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes.
2. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
4. Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned. This is now cooked strata.
5. In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup strawberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the fruit is macerated ( soft). Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked strata

Here is our crop of Little Farm Strawberries. They are not as perfect as the ones we get in the market but they taste a LOT better! Of course this is not the time of year when we grow them, so we do buy them at the market for this dish. But ( unlike on the East coast and most of the Northern Hemisphere) California is experiencing great sunny and warm weather so all the blossoms are blooming at the Little Farm and we are already thinking SPRING~!!!!!

Little farm Strawberries

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Slow cooker heaven – and cooking with kids!

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This time of year is great for the Slow Cooker. Mine is used at least twice a week if not more as I have been making desserts in it too – some of which were on earlier blogs. Here is a recipe that is truly special with Chicken Thighs – try it out!

Chicken thighs raw skinless

Thai Chicken in the Slow Cooker ( not good if you have peanut allergies…..)

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup mild salsa ( we like it mild – you can use hot if you prefer)
  • 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter ( Laura Scudders is best unless you can get fresh ground at a farmer’s market)
  • 3/4 cup light coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce ( we use low sodium soy)
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger ( did I mention that we grow our own?)
  • 2 pounds skinless chicken thighs ( you can use boneless if you wish- I do)
  • 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, for topping
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, for toppingItalian Parsley

Directions

  1. Combine the salsa, peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, and ginger in the slow cooker; mix well. Place the chicken in the sauce, spoon mixture over chicken to coat.
  2. Place the lid on the cooker and set to LOW. Cook until chicken is very tender and sauce has thickened, 8 to 9 hours. A meat thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of a thigh should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Garnish with peanuts and cilantro before serving.
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When berries are a bit squashed – make a smoothie!

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I often find that even the best berries eventually ( some sooner rather than later) look squashed and so really cannot be served elegantly.

Here is a great way to make use of them – and preserve the good taste if not the great appearance!

Make a smoothie!

I added fresh tangerine juice ( about 1 cup – you could use orange juice instead) to a half a container of raspberries and blackberries, a tablespoon of brown sugar and put it into my blender – and presto! A really thick and delicious smoothie!

Enjoy!

raspberries and blackberries

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The late Andy Rooney formerly of the 60 minutes TV News Show was a man of few words…

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andy-rooney-300Here is Andy Rooney

Andy Rooney encapsulated deep thoughts in few words – a true art. Here are some of his sayings:

  • I’ve learned…. That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
  • I’ve learned…. That when you’re in love, it shows.
  • I’ve learned…. That just one person saying to me, ‘You’ve made my day!’     makes my day.
  • I’ve learned…. That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
  • I’ve learned…. That being kind is more important than being right.
  • I’ve learned…. That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
  • I’ve learned…. That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to help him in some other way.
  • I’ve learned…. That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
  • I’ve learned…. That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
  • I’ve learned…. That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
  • I’ve learned…. That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
  • I’ve learned…. That we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.
  • I’ve learned…. That money doesn’t buy class.
  • I’ve learned…. That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
  • I’ve learned… That under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
  • I’ve learned…. That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
  • I’ve learned…. That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
  • I’ve learned…. That love, not time, heals all wounds.
  • I’ve learned…. That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
  • I’ve learned…. That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
  • I’ve learned…. That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
  • I’ve learned… That life is tough, but I’m tougher.
  • I’ve learned…. That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
  • I’ve learned…. That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
  • I’ve learned…. That I wish I could have told my Mum (and Dad) that I love her (him) one more time before she passed away.
  • I’ve learned…. That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
  • I’ve learned…. That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
  • I’ve learned…. That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you’re hooked for life.
  • I’ve learned… That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.
  • I’ve learned…. That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

And now one of mine –

I’ve learned that when strong people show their vulnerability, they receive love from unexpected places

Thank YOU to each of my friends and family members who have shown me such love and support over the past three months. You have filled my life with joy.

 

I’ve learned…. That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I’ve learned…. That when you’re in love, it shows.
I’ve learned…. That just one person saying to me, ‘You’ve made my day!’     makes my day.
I’ve learned…. That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I’ve learned…. That being kind is more important than being right.
I’ve learned…. That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
I’ve learned…. That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to help him in some other way.
I’ve learned…. That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I’ve learned…. That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I’ve learned…. That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I’ve learned…. That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I’ve learned…. That we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.
I’ve learned…. That money doesn’t buy class.
I’ve learned…. That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I’ve learned… That under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I’ve learned…. That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I’ve learned…. That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I’ve learned…. That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I’ve learned…. That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I’ve learned…. That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I’ve learned…. That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I’ve learned… That life is tough, but I’m tougher.
I’ve learned…. That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
I’ve learned…. That when you harbour bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I’ve learned…. That I wish I could have told my Mum that I love her one more time before she passed away.
I’ve learned…. That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
I’ve learned…. That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I’ve learned…. That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you’re hooked for life.
I’ve learned… That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.
I’ve learned…. That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.
To all of you…. Make sure you read all the way down to the last sentence.
It’s National Friendship Week. Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND, even if it means sending it back to the person who sent it to you. If it comes back to you, then you’ll know you have a circle of friends. HAPPY FRIENDSHIP WEEK TO YOU!!!!!! YOU ARE MY FRIEND AND I AM HONORED! Now send this to every friend you have!! And to your family. This was sent to me by a friend.
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Happiness is being with grandchildren and pets!

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Our identical twin grandsons love going to the Farmer’s market and getting their faces painted! And they love going on the little train there. You can see how happy I am. Nothing could be better – how blessed I am!

Grandma with twins on train at farmers market Feb 2015And although we lost our little kitten Beauty last week – here are her sisters and one brother – 5 adorable kittens playing and growing up fast. They are hard workers on the Little Farm – and are only fed once a day so that they hunt and rid us of vermin at night.

Kittens only 5 left but all healthyAnd finally our sick dog Sunny is getting better – still has acute pancreatic disease which gives him pain but he is eating, drinking and pooping and so there is  a good chance that we can bring him home tomorrow and nurse him here as he is also very weak, tired,  and anemic. He chewed off his drain last night – not good – but now that it is out – there is no real need to keep him in hospital as all that which they are doing for him there, we can do for him at home.Here he is last night – I think he is smiling – don’t you? A miracle dog to be sure… keep praying until he is home and progressing well…..

Sunny two days before release

 

 

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Some charts and maps that will put your world into perspective – show your kids!

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A friend sent me these – very educational and eye-opening! Share with your kids!

The Economist Magazine published this view of Africa – it is larger that you might have imagined!

Africa image from Economist

This is perhaps the most surprising map of all. This is a map of our corner of the universe. It’s called Laniakea and it’s got more than 100,000 galaxies and stretches more than 500 million light years across. Each of those points of light is an individual galaxy. Each galaxy contains millions, billlions, or even trillions of stars. There are many other galaxy superclusters out there.” You can see more in this video from Nature. It kind of puts things in perspective, doesn’t it?

lanikea_map.0.0_standard_1280.0

 

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Space Shuttle Endeavor – AMAZING!

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We had an opportunity through a support group I belong to, for the MUSIC CENTER in LOS ANGELES called THE BLUE RIBBON – to attend a fundraising event at the California Science Museum which built a special building to house the Space Shuttle Endeavor. What an amazing evening – and to get so close to this miracle machine. Incredible. Truly something to see when and if you come to LA. Makes one so proud of our country and the risks taken by so many to benefit us all. I remember the Challenger -as I was CEO of advanced materials distribution company at the time that it crashed – and all of our contracts with JPL, NASA and the US Government for space products and exploration, ceased. It was a tragic time for the nation, and a scary time in business for me and my colleagues. We learned an important lesson – diversify! With that tragic accident, we diversified into the electronics industry – a good news story in the end – but tough times in between.

Endeavour Space Shuttle 2015

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Face painting for little ones! Such fun!

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Hanging out with the grandkids is the best thing that I do in my life. The twins Noah and Gabriel decided that face painting was what they wanted. So at a recent farmers market – they became ‘skeleton’ and ‘monster’. And took enormous delight in looking at each other! Adore those kids!!!Noah and Gabe Face paints 2015 FebWe have a citroen tree – and it gives HUGE fruit. Here is a picture of one citroen next to a normal sized apple – just to show how big it is. I am going to take 4 and make marmalade from them. Tart but good!

Citroen and Apple

 

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Sunny – our beloved rottweiller – please pray for him

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Sunny our beloved 10 year old rottweiler is fighting for his life in an animal hospital here in Los Angeles. Please pray for him.

Last Saturday he had a perforated ulcer, with peritonitis in his abdomen, and had major surgery. He has been in intensive care since then. We thought he was rallying – but today he seems to have slipped back a bit. Here he is just a few years ago.

CIMG0323Noah Gabe and Sunny Dog Dec 2012Jack loving sunny dec 2013Sunny as Ring Bearer – he was SO proud of himself – wore a black tie with a little box on top with the ring in it – walked down the aisle like a champ!Sunny as ringbearer at Mikey Marias wedding

He is  a dog who has touched the lives of many – children and adults alike – he has over 250 followers on Facebook, and has been ring bearer in a wedding of friends, babysitter for grand-kids, plaything for everyone and our close companion during times good and bad. We cannot imagine life without him. Your prayers will help him which is why I am posting this and the pictures below. The doctors and nurses at the animal hospital tell us he has had more visitors than any other patient – including our mail lady who has come every day. This is not his time to leave us – please send your prayers for his recovery.

Sunny in dire straits 2015 Sunny sick on day 3 2015 Sunny sick 3 on Day 3

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Birthday Cakes from MINECRAFT for our grandson Jonah – a labor of love!

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I love making birthday cakes for my grandsons – its a lot of work but so worth it to see their faces. YUM!
Mine-craft  is all the rage with little boys mainly – a game where they build imaginary worlds – with sods of grass, lakes, buildings and internal and external choices. They love it. And Jonah – who is now 6 – is besotted! He is only allowed limited time on the video game but loves every second as well as the books and Lego and more. Here are the two cakes I made for him – one is CREEPER ( a mine-craft figure) and the other is a very large piece of sod. CREEPER was made from yellow cake, cut into the shape that I got off the internet – with green cream cheese frosting, squares of Cadbury’s milk chocolate covered with green, or black or white frosting as the squares and more chocolate squares for his eyes, nose and feet.

The sod was from THREE individual layer cakes – one strawberry ( in the middle to make it rainbow) and the other vanilla and yellow on top and bottom. The cakes were stuck together with cream cheese frosting ( white) and then frosted around the sides with chocolate frosting. Then I crumbled double chocolate creme Oreo’s and stuck them on the side to make the dirt pieces, and got a special Wilton grass making nozzle, filled my frosting bag with green frosting and stood Minecraft Cake Jonah happy Feb 2015pulling up 300 tufts of grass. Lots of arm work but such fun! The candle 6 on top of both cakes completed the job. Jonah was delirious with happiness. What a lovely day!

Minecraft Grass Sod CakeMinecraft rainbow cake half eaten Feb 2015 Minecraft grass sod cake 2 Minecraft Creeper Cake

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Tangerine Marmalade – it’s that time of year again with abundant citrus at The Little Farm

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Here is the recipe for Tangerine Marmalade – it takes a couple of days to be really good – if you have the patience!!  I do – as the result is truly spectacular!

Tangerine Marmalade

Ingredients:

  • 18-20 Tangerines
  • 6 cups of water
  • 4 cups of sugar
  • Two boxes of pectin
  • Maple Syrup – 8 ounces – if you like the taste

Directions:

  1. Cut the tangerines into slices  DO NOT PEEL THEM ( just wash them first)- about three per piece of fruit – cut the ends off and discard.
  2. Take out the pits – as many as possible.
  3. Boil in the water for about 30 minutes until the skin is soft
  4. Add the sugar and cook on high for 20 minutes
  5. Add the pectin and cook on high until boiling then reduce to low heat.
  6. Add the syrup if you like the taste of maple syrup.
  7. Simmer until the mixture darkens somewhat and is thick enough to suit your taste for marmalade – I find that it takes about 10 hours – 5 hours a day for two days. Be VERY careful that the mixture does not stick on the bottom of the pot so keep it at a low heat.
  8. Yes this is a bit tricky – and deceptively easy looking. It is all in the slow simmer!
    Enjoy!

Below  is the finished product before bottling!

Tangerine Marmalade finished in pot

The sliced uncooked fruit!Tangerines Cut and sliced 2015

The abundant crop from The Little Farm.Tangerines just picked 2015

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Great easy recipe – for cooking with kids! Chicken and Pretzels!

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Its always fun to find a way to make boring chicken a little less boring. Here is a great and easy recipe that the kids absolutely  loved! Try it and let me know how your family enjoys it?

Pretzel Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 4 chicken breasts ( we prefer thighs so I did a mixture)
  • 4 Tbsp each of yellow mustard, brown mustard and if you like it, ( we don’t) hot mustard
  • 3 Tbsp of honey
  • 2 Tbsp of canola oil
  • 4 cups of salted pretzels
  • Pam Spray
  • 1/2 cup of low fat mayo

Directions:

  1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees ( I needed two ovens for this)
  2. Mix 2 Tbsp of each of the mustard’s and 2 Tbsp of the canola oil in a freezer bag and mix well then place aside
  3. Pound the chicken pieces one by one in a strong double plastic freezer bag until thinner – like for Vienna schnitzels
  4. Place the chicken pieces into the marinade in the freezer bag and put in the fridge for an hour or so.
  5. Pound 4 cups of salted pretzels in a freezer bag until crumbs.
  6. Place foil onto two baking pans and spray Pam  over the foil
  7. Put each piece of chicken into the crumbed pretzel mixture until well coated and place onto the baking pan and spray again with Pam spray.
  8. Bake for 12 minutes each side – flipping after the first 12 minutes and cook for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Do NOT overcook
  9. In the meantime mix the remaining 2 Tbsp of yellow, Brown and Hot mustard with 2 Tbsp of honey and 1/2 cup of low fat mayo and drizzle over the chicken before serving.

The children snacked on pretzels and loved the pounding part of this recipe!! A keeper for sure!

CAVEAT: The only part about this recipe that I was not crazy about – was that when I flipped the pieces, the lovely crust did not stay on – if anyone has a great idea on how to prevent that happening – please share! I am tempted NOT to flip them next time as the picture you see below is of the flipped side and the crust is uneven and not pretty. The taste was still great – but visual cues are also important – so any advice on this is welcome!

Chicken and pretzels

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Slow cooker heaven – the most delicious lemon dessert – you will LOVE this! Also good when cooking with kids!

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Lemon Pudding Dessert Slow CookerI have never tried making desserts in the slow cooker – and this last week it was so cold that it sounded like a good idea. Here is the first experiment – which turned out so well that I have made it twice this week !

Slow Cooker Lemon Pudding Cake

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs, separated
    1/4 cup lemon juice
    3 tablespoons butter
    1 1/2 cups milk
    3/4 cup granulated sugar
    1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

  1. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and set aside. ( TIP: Add a pinch of salt – helps make the whites stiffer faster).
  2. Beat egg yolks; blend in lemon juice, butter and milk.
  3. Combine sugar, flour, and salt ( best to use a sifter as it blends the ingredients well); add to egg-milk mixture, beating until smooth. Fold into beaten whites. Spoon into crock pot.
  4. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. This tends to over-brown around the edges, at about 2 hours take a look and turn it off. It will stay warm for a while.

Delicious easy and fast – what could be better!

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Chicken Tortilla Soup – easy and filling

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Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Slow Cooker ( from All Recipes with some changes)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
  • 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes,mashed
  • 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth ( I make it up using Better than Bouillon)
 

 

 

 

  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 7 corn tortillas
  • vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Chopping garlic grown at the Little FarmChopped garlic from LFThe view of the mountain range not far from us, and some late fall roses.

IMG_8325 Range and rosesAnd finally one of the statues from sculptor John Davidson in our front yard – the children love this one…..and so do we.

IMG_8311 Reading 2

 

 

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Turkey eggs are soooo delicious – try them some time! We grow our own

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Turkey eggs are much larger than chicken eggs – and much more delicious. They are a more intense flavor and the yolk is more yellow – we love them.

I love making egg salad – generally low fat mayo, salt and great fresh farm eggs – you could add chopped celery ( we don’t) or chopped onion ( we don’t do that either as our eggs have such flavor we don’t want to sully them).

A flour tortilla with egg salad wrapped into it and a green salad is a very satisfying Sunday night dinner.

Here is a picture of turkey and chicken eggs – you can see the difference in size. The speckled ones are the turkey eggs.IMG_8304 Turkey and Hen's eggs 1And here is one of our turkeys!

IMG_8248 Turkey head 1

 

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More animal photos that make me smile – you too?

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I love these photos. I am always impressed by the depth of love that animals feel for humans -both cats and dogs – horses too – perhaps I am suffering from anthropomorphism them but you can see it in these photos.

THIS IS WHY IT IS GOOD TO BE TALL!

Why its good to be tall

AH PLEASE CAN I KEEP IT?

Can I keep it

I AM READY FOR MY WALK ARE YOU?I am ready for my walk There there
Love my new humanALWAYS CHECK YOUR SHOES….. Always check when putting on your shoes

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Bok Choy Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup – a good way to use cooked chicken – comfort food!

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Chicken Noodle Soup does seem to have medicinal qualities for me – and for many others – although I am not sure that is scientific but it sure comforts me. This recipe takes a slightly different angle on it – and is delicious. We grow our own bok choy, ginger, onion, and love cooking with all of it!

Bok Choy Chicken Noodle soup

Bok Choy Lemon Chicken  Noodle Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • ½ cup of chopped onion
  • 1.5 tbsp. of minced fresh ginger
  • 1 8 ounce packet of pre-sliced mushrooms – any kind – cremini are best
  • 4/5 cups of unsalted chicken stock
  • 1/5 cups of shredded skinless rotisserie chicken breast
  • 3 cups of chopped Bok Choy
  • Precooked brown rice or cooked noodles
  • 1 tbsp.Ponzu (or soy) sauce
  • ½ tsp of kosher salt
  • ½ tsp of black pepper
  • 1 tbsp. grated lemon rind
  • 2 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice

Directions

  1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high.
  2. Add onion ginger and sauté 5 mins.
  3. Add mushrooms sauté 2 mins.
  4. Add stock chicken and boy choy.
  5. Bring to boil and reduce heat and simmer 10 mins.
  6. Stir cooked rice or noodles, Ponzu sauce, salt and pepper into soup cook 5 minutes till Bok Choy is tender.
  7. Take off from heat and stir in lemon rind and juice
  8. Serve in large generous bowls – YUM!
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