In the past, I’ve shared some of the crazy things that my friends do, but this may top them all. For reasons that will become very obvious, I will not identify my friend, but I can tell you that she was a member of the Marysville High School class of 1964. Now that you know that, you would certainly think that over all these years she’s been alive, she would have used better sense in what she did. Actually, she’s such a smart, savvy person, I never would have expected this of her. Let’s take this story back a bit…
Author: Melanie Behrens
Try this for dinner soon. Chicken and wild rice soup (Panera copycat) (about 4 servings) 1 tsp. coconut oil 1/4 C red onion, diced 1/2 C carrots, diced 1 tsp. dried marjoram 2 TBS flour 1 pkg. long grain & wild rice with flavor packet 4 C low sodium chicken broth 3 C water 3/4 C heavy cream 1/4 C milk 1 C cooked and shredded chicken salt to taste 1/4 tsp. black pepper Melt coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and cook until softened. Add dried marjoram, flour, and seasoning packet from…
A Life Hack refers to any trick, shortcut, skill or novelty method that increases productivity and efficiency in all walks of life. It is also a tool that makes one’s life easier or a clever tip or technique for accomplishing a familiar task. I have recently come across several Life Hacks which may change your world. I hope at least one of them comes in handy for you today. Is your car lock covered with ice? Well, not yet, but if that happens, pour some hand sanitizer on the area. The alcohol in it will melt the layer away almost…
For several weeks, I have been sharing the Marsh family cookbook with you. Here are more recipes from Shari Marsh. Caramel-coated marshmallows 1 (14 oz.) pkg. Kraft caramels 1 can Eagle brand sweetened, condensed milk 1 pkg. regular size marshmallows Rice Krispies Melt caramels and mix with Eagle brand milk over low heat; watch closely. Dip marshmallows in caramel mixture and roll in Rice Krispies. Place on waxed paper to set and cool. ––– Apricot pastry cookies 4 C flour 1 stick butter 1 stick Imperial margarine 1 (8 oz.) container sour cream 1 C sugar ¼ C flour 1…
It’s a place which has melodic names for its towns like Killybigs, Galway and Tullamore, and for centuries nearly all the buildings were built with the grey stone, native to their beautiful country. Sharon and Tim Emrick saw most of Ireland in 21 days as they toured around the lush green coast. One of the best parts about a country with such interesting history is hearing it told by those live there. For instance, most of us have heard of the potato famine of Ireland, but probably not the particulars. The Emricks learned it all began in 1845. The potato…
I received a copy of a wonderful cookbook prepared by Shari Marsh. It is made up of recipes from the Marsh family. The book includes those from recipe cards, slips of paper and backs of church bulletins. Shari said her mother-in-law was an excellent cook and now we can enjoy some of her recipes, too. Zucchini au gratin medium zucchini, cut cross-wise and cut into ¼-in. slices 2 TBS butter ¼ C dry breadcrumbs, plus some for topping ½ can cream of mushroom soup 1/3 C shredded cheddar or American cheese 1 TBS minced onions salt & pepper to taste…
A few weeks ago, I wrote about items that were commonly used in the 1950s and ‘60s – some you probably wouldn’t recognize today. After it was published, a reader, Bob Whitman, commented to me about the days when he and his brothers would color margarine. Now he had my attention! He explained that this necessity took place a few years before I was born, but I can remember my parents talking about the days when margarine came on the market. It was white. Bob said the same thing. It wasn’t really palatable to people as a substitute for butter when…
We eat a lot of chicken at our house, cooked in many different ways. I hope one of these recipes looks good to you and you’ll try it soon. Roll-up chicken 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, softened 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained 1-1/4 C shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided 6 TBS grated Parmesan cheese, divided 6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-in. thickness 1 egg 10 Ritz Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 C) 1-1/2 C traditional pasta sauce, warmed Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup…
Several times in this column I have discussed customer service. It seems to be a fleeting thing. My latest experience goes like this: We recently purchased a new system in our home to provide television access. One unit was supposed to control three TVs and all things are recorded from that central unit. When the installer left, everything was working. A few days later, one of the TVs no longer had service from that central point. I notified the supplier and they agreed to send someone out to check that, but the wait was four days. That’s a long time,…
This week is devoted to copycat recipes from famous eateries. Cheesecake Factory shrimp scampi 1 lb. peeled, deveined shrimp, butterflied 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1/2 pkg. angel hair pasta PARMESAN BREADING: 1/2 C panko breadcrumbs 3 TBS shredded Parmesan 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper CREAM SAUCE: 3 TBS olive oil 1 C white wine 4-5 whole garlic cloves, peeled 1 pint heavy cream 1/2 red onion, diced 1 plum tomato, diced 1 tsp. fresh basil, chopped Toss shrimp in baking soda and salt mixture. Leave in fridge for 15-20 minutes. Cook angel hair pasta…
It seems that cars have always had radios, but that’s not the case. I can remember when there was an option or extra charge for a car with a radio and heater. Certainly air conditioning wasn’t available then. Since these items are now standard, it’s really hard to imagine a car that doesn’t have all of them. When I was young, it was hot in the summer and cold in the winter in our cars. Since it was not available through the factory, in the early1960s my father had an air conditioner installed in the front seat of one of…
I received a copy of a wonderful cookbook prepared by Shari Marsh. It is made up of recipes from the Marsh family. The book includes those from recipe cards, slips of paper and backs of church bulletins. Shari said her mother-in-law was an excellent cook and now we can enjoy some of her recipes, too. Spaghetti pie 6 oz. spaghetti 2 TBS butter ½ C chopped green pepper ½ C diced onion 18 oz. can tomatoes 6 oz. can tomato paste 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. dried oregano ½ tsp. garlic salt ½ C shredded mozzarella cheese (2 oz.) 1/3…
Every day, all of us deal with the English language. In fact, you are doing that while reading this column. It is said to be one of the most difficult to learn and thankfully, we grew up with it. English is the most widely spoken language on our planet. Most of the world’s books are written in English. It is the international language and I have read that most computer texts, including websites, are stored in English. We have over 2 million words to choose from. People learning English as a second language often have a tough time. They quickly…
This might be your next dinner. Crispy beef roll-ups 1 lb. lean ground beef 2 tsp. chili powder 2 tsp. onion powder 2 tsp. ground cumin 4 flour tortillas 1 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1 C salsa 1/2 C ranch dressing Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add beef, onion powder, chili powder, and cumin. Cook until beef is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Generously coat a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray. Spread out tortillas on a work surface and evenly distribute each with…
I received a copy of a wonderful cookbook prepared by Shari Marsh. It is made up of recipes from the Marsh family. The book includes those from recipe cards, slips of paper and backs of church bulletins. Shari said her mother-in-law was an excellent cook and now we can enjoy some of her recipes, too. Cheat steak Place enough foil into a 13×9 in. pan to be able to cover the roast for cooking 3 lb. roast Heinz 57 sauce, enough to cover the roast 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup salt & pepper…