In the past, I have written several times about crazy things my friends do. My friend Jill is rich fodder for this. She has so many good qualities, and in addition, she really makes me laugh with the crazy things she does! One of her most interesting aspects is, she loses things all the time. In fact, a few weeks ago I wrote about her leaving her GPS golf watch in the cart and retrieving it from the lost items at the course a few days later. That involved a random act of kindness by the staff at the course.…
Author: Melanie Behrens
This week we are back to a staple – dessert, all done in the crock pot. Berry cobbler – the slow way 1 C flour 3 TBS sugar 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1 egg 1/4 C fat-free milk 2 TBS canola oil 1/8 tsp. salt 2 C raspberries 2 C blueberries 1/2 TBS lemon juice 1 C sugar 1/4 C flour In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 3 TBS sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. In a small,bowl, combine egg, milk and canola oil. Whisk together until completely blended. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and…
It’s tax return time now, so it’s all coming back to them – the experience with their state and federal tax return last year. My friend Sharon is glad it’s over, but there were anxious times in the beginning. It all started with a letter from the state of Colorado Department of Taxation. She and her husband used to live there. The notification said there was a fraudulent state tax return filed in Sharon’s name. It was detected by the state of Colorado and rejected because the circumstances on the form were so different from any of the others she had…
Maybe you need these appetizers for your next party! If you want to make them even better you should add about two cups of chunky peanut butter to each recipe. Early April Fool! Don’t do that. Pizza bites 2 large zucchini, cut into 1/4-in. thick rounds nonstick cooking spray Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper 1/4 C marinara sauce 1/2 C shredded part-skim mozzarella 1/4 C mini pepperoni pieces, optional Italian seasoning, for sprinkling Spray both sides of zucchini rounds lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil or grill the zucchini rounds for 2 minutes on…
“Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health” – Paul E. McGee PhD. Along with a good sense of humor comes laughter. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness. Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in your body. It can boost your immune system and energy, plus diminish pain and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Laughter makes you feel good and the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after…
These pasta recipes are all different and will be good comfort food! Stroganoff 1 8-oz. pkg. egg noodles 1 TBS olive oil 2 TBS butter, divided 2 8-oz. pkgs. sliced mushrooms 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 fresh thyme sprigs 1-1/2 tsp. smoked paprika 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 2 TBS all-purpose flour 1-1/2 C chicken broth 1 C sour cream 1 TBS chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Remove from heat, and cover to keep warm. Heat olive oil and 1 TBS butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.…
Recently, I came across some expressions like, shot of whiskey, buying the farm, passing the buck and cobweb, that we use in our everyday life and I wondered where they came from. A shot of whiskey: By one account, a shot of whiskey originated in the old West. Of course, it has come to mean the amount of alcohol in a small container, now called a shot glass. In the town of Tombstone, Arizona, the cost of a bullet was 12 cents (that seems like a lot), and was equal to the amount of a serving of whiskey. If someone…
Here are two wonderful pasta recipes and one for a great dessert. The first one is from my friend Anne Seltzer. When she served it recently, I, of course, wanted the recipe to share with all of you. You will love it and it’s really easy. Parmesan pasta salt 1 lb. spaghetti 1 10-oz. pkg. frozen peas 4 TBS butter 1/2 lb. thinly sliced prosciutto, rolled up and cut in 1/4-inch-wide strips 2/3 C heavy cream freshly ground black pepper 1/2 to 3/4 C grated Parmesan cheese; more as needed Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a…
“The Irish heart is warm and wide, a place where love and peace abide.” Saint Patrick’s day will be here soon. It was originally a Catholic feast day, but now it celebrates the Irish culture, literature, music and, of course, drinking habits. Ireland is a country that has been inhabited for more than 9,000 years and has a rich heritage of happy people. I think when we plan to celebrate Saint Patty›s Day, a smile comes to our face. There’s so much humor connected to it and they say everyone becomes a little Irish on that day. The story of…
Barbara Forsythe provided the first recipe. She served it to me and then I knew I needed to share it with you. It is a wonderful chocolate silk dessert, much like a mousse. It can be served in small dishes or used as a pie filling. I can tell you it is very good. Chocolate silk 1 C butter 1-1/2 C sugar 4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled 2 tsp. vanilla 4 eggs room temperature whipped cream for topping Beat butter with sugar until it is very well blended, smooth, fluffy and pale yellow. Blend in chocolate and vanilla.…
Following my tradition of wanting to learn something new every day, I came across these facts. You just never know when all this knowledge will come in handy, especially in a trivia quiz. Here’s the first fact for consideration – Experts say a baby’s head’s gives off pheromones. When we inhale them, we fall in love and begin to feel protective. That explains a lot, doesn’t it? Also, the more an older child snuggles his little sibling, the better the bond will be. It seems pheromones are actually exchanged in the womb, even before a child is born, thus the…
Sometimes we just need a small recipe. These recipes are for two people. If you have four or more, just double or triple the amounts. Rolled-up chicken 1/3 C water 2 TBS Italian roasted red pepper dressing, divided 2 C tightly packed chopped fresh spinach 2/3 C stuffing mix for chicken in the canister 1 TBS coarsely chopped roasted red peppers 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness 1/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring water and 1 TBS dressing to boil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Stir in spinach, stuffing mix…
Daily, we come across a lot of facts distributed through the Internet, some of which I have discovered are just not true. I’ll bet you’re not surprised about that. The latest ones were so interesting that I thought each one might be false. But it turns out, after doing some research, I learned these are all true to some extent. First we will deal with the banana fact or some research done by Japanese scientists. They say, really ripe bananas are better for you. They discovered that a fully ripe banana, you know, the one with the dark patches on…
These are three dips that are meant to be appetizers, but sometimes they could almost be a meal. Hot cheese dip 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature 2 C sour cream 1 1/2 C cheddar cheese, grated 1 C bacon (6-8 slices), crumbled 1/3 C green onions, chopped Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions. Transfer mixture to a round baking dish and place in oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until bubbly. Serve hot with your favorite Triscuits. Reuben in a bowl 1…
Sometimes we use crazy expressions like riff raff, showboat and barge in without knowing where or how they originated. Recently I came across some definitions and some explanations for their origin. I found it really interesting. Riff raff means to us, worthless, disreputable or trashy. Here’s an explanation of that. More than 100 years ago, the Mississippi River was the main way of traveling from north to south. Riverboats carried passengers and freight, but they were expensive so most people used rafts for river travel. Everything had the right of way over rafts, which were considered cheap and, of course,…