Monday, May 31, 2010

Fried Scallops

When Scallops are on sale, buy them! Keep some in the freezer for a quick meal...They are so good just simply fried...They are so rich, that 4 is plenty for each person. They are great on top of pasta, rice, a salad or here I had it on some sauteed cabbage...



pat dry your scallops really well and then...

dredge in flour that you have seasoned very well in...

old bay seasoning....Old Bay is so good, it is good on meats also and even french fries...

put a couple of pats of butter in a saute pan and a little drizzle of olive oil...

place your floured scallops in the pan and fry over a medium heat...turn when the edges are brown and the sides are looking opaque...


turn and then cook for another few minutes, try not to over cook...they are so tender and delicious....


Enjoy!

Cheers to Happy  !!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Memorial Day

I reread this memorial day blog this morning- thinking I would find some inspiration to write a new sentiment for this day.
I couldn't.  So instead with Debbie's permission I added pictures of
 a few dear loves we miss every day. 
When I was so much younger Memorial Day meant a day off of school, kind a jumping off point for Summer fun.  I am older now, life is a little more serious and I am grateful for this date when we once again honor those that have gone on before us.  This day helps me remember how futile it is to struggle with one another instead of savoring every minute.  Walking the trail of this life together is the gift.  I hope you are enjoying yours.
Maude Aurelia Fauson, she left us in June 2005.  We miss her every day and treasure every memory of her. 
Billy Ray Rushton  went to heaven, December 2005.  He was and is an inspiration to all of us.  A Dad, husband, brother, and friend.
Pamela Ann Jordan Whinnery - wonderful mother, sister, daughter and friend.  We miss her very day.


I asked Debbie if she would please let me write the post for Memorial Day.  There are many ways we remember those who died for our country.  I will first post the traditional Memorial Day history, and then post some of the pictures I have taken at the National Cemetery in Covington Washington and other places.


Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

General John A. Logan
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [LC-B8172- 6403 DLC (b&w film neg.)]

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.




all along the roads leading to the entrance are signs that say "Hero's Sleep Here".  I think it says everything.
That these soldiers gave their time and some their lives for us.

Obviously I could go on and on.  There are not enough words to describe this beautiful resting place.

Please consider a visit to honor these sleeping heroes.


This was taken at one of the other local cemeteries.


 Most Americans use this day to remember loved ones that are no longer here with them. When we were kids probably in grade school.  One of our activities was to go to a little cemetery in Spanaway.  We would clean the grave stones and weed and water the plants that were there.  Sometimes if there had been a funeral recently and there seemed like lots of flowers we would take some of them and put them on the older graves that no one visited.

One in particular was Violet Cox's grave.  She was two years old when she died.  Her grave was next to a huge fir tree.  I always tried to do a little extra around her  resting place.  She died in the early 1900's.
I went to the cemetery today and found her grave a picture follows.




I wonder now what people must have thought driving by and seeing three or four kids messing around in the grave yard.
They were special times shared by my brothers and sisters.  I will never forget them.
Debbie added a PS about the old pump we used for water, it is there too.
Here is a picture of it:




I have many heroes I have lost along the way, I will remember and honor them this day for the impact they had on my life.  

CHEERS TO HAPPY!!!





Thursday, May 27, 2010

The best Lemonade in the world!

There is a story behind this lemonade...I almost remember it...about 25 years ago I had a either a discussion or I had some of this lemonade...I was talking to one of my cousins, either Caren, Renae or Sherry...and I stated that I had never made homemade lemonade, that I didn't know how....and either Caren, Renae or Sherry said it was easy...just the juice of 3 lemons, a cup of sugar an a half a gallon of water, yep that simple...I have been making it that way ever since...
here are the few simple ingredients...sugar and lemons...

squeeze all three of your lemons and put in the pictures...don't worry too much about the seeds, they will sink and stay on the bottom.....

add 1 cup of sugar  and add 1 cup of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil, take off the stove and put some cold water in the pan to cool it off and then stir all of it into the pitcher....

add ice and if you like cut up 1 extra lemon in slices and put in....hands down this is the best lemonade in the world...lemons are very good for you....

if you like pink lemonade add just a splash of cranberry juice concentrate...did you know that, that is how they make pink lemonade? yep...

and there you have it two versions, pink and regular, both so very good and refreshing!

Cheers to Happy  !!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Dutch Oven Cobbler...

Summer and camping season is fast upon us...and this is a fun treat while camping or just for an outdoor dinner party...this is a tried and true recipe from my Aunt Mary...I like the use of the aluminum foil on the bottom...have you ever washed out a cast iron skillet while camping with no hot water? What a mess!

Dutch Oven Cobbler..

3 cans Pie filling or sliced fruit
(apples, peaches, pineapple, strawberries or raspberries)
1 yellow cake mix

Line oven with aluminum foil (one piece if possible) Mix up cake mix, do not use eggs. Use the juice off the fruit or water to mix up the mix. Mix the batter thin enough to pour. Pour the fruit into the Dutch oven, then pour the cake mix on top. Bake for about 30 minutes with most of the heat on the top of the oven. Cake is done if you can insert a knife and remove it without dough sticking to it. Serve with whip cream or ice cream. This may also be baked in a regular oven..
Note: Use a 12 inch oven with 6-8 coals on bottom and 12-15 coals on top.

get your coals starting.....

gather up all your ingredients and utensils...

get your Dutch oven ready...

place your fruit in the bottom of the pan...

mix the cake with the juice from the fruit..

whip it up until smooth and light...

pour evenly over fruit...

here it is ready to go! put the lid on...

place the 8 coals underneath and the 12-15 on top, then go play for a while..if after 30 minutes it is not ready, just put the lid back on and it will continue to cook...

time to check it...and....

it is finished!!! Yay! be careful the neighbors will come running!

This is so tender and moist, perfect with a cup of tea or large glass of milk!

Cheers to Happy  !!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Grandmothers......

This morning, very early my brother stopped by my restaurant and when I stopped by his table to visit he had just finished writing a little story in his tablet.....he is a storyteller and poet...he plays a native American flute and has many beliefs as the Natives Americans do, even though he is not Native American. He is the father of three and grandfather  to now five.....to the left is a picture of my brother playing his flute at the Glass Museum in Tacoma in front of a 'pear' of course...(his name is Perry) and no he is not blind....

His second daughter had just given birth to her first child 5 days ago and he was at her side as she labored for 13 hours. The last 2 hours of labor were very intense, as he listened to his daughter crying out in such pain for such a long time he started to call on his greater power to help her.... (I am not sure if this was a chant or a prayer, but that is not important).... Well there was not an answer, or not fast enough for him, and he soon realized he better go to the greatest of power, grandmother power....so he called on his paternal Grandmother Mable, who herself had bore 10 children, surely she would come to her great granddaughters aid...but no, nothing happened, still his beloved daughter was in agony....then he called on his maternal Grandmother, he knew she would come, she had loved them all so very much and would never want her children to suffer, but no not her either....then he thought of his daughters maternal Grandmother, she had recently died and she loved her grandaughter very much and she could bring comfort and help get that baby out.....nope...so then, so distraught and worried, and ready to jump out of his skin,  he went back to Grandmother Mable and demanded she come and help! She could not possibly ignore her grandson's plea's... and then, right before him, he saw a very clear vision of Grandmother Mable....and two minutes later London was born and my brother heard her first cries...and he knew then he was not alone and his Grandmother did not ignore him in his despair..... she had come to help...my question still is, did she come to help her grandson or her great grandaughter? I guess we will never know.....

Shawna and baby London....

that is truly an angelic baby's face...

Cheers to Happy  !!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Fresh Turkey Burgers...





FRESH TURKEY BURGERS

1 lb. ground turkey
1 c. Quaker oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
3/4 c. finely chopped onion
3/4 c. finely chopped red or green bell pepper
1/2 c. shredded zucchini, about 1 sm.
1/4 c. catsup
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 whole grain rolls, split, toasted

Lightly spray rack of broiler pan with vegetable oil cooking spray or oil lightly. Combine first 7 ingredients; mix well. Shape into 6 burgers. Place on rack of prepared pan or over medium hot coals or outdoor grill 6 inches from heat. Broil 7-9 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve on buns. Garnish with lettuce and sliced tomato, if desired

Here are the indgredients, minus the onion, I forgot to get the onion out...

put the ground lean, all turkey breast in a bowl, and add all the other indredients..(sorry no pictures, they came out blurry and then my hands got real goopy)

form into patty's, this can be done ahead of time.....

you can broil in the oven, or better yet get your hot coals ready, and brush the grate with oil...

put the turkey burgers over the hottest part of the coals and cook about 2 minutes...

then turn over and cook for another minute...and then...

move to the outside of the ring of coals...or off the coals, letting them cook with indirect heat until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees....remember the thermometer you bought? now is a good time to use it...you don't want to overcook them...but want them to be done....

while they were cooking I made this chipolte mayonaise..just 1 cup of mayo and just 1 small chopped chipolte, from a can...and stir...

the chipolte gives the burger a great flavor! and the zucchini keeps the turkey burger moist...spread the bun with the mayonaise and place burger and onion, tomato, and lettuce...
,
Cheers to Happy  !!