GOT A MINUTE OR TWO

  Step 1 ~~Peel and slice eggplant.  Dip in egg and breadcrumbs. Step 2 ~~ Fry in olive oil over medium heat until golden on both sides.  Place on paper towel after cooking. Step 3 ~~Spread a layer of Marinara Sauce on bottom of casserole.  Place eggplant over the sauce.  The green you see on the edges, is a layer of fresh spinach.  I don't usually do that, but I wanted to use up the spinach.   Step 4 ~~ Put a spoon of sauce on each eggplant. You can be more generous with the sauce, but I have to be careful of sodium for my dearest. Step 5 ~~ Add cheese.  I put a  piece of provolone on each eggplant and then sprinkle with parmasan or three cheese mix.  A little fresh basil or green onions for garnish.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. (Since the eggplant is already partially cooked it doesn't take to long) This is one of our favorite dishes I enjoy the steps in making it!  Make it early in the day, and dinner then is read...

  Close, but not perfect! This is my first attempt to create my mom's Banana Cake.  Neither my sister or I can find her hand written recipe, but we both remember her wonderful banana cake.  So I took a recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook and made a few adjustments. It's pretty close, but not Mom's! This is my sweet mom in her kitchen.  I'm got my love for cooking from her, and spent many hours by her side in this little kitchen where I spent the first 18 years of my life before heading off to college. Her cake was a little more dense, and moist.  Next try I will add a little more ripe banana and less baking powder.  Also I would not cook it quite as long as the recipe called for 35 minutes. The bottoms cooked a little to long! I laughed and told my dearest, I can't keep baking cakes to experiment.  Will have to give away most of it!! haha

  When I shared with my daughter the pickeled cumcumbers and onions recipe from Linda, she said she had tried a similar recipe and added carrots.  So I went a little crazy and added some carrots and more yellow squash.  Well if delicious can get any better it did! Today I went to the grocery store and stocked up on more cucumbers, red omions and carrots.   I'm on a roll.......haha Makes for a very healthy and colorful side dish!

  My friend, Linda recently gave me the recipe for pickled cucumbers.  A recipe from their Grandma Florence.   I had then several years ago at a BBQ at Linda's home and loved them.  I only had one regular cucumber so had to make adjustments and a smaller jar. A few days ago, I was just thinking about them and started to have a craving...so here is the recipe GRANDMA FLORENCE JONES' PICKLED CUCUMBERS Cucumbers (1 big English cucumber, or 4-5 little cucumbers, or 2-3 regular cucumbers. 1/2 large sweet onion, sliced thin (or red onion if you like) 1 Cup Sugar (or a little less) 1 to 1 1/2 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar Big pinch of salt Black pepper to taste Combine the cider vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Use wisk to mix up and dissolve the sugar.  Add salt and peper and wisk it in. Peel and thinly slice the cucumbers and slice the 1/2 onion thinly.  Layer then in a jar cucumbers and onions right to the top.  You can add a little more cider vinegar if...

  I John 3:1  "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God!  And that is what we are!!! Dear Heavenly Father ~ How can we ever thank you enough for adopting us into Your family, and calling us Your children.  For reasons we will never understand, You have chosen us to be heirs of a heavenly legacy and even more remarkable, to be joint-heirs with Your only begotten Son.  We are so greatful.  How we long to be like Jesus.  Transformed into His likeness so that in this life, we may bear the family resemblance for Him.  I love You Father!  Amen googleimages.com

  I've been wanting to get a different quilt for our bed.  My patch work one is beginging to come apart, and I was ready for a differnt color and look.  When we took a little visit to the Thrift Store yesterday, I found a lovely one priced very reasonably!  A fresh look! We also fround a few goodies.  My dearest found another reading lamp and radio.  I found another glass cover which I use for many things.  A few scones, a cover to keep pancakes hot, etc.  Now I have two.  But what a find to see an ESV (English Standard Version) Study Bible in Pristine condition.  Not a mark in it.  Wonderful study notes, graphs and background and culture sections. It's been a long time since we made a trip to the Thrift Store, so it was a lot of fun and then to find some good items was a plus!!!

  Reading has been a joy of mine since a young girl.  One of my favorite books, read at an early age, was Heidi.  I dreamed of being her and running barefoot up the grassy slopes and playing with the goats. This week when we were looking for a good movie to watch I saw this new 2015 version of Heidi.  It was wonderful.  The characters were so like the ones I had imagined as a young girl. We saw it on Nexflix.  I would reccomend it highly.

  Continuing with the theme of childhood memories and food, another of my mom's favorites that I have not made in years. Carrot-Pineapple-Raisin Salad Some of her recipes I have from her recipe box, others I know she used her Old Betty Crocker cookbook.  I made some for lunch today and added some grated apple. The picture is before I added the mayo just before serving. Another one of her favorite was to place canned peach (one half) on a bed of cottage cheese on a lettuce leaf.  A dab of mayo on top and a sprinkle of paprika   Does that bring a memory to you!  I guess you have to be old to remember that one.  HaHa

  Lately, I've been reminiscing about how food has played such an imporant part of my life and legacy.  Take Roast, potatoes and carrots!  Doesn't that just say Sunday Dinner?  Growing up in a Christian family, we were in Church every Sunday.  Mother would put a roast, carrots and potates in the oven and when church was over and we came home and opened the door......"It smelled like Sunday". I carried on the tradition as we raised our children in church too.  In fact since my dearest was the Pastor, we usually lived right next door to the church.  So when church was over and the kitchen door was open....It did in fact smell like Sunday. I think there are many many families that had that tradition, and I wonder how many have continued to pass it down. Another wonderful memory I have is my mom's Banana Cake.  I love  to make banana bread and do if often, but its not at all like Mom's banana cake.  It was two layers, rather firm not fluffy....

  I really enjoy my "single" cup Keurig coffee maker.  It takes up such a small space at the end of my kitchen counter, and the drawer below makes a perfect place to store the coffee pods. There are such a variety of coffee pods available, but there are a few that I like best. Green Mountain has a good "Nantucket" and "French Vanilla".  I picked up one called "Donut Shop" from Great Value.  And my last find, was "Gevalia" Signature Blend. Years ago I ordered "Gevalia" and with your first order they sent you a nice coffee maker.  Then they would send you a certain amount of coffee each month.  I did that for a long time, but finally got to expensive and my dearest really loves good old "Foldgers". Do you use a Keurig coffee maker?  What's your favorite coffee?

Proverbs 3:11-12  "My son, do not desise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." Dear Father, how You cherish your children!  Your love for us is relentless and undeserved.  Even Your discipline is motivated by compassion.  Teach me to accept Your correction with humble gratitude.  I do not ask You to withold Your discipline; I only ask that You grant me the wisdom and humility to learn the lesson quickly!  I love You.  Amen

  Granddaughter, Amanda has a new love!  "Fishing".  She took a trip with her boyfriend, Ryan up the California Coast.  Reeled in a 90 lb bay ray,  The man holding the ray is not her boyfriend...haha.  They threw it back in, but the thrill of reeling it in had so be exciting.   This dear girl keeps surprising me.  Who would have thought a few years ago she would be fileting her catch on the boat.  She is loving it! This is her boyfriend, Ryan.  They are quite a team since he is a true fisherman too. That same day they were able to see several whales.  The best part, they have given me and Grandpa some of their catch, and we have so enjoyed the fresh fish.

  My dearest doesn't get out very often, but Taco Tuesday with our girls is special.  He's thin and deals with his health issues like a warrior.  I love his attitude so much. My favorite is the grilled fish with lots of chopped onions, quacamole and cilantro. Don usually has a chili reano, but decided on fish taco's today.  You can tell by the smile, he was not dissapointed. If you had to chose a fraile body and sharp mind, or a strong body and a mind that didn't function, it would be an easy choice.  Praise be to God, he has given my dearest a sharp and inquisitive mind at 83.  We have such good conversations and discussion on many topics, including sermons we listen to and playing Jepardy! God is good all the time ~~ and then some!!

  My computer has been down for several weeks, and yesterday a good friend that is "High Tech" and fixes computers as a hobby now that he has retired, brought mine back to life!! So, I'm back in business.   Sorry I've missed so many of your posts but hopfully now I can get back to seeing what's going on with each of you dear friends. While the computer was down, I did a lot of baking and cleaning our unit from top to bottom.  Decided to try something different with my Sour Cream Cinnamon coffee cake, and substituted fresh blue berries instead of the cinnamon.  It turned out lovely, so moist and delicious with the fresh blueberries. My dearest has had a few more new issues, but we are now well on our way to healing.   Today our daughters Michel and Julie are coming so we can enjoy "Taco Tuesday".  Pictures to follow! Hope you are having a good day.  See from the weather reports that some of you are "sizzeling"  Wow triple digets!!  H...

  4th of July ~ Balcony 2021

  A very sad "Dove Day".  The two little baby doves, didn't make it.  We noticed that they were not active like the first families, and we watched as the momma bird tried to revive the little ones.   Not sure why they didn't make it.  It's been hot, but not any hotter than the first two families.  When they hatched, we noted how very tiny they were.  Finally after trying for several hours, both  mother and daddy birds left.  When I saw they were not coming back I took the nest and buried the little birds. The ledge is now clean and empty and it feels a little sad, but how thrilling it was to watch God's creation up close and personal for several months. Will have to find something new to post about!! HaHa  Life goes on!!