Guest Blogger/Veggie Burger

Veggie Burger
“Butter beans mashed and combined with onion, jalapeno pepper, bread crumbs, egg, and cheese, then shaped and fried into vegetarian burgers. I made this for lunch and was so blown away by how great they tasted, I had another one again for dinner.”
INGREDIENTS:

1 (15 ounce) can butter beans, drained

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper

1/2 cup Italian Style Bread Crumbs

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, mash butter beans. Mix in onion, jalapeno pepper, bread crumbs, egg, cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Divide into 4 equal parts, and shape into patties.
2. Fry on a hot skillet 3-4 minutes per side.
3. Assemble burger and dress with your favorite toppings.
Sweet J @ September 29, 2007

Thanks for doing all the work Jason. I had a great time visiting this weekend.

Visit J's blogspot at http://www.emptymind.org/

Check out my Slide Show!

Words Not Necessary

100% Natural Beauty

Harvest Moon September 26, 2007

The night was mighty dark so you could hardly see,
For the moon refused to shine.
Couple sitting underneath a willow tree,
For love they did pine.
Little maid was kinda 'fraid of darkness
So she said, "I guess I'll go."
Boy began to sigh, looked up at the sky,
And told the moon his little tale of woe

Oh, Shine on, shine on, harvest moon
Up in the sky;
I ain't had no lovin'
Since January, February, June or July.
Snow time ain't no time to stay
Outdoors and spoon;
Shine on, shine on, harvest moon,
For me and my gal.

Definitely an "Old Timers" song, so why do I remember the words...

My camera doesn't have enough f-stops or something...so the picture is from Jason (of course)!

Today is Johnny Appleseed's Birthday. We celebrate this day with lots of activities in the classroom. Apple weaving, reading the story of Johnny, and tasting fall fresh apples.

My Grandma made the best apple dumplings around. I'm sharing her recipe with you today. My recipe is tattered, torn and stuffed deep in my 3 X 5 card box.

When Ali developed diabetes, I put desserts on the back burner. I'll save her an apple without out all the frills. There is no easier way to add a dose of nutrition to your day than by crunching on a tasty apple. Apples are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and 12,000 other phytolitic health guardians. Fat free, cholesterol free and supplement free, they protect your heart, prevent constipation, improve lung capacity, slow the aging process, cushions your joints and "Keep the Doctors Away". So enjoy an apple today, however you like them!

Apple Dumplings
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 Tablespoons butter
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup milk
6 medium whole apples peeled, cored and cut into wedges
Set oven at 375 degrees

Directions:
Combine sugar, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, bring to boiling. Add butter.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening. Add milk all at once and stir just until flour is moistened. On lightly floured surface, roll out 1/8 inch thick until it's an 18 x 12 inch rectangle. Cut with knife or pastry wheel into 6 squares.


Place apple wedges into each square.


Sprinkle each apple generously with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; dot with butter. Moisten edges of squares. Fold corners to center and pinch edges together. Place 1 inch apart in ungreased 11 x 7 x 1 1/2 inch baking pan. Pour syrup over dumplings; sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until apples are done.


Serve warm with cream.

A Good Nights Sleep ~ Is That Possible with Lullaby Muffins?

Peaceful, gentle sleep...isn't that what is suppose to happen when you finally lay your head down? Well, blogging, teaching, and keeping up the home has not made it easy for me to get that. Oh sure, I get in bed at a decent hour, but often find myself wide awake (or is that a hot flash?) around 3:30 AM, thinking of what I need to do or needed to do! So I've done some homework and I found a list of the top 10 foods that are suppose to help one get a good nights sleep. Several sources listed that same 10 foods, so that's good enough for me. They are suppose to relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones - serotonin and melatonin - flowing. YAWNING YET?

Here's the list along with a recipe for Lullaby Muffins.
1. Bananas
2. Chamomile Tea - I like Bigelow Sweet Dreams Camomile & Mint
3. Warm Milk - don't gag but I always add soda crackers (my dad's favorite)
4. Honey - drizzle a little in your Chamomile or warm milk
5. Potatoes - small baked --ymmmm!
6. Oatmeal - I know it's suppose to be a morning thing...who knows?
7. Almonds
8. Flaxseed - sprinkle a couple of tablespoons on your oatmeal
9. Whole wheat bread - a slice of toast with your milk or tea great idea!
10. Turkey - It's the most famous source of tryptophan, credited with all
those Thanksgiving Naps.

Lullaby Muffin Recipe

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 large, very ripe bananas

1/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup milk or soymilk
Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine the flour (make sure it's whole-wheat pastry flour or you'll produce golf balls, not muffins), salt, and baking powder. In a blender, puree the bananas; add the applesauce, honey, and milk. Blend well. Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Line muffin tins with paper muffin cups, pour in batter, and bake 30 minutes or until tops are lightly brown and slightly springy.
Nutrition FactsPer serving: 119 calories; 1g fat; 2.5g protein; 27g carbohydrates; 10g sugars; 133mg sodium; 3g fiber; 35mg magnesium

The Keeping Quilt & Quilting Day

Every year after we have read "The Keeping Quilt we attempt to make a quilt of our own. Here we are ready to start. Our expert quilter Mrs. McKellar is very patient and gives lots of good instructions.

The girls are learning and listening to every word.

Everyone had a turn tying at least 10 knots.

With lots of wonderful help,
we accomplished our objective.

EVEN WITH A BROKEN FINGER!

Look how cute we are!

Ta-Dah! We did it!

Welcome to My Neighborhood

The tour of my neighborhood begins at the Aquatic Center downtown. This is where I should be exercising ~ but I think I would rather be blogging!

Next stop is the Aerospace Museum, lot of really cool planes on display.

Antelope Island is the closest thing we have to a beach. White sand beaches have called us often for sunbathing and picnics(don't have time to tell you about our Dr. Pepper can experiences, but those of you who know me will remember for sure!). There are hiking trails, sailboat maraina's, and camping facilities where you can watch beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

The best firework show around can be seen in our home town. This year we drove for 70 miles on the interstate and when we arrived home we were just in time to catch the finale...what a show!

The Farmer's Market is held on Friday afternoons. There are always plenty of treasures.

July kicks off the outdoor theatre season in our hometown. This year performances "Footloose" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" were delightful.

This is a picture of Steed Pond which is getting very close to our street. My son took this gorgeous picture. We have spent lots of summer days at this park, where you can watch an evening of softball, play tennis, walk the trail, and we even fly model airplanes with the grandkids.

Here is an oldtimers slide. Anybody remember these?

Our summer sunsets are dramatic!

Standing on my front porch watching a down pour.

I have plenty of bird feeders in my backyard. This one was of the homemade variety. The grandkids thought it was awesome. Watching the birds is one of our favorite hobbies.



For every holiday our scout troops line our street with flags.

My backyard patio is ready for fall.

You are invited anytime for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

We also have an annual Pumpkin Carving Party...bring your best pumpkin and join in the fun. There is always tons of food, kids, and a pumpkin to carve.

Soon the snow will be back. Here I am in the driveway of our home ~~~ THINK SNOW one of our state's mottos.

The best thing about our neighborhood, is that our daughter lives next door. The dog enjoys trips daily through the backyard fence.

Good Night Moon September 16th

Thanks for visiting and thank you Kathleen Marie for putting it all together. Happy traveling everyone.

Book Club September The Red Tent

Here we are together!

Jill and Nancy preparing dinner.

The table is ready and we enjoy a fine dinner of Lamb, fresh peaches, vegetables, pomegranate salad, olives (3 kinds Burgundy, Green, and Black),sweet potatoes, and Rosemary Bread.

The Discussion ~
With radical literary license “The Red Tent” is a story about Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah. In the Bible Dinah appears only as a victim avenged by her 11 brothers. In “The Red Tent” she’s a much awaited daughter in a family of many sons and four mothers. The story embraces all the soft feminist qualities ~ midwifery, New Age goddess worship, menstrual poetry ~ while avoiding harsher or more radical stances.

Men as a group don’t fare well in the book, especially in the first section, where virtually every male is described as a sheep-molesting monster. Dinah, on the other hand, being the main character, is independent, intelligent and from an early age learns the stories of her four mothers, who gather in the red tent for childbirth and other female experiences. Oh, wouldn’t it be loverly ~~~ a 3 day bookclub.

Our discussion, of course, turned to factualities (hmmm is that a word?)from the Bible ~which version??... All in all a delightful evening. Nancy as always is up for the challenge of making the night an event to remember!
The book probably won’t make it onto our list of favorites. However, I thought Dinah was a spunky little lower-class heroine who lived by the belief that love can conquer all.

Citrus Silk Body Cream

I'm so excited, I've learned how to make body cream. This production batch will be given to my friends at bookclub tomorrow night. I hope they love it as much as I do. It makes your skin feel silky soft. Under the picture I have give the description we will be using for our Wholefood 2 U company. We are still working on our labeling designs and since I'm no graphic artist.....we'll keep our prayers going that something comes through inspiration. It will!

Citrus Silk Body Cream
Everything that goes on your skin is absorbed into your body, Citrus Silk is made with the concept and desire that the ingredients absorbed by your skin are as natural as the ingredients in your food.

Citrus Silk is 100% handcrafted natural food skin cream.

Ingredients: Pressed natural oil blend (soybean oil, (lime, orange, grapefruit, lemon essential oil) jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, grape seed oil, sesame seed oil)

????Stress Free Mornings????

This year in our 3rd grade classroom we have tried to implement a few plans to make our day as stress free as possible. That means our morning routine can't sound like ~~ "Let's go! Let's go! Come on....you're going to miss the bus or I'm leaving.....right NOW!" I have suggested that the students each find a place in their home called an "On Deck Circle" (you see I'm a baseball fan!). In this place they have everything ready for the next day. The key to having a stress free morning routine is to also have a stress free bedtime routine. Routine meaning that you must have consistency, followed regularly, a standard procedure guide! Without the consistency you will have an uphill battle on your hands.

Here are a few tips that will help you to have a stress free morning:
1. Don't Yell....Raising your voice, even though you might be frustrated is only going to escalate the problem.

2. Early to bed, early to rise.... Pretty old wisdom that really works.

3. Showers and baths can be taken at night. Kids rarely have time in the morning to do this.

***4. Please look over all homework for completeness before bed; don't assume that it is finished. Check those backpacks! make sure there are no surprises "Oh, You need to sign this Mom!" or "I need (something) for a science project today!"

5. Children hear singular instructions not a whole list of things to do. So don't be tempted to say, "I want you to finish your homework, eat breakfast, get dressed, brush your teeth, comb your hair, and be in the car by 8:15" Honestly that will sound like ya-da-ya-da-ya-da Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah.

6. Give instructions one time. If you're doing this routine, stop: "Matthew, it's time to get dressed." two minutes later, "Matthew, we're going to be late if you don't get dressed now." Two more minutes, "Matthew, buddy, I told you to get dressed." "Matthew, Mom is going to be late, now go get dressed." To a child you are saying, "Oh mom is good for asking about five more times before she really goes ballistic!" If you choose to repeat directions you are only sending the message that your child doesn't really have to do it now.

7. Set consequences and stick to your guns. Easier said than done even for the teacher! If you tell your child the car is leaving at 8:15 sharp, make it happen. Clearly you can't leave your child behind, so leaving without him isn't ever an option. Tell him you will be leaving, whether he is ready or not. Sending him to school with uncombed hair, pajamas, and no breakfast might be the start of a better day tomorrow.

Finally, you are the parent, you set the tone for the morning routine. You need to be actively involved in that routine. Follow the steps above and you will have "Joy in the Morning"....and time to read that book for yourself!

It's Your Birthday!

September 10th, twenty nine years ago today, (oops, I gave away your age) Ali made her way into this world. I will never forget the moment she was born, I was ecstatic that I had a girl, with so much black hair we could put rollers in it!

Ali thank you for being who you are no matter what life throws at you.
Thank you for being there for me when I need a shoulder to cry on, a hug, someone to talk to (especially those 2, 3, 4 am calls), or someone to just listen.

Keep walkin’ girl! You are a winner! I’m proud to say that you are one of my best friends, besides being my daughter. Happy Birthday Ali! I love you dearly! You are a true blessing in my life.


My kids and grandkids are the glue that holds my life together. There is nothing on Earth that I would not give up to keep all of them happy.

And the Winner is!

Congratulations Jenni Parker. Give me a call and I will get your address and mail your gift certificate. I'm sure you have my number. Hope everyone enjoyed thinking about the last days of summer and a creamy milkshake. If you have any great ideas for an October give-away, leave me a comment. We should be able to stir up something SPOOKY!

Watermelon

It is the chief of this world's luxuries, king by the grace of God over all the fruits of the earth. When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat. It was not a Southern watermelon that Eve took; we know it because she repented.
- Pudd'nHead Wilson

We bought a watermelon this weekend at the Farmer's Market. It is probably the best one we have had all summer. I now realize summer is almost over, time to start looking for the beauty of fall leaves.

Fabulous Focaccia Bread

Sunday Dinner

My favorite sandwich at "Roosters" is Blackened Salmon on Focaccia. Today I gave the bread making a try. It was easier than I thought and I think it turned out fabulous.

1 1/2 c. warm water, warm 110 degrees
2 teaspoon honey
2 1/4 t. yeast
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. rosemary
1 t. basil
1 t. salt
1 T olive oil
3 3/4 c bread flour

Mix the water, yeast and honey together with 1/2 cup the flour and let sit for 10 minutes. Combine all ingredients and mix until a stiff dough is produced; knead for 6 to 8 minutes. If you have a mixer with a dough hook or a bread machine the job will be much easier. After mixing put into an oiled bowl and let rise until double in size. Mine took about 30 minutes. Take out and roll out to the size of your cookie sheet, I use my Pamper Chef Pizza Pan. After you have rolled it out poke it with the end of a wooden cooking spoon. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, rosemary, basil, and garlic salt to taste. Cover and let rise again about 20 - 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Girls Glorious Girls

I want my daughters to be beautiful, accomplished, and good; to be admired, loved, and respected; to have a happy youth; to be well and wisely married and to lead useful, pleasant lives with as little care and sorrow to try them as God sees fit to send."

- Mrs. March
Little Women