Spinning into Summer

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.  ~James Dent

     Every June, the company that my husband works for pays for each of their employees and their families to go to Lagoon and have dinner there.  Lagoon is an amusement park in Farmington, Utah.  We had a full day and our heads were still spinning the next day.  My favorite ride is probably the tilt-a-whirl.  I have fond memories of riding on that one with my Dad when I was a child.  I was thrilled to find a quilt in the latest issue of McCall's Quilting magazine with that same title.  I will have to make this one some day soon.  I love the colors!

     These pictures demonstrate some of the sights we enjoyed at Lagoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     The garden is doing well.  The weeds are doing better.  We harvested a nice crop of spinach so I've included a couple of recipes to help use up our abundance of spinach.

This recipe is from my friend, Patti.  She is not only a great friend but a great cook as well.

Strawberry Pecan Salad

1 pkg. mixed baby greens  (this is where I used the spinach)

¾ cup sliced fresh strawberries

¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

¼ cup sliced red onions

¼ cup coarsely chopped pecans, candied

¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Put first 5 ingredients together and toss with the dressing.  Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Candied Pecans

Combine nuts and 2 Tbsp. sugar in skillet; cook and stir on medium heat for 5 minutes or until sugar is melted and pecans are evenly coated.

 

 

 

Kielbasa Pasta and Green Veggies

(Adapted from recipe in Better Homes and Gardens magazine)

3 cups medium shell pasta

1 bunch broccoli, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1-14 oz. package kielbasa sausage, cut into ½ inch slices

1 small onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

 ½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2 cups spinach, roughly chopped

1 tsp. dill weed

½ cup parmesan cheese, grated

Crushed red pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Add broccoli to the pasta for the last 4 minutes of cooking time.  Drain and rinse with cold water.

Meanwhile, brown sausage in a 12 inch skillet.  Add onion and garlic and cook until softened.  Add pasta mixture, chicken broth, salt and pepper to the sausage skillet.  Heat through.  Add spinach and dill.  Turn off heat.  Toss to wilt the spinach.  Add ¼- ½ tsp. crushed red pepper and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Serve hot.  Makes 4-6 servings.

     I had to throw in a recipe for a treat.  My daughter made these cookies for us on a Sunday night.  This recipe comes from a college roommate.  I've yet to find a recipe for Snickerdoodles that I like better.  They turn out soft and delicious every time.  I usually use half butter and half shortening.
    

 

Snickerdoodles

 

 

1 cup shortening                                               ½ tsp. salt

1 ½ cup sugar                                                  1 tsp. soda

2 eggs                                                              2 tsp. cinnamon

2 ¾ cup flour                                                    2 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. cream of tartar

Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Sift dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture.  Roll into balls the size of a walnut.  Combine sugar and cinnamon.  Roll cookie balls in this mixture Place on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. 

 

 

 

I enjoy reading books that are geared towards children and young adults, mostly because the author doesn't throw in a lot of swearing and inappropriate material just to get their book published.  One such book that I like is Holes by Louis Sachar.  The movie is good as well.

 

 

 

 

A few years ago I made this cute table runner.  It can be found on my entry bench during the hot months.  The pattern is called June Garden.  It's designed by Kathy Schmitz of Four Corner Designs. I bought it as a kit.

 

Memory Making Day in May

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal. ~From a headstone in Ireland

For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity. ~William Penn

     We didn't plan on it but we visited five different cemeteries today.  In between we had a picnic, flew a kite, practiced shooting a blow dart gun at tin cans and went to the sporting goods store, Scheels to ride the ferris wheel and have an ice cream cone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     My father died 27 years ago and my sister passed away almost seven years ago so it's good to go and visit their gravesites to not only remember them but to share those memories with our own loved ones who are too young to remember them on their own.

 

 

Here are a few recipes that are perfect for a nice Memorial Day picnic.  Each recipe includes a unique ingredient--root beer.  I made all three recipes with one 2 liter bottle of root beer.

 

 

 

Root Beer Baked Beans

Adapted from myrecipes.com

6 bacon slices                                                              ½ cup hickory-smoked barbeque sauce

1 medium onion, diced                                               1 tsp. dry mustard

4-16 oz. cans pork and beans                                     ¼ tsp. hot sauce

1 cup root beer

Cook and bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp; remove and drain on paper towels.  Reserve 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet and sauté onion until tender.  Stir together all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on medium for about 4 hours.

 

 

 

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1-2lb. pork tenderloin                                     1-18 oz. bottle barbeque sauce

1 ½ cups root beer                                          8 hamburger buns 

Salt and pepper the pork and put it in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat.  Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily; about 6-7 hours.  Drain well.  Stir in barbeque sauce.  Serve over hamburger buns.  Makes 8 servings. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Root Beer Float Cake

Adapted from Taste of Home

1 package white cake mix                                          ¼ cup canola oil

1 ¼ cups root beer                                                      2 eggs

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, root beer, oil and eggs.  Beat on low speed for 2 minutes or stir by hand for 3 minutes.

Pour into a greased 9x13” baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool completely.

For the topping combine two envelopes of Dream Whip topping mix in a medium bowl with 1 cup root beer.  Beat until soft peaks form.  Frost cake.  Store in the refrigerator.  Yields 12-15 servings.  For a more intense root beer flavor, you may want to add about a tsp. of root beer concentrate to both the cake mix and the topping.

     The book I'm recommending this time is called All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor.  It's about a Jewish family of mostly cute little girls growing up in New York City in the 1920s.  I enjoyed learning about the Jewish Holidays and customs and foods they prepared to celebrate each one.  I learned that girls in families act the same no matter when and where they live and what religion they practice.

 

 

     Here is a wonderful quilt made by a woman in my quilt class for a friend who had lost her husband.  They made it using some of his favorite shirts.  What a wonderful keepsake for the wife to cherish and remind her daily of her loved one.

Mother's Day Medley

“I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.
I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.”
― Marjorie Pay Hinckley 

 

 

 

     This sweet little wall quilt has a little bit of everything-paper piecing, applique and regular piecing.  This pattern was designed by Vicki Bellino from Bloom Creek. It's called Remembering Annabelle.  I love birdhouses so naturally I love this quilt; perfect to display for May.



     Everyone gathered at our home again for Mother's Day today.  How very blessed I am to have wonderful women in my life; my mother, mother-in-law, sisters, daughters and a daughter-in-law.  We had a great visit together.  My husband made the main dish and everyone else helped with the meal in some way.  My youngest daughter made the dessert that I requested; Chocolate Drizzled Strawberry Cream Pie. Yummmmm!  This recipe comes from Our Best Bites.

Chocolate-Drizzled Strawberries and Cream Pie

Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 quart fresh strawberries
 1 8-oz. package cream cheese at room temperature (light is fine)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 9″ graham cracker crust (store-bought or homemade)
1-2 ounces chocolate

In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. In a separate large bowl, beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar until medium peaks form. Add about 1 c. of the whipping cream mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until smooth and well-combined. Add the remaining whipping cream mixture and mix until just combined. Spread in the graham cracker crust and refrigerate for a few minutes while you prepare the strawberries.

Wash the strawberries and cut off the stems. Blot dry with a paper towel and then gently press, cut side down, into the whipped cream mixture. Set aside.

If using a chocolate bar, break it into equal pieces and place in a small Ziploc bag. Microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes, stopping the microwave every 20 seconds to mash the bag. You want the chocolate to be melted but not hot at all. When the chocolate is melted, snip a corner off the bag and drizzle it over the strawberries. Refrigerate for at least three hours before serving. Serves 8.

 

     A nice recipe for the Spring and Summer months is Chicken Pasta Salad.  I made this to serve last Thursday at our 70's Ladies Luncheon.

Chicken Pasta Salad

1 8 oz. faralle (bow tie pasta)                            1 small package raisins

1 8 oz. tri-colored spiral pasta                           2 chicken breasts

1 cup cashews                                                  3 green onions, chopped

2 cups red grapes, sliced in half                      1 can pineapple tidbits, drained

2 cups chopped celery

 

            Cook the pasta and drain well.  Cook the chicken and drain thoroughly; cut into small pieces.  Mix all ingredients together well.

Combine:

1 16 oz. bottle Kraft coleslaw dressing

1 cup mayonnaise (Do not use salad dressing.)

            Pour dressing mix over salad.  Toss and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

 

 

     Since today we are celebrating wonderful women, I chose the book Sister Chicks on the Loose by  Robin Jones Gunn.  This was a fun book about two friends who took off on a trip to Finland and ended up traveling  to a few other places on a whim.  Sometimes the funnest times we have are the times that are unplanned.