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Archive for May, 2010

Bookworm Alert #2

I love to read!  I almost always have a book that I am reading, although I am not like some bookworms that I know that have 2 or 3 going at one time.  I have to concentrate on just one. 

I finished a book Sunday that was very good and interesting.  It is The Postmistress by Sarah Blake and I highly recommend it.  I was in our local town library looking for something new to read when the cover of this book caught my eye.  I guess it is the old letters and dried flower on the front that really did it. 

It is set during World War II right before the United States joined the fight.  There are 3 female main characters who are very different from each other, but their lives eventually come together in a small New England town close to Cape Cod.  One is a young woman married to the local doctor, one is a middle-age single postmistress in this small town, and the third is a young reporter covering the war in Europe for radio. 

If you enjoy strong emotional writing and interesting story lines, I think you would enjoy this book.  I know I learned a few things about World War II that I had not heard much about before such as the female radio reporters of the time.

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Italian Pasta Salad

This is one of those recipes that kind-of sort-of fell in my lap.  When my mom passed away a few weeks ago, a wonderful cousin of ours brought food to my nanny.  She had baked a country ham, made a cake, and also made this delicious pasta salad.  The salad was tangy but not sour, and was loaded with different vegetables.

Later on, I thanked her for the food and also asked if she minded giving up her pasta recipe.  She did not mind a bit and I was surprised as to how easy it is!  You can tailor it to your own tastes and to whatever you happen to have in the fridge which is great. 

1 box pasta (Cuz used penne. I used rotini because that is what I had.)

1 bottle Italian dressing

pinch of sugar

assorted chopped vegetables of your choice (I had carrots and celery in the fridge. Cuz used cucumbers, sweet peppers and green olives.)

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Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the pasta.  Cook for 10 minutes and drain.

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Rinse the cooked pasta in cold water to stop the cooking process.  Pour the Italian dressing over the pasta and stir gently to coat.  Add the pinch of sugar and stir gently.  Chill in the fridge overnight or for several hours to allow the dressing to soak into the pasta.

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Chop the veggies a couple of hours before serving.  Notice my handy-dandy little chopper from Rada.  I may have to do a post just on it later.  Add the veggies to the salad.

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Dirt Therapy

I am in therapy…garden therapy, that is.  We have been blessed with beautiful weather the last couple of days, and I have been outside after work to enjoy it.  Last night, C helped me put flower pots on the front porch and deck, and I planted those.  This evening we mowed and trimmed the yard, worked on the raised garden bed and even noticed a few ripening strawberries.  Yum!

Life always seems a little brighter when I am outside amongst growing things.  I guess it is the hope that comes from seeing a little plant sprout from a seed you put in the ground.

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Almost-Wordless Wednesday

My garden babies…

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My family loves potatoes cooked just about any way.  I can bake, fry, mash, roast, grill, or boil and usually everyone likes them.  I have had this recipe for quite a while and just had not had the time to try it, but now I have.  I fixed these for Sunday dinner at my Nanny’s last week and the response was great.  The original recipe called for ranch dressing, but I used Italian and it gave it a little extra kick.  Of course, bacon and cheese go great with potatoes.

1/2 cup Italian dressing

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup bacon bits

2 lb. small red potatoes, quartered (The package I bought had 1.5 pounds so I added 1 Yukon Gold potato that I had.)

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 13×9” baking dish with non-stick spray.  Mix dressing, cheese, and bacon bits in a large bowl.  Add potatoes and toss lightly to coat.

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Spoon the potatoes into the baking dish and cover with foil.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. (I like my potatoes crispy on the outside, so if you are a soft potato fan, leave the heat at 350.)

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Remove from oven and enjoy!

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