Potato Chips

Last night Larry and I celebrated our 36h anniversary over hot potato chips. That may sound a little odd, but they were nostalgic and amazingly delicious. We have a history of hot potato chips. In a small plaza near our first home in Spain, every evening the potato chip man served up hot chips straight from the oil from his little kiosk. We would walk down, kids in tow, and buy a kilo of chips. That teamed up with a chicken roasted in white wine from the tiny chicken shop on the plaza and a big green salad made a memorable meal.

36 years together leaves you with a lot of memories. Some of the sweetest (and hardest) ones were those first years in Spain. Meals with Spanish friends, wandering cobbled streets of Seville, adding 2 sweet girls to the family and those chips!! --all dear memories. I'm glad I share them with my best friend, my Larry.

Ode to Thrift Stores

See these smiling faces? They're just back, shopping bags in hand, from Suzanne's guided tour local thrift shops. Oh the bargains! From my cheerful bright yellow platter to Aimee's half price jeans, from Suzanne's luxury belt to Esther's classic white vase! We fortified ourselves with a "french toast bar" brunch and all squeezed into Aimee's van for our shopping extravaganza.

So I want to salute thrift stores far and wide--our chance to recycle while we feel noble for spending so little to bring home all those uncovered treasures. Shop on!

PS- For another (much more clever) blog about thrift stores, check out Laurel's blog by googling "receshbreak/wordpress.com" It will make you smile.

Other People

If you know my buddy Jill, you'll know she is the friendliest, most generous and endearing friend around. So years ago when she recommended Dale Carnegie's old classic "How to Win Friends and Influence people," I trotted off to the library to check out a copy. Don't ask me for details, but I do remember that he wrote that people think about themselves about 90% of their thought time. And I've noticed (at least in my thought life) it's unfortunately true. So I'm trying small bit by bit, to be thinking about other people... to take care of them as well as I manage to take care of myself.

A friend posted this on facebook a couple weeks ago:

"Joy can be real only if people look upon their life as a service, and have a definite object in life outside of themselves and their personal happiness." --Leo Tolstoy

And today I read, "the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many." -Mark 10:45

Thinking about other people, serving them, putting them first. It's harder than it sounds...

Lonely

If you were alive in the 70's (and a lot of people I know and love weren't!), you may remember "The Ungame." Players moved along a simple game board and drew cards to answer questions about themselves. I remember responding to the card asking, "When are you lonely?" I had to think a bit on that one. I guess coming from a family of four kids and being at school and church several times a week, my life had been full of people. I honestly couldn't remember a lonely time.

I will say that our first couple years in Spain, I never felt alone, but did long for someone who knew me well. And in my 50's I don't have time for lonely days. Although to be honest I miss my kids spread far and wide. But people are there for the "friending," not just on facebook. I'm ever thankful for old friends like Jenon and Lulu and new ones like my MOPS girls. Being rich in people is a true measure of riches.

Penne with Butternut Squash, Bacon & Chard

Dinner tonight--an old favorite I thought you might like. Larry calls it "mac'n'cheese for grown-ups." Lots of cheesy goodness, but all that Swiss chard makes you feel good about eating those greens!

3 cups of butternut squash, cubed

salt & pepper

6 slices of bacon

1 cup chopped shallots (or onion)

3 large leaves of swiss chard cut in

slivers (or use spinach--about 3 cups,

cut up)

8 oz. mini penne

3 tab. flour

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

3 oz (3/4 cup) grated provelone

1/3 cup grated parmesan

First cook the penne pasta according to the directions on the box while you are getting everything else ready. Salt and pepper the cubed squash (I buy it already cut up in a bag from Trader Joes's) and then roast it on a cookie sheet at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes (just until tender). Cut the bacon into bits and cook it-- about half way through throw in the shallots to brown with the bacon. When it's all cooked drain the fat and stir in the swiss chard to wilt it just a bit. In a pan melt 3 tab. butter, stir in the flour til it's all mixed, and then stir in the milk until it simmers to make a nice white sauce. While it's still hot stir in the grated cheese (really any kind of cheese will do). Taste to see if it needs a bit of salt--not much, the bacon is salty! Then add the drained pasta, squash, bacon and shallots all into the sauce and stir it all together. Turn it into a 7x11 inch pan and top with the parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until bubbly and nicely browned.

We ate it tonight with a pear/almond/greens salad with a tarragon dressing and a multigrain roll--warm and filling. Oh, and delicious!

This recipe will stand a lot of substitutions-- ham for bacon, any cheese for provelone, any pasta you have on hand, spinach for swiss chard... We just have chard because larry grows it year round--it's beautiful in the yard! Hope you enjoy it--good warm-upable leftovers.

A Morning in Palm Springs

Yesterday morning, google maps in hand, I drove out to Palm Springs to meet up with Aaron. He was there at the hotel where he and Jessica will have their wedding in the fall so he could meet with the planners/designers. I can't remember when I've had a better time with old AA--fun talk with the design guys over pancakes, a tour of the hotel and AA's descriptions of the wedding details I'd been waiting to hear, a little window shopping downtown and good conversation about his work and plans ahead, even a surprise phone chat with Jessica. It's hard to say just how much a morning alone with one of your kids is worth-- it's a treasure. I've known this old Aaron for a long time now, through lots of ages & stages and this new, improved 30 year old version of our Aaron is the best one yet.

Advent

Wednesday morning early I joined my Catholic friend Maryann for the Ash Wednesday service at her church. I wanted to truly mark the start of the Lenten season, to begin the weeks ahead with a time of quiet and reflection. It was so different than my own church. I loved kneeling to pray before we sat in the quiet. The grand space and slow deliberate service seemed a world apart. The reading of scripture, the responses to God's word, the mark of the ashes on my forehead set my heart for days of special worship ahead...

Apricot, White Chocolate, Walnut Bread

Tried a new recipe to serve to my Monday night ladies. Tender and sweet (kind of like those ladies)-- perfect with a cup of tea.

APRICOT, WHITE CHOCOLATE, WALNUT BREAD

1/2 cup dried apricots, cut in small bits

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tab. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup canola oil

1 cup walnuts (or pecans)

1/2 cup white chocolate baking bits

Put the apricots in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let it sit for 15 minutes. In a large bowl mix the flour sugar, baking powder and salt. Then stir in the egg, milk and oil just until it's all mixed --the batter will be a bit lumpy. Stir in the drained apricots, nuts and white chocolate. Spoon the batter in on standard loaf pan or two smaller pans that have been sprayed with Pam. Bake 45 to 60 minutes (depending on pan size) at 350 degrees. Let it cool a bit before taking it out of the pan.

Next time I might shred up a white chocolate bar for finer pieces of chocolate-- and perhaps throw in some dried cranberries too for color it it's Christmas time. Dust the top with powdered sugar before you cut it to make it pretty (right Laurel?)