Oh dear! I spent the whole day at the Temple yesterday and then went to bed at 9 pm, thinking I would just take a nap and then get up, but it didn't work that way. So, today, I'm going to post two Appetizer recipes.
The first one is Crab Meat Rangoons. We got this recipe from Bob's brother Ken Stull when he returned from his mission in the Philippines. It's easy and delicious and these disappear as fast as we can make them.
1/4 lb. crab meat or large can of fancy crab meat
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 green onion, chopped
1 pkg wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten (water works too, but not as well)
oil for deep frying
Mix the crab, cream cheese and the green onion by hand - don't use a mixer. Place a tablespoonful of the mixture in the center of a wonton wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg and fold in half, pressing down on the edges to seal. Deep fry in the heated oil until a light brown.
That's it! Super simple and super delicious.
The second one is Scotch Eggs. Another fried one, sorry. I remember my Dad making these for us when we were younger. I kept thinking it was after he went to Scotland, but I never actually saw these in Scotland and I think it was just from a cooking class he and my mom took. I never saw them again until I went to the Renaissance Festival here in Maryland, where they sell them at one of the stalls. The key to keeping the sausage on the egg is to dry the egg with a paper towel prior to wrapping it. It's a problem! I have been highly frustrated many times by trying to keep the sausage layer from falling off. LOL This recipe only makes 4 and you'll definitely need more than that, so just multiply it as many times as you need.
1/2 lb. of bulk pork sausage, like Bob Evans or Jimmy Dean's
4 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
seasoned flour (flour, salt, pepper and anything else you want to add. Paprika works well, so does a little sage.
1 large egg, beaten
Bread crumbs in a wide bowl
Oil for deep frying
Divide the sausage into 4 equal portions. On a floured board, roll each portion into a circle. Peel and dry the hard boiled eggs. Roll the peeled, hard boiled eggs in the seasoned flour, just lightly. Place an egg on each circle of sausage and wrap the sausage around the egg, covering it completely. Dip it into the beaten egg, then roll in the bread crumbs until coated. Repeat if desired for a more crunchy coating. Deep fry in 350 degree hot oil for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Drain well on paper towels. Serve either hot or cold.
So, there you go... a couple of non-diet appetizers for today. Enjoy!
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Recipe Advent Calendar - December 3rd - Black Hills Golden Egg Bake
Eeek! Three days in and I almost forgot to do this! LOL Having a great time working on my daughter-in-law's genealogy today and getting ready to spend tomorrow at the Temple for our Temple Jubilee day, plus with teaching and planning for Seminary and helping with Tommy's Cub Scout outing, my mind was elsewhere.
I decided to stick with breakfast for today. Mainly because of this quote from Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne:
" 'When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,' said Piglet at last, 'what's the first thing you say to yourself?'
" 'What's for breakfast?' said Pooh. 'What do you say, Piglet?'
" 'I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?' said Piglet.
"Pooh nodded thoughtfully. 'It's the same thing,' he said."
The other breakfast recipe that is requested a lot is one that I found online a few years ago on Taste of Home. It's called Black Hills Golden Egg Bake. I don't make it exactly like the recipe, as normal, but it's really yummy just as the author posted it. It is one of our typical Christmas morning recipes along with Aebelskiver. I've never had anyone say that they disliked it. Here's the link: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/black-hills-golden-egg-bake
Black Hills Golden Egg Bake
1/2 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1/4 c. butter, cubed
10 eggs
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt, optional
2 c. (16 oz.) 4% cottage cheese
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
(I just use the shredded Mexican blend instead of these two and like it better.)
1/2 lb. bulk pork sausage, cooked and drained
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 can (2 1/4 oz.) sliced ripe olives, drained (seriously, my family would disown me if I put olives in anything, so these are never, ever added.)
Grease a 9x13 pan with butter and set aside. In a small skillet, sauté the mushrooms and peppers in butter until tender. I've also thrown in Thrive Foods reconstituted freeze-dried spinach and other peppers and they're also good.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, flour, baking powder and salt. Blend together then add mushroom mixture. Add remaining ingredients and pour into greased pan.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 25-35 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serves 10-12 servings.
I heard of someone lining the baking pan with crescent rolls and then pouring in the ingredients to make a flaky crust, but I haven't tried that yet. If it worked, it would be very much like Panera's soufflés. I suppose you could also make these into individual servings pretty easily by pouring into cupcake or tart tins.
Enjoy!
According to Taste of Home, this was originally published as Black Hills Golden Egg Bake in Country Extra March 1999, p51
I decided to stick with breakfast for today. Mainly because of this quote from Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne:
" 'When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,' said Piglet at last, 'what's the first thing you say to yourself?'
" 'What's for breakfast?' said Pooh. 'What do you say, Piglet?'
" 'I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?' said Piglet.
"Pooh nodded thoughtfully. 'It's the same thing,' he said."
The other breakfast recipe that is requested a lot is one that I found online a few years ago on Taste of Home. It's called Black Hills Golden Egg Bake. I don't make it exactly like the recipe, as normal, but it's really yummy just as the author posted it. It is one of our typical Christmas morning recipes along with Aebelskiver. I've never had anyone say that they disliked it. Here's the link: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/black-hills-golden-egg-bake
Black Hills Golden Egg Bake
1/2 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1/4 c. butter, cubed
10 eggs
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt, optional
2 c. (16 oz.) 4% cottage cheese
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
(I just use the shredded Mexican blend instead of these two and like it better.)
1/2 lb. bulk pork sausage, cooked and drained
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 can (2 1/4 oz.) sliced ripe olives, drained (seriously, my family would disown me if I put olives in anything, so these are never, ever added.)
Grease a 9x13 pan with butter and set aside. In a small skillet, sauté the mushrooms and peppers in butter until tender. I've also thrown in Thrive Foods reconstituted freeze-dried spinach and other peppers and they're also good.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, flour, baking powder and salt. Blend together then add mushroom mixture. Add remaining ingredients and pour into greased pan.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 25-35 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serves 10-12 servings.
I heard of someone lining the baking pan with crescent rolls and then pouring in the ingredients to make a flaky crust, but I haven't tried that yet. If it worked, it would be very much like Panera's soufflés. I suppose you could also make these into individual servings pretty easily by pouring into cupcake or tart tins.
Enjoy!
According to Taste of Home, this was originally published as Black Hills Golden Egg Bake in Country Extra March 1999, p51
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Recipe Advent Calendar - December 2, 2015 - Aebelskiver
Recipe Advent Calendar - December 2, 2015 Aebelskiver
When we were growing up in Santa Clara, California, we would often drive down to see our maternal Grandma and all of our cousins in Southern California. We would always stop on the way in Solvang, a Danish community near Santa Barbara. At that time, it was just a small town with some wonderful shops and fantastic bakeries and restaurants. Now it has a Convention Center and has grown quite a lot. First stop was generally one of the bakeries, either Danish Mill or Petersen's, to get butter cookies and Sarah Bernhardts and pastries for my Dad. Then we would visit the needlework shops and I always had to visit the Equine Art store. Then we would stop to eat at one of the little restaurants with a Smorgasbord and have frikadeller, which are meatballs, with gravy and mashed potatoes and Rod Kaal (red cabbage); or little open faced sandwiches with all kinds of meats, cheeses and toppings. But my favorite thing was Aebelskiver. They are little round pancake balls served with jam and powdered sugar. You need a special Monk Ball/Aebelskiver pan to make them properly, but my mother has been known to just cook the batter on a skillet and make what she calls Flatabels. LOL
Aebelskiver are our special breakfast for birthdays and holidays or when family comes to visit. Matt and I demonstrated how to make them for two of his school classes. We've made them for friends and family, for missionaries and neighbors, for Seminary students and who knows who else. There have been several times when I've made more than 100 at a time when we've had guests. They aren't difficult once you've got the hang of turning them. The restaurants usually use a knitting needle, but I just use a fork and keep paper towels handy to keep it clean.
I hope you have an opportunity to make Aebelskiver one day. It's definitely one of my most requested recipes. If you can't make them, then please come by sometime and I'll make them for you!
Aebelskiver from the Danish Cook Book from Solvang
I double this recipe for our family holiday breakfasts and rarely have leftovers
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
2 eggs, divided
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 Tbsp melted butter
(I also add about 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg to mine)
Canola or Corn oil for cooking
Strawberry or Lingonberry jam for topping
Powdered sugar in a sifter
Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites in a mixer (preferably with a whip attachment) until stiff (or wait until the batter has set for a while, then whip them.) Mix all other ingredients in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Allow batter to set for 30 minutes to let the baking powder work. Gently fold in egg whites until all combined.
Put Aebelskiver pan on medium heat and let it get completely heated through - I usually let it heat at least five minutes before adding oil. Fill the center hole of the pan about 3/4 full of oil or just add a Tablespoon of oil to each cup. (I find it much less messy to fill just the center cup, then add batter to it, which causes oil to go into each of the other cups. The center cup takes the longest to cook, too, so this gives that one a little extra time to cook.)
Put a couple of tablespoonfuls of batter into each hole in the pan. If you've filled the middle one with oil, start with that one, allowing oil to flow into each of the other cups. Make sure there is oil in each of the cups. The batter should almost come to the top of the cup. Let it cook until the edges start to get bubbly, then using a knitting needle or fork, poke the top edge and quickly lift and turn the cooked aebelskiver about a 1/4 turn. If it flips all the way over, that's fine, too. Continue turning the aebelskiver until a skewer or knitting needle comes out clean and it's nicely browned all over. Watch the heat on the pan and adjust as needed to keep them from getting burnt.
Serve several with jam and powdered sugar on top.
When we were growing up in Santa Clara, California, we would often drive down to see our maternal Grandma and all of our cousins in Southern California. We would always stop on the way in Solvang, a Danish community near Santa Barbara. At that time, it was just a small town with some wonderful shops and fantastic bakeries and restaurants. Now it has a Convention Center and has grown quite a lot. First stop was generally one of the bakeries, either Danish Mill or Petersen's, to get butter cookies and Sarah Bernhardts and pastries for my Dad. Then we would visit the needlework shops and I always had to visit the Equine Art store. Then we would stop to eat at one of the little restaurants with a Smorgasbord and have frikadeller, which are meatballs, with gravy and mashed potatoes and Rod Kaal (red cabbage); or little open faced sandwiches with all kinds of meats, cheeses and toppings. But my favorite thing was Aebelskiver. They are little round pancake balls served with jam and powdered sugar. You need a special Monk Ball/Aebelskiver pan to make them properly, but my mother has been known to just cook the batter on a skillet and make what she calls Flatabels. LOL
Aebelskiver are our special breakfast for birthdays and holidays or when family comes to visit. Matt and I demonstrated how to make them for two of his school classes. We've made them for friends and family, for missionaries and neighbors, for Seminary students and who knows who else. There have been several times when I've made more than 100 at a time when we've had guests. They aren't difficult once you've got the hang of turning them. The restaurants usually use a knitting needle, but I just use a fork and keep paper towels handy to keep it clean.
I hope you have an opportunity to make Aebelskiver one day. It's definitely one of my most requested recipes. If you can't make them, then please come by sometime and I'll make them for you!
Aebelskiver from the Danish Cook Book from Solvang
I double this recipe for our family holiday breakfasts and rarely have leftovers
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
2 eggs, divided
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 Tbsp melted butter
(I also add about 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg to mine)
Canola or Corn oil for cooking
Strawberry or Lingonberry jam for topping
Powdered sugar in a sifter
Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites in a mixer (preferably with a whip attachment) until stiff (or wait until the batter has set for a while, then whip them.) Mix all other ingredients in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Allow batter to set for 30 minutes to let the baking powder work. Gently fold in egg whites until all combined.
Put Aebelskiver pan on medium heat and let it get completely heated through - I usually let it heat at least five minutes before adding oil. Fill the center hole of the pan about 3/4 full of oil or just add a Tablespoon of oil to each cup. (I find it much less messy to fill just the center cup, then add batter to it, which causes oil to go into each of the other cups. The center cup takes the longest to cook, too, so this gives that one a little extra time to cook.)
Put a couple of tablespoonfuls of batter into each hole in the pan. If you've filled the middle one with oil, start with that one, allowing oil to flow into each of the other cups. Make sure there is oil in each of the cups. The batter should almost come to the top of the cup. Let it cook until the edges start to get bubbly, then using a knitting needle or fork, poke the top edge and quickly lift and turn the cooked aebelskiver about a 1/4 turn. If it flips all the way over, that's fine, too. Continue turning the aebelskiver until a skewer or knitting needle comes out clean and it's nicely browned all over. Watch the heat on the pan and adjust as needed to keep them from getting burnt.
Serve several with jam and powdered sugar on top.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Recipe Advent Calendar - December 1st - Scotch Broth
Yesterday, I had an interesting experience. I was at the grocery store buying some veggies and especially a turnip, rutabaga and parsnip to put into Scotch Broth. The young man who was running the register looked at the rutabaga and hesitatingly asked if it was a rutabaga. When I said yes, that it was, the lady behind me asked him why he would guess something so odd and then asked me what to do with them. I explained that I was making Scotch Broth, a soup that I loved from when we lived in England. Then I gave the woman my business card and said that I would be happy to send her the recipe if she would email me. Then the young man at the register asked for my card also and said that he had friends who would enjoy the recipe, too. I was happy to do that! :)
It made me realize how often I am asked for recipes. It's quite often! So, in the spirit of giving for Christmas, I decided that it would be fun to do a recipe Advent Calendar and post the recipes that I'm asked for most often.
Since Scotch Broth is one of those, it makes sense to start with that one. So, here you go! Enjoy!
Scotch Broth - based on a recipe from Silver Dollar City's Olde Country Recipes, but changed a bit.
Preparation time: 30-45 minutes, depending upon how fast you chop veggies!
Cooking time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Or all day in a crock pot)
4 large servings or 6 smaller ones
1 1/2 lbs. boneless lamb shoulder or leg, fat removed and cut into small cubes.
6 cups water
3/4 cup barley
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 med. onions, chopped
1 turnip, peeled and diced
1/2 - 3/4 of a med sized rutabaga, peeled and diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced (go for a smaller to medium one)
top with snipped parsley, if desired, but I usually leave it off.
Trim fat from lamb and cut into small cubes. In a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot, place 6 cups of water, salt, pepper, lamb and barley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Add vegetables to soup. Cover and simmer until lamb and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. This would also work well in a crock pot on low for several hours. Skim fat if necessary. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with warm french bread or rolls.
It made me realize how often I am asked for recipes. It's quite often! So, in the spirit of giving for Christmas, I decided that it would be fun to do a recipe Advent Calendar and post the recipes that I'm asked for most often.
Since Scotch Broth is one of those, it makes sense to start with that one. So, here you go! Enjoy!
Scotch Broth - based on a recipe from Silver Dollar City's Olde Country Recipes, but changed a bit.
Preparation time: 30-45 minutes, depending upon how fast you chop veggies!
Cooking time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Or all day in a crock pot)
4 large servings or 6 smaller ones
1 1/2 lbs. boneless lamb shoulder or leg, fat removed and cut into small cubes.
6 cups water
3/4 cup barley
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 med. onions, chopped
1 turnip, peeled and diced
1/2 - 3/4 of a med sized rutabaga, peeled and diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced (go for a smaller to medium one)
top with snipped parsley, if desired, but I usually leave it off.
Trim fat from lamb and cut into small cubes. In a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot, place 6 cups of water, salt, pepper, lamb and barley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Add vegetables to soup. Cover and simmer until lamb and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. This would also work well in a crock pot on low for several hours. Skim fat if necessary. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with warm french bread or rolls.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
How to "Live Your Bliss"
I'd always heard people say to "Live Your Bliss" and I never quite knew what they meant. However, this past month or so, I think I've been the closest to being that way that I've ever been.
Last week I decided that I can't do this trip right now. There are a number of reasons - teaching Seminary, work picking up, grandkids who've asked me not to go, but mostly it's only 8 weeks after my surgery. I don't recover well from surgery, and my doctors have all prepared me that this one might be a little tougher than normal. Don't doctors normally tell you how you'll fly through and not to worry? Well, I am very grateful for doctors who tell me the truth and they both have warned me that this one will take a while to recover from. If I'm not supposed to drive for 4-6 weeks, I'm a little concerned about driving every day for four months only 8 weeks afterward.
As I prayed about what to do and thought about it, I kept saying, "But I WANT to!" Just like any spoiled child who hates being told "No," I still wanted it my way. But finally, when I had to make a decision about what to do about teaching Seminary next year, I just decided that I'd need to put off the trip for a while. Then every time that I said aloud, "I'm not going on the trip right now," the Spirit just confirmed to me that it was the right decision. My heart got warmer and started pounding harder, which is my affirmation signal that I've done the right thing. I love being able to have that confirmation available to me!
I'm not scared about the surgery, but it has been running through my mind many times that I need to be 'ready.' I feel very strongly that God has told me that everything will be fine, no matter what the outcome happens to be. So, I've been going along with that and feeling comfortable about whatever happens.
As I've prayed and thought about life in this past month, I realized that there were certain things that I wanted to do and to eat(!) before surgery, just in case it was the last time. I'm a planner, what can I say? So, here are some of the things that I got to do that were on my list of things that I really wanted to do:
Last week I decided that I can't do this trip right now. There are a number of reasons - teaching Seminary, work picking up, grandkids who've asked me not to go, but mostly it's only 8 weeks after my surgery. I don't recover well from surgery, and my doctors have all prepared me that this one might be a little tougher than normal. Don't doctors normally tell you how you'll fly through and not to worry? Well, I am very grateful for doctors who tell me the truth and they both have warned me that this one will take a while to recover from. If I'm not supposed to drive for 4-6 weeks, I'm a little concerned about driving every day for four months only 8 weeks afterward.
As I prayed about what to do and thought about it, I kept saying, "But I WANT to!" Just like any spoiled child who hates being told "No," I still wanted it my way. But finally, when I had to make a decision about what to do about teaching Seminary next year, I just decided that I'd need to put off the trip for a while. Then every time that I said aloud, "I'm not going on the trip right now," the Spirit just confirmed to me that it was the right decision. My heart got warmer and started pounding harder, which is my affirmation signal that I've done the right thing. I love being able to have that confirmation available to me!
I'm not scared about the surgery, but it has been running through my mind many times that I need to be 'ready.' I feel very strongly that God has told me that everything will be fine, no matter what the outcome happens to be. So, I've been going along with that and feeling comfortable about whatever happens.
As I've prayed and thought about life in this past month, I realized that there were certain things that I wanted to do and to eat(!) before surgery, just in case it was the last time. I'm a planner, what can I say? So, here are some of the things that I got to do that were on my list of things that I really wanted to do:
- I went to my grandson Tommy's school play and got to see him recite his portion of the play perfectly and to sing some really cute songs about bugs.
- I got to spend time on Easter with all of my family - all four sons, three daughters-in-law, and four of the five grandkids. I'd spoken with Finn the week before, so I've been able to send love to all of them.
- I had some really good conversations with all three daughters-in-law, my mom and my siblings.
- Bob held my hand and put his arm around me at the movies and when we went to the Temple, without my initiating it! (You have no idea what a big deal this is!)
- We've prepared good food many times, had the missionaries over for dinner and got to visit friends for other meals.
- We went to a wedding, visited the temple, went window shopping, all fun things.
- I helped two first time home-buyers buy their first homes which is really wonderful. I also was able to help a seller through a really tough time when a pipe burst in their house while we were under contract.
- I attended some awesome classes and got excited about working on my business to become even better.
- I've been able to teach my terrific Seminary students each day and as an added extra blessing, over the past couple of weeks, I've had the privilege of hearing almost every student pray for me in opening or closing prayer. That's an amazing gift.
- I had a complaint on my business and a friend's baby died in a choking accident, so I felt some difficult feelings, too. But I think life is about feeling all of the emotions, not just happy ones.
- I enjoyed the wonder of Spring finally coming; daffodils, tulips and crocus pushing through the ground, blossoms popping out on the trees, lambs and little calves in the fields around our home.
- I got to be a speaker in a Relief Society meeting. (That's the women's group in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)
- I got to sing in the Frederick Stake Choir for the Easter program and enjoyed learning three more portions of Handel's Messiah.
- I was able to serve others in many ways.
- I received some wonderful compliments from friends, one that especially affirmed one of my core beliefs about the type of person I want to be.
- I got to be a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a Visiting Teacher, a Seminary Teacher, a speaker, someone who helps someone in need. All things that I love doing.
- I got to walk a labyrinth.
- I ate felafel, lobster, a good steak, aebelskiver, See's candy caramels and many more things that I love.
- I got to go to the movies a couple of times - once with Bob, once with Tommy.
- Tom and Nick and I played board games together and laughed together a lot.
- I got to play with Maddison's hair for a little while until she went to play again. Plus I got to see her without her two front teeth.
- I was creative and felt really good about finishing three quilt tops and I'm nearly finished with two others.
- I was able to watch all four sessions of General Conference for our Church and feel spiritually fed.
- I've listened to good music, read a couple of books, done a bunch of crossword and other puzzles.
- I got a manicure and pedicure!
- I've worked, I've played, I've loved others and felt much love from others to me. I've read and studied, learned new things, met new people and been entertained. I've felt happy and sad and grieved with others. I've felt proud and disappointed. I've felt gratitude and felt blessed over and over again.
So now, as I go to have surgery on Tuesday, I don't plan on dying (and my doctors all think everything should be fine), but I feel at peace with whatever happens. I've done so many things that I've wanted to do. I'm a little sad about not taking the trip starting in June, but I know it will happen eventually. Just not right now.
I bought a book at Barnes and Noble the other day called "The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die" by John Izzo, Ph.D. The secrets he includes in the chapter headings are:
- Be True to Yourself
- Leave No Regrets
- Become Love
- Live the Moment
- Give More Than You Take
I haven't read the book yet, but I think I've done pretty well on all five of those topics. I have no regrets and I have been blessed to feel completely overwhelmed with love - both FROM friends and family and FOR them, too.
I do hope that I will be able to come and visit all of you soon. God bless you.
Much love.
Judi
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Donuts and How my brain works...
When Bob and I went to Maine last year, we stopped at a Triple D restaurant called Grover's in East Amhearst, NY for a burger. While we were there, we saw an advertisement for a donut shop in town that made their own donuts, so we stopped by there before heading out. They had the most delicious donuts and I've been craving a GOOD donut lately.
So today, I was showing houses in Baltimore City and was trying to find a donut shop on Yelp. They were giving me Chinese food restaurants and all kinds of stuff that was not what I was looking for, so I quit looking. As I was driving back to the office, I was on I-95 heading south and saw Laurel listed on the directional signs. This is my internal monologue after that point:
Hmmm, the Laurel exit is coming up.
That's not far from LaBoulangerie! (A French bakery in Savage Mill)
Oooh, I'd like a croissant. Or some French Bread! mmm. Maybe they'll have a pastry still.
Yeah, I think I'll go over there and get something.
Then I realized that my exit was next and Laurel exit was still five miles further....
Wow. Do I REALLY want to drive five more miles to spend money I don't have, to eat calories I don't need?
No... not really. Guess I'll skip it. Rats.
I take my exit and decide that I'll just head over to the office instead of going home so I can take care of some paperwork...
Hey! La Madeleine is right by the office and they have croissants!
LOL
Every time I think about taking this trip, I have these wonderful ideas about all of the places that I'll stop and see, all of the photos I'll take of the neat things/pretty scenery that are along the road. Then I remember how my brain works and I wonder if I'll even remember to take pictures? Sometimes this ADD-addled brain makes me a little nuts.
So, how's your day going? :)
So today, I was showing houses in Baltimore City and was trying to find a donut shop on Yelp. They were giving me Chinese food restaurants and all kinds of stuff that was not what I was looking for, so I quit looking. As I was driving back to the office, I was on I-95 heading south and saw Laurel listed on the directional signs. This is my internal monologue after that point:
Hmmm, the Laurel exit is coming up.
That's not far from LaBoulangerie! (A French bakery in Savage Mill)
Oooh, I'd like a croissant. Or some French Bread! mmm. Maybe they'll have a pastry still.
Yeah, I think I'll go over there and get something.
Then I realized that my exit was next and Laurel exit was still five miles further....
Wow. Do I REALLY want to drive five more miles to spend money I don't have, to eat calories I don't need?
No... not really. Guess I'll skip it. Rats.
I take my exit and decide that I'll just head over to the office instead of going home so I can take care of some paperwork...
Hey! La Madeleine is right by the office and they have croissants!
LOL
Every time I think about taking this trip, I have these wonderful ideas about all of the places that I'll stop and see, all of the photos I'll take of the neat things/pretty scenery that are along the road. Then I remember how my brain works and I wonder if I'll even remember to take pictures? Sometimes this ADD-addled brain makes me a little nuts.
So, how's your day going? :)
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Updates, plusses and minuses
I haven't posted in a couple of weeks because I was feeling like I might not be able to make the trip and I wasn't ready to give up on it yet.
I did get a huge plus when I wrote to Pepsi to ask if they'd sponsor a "Halftime" for my trip to go along with Halftime Hype from the Super Bowl. I received an email back stating that they liked my idea and would send me a t-shirt, some coupons and other fun stuff for my trip. I was so excited! I was able to say that Pepsi was helping to sponsor my trip! WooHoo!
Then yesterday, I got a package in the mail from them. I'm still so happy that they recognized what I am doing with This Crazy Trip, but I don't think it's going to cover much of a half time. LOL
My halfway point, mileage-wise will be somewhere between Glacier National Park and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, most likely. If I go by days, though, it turns out to be the weekend of my high school reunion for Buchser High School in Santa Clara, CA! I thought that would be so much fun to have a halftime there, so that's what I asked Pepsi to sponsor.
What I received was a t-shirt with a Pepsi logo, a Pepsi key ring, a blue Pepsi wristband, three different Pepsi bottle magnets, a card thanking me for my loyalty to their products and four coupons for 50 cents off of any flavor Pepsi-Cola soft drink. The coupons expire the week after I leave on the trip. So, even though it's not quite as big a halftime as I was hoping for, it WILL get me a discount on my daily Diet Pepsi for the first four days.
Another plus came when I went to Antwerpen Hyundai to get my Santa Fe detailed on Feb. 5th. I didn't have anyone who could drive me back and forth, so I just stayed there and worked on my Seminary lessons for 3 1/2 hours. It was exactly the same thing that I would have been doing at home, so I was pleased to be able to sit, undisturbed, for a long time and work. When I told the Service Manager that I was staying, he was a little concerned but I assured him that I was pleased to be doing so. Then he offered me a desk in the main showroom, which was completely awesome, and I happily accepted. As I sat there, I wondered if the Manager would know who I should talk to about getting a car for this trip. Just as I was getting ready to get my car, I got the courage to go talk to him.
Ron Fitzgerald is the Sales Manager for Antwerpen Hyundai in Clarksville, MD and as I shared my trip plans with him, I could see him catching the vision of what I was doing. He got this grin on his face that I'm starting to recognize when I tell people about the trip - it's that look that road-trip people get, a longing and wishful-thinking kind of look, wishing that they could be doing it too. Some people just think I'm crazy for wanting to do this, but there's a large group of people who just want to come along for the ride! Ron was one of those people and I could see the wheels turning. I never even asked for a car, I just asked who I should talk to, but he was WAY ahead of me. Finally, he asks, "How much can you afford for this car?" and I replied, "Nothing. It has to be free."
"OK," he answered, "I think I have an idea. I'm calling our General Manager to see if this will work." So, I'm quite excited about it and hope that his idea will work!
Now, for a couple of minuses. In October, just before I had my knee surgery, I found a lump in my abdomen. I had an ultrasound that showed a small mass about the size of a small apple. I had another ultrasound in the middle of January to follow up with it and see if it had grown. I was pretty sure that it was larger, but wanted to see what the ultrasound said. My doctor called me and told me to go have an MRI done as soon as I could. The MRI showed that it was about three times larger than it had been three months ago; about the size of a large grapefruit now. So, I've been to the surgeon and I'm seeing an oncologist tomorrow. The doctors don't think that it's cancerous, but it is growing rapidly and is causing other problems, so I need to have a hysterectomy fairly quickly. I've been advised by three of the doctors I've seen that I should still be able to go on the trip, as long as it's not cancerous.
The other minus is that I wouldn't be able to teach Seminary next year if I do the trip. I love the kids that I teach and I haven't been able to make a decision about whether or not to leave my calling in order to do the trip. Or to possibly just get a sub during the time that I'm gone? I don't know yet what to do, so it's still up in the air and is a bigger question to me than whether or not I have a car.
So, now you know all the details, good and bad. I wasn't going to post everything that was going on health-wise, but then I figured that I'm going to be sleeping on your couches! That alone connotes a certain level of intimacy, doesn't it? LOL
Have a great week!
I did get a huge plus when I wrote to Pepsi to ask if they'd sponsor a "Halftime" for my trip to go along with Halftime Hype from the Super Bowl. I received an email back stating that they liked my idea and would send me a t-shirt, some coupons and other fun stuff for my trip. I was so excited! I was able to say that Pepsi was helping to sponsor my trip! WooHoo!
Then yesterday, I got a package in the mail from them. I'm still so happy that they recognized what I am doing with This Crazy Trip, but I don't think it's going to cover much of a half time. LOL
My halfway point, mileage-wise will be somewhere between Glacier National Park and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, most likely. If I go by days, though, it turns out to be the weekend of my high school reunion for Buchser High School in Santa Clara, CA! I thought that would be so much fun to have a halftime there, so that's what I asked Pepsi to sponsor.
What I received was a t-shirt with a Pepsi logo, a Pepsi key ring, a blue Pepsi wristband, three different Pepsi bottle magnets, a card thanking me for my loyalty to their products and four coupons for 50 cents off of any flavor Pepsi-Cola soft drink. The coupons expire the week after I leave on the trip. So, even though it's not quite as big a halftime as I was hoping for, it WILL get me a discount on my daily Diet Pepsi for the first four days.
Another plus came when I went to Antwerpen Hyundai to get my Santa Fe detailed on Feb. 5th. I didn't have anyone who could drive me back and forth, so I just stayed there and worked on my Seminary lessons for 3 1/2 hours. It was exactly the same thing that I would have been doing at home, so I was pleased to be able to sit, undisturbed, for a long time and work. When I told the Service Manager that I was staying, he was a little concerned but I assured him that I was pleased to be doing so. Then he offered me a desk in the main showroom, which was completely awesome, and I happily accepted. As I sat there, I wondered if the Manager would know who I should talk to about getting a car for this trip. Just as I was getting ready to get my car, I got the courage to go talk to him.
Ron Fitzgerald is the Sales Manager for Antwerpen Hyundai in Clarksville, MD and as I shared my trip plans with him, I could see him catching the vision of what I was doing. He got this grin on his face that I'm starting to recognize when I tell people about the trip - it's that look that road-trip people get, a longing and wishful-thinking kind of look, wishing that they could be doing it too. Some people just think I'm crazy for wanting to do this, but there's a large group of people who just want to come along for the ride! Ron was one of those people and I could see the wheels turning. I never even asked for a car, I just asked who I should talk to, but he was WAY ahead of me. Finally, he asks, "How much can you afford for this car?" and I replied, "Nothing. It has to be free."
"OK," he answered, "I think I have an idea. I'm calling our General Manager to see if this will work." So, I'm quite excited about it and hope that his idea will work!
Now, for a couple of minuses. In October, just before I had my knee surgery, I found a lump in my abdomen. I had an ultrasound that showed a small mass about the size of a small apple. I had another ultrasound in the middle of January to follow up with it and see if it had grown. I was pretty sure that it was larger, but wanted to see what the ultrasound said. My doctor called me and told me to go have an MRI done as soon as I could. The MRI showed that it was about three times larger than it had been three months ago; about the size of a large grapefruit now. So, I've been to the surgeon and I'm seeing an oncologist tomorrow. The doctors don't think that it's cancerous, but it is growing rapidly and is causing other problems, so I need to have a hysterectomy fairly quickly. I've been advised by three of the doctors I've seen that I should still be able to go on the trip, as long as it's not cancerous.
The other minus is that I wouldn't be able to teach Seminary next year if I do the trip. I love the kids that I teach and I haven't been able to make a decision about whether or not to leave my calling in order to do the trip. Or to possibly just get a sub during the time that I'm gone? I don't know yet what to do, so it's still up in the air and is a bigger question to me than whether or not I have a car.
So, now you know all the details, good and bad. I wasn't going to post everything that was going on health-wise, but then I figured that I'm going to be sleeping on your couches! That alone connotes a certain level of intimacy, doesn't it? LOL
Have a great week!
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