Christmas Holidays

Merry Christmas Everyone!

This week our daughter finally arrived for Christmas.  What fun to have her here to share the holiday with us.  We are looking forward to lots of fun activities together.  Thursday night she made the dough for a recipe she wanted to try while home, Pierogi Lasagna.  Friday, while Tracy and I enjoyed a “girl’s lunch” with a colleague, Gary helped her by making the mashed potatoes, carmelized onions, and cooked the bacon.  After lunch at Cheddars, Tracy dropped me off at Reed Arena to join Gary and watch the Aggies play basketball.  Tracy headed home to cook. 

First she rolled out the dough she made previously, so it could rest overnight.  To assemble the dish, she cut the dough into thirds, and rolled each section into large, THIN rectangles, and cut into strips, and layered them in a 9″ x 13″ buttered dish. The next step is to top with mashed potatoes, caramelized onions, bacon and the shredded gruyere cheese and farmer’s cheese. 

    

Repeat the layers, and top with the last layer of dough and the remaining cheese.  Bake and enjoy.  Yummm! 

It’s so much fun cooking with Tracy!  I made the Christmas salad, and together we made Kit Kat Ice Cream desserts using miniature spring form pans.  Cut the Kit Kat bars in half and line the rim of the pan with the bars.  Fill with layers of your favorite flavors.  Separate each flavor with a single chopped Kit Kat bar.  Using two separate pans, we could each pick our own favorites.  I used Mint Choc Chip, Cherry Garcia, and Cookie & Cream. The whole meal was delicious!

Our next project was a family project to put together a jigsaw puzzle given to me this Christmas by K.B, another colleague.  It was so much fun!

It took us two days, but Charles Wysaki is a favorite of mine.

 

Today we had left over Pierogi Lasagna for lunch, finished off Amy’s raspberry lemonade punch from last week,  and some more Christmas salad.  After completing the jigsaw puzzle, we got to visit with our son and his family in The Netherlands, and hear of their latest adventures.  Mary told us about her bike riding accident and read us a Christmas story, Ellie has been reading, a lot, and that is an understatement.  She has even been teaching JJ to sound out letters getting ready to read.  Mike and Katy told us about their recent trip to Cologne, Germany to the Christmas markets and JJ was running around the whole time!  How I wish they all lived right next door!   

Mike called back later to tell us they were fine after posting an update and photo on Facebook.  Said he didn’t want a call in the middle of the night when I saw the picture. 😉  Considering the time difference, it would have definitely been after all were asleep.  Luckily noone was hurt when a Dutchman ran into the side of their 100 yr old home.  Rainy weather was apparently the cause.

Tonight we enjoyed going out to dinner at B.J.’s and then by the Christmas display of lights at the College Station City Park, just off Hwy 6.  Once home, we walked around the neighborhood and enjoyed even more lights.

Happy Birthday to my cousin, Paul Ellis, from San Antonio.  He’s 64 (base 9).  Paul, I’m 60 (base 11).  There is a definite advantage to knowing math!  Prayers for 4 month old Ty Ellis who had open heart surgery this week in Phoenix,  and for his great-grandmother, Loudene Ellis, also in the hospital in Phoenix!  Family is a very special gift we enjoy year-round!    Merry Christmas Everyone.  Wishing you Blessings From Above!

Spent the Day Tutoring and Cooking

Final exams are starting today, so yesterday I spent five hours tutoring Business Calculus.  I finished at 9pm, then created a list of the ingredients needed for four recipes Gary and I are making for Saturday.  The freshman class from E-2 is joining us for lunch tomorrow, so Gary and I got most of the dishes made tonight.  

This morning I had another tutoring session scheduled at 10:30, and then did some quick last minute shopping.  When I got home, Gary had made chicken salad and diced some fresh pineapple so we enjoyed lunch.  Then I experimented with a new dessert that turned out super tasty.  We sampled a taste at the end of the day!

Kit Kat Ice Cream Dessert

On the way home from tutoring, I picked up a package of Kit Kat bars, and four individual servings of ice cream: mint chocolate chip, cookies ‘n cream, raspberry and cherry garcia.  I used my four inch spring form pan (the size of a bagel) and lined the bottom with plastic wrap.  Next I lined up the Kit Kat bars vertically around the outside of the pan, breaking each square into double bars or into four individual bars. I had one square left, so I broke it into four bars and chopped each.  On the bottom, I layered the softened mint chocolate chip ice cream, and topped the ice cream with one chopped Kit Kat bar.  I repeated the layers with the other three flavors, with one chopped Kit Kat bar between each flavor.  

The stack was not as tall as the Kit Kats, so we improvised, and chopped up two Weight Watcher English Toffee Crunch bars, and mashed and stirred till softened, and added it to the stack.  Still too short, so we added low-calorie fudge topping, then two Weight Watchers Chocolate Raspberry Bars.  Happy with the result, so we covered it with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer. 

Shopping was very efficient as Gary and I headed to different parts of the store with our smart phones open to a memo, listing our needed ingredients.  Our plan was to eliminate each item as we found it and hoped the two lists were communicating.  They didn’t, but we still finished in record time.   😉

Tonight we made the Spicy Nacho Bake, Mexican Salad, and two ice cream desserts.

Just about ready for 24 “fish” cadets to join us tomorrow.  Left to make is the Mexican pizza, and bake the Spicy Nacho casseroles.  How nice to have everything done ahead of time.

December 1st, ’12

Getting ready for the holidays with a little help from Shamus.                  This morning we started trimming the tree.  Got the lights up before heading over to watch football with good friends.  I made two favorite dishes to take for “nibbles” while watching what will be a super game, Alabama vs Georgia.

Spinach Balls

20 ozs frozen chopped spinach
3 cups herb seasoned stuffing mix
1 large onion, chopped fine
6 eggs
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup Parmesan
1 Tbs.  pepper
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp. thyme

Thaw spinach in the microwave on high, 4 min.  Drain well, really well!  In a small bowl, with a mixer, blend well the eggs and the softened butted (softened but not hot).  Mix all ingredients together with a spoon.  Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper, and using a small (3/4 “) scoop, form balls.  Cover and freeze.   When ready to use, remove trays from freezer and preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Bake for 25 min.  Enjoy

Florentine Rolls

6 green onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 ounces fresh baby spinach, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 13.8-ounce package refrigerated pizza dough
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2-4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, or toasted almonds
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Click on the underlined link (Florentine Rolls) for complete directions.  Sometimes when I make this recipe I also add  sopressata, then roll, slice and bake.

Tonight’s plan: Watch Kansas State vs Texas, and add ornaments to the tree.  Looking forward to tomorrow night’s announcement about Bowl Selections, and hoping Texas A&M is selected for a great game.  Good luck Johnny Manziel in the Heisman race!  You have made a HUGE difference in Aggie football!

Also planning to resume blogging more often again to encourage myself to exercise and share progress with my friends.  I have been off my walker for several weeks now, and feeling very steady.

Pinterest

At a sorority meeting earlier this year, one of our members introduced me to Pinterest.  I was hooked.  What a great site to explore ideas for crafts, motivational posters, recipes, even new products I didn’t even know existed.  Recently I discovered this recipe on Pinterest posted by a friend, Alicia P, who I met online when we were both in Genghis Grill’s Healthkwest contest.  Gary made this for lunch for me Friday with one small twist, he added chopped carrots to the mix.  We always have on hand a can of La Costena Pickled Sliced Carrots.  The carrots are very spicy, so just a few will be very tasty.

Jalapeno Popper Sandwich

2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon sour cream
10 pickled jalapeno pepper slices, chopped
1 T chopped pickled carrots
2 ciabatta sandwich rolls
4 teaspoons butter
8 tortilla chips, crushed
1/2 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

• Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and pickled jalapeno in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Preheat skillet over medium heat.
• Slice each roll in half horizontally, then slice the rounded tops off the ciabatta rolls to make a flat top half. Spread 1 teaspoon butter on the doughy cut side of the bottom bun and 1 teaspoon butter on the now flattened top bun.
• Place half of the cream cheese mixture, half of the crushed chips, and half of the shredded cheese on the non-buttered side of the bottom bun.
• Place the top half of the bun on the sandwich and place the sandwich on the hot skillet.
• Repeat with the second sandwich.
• Grill until lightly browned and flip over, about 3 to 5 minutes; continue grilling until cheese is melted and the second side is golden brown.

When my book project is finished this summer, I’m looking forward to more time to explore this site for more craft ideas, more recipes to try, and continue finding new products on the market.  Below are some of my favorites that I’ve ‘pinned’ to my boards, to give you an idea of what you can find.

I’ve found several motivational posters, to help handle a diet, or when I struggle with Parkinson’s.  I love the humor in this PJ set I found on Pinterest, “Tremor’s Martini Bar, Shaken, Not Stirred”.  I don’t drink martinis but have always liked James Bond, and find myself more often than not, a little shaky!

Imagine my surprise when I found flash drives shaped like a monkey.  My twin sister not only coached softball for 40 years, but also taught computers to the teachers in her school, and she collects monkeys! 

The cartoon on the right was posted by a former colleague in the Math Department at Texas A&M, who now lives in California and works with kids at her church.  Since my brother-in-law has been a choir director for several decades, I loved this cartoon.  It always makes me smile. 

So if you are looking for motivating sayings, day brighteners, recipes, or craft ideas, look at pinterest.com to see if you get inspired.

             To make sure you smile today! 

                                                                                      Hugs………..

Medication Schedule

I have a hard enough time remembering my own pill schedule, so thank goodness Gary is keeping track of the pills for our sheltie, Shamus.  One 3 times/day, one 2 times/day, and one 1/day.  This brings back a memory.

When Gary was stationed in Alabama for three months our son was 2 1/2  and the girls were 3 months old.  As we left there three months later, the girls developed their first ear infection.  They put Jen on ampicillin, 1 tsp 3 times a day, with instructions to keep the medication cool.  Leaving for a cross country trip in just days was going to be exciting challenging.  Two days later, Tracy had an ear infection with other complications, so they put her on oxacillin, 1/2 tsp, 4 times a day.  Another reminder was given to keep the medicine chilled. 

Staff Officer’s School finished, and we set off on a 4000 mile drive from Alabama, to Phoenix, to San Diego, then back home to South Dakota.  My mother-in-law asked if they color-coded the girl’s medicine (Jen’s was pink and Tracy’s was yellow).  She also wanted to know why I sorted laundry, lights, whites, darks, and girls.  (No Tide for the girl’s load; only a special non-lipid soap substitute would work).   Non-lipid = $$$$ 

Lessons learned:      

• Don’t even think of prescribing different doses and time schedules for medicine for twins.
• An Ambassador is not a big enough car for three kids and two adults, two car seats, lots of diapers, baby clothes, crib sheets (since they were allergic to hotel sheets washed in regular soap) and a dog.
• No matter how much sleep you miss, it’s always worth it!

1978 – The grandparents loved spoiling all three kids; Gary and I recovered from the long trip.  Gary drove the whole way (while I sat in the backseat nursing babies).  Mike had the passenger seat, and the floorboard was his toybox for the entire trip.  Oh, and of course we were traveling with Dusty. our then three yr old sheltie.    When we got home, we bought a maxi-van which I drove for the next 22 year.  

With every challenge, a creative solution awaits.

This morning we had our weekly Sunday call from The Netherlands.  We Skype once a week with our son and his family and got an update from Ellie about her new bike.  Heard about John catching a mouse,  and Mary quickly added that he didn’t lick it, eat it, or kiss it.   Thank you Lord for watching out for little ones!   We also got a photo this week of JJ finding his first puddle, (not his last I’m sure) and a cell photo video of Mary “reading” – well, pretending to read.  Little sisters LOVE to do everything BIG sisters do.   Ellie has progressed onto much longer books in the past six months, and is a very advanced reader.  Her most recent books are over a hundred pages each. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLXNUg4Lx1g&w=560&h=315
   Mary “reading”

I’m making progress on my own book.  The publishers asked about a possible completion date, and I said July.  I’m writing a precalculus text with a quick summary of basic topics, and helpful tips.  It’s my second book with Brooks/Cole Publishers, and I have appreciated this opportunity.  

Now to get a picture of my grandkids
reading one of Grammy’s books! 

After tutoring a Calculus student earlier this week, Shamus showed his approval of how well she is doing. And Brandi just has to get petted any time Shamus is getting attention.   

        Looking forward to OUR next opportunity
to spoil grandchildren. 

Shamus

We had to skip the Parkinson’s Support Meeting tonight, when our dog, Shamus got a nosebleed.  We talked with our favorite vet (A&M class ’02, now an emergency room veterinarian in Tyler, TX), and she advised us of the right questions to ask, and told us what to expect to hear.  She gave us the same diagnosis the local vet did at 5:30pm tonight, and tomorrow Shamus has been referred to the Texas A&M Veterinary Clinic.

With luck all the tests will come back negative.  An endoscope test is planned tomorrow, since many signs point to a nasal or sinus tumor.  The photo below is of Shamus and Miss Reveille at our house a while back.  Cadet Cody Guffy is explaining to my sorority sisters the history of Reveille.

Mike is pictured here home for Christmas in 1993 from USAFA with Baron, are third sheltie since we got married.

This is one of my favorite photos of Gary with Shamus back in February, 2000.  Gary gave me our first sheltie our first Christmas after we got married in 1973.

Jennifer introducing little Ellie to Shamus five years ago!

Our favorite Aggie Vet!  Dr. Tracy!  Thanks for all your help tonight!  Love you, Mom

Summer Vegetable Tian

Summer Vegetable Tian   

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Saute  1 tsp. garlic in a skillet with quick sprays of  I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, and 1 tsp butter.   Add 1 T Italian Bread Crumbs.  Stir.  Add another tablespoon of the Italian bread crumbs, and stir till well mixed.

STEP 2: Using a meat slicer, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.  I used 1 potato, 1 yellow onion, 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, and 3 tomatoes.  Be sure to slice the potatoes thin so they cook in 50 min in the oven.  (total time)

STEP 3: Spray the inside of an 8″ x 8″ square dish with non-stick spray. On the counter-top stack: 1 slice zucchini, 1 slice yellow squash, 1 slice onion, 1 slice potato, 1 slice tomato.  I found it easier to spead out slices of zucchini, then top each with yellow squash, onion, potato, and tomato, then stack and layer in the preteated dish, vertically.  Placing the pan at a slight angle to prevent sliding kept it easier to work with.  Repeat as needed till the pan is full.  Sprinkle the garlic crumbs on top of the vegetables.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

STEP 4: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with 1 cup Italian blend cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. 

Tried this dish tonight as a variation of one I saw on Pinterest, and it turned out delicious.  Gary said to definitely take this to the next Parkinson’s Support Group meeting, which is always a potluck.  Everyone brings a delicious dish.  So much variety, and always so tasty.  Hope they enjoy this recipe I tweeked, just a bit.   Enjoy!

Friday Night In a College Town

I meant to get to the gym today, but had absolutely ZERO energy.  Saw this poster online, and it made me laugh.

Tomorrow will be a better day!

I saw on Facebook GREAT photos from my son of their trip to Hungary.  Thanks Mike.  Boy, the kids are growing so fast.  My three favorites were in the church; really precious photos.  In that first one on the left, a tourist is actually taking a photo of them.  Too adorable.  All grandmothers share my feelings about their grandkids!

      

On campus tonight Gary and I saw three proposals at the Century Tree but missed the one we wanted to see most.  Sometimes I don’t process instructions like I used to.   Gary and I got to the Century Tree at 4:50pm (10 minutes early), and watched several proposals before 6pm when he headed over to Olsen Field for the 6:35pm 1st pitch in the A&M – Texas Tech Ballgame.  The event we went to see was at the George Bush Presidential Library.  Contratulations to Matthew and Rachel!  Even in this photo I can see the happiness on both their faces.   The setting he picked was perfect for this future law student and maybe even public servant. 

On a previous visit to the Bush Presidential Library, they had a tribute to baseball.  President Bush played in the first two College World Series games and I even saw a photo of him, as team captain, making a presentation to Babe Ruth, during his senior year at Yale.  Also in that tour that day I sat through several showings of the original film of Abbott and Costello doing their “Who’s On 1st” routine.  It was so much fun to watch, over and over.   Living this close to this Library, guarantees special exhibits, and special speakers, and programs all year long.

After discovering my error in location, I left the Century Tree and walked back over to the parking garage, going through the Memorial Student Center on the way, and running into many cadets in their Midnights (formal uniforms) and their dates in formal gowns.  I also got several hugs along the way from students I know.  They all looked so fantastic! 

I then drove over to Olsen Field to catch up with Gary at the ballgame, at the bottom of the 2nd inning with the Aggies ahead 1-0.  The weather tonight was perfect, in the 80’s, with a full moon out.  It was a beautiful night!  Our starting pitcher, Michael Walka threw 9 K’s in 7 innings, our right fielder, Tyler Naquin, caught a fly ball and DRILLED it to home plate.  The runners at 2nd and 3rd were unable to advance.  What an arm!  The crowd went wild.  Our 2nd baseman, Scott Arthur, dove for several line drives, that robbed the hitters of base hits and RBI’s.  Matt Juengel went 2 for 4 at the plate, and catcher Troy Stein went 2 for 3 at the plate.   Currently he is leading the team at .377 in Big 12 play.

“During the game, the Aggies wore pink arm sleeves and batting helmets as part of an effort to increase awareness for breast cancer.”

The Aggie won 4-2 with a total of 13 strike-outs (impressive), and great defensive plays. Looking forward to tomorrow’s game two of the series AFTER the Corps of Cadets Final Review.  Another busy day on campus Saturday, followed by Calculus tutoring after dinner.   🙂

 

 

A Week of Baseball

                  Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park

On Tuesdays at Olsen Field, they hand out Bingo cards to play during the game.  The squares are filled with events seen on the field such as double play, strike out the side, 6-4-3 double play, triple play, home run, argue a call, and steal a base.  Gary and I have both gotten bingo’s during the season, but one particular week the prize was a tour of Olsen Field.  We were definitely looking forward to that.  So this particular post is all about our tour, and thought you all might enjoy an inside peek at the renovated Olsen Field at Blue Park. 

As the tour started, we went upstairs to the top level and got our first peek at one of the special suites.  We walked through the Blue Bell Suite, and out to the stands to see the view from that area, and it’s really awesome. 

        

We headed down the hall and saw the press room where the visiting media broadcast from, Dave South’s office, and the main press box.  The windows at the front open up completely and fold back out of the way to get a GREAT view of the game when the weather’s good.   

         

From there we exited down the hall to the left of the press box, and found there was an area just above where we sit, shaped like a patio.  It’s certainly a great place to stretch when it’s not the seventh inning.  I got some really good shots of Gary listening to our tour guide.  Kyle Field is right behind the Olsen Field scoreboard in this photo. 

      

As we went down one level and walked through the main concourse, I got a good photo of the handicapped seating, which has been greatly expanded in the renovated ballpark.  The concession areas are much bigger, and surprisingly open to foul balls, so watch out when getting a bite to eat.  Gary even got a foul ball while talking to someone in the concession area during one game!     

        

 On this level too, you will notice the posts are covered with archived photos of the players in action.  That is a very good idea someone used to personalize the area.   We went down the stairs at the north end of the field, and walked around to the front of the stadium to the Player’s Entrance. 

          

As you enter, you get a great view of the trophy cases, and motivating quotes on the walls. The hallway is a tiled mural with snapshots from Aggie Baseball History, including photos of former Coach Mark Johnson, Omaha, Coach Childress and so many players Gary and I have watched from the stands since we moved here in 1995.

   

The halls are lined with framed jerseys of former Aggies that went on to play in the pros.

         

We then got to the Aggie Locker Room; the team was playing that day in Fort Worth.  As you enter, the door to the right is a players lounge, for when the game is in a rain delay, which also includes a small kitchen, loaded with healthy snacks.  Lots of apples, bananas, snack bars, chips and drinks.

    

To the left was the main dressing room, and a large table where we found a baseball and pen, as if the team might all sign it there when requested.

             

         

                                                                                                           Gary was obviously reliving years of playing baseball, but never in facilities such as this.  Even the batboys, Jace and Max, have their own cubicles for their uniforms.  Those on the tour were trying to figure out if there was any pattern to locker assignments.  We couldn’t see any.  

        

We also toured the strength and conditioning room, aka weight room, and at the top of the room is a hallway next to the coaches offices, so they can check on the athletes regularily.  What a facility!  This is what athletes need to be able to preform at the next level.  The treatment room on the left has a glass window overlooking the spas. 

 From there we finished the day with a tour of the Diamond Club, for the owners and guests of the suites at the top of the stadium.   I didn’t know these can be rented for graduation receptions, rehersal dinners, or other special events. 

 Really nice facilities!

     

Brand New Recipe

I found a new recipe on Pinterest that I tried for my visit tonight with the cadets in E-2.  It looked easy enough to make, and should be super tasty.  Thanks Andi McWilliams for sharing this recipe on Pinterest.  I’m sure the fellas are going to love it.  To those who want the original recipe, click on the Pinterest link to the right, and click on Recipes.  You will find it easiest by looking for this photo attached to the left.

My variation of this brownie – cookie dessert is as follows:  line an 9″ x 13″ pan with foil, and spray with Pam.  Line the bottom of the pan with 1.5 tubes of chocolate chip cookie dough, flatten smooth.  Top with 18 to 20 unwrapped peanut butter cups.  Mix one batch of brownie mix, with 1/2 cup oil, 2 Tbs water, and 2 eggs.  Mix with beater for 3 minutes till well mixed.  Add 3/4 cup chopped pecans.  Stir into brownie mixture, and spoon over the top of the pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  Cool, cut, and share.  Makes plenty.                                                 

             

The cadets said it was the best treat I have made all year.  Thanks again Andi, for the recipe idea. 

When I got home tonight I saw two new blooms in the front yard and lots of buds which should open in the next few days.  Blooming cactus is really a pretty sight.