What’cha Workin’ on Wednesday ~When Great Grandma’s Garden is Ready for Harvest

A favorite meal at our house is Italian Spaghetti.

Making our own sauce is labor intensive, but so worth it!

Great Grandma loves her Garden,

however it requires the work of the whole family.

On Monday, I came home with a box of ripe tomatoes.

Aren’t they beautiful?!

The pepper is from her garden too.

Blanching and peeling the tomatoes goes much faster

if there are two people in the kitchen.

I took charge of the boiling step...

...and after their ice water plunge, hubby handled the peeling.

We used both red and yellow tomatoes.

We filled our 20 quart stockpot,

and simmered them for a couple of hours.

Since hubby is not fond of big chunks of tomato,

I ran small batches through my blender to make a smoother sauce.

On the second day, I add the rest of the vegetables...

...and the browned meats.

It simmers for hours.

The house smells sooo good!

We package it for the freezer in portions that are

Perfect for these Empty Nesters.

Of course, we have to sample it right away

with fresh Parmesan Cheese and a Green Salad.

This fun pasta shape was a part of a gift

from our daughter and son-in-law.

Thank you!

Take care,

~Natalie

Tortilla Spirals ~Chile & Cheese Mexican Pinwheels ~Appetizer Recipe included

 Mexican Pinwheels

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 4 ounce can diced green chilies

1/4 cup diced red pepper

6 green onions, sliced

1 6 ounce can black olives, chopped

4-6 taco size flour tortillas

Chop, dice, and slice ingredients.

Drain the chilis thoroughly.

Combine Cream Cheese, Cheddar Cheese,

Chili’s, Green Onion, Red Pepper, and Black Olives.

Spread a generous half cup of the mixture on each tortilla.

Roll up and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Chill for one hour.

They can be made ahead and

kept in the refrigerator for up to two days.

 

Remove plastic wrap and slice each roll into 3/4 inch pieces.

Garnish with Cilantro, if desired.

Guests can serve themselves with a toothpick. Enjoy!

I had some requests for this recipe after

I posted about my Hubby’s Birthday Party.

Let me know if you make them!

Stay Safe and Well.

Take care,

~Natalie

Thursday Thoughts ~The Days Seem Long ~The Weeks Go Fast

Every Day is the same, but my routine feels safe.

For that I am Thankful.

Hubby has mastered the art of preparing our Weekend Brunch...

Perfect Over Easy Egg on Toast, Hash Browns, and Bacon.

And it is now Peak Season for many types of Fresh Fruit.

These Cherries are juicy and delicious.

None of us know if our communities

will host a Winter Arts Festival, so

I have been busy taking photos and listing

our creations in my Tins and Treasures Etsy Shop. 

This week we enjoyed one of our Go-To meals...

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta.

It also involves mushrooms, red pepper, and green onions.

It fast and easy to prepare and so very tasty.

Hubby enjoys spending time in his wood shop after

a day at the office working with Unemployment.

This is just one of his hand turned bottle openers that is available

for purchase. It would be the perfect stocking stuffer

for your favorite bartender.

Remember if you are a local friend, you can contact me

to make arrangements and we can bypass the Shipping Charges on Etsy.

Stay Safe and Well.

Take care,

~Natalie

When Great Grandma Turns Ninety One

You might remember that last year we had a Party

for Great Grandma’s Milestone 90th Birthday.

However, I’d say that now, every birthday we celebrate

with her is a milestone!

Hubby’s sister invited us to her house for dinner.

She purchased Salmon, cause Great Grandma loves Salmon.

Hubby was in charge of preparing it on the grill.

The menu also included Rice, Salad, and Bread...

Along with our first Corn on the Cob of the season.

It was delicious.

For her gift, I found a cute basket and filled it

with some of her favorite consumable items.

After all, a Senior doesn’t really need

any more “stuff” for their house!

We included a bottle of Pino Grigio,

Harvest Wheat Crackers and Cheese,

Her favorite Sweet Snack Bars,

A Bunch of Grapes,

And Fresh Cut Flowers.

My Sister in Law gave her a roll of Stamps...

I think that is a genius idea for a

Senior Birthday Gift.

We topped off the evening

with a little cake and ice cream.

Happy Birthday.

Here’s to Many More!

Take care,

~Natalie

Pizza Friday ~Addendum to my Report ~Two New Favorites ~Taco Pizza ~Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

Trust me...there is a slice of pizza under those toppings.

I don’t think it gets any better than this...

combining two of our favorite foods, tacos and pizza, all in one.

I mean, there are Doritos on this pizza!

When it came out of the oven, it looked like this...

taco meat, sautéed peppers and onions, tomato slices,

black olives, and two kinds of cheese.

Fresh ingredient toppings include Romaine lettuce, tomato,

and Cilantro from our Patio Herb Garden.

I’m pretty sure we’ll make this one again!

Remember last week, after having a procedure done at the hospital,

I wasn’t really in the mood for Quarantine Cooking,

so Hubby Picked up this Take and Bake Pizza...

Chicken, Steak, Red Onion, Green Pepper, and Tomatoes.

Another Favorite was the Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

that we created the week before.

There’s seasoned Ground Beef, Mushrooms, Onions, and Red Pepper.

(The Hamburger Dill Pickle Slices are optional)

This one also needed a little Sharp Cheddar

along with the Italian Blend of Cheeses.

This was so tasty.

Now, here’s a little tip...

Please learn from my mistakes!

When finishing a pizza, I like to put it under the broiler,

just long enough to lightly toast the cheese.

The first time I made the Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza,

the Bacon was exposed on top and got a little too brown.

So, last time I made sure it was under a blanket of cheese.

We have also settled on a favorite crust recipe.

Remember I have experimented with several...

We prefer a thin crust, and I like to add

a teaspoon of dried Italian Seasoning with the flour.

I have a Pizza Pinterest Board

if you are interested in any of these recipes.

Have a Wonderful Weekend.

Stay Safe and Well.

Take care,

~Natalie

Where the Weekend Went ~Good Friends..Good Food ~Work Hard..Play Hard ~God Bless America

It has been tradition for us to gather with these friends

on Memorial Day. This was Pre-Coronavirus,

before Social Distancing was a part of our lifestyle.

This year was a different holiday, indeed.

We spent most of our weekend working at home.

Hubby worked hard on the yard and planting our flower pots,

while I worked inside on the everyday house chores.

A hearty weekend breakfast of eggs and toast...

my personal favorite is the Over-Easy Egg.

This is one of the Wash Tubs that my mom and I

used on Laundry Day. We salvaged it from the Farmhouse.

The highlight of our Memorial Day was the

Taps Across America event.

Trumpet and Bugle players around the world

came out to their balcony or front porch and

played Taps to honor America’s fallen heroes.

Several of us drove over to their neighborhood

to listen to our friend, Dennis, play his trumpet on the front porch.

He performed with perfection.

Later in the afternoon we gathered at Alan and Kari’s home

for some good food and great conversation...

with the appropriate Social Distance observed.

It was a beautiful evening, so we could be out on the patio,

roasting some marshmallows, making S’Mores.

If you are still in need of a mask for your summer outings,

I have several available in a variety of colors and prints.

Memorial Day is a special holiday to remember

and pay tribute to those that serve and

to their families who have given the intimate sacrifice.

Stay Safe and Well, Everyone.

Take care,

~Natalie