'Dillas'

Bacon-Jalapeno Quesadillas
"Mad Hungry" host Lucinda Scala Quinn developed this easy recipe exclusively for "The Martha Stewart Show" season premiere, with input from her bacon-loving sons.

Ingredients
Makes 4.

Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 (12- to 16-ounce) package thinly sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, finely chopped
Sour cream, for serving

Directions
1.Lightly coat a medium skillet with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray and heat over high heat. Place 1 tortilla on a work surface and sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Top with 1/4 of the bacon and 1 tablespoon jalapenos; top with a second tortilla.

2.Carefully transfer to skillet and cook until bottom tortilla is browned and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Turn and continue cooking until browned and filling is hot, about 2 minutes more. Transfer quesadilla to a cutting board and repeat process with remaining tortilla, cheese, bacon, and jalapenos.

3.Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve immediately with sour cream.

Mad Hungry

I haven't watched Martha in a really long time. Not really interested.  But I noticed she had moved to the Hallmark channel and one day I happened on to it.    I've liked her new shows.  She had one of her cooks/recipe inventors on one of the first new episodes.  A lady named Lucinda Scala Quinn.  Lucinda had one of her young adult sons with her and they were making quesadillas.  Man, did they look and sound good.  Very simple too, so I decided to try them.  We had those for dinner tonight and they were very good.  Bacon and Monterey Jack Cheese with some pickled jalapenos (which I forgot to put on mine).  We garnished with avocados and salsa.

Lucinda has a cooking show each day called Mad Hungry.  The name comes from when you are just so hungry you've got to eat, and she has three sons who get 'mad hungry'.  Having 3 sons of my own I decided to watch a few episodes.  You know what:  I really like the show.  Lucinda is real.  She cooks for families and brings them all to the table to be together.    Bringing back the family meal is her motto.  I like that.  It's my style too.  So check out her show on the Hallmark channel.  She also has a cookbook.  I think I'm going to put it on my Christmas list...

(I planned to get so much done today and it just didn't happen.  I don't know why it's taking me so long to get things done or why I keep getting interrupted so much???  Christine stayed at school for an extra points project for AP Euro History so I didn't have to pick her up until 5pm.  Then we went straight to the Minute Clinic for her sports physical.  Yay.  I am glad to have that done, finally.  It was one of those things that has just been hanging over my head to get done and now it is. Yes.) 

Sunday 10-10-10 At A Glance

Today is a very unique day.  October 10,2010 or 10-10-10.  Won't see that again!

Quiet day.  Normal Sunday things.  Duff and I have talked and decided we are going to get more committed to our family history/genealogy.  This means we started going to that class for the Sunday School hour.  It was surprising how little is recorded.  We learned that they have changed the new Family Search again recently and a lot of information still hasn't been updated or current.  I don't know exactly what that means, but I do like the fact that I can log on at home and work on it here as well as get instruction and help at the church.  I also like that anyone can change incorrect information.  You don't have to go back to the original contributor.  That is good because there has been some very wrong dates that can be made right now without having to go all the way back to Germany.  It was exciting to see things there.  Interesting though, Duff's mom's information was very incomplete, Jack wasn't even listed as one of his siblings, so he was able to fix that.  My parents weren't married and I was able to fix that.  We will learn more each week.

RS was great.  I loved the presidency's message.  What is or has been our 'mighty change of heart'?  Do we seek for them to strengthen us and/or look back on them to keep us on track?  It was filled with the spirit.  I have had some of those experiences at different times in my life.  I shared one and then thought about the others.  I realized that I need to draw more from them when I am feeling low from going through challenging times.  And when new ones happen I need to recognize them for that.

Roast beef dinner and a chocolate cake later.

Rain Or Shine

Our beloved Cougars had a much needed win today.  It sounds so cliche:  rebuilding.  Even to me;  I don't care for that term.  It kind of sounds like an 'excuse' or something.  But we are obviously not doing well.  I don't know that letting the defensive coordinator go was the right answer, unless the issues run deeper, which has been eluded to.  How can it be a defensive problem when we have receivers who can't seem to hang on to the ball?  Especially in the end zone....  That being said.

Fans can be so fair-weathered.  I am  not one of those.  Rain or shine, win or lose, I love the BYU Cougars.

It's not just football--although I love college football.  BYU is close to my heart.

Maybe it's because I went to school there.  I still need to graduate.  Maybe it's because I met my hubby there, had our first two kids while he was finishing school.  We were so young and so poor and so naive and so happy!  Maybe it's the Y on the mountain.  Maybe it's because it was my first real experience living away from home where I gained some independence and learned a lot of life lessons when I was 18.  Maybe it's because I love that cheesy cougar growl when they get a first down.  Maybe it's because when I was growing up we lived so far away from anything 'church headquarter' related that we treasured anything that connected us to it.  It was like an anchor.  Being connected to school and our religion together of which we were clearly a minority.  It was something to be so proud of.  And we were.

Keep it up Cougars.  I'm still cheering for ya!

(We had a great ward progressive dinner.  It was a build your own burrito/taco bar.  We were assigned to Brad Arrington's.  That guy had all his Halloween decorations out and it was really cool.  Great to visit with everyone and then we all met next door for dessert.)

Bobby Did It

Robert got his bar exam results this afternoon and HE PASSED!  Good job.  He also got a job yesterday.  Things are coming together for their little family.  It's been long and hard, but they have hung in there and now they are on to a new phase of life.

CONGRATULATIONS, ROBERT!  You did it!

We love you--

Our Subtle Fall and Not So Subtle Driving Nudge

The sun is shining again and we have a break from our first part of the week rainy weather.  BUT, you can feel the change in the air.  Fall is here.  It's sublte here.  There is a shift in how the sun shines.  The air feels different.  It smells different.  We have trees that have leaves and stay green all year long.  We also have some that don't, and those are beginning to turn.  Our white birch ( my attempt at Quakies), are not as deep green; their leaves are muted with some golden hues emerging.  And the Liquid Ambers! Oh, the delicious reds and purples will be in full blaze shortly.  We begin the 'windies' soon.  Those Santa Ana winds that bring havoc and arsonists.  But even those signal fall with their higher temperatures.

Christine even commented on the autumn change when I picked her up from school this afternoon.  Speaking of which...This is how that goes:

School gets out at 2:45pm.  I leave around 2:55pm to pick her up.  The line is long.  And I don't want to be there at 2pm and sit and wait for an hour.  They have staff who direct traffic.  I like that.  I turn in to the outer circle and pull into the staff parking lot.  I go over to the left side.  She and Amanda walk to the car.  I put it in park, and get out and go to the passenger side.  Chris piles her stuff into the back, and Amanda gets in the back.  Then Christine gets in the driver's side and drives.  I know the drill now, but it took me a while.  It threw me off when she kept showing up at my door motioning for me to get out. That permit is used whenever there is an opportunity! 

I am an apron person.  Especially the last few years.  I wear one during the day doing regular tasks.  Laundry, cleaning, dishes, cooking.  They are so practical and so cute now-a-days.  The vintage look and chef look are making a comeback.  Well, a few times I've forgotten about our school pick-up routine.  I hadn't given it a thought until I caught her expression and exclamation of, "Mom!  Why do you have your apron on?!?!?!"  uh-oh. 

She is a really good driver, and just about done with all her daylight hours.  We need to make more night-time driving opportunities though so she can complete those.

Perspective?

Ok.  I've hit the wall today.  I'm feeling the 'let-down' of being gone for 2 weeks, coming home and getting back into the routine, putting all the canning away, catching up on laundry, and we are on our 3rd day of rain.  Weird thing is, I love rainy days.  And these are allowing me to validate some time to put myself back together,  but all of it combined is making me a bit 'down in the dumps'.

Experience has taught me that I know I just need to patiently wait out the next few days and I'll be back to my regular self.  So I'm trying to just pick one thing each day to focus on.  Clean sheets.  Dinner.  Praying.  When I get like this it seems I pay more attention to my prayers.  That is a good thing, but it would be good to beef up my prayers on a regular basis, huh.  I don't like to admit that I am getting a 'touch' older and am coming to terms with the fact that I just don't bounce back like I used to.  Therefore, it's okay to take a few days to do that.  I used to be able to 'run'--just go from one thing to the next without skipping a beat.  Now I find it takes me a while to adjust from big thing to the next. 

I've had a lot of internal conversations about this with myself these last few days.  Is this a new season I'm entering?  Is it okay?  Does it change? get better?  Do I embrace it or fight it?  I have some friends who are starting to admit to this same thing, but I have others who just keep 'running' away from it.  I'm not saying I'm ready for the rocking chair, but what is the new balance?  One of my visiting teachers is 80.  I love her.  She is so full of wisdom and we really do enjoy each other.  She keeps telling me to 'run' right into it!  Haha!  That it is a beautiful thing to move from one season of a covenant woman's life to the next.  And she tells me that there are 100 different seasons to life, not just '4'.  That you can be right in the middle of one and it abruptly bumps to another or that one might just melt into another and we don't even realize it until we look back on things quite a while later.

Lots to ponder about on this rainy day.  While I'm changing the sheets.

In evaluation, the canning experience was awesome, but we bit off way more than we should have.  I wrote everything down so next time we will have a better perspective on yields that will help us plan better.  I will not do that much at one time again. The problem we face is that we are at the mercy of the fruit.  We don't live in an area where we can get it and do one box a week, so to speak, so we don't get burned out.

Salsa

The salsa is done.

Canning season is coming to an end for me.

We did 42 pints, and I think I want to do at least one more batch.

I figured out it costs about 50 cents a jar compared to the $3-4 dollars when you buy salsa in the store.  (Of course, that all depends on if you already have your jars, canning equipment, and have tomatoes from your garden.)  But even if you add one item a canning season and get your tomatoes at the local grocery, it becomes very economical.

Grandma Duffy's Salsa Recipe
Yield:  21 pints, 10-11 quarts

Ingredients:
28 cups peeled, cut tomatoes (approximately 40-45 medium sized) [28 cups = 7 quarts]***
3 onions, diced
5 green bell peppers, diced small
3 yellow bell peppers, diced small
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced small****
1 Anaheim chili pepper,seeded and diced small
2 cloves garlic, chopped (you can also use a jarred garlic.  It equals 2 teaspoons.)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes****
3 1/2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons garlic salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 cups vinegar
1 large can tomato sauce (2 cups)
1 large can tomato paste (12 oz.size) [add one 6 oz. can if salsa is too runny]

Prepare tomatoes and vegetables.  Put in large kettle or turkey roaster and add all of the spices and tomato paste.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.  (I like to cover mine while simmering).

Prepare canning jars, lids, and seals.  Fill bottles and process for 30 minutes.  Remove from canner/water-bath and let cool on a towel on your counter.  When cool, wipe down and label.

Be careful--This is addicting.  The good news is that it is all natural and has no preservatives that you can't pronounce!

***I have also made this with canned, petite diced tomatoes from the store in place of the fresh tomatoes.  In all honesty, you cannot tell the difference and it saves a big step in peeling and cutting the tomatoes.  28 cups = 8,  28 ounce cans.  There are roughly 4 large tomatoes in a 14 oz. can.  These are always on sale, so pick a few up here and there.

****This makes a mild salsa.  My family likes a little more kick to ours, so I add 1 more jalapeno pepper and 1 more teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (for a total of 2 teaspoons).  It's not a lot hotter, but has a bit more 'punch'.

Frozen Peach Cobbler Filling

This isn't my picture--I got it off the internet--but it looks just like this recipe.

Enjoy!

 Frozen Peach Cobbler Filling

Ingredients for filling:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Fruit Fresh
1/4 teaspoon (or more if you like) almond extract
8 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced ( you might need more or less depending on the size of the peaches, but enough to fill a 9X13 pan)

Mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon,and Fruit Fresh together.  Mix almond extract into sliced peaches.  Add sugar mixture and combine well.  Place labeled gallon freezer bag in a medium mixing bowl with opening wide.  The bowl will support the bag upright.  Place filling into freezer bag, removing air, seal and freeze.  (I like to lay and freeze them flat.)

Ingredients for Topping:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup oil
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Mix together all dry ingredients.  In small mixing bowl or glass measuring cup, combine oil, milk and eggs.  Stir into dry ingredients with fork until just blended. 

On Baking Day:
Thaw the fruit filling and pour into 9 X 13 baking dish sprayed with Pam.  Dot with 4 tablespoons butter.  Drop topping by large spoonfuls over cobbler.  Bake at 350* for 45 minutes until light brown.

(If this is too large of a recipe for you, you can successfully divide it in half.)

Dishwasher and Wading Pool

 John is at the stage of loving the dishwasher.  He has learned how to climb up on the door and sit on it.  He loves playing with the silverware, but Oma (my mom's name for great grandma) only lets him play with the spoons.  He pulls them out, bangs them on the door, and throws them on the floor.  Then reverses the order by picking them up, banging on the door, and puts them back in the holder.

He also loves water.  The bathtub, the hose, the faucet, the sprinklers, his sippie cup, a bottle of water,  Auntie's pool and his wading pool.  Robert is vigilant when he is in the pools.  His younger brother, Jason, drowned at 2 years old in their backyard pool.  It can happen so suddenly and quietly.

Ever Faithful

Dear Darla kept vigil during our canning in the laz-y-boy with a blanket and one of her 'babies'.  She is so loving and faithful.

--side note:  on the drive out and the drive home, she laid on her blanket in the passenger seat opposite me.  When she would get warm or need to change position, she would stand up and put her face right in the path of the a/c vent.  She was blowin' in the wind!  Smart doggy!

Frozen Peach Pie Filling

I love this recipe.

It is quick, easy, and delicious.  You can have a summer peach pie any time of year.

Frozen Peach Pie Filling

Ingredients:
9-10 pounds peaches
2 teaspoons Fruit Fresh
3 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 Tablespoons quick cooking tapioca
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
To peel peaches, first bring a pot of water to a boil.  Using a paring knife, score the peaches with an X in the the blossom end of the skin only.  Gently drop the peaches in the boiling water for approximately 30-60 seconds.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the peaches and place them in iced water for a minute or so.  The skins should slip off easily.  If not, place back into the boiling water for another 30seconds.

Peel, remove the pit, and discard.  Slice the peaches and put them in a bowl.  Add lemon juice.  Mix.  Mix Fruit Fresh, sugar, tapioca and salt together, add to peaches, mixing well.

Line 4 pie pans with heavy foil, placing plastic wrap across in one direction and then turn the pan 1/4 turn and put another piece of plastic wrap across in the other direction.  Make sure they are long enough to cover the filling.  Divide evenly (about 4-5 cups) per pan.  Loosely fold wrap over filling, then the foil, leaving it in the pan and freeze until firm.  When filling is frozen solid, remove from pans and wrap tightly.  Put into gallon ziploc freezer bags and label.  Return to freezer until ready to use.

On Pie Baking Day:
Ingredients:
2 nine-inch pie crusts (for bottom and top)
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg

For each pie, simply place frozen pie filling in pie shell, dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg.  Top pie with an additional pastry crust, seal well, brush with a little milk and sprinkle with a bit of sugar.  Bake for 50-60 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven.